Chapter 401 – "This is urgent. When are you going to start selling the real stuff?" (1)
Gu Wushuang, on the other hand, let out a bluish sigh. "Sister Shishi, are you just going to give up like that? Are you really okay with a kid who can't even talk taking away what's rightfully yours?"
Gu Shishi snickered.
Gu Wushuang was the one who wasn't okay with that!
This melon was totally not what it started out to be anymore.
It had now turned into an under-the-table warfare over inheritance!
"Sure, why not? I don't know anything anyway and none of these were mine to begin with. Little Sister Wushuang, you can have all of it.
"Laters~"
Gu Shishi rolled her eyes and slammed the phone done.
*** ***
In a BMW parked in an underground garage.
How to Restore Vision Without SurgeryiFocus
Gu Wushuang pulled out her earpiece looking very unhappy.
"What's the matter? She didn't want to go with you to negotiate?"
Huo Wencheng stroked her shoulder and looking somewhat solemn himself.
Gu Wushuang shook her head. "No, she won't."
Huo Wencheng frowned.
"She didn't want a penny?"
"I don't know what is going through her mind. She was reluctant no matter what I say."
Gu Wushuang had a look of helplessness on her.
"It's not a bad thing if she wants out." Huo Wencheng looked around and made sure that there was nobody around and that all the windows were shut tightly before he carried on. "With the two of you banding together, you will have the best leverage to make Uncle Gu feel that he was in the wrong and force him to comply with your requests. That way, however, will undoubtedly bring out conflicts between the two of you in the future."
Gu Wushuang shook her head. "We can only consider one step at a time now."
There would be nothing left if she was too late.
If she didn't secure her share right now, who knew whether Gu Jiangxin would have a second or third child in the future? Then what??
Huo Wencheng held her hand. "It's not too bad right now. I'll go with you to talk to Uncle Gu now that Gu Shishi is out."
Gu Wushuang sighed, her limpid eyes sad and apologetic.
"I am sorry, Brother Cheng, to let you take on so much for me. I can't help you on anything. It was always you worrying about matters concerning me."
"Why the silly talk? My mom is being hot headed right now but how long do you think she can go on like that for? There is no other man in the family other than me. She doesn't have much choice."
Huo Wencheng held her hands between his.
"How are you so cold? Let me take you home first?"
"No, Brother Cheng. Take me to Daddy's."
Gu Wushuang gritted her teeth.
"I won't ask for much. Just something to guarantee Mommy's and my future. As you know, I don't know much about business but for Mommy, I..."
"I know. I know." Huo Wencheng immediately put his arm around her shivering shoulder. "I understand what a difficult place you are in right now. You have been dealing with the disappointment and despair coolly and calmly all for Aunty Gu.
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"Don't worry. One way or another, you will still have my support."
Gu Wushuang pinched her pink lips shut and acknowledged what he said gently. With a slight smile, she placed her chin on his chest.
"Thank you, Big Brother Cheng."
"You silly little fool. You are going to be my wife. Fighting for what's yours is also fighting for your dowry for the Huo's."
Huo Wencheng smiled.
Gu Wushuang lowered her eyes. "Mmm. Big Brother Cheng, my heart is still set on Jiahe's skincare product line. You won't find me silly for that, would you?"
That was less than 20% of the Gu's Corporation's net worth.
Huo Wencheng rubbed her on her head. "Of course not. I feel that you are an appreciative one. Smart and know your limits. And also not pushing Uncle Gu too far."
Gu Shishi would probably vomit had she heard this.
Gu Wushuang was the one who was talking about 70% and 30% there when she was instigating her to go look for troubles with Gu Jiangxin. Now she turned around and pretended how thoughtful she was by only wanted the little skincare product line?.... Appreciative? Knowing her limits?
That had thoroughly exposed her wickedness of trying to take advantage of someone else for her own personal gain!
Chapter 402 – "This is urgent. When are you going to start selling the real stuff?" (2)
Apparently Huo Wencheng did not feel the same way.
Gu Wushuang, hearing that he agreed with her, threw her arms around his as though she was feeling touched.
"I don't know anything, Brother Cheng. If you say this one is good, then I shall listen to you."
Huo Wencheng nodded. "It is doing just alright but it's stable. It will provide both you and Aunty a fixed amount of dividend every year in the future. Even if you only have some shared of it, it would be enough to provide the two of you with the kind of security that you need."
Gu Wushuang acknowledged and sat back down into the passenger seat. "Alright, Brother Cheng, I shall set a time with Daddy then."
Huo Wencheng smiled and kept on with the driving.
He who was watching the road ahead of him did not notice that Gu Wushuang had lowered her head and quietly deleted the message from her birth mother.
What Gu Wushuang had not expected was that the minute that she stepped out of Huo Wencheng's car to talk to Gu Jiangxin at the Gu's Corporation, the content of their conversation was already placed in front of the man whom she had referred to as "wasting his money away."
"She wanted her house and control over the shares. Gu Jiangxin is willing to give up 49% of it and keep 45% for himself. The remaining 6% is the share injected by the Xia's back in the days.
"Gu Jiangxin did have his conditions. He wanted an A-level contract with the Huo's for five consecutive years and the Huo's to give up on 10% of their profits."
Sier reported that in front of Huo Sishen's desk.
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That Gu Jiangxin was a sly one. He was basically selling off the shares; not gifting them to Gu Wushuang with no strings attached.
Huo Sishen snickered. "And Huo Wencheng agreed to it?"
Sier shook his head.
"Gu Jiangxin had provided the details in their corporation but Huo Wencheng had no accepted them yet. He needed to hold a board meeting. He did, however, countered the 10% with 5%.
From giving up 10% of profits to 5%.
Trading the Huo's profit to buy a portion of the Gu's asset to appease a woman.
Huo Sishen's handsome face looked even colder.
"What an amazing man."
Sier rubbed the back of his neck and said, "Huo Wencheng had been wanting to get into the gaming industry, especially in the realm of competitive gaming. He probably wants to take this opportunity and pave his way with Gu Jiangxin's resources."
A grown-up Second Generation Rich who was not interested in the family business but wanted to expand into other areas.
And converted part of their profits to invest into said new area.
Huo Sishen didn't comment on it but the mockery on his face was only too obvious.
He waved his hand. "Continue to keep an eye out on him."
"Yes, Sir."
Sier was stopped again when he was just about to take off.
Huo Sishen flipped through the document in front of him and asked, "Liu Zhichao's factory will be launching their new products end of the year?"
Sier was taken aback a little before he figured out what his boss was asking.
Huajian, their boss lady's new brand was about to go into battle with Gu Wushuang's Jiahe.
"I'll do some research on Jiahe and how their new products are doing."
Huo Sishen frowned and said, "Mmm. I want a report on their market positioning, customer's feedback and analytics."
He could lose in all areas except when it came to his wife.
For a few days, Gu Shishi had been indulging herself into adding items into her shopping cart and placing pre-orders on upcoming items... finally, her peacefulness was interrupted by a string of calls from Chen Kexin.
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"Big Sister, did you know that Gu Wushuang had returned to the country to take over the Gu's company and is going to become a little boss?!"
Chapter 403 – "This is urgent. When are you going to start selling the real stuff?" (3)
Gu Shishi had found that out from Sier, the gossip master, long before now.
It was exchanged for a portion of the Huo's profits.
It had only been a few days and that gal had already been proudly pratting about it?
"Even you heard about it?"
"Mmhmm! She had given a few sets of skincare products to Zhou Mi and a few others. She also said she wants to take everyone out for lunch this weekend to thank us for showing our care over her surgery."
Chen Kexin went on and on about it.
"But now she's a competitor of your new company. What is going through her mind?!"
Gu Shishi took a look at the scroll she had laid out on top of the table.
It was a painting of Xishi doing laundry for her spring product line.
She lifted her brows when she heard what Chen Kexin had said to her.
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"Oh, she doesn't know about that."
Chen Kexin, "... ...?"
"I have only sent you some samples. I didn't tell anyone about managing my own brand."
Chen Kexin's eyes widened.
She was then bothered by the word "sample"!
"Oh yeah, how are you liking the samples?"
She had never used the diluted version herself nor did she have any idea the differences between the product produced from the formula and the ones that she could exchange from the system's marketplace.
Chen Kexin was fine up to the point of her bringing it up. Then she exploded.
"YES!! You have given me 20 bottles of samples, 10 ml each. My mom and I each kept 3 bottles for our own use. My grandma came later on and took away 6 bottles. I told her they are for oil control, not anti-wrinkle. She didn't listen to me and said she will be given them to her friends!
"You told me three bottles are for Chuchu. I split the rest between Li Yiru, Zhou Mi, and the others.
"All of them raved about it!
"I feel that my pores had minimized.
"Most importantly, it works wonder with blackheads!!!
"Big sister, I have been wanting to ask. When are the real stuff going onto the market? This is urgent, urgent, urgent!"
Gu Shishi's ears were hurting from all her screaming and she quickly pulled it away from her ears.
"I am still working on their packaging. Be patience."
"... ..."
"Didn't you say the other day that summer is not even here yet?"
"... ... ORZ."
Gu Shishi finished up her work on the packaging after her conversation with Chen Kexin.
In the meantime, she had also communicated with Plant Manager Liu Zhichao along with the entire New Product team on market positioning, coloring of the packaging, as well as the placement of logo and fonts on the packaging.
"Boss, we just might end up being the underdog that is going to take everyone by surprise this year!"
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Plant Manager Liu was very excited when he saw Gu Shishi's sample paintings after the meeting.
Gu Shishi was still not perfectly happy with them and wanted to adjust the softness of the court ladies' skin as well as the charm in their eyes.
Plant Manager Liu, on the other hand, was already quite happy with them.
"We received the feedback from our blind testing. 90% of users responded that our products were the best among the samples. They even exceeded a few international brands.
"After three days of trial, 70% of users are okay with a price point of 300 – 500 yuan."
Gu Shishi nodded.
500 yuan for 100 ml. It was not quite the pricing of high-end products just yet.
That being said, 70% of the public are not okay with pricing of high-end products. So the price point from the marketing research was already quite promising.
"The data is great. We are in the process of considering launching our new product during the Double-12 (December 12) promotion period. We should also push them out to our counters in local department stores at the same time. We are thinking about 15% infusion initially."
It was already too late for Double-11.
"Do we have advertisement arranged?"
Liu Zhichao nodded immediately. "We will be finalizing on the very last packaging design and start replacing our existing posters in stages, starting with subway stations and bus stations with the most traffic in November."
Chapter 404 – He could sneak out on dates by making up excuses as of late. (1)
With her paintbrush in hand, Gu Shishi adjusted the color a little. "We won't be seeing the outcome right away. Let's just see how our first batch does. I don't know much so we will have to count on you, Plant Manager Liu."
Liu Zhichao was very flattered by her words. "That is my job! I will give it my best with my colleagues in the sales department."
Talented, have the formulas, and his boss was so humble.
But Gu Shishi wasn't being humble when she said that she didn't know much.
And that was exactly why she didn't want to meddle and muck things up.
"Sure, we will talk more if there are any other issues~"
Liu Zhichao acknowledged that right away.
Once she had hung up on the phone, Gu Shishi felt pressure.
Originally, she had viewed this skincare product as an accessory. If it made money, great; if not, not a big deal either.
She felt no pressure.
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But now, she had second thoughts about it.
This was a gift to her from the boss.
He spent thirty million on this company... she wouldn't lost any health if the company was to lose money, but money was still money!
What if ... they ended up losing money on Double-12?
What if they couldn't even make back the advertisement cost?
Would she be dragging the boss down?
Gu Shishi got nervous all of a sudden.
She quickly pulled up the few paintings that have already been approved and looked them over once again.
She pondered over it before dinner.
And finally ran over to the study stealthily.
Standing on her tippy toe, she cautiously peeked inside through the crack of the door.
Huo Sishen had just finished a document, set it aside, and was about to start on the next one when he noticed someone by the door.
"Who is it?"
Ever since the wedding, he would leave the door to the study only partially closed instead of closing it all the way.
So that a certain someone could sneak in there from time to time.
The certain someone, however, didn't go over very often.
"... ... it's me."
She didn't think he would have noticed her so soon.
Gu Shishi bit her lip and stuck her head out with a fawning and silly smile awkwardly.
Quickly, she brought out a silver plate from behind her.
"Are you hungry? Would you like some cookies?"
It was obviously her favorite.
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Huo Sishen didn't let it show but he wanted to chuckle.
"No, I am not hungry."
Gu Shishi, "... ...!"
Now she didn't know how to carry on.
Huo Sishen only found that funnier. He kept his thin lips pressured together without saying a word.
Gu Shishi's Plan A had failed.
She thought about it a little and decided to shamelessly carry on.
"Are you very busy right now?"
Huo Sishen lifted his brows.
He didn't need to say anything. Gu Shishi saw the stack of documents on his desk next to his laptop.
She couldn't help but stuck her tongue out. "I'll come back later."
Huo Sishen's lips curved upward some as he pushed the documents further away from him.
"I am not busy right now."
Gu Shishi's eyes beamed right away. She happily handed a cookie over to him.
When one accepts food or favors from another, they would owe them a favor.
"I just have a little request."
Gu Shishi put the plate down and gestured it with her pinky.
"Chuchu told me that she had been getting business management lessons from that Executive Assistant of yours."
Huo Sishen looked up and reluctantly took over the cookie that he found was too sweet.
"I want to go and join her."
Gu Shishi let out a sigh of relief when she saw him accepting her food.
She looked at him eagerly.
How to Restore Vision Without SurgeryiFocus
"I don't cause any trouble, I promise."
His wife taking lessons from his underling?
Huo Sishen's eyes narrowed.
"His surname is Meng. Somewhat good looking and resembles a super model, that one."
Gu Shishi thought he might have forgotten so she elaborated.
"Chuchu said he is very patience and detailed. And he'd also answer all of her questions."
Good looking?
Super model?
Huo Sishen's lips twitched.
He had no idea that his Executive Assistant had received this kind of remarks.
Should he transfer him to the sale department in a branch office?
Chapter 405 – He could sneak out on dates by making up excuses as of late. (2)
"Can I go tomorrow?"
Gu Shishi felt that time was not on her side. Perhaps it was already too late for her to start learning about business management.
"No."
Huo Sishen didn't even need to think about it.
He turned her down immediately.
Gu Shishi couldn't maintain her look anymore and gave him a distressed look.
Huo Sishen closed up the laptop in front of him.
Crossing his arms in front of him and his broad shoulder leaned up against the back of his chair, he asked, "Doesn't taking up on business management eat into your painting time?"
Just the other day, the seniors at the art association had already said she was wasting her talent by management an art studio.
Gu Shishi blinked her limpid eyes before she shook her head. "I have been practicing every day. However, in addition to practicing regularly, one also needs to experience life to improve one's creativity. That includes learning and observing different events and individuals. Any new experiences can become materials in the future."
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Once one's technique had achieved mastery level, then it was vital for the creator's content, mental state, as well as their artistic concept to reach the same level.
The opposite was true as well. Once one's content had achieved mastery level, one's technique would need to reach the same level as well.
Having perfected only of them would not be sufficient.
It was, however, difficult to say which of them one should achieve before the other or which one was the short cut.
"It may take a little more time to achieve a higher level by being distracted a little but for sure it won't be a waste."
Huo Sishen nodded. "What is it that you would like to know?"
He drummed on his desk.
"Market analysis of skincare product, marketing strategy toward different market positioning, and the trend in the field for the next five years?"
Gu Shishi was taken aback a little, then nodded madly.
"Yes! All of them!"
It was like the boss could read her mind!
He knew exactly what her needs were!
"Give me a minute. Let me just go grab my notebook~"
Gu Shishi stood up and pitter pattered back to her own room.
A tenderness appeared in Huo Sishen's eyes.
While they were having a crash course over on this side, the same was happening over on the other side.
Naturally, Gu Wushuang knew nothing about business management either.
She had been raised a rich lady in the past 20 years.
Her goal in adulthood was to marry Huo Wencheng.
All of her efforts had been focused on a lady's talent – musical instruments, flower arrangement, perfume, and other etiquette classes.
Of course, she was well versed in skincare and cosmetology as well.
That being said, Jiahe brand was as plain as its name.
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Before Gu Jiangxin had hit it big, the market positioning of their skincare product was low-end daily items.
Any housewife would be able to afford it and, for just a little bit of money, they would be able to be pampered after a day of tiring housework.
That was their initial marketing concept.
That also meant to say that all of Jiahe's product lines were priced very cheap, much like any other domestic products.
As such, as many cosmetic items as Gu Wushuang had at home and being an expert in skincare, she was very unfamiliar with a common brand like Jiahe.
"Miss Gu, will you be attending the strategy meeting this month?"
Jiahe's general manager gave her a call personally.
"Mmm, yes."
Gu Wushuang was a top student from a musical institution in Vienna.
She didn't know much about business management, but she has Huo Wencheng.
With his help, she had more or less gone over the basic information and financials on the company.
Profit of 20 million yuan a year.
Gu Wushuang had never managed household expenditure before but, looking at this right now, she felt that the number was much lower than she had expected.
"Big Brother Cheng, it doesn't look like they are doing too well?"
Huo Wencheng was much more an expert than she was.
"The market for domestic skincare product had been shrinking. In order to ensure its long-term survival, it is vital to develop new formula on an ongoing basis and also make the products widely available. Jiahe had spent a lot of money on R&D and promotions in the last few years.
"In addition, the market position of their products set to low-end, small profits in high quantity. The profit margin is much lower than that of a luxurious brand."
Gu Wushuang gritted her teeth when she heard that.