Chapter 109: The Chain-Reaction Traffic Accident Caused by the Xiaozhi Driving System

Since it was the evening rush hour, the traffic on the road was like a woven fabric; although everyone's speed was generally only around forty yards, which was not fast, the distance between each vehicle was not kept very far.

Wang Fengchen's car suddenly stopped.

This not only left the car behind with no time to react, but also caught the vehicles further back off guard; the third car hurriedly slammed on the brakes, but still crashed into it.

It wasn't until the fourth car, which had been observing the whole time, that the driver was able to slow down in time and steer away to avoid it.

The three-car pileup, occurring right in the middle of the road, immediately caused traffic congestion and drew the attention of many passersby from afar.

"Look! Isn't that white sedan in the front a smart driving vehicle equipped with the Xiaozhi Driving System? So it can get into accidents too?"

"I just happened to record it; the white sedan was in autonomous mode, look, its autonomous driving indicator light is on."

"Then, for some reason, it suddenly braked and stopped, causing the car behind to rear-end it."

"It seems this Xiaozhi Driving System developed by President Su isn't all that great!"

"I said it long ago, smart driving hasn't been verified for long enough; no one can guarantee if it's truly reliable."

"This thing concerns human life, yet so many people are willing to hand over their lives to a program to control."

"It's simply ignorance!"

"In my opinion, smart driving has only been on the road for a short time; one or two minor accidents like this don't seem like a big deal, but after a while, when there are more smart driving cars, the number of accidents will definitely grow explosively."

The crowd discussed it one after another.

Someone also retorted: "Rear-end collisions in a lane are the responsibility of the car behind; what does it have to do with the smart driving of the car in front?"

Others immediately asked back in succession:

"So what? Is this the time to talk about responsibility? The point is that such a sudden stop is very dangerous. What if this happened on a highway and it suddenly slammed on the brakes like this?"

"When that happens, you get smashed into a pile of scrap metal by the car behind and die; are you going to tell the King of Hell that it wasn't your responsibility and you want to be resurrected?"

"Let me tell you, for any vehicle, safety is the most important thing. Don't talk to me about high-tech, how cool it is, or how comfortable it is; all these feelings are not worth mentioning in the face of safety!"

That person was left speechless by the rebuttal and could only stand there blankly, looking at the scene of the three-car pileup in the distance, his desire for smart driving fading significantly.

This seemingly ordinary traffic accident soon stirred up a huge storm on the internet.

Coupled with the secret instigation of car companies from various countries, this incident spread to countries all over the world the next day, triggering countless discussions about smart driving.

Originally, the technology of smart driving had always been questioned and opposed by many voices.

However, due to Su Xin's various miraculous performances in the past, the hype from countless fans, and the perfect performance of the Xiaozhi Driving System during the pilot process on Jinding Mountain, the voices of doubt were drowned out by waves of praise.

But now.

In this chain-reaction traffic accident, although the responsibility for the accident lay entirely with the car behind, anyone with a discerning eye could see that it was caused by the improper operation of the Xiaozhi Driving System.

Just as the onlookers said—

Since the Xiaozhi Driving System might suddenly stop on the road, could it also suddenly pull a stunt like this on a highway?

This suspicion caused many people's yearning for smart driving to fade away.

After all, if it were other minor issues, that would be one thing, but no one dares to rashly ignore such a major issue concerning safety.

Inside the headquarters of Tianqi Holdings.

Su Xin sat leisurely in his boss chair.

"So, it was just an ordinary traffic accident that caused such a big stir?"

He looked at the middle-aged man on the computer screen in front of him and asked calmly.

Fu Benjing, the president of Tianqi Equipment Company, nodded seriously: "Yes."

Su Xin smiled, and said indifferently:

"We have tested so many times and road-tested for so long; to this day, this is still the first traffic accident caused by Xiaozhi."

"Moreover, this kind of sudden emergency braking behavior is too abnormal. I don't believe it's a program issue. Have you checked the black box data?"

Fu Benjing nodded: "I have checked it."

"The data shows that the moment before the vehicle braked in an emergency, an abnormal current suddenly surged in from the cigarette lighter interface, instantly destroying the system."

"Almost at the same time, the car owner slammed the brake pedal to the floor."

Su Xin said thoughtfully:

"So, it really is someone deliberately creating this kind of accident to stir up public opinion?"

Fu Benjing nodded: "Judging from various data, it can basically be confirmed that this is the case. Our driving data is recorded very perfectly, and it is easy to determine the truth of the facts, but..."

"Sometimes, once public opinion is controlled by others, the vast majority of people cannot see the truth, nor do they really care about the truth."

"We can easily resolve this accident and provide a reasonable explanation; those who truly care can easily determine the truth of the whole event."

"But the problem is, more people cannot see it."

"In any case, this incident will leave a thorn in many people's hearts, making everyone stay vigilant about smart driving."

"I know."

Su Xin smiled:

"And I also know that since one such incident has occurred, there will definitely be a second, a third, and many more times."

"After all, although most people are easily led by public opinion, they are also easily forgetful. If there were only this one accident, the influence would slowly diminish before long, and the Xiaozhi Driving System would be sought after by everyone as usual."

"Therefore, the mastermind behind this accident will definitely continue to take action before long."

Fu Benjing asked humbly for instructions:

"Boss, what should we do?"

Su Xin smiled calmly:

"Let's talk about how to handle this incident first."

"Someone deliberately damaged the driving system while the vehicle was in motion. This behavior is equivalent to killing the driver while riding in a car. This is endangering the safety of all passengers in the car, and it is also endangering road traffic safety."

"This is a serious illegal and criminal act."

"Since you have already investigated it clearly, then report it to the police first and let the police investigate it thoroughly. I would like to see, in a situation where there is only one person in the car, who else could have intentionally damaged the driving system?"

"Inform the police and the media of all this truthfully. Even if some people intentionally pretend not to see it, or are blinded by public opinion, at the very least it can deter those who might want to cause trouble later."

"If you can investigate the mastermind behind the scenes, that would be even better. Remember to tell me the first moment you do; I will give him a harsh lesson."