Munich, Germany.
Iris, Jin Liwei, Maestro Ludovico De Luca and Professor Kalisha Schwarz boarded Enrique Valdez's private jet. The flight to Munich was short, only a little more than an hour.
After disembarking from the jet, they were chauffeured to the charming historical Old Town. They checked in at a five-star Asian hotel, booking three suites for their group. Iris and Jin Liwei shared one, Maestro De Luca and Enrique Valdez another, while Professor Schwarz had an entire suite to herself.
Since the group consisted of prominent figures, the hotel gave them the best suites and service. As an Asian hotel, of course they immediately recognized Jin Liwei. His presence even prompted the hotel's general manager to come out and greet them personally.
The hotel staff was curious about the beautiful woman beside Jin Corporation's President-CEO, but they didn't want to get on Jin Liwei's bad side so they controlled themselves. They didn't recognize that it was Iris Long. She still wasn't famous enough outside China.
After settling in at their own suites, they went their separate ways.
Maestro De Luca headed to the historic opera house a walking distance away from the hotel where the orchestra concert would be held. He wanted to check the venue first and meet with his orchestra. Iris was a last-minute guest performer for one solo piece and another one with the orchestra, so she only needed to join them for rehearsal the next day.
Enrique Valdez went to meet some of his friends living in the city to drink some beer and go clubbing in the evening.
Iris and Jin Liwei followed Professor Schwarz. This was her home country before she moved to England. The professor toured the lovers around the beautiful town where the medieval and the modern melded together.
After walking around and taking pictures, they went to a bustling street market. Jin Liwei kept Iris close to him, protecting her from the crowd bumping against them. Professor Schwarz expertly weaved through the people, leading them deeper into the market. Of course, they bought souvenirs and other goodies along the way.
"Baby? Where are you going? Wait for me," Jin Liwei called out, but she didn't hear him because of the place's noise.
"Don't worry, I'll go with her. Follow us when you're done," Professor Schwarz told him after she finished her own purchases.
He nodded.
Iris arrived in front of the stall. Different kinds of liquids and creams in glass bottles and jars were displayed. The packaging didn't look appealing, but Iris' intuition urged her to look more closely.
The stall wasn't as busy compared to the souvenir shops around it, but there were quite a number of local women who dropped by to buy some of the liquids and creams. They looked like regular customers based on how they interacted with the seller. Iris immediately noticed that all of them had bright, glowing skin.
After taking care of a customer, the female seller made eye contact with Iris. She was a cheery blonde woman in her thirties. Smiling, she greeted Iris in German.
"Welcome! Beautiful lady, are you a tourist? You've come to the right place! We sell the best homemade skincare products in entire Germany. If you buy and use our products, I guarantee that you'll become even more beautiful! We sell lotions, moisturizers, cleansers, toners, masks and other good stuff to improve your skin!"
Iris picked up a random bottle. "What is this? Can you also tell me what's in it and how it can improve my skin?"
The seller's eyes widened at Iris' perfect German. It was even more perfect and formal than her own German which was tinged by her native tongue, a local dialect. Then she smiled and began promoting the product in Iris' hand.
She then proceeded to explain that all the ingredients used in their products were 100% natural and pure which underwent chemical changes through naturally occurring biological processes, not synthetic ones. She also raved about using secret technology she developed with her brother to increase the effectiveness and longevity of the ingredients for better results while maintaining their gentle qualities.
"Xiulan, my dear. Don't believe everything she says," Professor Schwarz said when she arrived beside Iris. "These people will say anything to sell their products. Just look at these shabby bottles. You might ruin your skin if you try them. Let's go, my dear."
"Madame, I'm not lying. Everything I said is true." The seller defended her products, but still maintained a friendly tone. Though there was an insulted look in her eyes.
Iris just smiled. "Give me one of everything."
The seller blinked, while Professor Schwarz frowned.
"What?" The seller thought that she must be hearing things. There were at least thirty kinds of different products in her stall right now.
Iris tilted her head to the side. "You don't want to sell?"
"I want! Of course! Right away, Miss! I'll wrap everything nicely for you! I'll even give you discount!"
The seller moved fast, her hands flashing as she packed one of everything. She wanted to finalize the sale before the customer changed her mind.
"I just feel curious, Professor."
The professor only sighed, shaking her head. She thought that her student was wasting her money on such garbage products.
Jin Liwei also arrived by their side and asked what was happening. The professor told him. He didn't say anything. He wouldn't say anything even if his baby girl decided that she wanted to buy the entire street market. He would even buy it for her if she let him.
When everything was packed, the seller gave Iris not only a discount but some extra products as well. She was nervous because the total price was considerable. She was worried that the customer would balk after seeing the price. However, she didn't need to worry because the people in front of her didn't even bat their eyes.
"Let me pay this," Jin Liwei offered.
Iris shook her head, handing him her wallet instead. It would be faster if he was the one who counted the banknotes. She wasn't really used to handling physical money, especially in a foreign country.
With a small sigh at her rejection, he paid the purchases with her money. Then he carried the bags, only allowing his baby girl to carry the lightest ones.
Before they left, Iris asked the seller, "Are you here every day? What time do you usually open your stall?"
"No, I'm not here every day and the time varies. However, if you need more products, you can order from me directly. If you want, I can have it delivered to you or you can pick it up here. Oh, here's my business card! Feel free to contact me anytime!"
That night at their hotel suite, Jin Liwei was busy working on his laptop. Although Grandpa Lu stepped in as acting President-CEO, there were still some matters that needed Jin Liwei to personally inspect.
Iris took a shower by herself and used some of the skincare products she bought earlier. Her eyes lit up because they smelled good, like actual fruits and flowers. She didn't really notice any improvements on her skin right after using them. She knew she was taking a gamble because they might ruin her skin, but she had a good feeling about them.
It was in the next morning when she noticed a difference. Her skin felt softer and suppler. She couldn't stop touching her face.
"Hmm…" She took the seller's business card and studied it.
Jin Liwei woke up when he felt her move. The first thing he saw was his baby girl thinking deeply. She looked so cute!
"Morning, baby. What're you doing?"
She smiled at him. "Good morning. Oh, I was just thinking about a business idea. If everything goes well, I might soon have my own company."