A Call That Changed Her Entire Life

Although Jacob's mind wasn't as sharp as it usually was, he still knew that Sam's proposal was a bad idea. “This isn't the right
way to compete with a company such as the KING Group. We have to be more creative than that. Have you forgotten that the
HT Group is a trendsetter? We don't simply imitate others to stay relevant!“
Sam shared Jacob's sentiments, but the fact that he only had a short amount of time to come up with a solution had led him to
think of a simple one. But now that his boss was ready to get back to work again, he simply nodded along in agreement.
While they were still speaking, Emily came back to the room after handling Jacob's discharge paperwork. When Jacob changed
into his suit, he ordered Sam to set up a meeting with the board of directors as soon as he arrived home.
They were only going to have a virtual meeting because Emily had urged Jacob to take it easy for a couple of days and stay at
home.
About an hour later, Jacob and the board of directors started their meeting. While they were busy discussing how to deal with the
KING Group, Emily sat beside Jacob on the sofa to watch over his condition. To kill time, she started her new hobby of
embroidery.
Although Jacob was getting bombarded with questions from the board, he couldn't help but glance at his wife from time to time.
Emily was extremely meticulous and focused when she was threading needles and stitching. The serious expression on her cute
face made her look absolutely adorable in Jacob's eyes.
Accidentally, Jacob nudged his webcam a little bit towards Emily's direction. When the board of directors saw her, even they
couldn't help but find her adorable.
While all of this was happening, Jacob remembered the time when Emily had bought the embroidery set that she was using.
Even back then, she had worn a serious look on her face when she was asking the store clerk about what threads to use and
how to do certain stitching patterns. She had been completely clueless about anything regarding embroidery up to that point, but
she was so excited to learn all about it, just like a young student learning his or her favorite subject.
Suddenly, Jacob's eyes lit up like fireworks. The idea that he was waiting for finally popped up in his mind.
Because of this, Jacob came back to his senses and excitedly proclaimed to the board of directors, “I have it! I know how we're
going to beat the KING Group's new skincare products! We'll provide even better customization than they do!“
Everyone gasped in anticipation, even Emily. The board was so excited about it that they didn't utter a single word and just
waited for Jacob to continue.

“Right now, how skincare products work is still a mystery to everyone. Most of the people just know that certain household items
like cucumber and milk are good for their skin. But even if they have such items readily available, the direct use of these natural
items on their faces would be senseless since the molecules will be too big to fit into the skin's pores. With this in mind, I suggest
that we sell do-it-yourself skincare kits so that our customers can customize them specifically to their needs. With this, our
product's use for one's specific needs would be immensely greater than the KING Group's.“
The idea made sense to everyone. All of the board members nodded their heads and agreed on the fact that this was the best
way to beat their competitor at their own game. After a while of cheering on Jacob, a question popped up in one of the board
members' heads. “This sounds great and all, but how are we going to deal with the reality that not everyone knows what their
skin really needs?“
“That's easy,“ Jacob confidently answered. Since he had already figured out things like this a while ago, it didn't take him long to
explain. “We'll just hire a few skincare specialists to train our customer service department. We'll even keep a few of them
around, so our customer service department can still consult them in the long run. With just a single call to our customer service
department, our customers will be able to get all the information they need! They'll never have to worry about making a mistake
with their DIY kits since we can help them 24/7. I'm sure that this alone will make our products more popular than any others!“
While Jacob was speaking, Emily couldn't help but look at her husband with admiration in her eyes. She was so proud of him
that a smile that spanned from ear to ear appeared on her face.
“Let's even go the extra mile and have personalized packaging! We can print patterns on packages according to individual
consumer needs. Let's also allow the customers to make choices about bottles and bottle lids. And with all of that, our products
will be fully customizable from top to bottom.“ As usual, Jacob couldn't stop spouting out ideas when he was filled with
inspiration.
When everything was decided, all the board members gave Jacob a round of applause. At that moment, every single one of
them couldn't stop admiring Jacob's capability as a businessman. His intention to customize everything from the product down to
the packaging had never been seen before. Without a doubt, it was an idea that was ahead of its time and would surely bring
them immense popularity.
That being said, Sam had one major concern. While standing near the computer, he calmly said, “Mr. Gu, I can't deny that your
idea will definitely attract everyone's attention. But we've just entered the skincare industry. Can we really handle all of this when
we're just starting from scratch? Since we can't just mass produce everything in a single factory, we might not make any profit
out of this venture, sir. Especially with your plans for customization, our production costs will be higher than anything we've come
across.“

Sam's worries were absolutely correct, but Jacob didn't intend to make any profit out of this decision. “Don't be silly, I've known
that long before I told everyone about my idea. The only reason I'm doing all of this is to divert the customers' attention from the
KING Group. I'm sure you don't want them to have the skincare industry all for themselves, right?“
Sam instantly understood what Jacob meant. He knew that letting Darren run amok would inevitably bring them trouble in the
future.
A few hours later, Jacob and all the board members finally agreed on all the smaller details regarding their plan. And since the
HT Group had been fairly efficient in handling matters like this for a few years, Jacob felt relieved to let them handle things for
now.
To make Jacob's day better, Emily placed a warm bowl of his favorite soup on the table as soon as he turned off the computer.
Emily, who was on the sofa, had managed to sneak out and go to the kitchen without being noticed. While she was there, she
had prepared a big pot's worth of mushroom soup. And when Jacob was finally finished with his work, she leaned against the
table, smiled, and said, “Eat up.“
While he was eating, Emily just watched with eyes that were filled with admiration for the man in front of her. From the very first
moment she had seen him work, she had always looked up to his brilliance.
Her kind gesture melted Jacob's heart. But instead of finishing the food in front of him, he stood up and kissed her on the lips
while holding her in an embrace.
A month passed and the HT group's plan was finalized after a few slight tweaks. They finally released their brand new skincare
products for presale on the internet.
In that amount of time, Jacob managed to have a full recovery without any complications. Since he was in tip-top shape, Emily
finally agreed to let him go back to work in the office.
As soon as Jacob arrived at the company, Sam rushed over to him and said, “Mr. Gu, Darren is already trying to ruin our plans.
He has arranged a meeting with the owner of the raw materials factory that we've chosen.“
While furrowing his eyebrows, Jacob immediately replied, “Then let's go.“
He wasn't hesitant to see Darren at all. In fact, he was glad to confront his rival face to face.

Jacob excitedly headed for his car with Sam right behind him. On the way there, the two continued speaking of business matters,
but Sam couldn't help but admire and appreciate how decisive his boss was. If it weren't for Jacob and the power he had
amassed for the HT Group through the years, they wouldn't be able to head to the factory without making an appointment in
advance. Any other boss would've just bit their lip in irritation at being upstaged.
Meanwhile, Darren was making sure that his negotiations with the factory would go without a hitch. To make that happen, he had
specifically chosen a village resort with the most beautiful scenery, surrounded by waters and mountains. He had even ordered
food from the most expensive restaurant in the city. The food there was so expensive that it would cost hundreds of dollars to
order just a small dish of fried vegetables, mainly because the food there was organic and fresh from the farm.
But it didn't end there. Darren made sure that the only one who had access to the hot springs and VIP rooms of the resort was
him and his guests. In his mind, as long as he treated them right the whole night, the man who owned the factory wouldn't
hesitate to agree to his terms.
And with that in mind, Darren was fairly sure about securing the deal with the factory, especially since the KING Group's new line
of skin products was all over the country. Their sales were so high that it was undoubtedly the best choice to work with them if
one wanted to make a considerable amount of profit. Herman Su, the head of the raw material factory, had the same money-
making thought in his mind.
And the fact that Darren had chosen such a lavish way to entertain his guests made Herman more than happy to make a deal
with the KING Group that night. Unfortunately for Darren, he didn't consider the fact that someone else might make a more
lucrative offer.
While Darren was drinking with Herman Su, Harlan came in in a hurry and whispered something in his ear.
“Mr. Xu, I just saw Jacob in the next room. He's having dinner with two of his men.“
Darren immediately knew that this wasn't just a simple coincidence. Because of this, his sky-high spirits fell straight to the
ground. But being in front of Herman, he knew it was rude to show a worried face.
“Stay here, Harlan. I'll take a look for myself,“ Darren whispered back while standing up. Then, he bowed to Herman Su and
made up a reason to leave. “Mr. Su, please excuse me for a minute. I need to go to the restroom.“
Herman Su was so happy at that moment that it seemed like he wouldn't care even if Darren took an hour to get back.
After that, Darren walked away and headed to the room Jacob was in.

As soon as he arrived, Jacob pretended to be surprised. “Oh, what a coincidence, Mr. Xu! I didn't expect to see you here.“
“Stop acting,“ Darren frigidly replied. Then, he added, “Mr. Gu, are you here for dinner or to ruin my plans? Just tell me right
now.“
Obviously, Darren had been wary of the HT Group ever since the KING Group launched its new products. He had even kept a
keen eye and anxiously waited every day for their response. There was no doubt in his mind that Jacob would follow them into
the skincare industry sooner or later. But now, he didn't need to think about whether his suspicions were true or not. The fact that
his rival was there when he was setting up a way to increase the production of his skincare products was enough of a sign that
the HT Group was staring their own line of skincare products.