Competitor stormed off in anger, something big happened, something really big~~

"Nine hundred ninety thousand?"

"A set of cosmetics costs nine hundred ninety thousand? Can it even last two months?"

"Damn, I knew it was expensive, but I didn’t expect it to be this expensive..."

"This is insane. How dare they price it like this? Do people actually buy it?"

"Actually, if you do the math, it’s not that expensive. The diamond set costs three hundred eighty thousand, but the diluted version only contains one-fifteenth of the concentration. This one is 100% pure—one bottle equals fifteen bottles of the diamond set. If you calculate the price, it should be three hundred eighty thousand multiplied by fifteen."

"Not to mention, it includes the Four Great Embroideries and the Five Famous Kilns, all handmade. The cost is right there. How much does a fine Suzhou embroidery piece cost? How much does a renowned kiln piece cost?"

"Even though I can’t afford it, I don’t think it’s overpriced. Once I make enough money, I’ll at least want to experience it..."

"Can’t afford it!"

"Can’t afford it!"

"Can’t afford it!"

The barrage was flooded with "can’t afford it."

It was unclear whether someone was stirring the pot or if everyone was just memeing.

However,

this pricing wasn’t aimed at the average consumer in the first place. Just the unlimited availability of the Bronze and Silver tiers was enough for most people.

For the average person, whether their skin improves in a week or six months doesn’t make much difference.

The Bronze tier, costing just over two hundred a month, is more than sufficient.

This also fulfills Young Master Cao’s earlier promise—to make products affordable for ordinary consumers.

Unlimited availability is already the biggest discount.

Let’s be real.

Right now, even the lowest-tier F-grade international brands start at a thousand, and prices are inflated by scalpers.

And the F-grade doesn’t even compare to the Bronze tier.

The equivalent would be the D-grade set, which originally costs a thousand but is now resold for seven or eight thousand.

So,

while some complain about the price, others who know better can see that Miracle Cosmetics is actually offering a discount—even lowering prices proactively.

The Bronze tier only dropped by about a hundred, but the Diamond tier was slashed by nearly a hundred thousand.

...

At this point,

the press conference entered its final Q&A session.

After the interviews, there would be a networking dinner—a buffet-style gathering for socializing.

A reporter asked, "Ms. Xu, I’m from Zhonghai Daily... May I ask, wasn’t the X-Serum supposed to be discontinued? But from what you’ve said, the Bronze and Silver tiers are unlimited—does that mean Miracle Cosmetics now controls the X-Serum?"

Xu Qing held the microphone with a smile. "Our X-Serum shares the same origin as TC Corporation’s, but we’ve successfully reverse-engineered the formula and improved upon it."

"Here, we’d like to thank our ‘friendly competitors’ for their blockade against us."

"If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have been so determined to invest heavily in cracking the formula, and we wouldn’t have our own version today. So, thank you!"

"..."

"..."

How shameless can you be?

The competitors’ faces darkened, especially the international ones, who looked like they’d just lost their parents—a moment captured live on camera.

They were baffled. They didn’t even need to reverse-engineer it; they already had the formula.

And yet?

They still couldn’t develop a product that matched the X-Serum’s effects—not even close.

All they did was waste money and piss off TC Corporation.

...

Another reporter, a foreign one with a posh London accent, stood up. "Ms. Xu, I’m with BBB News. My question is—is your new X-formula better than the original, or is it just a substitute?"

Xu Qing didn’t bother with English, even though she was fluent. She replied in Chinese, "Why don’t your broadcasting company’s shareholders buy some and test it themselves? If the results aren’t good, we’ll refund them. Next question~"

The questions kept coming, all centered around the product.

Some were skeptical, others criticized the high prices as unaffordable for the masses.

Xu Qing handled each one professionally, without a hint of humor.

Until a female reporter—one who had interviewed Young Master Cao multiple times—spoke up.

"Ms. Xu, since this is such a major event, why isn’t Young Master Cao here today?"

Xu Qing smiled. "Actually, I asked him the same thing. I said, ‘This is a huge occasion—shouldn’t you make an appearance, especially with so many international competitors present?’ But Young Master Cao told me, ‘From now on, Miracle Cosmetics rules the industry. Our competitors will grovel at our feet. Whether I show up or not doesn’t matter—they’ll come begging to see me sooner or later.’"

Bang—

A middle-aged foreigner, Vincent, stood up and stormed out.

As the head of L'Oréal, his departure prompted other competitors to hesitate before following suit.

A cold silence fell over the venue.

Many businesspeople and reporters realized that Miracle Cosmetics had been deliberately provoking its rivals all evening.

From exposing their price-gouging tactics to rubbing salt in their wounds—every word was a calculated jab.

But when you thought about it, it made sense.

This was a cutthroat industry, and these competitors had once soft-banned Miracle Cosmetics, leaving them without the X-Serum for a long time.

Now that TC was gone and Miracle Cosmetics had its own formula, why wouldn’t they take a few swings at their rivals?

This was classic Young Master Cao.

Who had he ever been afraid of?

In finance, he’d clashed with analysts and won—both in arguments and profits, leaving many fuming.

In entertainment, he’d built his reputation by calling out peers, even humbling the likes of Director Feng. His movies and variety shows were hits, with formats sold to over thirty countries.

Did anyone really expect him to play nice in the cosmetics industry?

The atmosphere grew tense, but Xu Qing quickly smoothed things over. The competitors’ exit didn’t matter.

Online, though, chaos erupted.

"How bold… Isn’t he afraid of backlash? If the entire industry gangs up on them, how will they ‘rule’ anything? You can’t command the martial world just because you have the Dragon-Slaying Saber."

"Bro, that analogy doesn’t work. The Dragon-Slaying Saber can’t command the martial world, but the X-Serum can. Right now, only Miracle Cosmetics has it—and an upgraded version at that. With a two-generation gap, how are competitors supposed to survive?"

"Exactly. Young Master Cao might be infuriating, but he’s not wrong. Competitors will come crawling back unless they want to lose money."

"LOL, true. They might leave in a huff now, but they’ll be kneeling soon enough."

"I’m not optimistic."

"Me neither. Pride comes before a fall. If Miracle Cosmetics could reverse-engineer it, who’s to say competitors can’t? Maybe they’ve got aces up their sleeves."

"..."

The internet was split.

One side was thrilled and supportive.

The other was wary and skeptical.

Then there were the trolls, but they didn’t count.

Both sides had valid points.

After all,

if Miracle Cosmetics could reverse-engineer the X-Serum after being blocked, what about the big brands? Their R&D teams were just as strong, right?

How could anyone be sure competitors didn’t have their own trump cards?

...

As debates raged online and offline,

The press conference came to a perfect close, marking a successful conclusion.

Everyone was invited to the side for a buffet dinner.

Young Master Cao was absent the entire evening.

Many wealthy individuals were inquiring about him—some hoping to make his acquaintance, others eager to learn when the exclusive gift boxes would hit the market.

With only three thousand boxes available per month,

one had to be diligent or risk missing out entirely.

Was 990,000 a lot?

For the average consumer, it was an astronomical price.

But for certain business owners, it was advertising.

Securing one meant instant publicity—a quick return on that 990,000 investment.

No one lacked business acumen here.

...

However,

Young Master Cao was busy.

He was dining with someone—just the two of them, him and General Manager Li.

They ate in a private room, undisturbed, chatting while watching the live stream of the press conference.

After the meal, as they stepped out,

they "coincidentally" ran into a reporter.

And this reporter "happened" to be a prominent Weibo influencer.

The influencer, feeling "spontaneous," immediately posted the photos they’d snapped online.

Soon, the news spread like wildfire.

On the night of the Miracle Cosmetics press conference, Young Master Cao and General Manager Li of TC were spotted sharing an intimate meal at a renowned hidden-gem restaurant in a back alley.

Both appeared slightly tipsy, arms slung over each other’s shoulders, their camaraderie undeniable.

There was no trace of the past animosity—no hint of General Manager Li’s earlier betrayal or Young Master Cao’s near-lawsuit over their agreement.

The timing, the dinner—all too coincidental.

It was impossible not to read between the lines.

Those who hadn’t caught on earlier suddenly realized:

This was all a setup!

...

"F!"

"S!"

After leaving, Vincent spewed profanities nonstop.

Accustomed to being treated with deference,

his status, background, and L'Oréal’s prestige had always ensured he moved through the world with effortless grace.

Taking over from Paul had gone smoothly at first—replacing staff with his own people, tightening his grip on the company,

reigning like a petty tyrant in blissful control.

But his golden days were short-lived.

Today, for instance, he’d had no choice but to attend, though he’d considered it a courtesy.

Yet from start to finish, Miracle Cosmetics had needled him with veiled insults.

In the end, Vincent couldn’t take it anymore.

The only silver lining? His exit had drawn several competitors away with him, at least allowing him to save face

and force Miracle Cosmetics to reconsider whether they could afford to alienate the entire industry.

"Get me in touch with L'Oréal, Lancôme..."

Seated in his car, Vincent ranted and raged before finally issuing an order: rally competitors to boycott Miracle Cosmetics and teach them what a distribution blockade really meant.

For many companies, this tactic was ruthlessly effective.

With the clout of major international brands, a simple ultimatum—like threatening to pull out of any mall carrying Miracle Cosmetics—

would make retail executives think twice about brand prestige.

Losing those labels would send a mall’s reputation into freefall.

But before Vincent could finish,

his assistant handed him a phone, urgency in his voice.

"Boss, trouble—big trouble."

"What now? Can’t you ever bring me good news?" Vincent snapped, his fury unspent, his disdain for the assistant’s ethnicity simmering.

A glance at the screen confirmed it:

Though he couldn’t read Chinese, he recognized Young Master Cao and General Manager Li.