Shu Lanzhou couldn't help but laugh in exasperation. "Two months ago—what a 'coincidence'—just when we caught a wave of traffic, that's when they chose to release their fake products."
"Tsk, I don't even know whether to say they were lucky, or we were."
"The fact that they planned it in advance means they anticipated problems with their formula all along. If it hadn't been for that surge of online attention, they would've found some other way to leverage it," Musid said calmly, his thoughts sharp and clear. "Still, I had my own contingency plans. Their methods might be despicable, but they won't affect what I intend to do. Shu Shu, are you free to go with me to visit someone?"
Shu Lanzhou raised a brow. "Wu Shan or Chen Yue?"
These two were residents they had met during a public lecture. Wu Shan had used their product, but as for Chen Yue—they suspected she had used the version developed by Han Weicheng.
"Smart," Musid smiled faintly and reached out to pull her to her feet. "The root of the problem lies in their company's product. They're trying to bury it by slinging mud at us, thinking we'll shield them from the fallout. But I refuse to let them get away with it."
—
While Shu Lanzhou and Musid were heading to Wu Shan's residential community, Luo Jialin stormed furiously into Han Weicheng's office.
"Why is the formula sent to the manufacturer completely different from the one we originally developed?" He slammed a printed sheet onto the table. "This version—if used long-term—will absolutely ruin people's skin. Professor Han, you've worked in research, you know this better than anyone! Why the hell would you change the formula on your own?"
"You're being overly dramatic," Han Weicheng replied calmly, adjusting his glasses. "All the proportions in that formula fall within standard regulatory limits. How would that cause skin damage?"
"Even if, hypothetically, a few users experienced side effects and came to complain, there's no need to panic. Right now, Musid's scandal is taking the spotlight—nobody's going to pay attention to our little hiccup."
"At worst, we pay out some compensation quietly and move on. Once this batch sells out, you can switch the formula back. If you're still worried, we can just stop producing that particular line altogether."
"You…" Luo Jialin was so furious he clutched his chest, nearly choking on his own rage. "Han Weicheng, you're a monster—worse than a beast. You're knowingly harming people. Don't you have a conscience at all? Paying hush money, tweaking formulas, halting production… how can you say that with a straight face?!"
"I'm a monster?" Han Weicheng let out a laugh.
"Let's be honest—if it hadn't been for that adjusted formula, how would our product have skyrocketed to number one in its category within six months?"
"In less than a year, it made you a notable figure in this industry. It raised your status in the Luo family. Now you're angry because your brand might suffer, and you're scared the reputation you just built will vanish."
"You're upset your hot profits might slip away before they've even warmed your hands. Don't pretend you're doing this for the customers."
"Spare me the act, Jialin. You're no saint. When you curse me, maybe take a hard look at yourself—what kind of person are you, really?"
Luo Jialin gritted his teeth. "You don't get to judge me. I'm warning you—if this blows up and my company takes even the slightest hit, don't think for a second you'll get away clean."
He snatched back the formula sheet and turned to leave, rushing straight to the factory.
He had to switch the formula back before things got any worse—and quietly replace any existing stock on the market.
Though the Musid scandal had erupted dramatically, Professor He Xin's breakthrough had softened the blow, and the police's open investigation had even earned them public sympathy.
Luo Jialin had tested their products himself. He knew Musid's formulas were clean. This was clearly a counterfeit issue, and once that truth came to light, the damage to them would be minimal.
Time was running out, and a deep unease gnawed at him. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was missing something—but no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't figure out what.
Not until he arrived at the factory.
—
After Luo Jialin left, Xiao Anning stepped out from the inner room.
"So we're not going to be able to keep this under wraps, huh? Are we really going to give up on a product that just made a name for itself? It's our biggest money-maker."
"This was always about making fast money," Han Weicheng replied with a cold glance. "What, you thought we could keep raking in profits forever?"
"Keep an eye on Luo Jialin. If he shows any signs of doing something reckless, stop him immediately."
"As long as he doesn't lose his head and handles the fallout with hush money, this thing will blow over. Once the storm passes, we'll quietly revert the formula. Who knows—we might even salvage the product's reputation."
"If the number of victims gets too high and payouts too steep, we abandon the whole thing. Let them sue—we've got the regulatory standards to fall back on. Nothing will trace back to us."
"Worst case scenario, we dissolve the company and set up a new one. Another round of quick profit."
Xiao Anning's lips twitched. "If Luo's reputation takes a hit, he won't take it lying down. And we still need his credibility to sell. Are you sure this will work?"
"His family's been in business for decades. Their name won't collapse overnight. Besides, if this really explodes, we'll just throw Luo Jialin under the bus. He's the face of the company—it won't touch us."
A chill ran down Xiao Anning's spine. Han Weicheng… ruthless and venomous to the core. Not even his own protégé was safe from exploitation.
"When will your research actually show results?" he asked with a frown. "Money's being dumped in wave after wave. If there's no progress, how are we supposed to explain this to President Zhang?"
"If Luo's company crashes because of this, Zhang will have a hard time distancing the research center from the scandal. Starting a new company might sound nice, but we need to put out the fire in front of us first."
Han Weicheng's brow furrowed deeply. His research could change human society—such things weren't born overnight. These people just didn't understand.
"Relax," he said coldly. "As long as you keep Luo Jialin in line, nothing will go wrong."
"This Musid scandal's so huge—I want to see how they plan to clean it up. I don't believe, under these circumstances, they'll still have the gall to go around lecturing and promoting Musid Traditional Medicine and acupuncture."
"Once their credibility is shot, who's going to believe them? Shu Lanzhou, whatever it is you're trying to achieve—I'll make sure you fail. I want to see just what you think you're up against."
Xiao Anning snorted. "You probably haven't heard. The hospital filed a police report. Someone filmed the incident and posted it online. Shu Lanzhou publicly demanded a transparent investigation."
"Besides a brief dip on the first day, Musid's stock bounced back immediately thanks to Professor He Xin's research announcement."
"The police classified this as a counterfeit case, and Musid's reputation is already starting to recover."
"Not only that, but Shu Lanzhou's refusal to avoid responsibility despite getting injured during the conflict has earned her a wave of public goodwill online. People who'd never heard of the product are now paying attention."
"What looked like a scandal is actually giving Musid free exposure. If the truth comes out and they're cleared of wrongdoing, this will have turned into free advertising."
Han Weicheng's eyes narrowed. "But can they really uncover the truth?"