Chapter 123: Zhao Han: You're Slandering Yourself, Aren't You Trying to Scare Me to Death?!

Chapter 123: Zhao Han: You’re Slandering Yourself, Aren’t You Trying to Scare Me to Death?!

Zhao Lili originally thought it was normal for other cosmetic influencers to jump on the bandwagon for attention. After all, everyone was chasing after traffic!

It wasn’t just these influencers who relied on cosmetics. Even the women who worked in bars saw their value skyrocket once they gained a following. For example, those beautiful DJ influencers who initially only had to dance seductively for a 500-yuan tip. Because of their provocative dances, they gained 300,000 to 400,000 followers, and then bars started hiring them for 50,000 yuan a night, with fans gifting them flowers worth tens of thousands each evening, sometimes even earning 100,000 yuan in a single night.

The difference between 500 yuan and 100,000 yuan was all thanks to the power of traffic.

But after watching those two influencers’ videos, she realized it wasn’t just about jumping on the bandwagon.

"I also received an invitation to the Liyuan Farm trial event, but like Lili, I declined. Lili is right; Liyuan Farm could never create a good moisturizer. Using rapeseed oil as an ingredient is just too ridiculous, as Lili pointed out."

"I saw Lili’s video and absolutely support her. As she said, Liyuan Farm is just trying to cash in on the rapeseed oil trend. But as Lili mentioned, this rapeseed oil can’t possibly be used as an ingredient, so the moisturizer Liyuan Farm produces will definitely have no effect!"

Zhao Lili’s frown deepened after watching the videos. These influencers seemed to be slandering her, and they were doing it in her name, starting with her words.

Her doubts were well-founded, backed by data, and she had even cautiously left room for the possibility that Liyuan Farm might have some special techniques, not wanting to offend them too much.

But now, with these influencers’ actions, there was no room left for that.

Zhao Lili quickly checked the comments on her video. Due to the incredible growth in views, the number of comments had skyrocketed, but the content was clearly problematic.

"Support Lili, Liyuan Farm is just trying to make a quick buck!"

"Liyuan Farm’s product will definitely be ineffective, support Lili!"

"Using rapeseed oil to make a moisturizer? Liyuan Farm is treating us like fools, support Lili!"

"..."

These comments were clearly from bots, and anyone with a brain could see through them.

The key issue was that these bots appeared all at once in her comment section, and everyone would assume she had hired them.

“Someone is targeting Liyuan Farm and using me as a pawn,” Zhao Lili quickly understood the situation, having been on the internet for so long.

The planner beside her wasn’t stupid either, “It seems that’s the case. So, these bots are likely hired by the other party. But who exactly is behind this, targeting Liyuan Farm?”

Zhao Lili sighed, “That doesn’t matter. Now, with the other party hiding behind the scenes, everyone will think I’m the one slandering Liyuan Farm. All the attention will be on me, and if there’s any unexpected turn of events, I’ll be the one to take the fall, while the other party won’t even show their face. What a cunning plan.”

In online publicity, the worst thing was being used as a pawn without knowing who was pulling the strings.

The planner asked, “Lili, do you think there’s any chance of a reversal in the situation with Liyuan Farm’s moisturizer? Do you think Liyuan Farm can actually make a highly effective moisturizer using rapeseed oil?”

“Of course not!” Zhao Lili immediately replied, “After all, big brands like Lancome and L'Oreal have already given up and concluded that rapeseed oil can’t be used as an ingredient. They can’t be wrong, can they?”

The planner smiled and comforted her, “That’s right. Since there’s no chance of a reversal, and the other party is willing to spend money to target Liyuan Farm, giving us the benefits, why worry so much? Just pretend you don’t know. Also, you should start preparing your application for the International Fashion Cosmetics Blogger Conference. With this wave of new followers, you’ll definitely qualify now.”

“Alright!” Zhao Lili felt reassured by the planner’s words.

That was true!

Whoever was behind this, the attention was giving her a boost, and that was all that mattered.

But neither of them considered that the one slandering Liyuan Farm might be Liyuan Farm itself.

During this golden period, with the hype around Liyuan Farm, and Zhao Lili being one of the top cosmetic influencers, the attention exploded.

Previously, Liyuan Farm had focused on scenic projects, which were very popular, especially the two flower seas and the bamboo maze and bamboo culture park.

So, if Liyuan Farm started a new project and someone started slandering them, they might think it was a deliberate smear campaign.

But now, Liyuan Farm was making a moisturizer, something completely unrelated to their previous projects. And it was Zhao Lili, a well-respected influencer in the cosmetics industry, who raised doubts, even backing them up with data.

International brands like Lancome and L'Oreal had previously researched rapeseed oil but abandoned the project, claiming it was impossible to make moisturizing creams from it.

This raised some eyebrows, suggesting that Linyuan Farm might be exploiting tourists, treating them like fools with their rapeseed oil-based cosmetics.

Bloggers and influencers quickly picked up on the buzz, ready to pounce on the controversy.

However, they weren't in a rush to act.

The saying "let the bullet fly a while" was becoming increasingly popular. They knew that Linyuan Farm would likely issue a public response to the negative publicity, and they wanted to see what the farm would say.

It wasn't just the bloggers who were paying attention. Liu Xian and Zhao Han, who closely followed Linyuan Farm, were also aware of the situation.

Liu Xian called Zhao Han as soon as he saw the news, his voice tinged with urgency: "Why is Linyuan Farm getting into cosmetics?"

"I'm not sure, I haven't heard anything. I'll check with Mr. Zhang right away," Zhao Han replied, his tone apologetic. He could tell Liu Xian was worried, and he was too.

Why would Mr. Zhang, who had been doing so well, suddenly start a new project like this? If there were any issues, the county would fully support him. Why venture into moisturizing creams?

Looking at the online comments, Zhao Han felt that Mr. Zhang's moisturizing cream might not be reliable. But his trust in Mr. Zhang made him believe there must be a reason.

So, he immediately called Mr. Zhang.

In the operations department, Zhang Lin smiled as he watched the negative buzz around Linyuan Farm's moisturizing cream grow.

Everything was going according to plan.

When he received Zhao Han's call, he knew why. He answered and heard Zhao Han's voice: "Mr. Zhang, why did your farm suddenly start making moisturizing creams?"

Zhang Lin laughed and said, "Director Zhao, you must have seen the news online. Don't worry, it's all part of my plan. By the way, give me an address, and I'll send you a box of moisturizing cream. Have your wife try it out."

After hanging up, Zhang Lin called Liu De to deliver the cream.

Zhao Han, after his call with Zhang Lin, waited anxiously outside his apartment, though he knew it wouldn't be that quick. Linyuan Farm was crucial to his future.

Soon, he saw Liu De, whom he recognized from previous visits to the farm, and hurried over.

Taking the moisturizing cream, he rushed home and handed it to his wife, who was applying a face mask. "Wife, try this moisturizing cream, it's important!"

His wife, seeing his seriousness, quickly removed her mask and went to the bathroom to try it. A few moments later, she ran out, surprised. "Husband, where did you get this moisturizing cream? The effect is amazing! I think it's better than any brand on the market."

"Really?" Zhao Han asked eagerly.

"Would I lie to you about something like this?" his wife said.

"Ah, I see." Zhao Han's face lit up. He had always believed Mr. Zhang was a rational person.

It turned out the moisturizing cream was that effective, which might be why Mr. Zhang pursued it.

With that in mind, he called Liu Xian right away. "Director Liu, I've found out. The negative news online is just a smear campaign against Linyuan Farm. The moisturizing cream Mr. Zhang made is excellent; my wife just tried it!"

"Really?" Liu Xian asked, still skeptical.

"I'll send it over right away. Have your wife try it and you'll see," Zhao Han said without hesitation, taking the cream from his wife and heading out.

Soon, Zhang Lin received another call from Zhao Han in the farm's operations department.

As soon as the call connected, Zhao Han's voice came through: "Mr. Zhang, both Liu Xian and I know about the effectiveness of your moisturizing cream. The negative buzz online is high, should we issue a public clarification? The county can help."

"No!" Zhang Lin quickly interrupted. "Director Zhao, I'll be honest with you. The negative buzz is something we orchestrated ourselves. We blackened ourselves because we have confidence in the effectiveness of our moisturizing cream!"

Zhao Han was on speakerphone, with Liu Xian beside him. Both were stunned, exchanging a glance. What on earth?

They had been so worried about the negative impact on Linyuan Farm's tourists, only to find out it was all a setup by Mr. Zhang.

Neither of them were fools; they quickly understood Mr. Zhang’s intentions.

Zhang Lin didn’t respond, especially not during the prime 8 PM slot. The bloggers online, who were already waiting with bated breath, couldn’t hold back any longer and jumped on the bandwagon, capitalizing on the rising heat.

With Liyuan Farm still not addressing the issue, it seemed as if there really was a problem, just as Lili Fragrances had claimed.

Since Lili Fragrances was representing justice, it was time to jump in and capitalize on the situation.

By the next day, whether it was beauty bloggers, a certain Snow Pine, or hosts like Zhe, all of them were questioning Lili Fragrances, pushing Lili Fragrances’ skincare cream to its darkest point. Naturally, the heat was immense, dominating three major topics:

- Lili Fragrances Criticizes Lili Fragrances for Harvesting the Crops!

- Zhao Lili Rages at Lili Fragrances for Having No Common Sense!

- Lili Fragrances Might Take a Big Fall Because of Zhao Lili’s Skincare Cream!

These three hot topics also gave Zhao Lili a significant boost in popularity. When she arrived at the studio, her planner excitedly reported, "Lili, your popularity has reached its peak, and you’re gaining more fans. This move was the right one."

"Thank you for your hard work," Zhao Lili said with a smile, but then she rubbed her right eye. "Strange, my right eye keeps twitching!"

The planner immediately laughed, "Right eye twitching means good fortune. It means your status will rise, and good luck is coming your way!"

Zhao Lili agreed, her face lighting up with a smile.

Lili Fragrances’ skincare cream was indeed at its darkest point online, but sometimes, the more negative the attention, the more curious people become about the extent of the issue.

Many tourists visiting Lili Fragrances were driven by this curiosity.

Especially those who became lucky visitors, they were eager to attend the trial session and see just how bad Lili Fragrances’ skincare cream was.

Zhao Qing was one such tourist.

She came with her boyfriend, and to their surprise, he managed to scan a ticket that made her a lucky visitor, allowing her to attend Lili Fragrances’ trial session.

Zhao Qing quickly followed the directions to a spacious office area in Lili Fragrances’ office center, which had been transformed into a unique and distinctive venue.

Her boyfriend had to wait outside.

Once inside, Zhao Qing saw that many female tourists had already gathered, and she even spotted some famous beauty influencers.

She had seen these people on social media; a few of them were well-known beauty bloggers.

Originally, when Lili Fragrances invited these big beauty influencers, most of them had either politely declined or ignored the invitation.

However, after seeing the immense heat, they rushed over last night.

The situation had changed; the heat was at its peak, and they were coming under the guise of criticism and verification, which wouldn’t damage their reputation even if Lili Fragrances’ product was terrible.

At this moment, these influencers had already started their live streams, clearly aiming to capitalize on the heat for more views and likes.

When the trial session began, Zhao Qing saw Lili Fragrances’ beautiful director come out, followed by several girls pushing boxes of skincare cream.

This beautiful director was now quite famous online; many knew her from Lili Fragrances’ heat, especially the spicy dance video that was quickly banned by the platform, earning her the title of "Spicy Dance Goddess" from some fans.

Naturally, Zhao Qing’s attention was quickly drawn to the skincare creams.

The invited beauty bloggers were no different, all pointing their live stream cameras at the skincare creams.

Meanwhile, in Lili’s studio, Zhao Lili and her planner were watching a beauty blogger’s live stream.

She had become the driving force behind this incident and couldn’t resist sneaking a peek at Lili Fragrances’ trial session, needing to see with her own eyes that Lili Fragrances’ skincare cream was indeed ineffective to feel reassured.

The planner took a file from an employee and teased, "Lili, quite a few of these influencers are here, and some of them were initially as hesitant as you. Now, they don’t care about the backlash and are eager to ride this wave of traffic. But no matter what, they won’t gain as much as you."

Zhao Lili nodded, "This time, I’ll pull ahead of them."

She then handed another file to the planner, saying, "This is my application for the International Fashion Beauty Conference. Take a photo and submit it online for me!"

"Sure thing!" the planner nodded.

At that moment, Zhao Lili, through the beauty blogger’s live stream, could see that Lili Fragrances’ trial session had begun.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end