Chapter 372 Special Edition Repair Cream

Xu Feifan’s eyes suddenly reddened slightly. He opened his mouth, his voice carrying a bit of hoarseness. “Yueyue, I… I know I’ve been a total scumbag—selling company data, drinking, gambling, whoring around, and just being a constant burden to you. But this time, I really want to turn over a new leaf.

“When Cheng Ye approached me, I did hesitate, but then I figured it out. I can’t do anything to betray you again.”

“What did he offer you?” Xu Yue asked.

Xu Feifan lowered his head, his voice muffled. “He said that as long as I got the formula, he’d help me pay off all my gambling debts. He also said he could put me in the position of power at Xu’s Beauty Industry.”

Afraid that Xu Yue might misunderstand, he quickly explained, “But the reason I agreed was to find out exactly who he had planted in the company.”

He looked up, his gaze finally becoming a bit firmer. “Cheng Ye told me he would send someone to coordinate with me, that someone would create an opportunity for me to enter your office. But thinking it over, I’m just a regular employee in the marketing department. I can’t even get near your office on a normal day. Why would he think I could get the formula?

“Unless… he already had someone on the inside who could access core information, and I was just a smokescreen.”

The corners of Xu Yue’s mouth curved up slightly, a hint of gratification in her beautiful eyes. “You’ve finally gotten smarter, brother. You guessed right.”

Xu Feifan was taken aback. “What?”

“Cheng Ye did indeed plant someone in the company before you, and that person’s rank is much higher than yours.”

Xu Yue stood up, walked over to the desk, and picked up a file, flipping it open. “Chen Lu from the R&D department. She joined the company half a year ago. Her resume is clean and impressive, and her professional skills are very strong. However, her employment reference was listed as a shell company that has already been deregistered.

“I had someone look into her background. She hails from the same hometown as a middle manager at Meiyan Biotechnology. The two have had multiple financial transactions—the amounts weren’t large, but the frequency was very high.”

Xu Feifan’s eyes widened slightly. “Chen Lu? You mean that… female researcher who doesn’t talk much but works very efficiently?”

“Yes.” Xu Yue closed the file, her tone calm. “Cheng Ye asked you to steal the formula, but in reality, he wanted to use you as a scapegoat.

“When you made your move, Chen Lu would create opportunities for you from the shadows. But once things went south, everyone would assume you acted alone, allowing her to escape unscathed.”

Xu Feifan’s expression changed for a moment, a layer of cold sweat seeping through his back.

He hadn’t realized at all that he had almost become a discarded pawn on someone else’s chessboard.

“Then… has Chen Lu been caught yet?” Xu Feifan’s voice carried a hint of urgency.

Yang Xun walked over from the window, his tone casual. “She hasn’t.”

Xu Feifan looked astonished. “She hasn’t? But she took the formula!”

“I know.” Yang Xun sat down on the sofa, crossing his legs, a meaningful smirk playing on his lips. “I let her take that formula on purpose.”

Xu Feifan was utterly bewildered; he had absolutely no idea what Yang Xun was talking about.

Leaning back against the sofa, Yang Xun explained unhurriedly, “What Chen Lu took was indeed the Repair Cream formula, but it was a ‘special edition’ I prepared in advance. On the surface, all the ingredients are correct, but I altered the ratios of several core medicinal herbs, and it’s missing the most crucial excipient.

“If that formula is used to produce the Repair Cream, not only will it fail to have any restorative effects, but it will actually exacerbate skin inflammation.”

At this point, a playful smile crept onto his lips. “What Cheng Ye is holding now is a landmine that could detonate at any moment. If he really dares to use that formula to manufacture products, Meiyan Biotechnology is completely finished.”

Xu Feifan froze for several seconds, as if just registering what Yang Xun had said.

The look in his eyes as he stared at Yang Xun carried a complexity it had never held before.

“You… you anticipated that someone would steal the formula?”

“In business, you always have to keep your guard up,” Yang Xun said, his tone breezy. “Besides, how could a guy like Cheng Ye let things go after suffering such a massive loss? He was bound to try everything to turn the tables, and stealing the formula was the most direct method.”

Xu Feifan opened his mouth but ultimately couldn’t say a word.

He suddenly felt that his twenty-plus years of life had been nothing but a joke.

He used to think Yang Xun was just a freeloading live-in son-in-law, completely useless aside from having a decent face. But now he realized that everyone in the family was working hard, while he was the only one muddling through life in a daze.

Gambling, drinking, playing around with women—he had squandered massive amounts of time and money on those meaningless pursuits. In the end, he had nothing to show for it and still had to rely on his younger sister to clean up his messes.

“How much money do you owe?” Xu Yue’s voice suddenly rang out, carrying a calm seriousness.

Xu Feifan’s body stiffened, the expression on his face like an old scar being ripped open. “Not… not much.

“Yueyue, I’m sorry. I’ll figure out a way to pay off my gambling debts myself. I won’t drag you down anymore.”

“Speak.” Xu Yue’s tone left no room for refusal.

Head bowed, Xu Feifan stayed silent for a long moment before finally squeezing a few words out of his throat like toothpaste: “Including interest… over four million.”

Xu Qian gasped. “Over four million?! Are you crazy?”

Xu Feifan didn’t retort. He just kept his head down like a beaten dog.

“I can help you pay off this money,” Xu Yue suddenly offered.

Xu Feifan jerked his head up, his bloodshot eyes full of disbelief.

“Yueyue, you…”

“But on one condition.” Xu Yue’s tone was measured. “Starting today, a portion of your salary at the company will be deducted to pay off the debt. You’ll only be left with basic living expenses each month until it’s fully paid off.

“If you perform well, I’ll promote you and raise your salary, but everything will be done according to company rules. I won’t give you special treatment just because you’re my brother.”

Her words were crisp and decisive, leaving him no time to get sentimental. “If you ever pull a stunt like this again, I will absolutely not give you a second chance.”

Standing rooted to the spot and clutching his phone, Xu Feifan felt his eyes swell with tears.

He nodded forcefully, his voice hoarse. “Okay. I won’t let you down again.”

After saying that, it was as if he had shed a heavy shackle, his whole body relaxing a fraction.

“Alright, that’s all for today. Go back to work for now,” Xu Yue said, standing up, her tone softening slightly.

Xu Feifan turned and hurried out of the office.

After the office door closed, Xu Qian leaned back against the sofa and let out a long breath. “I thought he was going to act like a jerk again. I didn’t expect him to actually be reliable for once.”