Chapter 73: What You Thought Was Rock Bottom?

Chapter 73 What You Call Rock Bottom?

"Total scumbag—no, worse than a scumbag!"

Sheng Qingquan couldn’t suppress his fury. Even someone like him, who’d never worked a real job, felt this rage. For actual nine-to-fivers, the outrage would cut deeper.

Getting worked to the bone for nothing!

And it wasn’t just their labor being taken advantage of.

This spat on the very humanity of Tianlanxing’s people.

The team zeroed in on the detail in Sheng Qingquan’s thoughts—that a small number of perceptive individuals had noticed slight weight loss.

What was this, some 'free diet plan'?

No. The fact that the hair hadn’t drained people’s bodily nutrients only proved that the sleazebag profiteer was even greedier than imagined.

He wasn’t after a quick score.

He was treating Tianlanxing like a cash cow that’d keep giving milk forever.

The only thing he had to do was cash in whenever the time was right.

As a merchant, why kill the golden goose after one egg? Of course, he’d keep it for repeated use—for long-term gains.

The bastard probably patted himself on the back for having such foresight, thinking he was following a sustainable development model.

At this thought, the staff couldn’t help but feel sick.

Human dignity got ground into the dirt. How was this any different from how one treated livestock?

Hell, livestock gets fed!

Humans couldn’t afford to ignore this just because the merchant wasn’t planning to kill them outright.

This wasn’t just a fight for dignity—it was a fight for the future.

Right now, it might seem like losing control of their own hair, but in reality, it was no different from the slavery of ancient times—their lives weren’t their own anymore.

What if the merchant suddenly faced a shortage and urgently needed a large quantity of hair? Would he just burn through people like tissues to meet demand?

The writing was on the wall.

Imagine everyone being drained dry by their own hair.

The image was already forming in their minds: walking skeletons with freakishly long, glossy black hair that stretched to the floor.

The skinnier they got, the thicker their hair grew.

Once the hair was harvested, all that would remain on Tianlanxing were husks, drained bone-dry.

Blood-freezing.

"Makes me sick!"

But that wasn’t the main problem right now. Sheng Qingquan wasn’t about to let rage screw with his head.

Honestly, after riding out the apocalypse on repeat, he’d gotten used to the white-hot rage.

Sheng Qingquan thought with a blank expression.

He hadn't forgotten what he was doing just before the novel appeared.

"I was drawing red packets earlier. And those red packets were sent by group members to celebrate growing hair."

"This means the unscrupulous merchant's exploitation of Tianlanxing has already begun."

Reminded of this, the staff members' moods instantly grew heavier.

It was clear that this would be another arduous battle.

The enemy had already struck, but they hadn't even caught a glimpse of the enemy's shadow.

"The only good news is probably that in the plot, from growing hair, to discovering the hair couldn't be styled, to already styled hair reverting to straight black hair, to hair becoming impossible to cut and left to grow unchecked, until finally everyone was shaved bald overnight—"

"This didn't happen all at once. There was a gradual progression in between."

"So Tianlanxing still has time to devise a counterattack."

"To launch the first strike in the counterattack, the first thing to do is find the enemy. Otherwise, what's the point of fighting an invisible enemy?"

"Perhaps the fortunate thing is that the plot clearly states one point. To maximize profits and monopolize resources, the merchant didn't disclose information about Tianlanxing."

Therefore, as long as they dealt with this merchant, this challenge would be overcome.

Thinking this, Sheng Qingquan began flipping back through the novel.

Earlier, to quickly find the cause of the apocalypse, he'd skipped over much of the plot. Now he needed to catch up on those parts.

Perhaps clues about the merchant were hidden in these sections.

"Hmm, I thought there was no protagonist this time, but it turns out there is?"

"Why did a familiar name suddenly appear."

"Yuan Xuefei. If I remember correctly, that's the name of the daughter of the neighbors upstairs."

"A few days ago when enjoying some gossip, I saw her eagerly sticking her head out, stretching her neck further than anyone else."

"You'd never guess she was already a business owner."

Thinking this, Sheng Qingquan suddenly realized.

"Oh right, the small factory the Yuan family runs seems to specialize in producing scissors. Their product line was very limited, but reportedly the profits are quite good."

"These scissors, could they be hair shears?"

Sheng Qingquan read on.

"They really do produce straight shears and thinning shears for cutting hair. So straight shears are for basic haircutting, and thinning shears are for thinning hair. They command premium prices too. The top-tier models cost several thousand per pair."

"I'd long heard hair shears were ridiculously expensive, but never imagined they'd cost this much. High-end models can even cost over ten thousand a pair."

Before Sheng Qingquan could feel envious, he couldn't help but sigh.

"This is absolutely brutal, isn't it?"

"When scissors couldn't cut hair anymore and got damaged by the hair, not only did the Yuan family's factory go out of business, but at first people assumed it was defective products. How could anyone accept that such expensive scissors had quality problems?"

"So the Yuan family ended up shelling out a ton in compensation."

"They never got that money back, and the endless back-and-forth legal battles dragged the Yuan family into bankruptcy."

Yuan Xuefei, from the scissor-making Yuan family: Wait, is this me?

If bankruptcy was the cost of long hair, she'd rather stay bald.

Their factory was small but a premium brand in the industry.

Their shears were ergonomic, designed to reduce strain for hairdressers, making their work easier and less likely to cause tendonitis. Not only did they improve haircut results, but they also provided better value over time.

They used high-grade materials—rust-proof by default, resistant to wear, and slow to dull. Take care of them, and they’ll last forever. The factory even offered free maintenance, including sharpening upon request.

During the warranty, any defects meant a free swap. Even afterward, customers could trade in old scissors for new ones at a discounted price.

Their rep was rock-solid thanks to great service.

So if such quality issues really arose, the factory would have to compensate to stay in business.

But bankruptcy? That’s brutal. Getting milked like a cash cow—why’s life gotta be so unfair?

Shouldn’t it just be about eating well and having fun?

In a panic, Yuan Xuefei pulled up her bank app. Seeing her fat bank account, she breathed easier.

Thank god—just a bad dream. Still time to dodge that bullet.

She let out a sigh, but the reprieve was temporary.

But if the novel’s plot played out for real, she’d end up as one of the "cash cows" being exploited.

Next to that, bankruptcy would be small potatoes.

With that in mind, she tried to steady herself.

But something still bugged her.

Sure, her family made hair shears, but that link was flimsy. Why would the plot suddenly mention it?

She wasn’t the only one lost.

"So, is there anything special about the Yuan family’s factory?"

Sheng Qingquan wasn’t the only one wondering—even the staff who had immediately sought out Yuan Xuefei couldn’t help but ask.

"What’s special about my family’s factory?" 'How should I know?' Yuan Xuefei blanked.

Finally, she shrugged at the staff: "They’re really expensive—does that count?"

She knew their shears weren’t cheap. Most salons got by with $100 shears, with high-end ones reaching two or three thousand.

But at her factory, 2K was entry-level.

Surely that couldn’t be the reason. The staff groaned. 'That’s it?'

"We’re a small but legacy brand—one of the earliest in the industry for hairdressing shears," Yuan Xuefei racked her brain. "We’re the most renowned, offer the best worker benefits, have the most skilled craftsmen, and use the most advanced machinery."

"Yeah, they’re expensive, but you get what you pay for."

"And also, the boss is the youngest in the industry!" At this point, Yuan Xuefei couldn’t help but pout in frustration. "Other than these, I really can't think of anything else."

It was clear she genuinely couldn’t think of anything more. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have even dragged out the fact that the boss was the youngest in the industry.

So what exactly is the issue here?

Or is there something else they haven’t noticed yet? While the staff were racking their brains, Sheng Qingquan had already read several chapters ahead.

"Oh shit, oh shit!"

"I thought bankruptcy was already the lowest point in Yuan Xuefei's life. Turns out she can sink even lower."

What, it can get worse?!

Yuan Xuefei no longer had the mind to think about anything else—her entire attention was seized by this statement.

How could it possibly get worse?

She went from being a wealthy heiress to a debt-ridden one. The family factory went bankrupt under her watch, which was rock bottom already. She didn’t even know how to face her family in the future.

"I was waiting for a rebound after hitting rock bottom, but instead, it just keeps getting worse?"

"Could it be that I tried to bounce back and ended up deeper in debt?"

Please, no!

Yuan Xuefei covered her face with her hands, letting out a muffled scream into her hands.

"I never realized I was so bad at business. Before this, the factory was thriving under my management, with sales through the roof. We dominated the competition, driving them into the ground, their share kept dwindling to the point where they were scraping by."

"I thought I was a business whiz."

The staff were also puzzled because, according to the records, Yuan Xuefei was actually quite competent in business. That’s why her parents felt comfortable retiring.

If it wasn’t a business-related issue, the staff had a vague suspicion forming in their minds.

"Yuan Xuefei *got* murdered."

"And the killer used her own hair as the weapon."

"After the incident, it blew up. The public was speculating wildly—some thought she snapped under the weight of bankruptcy and committed suicide. Others believed a barber who bought scissors from her factory, unable to afford their high price, found them utterly useless for cutting hair, leading to his salon being put out of business, costing him his job. In a fit of sheer spite, he came and killed her for revenge."

"Huh?!" Yuan Xuefei’s mouth fell open in shock. "I died?"

"I actually died? Just like that?"

Yuan Xuefei couldn’t believe it.

Regardless of how she died, according to the plot, she was indeed dead.

"There’s no way I’d take my own life," Yuan Xuefei said after a stunned pause. "My parents are still around—for their sake, I wouldn’t do something like that. It must’ve been murder."

It couldn’t really be like what the plot speculated, right? That just seemed pretty damn ridiculous.

As for who the most likely culprit would be—

Her competitors, whom she had run into the ground, originally had the strongest motive. But given how the plot unfolded, she was already bankrupt. Even if they had wanted revenge, seeing her downfall should’ve made them call it quits.

"So who *actually* killed me?"

"The police confirmed it was murder."

"The police discovered that before the incident, someone had openly visited Yuan Xuefei, and she herself opened the door. After investigating, the suspect's build matched a newly hired employee's at the Yuan family factory before its bankruptcy. This employee is currently missing."

"Most importantly, further police investigation revealed that this employee, named Li Yusheng, had a fake identity. No such person actually exists."

"Or maybe there are people with the same name, but their appearances and life experiences don’t match. Clearly, it wasn’t the real person."

Li Yusheng?

Yuan Xuefei racked her brain but found that no such person was currently working at the factory.

Moreover, she didn’t know him, so there couldn’t have been bad blood between them.

Then why would he kill her?

Had she owed him back pay when the business went under?

Sheng Qingquan was also puzzled by this. Just as he suspected the author might be filling space, he saw the narrative shift back to the shady businessman in the story.

“‘Time to cash in!’ In the plot, the shady businessman suddenly spoke."

"No way!!!"

Sheng Qingquan’s eyes widened slightly, and in a sudden flash of understanding, everything became clear.

Though not explicitly stated, the text all but spelled it out. Sheng Qingquan quickly pieced everything together.

"So, that employee was actually the shady businessman in disguise?"

Once he realized this, looking back at the earlier events, all the merchant's actions fell into place. In an instant, Sheng Qingquan understood it all.