Not only Liang Yu thought this way, but Dong Lao, Professor Li, and Wang Zizai also shared the same sentiment.
The three of them stared at Ying Chen talking nonsense with a serious face, falling into a daze.
If they hadn't personally witnessed Ying Chen bringing the dead back to life and subduing Wang Zizai's daughter, Linlin, they might have truly believed what Ying Chen said!
And with those events preceding it, Ying Chen's talk of "believing in science" suddenly seemed so absurd.
Seemingly sensing their thoughts, Ying Chen spoke calmly to the three, "If one day people can decipher theology and analyze theology, then theology will also become science. Therefore, believing in science is not a problem at all."
"..." Dong Lao and the other two wanted to retort with "sophistry," but upon careful consideration, Ying Chen's words seemed to hold some truth.
What is science?
Is it not just explaining something through objective theories?
And science, after so many years of development, has not remained static but has been built on a foundation of constant discovery, negation, further discovery, and further negation.
Currently, people consider strange phenomena and supernatural events to be superstition. But what if, one day, these strange phenomena and supernatural events could be explained? Wouldn't they then become like the sunrise and sunset, or tidal forces, no longer labeled as feudal superstition?
After speaking, Ying Chen did not linger and walked forward.
He stopped only when he reached someone's side.
Then, he extended his palm and beckoned with his index finger.
The person was instantly stunned.
Then, as if mourning a deceased parent, his face turned as bitter as a bitter melon, and he pleaded, "Brother, you are my real brother! I was just joking earlier, please don't take it seriously!"
This person was none other than the bald man who had bet a hundred thousand with Ying Chen!
Previously, the bald man had confidently declared that if Ying Chen dared to go down the well, he would gladly pay a hundred thousand.
But now, the bald man's attitude had completely shifted, claiming he was just joking earlier and asking Ying Chen not to take it seriously.
"Shameless! When you extorted a million from us, why didn't you say it was a joke?" Liang Yu, unable to stand it, cursed.
The bald man, with a brazen face, grinned at Liang Yu, "You're right, little sister. When I said a million before, that was also a joke! How could I possibly seriously demand a million? We are from the same project team, and salvaging bodies is our job. How could we possibly ask for extra money?"
"You..." Liang Yu was infuriated by the bald man's shamelessness.
For the first time, Liang Yu realized: as long as a person is shameless, they can truly be invincible.
What the bald man had just said, he would deny moments later as if it were nothing.
The most crucial point was that Ying Chen hadn't gotten anything in writing from the bald man. If the bald man adamantly denied it, there was truly nothing they could do!
Even if they called the police, if the bald man insisted it was a joke, the police couldn't do anything to him.
The bald man clearly counted on this, hence his arrogance.
"If that's not possible, I'll give you a hundred yuan! Consider it compensation for the joke! I was indeed wrong to joke about such things. But you also aren't entirely innocent for taking a joke seriously, are you?"
The bald man pulled out a hundred yuan from his pocket, waved it generously, and offered it to Ying Chen.
His expression suggested he wasn't indebted to Ying Chen, but was bestowing charity upon him!
This time, not only Liang Yu but also Dong Lao and the other two were furious.
They all crowded around, preparing to argue.
However, Ying Chen simply smiled faintly.
"A joke? No problem! I'll also be joking next, and I hope you don't take it seriously."
Then, Ying Chen suddenly reached out and, with one hand, lifted the bald man's large body!
"You... What do you want to do? Let me go quickly!"
The bald man was terrified and shouted.
But Ying Chen ignored him and carried him towards the well.
Suddenly, he shoved the bald man into the well!
"No! Don't!"
The bald man plunged into the well, his entire body held by Ying Chen's arm. He was like a hard-boiled egg on the verge of falling, filled with extreme dread.
"Let me go quickly! Otherwise, I'll make you pay!"
The bald man threatened, feigning ferocity.
Ying Chen, understandingly, nodded, "Let you go? Alright, as you wish."
In the next second, Ying Chen's grip on the bald man loosened.
The bald man's soul seemed to fly out of his body.
"No... I didn't mean that... Don't let go... Help!"
Just as the bald man thought he was about to plummet to the bottom of the well and meet his demise, Ying Chen's hand once again grabbed the collar of the bald man's shirt.
However, the bald man's weight was too great, and the collar was severely stretched, deformed. It was only a matter of time before the bald man would still meet his end.
"Do you want me to let go, or not let go?"
"Please give me a definitive answer."
Ying Chen said leisurely.
At this moment, the bald man dared not play word games with Ying Chen anymore. His face was as pale as paper, and his entire body trembled, his teeth chattering.
"I... I admit defeat when I gamble... Ten thousand yuan... I'll transfer it to you immediately!"
*Riiip!*
With the sound of tearing fabric, the bald man was flung out of the well like a swinging pendulum, arcing through the air before splashing onto the ground with a thud.
"Huff, huff..." The bald man panted, looking up at Ying Chen.
The shamelessness was gone, replaced by a deep reverence for Ying Chen.
Ying Chen coldly uttered a sentence, "Liang Yu, collect the money."
He then walked towards Dong Lao and the other two, ignoring the bald man.
There was a significant difference between being shameless and being desperate to the point of risking one's life.
If a person were desperate, Ying Chen might indeed have few options.
But if a person was merely shameless, then Ying Chen had plenty of ways to make them yield!
.......................org
Yanjing, inside a tall building.
The leader who had called Dong Lao last night was currently standing on a stage awaiting the press conference.
He had already made his decision: to revoke the excavation permits for Dong Lao's project team!
At this moment, reporters were already seated in the audience. Clearly, the impact of Liu Bin's live broadcast was significant, drawing immense attention even to a niche news topic like archaeology.
The leader, inwardly cursing Dong Lao for causing more trouble than anticipated, waved to his secretary to begin the press conference immediately.
If they delayed any longer, who knew what these reporters would fabricate!
"Esteemed ladies and gentlemen, our department has been informed of the news concerning the tomb of Zhang Daoling. After understanding the events, our department has decided to impose severe penalties on those who have violated relevant regulations."
"We believe this to be an act of defiance against science, an act of clownish self-aggrandizement, and a morally bankrupt act of losing one's bottom line for attention and traffic!"
"Not only do we intend to halt the relevant project, but we also plan to blacklist the involved personnel! In the future, those blacklisted will be permanently barred from any project approvals!"
The leader spoke eloquently on stage, preparing to use such decisive measures to rectify the situation and draw a conclusion to this matter.
Even if he couldn't draw a conclusion, he wanted to absolve himself of responsibility.
"I hereby announce: the individuals to be blacklisted are—"
The leader prolonged his tone and said.
However, just as he was about to announce the names of Dong Lao, Professor Li, and Wang Zizai, his secretary suddenly rushed onto the stage.
She handed a mobile phone to the leader.
As the leader was wondering why his secretary was handing him a phone, he was immediately captivated by the video playing on the screen.
Several minutes later, the leader murmured in astonishment, "An entire well filled with jade bricks?"
"Liu Bin's death was also a case of internal strife among accomplices, a mutual destruction?"
"It wasn't a ghost killing people at all?"
"This... this... Why didn't Dong Lao even inform me! I almost blacklisted him!"
A flicker of anger flashed in the leader's eyes, but more than that, it was a sense of relief.
With this development, the matter was perfectly resolved!
He didn't need to halt Dong Lao's project, nor did he need to blacklist Dong Lao and the others!
Simultaneously, the related negative public opinion vanished like smoke, transforming into a scientific and controllable criminal case!
The leader's spirit suddenly became invigorated. He cleared his throat and said, "The individuals to be blacklisted are—Liu Bin!"
Poor Liu Bin, already dead and turned into a ghost, now also became a scapegoat, blacklisted by the leader who had a change of heart at the last minute.