A live stream that dramatically transformed a depressed schoolgirl shocked netizens across the count

The phone was disconnected.

All that could be heard through the receiver was a busy signal.

Su Niannian straightened up by the door and stared at the landline phone.

"That call came fast enough. We barely stepped inside, and someone's already complaining."

Director Zhou pressed the redial button, but the number was transferred and could not be connected.

Chen Lang glanced at the landline screen.

"The other side knows we've arrived at the village committee, and they also know we're here to inspect the cooperative."

Gu Qingshang entered the call time and content into the computer.

"The men guarding outside the courtyard have already delivered the message."

Director Zhou looked up at the door.

There weren't many cars parked on the country road, only a farm vehicle hauling fertilizer drove by. The wheels kicked up a thin layer of dust, and the driver, holding the steering wheel, didn't even glance at the office as he passed it.

Director Zhou put down the receiver, stood up, and opened the metal filing cabinet behind him.

"The fraud case had just been filed when someone called to tell me what to do."

He bent down and carried out a dusty file box.

"Let's make this clear first: we cannot check the villagers' addresses and phone numbers."

The file box was placed on the long table, and dust spread from the edge of the lid.

"You can see the public files, but the originals cannot be taken out of the office. If you want to photograph a particular page, please clearly register the box number, page number, and purpose first."

Su Niannian leaned back against the door frame and exhaled the breath she had been holding in.

Bai Weiwei moved to Shen Qingci's side and lowered her voice.

"Teacher Shen, this table is your responsibility today."

Shen Qingci opened the hardcover notebook and stopped at a blank page.

"I'm just making things clear."

Chen Lang dragged over a chair and placed it behind her.

"I'll give you three more minutes of free consultant time."

Shen Qingci sat down and picked up the file catalog.

"I'll owe you for now."

One by one, the file boxes were carried onto the long table.

The paper was damp, the edges curled up, and when turned over, it brought out a musty smell from the warehouse.

During the project, Yunxiu Cooperative delivered seventeen batches of medicinal materials, including Atractylodes macrocephala, Astragalus membranaceus, Poria cocos, and Panax notoginseng. The origin, weight, and acceptance details of each batch were recorded.

The same name appears repeatedly in the "Acceptance Personnel" column.

Zhou Henian.

Gu Qingshang entered the box number and page number into the computer. Shen Qingci checked the timeline by date, and when she turned to the delivery record of the thirteenth batch of medicinal materials, there was an extra personnel supplement form in the catalog.

Cheng Shouzhou's name only appeared once.

The job title field reads "External Technical Consultant".

The ID number is left blank.

The contact information is left blank.

The subsidy amount is zero.

There was no signature in the receipt section.

Gu Qingshang pressed the paper flat.

"He is not on the official employee list for the project."

"This form was added later." Shen Qingci pointed to the print number at the bottom of the paper. "The project has been running for four months, and this supplementary form was only printed out now."

Chen Lang turned the materials over to the other side.

"Some people need him to do work, but they don't want him to have a formal identity."

Director Zhou pulled out a stack of bound materials from another file box.

"There was a medical dispute before the project was suspended."

He placed a statement on the table.

On the ninth day of their stay at the health and wellness project, a trial resident developed abnormal liver function indicators. Their family blocked the project office, insisting the problem stemmed from the herbal remedies used in their treatment, and demanded the project cease operations and provide compensation.

That evening, the project team suspended the use of all medicinal materials.

The following day, Cheng Shou-chou withdrew from the medical collaboration.

Gu Qingshang turned a few pages.

The appendix list includes blood test results, drug screening, food samples, and past medical history. In the middle is a reprinted document, the paper of which is lighter than the pages before and after it, and there is a reprint label at the bottom of the page.

The results of the joint test seven days later were clearly stated.

The patient already had abnormal liver function indicators before the treatment. During the treatment, the patient took weight loss drugs of unknown origin without authorization. The tested medicinal materials did not contain any liver damage-related components. The treatment plan was not directly related to the changes in these indicators.

After reading the conclusion, Su Niannian slammed her hand on the edge of the table.

"They pinned the blame on him first, but after everything was investigated and clarified, why hasn't there been a single word of clarification?"

Director Zhou pulled out the last page.

"The notice issued back then only mentioned the work stoppage and compensation. The subsequent review results were not released to the public and have been kept in the internal archives ever since."

Gu Qingshang stared at the approval comments at the bottom of the page.

That's Old Master Gu's handwriting.

Stop the project.

All medicinal materials were sealed up.

Advance compensation will be provided to trial stay participants.

Patients and their families should not be held accountable.

After reading the approval date, she moved the timeline on her computer back four days.

"When Grandpa signed the work stoppage order, the test results weren't out yet."

Shen Qingci delayed Cheng Shouzhou's departure until the same time.

"When Cheng Shouzhou left, he didn't know what would be discovered later."

Chen Lang pulled out the project promotion expenditure sheet, which listed projects such as health and wellness packages, medicinal cuisine experiences, and treatments by renowned doctors.

The most expensive tier costs 280,000 yuan per month.

"The project used his formula to sell for 280,000 yuan a month. When something went wrong, he was the first one pushed to the front to take the blame."

He tapped the test results.

After checking and finding out that it had nothing to do with him, those few pieces of paper were stuffed into the cabinet to gather dust.

Gu Qingshang flipped through the personnel supplementary registration form.

The back of the paper had marks from the removed tape; what had been stuck to it had been peeled off.

"We've found out why he left."

She photographed the two documents side by side and then noted down the page numbers.

"He refused to stay and help people sell overpriced meal packages."

Director Zhou put the registration form back into the folder.

"The materials can be checked, but we still can't give you Zhou Henian's address."

"Okay." Gu Qingshang closed his laptop. "We'll go to the old site of the cooperative, just to check the site, not to look for anyone."

"I'll have the grid worker go with you."

Director Zhou picked up the car keys.

"You can only look from the outside; you can't touch the lock, and you can't go inside. The property rights of the old site haven't been settled yet, so everyone who comes has to follow the rules."

Half an hour later, the two SUVs stopped outside a patch of weeds.

A waist-high wall encloses three brick houses, with vines climbing over the top of the wall. A rusty lock hangs on the iron gate, the keyhole filled with mud.

The wooden sign at the entrance was broken in half, and after years of rain, only the two characters "Yunxiu" remained blurred.

The grid worker walked around the courtyard wall.

"This place has been abandoned for seven or eight years. Villagers occasionally come to cut grass, but the house has never been taken care of."

Chen Lang did not approach the iron gate.

He squatted outside the threshold, picked up a dry twig, and brushed aside two fallen leaves that were pressed against the muddy ground.

A bicycle tire track was visible below.

The tires were narrow, their treads worn away. The tire tracks turned from the side alley, stopped in front of the iron gate, and then turned back towards the back of the house. The edges of the dirt still stood, and last night's dew had accumulated at the bottom of the rut.

"Someone came by bike today."

The grid worker bent down, glanced at the items, and pulled out his phone.

"No one usually rides this way, so I'll let the village know first."

Bai Weiwei walked along the courtyard wall to the medicine drying rack.

Half of the wooden frame had collapsed, with withered branches and broken tiles piled underneath. A few pieces of astragalus root were mixed in with the fallen leaves, their broken ends still fresh, and their outer skin carrying the smell of sun-dried soil.

She used a withered leaf as a cushion to pick up the medicinal herbs.

"These pieces of astragalus root were just broken off not long ago."

Shen Qingci stopped by the wall and bent down to check the brick joints.

A few dregs of medicine were stuck in the drain, the leaves were softened by the water, and damp marks stretched half a meter along the base of the wall. Ants avoided the wet mud, forming a crooked line.

"The water here has just been drained."

Gu Qingshang took two steps forward.

A soft sound came from inside the courtyard wall as the earthenware lid touched the edge of the pot.

Hey.

Several people stopped at the same time.

The grid worker had already made a phone call, speaking in a low voice about the old location of the cooperative and the situation on site.

Su Niannian turned around and was about to go around to the back of the house.

Chen Lang raised his arm and stopped her.

"Watch your step, don't step on the tire tracks."

He walked along the outer edge of the courtyard wall, his shoes landing only on the dry stones. He rounded a corner, where a wooden back door was hidden behind vines.

There was no dust accumulation under the door panel.

An old bicycle was parked by the threshold, with a bamboo basket tied to the back rack. The chain was covered in fresh mud, and half a piece of blue cloth was placed in the basket, revealing several clean medicinal herbs underneath.

The smell of decocted medicine wafted out from under the door.

Astragalus and Atractylodes macrocephala, mixed with a bitter smell.

The stove fire had just been extinguished, and smoke was billowing out from the cracks in the broken tiles.

Snapped.

The latch was fastened from the inside.

Su Niannian picked up a broken piece of wood from the wall and turned toward the back door.

Chen Lang crossed his arm, blocking her in place.

"Hey you inside, can you hear what they're saying outside?"

No one inside the room responded.

The grid worker ended the call but still held the phone in his hand.

"The village police are on their way and should be here in about eight minutes."

Gu Qingshang held the file bag, his gaze fixed on the door panel.

"We won't bang on the door, and we won't go inside."

She took half a step forward and spoke through the wooden door.

"I am Gu Chengzhang's granddaughter. I'm here today to investigate that mountain health and wellness project from ten years ago."

The sound of a bowl scraping against a wooden table came from behind the door.

Chen Lang turned his head to the side.

The people inside stopped packing their things.

Gu Qingshang continued:

"Cheng Shou-chou treated my grandfather. The old man is now lying in the hospital, and I want to ask him about the treatment process back then."

She held the document bag tightly.

"The prescription won't be sold for money, and the villagers' illnesses and addresses won't be spread outside. If you don't want to open the door, we'll talk from outside."

Two footsteps came from behind the door.

The right foot dragged across the ground when it landed, making a soft sound.

Shen Qingci opened the hardcover notebook, his pen hovering above the date column, but he didn't write anything.

The gap at the bottom of the wooden door darkened.

Someone stood behind the door.

"Is Gu Chengzhang still alive?"

The man's voice came through the door, his throat smoky, and the last syllable was very low.

Gu Qingshang's throat moved slightly.

"Still in the hospital."

The person behind the door coughed twice.

"Mr. Cheng said back then that sooner or later someone from the Gu family would come back and settle this score."

The latch was pushed open half an inch.

A folded old newspaper was slipped through the crack in the door, the corner of the paper stained with medicine.

The front page of the newspaper carried the news of the official launch of the mountain health and wellness project.

In the center of the photo, Mr. Gu and the project leader are cutting the ribbon side by side.

In the bottom right corner, someone circled a man standing at the bottom of the steps with a red pen.

The man was not facing the camera; only the wooden medicine box on his back was visible.

Six characters are written next to the red circle.

Cheng Shouzhou was driven away by them.

The person behind the door pressed down the wooden latch and did not continue to open the door.

"Answer me one question first."

"You've come here today because the Gu family wants to rescue someone—"

His voice paused for a beat.

"Or is the Gu family trying to silence us?"