Chapter 147: Faking the Video

Xie Qingtang had never possessed any real interest in this matter. Her initial intent was merely to remind Sun Ying and Sima Wei to get a medical check-up; she had never intended to confront them. Consequently, when the situation reached its conclusion, Xie Qingtang simply stopped responding, and the buzz surrounding the incident was gradually eclipsed by other entertainment news.

Seeing Xie Qingtang suddenly disappear from the spotlight, Wang Miao’er believed she had won. A triumphant smile curled her lips as she muttered, "Xie Qingtang, so you wanted to expand your Cunshantang? As long as I am here, it won't be that easy."

No sooner had she finished speaking than her office door was knocked. Her secretary entered and placed a market proposal on her desk. "General Manager Wang, the marketing department has completed the proposal for the hair growth formula. Please take a look."

"Very well, leave it here." Wang Miao’er nodded dismissively and signaled for the secretary to leave. After a series of trials, Wang’s Pharmaceuticals was finally ready to bring the hair growth formula to market.

Everything was trending in a favorable direction. A look of determination filled Wang Miao’er’s eyes as she imagined Gu Xiujin seeing her product become a massive success, and the look of admiration he would surely cast upon her. Back then, she had taken over the family business solely to transform into a powerhouse, to grow strong enough to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him, and to finally earn a glance from that extraordinary man. Thinking of this, a surge of strength filled her, and she picked up the document to study it in detail.

"Oh, heaven help me! My online store’s rating was 4.8, and now it’s dropped to 4.0. That’s such a decline! How many positive reviews will I have to fake to get the score back up?" Zhou Jinfan wailed, clutching his phone in despair.

Following the recent incident, the Cunshantang online store had suffered a devastating blow. To make matters worse, Sun Ying’s fans had been flooding the page with negative reviews, leaving Zhou Jinfan on the verge of tears. Knowing that the entire ordeal was her fault, Xie Qingtang felt a pang of guilt; after all, she had been entirely hands-off with the online shop from the start. That store was something Zhou Jinfan had built with his heart and soul, and she had never expected it to be ruined by a single, casual post of hers.

Wishing to make amends, Xie Qingtang hesitated for a moment before returning to her room. From the very bottom of her medical kit, she extracted a wooden board. This kit had been a gift from her master before she descended the mountain. Beneath the board lay a secret compartment containing a notebook—a record of her master’s medical practice over many years.

A veteran physician’s notes are invaluable and worthy of deep study; typically, such knowledge is never imparted to anyone other than a direct disciple. Xie Qingtang decided to use these notes to compensate Zhou Jinfan. After making this decision, she carefully retrieved the notebook, transcribed a copy, and handed the duplicate to him.

Zhou Jinfan, who had been frazzled for two days trying to restore the store’s reputation, was stunned to see the notebook appear before him. He looked up, bewildered, and asked, "Boss, what is this?"

"Something that will benefit you. It might even help your medical skills improve by leaps and bounds. Study it well," Xie Qingtang said calmly, pressing the notes into his hands.

Zhou Jinfan was stunned for a moment. Upon opening the notebook and realizing it contained the insights of a seasoned expert, his face lit up with joy. He hugged it to his chest, calling out to the departing Xie Qingtang, "Boss, thank you! Does this mean I’ve passed your test and am now officially your apprentice?"

Xie Qingtang, back turned to him, stumbled slightly. She turned around with a dark expression and snapped, "You’re overthinking it. This is merely compensation. Who told you to let your store’s rating drop just because of one post of mine?"

"Hehe, I like this kind of compensation. Boss, feel free to give me more!" Zhou Jinfan grinned, inching closer to Xie Qingtang, hoping to squeeze out a few more favors while she still felt guilty.

Unexpectedly, Xie Qingtang jabbed a finger directly into his acupoint, causing his arm to go numb. She smiled sweetly and said, "I gave you an inch, but that doesn't mean you can take a mile. Understand?"

"Understood, understood! I’m sorry, Boss!" Zhou Jinfan nodded frantically, dragging his tingling arm back behind the counter to continue working on the store.

Just then, a notification popped up on his phone. The characters "Cunshantang" instantly caught his eye, compelling him to click the link. It was an encrypted video. The screen was pitch black, and only audio played.

"So, was that original post just to chase clout?"

"Of course. If it wasn't for the clout, why would I have posted it? Was I bored? Those are two major stars. By claiming they had hair loss issues, I knew everyone would flock to pay attention to me and Cunshantang. It’s free advertising, isn't it? Why wouldn't I take advantage of an opportunity like that?"

Hearing the voice emerging from the black screen, Zhou Jinfan froze in his tracks. He muttered in disbelief, "This... what is happening? This sounds exactly like the Boss, but I don't remember her ever saying anything like that!"

"Playing on your phone again? Do you really want me to dock your pay?" Xie Qingtang, who had just brought in some medicinal herbs that had been drying in the backyard, spotted him behind the counter. She put her hands on her hips, looking annoyed.

At that moment, Xie Qingtang’s voice overlapped perfectly with the voice from the video. Zhou Jinfan turned to look at her, stunned into silence.

Feeling unsettled by his gaze, Xie Qingtang frowned. She marched over, slapped him on the top of the head, and said impatiently, "Don't think that just because I feel guilty for ruining your store, I’m afraid to discipline you."

"It’s not that, Boss! Don't hit me yet—listen to this video first." Zhou Jinfan played the video again, and the same words echoed through the room.