Chapter 547 - Countdown

When the countdown on the big screen reached the one minute mark, a length of big ribbon and a huge pair of scissors were brought onstage. Iris and Jin Chonglin held the huge scissors together behind the ribbon. The Bauer siblings stood beside Iris while Chen Fei and Long Jinjing stood beside Jin Chonglin on the other side. The Chua siblings continued to play their roles as the emcees.

Dom: "Less than one minute left until we officially launch the company and release Orchidia Beauty’s first products!"

Everyone stood up.

Finally, Clover started the countdown.

"10!"

Everyone joined her, shouting each number.

"9!"

Until...

"3!"

"2!"

"1!!!!!"

Iris and Jin Chonglin cut the ribbon with the huge scissors.

Loud cheers of celebration and applause.

"It’s official!!! Orchidia Beauty is launched!!! Yay yay!!!" Dom and Clover shouted together, jumping in excitement like little children.

Iris’ eyes immediately searched for Jin Liwei. His mouth moved. She read his lips.

"Congratulations, love. I’m so proud of you," he silently told her.

Her face broke into a bright smile. She had the urge to jump off the stage, run to him and jump into his arms. However, she controlled herself. Her company just launched. It was at this moment that she needed to be professional and act like the boss that she literally was.

"Thank you, darling," she mouthed back at Jin Liwei.

He also smiled. Well, to her, it was a smile. But to the others, his expression looked cold as usual.

"Congratulations, Sister Xiulan," she heard Jin Chonglin’s voice near her ear.

It was subtle, but she moved away from him a little before turning to face him with a smile.

"Thank you, Brother Chonglin."

"Can I hug you?" he asked before quickly adding, "A friendly hug, of course."

"No," she replied without even thinking about it.

Disappointment flashed in his eyes at her quick refusal before covering it up with a mock hurt expression meant to tease. He playfully clutched his chest.

"Ah! You wound this prince! So many ladies want to jump into my arms and yet here you are refusing this prince’s irresistible offer. You’re the only one who dare do that!"

"I don’t mind friendly hugs but your brother will get angry if it’s you. If you’re feeling extra masochistic tonight, sure. Come, let’s do a friendly hug. You’re the one who’s going to suffer your brother’s wrath, anyway. Not me," she told him while shrugging her shoulders.

Jin Chonglin scowled, muttering, "Sadistic couple."

Now it was his turn to move away from her, as if he just got electrocuted. He stepped away so abruptly that he crashed against Chen Fei behind him.

"What the hell, dude?! Watch where you’re going!" Chen Fei rebuked him while maintaining a smile on her face for the audience and cameras. "You stepped on my fucking toes. If I’m injured, I’m going to kick your ass and then make you pay for my treatment plus compensation for emotional distress. Hmph!"

"Xiao Fei, calm down please. Don’t make a scene in front of everyone," Long Jinjing reminded her best friend.

"Shit, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to step on your foot. Really!" Jin Chonglin said while mentally rolling his eyes at the woman’s threat of suing him for ’emotional distress’.

If there was another woman that he couldn’t charm besides Iris, it would be this one. Chen Fei had been scolding him every time he met with the Bauer siblings while working on his own line of men’s products for Orchidia Beauty. The annoying bossy woman kept on complaining about what an indecisive diva he was to keep on changing his mind and delaying the production of his men’s line.

’What’s wrong with changing my mind? This prince only wants every single detail to be perfect! I’m not going to release subpar products under my own magnificent name! Infuriating woman!’ he inwardly grumbled but kept an apologetic smile on his face.

No matter how infuriating she was, the woman was still the COO of the company. He needed to show her respect, even if he didn’t really want to. Under the contract he signed with Orchidia Beauty, Chen Fei was one of his bosses alongside Iris Long and Long Jinjing. They were the three top executives of the company with Iris holding the topmost position above all of them.

The Bauer siblings, who had no idea that there was an argument between them, rushed and gave all of them tight and fierce hugs. Tears gushed down Alona Bauer’s eyes, as she hugged everyone while sobbing. Even the eyes of her usually quiet brother, Alric Bauer, looked misty.

"Congratulations, Orchidia Beauty!!!" Dom and Clover shouted.

The audience followed suit, shouting their congratulations at Iris and the others on the stage.

"Congratulations! That’s my girl! Bahahaha! This old man is so proud of my favourite granddaughter! Right, Haohao my boy?!"

"Yes, Grandpa. My little sister always makes us proud."

"En. My wife is the best."

"Heh~ Third Brother, my sister isn’t your wife yet. Don’t get too ahead of yourself."

"Fifth Brother, Xiulan is going to be my wife. I’ll make sure of it."

"Heh... The future isn’t something any of us can predict, Third Brother."

"Fifth Brother, even if I have to go against the heavens, I’ll do everything in my power to marry Xiulan."

"Why are you rascals suddenly fighting?! I want to know! Don’t ruin this moment for Xiulan or I’ll bang your two hard heads together!!!"

"Calm down, old gorilla. Can’t you see that they’re just teasing each other? You and my husband used to do that a lot back in the days. And now you’re acting all high and mighty in scolding our grandsons? Preposterous!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Bah! This old man is now an elder so I obtained the right to discipline the young ones and throw my weight around! That’s our privilege, old hag! You should use it, too! Bahahaha!"

Despite all the noise, Iris still caught some parts of their conversation with her great hearing. She didn’t hear her darling or her big brother’s voices because they were speaking in low tones, but there was no mistaking Grandpa Lu’s booming voice and Grandma Li’s pretend tone of derision.

’Thank you for giving them to me,’ she said to whoever or whatever power that gave this second life of hers.