Huo Shenyan's plane had just landed at Hong Kong Airport. He slightly opened his eyelids and looked out the window.
He could have flown directly back to Shanghai, but he came to Hong Kong to handle an important matter. The rest of Hengya Group's entourage had already flown back to Shanghai, leaving him with only Tang Mian and two bodyguards.
Since six years ago, he has always been accompanied by two bodyguards.
People from Hengya's Hong Kong office sent a car to pick them up. Tang Mian sat in the passenger seat and told the driver the location, and then the driver drove directly there.
However, just as they were getting close, Tang Mian's phone rang.
He then opened his phone, his expression slightly grim. He turned to Huo Shenyan and said, "Mr. Huo, I think you might want to read this article."
Tang Mian handed over the opened tablet computer.
Huo Shenyan looked down and saw the title of the article, along with the author's name, Ni Jingxi.
He then spent a few minutes reading the article from beginning to end, his expression calm and revealing no other emotion. That is, until he took out his phone and made a call.
At this moment, Ni Jingxi was dealing with the phone, because ever since her article was published, the newspaper's phone had been ringing off the hook.
So much so that she didn't notice her own phone for a long time.
Ni Jingxi stood up and walked to a corner before asking, "You went back to Shanghai?"
Her voice was filled with anticipation.
They hadn't seen each other for almost a week, and she really missed him.
"Not yet, but it should arrive tonight," Huo Shenyan said in a deep voice.
Ni Jingxi smiled and said, "Do you need me to pick you up from the airport?"
Huo Shenyan smiled and said, "No need, I'll come pick you up."
After a moment of silence, Huo Shenyan said in a low voice, "I've seen your article."
Ni Jingxi was taken aback, feeling an indescribable embarrassment, like a primary school student whose parents suddenly discovered her test paper. Even though she felt she hadn't done badly, she was still nervous and had a strange sense of anticipation.
Until he said in a very deep voice, "I am proud of you, Star."
After the two hung up the phone, Huo Shenyan arrived at his destination. Tang Mian followed him inside, where a man in a suit greeted them.
It wasn't until the man in the suit took out a black velvet box, opened it with an air of praise, and said, "Mr. Huo, I can assure you that this is absolutely the most dazzling blue diamond you can find in the world."
The box was opened, and a blue diamond ring lay quietly inside the black velvet box.
Like the most dazzling star in the dark sky.
“This blue diamond doesn’t have a name yet. Mr. Huo, as its owner, you can name it.”
Huo Shenyan gazed quietly at the blue diamond in the box, and after a long while, whispered, "A star in the palm of my hand."
He named it Palm Star.
Because its future owner is his precious star.
Author's Note: Jingxi, what a surprise!
Speak cautiously, for the sake of your divine countenance!
This is the first time I've discovered I have such a talent for naming things.
*
Chapter 27
In just one morning, the article attracted attention with astonishing speed, and even the new media editor who manages the WeChat work account was almost driven crazy.
Because she had never seen any article in the newspaper so quickly surpass 100,000 views after publication.
Even the number of likes and comments below has quickly surpassed 10,000, and it is still showing an upward trend.
The article analyzes Dadikang from an objective and rational perspective.
This company was founded in 2007, and in just over a decade, its sales reached tens of billions. The majority of its customers are middle-aged and elderly people, especially the elderly, because they are unfamiliar with the internet and lack the ability to make informed decisions.
The article mentions an octogenarian named Su Hongmei. She had a sufficient pension to support herself in her later years and lived frugally. However, on the recommendation of a relative, she started taking Dadi Kang products. But no one expected that when she was seriously ill and hospitalized, her family would discover that her salary card only had a few yuan left.
She had been taking Dadikang oral liquid, which claimed to improve and prevent anemia, but after being hospitalized, she was still diagnosed with severe anemia.
At the end of the article, there is even a price list for some of Dadikang's products, with prices so exorbitant they are astonishing.
“In China today, there are not only companies like Dadikang, but also companies that use the loudest slogans to promote their products and use persuasive words to lure elderly people who want to have health. Some people are even so depraved as to give their products to newborn babies to prove their efficacy.”
“Such companies are large, and there are many such companies. But their existence does not equate to their justification. It’s time for us to turn our attention to these so-called health product companies that started by exploiting the elderly.”
At this moment, Hua Zheng, holding her phone, kept saying, "Lord Ni, your article has gone viral! Even my dad came to ask me if I know you."
Because of Hua Zheng, her father had been following the newspaper's official WeChat account. When he saw this article today, he wholeheartedly agreed with it, feeling that every word resonated with him.
The comments under the article clearly all expressed this view.
The number of likes for the top comments continues to rise.
“My mom is involved in Dadikang, and she has already invested over 100,000 yuan. She keeps telling me that she will be able to make it big soon and get rich so I can live a good life. But right now, I can only describe my family as being destitute. The whole family is arguing endlessly about what she's doing, and my dad even considered divorcing her before.”
"Stop talking. Same world, same mom. They've been brainwashed beyond redemption by this Dadi Kang. Even my own daughter's words have less influence than her friends'. They eat steamed buns and pickled vegetables every day, but dream of driving a BMW."
"Finally, the media has reported on this company. We've finally been waiting for you."
"Damn it, I can't help but feel this way when I see these old people being scammed. If someone were to scam my grandparents, I would probably fight them to the death."
Comments kept piling up, with netizens criticizing this health supplement company that should have been exposed long ago, its loud slogans, and its eloquent so-called "upstream" contacts. It was as if everyone had found a long-awaited outlet; once a small opening was made, the stream quickly turned into a raging torrent.
Ni Jingxi scrolled through the comments on her phone, sitting quietly in her chair and reading them one by one.
Perhaps these comments are what motivate her to keep striving – to let everyone see the truth and to speak out for society.
Just as Ni Jingxi was staring at her phone, a hand suddenly slammed down on her desk.
"What's going on with you guys? Why didn't you tell our advertising department before writing this article?" The advertising manager stood next to Ni Jingxi's desk.
Many people were drawn to the commotion and looked up.
Especially noticeable was Wen Tang standing not far away, arms crossed, with a girl from the life services team beside her. "Manager Wang seems quite angry. What happened?"
"It's just that some people write sensational articles to show off," Wen Tang sneered.
The article on the official WeChat account has gone viral on WeChat Moments. Not only have many of her colleagues from this newspaper forwarded it, but even friends from other media outlets are forwarding it.
This article is sure to cause a public outcry, how could Wen Tang feel comfortable about it?
She was originally the undisputed number one reporter at the Shanghai People's Daily. Not to mention the economics section alone, she felt she had no rivals in the entire newspaper.
But Ni Jingxi quietly did something so big.
Originally, Wen Tang thought that she would definitely backfire because of her previous offense against advertisers and fight.
But the editor-in-chief not only didn't punish her, but also praised her as a role model for the other reporters at the newspaper. Wen Tang had been eager to interview a bigwig in the business world and outdo her.
Before Wen Tang could even make a move, Ni Jingxi's article completely ignited social media.
Manager Wang was genuinely angry at this moment because their advertising department hadn't even made any plans with Dadikang Company yet. Who knew that this article would suddenly appear on their official WeChat account today? Jin Haiyang was so angry that he not only called to berate him but also threatened to sue their company.
"Do you know how much trouble this article of yours will cause?" Manager Wang angrily slammed his hand on Ni Jingxi's desk several times.
Ni Jingxi stared at him coldly.
Seeing that she remained silent, Manager Wang simply said, "They've threatened to sue you for defamation. Don't think that just because you're a journalist you can write whatever you want."
To be honest, Manager Wang received a lot of kickbacks from Dadikang; this was an unspoken rule.
Now a newbie has appeared at the newspaper, and he's managed to offend everyone on his behalf. How can he not be angry?
Ni Jingxi stood up. Manager Wang was short, and at this moment, she even had to slightly raise her eyes to stand up.
Ni Jingxi stared coldly at the other person, and said in a very slow but extremely solemn tone, "I can take responsibility for every word I said in my article. So..."
"Let him sue!"
At this moment, everyone in the office area was looking at this girl. She was slender and looked quiet, but every word she spoke was firm and powerful.
*
By the afternoon, the article had surprisingly made it to the top of Weibo's trending topics and was trending upwards.
Until they successfully broke into the top five.
As expected, the headquarters of Dadikang could not withstand such influence and published a solemn lawyer's letter on its official Weibo account, demanding not only an apology from Humin Daily but also an apology from Ni Jingxi himself.
Originally, the popularity of this article was all on Dadi Kang, but the other party was not giving up and launched a counterattack, even dragging Ni Jingxi into it.
Soon after, Ni Jingxi's name also became a trending topic, and some busybody actually found a photo of Ni Jingxi.
The photo is a standard ID photo, which Ni Jingxi put on her press card.
The little girl's thick, long hair was tied in a ponytail. She had a classic oval face with a smooth, full forehead, and even her hairline looked as if it had been painted on.
She has bright, expressive eyes, especially her dark eyes which are so clear and bright, like glass. Even though it's a photograph, it makes you feel like she's looking directly at you.
"Which bastard dug up this reporter's photo? That's outrageous! Even if she's really pretty, I don't want to know what she looks like. I'm afraid she'll be targeted."
"I hope you can protect this young lady's safety. And I really have to say, she's so beautiful."
"This reporter is really great. My family is also a victim of Dadikang. My brother and sister-in-law lost a lot of money doing this. We have always hoped that someone could expose this unscrupulous company. I didn't expect that someone would actually pay attention to it."
Netizens were surprised that such a sharp and insightful article came from the hand of such a young and beautiful girl. Although most people called for the protection of Ni Jingxi's privacy.
However, some people couldn't resist the temptation to dig deeper, especially some marketing accounts, which even dug up Ni Jingxi's Weibo.
Ni Jingxi does have a Weibo account, but it's the kind of account that she only updates a few times a month.
However, she would occasionally update her status. When she was on vacation in Saipan with Huo Shenyan, she posted a travel photo. Because she never thought she would become famous one day, she never paid attention to her Weibo.
"Although this is a bit off-topic, I want to say that this young lady is truly the most beautiful female reporter I have ever seen."
"Wait a minute, are your standards for reporters this high now? Not only is she beautiful, but she also has such a damn good figure."
"From today onwards, I am a die-hard fan of Ni Jingxi."
In just a few hours, Ni Jingxi's Weibo followers skyrocketed from a few hundred to 100,000, and the number continues to grow.
When Ni Jingxi got home that evening, she received a call from Huo Shenyan.
"Can't come back today?" She was taken aback, her tone somewhat disappointed.