The Self-Cultivation of a Reborn Massage Therapist

Chapter 428 Repaying with Li
After a while, Zhou Min finally came to her senses from the unprecedented feeling of ease in her body, and suddenly realized that there was still a person lying on the ground!

Zhao Xiaochui was lying slumped in the middle of the water stains on the floor, completely soaked, as if he had just been pulled out of the water, lying there motionless.

Zhou Min's heart leaped into her throat, overwhelmed by panic and guilt.

She instinctively wanted to rush out and call for help, but before she could take a step, she was stopped by Zhao Xiaochui's heavy breathing:
"Don't...don't panic...come here..."

Zhou Min immediately stopped in her tracks, ignoring the water stains and essential oil on the ground, and quickly knelt down beside him.

"See...see the earphone behind my ear..." Zhao Xiaochui panted, instructing slowly and deliberately, "Knock three times...knock rhythmically..."

Zhou Min did as he was told, her fingers trembling slightly as she found the small device behind his ear and tapped it three times in the rhythm he instructed.

Almost the instant the knocking was finished, the studio door was suddenly pushed open, and Pan Xiaoli appeared in the doorway, holding Zan Xin's new uniform.

Seeing Zhao Xiaochui lying on the ground, she had a calm expression on her face, as if she were used to it.

Zhao Xiaochui took a few deep breaths before he could catch his breath.

He let Pan Xiaoli wipe his sweat, then turned to Zhou Min and whispered, "President Zhou, please keep what just happened a secret."

As soon as she finished speaking, Pan Xiaoli paused noticeably in her wiping motion, looking at Zhou Min with a hint of surprise.

Zhou Min met their gazes and took a deep breath.

She recalled the electric-like warmth she had just experienced and the scene of Zhao Xiaochui's disheveled fall, and her eyes gradually shifted from shock to determination.

"Teacher Zhao, don't worry." Her voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear, "I didn't come today!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xiaochui's face showed a wry smile, and he quickly waved his hand:
"No, no, no! Mr. Zhou, please don't call me that, I can't accept it. You can just call me 'Xiao Zhao' or 'Technician'."

He took a breath, his face regaining some color, and explained with a sincere smile:

"Besides, the situation isn't as serious as you think. It's just that the method I used earlier was quite taxing, so I can't use it lightly. After all... not every guest is worth my full effort like you are."

Please stay here for the full fifteen minutes before leaving.

Zhou Min nodded repeatedly in agreement. Before coming, she had done some research on the relaxed and leisurely lifestyle. The wealthy circle's pursuit of this lifestyle was definitely not the same as the tactics the young man had just used on her; otherwise, it wouldn't be about admiration, but about possession and competition.

Looking at Zhao Xiaochui's tired face, she suddenly said softly, "Technician Zhao, when I came here, I saw your store trending online."

Zhao Xiaochui was taken aback, his face filled with confusion: "Trending topics? What trending topics?"

He remained focused on the massage, completely unaware of the turmoil outside.

Seeing his innocent expression, Zhou Min suddenly smiled and explained:
"It's about your store's announcement regarding the Huaxia Cotton incident, declaring that you will refuse to provide services to personnel related to certain international brands. The internet is in an uproar right now, with a lot of support but also a lot of controversy."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xiaochui's eyes widened as he looked at Pan Xiaoli.

The gentle young lady shrugged helplessly and said softly, "A member leaked today's invitation QR code, and the content of the announcement was also exposed. Although his membership was canceled, the impact has already been caused."

Zhao Xiaochui blinked, seemingly taking a while to process the news, and finally just gave a faint "Oh".

Seeing his pure and innocent appearance, Zhou Min felt even more admiration for this young man.

With a hint of amusement, she gently reminded him, "Technician Zhao, while Easy Slow Travel will never lack customers, perhaps your extended businesses, such as the linen brand, should also pay attention to market trends?"

Zhao Xiaochui nodded gratefully, then shook his head, his tone calm yet firm: "President Zhou, thank you for reminding me. But those things are for the professional team in the office area to worry about. My job is to do a good job with the massages and make more money. If anything goes wrong with the additional services, at least I can provide a safety net for everyone, so that those who work for me won't be left without a job."

"..."

Zhou Min looked at the young man with some confusion, but she understood the subtext of his words—that under the structure of a limited liability company, individuals bear unlimited liability?

This sense of responsibility moved her, but as an expert deeply involved in agriculture, she still felt it necessary to point out a deeper issue:
"Technician Zhao, I understand your thoughts. But I want to remind you that the Huaxia Cotton incident is essentially an attempt by Western vested interest groups to block Huaxia Cotton's attempt to gain market share in the high-end market."

She paused, her tone becoming serious:
“Once Huaxia Cotton gains a foothold in the high-end market with its quality and technology, breaking their long-term monopoly and pricing power, that’s what they really can’t tolerate.”

Zhao Xiaochui listened with blinking eyes. Suddenly, he touched his pocket, where he found Egyptian cotton seeds that made the billionaire Bellini so proud.

"Isn't Egyptian cotton the best cotton in the world?" Zhao Xiaochui asked, puzzled.

Looking at this young man who seemed particularly "naive" outside of his professional field, Zhou Min couldn't help but smile.

What's even more amazing is that he knew nothing about it, yet he was able to create linen products that were in high demand in the European and American high-end markets.

Although production is limited, the sanctions announced by the two international brands may well be related to this.

She patiently explained, "You're right, Egyptian long-staple cotton is indeed recognized as a top-tier luxury material. But in the eyes of international bulk traders and high-end brands, American cotton is the mainstream in the market and the benchmark for pricing."

"Although our country is a major cotton producer, in order to meet the needs of the textile industry and earn foreign exchange, we still need to import about 200 million tons of cotton every year, mainly American and Australian cotton. This is because international buyers only recognize the standards of these producing countries."

"To put it bluntly, this is a game where the rules are set by others. If our textile factories want to receive orders and earn foreign exchange, they have to follow their rules. And if Huaxia Cotton wants to break through this ceiling and enter the high-end market, it will naturally touch the nerves of the vested interests."

Looking at this patient woman, Zhao Xiaochui felt as if he were seeing the chubby receptionist, both of them earnestly teaching him.

He vaguely understood something, scratched his head, and asked, "You mean... the best cotton in the world..."

"Actually, it's in China?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Min nodded with satisfaction and affirmed, "That's right."

Instead of answering directly, she first presented a comparison:
"The world's most efficient cotton picking and baling machines are in the United States. But to make the finest fabrics, manual picking is often necessary to preserve fiber length and quality to the greatest extent possible."

She looked at Zhao Xiaochui, her tone deep:

“Think about our vast and well-trained human resources, and our relatively controllable cost advantage. Once we truly break the West’s pricing power in the high-end fabric market by leveraging our two major advantages of ‘top-quality raw materials’ and ‘meticulous craftsmanship’…”

She paused, letting Zhao Xiaochui grasp the weight of the meaning for himself:

"Then you'll understand why they're so eager to bring up 'Chinese cotton'."

Finally, Zhou Min spoke slowly and deliberately, uttering two names that embodied the hard work and hopes of countless agricultural researchers:

"Cotton Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences"

"A special long-staple cotton variety, Zhongmian 113!"

"XJ Academy of Agricultural Sciences Institute of Economic Crops"

"Special Sea Island long-staple cotton variety, Xin Hai 60!"

(End of this chapter)