Shu Lanzhou shook her head—she had no answer for Zhao Huanhuan's question either.
"I don't know. But Han Weicheng once said something to me. He told me the Mu family was just using me. That they never truly saw me as a disciple, only as a tool."
"Pfft…" Zhao Huanhuan burst out laughing.
"Is he stupid or something? Who pours their heart and soul into using someone like a tool? Don't listen to him, senior. You have no idea how many students at the medical university envy you right now."
"I mean, come on—it's the Mu family! A prestigious medical lineage over a hundred years old. There's Professor Gu, Professor Mu, two of the most respected names in the field. And let's not forget Professor He and the Mu family's second young master. That kind of backing is just… insane."
"And you're even the young madam of the Mu family now. If that's being used, then anyone with half a brain would gladly volunteer!"
Shu Lanzhou laughed as well. "Exactly. That's more or less what I told him. I guess what he's after is just different from us."
"What could a scumbag like that possibly be after?" Zhao Huanhuan snorted.
"I get it now—he's chasing immortality. Someone with such twisted thoughts could never walk the same path as the righteous Mu family."
"Maybe he was just constantly on edge, afraid the Mu family would discover his true nature. That anxiety might've been what caused the acupuncture accident."
Shu Lanzhou shook her head. "Aside from Han Weicheng, I doubt anyone knows what really happened. But I don't think even he expected the consequences to be so severe."
"Or maybe you were right—his emotional state was shaken by something, and that affected his control during the procedure."
Zhao Huanhuan nodded. "That's very likely. But it doesn't matter anymore. The people online believe in Old Mr. Mu's innocence. The Mu family's reputation stands firm and clear."
"As for the whole Zhang family matter—it's more or less settled. If we really want the truth, we'll just wait until he wakes up and ask him."
"…"
Zhao Huanhuan was surprisingly good at comforting people.
Leaving the hospital ward, Shu Lanzhou planned to visit Long Xingyue and discuss Han Weicheng's situation. If all went well, he'd wake up within two or three days.
On the way to Long Xingyue's office, she pulled out her phone to check the latest news online.
She and Mu Side had agreed from the start not to suppress the trending posts. The incident had already happened—trying to obscure the truth would only further erode public trust.
The best strategy? Just two words—transparency.
Expose everything to the sunlight, and trust that fairness lives in the hearts of the people.
Those who break the law would be dealt with by the authorities. All they had to do was act with a clear conscience.
Before tapping into the news, Shu Lanzhou had some expectations about what she'd find—but even so, she was still surprised by how well it had turned out.
The once-heated post by Xiao Anning had lost all its momentum. Instead, the Mu Corporation's official site was now trending.
More and more people were flooding to the site to read about the Mu-Zhang family feud. The traffic was so heavy her phone even froze for a moment when she tried to enter.
Scrolling down, she saw the comments:
"Can't speak for what happened twenty years ago, but based on everything the Mu family has done recently, I trust them completely. I don't believe they'd harm anyone."
"How dare people dig up events from so long ago? If Old Mr. Mu had really done something wrong, the state would've dealt with him ages ago. Would the Mu family still be standing today?"
"Exactly. The dead should be left in peace. Both men involved in the case are gone. For the Zhangs to bring this up now? Clearly just a money grab."
"My dad said back then, the Zhangs were one of the most powerful families in Shen City. Assets all across the country. Then Zhang Lao died, and they collapsed in a few years. What does that tell you?"
"The Zhang descendants couldn't uphold the legacy. Who's to blame for that? Meanwhile, the Mu family was targeted back then—lost their wealth, reputation, even their hospitals. But look at them now."
"Yeah, I don't care what happened in the past. Today, I stand with the Mu family. Dr. Shu cured my face, and that's all I need to know."
"That's right! Whoever says Mu-style acupuncture doesn't work can fight me. If Dr. Shu hadn't treated me, I'd have lost my job."
"Based on everything Mu Corp has done lately, they're clearly a company with integrity. I can't believe someone like that would ever take a life."
"Is there any surgery in the world that's 100% guaranteed? The Zhangs signed a risk consent form—how can they blame Old Mr. Mu afterward? Who'd dare perform surgery under those conditions?"
"Exactly. What doctor would guarantee perfection every time?"
"…"
Reading these comments, Shu Lanzhou felt her eyes grow warm.
Turns out, there were still plenty of rational voices. The few critical remarks were quickly buried beneath the flood of positive ones. The public had eyes—they chose to side with the Mu family.
She and Mu Side had made the right call. They had faced the storm head-on, and the public had come to believe them.
In a way, she was even grateful to Xiao Anning. Her attempt to smear them had ended up turning into free publicity, propelling Mu-style acupuncture into the spotlight.
Shu Lanzhou's heart swelled with joy—she practically floated down the hall.
She hadn't even reached Long Xingyue's office when she ran into Officer Cai.
"Officer Cai, Han Weicheng's room is in the next building over. What brings you here?"
Cai pointed to the director's office. "Looking for someone."
"Huh?" Shu Lanzhou's eyes lit with curiosity.
"I'm working on a case. No comment," Cai replied seriously.
Shu Lanzhou grinned. "I didn't even ask anything! Alright, alright—you get to it. I won't bother you."
She quickened her pace and entered Long Xingyue's office—only to double back, peeking out through the door crack.
"What are you peeking at like some kind of thief?" Long Xingyue brought over a cup of tea and mimicked her action.
"Shh…" Shu Lanzhou whispered mysteriously. "Uncle Long, I just saw Officer Cai go into the director's office. You know him, right? Why do you think he's there?"
Long Xingyue blinked. "That fast? I'm going to take a look."
"Should you, though? If the director's being arrested, and you show up just to gawk, won't he hold a grudge?"
"If that's how it goes, then he can just hate me alone." Long Xingyue gave her a stern look. "You stay here."
"No way! I'm sticking with you, Uncle Long. I won't let him hate you alone," Shu Lanzhou replied cheerfully.
The two hadn't even reached Director Xiang Hua's office when they saw Officer Cai and another plainclothes officer escorting Xiang out, one on each side.
When Xiang saw them, his expression turned shameful. "Deputy Director Long, keep an eye on things at the hospital. I've written down all the key details in the work logs. Check them when you can."
Long Xingyue gave a slight nod. "It's probably nothing serious. Just explain things clearly and come back. I'll wait for you."
That sentence seemed to strike a nerve. Xiang's eyes reddened.
"I'm not coming back," he said, forcing a bitter smile. "I'm no longer worthy of stepping through that door. Long Xingyue… I'm sorry."
With that, he strode away. As he passed Shu Lanzhou, he paused for a moment and said, "Dr. Shu, I hope you'll stay true to yourself. Don't end up like me."
Though she didn't know what Xiang had done, Shu Lanzhou still nodded firmly.
"I will. Following the law, staying loyal, and being dedicated to my work—that's how I live."
"…"
Long Xingyue nearly choked holding in his laugh. If the moment weren't so serious, he would've burst out.
After Officer Cai and Xiang got into the elevator, Shu Lanzhou could no longer contain herself.
"Uncle Long, can you please tell me—what exactly did Director Xiang do?"