BEAUTY.
That was the name of the facial mask.
Named by John himself.
The moment the name echoed through the auction hall, a ripple of excitement swept through the audience—especially the ladies.
What woman didn't want to be a beauty? The name alone felt like a promise, a dream in product form.
It was elegant. Aspirational. Perfect branding.
"BEAUTY" was bound to take the market by storm.
The crowd leaned forward in anticipation, eager to know one thing: When would it go on sale?
Yelena, standing confidently on stage, answered the unspoken question.
"Starting next month," she announced. "Our Queenie Group will officially establish a branch in the provincial capital, and our main product will be this facial mask."
At that, she cast a subtle glance toward John, seated in the VIP section.
It had been his idea to open the branch.
At first, when John proposed the expansion, even Yelena had thought he was being reckless.
She had been part of Queenie's original founding team and had remained fiercely loyal ever since. When rumors spread that Queenie was keeping a so-called toy boy, the internal turmoil nearly tore the company apart—but Yelena's team had stayed focused. They had never meddled in Queenie's personal life.
Still, when Queenie handed over leadership to John, many within the team were skeptical.
And when John declared he was opening a branch in the provincial capital before even launching the product, resistance turned to outright objection.
"Shouldn't we test the waters first?" they argued.
"You're provoking established skincare giants—we'll be crushed before we begin!"
But John was unfazed.
And when they reluctantly developed the formula he provided—expecting nothing more than a glorified moisturizer—they were stunned.
The moment the team finished testing, their attitudes changed overnight.
They ran comprehensive tests: hydration, skin tone improvement, elasticity, sensitivity checks, and more. Each trial yielded results they couldn't believe.
This wasn't just a good facial mask—it was a revolution.
They had never seen anything like it.
Suddenly, John didn't seem so reckless. He seemed… brilliant.
They understood now. John hadn't proposed the expansion out of arrogance—he had done it out of certainty. The product spoke for itself. It was powerful enough to carry a company worth hundreds of billions.
From that moment on, Yelena's team completely changed their perception of him.
Still, they didn't know the full truth.
For John, launching the branch wasn't just a business strategy.
It was a declaration of war.
To all the companies in the skincare sector—especially the Yeats family—it was a challenge thrown in their faces.
He wanted to make it clear: I'm here to take your market. Try and stop me.
They called him a barbarian. They mocked him as trash.
Now he would respond without a single insult.
This auction? This stage?
This was his counterattack.
And it was devastating.
From their seats, Nick and Marcia Yeats sat stone-faced, their expressions darkening by the minute.
They weren't sure just how involved John was in all of this, but the timing, the product, and the presentation all felt like they had been meticulously planned to undermine them.
Was this revenge?
Marcia's nails dug into the armrest, her lips pressed into a bitter line.
Damn it!
Meanwhile, the rest of the room buzzed with excitement.
Especially the rich ladies. They didn't care about the drama behind the scenes—they just wanted the product on shelves tomorrow.
The Queenie Group was about to explode into the hottest skincare brand in the market.
Once the crowd settled, the host returned to the microphone with a surprising announcement.
"Thank you, Ms. Yelena. In fact, the reason we introduced this incredible facial mask today… was entirely the suggestion of Master of Clouds himself."
Gasps filled the room.
What?!
This wasn't just a brand collaboration. It was a strategic masterstroke.
Some skeptics had begun whispering earlier—accusing the organizers of hijacking a charity event to soft-launch a product. But now that they knew it was Master of Clouds's idea, everything changed.
After all, if the enigmatic artist endorsed it…
It meant he had a close connection to the Queenie Group.
Nick and Marcia both turned sharply toward John.
Could it be...?
Master of Clouds is working with the Queenie Group?
Then why didn't Queenie ever mention it?
They didn't realize that Queenie had already cut ties with them emotionally. Why would she tell them anything? Especially about someone they constantly insulted?
Now they could only sit in stunned silence as the implications sank in.
The host smiled and continued.
"Tonight, thanks to Ms. Yelena and Queenie Group's generosity, we will be giving away 1,000 samples of the BEAUTY facial mask after the auction. Please note, quantities are limited. If you don't get one tonight, don't worry. The full product launch is coming soon."
Excitement surged again.
People could hardly contain themselves. A thousand samples wouldn't be enough—not even close. They now needed this product.
As promised, the host also handed out ten autograph prints of Master of Clouds to the women who participated in the trial.
Lanny held hers tightly.
She had been looking forward to this moment, imagining what the signature would look like.
But when she finally saw it… she was stunned.
Even though she had prepared herself, the elegance of the calligraphy, the artistry of the stroke—it felt like looking at a piece of the man himself.
And for some reason… she couldn't shake the feeling that she had seen this style before.
Somewhere close.
Very close.