The shop manager's smile was slightly awkward: "Perhaps everyone is more cheerful today? Miss Fei Tu, is there something wrong with you?"
Fei Tu Hu Po didn't think too deeply about it and shook her head slightly: "Although everyone's smiles seemed a bit forced... it seems like they were all speaking from the heart."
As a young woman in her prime, with her senses at their peak, Hitotsu Amber was able to deduce things simply by observing everyone's expressions and behaviors.
She was genuinely pleased with herself for being beautiful and for Kotobuki's excellent taste in horse racing... In that case, there's no need to worry too much about the rest.
As long as everyone praises Kotobuki's good eye and finds an excellent racehorse girl, then we are all good friends!
-------------
After touring most of the main departments of Venus Tokyo, the group took the elevator to the high-floor conference room to wait for Kotobuki's arrival.
In the spacious conference room, an introductory video about the Victory Suit was being played, or rather, an advertisement for the Venus Company's design of the Victory Suit.
The "Victory Suit" is the highest-level outfit that horse girls are only allowed to wear when competing in G1-level races. Wearing the Victory Suit allows them to compete against other horse girls in their best form and present the race as a gift to the audience and the three goddesses.
Currently, Venus Company primarily designs and manufactures its wedding gowns using materials such as cotton, silk, wool, and fur. The materials can be chosen according to your specific needs, whether it's a wedding dress, swimwear, or any other type of gown. We will do our utmost to meet your requirements.
To meet the ever-changing demands of the race girls for final outfits and to provide more personalized designs... the technology for metal armor-type final outfits is currently under development.
Of course, if this is your first time purchasing a racehorse outfit, don't worry. No matter how gorgeous the final design of the outfit is, how unique the materials are, or how complicated the accessories are, even if you choose to wear high heels or clogs on the track or dance on the winner's stage, it will not affect the racehorse's performance or results in any way.
[The "Final Victory Outfit" is a second skin bestowed upon the racehorse girl through the blessings of the three goddesses.]
Accompanied by pre-recorded narration, Hitotsu Amber could also see on the television screen the horse girls running in all sorts of winning outfits, each with their own beautiful appearance and vying for attention...
It's easy to be likable at first glance, and attracting a large number of fans should be a given.
"And that's not all... Now that AR track technology has been widely adopted, the final outfits blessed by the three goddesses will also serve as 'anchor points' for lighting and adding special effects for you."
At that moment, the conference room door was pushed open, and a tall, slender woman with delicate and elegant features walked in.
The moment she walked in, everyone felt that the already bright lights in the conference room shone even brighter...
Even Hitotsu Amber, who no longer felt much for women and even occasionally felt a sense of rejection and alienation, was momentarily distraught upon seeing the woman walk in.
But soon, Hitotsu Amber began to scrutinize this extraordinary woman with a critical eye.
Judging from her appearance, this girl could at most be described as pretty and charming, and even the curves of her cheeks and face had a kind of masculine incongruity... If such a girl were thrown into a human school, she might be voted the class beauty or school beauty by the young boys who were in the throes of puberty.
However, if placed in the Uma Musume Pretty Derby academy, her looks would clearly be lacking; she'd be lucky to rank in the middle...
But this woman gives the impression of being "absolutely beautiful" and "moving," even though her eyes, nose, and mouth are not exactly the best shapes.
But it is precisely because of these unremarkable facial features, coupled with the aura she exudes, and the way she smiles and frowns... that she gives people a completely different feeling.
She has an ordinary appearance yet is breathtakingly beautiful; a flat figure yet is incredibly alluring; charming yet resolute... her whole being is filled with the beauty of "contradictions" and "contrasts".
It was probably this sense of contrast that caused me to feel momentarily disoriented.
This unique woman immediately sensed the curious and scrutinizing gaze of Fei Tu Hu Po, and then returned a light laugh in the direction Fei Tu Hu Po was looking.
After carefully examining the Scarlet Amber, the somewhat mysterious woman showed a hint of surprise.
Kotobuki followed her into the meeting room, waving and greeting everyone: "Hey everyone, you're all on time! Let's get ready to begin!"
The beautiful woman nodded slightly and said, "Hello everyone, I am today's designer and the dance teacher invited to take on students. You may call me Narcissus, or even better, Nana."
“Narcissus…” Amber pondered for a moment, her not-so-high-memory brain’s CPU instantly offering a critical suggestion, “This name sounds so masculine…”
"That's right, this nickname is the name of the most beautiful man in Greek mythology."
"what?"
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First update is here!
Please please please please
Chapter 181 I think you have the potential to charm everyone!
"Eh... it really is a male name. Even though you said it's a symbol of beauty, it's still a masculine name. Won't people misunderstand if we use this as a nickname?"
"What were you misunderstood as?"
"If you only look at the brand name, people might mistake you for a man or something, right?"
"Eh?"
Nana covered her mouth with her fingertips in surprise. It wasn't hard to imagine that if she didn't have a folding fan in her hand, this amazing beauty would have covered her mouth with an open folding fan like a Yamato Nadeshiko and then laughed softly.
"This girl is amazing, so innocent, so cute, so adorably silly... I love her! Miss, could you give her to me as my assistant?"
Kotobuki shook her head: "No way, she's an active racehorse girl now, much busier than you think, and shouldn't this be a matter of asking for her own wishes?"
Fei Tu Hu Po tilted her head and listened to the two's question and answer, feeling as if she were floating in the clouds, completely unable to understand... nor did she quite understand why Nana would say that she was silly.
Has my foolishness become so obvious now?
She hadn't even said a few words, yet she was able to accurately describe her occasional silly behavior.
Could he really be a master?
“Narcissus… oh no, Miss Nana, why would you say I’m stupid?”
"Because you have a kind of adorably silly charm."
Narcissus swaggered up and sat down on the table with an air of nonchalance. “Is it possible that I am a man? In other words, what Chinese people call a male dan (female impersonator) and what Japanese people call an onnagata (female impersonator)?”
Regarding female roles and female impersonators, Hitoko had learned about them in her stage course books. It was said that these types of stage roles were played by men, and mostly by men who played those beautiful and unique women.
However, male actors playing female roles must showcase feminine charm on stage. This requires male actors to accumulate and refine their skills, manners, qualities, and experiences over a long period of time before they can truly embody these qualities. This is something that female actors cannot imitate or replace.
It is said that men are the ones who understand male preferences and aesthetics best, so the charm displayed by female impersonators and female impersonators is a unique, ethereal allure that most women cannot achieve...
A famous novelist once said something like, "The greatest and most enduring art is men dressing as women."
This shocked Amber even more...
The charm this teacher exuded was absolutely unlike anything I had ever seen before; it was the kind of ethereal allure that only female impersonators possessed…
"So powerful." Hibiki Amber was utterly astonished by Nana's skill. "So, I should call you Nana..."
"Cough cough~"
"It's still Miss Nana, right..."
"You're quite clever, little colt, when it comes to assessing the situation."
Narcissus jumped off the table and laughed, "That's where my nickname comes from. The most beautiful person in Greek mythology, who can bewitch both men and women."
The noblewoman whispered to Amber the story from Greek mythology: "Narcissus was washing clothes in the river when he saw his reflection on the water. He became so enchanted that he couldn't help himself... and then he threw himself into the river and died, turning into a daffodil. That's why the daffodil also symbolizes narcissism."
"This name is unlucky."
"I only wanted to be the most beautiful person and create the most beautiful clothes, so I chose this nickname. I have no intention of drowning myself."
Narcissus sat back in his chair, resting his chin on his hands. "Come on, time is limited. I was asked to come, and I didn't really want to, but after seeing you, Miss Fei Tu, I've discovered that you also have the potential to charm everyone. Let's talk about what's next."
Seeing that Narcissus was acting all business, the shopkeeper took out several neatly bound documents and placed them flat on the table.
"This is the cooperation agreement prepared by Venus. Miss Fei Tu, you can take a look first... The content of the agreement is not the final version, and we can still negotiate and modify it."
At this point, the shop manager's face darkened. She was just a gossipy, sales-oriented clerk who liked to promote products. Although she had been promoted to this position thanks to the help of various influential people, her business skills still needed time to improve...
What makes me think I'm sitting at the negotiating table now, with my own company's son and boss sitting across from me? Even when interviewing for a senior management position, I wouldn't be facing two big shots like these at the same time, would I?
What? I'm going to negotiate with Kotobuki Toru? Really?
But the adult world is cruel; many things can't be avoided just because you can't do them. The shop manager coughed lightly and read the contract in her hand. "If it takes too long to read, I can briefly explain it to you, Miss Fei Tu."
"Given that your financial situation and debt situation may not be ideal, we will not quote you a price for the design and production of this decisive outfit for the time being... I'm afraid the number will be too big and make you dizzy."
Fei Tu Hu Po nodded quickly. During the time she had been roommates with the noblewoman, her values had been in a state of collapse... The noblewoman only looked at how many zeros and how many digits the price had when she bought things, without paying any attention to the price at all.
Unlike me, I always check various platforms for new coupons before shopping and do my homework before placing an order.
Sometimes, even Hitotsu Kohaku's Dao Heart would nearly collapse. At those times, she would even start to have unrealistic fantasies of getting rich quick, such as Kotobuki Toru suddenly finding his long-lost father and instantly obtaining assets worth tens of billions...
Of course, he wasn't thinking about sharing the money from playing the violin. He just fantasized about becoming rich after playing the violin so he could buy a villa and have a security guard job for himself, where it would be warm in winter and cool in summer...
It would be great to get paid while sleeping!
"If the final outfit doesn't cost money... that would be even better!" Hito Amber looked intently at the floral clothing store manager. "I've heard that many racehorse girls' first final outfits are sponsored by clothing companies, right?"
The shop manager nodded.
Forget about being reserved or embarrassed, Fei Tu Hu Po patted her soft chest and promised, "I'm very cute, please give me the final outfit for free."
“Yes…that’s what we think too.” The shop manager nodded. “However, Venus is also a world-class equestrian fashion brand, so our requirements are definitely higher than those of other companies.”
The Scarlet Rabbit Amber listened intently.
"First of all, we require that... Miss Scarlet Amber, you become our exclusive spokesperson for the rest of your career, which means that all your clothes must be products provided by Venus."
"That's what I'm wearing right now. And isn't Treson's school uniform also from Venus?"
"But your current underwear isn't, is it?"
"Huh? You want this too?"
"That's right. If the horse girl accidentally exposes herself, the discussion will be huge! Our company can't afford to miss out on that kind of buzz."
"That works too... Anyway, your underwear is quite comfortable to wear."
Kotobuki nudged Hitoko with her elbow at this moment: "Be careful of her words. She just said that products under the Venus brand, and clothing provided by them..."
This includes the secret of why couples choose Venus statues to enhance their relationship!
-----------
The second update is here, please please please please please!
Chapter 182 It's Sold to Venus (Bounty 18)
"Even in Venus stores, not all clothes are popular... Occasionally, or rather often, they release clothes that are not good-looking. Having a good brand reputation does not mean that all products are good."
Kotobuki couldn't directly tell Hitoko Amber, "Of all the Venus ideas, the best-selling item is the Venus horse racing girl costume, and the second best-selling item is the secret winning outfit within Venus's secret. There's a high probability that these people will give you those clothes too."
Moreover, the art of negotiation and bargaining is essentially a game of offense and defense. You should never rush to agree to the other party's proposal. Instead, you should first use a critical eye to find the flaws and then gradually magnify these shortcomings.
Negotiators who immediately say "okay, okay" and "fine, fine" without offering any discounts will definitely be seen as easy targets and then get ripped off!
So Kotobuki Toru changed his metaphor: "You know Paris Fashion Week, right? Although it's called the fashion capital, most of the clothes at Paris Fashion Week are actually incredibly ugly. They look like burlap sacks, garbage cans, or undercooked pork belly. Would you really want to wear something like that?"
Hitotsu Kohaku tilted her head and pondered. After listening to Kotobuki Toru's words, she was indeed somewhat conflicted. For idols, image meant the ability to amass a large fanbase...
The better the image, the more willing fans are to spend money; conversely, if the image and reputation are bad, fans will choose to distance themselves.
"But everyone here at Venus seems pretty easy to talk to, so they probably won't make me wear those ugly clothes, right?"
Sitting across the table, Nana let out an unhappy sneer: "It's fine to advise people, and it's fine to bargain, but don't throw mud at us designers. Clothes that aren't good-looking will never leave Venus's design department. That's what we designers are paid to do."
At this moment, Kotobuki raised her hand and excitedly joined the bargaining: "Then, take me! Let's get a 90% discount!"
The shop manager was almost in tears... Her boss's bargaining power was as strong as ever. This wasn't bargaining; it was practically stabbing and robbing!
However, as a staff member entrusted by Kotobuki to represent Venus, she still had to show her stance. "Miss Kotobuki's request to negotiate a lower price is rejected! If you continue to negotiate such an unreasonable price, I will have someone escort you out."
Qinchui stuck out his tongue and closed his mouth contentedly.
Narcissus's words were reasonable and convincing, and coupled with her inherently alluring demeanor and behavior, Amber immediately sided with her.
"I think Miss Nana is absolutely right! TouTou, your bargaining tactics seem a bit too aggressive!"
Kotobuki Toru almost spat a mouthful of blood onto Hitoko Amber's chest. Negotiations and scheming contests are fine if teammates don't speak up... but the worst thing is encountering a useless teammate.
Someone like Fei Tu Hu Po could be easily fooled into betraying others with just a few words, or inadvertently reveal everyone's secrets, or even put pressure on teammates.
As the shop manager chosen by Kotobuki, the flower shop manager instantly demonstrated her remarkable ability to seize opportunities. Taking advantage of Hitoko Amber's reprimand of Kotobuki Toru, she said, "That's right, the clothes designed by Venus are actually very tasteful. Moreover, the designer who designed your clothes this time is none other than one of our chief designers, Miss Nana! Miss Nana's appearance fee is usually not cheap... or rather, it's super, super expensive, and it's always available, depending on when Miss Nana is free to design!"
A professional salesperson prepares everything needed for the negotiation before it even begins. As he spoke, the shop manager of the floral clothing store pressed the remote control in his hand.
"This is the hottest horse girl idol of our time, Maki-rei; this is the veteran popular horse girl, Ki-daka; and this one... The winning outfits they're wearing were all designed by Nana."
A variety of winning outfits appeared on the PPT, including formal dresses, kimonos, and even gorgeous military uniforms. Each outfit was unforgettable, not only for its splendor but also for its perfect match for the style of Uma Musume.
No wonder Narcissus is so highly regarded by the manager of the floral clothing store at the Venus flagship store in Tokyo, and even requires teachers to make appointments in advance. She is indeed very talented.
"But this agreement is practically a contract of servitude... Giving up three years of exclusive endorsement rights to Venus just for a single dress is a huge loss."
Hitoko is their own racehorse girl, and Venus is also part of their business. They are both equally dear to them, but after weighing the pros and cons, Kotobuki Toru decided to stand on the same side as Hitoko.
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