What else can an older sister do Just spoil her

I have to say, Eldest Sister is quite the character.

She had already adjusted her mood by the time she returned to the office.

Sitting on the sofa with her legs crossed, the hem of her trousers revealed a glimpse of her stockings beneath—instantly exuding elegance and intellect.

Cao Cheng held a teacup and sat down on the sofa with a smile.

Eldest Sister glanced at him. "Why are you sitting so close?"

"Just wanted to get closer to you, Eldest Sister!" Cao Cheng grinned shamelessly.

Eldest Sister curled her lips in mock disdain. "Alright, out with it. What do you need me to do?"

See? No one understands Cao Cheng like Eldest Sister.

Cao Cheng shook his head earnestly. "Nothing, really. I just dropped by to see you. I’ve been away on business for a while and missed you. How about lunch together?"

The flattery worked—Eldest Sister was pleased.

But…

She knew Fifth Brother’s nature too well. He never visited without an agenda.

"Really, nothing?"

"Really, nothing."

"Fine, let’s go eat. After lunch, you head home. No work talk during the meal."

"Aye—"

Cao Cheng grabbed her arm, pulling Eldest Sister back onto the sofa just as she was about to stand.

She looked at him with an amused smirk.

Cao Cheng chuckled. "Well, uh… The family’s jewelry business doesn’t seem very profitable, right? How about selling it to me?"

"Who told you jewelry isn’t profitable?" Eldest Sister rolled her eyes.

So that’s what this was about—another attempt to swallow up the family business.

This Fifth Brother…

His ambitions were too big.

"I’m just guessing. Who buys jewelry these days? Even gold isn’t selling for much," Cao Cheng said.

"Nonsense. Gold has more than doubled in price since 2008. The company’s stockpile of gold bars alone, just sitting in storage, earns more from appreciation than selling jewelry."

After a pause, Eldest Sister added, "I remember you bought a fair amount of gold yourself, didn’t you? Thinking of entering the jewelry industry now?"

Cao Cheng had indeed stockpiled… a little gold.

And he was still accumulating more.

Not just for the modest price increase.

Frankly, gold’s appreciation couldn’t compare to real estate, let alone other financial derivatives.

Central banks hoard gold mainly as a hedge against inflation.

But none of them had Cao Cheng’s cheat-like foresight of the future.

So, overall, buying gold was still a smart move.

But the actual price increase wasn’t huge—just $1,400 an ounce now, and only $2,800 in fifteen years. A mere doubling.

Unless you leveraged it…

Cao Cheng’s reasons for hoarding were twofold: asset allocation and long-term strategy.

Stockpiling while prices were low now would pay off twenty-five years later.

And besides—

Who said gold had to be sold at market price?

Cao Cheng had other plans. By next year, selling a gram for over 3,000 RMB wouldn’t be impossible.

Right now, it was just 200!

That’s where the real profit lay.

A product’s value depends on demand, not cost!

Like water in the desert.

Or toilet paper when you forget to bring any.

……

Cao Cheng shook his head. "Not exactly… I just need some jewelry to pair with the packaging for my cosmetics gift sets."

"Buying jewelry companies seems unnecessary, and I’d rather not partner with outsiders. Family assets are always better."

He spoke with exaggerated seriousness.

Eldest Sister was speechless. "Your cosmetics are already outrageously expensive. Now you want to go all out on packaging?"

Cao Cheng explained, "I’m targeting the ultra-wealthy women with the highest-tier packaging. What’s wrong with that?"

"First, the outer packaging will feature China’s four great embroidery styles—Su, Xiang, Yue, and Shu—as a cultural statement. Embellished with gemstones, and even the cords wrapped in pure gold thread. How else can we convey luxury?"

"As for the inner packaging—the cosmetic bottles themselves—I’ll use replicas of the five famous kilns: Ru, Guan, Ge, Jun, and Ding."

"Even the lining fabric inside the box will be premium handmade silk."

"And the product cards? Calligraphers will handwrite them in the four major script styles: clerical, seal, regular, and running."

"……"

Eldest Sister thought Cao Cheng had lost his mind.

Even without the cosmetics, that packaging alone would cost a fortune.

Add in the top-tier diamond-studded cosmetic set, and each box would easily run into the hundreds of thousands.

Insane.

"You’re serious about going this big?"

"Absolutely. This is about cultural heritage. We have to start somewhere when promoting our traditions… The first step is always the hardest!" Cao Cheng understood the concept of "stacking advantages."

Future tech products were over-engineered with cutting-edge features.

AI was all about stacking computing power and funding.

So why couldn’t Cao Cheng stack luxury?

Then make it limited edition to fuel demand.

There were plenty of wealthy people out there.

No one would want to lose face by missing out.

As for whether anyone would buy it—Cao Cheng wasn’t worried at all.

Cosmetics from the immortal cultivation world—could they possibly lack prestige?

No woman could resist.

Even if one or two tried to abstain…

All it took was one "rival" using it and looking younger to force their hand.

"Rich lady, you wouldn’t want to fall behind your ‘dear friend,’ would you?"

……

After a thoughtful pause, Eldest Sister said, "I’ll contribute half the jewelry company’s shares as an investment."

Cao Cheng grinned. "How much equity do you want? You know this cosmetics venture is a guaranteed success."

"Ten percent."

"Five."

"Deal."

"Wait, that was too easy. Did I overbid? Let’s make it three. We’re family—no need to haggle." Cao Cheng shamelessly backtracked.

Eldest Sister snorted. "Dream on. You already agreed."

"What a loss." Cao Cheng clutched his chest dramatically.

Eldest Sister, pleased, patted him. "Lunch is on me today."

Truthfully,

Cao Cheng didn’t care about losses.

Their relationship was solid.

Besides,

If he wanted to be a hands-off boss, he had to give Eldest Sister some incentive.

Did anyone really think he came here just for cross-ownership?

Think again.

Over lunch, Cao Cheng revealed his true intent.

"Eldest Sister, I’m not well-versed in jewelry. I’ll leave it to you to contact the inheritors of the four great embroidery styles, calligraphy associations, ceramic associations, silk associations, etc. Draft a few packaging designs, and I’ll pick the best."

"……"

Eldest Sister instantly realized she’d been tricked.

Unbelievable.

The family business was already swamped, and now he was piling more onto her?

She laughed in exasperation, setting down her chopsticks. "Then what are you doing?"

"I’m overseeing product quality for the cosmetics, of course."

"Cut the act. I know Xu Qing handles all that." Eldest Sister wasn’t fooled—she kept tabs.

"Indeed, Xu Qing is in charge of the front line, while I oversee her management of the frontline operations. Additionally, I need to monitor cosmetics companies in Europe and the U.S. to determine the best time to strike. My main job is to strategize."

Cao Cheng sighed, looking troubled.

The workload kept piling up.

He simply didn’t have enough people to handle everything.

If Second Sister weren’t already occupied with her own affairs, Cao Cheng would’ve definitely recruited her to help establish his security company.

"You’re just lazy, aren’t you? Do you really not want to do anything?"

"Who says so? Look, I’m serving you food right now." Cao Cheng picked up a piece of fatty pork and placed it in her bowl.

Eldest Sister wrinkled her nose and pushed it back. "Are you doing this on purpose? You know I don’t eat fatty meat."

Cao Cheng grinned. "This is my way of showing respect, Eldest Sister. Giving you a big piece of fatty pork symbolizes that you’ll reap the biggest rewards from this collaboration, while I’ll just sip some broth."

"..."

Eldest Sister looked exasperated. There was no winning against this smooth-talking little brother and his endless stream of nonsense.

If it weren’t for the fact that he had saved her life, she would’ve given him a proper scolding today.

Depression had tormented her for years.

Only recently had she finally started feeling like herself again—and it was an indescribably wonderful sensation.

Deep down, she was grateful to Fifth Brother.

However,

Eldest Sister was a seasoned businesswoman. She knew she had gotten the better end of the deal today.

Even a mere 5% dividend stake in Miracle Cosmetics far outweighed the value of her family’s jewelry business.

Once Cao Cheng’s plans came to fruition, the entire global cosmetics industry would have to dance to his tune.

Just how vast was that market?

It was almost unimaginable.

And yet, Cao Cheng only asked for half of her jewelry company—without even haggling over the price.

This was a gift to family, a genuine acknowledgment of her as his elder sister.

Some things didn’t need to be said outright; they just needed to be remembered.

So,

Eldest Sister played along with his antics for a while before ultimately agreeing to handle the legwork for him.

She knew he was lazy. But as his elder sister, what else could she do?

Spoil him, of course!

……

Cao Cheng had brought up the matter early to start stockpiling inventory in advance.

Handcrafted luxury goods took a long time to produce. To make a grand debut, the packaging details—both internal and external—had to be finalized this year.

Then, they would quietly begin stockpiling.

By the time the cosmetics war erupted next year, Cao Cheng would be ready to flood the global high-end market immediately.

This top-tier product would surpass even diamond-encrusted gift sets.

A true luxury among luxuries.

Additionally,

each of these gift boxes would include an exclusive "bonus" item—something that couldn’t be bought anywhere else.

[Dragon’s Resin Perfume Pearl]!

This item could be considered both a perfume and a sachet.

It wasn’t the full version.

Just a diluted one.

But it was more than enough for ordinary people.

After all, this was something used by immortal fairies and saintesses in the cultivation world. Not only did it leave the wearer enveloped in a fresh, ethereal fragrance,

but it also brought mental clarity.

Whether pondering problems or studying, everything became twice as efficient.

The only missing effect was the enlightenment-inducing aroma—that required extra payment. Not everyone had the chance to attain enlightenment, after all.

Thus,

Cao Cheng planned to include the [Perfume Pearl] as a "free gift" in the most exclusive luxury sets—though its cost was already factored into the price.

The point was, it couldn’t be obtained anywhere else.

The rarer something was, the more valuable it became, right?

Imagine others using the Perfume Pearl while you were still stuck with cheap perfumes… Tsk tsk tsk. The contrast would be undeniable.

And the emotional impact?

Perfect!

……

After lunch,

Cao Cheng handed her a gift box.

Eldest Sister smiled. "Oh? You’ve grown up. You even remember to bring gifts when you go out now."

Cao Cheng chuckled. "This isn’t from outside. It’s the bonus item I plan to include in the luxury gift sets. Though it’s called a freebie, I believe its value surpasses all the cosmetics combined. It’s called: Dragon’s Resin Perfume Pearl."

Eldest Sister blinked. "Is this the same ambergris you gave Second Sister?"

"Similar, but this one is designed for long-term preservation. Inside is a sachet containing the Perfume Pearl. Wearing it repels pests and has other subtle benefits. The materials are extremely rare—only available in these luxury sets. You can’t buy it anywhere else. Try it out, Eldest Sister. It’ll help you stay focused at work and feel less fatigued."

She opened the box.

With one gentle whiff,

her eyes brightened.

The fragrance was so refreshing.

The drowsiness from lunch vanished instantly, and the mental exhaustion from her morning meetings seemed to lighten.

What a treasure.

"Thank you!"

"I love it!"