The spokesperson for the police department did not immediately answer the journalistsâ questions, but simply gestured for quiet on the scene. he then turned sideways and asked Ye Shiting, âMr. Ye, does your bodyguard Zhang Yuanfan smoke?â
Thinking of his bodyguard Zhang Yuanfan who had been with him for many years, Ye Shiting shook his head and said, âHe has asthma, he doesnât smoke.â
A journalist vehemently responded, âMr. Ye, youâre blatantly lying. The video clearly shows that your bodyguard not only smokes, but also smoked at the gas station. Despite being dissuaded by the staff there, he still tossed a cigarette on the ground, causing the gas station to explode!â
Ye Shiting scoffed, looked up, with a cold gaze on the journalist, âIâm curious, what kind of gas station employee can have a laugh with Zhang Yuanfan, knowing that he smokes?â
âThisâ¦â
The reporter was taken aback and didnât know how to respond, so he continued to counter-question, âThen please explain, whatâs the deal with the cigarette in his hand?â
Ye Shiting nodded lightly and said to the police spokesperson, âI suggest this question be answered by Zhangâs personal doctor.â
The spokesperson for the police department nodded and called the treating doctor, who had been summoned to the scene, onto the stage.
The treating doctor, a middle-aged man in glasses, took out a box of cigarettes and handed it to the police spokesperson, saying, âThis is a medicinal cigarette that can be bought at any major pharmacy. Itâs specially designed to treat asthma. It looks just like a regular cigarette, but itâs actually medicine and it canât be lit. Even if itâs thrown on the ground of a gas station, it wonât cause a fire.â
âMedicine?â
The doctorâs words were like a shock bomb, instantly dumbfounding the audience as well as those watching the live stream on the internet.
Similar comments started to appear on the live streaming platforms.
âI know this medicine. Itâs not only used to treat asthma, but also pneumonia and other diseases. Iâve always had a smoking addiction, but recently my doctor said I canât smoke. I canât control it, so my doctor recommended this medicine to me. It indeed cannot be lit.â
âWow, I have this medicine at home. Itâs great for someone with a smoking addiction like me. My wife bought it for me. You suck the medicine into your mouth just like smoking. I like to hold it in my mouth to look cool.â
ââ¦..â
At the press conference, the treating doctor continued, âZhang Yuanfan has a chronic asthma condition. I always suggest he carry this medicinal cigarette with him because itâs convenient and beneficial for him. From the surveillance video, I can confirm that he was taking the medicinal cigarette at the time. Thatâs why after showing it to the staff, they did not stop him. He probably finished the medicine and casually threw it on the ground, although this behavior of littering is uncivilized.â
The spokesperson for the police department nodded, then stood in front of the microphone and said, âI believe everyone now knows that Mr. Ye was not the instigator of the explosion.â
A journalist was displeased, âBut you initially said that the cause of the explosion was due to a cigarette. Isnât this shooting yourself in the foot?â
The police departmentâs spokesperson nodded, âThis question from the journalist is exactly what I wanted to address. So, the question arises â why did I initially say that the explosion was caused by a cigarette? Or specifically, the cigarette dropped by Mr. Yeâs bodyguard, Zhang Yuanfan?â
âOh hell,â a journalist thought, âhow are we supposed to know?ân/o/vel/b//in dot c//om