Chapter 34: 034 part 1
Although lavender had only been listed for a few days, it had—to no one’s surprise—received unanimous praise.
As an aromatic plant, lavender inherently possessed the effects of aiding sleep and calming the nerves. Zhu Ran wasn’t surprised to see buyer feedback stating things like, “After putting lavender in my bedroom, my deep sleep duration became longer.”
“Even interstellar people are troubled by insomnia! It feels good to be able to help everyone solve their sleep problems.”
Zhu Ran had naturally also seen the netizens’ posts about forming groups to buy lavender.
“Actually, in their situation, using lavender aromatherapy would probably be more effective.”
The effects of lavender aromatherapy were intrinsically more powerful than the plant itself. Furthermore, an aromatherapy machine could fill a room of about 15 square meters with aromatic factors. Such a spacious room could allow four people to receive aromatherapy simultaneously, making the treatment more efficient and the cost per person quite affordable.
“After Z’s trial, the lavender essential oil is ready for a new listing. However, since this is the first time listing an essential oil product, which requires a machine and massage techniques, I need to do sufficient teaser marketing and provide detailed instructions before the launch.”
“And if possible, building a separate experience room in the holographic world would be friendlier for customers encountering this new concept.”
Considering that interstellar people knew absolutely nothing about aromatherapy, Zhu Ran decided to hold off on the lavender oil launch until after the promotion event ended.
Meanwhile, to prepare for the upcoming promotion, Zhu Ran decided to stimulate new plants and increase the variety of natural plants in the shop. Currently, the products sold in “Zhu’s Shadow and Fragrance” were limited to just three types: freesia, daisy, and lavender. Even including the Freesia PLUS and daisy tea, there were only five varieties. This selection was indeed a bit sparse; expanding the catalog was imperative.
“The new soil arrived just yesterday. Half will be for planting lavender, and the other half for new plants!”
With that, Zhu Ran purified the ordinary soil that had arrived the previous day and divided it into sixteen pots. Half of them were planted with lavender divisions, giving him a total of twelve pots of lavender.
Next, from the remaining shriveled seeds, he randomly picked two to stimulate.
“I wonder what kind of plant ‘blind box’ I’ll open today? Hmm… the colors of freesia and daisies are very elegant, and lavender’s color is very soft. This time, I want plants with more vibrant colors that provide more visual impact.”
With anticipation for the unknown, Zhu Ran’s spiritual power slowly enveloped the two dormant seeds. The seeds were soaked and permeated by the aura of vitality, then injected with life force.
In no time, the withered black seeds shed their dark coats. Then, with a crack, two tender sprouts broke through the soil.
One sprout grew straight up. Before long, small barbs appeared on the main stem, giving it a somewhat fierce appearance. Its stems were harder than the other three types of flowers, and its leaves were oval, tapering to a point at the tips. It quickly grew to about 40 or 50 cm in height. A moment later, three to five red flowers, as vivid as fire, bloomed at the top—stunningly brilliant. The inverted-teardrop-shaped petals made the whole flower look round and full, emitting a rich, fragrant scent.
The other seed, however, appeared quite short, reaching only about 10 cm. Its color was an elegant pale pinkish-blue, and its shape closely resembled a lotus. The leaves were thick, plump, and full of water, possessing a “fleshy” and succulent beauty.
“They’re red roses and the succulent Xing Meiren.”
Zhu Ran smiled, touching the fuzzy petals of the rose and the rounded leaves of the Xing Meiren (Pachyphytum oviferum).
“I guess my wish came true!”
Zhu Ran was very satisfied with the two types of plants he stimulated today. Roses, being one of the most common flowers, were popular with many people. Red roses, in particular, were hailed as symbols of love and were common gifts between couples. Simultaneously, roses could be used to extract essential oils, whose fragrance could soothe emotions and be used in skincare to alleviate dull skin.
As for the succulent Xing Meiren, its compact and cute appearance made it perfect for a desk. A single glance while working or doing homework could improve anyone’s mood. Furthermore, succulents were easier to keep alive and care for than flowering plants.
“With roses and succulents, plus the three plants currently listed, it should be enough to handle the novice promotion.”
“I can use the remaining spiritual power over the next two days to divide more pots of flowers. Fifty pots a day, one hundred pots in two days, plus the day of the promotion—that way, I can produce about 150 pots of flowers by then.”
Just as Zhu Ran was calculating his yield, a ding sounded from his Starbuy App, notifying him of a message.
[Operations Zhang Jun: Hello, owner of ‘Zhu’s Shadow and Fragrance’! I am Zhang Jun, the person in charge of coordinating the Starbuy One-Day Promotion. You can just call me Xiao Zhang.]
Zhu Ran put down his work, sat on the lounge chair on the balcony basking in the sun, and replied: [Zhu: Hello.]
[Xiao Zhang: Your shop, ‘Zhu’s Shadow and Fragrance,’ will be promoted by the software starting at midnight on the day after tomorrow, January 10th.]
[Xiao Zhang: On that day, we will place video advertisements on Starblog, the largest social platform; the short video platform Star-Image; and within the Starbuy App’s holographic street. The budget is 500,000 credits.]
[Xiao Zhang: Is it convenient for you to shoot some videos of the natural plants for me to use as advertising material?]
A ten-second advertisement usually cost at least 50,000 credits to produce. If eye-catching special effects were added, the cost would rise indefinitely. A one-day promotion couldn’t just have one ad; it needed at least three. Thus, the advertising production alone would consume nearly 150,000 to 200,000 credits. With only 300,000 left for placement across three channels, the funds were tight.
Cursed old geezer, giving such a small budget. So stingy.
Xiao Zhang grumbled to himself but didn’t pass his dissatisfaction or anxiety on to Zhu Ran.
[Zhu: Of course I can.]
Zhu Ran used what was on hand, filming videos and taking photos of the plants on the balcony. He also entered the holographic world and filmed the mini-ecological garden there as material. He packaged everything together and sent it to Zhang Jun.
Upon receiving the materials, Zhang Jun’s eyes suddenly lit up.
Whoa!
Were these videos just casually shot with an optical computer? They’re practically cinematic! The atmosphere is incredible!
In the footage Zhu Ran provided, lush natural plants bathed in golden sunlight. The plant fuzz on the leaves seemed sprinkled with gold dust by the rays, draping the entire scene in a layer of pale gold—sacred and flawless. Alternatively, as night fell, the moonlight and flower shadows complemented each other under serene lights. The aura was natural and lingering, as beautiful as a dream.
Even these raw, unedited videos achieved effects that didn’t pale in comparison to advertisements loaded with special effects. They caught the eye instantly.
[Xiao Zhang: Do you have any specific requirements for the advertisements?]
Zhu Ran pondered for a moment: [Zhu: If possible, try to restore the original state of the plants as much as possible. Don’t add too many special effects or filters.]
[Zhu: The video content could be produced like this: after a fresh rain, tender sprouts break through the soil, suddenly blooming into vibrant flowers, which eventually grow into a garden full of spring color, where everything the eye can see is a heart-pounding red.]
[Zhu: Or simply showcase these plants by species with a few simple transitions.]
…
Zhu Ran communicated his ideas to Zhang Jun, and the two hit it off immediately, reaching a consensus—the advertisements for “Zhu’s Shadow and Fragrance” would use the most authentic videos as material, without adding flashy effects or dramatic ad copy.
After finalizing the requirements, Zhang Jun was beaming. The owner of “Zhu’s Shadow and Fragrance” was indeed a man of ideas with great taste. Zhang Jun had initially worried about what to do if the owner demanded a “mecha battle” video; it turned out he had completely overthought it. Zhu’s ideas were fantastic—not only did they showcase the most authentic beauty of the natural plants, but they also… saved a lot of money.
This way, the production costs for several ads might not even reach 10,000 credits. The remaining funds could then be used to secure better ad slots, allowing more people to see the “Zhu’s Shadow and Fragrance” advertisements. Xiao Zhang’s suppressed frustration from the past few days vanished.
[Xiao Zhang: By the way, how many natural plants do you plan to list on the day of the promotion?]
[Zhu: About 150 pots of natural plants plus some derivative products. I don’t know if that’s enough.]
Zhang Jun frowned: [Xiao Zhang: 150 might be a bit low. Can you prepare more? According to our estimates, we can bring tens of thousands of customers to your shop that day. With a conversion rate of 5%, 500 pots would be safer. 150 is indeed a bit few.]
Five… five hundred pots?!
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