Qin Lan acted swiftly. Just last night, she had people release the mice, and by this afternoon, the entire West City District was in chaos.
Major hospitals were overwhelmed, having received dozens of patients. The diagnostic results all pointed to "food poisoning." According to the recollection of the various patients, the last thing they had eaten was hand-grabbed pancakes.
Hand-grabbed pancakes? They were simply a piece of flatbread with vegetables and ham sausage. The vegetables were picked from the vendors' own gardens; there was no way anything would be wrong with what their own families ate. The only things that could be problematic were two items: the pancake itself, and the ham sausage!
Just as everyone was speculating, Qin Lan found the media and had them report a piece of news.
[CEO of a Renowned Clothing Company Establishes a Ham Sausage Factory, the Premises are Filthy and Infested with Rats. Conscience is Abandoned for the Sake of Profit!]
As soon as the news broke, the ham sausage factory was suddenly swamped with people.
Han Liang stood on the upper floor, overlooking the crowd below. He said, "Manager Chen, I didn't expect Qin Lan to move so quickly. She only released the mice last night, and today people are already being sent to our doorstep. It seems our plan needs to be moved up.
I'll have those three ruffians act according to the orders immediately. Why don't you stay at the factory today? I'll have some bedding and daily necessities sent in. You can go back after everything is handled, to avoid being harmed by these emotionally charged people."
"No, if I don't go back today, my family will likely worry. Besides, didn't you say you wanted to use this opportunity to compare our products with Qin Lan's family's products?
Qin Lan is manipulating all of this from behind the scenes. She doesn't need to, nor will she, show herself. At this point, someone needs to step forward to guide the situation, subtly shifting the conflict towards Qin Lan. I am well-suited for this!"
With that, Chen Lishu picked up her bag and instructed Han Liang, "Find some reliable bodyguards to escort me home. I will handle the rest myself. You just need to manage all the affairs of the company during the days I'm away! Remember, the ham sausage production must continue as normal."
Han Liang opened his mouth, but the words of persuasion ultimately stayed in his throat. He believed his boss's decisions were best not interfered with. It was a good opportunity to teach her a lesson. If this incident made Chen Lishu dependent on him at work, that would be even better.
Soon, Han Liang arranged for several agile security guards to follow Chen Lishu. He folded his arms across his chest and leaned lazily against the glass window, watching the commotion with a blank expression.
Chen Lishu went downstairs. The people who had come to demand an explanation saw her figure, and they gnashed their teeth, picking up eggs and throwing them in her direction.
Fortunately, Chen Lishu was prepared. She gave a look to the security guards beside her, and then, opening a large umbrella, she directly deflected the eggs, letting them fall onto the umbrella.
"You black-hearted merchant, you actually gave us defective ham sausage! Our whole family relies on that stall for a living, and now the stall is smashed. You must take responsibility!"
"Yes, our supermarket officially stocked your ham sausage, which led to its closure and inability to open. You must refund our franchise fees and compensate us at triple the price according to the contract!"
"And our man ate your ham sausage and is now lying in the hospital. He is the pillar of our entire family. If anything happens to him, I don't want compensation; I want to die with you, you black-hearted slut!"
"..."
A group of people accused Chen Lishu of her crimes one after another. If it weren't for these bodyguards protecting her, these people would have likely devoured Chen Lishu alive!
In fact, Chen Lishu's decision to come down wasn't entirely for the purpose of going home. The main reason was a lingering doubt: the ham sausage was definitely not the problem, so what was going on with these people who ate it and felt unwell? She absolutely needed to clarify the situation.
The scene rapidly descended into chaos. Seeing that the bodyguards were about to lose control, Chen Lishu spoke, "Everyone, please calm down. I have already reported this matter to the police. To be honest with you all, I have been framed. I know you can't believe this and are angry!
The impact of this matter is too significant, and coupled with my special status, it has already attracted the attention of higher-ups. They will investigate thoroughly. If it is found that the problem lies with my side, I will compensate everyone for all their losses, and I will go to prison to eat crow's food!
However, if it is found that someone framed me, I must tell you that I am a military wife. The person who framed me will pay double the price. I've inquired about the price from those in higher positions; it might involve an additional four or five years in prison on top of the original penalty!"
After saying this, Chen Lishu's gaze fell upon the victim who was crying the hardest. The victim's expression stiffened, and cold sweat even broke out on his forehead.
As if sensing a scorching gaze upon him, the victim quickly composed himself, discarding the inappropriate expression, and continued to cry loudly.
Chen Lishu withdrew her gaze, having a clear understanding of the unfolding events. She pursed her thin lips and continued, "Everyone, I promise you here that it will take at most two days to give you a satisfactory answer! Don't worry, as I said, my status is rather special, and I cannot engage in any opportunistic behavior. You don't need to worry about me absconding with the funds in the middle of the night. After all, the monk can run, but the temple cannot. Isn't there nothing else to do but wait now?"
After hearing her words, everyone was stunned into silence. All they could do now was wait for the results of the police investigation. Before the truth of the matter was revealed, any action against Chen Lishu might result in not receiving compensation but instead implicating themselves.
No one was foolish enough to want to be the scapegoat. After exchanging glances, the managers of several larger supermarkets stepped forward and threatened, "Alright, we will give you one or two days. If you fail to provide a reasonable explanation, you will pay with your life, and our supermarket's losses will also be entirely borne by you!"
"Agreed," Chen Lishu readily accepted the terms, and then watched as the group departed.
----
The issue of poisoned food became a major scandal, reaching even the employees of the Xinxin Garment Company in the East City District.
Yang Gang looked at the newspaper spread on the table, a cold glint in his eyes. He said in a low voice, "Sister, our plan can be moved up. This is a golden opportunity given to us by heaven!"
Yang Lili placed her hands under her chin, hesitated for a moment, then made a decisive statement, "Fine. You go and find the major media outlets to release the news about Chen Lishu's fake charity company, and also give Wei Xiaohua a call to pressure Zhang Bin to act!"