Whistle-blower says he's amateur, yet he gets serious results

People may not know what online whistle-blower Zhou Xiaoyun looks like when his name is credited for a long list of scandals exposed by him - from the fall of an energy magnate to recent rows over Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) - given that he bides his time at high-profile events avoiding the spotlight, hiding behind a mask and a dark pair of shades.

Zhou, the Guangzhou-based senior media practitioner, who dubs himself "an amateur-but-absolutely-reliable whistle-blower," has been dominating media headlines since the end of last year, when China saw a surge in anti-corruption campaigns online.

"I wear a mask because I've made too many enemies who want me dead," Zhou told the Global Times, adding that he was once targeted in a bounty hunt with a 10-million-yuan ($ 1.63 million) reward offered by one of his "enemies," who he exposed of fraud through charity activities.

Currently embroiled in an online spat with RCSC, China's official charity organization that the public has grown notoriously skeptical of since the Guo Meimei scandal in 2011, Zhou has earned a reputation as a trusted whistle-blower due to his evidence-oriented approach to the job.

The art of his craft

Zhou said that he has managed to collect mountains of proof by following a specific set of rules.

He never uses a person's quotes as evidence against anyone since he says the strongest proof is a written document or record.

And he only collects evidence through legal means, with most of the information scoured from officially published data or documents, he said.

His day job in the media also helps him establish connections with a mix of people, including scholars and public figures who are particularly influential among Chinese Web users and can help his postings spread quickly on the Internet.

The first scandal Zhou successfully exposed was in 2011, when he found a source saying that Sinopec's Guangdong branch had spent millions of company yuan on luxury liquor for Lu Guangyu, head of China's petroleum giant.

With the help of a source inside Sinopec, Zhou developed the story with mounds of research and evidence to support the claims. His reports eventually led to an investigation on Lu, who also served as a senior energy official at the time - and his fall within 10 days.

Among the list, Zhou has also exposed former officials in Jiangsu, who retrieved government posts after serving jail time for crimes. He also filed a lawsuit earlier this year with the Ministry of Railways for allegedly misusing funds to develop its website.

Risky business 

Zhou said that he has received few threats, and to his surprise, he has never been in trouble with the law because of what he does, which mainly targets government organs and organizations, particularly those that infringe upon public interests.

"The Internet and netizens are my protection," said Zhou.

By exposing every detail through Weibo and blog accounts instead of via his media organization, Zhou feels safe making everything transparent to the public as it allows little room for those wanting revenge to stab him in the back, he said.

But Zhou insists on keeping his personal information, including the names of schools he attended and places he has worked for, from the public.

"I don't want my friends to be harassed because of me. I keep everything related to whistle-blowing to myself only, so that the information and my sources are safe," Zhou said.

Zhou even refused to reveal his actual age in the interview."That's for something else," he said. "I don't want people to know I'm not young since I'm looking for a serious relationship."