Chapter 56: 551 - 560

Chapter 551 - Approval

Long Jinjing excused herself from the party, whispering to her sister and friends that she needed to go to the women's powder room. But the truth was that she desperately needed some time alone to make sense of everything that just happened.

Although she was a daughter of Long Tengfei, President-CEO of Long Industries, she never considered herself as someone more special or of higher status than anyone. She was just Long Jinjing, child of Sun Jingfei, owner of a small bookstore.

She wasn't a celebrity like her sister Xiulan, nor the heir apparent like her eldest brother Hui, or even a competitive high achiever like her second brother Jian. She only studied hard because she wanted to make her mother proud and to show her father that she appreciated him paying for her expensive education. That was it.

A simple, peaceful life with her mother...then someday with her own family of a gentle, loving husband and their cute children. That was what she always wanted.

But before she knew it, she and her best friend Chen Fei declined her father's job offer and worked for her sister's company instead. And now she was a Chief Financial Officer right after graduating from university. Not only that, their company Orchidia Beauty was now the hottest trending topic in the beauty community. They sold out their pre-orders... Then tonight, they sold out everything in their inventory in five seconds.

FIVE SECONDS!!!!!

Her brain automatically crunched the numbers.

Just from the revenue of tonight's sales alone, the estimated net profit of Orchidia Beauty after all expenses and taxes were deducted would still instantly make the company a million-dollar company.

"Add the revenue from the pre-order sales from before and that's more than a million dollars in pure profit. US dollars, not RMB. And this is only from the first batch of products released in the country," Long Jinjing murmured as she continued walking in the dark hallway. "Oh my God."

She pressed her hand against the cold and hard wall, while her other hand clutched her chest, trying to steady her wildly beating heart. Closing her eyes, she took a few deep breaths to stop herself from having a full-blown panic attack.

When did her life suddenly took a sharp turn and become so amazing like this?

An image of her beautiful sister appeared in her mind.

Iris' existence was like the devil to Long Jinjing's life before, especially when they were younger. She couldn't count how many times she cried in anguish after her sister tormented her in the past. She hated and resented Iris for bullying her, yet she couldn't make herself fight back because she felt ashamed for being an illegitimate child. She always thought that if the two of them fought, she would be always the one to lose because Iris was the legitimate daughter while she was not. So she just endured...and endured...but it hurt so much. Yet she still endured despite the pain because she saw that her mother, Sun Jingfei, did. If her mother could endure and stay strong, then she could do so too.

And it seemed that enduring for all those years paid off because her sister changed for the better after waking up from coma. Iris was no longer a malicious bully. Her beautiful face now reflected a beautiful heart.

Although the scars from Iris' bullying all those years ago couldn't be completely erased from her heart and mind, Long Jinjing couldn't find it in herself to retain any lingering hatred or resentment for her sister. She didn't how to explain it in a logical way.

"It's as if the Xiulan back then and the Xiulan now are two completely different people," she murmured as her eyes opened.

Now calmer, she continued to walk along the dark and empty hallway. The rhythmic click-clack of her high heels on the floor slowed down her heartbeat and cleared her mind, almost sending her into a meditative state.

She became so relaxed that she failed to pay attention to where she was walking. Her high heel snagged on a crack in the floor. She was already falling forward before she even realized what was happening.

"Aaaaah!"

Her eyes closed on instinct, waiting for the pain that was sure to come after her body crashed to the floor. But right at that moment, something wrapped around her waist and pulled her up all of a sudden. Then her back crashed into something warm and hard, knocking all her breath away.

"What a clumsy woman," a lazy masculine voice said beside her ear.

Long Jinjing froze as if electrocuted. Her heart which managed to relax just a few moments ago began to beat wildly inside her chest once again.

She turned her head and came face to face with the devil...or at least that was what he looked like in the shadows.

"Lu Zihao," she whispered.

"Long Jinjing," he said.

Alarm bells started ringing like it was the apocalypse inside her mind.

Danger! Danger! Danger!

Her survival instincts were telling her to run away as fast as she could away from this scar-faced man, but she couldn't seem to look away from his devilish eyes. They were like bottomless pits of pure darkness and mystery hypnotizing her.

"A woman shouldn't walk alone in a dark and empty place like this," he suddenly said, breaking the moment.

Long Jinjing regained her senses and realized that the man's arm was still wrapped tightly around her waist while her entire back was pressed against his chest. She could feel the hard planes of his body, making her face and neck flush red in embarrassment. Fortunately, the place was relatively dark.

"Mr. Lu, you can let go of me now," she said, doing her best to make her voice sound calm.

"Hmmm..."

He didn't let her go right away. It took him about three to four seconds before his arm unwrapped around her waist.

Once she was free, Long Jinjing stepped away from the man until they were separated by about a couple of metres.

"Thank you for saving me back there, Mr. Lu. I appreciate it."

Lu Zihao walked to the nearest glass window and sat on the ledge. The dim illumination from the moon in the night sky failed to soften the harsh planes of his features. In fact, it made them even more intense. He crossed her arms over his chest and looked at Long Jinjing, like a predator looking at his prey.

Something inside her shivered in fear from his intimidating gaze, but her chin lifted, refusing to back down. The man was only human, just like her. He wasn't a monster or a god. Why should she be afraid of him? Besides, he was close to her sister. They were so close that Long Jinjing sometimes felt a little jealous that they acted more like the siblings than her and Iris.

"If I didn't save you back there, you would've fallen on your face. Clearly a woman who has no awareness of her surroundings. I hope you aren't that careless when handling the finances of my sister's company," Lu Zihao drawled with his lazy voice.

His insinuation of her incompetence infuriated her. However, she controlled herself from lashing out at him.

"Mr. Lu, rest assured that I'm doing my job properly as the CFO of Orchidia Beauty. The company might be owned by Xiulan but I along with Chen Fei, the Bauer siblings, and the others working for it all want to watch it grow and succeed. Not only am I the CFO but Xiulan, the CEO, is also my sister. I won't betray my own sister nor her company that she worked so hard to build."

Lu Zihao didn't reply. He just continued looking at her with his dark predatory eyes.

Long Jinjing felt like all the hair on her body was standing up, like he was able to see everything about her. He was like the devil, sizing her up, judging her, deciding what to do with her. She couldn't take it anymore.

"Thanks again for saving me from falling," she said after clearing her throat. "If you'll excuse me, I have to return to the party. My sister and my friends must now be wondering where I went."

Then she turned and started walking away without waiting for his reply.

"She's my sister," the voice of the devil was soft yet penetrated her mind like a sharp sword.

Long Jinjing stopped in her tracks. She turned to face him again.

"Xiulan is MY sister," she couldn't help but retort.

"Woman, if we compete against each other for her affection, guess who'll win."

Long Jinjing's eyes became dazed for a second when he flashed her with his blasted devilish smile. Good thing that she was able to quickly recover. Her daze transformed into annoyance. She wanted to retort again, to tell him that she and Iris were blood sisters, that their relationship was deeper than what he had with her sister. However, she already knew who would be the winner for Iris' affection between the two of them.

She had seen how close Lu Zihao was to his sister. At first, she thought that Lu Zihao was trying to steal her sister away from Jin Liwei. But upon closer observation, Long Jinjing concluded that there was nothing romantic or sexual in their relationship. The bond between Lu Zihao and Iris was that of close-knit siblings, of a brother and sister who loved each other dearly.

Compared to the relationship of the two, Iris treated Long Jinjing as a friend more than as a blood sister. Perhaps it was because of their not so pleasant relationship in the past and the fact that they only became close recently.

This made Long Jinjing sad. She sighed.

"I'm not going to compete with you. There's no reason to," she told him.

Lu Zihao's devilish smile became wider but his eyes remained unreadable. "Hmmm... A smart person knows when to withdraw. You pass. Barely."

She frowned. "I don't need your approval." Dive into Stories, Embrace Enchantment: N♡vεlB¡n.

"I'm giving it, anyway," he replied.

###

Chapter 552 - Grandpa Lu Wants To Know!

Lu Zihao straightened to his full height and walked using his long legs to reach Long Jinjing's side in just a few steps. N0v3lRealm was the platform where this chapter was initially revealed on N0v3l.B1n.

"Let's go, CFO Long. Don't keep my sister waiting."

Long Jinjing pursed her lips, annoyed that the man kept on callingher sister as his sister. But no matter how annoyed she felt, she decided not to say anything. She could sense that the man was vastly different from the straightforward Iris and Sir Lu Jianhong. Lu Zihao was a man whose real depth couldn't be measured based on his outward devil-may-care persona. She would only lose badly if she decided to pit herself against someone as enigmatic as him.

So she ignored him—or tried to. All of her senses were focused on his presence. She started walking ahead of him, but in just a moment, their positions were reversed. His legs were longer than hers. Now he was walking in front of her while she struggled to keep up with him.

Then she noticed something peculiar. He could've already left her behind. However, he was deliberately slowing his pace.

Was the man waiting for her?

"Mr. Lu, there's no need to wait for me. I can find my own way," she told him.

"Like I told you earlier, a woman shouldn't walk alone in a dark and empty place like this," he replied without looking back at her. "It would greatly inconvenience my sister if something were to happen to you. Even she wouldn't be able to quickly find a person to replace you as the CFO on such short notice."

The corners of her mouth turned down. Here she was thinking that the man was finally acting like a gentleman to her, but it turned out that he was just doing it because he wanted to rub his close relationship with HER sister, Iris, to her face.

Later, they returned to the noisy, lively and cheerful grand hall together. Their arrival wasn't noticed by most of the people but it didn't escape a certain old man's sharp hawk eyes.

The two went their separate ways. Long Jinjing headed to where her sister, friends and colleagues were discussing the Orchidia Beauty products with the enthusiastic beauty influencers who attended tonight's grand launch. Lu Zihao returned to his spot beside Grandpa Lu.

"There you are, Haohao my boy! Where have you been? I want to know! Your beloved grandpa had been so bored waiting and waiting for you! I almost fell asleep!"

"Sorry, Grandpa," Lu Zihao murmured, picking a spring roll from the old man's plate on the table and tossing it into his mouth. "I had to go out for a bit to listen to my subordinate's report."

"Well? What's the report?! I want to know!!!"

Lu Zihao told him about the trespassers his subordinates and Jin Liwei's men blocked from slipping inside the party.

Grandpa Lu nodded hearing what happened.

"Good job on raising such disciplined subordinates, my boy! Your beloved grandpa is so proud of you! Bahahaha!"

Then the old man "patted" his grandson's back. The loud thuds sounded disturbing, like some of Lu Zihao's internal organs might explode from the force.

The surrounding guests looked alarmed and concerned for Lu Zihao. However, when they looked at him, he just continued swiping food from his grandfather's plate and eating like everything was normal. Seeing his bulky body under his tailored tuxedo suit, the onlookers could only conclude that his muscles were so big and hard that he had become impervious to regular pain. After being assured that he would be okay, they stopped paying attention to the grandfather and grandson.

"By the way, my boy! Your beloved grandpa saw that you returned with Xiulan's sister. So tell this old man right now! Is she your type? Is she? She is, right? I want to know!!!"

Annoyance flashed in Lu Zihao's eyes. He didn't bother replying to the old man—what a hassle. He continued eating instead, taking Grandpa Lu's plate for himself.

"Why are you not saying anything? Are you feeling shy? Bahahaha! So you rascal still know how to be shy, eh? Bahahaha! Just so you know, your beloved grandpa likes that girl! A little on the quiet side—too quiet for this old man's taste. Too nice, too. Not like your Little Sister Xiulan who has a sharp, ruthless and merciless tongue beneath that heavenly face. But that Jengjeng girl is—"

Lu Zihao scowled, muttering, "Her name is Jinjing. Long Jinjing."

Grandpa Lu hid a mischievous smile under his perfectly groomed mustache. His sharp eyes had been closely watching his grandson's expression.

It was regrettable that Iris couldn't be an official member of his Lu family by becoming his granddaughter-in-law via marriage to his flesh and blood grandson, Lu Zihao. However, Grandpa Lu was still pleased that his other grandson, Jin Liwei, was going to marry the girl.

What pleased Grandpa Lu even more was seeing the unbelievable closeness between Lu Zihao and Iris. There wasn't anything romantic or sexual about their closeness. It was purely a sibling relationship—a very close one at that, even closer than most real flesh and blood siblings.

In fact, Grandpa Lu was quite taken aback at first upon observing with his own eyes how close the two were. They were like the ideal siblings by how they treated each other. He had never seen his grandson so protective, gentle and loving of a young female to this degree before without seducing said girl. There were also many times that Lu Zihao looked like he wanted to punch his Third Brother in the face because Jin Liwei was acting too perverted—cough cough—"touchy-feely" with Iris.

Although Iris' name couldn't be entered in the Lu family registry, Grandpa Lu was still happy about her close sibling bond with his beloved grandson, Lu Zihao. But ever since her entrance to their lives, she had become the old man's ideal granddaughter. In this aspect, Jin Liwei succeeded in being decisive and taking Iris to be his future wife before other men could have a chance to pursue her. Grandpa Lu couldn't wait for his beloved grandson, Lu Zihao, to find a wonderful woman like Iris to marry and give him cute great-grandbabies.

The main problem was that even though his grandson had become sensible and responsible ever since he returned to the country, his stubbornness from before didn't go away. In fact, it became even more extreme. Grandpa Lu had never heard of his grandson hooking up with a woman (or even a man—what? It was possible!) ever since the rascal returned to the country for good.

'Did the bloody accident kill off his libido? What about his sperm? Are they still okay and healthy? Will his little swimmers be able to give this old man great-grandbabies? I want to know! Maybe I should call his doctor in Canada to ask. At this rate, I'll be dead before this dunderhead marries and makes babies! Hmph! This can't go on!'

Grandpa Lu leaned towards his grandson who already finished all the food on his plate. He lowered his booming voice, so it wasn't as loud anymore.

"That Jengjeng girl—"

"Grandpa, her name is Long Jinjing."

The old man's lips twitched but fortunately he was able to stop himself from laughing in delight. He pretended to wave a dismissive hand, as if he didn't care about the young woman's correct name. "As I was saying, that girl has a good head on her shoulders. Not as impressive as your Little Sister Xiulan, of course—"

A faint devilish smile lifted a corner of Lu Zihao's mouth. "Of course. My little sister is the best. Nobody could come close to her."

'Don't change the subject, you pinhead! We're talking about Jengjeng—I mean Jinjing, not Xiulan!' Grandpa Lu complained in his head but nodded in agreement at his grandson's words.

"True. Very true! Xiulan my girl is the best! That boy Liwei hit the jackpot by taking her for himself. How about you, Haohao my boy? When will it be your turn? I want to know! This old man isn't growing any younger, you know!"

Lu Zihao swirled his drink lazily. "Grandpa, if it's time, it'll come. If not, then it's not meant to be."

"Bah! Boring! You sound more like the old man than me! You're Lu Jianhong's grandson! Never leave anything to destiny! If you want something, go pursue it and grab it with everything you have! Hmph!"

Grandpa Lu continued to complain, not noticing that his grandson's eyes darkened when he said that Lu Zihao was "Lu Jianhong's grandson". Coldness, loneliness, and something unreadable flashed in his grandson's eyes before it disappeared, replaced by Lu Zihao's usual devil-may-care expression.

"Grandpa, that woman...Long Jinjing...she is no one to me. Don't get any ideas," Lu Zihao drawled. Then he stood up. "Excuse me, Grandpa. I'm still hungry. I'll go get more food."

He already left and headed to the buffet tables before the old man could say anything.

Grandpa Lu watched his grandson "running away" from his interrogation.

"It's so difficult to read that boy! Hmph! That bloody accident must have messed up his brain so much that he became so different. The very same thing happened to Xiulan my girl, I heard. Perhaps that's why the two became so close. But at least the changes are positive. He's also showing incredible leadership—truly my grandson! Bahahaha! Just look at his impressive subordinates!

"But he's become so secretive! He doesn't tell his beloved grandpa anything anymore! He always disappears to who knows where and then reappear at random times. Hmph! What he needs is a nice young lady to help him settle down and make him happy, just like how his Third Brother found Xiulan my girl—and most importantly, give me great-grandbabies! This old man wants GREAT-GRANDBABIES!!!!!"

The surrounding guests looked at him as if he had gone crazy, talking to himself and yelling about great-grandbabies. However, they pretended not to hear anything, not wanting to offend Sir Lu Jianhong.

The old man stroked his perfectly groomed mustache and directed his mischievous eyes at Long Jinjing who was greeting some of the guests at a distance.

"Will it be that girl, Jengjeng—I mean Jinjing? Hm? Not bad...not bad at all! Looks like a pushover at first glance but this old man knows that she's responsible and reliable. She could even stand up to Xiulan whenever my girl displays her hard-headedness!"

He nodded, pleased at Long Jinjing. As Iris' business mentor, he knew all about Orchidia Beauty's working environment, including all the key people running it. He knew that Long Jinjing took her job as the company's CFO very seriously. She wouldn't budge when it came to protecting Orchidia Beauty's budget, even against the stubborn and willful Iris who liked to do whatever she wanted.

Long Jinjing was able to calm Iris' risky attitude towards Orchidia Beauty's money. Grandpa Lu had a very similar mindset as his student, Iris. Both of them were kind of extreme when it came to handling their finances. Fortunately, Grandpa Lu had his best friend and brother, Jin Liwei's grandfather back then. The two had opposite personalities and philosophies in business but it was also because of this that they were able to balance each other out and build what was now Jin Corporation, the most successful company in the country.

In the same way, Iris also needed someone to balance her extreme mindset when it came to business. Jin Liwei, who was very similar to his grandfather, could be that person. The only problem was that the man doted on Iris too much—nothing wrong with that. It just made it difficult for him to say no to her.

After observing how the girls were running Orchidia Beauty together, Grandpa Lu concluded that both the level-headed Long Jinjing and the feisty Chen Fei were perfect for balancing Iris' extremely risky and aggressive business mindset.

The longer Grandpa Lu looked at Long Jinjing, the more pleasing she appeared in his eyes.

"Will she be the one? Will she? I want to know! Let's see how it'll play out. Haohao has become so protective of his Little Sister Xiulan that he doesn't even look at other girls at all! Instead of looking for a nice young lady to marry, he spends all his time bulking up his body and looking scary! Hmph! What is he bulking up for? Does he want to compete in bodybuilding contests? I want to know!"

###

Chapter 553 - Liberté

Grandpa Lu's curiosity about his grandson and Long Jinjing was interrupted when Giulia Moretti sat beside him and began chatting with him.

Everyone was stuffed with the delicious and hearty food. They also felt happy with their gift packages. Not only were the guests celebrating the grand launch of Orchidia Beauty, but they were also making meaningful and beneficial connections with some of the most influential personages in the country (and abroad, too!). The guests didn't expect that there would be so many advantages by attending this grand launch tonight.

The atmosphere was very relaxed and informal. Nevertheless, all the guests could sense that the security in the place was tight and strict. Each member of the security looked intimidating. Some even emitted scary aura. Nobody dared to make trouble. They wanted to maintain the cheerful atmosphere. Besides, there were so many important personages present tonight.

Who would want to give a bad impression to the Jins, the Lus, the Fengs (to the handful of people who recognized the real high status of the low-profile cousins, Feng Wan and Feng Jiu), and the impressive students and alumni from Cross Academy?

Not them!

And so the merry-making continued.

Later, the two lovable emcees, Dom and Clover, called for everyone's attention. Iris Long stood together on the stage with them, looking even more dazzling than she did earlier.

Ever since her first comeback in showbiz, she became the type of person that the more one looked at her, the more beautiful she became. She was already naturally beautiful to begin with, but this effect only increased her attractiveness even more. Too bad that she was already engaged to marry the most powerful businessman in the country of his generation. The males and bent females present could only sigh, feeling a little regretful for not getting to know her before she became engaged.

Dom: "We have some announcements! Ehehehe."

Clover: "Exciting announcements!"

The guests quietened down.

Clover: "Does anyone here likes perfumes?"

The people felt confused. Perfume? Was Orchidia Beauty going to release perfumes too? So soon?

Dom: "Is anyone here familiar with the perfume brand Sang Bleu?"

His question was met with blank stares. The perfume brand was well-known mainly in Europe and in places where there were still existing royalty and nobility. It wasn't popular in China or most parts of Asia.

However, some people in the audience reacted by widening their eyes, obviously recognizing the brand's name. Dive into Stories, Embrace Enchantment: N♡vεlB¡n.

Feng Wan, her three posh friends, and her cousin Feng Jiu. Everyone from Cross Academy...well, except for Amanpio Kileksy who looked as clueless as the rest of the guests. A few others, especially those who frequently travelled around the world.

Then Clover gave a short summary of the old French perfumery, Sang Bleu. She described its long history of creating customized perfumes for aristocrats and royal families.

The audience listened, becoming even more confused. Why were the emcees talking about an old French perfumery all of a sudden? Wasn't this supposed to be an event for Orchidia Beauty?

"In short, Sang Bleu is no longer in business," Clover said.

'Then why are you talking about it? What's the point?' the audience asked in their minds.

Dom: "We are proud to announce that Boss—I mean President Iris Long has acquired the old French perfumery, Sang Bleu! Meaning, President Iris Long is the new owner not only of Orchidia Beauty but also of Sang Bleu! Yay yay!"

The people who were familiar with Sang Bleuwere shocked. Feng Wan, her three posh friends, and her cousin Feng Jiu gasped. Even Iris' friends and mentors from Cross Academy didn't expect that she had acquired the bankrupt perfumery.

Iris took the mic from Dom.

"To those of you who recognized Sang Bleu, you know that it doesn't have the a very pleasant reputation among the masses," she said.

Feng Wan and the others nodded.

"I might now own Sang Bleu but I don't plan on repeating history and continuing its past discriminating practices. Thus, I am rebranding Sang Bleu and taking it under Orchidia Beauty as a subsidiary company. From today onwards, Sang Bleu is no more. Instead, it is now known as...

"LIBERTÉ!!!"

Jin Liwei, Grandpa Lu and Lu Zihao led the applause for her. The others followed suit.

Iris continued speaking, "Sang Bleu means 'blue blood' in French. The name reflected the perfumery's old practice of catering exclusively to royalty and aristocrats or those with 'blue blood'. But that was then. Now, under my ownership, the perfumery is renamed Liberté which means 'freedom'!"

Ooohs and aaahs erupted from the audience, finally understanding the significance of the old and new names of the perfumery. So there was a deeper meaning to why Iris Long renamed it.

"Just like its meaning, Liberté will be available to everyone who wants to buy it—as long as it's in-stock."

The guests chuckled when Iris added the last part of her sentence. She had to mention it, especially since Orchidia Beauty just sold out in five seconds earlier.

"There will be no discrimination! What blue blood? All of us have red blood! Even my mother who is now a viscountess still retained the redness of her blood. And I bet you all that her viscount husband also has blood as red as yours and mine."

Applause and cheers, led by Jin Liwei again as usual.

"Just like our vision for Orchidia Beauty, all Liberté perfumes will be 100% natural!"

More applause and cheers.

"I will be releasing my first perfume soon under the Liberté brand," Iris announced all of a sudden.

The Black Stars went crazy. There were secret Black Stars attending as guests in the party who almost jumped on top of the tables in their excitement. Good thing that they remembered their dignity just in time and controlled their urges. Orchidia Beauty's official livestream was also still ongoing. It now had almost 4 million viewers, leaving the other livestreams of the event in the dust. The live comments exploded.

"Kyaaaaaaah! Boss Iris' perfume! I'm so excited!"

"What's she gonna call the perfume?"

"The perfume should be called 'Goddess'! Just like her!"

"Her name 'Iris' is perfect!"

"No! Her perfume should be called 'Slippers'—"

"Idiot! Who would want to buy a perfume called 'Slippers'?"

"Eeeeeh? But aren't slippers our symbol as Black Stars?"

"..."

"Yeah...you're right..."

"Oh, I know! 'BOSS'!"

"Yeah! Excellent idea!"

"I like 'Boss', too!"

"I can't wait to buy Boss Iris' perfume! I want to smell like her! I want to smell like a boss!"

Iris didn't know that her announcement sent her fans into frenzy online. However, she was pleased to see the expressions of the guests present.

"For the men, Senior Jin Chonglin will also be releasing his own perfume at around the same time I release mine."

It was now the turn of Jin Chonglin's army of fans to go crazy. They took over the livestream and drowned the Black Stars' celebration. As expected, his influence was still greater than Iris Long's. The Black Stars didn't mind, though. Both fan clubs were in a celebratory mood.

"We are still working on Liberté and the perfumes at the moment. Please stay tuned for more announcements. However, we promise that Senior Jin Chonglin and I will release our own perfumes for Liberté within this year at the earliest or next year at the latest," Iris announced.

Chen Fei's laser beam eyes shot a glare at Jin Chonglin.

'You heard her. She said that both of your perfumes will be released either before the year ends or next year. Now stop being an indecisive diva and finalize everything on both your skincare and perfume lines! You better not take more than a year or else...' her eyes silently threatened him.

Jin Chonglin paled, feeling cold sweat run down his back. He threw a sullen look at Iris Long on the stage before covering it up with his killer smile because he noticed many cameras pointing at him. He almost forgot that there were several livestreams covering the event.

'Why are you rushing me? If you want to release your own perfume early, then do it! Don't involve me in your fast-paced timeline!'

He complained inside his mind but didn't dare do it at the moment. He might complain to Iris later when nobody was around—certainly not that annoying bossy woman Chen Fei and not his strict overprotective big brother Jin Liwei either. However, he knew the probability of Iris changing her mind was very low. They had been working closely together since the summer on their two music collaborations, so he already knew that she could be very bullheaded in her decisions. She was also extremely decisive...unlike him.

But so what? What was wrong with being indecisive? As long as he was satisfied with his final decision, that was what mattered the most. Her decisiveness allowed her to accomplish major things in a short period of time. As for him, he needed some time to mull things over, to make sure everything was as perfect as he could make it.

Nevertheless, Jin Chonglin admitted that Iris Long had a positive influence on him. If it weren't for her swift rise to fame since her first music comeback, he wouldn't even think of writing his own music again. And certainly not accomplishing it in mere months to compete against her. But he was able to do it because Iris Long inspired him to challenge himself and do better.

Just like right now. Although he was complaining that they were rushing him on his skincare and perfume lines, he was actually feeling quite motived and determined at the moment.

'Just wait and see. I'll sell more perfumes than you,' he swore silently while looking at the beautiful Iris.

Back on the stage, Iris hadn't finished all of her announcements yet.

"Next, I would like to inform everyone that I have created my own foundation focused on charity and philanthropy. The idea first came from my mother."

Everyone turned their heads and looked at Wei Lan who stood up and waved at everyone.

"Before my mother returned to the country, she mentioned travelling with her husband to some of the poorest parts of the world and seeing the sufferings of the less fortunate. My mother, now Vizcondesa Lan, encouraged me to use my celebrity status to give back and share my blessings. After thinking about it, I realized that she is right. Thus, I decided to create my very own foundation to accomplish this. It's called...

"IRIS OF HOPE!"

Once again, Jin Liwei led the applause. This time, everyone wasn't only clapping for Iris but for Wei Lan as well. Wei Lan was acting very dignified and classy...appearing to be humble amidst the loud applause.

"My foundation, Iris of Hope, will support various short-term and long-term causes. The short-term causes would be based on immediate need. I'm only announcing it now but the truth is that you have already begun supporting Iris of Hope by buying Orchidia Beauty products. For every purchase you make through our official Orchidia Beauty store, a small portion will be donated towards helping various causes my foundation is supporting."

The applause grew louder. The guests even rose from their seats and gave a standing ovation, delighting in the thought that they were able to "give back" without even knowing it.

"In addition, it's also my pleasure to announce that CEO Hou Liang and CFO Wu Chen of the gaming company Planet Monkey are also supporting my foundation. For more information about how they will do that and which causes they are supporting, please talk to them directly," Iris said, dumping the responsibility of explaining on Hou Liang and Wu Chen.

Wu Chen waved at everyone while Hou Liang only nodded.

The Black Stars who were watching the livestream went even crazier, taking back the live comments from Jin Chonglin's army of fans.

"All hail our bros MonkeyFace and iEatSlippers! They have ascended to heights beyond our imaginations!"

"Maybe we're already supporting Boss Iris' foundation by playing more 'Supreme Ascension'! Awesome!"

All members of the Black Stars, especially its sub-unit the Slippers Army, were very proud not only of their Boss Iris, but of their fellow members, Hou Liang (a.k.a. MonkeyFace) and Wu Chen (iEatSlippers).

###

Chapter 554 - Iris Of Hope

Although Iris couldn't read her fans' comments online right now, she knew in her heart that most of them would be supportive. Fortunately, Hou Liang and Wu Chen were both onboard when she first informed them about her idea of connecting her foundation to Planet Monkey.

"My mighty slippers support this idea!" Wu Chen immediately agreed.

"You own both the company and the foundation. Do whatever you want," Hou Liang said before returning to work.

Back to the present, Iris was also pleased to see the standing ovation the guests were giving her foundation, Iris of Hope. To be honest, she was a little nervous of announcing it. This was an unfamiliar ground for her. She could be very generous, yes, but she had never really thought about "giving back" to strangers at this scale before Wei Lan planted the idea in her head.

"My mother will be helping me run my foundation. She will be one of the foundation's main ambassadors equal to myself," Iris continued announcing.

Everyone's eyes widened in surprise. Although it was reported that the mother and daughter had repaired their relationship and became closer recently, they still couldn't believe that Iris Long would give Wei Lan such a big and important responsibility.

What if they fought and became estranged again? Would the foundation be alright, especially since Iris Long claimed that it was inspired by Wei Lan? Would it still continue to exist and function properly even if the mother and daughter fought?

These kinds of the thoughts ran in the people's minds. However, they didn't have a definite answer right now. They would only know the fate of the foundation for sure when Iris Long and Wei Lan fought again like they always did in the past. They felt skeptical that the mother and daughter would be able to sustain the peace between them for long. Immerse Yourself in the Storyverse: N♡vεlB¡n.

"If you want more information about my foundation, Iris of Hope, or to sign up as one of our patrons, please visit our dedicated booth over there. They'll answer all of your questions," Iris told them.

The guests turned and saw a big booth occupying an entire corner at the back of the grand hall. It was a covered by a partition wall earlier but now it transformed into an information booth bearing a big "Iris of Hope" sign. There were also a few people standing by wearing Iris of Hope T-shirts. They held brochures containing information about the foundation.

Everyone was impressed at the professional set-up. They began looking at Iris Long in a completely different light. Although many people weren't sure if all of these were her own work or if she depended on her fiancé Jin Liwei, they knew that everything presented tonight bore her name and image.

Tonight's grand launch wasn't just about Orchidia Beauty. It was also about Sang Bleu...oh right, she changed the name to Liberté. And finally, about her own foundation, Iris of Hope.

Iris Long wasn't the first celebrity to establish her own foundation. There were many others before her. However, the people felt that Iris of Hope was special because it was first announced at such a grand event as this. Just look at the people in the guest list!

The current two top business families in the country were here—the Jins and the Lus.

Feng Wan, her three posh friends, and her cousin Feng Jiu were also quietly influential. Only a handful of guests present in the party knew about these ladies' deep backgrounds not only in high society, but also in the entire country. The most powerful among them, Feng Wan, was the least recognizable but she was actually the most influential. Her own family, the Fengs, and her husband's family were from both extremely powerful clans. Gaining Feng Wan's support was equal to the support of several influential families. Even Iris had no idea that one of her fans was this powerful.

In addition to them, there were also the current students and alumni of the legendary school of geniuses, Cross Academy. These figures would be welcomed with open arms by almost every nation in the world. Which country wouldn't want to be connected to the prestigious academy?

There were also many celebrities, big and small alike, who attended tonight's grand launch. Just from this guest list, Iris Long already succeeded in establishing herself apart from the other celebrities doing the same thing. Some of the other celebrities might be more famous than her, but did they have this kind of high calibre connections? They might have one or two...but Iris? She had a large horde of them!

And indeed, after her announcement, her impressive guests headed to the booth.

Feng Wan, her cousin Feng Jiu, and her three posh friends were some of the first ones who signed up to support the foundation. The Jins, the Lus and the Longs also signed up, of course. All the foreign guests from Cross Academy also did so.

Seeing them, everyone else signed up to pledge their support. Not a single guest stayed back on their seats.

Wei Lan positioned herself at the front and centre of the booth, already performing her duty as a main ambassador of Iris of Hope. With an impassioned expression, she shared her experiences travelling with her viscount husband to some of the poorest places in the world.

"I swear upon my title as the Vizcondesa of Castillo de Estrellas that I will do my best to use my daughter's foundation, Iris of Hope, to help those in need as much as I can and to do good in the world," she announced in a solemn tone.

Those who were familiar of her in the past didn't believe her. They thought that she was just acting and pretending to be a Good Samaritan. However, many of the celebrities and beauty influencers invited in the event were only familiar of her identity as Iris Long's mother but didn't know much about her personality.

It wasn't only the guests who signed up to support Iris of Hope. The Black Stars, some of Jin Chonglin's army of fans, and many of the viewers watching the livestream also signed up for newsletters online via the foundation's official website. No donations were asked. It wasn't compulsory. People could donate anytime once they found a cause they wanted to support.

This entire process took more than an hour. When the crowd at the booth petered out, the lights in the grand hall dimmed, replaced by flashing party lights.

Dom: "Ladies and gentlemen!"

Clover: "Please welcome our first performers of the night..."

Both: "PANDEMONIUM!!!"

The small stage lit up. Blaze, Eros, Night and Thunder appeared in loosened ties and tuxedo suits. Their slightly rumpled looks elicited giddy shrieks from the younger members of the audience.

Pandemonium played one of their relatively popular rock songs. Next, they played "Nightmare" which became viral when Iris Long became the band's substitute lead guitarist after Eros accidentally burned himself at their "MusicFest Tonight" performance.

Although the older members of the audience couldn't relate to the loud and intense music style, the lively and cheerful atmosphere of the party made them tolerate almost anything.

After performing "Nightmare", the sweaty Blaze looked at Iris who was sitting beside Jin Liwei.

"We would like to invite Senior Iris to sing this next song for us," he said. "It's our band's most famous and biggest hit song to date. This song opened so many doors for us as musicians thanks to Senior Iris. Please sing this song with us, Senior! You wrote it!"

The audience's eyes lit up. They knew which song Blaze was talking about! It was the song that won Iris Long the special technical award for inventing new musical techniques.

"YES! SING IT! SING IT! SING IT!!!" they began to chant.

The viewers watching the livestream were also commenting like crazy, wanting her to perform the now legendary hit song in the world of rock music.

Iris looked at Jin Liwei, smiling a little helplessly. Her dress wasn't made for performing—heck, it wasn't even made for climbing steps that were higher than usual! However, excitement sparkled in her eyes.

"Hm..." The corners of Jin Liwei's mouth lifted in a faint smile. "You want to perform?"

She nodded.

"Then go have fun, love."

"Yes!" She gave her darling's hand a squeeze before standing up and heading up the stage.

However, a certain someone also stood up and walked beside her.

Iris stopped. "Teacher?" she asked in a whisper.

Enrique Valdez's hazel eyes looked uncharacteristically excited when he looked at her.

"I want to perform this song, too," he said in his mesmerizing voice.

###

Chapter 555 - Surprise Performance

Iris' eyes widened in surprise. She didn't expect that her music mentor, Enrique Valdez, would be so eager to perform this particular song with her. Throughout his long and successful music career, he had composed and written far more technically difficult songs than her.

"Let's go," he said, heading to the stage ahead of her.

She watched his back, a little speechless. Then she saw the mischievous eyes of Grandpa Lu. The old man must've translated what Blaze was saying to Enrique Valdez and the others. Otherwise, how could the legendary hitmaker know that Blaze was talking about the particular song she wrote for Pandemonium?

When the people saw Enrique Valdez standing up and heading to the stage, they felt shocked. All members of the Pandemonium band froze. Their jaws fell down and their eyes almost popped out of their heads. They watched in amazed disbelief as the legendary hitmaker climbed the small stage.

As a left-handed lead guitarist, Eros idolized Enrique Valdez the most. Almost all southpaw guitarists admired the legendary hitmaker. Eros staggered back and clutched his chest, turning extremely red as if the love of his life who he had been pining for so long finally made eye contact with him.

"En-Enri...que..." Blaze couldn't even form proper words anymore. It felt like he had lost control of his own tongue.

Night just stood there like a statue. Thunder had the most exaggerated expression among the band members. His complexion was already turning purple because he had forgotten how to breathe.

When Enrique Valdez smiled and nodded at them, Eros swayed and looked like he was going to faint.

The entire place was silent as the dead. Everyone wasn't sure what exactly was going on. Could it be that Enrique Valdez would...? No way... They didn't dare believe it but the hope burned inside their minds. Maybe...just maybe, he really would... No. Impossible. This was too good to be true.

Enrique Valdez held out his hand, palm up, to Blaze. He did this without saying anything.

The dumbfounded Blaze stared at the legendary hitmaker's extended hand like a stupid idiot, as if it was a divine hand. Seizing the opportunity, Blaze took it and then began shaking it with his own sweaty hand.

"N-nice to...m-meet chu," he stuttered in English.

An amused smile lifted the corners of Enrique Valdez's lips. Blaze continued to shake his hand, refusing to let it go. The other band members finally started regaining their senses. They all felt envious of Blaze and began to make their way to the front of the stage to also shake their rock idol's hand.

"I actually want the mic, but nice to meet you, too," Enrique Valdez said in his low, smooth voice.

"Oh!" Blaze felt embarrassed so he handed the mic to his idol.

Enrique Valdez raised an eyebrow, his amused eyes glancing down.

"Let go of his hand. It's my turn!" Eros said, pushing Blaze away.

The others band members also crowded around the legendary hitmaker, not wanting to miss the chance to speak with him, hold his hand, smell his godly scent, hoping that some of his overwhelming music success would rub off on them.

Before granting them their wish, Enrique Valdez looked at someone in the audience and spoke to the mic, saying, "Hurry up."

Iris had already recovered from her earlier surprise. She was now on her way to the stage but her mermaid-style dress prevented her from walking quickly.

A few moments later, she finally arrived on the stage. The normally attractive and cool-looking Blaze, Eros, Night and Thunder were all reduced to looking like star-eyed fangirls—cough cough—"fanboys" in front of their ultimate rock star idol.

Not one to waste words, Enrique Valdez went straight to the point. "I need a guitar."

"The venue only has an extra keyboard and acoustic guitar," she replied.

Understanding their English conversation, Eros immediately lifted his own electric guitar. "P-please use my guitar! It's left-handed!"

"No, you should use your own guitar," Enrique Valdez told him before telling Iris, "Give me the acoustic guitar."

"It's right-handed."

"No problem."

"Alright."

Later, the Pandemonium band members were back in position, but this time, with the addition of both Iris Long and Enrique Valdez. Iris stood in front of a keyboard while Enrique Valdez was holding an acoustic guitar.

Everyone in the audience was now certain that their earlier hope was going to come true. They were all freaking out. Phones were whipped out, recording and livestreaming this unbelievable moment. The viewers watching the livestreams were also going nuts.

"Is this for real?!!!"

"Enrique Valdez is going to perform live with Boss Iris and Pandemonium?!!!"

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!"

"I'm outside the convention centre! Security is tight! I know some people who have already been hauled away by the police after the security caught them sneaking in, but this is something that I can't miss for anything in the world! Wish me luck, my friends! I'm going to sneak inside!"

"Don't do it! There are some scary people in the security. I also tried sneaking in with some of my bros but we were caught before we could even do it. We almost peed our pants when we were stopped earlier. I swear that those security guards are cold-blooded killers."

"You're exaggerating! Cold-blooded killers? Pft! Right~ I think you watched too many action movies."

"Enough about the security! I don't care about them! Guys, ENRIQUE VALDEZ IS GOING TO FREAKING PERFORM LIVE!!!"

"OMG OMG OMG!!!"

"Boss Iris is too formidable! Even a rock music legend like Enrique Valdez wants to perform the song that she composed!"

"Well, duh! 'Monster of Insanity' has achieved legendary status in rock music! That's because Boss Iris is the best!! I love you, Boss Iris!!!"

Back on the stage, the performance finally started. The audience were now going crazy, screaming and shrieking their hearts out. They were all very excited to watch the legendary hitmaker and rock music legend, Enrique Valdez, performing live right in front of them. This was a dream come true!

This "Monster of Insanity" had a different flavor than the original version.

First of all, there were no flute, violin or cello.

Second of all, Iris was playing a keyboard instead of a piano. They may sound the same to the laypeople, but the quality of sound was vastly different between the two instruments. Iris had to make do with what she had at the moment.

Third of all, Enrique Valdez was playing an acoustic guitar, an instrument that didn't have a place in the original version. In short, he had to wing it and compose his own chords on the spot.

When the beat changed with the eruption of both the electric guitars and the drums, Enrique Valdez didn't join in the intensity. He held back, keeping pace with the mesmerizing melody of Iris' keyboard instead.

Then all of a sudden, Enrique Valdez completely changed the melody. Eros, the lead guitar, wavered. For a moment, he had no idea what to do.

However, right at the moment, Iris' fingers flew over the keys until she took control of the melody from Enrique. She also seamlessly connected it to Eros' lead guitar, making him comfortable again.

Approval and pride flashed in Enrique Valdez's eyes, but they quickly disappeared as he tested his student again and again.

'Show me what you got,' he silently challenged Iris.

###

Chapter 556 - Real Monster Of Insanity

To most of the people watching the performance, the constant change in tempo and melody sounded fun and amazing. But to the musicians listening, they immediately recognized the high level of difficulty Enrique Valdez was injecting to the music.

Iris was bearing the most brunt of her music mentor constantly changing things up in her song. Eros and the other band members might have improved a lot in their skills since their music collaboration, but they were still lacking in experience when it came to keeping up with the advanced and complicated techniques of a master musician like Enrique Valdez. As a result, she had to covertly wrest control of the music from her mentor again and again while making it appear as if Eros was still the one leading everything as the lead guitarist.

Her deception worked on most of the people, but the expert musicians among the audience and viewers noticed what was really happening.

"Enrique Valdez is really putting the pressure on Iris," DJ Song commented.

"The brat is tough. She won't buckle to anyone's pressure easily, even if it's someone like Enrique Valdez. In fact, I've never seen her buckle down to pressure before. I've tried pressuring her so many times already but she just ends up quarreling with me! I've never met such a stubborn and hard-headed brat in my entire life!" JJ grumbled yet there was pride in his tone.

DJ Song chuckled. "Never met a stubborn and hard-headed brat before? Are you sure? Look in the mirror. I guarantee that you'll meet one."

"You! Hmph! Stop talking to me. I need to focus on this performance. The protégé of JJ, famous and award-winning music producer, is currently performing with THE legendary hitmaker, Enrique Valdez! Even that pipsqueak Jin Chonglin had never achieved this! He should've transferred to my record label when I offered him long ago. Now my protégé is going to eclipse him in the music industry! Ahahaha!"

"You're the one who should stop talking," DJ told his friend while shaking his head in a helpless manner. Then he glanced at Jin Liwei, Grandma Li and Huang Yuyan. "You should be careful of your words. The Jins are here. They might take offense if they hear you insulting Jin Chonglin."

JJ was about to retort when the performance heated up. He stopped talking and focused on the stage instead.

Enrique Valdez's nimble fingers were almost a blur on the guitar strings. He was attempting to completely change the entire melody of the song. However, Iris was like an impenetrable yet malleable shield protecting the integrity of her song while also acting as a bridge to the rest of the band members, not allowing them to be overwhelmed by Enrique Valdez.

By this time, the song had reached the part where Night was rapping.

"Listen to me!

I cannot breathe

Your love is suffocating me..."

If Enrique Valdez succeeded in changing the tempo, it would disrupt Night who wasn't really a full-fledged rapper. Night's skill in rapping was severely limited, relying on his natural talent and the suitability of his rapping style for the song. Any changes to the overall melody and tempo would spell disaster for him. Iris knew this. That was why she needed to protect the original tempo, especially in this rap part.

"You nurtured this monster inside of me Immerse Yourself in the Storyverse: N♡vεlB¡n.

Our twisted love born from insanity!"

Finally, Night safely completed the rap part of the song. As usual, the screams and shrieks for him were the loudest during this part. So many panties got wet, unable to resist his charm when he was rapping.

Immediately after the rap finished, Enrique once again attempted to change the melody, making it more complicated yet also ethereal. Iris allowed him this time. However, she made sure to connect the entire music together, so that the other band members could still keep up even with her and Enrique.

Her fingers glided over the keyboard, following Enrique's new melody. It sounded awesome to the listeners, but the skilled musicians knew that it took a tremendous amount of finesse on Iris' part to seamlessly meld her playing with Enrique's impromptu melody. She also began singing this time.

"Take me away, oh take me away!

This sweet love, this poisonous love

It's killing me, oh killing me..."

Enrique Valdez deliberately made the melody more intricate in this part to make it more difficult for her.

Even without knowing what kind of surprises her music mentor had in store for her in this part of the song, Iris' powerful voice soared effortlessly, even as her keyboard playing kept up with Enrique Valdez. She matched her singing to the ever-changing melody set by Enrique, effectively showcasing to everyone her impressive and adaptable vocal range.

"Cleanse me of this love

Oh, cleanse me of this tainted love

Ah ah ah~"

She sang the last part in whistle notes, even changing the notes several times while also holding it longer than the original version.

In the audience, everyone's mind was blown by Iris' phenomenal voice. It was just simply out of this world!

"Wow," DJ Song breathed.

JJ Song was banging both of his palms on the table in his excitement. Then he stood up and raised his arms in the air at the same that Iris' whistle notes reached crescendo.

"Yeah, brat! That's how you do it!"

The other guests were also cheering like him while rubbing their arms because Iris' incredible voice was giving them goosebumps.

"L-O-V-E Iris Long! B-O-S-S that's my boss! Go boss! Go boss! Wuwuwuwu! Boss is so awesome."

"I know, Big Bro. Stop crying. You'll ruin your foundation."

Besides the two emcees, others also expressed their amazement.

"Holy shit! Is she still human?"

"Iris Long! I love you so much! You're so amazing!"

"Hey, be quiet. Don't let CEO Jin hear you. He might kill you!"

"Shut up! I love Iris Long so I'm gonna say that I love her! My love for her transcends sexuality! If CEO Jin can't understand my love and admiration for her, then screw him! He shouldn't have become engaged with a celebrity!"

"Aish! You!"

As for Jin Liwei, even if these people were within his hearing range, he wouldn't have heard them anyway. All of his focus was on his baby girl. For him, she was the most dazzling woman in the whole world...no, the entire universe. And she was his! Pride filled him.

Iris Long was his woman! Jin Liwei's! And he was her man! They belonged together! No matter how many pests desired her or him, the two of them would only love each other.

A few seats away from him, Jin Chonglin was also concentrating on the performance. He was a skilled musician, so he recognized the challenges Enrique Valdez kept on throwing at Iris throughout the song.

He imagined himself in her place.

Could he also perform so splendidly in the same situation? Not sure.

Would he buckle under the pressure? Possibly.

This was, after all, the legendary hitmaker, Enrique Valdez. Just his name alone was enough to intimidate most musicians. How much more when performing on the same stage as him without any rehearsals?

But looking at Iris keeping her cool and even performing her best under such a nerve-wracking situation, Jin Chonglin was once again impressed beyond measure by her. At the same time, he also felt a little jealous of her ability to handle pressure.

"Dammit, Iris Long! You're the real monster of insanity," he muttered.

###

Chapter 557 - The Next Legendary Hitmaker

During the last part of the song, Iris Long allowed Enrique Valdez a certain amount of freedom to modify the song but not too much as to completely change it. Otherwise, it would become his song, not hers!

Enrique Valdez's daring injection of intricate technical difficulty into the song should've made it sound chaotic, but because of Iris' deceptively effortless bridging of every single elements together, "Monster of Insanity" was on its way into becoming an even more legendary song in rock music than it already was before. The brilliant harmony created by the mentor and student's hidden battle reached its final high when Blaze sang the remaining lyrics.

"I'm a monster created by love

Your love, oh your love

It's haunting me, it's turning me

Into a Monster, a Monster, a Monster of Insanity!!!"

Then the music ended.

The audience didn't want it to end. They stillwanted MOOOOOOORE!!!

Everything about the song was so cool! They couldn't decide which version was better—the original or this one. In Iris Long's original version, rock and classical music fused into an amazing harmony that reached deep into one's soul, resonating with each listener's demons while at the same time uplifting them.

This version with Enrique Valdez, however, was simply...mind-blowing!!!

There was no need to think about any deeper meaning to it. All everyone could think was how mind-blowing it was! The music swept over them like a raging tsunami, overwhelming them so much that they felt like they were going insane with its awesomeness. Listening to the song didn't reach deep inside, resonate with their inner demons or whatever. It simply freaking blasted them off to outer space to get a glimpse of the wonders of the universe! That was how awesome this version was—it turned them into mindless receptacles of the music, filling them until they burst with euphoria.

It was as if the music completely hypnotized them. This was sorcery! And they loved it!!!

A deafening sound of applause and cheers erupted not only inside the grand hall but also outside the convention centre where the fans continued to crowd while watching the livestreams. All across the country, people were going crazy shouting and screaming and crying in amazement in their own homes, in workplaces, on the streets, or wherever they were watching. If a clueless bystander saw all of these scenes, that person would think that a Chinese football team was competing in the World Cup finals. The bystander would never think that all these people were actually watching a launch party for a new company.

The performance almost broke the internet. Countless comments flooded online that web servers had to temporarily increase their capacities than their usual limits to avoid being overloaded by the sudden spike in traffic. It was insane!

"Bravo!!!"

"That was insane! Monstrous!! Epic!!!"

"Smack your mighty slippers together! Make more noise!! Louder!!! Let our Boss Iris, the great Enrique Valdez, and Pandemonium hear our support!!!!"

Similar reactions played in different places but more obvious inside the grand hall of the convention centre. Everyone was on their feet, giving the performance a long and loud standing ovation.

Back on the stage, Enrique Valdez beckoned Iris and thePandemonium band members to line up together at the front of the stage. They all held hands. Iris held Enrique's one hand while Eros held his other hand. The poor Eros almost croaked his last breath right there and then and gone to heaven from the overwhelming joy and excitement of holding his rock idol's hand. Fortunately, he was able to get a hold of himself and (barely) retain his dignity in front of everyone.

They raised their hands up in the air and bowed together. Iris did her signature elegant curtsy bow while the men bowed from the waist. Even the great Enrique Valdez bowed as deeply as the younger Pandemonium band members, showing his respect to his Chinese audience. His action was noticed and appreciated by everyone.

"Thank you, Enrique Valdez! You're awesome!"

"My Pandemonium husbands, you've improved so much! Your Momma is so proud of you! Ah, I need to buy new panties again!"

"Beautiful Iris Long, please marry me!"

This particular male guest, an escort of one of the invited beauty influencers, shuddered all of a sudden. He cautiously turned his head, feeling murderous intent from his side.

"Eeeek!"

He almost hid under the table when he saw Jin Liwei shooting daggers at him with cold, murderous eyes.

"I was joking, CEO Jin! Aha-ha-ha..."

His nervous laugh petered out after feeling Jin Liwei's murderous intent increase several folds. The poor man decided to just shut his mouth off, not wanting to aggravate the scary CEO Jin Liwei's displeasure any further.

On another table, JJ and DJ Song were also still riding high from the performance along with the other guests.

"It's weird seeing Enrique Valdez play a right-handed acoustic guitar," DJ Song commented. "I expected that he would be a little worse playing right-handed but he's still as skilled as when he's playing left-handed. Absolutely amazing!"

"Of course! He's Enrique Valdez! And there are ambidextrous guitarists in the world. Enrique Valdez is one, the brat is another," JJ said.

"Very true. The first time I saw Iris playing a guitar was when she substituted for Eros during their 'MusicFest Tonight' performance. It was a left-handed guitar. If you didn't tell me that she's actually right-handed, I wouldn't have known!"

"Yeah. The brat can play several other instruments, too. She would personally demonstrate her skills whenever instructing band musicians during our recording sessions. She's very strict. What a pain in the ass to work with!" JJ grumbled.

DJ Song chuckled. "She's very strict, yes. But I don't think that she's a pain in the ass. You are."

JJ scowled at his friend but chose to ignore the last part of his sentence. "The brat's guitar playing style is very similar to Enrique Valdez. It's clear that she got inspiration from him. However, she also added some of her own personality and even original techniques, as evident on how she managed to invent new techniques while composing 'Monster of Insanity'. I don't often say this but I really hit the jackpot when I offered her a comeback contract when she sent me those demo tapes back then."

"Yes. Indeed, you hit the jackpot with her," DJ Song replied, nodding. "Iris could play other instruments well, particularly the guitar, but her piano skills are still her main forte." This essence is securely nested within the heart of Nøv€lß¡n★

"No, you're wrong."

"What do you mean? In what way am I wrong?"

"The brat's piano skills aren't her main forte but her composition skills," JJ corrected.

DJ Song's eyes widened in understanding before nodding. "You're right."

"Of course I'm right! I'm JJ! I'm always right when it comes to music!"

"Not always," DJ Song muttered.

JJ decided to ignore his friend's words again. "Since her comeback, the brat has already composed hit songs after hit songs in the country. Mark my words. I bet upon my reputation as a multi-award-winning music producer that the brat will become the next legendary hitmaker, not only in the country but also in the world, after Enrique Valdez. Maybe she'll even surpass him someday."

The friends became quiet after JJ made this prediction. Even the loud applause and cheers around them felt like a sign, agreeing to the "truth" in JJ's words.

###

Chapter 558 - Surprise Announcemen

The deafening standing ovation continued for several minutes. Everyone was still feeling high from the incredible performance.

Back on the stage, Thunder was now sobbing like a baby because of pure happiness. The other Pandemonium band members also looked emotional. They still couldn't believe that they just performed with their ultimate rock star idol, Enrique Valdez!

When the applause started to die down for a bit, Enrique Valdez took the mic and made an announcement.

"I'll stay here in China to make music with Iris Long."

One second. Two seconds. Three sec—

"WHAT?!!!"

In the audience, JJ used his pinkie to clean his ears. "Huh? Maybe I'm getting old. Something is wrong with my hearing today. I think I misheard Enrique Valdez saying that he wants to make music with that brat. Ahahaha! Yes, must've misheard it..."

"No, Old J. You didn't mishear it! I heard it, too! Enrique Valdez really said that he's going to make music with Iris!" DJ Song couldn't contain his excitement. He was literally jumping up and down like a hyper little kid.

All around them, the other guests were whispering to each other, trying to confirm Enrique Valdez's surprise announcement.

"What did Enrique say? I'm not really good in English."

"OMG!!! He said that he'll be staying here in China to make music with Iris Long!!!"

"Boss Iris! You're the best forever and ever!! Our mighty slippers are so proud of you!!!"

"Kyaaaaaaah! Music by Enrique Valdez and Iris Long?! I can't wait to hear it!! It's going to be so awesome!!!"

In another part of the audience, Tang Yiyi and Bright Summit's big boss and higher-ups almost had a collective heart attack. This was big! No, this was gigantic! Ginormous!

"Miss Tang, anything Iris Long needs for her music collaboration with Enrique Valdez, just ask and you'll get it," Bright Summit's big boss said.

"Yes, sir! Thank you very much, sir!" Tang Yiyi was, of course, excited.

"Since this has been announced in public already, it would be a great embarrassment if it gets cancelled for whatever reason. It would damage Iris Long's reputation and make her a laughingstock by her detractors. This music collaboration needs to happen, even if we have to beg Enrique Valdez if he ever backs out. Make sure that Enrique Valdez's stay here in the country is as comfortable as possible."

"Yes, sir. Please leave everything to me. I'll pay attention to Iris and Mr. Enrique's needs in order to make their music collaboration happen," Tang Yiyi promised.

"Good."

The other Bright Summit higher-ups nodded, their eyes sparkling with excitement.

On the other side of the grand hall, Jin Chonglin clapped along with everyone else. However, his mind was far away from the celebration. He watched Iris Long and Enrique Valdez on the stage, the surprise announcement playing again and again in his mind. Various emotions swirled inside him.

Shock. Amazement. Disbelief. Pride for Iris. Envy.

The positives and the negatives mixed inside him, making him unable to differentiate one emotion from the next.

In the end, all he could do was sigh and smile helplessly.

'It looks like your star will only get bigger and brighter. Big Bro might be right. You might really become an even bigger superstar than me one day. But right now, this prince's star is still bigger and brighter than yours. I didn't reach my superstar status for nothing. My foundations won't be shaken that easily. I won't try to stop your rise to superstardom. If I did, my brother will surely kill me.

'Come, Iris Long! I'll be waiting for you here at the top. Come and see how beautiful the view is here. But at the same time, you'll also learn that it isn't as easy to maintain your foothold here. After all, the top is narrower than the bottom, the height more treacherous. It could only hold a limited number of people. Once you reach the top, someone will definitely fall to make space for you. And I sure as hell will make sure that it's not gonna be me!'

Jin Chonglin's inner monologue gave him an even fiercer determination to improve his craft not only as a musician but as an overall celebrity. Seeing Iris Long's accomplishments in such a short period of time motivated him to try new things. Perhaps he could have another breakthrough and strengthen his superstar status.

A seat away from him, his older brother Jin Liwei felt the proudest out of all the people present in the grand hall. Not even Long Tengfei, Wei Lan, Grandpa Lu, or even Lu Zihao could compare to the mixture of love, devotion and pride in his eyes. However, only the people close to him could see these emotions dancing in his love-filled eyes. To the rest of the people, his expression remained cold as usual.

Back on the stage, Iris was also surprised. Although Enrique Valdez kept telling her before that he wanted to make music with her and release it together, she thought that it would be years before that happened. She didn't expect that it would be so soon. In addition, he announced it to everyone all of a sudden.

Her music mentor turned to her and asked, "Do you accept?"

"Of course. Yes!" Iris laughed in delight despite her surprise.

Blaze: "Congrats, Senior Iris!"

Eros: "You're so amazing. You're actually going to make music with the rock god. Wow."

Night nodded, happy for her.

Thunder: "Goddess Iris, I'm so stoked! This is the best news ever!"

Iris smiled at them. "Thank you. I'm very excited."

"Prepare yourself. I'm not an easy person to work with," Enrique Valdez told her. "I'm demanding and a perfectionist."

"I work well your kind," she replied. "Because I am one, too."

"We'll see about that."

The starstruck Eros couldn't take the easy banter between Iris and Enrique Valdez any longer. He clutched his chest and fainted right there on the stage.

After reviving poor Eros, the party continued. Other celebrities made impromptu performances on stage. Even Jin Chonglin was pressured to sing a couple of songs. For his final song, he dragged Iris back to the stage to sing "Shining Eyes" together, their current #1 hit song of the season.

The Black Stars and Jin Chonglin's army of fans went crazy. Since it was a very popular song at the moment, almost everyone sang along with it.

Iris played the keyboard while Jin Chonglin played the acoustic guitar, the very same one Enrique Valdez used earlier. Their voices soared together, filling everyone with sweetness.

"Smitten I had followed you around

Not expecting anything in return

But you always knew

So your shining eyes saw me"

Jin Chonglin looked at Iris but she looked at his brother in the audience instead. Disappointment, sadness and regret flashed in his eyes, making his solo part more emotional.

"Smitten I had followed you around

Not expecting anything in return"

Iris' continued to give loving gazes at her darling, singing him the love song.

"But you always knew

So you gave me all I could ever want"

Then both Iris and Jin Chonglin sang the last part together.

"I got you~"

It was only when the song ended and the audience was giving them a standing ovation that Iris finally looked at Jin Chonglin in the eyes. They bowed together. Jin Chonglin thought about holding her hands but decided against it. His brother might finally forget about their flesh and blood brotherhood and murder him in front of their mother, grandmother, and everyone.

"Sister Xiulan, congratulations for tonight," he told her as they walked back to their seats.

She smiled at him, momentarily dazing him with her beauty. "Thank you, Brother Chonglin. I'm looking forward to our future projects together."

He nodded and watched her return to his brother's side. Right at that moment, he felt lonely. He sighed, wondering why he had lost interest in playing around with the ladies when this new Iris Long appeared after her showbiz comeback. If he could just return to the party animal that he was before, then he wouldn't have to dwell on these unpleasant feelings that were making him extremely uncomfortable.

'Too bad that she's already with someone else. And that someone is my own brother.'

He sighed once again, forcing himself to look away from the happy image his brother and future sister-in-law was making. Then his eyes fell on an annoying sight. The original appearance of this chapter can be found at Ñøv€lß1n.

Chen Fei stood in front of him, her arms crossed over her chest. "I want your men's skincare line finalized in two weeks."

"Bossy," he muttered.

"I know. Thank you!"

Jin Chonglin scowled but his mood inexplicably felt lighter. He wondered why.

###

Chapter 559 - Headlines

Jin Chonglin didn't try to analyze the reason. He only felt relieved that he wasn't feeling down anymore. Feeling much lighter, his scowl was replaced by his killer smile. He had a sudden urge to tease this annoying bossy woman.

While he and Chen Fei were taking swipes at each other, the party gradually reached its end.

Orchidia Beauty's grand launch finally ended and it was a huge, resounding success! Everyone who attended, watched and followed the event couldn't stop talking about it. There were so many topics of conversation in just a single event. So many unforgettable things!

It wasn't surprising that the next day, almost all the news media outlets constantly featured the grand launch and everything that happened during the event.

The thousands of people who crowded outside the convention centre despite the cold weather! There were so many fans who came that it was more like a major concert than the launch of a new company.

The glamorous red carpet event comparable to awards ceremonies and blockbuster movie premiers!

The amazing star-studded guest list. Oh, the guest list! Such high calibre guests could easily be mistaken as personages attending an important national gala instead of new company's launch.

Then the bombshell that Iris Long was actually the Owner, President and CEO of Orchidia Beauty! So many people were blindsided by this revelation. They only thought that she was the endorser along with Jin Chonglin, not the company boss.

What was even more shocking was that she was friends with all the Cross Academy students who attended her company's grand launch. These were geniuses among geniuses! The best the world had to offer!

Afterwards, when the products were finally made available for sale online, it sold out in five seconds!

FIVE FREAKING SECONDS!!!

The reporters immediately went to work, researching if there were others who accomplished this feat before. They weren't sure abroad, but they were 100% certain that in the country, Orchidia Beauty was the first one to accomplish this. Based on the products' price points and a ballpark guess of the total inventory, industry experts estimated that Orchidia Beauty instantly earned several million RMB in that five seconds. This essence is securely nested within the heart of Nøv€lß¡n★

In short, Orchidia Beauty made history—in the country, at least—by being the first entity to sell out more than 10,000 units in five seconds. This was, of course, only an estimate. Industry experts were positive that Orchidia Beauty's overall inventory that night contained at least 100,000 units, making the feat of selling all of them in just five seconds even more impressive and astounding.

They made this estimate based on Orchidia Beauty's pre-order sales earlier that month which also sold out. After conducting a nation-wide survey targeting those who successfully pre-ordered Orchidia Beauty products that time, they discovered that the company already sold around 50,000 units from those pre-orders alone.

Iris Long mentioned during the grand launch that her company increased the inventories after the pre-orders sold out. It was reasonable to believe that Orchidia Beauty at least doubled its inventory for the official launch. Just from these numbers alone, the experts estimated that Orchidia Beauty might have sold around 100,000 to 300,000 units (already a conservative estimate) or even up to 500,000 units during those five seconds. In either case, it would already be safe to say that Orchidia Beauty was now a company worth millions—and its was only the first release of the products! It would certainly earn more after stocking up and making the products available for purchase once again. Add the pre-order sales from earlier that month and the company's bank account should be very fat right now!

These figures were thrown around by the media, citing various experts from the beauty industry. However, these were still estimates. Many were hoping that Orchidia Beauty would disclose its earnings in public. It would be up to Orchidia Beauty if it wanted to do that. The new company wasn't required to announce its earnings because it was a 100% private company owned by Iris Long with minor shares owned by its German CPO Alric Bauer. For now, the people could only continue to speculate about how profitable Orchidia Beauty was upon its launch.

The other beauty companies in the country were now trembling in anxiety at the appearance of this unexpected rising star in the beauty industry. Orchidia Beauty only launched last night but it already established itself as a direct and formidable competitor to the established giants in the beauty industry.

What kind of company needed just five seconds to instantly catapult itself into a prime position in the crowded market of the beauty industry? Orchidia Beauty! The one and only! And its head and face was the celebrity, Iris Long.

Headlines were already popping up about Iris Long and her company, Orchidia Beauty.

"Iris Long: China's Future Beauty Tycoon?"

"Orchidia Beauty Sells Out in 5 Seconds! One-time Fluke or the Start of a New Beauty Dynasty?"

"Iris Long's Orchidia Beauty Makes History by Selling Out in 5 Seconds! Sales Estimated to be Worth Millions!"

The media was, of course, hyping it up. However, the industry experts were seriously focused on observing Orchidia Beauty's progress.

For many years now, all the top ten beauty brands in the country were all by foreign companies. 100% foreign, 0% Chinese!

There were plenty of Chinese companies and entrepreneurs who attempted to change this but failed to squeeze their way into the top 10. A few mega beauty influencers came close, becoming millionaires on a global scale (in US dollars) by creating their own brands and selling them to their millions of followers in China and abroad. Despite their tremendous individual success, they still weren't successful in putting a Chinese brand in the country's top 10, much less on the international market.

Industry experts were now eyeing Orchidia Beauty. Would it be the one to finally change the current status quo in the country's beauty industry? Would Iris Long succeed where so many had failed?

What would Iris Long's Orchidia Beauty be like in 1 year? 2 years? 5 years? Would it rise or fall after such a history-making launch? Would it survive or drown in the ultra-competitive battlefield that was the beauty industry?

Orchidia Beauty just launched last night, so these questions could only be answered with time. Some were optimistic, while others weren't.

Those who were still looking down on Iris Long even after learning that she was the owner of Orchidia Beauty, saying that she used Jin Liwei and her connection to Sir Lu Jianhong to build a company, couldn't continue disparaging her after her company sold out all its products in just five seconds. If they continued belittling her even after this, they would only sound like envious bitches and bastards. Numbers didn't lie, after all.

Besides, even if Jin Liwei or Sir Lu Jianhong helped her behind the scenes, it was still a fact that Orchidia Beauty sold out the way it did after she revealed that she was the owner. In the end, it was still her name and image that contributed a great deal in the new company's history-making moment last night.

The headlines didn't end with just these. Oh no, they didn't. After selling out for five seconds, Iris Long made other noteworthy announcements.

Her acquisition of the old French perfumery, Sang Bleu, renaming it Liberté! The reporters also did their research, unearthing more of the perfumery's history than the brief summary Dominic and Clover Chua shared during the launch party. Even though it was already a bankrupt company when it was put on sale, its resources and connections were still very valuable.

Next, Iris Long announced her new foundation, Iris of Hope! Her mother, the new Viscountess Lan, was a main ambassador! People from high society wanted to take this as a joke but once again, numbers didn't lie.

According to the Iris of Hope's official website, the foundation had acquired about 72,000 active patrons (people who voluntarily donated at least 1 RMB) in just one night—and this was without an official fundraising campaign yet! If all these 72,000 patrons donated 1 RMB, the 72,000 RMB was already a fairly successful amount from just a night of collection. However, there were billionaires like Jin Liwei, Sir Lu Jianhong, and the other impressive personages who signed up as patrons for the foundation. They would have certainly donated more than 1 RMB! It wouldn't be surprising if Iris of Hope had collected millions already.

Impressed yet?

Wait, there was more!

Almost the entire nation was freaking out about what happened next.

The legendary hitmaker, Enrique Valdez, performed live with Iris Long and Pandemonium!!! At the moment, a recorded video of the performance already had more than 80 million views in just one day! "Monster of Insanity" was also making a comeback to the top ranks of various music streaming and sales charts.

However, these weren't the main reason why people were freaking out. Sensational headlines screamed everywhere.

"Enrique Valdez to Make Music with Iris Long!!!"

"Rock Legend Calls China Temporary Home for Collab with Multi-Award Winning Musician, Iris Long!"

"World's Legendary Hitmaker Teams Up with China's Young Hitmaker of the Year for an Anticipated Music Collab!"

Everyone was waiting for Bright Summit or maybe even JJ's record label to release more details about the incredible music collaboration.

Before Orchidia Beauty's grand launch, people only thought that there would be a new hot skincare brand in the beauty industry. Never did anyone expect that a rain of bombshells would be dropped and create explosions reverberating not only in the beauty and business industries but also in the music world.

Iris Long's star began shining more brightly, becoming bigger, until people could no longer afford to ignore her.

###

Chapter 560 - Iris Long Fever

Iris Long's friends from Cross Academy left the country after visiting the Dragon Palace mansion to eat dinner with her and Jin Liwei. Where Stories Blossom: N♡vεlB¡n.

It was a pity that her language teachers, Professor Kalisha Schwarz and Professor Hisakawa Akio, couldn't make it to the grand launch. Like Headmaster Erwan Dupont, the two professors had scheduling conflicts. However, they sent presents congratulating her on her company's successful launch.

In the next few days, both Iris and Jin Liwei returned to work. The workaholic couple didn't allow their break to negatively affect their performance. It was as if they didn't leave work with how quickly they reintegrated themselves.

###

Jin Corporation.

"Good morning, President Jin!"

The employees greeted Jin Liwei as soon as he walked into the lobby, followed by his loyal assistant Xu Tian.

He nodded. "Good morning."

It was obvious that he was in a good mood. He had been in a great mood in the past few days after returning to work from his break.

It started when he caught an employee listening to "Monster of Insanity" while working. The employee had earphones on but accidentally disconnected it, leaking what he was listening to everyone. When he discovered that the President was standing right behind him, he almost peed his pants and grovelled to the floor to ask for forgiveness. But before he could do so, Jin Liwei nodded and said:

"You have great taste in music."

Then Jin Liwei left.

After that, there had been a surge of "accidental" music leaks throughout the company—all Iris Long songs, of course.

Whenever a mobile phone rang, it would an Iris Long song. Copies of "Rebirth" album were also displayed on work desks, hoping that their President would see them if he came over. Those who had actual signed albums or memorabilia (proud Black Stars) felt superior to the others.

"We're REAL fans of Boss Iris," they were often heard saying. "At least we're not using her to get on the President's good graces, unlike some people."

Even the cafeteria started playing more Iris Long songs, prompting Jin Liwei to see for himself after hearing about it. As a result, he almost caused a stampede when he decided to eat lunch in the cafeteria with Xu Tian and the other executives. The employees felt like an immortal being just descended to the mortal realm to grace them with his presence.

His good mood infected the entire company's morale. They were all gradually getting used to seeing him (occasionally) smile. Before this, the company's productivity would skydive in the rare event that he actually smiled because the sight was just too shocking. Now, however, his smile had the opposite positive effect. It made the employees more productive! They began performing well at work, hoping to gain his praise and see his smile more often.

However, the happy atmosphere didn't permeate the entire company.

The board of directors was particularly tense at the moment, especially the members who belonged to the Jin branch families.

Jin Chenggong was fired from his position in the board. Even his entire branch family was disowned from the Jin clan.

The Jin branch families only held a minority in the board of directors but their combined influence was far greater because of their surname. They were proud of their Jin name, assuming that it made them special compared to the other members of the board who weren't Jins or Lus. However, their sense of security and pride was shaken when Sir Lu Jianhong finally used his unrivalled authority in the company to fire Jin Chenggong from the board of directors.

Now they remembered that there was still someone else who could take away the privilege that they were currently enjoying.

Sir Lu Jianhong, one of the original founders of the company now known as Jin Corporation. The original Jin founder might be gone, but the original Lu founder was still very much alive. Sir Lu Jianhong had taken a backseat and allowed the Jins to run the company for many years. He even let the company be renamed as JIN Corporation in honour of his late brother and best friend.

This apparent removal of the Lu presence in the company gave the mistaken impression to the Jin branch families that their clan was the sole force holding the power and authority in Jin Corporation. They had forgotten that Sir Lu Jianhong owned exactly 50% of the company by himself, making him the majority shareholder. Compare that to Jin Liwei who only owned 25%, part of which he inherited from his father and the other part he acquired by himself as a young executive. The other 25% became minor shares distributed among the Jin branch families, other executives, and public shareholders.

It was Jin Liwei's grandfather who decided to split up his own 50% shares upon his death, distributing it to his own son and clan members, selling some at discount prices to well-deserving employees who worked hard to help make the company successful since the beginning, and offering the remaining shares to the public in order to establish Jin Corporation as a truly world-class business.

For many years, the Jin branch families took it for granted that their surname was the most visible presence in the company. Now that Sir Lu Jianhong used his rightful authority to fire someone from the board of directors, they realized that the paltry shares they owned were only droplets of water compared to the vast ocean the old man owned.

After him, Jin Liwei was the next biggest shareholder. If the several predictions were correct and Sir Lu Jianhong would pass down all of his shares to Jin Liwei, then Jin Liwei would become the ultimate majority shareholder, holding 75% of the shares. If that happened, then Jin Corporation would truly be controlled solely by the Jins.

This was supposed to be great news to the Jin branch families, if not for the fact that Jin Liwei easily disowned a branch family from the clan because of a woman. Did this mean that if they expressed their disapproval for Iris Long as their next madam, they would also be disowned and lose everything?

How could they stay calm after this?

At that moment, the branch families split allegiances. All of them didn't want to lose their current positions and privileges. They wanted to stay in the Jin clan and keep their shares of Jin Corporation, but their methods of keeping the current status quo differed from one another.

One side completely submitted themselves to Jin Liwei and his decision to marry Iris Long. They might disapprove of her and think that she was unsuitable for their clan head, but they would accept her because Jin Liwei had already chosen her. At least in this way, they would remain in Jin Liwei's good side and keep them safe from being disowned.

Some of them were even starting to believe that Iris Long might not be such a bad match for Jin Liwei after all, especially after hearing about the successful and history-making launch of her company, Orchidia Beauty. If Orchidia Beauty continued to be profitable in the long-term, then she would at least be passable as Jin Liwei's wife. They couldn't expect someone like her to grow her company on the same level of Jin Corporation, could they?

'Impossible,' they thought, laughing at the ridiculous idea.

As for the other side, they also wanted to maintain the current status quo but they didn't want to accept Iris Long. Never! Thus, they began promoting a radical idea—to make Rose Young their next Madam.

First of all, they believed that Rose Young was many times more suitable than that celebrity Iris Long who was trying to become a fake businesswoman.

Second of all, most of them personally knew Rose Young and were quite close to her and her family. They knew what kind of a wonderful, intelligent and talented woman she was, unlike that Iris Long who suddenly turned from being a devil to an angel.

Third of all, they were the ones who voted for Rose Young and made her the new CMO of Jin Corporation. Thus, she would naturally feel gratitude for the help they gave her.

These reasons made them believe that if they successfully made Rose Young their next Madam, not only would they keep the current status quo but also make it more advantageous for them courtesy of her sense of gratitude for helping her. They helped her get to her position, so she had a responsibility to pay them back, no?

Amidst the good mood and high morale of Jin Corporation, these schemes were being plotted in the shadows. Pulling the strings behind this radical group was Jin Chenggong who still retained his influence on some of the Jin branch families and Romeo Young all the way from Singapore who had proven himself as a great "friend" to those who needed to accomplish little (shady) tasks that might get them into trouble with the law.

While all of these people were speeding up the plan to make her the next Madam of Jin Corporation, Rose Young was suffering in the company. Everywhere she went, she would see, hear and feel the presence of Iris Long.

'Damn all these ass-kissers, using that slut to brownnose on Big Brother Liwei!'

This made her work extra harder, drowning herself in work, in order to stop herself from going crazy because of what she called the "Iris Long fever" in the company. As a result, her work performance improved by leaps and bounds. The other executives and members of the board of directors praised her achievements during a routine meeting. This only made the radical group believe that they made the right decision in supporting her.

"Thank you, everyone. I'm the CMO, after all. This is part of my work," she modestly replied. Then she glanced at Jin Liwei, hoping to hear him praise her, too.

However, Jin Liwei only nodded, not sparing her a word or even a look, breaking her heart.

'This is all your fault, you slut!'

While she was silently cursing Iris Long, the CFO's mobile phone rang.

"I'm a monster created by love

Your love, oh your love"

It's haunting me, it's turning me

Into a Monster, a Monster, a Monster of Insanity!!!"

The red-faced CFO struggled to find his phone inside his briefcase. His rock music ringtone blared loudly in the conference room. It was heard by everyone in the meeting, including Jin Liwei who had an amused expression. However, only Xu Tian detected the amusement from his usual cold and indifferent expression. Finally, the CFO found his phone and turned it off in a hurry. He cleared his throat and immediately apologized.

"My apologies, especially to the President. My carelessness made me forget to set my phone on silent mode before the meeting."

Silence.

"Nice ringtone," Jin Liwei commented. "Continue with the meeting."

"Yes, sir!"

Rose Young almost coughed out blood in her fury.

###

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