Chapter 103 - Showdown Of Wits

The idea of making a jewelry business is inspired by the necklace that Winter received from Marcellus last night.

Not too long ago, she was not very fond of such luxuries. Even when she became the head of a multi-million company before, she didn't develop any interest in them. She considered them as mere symbols of wealth and status, and even though they could also be used as emergency funds, she regarded them as nothing but a heavy burden that she had to carry around.

It did make Winter beautiful, but it didn't make her happy.

That's until Marcellus started giving her different kinds of accessories as presents. 

At first, she didn't like how he kept spending money on something so expensive. She believed that he was only trying to sway her with his wealth. The costlier it is, the prouder the giver must be. She loathes the idea of a woman falling for a man only because he woos her with such extravagances every day. But then, the game soon changed when he started putting meanings and emotions to it.

'Rather than a symbol of wealth and status, it becomes a symbol of one's feelings. It doesn't mean to boast nor make others envious, but rather, it reminds the wearer of how much that person cares. That's what makes jewelry special,' was what Winter came to realize.

Now, she can't believe she's going to use such a magnificent idea as her very first business proposal to a group of people who may not even be able to relate with her. She doubts that they can even grasp the deep meaning behind it, considering how indifferent they are to the matters of the heart.

'But hey, this is business we're talking about. They won't care about such things as long as they earn profit from it. No matter how indifferent they are, as people who manage a large-scale corporate, they've got to look at this through the consumers' perspective.' 

The whole dining hall remains quiet until now.

Winter is not sure if everyone is silently anticipating her crash course on jewelry or if this is only another form of their aggravating sarcasm. Nevertheless, she just proceeded with her explanation, keeping it as short as possible yet making sure to highlight its charms at the same time.

"You see, Uncle and Aunt, precious stones, gemstones, and jewelry have always been connected to human culture since time immemorial. These beautiful adornments continue to hold meaning and value. Throughout the course of history, jewelry has been offered as a trophy, an amulet, and sometimes, even art. It perfectly symbolizes love, a celebration of milestones, and of course, the ultimate representation of wealth…" Winter began again.

"Interestingly enough, while the value of the world's currencies constantly fluctuates, gold, diamonds, and other precious metals and stones have remained stable. Despite the many global economic downturns, the value of jewelry has held strong. Though their price also fluctuates, its value has never truly depreciated significantly. And instead, it continues to steadily appreciate over time."

"Indeed. That's true," Cyrus commented, showing slight interest. 

"Jewelry businesses represent a unique market. They are not aimed at catering to a need or a comfort. Rather, selling jewelry is based more on promoting emotions using symbolism that can go back to the traditions of hundreds of years ago. That's where a good jewelry marketing strategy can make a difference."

Everyone is still quiet.

No one's talking at all.

What Winter doesn't realize is that she's talking like how she does whenever she's with Marcellus, George and Violet – the sole three figureheads who know about her identity as an investor and a business owner. Everyone in that dining hall is drawn by her articulate speech and stunned by her vast knowledge. She does it casually yet professionally, and in each passing moment, she is becoming more and more formidable in their eyes.

"The industry is dynamic and doesn't stop growing. Still, there are different types of jewelry aimed at different types of audiences and consumers. Having that said, creating a marketing strategy that focuses on a specific target audience is very important…" Winter continued. 

"Therefore, the thing we need to put extra attention to is the promotion of the products."

"Isn't it the same with cosmetics, then? It's all about the marketing strategy used. But compared to jewelry, cosmetics is more popular in the market nowadays," Bianca commented, acting nonchalant.

"Popularity that is only fleeting, yes. If your product is not a leading brand, then it'll be a tight competition. And if you happen to partner up with incompetent producers? Well, that'll be unfortunate. Of course, it's not just all about the marketing strategy. You need to consider not only the tactics and devices you'll use in the present – but that of the future, too."

Bianca tries to keep herself from glaring at her right then.

It appears to her that this little sister of hers is getting ahead of herself. In a roundabout way, she's trying to make herself look smarter than her. She even dared rebut what she said. It's not as if she's someone who can predict the future or something. She's just being haughty only because she's been declared as the heiress.

"Speaking of marketing strategy, I know how we can sell jewelry at a budget-friendly price. This way, we can be a little ahead of the competition in the jewelry industry," Winter added.

"A budget-friendly price? Oh, please. We all know that the raw materials used for jewelry production are expensive in this country. If you wanna sell cheap jewelry, won't it make little income for the company? Worse, it may take a long time to exceed the original cost," Bianca pointed out before snickering.

Winter simply smiles at that. 

Sometimes, this elder sister of hers can be pretty dumb - and so are her underlings who also snickered with her, completely believing what she said. This time, they were mocking her in the open. Even then, she continued acting oblivious by giving a polite smile.

"As expected of big sister! You're very perceptive…!" Winter then commended all of the sudden, surprising Bianca and the rest of them. 

"Indeed, the raw materials here are truly expensive. We can't lower the price just because we want to."

"So then, why propose it in the first place?" Grace asked impassively, raising a brow.

"Well, we can purchase gemstones from a different country, can't we?" 

"Huh? So, you're saying…?" Cyrus trailed off, slowly getting enlightened. 

"There are certain places abroad that sell diamonds and other gemstones for cheap. They're the cheapest there because most of the world's gems are cut there. That's why you do not have to pay any markup due to shipping or retailer markup. So, I'm thinking. Why don't we go over there and buy the raw materials for cheap? Then, we'll take them to our workshop here and resell it as luxury goods." 

Once more, the whole dining hall went silent.

They all had to take a moment to let that fully settle in. 

Cyrus and Grace are astounded. Even Bianca is. But it isn't long before envy and contempt take over her again. August, on the other hand, looks kind of proud. He's staring at Winter through the corners of his eyes, smiling to himself all the while. 

"That's… quite possible…" Cyrus soon blurted out, thoughtfully considering the idea.

"Now that I think about it, I did hear about those places you mentioned-"

Grace stepped on his foot under the dining table, abruptly cutting him off.

Winter may not have seen her do it, but she did see how he looked at her when he suddenly stopped talking. She wanted to smirk then, but she fought the urge to do so. At that moment, she could perfectly read the atmosphere as well as their expressions. 

Cyrus may not have complimented Winter just like what he did to Bianca after she proposed her idea earlier. However, she knew the look of someone who'd been hooked when she saw one. As he was even willing to discuss the topic further if only Grace didn't cut him off, she knew that she was able to catch his interest. 

In fact, she knew that he wanted to take on her idea. 

'That's right. In this level of business-mindedness, we are somewhat alike, Uncle Cyrus. Rather than saying 'what a great idea' or 'as expected of you' like what you did to Bianca, I know you show more interest when you're willing to move straight to discussing the subject further…' Winter mused in silence, wearing a knowing smile.

'However, you can't do that here, can you? Aunt Grace stopping you meant that you're about to stray away from your original plan, right? After all, the only reason why you brought up this conversation in the first place was to brag how intelligent and capable Bianca is – to show me that I'm no match for her. But if you are to break out of your role in this pathetic little act of yours and show interest in my idea, I will appear like I'm smarter than her.'