When a big shot mentions something, those below naturally pay attention, and as a result, many upper-class individuals came to recognize and learn about Xu Liu Group.
Once the elite endorsed it, the grassroots would follow suit.
His statement had become a perfect advertisement!
However, Xu Hao hadn't thought it through that much. He continued, "Seizing this perfect opportunity, I also want to announce that our Xu Liu Group will be launching a revolutionary new cosmetic product!"
Xu Hao indeed intended to use this chance to pitch his own product.
Everyone here was a big shot, and having them promote it would be much more effective than any celebrity endorsement.
Xu Hao knew his time was limited, so he too had to hasten his efforts to build his own business empire.
He was doing this not just for wealth, but also for connections and an information network.
So, before coming here, he brought along a bottle of freshly produced cosmetics, which was actually medicinal powder he had made himself. The raw materials were quite inexpensive, except for one ingredient—a ginseng over three hundred years old, which Wang Zhong had taken a day to acquire.
Xu Hao wasn't surprised. Those millennia-old ginsengs often mentioned on TV were just scams; even those older than a hundred years were extremely rare. My Virtual Library Empire (*) hosts the original.
Ginseng under a hundred years could also be used, but the effect would be much poorer. Because he wanted a live demonstration, Xu Hao had gone to great lengths to obtain one over three hundred years old. Of course, if there were truly the legendary thousand-year-old ginseng, that would be even better, but alas, it was too difficult to come by.
He had initially planned to auction it off at the auction, but considering that it would be a long time before mass production started, he wasn't in a hurry. After all, the Didixiya Auction House's touring auction wasn't the only one.
The people present snickered. They were a bunch of old fogeys. Was Xu Hao mistaken in trying to sell cosmetics to them?
Sure enough, Elder Dong immediately spoke up, "I say, young man, what use do I have for cosmetics? Will it turn my bark-like skin into the tender whiteness of a young girl?"
"Dream on!" Elder Master Li struck immediately, "Your skin has been like that since you were young, seeing it improve would be truly miraculous!"
Yet, Xu Hao chuckled, "Elder Dong, could you possibly be the shill I hired? I was just about to invite everyone to try our product's effects, and here you are, opening the topic."
Elder Dong suddenly laughed and cursed, "You young man, mocking me ? Alright, I'll try it. I'll debunk it right here and leave you with no face to show, but don't blame this old man!"
Xu Hao laughed, "I just hope, Elder Dong, that you don't run off with my bottle of cosmetics."
Elder Dong muttered curse words as he walked, "Am I that kind of person? Just wait and see, if your cosmetics show no effect, I'll smash your bottle right here!"
Li Ta Tian had a vague guess about Xu Hao's capabilities and laughed, "Little Xu, I suggest you just beat this old man to death."
Xu Hao smiled, didn't respond, and sprinkled a bit of the cosmetic powder, then rubbed it on Elder Dong's bark-like skin.
Elder Dong, seeing Xu Hao use just a little powder, complained unhappily, "Young man, can't you use a bit more? Who are you pitying with this tiny amount?"
Xu Hao laughed, "I'm afraid if I apply too much, your skin might really turn as tender as a young girl's, and you'll go broke."
Elder Dong puzzled, "Why would I go broke?"
"Only a significant amount of powder can transform skin like yours into something tender, but don't you think it would look odd if only one patch of your skin turned tender and white while the rest remained dark?"
"Hmm, indeed, but what has that got to do with going broke?"
"You'll buy a lot of cosmetics to make the rest of your body match, right?"
"If it really works, maybe I would buy a lot."
From the side, Li Ta Tian chimed in, "I think you'd buy it for your mistress!"
"Shut your trap! Mind that I don't bash your head in!" Elder Dong turned and scolded him, then said, "But I still don't see how this leads to me being broke."
Xu Hao laughed, "The little bit I just applied, if sold, is worth ten thousand, and this whole bottle costs at least one million. But this one bottle is only enough for one hand, and the skin on the hands makes up less than one percent of the body's total skin area. So, to cover your entire body and achieve a tender look, you'd need at least one billion!"
"Damn! Are you robbing me?" Elder Dong burst out, "How can you sell such a little thing for so much?"
Xu Hao, knowing his temperament, wasn't offended. He laughed, "Yes, it's sold for that much. If you were to buy enough, with your current salary, let me calculate..."
Xu Hao pretended to think hard, tallying on his fingers for quite a while before he laughed and said, "It would take you a whole ten thousand years!"
Everyone burst into continuous laughter!
Isn't this just what Elder Master Li used against Old Dong earlier in the auction?
Yet now, Xu Hao had cleverly used it live!