115: Chapter 0115 The War of Information

The newspaper detailed an account of a citizen from Philadelphia, a neighboring city of Gele City, who was riding a "Smooth Travel" brand vehicle for business.

En route, a design flaw in the Wind Element Energy Storage Pool caused it to spiral out of control, resulting in the user crashing into a sharp object at high speed and dying from a puncture wound.

The newspaper was also accompanied by a picture:

The corpse of a man lay quietly beside a little sorcerer donkey, the blood flowing from his wounds staining the ground.

Following that was a solemn technical analysis by Putilla, a high-level alchemy apprentice, who used fabricated data as evidence to assert:

The little sorcerer donkey's technology is immature and possesses safety defects; the inventor should release the technology to more powerful institutions for refinement to provide the people of the Duchy with a safer product.

Not just this one, but multiple influential media outlets in Monte Province and the surrounding areas published reports with the same content at almost the same time.

Li Size took the newspaper, scanned it quickly, and a cold smile curled at the corners of his mouth:

"They think they can bring us down with just these petty tricks?"

Felina nodded, but she was still worried:

"Anyone who owns a little sorcerer donkey knows it's impossible for it to lose control. Even if it did, how could a speed of only 60 yards easily cause death?

Furthermore, the data provided by this Putilla is completely fake; any Wizard Apprentice who knows a bit of alchemy could see through it.

But the majority of ordinary people, who are our primary customers, don't know that!

This could easily influence their judgment, making them believe the little sorcerer donkey is unsafe."

Hearing this, Li Size gently set down the newspaper, his gaze becoming sharp,

"Felina, we need to contact Deputy Director Payne immediately.

Gelia's father—please ask him to assist in retrieving the detailed files and police reports on the deceased."

Li Size immediately walked to the corner of the Laboratory, found the flying message device, and injected Mental Energy to activate the communication:

"Uncle Payne, it's Li Size."

Payne's deep, majestic voice came from the other end of the transmitter, carrying a trace of subtle concern:

"Li Size? Is Gelia not with you? Why are you looking for me?"

"Gelia is handling police department affairs; I'm the one who's run into some trouble,"

Li Size spoke at a steady pace, concisely explaining the framed report in the "Monte Province Evening News."

"I need your help to retrieve the detailed files and police records of that 'deceased' person in Philadelphia to prove the little sorcerer donkey's innocence."

Payne gave a cold snort, his majesty undiminished:

"The De Kela Si Merchant Guild's methods?

Fine, I'll arrange for someone to get those files for you. But remember, don't let Gelia worry about you."

The sound of papers flipping came from the other end of the transmitter.

"In three hours, go to the Police Intelligence Department to collect the Materials."

In less than half a day, Payne efficiently located the "deceased" mentioned in the report through the police System.

The results were shocking:

The so-called "victim" was actually a street thug who had died a day ago in a Gang fight. The official autopsy report stated he died from stabs by Sharp Weapons like knives and swords; it had absolutely nothing to do with the "little sorcerer donkey."

Li Size made a prompt decision, simultaneously asking Payne for help to quickly apply for the arrest of that alchemy apprentice who claimed the product had safety hazards on charges of defamation.

During the interrogation, the other party quickly confessed that he had accepted a hundred gold coins from the De Kela Si Merchant Guild to intentionally fabricate and spread false information.

The matter didn't end there. Li Size immediately dialed the communication for Lilith, the editor-in-chief of the Ge Le City Business Gazette.

"Editor-in-Chief Lilith," he said in a calm but confident tone.

"The 'Monte Province Evening News' and the competitors of those newspapers should be in need of some real blockbuster news.

I have not only the police autopsy report and the apprentice's confession but also dirt on the De Kela Si Merchant Guild's years of forcibly seizing small inventions and suppressing innovators.

Could you please assist in getting these Materials into the papers?"

Editor-in-Chief Lilith agreed to the request without hesitation.

The next day, the Ge Le City Business Gazette and several competing media outlets published this series of truth-revealing reports in front-page headlines, along with some inside information on the De Kela Si Merchant Guild's past unfair competition.

Public opinion reversed overnight, causing a public outcry. Li Size and Felina, who were originally suppressed to the point of being unable to breathe, finally won a round.

Meanwhile...

In Kelvin's hotel conference room, Kelvin was organizing a meeting for the action team.

He wore a dark-patterned suit, his thin lips tightly pressed beneath an aquiline nose. Sullenness was hidden within the knife-carved wrinkles at the corners of his eyes as his fingertips stroked a snake-shaped ring.

His eyes were quenched with cold light, and his tone was as chilly and sharp as a venomous snake flicking its tongue.

His previous arrogance toward Li Size was merely a disguise; at this moment, he sneered inwardly:

He was just waiting for that young kid to lose his mind from anger and fall into the death trap he had laid.

Seated second to his left was Tusi, a capable middle-aged man in a black suit.

His Body Integration suit was pressed flat and neat, his short hair combed meticulously with a hint of frost at the temples. Behind thin-rimmed gold glasses, his eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, and his mouth was pressed into a tight line, exuding the shrewdness and composure unique to a PR professional.

He was the Deputy Manager of the Public Relations Department for the Southwest Regional Branch of Dekerus.

Tusi had been in the deputy manager position for too long and had always wanted a promotion. He saw the importance of this invention's intellectual property rights to the guild.

The guild had acquired many intellectual property rights for inventions before, but since the guild was ultimately a distributor of transport vehicles, those unrelated invention rights had never been able to change that situation.

According to the analysis of the chairman and the think tank, if they could seize the intellectual property rights for the little sorcerer donkey and the witchcraft motorcycle during the protection period, the guild would be able to use them to truly and rapidly monopolize a new vehicle market.

They would become a top-tier comprehensive merchant guild, no longer the middleman in other people's mouths!

Therefore, everyone present knew this acquisition was very important, but with the guild's formidable strength, they weren't worried about failure at all.

Tusi had managed to use his silver tongue to persuade Kelvin to let him participate in this acquisition plan, taking charge of intelligence and media work.

In his mind, with the guild's power, this acquisition would be easily accomplished; he just needed to do some work according to the plan to coast his way to this credit.

Li Size's past was sparse and yielded little intelligence, so no credit could be gained from that aspect. Tusi thus focused his energy on the public opinion war.

He spoke eloquently, analyzing the next steps of the plan:

"According to our department's analysis, if Li Size follows the path designed by the PR department to prove the product's safety performance, he will fall into an endless nightmare quagmire.

People don't care about dry verifications, but eye-catching stories like a death incident can firmly grab the readers' hearts.

The viewpoint of product defects implanted through a death incident is also more easily accepted by the uninformed masses.

If such reports continue for seven days, that young boy will find that no one in the Duchy believes them anymore!

At that time, the guild's second wave in the public opinion war will continue to ramp up the offensive:

Exposing the cost of the little sorcerer donkey and describing Li Size's factory as a heartless sweatshop."