bioinnovel Chapter 13: The Killing Frenzy! You call this a press conference?
Chapter 13: The Killing Frenzy! You call this a press conference?
These seemingly casual words, devoid of any anger, were like an invisible slap across Lei Dong's face.
The clamor in the entire auditorium seemed to have been instantly snapped at the neck by a giant hand.
Dead silence.
The sinister look that had just appeared on Lei Dong's face froze completely.
He almost doubted that there was something wrong with his ears.
Not worthy?
Tianxing Motors, which assembled the country's top powertrain engineers, was a treasure he had acquired at great expense. Yet, in the mouth of this freshman, it wasn't even qualified to touch that piece of scrap metal?
What arrogance!
After a brief silence, the crowd erupted in uproar.
"He's gone mad! This kid has completely lost his mind!"
"Who does he think he is? Possessed by Einstein? He looks down on even Lei Jun's expert team?"
"He's at his wit's end! He's afraid to let anyone inspect him, so he's resorting to these kinds of excuses to stall for time! A liar!"
Lei Dong was furious. He pointed at Bai Che, his fingers trembling, "Fine! Fine! Fine! You say my engineer isn't qualified? Then tell me, who is?!"
He practically roared it out, his voice filled with extreme anger at being humiliated.
"Are you suggesting we ask a deity to verify this for you?!"
Backstage, Su Wanqing's heart sank to the bottom.
Oh no, this is a disaster.
Making definitive statements in this setting offends top figures in the industry, leaving no room for maneuver.
Wang Tao's lips turned white with anxiety, and he murmured, "Brother Che... how... how are we going to handle this..."
In the live stream, even the hardcore disassembly king looked pale. He muttered to himself, "Bro, you've gone berserk... This time, even a god can't save you..."
However, Bai Che completely ignored Lei Dong's roar.
He simply raised his hand and casually pressed a button on the control panel.
hum-
The wildly roaring electric motor came to an abrupt halt.
The whole world fell silent instantly.
Bai Che's gaze slowly swept across the angry, mocking, and questioning faces below the stage. Finally, past Lei Dong in the front row and past the commotion of the media, his gaze, like a scalpel, precisely fixed on an inconspicuous corner in the front row.
There sat an elderly man with gray hair, wearing a simple jacket.
The old man hadn't said a word from the beginning; he simply leaned forward slightly, staring intently at the stage with a gaze that was a mixture of extreme confusion and burning interest.
The spotlight shone on Bai Che's gaze with a "whoosh".
The old man's face was clearly illuminated.
At that moment, everyone in the audience from academia and science and technology media gasped.
"My God...that's Academician Zhang Chengping!"
"The pillar of the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences? What's he doing here?!"
"The last time I saw him was at the award ceremony for the State's highest science and technology award!"
A clamor arose from one place to another.
Zhang Chengping is a living monument in the Chinese physics community.
His appearance instantly changed the significance of this "farce".
Bai Che picked up the microphone, faced the beam of light, and bowed slightly.
"Academician Zhang Chengping of the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, your name represents the backbone of physics in China."
His voice was calm and clear, carrying a captivating composure.
"Would you be willing to bear witness to this examination with your own eyes and your life's reputation?"
The entire audience was stunned!
Everyone felt a chill run down their spine!
He actually dared to do it! He actually dared to call for help on the spot, and he managed to get Academician Zhang Chengping to come!
This is no longer arrogance; it's gambling with one's future on the judgment of a national treasure-level scientist!
The color drained from Lei Dong's face the moment the spotlight shone on Zhang Chengping.
When he heard Bai Che's words, his mind went blank.
Sent.
Only those two words remained in his mind.
He can question anyone, but he cannot question Zhang Chengping.
To question him is to make an enemy of the entire scientific community in China!
Under the watchful eyes of hundreds of millions of viewers, Academician Zhang Chengping slowly stood up.
His face was filled with barely suppressed excitement and the meticulousness of an old scientist.
He didn't say any polite words, but simply nodded heavily to Bai Che on the stage.
"I do."
Two words, spoken with resounding force.
Then, under the watchful eyes of countless people, he took steady steps and walked towards the stage.
Lei Dong swayed, almost unable to stand.
But Bai Che's performance wasn't over yet.
After the trump card, there's still a backup plan!
His gaze shifted from Academician Zhang to the crowded area for foreign media reporters on the other side.
"And David Kensington of Global Technology Today."
The person named was a British journalist with a high nose, deep-set eyes, blond hair, and blue eyes.
He was frantically taking pictures with his camera when he heard his name called, and he was completely stunned.
Bai Che's voice rang out again, this time with a hint of playful provocation.
"Your media is renowned for its rigor and impartiality, and I believe that audiences around the world are now awaiting your verdict."
After a half-second pause, David Ken-Shinton burst into a wild, exaggerated shout.
"Oh My God! Of course! It's my honor!"
My goodness! Of course! It's my honor!
He shoved aside his colleague, dropped his bulky camera, snatched a silver precision instrument case from his assistant, and practically sprinted onto the stage at top speed.
This was the peak of his career!
An exclusive that will go down in the history of journalism!
Watching two people, one Chinese and one Western, one old and one young, who each held absolute authority in their respective fields, walk onto the stage, Lei Dong was utterly desperate.
He knew that he was no longer being roasted over a fire, but being pushed directly into the crematorium, where even his ashes were scattered.
He cannot question Zhang Chengping; that would be suicide.
He couldn't question David either, as that would be an open admission of his own guilt.
He's finished. Tianxing Motors is finished too.
On the stage, Bai Che looked at the two "examiners" standing beside him, turned to the side with a flourish, and gestured "please" to the simple motor, the tangled wires, and the twisted and ugly piece of "scrap metal".
"Gentlemen, the stage is yours now."
After saying that, he stepped aside, completely clearing the center of the stage.
The entire auditorium was eerily quiet.
Backstage, Su Wanqing and Wang Tao had stopped breathing.
In the live stream, all the comments disappeared, and tens of millions of viewers held their breath, waiting for the final verdict.
Academician Zhang Chengping did not start immediately. He first walked around the "scrap metal" three times, sometimes bending down, sometimes squatting down, his eyes focused as if he were dissecting a brand new planet.
Finally, he took out a pair of reading glasses from his pocket and solemnly put them on.
On the other side, David Kensington professionally opened his silver instrument case, which contained various sophisticated detection probes and portable analyzers.
He turned on one of the instruments, and a complex stream of data lit up on the screen.
A "test of the century" under the watchful eyes of hundreds of millions of people has officially begun.
Wearing his reading glasses, Academician Zhang bent down, reached out, and gently touched the edge of the battery that had been pressed into a disc.