Shulan Zhou's forehead had been given a simple dressing. Mu Side had checked her injuries himself—aside from the gash on her head, which looked terrifying due to the excessive bleeding, she was otherwise unharmed.
"Officer, I'm sorry to have troubled you with this," Shulan said apologetically. "Here's what happened…"
She recounted the full story, from beginning to end. Officer Cai, holding his pen over the statement form, looked at her. "Are you sure you don't want to come with us to the station? You're injured."
"It's just a minor wound. I won't press charges. I have patients waiting for me at my outpatient clinic—going back and forth would waste too much time. I only have one request: I hope Reporter Nan can continue to follow and report on this case."
"I need absolute fairness and full transparency in the investigation process. Is that possible?" Shulan wasn't familiar with police procedures, but she didn't think there was anything confidential in this case.
Officer Cai shook his head. "According to protocol, our investigations must remain confidential. That's to protect both parties involved. However, if both sides consent to making it public, then... it's not entirely out of the question."
After consulting with the complainants, Officer Cai agreed to allow Nan Xi to track and report on the entire investigation.
The protesters claimed that it was after seeing Shulan's video online that they were persuaded to buy products from Mu Side's company. Yet within two months, their faces were ruined...
Each of the dozen or so victims reported similar experiences. The police collected the products they brought. After confirmation from Shulan and Mu Side, the packaging and bottles were indeed identical to those of the company's real products.
The only differences lay in the contents and the anti-counterfeit codes.
The counterfeit products emitted a pungent chemical odor, unlike the herbal scent of Mu Side's authentic products—more like the smell of plastic. Upon testing, the fake products were found to contain over a dozen harmful chemical substances.
With Mu Side's cooperation, the police confirmed that the fake products did not originate from the company's factory. This was clearly a case of counterfeiting.
The next step was to trace the source of the fakes. At this point, neither Shulan nor Mu Side were permitted to access the finer details of the investigation.
However, the incident had already badly damaged the reputation of the Traditional Medicine Hospital. As the scandal spread online, more and more people began boycotting Mu Group products.
The hospital issued an official statement on its website, demanding a full and transparent investigation. It also promised to accept joint responsibility if it was found that Mu Group had played any role in the incident.
Looking at Mu Yaning, Shulan asked,
"Teacher, did I do something wrong? Should I not have associated the hospital with the Mu family's business on camera? Should I not have boldly declared people could come to me if anything went wrong?"
Mu Yaning shook her head. "I don't know if you were wrong. This isn't over yet. But I do know that media attention and public exposure are double-edged swords."
"You've always handled these things well in the past. I believe in your ability to resolve this, just like always. After all, the Mu family has never acted against its conscience."
"Our products can withstand scrutiny."
Still, Shulan couldn't shake a sense of unease. "Something doesn't sit right with me. The market is full of counterfeit knockoffs of big brands—but usually the price difference makes buyers aware that it's fake."
"But why did our products get counterfeited so convincingly? And why did they happen to cause such serious issues right now?"
"Were the counterfeiters really in it for just a quick scam? That doesn't fit the typical psychological profile. It's like these fakes started production right after our first batch hit the shelves."
Back then, their sales had been poor, and the brand wasn't well-known—not enough to warrant counterfeiting.
"You're saying someone deliberately targeted us?" Mu Yaning's brows furrowed slightly.
Shulan nodded. "Not just Mu Side's company—I think they're going after me and maybe even the entire Mu Group. You know what happens when a scandal like this explodes—it affects the company's stock price."
Mu Yaning nodded solemnly.
"I heard from your uncle that the stock has indeed fluctuated in the past few days. If it weren't for He Xin's announcement of his research breakthrough, things might've already spiraled out of control."
"Exactly." Shulan stood up. "Teacher, I'm heading to Mu Group."
If someone was behind this, they likely didn't expect Professor He's research to make headlines at this critical moment.
After years of effort, Mu Group's traditional medicine division was finally gaining momentum. Acupuncture was being adopted in hospitals across the country. Everything was heading in the right direction—they absolutely couldn't let this derail now.
Hopefully, Professor He's results could buy them more time. They had to contain the fallout before the stock took a deeper dive.
Shulan took a cab to Mu Group. Mu Side's new company was located right next to Mu Group headquarters.
This was her first time coming here.
Looking up at the imposing and majestic Mu Group building, Shulan couldn't help but feel a flicker of pride—Even if the Mu family didn't pursue medicine, they could still excel in any other field.
But regardless of how much money they earned or how large their business empire grew, the family never abandoned medical research and the preservation of tradition. And wasn't that a rare virtue?
Shulan didn't want to see such a noble pursuit destroyed. She felt honored to be part of this family. She wanted to carry the legacy forward, to help Mu Group's medical ideals gain more recognition and respect.
She turned and walked into the office building next door.
When Mu Side heard she was here, he personally came down to greet her.
"What miracle made you willing to come find me?" His voice was thick with feigned grievance.
Understandably so. Mu Side had been wanting to bring her by for a visit for a long time, but she always declined with the excuse of being too busy. This was her first time coming of her own accord.
"Serious matter. Big matter. Don't be mad." Shulan tiptoed and gave him a quick peck. Only after the kiss did she realize—they were still standing in the main lobby.
She instantly wanted to dig a hole and crawl in.
Mu Side, on the other hand, was delighted. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he said, "Alright, since you came so sweetly, I won't stay mad. Let's talk upstairs."
Even after the elevator opened and they stepped into Mu Side's office, the flush on Shulan's cheeks hadn't faded.
"You should've stopped me—so impulsive! What are people going to think?" She slumped on the couch and gazed up at the ceiling helplessly.
Despite being married for years, her feelings for Mu Side hadn't faded in the slightest—in fact, they'd only grown stronger. Around him, she sometimes forgot herself entirely.
Mu Side handed her a glass of water. "Stop what? You're mine—kiss me whenever you like. You've got the license. It's legal and proper. No need to hide. In fact, keep it up!"
He was obviously in a great mood. He loved it when she took the initiative—always had.
Shulan shot him a glare. "Enough with the teasing. I came here to talk business. I suspect—"
"Han Weicheng's side has already had an incident," Mu Side cut her off.
Shulan's expression stiffened. "You found out?"
"I've been keeping an eye on it. Judging from the timing, it adds up. The first batch of customers should have started showing adverse reactions around now." Mu Side nodded.
Shulan clenched her jaw, eyes darkening.
"So that means what happened at our hospital, those so-called outraged customers—it wasn't a coincidence. They timed it perfectly, hoping we'd take the fall for this whole scandal?"
"If that's the case, then whoever's behind this is terrifying." Mu Side tapped his fingers against the desk.
"They must've begun producing the counterfeits the moment our real products hit the market—just waiting for the right moment to release them. They calculated the fallout precisely, expecting us to take the blow."