Chapter 130: Counterfeit

Chapter 130: Counterfeit

The auntie’s face changed in an instant. Hearing Tang Xiuxiu say that, she quit complaining right away and started looking around and yelling, "Help! Thief! Someone call the cops!"

She shouted as she left.

Xia Li: "Is this auntie some kind of Sun Wukong?"

Tang Xiuxiu: "Whatever, we did the right thing, no big deal. Let’s just ignore her."

Li Meiru: "Why don’t you guys grab a seat at that place nearby? I’ll go find He Jing and Wang Jiao."

Tang Xiuxiu nodded, "Sure, if they’re still hanging out, we’ll head out."

Tang Xiuxiu proactively asked Gao Lin, "Let me buy you lunch, okay?"

This time, Gao Lin smiled and said yes.

They found a small spot with a view and sat down.

It was cozy inside, with just one stove but plenty of heat.

The owner was one of the first entrepreneurs, and the place was doing great.

Tang Xiuxiu picked a few dishes and passed the menu around.

"My treat today, so order whatever."

Ye Xiaoxiao looked at what Tang Xiuxiu had just ordered, "That’s plenty for now, let’s see if anyone else shows up."

In case those two are still out having fun.

"Alright."

Tang Xiuxiu told the owner to get started on the order.

After a while, Wang Jiao and He Jing arrived.

Wang Jiao walked in and asked right away, "I heard you guys tried to be heroes."

Tang Xiuxiu: "Forget it, we didn’t catch the guy and almost got hurt."

The others hadn’t heard and looked over, curious.

Tang Xiuxiu explained what happened and reintroduced Gao Lin.

Gao Lin scratched his head sheepishly, "I think anyone would’ve done the same, but it’s a pity we didn’t catch the thief."

Tang Xiuxiu: "That’s not necessarily true. If that auntie was next to me, she definitely wouldn’t have helped."

The others also noticed that Tang Xiuxiu had a good impression of Gao Lin.

After the meal, Tang Xiuxiu wanted to accompany Gao Lin to get new glasses.

There was still time in the afternoon, so Wang Jiao and Fang Kaixuan decided to go play on their own.

He Jing had something to discuss with Liu Shaoming.

Ye Xiaoxiao handed the car keys to Xia Li, "You drive Li Meiru back, I’ll catch the bus later."

Xia Li: "Really? This is a brand new bike. What if I damage it?"

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Don’t worry, just go ahead and ride it."

Xia Li: "Where are you going?"

Ye Xiaoxiao simply said, "To the traditional Chinese medicine shop."

Ye Xiaoxiao was going to Rende Pharmacy.

Xia Li wasn’t interested anymore and waved goodbye to Ye Xiaoxiao, riding off with Li Meiru on the bike.

Song Guangjing’s private laboratory was not far from Rende Pharmacy. Ye Xiaoxiao first went to Rende Pharmacy to have a discussion with Manager Ma.

The Whitening Cream was in such high demand, and many merchants were secretly hiking prices.

"Also, Comrade Ye, take a look at this."

Ma Guangyao handed Ye Xiaoxiao a white porcelain jar.

At first glance, it seemed almost identical to the Whitening Cream, but upon opening it, the scent was entirely different.

Ye Xiaoxiao looked at the bottom of the jar, and there was no Rende Pharmacy logo.

"Is this a fake?"

Ma Guangyao: "Someone is producing counterfeit versions of our Whitening Cream."

Ye Xiaoxiao examined it closely, "Upon closer inspection, you’ll notice that our White Jar Whitening Cream is completely different from this fake. The counterfeit has a yellowish tint and a pungent smell."

"Some customers aren’t well-informed about the White Jar, so they end up buying fakes. I think we should provide them with information on how to identify the genuine White Jar at our sales counters.

Also, we should promote the White Jar Whitening Cream."

Ma Guangyao, in his thirties, though not young, was familiar with advertising.

He had a TV at home and could see advertisements for bicycles, sewing machines, and even fabrics.

"Comrade Ye, are you saying we should advertise our cream on TV?"

Ye Xiaoxiao nodded, "Exactly. Additionally, we could print promotional posters and place them at the entrance of Rende Pharmacy.

Also, in the future, each package should include a product description similar to a manual, so customers can recognize the Rende Pharmacy brand."

Ma Guangyao nodded, "These are excellent suggestions."

Small factories churning out subpar products are not afraid of inspections; they can just move to another location and continue production.

To drive out the counterfeit products, we need to clearly show consumers the difference between the two.

Ma Guangyao looked at Ye Xiaoxiao, hesitating before speaking.

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Manager Ma, what's wrong?"

"Comrade Ye, would you be willing to star in the ad for the Whitening Cream?"

As if worried Ye Xiaoxiao might misunderstand, he quickly added, "It’s not to save on celebrity advertising fees, but I think your image is very suitable. Your skin is absolutely flawless."

Ye Xiaoxiao had never thought about this before.

She considered herself quite attractive, but surely not as much as a celebrity, right?

"A good ad isn't just about the quality of the shoot; it's also about leveraging the celebrity effect. Take mall clothes, for instance—anything a celebrity wears in a movie is bound to sell like hotcakes. If only we could team up with a movie director and get our product featured in a film."

Manager Ma was a bit lost on Ye Xiaoxiao's next point.

"How do you even fit ads into movies?"

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Not exactly insert—more like subtle product placement. Just a quick shot of our product would do."

Seeing that Manager Ma still didn't quite understand.

Ye Xiaoxiao had to say: "Let's hold off on that for now. First, let's get the ad shoot ready. I can be in it."

Every penny saved counts, especially since it's her own business.

Manager Ma: "Got it, got it. I'll get it sorted ASAP."

His brother-in-law works as a TV station photographer, so he could rope him in for the shoot.

After handling the anti-counterfeiting stuff, Ye Xiaoxiao asked what Zhang Kaining had been up to lately.

Manager Ma: "Not sure about the details, but he's been holed up in the lab, likely working on new products."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "I'll swing by and check on him."

Manager Ma: "Need a ride over there?"

Manager Ma saw Ye Xiaoxiao as the heir to Rende Pharmacy, per Song Guangjing's wishes.

Ye Xiaoxiao: "No worries, Manager Ma, I’ve got it."

It was just a short walk, so Ye Xiaoxiao headed over on foot.

She waited outside the lab until Zhang Kaining finished his experiments and came out.

"You’re back from Swan Lake already?"

He was shocked.

Ye Xiaoxiao thought, not only are we back, but Tang Xiuxiu even got rescued by a hero.

But she simply gave a calm nod.

She wasn’t here for chit-chat—she wanted to see if Zhang Kaining needed a hand.

Zhang Kaining said dejectedly: "The drug’s properties are still all over the place. Care to take a look?"