When asked about the facial soap, Sheng Jiaojiao glanced at her two classmates before turning to Xie Changning. "We all have experience interning at chemical plants. I think we can tackle the problems with the facial soap, it’s just that—"

"You’re not skilled with fragrances, are you?"

Xie Changning had anticipated what she was going to say, and voiced Sheng Jiaojiao’s thoughts with a smile.

Sheng Jiaojiao nodded. "Yes, Changning. The fragrances we’ve developed are pretty conventional. We can’t make the facial soap stand out in any other way."

"What about in terms of effects? For example, moisturizing, or whitening?"

Xie Changning thought about the various functions of skincare products from her past life and shared her ideas with the three of them.

In truth, Xie Changning hadn’t studied chemistry, so her role was limited to providing suggestions. The actual implementation would have to be handled by the three of them.

Sheng Jiaojiao mulled it over for a moment before speaking.

"As for special effects, we’re not quite there yet either. We think the factory should pull out of the Spring Trade Fair."

Xie Changning’s brow furrowed slightly. "Pulling out of the Spring Trade Fair isn’t an option. Our factory’s orders would be much lower than the competition..." She trailed off in thought, her gaze falling on the aromatherapy products.

She shared her idea with them, but they all brought up the same issue: the fragrance.

"The aromatherapy market is still very small right now. We’re mainly targeting overseas markets, so a conventional scent will do. In the second half of the year, I’ll go abroad and recruit a couple of experts. Once our team is more established, we can then consider developing new fragrance profiles."

Hearing Xie Changning’s plan, Sheng Jiaojiao spoke up.

"In that case, I think the rose fragrance from the Shanghai Daily Chemical Plant is quite good. Maybe you could consider negotiating with their director to purchase the formula, Changning?"

"That could work."

Xie Changning didn’t reject the idea.

With Xie Changning’s approval, the team now had a clear direction for their research and development. Filled with renewed vigor, they temporarily abandoned the path of imitating foreign goods.

They were well aware that even if they developed a new product now, they didn’t have the production line to manufacture it.

It was better to use the production lines they already had to make something they were capable of producing.

With a clear direction, the next step was to divide the labor. Xie Changning’s first task was to contact the director of the Shanghai Daily Chemical Plant to inquire about purchasing their rose fragrance formula.

The answer she received was that the formula was not for sale.

Xie Changning knew that purchasing the formula was a long shot, but before she could even propose an alternative, the person on the other end had already hung up. Their refusal to cooperate was crystal clear.

Xie Changning had to find another way.

While Xie Changning was trying to figure out a solution, a person appeared at the gate of the chemical plant. She was dressed in tattered rags and looked like a beggar.

She walked up to the chemical plant’s entrance and spoke to the security guard.

"I want to see your director."

The security guard looked at the woman and thought she must be insane. ’She wants to see our director dressed like that?’

"Here, I’ll give you two steamed buns. You should get going. Our director isn’t someone you can just meet."

The guard felt sorry for her and couldn’t help but hand her two steamed buns, gesturing for her to leave quickly. This wasn’t a place for her.

The director wasn’t someone you could see just by asking.

The woman took his steamed buns and began to devour them ravenously, but she still managed to speak. "Tell your director I have something she wants. Ask her if she’s interested in expanding her fragrance research and development!"

Her words put the guard in a difficult position.

But the woman insisted on seeing the director and refused to leave. If the director came by and saw her, he’d have a hard time explaining the situation. Finally, he sighed. "Look, I can only promise to contact the vice-director for you. Whether he agrees to let you see the director is up to him. Just stop bothering me."

"Fine."

The woman swallowed the last of the two steamed buns and nodded. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

The guard led her into the vice-director’s office. "Vice-Director, this comrade insists on seeing the director. She says she has something the director wants. I... I didn’t know what else to do, so I brought her to you."

Wang Daqiang was busy contacting other factories, begging and pleading with them to increase their orders.

He was already in a foul mood when he heard someone wanted to see Xie Changning.

He was about to refuse, but when he heard the person claimed to have something Xie Changning wanted, he hesitated, just as the guard had.

After thinking it over, he decided to call Xie Changning and tell her what was happening.

Xie Changning’s eyebrows rose slightly when she got the call, a flicker of interest crossing her mind. "Let her take the phone."

"Hello."

The woman’s voice came through the receiver, clear and distinct.

Xie Changning said, "I hear you have something I want. May I ask what it is?"

"Fragrance formulas."

The other person slowly uttered two words, making Xie Changning sit up straight. She narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure?"

"Of course!"

Xie Changning didn’t play hard to get. She told Wang Daqiang to keep the woman there, and that she was heading to the chemical plant immediately to meet this person who claimed to have fragrance formulas.

Xie Changning had her driver get her there as fast as possible.

When she finally saw the woman, Xie Changning found the visual impact to be a bit much.

If the woman hadn’t claimed she could create fragrances, Xie Changning would have thought she was a refugee. The resemblance was uncanny...

"Director Xie, hello."

The woman spoke with a refined politeness that didn’t match the appearance of a refugee.

’Still, how did she end up in such a state?’

"Hello. May I ask your name?"

"Qiao Tiantian."

Qiao Tiantian introduced herself.

Hearing her name, Xie Changning felt it sounded very familiar.

Wang Daqiang, an avid newspaper reader, hurried to Xie Changning’s side after hearing the name and whispered in her ear, "Director, that’s Qiao Tiantian! The Perfumer who was blacklisted abroad!"

The *National Daily* had reported that Qiao Tiantian, a Chinese student in France, had been expelled from her school for violating regulations and was subsequently blacklisted from the entire industry!

Upon hearing Qiao Tiantian’s identity, Xie Changning’s eyes instantly lit up!

"Comrade Qiao!" Xie Changning’s previous, slightly detached demeanor vanished, replaced by an expression of extreme enthusiasm.

When Qiao Tiantian saw that Xie Changning showed no sign of disapproval over her being blacklisted abroad, she knew she had found the right person.

"Director Xie, I assume you know who I am. I’m currently being blacklisted overseas."

"They’re blacklisting Qiao Tiantian. What does that have to do with our Anong County Chemical Plant? Am I right, my esteemed Perfumer, whom I’ve brought back from abroad?"

A smile spread across Qiao Tiantian’s face at Xie Changning’s words.

She grasped Xie Changning’s hand. "Director Xie, I won’t let you down."

"I believe in you."

Listening to their exchange, Wang Daqiang felt a headache coming on. He truly never expected their factory would land such a genius!

Yes, a genius.

Qiao Tiantian was a genius acknowledged even internationally. It was just that no one knew what had happened to get her expelled.