Live Stream Starts, Close-Up and Full-On, Understandable, the Spirit of Breaking Contracts

Xu Qing acted with remarkable efficiency.

Overnight, Miracle Cosmetics issued an official notice addressing the suppliers who had attempted to force their hand.

The notice presented them with two options: either sign a new contract requiring an annual deposit of 100 million euros, or buy back their shares.

There was no third alternative.

Though the announcement was only posted on Miracle Cosmetics' website and hadn’t yet made headlines, the industry was immediately thrown into turmoil.

X Essence had dominated the market in recent years. Starting with an open strategy, it became the most coveted raw material in less than a year.

Soon after, it unified the entire personal care industry, penetrating every niche within two years.

Anyone who used cosmetics or personal care products knew Miracle Cosmetics—and X Essence.

The product had spawned an entire ecosystem of scalpers.

Much like how no one in the future would be unfamiliar with premium liquor brands, the scalping market thrived because flipping official purchases could yield profits of over 50%.

A unique secondary market had formed.

Miracle Cosmetics was, after all, the undisputed global leader in personal care.

The supplier rebellion had lasted barely a month, during which Miracle Cosmetics had remained relatively restrained—Xu Qing had hoped for an amicable resolution.

But then, unexpectedly, the company took a hardline stance.

Soon, everyone learned that Cao Cheng had returned to Zhonghai and issued an ultimatum: flip the table.

All rebellious suppliers, except for a few like L'Oréal who hadn’t joined the uprising, received an email from Miracle Cosmetics.

Renew the contract or part ways.

The choice was theirs.

The backers behind these suppliers, Barnacle Capital, were stunned. After a long silence, someone muttered in Chinese: "Damn, this kid’s got fire in him."

---

Early the next morning, Paul called.

Cao Cheng had slept alone.

Tang Xin had been whisked away by Ren Fanxing—the two sisters, reunited after some time apart, were inseparable.

Besides, with Tang Xin now pregnant, caution was necessary.

So Cao Cheng spent the night alone, reflecting on his actions.

When the phone rang, he didn’t rush to answer.

Daily self-reflection came first.

Staring at the ceiling, he pondered where the system had gone wrong.

Only when Paul called a second time did Cao Cheng pick up.

"My dear Lord, good morning! I hope I didn’t disturb your dreams?"

"You did. But it’s fine. What’s the situation, Paul?" Cao Cheng asked.

Paul replied, "Cohen from Barnacle Guild reached out. He hopes to discuss collaboration with you directly."

Paul then explained Cohen’s background:

One of Barnacle Capital’s frontmen.

A member of the Barnacle clan.

And one of the key figures behind the supplier rebellion in Lorne.

Now, he wanted to negotiate terms with Young Master Cao.

Cao Cheng didn’t refuse outright.

"Sure. Tell them to come to Zhonghai. We’ll talk when they arrive."

Paul chuckled. "They were hoping you’d go to Lorne instead."

"Tell them to screw off. I get seasick—can’t travel by sea," Cao Cheng scoffed.

It wasn’t strictly about refusing to leave the country.

After all, Cao Cheng knew he was invincible—nowhere was truly dangerous for him.

But still…

It was the middle of the damn New Year festivities. Why would he go anywhere?

---

After hanging up, Paul relayed Cao Cheng’s response. Cohen hesitated briefly before agreeing.

Shortly after, Lorne’s commerce department sent over an official visitation request.

The situation escalated directly to a major business negotiation.

Cao Cheng had also received word that, aside from Cohen, a group of cosmetics entrepreneurs—all defecting partners who had turned against him—were coming as well.

After a minute of consideration, Young Master Cao understood their intentions.

"They’re arriving on the momentum of their victory."

They likely believed they had already won, ready to reclaim the shares in Cao Cheng’s hands and push him out of the company’s management.

Even if a few remained uncommitted, they wouldn’t pose any real threat.

They even brought in institutions like the commerce department—a clear hint of intimidation.

After all, this department oversaw import-export goods, international trade, and various patents…

The moment Cao Cheng saw the lineup, he knew:

This negotiation was no small matter.

If things went smoothly, fine.

But if they didn’t, he might face sanctions under pretexts like anti-monopoly or anti-"raw material hegemony."

As someone who’d seen it all before, Cao Cheng was all too familiar with these old tricks.

Many still didn’t get it, but he saw right through them.

Tang Xin also sensed something was off.

One look at the lineup, and she understood.

Frowning, she asked, "Honey, do we need to prepare anything?"

"Of course," Cao Cheng said with a smirk. "Since they’re making such a grand show of it, we can’t afford to be petty. Help me contact domestic and international journalists. I want them present during the negotiation—live coverage, too."

"..."

Tang Xin immediately recalled the last live broadcast.

The aftermath, where he’d called them dogs and made them kneel, had stirred up quite the online storm.

Seeing the mischief in Cao Cheng’s grin, she knew he was up to something.

But who was Tang Xin?

The First Lady.

Unconditional support.

With a nod and a smile, she said, "Got it. I’ll arrange it right away. Anything else?"

"Just rest and focus on the pregnancy. I’ve already left the minor details to Xu Qing," Cao Cheng replied casually.

He had also invited several trusted domestic partners to the club for a chat, planning to carve up the market together.

If they were going to fight, they might as well go all in.

Worst case, they could always deploy a few commercial proxies and white gloves.

Bottom line:

This market was his.

If they wouldn’t let him have it, he’d wreck it—no one would get a piece.

And this market war?

It was only over low-tier products.

The high-end X-Serum line remained untouchable.

A rock-solid position!

So, as things stood, Young Master Cao was already in an unassailable position. At worst, he’d lose a sliver of low-tier profits—crumbs tossed to the Barnacle Capital.

Truth be told, if these people could actually threaten Cao Cheng’s market dominance, they wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to negotiate.

If they could crush him, they’d have already devoured the market and trampled Miracle Cosmetics.

Business was simple at its core.

If you had what others didn’t, you were the king.

If everyone had the same thing, you were brothers—time to talk collaboration and market share.

If others had what you lacked, you were the beggar.

No need for convoluted strategies.

And all those so-called "business wars"?

The term might sound glamorous, but in reality, it was brutally straightforward: throw money at it, again and again.

If you could bury your rival, bury them—then you’d be the king.

If not, well, back to the table. "Hey, brother, let’s talk."

...

If Young Master Cao had merely stumbled upon the X serum by chance, perhaps he would have opted for harmony and mutual profit—everyone making money together without resorting to violence.

But Young Master Cao had cheats.

His ambitions weren’t limited to dominating just one industry.

Cosmetics were merely the starting point.

That left him with only one path: becoming the undisputed kingpin. There was no other choice.

Young Master Cao had no other option.

Truthfully, he wasn’t the tyrannical type.

It was all the system’s fault.

Why else would he blame the system every time he reflected on his actions?

It wasn’t an excuse—the system was genuinely flawed, riddled with problems.

…

In the blink of an eye, it was New Year’s Eve.

Second Sister was working overtime—again.

And Cao Cheng, once more, brought her dumplings.

But this time was different. This time, the two of them ate together happily in the office.

Cao Cheng stayed with her for a while.

Second Sister didn’t mention work—she never asked for help unless absolutely necessary. She preferred relying on herself.

And Cao Cheng preferred relying on her.

See?

A perfect match.

After New Year’s Eve, the atmosphere grew quieter than usual. The crackdown on firecrackers was stricter than ever.

On this day, Cohen from Barnacle Capital crossed oceans to arrive in Zhonghai.

They brought a large delegation this time.

Not just for cosmetics—there were other negotiation teams for additional collaborations.

Cao Cheng paid them no mind.

He didn’t host them either.

The local officials took care of that…

It wasn’t until a week later that Cao Cheng finally spared some time.

He booked a large conference room at the Peace Hotel.

And invited a crowd of journalists.

…

7:30 PM.

Cohen and his team only realized there were reporters—and a live broadcast—when they arrived at the hotel. Bewildered, he turned to Xu Qing: "Why invite journalists? And a live stream? Aren’t business negotiations supposed to be confidential?"

"Unnecessary."

"Our young master’s words."

"Fair, just, and transparent."

Xu Qing smiled politely. "In business, integrity matters. Unlike you, our genes and cultural heritage don’t allow us to tear up agreements after signing. What we promise, we honor. There’s nothing we can’t make public—this is called having nothing to hide."

"To prevent you from shamelessly breaking the contract again, our young master insisted on a live broadcast. Let everyone witness it—let them serve as guarantors."

"..."

Cohen’s expression darkened, sensing the overwhelming hostility.

The other foreign devils around him also paled.

Some even flushed red with anger.

Xu Qing, however, maintained her courteous smile and gestured toward the door. "Gentlemen, please."

Cohen didn’t have many cards left to play.

Faced with this direct provocation, he understood—but didn’t argue.

They had violated the agreement.

No point in denying it.

What they didn’t know was that the broadcast had already begun.

The livestream topped trending lists across platforms.

Fans tuning in, aided by real-time translations, immediately cheered: "Sister Qing is invincible!" "Cao the Tyrant is a legend!"

This was a full-frontal assault.

Though the audience didn’t yet know the theme of the stream, it was clear—another round of bullying foreign devils?

…

Negotiate?

Negotiate this.

Cao Cheng’s goal this time was pure sabotage.

No mercy.

No reservations.

Just the live-streaming gambit.

And there was more fun in store for them.

The emotional payoff was about to explode.

Especially after the discussion, when they learned that the livestream would begin immediately, their anger only grew.

Additionally, upon entering, everyone would be required to turn off their phones.

Security personnel would also be stationed outside the door to prevent any further intrusions.

...

Both sides had sizable groups.

Leading Cohen's side were executives from major daily chemical companies, with even the lowest-ranking attendee being at least a deputy general manager.

On Cao Cheng's side, he took the lead, accompanied by representatives from domestic partner companies with strong collaborative ties.

Meanwhile, the livestream team was already briefing the situation. They had received the script and clearly laid out the facts.

Many fans suddenly realized why Xu Qing had been so bold earlier, directly confronting the other side. Despite their visible frustration, they had held back.

They were in the wrong, after all.

It made sense.

The spirit of contracts?

That’s how the West operates.

Contracts are just worthless paper—signed only to be torn up later. Otherwise, why bother signing them?

A quick look at history shows that Western agreements are nothing but scraps.

How many haven’t been broken?