Chapter 21: A Fulfilling Life (Collecting Old Recommendations, Treasuring Old Collections, Investing in the Past)
The next morning, Lu Yu woke, bathed, and went out. He first rented a spacious house in the suburbs, then ordered a large number of lab devices online, setting up a simple laboratory for the time being. Afterward, he headed to the Shudu Library and resumed his path of study.
This time, he avoided books on the internet and programming, instead gravitating toward the sections on biology and pharmaceuticals, carefully selecting and reading books. For three or four days in a row, aside from picking up parcels of lab equipment he had ordered online, he spent nearly all his time between the library and his former rented apartment. He read in the library, and continued reading after returning to his lodgings. It was as if he had returned to those earlier days of fulfilling, diligent living.
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One day, Qin Xiaomian called to say she and Shi Zixuan had finished arranging their room and moved in. The hotel room had been vacated, and she asked when he would come to see her; she’d already tried it—the bed was indeed very large. Lu Yu replied he’d come in a few days, chatted briefly, and then hung up, diving back into his studies.
The cosmetics Lu Yu planned to produce would use pharmaceuticals to stimulate stem cell activity factors, but that alone wouldn’t keep skin moist and supple; sufficient hydration was still necessary. How, then, to maintain skin hydration became a problem to solve.
Currently, on Blue Star, the hydration products from major cosmetic giants were not truly keeping skin moist. Ask yourself: spraying oily water on your face so it evaporates slowly—is that genuine hydration, or just self-deception? They spend huge sums hiring celebrities for commercials and promoting their brands, convincing people their products really hydrate; after use, your skin supposedly becomes instantly dewy and flawless.
Yet women eagerly chase these products regardless. Never underestimate a woman’s determination to pursue beauty! It surpasses the persistence of the mythical bird filling the sea, or the old man moving mountains—unyielding and unwavering, to the very end!
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Lu Yu planned, based on basic scientific data, to develop a stimulatory substance that, when applied to the skin, would prompt skin cells to actively absorb water—the only thing women would need to do is drink more water! Yes, that “drink more hot water.” Once this stimulant was developed, women could genuinely keep their bodies hydrated simply by drinking more water, and their skin would become supple and radiant, flawless beauty within reach.
The substance is essentially chemical, but since it’s meant for skin, some medicinal compounds must be included to neutralize it, preventing excessive irritation and potential harm. The synthesized chemical, Lu Yu could produce now, but reducing its irritancy was the key challenge. The effects also needed to be controlled to a suitable degree—a product that makes skin instantly radiant after just an hour or two would be too shocking and not suited to his cautious business style.
Furthermore, if the results are too pronounced, it would hinder product sales. The goal is to let women see real results, but need regular use; otherwise, how would he make money? Without profit, who’s powering this operation out of love? What a joke!
Let’s be clear: Lu Yu is a worldly man, without any halo of saintliness!
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Once he found a neutralizing solution, he could loudly ask, “Do you want a real hydrating mask? A truly moisturizing cream?” Skin shouldn’t be the only thing kept supple—how about a hydrating body wash? Multiple products, various prices and effects!
After all, this stimulant is volatile—it’s impossible for one use to last a lifetime. Even if it were possible, Lu Yu would ensure it wasn’t! Stay radiant and happy as a woman! Perfect products for your choosing! Tell me, which woman wouldn’t be moved? Step forward and let me see!
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Aside from finding a way to neutralize the stimulant, Lu Yu also planned to develop a skin-whitening product. Skin whitening was a more complex challenge.
Simply put, skin color is determined by the amount of pigment in the skin. There are four biological pigments: brown melanin, red oxyhemoglobin, blue deoxyhemoglobin, and yellow carotene. The color and tone of skin depend on these four pigments, and of course, the thickness of the epidermis, water content, and blood supply also play a role.
Of these, carotene cannot be synthesized by the body—it’s obtained directly from food, an exogenous pigment. The other three are synthesized internally by the human body. Exogenous pigment is straightforward: eat less food containing carotene. But endogenous pigments are much more complicated; neither oxyhemoglobin nor deoxyhemoglobin can be addressed by cosmetics, as these belong to the realm of biomedicine.
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Thus, whitening through cosmetics can only be achieved by reducing melanin in the skin. This is governed by the body and not subject to personal will. Of course, perhaps future, more advanced scientific data will unlock technology to directly whiten skin. But that would likely fall under high-end biological or genetic technology, or even human evolutionary advancement. In any case, it’s not something Lu Yu can accomplish now.
At present, Lu Yu could only try to reduce melanin to achieve whitening, but even this is not easily done. After prolonged study and research, combined with basic scientific data, Lu Yu found another method: synthesize a substance that effectively absorbs colored pigments, whether exogenous or endogenous. Applying this to the skin would absorb pigments from the surface, achieving a whitening effect. But it only absorbs, it can't inhibit the body from producing new pigments.
Certainly, it can’t turn a black person into a white person—that’s not whitening, at most prolonged use would slightly lighten skin tone. This method treats the symptoms, not the cause, but it perfectly suits Lu Yu’s needs. To maintain whitening, continual use of his products would be required.
There were many such substances listed in basic scientific data, and after careful deliberation, Lu Yu identified two or three that could potentially be synthesized. Neutralizing the stimulant and attempting to synthesize pigment-absorbing substances: these two objectives were what Lu Yu aimed to accomplish in his modest laboratory.
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After about a week of study, Lu Yu felt his current knowledge base was sufficient to start experimenting. If he failed, he’d return to the books and seek solutions suited to Blue Star’s reality.
All the equipment he ordered had arrived; the pharmaceuticals he’d ordered came in the day before. On this day, Lu Yu slung his laptop over his shoulder and set out for the lab, when suddenly Liu Shichang called: the company had basically been set up, staff assembled—everything was ready, just waiting for the final push.
Lu Yu thought it over and agreed to head to the company immediately; once there, he planned to hold a meeting. He took the subway to the office, rode the elevator to the company’s floor, and the doors opened directly facing the entrance—“Extragalactic Nebula” gleaming in the lights, exuding a sense of technological sophistication.
Entering, he saw a beautiful receptionist at the front desk—an 8 out of 10, no more. Dressed in a simple, professional suit, she stood and politely asked, “Hello, sir, may I help you?”
Lu Yu glanced at her. “I’m looking for your General Manager Liu. Also, I’m your boss.”
The receptionist had clearly been notified in advance by Liu Shichang. “You’re President Lu? General Manager Liu told me, you can go right in.”
Lu Yu nodded and headed straight into the office area.
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The office area was markedly different from his last visit. All sorts of office equipment were in place, and the layout was practical. Each workstation had ample space, accented with greenery that uplifted the mood. Liu Shichang, Old Liu, really did things reliably!
Liu Shichang was instructing a staff member when he saw Lu Yu approach, paused, and greeted him with a smile. “President Lu, you’re here.”
Lu Yu smiled and nodded. “Yes, well done, you handled this reliably.” He gestured to the office environment, then continued, “Let’s get everyone together for a meeting. Where’s the conference room?”
Liu Shichang told the nearby staff to summon everyone, then led Lu Yu into the conference room.
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Lu Yu entered, set down his laptop bag, and took the main seat, scrolling through information on his phone.
Soon, people gathered—over twenty, including the receptionist, who sat at the far end. Zhou Jing and Deng Qiang sat next to Liu Shichang. Liu Shichang’s assistant and two administrative staff poured everyone a cup of hot water and took their seats, curiously watching Lu Yu.
When everyone was present, Liu Shichang prompted Lu Yu, “President Lu, everyone’s here.”
Lu Yu put away his phone, leaned back, and tapped his index finger rhythmically on the table, surveying everyone before speaking:
“Some of you know me, some do not. I’ll introduce myself so you all remember—I’m your boss, the one who pays your wages.
“My name is Lu Yu—‘Lu’ as in Lu Xiaofeng, ‘Yu’ as in Guan Yu.
“First, welcome to Extragalactic Nebula. If nothing unexpected happens—by which I mean you resign or get fired—we’ll be working together for a long time.
“The company’s ambition is enormous. If I told you now, you’d think I was joking, so I won’t.
“I won’t talk about dreams. We’re all adults here—less posturing, more sincerity.
“Right now, let’s talk money. If you’re unhappy here, it’s simple: I’m not paying enough.
“But if I pay well, I expect good work in return—efficient work.
“Remember this: whatever I assign, whether you think it reasonable or not, you can keep your opinion, but you must execute—100% execution.
“If you have feedback, tell Liu or me. If it’s reasonable, I’ll take it.
“We’re a new company; I hope you all grow with it. Even if you leave one day, you’ll have gained much.
“Now you know me, but I don’t know you. Let’s introduce ourselves—Old Liu, start, and then everyone in order.”
He finished and took a sip of water.
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Liu Shichang began his self-introduction, followed by Zhou Jing and Deng Qiang. Then came the two finance staff, Jiang Haoran and Wei Shuang. Afterwards, administration, HR, and others all introduced themselves.
When everyone had finished, Lu Yu nodded and said:
“As the earliest employees of Extragalactic Nebula, I remember you all—regardless of position. I hope I’ll see you often on the promotion and salary raise lists.
“All right, let’s end here. Everyone get to work. Old Liu, Zhou Jing, and Deng Qiang, stay.”
The rest quietly left, chatting among themselves:
“The boss is so young.”
“And very assertive.”
“Still don’t know what the company actually does.”
“He said the goal is huge, and right now we get paid well for just showing up—isn’t that good?”
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When everyone had left, Lu Yu turned to Liu Shichang, Zhou Jing, and Deng Qiang:
“The company’s next step is to acquire a cosmetics company with all the necessary certifications. It doesn’t have to be big—smaller is fine.
“I want complete certifications so our products can launch as quickly as possible.”
Zhou Jing nodded, “Understood, President Lu. I’ll contact a consulting firm right away. Any location requirements?”
Lu Yu stroked his chin, “It doesn’t matter, but best in Shudu. That will make expanding the production line easier; otherwise we’d have to relocate, which is annoying.”
Deng Qiang asked, “President Lu, which kind of products will the cosmetics company focus on?”
Clearly, Deng Qiang had been preparing to manage the cosmetics company and was well-prepared.
Lu Yu thought for a moment, “Whitening and hydrating products.”
Deng Qiang asked, “Are we targeting the mid-to-low end or the high-end market?”
Lu Yu hesitated; experimental results weren’t confirmed yet.
“I’ll answer that in a few days.”
Deng Qiang nodded, asking no more.
Lu Yu said to Liu Shichang, “Old Liu, the priority now is completing the acquisition. Work with them and get it done quickly.”
Liu Shichang agreed, and seeing no further business, Lu Yu left for his modest laboratory.
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