Longcheng City, nearing three in the afternoon.
Outside a five-star hotel, a scene unfolded. Starting from some unknown time, a cordon had been set up, strictly prohibiting anyone unauthorized from approaching.
At the same time, burly security personnel stood on both sides, hands clasped behind their backs, meticulously monitoring everything around them.
Flanking these security guards were numerous reporters, holding cameras and microphones, anxiously awaiting something.
"They're here! They're here!"
Suddenly, someone shouted, and all the anxiously waiting men and women tiptoed, aiming their cameras and microphones at two Mercedes-Benz cars that were slowly pulling up to the hotel's entrance, snapping photos.
As the car doors opened, the first to emerge was a pair of spirited young people, bearing a slight resemblance to each other.
The man was slightly older, in his early thirties, calm and reserved, exuding a powerful presence. The woman was in her twenties, with a beautiful face and skin as white as snow.
"Mr. Lin!"
"Miss Lin!"
Upon seeing the arrivals, the reporters became visibly excited.
They were none other than Lin Xiang and Lin Ting, brother and sister from Xishan Coal Industry, both well-known figures in Longcheng.
"Mr. Lin, could you first reveal the purpose of this press conference this afternoon?"
"Miss Lin, I have a question for you..."
As the reporters swarmed forward, attempting to gain immediate intelligence, the Lin siblings politely clasped their hands together, bowed, and smiled.
Then, the brother and sister walked over to the second Mercedes-Benz, quickly opened the door, revealing a wheelchair inside, on which sat an old man with crippled legs.
The old man had a full head of silver hair, appearing to be around seventy or eighty years old, his face deeply wrinkled, though his spirit was remarkably good.
"That's..."
"My goodness, could that be the elder Mr. Lin, Lin Kun?"
"Lin Kun himself is appearing at today's press conference?"
Upon clearly seeing the elder in the wheelchair, the surrounding reporters seemed to have been injected with adrenaline, becoming extremely excited and enthusiastic.
Unfortunately, the security on both sides was too strict, preventing them from getting close individually. They could only watch helplessly as the Lin siblings pushed their father, Lin Kun, along with a group of Lin family elites, into the hotel.
Just as the Lin family entered the hotel doors, more luxury cars arrived from a distance. This time, it was a Lincoln, valued at over three million yuan, which stopped at the hotel entrance, drawing the reporters' eager attention.
The car door opened, and a man in a trench coat, with his hair slicked back, looking like a prominent figure from the underworld, stepped out. Beside him stood four hulking men, exuding an imposing presence that drew considerable attention.
"Shan Xiongjin, from Yunzhou City's Jin'an Group!"
"I heard Jin'an Group is one of the top ten major enterprises in Yunzhou City, quite formidable."
Upon recognizing the newcomers, the surrounding crowd buzzed with discussion. Some reporters tried to approach for interviews, but to no avail, resorting to taking photos.
After Shan Xiongjin and his entourage entered the hotel, Wang Bolin also arrived.
The arrival of this elder, highly renowned throughout the coal industry, caused quite a stir, especially his empty pant leg where his lower half should have been, seated in his wheelchair, which evoked sympathy.
"Mr. Wang, can you reveal in advance if this press conference you are holding today is all due to your grievances with the Han family?"
"Mr. Wang, did the sudden revelation of so many scandals surrounding Han's Coal Industry result from your efforts?"
"Mr. Wang, please stop for a moment, let me take a few good pictures for you."
Facing the reporters' extremely pointed questions, Wang Bolin merely smiled kindly, waving gently at the reporters on both sides.
After Wang Bolin entered, many more luxury cars arrived, including those of well-known figures from Longcheng and its surrounding areas, such as members of the Coal Association and the Energy Association, among others.
At precisely three o'clock, in a spacious conference room on the ninth floor of the hotel, the press conference began.
Led by Xishan Coal Industry, Taishan Enterprise, and Jin'an Group, over a dozen coal enterprises jointly accused Han's Coal Industry of its numerous crimes over the years, labeling it a toxic presence in the industry.
Specifically, Han Guangyao, the largest shareholder of Han's Coal Industry, was described as a complete villain, greedy, monopolistic, and lecherous. It was alleged that numerous innocent individuals had been violated by Han Guangyao over the years and had chosen to endure in silence due to fear of Han's Coal Industry's power.
A large number of media outlets were invited to attend, covering almost all the major and minor media organizations in Longcheng.
During the conference, reporters posed various sharp questions, all of which were answered.
The most attention-grabbing revelation was from Lin Kun, the former chairman of Xishan Coal Industry and father of Lin Xiang and Lin Ting. He personally recounted how his two lost legs were the result of being intentionally run over by a car sent by Han Guangyao.
Before the press conference, he had already filed a police report, demanding a thorough investigation into Han Guangyao's criminal act of hiring someone to inflict harm.
Shortly after Lin Kun finished speaking, Wang Bolin of Taishan Enterprise also stepped forward, displaying his own two lost legs and stating directly that Han Guangyao was also responsible for his injuries.
However, his legs were not lost to a car accident; he had been kidnapped by people sent by Han Guangyao, and his legs had been brutally shattered with a hammer.
Like Lin Kun, Wang Bolin had also reported the incident to the police before attending the conference.
Hearing that the lost legs of the prominent figures from Xishan Coal Industry and Taishan Enterprise were both the result of Han Guangyao's actions, the entire venue erupted in an uproar.
Everyone realized this was truly explosive news. Once exposed, Han's Coal Industry would be in serious trouble.
These two companies were no minor players. If the allegations were true, Han's Coal Industry would face significant difficulties.
However, the matter did not end there. After Lin Kun and Wang Bolin spoke, Shan Xiongjin also stepped forward, listing various unfair competitive practices employed by Han's Coal Industry to gain enormous profits.
Following Shan Xiongjin's statement, entrepreneurs from over a dozen other coal industry companies, large and small, took turns speaking, denouncing Han's Coal Industry's dictatorial and monopolistic behavior, its tendency to form cliques, and its "those who obey me live, those who defy me die" hegemonic approach.
The accusations also involved multiple homicide cases and instances of deliberately concealing accidents, a series of crimes that were shocking to witness.
As the press conference raged on, in a corner at the back of the conference hall, three figures stood: Qin Chuan, Qi Yan, and Li Xiangcao.
The three were not visible to the reporters. In particular, Qi Yan and Li Xiangcao were considered a surprise element of the alliance, not yet convenient to be exposed.
However, for such an important press conference, they had all come to personally witness this historical event.
Han's Coal Industry, Han Guangyao, and the various members of the Han family would all have to pay for their crimes.
Today was the day the Avengers Alliance officially drew its sword against Han's Coal Industry.
From this moment on, the conflict between the two forces would escalate into a full-blown confrontation, with no room for de-escalation.