Chapter 31【VIP】
Duke Pearl's banquet was held in a magnificent mansion.
The invitation letter dripping with gold foil felt slightly warm in his hands. His two daughters, dressed gorgeously, sat in the back, looking forward to the outstanding men at the party with great excitement.
Opesha sighed - she ultimately failed to bring Sinderel to the party.
Although she was wearing a cheongsam underneath, she still wrapped herself tightly, making her look out of place among the group of glamorous aristocrats.
She didn't want to attract attention. After all, Pace Trading House needed Sinderel, and no one would give up a cash cow easily.
Once she stands out too much, it will cause unnecessary trouble.
Her goal today is clear: to let the prince or other nobles see the products of Secret Language and use investment to fill the debt hole.
Of course, knowing the prince is one of the reasons.
She stood behind her two daughters, pretending to be a maid, and respectfully handed over the invitation. The guard glanced at the three of them and tapped the invitation with his fingertips casually. "Please come in, ladies."
Opesa hated his scrutinizing gaze, but she had to control her emotions. She pretended that her skirt was too long and she didn't notice the steps, then stepped heavily on his instep.
The guard howled in pain, Opesa curled her lips and walked into the banquet hall.
A massive crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, its light scattering like silver on the polished marble floor. Nobles dressed in opulent attire moved among them, their laughter echoing in every corner of the mansion.
"Mother!" Anastasia clutched Dusula's hand, her voice filled with joy. "Can Dusula and I go dancing?"
"Go ahead." Opesa nodded with a smile. Without her two daughters accompanying her, it would be easier for her to find the prince.
The two sisters high-fived and cheered, then excitedly rushed into the dance floor.
Opesa pursed her lips and turned to get a glass of red wine.
"You know what? John's clothes are much better than secret words!"
As the wine cup was about to touch her lips, Opesa paused slightly.
“It’s amazing that so many pieces can be made in one night!”
"They say it's authorized by secret code, but I think John's is more impressive! It looks so stunning on my wife."
She put down her glass and glanced at the boastful man at the other table. She had never met him before, and he didn't look aristocratic from his attire—she must have been John's hired help.
She looked for John and saw him surrounded by nobles. John was dressed neatly, with his hair combed sleekly, and was talking proudly at the banquet.
He arranged several shills in advance to boast about his clothes at the banquet, boasting that his production was faster and larger than that of the secret language.
Of course, only he knows the dark side of fast and cheap production - using the most common and cheap fabrics, lace and imitation gemstones, so as to squeeze costs while achieving mass production.
He used this method to bring down Paul in the past, and now he wants to do the same to Opesha.
In his opinion, these nobles were easy to deceive.
John swirled his glass and pretended to chat with a viscount. "Oh... this is of course our innovation. Secret Language's scope is too narrow. Although they always talk about quality and pursuing high-end products, they always forget one thing: this is just a commodity with value."
"What do you mean?" The Viscount raised his eyebrows.
"Businessmen should cater to market needs!" John took a sip of his wine. "Your Excellency, my business performance is evident to you. I have a promising future, so you should consider investing in me."
Opesa glanced at the viscount and it was not difficult to see that the viscount was very moved.
This was just one of John's tactics. The biggest problem with Secret Language right now was its slow production and new product launches. While not fatal, it did cause some impatient customers to choose John.
As long as someone is willing to invest, John can slightly increase the cost of clothing, hire senior tailors, or cooperate with factories to continue mass-producing imitation products. By then, even if she has new ideas, they will soon be plagiarized, falling into a vicious cycle.
Opesa stared at John quietly and slowly placed the wine glass on the table: "I do have a different opinion on the market."
The two people who were talking seemed to have not expected someone to suddenly interrupt them, and both gave each other strange looks.
"If existence is simply to cater to others, then why do noble people seek to be different?" She met John's gaze. John raised his eyebrows in surprise, then quickly adopted a confident expression, one that seemed certain of victory. "Madam, you are the owner of Whisper, right?" He looked at Opesha, his eyes filled with provocation and pride. "Are you unhappy because you think I've taken away your business?"
"Ah, you're really good at praising yourself." Opesa said with a dagger hidden in her smile, "I think you're totally unworthy of being my opponent."
The smile on John's face froze and gradually disappeared at the corner of his lips.
They played chess silently.
“Isn’t this the owner of the Whisper Shop? The products you authorized to John’s shop are really great!”
“
"It is said that his face was burned by fire and he cannot see people."
"Oh my god... were those clothes made by such ugly hands?"
John's shill was stirring in the crowd, trying to attract more people's attention.
Hearing the nobles' remarks gradually turning towards him, John raised his hand confidently: "Madam, please tell me what you think."
Just wait and see, this time God will definitely bless you and make you laugh out loud.
Opesa just looked at him coldly, and her red lips hidden under the veil slightly opened: "I heard that your store, this
"Where did you hear that? It's just a sound market analysis." John grinned. "You can't say that just because there's bread on the street, all bakeries are based on nonsense, right?"
It turns out that it’s not that easy to deal with.
It is impossible for Furlan to have laws related to copyright. Simply opening a store with the same style will not punish John. On the contrary, it will have the opposite effect and make her appear narrow-minded.
"Mr. John," Opesha said, "do you really think that cheap, mass-produced imitations are what you call catering to the market?"
"No, no, no, my dear ma'am, you seem to have made a mistake," John replied calmly. "Everyone loves the style you've created. Those props and clothes will sooner or later be coveted by others. I simply spotted the business opportunity in advance. How can these be called cheap imitations?"
Opesa said sharply, "Then please tell me, what are the uses of these clothes and props?"
John said calmly, "We in Furland are a welcoming and open country, where everyone is free to pursue beauty and desire. These clothes or props add interest to couples and lovers, making each other more attractive and promoting their relationship. Those who have purchased them should feel this even more deeply."
"Haha..." Opesa couldn't help laughing.
The people around him were still agreeing with John, and John looked down on Opesa even more brazenly: "Why, is it that you've turned from sorrow to joy?"
"No, I just thought it was funny." Opesa laughed so hard that tears came out of her eyes. She wiped her tears and said, "I was amused by your stupidity."
John glanced at her coldly: "Ma'am, you are so rude."
"I don't think I need to be polite to a thief." After laughing enough, Opesa turned to the group of nobles who had come to watch the show, "Dear gentlemen and ladies, please allow me to explain in detail the original intention of creating these products!"
She began to introduce slowly: "First of all, as a businessman, the primary goal of these products must be to make money, which is not something difficult to admit.
"The people of Furland are very open-minded, which is both a good thing and a bad thing. The good thing is that people treat all orientations or preferences equally, but the bad thing is that it can damage couples' relationships and increase the risk of infectious diseases. And because Furland is a religious country and abortion is not available, this can lead to an increase in street children and a greater burden on ordinary families.
"I can't currently develop a device that can block the risk of infectious diseases, but with increased family burdens, many women are forced into misguided paths. I hope these little gadgets can maintain relationships between couples, reduce divorce and infidelity rates, and make women more attractive."
"I also hope that every woman can be bold and express herself, wear the clothes she likes, and show her best features, regardless of weight or body type. This is the original intention of my design for Whisper, and it also reflects the design concept of this new product."
Opesha said as she slowly took off the cloak wrapped around her body.
The cloak hung at the elbow, revealing the green cheongsam underneath.
The cheongsam was a perfect shade of tea-green, resembling the shadows of rain-soaked bamboo in late spring, or asparagus fern that had been nurtured for half a year in an old porcelain vase. The fabric, crafted through dozens of handcrafting steps, shimmered like waves of light when she turned.
The emerald-colored buttons wind from the collar to the waist, each one smooth and even.
The cheongsam's tailoring was precise yet constricting. The shoulders were sharply defined, then curved abruptly into a gentle curve at the waist before flowing loosely down the leg. The moon-white piping spread across the tea-green, like the wet brushstrokes of an ink painting.
Someone stopped at the side.
His deep, dark brown eyes finally stopped wandering and settled on Opesa.
"Oh my god...what kind of skirt is this?"
"I don't know... I've never seen this style before. It's so beautiful!"
The nobles around were immediately attracted by Opesa's new dress and couldn't help but admire it.
"This is Miyu's new product, the cheongsam, which originated from an ancient oriental country. This time, in order to cater to all girls, we have abandoned the previous sexy style and created this skirt for conservative ladies who don't like to be exposed. If you don't like tightness, we also have looser Ma Gua and Ma Mian skirts that won't force your figure." Opesha spun around so that everyone could see the skirt on her.
"I'm a very conservative person, but I'm not ashamed of it because I'm the master of my body," Opesha said with a smile, summing up. "The market certainly needs to cater to customers, but if a product lacks soul and the designer's dedication, it's just an empty shell. Forever, it will be a replica that can't stand up to scrutiny."
The nobles around applauded:
“That’s great, absolutely fantastic!”
"A skirt that's not tight! Finally, something that fits me!"
"I need to put down a deposit! Don't fight with me!"
"I want to invest! Ma'am, would you accept the investment? I want the clothes to be produced faster!"
The wind suddenly turned to one side, and no one paid attention to John's cleverness anymore. Everyone surrounded Opesha. John's face suddenly darkened.
Opesa raised her head proudly, glanced at John, and parted her red lips:
I won.
John's face turned even uglier.
Yes, he lost, he actually lost!
He couldn't stay here any longer, so he turned around and left angrily.
He hurried out of the hall and passed by the figure who had been peeping in the dark.
The boy lowered his eyes, glanced at John who was passing by, and then shifted his gaze back to Opesha.
He had never seen a woman like this.
There has always been no shortage of outstanding women around him, some from prominent families, some gentle and kind, but those are not what he likes or wants.
None of them are as rational and clear-headed as this woman.
Interesting. He couldn't help but curl his lips.
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