"I knew you people were scammers! You go on about free health checks and promoting traditional medicine—what a noble-sounding cover. But in the end, you're just here to peddle products and scam people out of their money."
"I don't even know how property management allowed you into the building. And you expect us to take these products home? What if something goes wrong—where would we even find you?"
"And you're charging this much for a single bottle? You think we're just cash cows waiting to be milked?"
The speaker was a young woman, fair-skinned and delicate-looking. She clung to Wu Shan's arm with one hand and pointed accusingly at Mu Side with the other.
"Wu Shan, listen to me. Don't buy their stuff! They're just trying to cheat you out of your money. All that nonsense about 'slow effects' and 'patience'—I say it's because the stuff doesn't work at all. You'd be throwing your money away."
"If you really want to get rid of those spots, I'll give you the lightening cream I use. I promise—you'll have spotless skin in less than a month."
The girl smiled sweetly at Wu Shan, desperate to earn his trust, practically pleading as she praised her own product's miraculous effects.
Shu Lanzhou furrowed her brows slightly and hurried over.
Mu Side quickly stopped anyone from picking up the fallen products, his sharp gaze fixed on the disruptive girl.
"You've never even tried our product, and yet you stand here claiming it's faulty? Are you aware that slander can be met with legal consequences?"
The girl backed up behind Wu Shan. "Y-You don't scare me! You're the ones trying to scam people. I'm just exposing you. I haven't done anything wrong."
Shu Lanzhou bent down and picked up one of the bottles.
"You keep saying we're scamming people. Exactly how have we scammed you? Did we force you to pay? Did we make you use our product against your will?"
"Everyone, please look here. This product is manufactured by the Mu Group Pharmaceutical Company, a name I'm sure many of you have heard. Their products are legally compliant and undergo rigorous testing from every relevant department."
"Here is the ingredients list. All the components are natural, traditional Chinese medicinal herbs—no chemical additives whatsoever."
"Yes, the price is slightly higher—but that's due to the cost of premium herbal ingredients. If anyone's worried about accountability, you really don't need to be."
"I'm a physician from the city's Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital. My surname is Shu. If you have any concerns, you can come directly to me. I work there, and I won't hide or run."
Mu Side stepped forward to shield her slightly.
"Mu Group has always been committed to the development of traditional Chinese medicine. This product follows the same philosophy—TCM isn't just for healing illness; it can also help people look better and feel healthier."
"This cream was originally made for our own family. It's been used for generations. As for safety—you can rest assured."
"If anyone experiences any discomfort or adverse effects, they're welcome to keep evidence and report it immediately. Or come straight to the Mu Group and speak to me in person."
Wu Shan gently pried the girl's hand off his arm.
"You've both spoken reasonably. There's no reason for me not to trust you. And that doctor just now did a pretty accurate job diagnosing my symptoms."
"I believe you know your stuff. Give me two bottles. If it turns out you were lying, I won't just let it go."
"Mu Group is a massive company. No way they'd ruin their own reputation over something like this."
"Wu Shan!" The girl's eyes filled with tears. "You'd trust these scammers over me? Have I ever lied to you? Just look at my face—it's proof enough!"
"I used that cream myself, and in less than a month, the spots on my face disappeared completely! It's been almost three months, and they haven't come back at all."
"My skin is smoother and more radiant than ever! If it hadn't worked on me, I wouldn't have dared recommend it to you!"
Wu Shan rubbed his forehead, clearly frustrated. "Enough. If it works for you, then great—keep using it. But there's no need to go flipping other people's booths. They didn't do anything to provoke you. Besides, the doctor just said…"
"Fast results don't always mean good results. There could be chemical additives that damage your skin. Long-term, it may do more harm than good."
"And you believe that? They're just making excuses ahead of time, because they know their product doesn't work," the girl shot back unreasonably.
Shu Lanzhou let out a short laugh, more amused than angry. "You don't have to believe in our product. But please don't slander us. We're promoting our product—not forcing anyone to buy."
"Our work is completely legal and transparent. You, on the other hand, flipped over our booth with no reason. What do you say to that?"
"W-What do you want?" The girl paled as Mu Side's staff gathered around.
Mu Side waved them off. "We'll clean up our own mess. No need to make things harder for you. But asking for an apology isn't unreasonable, right?"
Shu Lanzhou added, "Also, you can't go around slandering our product unless you've got proof. If you don't, we reserve the right to sue you at any time."
The girl hadn't expected her attempt to "help" Wu Shan would get her into this much trouble.
"You're just trying to scare me! I didn't say anything slanderous. Just because your company is big doesn't mean you can bully people. I told the truth—I didn't lie!"
"The cream I use is better than yours. Wu Shan, if you don't believe me and want to waste your money, go ahead. But you'll regret it."
With a huff, she turned and stormed off.
Shu Lanzhou hadn't actually intended to press charges. The quality of a product should speak for itself through the market. Not everyone would praise it—and that was fine.
She just needed to show one thing: that their product was safe, reliable, and that they were willing to stand behind it.
Wu Shan laughed sheepishly. "Sorry for the scene. I didn't expect Chen Yue to blow up like that. Anyway, I'll take the product."
"Stick to the treatment plan, regulate your schedule, and use the cream consistently for two to three months. I promisethose spots will fade, and your skin issues will improve," Shu Lanzhou reminded him gently.
Thanks to that confrontation, their product demonstration and sales went much smoother. Later, when Shu Lanzhou met up with Mu Side again, she learned they'd sold quite a bit.
Mu Side chuckled, "Better outcome than I expected. Having a doctor here really builds public trust."
"It's not just the doctor," Shu Lanzhou said, shaking her head. "It's also because it's Mu Group. A big-name brand earns more trust than some no-name product."
"At least if there's a problem, people know where to go and who to hold accountable."
People likely bought the cream with that exact mindset—"Let's try it. At least they won't vanish overnight."
But traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture still had a long way to go before they could win the love and trust of the broader public. A single campaign wouldn't be enough.
What Shu Lanzhou and Mu Side didn't expect, however, was that the day's altercation had been caught on video by someone at the scene.
That person had quite a following, and the video was quickly shared and viewed widely online. Before long, Mu Group's new cosmeceutical line had gone viral on social media.
The sudden spotlight brought a surge of interest—and sales.
But with that attention… came trouble.