98: Chapter 99 Strategic Shift - Beauty Serum

At 2:50 PM, Lin Ruoxi and Chu Yuqing stood in the opulent lobby of the Peninsula Hotel, looking somewhat out of place.

Lin Ruoxi was wearing a simple white shirt and black trousers, while Chu Yuqing was in a light blue dress. Both of them wore masks and baseball caps, as if they were terrified of being recognized.

"Are you sure about this?" Lin Ruoxi asked in a low voice. "We look more like suspicious characters now."

Chu Yuqing looked around nervously. "I'm afraid of being recognized... That video has spread too widely."

"Relax." Lin Ruoxi held her hand. "Just like you said, we are here to solve the problem."

The two walked towards the café. After giving Jiang Jing's name, the waiter respectfully led them to a semi-enclosed booth. Jiang Jing was already waiting there, with three cups of coffee in front of him.

"Sit." He gestured for them not to be reserved. "I ordered coffee, not knowing what flavors you prefer."

Lin Ruoxi took off her mask and hat, looking around vigilantly. "Are you sure this place is safe?"

"It's alright. At least no one will barge in to take photos." Jiang Jing pushed a latte toward her.

Chu Yuqing also carefully removed her disguise, revealing her delicate face.

Her eyes were still a bit red and swollen; it was clear she had been crying quite a bit over the past two days.

"So," Lin Ruoxi went straight to the point, "what solution do you have?"

Jiang Jing didn't answer immediately. Instead, he took out his phone and opened the video that had already received millions of likes. "First, we need to understand the severity of the situation."

The video clearly recorded the entire process of him buying Hermès bags for the two girls, and the comment section was bustling with activity:

[Did these two women save the galaxy in their past lives?]

[Rich guy, look at me! I don't want a 380,000 bag, a 38-yuan milk tea will do!]

[Begging for information on these two women! I want to know why they are favored by a rich guy!]

Lin Ruoxi looked at these comments, her face turning increasingly ugly. "See that? We are like monkeys in a zoo now, being judged by everyone."

Jiang Jing put down his phone. "I understand your distress. But if you'll excuse my bluntness, this kind of internet heat usually doesn't last long; in a few days, it will be replaced by new trending topics."

"But we can't wait a few days!" Chu Yuqing couldn't help but interrupt. "My mentor even 'cared' about my 'relationship' with you this morning. That look in his eyes..."

Jiang Jing noticed that her voice was trembling by the end; she was clearly aggrieved.

He pondered for a moment. "I have a proposal."

Both girls looked at him simultaneously.

"My company, Xingchen Technology, is currently preparing a new project," Jiang Jing said slowly. "We need two brand ambassadors."

Lin Ruoxi immediately understood his meaning. "You mean... you want us to be spokespersons for your company? That way, it can explain why you bought us bags?"

"Smart." Jiang Jing gave her an appreciative look. "In this way, those rumors will turn into 'commercial cooperation' rather than some unbearable speculation."

Chu Yuqing bit her lower lip. "But... we aren't celebrities, and we don't have any experience as spokespersons..."

"That's not important." Jiang Jing interrupted her. "What matters is that you are pretty, and this identity can help you get out of your current predicament. Besides..." he added meaningfully, "the endorsement fee is very generous."

Lin Ruoxi and Chu Yuqing exchanged a glance.

This proposal was indeed very attractive; it could not only solve the immediate trouble but also bring in some income.

"We need to think about it," Lin Ruoxi finally said.

"Of course." Jiang Jing picked up his coffee and took a sip.

The group left the booth and came to the hotel lobby. Lin Ruoxi was about to say something, when suddenly—

A sharp female voice suddenly came from the side: "Oh my god! It really is you!"

The three turned their heads simultaneously and saw a stylishly dressed young girl holding her phone up towards them, her face full of excitement. "I knew they looked familiar! It's the rich guy and the two beauties who went viral online! Family, look, I've bumped into them in person!"

Lin Ruoxi and Chu Yuqing were like startled rabbits, instinctively wanting to hide.

"Turn off your phone." Jiang Jing's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unquestionable authority.

The girl was stunned for a moment, but quickly became excited again. "Don't be so stingy! Let me take a video, I promise to blur your faces..."

Jiang Jing no longer hid his presence, his master-level aura revealing itself. "I said, turn off your phone."

His tone and aura left the girl a bit dazed, and she sheepishly put down her phone. "Alright, alright, if you won't let me shoot, then I won't..."

But it was too late.

Other guests had already recognized them, and whispers were rising one after another.

Some people were secretly raising their phones, clearly taking photos or videos.

Jiang Jing made a decisive decision, leading Lin Ruoxi and Chu Yuqing into a private elevator.

The moment the elevator door closed, Chu Yuqing wailed uncontrollably. "I knew this would happen... Now it's even worse..."

Lin Ruoxi put her arm around her shoulder and glared angrily at Jiang Jing. "Is this the 'safe' place you were talking about?"

Jiang Jing didn't argue, simply pressing the button for the top floor. "My suite is on the top floor. No one will disturb us there, and we can talk properly about the endorsement."

The elevator rose steadily. Lin Ruoxi comforted her while keeping a wary eye on Jiang Jing. "You had better really have a way to solve this problem."

With a "ding," the elevator reached the top floor, and the doors slowly opened.

Inside the presidential suite, Lin Ruoxi and Chu Yuqing sat on the sofa, whispering about something, their eyes occasionally drifting toward Jiang Jing, as if they were guarding against something.

Jiang Jing stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the bustling night view of the entire Rong City.

He was toying with an exquisite glass bottle in his hand, which contained a light blue liquid that shimmered with a faint fluorescence under the lights.

He had given the matter of the endorsement careful consideration.

Previously, in a moment of impulse, he had selected the Water-powered Engine from the System Store.

But once this thing was released, the global energy landscape would be completely overturned.

Oil-producing nations would inevitably fall into panic, and traditional energy giants would spare no cost to eliminate him.

Although he had the backing of a powerful motherland, Jiang Jing was very clear that certain interest groups within the country would also not sit idly by while their pie was being carved up.

With people both inside and outside wanting to get rid of Jiang Jing, how could he sleep?

Fortunately, his subordinates were now fully loyal, so there was no need to worry about anything leaking. Plus, with his god-level hacking skills, he had absolutely no concerns regarding technical security.

Therefore, he had to first accumulate enough strength.

Jiang Jing narrowed his eyes, his gaze falling on the glass bottle in his hand.

This was the beginner-level beauty serum he had exchanged from the System Store. Its effects far exceeded any skincare product on the market, capable of making skin delicate and smooth in a short time, and even fading wrinkles and eliminating scars.

He planned to launch the beauty serum first to open up the market, accumulate capital and connections, and only then consider the Water-powered Engine once he had established a firm footing.

He turned to look at Lin Ruoxi and Chu Yuqing on the sofa. The two women were staring at him vigilantly, especially Chu Yuqing, whose eyes were still a bit red; clearly, the recent public opinion storm had left her feeling down.

Jiang Jing smiled slightly, walked up to them, and placed the beauty serum on the coffee table.

"Didn't you want a solution? This is it."

Lin Ruoxi frowned and picked up the glass bottle suspiciously. "What is this?"

"The first product that Xingchen Technology is about to launch—the 'huanyan beauty serum'." Jiang Jing said in a calm tone. "It can improve skin texture within an hour, fade fine lines, and long-term use can even reverse skin aging."

Upon hearing Jiang Jing's words, the two beauties looked at him as if they were looking at a complete fraud...