200: He self-destructed.

On the other side, outside the factory.

Shen Mingyuan had just carefully scraped some dark sediment attached to the inner wall of the sewage pipe with a Sampling Bottle, and used his phone to take close-up photos from multiple angles of the pipe that was completely wrapped and blocked by Evolved Water Hyacinths, as well as the bizarre plant communities growing wildly around it.

Old Man Chen helped from the side, using a clean branch to pick up several of the most typical "water hyacinths," intending to take them away together.

With evidence in hand, although the process was bizarre, the direction was clearer than ever before. The two looked at each other, both seeing a trace of heavy realization and the determination to act in the other's eyes.

"Let's go, Uncle Chen. These things must be sent to an institution with Aptitude for testing as soon as possible." Shen Mingyuan sealed the samples and stood up.

Just as they turned around, preparing to carefully return the way they came—

"BANG!!!"

A dull yet extremely penetrating roar suddenly came from the direction of the factory separated by a wall, and the ground beneath their feet seemed to tremble slightly along with it.

The two stopped abruptly and looked back in astonishment.

They saw a thick column of black smoke rising into the sky above the Chemical Plant area, followed by bright orange-red flames bursting from several workshop windows and roofs, spreading rapidly and burning fiercely!

More explosions followed one after another; though not as dull as the first, they were more frequent, interspersed with the harsh sounds of twisting metal and shattering glass.

Billowing thick smoke soon obscured that patch of sky, and the complex scent of burnt items and burning chemicals began to waft through the air.

Shen Mingyuan was still holding the Sampling Bottle, standing frozen in place, the calmness on his face replaced by extreme astonishment. He had imagined many scenarios after exposing the other party:

Denials, counter-lawsuits, a long legal offense and defense... but absolutely not this one before his eyes.

"...My god," he subconsciously muttered under his breath, staring unblinkingly at the factory area that was rapidly falling into chaos and a sea of fire. "Did they... mess up? Or... self-destruct?"

Old Man Chen's mouth was wide open, completely unaware that the branch and the "water hyacinth" in his hand had fallen to the ground.

On his wrinkled face, the sadness and heaviness hadn't fully faded before being struck blank by this sudden, terrifying upheaval.

Having lived to such an age, the scene before him was far beyond his scope of cognition.

Several seconds passed before he stiffly turned his head to look at Shen Mingyuan, who was also a bit dazed, and squeezed a sentence full of absurdity out of his dry throat:

"It... it exploded? ...Could it be that they've done too many bad deeds, and even the machines couldn't stand to watch, or... did their consciences suddenly get the better of them, and they just lit it themselves?"

The words were outrageous, but in such a surreal scenario, they were momentarily impossible to refute.

Shen Mingyuan watched the fire burning more and more vigorously, listening to the shrill sirens and the roar of fire trucks faintly approaching from the distance, then looked down at the evidence he had painstakingly found in his hand, his expression becoming extremely complex.

Finally, the corner of his mouth twitched, as if he wanted to laugh, but felt it really wasn't the time to laugh.

"Regardless of whether it was a moment of conscience or an operational error,"

He tucked the Sampling Bottle away steadily, his tone returning to calm, though ripples of shock still remained in the depths of his eyes. "This time... our evidence will probably have to wait until the fire is out to be reviewed along with the Fire Report and accident investigation results."

The two stood on the barren riverbank, gazing at the soaring flames and thick smoke across the wall, both falling into silence for a moment.

The wind blew the smell of burning and the heat waves over, carrying an aura of a situation completely out of control and utterly absurd.

Subsequently, when Shen Mingyuan and Old Man Chen returned to the village carrying a complex scent of mud mixed with gunpowder smoke, they found the atmosphere on the Threshing Floor was completely different from when they had left.

Worry and anger had been replaced by a more chaotic, excited, and even slightly absurdly festive mood.

Many people were gathered together, excitedly pointing at the smoke column that had not yet dissipated over the distant factory, their discussions rising and falling.

"It exploded! It really exploded! Heaven has eyes!"

"Did you hear that sound? It was like thunder!!"

"This is great, let's see how they discharge toxic water now!"

Seeing Shen Mingyuan return, several sharp-eyed villagers immediately surrounded them, their expressions a mix of gratitude, admiration, and a sense of relief that "the job was done."

"Lawyer Shen! You're simply miraculous!" A middle-aged man who had been the most emotional earlier slapped his thigh hard, his voice booming.

"We searched for so long without success, but as soon as you stepped in, hey! You went and blew that harmful factory right up! As expected of a big lawyer from the city, you've got methods!"

"Exactly, exactly!" someone nearby chimed in. "If you can't find evidence, just give them a hard blow! Now it's finally quieted down!"

Shen Mingyuan was momentarily speechless by this sudden "credit" and the peculiar logic, and he quickly waved his hands: "No, no, everyone has misunderstood. That explosion was an accident at the factory itself, it has nothing to do with..."

"Lawyer Shen, don't be humble!"

The man interrupted him with an "I understand, I totally understand" expression, lowering his voice but sounding even more excited. "We all understand that some things can't be said openly! Anyway, the result is good—that black-hearted factory is finished! Our bitter days are over!"

At this time, another elderly man who looked older and more steady spoke up:

"Lawyer Shen, since the factory is like this now, I think... is it unnecessary to pursue the lawsuit? Didn't we originally just want them to stop polluting? Now that the factory has been blown to the ground, the goal has been achieved."

This remark drew agreement from many people. "That's right, lawsuits are both expensive and exhausting. It's quite good like this."

"Everyone's been blown up, who's left to sue?"

Shen Mingyuan keenly perceived the subtle change in the villagers' mindset—from seeking justice and compensation to a pragmatism where "the problem seems to have been crudely solved," and even wanting to avoid subsequent trouble. He cleared his throat and raised his voice slightly to ensure everyone around could hear clearly:

"Everyone, please listen to me calmly. First, the factory explosion is a serious safety accident; the cause is yet to be investigated, but it is definitely not something any of us wished for or could have plotted. Second, and most importantly—"

His gaze swept across the crowd, his tone turning into the clarity and calmness characteristic of a lawyer: "The factory has stopped, even been destroyed, but that doesn't mean the matter is over. The pollutants discharged previously still remain in this land, in the river, and in everyone's health damage records. These are tangible losses that have already occurred. The purpose of a legal lawsuit is not just to stop ongoing illegal acts, but more importantly, to seek accountability and compensation for the damages already caused."

He paused, throwing out a more practical question: "Do you all feel that the polluted water over these years, the crops that didn't grow well, the medical expenses for your families... do these losses just get wiped clean and accepted by yourselves just because the factory exploded?"

The words "compensation" and "money" were like stones thrown into still water, immediately stirring up different ripples. Some people showed expressions of contemplation and interest. It was true—the factory was finished, but the losses their families suffered were real.

"Lawyer Shen, do you mean... even if the factory exploded, we can still ask for compensation?" someone asked cautiously.

"If it can be proven that there is a legal Karma relationship between the pollution before the explosion and everyone's losses, then seeking compensation from the factory owner or the responsible party is a completely legal right."

Shen Mingyuan said firmly, "Furthermore, in the current situation, the accident investigation combined with the evidence we are currently collecting might even more clearly reveal their previous problems."

These words made many villagers reconsider. Simple venting and seeking revenge were gradually replaced by more practical considerations of interest.

Old Man Chen listened silently from the side without interrupting, just watching Shen Mingyuan, then looking at the smoke column from the distant factory, and finally looking down at his own mud-covered shoes.

The roar of the explosion seemed to still be in his ears, but Shen Mingyuan's calm words pulled a seemingly concluded emergency back onto a long track that required more reason and patience.

Shen Mingyuan appeased the villagers, agreeing on the next step to maintain communication and wait for the test results before he was able to get away.

He sat in the driver's seat and closed the car door, temporarily isolating the clamor of the villagers.

His gaze fell on the transparent Evidence Bag on the passenger seat—inside were the grime scraped from the sewage outlet and those few "water hyacinths" with dark colors and bizarre forms.

The frenzied sight of the pipes being swallowed on the riverbank and the soaring flames from the factory direction just now were linked together clearly and unmistakably in his mind.

He chuckled and tapped the twisted plants in the Evidence Bag with his fingertip.

"It seems that big fireworks show has everything to do with you."

His tone was certain, without the slightest hesitation. He didn't need any redundant inner monologue about "could it be a coincidence."

Abnormal sewage discharge birthed abnormal plants, abnormal plants invaded the factory core, and finally led to a catastrophic accident—this logic chain was as clear as legal articles.

"It's not like that black-hearted boss suddenly had a moment of conscience and lit up the explosives warehouse himself for a self-destruction, right?" He shook his head self-mockingly and started the car.

(Did you see the Troublemaker? Where? Where?)