Chapter 926: Chapter 926: Twelfth Level Storm

In normal circumstances with the current public sentiment, Huo Research Institute should be vehemently denying any ties with Fu Yao, and to go a step further, they could sue Fu Yao for theft and plagiarism in order to clear their name.

But they didn’t follow the typical script at all. Instead, they publicly congratulated Fu Yao and expressed their regrets about it.

Isn’t this telling everyone that they are the ones who committed the theft and plagiarism?

In this day and age, do thieves actually admit to being thieves themselves?

Nobody could understand the thoughts of Huo Research Institute.

But one thing is for sure, Huo Research Institute’s reputation is likely to suffer for this.

However, they were even more curious about how Tianqi Research Institute would respond.

This undercurrent of conflict was very low-key until Huo Research Institute’s unexpected move, which made everyone realize why Pei Ya personally hosted the Tianqi press conference–it was all part of a calculated plan.

He was challenging the Huo Research Institute.

Just as everyone was waiting for Tianqi’s response, they didn’t expect that the response would come from Pei Ya.

Pei Ya: [Remember to update your public information, especially the section about the project leaders.]

Each project at Huo Research Institute has public displays, even marking the names of important participating personnel.

On the Huo Research Institute’s public information sheet, the head of the AI system project is still the distinguished name of Huo Lin’s father.

Pei Ya’s statement was tantamount to an outright admission that the AI system currently researched at Huo Research Institute originally belonged to Fu Yao, and that it was usurped by Huo Research Institute, which is why Fu Yao left.

Although people had their suspicions after the Tianqi press conference, it is now fully confirmed, causing a level 12 storm to erupt in the tech circle.

Such acts of deception happen every year, and many are exposed, but none have had as much impact as this one.

After all, the people involved this time are different!

Especially since Huo Lin’s father was once hailed as a genius, who would have thought that a genius could do such a thing!

Pah! A so-called genius my foot!

They can’t help but sigh that Fu Yao could have made history in the world of technology, but his future was ruined by some people’s selfish greed.

Now online criticism of Huo Research Institute is overwhelmingly negative.

The shares of Huo Research Institute have plummeted, with its market value evaporating by nearly ten billion.

Huo Lin had anticipated that acknowledging this would have a significant impact on Huo Family, but it was still better than being exposed and passively beaten later on. He was prepared and confident that he could handle it.

What he didn’t expect was for Pei Ya to respond, and in such an unforgiving manner at that.

The blow that Huo Family has received was much greater than he had imagined.

In just a matter of minutes, he had received numerous phone calls, keeping him extraordinarily busy. Even if they manage to weather this crisis, the Huo Family would suffer heavy losses.

Huo Lin glanced at the current online sentiment.

Especially when he saw people angrily berating his father, he clenched the phone in his hand tightly.

But now that things had come to this point, all he could do was try to delete those comments as much as possible.

He rubbed his temples with a headache.

Having sacrificed so much already, he hoped that this matter would simply blow over.

If possible, he didn’t want to be enemies with Shengqiao Group.

Compared to the older generation’s aggressive methods, Huo Lin’s style was more stable and deliberate.

It was precisely because of his behavior that the Family Head position was passed down to him by the old master.

“What on earth are you doing? Do you want to destroy the Huo Family? A century-old family legacy could be ruined in your hands!”

This angry shout snapped Huo Lin back to reality. He put away his phone and looked at the elders on the video, speaking calmly, “So, dear uncles, are you suggesting we have a fight to the death with Shengqiao Group?” “…”

His words effectively silenced them.

Huo Lin sneered silently in his heart, these people would bicker endlessly over trivial benefits, but when trouble came, they fled faster than anyone.

After a long while, someone finally spoke up with uncertainty: “It shouldn’t be so serious, right? Would Fu Yao’s good-for-nothing son dare to do this?”

Huo Lin’s expression was icy: “He would dare. If he could elevate Shengqiao Group to a global level, you really think he’s still the same good-for-nothing as before.”

“…”

Hiss.

Somehow, it felt like a slap in the face.

Look at how far a good-for-nothing could go, and yet at their ages, they were still being suppressed by Huo Lin.

“What should we do now? Are we just going to let things continue to develop?”

Huo Lin pondered for a moment, and then said: “This incident happened over a decade ago. A large portion of the researchers at Huo Research Institute are not the same people from back then; they are innocent since they were unaware, so there’s indeed no need for them to bear the brunt of the blame.”

As for those who were in the know, he would deal with them later.

“If they can prove their capabilities, the negative impact on Huo Research Institute from this incident could be mitigated.”

Once Huo Lin had agreed to Qiao Yun’s conditions, he had already thought of a way out. His gaze turned sharp as he said, “Have them prepare, and participate in the exchange meeting with Tianqi and the Future Alliance together.”

Upon these words, the Huo Family members fell silent for a moment.

Minutes later, opinions started to emerge one after another.

“This isn’t a bad idea at all. The Huo Research Institute is the foundation of the Huo Family; we can’t let it be destroyed.”

“There are also many talents at Huo Research Institute. It’s time to let these fools know that Tianqi isn’t the only research institute in the world.”

Everyone unanimously agreed with this approach.

In fact, Huo Lin was acting out of self-interest; he wanted to challenge Tianqi openly and fairly.

Being suppressed like this time and again still felt incredibly unpleasant.

As they were discussing this, the door suddenly burst open.

The person who entered was Fu Yun.

She was barefoot, her hair messy, her eyes bloodshot, as she scolded: “Look at what a fine mess you’ve made!”

Her shout startled everyone, and then they quickly realized what was happening.

Fu Yun was having another episode.

So, everyone very tactfully kept silent.

Joking aside, if Huo Lin took notice of you during a time like this and you were seen laughing at his family’s expense, he would not let you have it easy.

Huo Lin decisively turned off the video, composedly turning to look at Fu Yun.

Fu Yun’s voice was hoarse: “Your father cherished his reputation the most, how could you tarnish it? He’s passed away, and yet you still won’t let him rest in peace.”

Huo Lin was momentarily taken aback and then frowned, asking, “You also know that father cherished his reputation the most, so why would he still make such a mistake back then?”

Fu Yun was now completely unresponsive to his words, firmly denying: “He was your father, you should believe in him. How can you doubt him?”

Huo Lin realized that his mother’s condition seemed more severe, and knowing that it was no use talking to her right now, he had Fu Yun taken back to her room.

This time, Fu Yun did not resist, murmuring despairingly: “You are not my son, my son would have listened to me…”

Huo Lin pursed his lips, his expression darkening.

There were too many things he had to deal with now, and he didn’t have time to care for his mother’s thoughts. Nevertheless, hearing her words, he still felt an immense sense of discomfort.

But the words his mother had just spoken reminded him.

A person who coveted his reputation so dearly, what gave him the courage to make such a grave mistake.

It seemed that those involved in this matter included other members of the Huo Family.