Lu Ming's words startled everyone present. It seemed the Su family could withdraw from this incident relatively safely, and the Wu family was clearly the biggest victim. Yet, according to Lu Ming, the Su family would suffer greater harm.
They couldn't quite understand.
Su Wanran was even more confused, asking with great puzzlement, "Lu Ming, what do you mean? Why would our Su family face a crisis?"
Lu Ming sighed deeply and said, "Do you really think Wu Lingxuan is kind?"
Everyone looked at each other, their expressions identical.
Did such a question even need asking?
Of course, she was kind!
If she weren't kind, how could she have taken all the blame and even offered compensation to the Su family?
By all accounts, Wu Lingxuan was a person of utmost goodness.
Lu Ming, however, waved his hand and said, "I don't think so."
In this world, there exists a kind of psychology: sympathizing with the weak.
When you see someone in a pitiful state, you involuntarily develop this feeling. Often, you don't care what they did or for what reason; as long as they are weak and pitiable, you sympathize with them and speak up for them!
Currently, Wu Lingxuan was playing the role of this 'weak party'.
She voluntarily took on all the responsibility, bore all the compensation for the victims, and even offered corresponding compensation to the Su family.
This completely positioned her as the weaker party.
If this incident had only one responsible party, even with Wu Lingxuan acting this way, it would be difficult to appease the victims' resentment.
However!
This incident did not involve only the Wu family.
It also involved the Su family!
Susu, the brand created jointly by the Su and Wu families, had an incident. The Wu family was busily handling matters, and the victims witnessed it all. What about the Su family?
Was the Su family truly so innocent?
The most crucial point was the investigation results.
The investigation clearly showed the Su family was at fault, yet the Su family did nothing, and the Wu family took on the responsibility!
If the general public knew this, what would they say about the Su family?
Finally, Lu Ming said very seriously, "Do you know why Wu Lingxuan held a press conference so quickly and took responsibility so promptly? Because Wu Lingxuan feared the Su family would snatch away the compensation and responsibility! Yes, in this incident, whoever actively steps forward to take responsibility will be the party that suffers less. Even more than that, they might not suffer at all, but profit!"
The common people wouldn't see such deep-seated machinations. They would believe Wu Lingxuan was genuinely kind and a responsible person.
Since she was a good person, she shouldn't be wronged!
As long as Wu Lingxuan was clever enough to continue playing the role of a good person, a victim, and simultaneously hire some internet trolls to speak for her online, her reputation would be greatly enhanced!
Simultaneously, the Su family's reputation would collapse!
Without the vulgar, there is no elegance; without stepping on someone, there is no elevation.
Everything is relative.
In this incident, the Wu family and the Su family formed a stark contrast. When people saw the way both parties handled the matter, they would instinctively elevate one and disparage the other.
Clearly, the one destined to be disparaged was the Su family!!!
After listening to Lu Ming's analysis, everyone present fell silent. None of them were fools, and they all understood what Lu Ming meant, recognizing the seriousness of the current situation.
Su Ru slammed the table and roared, "Fine, I knew Wu Lingxuan, that hypocritical wretch, wouldn't be so kind this time. So she was playing dirty with us! Lu Ming, according to your theory, isn't Wu Lingxuan the mastermind behind this incident?"
Though unwilling to admit it, it was very likely the truth.
Lu Ming nodded affirmatively, "Yes, from the current perspective, Wu Lingxuan is highly suspicious. Especially since she could prepare a press conference and a compensation letter in advance, which further proves she orchestrated everything."
Hearing this, Su Wanran began to tremble.
Being kind by nature, she could never have imagined that the martial world was so dangerous, and that a seemingly kind person could be so malicious.
The Wu family, in order to elevate themselves, had chosen to tread on the Su family!
However.
Su Wanran still held onto a sliver of hope.
She said, "Lu Ming, aren't you perhaps overthinking things? Could it all just be a coincidence? At least from the current situation, Wu Lingxuan hasn't shown any ill will. She simply wanted to express goodwill. Could we be assuming the worst of a gentleman, thinking too badly of others?"
Even at this point, Su Wanran was still speaking up for Wu Lingxuan.
Su Ru was speechless, "Wanran, you've really been brainwashed too deeply by Wu Lingxuan!"
In fact, it wasn't that Su Wanran was brainwashed, but rather that Wu Lingxuan simply didn't fit the description of a 'villain' at all.
Wu Lingxuan was gentle, generous, and always considered others first in her actions and words.
It was truly difficult to imagine how such an outstanding woman could be involved in so many schemes, resorting to using others as a weapon and playing the victim. It was too surreal.
Just then, the security captain ran over and said loudly, "It's bad, Chairman Su, a large group of victim families have arrived outside. They demand an explanation from us!"
Su Ru snorted, "Here they come, trouble has arrived!"
Su Wanran said, "It's okay, we'll follow the Wu family's example and compensate the victim families. We'll also proactively take responsibility."
It was too late.
Lu Ming shook his head, negating Su Wanran's idea.
The responsibility had already been snatched by the Wu family. It would be almost impossible for the Su family to reclaim it, which was why Wu Lingxuan was so eager to hold the press conference.
Sometimes, one had to fight for the 'blame' too!
Worse was yet to come.
Jiang Mengxin said while looking at the news on her phone, "Things are getting more serious. A lot of anti-Su family voices have appeared online. Just as Lu Ming said, it's filled with a large number of internet trolls."
Every step the Wu family took was exactly as Lu Ming had described!
Su Wanran quickly opened the news and began to read. The more she read, the angrier and more distressed she became.
【Susu was clearly opened jointly by the Su and Wu families. Why is the Wu family bearing all the responsibility while the Su family hides?】
【Exactly! There's no reason for this!】
【I heard that the police investigation results are out. It was the fruits and vegetables provided by the Su family that had issues. The responsibility clearly lies with the Su family! It's just that Chairman Wu is kind and has good character, so he took the responsibility voluntarily.】
【Do you know that in Susu, the Su family gets seventy percent of the income, while the Wu family only gets forty percent!】
【Is that true? Isn't the Su family bullying too much? They took so much profit, but when something happened, they hid and pushed all the blame onto the Wu family. What is this? Bullying the honest people?】
【No, we absolutely cannot let Chairman Wu be so insulted! Boycott the Su family, starting with me!】
【Boycott the Su family! Boycott the Su family!】
The internet was filled with all sorts of anti-Su family remarks. Some were genuine voices, but more were trolls stirring up trouble. Large numbers of ordinary people who didn't know the truth were misled, their kindness exploited by those with ulterior motives.
Closing her phone.
Su Wanran's eyes were vacant. Now she finally understood Lu Ming's words from earlier.
"The Su family is truly facing a huge crisis."