Early in the morning, the internet was already in an uproar. The news that the 'Spring Water' products had failed quality inspections and been shut down was spreading everywhere.
Official news reports indicated that 'Spring Water' had recently failed multiple product standards tests. The company was ordered to recall and remove its products from shelves, and an official investigation had been launched. At the same time, the cosmetics and skincare products independently developed by the Lin family under the 'Spring Water' company would also be subjected to investigation.
Furthermore, the ingredients of 'Spring Water' published by the authorities for the recent period showed that the main raw material was actually just ordinary water. Compared to previous products, almost all of those key components had disappeared.
Instantly, everyone was furious. Compared to the minor gossip and scandals of celebrities, this kind of news concerning people's livelihoods was what truly stirred the emotions of the ordinary public.
'Spring Water' had taken the entire nation by storm recently, reaching a point of nationwide frenzy. Even renowned experts had come forward to testify, claiming that 'Spring Water' products had miraculous effects and were beneficial to human health, sparking wave after wave of panic-buying.
Many people even camped out on e-commerce websites or queued up at physical stores in the early hours, all to snag this supposedly miraculous product for themselves and their families.
Now, with 'Spring Water' suddenly exposed as a scam, revealing that the public had been paying an idiot tax, anger erupted instantly. People simply couldn't accept this outcome.
——[No wonder drinking 'Spring Water' hasn't had any effect lately. I thought it was just me, but it turns out the ingredients changed!]
——[I checked; even during the earlier period when the ingredients supposedly met standards, 'Spring Water's' various metrics were fluctuating wildly, like buying a lottery ticket.]
——[I was recommending 'Spring Water' everywhere, became their die-hard fan, and now with this news out, my face is stinging from the slap.]
——[Over 1000 bucks a box! I damn well stockpiled 30 boxes last time I panic-bought. Seeing this news now makes me want to vomit blood.]
——[I really can't understand what this company was thinking. According to reports, 'Spring Water' did have an effect. But then they didn't maintain product quality, started cutting corners once it got popular...]
——[Hindsight is 20/20, but Bai Youlan is a pathological liar. What good can come from a company run by someone with such flawed character?]
——[Just how many more 'surprises' does Bai Youlan have in store for us?]
——[Give me my damn money back!!!]
The Lin family was thrown into complete panic. Not only were they facing investigations, but also massive fines. Most crucially, due to their earlier confidence in 'Spring Water' and Bai Youlan, they had invested huge sums into the cosmetics and skincare industry, aiming to capture the market and make a fortune.
What they never expected was for product quality to become an issue at this critical juncture!
The Lin family had always been very cautious and timid in business. Had they known about potential quality problems, they would never have dared to invest so boldly!
'Spring Water' was now a star product, with countless competitors watching. They wouldn't have had the nerve to take such risks!
"Impossible!" Grandpa Lin stared at the report in his hand, repeating, "There's absolutely no way there's a problem! Our products undergo strict checks, and the production area isn't accessible to just anyone. How could such a mistake occur..."
Having been in business for many years, the Lin family naturally understood the importance of integrity and quality. 'Spring Water' was their cash cow; how could they let it fall due to quality issues?
"Are you sure this report is genuine?" Grandpa Lin turned to ask his son beside him.
Uncle Lin was also overwhelmed. His son, Lin Donghan, was currently under investigation. The other newly invested products under his charge also faced scrutiny, leaving him in complete disarray.
He cried out helplessly, "Dad! The regulatory authorities are already at our door!" With the shutdown, how could it not be real?
Grandpa Lin's face darkened, his brows furrowed tightly. "The people in the production area are all our trusted aides. Could someone have infiltrated?" Since the report seemed accurate, it was likely someone was deliberately sabotaging them.
"There were indeed a few old employees with issues, but they shouldn't be the ones behind this!" Uncle Lin had first considered this possibility too. However, upon investigation, he found those individuals were probably spies from competitors trying to gather information, not the perpetrators.
Uncle Lin frowned. "The problem lies with the raw materials."
Initially, they had an agreement with Bai Youlan: one side provided the money, the other provided the raw materials and formula. To prevent the Lin family from learning the secrets, Bai Youlan insisted on being solely responsible for the raw materials, forbidding any Lin family involvement.
As she held the formula and materials, and the Lin family needed her, they didn't dare anger her and agreed to this arrangement.
Who would have thought Bai Youlan would dare to cut corners with the raw materials!
The moment the news broke, they frantically tried contacting Bai Youla, but there was no trace of her. She was probably taken away for investigation along with Lin Donghan.
Lin Donghan's mother, watching her son taken away, gritted her teeth in anger. "That jinx!!"
"Idiot! Having something good but refusing to share it properly! Causing our Lin family to take such a massive fall!" If not for modern society's rule of law and Bai Youlan being a public figure, Grandpa Lin would have truly wanted to finish off that little girl.
When the incident first happened, the projects under Lin Donghan's family suffered, and the other two branches of the Lin family were somewhat pleased, seeing it as the consequence of the eldest branch's greed in trying to monopolize benefits. However, when the fire spread to the entire Lin family, and they realized their newly invested projects were also affected, they had no time to gloat anymore.
The second uncle, Lin Erjiu, anxiously said, "Dad, enough about that! That girl Bai Youlan is clearly dishonest. The key is, what do we do now?"
They had invested a large portion of their available funds. Factories were built on purchased land, some halfway completed, others even ready for market launch. To have this happen at such a critical moment!
If the news had broken earlier, they could have pulled back and conserved funds. But now, they were stuck in limbo. Before the scandal, all their brands were promoted under the 'Magical Spring' banner. At this juncture, finding anyone to take over was impossible!
Bai Youlan had utterly ruined their entire Lin family!
A younger member of the Lin family immediately suggested, "How about we issue a statement saying this was all Bai Youlan's idea and has nothing to do with our Lin family?"
Before others could respond, Uncle Lin grew anxious and spoke first, "Donghan is still under investigation. What are you implying with that statement?"
The company's legal representatives were Lin Donghan and Bai Youlan. Following this nephew's suggestion would mean treating Lin Donghan as a sacrificial lamb!
Uncle Lin only had this one son and hoped he would take over the Lin business in the future. He'd be insane to let his son become the scapegoat.
Uncle Lin said angrily, "Moreover, all the company's projects were centered around 'Spring Water.' After the incident, if we say such things, the public aren't fools! Do you think they'll believe it?"
Lin Erjiu also thought his son's idea had merit and muttered, "It's worth a try."
Unexpectedly, Grandpa Lin shook his head and said, "No, things have come to this point. Our Lin family is tied to Bai Youlan on the same boat..."
If they were to distance themselves from Bai Youlan now and abandon 'Spring Water', then all the funds previously invested in the beauty and skincare industry would have to be shelved, equivalent to throwing money down the drain. The Lin family's assets would shrink by at least half, and in the future, there would be no place for the Lin family in City A.
Having spent most of his life in the business world, Grandpa Lin knew all too well that given his descendants' capabilities, if they fell out of the ranks of the wealthy this time, it would be nearly impossible for them to make a comeback in the future. And with the family members accustomed to a life of luxury, the family might completely collapse within a dozen years.
Rather than giving up, it would be better to cut a few redundant projects and continue developing according to the original plan. However, to keep pushing forward with the company's project products, they would have to protect Bai Youlan.
Grandpa Lin sighed, seeming to age considerably. "At the very least, this news also proves that the original ingredients of 'Spring Water' are effective. After Donghan and the others return, we'll hold a press conference to give assurances. By strictly controlling quality in the future, this product project can still be maintained..."
It's just that achieving the same explosive success as before is basically impossible. Once a product loses public favor, it's very difficult to rebuild trust.
Grandpa Lin's face was as dark as water as he said solemnly, "When Donghan returns, we'll ask him about his views on his marriage."
Lin Donghan's mother couldn't believe it. "Dad?! You mean for Donghan to marry that Bai girl?!"
Grandma Lin also stood up. "No! I don't agree!" Bai Yaxiu caused her daughter's death, and Bai Youlan is her daughter. She'd be crazy to let her grandson marry someone like that.
Grandpa Lin's eyes were deep and serious as he stated firmly, "It's settled!"
Of course, he also looked down on Bai Youlan. She had no backing, and her character was unfit for major responsibility. Yet, it was precisely this reckless and unstrategic person who held quite a few good things in her hands. From the previous medicinal pills to 'Spring Water', they were all secret recipes provided by Bai Youlan.
Grandpa Lin believed that the other party probably had many more good things in her possession.
Bai Youlan caused the Lin family to suffer such a major setback; she should at least pay with a lifetime to make up for it.
As long as they could obtain those things from her, they wouldn't have to worry about making a comeback in the future.
At the same time, compared to the gloom hanging over the Lin family, the atmosphere at the Xu residence was much more relaxed.
Grandma Xu, hearing about the Lin family's current predicament, felt a mix of emotion and relief. "It's a good thing they insisted on withdrawing their investment back then. Otherwise, with this trouble now, our family would be implicated too!"
Indeed, as her granddaughter said, you shouldn't get too close to people who aren't thinking clearly!
Back when Xu Qingqing had a falling out with the Lin family, on the way back, she instructed the financial team to sell off all assets related to the Lin family. At that time, although the Xu family understood Xu Qingqing's actions, they also felt a bit regretful, as those were the last things her mother had left for her.
When Lin Jiangxue was critically ill and utterly disappointed with Xu Changshan, she transferred all the assets under her name to Xu Qingqing. Her dowry shares were among them, and also the most valuable portion.
The Lin family's development over the past few years had been neither particularly good nor bad. As long as Xu Qingqing retained the shares, the annual fixed dividends would amount to tens of millions, serving as a form of security her mother left for her daughter.
So, when they heard how decisively Xu Qingqing acted, the Xu family didn't know how to dissuade her. But since she had made her decision, they couldn't very well stop her.
Who would have thought that after some time passed, a series of decisions by the Lin family would be simply shocking. Now, with official intervention, the product's reputation in tatters, and a user backlash, it was unknown whether the Lin family could survive this crisis.
Chairman Xu and his wife had a far-sighted view. Their thoughts aligned with Grandpa Lin's predictions, knowing that the Lin family was now standing on the edge of a precipice. One misstep and they might never recover.
If Xu Qingqing were to try selling those Lin-related assets now, she probably wouldn't even find buyers and would lose an unknown amount of money.
The more Chairman Xu thought about it, the happier he became. He couldn't help but pat Xu Qingqing's shoulder and encourage her, "My granddaughter really takes after me! Very wise in knowing when to cut losses!"
After lavishly praising Xu Qingqing, he even publicly bragged on his social media circle about how his granddaughter had foreseen that the Lin family's ship was sinking and divested from the Lin family's industries before the incident occurred.
At this moment, everyone felt rather awkward. They all knew the Lin family was in serious trouble this time and would suffer greatly even if they didn't collapse, but bankruptcy was still some distance away.
If the Lin family pulled through this, everyone would still have to see each other around. It was a bit early to kick them while they were down.
So, faced with Chairman Xu's social media posts that disparaged the Lin family while praising his own granddaughter, everyone else chose to turn a blind eye, minding their own business.
However, one person actively replied, "Old Xu, isn't your granddaughter also a granddaughter of the Lin family? At such a young age, isn't this approach a bit too ruthless?"
The smile instantly vanished from Grandpa Xu's face. He sat alone on the sofa, brooding for a long while, then stood up and paced around the room several times.
Then, with a grave expression, he reached out and deleted that person's comment. After some thought, he also blocked them.
After doing all this, Grandpa Xu relaxed again. Alone in the comments section, he sighed, "Thinking back to when I first entered the business world, it was because I knew when to hold on and when to let go that I gradually reached where I am today. My granddaughter has excellently inherited this quality of mine!"
Everyone: ... Have some shame!!
Meanwhile, at the Zhou residence, Zhou Chenyu once again heard his father shouting from somewhere, "This time, I'm definitely blocking that old man!!"
Only Grandpa Xu's subordinates were unaware of the context, but they followed his lead and praised Xu Qingqing in the comments.
After all, the Chairman did this every so often; everyone was used to it!
Grandpa Xu felt it wasn't enough and even specially called his old friends to praise Xu Qingqing.
Grandpa Lin was currently busy organizing assets and dealing with inspections, and had no mood to check social media. Otherwise, learning about his former in-law's behavior might have infuriated him to the point of fainting from Chairman Xu's series of actions.
As for Xu Qingqing, she was completely unaware of her grandfather's gloating behavior because she was engaging in similar actions herself.
Xu Qingqing was browsing Weibo with great relish, then searching for the list of Bai Youlan's fans she had noted down earlier.
When Bai Youlan was exposed for lying some time ago, Xu Qingqing personally replied to a comment from one of Bai Youlan's fans on her own Weibo, saying, "Congratulations, congratulations, happy new year! Your idol's reputation has collapsed~"
After the incident of Bai Youlan's lies, some fans left, while others righteously declared they would never abandon their idol.
Xu Qingqing was quite impressed by these fans' courage at the time, so she solemnly noted down their account names and profiles, sincerely promising that every time Bai Youlan got into trouble in the future, she would personally tag and congratulate them.
And today, Bai Youlan was taken away for investigation by the regulatory bureau. Such a big event; of course, Xu Qingqing wouldn't forget her previous promise.
She tagged all those fans of Bai Youlan who had previously hopped onto her Weibo to stir up trouble and hadn't unfollowed yet, replying to each one with—"Congratulations, happy New Year! Your idol's in jail~"
How savage, absolutely savage.
Xu Qingqing was practically the number one morally bankrupt pioneer since the dawn of time. So much so that long afterward, legends about her still circulated in the entertainment industry's fan circles.
Xu Qingqing, an ordinary person who didn't work in the entertainment industry, didn't debut, didn't act, and didn't appear on variety shows, yet was deeply remembered by all celebrities' fans.
At that moment, while many of Bai Youlan's fans were still weeping and wailing, unable to believe their idol had suddenly become a legal offender, Xu Qingqing delivered a heavy blow.
Even more infuriating was that, just like last time, Xu Qingqing's actions spurred her own fans into action. Everyone copied and pasted her message, happily congratulating Bai Youlan's fans.
Meanwhile, the general public, who had been immersed in the "Spring Water" scandal, were reminded by Xu Qingqing's actions of Bai Youlan's past lies and publicity stunts, viewing her even more unfavorably.
Such a habitual liar, with questionable character, surely wouldn't put much care into the products she made either.
The person in question, Bai Youlan, was unaware of Xu Qingqing's actions. She was currently in the midst of a fierce argument with her system.
"You're the one who told me to stop exchanging for Spirit Spring Water to produce 'Spring Water'! You forced me to go do tasks! Now look what's happened!"
Bai Youlan didn't need to think to know how she was being evaluated online right now.
Just imagining the socialites and wealthy ladies who had been flattering and currying favor with her not long ago now looking at her with disdain and contempt again, along with the online fans' abuse... Bai Youlan felt she couldn't hold on any longer.
It was all the system's fault. If the system hadn't forced her to do tasks, rushed her to seize luck points, she wouldn't have neglected to exchange for Spirit Spring Water due to the oversight. If she had remained as diligent as before, the product wouldn't have failed quality inspection and given others a handle against her...
Bai Youlan believed she was just incredibly unlucky—these people just happened to conduct a spot check during the time she wasn't diligently exchanging for Spirit Spring Water!
[Current luck points decreased by 1. Host, please quickly reverse public perception and regain luck points.]
Listening to the system's constant announcements of decreasing luck points in her mind, Bai Youlan was nearly driven to distortion.
She had originally planned to focus on making the product well, to grow "Spring Water" big, so she wouldn't even need to care about the Xu family's assets anymore. Yet the system had to warn her, forcing her to complete tasks properly, and now it had caused her to end up like this.
[Current luck points decreased by 1. Host, please quickly reverse public perception...]
The system's announcement sounded again. Before it could finish, Bai Youlan shouted, "Reverse, reverse, reverse my foot! If it weren't for your terrible guidance, I wouldn't have had to do any of this!"
This system only knew how to hold her back and give bad advice, then blame her afterward for not doing the tasks properly. Clearly, she was the host; this system was just a golden finger assisting her...
[Without the system, you are nothing.]
The system suddenly spoke. Its voice had changed, its flat, cold tone revealing a trace of disgust and dissatisfaction.
The system's voice had always been calm and steady. Even when threatening or urging Bai Youlan to do tasks, it did so by explaining the rules of task failure, devoid of any personal emotion.
It was like the most qualified, emotionless robot. In fact, until today, Bai Youlan had always thought the system was just some program or machine.
This was the first time the system had expressed clear, self-aware emotion.
Bai Youlan was frightened: "You're not a machine?" She didn't dare speak anymore.
[Whether it's Spirit Spring Water or Beauty Pills, they are all props from the system mall. Your task is merely to obtain luck for us.]
"Us? There are others behind you?" Bai Youlan finally realized something and froze. "Luck truly exists in this world?!"
Wasn't luck just something the system fabricated?!
[Host, please stop complaining and quickly complete your tasks.]
The system ignored Bai Youlan. It returned to its cold, emotionless voice, as if everything that had just happened was merely Bai Youlan's hallucination.
For the first time, she realized she had never understood the system. It had brought her into this book, tempted her to stay and perform tasks, made her seize the protagonists' luck points, choose between the male and female leads...
Back then, Bai Youlan only saw this world as a novel, thinking the people in it were insignificant paper cutouts, NPCs on her protagonist's journey, so she accepted the tasks without hesitation.
Although the original male and female leads of this book were Xu Qingqing and Xie Lianqing, since she had transmigrated into the book, the protagonist naturally became her. Isn't that the standard trope in all transmigration novels?
Bai Youlan thought the system was just a golden finger tool given to her by the transmigration deity to help her smoothly reach the peak of life. As for whether her task of seizing the protagonists' luck points violated human morality or what it signified, she didn't care at all.
Ridiculous, who would care about the fate of paper NPCs?
Having read so many novels over the years, Bai Youlan had the transmigration system task routine memorized—the three elements: the protagonist's task is either to steal the male lead or the female lead, or to romance NPCs and flirt with all the paper characters...
Bai Youlan felt her task wasn't much different from these, so she didn't think her actions were wrong either.
She just believed she was terribly unlucky. After all, when she read novels, other female protagonists completed their tasks smoothly; why did hers get stuck halfway?
Only now, with Bai Youlan suffering repeated defeats and her tasks nearly failing, did she suddenly realize she might not be some female protagonist. Her system wasn't simply a golden finger assisting her, but an existence manipulating and controlling her life and death.
She was just a pawn; there might be a whole group of people behind her watching her.
The most terrifying thing was that her task, and all the things she had done over the years, didn't seem to be good deeds either... After transmigrating, she didn't become the female protagonist; it seemed she had first become the villain.
And this system was so bizarre; could she really break free from it after completing her tasks? Would the system and the entities behind it truly let her go?
Bai Youlan sobered up instantly. The excitement and thrill after transmigrating, followed by the smooth success of taking away Xu Qingqing's family and parents, and the pride of becoming a big star—all turned into fear.
It was as if she had been living in a dream. This dream had lasted over a decade, and now she suddenly woke up to find the place she lived in wasn't a game.
Bai Youlan immediately broke down: "It's all your fault! You instigated me, you forced me!" If the system hadn't bound her to do these tasks, she definitely wouldn't have done these things.
Bai Youlan felt that before transmigrating, she was quite kind-hearted, even reluctant to step on bugs by the roadside.
[The system gave the host a chance at rebirth and assisted the host in completing tasks. The host should be grateful to the system and perform tasks better...]
To be honest, the system was a bit annoyed too.
If it weren't for the host repeatedly making mistakes, alerting the male lead and even nearly causing him to discover the truth, why would it be so anxious to urge the host to complete the task?
This host is lacking in intelligence, character, and methods. If it weren't for the story progressing to this point with no time to return the goods, the system would really want to change hosts temporarily.
It helped Bai Youlan transmigrate into the book, gave her a chance at rebirth, and provided her with so much assistance. Anyone with a normal mind should know that those props and her rebirth and revival wouldn't come without a price.
Bai Youlan was still chattering away with complaints, as if she were the most innocent person in the world, still that kind-hearted soul, as if the system forced her to do these things, as if she had no other choice.
[You have already killed someone.] The system finally couldn't help but remind her.
Before this, the system had never actively intervened in the host's actions. Every choice Bai Youlan made was her own proposal.
She saw Xu Qingqing's mother living well, grew impatient, and used a prop to cause her death.
But at that time, the system hadn't even told her such a prop existed; it was Bai Youlan who actively found the curse doll in the system mall.
Bai Youlan's regret now is nothing more than finding an excuse and shifting blame because she's about to fail.
The system really didn't want to take this fall. It was even a bit angry. This host's series of operations kept decreasing her luck points; it felt she had no future.
After being exposed, Bai Youlan instantly felt irritable and uneasy. Just as she was about to continue shirking responsibility, she suddenly noticed her luck points had stopped dropping.
Impossible. They had been dropping just moments ago. Bai Youlan had guessed it must be because public opinion was boiling over outside, and her reputation was surely getting worse.
She even thought her luck points would just keep falling to zero, leading to task failure, which was why she adopted a defeatist attitude and shifted the blame onto the system.
[Due to the host's excessively low luck points, the system has deducted five points to activate protection mode. When luck points are only at five, they will not continuously drop for a short period.]
The system also hadn't expected Bai Youlan to be so useless, forcing it to cut its losses to survive. Today was already the limit; one more incident and it wasn't sure if it could continue covering things up.
Bai Youlan perked up immediately: "Such a good thing, why didn't you use it sooner?!" If the system had modified the rules earlier, she might not have lost so many luck points.
System: ... Your luck points have fallen to 5. How can that be a good thing?
[Host, please complete the task as soon as possible. Time is running out for you.]
The male lead was gradually becoming aware of the anomalies. If this continued, the world's consciousness would eventually notice them.
Bai Youlan understood the system's deeper meaning. Now, she truly had no way out.
...
In the office, Xu Qingqing was unaware that Bai Youlan and the system had turned against each other. She was currently picking out a gift for Xie Lianqing.
According to her grandparents, the reason the Lin family matter blew up so big was because someone took a report to the regulatory bureau.
For some reason, Xu Qingqing suddenly thought of Xie Lianqing.
Xie Lianqing had previously assigned Secretary Ye Zhao to monitor the Lin family and Bai Youlan, keeping an eye on their movements. At the time, Xu Qingqing didn't understand why, but now she guessed he must have had his eye on the Lin family and them for a long time.
And back when she met Secretary Ye Zhao and asked if there was any evidence, the secretary didn't completely deny it. This was also an indirect admission that she was monitoring and investigating Bai Youlan and the Lin family's project.
The news about problems with the 'Spring Water' product broke in the evening. Xie Lianqing had specifically told her to go to bed early last night, saying she'd be happy when she woke up the next day...
So, this matter was almost certainly Xie Lianqing's doing.
Xu Qingqing was instantly deeply moved and decided to slightly reduce the number against her boyfriend in her grudge notebook.
Besides that, she felt she should properly thank the great benefactor Xie Lianqing, who did good deeds without leaving his name.
So the next day, Xu Qingqing solemnly brought a commendation banner to work.
When Xie Lianqing returned to his office after the meeting, he had just stepped inside when he heard a "pop." Colorful confetti and streamers drifted down from above his head. Hanging directly in front of him in the center was a huge red banner inscribed with:
"Guardian of Justice, Conscience of Society!
— Presented to Xu Qingqing's Boyfriend, Xie Lianqing"
Xie Lianqing: ...
Xu Qingqing hopped down from the chair beside the door with a 'biu,' pulled two colorful streamers from her pocket, and waved them cheerfully in the air, saying excitedly, "I picked the biggest one for you. Do you like it?"
