Part One: "Tuhao" Guo Moumou and His "Sea Palace"

8. Storm of Public Opinion

On Wednesday, January 13, 2010, Shenzhen's *Crystal Daily* prominently featured a lengthy report on pages A6-7 titled "Is the Billion-Yuan 'Sea Palace' Actually an Illegal Structure?" (Figure 33).

Figure 33: Electronic scan of *Crystal Daily*'s pages A6-7 on January 13, 2010.

Looking back objectively, although this report had a somewhat sensational headline, relied mostly on secondhand sources for descriptions of the "Sea Palace," and overly emphasized its luxury in the accompanying images, it still attempted to maintain an objective and fair stance in form, listing sections such as "Reporter's Investigation," "Netizen Exposures," and "Various Opinions" to present a comprehensive picture, along with a "Reporter's Notes" that included some rational discussion. However, as mentioned earlier, due to severe wealth inequality, social injustice, and polarization caused by corruption and monopolies, a strong atmosphere of resentment toward the wealthy pervaded Chinese society at the time. The development of information networks provided an easy platform for ordinary people to vent their grievances, requiring only a spark to ignite a nuclear explosion capable of destroying all rationality. In this sense, this report was to Guo's floating island what the atomic bomb was to Hiroshima near the end of World War II.

For the convenience of readers and to provide a complete sample and material for our rational reflection today, allow us to quote the full text of this report below.

Is the Billion-Yuan "Sea Palace" Actually an Illegal Structure?

The fishery department stated: "This constitutes illegal use of the sea."

The "owner of the palace" claimed: "The province agreed to pilot it first."

European-style white colonnades, Southeast Asian-style gardens, swimming pools, horse racing tracks, dappled tree shadows, small bridges over flowing water... In the current era of numerous villas, these terms don't seem eye-catching. However, adding "on the sea" before these terms makes it truly astonishing.

In recent days, our newspaper has received many tips from readers, claiming that a mysterious sea villa has been discovered in Dongshan Bay, Nan'ao, covering thousands of square meters and costing nearly 100 million yuan. It is understood that this place is not open to the public, only used for private gatherings on holidays, and is commonly known as the "Sea Palace." An insider revealed that the "Sea Palace" has existed for five or six years but has never obtained the right to use the sea area, making it, in fact, an "illegal sea structure."

Reporter's investigation

It wasn't difficult to find this "Sea Palace." The reporter casually asked a few locals and easily located it... This villa is clearly built on the sea, or rather, floats on the sea surface, like a "man-made island."

With this question in mind, a reporter recently drove to Dongshan Bay in Nan'ao. At 11 a.m., at the Dongshan Bay dock, fishermen were busy unloading oyster shells ashore. This is an eastern shallow-sea aquaculture base, surrounded by mountains on three sides, with calm waters. Unless a major typhoon strikes, it is generally safe, making it a sheltered bay for fishermen and a "safe harbor" for this "sea palace."

It wasn't difficult to find this "sea palace." The reporter asked a few locals and easily located it. For local fishermen, it has become a "tourist attraction." However, unlike typical tourist spots, although the "sea palace" is well-known, getting on it is no easy task.

"I've never been on it," said an aunt who runs a shop at the dock and has been here for years. "That's someone's private property; you can't get on." Usually, there are few people there, only on weekends or holidays when some men and women come and go. "But you can wander around nearby."

So, the reporter decided to rent a speedboat to take a look around its vicinity. The speedboat driver was Fa Zai (a pseudonym), who has been raising fish in Dongshan for years. When mentioning this "neighbor," Fa Zai knew it like the back of his hand. With his fish raft only about ten meters away, he watched this structure grow from its inception to expansion and now to its splendor. His words couldn't hide his envy for the "neighbor." "It's very luxurious up there."

Fa Zai's description of "luxurious" was not an exaggeration. Passing through a stretch of dark or simple sea rafts, at a corner of Dongshan Bay, a Southeast Asian-style luxurious "palace" gradually came into view: first, a fenced area, and upon closer look, there were actually several horses inside. Turning further, it was a different scene: a European-style villa with green trees and exquisite carvings in front. Turning again, at what seemed like the main entrance, there were two stone-carved elephants at the door, and not far away, a swimming pool of several dozen square meters... If not for the roaring motor and the occasional splashing waves reminding the reporter, one might mistakenly think they were in front of some luxurious villa.

However, this villa was clearly built on the sea, or rather, floating on the sea, like a "man-made island."

Even an island can only stay fixed in place, but this "Sea Palace" can float on the sea as needed. According to reports, the "Sea Palace" is actually composed of several parts, like the racetrack itself being one section, which was only adjusted to its current position after last year's Typhoon Hagupit.

"It's much more impressive than an artificial island," said Fa Zai. Even an island can only stay fixed, but this "Sea Palace" can float on the sea as needed. Following Fa Zai's guidance, the reporter noticed that this massive structure was actually secured to the rocks on the shore by countless ropes. "To withstand wind and waves, providing stability," said Fa Zai, who was born by the sea. Although Dongshan Bay is relatively calm, keeping a building firmly "fixed" on the sea is no easy task, especially for such a large structure covering thousands of square meters. "Generally, the height of the building above should match the support below," Fa Zai said based on his experience. But the "Sea Palace" looks like an ordinary villa, about six or seven meters high. So, besides being secured to the shore by ropes, what supports it to float on the sea?

"It should be floating objects like rubber barrels and foam," but even Fa Zai wasn't sure about that. He then shook his head and sighed, "It's amazing!"

In Fa Zai's eyes, the "Sea Palace" is impressive not only for that but also for its assembly and modular functions. According to Fa Zai, the "Sea Palace" is actually made up of several parts, like the racetrack itself being one section, which wasn't in its current position before but was adjusted after last year's Typhoon Hagupit.

"That's a private club, not accessible to just anyone."

But when the reporter asked to "land" and take a look, Fa Zai immediately showed reluctance. "That's a private club, not accessible to just anyone," he said. Usually, the "owner" of the "Sea Palace" isn't there, but several caretakers are always on duty, cleaning and feeding the horses. It only gets lively on weekends or holidays. "Sometimes many models come," Fa Zai said, and they can watch the model performances for free from their own fishing rafts. Other times, it's celebrities. "Famous hosts, he has photos with these celebrities hanging at home," Fa Zai said, mentioning that he saw these things when he went up there once.

Besides model performances, there are sometimes fashion shows here, and occasionally fireworks are set off. In the pitch-black night, over the dark sea, colorful fireworks shoot into the sky, leaving a deep impression on all the nearby fishermen.

"Sometimes people even come here to shoot movies," Fa Zai said. Just a weekend not long ago, a film crew came to shoot, "I heard it costs five to six hundred thousand each time."

This news was also confirmed by another fish raft owner, Uncle Wu. He has been running a sea fish raft here for over ten years and has witnessed the growth of the "Sea Palace" firsthand. He said he knows the "boss" of the "Sea Palace" and has even been there more than once. "I heard he's from Shandong, or maybe the Northeast?" He promised to try contacting him by phone for the reporter. However, after a few minutes, Uncle Wu's answer to the reporter was still: "Can't go up." "I heard only the owner's invited guests can enter," Uncle Wu said.

Netizen exposure

"Sea Palace" is already a trending term online

Clearly visible from satellite maps

Despite repeated attempts to enter, the journalist unexpectedly found a large number of photos of the "Sea Palace" online. Discussions about the "Sea Palace" could be seen on Tianya, Baidu, Xici Hutong, and elsewhere.

Many netizens also posted numerous interior photos of the "Sea Palace": an elegant Southeast Asian garden, with an elephant sculpture standing at the main entrance. In the central hall on the first floor, European-style sofas were arranged, with two warriors' swords and armor placed opposite, and a Mongolian prince's robe hanging on the back wall. On the other side, there were Taoist-themed wall hangings and traditional Chinese ornaments. Further inside, a path led to the owner's bar for gathering and partying with friends, with a terrace facing the sea. Realistic deer heads hung from the ceiling, and the bar, seats, musical instruments, and dice created a scene reminiscent of an old Western movie.

The bedrooms on both sides were in a rural pastoral style, with exquisite cabinets, plain small floral patterns covering the beds, dark red wooden floors, and a polar bear fur rug in the master bedroom. On the bookshelves, photos from various public and private occasions were displayed, and upon closer inspection, many familiar public figures could be seen: Sammo Hung, Wang Shi, Yang Lan, Chen Luyu, Dou Wentao... Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, a wooden terrace extended out to the sea.

"This is what a luxury mansion should be. Nowadays, people are fooled by developers' ads and almost forget what a real luxury mansion is."

"Rather than a luxury mansion, it's more fitting to call it a private club. This is hardly a place to live; it's more like a social venue."

Many netizens also marveled at the racetrack on the "Sea Palace."

"I went to see it once in 2007 and was astonished by its luxury... The rooms were filled with expensive oil paintings and crafts, magnificent and breathtaking," said netizen "White Scholar."

Even on Google Maps, the exact location of this "Sea Palace" can be clearly found. On satellite images, many sea restaurants can be seen clustered near the shore, while the "Sea Palace" is displayed on one side of these restaurants. The structure of the building is clearly visible, and its scale can even be distinguished when the scale is reduced to one kilometer. From the year the satellite photos were taken, it can be seen that this "palace" has existed for several years.

"It has been under construction for five or six years," a local fisherman told reporters. Over the years, the area of the "Sea Palace" has continuously "expanded." Originally, there was only one main hall and main room, but later a large garden was added, and a horse racing track was built. "I heard it was worth 30 million before, but now it's said to be close to 100 million!" Another fisherman claimed that the annual maintenance cost of the "Sea Palace" is no small amount. "Every time a typhoon comes, it blows away many things, and repairs cost at least several hundred thousand."

But despite the high construction and maintenance costs of this "Sea Palace," while netizens marvel at its luxury, many also question: "Why can private individuals casually build houses on the sea?" "Are there legal procedures?" Some netizens even decided to follow suit, returning to their hometowns to spend hundreds of thousands building a house on a lake.

Various Opinions

The "Sea Palace," whether in terms of construction or positioning, runs counter to the goal of "modern recreational fisheries" and has escaped government supervision. "So we imposed penalties according to the law and filed a lawsuit," said the head of the Longgang Fishery and Fishing Supervision Brigade.

Longgang Fishery Administration: "Sea Palace" is an illegal use of the sea

With netizens' doubts, the reporter decided to verify with relevant authorities. During the search, a notice on the Guangdong Provincial Ocean and Fishery Administration website about the "Administrative Penalty Hearing for Offshore Structures in Dongshan, Longgang District, Shenzhen" caught the reporter's attention. The notice stated:

"The offshore structure located in the shallow sea aquaculture area of Nan'ao Dongshan, Longgang District (known as the 'Sea Palace') has not obtained a sea area use certificate, constituting illegal use of the sea." It also indicated that the Shenzhen Longgang District Oceanic Bureau had approved the case for investigation in January 2008, confirming that the "Sea Palace" illegally occupied 1.58 hectares of sea area. "In accordance with the 'Sea Area Use Management Law of the People's Republic of China' and relevant laws and regulations, the Shenzhen Longgang District Oceanic Bureau imposed an administrative penalty of 711,000 yuan on the responsible unit of the 'Sea Palace' and ordered it to restore the sea area to its original state within a specified period."

Subsequently, the reporter contacted the Longgang Fishery Administration and Fishery Supervision Brigade, and its head confirmed this information. He stated that the "Sea Palace" indeed involved illegal sea use, and the brigade had lawfully filed a lawsuit with the Longgang District Court, demanding restoration of the sea area to its original state within a specified period. The head also noted that regarding the "Sea Palace," the provincial government had previously issued instructions allowing the project to develop as modern recreational fisheries. However, later, both the construction and positioning of the "Sea Palace" deviated from the goal of "modern recreational fisheries" and escaped government supervision. "Therefore, we lawfully imposed the penalty and filed the lawsuit."

"We have the approval document from the Guangdong Provincial Oceanic Bureau. As a high-end marine leisure project, relevant leaders from the provincial oceanic bureau visited the site and approved us to proceed on a trial basis in 2008." — Chairman Guo of a Shenzhen real estate company

The owner of the "Sea Palace": Has the "trial basis" approval document

The reporter tried every possible means to contact the owner of the "Sea Palace"—a certain Guo, chairman of a real estate company in Shenzhen. He expressed a different opinion regarding the statement from the fishery administration team.

Crystal Daily: It is said that the Sea Palace has not obtained a sea area use permit, making it an illegal use of the sea?

Guo: We have an approval document from the Guangdong Provincial Oceanic Administration. As a high-end marine leisure project, relevant leaders from the provincial oceanic administration have visited the site and approved it in 2008, allowing us to proceed on a trial basis. Since this form had never existed before, the Sea Palace is considered a floating structure, and there were no relevant laws or regulations governing it at the time.

Crystal Daily: But hasn't the Sea Palace existed since 2003?

Guo: At that time, we signed a contract with the village, which is still valid. Additionally, we have an approval document from the Nan'ao Subdistrict Office. This was originally a poverty alleviation project, as the village also wanted to address employment issues and drive economic development. Think about it—such a large project requires significant investment and cannot be built overnight. I would not have started construction rashly without any approval documents.

Crystal Daily: How many local villagers have been employed by the Sea Palace?

Guo Moumou: A dozen or so.

Crystal Daily: Why is the Longgang Fishery Administration and Fishery Supervision Brigade still exercising its administrative powers according to law?

Guo Moumou: It might be that the local and provincial levels have different understandings of the issue. We will continue to communicate with the relevant departments in Longgang.

Crystal Daily: But the Longgang court is already "going through the procedures." Will the Sea Palace be demolished?

Guo Moumou: No, it won't.

Crystal Daily: The Sea Palace is a private club, right? If you're not a friend of the owner, you can't enter.

Guo XX: Yes. But many friends from all walks of life in Shenzhen have come here to play, and I have hosted them all for free.

Crystal Daily: Since it is built on public waters, is it possible to increase the openness of the club so that more citizens and entrepreneurs can share this leisure?

Guo XX: That’s unlikely. Because I don’t intend to profit from it; it’s all free.

Crystal Daily: How much was invested in this project?

Guo XX: About 70 to 80 million.

Reporter’s Notes

Standardized use of marine resources is worth exploring.

One side says, "Without a sea area use certificate, it constitutes illegal sea use," demanding restoration of the original state of the sea area; the other side says, "We have an approval document from the Guangdong Provincial Oceanic Administration," claiming it is a provincial "pilot and trial" project. During the interview, as each mystery was unraveled, new doubts kept emerging.

Can the "Sea Palace" be classified as an "illegal sea structure" and demolished?

"Because this form did not exist before, the 'Sea Palace' is a floating object, and there were no relevant laws or regulations previously." This statement by a certain Mr. Guo inevitably sparked the reporter's thoughts. As a coastal city, Shenzhen's marine resources have increasingly drawn public attention in recent years. How can we utilize this blue resource while ensuring protection? Currently, tourism and recreational sea use in our city is still in its infancy, accounting for only about 1.8% of the city's total sea area, and related sea area management needs further clarification and standardization.

If the report "Is the Billion-Yuan 'Sea Palace' Actually an Illegal Structure?" retained some semblance of objectivity, fairness, and rationality, the series of follow-up reports meticulously orchestrated by the *Crystal Daily* clearly revealed the media's—and ordinary Chinese citizens'—biased stance.

The next day, January 14, 2010, the *Crystal Daily* published a detailed report on pages A8-9 titled "It Was Born Under the Name of 'Aquaculture'" (Figures 34, 35). The article cited the view of the Longgang Brigade of the Guangdong Provincial Marine Surveillance Corps, definitively concluding that the "Sea Palace" "did not obtain a sea area use right certificate and constitutes illegal sea use," and that Mr. Guo's claim of "having provincial approval" was "not an approval document, but an approval note." Meanwhile, without any evidence or facts, the reporter blindly followed the prevailing social psychology of the time, speculating that "this approval note from the 'higher-ups' also brought considerable pressure on their (the Longgang Marine Surveillance Brigade's) law enforcement." This subjective inference, based on a misunderstanding of the dialectical relationship between government regulation and market innovation, completely ignored the positive significance of support from government officials at all levels for Mr. Guo's innovative activities, directly implying corruption involving power and money. It effectively pitted government authority and Mr. Guo's wealth against the law, providing a legitimate outlet for the already heated public opinion. The report also extensively traced the failed attempt of the "Sea Palace" to obtain legal status for recreational fisheries, dramatized details of Mr. Guo and his company "evading" administrative penalties, and synthesized views from the Longgang Marine Surveillance Brigade, Nanao Subdistrict Office, and Dongyu Community Residents' Committee to conclude that the "Sea Palace" had not boosted the local economy. All this objectively portrayed Mr. Guo as a wealthy, unscrupulous, and unbridled "villain," providing a perfect target for the public's resentment of the rich. Although Mr. Guo once solemnly declared that he and his company never actively or passively bribed government officials, who would believe him?

On the same page of the "Crystal News" on the same day, there was also a short article titled "Guo Moumou's Blog 'Shows Off' 'Sea Palace' Sparks Online Debate." The article stated, "Before our newspaper reported on the 'Sea Palace,' Guo Moumou had already been extensively 'showing off' his billion-yuan mansion on his own blog." "From Guo Moumou's words, it's not hard to see that he is quite smug about his 'work': 'Every day I wake up overlooking Dapeng Bay, watching the tides come and go, the sun rise and set. At night, I stroll in front of the courtyard, a cup of Pu'er tea accompanying me under the flowers and moonlight. It feels like my world has fallen silent. There, I feel as if I'm in a paradise. I think even Tao Yuanming couldn't compare to me.'" — This report gives the impression: Isn't this just the "Guo Meimei" of the men's circle?

Figure 34: Left half of pages A8-9 of "Crystal News" on January 14, 2010.

　　Figure 35: Right half of pages A8-9 of "Crystal News" on January 14, 2010.

Figure 36: Page A10 of "Crystal News" on January 15, 2010.

Figure 37: Page A8 of "Crystal News" on January 15, 2010.

Figure 38: Page A4 of "Crystal News" on January 15, 2010.

On January 15, 2010, the "Crystal Daily" continued to publish reports and commentaries such as "The Past and Present of the 'Sea Palace'", "Provincial Oceanic Bureau: Never Issued Approval Documents", and "'Sea Palace' Challenges the Dignity of the Law" (Figures 36, 37, 38). Among them, the report "Provincial Oceanic Bureau: Never Issued Approval Documents" stated, "Yesterday, the 'Sea Palace' side indeed showed reporters the 'approval notation' from the Provincial Oceanic Bureau, the approval document from the Longgang District Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Bureau, and the contract with Dongyu Community. However, when reporters verified with each of these three units one by one, they unanimously stated: These materials have been deliberately misinterpreted by the 'Sea Palace'." The report attached copies of the documents submitted by the "Sea Palace" side. Although blurry, they were sufficient to prove that the affirmation and support for Guo's innovative activities from all sides were not fabricated. But now, Guo and his "Sea Palace" have become public enemies, coinciding with the explosive power of online public opinion supervision and an era when government departments lack experience in dealing with it. At this moment, no government official dares to step forward and speak a fair word for Guo and his "Sea Palace". Is it because government officials lack responsibility? Not necessarily. Is it because government officials, whom ordinary people believe are "all corrupt", cannot achieve "a straight foot is not afraid of a crooked shoe"? Perhaps. Li Zhujiang, the director of the Guangdong Provincial Oceanic Bureau mentioned above, later fell from power and was tried for corruption. On October 21, 2014, the Shanwei Intermediate People's Court's first-instance verdict found him guilty of bribery and sentenced him to life imprisonment, but Guo was not among the bribe-givers involved! It seems that Guo and his "Sea Palace" were indeed "innocent" back then! But the raging public opinion is both short-sighted and forgetful, and even more so, lacks a sense of guilt. If someone had wronged Guo and his "Sea Palace" so unjustly at the beginning, they should have felt some guilt after the truth came to light and had a moral responsibility to say "sorry". However, after indulging in the momentary pleasure of drowning someone with spittle, public opinion rarely reflects with a troubled conscience!

Perhaps feeling the pressure of the surging public opinion, Guo formally met with media reporters, mainly from the "Crystal Daily", on January 17, 2010. From a modern management perspective, this should have been a crisis public relations effort, but in terms of effect, it was a completely failed crisis PR action. What Guo displayed was his artistically spontaneous temperament and confidence in his innovative masterpiece, but in the eyes of the media and the public, it came across as the arrogance and insolence of a nouveau riche. This was clearly evident in the lengthy reports in the "Crystal Daily" the next day.

Look at the unrestrained, laughing and chatting photo of Guo being interviewed on the front page of the newspaper (Figure 39)!

Look at those striking headlines: "Guo: 'Sea Palace' Cannot Be Demolished", "'Sea Palace' Is Not the 'Red Mansion'" (Figure 40), "I Have Never Met Li Zhujiang" (Figure 41)...

And look at the almost arrogant "Guo's Q&A Quotations" compiled by the "Crystal Daily" that day:

There have been many media reports recently, and the advertising they've done for us is worth several billion! I still want to thank everyone!

There's a lot of media coverage, but I don't care at all! Really, I don't care! Many people texted me saying, "Guo, your click-through rate has surpassed Zhang Ziyi's!" ... I said, if someone spits at you and you ignore it, it's just rainwater; if you react, it's spit... So, I don't care, let the media stir things up if they want...

There have been a few madmen in history. One was some emperor of Egypt who built a tower—crazy, right? Another was Qin Shi Huang, who built the Great Wall—crazy, right? And then there's me (who built the "Sea Palace").

(Pointing at the fishermen working on the rafts) Look! When it comes to using the sea area, which is more valuable—mine (the "Sea Palace") or these shabby rafts?!

When the typhoon came last year, half of this house was battered and tilted into the sea. They called me, saying, "Brother, the house is sinking..." I was sleeping, and I said, if it sinks, let it sink. Don't call me; if it really sinks, just send me a text: "Sunk."

Figure 39: Front page of the *Crystal Daily* on January 18, 2010. Note the visual impact and psychological suggestion created by juxtaposing the headline and image about Guo's "Sea Palace" with the headline about martyrs in the Haiti earthquake rescue.

Figure 40: Page A3 of the *Crystal Daily* on January 18, 2010.

Figure 41: Pages A4-5 of the Daily Sunshine, January 18, 2010.

The Daily Sunshine's series of reports on the "Sea Palace" ran from January 13 to January 21, 2010. During this period, other major newspapers and online media actively followed up. Online community discussions were filled with criticism, with some directly calling the "Sea Palace" another "Red Mansion" like Lai Changxing's! The passive government departments could only "follow public opinion in all actions." On January 18, 2010, the Shenzhen Municipal Oceanic Administration released the following "Notice on the 'Sea Palace' Case" through the municipal government website "Shenzhen Government Online," in which the wording hastily shifting government responsibility was quite familiar under the current online public opinion supervision environment:

Recently, the case of an offshore structure (commonly known as the "Sea Palace") built by Shenzhen Sea Elite Entertainment Co., Ltd. in Dongshan Bay, Nanao Street, Longgang District, involving illegal sea use, has drawn widespread social attention. Relevant departments of Guangdong Province and the Shenzhen Municipal Government have attached great importance to this. The Guangdong Provincial Oceanic and Fishery Administration immediately established an investigation team to conduct a comprehensive investigation. The investigation team confirmed that the "Sea Palace" structure built by Shenzhen Sea Elite Entertainment Co., Ltd. in Dongshan Bay occupies sea areas that do not comply with marine functional zoning or the conditions for sea use approval. The company has never obtained a sea area use certificate, and no sea use approval documents have been issued by provincial, municipal, or district oceanic authorities. The company's illegal occupation of sea areas is clear in fact and conclusive in evidence. The Guangdong Provincial Oceanic and Fishery Administration has made the following handling decisions:

(1) According to Article 3 of the "Sea Area Use Management Law of the People's Republic of China," the construction of the "Sea Palace" by Shenzhen Sea Elite Entertainment Co., Ltd. without obtaining sea area use rights constitutes illegal occupation of sea areas.

(2) The Shenzhen Municipal Oceanic Administration and the Longgang District Oceanic Administration, in investigating the "Sea Palace" illegal case, adhered to lawful administration, conducted thorough investigations, followed legal procedures, applied the law accurately, and imposed appropriate penalties. This administration expresses firm support.

(3) Given that the Longgang District Oceanic Administration has applied to the Longgang District People's Court for compulsory enforcement of the case, please have the Shenzhen Municipal Oceanic Administration and the Longgang District Oceanic Administration actively communicate with the Longgang District People's Court and cooperate with the court in lawful enforcement, striving to close the case as soon as possible.

(4) The illegal case of the "Sea Palace" has been designated as a case under the supervision of the provincial bureau, and a case supervision team has been established to track and oversee the process.

(5) The disciplinary inspection and supervision department of the provincial bureau will conduct a follow-up investigation. If any maritime law enforcement personnel are found to have suspected illegal or disciplinary violations, they will be strictly dealt with according to laws and regulations once verified.

Did *The Crystal Daily* do something wrong? Probably not. Although the reporters and editors of *The Crystal Daily* lacked a more rational, scientific, and comprehensive analysis and understanding of the social background of the "Sea Palace" incident, and were subconsciously influenced by the irrational hatred and suspicion of money and power permeating society, they were still fulfilling the sacred duty of media supervision according to their own understanding. Although their reporting techniques involved exaggerating and amplifying the news value of the event itself, it could not be considered malicious hype. Here, we excerpt part of the "Proposed 2010 *Crystal Daily* News Awards Citation" (Figure 42) to express our understanding and respect for the reporters and editors of *The Crystal Daily*:

This year's Best Series Report goes to the series "The Billion-Yuan 'Sea Palace' Was Actually an Illegal Structure," won by Huo Min, Liang Rui, and Wang Liming. Early last year (referring to 2010), *The Crystal Daily* was the first to reveal that a mysterious sea villa, covering thousands of square meters and costing nearly 100 million yuan, stood in Dongshan Bay, Nanao. It was commonly known as the "Sea Palace." Surprisingly, this "Sea Palace" had existed for five or six years without obtaining the right to use the sea area, making it, in fact, an "illegal sea structure." Since it was illegal, how could it stand openly for so many years? Who was its mysterious owner? With such immense value, should it be demolished or not? Surrounding these many questions, *The Crystal Daily* reporters pursued the story for dozens of days, and the follow-up reports they published sparked huge repercussions in Shenzhen and even nationwide. Ultimately, the "Sea Palace" was ordered to be dismantled and relocated. This powerful set of reports, showcasing *The Crystal Daily*'s strength in public opinion supervision, came from three gentle and lovely reporters. Now, Wang Liming, who participated in the reporting, has a lovely baby, and Huo Min has become a happy expectant mother. The extraordinary days and nights of pursuing the "Sea Palace" may become touching stories for these mothers to tell their children.

Figure 42: *The Crystal Daily*, January 19, 2011, Page A02.

　　(待续)