After Transmigrating, I Joined a Dating Show with the Fake Heiress Actress - Chapter 23

Bai Man hung up the phone, changed her clothes, and headed to Su Qingwan’s studio, Jiayue.

 

The studio was located away from the commercial district, in a relatively quiet area. Though small, at just over 300 square meters, the interior was fully equipped.

 

Upon arriving at the reception desk, Bai Man hadn’t even stated her purpose when the receptionist immediately led her upstairs. A quick glance revealed two rooms on the upper floor: an office where the receptionist had brought her, and a reception room.

 

Hearing Bai Man’s footsteps, Su Qingwan immediately put down the script she was holding, pulled a bank card from a drawer, and slid it across the table. “This is just a small token of my appreciation,” she said. “It’s not much, but I hope you won’t refuse.”

 

What Su Qingwan didn’t mention was that the million yuan on the card was an advance she’d secured from Director Xu against her recording fees.

 

Seeing Bai Man’s expressionless face, Su Qingwan grew anxious.

 

After a long moment, she still couldn’t discern any emotion on Bai Man’s face. Thinking of something, she asked, “You haven’t heard yet?”

 

The day after returning to Suzhou, Su Qingwan had overheard some rumors involving Hengjie Garment Factory. She immediately sent Su Qingyue to investigate and learned that the factory was indeed in trouble.

 

As it turned out, Hengjie Garment Factory’s operations had been declining for the past two years. During this time, Bai Shanheng had tried to adapt to the changing times by developing online sales channels, but without a competitive pricing advantage, these efforts never gained traction.

 

With offline orders dwindling and online sales failing to take off, Hengjie Garment Factory was trapped in a dire predicament.

 

A month ago, the bank not only rejected Hengjie Garment Factory’s loan application but also demanded early repayment of their existing loans.

 

Most of that money had been invested in fabric by Bai Shanheng, but converting these finished goods into cash immediately proved nearly impossible.

 

Having exhausted all options and suffered significant losses over the past two years, Bai Shanheng and Xu Mengjie discussed selling Hengjie Garment Factory. To their dismay, the very owner who had long sought to acquire the factory now seized the opportunity to drive the price down to its absolute minimum.

 

Xu Mengjie and Bai Shanheng refused to accept this offer and had been scrambling to find alternatives for the past few days.

 

The garment industry had been struggling in recent years, and even interested buyers were hesitant, needing time to carefully consider their options.

 

Now, the factory’s machines had fallen silent, leaving only a skeleton crew to clean up the mess.

 

Jiayue Studio hadn’t even officially launched, yet they were already spending a considerable amount on training new recruits each month, further straining their already tight finances. However, they couldn’t simply stand by and watch Hengjie Garment Factory collapse. With a heavy heart, they called Director Xu and, after much pleading and persuasion, finally convinced him to advance eighty thousand yuan for recording fees.

 

Bai Man leaned back in her chair, her expression indifferent. “I know. The garment factory is on the verge of bankruptcy.”

 

Bai Shanheng and Xu Mengjie had been leaving early and returning late every day, their exhaustion and worry impossible to conceal. Anyone with a shred of empathy could sense something was wrong.

 

That’s why, while researching Suzhou, Bai Man had also investigated Hengjie Garment Factory’s financial situation. As she suspected, their operational status was dire.

 

Su Qingwan rose in disbelief, unable to comprehend Bai Man’s calm demeanor in the face of such a crisis. It was as if none of this concerned her at all.

 

She took a deep breath. “Bai Man, you’re a member of the Bai Family. How can you remain indifferent when Hengjie Garment Factory is collapsing?” She clenched her fists. “How can you betray their love and care for you like this?”

 

The word “love” struck a nerve with Bai Man.

 

The image of Xu Mengjie, dragging her exhausted body to cook a hot meal for her, flashed before her eyes.

 

It was at that moment that she realized what it truly felt like to have someone care for you.

 

She pushed back her chair and stood up. “Is there anything else?”

 

Su Qingwan walked around the desk and approached her, shaking her head. “Bai Man, you’ve changed.”

 

The old Bai Man, despite her hostility, still cared about her family. She would have been terrified and distraught by such a crisis. Now, she was nothing but indifferent.

 

Could someone really change so drastically in such a short time?

 

As this thought crossed her mind, Xu Mengjie’s words echoed in her ears: “Manman likes strong flavors. It’ll stimulate her appetite.”

 

But the current Bai Man…

 

Bai Man, unaware of her thoughts, strode toward the door. “Your money won’t help much.”

 

“At least it’s better than you standing by and doing nothing,” Su Qingwan blurted out.

 

The words had barely left her lips when she regretted them. She hurried after Bai Man, awkwardly apologizing, “I… I’m sorry. I was impulsive just now.”

 

Bai Man’s face remained expressionless. “You’re right. No need to apologize.” With that, she brushed past Su Qingwan and slowly descended the stairs.

 

Bai Man’s indifference left Su Qingwan feeling lost, two conflicting voices warring in her mind.

 

Voice A: Someone who knows about the crisis at home and remains unmoved—what can you possibly expect from her?

 

Voice B: What if she’s indifferent to everything because she already has a plan?

 

Still, she wanted to try.

 

She hurried after Bai Man, jogging to catch up.

 

Bai Man glanced sideways at Su Qingwan, her pink lips slightly parted from the exertion, her breath coming in quick, shallow gasps, a thin sheen of sweat on her skin—an image impossible to resist.

 

Bai Man turned her gaze forward. “The factory.”

 

Su Qingwan paused, startled. The factory? Hengjie Garment Factory?

 

She immediately fell into step beside Bai Man, realizing she hadn’t driven here. “Wait for me,” she said. “I’ll get the car.”

 

Bai Man gave a soft hum and stopped where she was.

 

In less than three minutes, Su Qingwan pulled up in an Audi A6.

 

During the drive, Su Qingwan repeatedly tried to ask Bai Man if she had a plan, but Bai Man’s icy demeanor kept her from voicing the questions.

 

When they arrived, they found the factory gates tightly shut. Bai Man turned toward the security booth, identified herself, and only then did the guard open the gates and escort them inside.

 

The factory covered several acres, a massive complex with workshops on the ground floor and warehouses above.

 

The second floor was nearly filled with inventory.

 

The remaining workers gathered in a corner of the warehouse, sorting stock and chatting idly.

 

“I’ve been at Hengjie Garment Factory for so long, I’ve seen it grow from a small workshop into this huge factory. The thought of leaving in just a few days makes me feel so frustrated!”

 

“Who can argue with that? Sigh, it’s all those people’s fault for not knowing what’s good for them. They only care about cheap prices, forgetting that quality costs money. Can our clothes even be compared to those flimsy, fifty-yuan rags?”

 

“They’re just ignorant. Take down jackets, for example. Down costs nearly 100,000 yuan per ton, and after multiple processing steps and layered stitching, the production cost alone is at least 200-300 yuan. Factor in shipping, overhead, and the middlemen’s markup, and selling a down jacket for just over 100 yuan is pure madness!”

 

“If you ask me, CEO Bai is too stubborn. If we used slightly lower-quality fabrics and relaxed our quality standards a bit, we could easily compete in the price war.”

 

“What nonsense are you spouting? We built this business step by step because of our quality. If your products are subpar, we’ll lose face asking customers to buy them again.”

 

“In my opinion, surviving this crisis is what matters most. Returning customers? That’s something we can worry about later.”

 

Hearing this, Bai Man strode forward and asked, “How much inventory do we have in the warehouse right now? I want to see the numbers.”

 

Old Wu, the warehouse supervisor, turned to look at her. “Who are you?”

 

Su Qingwan stepped forward. “She’s Bai Man.”

 

The surname immediately revealed Bai Man’s identity. The workers exchanged glances and began to gather around her. Old Wu hesitated before asking, “What do you want?”

 

The warehouse was lined with towering shelves several meters high. Though skylights and fans provided some ventilation, the air remained stagnant, stifling, and oppressively hot.

 

Bai Man suppressed her discomfort and repeated, “I need to know the exact inventory levels.”

 

Old Wu hesitated before handing Bai Man the inventory report. “We’re the ones who stayed behind to count the exact stock,” he explained, pointing to the left-hand shelves. “All the records here are for this side.” He nodded toward the right. “The other side will take a few more days.”

 

Bai Man scanned the report quickly, the numbers forming a table in her mind. The left-side inventory alone totaled a staggering 100,000 items, most of which were high-cost down jackets.

 

The situation was even worse than she had anticipated.

 

She returned the report to Old Wu. “Didn’t you try livestreaming sales before? Is the person in charge still here?”

 

“You mean Xiao Li? She quit long ago, moved on to bigger things,” Old Wu replied.

 

“Please gather everyone who’s still here,” Bai Man said, turning to leave the warehouse.

 

Old Wu and the others were bursting with questions, their mouths opening and closing as they hesitated to ask. Their uncertain gazes fell on Su Qingwan. “What are you planning to do? Don’t even think about trying livestream sales again—that approach won’t work.”

 

“You’re right, it won’t work,” Su Qingwan said, turning to look in the direction Bai Man had left. “Listen to me first. Let’s gather everyone together.”

 

Even she wasn’t entirely sure what Bai Man was planning.

 

Half an hour later, the nine remaining employees (excluding the security guards) had gathered in the workshop downstairs.

 

Bai Man surveyed the group. “I need three live streamers. Any volunteers?”

 

The group exchanged hesitant glances.

 

“You’ve all seen the inventory upstairs. If you follow my instructions, we can monetize it within a month at most.”

 

Bai Man’s composure and confidence dispelled some of the group’s anxiety and skepticism.

 

Standing behind Bai Man, Su Qingwan’s eyes widened like copper bells when she heard this. Monetizing that much inventory in a month? Even top-tier live streamers wouldn’t dare make such a claim.

 

But Bai Man’s confidence felt genuine. Su Qingwan had witnessed this unwavering assurance before, and every time, Bai Man had delivered on her promises.

 

At that thought, a flicker of hope ignited in Su Qingwan’s heart.

 

Old Wu glanced around at his fellow workers before stepping forward with a light cough. “It’s not that we don’t trust you, but we’ve had failures before. Have you discussed this with CEO Bai?”

 

Bai Shanheng and Xu Mengjie, who had rushed over immediately after receiving the call, spotted Bai Man standing ahead from a distance.

 

Her powerful aura and unwavering confidence surpassed even that of CEO Huang, Suzhou’s most successful entrepreneur, whom Bai Shanheng had met just days earlier.

 

At that moment, Bai Man seemed to radiate an inner light, dazzling and captivating.

 

Xu Mengjie noticed this too and turned to Bai Shanheng, curious about his intentions.

 

Bai Shanheng clenched his fist at his side, hesitated briefly, then called out loudly, “Manman, could you explain your plan to us? That way, everyone will understand the strategy, and they’ll be more motivated to work.”

 

Though doubts lingered in his mind, his primary concern was ensuring everyone willingly followed Bai Man’s lead.

 

His words stirred a ripple of emotion in Bai Man’s heart. She had expected Bai Shanheng to question her relentlessly, just like her own parents had always done. Instead, he was willing to trust her.

 

Suppressing her thoughts, Bai Man said calmly, “When we started the livestream, our goal was to make a profit. As you all know, most online consumers prefer cheaper items. So let’s give them what they want—we’ll sell everything at half the cost.”

 

“That’ll be a huge loss!” someone protested.

 

Bai Man chuckled lightly. “And letting it sit here and rot into a pile of trash wouldn’t be a loss?”

 

The crowd fell silent.

 

“Now I’ll ask again: who’s willing to be a livestreamer? You won’t be working for free. You’ll get a one-yuan commission for every item sold. I’ll give you the specific livestreaming details later.”

 

With the clothes upstairs valued in the tens of thousands, and most of the staff earning their wages through hard work, the temptation was irresistible. Two middle-aged women and a slightly younger man immediately stepped forward.

 

Bai Man nodded in satisfaction. “Thank you for your hard work, everyone. I need to see all the sales data within two days. The three livestreamers, come with me.”

 

Before Bai Man had even walked far, Old Wu and the others turned to Bai Shanheng. Before they could speak, Bai Shanheng said, “I’ll join you. After the statistics are compiled, I’ll treat everyone to dinner.”

 

With that, even those who had objections could only swallow them down.

 

Xu Mengjie hesitated for a moment, torn between leading her coworkers upstairs to Bai Shanheng and following Bai Man and Su Qingwan, who were already walking away. In the end, she took a step toward Bai Man’s group.

 

Bai Man led the group to the conference room and casually selected a live stream with over a million viewers, instructing the three streamers to observe.

 

After about ten minutes, she switched to another stream with only a few hundred thousand viewers.

 

Soon after, she exited the stream and asked, “What did you notice?”

 

Zhang Xia, a woman with voluminous golden waves, raised her hand. “The second stream was so slow to restock, and they kept dragging out the hype. I don’t have the patience to wait that long.”

 

Another woman, Zhu Tao, nodded in agreement. “Exactly! I buy things on live streams all the time, and that’s the most annoying thing.”

 

Zhao Xinghui stood up. “In the first livestream, the host focused on key points in their explanations. The second host used price to attract viewers, making them willingly stay in the stream.” He scratched his head. “Also, I think the target audiences for the two streams are different. I believe our target audience is the group that stayed in the second livestream.”

 

Bai Man nodded. “You’re both right. We have plenty of inventory right now, so while we use price to attract consumers, we also need to consider their time costs. My requirements are simple: focus on key product details like materials and whether they’re genuine, and aim to introduce a new item every five minutes.”

 

“What about the livestream duration?” Zhao Xinghui asked.

 

“Each livestream will run for only three hours, ending promptly at the scheduled time. Alright, go prepare now. We’ll start the livestreams in three days.”

 

After the three had left, Su Qingwan spoke up. “Shouldn’t we hire professional livestreamers? They…”

 

Xu Mengjie agreed with her, nodding in agreement.

 

“As you both saw earlier, they weren’t camera-shy and adapted to the mirror quickly. Their physiques and ages also align with our target demographic. We’re targeting middle-aged consumers, who, unlike young women, aren’t as focused on body image. What they need most is authenticity,” Bai Man explained.

 

Xu Mengjie and Su Qingwan nodded in understanding. Xu Mengjie wanted to ask more, but seeing Bai Man’s cold, aloof profile, she shifted her gaze to Su Qingwan, silently asking, How did they end up here?

 

Su Qingwan simply smiled faintly and sat down beside Bai Man. “What’s your plan for driving traffic?”

 

“We don’t have time for gradual traffic generation. The most direct approach is to purchase several accounts with established followings,” Bai Man said, turning her gaze to Xu Mengjie. “There’s no need to rush contacting the delivery services. We’ll invite their managers to visit us on the day of our first livestream. Also, we’ll need someone to handle packaging. I’m entrusting that to you.”

 

With that, she left the conference room, needing to return to her office to draft a detailed plan.

 

The livestream was merely a means to clear out inventory. The real goal was to revive Hengjie Garment Factory.

 

Knowing Su Qingwan and Xu Mengjie had things to discuss, she added, “I’ll head back on my own.”

 

Hearing this, Su Qingwan immediately sat back down and reassured her, “Auntie, with Bai Man here, we’ll definitely get through this.”

 

Xu Mengjie turned to gaze at Bai Man’s slender figure, her eyes welling up as her voice choked with emotion. “Manman has really grown up.” She reached out and clasped Su Qingwan’s hand tightly in her own. “My dear child, I’m so sorry for all the hardships you’ve endured these past years.”

 

Su Qingwan’s nose stung with emotion, and she shook her head. “I haven’t suffered, I haven’t.”

 

“You silly girl,” Xu Mengjie said, stroking Su Qingwan’s cheek. “You’ve always been so sensible, bottling up your pain no matter what you faced. Even now, no matter how unreasonable Manman is, you never complain.”

 

“You’re too kind for your own good, child,” Xu Mengjie sighed. “You’ll only get hurt this way.”

 

A wave of bitterness washed over Su Qingwan’s chest. Just like when she was a child, she buried her face against Xu Mengjie’s shoulder, greedily soaking up the warmth and comfort she offered.

 

Upstairs, in the warehouse, Old Wu hesitated for a long moment before approaching Bai Shanheng. “CEO Bai,” he began, “you—”

 

Anticipating what Old Wu was about to say, Bai Shanheng waved his hand, cutting him off. “The factory is already in this state. It can’t get any worse.”

 

Zhu Kui chuckled. “Miss Bai talks a good game, but can she really pull it off?”

 

These words didn’t reassure Old Wu, but he refrained from pressing the matter further.

 

 

Determined to take charge of the Hengjie Garment Factory situation, Bai Man spent the past two days poring over data and drafting a comprehensive business plan.

 

It took her two full days to complete the plan.

 

“Bai Man, are you there?” Su Qingwan knocked softly on the door, her voice barely audible.

 

Bai Man rose from her chair and opened the door.

 

“I… I wanted to know if there’s anything I can do to help?” Su Qingwan glanced at her cautiously, her voice hesitant. “They raised me for eighteen years, and I… I want to do something for Hengjie Garment Factory too.”

 

When Bai Man didn’t respond, Su Qingwan mustered her courage and met her round eyes. “Just give me a chance to repay their kindness, okay?”

 

The faint redness around Su Qingwan’s eyes and the hopeful glint within them once again stirred Bai Man’s heart. The “No need” that hovered on her lips refused to be spoken.

 

Remembering her unfinished mission, she nodded slightly.

 

Su Qingwan’s face brightened instantly, a radiant smile spreading across her lips. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation. “Now can you tell me your plan?”

 

Bai Man lowered her gaze to her rumbling stomach, then walked toward the door. “You’ll see soon enough.”

 

Su Qingwan belatedly nodded, walked to the desk, picked up the business plan, and began to read it carefully.

 

As she read further, she realized that Bai Man’s plan wasn’t just about clearing inventory; it was also about saving Hengjie Garment Factory.

 

She immediately photographed parts of the plan and sent them to Xu Mengjie, hoping to reassure her.

 

Hengjie Garment Factory was the result of Xu Mengjie and Bai Shanheng’s hard work and dedication. Su Qingwan had heard her grandfather recount the hardships and sacrifices they had endured to establish it.

 

She could only imagine the heartache and helplessness Xu Mengjie and Bai Shanheng must have felt when they decided to give up Hengjie Garment Factory.

 

 

Hengjie Garment Factory

 

Xu Mengjie received the photos from Su Qingwan and immediately sought out Bai Shanheng, her voice trembling with emotion. “Lao Bai, look at this!”

 

Bai Shanheng, still tallying inventory, quickly removed his gloves and took the phone from her. As he read the clear and detailed plan on the screen, his hands began to shake uncontrollably. “This… this is Manman’s plan?”

 

He shook his head. “This plan is too perfect—flawless. Someone with Manman’s lack of experience couldn’t have created something like this.”

 

His words struck Xu Mengjie like a bolt of lightning. “You suspect Manman?” she murmured, shaking her head. “That’s impossible. She’s our daughter. She must have asked a friend for help.”

 

“But these past few days, she’s been keeping herself locked in her study,” Bai Shanheng said, pausing before continuing. “She used to love spicy food, but after returning from that dating show, her tastes became bland. And her aura… After all these years in business, I’ve rarely encountered anyone with a presence that surpasses hers.” He lowered his gaze to the phone in his hand. “Rather than someone helping her, this feels more like something she conceived herself.”

 

Xu Mengjie stumbled back a few steps, her voice trembling. “Then Manman…”

 

Bai Shanheng gripped his phone tightly, remaining silent for a long moment before finally saying heavily, “Instead of speculating here, we should ask her directly.”

 

“Do you think she’ll tell us the truth?”

 

“We won’t know unless we try.”

 

 

After finishing breakfast, Bai Man, accompanied by Su Qingwan, headed to Hengjie Garment Factory.

 

Upon arriving at the warehouse, they found the three live streamers already there. Bai Man logged into a purchased live streaming account and began the trial broadcast.

 

Zhang Xia went first. As soon as viewers started joining the stream, she awkwardly greeted them.

 

Noticing Zhang Xia’s occasional self-consciousness, Bai Man rose and moved to a spot where Zhang Xia couldn’t see her, observing her performance.

 

Without Bai Man’s presence, Zhang Xia’s presentation became more natural. From stumbling over the introduction of the first dress to confidently showcasing the third, her progress was evident.

 

While Zhang Xia streamed, Zhu Tao and Zhao Xinghui remained busy. Zhao Xinghui even pulled out his laptop, occasionally jotting down notes.

 

After about an hour, Zhang Xia’s turn ended, and Zhu Tao took over. Likely due to observing Zhang Xia’s broadcast up close, Zhu Tao started faster, covering nearly twenty items with straightforward descriptions. Her sales surprisingly exceeded five hundred units.

 

This impressive performance put pressure on Zhao Xinghui. As a male streamer, he focused on presenting the clothing from a male perspective, infusing his commentary with humor. The result was even better than Zhang Xia’s, leading to higher sales figures.

 

Su Qingwan, who had been monitoring the backend sales data, beamed with delight as the figures continued to surge.

 

The three-hour livestream ended quickly, with sales reaching 1,600 units and revenue totaling 70,000 yuan—all without purchasing any traffic from the livestream platform.

 

This remarkable achievement spread rapidly throughout the factory. When Old Wu, who had been deeply worried, heard the news, he initially thought he had misheard. He rushed to the computer to verify the backend data, immediately giving Bai Man a thumbs-up and bowing deeply. “I’m sorry, it was my ignorance that made me doubt you and make a fool of myself. You—”

 

Bai Man raised her hand, signaling Old Wu to stop. She turned to the crowd gathered around them. “Don’t celebrate too soon. You’ll all be very busy soon.”

 

Despite knowing that Hengjie Garment Factory was on the brink of collapse, everyone had chosen to stay, deeply attached to the factory.

 

Now, seeing a glimmer of hope, they were overjoyed and responded in unison, “It’s no problem! We can handle it!”

 

Bai Man was pleased by their unity. “Once we clear this inventory, you can decide what we eat. And from now on, all salaries will be paid at holiday rates.”

 

Buying employees’ loyalty with money was a common practice for her.

 

After everyone dispersed, Su Qingwan approached Bai Man. “I’ve already asked Qingyue to post the job advertisement for a fashion designer.”

 

Bai Man hummed in acknowledgment. “We can relax the requirements a bit. Even a suitable recent graduate would do.” As she finished speaking, she turned to see Xu Mengjie and Bai Shanheng approaching.

 

Their gazes held an unusual intensity. Bai Man glanced at Su Qingwan standing beside her, and a suspicion formed in her mind.

 

Back home, she sat on the sofa, waiting for Xu Mengjie and Bai Shanheng to speak.

 

Xu Mengjie sat across from her hesitantly. “Are you… are you my Manman? If you say no, I’ll never ask again.”

 

Though she had prepared herself to be exposed, her heart skipped a beat at this moment. An indescribable emotion stirred within her.

 

Ignoring the feeling, she replied in a cold voice, “No, and yes.”

 

Xu Mengjie twisted her head to look at Bai Shanheng, who was standing by the sofa. He leaned forward, closing the distance between them. “I don’t understand. What’s going on?”

 

“It’s simple. This body belongs to your daughter.”

 

Xu Mengjie covered her mouth with a trembling hand, tears streaming down her face.

 

Seeing this, Bai Shanheng rushed over and pulled Xu Mengjie into his arms, his voice trembling, “Then… then where did she go?”

 

“Into my body.”

 

Bai Shanheng and Xu Mengjie felt a buzzing in their ears. They had never imagined that such bizarre events, which they had only encountered in books and TV dramas, could actually happen to them.

 

After a long moment, Bai Shanheng regained his composure and fired off a series of questions: “Where is your body? Is she… is she okay over there? Can she ever come back?”

 

Bai Man frowned slightly and mentally asked System 388: How is the original host?

 

Detecting the presence of another System. Host, do you wish to initiate tracking?

 

Bai Man didn’t fully understand the System’s meaning, but her intuition told her something was amiss. She immediately replied: Track.

 

Detected co-located System “060 Female Powerhouse” activated within your body.

 

Even Bai Man, usually so composed, raised an eyebrow at this revelation.

 

Xu Mengjie’s burning gaze snapped her back to reality. Suppressing her rising anger, she continued to mentally inquire: Can I still return?

 

She hadn’t forgotten the choice System 388 had given her when she first arrived here. Activating it would mean Bai Man had awakened within her body.

 

System 388: It should be… possible, right? This situation has never occurred at our base station before. Host, please don’t panic. I’ll report this to the base station immediately and get a response soon!

 

Seeing her increasingly grave expression, Xu Mengjie and Bai Shanheng’s hearts hung in suspense. Xu Mengjie tried to reassure herself, “You… you’re still here, and I… I think everything will be okay.”

 

Bai Shanheng clenched his fist so tightly that veins bulged on his hand, his voice strained with suppressed emotion. “I was too greedy. As long as she’s safe, it doesn’t matter if she never comes back.”

 

Xu Mengjie nodded repeatedly, her eyes fixed on Bai Man’s face, afraid to blink lest she miss something.

 

The hope in their eyes pierced Bai Man’s heart like ant bites. She turned away, unable to bear their gaze. “My body isn’t in this world anymore. She’s living again through my body.”

 

Having already braced herself for the worst, this news felt like a miraculous reprieve. Xu Mengjie turned to Bai Shanheng, her voice trembling with excitement. “Did you hear? Manman’s okay! She’s still alive, still alive!”

 

Bai Shanheng gently patted Xu Mengjie’s shoulder, tilting his head slightly to hide the tears welling in his eyes. Since their daughter’s birth, she had faced one calamity after another. As her father, he felt the pain deep in his heart.

 

To reassure his wife, he forced himself to ask, “Can you tell us more about what happened over there?”

 

Bai Man couldn’t bring herself to refuse, her jealousy festering.

 

Why does the original owner, such a worthless person, get to have such loving parents, while I…

 

Hah, now that the original owner has awakened using her body, those three people’s plans to reclaim control of the company will fail again.

 

Before she could answer, Bai Shanheng chuckled self-deprecatingly. “I was being foolish. You’re not a god—how could you know so much?” He waved his hand and helped Xu Mengjie to her feet. “If you don’t mind, you can stay here.”

 

This reminded Xu Mengjie of something. She shook off Bai Shanheng’s hand and reached out to grasp Bai Man’s, but hesitated, afraid of startling her. Her hand froze in mid-air before she awkwardly withdrew it. “You’re unfamiliar with this place. Why don’t you…”

 

Seeing that Bai Man remained unmoved, Xu Mengjie immediately stopped speaking, turned around, picked up her phone from the sofa, and swiped her finger across the screen a few times. A “ding” sounded from Bai Man’s phone, which was tucked in her pocket.

 

Bai Man pulled out her phone, opened WeChat, and saw that Xu Mengjie had indeed sent her a message.

 

Clicking on it, she found it was a red envelope.

 

“If you’re determined to leave, you must accept this money. You’ll need it wherever you go. As a young woman, you shouldn’t have to suffer,” Xu Mengjie insisted.

 

The bitterness in Bai Man’s heart softened slightly, replaced by a flicker of warmth. She gripped her phone tightly, lowering her gaze. “You’re not angry with me?”

 

Xu Mengjie paused, realizing what Bai Man meant, and shook her head. “Why would I be angry? We’ve only known each other for a few days, but your uncle and I can tell you’re a good girl. If it weren’t for the accident, you wouldn’t have left your original world for this unfamiliar place.”

 

Bai Shanheng sighed deeply. “All three of you are children burdened by fate.”

 

The couple’s understanding and tolerance quickly melted away much of the bitterness and coldness in Bai Man’s heart.

 

She began to understand why Su Qingwan was so gentle and kind—it was all due to the influence of the two people before her.

 

When Bai Man remained silent, Bai Shanheng took a few steps closer, his gaze fixed on the phone she held in her hand. “Just consider this money part of the funding for your proposal. Once we clear out the remaining inventory, I’ll transfer the rest to you. We can’t let you do that work for nothing.”

 

Bai Man opened her mouth to refuse. “No need. It’s what I should do.”

 

“What ‘should’? Even close siblings keep clear accounts, let alone us, who’ve only lived under the same roof for a few days. We should settle this properly,” Bai Shanheng said sternly.

 

Bai Man couldn’t miss the hidden meaning in his words—this was his way of asking her to stay.

 

She knew that much of Bai Shanheng and Xu Mengjie’s insistence stemmed from their attachment to the original owner of her body. Yet, as she felt the warmth of their concern, her heart still stirred.

 

Her voice came out slightly hoarse. “Alright, I’ll stay.”

 

Upon hearing this, Bai Shanheng and Xu Mengjie both breathed a sigh of relief. Though they knew Bai Man’s capabilities meant she could thrive even if she left, they still worried about her facing hardship or encountering unforeseen dangers.

 

Of course, they also didn’t want her to leave. To them, Bai Man was like their own daughter.

 

Night retreated, and dawn arrived.

 

Today was the first day of the live broadcast. Bai Man and Bai Shanheng arrived at Hengjie Garment Factory at different times, but Su Qingwan was already there when they arrived.

 

According to the inventory report, the warehouse’s largest stock still consisted of winter clothing, and this batch represented the largest investment.

 

To keep viewers engaged, Bai Man had instructed Old Wu the previous day to prepare a batch of plus-size seasonal clothing as a “buy one, get one free” promotion.

 

The live broadcast area had been made more visually clear and concise. Workers had rearranged the neatly organized shelves to create a several-dozen-square-meter space. Part of this area was used to display floor-standing clothing racks, each holding the items to be featured that day.

 

On either side of the forward area stood two-meter-long desks, each equipped with a computer. One was used by the livestream hosts to add product links, while the other primarily monitored the livestream room’s performance, allowing for timely responses to any issues.

 

To avoid putting pressure on the three hosts, Bai Man stationed herself at the monitoring computer, tracking backend data.

 

After completing her rounds, Su Qingwan carried over a stool and sat beside her, gaping at the steadily rising backend metrics.

 

Wu Xi, Old Wu’s daughter and the data monitor, was equally excited. “At this rate, we won’t even need a month! We could clear the entire warehouse inventory in just half a month! Sister Man, you’re amazing! I’m such a fan!”

 

“Don’t get too excited yet,” Bai Man said, her expression unreadable. “The real competition hasn’t even shown up.”

 

Su Qingwan immediately grasped the key point, her voice tinged with anxiety. “You mean someone will try to sabotage us?”

 

Bai Man leaned back in her chair, her gaze fixed on the data. “There’s only so much pie to go around. If you want a bigger slice, you have to eliminate the competition.”

 

“We’re practically selling at a loss to clear out our inventory,” Wu Xi said, slamming her fist on the desk. “They’re so mean! It’s infuriating!”

 

Bai Man chuckled softly but remained silent.

 

Wu Xi pouted, refusing to continue the conversation.

 

Just then, Xu Mengjie arrived with Zhu Hong, the head of a nearby courier company.

 

Before Xu Mengjie could speak, Zhu Hong, consulting the sales data on his laptop, immediately quoted, “Within the base weight, two yuan per order for the three neighboring provinces, and three yuan per order for all other provinces.”

 

Bai Man countered, “Eighty cents per order for the three neighboring provinces, and one yuan and twenty cents for all other provinces.” These were the prices she had calculated the previous night.

 

“You don’t understand,” Zhu Hong protested. “Transportation costs are soaring! We can’t possibly offer those rates!”

 

Bai Man turned to face Zhu Hong, a faint smile playing on her lips. “That’s fine. If your company can’t handle it, another one will.”

 

Alarm bells immediately rang in Zhu Hong’s head. “Then… then if any packages get lost, our company won’t be liable for compensation.”

 

Bai Man extended her hand, signaling for him to leave.

 

Zhu Hong turned to Xu Mengjie, but when she remained silent, he frowned. “Who’s in charge here? I want to speak to your manager.”

 

Xu Mengjie, Su Qingwan, and Wu Xi all looked at Bai Man.

 

Zhu Hong scratched his head, then hardened his resolve. “Can you guarantee monthly orders of at least 100,000 units? If you exceed that, we’ll stick to the price you proposed. If you fall short, we’ll need to renegotiate and raise the price by 0.5 yuan per unit.”

 

Bai Man nodded slightly to Xu Mengjie, signaling her approval to sign the contract.

 

“Shall we proceed to sign the contract?” Xu Mengjie asked Zhu Hong.

 

Eager to secure the deal, Zhu Hong immediately gestured for Xu Mengjie to follow him.

 

Remembering Bai Man’s one-month deadline, Xu Mengjie carefully reviewed the contract, ensuring there were no hidden clauses regarding the duration before signing.

 

On their first official livestream, they sold 10,000 units.

 

By the second day, the chatroom comments had turned hostile.

 

I’m from the last livestream. These scammers sold me garbage that made me itch like hell!

 

Don’t buy! All the clothes I received were falling apart. This is a trash livestream!

 

What you see isn’t what you get—this is a yin-yang livestream.

 

I’ve checked—all the clothes in this livestream are refurbished. Not only that, but the down filling is full of quills that poke you when you wear them. If you don’t mind being pricked, go ahead and buy.