Although Zhao Tianyi was not officially listed under the Wanlonghui Group, he was in fact a genuine core member.
Generally, important internal news within the group was never hidden from him, nor was there any need to. Informing him in advance was often to avoid certain legal risks.
Therefore, he also knew that the group had recently been targeted, with the mastermind being a young master from Lucheng.
As a lawyer, he had privately arranged for an investigation and knew that this young master named Xue Chen was a major shareholder of Xiaolu Dairy.
Now that Xiaolu infant formula was involved in a scandal, given Xiaolu Dairy's production value and market share, it was only a matter of time before the melamine incident would erupt on a large scale.
When that happened, that Xue Chen would certainly be in deep trouble. Not only would he go bankrupt overnight, but his backers would also face repercussions, and he would lose the privileged status he flaunted.
At that point, the young mistress could deal with him however she wished, as easily as turning over her hand.
Upon hearing Zhao Tianyi's words, Liu Yutong's face instantly turned cold.
"Tianyi, what have I always said? We cannot do things that go against our conscience!"
"Young Mistress, it's not... I..."
"I know what you're thinking, but we must weigh the severity of matters. This is a matter of life and death. Can we deliberately conceal it for half a year, waiting for it to explode, just to gain a little more benefit?"
"If we didn't know, that would be one thing. But since we do know, we cannot intentionally hide it. That would be treating human life as worthless!"
"Just look for yourself. Those babies are so small, so adorable, yet now they have to suffer from illness and pain. For every day we delay the announcement, tens of thousands more children could be harmed! Can we bear that responsibility?"
"We can think of other ways to deal with Xue Chen, but it must never be built upon the suffering of more children. That is the bottom line!"
Zhao Tianyi hung his head in shame.
He had indeed been thinking about how to maximize profits, completely overlooking the potentially severe consequences.
If outsiders found out they had deliberately concealed the information, they would become liable even if they weren't originally.
"I'm sorry, Young Mistress! I was being foolish!"
"I will arrange immediately to report the situation to the regulatory authorities at once, contact the media to issue a public warning, and simultaneously initiate legal proceedings against all responsible companies without any delay!"
Liu Yutong nodded and said, "Don't let our company take the field alone on this matter. Get other supermarket competitors on board as well, have them share some of the pressure. If anyone is uncooperative, you can use public opinion appropriately to pressure them."
She was almost certain that Xiaolu Dairy would put up a fight, and that Xue Chen would also intervene desperately to protect Xiaolu Dairy.
If he didn't protect it, his billions in assets could be wiped out overnight, and it might even implicate those behind him.
Liu Yutong also believed Xue Chen had the ability to suppress public opinion in the early stages, which is why she reminded Zhao Tianyi not to go it alone.
As long as they rallied other competitors and united with the affected parents to condemn them, the effect might not be worse than waiting for the incident to explode on its own.
"Understood, Young Mistress," Zhao Tianyi replied.
Liu Yutong waved her hand: "Go on!"
"Yes!" Zhao Tianyi responded firmly, turned, and left quickly.
Right after Zhao Tianyi left.
Liu Yutong received a call from an unknown number. Upon answering, she found it was Xue Chen calling.
She immediately sneered coldly: "How timely indeed."
Xue Chen on the other end of the line didn't waste words either, directly telling her and Yu Xin to come to a meeting, and threatening serious consequences if they didn't go.
She didn't hesitate and agreed directly.
..............
At a certain hotel.
Scarface arrived at the hotel with dozens of his men to meet Xue Chen.
As soon as Xue Chen saw the fierce scar on Scarface's face, he felt a jolt run through him.
The boss of the Yilian Society truly had an extraordinary aura!
He had long heard that Scarface was once slashed across the face with a knife in his early years, yet didn't even blink, while instead the attacker was the one scared into kneeling and begging for mercy.
Now that's a real man!
Xue Chen felt like he had met a kindred spirit in Scarface. As soon as they sat down, they started drinking heavily.
After a few drinks, they began boasting to each other. Strangely enough, Xue Chen found boasting with Scarface quite enjoyable, feeling like he had met a soulmate.
"Brother Scarface, meeting you today, your reputation is indeed well-deserved!"
"You're too kind, Young Master Xue. It's Young Master Xue who is young and accomplished. Having the honor to meet Young Master Xue today is my, Scarface's, good fortune!"
"Easy now, easy."
"Brother Scarface, to be frank with you, in Lucheng, I, Xue Chen, am the sky! Last time, some clueless guy tried to compete with me for a project. With one word from me, his company was shut down the very next day! Tell me, isn't that badass?"
"Young Master Xue's power and methods... in all my years in the underworld, I, Scarface, have rarely seen anyone like Young Master Xue. Admirable! Truly admirable!"
"However, although I don't have Young Master Xue's background, when it comes to fighting, I, Scarface, am no pushover either. Back in the day, I, alone with a single knife, fought my way from the east side of the city to the west, without even blinking an eye...."
"Brother Scarface is indeed a fierce man! With a social big brother like you as my ally, plus my resources, what problem couldn't we solve in the future!"
"That's right, that's right!"
"Come, let's keep drinking!"
"............"
After several rounds of toasts, Scarface's face was flushed red from drinking, and he finally remembered to ask about the real business.
"Young Master Xue, in this little patch of land called Mingzhu City, I, Scarface, still carry some weight. Just tell me who you want dealt with, I guarantee he won't see tomorrow's sun!"
Xue Chen really liked Scarface's straightforward personality, so he didn't hide it from him.
"To be honest, Brother Scarface, I came to Mingzhu City this time to confront that Wanlonghui's young mistress, Liu Yutong, and that woman named Yu Xin. I'll need your help with this!"
"What? They dare to offend Young Master Xue? How audacious! Young Master Xue, just tell me, what should I do? Do you want me to tie them up, or just finish them off right away?"
Because he had drunk a bit too much, Xue Chen didn't catch the problem in Scarface's words, thinking Scarface was talking about dealing with those two women.
"Brother Scarface is indeed a straightforward man. No need to finish them off. Later, just rub their faces on the ground a bit will do."
Scarface nodded, with an 'I understand' expression: "No problem, I guarantee you'll have a satisfying rub!"
Xue Chen laughed heartily: "Then I'll thank you in advance, Brother Scarface."
"What's to thank."
Scarface: "I, Scarface, live by the code in the underworld: if there's a request, it must be answered!"
The two of them chatted very happily, each speaking their piece, just not on the same wavelength.
Right at that moment, the private room door was pushed open.
Xue Chen was in the middle of his boasting streak and, thinking it was a waiter, roared impatiently.
"Who is it? Get in here!"
The door opened, and a cool, aloof figure appeared at the entrance.
Liu Yutong was wearing a black pantsuit, her long hair loose over her shoulders. Her gaze swept indifferently over Xue Chen's flushed face as she walked in.
Behind her, Yu Xin, also dressed in a black pantsuit, followed her in.
A faint smile still hung on Yu Xin's face as she proactively raised her hand to greet Xue Chen.
"Hey, Young Master Xue, long time no see~"
As soon as Xue Chen saw her, he sprang to his feet. Pointing at Yu Xin, he shouted arrogantly at Scarface, "Scarface! It's her! It's this bitch who doesn't know her place! Hurry up! Teach her a lesson. Start by grinding her face into the dirt for me!"
However, the scene he anticipated did not unfold.
The Scarface beside him also stood up, even taking a moment to solemnly straighten his collar and cuffs.
His previously imposing gangster aura vanished completely, replaced by an attitude of deference.
Under Xue Chen's stunned gaze, Scarface and the several dozen underlings he had brought all turned in unison towards Liu Yutong. They bowed their heads slightly and greeted her in a unified chorus.
"Young Mistress!" Dozens of voices echoed.
The arrogance on Xue Chen's face instantly froze, and a profound sense of foreboding rose in his heart.
"Scar... Scarface? Who... who are you calling Young Mistress?"
