SHENZHOU (THP): It was a day of mourning here in the village of Shenzhou, where the nation's trusted state media was inconsolable after discovering that their diligent efforts at censorship had somehow been transformed into satire. Wailing themselves hoarse, journalists claimed they had only been trying to protect the nation's delicate sensibilities when tragedy struck, turning their well-intentioned censorship into biting humor. Surrounded by the tears of the red-faced news personnel, Xiao "Happy Fingers" Wu, known for his uncanny ability to scrub any hint of dissent from the internet within minutes of it appearing, recounted the dreadful events of the night, "I was keeping my usual watch when I spotted a rogue comment criticizing our glorious government – and so, with a swift tap of my Delete key, I reduced it to a few harmless characters, naively assuming I was doing my best to protect the feelings of the state." Unbeknownst to him, the deleted comment was replaced by an innocent phrase that inadvertently created a powerful and hilarious satire. Readers across the country were left in stitches, unable to fathom this unprecedented transformation. "How could I have known that my deletions would create the most ingenious political satire our nation has ever seen?" sobbed Wu. "I have failed our glorious leaders. I am no longer the hero of the state." Red-faced officials from the Ministry of State Security have swarmed the village, intent on discovering how their once-robust censorship machine had devolved into a comedic circus. Sources speculate they are looking into everything from foreign involvement to astrological signs for the sudden malfunction. Ironically, there had been no satire in Shenzhou's state media in over 50 years, due to the dogged efforts of its ruthless censorship machine. However, as the censors mourned their plight, the unintended humor seemed to gain steam. "I used to find reports on the wheat harvest inspiring," said Li Mei, a longtime resident of Shenzhou. "But now, it just makes me laugh. I've always believed that a good sense of humor is crucial to get through life - and apparently, it can even survive our noble censors." Many citizens, in an outpouring of sympathy for the sobbing state media, have flooded social media with their words of support – albeit filtered heavily by the now paranoia-stricken censors. As the sound of the sobbing state media filters through every corner of Shenzhou, whispers of satire begin to echo across the nation, leaving those in power desperately seeking a solution. While the state media wade through their own tragic puddle of tears and red ink, the satire they unwittingly birthed continues to grow stronger, much to the amusement, and perhaps even the hope, of the people. Rest assured, the country will be watching with bated breath to see who, or what, has the last laugh.