 |
| Censorship Tightens as Beijing Removes Food Delivery Note Feature Amid Yu Menglong Case Outcry |
Public outrage continues to simmer following the mysterious death of Chinese actor Yu Menglong (Alan Yu) — best known for his role as Bai Zhen in Eternal Love.
Despite the official statement ruling it an “accidental fall”, fans remain unconvinced and have found increasingly creative ways to express their frustration online.
After authorities and platforms tightened control — wiping trending tags, deleting posts, and silencing online debate — netizens turned to an unexpected medium: food delivery apps.
The “Food Delivery Protest” That Went Viral
In mid-October, Chinese social media was flooded with screenshots from food orders that looked ordinary at first glance.
But tucked inside the delivery notes were messages demanding justice for Yu Menglong.
 |
| Beijing Tightens Online Control After Fans Call for Justice via Food Delivery Notes |
One viral order dated October 13 showed a request for “medium-spicy pickled fish soup,” but the note written for the delivery driver read:
“Please share on Bilibili that the actor who played Bai Zhen was tortured to death after discovering evidence of money laundering by his company, and that 80 billion yuan in pension funds vanished. Thank you.”
That single screenshot quickly spread across Weibo, Douyin, and private group chats, sparking waves of similar creativity.
 |
| Fans Turn Food Orders into Protest Messages |
Fans began using order notes as mini protest boards — sending messages like “Order food, make some noise” and “Justice for Yu Menglong”.
Online comments poured in, with users calling it “the smartest protest ever” and praising netizens’ wit.
One comment read, “They can censor hashtags, but not takeaway orders!”
Beijing’s Swift Reaction
However, the brief window of creative expression didn’t last long. Within days, major food delivery platforms in Beijing reportedly disabled the note feature altogether, citing vague “system upgrades.”
When questioned, customer service representatives gave standard replies like “The comment section is temporarily unavailable due to optimisation.”
 |
| Censorship or Coincidence? Why Beijing Removed Food Delivery Notes After Yu Menglong Case |
None could confirm when — or if — the feature would return.
The sudden move only deepened suspicion among the public. Many netizens argued that if there was truly nothing to hide, there would be no need to restrict such harmless features.
Growing Public Pressure
As of November 9, more than 665,000 people had signed an online petition titled Justice for Yu Menglong, urging authorities to open a transparent and independent investigation.
Yet, officials remain firm on their stance.
The original police report from September claimed Yu Menglong “fell accidentally after drinking,” with no signs of foul play.
At the same time, police arrested three netizens for “spreading false information,” alleging they fabricated details such as Yu Menglong being “trapped and tortured” or “his mother being detained.”
Online Silence, Offline Questions
Despite the arrests and censorship, discussions continue in quieter corners of the internet.
Many observers note that these clampdowns only fuel public suspicion instead of putting it to rest.
“Every time they delete something, it makes people wonder what they’re trying to hide,” one Weibo user commented before their post was swiftly removed.
For now, Yu Menglong’s name has become a symbol — not only of a tragic loss but also of the tightening limits on free expression in China’s online spaces.
Even something as simple as a food delivery note has turned into a silent battleground between the public’s voice and the system’s control.
Source: SETN.com