Chapter 286 - 284: Getting Free Samples

"Since they did it, there must be a trail. I’ve already asked Zhou Yuan to look into it."

Hearing this, Xu Yue reached out and gently grasped Yang Xun’s wrist.

"Yang Xun, thank goodness for you. But things have blown out of proportion now. My idea is to temporarily pull the product off the shelves and wait for the health department’s testing report before deciding on our next move.

"At the same time, we’ll compile all the evidence and report it to the police once we have all the clues."

She paused, a hint of subtle exhaustion in her voice. "But even if he goes down, the new product’s reputation has already been damaged.

"Consumers won’t care who tampered with it. They will only remember that Ninghua Cream was found to contain illegal additives."

"Then change the sales model."

Yang Xun leaned against the back of the sofa, his gaze fixed on the ceiling as if organizing his thoughts. "Your biggest problem right now isn’t that the product is bad, but that consumers don’t dare to trust it anymore. In that case, simply don’t let them buy it—give it away first."

Xu Yue tilted her head slightly to look at him. "Give it away?"

"Sample-size trial kits, available to claim for free."

Yang Xun spoke at a moderate pace, his logic clear. "A full-sized bottle of Ninghua Cream costs tens of thousands. Consumers are afraid of getting scammed. But as long as we release trial kits, once they use them and find them effective, word of mouth will naturally spread.

"No matter how good the advertising is, it’s useless now. What you need is the first batch of people to experience it themselves."

Xu Yue fell silent for a moment, the light in her beautiful eyes gradually brightening.

She released Yang Xun’s wrist and sat up straight, as if she had regained her sense of direction.

"I hadn’t thought of this approach. The cost of trial kits isn’t high. I can produce two thousand units first and have people claim them through our official account, limited to one per person, and accompanied by a simple follow-up questionnaire."

She paused abruptly here, her gaze falling on his face with a rare hint of softness. "How did you suddenly get so good at business strategy?"

"I learned from you."

Yang Xun smiled. "Listening to you talk about company affairs at the dinner table every day, I can at least understand a little bit."

Xu Yue’s ears warmed slightly at his words. She averted her gaze and stood up. "I’ll have the marketing department prepare a plan for the trial kits right away."

She took a couple of steps, then stopped and glanced back at him. "Yang Xun."

"Hmm?"

"What Xu Feifan said earlier—"

Her gaze met his eyes, pausing for a beat. "I don’t believe him."

Meeting those gentle yet resolute eyes, Yang Xun couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt.

He and Meng Qiaofei were indeed having an affair, but he couldn’t let Xu Yue know just yet.

"Go get busy. I’ll go make dinner for you."

Yang Xun smiled faintly and turned to enter the kitchen.

Feeling a warm glow in her heart, Xu Yue went upstairs with light steps.

That night, Yang Xun and Xu Yue stayed up late in the study, watching surveillance footage on the computer.

In the dead of night, Xu Yue leaned back wearily in her chair. Eyes closed, she said, "I’ve already had the legal department compile the materials. We’ll report to the police first thing tomorrow morning. The chain of evidence includes the surveillance footage, access control records, the audio recording of Xu Feifan’s confession, and the photos Zhou Yuan provided from the casino showing Cheng Ye meeting with Xu Feifan.

"With both witness testimonies and physical evidence, it’s enough to put him through the wringer."

Yang Xun rubbed her head, then swept her up into a bridal carry.

Xu Yue naturally wrapped her arms around his neck. Their posture was incredibly intimate.

Previously, although they lived under the same roof, they had been like strangers. Now, their relationship had unconsciously grown closer and closer. Xu Yue felt as though she could no longer bear to be without him.

Yang Xun carried her back to the bedroom, laid her on the bed, and tucked her in before quietly closing the door behind him.

The hallway was quiet. Yang Xun leaned against the wall for a moment, took out his phone, and sent a message to Zhou Yuan: "Is the evidence enough?"

Zhou Yuan quickly replied, "Don’t worry, Xun. It’s enough to put him away for a few years."

"Thanks."

Yang Xun sent the brief reply and returned to his room to sleep.

The next morning, Xu Yue woke up even earlier than Yang Xun.

As she was putting on her suit jacket to leave, Yang Xun was just coming out of his room, yawning.

"My assistant will accompany me to the police station. Breakfast is on the table, remember to eat."

Xu Yue waved and walked out the door.

Yang Xun knew she was fiercely independent; she absolutely didn’t need his involvement in a minor matter like filing a police report.

It was enough for him to simply stand behind Xu Yue and be her rock whenever she needed help.

Yang Xun picked up the sandwich on the table and took a bite. It was ham and cheese, toasted to a slight crisp. He could taste that Xu Yue had made it herself.

He finished it in a few bites, changed his clothes, and headed out as well.

Today, he had appointments with two clients at the bathhouse, both regulars.

Yang Xun was already well-acquainted with this kind of familiar clientele. Massage, therapy, and the occasional special service—the process flowed as smoothly as an assembly line.

However, his mind wasn’t entirely on work today. During his lunch break, he called Zhou Yuan.

"How’s the situation?"

"I got a call right after Xu Yue left. The police have already filed the case."

Zhou Yuan’s voice carried a hint of schadenfreude. "Although that guy Xu Feifan is stupid, his confession is incredibly useful. He detailed exactly how Cheng Ye approached him to buy the data. Coupled with the surveillance footage from your R&D department and the casino photos, Cheng Ye should be enjoying a cup of tea at the police station right about now."

"Xu Yue didn’t send Xu Feifan in?"

"No. At the end of the day, they are family. Miss Xu still couldn’t bear to do it," Zhou Yuan said helplessly.

This was within Yang Xun’s expectations. He knew that while Xu Yue seemed like an iron-willed career woman, she was actually very soft-hearted inside.

But Xu Yue’s tolerance for Xu Feifan was nearing its end. One more time, and forget about sibling bonds—Xu Feifan would probably exhaust the last shred of goodwill between them.

In the afternoon, Xu Yue called.

"Yang Xun, things are mostly settled."

Her voice carried the brisk lightness of tension finally releasing. "The evidence is conclusive. Cheng Ye admitted to bribing Xu Feifan for the data, but he denied tampering with the product.

"He claims it was his subordinates acting on their own. It looks like he’s trying to find a scapegoat. But I won’t let him off easily. Since he knows how to use public opinion, I’ll turn the tables on him."

"What about the trial kits?"

"I had the marketing department start preparing today. Two thousand sample sizes are expected to go online for claiming in three days. When the time comes, help me look over the promotional copy to see if it’s well-written."

"I have no idea how to evaluate that stuff."

Yang Xun chuckled. "Whatever you write is bound to be better than what I could do."

On the other end of the line, Xu Yue laughed softly as well, the gloomy frustration in her heart entirely swept away.

After hanging up, Yang Xun continued to attend to his clients.

When work wrapped up in the evening, Xu Qian walked into the breakroom in her high heels. The moment she entered, she tossed her bag onto the sofa and collapsed into it. Massaging her temples, she complained, "More people came asking why you aren’t streaming anymore today. They’ve been hounding me all day like it’s a matter of life and death."

"If you want to stream, just stream."

"Easy for you to say! If I stream by myself, those rich sugar mommas won’t buy it at all," Xu Qian pouted her red lips in dissatisfaction.