The next morning, Song Qiao brought Liu You to his factory and invited media reporters to report and make statements.
With Liu You's support, public opinion began to shift. People's attention gradually turned to Sun Hu, who was currently on the run.
Currently, under public pressure, the police were conducting a large-scale search for Sun Hu, and it was believed that he would be apprehended before long.
However, just as Song Qiao breathed a sigh of relief, his mother-in-law called.
"Song Qiao, hurry back. This is all your doing. They've already shown up at our door."
As soon as the phone was answered, his mother-in-law's furious voice came through.
This was followed by the sound of chaotic door-kicking and curses.
Song Qiao's heart sank.
"Mom, don't worry. I'll be right back to handle it. Please don't go out, lest someone do something rash."
After instructing his mother-in-law, Song Qiao hastily hung up the phone. He, along with Liu You and two police officers who had just arrived at the factory to investigate, returned home.
...
"Open the door quickly, you heartless, scrupulous manufacturer! You must give us a reasonable explanation today."
"Hurry up and open the door! Stop hiding inside like a turtle."
Before Song Qiao had even gotten out of the car, he heard the noisy sounds from below his house and couldn't help but take a deep breath.
Xiang Piaopiao was now a large enterprise, which inevitably made some ill-intentioned individuals envious. Coupled with the recent incident, it was likely that some competitors were involved in this mob.
Furthermore, it was perplexing how they had found his home address. The whole situation was truly intriguing.
"Everyone, please quiet down and listen to me."
After composing himself, Song Qiao got out of the car and spoke loudly to the crowd of troublemakers.
As soon as he spoke, the entire scene fell silent. Many people turned to look at him with confused expressions.
"Who are you? Where did you come from?"
"I am Song Qiao, the owner of Xiang Piaopiao."
"I am very sorry for what happened, but this incident is not particularly related to our factory. It was a serious mistake made by an employee named Sun Hu due to negligence."
"To express our apologies, Xiang Piaopiao is willing to compensate for your losses and guarantee that such incidents will never happen again."
Fearing that the public's reaction would escalate over time, Song Qiao explained the entire situation in one breath.
"What you're saying is one-sided. You've found a scapegoat to fool us. Who can prove it?"
Not long after Song Qiao finished speaking, a furious roar came from a middle-aged man in the crowd.
"Exactly! Unscrupulous profiteers! We don't want your compensation. We want your black-hearted enterprise to go bankrupt immediately."
Many people below echoed his sentiments.
A few hot-tempered individuals had already pushed to the front of the crowd and were about to rush forward to teach Song Qiao a lesson.
"Stop all of you!"
The police officers, who had been standing by and had remained silent, saw that the situation was deteriorating and immediately shouted, restoring order to the scene.
"Everyone, please calm down. According to our police investigation, this incident is indeed not particularly related to Xiang Piaopiao. It was entirely Sun Hu's personal actions that led to the current situation."
"We have now issued an arrest warrant for Sun Hu, and we believe he will be apprehended soon, providing you with a satisfactory resolution."
"Boss Song is an innocent victim in this matter. However, since Sun Hu is an employee of Xiang Piaopiao, he is willing to compensate everyone."
"We hope everyone can remain rational and protect their rights through legal channels."
After the police finished speaking, the previously agitated scene gradually quieted down.
The government's credibility still held sway. Seeing that the police had personally intervened to vouch for Song Qiao, the anger of the surrounding crowd subsided considerably.
"You will all see the news tonight. I am the town mayor of the area where Xiang Piaopiao is located. I can vouch for them, and their factory workshops' production absolutely complies with our national food safety standards."
Seeing that the public still harbored some doubts, Liu You added a few reinforcing remarks.
Upon hearing this, the surrounding crowd finally accepted the explanation, and many began to disperse.
"We have said what we needed to say. I suggest everyone protect their rights through legal means, otherwise, we will pursue legal action against them."
Seeing a few individuals still instigating the crowd, another police officer glared at them and issued a warning.
Immediately, their expressions changed, and they reluctantly turned and left.
They were merely acting for money and had no reason to risk a lawsuit over it.
His mother-in-law, who had been anxiously pacing in the house, breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this, completely reassured.
Fortunately, Song Qiao had handled the matter with relative ease, which she found quite satisfactory.
The two police officers, seeing that the situation had been resolved, bid farewell to Song Qiao and left.
Only Liu You remained, accompanying Song Qiao back home.
"Town Mayor Liu, I really owe you a great debt this time. Otherwise, I truly don't know what I would have done."
Song Qiao said gratefully as he served the other man a cup of good tea.
"Oh, Boss Song, you're too kind. Our government department doesn't want Xiang Piaopiao to be wrongly accused, does it?"
Liu You waved his hand dismissively at Song Qiao.
"However, Sun Hu must be apprehended as soon as possible. Only by catching him can the public's anger be completely appeased. And in the future, you must be more cautious when hiring employees."
Town Mayor Liu cautioned Song Qiao after some thought.
"It's getting late, and I have some matters to attend to in town. I'll have to leave for today."
Song Qiao glanced at the time. He had originally intended to invite Town Mayor Liu for a drink, but since the latter had other commitments, he had to postpone it.
After all, given their relationship, there was no need to rush such a thank-you gesture.
After shaking hands warmly, Song Qiao politely escorted him to the door.
At this moment, Xia Xueqing, who had been secretly watching from the side, was completely awestruck.
The person Song Qiao had brought today was actually the town mayor.
Although his authority was less than that of the party secretary, within this small territory, he possessed considerable power.
Furthermore, judging by his attitude towards Song Qiao, it was clear that it was a mixture of respect and a hint of apprehension.
This indicated that while he was Song Qiao's helper, his status was definitely not much higher than Song Qiao's.
"I never expected brother-in-law to have such influence."
"Sister has such an attitude towards him; she's truly blind."
Xia Xueqing muttered to herself as she looked at Song Qiao's somewhat imposing back from upstairs.
A cunning glint flashed in her eyes, followed by a light chuckle. She was clearly plotting something in her mind.