From early in the morning, Rose had been bustling around the venue for the press conference.
They had been promoting in every fashion media platform, mobile ads, and billboards in fashion districts. In the end, they even splurged on promoting a trend on social media, which linked directly to the ad video shot by Winston.
Winston's influence was, of course, extraordinary. The online views for the ad soared to over a billion in just one day.
Headlines like "Spotlight Beauty's New Product Launch," "Winston," and "Star International Design Award" popped up one after another.
"Ms. Rose, we're getting a rousing response from all our promotional efforts."
"With Winston's endorsement and his massive fan base, coupled with the international influence of Ms. Summers, there's no doubt our new product is a smashing success."d2
"I bet by no later than next year, our brand will be known worldwide. Spotlight Beauty has done it—the H Country brand has gone international."
The team gathered around Rose, brimming with pride and joy.
"Thanks to Ms. Summers. If it weren't for her, Spotlight Beauty probably wouldn't have reached the current scale for another decade or more."
Chloe was their company's savior. Thank God she was Ms. Rose' good friend, offering her help unconditionally.
Rose smiled, taking in the fully prepared venue before turning to her colleagues with a glass of juice in her hand from a nearby table.
"Chloe has been instrumental, but you all are just as important. It's your wisdom and hard work that has taken Spotlight Beauty this monumental step forward.
“As the CEO of Spotlight Beauty, I thank you all for your dedication, for helping me inch closer to my dreams, and I believe Spotlight Beauty is a platform where you can achieve your dreams too.
Let's continue to work together for our dreams, for glory, and for ourselves."
Moved by Rose's words, everyone raised their glasses in a toast and drained them in celebration.
"Just waiting for this success party to wrap up smoothly."
Rose smiled, glancing sideways to ask, "What time is it now?"
"Two o'clock, one more hour until the journalists arrive."
Rose nodded, "Let's do one last check for any oversights."
"Sure thing."
Everyone went back to their posts, ensuring everything was in order. A final check wouldn't take long.
Before long, they regrouped, and after confirming all was well, they sat down to rest, each with a phone in hand.
Rose took a seat by the window, gazing out through the blue-tinted glass at the gloomy, foggy sky outside. In the distance, the top of the tall buildings already had aviation warning lights flashing.
Her juice had been replaced by a thermos, which she now cradled as she gazed distantly, lost in thought.
Meanwhile, her colleagues whispered among themselves.
Rose didn't mind. After days of planning, making snap decisions, setting up the venue, and handling publicity and security, the workload had been heavy. Now with a moment to rest, she wasn't going to squeeze them even in downtime.
But soon, a pair nudged each other over to her side. Their pushing and shoving broke through Rose's reverie. She turned to them with a gentle smile, "What's up?"
They glanced at each other, relieved by Rose's good mood, then said: "Mrs. Witt, today is Mr. Witt's birthday. The banquet is almost starting now, and it's held at the Witt family's own hotel. It's super luxurious. Many people have already started sharing photos online. Are you not going to attend?"
Rose's eyes flickered, "I can't leave this event."
Some looked disappointed, "But as his wife, is it really okay not to attend Mr. Witt's birthday party?"
Rose smiled wryly, "Birthdays should be happy occasions. There might be other not-so-pure motives involved, but my attendance doesn't seem that significant, and I really am tied up here."
"But you're Mrs. Witt. Your absence will surely cause a stir."
Rose exhaled softly, her smile tinged with resignation, "Let them enjoy their fun. We better focus on our tasks here."
Sensing she didn't want to linger on the subject, the others backed off with a sense of loss.
Everyone had been watching the exchange, and while it seemed unusual for a wife not to attend her husband's birthday, in R City, the Witt couple's unorthodoxy was the norm.
"Wow, it's snowing!"
Minutes later, someone shouted in surprise, and people flocked to the windows.
Returning from the restroom, Rose saw her team pressing their faces to the glass, their voices filled with excitement.
"The snow's heavier than last year. It hasn't been long since the last one."
"This looks bigger than the first snowfall. It is so beautiful."
"Ah, makes me want to play outside. It's been ages since I've really enjoyed the snow."
"Speaking as a southerner, I've never seen snow this heavy."
Rose's gaze lifted to the sky, where silent, heavy flakes drifted down. She watched, lips pressed together in a silent realization.
Sure enough, it was snowing again.
At three o'clock, journalists began to trickle in, and several celebrities from the fashion world also made appearances. Despite this, many on the guest list were no-shows, having chosen to attend Morrison's birthday instead.
Though Spotlight Beauty was a promising startup, it was still green behind the ears compared to the established Witt Co. In the world of business, it's the big fish that rule the pond. In R City, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who wouldn't want to rub shoulders with the Witts.
Journalists were easy to deal with. Their specialties varied, and besides, a magazine agency surely didn't have only one journalist. They could attend the Spotlight Beauty's new product launch, and some else could be sent to attend Morrison's birthday banquet to gain some exposure.
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