“Ah? You’re sending them home... Why?” Chang Le was stunned.

Shen Xingkong's expression became strange. He motioned for Chang Le to come closer. Puzzled, Chang Le leaned in, only to hear Shen Xingkong whisper very quietly, “Do you think my grandfather’s secret formula is some kind of elixir? That it can cure anything?”

“Uh...” Chang Le blinked, looking like a fool as he realized he had been too impulsive.

Shen Xingkong was smart. He knew better than to take on every kind of beauty treatment, which is why he asked the women to write down what they wanted. The requests were all over the place—some wanted to fix crooked mouths and eyes, others wanted breast augmentation, some wanted their straight hair turned into big waves... The most outrageous one was a woman who wanted a sex change and invited Shen Xingkong to chat privately, promising him a surprise.

So far, Shen Xingkong only felt confident handling facial skin whitening and weight loss. He decided to turn down the rest. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to make money, but these women were living advertisements. If any treatment failed, it could ruin his future plans for making money.

Money should be earned slowly, like a steady stream, not in a rush like killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. Only a fool would do that.

And most importantly, Shen Xingkong genuinely didn’t know how to perform those procedures, like cosmetic surgery or breast augmentation. He hadn’t even had time to study them yet!

Chang Le, who was always full of clever ideas, quickly came up with an excuse. He took the slips of paper Shen Xingkong had tossed aside and approached those women individually. He formally told them that Shen Xingkong’s use of the ancestral secret formula was very taxing on his energy, and it wasn’t possible for him to treat so many people in a short time; otherwise, it would cause him to cough up blood and die.

The women whose slips were returned could only leave reluctantly, but they made sure to remind Chang Le to notify them the next time the divine doctor decided to hold a consultation.

With over twenty people sent away, the living room was much quieter, leaving about thirty women. They lined up in a long row, ready for Shen Xingkong’s treatment. Just like last time, Shen Xingkong borrowed the guest room in Chang Le’s house. This time, Chang Le had already prepared everything, and with Auntie Song’s suggestion, they even hung a curtain over the bed to prevent Shen Xingkong’s secret formula from being leaked.

Shen Xingkong walked into the guest room with his hands behind his back, striding with purpose. He pulled the curtain down and hid behind it to prepare the bee-tail gold needles. Truth be told, Shen Xingkong was feeling a bit uneasy—not because he lacked confidence in his abilities, but because he had just overexerted his powers that afternoon and fainted. Now, after only a few hours of recovery, he was about to use his powers on thirty people. Could his body handle it?

However, he wasn’t willing to give up the opportunity to make money, so he gritted his teeth and decided to go for it. At worst, he’d faint again.

The women, filled with anticipation, entered the guest room one by one. Behind the curtain, Shen Xingkong used the gold needles to activate his powers and fulfill their beauty wishes.

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Every woman who walked out of the guest room was thrilled, letting out excited screams. The women outside, seeing the dramatic changes in those who went before them, became even more excited, nearly coming to blows over queue-jumping. Chang Le and Auntie Song stood outside the guest room, maintaining order to prevent chaos.

As the moon began to set and the sky lightened with the first signs of dawn, the women, satisfied with their beauty treatments, left for home, leaving behind stacks of cash. Auntie Song was the last to enter the guest room, wanting to reduce the slight bulge in her lower abdomen. Shen Xingkong granted her wish without charging her, as a reward for referring customers to him.

After Auntie Song left with a beaming smile, Shen Xingkong finally emerged from the guest room. As he stepped out, his body wobbled, and he nearly collapsed.

“Hey, buddy... Are you okay?” Chang Le was quick to react, catching Shen Xingkong.

“I’m fine... Yeah, right. But I can hold on.” Shen Xingkong’s face was pale; the dizziness from overusing his powers the previous afternoon was returning.

“You should rest...”

“No need!” Shen Xingkong waved off Chang Le’s help and stumbled to the living room, collapsing onto the sofa. “Where’s the money? Let me count it…”

Chang Le was impressed. He had never been impressed by anyone before, but this time, he was genuinely impressed by Shen Xingkong—choosing money over his own well-being. But apart from being pale, Shen Xingkong seemed fine, so Chang Le had no choice but to sit across from him and count the money they’d earned tonight. It didn’t take long to tally up the total.

Shen Xingkong had earned 63,800 yuan that night, including some extra tips from the women. Chang Le was stunned by how quickly Shen Xingkong made money; in just three or four hours, he had earned so much.

“This is yours...” Shen Xingkong took out 20,000 yuan from his earnings and tossed it to Chang Le.

“What the hell? What’s this supposed to mean?” Chang Le immediately flared up, standing up and glaring at Shen Xingkong, feeling insulted.

“Sit down and listen to me!” Shen Xingkong shot him a look, then stuffed the remaining 43,800 yuan into his waist pouch. “I know you don’t need this little bit of money. It’s not a thank-you; it’s a profit share.”

“Profit share?” Chang Le was momentarily stunned.

“Chang Le, to be honest, you know my situation. I’m broke and have no connections. Out in society, there are a lot of things I can’t do on my own, and I need your help. Starting today, we’re partners—we’ll share both the good times and the bad. Don’t be fooled by how little I’ve earned and how little I’m giving you, but trust me, in the future, I’ll make so much money that even your dad won’t make as much as me.” Shen Xingkong spoke sincerely, without a hint of joking.

Chang Le was silent for a long time after hearing this, blinking repeatedly. Financially speaking, he didn’t need the 20,000 yuan; he was Shen Xingkong’s good friend, and helping out a friend didn’t require payment, did it? Besides, he had already enjoyed some “perks” and was quite satisfied with that.

However, Shen Xingkong’s message was clear—he wanted to work together with Chang Le and build a big business. In that case, it made sense for Shen Xingkong to share some of the profits with Chang Le. If Chang Le refused the 20,000 yuan, it would be like rejecting Shen Xingkong’s partnership.

“Sigh, alright then. I’ll join you. Whatever happens, we’re in it together.” Chang Le finally sighed and accepted the 20,000 yuan.

Shen Xingkong was naturally grateful to Chang Le, but he didn’t say anything overly polite or sappy. He grabbed an apple from the coffee table, took a couple of bites, then put it down and said to Chang Le with a meaningful look, “Chang Le, from now on, let’s not take on any more beauty treatments for women. We can’t keep doing this; small-time business is boring.”

“Why? This makes good money!” Chang Le couldn’t understand what was going through Shen Xingkong’s mind, why he always had such strange ideas.

“It’s not good money...” Shen Xingkong shook his head, his eyes narrowing into slits that gleamed with a wise light. “I worked really hard today, overexerted myself, and it took a long time, and I only made a few tens of thousands. Chang Le, we need to aim for bigger things.”