Sophia checked into the cost of an automatic decoction machine—over six thousand dollars each. She didn’t have enough on hand, so she’d have to earn a bit more.
That day, as she arrived at her clinic and opened the doors, she found a group of ten or so people waiting outside, apparently lined up for treatment.
Sophia’s clinic only accepted five patients a day, but treating acne was relatively simple and quick to diagnose, so it didn’t count toward the daily limit. That day alone, she’d provided acne treatments for a dozen people from her acne-fighting chat group.
“Are you all here for treatment?” Sophia asked, a little surprised.
“Dr. Smith, don’t you remember us? We’re here to pick up our follow-up prescriptions!”
Sophia blinked, then recognized them—this was the same group from before. She hadn’t recognized them immediately because they looked completely different. Previously, their faces had been covered in acne: red, swollen, and oozing. Now, their skin was much clearer. While some acne scars remained, the pimples had subsided. They looked like entirely different people.
“Oh, it’s you!” Sophia smiled. “How has the medicine been working?”
The spokesperson was a chubby girl named Sandra, whose acne had been the most severe. Sophia remembered her particularly because her acne was large and inflamed, due to a combination of poor diet and hormonal imbalance. Sophia had warned her that it would likely take a month to see results, but here she was, with closed, healing skin and a much healthier complexion.
Sandra beamed. “Dr. Smith, you’re truly a lifesaver! Your treatment is amazing! When the group saw our before-and-after photos, everyone was thrilled and wanted to come see you. But most of them are from out of town, so they’re hoping to visit when they can make the trip.”
Sophia smiled and reviewed their charts, asking about their symptoms and checking their pulses. Sure enough, after using her herbal remedies for a while, each patient showed varying degrees of improvement.
“I’ll prepare another round of medicine for each of you. Keep applying the cream and taking the prescribed herbs.”
“Dr. Smith, I’ve run out of the cream and would like to get some more.”
“Me too! Not only does it help with acne, but it’s also great for my skin. I’ve replaced my regular skincare products with it.”
“It’s a miracle acne cure!”
Sandra chimed in, “Dr. Smith, have you ever thought about opening an online store? Your products work wonders, and people from out of town are desperate to buy them. If you had an online shop, they could just order it and have it shipped.”
Sophia fell silent, considering it. She’d been discussing a potential collaboration with Chloe, who wanted her to develop a general formula. Although the formula wouldn’t be as potent as a personalized prescription, it would still be effective—just extending the treatment time from one month to around two or three months. There were advantages to a more basic formula.
First, it would be safer. Custom formulations were complex and costly, while a basic formula would be simple, safe, and more profitable.
Second, extending the treatment time would encourage repeat purchases. They could also bundle the basic formula with complementary acne-fighting products like masks, toners, and lotions, boosting the profit margin.
As a doctor, Sophia wanted to provide a personalized solution for each patient, but as a businesswoman, offering a safe, effective cream was a more practical way to help a broader audience.
“Maybe in the future,” she replied.
“Could I add you on Whatsapp? So many people in the group want to buy your products. They asked me to pass the message along.”
Sophia chuckled, as if people thought she didn’t want to make money. “It’s best if they come in person. It gives better results that way.”
“Some of them live thousands of miles away,” Sandra pointed out. “The travel expenses are high. Even if the basic formula isn’t as strong, they’d be happy with it!”
The others nodded in agreement. People who’ve never dealt with severe acne can’t understand the frustration. There was one girl in the group with a face covered in cystic acne, all pus-filled and so dense that her face looked battered. Her skin condition had affected her social life, leading to low self-esteem. For them, it wasn’t about the treatment time—they’d been battling acne for years, so a few extra months didn’t matter.
“Alright, if anyone needs anything, they can reach out to me on Whatsapp.”
Excited, everyone quickly added her contact.
After they left, Sophia calculated her earnings from the creams and medicine—about 1,200 dollars total. Since many still had some medicine left from last time, she didn’t charge for her diagnosis.
To her surprise, as soon as her patients left, dozens of Whatsapp friend requests flooded in, each message asking to buy the “miracle acne cure.”
Sophia smiled to herself. She still had a stock of about 20 jars of the basic cream, which she’d made in her free time. She decided to sell them for 150 dollar each, including shipping.
Thanks to word-of-mouth recommendations from Sandra and Mary in the acne-fighting group, orders flooded in. Within ten minutes, she’d sold out all 20 jars. She hadn’t expected online sales to be so profitable.
Laughing to herself, Sophia started packaging the orders, calling for TrustExpress for shipping. After deducting the shipping fees, she had about 2,700 dollars left—a small sum compared to what she’d earned from consultations in her past life, but for now, it was a fortune.
More importantly, she now had enough money to buy an automatic decoction machine.
—
With the new semester about to start, Sophia was considering her housing situation. The Scott family villa wasn’t close to her school, while her clinic was much nearer to the university district. Living there would be more convenient, and more importantly, it was a property of her family, so she’d feel more grounded. She always felt like she could be thrown out at any moment.
Lately, Sophia had been mulling over her divorce plans. She’d gathered evidence, including intimate photos that Olivia had sent her of herself and Scott Henry, news articles of Olivia claiming she’d marry Scott Henry, hints from Olivia implying she was pregnant, and photos of her visiting the family home.
