Chapter 120 The World Has Grown Silent

After an involuntary gasp escaped their lips, all the journalists at the scene stared at the executives on stage with mouths agape, faces etched with shock.

They were utterly confounded.

Especially those reporters who had already prepared their articles; they now appeared downright dazed.

This twist had come out of nowhere!

They were sticking to the previous repair plan?

After all the commotion, was this press conference truly meant for this?

This was their so-called reconciliation?

How absurd could it be?

The reporters numbly turned their gaze toward Chen Qi.

They saw the car owner, an older man, staring up at the stage, his disbelief evident.

Chen Qi’s reaction was subtler, yet his eyes brimmed with disdain and sarcasm, far from friendly.

Seeing their expression, the journalists widened their eyes in surprise.

Could it be that Chen Qi and the car owner only learned of this now?

Had they not discussed it before the press conference?

Upon guessing this possibility, the already shocked journalists felt their scalps tingle with even greater astonishment.

What on earth was the dealership doing?

What was the true purpose of this press event?

To humiliate Chen Qi?

To turn him into a national laughingstock?

The reporters were stunned.

Just as Chen Qi had anticipated, they felt a soul-shaking shock.

They had never expected this outcome.

Before coming, they believed the dealership had already reached a settlement with the car owner. Many had prepared questions about the resolution.

But to their surprise, there was no settlement at all.

Not only had there been no reconciliation, the angry demeanor of the car owner suggested the conflict would only deepen.

Yet, it must be said the journalists' experience soon kicked in. After a brief moment of shock, they quickly regained composure, their eyes lighting up with excitement.

A scoop!

This was a huge story!

Although they couldn’t fathom why the dealership would stick to the original repair plan despite mounting pressure from society, one thing was certain: if they dared make such a move, they must have their reasons.

This seemed to suggest that Chen Qi’s previous actions amounted to unreasonable fuss.

“Wow!”

Contemplating such a dramatic reversal, the reporters grew more and more exhilarated, their faces shining with anticipation.

Live camera feeds from various media outlets shifted instantly toward Chen Qi and the car owner. Those who had already drafted their articles began feverishly rewriting, publishing explosive news stories at lightning speed.

They didn’t care about Chen Qi’s fate, nor whether the car would be returned or exchanged; they only knew that this twist would capture countless eyes.

...

As the media were abuzz with excitement, viewers watching the live broadcast were equally stunned.

Originally, they had expected to see the dealership bow its head and admit fault. But hearing them insist on the repair plan, the audience couldn’t believe their ears.

For a moment, they thought they had misheard.

What was happening here?

How could it still be the same repair proposal?

After all Chen Qi had done to stir things up, how could he possibly accept such a plan?

No one could make sense of it.

While they puzzled over this, another camera angle showed Chen Qi and the car owner’s reactions.

Viewers, too, gaped in disbelief, their expressions as shocked as could be.

My! God!

Could this have been a unilateral decision by the dealership?

Without the car owner’s consent?

Viewers were once again floored.

The comment section of the broadcast exploded in response.

...

It wasn’t just ordinary viewers who were shaken by the dealership’s actions.

Some celebrities within the industry gasped upon hearing the announcement, their faces twisted in shock.

Almost instantly, they searched for Chen Qi among the crowd.

They wanted to see his expression upon hearing the news.

At that moment, they felt only sympathy for him.

They had expected the dealership to retaliate, but not so swiftly or viciously.

Unlike the audience’s immediate anger, these celebrities guessed the dealership must have valid reasons to make such a statement.

They could even see that the dealership was humiliating Chen Qi in their own way.

Their implied message seemed to be: no matter how big you make this, we won’t take you seriously.

If we put forward a repair plan, it’s because we have our reasons. Who are you, a nobody, to question our decision?

Did you really think yourself important?

Soon, they caught sight of Chen Qi’s face.

And they were disappointed.

Chen Qi showed neither shock nor disbelief as they had expected.

He looked as if he wasn’t surprised at all; not only that, he seemed to be scorning the dealership.

At this, the celebrities were at a loss.

Did he even know what he was doing?

...

At Future Films, Xu Bunian watched the live broadcast with a complicated expression.

Having anticipated the dealership’s intentions, he had been searching for Chen Qi’s figure since the broadcast began.

Unfortunately, the early camera shots focused on the dealership’s female representative, offering little footage of Chen Qi.

Only after the dealership announced their commitment to the repair plan did he finally see Chen Qi’s face full-on.

To his relief, he saw no trace of panic on Chen Qi’s features.

Chen Qi sat quietly, regarding the executives on stage with a gaze full of sarcasm.

Xu Bunian couldn’t help but smile.

Given what he knew of Chen Qi, the fact that he remained so calm suggested he had a plan to turn the tables.

Though Xu Bunian couldn’t imagine how he might overturn the three-guarantee policy, he was eager to keep watching.

The outcome would surely be spectacular.

...

At the same time, Xu Man, Zhou Xiao, Zhao Qingqing, Su Xiaoxiao, and Zhao Wu Bai Xiao Ke were also following the broadcast closely.

Like Xu Bunian, they were startled by the dealership’s insistence on the repair plan and immediately watched for Chen Qi’s reaction.

They saw Chen Qi silent, his face openly mocking.

“???” They were taken aback.

Even now, he remained so composed?

Had he truly heard what was being said?

As they wondered at his calmness, something unexpected happened.

At the scene, the car owner, finally reacting, stood up in rage.

All the media cameras immediately trained on him.

But just as the car owner was about to speak, Chen Qi suddenly reached out and pulled him back.

“Let them finish,” he said.

The car owner, furious to the extreme, glanced at Chen Qi. After a moment of agonized hesitation, he said nothing and quietly sat down again.

Throughout, the executives on stage merely watched in silence, their faces unreadable.

After the car owner sat, the dealership’s female representative resumed speaking.

As expected, she invoked the three-guarantee law.

She gave a detailed explanation of the automobile three-guarantee policy to the nationwide audience.

After her explanation, she stated their repair plan was both legal and compliant.

At last, she called out Chen Qi by name.

“I don’t know whether Mr. Chen doesn’t understand the law or has ulterior motives, but I want to say this: We are a responsible car manufacturer and dealership. We never evade our problems, but we won’t accept any groundless accusations!”

“If the car has quality issues, we promise to resolve them satisfactorily and assume all responsibilities that are ours. But we reject any form of moral coercion!”

At the end of her speech, she demanded that Chen Qi publicly apologize for his previous actions.

She claimed his behavior had caused them significant negative impact, and if he did not apologize, they would pursue legal action against him.

And then, the world fell silent.

Even the angry viewers who had been flooding the comment section paused in their tracks.