Chapter 323
I said, all chill, "Yo, if you keep yelling and making a scene, I'm calling the cops. Let's talk this out instead of causing a ruckus."
"Yeah, you're right!"
"Call the cops. This is straight-up extortion. If you can't show us the goods, talking won't help!"
Hearing everyone, the dude got all jittery, "Who said we don't have the goods? I'll show you right now!"
Then he pulled out a bottle of skincare stuff from the woman's bag, and everyone went dead silent.
I felt a knot in my stomach; things just got messy.
"Look, this is the VelvetSkin Night Cream!" The guy held up the skincare product, and his confidence shot back up.
"Pay up, quick! Just my daughter's facial treatment costs seventy grand, not to mention lost income, medical bills, and emotional stress. We need at least two million bucks!"
Two million dollars?
A collective gasp rippled through the classroom.
Two million was a hefty sum, but considering the severity of the girl's condition, it wasn't entirely unreasonable.
Ella's face went pale, "Two million..." she whispered, her voice barely audible.
I thought, Ella's gonna be the one hit hardest if this drags on, so I had to move fast.
Just then, I noticed something fishy about the label on the VelvetSkin Night Cream.
"Wait, can I see that skincare product?"
The guy eyed me suspiciously, "What, you gonna destroy the evidence?"
I laughed and shook my head, "Don't be ridiculous. With so many witnesses present, if I destroyed evidence, wouldn't that make me look guilty? Even the court would side with you with so many witnesses."
Hearing this, the guy seemed to think it over. The woman said, "Give it to him. Let him see for himself. No one would let their daughter get hurt."
"Here!" The guy handed me the cream.
I took the cream, checked it out, and after seeing the label clearly, I burst out laughing.
"Why are you laughing?"
The guy snapped, "My daughter is in this state, and you think it's funny?"
"Sorry, I couldn't help it!"
I held up the skincare product, pointing at the label, "Look, this is clearly a knockoff, not VelvetSkin Night Cream!"
What?
People crowded around, and laughter broke out.
"It's totally a fake!"
"Wow, if you don't look closely, it really does look like VelvetSkin Night Cream. These counterfeiters are shady!"
"This is a fake product. You tried to scam her with a fake product? Unbelievable!"
The guy was stunned, "What fake? This is the real deal!"
I smirked and showed the product to Ella, "Ms. Martinez, take a look!"
Ella checked it out and had a complicated look, "Yeah, this isn't VelvetSkin Night Cream. The kid used a fake and low-quality product!"
The woman's face twisted, "Lies! You're just trying to bully us because we're from the countryside!"
"Enough!"
I shouted, "How long are you gonna keep this up? Your daughter knows if it's real or fake. We were all country folks once; don't use that as an excuse. I'm a country folk too. Maybe country folks aren't highly educated, but they're reasonable and wouldn't cause trouble like you!"
"Young lady, you're not that old. You should know what you're using. Your parents causing trouble won't end well. If I report this, at best, it's extortion. At worst, it's disrupting the school! So tell them, don't let this end badly. If things get serious, you'll be the ones losing out!"
The girl bit her lip, tears welling up, "I told you earlier, this is a fake. You went cheap and bought me low-quality stuff. I told you I felt weird after using it, but you said it was fine!"
The girl's words spilled the beans completely!
The woman's face twisted in anger, and the guy looked super uncomfortable, just like their relatives.
Now that the girl, the victim, admitted it herself, they couldn't scam us anymore.
"So, you gonna leave on your own, or should I call the cops to haul you out?"
The woman got up, shot a death glare at the girl, "You little brat!"
Then she stormed off.
The guy and his crew followed. Before leaving, the girl bowed to Ella, "I'm sorry, we were wrong. Please don't call the cops!"
Ella, being the softie she is, sighed, "Go on, get to the hospital!"
As they left, the girl's future was totally in her parents' hands. I could tell Ella wanted to help her, so I said, "It's no use. Her parents will just get more arrogant if you help. She might end up hurting more people down the line."
Ella went quiet for a bit, then nodded.
The truth was out, and everyone felt a weight lift off their shoulders.
But the class was pretty much over, and it was almost time to wrap up.
Ella took a deep breath, "We still have a bit of time. Everyone, self-study."
Then she looked at me, "You, come with me!"
With everyone watching, I followed Ella out of the classroom.
It was clear this whole thing would be the talk of the town by tomorrow.
In Ella's office, she poured me a glass of water, "Have a seat. I'm really grateful for what you did today."
She smiled, but it was a bit forced; today's drama had really shaken her.
I shook my head, "Just doing what I had to."
"Stuff like today must've happened a lot, huh?"
Ella nodded and sighed, "Too many times. I've blown through all my savings compensating those victims over the years!"
"It's not your fault."
"But I gave them the formula. If I'd been more careful signing the contract, this wouldn't have happened."
"Ms. Martinez, I gotta disagree with you there!"
I said, "You gave them the formula, sure, but they messed with it, causing allergies and ruined faces. How is that your fault? I know you're kind, but this really isn't on you. You're a victim too!"
Putting other stuff aside, Ella's research was top-notch. She had tons of papers published in SCI. She could've been an associate professor ages ago and the youngest one at Sevan City University.
Because of this mess, her promotion got tanked, and she got hurt too.
"I might sound harsh, but the real villains here are the shady counterfeit manufacturers. For a quick buck, they almost ruined someone's life!"
Ella murmured, "Could I really be wrong?"
"You're not wrong to be compassionate."
I said, "But you can't simply let them walk away after what they've done. They'll keep doing this, again and again, preying on people's kindness. Today it's one person, tomorrow it's another. You'll lose everything eventually. Meanwhile, those counterfeiters are still out there making fake skincare products and hurting people. You need to stop this at the source!"
She furrowed her brow, "How can I stop it?"
"If I were you, I'd use my knowledge to make more high-quality and affordable skincare products, making sure there are more good options out there. Ms. Martinez, you know this better than I do."
I paused and continued, "Then, set up a foundation to help those hurt by fake skincare products, and team up with others to take down the counterfeiters."
I felt a bit nervous, hoping she'd get my point, but not sure if she'd agree.
Her expression was uncertain, clearly weighing her options.
I kept a calm face, but inside, I was freaking out.
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