108: Qingyan and Xinghui's predicament
The receptionist followed the two of them. She didn't feel impatient just because they were only trying things on without buying. Hearing this, she smiled and said:
"All of our staff use Cosmetics Brand products. I'm wearing a full face of it right now; you can use me as a reference."
Jiang Chuan's purpose for coming here was to find out why Cosmetics Brand's popularity was not high. The products were unexpectedly good, and the sales staff's service attitude was normal.
The problem could only lie in the promotion. It was either a funding issue with no budget for advertising, or a problem with the marketing director's lack of professional ability.
Jiang Chuan currently didn't have the ability to solve this problem, but he could manage to boost Cosmetics Brand's popularity a bit. The possibility of cooperation was very high.
There was no need for him to keep letting Little Green Tea try things on. He said to the receptionist:
"Get me one set of every major category."
"Thank you for choosing Cosmetics Brand!"
The receptionist bowed in pleasant surprise. The store hadn't sold this many products in a month.
She truly liked her job. Even though the store's performance wasn't great, the boss didn't dock her pay. He even sent milk tea over from time to time and gave out bonuses during holidays.
She didn't have a diploma and had already experienced the harshness of society in her previous job. She cherished this job immensely and hoped the company would do better and better.
Encountering such a generous customer meant not only sales commissions but also that President Su could breathe a little easier. She quickly packed the cosmetics into gift boxes for the customer to take away.
Feng Qiqi was anxious to death. Even if he was rich, he shouldn't waste money like this. She patted his arm and said, "Why buy so much? Some of these won't be used at all!"
"It's fine. If they can't be used, they can be given as gifts."
Jiang Chuan didn't buy these for use anyway. It would be best if Little Green Tea could use them, but it didn't matter if she couldn't. He spoke casually.
Feng Qiqi was pained to the core. The individual prices weren't expensive, but buying so many cost a lot of money!
General items like skincare, makeup, and perfume were fine, but some lipstick shades didn't suit her at all and she'd never use them in her life.
But seeing the attendant running over with a pile of gift boxes, she knew it was useless to think about it further. She could only accept them with a bitter smile.
Jiang Chuan paid the bill. Carrying large and small bags, he and Little Green Tea walked out of the Cosmetics Brand specialty store under the enthusiastic farewell of the receptionist.
Feng Qiqi's gaze swept across the nearby specialty stores, picking which one fit her wallet's capacity.
Jiang Chuan was still walking outward when he was suddenly pulled into a shop by her. He asked in confusion, "Do you have something else to buy?"
"Mhm!"
Before the attendant could even come over, Feng Qiqi took a pair of white sneakers from the display case and checked the size. Finding it was exactly size 43, she said with a smile:
"I want to buy you a gift, but I don't have much money. Do you like this?"
"I like it. Go ahead and buy it for me then."
Jiang Chuan didn't stand on ceremony with her. Their relationship was already at "negative distance," so giving small gifts could further enhance their feelings.
The attendant finally ran over. Hearing their conversation, she swallowed the words "don't touch if you're not buying" and introduced with a smile:
"Miss, you have great taste. These are limited edition BAPE STAs. There are only two pairs in all of Yangcheng, and they're perfect for couples."
"What size is the other pair?"
"It's size 36. Can you wear that?"
Feng Qiqi originally only wanted to buy one pair because they were quite expensive—the tag said 7,999!
But hearing "couples," "only two pairs," and that it was exactly her size, it felt like destiny. She gritted her teeth, took out her wallet, and paid.
The attendant put the shoes into a shoebox, placed it in a shopping bag, and handed it over with a bow, saying with a smile:
"Here you go. We look forward to your next visit!"
"Thank you!"
Feng Qiqi carried the shopping bag with a smile on her face, but her heart was bleeding. Her salary for the next two months had flown away, so she'd have to survive on instant noodles.
Jiang Chuan called over a shopping guide to help carry their purchases. Holding Little Green Tea's hand, they walked toward the exit. He knew very well that there was no such thing as a "limited edition."
It was obviously just the attendant seeing her feet, estimating the size, and saying so. It was a common marketing tactic, but he didn't expose it.
Feng Qiqi was silly and didn't realize it. She quickly composed her expression, afraid he would notice anything unusual. She swung her arm as usual and leaned against him as they walked forward.
Actually, these kinds of small tricks wouldn't have fooled her in the past. But for some reason, hearing the word "couples" made her want to buy them. Perhaps this was the legendary "love brain."
The two of them put the gift boxes in the car and thanked the shopping guide. Only then did they instruct Uncle Li to drive to the hotel.
As soon as Jiang Chuan entered the room, he pressed her down in front of the vanity mirror. He unpacked the exquisite Cosmetics Brand gift box and said, "Remove your current makeup and switch to this brand."
Feng Qiqi didn't ask why either. She nodded in agreement and went into the bathroom to start removing her makeup.
Jiang Chuan knew that applying makeup was a troublesome task. He checked the time on his phone—it was just one o'clock. He didn't rush her, instead sitting on the sofa to ask about Old Fourth's progress.
Old Fourth had gone to a maternal and child products company. He had already made contact once; the other party had a clear intention to cooperate. They were still discussing the price, and it could be finalized after a few more negotiations.
Everything was going very smoothly. As long as he secured this Cosmetics Brand company, he could return to the office and wait for the right moment to start the plan!
But on the other side, they had fallen completely into a passive state... Xinghui Company
Shen Qingning fully felt the power of the two giants joining forces. Poaching people was just the most basic tactic.
The companies that had previously agreed to advertise on the Starlight app had all turned to Deep Sea and Competitive Creation. The first batch of large revenues had all been snatched away.
At the same price, whether it was the two giants or Starlight, even a primary school student would choose where to place ads.
But this was only the beginning. The advertisements Starlight had put out were also returned due to various issues.
The download numbers, which had been steadily increasing during this period, came to a direct standstill, leaving only the minor fluctuations brought by ground promotion.
After cutting off the income and downloads, the public opinion war began!
The internet was flooded with screenshots claiming Starlight's lucky draws didn't distribute prizes. Whenever Starlight's official Weibo found the person who posted the news...
The other party's attitude would be exceptionally good. They would actively apologize, saying it was a misunderstanding, and delete the message directly while posting an apology statement. But if they didn't look for them, the message would stay up forever.
Rumors are spread with a single mouth, but debunking them breaks one's legs. What's more, this wasn't just one mouth, but hundreds or thousands!
Countless disgusting little tricks surrounded the entire Starlight. Before one problem was solved, the next one appeared, becoming an endless nuisance.
Although the primary targets of Deep Sea and Competitive Creation were Starlight, they didn't let Silver Star off either. President Chen's phone hadn't stopped ringing; it was all various pieces of bad news.
Even if they were no longer the industry leader, the elder brother's residual prestige remained!
Everyone at Xinghui Company was struggling to hold on, waiting for someone who could lead them out of their suffering. No one expected victory; they only hoped to weather the storm.
Shen Qingning sat in the CEO's office. She stared blankly at the notes delivered to her drawer every morning and said softly:
"Come back soon. Everyone at Starlight misses you, and I miss you too."