Chapter 116: Rebirth of the Tool Man in a Pampered Protagonist Novel

Jin Yu’s enthusiastic praise might have been a bit exaggerated, but she managed to convey the main points effectively. Although Mingyan Liquid hasn’t been released for sale yet, its counterpart, the beauty serum, has gained significant fame after more than a year of buildup. Not only is it well-known in Huaguo, but netizens in many foreign countries have also heard of it.

Word of mouth is the best form of advertisement, and in today’s age of advanced communication, the distance across oceans no longer poses a barrier. With just a computer or a smartphone, people can easily share all sorts of information.

The international forum established for this technology competition provided an even greater platform for such exchanges. So, when people heard the mention of the beauty serum, their interest was immediately piqued. By the time Jin Yu finished speaking, both the on-site reporters and the viewers in the livestream were buzzing with excitement.

“Miss Jin Yu, are you saying that this Mingyan Liquid is indeed part of the same product line as the beauty serum, developed by the same pharmaceutical company?”

The reporter asking the question was visibly excited.

“Yes, but Mingyan Liquid hasn’t been released for sale yet. If you’re interested, keep an eye on Dongsheng Pharmaceuticals’ official website. I’ve got to go for the competition now, but you can come back and interview me later—I’ll tell you all about it then.”

Jin Yu was patient and willing to chat, but time was limited since they were still in the middle of the competition. The reporter understood and, despite the excitement, didn’t press further and regretfully stepped back.

However, the netizens in the livestream chat exploded with activity.

“Is this Mingyan Liquid for real? Can it really cure nearsightedness? Completely cure up to 800 degrees and reduce anything above that to 200 degrees?”

“If it’s true, this is a godsend for those of us who wear glasses! My mom won’t have to worry about me watching TV and playing on my phone all the time, haha!”

“I’ve bought Dongsheng Pharmaceuticals’ beauty serum before—it was such a pain to get, had to queue up forever and apply for some Huaguo overseas certificate. It was such a hassle… But once I got it, it was totally worth it! I don’t know about Mingyan Liquid, but that beauty serum is seriously amazing, just super hard to buy.”

“I just checked Dongsheng Pharmaceuticals’ official website, and there really is a product called Mingyan Liquid, but it’s only just been advertised and isn’t on sale yet. We’ll have to wait another half month…”

“Yes, half a month. The ad says it’s in sponsorship and support of the technology competition. Every time Huaguo advances in the rankings, Dongsheng Pharmaceuticals will release a new product.”

“Wow, really? I’ve only used Dongsheng Pharmaceuticals’ beauty serum, but I’m already a huge fan! Mingyan Liquid sounds just as amazing.”

“You guys are making it sound so great, now I’m really curious. How do you apply for that Huaguo overseas certificate? What’s the website? I’m going to try it out…”

“But seriously, while Dongsheng Pharmaceuticals’ products are great, their naming skills… kind of lack sophistication.”

“Haha, really? I actually like it—straightforward and easy to remember. This is what they call ‘simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.’ The names of their products stick with me as soon as I hear them.”

“Hahaha, well said!”

**

The viewers in the livestream chat started sending messages, discussing the products enthusiastically. Everyone had heard of the beauty serum, and now that it was being mentioned again, those who had used it were singing its praises. This only made the viewers who had previously just heard the name even more curious, and their desire to purchase it grew even stronger.

At the same time, Mingyan Liquid caught everyone’s attention, and many quickly logged onto Dongsheng Pharmaceuticals’ official website to check it out.

People love beauty, but they also cherish their health. While nearsightedness might seem like a minor issue, no one truly wants to suffer from it. Wearing glasses might be manageable, but the real concern is the potential for long-term damage that could lead to blindness. However, in today’s world, asking people to give up using computers and smartphones is unrealistic. Though eye issues are rarely discussed openly, everyone understands how crucial vision is.

A bunch of netizens began browsing the website. While most were skeptical about the effectiveness of Mingyan Liquid, when they saw the number of pre-orders for the beauty serum, their hesitation lasted only a few seconds before they decisively joined the pre-order queue.

Whether Mingyan Liquid works or not is uncertain, but the beauty serum seems pretty good. It’s pricey, but maybe it’s worth a try!

And so…

In the backend of Dongsheng Pharmaceuticals’ website, the staff responsible for recording and organizing orders suddenly noticed a surge in data. Alarmed, one of them immediately called out to the supervisor,

“Supervisor, something’s up! It looks like there’s an issue with the backend order data—there’s been a huge increase in international pre-orders. We need to call tech support right away!”

The supervisor walked over calmly, patted the employee on the shoulder, and handed them a tablet, “Stay calm, the data is fine. Our young boss just had someone advertise for us at the technology competition…”

The employee realized what had happened, smacked their forehead in excitement, “Oh, I totally forgot about that!”

The supervisor chuckled, enjoying the situation, “Just focus on your work, don’t worry. The ones who should be concerned are the production department. Relax…”

Production department staff: … pain and joy!

…

Meanwhile, putting aside the online excitement, the competition continued. After the grand entrance ceremony, the second round officially began, with the ten advancing teams entering their designated exhibition areas.

As the teams entered, the host passionately introduced the event,

“…The second round is where our technology competition truly begins. From this round onwards, all the advancing teams will showcase their complete research achievements… And the theme for this round is just two words: Life.”

“No matter what the research achievements of each team are, as long as they relate to life in some way, they qualify for this round. We’ll now begin introducing the teams, starting with the one in 10th place…”

To maintain mystery, create buzz, and boost ratings, most competition introductions like to start with the lowest-ranked team, saving the heavy hitters for later.

Although the organizers didn’t initially consider Huaguo a heavyweight, Huaguo had made a big splash in the previous round and was involved in the attack incident. Showing any further bias against Huaguo would not sit well with the global audience.

Thus, in the second round, Huaguo was treated more fairly.

For this round, Huaguo’s team showcased their research achievement, which was none other than the Sleep World technology they had originally used to set up Fang Yandong.

Compared to the defective version that Fang Yandong had previously presented, the Sleep World product they were unveiling now was a thoroughly tested and truly reliable product. Although this software had caused a major scandal initially, its significant development potential couldn’t be denied. In today’s high-pressure society, people really need a software that can regulate emotions, treat insomnia, and help them relax.

However, due to the previous controversy, they couldn’t use the original name, so the team decided to rename it “Mental Relief Device.”

So, when the host introduced their competition entry, he couldn’t help but show a look of excitement on his face.

“…Oh, according to the description, Huaguo’s entry is truly impressive—treating insomnia? Regulating emotions? Entering a mental world? This sounds so cool! I hope the product lives up to the hype because I want to try it out myself later.”

The host’s slightly enthusiastic introduction naturally sparked even more interest and curiosity in Huaguo’s team.

However, they didn’t completely steal the spotlight, as the other teams also brought out impressive products, making the competition fierce.

In the end, before the actual demonstration, all the teams had submitted descriptions that were likely embellished, making every product sound amazing just from the introductions alone. The true quality would only be revealed after the audience’s experience and the judges’ evaluations.

Even though the competition organizers had been pressured into making some subtle moves, the surface rules were still very fair.

To prevent bias, the competition stipulated that while audience members could experience their own country’s products in the exhibition areas, they weren’t allowed to vote for their own country’s team. After all, in an international competition like this, no matter how rational people are, patriotism is almost unavoidable.

Despite the various hidden agendas behind the technology competition, it was indeed intended to promote scientific progress.

Competition breeds pressure, and pressure drives motivation!

…

At 10 AM, all the teams finished preparing in their respective exhibition areas, and the audience, holding their experience tickets, began to enter the venue, freely exploring and trying out the exhibits.

Because of their adjacent rankings, Huaguo’s exhibition area was placed next to that of Country M.

Although the international audience had been impressed and shocked by Huaguo’s performance in the previous round, this mainly pertained to their prowess in defense and attack techniques. When it came to overall technological prowess, people still instinctively leaned towards the major technological powers they remembered.

So, at this moment, Huaguo’s exhibition area being placed next to Country M’s put them at a slight disadvantage.

Country M’s entry for this round was called “Healthy Motion,” which, as the name suggests, was a technology designed to assist with exercise.

However, unlike ordinary exercise tech products, this one was clearly much more advanced. In summary, it could be accurately described as a forced exercise device.

“…This product is specifically designed for those who dislike or struggle to maintain a regular exercise routine. As we all know, exercise is the foundation of good health, but in today’s fast-paced society, it’s also a luxury that few can afford, and even fewer can stick with it…”

“In short, after using ‘Healthy Motion,’ it stimulates your nerves to force you to move, helping you achieve your fitness goals. Additionally, it includes programs for activities like kung fu, boxing, taekwondo, and dance, making complex exercise routines more effective in shaping your body…”

In simple terms, with this device, you can instantly become a fitness enthusiast, and working out or losing weight will no longer be a challenge.

For people who lack the motivation to exercise, this product is practically a miracle!

Weight loss, health, body shaping… these three key points struck a chord with people of all ages.

Unsurprisingly, after this introduction, many passersby rushed into Country M’s exhibition area.

Meanwhile, although Huaguo’s product introduction was also compelling, it was clear that it didn’t immediately earn the audience’s trust.

Many people hesitated as they read the introduction to Huaguo’s product. After all, each person only had five experience tickets per day, while there were ten participating teams. If they didn’t choose wisely and missed out on a good project today, they’d have to wait until tomorrow. However, by then, the popular projects would surely have much longer queues, making today’s choices crucial.

As a result, people wavered.

Half an hour into the exhibition, Huaguo’s team still hadn’t had a single person try out their product. However, the members of the team remained calm, sitting quietly in their exhibition area, completely unfazed by the current lack of participants.

This wasn’t mere calmness; it was strong confidence. They knew that the quiet was temporary. Once someone entered to experience the product, they were certain that they’d be swamped with visitors for the next half month without a moment’s rest!

The Huaguo team’s composure was striking.

Even the members of the M team, who had initially wanted to mock them, didn’t dare to say a word. They couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off with this Huaguo team—they didn’t seem quite normal.

Over at the M team’s exhibition area, one member was watching Fang Ziyang and the others, muttering quietly,

“Captain, do you think those Huaguo team members have lost their minds? It’s been half an hour, and they don’t have a single participant. Why don’t they seem worried at all?”

“I think there’s something eerie about them!” another member chimed in, looking serious. “I’ve studied Huaguo’s culture, and their current demeanor resembles something out of an Eastern ritual. When Eastern shamans perform rituals, they often have this mysterious aura…”

“Are you serious, Joem? Don’t try to fool me—I didn’t read much in school!”

The rest of the team looked shocked.

Just then, someone finally gathered the courage to enter Huaguo’s exhibition area, which had been deserted for the past half hour.

It was a very young, attractive foreign couple, both male—one with blonde hair and blue eyes, looking angelically beautiful, and the other with red hair and brown eyes, appearing ruggedly handsome.

Ross, shyly clinging to his boyfriend’s arm, was the timid and introverted type who generally avoided standing out. But he was really curious about Huaguo’s technology.

A year ago, he had been an ugly duckling disliked by everyone, but after accidentally using the beauty serum from a Huaguo pharmaceutical company, he had not only become one of the most popular boys at school but had also started dating Bert, the boy he had long been secretly in love with. The product had nearly changed his entire life.

Since then, he had developed a strong interest in everything related to Huaguo. This technology competition was his chance to focus on Huaguo’s team, especially since one of the members was a shareholder in the same Dongsheng Pharmaceuticals company he had grown to trust. This connection gave him more confidence in Huaguo’s project.

Bert, well aware of his shy boyfriend’s thoughts, patted Ross and then decisively led him into the exhibition area, handing over their experience tickets.

“I saw the instructions outside. This lets two people experience the same dream at the same time, right? We’d like to try that.”

“No problem. Right this way…”

With their first participants finally arriving, the staff at the exhibition area greeted them with polite smiles.

While Fang Ziyang and the others weren’t concerned about the initial lack of participants, they didn’t mind using this opportunity to demonstrate and advertise their product to everyone. So, the staff placed Ross and Bert near the entrance, where people outside could see their experience through the transparent glass.

The crowd watched curiously and nervously.

Once inside, Ross and Bert reclined comfortably on a sofa, closing their eyes as if they were receiving a massage. A staff member beside them pulled out a wristband, accessed a futuristic transparent panel, tapped a few times, then placed the wristband on the coffee table and left with a smile.

The onlookers were puzzled, wondering, “…This service seems a bit too simple?”

Before they could think too much about it, something even more puzzling happened.

Ross and Bert, who had been lying quietly on the sofa, suddenly started laughing out loud, their arms and legs flailing wildly in the air, completely losing their composure.

The crowd: … a bit confused.

The M team members: This must be Eastern magic for sure!

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