Joy at Its Peak

In big cities, college graduates like Zhao Xiaojun from second-tier universities are practically worthless; they wouldn't even qualify to work as slaves for capitalists.

But in Stone Ridge County, it's actually... not worth much.

Zhao Xiaojun went to Rejuvenation Valley Pharmaceutical, filled out some personal information, easily passed the interview and was hired. He was assigned to a relatively easy quality inspection position with a monthly salary of 5,500 yuan, and full salary during the internship period.

When he got home, his father was very happy. At lunchtime, he took out half a bottle of liquor that he had secretly hidden and, for the first time ever, poured Zhao Xiaojun a glass.

Zhao Xiaojun recalled the short videos he had watched before, and his feelings became complicated.

The father is no longer treating him like a child, but as an adult.

That evening, the mother returned covered in mud and with a hundred yuan in cash. She was very happy to hear that Zhao Xiaojun had found a job. When her husband tentatively offered to bring out some liquor to celebrate, she simply rolled her eyes and tacitly agreed, without arguing or objecting as usual.

The harmonious family atmosphere reminded Zhao Xiaojun of his childhood.

Perhaps doing this job well, as my parents expect, wouldn't be a bad idea.

After dinner, Zhao Xiaojun returned to his room and couldn't help but share the good news in the dormitory group chat.

As expected, the adopted sons all offered their congratulations and asked Zhao Xiaojun to give them red envelopes.

One of the factory's heirs, who was going back to inherit the family business, asked, "How much do you make a month?"

Zhao Xiaojun was excited and didn't hide anything, but subconsciously added 500: "Six thousand a month."

"Oh," the factory's heir replied simply, "It's about the same salary as the workers in my family's factory, but considered high-paying in an inland county."

Zhao Xiaojun was stunned for a moment, then a surge of anger welled up inside him, and he felt as if he had been humiliated from afar.

Zhao Xiaojun had no interest in what the group chat was about afterward; instead, he lay in bed with his mind racing.

He actually brags about a job with a monthly salary of 5,000 yuan. What a clown!

Am I really destined to spend my entire life earning only a few thousand yuan a month, trapped in this small county town?!

I subconsciously opened my phone and started scrolling through short videos, losing interest even in liking some of my favorite borderline internet celebrities.

"No way!" Zhao Xiaojun sat up, took a deep breath, and exclaimed, "I'm not resigned to this! I want to become an internet celebrity and make big money!"

Zhao Xiaojun's university major had absolutely nothing to do with quality inspection.

However, Rejuvenation Valley Pharmaceutical ' production process was a joke, and most of the people in the quality control department, like Zhao Xiaojun, were just muddling through.

After getting to know his colleagues, Zhao Xiaojun discovered a lot of inside information.

The legendary experiences of boss Li Jiabao were widely circulated before.

What's truly exciting is that these Isatis Root Lung-Clearing Oral Solution have already secured government orders, ensuring a stable market and generating substantial profits.

Collusion between officials and businessmen!

Zhao Xiaojun saw through it at a glance and secretly despised the crude methods of inland bureaucrats, which were completely unlike the sophisticated and seamless methods used by those in developed coastal cities.

I heard they all use financial means!

This further strengthened Zhao Xiaojun's resolve to make the video; he felt that doing so was also about upholding justice.

However, his other colleagues were clearly not as enlightened as Zhao Xiaojun. They were extremely satisfied with getting a high-paying job right at their doorstep, and even expressed their gratitude to the former county magistrate Duanmu Ren and the boss Li Jiabao.

Zhao Xiaojun secretly grimaced upon hearing this, but he wasn't foolish enough to show it.

Over the next few days, Zhao Xiaojun used the pretext of the quality inspection department's inspection and record-keeping to go to various production lines in the factory to take pictures, and surprisingly no one verified or stopped him.

This world really is a huge makeshift operation.

After filming the video, Zhao Xiaojun felt shocked by what he saw.

The production process of Isatis Root Lung-Clearing Oral Solution is simple and straightforward: wash, chop, grind Banlangen into powder, add water, bottle it, and label it, and that's it. It emphasizes that it is pure, natural and pollution-free.

Even though Zhao Xiaojun was a complete novice in the pharmaceutical industry, he could see how absurd this process was.

The only thing I can say is that it has some connection to traditional medicine.

Speaking of this, Zhao Xiaojun was even more dismissive.

As a science student, I've always looked down on traditional medicine.

A few years ago, there were frequent online battles between fans and haters.

Recently, the black side has gained a significant advantage, almost forcing the pink side to stay out of the game.

Nowadays, online opinion almost equates traditional medicine with fraud.

However, there are still many silent supporters in the rural and lower-tier markets.

"That's a great angle..." Zhao Xiaojun was already brainstorming titles and copywriting.

After all, controversy generates traffic!

First, they used traditional medicine to ignite a war between fans and critics; then, they exposed the collusion between officials and businessmen behind the scenes, which sparked public outrage; finally, they used the peak of their popularity to livestream and make money—it was perfect!

Having filmed the footage and figured out his path to viral fame, Zhao Xiaojun excitedly returned home, intending to briefly reveal his grand plan to his parents. However, he was met with a joint suppression from them as soon as he got started.

Zhao Xiaojun's mother worked tirelessly from dawn till dusk, yet she always looked radiant. Hearing Zhao Xiaojun mock Rejuvenation Valley Pharmaceutical ' production process and efficacy, she immediately became displeased. "Don't talk nonsense! How could something passed down from our ancestors be useless?! Back then, your second cousin's father-in-law was seriously ill, and even the provincial doctors couldn't cure him; they finally found a legendary old doctor..."

We're doomed!

Zhao Xiaojun sighed, realizing he had gotten too excited and forgotten that his mother, a rural woman, was a prime example of grassroots influence and a staunch supporter of traditional medicine!

Zhao Xiaojun's father also frowned, but from a different angle. "County Chief Duanmu and Boss Li have opened this factory and planting base in the county, providing stable income for at least a thousand families, enabling them to make a living."

"I also heard that the recruitment is limited to local residents of Stone Ridge; people from other counties are not being hired at all."

"Others may say bad things about County Chief Duanmu and Boss Li, but our family of three depends on them for our livelihood. We must never forget their kindness!"

Zhao Xiaojun, somewhat taken aback by his father's words, blushed deeply and, a mixture of embarrassment and anger, slammed down his chopsticks and shouted, "Don't worry about me! I'll make a fortune!"

After saying that, he went back to his room, locked the door, and began editing the video with a sense of indignation at being misunderstood and walking alone.

Li Jiabao is very happy recently.

Based on the experience of online literature management companies, they are indeed very reliable.

With government procurement contracts in place and Duanmu Ren's instructions, the banks were very cooperative, and the loan process was generally smooth.

The medicinal herb planting base is also progressing smoothly, with various tax reductions and subsidies from the provincial, municipal, and county levels being issued one after another.

With a wave of his hand, Li Jiabao raised the wages of all day laborers, gaining another wave of prestige.

Although Li Jiabao still has the reputation of being a deadbeat, his house is always bustling with visitors, all of whom come to borrow money, give gifts, or try to build relationships.

Once outside, it's even more incredible.

Not only his neighbors, but even the coal mine owners who made their fortunes in mining and the county leaders greeted Li Jiabao with smiles and addressed him respectfully as "General Manager Li."

Li Jiabao especially enjoyed inspecting factories and medicinal herb planting bases.

The villagers' simple smiles, exaggerated praise, and clumsy flattery filled Li Jiabao with joy and made him feel completely at ease.

"My reputation is at least one percent as good as Brother Dong's!" After inspecting the properties, Li Jiabao returned home satisfied and started reading a novel.

The author who keeps updating is such a lazy bum! I've given him hundreds of yuan in tips and he still doesn't update more. He's even learned to use AI to pad the page. It's infuriating!

Li Jiabao was very angry and started browsing local videos.

Recently, Li Jiabao has become a top influencer in Stone Ridge County, with many locals posting videos praising him!

Li Jiabao happily scrolled through the app for a while, then swiped down and a strange account popped up. It was called Stone Ridge Xiaojun, and the cover photo showed a pharmaceutical factory worker, but the title seemed a bit off.

"The Stone Ridge fraud industrial park has resurfaced?! This time, they're even using the guise of traditional medicine to prey on vulnerable elderly patients!"