Chapter 380: The Counterattack

As soon as Madelyn spoke, the room erupted. Almost everyone considered Thornton Corporation heartless, and her claim of slander was met with disbelief.

Immediately, a reporter rebutted, “That employee is dead, with verified physical evidence. How can there be slander?”

“Exactly!” others echoed. “That person is dead, and she claims slander? This woman is absurd!”

The media buzzed incessantly. After a few heated exchanges, Madelyn felt helpless, but this was expected, and she was prepared.

Madelyn patiently explained, “I understand many distrust our company and are protesting. I feel wronged. To prove our innocence, I’ve involved the police and will reveal the truth. This began with an employee injured in a suburban accident, sparking online doubts. I'll start there. Now, watch this surveillance footage from the factory laboratory that night. Let's see what really happened.”

The hall plunged into darkness, the only light emanating from the massive LED screen behind Madelyn. The screen displayed surveillance footage she’d obtained that day. The video showed a man stealthily entering the laboratory and blowing himself up.

The audience, both in the hall and watching the livestream, was stunned. They wondered why the man would do this.

Madelyn continued, “Next, I'd like to invite our factory’s pharmacist to explain the explosion.”

A man in a white coat stepped forward, appearing neat and clean. He bowed formally and began his explanation. “Whether you're here or watching online, you've likely tried our medicine. Have you experienced any problems?”

Everyone shook their heads.

The pharmacist continued, “There were no issues because our medicine is meticulously prepared by senior pharmacists. Our factory is committed to integrity, so quality issues are unlikely.”

A media representative asked, “Then how do you explain the explosion?” The question echoed through the room.

The pharmacist, composed, chuckled. “Improper food combinations can cause poisoning; how much more so with medicine? The surveillance footage shows the individual wasn't our company pharmacist, but a minor employee from the product department. His cautious entry proves he came prepared, not accidentally harming himself. He combined incompatible drugs and ignited them, causing the explosion. The research department was unaware. Rest assured, you can trust our products. As for why he injured himself… let the project manager explain.”

The pharmacist left. The media and audience realized the issue wasn't product quality; the man had deliberately tried to blow himself up. But why? Another mystery.

Madelyn laughed. “No one understands why he hurt himself, right? I don't either. Let's let him explain.”

Madelyn glanced at Cyrus, who promptly dragged a man from backstage.

The moment the man appeared, the room gasped.

“Isn’t that the man from the footage?”

“Right, isn’t he supposed to be dead?”

“What’s going on? Is he back from the dead?”

Chaos erupted. The online viewers were equally astonished. They had condemned Thornton Corporation solely because this man had died.

Meanwhile, Janessa watched the live broadcast. Her smile vanished, and she rose.

“What’s going on?”

Hayden was equally shocked. “Didn’t you say he was dead?”

“How would I know? I ordered someone to kill him, but this…” Janessa was speechless, overwhelmed with frustration and resentment.

A smirk played on Madelyn’s lips. She had anticipated this. Knowing the incident was a setup, she predicted the enemy wouldn't let the injured employee live. They would act secretly. Madelyn had foreseen this and acted first.

She had arranged for a critically ill patient to be swapped with the injured employee while his wife was absent. A renowned plastic surgeon created a facial mask from the patient's skin. Madelyn successfully deceived everyone, moving the real patient in time. After two days of treatment, the patient regained consciousness; that's why he was at the press conference.