Chapter 444: Chapter 444: Cracking Failed
In the conference room of Perfect Cosmetics Co., Ltd., the atmosphere was as oppressive as ever.
General Manager Tao Nan’s face was livid. He glared at the head of the laboratory and fumed, "Well? Have you figured out the formula for Ding’s Aloe Frost yet? When the hell are you going to give me an answer?"
The head of the laboratory wiped the sweat from his forehead and replied with a bitter smile, "President Tao, the core formula for Ding’s Aloe Frost is extremely well-protected. We’ve used all our equipment and manpower, but we still can’t completely crack it. We’ve only managed to analyze some of the main ingredients, but we have absolutely no clue about the key dosage ratios. As you know, a single gram more or less can make a world of difference in the effect. We simply don’t know where to begin..."
Hearing this, Tao Nan was so angry he almost flipped the table.
He had spent a fortune hiring a top-tier research team and invested enormous resources, only to get such a feeble response.
Just then, Manager Zhang from the marketing department hurried into the conference room, his face a mixture of anxiety and a faint glimmer of hope.
"President Tao, I have an urgent situation to report."
Tao Nan waved his hand impatiently. "Spit it out. What’s the bad news now?"
Manager Zhang took a deep breath and reported, "Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory has added a new effect to their promotions for the Aloe Vera Frost—it can treat the scars and pigmentation left after skin is exposed to the venom of the hidden-winged insect."
"What?"
Tao Nan and the other executives were stunned.
Manager Zhang continued, "President Tao, as you know, the weather’s gotten warmer recently, and hidden-winged insects are starting to become rampant. Many people have been affected during spring outings and other outdoor activities. After this hidden-winged insect dermatitis heals, it mostly leaves behind scars and pigmentation, which is very unsightly. Right now, there’s a huge demand online for products that can repair the skin after this dermatitis."
He said excitedly, "We haven’t tested whether Perfect Aloe Vera Gel is effective on these kinds of scars and pigmentation. But aloe vera itself has restorative and soothing properties. If our Aloe Vera Gel also has this effect, we can definitely stop the current decline and even get our sales to rebound."
After hearing this, Tao Nan’s eyes lit up.
The scarring and pigmentation caused by hidden-winged insect dermatitis was indeed a huge market pain point.
If Perfect Aloe Vera Gel really did have this effect, it would undoubtedly be a shot in the arm.
"Good. That’s a great idea."
Tao Nan made an immediate decision. "Manager Zhang, go recruit a group of patients with hidden-winged insect dermatitis right now and have them test our Aloe Vera Gel. You must produce effective trial data in the shortest possible time."
"Also..."
Tao Nan added, "Get the ads out first. We need to stabilize the market."
Manager Zhang left immediately.
Soon, he recruited ten volunteers who had been left with scars and pigmentation from hidden-winged insect dermatitis.
Most of them had seen the recruitment notice from Perfect Cosmetics Co., Ltd. and came with a "might as well try" attitude.
After all, Ding’s Aloe Frost wasn’t cheap. At 200 yuan a jar, it was still a considerable expense for the average consumer.
But the Perfect Aloe Vera Gel trial was not only free, it also came with an extra stipend. What was there to lose?
One of the volunteers, Wang Xingyun, was a typical victim.
He had a large, dark patch of pigmentation on his face that caused him great distress.
After successfully securing a spot in the trial, he was full of anticipation.
’This aloe vera gel is made from aloe vera too, so it should also be effective, right?’ he thought.
However, the days passed, one by one.
The first day, the second... all the way to the tenth day.
Wang Xingyun applied the Perfect Aloe Vera Gel diligently every day, but the scars and pigmentation on his face showed no signs of improvement.
The color was still dark, the scar was still obvious, and it clashed with the surrounding skin.
He was extremely disappointed, and the other volunteers also reported that there was basically no effect.
’This... this is completely useless!’
A wave of anger washed over Wang Xingyun.
He didn’t say anything at the research center, just went through the motions to finish the trial, took his stipend, and left.
Once he got home, Wang Xingyun immediately turned on his computer, logged onto a social media platform, and began to trash Perfect Aloe Vera Gel.
"’Perfect Aloe Vera Gel is a scam! I was bitten by a hidden-winged insect, and after using their gel on the scar and pigmentation on my face for ten days, there’s been zero effect. It’s nothing like what they advertised. Everyone, steer clear of this product and don’t get tricked.’"
Wang Xingyun wrote indignantly, even attaching before-and-after photos of his face.
His post immediately attracted a great deal of attention as soon as it was published.
Many people chimed in, saying they had also used Perfect Aloe Vera Gel, either because it was cheap or with a "let’s just try it" attitude, and that it had no effect for them either.
"That’s me. I spent money on Perfect Aloe Vera Gel, and it was completely useless."
"I’ve been saying it all along, aloe vera gels are just an idiot tax. You have to buy Ding’s Aloe Frost."
"Thank god I just bought Ding’s Aloe Frost directly. My face is completely healed now."
Negative comments poured in like a flood. Sales of Perfect Aloe Vera Gel were hit hard once again, plummeting to rock bottom.
Manager Zhang reported back to Tao Nan, on the verge of tears. The result was predictable: he was viciously berated by Tao Nan again.
Perfect Cosmetics Co., Ltd. was plunged into an unprecedented crisis.
In stark contrast to the plight of Perfect Cosmetics, Ding’s Aloe Frost continued to be a massive hit. Orders poured in, and reports of success came from markets all over the world.
Word of its success reached some of Li Xu’s friends.
"Li Xu, congratulations! I’ve been using the Aloe Vera Frost you developed, and the results are really impressive."
Professor Gao Guanghui said over the phone.
"Oh, I’ve been so busy lately, I forgot to send you some."
Li Xu quickly apologized.
There was another reason: he had subconsciously assumed that the Aloe Vera Frost was a cosmetic product mainly used by young people. He figured an older man like Professor Gao wouldn’t be interested.
"Haha, no worries. I didn’t pay it much mind at first either. But I became interested when I heard it could actually repair scars."
The two chatted for a while, and just as they hung up...
Professor Wang Tao from Jinmen University called.
"Dr. Li, you’re a true genius for developing such a wonderful product. It’s a blessing to countless people."
"I was just lucky enough to find the right formula," Li Xu said modestly.
Immediately after, Dean Sun from the Guanghe District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dean Song from the City Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and others also called personally to congratulate him.
The classmate group chat was even more lively.
Everyone was in the group, fervently discussing the Aloe Vera Frost.
"Li Xu is just too incredible. His god-tier medical skills already left us all in the dust, and now he’s gone and developed a cosmetic product. I’m completely in awe."
Hu Qiming exclaimed in the group chat, his tone filled with envy.
Miaoli chimed in, "Yeah, I bought the Aloe Vera Frost, and the effect is absolutely amazing. The little spots on my face have faded so much, and my skin is so much better than before."
Li Baojie then joked, "And to think we once advised him not to give up on working at a major hospital. Looking at it now, we were just worrying for nothing. The guy is raking in both fame and fortune."
Jiang Peng sent a thumbs-up emoji. "Li Xu is a badass. He’s made all of us classmates proud."
Lu Junwei was even more blunt: "Stop being envious. We probably won’t be able to catch up to Li Xu’s achievements in this lifetime. He’s an international entrepreneur now."
