Chapter 157 - 156: The Assailants Will Ultimately Face Legal Punishment

Chapter 157: Chapter 156: The Assailants Will Ultimately Face Legal Punishment

Rian nodded. This was the best possible outcome. However, she couldn’t help but think of the girls in the hospital—one of them was still lying in the ICU, her fate uncertain.

Ronan stood at the entrance of the police station, watching the officers being escorted into the vehicles one by one. For the first time, he clearly realized how deeply corrupted these positions had become. This was an organization meant to serve the public, yet it had devolved into a tool for abusing power for personal gain.

Reporters were also gathered at the station’s entrance. After brewing all night, the incident had become widely known, and everyone was eagerly waiting for updates. Zachary Morgan’s live stream had been so arrogantly unhinged that many netizens had screen-recorded and saved it.

With this matter finally coming to a close, Ronan left with the military convoy.

Just as Rian was about to leave, she heard the system’s announcement.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for triggering a hidden quest! Detected that the hidden quest has been completed. Distributing rewards now!]

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining the Scar Removal Cream formula. This formula has reached perfect quality and can completely heal any scar currently known to the world. The required ingredients have been adapted to existing medicines on Blue Star, with zero side effects.]

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for achieving the title: "Rise to Fame"! Distributing rewards now!]

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining the cultivation method for Mineral Essence! This substance has a 2,000-year history and can be used to awaken and renew cells throughout the entire body. It promotes metabolism and has a high probability of altering genetics, with zero side effects.]

Rian was already thrilled upon hearing the first reward. Once this cream was produced, the girls from last night would be able to restore their original appearances.

The second reward was even more mind-blowing. When applied to the human body, this substance could practically turn someone into a completely new person. It could even alter cells and genetics! She realized that if this was true, then diseases like leukemia—no, wait, *any* illness in the human body—could be entirely eradicated by this medicine!

Rian’s breathing hitched slightly as she took a moment to calm down, gradually steadying her emotions. After all, the system was describing its perfect state; there was still a long way to go before it could be practically applied.

Once she composed herself, Rian instructed Donovan Sinclair to prepare a research facility. She had to conduct this research personally. Setting aside the origins of these rewards, their heaven-defying effects alone were bound to attract attention from all sides.

On the other end, Donovan had just hung up the phone. He immediately instructed Saul Sinclair, who was standing beside him, to arrange the young miss’s requests. Saul was an assistant Rian had recently assigned to him.

Upon hearing her demands, Saul set about organizing matters for a biotech company and prepared a full team of scientific researchers. Meanwhile, the personnel at the emerging tech company had also been completely replaced, shifting their focus toward researching mobile phone chips and everyday AI.

Quentin Sinclair and Cedric Sinclair were still in Meridia handling overseas operations, while Fiona Sinclair was managing matters related to the foundation.

The lab preparations were swiftly completed, and Rian entered the facility that very same day to begin her work.

During this time, much transpired in the outside world that Rian remained completely unaware of.

The incident from that night had finally been processed. All the perpetrators were sentenced. The three lead offenders—Zachary Morgan, a man surnamed Chen, and a man surnamed Li—were sentenced to immediate execution for their multiple prior offenses and the brutal assault on Ms. Yang and the others.

Franklin Morgan and Christopher Morgan, having abused their power for personal gain, were stripped of their badges and sentenced to life in prison.

The Morgan family also paid out eight million as compensation for the hospitalized girls’ medical bills and emotional distress. Following this incident, police patrols became a common sight around late-night food stalls, and some influencers even started bringing their large pet dogs along when grabbing midnight skewers.

The incident sparked a massive wave of public vigilance that wouldn’t dissipate anytime soon, prompting many to consciously mind their own behavior.

Leaked videos surfaced online, vividly detailing Zachary’s arrest, while also giving a nod to Miss Innocent and The Innocent Heiress’s "boyfriend." However, the discussions remained relatively hushed. Rumors circulated among netizens that The Innocent Heiress’s "boyfriend" was a high-ranking official in the military, so people only dared to gossip about it in private.

Since Miss Innocent was making fewer appearances online, the chatter surrounding The Innocent Heiress gradually faded away for the time being.

But Rian was entirely oblivious to all of this.

Right now, she was buried in experiments inside her specially prepared lab in Kyoro. Even though she had the formula and cultivation method, everything still needed to be tested in practice. Rian was doing her utmost to find a more time-efficient way to achieve the final results.

About a month passed. The companies under Rian’s name were all generating stable profits, and the film she had previously promised Evan Rivers was also in the preparation phase.

Everything was progressing smoothly. The variety show produced by Radiant Entertainment had begun filming with state support. Many companies and celebrities in the industry were completely unaware that Radiant Entertainment now had government backing.

Rian even carved out time from her rigorous lab schedule to check on this variety show; after all, it was practically a purge of the entertainment industry.

The show was billed as a wilderness survival program, but its core nature was entirely different. The cast could include A-list stars or disgraced, D-list celebrities. There were nine participants in total.

They were dropped onto a deserted island rigged with hidden cameras. Unaware that they were actually filming a reality show, they would be plunged into panic, thereby exposing the twisted depths of human nature—or rather, their true colors. This show would allow fans to see exactly what kind of people their favorite idols really were. It was guaranteed to be a massive, explosive hit.

However, producing such a program would undoubtedly offend a lot of people.

But as for Rian? Offend people? It wasn’t as if she was afraid to do so. After all, the entertainment industry truly needed a thorough cleansing, just as the netizens online had been demanding. Today’s entertainment industry had gone completely rotten.

The selection of celebrities for the show had undergone strict, multi-layered reviews by the team. The chosen guests were highly popular stars who harbored massive, hidden scandals. The compensation offered was an astronomical temptation, ensuring they couldn’t possibly refuse.

So, when Donovan asked her how much the prize money should be, she hadn’t hesitated to set a sky-high bounty right from the lab. The final approved reward was one hundred million.

US Dollars.

Because of that, no one could possibly refuse.

A show like this would step on many toes and mess with many people’s profits, meaning it would typically face immense hurdles during censorship review. Fortunately, the old gentleman had granted her a shred of authority, ensuring the review process went off without a hitch.

Thinking of this while running her experiments, Rian couldn’t help but recall what the old gentleman had told her.

"Even I can no longer see clearly what today’s entertainment industry has become."

But back in the lab, Rian was genuinely on the verge of breaking down from these experiments. Her intelligence had increased again during the process, but her mental stamina was entirely sustained by attribute points. The several hundred attribute points she had saved up were almost entirely poured into her mental resilience.

Yet, the experiments continued.

The sweltering heat of midsummer quietly faded, giving way to milder, less stifling weather.

It was now approaching mid-September.

Rian finally stepped out of the laboratory. Breathing in the fresh air, her entire body felt supremely relaxed.