We finally see some serious journalism by the Western media: The Guardian published a balanced, and timely investigative story on Wednesday with the title "Ping Fu's childhood tales of China's Cultural Revolution spark controversy," quoting experts in various fields to challenge the truthfulness and validity of Ping Fu's stories in "Bend, Not Break."

Admittedly, most of the issues The Guardian raised to Ping Fu were not new - they were exactly the same questions brought forward by Chinese readers and reviewers on the Internet (mostly Chinese living in North America), or the "mob," to use Sir Harold Evans' parlance. Although the evidence unfolded at present is inconclusive, people at least are able to arrive at their own judgments by reading a well balanced, fact-seeking piece of serious journalism that had not been seen since the controversy over Ping Fu's memoir broke out weeks ago.

Once again we witnessed that Ping Fu abused the trust of, and betrayed, her friends, believers, supporters and defenders. This time, she admitted to The Guardian that "she had been wrong to call the criticism a smear campaign..." an allegation she put forth on Feb. 1. Not long ago Ping Fu put blames on her ghost writer, interviewers, and reporters for "inaccuracies" in the reports as well as in the autobiography. It appeared that what Ping Fu, and her friends, supporters and defenders, have been doing are not honest and sincere moves in "crisis management" or "damage control," but more lies, libels, accusations and threats. No one else wants to destroy Ping Fu's life; the only one that is destroying Ping Fu is Ping Fu herself, by lies, more lies, and repeated lies. Although she claimed that she was "sad, but not broken," she will eventually harvest broken credibility and bankrupt integrity for sure if she continues the path of sowing the seeds of falsehood. It's just a matter of time.

This may also mark the beginning of a nightmare for her vehement supporters and defenders who had put their reputation, credentials, and integrity on the line to vouch for the truthfulness of Ping Fu's stories, like "Princeton Ph.D." Prof. Erica Brindley; to accuse truth-seeking Chinese challengers as "Chinese nationalists" or simply "a mob", like "Princeton Ph.D." Prof. Erica Brindley and His Honorable Sir Harold Evans; or to threaten and intimidate, like Van Harris at Amazon, to name just a few. Hopefully your acts will not be counter-productive and you will never have to taste the bitterness of betrayal by your beloved friend - Ping Fu.