43: A sudden storm arose, and the wise debate was full of doubts

Lin Da’s calm yet resounding declaration, “This is a meticulously planned frame-up,” was like a ladle of cold water thrown into a boiling pot of oil, plunging the entire banquet hall into an eerie silence.

All eyes were fixed on the young man at the center of the storm, who remained unfazed.

The security guard holding the “evidence” instantly stiffened, his expression of “righteous indignation” freezing, and a flicker of undetectable panic flashed in his eyes.

The Hotel Manager was scared out of his wits; his biggest fear was the matter escalating and exposing any oversights in hotel management, which would cost him his job.

“Mr. Lin… Mr. Lin, you can’t just say things like that!” the Hotel Manager said, wiping cold sweat and forcing himself to remain calm. “We… we also received an anonymous tip and are just acting impartially…”

“Acting impartially?” Lin Da sneered, his gaze like lightning, directly addressing the security guard. “May I ask, my dear security guard, in which pocket of my jacket did you find this bag of ‘contraband’?”

The security guard felt a bit guilty under Lin Da’s stare and stammered, “It… it was your left… outer pocket…”

“Left outer pocket?” A mocking arc curved at Lin Da’s lips. “What a coincidence. The suit I’m wearing today, for the sake of its cut, has a fake outer pocket on the left side. It’s completely sewn shut; nothing can be put in it.”

As he spoke, he calmly displayed the left side of his suit jacket to everyone. Indeed, the edge of the pocket was tightly sewn, with no opening at all.

“This…”

Upon hearing this, the entire hall erupted in an uproar again!

The security guard’s face instantly turned ashen, and cold sweat streamed down his forehead. He never expected that this seemingly insignificant detail would become a fatal flaw!

Wang Hong and Zhang Yang’s expressions also changed drastically, their eyes filled with incredulous shock. They had calculated everything, yet missed such a crucial detail!

“This… this is impossible!” the security guard cried out in panic. “I… I clearly saw you…”

“Saw me what?” Lin Da’s gaze grew even colder. “Saw me use a sewn-shut pocket as a storage pouch?”

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the hall, his voice clear and forceful. The [Words of Power (Elementary)] skill quietly activated at this moment, imbuing every word with persuasiveness:

“Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media, at this point, I believe everyone understands what’s going on.”

“Firstly, I, Lin Da, as a newcomer who has just entered the entertainment industry, deeply understand the importance of cherishing my reputation. I would never do anything illegal or self-destructive to my future.”

“Secondly, during this cocktail party today, my jacket has been on me since I entered the banquet hall. Although I had conversations with several seniors during that time, I never left everyone’s sight. If someone wanted to tamper with me, they would need precognitive abilities to know in advance that I would wear this suit with a fake left pocket, and also be able to precisely slip this so-called ‘contraband’ into a non-existent pocket without my knowledge.”

“The logic behind this, I believe, needs no further explanation from me; everyone can understand.”

His words were clear, logically rigorous, and every point of doubt hit the nail on the head.

Under the enhancement of the [Ethereal Speech] skill, his voice seemed to carry a magical power, making everyone present involuntarily begin to ponder the inconsistencies.

“That’s right! This is clearly a frame-up!” Qin Ya’s assistant, Xiao Min, was the first to react, saying indignantly.

A hint of approval flashed in Li Shengshi’s eyes. This Lin Da, not only had good acting skills, but his ability to remain calm and analyze things clearly in a crisis was truly remarkable.

“Then… then this bag of stuff…” The Hotel Manager looked at the plastic bag in the security guard’s hand, momentarily at a loss.

Just then, Lin Da’s gaze fell on the waiter who had “accidentally” spilled the drink earlier.

Under the insight of [Eye of Truth], he clearly saw that this waiter’s face turned even paler after hearing Lin Da’s explanation, and his eyes were filled with fear and… a hint of relief?

“Young waiter,” Lin Da suddenly spoke, his voice gentle yet carrying an undeniable pressure, “when you spilled the drink just now, you seemed particularly nervous. I wonder… did you see something, or… know something?”

The waiter, called out by Lin Da, trembled violently, like a startled bird, instinctively wanting to hide.

“I… I don’t know anything! I didn’t see anything!” he waved his hands frantically, his voice somewhat distorted.

His behavior, which clearly showed he was trying to hide something, only aroused more suspicion from the crowd.

Wang Hong and Zhang Yang’s hearts instantly sank to the bottom. They knew that this waiter was the weakest link in their plan!

“Is that so?” Lin Da smiled slightly, and the [Aura Control - Intimidation] skill quietly released a targeted pressure, enveloping the waiter.

The waiter felt an invisible chill rise from his feet, instantly spreading throughout his body. He looked into Lin Da’s eyes, which seemed to see through everything, and his psychological defenses completely collapsed.

With a cry, he burst into tears, his voice filled with endless regret and fear:

“No… it wasn’t me! I didn’t do it! It was… it was them who forced me! Zhang Yang’s assistant gave me a sum of money and told me to… to create chaos around Teacher Lin, and then… then take the opportunity to… to put that thing… into Teacher Lin’s pocket…”

As he cried, he incoherently spilled the beans, recounting the entire incident like pouring beans from a bamboo tube!

A bombshell!

The entire banquet hall fell into a dead silence once more!

Everyone’s gazes, like sharp swords, shot towards Zhang Yang and Wang Hong, whose faces were ashen!