Chapter 28: Official Product Launch

After finalizing the product parameters and standards, two more days passed before the ordered testing equipment arrived. Lu Yu woke up groggy around eight, washed up, hurried through breakfast, and rushed to the industrial park in Longquanyi.

Today marked the first large-scale trial production since the cosmetics company had been acquired and restructured by Extragalactic Nebula, after adjusting the production lines. Lu Yu needed to be there not only to oversee the installation of the testing instruments but also to handle any issues that might arise with the production lines in real time.

When he arrived at the industrial park, Deng Qiang and the other employees were already present. Lu Yu immediately directed the staff to guide the installation of the testing equipment. After several trial runs, they confirmed all the qualifying data for the products, along with the relevant machine parameters during production, and handed them over to Deng Qiang.

Deng Qiang had already completed all preparations except for production. Now, with the parameters in hand, he energetically and systematically organized the staff for the trial run. He busied himself throughout the workshop, clearly taking today’s trial production quite seriously.

The newly purchased equipment had already been familiarized by the staff, so now it was just a matter of following the prescribed steps and feeding in the raw materials. The staff operated the machines with practiced skill, while Deng Qiang accompanied Lu Yu, carefully monitoring each parameter.

Fortunately, everything went smoothly—no issues arose. Lu Yu also checked the newly installed testing equipment and found it working perfectly.

When the first facial mask rolled off the production line, Lu Yu held the newly designed packaging in his hands. The overall design was pleasing, evoking the ambiance of an ink painting, with the elegant half-day river motif particularly refined.

Lu Yu couldn’t help but praise the design.

Deng Qiang, standing beside him, explained, “This is the packaging for our hydrating facial mask. This color scheme is for our affordable line, targeting the broadest consumer base. Our plan is to sell ten masks per box at 99 yuan a box.

“There are also two other color schemes, aimed at the mid-to-high-end markets, with even more elegant designs. Those will be eight masks per box at 299 yuan, and six per box at 499 yuan.

“This is just the hydrating mask. Limited by raw materials, we can currently only produce about 100,000 masks per day. Once the supply chain for raw materials is established, production can be greatly increased.

“Preliminary estimates put our production cost for each hydrating mask at about three to four yuan. The mid-to-high-end masks use a bit more material, but still under five yuan each. With large-scale production, costs can be reduced even further.”

Lu Yu quickly did the math—no wonder everyone was eager to make high-end products. Over 1,000%—more than tenfold profit! And this was after Lu Yu had added many essentially useless herbal ingredients, raising the cost to its current level.

Even with Deng Qiang pricing the top mask at 499 yuan, the profit was already enormous! Foreign brands selling at seven or eight hundred, even over a thousand yuan, must be making even more. How much profit had those international giants taken from the Chinese market over the years? It must be as vast as the Pacific Ocean!

What irked Lu Yu was that all this money should have been his! Who allowed them to take it? Was it the law?

Deng Qiang, unaware of Lu Yu’s thoughts, continued, “Currently, we’re constrained by two main issues: raw material supply and marketing strategy. Funds are limited, so large-scale advertising is difficult—initially, we’ll sell online, following the influencer mask model.”

Lu Yu nodded, “Very well, proceed according to the plan you’ve drafted.”

He and Deng Qiang then went on to observe the trial production of the hydrating cream and whitening mask, finding no significant issues.

Lu Yu glanced at the company name on the packaging—it was still the one used by Peng Yuanshan before the acquisition, completely unsuited for a cosmetics brand. Frowning, he thought of Shi Zixuan and Qin Xiaomian in their period costumes, and of beauties from antiquity. Finally, he recalled a line from the Warring States poet Qu Yuan: “Powdered white, arched brows, anointed with fragrant gloss.”

He decided to rename the company “Powdered White and Black Cosmetics Co., Ltd.” Whether it sounded good or not was irrelevant—as long as the meaning was there. Besides, the phrase immediately conjured images of beautiful women.

With such a company, how could the products not be good? How could anyone use them and not become more beautiful?

The more Lu Yu thought about it, the more satisfied he became, so he told Deng Qiang, “Change the company name immediately. Contact the packaging suppliers right now—there’s still time. Change it to Powdered White and Black Cosmetics Co., Ltd., and update the business registration as soon as possible.”

After clarifying how to write the new name, Deng Qiang, though finding it a bit odd, agreed without hesitation. After all, the company was wholly owned by Extragalactic Nebula. In Extragalactic Nebula, Lu Yu’s word was law—if he said change it and you didn’t, you’d be out of luck.

Deng Qiang remembered what Lu Yu had said: whether reasonable or not, execute first, discuss later. If you execute and make a mistake, maybe nothing will happen. But if you don’t execute, that’s definitely a mistake—a matter of principle, and unforgivable.

So when Lu Yu said to change it, Deng Qiang immediately agreed. Such employees are the ones bosses appreciate.

Lu Yu nodded with satisfaction. “Now keep up the pace, continue the trial production, and see if there are any other problems. Produce some stock as well, or when the product launches, there’ll be supply shortages.”

Deng Qiang replied eagerly, “We’ve already planned for that. We’re also working on the publicity campaign and have recruited volunteer testers. We’ll produce a batch of the most effective hydrating and whitening masks today, and begin the trials tomorrow. We’ll film the process and make a documentary to support the marketing.”

Lu Yu nodded, “Good. I’ll say it again: maintain strict quality control.”

Before leaving the industrial park, Lu Yu instructed Deng Qiang to set up a herbal cultivation base and processing center in his hometown under the cosmetics company’s name. He urged Deng Qiang to quickly assemble a team, and later, together with him and Chen Xiaofei, handle the land contracting and related work.

Deng Qiang took note and promised to get started immediately.

On the subway back to his old apartment, Lu Yu called Chen Xiaofei to discuss the plantation project. Chen Xiaofei said he had secured thirty million in funding. It was his first entrepreneurial venture after graduating, and his parents were supportive—losing the money wouldn’t hurt them.

In the past few days, he had been consulting with professors at the University of Chinese Medicine about herbal cultivation, and had also sought advice from agricultural experts. Lu Yu found his earnestness amusing—the once carefree rich kid now seriously engaged in real industry was quite the sight.

After some banter, they agreed to head to Lu Yu’s hometown the next day.

Setting up a plantation is no simple task. Land leasing and hiring local workers are troublesome matters, and not settled in a day or two. Since they intended to grow medicinal herbs, soil testing was essential—not just any plot of land would do.

Chen Xiaofei, all fired up, had engaged two research teams from two universities—one for soil and water testing, the other to determine which herbs suited the local soil. For this, they hired a large bus and a truck to transport the researchers and necessary equipment.

After the call, Lu Yu sat down to code, refining his compression algorithm. By late night, he took a comfortable shower and went to bed.

The next morning, Chen Xiaofei drove over to pick up Lu Yu, and they set off for Lu Yu’s hometown. On the way, Lu Yu called his parents to say he’d be home for dinner that night. When they asked why he was coming, he said he’d explain in detail later.

As they chatted in the car, the research teams and equipment set out separately, traveling slower but expected to arrive by afternoon. Soon the car left Shudu behind.

It was late spring, the weather had warmed, and the trees along the highway were budding with new leaves. In the fields beside the road, vast stretches of rapeseed bloomed bright yellow—a pleasing sight. With music playing in the car, it felt like a delightful spring outing.

After about three hours on the highway and another hour off it, they finally reached Lu Yu’s hometown.

They booked rooms at a local inn and, while waiting for the research team and equipment to arrive, Lu Yu showed Chen Xiaofei around the small town, reminiscing about childhood memories, to Chen Xiaofei’s amusement.

City life has its joys, but so does small-town living. Chen Xiaofei, who had never experienced such a childhood, found Lu Yu’s stories of catching crabs and loaches, fishing for crayfish, skipping class to climb mountains, and other innocent exploits both entertaining and enviable.

By four in the afternoon, the research team and equipment arrived. Lu Yu and Chen Xiaofei settled them into the inn—though not luxurious, it was clean and tidy. Chen Xiaofei left them ample funds for meals and entertainment. The town was small, but it had a KTV and other amusements. It was the twenty-first century, after all—though a bit behind, it wasn’t cut off from the times.

With the researchers settled, Lu Yu took Chen Xiaofei home. Now that they’d come all the way to his home village, it would have been wrong to let him stay at the inn.

At home, his parents were preparing dinner, and Lu Yu and Chen Xiaofei helped out. Soon, dinner was ready: five or six homely dishes and tomato egg soup. Lu Yu and Chen Xiaofei ate ravenously, having barely eaten during the drive.

A mother’s happiness is so simple—if you finish the meal she cooked, she’ll be delighted for ages.

After dinner, they gathered in the living room for tea. His parents asked why he’d come home. Lu Yu honestly explained that he had started a company and made some money, and now planned to set up a plantation and herbal processing center in his hometown. Chen Xiaofei also intended to invest in a plantation and would need their help in the future.

His parents were surprised and asked for details. Lu Yu selectively shared some information. Out of concern, they asked about his life in Shudu. Lu Yu casually asked if they’d like to move to Shudu, but both said they were used to small-town life, all their friends were there, and they’d rather stay and help look after the plantation.

The conversation turned to girlfriends. Just as Lu Yu was about to say he didn’t have one, Chen Xiaofei interrupted, “He does—I’ve met her.” His parents grew even more curious and insisted on seeing a photo and having her brought home next time. With a glare at Chen Xiaofei, who ignored the threat, Lu Yu had no choice but to find two less provocative photos of Qin Xiaomian to show his parents.

His parents commented on how young the girl looked. Lu Yu replied that she wasn’t nineteen yet and still a student. The look his parents gave him was odd—after living so earnestly all their lives, how had they raised such a son?

Chen Xiaofei doubled over with laughter, especially at the expression on Lu Yu’s parents’ faces—he thought he could laugh about it for a year. Lu Yu responded with a middle finger.

They turned in around ten, with Chen Xiaofei in the guest room. Lu Yu returned to his own room, sat before the bookshelf, gazing at the rows of books, recalling the days when he’d devoured them without sleep or food, smoked a cigarette, and then went to sleep.