A successful strike.
Half-Immortal Su repeated the same trick several more times. No matter how ironclad the hospital’s defenses were, the news inevitably leaked out—
There were just too many victims.
The first to react were the “neighbors.” Some naively said, “Who would’ve thought that after all this success, Half-Immortal Su still remembers us poor neighbors.”
“Remembers my foot!”
Someone immediately rolled their eyes. “Knowing him, he’s just using us as an excuse to extort money.” After all these years of knowing each other, everyone was well aware of each other’s true nature. If he really cared, he’d just give money directly. After eating sand for so many years, a little more wouldn’t hurt.
Still, because of Half-Immortal Su, quite a few people found work.
But only in whispers behind closed doors.
On the surface, they still gave face and didn’t openly complain.
Even so,
outside, Half-Immortal Su’s reputation plummeted... though honestly, it wasn’t great to begin with.
Those who were extorted were naturally furious, but oddly enough, even more people came to visit. His brazen arrogance was backed by Su Ning’s influence, which only further proved the authenticity of the penicillin.
They couldn’t help but be enthusiastic.
If it weren’t for the circumstances, who would want to come here just to be extorted by Half-Immortal Su?
It’s not like they couldn’t find anyone from Su Ning’s side!
Private jets at their beck and call.
They could go anywhere, their whereabouts completely unpredictable.
Some even thought they had guessed Su Ning’s plan: to wait patiently, avoid the eye of the storm, let everyone else fight it out, and once the dust settled, she’d casually appear, gaining the largest benefit without offending anyone.
“Hmph, that’s Su Ning for you—cunning to the core,” someone said with a hint of fear.
An order was given:
“She’s got her clever schemes, and I’ve got my secret ladder. If she refuses to come out, then we’ll force her!”
…………
Where exactly had she gone?
This question was something Half-Immortal Su truly didn’t know. Su Ning’s current trip was all about doing whatever she pleased, like those writers who post updates naked—only two hours ahead of the readers on the plot.
In the evening, she listened to a xiangsheng performance in Tianjin.
And really, the xiangsheng culture during the Republic era was flourishing.
Elegant, vulgar, foreign, risqué—it had everything.
What was rare was that every performer had their own signature skill.
When it came to humor, they were truly unmatched.
After having a great time, Su Ning slept in late, didn’t want breakfast, boarded the plane yawning, and dozed off again before finally waking up.
She bit into a crispy piece of bread.
Casually picked up a newspaper and skimmed through it halfheartedly.
Suddenly, she uttered a soft “huh.”
Then she flipped through some other newspapers, and by then she had a rough idea. She waved to Lin Sen and, without saying much, handed over the newspapers, pointing with her fingers:
“Take a look.”
At first, Assistant Lin didn’t see anything wrong. But after frowning and reading again, his attention was naturally drawn to the reports about penicillin... and his gaze grew increasingly serious.
“Did you notice something?”
Su Ning asked casually.
“The reports aren’t right. After the media hype started, we stopped funding the newspapers. Even though there are still articles about penicillin, there shouldn’t be this many, and they shouldn’t be... like this.”
Lin Sen thought for a few seconds before struggling to find the right word to describe it.
That’s right, it’s completely different.
If the previous reports on penicillin were more about popularizing its benefits—explaining its effects, and even if exaggerated, still carried a professional tone—
Then now, it’s all about being accessible to everyone.
For example, one article was an interview with a soldier who narrowly escaped death thanks to penicillin. Next to his portrait was a gruesome, horrifying photo of his wound, accompanied by his description of how severe his infection was. Everyone thought he was a goner; he himself had lost hope.
He was already making plans for the “future.”
—“Come on, brother, dig out the cash you’ve been hiding and burn some paper money for him down there.”
How much? Well, that depends on your conscience.
After all, he’s all alone. It’s just not right to let money go unspent before dying.
And then, just half a dose of penicillin saved his life.
The effect was immediate.
“...Damn, this is like snatching my life back from the King of Hell. I’ve been a soldier for so many years, never seen anyone survive infection from wounds—everyone dies. That thing called penicillin, huh? Don’t know why it’s got such a weird name, but no matter what it’s called, if it saves lives, it’s a good medicine. This stuff must be expensive, but everyone now has hope. Several people around me have said they won’t smoke, drink, or visit brothels anymore—they’re saving up to buy this life-saving miracle drug.”
His tone was simple, rough.
It was as if you were face to face with a young, uneducated soldier in the midst of a battlefield, dodging bullets, speaking honestly to you.
At the end of the article,
When asked what his first thought was after surviving, he said he hurried to find the money he’d hidden—luckily, his brother hadn’t taken it yet.
If he died, it wouldn’t matter.
But since he lived, it mattered a great deal!
The tone was humorous, the writing skill impressive enough to make readers laugh out loud. Lin Sen, however, couldn’t bring himself to smile. Although the other newspapers didn’t have interviews, they shared the same style, making ordinary people strongly anticipate the market release of penicillin.
To borrow the words of Su Ning’s previous life:
It’s more down-to-earth.
A joke—thinking this alone could pressure her? …This time, it’s a bit tricky, Su Ning thought. She wasn’t afraid of those big shots anymore because after so long, she had earned her seat at the table.
Now, it was just a matter of whose hand was better.
But ordinary people—
One person’s power is insignificant. Yet thousands, even millions or billions of ordinary people, sharing the same hope and voicing similar demands—
That power is immense.
What happens if you go against it?
The consequences vary—at the mildest, people might spit on you while passing by; at worst… don’t forget, her subordinates are human too, with friends and family.
As the saying goes, “It’s easy to make a thousand thieves, but impossible to guard against them every day.”
No matter how rich she was, she couldn’t do it.
So—
What a headache.
“Miss,” Lin Sen’s voice interrupted Su Ning’s thoughts, “The common people are easy to stir up, but we can use that to our advantage. Penicillin was brought in from abroad, and the outside world knows nothing about the details. How about we first promise it will be released soon, then leak news that someone with ill intentions infiltrated the lab and damaged the data? That way, we can keep playing the waiting game and also…”
Still able to stand on the moral high ground.
Su Ning added.
“No,” she interrupted with a raised hand, a faint, teasing smile playing on her lips.
“I don’t like lying; I always speak the truth... How about this: the destination this time is Shanghai, right? Just arrange an interview for me there. That way, the public will know it’s not that I’m unwilling to let penicillin hit the market—it’s just that the experiments aren’t fully successful yet, and there’s still a mortality rate.”
Lin Sen opened his mouth.
He wanted to say that just persuading like this wouldn’t convince anyone because of her past reputation; it might even cause more misunderstandings. But in the end, he simply said two words:
“Alright.”
…………
Shanghai was bustling and magnificent.
In modern times, Su Ning had been here a few times on business trips, but each time was hurried and weary, because her boss was stingy—they took the slow green train, at best second-class on the high-speed rail.
The hotel they stayed at wasn’t even rated.
There was no way to truly experience Shanghai’s advanced prosperity, nothing like the comfortable scene now. Besides, Shanghai during the Republic era was a melting pot, a meeting place of many nations.
In some ways, it was even more distinctive.
Arranging the interview took some time.
Su Ning, being the carefree manager she was, certainly wouldn’t just sit idle. After resting all the way, she still had energy in the afternoon to enjoy some afternoon tea.
“Broadway Road’s Friday Café is quite good. I heard they even have peach ice cream—the creamy milk flavor combined with peach is a hit. Then there’s Sally’s on Nanjing Road, which not only serves afternoon tea but also sells Shanghai-style candies and pastries…”
Without hesitation, Assistant Lin listed off several options.
Su Ning casually chose Sally’s.
It was perfect—she could also pick up some sweets as souvenirs. She happily made the decision.
Upon arrival, the atmosphere was indeed excellent, with a steady stream of fashionable men and women coming and going, all dressed in Western-style clothes, occasionally dropping an English phrase.
The best part was the food!
Su Ning was in a great mood. It really showed that one shouldn’t be stuck in one place but should appreciate a variety of scenery. Suddenly, a loud commotion interrupted her good mood.
At the door, a group of young people walked in, all well-dressed and full of energy—clearly from wealthy families who had no worries about food or clothing.
Their loud voices drew the attention of the crowd.
Noticing this, most of them toned down.
But there was always someone clueless.
A boy with a face full of acne glanced inside, then turned to his companions, especially a pretty girl with a neatly combed student hairstyle at the center, and said:
“I’m telling you, the cream puff pastries here with black tea are the best. Even movie stars recommend them. Luckily we came early today; it’s not crowded yet, or we’d have to wait in line.”
Unfortunately, although there was no need to queue, the waiter came over and regretfully informed them—
There were no large tables available.
They could only split up.
Hearing this, the acne-faced boy was displeased. If that happened, the most likely outcome was that the boys and girls would have to sit separately, which didn’t suit his plans. His gaze darted around, then suddenly fixed on a seat at the side.
“Miss, hello, I see you’re sitting alone. We have quite a few people—could you help us by switching to a smaller table? Thanks.”
His tone was quite presumptuous.
Su Ning looked up in surprise, casting him a glance of condescension.
