The applause continued in waves until Xia Xiaolan raised her hand several times to quiet it down.

“On behalf of all Asia Department Store employees, I thank you for your trust and support. What happened today might be exploited by those with ill intentions, potentially spreading rumors like ‘Asia’s milk powder is poisonous.’ Since you all witnessed the entire incident, if you hear anyone spreading false rumors, please help defend Asia Department Store. I thank you all in advance!”

“Of course, we’ll explain…”

“Don’t worry, Manager Xia. With so many witnesses, anyone spreading rumors will be arrested by the police!”

Though young, Xia Xiaolan held the position of department store general manager. Her polite and sincere request for help, coupled with her earlier heartwarming speech, moved the crowd, who eagerly expressed their willingness to help counter rumors about Asia Department Store.

Xia Xiaolan appeared to relax, bowing to the crowd with gratitude.

“Good, Manager Xia is straightforward! Why should good people always forgive the bad ones? Without punishment for wrongdoing, illegal behavior won’t be deterred. I’m taking this extortionist woman to the police station. We must find out who’s behind this!”

Officer Zhuo Weiping grabbed the woman, who had collapsed into a helpless heap.

The onlookers applauded, appreciating Officer Zhuo’s handling of the situation.

“Officer, I leave the suspect in your custody!”

Xia Xiaolan formally entrusted the matter.

Suddenly, two sharp horn blasts sounded, and a van stopped nearby. Zheng Feng brought several people down with Asia’s ‘security guards’:

“Manager Xia, we caught several troublemakers in the store. They were running around shouting ‘Asia’s milk powder is lethal’ without knowing the truth. Their behavior was suspicious. Fortunately, some city police officers were here to help detain them.”

These special security guards were actually city police officers, Officer Zhuo’s colleagues. They had changed from plainclothes into uniforms, and upon meeting, they acted as if just discovering each other’s presence.

The woman trembled even more upon seeing the detained individuals.

The crowd’s judgment was sharp, with everyone channeling their inner Detective Di Renjie, concluding that the woman with the baby and the troublemakers were likely working together.

“Colleague Weiping, what’s the situation here?”

Zhuo Weiping pushed forward the woman she had detained, “She confessed to being hired to extort Asia Department Store. I don’t think she’s revealed everything. If it was just about extorting money, why were there so many accomplices? I suspect someone deliberately instructed them to bring children with chickenpox to the store to create mass panic!”

The case of certain people extorting the department store might barely warrant city police involvement, but if it was deliberately creating mass panic, their intervention became entirely justified!

As the crowd discussed, Xia Xiaolan expressed her concern:

“Officers, please investigate this matter thoroughly. While affecting Asia’s business is minor, endangering public safety is a serious offense. I won’t rest easy until the masterminds are caught.”

“Yes, investigate thoroughly!”

“Make her confess, she definitely knows something.”

“Don’t let her leave until she talks…”

Officer Zhuo and her colleagues repeatedly assured the angry crowd before taking the woman and the troublemakers away in their vehicle.

Before leaving, Officer Zhuo reminded everyone that if they discovered anyone spreading rumors, they were likely accomplices who had escaped, and encouraged people to report to the police station or bureau!

As the victim, Xia Xiaolan, the general manager of Asia, also needed to go to the city bureau to file a case. Before leaving, she reassured the customers:

“Due to today’s uncontrollable external forces affecting your shopping experience at Asia, and preventing some customers from purchasing shopping cards in time, Asia will extend the shopping card recharge cashback promotion by one more day to thank you for your support!”

Oh my, how considerate – this Manager Xia was too accommodating.

Wait – they hadn’t realized it earlier – was Manager Xia saying that Asia’s shopping card recharge cashback promotion was originally about to end?

Customers who hadn’t bought shopping cards began to panic.

Xia Xiaolan had already left with Song Minglan in the car, leaving only Huang Guoqiang at the scene.

Huang Guoqiang spoke dramatically:

“Since it’s a promotional activity, it naturally has a beginning and an end. Asia’s level of discounts can’t be matched by any department store in the Commercial District, or even nationwide. It’s getting late now, everyone should head home and stay safe. If you have any questions, you can consult the service desk at Asia tomorrow!”

Whether people had questions about the shopping card recharge cashback promotion or were curious about tonight’s incident, everyone was welcome to inquire.

Without these eyewitnesses, how could the case’s impact expand?

Huang Guoqiang finally understood – Manager Xia was using this opportunity strategically.

The more you try to cover something up, the more people speculate wildly.

By being open about all questions, while Asia might face some risks, the likelihood of completely resolving the matter actually increased!

This approach both prevented the spread of false rumors and ensured severe punishment for the masterminds.

Regardless of whether the state-owned department stores’ managers were behind this, Manager Xia’s thunderous approach served as a warning to others. Anyone harboring ill intentions would have to carefully consider if they could withstand such swift and decisive tactics!

While reassuring the lingering customers, Huang Guoqiang thought to himself:

“Director Zhu, it’s not that I, Old Huang, switched sides quickly, but with Manager Xia’s methods, I dare not continue opposing her!”

[To be continued…]

“Manager Xia, will this completely eliminate opponents like Lu Hongbo?”

Asia had set up an extensive trap, waiting for the troublemakers to fall in.

Whether problems arose with electronics or food products, Xia Xiaolan had anticipated this, as electronics had high unit prices while food products were for consumption – these two categories were most likely to trigger customer emotions.

Facts proved Xia Xiaolan’s judgment correct.

Sure enough, the disturbance occurred at the milk powder counter.

When Song Minglan discovered the child used as a prop had chickenpox, he was almost pleased. This was a point they could emphasize greatly, potentially destroying their competitors, as the nature of the incident had completely changed – from extorting Asia to deliberately creating a source of infection and causing mass panic… If Lu Hongbo and others were responsible, Song Minglan knew they would definitely face imprisonment!

While Officer Zhuo and others were separately interrogating those brought in, Xia Xiaolan quietly corrected Song Minglan’s statement:

“Opponents can never be completely eliminated. As long as Asia’s business thrives, there will always be those who are envious and jealous. The state-owned department stores won’t collapse over this incident, but someone must be held responsible. The harsher their punishment, the more our competitors will fear us!”

Once those using illegal methods were caught, wouldn’t the remaining competitors have to behave properly?

If everyone competed fairly, what would Xia Xiaolan have to fear?