Two months later, on an ordinary morning—
As soon as Shu Lanzhou arrived at the hospital, she was swarmed by a large crowd of agitated people.
"That's her! She's the one—the doctor surnamed Shu!"
"Yes, yes! She's the one who made that promise in the video, patting her chest like some kind of savior!"
"Don't let her get away! These capitalist leeches have no conscience, making bold claims about their products being harmless. Look at our faces! She will pay for this!"
"That's right, she has to compensate! I had a perfectly good face before using their product—now it's ruined! I can't even show myself in public anymore!"
"I want her face ruined just like she ruined mine!"
"Rip the skin off her face! Let's see how she keeps lying to people after that—"
More and more people began surrounding Shu Lanzhou, many clutching the skincare products promoted earlier by Mu Side. Bottles and jars were hurled toward her—before long, she was injured.
Security guards rushed from the hospital entrance and shielded her in the middle of the crowd.
Someone had already called the police.
Shu Lanzhou grabbed one of the security guards nearby. "Don't provoke them—just get me a megaphone. We need to calm them down."
Blood trickled down her forehead, covering her face in a shocking, disheveled mess.
"Doctor Shu, it's too dangerous. There are too many people. Let's get you somewhere safe until the police arrive," the guard urged.
"If I run now, what happens to this hospital's reputation? What about Mu Group's name? I can't run," she replied firmly. "I said get a megaphone—now."
Feeling faint, she steadied herself and quickly inserted a needle into a pressure point at her neck.
She couldn't afford to collapse—not now. She had to stay conscious.
Soon, a megaphone was brought to her.
Shu Lanzhou raised her voice:
"Everyone, please calm down! If you want to solve this, yelling won't help! If your faces were truly harmed by me, I'll pay. But violence is illegal—injuring someone and destroying property, that's a crime."
There was a moment of silence—then the shouting returned, angrier than before. Some in the crowd surged forward again, as though ready to tear her apart.
"Oh, easy for you to say! What are you going to pay with? I worked front desk at a company—now my face is ruined and I've lost my job!"
"And me—I was just about to get married, but my fiancé called it off! I've become the laughingstock of everyone I know! You going to pay for that too?"
"Trashing your stuff isn't even close to enough. That hospital of yours should be shut down! And Mu Group should go bankrupt! Get out of Shen City!"
Shu Lanzhou stepped up onto the stairs, still holding the megaphone.
"If your faces were truly ruined by me, I'll pay—give you new jobs, restore your reputations, even help you find new partners if I have to!"
"You came here to solve something, not to create more chaos. You came looking for accountability, didn't you? Well, I'm right here. I'm not running. I won't hide, and I won't pass the blame."
"But in return, I ask this: cooperate. Tell us your stories, one by one. Whether you're angry or seeking compensation, someone has to be held responsible—don't you agree?"
Her voice rang with conviction, and at last, the crowd fell into a tentative silence.
Inside the hospital lobby, other patients looked on nervously.
Shu Lanzhou motioned for the nurses and guards to start organizing the situation—guiding regular patients away and asking those involved in the disturbance to sit aside, where they could begin logging complaints one at a time.
She also had someone notify Nan Xi.
By the time the police arrived, the guards were already compiling statements, while Shu Lanzhou, still clutching her bleeding forehead, stood watch and refused to leave.
The officer taking her statement looked at her with a trace of pity. "We'll need you to come to the station, but at least get that wound treated first."
The officer had rarely seen a doctor handle such a situation with this level of calm. Attacked, injured—and still able to diffuse an angry mob.
"No need to go to the station," Shu Lanzhou said, shaking her head. "You can ask what you need right here. I'll cooperate fully. I just want this whole mess to be addressed transparently."
"Shu Lanzhou!" Nan Xi and Mu Side arrived nearly at the same time.
Mu Side had rushed over straight from a meeting, but still arrived just a little too late.
"Come with me," he said sternly, pulling her away. "We'll talk after. First, we take care of your injury."
This time, Shu Lanzhou didn't argue. She no longer claimed it was "just a scratch" and quietly followed him to the emergency room.
But when the crowd saw her leaving, they grew agitated again.
"Don't run away! This isn't over!"
"Yeah! You think you can hide now?"
"What about all the things you just promised us?!"
The police stepped in at once.
"What's going on here?!" one officer barked. "Do you people even know what law is? This is broad daylight—you've gathered to assault someone! Do you all want to go to jail?! Get back!"
"You're just siding with the rich! We're the victims here!"
"Exactly! Look at our faces! We were the ones harmed by their products!"
"We didn't attack anyone—she said herself to come find her if there were problems. That's all we did. You can't just blame us!"
"We did nothing wrong!"
Before the officer could respond, Nan Xi stepped forward.
"Everyone, I've been recording everything you've said and done today. I'll be covering this entire incident."
"I don't know how your faces were damaged, and neither do the police—not yet. But what I do know is that Dr. Shu's injury? That was caused by you. If you're angry, take it to the proper authorities."
"She hasn't refused responsibility. She's gone to treat a wound you caused. If you keep this up, the ones really ending up at the police station will be you."
Faced with the presence of a journalist, the crowd finally began to settle down.
"Reporter, you've got to help us. Expose those heartless profiteers—look at us!"
"Here, film this! Let everyone see how dangerous their products are! A company like that shouldn't be allowed to exist!"
More and more people began swarming around Nan Xi. Though the police wanted to disperse the crowd, emotions were running high and Shu Lanzhou had not yet returned.
Weighing the consequences, they chose instead to maintain order and hold off on arrests.
Nan Xi promised to report the story fairly and thoroughly. If anyone had suffered unjustly, she swore she'd help them get justice.
Her firm stance calmed the crowd. Before long, people began lining up to give statements to the police.
Nan Xi then approached the lead officer. "Officer, may I have your name?"
The officer eyed her warily. "You journalists are fast. Whose side are you on? What's your angle? I'm warning you—don't interfere with the investigation or spread false reports."
Nan Xi nodded respectfully. "Don't worry. I'll report responsibly and within the law. I'll document your entire investigation truthfully—"
"Not just for the sake of these people, but to clear the name of the company too. Wouldn't you agree?"
The officer, seeing she wasn't up to anything underhanded, softened. "My surname is Cai. I'm overseeing this case. If you have questions, ask me directly."
"Got it," Nan Xi replied with a smile. She moved to the side and began setting up a live broadcast on her camera.
Officer Cai frowned, sensing this might get messy—but just then, Shu Lanzhou and Mu Side reappeared, one behind the other.