Shocking headlines bombarded the nation one after another. The media outlets were having a field day pumping out articles, broadcasting news reports and interviews almost without any break. The police were also very busy.
Three days had passed since Fan Luo and the Alarm Girls were discovered after two separate police stations were tipped by anonymous callers. The police still didn't have any leads as to who might be the perpetrators who kidnapped and tortured the four women.
All useful clues were wiped away. It seemed that the perpetrators had a formidable hacker erasing their tracks. Even the crashed car in which Fan Luo was strapped in was untraceable. It was an amazing work of engineering, pieced together from different auto parts. Some of the parts were even self-made. Any serial numbers or other identifying codes in the car were erased.
At the moment, the four women were in the hospital.
The Alarm Girls had serious injuries but they would recover in time. However, the severity of their torture traumatized them to the point that their psychological states were permanently damaged. Even if they recovered physically, they were no longer well enough to face their pending court trials. They would most likely be sent to a mental institution for the rest of their lives instead.
As for Fan Luo, her condition was much worse than the Alarm Girls. She suffered serious brain damage and fell into coma. Even if a miracle happened and she woke up, her life would only be a living hell. She was not only disfigured but also blinded, muted and crippled. She wouldn't be able to function normally anymore.
Not to mention that she was currently the most hated woman in the country besides her mother, Fan Yuming. If she woke up, she would need to face the legal punishment for her crimes and spend the rest of her life inside prison.
In response to the news about what Fan Luo and the Alarm Girls went through, the people's opinions were mixed.
"Fan Luo and the Alarm Girls deserve it! They're evil! This is retribution for their crimes! This is justice!"
"Although I agree that Fan Luo deserves it, I don't think that the Alarm Girls' crimes justify the torture they experienced. This is too extreme."
Amidst this debate of whether the four women deserved their tragic fates or not, the people also speculated as to who might be the one who kidnapped and tortured them.
The most popular suspects were Jin Chonglin and the Jins, Iris Long and the Longs, Fan Luo's other victims and their families, and also the now disgraced industry leaders who had sexual affairs with her and the other members of the Fan family.
Of course, the Black Stars and Jin Chonglin's army of fans wouldn't stay quiet while their Boss Iris and Prince Lin Lin were being suspected. A partnership between the two fan clubs formed to defend their boss and prince.
While Jin Chonglin reassured his fans through his blog, there was still no updates from Iris Long. The ones suspecting her used her absence to prove their point.
It was at this moment that Bright Summit released an official statement.
"We have received official confirmation that Iris Long is not in the country. She is currently recuperating at a private hospital abroad. The trauma of discovering the real cause of her accident two years ago triggered a health relapse. As for those who are doubting her innocence, we, Bright Summit Entertainment Company, stand behind our artist. We believe that she is innocent and incapable of the accusations being thrown at her. We also believe that she is one of the biggest victims in this entire affair, so shame on all of those who are still accusing her. We do not understand why people can continue to defend the criminals while accusing the real victim. We hope that Iris Long recovers and returns to grace us with her talent. We are all waiting for you, Iris Long!"
JJ's record label also echoed Bright Summit's sentiments.
After some time, the police officially cleared Jin Chonglin and Iris Long from the accusations of harming Fan Luo and the Alarm Girls. Jin Chonglin had a strong alibi. He stayed with his mother and grandmother at the Jin Family's Old House the whole time.
As for Iris Long, several people also stepped forward to vouch for her innocence. Most of them were airport and airline employees who swore that they witnessed Iris Long stepping into a plane to leave the country. They said that this happened just a couple of hours after the revelation of Fan Luo's crimes. Meaning, there was no way that Iris Long was the one who kidnapped and tortured Fan Luo and the Alarm Girls because she wasn't even in the country during that time. Airport records and CCTV footage also supported Iris Long's alibi.
Jin Liwei used his influence to pay the airport and the airline employees to create an alibi for Iris. It wasn't that hard because these people had family members who were beneficiaries of Jin Corporation's foundation. Their gratitude to the foundation made them willing to help him make up an alibi. Jin Corporation was also a major investor of the airline.
Lu Zihao's team of hackers planted the fake records and CCTV footage. They might not be on Drakon's level, but they were still skilled hackers who were better than KeymonSTER.
After securing Iris' alibi, Jin Liwei and Lu Zihao continued to speak on the phone.
"Is she okay? Can I see her?" Jin Liwei asked.
"Yeah, she's fine," Lu Zihao replied. "If she wants to see you, she'll tell you herself."
"Is she really out of the country? Can you tell me where she is?"
"Yeah. She's not in China anymore. I can't tell you where. You have to wait until she tells you herself. Grandpa took her somewhere. Don't worry. She'll be alright. The old man won't let anything bad happen to her."
Jin Liwei sighed. Intense longing for his baby girl weighed down on his heart, making it hard for him to live each day without her.
'Be patient. She promised that she'll come back, so she will,' he persuaded himself.
"Meow~"
Ice Cream and Popcorn rubbed themselves against him. He petted them and nuzzled against them.
"You miss Mommy, right? Me too. Let's wait for her to come back. Hopefully soon."
These days, the kittens were always with him. Without their Mommy, they only felt safe with their Daddy. They refused to leave his side. As a result, he brought them wherever he went, even when he went to work at Jin Corporation. The first time he brought them to the company, his employees couldn't believe their eyes.
Their frigid President actually brought KITTENS to work! Kittens! The adorable, furry creatures known to enslave humans with their irresistible cuteness.
Not only that, he carried the fat grey one in his arms, stroking it in a loving manner, while the hyperactive orange kitten ran around everywhere. Two personal cat sitters followed them.
"Young Master Popcorn! Please don't run around. You might get lost!" the cat sitter called while chasing after the orange kitten.
The other cat sitter informed Jin Liwei, "Master, it is now time for Young Miss Ice Cream's snack. Please give her to me so that I can feed her."
The minds of Jin Liwei's employees, including Xu Tian, went blank.
Jin Liwei noticed their stares. His eyes turned even colder.
"Ice Cream and Popcorn are my children. You must treat them with utmost respect. If I learn that any of you harmed my children in any way, say goodbye to your jobs," he told them.
Their eyes almost popped out of their heads.
'Ch-children?!!!'