Chapter 102

Chapter 102

Wen Yanxu and Wen Shijun meticulously reviewed every detail of the press conference.

They decided not to admit that Wen Shijun had deliberately concealed the truth back then, only acknowledging that Aegis Group's senior management had been negligent in the accident investigation and had failed to detect the existence of the illegal experiments in time.

This narrative had loopholes, but it was not entirely indefensible—Aegis could plausibly have classified the incident as an ordinary safety accident without conducting a deeper investigation.

However, before they could hold the press conference, the Natural Order made its move first.

The Natural Order exploited the "high-priority data" function of the Meridian Quantum Communication Network to forcibly push a report on Aegis Group's illegal human experimentation on Jueying Island to the optical brains of all Federation citizens.

The report detailed the illegal experiments that had taken place on Jueying Island twenty years ago.

This forced push notification caused public opinion to explode instantly.

That morning, anonymous individuals claiming to be victims began speaking out online one after another, forming an ever-growing wave that thrust Aegis into the epicenter of a public storm.

At nine o'clock in the morning, the Federation government issued an emergency statement, announcing a comprehensive investigation into Aegis Group's alleged illegal human experiments.

Despite this, the press conference proceeded as scheduled.

At the conference, Wen Shijun presented the post-fire accident report, along with a series of evidence.

This evidence indicated that Wen Shiqi had secretly conducted the illegal experiments on Jueying Island, and that Aegis headquarters and other senior executives had been unaware of these experiments.

Wen Shiqi had exploited loopholes in Aegis's systems, using falsified documents to conceal the true nature of his research.

Wen Shijun admitted to negligence in investigating the Jueying Island fire twenty years ago. After the fire, Aegis's management had only classified it as an ordinary accident without conducting a thorough inquiry, allowing the truth to remain buried for two decades—until last year, when Jueying Island was attacked by Rustfire, and they began to notice from traces that the fire twenty years ago had hidden details.

This was a serious failure of Aegis's senior management and its oversight systems, and as chairman, he bore an unshirkable responsibility.

Wen Shijun then presented the evolution of the compliance systems and internal oversight mechanisms that Aegis had established over the past twenty years.

"Aegis has established a fully independent ethics committee..."

Wen Shijun's voice was somber: "Over the past twenty years, all of Aegis's human-subject research projects have undergone multiple layers of approval and public disclosure. We can guarantee that the illegal experiments on Jueying Island were solely the actions of Wen Shiqi. Aegis was once forced to become an accomplice due to negligence, but this was not a systemic crime committed by Aegis as a whole."

His voice rose: "Every legitimate experiment conducted by Aegis can withstand scrutiny by the Science Bureau's Ethics Committee."

Finally, Wen Shijun and a group of Aegis executives collectively apologized to the public.

Wen Shijun's eyes were visibly moist, revealing remorse; his lips trembled slightly, and his voice was hoarse and heavy as he said: "As a giant in the Federation's biotechnology sector, Aegis has failed to fulfill its due social responsibilities and has betrayed the public's trust. We are willing to accept all investigations and penalties, and will do everything in our power to compensate and assist the victims of that time."

After Wen Shijun's speech, Wen Yanxu stepped onto the podium.

This strikingly handsome young face somewhat assuaged the public's anger, especially since Wen Yanxu had not yet joined Aegis twenty years prior.

His expression was calm and solemn as he announced an even graver truth.

"Over the past twenty years, the illegal experiments on Jueying Island did not fully end with Wen Shiqi's disappearance."

"During our investigation, we discovered illegal secret laboratories in multiple regions across the Federation."

As his words fell, materials were projected via holographic devices.

It was a three-dimensional map marked with four or five red dots.

"Some of these locations have been abandoned for years, while others were still operational when we found them."

Wen Yanxu's voice grew deeper: "Within the Federation, illegal research is still ongoing, and people are still being forced to undergo experiments."

This information quickly sparked another wave of public outrage.

"Aegis has already turned over this evidence to the Federation authorities. We hope that law enforcement will investigate as soon as possible. Aegis will fully cooperate in rescuing those victims and bringing the true masterminds to justice."

After the press conference, Wen Shijun, accompanied by family and staff, entered the Federal Security Agency to keep his promise and accept responsibility for his negligence.

He did not choose bail but instead submitted to detention through standard procedures.

Wen Yanxu assumed the position of acting chairman in the eye of the storm.

Aegis's stock price plummeted for several consecutive days, multiple partners announced contract terminations and filed lawsuits, federal investigators had already moved into Aegis headquarters, and questioning voices began to emerge within the Wen family...

These troubles had already left Wen Yanxu overwhelmed.

Aegis was simultaneously facing pressure from both the business and political circles.

After Qiao Yuexun returned to the Su family, Su's mother doted on her long-lost youngest son, and Su Lan was equally indulgent toward his younger brother.

Qiao Yuexun suggested to the Su family that they should support the Wen family at this critical moment.

He said to Su Lan: "Brother, I've fallen in love with Wen Yanxu. He's in deep trouble now, and I can't bear to watch him shoulder such immense pressure alone."

He also tempted them with interests, arguing that given the Wen family's standing, although this crisis was severe, the difficulties were only temporary. If the Su family couldn't reap huge benefits from it, they might as well provide timely assistance and make a sound investment.

Su Lan adopted Qiao Yuexun's suggestion. The Su family not only refrained from participating in carving up the Wen family's interests but also proactively promoted collaborative research and development with Aegis in the field of Bio-Mech. This project was considered likely to elevate the Federation's military capabilities to a new level.

The Su family's support made other forces hesitate in their eagerness to take a bite out of the Wen family, instead adopting a wait-and-see stance, which bought Wen Yanxu precious breathing space.

Qiao Yuexun also gained considerable clout from this timely assistance.

In the days that followed, the Federation authorities did indeed uncover traces of the illegal experiments.

As more evidence came to light, public opinion began to split.

More and more people began demanding that the Federation quickly capture and severely punish the masterminds behind it all.

Meanwhile, Aegis also made a new breakthrough in the "Immortality Code" project.

When the news broke, Aegis's stock price recovered slightly.

Meanwhile, the "Mentor" turned his gaze quietly toward someone else.