Chapter 1587: A War Without Smoke
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Because of the HT Group's incredible success with their brand new line of skincare products, countless superstars and even some well-known news anchors reached out to the company, wanting to be their spokesperson. Luckily for them, Jacob felt generous and gave each one of them a few products to test on their own, free of charge. When these celebrities got a hold of the products, they couldn't stop telling everyone about how great the products were for their skin. As a result, the public's interest grew exponentially.
While the HT Group's products rose to the top, the KING Group's hold on the skincare industry gradually dwindled. For the last six months, the KING Group's skincare products were all the craze. But now, not a single soul was even talking about them anymore.
Frustrated, Darren slammed the stack of reports on his table.
Seeing their sales go down the drain on a piece of paper in front of him, he felt like he had gotten a huge slap in the face. No matter where he looked, all he could see was a line going straight down on a sales chart.
At that moment, he couldn't help but dwell on the time when their sales had reached its absolute peak. People couldn't stop saying good things about the KING Group, and everyone in the business world wanted to work there. Even his employees were brimming with delight because of their success. Back then, everyone had only had praise and admiration for Darren. But now that they had hit rock bottom, the whole company felt dull and uninspired, probably because everyone knew that Darren had been bested by his rival once again. Even if the KING Group's employees greeted their boss with respect, Darren could sense that they had lost respect for him just by looking at their eyes.
"In recent news, the HT Group's grand entrance to the skincare industry has been a big success. Their meticulous scientific research and use of the best quality materials has allowed them to create products that have swept the entire nation off their feet. Keep in mind that several months ago, the KING Group was the most prominent name in the skincare industry. However, when we asked customers who have used both products about which is the better one, pretty much every single one of them said that the HT Group's products were miles ahead in quality and effectiveness for their skin. We talked with the HT Group about how they made such wonderful products. They said that it's because they believe that if you start with the best materials, your product will definitely come out on top. And that's just what they did. Our sources say that the material LQ that they used in the products came from their supplier, a renowned company, who is pretty much known for providing top of the line raw materials for the biggest manufacturers in the world. Is it really just because of that? Why are the HT Group's products so good? To answer those questions, we've arranged an interview with a leading professor in our own Medical University. Here's what he had to say."
The morning news report on the TV just added insult to injury. Darren was an inch away from throwing something at it just to shut it up.
'I'm willing to bet all my money that if Jacob hadn't stolen LQ, his company wouldn't be on the news right now, ' Darren irritably thought to himself with a peeved expression on his face.
All of the time and effort he had put into propelling the KING Group to success had been rendered useless in a matter of weeks. There was barely any space for them in the skincare market, all because of Jacob.
The more Darren thought about his rival's underhanded approach to win, the more his blood started to boil. When he heard what the professor had to say about the HT Group's new products, he finally succumbed to his rage. Losing all sense of control, he stood up and walked over to the TV. Then, he smashed the screen with his bare hands repeatedly. Even after all of that violence, Darren still wasn't done. He pulled the TV from the wall and threw it down to the floor with all his might.
The screen completely cracked and shards of glass scattered all over the floor.
Miraculously, the TV still worked after all that abuse since the power was still connected to the wall. The reporters' faces, twisted and distorted through the cracked glass, looked like a terrifying scene from a horror movie, just like the look on Darren's face at that moment.
Right after that
l. However, he knew he needed to get Darren back on his feet so that they could free Bonnie as soon as possible. "Mr. Xu, don't beat yourself up too much. Don't forget that the HT Group didn't make that much money even with how successful their venture into the skin care industry is. In fact, they even lost a decent amount of money when they just were starting. Think about it. Why is Jacob spending money, as if it grew on trees, just to beat you?"
Harlan's question completely stunned Darren. He had already considered what Harlan just said, but he had never thought about it thoroughly even though his rival's intentions had been clear from the very beginning.
"Do you really think Jacob entered the skincare industry just to make money even though all his other ventures are currently successful?" Harlan added when he saw Darren sitting back on the chair.
This whole conversation was like a light bulb, popping up inside of Darren's head. Without wasting another second, he took one look at Harlan and said, "How could I have missed it? He's trying to pick a fight with me!"
"Exactly! Don't you find it hard to believe that he coincidentally entered the skincare industry when we were at the top of it? There's no doubt about it. He's trying to outdo you in whatever way he can. He doesn't even care if he loses money while he's doing it! The only thing that is in that man's mind is to defeat the KING Group, and you!" Harlan boldly exclaimed.
"Everyone in this country knows that!" Darren irritably replied.
He didn't need Harlan to repeat what he already knew, especially since it was known to pretty much everyone that both groups had been in a grueling war for a long time now.
"Mr. Xu, I know you already know about all of this. But you're still missing the bigger picture. Jacob is focused on defeating you. Because of that, he has no energy nor time to deal with other matters. After all, your rival is still a mortal man. There's no doubt in my mind that he'll show the kinks in his armor sooner or later. We just have to be sharp enough to catch on when it happens." Harlan's meticulous analysis of their situation astounded Darren. He couldn't help but be inspired by the calculating look on his assistant's face.
"You're right! That's why you're my right hand man! So what did you have in mind?" Darren asked in an enthusiastic tone. With how Harlan was acting, he knew his assistant already had a plan for the company.
Harlan took a few seconds to catch his breath. Then, he calmly replied, "Since he's so focused on going against you, let's give him something to beat. When that happens, he'll undoubtedly pour his heart and soul to besting you once again. When he's giving it his all, we're only going to be using the smallest possible amount of effort to keep up with him. And while that's happening, we can start something fresh on the side. If this plan works, we'll have no one to oppose our new venture!"
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Because of the HT Group's incredible success with their brand new line of skincare products, countless superstars and even some well-known news anchors reached out to the company, wanting to be their spokesperson. Luckily for them, Jacob felt generous and gave each one of them a few products to test on their own, free of charge. When these celebrities got a hold of the products, they couldn't stop telling everyone about how great the products were for their skin. As a result, the public's interest grew exponentially.
While the HT Group's products rose to the top, the KING Group's hold on the skincare industry gradually dwindled. For the last six months, the KING Group's skincare products were all the craze. But now, not a single soul was even talking about them anymore.
Frustrated, Darren slammed the stack of reports on his table.
Seeing their sales go down the drain on a piece of paper in front of him, he felt like he had gotten a huge slap in the face. No matter where he looked, all he could see was a line going straight down on a sales chart.
At that moment, he couldn't help but dwell on the time when their sales had reached its absolute peak. People couldn't stop saying good things about the KING Group, and everyone in the business world wanted to work there. Even his employees were brimming with delight because of their success. Back then, everyone had only had praise and admiration for Darren. But now that they had hit rock bottom, the whole company felt dull and uninspired, probably because everyone knew that Darren had been bested by his rival once again. Even if the KING Group's employees greeted their boss with respect, Darren could sense that they had lost respect for him just by looking at their eyes.
"In recent news, the HT Group's grand entrance to the skincare industry has been a big success. Their meticulous scientific research and use of the best quality materials has allowed them to create products that have swept the entire nation off their feet. Keep in mind that several months ago, the KING Group was the most prominent name in the skincare industry. However, when we asked customers who have used both products about which is the better one, pretty much every single one of them said that the HT Group's products were miles ahead in quality and effectiveness for their skin. We talked with the HT Group about how they made such wonderful products. They said that it's because they believe that if you start with the best materials, your product will definitely come out on top. And that's just what they did. Our sources say that the material LQ that they used in the products came from their supplier, a renowned company, who is pretty much known for providing top of the line raw materials for the biggest manufacturers in the world. Is it really just because of that? Why are the HT Group's products so good? To answer those questions, we've arranged an interview with a leading professor in our own Medical University. Here's what he had to say."
The morning news report on the TV just added insult to injury. Darren was an inch away from throwing something at it just to shut it up.
'I'm willing to bet all my money that if Jacob hadn't stolen LQ, his company wouldn't be on the news right now, ' Darren irritably thought to himself with a peeved expression on his face.
All of the time and effort he had put into propelling the KING Group to success had been rendered useless in a matter of weeks. There was barely any space for them in the skincare market, all because of Jacob.
The more Darren thought about his rival's underhanded approach to win, the more his blood started to boil. When he heard what the professor had to say about the HT Group's new products, he finally succumbed to his rage. Losing all sense of control, he stood up and walked over to the TV. Then, he smashed the screen with his bare hands repeatedly. Even after all of that violence, Darren still wasn't done. He pulled the TV from the wall and threw it down to the floor with all his might.
The screen completely cracked and shards of glass scattered all over the floor.
Miraculously, the TV still worked after all that abuse since the power was still connected to the wall. The reporters' faces, twisted and distorted through the cracked glass, looked like a terrifying scene from a horror movie, just like the look on Darren's face at that moment.
Right after that
l. However, he knew he needed to get Darren back on his feet so that they could free Bonnie as soon as possible. "Mr. Xu, don't beat yourself up too much. Don't forget that the HT Group didn't make that much money even with how successful their venture into the skin care industry is. In fact, they even lost a decent amount of money when they just were starting. Think about it. Why is Jacob spending money, as if it grew on trees, just to beat you?"
Harlan's question completely stunned Darren. He had already considered what Harlan just said, but he had never thought about it thoroughly even though his rival's intentions had been clear from the very beginning.
"Do you really think Jacob entered the skincare industry just to make money even though all his other ventures are currently successful?" Harlan added when he saw Darren sitting back on the chair.
This whole conversation was like a light bulb, popping up inside of Darren's head. Without wasting another second, he took one look at Harlan and said, "How could I have missed it? He's trying to pick a fight with me!"
"Exactly! Don't you find it hard to believe that he coincidentally entered the skincare industry when we were at the top of it? There's no doubt about it. He's trying to outdo you in whatever way he can. He doesn't even care if he loses money while he's doing it! The only thing that is in that man's mind is to defeat the KING Group, and you!" Harlan boldly exclaimed.
"Everyone in this country knows that!" Darren irritably replied.
He didn't need Harlan to repeat what he already knew, especially since it was known to pretty much everyone that both groups had been in a grueling war for a long time now.
"Mr. Xu, I know you already know about all of this. But you're still missing the bigger picture. Jacob is focused on defeating you. Because of that, he has no energy nor time to deal with other matters. After all, your rival is still a mortal man. There's no doubt in my mind that he'll show the kinks in his armor sooner or later. We just have to be sharp enough to catch on when it happens." Harlan's meticulous analysis of their situation astounded Darren. He couldn't help but be inspired by the calculating look on his assistant's face.
"You're right! That's why you're my right hand man! So what did you have in mind?" Darren asked in an enthusiastic tone. With how Harlan was acting, he knew his assistant already had a plan for the company.
Harlan took a few seconds to catch his breath. Then, he calmly replied, "Since he's so focused on going against you, let's give him something to beat. When that happens, he'll undoubtedly pour his heart and soul to besting you once again. When he's giving it his all, we're only going to be using the smallest possible amount of effort to keep up with him. And while that's happening, we can start something fresh on the side. If this plan works, we'll have no one to oppose our new venture!"
Because of the HT Group's incredible success with their brand new line of skincare products, countless superstars and even some well-known news anchors reached out to the company, wanting to be their spokesperson. Luckily for them, Jacob felt generous and gave each one of them a few products to test on their own, free of charge. When these celebrities got a hold of the products, they couldn't stop telling everyone about how great the products were for their skin. As a result, the public's interest grew exponentially. While the HT Group's products rose to the top, the KING Group's hold on the skincare industry gradually dwindled. For the last six months, the KING Group's skincare products were all the craze. But now, not a single soul was even talking about them anymore. Frustrated, Darren slammed the stack of reports on his table. Seeing their sales go down the drain on a piece of paper in front of him, he felt like he had gotten a huge slap in the face. No matter where he looked, all he could see was a line going straight down on a sales chart. At that moment, he couldn't help but dwell on the time when their sales had reached its absolute peak. People couldn't stop saying good things about the KING Group, and everyone in the business world wanted to work there. Even his employees were brimming with delight because of their success. Back then, everyone had only had praise and admiration for Darren. But now that they had hit rock bottom, the whole company felt dull and uninspired, probably because everyone knew that Darren had been bested by his rival once again. Even if the KING Group's employees greeted their boss with respect, Darren could sense that they had lost respect for him just by looking at their eyes. "In recent news, the HT Group's grand entrance to the skincare industry has been a big success. Their meticulous scientific research and use of the best quality materials has allowed them to create products that have swept the entire nation off their feet. Keep in mind that several months ago, the KING Group was the most prominent name in the skincare industry. However, when we asked customers who have used both products about which is the better one, pretty much every single one of them said that the HT Group's products were miles ahead in quality and effectiveness for their skin. We talked with the HT Group about how they made such wonderful products. They said that it's because they believe that if you start with the best materials, your product will definitely come out on top. And that's just what they did. Our sources say that the material LQ that they used in the products came from their supplier, a renowned company, who is pretty much known for providing top of the line raw materials for the biggest manufacturers in the world. Is it really just because of that? Why are the HT Group's products so good? To answer those questions, we've arranged an interview with a leading professor in our own Medical University. Here's what he had to say."The morning news report on the TV just added insult to injury. Darren was an inch away from throwing something at it just to shut it up. 'I'm willing to bet all my money that if Jacob hadn't stolen LQ, his company wouldn't be on the news right now, ' Darren irritably thought to himself with a peeved expression on his face. All of the time and effort he had put into propelling the KING Group to success had been rendered useless in a matter of weeks. There was barely any space for them in the skincare market, all because of Jacob. The more Darren thought about his rival's underhanded approach to win, the more his blood started to boil. When he heard what the professor had to say about the HT Group's new products, he finally succumbed to his rage. Losing all sense of control, he stood up and walked over to the TV. Then, he smashed the screen with his bare hands repeatedly. Even after all of that violence, Darren still wasn't done. He pulled the TV from the wall and threw it down to the floor with all his might. The screen completely cracked and shards of glass scattered all over the floor. Miraculously, the TV still worked after all that abuse since the power was still connected to the wall. The reporters' faces, twisted and distorted through the cracked glass, looked like a terrifying scene from a horror movie, just like the look on Darren's face at that moment. Right after thatl. However, he knew he needed to get Darren back on his feet so that they could free Bonnie as soon as possible. "Mr. Xu, don't beat yourself up too much. Don't forget that the HT Group didn't make that much money even with how successful their venture into the skin care industry is. In fact, they even lost a decent amount of money when they just were starting. Think about it. Why is Jacob spending money, as if it grew on trees, just to beat you?"Harlan's question completely stunned Darren. He had already considered what Harlan just said, but he had never thought about it thoroughly even though his rival's intentions had been clear from the very beginning. "Do you really think Jacob entered the skincare industry just to make money even though all his other ventures are currently successful?" Harlan added when he saw Darren sitting back on the chair. This whole conversation was like a light bulb, popping up inside of Darren's head. Without wasting another second, he took one look at Harlan and said, "How could I have missed it? He's trying to pick a fight with me!""Exactly! Don't you find it hard to believe that he coincidentally entered the skincare industry when we were at the top of it? There's no doubt about it. He's trying to outdo you in whatever way he can. He doesn't even care if he loses money while he's doing it! The only thing that is in that man's mind is to defeat the KING Group, and you!" Harlan boldly exclaimed. "Everyone in this country knows that!" Darren irritably replied. He didn't need Harlan to repeat what he already knew, especially since it was known to pretty much everyone that both groups had been in a grueling war for a long time now. "Mr. Xu, I know you already know about all of this. But you're still missing the bigger picture. Jacob is focused on defeating you. Because of that, he has no energy nor time to deal with other matters. After all, your rival is still a mortal man. There's no doubt in my mind that he'll show the kinks in his armor sooner or later. We just have to be sharp enough to catch on when it happens." Harlan's meticulous analysis of their situation astounded Darren. He couldn't help but be inspired by the calculating look on his assistant's face. "You're right! That's why you're my right hand man! So what did you have in mind?" Darren asked in an enthusiastic tone. With how Harlan was acting, he knew his assistant already had a plan for the company. Harlan took a few seconds to catch his breath. Then, he calmly replied, "Since he's so focused on going against you, let's give him something to beat. When that happens, he'll undoubtedly pour his heart and soul to besting you once again. When he's giving it his all, we're only going to be using the smallest possible amount of effort to keep up with him. And while that's happening, we can start something fresh on the side. If this plan works, we'll have no one to oppose our new venture!"
