The face mask was produced on an assembly line. Once the whole set of machines got running, a mask was ready in less than a minute.
A female worker brought the mask over.
“I think you’d better just start eating it now,” Chief Engineer Liu said as she took the mask, without even glancing at Lin Hai.
Man, Lin Hai snatched the mask right back from her.
“Ma’am, hang on a second.” Lin Hai stopped the female worker, who was about to leave.
“Boss, are you talking to me?” The woman, in her thirties, looked a bit shy.
“Would you mind trying out this face mask for me?”
“Well…” The worker didn’t dare say anything and turned her head toward Chief Engineer Liu.
“If he wants you to try it, then go ahead and try it,” Chief Engineer Liu said with a frown, sounding annoyed.
“Okay, I’ll go try it and come right back out.” The worker took the mask and walked into the break room.
“Chief Engineer Liu, how many face masks can be made from that bottle of water?” Lin Hai asked.
“The water still needs to be refined when it goes into the machine, so one bottle makes two masks.”
Oh man, only two?
Lin Hai’s eyes widened.
If we’re going to mass-produce this, how much Yaochi water would that take? We’d run dry after just a few days of production.
And then what if the fairy ladies have nowhere to bathe and all come over to my place? Would I let them bathe or not? That’s not the problem—what if they ask me to scrub their backs? Would I say yes or not?
Lin Hai felt he really needed to ask the Yaochi about this.
Little Confused Immortal: How much Yaochi water can you provide each day?
Yaochi Fairy: Each day? You’re reaching. Ten buckets per month.
Pfft!
Lin Hai nearly spat out his drink.
Man, only ten buckets? And per month, at that!
With those little buckets, each holds maybe ten bottles’ worth. Ten buckets would only make about two hundred masks.
Gosh, the machine would burn through that in no time. What’s the point? There’s no way to mass-produce.
Little Confused Immortal: Could you give a little more?
Yaochi Fairy: No. Any more, and are you expecting the fairies to come over and just wash their feet every day?
Little Confused Immortal: With so little water, I can barely produce any masks.
Yaochi Fairy: Don’t you know that scarcity creates value? (Followed by a scornful emoji)
Uh, man—exactly!
Lin Hai suddenly remembered that fatso Wang Peng. Last time, he couldn’t snag some phone or other and was stomping his feet in frustration, finally buying one on some shopping site for over two hundred bucks more.
That’s scarcity marketing. I just wonder if it would work for face masks.
With that in mind, Lin Hai turned to Ye Ziyu and said, “Brother Ye, I can provide you with enough water for two hundred masks per month…”
“How many?” Chief Engineer Liu interrupted before Lin Hai could finish.
“Two hundred masks! What about it?”
Chief Engineer Liu laughed in exasperation.
“President Ye, I don’t know where you found this guy. Forget for a moment whether his water even works. With that monthly quantity, I’m one hundred percent sure he’s here to cause trouble. I suggest…”
“President Ye, Chief Engineer Liu.” A timid voice suddenly came from behind.
“Who are you?” Chief Engineer Liu was annoyed at being interrupted. She frowned and turned around.
“Chief Engineer Liu, it’s me, Xiao Yan.”
“Xiao Yan? Which Xiao Yan? I don’t see—” Chief Engineer Liu stopped mid-sentence.
Then she suddenly dashed over and grabbed Xiao Yan by the arm.
“Ah! Ah! Oh my goodness!” Chief Engineer Liu’s eyes grew wider and wider, and finally she started yelling like crazy.
“Chief Engineer Liu? Who is she?” Ye Ziyu frowned when he saw Chief Engineer Liu so flustered.
“She, she’s Liu Yan, the female worker who just tried the mask!” Chief Engineer Liu didn’t turn around. She was trembling with excitement, wanting to touch Liu Yan’s face but seeming almost too afraid to.
“Who, who, who? She’s the worker who just tried the mask?” Now not only was Ye Ziyu stunned, but even Lin Hai was dumbfounded.
Lin Hai had known the Yaochi water would be effective, but he never expected it to be this ridiculously good.
This was no longer the ordinary thirty-something female worker from before! Look at that skin—she clearly looked like a young girl in her twenties.
The worker panicked. There were no mirrors in the workshop, so she had no idea what she had turned into that would shock Chief Engineer Liu so much.
“Could I be disfigured?” That terrible thought popped into her head, and Liu Yan nearly started crying.
“Take that water for testing!” Shaken, Chief Engineer Liu quickly grabbed the previous bottle. Seeing a little water left at the bottom, she immediately instructed a worker to take it away.
“Do you feel any discomfort on your face?” Chief Engineer Liu asked cautiously.
This question made Liu Yan even more nervous.
“No, I don’t,” Liu Yan shook her head. “My skin feels very moist, very firm, and really comfortable. Chief Engineer Liu, my face isn’t…”
Liu Yan’s lips trembled, and tears were about to fall.
“See for yourself.” Chief Engineer Liu pulled a small mirror from her pocket and handed it to Liu Yan.
Liu Yan took the small mirror and, with a pounding heart, looked at her reflection.
When she saw herself, her eyes went wide!
“Ah!” After a long moment, Liu Yan let out a scream.
“Chief Engineer Liu, this—is this really me in the mirror?” Liu Yan grabbed Chief Engineer Liu’s arm, her whole body trembling with excitement.
The woman in the mirror had smooth, glossy skin—fair, tender, and so delicate it looked like it might break at the slightest touch. Even the fine lines at the corners of her eyes had vanished without a trace. How was this the same dark, dry-skinned person she used to be?
“If it’s not you, is it me?” Chief Engineer Liu forced herself to stay calm as she spoke.
“How—how did I turn back into how I looked ten years ago? What—what exactly happened?” Liu Yan cupped her own face in her hands, her words barely coherent, feeling like she was dreaming.
“Chief Engineer Liu, the test results are ready.” Just then, the worker from earlier walked over.
“How is it?” Chief Engineer Liu’s heart tightened with tension.
The face mask’s effect was way too astonishing. She suspected the water might contain some harmful chemicals to achieve such a magical result.
If that were the case, no matter how good the effect, they couldn’t use it. She, Chief Engineer Liu, wouldn’t be part of anything that deceptive.
“Chief Engineer Liu, we ran a detailed test on the water. The mineral content is incredibly rich—more than you’d believe—and every single one is beneficial to humans. It’s completely safe to use.”
“What!” Chief Engineer Liu was shocked once again. “Old Wang, are you sure?”
“Chief Engineer Liu, I’ve been doing testing ever since I started at this factory—nearly ten years now—and I haven’t made a single mistake yet. Here’s the test report. You can see for yourself.”
Chief Engineer Liu reached out and snatched the test report. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Old Wang; it was just that the results were so unbelievable.
“This, this…” Looking at the various indicators on the report, Chief Engineer Liu couldn’t believe her own eyes.
Lin Hai had overheard their conversation. Seeing the effect on Liu Yan’s face, he felt much more confident.
Man, even this tiny amount of water works miracles, turning a married woman into a young girl. Just imagine how flawless the skin must be of those fairies who bathe in the Yaochi every day. Oh my, if I could just touch it, the feel would be absolutely amazing!
Hehehe, someday I’ll definitely find a fairy and cop a feel, Lin Hai thought mischievously.
“President Ye, this water is magical, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it. We want it!” Chief Engineer Liu walked up to Ye Ziyu, her face full of excitement.
Ye Ziyu had already been completely baffled by the transformation of the female worker. As soon as Chief Engineer Liu spoke, he snapped back to reality.
“Little Hai, this water of yours…”
“Hold on!” Lin Hai quickly interrupted.
“Uh…” Ye Ziyu was taken aback.
“I’ve decided to change our previous cooperation terms.”
