"You're right. The design team Mr He and the others recommended hasn't finished yet, but ever since we announced that Starlight plans a landmark tower, famous firms have been sending unsolicited proposals."
With so many options on the table, we might as well look them over carefully; we could turn up something outstanding and then pick the best of the bunch. So far, though, none of the proposals that have come in have really jumped out.
Chen Xueer had always been meticulous, and Jiang Cheng knew it.
He gave a small, satisfied nod. "Good call. We can't pin everything on one design house."
Chen Xueer went straight on. "Today Dazong's share price has stayed fairly steady—just a minor dip. They'll probably push it back up before the closing bell tonight."
Jiang Cheng inclined his head. "Conglomerate really lives up to its name."
Three days earlier, Environmental Protection Girl's denunciation of Conglomerate in the Swiss parliament had been packaged into briefing kits by the Security Team and seeded across Switzerland.
The next morning, environmental NGOs throughout the country received anonymous deliveries from the Security Team: the full dossier, plus a detailed technical report on Conglomerate compiled by a Chinese testing agency.
The damning numbers detonated like a bombshell, instantly igniting Switzerland's green lobby.
Groups mobilised at lightning speed and converged on parliament for a thunderous, coordinated protest.
Overnight, the once little-known Environmental Protection Girl became a household name across Switzerland.
Her fame spread like wildfire; every major paper vied to print her exploits.
Especially the moment three days ago when she had jabbed her finger at Pitt and railed at him, eyes blazing.
Facing the media onslaught, Pitt knew that unless he acted fast, he would be dragged under.
To extricate himself, he summoned a horde of reporters and staged an emergency press conference.
Pitt passionately urged the government to heed the people's voice and not ride roughshod over public opinion.
The heartfelt performance salvaged his reputation and won plaudits—while dumping the entire mess onto the sitting Swiss government.
Left with no choice, Switzerland launched a public, in-depth investigation into Dazong Automobile.
Two days later, the high-profile probe sent ripples far beyond Switzerland, drawing keen attention across the West.
Among Western nations, Pretty Country—where the original Conglomerate cheating scandal had broken two years earlier—reacted most fiercely.
Conglomerate had only just been fined nearly twenty billion dollars there for violations; to see the company at it again was an open insult.
It felt like a direct challenge to their authority.
Once bitten, twice shy.
After a single betrayal, the slightest future tremor makes the injured party instinctively revisit the old wound.
Now Pretty Country regarded every move Dazong Automobile made with reflexive suspicion.
Before China, the aggrieved party, could even lodge protests, Pretty Country leapt to the fore.
Especially owners of Dazong or Conglomerate-brand cars.
They poured into the streets, marching in protest against the company.
All of them rallied, demanding accountability from Conglomerate.
Some insisted on full refunds even before inspectors had confirmed the presence of cheat software.
In just three days, the storm swept from Switzerland to Pretty Country and on to China.
Conglomerate headquarters was caught flat-footed.
Before it could cobble together any counter-measures, the crisis had crossed multiple borders.
Although China had yet to release official test results amid its ongoing pandemic controls, most retail investors holding Conglomerate stock were already panicking.
After all, Conglomerate had form.
Chen Xueer's lovely eyes turned toward Jiang Cheng, curiosity and doubt flickering in them. "Was the Swiss incident really orchestrated by you?"
She held his gaze, waiting.
Jiang Cheng gave a small nod. "It came together by chance—and the result was better than expected."
Chen Xueer nodded agreement. "I've been following it; Pretty Country is in an uproar again. They fined Conglomerate nearly twenty billion back in 2015, and the moment they caught wind of this they practically started celebrating."
Jiang Cheng said, "With that precedent, Conglomerate's cars in Pretty Country will be squeaky clean this time."
Chen Xueer picked up the thread. "And Conglomerate has a good reputation in China; if this had broken here first, the fallout would never have been this big."
A thoughtful smile tugged at Jiang Cheng's lips.
"Back in 2015, when the scandal erupted, China's media—auto bloggers included—never even mentioned it."
Chen Xueer caught on instantly.
"Looks like Conglomerate paid plenty of hush money here."
Domestic outlets had taken Conglomerate's gag fees.
They simply ignored the scandal.
Normally, any car reviewer road-testing a vehicle would slip in a line about the cheat-software affair.
Yet every one of them, in perfect unison, praised only Conglomerate's green credentials—no one breathed a word about the scandal.
You didn't need an investigation to smell something fishy.
Had the story broken only in China, it would probably have been smothered.
As Jiang Cheng said, most people would rather not tangle with Conglomerate—especially ordinary folk.
"Starting this morning I've had people reposting the Swiss and Pretty Country coverage on our own internet," Jiang Cheng replied. "We just wait for the right moment to move."