Kong Yu didn’t have many followers on Weibo.

He had just been venting online.

He didn’t expect to get much attention. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

But for some reason,

after he posted it, his post was quickly promoted and drew widespread attention.

It even started trending.

During this period, quite a few patients had been duped by Lianhua Granules.

They flooded the comments section, echoing Kong Yu’s accusations.

@AngrySisterLiu: Me too! My son took Lianhua Granules and had a fever for three days and three nights. We finally had to take him to the hospital for an IV drip to get it down. That stuff is poison!

@ProgrammersDontCry: Hard agree. I took a whole box, and it did jack squat. I wanted to support domestic traditional medicine, but it was just a scam. I’m never buying traditional Chinese patent medicine again. I’ll just stick to Western medicine from now on.

@InnocentLittleFairy: *Sob sob sob*... I listened to the experts and bought Lianhua Granules. Now my fever is so high I can barely think straight. My mom’s about to take me to the ER. My heart hurts so much. I’m never trusting an expert again.

@ClearWindBrightMoon: These unethical experts should be exposed! Hyping up useless medicine for profit, do they take the common people for fools?! I demand severe punishment.

In an instant, Weibo was filled with an unending torrent of condemnation for Lianhua Granules. The criticism spread, casting unprecedented doubt on the entire traditional Chinese patent medicine industry, and even the system of traditional Chinese medicine itself.

Watching the number of comments and reposts climb, Kong Yu, despite his misery, felt a sliver of satisfaction from his "revenge."

But revenge was one thing;

he still had to get better.

Because he’d delayed for two days, his low-grade fever had spiked to a high fever of 39.5°C. It felt like every joint in his body ached.

At times, his violent coughing fits made it impossible to breathe properly.

He felt as if he’d been run over by a truck, like his entire body had fallen apart.

’Should I go to the hospital?’

Kong Yu thought about it but still decided to try taking medicine first.

Going to the hospital meant waiting in line and getting tests, which would take at least half a day.

The economy wasn’t great right now,

and his company had just gone through a round of layoffs.

There was too much work and not enough people, so things were always incredibly busy.

If he asked for time off now, his boss probably wouldn’t approve it.

Besides, Kong Yu didn’t want to take time off himself.

’What if they fire the people who take the most sick days in the next round of layoffs?’

Kong Yu put on a heavy coat and went downstairs.

Not far away was Kangning Pharmacy.

That was where he had bought the Lianhua Granules last time.

Kong Yu really didn’t want to go back.

But the other pharmacy was on the next street over, at least a ten-minute walk.

It was so cold out, he couldn’t be bothered.

’I’ll just go there. I’ll buy Western medicine this time...’

Dragging his heavy feet, Kong Yu staggered into Kangning Pharmacy.

The owner, Zhang Zhigang, was busy stocking shelves with Lianhua Suanzaoren Granules.

"Young man, what’s wrong? You look pale. You must be pretty sick."

Zhang Zhigang asked with concern.

Kong Yu often bought medicine at his shop. He was a local resident, so Zhang Zhigang recognized him.

"Boss Zhang..." Kong Yu’s voice was hoarse. "It’s the flu... Get me some fever reducer and cough medicine... Oh, and whatever you do, don’t give me any traditional Chinese patent medicine."

Zhang Zhigang understood immediately.

He put down the box of medicine he was holding, walked over to Kong Yu, and said earnestly, "Young man, I know the Lianhua Granules you bought last time probably didn’t work as well as you’d hoped. But this time, I strongly recommend our newest product at Kangning Pharmacy—Lianhua Suanzaoren Granules. It’s made by Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory and is a special-effect drug specifically for flu symptoms like yours. I promise you, it absolutely works!"

The moment Kong Yu heard the word "Lianhua," his immediate instinct was to refuse.

He had developed a strong aversion to traditional Chinese patent medicine.

"More... more Lianhua? Boss Zhang, you’ve got to be kidding me. It was because I took Lianhua Granules that I ended up like this..."

Kong Yu shook his head weakly.

"Young man, just listen to me."

Zhang Zhigang knew how important it was to rebuild trust.

If he didn’t win back a customer now,

he might lose even more patients in the future.

He thumped his chest and guaranteed, "This ’Lianhua Suanzaoren Granules’ is completely different from the last ’Lianhua Granules.’ This is the newest product from Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory. Can’t you trust their medicine? I guarantee it. You go home, take one dose, and you’ll feel the effects. If it doesn’t work, you come right back here. I’ll give you a double refund and throw in the best Western medicine for free."

"Well..."

Kong Yu hesitated.

It wasn’t just Zhang Zhigang’s guarantee.

More importantly, it was the brand name: Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory.

He worked in IT.

He usually strained his eyes a lot.

A few months ago, he had come to the pharmacy to buy eye drops.

Boss Zhang had recommended Mao Duddu Eye Drops, and after using them, the results had been excellent.

And Mao Dudu was made by Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory.

’Should I trust them one more time?’

’After all, the reputation of Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory was much better than that of those so-called "experts."’

"Then... okay. Boss Zhang, I’ll trust you this one time."

In the end, Kong Yu chose to trust Zhang Zhigang.

Zhang Zhigang got a box of Lianhua Suanzaoren Granules for Kong Yu and explained in detail how to take it and what precautions to observe.

In addition,

Kong Yu also bought some ibuprofen and a few anti-inflammatory Western medicines.

That way, if the Lianhua Suanzaoren Granules didn’t work, he wouldn’t have to make another trip.

Back home,

Kong Yu boiled a kettle of water and dissolved a packet of Lianhua Suanzaoren Granules.

When he drank the medicine, it had the bitterness of herbal remedies, but it was accompanied by a fresh, fragrant aroma, completely different from the taste of the previous Lianhua Granules.

Not long after he drank it, a miracle quietly took place.

First, his stuffy nasal passages gradually cleared, and his breathing became smooth again.

Then, he felt a cool, medicinal sensation travel down his throat to his lungs, significantly easing the burning pain.

What surprised him most was that his violent cough had also miraculously subsided, leaving only an occasional, gentle clearing of his throat.

He touched his forehead; the scorching temperature was also starting to slowly come down.

The aches all over his body were also fading, bit by bit.

"This... It’s really working!"

Kong Yu was stunned.

He felt an unprecedented sense of relief and comfort. Exhaustion soon washed over his weary body, and he fell into a deep sleep.

When he woke up, Kong Yu felt like a new man.

His high fever was completely gone, his throat no longer hurt, and his cough had all but vanished. Aside from a little weakness, he felt completely recovered!

"Holy shit, holy shit..."

Kong Yu felt incredibly refreshed.

His shock was beyond words.

He was bursting with the desire to share his experience.

After a moment’s thought,

Kong Yu opened Weibo and wrote a new post, this time his words filled with excitement and apology.

@KongYu: #Flu #LianhuaSuanzaorenGranules A retraction! I apologize for my previous statements!

A few days ago, I posted a complaint about Lianhua Granules being ineffective. Now, I must sincerely apologize to everyone.

Today, I bought Lianhua Suanzaoren Granules, made by Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory, from Kangning Pharmacy. I took just one dose—only a single dose—and my high fever broke, my cough stopped, and my throat isn’t sore anymore!

I feel like I’ve been brought back to life!

This is a truly effective Divine Medicine.

Everyone, please don’t be misled by those unethical experts and buy Lianhua Granules anymore.

Make sure you look for Lianhua Suanzaoren Granules from Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory.

This is the medicine that can actually cure the flu.