My Online Girlfriend Has a Twin Sister

"President Jiangg, I must congratulate you in advance. Your new product’s sales during this 5.18 Big Sale event have set a new record for skincare brands. The inventory was sold out in less than five minutes of being listed. Our collaboration has been a resounding success."

In an office building in Mingzhu City.

Jiangg Ruxue and a pot-bellied man stepped out of a noisy room.

The livestreamer’s roars still echoed in her ears: "Hurry and place your orders, everyone!" "This really is a bargain, and we’re even throwing in a makeup sponge—the same kind Le Jiani uses!" "3! 2! 1! Go to the link!"

Even with the door closed, standing in the doorway, they could still hear some of it.

"Your company’s help was crucial to this success. A win-win outcome is our shared goal. After this, once I find some time, I will be sure to treat you to dinner, President Li."

"Yes, yes, a win-win. I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll be taking my leave now."

"Of course. Take care, President Li."

After exchanging pleasantries, President Li departed with a steady stride, leaving Jiangg Ruxue standing alone in the doorway. She lingered for a moment instead of leaving right away, opening the work group chat on her phone. She watched the messages about the flood of new orders and the screenshots of the constantly updating sales figures.

She let out a huge sigh of relief.

This new product launch was an incredibly difficult battle for Meiruxue Company’s survival, and she had spent over six months preparing for it.

In reality, the domestic cosmetics market in Huaxia had evolved into a sharply-defined war of product categories. Consumers were becoming more and more brand-conscious, and major international labels had already carved up almost the entire pie. They had established benchmark products in highly specialized niches, and their prices were usually within an acceptable range.

Young women, in particular, wouldn’t bat an eye at spending 300 to 500 on cosmetics with just the tap of a finger; they didn’t find such prices unreasonable at all.

As early as six months ago, Meiruxue began developing a competitor to a popular toning cream. The company spent a fortune opening up countless distribution channels, secured a top recommended spot for the 5.18 Big Sale, launched an overwhelming ad campaign, hired an army of online shills, and ran stealth marketing campaigns on all the major platforms popular with young women.

This time, they had even partnered with a famous domestic influencer marketing agency and paid an exorbitant fee to harvest the wallets of their "family" of viewers.

For this turnaround, Jiangg Ruxue had funneled nearly all the money from her other projects into this one. Her employees hadn’t been paid in five months; the money meant for their salaries had been completely diverted to grease the wheels above and below.

She had even taken the inheritance left by her daughters’ late father and poured it into the company.

To secure funding from investors, she had even resorted to cooking the books, concealing the fact that the company had been operating at a loss for years. Otherwise, her cash flow would have dried up long ago.

It was an all-or-nothing gamble. If she lost, she could be taken to court, stripped of everything she owned, and the company would be forced to declare bankruptcy.

Her methods may have been underhanded, but Jiangg Ruxue had long since stopped caring. She had been backed into a corner, and she’d lost count of how many sleepless nights she’d endured.

Standing in the doorway and clutching her phone, she was overcome with emotion.

’Once this big sale is over and the capital is recouped,’ she thought, ’I’ll not only be able to cover part of the deficit, but I’ll also be able to pay all the back wages. After weathering this crisis, the company’s brand recognition will rise to a whole new level.’

’There was no doubt about it—she had played this hand and won.’

After a moment, Jiangg Ruxue walked gracefully down the corridor. She stopped at a window and gazed out at the sprawling night. The city lights were just beginning to sparkle, blurring the silhouettes of the skyscrapers.

Then, she suddenly remembered. ’After midnight tonight, I’ll be forty-six years old.’

’Time really does fly. I’m starting to lose my looks.’

When she married her daughters’ father, she had only been twenty, in the prime of her youth and beauty. Anyone who saw her back then would have silently admitted she was breathtaking.

It was a shotgun wedding, but she’d had a very happy time back then. She didn’t understand what it meant to be "old." Even after having children, her figure remained perfect; in fact, she only grew more charming and beautiful.

Using her husband’s connections, she founded her company. Her career took off, her two adorable daughters grew older, and everything seemed to be prospering.

However, the good times didn’t last. Dark days arrived, bringing weeks of endless rain and one argument after another.

Household items were smashed, piece by piece, and the marriage fell into shambles—until the night the terrible news arrived.

After that, she arranged the funeral, had a terrible falling-out with the Liu Family, changed her daughters’ surname, and raised them by herself.

In the blink of an eye, more than twenty years had passed.

She had exhausted herself trying to live a glamorous life, using any means necessary to prove her capabilities—all so that people would respect her, so that the women who once looked down on Jiangg Ruxue would be forced to respect her.

Scenes from the past flashed before her eyes, and Jiangg Ruxue’s thoughts drifted further and further away.

...

Not far from the influencer marketing agency’s office...

...the marketing department of Meiruxue Company was a scene of pure jubilation. The employees were already popping champagne.

"Did you guys see what President Jiangg said in the group chat? She gave a special shout-out to our marketing department and even said we’re getting raises after this!"

"Forget a raise, I’ll just be grateful to get paid on time. I’m completely broke at this point."

"Don’t worry. After this sale, we’ll have nearly hit our sales target for the entire year. Of course, everyone in the marketing department played a huge part, especially Qianqian. That livestreamer you connected us with is a real powerhouse. His stream alone generated more than twenty thousand orders."

"He’s from my hometown, so of course he’d come through for us. I can finally get some real rest after work tonight."

A group of people stretched their stiff limbs at their workstations. Every one of them had bloodshot eyes from the long hours. The endless overtime had left them with aching backs, but their physical exhaustion couldn’t dampen their high spirits. The excitement was plain to see on everyone’s face.

Suddenly, a young man who had been casually sitting on a desk at the front of the room leaped to his feet.

"Don’t anyone go home after work tonight, we’re all going out for a team dinner! President Jiangg said we’re going to Hanhai Lan Ting, and she’s covering the entire bill, no matter how much we order!"

"Holy crap! Long live President Jiangg!"

"Finally, a decent meal! I don’t think I’ve gone out for a proper dinner in over a month."

"Then we have to get the lobster tonight! Hanhai Lan Ting is famous for it. I had it once on a blind date, and the flavor was unforgettable. My mouth is watering just thinking about it."

"Say no more. We’ll make sure you get your lobster tonight."

In the brightly lit office, though there was no lobster yet, the crowd could already picture themselves getting roaring drunk that night, glasses clinking around the dinner table.