336-340

Chapter 336: Wells's Amazement 

A Father's Concerns 

"Sorry," Joe sighed when Barry suddenly warned him. 

"I know you're a CSI, so you're not that familiar with case files—but Barry, you still work at the precinct, at least." 

"If you had just stayed at the precinct for one day, you wouldn't be realizing this only now—the Stagg files were already pulled out and reviewed yesterday. Putting aside past issues, there are more than twenty ongoing lawsuits that haven't been resolved yet. It wouldn't be surprising if someone wanted to kill him, or even blow up Stagg Tower." 

"Huh? So why don't we investigate their—" 

"There are already over thirty known suspects, but if we pull out past cases, that number would at least double. Want to investigate? We'd have to go through all the files first." 

"Forget it, Barry. This incident didn't cause any casualties or property damage, and very few people even saw it. The higher-ups want to just let this case go. Investigating it would waste manpower, resources, and the precinct's funds and time." 

"But Stagg..." 

"Stagg himself isn't very willing to cooperate with the investigation. He says he only trusts the security team he hired at great expense and scoffs at our warnings." 

"Just let it go, Barry. Don't dwell on this," Joe shook his head. "If you ask me, you should spend less time at S.T.A.R. Labs. At least then you wouldn't be constantly thinking about getting involved in these dangerous cases. You're an investigator, not a cop." 

"But you know my physical condition..." Barry argued. "Only the lab can help me control my abilities. Plus, there are who knows how many metahumans out there now. How are the police supposed to deal with someone like Ma Dong?" 

"Barry, I'm a cop myself. I know how dangerous being a police officer is. You're my son, and you and Iris—I don't want either of you to be in danger." 

Barry opened his mouth but said nothing. Joe's words made him feel quite upset. As someone who loved helping others, he wasn't afraid of danger; he just wanted to use his abilities to fight crime. And as someone who disliked lying, he also had to keep Iris and Eddie's relationship a secret from Joe. 

"I'm sorry, Joe," he slowly shook his head. "But this is what I want to do. I won't stop." 

The atmosphere between them suddenly became a bit heavy. 

"Joe, are the Stagg files still here?" 

Eddie's voice broke the silence, making Barry secretly breathe a sigh of relief. Joe, looking annoyed, turned his head. "They're here. What do you want with them?" 

"Don't put them back yet. I want to look at those files again—a group of people are going to file a joint lawsuit against Stagg Industries, and they're supposedly submitting new evidence. Someone from the DA's office wants to understand the situation." 

"Don't they have their own files?" 

"They don't want them, I want them." Eddie's eyes lit up. "I've been annoyed with Stagg and his mountain of piled-up cases for a long time. This time, I want to see exactly which cases will be reopened." 

An Unexpected Encounter 

That evening, Barry finished work and left the police station without waiting for Joe. 

He didn't plan to go straight home. In fact, he spent more time in the Central City Police Department's evidence lab. There was no one else there, making it his own small sanctuary. 

Over the years, he had kept all the case reports and relevant documents about his mother's death in that lab. He often stayed there late into the night, staring blankly at the documents on the evidence board. 

"I kind of want to talk to the doctor..." he murmured to himself. He had grown accustomed to spending time with his friends at S.T.A.R. Labs lately. And whenever he felt lost, Dr. Wells, as a reliable elder, always managed to guide him, which was truly important to him. 

"Interesting. This is the first time I've seen such unique chocolate products..." 

Barry whipped his head around. 

Strange, did I imagine that? 

Why would Dr. Wells's voice be at the police station entrance? 

Ten seconds later, Barry finally confirmed that he hadn't misheard. It was Dr. Wells's voice—he was actually in his wheelchair, buying something from Cody's food truck. 

"Dr. Wells, Old Ma, what are you..." 

"Oh? Is this a doctor?" 

Cody's smile was very warm. "Well, what do you know? Next time, I'll deliver the goods directly to you—it's just two or three dollars for delivery, not expensive." 

The doctor looked at him, a rare smile appearing on his face. "Mr. Ma, it was a pleasure speaking with you. I didn't expect you to be equally passionate about pastries and wheelchairs. A highly skilled pastry chef who taught himself so much mechanical knowledge—Barry, are you off work?" 

"Doctor, you shouldn't be here in your wheelchair," Barry said, exasperated. "It's too unsafe." 

"How else should I get here? Run?" Wells countered with a smile. "The chocolate's test results were very interesting, so I couldn't resist coming to meet this intriguing pastry chef myself. Is that so strange?" 

"No... how many chocolates did you buy?" 

"A few of each." 

The doctor smiled and tossed a chocolate to Barry. "Haven't had dinner yet, have you? Go ahead and fill your stomach. The test results for this stuff are incredible." 

After Barry instinctively caught the chocolate, the doctor's peripheral vision subtly glanced at Cody. Although the previous chocolate's test results showed nothing wrong, he remained sufficiently wary of this stranger. To date, he hadn't eaten any food sold by Cody. 

There's nothing broken on this little guy... he thought to himself. 

Cody, of course, didn't care. He just pretended not to notice, fully playing the role of an ordinary passerby. 

This old fox's intuition is too sharp; I can't slip nanobots into his stomach... he thought to himself. 

The older man and the younger man exchanged smiles and bid each other warm goodbyes. 

"Dr. Wells, Joe seems to not want me to interact with the lab anymore." Barry pushed Wells's wheelchair, strolling through the streets of Central City. Chewing on the chocolate, he asked the doctor, "He said I'm just a CSI and shouldn't be doing police work." 

"He's your father; it's natural for him to want you away from danger," Wells stated incisively. "But in reality, he can't stop you. Doing good is your nature; you'll instinctively rush to help those in need." 

"I'll go talk to Joe; you don't need to worry about that. He'll understand you—but let's talk about the Stagg case, shall we? Any progress?" 

"Actually... no. Since there are over a hundred suspects and no real consequences from the incident, the Central City Police Department is planning to drop the investigation." 

A look of clear astonishment appeared on the doctor's face. 

"Over a hundred... suspects?" 

Chapter 337: Preparing for the Worst 

"Barry, do you know what you're saying?" 

Wells couldn't help but scratch his head, a gesture he rarely made before because it indicated doubt, something he almost never experienced. 

But lately, he'd been scratching his head more and more often. 

"This is the first time in my life I've heard of suspects being counted in 'hundreds.' You must mean the range of people who could have committed the crime is around a hundred, right?" 

"No, I mean suspects," Barry replied. "We originally wanted to investigate people who had conflicts of interest or grudges with Stagg, and it turned out his old case files were... quite numerous." 

A bad feeling crept into Wells's mind. 

"How many lawsuits did he have?" 

"Joe said there are over twenty ongoing ones, and more than a hundred that have already concluded." 

"..." 

"But after I screened them with my super-speed, Joe was actually mistaken," Barry offered an awkward but polite smile. "There are indeed over twenty ongoing cases, but there are two hundred and thirteen concluded cases, involving infringement, patent misappropriation, wage disputes, workplace harassment..." 

"Sometimes there was more than one victim in these cases. The police filtered out hundreds based on their alibis on the day of Stagg's awards ceremony, but there are still over a hundred people whose whereabouts at 3 PM that day couldn't be confirmed. They all had motive and opportunity, which is why we have 'hundreds of suspects'." 

Wells was silent. 

He had actually heard of this unscrupulous boss, Stagg, but they hadn't collaborated much, so he just thought of him as a truly annoying, rich jerk. 

Now he realized his impression wasn't wrong, just not deep enough. Stagg was the classic black-hearted vampire, a shameless capitalist. His actions not only crossed ethical lines but had long since breached legal ones too. 

"Regardless of whether Stagg built his empire with these methods, he'll definitely collapse because of them in the future," Barry remarked. "Even if we find the six people from the awards ceremony, there will still be ninety-odd other people holding grudges." 

Wells felt a headache coming on. He had originally hoped to use this case to pinpoint the culprit who changed the future news in the newspaper, but he hadn't expected there to be so many potential culprits. 

How was he supposed to investigate this? 

"However, speaking of Stagg," Barry continued, "there's one more thing, it seems." 

"Oh?" 

"Recently, victims who Stagg Industries once persecuted are starting to prepare a joint lawsuit. The news will probably break tomorrow or the day after," Barry said. "He just received the 'Annual Contributor Award,' so public attention hasn't died down yet. This massive joint lawsuit is definitely going to cause a huge stir." 

"Joint lawsuit... interesting." 

A Shifting Future 

Wells's expression suddenly became thoughtful. "No matter the outcome of the appeal, Stagg Industries is definitely finished. If those victims win, Stagg Industries will quickly collapse. If they lose, Stagg Industries' reputation is still ruined, which is a slow death for a company." 

"I think they're highly likely to win," Barry said earnestly. "At least I hope they win. Stagg should return everything he stole from them." 

"I imagine others will think the same." 

Wells wasn't too interested in who was right or wrong. He changed the subject. "Does this joint appeal have a founder or representative?" 

"Founder?" 

Barry thought carefully. "That... they didn't say, I don't think." 

Wells wasn't in a hurry. "Never mind. Let's leave this matter here. If I were the culprit, upon seeing this news, I wouldn't think of making another move. Instead, I'd join the appeal, watching Stagg Tower crumble—that would be a safer and more effective form of revenge. Now that things have developed to this point, do you still intend to pursue this investigation?" 

Facing the doctor's question, Barry paused. After thinking it over carefully, he slowly shook his head. 

"No, I won't investigate further. I just hope the matter gets a fair resolution." 

A New Chapter for Elizabeth 

Meanwhile, Cody rode his motorized tricycle, slowly making his way to Central City Hospital. 

He carried a bag of pastries upstairs and arrived at Elizabeth's room, only to see Denton helping her put on her coat. They looked like they were about to leave the hospital. 

"Oh, I told you, I can dress myself now," Elizabeth, noticing someone watching, couldn't help but blush and gently swat Denton. "Old Ma is here, let go of me quickly." 

"The medical report only says you're much better, not that you're fully recovered," Denton's expression was very serious. "You've recovered so strangely, you still need to take extra care of yourself." 

"I'm not made of glass, I won't just shatter..." 

Cody watched Denton carefully pick up his wife, reminded of Captain Cold holding his cold storage unit. 

To use a phrase from The Little Prince, it was like holding a fragile treasure. 

"It gets sickeningly sweet every time I see it," Cody first sighed, then chuckled. He asked, "Is Elizabeth being discharged?" 

"Yes!" Denton replied happily. "I don't know why, but Elizabeth's recent medical reports suddenly show that her condition has improved significantly. Although her heart disease isn't fully cured, she can move freely now and can even go home without continuous hospital observation." 

Cody knew that Denton's joy at this moment was deeper than just that. Elizabeth having more time meant that if he could win this joint appeal, he would have a chance to reclaim his patent and get Elizabeth a new heart. 

This extra time was Denton's hope for completely curing his wife. 

"Congratulations, congratulations! Now I can deliver pastries directly to your doorstep." 

"How about we all go home together?" Elizabeth suggested. "Would you like to come over for dinner, Old Ma? Denton and I both feel that you might be our lucky star." 

"Oh, this is the first time I've been called that," Cody's smile widened. "Back home, everyone basically called me a jinx." 

"Then they definitely haven't discovered the luck you bring." 

"Good point." 

The three laughed and chatted as they walked out of Central City Hospital. 

Dinner was very enjoyable. Elizabeth's cooking was excellent, and Cody also showed off his skills. All three had a great time. 

Just then, Denton's phone rang. 

He looked at the call, and the smile on his face faded slightly. 

"I'll take this call." 

He excused himself and went into the bathroom. 

"It's a little impolite to call at such a time, Mr. Black." 

The familiar electronic voice on the phone responded, "But there's one thing I must warn you about as soon as possible." 

"Be careful. Someone might come looking for you soon. Remember not to reveal my existence—not even if it means death, Mr. Denton." 

Chapter 338: The Worst-Case Scenario 

"Someone's coming for me?" 

Denton couldn't understand the warning from the other end of the phone. "Who's coming for me? Why? Would that idiot Gavva dare to reveal that he betrayed Stagg? Does he not want to be head of security anymore?" 

"Gavva isn't the problem, Mr. Denton, and neither is the gun store you robbed that day. Since I know about your duplication ability, I naturally know everything you did that day—or rather, haven't you wondered why the gun store owner didn't tell the police about you?" 

"You handled him for me?" 

"It cost a bit of money. You're welcome." 

"Since neither of them is a problem, then who else would come for me? The police? They couldn't possibly pinpoint me. Don't forget, I didn't even have time to act that afternoon before your call pulled me away." 

"No, not the police, not Gavva, and not Stagg himself... Right now, no one is paying extra attention to you. No police officer intends to investigate you. In fact, no normal person who abides by social rules poses a threat to you, because everything you're about to do falls within social rules." 

"The only problem is, some people aren't normal." 

The voice on the other end of the phone showed no fluctuation in tone, yet it sent a chilling sensation through Denton. "Not only are they not normal, but they also don't intend to follow order. When he decides to make a move on you, no one can guarantee your safety." 

Denton frowned upon hearing this. 

"If you're suggesting the Stagg Group will use underhanded tactics to deal with those who join the class-action lawsuit," he said with a cold expression, "then my duplicates will ensure they never return." 

"I said it's not Stagg," the electronic voice sounded a bit impatient. "And the person he's targeting is just you. Your duplication ability can't directly counter him. Don't try to fight him head-on. I told you, prepare to 'die.'" 

"Why? Do you think my duplication is weak?" 

"It's not that you're weak; it's that he's incredibly strong. You'll understand what I mean when you meet him—I only have one request: do not reveal my existence. The class-action lawsuit plan was entirely your sudden inspiration, understood?" 

"You're convinced I'll die." 

"You will certainly die, Mr. Black, and you must act as if you know nothing about it. Only by being prepared for that will you have a chance to survive." 

"Good luck." 

As soon as the words were spoken, the call ended abruptly. 

Denton looked at his phone again. The call log for that unfamiliar number had vanished without a trace. The only remaining evidence of the mysterious person on his phone was the files and evidence he had previously provided about Stagg's former victims. 

"Wait, there's an extra file." 

In a moment, Denton was surprised to find that in the newly appeared file on his phone, all the evidence entries were dated and narrated from the first-person perspective of "Denton Black, former researcher." It even included audio and video, appearing incredibly real. 

It was an evidence collection diary spanning a decade. 

The image of a conscientious, brilliant scientist who, while employed, quietly observed Stagg's illicit activities, filled with indignation and a sense of justice, leaped off the page. He had used his access within Stagg to collect and back up much of the evidence of cases the Stagg Group wanted to destroy, and he recently intended to make them public. 

"Is this guy omnipotent in the digital world...?" 

M 

As he looked at page after page of the diary and video after video, cold sweat beaded on Denton's forehead. He felt a chill creep up his spine—these texts and videos were clearly fake, yet they seemed so real and convincing, as if he had truly done these things over the past decade or so. 

Only if the other person knew everything about his past at the Stagg Group, only if they were intimately familiar with his daily life, could they technologically fake such realistic and lifelike footage. 

At that moment, Denton even suspected he had a second personality—he instinctively resisted the possibility that "someone had access to all his information." 

Such footage was truly outrageous. It could casually ruin the life of any ordinary person, turning them into criminals, saints, or killers... It was so real that it could deceive the person themselves. Even taking a step back, if it were only used to investigate someone, that person would have no secrets or privacy whatsoever. It was like cybernetic Superman vision, capable of easily seeing through someone entirely. 

Of course, a moment later, he arrived at a more plausible conclusion. 

"He's like me." 

Yes, if the other person also gained some kind of special ability in that bizarre particle accelerator explosion, then it wouldn't be surprising that they could do this much. 

"This world is getting crazier and crazier..." he thought. "He might be right. I might be a one-man army, but there could be other metahumans in Central City. No one knows what they can do, or what they will do." 

"Denton! Are you ready yet?!" 

At that moment, Elizabeth's voice called out from the living room, inviting Denton. "If you don't hurry, the food will get cold!" 

"Coming, coming—" 

Denton put away his phone and walked back to the dining table. He absentmindedly ate a few bites, his gaze involuntarily falling on Elizabeth's smiling face. 

"Elizabeth," he said, "you've been doing much better lately... would you like to go to Santorini with me?" 

"?" Elizabeth blinked. "Are we going on a second honeymoon? But our wedding anniversary isn't here yet... And didn't you say you're going to appeal against the Stagg Group with many victims soon?" 

Denton fell silent for a moment. He was about to speak again, but the mysterious person's warning on the phone flashed through his mind. 

"You will certainly die, Mr. Black, and you must act as if you know nothing about it. Only by being prepared for that will you have a chance to survive." 

"I... of course, I wasn't talking about now. I just wanted to ask if you'd like to travel with me after you've recovered." 

"Hehe, then of course I'd love to." 

--- 

Cody quietly scooped a mouthful of rice into his bowl from the side. He felt very inconspicuous at that moment. 

After dinner, the Dentons saw Cody out. 

"Be careful going home, Old Ma." 

"Don't worry, I'll be home soon." 

Watching the couple return inside, Cody and the motorized tricycle quietly circled around the back of the house. 

He took out his wallpaper house and easily stuck it to the exterior wall. The lazy cat and the tricycle followed closely. The nanobots completed the concealment, the entire action seamless. 

"Boss, are we going to stay around here for a while, meow?" 

"That's right, we'll stay until 'he' appears." 

Chapter 339: The Unavoidable Risk 

As an innocent wheelchair user who had gradually integrated into Gotham, constantly dealing with all sorts of well-adjusted Gothamites, Gotham criminals, and Batman, Cody had gradually picked up a bit of the "Bat-flavor." 

Of course, he had something to say about it. There weren't many normal people in Gotham to begin with. After spending so much time there, he couldn't exactly learn from the super-criminals or over-aggressive citizens. Besides, Batman wasn't a person, he was a disease, and that disease was inherently contagious. 

Cody didn't know all the members of the Bat-Family, but just speaking of the Bat-flavor on several generations of Robins, it was definitely contracted from Batman. 

"Though I don't particularly like this," he sighed, looking at the images transmitted back by the nanobots. "But now I have no choice but to prepare for the worst..." 

The next day, the Central City newspaper delivered a bombshell to all citizens of Central City. 

"Hey, hey, Caitlin, did you see today's news?" 

In the S.T.A.R. Labs main hall, Cisco, holding a cup of coffee in his left hand and his phone in his right, greeted Barry, who had just rushed into the lab. His tone was a mix of gossip and mystery. "You won't believe what a huge scandal broke today." 

"News? I haven't seen it yet," Barry scratched his head. "What happened? Did a new metahuman appear?" 

"No, but you'll definitely be surprised by this. Look at Caitlin; she's a bioengineering expert, and her reaction to this news is much bigger than mine." 

Barry turned his head and indeed saw Dr. Caitlin Snow staring disbelievingly at the news on the computer. She repeatedly scrolled back and forth, rereading the entire report, and her face showed a rarely seen expression he hadn't witnessed before—a mix of shock and anger, even a sense of shattered illusion. 

"Alright, alright, I won't keep you in suspense any longer." Cisco picked up his phone and cleared his throat. "Listen while I read you the headline—" 

Whoosh— 

In a flash of lightning, a strong gust of wind swept through the lab. Cisco felt his hand lighten then grow heavy. The next second, Barry stood open-mouthed in front of the computer screen, his expression seven parts similar to Caitlin's. 

"I know what happened now," Barry muttered, staring at the news on the screen, "but I don't know what's going on with this world anymore..." 

"Hey, that's really rude, you know?" Cisco put away his phone, annoyed. His perfectly good gossip session had been abruptly interrupted, leaving him feeling frustrated. "I was about to read the headline!" 

Completely deflated, Cisco grumbled about how "the Speed Force isn't for this" and "can you stop ruining everything," but Barry was in no mood to comfort Cisco. He looked at the news, feeling like he had been hit by a second shockwave. 

On the big screen, the bold, black headline "Hundreds of Victims Jointly Accuse Stagg Group, 'Annual Best' Award Becomes 'Annual Joke' Award?!" was incredibly prominent, and its content was even more shocking. Barry never imagined that just days ago, he had been at the Stagg awards hall, explaining the greatness of the company's research and inventions to Iris, and now, days later, he was seeing such bombshell news in the newspaper. 

"To think I admired Stagg so much... I even thought he was a very talented person, a genius in biology and medicine. I even considered working in their medical department." 

Caitlin frowned, incredulously Browse through case after case in the newspaper, somewhat gritting her teeth. "Infringement, infringement, infringement—they actually usurped so many people's inventions and intellectual property! Several scientists were even counter-sued for defamation!" 

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"I can't imagine how many talented scientists and their futures they've destroyed..." Barry's face was full of confusion. "Why are the labs or companies I admire all starting to collapse recently...?" 

"Watch what you say, young man." 

Dr. Wells's wheelchair smoothly rolled into the room from outside. "S.T.A.R. Labs collapsing also pains me greatly—so if you could mention it less, I'd feel a lot better." 

Cisco's eyes lit up when he saw the doctor. "Doctor, did you see today's news?" 

"I did, Cisco," Wells replied calmly. "Are you all very surprised by the news? In reality, to me, Stagg's despicable nature has not been a secret for many years now." 

Cisco's face immediately fell. His hopes for gossip today were completely shattered. 

"There were even multiple cases of workplace harassment," Barry shook his head. "Good thing you didn't go, Caitlin. Now that I see the report, Stagg is a complete scumbag." 

"I can't say which choice would have been better," Caitlin sighed, "but I don't regret coming to S.T.A.R. Labs." 

Except for Ronnie, she thought. If Ronnie were still alive, I might feel more at ease saying that. 

Cisco and Caitlin had known each other for years, and he was very familiar with Caitlin's expression at this moment—whenever she missed her deceased fiancé, Ronnie, her face would show that sad expression. 

"Alright, alright." He clapped his hands. "What that guy Stagg does has little to do with us. We're not the type to seek fame. We have important things to do—right, Caitlin?" 

Caitlin looked up and smiled at him, though her smile still held a subtle sadness. 

Barry didn't notice the change in atmosphere and remained engrossed in the news. "Amon Zachary sued Stagg for stealing his architectural design, Rand Gilbert sued Stagg for stealing his new fire-resistant building material, oh, and the most incredible breakthrough in cloning and organ transplant medical technology recently—Denton Black." 

He sighed. "Can you believe it? Before today, we had never even heard the name of this genius researcher. The newspaper only reported on Stagg alone." 

The doctor's eyes, however, lit up like a hawk's. 

He remembered the changed newspaper headline he had seen before, which originally stated Stagg Corporation's bankruptcy, but had now become "Black Pharmaceuticals Achieves Another Technological Breakthrough, Cloning Therapy Medical Costs to Reach New Low." 

Wells's sharp gaze completely retracted the next second. He asked with interest, "Denton Black?" 

"Yeah, Doctor, do you know him?" 

"Oh, I don't. In fact, I hadn't heard of him before today either." 

Wells sighed, seemingly regretting that this genius had been overlooked. In reality, he was annoyed at his own carelessness. 

Black Pharmaceuticals... He actually hadn't noticed the connection between this name and this news when he read the newspaper this morning. 

"Don't worry," he told himself. "I'll get to know this Mr. Black very soon." 

Chapter 340: London Bridge Is Falling Down 

The news of the joint lawsuit spread like wildfire in Central City. 

The story was only reported in the morning, but by the afternoon, everyone knew about it. Whether it was gossip in coffee shops, restaurants, or offices, or among police officers who had known about it internally for a while, even the employees working in Stagg Tower started secretly discussing the news. 

"Shut it down! Suppress this news!" 

In his office, Stagg himself was screaming hysterically into the phone. "Do I have to teach you how to do your job?! Pay them off, threaten them, whatever it takes! This isn't your first day doing this! Do it the same way we did it before!" 

"But boss..." The voice on the other end of the line sounded hesitant. "Before, there were only two or three people trying to make trouble, so it was easy to suppress. But this time, the impact seems a bit big... and there are a few annoying reporters who won't go away and won't take money either." 

"Deal with their chief editor! News agencies are all about money; do I not know them?" 

Stagg gnashed his teeth, pounding his desk until it shattered. "It's just about more money! Give it to them! Gag the media, and this will all blow over quickly!" 

The subordinate on the other end thought, Not necessarily. The news had already spread throughout the city. Big news agencies could tell with their eyes closed how popular this story was. Instead of helping a Stagg Group on the verge of ruin and collapse, it would be better to earn a good reputation as a conscientious media outlet. 

Besides, the ratings would be high, which was a profit for the TV stations themselves. 

"Right, right, and... what about the council members and the mayor?!" Stagg said halfway through, as if suddenly grasping at a straw. "They'll definitely save me! All those donations and political contributions I poured into them—" 

"Their calls will have to come from you, boss," the subordinate, Gava, continued. "And that big shot who said he wanted to collaborate earlier, he said you have to settle this matter first before he'd consider collaborating. He also said..." 

"Said what?!" 

"He also said he wouldn't mind collaborating with a penniless researcher, since the patents and property rights are the same, and the price he'd have to pay might only be half of yours..." 

"He can go eat dirt! No one can take what's mine from my hands!" 

The enraged Stagg immediately turned into a desk-clearing master, sweeping everything off his office desk with an elbow. 

"I want them dead! I'll sue those bastards until they're completely ruined!" 

However, the outcome of the lawsuits no longer mattered as much at this point. 

Stagg Group's stock price plummeted seventeen percent that day, like a suicidal jump from a rooftop, and continued to fall the next day. 

The supposedly genius scientist, conscientious entrepreneur, and philanthropist who had just received the "Annual Contributor Award" turned out to be a fake persona meticulously crafted with money and lies, built upon the misappropriation of countless people's achievements and intellectual property. His entire company was essentially founded on such principles—this was basically the kind of dramatic reversal story that everyone loves to watch. 

Most people weren't too concerned with verifying whether Stagg's infringement was real or fake. Or rather, they were all more willing to believe that all of Stagg's infringement cases were real. Although many couldn't remember the names of those whose rights were infringed, everyone's enthusiasm for one thing was unprecedentedly unified at this moment—they wanted to see the tower collapse. 

Anyway, the media had already reported the news, and the media wouldn't lie, right? 

Find the bad guy, whoever it is, kill them directly, end of story, world peace—this was probably everyone's ideal process for justice. Of course, actual justice is always far more complex and troublesome than this, and distinguishing between good guys and bad guys is not always so easy. 

But at least this time, Stagg truly deserved it. 

The Power of Public Opinion 

When three people say a tiger exists, it becomes true. Just as Stagg had used this tactic to deal with countless victims in the past, he was now facing the same situation, only this time, he was the one with the smaller voice. 

In a sense, these hundreds of counter-suitors were all sponsored by him, one by one, which could be seen as a form of karmic retribution. 

"London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down~" 

Cody rode his food truck, humming a tune, passing by the gleaming glass skyscraper. He didn't even turn his head to look at the uniquely shaped building, riding straight towards the distance. 

"Once the tide starts, the judgment cannot be stopped." 

The motorized tricycle spoke in Cody's earpiece. "This method can be used to deal with bad people, and it can also be used to destroy good people." 

"You don't think it's righteous enough?" Cody neither confirmed nor denied. "But my suggestions were limited to a joint appeal and media reports. Is either of those not righteous enough?" 

"The slander from others that affects the parties involved is not righteous. If the target were a good person, they would be ruined." 

"Slander wasn't my suggestion, just as the media's silence in previous cases wasn't my suggestion. If everyone could learn to stick to the facts, Stagg's first case ten years ago should have been lost." 

The motorized tricycle fell silent. 

"Building public trust is very difficult, Tricycle. Breaking it is easy. All it takes is for everyone to see, or feel, that you are unfair." 

The Stagg case was causing a huge stir in Central City, and the legal arguments were gradually unfolding in court. As expected, quite a few elite and prominent lawyers saw this as an excellent opportunity to further their reputations. 

"Fighting a righteous, widely supported, and highly publicized lawsuit against a corporate giant, with plenty of evidence, countless witnesses, and hundreds of plaintiffs..." 

At this point, the old Black lawyer couldn't help but smile at Denton. 

"At this point, I can't imagine any court daring to rule against you. Gaining the jury's sympathy will also be an absolute breeze." 

"Black, you said this lawsuit is also to save your wife, right?" 

"Yes, thank God for giving her more time, otherwise I truly would have lost all hope." 

"If the media publishes your story again, this lawsuit is basically impossible to lose—of course, that's entirely up to you." 

"I... I don't want my wife to be disturbed too much." 

"Of course, whatever you say, Mr. Black." 

The old Black man stood up. 

"Now, you go back and spend time with your wife. As for me, I need to look at the other evidence and cases—hundreds of victims, sigh. I'll have to find a few lawyer friends to help me with this." 

"Thank you, Mr. Freeman." 

"No, I should be thanking you—I imagine very few lawyers can write such a brilliant and grand case on their resume, one that's almost impossible to lose."