Chu Meng blinked in surprise and looked at the person on the ground. "What do you mean?"
Although she was happy that he claimed to be able to help her get revenge with Bai Xi,
But...
She looked at the man on the ground, examining him with extreme disdain.
While she wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, she wasn't a fool either. She knew the man before her had triggered the automatic fire suppression system. However, she believed it was a setup by Bai Xi, a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black. Because she had just competed with Bai Xi for an auction item, Bai Xi had found this man to retaliate against her, turning her into a drowned rat so she could shine alone and capture everyone's attention.
With this thought, she added, "Are you trying to be a witness, to testify against Bai Xi? If so, just tell the truth. I'll cover all your legal fees."
Bai Xi raised an eyebrow, looking at Chu Meng with an expression reserved for idiots.
She genuinely believed that this eldest daughter of the Chu family might have a serious illness, perhaps... an intellectual disability!
The man pinned to the ground chuckled, "It's much more exciting than that."
Chu Xiao sensed something was wrong. "Speak, what exactly did you do?"
The man on the ground laughed, "Young Master Chu, have you already forgotten who I am?"
Chu Xiao found the person on the ground somewhat familiar but couldn't recall who he was. He frowned slightly. "Who are you?"
The man on the ground laughed, "Ha, since the esteemed Young Master Chu is forgetful, there's no need to rack your brain. I can tell you now that the automatic fire suppression system has been poisoned. Soon, all of you will die. And the entirety of Shangyang will become a living hell because of today's events! Hahahahaha!"
As soon as he spoke, everyone drenched in water cried out in alarm. "No way, we're poisoned!"
"What do we do? What poison is it? Are we going to die?"
"What's the use of talking nonsense? Let's go to the hospital!"
"Yes, call an ambulance, quickly!"
"I, I, I feel like I'm having trouble breathing."
"My heart, my heart condition seems to have acted up."
"..."
In an instant, the entire venue descended into chaos.
At this moment, Han Rui snatched the portable microphone from the middle-aged man with the unilateral glasses and declared loudly, "Everyone, please do not panic. What you have been sprayed with is just ordinary water. Please follow me in an orderly fashion to the rooms above the hotel to bathe and rest. You can use the clothes we've prepared, or you can have your domestic helpers send over your change of clothes."
Upon hearing this, those who were panicking displayed expressions of confusion.
By all common sense, Han Rui's words should be more trustworthy than those of this unknown individual.
But when it came to their lives, they couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.
"What is going on?"
"Yes, Mr. Han, have we really been poisoned?"
"..."
Although Han Rui lacked combat strength, his ability to interact with these people was always strong. He walked directly from the high platform into the crowd. "It's truly nothing. Look, I'm drenched too, and I'm perfectly fine. Believe me, all the rooms upstairs have been booked by the Han family today. Please change your clothes and rest well..."
As he spoke, he began leading the majority of the noble families out of the banquet hall.
The man pinned to the ground shouted, "Ha, stop fooling yourselves. This poison takes about ten minutes to take effect. You can all wait for death. You so-called elites of society, who don't care about the lives of ordinary people, are inherently man-eating demons. This poison will simply reveal your true nature."
At these words, the upper-class individuals who were about to leave with Han Rui stopped in their tracks. "What did you say?"
"Ten minutes, how many minutes have passed since then?"
"Seven minutes, seven minutes have already passed."
"We're doomed, we have three minutes before the poison takes effect."
"The antidote, I need the antidote!"
"..."
In an instant, the venue, which had finally regained some semblance of peace, erupted into chaos once more.
Han Rui wore a helpless expression and looked towards Bai Xi.
Bai Xi gave Xuan Feng a subtle nod.
At that moment, Xuan Feng took out his pistol and fired a shot into the ceiling not far away, into the empty air.
The deafening gunshot stunned everyone present.
Bai Xi stated calmly, "This man did indeed smear poison on the front end of every automatic fire suppression device. However, five hours before the banquet began today, our Dark Division replaced all these sprinkler heads."
This morning, upon learning that the Kui Hall would target the charity auction, she had begun to consider their methods.
Speaking of poisoning, the most obvious method would be through food.
Therefore, she ordered an inspection of the ingredients pre-ordered by the Chu family, and found no abnormalities.
Then she considered the auction items, and the attendees...
Auction items were inanimate objects, easy to check. However, the attendees were mostly nobles of Shangyang. It would be rather unseemly to conduct a body search on everyone.
Later, she began to ponder another question.
It was the words spoken by that doll, the prophecy that many would die.
She admitted that this poison could indeed spread from one to ten, and ten to a hundred. But if the poison was administered to a specific person or item, the scope of the outbreak would be too small. With the capabilities of the Dark Division, controlling it would be quite easy.
Much like it was this morning.
This poison did not require ingestion; it could enter the body simply by contact with the skin.
So... if she were the executor of this plan, what method would she use to infect more people at the same time? While thinking, she inadvertently noticed the smoke alarm flashing red lights overhead.
Automatic fire suppression devices could be activated instantly, spraying water on everyone present.
In such a situation, people might scatter, leaving the hotel in anger, spreading this contagious poison to those they came into contact with. This would validate the doll's earlier prediction.
With this in mind, she dispatched Xuan Feng to investigate the automatic fire suppression devices and, upon confirming the presence of the poison, replaced the sprinkler heads.
Bai Xi stood serenely, her expression unreadable, yet she exuded an aura of complete control, calming those who looked at her.
The man pinned to the ground's eyes widened the moment Bai Xi finished speaking, his eyes reddening as he exclaimed, "You're lying! Impossible, absolutely impossible!"
Bai Xi raised an eyebrow slightly and said calmly, "Didn't you just say that this poison takes about ten minutes to take effect? It's been ten minutes since the water was sprayed. Have you seen even one of the hundreds of people in this hall succumb to the poison?"
The noble families, who had been in a state of panic moments before, finally breathed a sigh of relief at Bai Xi's composure.
Indeed, they were all still fine, showing no signs of poisoning. It seemed their earlier physical abnormalities, caused by their panicked state, had also subsided along with their emotions.
Looking at Bai Xi, a flicker of admiration began to appear on their faces.
Before, they had thought the top commander of the Dark Division had rather ordinary taste. After all, while this woman was a beauty, there were many beauties in the world.
Even Chu Meng, though less refined in appearance, possessed a figure that was the envy of men. If one were to choose a woman based on looks, to keep at home and for procreation, someone like Chu Meng, buxom and brainless, might even be preferable.
However... they had been shortsighted.
The Bai Xi before them was intelligent, capable, and commanding. Only such a woman could be a fitting match for the top commander of the Dark Division. Together, they were complementary, a match made in heaven!