Chapter 218 Triumph

Shi Nian'an looked at Shi Qi's back as he was escorted away by the bailiffs, and he felt very conflicted.

There is both disgust and dissatisfaction, as well as guilt and gratitude.

Although Seventeen kidnapped her, she also helped her escape punishment. Out of selfishness, she did not want her to be punished too severely.

As the victim, she should be able to provide a letter of forgiveness in exchange for a reduced sentence.

Shi Nian'an was just about to ask professional Du Xiao for his opinion when he saw Chi Li's assistant Xiao Chen hurried over.

Her eyes lit up. Could it be that her mother heard the news and rushed over?

Assistant: "Boss Xiao, Boss Zhou asked me to pick you up for the new product launch. There are reporters everywhere outside. Let's go out the back door!"

Shi Nian'an's eyes darkened and a bitter smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

What was she dreaming about? She'd gotten into this kind of trouble, and her mother had gone to such great lengths to exonerate her. It was a blessing she didn't scold her. How could she possibly leave her work at the company to come pick her up?

Shi Nian'an nodded to the assistant and walked out of the courtroom with her quickly, avoiding the group of reporters who swarmed over her like sharks smelling blood.

As soon as he stepped out of the back door of the court, a cold wind blew towards him. Shi Nian'an shivered and quickly tightened his thin clothes.

Looking up, she saw a black Porsche waiting by the roadside. She thought it must be the driver who came to pick her up. Just as she was about to walk over, she suddenly felt a weight on her shoulders. A thick wool coat was draped over her from behind.

Shi Nian'an turned around in surprise and saw the person she had been longing to see standing behind her, with his hands hanging down, looking at her with a faint smile.

"Mom!" A burst of surprise suddenly flashed in her eyes, and she rushed over and hugged the other person tightly.

Chi Yan was stunned for a moment, then raised her hand to brush away the scattered hair on her forehead that was messed up by the wind, "Let's go, the new product launch conference is still waiting for you to host it."

Shi Nian'an looked up at her, his voice choked with sobs, "I'm sorry, Mom. If I had listened to you that day, I wouldn't be in this trouble today, and it wouldn't have affected Tianqiong's reputation."

"No need to apologize. This wasn't your fault. Didn't the court already find you not guilty? As for the company's reputation... don't pay attention to those deliberately slandering it. You're the first person to be acquitted after resisting an assailant to death. I believe that after this incident, more people will support us."

Chi Li's calm and rational voice instantly calmed Shi Nian'an's anxiety.

She loosened her grip, glanced around, and whispered, "So... Mom, did you bribe the judge?"

Chi Li: "Does your wrist hurt anymore?"

Shi Nian'an raised his right wrist, smiled and shook his head, "It doesn't hurt anymore."

Chi Li glanced at it and said, "The bruises haven't gone away yet. I'd better apply some medicine later."

He looked down at the time and said, "The new product launch will start in an hour. Let's go quickly so we don't get late."

As he spoke, he walked towards the car parked on the side of the road.

Shi Nian'an chased after her, "Wait, Mom, don't change the subject! How did you manage to replace the judge? Just tell me!"

The two got into the car one after the other, and the assistant got on the passenger seat.

When the reporter who got the news ran to the back door, he saw the door closed and the car drove forward quickly and merged into the traffic.

————

On the other side, the venue of Tianqiong’s new product launch conference.

In stark contrast to the last time when no one paid attention, the venue was already packed with people an hour before the press conference began. The front row and the aisles were filled with tripods, and reporters were jostling for the best camera positions, nearly coming to blows.

Unlike those netizens who are keen on gossip online, most of the people present are investors with capital and industry elites. These people do not care about moral disputes, but only care about gains and losses.

Even though Tianqiong Technology was involved in the Shi Nian'an case, which attracted national attention and was boycotted by a number of netizens, in the eyes of these businessmen, no matter how bad the public opinion is, it cannot compare to the amazing profits brought by the material machine.

But before the press conference officially started, everyone couldn't help but discuss this matter.

"If President Tianqiong is smart, he should cut ties with Shi Nian'an immediately after the verdict comes out. This will help him regain some of the public's favor."

"Do you think Shi Nian'an will definitely be sentenced?"

"Whether she's sentenced or not, the fact remains that she committed murder. It's certainly not a good thing for a technology group to be associated with a murderer. I'm also considering Tianqiong."

However, just as he finished speaking, there was a cry of surprise from the crowd, "The verdict is out!"

"What is it? How many years was Shi Nian'an sentenced to?"

"Not guilty, released immediately in court!"

The men who had just been talking and making comments about the matter suddenly fell silent, as if they had been slapped hard in the face, burning with pain.

Netizens who saw the news were instantly shocked.

[How can someone be found not guilty even after committing murder? Why? Did the judge take bribes?]

[Don't jump, you ignorant people. This was clearly self-defense.]

Qiao Yanzhi deserved to be killed for forcing the woman to death. The judge acquitted him. I support the judge's impartiality.

[Great! This is a truly fair trial!]

This verdict is comforting. I hope future courts will follow this example and acquit all women who resist and kill criminals.

[It's just survivor bias. The Celestial Dragons have a professional team of lawyers defending her, but can ordinary people afford a lawyer? If a woman is really attacked by a man, never resist. Resistance will only anger the man. I speak from the bottom of my heart.]

[Otaku's fantasy: I fight three people at once, snatching a knife with my bare hands; actual combat: I get chopped on the head by a 13-year-old girl]

Why aren't you calling Shi Nian'an a murderer? Apparently, CGG doesn't play against opponents.

Because of the victory in the case, public opinion suddenly turned around. No matter how much the gods tried to discredit him, it was useless. Netizens rushed to spread the news and there was a great celebration. Those men who hated Shi Nian'an so much were shocked to find that there were so many people supporting Shi Nian'an.

People tend to seek benefits and avoid harm. When speaking out will lead to attacks, the public will habitually remain silent. But once the situation turns, the silent majority will no longer remain silent.

When the east wind prevails over the west wind, we should expect that there will always be a day when the west wind prevails over the east wind.

Netizens celebrated for a while, only to find that there was no news about the person involved, and reporters only released photos of Qiao Zhizhang, the founder and chairman of Huangtian Group.

The man in the photo had a messy head of hair, looking disheveled and like a defeated rooster. He looked away from the reporters, his gaze evasive, no longer possessing the arrogance he had displayed before the trial.

You have to remember that before this, Qiao Zhizhang held a very high and prestigious image in the public eye, once being called the "empire-shattering entrepreneur" and the "godfather of capital." Anyone who dared to publicly criticize him online as a vampire exploiting ordinary people would have been met with a furious attack from his tens of millions of "filial sons and grandsons."

But today, as soon as this photo was exposed, it was ridiculed by everyone. Those "filial sons and grandsons" also felt ashamed of losing the case and decided to sever ties with him.

After the ordinary people finished their revelry, they quickly turned their attention to the Sky Dome press conference. The price of a physical machine had already reached tens of millions of yuan per unit. While ordinary people couldn't afford it, it didn't stop them from witnessing history.

"Shi Nian'an is facing a lawsuit and probably won't be able to attend the press conference. I just wonder if President Tianqiong will show up at the press conference."

"Of course she will. It's unreasonable for her not to show up for such an important press conference."

“Look forward to it!”

In the official Tianqiong live broadcast room of the Xinhuo APP, fans were discussing heatedly, but they didn't know that the staff on the scene were very anxious.

"It's already this late, why hasn't Mr. Zhou arrived yet?"

"I just made a phone call. There's a traffic jam on the way! How about we just send someone up on stage and buy time for a while?"

Helplessly, technical director Jin Feifan had to bite the bullet and go on stage. After saying a lot of polite and empty words, the guests in the audience gradually became impatient.

"I'm here to learn about the second-generation material machine, not to listen to your nonsense!"

"When will the second-generation material machine be brought out for us to play with?"

"I make millions every minute, and you're wasting my time here? If you keep talking nonsense, I'll leave!"

Everyone kept threatening, but their butts were stuck to their chairs and didn't move.

Jin Feifan quickly said: "Don't worry, our President Zhou will be here soon--"

Before I could even say anything, I heard my colleague's suppressed, excited scream through the headset, "The hour is finally here!"

Jin Feifan was stunned for a moment. Was Xiao Zong going to host this press conference? But she had just come down from the court. Was it really possible?

However, the current situation did not allow her to think too much. Seeing that she could not delay any further, she gripped the microphone tightly and suddenly raised the volume.

"Next, please welcome our Tianqiong Technology's Marketing Director, Ms. Shi Nian'an!"

What?! It wasn't CEO Zhou Fanyi, but Shi Nian'an who had just been released from court?

Everyone was shocked and turned to look at the door, and the reporters also turned their cameras.

This is Shi Nian'an's first public appearance after appearing in court!

With the crisp sound of a door opening, Shi Nian'an, dressed in a beige coat, entered the venue with a leisurely pace and a composed demeanor. He didn't look like a victim wearily escaping a murder case, but rather like a victorious general returning triumphantly from a battle.

The guests who had been complaining just now suddenly fell silent, and the live broadcast room was directly flooded with crazy barrages of comments.

Shi Nian'an strode onto the stage and took the microphone from Jin Feifan.

She raised her eyes and looked at everyone, her eyes flashing with emotion, and a determined smile appeared at the corner of her lips.

"Thank you all for your patience, and thank you to everyone who cares about and supports me. Thank you for your willingness to believe in Tianqiong and in me. I am confident that I will not disappoint everyone who believes in me, and I will not disappoint everyone who believes in Tianqiong!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the lights in the venue suddenly dimmed, and a spotlight suddenly hit the center of the stage.

The elevator started, and a second-generation material machine with a silver streamlined appearance and a futuristic design slowly rose.

There was a sudden cry of surprise on the field.

Someone subconsciously leaned forward, and the reporter immediately aimed the camera, and the shutter sounds rang out continuously.