Volume 1, Chapter 26: The Grand Ceremony of the Zhou Family

May 28th.

This date, long anticipated by the business elite of Nanjiang City and laden with countless expectations, finally arrived.

On the day of the launch, the Dragon International Hotel became the absolute center of attention for the entire city. The street in front of the hotel was a river of metal, with luxury cars weaving in and out like schools of fish, causing a massive traffic jam. The incessant roar of engines and the chorus of honking horns intertwined, sounding like a grand, spirited overture to a major commercial event.

The Zhou Family Launch.

Inside the banquet hall, the scene was one of brilliant lights and a dense crowd of guests. Socialites from all walks of life mingled, exchanging warm greetings amidst a symphony of laughter and conversation. It was a grand social performance, a magnificent movement in the orchestration of the Zhou family’s debut—a testament to their pivotal status in the Nanjiang business world.

Reporters, like bees drawn to nectar, swarmed the entrance, hoisting cameras of all sizes. Their eyes were filled with anticipation, each eager to be the first to document this event, which promised to reshape the market for beauty elixirs in Nanjiang.

As stirring music began to play, the Zhou family’s launch for their new "Beauty Elixir" officially commenced. The host, standing tall in an impeccably tailored suit with his hair groomed to perfection, stepped onto the stage with an air of high spirits.

The hall fell silent instantly.

The host held the microphone, his voice resonant and full of passion. "Distinguished guests and dear friends from the media, welcome to the launch of the Zhou family's new product: the Zhou Beauty Elixir!"

"Today, we are here to witness a miracle in the world of beauty!"

"This new Beauty Elixir is the latest masterpiece from the Zhou Group’s research team, crafted over countless days and nights of painstaking effort."

"Its development journey was like an arduous and long expedition..."

"For decades, our researchers have functioned like fearless explorers, hacking through thorns and brambles in the unknown wilderness of cosmetic alchemy, forging ahead with unwavering determination."

"Finally, heaven rewards the diligent, and the Zhou Beauty Elixir is born!"

"It utilizes the world’s most premium raw materials!"

"Most of these ingredients come from remote and mysterious lands, each imbued with the magical power of nature. For instance, the Tianshan snow lotus, which grows in the frigid, high-altitude regions thousands of meters above sea level, absorbs the essence of the sun and moon, possessing incredible antioxidant and skin-repairing properties."

"There is also deep-sea pearl, harvested from shells thousands of meters beneath the ocean surface. The rich minerals it contains deeply nourish the skin, allowing it to radiate a luster like that of a pearl."

"Our researchers meticulously screened rare, high-quality raw materials from across the globe, subjecting every single component to repeated verification and testing."

"Take, for example, the thousand-year-old glossy ganoderma plucked from deep mountain valleys, whose rich active substances are considered the key secret to skin rejuvenation."

"Or the pure seal oil obtained from the remote polar seas, which possesses extraordinary moisturizing and restorative powers, as if injecting a constant stream of vitality into the skin."

"When it came to refining the formula, the team spared no effort."

"They delved deep into ancient beauty secrets, combining them with modern advanced biotechnology and pharmaceutical concepts, constantly adjusting and optimizing."

"After countless failures and retries, they finally unlocked this unique and exquisite formula, allowing it to exert the essence of traditional beauty while meeting the contemporary demand for efficient, safe, and convenient skincare."

"This is the Zhou Beauty Elixir!"

"In terms of production technology, the Zhou Group has also spared no effort in the pursuit of excellence."

"We have introduced top-tier international pharmaceutical equipment and technology, utilizing ultra-micro nano-grinding processes. By grinding every raw material into extremely fine particles, we ensure that the active ingredients penetrate to the deepest layers of the skin the moment they touch the surface, allowing for full absorption and utilization. This results in the miraculous effect of improving skin texture, tone, and elasticity from the very root."

"Furthermore, our Beauty Elixir incorporates the Zhou family's unique secret recipe and cutting-edge pharmaceutical techniques. This formula is inherited from the imperial secrets of our ancestors, refined and optimized by modern science to better suit the needs of modern skin."

"Compared to traditional beauty products, the effect of our elixir is like heaven and earth!"

"It does not merely instantly brighten the complexion, leaving your skin looking fair and translucent; it also effectively removes wrinkles. Whether it is crow’s feet at the corners of your eyes or the lines on your forehead, using our elixir will yield visible improvements in a short time. With long-term use, it can even delay skin aging, allowing you to remain forever young, with a beauty that never fades!"

This exhaustive pitch left the guests below spellbound. From time to time, gasps of wonder erupted from the crowd.

One female guest covered her mouth, her eyes wide. "Wow, this elixir is too magical! If it really works this well, it’s a godsend for us women!"

A male guest beside her nodded repeatedly in agreement. "Indeed. The Zhou family truly deserves their reputation as a titan of the beauty industry. Their research capabilities are truly admirable."

Applause gradually swelled, and the atmosphere in the venue became exceptionally fervent.

...

At the same time, in the same building, but on a different floor.

The Li Group’s launch had also finally begun.

In stark contrast to the Zhou Group’s event, the situation at the Li family’s venue could only be described as desolate. The comparison was jarring.

Outside the Li family’s banquet hall, only a few staff members paced back and forth. The scene was so cold that one could almost imagine a draft blowing dead leaves across the floor. Inside, a scattering of staff and a handful of die-hard supporters sat sparsely in the room.

There was no lively music, no brilliant lighting; the entire venue seemed dim and lusterless. The rows of empty seats seemed to silently tell the tale of the Li family’s decline.

When poor, one has no visitors even in the bustling city; when rich, one has distant relatives even in the deep mountains.

This was the naked reality.

...

"Hahahaha..."

In the reception room, Zhou Chen was overcome with joy.

That the Li family’s launch had turned out this way made him unable to stop grinning. In this battle, the Zhou family had ultimately won.

"Hmph, I said the Li family was finished."

"Looking at their pathetic state today, how could they possibly compete with our Zhou family?"

The members of the Zhou family were all triumphant, as if they could already see the dawn of victory.

Those distributors who had previously maintained close partnerships with the Li family were now almost all gathered in the Zhou family’s reception room. Their faces were masks of sycophancy. They crowded around Zhou Chen, flattering him incessantly.

One distributor smiled obsequiously. "Young Master Zhou, you are truly a business genius! With this move of drawing the firewood from under the cauldron, you’ve struck the Li family so hard they have no power to fight back. Compared to you, those people at the Li family are like frogs at the bottom of a well, short-sighted and narrow-minded."

Another distributor quickly chimed in, "Exactly! The new Beauty Elixir launched by the Zhou family under your leadership will surely be a massive market success, completely driving the Li family’s 'Spirit Elixir' out of the market. It is our great fortune to follow you. From now on, we will follow your lead—if you tell us to go east, we would never dare head west."

Yet another added, "The Li family used to throw their weight around in the market, relying on their Spirit Elixir. Now, without the advantage of their exclusive formula and without workers, they are like toothless tigers. Young Master Zhou, you are doing a service to the people, saving us distributors; otherwise, we would have been dragged down by the Li family."

Listening to these platitudes, Zhou Chen wore a smile, though he understood in his heart that these distributors were merely weather vanes, turning with the wind.

But for now, he was happy to enjoy this "glory."

He believed that after today’s launch, the Zhou family would completely control the beauty elixir market in Nanjiang.

As for the Li family, they would be reduced to nothing more than dust in the pages of history.