Chapter 34: The Comic Convention and the Rival

After Chen Xiaofei left, Lu Yu stayed home reading. Around five in the evening, just before six, Shi Zixuan and Qin Xiaomian returned from work. As soon as they entered the living room, they spotted four boxes of face masks on the coffee table.

Qin Xiaomian let out an excited cheer, hurried over to hug the boxes, her face radiating happiness. Having been involved throughout the promotional campaign, she knew exactly how effective the company’s products were. Though both Shi Zixuan and Qin Xiaomian were in their prime and had beautiful skin, and could easily go without such products, who could refuse becoming even fairer and more hydrated? Besides, the company’s products could also delay aging to a certain extent—who wouldn’t want to stay young and beautiful forever?

Shi Zixuan was a bit more composed than Qin Xiaomian, but her eyes sparkled with delight. After hugging the boxes for a while, Qin Xiaomian dashed into the study, showering Lu Yu with kisses. “Uncle, you’re wonderful! If I get prettier, I want you to take care of me!”

Lu Yu ruffled her hair. “You’re already very pretty.”

Qin Xiaomian grinned even wider, stamping him with kisses. In the living room, Shi Zixuan walked over with a gentle laugh and kissed Lu Yu as well, then joined Qin Xiaomian in dividing the masks—one box each of whitening and hydrating masks.

Counting the boxes wasn’t enough; they opened them and counted the packs one by one. Seeing the masks felt like glimpsing a more beautiful version of themselves, and their joy was palpable. After a long time, they finally put the masks in the fridge to keep them fresh.

Lu Yu chuckled, “Soon the company will be making whitening and hydrating shower gels as well.”

At this, both women’s eyes lit up, staring at Lu Yu intently.

Lu Yu explained, “We don’t even have the production line yet! It’ll be some time before they’re ready. You two are already so beautiful—no need to rush.”

Qin Xiaomian pouted, “Hmph! My fair, tender skin is just going to benefit you.”

Her words conjured vivid images in Lu Yu’s mind, stirring his heart. Thankfully, the food delivery arrived just in time; otherwise, he might have indulged in a couple of appetizers before dinner.

…

After dinner, Lu Yu tidied up the containers and took them out to dispose of them. Shi Zixuan and Qin Xiaomian eagerly took baths, then emerged to start using the whitening masks.

Wrapped in bathrobes over their nightgowns, face masks adhered to their skin, they lounged on the sofa playing with their phones. Soon, they started taking pictures of the fridge packed with masks, happily posting on social media, showing off and inciting envy among friends who knew the situation.

After over an hour with the whitening mask, they washed their faces with warm water, peered closely at their reflections, then returned to the living room to apply hydrating masks. The two women knew that even though Lu Yu had given them the best masks, it was impossible to see results after just one use. Consistent daily application over time would be needed.

Still, knowing is one thing—how they felt was another. They were convinced they were becoming fairer and more hydrated, and their hearts soared. A woman’s happiness can be so simple!

…

With the weekend approaching, the two began discussing where to go. Qin Xiaomian suggested an anime convention and insisted that Lu Yu join them.

Lu Yu was a bit puzzled. “Anime convention? Is it fun?”

Qin Xiaomian grinned mischievously, “I don’t know if it’s fun, I haven’t been before, but there will be lots of pretty girls, cosplaying and all.”

Lu Yu caught her drift. “Hmm? Are those girls there for play?”

Qin Xiaomian suggested, “Why don’t we give it a try? If we find some pretty girls, we can hang out with them, just like we do with Zixuan!”

Shi Zixuan rolled her eyes repeatedly.

Listening to Qin Xiaomian, she couldn’t help but recall the times when Lu Yu and Qin Xiaomian teamed up, and shot them both a glare.

Lu Yu and Qin Xiaomian chuckled slyly. Seeing both women interested, Lu Yu decided to take a break from reading and accompany them out tomorrow. Since they had started working, they hadn’t gone out much.

The three watched a few episodes of a variety show together before retiring to their rooms for the night.

…

The next morning at ten, the two women dressed up elaborately, ready to go out. Both wore beautiful traditional outfits. Shi Zixuan’s was elegant, while Qin Xiaomian’s was more vibrant, exuding a fairy-like charm. However, neither was in cosplay.

Lu Yu looked at them and asked, “Aren’t we going to an anime convention? You two aren’t cosplaying?”

Shi Zixuan replied, “We’re just going to watch, not to perform.”

Qin Xiaomian urged, “Uncle, come on, let’s go have fun!”

Lu Yu smiled, put on his shoes, and left with them.

On the way, Qin Xiaomian clung to Lu Yu’s arm, chattering about getting criticized at work, neglecting her classes, and still owing her classmates a meal. Lu Yu listened and responded occasionally.

Soon, the three arrived at the anime convention. It was undeniable—the place was teeming with pretty girls, both cosplayers and attendees. Naturally, there were even more boys hoping to woo them.

Walking through, Lu Yu observed the various cosplays—some from games, some from anime, others from movies. Most were quite convincing, and many people took photos with the cosplayers, who readily agreed.

Lu Yu spent most of his time admiring the pretty girls, marveling at how lively young people were these days.

…

Qin Xiaomian watched with interest, discussing with Lu Yu which girls were attractive, surely fun to hang out with. Sometimes she even encouraged Lu Yu to ask for their contact information.

Shi Zixuan, listening nearby, rolled her eyes frequently, speechless. A girl who liked hanging out with other girls along with Lu Yu—where had things gone awry?

Of course, Lu Yu ignored Qin Xiaomian’s urging, tapping her on the head.

Qin Xiaomian then asked if Lu Yu had any favorite characters, so she and Shi Zixuan could buy outfits and cosplay them—not just for him to see, but also to play together.

Lu Yu was tempted, but after thinking it over, couldn’t pinpoint any particular favorite, so he told her to do as she liked.

Qin Xiaomian frowned in thought, glancing at Shi Zixuan, wanting her to contribute ideas as well. After all, it wasn’t just her responsibility.

When Shi Zixuan didn’t respond, Qin Xiaomian threatened playfully. Shi Zixuan gritted her teeth, vowing to get her revenge next time.

After the convention, the three found a well-reviewed restaurant online for lunch. Then they hit the shopping district, indulged in a spree, buying clothes and bags.

…

That evening, Lu Yu received a call from Deng Qiang, who reported that the management teams for the planting base and processing center had been fully recruited and were ready to deploy.

Deng Qiang had been working non-stop, pushing the company staff to work overtime, even on weekends.

Lu Yu told him to wait for his call and that he would confirm the departure time.

He then phoned Chen Xiaofei, who said he was ready anytime. Lu Yu confirmed they would set out tomorrow, since land contracts and planning still needed time, and the sooner they secured raw materials, the better.

He arranged the time with Chen Xiaofei, then called Deng Qiang to confirm departure tomorrow, asking him to notify the management teams.

Deng Qiang said he would inform them immediately and tomorrow’s departure was assured.

…

After settling the arrangements, Lu Yu informed the two women that he wouldn’t be accompanying them shopping the next day, as he needed to return to his hometown and would be gone for several days.

Qin Xiaomian was a bit saddened, but nodded, looking somewhat gloomy. Shi Zixuan was more understanding, knowing that Lu Yu had his own business and couldn’t be with them every day.

The two women unpacked their purchases in the living room, trying on clothes and taking photos. Lu Yu, preparing for his trip, washed up and went to bed early.

Lying in bed, he played on his phone and drifted off.

In the morning, sunlight streamed through the gap in the curtains. Lu Yu shielded his eyes from the glare, then got up and checked the sky.

He washed up, dressed, and settled on the sofa, ordering breakfast delivery and browsing the news.

Trade friction between the country and the Tower Nation continued. The Tower Nation threatened tariffs, the Rabbit retorted, “If you raise, I raise too.” The little brothers, seeing tensions rising between the big players, urged, “Calm down! For global economic development, for humanity and peace!”

The Tower Nation’s wise leader declared, “No one understands the global economy better than I do! Follow me and you’ll feast on rabbit meat, don’t worry!” The little brothers glanced at the Rabbit’s arsenal and shook their heads—lately their teeth haven’t been good, preferring a vegetarian diet.

While international disputes raged, the Rabbit calmly announced the successful launch of Communication Satellite No. 13 via the Long March 3B rocket. Moreover, by the end of the month, their first domestically-built aircraft carrier would be launched, constructed entirely in-house.

The Tower Nation’s little brothers watched, smiling awkwardly but politely, applauding. They mouthed congratulations, but inside, their hearts soured with envy.

…

Besides these international headlines, a domestic anti-corruption drama, “In the Name of the People,” continued to make waves. Countless memes emerged—righteous Zhao Dehan, gold miner Ding Yizhen, English-learning Chen Qingquan, and more. Netizens played with these to no end.

In addition, a certain celebrity surnamed Bai was exposed for cheating during her marriage, thrilling countless gossip-loving netizens.

Nothing else significant, but one item caught Lu Yu’s attention: Google’s artificial intelligence AlphaGo would soon face off against the young Go prodigy Ke Jie next month.

Lu Yu found this intriguing. He knew it represented the pinnacle of artificial intelligence on this planet, but in his view, it was only the beginning of the elementary stage of weak AI, with a long way to go before even the elementary phase was perfected.

To clarify, weak AI could be divided into three major stages: elementary, intermediate, and advanced. AlphaGo was just at the very start of the elementary stage.

As he read these news items, time slipped by.

…

Not long after finishing breakfast, he received a call from Chen Xiaofei. Lu Yu packed a couple changes of clothes in a backpack, went downstairs, and left the apartment.

He got in the car, and Chen Xiaofei drove onto the highway. Both Chen Xiaofei’s management team and the one led by Deng Qiang had received their locations yesterday, and today each group would travel by chartered bus.

After driving four or five hours, they reached Lu Yu’s hometown, a small town, and booked a hotel, waiting for the two teams to arrive.

That evening, Chen Xiaofei stayed at Lu Yu’s family home, where his parents prepared a sumptuous dinner.

The next morning, after breakfast and meeting with town officials, Chen Xiaofei, Lu Yu, and Deng Qiang led their teams to survey the land carefully.

Over the next few days, Chen Xiaofei and Lu Yu were busy contracting land and signing various agreements. The town government formed a special working group to coordinate their efforts.

…

While Lu Yu was back home surveying land and signing contracts, the domestic cosmetics market finally began to pay attention to Pink White Black, the new cosmetics company.

A large domestic cosmetics company, Xin Yue, was holding a shareholder meeting at this moment.

The marketing director handed out a detailed dossier to the shareholders and began to explain:

“According to our preliminary investigation, the company called Pink White Black Cosmetics changed its name right before launching its products.

“Previously, it was known as Pattern Cosmetics, with legal representative Peng Yuanshan.

“Pattern Cosmetics was a small-scale company, with most products sold to small towns and rural areas in the west. Its prospects were minimal, with almost no profits.

“About a month ago, Pattern Cosmetics’ legal representative sold the company entirely to a sole proprietorship called Extragalactic Nebula.

“Afterward, the company was officially renamed Pink White Black Cosmetics LLC.

“Our research shows that Extragalactic Nebula, which fully owns Pink White Black Cosmetics, is a sole proprietorship belonging to a young man named Lu Yu.

“Extragalactic Nebula was only registered on March first this year.

“Around half a month ago, Pink White Black Cosmetics released their reorganized products online for the first time: Half-Day River Hydrating Mask and Cream Dew Whitening Mask.

“The launch caused a stir online, with about 90,000 orders placed that day.

“But as the product’s effects became evident and the market responded, about a week later, consumers who saw real results bought out all their inventory in just over a day.

“The company’s mask products are priced at three tiers: 99, 299, and 499 yuan per box, for 10, 8, and 6 sheets respectively.

“According to our marketing department’s investigation, in less than ten days, Pink White Black Cosmetics sold approximately two million boxes of masks in two waves.

“Sales revenue has exceeded 300 million yuan.”

…