Chapter 243: The Shattered Myth

After leaving the Hula Highway, Wang Hongcheng did not meet with the leaders but went directly back to Hongcheng Company.

All previous experiments had been conducted in private or in semi-public scenarios involving various departments, but this large-scale public experiment was a first.

Wang Hongcheng had thought he had everything arranged perfectly, but this first public test turned into a huge disaster!

"Minister Wang, let me explain! It must be that Russian woman! That Russian woman definitely has ulterior motives! I suspect she is a spy sent to ruin my reputation. Their goal must be the water-to-oil technology!"

In the company, a calm Wang Hongcheng was explaining to the leaders who had participated in the experiment over the phone.

"Editor-in-Chief Xing, for the honor of our country, you cannot make today's interview footage public! Why not? If you make it public, as a national-level confidential scientific achievement, the reputation of the water-to-oil technology will be damaged. Can you take that responsibility? If you think you can, then go ahead and release it; I have no objections!"

His frustration could not be overstated.

After making several phone calls and giving a forced explanation, Wang Hongcheng finally calmed down. The situation wasn't too bad yet; as long as he managed the situation, his domestic reputation should help him get through this.

Little did he know, while he was trying his best to salvage the experiment's impact, several police cars with flashing lights and sirens were speeding toward Hongcheng Company.

Three hours earlier.

In the Provincial Public Security Department's identification center, a team of experts from the Chinese Academy of Sciences immediately began spectral analysis on the counterfeit base materials sealed by the police and the samples submitted by Hongcheng Company.

Previously, various signs had led the Provincial Public Security Department to determine that this was a complex economic fraud case. The suspects had obtained invoices from Hongcheng Company and then produced counterfeit products for profit.

The entire case was meticulously executed. Moreover, these criminals demonstrated strong counter-detection abilities, cleverly avoiding nearly all evidence-related aspects while operating under Hongcheng Company's name.

Therefore, the Public Security Department did not value this so-called identification. After all, if counterfeit products could be made to resemble a national-level scientific achievement, what kind of world would that be?

Moreover, if the so-called Hongcheng base materials were genuine, would there have been such a big fuss over the 9.9 case?

What nonsense!

Thus, the Public Security Department did not fully understand the experts' rigorous approach.

The results of the spectral analysis soon came out.

A group of Public Security Department officials waiting at the identification center saw the experts come out and approached them with some detachment: "How did it turn out, Academician He?"

Academician He pulled down his mask, looked at the police officers present, and had a somber expression.

He did not directly answer the question but instead took out a document from his bag and handed it to the Public Security Department's chief: "Director Yan, please immediately organize manpower to control Hongcheng Company and Wang Hongcheng!"

Seeing the red-headed document, everyone present stood up straight. "This… Academician He, what's going on?!"

Academician He's face grew solemn as he handed over a spectral comparison result to Director Yan, "Take a look yourself. The so-called counterfeit base materials circulating in the market are identical in composition to the samples submitted by Hongcheng Company!"

"How is that possible?!"

"How can that be?!" 

The police officers in front of the identification center gasped in shock.

"How could the base materials produced by Hongcheng Company be identical to the market's counterfeit products?"

"Those counterfeit products caused such a big mess in society. If they are truly the same as the genuine ones, doesn't that mean… it's impossible! Academician He, could there be a mistake? After all, Dr. Wang…"

Academician He waved his hand, "I know how much honor Wang Hongcheng has received. I understand that, given Wang Hongcheng's achievements and his reputation in the country, the current result is hard to accept. But before you question this, please look at these two documents."

He handed Director Yan two more documents from his briefcase.

Director Yan quickly read through them, and his face turned red, then pale.

One of the documents was an anonymous tip-off. It listed various tricks Wang Hongcheng had used to fake the water-to-oil technology, along with the formulas for the so-called water-based fuel and diesel foaming agents.

The second document was a definitive spectral analysis result.

The timing of this identification was recent.

It showed that the so-called "mother liquids" and "foaming agents" made from soap bases, red printing, OP-10, potassium permanganate, and even spinach water, were identical in composition to the samples provided by Hongcheng Company and the so-called "counterfeit products" seized from the market!

Three types of base materials, with completely identical compositions, were sufficient to prove it.

At this moment, a scientific myth that had shocked China for a decade seemed to be crumbling.

And a massive scam, revealed by these three clear and convincing documents, was becoming increasingly evident!

After a brief moment of shock, the Public Security Department acted according to the directive in the fourth line of the red-headed document: "If evidence of academic fraud and deception by Hongcheng Company and Wang Hongcheng is found, local public security departments should immediately arrest and hand over to the Qincheng authorities."

As police cars sped toward Hongcheng Company and the crowd who had witnessed the absurd experiment on the Hula Highway had just returned to the city, various tabloid newspapers that had previously fabricated stories about Wang Hongcheng updated their latest issues.

This time, unlike any previous tabloid news, all the tabloids reported with a serious journalistic tone, using a professional media style, detailing Wang Hongcheng's decade-long fraud methods, experiences, and the counterfeit production of so-called water-to-oil technology to scam investments.

Combined with the testimonies of those who had witnessed the normal experiment on-site, news of Wang Hongcheng's water-to-oil technology fraud quickly spread!

As this news reached the vicinity of Hongcheng Company, the surrounding residents and businesses had lost interest.

The company, which had stood here for seven or eight years and had hosted countless provincial, municipal, and even central-level leaders, was now surrounded by police cars.

Everywhere were police officers carrying seals and moving about. The once awe-inspiring Dr. Wang had just jumped out of a second-floor office window in an attempt to escape.

However, he twisted his ankle during the fall and was directly controlled by the police.

At this moment, he was being covered with his own high-profile navy blue jacket, handcuffed, and, under the watch of four police officers, was stumbling out of the company's main entrance, his head bowed and body hunched.

Seeing this scene, many people covered their mouths.

In their daze, they realized that for a long time to come, the Ice City area would not lack topics of discussion.

...

About 500 to 600 meters away from Hongcheng Company, at a hotel, after seeing Wang Hongcheng being taken away in a police car, Li Xian put down his binoculars.

"Xianzi, what should we do next? Is my ten million completely lost?"

Although Wang Hongcheng had been captured, Xu Maohui was still not in high spirits. Even though the person who deceived him had been caught, the money was… gone.

Li Xian smiled slightly, glancing at Xu Maohui and the blinking Katerina behind him.

"Brother Xu, you should be content. You're still getting back over six million. That's already quite good. As for the more than ten million, whether it can be recovered depends on the court's procedures. If you're lucky…"

"Enough, Xianzi, don't say any more. My luck has never been good!" Xu Maohui sighed, walking to the corner of the room and lighting a cigarette.

Li Xian smiled slightly, shook his head, and turned to look at the police car that was already far away.

Inside the police car, Wang Hongcheng was feeling extreme discomfort due to the thumb cuffs, making his fingers numb.

Watching the crowd lining the streets, staring at him like he was a circus act, he was on the brink of collapse.

"How can you do this? Do you know who I am? I am Wang Hongcheng! I am a national-level scientific researcher, the patent holder of the fifth great Chinese invention—water-to-oil technology! Who the hell is framing me? Who the hell is slandering me? I will kill him! I will definitely kill him!"

"Calm down!"

Nearby, a young police officer, irritated by the commotion, pushed Wang Hongcheng's head down—into the space between the front seats.

At that moment, the police car passed a huge billboard.

Interestingly, it displayed an advertisement for Hongcheng Company.

"Miracle Water, Century Medicine, Fifth Great Chinese Invention!"