I bought a secret manual of the Hehuan Sect for ten yuan.

Jiangcheng.

Secretary Dai Qing hung up the phone, a helpless smile on her face. "President Chu, they've raised the price again. I can't even remember how many calls like this I've received."

"Aren't we going to reconsider?"

Since Qin Ge led Deng Ximing and others to guide netizens to switch their focus to Qingyin, the popularity of the Xu Xiaoluo incident has continued to surge and shows no signs of abating.

More and more people are flocking to Qingyin, and the platform has become a hit beyond its core audience; it can be said that they have mutually benefited each other.

As a result, some people started to get restless.

Various unfamiliar phone calls kept appearing, some addressed to senior executives and secretary Dai Qing of Qingyin Company, while many others were directly addressed to Chu Hongxiu.

Since it was a stranger's call, there was no point in hiding anything. The meaning was clear: pay Qingyin to delete the comments and videos!

"No need to think about it. Just keep them hanging on as I said before."

Chu Hongxiu did not hesitate for a moment.

"But..." Dai Qing hesitated, but seeing Chu Hongxiu's gaze, she immediately continued, "President Chu, they're not stupid. We can't hold out for long like this."

"Once they realize that we are not sincere and that raising the price will not solve the problem, they will think of other ways."

"Many of the calls I received today were direct threats, it's like they're desperate!"

"Moreover, I feel that they were never just thinking about solving the problem with money from the beginning; now there are quite a few different voices emerging online."

"It's clearly an organized online troll group. They're all telling the same story, saying that Xu Xiaoluo's case was just a normal medical accident, and that Deng Ximing and his group were just causing trouble for medical staff!"

"Celebrities in the entertainment industry are also frequently involved in scandals, dominating the trending topics on various media platforms—it's the same old trick!"

"The person behind this is quite capable. If we continue like this, even Qingyin might suffer."

She paused for a long while, then secretly glanced at Chu Hongxiu. "President Chu, are we really not going to consider it?"

"Since we can't stop them anyway, why don't we take this opportunity to make a fortune off them? The platform has also become incredibly popular, isn't that a good thing?"

"Otherwise, if Qingyin suffers a huge loss, you won't know how to explain it!"

Chu Hongxiu was unusually angry. "I said, do as I said before, and I won't consider anything else!"

Seeing that Dai Qing was startled, she calmed down and said, "Some things can't be considered only in terms of advantages and disadvantages. Besides the result, there is also the process. Failure will also leave traces."

"And do you think this is my intention?"

"Personally, I'm willing to help Xu Xiaoluo's family, but I can't use Qingyin for this kind of thing; this is the boss's decision!"

"Unless we receive new instructions, we have no choice but to do as he says!"

"Is it the big boss?" Dai Qing asked in surprise, then suddenly realized.

Her eyes darted around, then she lowered her voice and asked slyly, "President Chu, why did the big boss do this? Is it really just to help Xu Xiaoluo's family?"

"Don't tell me he's doing this for justice. I might believe you, Mr. Chu, but I don't believe anyone else!"

"I've met plenty of big bosses, and they all prioritize profit above all else."

"Is our boss planning to use this opportunity to boost Qingyin's popularity to a new level, and then take advantage of the situation to make a quick buck?"

"As expected of the big boss, he thinks further ahead and is more patient than me. He must have guessed that the price would continue to rise!"

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Chu Hongxiu asked, both amused and exasperated. "Do you even know what the big boss said?"

"He said he didn't care about costs, gains, or losses, and even consequences, all he wanted was to generate buzz!"

She looked on with longing, "Our boss is different from others; don't judge him by worldly standards."

"Last time, Min Zhenghao from the Min family of Beidu came to Jiangcheng to discuss cooperation with us, attempting to use his power to force us to acquire Qingyin, but then suddenly nothing happened. Do you know why?"

"Min Zhenghao is dead. Qin Ge killed him!"

"Huh?" Dai Qing's eyes widened in surprise.

......

The next morning, at Yunqi Residence in Beidu.

Qin Ge invigorated Le Fei, patting her on the shoulder, "Go see if Jiang Chaoning is still here. If she is, bring her to see me!"

Le Fei remained motionless. "I'm too weak to get up!"

"Who told you to cause so much trouble..."

"Really?" Qin Ge grinned mischievously. "Then let me give you another boost!"

Le Fei sprang out of bed like a spring, "No, no, I'd better go take care of some important business first!"

He then slipped into the shower room, quickly washed up, changed his clothes, and came down.

Jiang Chaoning waited outside the gate of Yunxi Residence all night, feeling somewhat dazed.

When the morning sun pierced her eyes, she looked up and glanced into Yunxi Residence, then straightened her chest and gave a wry smile.

Before yesterday, she couldn't believe she would do something so humble, just to see someone, only to be turned away and wait outside all night.

But she still has no intention of leaving. There are some things she can't put her mind at ease until she gets to the bottom of things with Qin Ge.

Whether the strange energy flow within the body was caused by Qin Ge, and what about the black stone and the mental cultivation techniques Qin Ge imparted, these are questions that can only be asked of Qin Ge.

It's not just about getting the answers to put your mind at ease; it's also about your future path.

Why did Qin Ge do all this? And why won't he even see her? Is she really that annoying?

She thought about what she had done yesterday, and it did seem quite annoying. If Qin Ge was really a master, then he had already been very tolerant of her!

If Qin Ge still refuses to see me, what should I do? Where should I go from here? Is it still worthwhile to continue on the path of martial arts?

I wonder how Misako is doing now...

Lost in thought, the door opened. "Miss, you're still here?"

"You've been waiting here all night?!"

Le Fei stepped forward and pulled Jiang Chaoning towards the door.

Jiang Chaoning felt awkward and uneasy. "Xiao Fei, where are you taking me?"

"I know you mean well, but won't Qin Ge blame you for bringing me in like this?"

"Don't put me in a difficult position. I'm willing to wait!"

"Qin Ge sent me here. He said he wanted to see you!" Le Fei cursed Qin Ge several times in her mind. This bastard really knows how to manipulate people.

They only met once and exchanged a few words, yet the usually haughty eldest daughter of the Jiang family turned into a little kitten.

Le Fei led Jiang Chaoning to the living room and then went to get a breakfast.

"Miss Jiang, we meet again!"

Jiang Chaoning was eating breakfast when she heard the sound and looked up to see Qin Ge on the stairs.

She quickly got up, unsure whether to spit out or swallow what was in her mouth.