It's All Lao Wang's Fault

This is... this is incredible!

The girl who had delivered the mineral water covered her mouth in shock as she noticed the woman’s darkened face transforming before her eyes.

The crowd that had surged forward, ready to attack An Yi, froze in astonishment at the sight.

The face that had been bruised and blackened was now completely healed!

What was going on?

Weren’t they saying the Jade Beauty Serum caused skin damage?

The onlookers were stunned.

Even the man was dumbfounded.

He knew exactly what his wife had done—it was that so-called "Youth Nourishing Serum."

But who the hell would’ve guessed that the Jade Beauty Serum had restorative properties?!

In an instant, the crowd’s gazes turned accusatory toward the man.

This was clearly a scam to extort money!

What was worse, he had manipulated their sympathy to incite them!

Someone with a keen eye for drama realized this could go viral and quietly pulled out their phone to record the scene.

"Rest assured, everyone, An Family Corporation’s products are thoroughly tested. Not only do they not damage the skin, but they also nourish and repair it," An Yi said with a cheerful grin. Then, he added, "A friendly reminder—if your skin has been harmed by inferior cosmetics from other brands, our nourishing serum can still help restore it!"

"This is legit magic! I always thought this stuff was a scam, but it’s actually this effective?"

"Well, you get what you pay for."

"Jade Beauty Serum is the GOAT!"

Public opinion swung sharply in the opposite direction.

The same people who had been cursing An Family Corporation as shady profiteers moments ago were now praising the miraculous effects of the serum.

Seeing this, the man panicked.

He glared at An Yi in fury. "You lied to me! Didn’t you just say you weren’t an An Family Corporation employee?"

An Yi’s smile slowly twisted into something far more smug. "That’s right—because I’m the boss of An Family Corporation."

The man: "..."

Lan Ruoxi couldn’t help but burst into laughter, her bright eyes fixed on An Yi.

Even though this guy was never serious, he always gave her an inexplicable sense of security.

"See? I told you your neighbor Lao Wang was shady. What’d I say? Spot on, wasn’t it?"

An Yi stepped forward, clapping the man on the shoulder before leaning in slightly, his expression turning icy. "Oh, and tell that Lao Wang who gave you the Jade Beauty Serum—if he keeps framing our company, he’d better hope his luck holds out."

A cold sweat broke out on the man’s forehead, his face turning ashen.

How could this seemingly goofy young man radiate such terrifying menace?

"R-right! When I get back, I’m gonna beat the crap out of that bastard Lao Wang! That scumbag nearly ruined my wife’s face!" the man stammered nervously. "Thank you, bro. If it weren’t for you, my wife’s skin would’ve been done for."

"No need for thanks. The small red bottle of Jade Beauty Serum costs 100,000 yuan. Will you be paying by card or cash?" An Yi asked with a beaming smile.

The man: "..."

After swiping his card, the man’s expression was as grim as if he were attending a funeral.

That was a whole year’s salary—gone, just like that!

Meanwhile, his wife happily admired her reflection in her phone’s front camera, grinning from ear to ear.

Sure, they were broke now, but at least her face was back to normal.

The crowd chimed in with unsolicited advice.

"Bro, you gotta deal with Lao Wang. What a piece of work!"

"Yeah, and sis, maybe be more careful about accepting gifts from other men?"

"Honestly, if I had a neighbor like Lao Wang, I’d have grabbed a butcher knife and gone after him ages ago!"

The spectators, never ones to miss a chance to stir the pot, only escalated their remarks.

The man’s face darkened to an alarming shade of purple, as if he’d already been crowned with a neon-green hat.

Hearing the insults hurled at Lao Wang, the woman trembled with rage. "Lao Wang isn’t like that! You don’t know anything, so shut your mouths!"

The man: "???"

Realizing her slip-up, the woman hastily covered her mouth.

"Oh, so there is something going on! I’ve had my suspicions for a while—how many times has this happened? Spill it!" the man roared, veins bulging on his forehead.

Terrified, the woman stammered, "J-just once! And—and he forced me! Honey, let me explain!"

"So it’s true?!"

The man’s vision swam with rage, his head pounding.

A thick, verdant hat had been firmly planted on his head.

"Honey, I—I still love you..." the woman sobbed, grabbing his arm.

"Love my ass! Screw you and your ancestors!"

"Go ahead, hit me! Kill me if you want, you spineless coward!"

"Don’t stop me—today, I’m ending this bitch!"

"If you were half the man Lao Wang is, I wouldn’t have cheated!"

Watching the chaotic scene unfold, An Yi shook his head in amusement.

"Another happy family torn apart by Lao Wang."

"Let’s go. Nothing more to see here," he said to Lan Ruoxi with a light chuckle.

"An Yi, you’re amazing!"

Lan Ruoxi’s eyes sparkled with admiration as she suddenly stood on her tiptoes, pressing a fleeting kiss to his lips.

She knew this move of his had completely turned the tables.

Of course, she hadn’t expected the Jade Beauty Serum to be this effective.

Ding! [Rogue Master] mission progress: 2/3!

An Yi: "..."

Right. He’d almost forgotten about that.

"Be careful. If someone sees, it’ll hurt your reputation—you are the CEO of An Family Corporation now," An Yi reminded her gently.

As a public figure, any rumors about her personal life could cause trouble.

Luckily, the crowd was too engrossed in the green-hatted couple’s brawl to notice.

Lan Ruoxi muttered under her breath, "I don’t care."

"What was that?" An Yi asked, tilting his head.

Lan Ruoxi smiled sweetly. "I said you’re really incredible."

"Damn right!"

An Yi flashed a grin. "And the best part’s yet to come."

"Five Dimensions Corporation’s Youth Nourishing Serum is toxic.

Applied topically, it can corrode the skin!

Now that symptoms are appearing, this won’t be the first case—nor the last.

Five Dimensions’ rising star in cosmetics? It’ll collapse within days."

As for those whose skin was already damaged by the serum?

"Well, cough cough... our Jade Beauty Serum can fix that!

Can’t afford the gold bottle? Try the red, purple, or blue ones.

And for just a few hundred, there’s the basic white bottle.

Same effects—just takes a bit longer to work."

---

Five Dimensions Cosmetics Headquarters.

Deep in the dimly lit basement.

A sickly yellow bulb cast eerie shadows across Xue Ming’s sinister face.

A dagger dripped with fresh blood in his grip.

A bound, bloodied man—Lan Yihe—hung like a slaughtered pig, his body covered in wounds.

"Lan Yihe... this was your brilliant idea, wasn’t it?" Xue Ming’s voice was lethally soft.

"Y-Young Master Xue, I swear my loyalty to the Five Venoms Sect is absolute!" Lan Yihe wheezed through swollen eyelids. "Everything I did was to advance the sect’s interests!"

"Loyalty? Bullshit!"

Xue Dong lashed out with a whip, striking Lan Yihe’s battered flesh.

For days, this fat pig had treated him and Xue Xia like dogs.

Now? Payback was long overdue.

Xue Ming stepped forward, grabbed Lan Yihe by the hair, and said coldly, "The Wudu Cosmetics factory has been shut down! Do you have any idea that this could have been delayed for another half month?"

Lan Yihe's face turned deathly pale.

He was a businessman, and he knew exactly how lucrative Wudu Cosmetics' profits were.

Half a month's revenue would have been an astronomical sum!

Cutting off the Five Poisons Sect's cash flow was a crime he couldn’t atone for even with his life.

"Young Master Xue, give me another chance, just one more! You know what I’m capable of—I’ll spend the rest of my life earning money for the Five Poisons Sect," Lan Yihe pleaded desperately.

Xue Ming sighed and said leisurely, "I’d love to give you that chance, but orders have come from above. Sorry, Yihe."

He pulled out a pill and said indifferently, "I heard you’ve always been fond of our Five Poisons Sect’s toxins. Your dear mother went the same way. The old lady must be lonely—go keep her company."

Ignoring Lan Yihe’s struggles, he forced the pill into his mouth.

Before long, Lan Yihe’s legs twitched, and then he fell completely still.

Xue Ming clapped his hands clean, turned around, and his gaze grew even colder.

"An Yi!"