Chapter 93 The Ones Who Laughed First
Go skiing in the suburbs?
They probably wouldn’t make it back if they went.
When the flu first broke out, no one took it seriously.
By the time things got worse, it was already too late to start being careful.
Eliza didn’t say anything in the group chat.
A few classmates deliberately tagged her.
“Eliza, are you coming with us?”
Classmate A: “Forget it. No way she’s coming–she’s busy selling masks!”
Classmate B: “LMAO. Who even wears masks anymore? She can’t even run a proper business.”
Classmate C: “Don’t worry about her. She’s not even one of us anymore. We’re not bringing her.”
They mocked Eliza in the chat on purpose.
After all, Naomi was footing the bill, and they were all trying to say what she wanted to hear.
Eliza ignored them.
+8 Pearls
These past few days, she’d been warming up her own advertising campaign, posting photos on social media.
So now, anyone who followed her knew she was selling masks.
They just assumed she was working for a mask factory.
They didn’t know Eliza was the boss.
Then Naomi posted in the group chat again: “All right, it’s settled. The day after tomorrow, we’re all heading to the hot springs! I booked a coach bus–we’ll be back in three days.”
The other classmates all chimed in, some even going out of their way to compliment Naomi’s Claire University clout and money.
Eliza simply shut her phone and got back to prepping stock.
Let them have their fun.
They’d stop laughing soon enough.
On the first day Naomi took the class out to go skiing in the suburbs, she posted a group photo on social media. Everyone looked cheerful and cozy.
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Chapter 93 The Ones Who Laughed First
That evening, they all went to a countryside villa that cost two thousand a night for a barbecue.
But by the next day, something felt off.
The TV and internet were suddenly flooded with news about the flu outbreak.
This flu was extremely contagious–and serious enough to kill.
To stop it from spreading, the government implemented strict stay–at–home policies.
Naomi and several other classmates ended up quarantined in that villa up in the mountains.
+8 Pearls
At first, they were still posting on social media, complaining about getting quarantined during a fun trip.
Their posts were full of sarcasm and jokes.
They probably figured it was just a mild flu and everything would go back to normal in a couple days, so they kept eating and drinking and partying in the villa for two days straight.
But soon, Naomi and the others realized something was wrong.
Three days had passed, and they still hadn’t been told they could leave.
The villa they were in was a hundred square meters and cost two thousand a day.
If they couldn’t leave, they had to keep staying there.
Eliza remembered–the first quarantine lasted an entire month. That meant Naomi would be spending at least sixty thousand.
The thought made Eliza laugh.
Spending sixty grand to treat your classmates–how could that not be funny?
And it wasn’t just the lodging. That area didn’t have easy access to takeout. They had to drive out just to buy groceries.
Most of the time, volunteers from the suburbs had to deliver food to them.
The expenses were sky–high–and they didn’t even get to eat what they wanted.
Meanwhile, Eliza’s orders were doubling by the hour.
She had stocked up on masks and medication from major factories ahead of time. Those companies were already out of inventory, but Eliza’s warehouse was full.
And because she’d started warming up her marketing campaign before the flu hit, her online store immediately shot to the top once it did.
Even the special antiviral meds that were sold out everywhere–Eliza had plenty in stock.
People were placing orders nonstop.
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Chapter 93 The Ones Who Laughed First
In one night, her sales broke ten thousand units.
Back in the school group chat, everyone was blowing up her messages.
“Eliza, do you have a source for masks and antivirals? I’m in urgent need!”
“Same here! Eliza, can you get me a few bottles of the special meds?”
The messages kept coming.
Eliza had no problem accepting easy money and took every single order.
+8 Pearls
Over at the Hayes family’s villa, Nolan sat quietly, reading the flurry of messages in the group chat.
What was supposed to be a minor flu dragging on for a few days had now lasted an entire month–and there was no sign of improvement.
Meanwhile…
Henry suddenly received a call from one of his pharmaceutical factories.
Because he’d followed Eliza’s advice and stockpiled a large number of meds and masks, his factory had been selling like crazy online. Even products that were originally discounted had gone up in price, earning them a massive profit during this period.
When the call came in, Henry was stunned.
At the time, he had only followed Eliza’s suggestion because he figured there was no harm in it.
He never imagined business would explode during winter break.
Could it be… she’d known all along?
But… how was that possible?
How could Eliza have known about such a massive flu outbreak?
With that thought, Henry couldn’t help pulling out his phone and dialing her number.
On the other end, Eliza was organizing the supplies in her warehouse. When she saw that it was Henry calling, she hesitated for a moment.
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