Need Celebrity Endorsement

However, Fang Chu had no choice. Since they had already asked him to leave, staying any longer would only make them dislike him more.

"Auntie, I'll be going then. Please take care of yourself."

After saying this, Fang Chu gave Zhao Yingying a faint smile before turning to leave.

Once outside, he closed the door behind him, his expression gradually turning cold.

This Xu Mu would undoubtedly find time to investigate his identity.

In any case, his three-year deadline was almost up. Within this timeframe, Xu Mu might succeed in winning Zhao Yingying over.

But he would never get a woman like Li Yun—which meant Fang Chu still had a chance.

Seeing that everyone else had left, Xu Mu also smiled at Li Yun and said, "Auntie, since you're feeling better, I won’t disturb you any longer."

Li Yun, however, stepped forward and grabbed Xu Mu’s hand, pulling him to sit on the sofa.

Zhao Yingying sat down on his other side.

Xu Mu’s face remained calm, but inwardly, he was nervous. He glanced left and right—what were they planning?

"Xiao Xu, tell me the truth—that medicine you gave me wasn’t cheap, was it?"

Li Yun’s expression was serious.

Though she wasn’t highly educated, she had at least graduated from a vocational college. A surgery costing hundreds of thousands might not even have cured her.

Yet Xu Mu’s pill had fixed everything in an instant.

She had seen news reports before—many wealthy people with cancer often found ways to recover.

Could this pill be something similar?

Xu Mu hesitated slightly. Given Li Yun’s demeanor, trying to brush it off with a lie wouldn’t be easy.

He had no choice but to reveal the true value of the medicine.

"Auntie, to be honest, this medicine is worth around a million," Xu Mu said calmly. "It was jointly developed by medical experts from both domestic and international institutions. Due to its high cost, it hasn’t been released to the public."

[Affection Points +20]

[Affection Points +40]

Xu Mu watched as black text floated above their heads. Strangely, Li Yun’s affection points were increasing faster.

"A million… How many breakfasts would I have to sell to earn that much…"

Li Yun released Xu Mu’s hand, lowering her head in dismay.

Her posture was so slumped that her face nearly touched her chest.

Zhao Yingying, meanwhile, wasn’t just nervous—she was outright frightened.

A million, on top of the 150,000 Xu Mu had given them before—how could they ever repay such a debt?

"Xiao Xu, if I had known how valuable that medicine was, I would’ve rather died than take it. It’s too precious."

Li Yun sighed deeply.

"Auntie, don’t feel pressured. The medicine was a gift—you don’t have to repay me," Xu Mu said with a reassuring wave.

[Affection Points +30]

Another line of black text appeared above Li Yun’s head.

"No! I have to repay you, or I’ll never feel at ease!"

Li Yun had always been a strong woman. Her husband had passed away over a decade ago.

With her looks, she could have easily remarried and lived comfortably without struggling like this.

Yet she had raised Zhao Yingying alone all these years.

"Auntie, I really admire you. From now on, take better care of yourself—don’t push yourself too hard."

Xu Mu looked at Li Yun with sincerity.

Li Yun stiffened, quickly avoiding his gaze. She didn’t even understand why she suddenly felt so emotional—tears welling up in her eyes.

Even back when her late husband was alive, he had never said anything like that to her.

[Affection Points +50]

"I should get going. Yingying, take good care of your mom. Remember to go for a follow-up checkup at the hospital in a couple of days. If you need money, just call me."

After checking his phone, Xu Mu turned to leave.

"Brother Mu, let me walk you out."

Zhao Yingying followed him gratefully.

[Affection Points +20]

Once in his car, Xu Mu found it almost unbelievable. Today, he had earned so much "justice points" from Li Yun, of all people.

Meanwhile, Zhao Yingying had given him significantly fewer points.

……

Xu Mu drove to his company. Shortly after settling into his office, he received a call from Xu Shou, summoning him to his office.

Taking the elevator to the top floor, he knocked on the CEO’s door.

Hearing Xu Shou’s voice from inside, Xu Mu pushed the door open with a smile.

Inside, aside from Xu Shou, Xu Ningbing was also present.

Xu Ningbing glanced at Xu Mu, her expression as cold and elegant as ever. She asked flatly, "What did you do?"

"What do you mean?"

Xu Mu sat on the sofa, crossing his legs casually.

"The materials for our weight-loss pills have more than doubled in price. And last night, they surged another two-fold on top of that. Clearly, someone’s been aggressively stockpiling."

Xu Shou smiled. "Ironically, the biggest price hikes were for the materials we no longer need—the ones we replaced."

Xu Mu chuckled. "Long story short, Lin Yang got his hands on my fake formula, and now the hoarding frenzy has begun."

He grinned. "Let’s see how much they lose this time."

"Our own version of the drug is ready for production and will hit the market soon."

Xu Shou looked at Xu Mu. "I was thinking of hiring a celebrity endorser. I’ll leave the selection to you."

"Why bother with celebrities? My sister here is prettier than any of them."

Xu Mu shot a glance at Xu Ningbing.

The office uniform clung to her figure, the buttons on the front straining tightly.

Paired with her coldly beautiful face, even most celebrities couldn’t compare to her.

Xu Ningbing inadvertently lifted her chin, like a proud swan.

[Favorability +5]

"Ningbing is indeed stunning, but we still need a celebrity to quickly boost our brand’s visibility," Xu Shou said, turning to Xu Mu. "As a young man, you should have some insight. I’ll leave this matter to you."

"Understood."

Xu Mu nodded slightly. It seemed he’d need to find some well-reviewed candidates when he had the time.

He was a pragmatic person and certainly wouldn’t hire A-list celebrities.

Typically, top-tier stars were hired when a product lacked competitive edge, relying on their fans to drive sales.

But the Xu Group’s weight-loss pills had a core advantage—no one else could replicate them, and their effectiveness was unmatched.

What they needed was fame, a way to make their product known quickly.

After bidding farewell to Xu Shou, Xu Mu returned to his office. He thought of someone—Zhou Hening.

He probably had connections in the entertainment industry and could introduce him to a few suitable candidates.

---

Noon.

Flavor Food Laboratory.

Lin Yang glanced at Li Feipeng beside him and asked, "How’s it going? Any updates on those volunteers?"

"Mr. Lin! Perfect! The drug is legit. Last night, we rushed to produce a few pills and had some volunteers take them. It’s already noon, and they still haven’t felt any hunger."

Li Feipeng clenched his fist excitedly. "No diarrhea either, and their sleep quality was normal—no side effects at all."

"Good! Then it’s the real deal." Lin Yang clapped his hands firmly. "I’ve heard the Xu Group’s product is about to hit the market. We have to beat them to it. I’m pouring all my savings into this—maximum production speed."

"I’m investing too!" Li Feipeng chimed in.

---

Meanwhile.

Xu Mu was having lunch with Meng Wanyue in the company cafeteria.

Just then, his phone buzzed with an incoming call—the caller ID read "Feng Yue."

Xu Mu smirked coldly. How dare this woman call him now.