Lao Dong likes to drink hot water on weekdays
Lao Dong is 60 years old this year, an ordinary plumber in Chenzhou, Hunan, who repeats boring work every day. However, Lao Dong has a small hobby, that is, drinking hot water.
As soon as the meal arrived, Lao Dong picked up the thermos cup and took a sip of the hot boiled water inside. Colleagues all said that Lao Dong's mouth is really good, and no matter how hot the water is, it is like ordinary boiled water for him.
Over time, this kind of joke spread, saying that Lao Dong only drinks 100 degrees of boiling water. Lao Dong himself did not deny this statement, and even described the feeling of drinking hot water with a little relish.
Unexpectedly, this unintentional little bragging made Lao Dong attract an uninvited guest - a TV station that wanted to uncover urban legends.
Hunan Satellite TV reporters want to uncover the truth
One day, the director of Hunan Satellite TV's popular science column "Approaching Science" heard the legendary story of Lao Dong and decided to go to the field for verification. This column has always been keen to test all kinds of urban legends and strange phenomena, and Lao Dong's story is just what they want.
The director immediately sent a team of reporters to Chenzhou, Lao Dong's hometown, to prepare to launch a "Baidu Encyclopedia"-style scientific exploration. The reporters were curious about Lao Dong's special physique, and while observing his oral structure, they planned to test the details of the experiment.
Under the smiling faces of the flowers, they didn't care about what kind of pain the test would bring to Lao Dong, they just wanted to attract more eyeballs through this challenge. Lao Dong, who didn't know anything about this, was still talking to himself, but he didn't expect a joke to come true.
The first stage tests 77 degrees of boiling water
The first test began quickly. The reporter took out a cup of 77-degree hot water from the water dispenser and handed it to Lao Dong. Lao Dong took a deep breath and pretended to be calm and picked up the water glass.
The first small sip of hot water entered his mouth, and Lao Dong felt a little hot, but it was still within the tolerable range. He carefully drank the water in one sip for about 30 seconds.
The reporters keenly noticed that Lao Dong's expression changed slightly, and it was estimated that he had endured a certain amount of pain. However, Lao Dong's mouth did not show obvious burn marks after examination.
The reporters looked at each other and decided to continue to increase the water temperature for a new challenge. Lao Dong sighed secretly, how could he attract such interrogation if he made an unintentional mistake. He began to regret his original bragging, but he could only accept the "torture confession" from the media.
The second stage tests 88 degrees of boiling water
In the second test, the reporter no longer used the hot water from the water dispenser, but boiled the water with an induction cooker. After 15 minutes, the boiling water is so hot that it is bubbling and tumbling. The reporter trembled and took the thermometer to measure it, and it actually reached 88 degrees! Everyone was taken aback by such a high temperature.
The photojournalist pointed the camera at Lao Dong and nervously asked him if he dared to drink the boiling water. Lao Dong has regretted it, but he can't get down the steps. He took the glass of water with trembling hands, closed his eyes and drank it all.
The 45-second process was extremely torturous, and Lao Dong felt that the entire esophagus was about to burn. After drinking, beads of sweat the size of beans appeared on Lao Dong's forehead. The reporter asked him if he felt hot, and Lao Dong endured the pain and said no.
The reporters saw that Lao Dong had reached the limit and decided to finally carry out the final Baidu Encyclopedia challenge.
The third stage is 100 degrees boiling water test
The test was held at the hospital, where the reporter prepared to use 100°C boiling water for the final test. Lao Dong saw the bubbling boiling water on the table, and his heart was filled with a strong sense of retreat.
But with many medical staff and patients gathered around, Lao Dong knew that he had no choice but to bite the bullet and meet the final blow. The reporter officially announced the start of the test, and Lao Dong picked up the water cup and brought it to his mouth with trembling hands.
The first sip of boiling water instantly made Lao Dong feel a sharp pain in his mouth like a fire, and he couldn't help but shed tears. But Lao Dong still gritted his teeth and drank the entire cup of boiling water in small sips with all his might.
The 40-second process is as long as a century for Lao Dong.
After the test, the doctor quickly did an oral examination for Lao Dong. The results showed that the soft tissues of the oral cavity were already obviously burned, and some areas of the tongue were blistered, severely swollen and yellow.
The truth is revealed, Lao Dong can't withstand the temperature of 100°C boiling water. The reporter finally completed this cruel test, and Lao Dong was also relieved that the injury was acceptable.
Onlookers expressed admiration for Mr. Dong's courage, but also thought the reporter's approach was a bit excessive. This farce came to an end, and Lao Dong was destined to become the worst protagonist in this scientific exploration program.
Aftermath reflection and warning
After experiencing 3 consecutive periods of "waterboarding" torture, Lao Dong's unintentional little braggadocio was finally exposed. We should not simply blame Lao Dong's vanity or the cruelty of journalists, but reflect on the human weakness and moral dilemma from a deeper level.
Lao Dong just wanted to brag a little in the circle of friends to satisfy his self-esteem. This is more common in many middle-aged male groups, and it is human nature. Journalists used sympathetic extremes to make the effect.
This can also be understood as a result of his work stress. The key is how to find a balance between ethics and professional norms in the process.
We must be wary of the media doing whatever it takes to hurt others in order to accumulate eyeballs. Reflect on your vanity, too, and don't pay the price of violating your conscience. At the same time, we should also learn to be tolerant and sympathetic to the weaknesses of others, and not rush to blame and ridicule.
Only when all participants are broad-minded can we work together to create a better society.