"Achoo~"
Liao Yuanjie sneezed loudly, rubbing his nose with his hand.
"You didn’t catch a cold from that cold shower, did you? That weak?"
Shen Xianjun clapped a hand on Liao Yuanjie’s shoulder.
"Someone must be missing me. I’m a man who can skydive, a future eagle soaring in the skies. How could a little cold shower make me sick? I could soak in icy water for three days and be fine."
"Sure, the skydiver who landed in the water."
Shen Xianjun smirked.
"And you’re the one who got stuck in a tree."
"In jungle jumps, plenty of people get stuck in trees. But you’re the only one who ended up in the water."
"Pot calling the kettle black. Instead of mocking me, think about our next move. We’ve got seven days left to cross this jungle."
"Did you scout the terrain when you jumped? How many markers did you spot?"
Shen Xianjun stopped teasing and started drawing the markers he remembered with a stick on the ground.
Liao Yuanjie walked over, marked his landing spot, and added the points he’d noted.
"Water won’t be a problem, but food will. To get out of the jungle and reach the marked spots for points, we need to cover at least 40 kilometers a day. It’s September, but the jungle’s temperature swings are brutal, and there are venomous insects and snakes everywhere."
Shen Xianjun had sharp eyes and had studied the terrain carefully during his descent, so his sense of direction was solid.
"Forty kilometers isn’t too bad."
As soon as Liao Yuanjie spoke, Shen Xianjun’s dagger flashed past his cheek, and something thudded to the ground.
"Food delivered itself. Let’s hit today’s 40 kilometers. There’s a point off our path—we’ll need to detour, so it might stretch to 50. And that’s if no one beats us to it."
"No problem. Achoo~"
Liao Yuanjie sneezed again.
---
"Director Fan, did you rest well last night?"
In the morning, Boss Huo arrived to pick up Fan Juan and Old Wu.
"Very well. I didn’t expect Yuecheng to be so lively at night."
Fan Juan smiled in response.
She’d assumed the shops wouldn’t open early after such a bustling night, but to her surprise, everything was business as usual by morning.
The vibrant night market streets from the evening had been cleaned up, the carefree youths nowhere in sight—or rather, they’d shifted into a different mode, conforming to the daytime order.
"I was planning to invite you to the night market these past couple of days. Didn’t expect you’d already experienced it. My hospitality was lacking."
"Not at all. Shall we head to the mall first?"
"Of course. Director Fan mentioned new small appliances yesterday—why not introduce them on the way?"
Boss Huo gestured toward the car’s back seat.
"Certainly."
Old Wu took the front passenger seat as the car started moving.
Fan Juan pulled out a sample.
"This is a hair dryer. After washing your hair, it dries quickly and can even style it—curling without a salon visit. You can manage your hair at home."
She demonstrated the dryer’s various functions.
"No wonder Director Fan looks especially radiant today."
Boss Huo’s sudden compliment drew a graceful smile from Fan Juan.
"A product needs a live demonstration to show its effect. Thank you for the praise."
She’d woken up an hour early to curl her hair—something she hadn’t done since returning from abroad.
"After hearing this, I’m tempted to try it myself. There’s a great salon nearby. Instead of the mall, why not test the dryer there first?"
Boss Huo’s suggestion caught her off guard.
"Of course."
The car soon stopped at a salon with sleek glass decor, where a stylist in a patterned shirt and jeans looked both professional and trendy.
"Boss Huo! Welcome! And this is…?"
The stylist greeted them warmly.
"Miss Fan, my guest. She’s brought a new hair dryer—fast drying and styling. Thought your place would be perfect to try it. And my hair’s getting long—give me a wash first."
Boss Huo grinned, then glanced at Fan Juan.
"You don’t mind a rough guy like me as your demo model, do you?"
"Not at all."
Fan Juan kept her smile polite, though inwardly she wondered what styling could be done with Boss Huo’s hair. She wished she’d researched more beforehand.
But the stylist saw no issue. He swiftly washed Boss Huo’s hair, whispered something to him, and towel-dried it.
Seated before the mirror, Boss Huo got a slight trim before the stylist plugged in the dryer.
"Strong airflow, good heat."
As he blow-dried Boss Huo’s hair halfway, he began combing it into shape.
A sleek pompadour took form, finished with a dab of hairspray.
"This dryer’s fantastic. Expensive? Boss Huo, get me a few for the shop!"
The stylist admired his handiwork—the dryer had cut styling time in half, a game-changer for the salon.
"You’ll get the first batch."
Boss Huo made the promise, then turned to Fan Juan.
"What do you think, Miss Fan?"
"It accentuates your maturity and steadiness."
She smiled, impressed by the stylist’s skill.
"I agree. If even a man like me is sold, this will appeal to everyone. Salons here are competitive—this little dryer could boost their profits significantly."
Boss Huo, ever the businessman, had already grasped the dryer’s value after one use.
Fan Juan had mentioned the pricing earlier—Qianjin Appliances always kept things affordable.
Back in the car, Boss Huo spoke again.
"Director Fan, I think you should outsource production here. Small items like this thrive on volume. Every household could own one."
Fan Juan waited for him to continue.
"Our local factories can handle the casing. Your plant supplies the core components, and we assemble. What do you think?"
