Song Shanmu – a tough boss
A former employee Mr Zhang revealed that the highest pay he ever got was 3,000 yuan a month. In a bad month, he could earn as little as 1,000 due to fines imposed for various infringements of Song Shan Mu’s humiliating regulations. On the surface, the employees looked very smart in their uniforms, but the public was completely unaware of the suffering they had to undergo. The company took every possible opportunity to dock their pay. Many employees had their pay docked simply because they had dust on their computers. When Song suspected anyone of stealing, he would do a search and that included the teachers.

Many former employees had thought about reporting them to the authorities. One of them went out to set up his own training centre. He ended up having the authorities call on him every other day to harass him for various infringements. In the end, he found it so tough that he had to shut down. Song Shanmu was a man with connections. Though he had violated many labour laws, nobody dared report him.

Did he have the keys to the women’s dorm?
Mr Zhang added that the rape of Luo Yun was nothing to Song Shanmu. Whatever or whoever he wanted, nobody would dare refuse him. He had the keys to the ladies’ dorm and sometimes, he would turn up late at night. When he entered one of the rooms and started talking to one of the women, the other would quietly leave. During the job interview, he would remind HR to pick the youngest, most timid and ignorant girls. When a girl catches his eye, she would know that she will be getting a raise of 200-300 yuan to please him. Zhang believed that Luo Yun was an exception. Song Shanmu had coerced many girls into having sex with him and none of them had reported him.

Song and his Henchmen
    　　Mr Zhang confessed that he was a bit worried talking to reporters. That’s because besides connected to people in authority, Song Shanmu also employed thugs who could make life miserable for the “rebels” within his company and the competitors outside his company. A very important factor for his success was the way he could eliminate competition with a combination of inspectors and thugs. Zhang had thought of reporting Song since 2001, but he was mindful of the possible backlash. From the moment news of Song Shanmu’s arrest was leaked out, Zhang and his colleagues were eager to act as witnesses for Luo Yun. However, they were not sure if Song would be served a neutralising punishment. There was every possibility that he would only get a slap on the wrist and take revenge on them after that.
    　　

Private Settlement
During the trial, Luo Yun refuted the claim that she was Song Shanmu’s lover. She also revealed that on 11 May 2010, she received a call from Song Shanmu’s sister asking for the matter to be settled privately. Song’s lawyer argued that offering to settle the matter privately was not equivalent to an admission of guilt. He also pointed out that it was difficult to gauge the extent of Luo Yun’s relationship with Song. He revealed that Song had once bought “expensive medicine” for her.

Computer Forensics
Song’s lawyer also added that Song’s computer and other devices have been brought in for investigation. He revealed that till then, the police had not found any of the nude photos that Luo Yun alleged that Song had taken of her to blackmail her. An employee at Sun Moon also revealed that the computers in their office have also been checked and no evidence against their employer had been found. CCTV footage of Song and Luo prior to the alleged rape did not reveal any signs of force. The authorities have also not found any messages of blackmail on Song’s phone.

Monitoring female employees
One teacher by the name of Kelvin told reporters that he had been working at Sun Moon Since November 2007 and had migrated overseas since he quit in 2008. Speaking to his former colleagues, he found out that his former employer often had intimate relations with the female employees. Those who stayed in the dormitories had their every move monitored by the boss through CCTV. They had to obtain permission from him if they wanted to go out in the evening. Kevin said that he could not pretend not to know what was happening at the centre.

His ex-wife statement
Song Shanmu and his wife Li Muzi were divorced in 1998 due to various disagreements and personality incompatibilities. They ended their marriage amicably and after that, she remained a colleague and business partner at Sun Moon. Li Muzi revealed that her ex-husband never had any affairs and nor did he keep any mistresses. She believed that the media had exaggerated and blown the matter out of proportion. Song Shanmu’s guilt can only be confirmed in court. Li also believes that a lot of unreliable reports in the media have been put out with inputs from their competitors.