Killing a Few People, Bankrupting a Few Companies, High Emotional Value

Cao Cheng gripped the weapon in his hand.

Killing intent arose naturally.

His next target was to dominate the cosmetics industry.

As they say in Zhonghai, it was time to crush the arrogance of those foreign devils.

Though these days there were plenty of "colonial bootlickers"—

Many ordinary people, as soon as they had a bit of money, wouldn’t even consider domestic cosmetics, distrusting them while chasing so-called "quality."

But what did it matter?

If they couldn’t sell domestically, they’d sell overseas first.

Once they carved out a reputation abroad, the domestic market would naturally fall in line.

What was this called?

"Export to domestic sales"—literally, in quotation marks.

This could work.

Besides, the product was unbeatable.

The celestial maidens possessed cultivation realms, inherently "pure" from the inside out. If even they needed these cosmetics, one could imagine just how powerful they were.

Cao Cheng didn’t dare release them at full strength—he’d have to dilute them first.

Otherwise, the effects would be too potent and attract unwanted trouble.

……

Young Master Cao sat up.

No more massages.

Eldest Sister was distracted—no fun at all.

Cao Cheng stared at her. "Selling or not?"

"..."

Eldest Sister chuckled. "If you want to take over, I won’t object. That cosmetics company is running at a loss anyway—no help to the Ren Group."

"It’s just an old business from Grandpa’s era, kept around for nostalgia."

"I’ve wanted to sell it for a while, but I didn’t know how to bring it up with Mom."

"If you’re serious, go talk to her. As long as she doesn’t refuse, I won’t stand in your way."

Cao Cheng nodded. "Good. I’ll see Mom tomorrow."

And just like that, it was settled.

Family meant no need for formalities.

Cao Cheng reached out. "Here, let me give you a massage too—help you relax."

"Thanks, but no thanks."

Eldest Sister stood and walked away. "I’ve got work. No time for your nonsense."

Watching her slender figure disappear, Cao Cheng shook his head.

This woman… too guarded.

Did she think he was plotting something?

Fine if she distrusted others, but even her own brother?

Heartless, honestly.

(ˉ▽￣～) Whatever~~~~

……

……

That night,

Young Master Cao barely slept.

He spent it studying the ten formulas he’d drawn from the gacha.

Ten different recipes.

Many base ingredients overlapped—no big deal.

No rare spiritual herbs either, since these were just cosmetics.

But…

Earth couldn’t produce them.

For example, the formulas required lingzhi mushrooms—but not the Earth variety.

Neither farmed nor wild ones met the requirements.

They needed lingzhi from the cultivation world…

There, they were common. Here? Priceless treasures.

Luckily,

This was no obstacle for Cao Cheng.

Diamond and gold chests had yielded plenty of herbs. He’d originally thought they’d be useful for traditional medicine.

But Young Master Cao was lazy.

He’d never seriously treated anyone, so most herbs remained untouched.

Plus, he had his blessed grotto.

A pocket realm rich in spiritual energy.

Small but refined.

Perfect for growing basic medicinal plants. Extract their essences, and the formulas would be complete.

Easy!

And since dilution was necessary, he wouldn’t need much—a tiny amount would suffice.

Cao Cheng estimated

That even 1% of the original cultivation-world cosmetics’ effects would be revolutionary.

Dilute it further to 0.1% for overseas sales.

For those with darker skin.

Could they even achieve whitening with such weak potency?

Hmm…

Actually, maybe!

At full strength, it might really work.

Another business opportunity—unstoppable!

After the cognitive warfare, how many would crave lighter skin…

Cao Cheng’s grin slowly turned inhuman.

……

Next morning, Young Master Cao overslept.

The house was empty.

Not a soul in sight.

Unhurried, he booted up his computer—not for news, but research.

Cosmetic chemistry papers, mainly.

Had to educate himself.

Truth was, Cao Cheng knew nothing about the industry. Even with two lifetimes’ experience, his knowledge began and ended with terms like "fairy water" and "nano hyaluronic acid"—gleaned from headlines.

In his century-long dream, he’d never used cosmetics. Bought some for girls during holidays—always the priciest.

Later, his wife stuck to basic brands like Pechoin.

So,

His expertise here was practically nonexistent.

……

The deeper he dug,

The redder his eyes became.

Holy hell, the profits!

L'Oréal—last year’s global revenue: 17.5 billion euros.

At current rates, 170 billion RMB.

Net profit: 2 billion euros.

Then P&G—even crazier. Revenue: 80+ billion USD.

Net profit exceeding 12 billion USD.

Other giants like Estée Lauder, Unilever—all 15-20 billion euros.

……

"I’m in!"

Cao Cheng slammed his laptop shut, making a resolute decision.

He stood abruptly, as if steeling himself.

Damn it.

All foreign brands.

Disgusting.

Cao Cheng considered himself a patriot—this wasn’t about money.

Absolutely nothing to do with money.

Young Master Cao didn’t need money; he’d never touched the stuff.

Thus,

His decision to enter cosmetics wasn’t profit-driven. He’d do it even at a loss.

He’d create China’s own "luxury" brand.

At least one red presence among the global top ten cosmetics giants.

Young Master Cao—boundless love for his country!

……

"Mom."

Arriving at Ren's mother’s place,

Cao Cheng immediately went for a shoulder massage, all smiles.

Ren's mother laughed lightly. "You little rascal. Never visit unless you want something."

"Like mother, like son. You know me too well, Mom." Cao Cheng grinned.

Old Cao rolled his eyes nearby.

As if they were blood-related.

Not even close.

"Mom, I want the Ren’s Hall Cosmetics Company," Cao Cheng stated bluntly.

Ren's mother paused. "Why cosmetics? Entertainment was going well. Stocks too—easy money for you. This industry’s tough nowadays."

Cao Cheng said, "Mom! You know I dabble in traditional medicine and makeup—just basics, and I’m no expert in the business."

"But I know products."

Ren's mother looked skeptical.

Cao Cheng continued, "Main thing is, I checked some data. This industry prints money—not that I care about profits. Plenty of lucrative fields out there."

"But…"

"Foreign companies are too domineering. They’ve been scheming against our domestic businesses, driving them to bankruptcy, forcing closures, or outright acquisitions… leaving us with no competitiveness in the global cosmetics industry."

"This is something I can’t stand by and watch."

"Coincidentally, I know a bit about traditional Chinese medicine and cosmetics. I’ve developed my own line of products—beauty-enhancing, skin-nourishing formulas. I’m determined to do something for our domestic industry."

"We can’t let those foreign bullies act so arrogantly!"

Cao Cheng waved his fist, his face flushed with excitement.

He nearly shouted the famous line, "Those who dare offend the might of our great Han shall be punished, no matter how far they flee!"

Though he held back, the sentiment was there.

And it was intense.

Ren's mother felt it too.

Only Old Cao, the antagonist, remained unmoved, his unfriendly instincts kicking in.

Old Cao sneered, "You? In cosmetics?"

"Taking on foreigners?"

"What does traditional Chinese medicine have to do with cosmetics?"

"Don’t say your old man is discouraging you, but kid, you’re better off sipping tea and dabbling in the entertainment industry."

Cao Cheng cried out, "Mom, look at him!"

Old Cao’s face darkened. "…"

This brat.

Relying on his mother’s favor.

Sure enough, Ren's mother shot Old Cao a glance, instantly silencing him.

Old Cao forced a dry laugh and turned away. "I’ll go make you some tea."

Before leaving, he shot Cao Cheng a venomous glare.

Cao Cheng yelped, "Mom, did you see that look he gave me?"

Old Cao hurried off with his head down.

…

After the playful bickering, Ren's mother asked with a smile, "So you’ve really made up your mind?"

Cao Cheng nodded. "Yes. I also checked with Eldest Sister—our family’s cosmetics division has been losing money year after year. This can’t go on. I was originally planning to build my own team or acquire some major companies."

"But then I thought, why let outsiders benefit?"

"I’ll just buy the cosmetics business outright and merge it into Miracle Group. Eldest Sister gets rid of a burden and gains some capital, and I don’t have to waste money on subpar acquisitions."

The Ren Family Cosmetics Company, though not well-known, had all the necessary licenses and certifications in place.

Acquiring it would allow immediate research, production, and eventual market launch.

"Alright."

"If this is your decision, I’ll support you unconditionally."

Ren's mother had full confidence in Cao Cheng’s capabilities.

After all, the young master had never suffered a loss.

And he’d achieved his current status—billionaire, no less—almost entirely on his own, with little help from the Ren family.

Even if some of the truly 'wealthy' looked down on the title of "richest man," it still placed him among the top-tier business elites.

Far surpassing the entire Ren family.

If Old Cao had been this capable back in the day, she and he might’ve had children twenty years earlier.

How could father and son be so different?

A mediocre father, a prodigious son!

…

Next came the details of the acquisition.

Ren's mother didn’t simply hand it over for free—family harmony had to be considered.

But the price she quoted was low, practically a steal. She also briefed Cao Cheng extensively on the cosmetics company’s internal affairs.

Her only request was to take care of the long-term employees.

Many had been with the Ren family for years.

Of course, this was relative—the market still rewarded competence.

The capable would rise; the mediocre would fall.

Ultimately, it was Cao Cheng’s call.

Ren's mother’s request was more about securing a favor.

And Cao Cheng was happy to oblige.

…

With the matter settled, Cao Cheng stayed for a meal before leaving.

Once outside, his gaze turned profound and ambitious, as if the world lay at his feet.

He hoped those cosmetics companies were ready.

Ready for the rise of a titan.

One could only imagine the despair—and the emotional backlash—once his products hit the market.

For domestic entertainment companies, Cao Cheng wouldn’t go for the kill.

But for foreign ones? That was a different story.

Bankrupting a few companies, crushing a few rivals—wouldn’t that generate even more emotional energy?