Newspaper media nowadays are nothing like those in later generations, which conduct covert investigations or verify the sources of their news. Back then, as long as it sold copies, they dared to print the most absurd stories in the paper.
What impressed Hou Yong the most was the "Su Sanshan Incident" that happened in 1993.
A man surnamed Li forged an official seal and relevant documents in Qiongdao, pretending to be "Beihai Zhengda Property Co., Ltd." He sent faxed news to hundreds of newspapers claiming that the company had acquired five percent of Su Sanshan's shares and would continue to increase its holdings. Without checking the authenticity of the source, major media outlets printed the news directly in prominent positions in their papers.
Chapter 173