Chapter 74:

“This…” Han Shuying gritted her teeth. She knew she wasn’t the most reliable person, but this time she was genuinely serious. With a determined heart, she said, “My family background is indeed privileged, but no one in the Han family just idles around. This time, I’m truly committed. Since I’m proposing a partnership, I’ll strictly adhere to the terms of our collaboration. If I ever lose interest in the future, regardless of how far the company has progressed, I’ll only take back the initial investment I put in—nothing more. How about that?”

This proposal was undeniably sincere, and it at least made Bo Pengpeng reconsider her opinion of Han Shuying.

After a moment of contemplation, Bo Pengpeng finally agreed. “Alright! I accept your proposal. But there’s no need to be as harsh as you suggested. Even if you say it, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I just hope you remember what you said today, so we don’t end up losing our friendship in the future.”

Bo Pengpeng’s reason for agreeing was simple: she also wanted to build her own career. Despite being the eldest daughter of the Bo family, the family’s current wealth and status were largely the result of her brother Bo Jixi’s efforts. It had little to do with her, and her pride wouldn’t allow her to indefinitely enjoy the fruits of her brother’s labor without contributing herself.

Now that this opportunity had presented itself, she was determined to seize it. Even if Han Shuying lost interest later, at least the initial investment would have laid the foundation for the company.

Bo Pengpeng never doubted their ability to establish the company, given her and Han Shuying’s family backgrounds, as well as Qin Chaoyu’s confidence in her formulas.

Han Shuying: “Deal!”

Once the two of them had settled their discussion, Qin Chaoyu chimed in, “I’ll contribute with my formulas as equity. I won’t be involved in the company’s management—just receiving dividends.”

“Agreed!”

“Agreed!”

Han Shuying and Bo Pengpeng responded in unison. Whether Qin Chaoyu participated in management or not made little difference to them.

“Great! Then let’s discuss the details of the contract,” Bo Pengpeng clapped her hands, getting straight to the point. “For instance, how should the shares be allocated? Since Chaoyu is contributing with her formulas, and the company’s growth will largely depend on them, how about giving her 35%?”

Qin Chaoyu nodded, indicating she had no objections.

Han Shuying also agreed.

Bo Pengpeng continued, “As for the remaining 65%, we’ll divide it based on our financial contributions. I can put in 10 million.”

Han Shuying calculated her savings and came up with a figure. “I have less—only about 5 million.”

That was still a substantial amount. The Han family wasn’t like the Bo family, which owned a multinational corporation. Bo Jixi was extremely generous with Bo Pengpeng, giving her a hefty monthly allowance and even transferring company profits to her after she came of age. Strictly speaking, Bo Pengpeng was a bona fide wealthy woman.

In contrast, the only business-savvy member of the Han family was Han Shuying’s aunt, but her earnings were her own and had little to do with Han Shuying’s immediate family. While they were certainly well-off, they weren’t extravagant enough to hand out millions to the younger generation. Han Shuying’s 5 million was the result of years of saving.

The Bo family’s generosity was unparalleled—not just compared to military-political families like the Hans, but even among other billionaires. Few were as liberal with their relatives as the Bos. This was an open secret in Yuzhou’s high society and one of the reasons Bo Pengpeng was the target of so much envy, not just from socialites but even from many men. Most, however, lacked the courage to confront her directly and could only ostracize her in subtle ways.

Bo Pengpeng had guessed Han Shuying wouldn’t have much money, so the 5 million came as a surprise. She’d heard about General Han’s character—strict, selfless, and uncompromising—so it was unlikely he’d spoil his children with excessive wealth, lest they develop bad habits.

Ahem, of course, she herself had no such flaws. With the Bo family’s upbringing, how could she? She practiced moderate spending.

At this point, Miss Bo seemed to have forgotten that just days ago, she’d splurged millions at the mall on clothes, bags, and jewelry.

“Alright, then I’ll also contribute 5 million, and we’ll split the remaining shares equally. That gives us a starting capital of 10 million, which should be enough for the initial phase,” Bo Pengpeng decisively allocated the shares. She then glanced at Qin Chaoyu and Han Shuying. “Do either of you have any objections? If not, I’ll proceed with drafting the contract.”

Qin Chaoyu and Han Shuying naturally had no objections, especially Han Shuying. She’d expected to receive only 25% of the shares at best, so ending up with over 30% was a pleasant surprise. It was clear Bo Pengpeng had adjusted her own contribution to accommodate her.

Who would’ve thought this brat—ahem, this girl—was actually quite decent? Maybe she’d go easier on her in the future.

The next day, Bo Pengpeng consulted a professional lawyer to draft the contract according to her specifications.

The lawyer, true to his expertise, completed the contract swiftly.

After a quick review, Bo Pengpeng found no issues and proceeded to sign the contract with Qin Chaoyu and Han Shuying.

The initial stages of entrepreneurship were tedious and exhausting, but these tasks were unavoidable.

After finalizing the name “Yu Meiren” (Yu Beauty) for their cosmetics company, Bo Pengpeng immersed herself in the preparatory work—registering trademarks, scouting locations, and leasing office space. These tasks weren’t particularly difficult, as she had ample staff to assign them to.

Foresightedly, Bo Pengpeng also patented all of Qin Chaoyu’s formulas. Since patents required disclosure, she took additional steps to protect the confidential aspects.

Though the patent process was time-consuming, Bo Pengpeng believed it was a worthwhile investment for long-term gains.

Two hectic months flew by, and winter had arrived in Yuzhou.

The air was damp and cold. Stepping outside without proper protection felt like being slapped in the face by icy gusts, making one gasp.

Despite the exhaustion, their efforts were paying off.

Yu Meiren Cosmetics was officially established, with all personnel in place, awaiting the grand opening ceremony.

Bo Pengpeng took the ribbon-cutting ceremony very seriously. To make a splash, she needed a compelling hook.

Her identity as the eldest daughter of the Bo family alone was enough to generate buzz.

Next came the meticulous task of selecting the guest list. After much deliberation and mental strain, Bo Pengpeng finalized the invitations.

Naturally, she didn’t forget to send one to her brother.

Whether he’d attend, however, was anyone’s guess.

While Bo Pengpeng was overwhelmed, Han Shuying had it easier. Her task was to promote the company in the capital and invite high-profile guests to the opening ceremony.

Before Han Shuying left for the capital, Bo Pengpeng told her, “You’ve been utterly useless these past two months—either incapable or actively making things worse. Now you’re returning to your home turf, where you can strut your stuff. If you fail to bring back any notable guests, don’t bother coming back.”

Han Shuying was mortified but resolved to exceed expectations, not just meeting but surpassing the task.

Bo Pengpeng’s harshness stemmed from two months of disappointment. Han Shuying had proven to be utterly inept at company affairs, bungling even the simplest tasks. Bo Pengpeng’s exhaustion was partly thanks to her.

After several failures, Bo Pengpeng gave up and handed Han Shuying a stack of books, ordering her to learn how to manage a company.

This left Bo Pengpeng shouldering the entire burden, nearly crushing her.

But the outcome was positive: Yu Meiren was on the verge of its grand opening.

While Han Shuying and Bo Pengpeng were busy, Qin Chaoyu wasn’t idle either.

There was that renowned acupuncture instructor, Wei Bolan.

Qin Chaoyu’s earlier act of saving a life had left a deep impression on him, prompting him to pay extra attention to her. Soon, he noticed she often kept her head down during lectures, neither looking at the board nor around the room, seemingly absorbed in something else.

Concerned she might be disengaged, Wei Bolan began calling on her frequently.

But Qin Chaoyu, with her mind brimming with centuries’ worth of her sect’s knowledge, could easily answer any undergraduate-level question just by skimming the material.

Her unique perspective often led to unconventional yet insightful answers.

Over time, Wei Bolan realized: “Ah! This is a rare talent worth nurturing!”

Thus began Qin Chaoyu’s ordeal—being dragged into private tutorials to analyze case studies.

But Qin Chaoyu didn’t need this. Without boasting, her knowledge far surpassed Wei Bolan’s. What she lacked wasn’t knowledge but the opportunity to apply it—practical experience, which could only be accumulated gradually.

Her free time was now severely compromised, split between acupuncture sessions for Han Yixun and Wei Bolan’s tutorials. She was swamped.

To be fair, Wei Bolan’s intentions were good. At his age, nearing retirement, only genuine admiration for talent would drive him to invest this time. He could’ve been practicing calligraphy or sipping tea instead.

Qin Chaoyu understood this and didn’t find him annoying or meddlesome. She was genuinely grateful, but after nearly a week of neglecting her sect’s medical texts, she decided to clarify things with him.