Ye Tiancheng had already gathered all the synthesis recipes. With the instructions from his dreams, everything Ye Tiancheng did was incredibly convenient, as if he had a heavenly eye, allowing him to overcome all obstacles with ease.
"Alright, Master. I've been busy calculating data and haven't participated in researching new medicines for a long time. This opportunity today is truly rare. Then, your disciple can learn along."
Those villagers were indeed a bit slow-witted. Years of farming had ingrained in them a habit of not using their brains. They learned a little and understood a little. However, Ye Tiancheng didn't have to endure such hardship because he had a good disciple, Lin Xue, to help him.
This disciple was truly impeccable. She was not only beautiful but also profound, a true one-in-a-million.
Lin Xue was incredibly patient. Not only was she methodical in her work, but she was also genuinely smart and quick-witted.
In less than an afternoon, Li Xue led the villagers in producing over six thousand bottles. Then, using professional transport pickup trucks, they were all delivered to Yang Xiao'er's Huiyang Hall.
"Master, if we produce so much at once, won't it lead to overstocking?"
"No, these orders are all pre-booked, and there are even package deals. Everyone is clamoring for the Longdan Xiegan Pills. The next batch will take a few days, and I'm afraid these farmers will have to work overtime."
Everything was within Ye Tiancheng's grasp, which was why he felt that the negative impact caused by Hou Xiaolin was insignificant. The most important thing was not to let women influence his thought process.
"Master, you are truly amazing."
Li Xue couldn't help but cast a look of admiration at Ye Tiancheng. A person like Ye Tiancheng, with his broad mind, appeared like a timeless hero destined for greatness.
"Give bonuses to everyone who is dissatisfied with Hou Xiaolin, and keep giving them until they are satisfied. Hou Xiaolin is a debt I must repay, so even if she causes trouble for me, I accept it."
"I wonder how much good karma this Miss Hou accumulated in her past life to look exactly like the woman my Master loves. I'm actually a bit envious and jealous."
Hearing such words from Lin Xue, Ye Tiancheng was naturally quite shocked.
"You are a little fairy detached from the mortal world, untouched by worldly affairs, yet you have such thoughts. It seems I should reflect on whether I, as your master, have been too unkind to you, leading my good disciple to feel jealous of others."
Ye Tiancheng's simple joke managed to appease Lin Xue. She was no longer angry. However, neither Ye Tiancheng nor Lin Xue expected that this indulgence of Hou Lin'er would bring them a lot of trouble.
It had been a week since Hou Lin'er joined the company. According to the initial plan, the company's responsibility was to be fully handed over to Hou Lin'er. Everyone found it incredibly unbelievable because this woman spent her days eating and drinking in the office. Even then, she couldn't stay for more than a few hours, spending the rest of her time out having fun.
She had even met many wealthy women and become a minor socialite. How could someone who had never even touched business possibly be put in charge? Wouldn't this directly lead the company into a ditch? At the leadership handover ceremony, all the employees were in low spirits. Seeing Hou Xiaolin adorned in jewels, no matter how one looked at her, she didn't seem like a woman capable of running a business.
Lin Xue finished reading her work insights from this period and officially decided to hand over the position of company head to Hou Xiaolin. Although she had received considerable benefits, some people still spoke up for Lin Xue.
"Alright, I know you all feel imbalanced. Of course, I, Hou Xiaolin, don't need any of you to approve of me. I am the head of this company, regardless. However, Assistant Lin is my assistant, and she will be responsible for company matters from now on. Therefore, everyone present doesn't need to worry about your interests being affected. You will still earn the money you deserve, so there's no need to be so hostile towards me."
Hou Xiaolin's speech was simply earth-shattering. Such a maneuver, directly demoting the former head to a secretary beside Hou Xiaolin, was what people called forcefully promoting someone.
Everyone felt resentful, but since it was Ye Tiancheng's intention, no one dared to object. However, they all thought to themselves, "Forced promotion invites divine retribution." This Hou Xiaolin looked so unstable; she was definitely undeserving of her position and her foundation was shaky. Such a person would have no great future and would eventually be a pitiable figure dragged down from a high position.
"By the way, Assistant Lin, I've taken a liking to your previous office. I'll have the renovation team come over to completely redo it. As for you, to facilitate your assistance to me, you can move to the small office next door."
"Yes, President Hou, I understand."
Lin Xue felt a lot of grievances, but thinking that this was all Ye Tiancheng's intention, and that everything she had today was given by Ye Tiancheng, she felt there was nothing to be upset about. As long as she steadily did what she wanted to do, her title didn't matter.
Ye Tiancheng had never treated her poorly, neither financially nor in terms of favors. After all, he was her master. Lin Xue decided not to dwell on it too much.
On the day of her promotion, Hou Mingzhu got the news and quickly called Hou Xiaolin, ostensibly to celebrate the woman's success, but actually to assign her new tasks.
"Hou Xiaolin, I told you not to drink. Your alcohol tolerance is not good. I'm afraid if you get drunk, you'll say something nonsensical to Ye Tiancheng. If you disrupt my plans, you'll lose everything."
"What does it matter? You don't know how smitten Ye Tiancheng is with me. Everyone thinks he's lost his mind, but Ye Tiancheng is enjoying it. He's made me, a mere factory worker, the CEO of his pharmaceutical company. I don't know anything; I can't even understand some professional spreadsheets. Ye Tiancheng thinks too highly of me!"
"I told you, don't get ahead of yourself, Hou Xiaolin. I can lift you up, and I can also kick you down. All your current status is just Ye Tiancheng's temporary affection for you. Men love novelty the most. When you're no longer in vogue, you'll have nothing."
Hou Mingzhu was quite ruthless. Hou Xiaolin dared not oppose her and quickly obeyed, no longer talking back.
"Yes, Sister Mingzhu, just give me any tasks you have, and I will complete them properly."
"Good, then be obedient. Now that you're in charge of the pharmaceutical company, give me all the recipes for Ye Tiancheng's popular online medicines, and I will collaborate with some other companies."
Knowing that Hou Mingzhu was making such a big fuss just to make money, Hou Xiaolin was willing to assist her. After all, she would also benefit. It didn't matter who received the pharmaceutical orders. As for whether it would tarnish the reputation of the medicines Ye Tiancheng had created, that had nothing to do with Hou Xiaolin. That woman's vision was not that far-reaching; she could only see immediate profits and nothing more.
Hou Xiaolin did end up drinking a little, but not in front of Hou Mingzhu. Instead, after parting ways with Hou Mingzhu, she secretly went to a bar to drink.
Hou Xiaolin was present when she was drinking. Now that she was completely controlled by Hou Mingzhu, this feeling was unbearable. She missed her previous free life dearly, which was why she deliberately disobeyed Hou Mingzhu and drank.
When Hou Xiaolin returned home and met Ye Tiancheng, her caution was significantly reduced, mainly due to the alcohol.
"Ye Tiancheng, why are you so foolish? The whole world is against me right now, yet why are you still on my side, fighting against the whole world? People say you're smart and rich, but in my opinion, you're the biggest fool in the world!"
"You've had too much to drink."
Seeing Hou Xiaolin in such a drunken state, Ye Tiancheng felt a pang of disappointment. The person in his heart and the person before him were vastly different the longer he interacted with her.
All the previous interactions seemed to be merely a means to get closer to him. It had been a week since she last cooked for him, and that was before she joined the pharmaceutical company.
"Ye Tiancheng, do you see me as a substitute? But no one wants to be a substitute. The person you like is not me, right?"
Hou Xiaolin's words were quite accurate. Ye Tiancheng had always treated her as a substitute. It was precisely because of this guilt that he tolerated Hou Xiaolin's recklessness time and again, choosing not to react, thinking that by being tolerant of this woman, he was also making himself feel better.
"You're drunk, go and rest."
"No, I'm not drunk. When I was working to earn money before, I also worked part-time selling wine. My alcohol tolerance was honed back then. It's precisely because I'm not drunk that I'm asking you. What you're doing is very unfair."
Hou Xiaolin's words struck a deep chord in Ye Tiancheng's heart. The gentle and lovely girl he remembered would never speak like this.
"Perhaps I was wrong. You are, after all, not her. Hou Xiaolin, please rest well."
Ye Tiancheng suddenly felt a sense of weariness, not of Hou Xiaolin, but more of himself for treating others as substitutes. Once upon a time, Ye Tiancheng was so arrogant, but now he had become so self-deceiving.
He knew very well that his current self-deception was a manifestation of his insecurity. Ye Tiancheng was trapped in this quagmire because he couldn't move on.
"Don't go, Brother Ye, can't you stay here with me?"
"No, it's better not to. I need to sleep early. Tomorrow is Wang Xiaomiao and Fatty's engagement ceremony. I hope you can also sleep early and accompany me to attend."
"No, why do you order me around? You treat me badly, you treat me as a substitute, and you still want me to listen to everything you say. I'm not a puppet; I have my own thoughts!"
Unable to bear it any longer, every word Hou Xiaolin spoke pierced Ye Tiancheng's heart. Ye Tiancheng simply used his true qi to knock her onto the bed and then turned to leave.
The next day, after sobering up, Hou Xiaolin contacted Ye Tiancheng only to find that Ye Tiancheng had sent her a message saying they wouldn't meet for a while and should both calm down.
Hou Xiaolin was completely stunned. She shouldn't have drunk yesterday; her drinking had caused trouble. When she went to the company, she received news that her position had been temporarily suspended.
Hou Mingzhu had asked Hou Xiaolin to cause trouble with her. As a result, Hou Xiaolin was suspended by the company and couldn't do anything. She could only call Hou Mingzhu for help.
Hou Mingzhu said nothing but directly arranged to meet Hou Xiaolin. Upon seeing her, she was blunt and slapped Hou Xiaolin several times.
These slaps were delivered with great force, causing Hou Xiaolin's face to swell significantly. Still not appeased, Hou Mingzhu gritted her teeth.
"You are such an idiot, Hou Xiaolin. Yesterday, I repeatedly warned you not to drink, and what happened? You insisted on going against me. Look at the outcome. Everything was going so well, and you, you idiot, ruined it all. I wish I could kill you!"