The bad value system is measuring values.

Chapter 197 Latest News Report

"Breaking news: The shocking murder case from XX year has taken a new turn. The victim's daughter has made a public appearance today. As a key witness, she will uncover new clues in the case..."

Zhong Huanli stared at the figure on the screen. Although the image was blurred, he was certain that it was not Qiao Xiao.

The appearance of the fake Qiao Xiao undoubtedly proves that the Lu family has taken the initiative in this game, and he is now in a passive position. However, he cannot compete with the Lu Group on his own.

"We must not allow them to gain the upper hand in this game."

In the spacious hall, the woman impersonating Qiao Xiao was being questioned by the media, while Lu Zi and her mother were on her left and right sides, respectively.

The fake Qiao Xiao looked terrified, her helpless eyes flashing with a pleading light, and she kept glancing at Lu's mother.

Lu's mother interrupted at the right moment, saying, "Dear reporters, do you have any other questions? My daughter Qiao Xiao is not feeling well today and needs to rest."

The reporters responded one after another: "No, madam, thank you for your hard work."

After exchanging a few pleasantries with the reporters, Lu's mother left the scene with the fake Qiao Xiao and Lu Zi. The three walked side by side, with the fake Qiao Xiao sandwiched in the middle.

Lu Zi asked gently, "Are you nervous?"

The fake Qiao Xiao replied with a smile, "It's alright, sister."

Mother Lu instructed, "Don't be afraid, those were all our people. But be extra careful when facing the reporters outside later. They are representatives of official media. Be cautious and tactful when answering questions, don't be too blunt, understand, Xiao Xiao?"

“I understand, Mother, you taught me before.”

"Good, you are truly a good child of the Lu family."

Pushing open the door, one could hear the patter of rain outside. Numerous reporters, holding umbrellas and wearing raincoats, crowded around the entrance. As soon as the mother and her two daughters appeared, they swarmed forward.

At this moment, Lu's mother gently pushed the fake Qiao Xiao in front of the reporter, while she and her daughter stood side by side, their eyes fixed firmly on the fake Qiao Xiao.

The fake Qiao Xiao seemed to draw strength from Lu's mother's gaze, and nodded slightly. Then, questions and camera shutter clicks mingled together.

"What exactly happened back then?"

"Why did it take so many years for you to finally show up? Is there some other hidden reason?"

The fake Qiao Xiao calmly gave the answer she already knew by heart.

……

The reporters' questions were almost entirely predictable, and the fake Qiao Xiao answered them one by one according to her prepared answers.

Lu's mother remained calm as she gazed at the fake Qiao Xiao, thinking to herself, "This year's time and effort have not been wasted after all."

Lu Zi looked around with a relaxed expression, her hand still tightly held by her mother.

"I heard that you, Ms. Qiao, were hospitalized for a long time due to a critical condition. What happened that led to your hospitalization?" A female reporter's voice pierced through the noisy commotion like a sharp blade.

The fake Qiao Xiao's expression changed drastically. She looked at Lu's mother in terror, tears welling in her eyes, and called out in a trembling voice, "Mom..."

Seeing that things were not going well, Lu's mother quickly pulled Qiao Xiao aside and said with a worried expression, "You are being very rude. You know that my daughter has already suffered a lot, yet you still ask such a sad question."

Unexpectedly, the reporter pressed further: "But I heard that Ms. Lu was present at the scene of the accident that caused Ms. Qiao's serious injuries."

Lu's mother's anger erupted instantly: "Who dares to slander my daughter like this? Tell me your name!"

“Mrs. Lu, I am Chen Jiyan from XXX Newspaper. I am not making this up out of thin air, but have solid evidence to support this claim. If Ms. Lu is willing to publicly explain the situation or prove her innocence, I will do my best to assist her; otherwise, we will release the information we have in the near future so that the public can know the truth.”

Lu Zi nervously clutched her mother's sleeve, tears welling in her eyes, her voice trembling: "Mom, how does she know so much? Who exactly is she?"

Lu Zi tugged at her mother's clothes in panic. Her mother patted her uneasy hand and said softly, "It's okay, Mom is here."

Lu's mother stared sharply in the direction Chen Jiyan had left, and then they avoided the crowd, got into their car, and drove away.

Afterwards, they avoided the crowd and left by car. Inside the car, Lu Zi was still shaken, constantly tugging at her mother's sleeve, asking fearfully, "Mom, how did she know about us? Who is she?!"

Lu's mother said patiently, "It's alright, my precious daughter, everything will be taken care of. So much time has passed, don't be afraid, no one will come looking for trouble for us."

Lu's mother took a deep breath, looked at the fake Qiao Xiao huddled in the corner, and said meaningfully, "Xiao Xiao, tomorrow's interview is the most important. You must not make any mistakes. You must tell the truth. You must not say anything wrong."

While crying, the fake Qiao Xiao promised, "I promise I won't make any mistakes. I will take it seriously. I did a perfect job today, didn't I, Mom?"

Lu's mother stroked her hair affectionately and said, "That's right, you're absolutely right, Xiao Xiao."

Seeing this, Lu Zi immediately snuggled into her mother's arms and said coquettishly, "Mom, I want to eat chocolate."

Lu's mother smiled indulgently: "Okay, Mom will have your favorite chocolate flown in by air."

Lu Zi smiled and said, "It's so good to have Mom here. I'm the happiest child in the world. I'm so glad I have you, my biological mother, by my side."

The group returned to the villa, with Lu Zi walking quickly ahead and entering the mansion a step ahead of them.

As soon as they stepped across the threshold, the butler, who had been waiting for some time, greeted them softly: "Madam, Miss, welcome back."

Lu's mother turned to Qiao Xiao and said gently, "Xiao Xiao, you've worked hard today. Go wash up and relax."

"Okay, Mom."

After arranging things for Qiao Xiao, Lu's mother went to her daughter's side and sat down on the sofa with her. Lu's mother noticed that Lu Zi looked flustered and her eyes were full of fear: "What's wrong? What scared our daughter like this?"

She followed her daughter's gaze, her eyes finally settling on the television screen, where the following was being played on a loop:

"Breaking news: A man surnamed Zhong, who claims to be the son of the victim in a murder case from many years ago, has publicly declared himself a direct witness to the case and is currently under detailed police investigation. The following is a detailed report. This station will continue to follow the progress of the case, so please stay tuned for further reports."

Lu Zi's voice trembled as she asked incredulously, "Mom! Mom! Didn't you say you couldn't find Zhong Huanli?! Weren't you sure he had disappeared?! Why did he reappear?!"

Witnessing her daughter's emotional breakdown, Lu's mother hugged her tightly and comforted her gently, saying, "Even if he didn't disappear, what difference would it make? How much could he possibly know about what happened back then?"

Lu Zi was still troubled and said worriedly, "But what if he really is a witness?"

Lu's mother: "Don't worry, there were no witnesses back then, my darling, you have to believe your mother."