Chapter 176

Even though he was a bit baffled, Ned didn’t interrupt Gentry. After all, the guy was a professional, and he had the virtual room under his spell for the past hour.

Soon, the raffle system drew the first audience member in need of help.

Gentry immediately called out the username with gusto, “Nutcracker, are you available to connect with us live?”

As he spoke, the chat feed of the live stream went wild.

“Who's this lucky duck?”

“Getting a face-to-face with our own Kaney, color me jealous!”

“Are we just going to ignore the other four? LOL!”

“But wait a sec... Nutcracker? Why does that sound so familiar?”

“Agreed, | swear I’ve heard that somewhere before.”

“Oh snap! Isn’t that the mom from the recent child medical incident?!” ~

As viewers typed away, the Ghostly Guidance live stream connected successfully with the caller, and despite the mask she wore, the audience recognized her instantly.

“Why is she everywhere?”

“This mom’s something else.”

“Still has the spirit to watch live streams, huh?”

Some viewers started to throw shade in the chat, while the guests quickly pieced together the identity of the person seeking help.

A few days ago, a medical incident had rocked a pediatric hospital in the city. It started when a grandmother brought her sick grandchild in for treatment, but the overtired doctor on duty accidentally administered double the prescribed dose of medication, leading to the child’s convulsions and tragic death.

Chaos ensued as the family erupted in grief and anger — after all, the child was ill, but not terminally so, and a hospital visit shouldn't have been a death sentence.

Though the hospital expressed immediate regret, it did little to quell the family’s fury.

Initially, it was just another sad medical error story. That was until reporters interviewed the grieving mother as she arrived at the hospital. Her tears in front of the camera and her sharp words demanding accountability from the hospital were expected.

But somehow, netizens focused on the young and beautiful mother, who, despite her grief, was meticulously made-up and dressed in chic attire complete with high heels — the epitome of a city sophisticate.

The internet's focus shifted, with people questioning the mother.

“Her makeup is on point, like she got ready just for this.

“Gotta admit, the lady’s pretty!”

“Is she trying to ride the publicity of her daughter’s death to internet fame? Gross!”

“The audacity is just too clear!”

“How can she calmly demand compensation with her child just dead? Heartless.”

“She's just out for a bigger payout.”

“Doctors work hard too, does one mistake deserve to ruin his future?”

Instead of being seen as the grieving relative, this mother was suddenly vilified by online commentary.

The debate grew so heated that the news even trended for a while, only to be buried by other stories in the days that followed, with most netizens losing interest.

Now, seeing her suddenly on the Ghostly Guidance live stream, those who'd speculated about her motives felt vindicated and started berating her in the live chat.

Winnie, watching the online comments with a furrowed brow, didn’t wait for the caller to speak. She commanded coldly, “Director, clear the chat, please.”

Then, looking directly into the camera, her expression turned steely, “Do not speculate without knowing the facts. Cyberbullying is a crime.”

The other guests, who had been uncomfortable with the snide remarks in the chat, weren’t as quick to react as Winnie. But hearing her, they too urged viewers not to jump to conclusions and condemned cyberbullying.

Most viewers, just there for the drama, quieted down after the hosts spoke up, but some trolls persisted, claiming their freedom of speech.

“Are we hitting a nerve by stating facts?”

“Is it wrong to suggest that someone who’s just lost their child shouldn’t be in the mood for live streams?”

As the trolls continued, a portion of the rational audience spoke up, “So what if she came over as she was? Should she have made herself look worse before getting on camera?”

“Be human! Why go after a mom who's just lost her child?”

Bagot, equally surprised by the first caller being the mother from the recent incident, instructed the moderators and the commentary team to clear the toxic messages.

Perhaps due to the chaos in the stream, the mother finally spoke up, “I’ve turned off the chat. | can’t see those comments, so don’t worry about it.”

07:01 Her voice was hoarse but articulate, showing her good upbringing and rationality.

As for why she didn’t need the chat to guess what was being said, she’d seen enough malice in the past few days.

Her eyes were dull, lacking any sparkle, as she sat quietly in front of the camera, seemingly indifferent to the outside noise.

After a moment, her gaze landed on Winnie across the camera, her tone almost explanatory, “My daughter used to watch your show. You said you have the sight, Is that true?”

It was a soft question, filled with hope.

That alone was enough to catch some viewers off guard.

Even without saying much, what else could a mother who’s just lost her child want, asking if someone really has the sight?

Winnie met the gaze of the woman on the other side of the camera, nodded firmly, and said with conviction, “Yes.”

The mother’s dim eyes seemed to brighten at Winnie's words, and her voice choked up, “Can you... can you help me see if my child is still here?... Is she still here?”

Her voice barely concealed her anguish as tears filled her eyes. She looked at Winnie with a desperate hope, clinging to what might be her last straw.

Winnie watched her silently for a moment, then spoke softly, “She’s still there.”

She said, “Your child, she’s standing right beside you, watching over you.”

The woman's eyes widened dramatically, and she turned to look at her right side as tears cascaded down her cheeks. Her lips trembled as she sobbed, “Bella... Is it really you, my Bella?...Are you missing Mommy, sweetheart? | know you must miss me...

Bella... oh, honey...” The woman’s voice trembled with emotion as she turned away, tears streaming down her cheeks. She then addressed the camera, where Winnie was ready to channel her beloved daughter.

“Master Winnie, how’s my Bella? Did she say anything? Oh... Does she... does she blame me for not being there with her?”

Winnie gazed at the grief-stricken mother with a compassionate yet steady look.

“She’s speaking to you now,” Winnie said softly, “She’s saying, ‘Mommy, please don’t die.”