《Mistaking My Sister-In-Law for My Wife After Getting Drunk!》


 Chapter 1: Drunk with My Ex-Girlfriend’s Sister?

    Chapter 1: Drunk with My Ex-Girlfriend¡¯s Sister?


    Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    In a hotel somewhere in Jaster City, Zhao Yuxin¡¯s body was revealed, and her long ck hair cascaded messily over her fragrant shoulders. Her fair and delicate body seemed as if it could be shattered with a touch.


    At that moment, Xu Yang¡¯s gaze was unfocused, his face flushed, and hisrge and broad palm suddenly wrapped around the slender waist of a girl, who seemed as alluring as a snake spirit.


    ¡°Xu Yang¡­ mmm¡­¡± Zhao Yuxin¡¯s lips parted slightly, just about to speak, but Xu Yang immediately sealed her cherry-like lips.


    ¡°Mmmm~¡±


    The deep and rhythmic long kiss gradually heated up the air. It also left Xu Yang feeling bewildered and infatuated.


    ¡°Xu Yang, I¡¯m not¡­¡±


    Zhao Yuxin blushed on her delicate face, her snowy white jade hand hanging on Xu Yang¡¯s neck.


    However, Xu Yang didn¡¯t pay attention. His gaze was fixed on the graceful and enchanting figure, the snowy white and slender swan-like neck, the plump and stic curves of her buttocks, and the surging 36E bosom.


    ¡­


    The next morning, Xu Yang opened his hazy eyes, rubbed his slightly sore head, and his voice sounded hoarse, ¡°Um¡­ where¡­ where am I?¡±


    Suddenly, Xu Yang nced to the side, and his eyes widened immediately!


    A snow-white, scantily d beauty with disheveled ck hairy there. Her proud E-cup barely-covered bosom almost made Xu Yang¡¯s nose bleed.


    Not only that, but the surroundings were aplete mess. Short skirts, white shirts with lipstick marks, and long ck stockings scattered around the room!


    What made Xu Yang even more troubled was that the beauty beside him was not his girlfriend, Zhao Yulu!! It was her younger sister, Zhao Yuxin!


    The two sisters were simr in age and appearance! Butpared to Zhao Yulu, thetter was even more graceful and had a more alluring figure.


    Xu Yang suddenly understood! Last night, after he had carefully prepared to propose to Zhao Yulu, he was tragically rejected and then Zhao Yuxinforted him¡­ Due to his drunkenness, he mistook her for someone else¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m in deep trouble now¡­¡± Xu Yang said and had a headache.


    Just then, Zhao Yuxin¡¯s smooth hand moved slightly, her snow-white legs contracted, and she stretchedzily.


    And then¡­


    Her eyes, as clear as autumn water, slowly opened, gazing affectionately at Xu Yang.


    ¡°Hey¡­ no¡­ Yuxin, what happened between usst night¡­¡± Xu Yang took a deep breath and, amidst the awkwardness, he mustered the courage to speak, ¡°Did we¡­¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh!¡± Zhao Yuxin gently nodded, her face blushing.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Xu Yang felt overwhelmed, then he continued, ¡°Since we went that far¡­ what do you have in mind?¡±


    At that moment, Zhao Yuxin also noticed herck of clothing and immediately blushed, hiding under the covers.


    Meanwhile, a crisp and melodious voice chimed in, ¡°I know about you and Yulu breaking upst night.


    ¡°And from the moment I saw you, I fell in love with you at first sight. But you were in a rtionship with my sister, and I had to bury my feelings deep in my heart!


    ¡°I thought my feelings would fade away, but I didn¡¯t expect you and Yulu to break up!


    ¡°At that moment, I felt both heartache and joy!


    ¡°Then, when you were drowning your sorrows at the bar¡­ andter, we¡­


    ¡°Even though you mistook me for someone elsest night, I agreed willingly. You don¡¯t need to think too much about it, and I won¡¯t force you if you¡¯re not willing.


    ¡°We¡¯re both adults and some things¡­ I won¡¯t insist on it.¡±


    For the first time in her life, Zhao Yuxin had revealed her feelings to a man she admired. She was both nervous and filled with anticipation.


    While Zhao Yuxin said that, her small head emerged from the covers, and she blushed as she nced at Xu Yang, then shyly hid back under the covers.


    Last night, Zhao Yuxin had gathered the courage to bring the intoxicated Xu Yang to the hotel. No matter the oue, she had no regrets.


    ¡°Um¡­¡± Xu Yang was stunned. He couldn¡¯t believe that Zhao Yuxin had fallen in love with him at first sight and had confessed so boldly.


    At that moment, Xu Yang¡¯s heart raced uncontrobly.


    Seeing Xu Yang¡¯s silence, Zhao Yuxin bit her lip and spoke again, ¡°I want to be your girlfriend. If you¡¯re not willing, we can forget about what happenedst night, and we can go back to how things were before.¡±


    The more Xu Yang listened, his heart raced again. He thought, ¡®One bold confession after another¡ªhow much did this girl love me? I¡¯m not heartless, but I had just broken up with Zhao Yulu and then started a rtionship with her sister¡­ No matter how one looked at it, it seemed like a scandal!¡¯


    Just as Xu Yang hesitated, a mechanical-like voice suddenly resounded in his mind.


    BEEP!


    Congrattions! You have triggered the system activation conditions and sessfully bind to the Super Life System.


    BEEP!


    Congrattions! You have triggered the system mission. You may choose from the following options.


    Option 1: Reject Zhao Yuxin and receive a reward of 20 million yuan.


    Option 2: ept Zhao Yuxin, marry her, and receive a grand life package reward.


    ¡®What the heck! I actually activated a system!?¡¯


    As a dedicated fan of novels, Xu Yang was well aware of what the system meant. It was basically a cheat code in a novel. As for the mission options, Xu Yang didn¡¯t hesitate much and made up his mind on the second option.


    Although 20 million yuan might seem like a lot, making Xu Yang an instant multimillionaire. However, as an avid reader of web novels, Xu Yang knew that the more valuable rewards were the ones not explicitly mentioned.


    Besides, Xu Yang was aware that Zhao Yuxin had deep feelings for him, and they had already crossed that linest night. He couldn¡¯t just dismiss her.


    Immediately, Xu Yang suppressed his excitement, took a deep breath, and then spoke seriously, ¡°Zhao Yuxin, let¡¯s get married!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Zhao Yuxin immediately pushed the covers aside, revealing her astonished face.


    Xu Yang¡¯s response was beyond Zhao Yuxin¡¯s expectations.


    Zhao Yuxin had thought that Xu Yang might refuse or ept her feelings, but she never expected that he would want to marry her.


    ¡®Xu Yang¡­ he wanted to marry me?¡¯


    For a moment, Zhao Yuxin was utterly stunned.


    However, Zhao Yuxin didn¡¯t realize that her perfect figure was fully exposed to Xu Yang¡¯s eyes.


    Gulp~


    Xu Yang¡¯s eyes widened, and he swallowed hard. He thought, ¡®This girl is so hot!¡¯


    Although Zhao Yuxin and Zhao Yulu were twins, when it came to elegance and physique, the former far outshined thetter.


    ¡°Ah~¡±


    Sensing Xu Yang¡¯s heated gaze, Zhao Yuxin also noticed her predicament. She let out a shy scream and quickly hid back under the covers, her face flushing red.


    Xu Yang, on the other hand, blushed as well and coughed awkwardly, trying to regain hisposure. He then spoke with determination, ¡°Yuxin, will you marry me?¡±


    As Xu Yang¡¯s words echoed, the covers rustled, and Zhao Yuxin emerged from underneath them. She said, ¡°Xu Yang, are you serious?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯m serious. Will you be my wife?¡± Xu Yang¡¯s expression was earnest as he spoke.


    ¡°Y-yes!¡± Zhao Yuxin nodded shyly, burying her face in the pillows, her voice muffled. ¡°Turn around, please. I need to get dressed.¡±


    ¡°Great! So, we¡­¡± Xu Yang¡¯s joy was palpable. ¡°Wait a moment¡­¡±


    Suddenly, Xu Yang paused, a mischievous smile forming on his lips.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Zhao Yuxin asked as she was puzzled.


    ¡°I drank too muchst night, and a lot of details are fuzzy. How about¡­ my dear, let¡¯s relive some of those memories¡­¡± said Xu Yang.


    After that, Xu Yang lifted the covers with a sudden motion. In an instant, the room began to fill with spring fever.

 Chapter 2: Life’s Grand Package

    Chapter 2: Life¡¯s Grand Package


    Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    After the spring fever had died down in the room, the two of them freshened up quickly and left the hotel. Their rtionship had be incredibly intimate.


    Zhao Yuxin naturally linked her arm with Xu Yang¡¯s, with a sweet smile on her face.


    Xu Yang pinched Zhao Yuxin¡¯s delicate face and said with a smile, ¡°To register for the marriage certificate, we need our household register and identification card. Let¡¯s go to my ce first, then yours!¡±


    Earlier, Xu Yang had his parents send over the household register. Originally, he had intended to register after sessfully proposing to Zhao Yulu. For that purpose, he had even requested a day of leave from work.


    But fate had its way, and it was Zhao Yuxin who ended up by Xu Yang¡¯s side.


    ¡°Sure!¡± Zhao Yuxin said and nodded obediently. Earlier, she had also taken leave from work.


    Two hourster, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin arrived at the Civil Affairs Bureau. The line was quite long, but it was mostly for people registering for divorce.


    As for marriage registration, it was scarce, and the procedure could bepleted almost immediately.


    ¡°Xu Yang, Yuxin, is that you?¡±


    Seeing them, the staff responsible for marriage registration was surprised. She was their university friend, Chen Weiwei.


    ¡°We¡­ we¡¯re here to register for our marriage!¡± Zhao Yuxin said as she blushed, feeling a bit embarrassed.


    ¡°What? You want to register? Who¡¯s your boyfriend? Where is he? Why didn¡¯t I know?¡± Chen Weiwei was astonished and bombarded them with questions.


    Zhao Yuxin and Chen Weiwei had kept in touch after graduating, and Chen Weiwei believed Zhao Yuxin was single until now. Chen Weiwei was puzzled by Zhao Yuxin¡¯s sudden decision to register for marriage.


    Chen Weiwei couldn¡¯t help but wonder, ¡®Could it be a blitz marriage?¡¯


    On the other hand, Chen Weiwei didn¡¯t suspect Xu Yang because of the way Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin had been behaving. After arriving at the Civil Affairs Bureau, Zhao Yuxin didn¡¯t hold onto Xu Yang¡¯s arm.


    Moreover, Chen Weiwei knew that Xu Yang was Zhao Yulu¡¯s boyfriend. There was no way he would be registering for marriage with Zhao Yuxin.


    ¡°It¡¯s Xu Yang!¡± Zhao Yuxin said as she hugged Xu Yang¡¯s arm, her face red, and shyly lowered her head.


    ¡°What?¡± Chen Weiwei¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Her face was full of surprise. ¡°Isn¡¯t Xu Yang Zhao Yulu¡¯s boyfriend? And you¡¯re Yulu¡¯s sister. How could you¡­¡±


    Chen Weiwei felt like her mind was about to explode. She couldn¡¯t understand how the rtionship among these people became tangled.


    Meanwhile, those waiting in line to register for divorce turned their attention to the scene. They began chitter-chattering.


    ¡°That¡¯s unbelievable! I can¡¯t believe that guy had the heart to take on his girlfriend¡¯s sister!¡±


    ¡°Wow! Such a melodramatic situation has be a reality! The world is certainly evolving!¡±


    ¡°This girl too. She got involved with her sister¡¯s boyfriend and is evening to register for marriage. Did she not consider her sister¡¯s feelings?¡±


    ¡°This guy is a role model! He¡¯s handled both sisters and is living the dream of men!¡±


    ¡°Envy at its finest! This guy¡¯s fulfilling countless men¡¯s fantasies!¡±


    For a moment, the crowd buzzed with discussions. The gazes of fellow men were filled with envy.


    With a face as red as an apple, Zhao Yuxin leaned against Xu Yang, shyly enduring the attention.


    ¡°Yulu and I are no longer a couple. Destiny brought Yuxin and me together. I¡¯ve already chosen her. Weiwei, please help us with the registration!¡± said Xu Yang. His expression was serious.


    Xu Yang knew that if they didn¡¯t settle the procedure soon, they would continue to be the subject of gossip and spection.


    So, Xu Yang took out both their household registers and identification cards.


    ¡°Are you both serious?¡± Chen Weiwei asked, reminding them.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Both of them nodded in unison.


    ¡°Very well!¡±


    Chen Weiwei looked at them deeply, no longer saying much. She quickly processed their paperwork.


    ¡°Wishing you both a lifetime of happiness and togetherness!¡±


    After a while, Chen Weiwei ced the bright red marriage certificate on the table.


    ¡°Thank you, Weiwei!¡± said Zhao Yuxin. She picked up the marriage certificate, gazing at the photo of the two of them in the booklet, filled with happiness. She had finally be Xu Yang¡¯s wife!


    ¡°When do you n to have the wedding?¡± Chen Weiwei asked.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t decided yet!¡± Zhao Yuxin said as she shook her head.


    Of course, every girl looked forward to her wedding day. However, Zhao Yuxin didn¡¯t want to burden Xu Yang with the pressure, so she didn¡¯t mention the wedding ns.


    At that moment, Xu Yang smiled and spoke, ¡°Weiwei, rest assured. When we¡¯ve chosen a suitable day, we¡¯ll definitely invite you to our wedding!¡±


    ¡°Sure! I will be there to celebrate with both of you on that day,¡± Chen Weiweiughed.


    After that, the two of them left the Civil Affairs Bureau.


    Meanwhile, the voice of the system resounded.


    BEEP!


    Congrattions on epting Zhao Yuxin and registering for marriage. You have received the Life¡¯s Grand Package reward. Do you want to open it?


    ¡°Open it!¡±


    Without any hesitation, Xu Yang responded in his mind. He had been eagerly anticipating the system¡¯s Life¡¯s Grand Package.


    BEEP!


    Congrattions! You have obtained Master-level investment capabilities, 1 million in cash, and a message from the future.


    In seven days, the stock value of the Central Bank of Drnd will decrease by 2%, and the market value of Neocathai Gold Futures will increase by 30%.


    As Xu Yang expected, the hidden reward was the most valuable. With the Master-level investment capabilities and the 1 million in cash, he could now expertly navigate the stock market and that future message was particrly crucial.


    Xu Yang had graduated from a finance college and had a decent understanding of the stock market. However, due to limited funds, he had mostly dealt with stocks worth tens of thousands. He had limited experience with futures contracts. But that didn¡¯t affect his understanding of the stock market.


    With 1 million in hand and a 30% increase in gold futures, along with leverage, Xu Yang could potentially earn 3 million. Most importantly, with the Master-level investment capabilities, he would be a master in the financial market.


    ¡°Xu Yang, we¡¯ve finally registered. We should celebrate!¡± Zhao Yuxin spoke sweetly as she was ncing at her phone.


    ¡°Where would you like to go?¡± Xu Yang asked. He suppressed his excitement and looked tenderly at Zhao Yuxin.


    ¡°How about we go to my dad¡¯s ce? My dad makes the best spicy and sour fish slices,¡± Zhao Yuxin said as she blinked.


    Zhao Yuxin¡¯s father ran a small restaurant, and the business was good. Since they had just registered, they needed to visit each other¡¯s parents.


    ¡°Sounds good!¡± Xu Yang said as he smiled and nodded.


    Soon after, the two of them took a car to Zhao Yuxin¡¯s father¡¯s restaurant.


    As soon as they arrived at the restaurant, Zhao Yuxin joyfully called out, ¡°Dad!¡±


    Zhao Yuxin¡¯s family was quiteplex. Her parents divorced when she was young, and she chose to live with her father. Her older sister, Zhao Yulu, chose to stay with their mother.


    After the divorce, Zhao Yuxin¡¯s father managed the restaurant and raised her on his own. In contrast, her mother married into wealth, and her sister lived the life of an affluent youngdy.


    Influenced by her surroundings, Zhao Yulu developed a materialistic attitude, which was a major reason for her breakup with Xu Yang.

 Chapter 3: Unexpected Encounter With the Ex

    Chapter 3: Unexpected Encounter With the Ex


    Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡°Why did you bring Xu Yang here?¡±


    Zhao Yuxin¡¯s father, Zhao Hai, was surprised to see the two of theming over.


    Previously, it was always Zhao Yulu and Xu Yang who came here. Zhao Hai always had good impressions of Xu Yang. But deep down, Zhao Hai actually hoped that Xu Yang would be Zhao Yuxin¡¯s boyfriend.


    Xu Yang was impressive in both his approach to things and his way of life. Moreover, Zhao Hai knew Zhao Yuxin had gone through hardships with him since childhood. If she could find a boyfriend as considerate as Xu Yang, it would bring him great joy.


    ¡°Dad, we¡¯re here to help you with the business!¡± said Zhao Yuxin. She linked arms with Xu Yang, casually chose a table, and sat down, smiling.


    ¡°Yuxin, you two are¡­¡±


    Watching their behavior, Zhao Hai furrowed his brows. Although he also wished Xu Yang would be Zhao Yuxin¡¯s boyfriend, regardless, Xu Yang and Zhao Yulu were already together.


    If both of his daughters were fighting for the same man, that would be too melodramatic and something Zhao Hai couldn¡¯t ept.


    ¡°Dad, Yulu and Xu Yang have broken up. She believes that Xu Yang cannot make her happy, and I¡¯ve always had feelings for Xu Yang. Maybe it¡¯s fate, but we¡¯re together now. Moreover, we just got our marriage certificate; we¡¯re legally married!¡±


    Just as Xu Yang was about to exin, Zhao Yuxin spoke up first. She didn¡¯t want to put pressure on Xu Yang, so she decided to handle it on her own. She even took out the marriage certificate.


    ¡°What?¡± Zhao Hai widened his eyes and eximed in shock. In just a few sentences, he was nearly rendered speechless by the situation.


    Regarding Zhao Yulu¡¯s choice, Zhao Hai wasn¡¯t surprised. Zhao Yulu had grown up with her mother, so their personalities were naturally simr¡ªvaluing wealth and favoring the rich.


    What truly shocked Zhao Hai was that Zhao Yuxin was actually with Xu Yang and had even registered their marriage at lightning speed. Zhao Hai ced a hand on his chest, feeling like his heart couldn¡¯t take it.


    ¡°Mr. Zhao¡­ I mean, Dad, I¡¯m serious about Yuxin, and marrying her is not on impulse. I¡¯ll always love her and treat her well!¡±


    As soon as Xu Yang opened his mouth, he realized he addressed Zhao Hai wrongly and quickly changed it. Not only that, but he also solemnly promised, ¡°Moreover, I will find a suitable time to give Yuxin a grand wedding. I will not let Yuxin suffer any grievances.¡±


    ¡°You kids¡­¡±


    Zhao Hai opened the marriage certificate and sighed helplessly, ¡°Since you¡¯ve already got the certificate, what more can this old man say? Just make sure you two live well together.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin sweetly smiled, ¡°Dad, with your blessings, we¡¯ll definitely be happy. Oh, Dad, I¡¯ve been craving your spicy and sour fish slices.¡±


    ¡°You little rascal!¡± said Zhao Hai. He yfully patted Zhao Yuxin¡¯s head and then went to the kitchen.


    After the meal, the two of them bid farewell to Zhao Hai.


    Zhao Hai pulled out a worn-out drawer from under the bed and took out a card. He said, ¡°Yuxin, hold on to this card. It has two million in it. It¡¯s not much, consider it your dowry from me! Save up and buy your own house. Live well with your future family!¡±


    The money in the card was Zhao Hai¡¯s entire savings. He couldn¡¯t provide Zhao Yuxin with a mother¡¯s love or afortable life, so he hoped his savings could at least help Zhao Yuxin.


    ¡°Dad!¡± Tears welled up in Zhao Yuxin¡¯s eyes, and her voice choked.


    Zhao Yuxin wanted to refuse, but Jaster City was a first-tier city in Neocathai, and with just their sries, it was nearly impossible to buy a house in a short period. With her dad¡¯s savings added to the mix, it would significantly reduce the pressure on Xu Yang.


    ¡°Yuxin, you¡¯ve suffered so much with me all these years. You¡¯ll have a good life together with your husband now,¡± said Zhao Hai. He was at ease with his daughter and Xu Yang being together.


    Xu Yang nodded and didn¡¯t say much. Although he had the support of the system, making money still required time.


    Moreover, if Xu Yang said he coulde up with enough money to buy a house in a short time, both Zhao Hai and Zhao Yuxin wouldn¡¯t believe him. They might even suspect him of doing something illegal to get that kind of money.


    ¡°Thank you, Dad!¡± Zhao Yuxin choked back her emotions, nodding. ¡°Dad, I want to move in and live with Xu Yang. Can we borrow your car?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Zhao Hai said as he smiled and nodded.


    Both of them had their marriage certificates now, so it was only natural for them to live together.


    ¡°Thank you, Dad!¡± Feeling touched, Zhao Yuxin hugged Zhao Hai, then took the car keys and walked out, holding Xu Yang¡¯s hand.


    Zhao Hai¡¯s car was practical and affordable, the ssic domestic model Wuling Hongguang, well-suited for business owners like him. It looked quite new, indicating it was a recent purchase.


    ¡°Xu Yang, you drive!¡± said Zhao Yuxin as she handed Xu Yang the car keys.


    Before, when Xu Yang was still with Zhao Yulu, they often came to Zhao Hai¡¯s shop, and Xu Yang had driven the car.


    ¡°Sure!¡± Nodding, Xu Yang sat in the driver¡¯s seat, while Zhao Yuxin took the passenger¡¯s seat.


    Xu Yang¡¯s parents ran a business in the county, mainly rted to construction materials, so their vehicle was also a Wuling Hongguang. He was very familiar with this popr car model.


    Thirty minutester, the two of them arrived at Xu Yang¡¯s rental apartment. The apartment had a simple design, with just two bedrooms and a living room.


    Of course, the main reason was that Xu Yang intended to live in arger ce after sessfully proposing to Zhao Yulu. He couldn¡¯t bear to rent such a small ce in a first-tier city like Jaster City.


    ¡°From now on, I¡¯m the mistress of this ce,¡± said Zhao Yuxin. She took a deep breath, then moved their luggage into the bedroom and began to organize.


    Zhao Yuxin had visited the apartment before, so she was familiar with it. In the master bedroom, there were still many of Zhao Yulu¡¯s clothes, all of which Zhao Yuxin sorted out.


    ¡°When Yulu has time, I¡¯ll ask her to take these clothes away!¡± said Zhao Yuxin.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Leaning against the bedroom door, Xu Yang watched as Zhao Yuxin efficiently sorted out the luggage, a smile unconsciously tugging at the corners of his lips.


    Previously, Zhao Yulu had also lived in this apartment for a while, but she never bothered to tidy up her clothes or the room. Xu Yang had always been the one to do that.


    Comparing that with Zhao Yuxin now, the contrast was stark.


    ¡°This time, I didn¡¯t misjudge the person.¡± Xu Yang murmured in happiness.


    Half an hourter, Zhao Yuxin finished organizing and said, ¡°After such a busy day, how about we go shopping?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± Xu Yang nodded.


    Soon enough, the two of them arrived at a nearby shopping mall.


    Zhao Yuxin picked out a few outfits for Xu Yang.


    Originally, Xu Yang wanted to decline since their financial situation had been tight before. Clothes from malls were quite expensive. However, due to Zhao Yuxin¡¯s strong insistence, he had no choice but to ept.


    Of course, Zhao Yuxin also bought herself a dress and a pair of shoes.


    ¡°Do they look good?¡± Zhao Yuxin asked when she came out from the fitting room. She twirled in front of the mirror, excitement in her eyes as she looked at Xu Yang.


    ¡°They look great!¡± Xu Yang said as he smiled and nodded. ¡°The shoes and dress match really well. You look like a fairy.¡±


    ¡°Hehe! I think so too.¡± Zhao Yuxin said. She felt incredibly happy getting praised by Xu Yang.


    ¡°Yuxin, Xu Yang, what are you two doing here?¡±


    Suddenly, a surprised voice came from beside them.


    Turning towards the source, they saw a young girl dressed elegantly and beautifully, bearing a striking resemnce to Zhao Yuxin.


    The girl was followed by a young man in designer clothing. She was none other than Zhao Yulu! And the man beside her was Zhao Yulu¡¯s pursuer, a wealthy young man named Chen Guanglei.

 Chapter 4: From Ex-Boyfriend to Sister’s Husband

    Chapter 4: From Ex-Boyfriend to Sister¡¯s Husband


    Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡°We came to buy clothes!¡± Zhao Yuxin admitted openly.


    ¡°Yulu, is this your twin sister?¡± Chen Guanglei asked.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Zhao Yulu nodded.


    ¡°Then he¡¯s your sister¡¯s husband!¡± Chen Guanglei smiled.


    ¡°Exactly! He¡¯s my husband, Xu Yang!¡±


    Before Zhao Yulu could say anything, Zhao Yuxin stepped forward, intimately linking her arm with Xu Yang¡¯s, nodding happily.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Sister, you guys are¡­¡± Zhao Yulu was instantly stunned. She thought, ¡®What the heck? How did my ex-boyfriend be my sister¡¯s husband?¡¯


    ¡°This is a joke, right? How can you two be together?¡± Zhao Yulu asked. She became extremely angry once she realized the situation.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t we be together? You and Xu Yang have broken up, and I openly confessed to him after you two ended things. Xu Yang agreed as well!¡± Zhao Yuxin straightforwardly stated.


    ¡°You¡­ You two¡­¡±


    Furious, Zhao Yulu was left speechless, unable to retort. She cursed in her mind, ¡®This is so ridiculously melodramatic! Who could ept this?¡¯


    ¡°Oh my!¡±


    Beside them, Chen Guanglei¡¯s mouth hung open, showing his astonishment. At the same time, his gaze towards Xu Yang was filled with envy and jealousy.


    ¡®Damn it, this guy is incredibly lucky! He had both sisters! I¡¯m the wealthy second-generation here, so why do I feel so pitiful all of a sudden?¡¯ Chen Guanglei thought.


    Customers and store employees nearby couldn¡¯t help but widen their eyes and were left dumbfounded by the scene.


    ¡°Damn, this guy is way too lucky.¡±


    ¡°Damn it, he¡¯s been with both sisters! I want to worship him and get some luck from him!¡±


    ¡°Comparison is the thief of joy. I¡¯ve been single since the day I was born while he enjoyed spending time with the sisters.¡±


    ¡°Outrageous! How did this guy, who dresses so shabbily, manage this? I don¡¯t believe it!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s handsome! In this era, looks are everything! Can¡¯t help it.¡±


    For a moment, the gossiping crowd began discussing fervently.


    ¡°Zhao Yuxin, you¡¯re my sister! How could you be with my ex?¡± Zhao Yulu eximed in anger.


    ¡°Why not? I¡¯ve already exined it, and besides, are we breaking anyws by being together?¡± Zhao Yuxin responded fearlessly, counter-questioning.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Zhao Yulu stared with frustration but found herself unable to argue.


    With an uncharacteristic assertiveness, Zhao Yuxin spoke, ¡°Yulu, I know you prefer the wealthy and look down on Xu Yang. I tried to persuade you when you were considering breaking up. If you had listened to me then, I would have hidden my feelings for Xu Yang deeply and not interfered with you. But you insisted on breaking up. You treated him like trash, yet he¡¯s precious to me. Why can¡¯t we be together? Xu Yang and I are legally married. Now, he¡¯s not only my husband but also your brother-inw.¡±


    ¡°What? You¡­ You¡¯re married?¡± Zhao Yulu was stunned once again. She thought, ¡®Is this some kind of joke? We broke up justst night, and today he¡¯s already my sister¡¯s husband?¡¯


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Zhao Yuxin nodded, smiling. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the marriage certificate being at home, I¡¯d show it to you. Also, I¡¯ve organized your clothes left in Xu Yang¡¯s apartment. Whenever you¡¯re free, you cane and take them back! From today, it¡¯s mine and Xu Yang¡¯s home!¡±


    Zhao Yulu was left speechless, not knowing how to respond.


    As for Xu Yang, he remained silent. After all, it was Zhao Yulu who insisted on the breakup. He didn¡¯t owe her anything. Now, Zhao Yuxin was his wife.


    ¡°Honey, I¡¯ll go change my clothes now!¡± Zhao Yuxin, not in the mood to exin further, informed Xu Yang and headed to change her clothes.


    ¡°Xu Yang, how could you be with my sister¡­¡± Zhao Yulu¡¯s anger red again as she directed her frustration at Xu Yang.


    ¡°Why not?¡± Xu Yang coldly interrupted Zhao Yulu. ¡°Yuxin has already exined it clearly. I don¡¯t want to waste more words on this. We¡¯re together, and that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Zhao Yulu¡¯s chest heaved in anger. She suddenly began to doubt whether breaking up with Xu Yang was the right decision.


    ¡®No! I¡¯m not wrong! Everyone has the right to pursue a better life. Why can¡¯t I? Xu Yang is from out of town, and his family isn¡¯t well-off. Sure, he¡¯s good-looking, but that¡¯s only suitable for puppy love! When faced with real life, what can looks do? Can they buy a Ferrari? Can they buy a vi? Can they afford designer brands? The answer is no! So, leaving Xu Yang was definitely the right decision!¡¯ Zhao Yulu thought.


    Thinking about that, Zhao Yulu stopped arguing and simply turned around to leave. While Chen Guanglei squinted his eyes and followed her.


    Outside the mall, Chen Guanglei said, ¡°Yulu, Xu Yang is just a scumbag taking advantage of you. There¡¯s no need to be angry about him.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear about this anymore!¡± Zhao Yulu waved her hand dismissively, her tone icy.


    At that moment, Chen Guanglei¡¯s eyes lit up as he said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s not talk about him. I¡¯ve got some exciting news! My family has a certain standing in Jaster City. We recently obtained insider information from the business world. The market value of Obsidian Tech is likely to skyrocket. Investing in their stocks is a guaranteed profit.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Zhao Yulu¡¯s eyes brightened immediately.


    ¡°Absolutely!¡± Chen Guanglei confirmed with a smile. ¡°But I don¡¯t have much money right now¡­¡±


    Thinking about that, Zhao Yulu¡¯s gaze dimmed. Though she had graduated and had a job, she was still living paycheck to paycheck. Furthermore, when she was with Xu Yang, she often relied on his sry to get by.


    As for Zhao Yulu¡¯s mom, she didn¡¯t have much savings. And although Zhao Yulu¡¯s stepfather had money, he rarely supported her and her mother financially. He only asionally spent some money to keep up appearances in their rtionship. After all, he had a son.


    ¡°There are always more solutions than difficulties! Borrow a bit from friends and rtives. After all, it¡¯s a surefire investment, so you won¡¯t have trouble repaying. Plus, this is an extremely rare opportunity.¡± Chen Guanglei reminded.


    ¡°You¡¯re right! I¡¯ll figure something out,¡± Zhao Yulu nodded.


    Due to the earlier incident, Zhao Yulu had lost interest in shopping. She left the mall with Chen Guanglei shortly after.


    Back in the clothing store in the mall, Zhao Yuxin didn¡¯t see Zhao Yulu after putting away the clothes. She asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Yulu?¡±


    ¡°She left!¡± Xu Yang said.


    Zhao Yuxin obediently linked her arm with Xu Yang¡¯s and said, ¡°Then let¡¯s go home too!¡±

 Chapter 5: Group Chat Exploded With Messages

    Chapter 5: Group Chat Exploded With Messages


    Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Suddenly, Zhao Yuxin tapped her head and said, ¡°Tomorrow is Dad¡¯s birthday, I forgot to let Yulu know toe home for dinner!¡±


    ¡°Silly girl, you can just notify her through your phone!¡± said Xu Yang. He chuckled and pinched Zhao Yuxin¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°You¡¯re right!¡± said Zhao Yuxin. Then, she texted Zhao Yulu obediently.


    At that moment, Zhao Yulu was sitting in Chen Guanglei¡¯s BMW. Upon receiving Zhao Yuxin¡¯s message, she initially thought of not replying. However, considering what Chen Guanglei had just said, Zhao Yulu¡¯s eyes flickered, and she replied with a sentence, [I¡¯ll be there.]


    At the mall, as Zhao Yuxin and Xu Yang were heading to the parking lot, they encountered a university ssmate. His name was Liang Yongqiang. He had alsoe to shop with his girlfriend.


    However, Liang Yongqiang¡¯s girlfriend was someone he met after starting work, so Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin didn¡¯t know her.


    ¡°Yulu, Yang, didn¡¯t expect to run into you guys here! You two are the campus couple, the handsome and the beautiful, really made us envious. I didn¡¯t think you would still be so affectionate after graduating. So rare to see this! Oh yeah, Xu Yang, you mentioned that you were nning to propose to Yulu. How¡¯s that going? When are you treating us to a meal?¡± Xu Yang asked.


    Liang Yongqiang and Xu Yang had a good rtionship and spoke quite casually.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already broken up with Yulu,¡± Xu Yang shook his head and said.


    Now, Zhao Yuxin was his wife and Xu Yang naturally had to consider her feelings.


    ¡°What? Both of you actually broke up?¡± Liang Yongqiang widened his eyes in astonishment, his face full of shock.


    Then, Liang Yongqiang¡¯s gazended on Zhao Yuxin, who was holding Xu Yang¡¯s arm. Liang Yongqiang asked, ¡°Wait a minute, aren¡¯t you¡­ No, you are Yuxin, right?¡±


    For a moment, Liang Yongqiang felt like his mind was about to explode. He wondered, ¡®What was going on here? Breaking up with Zhao Yulu and then getting together with her sister?¡¯


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s Yuxin, and she¡¯s also my wife! We¡¯ve already registered our marriage!¡± Xu Yang said solemnly.


    ¡°Damn!¡± Liang Yongqiang couldn¡¯t help but curse. He thought, ¡®Damn, this guy was really a winner in life! Back then, both Zhao Yuxin and Zhao Yulu were the campus belles of our university. Xu Yang¡¯s rtionship with Zhao Yulu had already made countless male students jealous. And now, this guy had broken up with Zhao Yulu and turned around to marry her sister¡­ What a winner in life!¡¯


    Liang Yongqiang¡¯s girlfriend even opened her mouth wide, her face full of shock. She asked, ¡°Liang Yongqiang, your expression looks exaggerating.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin saw that and she couldn¡¯t help but gaze at Liang Yongqiang too.


    Liang Yongqiang shrugged helplessly and said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it! This is explosive news to me!¡±


    Liang Yongqiang knew very well that if this news got into their group chat, it would be as explosive as the Big Bang.


    ¡°We¡¯re heading back now after some shopping. Don¡¯t worry, We¡¯ll definitely invite you to our wedding ceremony!¡± said Zhao Yuxin.


    ¡°Of course! This is the wedding of a handsome guy and a beauty, who would dare not attend?¡± Liang Yongqiang said.


    ¡°Okay then, see you around!¡±


    Soon, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin turned to leave.


    Watching their departing figures, Liang Yongqiang¡¯s girlfriend couldn¡¯t help but look curious. She said, ¡°Your ssmate is quite something, actually catching the attention of the two good-looking sisters!¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped, who asked that guy to be so handsome!¡± Liang Yongqiang helplessly shook his head and said. ¡°No way! This is an explosive piece of news!¡±


    Immediately after, Liang Yongqiang took out his phone and clicked into his WeChat group with his ssmates. He hurriedly typed and sent, [Guys, I had a piece of explosive news to share with you all!]


    Shortly, many ssmates began to reply.


    [Liang Yongqiang, what explosive news do you have now? Don¡¯t tell me you are gonna tell us that you¡¯ve just got a sugar mommy?]


    [Haha! He must have it, please share the link for the sugar mommy with me!]


    [I¡¯m currently working in a factory and was bored with my life. I don¡¯t want to work anymore! Get me a sugar mommy!]


    Liang Yongqiang saw those replies and lost his words. He replied, [Stop talking nonsense, my girlfriend had ess to my chats!]


    [Oh? So what if you have a girlfriend? I believe you are a great guy and deserve to be shared by two women!]


    [Haha! You had two kidneys so you should be able to handle both of them!]


    [Yongqiang, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re suffering from kidney failure!]


    Liang Yongqiang saw those replies and his expression turned ugly. He thought if he didn¡¯t tell the group about the explosive news, he would be facing the wall tonight. So, he quickly sent a text to the group, [The explosive news I wanted to share is that Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin got their marriage certificate!]


    [You call that explosive news? Isn¡¯t it just natural for Xu Yang and Zhao Yulu to get a marriage certificate?]


    [That¡¯s right! Those two were so affectionate during their university days, getting a certificate is pretty normal, right?]


    [Liang Yongqiang, are you that bored? Do youe to the group just to fish for information?]


    Clearly, the ssmates in the group hadn¡¯t noticed the key information.


    Liang Yongqiang sighed and texted, [Can you all pay attention to the details of my message?]


    [What details? You¡¯re just saying that Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin got a marriage certificate]


    [Come on! Are you doubting my 20/20 vision?]


    [Oh damn! Something doesn¡¯t seem right, it looks like what Liang Yongqiang sent was that Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin got a marriage certificate!]


    [Dear goodness, is this a joke?]


    [Liang Yongqiang, are you serious?]


    [Does it have to be so melodramatic?]


    [@Xu Yang @Zhao Yuxin @Zhao Yulu, you three,e out and rify this rumor! What¡¯s going on?]


    For a moment, the entire ss chat group exploded.


    Xu Yang was driving, so he couldn¡¯t easily check his phone.


    Zhao Yuxin picked up the phone and took a look, revealing a somewhat unsurprised smile. She said, ¡°That Liang Yongqiang is still the same, he just loves spreading gossip!¡±


    ¡°Just as I expected!¡± Xu Yang chuckled.


    ¡°Hehe, I guess if I don¡¯t help him confirm, he¡¯ll be hammered by our ssmates!¡± Zhao Yuxinughed and was about to send a message to confirm.


    At that moment, Xu Yang quickly stopped Zhao Yuxin and said, ¡°Yuxin, it¡¯s more appropriate for me to handle this kind of thing. I can¡¯t send messages while I¡¯m driving. Use my phone to confirm it with them.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Obediently, Zhao Yuxin nodded. She understood that this was Xu Yang¡¯s way of protecting her and fulfilling his responsibilities as a man.


    Soon, Zhao Yuxin picked up Xu Yang¡¯s phone and sent a message in the ss chat group, [Dear ssmates, what Liang Yongqiang said is all true. I have already broken up with Zhao Yulu. Fate has led me to realize that Yuxin is the one I should truly love. Luckily, we love each other, so we have already obtained our marriage certificate. We will have a wedding ceremony soon, and I hope all of you cane and celebrate with us! Thank you!]

 Chapter 6: Incredibly Lucky

    Chapter 6: Incredibly Lucky


    Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    It was nighttime, Zhao Yulu had taken a shower and was lying on her bed, ying with her phone.


    Knock, knock.


    A knocking sound echoed through the door.


    ¡°Yulu, are you still awake?¡± It was Zhao Yulu¡¯s mother, Liu Yujuan.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting ready to sleep, Mom. Is there something you need?¡± Zhao Yulu asked as she put down her phone.


    At this time of night, Zhao Yulu believed there should be a reason for the knocking. Otherwise, Liu Yujuan wouldn¡¯t disturb her for no reason.


    ¡°Come out for a moment, your dad, your brother, and I have something to discuss with you,¡± Liu Yujuan said.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Zhao Yulu agreed. In a short while, she came out of her room and sat down on the sofa in the living room.


    On the opposite side of the sofa were three people. One of them was a graceful woman who bore some resemnce to Zhao Yulu¡ªher mother, Liu Yujuan.


    The other two were Zhao Yulu¡¯s stepfather, Yang Tiancheng, and Yang Tiancheng¡¯s son, Yang Jingsheng.


    Yang Jingsheng was five years older than Zhao Yulu and was a somewhat ipetent person. He worked in the catering group where Yang Tiancheng was the deputy general manager. Yang Jingsheng had secured his position in the sales department due to Yang Tiancheng¡¯s influence.


    Liu Yujuan also worked in the same catering group as Yang Tiancheng, holding a position in the operations department as a manager.


    Zhao Yulu, on the other hand, worked in a bank and specialized in finance.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Zhao Yulu asked as she sat down.


    ¡°Yulu, how has it been going with Guanglei these past few days? How¡¯s your progress?¡± Yang Jingsheng couldn¡¯t hide his eagerness and asked.


    Chen Guanglei was someone Yang Jingsheng had introduced to Zhao Yulu. The intention was for Zhao Yulu to marry Chen Guanglei, to win the favor of the second-generation rich kid.


    In fact, the Yang family was well-off, living in a vi. However, they were not satisfied with their current status. Compared to billionaires with tens of billions in assets, their wealth was still insufficient. They were not content with their situation. With their conditions, they were considered rtively wealthy, butpared to those billionaires with tens of billions in assets, they were far from impressive.


    Chen Guanglei¡¯s father was a billionaire, in charge of an investmentpany. Chen Guanglei was the heir to assets worth tens of billions. Winning the favor of such a second-generation rich kid would bring significant benefits to the Yang family.


    It was a decision made collectively by the father and son, Yang Tiancheng and Yang Jingsheng. Liu Yujuan also agreed with this course of action.


    ¡°No progress. I consider him just a regr friend,¡± Zhao Yulu replied.


    ¡°Yulu, Guanglei¡¯s family has assets worth tens of billions. He clearly expressed to me that he really likes you. If you be his girlfriend, he will marry you. Marrying into a billionaire¡¯s family means a worry-free life. Yet you¡¯re treating him like an ordinary friend. You really don¡¯t appreciate your fortune,¡± Yang Jingshengined discontentedly.


    ¡°Yulu, I think Guanglei is quite a good catch. You can entrust your lifetime to him,¡± Liu Yujuan also tried to persuade Zhao Yulu.


    Naturally, Liu Yujuan hoped Zhao Yulu would marry Chen Guanglei. It would improve her life even further. Being the mother-inw of a billionaire¡¯s son would surely result in some generous allowances. That way, she would gain prestige among her peers and no one would dare not to show her respect.


    ¡°Mom, I understand,¡± Zhao Yulu said half-heartedly.


    ¡°Yulu, you aren¡¯t still thinking about that Xu Yang, are you?¡± Yang Tiancheng said. ¡°He¡¯s just a poor guy. He¡¯s never going to change his situation.


    ¡°He¡¯ll spend his life struggling at the bottom of society, working hard to afford a house. He¡¯ll be a lifelong bank employee.


    ¡°Love can¡¯t be your sustenance in this society. You need economic power.


    ¡°Only rich second-generation like Chen Guanglei can match your status.


    ¡°Think this through carefully. Don¡¯t think about Xu Yang anymore.¡±


    Yang Tiancheng frowned. He had met Xu Yang before and was just a poor guy.


    Although Xu Yang was fine in social interactions and had a spirited appearance, his family background was pitiful. He was from a small county in another province. People like him were abundant in Jaster City. Most of them left humbly, having failed to thrive in the city.


    A small portion of them managed to buy a house in Jaster City, and even then, they remained bank employees for life. Even if they managed to buy a house, they would still be working at the bank for their entire lives.


    As Yang Tiancheng wouldn¡¯t allow his stepdaughter, Zhao Yulu to marry Xu Yang. He wasn¡¯t helpful enough to the family. Only marrying a rich kid like Chen Guanglei could boost the Yang family¡¯s reputation.


    In fact, Zhao Yulu had her own reasons for breaking up with Xu Yang. She had grown up in such a family and had be materialistic. When she was still a university student, she didn¡¯t care much about those things. However, after graduating from university, it waspletely revealed.


    It was also because of Zhao Yulu¡¯s family. The three people in front of her had been badmouthing Xu Yang every day. They said that Xu Yang was useless and wanted her to break up with Xu Yang.


    Due to those two reasons, Zhao Yulu broke up with Xu Yang on the day he proposed.


    Hearing Yang Tiancheng¡¯s words, Liu Yujuan frowned and said, ¡°Yulu, are you still thinking about Xu Yang? Are you thinking about getting back together with him?¡±


    It was something Liu Yujuan would not allow. She was the one who was most against Zhao Yulu and Xu Yang being together. She believed her daughter was so beautiful and shouldn¡¯t marry a poor boy from a small county.


    If Zhao Yulu wanted to marry, she had to marry a rich kid whom Liu Yujuan approved of. Or a rich man, the young elite of the business world who started his own business at a young age and was a sessful person.


    Liu Yujuan¡¯s opinion was the same as Yang Tiancheng. They believed a poor boy like Xu Yang could only struggle at the bottom of society for the rest of his life. Even if he could afford to buy a house, he would work for the bank for the rest of his life.


    In case something happened to his family, and they couldn¡¯t keep up with the economy, they would need financial support from Xu Yang.


    Liu Yujuan would never allow that to happen. She constantly discouraged Zhao Yulu from being with Xu Yang, iming he was utterly useless and urging her to break up with him.


    Now that Zhao Yulu had finally broken up with Xu Yang, she felt relieved.


    However, hearing Yang Tiancheng¡¯s words, Liu Yujuan realized that Zhao Yulu might still be thinking about Xu Yang, and that made her anxious.


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m not. It¡¯s impossible for me and Xu Yang to get back together. He¡¯s already with my sister, Yuxin!¡± Zhao Yulu said.


    Liu Yujuan, Yang Tiancheng, and Yang Jingcheng were taken aback. They were trying to figure out the situation and couldn¡¯t believe that Xu Yang was now together with Zhao Yuxin.


    ¡°Yulu, what¡¯s really going on? Exin it to me!¡± Liu Yujuan was the first to regain her senses, quickly asking for rification.


    ¡°It¡¯s exactly what I said. Xu Yang and Yuxin are married now. It is not possible for me and Xu Yang to be together again.¡± Zhao Yulu said.


    ¡°Holy crap!¡± Yang Jingsheng couldn¡¯t help and cursed. He thought, ¡®Sh*t, that Xu Yang is so lucky. He had just broken up with Yulu, and now he had hooked up with Yuxin. He just enjoyed the sisters like that. Even a rich heir like Chen Guanglei didn¡¯t enjoy such treatment.¡¯


    Yang Jingsheng was so jealous that his eyes turned red.


    Although Yang Tiancheng was not as obvious as his son, his face was full of jealousy, and thought, ¡®What¡¯s so good about that poor boy, Xu Yang? He had just broken up with Yulu, and now he had hooked up with Yuxin, and even registered their marriage.¡¯


    That made Yang Tiancheng¡¯s mind a little muddled.


    ¡°Yuxin and Xu Yang are together? How could this be? I just pulled you out of Xu Yang¡¯s fire pit and Yuxin jumped in again. What was she thinking?¡± Liu Yujuan asked. Her expression was unusually ugly.


    ¡®Both my daughters were linked to Xu Yang. What is that?¡¯ Liu Yujuan thought. Even though she was a woman, she couldn¡¯t help but be jealous of Xu Yang¡¯s luck.


    The more it was like that, the more Liu Yujuan felt that Xu Yang was despicable.


    ¡°Mom, let¡¯s just not talk about it anymore. As for me and Chen Guanglei, I¡¯m still considering it. Even if I do be his girlfriend, it won¡¯t happen so quickly. As for Xu Yang, he¡¯s in the past now. I won¡¯t say more. I¡¯m feeling a bit tired, so I¡¯ll go rest in my room.¡±


    With that, Zhao Yulu returned to her room.

 Chapter 7: Creating a Happy Life Through Own Hands

    Chapter 7: Creating a Happy Life Through Own Hands


    Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡°What is Yuxin thinking? She¡¯s actually together with Xu Yang and even got married. No, I have to talk to her and make sure she doesn¡¯t fall into Xu Yang¡¯s trap!¡± said Liu Yujuan.


    Liu Yujuan¡¯s expression turned ugly. She immediately took out her phone and dialed Zhao Yuxin¡¯s number.


    At that moment, Zhao Yuxin was nestled in Xu Yang¡¯s arms, watching TV together with a happy smile on her face. The phone rang, and she picked it up to see that it was Liu Yujuan calling.


    Although Zhao Yuxin didn¡¯t consider Liu Yujuan as her mother and hadn¡¯t saved her number, she still remembered it.


    Liu Yujuan asionally called Zhao Yuxin and tried to instill some materialistic ideas in her. But she remained unswayed and even grew to dislike Liu Yujuan more.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Xu Yang asked as he nced at Zhao Yuxin¡¯s phone screen.


    ¡°It¡¯s my mom,¡± Zhao Yuxin said as she moved away from Xu Yang¡¯s embrace.


    ¡°I see, just take the call,¡± Xu Yang picked up the TV remote and muted the sound on the TV.


    Xu Yang didn¡¯t have a good impression of Liu Yujuan. When he was together with Zhao Yulu, he had a meal with Liu Yujuan, Yang Tiancheng, and Yang Jingcheng. They had all looked down on him with condescending eyes and belittled him.


    They even suggested Xu Yang leave Zhao Yulu, as he would bring harm to her. That meal had hurt his dignity deeply. But he really liked Zhao Yulu and didn¡¯t mind thosements. He believed that with his efforts, he could bring happiness to her life and change their opinions of him.


    However, before Xu Yang could fulfill his promise, Zhao Yulu broke up with him.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zhao Yuxin nodded and answered the call without speaking.


    ¡°Yuxin, I just heard from Yulu that you and Xu Yang got married?¡± Liu Yujuan asked bluntly. In fact, she sounded more like demanding an exnation. Her tone was stern, a bit angry, and even resentful.


    ¡°Yes, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Zhao Yuxin asked with a surprisingly calm tone.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Do you know what a wrong decision you¡¯ve made? Your decision like this will ruin your life! Before anyone knows about it, get a divorce from Xu Yang first thing tomorrow. That way, others wouldn¡¯t mind if you found a new boyfriend and exined it in the future!¡± said Liu Yujuan. Her voice trembled with anger as she spoke.


    ¡°I believe my decision is right, and I actually think Yulu¡¯s decision is problematic. I love Xu Yang, so I¡¯m with him. As for the idea that this decision will ruin my life, it¡¯s ridiculous. I think I¡¯ve found a happy life.


    ¡°I know what you mean. You always view people from a materialistic perspective, thinking that Xu Yang¡¯s background isn¡¯t good enough to seed in Jaster City. But let me tell you, I believe in Xu Yang. He will definitely seed.


    ¡°I¡¯m with the person I love, and that¡¯s happiness. A happy life isn¡¯t something given by others; it¡¯s something we create for ourselves. Xu Yang might not have much right now, but I believe that as long as we work together, we¡¯ll be able to live the happy life we want.¡± Zhao Yuxin delivered a long speech with sharp words.


    On the other end of the call, Liu Yujuan fell into a momentary silence, taking some time to regain herposure. She asked, ¡°Zhao Yuxin, are you trying to drive me crazy? All that creating a happy life through your own means, or through hard work and you can live the life you want was crap talk.


    ¡°If it were that easy, everyone in society would be living a good life. It seems that you still can¡¯t change your way of thinking aftering out to society. If you don¡¯t listen to me, when you¡¯re suffocating under life¡¯s pressures and turn into a haggard woman, you¡¯ll regret it!¡± Liu Yujuan continued to scold with a stern tone.


    The idea that working hard would lead to the life they wanted seemed reasonable for students. But to Liu Yujuan, her daughter, who had already left school, saying such things was incredibly naive and infuriating.


    ¡°You won¡¯t see me regretting anything. Besides, you¡¯re not a part of my life, and I don¡¯t need you to meddle. Don¡¯t call me in the future.¡±


    After saying that, Zhao Yuxin hung up the phone.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Liu Yujuan¡¯s face turned pale with anger, and she even felt like throwing away her phone. But considering that it was a new gship model worth over eight thousand yuan, she hesitated to do so.


    ¡°It seems your daughter doesn¡¯t listen to you,¡± Yang Tiancheng remarked.


    ¡°She¡¯s really driving me crazy,¡± Liu Yujuan remained infuriated.


    ¡°Your daughter has nothing to do with us. But regarding Yulu, we still need to advise her more. We should encourage her to ept Chen Guanglei¡¯s pursuit sooner, to attach herself to someone like Chen Guanglei, a rich heir. That way, our future will be worry-free,¡± Yang Tiancheng said cryptically.


    ¡°Right, I don¡¯t care about Zhao Yuxin anymore, and I can¡¯t control her either. We should focus on Yulu. We really should persuade her to get together with Chen Guanglei sooner,¡± said Liu Yujuan. She took a deep breath, finally managing to calm herself down.


    Meanwhile, at Xu Yang¡¯s ce. Zhao Yuxin returned to Xu Yang¡¯s embrace after hanging up the phone.


    ¡°Honey, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make you happy,¡± said Xu Yang.


    Though Zhao Yuxin didn¡¯t put the call on speaker, Xu Yang still overheard their conversation.


    If this were in the past, after he started working, he might not have been so confident saying such things. But now it was different¡ªhe had the Super Life System, a system destined to elevate him to the pinnacle of the world. Ensuring a happy life for Zhao Yuxin was certainly not an issue.


    ¡°Mhmm, I believe you, dear,¡± Zhao Yuxin said with a smile of happiness on her face.


    The next day was Zhao Hai¡¯s birthday. At three in the afternoon, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin went to a nearby supermarket to buy groceries.


    After buying the ingredients, they returned to Zhao Hai¡¯s house. The couple started to prepare the meal together¡ªZhao Yuxin was the head chef, and Xu Yang was the assistant chef.


    Growing up with her father, Zhao Yuxin had learned to be responsible from a young age. She had even learned how to cook during junior high school. Her culinary skills were nothing less than her father¡¯s. It could be said that Zhao Yuxin was skillful both in the kitchen and in dealing with household chores.


    The couple bustled around the kitchen,ughing and chatting, and found the work enjoyable rather than tiring. This was the kind of life they wanted. For Zhao Yuxin, as long as she was with Xu Yang, everything was enjoyable. For Xu Yang, he was increasingly convinced that marrying Zhao Yuxin was the right choice. His feelings for her were also evolving.


    At first, it was the system that led him to marry Zhao Yuxin, and there wasn¡¯t much emotion between them. However, as time passed, he found himself falling for her rapidly. And as time went on, this love only grew stronger.


    Zhao Yuxin was truly capable, both in social and domestic situations. Such a wife was a good wife¡ªmuch better than Zhao Yulu.


    Zhao Yulu wouldn¡¯t clean up the room or cook. Sometimes, she wouldn¡¯t even want to go out with Xu Yang and meet friends.


    Zhao Yuxin, on the other hand, was different. When she was with Xu Yang, her eyes sparkled.


    After a while of bustling about, it was almost six o¡¯clock. They had finished most of the preparations. They just needed to cook the final few dishes when Zhao Hai returned and the guests arrived.

 Chapter 8: Overdramatic

    Chapter 8: Overdramatic


    Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Zhao Hai returned home when the clock struck at six.


    ¡°Dad, you¡¯re back!¡± Zhao Yuxin poked her head out from the kitchen and eximed.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m back. Weren¡¯t you supposed toe with Xu Yang? Where is he?¡± Zhao Hai said and nodded, not seeing Xu Yang in the living room or on the balcony.


    Zhao Yuxin had already told Zhao Hai that she and Xu Yang woulde early to cook together.


    Zhao Hai didn¡¯t object to it; they had maintained this habit for several years. Ever since Zhao Yuxin began studying at the university, she had been the one cooking for his birthday every year.


    ¡°Dad, Xu Yang and I were busy in the kitchen together. We¡¯lle out to join you once we¡¯re done. I¡¯ll start stir-frying the vegetables when the guests arrive,¡± Zhao Yuxin said with a smile.


    Soon enough, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin emerged from the kitchen.


    ¡°Dad,¡± Xu Yang greeted.


    ¡°Come, have a seat. Yuxin¡¯s uncle and cousin wille over in a bit. I also have a friending, someone you¡¯ve met before. No need to be formal, let¡¯s rest for a while,¡± Zhao Hai gestured for them to sit.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Xu Yang nodded and asked, ¡°Is the friend you mentioned Junyi?¡±


    Zhao Hai didn¡¯t have many friends, especially those he had introduced to his daughter. Among them, the one with a deeper impression was a person named Lin Junyi.


    Lin Junyi was around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. He had a good rtionship with Zhao Hai and often came to eat at Zhao Hai¡¯s restaurant. Lin Junyi owned apany, and he would order his employees¡¯ meals from Zhao Hai¡¯s restaurant.


    With a worth in the billions, Lin Junyi was a confirmed young millionaire, a business prodigy.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s him,¡± Zhao Hai nodded. Then, the three of them engaged in casual conversation. They talked about work, life, and various topics.


    Xu Yang found his father-inw easy to get along with.


    ¡°By the way, Dad, I asked Yulu yesterday, and she said she¡¯ll being,¡± Zhao Yuxin said.


    Zhao Hai was taken aback, then nodded and said, ¡°Well, if she wants toe, she can.¡±


    Even though Zhao Hai¡¯s rtionship with his eldest daughter, Zhao Yulu, wasn¡¯t great, and they rarely contacted each other, he wouldn¡¯t refuse her if she came for his birthday.


    DING DONG!


    At that moment, the doorbell rang.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get the door,¡± said Zhao Yuxin as she got up to answer the door.


    ¡°Yuxin.¡± Standing at the door was Zhao Yulu.


    ¡°Sis, you¡¯re here. Come in. Dad just got back not long ago,¡± Zhao Yuxin ushered and let Zhao Yulu in.


    ¡°Dad, happy birthday.¡± Zhao Yulu said as she handed her gift to Zhao Hai.


    ¡°Thanks, have a seat.¡± Zhao Hai thanked and took the gift. He put it aside, motioning for Zhao Yulu to sit.


    Zhao Hai¡¯s attitude toward Zhao Yulu wasn¡¯t good or bad. There was a sense of distance between them, unlike his rtionship with Zhao Yuxin. After all, Zhao Yulu had left with Liu Yujuan at a very young age.


    They hadn¡¯t seen each other much over the years, meeting only two or three times a year sometimes. Moreover, Zhao Yulu had nevere to celebrate his birthday before. This was the first time.


    Zhao Yulu sat down and looked at Xu Yang, not saying anything. Her main reason foring today was to use this opportunity to strengthen her rtionship with her father and then ask him for money. As for Xu Yang, she paid him no attention and didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Xu Yang remainedposed. From the moment he got his marriage certificate with Zhao Yuxin, he had anticipated such a scenario. He hadpletely let go of his past with Zhao Yulu and cherished his present life with Zhao Yuxin. He treated Zhao Yulu like an ordinary friend.


    Because of Zhao Yulu¡¯s arrival, the atmosphere was a bit awkward. Zhao Hai had to try to find topics to chat about. Fortunately, the awkward atmosphere didn¡¯tst long as the doorbell rang again.


    Zhao Yuxin went to answer the door again, ¡°Uncle Jiang, Yuqing, you¡¯re here. Come in.¡±


    Seeing her uncle, Zhao Jiang, and cousin, Zhao Yuqing, at the door, Zhao Yuxin pulled her inside by the hand. The rtionship between Zhao Yuxin and Zhao Yuqing was good, much better than Zhao Yuxin and her rtionship with Zhao Yulu.


    Then, Zhao Jiang also entered the house.


    ¡°Uncle Hai, happy birthday!¡± Zhao Yuqing greeted Zhao Hai as she handed him a gift.


    ¡°Thanks, have a seat,¡± Zhao Hai smiled and took the gift, gesturing for them to sit.


    ¡°Hello Uncle Jiang, Yuqing.¡± Xu Yang greeted the newly arrived guests.


    Zhao Jiang chuckled and said, ¡°Xu Yang, you looked as good as usual.¡±


    Zhao Yuqing greeted with a nod and smiled.


    Both Zhao Jiang and Zhao Yuqing had a good impression of Xu Yang. Especially Zhao Jiang, he had always thought Xu Yang was a dependabled. Sometimes, he also wished that his daughter, Zhao Yuqing, could find a husband like him in the future.


    DING DONG!


    At that moment, the doorbell rang again.


    ¡°It must be Junyi,¡± said Zhao Yuxin as she went to open the door.


    Then, Zhao Yuxin saw a handsome young man in histe twenties and greeted, ¡°Junyi, you¡¯re here. Come in quickly.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin happily weed the young man in. It was Zhao Hai¡¯s good friend, Lin Junyi.


    ¡°Uncle Hai, happy birthday!¡± Lin Junyi said as he handed the gift to Zhao Hai.


    ¡°Thank you. Have a seat.¡± Zhao Hai smiled and took the gift. He gestured for Lin Junyi to take a seat.


    ¡°Now that everyone¡¯s here, go ahead and chat. I¡¯ll go cook. It¡¯ll be ready soon,¡± Zhao Yuxin said as she headed to the kitchen.


    Xu Yang didn¡¯t follow Zhao Yuxin in; there were only a few dishes left to stir-fry, and he wasn¡¯t needed.


    ¡°Xu Yang, when are you and Yulu nning to get married?¡± Zhao Jiang asked.


    ¡°Um¡­ Uncle Jiang, Yulu and I have broken up. I¡¯m now with Yuxin, and we¡¯ve already gotten our marriage certificate,¡± Xu Yang exined awkwardly.


    Although Xu Yang didn¡¯t think there was anything wrong with it and could easily say so among friends, he felt a bit embarrassed saying it in front of Zhao Yuxin¡¯s rtives.


    Not only was Zhao Jiang dumbfounded, but even Zhao Yuqing and Lin Junyi were too. All three of them knew that Xu Yang was Zhao Yulu¡¯s boyfriend. Yet, in the blink of an eye, Xu Yang had broken up with Zhao Yulu and married Zhao Yuxin.


    Setting aside Zhao Jiang, who was getting on in years and had difficulty grasping the situation, even the heads of twenty-seven or twenty-eight-year-olds like Lin Junyi and Zhao Yuqing couldn¡¯t process it. It was simply too dramatic, like something out of a TV show or a movie.


    ¡°Uncle Jiang, Yuqing, Junyi, Yulu and I broke up amicably. Later, I realized that Yuxin is the one I want to spend my life with. I confessed my feelings to her, and we got married to show ourmitment to each other,¡± Xu Yang further exined.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Zhao Jiang looked at Xu Yang, then at Zhao Yulu, sighed, and smiled wryly without saying anything. Zhao Jiang didn¡¯t quite understand young people¡¯s affairs and didn¡¯t want toment.


    ¡°Yulu, isn¡¯t Xu Yang a good guy? Why did you break up with him? You might regret it in the future,¡± Zhao Yuqing sympathized with Zhao Yulu.


    Zhao Yuqing had a good impression of Xu Yang and thought Zhao Yulu had found a good boyfriend. She didn¡¯t expect that Zhao Yulu would let go of someone like Xu Yang.


    Zhao Yulu pursed her lips and remained silent. She couldn¡¯t exin. She certainly couldn¡¯t say she felt that Xu Yang¡¯s family background wasn¡¯t good enough to provide the lifestyle she wanted. If she said that, she would be branded as a materialistic girl.


    Zhao Hai, Zhao Jiang, and Zhao Yuqing were all people who didn¡¯t ce much importance on material things. If Zhao Yulu said that, she would surely be nagged by her uncle and cousin. It was better not to say anything.

 Chapter 9: Using House Purchase Funds to Invest in Futures

    Chapter 9: Using House Purchase Funds to Invest in Futures


    Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Zhao Yuqing let out a sigh and waved her hand, saying, ¡°This is your affair, and I don¡¯t want to interfere. Just hope you won¡¯t regret it.¡±


    Lin Junyi smiled and said, ¡°Xu Yang, you and Yuxin have already registered your marriage. Live your life well. I wish you both happiness.¡±


    In fact, Lin Junyi was actually quite pleased. After all, he had a good rtionship with Zhao Hai and treated Zhao Yuxin like a younger sister. He had a favorable impression of Xu Yang and was genuinely happy for Zhao Yuxin.


    In the end, finding a reliable man for a girl was truly difficult.


    ¡°Thank you, Junyi. We¡¯ll definitely do that,¡± Xu Yang expressed his gratitude.


    The conversation continued, and over half an hour quickly passed.


    ¡°Dinner is ready!¡± Zhao Yuxin¡¯s voice echoed. She brought the dishes to the table, and Xu Yang hurriedly went over to help. Soon, they had all the dishes on the table.


    Xu Yang set out the bowls, chopsticks, and wine sses, pouring a ss of wine for each person.


    ¡°Dad, happy birthday.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Hai, happy birthday.¡±


    ¡°Hai, happy birthday.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Hai, happy birthday.¡±


    Everyone took turns to toast Zhao Hai.


    The birthday dinner ended in a very cheerful atmosphere and Zhao Hai was slightly intoxicated. Today, he felt very happy. He had been worrying about Zhao Yuxin¡¯s rtionship issues all along. She hadn¡¯t dated anyone during her university days and didn¡¯t have a boyfriend after entering society. But now, she was with Xu Yang. The heavy stone in Zhao Hai¡¯s heart had finally been lifted.


    Xu Yang was a young man Zhao Hai held in high regard. Zhao Hai also believed that Xu Yang¡¯s character was sound, and he treated people well. His feelings for Zhao Yuxin were sincere. With those three aspects, no matter what happened in the future, Xu Yang wouldn¡¯t falter, and Zhao Yuxin¡¯s life wouldn¡¯t be affected.


    Zhao Hai wasn¡¯t like his ex-wife, Liu Yujuan, who always wanted their daughter to marry into a wealthy family. His requirements for a son-inw were simple. Someone like Xu Yang was more than satisfactory. As long as his daughter felt happy, that was enough.


    In Zhao Hai¡¯s joy, he had a bit too much to drink. Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin saw off the guests before helping Zhao Hai back to his room to rest. As Zhao Hai was already drunk, Zhao Yuxin was worried about him. So, she and Xu Yang decided to stay over.


    On the bed, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin chatted, ¡°Xu Yang, my dad gave me two million yuan. When should we go take a look at houses, pay the down payment, and buy a property? What do you think?¡± Zhao Yuxin asked.


    Having registered their marriage, Zhao Yuxin hoped to have a property of their own, using the two million yuan her dad provided for the down payment. Together, they could handle the mortgage payments without much pressure. After all, she worked at a bank, and Xu Yang worked at a publicly listedpany. Their jobs were stable.


    In fact, after paying the two million yuan down payment, if Zhao Yuxin and Xu Yang extended the loan term a bit and with her ie alone, she could afford the mortgage without affecting their lives.


    ¡°Yuxin, I¡¯d like to dy buying a house for a while and use this money for something else,¡± Xu Yang said.


    In a few days, the gold futures were expected to surge, and Xu Yang needed to participate. The system¡¯s grand package came with a million yuan startup capital, but he wished to invest more. The more he invested, the more he could earn. The system¡¯s information was urate and the investment was a guaranteed profit. He needed to use as much money as he could.


    With gold futures expected to rise by 30%, given the tenfold leverage, it was akin to a 300% increase, earning three million yuan. Using the system¡¯s one million, Xu Yang could earn three million. Ifbined with Zhao Yuxin¡¯s two million, that was a total of three million, tripling it to nine million. They could even increase their positions with floating profits, earning even more.


    Moreover, buying a house wasn¡¯t urgent. With the system, Xu Yang could buy a vi or arge t in a few months without a mortgage, without paying bank interest, avoiding the exploitation and pressure of banks. The day of buying a house was not far off, and within a few months, he¡¯d have enough to buy one. For now, Xu Yang thought he and Zhao Yuxin could continue living in the rented house and move into the fully paid new house in a few months.


    As for the Central Bank of Drnd¡¯s stock dropping by 2%, Xu Yang wouldn¡¯t participate.


    ¡°Hmm? What are you nning to do?¡± Zhao Yuxin asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been very optimistic about gold futures recently. I think they¡¯ll rise significantly. I want to invest the money in gold futures. I have one million yuan, and with your two million, if we invest it all, we should be able to earn a few million. What do you think?¡± Xu Yang exined his idea.


    If Zhao Yuxin wasn¡¯t willing, Xu Yang wouldn¡¯t insist. At most, they¡¯d earn a bit less, and they could dy buying a house by a bit. He wouldn¡¯t hold any negative views toward Zhao Yuxin for it.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Zhao Yuxin agreed without hesitation.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that I might lose all the money?¡± Xu Yang asked as he was somewhat surprised.


    Xu Yang thought Zhao Yuxin would want to inquire about the details and find the idea feasible before agreeing. But he hadn¡¯t expected her to agree so readily. Without hesitation, she agreed without even asking about the specifics.


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid. We¡¯re still young. Sometimes, it¡¯s okay to take some risks. Even if we lose this money, it won¡¯t affect our lives much. We can just postpone buying a house for a few more years,¡± said Zhao Yuxin. She was surprisingly open-minded and had no aversion to futures trading.


    As a graduate in finance, Zhao Yuxin knew how futures worked and trading futures was normal.


    ¡°Yuxin, thank you. Don¡¯t worry, this investment won¡¯t lead to losses.¡± Xu Yang felt moved. He reassured Zhao Yuxin with determination, wanting to put her at ease.


    ¡°Okay, I believe you,¡± Zhao Yuxin said as she nodded repeatedly.


    ¡­


    The next day, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin got up and took the subway to work together.


    Zhao Yuxin withdrew the money and transferred it to Xu Yang¡¯s bank ount.


    Upon receiving the money, Xu Yang went to a futures brokerage near thepany, opened a futures ount, checked the futures market, and transferred the funds into his futures capital ount. He invested the entire amount in gold futures and waited for the price to rise.


    Zhao Hai arrived at his restaurant. After being busy for a while, his phone rang.


    ¡°Yulu.¡±


    Seeing that it was his elder daughter calling, he answered.


    ¡°Dad, are you busy?¡± Zhao Yulu asked.


    ¡°Not really. What¡¯s the matter?¡± Zhao Hai inquired.


    ¡°Dad, I want to borrow some money from you,¡± Zhao Yulu said with difficulty.


    Since their father-daughter rtionship wasn¡¯t particrly close, it took some courage for Zhao Yulu to ask her father for money.


    ¡°Borrow money? What do you need the money for?¡± Zhao Hai asked.


    ¡°I have a friend who¡¯s interested in an investment project that will yield high returns in the short term. I want to borrow money to invest,¡± Zhao Yulu gave a vague exnation.


    Zhao Yulu didn¡¯t mention who the friend was, what the project was, or how much profit it could generate.


    ¡°How much do you need to borrow?¡± Zhao Hai inquired.


    Zhao Hai understood why Zhao Yulu came to celebrate his birthdayst night. She wasying the groundwork for borrowing money, which made him quite ufortable. He didn¡¯t feel like probing further. If Zhao Yulu didn¡¯t want to talk about it, then so be it. He wasn¡¯t insistent on knowing.


    ¡°All right, let me know if you need anything,¡± Zhao Hai replied and felt it unnecessary to continue discussing the topic.

 Chapter 10: I Won’t Allow You to Speak Ill of Xu Yang

    Chapter 10: I Won¡¯t Allow You to Speak Ill of Xu Yang


    Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡°Dad, lend me all your remaining money,¡± Zhao Yulu said.


    ¡°Sure, send me your bank ount number, and I¡¯ll transfer it to you. But I have to tell you, I only have fifty thousand yuan left,¡± Zhao Hai replied.


    ¡°What! Fifty thousand yuan? That¡¯s impossible!¡± Zhao Yulu eximed in disbelief. ¡°Dad, if you don¡¯t want to lend me money, just say it. Don¡¯t make up such a ridiculous number like fifty thousand yuan. I¡¯m not a three-year-old child.¡±


    Zhao Hai responded, ¡°Yulu, whether you believe it or not, my current savings really amount to just fifty thousand yuan.¡±


    Zhao Yulu protested, ¡°It can¡¯t be true. You¡¯ve been running a restaurant for so many years; you can¡¯t possibly have no savings.¡±


    Zhao Yulu remained skeptical. She was well aware of Zhao Hai¡¯s situation. After running the restaurant for so many years, he should have had some savings each year. Over the years, Zhao Yulu believed Zhao Hai should have umted at least one or two million yuan in savings.


    Zhao Hai exined, ¡°I do have savings, around two million yuan. But I gave that money to Yuxin. She has registered her marriage with Xu Yang, and I gave her the money to use as the down payment for a house.¡±


    Pausing for a moment, Zhao Hai continued, ¡°Even if I hadn¡¯t given the money to Yuxin, I wouldn¡¯t have lent you that much money. I want to save the money for Yuxin.¡±


    That was Zhao Hai¡¯s heartfelt sentiment. He had raised Zhao Yuxin for so many years; she was well-behaved and sensible. In contrast, Zhao Yulu followed her mother, and they only asionally met. There wasn¡¯t much emotional connection. He wouldn¡¯t be able to lend so much money to Zhao Yulu.


    ¡°You¡¯re really straightforward, Dad,¡± Zhao Yulumented.


    ¡°That¡¯s how it is, fifty thousand yuan. Do you want it or not? If you do, send me your bank ount number, and I¡¯ll transfer it to you. If you don¡¯t, then forget about it,¡± Zhao Hai stated.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want it,¡± Zhao Yulu declined.


    At that point, Zhao Yulu couldn¡¯t possibly ept the money. Moreover, when she called Zhao Hai to borrow money, she had intended to borrow arger amount. Fifty thousand yuan wasn¡¯t enough for her needs.


    Zhao Hai exined, ¡°All right then, not a problem. I¡¯ll keep it for other expenses. Otherwise, I¡¯d have to borrow money from friends.¡±


    That was also true. Zhao Hai intended to use that small amount of money for restaurant operations. If he gave the money to Zhao Yulu, he would indeed have to borrow some money from friends for temporary support.


    ¡°I¡¯m hanging up now.¡± Zhao Yulu was left speechless and hung up the phone.


    After some thought, Zhao Yulu dialed Zhao Yuxin¡¯s phone number.


    ¡°Sis.¡± Zhao Yuxin, who was currently not busy, answered the call.


    ¡°Yuxin, Dad gave you two million yuan for the down payment on a house, right?¡± Zhao Yulu asked directly.


    ¡°Yes, what about it?¡± Zhao Yuxin inquired.


    ¡°My friend has a great investment opportunity that promises high short-term returns. Can you hold off on buying the house and lend me the two million yuan for now? I¡¯ll be able to repay you within three months, and I¡¯ll even give you an additional five hundred thousand yuan as interest. How does that sound?¡± Zhao Yulu proposed.


    ording to what Chen Guanglei had told Zhao Yulu, the stock of Obsidian Tech was bound to increase several-fold. Investing two million yuan would likely yield five or six million yuan in profit. Offering five hundred thousand yuan as interest was absolutely feasible.


    ¡°Is there really such a lucrative investment opportunity?¡± Zhao Yuxin expressed doubt.


    Borrowing two million yuan for three months and offering five hundred thousand yuan in interest¡ªworking in the banking industry, Zhao Yuxin knew exactly what that meant.


    ¡°Yes, please lend me the two million yuan,¡± Zhao Yulu requested.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t lend it. I¡¯ve already given the money to Xu Yang,¡± Zhao Yuxin hesitated. Since she had already given the money to Xu Yang, she couldn¡¯t possibly ask for it back.


    ¡°Why did you give him the money? Even if it¡¯s for buying a house, you could have given the down paymentter,¡± Zhao Yulu didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Xu Yang said he wants to invest in futures. So, I gave him the money,¡± Zhao Yuxin answered honestly.


    ¡°What! He¡¯s going to invest in futures?!¡± Zhao Yulu was astonished.


    ¡°Yes, he thinks that the gold futures¡¯s market is looking good and is expected to experience a significant rise. So, I gave him the money,¡± Zhao Yuxin exined.


    ¡°Yuxin, you¡¯re being naive. Can you really dabble in futures trading? Do you know how many people have lost their fortunes in futures trading?¡± Zhao Yulu was getting frustrated.


    ¡°I understand that futures trading carries significant risks, but I believe in Xu Yang. His judgment won¡¯t be wrong,¡± Zhao Yuxin said firmly.


    ¡°Believe in Xu Yang?¡± Zhao Yulu¡¯s lips twitched a few times. ¡°My dear sister, you¡¯re quite gullible. Your blind trust could harm you. Even a great trader cannot be sure that his judgment is correct. Xu Yang is nothing. How dare he use the house purchase money to specte on futures!¡±


    Hearing that, Zhao Yuxin was unhappy and said, ¡°Sis, I don¡¯t allow you to say that about Xu Yang. He said that he can make money, so he will definitely make money.¡±


    Zhao Yulu was a little speechless and said, ¡°My silly sister, you¡¯re really silly. Your biased attitude will hurt you.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin remained resolute, ¡°I believe in Xu Yang.¡±


    Zhao Yulu felt like she couldn¡¯tmunicate with Zhao Yuxin anymore, so she said, ¡°You said he was going to buy gold futures, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhao Yuxin said as she nodded.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Zhao Yulu said. ¡°I¡¯ll call Xu Yang. If I manage to convince him to lend me the money, you won¡¯t mind, right?¡±


    Zhao Yuxin raised an eyebrow and stated, ¡°If you can actually do that, then I won¡¯t mind.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin didn¡¯t believe Xu Yang would lend the money.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Zhao Yulu responded.


    After ending the call, Zhao Yulu didn¡¯t immediately call Xu Yang. Instead, sheposed a text message and sent it to Chen Guanglei, [I need to talk to you. Do you have some time?]


    Chen Guanglei replied, [Even if I¡¯m busy, I¡¯ll make time for you. Are you agreeing to have dinner and watch a movie together tonight?]


    Zhao Yulu texted, [No, I just wanted to ask your opinion on the current situation of the gold futures market.]


    On the other end of the call, Chen Guanglei was lying on arge bed in a private room at a club, apanied by a blonde beauty.


    Seeing Zhao Yulu¡¯s message, he immediately checked his father¡¯spany¡¯s analysis of the gold futures market and sent it to her.


    Chen Guanglei typed, [Fundamentally, the gold futures market is affected by the economic decline of major countries. In theing months, demand for gold is expected to decrease further. From a technical perspective, the futures price has already risen to a rtively high level, facing significant resistance in an upward movement. There¡¯s a high probability of a future decline, so I suggest considering short positions when the timing is right.]


    Zhao Yulu responded, [Thank you.]


    Chen Guanglei asked in text, [Do you have time tonight? Shall we have dinner and watch a movie together?]


    Zhao Yulu replied, [Sorry, I have something to do tonight.]


    Chen Guanglei texted, [All right then, maybe next time.]


    Putting down his phone, Chen Guanglei sneered, ¡°Damn it, sooner orter, I¡¯ll have you beneath me!¡±


    Shortly after, Chen Guanglei turned his attention to the blonde beauty next to him, and the room soon resonated with the sounds of their intimate activities.


    Meanwhile, Zhao Yulu waspletely unaware of Chen Guanglei¡¯s activities. She dialed Xu Yang¡¯s phone number. Soon enough, Xu Yang answered the call.


    Zhao Yulu said, ¡°Xu Yang, I need to talk to you about something.¡±


    Xu Yang¡¯s voice remained calm, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Zhao Yulu continued, ¡°My sister handed over the two million yuan for the house down payment to you, right?¡±


    Xu Yang affirmed, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°And she said you¡¯re nning to invest in gold futures, right?¡± Zhao Yulu asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Xu Yang responded.


    Zhao Yulu warned, ¡°Let me tell you, don¡¯t invest. Gold futures are going to drop. If you invest and it goes south, you¡¯ll lose everything.¡±


    Xu Yang disagreed, ¡°I don¡¯t share that view. I believe gold will rise, and it¡¯s going to be a substantial increase.¡±

 Chapter 11: About to Drive Me Crazy

    Chapter 11: About to Drive Me Crazy


    Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Zhao Yulu said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t doubt me. When I say it will fall, it¡¯s not my own judgment. It¡¯s an analysis given by a senior analyst at my friend¡¯s investmentpany. Their uracy is very high.¡±


    Xu Yang replied, ¡°I only believe in my judgment. I believe you didn¡¯t just call me to persuade me not to buy gold futures, just say what you want.¡±


    Zhao Yulu continued, ¡°I want you to lend me the two million yuan. I have a great investment project that can make a lot of money quickly, within three months at most. I can give you five hundred thousand yuan as interest. How about that?¡±


    Xu Yang responded, ¡°Not interested. I¡¯m buying gold futures, and I know I could earn many five hundred thousand yuan.¡±


    Zhao Yulu angrily retorted, ¡°Why don¡¯t you listen to reason? I¡¯ve already said that gold futures will drop. Your money will go to waste. If you sell it now, even if it¡¯s a small loss, it¡¯s better than losing everything. I¡¯m telling you for your own good, don¡¯t you understand?¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t need it. I believe gold futures will rise, and they definitely will. If you don¡¯t have anything else to say, I¡¯m hanging up. I¡¯m very busy.¡±


    With that, Xu Yang ended the call without further ado.


    ¡°Jerk!¡± Zhao Yulu clenched her teeth in frustration.


    After a moment of contemtion, Zhao Yulu dialed Zhao Yuxin¡¯s phone number. The call connected quickly.


    Zhao Yulu immediately said, ¡°Yuxin, Xu Yang told me he already bought gold futures. I tried to advise him to sell, but he didn¡¯t listen. Can you talk to him and persuade him?¡±


    Zhao Yuxin responded, ¡°If he bought it, he bought it. I trust him.¡±


    Zhao Yulu couldn¡¯t believe it and said, ¡°Yuxin, let me be honest with you. The person who you saw with me when you were shopping that day, his father is the CEO of an investmentpany. The senior analyst at the investmentpany said that gold futures will fall. If you don¡¯t make Xu Yang sell the gold futures, you won¡¯t have a penny left! Your dad¡¯s hard-earned money for your down payment on the house will be wasted. Are you really willing to see your dad¡¯s hard-earned money vanish like that?¡±


    Hearing that, Zhao Yuxin hesitated for a moment, then said, ¡°I believe in Xu Yang. He won¡¯t be wrong.¡±


    In truth, Zhao Yuxin wasn¡¯t believing in Xu Yang¡¯s judgment of the futures market. She believed in his character and his responsible attitude toward life. If Xu Yang wasn¡¯t confident, he wouldn¡¯t have invested so much money in gold futures.


    Though Zhao Yuxin didn¡¯t understand why Xu Yang was so certain about the rise in gold futures prices in the ever-changing market, she was still willing to trust him.


    ¡°Yuxin, you¡¯re really too blindly trusting. Can¡¯t you have your own opinion? I really don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re thinking. Is Xu Yang really that good? Is he really that worthy of your trust?¡± Zhao Yulu eximed in frustration.


    Zhao Yuxin responded calmly, ¡°Xu Yang is that good, and he is worthy of my trust. Leaving him was your biggest mistake. Of course, I also have to thank you. If it wasn¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t be together with him.¡±


    Zhao Yulu was beyond frustrated, taking a deep breath before saying, ¡°Fine, I realize I can¡¯t reason with you. Whenever I mention him, you get defensive. I¡¯m truly looking out for your best interests. Selling the gold futures would prevent your dad¡¯s hard-earned money from going to waste. Can¡¯t you bear to see all of it disappear?¡±


    Realizing that reasoning wasn¡¯t working, Zhao Yulu decided to approach the situation from her father¡¯s perspective.


    Unexpectedly, Zhao Yuxin wasn¡¯t moved by Zhao Yulu¡¯s approach, saying, ¡°You don¡¯t need to say anymore. I won¡¯t make him sell. Like I said, I trust him.¡±


    While Zhao Yuxin didn¡¯t want her father¡¯s hard-earned money for the down payment to go to waste, she also had faith in Xu Yang. In her eyes, even if they incurred losses, it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal. At most, it would dy their ns to buy a house for a few years. Her father wouldn¡¯t me her for that.


    ¡°You¡¯re really driving me crazy!¡± Zhao Yulu shouted.


    Feeling thatmunication was futile, Zhao Yulu hung up the phone helplessly. Her n to secure the loan wasn¡¯t going to happen.


    ¡­


    At night, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin sat on the sofa in the living room and watched TV after dinner.


    ¡°Honey, how¡¯s the gold futures market?¡± Zhao Yuxin was still worried, so she asked casually.


    ¡°Honey, don¡¯t worry. The price of gold will definitely rise,¡± Xu Yang said with full confidence.


    ¡°Okay, I believe you.¡± Zhao Yuxin nodded repeatedly. ¡°Today, Yulu kept asking me to ask you to sell it and lend her the money, but I ignored her.¡±


    Xu Yang pinched Zhao Yuxin¡¯s pretty face and said, ¡°Honey, thank you for your trust in me. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let you down.¡±


    Hearing that, Zhao Yuxin felt very pleased and nodded repeatedly. She said, ¡°Honey, I believe you.¡±


    The next day, the first thing Xu Yang did when he woke up was to check the gold futures¡¯s market.


    Last night, Lighthouse International Reserve cut interest rates by 2%, releasing more liquid, far exceeding market expectations. The Merica dor index plummeted, the price of gold soared, and domestic gold futures rose to the limit!


    ¡°Honey, you¡¯re awake,¡± Zhao Yuxin said as she woke up and went into Xu Yang¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Well, let me tell you a piece of good news,¡± Xu Yang smiled and said.


    ¡°What good news?¡± Zhao Yuxin raised her head and asked.


    ¡°The gold futures have reached their limit!¡± Xu Yang said as he ced the phone in front of Zhao Yuxin and signaled her to look at the futures trading software on the phone.


    ¡°Really?¡± Zhao Yuxin¡¯s eyes widened. When she saw that the gold futures price had indeed gone up, she couldn¡¯t help but be filled with joy. ¡°Honey, you¡¯re amazing!¡±


    Zhao Yuxin couldn¡¯t help but kiss Xu Yang on the cheek.


    ¡°I told you, I won¡¯t let you down.¡±Xu Yang smiled.


    Xu Yang had never been worried. The reason why he checked the price of gold after waking up was to eliminate Zhao Yuxin¡¯s worries as soon as possible.


    Zhao Yuxin would be lying if she said that she wasn¡¯t worried. After all, the two million that she gave Xu Yang was saved up by Zhao Hai with great effort. It was the down payment for her future house. If she lost, she would probably cry. Now, she didn¡¯t have to worry anymore.


    ¡°Yes, Honey. I believe you!¡± said Zhao Yuxin. Her smile became brighter.


    The truth was indeed as Xu Yang had guessed. Although Zhao Yuxin trusted Xu Yang, she was worried. After all, that was the money her father had painstakingly saved up.


    The two of them cuddled for a while before getting up. During breakfast, Zhao Yuxin said, ¡°Honey, Junyi calledst night and said that he would treat us to dinner tonight.¡±


    Lin Junyi gave Zhao Yuxin a callst night and informed them about the dinner.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t forget,¡± said Xu Yang.


    After work, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin went to the private restaurant that Lin Junyi had mentioned. They entered a private room and saw Lin Junyi was already waiting there.


    ¡°Junyi.¡± Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin greeted in unison.


    ¡°Hey, you guys are here. Have a seat.¡± Lin Junyi gestured for them to sit down.


    ¡°Junyi, did you invite us for dinner tonight because you have good news to share?¡± Zhao Yuxin asked as they took their seats.


    ¡°Not really good news, just to have a chat. You two are together now, and I haven¡¯t treated you to a meal alone before. Consider this dinner a celebration of your rtionship,¡± Lin Junyi said with a smile.

 Chapter 12: Watching Him Go from Heaven to Hell

    Chapter 12: Watching Him Go from Heaven to Hell


    Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡°Thanks, Junyi!¡± Both Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin expressed their gratitude. Lin Junyi was really kind to them after all.


    Soon, the food was served, and all of them were signature dishes of the restaurant.


    Xu Yang was experiencing this kind of private dining establishment for the first time. With his sry, he couldn¡¯te here. He hadn¡¯t been here with Zhao Yulu either, because Lin Junyi was familiar with Zhao Hai and Zhao Yuxin, not with Zhao Yulu.


    Lin Junyi only took them here after Xu Yang was together with Zhao Yuxin. Otherwise, Xu Yang wouldn¡¯t have had the chance.


    After three rounds of toasts and five vors of dishes, Lin Junyi asked, ¡°Xu Yang, Yuxin, have you been following short clipstely?¡±


    Xu Yang shook his head and said, ¡°No.¡±


    It seemed that Lin Junyi didn¡¯t invite them to dinner just for the sake of it.


    Zhao Yuxin asked, ¡°Junyi, why are you asking about this? What do you want to do?¡±


    Lin Junyi exined, ¡°I find short clips quite fun. I¡¯m already working on it, but the results aren¡¯t very promising. I think you guys should take a look. Maybe you can make something out of it. If you can seed, it could be an extra source of ie. Nowadays, there aren¡¯t many fields where working professionals can earn extra money. And if it¡¯s an area with explosive growth, it¡¯s definitely the short clips industry.¡±


    Lin Junyi wanted to discuss this with them. Both of them had stable jobs, but precisely because their jobs were stable, there wouldn¡¯t be much fluctuation. To improve their lives and climb up the socialdder was quite difficult.


    Lin Junyi wanted to share this with them, hoping they could earn money from it. It could be said that he genuinely wanted to help them.


    Now, both Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin understood Lin Junyi¡¯s intention.


    Zhao Yuxin said, ¡°Junyi, thank you. We¡¯ll have a look into it. We¡¯ll study it when we get back. If it worked out well, it could increase our ie.¡±


    Xu Yang nodded and added, ¡°Junyi, thank you.¡±


    Although Xu Yang had the system now and wouldn¡¯t have to worry about not making money in the future, Lin Junyi¡¯s gesture was truly rare. Moreover, if they could seed in the short clips industry, it would be quite impressive.


    Lin Junyi waved his hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a suggestion. You guys can decide how to proceed.¡±


    At the same time, Zhao Yulu and Chen Guanglei were having dinner at a Western restaurant.


    Zhao Yulu said, ¡°Chen Guanglei, didn¡¯t you say that the price of gold would drop? It went up to the limitst night.¡±


    Zhao Yulu had checked the gold futures prices this morning, initially to see if the price of gold had dropped, to persuade Xu Yang to cut his losses and lend her the remaining money. But when she looked, she was dumbfounded.


    Last night, the Lighthouse International Reserve unexpectedly cut interest rates by 2%, causing the price of gold to surge. The domestic gold futures had hit the limit. During the day today, the price was still locked at the limit. When the market openedter at night, there might even be another limit up.


    It made Zhao Yulu quite annoyed. Now her hopes of borrowing money from Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin werepletely dashed. She couldn¡¯t even taunt Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin anymore.


    Moreover, there was one thing that puzzled Zhao Yulu, ¡®How was Xu Yang so certain that the price of gold would rise? He had invested the entire two million yuan meant for buying a house directly.¡¯


    Knowing Xu Yang after four years of dating, Zhao Yulu understood him well. He wasn¡¯t a risk-taker. He wouldn¡¯t invest the two million meant for buying a house unless he was absolutely certain. She couldn¡¯t figure out what gave him such confidence.


    Zhao Yulu thought, ¡®Could it be that Xu Yang had such high investment capabilities that he could urately predict that the price of gold would rise by a hundred percent? But that¡¯s impossible! Not to mention Xu Yang, even the world¡¯s top investment experts wouldn¡¯t dare to im with a hundred percent certainty whether a certain futures product would rise or fall. Xu Yang¡¯s actions were like those of a gambler. But Xu Yang clearly wasn¡¯t a gambler.¡¯


    That left Zhao Yulu utterly puzzled. Thinking about what she said to Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin on the phone yesterday, she felt like a clown, utterlyughable. She kept saying that the price of gold would fall, but it didn¡¯t fall at all. Instead, it hit the limit. It was as if it was deliberately countering her, giving her a p in the face.


    That also made Zhao Yulu a bit dissatisfied with Chen Guanglei. After all, it was he who had said that the price of gold would fall.


    Chen Guanglei chuckled and exined, ¡°Yulu, you can¡¯t me me for this. It¡¯s purely a ck swan incident. No one expected that the Lighthouse International Reserve would cut interest rates by 2%, causing significant losses for manyrge international investment funds.¡±


    Zhao Yulu nced at Chen Guanglei and said, ¡°But Xu Yang bought in advance and made a fortune.¡±


    Chen Guanglei¡¯s face stiffened, and he hurriedly said, ¡°That¡¯s beginner¡¯s luck. This kind of sess in financial investment is not sustainable. It¡¯s like his current situation. He won¡¯t be able to repeat how he made money. You¡¯ll see, sooner orter, he¡¯ll fall t on his face in the financial investment market.¡±


    Zhao Yulu found Chen Guanglei¡¯s words reasonable. But this time, Xu Yang really made money. Which left her speechless in front of Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin.


    Chen Guanglei continued, ¡°Yulu, you have to believe me. I understand this industry very well. Many people make money in this market purely by chance. They earn huge amounts of money during market trends and then lose it all back. Even the capital. So, don¡¯t envy Xu Yang for making money now. It¡¯s not worthy of envy. Instead, you should feel sorry for him. Because this will reinforce his gambling mentality, and he will continue to do so in the future. Eventually, he will lose everything. That¡¯s Xu Yang¡¯s inevitable oue!¡±


    Zhao Yulu found it a bit hard to believe and asked, ¡°Really? Can¡¯t he just make money and then stop?¡±


    Chen Guanglei exined, ¡°It¡¯s impossible. He has already tasted sess, and he will keep going. At the very least, he¡¯ll lose everything and exit the financial investment market. People like him are everywhere in the financial market.¡±


    Zhao Yulu frowned and said, ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean Yuxin¡¯s future life will be miserable?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that Zhao Yulu was concerned about her sister; it was just that she felt it was a waste for her sister to be with Xu Yang.


    Chen Guanglei said, ¡°Certainly, Xu Yang will lose everything, and your sister¡¯s life won¡¯t be any better. I think you should advise your sister to leave him.¡±


    Chen Guanglei felt envious of Xu Yang. Xu Yang, a poor boy from a small county, was enjoying life with the two sisters. It was something he, as a rich heir, couldn¡¯t even achieve. Of course, he believed in himself. Sooner orter, he would win over Zhao Yulu. If Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin were to break up, he might also be able to enjoy life like Xu Yang, with both sisters. That kind of life would be the true winner in life.


    Zhao Yulu shook her head and said, ¡°Yuxin won¡¯t listen to me. Yesterday, I asked her to persuade Xu Yang to sell the gold futures, but she kept saying she trusted Xu Yang. Now that the price of gold has risen and Xu Yang has made money, she¡¯ll be even less likely to listen to me.¡±


    Chen Guanglei nodded and said, ¡°That makes sense. Once he loses money in the future, try persuading her again. That might be more effective.¡±


    Zhao Yulu nodded and said, ¡°If Xu Yang really loses money, I¡¯ll try to persuade her.¡±


    Chen Guanglei smiled and said, ¡°That day isn¡¯t far off. Xu Yang will most likely continue investing soon since he made money this time. And he¡¯ll probably go all in. Let¡¯s wait and see as he goes from heaven to hell in the financial market.¡±

 Chapter 13: Time to Make Money Again

    Chapter 13: Time to Make Money Again


    Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Chen Guanglei said, ¡°By the way, Yulu, how¡¯s the fundraising for buying Obsidian Tech stocks going?¡±


    Zhao Yulu shook her head and said, ¡°Nothing much, I only managed to gather two hundred thousand.¡±


    Based on the amount Zhao Yulu had on her credit card and other online lending tforms, she could only manage a total of two hundred thousand yuan.


    Chen Guanglei replied, ¡°That¡¯s too little. Even if it multiplies several times, it won¡¯t yield much. If it weren¡¯t for me also wanting to buy this stock, I would have lent you the money. You should think of a way to borrow more money. Opportunities like these don¡¯te often.¡±


    Zhao Yulu said, ¡°I know, I¡¯ll figure something out.¡±


    If need be, Zhao Yulu would have no choice but to borrow money from some friends.


    Chen Guanglei¡¯s eyes lit up and said, ¡°Yulu, I have a method that might make us big money.¡±


    Curious, Zhao Yulu asked, ¡°What method?¡±


    Chen Guanglei smiled and said, ¡°My uncle has a vintage shop on Antique Street. I¡¯ve learned quite a bit about antiques. How about we go to Antique Street this weekend? Maybe we can find a great deal. If we manage to get a good deal, we can split the profits fifty-fifty.¡±


    That way, Chen Guanglei could kill two birds with one stone. He could spend time with Zhao Yulu and strengthen their rtionship while also showcasing his knowledge of antiques. He also thought having money and expertise should be quite attractive to a woman like Zhao Yulu. Since his financial investment hadn¡¯t yielded significant results, he might as well try this angle.


    ¡°Do you have a knack for antiques?¡± Zhao Yulu asked as she began to see Chen Guanglei in a new light.


    Zhao Yulu didn¡¯t expect Chen Guanglei, a rich heir, to possess knowledge about antiques.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Chen Guanglei boasted. ¡°I used to frequent my uncle¡¯s antique shop and learned about antiques from him. I can¡¯t im a hundred percent uracy in distinguishing genuine antiques, but I can confidently say it¡¯s around ny percent.¡±


    Zhao Yulu couldn¡¯t help but praise Chen Guanglei, ¡°You¡¯re really impressive.¡±


    Chen Guanglei chuckled and suggested, ¡°So, how about we go to Antique Street this Saturday?¡±


    Zhao Yulu nodded and said, ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡­


    After their meal, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin parted ways with Lin Junyi.


    Back home, as Xu Yang took a shower andy down on the bed, he chatted with his wife about the short clips. In the end, they hadn¡¯t figured out a concrete n for what kind of short clips to create. So the matter was temporarily put on hold as there was no rush after all.


    Xu Yang opened his futures app and chuckled. He said, ¡°Honey, the gold futures have hit the limit again.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Zhao Yuxin¡¯s eyes brightened as she immediately came over to check. ¡°Honey, you¡¯re amazing!¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Xu Yang chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m your husband after all.¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡± Zhao Yuxin¡¯s eyes turned into crescents as she smiled. ¡°My husband is the most amazing person in the world. Best husband ever.¡±


    ¡®In just two days, we had made a few million. I was right to trust Xu Yang.¡¯ Zhao Yuxin thought.


    Xu Yang remarked, ¡°It¡¯s a pity; the price hit the limit right away. I can¡¯t even add more positions now. I¡¯ll have to wait until tomorrow.¡±


    Commodity futures were different from stocks. With stocks, any profits made could only be utilized if one sold the shares. However, withmodity futures, daily profits were settled immediately, allowing for immediate use in purchasing more contracts or withdrawing funds. The gold futures had surged by seven percent and hit the limit. In two days, they had hit the limit twice, resulting in a fourteen percent increase.


    ording to Xu Yang¡¯s system, gold was predicted to rise by thirty percent. That indicated that there was a sixteen percent increase left in this market trend. Since there was still room for growth, it was only natural to add positions using the floating profit. Yet, given that the market had opened with a limit up today, he couldn¡¯t add positions even if he wanted to; he would have to wait until tomorrow.


    Zhao Yuxin asked, ¡°Honey, after such a substantial increase, can it still go higher? Isn¡¯t there a significant risk in adding more positions?¡±


    Zhao Yuxin was also aware of themodity futures settlement system and understood that the profits made during the day could be reinvested. However, she was concerned that adding more positions could be risky, especially if the price retreated or dropped, which could lead to a margin call. Many people who didn¡¯t understand how to add positions saw their profitable positions turn into losses, and some even faced margin calls.


    Xu Yang chuckled, ¡°No worries. You just said it yourself, I¡¯m the best in the world, right?¡±


    Zhao Yuxin nodded repeatedly and said, ¡°Yes and I believe in you.¡±


    The next day, Xu Yang heard the system¡¯s notification sound in his mind as soon as he woke up.


    BEEP!


    This Saturday at 3 p.m., a man named Guo Shan will bring a painting namely Hundred of Beasts by Wu Daozi to a vintage shop named Treasures Pavilion on Antique Street in Jaster City to sell it. The shop owner, Gao Chengwen,cks adequate appraisal skills and will incorrectly identify the Hundred of Beasts painting as a forgery. He will buy it for ten thousand yuan and sell it to a renowned antique collector a weekter for fifty thousand yuan. It will only be discovered after the sale that the painting is authentic and worth up to fifty million yuan. Shop owner Gao Chengwen will deeply regret his decision!


    Xu Yang¡¯s eyes lit up. The message was essentially telling him about an opportunity to make money. All he had to do was show up at the vintage shop and buy the painting.


    ¡°Time to make money again.¡± Xu Yang grinned.


    ¡°Why are you so happy, Honey?¡± Zhao Yuxin asked as she woke up and immediately snuggled into Xu Yang¡¯s arms.


    ¡°I¡¯m about to make money again,¡± Xu Yang said, embracing Zhao Yuxin.


    ¡°Making money again? The gold futures hit the limitst night. How can you make money again?¡± Zhao Yuxin asked in confusion.


    ¡°Making money isn¡¯t limited to the futures market. There are other ways to profit. How about we go to Antique Street this Saturday? Maybe we¡¯ll get lucky and find a hidden gem,¡± Xu Yang suggested.


    ¡°Why go to Antique Street? Are you nning to hunt for treasures there?¡± Zhao Yuxin curiously inquired.


    ¡°Yeah, who knows, we might get lucky and find something valuable,¡± Xu Yang grinned.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to go with you, but I¡¯m on duty this weekend. I won¡¯t be able to make it,¡± said Zhao Yuxin. She worked at a bank, and sometimes, she had to work on Saturdays. Theing Saturday happened to fall on her branch¡¯s opening day, and she was scheduled to work.


    ¡°Can you swap shifts with someone?¡± Xu Yang asked. He knew that such situations arose, but he really wanted to experience the joy of finding a treasure worth fifty million yuan together with Zhao Yuxin.


    ¡°It¡¯s not possible. Everyone at our bank is usually quite busy. Weekend schedules are arranged well in advance based on a fixed rotation,¡± Zhao Yuxin shook her head and exined.


    ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll have to go alone,¡± Xu Yang conceded.


    ¡°Can we go on Sunday?¡± Zhao Yuxin proposed. As long as she worked on Saturday, she would be off on Sunday.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± Xu Yang said and shook his head.


    ¡°Why not?¡± Zhao Yuxin was puzzled. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be possible to hunt for treasures on Sunday as well?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s, um¡­¡± Xu Yang hesitated for a moment beforeing up with an excuse. ¡°I have a feeling that if I go on Saturday, I might find something valuable. But if I go on Sunday, the opportunity might be gone.¡±


    It was a terrible excuse, but Xu Yang could only think of that on the spot.

 Chapter 14: The Vast Difference Between People

    Chapter 14: The Vast Difference Between People


    Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡°Really?¡± Zhao Yuxin asked. She was taken aback by the news. She even felt a bit incredulous.


    ¡°Yup, it¡¯s true,¡± said Xu Yang as he nodded earnestly.


    ¡°Alright then, you go ahead. I want to see if your intuition is urate,¡± Zhao Yuxin said.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll bring back a big surprise,¡± Xu Yang said.


    After chatting for a while, the two of them got up. While having breakfast at a local eatery, Xu Yang suggested, ¡°Honey, how about we go shopping together tonight? What do you think?¡±


    Xu Yang wanted to buy some clothes for Zhao Yuxin. Despite being together with Zhao Yuxin, he hadn¡¯t given her any gifts yet. Thest time they went shopping, it was Zhao Yuxin who had bought him a few outfits. This time, Xu Yang decided to buy Zhao Yuxin a few sets of clothes.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Zhao Yuxin was naturally delighted.


    Girls enjoyed shopping, especially when it was with their beloved partner.


    After breakfast, they headed to work. Xu Yang¡¯s phone rang after he bid goodbye to Zhao Yuxin. He picked it up immediately and said, ¡°Hey, Mom.¡±


    It was a call from Xu Yang¡¯s mother, Jiang Qiuping.


    ¡°Yang, how are things going with you?¡± Jiang Qiuping asked.


    ¡°Mom, what are you asking about?¡± Xu Yang inquired.


    ¡°Don¡¯t act clueless with me. Last time, you asked me to send you your household registration so you could propose to your girlfriend. How¡¯s that going?¡± Jiang Qiuping asked.


    Both Jiang Qiuping and Xu Yang¡¯s father were aware that Xu Yang was nning to propose to his girlfriend. The elderly couple was eagerly awaiting good news from Xu Yang. However, it had been several days since then, and Xu Yang hadn¡¯t called home with any updates. Jiang Qiuping couldn¡¯t hold back her curiosity any longer, so she called to inquire.


    ¡°Mom, Yulu and I broke up,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°What? You broke up? Didn¡¯t you already propose? How did it lead to a breakup?¡± Jiang Qiuping asked in rapid session.


    ¡°Mom, Yulu said I couldn¡¯t provide her with the life she wanted, so we broke up,¡± Xu Yang exined.


    ¡°Oh dear¡­¡± After a long pause, Jiang Qiuping let out a sigh. ¡°Yang, it¡¯s all my fault and your dad¡¯s. We haven¡¯t been able to help you.¡±


    Jiang Qiuping med herself and thought, ¡®Yang was young with endless possibilities ahead. Clearly, Yulu broke up with Xu Yang due to his family background.¡¯


    ¡°Mom, you can¡¯t me yourselves for this. I can earn money on my own. Although Yulu and I broke up, rest assured, you already have a daughter-inw,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Jiang Qiuping was bewildered. ¡°You broke up with your girlfriend, so where did my daughter-inwe from?¡±


    ¡°Mom, even though Yulu and I broke up, I¡¯ve registered my marriage with her younger sister, Yuxin,¡± Xu Yang said with a smile.


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Jiang Qiuping was utterly shocked.


    ¡®I heard from Yang that Yulu had a twin sister. What was going on? He broke up with his girlfriend, and then started dating the girlfriend¡¯s twin sister? And they even got married?¡¯ Jiang Qiuping thought.


    Not only was Jiang Qiuping shocked, but even the passengers who overheard Xu Yang¡¯s words on the subway were stunned. They began to discuss about him.


    ¡°Damn, this guy broke up with his girlfriend and then hooked up with her sister?¡±


    ¡°Damn, my mind is all tangled up. I¡¯ve only seen this kind of plot in novels, never in real life.¡±


    ¡°Novel plots are inspired by life. We just haven¡¯t encountered them before, and now we have.¡±


    ¡°This guy is incredibly lucky.¡±


    ¡°Tsk tsk, sisters. Many men dream of this kind of thing.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t I end up with sisters? I just wanted a girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°The difference between people is huge. They enjoy the blessings of having sisters, while I don¡¯t even have a girlfriend.¡±


    The male passengers looked at Xu Yang with eyes filled with envy and jealousy. The female passengers looked at Xu Yang curiously, wondering what was so special about Xu Yang that he could capture the hearts of two sisters, with the elder one breaking up and the younger one taking her ce.


    But looking closely, other than being somewhat handsome and cheerful, there didn¡¯t seem to be anything particrly special about Xu Yang. He wasn¡¯t wearing luxury brand clothes, just regr brands, indicating he wasn¡¯t a rich heir. It was hard to fathom.


    ¡°Mom, Yulu and I broke up, and then I realized that Yuxin is the one I want to spend my life with. We registered our marriage. I¡¯ll bring her to meet you when I get the chance,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°Alright, now that you¡¯ve made up your mind and registered your marriage, your dad and I have nothing to say except that you must treat her well. Now that you¡¯ve registered your marriage, it¡¯s like starting a family. You need to be thrifty, manage the household well, and treat her with care, understand?¡± Jiang Qiuping advised.


    ¡°Mom, I know. Is Dad with you? I have to go to work now, so I¡¯ll talk to him next time. Just let him know about this,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°Sure, you don¡¯t have to tell him. I¡¯ll let him know. Just focus on your work. Bye now.¡± Jiang Qiuping said.


    Then, Jiang Qiuping hung up the phone.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? How did it go from a breakup to a marriage?¡± Xu Yang¡¯s father, Xu Deming asked. He was indeed by Jiang Qiuping¡¯s side.


    However, Xu Deming had only heard snippets of the conversation and didn¡¯t fully understand what was happening.


    ¡°Our son broke up with his girlfriend and then got together with the girlfriend¡¯s twin sister. They even got married,¡± Jiang Qiuping said, smiling.


    Regardless of the specifics, their son¡¯s major life event had reached a conclusion. As a result, they didn¡¯t have to worry as much. Xu Deming on the other hand, was dumbfounded. His mind was in disarray, not knowing what to say.


    After work that evening, Xu Yang met up with Zhao Yuxin, and they went to a restaurant for dinner before heading out for some shopping. Then, Xu Yang took Zhao Yuxin to a Chanel boutique.


    ¡°Darling, are we going to buy clothes here?¡± Zhao Yuxin looked at the prices and was taken aback.


    Although Zhao Yuxin was from Jaster City, her family¡¯s financial situation was fairly average. Her father owned a small restaurant, and he had raised her all by himself. She had known from a young age that her father worked very hard and neverpared herself to others. She always chose the cheaper options when buying clothes and other items, allowing her father to save money.


    Even when Zhao Yuxin started working and had her own sry, she remained quite frugal. When buying clothes, bags, or cosmetics, she stuck to affordable brands. This was her first time in a luxury brand store.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be wealthier over time, so you can dress a little better. I transferred some money from my futures ount today. Let¡¯s buy some expensive clothes,¡± Xu Yang said with a smile.


    ¡°You withdrew the money? How much did you take out?¡± Zhao Yuxin asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that. What you should care about is what you like,¡± Xu Yang didn¡¯t disclose the exact amount to Zhao Yuxin.


    ¡°Honey, I know we¡¯ve earned some money, but let¡¯s save up for a house,¡± Zhao Yuxin still prioritized buying a house. In her view, spending so much money on luxury items wasn¡¯t necessary.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Give me some time, and we¡¯ll be able to buy a house in full. Believe in me, okay?¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°Yes, of course, I believe in you, honey,¡± Zhao Yuxin nodded repeatedly.


    ¡°Great, then you can choose some clothes, shoes, and bags,¡± Xu Yang said.


    Next, it was time for them to shop. Although Zhao Yuxin liked many clothes, shoes, and bags, she only had her eye on a dress worth six thousand yuan and didn¡¯t want to choose more. Xu Yang helped her pick out three outfits, two pairs of shoes, and two bags. When they settled the bill, it amounted to a total of three hundred and twenty thousand yuan.

 Chapter 15: Let’s Meet and Talk

    Chapter 15: Let¡¯s Meet and Talk


    Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡°Honey, you bought me so many clothes. You have to buy something too, otherwise, I won¡¯t ept it,¡± Zhao Yuxin said.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll buy something too,¡± said Xu Yang. He originally didn¡¯t n on buying anything for himself, he just wanted to buy for his wife.


    But since Zhao Yuxin said that, Xu Yang didn¡¯t object.


    After leaving the Chanel boutique, Zhao Yuxin directly pulled Xu Yang into the neighboring Armani store. After a thorough sweep, they also bought three outfits and two pairs of shoes. Xu Yang didn¡¯t need bags, but his clothes were even more expensive than Zhao Yuxin¡¯s. The total cost was four hundred and fifty thousand yuan.


    Leaving the Armani store, Xu Yang said, ¡°Honey, how about we buy a watch, a couple¡¯s watch.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin¡¯s eyes brightened and eximed, ¡°Sure!¡±


    It was something Zhao Yuxin liked. Buying a couple¡¯s watches meant wearing them every day. Just by looking at the watch, she could think of her husband, as if he was right by her side. The two of them went to a nearby Cartier store.


    ¡°Wee to Cartier,¡± as soon as they walked in, a young female salesperson greeted them, ¡°Oh, Xu Yang, Yuxin, it¡¯s you.¡±


    ¡°Xueqian, it¡¯s you.¡± Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin smiled when they saw it was a salesperson they knew.


    The salesperson was Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin¡¯s university ssmate, He Xueqian. They hadn¡¯t expected to meet her here. Their rtionship with He Xueqian was quite good, to say the least. However, after graduation, they were busy with work and didn¡¯t keep in touch much, so they didn¡¯t know what job He Xueqian had. Unexpectedly, He Xueqian was working as a salesperson here.


    ¡°What are you here to buy? Let me show you around,¡± since Liang Yongqiang had already spilled the beans about Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin¡¯s rtionship in the group, He Xueqian wasn¡¯t surprised when they walked in holding hands.


    ¡°We want to buy a watch, a couple¡¯s watch,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°I know just the right ones for you two. Follow me,¡± when dealing with close friends, He Xueqian¡¯s speech was more casual. Of course, she still paid attention to the basic etiquette of serving customers.


    He Xueqian led them to the watch area. The watches here ranged in price from low to high. Some were priced in the thousands, while others were in the tens or even hundreds of thousands.


    ¡°We have three models of couple¡¯s watches. Take a look at these three models. This one is¡­¡± He Xueqian gave a detailed introduction.


    The three models of the couple¡¯s watches were priced at twenty-eight thousand, three hundred and eighty thousand, and one million eight hundred thousand yuan, respectively. Each watch had a different theme. Xu Yang thought the one hundred and eighty thousand yuan one was the best.


    But Zhao Yuxin didn¡¯t want to buy that one, she found it too extravagant. She thought the twenty-eight thousand yuan one was good enough. Twenty-eight thousand yuan for two watches was eptable. For couple¡¯s watches, the price wasn¡¯t that important. What mattered was the intention behind it.


    Naturally, Xu Yang couldn¡¯t agree to buy something so cheap. He didn¡¯t mind. He had to buy something good for his wife. She wore clothes worth tens of thousands, carried bags worth tens of thousands, and wore shoes worth tens of thousands, so the watch should also be worth tens of thousands.


    In the end, theypromised and chose the three hundred and eighty thousand yuan one.


    ¡°Xueqian, we¡¯ll go with the three hundred and eighty thousand yuan one,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°Xu Yang, did you strike it rich?¡± He Xueqian asked curiously.


    He Xueqian had thought that Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin would choose the twenty-eight thousand yuan one. After all, she knew a bit about their family backgrounds and she also knew what their personalities were like. They definitely weren¡¯t the type to put on airs and pretend to be wealthy, seeking to satisfy their vanity with expensive luxury goods.


    Moreover, Xu Yang was carrying bags from Chanel and Armani. Clearly, they had just gone on a shopping spree at two luxury brand stores. He Xueqian couldn¡¯t help but wonder what was going on and if they had suddenly struck it rich.


    ¡°Hehe, I¡¯ve earned a bit of money recently,¡± Xu Yang didn¡¯t give the specifics. Now wasn¡¯t the time to get into details.


    ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve really struck it rich,¡± He Xueqian also didn¡¯t probe further, she quickly wrapped up their purchase. As the sale would earn her a substantialmission as well.


    After settling the bill, He Xueqian escorted Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin to the door and said, ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other in a long time. I¡¯m going back to my hometown soon, and once I¡¯m there, it might be hard for us to meet again. Let¡¯s have a meal together sometime to catch up.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin naturally had no objections.


    As for why He Xueqian was going back to her hometown, they didn¡¯t ask. They would inquire during the next meet-up with a meal.


    ¡°Do you mind if I share your shopping experience with the group?¡± He Xueqian couldn¡¯t help but want to share this. But with matters like this, it was better to ask first to avoid upsetting the two of them.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, go ahead and share if you want to,¡± Xu Yang didn¡¯t mind.


    ¡°That¡¯s great. The group is going to be lively tonight,¡± He Xueqian said with a smile.


    Watching the two of them leave, He Xueqian returned to work. The workday ended at ten o¡¯clock. He Xueqian immediately sent a message to the ss group.


    He Xueqian: [Guys, I was working at Cartier, and guess who I ran into today?]


    ssmate A: [Who?]


    He Xueqian: [I ran into Xu Yang and Yuxin. Guess what they bought at the store?]


    ssmate A: [Since they¡¯re together, they¡¯re probably buying something like a ne.]


    ssmate B: [I think so too. Since Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin are together, it wouldn¡¯t be excessive for Xu Yang to give her a ne.]


    He Xueqian: [It¡¯s not a ne, they bought a couple¡¯s watch, a three hundred and eighty thousand yuan couple¡¯s watch!]


    ssmate A: [Oh my goodness, is this for real?]


    ssmate B: [Did Xu Yang strike it rich? Or did Zhao Yuxin?]


    ssmate C: [What¡¯s going on? When did Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin be so extravagant?]


    ssmate D: [It¡¯s definitely Xu Yang who struck it rich. Given Xu Yang¡¯s personality, even if Zhao Yuxin struck it rich, Xu Yang wouldn¡¯t ept such an expensive gift from her.]


    ssmate E: [They¡¯re already registered, so it doesn¡¯t matter who¡¯s rich.]


    ssmate F: [Three hundred and eighty thousand yuan. My goodness, I couldn¡¯t earn that much even if I worked very hard for many years!]


    ssmate G: [Hey, could it be that Xu Yang was a rich heir in secret?]


    ssmate H: [Wow, that¡¯d be a shock indeed. It was already envious enough that Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin were together. If he¡¯s really a secret rich heir, I¡¯ll be a beggar then.]


    ssmate K: [@Xu Yang @Zhao Yuxin, let¡¯s meet up sometimes!]


    He Xueqian: [It seems like Xu Yang made some money recently. When they came to buy the watch, Xu Yang was carrying bags from Chanel and Armani. Based on the amount, it must have been at least several hundred thousand!]


    ssmate A: [Wow¡­ What¡¯s really going on?]


    ssmate B: [Could it be that Xu Yang is actually a secret rich heir?]


    ssmate C: [Don¡¯t talk nonsense, that¡¯s impossible. I went to Xu Yang¡¯s house when I was in my sophomore year. Xu Yang isn¡¯t a rich heir, his family is just an ordinary one.]


    ssmate D: [Is your idea of an ordinary family the kind of ordinary family like Shen Chengma?]


    ssmate E: [Hahaha, ever since Shen Chengma said that, no one dares to im their family is ordinary anymore.]


    ssmate F: [The two most sensational news recently are both about Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin. I¡¯m looking forward to more news in the future.]


    ssmate G: [Xu Yang is truly a winner in life. He has a wife and now money.]


    ssmate K: [Yeah, it¡¯s like they¡¯ve hit the jackpot!]


    ssmate L: [Let¡¯s get back to the point. How did Xu Yang suddenly get so much money?]


    ssmate H: [@Xu Yang, let¡¯s meet and have a talk!]

 Chapter 16: Family Heirloom

    Chapter 16: Family Heirloom


    Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    After finishing their errands, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxiny in bed, basking in each other¡¯s warmth.


    Later, Zhao Yuxin picked up her phone and noticed that the ss group chat was buzzing.


    ¡°Honey, Xueqian posted about our shopping in the group,¡± Zhao Yuxin said, cing her phone in front of Xu Yang.


    ¡°Well, if she wants to, let her,¡± Xu Yang said as he shook his head, not particrly concerned. Plus, He Xueqian had asked for his permission before posting.


    Xu Yang had silenced the group chat¡¯s notifications, so he didn¡¯t check messages that didn¡¯t mention him.


    ¡°Someone mentioned you and asked if you¡¯ve struck it rich. Should you respond?¡± Zhao Yuxin giggled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take a look¡­¡± said Xu Yang. He nced at Zhao Yuxin¡¯s phone before picking up his own andposing a message.


    Xu Yang: [I¡¯ve made some money recently from investing in futures, so my wife and I decided to treat ourselves a bit. No need to make a fuss.]


    ssmate A: [Wow, that¡¯s quite the statement, not a bit stingy, are you?]


    ssmate B: [You made that money from investing in futures? I thought you were a secret rich heir.]


    ssmate C: [I always thought your family was just an ordinary one like Shen Chengma¡¯s.]


    ssmate D: [ording to Xueqian, you guys bought a 380,000 yuan watch and clothes worth at least tens of thousands. Did you really make that much from futures?]


    ssmate E: [The best-performing futurestely have been gold futures, and they¡¯ve been hitting the daily limit for the past few days. Did you invest in gold futures?]


    Xu Yang: [Yes, I invested in gold futures, and I got lucky. The day after I bought it, it hit the daily limit, so I¡¯ve got some money now. Of course, I want to treat my wife well.]


    ssmate A: [My goodness, your luck is incredible. It¡¯s like you have a Midas touch.]


    ssmate B: [Buying and hitting the daily limit the next day, that¡¯s some unbelievable luck.]


    ssmate C: [I had some gold futures too, but I sold them just before they hit the daily limit. I regret it so much.]


    ssmate D: [I bought some today, but I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯ll keep rising.]


    ssmate C: [I¡¯m afraid to buy more, I might get shaken out by the vtility.]


    ssmate F: [@Xu Yang, how much did you invest to afford a 380,000 yuan watch and clothes worth tens of thousands?]


    ssmate G: [With that much profit, you must have invested quite a sum. Xu Yang, I doubt you have that much money on hand, even if your family is well-off, your parents wouldn¡¯t just give you that much.]


    Xu Yang: [I have a great wife and a generous father-inw. My father-inw gave my wife 2 million yuan, intended for our future house down payment. But after discussing it, we decided to invest in futures first. My family doesn¡¯t have that much money, we had 1 million yuan together, so we invested 3 million yuan in total.]


    Xu Yang portrayed the 1 million yuan asing from his family. After all, nobody knew the truth, and it didn¡¯t matter how they framed it.


    ssmate A: [My goodness, 3 million yuan, all invested at once? Aren¡¯t you worried about margin calls?]


    ssmate B: [@Xu Yang, your courage is truly admirable.]


    ssmate C: [@Xu Yang, you¡¯ve already made 5 million now!]


    ssmate D: [You really found yourself a great wife.]


    ssmate E: [By the way, isn¡¯t Zhao Yuxin worried you might lose all the money?]


    Xu Yang: [One of the criteria for having a great wife is trust. Zhao Yuxin believes I won¡¯t lose the money.]


    ssmate A: [Having a virtuous wife ensures a prosperous home!]


    ssmate B: [No doubt about it, Zhao Yuxin really trusts you.]


    ssmate C: [@Xu Yang, this one move with gold futures haspletely turned your life around.]


    ssmate D: [Indeed, you¡¯ve made several million in one go.]


    ssmate E: [Why didn¡¯t I think of investing in futures?]


    ssmate C: [Sigh, I did invest, but I sold too soon. I¡¯m filled with regret.]


    ssmate F: [Stop regretting, maybe you weren¡¯t meant to make that money. me it on fate.]


    ssmate G: [The main thing is, you didn¡¯t find a good wife like Xu Yang did.]


    ssmate H: [Exactly, that¡¯s the key. Like Xu Yang, who found Zhao Yuxin, everything else follows.]


    ssmate K: [Enough chatting for now, I¡¯m going to sleep. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll work even harder to find a good wife like Xu Yang and turn my life around.]


    Xu Yang nced at the messages and didn¡¯t reply further. He put down his phone and embraced Zhao Yuxin, drifting into slumber.


    In the blink of an eye, it was Saturday. When Xu Yang woke up in the morning, he received a notification from the system.


    BEEP!


    You acquired the Master Appraiser skill!


    Instantly, Xu Yang¡¯s mind was flooded with knowledge about appraising, turning him into a master appraiser. His eyes sparkled with excitement.


    Today, Xu Yang had nned to visit Antique Street to hunt for treasures. With the Master Appraiser skill, he could not only use the system¡¯s information to find Wu Daozi¡¯s Hundred of Beasts painting but also assess items at Antique Street to see if he could make some discoveries.


    ¡°Honey, I¡¯m off to work now. I wish you luck finding a hidden gem at Antique Street this afternoon,¡± Zhao Yuxin said as she kissed Xu Yang goodbye.


    After breakfast, Zhao Yuxin left for work, and Xu Yang stayed home, resting. In the afternoon, at around 2 o¡¯clock, he called a cab and headed to Antique Street.


    At the moment, at the antique store, Treasure Pavilion, on Antique Street, a middle-aged man sat in the shop with two young people, a man and a woman, enjoying a cup of tea.


    The middle-aged man was Gao Chengwen, the owner of Treasure Pavilion. The two young people were Zhao Yulu and Chen Guanglei.


    After having lunch, Zhao Yulu and Chen Guanglei came directly to Treasure Pavilion without wandering around Antique Street. The weather was scorching, so they decided to have tea in the shop first.


    ¡°Uncle, how¡¯s business beentely?¡± Chen Guanglei asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s been okay,¡± Gao Chengwen replied with a smile.


    When Gao Chengwen said ¡°okay,¡± it meant that business was good. In their line of work, something bought for a hundred yuan could be sold for a thousand or two thousand yuan or even tens of thousands.


    Even though there weren¡¯t many customers visiting the shop regrly, whenever someone dide in to buy something, the profit margin was significant.


    After a brief chat, a young man in histe twenties walked into the shop.


    ¡°Boss, do you buy paintings?¡± the young man asked. He was dressed inly and carried a backpack, looking somewhat travel-worn.


    ¡°We do, show it to us,¡± Gao Chengwen said, getting up to wee the customer.


    ¡°Yulu, let¡¯s take a look and learn something,¡± Chen Guanglei said, also getting up.


    When buying a painting, it was necessary to provide somementary and appraisal before offering a price. This was a good opportunity for them to learn.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Zhao Yulu agreed, following suit.


    ¡°Boss, take a look. This is my family heirloom,¡± the young man said, taking out a scroll from his backpack. It was clearly a painting.


    Upon seeing the scroll, Gao Chengwen couldn¡¯t help but smile and shake his head. He said, ¡°My friend, everyone who brings something here to sell ims it¡¯s a family heirloom. I haven¡¯t seen a single genuine one. Some bring in chipped bowls and say they¡¯re family heirlooms.¡±


    Hearing that, both Chen Guanglei and Zhao Yulu chuckled. They didn¡¯t say anything; it wasn¡¯t the right time to speak.


    The young man said, ¡°Boss, this really is a family heirloom. If I didn¡¯t urgently need money, I wouldn¡¯t be selling it.¡±

 Chapter 17: Appreciate It at Home

    Chapter 17: Appreciate It at Home


    Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡°Alright, if you say so,¡± Gao Chengwen responded with a chuckle and didn¡¯t argue with the young man. He took the scroll and spread it out on a nearby table.


    ¡°Is this Wu Daozi¡¯s painting, Hundred of Beasts?¡± asked Gao Chengwen, his gaze sharpened.


    ¡°What do you think, is it real?¡± the young man asked eagerly.


    ¡°It¡¯s a counterfeit. This painting is blurry. Whether it¡¯s Wu Daozi¡¯s figure,ndscape, or animal paintings, they are all very clear. This one appears quite blurry, clearly a counterfeit,¡± Gao Chengwen offered his appraisal.


    ¡°A counterfeit? That can¡¯t be! This is my family heirloom,¡± the young man protested.


    ¡°Young man, don¡¯t y the family heirloom card here. As I just said, everyone whoes to my shop ims their items are family heirlooms. They bring in broken bowls and call them family treasures,¡± Gao Chengwen shook his head and chuckled.


    ¡°How much can you offer for this painting?¡± the young man asked.


    ¡°Although it¡¯s blurry, the craftsmanship is excellent. It suggests that the imitator is highly skilled. I won¡¯t undercut you; I¡¯ll offer you 5,000 yuan,¡± Gao Chengwen stated.


    Gao Chengwen imed not to undercut, but in reality, the only w in this painting was its blurriness. Everything else was impable. If he sold it, it could easily fetch over 50,000 yuan, maybe even hundreds of thousands for those who couldn¡¯t afford an authentic piece and cherished Wu Daozi¡¯s work.


    ¡°Could you consider a bit more? If I didn¡¯t need money urgently, I wouldn¡¯t be selling it,¡± the young man hesitated.


    5,000 yuan fell short of the young man¡¯s expectations.


    ¡°Young man, why don¡¯t you name your price, and I¡¯ll see if I can amodate it? If I can, I¡¯ll buy it; if not, you can try elsewhere,¡± Gao Chengwen proposed.


    ¡°50,000 yuan,¡± the young man offered.


    ¡°Young man, you¡¯re asking for a lot. Let¡¯spromise; I¡¯ll give you 10,000 yuan. If you want to sell it, I¡¯ll take it; if not, that¡¯s fine,¡± Gao Chengwen suggested.


    The painting was indeed impressive; that¡¯s why Gao Chengwen offered such a high price.


    The young man hesitated, contemting whether to ept.


    At that moment, a voice rang out, ¡°50,000 yuan, I¡¯ll take this painting.¡±


    Everyone turned to see a young man in his twenties entering the shop. Both Zhao Yulu and Chen Guanglei were taken aback.


    ¡°Xu Yang, why are you here?¡± Zhao Yulu asked.


    The neer was indeed Xu Yang. He had rushed over despite traffic dys. Fortunately, the painting hadn¡¯t been sold yet. Upon entering, he saw the painting on the table¡ªWu Daozi¡¯s painting, Hundred of Beasts. Clearly, that young man in histe twenties was Guo Shan.


    If Xu Yang hadn¡¯t arrived in time, the painting would have been sold to the shop owner for 10,000 yuan, and buying it from the owner would have been more challenging.


    Offering 50,000 yuan now should satisfy Guo Shan¡¯s request, and he would likely sell it to Xu Yang. As for the owner, he probably wouldn¡¯t argue. After all, the owner believed the painting was fake; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been willing to sell it for 10,000 yuan.


    ¡°I had some free time and decided to look around here. I saw this painting and thought it was nice, so I want to buy it and hang it on my wall for appreciation,¡± Xu Yang casually exined.


    Xu Yang couldn¡¯t reveal that the painting was an authentic piece worth 50 million yuan.


    ¡°Do you know anything about art? Just buying it for wall decoration?¡± Chen Guanglei sneered.


    Seeing Xu Yang, Chen Guanglei felt extremely annoyed. He thought, ¡®This guy had yed both sisters. It was something even I, a rich heir, couldn¡¯t achieve. He was just a poor kid from a small county. It really made people extremely unhappy to have such good fortune.¡¯


    ¡°Even though I know nothing about paintings, can¡¯t I buy one?¡± Xu Yang questioned as he nced at Chen Guanglei from the corner of his eyes.


    ¡°Guanglei, do you know each other?¡± Gao Chengwen asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen him before, but I¡¯m not familiar with him,¡± Chen Guanglei said.


    Then, Gao Chengwen basically understood the rtionship between the two. He thought, ¡®They were just acquaintances, not even friends. Moreover, it could be seen from Chen Guanglei¡¯s attitude that the rtionship between Chen Guanglei and Xu Yang was not good. ¡®


    Thinking of that, Gao Chengwen said, ¡°Young man, My advice is not to buy them randomly if you don¡¯t know anything about paintings. Otherwise, you will regret itter.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°I just think that this painting is worth 50,000 yuan. There is no problem with buying it randomly. You are the boss here, right? Do you want to buy it for 50,000 yuan?¡± If you don¡¯t want to buy it, I¡¯ll buy it.¡±


    ¡°Are you really willing to spend 50,000 yuan on this painting of mine?¡± Guo Shan asked.


    If Guo Shan could really sell it for 50,000 yuan, he would make a huge profit. He bought the painting from a street stall and only spent 500 yuan. When he offered 50,000 yuan, he didn¡¯t expect Gao Chengwen to agree.


    Guo Shan thought about the bargaining between the two parties, it was already considered not bad if it could be sold for about 30,000 yuan. Now, it was even better that Xu Yang was willing to spend 50,000 yuan to buy the painting.


    ¡°It¡¯s true. I think your painting is really good. It¡¯s totally worth the price.¡± Xu Yang nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s great. I¡¯ll sell this painting to you.¡± Guo Shan smiled.


    Gao Chengwen¡¯s eyes flickered. In fact, he even suspected that Xu Yang was Guo Shan¡¯s underling and the two of them were acting and lying to him.


    This kind of thing had happened to Gao Chengwen before. He had been tricked once and lost tens of thousands of yuan.


    ¡°Do you own this shop, sir? I understand it might not be right for me to jump in like this, but in these situations, the highest bidder wins. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± Xu Yang inquired.


    Upon hearing that, Gao Chengwen grew more suspicious that Yang and Guo Shan were conspiring, ¡®This painting was just a fake. 50,000 yuan was really too high. Perhaps he wouldn¡¯t lose out, but without good luck, he wouldn¡¯t earn much.¡¯


    Thinking of that, Gao Chengwen said, ¡°If you want to buy it, then buy it. I don¡¯t want it.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that this painting is real?¡± Chen Guanglei sneered. ¡°My uncle had appraised it, but you thought you got a treasure?¡±


    Xu Yang looked at Chen Guanglei and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I have already said that I think this painting is good. I will buy it and hang it on the wall to admire it.¡±


    It was only then Xu Yang found out that the owner of this shop was Chen Guanglei¡¯s uncle. Of course, that was not Xu Yang¡¯s concern. He only cared about whether he could buy the painting.


    Chen Guanglei sneered again. ¡°Stop pretending. I think you just want to take advantage of it. Have you ever thought about what makes you think you are good at it? My uncle has already appraised it and it is a fake. If you think you got a treasure, you¡¯ll end up losing money.¡±


    It was very difficult for an individual to sell such a counterfeit. Only antique shops had a greater chance of meeting people who were willing to buy. The others deemed that Xu Yang would definitely lose 50,000 yuan for nothing.


    Zhao Yulu coldly added, ¡°Xu Yang, I admit you¡¯ve had some luck with futures investments, but thinking you can find hidden treasures in antiques is overly optimistic.¡±

 Chapter 18: Mister Tang

    Chapter 18: Mister Tang


    Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡°You can say whatever you want,¡± said Xu Yang.


    Xu Yang had to deal with these two. Anyway, he knew what was going on. In fact, with his knowledge of appraising, he quickly figured out why the owner of the shop considered this painting a fake.


    Everything else about the painting was fine, just like an authentic piece, but it looked a bit blurry. That was because there was an extremely thin film on top of this painting, something very hard to detect. Unless it was a master appraiser, no one could find it. The owner of the antique shop was not at that level, so he didn¡¯t notice it.


    Chen Guanglei sneered and said, ¡°We¡¯ve hit the nail on the head, haven¡¯t we?¡±


    Xu Yang didn¡¯t pay attention to Chen Guanglei and said to Guo Shan, ¡°Since the owner of this shop doesn¡¯t want your painting, I¡¯ll buy it for 50,000 yuan.¡±


    It was a painting worth 50 million yuan, so it seemed quite unfair to Guo Shan to sell it for 50,000 yuan. But in this business, that¡¯s just how it was. It could only be said that Guo Shan didn¡¯t have the luck to get this money.


    Xu Yang would have been willing to give Guo Shan more, even a few hundred thousand or a million. But if he did it now, it would surely arouse suspicion and Guo Shan would think the painting was very valuable and probably wouldn¡¯t sell it to Xu Yang.


    Guo Shan immediately said, ¡°Okay, thank you.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s exchange WeChat contacts, and I¡¯ll transfer the money to you.¡±


    Guo Shan said, ¡°Sure.¡±


    The two exchanged WeChat contacts, and Xu Yang transferred 50,000 directly to Guo Shan.


    ¡°Thank you so much, you¡¯re a great person. I have another family heirloom at home, a painting by Tang Bohu. Would you like to buy it and hang it on your wall for appreciation? If you want it, I can go get it for you right away,¡± Guo Shan said with a smile.


    ¡°No need, I saw this painting and thought it was nice, so having this one is enough,¡± Xu Yang said as he waved his hand.


    ¡°Alright, if you want anything in the future, you can contact me. I can get it for you. Goodbye,¡± Guo Shan smiled and left.


    ¡°Spending 50,000 on such a painting, what a fool!¡± Chen Guanglei mocked.


    ¡°Do you have to use such foulnguage? It¡¯s not appropriate,¡± Xu Yang asked and frowned.


    ¡°What¡¯s inappropriate about it? You¡¯re a fool, and I¡¯m just stating a fact.¡± Chen Guanglei sneered.


    ¡°I thought earlier that you two might be putting on a show,¡± Gao Chengwen said. ¡°Now I¡¯m sure, you¡¯re not putting on a show. You really are a fool, getting swindled out of 50,000!


    ¡°Earlier, that guy, before he left, clearly revealed his identity. He¡¯s just a street vendor who resells antiques. Thank goodness I didn¡¯t raise the price, or I would have been the one losing money,¡± Gao Chengwen said as he shook his head.


    ¡°Is that so? Is he a peddler selling antiques?¡± asked Xu Yang.


    Xu Yang was stunned when he thought back to what Guo Shan said earlier, it seemed to be true. Guo Shan mentioned that if Xu Yang needed anything, he could contact him to get it. That made Guo Shan sound like an antique dealer.


    ¡°I can confirm it.¡± Gao Chengwen nodded and said. ¡°Young man, you probably thought you hadnded a treasure, but it¡¯s not that easy. If it was that easy, everyone would be rich, and I wouldn¡¯t even need to open a shop here.¡±


    ¡°If you can find a treasure, I¡¯ll be the king of treasures.¡± Chen Guanglei sneered.


    Zhao Yulu also said, ¡°Xu Yang, you are bing more and more unrealistic. If you continue like this, the money you earned in the futures market will be lost sooner orter.¡±


    Xu Yang didn¡¯t pay attention to what Zhao Yulu and Chen Guanglei said, thinking about what Gao Chengwen had said. ¡®Could that guy really be an antique reseller?¡¯


    Xu Yang had wanted topensate the guy with more money after some time, maybe several hundred thousand or even a million. After all, the painting was worth 50 million. But if Guo Shan was an antique reseller, there was no need to give him more.


    Just then, another young man in histe twenties walked in.


    ¡°Mr. Gao, did someone just buy a fake Wu Daozi painting for 50,000 in your shop?¡± The young man was a rtive of the owner of the antique shop across the street and was familiar with Gao Chengwen.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s him who bought it,¡± Gao Chengwen said, pointing to Xu Yang.


    ¡°Wow, buddy, you actually spent 50,000 on that guy¡¯s painting? He bought it for a few hundred from a street vendor. You¡¯ve been had,¡± the young man said sympathetically, looking at Xu Yang.


    ¡°Xu Yang, did you hear that? Now you know you¡¯re a fool.¡± Chen Guanglei taunted.


    ¡°Xu Yang, I¡¯m really worried about my sister. Being someone like you, she¡¯s not going to be happy,¡± Zhao Yulu said.


    Xu Yang nced at them but didn¡¯t say anything. Only he knew that the painting was authentic. He didn¡¯t n to exin to these people, and even if he did, they wouldn¡¯t believe him. He would take the painting back, have it appraised by an authoritative expert, and then sell it.


    As long as it was authentic, there would be no shortage of buyers. Xu Yang thought he could even find an auction house and let others bid on it. Perhaps it could even be sold off for fifty million. Sometimes, in an auction house, prices would go higher than in regr transactions.


    Xu Yang was about to put the painting away when a voice rang out, ¡°Wait!¡±


    The voice came from the entrance.


    Xu Yang turned to see a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties walking in.


    ¡°Mr. Tang, why are you here? Your visit to my shop truly honors us,¡± Gao Chengwen said, weing the middle-aged man with a big smile.


    The neer was Tang Zhengqi, the vice president of Jaster City¡¯s Antique Appreciation Association, a renowned expert in antique appraisal. Many people who weren¡¯t sure about something often sought his opinion.


    ¡°Mr. Gao, let¡¯s not chat for now. I¡¯d like to take a look at this painting,¡± Tang Zhengqi said to Gao Chengwen and then came over to Xu Yang, staring at the painting for a while before turning to Xu Yang and asking, ¡°Young man, did you buy this painting?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Xu Yang nodded.


    ¡°Mr. Gao, did you sell this to him?¡± Tang Zhengqi asked Gao Chengwen.


    ¡°No, it was someone else who¡­¡± Gao Chengwen exined the situation. He also mentioned what the young man had said earlier.


    ¡°This guy is a fool, spending 50,000 yuan on a painting that someone else bought for a few hundred from a street vendor,¡± Chen Guanglei seized every opportunity to taunt Xu Yang.


    ¡°Xu Yang, did you hear that? You know you¡¯re a fool now,¡± Zhao Yulu said.


    Ever since Xu Yang came to the shop, he had been called a fool many times. Chen Guanglei made it clear that he didn¡¯t like Xu Yang at all. Whenever Chen Guanglei saw Xu Yang, he would think that Xu Yang had been with the Zhao sisters and Chen Guanglei was unhappy about it.


    Tang Zhengqi looked at Chen Guanglei, then at Gao Chengwen, and finally at the young man before saying slowly, ¡°If he¡¯s a fool, I¡¯m afraid there are no smart people in this world.¡±


    Everyone was taken aback.


    Gao Chengwen quickly asked, ¡°Mr. Tang, what do you mean?¡±


    Tang Zhengqi pointed to the painting on the table that hadn¡¯t been put away yet and said, ¡°This painting is authentic.¡±

 Chapter 19: The Painting’s Appraisal

    Chapter 19: The Painting¡¯s Appraisal


    Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡°What!¡±


    Except for Xu Yang, everyone else was shocked.


    The others didn¡¯t believe that it was possible because Gao Chengwen had already appraised it, and it was a forgery. Moreover, Guo Shan bought it for 500 yuan from a street vendor. They were shocked to find it genuine.


    ¡°Mr. Tang, did you make a mistake? This can¡¯t be genuine. I might not be as knowledgeable in antiques as you, but I can see that the painting is very blurry. It¡¯s obviously a forgery,¡± said Gao Chengwen.


    Gao Chengwen refused to believe that it was genuine and had very valid reasons for his disbelief, the painting was blurry and couldn¡¯t possibly be genuine. He had seen genuine works by Wu Daozi justst year. Those were incredibly clearpared to this one.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t make a mistake,¡± Tang Zhengqi said. ¡°Mr. Gao, your store has been open for more than ten years. If a treasure like thises to your door, and you can¡¯t recognize it, it means your skills have declined.¡±


    Gao Chengwen took a deep breath and asked, ¡°Mr. Tang, is this really a genuine painting?¡±


    Gao Chengwen was having trouble epting that. If it was genuine, then this was a significant loss. Wu Daozi¡¯s paintings were worth at least several million yuan.


    ¡°I can¡¯t lie about it.¡± Tang Zhengqi replied as he nced at Gao Chengwen.


    ¡°No,¡± said Gao Chengwen as he hurriedly shook his head. ¡°Mr. Tang, I can¡¯t tell. Please enlighten me.¡±


    If Gao Chengwen didn¡¯t understand the reason why he couldn¡¯t see it, he wouldn¡¯t be satisfied.


    Tang Zhengqi smiled slightly and looked at Xu Yang. Tang Zhengqi said, ¡°Young man, I know you must be aware of the reason behind the blurriness of this painting. Would you mind exining it to us?¡±


    Xu Yang shook his head and said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I just thought this painting looks good.¡±


    Xu Yang didn¡¯t admit it, nor did he want to exin anything.


    Tang Zhengqi seemed to understand Xu Yang¡¯s intentions better now and regarded him with even more respect. If it were other young people, they would have been showing off their knowledge excitedly. Not many young people could stay soposed in this situation like Xu Yang.


    Tang Zhengqi introduced himself, ¡°I¡¯m Tang Zhengqi, the Vice President of the Jaster City¡¯s Antique Appreciation Association. May I know your name?¡±


    ¡°Xu Yang,¡± Xu Yang replied with his name.


    Tang Zhengqi continued, ¡°Mr. Xu, would you mind if I shared some insights?¡±


    Although Xu Yang possessed the Master Appraiser skill, this was his first time dealing with antiques. He saw no harm in listening and considered it an opportunity to learn.


    Xu Yang nodded. ¡°Please, go ahead.¡±


    Tang Zhengqi smiled and nced at Gao Chengwen before saying, ¡°Mr. Gao, what you said earlier was correct. The painting does appear quite blurry, which is a typical characteristic of forgeries.¡±


    Gao Chengwen nodded vigorously. ¡°Exactly, that¡¯s what I said. The blurriness alone should prove that it¡¯s not genuine.¡±


    Tang Zhengqi continued to exin, ¡°However, this blurriness is artificial.¡±


    Gao Chengwen was taken aback. ¡°Artificial?¡±


    Tang Zhengqi nodded. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s artificial. Someone applied a transparent coating to the surface of this painting, which resulted in the blurry appearance.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Gao Chengwen eximed. ¡°How is that possible? If this transparent coating is applied to a painting, wouldn¡¯t it ruin it? And I couldn¡¯t see any traces of it being applied!¡±


    Tang Zhengqi exined, ¡°It¡¯s challenging to detect. If it weren¡¯t for a book I recently read, I wouldn¡¯t have noticed it. This kind of coating existed as far back as the Song Dynasty. When it¡¯s applied to the surface of a painting, it forms a thin film that protects the artwork. However, it does emit a faint fishy odor, which is hard for ordinary people to notice.¡±


    Gao Chengwen asked, ¡°Is it possible to prove that this coating was applied? Just based on the smell?¡±


    Gao Chengwen leaned over to the painting and sniffed it, confirming a faint fishy odor.


    Tang Zhengqi continued, ¡°That¡¯s one aspect. As I said earlier, when this kind of paint is applied to the surface of the painting, it will form a thin film. As long as a small gap is made, it can be directly torn off.¡±


    Then, Tang Zhengqi looked at Xu Yang and said, ¡°Mr. Xu, I¡¯m very happy to see Wu Daozi¡¯s Hundreds of Beasts. Can I verify it on the spot and tear off this film?¡±


    If Tang Zhengqi was to do that, it would be equivalent to him personally appraising the painting. That would definitely be enough for him to brag for a while.


    Xu Yang nodded, saying, ¡°Please, go ahead.¡±


    It didn¡¯t matter who did it as long as it was done carefully. Xu Yang wasn¡¯t an expert in the antique industry, so he wasn¡¯t concerned about the specifics. He was focused on selling the painting. Since Tang Zhengqi was the vice president of the Antique Appreciation Association, Xu Yang thought Tang Zhengqi wouldn¡¯t use any tricks to destroy his painting.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Tang Zhengqi said. He asked Gao Chengwen to fetch a small knife and proceeded to make a careful incision along the edge of the painting.


    Then, Tang Zhengqi tore off the thin film. The entire painting now appeared different. What was once blurry had be crystal clear.


    Tang Zhengqi said, ¡°Look, Mr. Gao.¡±


    ¡°It really is genuine. I¡¯ve missed out on a genuine masterpiece.¡± Gao Chengwen muttered.


    Gao Chengwen regretted not contesting with Xu Yang earlier. If he did, he might have been able to acquire it. Wu Daozi¡¯s works were worth millions, after all.


    ¡®Even if Xu Yang had recognized it as genuine, he probably couldn¡¯t have afforded it. Just looking at Xu Yang¡¯s clothes and demeanor, he seemed like an ordinary person. If I wanted topete, I would definitely have a good chance of winning. It was a pity that such a work had brushed past me. No, it wasn¡¯t just passing by. Instead, someone had given it to me and I had pushed it away.¡¯ Gao Chengwen thought.


    Thinking about it, Gao Chengwen cursed himself inwardly for his poor judgment.


    ¡°Mr. Tang, how much is this painting worth since it is genuine?¡± Zhao Yulu couldn¡¯t help but ask. She was most concerned about money.


    ¡°At least tens of millions,¡± Tang Zhengqi said lightly.


    ¡®Tens of millions?¡¯ Zhao Yulu was dumbfounded. ¡®So, Xu Yang had earned tens of millions after spending 50,000 yuan?¡¯


    That thought made Zhao Yulu feel uneasy. She had been trying to borrow money from everywhere to invest in stocks, he had to borrow money everywhere. Even if she received one or two million, she would not earn more than ten million. However, Xu Yang already had tens of millions.


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s authentic, it can¡¯t be worth that much money, right?¡± Even Chen Guanglei, who came from a wealthy family, was somewhat astonished.


    Several million yuan was not an amount anyone could easily produce. Chen Guanglei was currently working in his father¡¯spany and received a monthly sry of just a few thousand yuan. His living expenses were covered by his father, totaling half a million yuan per month. If he wanted to makerger purchases like cars or houses, he would need to ask his father for more.


    Yet, Xu Yang, whom Chen Guanglei had previously looked down upon and mocked relentlessly, had suddenly earned millions. Chen Guanglei couldn¡¯t help but speak his mind, despite not fully grasp the true value of Wu Daozi¡¯s artworks.


    Although Chen Guanglei had some knowledge of antiques and the antique market, he had no idea how much Wu Daozi¡¯s paintings were worth. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have said such a thing and embarrassed himself in front of Tang Zhengqi and Zhao Yulu.

 Chapter 20: You’re at a Big Loss

    Chapter 20: You¡¯re at a Big Loss


    Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Tang Zhengqi just gave Chen Guanglei a sidelong nce and ignored him. Instead, Tang Zhengqi turned to Xu Yang and asked, ¡°Mr. Xu, I¡¯m interested in buying this painting from you. Are you willing to sell it?¡±


    Xu Yang¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He thought, ¡®I would be willing to sell it if someone wanted to buy it. However, it would depend on the price the other party offered. If the other party was willing to pay the system-suggested price of fifty million, I¡¯d sell it. If the other party couldn¡¯t meet that price, I wouldn¡¯t. After all, fifty million was the system¡¯s suggested price. It was my bottom line, and it couldn¡¯t bepromised.¡¯


    Thinking of that, Xu Yang replied, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m willing to sell, as long as the price is right.¡±


    Tang Zhengqi thought for a moment and said, ¡°Mr. Xu, if you sell me this painting right now, I can offer you fifty million.¡±


    ¡°What! That much!¡±


    Before Xu Yang could even respond, Chen Guanglei eximed.


    ¡®Damn, Xu Yang had pretty incredible luck. He had bought a painting for five thousand yuan and was now selling it for fifty million. That was a thousandfold profit, all within less than half an hour.¡¯ Chen Guanglei thought.


    Zhao Yulu¡¯s expression also changed drastically, and her gaze toward Xu Yang transformed. She thought, ¡®Xu Yang had be an instant multi-millionaire. If I¡¯m still his girlfriend, considering how much he loved me, this fifty million would essentially be mine. Buying cars, houses, luxury items like clothes and bags¡ªnone of it would be an issue. I wouldn¡¯t need to borrow money or invest anywhere.¡¯


    Gao Chengwen and the young man weren¡¯t surprised. They knew that paintings by Wu Daozi were indeed worth such sums. Now, Gao Chengwen regretted it even more. The genuine Wu Daozi painting was right in front of him, and it was only five thousand yuan. He hadn¡¯t bought it.


    Thinking of that, Gao Chengwen felt a dizzying sensation, almost falling to the ground.


    The young man looked at Xu Yang with a mix of envy and jealousy in his eyes.


    Tang Zhengqi continued, ¡°Mr. Xu, I¡¯m not only the vice president of the Antique Appreciation Association but also a shareholder in an auction house. If you were to auction this painting at our auction, it might fetch more than fifty million. Perhaps an additional ten million or so. Of course, it could also go for less than fifty million depending on the bidders who show up. But the likelihood of that is low. Once news gets out that a genuine Wu Daozi painting is on the block, many antique enthusiasts will be eager to bid.¡±


    Xu Yang inquired, ¡°When is your next auction?¡±


    Xu Yang was looking for quick cash. He wouldn¡¯t be interested if it was too long apart.


    Tang Zhengqi replied, ¡°It¡¯s on the fifteenth of next month.¡±


    Xu Yang shook his head and said, ¡°That¡¯s too long. How about you give me fifty million right now?¡±


    Xu Yang thought since he had already reached the system¡¯s suggested price; he could sell now. As for waiting until next month, he wasn¡¯t interested. He wanted the money in hand to buy a car and a house. After all, he had the system, and there would be plenty of opportunities to make money in the future. There was no need to wait so long for an extra ten million.


    Unable to hold back, Zhao Yulu said, ¡°Xu Yang, are you crazy? Waiting until the fifteenth of next month could earn you an extra ten million. Can¡¯t you be patient?¡±


    Waiting for a month to make ten million was an incredible opportunity. Even with the information about Obsidian Tech that Chen Guanglei had provided, Zhao Yulu wouldn¡¯t be able to make that much money with the amount she could borrow.


    Xu Yang responded, ¡°I don¡¯t want to wait. It¡¯s better to have the money in hand.¡±


    Zhao Yulu was about to speak again, but Chen Guanglei interrupted her, ¡°Yulu, ignore him. He¡¯s so short-sighted. This is the thinking of a poor person. He only looks at the present and doesn¡¯t look at the long term.¡±


    Chen Guanglei would only be happy if he scorned Xu Yang like that.


    Zhao Yulu agreed and said, ¡°True, even with money, his short-sightedness will make him remain a poor guy sooner orter!¡±


    Xu Yang ignored them and turned to Tang Zhengqi. Xu Yang asked, ¡°Can you give me the money now?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Tang Zhengqi nodded and asked Xu Yang for his bank ount number. He proceeded to transfer fifty million directly to Xu Yang¡¯s ount using his phone.


    Looking at the money received, Xu Yang couldn¡¯t help but smile. Now he could buy a car and a house. He decided to go tomorrow and make the purchases with his wife.


    ¡°What a fool. He has money and doesn¡¯t know how to make more!¡± Chen Guanglei sneered.


    That¡¯s what Chen Guanglei wanted, to belittle Xu Yang.


    Xu Yang nced at Chen Guanglei and retorted, ¡°Is it any of your business? If you have the ability, try making fifty million!¡±


    Xu Yang had initially ignored Chen Guanglei, but Chen Guanglei kept calling Xu Yang a fool. Earlier, when no one had identified the painting as genuine, it was fine. But now that it had been confirmed as authentic, and Xu Yang had earned fifty million, he wasn¡¯t going to put up with it.


    ¡°You!¡± Chen Guanglei¡¯s face turned red, but he couldn¡¯te up with a retort.


    Indeed, Chen Guanglei could not pick up a windfall and make fifty million like Xu Yang had.


    Then, Chen Guanglei snorted coldly, ¡°You¡¯re just being lucky!¡±


    Xu Yang retorted, ¡°Even if I was being lucky, would you be able to do the same? You won¡¯t even have the chance!¡±


    Chen Guanglei was so angry that his face turned ashen and he could not speak. The situation was really not favorable to Chen Guanglei because Xu Yang had really discovered a treasure and earned fifty million yuan. No matter what Chen Guanglei said, he was at a disadvantage when the other party retorted.


    Finally, Tang Zhengqi collected the painting and exchanged phone numbers with Xu Yang. He said, ¡°Mr. Xu, if you evere across more antiques or need to auction something, feel free to contact me. I¡¯ll give you a special discount.¡±


    Xu Yang agreed and said, ¡°Alright, thank you, Mr. Tang.¡±


    ¡°Have a nice day, Mr. Gao.¡± After exchanging pleasantries with Gao Chengwen, Tang Zhengqi departed.


    Xu Yang looked at everyone and prepared to leave as well.


    At that moment, the man who had sold him the painting, Guo Shan, rushed in and taunted Xu Yang, ¡°Hey, you¡¯re not leaving yet? How do you feel about the painting I sold you? It must feel like you¡¯ve made a huge profit, right?¡±


    Under normal circumstances, Guo Shan wouldn¡¯t havee over to taunt Xu Yang. But today, he was in a good mood and believed that Xu Yang wouldn¡¯t have another chance to make money off him. So he decided to try taunting Xu Yang a little now might satisfy his own ego.


    However, Guo Shan realized that the expressions of the people around him were strange after he spoke. He touched the back of his head, turned back to look, and then asked bewilderedly, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are you all looking at me like that?¡±


    Another young man smirked and said, ¡°Guo Shan, you¡¯ve taken a big loss. The painting you sold him for a cheap price is genuine!¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Guo Shan¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! How could it be real? I bought it for five hundred yuan from a street vendor, and the owner even had it appraised as a fake. How could it be real?¡±


    Guo Shan just couldn¡¯t believe it. If it was true, he had suffered a massive loss. After all, Wu Daozi was a master painter. Even though he knew next to nothing about antiques, he understood the basic market value of paintings by such artists. Genuine works were easily worth tens of millions.


    The young man couldn¡¯t help but gloat, ¡°Heh, the painting was bought for fifty million just now. Do you still think it¡¯s fake?¡±

 Chapter 21: Hidden Treasures Within

    Chapter 21: Hidden Treasures Within


    Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡°What! Fifty million!¡± Guo Shan, the young man, eximed in shock. His head was buzzing, and he copsed to the ground, nearly fainting.


    ¡°Wow, did he just die from shock?¡± Guo Shan¡¯s fellow vendor hurried over, checked his breathing, and realized he had just fainted. ¡°Fortunately, he didn¡¯t die, just passed out.¡±


    Gao Chengwen waved his hand dismissively and said, ¡°Since you know him, take him away.¡±


    Gao Chengwen was really in no mood now because he had just missed the fifty million right under his nose. Ever since he started the antique shop, he made around two million in ie annually, and he had been doing it for over a decade, yet he hadn¡¯t earned fifty million.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take him away,¡± said the young man. He hoisted Guo Shan onto his shoulders and carried him off.


    Xu Yang shook his head and left Treasure Pavilion. He didn¡¯t leave Antique Street but continued to stroll around. Since he got the Master Appraiser skill in the morning, he wanted to try his luck again to see if he could score another treasure.


    ¡°Yulu, why don¡¯t we leave too? We¡¯lle back another day,¡± said Chen Guanglei. He had no interest in staying here. Since his uncle was obviously in a bad mood, it was boring for Chen Guanglei to stay here with Zhao Yulu.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Zhao Yulu replied. She didn¡¯t want to stay any longer.


    When they walked out of the door, they saw Xu Yang walking out of an antique shop and entering another antique shop.


    Chen Guanglei could not help butugh and said, ¡°Yulu, do you think Xu Yang is still trying his luck for another treasure?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Probably.¡± Zhao Yulu answered. She was also puzzled.


    Chen Guanglei rolled his eyes and said, ¡°Yulu, why don¡¯t we go and take a look? We¡¯re nning to shop at Antique Street anyway. Maybe we can find something good as well.¡±


    Zhao Yulu thought about it and nodded. She said, ¡°Alright, since we¡¯re here, let¡¯s take a look around.¡±


    Then, Chen Guanglei brought Zhao Yulu to Antique Street.


    Xu Yang visited more than ten stores and did not find anything to pick up. In those shops, whether it was calligraphy, paintings, porcin, or anything else, they were basically fakes. There were very few authentic works.


    The price of an authentic work was the market price. There was no possibility of finding anything worthy. So Xu Yang decided to stop going into those antique shops and went to the entrance of Antique Street. It was where the stall was set up.


    Many people were setting up stalls at the entrance. There were some bottles, jars, and other things on the stalls. The items looked old, but they were even more fake than the ones in the store. However, there were quite a few people who came to Antique Street and were willing toe here to take a look. If they were lucky, they could still find some treasure.


    Xu Yang also came to try his luck. Regardless of whether he could find anything, he was going home after checking out. It was almost time for Zhao Yuxin to get off work, and Xu Yang had to go buy some groceries.


    ¡°Paintings by Tang Bohu, don¡¯t miss them!¡±


    ¡°Porcin from the time of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, absolutely authentic!¡±


    ¡°Calligraphy by Wang Xizhi, buying these is a guaranteed profit!¡±


    Every now and then, Xu Yang could hear the vendors¡¯ shouts. He couldn¡¯t help butugh hearing them. He thought if those antiques were genuine, they wouldn¡¯t be on disy here. It was either the vendors sold it long ago or kept as family heirlooms.


    Over twenty small stalls and Xu Yang had finished looking at them all. They were all imitations, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed. The painting by Wu Daozi that he had just seen was a tip from the system, a surefire opportunity to find a hidden gem. He had hoped, with his Master Appraiser skill, to find another opportunity like that. But, it seemed hopeless.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    However, when Xu Yang reached thest stall, he was drawn to a vase. It looked in and ordinary, a modern craft piece. But his Master Appraiser skill told him that the bottom of the vase was unusually thick as if it held hidden secrets.


    ¡°Young man, found something you like? I have treasures here, all absolutely authentic!¡± The stall owner blurted out.


    ¡°How much for this jade ruyi?¡± Xu Yang didn¡¯t ask about the vase¡¯s price directly; he didn¡¯t want to attract the owner¡¯s attention.


    Gao Chengwen squinted, smiling, and said, ¡°This jade ruyi, let me tell you, it was used by Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Xu Yang interrupted, ¡°Can we be honest here? If you keep this up, I¡¯ll leave.¡±


    ¡°Young man, please don¡¯t go.¡± The owner hurriedly jumped up. He had finally found a potential customer, and he couldn¡¯t let him slip away. ¡°You¡¯re interested in this jade ruyi, right? Let me tell you the truth, it¡¯s not from Emperor Taizong¡¯s era. It¡¯s from Emperor Kangxi¡¯s time. Even though it¡¯s not as ancient, it¡¯s still a royal item¡­¡±


    Before the owner could finish, Xu Yang stood up to leave.


    ¡°Young man, don¡¯t go.¡± The owner hastily grabbed Xu Yang¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already told you, I prefer dealing with honest people.¡± Xu Yang replied indifferently.


    Xu Yang didn¡¯t actually intend to leave; he just didn¡¯t want to hear the owner¡¯s nonsense.


    ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯m the most honest here,¡± the owner said. ¡°My items are all genuine. I¡¯ll be honest with you, this jade ruyi is a modern craft piece, but the craftsmanship is exquisite, and it exudes ssical beauty. It¡¯s a rare find.¡±


    The owner continued, ¡°Not to brag, but on this entire street, you won¡¯t find another one like it. If you want to buy it, I¡¯ll give you a special price of ten thousand. I¡¯ll only make a small profit. What do you think?¡±


    The owner still wasn¡¯t entirely truthful, but in this business, people rarely were. When the stall owners beside him heard his words, they all rolled their eyes.


    They knew that jade ruyi, was bought with only a few hundred yuan. When the owner said he sold it for ten thousand yuan, he would only earn money from the delivery. It was simply too much. Everyone was in the same industry, so there was no reason to expose him. They turned to look at Xu Yang as if they were looking at a rich guy.


    ¡°Ten thousand yuan? Why don¡¯t you rob someone?¡± Xu Yang said as he rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Young man, what do you mean? I¡¯m really just earning the delivery,¡± the owner said.


    ¡°One thousand yuan. Are you selling it or not? If not, then forget it,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°Young man, this couldn¡¯t even cover the cost. 1,000 yuan is impossible. At least pay me 5,000 yuan,¡± the boss said.


    The owner wouldn¡¯t sell it for one thousand yuan. That wouldn¡¯t even cover his costs, let alone make a profit. In this business, one had to make substantial profits whenever one could. Otherwise, one couldn¡¯t possiblypensate for the days when nothing sold.


    ¡°Five thousand?¡± Xu Yang frowned.


    The owner said, ¡°Yes, at the very least. Otherwise, I¡¯ll be at a loss.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Five thousand is too high. I¡¯ll choose another one. How about five thousand for two pieces?¡±


    The owner rolled his eyes and said, ¡°It depends on what you choose. If it¡¯s expensive, then it won¡¯t do.¡±


    What the owner said was very reasonable. Although none of the items on the stall were expensive, it was all based on his words. If he said the price was high, then the price was high. No one knew.

 Chapter 22: It’s None of Your Business

    Chapter 22: It¡¯s None of Your Business


    Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xu Yang nced at some other items with feigned interest before fixing his gaze on the vase he had chosen. He pointed at it, saying, ¡°This vase looks quite nice. I¡¯ll buy it, nt some flowers, and put it on the balcony. It should look good. Just this vase and the jade ruyi from earlier, together for five thousand, okay?¡±


    The owner hesitated and said, ¡°Young man, this vase was ced in Tang Bohu¡¯s own study¡­¡±


    It was the owner¡¯s habitual phrase, uttered without thinking.


    Xu Yang interrupted, ¡°Can we be honest here?¡±


    The owner grinned awkwardly and said, ¡°Young man, look at this vase, the pattern is so beautiful. I bought it for three thousand. You¡¯ll have to give me a bit for the delivery. Let¡¯s say ten thousand for both, how about that?¡±


    Xu Yang replied, ¡°I need to go home and buy groceries. If my wifees home and doesn¡¯t find me, I¡¯ll be in for a scolding. I won¡¯t beat around the bush. Eight thousand for both, take it or leave it.¡±


    The owner looked at Xu Yang¡¯s demeanor and realized he might be serious. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Alright, young man, consider me your friend today. I¡¯ll give you these two items at cost price!¡±


    The owner said that, but he was overjoyed inside. The jade ruyi only cost a hundred, and the vase cost two hundred. The total cost was three hundred, and now he sold them for eight thousand, nearly thirty times the profit. It was well worth it.


    With the money the owner had earned today from these sales, he could earn as much as those office workers with a monthly sry.


    ¡°Great, pack them up for me,¡± Xu Yang said, a satisfied smile on his lips as he promptly paid.


    ¡°Sure,¡± the owner said, packing the vase and the jade ruyi, and handing them over to Xu Yang.


    ¡°Xu Yang, what did you buy this time? Did you stumble upon another treasure?¡± Zhao Yulu asked curiously, joined by Chen Guanglei.


    Xu Yang replied without looking at them, ¡°Did I find a treasure or not is none of your business.¡±


    In fact, Xu Yang had noticed Chen Guanglei and Zhao Yulu had been following him all along. He just hadn¡¯t bothered to acknowledge them since they hadn¡¯t spoken until now. He didn¡¯t expect them to pop up again after he had just made a purchase, and it was getting rather annoying.


    ¡°Why are you so arrogant? You just got lucky and stumbled upon a treasure by chance.¡± Chen Guanglei sneered.


    ¡°Can you stumble upon treasures by luck? Can you?¡± Xu Yang retorted.


    ¡°You!¡± Chen Guanglei¡¯s face turned livid, but he couldn¡¯te up with aeback.


    Chen Guanglei realized that he had jumped out to taunt Xu Yang and make him feel ufortable about finding the treasure, but it was a foolish move. When luck was not on his side, Chen Guanglei always tried to make fun of Xu Yang, which was not a wise move.


    ¡°Xu Yang, did you buy these two items because you saw something special in them?¡± Zhao Yulu, on the other hand, was genuinely curious.


    ¡°No, I just want to y with the jade ruyi, and I¡¯ll put the vase on the balcony for nts,¡± Xu Yang replied casually.


    ¡°y with a jade ruyi? Put a vase on the balcony for nts?¡± Chen Guanglei chuckled. ¡°You really have a poor man¡¯s mentality. Instead of spending your time making money, you waste it on things that don¡¯t generate value. That¡¯s why you¡¯re poor!¡±


    Xu Yang retorted, ¡°I like it this way. What¡¯s it to you? Besides, I just made money, can you say the same? You, a rich heir, how much money have you made by investing in your entire time here at Antique Street? Have you made any money?¡±


    A series of questions left Chen Guanglei speechless and with a dark expression on his face.


    ¡°Here you go, it¡¯s all packed up,¡± the owner said, handing the vase and jade ruyi to Xu Yang.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Xu Yang took the items, didn¡¯t even spare a nce at Zhao Yulu and Chen Guanglei, and left.


    Xu Yang nned to break open the bottom of the vase at home to see what was inside.


    ¡°That guy is really arrogant.¡± Chen Guanglei muttered, watching Xu Yang¡¯s departing figure with gritted teeth.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that he¡¯s arrogant, he didn¡¯t say much. It¡¯s you who¡¯s been trying to make him feel ufortable,¡± Zhao Yulu shook her head andmented.


    Even though Xu Yang and Zhao Yulu had broken up, she tried to stay objective in this matter.


    ¡°You¡¯re taking his side, aren¡¯t you?¡± Chen Guanglei asked as his face looked somewhat unpleasant.


    ¡°I¡¯m not taking his side, I¡¯m just stating the facts. Besides, you brought me here, but I haven¡¯t seen you find any treasures. In contrast, Xu Yang just found a big one,¡± Zhao Yulu said, her mood a bit sour.


    In fact, finding treasures required luck. Even if Chen Guanglei didn¡¯t find any treasures today, Zhao Yulu wouldn¡¯t think much of it. She and Chen Guanglei hade to Antique Street to explore and gain some knowledge. However, Xu Yang had shown up and found a big treasure. Inparison, Chen Guanglei was beginning to look rather inadequate, which made Zhao Yulu feel unhappy.


    ¡°Yulu, Xu Yang was just lucky. Otherwise, he would not have picked up the loot.¡± Chen Guanglei tried to defend himself.


    ¡°Even so, he has already earned fifty million yuan. This is money that many people won¡¯t be able to earn in their entire lives. As for me, I want to invest in Obsidian Tech, but I can¡¯t even borrow much money.¡± Zhao Yulu sighed.


    ¡°Yulu, even if Xu Yang made fifty million yuan, he¡¯ll probably lose it quickly. Just do your best with your stock investment. If you can borrow some money, great. I couldn¡¯t lend you some money but I also need to invest,¡± Chen Guanglei said.


    In reality, lending a couple of million to Zhao Yulu wouldn¡¯t be a problem at all for Chen Guanglei. However, he just didn¡¯t want to lend it. He thought if Zhao Yulu asked for it, he could take the opportunity to make some demands and further their rtionship. If Zhao Yulu didn¡¯t ask for it, it didn¡¯t matter. After all, he wouldn¡¯t lose anything.


    Zhao Yulu said, ¡°I understand, I¡¯ll do my best to borrow from someone.¡±


    Chen Guanglei¡¯s eyes shifted as he said, ¡°Yulu, now that Xu Yang has money, have you thought about borrowing money from him?¡±


    Zhao Yulu was taken aback for a moment, then shook her head. She said, ¡°I asked him before. I wanted to borrow the money my sister gave him to buy a house, but he refused. He won¡¯t lend me any money.¡±


    Chen Guanglei said, ¡°Before this, he didn¡¯t have any money. Now that he got fifty million yuan, things might be different.¡±


    Zhao Yulu was silent for a while, but she still shook her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s better not to. I don¡¯t want to have anything to do with him anymore.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Chen Guanglei nodded and added. ¡°Now that he¡¯s with your sister, his money is essentially your sister¡¯s money. You don¡¯t need to ask him for a loan; you can ask your sister.¡±


    Zhao Yulu hesitated for a moment, beginning to consider it, ¡®He¡¯s right. When I had called Yuxinst time, she had been willing to lend me the money, but Xu Yang had used it to invest in gold futures. Now that Xu Yang had money, his money was Yuxin¡¯s money. I could definitely ask her for a loan.¡¯


    Thinking about that, Zhao Yulu said, ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡±

 Chapter 23: Borrowing Money

    Chapter 23: Borrowing Money


    Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xu Yang had bought groceries and returned home not long before Zhao Yuxin arrived.


    ¡°Honey, how was your day at Antique Street? Did you find anything?¡± Zhao Yuxin asked as she walked in, put down her bag, and then nestled into Xu Yang¡¯s arms.


    Finding hidden treasures wasn¡¯t that easy, and Zhao Yuxin didn¡¯t really believe Xu Yang had that kind of luck. She was just making casual conversation. However, Xu Yang¡¯s response surprised her greatly.


    ¡°Yes, I found a big one today,¡± Xu Yang said with a smile, hugging Zhao Yuxin.


    ¡°Really? Tell me about it!¡± Zhao Yuxin¡¯s eyes lit up as she left Xu Yang¡¯s embrace, took his hand and sat down together on the couch.


    ¡°Today, I saw a painting and bought it for fifty thousand yuan,¡± Xu Yang exined the situation of his discovery, Wu Daozi¡¯s Hundred of Beasts painting.


    ¡°You mean you sold the painting for fifty million?¡± Zhao Yuxin asked as her eyes widened.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m now a multimillionaire,¡± Xu Yang said with a hint of pride.


    ¡°Honey, you¡¯re amazing!¡± Zhao Yuxin eximed and threw herself back into Xu Yang¡¯s arms, hugging him tightly.


    Zhao Yuxin didn¡¯t doubt Xu Yang¡¯s words at all. Anything Xu Yang said, she believed. If he said he had made fifty million, then it must be true. Xu Yang wouldn¡¯t lie to her.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m your amazing husband after all.¡± Xu Yang teased.


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Zhao Yuxin nodded repeatedly, her eyes forming crescent moons as she smiled.


    They chatted for a while, and then Zhao Yuxin went to prepare dinner. An hourter, they sat down to eat.


    ¡°When I bought that painting, your sister was also there, with Chen Guanglei. That guy we saw when it was the first time we went shopping together, and they were in the same antique shop, the one owned by Chen Guanglei¡¯s uncle,¡± Xu Yang said.


    Zhao Yuxin raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°So, does Yulu know that you made fifty million?¡±


    Xu Yang nodded, ¡°Yup.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin continued, ¡°She might ask you for a loan then. Last time, she kept calling us, but you had invested in gold futures, so she didn¡¯t borrow any money. Now that she knows you¡¯ve made so much, she might call again. If she does, will you lend her some money?¡±


    ¡°My money is your money. I¡¯ll follow your decision. If you say lend, I¡¯ll lend. If you say don¡¯t lend, I won¡¯t,¡± Xu Yang replied.


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yulu were no longer together, and Zhao Yuxin was the one he needed to cherish. Since Zhao Yulu and Zhao Yuxin were sisters and their rtionship was somewhatplicated, they couldn¡¯tpletely sever ties. Thus, Xu Yang left it to Zhao Yuxin to manage their rtionship.


    Zhao Yuxin smiled and said, ¡°Honey, you¡¯re the best.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because I¡¯m your husband.¡± Xu Yang teased.


    Then Zhao Yuxin thought for a moment and said, ¡°If she does call and ask for money, let¡¯s lend her a bit. We can¡¯t lend her too much. Let¡¯s say two million. How does that sound?¡±


    Although Zhao Yuxin didn¡¯t like Zhao Yulu¡¯s materialistic mindset, and Zhao Yuxin¡¯s rtionship with Zhao Yulu was not that great, Zhao Yulu was still Zhao Yuxin¡¯s sister. If Zhao Yulu really called and asked for money, Zhao Yuxin would lend it to her.


    Moreover, Zhao Yuxin was grateful that Zhao Yulu had left Xu Yang. If Zhao Yulu hadn¡¯t left him, Zhao Yuxin wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to be with Xu Yang.


    Xu Yang smiled, ¡°It¡¯s your call.¡±


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s settled then. We¡¯ll lend her two million.¡± Zhao Yuxin nodded.


    ¡°By the way, with this fifty million, I n to buy a car and a house. Buying a house will take some time, so I¡¯ll do some research online first. Tomorrow, let¡¯s go buy a car. We can look for a house next weekend. What do you think?¡± Xu Yang suggested.


    Zhao Yuxin nodded in agreement and said, ¡°Honey, that sounds like a great n. I¡¯ll follow your lead.¡±


    Just as Zhao Yuxin finished speaking, her phone, which was on the side, started ringing. She picked it up and saw that it was Zhao Yulu calling. Zhao Yuxin couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°It¡¯s my sister. I hope she¡¯s not calling to borrow money. Not from you, but from me?¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Just answer it, and you¡¯ll find out.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin nodded and answered the call. She greeted, ¡°Hello, sis.¡±


    Zhao Yulu¡¯s voice came through, ¡°Yuxin, have you eaten?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re in the middle of dinner,¡± Zhao Yuxin replied.


    Zhao Yuxin continued, ¡°Today, Xu Yang went to Antique Street and made a big find, earning fifty million. Did he tell you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my husband is amazing. He¡¯s be a millionaire in an instant.¡± Zhao Yuxin nodded and said with pride.


    Inside, Zhao Yulu felt a bit ufortable, but she quickly adjusted and continued, ¡°Yuxin, here¡¯s the thing. As I mentioned before, my friend has a project and invited me to invest, but I don¡¯t have enough money. Last time, I asked you for a loan, but you said Xu Yang had invested in gold futures. Now that Xu Yang has fifty million, can you lend me some money?¡±


    As Zhao Yuxin expected, Zhao Yulu was calling to borrow money.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call Xu Yang directly?¡± Zhao Yuxin asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already broken up with him, and since he¡¯s with you, I don¡¯t want any contact with him. You¡¯re together now, so his money is your money. Borrowing from you is the same as borrowing from him,¡± Zhao Yulu exined.


    Zhao Yulu¡¯s response satisfied Zhao Yuxin.


    ¡°How much do you want to borrow?¡± Zhao Yuxin inquired.


    ¡°Of course, the more, the better,¡± Zhao Yulu replied.


    Zhao Yuxin rolled her eyes and said, ¡°Sis, Xu Yang and I are nning to buy a car and a better house. We can¡¯t lend you too much money. We can only lend you two million. If you think that¡¯s too little and don¡¯t want it, then forget it.¡±


    At first, Zhao Yulu thought Zhao Yuxin would loan her eight million yuan. Zhao Yulu didn¡¯t expect the amount she would get was only two million. She had borrowed from all her friends and couldn¡¯t get two million from anyone. However, Xu Yang had earned fifty million yuan. It made Zhao Yulu feel that Zhao Yuxin had only lent her two million yuan and it was too little.


    Zhao Yuxin said, ¡°We are going to buy a better house and we need to keep some money with us. Xu Yang also needs to invest to make money. He can¡¯t lend you too much. We can only lend you two million yuan. If you think it¡¯s too little and don¡¯t want it, then forget it.¡±


    Zhao Yulu couldn¡¯t say no to that offer. She couldn¡¯t even borrow two million yuan from anywhere.


    ¡°Well, two million it is then. To thank you for lending me two million, let me give you some inside information. The investment project I¡¯m nning is buying stocks, specifically Obsidian Tech. It¡¯s guaranteed to skyrocket. You guys should buy some and just wait to make money. At least double or triple your investment. But don¡¯t tell anyone else, this is just between us. If too many people know, the insider information won¡¯t be as effective,¡± Zhao Yuxin said.


    ¡°We¡¯ll consider it,¡± Zhao Yuxin replied.


    Zhao Yulu added, ¡°I¡¯ll give you my bank ount number, and you can transfer the two million to me.¡±


    ¡°After dinner, I¡¯ll have Xu Yang transfer it to you.¡± Zhao Yuxin nodded and ended the call.


    Zhao Yuxin exined the call to Xu Yang. He furrowed his brow and asked, ¡°Obsidian Tech will skyrocket?¡±


    Zhao Yuxin replied, ¡°That¡¯s what my sister said. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s true.¡±

 Chapter 24: The Imperial Thumb Ring

    Chapter 24: The Imperial Thumb Ring


    Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xu Yang shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s impossible. I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on the stock of Obsidian Tech recently, and whether from a fundamental or technical perspective, this stock doesn¡¯t have the conditions for a major surge. Not only will it not soar, but there¡¯s a high probability it will plummet.¡±


    Ever since Xu Yang had the Master Trade skill, he made full use of it. In his leisure time over the past few days, he had been researching stocks and futures, looking for something suitable to invest in. Currently, he was still making profits from gold futures, and he had added more to his position.


    With the rising trend, Xu Yang would reach his profit target in a few days. He would probably make over ten million yuan. Originally, Xu Yang had nned to withdraw some for daily expenses and transfer some to his stock ount, leaving the rest in his futures ount. However, now that he had unexpectedly acquired fifty million, he didn¡¯t need to withdraw any. When it was time to close his positions, he could transfer a portion to his stock ount.


    Xu Yang had also selected two stocks and one futuresmodity recently, waiting for gold futures to reach his target before continuing to invest in stocks and futures. At some point, he stumbled upon Obsidian Tech. It was a high-techpany, particrly known for its research in cutting-edge technologies that were restricted by foreign countries.


    Obsidian Tech had been a recent trend topic, so Xu Yang had thoroughly researched their stock. But it turned out to be not as promising as it seemed. Over the years, although Obsidian Tech had made loud ims about advancing technology and promoting national brands in high-tech fields, the information they disclosed didn¡¯t quite match the reality.


    While it appeared that Obsidian Tech was making technological progress, they were essentially stagnating, merely generating hype, trading on concepts, attracting investors, artificially inting their stock prices, and allowing their executives to cash out. Xu Yang couldn¡¯t believe they were capable of developing any groundbreaking technology.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Zhao Yuxin was taken aback. ¡°So, should we lend money to my sister, or should we advise her not to buy?¡±


    Xu Yang replied, ¡°I¡¯ll leave the decision about lending money to you. If you say yes, we will lend. If you say no, we won¡¯t. As for advising her, unless something unexpected happens, she probably won¡¯t listen to us. In fact, she might even think we¡¯re unwilling to lend her the money.¡±


    ¡°I think we should at least talk to her about it.¡± Zhao Yuxin nodded.


    Zhao Yuxin quickly grabbed her phone and dialed her sister¡¯s number. Soon, the call connected.


    ¡°Yuxin, has the money been transferred yet?¡± Zhao Yulu asked immediately.


    ¡°Not yet. Let me exin something. I just talked to Xu Yang about the stock of Obsidian Tech. He¡¯s been researching stockstely, and he thinks that this stock won¡¯t go up. In fact, there¡¯s a good chance it might drop. So, it might be better if you don¡¯t buy it,¡± Zhao Yuxin said.


    ¡°Yuxin, if you don¡¯t want to lend the money, just say so.¡± Zhao Yulu retorted, assuming that Zhao Yuxin¡¯s mention of the stock was an excuse not to lend.


    ¡°Sis, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to lend. Xu Yang mentioned that this stock might drop significantly. If you buy it, you might lose your investment.¡± Zhao Yuxin exined helplessly.


    ¡°Xu Yang thinks it will drop? Who does he think he is? Just because he made some money from investing in gold futures, he thinks he¡¯s a big shot now. I got this information from my friend who works at an investment firm, and they have inside information. Xu Yang is nowhere near their level. Anyway, just tell me, are you lending me the money or not? If you¡¯re not willing, then forget it,¡± Zhao Yulu said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have Xu Yang transfer to you in a moment.¡± Zhao Yuxin replied and didn¡¯t say anything more.


    Zhao Yuxin hung up the phone and sighed. She said, ¡°You were right. She thinks we¡¯re unwilling to lend her the money.¡±


    ¡°I had a feeling it would be like this,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°Honey, let¡¯s go ahead and lend it to her.¡± Zhao Yuxin suggested.


    Xu Yangforted Zhao Yuxin and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, dear. We can lend her the two million. Even if it¡¯s a loss, it¡¯s not a big deal. We have money now, and we¡¯ll have more in the future.¡±


    ¡°I know. Thank you, Honey. You¡¯re the best.¡± Zhao Yuxin nodded.


    After finishing dinner and cleaning up, Xu Yang transferred two million to Zhao Yulu.


    Zhao Yuxin sent a message to inform her sister, and she received a two-word reply, [Thank you.]


    ¡°Honey, today I also bought two things,¡± Xu Yang said, taking out the jade ruyi and the vase he had purchased.


    ¡°The color of this jade ruyi is quite nice. Why did you buy it? And this vase, why did you get it? Are we going to use it for decoration? It seems like we don¡¯t need it,¡± Zhao Yuxin inquired curiously.


    ¡°This jade ruyi was purely for fun. I held it in my hand, and it felt really good, so I bought it on a whim. As for the vase, I noticed something interesting so I bought it.¡± Xu Yang exined.


    ¡°Something interesting? What do you mean?¡± Zhao Yuxin asked as she became even more curious.


    ¡°We¡¯ll find out when we break it,¡± Xu Yang said, bringing over a cardboard box and cing the vase inside.


    Breaking the vase inside the box would prevent the shards from scattering everywhere.


    ¡°Huh? Break it?¡± Zhao Yuxin was taken aback.


    Zhao Yuxin had expected Xu Yang to mention some interesting historical facts or stories rted to the vase, but she never thought he would suggest breaking it.


    ¡°I have a feeling that there¡¯s something inside this vase, especially because its base is so different from others. The bottom of this vase is very thick, and the other vases are not so thick. If nothing goes wrong, there should be something inside.¡±Xu Yang exined.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then let¡¯s smash it. Let¡¯s see if there¡¯s really something inside and what kind of thing it is,¡± Zhao Yuxin said.


    No matter what Xu Yang did, Zhao Yuxin would support him.


    Xu Yang found that there was no hammer or any hard objects in the house. He could only take out a kitchen knife from the kitchen and smash the vase with the back of the knife. After a series of actions, the vase was broken and the bottom of the vase was also knocked open.


    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s something,¡± said Zhao Yuxin. She saw something in the debris.


    Xu Yang removed the debris and took it out. He found that it was a blood-red jade thumb ring. The jade thumb ring had the word ¡°Emperor¡± carved on it in a small seal script.


    ¡°Could it be something that an emperor wore?¡± Zhao Yuxin spected.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible,¡± Xu Yang nodded and began using his Master Appraiser skill to check it. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, this is a ring worn by Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty.¡±


    ¡°Emperor Taizong¡¯s thumb ring? Isn¡¯t that very valuable?¡± Zhao Yuxin opened her mouth wide in shock.


    ¡°Yup. Since it is an imperial object, its value shouldn¡¯t be lower than that of Wu Daozi¡¯s Hundred of Beasts painting.¡± Xu Yang nodded and said.


    ¡°Wu Daozi¡¯s Hundred of Beasts painting is worth fifty million, so does that mean this jade thumb ring is also worth fifty million?¡± Zhao Yuxin¡¯s eyes sparkled.


    ¡°It should be. I¡¯ll take it to Mr. Tang for appraisal soon and see what he has to say. After all, I don¡¯t know much about antiques. Only an expert like Mr. Tang knows how much this thing is worth,¡± said Xu Yang.


    Xu Yang nned to show it to Tang Zhengqi. Now that he wasn¡¯t in a hurry for money, he could even put it up for auction at Tang Zhengqi¡¯s auction house. That way, Xu Yang can fetch a higher price.

 Chapter 25: Buying a Car

    Chapter 25: Buying a Car


    Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡°Sure, only insiders would know. If this is true and worth fifty million, then you¡¯ll be a billionaire,¡± Zhao Yuxin smiled.


    Zhao Yuxin had truly found herself a treasure of a husband. They had only gotten married a few days ago, and now her husband was already a millionaire. Soon, he might be a billionaire.


    ¡°In that case, you¡¯re the wife of a billionaire,¡± Xu Yang said with a smile, holding Zhao Yuxin in his arms.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Zhao Yuxin felt extremely happy.


    After tidying up, Xu Yang gave a call to Tang Zhengqi.


    ¡°Mr. Xu, do you have something to sell to me again?¡± Tang Zhengqi chuckled.


    ¡°I do have an item that I¡¯m not too sure about. I¡¯d like to ask you to take a look, Mr. Tang. Do you have time?¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°I have time for good items. But I have ns for tomorrow, so it will have to be another day,¡± Tang Zhengqi said with a smile.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s meet the day after tomorrow in the afternoon. I¡¯ll send you the address,¡± Xu Yang suggested.


    That worked out well as Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin were nning to buy a car tomorrow, and they wouldn¡¯t have time.


    ¡°No problem,¡± Tang Zhengqi agreed.


    ¡°Alright, see you then,¡± Xu Yang said before ending the call.


    Afterward, he brought up another topic, ¡°Honey, I¡¯m thinking of resigning from my job.¡±


    ¡°Resigning?¡± Zhao Yuxin asked in surprise.


    Xu Yang nodded, ¡°Yes, now that I have some capital, I can venture into something else. Continuing to work at thepany is no longer suitable.¡±


    Ever since Xu Yang had the system, he knew that his current job wouldn¡¯tst long. He had been finding it hard to focus on work these days. Now that he was a millionaire, going to work at thepany felt like a waste of time.


    ¡°I support whatever you choose to do,¡± Zhao Yuxin said.


    ¡°Honey, once I establish a solid foundation in my new endeavor, you can resign too. We can work together to build a sessful business,¡± Xu Yang proposed.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it,¡± Zhao Yuxin nodded.


    Xu Yang then suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s look up which car to buy.¡±


    Xu Yang took out hisptop to check for car models. He asked, ¡°Honey, what type of car do you like?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll like any car you like,¡± Zhao Yuxin smiled. She had only seen her father drive a Wuling van at home, so she hadn¡¯t considered what type of car she¡¯d like.


    ¡°I think we should get a Porsche. The Porsche Panamera seems like a good choice. It¡¯s suitable for both men and women. This will be our first car, and if we need more in the future, we can buy others. How does that sound?¡± Xu Yang suggested.


    ¡°That sounds great. I¡¯m fine with it,¡± Zhao Yuxin agreed.


    ¡°What color do you like?¡± Xu Yang asked.


    ¡°You choose,¡± Zhao Yuxin replied.


    ¡°No, you have to choose the color. I¡¯ll choose the model, and you choose the color. It has to be a color you like; otherwise, I won¡¯t buy it,¡± Xu Yang insisted.


    ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll choose,¡± Zhao Yuxin said, and after a bit of browsing, she settled on the color amethyst. ¡°Honey, how about this color?¡±


    Xu Yang smiled and said, ¡°You have excellent taste; this color is perfect. I love it too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great, then we¡¯ll get this color,¡± Zhao Yuxin said happily.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a look at other cars, just in case they don¡¯t have this one in stock. We can consider other brands,¡± Xu Yang suggested.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Zhao Yuxin agreed.


    The two of them looked for another car brand and decided on Maserati as a backup choice.


    The next day, after breakfast, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin took a cab to the nearest Porsche 4S dealership, which was about ten kilometers away from their home.


    As they arrived at the Porsche 4S dealership and were about to enter, a man got out of an Audi Q5 parked nearby. It was Yang Jingsheng, Zhao Yulu¡¯s half-brother.


    Yang Jingsheng was surprised to see Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin and asked, ¡°Xu Yang, what are you doing here?¡±


    Xu Yang replied calmly, ¡°We¡¯re here to buy a car.¡±


    Yang Jingsheng chuckled and taunted, ¡°Buy a car? Do you even have the money to buy a Porsche?¡±


    Xu Yang frowned, ¡°How do you know I don¡¯t have the money? How do you know I can¡¯t afford it?¡±


    Yang Jingshengughed again and said, ¡°I know everything about you. If you can afford a Porsche, why would my sister leave you? If you can afford a Porsche, pigs will fly.¡±


    Yang Jingsheng was speaking the truth; people who could afford Porsches typically had a certain financial status. Xu Yang did not fall into that category, and he certainly wasn¡¯t buying the car to show off.


    ¡°If you think I can¡¯t afford it, then so be it,¡± said Xu Yang. He was toozy to argue with the other party. He held Zhao Yuxin¡¯s hand and walked toward the Porsche 4S shop.


    ¡°F*ck, you really dared to walk into the shop. Stop right there!¡± Yang Jingsheng shouted. He was unhappy when he saw Xu Yang ignoring him. He quickly stepped in front of Xu Yang.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Xu Yang frowned.


    ¡°What do you think I¡¯m doing? I¡¯m advising you not to go in and humiliate yourself. I guess you¡¯re here to take photos and show off, right?¡± Yang Jingsheng sneered.


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s as you guessed, what does it have to do with you?¡± said Xu Yang helplessly. He felt that Yang Jingsheng was really annoying.


    Zhao Yuxin didn¡¯t say a word. She had met Yang Jingsheng once and had a bad impression of him. She didn¡¯t want to talk to him.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s my business!¡± Yang Jingsheng said.


    ¡°How is it any of your business? This shop isn¡¯t owned by your family, and you don¡¯t work here. You have nothing to do with this shop, right?¡± Xu Yang said.


    Xu Yang knew Yang Jingsheng worked in a catering group where Yang Tiancheng worked. Zhao Yulu¡¯s mother was working there as well. Yang Jingsheng should have nothing to do with this Porsche 4S store.


    ¡°Although this shop is not owned by my family and I don¡¯t work here, I have a friend who works here.¡± Yang Jingsheng sneered.


    Yang Jingsheng¡¯s friend was the supervisor here. He came today to borrow some money from his friend.


    ¡°Then what do you want?¡± Xu Yang said impatiently.


    ¡°Your behavior will affect the experience of the people whoe to buy the car. I think it¡¯s necessary to stop you from entering so that you won¡¯t affect my friend,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°You¡¯re sick!¡± Xu Yang was speechless. He pushed Yang Jingsheng away and held Zhao Yuxin¡¯s hand as they walked into the 4SS shop.


    ¡°Wee to Porsche.¡±


    As soon as they walked in, a male salesperson immediately greeted them.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to pay attention to them. They aren¡¯t here to buy cars. They¡¯re just here to look at cars and take photos to show off.¡±


    Before Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin could speak, Yang Jingsheng walked over and started shouting.


    Hearing Yang Jingsheng¡¯s words, the male salesperson¡¯s expression changed immediately. As a salesperson, he was familiar with such customers¡ªthose who came to look at cars, take pictures, and pretend to be wealthy but never intended to buy.


    For salespeople, dealing with such clients was often quite unpleasant. However, they couldn¡¯t say anything about it and didn¡¯t want to drive potential customers away.

 Chapter 26: Not Welcome Here

    Editor:EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Yang Jingsheng¡¯s outburst attracted the attention of customers and other salespeople in the 4S dealership. Their eyes were filled with mockery as if they were enjoying a show.


    ¡°Yang Jingsheng, what¡¯s going on?¡± At this moment, a man in his thirties, dressed in a suit and leather shoes, walked over.


    ¡°Haiyang, these two are not here to buy a car. They just want to take pictures and show off on social media. I tried to stop them, but they insisted on entering. The salesperson in your store wanted to receive them, but I told him not to. Receiving them is a waste of time and may affect sales performance.¡± Yang Jingsheng exined.


    The man was Luo Haiyang, a team leader of the Porsche 4S dealership.


    After hearing Yang Jingsheng¡¯s words, Luo Haiyang¡¯s expression soured. He detested customers who came to the dealership just to take photos and pretend to be wealthy.


    While Luo Haiyang couldn¡¯t say anything directly to drive them away, he also didn¡¯t want such customers to waste their time with the salesperson. It could potentially affect the sales team¡¯s performance.


    However, Luo Haiyang had a nagging doubt and asked, ¡°Are you sure they¡¯re not here to buy a car?¡±


    Luo Haiyang had to be certain of this. If Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin were indeed potential car buyers, driving them away could be detrimental.


    ¡°I¡¯m absolutely sure.¡± Yang Jingsheng nodded and pointed at Xu Yang. ¡°This guy is my sister¡¯s ex-boyfriend. He¡¯s from a small county in North Loc andes from a modest family. His job isn¡¯t great either. He definitely can¡¯t afford a Porsche. Moreover, based on what I know of his character, even if he can get a loan for a car, it would be for an ordinary one, not a Porsche. It¡¯s probably his girlfriend who wants to take photos to show off, so he¡¯s here with her.¡±


    Yang Jingsheng didn¡¯t know much about Zhao Yuxin and assumed that she wanted toe and take photos to unt her lifestyle, so she dragged Xu Yang along.<div>


    Luo Haiyang was still concerned about the possibility of driving away potential customers. He would be in trouble if Xu Yang said he was here to buy a Porsche. However, Yang Jingsheng¡¯s exnation made sense to him. Since Xu Yang was indeed an acquaintance of Yang Jingsheng, he should know him well, and his judgment should be reliable.


    So, Luo Haiyang spoke, ¡°Both of you, please leave. We don¡¯t wee you here.¡±


    Xu Yang furrowed his brow and asked, ¡°Do you believe what he says?¡±


    Luo Haiyang replied, ¡°Yes, I do. If he was just an acquaintance or a casual friend, I might not believe it. But since you¡¯re his sister¡¯s ex-boyfriend, there shouldn¡¯t be an issue with his words. It seems like you¡¯re in exactly the situation he described. Please leave and don¡¯t disrupt our work.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin, who had been silent until now, said, ¡°Honey, let¡¯s go. If they don¡¯t want us here, we won¡¯t buy from here. They thought we couldn¡¯t afford a car with our money.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin took Xu Yang¡¯s hand and started walking out. She didn¡¯t want to be mistreated while trying to buy a car.


    ¡°Hmph, feeling ashamed now, aren¡¯t you?¡± Yang Jingsheng sneered and continued to taunt as he followed them out. ¡°Don¡¯t casually enter luxury car dealerships like this in the future. This isn¡¯t a ce for people like you.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin ignored Yang Jingsheng and said to Xu Yang, ¡°Honey, let¡¯s go to the nearby Maserati dealership and buy a Maserati Quattroporte instead.¡±


    The Maserati Quattroporte was their backup choice, and they had researched it beforeing here. Next to the Porsche dealership was a Maserati 4S dealership.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Xu Yang nodded and walked with Zhao Yuxin toward the Maserati 4S dealership.


    ¡°You want to buy a Maserati Quattroporte? Are you going to the Maserati dealership to take photos for your social media? If you can buy a Maserati Quattroporte, then I must be the CEO of Maserati!¡± Yang Jingsheng mocked.


    Luo Haiyang, having seen Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin enter the Maserati 4S dealership, shook his head in resignation. He said, ¡°These two, they¡¯re beyond help.¡±


    Yang Jingsheng added, ¡°Yeah, they have no money, but they keep trying to pretend. People like them will stay at the bottom for life.¡±


    Later, Yang Jingsheng asked, ¡°Haiyang, I¡¯ve been a bit tight on money recently. I wanted to borrow some from you.¡±


    Luo Haiyang raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t your sry pretty well-paid? Besides, your dad is an executive. If you need money, you could just ask him, right?¡±


    Yang Jingsheng exined, ¡°Exactly because my sry is well-paid, I feel embarrassed to ask my dad. If I ask him, he¡¯ll definitely scold me. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll recover in a while, within half a year at most, and I¡¯ll pay you back.¡±


    ¡°What did you do?¡± Luo Haiyang asked. ¡°Why is the money gone?¡±


    Yang Jingsheng rubbed his hands and said, ¡°I lost some money gambling recently. It¡¯s my girlfriend¡¯s birthday tomorrow and I don¡¯t have any money left. I can only borrow some from you.¡±<div>


    ¡°How much do you want?¡± asked Luo Haiyang.


    That meant that Luo Haiyang had agreed to lend. Of course, it still depended on how much Yang Jingsheng borrowed. If it exceeded Luo Haiyang¡¯s ability to bear, he would not be able to lend.


    ¡°Not much,¡± Yang Jingsheng said. ¡°Just 100,000 yuan.¡±


    Luo Haiyang frowned and said, ¡°100,000 yuan isn¡¯t a lot. Even if you celebrate your girlfriend¡¯s birthday, you don¡¯t need that much money, do you?¡±<div>


    Yang Jingsheng exined, ¡°I lost a little gambling and still owe tens of thousands of yuan. I have to pay the money back quickly, or else the interest will be very high. The rest is for my girlfriend¡¯s birthday and this month¡¯s living expenses. I need to pay my sry next month.¡±


    Luo Haiyang thought about it and nodded. He said, ¡°Alright, wait in my office for a while. We¡¯ll have lunch together and I¡¯ll go to the bank to transfer the money to you after that.¡±


    Luo Haiyang agreed to lend money because he had a good rtionship with Yang Jingsheng and Yang Jingsheng¡¯s dad was a vice president of apany. Luo Haiyang wasn¡¯t worried about not getting the money back.


    Luo Haiyang hadn¡¯t considered the possibility that Yang Jingsheng might not repay the loan. He thought, ¡®From what I knew of Yang Jingsheng, he didn¡¯t seem like that kind of person. Moreover, if he didn¡¯t repay me, I could always contact Yang Jingsheng¡¯s workce. If that didn¡¯t work, I could go to his home and make everyone aware of the issue, and force him to return the money. Since he¡¯s here in Jaster City, he can¡¯t run away. Unlike someone who was from another province, once he ran away, you couldn¡¯t find him anymore.¡¯


    Yang Jingsheng said, ¡°Haiyang, can¡¯t you just transfer it to me on WeChat?¡±


    Luo Haiyang shook his head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t keep much money in my WeChat ount.¡±


    Yang Jingsheng was puzzled and said, ¡°But you¡¯ve linked your bank card to WeChat, right? It¡¯s the same thing.¡±


    Luo Haiyang exined, ¡°I¡¯ve linked my bank card to WeChat for daily expenses only. I don¡¯t keep much money there.¡±


    Yang Jingsheng said, ¡°Haiyang, you could just bind your bank card to WeChat. It¡¯s really convenient.¡±


    Luo Haiyang shook his head and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s not safe. If I lose my phone, the most they can do is to transfer the money to my WeChat ount. If I bind my bank card, all the money in the bank card will be transferred.¡±


    Yang Jingsheng sighed and said, ¡°Haiyang, you¡¯re too cautious. Is it necessary?¡±


    Luo Haiyang replied, ¡°Being cautious doesn¡¯t hurt. Others can do as they please, but I think it¡¯s necessary.¡±


    Yang Jingsheng reluctantly agreed, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait for you in your office, and we can have lunch together.¡±<div>

 Chapter 27: It’s None of Your Business

    Editor:EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Yang Jingsheng and Luo Haiyang returned to the Porsche 4S dealership.


    As soon as they entered, the manager approached and asked, ¡°Luo Haiyang, what happened with those two customers? Why did you drive them away?¡±


    Yang Jingsheng¡¯s outburst had been quite loud, even catching the manager¡¯s attention. The manager had been in his office on the second floor and hade out just in time to see Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin leaving.


    The manager wanted to understand the situation and why Luo Haiyang had driven them away. He was worried that if theyined or spread rumors online about the dealership mistreating them, it could be troublesome and potentially turn into a crisis.


    ¡°It¡¯s like this¡­¡± Luo Haiyang exined the situation, with Yang Jingsheng adding details from the side.


    ¡°You said that they went to the Maserati dealership next door?¡± the manager inquired.


    ¡°Yes, after we drove those two away, they went to the Maserati dealership. Nobody there knows they¡¯re just taking pictures to show off; they might seed over there.¡± Yang Jingsheng chuckled.


    The manager nodded thoughtfully, not saying much, and walked out of the dealership to look toward the Maserati 4S dealership.


    ¡°Luo Haiyang, what is your manager doing?¡± Yang Jingsheng asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe he wants to verify the situation. Anyway, let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you to my office; I have a lot of work to do.¡± Luo Haiyang replied.<div>


    Luo Haiyang led Yang Jingsheng to his office.


    Meanwhile, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin had entered the Maserati 4S dealership, where an enthusiastic female salesperson greeted them. Since they had selected and test-driven the Maserati Quattroporte, they had decided to make the purchase.


    The manager of the Porsche dealership, standing outside, noticed the female salesperson approaching Xu Yang with contract documents, indicating that they were about to finalize the purchase. It made the manager furrow his brow and thought, ¡®Could they be buying a car? They¡¯re signing a contract?¡¯


    The manager from the Porsche dealership wasn¡¯t certain, but he had some acquaintances in that dealership. He approached one of them to inquire. Upon learning that Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin had indeed bought a car, the Maserati Quattroporte, in the top configuration with many luxury essories, totaling 2.3 million yuan, and they were paying in full, the manager¡¯s face darkened.


    The manager returned to the Porsche 4S dealership and had one of the salespeople fetch Luo Haiyang.


    Luo Haiyang soon appeared, followed by Yang Jingsheng. It was nearing lunchtime, and Yang Jingsheng didn¡¯t want to stay in Luo Haiyang¡¯s office. He wanted some fresh air and smoke.


    ¡°Sir, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Luo Haiyang asked as he noticed the manager¡¯s unpleasant expression and couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit anxious. He didn¡¯t know what had gone wrong and he was certain he hadn¡¯t done anything wrong.


    ¡°Those two customers you drove away just bought a car at the Maserati dealership,¡± the manager said with a grim face.


    ¡°What? How is that possible?¡± Luo Haiyang hadn¡¯t spoken yet, but Yang Jingsheng eximed.


    The manager gave Yang Jingsheng a sidelong nce but didn¡¯t say anything. Yang Jingsheng wasn¡¯t an employee of the dealership, so he wasn¡¯t under his jurisdiction.


    Luo Haiyang hurriedly exined, ¡°Sir, my friend said they were just here to take photos and show off. Are you sure there¡¯s no mistake?¡±


    The manager sneered, ¡°I saw the salesperson over there hand the contract to the man and saw him sign it. Do you think I made a mistake? I even asked my friend over there, and he confirmed that those two indeed bought a car, the top-of-the-line Maserati Quattroporte, fully loaded, totaling 2.3 million yuan.¡±


    Yang Jingsheng screamed, ¡°It¡¯s impossible! I don¡¯t believe it. How could they possibly afford a Maserati Quattroporte? That¡¯s 2.3 million yuan! Where could they get that much money?¡±


    Yang Jingsheng refused to believe that Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin had the means to buy a car like that and paid in full. He couldn¡¯t understand where Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin got such arge sum of money.


    Luo Haiyang¡¯s expression became gloomy. He had driven away potential customers who, based on their purchase of the Maserati Quattroporte, could have easily bought a Porsche worth two to three million yuan. In other words, he had lost a major client.


    Thinking about that, Luo Haiyang looked at Yang Jingsheng with a hint of me in his eyes.


    Yang Jingsheng desperately tried to defend, ¡°Haiyang, you can¡¯t me me for this. I¡¯m sure they don¡¯t have the money. I can¡¯t believe they can afford a Maserati Quattroporte.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying that I¡¯m blind?¡± the manager sneered. ¡°And my friend over there lied to me?¡±<div>


    ¡°No,¡± Luo Haiyang shook his head. ¡°There must be something wrong. I¡¯ll go and take a look.¡±


    Luo Haiyang ran over and entered the Maserati 4S dealership. He ignored the salespeople who were waiting for him and went straight to the rest area in front of Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin.


    Xu Yang had already signed the contract and he could drive the car away after the procedures werepleted. It would be done very quickly. ording to the salesperson, it would only take about an hour and it was about time now. Then, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin frowned when they saw Yang Jingsheng appear in front of them. However, neither of them spoke.


    ¡°Xu Yang, did you buy a car?¡± Yang Jingsheng asked.<div>


    ¡°I bought it,¡± Xu Yang said lightly.


    ¡°What car did you buy? The Maserati Quattroporte and it was paid a full amount of 2.3 million?¡± Yang Jingsheng asked.


    ¡°Yeah, how did you know?¡± Xu Yang asked as he was a little puzzled.


    ¡°I know very well what kind of family background the two of you have. I also know very well about your jobs. You don¡¯t have much money, so how could you have the money to buy the Maserati Quattroporte?¡± Yang Jingsheng asked as his face turned ugly.


    ¡°Is it even your concern?¡± Xu Yang said indifferently. ¡°You aren¡¯t going to say something like we have money, and it¡¯s rted to you, right? Are you going to im that Zhao Yuxin is rted to you too?¡±


    By the end of his statement, Xu Yang had a mocking smile on his face.


    ¡°You!¡± Yang Jingsheng couldn¡¯t possibly say such shameless things. Even if he did, they wouldn¡¯t pay him any attention.


    ¡°Do you have any other business here? If not, please step aside. I don¡¯t want to hear you shouting in front of me. I came here to buy a car, not to listen to a fly buzzing around. I¡¯m a customer here now. If you don¡¯t have a valid reason to make amotion in front of me, I can have the security escort you out,¡± Xu Yang said calmly.


    ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re quite something!¡± Yang Jingsheng¡¯s face turned pale with anger.


    Fortunes can change quickly. Just a while ago, Yang Jingsheng had driven Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin away from the Porsche 4S dealership. Now, they were driving him away.


    Yang Jingsheng didn¡¯t want to make a fool of himself here, so he left dejectedly.


    Back at the Porsche 4S dealership¡¯s entrance, the manager asked, ¡°So, is it true?¡±


    Though Luo Haiyang trusted the manager¡¯s ount, there was still a hint of doubt in his mind. He replied solemnly, ¡°It¡¯s true. They bought a Maserati Quattroporte.¡±<div>


    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Yang Jingsheng replied as his face turned even more unpleasant.

 Chapter 28: I Don’t Have a Friend Like You

    Chapter 28: I Don¡¯t Have a Friend Like You<div>


    Editor:EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡°Luo Haiyang, you drove away a major customer, causing losses to the dealership and potentially tarnishing its reputation. Customers like him will undoubtedly mention this incident when discussing car purchases in the future. Who knows how many people might be indirectly affected by this? His friends and their friends, even if they consider buying a Porsche, may choose other dealerships instead of ours. This loss is immeasurable. Your annual bonuses, including quarterly and year-end bonuses, are canceled, and you¡¯ll receive public criticism. Furthermore, I will report this incident to Porsche¡¯s headquarters in Drache. You¡¯ll have to deal with the consequences.¡± said the manager and he went back to his office.


    Luo Haiyang¡¯s face turned pale. The punishment was undoubtedly severe. In his position as a supervisor, the quarterly and year-end bonuses were substantial, amounting to around three hundred thousand yuan annually. Moreover, facing public criticism would be a humiliation he couldn¡¯t easily bear. He could already imagine the ridicule he would face from his colleagues behind his back.


    Even worse, the manager¡¯s report to Porsche¡¯s Drache headquarters might lead to his termination. In this line of work, getting fired for such a reason would make it nearly impossible to find another job. For someone in middle age, this was catastrophic news.


    All of this happened because of Yang Jingsheng. He had been so confident that Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin had no money that they were merely taking pictures to show off on social media. That¡¯s why Luo Haiyang had driven them away.


    Thinking of that, Luo Haiyang shot a resentful look at Yang Jingsheng. His eyes were filled with bitterness.<div>


    Yang Jingsheng felt the intensity of that gaze and asked, ¡°Haiyang, why are you looking at me like that? It¡¯s time to go for lunch, right?¡±


    ¡°Lunch? To hell with your lunch?¡± Luo Haiyang couldn¡¯t hold back his anger anymore and swore directly.


    ¡°Haiyang, I admit I made a mistake, but I truly had no idea what they were up to. Based on what I knew about them, they didn¡¯t have money.¡± Yang Jingsheng exined. He had a bitter expression. He genuinely couldn¡¯t fathom how Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin could afford such an expensive car. Even he couldn¡¯t do it. The car he drove was an Audi A4 that cost him three hundred thousand and paid by loan.


    ¡°You knew? What do you know? I think you don¡¯t know anything about them. If he doesn¡¯t have the money, how could he pay for the Maserati Quattroporte in full?¡± Luo Haiyang cursed once again.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know what went wrong, and now it¡¯s toote to change it. I promise I¡¯ll find out what happened. Haiyang, let¡¯s just go eat,¡± Yang Jingsheng suggested.


    ¡°You still cared about eating at this moment? Didn¡¯t you hear my punishment from my manager? Do you think I have the appetite to eat?¡± Luo Haiyang stared at Yang Jingsheng and said coldly.


    ¡°Haiyang, regardless of what happened, we still need to eat, right?¡± Yang Jingsheng chuckled awkwardly, then added, ¡°But if you¡¯re not in the mood, we can eatter. I¡¯ll treat you next time. How about that? Now, can we go to the bank? Can you transfer the money to me?¡±


    ¡°F*ck you, I¡¯m about to lose my job because of you, and you still have the f*cking nerve to ask me to transfer money?¡± Luo Haiyang cursed.


    Since it was like this, Luo Haiyang naturally couldn¡¯t lend money to Yang Jingsheng. It was good enough that he didn¡¯t ask Yang Jingsheng forpensation.


    ¡°Haiyang, I admit that I was wrong in this matter, but you said that I made you lose your job. Isn¡¯t it a little too much to scold me like this?¡± Yang Jingsheng¡¯s face turned ugly as he said that.


    It seemed that it was impossible to borrow money, so Yang Jingsheng could not hold it in any longer.


    ¡°This is too much?¡± Luo Haiyang sneered and kicked Yang Jingsheng to the ground. Yang Jingsheng rolled a few times before he stopped.<div>


    ¡°Damn it, Luo Haiyang, you¡¯ve gone mad!¡± Yang Jingsheng got back up, furious. He wanted to confront Luo Haiyang physically but realized it was a bad idea. Luo Haiyang was muchrger, and Yang Jingsheng had been partying too muchtely. His body wasn¡¯t in the best shape for a fight.


    ¡°Get lost! From today onwards, I¡¯m not your friend!¡± Yang Jingsheng yelled.


    A friend like Yang Jingsheng had caused Luo Haiyang so much trouble. Whether he would keep his job or not remained uncertain. Luo Haiyang couldn¡¯t afford to be friends with someone like Yang Jingsheng.


    ¡°Damn it, all this fuss over such a minor incident, and you¡¯re ending our friendship?¡± Yang Jingsheng sneered, ¡°Fine, let me make this clear. You think I¡¯m the one who harmed you, but have you ever considered if you were also at fault? In fact, you probably thought they couldn¡¯t afford a car. Underestimating them, you followed my lead and kicked them out. If you treated them like any other customer, none of this would have happened. I admit I was wrong, but your biggest mistake was listening to me. You bear the most significant responsibility. You can¡¯t me others.¡±


    Although Yang Jingsheng was no longer friends with Luo Haiyang, he decided to speak his mind. After all, he had nothing to lose now. Of course, he wasn¡¯t being unreasonable. After all, his words were only an inducement. The final decision was still on Luo Haiyang.


    Luo Haiyang, however, couldn¡¯t ept these words. In his eyes, all of Yang Jingsheng¡¯s exnations were attempts to shift me.


    ¡°Damn it, you still dare to speak. If it weren¡¯t for you, how could I have driven them away? Get lost, or else I¡¯ll make you regret it!¡± Luo Haiyang kicked Yang Jingsheng again.


    This time, the kick wasn¡¯t as forceful, and Yang Jingsheng didn¡¯t fall.


    ¡°Damn it, you just wait for me. I¡¯ll deal with you another day,¡± said Yang Jingsheng. He knew he couldn¡¯t beat Luo Haiyang in a physical fight, so he drove his car and left.


    When Yang Jingsheng drove his car out, he saw the new Maserati Quattroporte was driven out from the Maserati 4S dealership. The owner of the car was Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin was beside him.


    ¡°Damn it, I can¡¯t borrow any money today, and I¡¯ve been kicked twice! It¡¯s all because of you, this couple of troublemakers!¡±


    Yang Jingsheng pped the steering wheel in frustration and wanted to step on his pedal to bang the Maserati Quattroporte. However, he didn¡¯t have the guts to do such a thing. If it got worse, he might have to go to jail which was something he didn¡¯t want to do. He thought it wasn¡¯t worth his time.<div>


    However, Yang Jingsheng did wonder how Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin had the money to buy such a luxury car and where they got the 2.3 million yuan. The only possibility he could think of was winning the lottery. There wasn¡¯t any other way to exin it.


    Yang Jingsheng couldn¡¯t imagine Xu Yang or Zhao Yuxin earning that kind of money elsewhere. Xu Yang¡¯s family couldn¡¯t possibly afford it, and while Zhao Yuxin¡¯s father ran a small restaurant, they likely couldn¡¯t provide the money for such a purchase.


    ¡°Damn it, I don¡¯t even know who to borrow money from now. Tomorrow is my girlfriend¡¯s birthday, and I have to get some money. Otherwise, I¡¯ll have to ask my dad.¡±


    Yang Jingsheng parked his car, took out his phone, and started scrolling through his contacts, searching for someone who might lend him money. After several unsessful attempts, he finally found someone willing to help and left in his car.

 Chapter 29: Jealousy in the Air

    Chapter 29: Jealousy in the Air<div>


    Editor:EndlessFantasy Trantion


    While having dinner at home, Yang Jingsheng asked, ¡°Yulu, I saw today that Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin went to buy a car, a Maserati Quattroporte, and it cost them 2.3 million. Do you know how they have so much money?¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Before Zhao Yulu could say anything, Liu Yujuan eximed, ¡°They spent 2.3 million on a Maserati Quattroporte? Where did they get the money?¡±


    Yang Tiancheng furrowed his brow slightly, looking at Zhao Yulu. 2.3 million for a car had surprised him. Even though he was a vice president of apany, he drove a Mercedes-Benz S350 worth only 1.5 million to 2 million.


    Liu Yujuan continued, ¡°Yulu, do you know what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Liu Yujuan noticed her daughter wasn¡¯t surprised at all and seemed to be aware of the situation.<div>


    Zhao Yulu replied, ¡°Yes, Xu Yang recently invested in futures and made some money. More importantly, he picked up a big deal at the antique market yesterday, a genuine painting by Wu Daozi, Hundred of Beasts. The vice president of the Antique Appreciation Association, Mr. Tang paid 50 million for it.¡±


    The revtion once again shocked everyone at the table.


    ¡°Sh*t! 50 million?!¡± Yang Jingsheng couldn¡¯t help but exim. Fortunately, he hadn¡¯t taken a bite of food; otherwise, he might have choked.


    ¡°You said he found a treasure, but how much did he buy it for?¡± Yang Tiancheng asked.


    ¡°Fifty thousand yuan,¡± Zhao Yulu replied.


    ¡°Damn, that¡¯s a thousandfold increase!¡± Yang Jingsheng gritted his teeth, his eyes turning green with envy.


    ¡®Xu Yang is so damn lucky. Not only did he enjoy both the Zhao sisters, but he also found a treasure. All the assets of my family added up did not even amount to 50 million. This vi we lived in was worth more than 20 million yuan. Adding up other assets, our family had a total of more than 30 million yuan, less than 40 million yuan. In other words, Xu Yang¡¯s worth had surpassed any of them. No, it was more than the sum of the four of us.¡¯


    ¡°How could Xu Yang be so lucky?¡± Liu Yujuan asked and felt very upset.


    Liu Yujuan couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡®If Yulu did not break up with Xu Yang, I would be Xu Yang¡¯s mother-inw. He had fifty million yuan. It should not be a problem for me to get ten to twenty million yuan from him. I¡¯m partially considered as Xu Yang¡¯s mother-inw now, which was determined by blood rtions with my daughter Yuxin. However, since Yuxin didn¡¯t acknowledge me, I couldn¡¯t ask for money from her.¡¯


    Yang Tiancheng was also a little unhappy. The young man he had looked down on back then had actually surpassed him in terms of social status by finding a treasure.


    ¡°Yulu, you said that Xu Yang made some money by investing in futures. What futures did he buy? How much did he earn?¡± Yang Tiancheng asked.


    ¡°He bought gold futures,¡± Zhao Yulu said. ¡°So far, he should have earned three to four million.¡±<div>


    During this period, Zhao Yulu had been paying attention to the value of the gold futures. She estimated how much money Xu Yang could earn in her heart. The price of gold futures had already risen by 20%. She thought that Xu Yang had only invested two million yuan, so she said that he had earned three to four million yuan.


    ¡°He earned three to four million from buying gold futures? Is he that urate?¡± Yang Tiancheng frowned.


    Yang Tiancheng was a stock trader, and he had a few million yuan in the stock market. Although he did not invest in futures, he would pay attention to the financial news every day. He knew that the Lighthouse International Reserve had cut interest rates drastically, causing the price of gold to soar. He also especially looked at the domestic gold futures trend chart, which had two daily limits.


    ¡°This time, he was right,¡± said Zhao Yulu. She remembered that she had borrowed money from Xu Yang before and told him that the gold futures would fall. Zhao Yulu felt embarrassed now.


    ¡°If that guy had that ability, he would have made a fortune long ago. He must have been damn lucky to earn so much money!¡± Yang Jingsheng eximed. He was jealous again.


    Zhao Yulu and the other two nced at Yang Jingsheng and were speechless. It was dinner time yet Yang Jingsheng was full of cursing and made them lose their appetite.


    Seeing the three looking at him strangely, Yang Jingsheng realized that what he said was somewhat inappropriate, so he quickly changed his words, ¡°He just happened to buy it with luck. I don¡¯t believe that he can predict that the gold futures will rise.¡±


    Yang Tiancheng nodded in agreement and said, ¡°Indeed. He¡¯s probably just beginner¡¯s luck and doesn¡¯t have that ability.¡±


    Liu Yujuan noticed something and asked, ¡°Yulu, you said that he earned three to four million yuan. To earn so much, he would need at least one to two million yuan of capital investment. He can¡¯t earn so much money just by investing tens of thousands of yuan, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Dad¡­¡± Zhao Yulu paused for a moment and looked at Yang Tiancheng. She was not referring to Yang Tiancheng but Zhao Hai. ¡°He gave Yuxin two million yuan to buy a house with Xu Yang as the down payment. Xu Yang took the two million yuan and bought gold futures instead.¡±


    Liu Yujuan¡¯s expression turned ugly and said, ¡°Zhao Hai is really generous. The two million yuan should be the money he saved over the years. He actually took it out to buy a house for Yuxin and Xu Yang. Xu Yang used the money to buy a house to invest in futures. Does Yuxin not care?¡±


    ¡°Yuxin agreed to this,¡± Zhao Yulu said.<div>


    Liu Yujuan said angrily, ¡°Yuxin is such a reckless girl. She actually agreed to let Xu Yang do this kind of thing. She made money this time, but she will lose money next time.¡±


    Yang Tiancheng agreed and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. Futures are high-risk, and I wouldn¡¯t dare to invest in them. Xu Yang may have made money this time, but if he doesn¡¯t stop in time, he¡¯ll likely lose it all. In the financial market, you can easily lose as much as you¡¯ve gained.¡±


    Yang Jingsheng felt slightly embarrassed but continued to grumble, ¡°He probably even lost that 50 million he found.¡±


    Yang Jingsheng¡¯s jealousy of Xu Yang was hard to conceal, and he secretly wished for Xu Yang¡¯s fortune to vanish. Only then, Yang Jingsheng would feel better.


    Liu Yujuan decided to address the situation with Zhao Yuxin. She took out her phone and dialed her daughter¡¯s number, sitting on the sofa while waiting for her to answer.


    It took a while for the call to be picked up. Liu Yujuan asked, ¡°Why did you take so long to answer?¡±


    ¡°Do you need something?¡± Zhao Yuxin didn¡¯t address Liu Yujuan. To Zhao Yuxin, Liu Yujuan was not her mother. She held Liu Yujuan responsible for causing so much harm to her father. If not for Liu Yujuan, her father would not be struggling to make ends meet running a small restaurant.


    Liu Yujuan wasn¡¯t concerned about the dy in answering; she got straight to the point, ¡°I heard from Yulu that Xu Yang took the 2 million your father gave you for buying a house and invested it in futures. Is that true?¡±


    ¡°Yes, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Zhao Yuxin replied.


    Liu Yujuan scolded, ¡°That money was meant for your house, and you let Xu Yang invest it in futures? What if he loses it? Have you thought about it?¡±


    Liu Yujuan wasn¡¯t genuinely concerned about Zhao Yuxin; she just wanted to interfere with her decisions, much like she had done with Zhao Yulu.


    In the past when Zhao Yulu had chosen Xu Yang as her boyfriend, Liu Yujuan didn¡¯t approve of him. She did everything in her power to get Zhao Yuxin to break up with him.<div>

 Chapter 30: Are You the Boss’s Son?

    Chapter 30: Are You the Boss¡¯s Son?<div>


    Editor:EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡°Whether Xu Yang makes money or loses money, it¡¯s none of your business. Can you control it?¡± Zhao Yuxin said indifferently.


    ¡°What kind ofnguage is that? I¡¯m your mother!¡± Liu Yujuan yelled as her face turned ashen with anger.


    ¡°I have never acknowledged you as my mother,¡± Zhao Yuxin replied coldly.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Liu Yujuan trembled with anger, her face still pale.


    ¡°Do you have anything else to say? If not, I¡¯m hanging up,¡± Zhao Yuxin said dispassionately.<div>


    ¡°Is this how much you dislike me?¡± Liu Yujuan angrily inquired.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of disliking you; after all, we have no rtionship. How can one dislike someone with whom they have no connection?¡± Zhao Yuxin replied.


    ¡°You!¡± Liu Yujuan was fuming, and every time she called Zhao Yuxin, it left her in a foul mood.


    ¡°If you have nothing else, I¡¯m hanging up,¡± Zhao Yuxin was about to end the call.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Liu Yujuan quickly interjected.


    ¡°What else?¡± Zhao Yuxin asked.


    ¡°Does your father know that Xu Yang used the 2 million he gave you for futures trading?¡± Liu Yujuan asked.


    ¡°Yes, he knows. What¡¯s the matter?¡± Zhao Yuxin said.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t say anything to you?¡± Liu Yujuan inquired.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to say?¡± Zhao Yuxin responded.


    ¡°The way Xu Yang is doing this, although he¡¯s making money now, his gambling-style investment in the futures market will surely lead to losses in the future. If you allow him to go on like this, you¡¯ll be the ones crying when that happens,¡± Liu Yujuan warned.


    ¡°Both Dad and I trust Xu Yang. We don¡¯t believe that the situation you¡¯re describing will ur. With that said, do you have any other business to discuss? If not, I¡¯ll hang up,¡± Zhao Yuxin said.<div>


    Liu Yujuan fell silent, not knowing what to say.


    Without another word from Zhao Yuxin, she hung up the phone.


    ¡°This is so infuriating!¡± Liu Yujuan muttered after hearing the beep from her phone. She clenched her teeth in anger.


    After Liu Yujuan set her phone aside, she returned to the dining table and continued eating.


    The three of them didn¡¯t inquire about the oue of Liu Yujuan¡¯s call; they could tell from her expression.


    ¡°Xu Yang may have money now, but it¡¯s not that impressive. Compared to Guanglei, he¡¯s far behind,¡± Yang Jingsheng changed the topic.


    ¡°Exactly, Guanglei is a wealthy heir. Even if Xu Yang makes some money through luck, he can neverpare to Guanglei,¡± Yang Tiancheng agreed.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Liu Yujuan concurred. ¡°Yulu, someone like Guanglei is your ideal match. Xu Yang, even if he has some money, is nothing to envy.¡±


    Zhao Yulu remained silent. Although she wasn¡¯t particrly fond of Chen Guanglei, she still believed that Xu Yang could never measure up to him.


    Chen Guanglei¡¯s father had assets in the tens of billions and ran an investmentpany. Chen Guanglei didn¡¯t need to do anything; he would inherit billions in the future. On the other hand, Xu Yang had merely made some money, and whether he could hold onto it was uncertain.


    Yang Jingsheng asked, ¡°Yulu, how¡¯s your rtionship with Guanglei now?¡±


    Zhao Yulu replied, ¡°Nothing much.¡±<div>


    Yang Jingsheng became anxious and said, ¡°This won¡¯t do. I¡¯ve told you before, someone like Guanglei, wealthy and interested in you, is a rare find. You need to seize the opportunity.¡±


    Yang Tiancheng added, ¡°That¡¯s right. If you make him lose interest, and he stops pursuing you, even if you want to be with himter, you won¡¯t have a chance.¡±


    Liu Yujuan chimed in, ¡°Yulu, I have to talk to you about this. Someone like Guanglei, a wealthy heir, is hard toe by. Wherever can you find someone like him? He likes you, and if you agree to be his girlfriend, you can start discussing marriage soon. You won¡¯t need to work anymore. You can have whatever you want, go shopping, and enjoy beauty treatments all day long. If you still want to work, you can join his father¡¯spany in an easy position. You need to seize this opportunity.¡±


    Liu Yujuan¡¯s motivation was primarily self-interest. Bing the mother-inw of a wealthy heir would also give her face. If she ever ran out of money, she could just ask Chen Guanglei. Whatever she wanted to buy, she could buy it without hesitation. That was the life she had always dreamed of.


    In fact, Liu Yujuan¡¯s current life still couldn¡¯t satisfy her. Living in a vi was good, but her car was just an ordinary luxury car worth around four hundred thousand yuan. She couldn¡¯t buy luxury clothes, bags, shoes, cosmetics, or whatever she wanted whenever she wanted.


    With Chen Guanglei as her wealthy son-inw, Liu Yujuan could do whatever she pleased. Buying a luxury car worth over a million yuan wouldn¡¯t be a problem. Getting whatever she wanted wouldn¡¯t be a problem either.


    Zhao Yulu replied perfunctorily, ¡°I understand.¡±


    Liu Yujuan continued, ¡°You always say you understand, but I don¡¯t think you really do. If you did, you would already be Guanglei¡¯s girlfriend by now, and you wouldn¡¯t havee back to eat with us. Instead, you¡¯d be out on a date with Guanglei!¡±


    Zhao Yulu rolled her eyes. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve only known Chen Guanglei for a few days. Even if I want to be his girlfriend, I need to understand what kind of person he is first. How can I agree to be his girlfriend after just a few days of knowing him?¡±


    Liu Yujuan said, ¡°With his conditions, there¡¯s nothing to understand.¡±


    Zhao Yulu retorted, ¡°You only see that he¡¯s wealthy.¡±


    Liu Yujuan countered, ¡°His character is definitely not a problem. Wealthy families nowadays pay great attention to their children¡¯s education.¡±<div>


    Zhao Yulu rolled her eyes again and said, ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case, I still need to consider whether our personalities arepatible.¡±


    Liu Yujuan argued, ¡°What¡¯s there to consider? As long as you¡¯re together, there won¡¯t be any issues. You have to act quickly, or else when he loses interest, you¡¯ll have nowhere to cry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m done eating.¡± Zhao Yulu said as she rolled her eyes onest time and couldn¡¯t be bothered to continue the conversation. She put down her bowl and chopsticks and went back to her room.


    ¡°Yulu!¡± Liu Yujuan was once again infuriated. Although she wanted to scold Zhao Yulu some more, Zhao Yulu didn¡¯t give her the chance and had already gone back to her room.


    On Monday, Xu Yang drove Zhao Yuxin to the bank and then went to work. When he parked the car in thepany¡¯s parking lot and got out of the car, he immediately attracted the attention of his colleagues.


    ¡°Xu Yang, did you buy a car?¡± a colleague approached and asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I bought a car,¡± Xu Yang nodded casually.


    ¡°A Maserati Quattroporte!¡± colleagues marveled in admiration as they circled the car, touching the body with their hands.


    ¡°Xu Yang, did you recently strike it rich?¡±


    ¡°Xu Yang, you really hid it well. Whenever we talked about buying a car, you always said you didn¡¯t have the money, and now you quietly bought a Maserati Quattroporte!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, we were discussing whether to buy a Mini Cooper or a Chery eQ1 because they¡¯re cheap and convenient for charging at thepany. And here you are, buying a million-dor luxury car.¡±<div>


    ¡°Xu Yang, tell us the truth, are you a wealthy heir?¡±


    ¡°Definitely, he used to y it low-key in front of us.¡±


    ¡°We never expected that we had a hidden wealthy heir among us.¡±


    ¡°Xu Yang, this isn¡¯t fair. If you want to stay low-key, you should¡¯ve stayed low-key all the way. Suddenly revealing your identity makes us ufortable.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, some of us are having trouble adjusting to this sudden change.¡±


    ¡°My goodness, are you the boss¡¯s son?¡±


    More and more colleagues gathered, making variousments.

 Chapter 31: Resignation

    Chapter 31: Resignation<div>


    Editor:EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡°Don¡¯t joke around. If I were a wealthy heir, why would I stay low-key? I would have driven a luxury car to work long ago!¡±


    Xu Yang was somewhat speechless about his colleagues¡¯ spections. He believed that pretending to be low-key as a wealthy heir was unnecessary and better off living a life that matched one¡¯s conditions.


    ¡°You¡¯re really not a wealthy heir? Then how did you afford a Maserati Quattroporte? Even if you took out a loan, you wouldn¡¯t have had enough money for the down payment,¡± a colleague questioned in doubt.


    The car Xu Yang bought was top-of-the-line and cost around two million yuan. Even with a 30% down payment, that¡¯s still around six hundred thousand yuan. They knew Xu Yang had just graduated this year; he couldn¡¯t have that much money.


    They spected that perhaps Xu Yang¡¯s family had some money, and he emptied their savings toe up with the amount. But everyone knew Xu Yang¡¯s personality well. He would never use his family¡¯s money to buy a luxury car.<div>


    ¡°Yeah, forget about a 30% down payment, even if it was just 10%, you couldn¡¯t have afforded it,¡± another colleague chimed in.


    ¡°Xu Yang, are you dating a wealthy woman?¡±


    ¡°Seriously, your spections have gone too far.¡±


    ¡°I actually think it¡¯s possible. Xu Yang is quite good-looking, and he seems to be in great shape. Being chosen by a wealthy woman is very likely.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, I regret not having a handsome face like Xu Yang¡¯s and a better physique. Otherwise, I¡¯d go fishing for a wealthy woman.¡±


    ¡°Xu Yang,e clean. Did you really date a wealthy woman?¡±


    ¡°Xu Yang, if you did, please introduce me.¡±


    ¡°The friend of a wealthy woman is also a wealthy woman. I¡¯m looking for an introduction too. Although I might not be as handsome as you, my physique is definitely better. I work out every day.¡±


    ¡°Yes, introduce me too. I don¡¯t want to struggle anymore; life is too tough.¡±


    Xu Yang¡¯s colleagues began discussing fervently, and their gazes toward Xu Yang changed once again.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you guys. First, you say I¡¯m a wealthy heir, and now you say I¡¯m dating a wealthy woman,¡± Xu Yang couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes.


    In Xu Yang¡¯s opinion, these colleagues of his had quite an imagination.<div>


    ¡°You¡¯re neither a wealthy heir nor dating a wealthy woman, soe clean. How did you afford a Maserati Quattroporte?¡± his colleagues demanded, still puzzled.


    ¡°Did you win the lottery?¡± one colleague spected.


    ¡°Is your luck really that good?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡±


    ¡°Xu Yang, we won¡¯t guess anymore. Just tell us.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, guessing is pointless.¡±


    Xu Yang¡¯s colleagues all stared at him, awaiting his answer.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a wealthy heir, didn¡¯t date a wealthy woman, and didn¡¯t win the lottery or anything like that. I could afford this car because I recently invested in futures trading and made some money,¡± Xu Yang exined.


    ¡°Invested in futures trading?¡±


    ¡°You have that ability? You can make money in the futures market?¡±


    ¡°I heard futures trading is very risky.¡±


    ¡°High risk, high reward. If the risk is high, so is the reward.¡±<div>


    ¡°Xu Yang, what kind of futures did you invest in, and how much did you invest to afford a Maserati Quattroporte?¡±


    Some of Xu Yang¡¯s colleagues were unfamiliar with futures trading, some had heard bits and pieces, and some were quite knowledgeable about it. Those who had a deep understanding of the futures market typically wouldn¡¯t describe it as risky or emphasize high risk and high reward.


    ¡°I bought gold futures, used the two million yuan my father-inw gave me as a down payment for a house, and invested it all. Then, I made some money,¡± Xu Yang exined.


    Xu Yang had already shared the news of getting married with his colleagues and even distributed candy to celebrate.


    ¡°Wow, your father-inw is really generous, giving you two million yuan for a house down payment.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve truly found yourself a good wife.¡±


    ¡°Your wife and your father-inw are both very understanding. They allowed you to use the house down payment for futures trading.¡±


    ¡°Maybe Xu Yang did it on his own and didn¡¯t tell his wife and father-inw.¡±


    ¡°Xu Yang, you¡¯re really bold. Most people wouldn¡¯t dare to do that.¡±


    Xu Yang¡¯s colleagues were truly amazed and thought he used the down payment for a house to invest in futures was quite audacious.


    ¡°My wife knows about it. She agreed to my investment, and my father-inw found outter. He didn¡¯t say anything and evenforted me, saying that even if I lost, it wouldn¡¯t matter. I truly found a good wife, and I have a good father-inw,¡± Xu Yang said truthfully.


    If Xu Yang¡¯s girlfriend were still Zhao Yulu, her mother Liu Yujuan, and stepfather Yang Tiancheng would definitely not give them any money for a house down payment to invest in futures. So, it was indeed urate to say that Zhao Hai was a good father-inw, and Zhao Yuxin was a good wife.<div>


    ¡°We¡¯re envious of you, finding a good wife and having a good father-inw.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t even have a girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°I do have a girlfriend, but given the conditions set by her mother and father-inw, I don¡¯t dare to mention marriage.¡±


    ¡°We have to pay sky-high bride prices, but Xu Yang didn¡¯t have to. He just married a good wife and has such a good father-inw.¡±


    ¡°Comparing ourselves to others is truly depressing.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s focus on working hard. Otherwise, we might end up single for life.¡±


    Xu Yang¡¯s colleagues sighed in agreement.


    ¡°By the way, I¡¯ll hand in my resignation today. If you have time in the future, feel free to contact me by phone,¡± Xu Yang said.


    Xu Yang had worked here for several months, and he got along well with his colleagues. Xu Yang thought it was necessary to inform them. He would stay in touch when he had the chance.


    ¡°What? You¡¯re resigning?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are you quitting?¡±


    Xu Yang¡¯s colleagues were taken aback. The news was truly unexpected.<div>


    ¡°I¡¯ve made some money from futures trading recently and n to do something else. I don¡¯t want to work a regr job anymore,¡± Xu Yang exined. Since he had already told his colleagues, there was no need toe up with other excuses.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°You have some capital now, so doing something else is a better option than working.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, doing something else has much higher earning potential than a regr job. Working for a sry is just too limiting.¡±


    ¡°Then we wish you sess in your future endeavors.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget about us when you seed.¡±


    Xu Yang¡¯s colleagues understood Xu Yang¡¯s decision. As long as one had some capital, nobody wanted to work for a sry. Xu Yang¡¯s resignation was quite normal. For him to continue to work for a sry would be a waste of time.


    After chatting for a while longer, the workday was about to begin, so they all entered the office. Xu Yang went directly to the supervisor¡¯s office.


    ¡°I would like to hand in my resignation,¡± Xu Yang went straight to the point.


    The supervisor was a woman in her thirties. She was surprised to hear that Xu Yang wanted to resign. After all, Xu Yang hadn¡¯tpleted his six-month probationary period yet; there was still a month to go. Over the past six months, Xu Yang¡¯s performance had been quite good, and there was no doubt he would pass the probationary period. If he did, his sry would increase.


    ¡°Why do you want to resign?¡± the supervisor asked.


    ¡°I made some money from futures trading recently and have some capital now. I want to try something else and don¡¯t want to work a regr job anymore,¡± Xu Yang exined. Since he had already informed his colleagues, there was no need to make up excuses. Be straightforward.<div>


    ¡°I see. What are you nning to do?¡± The supervisor understood Xu Yang¡¯s reasoning and didn¡¯t try to persuade him to stay.


    After all, if Xu Yang had capital and had already requested to resign, any attempts to convince him otherwise would be futile. She couldn¡¯t say something like starting a business is risky and has a high failure rate.

 Chapter 32: Meeting Tang Zhengqi Again

    Chapter 32: Meeting Tang Zhengqi Again


    Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡°I only have a rough direction; it¡¯s hard to say,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°Alright, go ahead and prepare your resignation letter. I¡¯ll approve it, and you can go through the resignation process. Just make sure to handle the handover properly,¡± the supervisor said.


    ¡°Understood.¡± Xu Yang left the supervisor¡¯s office and returned to his workstation. He wrote his resignation letter, got it signed by the supervisor, andpleted the handover tasks.


    After more than an hour of busyness, Xu Yang finally finished his day. He bid farewell to his colleagues, picked up his belongings, and left thepany.


    ¡°From today onwards, I¡¯m free!¡± Xu Yang eximed.


    As Xu Yang walked out of thepany¡¯s entrance, he looked up at the sky. He felt that the weather today was particrly good. The sunlight was bright, and the air was fresh.


    Instead of going straight home, Xu Yang took a stroll outside. Having just bought a car, he was eager to take it for a spin. At noon, he had lunch outside and then rested in his car for a while.


    At 2:30 PM, Xu Yang arrived at a teahouse. He had messaged Tang Zhengqi the previous night and arranged to meet him at the teahouse. The meeting time was set for 3:00 PM and Xu Yang arrived half an hour early.


    Entering a private room, a tea master immediately came in to prepare tea. Xu Yang wasn¡¯t well-versed in tea. However, he assumed that someone like Tang Zhengqi, who was a connoisseur of antiques and collectibles, would appreciate and understand tea. So, he chose this ce. It was also an opportunity for him to learn.


    It was Xu Yang¡¯s first time in such a ce, and he found it quite pleasant. The environment was serene, making it an excellent spot for tea.


    At 2:50 p.m., Tang Zhengqi arrived.


    ¡°Xu Yang, my apologies for making you wait. I got caught in traffic, so I¡¯m a bitte,¡± Tang Zhengqi apologized.


    ¡°Mr. Tang, I just arrived not long ago. Our meeting was scheduled for 3:00 PM, so you¡¯re notte at all. We can skip the formality,¡± said Xu Yang as he stood up to greet Tang Zhengqi.


    They both took their seats.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure what type of tea you like, so I ordered a random one, Mount Wuyi¡¯s Premium Da Hong Pao. I hope you like it. If not, we can change it to something you prefer,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°Mount Wuyi¡¯s Premium Da Hong Pao? This is one of the best teas here. If I were to say I don¡¯t like it, I¡¯m afraid many people would use me of not knowing good tea,¡± Tang Zhengqi chuckled.


    From his words, it was evident that Tang Zhengqi had been to this ce before and was quite familiar with it. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t know that Mount Wuyi¡¯s Premium Da Hong Pao was one of the best teas here.


    ¡°As long as you like it,¡± Xu Yang replied.


    They sipped their tea and chatted for a while. As the conversation flowed, they became morefortable with each other, almost like brothers.


    Getting to the point, Xu Yang took a small box from his bag and ced it in front of Tang Zhengqi.


    ¡°Mr. Tang, this is an item I found at a flea market on Antique Street that afternoon. Take a look,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Tang Zhengqi nodded, put down his tea cup, and opened the box. Inside, he saw a blood-red jade thumb ring, and his eyes lit up. He took out a handkerchief and carefully picked up the thumb ring from the box, examining it closely.


    ¡°Tsk tsk, Xu Yang, it seems you¡¯ve stumbled upon a treasure once again,¡± Tang Zhengqi couldn¡¯t help but praise.


    ¡°Really?¡± Xu Yang asked. ¡°Mr. Tang, please share your thoughts. My knowledge in this area is limited.¡±


    Tang Zhengqi nced at Xu Yang and shook his head. He said, ¡°Xu Yang, you¡¯re being too modest. If I¡¯m not mistaken, you probably know more about this item than I do. Perhaps even more than what I know.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Tang, you¡¯re an industry veteran. I can¡¯tpare to you; I only have surface-level knowledge,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°Xu Yang, you¡¯re being humble again. Tell me, how did you find this?¡± Tang Zheng Qi asked.


    Xu Yang said half-truthfully,¡± This thing was knocked out from the bottom of a vase. When I saw the vase, I felt that its bottom was very thick and it was different from other vases. It seemed out of ce. I thought that there might be something in it, so I bought it. When I went home and broke it, I found this thing. ¡±


    ¡°Xu Yang, your observation skills are truly remarkable,¡± Tang Zhengqi nced at Xu Yang meaningfully and said.


    In fact, Tang Zhengqi still had something to say. He believed that perhaps Xu Yang did not think that the bottom of the vase was thick, so he bought the vase. Instead, he had discovered something else.


    If that were the case, Xu Yang would be too terrifying from Tang Zhengqi¡¯s point of view. Since Xu Yang did not mention it, Tang Zhengqi did not ask further. At his age, Tang Zhengqi knew what to ask and what not to ask. Especially in the antique industry, asking too many questions was very ill-mannered.


    ¡°Luck also yed a part.¡± Xu Yang smiled and said.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s talk about this jade thumb ring. If my guess is correct, this should be a thumb ring once worn by Emperor Taizong of Tang. There¡¯s a legend that this was a gift from Empress Wu Zetian to Emperor Taizong, but it¡¯s not recorded in official historical records, only in unofficial ounts. Now, with this jade thumb ringing to light, it serves as proof of its existence. This small thumb ring not only has collectible value but also archaeological and historical significance. It¡¯s worth much more than yourst discovery, the Hundred of Beasts painting by Wu Daozi.¡± Tang Zhengqi said with his eyes fixed on the thumb ring.


    ¡°By your estimation, what¡¯s its approximate value?¡± Xu Yang asked.


    ¡°At least 70 million,¡± Tang Zhengqi replied, ¡°Xu Yang, if you¡¯re not in a hurry for money, I suggest you put it up for auction at our auction house. Once it goes to auction, I¡¯m confident it¡¯ll fetch over 100 million.¡±


    Xu Yang nodded, ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I had in mind, putting it up for auction at your auction house.¡±


    Tang Zhengqi seemed excited, ¡°Fantastic! This jade thumb ring will undoubtedly create a sensation in the antique world at next month¡¯s auction.¡±


    That was beneficial for the auction house. It not only increased their revenue but also boosted the auction house¡¯s reputation. Tang Zhengqi then exined the auction house¡¯s procedures to Xu Yang. When someone brought an item to the auction house, they charged a 5%mission fee based on the final sale price. However, as a shareholder, Xu Yang would receive a 2% discount, meaning he¡¯d only pay a 3%mission fee.


    Xu Yang had no objections; he was willing to follow the rules. When Tang Zhengqi offered a discount, he would take it too.


    Although 2% might seem little, it was still significant. If the jade thumb ring¡¯s final sale price reached 100 million, 2% would be 2 million.


    Tang Zhengqi made a call to the auction house to inform them and arranged for the contract to be brought over. Xu Yang signed the contract.


    With the contract signed, Tang Zhengqi personally took the jade thumb ring to the auction house for safekeeping.


    It was an item worth over a hundred million yuan, and it was the highlight of next month¡¯s auction. There could be no room for error.


    Xu Yang checked the time; it was almost time to pick up Zhao Yuxin from work. After the tea session, he found the bill astonishing¡ªit amounted to 8,000 yuan.


    Having money now allowed Xu Yang to experience such ces, but without it, he might never have had the chance to enjoy tea in such a refined environment.

 Chapter 33: Buying a House

    Chapter 33: Buying a House


    Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion


    It was Wednesday. Xu Yang closed his positions in gold futures and made a profit of over 11 million yuan. He transferred 5 million to his stock ount and invested in two stocks. The remaining money remained in his futures ount, where he invested in apple futures.


    All of those investments were based on the analysis of Xu Yang¡¯s Master Trader skill. There was a 99 percent chance of making a profit, as long as there were no unexpected ck swan events. He just had to wait for the money to roll in.


    In the blink of an eye, it was Saturday. After having breakfast, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin went to look at houses. They were about to buy a house and Zhao Yuxin was extremely excited. Finally, they would have a home of their own and could now decorate their love nest ording to their own preferences.


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin arrived at the sales office of Century Garden. There were quite a few people there, but sales representatives warmly weed them and took them to look at the site n.


    The sales representative provided a detailed introduction to the overall situation of the development, the different types of houses avable, and the surrounding amenities. Finally, she asked Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin which type of house they wanted to buy.


    After a week of consideration, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin had already decided to buy a vi. It cost between 30 to 40 million, and they could buy one.


    Xu Yang felt that since he had money, he would earn even more in the future. He might as well buy a vi all at once. In the future, when their parents visit, there would be a ce for them to stay, and the same for Zhao Yuxin¡¯s father. When friends came over, there would also be a ce for them.


    Originally, Zhao Yuxin was not in favor of buying a vi. She thought spending 30 to 40 million on a vi was unnecessary. She was already satisfied with a three-bedroom apartment. Moreover, Xu Yang had just made a windfall of 50 million. If they spent 40 million on a vi, they wouldn¡¯t have much left. They still had to live their lives.


    Zhao Yuxin had thought it would be better to buy a cheaper house and save the money. They would have children in the future and they need to use the money for their living and education.


    But Xu Yang had mentioned the jade finger ring, which would likely sell for about 100 million at auction. So, Zhao Yuxin had no objection. With that kind of money, they could cover their future living expenses, retirement, and the education of their two children if they had them.


    ¡°You mentioned earlier that the vis are being sold at a 10 percent discount, right?¡± Xu Yang asked the sales representative.


    ¡°Yes, all the vis are offered at a 10 percent discount. If you buy two or more, there¡¯s an additional discount,¡± the sales representative replied eagerly because she noticed Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin were about to buy a vi. If they did, she would make a significantmission. Each vi cost at least 30 million yuan and it would be a lot ofmission.


    ¡°What¡¯s the price of Vi No. 39?¡± Xu Yang inquired.


    ¡°It¡¯s 40 million, with a 10 percent discount, it¡¯s 36 million,¡± the sales representative promptly replied.


    If Xu Yang had asked about the discount just now, it was just a casual question. Then, asking about the price of a certain vi was definitely not a casual question. It meant that he was willing to buy it. Otherwise, he would not have asked that.


    ¡°Okay, please take us to see Vi No. 39,¡± Xu Yang said, nodding.


    Xu Yang decided to have a look at Vi No. 39. They needed to see it in person to assess theyout and design before making a decision. He might have money now, but he didn¡¯t want to waste it. He wasn¡¯t the kind of person to point at any vi without even looking at it and decide to buy it. Such people were either spectors in a hot real estate market or were showing off as rich second-generation. Xu Yang didn¡¯t want to be like that.


    ¡°Alright, please wait in the resting area. I¡¯ll get the keys.¡± The sales representative brought Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin to the rest area and went to get the keys.


    ¡°36 million, that¡¯s not bad, it¡¯s lower than I expected,¡± Xu Yangmented.


    ¡°Honey, if it were before, I wouldn¡¯t even dare to dream of buying a vi,¡± Zhao Yuxin said, her face lit up with happiness.


    ¡°In the future, we¡¯ll drive luxury cars and live in vis. This will be our life. If you have any dreams, just say them out loud, and I¡¯ll help you make theme true,¡± Xu Yang said with a smile.


    ¡°My dream is to live with you and have a happy life together forever,¡± Zhao Yuxin said, reveling in happiness.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I promise that your dream wille true. We¡¯ll live happily together forever, and we¡¯ll never be apart,¡± Xu Yang promised solemnly.


    Since Xu Yang had chosen Zhao Yuxin, he didn¡¯t have any other thoughts. He just wanted to live with her.


    ¡°Honey, I believe you,¡± Zhao Yuxin said with a happy smile.


    At that moment, a voice sounded, ¡°Xu Yang? Are you here to buy a house too?¡±


    Xu Yang turned his head and saw a young man of about the same age as him, apanied by a mboyantly dressed young woman, approaching him and Zhao Yuxin.


    ¡°You are?¡± Xu Yang asked indifferently.


    That young man was his former colleague, Feng Haichao. A fresh graduate. He was in the same batch as Xu Yang who joined thepany as an intern.


    Feng Haichao was a local, and he had a strong sense of superiority when it came to people from other ces. In front of people from other ces, except for those from first-tier cities, Feng Haichao always acted superior. Especially when he knew that Xu Yang came from a small county, he looked down on Xu Yang even more.


    At work, Feng Haichao would asionally ridicule Xu Yang as a hick. He would make snidements about things that Xu Yang didn¡¯t know about, emphasizing Xu Yang¡¯sck of knowledge.


    In thepany, there weren¡¯t many people who had a good rtionship with Feng Haichao. He onlysted for a month before he quit the job for no reason.


    Feng Haichao became a rich inheritor through the demolition of his family¡¯s property. His family had received 80 million inpensation and had two houses. Then, Feng Haichao just quit his job like that. He was probably showing off as a rich inheritor.


    ¡°Xu Yang, we¡¯re ex colleagues, there¡¯s no need for that attitude,¡± Feng Haichao said, pulling his girlfriend and sitting down in front of Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin.


    Seeing Zhao Yuxin holding onto Xu Yang¡¯s arm, Feng Haichao¡¯s eyes flickered with surprise, and thought, ¡®This guy, who came from a small county, actually had such a beautiful girlfriend.¡¯


    Feng Haichao¡¯s own girlfriend was quite pretty, and he had thought it was quite prestigious to bring her out. But now,pared to Xu Yang¡¯s girlfriend, he suddenly felt less confident.


    ¡°What kind of attitude do you expect me to have?¡± Xu Yang asked. He had no intention of dealing with Feng Haichao.


    Both of them were adults, and Xu Yang had no intention of changing Feng Haichao¡¯s view of people from other ces. He simply chose not to interact with him.


    ¡°Xu Yang, you¡¯re just a hick from a small county. What makes you think you could give me a dirty look in front of me?¡± Feng Haichao said as his face turned ugly.


    ¡®I¡¯m a local in Jaster City and meeting you, a hick from a small county, and didn¡¯t even greet me properly. This is really hard to bear.¡¯ Feng Haichao thought.


    ¡°If you feel ufortable looking at my face, you can leave,¡± Xu Yang said without any courtesy.


    Putting aside the fact that Xu Yang had awakened the system, even without the system, he wouldn¡¯t have treated Feng Haichao any differently. The only reason was that Feng Haichao was overwhelmingly despicable.


    ¡°Damn, you¡­!¡± Feng Haichao was furious. Suddenly, he seemed to think of something and his tone changed. ¡°Xu Yang, are you here to buy a house?¡±

 Chapter 34: You’re Quite Annoying

    Chapter 34: You¡¯re Quite Annoying


    Editor:EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xu Yang nced at Feng Haichao as if he were looking at an idiot and said, ¡°Why are you here if you¡¯re not buying a house? Do you think everyone has as much free time as you, doing nothing all day?¡±


    Hearing that, a surge of anger welled up in Feng Haichao, but in the end, he gritted his teeth and held it in. He took a deep breath, and a mocking smile crept onto his lips. He said, ¡°What kind of house are you buying, the cheapest one?¡±


    In Feng Haichao¡¯s opinion, Xu Yang was definitely going for the cheapest option.


    Xu Yang replied, ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡±


    Feng Haichao chuckled, ¡°You don¡¯t dare to say it, do you? Actually, there¡¯s nothing wrong with buying the cheapest one. The main thing is, some people buy houses on credit, have to pay them off for twenty or thirty years, and work their whole lives just for a house. It¡¯s really pitiful.¡±


    Xu Yang gave Feng Haichao a nce but didn¡¯t respond.


    Feng Haichao continued, ¡°Xu Yang, to be honest, if I were you, I wouldn¡¯t work in Jaster City. I¡¯d go back to my hometown and live afortable life. Housing prices are low in small towns, and life is easy. There¡¯s no need to tire yourself out here. Believe me, staying here, in the end, it¡¯ll all be for nothing.¡±


    Xu Yang remained indifferent and said, ¡°Are you done talking? If you are, you can leave.¡±


    Feng Haichao naturally didn¡¯t leave. What he had just said was not only to taunt Xu Yang but also to let Zhao Yuxin know about Xu Yang¡¯s situation in detail. Seeing Zhao Yuxin looking so beautiful, Feng Haichao had thoughts already. He didn¡¯t care about his girlfriend and would kick his current girlfriend to the curb at any time if he could flirt with Zhao Yuxin.<div>


    Feng Haichao ignored Xu Yang and said to Zhao Yuxin, ¡°Hey pretty, let me introduce myself. My name is Feng Haichao, a local from Jaster City.¡±


    Feng Haichao¡¯s girlfriend didn¡¯t say anything when she saw him flirting with Zhao Yuxin. She didn¡¯t care much about Feng Haichao other than him being rich. He wasn¡¯t very capable, and he didn¡¯t have a good personality. So, his girlfriend didn¡¯t think of marrying him. In fact, she would break up with Feng Haichao after she got some benefits from him.


    Xu Yang¡¯s gaze turned slightly cold. He thought, ¡®This guy is trying to steal my wife in front of me.¡¯


    Xu Yang was about to say something, but before he could, Zhao Yuxin coldly remarked, ¡°Do you know you¡¯re incredibly annoying? My husband already asked you to leave, so why are you still here?¡±


    Zhao Yuxin really couldn¡¯t stand Feng Haichao, finding him annoying from the moment she saw him. Especially when Feng Haichao spoke sarcastically to Xu Yang, it only increased her disgust.


    The coldness on Xu Yang¡¯s face dissipated, reced by a smile as he took Zhao Yuxin¡¯s hand. He said, ¡°Honey, don¡¯t get angry. Just treat him as a barking dog.¡±


    Feng Haichao erupted in anger and said, ¡°Who are you calling a dog?¡±


    ¡°Do I need to say it?¡± Xu Yang retorted with a smirk.


    ¡°F*ck, I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Feng Haichao couldn¡¯t take it anymore and was about to attack.


    ¡°You¡¯d better not make a move. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be asking for trouble. You should know that your petite physique can¡¯t beat me.¡± Xu Yang smiled coldly and was not afraid at all.


    Xu Yang was 1.75 meters tall, and Feng Haichao was 1.65 meters tall. The 10-centimeter difference mustn¡¯t be underestimated. It was not just a little taller, but also a bigger physique. Moreover, Feng Haichao looked like he had overindulged in a rather dissolute lifestyle, which made his body look weak. Xu Yang could easily defeat Feng Haichao if they were to fight.


    ¡°Hmph, I won¡¯t fight like a country bumpkin like you,¡± said Feng Haichao. He knew Xu Yang was telling the truth, so he didn¡¯t make a move. If he was beaten by Xu Yang, it would be embarrassing.


    ¡°You¡¯re just all talk, aren¡¯t you?¡± Xu Yang sneered.


    ¡°You!¡± Feng Haichao¡¯s face turned red with anger. He muttered, ¡°I didn¡¯te here to fight but to buy a house. I can¡¯t be bothered to argue with you.¡±


    Xu Yang responded, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say the developerpensated your family with two houses? Why are you buying a house then?¡±


    Feng Haichao proudly dered, ¡°Those two houses are for my parents and my brother. I¡¯m buying one for myself. Unlike you, you are struggling your whole life for just one house.¡±


    Xu Yang smiled and remained silent. Regardless of how annoying Feng Haichao was, his living conditions were undeniably good. Through the demolition of his family¡¯s property, he had easily acquired two new houses and 80 million in cash. With houses and that much cash, one could live afortable life without reckless spending. It was something most people in this world couldn¡¯t achieve even if they worked their whole lives.


    Without the system, Xu Yang wouldn¡¯t have had the confidence to achieve the same. He might have indeed ended up like Feng Haichao had described, working his whole life just for one house.


    ¡°Mr. Xu, Mrs. Xu, I apologize for the inconvenience earlier. I had some difort, but now, if you¡¯re ready, I can take you to see the vi,¡± the sales representative intervened.<div>


    ¡°No problem, let¡¯s go,¡± Xu Yang said, holding Zhao Yuxin¡¯s hand as they got up.


    ¡°Very well, please follow me,¡± the sales representative said with a smile and led them away.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Feng Haichao immediately stood in front of them.


    ¡°Sir, what¡¯s the matter?¡± the sales representative asked.<div>


    ¡°What did you just say? If I didn¡¯t hear wrongly, are you bringing him to see the vi?¡± Feng Haichao asked.


    ¡°Yes, why?¡± the sales representative asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to bring him to see it. He can¡¯t afford a vi,¡± Feng Haichao said.


    ¡°But¡­¡± The sales representative hesitated for a moment. ¡°Sir, I don¡¯t know why you said that, but Mr. and Mrs. Xu want to see the house. Whether they buy it or not, as a staff member here, I will warmly wee them and bring them to see it.¡±


    ¡°Hey, why are you so stubborn?¡± Feng Haichao said. ¡°I told you that he wouldn¡¯t buy a vi. Why did you bring him there?¡±


    The sales representative said, ¡°Sir, I¡¯m sorry. This is my job. Please move aside.¡±


    ¡°You really don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you!¡± Feng Haichao snorted and moved aside.


    ¡°Mr. Xu, Mrs. Xu, let¡¯s go.¡±The sales representative smiled at Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin and left with them.


    ¡°Hmph, I want to see what kind of vi you¡¯re looking at.¡± Watching the three of them leave, Feng Haichao snorted and followed them with his girlfriend.


    The sales representative walked out of the sales department with Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin. They got into the car that was used to pick up and drop off customers. The driver was about to start the car when Feng Haichao got into the car with his girlfriend.


    Xu Yang nced at the two but said nothing. The sales representative remained silent as well.


    Feng Haichao snorted, ¡°What are you looking at? Can¡¯t I go check out the house?¡±


    Xu Yang couldn¡¯t be bothered to respond further.<div>


    The sales representative said to the driver, ¡°Mr. Liu, please start the car.¡±


    The driver nodded and started the vehicle. A few minutester, they arrived at Vi No. 39.


    ¡°This vi is quite nice,¡± Feng Haichao praised as he entered.


    The sales representative showed Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin around, providing a detailed introduction. Then, she asked, ¡°Mr. Xu, Mrs. Xu, what do you think?¡±


    As for Feng Haichao and his girlfriend, she didn¡¯t ask, but she also didn¡¯t discourage them. After all, they were potential customers. She could probably get them to purchase a house as well. Although Feng Haichao¡¯s attitude was a little bad, he was still a customer.


    Xu Yang asked Zhao Yuxin, ¡°What do you think, Honey?¡±


    Xu Yang thought it was good, but he wanted to make sure Zhao Yuxin was satisfied. If she wasn¡¯t, he wouldn¡¯t buy it.

 Chapter 35: Quite a Character

    Chapter 35: Quite a Character


    Editor:EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡°It¡¯s very nice, with a youthful style in the decoration, which I like. If you like it too, let¡¯s buy this one,¡± said Zhao Yuxin.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s buy this one.¡± nodded Xu Yang, confirming their choice.


    ¡°How does a country bumpkin like you have the money to buy a vi?¡± Feng Haichao said incredulously.


    Although Feng Haichao didn¡¯t know the exact prices of the vis here, he had a rough idea that they cost at least three to four million. He believed that Xu Yang was just a country bumpkin and couldn¡¯t possibly afford a vi.


    ¡°What does it have to do with you?¡± Xu Yang said and gave Feng Haichao a sidelong nce.


    ¡°I get it now, it must be your girlfriend who¡¯s paying. You¡¯ve be a freeloader,¡± Feng Haichao said, looking at Zhao Yuxin, assuming that she must be wealthy.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I am a freeloader. So what? Does it concern you?¡± Xu Yang didn¡¯t mind Feng Haichao¡¯s misunderstanding and didn¡¯t bother to exin.


    ¡°You¡¯re a freeloader, and you still have the nerve to act all high and mighty.¡± Feng Haichao sneered.


    ¡°I do enjoy being a freeloader, but if you want to be one too, you won¡¯t have the chance. You can envy and hate all you want.¡± Xu Yang replied.<div>


    ¡°Being a freeloader and still acting so self-righteous.¡± Feng Haichao couldn¡¯t hide his jealousy.


    At the same time, Feng Haichao couldn¡¯t understand why Zhao Yuxin, such a beautiful woman, would choose Xu Yang, a country bumpkin, as her boyfriend. He wondered if she liked Xu Yang because of his good-looking and fit body.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back and sign the contract,¡± Xu Yang didn¡¯t want to engage with Feng Haichao any longer and said to the sales representative.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go,¡± said the sales representative.


    Naturally, Feng Haichao and his girlfriend followed.


    ¡°Beauty, you¡¯re from Jaster City, right?¡± On the way back in the car, Feng Haichao asked Zhao Yuxin.


    ¡°Yes, what¡¯s it to you?¡± Zhao Yuxin replied coldly.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re from Jaster City, why did you choose someone like Xu Yang, a country bumpkin, as your boyfriend? You can afford a vi, your family must be wealthy. It makes no sense to have a boyfriend like Xu Yang,¡± Feng Haichao said.


    ¡°I want to rify one thing. Although I¡¯m from Jaster City, my family isn¡¯t wealthy. I didn¡¯t buy this vi; my husband did,¡± Zhao Yuxin said. Xu Yang didn¡¯t bother to exin anything but as his wife, Zhao Yuxin didn¡¯t want others to misunderstand Xu Yang.


    Moreover, Feng Haichao was really disgusting. He had been making fun of Xu Yang since the start and Zhao Yuxin couldn¡¯t stand it anymore.


    ¡°What?! He bought it?¡± Feng Haichao was stunned. He shook his head and said, ¡°Impossible. He¡¯s just a country bumpkin from a small county town. I remember he said that his family background is average. He can¡¯t buy a house in Jaster City.¡±


    Feng Haichao would never believe that Xu Yang bought the vi. He couldn¡¯t ept that a country bumpkin from a small county afford a vi worth tens of millions.


    ¡°Yes, my husband is from the county, but he¡¯s not a country bumpkin. Only people like you who have no quality will think that people from the county are country bumpkins. People from every ce are the same. There¡¯s no difference. Only people like you who have no quality would say the word country bumpkin. My husband¡¯s family background is average, but he doesn¡¯t need to rely on his family to buy a house. A person like you is nothingpared to my husband, so please stop saying those uncultured words and mocking my husband. The more you talk, the more it shows that your quality is low. The more you look like a clown.¡± Zhao Yuxin said what she had always wanted to say.


    Feng Haichao¡¯s face turned pale. Even the sales representative was secretly impressed by Zhao Yuxin¡¯s words. Moreover, the sales representative was quite happy. Even Feng Haichao¡¯s words sounded harsh to her.


    The sales representative came to Jaster City from a small county. In Feng Haichao¡¯s eyes, she was a country bumpkin. One had to admit that Zhao Yuxin¡¯s words were very satisfying.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it. He¡¯s just an ordinary employee. How can he earn so much money? You must have said that he bought the house with the money he earned to protect his face,¡± said Feng Haichao. His face turned ugly. He didn¡¯t believe Zhao Yuxin¡¯s words at all.


    The vi was worth tens of millions. Feng Haichao would never believe that Xu Yang could earn so much money in such a short period. In his opinion, Zhao Yuxin must have said that to protect Xu Yang.


    ¡°Whether you believe it or not is up to you. But please don¡¯t jump around like a clown in front of my husband and me. You¡¯re really annoying,¡± Zhao Yuxin said straightforwardly.


    Feng Haichao¡¯s face turned even more unsightly. He had always felt superior as a native of Jaster City. Other than being an inheritor, life was carefree for him now. However, Xu Yang¡¯s words made him feel like a clown.<div>


    At that moment, the car had arrived at the Century Garden sales department door.


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin got out of the car and went to the resting area. At the same time, the sales representative went to get the contract.


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin were surprised that Feng Haichao and his girlfriend were still following them.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you leaving yet?¡± Xu Yang frowned.<div>


    Feng Haichao had ruined Xu Yang¡¯s good mood today.


    ¡°What do you care if I leave or not?¡± Feng Haichao asked as he curled his lips.


    Feng Haichao wanted to see if Xu Yang was really buying a house. He did not want to believe it before Xu Yang swiped his card. He had to see Xu Yang swipe his card.


    Xu Yang didn¡¯t care to exin further and let it be.


    Soon, the sales representative arrived with the contract and a POS machine.


    After some exnations, Xu Yang flipped through the contract, signed his name, and swiped his card for 36 million.


    ¡°He really swiped!¡± Feng Haichao¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.


    Feng Haichao had no choice but to believe it now. He thought, ¡®Perhaps Xu Yang really had earned that much money. But how was that possible? Even if he won the lottery, it wouldn¡¯t be this much. Besides, there had been no news of anyone winning millions of dors in recent lottery drawings. Maybe Zhao Yuxin had given Xu Yang the money to make the purchase? Yes, that must be it!¡¯


    Feng Haichao seemed to have figured it all out and regained his confidence.


    ¡°Xu Yang, don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. In my eyes, you¡¯re still a country bumpkin, and you¡¯re living off your girlfriend,¡± Feng Haichao said.


    Having said that, Feng Haichao got up and left with his girlfriend. He had no intention of buying a house here anymore. He didn¡¯t want to run into Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin again, as it would ruin his mood.


    Xu Yang didn¡¯t care much, but Zhao Yuxin, with her sharp tongue, had made him somewhat defenseless.


    ¡°What a psycho!¡± Xu Yang shook his head in exasperation.<div>


    ¡°This former colleague of yours is indeed quite a character.¡± Zhao Yuxin couldn¡¯t help butment.


    Earlier, when they were looking at the house, she had asked about Feng Haichao¡¯s background, and Xu Yang had told her everything.


    ¡°That¡¯s true, he¡¯s quite a character.¡± Xu Yang agreed.


    Shortly after, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxinpleted the procedures and got the keys. They could move into their new vi.


    In the afternoon, they began packing their things in the rented house.

 Chapter 36: Moving House

    Chapter 36: Moving House


    Editor:EndlessFantasy Trantion


    In the evening, while having dinner, Zhao Yuxin said, ¡°Honey, we¡¯re moving into our new home tomorrow. I¡¯d like to invite my dad, Uncle Jiang, Yuqing, and Junyi over for dinner. What do you think?¡±


    Xu Yang nodded and replied, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a good idea. They don¡¯t know that we bought a house, so it¡¯s a good opportunity to let them know and make it easier for them to visit us in the future.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin nodded enthusiastically, saying, ¡°Yes, exactly!¡±


    After dinner, Zhao Yuxin made phone calls to her father, Zhao Jiang, Zhao Yuqing, and Lin Junyi, inviting them to dinner at their new home tomorrow evening. She also sent them the address.


    ¡°Honey, with so many things to move, maybe we should hire a movingpany. Otherwise, if we do it ourselves, we¡¯ll have to make multiple trips with the car¡¯s trunk full,¡± Xu Yang suggested, looking at the living room filled with items.


    ¡°Yeah, I think we should hire a movingpany too,¡± Zhao Yuxin agreed.


    Xu Yang went online and found a movingpany. He called them to inquire about the prices and arranged for them toe the next day for the move. The other party said that they would send someone to help move on time.


    The next morning, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin had breakfast and checked out with thendlord. Some of the valuable items were taken downstairs and ced in the trunk of the Maserati. The only thing left for them to do was to wait for the people from the movingpany toe.


    The scheduled time was 9:30 AM. At 9:20 a.m., there was a knock at the door.<div>


    ¡°It should be the movers,¡± Xu Yang said as he got up to answer the door. However, when he saw who was outside, he was surprised. ¡°Xie Pengfei, what are you doing here?¡±


    Then Xu Yang realized and asked, ¡°Are you from the movingpany?¡±


    Xie Pengfei also seemed surprised but then smiled and said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m from the movingpany. I didn¡¯t expect it to be you who needed moving services.¡±


    ¡°Come on in,¡± Xu Yang invited Xie Pengfei inside.


    ¡°Zhao Yuxin, long time no see,¡± Xie Pengfei greeted Zhao Yuxin.


    They were former ssmates, so they were quite familiar with each other.


    ¡°Xie Pengfei, if I remember correctly, weren¡¯t you working in a fundpany doing sales? How did you end up doing moving services?¡± Zhao Yuxin asked as she had read about Xie Pengfei¡¯s upation in the group chat.


    Xie Pengfei exined, ¡°The market hasn¡¯t been goodtely, and it¡¯s been tough to make sales. Plus, there¡¯s a lot of financial pressure at home, so I started doing part-time moving jobs on weekends. I saw the messages in our group chat about Xu Yang making money from investing in futures. Now that you are moving house, did you buy the house?¡±


    Zhao Yuxin nodded proudly and said, ¡°Yup. We bought the house and are moving in today.¡±


    Xie Pengfei smiled and said, ¡°Congrattions then. Among all of us, other than those rich heirs, it¡¯s still a long way to go for those who rely on their own hard work to buy a house.¡±


    The three of them chatted for a while before moving things. Originally, Xu Yang didn¡¯t need to help move the house since he had paid the moving fee. However, Xie Pengfei was his ssmate, so he helped him move it together.


    Half an hourter, everything was moved downstairs. Xu Yang asked thendlord toe over and take a look. After thendlord confirmed that there was no problem, Xu Yang returned the key and left.


    More than an hourter, the two cars drove into Vi No. 39 one after the other.


    ¡°Wow, you bought a vi!¡± Xie Pengfei was stunned.


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin looked at each other and smiled. They didn¡¯t say a word.


    ¡°Oh my goodness, Xu Yang, did you earn so much money by investing in futures?¡± Xie Pengfei couldn¡¯t help but feel curious.


    ¡®Xu Yang shouldn¡¯t be able to earn that much money. ording to what he said, he took his father-inw¡¯s two million yuan to buy gold futures. As he observed the gold futures¡¯s growth, the surge was about 30%. Even if Xu Yang bought all of them from the beginning to the end, he would not be able to earn so much even if he used the floating profit to increase his stock. Moreover, the vi shouldcost tens of millions.¡¯ Xie Pengfei thought.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t earn that much from futures. I¡¯ve also earned a little from other ces recently,¡± Xu Yang said and smiled.


    ¡°Other sources of ie? What kind of ie can make you afford a house like this?¡± Xie Pengfei was curious.<div>


    ¡°I had nothing to dost Saturday, so I went to Antique Street and found a treasure,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°Holy crap! You went to Antique Street, found a treasure, and used the money from selling the treasure to buy a vi?!¡± Xie Pengfei eximed again, and then his face turned bitter. ¡°It seems that this way of getting rich is not meant for me. It is not my destiny.¡±


    Not everyone could find a treasure. It all depended on one¡¯s luck. Xie Pengfei thought that his luck was very bad and that he would not have the same chance as Xu Yang.


    Xie Pengfei moved things in and was given a tour of the vi by Xu Yang. At noon, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin invited Xie Pengfei to a restaurant outside themunity for a meal.<div>


    After lunch, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin parted ways with Xie Pengfei and returned home. While Xie Pengfei returned to his minivan, he didn¡¯t start the car immediately. Instead, he took out his phone and sent a few pictures of the Maserati Quattroporte and Xu Yang¡¯s vi to the ss group chat.


    ssmate A: [Wow, Xie Pengfei, did you buy a luxury car and a vi?]


    ssmate B: [Xie Pengfei, you work in a fundpany, how did you make so much money that you could buy a luxury car and a vi?[


    ssmate C: [It¡¯s impossible. I saw him justst week, and he wasining to me about his hardship. He can¡¯t afford a luxury car and a vi.]


    ssmate D: [What¡¯s going on?]


    ssmate E: [Xie Pengfei, are you doing your job in the daytime and providing services for rich women at night?]


    ssmate F: [Is there such a good thing? Please introduce me!]


    ssmate G: [Xie Pengfei, life is too tough. I don¡¯t want to work hard anymore. Can you introduce me to a rich woman too?]


    ssmate H: [Haha, don¡¯t tell me that the Maserati Quattroporte was a gift from the rich woman you served?]


    ssmate J: [This vi can¡¯t be a gift from a rich woman, can it?]


    ssmate K: [Giving a luxury car, I can believe, but saying a rich woman gave Xie Pengfei a vi is a bit hard to believe. It¡¯s probably the rich woman¡¯s vi that he served.]


    ssmate L: [I¡¯m better looking than Xie Pengfei, I work out every day, and I¡¯m sure I¡¯m in better shape than him. Why hasn¡¯t a rich woman found me?]


    ssmate M: [Me too, life is unfair.]<div>


    ssmate N: [I don¡¯t get it, why are you guys thinking so negatively? Xie Pengfei, just give us the phone number of one rich woman.]


    Xie Pengfei: [Don¡¯t make a fuss. I helped Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin move today; they¡¯ve moved into a new vi!]


    ssmate A: [Wow, is that true?]


    ssmate B: [Last time, He Xueqian revealed news about Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin buying luxury goods worth tens of thousands and buying Cartier watches worth tens of thousands. How did they get so much money?]


    ssmate C: [Where did Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin get all this money?]


    ssmate D: [Yeah, I can¡¯t figure it out either. Even if they invested in gold futures, they couldn¡¯t have earned that much.]


    ssmate E: [Xie Pengfei, how do you know all this?]


    ssmate F: [Xie Pengfei,e on, tell us. What¡¯s the deal here?]


    Xie Pengfei: [Hehe, I worked part-time moving on the weekends, and it just happened that Xu Yang contacted the movingpany I work for. So, today I helped them move, and I visited Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin¡¯s new vi. It¡¯s really impressive, the environment and the luxurious decoration!]


    ssmate A: [Xie Pengfei, are you trying to make us jealous?]


    ssmate B: [Xie Pengfei, you¡¯re making thingsplicated for Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin.]


    ssmate C: [Tell us, how did they get so much money to buy a luxury car and a vi?]


    ssmate D: [Yeah, that¡¯s what we want to know.]<div>


    ssmate E: [Xie Pengfei,e on, spill the beans!]


    ssmate F: [Xie Pengfei, you can¡¯t leave us hanging like this!]

 Chapter 37: A Call From Mom Again

    Chapter 37: A Call From Mom Again


    Editor:EndlessFantasy Trantion


    Xie Pengfei: [I asked, and Xu Yang said that the money he made in the futures market wouldn¡¯t be enough to buy a vi. Butst week, he strolled through Antique Street and made a huge profit from the treasure he found, enough to buy a vi.]


    ssmate H: [Wow, Xu Yang is really lucky.]


    ssmate J: [Damn, I¡¯ve been to Antique Street too, and didn¡¯t see any treasures lying around.]


    ssmate K: [It seems like Xu Yang hogs all the good luck. Unbelievable!]


    ssmate L: [He married a beautiful wife, and bought luxury cars and vis. Xu Yang is definitely winning at life.]


    ssmate Y: [It¡¯s only been a few months since graduation, and Xu Yang has achieved something that many of us might never achieve in our entire lives.]


    ssmate M: [It¡¯s not a matter of might not achieve, it¡¯s a matter of definitely not achieving. At least for me, working hard every day, I¡¯ll never be able to afford a vi.]


    ssmate N: [Comparing ourselves to Xu Yang is just frustrating.]


    ssmate Q: [Have you noticed that it seems like Xu Yang and Zhao Yulu broke up, and after getting together with Zhao Yuxin, he¡¯s changed? He¡¯s making money from trading futures and now finding treasures.]<div>


    ssmate X: [Yeah, I¡¯ve noticed that too. It means Zhao Yuxin is a good luck charm, Xu Yang found himself a great wife.]


    ssmate U: [You guys, don¡¯t say that. Zhao Yulu might not like hearing it.]


    ssmate I: [Zhao Yulu hasn¡¯t been saying muchtely. I wonder what¡¯s going on.]


    ssmate T: [Maybe she feels awkward because Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin¡¯s life is getting better, and she doesn¡¯t want to show her face.]


    ssmate P: [Don¡¯t be so quick to judge; maybe she¡¯s just busy with work.]


    ssmate T: [@Xu Yang, @Zhao Yuxin, your life is getting better and better. When are you nning to have the wedding?]


    ssmate R: [Yes, this is an important question. You¡¯re already married, and you¡¯ve bought luxury cars and vis; the wedding should be on the agenda.]


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin returned home and saw the messages in the group chat, bringing smiles to their faces.


    When they reached the question about the wedding, Xu Yang said, ¡°Honey, regarding our wedding, I want to focus on building our careers first. We can have a grand weddingter; what do you think?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that Xu Yang didn¡¯t want a wedding, but he believed in giving Zhao Yuxin a perfect and grand one, which would require improved social status and some time.


    ¡°Sure, honey, I¡¯m with you. Whenever you want to have the wedding is fine with me,¡± Zhao Yuxin agreed. They were both young and not in a hurry to have children. It wasn¡¯t an issue to have the weddingter.


    Later, they arranged their belongings and nned to go to the neighborhood supermarket to buy groceries. Zhao Hai and the others wereing over for dinner in the evening.


    As they were about to leave, Xu Yang¡¯s phone rang. It was a call from his mom.


    ¡°My mom¡¯s calling. Let¡¯s take a break first and return her call,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°What? Your mom¡­ no, my future mother-inw called? It¡¯s better if I don¡¯t talk to her on the phone for the first time,¡± Zhao Yuxin quickly stepped aside.


    ¡°You¡¯re my wife; why would it be a problem to talk to my parents?¡± Xu Yang was puzzled.


    ¡°No, I¡¯d rather meet your parents in person for the first time in real life,¡± Zhao Yuxin exined.


    ¡°Why is that?¡± Xu Yang couldn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Just a feeling that it would be better this way,¡± Zhao Yuxin struggled to exin her reasoning, but she just felt that for the first meeting, it would be better to do it in person.<div>


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s wait a bit. When the time is right, I¡¯ll take you to meet my parents, and we can talk to them over the phone,¡± Xu Yang reassured Zhao Yuxin.


    ¡°Yeah, please answer the call,¡± Zhao Yuxin urged Xu Yang.


    ¡°Mom,¡± Xu Yang answered the call and greeted his mother, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Yang, what are you doing?¡± Jiang Qiuping, his mother, began the conversation.<div>


    ¡°Nothing much, Mom. It¡¯s Sunday today, so no work. Just rxing at home,¡± Xu Yang replied, not mentioning his resignation yet. He nned to discuss that with his parents in personter.


    ¡°Yang, now that you¡¯re married, you should consider buying a house. Renting isn¡¯t a long-term solution, and it¡¯s not fair to Yuxin,¡± Jiang Qiuping advised.


    ¡°Your father and I have discussed it. We¡¯ve saved up eight hundred thousand yuan in our lifetime. Recently, we got back some money from various sources, making it a total of one million yuan. We want to give it to you. We know that the housing prices in Jaster City are high. We don¡¯t know if this one million yuan is enough to pay the down payment. If it¡¯s not enough, let us know and we¡¯ll borrow some from our rtives and friends.¡± Jiang Qiuping continued. She was aware of Xu Yang¡¯s marriage and had talked to her husband about it.


    Hearing that, Xu Yang¡¯s eyes welled up. One million yuan was definitely their limit, and they were willing to give it all to him. Additionally, they were willing to borrow more from rtives and friends if needed.


    If it wasn¡¯t for the system, he would have epted the money from his parents after he married Zhao Yuxin to give her a better life. But now, with the system, there was naturally no need. No matter what, at this moment, he felt the deep love of his parents.


    ¡°Mom, you don¡¯t need to give me any money. I have enough,¡± Xu Yang controlled his emotions and quickly reassured Jiang Qiuping.


    ¡°Where did you get the money from? It¡¯s okay, I won¡¯t disturb your rest. I¡¯ll go to the bankter and transfer the money to you,¡± Jiang Qiuping said.


    ¡°It¡¯s true, Mom. I¡¯vee into some money. And about buying a house, you don¡¯t need to worry either. I¡¯ve already purchased a house. In fact, I just moved into it today. I was nning to call and tell you about it this evening,¡± Xu Yang exined.


    ¡°Where did you get the money to buy a house?¡± Jiang Qiuping was puzzled.


    ¡°Mom, Yuxin¡¯s father gave her two million yuan to buy a house. It was also for us to pay the down payment. I used that money to invest in futures and earned a lot,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°Is what you said true?¡± Jiang Qiuping still couldn¡¯t believe it. She had heard of futures, but she had never done it before. It was just that she heard that the risk was very high, but if one did it well, one would earn a lot.


    ¡°Mom, do you think I¡¯d lie to you? I¡¯ll show you around the house,¡± Xu Yang switched to a video call, walking around their spacious living room.


    Zhao Yuxin retreated to her room at that moment.<div>


    ¡°Is this your living room? It¡¯s so big! And stairs going upstairs? What kind of house did you buy?¡± Jiang Qiuping ventured a guess but wasn¡¯t certain.


    ¡°Mom, I bought a vi, a two-story vi,¡± Xu Yang chuckled.


    ¡°What? A vi! How much does that cost? Even regr houses are very expensive. A vi must cost tens of millions. Did you really make all that money from investing in futures? Yang, you¡¯re not involved in any illegal activities, are you?¡± Jiang Qiuping worriedly asked, wondering if her son had resorted to illegal means.


    ¡®Yang had suddenly be rich. What if he had done illegal things to earn the money? And he lied to me using investment in futures as a cover-up?¡¯ Jiang Qiuping thought.


    ¡°Mom, how could you think that? You know I have a decent job. While it might not make me super wealthy, I can lead afortable life. There¡¯s no need for illegal activities,¡± Xu Yang assured her.


    ¡°True,¡± Jiang Qiuping nodded, ¡°But making so much money from futures trading alone is unlikely. Did you have any other sources of ie?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mom. I also got lucky. I found a valuable item at Antique Street, bought it for 50,000 yuan, and sold it for 50 million yuan. That¡¯s how I could afford the vi,¡± Xu Yang exined.


    ¡°What? You bought something for 50,000 yuan and sold it for 50 million yuan!¡± Jiang Qiuping eximed in disbelief.


    ¡°Yes, Mom, it¡¯s true. I¡¯m not lying to you. In detail, I¡¯ll exin everything when Yuxin and I visit during the Mid-Autumn Festival,¡± Xu Yang reassured Jiang Qiuping.

 Chapter 38: A Second Car in Consideration

    Chapter 38: A Second Car in Consideration


    Editor:EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll wait for you to bring Yuxin home. By the way, is Yuxin not at home today?¡± Jiang Qiuping stopped dwelling on Xu Yang¡¯s money-making and was now eager to meet her daughter-inw.


    ¡°Yuxin had some things to attend to, so she¡¯s not at home,¡± Xu Yang didn¡¯t want to exin further and straightforwardly mentioned that Zhao Yuxin wasn¡¯t at home.


    ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t disturb your rest then. Remember to bring Yuxin back for the Mid-Autumn Festival. If you don¡¯t bring her back, don¡¯t bothering back yourself,¡± Jiang Qiuping said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure you meet your beautiful and sensible daughter-inw,¡± Xu Yang chuckled.


    End of the call, Zhao Yuxin came out of the room.


    ¡°Honey, I¡¯ve already told my mom that we¡¯ll visit my parents during the Mid-Autumn Festival,¡± Xu Yang said and embraced Zhao Yuxin.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zhao Yuxin nodded, having no objections. Meeting the inws was inevitable, and the Mid-Autumn Festival seemed like a suitable asion to do that.


    Afterward, the two of them went out to buy groceries.


    Around six in the evening, Zhao Yuxin¡¯s father, Zhao Hai, her eldest uncle, Zhao Jiang, her cousin, Zhao Yuqing, and Lin Junyi arrived one by one.<div>


    ¡°Congrattions on your new home!¡±


    Each of them handed over a red envelope.


    ¡°Xu Yang, Yuxin, how did you manage to afford a vi?¡± Zhao Yuqing asked.


    Last night, when Zhao Yuxin called them, she had already mentioned that they bought a vi. Except for exining the details to Zhao Hai, Zhao Yuxin hadn¡¯t told anyone else.


    Xu Yang looked at Zhao Hai before saying, ¡°I used the two million Dad gave us as a down payment for the house, then invested in futures and made over ten million¡­¡±


    Before Xu Yang could finish, Lin Junyi eximed, ¡°What? You invested in futures, used two million, and made over ten million?¡±


    Lin Junyi also dabbled in stocks and futures but usually ended up losing more than he gained. Currently, he had several stocks that were trapped. As for futures, he usually closed his positions on the same day. He didn¡¯t dare to hold them overnight because he had lost substantial sums several times due to overnight price gaps.


    Xu Yang nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Lin Junyi eagerly asked, ¡°What futures did you invest in? Recently, gold futures have been skyrocketing. The Lighthouse International Reserve lowered interest rates, causing a surge in gold prices. You didn¡¯t buy gold futures, did you?¡±


    Lin Junyi kept himself informed about financial news. Anyone involved in investments knew about the Lighthouse International Reserve¡¯s interest rate reduction.


    Xu Yang smiled and said, ¡°I did buy gold futures, and they hit the limit up the next day.¡±


    Lin Junyi eximed again, ¡°Wow, you¡¯re amazing! You bought gold futures and they hit the limit up the next day!¡±


    After a pause, Lin Junyi added, ¡°You used two million to make over ten million, and during that rally, you must have added to your position using unrealized gains; otherwise, you couldn¡¯t have made that much.¡±


    Xu Yang nodded, ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Lin Junyi gave Xu Yang a thumbs-up and said, ¡°Xu Yang, I admire you for this. I need to learn from you after this. I¡¯ve been trading stocks and futures for years, but I¡¯m always losing. I¡¯ve be a perennial loser.¡±


    Xu Yang smiled and said, ¡°We can discuss it when we have time.¡±


    With the Master Trader skill, Xu Yang could offer some valuable insights. However, he couldn¡¯t directly tell his friends what to buy or sell; it had to be a mutual exchange of information.


    Zhao Yuqing asked, ¡°Even if you made over ten million, you still couldn¡¯t afford this vi. I checked before I came; vis here start at a minimum of thirty million.¡±


    Zhao Jiang was also curious and asked, ¡°Xu Yang, did you make money from other sources as well?¡±<div>


    Xu Yang nodded, ¡°Yes, I went to Antique Streetst week¡­¡±


    Xu Yang briefly exined the story of his Antique Street find.


    Lin Junyi couldn¡¯t hold back and said, ¡°Wow, you¡¯re incredible! You went to Antique Street once and found such a treasure, making fifty million.¡±


    Luck yed a significant role in finding treasures. Sometimes, luck was even more important than expertise. For instance, the Wu Daozi painting that Xu Yang found, although not everyone recognized it as authentic, Tang Zhengqi did. However, Tang Zhengqi hadn¡¯t shown up at the right time to see it first. If Tang Zhengqi had shown up before Xu Yang, the story would have been different then.<div>


    Zhao Jiang chuckled, ¡°You seem to make money so easily.¡±


    Zhao Yuqing looked envious because Xu Yang had just doubled his wealth in a short period.


    Little did she know that Zhao Yulu, who hadn¡¯t been informed yet, might feel regretful when she did. For now, though, Zhao Yulu remained unaware and thought that Xu Yang was just lucky.


    Zhao Yulu hadn¡¯t regretted anything yet and believed that Xu Yang had merely stumbled upon an opportunity. She didn¡¯t know that Xu Yang had already gained such wealth.


    Zhao Hai did not speak but he was very satisfied with Xu Yang as his son-inw. He could rest assured that Zhao Yuxin had found happiness with Xu Yang.


    Lin Junyi said, ¡°By the way, I noticed a Maserati parked outside your house. Is it a recent purchase?¡±


    Xu Yang nodded, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a new one.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin couldn¡¯t help but interject, ¡°You know, we originally wanted to buy a Porsche Panamera. But when we went to the Porsche dealership¡­¡±


    Zhao Yuxin was still a bit upset about the incident at the Porsche dealership and recounted it to everyone.


    Lin Junyi said, ¡°That Yang Jingsheng, he¡¯s really something.¡±


    Zhao Yuqing added, ¡°Maybe he didn¡¯t know you had made money.¡±


    Lin Junyimented, ¡°Even if he didn¡¯t know, he shouldn¡¯t have treated Xu Yang and Yuxin that way. It¡¯s clear that he was just causing trouble for no reason. I hate people like that the most.¡±


    Zhao Jiang remarked, ¡°Actually, that supervisor is one of those who categorize customers into different tiers. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have believed Yang Jingsheng.¡±<div>


    Zhao Hai also shared his opinion, ¡°That¡¯s right. If that supervisor insisted on treating all customers equally, he would never have made such a mistake.¡±


    Zhao Yuqing said, ¡°The problem lies with the management of that store. I certainly won¡¯t go to such a dealership to buy a car, and if someone I know ns to, I¡¯ll advise them against it.¡±


    Although the manager of the Porsche dealership had already revealed the true situation, the matter affected the impression of several people present. They wouldn¡¯t go to that dealership to buy a car, and if someone mentioned buying a car, they would likely share this story. More people would eventually learn about it.


    Lin Junyi said, ¡°Xu Yang, Yuxin, next time you buy a car, you can look for me. I have a friend in the car business, and he offers discounts on all brands.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll call you when the timees.¡±


    These days, Zhao Yuxin was driving to work, so it would be inconvenient for Xu Yang to go out. Money wasn¡¯t an issue for him, so buying another car was no problem.


    Lin Junyi said, ¡°Alright, just give me a call when you need it.¡±


    Lin Junyi was willing to help with such matters. It was beneficial for both sides: his friend in the car business would make money, and his friends would get a good deal.


    Zhao Yuxin said, ¡°You guys chat for a bit; I¡¯ll go cook. It¡¯ll be ready soon.¡± She stood up and went to the kitchen, with Zhao Yuqing following to help.


    After more than half an hour, dinner was served. The group chatted happily and enjoyed their meal. Everyone had a good time.


    Around nine o¡¯clock, Zhao Jiang and Zhao Yuqing, along with Lin Junyi, left. They had all had some drinks, so they arranged for hired drivers to send them home.


    As for Zhao Hai, he stayed overnight here. After all, it was his daughter¡¯s home; staying the night was not a problem.


    <div>

 Chapter 39: Off to Buy Another Car

    Chapter 39: Off to Buy Another Car


    Editor:EndlessFantasy Trantion


    It was another weekend.


    ¡°Honey, I think I want to buy another car.¡± Xu Yang decided to consult Zhao Yuxin¡¯s opinion.


    ¡°Sure, the Maserati has been mostly mine since you¡¯re notmuting anymore. It¡¯s not convenient for you to go out without a car, so let¡¯s get another one,¡± said Zhao Yuxin. She had no objections.


    Zhao Yuxin had been driving to work herself for the time being.


    Since Xu Yang had already resigned from his job, sometimes when he needed to go out, either had to take a cab or use public transportation, which wasn¡¯t as convenient.


    Money wasn¡¯t an issue now, and in a while, the ring that Xu Yang had handed over to the auction house for sale would bring in another hundred million or so in ie. Buying another car, one for each of them, seemed perfectly reasonable.


    Zhao Yuxin asked, ¡°Honey, what kind of car are you nning to get for the second one?¡±


    Xu Yang asked back, ¡°What type of car do you think would be good?¡±


    Zhao Yuxin shook her head and said, ¡°I won¡¯t say; this car is for you. You choose what you like. I¡¯m fine with the Maserati; it should be something you¡¯re fond of.¡±<div>


    Xu Yang smiled and said, ¡°I n to get a Rolls-Royce Cullinan.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin widened her eyes and asked, ¡°A Rolls-Royce Cullinan? Isn¡¯t that too extravagant?¡±


    Rolls-Royce, the car of the super-rich. The Rolls-Royce Cullinan, often called the most luxurious SUV, cost nearly ten million. Generally, even well-off people didn¡¯t consider buying it.


    Although Zhao Yuxin knew Xu Yang could afford it, she had doubts whether it was really necessary.


    Xu Yang replied, ¡°Honey, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll earn a lot of money in the future. I don¡¯t want to keep changing cars, so I¡¯ll go for the Rolls-Royce Cullinan directly.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin sighed, ¡°Well, as long as you like it, go ahead.¡±


    Xu Yang hugged Zhao Yuxin and reassured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this car will definitely be worth every penny. Only a car like this is worthy of your husband.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin couldn¡¯t help but tease, ¡°Honey, you¡¯re quite self-confident.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°I¡¯m just telling the truth.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin stepped out of Xu Yang¡¯s embrace and said, ¡°Then call Junyi and let him know.¡±


    Xu Yang nodded, took out his phone, and dialed Lin Junyi¡¯s number. The call was quickly answered.


    ¡°Junyi, I want to buy a car. Do you have time today?¡± Xu Yang inquired.


    ¡°I¡¯m at my friend¡¯s car dealership right now. I¡¯ll send you the address, and you cane over,¡± Lin Junyi replied.


    Xu Yang continued, ¡°I¡¯m thinking of getting a Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Can you check with your friend if they have one avable?¡±


    ¡°A Rolls-Royce Cullinan?¡± Lin Junyi was surprised. ¡°Xu Yang, you¡¯re really something. Buying such luxury cars, but with your money-making skills, it¡¯s not unreasonable. Let me check for you. Please wait a moment.¡±


    After a while, Lin Junyi¡¯s voice came again, ¡°They have one in stock. Just arrived a few days ago.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°That¡¯s great. Send me the address, and we¡¯ll head over right now.¡±


    After ending the call, Xu Yang received the address from Lin Junyi. Then, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin set out. In a little over half an hour, they arrived at the East Peace Automotive.


    ¡°Xu Yang, Yuxin, over here!¡± As they entered the dealership, they heard Lin Junyi calling out to them.<div>


    ¡°Junyi.¡± Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin walked over to greet Lin Junyi.


    ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll take you to meet my friend,¡± Lin Junyi said, leading them to a second-floor office.


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin saw a well-dressed young man in histe twenties sitting behind a desk.


    ¡°This is my friend, Su Wenbin. Wenbin, these are the newlyweds I told you about, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin,¡± Lin Junyi introduced them.<div>


    ¡°Wee, please have a seat,¡± Su Wenbin greeted with a smile, stepping out from behind his desk. He motioned for Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin to sit on the couch near the coffee table and proceeded to make tea.


    The four of them chatted and got acquainted for a while.


    Once the tea was ready, Su Wenbin got down to business, ¡°Xu Yang, I heard from Junyi that you¡¯re interested in a Rolls-Royce Cullinan?¡±


    Xu Yang nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Su Wenbin, with a hearty demeanor, said, ¡°Rest assured, for friends introduced by Junyi, I always offer the maximum discount. You won¡¯t find a better deal anywhere else.¡±


    This statement was a considerable show of respect for Lin Junyi and Xu Yang.


    Xu Yang smiled, ¡°Junyi said the same thing. I trust Lin Junyi, so I naturally trust you as well.¡±


    Lin Junyi said, ¡°Wenbin, look. I told you that Xu Yang is a straightforward person. Do you believe me now?¡±


    ¡°I believe you.¡± Su Wenbin couldn¡¯t help but nod his head. Then, he said, ¡°No, it¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t believe it before. It¡¯s just that I haven¡¯t seen him, so it¡¯s hard to say.¡±


    They chatted and drank some tea for a while before Su Wenbin brought Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin to look at the cars. Lin Junyi naturally followed.


    When they arrived at the Rolls-Royce exhibition area, he saw a few Rolls-Royce, two of which were Rolls Royce Cullinan.


    ¡°Xu Yang, Yuxin, you can get in the car and experience it,¡± Su Wenbin said.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Xu Yang nodded.<div>


    The two of them sat in the driver¡¯s seat and the passenger¡¯s seat respectively. Under Su Wenbin¡¯s exnation, Xu Yang understood the basic functions. He even took a test drive in the test drive area.


    It felt really different from an ordinary luxury car for Xu Yang. Whether it was the sense of operation or thefort, it was not something that ordinary luxury cars couldpare to. A luxury car worth nearly ten million yuan was indeed different.


    After the test drive, they returned to the exhibition area. After Xu Yang got out of the car, Su Wenbin asked, ¡°How is it?¡±


    Xu Yang smiled and said, ¡°It feels good. I¡¯ll take this one. As for the essories, I think¡­¡±


    Xu Yang said the parts that he wanted. It was what he had discussed with Zhao Yuxin during the test drive. He would be driving this car in the future, but sometimes, when they went out together, he had to take care of Zhao Yuxin¡¯s feelings. With that, Zhao Yuxin had chosen a few parts.


    ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll arrange everything for you. I¡¯ll give you the best price,¡± said Su Wenbin.


    Su Wenbin got someone to get the parts to install and personally calcted the price. In the end, the total price was 9.2 million including the super luxurious essories.


    Su Wenbin thought for a moment and said, ¡°Xu Yang, I¡¯ll charge you 8 million. I¡¯ll give you a 1.2 million discount.¡±


    The discount was definitely unprecedented. Su Wenbin had thought about it before speaking because he was considering whether he should give such a big discount. In the end, he decided to give Xu Yang such a big discount as a form of friendship.


    To Su Wenbin, Xu Yang bought a Rolls-Royce at such a young age. He was definitely a worthy friend.


    Lin Junyi chimed in, ¡°Xu Yang, this is the best discount Wenbin can offer.¡±


    Xu Yang replied, ¡°Thank you, Wenbin.¡±


    Then it was time to handle the paperwork. After more than an hour, all the necessary paperwork waspleted, and all the car essories were installed.<div>


    Su Wenbin extended an invitation, ¡°Xu Yang, Yuxin, would you care to join me for lunch? Do you have time for it?¡±


    Lin Junyi added, ¡°Let¡¯s have a meal together; we¡¯re all friends.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin didn¡¯t refuse.


    Su Wenbin immediately made a reservation at a nearby restaurant. Some restaurants require reservations; otherwise, upon arrival, they might not have any avable tables, which would be awkward.

 Chapter 40: Self-Made Rich Man

    Chapter 40: Self-Made Rich Man


    Editor:EndlessFantasy Trantion


    ¡°Mr. Su, Mr. Jiang is here to pick up the car,¡± a sales representative hurriedly approached.


    ¡°Got it,¡± Su Wenbin nodded.


    ¡°Everyone, you can rest in the lounge for a while. I¡¯ll go and greet Mr. Jiang,¡± Su Wenbin said and left.


    ¡°Who¡¯s this Mr. Jiang?¡± Xu Yang asked curiously.


    ¡°Jiang Yuhang, ever heard of him?¡± Lin Junyi replied.


    ¡°Jiang Yuhang? The guy is known as the most influential rich heir in Jaster City?¡± Xu Yang was surprised.


    ¡°That¡¯s the one,¡± Lin Junyi nodded with a smile.


    ¡°Junyi, you and Jiang Yuhang are friends too? I haven¡¯t heard you mention him before,¡± Zhao Yuxin inquired curiously.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing much to say about it. I got to know him through Su Wenbin,¡± Lin Junyi wasn¡¯t one to brag.<div>


    ¡°So, Su Wenbin and Jiang Yuhang are in the same league of rich heirs?¡± Xu Yang asked.


    ¡°Well, how do I put it¡­ The Jiang family is quite influential in the business world, Jiang Yuhang¡¯s father holds significant sway in the business world. The Su family¡¯s business is not as big; they rely more on their connections in the government. Su Wenbin¡¯s grandfather is a high-ranking official in the capital,¡± said Lin Junyi as he chose his words carefully.


    ¡°I¡¯m quite far from them, just a smallpany. Su Wenbin and I are good friends mainly because our personalities click. Our friendship doesn¡¯t revolve around business interests,¡± Lin Junyi added.


    ¡°That¡¯s the kind of friend that counts. Making friends based on interests can easily lead to problems in friendship,¡± Zhao Yuxinmented.


    While they were chatting, Su Wenbin was showing Jiang Yuhang the car. Jiang Yuhang was tall and dressed casually. He was buying a Bugatti Veyron. After a test drive, he was very satisfied.


    Then, Su Wenbin brought Jiang Yuhang to the lounge and introduced him to Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin. They exchanged greetings, and acquaintances were made. At that moment, Xu Yang¡¯s mind received a system notification.


    BEEP!


    Today, Jiang Yuhang is going to meet a friend in the afternoon, but he will be kidnapped by this two-faced friend and his aplices. They will kill him after receiving the ransom tonight.


    Xu Yang was startled. He thought, ¡®Does that mean Jiang Yuhang will die tonight?¡¯


    Xu Yang nced at Jiang Yuhang, pondering how to warn him. He couldn¡¯t ignore this information now that he knew. After all, they had just met, and Jiang Yuhang was a friend of Lin Junyi¡¯s.


    Su Wenbin said, ¡°Xu Yang just bought a Rolls-Royce Cullinan.¡±


    Jiang Yuhang couldn¡¯t help but give Xu Yang a deep look and said, ¡°My dad bought a Cullinan too. I like driving it sometimes.¡±


    Su Wenbin continued, ¡°Yuhang, I¡¯ve invited Junyi, Xu Yang, and Yuxin to have lunch together. Do you have time? You can join us.¡±


    Jiang Yuhang agreed, ¡°Sure, I don¡¯t have anything else to do, might as well have a free meal.¡±


    As time passed, the group left the car dealership and headed to a nearby private restaurant where they reserved a private room.


    After a few rounds of drinks and a variety of dishes, they became more familiar with each other.


    Jiang Yuhang asked, ¡°What does your family do, Xu Yang?¡±


    Xu Yang, who appeared to be quite young yet could afford a Rolls-Royce Cullinan, had piqued Jiang Yuhang¡¯s curiosity.


    Xu Yang replied candidly, ¡°Yuhang, you might have misunderstood. My family runs a mini supermarket in a small town in North Loc Province.¡±<div>


    Jiang Yuhang was somewhat surprised and said, ¡°I thought you were a rich heir. Turns out, you¡¯re a self-made rich man.¡±


    Su Wenbin was equally surprised. He said, ¡°Xu Yang, I had the same impression as Yuhang. I didn¡¯t expect you to be a self-made rich man.¡±


    During their conversation, they learned that Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin had just graduated from university this year. Now that they knew Xu Yang¡¯s family was from a small town in North Loc Province, they realized his family¡¯s financial condition probably wasn¡¯t outstanding.


    In a small town, even arge supermarket wouldn¡¯t generate much ie. They couldn¡¯t believe Xu Yang could afford a Rolls-Royce Cullinan, not to mention a vi. However, they couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Zhao Yuxin came from a wealthy family. As they pondered, they nced at Zhao Yuxin.<div>


    Lin Junyi noticed their expressions and exined, ¡°Wenbin, Yuhang, Yuxin¡¯s family isn¡¯t wealthy. Her dad runs a small restaurant, and they manage to save around two to three hundred thousand yuan per year at best. Even that¡¯s considered pretty good. They can¡¯t afford a Rolls-Royce, that¡¯s for sure. Xu Yang¡¯s ability to buy a Rolls-Royce and even a vi, that¡¯s all down to his own skills. Just so you know, he bought a vi in Century Gardensst week, and I attended his housewarming party.¡±


    Hearing that Xu Yang had also bought a vi in Century Gardens, Su Wenbin and Jiang Yuhang were shocked once again. They knew that Century Gardens vis were worth at least 30 million yuan.


    Buying both a car and a vi would add up to at least 40 million yuan. Jiang Yuhang couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Xu Yang, what do you do for a living?¡±


    Jiang Yuhang was genuinely curious because Xu Yang had just graduated from university, and he couldn¡¯t fathom how he had earned so much money.


    Not only Jiang Yuhang was curious, but even Su Wenbin thought the same. They nced at Xu Yang wondering what he did for a living.


    In fact, both Jiang Yuhang and Su Wenbin hade from good families. They were able to have their current livesrgely because of their families. Even after they graduated from university, relying on their own skills, they couldn¡¯t have earned that much money.


    ¡°I just got lucky, made some profits from investing in futures, and, oh, I also found a treasure while strolling through Antique Street,¡± Xu Yang replied without hiding anything but without specifying the exact amount.


    Even without disclosing the figure, the fact that Xu Yang could afford a Rolls-Royce Cullinan and a vi made it clear he had earned a considerable sum.


    ¡°You¡¯re being too modest, Xu Yang. In this world, whether it¡¯s making money through futures or finding treasures in an Antique Street, luck alone can¡¯t exin it. You need absolute skills,¡± Su Wenbin stated.


    ¡°Indeed, if you said you made money from winning the lottery or sports betting, I¡¯d believe it was luck. But earning money through futures and finding treasures in an Antique Street can¡¯t be attributed to luck,¡± Jiang Yuhang agreed.


    Su Wenbin and Jiang Yuhang didn¡¯t believe Xu Yang¡¯s wealth came solely from luck; they saw it as a sign of his substantial capabilities.


    After all, futures trading wasn¡¯t something just anyone could seed in. Those who could make money from the futures market were far from ordinary people. As for finding treasures in antique markets, it required an eye for detail and the ability to discern genuine items from fakes. If one couldn¡¯t tell the difference, they wouldn¡¯t be able to find treasures.


    <div>

 Chapter 41: 41 Reminder

    Chapter 41: Reminder


    They finished dining.


    As they stepped out of the restaurant, everyone said their farewells.


    Seeing Jiang Yuheng getting into his sports car, Xu Yang suddenly remembered he hadn¡¯t yet discussed that matter with Jiang Yuheng. He asked Zhao Yuxin to go back to the car first, then hurriedly ran to Jiang Yuheng¡¯s sports car and knocked on the window.


    Jiang Yuheng rolled down the window, looking puzzled, and asked, ¡°Xu, what¡¯s up?¡±


    Xu Yang pointed to the passenger seat, ¡°Can Ie in to talk?¡±


    Jiang Yuheng smiled, ¡°Of course,e on in.¡±


    He was very curious about what Xu Yang wanted to talk to him about. Xu Yang¡¯s actions indicated that he wanted to discuss something that he didn¡¯t want others to know.


    Xu Yang got into the passenger seat, and Jiang Yuheng looked at him, waiting for him to start talking.


    Xu Yang carefully chose his words, then said, ¡°Young Master Jiang, are you nning to meet a friendter on?¡±


    Jiang Yuheng was taken aback and asked with some surprise, ¡°How did you know?¡±<div>


    He had received a call from his friend on the way to the restaurant, which had led him to decide to visit his friend in the afternoon.


    This was something he hadn¡¯t told anyone.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about how I know. I also know that the friend you¡¯re going to meet might harm you,¡± Xu Yang said bluntly.


    He didn¡¯t bother making up any excuses; he simply put it that way. Whether Jiang Yuheng believed it or not, there was nothing he could do.


    ¡°What! How is that possible!¡± Jiang Yuheng was astonished. ¡°How do you know my friend could harm me?¡±


    The friend he was nning to visit was actually his girlfriend.


    The two had met by chance. Jiang Yuheng thought her personality was quite nice, and after interacting for some time, he didn¡¯t care about his girlfriend¡¯s family background and, despite his father¡¯s disapproval, they got together.


    Jiang Yuheng treated his girlfriend very well and spent time with her whenever he could.


    He even bought an apartment for his girlfriend to live in.


    Today, on the way to the restaurant, his girlfriend had called, saying she felt unwell, so he felt he must go and see her.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you how I know, but as a friend, I hope you won¡¯t meet with that friend of yours. If you really must go, I suggest you take one or two people with you,¡± Xu Yang said earnestly.


    ¡°Brother Xu, I really can¡¯t believe what you¡¯re saying,¡± Jiang Yuheng was incredulous.


    How could his girlfriend harm him?


    ¡°Young Master Jiang, that¡¯s all I¡¯m going to say. Whether you believe it or not, and what you do about it, is up to you. Goodbye.¡±


    Having said that, Xu Yang got out of the car.


    He had given his warning; if Jiang Yuheng chose not to believe him or heed his advice, that was beyond his control.


    Jiang Yuheng¡¯s expression changed constantly.


    Xu Yang had no reason to drive a wedge between him and his girlfriend.


    Could it be that Xu Yang knew his father, and his father had asked Xu Yang toe and undermine his rtionship with his girlfriend?<div>


    But how could Xu Yang know he was nning to see his girlfriend that afternoon?


    Did Xu Yang know something?


    Could his girlfriend really be nning to harm him?


    Why would she do that when he believed he had done nothing wrong towards her?<div>


    A series of questions emerged in Jiang Yuheng¡¯s mind.


    After thinking it over, Jiang Yuheng took out his phone and dialed a number.


    Xu Yang returned to the car.


    With curiosity, Zhao Yuxin asked, ¡°Honey, what did you talk to Jiang Yuheng about?¡±


    Xu Yang smiled, ¡°Nothing much, just some idle chit-chat.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin did not press further.


    If Xu Yang wanted to share, he would; if he didn¡¯t, then that was that. She didn¡¯t need to know at all costs.


    Anyway, Xu Yang must have his reasons for not saying.


    She said, ¡°Honey, just now Lin Junyi brought up the short video thing again, and I really think you could give it a try, pick a direction, make some short videos, who knows, you might be a super inte celebrity.¡±


    Xu Yangughed, ¡°I really don¡¯t want to be a super inte celebrity, if that happens, I would be watched even when I step out of the house, I don¡¯t want that.¡±


    Zhao Yuxinughed, ¡°This is what countless people dream of, yet you don¡¯t like it.¡±


    Xu Yang shook his head, ¡°Everyone has their own aspiration, I don¡¯t like being watched by people, I¡¯d rather just lead my ordinary rich man¡¯s life.¡±


    When he was younger, seeing the bright lights on celebrities, Xu Yang felt a longing.<div>


    But as he grew up, that longing faded.


    And now that he had the system, he was destined to reach the summit, why would he care about such things.


    What super inte celebrity, not worth one of his fingers.


    He had no wish to be watched like a monkey when he went out in the future.


    This past week, aside from asionally paying attention to the stock and futures markets, he was also contemting what to do.


    But after a lot of thought, he still hadn¡¯t decided.


    He wasn¡¯t in a hurry, with the Investment Master Skill, even if he didn¡¯t work, he could still make money in the stock and futures markets.


    He would wait and see, and the system wouldn¡¯t treat him unfairly; it should show him the way to make money. He would just follow the path provided by the system.


    As he thought about it, just as he finished speaking, the system¡¯s notification sound chimed in his mind.


    [Ding! Douyin short video tform shall soon be the hegemon of the short video domain!]


    [Fengcai Guild, under the leadership of Chairman Xiao Dongsheng, will be the top guild on the Douyin tform!]


    [Currently, Fengcai Guild is facing operational difficulties, and Xiao Dongsheng intends to sell the guild!]


    [Additionally: Attached is a development strategy for Douyin¡¯s future and a list of future inte celebrities. They have been sent to the host¡¯s email, please check!]<div>


    Xu Yang¡¯s eyes brightened.


    He couldn¡¯t invest in the Douyin tform.


    After all, Douyin was under Byte Beat Motion Company, and even if they were looking for investors, he wasn¡¯t eligible to participate. Those who could participate in investing were all super capitalists.


    But investing in the guilds within it was still possible.


    And since Fengcai Guild was having operational difficulties, it shouldn¡¯t cost too much to acquire it.


    Plus, with the list of future celebrity hosts, after acquiring Fengcai Guild, he could sign these hosts and then just wait to collect the money.


    Thinking of this, Xu Yang was delighted, grinning from ear to ear.


    ¡°Honey, what are youughing about?¡±


    Zhao Yuxin, seeing Xu Yang suddenlyughing, couldn¡¯t help but be full of question marks.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Xu Yang came back to his senses, suppressing his smile, ¡°I was just thinking that the short video field really does have prospects, I¡¯ve decided, I¡¯ll get into the short video industry.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin expressed her confusion, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say you didn¡¯t want to be an inte celebrity and didn¡¯t want to be gawked at when you go out?¡±


    How had the topic changed so suddenly?


    Xu Yang chuckled, ¡°Wife, making short videos doesn¡¯t necessarily mean bing an inte celebrity.¡±<div>


    Zhao Yuxin asked doubtfully, ¡°Then what do you do?¡±


    She wasn¡¯t very familiar with this line of business.


    Lin Junyi and the others only talked about how to make short videos, shoot live videos, and such, without touching on anything else.


    Xu Yang said, ¡°You can run a guild. Acquire or establish a guild, it¡¯s just like apany. I¡¯ll be the boss, and let the inte celebrities make money for me, isn¡¯t that even better?¡±


    Zhao Yuxin¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°That¡¯s actually a great idea, this way you don¡¯t have to be a public figure, won¡¯t get gawked at, and can still make money in the short video industry.¡±


    Xu Yangughed, ¡°That¡¯s exactly my point, and in the future, you¡¯ll be thedy boss!¡±


    Zhao Yuxin giggled, then said, ¡°But establishing a guild, something you¡¯ve never done, might be quite difficult.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°I know. Let¡¯s go home first, I want to check if there are any guilds avable for acquisition; if there are, it won¡¯t be so troublesome.¡±

 Chapter 42: 42: Wrath

    Chapter 42: Wrath


    He drove home.<div>


    Xu Yang couldn¡¯t wait to open hisptop and check his email.


    He saw the future development n for Douyin.


    This development n rified the future path for Douyin¡¯s growth.


    And then there was the list of future inte celebrities.


    It was more than just a list, it also detailed how these streamers had be sessful.


    What surprised Xu Yang was that, on this list of future inte celebrities, he saw a familiar name.<div>


    Lin Junyi!


    And Lin Junyi was among the super influencers!


    This was unexpected for Xu Yang.


    Who would have thought?


    Lin Junyi could be a super influencer.


    Moreover, this was different from the field Lin Junyi was currently in.


    When chatting with them, Lin Junyi had positioned himself as an outdoor broadcaster.


    That is, whatever interesting things there were, he would livestream or shoot a short video and upload it to the tform.


    But the list stated that Lin Junyi, this super influencer, wasn¡¯t an outdoor broadcaster, but a food broadcaster.


    Lin Junyi had not yet found his niche and would soon discover that he wasn¡¯t cut out for outdoor broadcasting, and after switching to the food domain, he would be a super influencer.


    Once a guild is acquired, Xu Yang would definitely sign Lin Junyi.


    Such a future super influencer must not be missed.<div>


    In an apartment.


    A young couple snuggled together.


    ¡°Honey, do you think when Jiang Yuhenges overter, will he be alone? If he brings someone, we won¡¯t be able to proceed with today¡¯s n,¡± the man said with some anxiety.


    ¡°He¡¯ll definitelye alone. He¡¯sing to see me, his girlfriend, how could he possibly bring someone else?¡± the woman asserted confidently.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Today we¡¯re going to be rich, and after we get the money, we¡¯ll go abroad and nevere back. No one will be able to do anything to us,¡± the man was overjoyed.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, we¡¯ll always be together, never apart again,¡± the woman said with a face full of happiness.


    ¡°Yes, never apart,¡± the man smiled, then cautioned, ¡°But you¡¯ll need to be carefulter, don¡¯t give us away, or if it doesn¡¯t work out, we¡¯ll both end up behind bars.¡±


    The woman reassured him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what to do. It¡¯ll be easy to get him to have some water; he always asks for water whenever hees over.¡±


    The man teased, ¡°Is it because after drinking water, he ends up getting busy with you?¡±


    ¡°Stop it!¡± The woman yfully punched the man in the chest, ¡°Don¡¯t talk about that. If you hade to me sooner, would I still be his girlfriend?¡±


    The man exined, ¡°I had no choice. When choosing schools, I had to listen to my parents. Fortunately, I¡¯ve graduated now, and I can make my own decisions. As soon as I found out you were in Jiangcheng, I came to you right away.¡±<div>


    The two individuals were a couple. The woman was Jiang Yuheng¡¯s girlfriend, named Ye Jingjing.


    The man¡¯s name was Liang Yurui.


    The two had been lovers in high school.


    After graduating from high school, they went to different universities in different cities, far apart from each other.


    Naturally, their high school rtionship came to an end without any drama.


    After graduating, Liang Yurui faced a lot of difficulties in his career.


    A month ago, Liang Yurui learned that Ye Jingjing was in Jiangcheng and seemed to be doing well in life and work.


    Thus, Liang Yurui thought of relying on Ye Jingjing.


    He managed to get Ye Jingjing¡¯s phone number through high school ssmates and contacted her, expressing his enduring love and desire to reunite with Ye Jingjing.


    Ye Jingjing was now the girlfriend of Jiang Yuheng, the wealthy second-generation heir, and naturally, she was no longer interested in her ex-boyfriend, Liang Yurui.


    However, upon learning that Ye Jingjing¡¯s boyfriend was a wealthy second-generation heir, and not just any but the most impressive one in Jiangcheng, Liang Yurui didn¡¯t back down. Instead, he sessfully persuaded Ye Jingjing to get back together with him by using this information.


    Just like that, Liang Yurui came to Jiangcheng and rekindled his rtionship with Ye Jingjing.<div>


    The two of them even conspired to kidnap Jiang Yuheng, demanding a ransom from Jiang Yuheng¡¯s father before nning to flee the country and lead a carefree life.


    As for their parents, they never intended to bother with them in the first ce.


    After all, in their opinion, as long as they were happy, that was all that mattered.


    ¡°If he doesn¡¯t drink the water, I¡¯ll get him to go to the bedroom. Then you can catch him off guard and knock him out,¡± Ye Jingjing said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do that. We must settle it today and get the money,¡± Liang Yurui said.


    As they were talking, they heard a knock on the door.


    ¡°It must be Jiang Yuheng. You go hide in the bedroom first,¡± Ye Jingjing whispered.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go hide in the bedroom,¡± Liang Yurui said with a chuckle, kissing Ye Jingjing before heading into the bedroom.


    Ye Jingjing stood up, straightened her clothes and hair, and then went to open the door, where she saw Jiang Yuheng standing.


    ¡°My dear, you¡¯re here,¡± Ye Jingjing eximed with delight as she pulled Jiang Yuheng into the room and closed the door.


    ¡°You said you weren¡¯t feeling well earlier; do you feel better now?¡± Jiang Yuheng asked as he sat down and pulled Ye Jingjing into his arms.


    ¡°I¡¯m better now. I just missed you. You haven¡¯te to see me for several days,¡± Ye Jingjing said with a pitiful look.<div>


    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯ve been a bit busy these days and didn¡¯t have time toe over,¡± Jiang Yuheng replied.


    ¡°You¡¯re working for your family¡¯s business, what could be so busy? I think you just don¡¯t care about me,¡± Ye Jingjing said coquettishly.


    ¡°How could that be? I¡¯ve really been busy. I¡¯ve told you about it, haven¡¯t I? My dad is the chairman of the Southwest Chamber of Commerce, and recently, the memberpanies are setting up an investment fund. My dad wants to train me by putting me in charge of this. It¡¯s been crazy,¡± Jiang Yuheng exined.


    What he said was the truth; he had been busy with this matter recently.


    ¡°Alright, I forgive you,¡± Ye Jingjing said, moving away from Jiang Yuheng¡¯s embrace to pour him a ss of water.


    The cup already had pre-mixed powdered drug that dissolved upon contact with water.


    ¡°Thirsty, aren¡¯t you? Have some water first,¡± Ye Jingjing said as she ced the water in front of Jiang Yuheng.


    ¡°Actually, I am a bit thirsty,¡± Jiang Yuheng said, picking up the cup and downing the water in one gulp.


    With Xu Yang¡¯s warning in mind, he was somewhat cautious of Ye Jingjing but didn¡¯t think drinking some water would cause any harm.


    Besides, he was prepared.


    Even if there was something wrong, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    Ye Jingjing certainly couldn¡¯t n to poison him to death.<div>


    Seeing Jiang Yuheng drink the water, a pleased glint shed in Ye Jingjing¡¯s eyes.


    Now, it was going to be easy.


    ¡°Do you want more?¡± Ye Jingjing asked.


    This question was for Liang Yurui, who was hiding in the bedroom, to let him know Jiang Yuheng had drunk the water.


    ¡°No need,¡± Xu Yang said, shaking his head, then suddenly feeling dizzy and weak.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Jiang Yuheng pounded his own head with his hand.


    ¡°Haha, let me tell you what¡¯s happening,¡± Liang Yurui, knowing Xu Yang had drunk the water and was now utterly defenseless, emerged from the bedroom.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Xu Yang¡¯s expression darkened, and he remembered Xu Yang¡¯s warning.


    ¡°Haha, I¡¯ll let you know who I am soon enough,¡± Liang Yuruiughed, sitting down beside Ye Jingjing and wrapping his arm around her waist to nt a fierce kiss on her, ¡°Now you know who I am, right?¡±


    ¡°Ye Jingjing, you¡¯ve been fooling around with another man behind my back!¡± Jiang Yuheng clenched his teeth with sheer rage, his face growing darker as his anger reached its peak.

 Chapter 43: 43 Begging for Mercy

    Chapter 43: Begging for Mercy


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to put it that way. Ye Jingjing and I were a couple to begin with; it¡¯s just that we broke upter. Now, we¡¯re simply getting back together again. If anything, you¡¯re the third party,¡± Liang Yurui shamelessly dered.<div>


    ¡°Ye Jingjing, haven¡¯t I been good enough to you? Why are you doing this to me?¡± Jiang Yuheng ignored Liang Yurui, his gaze fixed intently on Ye Jingjing.


    ¡°Why? I¡¯ll tell you why. Your dad doesn¡¯t approve of us being together; we have no future at all.¡±


    ¡°The only oue for us in the end is a breakup, after all, everything you havees from your dad, and on such a major issue as marriage, there¡¯s no way you would go against your dad¡¯s wishes.¡±


    ¡°Right now, your kindness to me is just for fun. When it¡¯s time for you to marry, you¡¯ll certainly kick me to the curb.¡±


    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, why should I stay with you? I want to pursue my own life.¡±


    Ye Jingjing spoke righteously.<div>


    Originally, she hadn¡¯t thought about these things, still dreaming of marrying into a wealthy family.


    After learning about her situation, Liang Yurui analyzed it for her, saying she could never marry into a wealthy family.


    Those were the reasons she¡¯d just mentioned.


    Ye Jingjing felt Liang Yurui¡¯s arguments made sense, which is why she hooked up with him again.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be with me, you could ask to break up with me. I¡¯m not the type to pester annoyingly. What¡¯s the meaning of having this man show up in front of me today, to put on this act for me?¡±


    Jiang Yuheng acknowledged that there was some truth to what Ye Jingjing had said.


    Despite the pressure, he was with Ye Jingjing.


    But they were just boyfriend and girlfriend, and if it came to marriage, it probably wouldn¡¯t work out.


    His dad didn¡¯t agree, and marriage seemed unlikely.


    In other words, their breakup was inevitable.


    He didn¡¯t see any issue with it, as for a second-generation rich kid like him, this behavior was quite normal.


    He had a friend named Wang Xiaocong who changed girlfriends even more frequently than him.<div>


    This was the life of the rich second generation.


    If the other party didn¡¯t want to be with him anymore, they could just say so.


    He would even provide a certain amount of breakup fee, to ensure a clean and amicable separation.


    But the other party¡¯s actions now, Jiang Yuheng really couldn¡¯t understand what they meant.


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s about money,¡± Ye Jingjing stated.


    ¡°Money, what do you mean?¡± Jiang Yuheng was somewhat puzzled.


    ¡°Let me exin it. We¡¯re going to kidnap you and demand your father to pay us a ransom. Only when we get the money will we release you,¡± Liang Yurui said with a smirk.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you fear getting caught doing something like this? Do you think you can escape?¡± Jiang Yuheng hadn¡¯t expected them to actually n on kidnapping him.


    ¡°Once we have the money, we¡¯ll flee the country. By then, who could catch us?¡± Liang Yurui sneered, confident that everything was under his control and unafraid of getting caught.


    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to escape,¡± Jiang Yuheng said.


    ¡°Whether we can escape or not is up to me, not you. What you need to do is cooperate with us. Call your dad and get him to send the money.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re not greedy. We only want five billion; with that money, we can live a rich life forever.¡±<div>


    ¡°With your family¡¯s wealth, five billion is nothing to you, easily manageable.¡±


    Liang Yurui was overjoyed thinking that five billion would be in his hands soon.


    Even after receiving the money, he wouldn¡¯t let Jiang Yuheng off. He was really annoyed with rich second-generation kids like him.


    Why should they be living in luxury without worries?


    While he had to work himself to death without seeing any hope.


    ¡°Ye Jingjing, I advise you to back off, or no one can save you,¡± Jiang Yuheng said, looking at Ye Jingjing.


    ¡°Impossible, just obediently call your dad and ask him to send the money,¡± Ye Jingjing insisted.


    Since it hade to this, backing off was impossible. There was only one path left¡ªto follow through to the end.


    ¡°We were once in love. What I just did was to give you a chance. If you were willing to back off, I wouldn¡¯t have done anything to you. We could pretend this never happened. Since you don¡¯t want to seize the opportunity, don¡¯t me me,¡± Jiang Yuheng said.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ye Jingjing¡¯s eyes were filled with a mix of suspicion and rm.


    Liang Yurui¡¯s heart sank with a premonition of something bad.


    ¡°Come in,¡± said Jiang Yuhang.<div>


    Come in?


    Ye Jingjing and Liang Yurui exchanged nces, unsure what Jiang Yuhang meant.


    ¡°You brought people over? But if you did bring someone, and you say so, can the people outside really hear you? Has your brain gone bad?¡± Liang Yurui¡¯s face was full of confusion.


    ¡°I brought a bodyguard with me today, who is waiting for me downstairs.¡±


    ¡°Before I came up, my phone was always on, I kept in touch with the bodyguard, and I also had the recorder on.¡±


    ¡°Our conversation just now must have been heard by the bodyguard, who should be waiting at the door by now.¡±


    Although Jiang Yuhang did not fully believe Xu Yang¡¯s words, they still aroused his suspicion.


    Better safe than sorry.


    He called one of his father¡¯s bodyguards toe over.


    With the phone on, the bodyguard knew everything.


    A recording on, that¡¯s evidence.


    As his words fell, the room door made a loud bang as it was forced open.<div>


    A man in a ck suit walked in.


    Seeing the neer, Liang Yurui and Ye Jingjing were startled and at a loss for what to do.


    The two had never expected such a situation and had made no preparations to deal with it, sitting on the sofa without any action.


    ¡°Young Master Jiang, what should we do?¡± the bodyguard asked.


    ¡°Call the police, let the police handle it,¡± Jiang Yuhang said.


    Even if he did something to Liang Yurui and Ye Jingjing, beat them up or even cripple them, his status meant he wouldn¡¯t face any trouble for it.


    But that¡¯s not who he was; he would not do such things¡ªhe still thought it best to leave it to the police.


    ¡°All right,¡± the bodyguard took out his phone, preparing to make the call.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare call the police!¡± Liang Yurui finally snapped out of it, leapt up, and rushed at the bodyguard, attempting to snatch away his phone.


    He knew that if the bodyguard called the police, even though it would be attempted kidnapping, both he and Ye Jingjing would be jailed, since they had already acted, and there was clear evidence in the recorded phone call.


    If they went to jail, their lives would be over; even if they were released, they wouldn¡¯tnd a decent job.


    Originally, with their education, as long as they worked hard, they could have had a decent life.<div>


    But by doing this, they had doomed their entire lives.


    But he was just an ordinary person; how could he possibly snatch a phone from a bodyguard?


    He didn¡¯t even get close before the bodyguard kicked him to the ground.


    ¡°You bastard, I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Liang Yurui lost all reason, oblivious to the pain, struggled up from the ground, grabbed a chair, and swung it at the bodyguard.


    The bodyguard, quick and agile, dodged the attack.


    ¡°You¡¯re asking for it!¡±


    A sh of anger crossed the bodyguard¡¯s eyes.


    He wasn¡¯t in a hurry to call anymore; he decided to deal with Liang Yurui first.


    He strode towards Liang Yurui, kicked him over and began to punch and kick him, leaving Liang Yurui screaming in agony, constantly begging for mercy.


    ¡°Ah! Stop hitting me, please, I know I was wrong, if you keep hitting me, I¡¯m going to die, and if you kill me, you¡¯re going down too.¡±


    ¡°Ah! Young Master Jiang, I know I was wrong. Please let me off, tell him to stop hitting me!¡±


    ¡°Ah! Jingjing, speak up for me, tell him to stop, you¡¯re Jiang Yuhang¡¯s girlfriend, he will definitely listen to you, ah!¡±


    Liang Yurui begged incessantly, finding it useless, then turned to Jiang Yuhang, but to no avail, so he tried to implore Ye Jingjing to persuade Jiang Yuhang.


    Even now, he imed Ye Jingjing was Jiang Yuhang¡¯s girlfriend.


    It has to be said, Liang Yurui was shameless indeed.

 Chapter 44: 44: Handling Privately

    Chapter 44: Handling Privately


    ¡°Mr. Jiang, please let him go,¡± Ye Jingjing came to her senses and quickly begged for mercy.


    ¡°He brought this upon himself; no one else is to me,¡± Jiang Yuheng said coldly.


    He had no more feelings for this woman.


    ¡°Mr. Jiang, we were in love once, isn¡¯t my pleading enough?¡± Ye Jingjing tried again.


    ¡°And now you bring this up? You betrayed me, hooked up with this man, even plotted to kidnap me, and now you¡¯re begging me¡ªdon¡¯t you find it shameless?¡± Jiang Yuheng said coldly.


    Ye Jingjing had nothing to say.


    She had thought she had good enough reasons for her actions.


    But now that everything hade to light, she found her actions ridiculous.


    Speaking such words now did indeed seem shameless.


    ¡°Mr. Jiang, I won¡¯t plead for him anymore, but could you please not call the police? I know I was wrong, and if you do, my life will be over,¡± Ye Jingjing pleaded.


    ¡°Had you known this would happen, why did you do it in the first ce?¡± Jiang Yuheng said coldly.<div>


    This woman had betrayed him and even plotted his kidnapping¡ªhow could he simply let this go?


    They were all adults; everyone must pay the price for their actions.


    Upon hearing this, Ye Jingjing¡¯splexion turned pale.


    Only now did she truly realize how absurd her behavior had been.


    Her life had been fine; why had she done this?


    Why had she listened to Liang Yurui and gotten back together with him?


    That aside, getting back together was one thing, but why kidnap Jiang Yuheng?


    In truth, had she simply broken up with Jiang Yuheng, as he had just said, he would have let her go.


    Maybe if she had given a better reason, she might have even received somepensation from Jiang Yuheng.


    Thinking of this, Ye Jingjing was filled with endless regret.


    Looking at Liang Yurui screaming miserably from the beating, she felt endless resentment.


    She had been fooled by Liang Yurui¡¯s sweet words, her mind clouded.


    But now, she hade to her senses.


    Liang Yurui never loved her; he was just using her to kidnap Jiang Yuheng¡ªall for money.


    ¡°Mr. Jiang, I truly realize my mistake, please have mercy on me,¡± she begged.


    ¡°If this gets out, it won¡¯t be good for your reputation either.¡±


    ¡°As long as you let me go, you can do whatever you want to him; it¡¯s fine even if you cripple him.¡±


    ¡°With your status and position, that shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Calling the police to arrest him probably won¡¯t be satisfying; it might be better to just cripple him.¡±


    Ye Jingjing still couldn¡¯t ept the idea of going to jail; it was unimaginable.<div>


    Jiang Yuheng had been determined to call the police, thinking it best to let them handle it.


    But Ye Jingjing¡¯s words made him hesitate.


    If the incident got out, it would indeed reflect poorly on him.


    After all, he was one of the top wealthy second-generation in Jiang City, and nationally, he had some fame, although it wasn¡¯t as extensive as his friend Wang Xiaocong.<div>


    To be cuckolded by a girlfriend and nearly kidnapped.


    If it spread, people might not dare to say anything to his face, but they might behind his back.


    Not to mention the police keeping it a secret; nobody would know about this.


    This sort of thing was too easily known in rich second-generation circles.


    Eventually, it would bemon knowledge.


    His, Jiang Yuheng¡¯s, face would be utterly lost.


    Not just his shame, but even his father¡¯s honor would be nowhere to be found.


    This incident, once exposed, will definitely make Dad theughingstock of the business world.


    Who knows how many tycoons hostile to Dad will bring this up in front of him.


    I have to say, handling it privately would be better.


    ¡°Mr. Jiang, I really know I was wrong. This whole thing, from start to finish, was orchestrated by Liang Yurui. I was just deceived by Liang Yurui. Please let me go.¡±


    ¡°As for Liang Yurui, do whatever you want with him.¡±


    Seeing Jiang Yuheng somewhat moved, Ye Jingjing continued to beg for mercy.<div>


    ¡°Ye Jingjing, you bitch, you actually don¡¯t care about my life or death, you will not die a good death!¡±


    Liang Yurui, who was beaten to the brink of death, heard Ye Jingjing¡¯s words and couldn¡¯t help bute back to life, cursing furiously.


    ¡°Trusting you was the worst decision of my life. It¡¯s your fault I ended up like this, you¡¯re the one who won¡¯t die a good death,¡± Ye Jingjing retorted with resentment.


    ¡°You bitch, I didn¡¯t force you. You did it because you wanted to. If you didn¡¯t want to, you wouldn¡¯t have listened to me,¡± Liang Yurui scolded back angrily.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Ye Jingjing trembled with rage.


    Before Liang Yurui approached her, she had never thought about leaving Jiang Yuheng.


    She also knew that she probably couldn¡¯t marry Jiang Yuheng.


    But breaking up with Jiang Yuheng shoulde with quite a few benefits.


    It was Liang Yurui who contacted her, analyzed the situation for her, and painted a picture of the beautiful life abroad after they kidnapped Jiang Yuheng and got the money.


    Only then did she agree and decide to do it with Liang Yurui.


    Now, Liang Yurui not only denied it, but also pushed all the responsibility onto her.


    She regretted even more that she had listened to Liang Yurui in the first ce and was even more angry.


    ¡°Alright, you two stop talking,¡± Jiang Yuheng, who had gradually recovered, said. The effect of the drug didn¡¯tst long.<div>


    The two fell silent. Now, their fate waspletely in Jiang Yuheng¡¯s hands.


    ¡°What you said earlier makes some sense. Indeed, it¡¯s not suitable to call the police over this matter. Otherwise, it would have a great impact on both me and my dad,¡± Jiang Yuheng added.


    ¡°Mr. Jiang, have you forgiven me?¡± Ye Jingjing¡¯s face lit up with hope.


    ¡°Forgive you? It¡¯s not that easy,¡± Jiang Yuheng said with a cold sneer and a shake of his head.


    ¡°Then what do you want?¡± The joy on Ye Jingjing¡¯s face disappeared.


    ¡°I¡¯ve basically figured out this incident. The main responsibility lies with this man. You really were deceived by him, but you are also to me,¡± Jiang Yuheng stated.


    Ye Jingjing didn¡¯t speak; indeed, that was true.


    ¡°I want to cripple one of his legs, and you¡¯re going to do it,¡± Jiang Yuhengmanded.


    ¡°Mr. Jiang, you can take care of it yourself. I resent Liang Yurui, but I¡¯ve never done such a thing,¡± Ye Jingjing replied with hate in her voice.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t do it, I will, and I won¡¯t just break one of his legs, I¡¯ll also break one of yours. It¡¯s your choice to make,¡± Jiang Yuheng said indifferently.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Ye Jingjing¡¯s eyes flickered as she gritted her teeth and made her decision.


    Compared to having her own leg broken, of course she¡¯d choose to break Liang Yurui¡¯s leg.


    After all, the reason she ended up in this situation was Liang Yurui¡¯s fault; breaking his leg was no more than he deserved.<div>


    ¡°Bitch, if you dare touch me, you will not die a good death!¡± Liang Yurui screamed in terror, throwing out threats.


    ¡°It¡¯s you who made me like this; you¡¯re the one who won¡¯t die a good death!¡± Ye Jingjing said as she picked up the chair next to her and smashed it down on Liang Yurui¡¯s leg.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Liang Yurui let out a scream. ¡°Bitch, if you dare hit me like this, I will definitely kill youter!¡±


    The leg didn¡¯t break.


    Ye Jingjing¡¯s strength was still too gentle, so she exerted all her might and smacked down viciously again.


    Crack!


    Finally, the sound of breaking bones echoed.


    ¡°Bitch, I will definitely kill you!¡± Liang Yurui howled like a ughtered pig, continuing to threaten Ye Jingjing.

 Chapter 45: 45 Suspicion

    Chapter 45: Suspicion


    ¡°Since you want to kill me, I¡¯ll just break another one of your legs, and then we¡¯ll see how you n to kill me.¡± Ye Jingjing¡¯s eyes shed with a vicious glint as she lifted the chair again and smashed it down on Liang Yurui¡¯s other leg.


    This woman is really ruthless.


    Crack!


    Another sound of a bone breaking rang out.


    With experience, a single hit was sufficient.


    ¡°Aaah!¡± Liang Yurui screamed in agony, still cursing, ¡°Ye Jingjing, you bitch, you¡¯re so cruel, even if you break both my legs, I¡¯ll still kill you in the future.¡±


    ¡°Oh really? Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll just break your arms as well, let¡¯s see how you¡¯ll kill me then,¡± Ye Jingjing lifted the chair once more.


    ¡°No, please don¡¯t hit me again, I take back my words, we¡¯ll have nothing to do with each other in the future, please just stop.¡±


    Seeing Ye Jingjing raise the chair again, aiming to break his arms, Liang Yurui panicked instantly.


    With both legs broken, it¡¯s not certain they could be healed, and if not, he¡¯d have to use a wheelchair.


    If his arms were also broken and couldn¡¯t heal, he would need someone to take care of him for the rest of his life; it would be worse than death.<div>


    ¡°Scared now?¡± Ye Jingjing asked with a coldugh.


    ¡°I am scared, we¡¯ll have nothing to do with each other from now on, I brought this upon myself, please don¡¯t hit me again,¡± Liang Yurui was truly frightened.


    This woman was too ruthless, she had be apletely different person.


    It seems one really should not offend women.


    It would have been better if he hadn¡¯t made those threats earlier.


    A few harsh words, another leg broken, it¡¯s really too miserable.


    ¡°At least you know what¡¯s good for you,¡± Ye Jingjing snorted coldly and put down the chair.


    Liang Yurui exhaled in relief, finally managing to calm this woman down.


    ¡°Jiang Sha, is this okay?¡± Jiang Yuheng asked Jiang Yuheng.


    ¡°Not bad, better than I expected,¡± Jiang Yuheng nodded.


    ¡°Can I go now?¡± Ye Jingjing asked again.


    ¡°Not yet, about this matter, I still have a few words to say, both of you listen,¡± Jiang Yuheng said in a deep voice.


    ¡°Jiang Sha, please speak,¡± Ye Jingjing said.


    Liang Yurui stopped yelling and looked at Jiang Yuheng.


    ¡°Let¡¯s end the matter here, do not rm the police. If anyone does something to stir them in the future, I will make you understand what it means to prefer death,¡± Jiang Yuheng said.


    ¡°Jiang Sha, rest assured, this will be the end of it. I¡¯ll leave Jiangcheng today, and I won¡¯t reveal a word of this to anyone for the rest of my life,¡± Ye Jingjing said.


    ¡°Good,¡± Liang Yurui nodded in satisfaction, looking at Liang Yurui, ¡°You?


    Liang Yurui immediately said, ¡°Jiang Sha, I won¡¯t bring this matter up again either. Today, I admit defeat. To avoid dragging this issue out, I won¡¯t seek revenge against Ye Jingjing, nor will I tell my family. Even if my family finds out that both my legs are broken, I¡¯ll say I identally fell. In a word, this matter ends here.¡±


    He was genuinely afraid.<div>


    There might still be hope to heal his legs, and even if they did heal, they might not be as agile as before but wouldn¡¯t be too far off.


    It¡¯s still better than going to jail.


    He wouldn¡¯t take revenge on Ye Jingjing, for fear of dragging out this affair.


    After all, if he took revenge on Ye Jingjing, it would inevitably rm the police.<div>


    If the police got involved, it would inevitably bring this matter to light.


    For someone like Jiang Yuheng, there were countless ways to make one¡¯s life worse than death.


    He now also regretted it, regretted that he shouldn¡¯t have considered targeting Jiang Yuheng.


    These kinds of deeds, they¡¯re not so easy to pull off.


    Kidnapping is not something just anyone can do.


    Deserving such an end is only fitting.


    It must be said that Liang Yurui¡¯s transformation had been quiteplete.


    ¡°Very good, you know your ce,¡± Jiang Yuheng nodded in satisfaction and then said, ¡°You can get lost now.¡±


    This was the house he had bought, just for Ye Jingjing to live in, so naturally, it was Ye Jingjing and Liang Yurui who had to leave.


    ¡°Mr. Jiang, may I pack up my things?¡± asked Ye Jingjing.


    She still had quite a lot of clothes and other stuff.


    Now that the matter had been resolved, taking those clothes with her shouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    Those clothes and bags were all luxurious gifts from Jiang Yuheng, and she couldn¡¯t bear to just discard them.<div>


    ¡°You may,¡± Jiang Yuheng nodded.


    His anger had been vented, and he wasn¡¯t inclined to make things difficult for Ye Jingjing any longer.


    Ye Jingjing immediately went back to her room to pack her belongings.


    ¡°Mr. Jiang, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll need to stay here a while longer. Given my condition, I have to call an ambnce and wait for it to arrive before I can leave,¡± Liang Yurui said with a bitter smile.


    ¡°Throw him out onto the street,¡± Jiang Yuheng told his bodyguard.


    He didn¡¯t want to see Liang Yurui anymore. When the ambnce would arrive was none of his concern.


    ¡°Understood,¡± the bodyguard replied and immediately picked Liang Yurui up and started moving.


    Liang Yurui¡¯s face was filled with bitterness as the movement aggravated his wounds, causing him to cry out in pain, but he dared not say anything.


    This was Jiang Yuhang¡¯s house, and if Jiang Yuhang wanted him out, what could he say? Nothing at all.


    Once thrown out onto the street, he could only call an ambnce.


    He didn¡¯t dare to tell his family about the incident.


    If he were to tell his family, it might lead to even more trouble.


    Resolving it this way was already fortunate enough.<div>


    Inside the house.


    Ye Jingjing had packed her things, a bag, and a suitcase; all her belongings were in there.


    Ye Jingjing went to the door, stopped, looked back, and asked, ¡°Mr. Jiang, when you came over today, you kept your phone on call with the bodyguard and even recorded it. It was as if you knew what Liang Yurui and I were nning to do to you. I am puzzled, how did you know?¡±


    This matter had been privately discussed between her and Liang Yurui, and they had definitely not told any third party.


    Jiang Yuheng said indifferently, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t be bothered to exin to Ye Jingjing.


    Without another word, Ye Jingjing turned and left with her things.


    The bodyguard was also curious, ¡°Mr. Jiang, I am quite puzzled too, how did you know?¡±


    Jiang Yuheng chuckled, ¡°At lunch today, I met someone who told me. He said that when I went to meet my friends, my friends might harm me.¡±


    The bodyguard asked, ¡°And how did that person know?¡±


    Jiang Yuheng shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know how he found out.¡±


    The bodyguard¡¯s eyes flickered, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s possible that person is in cahoots with these two, or one of them, and did this just to gain your trust? With an ulterior motive?¡±


    This guess wasn¡¯t without reason.<div>


    After all, the source of the message was indeed too incredible.


    What Liang Yurui and Ye Jingjing did should only be known to the two of them and was not something they would tell others.


    The pair discussing this matter couldn¡¯t have been overheard by anyone.


    Jiang Yuheng¡¯s expression became somewhat solemn, ¡°There is that possibility. For the next few days, help me keep an eye on that person. Later I¡¯ll give you his address. I¡¯m going to borrow a couple more people from my father to keep tabs on this pair of treacherous lovers, to see if we can uncover anything. We must eliminate the possibility you mentioned.¡±


    The bodyguard nodded, ¡°That would be best.¡±

 Chapter 46: 46 Taking Advantage of Others’ Peril

    Chapter 46: Taking Advantage of Others¡¯ Peril<div>


    Checking out Douyin¡¯s future development n and the uing famous inte celebrities list, Xu Yang started searching online for the Fengcai Guild.


    After finding the phone number of Xiao Dongsheng, the president of Fengcai Guild, he immediately dialed it.


    Since the system had pointed out the way, he naturally had to get started right away.


    Soon, the call connected.


    ¡°Hello,¡± a slightly weary voice answered.


    ¡°Hello, may I speak with Mr. Xiao Dongsheng, the president of Fengcai Guild?¡± Xu Yang asked.<div>


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me. Who is this?¡± Xiao Dongsheng replied.


    ¡°I saw online that you¡¯re looking to sell your guild. It hasn¡¯t been bought by someone else yet, has it?¡± Xu Yang asked.


    ¡°Not yet. Are you interested?¡± Xiao Dongsheng inquired.


    ¡°Yes, I am interested. When are you avable to meet and discuss this?¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°How about tomorrow afternoon? Two o¡¯clock. As for the ce, let¡¯s meet at the Old Tree Cafe on Bawang Road in the Dongcheng District,¡± said Xiao Dongsheng.


    ¡°No problem, see you then.¡±


    After ending the call, a smile appeared on Xu Yang¡¯s lips.


    This was the firstpany he was investing in; his business venture was about to begin.


    He went to the living room and told Zhao Yuxin about this.


    ¡°That¡¯s for the best. Having an established guild to directly take over is much easier,¡± Zhao Yuxin expressed her agreement with Xu Yang¡¯s approach.


    Acquiring a guild was much simpler than setting one up from scratch.


    Otherwise, establishing a guild from scratch, from registering and finding an office to recruiting staff, involved all sorts of tasks that would take up a lot of time and energy.<div>


    Her cousin, Zhao Yuqing, had founded a business; she had started an ounting firm with a friend two years ago.


    She knew all too well just how exhausted her cousin was every day back then.


    Only after the firm got on the right track, did she be less tired.


    ¡°Yes, from now on, others will work and make money for me,¡± Xu Yang said with augh.


    ¡°By the way, you¡¯ve bought a car and a house, so you must not have much money left. Do you have enough to buy the guild?¡± Zhao Yuxin asked.


    ¡°I should be fine. The Maserati cost me two million three hundred thousand, the Rolls-Royce Cullinan cost eight million, and the house cost thirty-six million. In total, I¡¯ve spent four hundred sixty-three million, and with other misceneous purchases, it adds up to four hundred seventy million.¡±


    ¡°Right now, I still have three million in my card. If that¡¯s not enough, there¡¯s five or six hundred thousand from the futures market, and the same from the stock market. I can withdraw all of that, and with over ten million, it will definitely be enough.¡±


    ¡°Once the auction starts, I can rake in a hundred million, so there¡¯s absolutely no need to worry about not having enough money.¡±


    Xu Yang still had a very clear memory of what he needed the money for.


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± Zhao Yuxin was reassured.


    ¡°Honey, I¡¯m quite tired today; let¡¯s take a nap,¡± Xu Yang suggested, pulling Zhao Yuxin toward their bedroom on the second floor.


    ¡°Hubby, are you thinking about doing something naughty again?¡± Zhao Yuxin raised an eyebrow teasingly.<div>


    ¡°Honey, how can you call it something naughty? It¡¯s a pre-sleep exercise, meant to promote better sleep and improve sleep quality,¡± Xu Yang defended.


    Xu Yang picked up Zhao Yuxin and carried her into the bedroom.


    Soon, the sounds of love resounded throughout the bedroom.


    ¡­


    In the evening, at a certain restaurant.


    Zhao Yulu and Chen Guanglei sat facing each other.


    ¡°Yu Lu, what¡¯s wrong with you? You seem to be in a bad mood,¡± Chen Guanglei asked. ¡°Is there anything I can do to help?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t help me with this,¡± Zhao Yulu shook her head.


    ¡°How do you know I can¡¯t help without telling me first? Just say what it is,¡± Chen Guanglei was incredulous, still believing he could be of assistance.


    It was impossible that Zhao Yulu would encounter a problem he couldn¡¯t help with.


    After all, he was the son of a billionaire.


    ¡°You really cannot help me with this,¡± Zhao Yulu still shook her head.<div>


    ¡°How would you know I can¡¯t help if you don¡¯t tell me? Spit it out,¡± Chen Guanglei was getting a bit anxious.


    This was a clear doubt of his abilities.


    As a billionaire¡¯s son who wanted to show off in front of Zhao Yulu, he definitely couldn¡¯t tolerate this.


    ¡°Members of the Southwest Chamber of Commerce have established a special investment fund with an initial joint investment of one billion. This money needs to be custodied by a bank.¡±


    ¡°Upon hearing this news, all major banks are hoping to secure this business deal.¡±


    ¡°Our bank manager set a goal for all staff today, saying that whoever cannd this deal will be the wealth manager.¡±


    ¡°Being a wealth manager is much better than being a teller. There are more contacts to be made, and the ie is higher.¡±


    ¡°Including me, everyone wants tond this deal, but I can¡¯t even get in touch with those people, let alone secure the business,¡± Zhao Yulu said.


    ¡°Do you have any contacts in the Southwest Chamber of Commerce?¡±


    Zhao Yulu exined her situation.


    As far as she knew, Chen Guanglei didn¡¯t have any connections at the Southwest Chamber of Commerce.


    Chen Guanglei was someone who loved to show off. Every time she met him, he would boast as much as he could, as if he wanted to showcase all his capabilities and connections. Chen Guanglei had never mentioned having connections with the Southwest Chamber of Commerce to her.<div>


    ¡°Yu Lu, if it were any other chamber ofmerce, I might not be able to help you, but for the Southwest Chamber of Commerce, I can,¡± Chen Guanglei grinned.


    He was also aware of the establishment of the special investment fund by the Southwest Chamber of Commerce because his father had told him.


    ¡°Really?¡± Zhao Yulu was somewhat surprised and then doubtful, ¡°But I¡¯ve never heard you mention having connections with people at the Southwest Chamber of Commerce.¡±


    Chen Guanglei smiled, ¡°I might not have connections with people at the Southwest Chamber of Commerce, but my dad does. He¡¯s quite familiar with one of the vice chairmen there.¡±


    Zhao Yulu asked expectantly, ¡°Can you get your dad to help me?¡±


    Chen Guanglei¡¯s father was well acquainted with a vice chairman of the Southwest Chamber of Commerce, so he could certainly be of assistance.


    After all, a vice chairman is one of the most important figures in the chamber.


    With the full assistance of a vice chairman, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem at all.


    ¡°I could, but¡­¡± Chen Guanglei¡¯s eyes darted around, not continuing his sentence.


    ¡°But what?¡± Zhao Yulu asked eagerly.


    ¡°Yu Lu, look here, we¡¯ve known each other for a while, and you know how I feel about you. I really like you. If you agree to be my girlfriend, I¡¯ll ask my dad to help. What do you think?¡± Chen Guanglei had been unable to win Zhao Yulu¡¯s affection and was growing frustrated. Seeing this opportunity, he decided to leverage it.


    ¡°Chen Guanglei, how could you do this? You¡¯re taking advantage of my situation!¡± Zhao Yulu didn¡¯t expect Chen Guanglei to set such a condition and was immediately angry.<div>


    ¡°Yu Lu, don¡¯t get me wrong, I didn¡¯t mean to take advantage of the situation,¡± Chen Guanglei hastily said.


    ¡°After saying that, you still im not to be taking advantage of the situation? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s ridiculous?¡± Zhao Yulu said with a sneer.


    ¡°Yu Lu, don¡¯t be angry, just listen to my exnation,¡± Chen Guanglei said.


    ¡°Fine, exin then. I want to hear what you cane up with,¡± Zhao Yulu was very displeased with Chen Guanglei¡¯s behavior, but she still allowed him a chance to exin.


    After all, she didn¡¯t want to fall out with Chen Guanglei just yet, as she still needed him to invest in ckstone Technology¡¯s stocks.

 Chapter 47: 47 Meeting and Discussing

    Chapter 47: Meeting and Discussing<div>


    ¡°Yu Lu, if it were my connections, I would definitely help you out without a second thought,¡± he said.


    ¡°But these are my dad¡¯s connections, and I need a good reason to get him to help.¡±


    ¡°If I say it¡¯s just to help a regr friend, my dad surely won¡¯t agree to it.¡±


    ¡°But if I say it¡¯s for my girlfriend, for his future daughter-inw, then he¡¯ll agree.¡±


    Chen Guanglei offered up his lofty reason.


    It had to be said, it sounded quite reasonable on first hearing.<div>


    At least, that¡¯s how Zhao Yulu heard it.


    Now, Zhao Yulu hesitated.


    The truth was, she wasn¡¯t too fond of Chen Guanglei.


    To be Chen Guanglei¡¯s girlfriend, she really hadn¡¯t prepared herself for that.


    However, if she could seize this opportunity to be a wealth management manager at the bank, her career would take a big leap forward.


    The chance was just too rare.


    ¡°Yu Lu, you know how much I like you. Just agree to be my girlfriend and I assure you I¡¯ll treat you well,¡± he said.


    Seeing Zhao Yulu¡¯s hesitation, which clearly showed some inclination, Chen Guanglei naturally pressed on.


    ¡°If you can help mend this business, I¡¯ll agree to be your girlfriend,¡± said Zhao Yulu after a long silence, setting her condition.


    ¡°Yu Lu, those are your words; you can¡¯t go back on them,¡± Chen Guanglei said with bright eyes, a bit excited.


    Getting his dad involved was sure to work.


    After chasing Zhao Yulu for so long, he finally saw results.<div>


    Having Zhao Yulu as his girlfriend meant it wouldn¡¯t be long before they ended up in bed.


    Thinking about pressing Zhao Yulu beneath him, Chen Guanglei felt his blood start to boil.


    ¡°I won¡¯t go back on my word, but it has to be after the deal is signed,¡± Zhao Yulu stated.


    ¡°No problem, these are all procedural matters. Just get ready to be my girlfriend,¡± said Chen Guanglei with a big grin.


    He decided to talk to his dad about it as soon as he got home, aiming to settle the matter quickly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait until you help me secure the business,¡± said Zhao Yulu.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, when I say it won¡¯t be a problem, it really won¡¯t,¡±ughed Chen Guanglei, ¡°Oh, and about the ck Stone Tech stocks, tomorrow is the time to buy. You should handle the purchase yourself tomorrow morning.¡±


    Chen Guanglei was aware that Zhao Yulu had borrowed two million from Zhao Yuxin and another million from elsewhere, totaling three million.


    ¡°Alright, I will buy in tomorrow,¡± Zhao Yulu nodded.


    This chance to make a lot of money had kept her worried about raising funds for some time. Luckily, with the two million borrowed from Zhao Yuxin, she could invest more than just one million, which wouldn¡¯t earn her much.


    Borrowing Zhao Yuxin¡¯s two million and then paying five hundred thousand in interestter was not an issue at all.


    After all, Chen Guanglei had said that the price of ck Stone Tech stocks would at least triple.<div>


    Two million earning six million, just by paying five hundred thousand in interest, was indeed a very good deal.


    ¡°By the way, I¡¯m nning to have my dad invest in a short video tform guild. What do you think?¡± Chen Guanglei asked casually.


    He held a managerial position at his dad¡¯spany, although his role was merely ceremonial; nobody took him seriously, and he wasn¡¯t involved in any specific affairs, often absent.


    His dad was the major shareholder of thepany. Even if the other shareholders had opinions, they couldn¡¯t do anything about Chen Guanglei.


    It was like spending money to keep an idler.


    ¡°I may not understand much, but I do know that short videos are all the rage right now. When I¡¯m free, I¡¯ll also scroll through some short videos. If the guild has quality streamers, I think making money shouldn¡¯t be a problem,¡± Zhao Yulu shared her opinion.


    ¡°Heroes think alike. Just a couple of days ago, I was in touch with a small guild. The only issue is that their asking price is a bit steep, five million, and they won¡¯t budge an inch. I¡¯m nning to leave them hanging for a while, wait until they are truly out of options, then invest. I¡¯m certain I can secure it for the lowest price possible,¡± Chen Guanglei said with a smile.


    ¡°Well, I wish you sess,¡± Zhao Yulu said.


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever persuaded my dad to invest. There won¡¯t be any issues. The trend for short videos is already set, now is the perfect time to get in, making money is almost unavoidable,¡± Chen Guanglei said, brimming with confidence.


    ¡­


    The following afternoon.


    Xu Yang arrived at the Old Tree Cafe on Overlord Street to meet with Xiao Dongsheng.<div>


    Xiao Dongsheng was a man in his early thirties, dressed in a smart suit, but his face wore signs of obvious fatigue.


    ¡°Mr. Xu, the guild¡¯s asking price for a full acquisition is five million. If you¡¯re willing to ept, we can continue the negotiations. If not, there¡¯s no point in further discussion,¡± Xiao Dongsheng said bluntly.


    Lately, he had received numerous phone calls and met with several people.


    Things started off well, but as soon as the acquisition price of five million was mentioned, they would be unhappy and attempt to aggressively lower the price.


    Especially two days ago, a second-generation rich kid with the surname Chen even said he¡¯d only take the guild for two million, devaluing itpletely, which angered him to the point of almost getting into a physical altercation.


    ¡°The price is fine,¡± Xu Yang said with a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s move on to the other details, shall we?¡±


    After all, the Fengcai Guild would be Douyin¡¯srgest, and it would make a lot of money in the future.


    Five million was nothing. He had already closed his futures positions this morning and taken out five million, amassing a total of eight million in cash, ready for the acquisition today.


    He wanted to seal the deal swiftly to avoid anyplications from arising if he dyed.


    If someone else got there first, that would be unfortunate.


    Relief washed over Xiao Dongsheng upon hearing this.


    If Mr. Xu had not agreed, he would have had to keep waiting.<div>


    Debt was currently weighing him down to the point where he was nearly out of breath.


    He had borrowed a lot of money to keep the guild running.


    Getting his hands on five million to pay off his debts wouldn¡¯t leave him with much.


    This was one of the reasons why he stood firm on the five million acquisition price.


    If he couldn¡¯t even cover his debts, he¡¯d rather let things fall apart.


    Thankfully, after so many days, he finally met someone who could meet his price requirement.


    In matters like this, as long as the price was agreed upon, everything else was usually minor.


    Xiao Dongsheng said, ¡°Mr. Xu, your offer satisfies me, so I have nothing else to add. Ask any questions you have. You¡¯ve met my requirements; now let¡¯s see if my guild meets yours.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Mr. Xiao, you really are straightforward. My first condition for acquiring your guild is that you continue as the president. Any issues with that?¡±


    ording to the information provided by the system, the Fengcai Guild became Douyin¡¯s top guild under Xiao Dongsheng¡¯s leadership.


    Without a doubt, Xiao Dongsheng was an exceptionally talented individual, and it was essential to retain him.


    Xiao Dongsheng was taken aback, ¡°Mr. Xu, you n to have me continue managing the guild?¡±<div>


    Truth be told, Xiao Dongsheng was surprised by Xu Yang¡¯s offer to keep him.


    Normally, buyers only retain mid- and lower-level employees, and maybe a few senior ones, but they usually rece the top manager with their own trusted people to better control the guild.


    He had not expected Xu Yang to make such a request.

 Chapter 48: 48 Successful Acquisition of the Guild

    Chapter 48: Sessful Acquisition of the Guild


    ¡°`


    ¡°Yes,¡± Xu Yang nodded, ¡°I think you are a rare management talent, and under your leadership, the guild is bound to make great strides.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate Mr. Xu Yang¡¯s trust and affirmation,¡± Xiao Dongsheng said, ¡°Mr. Xu, you¡¯ve invited me to remain as the president of the guild, for which I am truly grateful. However, I wonder what terms you¡¯re offering?¡±


    Although Xu Yang¡¯s appreciation excited him.


    But to stay on, it all depended on the remuneration Xu Yang was offering.


    If the offer met his expectations, he would naturally stay.


    If it didn¡¯t, he would naturally leave.


    Even though he had feelings for Fengcai Guild, he had a wife and children to support; he couldn¡¯t ignore them just for sentiment.


    ¡°A monthly sry of fifty thousand, and twenty percent of the shares, but these twenty percent shares are only valid while you are employed by thepany. If you leave thepany, they will automatically be void. What do you think?¡± Xu Yang made his offer.


    ¡°What!¡± Xiao Dongsheng was stunned, almost doubting his ears.


    ¡°What, you¡¯re not satisfied with this offer?¡± Xu Yang¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly.<div>


    He had done his homework; a monthly sry of fifty thousand for a small guild¡¯s president was definitely a high sry.


    The key was offering Xiao Dongsheng twenty percent of the guild¡¯s shares, something unprecedented.


    This offer was made to ensure Xiao Dongsheng¡¯s loyalty.


    If this couldn¡¯t satisfy Xiao Dongsheng, then Xu Yang would have to consider whether to keep him or not.


    Although the system had said that it was Xiao Dongsheng¡¯s management that made Fengcai Guild thergest on Douyin.


    That was before he had gotten involved.


    With a list of future inte celebrities provided by the system, signing those celebrities to the guild would ensure its development wouldn¡¯t falter.


    And hiring a capable president wouldn¡¯t be difficult.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Xiao Dongsheng hastily shook his head, ¡°Mr. Xu, the terms you¡¯ve offered are too generous, they¡¯ve taken me by surprise. I never expected to receive such a high sry, and most importantly, you¡¯re willing to give me twenty percent of the shares, which is unbelievable.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Xu Yang realized, ¡°So you ept?¡±


    Xiao Dongsheng nodded repeatedly: ¡°ept, of course I ept. With such great terms, I¡¯d be a fool not to. You¡¯re offering me twenty percent of the shares, I¡¯m effectively a shareholder of the guild. Rest assured, I¡¯ll definitely manage the guild well. Actually, I have feelings for the guild too; after all, I founded it. With such favorable terms from you, I will work hard to manage the guild well and repay your recognition.¡±


    Xu Yang smiled faintly: ¡°I believe in you, and I¡¯m confident that under your leadership, Fengcai Guild will be Douyin¡¯s top guild.¡±


    What followed was the contract signing.


    Xu Yang and Xiao Dongsheng went back to thepany, which was a ten-minute walk from the Old Tree Caf¨¦.


    Xu Yang made a call to Zhao Yuxin¡¯s cousin Zhao Yuqing, the ountant, to audit Fengcai Guild¡¯s finances.


    Through Zhao Yuqing, he also brought in awyer to draft the acquisition contract.


    By five in the afternoon, both parties had signed the contract.


    Xu Yang immediately transferred five million to Xiao Dongsheng.


    From there on, Xu Yang became the owner of Fengcai Guild, holding eighty percent of the shares.<div>


    Xiao Dongsheng was both a shareholder and the president of the Guild, holding twenty percent of the shares.


    After signing the contract, Xu Yang intended to invite Zhao Yuqing for a meal, but Zhao Yuqing already had ns, so it didn¡¯t happen. After a brief exchange of words, Zhao Yuqing left.


    In the meantime, Xu Yang learned about the situation of Fengcai Guild.


    He had only gathered some information about Fengcai Guild the day before, which was notprehensive.<div>


    ¡°`


    Some matters needed to be understood from Xiao Dongsheng.


    The Fengcai Guild had sixteen streamers, among which three had over a million fans, five had from five hundred thousand to a million fans, and the remaining eight streamers had fewer than five hundred thousand fans each.


    Additionally, there were staff from various departments, totaling eight people.


    In other words, adding up all the members of the guild, including Xiao Dongsheng the chairman, there were twenty-five people in total.


    Xu Yang had Xiao Dongsheng gather all the staff for a meeting in the conference room.


    After Xiao Dongsheng introduced Xu Yang, everyone knew that Xu Yang was the new boss.


    Learning that Xiao Dongsheng would continue as chairman, they were all very happy.


    After all, they had deep affection for Xiao Dongsheng. A big reason they continued to stay with the guild through tough times was because of him.


    Xu Yang only made two points, the first was that everyone would eat dinner together that evening, and the second was a thirty percent sry increase for all staff.


    These two points won rounds of cheers from the staff.


    The dinner was secondary, but a thirty percent pay raise was truly exciting.


    Initially, they had thought that it would be good enough if the new boss didn¡¯t cut sries, and they had been content with the idea of just maintaining the status quo.<div>


    Unexpectedly, the new boss was so generous as to give an immediate thirty percent raise.


    That was definitely a grand gesture.


    It also made everyone realize Xu Yang¡¯s generosity and financial strength.


    Working for a boss like that definitely had a promising future.


    During the dinner, the atmosphere was quite good, and people frequently toasted Xu Yang.


    After drinking a fair amount, everyone dispersed.


    Originally, Xu Yang had called Zhao Yuxin to exin the situation and invited her to join the dinner, nning to introduce her to everyone.


    Zhao Yuxin said it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for her to go, so she didn¡¯t attend. Instead, she went to her father¡¯s restaurant for dinner.


    Xu Yang found a designated driver to drive him home.


    The driver hesitated upon seeing it was a Rolls-Royce Cullinan.


    Xu Yang promised that it was okay to drive it, even if it got bumped, the driver wouldn¡¯t have to pay for any damages, which made the driver agree.


    When he got home, Zhao Yuxin had just returned as well. Seeing Xu Yang reeking of alcohol, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit sorry for him, ¡°Why did you have to drink so much?¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Today was the firstpany I¡¯ve invested in. I was feeling happy, so I drank a bit more. Plus, the staff were so enthusiastic that it felt inappropriate to not drink.¡±<div>


    Zhao Yuxin said, ¡°You, you still haven¡¯t transitioned into your new role. You¡¯re the boss. You don¡¯t need to drink so much when employees toast to you¡ªjust a nod would be enough.¡±


    Xu Yang suddenly realized, ¡°Oh right, how did I forget about that? I didn¡¯t think about it at the time, no experience. I¡¯ll pay attention to that in the future.¡±


    At the time, he truly hadn¡¯t realized that.


    Whenever staff came to toast him, he drank.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s not that you didn¡¯t realize it, but that you couldn¡¯t control yourself when the pretty female streamers toasted you,¡± said Zhao Yuxin with a smile on her face and a dangerous glint in her eyes.


    ¡°How could that be possible!¡± Xu Yang saw Zhao Yuxin¡¯s smile and the look in her eyes, and he sobered up a great deal. He took her into his arms, ¡°Those female streamers aren¡¯t as pretty as you. How could I possibly lose control?¡±


    Zhao Yuxin pouted, ¡°So you¡¯re saying, if there was someone prettier than me, then you couldn¡¯t control yourself?¡±

 Chapter 49: 49 Auction

    Chapter 49: Auction


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Xu Yang hesitated, quickly trying to save himself, ¡°In my eyes, you are the most beautiful, no other woman is as beautiful as you; any woman pales inparison to you, I just can¡¯t control myself around you.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin hummed, ¡°Consider yourself passed.¡±


    ¡°Wife, I can¡¯t control myself now.¡± Xu Yang started to move his mouth and his hands and feet, nning to get it on right there on the sofa.


    ¡°Um, husband, you reek of alcohol, why don¡¯t you take a bath first?¡± Zhao Yuxin struggled a bit.


    ¡°I want to experience what it¡¯s like to be out of control after drinking, no bath for now.¡± Xu Yang did not stop his movements.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go back to the room first.¡± Zhao Yuxin suggested again.


    ¡°No need, here is pretty good.¡± Xu Yang continued unabated.


    Soon, Zhao Yuxin stopped struggling and waspletely overrun.


    ¡­


    In the blink of an eye, it was time for the auction.


    Tang Zhengqi called Xu Yang to ask if he wanted to attend the auction.<div>


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been to an auction before, I want to check it out.¡± Xu Yang was indeed interested in seeing it for himself.


    The auction was scheduled for Saturday afternoon.


    Zhao Yuxin happened to be on duty, so she didn¡¯t go with him.


    When Xu Yang arrived at the auction house, Tang Zhengqi personally greeted him at the door.


    Seeing this scene, many people were very surprised.


    ¡°Who is this guy, to have Tang, the chairman, personally wee him?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, he¡¯s so young, probably some rich second-generation.¡±


    ¡°Definitely, otherwise how could he be worthy of President Tang¡¯s wee.¡±


    You should know that Tang Zhengqi is not only the vice-president of the Jiang City Antiques Association but also a shareholder of the auction house, and a famous antiques expert.


    The fact that Tang Zhengqi personally weed a young man at the door was truly shocking to everyone there.


    Many people inquired about Xu Yang¡¯s background.


    However, after asking around, no one recognized him or knew any details.


    They could only guess that Xu Yang might be the scion of some invisible wealthy family.


    Entering the auction house, they headed to the auction hall.


    Tang Zhengqi apanied Xu Yang as they waited for the auction to begin.


    ¡°Brother Xu, your ring is the finale of today¡¯s auction,¡± Tang Zhengqi said. ¡°There are many antiques collectors here today just for that ring. It¡¯s almost certain to be auctioned off for over a hundred million.¡±


    ¡°Then thank you all,¡± Xu Yang was very pleased.


    A hundred million.


    In the past, he wouldn¡¯t even dare to think about it.<div>


    But now, he was about to receive it.


    With this hundred million, he could sign those future inte celebrities to his guild.


    He hadn¡¯t let Xiao Dongsheng take action recently because of ack of funds.


    Most of these inte celebrities were already signed with guilds, with only a very small number being unsigned.<div>


    For those who had signed with guilds, even if those streamers were not yet famous or even unknown, extracting them would still require a significant breach of contract fee.


    With a hundred million, there would be no problem.


    ¡°Brother Xu, you¡¯re too modest,¡± Tang Zhengqi replied. ¡°Having the ring auctioned at our auction house is something I should be thanking you for.¡±


    ¡°Look around, the auction hall is full, all thanks to that ring,¡± he added.


    ¡°Many people are here for the ring; even if some don¡¯t have the money to bid, they still want to witness its true glory.¡±


    What Tang Zhengqi said was true.


    Ever since the news of the ring¡¯s auction spread, it had caused a huge stir in the antiques world.


    Many antiques experts had called the auction house to confirm the news.


    Once confirmed, he immediately indicated that he would attend the auction.


    Those with money to bid and those without, all came to participate.


    This undoubtedly greatly enhanced the reputation of the auction house.


    It was an intangible asset, filling many people with anticipation towards the auction house.


    Many people would think, if they could acquire such good items this time, would they be able to get simr treasures next time.<div>


    Xu Yang looked around, and indeed, the auction hall was almost full.


    Moreover, one could hear that many conversations were about the finger guard.


    ¡°Young Xu, if you have items in the future, remember to consider your brother. Bring them to our auction house, I owe you one. If there¡¯s anything you need me to do in the future, as long as I can do it, I will not hesitate,¡± Tang Zhengqi said.


    Since the finger guard was procured by him for the auction house, it made his importance there all the more significant.


    Therefore, he needed to maintain a good rtionship with Xu Yang, hoping that Xu Yang would bring more good items to the auction house in the future.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Brother Tang, if I have more good items, I will definitely bring them to your auction house to be auctioned,¡± Xu Yang said with a smile.


    He got along quite well with Tang Zhengqi, and making a friend like him was also very good.


    Anyway, if he had good items, auctioning them off anywhere was just an auction, so it was of course good to have them auctioned off at Tang Zhengqi¡¯s.


    However, he was not a professional in this field after all, and it was inevitable that he would not frequently have good items.


    ¡°With your word, I can rest assured,¡± Tang Zhengqi said.


    The two of them were chatting when the auction began.


    The auctioneer said a bunch of opening remarks before starting the auction of items.


    As item after item was brought up, the atmosphere in the venue gradually warmed up.<div>


    This kind of atmosphere was something Xu Yang had never experienced; it felt quite good and was a learning experience for him too.


    ¡°Young Xu, if you see anything that you can bid for, whether you bring items for us to auction or bid for items yourself, our auction house will offer you a discount,¡± Tang Zhengqi said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have a look first. If I see something I¡¯m interested in, I¡¯ll make a bid,¡± Xu Yang nodded and said.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    As they were chatting, a painting being auctioned caught Xu Yang¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Young Xu, are you interested in this painting?¡± Tang Zhengqi asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite interesting,¡± Xu Yang remarked, a smile gracing the corner of his mouth.


    ¡°Young Xu, but this is just a work of a modern painter,¡± Tang Zhengqi said, somewhat puzzled.


    He couldn¡¯t understand why Xu Yang would be interested in such a work.


    ¡°I know, but even though it¡¯s a modern piece, the craftsmanship is quite good. I¡¯m thinking of bidding on it,¡± Xu Yang said, grinning.


    ¡°Really?¡± Tang Zhengqi expressed doubt.


    Xu Yang¡¯s attitude made him wonder if there was something special about this painting.


    But he then promptly dismissed the thought.<div>


    One must know that these items were appraised by several auctioneers of the auction house collectively.


    Even he had looked at it himself.


    All of them had not identified any issue, so there should be no problem.


    Xu Yang stopped talking because the starting price of the painting was two hundred thousand. Someone had bid one million, and the auctioneer had called it twice and was about to bring down the hammer.


    ¡°One million one hundred thousand!¡± Xu Yang shouted.


    ¡°One million one hundred thousand, this gentleman bids one million one hundred thousand. Is there anyone else raising the bid?¡± the auctioneer said.


    The person who had bid one million looked at Xu Yang, shook his head, and did not raise the bid.


    The auctioneer called out twice more and, finding no one else was raising the bid, brought down the hammer, ¡°Congrattions to this gentleman on winning the ¡®Rivers and Mountains Scroll¡¯!¡±


    Xu Yang¡¯s smile grew even more pronounced.


    Now, Tang Zhengqi became somewhat uncertain and asked, ¡°Young Xu, is there something special about this painting?¡±

 Chapter 50: 50: Two Hundred Million Credited

    Chapter 50: Two Hundred Million Credited


    Xu Yang smiled and nodded, ¡°Indeed it is significant.¡±


    Tang Zhengqi felt a jolt in his heart, ¡°What¡¯s so significant? I looked at it at the time, and I didn¡¯t see any problem.¡±


    Xu Yang smiled, ¡°Old Brother Tang, wait until the auction is over and then we can have a look, then we¡¯ll know if there¡¯s anything significant.¡±


    Tang Zhengqi resignedly said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s talk about it after the auction.¡±


    The auction continued.


    An hourter, the auctioneer said, ¡°Next, we will auction thest lot of this auction. This is a blood-red thumb ring. After appraisal¡­¡±


    The auctioneer briefly introduced the thumb ring.


    Instantly, a sensation stirred in the auction hall.


    ¡°Finally, it¡¯s time for this thumb ring.¡±


    ¡°I came specifically for this thumb ring.¡±<div>


    ¡°This thumb ring is mine, no one elsepetes with me.¡±


    ¡°Just because you say it¡¯s yours doesn¡¯t make it yours. I say it¡¯s mine.¡±


    ¡°All this talk is useless, whoever bids the highest gets it.¡±


    ¡°We folks can onlye to enjoy the spectacle.¡±


    ¡°The final price for this thumb ring will be at least over a hundred million.¡±


    ¡°With so many tycoons from the antiques world present, I think it could even reach two hundred million.¡±


    ¡°Hiss¡­ No way? The thumb ring is valuable, but it can¡¯t be worth that much, can it?¡±


    ¡°Hmph, what do you mean no way? It doesn¡¯t matter to these collecting tycoons whether it¡¯s one hundred million or two hundred million, it¡¯s all the same to them.¡±


    ¡°The significance of this thumb ring is extraordinary. Whoever acquires it will count it a great fortune in their life.¡±


    ¡°A hundred million, two hundred million ¡ª it¡¯s none of our business, we¡¯re just here to watch the excitement.¡±


    The crowd burst into a cacophony ofments.


    The auctioneer said, ¡°The thumb ring starts at ten million, with each bid not to be less than one million. Let the bidding begin!¡±


    No sooner had he spoken than someone called out a bid.


    ¡°Twenty million!¡±


    ¡°Fifty million!¡±


    ¡°Eighty million!¡±


    ¡°One hundred million!¡±


    ¡°One hundred and ten million!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±<div>


    As the bidding began, the prices skyrocketed.


    It wasn¡¯t until it reached a hundred million that the pace began to slow down.


    Although ¡®slowed down¡¯ is rtive, it was still increasing by ten million each time.


    Soon the price had risen to a hundred and fifty million.<div>


    ¡°Hiss¡­ This is terrifying!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already a hundred and fifty million now, it really could reach two hundred million!¡±


    ¡°I told you so, you didn¡¯t believe me, but now you do.¡±


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯te to this auction, I would never have witnessed such a spectacle.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen an event like this in a long time, it reminds me of a few years ago at an auction in the capital city, where a painting by Yan Liben was sold, that was thest time I saw anything like this.¡±


    The crowd was shocked by the price, all inhaling sharply.


    At this price, only a few people were still bidding.


    ¡°A hundred and sixty million! This thumb ring is mine!¡± dered an elder in Tang attire.


    ¡°One hundred and seventy million! Old Guo, can¡¯t you just let me have it? If I can collect this thumb ring, I won¡¯t make another bid in future auctions, please grant me this wish,¡± pleaded an elder with white hair.


    ¡°One hundred and eighty million, that¡¯s my final offer. If any of you bid higher, I won¡¯tpete anymore,¡± said an elder in gray.


    ¡°One hundred and ny million, this is also myst bid. If any of you want it, just make another offer,¡± stated an elder with a horse-like face.


    In the end, it was only the elders who were still bidding.


    Only these elders were willing to spend the money for such items.<div>


    Of course, even though they were not short of money, they wouldn¡¯t bid endlessly.


    This ring, after all, had its price.


    At this point, it had far exceeded its rightful value.


    Bidding further just wouldn¡¯t be worth it.


    After all, it was still money, and not a small amount at that.


    Rich as they were, they still wouldn¡¯t throw money away.


    In the end, the ring sold for two hundred million to the man in traditional attire.


    With that, the auction came to a perfect close.


    ¡°Two hundred million, I didn¡¯t see thating. I thought it would only fetch one hundred million,¡± Tang Zhengqi was also shocked.


    These old fellows attending the auction really had extraordinary means.


    ¡°Hehe, so great,¡± Xu Yang¡¯s smile almost reached his ears.


    The auction house took a three percentmission, which was six million.


    He was able to pocket one hundred ny-four million.<div>


    After deducting the painting he bid on earlier for one million one hundred thousand, the amount was one hundred ny-two million nine hundred thousand.


    This bargain was truly huge.


    It gave him even more confidence in his venture to scout future online celebrities.


    Xu Yang and Tang Zhengqi went backstage.


    After receiving the money, he got the Rivers and Mountains Scroll he had bid on.


    Tang Zhengqi brought Xu Yang to a room, wanting him to point out what was special about the Rivers and Mountains Scroll.


    Xu Yangid the painting on the table and unfolded it.


    Then, he poured a cup of hot water directly onto the painting.


    ¡°Xu brother, what are you doing?¡± Tang Zhengqi was startled and his face showed deep confusion.


    Xu Yang smiled, said nothing, and proceeded to tear off the wet paper on top of the painting.


    Immediately, they saw another painting beneath it.


    ¡°Hiss¡­ this is Huang Gongwang¡¯s Quiet and Secluded Tower by the Water!¡± Upon seeing the painting, Tang Zhengqi couldn¡¯t help but exim in awe.


    He had not expected that this was a painting within a painting, with a modern work on top, and a hidden authentic piece beneath it.<div>


    ¡°Xu brother, how did you discover this painting within a painting?¡± Right after, Tang Zhengqi was full of confusion.


    Xu Yang was only watching from below the stage, without having gone up to see it closely, let alone used any instruments to identify it.


    Yet, he managed to discover this painting within a painting, which was truly baffling.


    ¡°I just felt that something about this painting wasn¡¯t quite right, suspecting there could be another painting underneath, so I bought it. It turned out to be just as I had guessed,¡± Xu Yang said vaguely.


    This matter, hard to exin, was better left unsaid.


    ¡°Xu brother, that reason isn¡¯t very convincing,¡± Tang Zhengqi said with a wry smile, shaking his head.


    However, he didn¡¯t press on.


    Since he had asked and Xu Yang didn¡¯t want to talk about it, it would be somewhat tactless to keep questioning.


    ¡°Xu brother, I really like Huang Gongwang¡¯s work. If you sell me this painting, I¡¯ll pay twenty million right away. Of course, you could also auction it. If it goes well, it should fetch around twenty-five million, but the next auction isn¡¯t until the fifteenth of next month,¡± Tang Zhengqi said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just sell it to you, I don¡¯t want to wait,¡± Xu Yang replied.


    He needed money now, and though he already had almost two hundred million, the more the better. The more money he had, the faster he could sign on more inte celebrities.


    ¡°Then, thank you so much,¡± Tang Zhengqi said joyfully.


    He could either keep the painting for his collection or have the auction house sell it, where it was sure to make a profit of several millions.


    ¡°No need for such formality, Tang brother. I should be thanking you. If you hadn¡¯t invited me to the auction, how could I have discovered this painting,¡± Xu Yang said with a smile.


    ¡°Xu brother, that¡¯s different. Still, I¡¯ll say it again, if you need anything in the future that I can help with, I won¡¯t hesitate,¡± Tang Zhengqi promised once more.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be counting on you then, Tang brother,¡± Xu Yang said with a smile.


    Afterward, Tang Zhengqi transferred twenty million to Xu Yang.


    From this trip, Xu Yang pocketed over two hundred million and was naturally brimming with satisfaction and joy.


    After chatting for a while longer, Xu Yang said his goodbyes and left.

 Chapter 51: 51: You Really Have the Guts

    Chapter 51: You Really Have the Guts


    Monday.


    Xu Yang arrived at thepany and entered Xiao Dongsheng¡¯s office, handing over the list of future web celebrities to him.


    ¡°Old Xiao, here is the list of anchors with great potential I¡¯ve found over the past month and a half. Sign them all.¡±


    ¡°Once they are signed, just have them do live streaming and shoot short videos ording to the n above.¡±


    This was not merely a list, but also a professional n.


    Xiao Dongsheng looked at the list and n, his face full of shock.


    With his insight, he could naturally judge that, barring unexpected events, there was a high probability these anchors would be famous.


    It could be said that this list and n, if released, would definitely make all the major guilds scramble for it.


    Xiao Dongsheng couldn¡¯t help but inwardly admire his boss¡¯s prowess.


    It seemed the young boss didn¡¯t buy the guild just for fun, but had a long-term n.<div>


    Otherwise, why would he spend over a month searching for potential anchors?


    ¡°President Xu, signing these anchors is certainly no problem.¡±


    ¡°Among them, I don¡¯t see many popr anchors; most are only somewhat famous, and some I haven¡¯t even heard of.¡±


    ¡°Even so, for many anchors that have signed with guilds, we¡¯ll need to pay a substantial penalty to poach them.¡±


    ¡°Currently, thepany¡¯s funds can only maintain the basic operation of the guild; we don¡¯t have any surplus money.¡±


    Xiao Dongsheng knew thepany was short on funds.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that; I¡¯ll immediately transfer one hundred million into thepany¡¯s ount. If that¡¯s not enough, let me know. In any case, I want you to sign these anchors at the fastest speed possible for our guild. The terms should be the same as those for our existing anchors; you can handle the specifics.¡±


    Xu Yang promptly operated hisptop and transferred one hundred million into thepany¡¯s financial ount.


    Xiao Dongsheng¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    The boss was really going for it with such a substantial initial move. It looked like he was gearing up for a big battle.


    He quickly said, ¡°President Xu, rest assured, I will handle this as quickly as possible. With the signing of so many anchors, we need to ensure our support staff can keep up; we¡¯ll need to hire more people.¡±


    Xu Yang nodded, ¡°That¡¯s not a problem. Just start the recruitment process. In short, as long as you do a good job, don¡¯t worry about spending money. By doing things right, we can earn much more.¡±


    Xiao Dongsheng replied, ¡°Understood.¡±


    Xu Yang added, ¡°Oh, regarding the anchor named Lin Junyi on the list, you don¡¯t have to worry about him. I¡¯ll invite him personally.¡±


    Xiao Dongsheng checked the list and noticed a food anchor. He wondered who this person was, to merit a personal invitation from President Xu himself.


    However, he did not ask and simply nodded, ¡°Understood.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Old Xiao, I¡¯m counting on you for whates next. I know your job is tough. If you encounter any difficulties, just let me know, and I¡¯ll solve them for you.¡±


    Xiao Dongsheng replied, ¡°President Xu, it¡¯s not about whether the job is tough or not; it¡¯s my duty.¡±


    Xu Yang smiled and didn¡¯t say anything else before getting up to leave.<div>


    He was the type to delegate responsibilities. He wouldn¡¯t intervene in the specifics and didn¡¯t wish to.


    Today, he came just to deliver the list and n.


    After leaving thepany, Xu Yang drove home.


    Once home, he dialed Lin Junyi¡¯s phone number.<div>


    The call connected quickly.


    Xu Yang immediately said, ¡°Junyi, what are you busy with?¡±


    Lin Junyi replied, ¡°I¡¯m out ying. There¡¯s a big outdoor event in the southern district today, and I¡¯m doing live streaming here.¡±


    He was spending a lot of effort on live streaming and shooting short videos.


    He found this kind of life to be very interesting.


    Anyway, he was no longer short of money now, just in pursuit of an interesting life.


    Even his ownpany, he handed over to the vice president to manage.


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Do you have time tonight? If you do, Yu Xin and I would like to treat you to dinner.¡±


    Lin Junyi replied, ¡°I have time, this event ends at four in the afternoon, and I¡¯ll head back after it¡¯s over.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll send you the time and addresster, see you tonight.¡±


    Lin Junyi replied, ¡°Alright, see you tonight.¡±


    ¡­


    In the evening, Xu Yang took a taxi to the bank where Zhao Yuxin worked, waited for her to finish work, and then they both rode in a Maserati to the restaurant they had booked.<div>


    It was an upscale restaurant with a minimum per capita consumption of three thousand yuan.


    Inviting Lin Junyi to dinner naturally couldn¡¯t be shabby.


    Moreover, this time they wanted to persuade Lin Junyi to sign with their guild.


    The two arrived at the restaurant¡¯s private room, and it wasn¡¯t long before Lin Junyi also arrived.


    After a few rounds of drinks and a variety of dishes


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Junyi, I invited you to dinner today because I have something I want to discuss with you.¡±


    As Lin Junyi ate, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Xu Yang began, ¡°Junyi, here¡¯s the thing, I¡¯ve acquired a live streaming guild¡­¡±


    Before Xu Yang could finish, Lin Junyi interrupted in shock, ¡°What, you acquired a live streaming guild!¡±


    Xu Yang nodded smilingly, ¡°Yes, I took your advice. The short video field is promising, so I did some research. I figured live streaming or shooting short videos isn¡¯t really my thing, so I decided to acquire a guild, to enter the short video domain and make money that way.¡±


    Lin Junyi sighed, ¡°Xu Yang, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so bold. I¡¯m just a streamer, and you¡¯ve be the boss of a live streaming guild.¡±


    Xu Yang¡¯s action truly amazed him.


    Of course, he had thought about it himself, but hadn¡¯t actually gone through with it.<div>


    He had his ownpany and didn¡¯t need to run any guilds.


    His main reasons for getting into short videos were that he found them fun and profitable.


    After all, he was already a billionaire. If he just wanted to make money, it would be better to continue expanding and strengthening his ownpany.


    With a smile, Xu Yang said, ¡°Junyi, now that you¡¯re doing outdoor live streaming and short video shooting, are you signed with any guild?¡±


    Lin Junyi shook his head, ¡°No, I¡¯m just doing it for fun; I haven¡¯t signed with any guild.¡±


    Suddenly, he seemed to understand and with a raised eyebrow, he asked with a smile, ¡°What, are you looking to sign me up?¡±


    Xu Yang nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right, I hope you will sign with my guild.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin added her support, ¡°Junyi, just sign with Xu Yang¡¯spany, consider it a favor to help Xu Yang, alright?¡±


    Xu Yang continued, ¡°Junyi, rest assured, if you sign with the guild, I will give you the highest revenue share.¡±


    Lin Junyi initially didn¡¯t want to sign with any guild and just wanted to have fun on his own, but since both of them had made such a request, Lin Junyi couldn¡¯t help but consider it.


    After a moment of silence, Lin Junyi finally nodded and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll sign with your guild.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Junyi!¡±


    ¡°Junyi, we toast to you, thank you for your support,¡± Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin raised their sses.<div>


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so formal. Given our rtionship, what¡¯s all this talk about signing? I¡¯m just ying with short videos, and whether I sign or not doesn¡¯t really matter to me. Since it¡¯s your guild, I naturally want to support you,¡± Lin Junyi raised his ss in response.


    The three of them drank the wine in their sses in one go.


    Putting down the sses, Xu Yang asked, ¡°Honestly, Junyi, what do you think of your live streams and short videos?¡±

 Chapter 52: 52: Waiting to Become Famous

    Chapter 52: Waiting to Be Famous


    Lin Junyi was taken aback, then smiled bitterly, ¡°Xu Yang, to be honest, not so great. I¡¯ve been thinkingtely about switching to a different type of content. I feel like outdoor live streaming isn¡¯t quite cutting it. It was novel at first, and I had a fair number of viewers, but it seems very difficult to take it to the next level.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Junyi, I¡¯ve watched your live streams and short videos and have some thoughts of my own. I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯d like to hear them.¡±


    Lin Junyi was intrigued, ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°I think when you do outdoor live streaming, youck your own unique ir. Compared to other hosts, it¡¯s all pretty simr. But I feel that food-rted content would suit you much better.¡±


    Lin Junyi was startled, ¡°A food vlogger?¡±


    Xu Yang nodded, ¡°Yes. We¡¯ve eaten together a few times, and many of the things you say during meals are quite amusing, including yourments on the food as well as your views on the environment and service. You say it all in such a humorous and witty way that it¡¯s very entertaining. I have no doubt that you would make an excellent food exploration live streamer.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin chimed in, ¡°Junyi, I also think you would be more suitable as a food vlogger than an outdoor live streamer. ying and having fun outside doesn¡¯t really fit you. Eating and drinking suit you better.¡±


    Lin Junyi¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°I¡¯ve only recently begun entertaining this idea and haven¡¯t nned it out yet. Since both of you are suggesting this, I¡¯ll give it a try.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Junyi, then you shoulde and sign with mypany tomorrow. I¡¯ll have someone help you shoot an exploration video to start with short clips, and once you get the hang of it, you can move on to live streaming.¡±


    Lin Junyi nodded, ¡°No problem.¡±<div>


    With the matter settled, all three were happy.


    Xu Yang got Lin Junyi to sign up, and Lin Junyi found a new direction.


    If it hadn¡¯t been for Xu Yang¡¯s conversation, Lin Junyi might not have made such a decisive decision, and might have continued to hesitate, keeping his live streaming and short videos lukewarm in the outdoor entertainment niche.


    Xu Yang said, ¡°I¡¯ll send you thepany¡¯s address. Let¡¯s meet at the office tomorrow morning at nine.¡±


    Lin Junyi replied, ¡°No problem.¡±


    ¡­


    The next day.


    Xu Yang and Lin Junyi met at thepany.


    Xu Yang introduced Lin Junyi to Xiao Dongsheng and asked Xiao to arrange for Lin to sign the contract.


    Just over half an hourter, they finished the signing.


    Xu Yang then had Xiao Dongsheng organize the shooting team.


    By almost eleven, Xu Yang and Lin Junyi, along with the team, went to a restaurant to shoot the video.


    The restaurant had already been contacted, and the shooting team was prepared.


    After shooting the scene once, Xu Yang felt unsatisfied, ¡°Junyi, you¡¯re trying too hard. Just do what you usually do when you go to a restaurant.¡±


    Lin Junyi watched the video and also noticed the issue, nodding, ¡°Let¡¯s do it again.¡±


    The restaurant staff were fully cooperative and served the tea and dishes again.


    After more than half an hour, they finished reshooting.


    Xu Yang nodded with satisfaction, ¡°This time it¡¯s good. It¡¯s very natural and not forced. After editing, this video is sure to attract quite a bit of attention.¡±


    This was exactly what the system had said. When Lin Junyi transformed into a food vlogger, the first video he shot was in this restaurant, which was pretty much the same.<div>


    After release, it enjoyed a small burst of poprity.


    After that, it was unstoppable, eventually turning him into a superstar on the inte.


    Lin Junyiughed, ¡°Then I¡¯ll take your word for it as a good omen.¡±


    He had been live streaming and making short videos for quite some time without stirring up much of a ssh.<div>


    This made him doubt himself, which, for someone like him, was worse than losing money.


    What he needed now was a chance to prove himself.


    It was just a small issue with the location.


    After the shooting was finished, everyone returned to thepany.


    Xu Yang then instructed the editor to arrange the editing immediately.


    They edited ording to his requirements.


    An hourter, the editor hadpleted the editing.


    Xu Yang had Lin Junyi post it on Douyin.


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Junyi, now we just wait for the audience¡¯s reaction. Get ready to be famous.¡±


    Lin Junyiughed heartily, ¡°I am looking forward to it.¡±


    He was very satisfied with the video they had shot.


    Firstly, as a food and drink broadcaster, he felt no burden at all, quite happy, andpletely stress-free.


    Unlike being an entertainment broadcaster, which always felt like a lot of pressure, every live broadcast and video shoot felt likepleting a task assigned by others.<div>


    It¡¯s just that it wasn¡¯t something he truly wanted to do from the bottom of his heart; he just felt he could not give up halfway and had to keep going, which made him very ufortable.


    Being a food and drink broadcaster, there were none of these issues; he felt extremely happy, as if he were doing something he had always wanted to do and enjoyed doing.


    ¡­


    In the evening.


    Zhao Yulu and Chen Guanglei were dining together.


    Zhao Yulu looked somewhat upset, ¡°Chen Guanglei, you kept assuring me that investing in ckstone Tech would be profitable, even more than triple the return, but look at us now, not only are we not making money, we¡¯re about to lose everything!¡±


    It had been over half a month since she bought ckstone Tech stocks, and the price had risen by twenty percent.


    That was a significant increase.


    It made Zhao Yulu very happy, and she was quite grateful to Chen Guanglei.


    But today, after ckstone Tech unveiled new technology and had already hit the daily price increase limit.


    However, a tech mogul revealed that ckstone Tech¡¯s new technology wasn¡¯t actually new, but ¡°old wine in new bottles¡±; it was merely adding a few insignificant new features to the existing product.


    Moreover, the money that ckstone Tech should have invested in R&D was reported to have been used by the chairman to buy antique collectibles.


    As the news broke, there was an uproar.<div>


    The stock price of ckstone Tech dropped rapidly, and within fifteen minutes, it went from hitting the daily price increase limit to hitting the daily price drop limit.


    The fifteen-minute candlestick chart was terrifying.


    ckstone Tech was suspended from trading by the stock exchange, and after the market closed in the afternoon, ckstone Tech and the stock exchange jointly released an investigation report that confirmed the usations made by the tech mogul.


    Instantly, all shareholders who had bought ckstone Tech stocks panicked.


    Under these circumstances, today¡¯s limit-down was likely just the beginning of the downturn, and it would be difficult to sell the stockster on.


    Without the luck of an ancestral tomb emitting green smoke, they¡¯d probably be unable to sell at all.


    It was even possible that ckstone Tech could be delisted, and their investments would surely be washed away.


    Naturally, Zhao Yulu no longer showed Chen Guanglei a pleasant face.


    After all, she had borrowed money to invest in ckstone Tech¡¯s stocks based on Chen Guanglei¡¯s advice.


    Although it was ultimately her own decision, now that she had lost money, she wasn¡¯t concerned with these details.


    If it weren¡¯t for still needing Chen Guanglei¡¯s father¡¯s help to have the Southwest Business Association¡¯s special investment fund entrusted to the bank, she would have already turned against Chen Guanglei, demanding that hepensate her for the losses.

 Chapter 53: 53: The Advantages of Being a Second-Generation Rich

    Chapter 53: The Advantages of Being a Second-Generation Rich


    Chen Guanglei¡¯s face looked somewhat embarrassed, and he exined with an awkward smile, ¡°Yu Lu, I never thought things would turn out like this, this is purely a ck swan event¡ªwho would have thought that the boss of ckstone Tech could be such a bastard.¡±


    Zhao Yulu said, ¡°Now the money is definitely gone¡ªmy money was all borrowed, totaling three million. How am I supposed to pay that back? You lend me some money first, so I can pay it back.¡±


    Chen Guanglei said, ¡°Yu Lu, I don¡¯t have any money right now either, I¡¯ve also lost big this time, investing fifteen million, which was all my savings. My dad¡¯spany is in an even worse state, having invested several hundred million. My dad is in a bad mood, I don¡¯t even dare to ask him for money.¡±


    Zhao Yulu frowned and said, ¡°So what am I supposed to do now?¡±


    Chen Guanglei said, ¡°Don¡¯t panic, Yu Lu. Let¡¯s think of a solution together. You borrowed a total of three million, two million of which were from your sister. That two million shouldn¡¯t need to be repaid urgently, right?¡±


    He wanted to say that the two million shouldn¡¯t need to be repaid at all.


    But after thinking about it, he changed his phrasing.


    Zhao Yulu frowned and said, ¡°Even if I don¡¯t need to repay the two million urgently, there¡¯s still one million left.¡±


    The two million she wasn¡¯t in a hurry to repay, since Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin are wealthy, they wouldn¡¯t miss the two million.


    No matter what, she was still Zhao Yuxin¡¯s older sister. If she made a call and exined the situation to Zhao Yuxin, it should be okay¡ªYu Xin couldn¡¯t possibly force her to repay the money.<div>


    However, even if she called to exin, she didn¡¯t feel good about it.


    Initially, she had been adamant that ckstone Tech¡¯s stock would rise.


    Zhao Yuxin had mentioned, Xu Yang thought ckstone Tech was very likely to plummet.


    Yu Xin had also advised her not to buy it, but she didn¡¯t listen.


    Now, it turned out that Xu Yang was right.


    This was practically a p in her face.


    Chen Guanglei said, ¡°There¡¯s still that one million. I¡¯ll think of something during this period, there¡¯s definitely a solution.¡±


    Zhao Yulu said, ¡°You have already made many mistakes. Last time with gold futures, yourpany¡¯s analysts got it wrong. With antiques, you made a wrong appraisal yourself. You even missed a big loophole, and now with ckstone Tech, that¡¯s three mistakes in total. The most important thing is, Xu Yang was correct all three times.¡±


    At her words, Chen Guanglei¡¯splexion turned somewhat unsightly.


    In his view, Zhao Yuluparing him to Xu Yang was an insult.


    Xu Yang, what was he but a poor devil from a small county town?


    Whereas he was a local from River City, a second-generation rich with family assets worth several billions.


    What did it matter if Xu Yang made money in futures, or tens of millions in antiques, or if he was right about stocks?


    What right did Xu Yang have topare himself with him?


    Yet, he had been wrong in these incidents, while Xu Yang had been right, giving him no grounds for rebuttal.


    After a moment of silence, his expression returned to normal, and he forced an argument, ¡°Yu Lu, I admit I was wrong these times, but there were reasons. With futures and stocks, such ck swan events are unpredictable by anyone. Xu Yang getting it right was purely luck, like a blind cat running into a dead mouse. As for the matter of scoring a bargain, it¡¯s the same. He definitelycked the discernment, he just thought that painting looked nice and bought it, it just so happened that President Tang saw it. If it weren¡¯t for President Tang, he would never have known it was authentic.¡±


    Zhao Yulu didn¡¯t speak.


    Though Chen Guanglei was somewhat making excuses, there was some validity to his arguments.


    Besides, she and Xu Yang had been a couple for a few years.<div>


    She knew very well what kind of person Xu Yang was and what his capabilities were.


    If Xu Yang had such strong investment skills, he would have already made who knows how much money.


    If he had an ability to appreciate antiques even better than the antique shop owner, he would have probably found countless bargains by now.


    But in reality, Xu Yang just bought stocks a few times and then stopped.<div>


    As far as she knew, Xu Yang had never been to the antique street, nor did he have any ability to appreciate antiques.


    Chen Guanglei added, ¡°Yu Lu, things have alreadye to this, let¡¯s not think too much about it. Rest assured, I will definitely find a way to settle that one million loan for you. Let¡¯s talk about something cheerful.¡±


    Zhao Yulu replied coldly, ¡°What is there to be happy about now?¡±


    Chen Guanglei said with a smile, ¡°Yu Lu, it¡¯s about the ten billion special investment fund of the Southwest Business Association and the custody bank for the funds.¡±


    Zhao Yulu¡¯s expression rxed slightly, ¡°Is there a result? Didn¡¯t you say that your dad had tried to set up a meeting, but the person was too busy and there hasn¡¯t been a chance for a face-to-face meeting?¡±


    This matter was also very important.


    Every time she met with Chen Guanglei, he would update her on the situation.


    They had discussed it several times already. When they met two days ago, Chen Guanglei was still saying that his dad couldn¡¯t secure a meeting because the other party was very busy.


    Chen Guanglei said with augh, ¡°Indeed very busy, butst night, my dad finally managed to meet him. He met with the vice president of the Southwest Business Association and had dinner with him.¡±


    Zhao Yulu immediately asked, ¡°How did it go?¡±


    Chen Guanglei said proudly, ¡°With my dad involved, how could it not be settled? My dad told me that the vice president promised to do his utmost to facilitate this matter.¡±


    Zhao Yulu asked, ¡°How long will it take?¡±


    Chen Guanglei answered, ¡°That¡¯s not certain yet. Their special investment fund needs some time to fully get off the ground, and he also needs some time for his activities. Anyway, you don¡¯t have to worry. Since the vice president said so, there definitely won¡¯t be any issues.¡±<div>


    Zhao Yulu said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait for you to bring me good news.¡±


    Chen Guanglei said with a smile, ¡°Rest assured, it shouldn¡¯t be long before you hear the good news, and by then, you will be my girlfriend.¡±


    He had been fixated on this.


    As long as Zhao Yulu became his girlfriend, he could get her into bed at the earliest opportunity.


    After all, once they were in a rtionship, there was no need to be hesitant about such matters.


    Chen Guanglei went on, ¡°By the way, let¡¯s go watch a movieter. A new romance just came out, and it¡¯s pretty good.¡±


    Zhao Yulu shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m a bit tired. I want to go back and rest early.¡±


    With her current mood, she had no desire to watch a movie with Chen Guanglei.


    After all, she lost three million.


    Even with the news of a ten billion fund custodian bank, it wasn¡¯t enough to lift her spiritspletely, not until it became a reality.


    A touch of disappointment flickered through Chen Guanglei¡¯s eyes: ¡°Alright, then we¡¯ll find time for itter.¡±


    Under such circumstances, he couldn¡¯t insist.


    Having caused Zhao Yulu to lose three million, he felt somewhat guilty.<div>


    He knew that if it weren¡¯t for his ability to secure a ten billion deal for Zhao Yulu, she probably wouldn¡¯t even bother with him.


    As for this, Chen Guanglei didn¡¯t feel anything special.


    This was the advantage of being a wealthy second-generation heir like him.


    If it were someone like Xu Yang, a poor guy without money or connections, he would have probably been scolded by Zhao Yulu to no end by now.

 Chapter 54: 54 Yi Ge Becomes Popular

    Chapter 54: Yi Ge Bes Popr


    Zhao Yulu returned home, took a shower, and went back to her room to dial Zhao Yuxin¡¯s phone number.


    Soon, the call connected.


    Zhao Yulu said, ¡°Yu Xin, the two million I borrowed from you, along with the promised five hundred thousand in interest, might not be able to be repaid to you in the short term.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    She hadn¡¯t watched the financial news today and didn¡¯t know the situation with ckstone Technology.


    ¡°The ckstone Technology stocks I bought¡­¡±


    Zhao Yulu exined the situation briefly.


    Zhao Yuxin frowned and said, ¡°Xu Yang had already said that ckstone Technology was very likely to plummet, but you wouldn¡¯t listen, insisting that I didn¡¯t want to lend you the money. Now look at what happened, under these circumstances, the money has definitely gone down the drain.¡±


    Zhao Yulu knew Zhao Yuxin would say this. Although she felt very upset being told so, she could only say, ¡°I was wrong this time.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin said, ¡°When will you be able to repay the money then? I don¡¯t want the five hundred thousand in interest anymore, but you still need to pay back the principal.¡±


    Even between sisters who are close, ounts must be clear. She wouldn¡¯t say it wasn¡¯t necessary to repay it.<div>


    Moreover, this money was earned by Xu Yang.


    Xu Yang was indeed making money now, his worth having already exceeded a hundred million.


    But two million was still money that should not just be squandered by Zhao Yulu.


    Zhao Yulu said bitterly, ¡°Maybe in a year or two.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t give a precise time because she didn¡¯t know how she would be able to earn two million.


    ¡°Alright, just remember that you owe it, and remember, investing isn¡¯t that easy, especially when ites to so-called insider information. Don¡¯t listen to that kind of talk in the future,¡± Zhao Yuxin said.


    ¡°Even if I wanted to listen, I don¡¯t have any money to invest now,¡± Zhao Yulu said bitterly.


    ¡°Think about your situation. I advise you to be more down-to-earth. Anyway, I know you won¡¯t listen to me, so let¡¯s leave it at that and hang up now.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin hung up the phone and told Xu Yang about the situation.


    Xu Yang didn¡¯t say anything.


    Since he¡¯d already advised her and Zhao Yulu still decided to invest, she could only me herself.


    As for the two million, Xu Yang didn¡¯t care; however Zhao Yuxin decided would be fine, after all, he wasn¡¯t short of money now.


    ¡­


    The next day.


    Xu Yang got up and had breakfast with Zhao Yuxin, which she had prepared.


    Even though Xu Yang didn¡¯t have to go to work, he got up as usual with Zhao Yuxin and didn¡¯t sleep in.


    As they were having breakfast, Xu Yang¡¯s phone, which was lying aside, started to ring.


    ¡°Who could be calling so early?¡± Zhao Yuxin was somewhat puzzled, as this had never happened before.


    Xu Yang picked up the phone and said, ¡°It¡¯s Junyi calling.¡±<div>


    Zhao Yuxin was even more puzzled, ¡°Why would Junyi call so early?¡±


    Xu Yang said with a smile, shaking his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ll find out when I answer.¡±


    In fact, he had a guess.


    If things were as he expected, it would probably be because the short video Lin Junyi shot had gone viral.<div>


    Sure enough, as soon as Xu Yang pressed the answer button, before he could even speak, he heard Lin Junyi¡¯s excited voice.


    ¡°Xu Yang, the short video I posted yesterday went viral!¡±


    He had posted a short video yesterday, but because there were some issues at hispany, he was busy untiltest night, went home, washed up, and slept without paying any attention to the status of the video.


    This morning as he woke up and remembered the short video he had taken yesterday, he opened it up to take a look.


    To his surprise, upon checking, he was startled to find that the short video he had shot yesterday had garnered ten million views, over a million likes, more than a hundred thousand shares, and over a hundred thousandments.


    Lin Junyi was afraid he had seen it wrong. He rubbed his bleary eyes and realized he had not made a mistake.


    The number of followers had even surpassed one million.


    Before, his follower count was a little over six hundred thousand.


    This meant that, overnight, his follower count had increased by more than three hundred thousand.


    And that number was still climbing slowly.


    A single video had changed everything.


    It was easy to imagine, if he continued to make such videos, how fiery his poprity would be.


    Bing a superstar web celebrity with tens of millions of fans waspletely within reach.<div>


    So there he was, in his excitement, calling Xu Yang at once.


    Xu Yang activated the speakerphone, to let Zhao Yuxin listen in, before saying, ¡°Junyi, congrattions on your sessful transformation.¡±


    Lin Junyi still excited, said, ¡°Xu Yang, I can¡¯t thank you enough. Without you, I could never have be popr!¡±


    Xu Yangughed and replied, ¡°Junyi, there¡¯s no need for such formalities. Since you signed with my guild, it¡¯s my obligation to nurture you. Your sess makes me happy, too.¡±


    Lin Junyi said, ¡°Even so, I still owe you my thanks. How about this, I¡¯ll treat you and Yu Xin to dinner tonight.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Junyi, really, don¡¯t be so formal. In a few days, it¡¯s the Mid-Autumn Festival, and I n to take Yu Xin back to my hometown to meet my parents. We¡¯re going shopping these next few evenings to buy some things. Let¡¯s talk about dinner after the Mid-Autumn Festival.¡±


    This had been discussed the previous night.


    During these evenings, the two of them would go shopping for some things to bring back to Xu Yang¡¯s parents.


    Why not go during the day?


    Of course, because Zhao Yuxin had to work.


    Xu Yang didn¡¯t need to work, so couldn¡¯t he just go shopping by himself?


    Naturally, Zhao Yuxin wouldn¡¯t allow that, saying that the gifts for Xu Yang¡¯s parents should be chosen by both of them together.


    Therefore, they could only wait until evening to go shopping together.<div>


    Lin Junyi expressed his understanding, ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll treat you guys after the Mid-Autumn Festival.¡±


    Xu Yang responded, ¡°Sure.¡±


    After hanging up the phone and putting it down,


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Junyi has be popr, and now the guild will have a superstar web celebrity.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin also expressed her happiness, ¡°I think bing a superstar web celebrity has always been Junyi¡¯s dream, and now it has finallye true.¡±


    Xu Yang remarked, ¡°Seeing how excited he is, if you didn¡¯t know better, you¡¯d think he¡¯d made a fortune.¡±


    ¡­


    In the blink of an eye, the day before Mid-Autumn Festival arrived.


    They got up in the morning and had breakfast.


    At nine in the morning, they set off for the hometown.


    Xu Yang¡¯s hometown was in a small county in Lake Province called Cang County.


    From Jiang City to Cang County, it was a five or six-hour drive.


    If they encountered traffic jams, it would be quite an achievement to arrive at home by dinner.<div>


    The car they were driving was a Rolls-Royce Cullinan.


    This car attracted a lot of attention on the freeway.


    After all, you don¡¯t get to see such a car every day.


    Other drivers maintained a noticeablyrger distance from the Rolls-Royce Cullinan than they did from other cars.


    There was no helping it; an ident could potentially bankrupt someone, or at the very least cause a lot of pain.


    A possible ident couldpletely change a family¡¯s life.


    Fortunately, they didn¡¯t encounter any problems on the road.


    It was just that they got stuck in traffic several times.


    The Mid-Autumn Festival meant three days off, and many people were returning home today.


    Coupled with lunchtime and breaks along the way,


    By the time they exited the highway in Cang County, it was already six o¡¯clock in the evening.


    If they hadn¡¯t left at nine in the morning, they wouldn¡¯t have arrived by this time; they probably would have just made it home in time for ate-night snack.


    After getting off the highway, it took only about ten minutes to reach home.


    Zhao Yuxin said, ¡°Honey, I¡¯m a bit nervous.¡±


    Xu Yang smiled and replied, ¡°No need to be nervous. My parents are very nice. I¡¯m bringing them such a beautiful and sensible daughter-inw; they¡¯ll be thrilled.¡±

 Chapter 55: 55: Return Home

    Chapter 55: Return Home


    Sunshine Community.


    That¡¯s themunity where Xu Yang¡¯s family lives.


    Xu Yang¡¯s parents, Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping, own a supermarket in a bustling area of the county town. Life was pretty good for them; they managed to save about one hundred thousand yuan a year after expenses.


    Today, Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping had closed shop early and returned home to prepare dinner.


    The thought of their son bringing his wife home filled their hearts with immense joy.


    Jiang Qiuping, in particr, couldn¡¯t stop smiling all day long.


    Just now, they had received a message from Xu Yang, saying he had gotten off the highway and was almost home, so they both headed downstairs.


    Xu Deming remainedposed, his expression perfectly calm, what he felt inside, only he knew.


    Jiang Qiuping was still her usual self, smiling and greeting everyone she saw, much more enthusiastic than usual.


    Anyone could see that she was delighted.


    ¡°Sister Qiuping, you look so happy, what¡¯s the good news?¡± a neighborly auntie asked.<div>


    ¡°My son ising home today, he¡¯ll be here shortly,¡± Jiang Qiuping replied cheerfully.


    ¡°Xu Yang ising back? It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve seen him.¡±


    The neighbor was puzzled; it was just their soning back for Mid-Autumn Festival, wasn¡¯t it? Why all the excitement?


    ¡°My son ising back, and he¡¯s bringing my daughter-inw with him,¡± as if reading the neighbor¡¯s confusion, Jiang Qiuping added this on her own initiative.


    ¡°Oh, so Xu Yang is bringing his girlfriend home!¡± the neighbor suddenly understood, which exined Jiang Qiuping¡¯s happiness.


    Any family would be delighted to have their child bring a girlfriend home.


    ¡°Not a girlfriend, but my daughter-inw,¡± Jiang Qiuping corrected.


    ¡°I know, your daughter-inw.¡± The neighborly aunt obviously missed Jiang Qiuping¡¯s point.


    Jiang Qiuping wanted to exin further, to say that they had already registered their marriage, but Xu Deming stopped her.


    If they mentioned the registration, it would inevitably lead to talk of a wedding.


    That conversation could drag on indefinitely, and since they didn¡¯t know what their son was thinking or when he would have a wedding ceremony, it wasn¡¯t good to say too much.


    Jiang Qiuping got the hint and dropped the subject.


    ¡°Old Xu, is Xu Yang bringing his girlfriend home?¡± Another neighbor approached, a middle-aged man.


    About the same age as Xu Deming, he walked over and offered Xu Deming a cigarette.


    The two middle-aged men simply smoked and chatted together.


    ¡°Hmm, he says he¡¯s bringing his girlfriend home,¡± Xu Deming said, a faint smile ying at the corners of his mouth.


    ¡°Old Xu, your son Xu Yang is really something. My own boy, graduated so long and still no job, not to mention a girlfriend, it¡¯s driving me to despair,¡±mented the middle-aged neighbor with a sour look on his face.


    ¡°Young people have their own ways of thinking, let them figure things out by themselves. Don¡¯t you worry too much,¡± Xu Deming said with augh.


    As people gathered around to chat, more and more joined in.<div>


    The men smoked and talked, while the women just chatted, their conversation even more lively.


    After all, when it came to children and their marriages, it was always a topic of special interest.


    Everyone knew Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping¡¯s son wasing home, and he was bringing a girlfriend. They all wanted to see what Xu Yang¡¯s girlfriend looked like.


    As they chatted, a car slowly drove up.<div>


    ¡°Holy shit, that¡¯s a Rolls-Royce Cullinan!¡±


    One of the smokers, spotting the car that had pulled up, couldn¡¯t help but exim aloud, dropping his cigarette to the ground in his astonishment.


    ¡°What¡¯s a Rolls-Royce Cullinan? Is that car any good?¡± someone clueless inquired.


    ¡°Car noob!¡± the person who eximed retorted with disdain, ¡°The Rolls-Royce Cullinan is the most luxurious SUV, worth almost ten million, so you tell me if it¡¯s good or not?¡±


    Hiss¡­


    Hearing his words, the crowd instantly let out a collective gasp of awe.


    ¡°Good grief, a ten million yuan luxury car!¡±


    ¡°The most expensive houses in our neighborhood are like half a million, right? This car could buy twenty of those houses.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s driving such an expensive car? Does anyone in our neighborhood even have that kind of money?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea, maybe someone made big bucks outside.¡±


    ¡°I really want to see who¡¯s gotten rich and drives such a fancy car back here¡ªit¡¯s like they¡¯re not letting us live!¡±


    Everyone¡¯s gaze fell on the Rolls-Royce that was slowly approaching.


    Soon, the Rolls-Royce stopped in front of the crowd.<div>


    The car door opened, and out stepped a man and a woman.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Xu Yang!¡±


    ¡°Oh my God! Xu Yang came back driving a luxury car worth tens of millions!¡±


    ¡°Hiss¡­ Xu Yang got rich?¡±


    ¡°Xu Yang just graduated and started working for a listedpany. Even though he has a good job, he couldn¡¯t afford a luxury car close to ten million.¡±


    ¡°No clue what¡¯s going on, let¡¯s askter.¡±


    The people who saw Xu Yang were all stunned.


    They were all from the same neighborhood and were acquainted with Xu Yang¡¯s family.


    As soon as Xu Yang got out of the car, they recognized him.


    ¡°Mom, Dad, I¡¯m back.¡± Xu Yang greeted his parents and walked over to Zhao Yuxin¡¯s side, taking her hand and introducing her, ¡°Mom, Dad, this is Yu Xin, your daughter-inw.¡±


    His parents hadn¡¯t formally met Zhao Yuxin yet; they had only seen her picture. Since Zhao Yuxin looked identical to Zhao Yulu, an introduction was still necessary.


    ¡°Dad, Mom,¡± Zhao Yuxin called out somewhat shyly.


    Xu Deming just nodded slightly, keeping aposed demeanor as the head of the family.<div>


    Unlike Jiang Qiuping, who joyfully stepped forward upon hearing the introduction, took Zhao Yuxin¡¯s hand, and asked with concern, ¡°Yu Xin, finally we meet you. Have you been tired from traveling all day?¡±


    Warmth filled Zhao Yuxin¡¯s heart, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m not tired.¡±


    Xu Yang didn¡¯t pay much attention to the two of them, instead greeting the uncles and aunties around, and even took out cigarettes from the car, distributing them to every smoking uncle.


    ¡°Xu Yang, now you¡¯re driving a Rolls-Royce. What kind of job are you doing in Jiangcheng? It can¡¯t be an ordinary job,¡± said the person who had gasped in astonishment earlier.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing a bit of business,¡± Xu Yang answered vaguely.


    ¡°Xu Yang, is this car really worth ten million?¡± one of the uncles inquired.


    ¡°Not that much, only eight million,¡± Xu Yang honestly replied.


    After all, driving this car back would definitely spark a lot of discussions.


    Some of the older people might not know the price, but the younger ones definitely would, so there was no need to hide anything.


    ¡°Eight million, eight million¡­¡± the uncle muttered in astonishment.


    To him, there was no difference between eight million and ten million because he could never earn that much money in his lifetime.


    After a brief chat, Xu Yang went to open the trunk to get something.


    ¡°Eight million for a car, that¡¯s really eye-opening.¡±<div>


    ¡°Xu Yang has really made something of himself, the Xu couple are so fortunate.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Xu Yang even brought back such a beautiful daughter-inw.¡±


    ¡°Tsk tsk, if my son had one tenth of Xu Yang¡¯s achievements, I¡¯d bepletely content.¡±


    ¡°One tenth? If my son had even one percent of Xu Yang¡¯s sess, I¡¯d wake upughing from my dreams.¡±


    There was various chatter among the crowd.


    ¡°Let¡¯s disperse, let¡¯s disperse. Don¡¯t get in the way of the Xu family reunion.¡±


    ¡°Right, right, instead of this, we should go home and have a good talk with our own kids, tell them to learn from Xu Yang in the future.¡±


    ¡°As if they could learn that, Xu Yang¡¯s driving an eight million car, if my child could earn eight million in their lifetime, I¡¯d be satisfied.¡±


    The crowd slowly dispersed.

 Chapter 56: 56: Even TV Wouldn’t Dare to Show This

    Chapter 56: Even TV Wouldn¡¯t Dare to Show This


    Zhao Yuxin, as well as Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping, hurried over to help carry things.<div>


    Seeing the dazzling array of items, Jiang Qiuping scolded, ¡°What are you thinking, buying so many things whening back? How much money must have been spent?¡±


    The things here included alcohol and tobo, as well as quite a few nutritional supplements, some clothes, and shoes.


    In addition, they bought a watch for each of them, and also bought a pair of jade bracelets for Jiang Qiuping, along with other items.


    In short, the trunk was filled to the brim.


    Although she scolded with her mouth, Jiang Qiuping was actually very happy in her heart.


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve grown up, I can earn money now, and also, many of these things were bought by Yu Xin, as presents for you. They¡¯re gifts from your daughter-inw; you can¡¯t possibly refuse them,¡± Xu Yang said while taking the items out.<div>


    ¡°Of course we want them, who says we don¡¯t? If Yu Xin bought them, how can we not take them?¡± Jiang Qiuping¡¯s face lit up with a smile upon hearing they were bought by Zhao Yuxin.


    Despite the brief exchange earlier, Jiang Qiuping was extremely satisfied with this daughter-inw.


    She could tell that not only was Zhao Yuxin beautiful, but she also had a good character.


    Such a daughter-inw was hard to find even with antern.


    She looked at Zhao Yuxin, ¡°Yu Xin, thank you, ah.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin shook her head, ¡°Mom, there¡¯s no need for politeness, it¡¯s my first time meeting you all, buying these things is only proper.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Mom, Zhao Yuxin, stop chatting for now, let¡¯s hurry and carry the stuff; everybody pitch in, and we can take it all up in one trip.¡±


    Xu Yang certainly wouldn¡¯t stand on ceremony with his mom; after all, she often handled the supermarket goods, sometimes having to move them around.


    With family, there¡¯s no need for such affectation.


    ¡°Alright, alright, let¡¯s go home first, we¡¯ll talk after we get home,¡± Jiang Qiuping said with a nod.


    The few of them came together to help carry the items, and indeed, they managed to carry everything up in one trip.


    Of course, Xu Yang and Xu Deming carried the most, handling the heaviest items.<div>


    Zhao Yuxin and Jiang Qiuping only symbolically carried some very light items, like clothes and shoes, which weren¡¯t heavy.


    Back at home, Xu Yang hadn¡¯t even sat down when he said, ¡°Mom, get started on cooking, I¡¯m starving. We ate at a service area on the highway for lunch, and the food there wasn¡¯t tasty; I¡¯ve been waiting toe back and eat the food you make.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you all just wait, I¡¯ll start stir-frying right away, and it will be ready quickly,¡± Jiang Qiuping said as she put the things down and went into the kitchen to cook.


    The prep work had already been prepared, only the cooking was left.


    ¡°Mom, let me help you,¡± Zhao Yuxin offered very actively, following her into the kitchen.


    ¡°Yu Xin, there¡¯s no need for you to help. How could I let you do that? You should go out and just wait to eat,¡± Jiang Qiuping naturally couldn¡¯t allow her new daughter-inw to lift a finger.


    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s okay, I often cook at home. Ever since I started university, I¡¯ve been the one cooking for my dad¡¯s birthday every year. I might not cook as well as you do, but I can at least help you out. You don¡¯t have to be polite with me,¡± Zhao Yuxin insisted.


    She had already registered her marriage with Xu Yang andpletely considered herself a part of the Xu family.


    ¡°Ah, such a sensible child. Actually, you really don¡¯t have to help. The vegetables have already been chopped and prepared. We can just chat, you can pass me a bowl or serve a dish,¡± Jiang Qiuping said helplessly.


    In the living room.


    The father and son duo sat on the sofa, drinking tea and chatting.


    ¡°So tell me, what¡¯s going on?¡± Xu Deming unwrapped the Huazi cigarettes Xu Yang had bought, lit one up, and asked leisurely.<div>


    ¡°Dad, what do you mean ¡®what¡¯s going on¡¯?¡± Xu Yang was somewhat clueless as to what his father was asking.


    ¡°I heard you mention earlier that your car costs eight million, and now you¡¯re doing small business?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you working at a listedpany? How could you afford such an expensive car, and why have you switched to doing small business?¡±


    ¡°Also, you¡¯ve bought a vi in Jiangcheng? What¡¯s that about? How do you have so much money?¡±


    Xu Deming posed a series of questions.


    ¡°Oh, that,¡± Xu Yang considered his words, ¡°recently, I made some money in the futures market, quite a lot in the antiques market actually, and I¡¯ve resigned from that listedpany. I¡¯ve started my own business now. I didn¡¯t tell you guys before because it¡¯s hard to exin over the phone. I¡¯ll exin it at dinnerter; otherwise, I¡¯ll have to repeat everything again to Mom.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Xu Deming nodded, ¡°As long as it¡¯s nothing illegal, we won¡¯t interfere with whatever you do.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry, I know my limits and will absolutely not do anything illegal.¡±


    Xu Deming nodded again, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Half an hourter.


    The dishes were served, and the family had a joyful meal together.


    At the dining table, Xu Yang discussed his situation. It began with using two million from Zhao Yuxin¡¯s father, initially meant for her house purchase, to make over ten million in the futures market. Afterwards, in the antiques market, he found two major underpriced items, yielding a total of 250 million, which he used to buy the car and the house. Now, he has acquired apany involved in live-streaming¡ªthat¡¯s his current business.<div>


    Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping werepletely stunned.


    Making over ten million in the futures market and finding antiques worth 250 million.


    Such stories sounded like utter fantasy to them, the kind of thing not even TV dramas would dare to depict.


    After their initial shock, they were filled with immense joy.


    Xu Yang was rich and had a family now. They no longer had to worry about his future.


    Moreover, with their son driving an eight-million car, it was bound to be the talk among rtives and friends soon, greatly boosting their status in front of them.


    After dinner, the family sat in the living room for a chat.


    Zhao Yuxin had alsopletely integrated into the Xu Family.


    The Xu Family¡¯s home atmosphere was pleasant, with Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping being very easy to talk to. She didn¡¯t feel any of the tension she had imagined.


    ¡°Oh right, your ssmate Han is returning in just over a week,¡± said Jiang Qiuping. ¡°I ran into him on the street. He asked me if you wereing back for the Mid-Autumn Festival and suggested catching up with you if you were.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯sing back in a week? That soon?¡± Xu Yang was puzzled.


    Han Yanghui, his full name, was a close high school friend. They frequently visited each other¡¯s homes during their high school years.<div>


    After graduating, Han Yanghui didn¡¯t attend a regr university like the rest but entered a film academy in the capital instead, aiming to be a star.


    Last New Year, Han Yanghui didn¡¯te back to celebrate. When Xu Yang called, Han said he had to work as an extra in a film studio during the holiday, so he didn¡¯t return.


    It had been nearly two years since theyst met, only keeping in touch asionally through WeChat.


    Their conversations were mostly superficial, and whenever the topics of study or work came up, the reply was generally ¡°it¡¯s going okay, quite busy,¡± and the likes.


    Xu Yang thought he probably wouldn¡¯t see Han Yanghui until the uing New Year, if at all.


    It was truly surprising that Han Yanghui had returned just a week ago.


    Jiang Qiuping shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t know, he didn¡¯t say when I asked.¡±


    Xu Yang nodded, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give him a callter to arrange a time to meet up.¡±

 Chapter 57: 57: The Cousin Who Wants to Become an Internet Celebrity

    Chapter 57: The Cousin Who Wants to Be an Inte Celebrity


    The conversation carried on until after nine o¡¯clock when Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin decided to take a shower and retire to their room.<div>


    Xu Yang called his ssmate Han Yanghui.


    Soon, the call connected.


    ¡°Xu Yang, are youing back for the Mid-Autumn Festival?¡±


    From the phone, Han Yanghui¡¯s voice could be heard.


    ¡°Yes, I arrived at six o¡¯clock, and I just heard from my mom that you¡¯re back too. It¡¯s been almost two years since west saw each other.¡±


    Talking to this high school ssmate, Xu Yang was quite happy.<div>


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been almost two years. Since you¡¯re back, let¡¯s meet up sometime soon and have a chat,¡± said Han Yanghui.


    ¡°Tomorrow¡¯s the Mid-Autumn Festival, so definitely not then. How about the day after tomorrow? I¡¯ll call you then,¡± Xu Yang said.


    Tomorrow was the Mid-Autumn Festival; he couldn¡¯t just wander off.


    His uncle¡¯s family would being over too, to have dinner together for the Mid-Autumn Festival.


    Each year, for two holidays, Mid-Autumn Festival and the New Year, his family celebrated together with his uncle¡¯s family.


    Last year, they had dinner at his uncle¡¯s ce; this year it was his uncle¡¯s turn toe over.


    And since he rarely came back, he definitely wanted to spend time with his parents.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait for your call,¡± said Han Yanghui.


    The next day.


    In the morning, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin, along with his mother, went to the market to buy groceries.


    Jiang Qiuping was especially delighted, greeting people and asionally pointing at Zhao Yuxin, saying, ¡°This is my future daughter-inw.¡±


    Then, they would receivepliments in response.<div>


    After buying the groceries, practically the entire market knew Jiang Qiuping had a beautiful future daughter-inw.


    This made Zhao Yuxin somewhat embarrassed.


    As they left the market, Xu Yang couldn¡¯t help but say resignedly, ¡°Mom, is all this necessary?¡±


    Jiang Qiuping red at him, ¡°What do you know? I have such a beautiful future daughter-inw, should I keep her hidden instead?¡±


    Xu Yang was left speechless.


    After buying the groceries, all that was left was to chat at home.


    By 3 o¡¯clock in the afternoon, his uncle, aunt, and cousin had arrived.


    Xu Yang introduced Zhao Yuxin to the three of them, and Zhao Yuxin greeted them politely.


    The three of them had already learned from Jiang Qiuping that Xu Yang had brought his girlfriend back.


    ¡°Sister-inw is really beautiful.¡± The cousin, Xu Xiaoyu, had good looks but was known for her quirky personality.


    Xu Dewei and Jiang Ying, her parents, found her quite troublesome.


    Xu Xiaoyu¡¯s academic performance was not great; she didn¡¯t make it into a university and ended up in a junior college instead.<div>


    She was a year younger than Xu Yang and had also graduated that year.


    After graduating, she didn¡¯t look for a job but instead said she wanted to be an inte celebrity and started filming short videos and streaming.


    In the end, she hadn¡¯t made any money but had actually spent over ten thousand yuan.


    The equipment for live streaming and filming had cost that much.


    Several months had passed, yet she hadn¡¯t even earned back the cost.


    Xu Dewei and Jiang Ying didn¡¯t know how many times they had told her to get a job, saying that streaming was unreliable, only to be lectured by her that one must persevere in their endeavors, not give up halfway, and that if she kept at it, she would inevitably seed.


    This totally exasperated Xu Dewei and Jiang Ying.


    If she had been doing something else, they would have admired their daughter¡¯s persistence.


    But with streaming and short videos, it all felt too airy and groundless, without a glimpse of hope in sight.


    In the end, they simply let her be, leaving her to her own devices.


    They wanted to see when she would tire out; it was just the beginning. If it went on for a long time without hope for half a year or a year, she would probably have a change of heart¡ªconsider it a waste of six months to a year.


    ¡°You are very pretty too,¡± Zhao Yuxin smiled.<div>


    ¡°Bro, I saw a Rolls-Royce Cullinan parked downstairs; whose is it?¡± Xu Xiaoyu asked curiously.


    In a small county town like theirs, they had never seen such a luxury car before.


    She was really curious about who owned the Rolls-Royce.


    ¡°It¡¯s mine,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Xu Xiaoyu was stunned and somewhat incredulous, ¡°Brother, what are you saying, that Rolls-Royce is yours?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s mine,¡± Xu Yang nodded.


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Xu Xiaoyu¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, ¡°Aren¡¯t you working for a listedpany? I heard from Uncle that your sry is just over twenty thousand, how could you afford a Rolls-Royce Cullinan?¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°I made some money on the side. I no longer work for thatpany; I¡¯ve acquired apany instead.¡±


    Xu Xiaoyu was even more surprised, ¡°So, you¡¯ve be a boss?¡±


    Xu Yang nodded briefly, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Although it felt a bit strange being called that, it was the truth.


    Xu Xiaoyu¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Quick, tell me where you made your money from, and whichpany have you acquired?¡±<div>


    Xu Yang could only repeat the conversation he had with his parents the night before.


    Xu Dewei and Jiang Ying listened with their eyes wide and mouths agape, marveling at Xu Yang¡¯s abilities and luck.


    Xu Xiaoyu then suddenly stood up, grabbing and hugging Xu Yang¡¯s arm excitedly, ¡°Brother, did you say you acquired a livestreaming guild?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, what about it?¡± Xu Yang didn¡¯t understand why Xu Xiaoyu was so excited.


    He didn¡¯t know that his cousin was now doing livestreaming and short videos.


    ¡°Bro, I¡¯m currently doing livestreaming and short videos too, we¡¯re in the same line of work! Mom and Dad always tell me I¡¯m not pursuing a proper career, that this has no future¡ªI¡¯m so tired of it. Now that you¡¯re doing this as well, can you talk to them for me?¡± Xu Xiaoyu said excitedly.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Xu Yang was taken aback; his cousin also did livestreaming and short videos, ¡°How should I say this; if Uncle and Aunt think you¡¯re not engaged in a proper career and it has no prospects, it must be because you haven¡¯t achieved any results, right?¡±


    Xu Xiaoyu said with some pride, ¡°Who says I haven¡¯t achieved anything? I¡¯ve only been doing this for a few months, and I¡¯ve already broken through ten thousand fans!¡±


    Xu Yang couldn¡¯t help but smile wryly, ¡°Ten thousand fans, and you¡¯re so proud. I don¡¯t care how many fans you have; I only ask you, how much money can you make a month?¡±


    This was the only standard by which sess in this field was measured.


    Actually, it was the standard for most industries and jobs.


    If you can¡¯t make money, everything else is useless.<div>


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± This time, Xu Xiaoyu was at a loss for words.


    Her monthly ie was sometimes a mere pittance of tens of yuan.


    There was only one month when she broke the hundred-yuan mark, and even then, it was just one hundred and twenty yuan.


    It was a dismal sight.


    ¡°See, you¡¯re speechless, you must not have made any money,¡± Xu Yang shook his head with a smile.


    ¡°If she could make money, your Uncle and I wouldn¡¯t be so frustrated. Xu Yang, now that you¡¯ve seeded, you need to talk some sense into her, get her to take a proper job and stop messing with this,¡± Aunt Jiang Ying said.


    ¡°Hmph, as long as I persist, I will definitely seed, and I will surely make money,¡± Xu Xiaoyu, hearing her mother¡¯s words, snorted defiantly, her stubbornness ring up.


    ¡°Are you trying to kill me?¡± Jiang Ying trembled with anger, seriously considering picking up a feather duster to hit Xu Xiaoyu.


    At home, it wasn¡¯t like she had never spanked her, but when it proved ineffective, she eventually stopped trying.


    But now, seeing Xu Xiaoyu like this made her feel the itch to discipline her again.


    ¡°Aunt, don¡¯t get angry; let me first look into Xiaoyu¡¯s situation. Actually, if done correctly, this line of work can be quite sessful and the earnings quite substantial,¡± Xu Yang reassured Jiang Ying.


    ¡°Mom, did you hear that?¡± Hearing Xu Yang support her, Xu Xiaoyu felt vindicated.


    ¡°The key is, you haven¡¯t seeded,¡± Jiang Ying rolled her eyes at her daughter.


    ¡°I may not have seeded now, but that doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t seed in the future,¡± Xu Xiaoyu remained just as headstrong.

 Chapter 58: 58 Happy Mid-Autumn Festival

    Chapter 58: Happy Mid-Autumn Festival


    ¡°All right, stop arguing,¡± Xu Yang red at Xu Xiaoyu. ¡°Let me see the short videos you¡¯ve shot and I¡¯ll decide if you can continue with this.¡±<div>


    He¡¯d watched the growth stories of many future inte celebrities, seen how they got famous, what kind of videos they shot, and what their live streams were like.


    Now a professional in the industry, he could easily judge the quality of a video and whether it had the potential to be a hit.


    He could even tailor-make inte celebrities based on their individual traits.


    It was just that he disdained doing such detailed work.


    However, since it was his own cousin who insisted on pursuing a career in this field, Xu Yang was not averse to giving some advice and working his magic.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Xu Xiaoyu immediately took out her phone, opened Douyin, went to her homepage, and then handed the phone to Xu Yang.<div>


    Looking at it here wasn¡¯t suitable; it would disturb their parents and uncles and aunts from chatting, so they went to the balcony instead. Zhao Yuxin and Xu Xiaoyu also followed to the balcony.


    After watching a few videos, Xu Yang basically understood what kind of videos Xu Xiaoyu was shooting.


    They were quirky and funny videos.


    They looked quite hrious, but they seemed very rough and sometimes not so natural, making them somewhat awkward to watch.


    ¡°Brother, what do you think?¡± Xu Xiaoyu asked expectantly.


    ¡°There are some issues,¡± Xu Yang said thoughtfully. ¡°If you want to continue and seed in a short period, you can do as I say. I can make you an inte celebrity, it¡¯s up to you if you¡¯re willing.¡±


    Xu Xiaoyu¡¯s eyes lit up, excitedly saying, ¡°Willing, of course, I¡¯m willing. Brother, just tell me what to do?¡±


    Xu Yang turned to Zhao Yuxin, ¡°Wife, could you go to the room and fetch myptop?¡±


    He had brought hisptop with him mainly because he was worried about receiving some information in the system, sent to his email.


    If there was any, he could check it promptly on hisputer.


    Although he could ess emails on his phone, using aputer was still more convenient.


    After all, it was just aptop, not heavy, so it wasn¡¯t a big deal to bring it along.<div>


    ¡°Sure.¡± Zhao Yuxin nodded and left.


    ¡°And you, go fetch me a stool,¡± Xu Yang said to Xu Xiaoyu.


    ¡°Brother, are you treating me like a servant?¡± Xu Xiaoyu pouted, feigning dissatisfaction.


    ¡°Do you want to be an inte celebrity or not?¡± Xu Yang nced at Xu Xiaoyu.


    ¡°Yes, very much so,¡± Xu Xiaoyu nodded vigorously, like a pecking chicken.


    ¡°Well then, hurry up and get the stool, or you can forget about being an inte celebrity for life,¡± Xu Yang said with augh.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get it.¡± Xu Xiaoyu went into the living room and brought back a stool for Xu Yang.


    Zhao Yuxin also returned with theptop, already booted up.


    Xu Yang took theptop, sat down on the stool, ced theptop on his thighs, opened a Word document, and started typing on the keyboard.


    Ten minutester, a tailor-madeedic short film script for Xu Xiaoyu, based on her personality and style, waspleted.


    Zhao Yuxin and Xu Xiaoyu wereughing as they stood behind Xu Yang and watched what he¡¯d written.


    ¡°Film ording to this script tomorrow. If your performance is up to scratch, it should at least be a small sensation!¡± Xu Yang said.<div>


    ¡°Brother, you¡¯re so talented. Don¡¯t worry, when ites to acting, I¡¯m a genius. I¡¯ll outshine many little flowers and herbs; I¡¯ll definitely do well,¡± Xu Xiaoyu assured, patting her chest.


    ¡°If you do well with this, I can sign you up with my agency, and you can go for training. After half a month of coaching, someone will teach you, and then you cane back and continue to shoot short videos and do live streaming. If you still can¡¯t do it right, you should just honestly look for a job and work, so you don¡¯t make your parents angry anymore,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°Brother, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure I can do it right,¡± Xu Xiaoyu said.


    ¡°Alright, that settles it, we¡¯ll head to the People¡¯s Park to shoot at nine in the morning tomorrow. Have your friendse along; they¡¯ll need to join us for the training in Jiangcheng as well,¡±


    Xu Yang had already found out that Xu Xiaoyu was making videos with two friends, forming a small team.


    ¡°No problem, my friends will definitely be thrilled to hear this news. They¡¯re in the same boat as I am. Just yesterday, they were saying they¡¯d give it another month, and if it still doesn¡¯t work out, they¡¯d go job hunting. Now, with this, we don¡¯t have to worry about that anymore,¡± Xu Xiaoyu said cheerfully.


    With the matter settled, they all returned to the living room.


    ¡°Mom and Dad, my brother said he will teach me, and I¡¯ll quickly be an inte star. Just wait and see, I¡¯m sure the money I¡¯ll earn in a month will be an eye-opener for you both!¡± Xu Xiaoyu boasted.


    ¡°Eye-opener? I¡¯d be grateful to the heavens if you could even manage to fill your own belly,¡± Jiang Ying gave her daughter a skeptical look.


    ¡°Mom, that¡¯s no way to encourage someone,¡± Xu Xiaoyu pouted, showing her displeasure.


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to discourage you, just telling it like it is,¡± Jiang Ying retorted.


    ¡°Brother, look, Mom doesn¡¯t even believe in me,¡± Xu Xiaoyu pleaded with Xu Yang for support.<div>


    ¡°Uncle, Auntie, it¡¯s not that Xiaoyu can¡¯t do this, she¡¯s just been going about it the wrong way. The live streaming guild I¡¯ve acquired, that¡¯s actually what they do. If done well, it can indeed be quite lucrative. How about this: I let here to Jiangcheng for a two-week training at mypany. If she still doesn¡¯t make it after that, she cane back and find a regr job, work honestly,¡± Xu Yang proposed.


    ¡°Sure, if you¡¯re looking after her, I feel relieved,¡± Xu Dewei naturally agreed.


    Xu Yang, as the boss, would surely take care of his sister Xu Xiaoyu during the training.


    ¡°Xu Yang, we¡¯ll have to trouble you then,¡± Jiang Ying had no objections and then red at Xu Xiaoyu, ¡°While you¡¯re at the training, listen to your brother. If you don¡¯t behave, wait till you get back and see if I don¡¯t break your legs!¡±


    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry, as long as I get the training, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll quickly be an inte star!¡± Xu Xiaoyu said confidently.


    With a brother like Xu Yang, who has creative abilities and is the owner of a live streaming guild,


    If she still couldn¡¯t be an inte sensation, it would just mean it wasn¡¯t her destiny. She¡¯d ept that and return home to look for a job and settle into regr employment.


    With Xu Xiaoyu¡¯s issue resolved, Xu Dewei and Jiang Ying could finally rx.


    They had faith in Xu Yang; to them, he had always been reliable.


    Besides, Xu Yang was now a boss. Helping Xu Xiaoyu wouldn¡¯t be too difficult.


    Their daughter¡¯s predicament had been a real worry for them. Every time they mentioned her to others, it was quite embarrassing.


    Even though nobody had mocked them to their faces, they knew people wereughing at them behind their backs, mocking them for having a daughter with her head in the clouds.<div>


    If their daughter really did be an inte celebrity, it would count as sess in that field.


    In any of the three hundred and sixty professions, what mattered was seeding at it.


    As long as their daughter seeded, those people would have to shut their mouths.


    Their reputation would be restored.


    By five o¡¯clock, Jiang Qiuping and Jiang Ying started preparing the reunion dinner, with Zhao Yuxin and Xu Xiaoyu helping out.


    The dinner was served, and both families enjoyed the reunion meal happily together.


    After dinner, it was time to admire the moon on the rooftop and eat mooncakes.


    During this time, Zhao Yuxin also called her father to wish him a happy Mid-Autumn Festival.


    In previous years, she had always spent the Mid-Autumn Festival with her father.


    This year, since she needed to go to Xu Yang¡¯s home, she couldn¡¯t be with her father and had to settle for a phone call.


    Her eyes turned red during the call.


    Zhao Hai, on the other hand, didn¡¯t seem to mind. He knew that a daughter was ultimately meant to marry off.<div>


    His daughter marrying Xu Yang made him very happy. She had found her own happiness, and he didn¡¯t need to worry about her future life anymore.

 Chapter 59: 59: Meeting Classmates

    Chapter 59: Meeting ssmates


    The next morning.<div>


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin, apanied by their younger cousin Xu Xiaoyu, arrived at the People¡¯s Park.


    Before long, two friends of Xu Xiaoyu¡¯s also showed up.


    After quick introductions, they got to work filming.


    Although Xu Xiaoyu¡¯s acting instantly outshone many young actors and actresses, there were still some shorings. They shot take after take until nearly noon, finally wrapping up the shoot.


    Xu Yang then sent the footage to the guild¡¯s video editor, asking the editor to make cuts ording to his instructions.


    Xu Yang said, ¡°The editor will send it to me after finishing the cut, and then I¡¯ll send it to you, so you can post it on Douyin.¡±<div>


    Xu Xiaoyu asked, ¡°When can it be edited?¡±


    Xu Yang replied, ¡°It won¡¯t take long, I¡¯ll definitely send it to you by the afternoon.¡±


    Xu Xiaoyu said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait.¡±


    Xu Yang continued, ¡°Alright, your sister-inw and I will get going now, we¡¯re meeting a ssmate. You can go have lunch on your own.¡±


    Xu Xiaoyu waved, ¡°Go on, I¡¯ll have lunch with my friends, don¡¯t worry about us.¡±


    Xu Yang added, ¡°Oh, and tell them about the training trip to Jiangcheng.¡±


    Xu Xiaoyu rolled her eyes, ¡°No need for you to say it, I told themst night.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t wait to share such good news with her friends the night before.


    Both friends were thrilled, of course, they wanted to seize such an opportunity.


    After briefly nodding at Xu Xiaoyu¡¯s friends as a greeting, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin left.


    They arrived at a restaurant, entered a private room, and called their ssmate Han Yanghui to inform him of the location.


    In the morning, Xu Yang had already called Han Yanghui to arrange a lunch together, promising to let him know the venue when the time came.<div>


    Twenty minutester, ssmate Han Yanghui arrived.


    At first nce, Han Yanghui was even more handsome than Xu Yang.


    With such attributes, Han Yanghui had aspired to study acting at the Film Academy and was determined to be a star.


    As Han Yanghui put it, it would be a waste not to be a star with such good conditions.


    When two good old ssmates met, they were naturally extremely happy.


    ¡°This is my wife, Zhao Yuxin,¡± Xu Yang introduced.


    Zhao Yuxin and Han Yanghui exchanged greetings.


    As the drinks flowed and the dishes changed, the atmosphere grew lively.


    ¡°How are you doing now?¡± Xu Yang inquired.


    ¡°Ah, the entertainment industry is tough,¡± Han Yanghui replied with a face full of bitterness.


    Currently, he could onlynd minor extra roles, and even scoring a small character in some obscure TV series was considered lucky.


    ¡°The entertainment industry is too uncertain. If it doesn¡¯t work out, consider changing careers.¡±<div>


    Xu Yang felt that the entertainment industry wasn¡¯t for everyone. Ordinary kids from regr families might as well find a decent job. If they were capable, they could start a business; there was no need to struggle in showbiz.


    ¡°I¡¯ll persist a little longer. I recently yed a small role in a film by Wu Jing. Despite the size of the role, I think the movie is quite good. It should have a decent box office return once released. If it makes me memorable, then I¡¯ll have the chance to continue acting in other movies or TV series,¡± Han Yanghui said.


    ¡°Wu Jing is making movies now?¡± Xu Yang was puzzled.


    He was out of the loop with entertainment news and unaware of Wu Jing¡¯s venture into filmmaking.


    However, he was familiar with Wu Jing. Since childhood, he had often watched TV dramas starring Wu Jing.


    Though Wu Jing might not be a red-hot A-list star at present, he was a celebrity well-known to many.


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s currently filming a military action movie¡ªthe screeny, direction, and main role are all his doing. I auditioned and was fortunate enough to catch his eye andnd a minor part.¡± Han Yanghui said this with a good deal of pride.


    During the audition, Wu Jing even praised his acting skills.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re shooting a movie, but why did youe back to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival? And more than a week early at that?¡± Xu Yang was somewhat puzzled.


    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t even mention it, the production is at aplete standstill right now; who knows when we¡¯ll be able to resume filming. Since Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching and I didn¡¯t make it back for New Year¡¯sst year, I figured I might as welle back and spend some time with my parents.¡± Han Yanghui sighed.


    ¡°The production is at a standstill? What happened?¡± Xu Yang instinctively asked.


    ¡°We ran out of money,¡± Han Yanghui exined, ¡°The budget has blown up, and the investors are unwilling to put in more money. Right now, Wu Jing is frantically looking for new investors. If he can¡¯t find any, this movie might be scrapped.¡±<div>


    He shook his head and then said, ¡°Enough about me; let¡¯s talk about you. How are things going? Are you still working at that publicpany you mentioned before?¡±


    Xu Yang shook his head, ¡°Not anymore, I resigned a while back.¡±


    Curiosity piqued, Han Yanghui inquired, ¡°Why did you resign, and where are you working now? What do you do?¡±


    Xu Yang replied, ¡°I acquired a live streaming guild, and now I¡¯m focusing on that.¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Xu Xiaoyu eximed, ¡°You bought a live streaming guild and became the boss?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but be startled.


    Xu Yang¡¯s family situation was simr to his own, not very wealthy.


    Xu Yang was just an office worker, and he had mentioned that his sry was just over twenty thousand yuan a month.


    Anxiously, Han Yanghui asked, ¡°Buying a live streaming guild must cost at least several million, right?¡±


    Xu Yang nodded, ¡°Yes, it did require several million. I spent five million to acquire it.¡±


    Looking skeptical, Han Yanghui asked, ¡°Where did you get that much money? Did you rob a bank?¡±


    Xu Yang couldn¡¯t help but give a wry smile, ¡°I used the two million my father-inw gave me for a house down payment and invested it in futures. I earned more than ten million from that. And then I got extremely lucky¡ªI found two major bargains in the antique street and made 250 million. I thought that live streaming on short video tforms could have potential, and right at that time, a live streaming guild was facing operational funding issues, so I bought it for five million.¡±<div>


    He fully trusted his high school ssmate and thus candidly disclosed the specifics of his earnings.


    Upon hearing this, Han Yanghui¡¯s eyes widened in shock, and he screamed, ¡°You made so much from investing in futures! And to think you could score 250 million by finding hidden treasures in the antique market. You¡¯re now a billionaire!¡±


    Luckily they were in a private room. If this had been the main dining hall, possibly everyone in the restaurant could have overheard him.


    And it was only because they were in a private room that Xu Yang feltfortable disclosing the exact amounts.


    Xu Yang smiled and said, ¡°You could say that.¡±


    Grabbing Xu Yang¡¯s hand in excitement, Han Yanghui blurted out, ¡°Xu Yang, could you potentially invest in Wu Jing¡¯s movie?¡±


    Xu Yang paused for a moment, then let out a bitterugh, ¡°I don¡¯t know much about this industry.¡±


    It was a polite refusal.


    Quickly, Han Yanghui said, ¡°Xu Yang, I really think Wu Jing¡¯s movie could be a hit. I would invest myself if I had the money. You should really consider it. Would you like me to give you the details?¡±


    He genuinely believed that Wu Jing¡¯s movie was good and could achieve a respectable box office return.


    He also hoped that the filming of Wu Jing¡¯s movie could continue.


    And it wasn¡¯t just Wu Jing¡¯s opportunity; it was his opportunity as well.<div>


    After all, this was his first time acting in a movie with a named character, even though it was still a minor role.


    Despite being a small character, it had a role in advancing the plot and was quite memorable.


    As long as people remembered him, he would have many more opportunities in the future.


    If other directors took notice, he might have the chance to take on more significant roles and steadily make his mark in the entertainment industry.


    As long as he had roles to y, even if he didn¡¯t be a star and just remained a supporting actor, he would earn far more than the average office worker.


    Unless absolutely necessary, he did not wish to change careers.

 Chapter 60: 60 Returning to Jiang City

    Chapter 60: Returning to Jiang City


    Xu Yang said helplessly, ¡°Then go ahead and talk about it.¡±


    Listening couldn¡¯t hurt, and whether to invest was his decision to make.


    Han Yanghui immediately began, ¡°Wu Jing¡¯s movie is called ¡®War Panther.¡¯ It¡¯s a military action film, and Wu Jing wrote, directed, and starred in it himself. The plot is¡­¡±


    He briefly described the plot, then added, ¡°Just by reading the script, it gets one¡¯s blood pumping, showcasing our military and national pride. It¡¯s very resonant, and Wu Jing is a director who demands perfection from himself. I think the box office will not be disappointing.¡±


    Xu Yang gave a wry smile; he really couldn¡¯t judge if it was worth the investment and was about to decline.


    Just then, a system prompt sounded in his mind.


    [Ding! Wu Jing¡¯s directorial debut, the self-written, directed, and starred military action film ¡®War Panther,¡¯ defying low expectations, grossed five hundred million at the box office upon release. Three yearster, ¡®War Panther 2¡¯ grossed an even more astounding fifty billion!]


    [¡®War Panther¡¯ solidified Wu Jing¡¯s standing in the film industry, and ¡®War Panther 2¡¯ elevated him to the status of a cinema nouveau riche, a superstar!]


    Suddenly, Xu Yang was astounded.


    He hadn¡¯t expected Wu Jing¡¯s two movies to perform so well at the box office.


    Ignorance was bliss, but now that he knew, not investing would be foolish.<div>


    With this in mind, Xu Yang couldn¡¯t help but nod and say, ¡°Based on what you¡¯ve said, it does sound good. How much more investment is Wu Jing¡¯s filmcking?¡±


    Han Yanghui¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re willing to invest?¡±


    Xu Yang replied, ¡°I need to understand the full situation first. My funds also need to support the live streaming guild, so I can¡¯t spare too much.¡±


    Han Yanghui said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the exact amount needed, but it¡¯s probably in the neighborhood of ten to twenty million.¡±


    Xu Yang nodded, ¡°If that¡¯s all it takes, I could invest. But I need to talk with Wu Jing first and understand all the details before making the investment.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Han Yanghui agreed. ¡°Then I¡¯ll give him your number, and he can contact you to arrange a meeting?¡±


    Xu Yang nodded, ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡±


    Han Yanghui said excitedly, ¡°Great! If you invest, we can continue filming. I believe the returns won¡¯t disappoint you.¡±


    Xu Yang smiled, ¡°I hope so.¡±


    He certainly knew they wouldn¡¯t disappoint.


    The system had already indicated that ¡®War Panther¡¯ earned five hundred million and ¡®War Panther 2¡¯ an incredible fifty billion at the box office.


    However, he couldn¡¯t seem too eager, as that would mean losing the upper hand in negotiations.


    Xu Yang¡¯s interest in investing made Han Yanghui very happy.


    The drinks that followed were somewhat excessive.


    After the meal, as they left the restaurant, Xu Yang asked, ¡°Need a ride home?¡±


    Han Yanghui didn¡¯t refuse, ¡°Sure, my dad needed the car today too, and I ran here. I¡¯ve had a bit too much to drink; I don¡¯t feel like running anymore.¡±


    ¡°Get in the car,¡± Xu Yang gestured towards his vehicle.


    ¡°Holy shit! A Rolls-Royce Cullinan! This is your car?¡± Han Yanghui eximed upon seeing the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, instantly sobering up significantly.


    He had noticed the Rolls-Royce Cullinan earlier and had been wondering whose car it was.<div>


    It turned out to be Xu Yang¡¯s ride.


    ¡°Get in, stop making such a fuss,¡± Xu Yang said as he noticed Han Yanghui¡¯s outcry attracting a lot of attention. Not wanting to draw a crowd, he reluctantly opened the rear car door and pushed Han Yanghui into the back seat.


    Afterward, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin got into the car and started the Rolls-Royce Cullinan.


    ¡°Wow, driving a Rolls-Royce, now that¡¯s luxury,¡± Han Yanghuimented as he inspected the car¡¯s interior, clicking his tongue in admiration.<div>


    After dropping off Han Yanghui, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin headed home.


    In the afternoon, the video editor sent over Xu Xiaoyu¡¯s short video. Xu Yang watched it and then sent it to Xu Xiaoyu, instructing her to post it on Douyin.


    Evening.


    After dinner, Xu Yang logged into his mobile banking app, made a transaction, and then said, ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve transferred five million to your bank ount. If you and dad need to buy anything, just go ahead and buy it.¡±


    Jiang Qiuping was startled, ¡°Why are you transferring so much money to me? Keep it for yourself.¡±


    Xu Yang replied, ¡°Mom, I have money now, just take it. I¡¯m in Jiangcheng, and a lot of times I can¡¯t take care of you two. Now that I have money, you don¡¯t need to live as frugally as before. Spend the money that needs to be spent; the most important thing is to take care of your health.¡±


    Jiang Qiuping said helplessly, ¡°You child, we don¡¯t have much to buy. But since you¡¯ve transferred it, I¡¯ll just save it for you. In case you need it one day, I¡¯ll take it out for you to use. Anyway, you and Yuxin just live well in Jiangcheng. Don¡¯t worry about us. Your dad and I are still young; you don¡¯t need to be concerned.¡±


    Xu Yang felt helpless but also knew that his parents had gotten used to frugal living and were not the type to spendvishly anyway. No matter how much he urged, it would be no use. He could only say, ¡°Mom, I understand. I suggested that youe live in Jiangcheng, but you didn¡¯t want to. I wille back to see you more often.¡±


    Xu Yang had brought up the idea of having his parents live with them in Jiangcheng on the night they returned.


    But his parents didn¡¯t want to, saying they weren¡¯t used to the life in a big city and preferred the small county town.


    In truth, they didn¡¯t want to disrupt Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin¡¯s life.


    As long as their children were doing well, that was all that mattered to them. They didn¡¯t need to fuss over anything else.


    If Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin had children in the future, then they might consider moving to Jiangcheng to help with the children.<div>


    ¡°Come back when you have time, but it¡¯s okay if you¡¯re busy. As long as you and Yuxin are living well, that¡¯s the biggest wish your dad and I have,¡± Jiang Qiuping said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom and Dad. Yuxin and I will be fine,¡± Xu Yang said.


    The next day.


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin bid farewell to their parents and returned to Jiangcheng.


    Of course, they took Xu Xiaoyu and her two friends with them.


    As soon as she saw Xu Yang, Xu Xiaoyu excitedly ran over and grabbed his arm, ¡°Brother, the video we made yesterday has gone viral! It¡¯s got over five million views, a hundred thousand likes, fifty thousand shares, and fifty thousandments. Even the followers have surged past a hundred thousand!¡±


    She had been paying close attention to the video¡¯s performance, constantly refreshing the page.


    The view count was low during the day.


    But by evening, the views were skyrocketing.


    When she woke up this morning and saw such a high view count, it gave her quite a shock.


    Several months of her efforts hadn¡¯t been as sessful as this video.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited, there will be many more moments like this in the future,¡± Xu Yang said calmly.


    ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m just happy. With this video, I¡¯m even more confident about the future,¡± Xu Xiaoyu giggled.<div>


    Afterward, the three of them put their luggage in the trunk and got in the car.


    Since the holidays were over, there wasn¡¯t any traffic on the way back.


    They got back to Jiangcheng at a little past three in the afternoon.


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin took a few people shopping, treating Xu Xiaoyu to a lot of new clothes, shoes, and bags.


    Zhao Yuxin said it wasn¡¯t fair to only treat Xu Xiaoyu, so she also gave each of Xu Xiaoyu¡¯s two friends a set of clothes.


    The two friends felt lucky to benefit from Xu Xiaoyu¡¯s aura and were overjoyed, repeatedly expressing their gratitude.


    After shopping, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin treated the three to dinner, then arranged for them to stay in a hotel before heading home.


    Once home, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin couldn¡¯t wait to be entwined with each other.


    While at their hometown, it was embarrassing for them to do anything, so they had been holding back.


    Back home, they didn¡¯t have to worry about anything.


    Soon, the sounds of their lovemaking echoed through the living room.

 Chapter 61: 61 Remember the Promise

    Chapter 61: Remember the Promise


    Morning.


    Xu Yang went to the hotel to pick up Xu Xiaoyu and the two others, and drove them to thepany.


    He had Xiao Dongsheng sign them up and arrange training.


    In that period, thepany had signed up quite a few anchors. The three of them trained with these anchors.


    After that, he, the hands-off manager, didn¡¯t have to worry any longer.


    Not knowing where to go, Xu Yang just sat in thepany¡¯s rest area, drinking tea and ying with his phone.


    After a couple of games, his phone rang.


    Looking at the caller ID, it was Lin Junyi calling.


    ¡°Junyi bro,¡± Xu Yang answered the phone.


    ¡°Xu Yang, have you returned to River City?¡± Lin Junyi asked.


    ¡°I have, just got back yesterday,¡± Xu Yang said.<div>


    ¡°Great, I said before Mid-Autumn Festival, I wanted to treat you and Zhao Yuxin to a meal, let¡¯s do it tonight,¡± Lin Junyi said.


    ¡°No problem,¡± Xu Yang didn¡¯t decline.


    After all, given their rtionship, inviting for a meal was no big deal.


    He hadn¡¯t seen Lin Junyi at thepany just now; Lin Junyi must have been out shooting a video.


    He didn¡¯t inquire about these matters, as Lin Junyi didn¡¯t need anyone to supervise him.


    Such matters were something Lin Junyi was more than happy to do himself.


    After hanging up the phone, it rang once more.


    The caller ID showed an unfamiliar number.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Xu Yang answered the call.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Wu Jing, may I ask if this is President Xu?¡±


    The caller was indeed the director, Wu Jing.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me,¡± Xu Yang nodded and responded.


    ¡°I heard from Han Yanghui that you¡¯re interested in investing in my film, is that right?¡± Wu Jing asked.


    ¡°I am interested, but we still need to meet in person to discuss and understand the details more clearly before making a decision,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°That¡¯s reasonable. How about we meet tomorrow afternoon at three at the River City Grand Hotel? Does that work for you?¡± Wu Jing asked.


    He had been in the capital and had received a call from Han Yanghui the day before yesterday.


    But Han Yanghui had mentioned that Wu Jing would only be back to River City yesterday.


    Therefore, he only called Xu Yang today, as he didn¡¯t want to disturb Xu Yang¡¯s life.


    ¡°No problem, see you tomorrow,¡± Xu Yang readily agreed, as he had no ns for the next day anyway.<div>


    ¡°Alright, see you tomorrow,¡± Han Yanghui said.


    That evening.


    Xu Yang, Zhao Yuxin, and Lin Junyi had dinner together.


    It was a high-end restaurant, one that Lin Junyi had visited during the Mid-Autumn Festival and had said had a very good taste, so he brought the two to try it out.<div>


    during Mid-Autumn Festival, their anchors didn¡¯t have holidays. When people were resting, that was the busiest time for them.


    Xu Yang didn¡¯t treat them harshly. In addition to the regr overtime pay for statutory holidays, he had given eachpany employee a bonus of a thousand yuan.


    This energized all thepany¡¯s employees.


    After several rounds of drinks and a variety of dishes,


    Lin Junyi asked, ¡°How¡¯s the taste?¡±


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin both praised, ¡°It¡¯s really good.¡±


    Lin Junyiughed, ¡°In the future, you guys should watch more of the videos I shoot, go to the restaurants I¡¯ve reviewed. If it¡¯s a restaurant I¡¯ve chosen, it¡¯s definitely a good one.¡±


    Zhao Yuxinughed and said, ¡°Sure, we¡¯ll follow you and eat all over Jiangcheng. It¡¯s just that we might not be able to keep up with your pace; you check out a new ce every two or three days, and we can¡¯t be eating out so frequently.¡±


    Lin Junyi said, ¡°No problem, we¡¯ll go when we have time.¡±


    In the small private room next to the trio, two people were having a meal.


    These two people were none other than Zhao Yulu and Chen Guanglei.


    ¡°Yu Lu, my dad wants me to meet a director tomorrow to see if his movie is worth investing in. Do you want toe with me?¡± Chen Guanglei asked.


    Tomorrow was already Saturday, and Zhao Yulu didn¡¯t have to work.<div>


    ¡°Meet a director? Your dad¡¯spany invests in movies?¡± Zhao Yulu was somewhat surprised; she really didn¡¯t know about this.


    ¡°Yes, my dad¡¯spany had invested in two TV dramas before, but they both lost money. After that, we stopped. This time a director approached us with a movie project, so he wanted to see if it¡¯s worth the investment, asking me to meet with him,¡± Chen Guanglei said.


    His dad wasn¡¯t too keen on this investment, but since the director had approached them, he decided to let his son handle it, taking it as an opportunity to gain some experience.


    ¡°Which director?¡± Zhao Yulu asked.


    She was still curious about directors or stars from the film and television industry.


    Being able to meet them in person would be of interest to her.


    ¡°Wu Jing,¡± Chen Guanglei said with a smile.


    ¡°Him! He¡¯s turned to directing?¡± Zhao Yulu was a little surprised.


    She did know a bit about Wu Jing.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve looked into it a bit. Wu Jing¡¯s acting career was pretty smooth when he was younger. He starred in period TV dramas and was quite popr.¡±


    ¡°Afterwards, when he went to Harbor City to make movies, he never made it big and always yed minor roles, often viins.¡±


    ¡°Having failed to make a mark in Harbor City, he returned and wrote, directed, and starred in his own movie. Halfway through the production, the budget ran out, and they couldn¡¯t continue filming.¡±


    ¡°Now, he¡¯s seeking investment everywhere. He came to my dad¡¯spany before the Mid-Autumn Festival, and my dad asked me to meet him.¡±<div>


    Chen Guanglei exined the situation in detail.


    ¡°I see,¡± Zhao Yulu nodded, ¡°What kind of movie is he making, an action flick?¡±


    Chen Guanglei said, ¡°A military action film.¡±


    Zhao Yulu frowned. ¡°That genre doesn¡¯t seem popr. From what I¡¯ve seen, military action films in recent years have underperformed at the box office, or they¡¯ve hardly caught any attention at all.¡±


    Chen Guangleiughed and said, ¡°There¡¯s not much interest, which is why he¡¯s running out of investment funds. Anyway, I¡¯m just going to have a look and learn more about it.¡±


    Zhao Yulu nodded, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll also go with you to check it out and meet Wu Jing.¡±


    Chen Guangleiughed, ¡°Great, the appointment is at 2 pm at Jiangcheng Grand Hotel. We¡¯ll have lunch together tomorrow, and then head over.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Zhao Yulu nodded and then asked, ¡°What about that Southwest Business Association matter?¡±


    Chen Guanglei said, ¡°It should be settled in the next couple of days. Don¡¯t worry, my dad said he¡¯s going to have dinner with the vice-chairman tonight, and it should be sorted out by Monday.¡±


    In truth, he was even more anxious than Zhao Yulu.


    After all, Zhao Yulu had said that once the matter was taken care of, she would be his girlfriend.


    Zhao Yulu said, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Chen Guanglei reminded her, ¡°Zhao Yulu, you must remember your promise.¡±<div>


    Zhao Yulu knew what Chen Guanglei was referring to: ¡°Rest assured, as long as the matter is handled well, I naturally agree to be your girlfriend.¡±


    Chen Guanglei¡¯s smile was radiant: ¡°Good, as long as you remember.¡±


    In his eyes, this was already a done deal.


    He had decided that on the day Zhao Yulu became his girlfriend, he would do everything in his power to take her to a hotel.


    Having pursued Zhao Yulu for so long, he was finally about to see results.


    Once they were in the hotel room, he was determined to ravage Zhao Yulu fiercely.


    After that, how could Zhao Yulu still be arrogant in front of him?


    The women who ended up with him had no right to be arrogant in front of him.

 Chapter 62: 62 All’s Well That Ends Well

    Chapter 62: All¡¯s Well That Ends Well


    Harbor City Hotel.


    2:30 in the afternoon.


    Zhao Yulu and Chen Guanglei walked out of the hotel.


    Chen Guanglei shook his head and said, ¡°Wu Jing¡¯s military action film, I thought there might be something new about it, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be such garbage. What¡¯s this about unting our military and national pride, who would watch that?¡±


    Zhao Yulu nodded in agreement, ¡°Indeed, who would watch that kind of movie these days? If this movie is made, it¡¯s definitely going to lose money.¡±


    Chen Guanglei said, ¡°I really wonder if Wu Jing has lost his mind, making such a film. Even if he would¡¯ve shot a random period drama, it would probably be better than this. I thought that, with his difficulties in Harbor City, he would focus on polishing a script ande up with a good one, but it turns out like this. It¡¯s really disappointing. It seems his failure is justified; he probably shouldn¡¯t count on aeback in this lifetime.¡±


    Zhao Yulu said, ¡°Actually, Wu Jing is still a decent actor; it¡¯s just that period dramas and action films are on the decline. He probably hasn¡¯t realized this yet and still hopes to make aeback with them.¡±


    Chen Guanglei said, ¡°Whoever invests in him is an idiot. Let whoever wants to invest do it; I¡¯m certainly not going to.¡±


    Zhao Yulu said, ¡°That¡¯s the right choice; otherwise, you¡¯re sure to lose money.¡±


    As they talked, they got into the car and left.


    Not long after their car left, a Rolls-Royce Cullinan arrived and parked in the spot where their car had just been.<div>


    A young man got out of the car.


    The young man was, in fact, Xu Yang.


    He had an appointment with Wu Jing at three o¡¯clock and wanted to arrive a bit early.


    Regardless, it¡¯s never good to bete.


    Even though he was now wealthy and Wu Jing needed something from him, giving him the right to bete,


    only people without manners would do such a thing.


    Xu Yang¡¯s character was beyond reproach; he disdained to act that way.


    He arrived at the agreed-upon private room and met Wu Jing and Han Yanghui.


    After Han Yanghui made the introductions and greeted them, the three took their seats.


    ¡°Director Wu, I¡¯ve only got a general idea from Han Yanghui about your film,¡± Xu Yang asked, ¡°Could you go into detail for me?¡±


    Actually, it wasn¡¯t that important to speak or not, the main point was the gesture.


    You couldn¡¯t just agree to invest without asking anything or understanding the details.


    That wouldn¡¯t do; others would think you¡¯re a fool, and Xu Yang did not want to be considered an idiot in others¡¯ eyes.


    ¡°Sure, my movie¡­¡± Wu Jing briefly exined the situation, focusing on the plot of the film, its selling points, market analysis, and his own attitude toward it.


    In conclusion, the movie was very likely to make money once it was made.


    Guarantees on box office returns, however, were something he couldn¡¯t provide.


    No one could make such guarantees.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Xu Yang nodded, pondering for a moment, ¡°How much funding do you still need?¡±


    Wu Jing felt a surge of joy in his heart.<div>


    With Xu Yang asking like this, it indicated an interest in investing.


    Xu Yang was thest investor he was meeting with; if he couldn¡¯t secure the investment now, the film would really have to be shelved.


    To shelve it was basically to nip it in the bud.


    The rich second-generation Chen just now didn¡¯t hold out much hope for this film and had torn the script apart.<div>


    It vexed him, yet he couldn¡¯t really say anything.


    Unexpectedly, the situation turned around, with Xu Yang showing interest in investing.


    He had to seize Xu Yang, the potential benefactor. This was his chance.


    So, he quickly said, ¡°In these past few days, I¡¯ve managed to get two other people to invest, but their amounts are small; they¡¯ve only put in five million in total. To finish shooting this movie, we still need at least fifteen million more.¡±


    Xu Yang asked, ¡°Director Wu, since I¡¯m involved in the investment, I want to make sure the film is done well. I want to ask you, is fifteen million enough for you to make the best film possible?¡±


    Wu Jing was startled and quickly said, ¡°Mr. Xu, not to hide it from you, fifteen million is only enough toplete the filming ording to standard requirements. In my mind, to do the best, it would need twenty million.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°If we are to do it, we should do it best. I can invest twenty million.¡±


    Wu Jing was overjoyed, ¡°That¡¯s fantastic, Mr. Xu. Rest assured, I will do my utmost to make the film the best it can be.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Director Wu, based on what you just said, this film was originally invested with fifty-five million, you then secured an additional five million in investment, and I contribute twenty million, the total investment is now eighty million. I hold a twenty-five percent share of the investment, correct?¡±


    Wu Jing nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s correct, it is so.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°And the box office profit-sharing will be based on this ratio as well, right?¡±


    Wu Jing nodded again, ¡°It will be ording to this ratio.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°I want to add one condition.¡±<div>


    Wu Jing was taken aback, ¡°Mr. Xu, please state your condition. As long as it¡¯s within my capacity, I will certainly meet it.¡±


    This film contained all of his hard work and was his hope for a turnaround.


    As long as Xu Yang¡¯s conditions weren¡¯t too harsh, he wouldpromise.


    Xu Yang said, ¡°I hope the investment contract stiptes that if you film ¡®War Panther 2,¡¯ I want a thirty percent share of the investment.¡±


    The system had said that the box office for ¡®War Panther 2¡¯ would reach five billion. He had to participate in the investment.


    Should ¡®War Panther¡¯ seed, Wu Jing would certainly attract major capital investment for ¡®War Panther 2.¡¯


    If he didn¡¯t propose this condition now, with Xu Yang¡¯s clout, there would definitely be no chance for him to investter.


    By stating this condition and getting it written in ck and white, there would be no issue.


    Wu Jing¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Mr. Xu, do you really have such confidence in ¡®War Panther¡¯ that you¡¯re already thinking about my filming of ¡®War Panther 2¡¯?¡±


    Truth be told, he had contemted that Xu Yang might propose other conditions to increase his earnings, such as sharing profits from future rights sales and so on.


    He hadn¡¯t expected Xu Yang toe up with such a condition.


    Even ¡®War Panther¡¯ had yet to be released, and Xu Yang was already considering ¡®War Panther 2.¡¯


    To tell the truth, not even he himself had thought about ¡®War Panther 2¡¯ yet.<div>


    Only if ¡®War Panther¡¯ performed well at the box office would he set about writing the script for ¡®War Panther 2.¡¯


    Otherwise, if the box office was poor, drafting a script would be futile.


    Xu Yang nodded, ¡°Judging by your attitude towards this movie and the quality of the script, I believe that ¡®War Panther¡¯s¡¯ box office will not be disappointing. If there¡¯s no problem with the box office, you should indeed film ¡®War Panther 2.¡¯


    Wu Jing said, ¡°Alright, no problem. If I film ¡®War Panther 2,¡¯ I will give you a thirty percent investment share.¡±


    As long as ¡®War Panther¡¯ is released and does well at the box office, he would turn things around.


    Giving Xu Yang a thirty percent investment share in ¡®War Panther 2¡¯ was essentially trivial.


    Xu Yang smiled, ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s sign the contract.¡±


    The deal was struck, to the satisfaction of both parties.


    Lawyers were brought in to draft the contract.


    After signing the contract, Xu Yang transferred twenty million to Wu Jing.


    ¡°Mr. Xu, rest assured, I will make a great film and live up to your expectations,¡± Wu Jing promised again.


    ¡°I believe,¡± Xu Yang nodded, then nced at Han Yanghui, ¡°Director Wu, Han Yanghui is my high school ssmate; we have a very good rtionship. He has the intention to persist in the film and television industry, so if possible, I hope you might look after him a bit.¡±


    Hearing this, Han Yanghui¡¯s eyes reddened.<div>


    He knew the weight of Xu Yang¡¯s words.


    As an investor, Wu Jing was bound to take them seriously.

 Chapter 63: 63 A Big Gift

    Chapter 63: A Big Gift


    ¡°Mr. Xu, rest assured, when Han first came for the audition, I already said his acting was very good,¡±


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for him, I wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to meet you, let alone know where to get investments.¡±


    ¡°As for this film, his role is already set, and it¡¯s highly unlikely to change. In the future, when I make movies, as long as there¡¯s a suitable role, I will definitely use him again.¡±


    ¡°I have some friends in this industry, and if the opportunity arises, I¡¯ll introduce him to them.¡±


    If it weren¡¯t for Xu Yang¡¯s investment, Wu Jing really wouldn¡¯t know who else to turn to for funding.


    One could say that Xu Yang was his benefactor; Wu Jing felt intense gratitude in his heart.


    There was no reason for Wu Jing not to agree to the request from Xu Yang, his benefactor.


    In fact, this was the biggest promise he could make.


    He was a man who took promises seriously; if he said he would do something, he would definitely do it.


    ¡°Then thank you very much,¡± Xu Yang nodded.


    ¡°Xu Yang, thank you,¡± Han Yanghui clenched his fists tightly, his eyes slightly reddening.<div>


    He knew that now he had the opportunity, it was up to him to make it work.


    ¡°We¡¯re brothers; no need for formalities. Alright, I¡¯m taking off now.¡± Xu Yang stood up, patted Han Yanghui on the shoulder, and left.


    Han Yanghui and Wu Jing quickly got up and saw him to the door, watching until Xu Yang drove away in his Rolls-Royce Cullinan, before they withdrew their gaze.


    Wu Jing said, ¡°Han, I owe you one this time. If it weren¡¯t for you, my film might have really been doomed.¡±


    Han Yanghui replied, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be polite, Director Wu. I only mentioned your film to Xu Yang. The main reason he invested is because your film is good. Otherwise, Xu Yang wouldn¡¯t have invested at all.¡±


    Wu Jing smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the promise I made to Xu Yang just now isn¡¯t empty talk. I¡¯ll find an opportunity to introduce you to my friends.¡±


    He indeed had quite a few friends. Introducing Han Yanghui to these friends would guarantee that Han wouldn¡¯t becking film roles.


    Even though at first they might only be small roles, this was already very rare.


    Who knows how many people run around as extras every day without seeing any hope.


    Having small roles to increase the chance of exposure would greatly increase the opportunity to stand out.


    ¡°Then I really thank you, Director Wu,¡± Han Yanghui said, filled with gratitude.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s head back to the capital and get to work!¡± Wu Jing was in high spirits.


    With those twenty million, he was full of confidence and would surely produce a good film.


    He wanted those who rejected him to see that rejecting him was a mistake.


    ¡­


    Xu Yang drove home.


    On the way, his phone rang.


    He saw that it was Jiang Yuheng calling.


    ¡°Mr. Jiang,¡± Xu Yang answered the call.<div>


    ¡°Xu Yang, where are you now, and do you have time?¡± Jiang Yuheng asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m out, just finished up some business, and on my way home. What¡¯s up?¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°Thank you forst time. I only fully settled the matter today and wanted to meet you in person to express my gratitude. Let¡¯s have dinner together tonight,¡± Jiang Yuheng said.


    In the meantime, he had had people watch over Xu Yang, Liang Yurui, and Ye Jingjing.<div>


    No issues arose; it became clear that Xu Yang had no affiliation with Liang Yurui and Ye Jingjing, ruling out any possibility of collusion to deceive him.


    The incident was solely the doing of Liang Yurui and Ye Jingjing and had nothing to do with anyone else.


    As for how Xu Yang came to know about it, that remained a mystery.


    Xu Yang¡¯s warning had helped him avoid kidnapping.


    And kidnapping held the risk of being murdered.


    ¡°`


    Saying that Xu Yang saved his life was no exaggeration.


    He had told his father, Jiang Dahai, about it and also mentioned Xu Yang¡¯s investment in futures and antiques, picking up bargains to make money.


    Jiang Dahai, recognizing the potential that Xu Yang had shown, decided to foster a good rtionship with Xu Yang and made a significant decision to give him a grand gift.


    Jiang Yuheng was the one to deliver the gift to Xu Yang.


    ¡°Jiang, you don¡¯t need to be so polite. We¡¯re friends,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°Xu Yang, please give me this chance, let¡¯s have dinner together tonight,¡± Jiang Yuheng insisted.


    ¡°Alright, send me the address then, and I¡¯ll be there,¡± Xu Yang reluctantly epted.<div>


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll send it to you right away,¡± said Jiang Yuheng.


    After ending the call, Xu Yang soon received the address from Jiang Yuheng, immediately made a U-turn, and headed for the destination.


    On the way, he called Zhao Yuxin to tell her that Jiang Yuheng had invited him to dinner and asked if Zhao Yuxin wanted to go.


    Zhao Yuxin was not interested and said she would go to her father¡¯s small restaurant to eat.


    Xu Yang had no choice but to let her be.


    More than half an hourter, he arrived at a high-end restaurant and went to the private room Jiang Yuheng had mentioned.


    After exchanging pleasantries, both parties sat down.


    The wine flowed, and the dishes passed, one after another.


    ¡°Jiang, what did you want to talk about?¡± Xu Yang asked.


    ¡°Xu Yang, from now on, you don¡¯t have to keep calling me ¡®Jiang.¡¯ Just call me by my name, or simply ¡®Old Jiang,¡¯¡± Jiang Yuheng said.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem right. You are one of the top young masters in Jiang City, and I¡¯m just an ordinary person,¡± Xu Yang shook his head.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with that. Besides, you are not an ordinary person. Can an ordinary person earn so much money in the futures and antiques markets? Can an ordinary person know such secretive matters?¡± Jiang Yuheng rolled his eyes.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll call you ¡®Old Jiang.¡¯ What¡¯s the matter you wanted to discuss today?¡± Xu Yang said, resigning himself to the change.<div>


    Since Jiang Yuheng didn¡¯t mind, he naturally wouldn¡¯t either.


    ¡°Xu Yang, take a look at this,¡± Jiang Yuheng said as he took out a file envelope from the briefcase he had brought and ced it in front of Xu Yang.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Xu Yang was puzzled.


    ¡°You¡¯ll know when you look at it,¡± Jiang Yuheng said with a smile.


    Xu Yang opened the file envelope, took out the document inside to review it, and discovered that it was a share transfer contract transferring three percent of the shares of Wan Da Entertainment.


    The transferor was Jiang Dahai, and the transferee was Xu Yang.


    Xu Yang was aware that Jiang Dahai was the name of Jiang Yuheng¡¯s father.


    ¡°Old Jiang, what does this mean?¡± Xu Yang was somewhat startled.


    After all, Wan Da Entertainment possessed Wan Da Cinemas and was a behemoth in the film industry.


    The shares of Wan Da Entertainment were extremely valuable.


    Moreover, Wang Dalin, the owner of Wan Da Group, ced great importance on the shares of thepanies under the group and would not transfer them lightly.


    Acquiring shares in anypany within the Wan Da Group was an opportunity not many people would pass up.


    It wasn¡¯t just about making money; owning these shares meant possessing an incrediblework of connections.<div>


    ¡°Xu Yang, this was a decision made after discussion with my father. Please ept it,¡± Jiang Yuheng said as he took out a pen from the briefcase and ced it in front of Xu Yang.


    ¡°Old Jiang, this isn¡¯t right. I¡¯ve already said, we¡¯re friends; you don¡¯t need to be so formal,¡± Xu Yang shook his head.


    He did want what was being offered, but he felt it was too significant a gesture.


    His advice had only involved talking; he hadn¡¯t expected anything in return.


    ¡°Xu Yang, if you consider me a friend, then sign the contract. Are you saying that my life isn¡¯t worth these three percent of shares?¡± Jiang Yuheng urged.


    ¡°`

 Chapter 64: 64: Capital Operations

    Chapter 64: Capital Operations


    ¡°Old Jiang, there¡¯s really no need for this,¡± Xu Yang said with a bitter smile.


    ¡°Xu Yang, just sign it,¡± Jiang Yuheng urged again. ¡°My dad said if you don¡¯t sign, I shouldn¡¯t bothering home anymore. You can¡¯t let me end up homeless, can you?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Xu Yang was somewhat at a loss whether tough or cry, but he could only agree helplessly and signed the contract.


    With that, Xu Yang had be a shareholder of Wan Da Film and Television Company.


    Although he only held three percent of the shares, this stake was not taken lightly by any tycoon in the film and television industry.


    ¡°Right, remember thest time we had dinner together, you mentioned your wife works at a bank, right?¡± Jiang Yuheng asked.


    Last time, when they had dinner with Lin Junyi and the others, they learned a bit about each other¡¯s situations.


    Jiang Yuheng knew that Xu Yang had resigned from hispany and was just trading stocks and futures at home, looking for something else to do.


    As for Zhao Yuxin, she worked at a bank.


    ¡°Yes, what about it?¡± Xu Yang asked, puzzled, not understanding why Jiang Yuheng was bringing this up.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the thing, my dad is the chairman of the Southwest Chamber of Commerce. The memberpanies of the chamber have established a special investment fund, and I¡¯ve been busy setting it uptely. It¡¯s pretty much taken care of now.¡±<div>


    ¡°Next Tuesday, the funds from the memberpanies will be in ce, totaling one billion.¡±


    ¡°This money needs to be entrusted to a bank for custody, and quite a few banks have approached us. We¡¯re currently discussing which bank should hold the custody.¡±


    ¡°I remembered your wife works in a bank, so let¡¯s just entrust it to the bank she works for,¡± he suggested.


    Jiang Yuheng exined a bit.


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t this cause any trouble for you and your dad?¡±


    For Zhao Yuxin, of course, this was good news.


    Working at a bank, performance is required.


    Funds amounting to one billion are arge sum for any bank.


    This kind of cooperation between the two parties is long-term.


    Once a custodial agreement is signed, barring any unforeseen circumstances, it is unlikely to change banks.


    This special investment fund, if managed well, could see an increase in funds in the future.


    The investment projects of so manypanies working together are generally very stable.


    Just on these points alone, this deal would greatly enhance Zhao Yuxin¡¯s importance at the bank.


    There¡¯s no doubt, this was also Jiang Yuheng¡¯s way of expressing his gratitude.


    However, Xu Yang worried that such an arrangement could negatively affect Jiang Yuheng and his father.


    He didn¡¯t want to cause any trouble for Jiang Yuheng and his father because of himself.


    That was not something he wished to see.


    ¡°There won¡¯t be any negative effects, it¡¯s all within my authority to decide. The opinions of the members are just for reference. Wherever I say the fund should be entrusted, it will be entrusted,¡± Xu Yang exined.


    ¡°That¡¯s good, I¡¯ll talk to my wife about it. You¡¯ll have someone contact herter, I¡¯ll send you her phone number,¡± he replied.<div>


    As long as there were no negative effects, Xu Yang sent Zhao Yuxin¡¯s phone number to Jiang Yuheng.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll have the financial manager of the fund contact your wife to take care of it. We¡¯ll open a special ount tomorrow, and the funds should be in ce the day after,¡± Jiang Yuheng said.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Xu Yang expressed his gratitude.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for formalities between us,¡± Jiang Yuheng said with a smile. ¡°By the way, I heard from Old Lin that you bought a live streaming guild and even signed him to your guild. Under your guidance, he started creating videos, transformed into a food exploration broadcaster, and has now be quite the inte celebrity.¡±<div>


    Xu Yang smiled and nodded, ¡°Yes, I think brother Yi had a good point about there being potential in the short video field. I¡¯m not someone who likes to be in front of the camera like brother Yi, so I simply bought a live streaming guild. Yi was not famous before mainly because he hadn¡¯t found the right niche. I just tailor-made videos based on his personality and strengths, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Jiang Yuheng said, ¡°That¡¯s quite impressive. I watched histest video; it¡¯s really funny and attractive. It makes people want to go and spend money at those restaurants. I thought his previous outdoor entertainment content was just average.¡±


    After chatting and finishing their meal, the two parted ways.


    When Xu Yang got home, he told Zhao Yuxin about the Southwest Chamber of Commerce special investment fund entrusting one billion in funds to her bank.


    Zhao Yuxin was greatly surprised when she heard this.


    The bank president had mentioned this matter to all the staff, asking everyone to activate theirworks to try to secure this business deal.


    Moreover, there was a promise of a significant reward for whoevernded the deal.


    Besides the president¡¯s position, they could choose any other position they wanted.


    Zhao Yuxin knew her own situation and had no expectations of securing such a business deal.


    She hadn¡¯t mentioned this matter to Xu Yang.


    Little did she know, Jiang Yuheng¡¯s father was actually the president of the Southwest Chamber of Commerce. Jiang Yuheng was also responsible for preparing the investment fund of the Southwest Chamber of Commerce and had the decisive power to entrust the funds to the bank where she worked.


    One could imagine that, after this was done, she would no longer be a neer in the bank, but definitely an employee that even the president would regard highly.


    For someone who had been working at the bank for less than half a year, this was an immense surprise.<div>


    ¡­


    Monday.


    As soon as Zhao Yuxin arrived at the bank, she received a call from the financial manager of the Southwest Chamber of Commerce Investment Fund, who exined the situation and inquired about when it would be suitable toe to the bank to open an ount.


    This financial manager was very polite.


    After all, this was a task personally assigned by Jiang Yuheng; she had to be courteous.


    She even suspected that Jiang Yuheng was interested in pursuing Miss Zhao Yuxin.


    After Jiang Yuheng offered an exnation, the financial manager realized the misunderstanding.


    It turned out that Miss Zhao Yuxin was the wife of a good friend of Jiang Yuheng.


    Entrusting the funds to the bank where Zhao Yuxin worked was a gesture of goodwill to his good friend.


    ¡°You cane over at any time; I¡¯ll make time for it,¡± Zhao Yuxin replied.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be there at ten o¡¯clock, see you then,¡± said the fund¡¯s financial manager.


    ¡°Okay, see you then.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, Zhao Yuxin went to find the president to report the situation.<div>


    The president was both surprised and excited.


    He had not held much hope for this matter to begin with.


    After all, he was very aware of his own and his employees¡¯ capabilities.


    The chance of securing this business deal was virtually nil.


    Unexpectedly, Zhao Yuxin had brought him such a great surprise.


    It seemed that Zhao Yuxin was not as simple as she appeared to be.


    ¡°Xiao Zhao, can you tell me how you did it?¡± the president asked, looking deeply at Zhao Yuxin.


    ¡°President, the son of the Southwest Chamber of Commerce president, Jiang Yuheng, is responsible for establishing and operating this investment fund. My husband happens to be his friend. When Jiang Yuheng learned that I work at the bank, he decided to entrust the funds to our bank,¡± Zhao Yuxin answered honestly without hiding anything.


    ¡°Your husband is friends with the son of the Southwest Chamber of Commerce president, Jiang Yuheng?¡± the president¡¯s eyes lit up.


    He did not know about this.


    He only knew that Zhao Yuxin was already married, as she had distributed wedding candy to everyone in the bank.


    At the time, he had casually asked what Zhao Yuxin¡¯s husband did for a living.


    Zhao Yuxin said he worked at a listedpany.<div>


    He hadn¡¯t thought much of it at the time, but now it seemed that Zhao Yuxin¡¯s husband was not so simple.


    He had also heard that Jiang Yuheng was a top-level rich second generation in Jiangcheng.


    If her husband was friends with Jiang Yuheng, didn¡¯t that mean that Zhao Yuxin¡¯s husband was also a top-level rich second generation?

 Chapter 65: 65 Powerlessness

    Chapter 65: Powerlessness


    ¡°Yes,¡± Zhao Yuxin nodded.<div>


    ¡°Is your husband a second-generation rich?¡± the bank manager asked directly.


    ¡°No, my husband isn¡¯t a second-generation rich, it¡¯s just a coincidence that he became friends with Jiang Yuheng,¡± replied Zhao Yuxin.


    ¡°It seems your husband is no simple man,¡± the bank manager remarked once again.


    He believed that Zhao Yuxin wouldn¡¯t lie to him, nor did she have any reason to.


    Zhao Yuxin¡¯s husband wasn¡¯t a second-generation rich, but he managed to befriend Jiang Yuheng.


    This meant Zhao Yuxin¡¯s husband was definitely not a simple man.<div>


    ¡°Manager, you jest, my husband is just an ordinary person,¡± Zhao Yuxin said modestly.


    ¡°Haha, Zhao Yuxin, you¡¯re too modest. No matter what, you¡¯ve made a great contribution this time by securing this business deal for the bank. I won¡¯t go back on my word, you can choose any position in the bank, and also, when we have time, I¡¯ll treat you and your husband to a meal.¡±


    The bank manager was in high spirits, eager to take this opportunity to make the acquaintance of Zhao Yuxin¡¯s husband.


    Befriending someone like Zhao Yuxin¡¯s husband would only be beneficial to both the bank and his own personal advancement, without any downside.


    ¡°Alright, thank you, manager. Then, I¡¯ll go back to work,¡± Zhao Yuxin thanked him.


    ¡°Go ahead, and let me know when the fund finance manager arrives,¡± said the bank manager.


    It was natural for him to meet the person himself to show how seriously he took the matter.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Zhao Yuxin left the bank manager¡¯s office.


    ¡­


    Triumph Investments.


    Chen Guanglei entered the president¡¯s office.


    ¡°Dad, what¡¯s up?¡±<div>


    Upon entering the office, Chen Guanglei plopped down onto the sofa.


    Just now, he had been flirting with a beauty from the department when he received a call from his dad asking him toe to the office.


    He was at a crucial moment in his flirtations when the old man interrupted, which greatly disappointed him.


    ¡°The deal with the Southwest Chamber of Commerce fell through,¡±


    Chen Guanglei¡¯s father, Chen Ankang, was a balding middle-aged man around fifty years old.


    His personal health had not been well-managed, leading to a significant weight gain.


    However, this did not impair his sess.


    He was a self-made man who had be a business tycoon worth billions.


    Sessful, he failed to keep a man¡¯s bottom line, keeping a mistress on the side, and eventually divorced his wife.


    This did not diminish his charm; his wealth meant he was never short of beautiful women.


    After all, he was rich, had a son already, and whether or not he had a wife didn¡¯t matter to him anymore.


    Upon hearing this, Chen Guanglei¡¯s face changed dramatically, ¡°How did it fall through? Didn¡¯t you say it was almost a sure thing?¡±<div>


    Chen Ankang gave a wry smile, ¡°I did say it was almost guaranteed, but there¡¯s always that one chance of failure. There was no issue with the deal, but someone got involved.¡±


    Chen Guanglei frowned, ¡°Who interfered?¡±


    Chen Ankang replied, ¡°The son of the Southwest Chamber of Commerce president, Jiang Yuheng.¡±


    Chen Guanglei was shocked, ¡°Him!¡±


    As one of the city¡¯s rich second-generation, he well knew that Jiang Yuheng was a top-tier rich second-generation figure in the city.


    Moreover, he had hoped to be friends with Jiang Yuheng.


    Unfortunately, he had only seen Jiang Yuheng from a distance at a car racing event and another time at a cocktail party. He never had the chance to get to know Jiang Yuheng.


    He couldn¡¯t just go up and introduce himself, asking to be friends.


    If he did that, it would be ineffective, and it would make him look like an idiot.


    These things required an introduction by someone.


    Regrettably, to this day, he had not found anyone to make the introduction.


    But now, Jiang Yuheng had interfered in this matter.<div>


    Meaning, Zhao Yulu bing his girlfriend was off the table.


    In other words, Jiang Yuheng had messed up his n.


    Regarding this, he only dared to hold a little grudge against Jiang Yuheng in his heart.


    Or asionally curse a few times when he was at home alone.


    He definitely wouldn¡¯t dare to show it in front of others.


    Otherwise, if Jiang Yuheng found out that he, a little rich second generation, was dissatisfied with him, he would be doomed.


    Chen Ankang nodded, ¡°He¡¯s responsible for the preparation work of the fund. Normally, he wouldn¡¯t bother with such things, but who knew, this morning, he told others and designated the bank for fund custody. That vice chairman, how could he dare to oppose? Keep in mind, Jiang Yuheng¡¯s dad is the chairman, and his influence is far beyond what the vice chairman could everpare to.¡±


    Chen Guanglei puzzled, ¡°Why did he suddenly designate a bank?¡±


    Chen Ankang shook his head, ¡°Don¡¯t know, the vice chairman didn¡¯t say regarding that.¡±


    Chen Guanglei bitterly said, ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing we can do about it.¡±


    He walked out of the CEO¡¯s office and left thepany, getting into his own car.


    Then, he dialed Zhao Yulu¡¯s phone number.<div>


    Soon, the call connected.


    ¡°Chen Guanglei, have you settled the matter of the one billion in funding?¡±


    Zhao Yulu had been eagerly thinking about this.


    She remembered that Chen Guanglei said there should be a result today.


    Calling at this time, there should be some oue.


    ¡°Yu Lu, I was just about to talk to you about this. I¡¯m sorry, it hasn¡¯t worked out.¡± Chen Guanglei said with bitterness.


    ¡°What happened, didn¡¯t you say it would be fine?¡± Zhao Yulu¡¯s heart sank. She had already told her colleagues that she would secure this deal, even the bank manager knew and hade to inquire about it.


    If the deal didn¡¯t go through, her colleagues wouldugh at her, and the bank manager would be dissatisfied with her.


    How was she supposed to continue working at the bank?


    Chen Guanglei, every time full of big promises, and every time the result is not good.


    This time, it was about her job, and still there was a problem.


    ¡°Yu Lu, you can¡¯t me me for this. My dad has a good rtionship with the vice chairman who said he would help, but someone intervened and the vice chairman was powerless.¡± Chen Guanglei sounded helpless and bitter.<div>


    Truth be told, he wished for this to seed more than anyone, even more than Zhao Yulu herself did.


    After all, if it worked out, Zhao Yulu would be his girlfriend.


    Then he could legitimately find various excuses to take Zhao Yulu to a hotel.


    But in the end, it still didn¡¯t go as he wished.


    All because of that damn Jiang Yuheng, meddling in the affair.


    Having missed this chance, who knows when another wille.


    He wanted to give up, but after pursuing for so long, investing so much time and effort, and also money.


    Money was actually not a big deal, it was just treating Zhao Yulu to meals, without giving her any gifts.


    It¡¯s not that he wasn¡¯t willing to give gifts, it¡¯s that Zhao Yulu didn¡¯t want any.


    Zhao Yulu, at most, would go shopping with him and have a meal or something.


    On this point, Zhao Yulu was better than many women.


    Without being in a boyfriend-girlfriend rtionship with Chen Guanglei, she didn¡¯t ask for any gifts from him.


    This fact increased the difficulty for Chen Guanglei in pursuing Zhao Yulu.


    If Zhao Yulu epted gifts, it would be easy; he could just throw money at the problem, since he was rich.


    But Zhao Yulu didn¡¯t want gifts, which required him to invest time and energy.


    After investing too much time and energy, giving up now would leave Chen Guanglei feeling unwilling.


    ¡°Every time it¡¯s like this, it¡¯s happened so many times already.¡± Zhao Yulu said coldly.


    ¡°Yu Lu, these really were idents.¡± Chen Guanglei said with bitterness.


    ¡°You promised confidently that there¡¯d be no issue. I¡¯ve already mentioned it to colleagues and the bank manager. Now that it hasn¡¯t worked out, how am I supposed to keep working at the bank?¡± Zhao Yulu was extremely frustrated.


    ¡°Yu Lu, if you don¡¯t want to work at the bank anymore, I can arrange for you to work at my dad¡¯spany. I guarantee the sry will definitely be better than what you make at the bank, and the work will be easier.¡±


    Chen Guanglei¡¯s eyes brightened, and he suddenly saw this as a good opportunity.


    If Zhao Yulu were to work at his dad¡¯spany, he would have even more chances to be in contact with her, and the hope to win over Zhao Yulu would greatly increase.

 Chapter 66: 66 Planning Guidance

    Chapter 66: nning Guidance


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about itter,¡± Zhao Yulu said, her mood slightly improved upon hearing Chen Guanglei¡¯s words. ¡°By the way, who intervened?¡±<div>


    Chen Guanglei replied, ¡°It was Jiang Yuheng, the son of the president of the Southwestern Chamber of Commerce, who stepped in.¡±


    ¡°Jiang Yuheng?¡± Zhao Yulu frowned slightly. ¡°Is that the one known as the top second-generation rich in Jiang City?¡±


    Chen Guanglei nodded. ¡°That¡¯s him. He¡¯s in charge of organizing and operating that special investment fund.¡±


    Zhao Yulu asked again, ¡°Which bank is the fund entrusted to?¡±


    Chen Guanglei shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. Things have gotten to this point, and my dad stopped asking. I don¡¯t know either.¡±


    Zhao Yulu was utterly disappointed. ¡°Fine, I get it. I have to work now, so I¡¯m going to hang up.¡±<div>


    Chen Guanglei quickly said, ¡°Yu Lu, this was an ident. I¡¯ll take you out to lunch at noon to apologize.¡±


    Zhao Yulu responded coldly, ¡°No need, I¡¯ll be busy at noon too.¡±


    Having said that, Zhao Yulu hung up the phone.


    ¡°What the hell is this?¡±


    Hearing the beep from the phone, Chen Guanglei felt like smashing his mobile.


    ¡­


    In the blink of an eye, it was December.


    That day, Xu Yang went to Fengcai Guild to meet with Xiao Dongsheng and learn about thepany¡¯s operation.


    ¡°President Xu, most of the people on the list you provided have signed with us, a total of thirty-five.¡±


    ¡°Moreover, following the n you provided for them, having them live stream and make videos, they all became influencers with over a million followers.¡±


    ¡°Three of them even became super influencers with over ten million followers, including your friend Lin Junyi.¡±


    ¡°Additionally, your cousin, even though she¡¯s broadcasting and making videos back in her hometown, also became an influencer with a million followers.¡±<div>


    ¡°Our original broadcasters also benefited greatly. We¡¯ve redefined their development strategies, and they¡¯ve all be million-follower influencers too.¡±


    ¡°With the significant addition of new broadcasters, as well as more support staff, our original office space is no longer sufficient.¡±


    ¡°So I rented two more offices in this building, now half the building is our office space.¡±


    ¡°Last month, the profit of thepany exceeded ten million, reaching thirteen million.¡±


    ¡°It can be said that thepany is developing well, and the employees are full of confidence in its future.¡±


    Xiao Dongsheng gave a brief report.


    ¡°Not bad, really not bad. Under your management, thepany is getting better and better,¡± Xu Yang was very happy.


    ¡°President Xu, it¡¯srgely thanks to the list you provided. If it weren¡¯t for that, even if thepany had developed, it wouldn¡¯t have been this fast. I just executed what you suggested,¡± Xiao Dongsheng said, his statement both ttering and true.


    It¡¯s necessary to offer appropriatepliments to a boss.


    Of course, the reality was exactly as he said.


    Without Xu Yang¡¯s list, even if Xu Yang had the money and thepany had ample funds, it wouldn¡¯t have been possible to grow so quickly.


    ¡°Haha, Xiao, you¡¯re too modest. You¡¯re quite capable,¡± Xu Yang enjoyed Xiao Dongsheng¡¯s ttery.<div>


    He was now experiencing the feeling of being ttered.


    It must be said, it was a very pleasant feeling.


    No wonder so many leaders liked being ttered.


    It¡¯s just exhrating!


    ¡°By the way, now that the streamers have signed contracts, apart from normal livestreams and short videos, what else do you think can increase thepany¡¯s revenue?¡± Xu Yang asked.


    Today, he hade over, firstly to listen to Xiao Dongsheng¡¯s report on thepany¡¯s situation, and secondly to ask if Xiao had any methods to further increase thepany¡¯s revenue.


    ¡°Well, we could let the streamers take on some advertisements, which is also a source of ie,¡± Xiao Dongsheng considered for a moment before replying.


    ¡°That is indeed a source of ie, but such revenue isn¡¯t substantial enough to drive thepany¡¯s ie to explode,¡± Xu Yang naturally knew that taking on advertisements was one way to earn revenue.


    But that wasn¡¯t the kind of revenue he was after.


    ¡°Explosive growth?¡± Xiao Dongsheng was stunned, then he bitterly smiled, ¡°President Xu, achieving explosive growth for thepany is easier said than done.¡±


    Xu Yang knew that Xiao Dongsheng hadn¡¯t thought of it and then said, ¡°There is an opportunity right now.¡±


    Xiao Dongsheng¡¯s eyes lit up as he quickly asked, ¡°President Xu, what opportunity?¡±<div>


    After the matter with the streamers¡¯ list, Xiao Dongsheng was utterly convinced of Xu Yang¡¯s capabilities.


    If Xu Yang said there was an opportunity, then it definitely was one.


    Xu Yang smiled, ¡°Let the streamers sell products during their livestreams!¡±


    Xiao Dongsheng was taken aback, then he said, ¡°President Xu, Douyin doesn¡¯t have this feature yet.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that he hadn¡¯t thought about having the streamers sell products during their livestreams.


    After all, on other tforms, such as Cool Shou short videos and a certain treasure¡¯s livestreaming product sales, this method was extremely popr and made everyone a fortune.


    But Douyin didn¡¯t have this feature yet.


    Douyin¡¯s rise was simply too fast, and many of its features were still not perfected.


    ¡°Old Xiao, given how well Douyin is doing now, it should soon surpass Cool Shou and be the dominant tform in the short video sector.¡±


    ¡°Livestream selling is a huge opportunity, and it¡¯s inconceivable that Douyin wouldn¡¯t get involved. I estimate they will soon introduce the feature for livestream selling,¡± Xu Yang continued.


    ¡°What our guild needs to do is seize this opportunity and be the first guild to engage in livestream selling on Douyin.¡±


    ¡°When Douyinunches this feature, there will inevitably be a pilot phase, and we will be that pilot.¡±<div>


    ¡°Doing so will not only forge a good rtionship with Douyin but also bring lots of poprity and revenue for our guild.¡±


    ¡°With our current strength and having so many high-quality streamers, I believe we would be able to partner with Douyin to be their pilot guild for livestream selling.¡±


    ¡°This is an opportunity. You get in touch with Douyin, and for the specifics, you know better than I how to proceed,¡± Xu Yang advised.


    What Xu Yang was sharing came from an email the system had sent to him.


    Within Douyin¡¯s future strategic development n, it outlined theunch of the livestream selling feature and its anticipated poprity.


    What Xu Yang had to do was to point this out and let Xiao Dongsheng contact Douyin to foster this coboration.


    Upon hearing this, Xiao Dongsheng felt like he had an epiphany.


    ¡°President Xu, you¡¯re right, the livestream selling cake is definitely something Douyin will want a piece of, it¡¯s just that they haven¡¯tunched this feature yet,¡± Xiao Dongsheng agreed.


    ¡°Considering the pace they¡¯re moving at, Douyin should be rolling out this feature very soon.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, this is an opportunity. If we could coborate with Douyin, being their livestream selling partner could bring not only poprity and revenue but also promote our cooperation with Douyin.¡±


    ¡°I also believe our guild has the strength to work with Douyin. Our guild is full of high-quality streamers.¡±


    The more Xiao Dongsheng spoke, the more excited he became, as if he could already see the scene where the guild would coborate with Douyin, make a ssh, and rake in a fortune in the livestream selling field.<div>


    He owned twenty percent of the guild¡¯s shares; for every dor thepany earned, he had a twenty-cent ie.


    This only stimted him further to do everything well.


    Livestream selling would definitely be the operation that would realize explosive ie growth for both thepany and himself.

 Chapter 67: 67 Low-key Celebration

    Chapter 67: Low-key Celebration


    Xu Yang saw how excited Xiao Dongsheng was and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Old Xiao, I have to remind you. The products we feature in our live streams must be strictly selected, they have to be of excellent quality with a strong reputation. I don¡¯t want live-streaming to nt a ticking time bomb for our guild. You must be very stringent in this regard!¡±<div>


    He was worried that Xiao Dongsheng, driven by profit, would carelessly let the hosts promote any sort of product.


    In the short term, this might bring in more money, but in the long term, it would be a losing deal.


    Running apany, Xu Yang always considered its long-term development.


    He was not the kind who would make a quick buck and then take off after a few years.


    Therefore, he felt the need to caution Xiao Dongsheng.


    Xiao Dongsheng was shaken and quickly responded, ¡°Boss Xu, rest assured, I am not the kind of person who would do anything for money without scruples. I have my limits and know how to ensure thepany¡¯s long-term development. I would never do anything to harm thepany¡¯s interests. As soon as we finalize the cooperation with Douyin, I will definitely supervise the product selection for the live streams strictly, ensuring they are all of excellent quality and well-received by the public.¡±<div>


    Honestly, even without Xu Yang¡¯s reminder, he wouldn¡¯t have gotten involved in such things, or let the hosts sell fake or inferior products for the sake of profits.


    But he wouldn¡¯t have ced as much emphasis on the quality and reputation of the products.


    With Xu Yang¡¯s reminder, he now had to take it very seriously.


    The selection of products had to be the best of the best.


    Xu Yang nodded with satisfaction, ¡°Good, then prepare these next few days and reach out to Douyin for the coboration. As soon as the partnership is settled, choose high-quality, highly-reputed brand products. If you need me to step in for anything, call me right away.¡±


    Xiao Dongsheng immediately replied, ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be taking my leave now.¡± Xu Yang stood up and left.


    ¡­


    That evening, at the Yang¡¯s.


    Liu Yujuan had finished cooking and called everyone to dinner.


    Yang Tiancheng brought out his treasured Moutai liquor.


    He also took two sses and poured two servings.<div>


    One was for himself, and the other for his son, Yang Jingsheng.


    Zhao Yulu and Liu Yujuan didn¡¯t drink liquor, so Yang Tiancheng didn¡¯t pour any for them.


    Seeing his father¡¯s actions, Yang Jingsheng couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Dad, is there some good news today?¡±


    Yang Tiancheng took a sip of Moutai with relish, let out a contented ¡°ah¡± and smacked his lips before cracking a slight smile, ¡°Today the boss held a senior management meeting and discussed the hot pot chain n I proposed. The n got approved, and I¡¯m in charge of the hot pot chain project. We will start with opening twenty hot pot restaurants in Jiangcheng. As long as the Jiangcheng hot pot chain operates smoothly, we will expand to major cities across the country. The boss also promised that if the project is sessful, he will make me the Executive President of the group.¡±


    Yang Tiancheng worked for apany called Meiwei Group, where Liu Yujuan and he benefited from his position, both serving as managers.


    He had discussed the hot pot chain n with Liu Yujuan and Yang Tiancheng before.


    He was currently a vice president of the group, where there were several vice presidents each managing different areas.


    As a long-standing catering group in Jiangcheng, Meiwei Group owned several brands, including fast-food brands, high-end restaurant brands, as well as various snack brands catering to different regional tastes.


    In brief, Meiwei Group was arge-scale catering conglomerate.


    They hadn¡¯t yet ventured into hot pot.


    Yang Tiancheng¡¯s proposal coincided precisely with the boss¡¯s vision.


    The senior executives also felt it was necessary to fill this gap.<div>


    So, after discussions, they decided to initiate the hot pot chain project.


    Many of Yang Tiancheng¡¯s ideas had the boss¡¯s support, which led to him being appointed to lead this project.


    If Yang Tiancheng could handle this well, he would be promoted to president.


    This promise from the boss made other high-level executives in the group quite envious.


    It could be said that with the boss¡¯s backing, there was almost no chance of failure for this project.


    Yang Tiancheng¡¯s appointment as the president of the group was a done deal.


    After the meeting today, other senior executives from the group had alle over to show their goodwill toward Yang Tiancheng, which gave him a tremendous thrill.


    How could such good news not be celebrated?


    To be honest, if it weren¡¯t for the fear of leaving a bad impression on the boss, he would have liked to invite the other senior executives to dine out and celebrate.


    Coming home now to drink some treasured Moutai with his son was already keeping a low profile.


    ¡°Fantastic!¡± Yang Jingsheng was so happy he almost jumped up.


    With his dad bing the president, his own position in thepany would definitely see a promotion as well.<div>


    One could say, his father¡¯s sess was his sess.


    His sess depended on his father¡¯s sess.


    In and of himself, he didn¡¯t have much ability; his career heights were determined by Yang Tiancheng.


    ¡°Tian Cheng, it¡¯s a case of hard work paying off, and you¡¯ve finally gotten your chance,¡± Liu Yujuan was also very happy.


    Whether she could live well also depended on Yang Tiancheng.


    The more Yang Tiancheng earned, the more spending money she would have.


    Only Zhao Yulu silently ate her meal, saying nothing.


    She wasn¡¯t really concerned with these matters. In fact, she had always felt that she couldn¡¯t integrate into this family.


    Whether Yang Tiancheng seeded or not, it had little to do with her.


    Yang Tiancheng treated her, his stepdaughter, very differently from how he treated Yang Jingsheng, his biological son.


    From childhood to adulthood.


    Yang Tiancheng would take Yang Jingsheng on trips but never her.<div>


    Yang Tiancheng would agree to any request from Yang Jingsheng to buy anything, but never from her.


    Yang Tiancheng would spend a fortune to send Yang Jingsheng to the best schools but wouldn¡¯t care for her education, only letting her attend ordinary public schools like any regr child.


    Moreover, if something was done wrong, Yang Tiancheng wouldn¡¯t scold him.


    But if she did something wrong, Yang Tiancheng would indeed scold and hit her.


    All such things made it difficult for her to ept Yang Tiancheng as her stepfather, to ept Yang Jingsheng as her half-brother from different parents.


    ¡°Dad, I toast to you, to you, the future president of the group, haha!¡± Yang Jingsheng, wearing an excited smile, raised his ss.


    ¡°Tian Cheng, I¡¯m also going to toast to you with tea instead of wine,¡± Liu Yujuan poured a cup of tea, poured another one for Zhao Yulu, and even gave Zhao Yulu a meaningful look, fearing she wouldn¡¯t understand.


    With no other choice, Zhao Yulu could only lift her teacup.


    ¡°Good, today our whole family will toast to this asion,¡± said Yang Tiancheng in high spirits, clinking sses with the others, downing the liquor in one gulp, then letting out a satisfied ¡°ah¡± with a smack of his lips.


    Drinking at home, he would do this when he was happy.


    After all, it was just family watching; he didn¡¯t need to worry about anything.


    Drinking and dining out, of course, he wouldn¡¯t do such a thing.<div>


    Otherwise, he would certainly beughed at.


    ¡°This treasured liquor really is different,¡± Yang Jingsheng also downed his ss and smacked his lips.


    Afterward, he very sensibly filled up another ss for Yang Tiancheng, then another for himself.


    Zhao Yulu and Liu Yujuan each took a sip of their tea and set down their teacups.


    Zhao Yulu continued to eat her meal in silence, not speaking a word.

 Chapter 68: 68: Killing Two Birds with One Stone

    Chapter 68: Killing Two Birds with One Stone


    Yang Tiancheng had a few bites of his food and began, ¡°The first step to sess with this hot pot chain n is location selection. A store in a good location does better business. Starting from tomorrow, we should start looking for locations. Jing Sheng, I¡¯ll leave this task to you. Once the n seeds, I will report your contribution, and promoting you will be a matter of course, and nobody will have anything to say about it.¡±<div>


    Yang Jingsheng was overjoyed, ¡°Dad, rest assured, I will definitely handle this well and not disappoint you!¡±


    Yang Tiancheng nodded in satisfaction and looked at Liu Yujuan, ¡°Yu Juan, you need to be involved in this too. Start preparing. I¡¯ll have you manage one of the stores. If you can make one store a sess, promoting you afterward will also raise no objections.¡±


    Liu Yujuan was thrilled, ¡°Okay, you can count on me. I¡¯ll make sure to manage the store well.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Yang Tiancheng nodded with satisfaction.


    It might be an exaggeration to say that when one person achieves enlightenment, even their pets ascend to heaven.


    But indeed, Yang Tiancheng bing the CEO did mean raises and promotions for Liu Yujuan and Yang Jingsheng.<div>


    As for Zhao Yulu, working at a bank, that was none of his concern.


    Bank jobs are pretty good anyway.


    On this front, Zhao Yulu was doing rather well.


    Relying on her capabilities, Zhao Yulu had secured a job at the bank.


    After his son Yang Jingsheng graduated, he couldn¡¯t find a good job and had to rely on his position as the deputy general manager to arrange a position for him at Meiwei Group.


    Later on, he was promoted step by step until he became a department head.


    If not for his influence, his son would likely be stuck at the bottom, and getting a raise or promotion would be as difficult as climbing to heaven.


    Despite knowing this, Yang Jingsheng was his son, and he didn¡¯t say anything about it.


    It was sufficient that if his soncked capability, he, as a father, had it.


    After all, the money he earned was ultimately for his son.


    And his daughter would eventually marry and leave.


    Besides, she wasn¡¯t his biological daughter, so naturally, he wouldn¡¯t go out of his way for her.<div>


    In fact, if it weren¡¯t for Zhao Yulu¡¯s beauty and the high likelihood of her marrying into a good family, he¡¯d be even less inclined to concern himself with her.


    In his view, Zhao Yulu¡¯s only use was to marry well and benefit the family.


    That¡¯s why he had Zhao Yulu break up with Xu Yang and had his son introduce her to Chen Guanglei.


    If Zhao Yulu married Chen Guanglei, it would be a tremendous boon for the Yang family and aid his career.


    Chen Guanglei¡¯s father was a billionaire owner. Having such a connected family would naturally give him more clout in thepany.


    It would also create a safety for the Yang family; if Meiwei Group ever went under, he could turn to Chen¡¯s family¡ªhis inws¡ªfor a good job.


    His ns were meticulously crafted, although the oue would only be revealed with time.


    Yang Jingsheng said, ¡°Dad, I think the hot pot restaurant should be located where there¡¯s a lot of foot traffic. Once you have a crowd, business naturally picks up.¡±


    Yang Tiancheng nodded in agreement, ¡°Exactly. In catering, especially for hot pot, it¡¯s crucial to be where there¡¯s high foot traffic. Only with enough people can the business thrive.¡±


    Yang Jingsheng¡¯s eyes shifted as he looked at Liu Yujuan and said, ¡°Mom, I think the diner of your ex-husband would be a great choice for a hot pot restaurant.¡±


    Yang Tiancheng¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°You¡¯re right, the foot traffic there is huge, with many office buildings and malls nearby. It¡¯s an absolutely fantastic location. Otherwise, Xu Yang wouldn¡¯t be able to run his small diner so well, afford to support his daughter in buying a house, and yet his location is still underutilized. With some revamping, we could definitely turn it into a hot pot restaurant.¡±


    Speaking of which, he had a score to settle with Zhao Hai.<div>


    Back then, the two of them were working at Meiwei Group.


    He seeded in driving Zhao Hai out by using some schemes, became the manager, and gradually rose to the position of vice president.


    Not only that, but he also managed to steal Liu Yujuan, Zhao Hai¡¯s wife.


    In the struggle against Zhao Hai, he was the definitive winner.


    This time, in opening a chain of hotpot restaurants, if he could rent Zhao Hai¡¯s little diner, Zhao Hai¡¯s reaction would probably be very interesting.


    The thought alone was quite exciting.


    Yang Jingsheng said with a smile, ¡°Mom, why don¡¯t you talk to your ex-husband and let him rent the store to us? He doesn¡¯t make much from that small diner anyway. This way, it would be a win-win situation. He could get some relief and retire early, right?¡±


    Yang Tiancheng also said, ¡°Yujuan, Jing Sheng is making sense. Give Zhao Hai a call.¡±


    His tone was full of an air that brooked no refusal.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Liu Yujuan did not refuse, immediately took out her cell phone, and went to the balcony to make the call.


    She came back shortly, looking somewhat upset.


    ¡°What, he didn¡¯t agree to rent the store to us?¡± Yang Tiancheng asked with a frown.<div>


    ¡°He said he would never rent it to us and told us to stop dreaming,¡± Liu Yujuan said with a displeased look.


    Zhao Hai spoke very heartlessly, outright denying her request, not taking into ount any past father-daughter rtionship, which angered her greatly.


    ¡°He might just be temporarily unable to ept it. Do this, after work tomorrow, go to his diner and talk to him in person. If he¡¯s willing to rent the store, we can slightly raise the rental price, there¡¯s nothing wrong with that. After all, once the hotpot restaurant is booming, we can quickly earn back the rental fees,¡± Yang Tiancheng said.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go talk to him tomorrow; I can¡¯t believe I won¡¯t be able to persuade him,¡± Liu Yujuan said.


    Although it was Yang Jingsheng who first brought up this matter, it had Yang Tiancheng¡¯s approval.


    You could even say it was personally assigned by Yang Tiancheng himself.


    This was about Yang Tiancheng¡¯s hotpot franchise n; it had to be a sess.


    She needed to prove her worth.


    Only then could her life at home improve.


    ¡°Mom, I wish you sess,¡± Yang Jingsheng said with a smile on his face, like someone looking forward to a good show.


    This smile made Liu Yujuan quite ufortable, but she didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°By the way, Yu Lu, you should go with your mom tomorrow as well,¡± Yang Tiancheng suddenly suggested, turning to look at Zhao Yulu.<div>


    ¡°Can¡¯t Mom just go by herself?¡± Zhao Yulu didn¡¯t want to go.


    ¡°Having you there will make it more effective. No matter what, you are Zhao Hai¡¯s biological daughter. Maybe if you say a word, your biological father might soften up and rent the store to us. You are now part of our Yang family, and should contribute to this matter as well,¡± Yang Tiancheng said.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, my dear little sister, you shoulde along. Whether we can secure this store hinges on the two of you,¡± Yang Jingsheng¡¯s face once again showed that inexplicable smile.


    This smile was also something that Zhao Yulu found very annoying.


    To tell the truth, if she had the means to rent an apartment outside, she would have moved out long ago.


    With her sry, she could only afford a very poor ce, nothing like thefort of living at home.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go with Mom tomorrow,¡± Zhao Yulu agreed reluctantly.

 Chapter 69: 69 Get Out of Here Now

    Chapter 69: Get Out of Here Now


    The next day.<div>


    After work, Liu Yujuan drove to the bank to pick up Zhao Yulu, and then they arrived at Zhao Hai¡¯s small restaurant.


    They parked the car and got out, just in time to see a Rolls-Royce Cullinan parked next to them.


    ¡°Driving a Rolls-Royce Cullinan anding to eat at Zhao Hai¡¯s small restaurant?¡± Liu Yujuan said with a puzzled face.


    Zhao Yulu was also perplexed. People who drove this kind of luxury car should be going to high-end restaurants.


    Why would theye here?


    However, when they saw the two people getting out of the car, both Zhao Yulu and Liu Yujuan were stunned.<div>


    These two people were none other than Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin.


    ¡°Xu Yang, Yu Xin, why did youe in a Rolls-Royce Cullinan? Whose car is this?¡± Liu Yujuan couldn¡¯t help asking.


    She hadn¡¯t imagined the car belonging to either Xu Yang or Zhao Yuxin, which was why she asked such a question.


    Truth be told, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin were also surprised to see Zhao Yulu and Liu Yujuan.


    They didn¡¯t know why the two of them were here.


    They had arranged to meet their cousin Zhao Yuqing and have a meal together here.


    It was the cousin who craved the dishes cooked by Zhao Hai, so she¡¯d made the arrangements for them toe over.


    They didn¡¯t expect to encounter Zhao Yulu and Liu Yujuan here.


    ¡°This is my husband¡¯s car. If we don¡¯t ride in this, what should we ride in?¡± Zhao Yuxin replied indifferently.


    The cousin had invited them to her father¡¯s restaurant for dinner tonight. This morning, since Xu Yang had to go to the guild, Zhao Yuxin didn¡¯t drive to work but had Xu Yang drop her off at the bank and pick her upter.


    Xu Yang naturally had no objections, and he thought it was a very good arrangement.


    Otherwise, when they returned hometer, they would have to drive separate cars, which didn¡¯t seem right.<div>


    ¡°Xu Yang¡¯s car?¡± Liu Yujuan¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you purchased a Maserati Presidente and a vi? How do you still have money to buy a Rolls-Royce?¡±


    Zhao Yuxin replied coldly, ¡°My husband is capable of making money. Is that any of your business?¡±


    Liu Yujuan, seeing Zhao Yuxin¡¯s demeanor, immediately became angry, ¡°Zhao Yuxin, I am your mother. How can you speak to me like this?¡±


    Zhao Yuxin replied coldly, ¡°I never considered you my mother, don¡¯t tter yourself.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Liu Yujuan was so angry that her face turned ashen, and she was about to give Zhao Yuxin a piece of her mind.


    However, Zhao Yulu tugged at her arm, ¡°Mom, we¡¯re outside. A lot of people are watching. Let¡¯s talk about it inside the restaurant.¡±


    Liu Yujuan took a deep breath, ¡°Fine, when I see Zhao Haiter, I really want to ask him how he raises his daughter to not recognize her own mother.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin was not afraid of this and asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Liu Yujuan snorted coldly, ¡°We¡¯re here to bring money to your father. You¡¯d better persuade himter to take this opportunity. Once the chance is missed, there won¡¯t be another one.¡±


    ¡°Bringing money?¡± Zhao Yuxin frowned, ¡°What money? Are you that kind-hearted?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll find outter,¡± Liu Yujuan didn¡¯t want to exin now, since they were going to see Zhao Hai anyway. It was better to discuss it togetherter to avoid repeating herself and wasting time.


    ¡°If you won¡¯t say it, forget it. Let¡¯s go, husband,¡± Zhao Yuxin took Xu Yang¡¯s hand and entered the restaurant.<div>


    Then, they headed straight for a private room.


    Zhao Hai had already told them that this room was reserved especially for them and would not be open to anyone else tonight.


    The employees in the shop all knew that these were the boss¡¯s daughter and son-inw and didn¡¯t say anything. A server brought them tea and went to notify the boss.


    When another server saw Zhao Yulu and Liu Yujuan, they stepped forward to greet them, ¡°Hello, how many are in your party?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me; I¡¯m with the two who were just here,¡± Liu Yujuan waved her hand and, taking Zhao Yulu, entered a private room.


    They sat directly across from Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin.


    Zhao Yuqing hadn¡¯t arrived yet. She had sent a message earlier saying that she suddenly had to entertain a client in the afternoon and would arriveter.


    Zhao Yuxin nced at the two of them but didn¡¯t speak.


    Liu Yujuan then said ¡°Yu Lu, go call your dad over.¡±


    Zhao Yulu nodded and was about to stand up to go when the door to the private room opened.


    ¡°Yu Xin, you and Xu Yang¡­¡±


    The person who came in was Zhao Hai, smiling broadly. Mid-sentence, upon seeing Zhao Yulu and Liu Yujuan there, he seemed surprised, ¡°What are you two doing here?¡±<div>


    Liu Yujuan said, ¡°Zhao Hai, I still hope that you will reconsider the matter we discussedst night. It would be better for you, for me, and for everyone.¡±


    Zhao Hai finally understood why Liu Yujuan hade, and his expression darkened, ¡°There¡¯s no need to speak further. I¡¯ve made myself clear. You may leave now.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin asked curiously, ¡°Dad, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Zhao Hai exined, ¡°That Yang Tiancheng, with the group boss¡¯s approval, wants to start a hotpot chain and is currently looking for storefronts. He wants to rent this one of mine. Last night, this woman called me about it, and I explicitly rejected her. I didn¡¯t expect her toe knocking today.¡±


    Liu Yujuan said, ¡°Zhao Hai, for your own good, we¡¯re offering to rent your shop. How much can this shop of yours make in a year? We¡¯re willing to pay you two hundred and fifty thousand a year, which is already quite a lot. You¡¯d make two hundred and fifty thousand a year without lifting a finger. How can you be unsatisfied? Your shop doesn¡¯t even make a profit of two hundred and fifty thousand a year after you¡¯ve worked yourself to death, does it?¡±


    Zhao Hai replied, ¡°Whether I make that much or not is none of your business. I enjoy being busy like this¡ªwhat¡¯s it to you? I¡¯ll say it one more time; I won¡¯t rent the shop to you. Tell Yang Tiancheng to give up. Now, please leave.¡±


    Liu Yujuan said, ¡°Zhao Hai, you truly don¡¯t know how to grasp the situation. It¡¯s been so many years since your issue with Yang Tiancheng; holding a grudge like this, what¡¯s the point?¡±


    Zhao Hai¡¯s face turned grim, ¡°You have the nerve to bring up the past? Leave this minute!¡±


    Liu Yujuan frowned, took a deep breath, and said, ¡°Fine, let¡¯s not talk about the past. Zhao Hai, if you think the rent is too low, we can increase it to three hundred and fifty thousand a year, how about that? I¡¯m telling you, no matter who you rent to, you won¡¯t get a higher rent than this.¡±


    This was what Yang Tiancheng had told her¡ªit wasn¡¯t a number she had made up on the spot. He had said they could offer a rent as high as three hundred and fifty thousand a year.


    All they had to do was secure the deal.


    Zhao Hai said, ¡°I¡¯ll also be clear with you¡ªno matter how much money you offer, I¡¯m not going to rent the shop to you.¡±<div>


    Liu Yujuan¡¯s face became unsightly, realizing she couldn¡¯t convince Zhao Hai, so she turned to Zhao Yuxin, ¡°Yu Xin, look at your father. He doesn¡¯t know how to make money. Just for the sake of his pride, he¡¯s passing up such a good chance to earn money. If he won¡¯t think of himself, you should at least think for him. Don¡¯t you want to see him stopping from wearing himself out here every day?¡±


    Zhao Yuxin didn¡¯t want her dad to be so tired indeed.


    To be honest, a rent of three hundred thousand a year was really not low, and it was rare for someone to offer that much.


    That¡¯s approximately how much her dad earned in a year.


    But her dad had to keep busy for that.


    If her dad leased out the shop, he could bring in that much money without having to fuss around.


    That would be beneficial for her dad.


    But she also knew that her dad would lease the shop to anyone but Yang Tiancheng.


    With this in mind, Zhao Yuxin could only say, ¡°I respect my dad¡¯s decision. Whatever he chooses, I will support him.¡±

 Chapter 70: 70 Please Leave

    Chapter 70: Please Leave


    ¡°You!¡± Liu Yujuan¡¯s face turned an iron shade of green as she turned her head to look at Zhao Hai, ¡°Zhao Hai, look at you, this is the daughter you¡¯ve raised,pletely unconcerned about your life. She lives in a vi, drives luxury cars, yet she allows you to work yourself to death!¡±<div>


    How could Zhao Hai not understand the meaning behind Liu Yujuan¡¯s words, he calmly said, ¡°I think I¡¯ve raised my daughter very well, unlike you, who only knows how to push her own daughter to find a rich boyfriend.¡±


    After a pause, he added, ¡°You say my daughter doesn¡¯t care about my life, my daughter gave me eight million for my retirement, did your daughter give you that much money?¡±


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin, having bought luxury cars and moved into a vi, naturally didn¡¯t forget about Zhao Hai.


    After discussing with Xu Yang, Zhao Yuxin directly gave Zhao Hai ten million, of which two million was to pay back Zhao Hai for the house purchase money he gave Zhao Yuxin.


    Originally, Zhao Hai didn¡¯t want to take it.


    After all, he had property, and his own money was sufficient, why would he need so much more.<div>


    In the end, it was after repeated persuasion from Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin that he epted it.


    His intentions were the same as Xu Yang¡¯s parents, to not use the money themselves but to save it in the bank, and if Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin ever need itter, he would take it out for the couple.


    ¡°What! Yu Xin gave you eight million!¡± Liu Yujuan eximed, standing up in surprise.


    Zhao Yulu was also surprised as she looked at Zhao Yuxin and then at Xu Yang.


    If nothing unexpected had urred, this money must have been earned by Xu Yang.


    But if Xu Yang¡¯s earnings have been used for buying houses and cars, there shouldn¡¯t be much left, right? How could there still be eight million to give to Zhao Hai?


    This made her somewhat puzzled.


    ¡°Yu Xin, you really gave your dad eight million? How could you have so much money!¡± Liu Yujuan asked Zhao Yuxin.


    ¡°My husband can make money,¡± Zhao Yuxin said proudly.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he just a blind cat that ran into a dead rat, made a few million by specting on futures, and picked up a painting for fifty million? The money should have been spent on the cars and vi, right? How can there still be money left?¡± Liu Yujuan still found it hard to believe.


    ¡°Must be your sister who told you, right? Does that mean my husband can¡¯t make more money?¡± Zhao Yuxin scoffed.


    ¡°Can still make money? Specting on futures and picking up calligraphy and painting, that¡¯s just a blind cat running into a dead rat, how else can he make money?¡± Liu Yujuan¡¯s perception of Xu Yang was still stuck in the past.<div>


    ¡°A blind cat running into a dead rat is just your self-deception, I know you don¡¯t believe it, and I don¡¯t need to prove anything to you. By the way, you yed a role in my sister breaking up with Xu Yang, didn¡¯t you? You always advised her not to be with Xu Yang. I should thank you for that. If it wasn¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to be with Xu Yang,¡± Zhao Yuxin said sarcastically.


    ¡°You!¡± Liu Yujuan trembled with anger but didn¡¯t know what to say, turning instead to Xu Yang, ¡°Xu Yang, tell me, where else did you make money from?¡±


    Xu Yang said indifferently, ¡°In your eyes, my making money is just like a blind cat running into a dead rat, I don¡¯t care, as long as you¡¯re happy with that thought. Since Zhao Yuxin won¡¯t tell, let¡¯s just go with what you think is right.¡±


    He remembered clearly how this woman looked down upon and despised him when he was with Zhao Yulu.


    Since he had already broken up with Zhao Yulu, there was no need to be courteous with Liu Yujuan anymore.


    In front of Liu Yujuan, he couldn¡¯t possibly maintain the same attitude as before.


    Liu Yujuan became discontent immediately, ¡°Xu Yang, what sort of way is that to speak? After all is said and done, Yu Xin is still my daughter, I am your mother-inw!¡±


    Before Xu Yang could speak, Zhao Yuxin said, ¡°Liu Yujuan, I¡¯ve told you, I have never considered you my mother, stop shamelessly imposing that identity upon yourself!¡±


    Liu Yujuan was furious but did not argue further with Zhao Yuxin, knowing it was useless to say any more.


    Zhao Yuxin¡¯s view of her had taken deep root.


    Recalling the purpose of her visit today, she then turned to Zhao Hai, ¡°Zhao Hai, will you rent the store or not?¡±


    Zhao Hai said indifferently, ¡°I¡¯ve already made myself very clear, I would rent to anyone but you.¡±<div>


    Liu Yujuan took a deep breath and said, ¡°Zhao Hai, you should be very clear that Yu Lu and I came here today because Tian Cheng sent us. You know what Tian Cheng¡¯s temperament is like¡ªif we don¡¯t persuade you to rent the storefront to us, when we return to the Yang family, Tian Cheng will not give us a good look. I don¡¯t care for myself, but can you bear to see Yu Lu being treated unfairly? After all, Yu Lu is your daughter, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    This was ying the daughter card.


    Zhao Hai found it amusing, ¡°Liu Yujuan, how can you have the face to say such things? If you don¡¯t want Yu Lu to be wronged, you can just take Yu Lu and leave Tian Cheng.¡±


    Liu Yujuan¡¯s face turned ugly as she said to Zhao Yulu, ¡°Yu Lu, your father is so heartless. I can¡¯tmunicate with him anymore. You talk to him.¡±


    Zhao Yulu was about to speak when Zhao Yuxin preempted her, ¡°Sis, I don¡¯t care what you do, but if you take this woman¡¯s side and say wrong things about our dad, don¡¯t me me for turning against you!¡±


    Zhao Yulu opened her mouth but ultimately didn¡¯t speak.


    She still owed Zhao Yuxin two million, and when facing Zhao Yuxin, she clearlycked confidence.


    Moreover, she came today because she was forced.


    Since that was the case, she might as well stay quiet.


    Anyway, since she had alreadye, Tian Cheng probably wouldn¡¯t say anything.


    But Liu Yujuan was furious, ¡°Zhao Yuxin, is this how you talk to your sister?¡±


    Zhao Yuxin retorted, ¡°How I talk is none of your business.¡±<div>


    ¡°You¡­¡± Liu Yujuan was again infuriated.


    Her visit today had indeed been exasperating.


    Whether it was Zhao Hai, or Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin, most of the things they said were infuriating to her.


    Zhao Hai said coldly, ¡°Stop talking. My restaurant does not wee you. Please leave immediately!¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine, fine, Zhao Hai, you will regret this!¡± Liu Yujuan couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and got up to leave.


    Zhao Yulu also stood up and left.


    The mother and daughter walked out of the restaurant.


    ¡°This Zhao Hai, as well as Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin, they¡¯re really infuriating!¡±


    Liu Yujuan was still beside herself with anger.


    ¡°Mom, this oue was foreseeable. You know better than anyone about the issues between Dad and Tian Cheng. How could Dad possibly rent the storefront to Tian Cheng?¡±


    ¡°Besides, Jing Sheng¡¯s suggestion to rent Dad¡¯s storefront was likely meant to mock us and make us ufortable in approaching Dad.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that Tian Cheng couldn¡¯t see this. He probably sent us here for that reason as well.¡±<div>


    Zhao Yulu still referred to Zhao Hai as Dad and called Tian Cheng by his name.


    Unless she had no choice, she would not call Tian Cheng ¡®Dad¡¯ nor would she call Yang Jingsheng ¡®Brother¡¯.


    ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case, what can we do? We still have toe here.¡± Liu Yujuan was also very displeased about this.


    However, she had to rely on Tian Cheng for her livelihood, so she had no choice but to do certain things.


    ¡°Anyway, since we came, Tian Cheng should know that Dad would not rent the store to us. Let¡¯s just check out the other stores around here and give Tian Cheng a reference. That should be enough to carry out the task he gave us,¡± said Zhao Yulu.


    ¡°That¡¯s all we can do,¡± Liu Yujuan nodded, and with Zhao Yulu, they toured the vicinity. They discovered several stores up for transfer, and two of them seemed suitable.


    After looking around, they left.

 Chapter 71: Making a Hot Pot Brand

    Chapter 71: Making a Hot Pot Brand


    In the small private room of the restaurant.


    Zhao Yuxin said, ¡°Dad, Liu Yujuan is really too shameless, I really don¡¯t know how she has the nerve to ask you to rent out the store.¡±


    ¡°No matter what she says, I¡¯m not going to rent it out,¡± Zhao Hai said, shaking his head in bitterness before changing the subject, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about her. It¡¯s gettingte. Howe Yuqing hasn¡¯t arrived yet?¡±


    Zhao Yuxin replied, ¡°My cousin said she¡¯s entertaining a client and will be a bitte.¡±


    Zhao Hai got ready to leave the private room, ¡°Alright, let me know when she gets here, and I¡¯ll start cooking.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin said, ¡°Dad, you¡¯ve been working hard.¡±


    Zhao Haiughed, ¡°Silly girl, it¡¯s not hard at all.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin added, ¡°By the way, Dad, even though you don¡¯t want to rent the store to Liu Yujuan, why not rent it to someone else? You¡¯re working too hard. We¡¯re not short on money now; you could totally retire and enjoy life.¡±


    Xu Yang also chimed in with persuasion, ¡°Yeah, Dad, you¡¯re working too hard. My parents run a small supermarket at home and it¡¯s nowhere near as tiring as running a restaurant. You might as well retire, or if not, at least do something less stressful.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin nodded repeatedly, ¡°Yeah, Dad, please listen to us.¡±


    Zhao Haiughed again, ¡°You two really, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not old yet and I don¡¯t know anything else. Running this restaurant isn¡¯t as tiring as you think. I only cook when it¡¯s busy or when some acquaintancese by. Otherwise, it¡¯s Old Zhang and Old Wu who do the cooking. You don¡¯t need to worry about me. It¡¯s you guys who should worry. If you have kids and need me to help take care of them, I might actually retire early to help you out with the children.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin blushed slightly, ¡°Dad, how did the conversation turn to us all of a sudden?¡±


    At that moment, the door to the private room was opened, and Zhao Yuqing walked in.


    ¡°Uncle Hai!¡± Zhao Yuqing greeted Zhao Hai as soon as she entered.


    ¡°You¡¯re here, what would you like to eat? Order now, and I¡¯ll go cook for you,¡± Zhao Hai said.


    The three of them ced their order, and Zhao Hai went to cook.


    Zhao Yuqing sat down, took a sip of tea poured by Zhao Yuxin, and then said, ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting, I had a client looking to acquire a hot pot brand who came to me. I had to review the financials of that hot pot brand immediately, which dyed me.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin casually asked, ¡°Sis, which hot pot brand?¡±


    Liu Yujuan said, ¡°A brand called ¡®Fisherman¡¯s House¡¯. You should know it, there are twenty stores in Jiangcheng.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin nodded, ¡°I know it. There¡¯s one in the university town where my ssmates and I often go. The taste is quite good.¡±


    Xu Yang also nodded; he and his ssmates often chose to dine at Fisherman¡¯s House for their gatherings, and indeed, the taste was good.


    Xu Yang asked curiously, ¡°The business of this hot pot restaurant must be good, why are they selling it?¡±


    Zhao Yuqing said, ¡°The owner lost money gambling in Las Vegas recently and racked up a lot of debt. Forced to repay, he can only sell the hot pot restaurants to settle his debts.¡±


    Xu Yang shook his head, ¡°Gambling is really harmful. No one who gets involved ends up living a good life.¡±


    At that moment, a notification sounded in his mind.


    [Ding! A yearter, the Jiang Di Lao Hotpot brand is born. With its ultimate service, it bes explosively popr nationwide and, within just five years, grows into a hundred-billion group!]


    [The secret to the sess of Jiang Di Lao Hotpot brand has been sent to host¡¯s email. Please check!]


    Xu Yang¡¯s eyes lit up.


    ¡°With the secret to sess, this means he could create a brand like Haido Hot Pot ahead of time.¡±


    For Xu Yang to start from scratch was unrealistic.


    Xu Yang wouldn¡¯t and didn¡¯t want to spend that much time and effort.


    That left only one path to take, which was to acquire an established hot pot brand, and then transform and operate it ording to the secrets of Haido Hot Pot¡¯s sess.


    Immediately, Xu Yang asked, ¡°Yuqing, you helped a client audit Yuhuo Renjia Hot Pot restaurant. Did your client acquire Yuhuo Renjia Hot Pot?¡±


    Zhao Yuqing shook her head, ¡°No, the owner of Yuhuo Renjia Hot Pot was asking for a bit too much, my client didn¡¯t agree.¡±


    Xu Yang asked, ¡°How much were they asking for?¡±


    Zhao Yuqing sensed something was off and questioned, ¡°Xu Yang, why are you asking in such detail? What are you nning to do?¡±


    Xu Yang smiled slightly, ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about this for some time, but haven¡¯t found the right opportunity. If Yuhuo Renjia Hot Pot is suitable, then I would consider acquiring it.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Zhao Yuqing was shocked, and Zhao Yuxin was also taken aback.


    Zhao Yuxin quickly said, ¡°Husband, you want to run a hot pot restaurant?¡±


    Running a hot pot restaurant required arge investment of manpower and resources, and continued follow-up afterward.


    This was much moreplex than creating short videos, acquiring live broadcast agencies.


    Xu Yang nodded, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been contemting this issue for a while.¡±


    Zhao Yuqing frowned slightly, ¡°Xu Yang, I know you¡¯ve made money, but you can¡¯t just invest rashly. Although I think Yuhuo Renjia Hot Pot¡¯s financial situation is not bad, if you really intend to do hot pot, acquiring Yuhuo Renjia Hot Pot is a good choice. But you must be cautious with such an investment.¡±


    Xu Yangughed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve given this thorough thought. Yuqing, you also said that Yuhuo Renjia Hot Pot¡¯s financial situation is good. The owner is selling only because he needs to pay off debts, which is a good base. As long as it¡¯s managed well, it can still make money.¡±


    Zhao Yuqing pondered and said, ¡°Xu Yang, that may be true, but there are still risks in the future. If you do decide to acquire, you need to think it over carefully.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°I¡¯m aware of that. Just tell me, how much is Yuhuo Renjia Hot Pot asking for, and do you think it¡¯s worth it?¡±


    Zhao Yuqing replied, ¡°The owner of Yuhuo Renjia Hot Pot has set the price at thirty million. My client thought that was too high, only willing to offer twenty-five million. But the owner of Yuhuo Renjia Hot Pot wouldn¡¯t budge, stating the lowest he could go was twenty-eight million. They didn¡¯t reach an agreement. At twenty-eight million, if you¡¯re really willing to enter the hot pot business, I think it¡¯s still feasible.¡±


    Xu Yang nodded, ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. I¡¯ll go with you tomorrow to meet the owner of Yuhuo Renjia Hot Pot and acquire the restaurant.¡±


    At this moment, Zhao Hai came in, pushing a cart with the dishes he had cooked, along with a dry pot.


    Gathered together for a rarity, with both his son-inw and daughter present, he wanted to join them for a meal as well.


    Just as he opened the door, he overheard Xu Yang talking about an acquisition, and asked, ¡°Xu Yang, whatpany are you nning to acquire now?¡±


    Before Xu Yang could reply, Zhao Yuxin said, ¡°Dad, Xu Yang is thinking of acquiring Yuhuo Renjia Hot Pot.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Zhao Hai¡¯s face showed surprise, ¡°Xu Yang, why the sudden desire to acquire Yuhuo Renjia Hot Pot?¡±


    Xu Yang replied, ¡°Dad, I just heard from Yuqing that Yuhuo Renjia Hot Pot is for sale, and its financial situation is quite good. I think there¡¯s no issue. I¡¯ve been considering this area for a while, and I n to try doing a different kind of hot pot restaurant. With Yuhuo Renjia Hot Pot avable, I believe it¡¯s worth acquiring to officially enter the catering field.¡±


    Zhao Yuqing then outlined Yuhuo Renjia Hot Pot¡¯s financial situation for him.


    Zhao Hai served the meals on the table, and everyone began to eat.

 Chapter 72: Asking the Father-in-law to Come Out of Retirement

    Chapter 72: Asking the Father-inw to Come Out of Retirement


    ¡°Mmm, this is delicious,¡± Zhao Yuqing couldn¡¯t help but praise as she ate. ¡°Uncle, your cooking is really different. If I don¡¯t get to have a meal you¡¯ve made every once in a while, I feel like something¡¯s missing.¡±


    Zhao Haiughed and said, ¡°Look at how much you crave it. Juste over whenever you want to eat.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin asked, ¡°Dad, what do you think about Xu Yang wanting to buy the Yuhuo Renjia Hot Pot restaurant?¡±


    Zhao Hai pondered and said, ¡°The decisions Xu Yang makes, I do not interfere with. Many times, you young people have a better vision than we of the older generation. Our suggestions may not always be right. I don¡¯t offer any advice to Xu Yang. As long as he wants to do it and has thought it through, that¡¯s enough.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin rolled her eyes, somewhat speechlessly saying, ¡°Dad, aren¡¯t you being too nice to Xu Yang? If it were me, you would probably do everything in your power to stop me.¡±


    Zhao Hai shook his head with a smile, ¡°You and Xu Yang are different. The things Xu Yang does, I can¡¯t always understand. When Xu Yang invests in futures, scavenges in the antique street, these things, perhaps no one thought he could make money before he started. Even now, some people say Xu Yang is just a blind cat that ran into a dead mouse, but I don¡¯t think so. On the contrary, I think Xu Yang has ample capability. And the impression he gives me is of a very reliable person. He surely has thought it out well before acting. In any case, I trust him.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin was resigned and said helplessly, ¡°Fine.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Dad, if I do buy the Yuhuo Renjia Hot Pot restaurant, I¡¯ll still need your help.¡±


    Zhao Hai was taken aback, ¡°What can I help you with?¡±


    Zhao Yuxin and Zhao Yuqing were also looking at Xu Yang.


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Dad, although I want to run a hot pot business, Ick management experience. And with such a bigpany, I¡¯m not at ease leaving it in someone else¡¯s hands, I hope you can help me manage it.¡±


    Zhao Hai was surprised, then said, ¡°Xu Yang, you¡¯ve got the wrong person. I¡¯ve been running this small restaurant for over a decade. I don¡¯t even know what the job market is like anymore. Me managing your Yuhuo Renjia Hot Pot restaurant is not a good idea.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Dad, I trust you. Yu Xin said that you were a powerhouse in the workce before. Besides, running this restaurant also requires management, you haven¡¯t really left the workce.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Dad, I think this could work for you. You can switch to a different kind of life, something less stressful.¡±


    Running a small restaurant means worrying about everything and having to cook oneself.


    Honestly, Zhao Yuxin did feel very sorry for her dad.


    But she was powerless to change anything.


    If her dad could manage Yuhuo Renjia Hot Pot, though he would have many things to worry about, it could at least be less stressful.


    Plus, she could see that her dad still had regrets about leaving the professional field back then.


    He opened this little restaurant because of her.


    Her dad had the chance to return to the professional world, and to take charge of a dining group no less.


    Her dad¡¯s spirit would undoubtedly be better, and he could surely enjoy a second spring.


    Now, she hoped Xu Yang could seed in buying the Yuhuo Renjia Hot Pot restaurant.


    Zhao Hai still shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m already getting on in years. I¡¯ll just stick with this small restaurant. You¡¯d better hire a professional manager to run Yuhuo Renjia Hot Pot.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Dad, you¡¯re still young, not even fifty yet. How can you say you¡¯re old? In today¡¯s age, at your age, you are strong and energetic. Besides, I¡¯ve heard about what happened between you and Yang Tiancheng from Yu Xin. In the past, because of Yang Tiancheng¡¯s scheming, you were forced to leave Meiwei Group and the workce. Since Yang Tiancheng is nning to establish a chain of hot pot restaurants, if I buy Yuhuo Renjia Hot Pot and start a hot pot business, and you manage Yuhuo Renjia Hot Pot, you can defeat him squarely, to avenge the past. How great would that be.¡±


    Hearing this, Zhao Hai fell silent.


    Back then, he was framed by Yang Tiancheng and had to leave Meiwei Group. Moreover, nopany in the industry was willing to hire him.


    He then used the family shop to open this restaurant.


    And that went on for over a decade.


    The incident from years ago, he thought he had let go, but hearing Xu Yang say this still stirred waves in his heart.


    Being able to manage a restaurant group and defeat Yang Tiancheng squarely would undoubtedly be the best oue.


    Yang Tiancheng¡¯s hotpot chain n was definitely a key investment of the Meiwei Group¡¯s owner. If it failed, Yang Tiancheng¡¯s days would probably not be easy.


    In this way, it would be avenging the past.


    Zhao Yuxin echoed Xu Yang, ¡°That¡¯s right, Dad, please agree to it.¡±


    Xu Yang continued, ¡°Dad, this restaurant of yours can be turned into one of the franchises for the ¡®Yuhuo Homnd¡¯ Hotpot restaurants. The ie from this franchise can be calcted separately, and you can take a certain percentage of the revenue. In this way, you not only keep your store from others but also make money from it. It¡¯s killing two birds with one stone, what do you say?¡±


    Zhao Hai was silent for a long time, then said, ¡°The ie from the store doesn¡¯t really matter to me, but what you said about squarely defeating Yang Tiancheng, that really tempts me.¡±


    Xu Yang was overjoyed, ¡°Dad, then that¡¯s settled. I¡¯ll go with Yuqing tomorrow to acquire the ¡®Yuhuo Homnd¡¯ Hotpot restaurants, and when we do, you¡¯ll manage it.¡±


    Zhao Hai smiled bitterly, ¡°We haven¡¯t even acquired it yet, and here we are discussing it enthusiastically. Isn¡¯t it a bit premature?¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we will definitely seed in acquiring it.¡±


    He looked at Zhao Yuqing, ¡°Yuqing, why don¡¯t you give the owner of ¡®Yuhuo Homnd¡¯ Hotpot a call right now? Set up a time to meet. Otherwise, someone might beat us to it, or what if your client changes their mind and is willing to spend twenty-eight million to acquire it? That wouldn¡¯t be good.¡±


    Zhao Yuqing said, ¡°My client is not willing to spend that much money, but making a call to the owner of ¡®Yuhuo Homnd¡¯ Hotpot to arrange a meeting time is no problem. When would you like to meet?¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Anytime is fine.¡±


    Zhao Yuqing nodded, set down her utensils, grabbed her purse, took out her cell phone, and dialed the owner of ¡®Yuhuo Homnd¡¯ Hotpot¡¯s number.


    After a few words, she hung up and said, ¡°It¡¯s arranged, tomorrow at ten o¡¯clock, we¡¯ll meet at his office.¡±


    Xu Yang nodded, ¡°Good.¡±


    He looked at Zhao Hai again, ¡°Dad, let¡¯s make it clear, once I acquire ¡®Yuhuo Homnd¡¯ Hotpot, you can¡¯t back out, okay?¡±


    Zhao Hai nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    At a time like this, he naturally wouldn¡¯t back out.


    He even felt a tinge of excitement, a sense of anticipation, to manage ¡®Yuhuo Homnd¡¯ Hotpot well and defeat Yang Tiancheng.


    ¡­


    Zhao Yulu and Liu Yujuan had dinner outside before returning to the Yang residence.


    Seeing that Liu Yujuan¡¯s face looked upset, Yang Tiancheng couldn¡¯t help frowning, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Zhao Hai didn¡¯t agree?¡±


    Liu Yujuan shook her head, ¡°He didn¡¯t agree. I¡¯ve already raised the offer to three hundred and fifty thousand, but he said he would never rent the store to us no matter what.¡±


    Yang Tiancheng nced at Zhao Yulu and frowned, ¡°Did Yu Lu try to persuade him?¡±


    Before Zhao Yulu could speak, Liu Yujuan said, ¡°She did. She tried to persuade him as a daughter, but he no longer considers Zhao Yulu as his daughter and coldly refused.¡±


    She still had to defend Zhao Yulu; otherwise, if Yang Tiancheng found out that Zhao Yulu hadn¡¯t spoken a word, he would certainly me her.


    Hearing Liu Yujuan say this, Zhao Yulu remained silent.

 Chapter 73: 73 Leave This Matter to Me to Resolve

    Chapter 73: Leave This Matter to Me to Resolve


    Yang Tiancheng sighed, ¡°This Yang Tiancheng, he really is heartless.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, he¡¯s utterly heartless.¡± Liu Yujuan immediately nodded in agreement, then quickly changed the subject, ¡°Right, Tiancheng, Yu Lu and I scoped out the area near his restaurant and found two ces that would be perfect for opening a hot pot restaurant. If we take over one of those ces, that wouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    Yang Tiancheng thought for a moment and said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about thister, I still want Zhao Hai¡¯s storefront. You need to think of another solution.¡±


    His main goal was to take this opportunity to ensure that Zhao Hai couldn¡¯t even seed in opening his restaurant.


    In that case, he would feel an even greater sense of aplishment.


    Liu Yujuan said with bitterness, ¡°Tiancheng, I¡¯ve tried every method avable; he won¡¯t lease the storefront to us.¡±


    Yang Tiancheng nced at Zhao Yulu, ¡°If you can¡¯t do it, maybe Yu Lu can.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Zhao Yulu was stunned.


    Didn¡¯t Mom just say Dad had already turned her down?


    Why did Yang Tiancheng think she had a way?


    ¡°Indeed, you,¡± Yang Tiancheng nodded as he spoke.<div>


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean,¡± said Zhao Yulu.


    ¡°Yu Lu, you¡¯re Xu Yang¡¯s ex-girlfriend, you can go and find Xu Yang, ask him to persuade Zhao Hai. As long as Xu Yang speaks to Zhao Hai, I believe Zhao Hai will agree, especially now that Xu Yang is involved in the happiness of Zhao Hai¡¯s daughter, which is your sister,¡± Yang Tiancheng exined.


    ¡°Xu Yang and I have broken up, and he¡¯s married my sister now; he won¡¯t listen to me.¡±


    Zhao Yulu really didn¡¯t understand why Yang Tiancheng would think that if she tried to persuade Xu Yang, he would listen to her and persuade her father in turn.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a breakup. I believe he still has feelings for you, or even loves you. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have married your sister right away.¡±


    ¡°In my opinion, his marrying your sister is just treating her as a substitute for you.¡±


    ¡°As long as you talk to Xu Yang, he will certainly agree, and once he does, he will persuade Zhao Hai, and Zhao Hai will then lease out the storefront.¡±


    This is why Yang Tiancheng believed that Zhao Yulu had a way.


    Upon hearing this, Zhao Yulu instantly understood, but she didn¡¯t think so.


    She knew Xu Yang well and didn¡¯t believe he would treat her sister as a substitute for herself.


    Zhao Yulu shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    Yang Tiancheng frowned, ¡°Yu Lu, I¡¯m not wrong, and what you need to do is exactly as I say.¡±


    Zhao Yulu gave Yang Tiancheng a serious look and nodded, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    She agreed verbally, but she had no intention of doing as Yang Tiancheng had suggested.


    Yang Tiancheng seemed to sense Zhao Yulu¡¯s thoughts and said, ¡°Call Xu Yang right now, in front of me.¡±


    Zhao Yulu¡¯s expression turned ugly, but she still took out her phone, dialed Xu Yang¡¯s number, and, at Yang Tiancheng¡¯s prompting, put the call on speaker.


    Yang Tiancheng¡¯s insistence angered her internally, yet she could only suppress her feelings.


    The call connected quickly.


    Zhao Yulu immediately said, ¡°Xu Yang, do you have a moment?¡±<div>


    Xu Yang responded, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    At that moment, Xu Yang had returned home, where Zhao Yuxin was taking a shower, and he was checking emails sent by the system.


    The email contained the key to sess for the Yu Huo Ren Jia Hot Pot restaurant.


    It detailed various extreme service measures as well as store management, staff training, andpensation packages.<div>


    With this information, he could build a hot pot empire worth a hundred billion.


    To be honest, receiving a call from Zhao Yulu came as a surprise to Xu Yang.


    Aside from thest time when she had called to borrow money, there had been no contact between them since their breakup.


    Zhao Yulu said, ¡°It¡¯s like this, I hope you can persuade my dad to rent out the store¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, she was interrupted by Xu Yang, ¡°I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re calling me, nor why you think I would agree, but I want to make one thing clear: Yu Xin and dad¡¯s stance is my stance too. Is there anything else?¡±


    Zhao Yulu nced at Yang Tiancheng beside her before responding, ¡°I understand, nothing else.¡±


    After speaking, she hung up the phone.


    Yang Tiancheng frowned and said, ¡°How could Xu Yang say that?¡±


    He had thought that if Zhao Yulu personally called Xu Yang, he would agree.


    This was different from what he had expected.


    Zhao Yulu said, ¡°He¡¯s not marrying my sister as a recement.¡±


    Yang Tiancheng shook his head, ¡°Impossible. If he didn¡¯t see your sister as a recement, why would he marry her so quickly?¡±


    Zhao Yulu stopped talking.<div>


    Yang Jingsheng, who had been silent this entire time, finally spoke up, ¡°Dad, let me handle this.¡±


    Yang Tiancheng was taken aback and asked incredulously, ¡°You¡¯re going to handle this? What can you do?¡±


    He knew his son¡¯s capabilities.


    Good at picking up girls but not so good at getting things done.


    In thepany, his son would never have be a manager without him as the vice president father.


    Even now, he still faced pressure since, many times, his son failed to aplish tasks given by superiors.


    This dissatisfaction often led superiors toin to other executives.


    When he told his son to look for a location for a hot pot restaurantst night, it was merely to give him a chance to earn credit while actually nning to assign a capable person to assist his son and get the job done.


    Now, his son¡¯s words were a real surprise to him.


    Had his son finally be sensible? Learned to find solutions when faced with problems?


    Zhao Yulu and Liu Yujuan were both puzzled and surprised at what Yang Jingsheng could possibly do to solve the issue.


    Knowing his capabilities, the two women had their doubts.


    They truly didn¡¯t believe Yang Jingsheng coulde up with any viable solution.<div>


    Yang Jingsheng smiled confidently, ¡°Dad, don¡¯t ask anymore. Just know that I¡¯ll definitely take care of this.¡±


    Yang Tiancheng was a bit worried, ¡°Jingsheng,y out your n for me to see if it¡¯s feasible or not.¡±


    Yang Jingsheng got defensive, ¡°Dad, you should trust me. I¡¯m grown up now; can¡¯t I handle even a small matter like this?¡±


    Yang Tiancheng replied helplessly, ¡°I¡¯m not mistrusting you; it¡¯s just that this matter is indeed quite hard.¡±


    Yang Jingsheng said, ¡°Whether it¡¯s hard or not depends on the person and if they¡¯ve thought of a solution. Don¡¯t you always say, ¡®To the unskilled, tasks are impossible; to the skilled, they are easy¡¯? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve alreadye up with a n, and it will definitely be sessful on arrival.¡±


    Seeing that his son insisted on keeping the n to himself, Yang Tiancheng could only say, ¡°Alright then, if you can handle this, I will agree to the car exchange you¡¯ve been asking for and buy you a Porsche Cayenne.¡±


    Yang Jingsheng hadn¡¯t expected such a pleasant surprise and immediately said, ¡°Dad, get ready to spend that money.¡±


    This was great; he¡¯d wanted a Porsche Cayenne for a long time.


    But it was a bit pricey, and dad had never agreed.


    He had no idea how much longer it would take for dad to consent.


    But now, it was within his grasp.


    He was very confident in the solution he hade up with.


    He believed that once it was implemented, Zhao Hai would definitely rent out the store.<div>

 Chapter 74: 74 Acquisition and Renaming

    Chapter 74: Acquisition and Renaming


    The next day.


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuqing went to Fishfire Manor together and met the owner, Jiang Tai.


    Zhao Yuqing introduced the two to each other, and the three of them took their seats separately.


    Jiang Tai said, ¡°Mr. Xu, I believe Mr. Zhao has already told you about my situation. I need 28 million yuan. If you¡¯re willing to acquire it, do so; if not, let¡¯s not waste any more time talking.¡±


    That was his bottom line. Only with 28 million could he pay off his gambling debts.


    The house was mortgaged, a few luxury cars were sold, leaving only an old Audi A6.


    If the old Audi A6 could¡¯ve sold for a decent amount, he would have wanted to sell it as well.


    He had asked every rtive and friend from whom he could borrow money and he had gathered quite a sum.


    Even then, he was still 26 million short.


    He needed 28 million so that he could have 2 million left over to live on.


    To be honest, if he hadn¡¯t been driven into a corner, he would never have considered selling Fishfire Manor.<div>


    Fishfire Manor¡¯s annual profit was around 10 million yuan, so in about three years, he could¡¯ve earned back the asking price of 28 million yuan.


    But once sold, he would lose this profitable brand for good.


    In the future, thinking about starting over as a boss and building up a new brand seemed almost impossible.


    He probably wouldn¡¯t have the chance to be his own boss for the rest of his life and would have to work for others.


    Gambling truly brings disaster.


    If he could do it all over again, he definitely wouldn¡¯t gamble.


    But in this world, time cannot be turned back.


    Having reached this point, even regrets are toote.


    But getting that 28 million was crucial; he must leave 2 million for living expenses, or else life would be incredibly tough in the future.


    Having 2 million in reserve could at least ease some pressure.


    Xu Yang frowned slightly, ¡°Mr. Jiang, there¡¯s no room for reduction?¡±


    When hest acquired Fengcai Guild, Yang Tiancheng also straightforwardly named the acquisition price, take it or leave it.


    It seemed that the other party was also quite decisive.


    Jiang Tai shook his head, ¡°There can be no reduction, this is my bottom line. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to survive. I¡¯d rather live with the gambling debts than that.¡±


    Xu Yang pondered for a moment, then nodded, ¡°Alright, 28 million it is.¡±


    Since he had already decided to acquire it, and the other party¡¯s stance was so firm, Xu Yang had no choice.


    After all, Fishfire Manor¡¯s financial condition was good, with no problems at the core.


    Therefore, taking over and transforming it would be fairly easy.


    He still had one billion on him, so 28 million wasn¡¯t too much for the current him.<div>


    The two signed the contract, and Xu Yang transferred 28 million to Jiang Tai.


    With that, Xu Yang became the new owner of Fishfire Manor.


    Xu Yang asked Jiang Tai to convene a meeting with the senior managers, got to know them briefly, and ordered the president¡¯s office to announce the news.


    After the proceedings, Jiang Tai asked, ¡°Mr. Xu, can I stay on as president?¡±<div>


    He was going to work for others now, but if possible, he wished to continue working at Fishfire Manor.


    He had founded Fishfire Manor and managed it well, proving hispetence.


    He served as president and should have had a decent ie.


    Although he felt that Xu Yang would definitely let someone familiar take over the management, he still thought he should ask.


    If Xu Yang was willing to let him stay, then he wouldn¡¯t need to look for a job elsewhere.


    Xu Yang shook his head and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ve already selected someone for the president position.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad,¡± Jiang Tai said, somewhat disappointed, and then said, ¡°Mr. Xu, I¡¯d be willing to take a vice president role, can I stay on?¡±


    He was lowering his demands since working in a familiar environment would be better.


    Moreover, the sry for a vice president of thepany wasn¡¯t low either.


    Xu Yang nced at Jiang Tai and said bluntly, ¡°Mr. Jiang, I¡¯m sorry, but I have no intention of hiring you. You¡¯ve lost money gambling, and I think you are someone who doesn¡¯t know how to control their emotions. I don¡¯t trust you with any managerial position.¡±


    Xu Yang truly didn¡¯t trust Jiang Tai with any managerial position.


    Moreover, since Jiang Tai was the original owner of Yu Huo Ren Jia, keeping him on would certainly influence many people, and this wouldn¡¯t be conducive to Zhao Hai taking over the management and reform of Yu Huo Ren Jiater on.


    Jiang Tai gave a bitter smile, ¡°I understand.¡±<div>


    Although Xu Yang¡¯s words were hard to hear, they were true nheless.


    He indeed hadn¡¯t controlled himself well, which had led to his current situation.


    If it had been him, he probably wouldn¡¯t have continued to employ such a person either.


    With no other choice, Jiang Tai packed up his things and left.


    In the following days, Xu Yang registered an investmentpany called Yang Xin Investment, with Xu Yang holding sixty percent of the shares and Zhao Yuxin holding forty percent.


    He also appointed the vice president of Fengcai Guild to be the general manager of the investmentpany.


    He changed the registered name of Yu Huo Ren Jia to Jiang Di Lao.


    And he altered Fengcai Guild and Jiang Di Lao into wholly-owned subsidiaries of Yang Xin Investment.


    After getting these tasks done, Xu Yang took the printed materials and went to his father-inw¡¯s restaurant.


    ¡°Dad, these are some of my ideas about running a hot pot restaurant. Please take a look.¡±


    Xu Yang had printed out all the secrets of sess for Jiang Di Lao and handed them over for his father-inw to review.


    In the future, Zhao Hai would be the president of Jiang Di Lao. These matters needed to be handled by Zhao Hai, and the first step was to win Zhao Hai¡¯s approval.


    Zhao Hai flipped through it and became more and more astonished.<div>


    The information inside was terrifyingly detailed.


    Employee training, store selection, decoration design, service projects,pensation systems, incentive systems, and more.


    After reading, Zhao Hai couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°Xu Yang, it seems that you didn¡¯t buy Yu Huo Ren Jia on a whim. You¡¯ve prepared so much. At first, I didn¡¯t understand why you wanted to change the name of Yu Huo Ren Jia, but now I get it. With this data, just following what¡¯s written here for operational management, Jiang Di Lao definitely won¡¯t have trouble developing.¡±


    Xu Yang smiled, ¡°Dad, do you see anything that needs to be added?¡±


    Zhao Hai shook his head with a wry smile, ¡°No, this document, in my eyes, is wless. Just follow what¡¯sid out here.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Dad, then I¡¯ll need your help moving forward. We¡¯ll go to thepany together tomorrow.¡±


    Zhao Hai nodded, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll familiarize myself with this document tonight.¡±


    Xu Yang continued, ¡°Dad, about merging your restaurant into Jiang Di Lao, if the employees are willing to stay, they can all join Jiang Di Lao and receive standard training. Initially, I was thinking of keeping your restaurant separate with a certain percentage of dividends for you, but then I thought it over and decided against it. You¡¯ll serve as Jiang Di Lao¡¯s general manager. In addition to a regr sry, I¡¯ll give you ten percent of Jiang Di Lao¡¯s shares. How does that sound?¡±


    This was something he had carefully considered. Giving his father-inw a certain percentage of shares would be good for everyone.


    Zhao Hai hurriedly shook his head, ¡°Xu Yang, we¡¯re all family. It¡¯s okay if the restaurant doesn¡¯t share dividends. I¡¯ll just act as general manager and take a sry. How can I still ask for shares in Jiang Di Lao?¡±


    He could imagine how valuable Jiang Di Lao would be as it developed further.


    Ten percent of the shares would be an astronomical figure for him.


    <div>

 Chapter 75: 75 Trouble-makers

    Chapter 75: Trouble-makers


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Dad, it¡¯s precisely because we¡¯re family that I can¡¯t let you suffer a loss, so it¡¯s settled.¡±


    Zhao Hai gave a wry smile, ¡°Xu Yang, but you¡¯re offering way too much.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Dad, we¡¯re family, so let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. The matter is settled. I have other things to attend to, so I¡¯ll be leaving now. Be at thepany by nine tomorrow. I¡¯ll organize a meeting then and formally introduce you to everyone.¡±


    After finishing, Xu Yang left.


    Zhao Hai then looked over the materials again and called a staff meeting to exin the situation.


    Since he had seen the documentation and knew that Haido offered better wages, about half higher than what he was paying his employees, he disclosed the sry details. Naturally, the staff were very happy to hear this and expressed their intentions to continue working.


    ¡°Alright, I n to keep the restaurant open for one more day. Tomorrow will be thest day, and then we¡¯ll start renovations. You¡¯ll all receive training with Haido¡¯s staff to ensure a smooth transition,¡± Zhao Hai said.


    ¡°Boss, you can rest assured, we¡¯ve never made mistakes before.¡±


    Everyone expressed theirmitment, saying there would be no issues.


    Considering they would be receiving higher wages, only a fool would make a mistake.


    ¡°Good, it¡¯s about time for dinner. Everyone, get back to work,¡± Zhao Hai said with satisfaction, nodding and waving his hand to dismiss them.<div>


    ¡­


    After leaving his father-inw¡¯s restaurant, Xu Yang went to a private diner.


    Tonight, Jiang Yuheng had arranged a dinner gathering.


    There were four people in total: Xu Yang, Lin Junyi, and Su Wenbin.


    It had been a while since they had all gathered together.


    On such asions, Xu Yang would mention bringing Zhao Yuxin along, but Zhao Yuxin didn¡¯te, saying it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for her as she was going to eat at her father¡¯s restaurant.


    When Xu Yang arrived at the private diner¡¯s room, he saw Lin Junyi, Su Wenbin, and Jiang Yuheng had already arrived.


    After three rounds of drinks and five different dishes had been served,


    ¡°Xu Yang, what have you been up totely?¡± Jiang Yuheng asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve recently acquired a hotpot restaurant,¡± replied Xu Yang.


    Upon hearing this, the three of them were taken aback.


    None of them had expected Xu Yang, who was sessfully running a live-streaming guild, to suddenly start a hotpot restaurant.


    Lin Junyi couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Xu Yang, what¡¯s going on with you? Why did you decide to do hotpot?¡±


    Xu Yang responded, ¡°I just felt like there¡¯s potential in this business, and there happened to be a good hotpot restaurant avable, so I purchased it.¡±


    The three men looked at each other, somewhat at a loss for words.


    Su Wenbin said with a bitter smile, ¡°Xu Yang, the range of your investments is quite vast. You were doing the live-streaming guild, and suddenly you moved to hotpot.¡±


    Xu Yang replied, ¡°To be honest, I just invest in whatever seems viable without much other thought. Whether it crosses industries doesn¡¯t concern me much. I only buy the business; others manage it. I¡¯m not cut out for managing it myself.¡±


    As he finished speaking, his phone rang.


    He checked it and saw that it was Zhao Yuxin calling.<div>


    ¡°Wife,¡± Xu Yang answered the phone, and soon his face turned grim. ¡°Honey, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be there right away.¡±


    It was clear to the three men that something had gone wrong.


    Lin Junyi quickly asked, ¡°Xu Yang, what happened?¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Someone¡¯s iming they found a fly in a dish at my father-inw¡¯s restaurant, and the person is making a scene there right now.¡±<div>


    Lin Junyi eximed, ¡°Damn, I know for sure that Uncle Hai¡¯s restaurant is impably clean. How could there be a fly in the dishes? This is obviously someone causing trouble.¡±


    Xu Yang nodded and said, ¡°My wife thinks so too. Junyi, Bin, Old Jiang, I can¡¯t stay any longer; I must go check it out.¡±


    The three men exchanged looks and expressed their stance.


    ¡°We¡¯re not busy, let¡¯s go together.¡±


    ¡°Right, maybe we can help.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I want to see who¡¯s causing trouble for Uncle Hai.¡±


    Xu Yang nodded and stood up, saying, ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s go.¡±


    He didn¡¯t bother with pleasantries because he was worried about the situation in the store and didn¡¯t want to waste time here.


    The group left for Zhao Hai¡¯s restaurant.


    ¡­


    Old Zhao¡¯s Restaurant.


    A young man, about twenty-three or twenty-four years old, was pointing at a dish of garlic pork ribs on the table in front of him and loudly said to Zhao Hai, ¡°This is the evidence; you still want to argue with me, iming your restaurant¡¯s hygiene is up to standard? Ask the people whoe here to eat if they are willing to believe that.¡±


    The other customers in the restaurant had already put down their utensils after the young man imed to have found several flies in the dish, and could no longer eat.<div>


    At that moment, hearing the young man¡¯s words, they immediately spoke out.


    ¡°Of course we don¡¯t believe it. Finding a few flies, who knows how many more are in the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°I really don¡¯t dare to imagine what a mess the kitchen must be for there to be flies in just one dish.¡±


    ¡°Finding a few flies, there must be dozens or even hundreds more in the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been a regr customer here, and the owner seemed like a good person. I always thought the hygiene was fine. I didn¡¯t expect this to be the case.¡±


    ¡°This owner is definitely a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing, the worst kind of person.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just a hygiene issue. The other ingredients in the restaurant probably aren¡¯t any better.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, this unscrupulous owner might even buy rotten meat. The other vegetables, for sure, are also the worst quality.¡±


    ¡°The owner is too deceitful. I¡¯ll never eat here again.¡±


    ¡°Such a person should be arrested and put in jail.¡±


    The crowd was filled with righteous indignation, getting more and more outraged and more and more exaggerated as they spoke, relying on their imagination without any sense of responsibility.


    As for whether the truth was as they described, that was not their concern.


    As long as they believed it was so, that was enough for them.<div>


    Zhao Hai took a deep breath and asked, ¡°Sir, what do you want to do?¡±


    With his discernment, he could naturally tell that this young man was here to make trouble.


    He knew the cleanliness of his restaurant more than anyone else. It was absolutely impossible for there to be flies in the food, let alone several of them.


    Moreover, the young man in front of him looked like a hoodlum, and every word he said seemed intended to escte the situation.


    This only reinforced Zhao Hai¡¯s belief that the other party was here to stir up trouble.


    As for why the other party would do such a thing, he was at a loss.


    But he knew that arguing was pointless at this time.


    So many customers were watching, and they had already been influenced by the young man¡¯s usations.


    Yu Xin was so angry she could hardly contain herself, only she didn¡¯t know what to do.


    She had no experience in dealing with such matters.


    She had called Xu Yang just a while ago, hoping that he might have a solution.


    The young man said, ¡°Boss, it¡¯s not about what I want. It¡¯s about what you¡¯re going to do. You run a restaurant as an unscrupulous owner¡ªdo you have any conscience at all?¡±


    He indeed came to make trouble today, intending to blow things out of proportion to ensure the restaurant couldn¡¯t continue operating.<div>


    ¡°That¡¯s right, this restaurant definitely can¡¯t go on like this.¡±


    ¡°The owner is unscrupulous. Continuing to operate the restaurant just harms people.¡±


    ¡°Now we¡¯ve found flies, who knows what else we¡¯ll find in the future.¡±


    ¡°There might be rats ending up in the hot pot next time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible; maybe it has happened before.¡±


    The restaurant¡¯s customers were all discussing among themselves.

 Chapter 76: 76: If You Are Right, What’s There to Fear?

    Chapter 76: If You Are Right, What¡¯s There to Fear?


    Zhao Hai was still rtivelyposed, ¡°The hygiene of our restaurant is not a problem. I don¡¯t know who sent you here, but this kind of defamatory behavior is a vition of thew.¡±


    ¡°What!¡± the young man erupted, ¡°Damn it, you¡¯re actually using me of defamation? There are flies in the dishes of your restaurant, and you¡¯re still trying to justify it? And you use me of defamation?¡±


    The crowd became uncertain and uneasy.


    From Zhao Hai¡¯s words, was it possible this young man was hired by someone to smear the owner?


    For a while, they remained silent.


    If the young man really was a nt by apetitor, then if they continued to use Zhao Hai, it would seem rather inappropriate.


    Seeing that the others had stopped talking, the young man became more anxious and hastily called out, ¡°You unscrupulous owner, do you think by confusing things you can shirk your responsibility? That you can shift everyone¡¯s attention away? I¡¯ll tell you, the eyes of the people are clear and bright; your schemes will not seed.¡±


    It had to be said, although the young man seemed like a ruffian, the way he spoke was quite convincing.


    Upon hearing this, the crowd started to believe the young man again.


    ¡°This young brother must be right, the owner is trying to muddle through this.¡±


    ¡°I think so too, this kind of boss with a kind face but a dark heart, knows exactly how to handle these situations.¡±<div>


    ¡°Our eyes are clear and bright, we will not be deceived.¡±


    ¡°Young brother, we believe you.¡±


    ¡°Right, we support you, down with the unscrupulous owner.¡±


    The crowd started voicing their opinions again.


    Zhao Hai¡¯s expression turned unsightly, ¡°Sir, please do not talk nonsense. I¡¯m not trying to evade responsibility, nor am I trying to divert attention, I just want to resolve this matter.¡±


    The young man sneered, ¡°You¡¯re still trying to argue, fine then, let¡¯s talk about how to solve this. Regarding the issue of flies in your restaurant¡¯s dishes, name yourpensation.¡±


    This was a trap, as long as Zhao Hai agreed topensate, it would imply he acknowledged the issue with the flies in the dishes.


    But how could Zhao Hai not see through the young man¡¯s malicious intentions?


    This matter was absolutely not something he couldpensate for, or else the restaurant would bepletely ruined.


    Even though after tomorrow, the restaurant would close and be a branch of Haido.


    But having run his restaurant for over a decade, the reputation he had built up could not be destroyed just like that.


    Zhao Hai said, ¡°I know what¡¯s in the food of my restaurant better than anyone. I just called the health bureau and the police. What the truth actually is, we¡¯ll see when they arrive.¡±


    The young man¡¯s eyes flickered with panic, but he quickly regained hisposure and snorted, ¡°You unscrupulous owner, you¡¯ve probably already bought off the health inspectors and the police. When they arrive, you¡¯re going to counter-defame me. I will not let you get away with it. If you¡¯re not willing topensate, then forget it, it¡¯s my bad luck. But don¡¯t think that this will be the end of it. I¡¯ve already recorded a video, and I¡¯ll upload it onler. I want to see how you can continue to run your shady restaurant.¡±


    Having said this, he intended to leave.


    Zhao Hai didn¡¯t fall into the trap he had dug.


    And since the police had been called, he couldn¡¯t stay any longer.


    If he did, and the health inspectors and police arrived, it would be troublesome.


    A thorough inspection of the kitchen would certainly clear things up.


    Moreover, in front of the police, he didn¡¯t think he could hold out.<div>


    Although he did not know the exact state of hygiene in the restaurant¡¯s kitchen, judging by the owner¡¯s demeanor, it should be fine.


    Better to leave quickly. Having filmed the video, uploading it online would mean aplishing the task.


    ¡°You can¡¯t leave!¡± Zhao Hai stepped forward to block the young man.


    ¡°Unscrupulous owner, what else do you want?¡± the young man narrowed his eyes and said to the crowd, ¡°Everyone, look at this. The dishes in this unscrupulous owner¡¯s restaurant have flies, and now he even intends toy hands on me. Are you just going to stand by and watch this unscrupulous owner do as he pleases?¡±<div>


    Zhao Yuxin was furious upon hearing the young man repeatedly calling her dad an unscrupulous owner.


    But she didn¡¯t know what to do.


    Even if she wanted to retort, she knew that in such a situation, a simple rebuttal would seem weak and ineffective.


    Moreover, her father had told her not to intervene.


    The crowd was agitated again.


    ¡°Boss, you¡¯re going too far.¡±


    ¡°If this young man wants to leave, why won¡¯t you let him, are you feeling guilty?¡±


    ¡°Boss, if you dare toy a hand on this young man, we won¡¯t stand for it.¡±


    Many of the customers dining were standing behind the young man.


    Zhao Hai said very calmly, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, don¡¯t let him set the pace. I just said, wait for the health inspectors and the police toe. Then everything will be clear. If he keeps saying that I am a shady boss and my restaurant is a shady restaurant, why can¡¯t he wait for the health inspectors and the police toe?¡±


    The crowd paused, taken aback.


    They hadn¡¯t really paid attention to this point until now.


    Hearing Zhao Hai mention it again, it did seem to make sense.<div>


    If the owner dares to let the health inspectors and the policee, he is obviously not afraid of being inspected.


    Does this mean that the young man is really here to cause trouble?


    At this time, Xu Yang had arrived with Lin Junyi and the other two.


    Seeing his father-inw handle the matter so calmly, he didn¡¯t rush forward but walked up to Zhao Yuxin¡¯s side.


    He quickly learned the details from Zhao Yuxin.


    Over the phone, Zhao Yuxin had only briefly mentioned the situation.


    ¡°This person must have been sent by someone else to cause trouble. The only question is who sent him,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°All this time, there haven¡¯t been any issues with the restaurant. These past few days, it¡¯s been Yang Tiancheng wanting to rent the space. It could be that Yang Tiancheng sent him,¡± guessed Zhao Yuxin.


    She wasn¡¯t certain but felt it was very likely Yang Tiancheng¡¯s doing.


    The purpose would be to make the restaurant close down and rent it to them.


    ¡°Very likely,¡± Xu Yang nodded, then added, ¡°Dad handled it well, worthy of the CEO candidate I chose.¡±


    When Zhao Hai encountered problems, he managed them reasonably and stayedposed. Reporting directly to the health inspection bureau and the police was definitely very wise.


    Facing nder from others, only health inspectors and the police could clear his father-inw and the restaurant¡¯s reputation.<div>


    ¡°Of course, after all, whose father is he?¡±


    A smile formed at the corner of Zhao Yuxin¡¯s mouth.


    She too was proud of her father¡¯s approach.


    She had been very anxious and had not paid attention to the point her dad had made. Now that Xu Yang mentioned it, reflecting back, it was indeed so.


    Ever since the incident unfolded, her dad had been handling it personally. First, he exined to the young man, then, based on the young man¡¯s abnormal reaction, he judged that the young man must have been instigated by someone, and then he reported to the health inspection bureau and called the police.


    Step by step, he was changing the customers¡¯ perception.


    ¡°Young man, the boss is right. Since he dares to let the health inspectors and the policee, what issue do you have waiting a little while?¡±


    ¡°Young man, if you¡¯re in the right, what are you afraid of?¡±


    ¡°Exactly, young man, a few real flies are solid evidence, don¡¯t be afraid of him calling people over.¡±


    The restaurant customers began to advise him one after another.

 Chapter 77: 77 The Truth Revealed

    Chapter 77: The Truth Revealed


    The young man¡¯s forehead broke out in a fine cold sweat, and he became somewhat urgent, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to his nonsense. Who says I¡¯m not willing to wait? I have an urgent matter to take care of and can¡¯t continue to waste time here.¡±


    Zhao Hai said, ¡°You¡¯re afraid of seeing the police, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    The young man stiffened his neck, ¡°Who said I¡¯m afraid of seeing the police? I haven¡¯t done anything wrong, so why would I be afraid of the police?¡±


    Zhao Hai said, ¡°If you¡¯re not afraid of the police, then wait until the police arrive before talking.¡±


    The young man said, ¡°I¡¯ve already told you, I have urgent matters to take care of and have no time to waste here. If you¡¯re not going topensate me, then forget it. I don¡¯t want it anymore, just get out of my way!¡±


    He became somewhat anxious¡ªsince Zhao Hai had already called the police, they could arrive at any moment.


    Truth be told, Zhao Hai¡¯s response had far exceeded his expectations.


    In his assumption, Zhao Hai would never have called the police.


    It should have been a simple matter ofpensation.


    Which would have been exactly what he wanted.


    But Zhao Hai¡¯s decisive call to the police, and his watertight words, left no loopholes to exploit.<div>


    This left him in a passive position.


    If the police came, given the file he had at the police station, it would certainly be impossible for others to believe in him.


    He had done this sort of thing many times before.


    The moment the police saw him, they would know with just a check.


    He had to leave quickly!


    He shoved Zhao Hai aside and hurried away.


    Zhao Hai hadn¡¯t expected the young man to be physical; caught off guard, his body staggered.


    ¡°Dad!¡±


    Seeing Zhao Hai about to fall to the ground, Zhao Yuxin was shocked and pale.


    Xu Yang reacted quickly and immediately stepped forward to support him.


    ¡°Kid, you still want to leave?¡±


    Lin Junyi, Su Wenbin, and Jiang Yuheng, blocked the young man¡¯s path.


    ¡°What are you doing? Get out of my way. I have urgent matters to take care of, and if there¡¯s a dy, who knows how much it will cost. You can¡¯t afford it!¡± the young man shouted angrily.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Jiang Yuheng sneered coldly. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, you must be one of Ma Biao¡¯s men, right?¡±


    At these words, the young man¡¯s face changed colors, then quickly returned to normal: ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Who¡¯s Ma Biao? I don¡¯t know him.¡±


    Jiang Yuheng sneered, ¡°You don¡¯t need to deny it. I remember seeing youst month when I went to Ma Biao. I have a vague impression of you.¡±


    The young man¡¯splexion changed again, ¡°You¡¯ve mistaken me for someone else.¡±


    Jiang Yuheng sneered coldly, ¡°Whether I have mistaken someone or not, I¡¯ll just call Ma Biao, and he¡¯ll rify.¡±


    He took out his mobile phone and dialed Ma Biao¡¯s number.<div>


    The young man¡¯s face changed, ¡°Whether you call or not, it has nothing to do with me. I have something to take care of, I¡¯m leaving now.¡±


    Having said that, he tried to go around the three men to leave.


    But Lin Junyi and Su Wenbin wouldn¡¯t possibly let the young man get away.


    The two of them blocked his way, and no matter how impressive the young man was, he couldn¡¯t possibly break through their obstruction.<div>


    Soon, the call connected.


    Jiang Yuheng made a WeChat video call.


    In the video, a rugged man with a crew cut appeared, who heartilyughed and said, ¡°Young Master Jiang, why are you calling me tonight? Are you thinking ofing to my entertainment city to have fun?¡±


    Jiang Yuheng rolled his eyes, ¡°Get lost. Who would want to go to your entertainment city? I want to ask you, is this guy one of your men?¡±


    He pointed the camera at the young man.


    Ma Biao said, ¡°He¡¯s one of my men, what¡¯s the matter? Did this guy cause you trouble? If that¡¯s the case, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll deal with him!¡±


    Hearing this, the young man¡¯s face turned pale.


    How did he have a connection with the boss, and why did the boss seem to be trying to please the other side?


    It seemed his actions today were going to blow up.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the thing¡­¡± Jiang Yuheng exined the situation.


    ¡°Fuck, Wang Wu, that son of a bitch, how dare he do this shit. Wait till he gets back; I¡¯ll sort him out!¡± Ma Biao cursed vehemently through clenched teeth.


    He didn¡¯t need any proof to know that what Jiang Yuheng was saying was true.


    Wang Wu often did this kind of things and had been in and out of the station several times because of it.<div>


    As long as it didn¡¯t cause too much of a stir, Ma Biao couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with it.


    Now, look what happened, it blew up in Jiang Yuheng¡¯s face.


    The issue had be serious.


    Given Jiang Yuheng¡¯s status and position, getting someone to clean up after him was a matter of minutes.


    In his heart, Ma Biao cursed every one of Wang Wu¡¯s ancestors eighteen generations deep.


    ¡°Whether or not you deal with him when he gets back is none of my business, but how about you say something to him first?¡± Jiang Yuheng said coolly.


    ¡°Right, right, I¡¯ll talk to him first,¡± Ma Biao nodded repeatedly.


    Then, Jiang Yuheng handed the phone to Wang Wu, ¡°Your boss wants to talk to you.¡±


    ¡°Boss,¡± Wang Wu took the phone with trembling hands, his face filled with panic.


    ¡°Wang Wu, I don¡¯t give a damn who paid you to pull this stunt. You¡¯d better spill the beans right now and, when the cops arrive, confess everything; otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless,¡± Ma Biao said harshly.


    ¡°Boss, I understand,¡± Wang Wu replied with a bitter face.


    After hanging up the call, Wang Wu handed the phone back to Jiang Yuheng.


    Themotion here had long since drawn the attention of the other customers.<div>


    Now, it was clear to everyone that the young man was very likely there to make trouble.


    ¡°Damn, this kid was instigated by others to cause trouble here.¡±


    ¡°Damn it, we¡¯ve all been duped by him.¡±


    ¡°That bastard, we almost wronged the boss.¡±


    The crowd was filled with righteous indignation.


    Being used as pawns just didn¡¯t sit right with them.


    They no longer referred to the young man as a ¡®young brother¡¯ but as a ¡®punk¡¯ instead.


    At this moment, the health inspector and the police arrived.


    Wang Wu voluntarily confessed that someone had given him ten thousand yuan to create a scene, aiming to ruin the restaurant¡¯s reputation and force it to close.


    Upon hearing his own confession, the truth came out, and the people were even more furious.


    They had been manipted by the young man, swept along by the chaos, and were nearly made aplices in the act.


    ¡°I said the restaurant owner is a good guy, how could there be flies in the food.¡±


    ¡°This punk almost had us wrong an honest owner.¡±<div>


    ¡°The food here tastes good, I¡¯ll keeping back for more.¡±


    ¡°Me too, I¡¯ll continue to dine here.¡±


    ¡°Boss, we¡¯re sorry, we wronged you just now,¡± the people began to speak up, apologizing to Zhao Hai.


    ¡°No worries. Tomorrow is thest day of operation for this restaurant. I¡¯ll give a 20% discount on your meals today, as a token of my appreciation for your support over the years,¡± Zhao Hai said, waving his hand.


    ¡°Boss, why are you closing? This incident hasn¡¯t affected the restaurant at all,¡± a customer said in confusion.


    The issue had been rified, and it was clear that someone was just stirring up trouble.


    ¡°This ce is going to be converted into a hotpot restaurant. I wee everyone toe and enjoy hotpot here in the future,¡± Zhao Hai said with a smile.


    He didn¡¯t borate that it was being transformed into a branch of Haido Hotpot.


    There was no need; they would find out in due time.


    ¡°Oh, I see, switching to hotpot, that¡¯s also pretty good. I¡¯lle for the hotpot,¡± a customer said.


    ¡°Me too, hotpot is great for dining with friends.¡±


    ¡°Boss, I wish your hotpot restaurant every sess,¡± said another.


    The customers finally understood and expressed they woulde to enjoy hotpot.


    After a short chat, they all returned to their seats to continue their meals.

 Chapter 78: 78: You Idiot

    Chapter 78: You Idiot


    ¡°Who sent you to make trouble?¡± the police asked Wang Wu.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know their name; they contacted me via WeChat and gave me ten thousand yuan just toe here and make trouble, to shut down this restaurant,¡± Wang Wu said bitterly.


    This had gotten out of hand; he was going to end up inside again.


    ¡°Open up WeChat on your phone and show me the chat history,¡± demanded the police officer.


    Wang Wu took out his phone and pulled up the conversation with the contact.


    [Affectionate Sir]: A friend referred you, I have a job for you to do.


    [Jiangcheng Wu Brother]: No problem, what¡¯s the job?


    [Affectionate Sir]: Create a disturbance at a restaurant to force it to close down.


    [Jiangcheng Wu Brother]: That¡¯s my specialty, ten thousand yuan upfront, payment before service, honest business.


    [Affectionate Sir]: Your friend A Le referred me to you, can¡¯t you go any lower?


    [Jiangcheng Wu Brother]: Boss, it¡¯s only because Le Brother referred you that I¡¯m asking for ten thousand. Otherwise, I would have charged twenty thousand straight up. This kind of job is risky; if the restaurant owner puts up a fight, I could get beaten up, even beaten half to death. I¡¯m earning blood money here, so let¡¯s not quibble over this.<div>


    [Affectionate Sir]: Alright, ten thousand it is.


    [Affectionate Sir]: Transferring ten thousand.


    [Jiangcheng Wu Brother]: Received ten thousand.


    [Jiangcheng Wu Brother]: Send over the restaurant¡¯s name and address.


    [Affectionate Sir]: Zhao¡¯s Restaurant, located at XX Road YY number.


    [Jiangcheng Wu Brother]: When do you want me to take action?


    [Affectionate Sir]: Tomorrow night.


    [Jiangcheng Wu Brother]: Just wait for my good news, I guarantee that by the day after tomorrow, the restaurant won¡¯t be able to open.


    [Affectionate Sir]: I hope you won¡¯t disappoint me.


    [Jiangcheng Wu Brother]: You can rest easy; I, Jiangcheng Wu Brother, am absolutely reliable. If it weren¡¯t so, Le Brother wouldn¡¯t have referred you to me.


    [Affectionate Sir]: Good, I¡¯ll wait for your good news.


    Chat ended.


    The police officer chuckled: ¡°Jiangcheng Wu Brother, such a pretentious name.¡±


    The young man offered an embarrassed smile: ¡°In our line of work, isn¡¯t it all about taking on a name that sounds powerful?¡±


    The police said: ¡°Come with us. We¡¯ll track down who this Affectionate Sir is.¡±


    Afterward, the police left.


    Staff from the Health Inspection Bureau checked the kitchen and, finding no issues, they also left.


    Finally, the matter was resolved.


    Lin Junyi and his twopanions greeted everyone and left as well.<div>


    Only Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin remained there, keeping Zhao Haipany.


    Zhao Yuxin said angrily, ¡°Dad, this must be the doing of Yang Tiancheng. He just doesn¡¯t want the restaurant to seed. Only he would stoop so low, it¡¯s utterly shameless.¡±


    Zhao Hai shook his head and said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t Yang Tiancheng. I know him. Although he¡¯s shameless and doesn¡¯t mind using despicable methods to strike atpetitors, this incident is too amateurish for someone as sly as him. Hiring someone to disrupt my restaurant just so he can take over my store? He¡¯s not that naive. The person who hired the disruptor is definitely a novice.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin frowned: ¡°Then who else would hire someone to cause trouble? We haven¡¯t offended anyone else, have we?¡±<div>


    Zhao Hai shook his head: ¡°No, I can¡¯t figure out who would target me like this.¡±


    To be honest, he was puzzled as well.


    It was impossible for neighboring restaurants in the industry to target him.


    His restaurant had been in business for over a decade.


    He had a good rtionship with the owners of the neighboring restaurants.


    Everyone was in business, and normalpetition was fine, including offering discounts and promotions, but they wouldn¡¯t resort to such tactics against him.


    Moreover, this is not something a mature person would do.


    It¡¯s as if it were done by someone with the thought process of a petty thug.


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Dad, if you can¡¯t guess it, then let¡¯s not guess. The police are already aware of the WeChat ount, and as soon as they check, they¡¯ll know. I¡¯ll get awyer to follow up on this case, and no matter who it is, they can¡¯t be let off.¡±


    WeChat ounts are under a real-name system; with the ount, it¡¯s easy to find the real person.


    Zhao Hai nodded and said, ¡°Right, the police should be able to catch the mastermind behind this very soon.¡±


    ¡­


    Outside the restaurant.<div>


    Yang Jingsheng sat in his car, watching everything happening inside the restaurant.


    Wang Wu was the person he had found.


    This was his n.


    He thought that if Zhao Hai¡¯s restaurant couldn¡¯t continue operating, Zhao Hai would have to rent it out.


    Initially, he saw everything going smoothly.


    Although he couldn¡¯t hear the voices inside the restaurant, he could figure out the situation based on Wang Wu¡¯s and the other customers¡¯ actions.


    But it didn¡¯t take long for the situation to change.


    Xu Yang led some people over, and then the sanitary inspectors and the police arrived.


    The police took Wang Wu away.


    At that moment, Yang Jingsheng was utterly dumbfounded.


    Seeing Wang Wu being taken away by the police, Yang Jingsheng panicked.


    Since the person was introduced by a friend, and the friend had assured that the person was absolutely reliable and that everything would be fine with Wang Wu involved,


    he had added Wang Wu on WeChat using his own phone and contacted him directly.<div>


    Since WeChat is under a real-name system, it would be very easy for the police to find him.


    He immediately started his sedan and rushed home.


    Upon returning home, the first thing he did was to find Yang Tiancheng and exin the situation, then with a mournful face, he said, ¡°Dad, what do we do now? If the policee knocking, I might not go to prison, but I am bound to be detained and fined!¡±


    ¡°You fool!¡± Yang Tiancheng couldn¡¯t help but curse loudly; this was the first time he had ever scolded his son like this. ¡°Who do you think Zhao Hai is? Do you believe that just some thug causing trouble would make him helpless?¡±


    He had decided to trust his son once because he firmly imed to have a solution.


    But he had never imagined his son would be so foolish as to use such a low-level trick against Zhao Hai.


    If Zhao Hai were that easy to deal with, he wouldn¡¯t have been taken seriously by him in the past.


    Zhao Yulu and Liu Yujuan also looked at Yang Jingsheng with mocking nces.


    They had thought that Yang Jingsheng hade up with some clever n.


    But to their surprise, his n was to send a thug to cause trouble.


    Yang Jingsheng¡¯s brain really wasn¡¯t that great after all.


    Yang Jingsheng, who was now anxious, didn¡¯t notice their looks; otherwise, he would have flown into a rage.


    He mightck ability, but he was not willing to admit it to himself.<div>


    For a person to admit their ownck of capability is very difficult.


    Despite some people constantly saying ¡°I¡¯m not very capable¡± out loud, in reality, it¡¯s just talk and not a true admission of their own ipetence.


    This applies to people from all walks of life, no matter what social ss they belong to.


    Yang Jingsheng said bitterly, ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect him to be so formidable, to ruin my n just like that.¡±


    Suddenly, he gritted his teeth in anger, ¡°Right, Xu Yang got involved. If it weren¡¯t for him, my man would have gotten away and wouldn¡¯t have been caught by the police. You could say that the current situation is all Xu Yang¡¯s fault!¡±


    He had seen it very clearly. Xu Yang had arrived with a few people, and just as Wang Wu was pushing Zhao Hai away to leave, it was Xu Yang¡¯s people who stopped Wang Wu. Finally, when the police arrived, Wang Wu ended up being caught.

 Chapter 79: 79: Pleading

    Chapter 79: Pleading


    Yang Tiancheng said, ¡°At this point, Xu Yang is indeed the main cause of the problem, but what you did is really not right. Even if you manage to shut down Zhao Hai¡¯s restaurant, do you think he would rent the storefront to us?¡±<div>


    Yang Jingsheng was taken aback, ¡°Isn¡¯t that the case?¡±


    Yang Tiancheng shook his head, ¡°You¡¯re too naive. Even if the restaurant can¡¯t continue, he wouldn¡¯t rent it to us.¡±


    Yang Jingsheng said, ¡°Just because of the grudge between you and him from years ago?¡±


    Yang Tiancheng nodded, ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Yang Jingsheng said, ¡°I thought, even with your grudge, as long as his restaurant couldn¡¯t continue, given the money involved, he would still rent it to us.¡±


    Yang Tiancheng sighed, ¡°I¡¯m partly to me for this. If I had known, I would not have let you do it.¡±<div>


    He knew he should not have trusted his son.


    Yang Jingsheng said anxiously, ¡°Dad, let¡¯s not talk about that now. The police mighte knocking as soon as tomorrow. What am I supposed to do?¡±


    After some thought, Yang Tiancheng replied, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be done now. We can only go to Zhao Hai, apologize to him, and seek his forgiveness. If he forgives you, the police won¡¯t make trouble for you. I can give Zhao Hai some money, a hundred thousand, two hundred thousand, whatever it takes.¡±


    Yang Jingsheng nodded repeatedly, ¡°Yes, yes, Dad, hurry and call Zhao Hai. Tell him I will apologize andpensate him with two hundred thousand, so he won¡¯t pursue my responsibility. Then the police won¡¯t make trouble for me. At most I¡¯ll get a fine.¡±


    Yang Tiancheng took out his mobile phone and dialed Zhao Hai¡¯s number.


    Soon, the call connected.


    Yang Tiancheng immediately said, ¡°Zhao Hai, this is Yang Tiancheng.¡±


    Zhao Hai responded indifferently, ¡°What do you want, calling me?¡±


    Yang Tiancheng carefully phrased his words, ¡°Zhao Hai, there was trouble at your restaurant tonight, and it was my son who sent people to do it.¡±


    Zhao Hai seemed to realize, ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about who would want to target me, and after considering everything, only you seemed likely. But I knew you wouldn¡¯t use such childish methods against me, and I was puzzled. Did you go senile? It turns out it was your son who did it. Well, that I can understand. Only your useless son would do such a thing.¡±


    Hearing Zhao Hai calling his son useless, Yang Tiancheng felt he couldn¡¯t hang on to his pride, but since he had called to solve the issue, he couldn¡¯t lose his temper. He could only take a deep breath and suppress his anger, ¡°Zhao Hai, I¡¯m calling to seek a solution to this matter. I apologize on behalf of my son and offer apensation of two hundred thousand. I hope you won¡¯t pursue my son¡¯s responsibility. Tomorrow we can go to the police station and sign a private settlement agreement, how about that?¡±


    ¡°Not good at all!¡± Zhao Hai said indifferently, ¡°Your son did such a thing and you think I won¡¯t pursue it? That¡¯s impossible. Not to talk about two hundred thousand, even if you gave me two million, I would still hold him responsible.¡±<div>


    Yang Tiancheng¡¯s expression turned ugly, ¡°Zhao Hai, if you insist on pursuing this, my son will be detained for at least ten to fifteen days. If detained, he will have a criminal record, which will affect him whether in work or life. My son is just young, and acted without thinking. Can¡¯t you be generous? Do you realize, by doing this, you could ruin my son?¡±


    ¡°I ruined your son?¡± Zhao Haiughed sarcastically, ¡°Why don¡¯t you say that when he sent people to cause trouble, he wanted to ruin my restaurant?¡±


    Yang Tiancheng said, ¡°Isn¡¯t your restaurant all right now? Can¡¯t you make an exception?¡±


    Zhao Hai sneered, ¡°You make it sound so easy. If I hadn¡¯t been alert, your son might have indeed managed to run my restaurant into the ground. And you¡¯re asking me to make an exception? Don¡¯t you find thatughable?¡±


    Yang Tiancheng argued with conviction, ¡°I¡¯m offering you two hundred thousand, which is half a year¡¯s ie for you, right?¡±


    Zhao Hai sneered again, ¡°As I said before, not to mention two hundred thousand, even if you gave me two million, I would still hold your son responsible. He made a mistake and should pay the price for it. Don¡¯t talk to me about him being young and thoughtless, it¡¯s more urate to say he¡¯s brainless. Let him go inside and do some reflection¡ªI think that¡¯s quite appropriate.¡±


    Yang Tiancheng spoke in a grave tone, ¡°So, Zhao Hai, is that a no on discussing this?¡±


    Zhao Hai said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to discuss.¡±


    Yang Tiancheng didn¡¯t say anything more and hung up the phone, his face looking extremely grim.


    Although Yang Jingsheng didn¡¯t hear everything Zhao Hai said, he knew from Yang Tiancheng¡¯s responses that a private settlement was out of the question. He said anxiously, ¡°Dad, what do we do now? I don¡¯t want to be detained.¡±


    Yang Tiancheng thought about it and looked at Zhao Yulu, ¡°Yu Lu, call your birth father. Beg him, and see if he might forgive Jingsheng, out of consideration for you, his biological daughter. If you can get him to agree not to pursue Jingsheng¡¯s responsibility, I¡¯ll get you a car worth two hundred thousand.¡±


    Yang Jingsheng¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Yes, Yu Lu, please call and beg your birth father. I¡¯m asking you. Just help me this one time, and from now on, whatever you ask of me at home, I¡¯ll do it.¡±<div>


    Zhao Yulu said, ¡°He probably won¡¯t listen to me.¡±


    She knew what she meant to Zhao Hai.


    Her attempt to borrow money from Zhao Hai had already made his attitude clear.


    Zhao Hai would not treat her differently just because she was his biological daughter.


    Moreover, she didn¡¯t want to make that call.


    Even, seeing that Yang Jingsheng might be detained brought her a bit of joy.


    This was not schadenfreude.


    It was because all these years, Yang Jingsheng had enjoyed the care of Yang Tiancheng, who had given everything good to him.


    Byparison, she had not had it nearly as good.


    Under such circumstances, she really did not want to save Yang Jingsheng.


    Yang Tiancheng frowned, ¡°How do you know he won¡¯t listen if you don¡¯t try? Call him now, in front of all of us, and put it on speaker.¡±


    It was an order, and Zhao Yulu could not refuse.<div>


    Despite her anger, Zhao Yulu still took out her phone and dialed Zhao Hai¡¯s number.


    Soon, the call connected.


    Zhao Yulu immediately said, ¡°Dad, about my brother¡¯s situation, can you forgive him for the sake of me, your biological daughter?¡±


    Truth be told, she felt slightly embarrassed saying this.


    Aside from their blood rtionship and her being Zhao Hai¡¯s daughter, they didn¡¯t have much else inmon.


    Asking Zhao Hai for such a favor felt somewhat shameless.


    Zhao Hai answered indifferently, ¡°No. This matter has nothing to do with you. Don¡¯t interfere. Whoever did it must bear the responsibility.¡±


    Liu Yujuan spoke up, ¡°Zhao Hai, how can you be so heartless? Yu Lu is your daughter. She never asked you for anything from childhood till now. She¡¯s asking you this time, and you remain unmoved. Do you have any humanity at all?!¡±

 Chapter 80: 80 Detention

    Chapter 80: Detention


    Liu Yujuan, though she didn¡¯t like Yang Jingsheng, felt a bit pleased to hear that Yang Jingsheng had been detained.<div>


    However, she knew how much Yang Tiancheng valued his son Yang Jingsheng.


    Even though Yang Tiancheng hadn¡¯t asked her to do anything, at times like this, she still needed to show a willingness to help.


    Seeing her like this, Yang Tiancheng couldn¡¯t help nodding his head.


    He was quite satisfied with Liu Yujuan¡¯s performance.


    Just then, Zhao Yuxin¡¯s voice came through the phone, ¡°Liu Yujuan, you dare to call my dad heartless, say he has no humanity, but ask yourself, do you even have the right to say these words? To be honest, I have never seen anyone as shameless as you. I¡¯m telling you, stop calling us. That Yang Jing Sheng, having done what he did, must face the consequences. We will definitely pursue this to the end!¡±


    After that, the call was abruptly disconnected.<div>


    The expressions on the faces of the Yang family members became very ugly.


    ¡°Yulu, your biological father is really inhumane, not even listening to his own daughter¡¯s words!¡± Yang Jingshengined a bit.


    Zhao Yulu pursed her lips and said nothing.


    ¡°Since reconciliation is impossible, we have to think of other solutions,¡± said Liu Yujuan, diverting Yang Jingsheng¡¯s attention to prevent him from targeting Zhao Yulu.


    ¡°Dad, what other solutions are there?¡± Yang Jingsheng asked, no longer ming Zhao Yulu.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing else we can do now but to contact some connections and see if we can suppress this matter,¡± Yang Tiancheng sighed.


    ¡°Okay, Dad, use all your connections. After all, it didn¡¯t cause any damage to Zhao Hai¡¯s restaurant, so it should be fine, right?¡± Yang Jingsheng said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be sure. I can only try to get help,¡± responded Yang Tiancheng, who trulycked confidence.


    Things weren¡¯t like before when just pulling some strings could easily gloss over such matters.


    But now, as things be more regted, even with officials wanting to help, they do so within the boundaries of the rules. They wouldn¡¯t risk their careers for this.


    ¡°Dad, you must find someone to help solve this. I really don¡¯t want to be detained,¡± Yang Jingsheng said bitterly.


    ¡°I know. I¡¯ll go make some phone calls,¡± Yang Tiancheng said, standing up and going back to his room to make phone calls.<div>


    ¡­


    The next day.


    Yang Jingsheng went to work with zero mood for it.


    In the past, upon arriving at thepany, the first thing he would do was flirt with the pretty female employees in his department. Today, he had no mood for that and went straight to his office.


    His gloomy expression was a clear indicator of his bad mood.


    And indeed, Yang Jingsheng was not in a good mood.


    His father had said he reached out to some connections, but wasn¡¯t sure if it would be effective.


    This uncertainty left him anxious. If it didn¡¯t work, he would be detained, and he was in no mood to flirt with female employees.


    Even when the beautiful female employees greeted him, he didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°What¡¯s with Supervisor Yang today?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, seems like there¡¯s something on his mind.¡±


    ¡°Could it be that he broke up with his girlfriend?¡±<div>


    ¡°Even if he did break up, he wouldn¡¯t be like this. He¡¯s not short of girlfriends; if one leaves, there¡¯ll soon be a new one.¡±


    ¡°We should focus on our work and not worry about that. With a father who¡¯s a vice president, his life is better than ours no matter what.¡±


    ¡°Right, we should mind our own business and pay attention to the work at hand.¡±


    The employees were all abuzz with gossip.


    Yang Jingsheng entered his office, set down his briefcase, and leaned back in his chair, staring nkly at the ceiling.


    After some time, the phone on his desk rang.


    It startled him.


    He looked at the caller ID, and his face suddenly changed¡ªit was a number from the city bureau.


    This was not a good sign.


    He took a deep breath and answered, ¡°Hello.¡±


    A deep voice came from the phone, ¡°Hello, I am a police officer from the city bureau. Is this Yang Jingsheng?¡±


    Yang Jingsheng¡¯s heart trembled, ¡°Yes, what¡¯s the matter?¡±<div>


    The officer said, ¡°You are suspected to be involved in a case, pleasee to the city bureau for an investigation.¡±


    Yang Jingsheng¡¯splexion turned pale, ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯lle over.¡±


    His father¡¯s connections were definitely useless now.


    Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t be asking him toe in for an investigation.


    He quickly stood up, left the office, and soon arrived at his father¡¯s vice president¡¯s office.


    ¡°Father, the city bureau called. They want me toe in for an investigation,¡± Yang Jingsheng¡¯s face was still somewhat pale.


    ¡°Sigh, I just got off the phone with a friend who said it can¡¯t be fixed. Zhao Hai hired awyer to follow up on this matter. There¡¯s no way to help even if we wanted to,¡± Yang Tiancheng said with a sigh.


    ¡°Dad, is there really no way out?¡± Yang Jingsheng¡¯s face grew even paler.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do,¡± Yang Tiancheng said with a bitter shake of his head.


    He wanted to save his son, but if he couldn¡¯t, there was nothing he could do.


    ¡°How long will I be detained?¡± Yang Jingsheng asked with a gloomy face.


    This was absolutely terrible news for him.<div>


    Once he was taken there, he would surely lose his job.


    Even with his father¡¯s connections, thepany couldn¡¯t possibly keep him.


    Unless the boss or shareholders intervened, there might be a chance he could stay with thepany.


    But the weight of his father as vice president was still not enough.


    ¡°In such cases, my friend said it should be seven days to half a month,¡± Yang Tiancheng said.


    ¡°Father, is there really no hope?¡± Yang Jingsheng still couldn¡¯t let go.


    He hadn¡¯t considered running away.


    After all, the matter wasn¡¯t that serious; if he ran, it would be serious.


    If caught, it could mean not just detention or a stay in detention center, but possibly prison.


    He still had that much sense.


    ¡°There are no other options. Go on, and don¡¯t do such foolish things in the future. As for your job, we¡¯ll discuss it after you get out,¡± Yang Tiancheng said with a sigh.


    Yang Jingsheng didn¡¯t speak again and dejectedly turned to leave.<div>


    Watching his son walk away, Yang Tiancheng sighed deeply.


    Then, a cold light flickered in his eyes.


    ¡°Zhao Hai, you caused my son to be detained. If I ever get the opportunity, I definitely won¡¯t let you off.¡±


    ¡­


    On the other side.


    Xu Yang and Zhao Hai arrived at Haido and called a high-level meeting.


    ¡°This is Mr. Zhao Hai. Mr. Zhao will be the president of thepany from now on, and he will be fully responsible for thepany¡¯s day-to-day management,¡± Xu Yang introduced Zhao Hai to Haido¡¯s senior executives.


    Xu Yang said a few words and then left.


    The rest was up to Zhao Hai.


    He believed that with Zhao Hai¡¯s abilities, he could definitely manage thepany well.


    Zhao Hai announced that thepany¡¯s employees would undergo unified training and that all thepany¡¯s stores would be renovated.


    He also announced thetest sry system and incentive system to all staff.


    The employees were thrilled.


    Their sries had increased by half.


    To them, this was an immense surprise.


    Such an opportunity for a raise wasn¡¯t something that came around often.

 Chapter 81: 81 Resignation and Job Hunting

    Chapter 81: Resignation and Job Hunting


    Although I said that in future work, I would have to be more dedicated and a little more tired,


    but as long as there¡¯s more money to be taken, being a little more dedicated is only right, and what¡¯s the harm in being a little tired?


    After all, the reason for working is to make money, and with money, everything is negotiable.


    Moreover, as long as you do well, it¡¯s easier to get promoted.


    Zhao Hai also said that thepany would add another store, making a total of twenty-one stores.


    Nobody really cared about that, though.


    Next, orders were released at every level. Everyone at their posts, doing their duties: those who needed to contact the decoratingpany did so, those who needed to organize staff training did so, those who needed to recruit employees did so¡­


    Under Zhao Hai¡¯s arrangements, everything proceeded in an orderly fashion.


    ¡­


    That day at noon, at a certain restaurant.


    Zhao Yulu and Chen Guanglei were eating together.<div>


    ¡°I resigned,¡± Zhao Yulu said, in a very bad mood.


    Since she failed to secure the ten billion special investment funds custody business for the Southwest Commerce Chamberst time, Zhao Yulu felt that in these days, all her colleagues¡¯ gazes seemed to be mocking her, making her feel like a thorn was in her side. She found it unbearable to keep working at the bank and had no choice but to hand in her resignation.


    The bank manager was also very dissatisfied with her and approved her resignation immediately.


    Normally, an employee like her would need at least a month to leave.


    However, the bank manager didn¡¯t even want to see her and let her go directly.


    ¡°Yu Lu, this is all my fault. To show my apology, I¡¯ve arranged for you to be a manager at my dad¡¯spany. I guarantee the sry will be higher than what you were making at the bank, and you¡¯ll be more free,¡±


    Chen Guanglei actually felt it was a good thing that Zhao Yulu had resigned.


    If she could work at his dad¡¯s Triumph Investment, that would be even better.


    The closer you are to the water, the first to get the moon, he would have more opportunities to win over Zhao Yulu.


    Just drop by for a visit,mute together, eat meals together; it would be hard not to develop feelings.


    ¡°No need, I still want to look for a job on my own,¡± Zhao Yulu declined, knowing full well what Chen Guanglei meant.


    She still felt it best to look for a job on her own first.


    She really wasn¡¯t interested in Chen Guanglei.


    The most daring decision she had made was to agree to be Chen Guanglei¡¯s girlfriend if she secured the ten billion custody business.


    She thought to herself, after bing Chen Guanglei¡¯s girlfriend, they¡¯d break up after a while.


    So naturally, she wouldn¡¯t work at Chen Guanglei¡¯s father¡¯spany, unless she really couldn¡¯t find a better job, then she would consider it.


    ¡°Yu Lu, there¡¯s really no need for you to look for a job on your own. Juste work at my dad¡¯spany,¡± Chen Guanglei still didn¡¯t want to give up the opportunity.


    ¡°No, thank you,¡± Zhao Yulu still shook her head.


    ¡°Alright then, I respect your decision,¡± Chen Guanglei said helplessly, his eyes rolling, ¡°By the way, are you still looking for work in a bank or another financepany?¡±<div>


    Zhao Yulu said, ¡°Not necessarily, what matters most to me are the terms of employment. If the terms are good, I think I can work in any industry.¡±


    She just wanted to make money; she didn¡¯t care what industry it was in, as long as there was money to be made.


    Of course, the industry had to be legitimate.


    Chen Guangleiughed, ¡°A good friend of mine¡¯s family is in the furniture business. If you¡¯re willing to go, I can rmend you to work there, and I guarantee you¡¯ll be satisfied with the sry and benefits.¡±<div>


    Zhao Yulu still shook her head, ¡°No thanks, I¡¯ll choose on my own.¡±


    She didn¡¯t want to owe Chen Guanglei any favors, lest he bring this upter.


    Chen Guanglei¡¯s opportunistic behavior thest time still made her feel very ufortable.


    However, she still wanted to use Chen Guanglei¡¯s connections to make money and pay off her debts, so she had to keep in touch with him.


    Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t bother with Chen Guanglei at all.


    ¡°Alright then.¡± Chen Guanglei, feeling helpless, gave up on the idea of introducing her to a job and changed the subject, ¡°By the way, didn¡¯t I say I¡¯d help you make money to pay off your debts? In a few days, there will be an opportunity to earn some money.¡±


    Zhao Yulu¡¯s eyes lit up slightly, ¡°What opportunity?¡±


    Chen Guanglei chuckled, ¡°In a few days, at the Haicheng Jadeite Trading Center, a batch of new jadeite raw stones will arrive. We can go there, buy some jadeite raw stones, and if we cut open some jadeite, making a million will be a breeze.¡±


    Zhao Yulu frowned, ¡°You mean gambling on stones?¡±


    Chen Guanglei nodded, ¡°Exactly, it¡¯s gambling on stones. If youe with me, I¡¯ll choose the jadeite raw stones. The money we make, we¡¯ll split fifty-fifty. Just one trip and you couldpletely clear your million in debt, with plenty to spare!¡±


    Zhao Yulu expressed surprise, ¡°How are you so confident? Do you actually understand stone gambling?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Chen Guanglei said proudly, ¡°Yu Lu, let me tell you, I have a deep study of stone gambling. Every time I make a move, I make quite a bit.¡±


    Zhao Yulu was skeptical, ¡°Really?¡±<div>


    Chen Guanglei had never mentioned this, and everything he had said before was inurate, so now she would always put a question mark on Chen Guanglei¡¯s words.


    ¡°It¡¯s definitely true,¡± Chen Guanglei said, ¡°This isn¡¯t like picking up leaks in an antique street. Picking up leaks there is about luck, but stone gambling is all about skill. When we go, just watch me. I guarantee you¡¯ll be amazed.¡±


    Zhao Yulu nodded, ¡°Alright, I hope it turns out as you say, and I can earn the money to pay off my debts.¡±


    Chen Guanglei assured her confidently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll definitely make money.¡±


    Zhao Yulu gave Chen Guanglei a look but said nothing more.


    She thought to herself that he was always like this, butter it always proved wrong.


    However, she still needed to rely on Chen Guanglei to make money, so she remained silent.


    After the meal, Zhao Yulu went home.


    Once home, she began to look up job recruitment information.


    As she said, the industry didn¡¯t matter as long as the sry and benefits were high.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Zhao Yulu spotted a job listing, ¡°The Original Fisher Hotpot Restaurant is renamed Riverbottom Loot, extensively recruiting for various positions¡­ The Fisher Hotpot Restaurant, isn¡¯t that the one near the school? Why was it renamed to Riverbottom Loot? And the offered sry is half higher than what is standard in the industry, is that for real?¡±


    A sry half higher than the average in the industry caught Zhao Yulu¡¯s interest.


    Moreover, the recruitment notice also talked about thepensation and reward systems, which were very attractive.<div>


    She believed that with her abilities, taking care of operating tasks wouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    If she did well, she would have a chance to be promoted to a management position, which was definitely an opportunity.


    Thus, Zhao Yulu sent her resume out.


    At five o¡¯clock in the afternoon, Zhao Yulu received a call.


    It was from the Human Resources department at Riverbottom Loot, informing her that she had an interview the next day.


    Zhao Yulu naturally agreed without hesitation, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be there on time.¡±


    After hanging up the phone, she received a message from Zhao Yuqing, an HR employee at Riverbottom Loot, which provided thepany¡¯s address, contact number, and the contact person.

 Chapter 82: 82: Just an Idiot

    Chapter 82: Just an Idiot


    ¡°`


    The next morning.


    Zhao Yulu arrived at Jang De Lao.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m here for the interview,¡± Zhao Yulu entered Jang De Lao and said to the receptionist.


    ¡°Okay, please follow me,¡± the receptionist led Zhao Yulu to a conference room.


    Jang De Lao had been constantly hiring, with two interview sessions every morning and afternoon.


    There were quite a few people in the conference room, both young people like Zhao Yulu and older middle-aged folks.


    Zhao Yulu found a seat and sat down to wait without talking to anyone else.


    Those who had arrived earlier were chatting with each other.


    ¡°Have you heard? I heard that the boss is going to do a different kind of firepot.¡±


    ¡°Really? I haven¡¯t heard that. It wasn¡¯t mentioned in the job posting, how do you know?¡±<div>


    ¡°I have a friend working as a server in thepany; they¡¯re currently being trained. My friend told me.¡±


    ¡°A different kind of firepot? What could be so different about firepot?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the specifics, but it seems to be about offering a different kind of service.¡±


    ¡°A different service? Special service? It¡¯s a firepot restaurant for eating, how can it offer something different?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think dirty, it¡¯s a service that others haven¡¯t offered before. I don¡¯t know the specifics; we¡¯ll only find out once the store opens. Anyway, the pay is high, so I came.¡±


    ¡°I heard that thepany¡¯s general manager has been changed, and some say the new general manager used to own a small restaurant.¡±


    ¡°A small restaurant owner can be thepany¡¯s general manager? Impossible, right?¡±


    ¡°I heard the general manager is the boss¡¯s father-inw. What do you think, possible or not?¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s it. But is this general managerpetent? If wee to work here, is there a future for us?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard the general manager is very capable. When he was young, he was a senior executive of a catering group. Now, he¡¯sing out of retirement, and the tactics he¡¯s disyed these past few days have amazed everyone.¡±


    ¡°As long as the general manager and the boss are fine, thepany can continue to develop and grow. If we do well, there¡¯s hope for promotions and pay raises.¡±


    ¡°All this information you guys have is rather vague. I, on the other hand, know some definite news, thepany¡¯s general manager is the owner of Old Zhao¡¯s restaurant on Linghai Road.¡±


    ¡°I know about that too. A few days ago, I happened to be at Old Zhao¡¯s restaurant when there was a disturbance. My friend goes there often and is quite familiar with the owner.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to pull some strings?¡±


    ¡°What strings? If I had any connections, would I still be waiting here?¡±


    The crowd was discussing, mostly about thepany and things rted to the general manager and the boss.


    Zhao Yulu was not interested at first, but when she heard the young man nearby say that thepany¡¯s general manager was the owner of Old Zhao¡¯s restaurant, she couldn¡¯t help but be stunned. Isn¡¯t that her dad?


    She snapped back to reality and quickly asked the young man, ¡°Handsome guy, is what you just said true? Thepany¡¯s general manager is the former owner of Old Zhao¡¯s restaurant on Linghai Road?¡±


    The young man replied, ¡°Of course it¡¯s true. My friend told me.¡±<div>


    Zhao Yulu furrowed her brows. How did her dad be the general manager of Jang De Lao?


    Why would thepany¡¯s boss hire her dad, who had been out of the workforce for over a decade, as the general manager?


    No, that¡¯s not right. Someone mentioned earlier that the general manager is the boss¡¯s father-inw.


    Could it be¡­<div>


    Zhao Yulu thought of a possibility and hastily took out her phone to look up Jang De Lao¡¯s business registration information.


    She discovered that thepany¡¯s legal representative was Xu Yang!


    ¡°How can this be? Thepany¡¯s boss is Xu Yang?¡± Zhao Yulu found it hard to believe.


    ¡°Right, beauty, my name is Wang Chao, what¡¯s yours? We might be colleagues in the future, so let¡¯s get to know each other first.¡±


    The young man saw that Zhao Yulu was very beautiful and had been wanting to strike up a conversation.


    Now that they had started talking, hitting on her was just the natural thing to do.


    ¡°`


    If we had exchanged contact information, whether we could work together or not, we could still be friends, and possibly even be boyfriend and girlfriend.


    ¡°Sorry, I have to leave now.¡±


    Zhao Yulu quickly got up and left.


    The boss was Xu Yang, and the general manager was her father; there was no way she could attend the interview, much less work at Jiang Dio.


    She couldn¡¯t bring herself to do that either.


    Leaving thepany, Zhao Yulu feltpletely at a loss.<div>


    How did Xu Yang be the owner of a cateringpany all of a sudden?


    How did Xu Yang have so much money to acquire a cateringpany like this?


    Could it be, as her sister said, that Xu Yang really made money from somewhere else?


    At that moment, her phone rang.


    Looking at it, she realized it was Chen Guanglei calling.


    Zhao Yulu answered the call.


    ¡°Yu Lu, let¡¯s have lunch together, I¡¯lle pick you up soon, and in the afternoon we could go to the flower market in Nancheng to hang out.¡±


    With nothing better to do, Chen Guanglei was always out having fun, his main goal for now was to win over Zhao Yulu.


    ¡°No, I have an interview today,¡± Zhao Yulu shook her head.


    Today, besides Jiang Dio, she had chosen anotherpany as well.


    Thatpany had notified her toe for an interview in the afternoon.


    ¡°Yu Lu, I told you to work at my dad¡¯spany or I could introduce you to work at my friend¡¯spany, but you don¡¯t want to. Why is that? It¡¯s all the same work no matter where you do it,¡± Chen Guanglei sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep looking first,¡± Zhao Yulu didn¡¯t close off the conversationpletely. If she really couldn¡¯t find a satisfactory job, she might indeed agree to Chen Guanglei¡¯s offer, after all, making money was the most important thing.<div>


    ¡°Alright, whatpany are you interviewing with today? Let me see if I can give you some insight. I am fairly familiar with somepanies after all.¡±


    Chen Guanglei mainly wanted to find out whichpany Zhao Yulu was interviewing with to see if he knew someone there, so he could give a nod under the table to help Zhao Yulu, and then let her know about it afterward.


    This way, even if Zhao Yulu didn¡¯t want to ept his favor, she would have epted it already.


    ¡°I was originally nning to interview at Jiang Dio this morning, but I¡¯m out now,¡± Zhao Yulu said.


    ¡°Jiang Dio? You mean the former Yuhuo Renjia?¡± Chen Guanglei asked.


    ¡°Yes, do you know about it?¡± Zhao Yulu was somewhat surprised.


    ¡°I heard from friends these past few days that Yuhuo Renjia has changed owners and been renamed Jiang Dio,¡± Chen Guanglei said.


    ¡°Then, do you know who the owner of Jiang Dio is?¡± Zhao Yulu asked.


    ¡°No idea, who is it?¡± Chen Guanglei asked casually.


    ¡°It¡¯s Xu Yang,¡± Zhao Yulu said.


    ¡°Xu Yang?¡± Chen Guanglei paused before realizing, ¡°You mean your ex-boyfriend, now brother-inw Xu Yang?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Zhao Yulu was somewhat speechless. Why add those prefixes, isn¡¯t it enough to just say the name?


    ¡°Haha, so it¡¯s him!¡± Chen Guangleiughed.<div>


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny about that?¡± Zhao Yulu frowned, really not understanding what there was tough about.


    ¡°Yu Lu, you should know that Yuhuo Renjia is an old hot pot brand in Jiangcheng, right?¡± Chen Guanglei said.


    ¡°I know, there¡¯s a branch next to our university, I used to go there often,¡± Zhao Yulu replied.


    ¡°Yuhuo Renjia has been a brand for over a decade, quite valuable. If Xu Yang had kept it running as it was, he could have made at least eighteen to twenty million a year.¡±


    ¡°But instead, he changed it to this what, Jiang Dio? Don¡¯t you think he¡¯s out of his mind?¡±


    ¡°Building a brand is extremely difficult; changing the name is just foolish. I¡¯m sure that his Jiang Dio will definitely go under within a year.¡±


    Chen Guanglei snorted derisively, certain that Xu Yang was a fool.

 Chapter 83: 83: Really Wasting Money

    Chapter 83: Really Wasting Money


    ¡°`<div>


    ¡°You make some sense,¡± Zhao Yulu actually felt that Chen Guanglei was right.


    Initially, she hadn¡¯t thought much about it, and simply applied because the sry was high and the opportunities seemed grand.


    It was only after Chen Guanglei mentioned it that she started to notice the problems.


    Fisherman¡¯s Nook is a long-established brand with a solid reputation.


    As it stands, running the business as is would generate a good profit each year; it¡¯s very stable.


    But now, with a name change, who would know about it?<div>


    Turning JiangDo into a well-known brand will be extremely challenging.


    Furthermore, her father has been appointed general manager, and he hasn¡¯t worked in the business world for over a decade.


    Even if he was capable before, he¡¯s likely out of touch with the current management trends.


    Falling apart within a year isn¡¯t out of the question.


    Unless Xu Yang can tolerate the constant losses and keep pumping money into it.


    But where would Xu Yang get so much money? Even if he made some cash in the futures market, he couldn¡¯t sustain such a draining investment.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just ¡®some sense¡¯; the oue will definitely be this way. This Xu Yang is just a country bumpkin from a small county town trying to y investor by acquiringpanies. He¡¯ll surely lose so much that he¡¯ll bleed dry; he might even lose the vi he bought,¡±


    Chen Guanglei looked down on Xu Yang immensely.


    Even though Xu Yang had made some money in the futures market, stumbling into fifty million, it did nothing to change Chen Guanglei¡¯s disdain.


    He felt thatpared to him, a second-generation wealthy, Xu Yang fell short in both status and breadth of vision.


    Chen Guanglei expressed a bit of Schadenfreude regarding the possibility of Xu Yang losing the vi.


    ¡°That probably won¡¯t happen,¡± Zhao Yulu said.<div>


    ¡°How could it not happen? What money does he have? He¡¯s just a blind cat that ran into a dead mouse. He made a little money through futures investment and picked up a bargain, and bought a luxury car and vi. I¡¯m guessing that the money he used to acquire Fisherman¡¯s Nook came from mortgaging the vi. Once JiangDo starts losing money, and he holds on for a year or so, the borrowed money will definitely be gone,¡± Chen Guanglei said.


    ¡°If he really did mortgage the vi to finance the acquisition of Fisherman¡¯s Nook, then it could indeed be possible,¡± Zhao Yulu admitted.


    ¡°If nothing unexpected happens, my guess is probably true. Otherwise, where would he get the money to acquire Fisherman¡¯s Nook? You don¡¯t still believe that his futures investment and bargain hunting can continue to make money, do you?¡± Chen Guanglei said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it.¡± Deep down, Zhao Yulu still thought that Xu Yang making money from futures and lucking out was a fluke, just like Chen Guanglei¡¯s metaphor about the blind cat.


    Xu Yang had never shown such capability before.


    She didn¡¯t believe that just because she and Xu Yang had broken up, he would suddenly possess such skills.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. He suddenly became rich, but he¡¯ll quickly revert to being penniless. Just you wait and see, when that happens he¡¯ll have nowhere to cry. It¡¯s a pity for your sister; she¡¯ll have to suffer with him. But not to worry, if your sister divorces him and finds a rich boyfriend, there¡¯ll be no problem,¡± Chen Guanglei said.


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Zhao Yulu replied.


    ¡°So, now that you know Xu Yang is the boss of JiangDo, and that it¡¯s bound to go under, you¡¯re not still considering the interview, are you?¡± Chen Guanglei asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve stopped considering it. I¡¯ve already left,¡± Zhao Yulu said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have lunch together. I¡¯lle and pick you up,¡± Chen Guanglei didn¡¯t want to miss any opportunity.


    ¡°No need, I have another interview in the afternoon. I need to prepare for it. I¡¯m going to hang up now,¡± Zhao Yulu hung up the phone.<div>


    ¡­


    That evening, at the Yang residence.


    ¡°`


    ¡°Tian Cheng, you asked me to find a storefront near Zhao Hai¡¯s restaurant, and I¡¯ve already found one, just two doors away from Zhao Hai¡¯s restaurant,¡± Liu Yujuan said.


    ¡°Very good,¡± Yang Tiancheng nodded.


    ¡°I discovered today that Zhao Hai¡¯s restaurant has closed. It looks like it¡¯s going to be renovated. I don¡¯t know why he¡¯s renovating it all of a sudden,¡± Liu Yujuan was somewhat puzzled.


    ¡°I know about that, it¡¯s being converted into a hot pot restaurant,¡± Yang Tiancheng said with a smile.


    ¡°Into a hot pot restaurant? He had a good restaurant going, why change it to a hot pot ce? Could it be that he saw your hot pot chain n and thought hot pot could be profitable, so he decided to switch?¡± Liu Yujuan was even more puzzled.


    ¡°No, Zhao Hai is now the general manager of Jiang Dol,¡± Yang Tiancheng was aware of the situation.


    ¡°Jiang Dol, what kind of restaurantpany is that? I¡¯ve never heard of it.¡± Liu Yujuan, not up to date with industry news, had no idea that the Yuhuo Renjia had been acquired and renamed.


    ¡°Jiang Dol used to be Yuhuo Renjia,¡± Yang Tiancheng exined.


    ¡°So that¡¯s it. But has Jiang Dol lost their minds? Zhao Hai has been out of the workforce for over a decade, so why would they hire him as their general manager?¡± Liu Yujuan didn¡¯t understand.<div>


    Zhao Hai was capable, but he had been away from the workforce for more than a decade.


    No one would hire Zhao Hai to manage apany.


    ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s because the owner of Jiang Dol is his son-inw, Xu Yang,¡± Yang Tiancheng said with augh.


    ¡°What, Xu Yang acquired Yuhuo Renjia? Where did he get so much money to acquire Yuhuo Renjia? It must have cost tens of millions at least, right?¡± Liu Yujuan was utterly shocked.


    This really did startle her.


    Xu Yang was buying luxury cars and vis, and now he had acquired a hot pot brand.


    Could it be that what Zhao Yuxin saidst time was true, that Xu Yang had made money elsewhere?


    ¡°Twenty-eight million,¡± Yang Tiancheng, deputy general manager of Meiwei Group, was extremely well-informed about the industry. He naturally received news about who acquired Yuhuo Renjia, and he knew a lot about the major affairs of Jiang Dol.


    ¡°How does he have that much money?¡± Liu Yujuan asked.


    ¡°I estimate that he must have used his vi as coteral for a loan,¡± Yang Tiancheng guessed the same as Chen Guanglei and felt that his guess must be right.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t know anything, yet he dares to use his vi as coteral to acquire Yuhuo Renjia. Even acquiring Yuhuo Renjia is one thing, but I heard Yuhuo Renjia was doing quite well. Changing the name to Jiang Dol, isn¡¯t that akin to destroying his own wall?¡± Liu Yujuanmented.


    ¡°Indeed, I think he got a bit carried away after making some money from investing in futures and bargain hunting. He believes he can do anything, recklessly using his vi as coteral to buy Yuhuo Renjia. For someone like him to imitate others in investment ventures is really absurd. It probably won¡¯t take long before Jiang Dol copses and his money goes down the drain,¡± Yang Tiancheng said with a touch of schadenfreude.<div>


    Talking about this, he considered it a joke.


    ¡°Having money and not knowing how to use it, what a waste of money,¡± Liu Yujuan said with some distaste.


    If that money had been given to her, how good it would have been.


    She could have bought luxury cars, the things she wanted.


    To Liu Yujuan, it felt as though Xu Yang was spending her money.


    ¡°That¡¯s how it is with people from small towns, with no cognition or vision. Even if they get rich suddenly, they can¡¯t keep their wealth,¡± Yang Tiancheng shook his head in disdain.


    ¡°True, people like him will always just hover at the bottom and can¡¯t turn their situation around,¡± Liu Yujuan nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Yu Lu, you see, this is your ex-boyfriend. It¡¯s good that you broke up with him, otherwise your future would¡¯ve been full of hardships,¡± Yang Tiancheng turned to Zhao Yulu.


    Zhao Yulu ate her meal in silence without speaking.


    Although she thought that Xu Yang could only stay at the bottom, she didn¡¯t want to talk to Yang Tiancheng.

 Chapter 84: 84: The Wrap-up Ceremony

    Chapter 84: The Wrap-up Ceremony


    This day.<div>


    Xu Yang visited thepany and entered Xiao Dongsheng¡¯s office.


    Xu Yang asked, ¡°Old Xiao, how is the contact with Douyin going?¡±


    Previously, he had tasked Xiao Dongsheng with reaching out to Douyin to conduct a live-streaming sales pilot.


    This could be very profitable if done well, so he needed to inquire about it.


    Xiao Dongsheng said, ¡°President Xu, I was just about to report to you today. Douyin will soonunch a live-streaming sales feature, which has already been internally tested. President Li Liangping from Douyin mentioned he will visit ourpany tomorrow and hopes to meet you. If all goes well, both parties can cooperate, and our guild can be a pilot guild for live-streaming sales.¡±


    Xu Yang replied happily, ¡°That¡¯s great, I will meet with Li Liangping together with you tomorrow.¡±<div>


    Afterward, Xu Yang discussed some guild matters with Xiao Dongsheng and then left.


    He then strolled around Jiangbao, checked the situation there, and went home.


    Upon returning home, the phone rang.


    Seeing the caller ID, it was Wu Jing calling.


    ¡°Director Wu,¡± Xu Yang answered the phone.


    ¡°President Xu, our ¡®War Leopard¡¯ will wrap up the day after tomorrow, and apletion ceremony will be held at Haicheng Grand Hotel. The main creative team and investors will all attend. Do you have time to join us?¡± Wu Jing said.


    Thest few scenes were filmed in Haicheng, and thepletion ceremony was scheduled at Haicheng Grand Hotel.


    ¡°It¡¯s wrapping up so soon?¡± Xu Yang said, somewhat surprised as it didn¡¯t seem that long ago.


    ¡°Once we received your investment, we immediately put the whip to the horse and poured into the subsequent shooting. It¡¯s not too fast,¡± Wu Jing said with augh.


    ¡°The day after tomorrow, right? No problem, I¡¯ll be there,¡± Xu Yang thought for a moment. Since he had nothing else to do, he decided to attend.


    He had never attended such an event before; participating to broaden his horizons wouldn¡¯t hurt.


    ¡°Great, thepletion ceremony starts at ten o¡¯clock in the morning,¡± Wu Jing said happily.<div>


    He was hoping Xu Yang would attend, as without his 20 million investment, ¡®War Leopard¡¯ would not have been possible.


    The significance of Xu Yang as an investor went without saying.


    Moreover, other investors were also interested in meeting Xu Yang.


    After all, a person who could invest 20 million was not simple.


    All being investors, getting to know Xu Yang could only be beneficial, not detrimental.


    Networkinges this way.


    ¡°The day after tomorrow is Saturday, I¡¯ll ask my wife if she¡¯s free. I can take her with me, that¡¯s alright, isn¡¯t it?¡± Xu Yang asked.


    He hadn¡¯t taken Zhao Yuxin on an out-of-town trip yet, and this was a good opportunity to visit Haicheng and consider it a weekend getaway.


    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s fine. My wife will also be there, and they could chat,¡± Wu Jing said.


    ¡°Alright, see you then,¡± Xu Yang nodded and hung up the phone.


    Before long, Zhao Yuxin returned home from work.


    While cooking together, Xu Yang mentioned the event to Zhao Yuxin and asked, ¡°You¡¯re not on duty this Saturday, are you?¡±<div>


    Zhao Yulu replied with a smile, ¡°No, we¡¯ll go together; it will be like a little vacation.¡±


    She was also curious about such activities, and attending would be a good opportunity to gain some insight.


    ¡­


    In the blink of an eye, a night passed.


    Xu Yang and Xiao Dongsheng weed Douyin¡¯s President Li Liangping at thepany.


    Li Liangping was a very refined-looking middle-aged man who didn¡¯t seem like a business president at all but more like a university professor.


    Upon meeting, Xiao Dongsheng introduced, ¡°President Li, this is our President Xu.¡±


    ¡°President Xu, hello, I¡¯m very pleased to meet you,¡± Li Liangping extended his hand to Xu Yang proactively.


    Truth be told, Li Liangping was somewhat surprised to see Xu Yang.


    Xu Yang was much younger than he had expected.


    ¡°President Li, hello, wee to ourpany for a visit,¡± Xu Yang shook hands with Li Liangping.


    After some brief pleasantries, they proceeded inside.<div>


    Once in the conference room, Li Liangping listened to Xiao Dongsheng¡¯s detailed introduction of thepany.


    The introduction included the situation with the hosts, the operation of thepany, and thepany¡¯s philosophy, among other things.


    Following the introduction, Li Liangping nodded frequently, expressing great satisfaction.


    Next was a tour of thepany.


    Li Liangping was very satisfied with the work status of the live streamers and the logistics staff.


    The product list for the live sales was approved by Li Liangping after Xiao Dongsheng had him review it.


    In the end, they returned to the conference room.


    The two parties signed a contract, with Fengcai Guild acting as the pilot guild for live sales.


    The pilot period for live sales was set to start at 10 a.m. on New Year¡¯s Day.


    After everything was settled, Xu Yang and Xiao Dongsheng had lunch with Li Liangping before he left.


    ¡­


    Saturday.<div>


    After breakfast, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin drove to Haicheng.


    Haicheng wasn¡¯t far from Jiangcheng; it was just an hour¡¯s drive away.


    They set off at eight and arrived in Haicheng at nine.


    At nine forty-five, they reached the Haicheng Grand Hotel.


    Upon entering the hotel lobby, they saw the sign for thepletion ceremony of ¡°War Leopard¡±.


    Following the signs, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin arrived at one of the halls, hand in hand.


    Inside, they saw quite a few people.


    The only ones Xu Yang was familiar with were Wu Jing and Han Yanghui.


    Wu Jing saw Xu Yang and immediately came over with his wife to greet him.


    After the two women were briefly introduced, Wu Jing¡¯s wife, Xie Bei, who was quite skilled in interacting with others, quickly became acquainted with Zhao Yuxin.


    ¡°Mr. Xu, let¡¯s go over there. I¡¯ll introduce you to some of the other investors,¡± Wu Jing said.


    Wu Jing led Xu Yang over to meet several investors.<div>


    As for Zhao Yuxin, naturally, Xie Bei took her to the area where thedies had gathered.


    ¡°This is Mr. Xu, the biggest investor of ¡®Zhan Bao¡¯,¡± Wu Jing introduced Xu Yang to the other investors.


    Everyone assessed Xu Yang with friendly smiles.


    To them, Xu Yang being so young and having invested twenty million meant he was certainly a rich second generation.


    Building a good rtionship with a wealthy second-generation member only had advantages and no disadvantages.


    ¡°Xu, brother, I didn¡¯t expect you to be the biggest investor in ¡®War Leopard¡¯,¡± one of the middle-aged men, about fifty years old, stood up and said.


    ¡°Brother Tang, I didn¡¯t expect you to have invested in ¡®War Leopard¡¯ either,¡± Xu Yang replied with a smile.


    This middle-aged man was none other than Tang Zhengqi, the vice president of Jiangcheng¡¯s Antique Association.


    ¡°President Tang, you know Mr. Xu?¡± Wu Jing asked, surprised.


    ¡°Yes, we met a short while ago. Brother Xu is no ordinary person, with a very unique investment vision,¡± Tang Zhengqi said with a chuckle.


    After that, Wu Jing introduced the other investors to Xu Yang, one by one.


    Xu Yang was thergest investor, having contributed twenty million.


    Tang Zhengqi had invested fifteen million, making him the secondrgest investor.


    The others, including Wu Jing, had invested between five and ten million.


    After chatting for a while and getting to know each other, Xu Yang went to talk to Han Yanghui.


    At ten o¡¯clock, thepletion ceremony began.


    First, Wu Jing gave a speech, followed by the main creative team who went on stage to share their insights on filming and the original intentions behind making the movie.


    Lastly, there was group photo of the creative team and the investors.


    While thepletion ceremony was taking ce, a young man and woman entered the Haicheng Grand Hotel.


    These two were Zhao Yulu and Chen Guanglei.


    They hade here to dine.


    Today happened to be the day when raw jade stones were transported to the Haicheng Jade Trade Center.


    Chen Guanglei had brought Zhao Yulu for this reason.


    After arriving, they decided to eat here.


    Chen Guanglei said there was a signature dish at Haicheng Grand Hotel that was especially delicious.


    It wasn¡¯t far from the Jade Trade Center, just a ten-minute drive away.

 Chapter 85: 85: An Eye-Opener

    Chapter 85: An Eye-Opener


    ¡°`


    ¡°Eh? The wrap-up ceremony for ¡®Battle Leopard¡¯?¡± Chen Guanglei couldn¡¯t help but let out a light exmation upon seeing the sign.


    ¡°¡®Battle Leopard¡¯?¡± Zhao Yulu also saw the same sign and a poster attached to a stand, ¡°Could this be the ¡®Battle Leopard¡¯ that Wu Jing directed?¡±


    ¡°It must be,¡± Chen Guanglei smiled, ¡°Really don¡¯t know which idiot he conned into investing, making the movie happen. Just looking at this poster, you can tell the box office is going to tank.¡±


    He checked his watch, ¡°Yu Lu, we still have some time, why don¡¯t we go check out the site of this ¡®Battle Leopard¡¯ wrap-up party and enjoy the spectacle?¡±


    It was now half past eleven, there was still time for lunch, and being a littlete wasn¡¯t a problem.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Zhao Yulu had no objections and thought it would be interesting to have a look.


    They arrived at the entrance of the venue.


    ¡°Quite lively, they all seem happy. I wonder what their faces will look like when the movie is released and bombs at the box office,¡± Chen Guanglei said with a face full of disdain.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Suddenly, Chen Guanglei eximed.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhao Yulu frowned.<div>


    This guy was a ¡®rich second generation¡¯ but he did not have the best manners, often cursing.


    That was one of the reasons she didn¡¯t like Chen Guanglei.


    In this regard, objectively speaking, Xu Yang was infinitely better than Chen Guanglei.


    In any kind of situation, Xu Yang rarely cursed.


    If he did curse, it meant that Xu Yang had really encountered some extremely terrible situation.


    Unlike Chen Guanglei, who blurted out curses from time to time.


    ¡°The guy taking a group photo on the stage is Xu Yang!¡± Chen Guanglei said in surprise.


    ¡°It really is Xu Yang!¡± Zhao Yulu¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    Looking at Xu Yang¡¯s position, he was right in the middle, the coveted C position.


    This was a photo session for the investors.


    Without a doubt, Xu Yang was the biggest investor.


    ¡°I get it, thest investor Wu Jing found was Xu Yang.¡±


    ¡°Such an idiot, actually investing in ¡®Battle Leopard.¡¯ He¡¯ll cry when it flops at the box office.¡±


    ¡°Investing in ¡®Fishermen¡¯s Fireworks,¡¯ and now in ¡®Battle Leopard,¡¯ I really don¡¯t know where he gets the courage from.¡±


    ¡°Even my dad wouldn¡¯t dare to invest like that, yet he does it without any hesitation, it¡¯s like he¡¯s asking for it.¡±


    Chen Guanglei¡¯s face was full of mockery and Schadenfreude.


    ¡°He¡¯s the biggest investor, he must have invested a lot, but how could he have so much money?¡± Zhao Yulu was puzzled.


    Could it be that Xu Yang really made money from somewhere else?


    ¡°He must have mortgaged his vi and car for loans, otherwise, it¡¯s impossible for him to have the money,¡± Chen Guanglei spected.<div>


    ¡°Possibly,¡± Zhao Yulu nodded.


    She really couldn¡¯t imagine how else Xu Yang could have made money.


    She certainly didn¡¯t think that Xu Yang could make money through futures investment and bargain hunting.


    ¡°Yu Lu, isn¡¯t that your sister there? She must havee with Xu Yang. Do you want to go greet her?¡± Chen Guanglei then saw Zhao Yuxin.<div>


    Seeing Zhao Yuxin, he was reminded of Xu Yang enjoying thepany of sisters, which annoyed him immensely.


    How could Xu Yang, a poor guy from a small town, be so lucky when he himself wasn¡¯t?


    ¡°No, let¡¯s go,¡± Zhao Yulu didn¡¯t feel like greeting anyone, not knowing what to say.


    The rtionship between the sisters was already strained.


    Her ex-boyfriend turning into her brother-inw made their rtionship even more awkward.


    She didn¡¯t know what Zhao Yuxin thought, but she felt a bit ufortable whenever she faced her sister.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s not greet her. Let¡¯s go eat. After the meal, we¡¯ll head to the Jade Trading Center,¡± Chen Guanglei naturally had no objections.


    Zhao Yulu nodded and left with Chen Guanglei.


    ¡­


    ¡°`


    The wrap party was over, and it was time to eat.


    During the meal, Tang Zhengqi said, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, today at the Haicheng Jade Trading Center, a batch of raw jade stones has arrived. I wonder if any of you would be interested in taking a look?¡±


    He was not only a collector of antiques, but sometimes he would gamble on stones as well.<div>


    To him, it was also a form of treasure appraisal.


    ¡°Chairman Tang, I don¡¯t understand stone gambling, so I¡¯ll pass on joining you.¡±


    ¡°Chairman Tang, I tried it before and lost millions, I dare not touch it again.¡±


    ¡°Chairman Tang, in my view, gambling on stones is no better than taking a punt in Aocheng.¡±


    Everyone seemed uninterested.


    Tang Zhengqi, feeling helpless, turned to Xu Yang and said, ¡°Young Xu, you should know about stone gambling, right? How about we go take a look after we finish eating?¡±


    Xu Yang had wanted to refuse, but then he suddenly thought of his Appraisal Master Skill, which was effective in appraising antiques. He wondered if it would have an effect on gambling stones.


    If it did work, it wouldn¡¯t be a bad way to make a quick and substantial profit.


    Thinking this, Xu Yang nodded and said, ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll apany brother Tang for a look.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Tang Zhengqi eximed happily. ¡°With your ability, finding a few raw stones with jade should be no trouble at all.¡±


    Xu Yang gave a wry smile and said, ¡°Brother Tang, to tell you the truth, I¡¯ve never gambled on stones. I¡¯m just going along to broaden my horizons.¡±


    Tang Zhengqi replied, ¡°Young Xu, you¡¯re too modest. Even if you¡¯ve never done it before, I still believe in you.¡±


    All Xu Yang could say was, ¡°Then I¡¯ll take brother Tang¡¯s kind words to heart.¡±<div>


    After the meal, Xu Yang said goodbye to the others. The others went their separate ways and did their own things.


    Xu Yang then, apanied by Zhao Yuxin and Tang Zhengqi, headed to the Jade Trading Center.


    Seeing that Xu Yang was driving a Rolls-Royce Cullinan, Tang Zhengqi expressed his surprise, ¡°Young Xu, I had no idea you drove a Rolls-Royce Cullinan. You really keep a low profile.¡±


    Xu Yangughed and said, ¡°Brother Tang, after earning a bit of money, I didn¡¯t want to shortchange myself. Unlike you, I spend my money on consumer goods, while you invest yours.¡±


    They each got into their cars and set off for the Jade Trading Center.


    In the car, Zhao Yuxin asked, ¡°Honey, do you know how to gamble on stones?¡±


    Xu Yang shook his head, ¡°No.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin asked in confusion, ¡°Then why did you agree to go gamble on stones with Chairman Tang?¡±


    In her opinion, stone gambling was much like gambling.


    Honestly, she didn¡¯t approve of Xu Yang going.


    But since Xu Yang had agreed, she naturally wouldn¡¯t insist on him not going in front of others.


    That would reflect poorly on Xu Yang, making it seem as if he were under the thumb of a strict wife, which would be embarrassing for him.


    Xu Yang replied, ¡°Wife, like I said, I¡¯m just going to take a look and learn something new.¡±<div>


    Zhao Yuxin said reluctantly, ¡°Alright then.¡±


    Ten minutester, they arrived at the Haicheng Jade Trading Center.


    Since Xu Yang had never been there before, he asked Tang Zhengqi for advice, ¡°Brother Tang, can you tell me how this stone gambling works?¡±


    Tang Zhengqi asked, ¡°Young Xu, have you really never done this before?¡±


    At the dinner table earlier, he had thought Xu Yang was just being polite.


    But now, seeing that Xu Yang was still asking, it seemed he really hadn¡¯t.


    Xu Yang replied helplessly, ¡°Brother Tang, I honestly haven¡¯t.¡±


    Tang Zhengqi¡¯s expression turned serious, and he nodded, ¡°Alright, let me exin¡­¡±


    He briefly exined the situation, including how to choose raw stones, some bargaining tactics for purchasing them, and what to pay attention to when cutting them open.


    Listened intently, Xu Yang was amazed, nodding continuously.


    Even Zhao Yuxin listened with great interest.


    She had never been to such a ce before, and this was quite the eye-opening experience for her.

 Chapter 86: 86 Duel

    Chapter 86: Duel


    Tang Zhengqi said, ¡°Xu, I didn¡¯t expect you¡¯ve never yed before. In that case, even if you do y, it¡¯s best to just spend a little money for the experience, and not to spend a lot on expensive rough stones.¡±


    This was a reminder to Xu Yang, looking out for his interests.


    Tang Zhengqi was a pretty good person.


    He certainly didn¡¯t want to bring Xu Yang here and have him lose a lot of money.


    Xu Yang nodded, ¡°I know, I¡¯m just ying around, just to experience it.¡±


    Tang Zhengqi said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you to pick out some rough stones.¡±


    He led Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin to a rtivelyrge shop.


    At the entrance of the shop, there were many rough stones disyed.


    ¡°Xu, if you see anything you like and think it¡¯s appropriate, buy it; if not, don¡¯t. Anyway, most of the shops on this street are the same. I¡¯ll start picking now, just do as you please.¡±


    Tang Zhengqi was really enthusiastic about gambling on stones, and since he was here, he wanted to pick out several good stones.


    Having said that, he started choosing for himself.<div>


    Xu Yang used his Appraisal Master Skill and actually managed to make out some clues.


    It seemed that not all rough stones were the same.


    Uncertain of which kinds contained jade, he took Zhao Yuxin to the stone-cutting area to take a look.


    What the rough stones that had yielded jade looked like.


    What those that hadn¡¯t produced jade looked like.


    What the rough stones that had yielded different grades of jade looked like.


    After observing for a while, Xu Yang had a better idea in his mind.


    ¡°Wife, let¡¯s go pick out a few rough stones.¡±


    Xu Yang took Zhao Yuxin¡¯s hand and turned to select rough stones.


    But just as they turned around, they saw two people.


    Zhao Yulu and Chen Guanglei.


    ¡°Yu Xin, what are you doing here?¡± Zhao Yulu was a bit surprised.


    She had seen Zhao Yuxin and Xu Yang at the ¡°Panther¡± wrap party, but hadn¡¯t expected them toe here.


    ¡°My husband and I came to look around,¡± Zhao Yuxin said.


    ¡°Xu Yang, I didn¡¯t expect you to daree here, really oblivious to how high the sky is and how deep the earth is,¡± Chen Guanglei sneered disdainfully.


    ¡°Meing here means I¡¯m oblivious to how high the sky is and how deep the earth is? Then what does youing here count for?¡± Xu Yang frowned.


    The other¡¯s smile irked him a lot.


    He hadn¡¯t provoked the other person, yet it felt like they were harboring significant hostility towards him.


    It was quite baffling.<div>


    Little did he know, having won the hearts of the two sisters, he had driven Chen Guanglei to insane jealousy. Seeing Xu Yang simplytled Chen Guanglei, who naturally wouldn¡¯t show Xu Yang any kindness.


    ¡°What makes you, a hick from a small county, think you have the right topare with me?¡± Chen Guanglei mocked with a coldugh.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is,¡± Xu Yang nodded, ¡°If you say I have no right, then I have no right. I don¡¯t care.¡±


    If it had been before, he might have felt inferior.<div>


    But now things were different. He had the system and was quite at ease with people who looked down on him.


    He also didn¡¯t feel the need to prove anything to the other party; it seemed unnecessary.


    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re quite self-aware. But I still have to say, do you know that the recent things you¡¯ve done are like a total idiot?¡± Chen Guanglei said.


    ¡°What recent actions of mine have made you think so little of me?¡± Xu Yang frowned, puzzled.


    ¡°You acquired Yu Huo Home and changed its name to River Bottom Fishing, and you invested in Wu Jing¡¯s ¡®Panther.¡¯ Just these two things, tell me, are you not an idiot?¡± Chen Guanglei sneered.


    ¡°Seems you¡¯re quite interested in me, knowing even these two things I¡¯ve done,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°What makes you think a bumpkin like you from a small county town is worthy of my attention? Your acquisition of Yu Huo Home and the name change to River Bottom Fishing have be a joke in the restaurant business. Everyone¡¯s calling you an idiot, I can¡¯t even avoid hearing it if I wanted to. And about your investment in ¡®Panther,¡¯ I just happened to see it while having lunch with Zhao Yulu at the Haicheng Grand Hotel at noon,¡± Chen Guanglei said.


    Chen Guanglei was utterly rude in his speech, calling people ¡°country bumpkins¡± and ¡°idiots¡± left and right, which was extremely grating to the ears.


    ¡°Sis, this is your friend? So uncultured? To associate with someone like this, you must be blind!¡±


    Xu Yang remained calm and indifferent, thinking it didn¡¯t matter, for Chen Guanglei¡¯sck of manners didn¡¯t reflect badly on him but on Chen Guanglei himself.


    But Zhao Yuxin really couldn¡¯t stand it anymore.


    People around them started pointing fingers at Chen Guanglei, whispering amongst themselves.


    ¡°Calling someone from a county town a country bumpkin, he must be from a big city.¡±<div>


    ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case, his speech is crude and hecks manners.¡±


    ¡°Just because he¡¯s dressed well doesn¡¯t mean anything; his actions and behavior are quite obnoxious.¡±


    ¡°He probably thinks he can trample others underfoot and is smug about it, not realizing that in people¡¯s eyes, he¡¯s the real ¡®idiot¡¯.¡±


    ¡°I actually think that the young man across from him has quite good manners, dealing with such a person calmly and unaffectedly. This level ofposure isn¡¯tmon among the youth.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, the two are as different as night and day.¡±


    Suffice to say, Zhao Yuxin¡¯s words had turned the tide in favor of Xu Yang.


    Chen Guanglei¡¯s face turned sour when he heard the surrounding murmurs.


    And he was stuck since he couldn¡¯t lose his temper, especially not at Zhao Yuxin, as that would only stir up more gossip.


    Zhao Yulu also felt that Chen Guanglei was being incredibly impolite.


    The whispers from the crowd made her feel extremely ufortable standing by Chen Guanglei¡¯s side.


    All she could do was say, ¡°Guang Lei, you should speak less of such things.¡±


    With a sour expression, Chen Guanglei snorted coldly and turned to leave, with Zhao Yulu following behind.


    ¡°Wife, you¡¯re really amazing,¡± Xu Yang praised.<div>


    ¡°Hmph, you should see whose wife I am,¡± Zhao Yuxin snorted proudly, tilting her head up.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Xu Yang said with a chuckle.


    He didn¡¯t mind and didn¡¯t argue, but he was still very pleased that Zhao Yuxin¡¯s remark had swept away Chen Guanglei¡¯s dignity.


    Especially because Zhao Yuxin did it to stand up for him, which made him feel very gratified.


    The couple arrived in front of a shop, ready to select stones.


    At that moment, Zhao Yulu and Chen Guanglei approached again.


    Chen Guanglei¡¯splexion had returned to normal.


    ¡°Xu Yang, you¡¯re here to buy raw stones, aren¡¯t you?¡± Chen Guanglei asked.


    ¡°What about it?¡± Xu Yang countered.


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯re clever for buying up Yu Huoren¡¯s home and investing in Wu Jing¡¯s ¡®Battle Leopard¡¯?¡± Chen Guanglei probed further.


    ¡°What exactly are you trying to say?¡± Xu Yang frowned, visibly annoyed.


    ¡°I¡¯m saying, if you think you¡¯re so smart, how about we make a bet?¡± Chen Guanglei suggested.


    ¡°Bet on what?¡± Xu Yang asked.<div>


    ¡°On stone gambling. We each select a raw stone; whoever¡¯s jade turns out to be more valuable in the end wins,¡± Chen Guanglei exined.


    ¡°Why should I bet with you?¡± Xu Yang asked.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Chen Guanglei was at a loss for words, as he hadn¡¯t considered this point.


    Indeed, why would Xu Yang want to bet with him?


    After thinking it over, Chen Guanglei could only say, ¡°If you bet with me and I lose, I¡¯ll give you five million. If you lose, you only have to give me five hundred thousand. How about that?¡±


    It was all he could think of, to lure Xu Yang with money.


    Xu Yang was just a country bumpkin from a small county town; surely he¡¯d agree to exchange fifty thousand for five million.


    Even if Xu Yang hade into a bit of money recently, five million was no small amount.


    Moreover, Xu Yang must have invested all of his money by now and probably didn¡¯t have much left.

 Chapter 87: 87: Not Broke, Are You?

    Chapter 87: Not Broke, Are You?


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Xu Yang raised an eyebrow.


    With five million to earn, it was still worth going for.


    He had basically figured out how to select raw stones by now, which ones contained jade.


    If it was a bet, he was sure to win the five million.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m sure, just giving you this dumbass bumpkin a chance to make money.¡± Chen Guanglei was stillcking manners.


    ¡°Your words are still so tasteless. You really can¡¯t teach an old dog new tricks. If you keep talking like this, stop speaking to my husband,¡± Zhao Yuxin was really getting angry, and she turned to Zhao Yulu and said, ¡°Sis, what kind of people are your friends? Hanging out with such people, don¡¯t you feel ashamed? I feel embarrassed for you. It doesn¡¯t matter if you lose face, but please don¡¯t bring such people around in front of me and my husband!¡±


    Zhao Yulu nced at Chen Guanglei with some dissatisfaction and said, ¡°Chen Guanglei, you may not care about your own dignity, but I need to care about mine.¡±


    Chen Guanglei¡¯s face turned ugly, but he had no way to retort, only able to nod and say, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll speak politely.¡±


    He then looked at Xu Yang, ¡°How about it, dare to bet?¡±


    Xu Yang nodded, ¡°If you¡¯re willing to give away money, I see no reason not to take it.¡±


    ¡°You,ing from a small county, are just a hick¡­¡± He stopped mid-sentence as he felt two hostile res upon him and promptly changed his tune, ¡°If you¡¯ve got the skills, I¡¯ve got nothing to say, I¡¯m just worried you might not win.¡±<div>


    Xu Yang nodded, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get a third-party agency to draw up a contract and give them the money.¡±


    In the jade trading center, such bets happen almost every day, and there is a third-party agency for these services.


    This was what Tang Zhengqi had just told Xu Yang.


    Chen Guanglei was taken aback, then immediately said, ¡°Is a third-party really necessary? We can just bet directly, and whoever loses will pay the money. Why bother with all this trouble?¡±


    Xu Yang nced at Chen Guanglei, ¡°Without a third-party, what if you lose and don¡¯t pay up? What do I do then?¡±


    Chen Guanglei retorted, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I pay? I understand the principle of honoring a bet.¡±


    Xu Yang replied, ¡°Sorry, you might understand the principle, but I don¡¯t trust you. There are plenty of people who know the rules but still welsh on bets.¡±


    He looked Chen Guanglei deep in the eyes, ¡°Speaking of which, you don¡¯t even have five million, do you?¡±


    Chen Guanglei¡¯s face paled slightly as he scoffed, ¡°You think I¡¯m like you folks from a small county who don¡¯t even have five million? Forget five million, even if it was ten million, I¡¯d have it.¡±


    In truth, he didn¡¯t have five million; there was only one million in his bank ount.


    When he bet with Xu Yang, he never considered the possibility of losing and hadn¡¯t thought about involving a third party.


    He just hadn¡¯t expected Xu Yang to be aware of this too.


    Xu Yang said, ¡°As long as you¡¯ve got the money, then that settles it. Why say more?¡±


    Chen Guanglei stiffened his neck, ¡°I just didn¡¯t want to go through all this hassle, but since you insist, let¡¯s do it.¡±


    He said this, but inside he was silentlyining.


    The words were already out, and since he was the one who initiated the bet, backing out wasn¡¯t an option anymore.


    It looked like he¡¯d have to figure something out.


    The ce where they were wasn¡¯t far from the third-party agency, just a two-minute walk away.


    As soon as they walked in, Chen Guanglei clutched his stomach and groaned in pain, ¡°My stomach hurts a bit, I need to use the bathroom real quick. I¡¯ll be right back, just wait here.¡±<div>


    Without waiting for Xu Yang and the others to say anything, he dashed off to the restroom.


    Xu Yang and the others were speechless.


    Zhao Yuxin couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°This guy doesn¡¯t reallyck the money and is looking for an excuse to back out of the bet, does he?¡±


    Xu Yang nodded, ¡°It¡¯s quite possible. The way he looked earlier, it seems like he genuinely doesn¡¯t have five million.¡±<div>


    Zhao Yulu¡¯s expression turned unpleasant, as she knew Chen Guanglei¡¯s financial situation ¨C he had told her he only brought one million to Haicheng.


    However, Chen Guanglei had said that with one million, he could at least make five million.


    But they had just arrived, and Chen Guanglei hadn¡¯t even bought a raw stone to make any earnings before running into Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin, and then he bet with Xu Yang.


    Based on what she knew about Chen Guanglei, he wasn¡¯t the type to run away, especially since he was someone who cared a lot about face.


    She guessed that he must have gone to the bathroom to make a phone call for money.


    Indeed, as soon as Chen Guanglei entered the restroom, he dialed his father, Chen Ankang.


    The phone was answered quickly.


    Chen Guanglei immediately said, ¡°Dad, I need money right now, send me five million first.¡±


    It was a substantial amount; he could only ask his father for it.


    His friends certainly wouldn¡¯t lend him that much money.


    In any case, he had to get the money, otherwise he wouldpletely lose face.


    ¡°What do you need so much money for? Didn¡¯t I just give you a million the day before yesterday?¡± Chen Ankang¡¯s expression was somewhat unpleasant.


    ¡°Dad, I came to Haicheng Jade Trading Center today, and there¡¯s a batch of raw jade stones here. I came to check them out and there¡¯s a high chance that one of the stones could be top-quality Imperial Green Jade. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s a bit pricey at five million. I really have my eye on this stone, and I want to buy it. It¡¯s an opportunity that could potentially make tens or even hundreds of millions,¡± Chen Guanglei exined.<div>


    This was the excuse Chen Guanglei had thought up on his way to the third-party agency.


    Such an excuse couldn¡¯t be more legitimate.


    ¡°Really?¡± Chen Ankang perked up, ¡°The raw stone you¡¯re interested in, it could really yield jade worth tens or even hundreds of millions?¡±


    Chen Ankang did have some confidence in his son¡¯s ability to assess jade stones.


    It had to be said, the son wasn¡¯t all thatpetent in managing thepany.


    But when it came to gambling on stones, he was quite good.


    He had been to the Haicheng Jade Trading Center with his son, and most of the raw stones his son selected turned out to yield jade.


    In front of him, his son spoke confidently and knowledgeably about stone gambling.


    If there was a stone that could yield jade worth tens or even hundreds of millions, of course he would support it.


    Even though his worth was several billion, tens or even hundreds of millions were not small sums.


    ¡°Dad, you know my ability to gamble on stones. There¡¯s definitely a very good chance that I can get the Imperial Green,¡± Chen Guanglei said confidently.


    He had just said there was a high chance and now he was emphasizing it again toy the groundwork for exiningter to his father.


    Making tens or even hundreds of millions was impossible.<div>


    He just wanted to have a gambling match with Xu Yang and at most, make fifty thousand.


    Even if he bought more raw stones and earned a bit moreter, it wouldn¡¯t be tens of millions.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll transfer the money to you right away,¡± Chen Ankang agreed immediately upon hearing his son¡¯s confidence.


    On this end,


    Chen Guanglei hung up the phone and breathed a sigh of relief.


    Fortunately, his dad knew about his stone gambling skills; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to ask for this money.


    Borrowing from friends was definitely not an option for such an amount.


    Now that his father was supportive, everything was fine.


    He had already thought about it, when the time came he would return the five million saying the jade that came out wasn¡¯t Imperial Green but another type that only broke even.


    As for losing to Xu Yang, that hadn¡¯t even crossed his mind.


    How could Xu Yang, a country bumpkin from a small county town new to jade gambling,pare with him, a rich second-generation?


    This gambling match wasn¡¯t about making money, but about stepping on Xu Yang hard.


    Soon enough, he received a message from his dad saying that five million had been transferred to his ount.<div>


    Chen Guanglei opened his mobile banking app, saw the amount had indeed been credited, and couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    ¡°Xu Yang, you damn county-town bumpkin, you enjoyed thepany of a pair of sisters, something even I, a rich second-generation, haven¡¯t achieved. I need to step on you hard to feel good!¡±

 Chapter 88: 88: Triumphant and Arrogant

    Chapter 88: Triumphant and Arrogant


    The two parties signed the gambling agreement.


    The contents of the agreement were threefold: first, the bet was five million.


    Second, the funds used to purchase the raw jade stones could not exceed one million.


    This was proposed by Chen Guanglei, as he only had one million left.


    Third, the jade from the losing party would belong to the winner.


    ¡°Kid, thanks for the five million.¡±


    Chen Guanglei sneered with a smirk, leaving with Zhao Yulu to pick out the raw stones.


    ¡°Husband, can you really tell which raw stones contain jade?¡± Zhao Yuxin was a bit worried.


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be a problem; you¡¯ll see in a moment.¡± Xu Yang was not worried at all.


    With the system in hand, the world is mine!


    They wandered for more than half an hour, having looked at the raw stones in almost every shop.<div>


    Xu Yang needed only a nce to know whether or not there was jade inside a stone, and what kind of jade it was.


    He spent nine hundred and seventy thousand and selected three pieces of raw stone to be moved to the stone cutting area.


    Chen Guanglei was nowhere to be seen yet.


    After waiting for more than ten minutes, Chen Guanglei and Zhao Yulu finally arrived.


    ¡°Kid, you¡¯ve made your selection so quickly? You mustn¡¯t know anything and just picked at random,¡± Chen Guanglei said tauntingly with augh.


    ¡°If you say so,¡± Xu Yang said, toozy to argue with Chen Guanglei.


    It¡¯s not like he could say he could see jade inside the raw stones.


    Besides, even if he said that, Chen Guanglei certainly wouldn¡¯t believe him.


    The more likely possibility was that Chen Guanglei would only ridicule him.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, you¡¯re bound to lose. Losing five million, doesn¡¯t that make your heart ache?¡± Chen Guanglei sneered again, his smile full of mockery.


    ¡°No problem, it¡¯s just five million. If I lose, I lose,¡± Xu Yang said, acting as if five million meant nothing to him.


    ¡°You are actually pretending in front of me, kid. No matter how calm you appear, you can¡¯t hide the truth that your heart aches. I can already see the pain in your eyes, so stop pretending,¡± Chen Guanglei scoffed.


    ¡°It looks as though you think you¡¯ve already won, but it¡¯s not yet certain who will lose and who will win. You better not celebrate too early.¡±


    Xu Yang was speechless, thinking to himself which eye of yours saw me in pain?


    ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s not certain? I will definitely win. You,ing from a small county, think you can beat me? That¡¯s just a dream!¡± Chen Guanglei snorted.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s wait and see,¡± Xu Yang said calmly.


    Both of them took out their invoices to verify that the money spent on the raw stones didn¡¯t exceed one million.


    Neither had exceeded the limit, Xu Yang spent nine hundred thousand, and Chen Guanglei spent nine hundred and eighty thousand.


    Both had chosen three pieces of raw stone.<div>


    Next up was to queue for the stone cutting, which they soon did.


    ¡°Would you like to go first or shall I?¡± Xu Yang asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡± Chen Guanglei wanted to reveal his jade first so he could continually taunt Xu Yang.


    ¡°Okay, then you go ahead.¡± Xu Yang had no objections.<div>


    To him, it made no difference who went first.


    Chen Guanglei instructed the master cutter to cut the stone.


    The first stone was cut and revealed jade, eliciting gasps of astonishment from the onlookers.


    ¡°There¡¯s green, there¡¯s green, the young man is in luck.¡±


    ¡°It might not be luck; he might genuinely have the skill.¡±


    ¡°True, quite a few young people have a good eye for these things.¡±


    ¡°This jade, it could be worth a million, right?¡±


    ¡°A million is just the starting point, if peoplepete, the price is bound to go up.¡±


    ¡°Young man, I¡¯ll take this piece of jade, I bid one million two hundred thousand.¡±


    ¡°Old Guo, you¡¯re too good at snagging deals, I bid one million three hundred thousand.¡±


    ¡°Stop fighting over it, I bid one million five hundred thousand.¡±


    The crowd was discussing, and employees from jewelrypanies started bidding on the spot.


    ¡°Everyone, I¡¯ve selected three raw stones, and right now we¡¯ve only unveiled the first one. Let¡¯s wait until the other two are opened, and then we can make a unified bid on all of them,¡± Chen Guanglei said happily.<div>


    One raw stone had fetched one million five hundred thousand.


    If the other two could also be worth about this much, he would be satisfied.


    That would be four million five hundred thousand for the three stones.


    Add the five million won from Xu Yang, and it¡¯s almost ten million.


    Coming to Haicheng and earning ten million, it felt incredibly awesome.


    What was more important was trampling Xu Yang underfoot.


    ¡°Xu Yang, how about that, you see? This is my ability. You still want to beat me? Dream on,¡± Chen Guanglei said with a mockingugh.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a piece of jade worth one million five hundred thousand, it¡¯s not that big a deal,¡± Xu Yang said indifferently.


    ¡°You¡¯re pretending to be calm, fine, let¡¯s move on to the second one. You¡¯ll soon realize how naive and ridiculous it is for you to act allposed in front of me,¡± sneered Chen Guanglei.


    As the two were speaking, the second raw stone was unveiled.


    This one revealed an evenrger piece of jade, and based on estimates from onlookers, it was worth around two million.


    ¡°See that? Another piece of jade worth two million, each one more valuable than thest. No offense, but even if you had a whole lifetime, you couldn¡¯t do this. A small-town guy like you trying to gamble on stones with me is simply throwing your money away!¡± Chen Guanglei mocked again.


    ¡°Getting so proud over two pieces of jade? I haven¡¯t even unveiled mine yet,¡± Xu Yang¡¯s demeanor remained calm.<div>


    He had the Appraisal Master Skill. If he couldn¡¯t even beat Chen Guanglei, that would be unjust.


    ¡°Haha, just wait till we unveil your raw stone. There¡¯s definitely nothing in it, just a pile of rocks,¡±ughed Chen Guanglei heartily.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see,¡± Xu Yang stated.


    Soon, the third raw stone was unveiled.


    This one was even more expensive, reaching three million.


    In total, that made it six million five hundred thousand.


    ¡°Kid, see that? That¡¯s my power. In front of absolute strength, you¡¯re nothing. I¡¯ll dly take your five million. Thanks a bunch, hahaha!¡±


    Chen Guanglei let out a triumphant and wildugh, even more smug than before.


    Despite people pointing fingers at him, nobody was foolish enough to stop him.


    ¡°Unveiling three pieces of jade worth six million five hundred thousand is indeed not easy.¡±


    ¡°The young man has real talent. As I said before, these three pieces of jade are worth six million five hundred thousand, sell them to me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll offer seven million, sell the jade to me.¡±


    ¡°Fuck, Old Zhou, you can¡¯t just snatch things like that.¡±<div>


    ¡°Buying jade here has always been about the highest bidder winning. What right do you have to criticize me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, everyonepetes fairly. The highest offer wins the bid.¡±


    Immediately, everyone began arguing over the three pieces of jade.


    It was close toing to blows.


    If they hadn¡¯t known that fighting was pointless, they would have definitely started throwing punches.


    In the end, Chen Guanglei sold the three pieces of jade to a jewelrypany employee who bid eight million.


    ¡°Xu Yang, see that? Eight million in hand, just like that. This is my capability. Do you,ing from a small county, have this in you?¡± Chen Guanglei said with disdain.


    ¡°Whether I have it in me or not will only be clear after the raw stones I chose are opened,¡± Xu Yang responded.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to open them. I already know there will be no jade in the raw stones you chose. I¡¯m a generous person. For the sake of your acquaintance with Yu Lu, if you admit defeat now and apologize to me, I¡¯ll only take four million from you. How about that?¡± Chen Guanglei said with a smile.


    ¡°You¡¯ve decided there¡¯s no jade inside the raw stone I chose, even before it¡¯s opened?¡± Xu Yang asked.

 Chapter 89: 89: Sorry, You Lost

    Chapter 89: Sorry, You Lost


    ¡°¡±Nonsense, you¡¯re just a guy from a small county town, you¡¯ve never even been exposed to gambling on stones, so how could you understand it? The moment you agreed to gamble with me, you were destined to lose,¡± Chen Guanglei said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t celebrate too early, or it will be embarrassing when you get pped in the faceter,¡± Xu Yang said indifferently.


    ¡°Still stubborn at the brink of death, then go ahead and unwrap your raw stone. I want to see you go from hope to despair,¡± Chen Guanglei scoffed.


    Xu Yang signaled the stone cutter to start cutting.


    As soon as the first stone was unwrapped, exims of surprise sounded.


    ¡°Holy shit, that¡¯s Emperor Green!¡±


    ¡°The piece isn¡¯trge, but it¡¯s worth at least a million!¡±


    ¡°A million? Are you dreaming? It¡¯s at least one million five hundred thousand!¡±


    ¡°I bid one million eight hundred thousand!¡±


    ¡°Stoppeting with me, I bid two million!¡±


    Immediately, people started bidding, and it reached two million.<div>


    Xu Yang looked at Chen Guanglei, ¡°So, do you still think I¡¯m going to lose?¡±


    Chen Guang Lei¡¯s face looked somewhat unsightly as he snorted, ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of dumb luck you have to have bought such a stone with Emperor Green in it. I don¡¯t believe your luck can be that good. If the next two stones don¡¯t reveal any jadeite, you¡¯re still going to lose!¡±


    Xu Yang smiled faintly, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s continue watching then.¡±


    The stone cutter continued to work.


    Soon, exmations were heard again.


    ¡°Holy shit! Another Emperor Green!¡±


    ¡°This guy¡¯s luck is too good!¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not about luck, but skill.¡±


    ¡°This piece of Emperor Green is slightly bigger than thest one. How much is it worth?¡±


    ¡°Two million five hundred thousand!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just two million five hundred thousand, at least three million.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the price, about right; any higher and there won¡¯t be much profit left to make on resale.¡±


    The crowd discussed and settled on a price.


    Xu Yang once again looked at Chen Guanglei, ¡°How do you feel now?¡±


    This guy had been showing off in front of him every time a piece of jadeite was revealed,plete with mockery and scorn.


    Now that his own stone had produced a gem, he naturally wouldn¡¯t let the other party off so easily.


    Chen Guanglei¡¯s face grew even uglier, but he still snorted, ¡°It¡¯s just two pieces of jadeite, worth a total of five million, still less than mine. I don¡¯t believe you can still have such good luck that thest piece will have jadeite too.¡±


    As he spoke, he began tough, continuing, ¡°Thest one is a dud, and your five million will be mine. I should thank you. Plus the five million you lose to me, I¡¯ll have earned ten million from you, hahaha!¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°It seems you¡¯re still clinging to fantasies. Ever since I got my marriage certificate with my wife, I¡¯ve been very lucky. Watch carefully what¡¯sing next.¡±<div>


    Zhao Yuxin was beside him, feeling quite delighted upon hearing Xu Yang¡¯s words.


    What Xu Yang meant was that she brought him good luck.


    Chen Guanglei snorted, ¡°Let¡¯s see then. Your dumb luck is used up; get ready to hand over the money to me.¡±


    Quickly, the third stone was cut open.<div>


    A series of exmations erupted.


    ¡°Holy shit, yet another Emperor Green, three times in a row, that¡¯s incredible.¡±


    ¡°This kind of luck is truly unmatched.¡±


    ¡°Who says the guy is just lucky? Maybe it¡¯s not luck but real skill.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, once or twice might be luck, but a third time can¡¯t just be exined by luck.¡±


    ¡°Never thought this young man would be so impressive, making us old-timers look bad.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve all been in this industry for at least a decade, and we still can¡¯t judge urately.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, how much is this huge piece of Imperial Green worth?¡±


    ¡°Eight million!¡±


    ¡°Eight million? Old Wu, I¡¯m surprised you can say that with a straight face. For Imperial Green like this, just eight million? I¡¯ll take as many as you have for that price.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you think it¡¯s worth?¡±


    ¡°At least ten million, I¡¯ll offer ten million!¡±


    ¡°Old Feng, you¡¯re not being fair either. I bid eleven million!¡±<div>


    ¡°You guys, each one of you wants to take advantage of this young man. If he could select such a jade-bearing raw stone, do you really think he can¡¯t see its true value? Young man, I¡¯ll be straightforward. I¡¯ll offer thirteen million for your jade, and that should be the highest bid. If you¡¯re interested, sell it to me.¡±


    The crowd buzzed with discussion. The person who offered thirteen million was a square-faced middle-aged man.


    Xu Yang pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°Including the previous two pieces, the total is twenty million. Take it if you want, forget it if you don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°No problem!¡± The square-faced middle-aged man immediately agreed.


    Originally, that was what he had in mind, buying the other two pieces and adding a bit more money was fine for him.


    The price Xu Yang quoted didn¡¯te as a surprise to him.


    These pieces of Imperial Green jade could attract a lot of high-end clients.


    Soon, the square-faced middle-aged man transferred twenty million to Xu Yang and left with the three pieces of jade.


    Xu Yang turned to Chen Guanglei, ¡°Sorry, you¡¯ve lost!¡±


    Chen Guanglei¡¯s face looked as grim as if his parents had died, and he said through gritted teeth, ¡°I can¡¯t believe your damned luck, you actually found three pieces of Imperial Green!¡±


    He was extremely upset, very upset indeed.


    He had hoped to trample on Xu Yang through the bet and win some money.


    But he had not expected this oue.<div>


    To say that Xu Yang selected the stones based on skill, he wouldn¡¯t believe it even if he were beaten to death.


    The only exnation was that Xu Yang had insanely good luck, securing three raw stones with Imperial Green.


    Xu Yang said indifferently, ¡°I just have that kind of good luck. There¡¯s nothing you can do about it. Even if you buzz around me like a fly, you can¡¯t affect my good fortune.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Chen Guanglei¡¯s face turned livid with anger, and he took a deep breath, ¡°Fine, you just wait, this isn¡¯t over between us.¡±


    With that, he turned to leave.


    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Xu Yang quickly called out to him.


    ¡°What else do you want?¡± Chen Guanglei asked.


    ¡°Young Master Chen, have you forgotten something?¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°Forgotten what?¡± Chen Guanglei looked confused.


    ¡°It seems you have forgotten. Let me remind you, our agreement had three terms, and the third term states that the jade opened by the losing party bes the property of the winner. You¡¯ve just sold three pieces for eight million, please transfer the money to me,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°I really did forget.¡± Chen Guanglei¡¯s face turned ugly, realizing there was no room to wiggle out of it.


    Of course, he hadn¡¯t forgotten. When he tried to leave, he had hoped Xu Yang would fail to remember this detail.


    Once he was gone, Xu Yang wouldn¡¯t have been able to demand the money from him.<div>


    Unfortunately for him, Xu Yang didn¡¯t forget and announced it publicly.


    ¡°Now that you remember, let¡¯s settle the payment.¡± Xu Yang took out his phone and gave Chen Guanglei a bank ount number.


    With no other choice, Chen Guanglei transferred eight million to Xu Yang.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to go through the third party anymore. They must already know the result of our bet, and I¡¯ll just go collect your five million. Thanks,¡± Xu Yang said with a grin.


    ¡°Hmph, it¡¯s just thirteen million, I can afford to lose it. Just you wait, I will make it back from you one day!¡±


    Chen Guanglei¡¯s face looked sour as he snorted coldly and turned to leave.


    Zhao Yulu nced at Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin and then followed Chen Guanglei¡¯s footsteps, leaving as well.

 Chapter 90: 90: Made a Small Goal

    Chapter 90: Made a Small Goal


    Back in the car, Chen Guanglei¡¯s face still looked terrible.


    He hade to the Jade Trading Center aiming to make a big profit.


    But he hadn¡¯t expected not only to fail to earn any money but to incur a huge loss instead.


    The one million he¡¯d brought was all spent, buying three pieces of raw jadeite.


    The jadeite that was cut from them was worth eight million, which he lost to Xu Yang.


    There was also the five million his father had given him that he lost.


    That amounted to a loss of fourteen million.


    The most crucial point was that he had done this to himself.


    If he hadn¡¯t provoked Xu Yang, wanting to put him down and insisting on gambling with him, none of this would have happened.


    This gambling match was like Xu Yang pping him with countless ps, making his cheeks sting with hot pain.


    After a brief silence, Chen Guanglei forced a smile and said to Zhao Yulu, ¡°Yu Lu, I didn¡¯t expect Xu Yang to be so lucky, actually managing to pick three raw stones with imperial green in them. Otherwise, I could have given you four hundred thousand out of the eight million I¡¯d won.¡±<div>


    That¡¯s what he had promised Zhao Yulu when he asked her toe.


    He¡¯d agreed to split any profits with Zhao Yulu, but now, of course, there was no money to give her.


    Moreover, he had to exin to his father why he hadn¡¯t made any money.


    Of course, these were minor issues.


    In any case, he just needed to say he misjudged and that was fine.


    Five million, for his father¡ªa billionaire¡ªit was nothing at all.


    ¡°Is it really just good luck?¡± Zhao Yulu voiced her doubt.


    In the past, she had never heard Xu Yang talk about gambling on stones.


    And Xu Yang¡¯s family, too, did not have ess to stone gambling.


    That was something wealthy people indulged in.


    So, she believed Xu Yang wouldn¡¯t know about it.


    Yet today, she started to doubt her own opinion.


    Buying one or two pieces of raw jadeite by luck was usible.


    But getting three pieces, all containing imperial green and attributing it to luck, was somewhat far-fetched.


    She still couldn¡¯t figure out how Xu Yang could know about stone gambling.


    ¡°It must be good luck,¡± Chen Guanglei said gravely, ¡°Hees from a small county town; he never had the chance to encounter stone gambling. How could he possibly be so urate.¡±


    Zhao Yulu didn¡¯t respond, unsure of what to say.


    Her mood had hit rock bottom.


    If Chen Guanglei hadn¡¯t gambled with Xu Yang, she could have received a share of the profit.<div>


    Unfortunately, Chen Guanglei had lost all the money.


    It seemed Chen Guanglei had figured out what Zhao Yulu was thinking and said, ¡°Yu Lu, I¡¯m sorry, I brought you here to make money, but I¡¯ve lost all my money. That five hundred thousand was also asked from my dad, and there¡¯s no way I can ask him for money again anytime soon.¡±


    This meant it was no longer possible to take Zhao Yulu to gamble on stones to make money.


    Such opportunities did note around every day.<div>


    Today, new raw stones had arrived at the Haicheng Jade Trading Center, making it rtively easier to select pieces with jadeite in them.


    If they were toe another day, it would not be that easy.


    He continued, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely find a way for you to make money and help you pay off that one million debt.¡±


    Zhao Yulu said, ¡°Friends are already urging me to repay the money now, what other n could you possibly have?¡±


    Resentment lingered in her heart; if it weren¡¯t for Chen Guanglei getting her to invest in ck Stone Tech stocks, she wouldn¡¯t have lost three million.


    Fortunately, two million of that was borrowed from her sister, Zhao Yuxin, which she didn¡¯t have to pay back for the time being.


    Even so, she still felt some dissatisfaction toward Chen Guanglei.


    Chen Guanglei always said he could make money, but each time it fell through or resulted in a loss.


    Chen Guanglei could only pluck up his courage and say, ¡°Yu Lu, don¡¯t be anxious. I¡¯m still thinking; there must be a way.¡±


    Zhao Yulu nodded reluctantly, ¡°Alright then.¡±


    She felt Chen Guanglei was bing more and more unreliable, but she had no choice but to trust him.


    Otherwise, if she had to earn a million by herself, she didn¡¯t know how long it would take.


    Chen Guanglei¡¯s eyes swiveled as he said, ¡°Yu Lu, if you be my girlfriend, then your one million debt could easily be resolved. I can have my dad give you money right now, even two million would be fine.¡±<div>


    Zhao Yulu hadn¡¯t expected Chen Guanglei to say such a thing at a time like this.


    It stirred a surge of anger within her.


    Last time, Chen Guanglei wanted her to be his girlfriend in exchange for overseeing ten billion in trust funds.


    Now, he wanted to directly give her money to be his girlfriend again.


    Although she was materialistic, wanting to make money and live a life of wealth and beauty, she still had her bottom line.


    She would never sell herself for money.


    Thest time was already her limit.


    And even then, she had hoped to agree to date for a while, then im they were ipatible and break up.


    That would have been helpful for her career; if that n had seeded, she would have reached another level. Climbing up through her own efforts would have been much easier.


    Unfortunately, Chen Guanglei was unreliable.


    Now, agreeing to be Chen Guanglei¡¯s girlfriend just for one or two million was something she could never ept.


    Thinking this, Zhao Yulu said coldly, ¡°Chen Guanglei, I hope you will not bring up such matters again in the future. If you have a way to make money, I¡¯d be grateful, but if not, then let¡¯s forget it.¡±


    Sensing the change in Zhao Yulu¡¯s tone, Chen Guanglei quickly said, ¡°Yu Lu, don¡¯t be angry, I won¡¯t mention it again. I¡¯ll think hard about other ways to make money.¡±<div>


    Zhao Yulu didn¡¯t speak further.


    Chen Guanglei changed the subject, ¡°Yu Lu, ording to our n, next we¡¯re going to¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Zhao Yulu interrupted, ¡°Let¡¯s not. I¡¯m thinking of going back to Jiang City.¡±


    On the way there, Chen Guanglei had said he would take Zhao Yulu to enjoy Haicheng for two days, with all the ces to visit already nned out.


    At the time, Zhao Yulu had agreed.


    But now, Zhao Yulu was in no mood for fun.


    Chen Guanglei said, ¡°Yu Lu, you really don¡¯t have to worry, I¡¯m certain I can find a way to make money for you.¡±


    Zhao Yulu said, ¡°We¡¯ll talk when you find a way.¡±


    Chen Guanglei, feeling helpless, could only take Zhao Yulu back to the hotel to check out and drive back to Jiang City.


    On Xu Yang¡¯s side.


    He took Zhao Yuxin to a third party institution to retrieve the five million Chen Guanglei had lost, then strolled around the trading center to select some raw stones.


    The jadeite he carved from those raw stones was all imperial green and altogether worth a staggering one billion.


    Many people¡¯s views toward Xu Yang had changed.<div>


    Some even said that Xu Yang was a jade stone gambling master.


    There was no way around it, Xu Yang was too incredible.


    All the raw stones he selected yielded jadeite, and all were imperial green.


    No one imed anymore that Xu Yang was choosing stones purely by luck.


    Who could have such good luck?


    Having made his modest goal, Xu Yang stopped there.


    What he had done was already astonishing. If he kept selecting stones and carving out more imperial green to make a fortune, he might run into trouble.


    After all, it was just like being in a casino.


    It¡¯s fine if you make a little money, but if you¡¯re always winning, especially big money¡­


    The jade trading center would start paying attention to you.


    That¡¯s what Tang Zhengqi had told him.


    This path was not one where he could continue making a fortune indefinitely.


    His previous idea of sweeping through the jade trading center was no longer feasible.


    However, having made so much, Xu Yang was already very satisfied.


    He had the system, and didn¡¯t need to rely solely on this to make money. There were plenty of other opportunities to earn money in the future.


    When Tang Zhengqi heard how incredible Xu Yang was, he looked at him as if he were looking at a monster.


    He had selected a few raw stones himself, spending over a million, only to break even¡ªessentially getting nothing for his efforts.


    By five in the afternoon, the three of them left the jade trading center, had dinner together, and then parted ways.


    The next day, Xu Yang spent the afternoon with Zhao Yuxin in Haicheng until five o¡¯clock and then went back to Jiang City.

 Chapter 91: 91 The Top Luxury Car is Different

    Chapter 91: The Top Luxury Car is Different


    Wednesday evening.<div>


    He Xueqian, a ssmate who worked at Cartier, invited Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin to dinner.


    During the meal, He Xueqian said, ¡°Xu Yang, Yuxin, I¡¯ve resigned from Cartier.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin asked with confusion, ¡°Resigned? What happened, was the job not going well? I heard you say before that your job at Cartier was quite eptable.¡±


    He Xueqian exined, ¡°I am an only child, and my parents still hope I can return to my hometown. Their health isn¡¯t that great, and I¡¯m a bit concerned about them. Moreover, it¡¯s really hard to make a name for oneself in Haicheng. After some thought, I decided to go back home.¡±


    Her hometown is in a prefecture-level city in Sichuan Province, where her parents worked for a state-owned enterprise.


    Speaking of which, her family¡¯s financial situation was much better than Xu Yang¡¯s.<div>


    With stable jobs in the state-owned enterprise, her parents had a secure retirement.


    But supporting her in living a better life in Jiangcheng, that was quite difficult.


    After all, the cost of living in Jiangcheng was too high.


    A house in Jiangcheng could easily cost tens of millions.


    Moreover, being their only daughter, her parents wished for her to return home.


    ¡°Going home to be with your parents is good too,¡± Zhao Yuxin nodded, without saying much.


    Many college ssmates had left Jiangcheng, either to develop their careers back in their hometowns or to move to other cities.


    For young people from outside the area, Jiangcheng really wasn¡¯t a friendly city.


    Very few could stay just by virtue of their own efforts.


    Many spent their youth here, only to leave reluctantly in the end.


    ¡°I invited you guys to dinner today as a way to say goodbye. Who knows when we¡¯ll see each other again. You know where my home is. You are wee to visit my hometown, and when you do, I¡¯ll be your guide,¡± said He Xueqian.


    ¡°Yeah, if we get the chance, Xu Yang and I will definitely visit,¡± Zhao Yuxin nodded repeatedly.<div>


    ¡°By the way, you must let me know when you two get married. I¡¯ll definitely attend,¡± He Xueqian said with a smile.


    ¡°Definitely, and when you get married, let us know too. Xu Yang and I will both attend,¡± Zhao Yuxin also said with a smile.


    ¡°Sure,¡± He Xueqian nodded with a smile.


    They continued their dinner until nine o¡¯clock.


    The three of them talked a lot.


    Mostly it was Zhao Yuxin and He Xueqian chatting, while Xu Yang just listened.


    After the meal, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin escorted He Xueqian back.


    Seeing the Rolls-Royce Cullinan Xu Yang drove, He Xueqian¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°My goodness, Xu Yang, you¡¯re driving a Rolls-Royce now!¡±


    She was not aware that Xu Yang had started driving a Rolls-Royce.


    The pictures that Xie Pengfei, who helped with the move, sent to the group chat were of a vi and a Maserati president.


    She had not expected that Xu Yang would be driving a Rolls-Royce in such a short time.


    It truly shocked her.<div>


    Sitting in the back seat, He Xueqian was still a bit stunned.


    She kept looking over the interior and eximed, ¡°A top-tier luxury car really is different!¡±


    After scrutinizing for a while, she asked, ¡°Xu Yang, during dinner, you mentioned you acquired a live broadcasting guild. Are these live broadcasting guilds really that profitable now?¡±


    At dinner, He Xueqian naturally inquired about Xu Yang¡¯s situation.


    Xu Yang mentioned he had acquired a live broadcasting guild.


    He Xueqian thought that Xu Yang must have bought the Rolls-Royce with money earned from the live broadcasting guild.


    Or rather, it was the promising future of the live broadcasting guild that gave Xu Yang the confidence to purchase a Rolls-Royce.


    She didn¡¯t understand the live broadcasting guild industry nor had any idea how much money the owner of a live broadcasting guild had made.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty good. I also do some other investments like trading stocks and futures. Been quite lucky and made some money,¡± Xu Yang answered vaguely.


    ¡°Xu Yang, you¡¯re really amazing. Yu Xin, I¡¯m so envious of you for ending up with Xu Yang. You¡¯re now a proper richdy. If Yu Lu knew about Xu Yang¡¯s situation, she¡¯d probably be so upset that she would vomit blood,¡± He Xueqian said with some emotion.


    Zhao Yulu was truly foolish to the extreme.


    To think she would break up with someone as outstanding as Xu Yang.<div>


    What Zhao Yulu sought after, Xu Yang now had.


    Unfortunately, it no longer concerned Zhao Yulu.


    All of it now belonged to Zhao Yuxin.


    ¡°Sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have brought that up.¡± Noticing theck of response from both of them, He Xueqian realized the topic was inappropriate and quickly changed the subject, ¡°By the way, Xu Yang, Yu Xin, can I take a few photos? I want to share a bit of your life, let our ssmates have a good look.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead, no problem,¡± he said.


    Such matters, Xu Yang neither deliberately showed off nor intentionally kept low-key and hidden.


    Just let it be natural.


    It was no big deal to let the ssmates know.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± He Xueqian immediately took out her phone and started snapping photos.


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin dropped He Xueqian off at her home before they themselves headed home.


    During their ride home, their ss group chat exploded.


    He Xueqian: First time in a Rolls-Royce Cullinan, the experience is unbelievably good!<div>


    He Xueqian: A few photos of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan.


    ssmate A: Holy shit, a Rolls-Royce Cullinan!


    ssmate B: @He Xueqian, What happened? Did you strike it rich?


    ssmate C: @He Xueqian, I remember you work at a Cartier store, does Cartier make that much money? Even got yourself a Rolls-Royce Cullinan?


    ssmate D: Do you guys even use your brains, @He Xueqian¡¯s words obviously mean someone gave her a ride in their Rolls-Royce Cullinan.


    ssmate E: @He Xueqian, did you get yourself a rich second-generation boyfriend?


    ssmate F: @He Xueqian, I¡¯m actually in need of a rich second-generation boyfriend, introduce me please.


    ssmate G: @He Xueqian, your rich second-generation boyfriend must have plenty of wealthy and beautiful female friends, can you introduce one to me? I¡¯m in need of a wealthy and beautiful girlfriend.


    ssmate H: Me too, to find a wealthy and beautiful girlfriend means I don¡¯t have to struggle so hard anymore. I find myboring and struggling pointless.


    ssmate J: Not necessarily a wealthy and beautiful girl, your boyfriend¡¯s circle should have some older wealthydies, introduce one to me, I can ept that.


    ssmate K: Your taste is really something else, I¡¯m impressed.


    ssmate R: It¡¯s not a matter of taste, it¡¯s about money. Age doesn¡¯t count for much in front of money.<div>


    He Xueqian: Tonight, I had dinner with the married couple Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin. This is Xu Yang¡¯s ride!


    ssmate A: Holy shit, isn¡¯t Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin¡¯s car a Maserati President? How did it change to a Rolls-Royce?


    ssmate B: What else can it be, he must have made more money.


    ssmate C: @Xu Yang, don¡¯t tell me you made money trading futures again?


    ssmate D: @He Xueqian, what¡¯s the situation, did you ask them what they did to make money?


    ssmate E: @Xu Yang, @Zhao Yuxin, you guys stop lurking, pop up and say something.


    ssmate F: Yeah, yeah, if there¡¯s a chance to get rich, bring your old ssmates with you.


    ssmate G: Let¡¯s have @He Xueqian tell us, she had dinner with them, she must have asked.


    ssmate H: Yeah, @He Xueqian,e on, spill it.

 Chapter 92: 92: Pilot Live Streaming E-commerce

    Chapter 92: Pilot Live Streaming Emerce


    He Xueqian: I asked, and he¡¯s still making money from futures. He even acquired a live streaming guild recently.<div>


    ssmate E: Holy shit, a live streaming guild!


    ssmate R: Short videos are all the rage now. Acquiring a live streaming guild seems like a smart move.


    ssmate Y: Xu Yang really has his eye on the trend. He must be making a killing, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have bought a Rolls-Royce Cullinan.


    ssmate U: @Xu Yang, I think I have the potential to be a vlogger. Can I sign with your guild?


    ssmate I: It¡¯s not so much that you¡¯ve got potential to be a vlogger, more like you think you¡¯ve got a shot with the female streamers, eh?


    ssmate O: Nonsense, I just want to be a vlogger, nothing else. I¡¯m very pure-hearted.<div>


    ssmate P: If you¡¯re pure-hearted, then there¡¯s no such thing as innocence in this world.


    He Xueqian: Guys, I¡¯m heading back to my hometown tomorrow. You¡¯re all wee to visit. It¡¯s Ancheng in Sichuan West Province. Just contact me if youe, I¡¯ll be your tour guide.


    ssmate A: @He Xueqian, why are you going back to your hometown?


    ssmate B: What else could it be? Life in Jiangcheng isn¡¯t easy.


    ssmate C: Jiangcheng isn¡¯t exactly weing to people like us. It¡¯s better to go back home. Have a safe trip.


    ssmate D: @He Xueqian, if I ever get a chance to visit your hometown, I¡¯ll definitely hit you up.


    ssmate E: Sigh, another ssmate¡¯s leaving, who knows when we¡¯ll see each other again.


    ¡­


    On the bus.


    Zhao Yuxin couldn¡¯t stopughing as she read the messages in the ss group chat, and she shared the updates with Xu Yang in real time, asking him if he wanted to reply.


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Don¡¯t bother with them, no need to reply.¡±


    Most of the messages in the group were for entertainment. There was no need to take them too seriously.<div>


    Like the thing about acquiring the live streaming guild, there was no need to reply. Nobody really wanted to know.


    ¡°Mm-hm,¡± Zhao Yuxin naturally knew that was the case. ¡°But Li Hai is right, with Xue Qian leaving, who knows when we¡¯ll get to meet again?¡±


    ¡­


    In the blink of an eye, New Year¡¯s Day arrived.


    Today was the day that Fengcai Guild and Douyin coborated to pilot a live streaming marketing event.


    It was scheduled to start at ten o¡¯clock at the Jiangcheng Grand Hotel.


    Nine in the morning.


    At the entrance of Jiangcheng Grand Hotel, a red carpet had beenid out.


    Fengcai Guild had booked the first and second floors of the hotel for the entire day.


    A crowd had gathered at the entrance.


    The streamers of Fengcai Guild each had over a million fans.


    These fans may not be as fanatical as those of popr celebrities, but they were enough to draw a crowd.<div>


    Plus, some media reporters were invited to cover the event, boosting the hype even more.


    Upon arrival, Xu Yang was quite pleased with the scene.


    This was the impact he wanted. He aimed to make Fengcai Guild a household name.


    Xiao Dongsheng, supervising on site, saw Xu Yang and immediately came to greet him.


    Xu Yang asked, ¡°Old Xiao, how¡¯s everything going?¡±


    Xiao Dongsheng immediately replied, ¡°All set, don¡¯t worry. Judging by the streamers¡¯ fans¡¯ feedback, this live streaming event is going to be a hit.¡±


    Xu Yang smiled and nodded. He trusted Xiao Dongsheng a lot and asked, ¡°When does Li Liangping arrive?¡±


    The sess of this live stream marketing event was pivotal to determining whether Douyin could carve a share of this lucrative market. Douyin¡¯s CEO, Li Liangping, attached great importance to it and nned to attend the event personally.


    Xiao Dongsheng checked his watch: ¡°Li Liangping just called me a while ago, said he¡¯snded and is on his way here. He should arrive by nine-thirty.¡±


    Xu Yang nodded, ¡°Good.¡±


    Suddenly it was nine forty. A Bentley pulled up at the hotel entrance.


    Li Liangping, apanied by his assistant, stepped out of the car, and Xu Yang and Xiao Dongsheng immediately went forward to meet him.<div>


    ¡°President Li, thank you for attending this event,¡± Xu Yang shook hands with Li Liangping.


    ¡°President Xu, no need for formalities. This is a joint event, and I¡¯ve been looking forward to it,¡± Li Liangping said with a smile.


    Afterward, Li Liangping also shook hands with Xiao Dongsheng.


    Speaking of which, Li Liangping and Xiao Dongsheng were quite familiar with each other.


    After all, it was Xiao Dongsheng who had contacted Li Liangping.


    After exchanging a few words, they started to take photos together for keepsake.


    This was an indispensable part, needed for thepany¡¯s promotional material.


    Just as they were taking the photos,


    a Porsche drove past the front of Jiangcheng Grand Hotel.


    Two people were sitting in the car, Zhao Yulu and Chen Guanglei.


    Today being New Year¡¯s Day, Chen Guanglei had invited Zhao Yulu to go hiking in an attempt to foster their rtionship.


    ¡°Huh, what¡¯s this event about? It looks quite lively,¡±<div>


    Chen Guanglei, upon noticing the bustling scene at Jiangcheng Grand Hotel, slowed down the car.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know,¡± Zhao Yulu said, looking around curiously.


    ¡°Yu Lu, how about we stop and take a look?¡± Chen Guanglei suggested.


    Such a lively scene seemed worth checking out.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Zhao Yulu had no objections.


    After all, they were just out for fun, and taking a look wouldn¡¯t hurt.


    Chen Guanglei drove into the hotel¡¯s open-air parking lot.


    After parking the car, they both got out.


    Zhao Yulu saw a car diagonally across from them and frowned.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Chen Guanglei asked, puzzled. Following Zhao Yulu¡¯s gaze, he eximed, ¡°Huh, that¡¯s a Rolls-Royce Cullinan, must belong to some rich person.¡±


    Even for him, a second-generation rich kid, a Rolls-Royce Cullinan was notmonly seen.


    Those who could afford such a car were usually super-rich.<div>


    ¡°That¡¯s Xu Yang¡¯s car,¡± Zhao Yulu stated.


    ¡°What!¡± Chen Guanglei eximed in shock, ¡°How could he possibly afford that car? Has he gone mad?¡±


    He knew that even his father, a tycoon worth several billion, didn¡¯t own such a car.


    It wasn¡¯t a matter of affordability, but rather he felt unworthy of it.


    This was a top-tier luxury car.


    How would someone worth several billion be viewed by billionaires worth hundreds of billions or even a trillion when driving such a car?


    Simrly, being a little rich second-generation with assets worth several billion, Chen Guanglei might buy a sports car worth a few million at most, ten million tops.


    He couldn¡¯tpare to those second-generation rich whose families were worth hundreds of billions or a trillion.


    They drove hypercars worth thirty or forty million, so you couldn¡¯t drive the same.


    Otherwise, how would those other rich second generations feel?


    Drive a humble car, and others would say you¡¯re thrifty, low-key.


    But you can¡¯t be too showy, you have to be mindful of others¡¯ gazes.


    If not, others would start to resent you.


    Once they resent you, your good days are over.


    So in certain circles, what car you drive matters quite a bit.


    Xu Yang just made some money specting futures and picking up antiques, what qualifications does he have to buy a Rolls-Royce Cullinan?


    In his eyes, Xu Yang was crazy.


    ¡°It¡¯s definitely his car, I remember the license te number,¡± Zhao Yulu said.


    ¡°This country bumpkin made a bit of money and bought a Rolls-Royce Cullinan to show off. He really doesn¡¯t know how high the sky is or how deep the earth is!¡± Chen Guanglei said with disdain.


    Zhao Yulu didn¡¯t say anything.


    She too didn¡¯t quite agree with Xu Yang¡¯s choice to buy a Rolls-Royce Cullinan.


    After all, no matter what, Xu Yang could not bepared to billionaires with assets of tens or hundreds of billions.


    Buying such a car was indeed too ostentatious.


    ¡°What is this guy doing here?¡± Chen Guanglei frowned, his eyes flickering, ¡°Yu Lu, do you think Xu Yang could be here cheating on your sister with some other woman?¡±


    Zhao Yulu was taken aback, not expecting Chen Guanglei to suggest that and shook her head, ¡°That¡¯s not possible, Xu Yang is not that kind of person.¡±


    After being in a rtionship for four years, Zhao Yulu knew Xu Yang quite well.


    Back in university, many girls had a crush on Xu Yang, but he never crossed the line.

 Chapter 93: 93 Lying Down and Making Money

    Chapter 93: Lying Down and Making Money


    ¡°Yu Lu, you are too naive. People like Xu Yang, who used to have no money, would be honest. But once they be rich overnight, it¡¯s very easy for them to lose their true self and look for other women. It¡¯s too normal. He is not like me, whoes from a superior family background, so I won¡¯t have such problems. When I love someone, I wouldn¡¯t flirt around.¡±


    While belittling Xu Yang, Chen Guanglei did not forget to elevate himself.


    Only someone as shameless as him could make such a statement.


    Keep in mind, he had stayed at the club justst night and hadn¡¯t even gone home.


    He was up until two in the morning, ying with a model, and was still a bit sleepy this morning.


    While driving earlier, he had yawned several times.


    ¡°Not possible,¡± Zhao Yulu still didn¡¯t believe Xu Yang would do what Chen Guanglei described.


    As for Chen Guanglei¡¯s self-aggrandizing behavior, she turned a blind eye to it.


    She was unaware that Chen Guanglei often spent the night at the club, otherwise, she would not have agreed to go out with him.


    ¡°Yu Lu, you really are too naive. How about we don¡¯t go hiking today and just stay here to enjoy the show? I bet Xu Yang will definitelye out with a woman,¡± Chen Guanglei said with a smile.


    ¡°I still believe in Xu Yang. There¡¯s no need to stay here,¡± Zhao Yulu said.<div>


    ¡°Yu Lu, I¡¯m doing this for your sister¡¯s sake. If he hasn¡¯t cheated, that¡¯s great. But if he really brought another woman to a hotel, you could save your sister. You wouldn¡¯t want your sister to be deceived by a scumbag, would you?¡±


    Chen Guanglei had already convinced himself that Xu Yang hade to the hotel with another woman.


    ¡°Okay, then.¡±


    Hearing Chen Guanglei say this, Zhao Yulu felt it was indeed necessary to stay and see for herself.


    If Xu Yang had indeed done something to betray her sister, she would have to tell her.


    The two left the parking lot and squeezed into the crowd.


    They just happened to see Xu Yang, Xiao Dongsheng, and Li Liangping taking pictures together on the red carpet.


    ¡°Holy shit, that¡¯s Xu Yang!¡± Chen Guanglei eximed, drawing odd looks from the people around him, though he seemed oblivious.


    ¡°It really is Xu Yang!¡± Zhao Yulu also saw Xu Yang, standing on the red carpet, taking photos with others, ¡°Could this event be rted to Xu Yang?¡±


    ¡°Standing on Xu Yang¡¯s left is the CEO of Douyin, Li Liangping, and on his right is the president of Fengcai Guild, Xiao Dongsheng. How could this be?¡± Chen Guanglei¡¯s face was full of disbelief.


    He had been considering investing in and acquiring live streaming guilds recently and had read some reports about Douyin¡¯s CEO, which included photos of Li Liangping.


    As for Xiao Dongsheng, he had met him once, wishing to acquire Fengcai Guild, but his offer was too low, and Xiao Dongsheng had not sold it.


    ¡°What, the CEO of Douyin? The president of Fengcai Guild?¡± Zhao Yulu was shocked.


    Douyin was developing rapidly and was about to catch up with Ku Shou.


    Everyone believed that Douyin would soon be the leading short video tform.


    Why would the CEO of Douyin be taking a photo with Xu Yang?


    And the president of Fengcai Guild¡ªshe had heard from Chen Guanglei that Li Liangping was the president of Fengcai Guild, and Chen Guanglei had been nning to acquire it.


    But because they couldn¡¯t agree on a price, Chen Guanglei did not make the acquisition, saying he would wait to buy it when the other party was at a dead end, for a lower price.


    Later, when Chen Guanglei contacted Xiao Dongsheng again, Xiao Dongsheng had said the guild was already acquired by someone else.<div>


    Afterward, Chen Guanglei had expressed several times that he felt it was a pity they didn¡¯t acquire Fengcai Guild.


    Fengcai Guild had recently trained many inte celebrities and was the most prominent guild on Douyin.


    Looking at the positioning in the photo, Xu Yang was undoubtedly in the central spot.


    Why was Xu Yang in the central spot?<div>


    ¡°What event is this, and why would Xu Yang be taking a photo with the two of them?¡±


    Chen Guanglei felt it was necessary to find out why Xu Yang was taking photos with them and what the event was to understand what was going on.


    As for Xu Yang finding another woman toe to a hotel, that obviously wasn¡¯t the case anymore.


    He asked someone nearby and found out that it was a joint live streaming and emerce event organized by Fengcai Guild and Douyin.


    ¡°If it¡¯s a joint event for live streaming emerce piloted by both parties, why would Xu Yang appear here and take photos with them, and why in the central spot?¡± Chen Guanglei frowned, suddenly thinking of a possibility, and couldn¡¯t help exming, ¡°Holy shit, no way?!¡±


    Zhao Yulu frowned, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Without responding, Chen Guanglei took out his phone and checked the business registration information for Fengcai Guild.


    Seeing the information, his face changed: ¡°The legal representative of Fengcai Guild is Xu Yang¡ªhe¡¯s the one who acquired Fengcai Guild!¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Zhao Yulu was shocked once again.


    You should know, nowadays the Fengcai Guild is at its peak, developing very well.


    ording to Chen Guanglei, they make at least tens of millions every month.


    And the behind-the-scenes boss of such a guild turns out to be Xu Yang.


    ¡°This son of a bitch, he¡¯s got too much good luck, to have acquired Fengcai Guild, this is making money while lying down.¡±<div>


    ¡°If I had known Fengcai Guild would develop this well, I would have bought it for five million back then.¡±


    Chen Guanglei was both envious and regretful.


    Zhao Yulu had aplex expression on her face.


    If the acquisition of Yuhuo Renjia Hotpot by Xu Yang, renamed to Jiangdo, was a bad move, and Jiangdo would not survive and close down, Xu Yang would lose a lot of money.


    Xu Yang¡¯s investment in Wu Jing¡¯s ¡°War Panther,¡± with its bad theme, would also lose money.


    But by acquiring Fengcai Guild, it was definitely profitable, and not just a little bit.


    It couldpletely make up for the losses of those two investments and continue to make money.


    After Xu Yang, Xiao Dongsheng, and Li Liangping took photos together, they entered the hotel.


    They arrived at the hotel¡¯srgest banquet hall.


    This ce had already been set up, as the pilot live stream for selling products would take ce here.


    The two of them, along with Li Liangping, conducted an inspection, while Xiao Dongsheng exined the preparations that had been made.


    Li Liangping checked it out and was very satisfied.


    He felt even more confident about the uing live streaming event.<div>


    Soon, ten o¡¯clock arrived.


    The joint live stream sales event by Douyin and Fengcai Guild officially began.


    The first session was started by Nan Zi, the ace female anchor with the highest poprity and fans in the tens of millions.


    She was selling a cosmetic product.


    Money from women is the easiest to earn.


    Fengcai Guild was aiming for a strong opening.


    Indeed, as anticipated by the three, the start was a sess.


    With proper publicity, not only did Nan Zi¡¯s fans show up, but many Douyin users came as well.


    In just a few short minutes, the number of online viewers in Nan Zi¡¯s live stream room exceeded a million, and it was still growing at a terrifying speed.


    With such a viewership, the effectiveness of selling products can be imagined.


    The first cosmetic product, priced at sixty-nine, with a stock of one hundred thousand, sold out within one minute.


    Seeing the data backstage, Xu Yang, Xiao Dongsheng, and Li Liangping couldn¡¯t help but be astonished.


    They had thought this event would be sessful, but they hadn¡¯t anticipated data this good.<div>


    And this was only the beginning.


    With the increasing number of viewers, the sales in the following segments of the live stream would be even more formidable.


    The trio looked at each other and all revealed knowing smiles.


    ¡­


    At the entrance of the hotel.


    Zhao Yulu and Chen Guanglei saw Xu Yang and his group enter the hotel, and then the two of them left.


    There was no longer any point in continuing to watch the event.


    The better the event went, the worse Chen Guanglei felt.


    Zhao Yulu wasn¡¯t feeling much better, as Xu Yang¡¯s sess further proved that her choice had been a mistake.


    Neither of them had the mood to go hiking anymore.

 Chapter 94: 94: Earning Fifty Million a Day

    Chapter 94: Earning Fifty Million a Day


    ¡°Xu Yang actually acquired Fengcai Guild, what dumb luck, it¡¯s really irritating.¡±


    Chen Guanglei was indeed very annoyed, as if Xu Yang had stolen money from him.


    ¡°It looks like his ability to acquire ¡®Burning mes¡¯ as well as investing in Wu Jing¡¯s ¡®War Panther¡¯ is all thanks to the support from Fengcai Guild. With a steady stream of support from the guild, he¡¯s not afraid of losses.¡±


    Chen Guanglei gritted his teeth as he spoke.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Zhao Yulu didn¡¯t want to say anything else.


    What could you do about Xu Yang¡¯s luck?


    Back in the car.


    Suddenly, Chen Guanglei said, ¡°I want to put an end to Xu Yang¡¯s luck.¡±


    Zhao Yulu was startled and looked at Chen Guanglei, not understanding what he meant by that.


    Chen Guanglei continued, ¡°Fengcai Guild has developed so well because of its president, Xiao Dongsheng. When I wanted to acquire Fengcai Guild, it was mainly because of Xiao Dongsheng. I investigated his background, and he¡¯s a very capable person. With him managing the guild, it would definitely thrive. If I acquire a guild and poach Xiao Dongsheng, along with some of the guild¡¯s streamers, Fengcai Guild¡¯s development would be hindered and eventually fall into decline.¡±


    Zhao Yulu said, ¡°If Xiao Dongsheng is so capable, then Xu Yang will definitely find ways to keep him.¡±<div>


    Chen Guangleiughed and said, ¡°His methods of keeping people will definitely not be better than my methods of poaching. I¡¯ll just throw money at them, and I don¡¯t believe they won¡¯t be tempted.¡±


    Zhao Yulu said, ¡°Throwing money at the problem is certainly tempting, but it¡¯s not guaranteed to work.¡±


    Chen Guanglei said, ¡°Yu Lu, you say that because you don¡¯t know the power of money. Most things in this world can be solved with money; if it¡¯s not enough, then clearly the amount isn¡¯t enough. Xiao Dongsheng is working for Xu Yang. If I offer a better package, he has no reason to refuse.¡±


    Zhao Yulu didn¡¯t speak any further.


    Clearly, Chen Guanglei was firm in his belief and more words would be useless.


    Moreover, this was Chen Guanglei¡¯s business, not hers.


    Chen Guanglei rolled his eyes and said, ¡°Yu Lu, if I convince my dad to acquire a live streaming guild, I¡¯d like you to be the vice president of the guild to help me oversee its development. Would you be willing?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Zhao Yulu¡¯s heart stirred.


    This position was definitely a high-ranking one.


    No matter what, having such an experience on her resume would be very helpful for her future career.


    This was much better than Chen Guanglei arranging for her to work at his father¡¯spany as an idler.


    Thinking this, Zhao Yulu did not immediately agree, ¡°Won¡¯t you take up a position at the guild yourself?¡±


    She still wasn¡¯t keen on working at the samepany as Chen Guanglei.


    Chen Guanglei seemed to have anticipated this question from Zhao Yulu and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll be working at my dad¡¯spany and won¡¯t have the time to go over there often, just asionally to check in. Would you like to help me?¡±


    Zhao Yulu hesitated a moment then said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then I don¡¯t see a problem.¡±


    Since he was unemployed at the moment, being the vice president of a live streaming guild was quite attractive.


    And since she wouldn¡¯t be working in the samepany as Chen Guanglei, it should be fine.


    As for Chen Guangleiing over asionally, that wasn¡¯t an issue.


    After all, even if it wasn¡¯t like this, Chen Guanglei often sought her out.<div>


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. I¡¯ll look into which guild is worth acquiring in these next few days and then persuade my dad to invest and acquire it.¡±


    Chen Guangleiughed happily.


    Zhao Yulu working in the acquired live streaming guild would obviously increase his chances with her more than before.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Zhao Yulu nodded, saying nothing more.<div>


    ¡­


    The live-streaming sales event continued until six in the afternoon.


    Every time a host came on, it was a sensational scene.


    After it ended, all the staff held a celebration banquet.


    Xu Yang, Xiao Dongsheng, and Li Liangping all attended.


    The next morning at eleven o¡¯clock.


    Xu Yang arrived at thepany to hear Xiao Dongsheng¡¯s summary report on yesterday¡¯s live-streaming sales.


    ¡°President Xu, yesterday¡¯s sales reached over two hundred and thirty million, with a profit of more than fifty-two million. Now the inte is full of news about our first coboration with Douyin on live-streaming sales being a huge sess!¡±


    ¡°Our Fengcai Guild has be the center of attention, firmly establishing our fame!¡± Xiao Dongsheng reported excitedly.


    Upon hearing that the profit was over fifty million, Xu Yang was very pleased and couldn¡¯t help butugh and say, ¡°Very good, this is a great start. Last night, at the celebration banquet, Li Liangping expressed his satisfaction and said that in the future, he will provide a certain amount of free traffic support to our Fengcai Guild, which is extremely beneficial for the long-term development of the guild.¡±


    Xiao Dongsheng also happily said, ¡°Yes, we seized the opportunity with this live-streaming pilot. Our Fengcai Guild¡¯s earning capacity will rise to a new level. Viewers have a firste, first served mentality. In the future, even if other guilds do live-streaming sales, our guild has a significant advantage, one step ahead, step by step. Unless something unforeseen happens, no one will be able to catch up with us.¡±


    To tell the truth, Xiao Dongsheng admired Xu Yang very much.


    Both of the guild¡¯s recent leapfrog developments were because of Xu Yang.<div>


    The first was signing those hosts.


    Now, these hosts have all be inte celebrities, some even superstars.


    With those hosts, the guild will not do poorly.


    Then there was this live-streaming event, which was also suggested by Xu Yang.


    Otherwise, he would never have thought to coborate with Douyin.


    Without these two developments, Fengcai Guild would have been just like the rest, toiling away in obscurity.


    Xiao Dongsheng felt fortunate that Xu Yang had acquired the guild.


    Furthermore, Xu Yang, this boss, not only had the capability, but he was also beyond reproach as a person.


    He even gave him a twenty percent share in thepany, a rarity in the industry.


    In his heart, he silently vowed to do his job well. As long as Xu Yang didn¡¯t dismiss him, he would continue working with Xu Yang for a lifetime.


    Xu Yang nodded, ¡°Old Xiao, this is all thanks to your efforts and those of all our employees. Arrange for a suitable cash bonus for every employee as a reward. Tell them that in ourpany, as long as you give, you will receive. We will never shortchange any employee.¡±


    Xiao Dongsheng nodded, ¡°Okay, what standard should we use for the bonus?¡±


    This needed to be rified as it involved money, and couldn¡¯t be taken lightly.<div>


    After all, this was an extra reward, not part of thepany¡¯s regr incentives, and couldn¡¯t be based on any rule or regtion.


    After pondering for a moment, Xu Yang said, ¡°Five thousand for each senior staff member, three thousand for each mid-level staff member, and one thousand five hundred for each entry-level staff member.¡±


    Xiao Dongsheng nodded, ¡°Okay, I will issue it today.¡±


    Once the amount was set, all that was left was to notify the finance department to handle it.


    He believed that issuing this bonus would strengthen the employees¡¯ sense of belonging to thepany.


    Xu Yang added, ¡°Also, I want to say one more thing, no matter what, the quality of the products that our hosts sell must be strictly controlled.¡±


    Xiao Dongsheng nodded, ¡°President Xu, rest assured, I understand.¡±


    After chatting for a few more moments, Xu Yang left.

 Chapter 95: 95: Poaching

    Chapter 95: Poaching


    Xu Yang had just left, and Xiao Dongsheng¡¯s phone rang.


    He took it out and saw a somewhat familiar number.


    But he couldn¡¯t remember whose number it was.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Xiao Dongsheng answered the call.


    ¡°Mr. Xiao, hello, my name is Chen Guanglei, we have met before,¡± Chen Guanglei introduced himself.


    ¡°So it¡¯s Mr. Chen,¡± Xiao Dongsheng remembered who Chen Guanglei was, a rich second generation who had wanted to buy out Fengcai Guild before.


    But he had offered too low a price, so Xiao had not agreed.


    Speaking of which, his meeting with Chen Guanglei was somewhat unpleasant.


    Chen Guanglei was quite arrogant and his manner was ufortable.


    Later, when Xu Yang bought the guild, Chen Guanglei contacted him again.


    Knowing that Fengcai Guild had been acquired by someone else, there was no further contact between them.<div>


    Contacting him again today, Xiao wondered what the other party wanted.


    He didn¡¯t ask; if the other person wanted to speak, they would.


    ¡°Mr. Xiao, congrattions, the live-stream sales cooperation between your Fengcai Guild and Douyin was a sess yesterday!¡± Chen Guanglei said with a smile.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Xiao Dongsheng expressed his gratitude.


    ¡°Mr. Xiao, here¡¯s the thing, I¡¯m preparing to buy a live streaming guild, and I¡¯d like to invite you as the president, fully in charge of its management. Don¡¯t worry, whatever sry Xu Yang gives you, I¡¯ll double it. What do you think?¡± Chen Guanglei revealed his intention.


    ¡°Mr. Chen, I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m doing very well at Fengcai Guild and don¡¯t want to switchpanies, not now, not in the future,¡± Xiao Dongsheng directly rejected the offer.


    ¡°Mr. Xiao, we work to make money, and with your ability, you could definitely earn more. Why hang from a single tree?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re not satisfied with the sry, we can negotiate further. You can make demands, anything within my power, I will fulfill,¡± Chen Guanglei persisted, unwilling to give up.


    ¡°Mr. Chen, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Xiao Dongsheng had no intention of switchingpanies and couldn¡¯t be bothered to say more.


    ¡°Mr. Xiao, in addition to doubling your sry, I can also offer you ten percent of the shares,¡± Chen Guanglei gritted his teeth.


    ¡°Mr. Chen, I¡¯m sorry, but as I¡¯ve said, I¡¯m not going to switchpanies,¡± Xiao Dongsheng said.


    ¡°Twenty percent, no, thirty percent of the shares. Come over, and I¡¯ll give you thirty percent of the guild¡¯s shares. The guild I¡¯m acquiring is definitely arge one, with annual profits of at least a hundred million. You could earn tens of millions a year,¡± Chen Guanglei was really pushing hard to recruit Xiao Dongsheng.


    ¡°Mr. Chen, it doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re offering me thirty percent, or even fifty or sixty percent of the shares. I wouldn¡¯t agree. I think I¡¯m doing great at Fengcai Guild. I¡¯m busy, so I have to hang up now,¡± Xiao Dongsheng said and hung up the phone.


    He was well aware of why Fengcai Guild had developed so well.


    It wasn¡¯t because of his good management, but because of Xu Yang¡¯s good eye.


    He was just an executor.


    While he considered himself to have some management talent, it wasn¡¯t possible for him alone to make a guild grow so rapidly.


    The fact that Xu Yang had given him twenty percent of the shares had already exceeded his expectations.


    He was grateful.<div>


    Moreover, he did not trust Chen Guanglei as a person.


    If he went over and failed to achieve impressive results, chances are the shares would be taken back, and it was even possible that he¡¯d be fired.


    Even if he did achieve some results, they would be nothingpared to those at Fengcai Guild.


    With an employer like Xu Yang, Fengcai Guild could only grow better in the future.<div>


    And this kind of growth was very stable, with nothing to worry about.


    The employer¡¯s character, the working environment, the sry and benefits¡ªin every aspect, he was satisfied. He couldn¡¯t possibly leave to work for an arrogant rich second generation.


    On the other side.


    Chen Guanglei put down his phone, his face looking terribly ugly.


    At this time, he was with Zhao Yulu.


    Two people were in a private room of a restaurant.


    It was already almost twelve o¡¯clock, and they hade here to eat.


    He made this phone call in front of Zhao Yulu with the speaker on, specifically wanting to show her the power of money.


    That¡¯s why he just offered the condition of thirty percent of the shares.


    But Xiao Dongsheng¡¯s answer waspletely unexpected.


    ¡°This Xiao Dongsheng, he doesn¡¯t want to make money even when it¡¯s right in front of him, what is he thinking!¡±


    Xiao Dongsheng gritted his teeth.


    In an effort to demonstrate the power of money to Zhao Yulu, he ended up being embarrassed instead, and he immediately resented Xiao Dongsheng in his heart.<div>


    ¡°Perhaps the Fengcai Guild has something that made him want to stay,¡± said Zhao Yulu.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, if I can¡¯t dig him out, then so be it. As long as you have money, what kind of talent can¡¯t be hired?¡± Chen Guanglei made excuses for himself.


    ¡°Have you decided which guild you¡¯re going to acquire?¡± Zhao Yulu asked.


    She had already decided to work at the guild Chen Guanglei would acquire.


    Having been idle for so long, she wanted to start working and earning money as soon as possible.


    ¡°I looked it upst night, and there are a few willing to sell. I will be talking to them in the next few days. I should be able to settle it very soon,¡± said Chen Guanglei.


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Zhao Yulu nodded.


    ¡­


    After leaving the Fengcai Guild, Xu Yang went to Haido.


    He had a meal with his father-inw Zhao Hai and took the opportunity to understand the situation at Haido.


    Zhao Hai shared the status, saying that aside from the renovations, all the other preparations had beenpleted.


    The renovations were now in the final stages.


    In three more days, everything would bepletely finished.<div>


    Xu Yang calcted the time and discussed with Zhao Hai, and they decided to open on the sixteenth.


    That day.


    Xu Yang, Zhao Yuxin, and Zhao Hai went to Haido¡¯s Linghai Road store, which was Zhao Hai¡¯s old restaurant.


    There was only one day left until Haido¡¯s opening.


    Xu Yang decided to check on the store¡¯s situation and came to the Linghai Road store. He was more familiar with it.


    It had already been renovated, and the staff were busy setting things up.


    They were just waiting for the day after tomorrow to open.


    Looking around, Xu Yang was very satisfied with both the renovation and the staff¡¯s spirits.


    Although Haido had a secret recipe for sess and the system said that Haido would be a restaurant empire valued at a hundred billion in the future,


    such things still depended on whether they were actually done right.


    If it wasn¡¯t done right, Haido would not be sessful.


    Clearly, Zhao Hai, the general manager, had done a good job.


    It was evident that he was strictly following the secret recipe.<div>


    The three of them walked out of the store.


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Dad, you¡¯ve worked hard during this time.¡±


    Zhao Haiughed heartily, ¡°Xu Yang, we¡¯re family, why do you say such things to me? To be honest, I should be thanking you. Without you, how could I possibly be the president of a restaurantpany?¡±


    Zhao Yuxin smiled and added, ¡°Dad, you seem to have more spirit as a president than when you were a restaurant owner, which shows that Xu Yang¡¯s decision to make you president was indeed right.¡±


    Zhao Hai nodded, ¡°So if there¡¯s anyone to thank, it¡¯s me thanking Xu Yang. Without him, I would never have had the chance to re-enter the workforce, let alone take on the role of president.¡±


    At that moment, Zhao Yuxin caught sight of a woman standing at the entrance of a store a short distance away and couldn¡¯t help but frown, ¡°What is she doing here?¡±

 Chapter 96: 96: The Short-Lived Complacency

    Chapter 96: The Short-Lived Comcency


    This woman was none other than her biological mother, Liu Yujuan.


    Xu Yang was also somewhat surprised, not knowing why she would appear here.


    Zhao Hai exined, ¡°Meiwei Hotpot has opened a store here, and she is the manager of this store.¡±


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin suddenly understood.


    Zhao Yuxin asked, ¡°How is the business at her store?¡±


    Zhao Hai replied, ¡°It¡¯s pretty good.¡±


    Meiwei Group is a well-known catering group in Jiangcheng, with multiple sub-brands and a very good reputation.


    The hotpot they produce is naturally not going to be bad.


    Zhao Hai added, ¡°The stores of Meiwei Hotpot are basically near our Jiang Di Lao stores, which must be Yang Tiancheng¡¯s deliberate doing.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin frowned and said, ¡°Then the business of Jiang Di Lao will definitely be affected.¡±


    Originally, she was not worried, but now that they were being targeted so deliberately, she was somewhat concerned about Jiang Di Lao¡¯s business.<div>


    After all, Meiwei Group¡¯s reputation was quite good.


    Whether it was the fast-food brand, the upscale dining brand, or various snack and vor brands, Meiwei Group did them all quite well.


    Being targeted so deliberately, the business of Jiang Di Lao was worrisome.


    Jiang Di Lao was a new brand, which made it difficult for consumers to ept.


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Yu Xin, don¡¯t worry, no matter what they do, it won¡¯t affect Jiang Di Lao¡¯s business; it will only be Jiang Di Lao affecting their business.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Husband, are you that confident?¡±


    Xu Yang nodded and said, ¡°Of course, just wait and see. Opening their store near our Jiang Di Lao will be Yang Tiancheng¡¯s biggest mistake. If it weren¡¯t for that, it would be nearly impossible for Dad to crush Meiwei Hotpot. After all, no matter how good Jiang Di Lao¡¯s business is, other hotpot brands still have room to survive as long as they are a bit further away from Jiang Di Lao. But Meiwei Hotpot chose to be near Jiang Di Lao, which is simply asinine. In the end, their business will be taken by our Jiang Di Lao.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± Zhao Yuxin felt relieved.


    Now, she had a kind of blind trust in Xu Yang; whatever he said seemed toe true, no matter what it was.


    At this moment, Liu Yujuan noticed the three of them, her eyebrows slightly raised, a smile appearing on her face as she walked over.


    ¡°Yu Xin, you came to check out the store, huh? Have you eaten? If you haven¡¯t, you cane to our Meiwei Hotpot for a meal. Our business is very good though, the ce is already full at the moment, so if you want to eat hotpot, you¡¯ll need to wait a bit. Even though I am the manager, I can¡¯t arrange seats for you.¡± Within Liu Yujuan¡¯s words there was a clear air of boasting.


    That look on her face irritated Zhao Yuxin.


    ¡°Hmph, what are you so proud of? Just wait until our Jiang Di Lao opens, and you¡¯ll see,¡± she retorted coldly.


    Zhao Yuxin really couldn¡¯t stand Liu Yujuan¡¯s smugness and snorted in response.


    ¡°Hehe, I look forward to the opening of your Jiang Di Lao. Who will have thestugh then, we shall see,¡± Liu Yujuan said with a chuckle.


    She had a lot of confidence in Meiwei Hotpot.


    Since its opening on New Year¡¯s Day, thanks to the grand opening festivities and significant discounts, it was essentially packed every evening.


    Even without the discounts, once the fame has spread and everyone knows that Meiwei Group has Meiwei hotpot, business will certainly not suffer.


    And what is Jiang Di Lao? It¡¯s a brand-new brand that nobody even knows.<div>


    For such a hotpot brand to attract consumers is extremely difficult.


    To think ofpeting with Meiwei hotpot is simply overestimating oneself.


    ¡°Then you just wait and see,¡± Zhao Yuxin snorted coldly again.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Liu Yujuan¡¯s smile remained undiminished as she turned her gaze to Zhao Hai, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, Zhao Hai, you should just focus on running your restaurant. There¡¯s no point in bing a CEO when you haven¡¯t been in the corporate world for over a decade. Can you even adapt? When Jiang Di Lao starts incurring heavy losses and eventually shuts down, you won¡¯t even have the chance to be a restaurant owner anymore.¡±<div>


    Zhao Hai said indifferently, ¡°Whether I can adapt or not is none of your concern. As for Jiang Di Lao incurring losses and shutting down, that¡¯s not going to happen. I believe Jiang Di Lao¡¯s development will be eye-opening and will change thendscape of the hotpot industry.¡±


    He was also very confident about Jiang Di Lao¡¯s future prospects.


    Snort!


    Liu Yujuan burst outughing, ¡°Zhao Hai, don¡¯t you worry about biting your tongue with such big talk. A new hotpot restaurant wanting to change the industryndscape? You should first worry about how you¡¯ll keep it alive.¡±


    Zhao Hai replied, ¡°I¡¯m just stating the facts, you¡¯ll see in time.¡±


    Liu Yujuan shook her head, feeling that Zhao Hai was arrogant and didn¡¯t bother to continue the conversation with him. She then looked at Xu Yang, ¡°Xu Yang, you¡¯ve earned money from futures trading and picking up bargains in antiques, bought luxury cars and vis. If you had kept to yourself, you could have provided Yu Xin a stable life, but you don¡¯t know your own limits. You had to mimic others and invest in acquiring enterprises. Even if you acquired them, operating them as they were would still earn you a lot of money each year, and you¡¯d be more thanfortable as a small tycoon. But you insist on rebranding a well-established name to this what, Jiang Di Lao? It¡¯s utter folly. I must say, Yu Xin¡¯s judgement is really poor. Following a man like you, I really worry about her future.¡±


    Xu Yang responded indifferently, ¡°I am clear about how my investments and acquisitions are doing. As for Jiang Di Lao, you¡¯ll find out once it¡¯s open. And for Yu Xin, you don¡¯t need to worry. Our life together will only get better and better.¡±


    He had no intention of engaging in a verbal dispute with her; it was unnecessary.


    Once Jiang Di Lao became a sensation, all these doubts would dissipate like smoke.


    ¡°Hmph, truly ignorant of the heights of the sky and the depths of the earth. I¡¯m d I got Yu Lu away from you, otherwise her life would have been wasted by you!¡± Liu Yujuan snorted coldly and turned to leave.


    ¡°That Liu Yujuan is so annoying,¡± Zhao Yuxin said, watching Liu Yujuan¡¯s retreating figure, clearly angered.


    Initially, the three of them hade to check out the store, in high spirits.


    But Liu Yujuan¡¯s interference ruined their moodpletely.<div>


    ¡°Yu Xin, don¡¯t bother with her. Jiang Di Lao is opening the day after tomorrow, and she won¡¯t be smug for long,¡± Zhao Haiforted.


    ¡°Mhm mhm, once Jiang Di Lao¡¯s business picks up, Meiwei hotpot will definitely feel the impact. Then I¡¯ll wait and see how smug she can be,¡± Zhao Yuxin nodded.


    After that, the three of them went out to have dinner together.


    Naturally, they didn¡¯t go to Meiwei hotpot but to a restaurant that had been featured by the inte-famous Lin Junyi.


    Nowadays, whenever Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin dined out, they mostly frequented restaurants that Lin Junyi had visited.


    The taste of the food at these restaurants was guaranteed.


    Zhao Hai knew Lin Junyi was a food vlogger turned super inte sensation, but he had never been to a restaurant Lin Junyi had featured before.


    Trying it out this time, he found the taste to be quite impressive indeed.


    During the meal, Zhao Hai asked, ¡°Xu Yang, how is your live streaming guild going?¡±

 Chapter 97 - 97 Acquisition of Bauxite Mines

    Chapter 97: Acquisition of Bauxite Mines


    ¡°Not bad at all¡­¡± Xu Yang talked about the development of the live streaming guild.


    He specifically mentioned the livemerce situation during New Year¡¯s Day.


    Zhao Hai was unaware of this.


    He had been busy with worktely and didn¡¯t y Douyin, rarely watching such news; he simply didn¡¯t know about it.


    When he heard that the sales volume was over two hundred million and the profit was over fifty million, he couldn¡¯t help but be astounded.


    At the same time, he was happy for Xu Yang and for his daughter.


    After dinner, they went their separate ways and headed home.


    ¡­


    After taking a shower, Xu Yangy in bed and looked at financial news on his smartphone.


    He was investing in stocks and futures.


    Keeping up with financial news was indispensable.


    Then he saw a piece of news.


    Fengkai Mining was transferring a bauxite mine in South America at a low price.


    Without noting any special signs, Xu Yang was ready to continue browsing other financial news.


    Just then, the system¡¯s notification rang in his mind.


    [Ding! Fengkai Mining spent five hundred million to purchase a bauxite mine in South America and invested a lot of manpower and materials but failed to extract much. The executives of Fengkai Mining judged it to be a failed investment and decided to sell the mine at a low price. Three dayster, someone bought it for fifty million. A week after the purchase, they discovered a vast resource of bauxite deeper in the mine and sold the mine for one point five billion!]


    Xu Yang¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Buying it for fifty million and selling it for one point five billion was practically like picking up money.


    Someone was going to buy it in three days.


    Then he had to buy the bauxite mine within the next two days.


    It was already eleven o¡¯clock at night, not suitable for making calls, so he could only contact Fengkai Mining tomorrow.


    Thinking of the soon-to-be-earned one point four-five billion, Xu Yang couldn¡¯t help butugh.


    This prompted Zhao Yuxin, who was ying with her phone by his side, to ask curiously, ¡°Hubby, what are youughing about?¡±


    With a cheerful smile, Xu Yang said, ¡°Wife, we¡¯re about to make money again.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin asked, ¡°Are you talking about the opening of Jiang Di Lao?¡±


    Xu Yang shook his head, ¡°No, Jiang Di Lao will definitely make money, but it¡¯s a different investment.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin asked, ¡°What other investments have you made?¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Take a look at this news.¡±


    He handed over the smartphone to Zhao Yuxin so that she could read the news about Fengkai Mining¡¯s sale of the bauxite mine.


    After reading it, Zhao Yuxin frowned, ¡°Hubby, are you thinking of buying that bauxite mine?¡±


    Xu Yang nodded, ¡°I think there must be bauxite resources there; it¡¯s just that Fengkai Mining didn¡¯t find them.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin said, ¡°Hubby, is this reliable? If you buy it, are you going to South America to see the mine?¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°That¡¯s the n for now. If I buy it, I¡¯ll go there to have a look and get people to do a thorough exploration.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin expressed her concerns, ¡°South America is very chaotic and unsafe.¡±


    Xu Yang held Zhao Yuxin in his arms, ¡°It¡¯s okay, you can just think of it as a regr business trip. Moreover, I don¡¯t necessarily have to go myself; it also depends on the situation.¡±


    The system notification said that the bauxite resources were deeper down, so digging deeper should be the solution.


    He didn¡¯t necessarily have to go there himself.


    Zhao Yuxin said helplessly, ¡°Alright, you decide.¡±


    She knew that once Xu Yang made a decision, it was beyond her to influence.


    The next morning at nine o¡¯clock, Xu Yang called a deputy general manager at Fengkai Mining responsible for the sale of the bauxite mine.


    The other party asked Xu Yang toe in person to Fengkai Mining for a discussion.


    Xu Yang had no objections; he had nothing else to do anyway.


    The meeting was set for ten o¡¯clock the next morning.


    That afternoon, Xu Yang, apanied by awyer and an ountant, took a high-speed train to the city where Fengkai Mining was located, Fengcheng in Hanbei Province.


    Both thewyer and the ountant were professionals.


    Finding talent is not hard when you have money.


    Even more so when you have connections.


    Jiang Yuheng and Su Wenbin were highly influential friends, one in the business world and the other in officialdom.


    By the time they arrived in Fengcheng, it was already eight o¡¯clock in the evening.


    The trio checked into the hotel they had booked, had a simple dinner in the hotel restaurant, and then retired to their rooms.


    After taking a shower, Xu Yang video-called Zhao Yuxin and then went to sleep.


    The next morning, after breakfast, Xu Yang took thewyer and ountant and took a taxi to Fengkai Mining.


    They arrived at Fengkai Mining at nine forty-five.


    After finding the reception, who had already been notified, they led the three of them to a reception room and left to inform the deputy general manager.


    Shortly after, a middle-aged man with a square face and dressed in a suit entered.


    ¡°You must be President Xu. I am Wei Debin, wee to ourpany,¡± Wei Debin said as he shook hands with Xu Yang.


    Wei Debin was a man of action. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, he got straight to the point.


    ¡°President Xu, how much are you willing to offer for our bauxite mine?¡± Wei Debin asked directly.


    ¡°President Wei, I would like to know, how much are you willing to sell the bauxite mine for?¡± Xu Yang counter-asked.


    ¡°One hundred million!¡± Wei Debinughed, didn¡¯t beat around the bush any further, and stretched out a finger, stating the price.


    ¡°Ten million!¡± Xu Yang also stretched out a finger.


    Although the system said that Fengkai Mining had sold the bauxite mine for fifty million.


    But Xu Yang couldn¡¯t possibly start by offering fifty million right off the bat.


    Negotiations are a matter of back and forth.


    Appearing too eager would be extremely disadvantageous.


    Besides, he also wanted to see if he could acquire the mine for less than fifty million.


    ¡°President Xu, that¡¯s hardly serious,¡± Wei Debin said, shaking his head.


    ¡°President Wei, you start at a hundred million, and you talk of sincerity? You know very well what condition your bauxite mine is in, is it really worth a hundred million?¡± Xu Yang replied with a coldugh.


    Then, the two engaged in a tug-of-war over the price.


    Ten minutester.


    Xiao Dongsheng, feeling helpless, said, ¡°President Xu, let¡¯s both take a step back. Fifty million, that¡¯s our bottom line. If it¡¯s less than this number, we might as well not continue talking.¡±


    ¡°Deal!¡± Xu Yang knew he couldn¡¯t bargain any further.


    After all, making a profit of one billion four hundred and fifty million, there was no need to haggle over a little money here.


    If Fengkai Mining decided not to continue negotiations, andpetitors arrived tomorrow, that would lead to trouble.


    ¡°Pleasure doing business with you!¡± Wei Debin also breathed a sigh of relief.


    Fifty million was not actually the bottom line for Fengkai Mining; forty million was.


    As long as the sale was no less than forty million, that was eptable.


    Managing to secure an extra ten million for thepany, Fengkai Mining was pleased, considering it a merit for the group.


    What followed was checking the financial status of the bauxite mine and drafting the contract.


    Wei Debin also informed Xu Yang about the specific details of the bauxite mine to facilitate the handover.


    After signing the contract, Xu Yang immediately transferred fifty million to the corporate ount of Fengkai Mining.


    ¡°President Xu, it was a pleasure doing business with you,¡± Wei Debin said as he shook hands with Xu Yang.

 Chapter 98: The Investment Guild

    Chapter 98: The Investment Guild


    Kaixuan Investment President¡¯s Office.


    ¡°Dad, short videos are the trend now. As long as we invest in a live streaming guild, we can make money. You should listen to me and invest in the live streaming industry.¡±


    Chen Guanglei was persuading his father, Chen Ankang, to invest in the live streaming industry.


    Chen Ankang said, ¡°I admit, short videos are a trend, and investing in the acquisition of a live streaming guild can be profitable. However, my friend said that for the aluminum mine in South America, as long as we continue to explore deeper, there should be a vast amount of aluminum ore resources. The price of that mine is not high now, only about fifty to sixty million, and we should be able to secure it. If we do find a substantial amount of aluminum ore resources deeper down, it would be a huge gain.¡±


    Feng Mao is the person in charge of Feng Kai Mining¡¯s aluminum mine in South America and a good friend of Chen Ankang.


    A few days ago, he called him.


    He told him that Feng Kai Mining had lost patience with continuing to mine that aluminum mine in South America and persuaded him to take over.


    He also mentioned that deeper down there should be a considerable amount of aluminum ore resources.


    Of course, this is only a high probability event; the other side couldn¡¯t give a definite answer.


    They only said it was an excellent investment, and if right, the returns would be surprisingly high, and if wrong, it would only be a loss of a few tens of millions.


    For an investmentpany, this is considered quite an ideal investment.


    Chen Ankang was eager to invest.


    But these days, his son kept advising him to invest in a live streaming guild instead.


    Although he was getting on in years and didn¡¯t use short videos, he knew that the short video industry was a trend and that live streaming guilds were investable.


    Investing in a live streaming guild would be like catching a ride on the short video trend¡¯s tailwind.


    If he had enough money, he would definitely invest in both.


    But the funds currently avable in his investmentpany¡¯s ount could only allow for one investment.


    This made him somewhat indecisive.


    He had yet to make a final decision on which to invest in.


    ¡°Dad, I think your friend is just trying to swindle you.¡±


    ¡°He ims there are more aluminum ore resources deeper in the mine, which is clearly not reliable.¡±


    ¡°If there were, why would Feng Kai Mining want to sell it at a low price? Aren¡¯t they just looking for a sucker to take over?¡±


    ¡°Feng Kai Mining is professional, and they have been exploring and mining there for so long without finding anything. It¡¯s not likely to be our turn.¡±


    ¡°I am certain that if you invest in taking over that aluminum mine, that money would definitely go down the drain.¡±


    ¡°Investing in a live streaming guild doesn¡¯t have this issue, and we can start making money right away.¡±


    ¡°You should be very clear that justst New Year¡¯s Day, Fengcai Guild¡¯s live stream sales for one day reached more than two hundred million, with profits of at least forty to fifty million.¡±


    ¡°Although Fengcai Guild¡¯s live stream sales aren¡¯t as explosive as that day, they are definitely making a lot daily, at least tens of millions.¡±


    ¡°Other live streaming guilds are also following suit, and while they may not be as lucrative as Fengcai Guild, they are certainly making a killing.¡±


    ¡°If we acquire a live streaming guild now, we can still catch this favorable wind. If we dy, we might not even see the tail of the opportunity.¡±


    Chen Guanglei, with spit flying, was vehemently persuading Chen Ankang to invest in the live streaming guild.


    He had already chosen arge live streaming guild and was discussing the price.


    This acquisition price was already reported to Chen Ankang.


    It was because of this acquisition price that Chen Ankang was troubled and hesitant.


    Because the acquisition price was as high as forty-five million.


    This was arge live streaming guild, not like Xu Yang¡¯s initial investment in Fengcai Guild, which had only a small number of backend staff and streamers.


    It required this much money.


    Chen Ankang was silent for a long time, then nodded, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s invest in the live streaming guild, fully acquiring the one you¡¯ve chosen.¡±


    His son made sense.


    The possibility of Feng Kai Mining¡¯s aluminum mine in South America having more aluminum ore resources deeper down was very low.


    Otherwise, why wouldn¡¯t Feng Kai Mining continue to dig deeper instead of trying to sell it at a low price?


    The people at Feng Kai Mining are not fools.


    Investing in the live streaming guild is indeed safer.


    ¡°`


    Little did he know, even if he wanted to buy the aluminum mine, there was no chance left for him.


    ¡°Dad, you¡¯ve made a wise decision, rest assured, the returns from acquiring this live streaming guild will definitely satisfy you.¡±


    Chen Guanglei smiled; this was the first investment he had advocated for.


    As long as this investment was sessful, who in thepany would dare to look down on him?


    After leaving Chen Ankang¡¯s office, he contacted the owner of a guild.


    ¡°Mr. Zhang, I agree with the price you¡¯ve offered. I¡¯lle to yourpany to sign the contract right away!¡±


    ¡­


    At the Yang family, in the evening.


    During dinner.


    Yang Tiancheng asked, ¡°Liu Yujuan, tomorrow is the grand opening of Jiande Lao. Is your store ready?¡±


    Jiande Lao¡¯s grand opening was the next day, and Yang Tiancheng naturally wouldn¡¯t just watch passively, but had made some preparations in response.


    He had already delegated tasks to each store manager.


    Yang Tiancheng was naturally most concerned about the store managed by Liu Yujuan.


    After all, Liu Yujuan was his wife.


    If the other stores performed well and Liu Yujuan¡¯s store did not, he would lose face.


    Liu Yujuan said, ¡°Tiancheng, rest assured, I am fully prepared. I¡¯ll make sure Jiande Lao¡¯s Linghai Road store has the worst business of all.¡±


    Xu Yang nodded with satisfaction, ¡°That¡¯s good then.¡±


    He was afraid Liu Yujuan would handle it perfunctorily.


    The hot pot chain project was crucial for his promotion to president; he couldn¡¯t allow anyone to drag their feet.


    Even Liu Yujuan was no exception.


    And to suppress Jiande Lao, topletely take it down, would be another achievement for him.


    Although the boss hadn¡¯t asked him to do so, if he did it, and did it well, the boss would undoubtedly be more satisfied. And giving him a share of Meiwei Group¡¯s stock wasn¡¯t out of the question.


    After all, taking down a restaurant chain wasn¡¯t easy.


    If he could achieve this, Meiwei Group¡¯s reputation would soar, and future development would be even smoother.


    ¡°Dad, we must make Jiande Lao close down as soon as possible!¡±


    Yang Jingsheng¡¯s face was full of hatred.


    He had been detained for ten days but was now released.


    Because of his affair, the news had spread, and thepany had already fired him. Even with Yang Tiancheng as the vice president, he couldn¡¯t keep his job.


    The people Yang Jingsheng hated the most were naturally Zhao Hai, Xu Yang, and Zhao Yuxin.


    In his eyes, it was because they refused to settle privately and had sent him to jail.


    Only by forcing Jiande Lao to go bankrupt and close down could he get rid of the hatred in his heart.


    ¡°Jingsheng, don¡¯t worry. As long as Jiande Lao faces setbacks during its opening, it won¡¯t do businesster. Without business, Jiande Lao won¡¯tst long,¡± said Yang Tiancheng with a faint smile, his expression full of confidence.


    Once he became president, his power would be even greater, and reassigning his son to Meiwei Group wouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    ¡­


    January 16th.


    Jiande Lao officially opened for business.


    It was a Saturday.


    Xu Yang arrived at Jiande Lao.


    As the owner of Jiande Lao, on such an important day for the opening, it was natural for him to make an appearance.


    He gave a motivational speech to the staff and assigned tasks to the mid and senior-level leaders.


    Each person was responsible for supervising a store to ensure normal operations on opening day.


    Any problems could also be addressed promptly.

 Chapter 99: 99: A Sight Too Horrible to Endure

    Chapter 99: A Sight Too Horrible to Endure


    Zhao Hai, as thepany president, also received a mission to oversee the situation at Linghai Road branch.


    Xu Yang came to the Linghai Road branch with Zhao Hai.


    Zhao Yuxin also arrived here.


    Having nothing to do, she came to check out the situation.


    By now, it was already twelve o¡¯clock.


    There were only two tables of customers in the restaurant, which seemed very deserted.


    ¡°Husband, how is it going?¡±


    Seeing the situation, Zhao Yuxin began to worry again.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it will be better tomorrow,¡± Xu Yang was not worried at all.


    ¡°Husband, over at Delicious Hot Pot, they¡¯re still handing out flyers and drawing in customers,¡± Zhao Yuxin pointed towards the Delicious Hot Pot store.


    A few staff members were continuously distributing flyers at the street entrance.<div>


    Quite a number of passersby were being ushered into Delicious Hot Pot.


    Zhao Yuxin asked, ¡°Husband, should we let our servers also hand out flyers?¡±


    The restaurant had flyers too, as it had just opened.


    Customers could take them if they wanted.


    Xu Yang shook his head, ¡°No need, that kind of tactic brings in limited customers; we don¡¯t need to do that.¡±


    Zhao Hai was struck with a thought, ¡°Xu Yang, do you have other promotion methods in mind?¡±


    Xu Yang nodded, ¡°Yes, I will have the live streamers from mypany promote us.¡±


    The live streaming agency now had over a hundred streamers.


    And they were mostly high-quality streamers.


    Especially after the New Year¡¯s Day live streaming sales event, the poprity of these streamers had soared greatly.


    It can be said that many streamers with millions of followers have a promotional effectparable to that of a third-tier celebrity.


    Those with tens of millions of followers are definitelyparable to top-tier celebrities.


    Zhao Yuxin¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Right, right, let the streamers promote us, especially Junyi, having this food streamer promote us would be more effective than words can say.¡±


    Xu Yang nodded and smiled, ¡°Exactly, I¡¯ve already spoken to Junyi, and he should be arriving soon.¡±


    No sooner had he spoken than two cars stopped at the entrance.


    Several people got out of the cars.


    One of them was Lin Junyi, and the others were members of the filming team.


    ¡°Xu Yang.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Xu.¡±<div>


    Lin Junyi came over with his people and greeted Xu Yang.


    Lin Junyi spoke casually with Xu Yang, just as before, addressing him directly by his name.


    Of course, other staff members couldn¡¯t do the same.


    ¡°Uncle Hai, Yu Xin,¡± Lin Junyi also greeted Zhao Hai and Zhao Yuxin.<div>


    Zhao Hai nodded slightly.


    Zhao Yuxin smiled and said, ¡°Junyi, speak of the devil, and he shall appear, we were just talking about you, and here you are.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Junyi, whether Jiang Bottom Catch can be famous quickly depends on you now.¡±


    Lin Junyi said, ¡°No problem, there hasn¡¯t been a restaurant I¡¯ve visited that didn¡¯t be a hit. Of course, Xu Yang, you can¡¯t let me down; your Jiang Bottom Catch hot pot has to be delicious. I can¡¯t lie with my eyes open.¡±


    Xu Yangughed, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not only tasty but also fun. I¡¯ve said I want to do something different with hot pot, and I will definitely give you a unique experience.¡±


    Lin Junyi¡¯s eyes sparkled, ¡°Now that you say it, I¡¯m really looking forward to it.¡±


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go inside and have a look.¡±


    Xu Yang led everyone into the restaurant.


    The manager of this restaurant is a woman named Bai Lan.


    She used to be a supervisor here, and after training, Zhao Hai appointed her as the manager of this restaurant. The previous staff of the restaurant were also assigned to this location.


    Seeing Xu Yang and his groupe in, Bai Lan immediately came over to greet them.


    ¡°You go about your business, let things continue as they normally would,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°There¡¯s not much to be busy with right now,¡± Bai Lan said with a bitter smile.<div>


    Therge restaurant only had three tables upied, and a few more customers had juste in.


    Even so, it still couldn¡¯t change the cold atmosphere, given therge size of the venue.


    ¡°Wow, isn¡¯t that the inte celebrity Junyi?¡±


    ¡°It really does seem to be the inte celebrity Junyi. How did he get out here?¡±


    ¡°The ces he explores always have great vors, and they all ended up bing popr. It looks like Jiang Di Lao is on track to take off.¡±


    ¡°With this vor and this service, as long as the word spreads, it¡¯s bound to take off. We¡¯re just the first batch toe and experience it, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Right, look at Min over there, all happy enjoying the free nail service.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Xu Yang, you¡¯ve really done quite well with the decoration,¡± Lin Junyi surveyed the surroundings and couldn¡¯t help but nod his head in approval. Suddenly he noticed one area, ¡°Why does your hot pot restaurant have a nail salon section?¡±


    In the nail salon area, a nail artist was giving a female customer a manicure.


    This scene genuinely shocked Lin Junyi.


    A nail salon inside a hot pot restaurant, what¡¯s going on?


    Eating hot pot and getting a manicure, two things that couldn¡¯t be further apart, how did theye together?<div>


    He doubted whether he was hallucinating and rubbed his eyes, only to find out there was no illusion¡ªit was real.


    At that moment, the female customer¡¯s face was full of smiles, enjoying herself thoroughly.


    Xu Yang exined, ¡°Junyi, as I said earlier, we at Jiang Di Lao want to create a unique hot pot experience, with supreme service being key. Offering free nail services to our female customers is one of those services.¡±


    Lin Junyi couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°Xu Yang, you really do dare to think and act. Just with this one move, you¡¯ve outdone most other bosses.¡±


    Most of the peopleing to eat hot pot are young.


    Crowds gather to eat, drink, and chat.


    Naturally, young female customers all love to look beautiful.


    Having a hot pot meal while also getting aplimentary manicure¡ªnothing could be better!


    After touring around and understanding all of Jiang Di Lao¡¯s services,


    the group returned to the entrance, and Lin Junyi began to film.


    ¡°Hey folks, hi there, I¡¯m Junyi. Today I¡¯m going to take you all out for hot pot. This hot pot restaurant is vastly different from traditional ones, it¡¯ll definitely be an eye-opener for you all. Let¡¯s go on this experience together¡­¡±


    ¡­


    At 10 p.m., Jiang Di Lao ceased operations.<div>


    At 10:15 p.m., the managers of various branches posted their sales figures to the Jiang Di Lao work group.


    The turnover of each restaurant was around 20,000 yuan.


    It could be said that the turnover was pitifully low.


    ¡°Today¡¯s turnover is a bit low, primarily because Jiang Di Lao isn¡¯t well-known yet, and also because of the trouble caused by Mei Wei Hot Pot.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, the people from Mei Wei Hot Pot are really shameless, distributing flyers right up to our storefront.¡±


    ¡°Many customers who wanted to try out our restaurant were lured away by them.¡±


    ¡°I think we should let some of our service staff go out to distribute flyers, to build up our poprity. Once we boost our poprity, business will prosper. After all, customers who have dined with us have had a great experience and said they woulde back for hot pot next time.¡±


    ¡°Mhm, and those customers who¡¯ve experienced our exceptional service also said they would definitely rmend us to their friends.¡±


    The managers voiced their suggestions in turn, looking for solutions.


    Xu Yang sent a message: ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t worry and don¡¯t send the service staff to distribute flyers. I¡¯ve already hired someone to promote Jiang Di Lao.¡±


    Immediately, a manager asked, ¡°President Xu, who have you hired?¡±

 Chapter 100: 100: Searching in the River for Fire

    Chapter 100: Searching in the River for Fire


    Xu Yang: I invited food vlogger Yi Ge, you all should know about him, right?


    Some manager asked: The food vlogger from Douyin?


    Xu Yang: Yes, I had him visit the Linghai Road store today.


    Manager A: With him on board, there shouldn¡¯t be any issues. The ces he¡¯s visited have all been hits.


    Manager B: It seems Xu has had everything prepared for a while. We were worrying over nothing.


    Manager C: With Yi Ge exploring the restaurant today, tomorrow Jiangdo will be a household name. Everyone, get ready to wee the guests.


    Manager D: Definitely, we¡¯ll be swamped tomorrow for sure.


    Manager E: I¡¯m actually kind of excited to see what the folks from Delicious Hot Pot will look like once they see our Jiangdo filled with guests.


    ¡­


    The Yang family.


    ¡°Tian Cheng, Jiangdo wasn¡¯t busy at all today. Our method is working,¡± Liu Yujuan said with a smile on her face.<div>


    Seeing that Jiangdo had scant customers throughout the day made her extremely happy.


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly the effect we wanted,¡± Yang Tiancheng nodded with satisfaction.


    ¡°Hmph, Jiangdo is dreaming if they think they canpete with us. They simply have a death wish. With things going the way they are, Jiangdo will close down in less than three months!¡± Yang Jingsheng sneered repeatedly.


    He had visited the Jiangdo closest to their home this evening and was thrilled to see only a few tables upied.


    ¡°I also had people inquire, and Jiangdo¡¯s prices are one and a half times ours. A new hot pot brand that¡¯s more expensive than ours is basically asking for trouble,¡± Yang Jingsheng added.


    Although he no longer worked at Delicious Catering, he was still very concerned about this matter.


    He heard from Yang Tiancheng that if the hot pot chain n was sessful and Tian Cheng became the president of the group, he could be reassigned to a position in thepany.


    Everything would go back to the way it was, no, even better than before.


    Yang Tiancheng would also look for opportunities to promote him again.


    As for the stain on his record from being detained, naturally, no one would dare to interfere.


    After all, the boss wouldn¡¯t care about such a trivial matter.


    Inparison to the revenue Yang Tiancheng could bring to the group, keeping him around, a person of leisure, seemed insignificant.


    Even if the boss were aware of the issue, he wouldn¡¯t bother with it.


    ¡°Jing Sheng is right, Jiangdo really does have a death wish. If things continue like this, they definitely won¡¯tst three months,¡± Liu Yujuan echoed.


    ¡­


    That evening, Lin Junyi uploaded the edited video to Douyin and pinned it to the top.


    Xiao Dongsheng instructed all the vloggers to share the video.


    Overnight, the video gained traction.


    By the next morning, Jiangdo hadpletely exploded in poprity.<div>


    Many people were curious about what made this Jiangdo hot pot ce different, which would cause so many popr vloggers to share and rmend it. They all opened the video to watch.


    Instantly, they were greatly surprised and began liking and sharing the video.


    ¡­


    Kai Xuan Investments.<div>


    In his office, Chen Guanglei saw that the vloggers from Fengcai Guild were promoting Jiangdo, and he knew Jiangdo was going to be a hit.


    Now, no one dared to underestimate the vloggers from Fengcai Guild.


    Fengcai Guild was definitely a powerful promotional tool.


    Originally, he had thought that Xu Yang¡¯s acquisition of Fishfire Family and renaming it to Jiangdo was a stupid move.


    But now it appeared that, with Fengcai Guild as a promotional asset at his disposal, Xu didn¡¯t have to worry about brand recognition at all.


    A single wave of promotion by Fengcai Guild¡¯s vloggers was all it took to gain fame.


    Thinking about this, Chen Guanglei grew even more regretful.


    If only he had bought Fengcai Guild for five million earlier.


    Xu Yang wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance.


    ¡°How did Xu Yang get so lucky to acquire Fengcai Guild?¡±


    Chen Guanglei was mad with jealousy.


    In his eyes, Xu Yang was still just lucky.


    It was like a blind cat running into a dead rat when he happened to acquire Fengcai Guild.<div>


    The development of Fengcai Guild to this state had nothing to do with Xu Yang, it was all Xiao Dongsheng¡¯s merit.


    ¡°This Xiao Dongsheng, I was willing to give him thirty percent of the shares and he still wouldn¡¯t jump ship. He must have been kicked in the head by a donkey!¡±


    Thinking that he hadn¡¯t been able to poach Xiao Dongsheng made Chen Guanglei gnash his teeth in frustration, bearing a grudge against Xiao Dongsheng.


    Unfortunately, whether he held a grudge or not, he couldn¡¯t do anything to Xiao Dongsheng.


    ¡°The only n for now is to make the guild I¡¯ve acquired even better than Fengcai Guild, topletely suppress them. It would be best to crush Fengcai Guild and have Xu Yang revert to his true self!¡±


    Chen Guanglei had spent forty-five million to purchase Jia Sheng Guild, a guild muchrger in scale than Fengcai Guild.


    ¡­


    Noon.


    Liu Yujuan, as she had done the previous day, asked the waitstaff to distribute flyers outside.


    She stood at the entrance herself, smiling as she watched the waitstaff attract customers, to see if Zhao Hai would show up again today.


    If he did, she would go over and gloat.


    But to her surprise, no one came to eat hot pot anymore.


    No matter how hard the waitstaff worked at handing out flyers, no matter how they promoted the delicious and affordable hot pot, no one entered the restaurant anymore.<div>


    Instead, they hurriedly headed to Jiang Di Lao, entering Jiang Di Lao.


    Also, on the other end of the street, many people were continuously streaming in, entering Jiang Di Lao.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Liu Yujuan waspletely baffled.


    Yesterday, Jiang Di Lao had no patrons at all.


    How could it be that overnight, so many people flooded into Jiang Di Lao to eat hot pot?


    Moreover, they all seemed to be in such a hurry.


    Had these people gone mad?


    ¡°Manager, we¡¯ve got a problem!¡± Suddenly, the floor supervisor ran out with a cell phone in hand.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Liu Yujuan¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    ¡°Jiang Di Lao is on fire!¡± Since there were no customers, the floor supervisor, bored out of his mind, sneakily took out his phone to y, only to discover someone had shared Lin Junyi¡¯s restaurant visit video on social media. That was how he found out what was happening and hurriedly came to inform Liu Yujuan.


    ¡°Jiang Di Lao is on fire? How did it catch fire?¡± Liu Yujuan was at a loss, utterly confused.


    She couldn¡¯t understand how Jiang Di Lao, which had been deste yesterday, could be bustling today.<div>


    ¡°Manager, Jiang Di Lao became popr on Douyin. It¡¯s a big hit with influencers. That food vlogger, Brother Yi, visited Jiang Di Lao, andst night, he posted a video of his visit on Douyin. Also, many other vloggers shared it. After fermenting overnight, Jiang Di Lao blew up. Our shop is so close to Jiang Di Lao, and now all the customers are going there, none areing to our ce,¡± the floor supervisor exined in detail.


    ¡°Let me see.¡± Liu Yujuan snatched the phone from the supervisor¡¯s hand.


    A few minutester, Liu Yujuan understood everything.


    ¡°This Xu Yang actually hired so many influencers to promote Jiang Di Lao!¡±


    Liu Yujuan¡¯s face was extremely ugly.


    She returned the phone to the supervisor and took out her own phone, dialing Yang Tiancheng¡¯s number.


    Soon, the call connected.


    Liu Yujuan immediately said, ¡°Tian Cheng, Jiang Di Lao¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, Yang Tiancheng said, ¡°I know, I¡¯m on my way to you.¡±


    Before long, Yang Tiancheng arrived, apanied by Yang Jingsheng.


    Yang Jingsheng had arranged to eat with a beautifuldy from thepany.


    When he reached thepany¡¯s entrance, he saw Yang Tiancheng rushing out.


    Upon asking what was happening and learning about the situation, Yang Jingsheng tagged along.


    As for dining with thepany beauty, he naturally found an excuse to cancel.


    At this point, the looks on Yang Tiancheng and his son¡¯s faces were extremely somber.

 Chapter 101: 101 Unsustainable

    Chapter 101: Unsustainable


    ¡°Tian Cheng, what should we do now?¡± Liu Yujuan was suddenly at a loss.


    After all, she was never a capable person.


    Working at thepany, she could be a junior leader only with Yang Tiancheng¡¯s support.


    The position as the manager of this store was also arranged by Yang Tiancheng.


    The promotional strategies and discount measures were set by thepany as well.


    She was merely an executor.


    If it were fairpetition, she would not be able to get this position.


    In this situation, naturally, she was at a loss.


    ¡°Xu Yang has hired so many live streamers for his promotion, especially that popr gourmet live streamer Yi Ge; it must have cost a fortune, probably over ten million.¡±


    ¡°Dad, you can apply to the boss to hire live streamers for promotion. As long as we make a name for ourselves, we will be the ultimate winners in the end.¡±


    Yang Jingsheng came up with this idea.<div>


    ¡°The boss won¡¯t approve of that much advertising expense,¡± Yang Tiancheng shook his head.


    A ten-million-level advertising budget was obviously beyond the boss¡¯s approval, without even thinking about it.


    ¡°How does Xu Yang have so much money? Isn¡¯t it just that he made a few million from futures trading and earned fifty million from picking up antiques?¡±


    ¡°Buying luxury cars, buying vis, all that must have been almost spent, right?¡±


    ¡°Mortgaging vis to acquire Yu Huo Ren Jia, plus investment in decorations and other expenses, should have used up all his funds. How does he still have the money to hire so many live streamers for promotion?¡±


    Yang Jingsheng couldn¡¯t figure it out.


    He simply couldn¡¯t understand how Xu Yang had so much money.


    ¡°Could he really have other ways of making money?¡± Liu Yujuan recalled what Zhao Yuxin said thest time at Zhao Hai¡¯s restaurant.


    Yang Tiancheng frowned and said, ¡°Now is not the time to think about that; the most important thing¡­¡±


    Now wasn¡¯t the time to worry about how Xu Yang had so much money, but to deal with the problem at hand.


    Before he could finish, the phone began to ring.


    It was a call from his subordinate, also his trusted aide.


    After picking up the call and listening for a moment, Yang Tiancheng could not help but exim in shock, ¡°What did you say!¡±


    Soon after, he hung up the phone, his face looked terribly grim, as if he had lost his parents.


    ¡°Dad, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Yang Jingsheng couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°Xiao Qin said that Fengcai Guild¡¯s boss is Xu Yang.¡± Yang Tiancheng said with a grim face.


    ¡°What!¡± Both Yang Jingsheng and Liu Yujuan eximed in shock almost at the same time.


    ¡°How can this be, how can Fengcai Guild be Xu Yang¡¯s?¡± Yang Jingsheng murmured incredulously.


    When he had nothing to do, he enjoyed scrolling through Douyin.<div>


    He knew which live streamers were popr at the moment and had a fair understanding of the major live streaming guilds.


    Fengcai Guild was the most prominent guild on the Douyin tform, and the quality of its live streamers was very high.


    Especially during the New Year¡¯s Day pilot live stream for sales, it was said that Fengcai Guild earned forty to fifty million in one day.


    Nowadays, their live streamers could make about ten million a day through live selling.<div>


    In recent days, Yang Jingsheng had often been sighing, thinking how lucky the owner of Fengcai Guild was, and wishing he were the owner of Fengcai Guild himself.


    Unexpectedly, Fengcai Guild turned out to be Xu Yang¡¯s.


    No wonder there were so many live streamers helping with the promotion.


    Liu Yujuan was already stunned by the shock.


    Although she didn¡¯t scroll through Douyin like the younger folks, she knew how explosive the New Year¡¯s Day live stream for sales was for Fengcai Guild.


    At that time, she even made a purchase of a skincare product.


    Without thinking, it was clear that Fengcai Guild was making a lot of money.


    ¡°Dad, with Fengcai Guild¡¯s live streamers promoting for Xu Yang, we can¡¯tpare with him in terms of advertising. What should we do?¡± After regaining his senses, Yang Jingsheng¡¯s face became extremely grim.


    ¡°Jiang Di Lao now has live streamers¡¯ promotion, which has certainly made it popr.¡±


    ¡°But consumers go to Jiang Di Lao for hot pot mainly for novelty, to see for themselves what a live streamer-promoted hot pot restaurant is like.¡±


    ¡°Such consumer behavior is not destined tost.¡±


    ¡°For a hot pot business, the most important thing is the consumers¡¯ word of mouth.¡±


    ¡°Only with good word of mouth will consumers continue to patronize in the future.¡±<div>


    ¡°Jiang Bottom Fishing¡¯s prices are half more expensive than ours at Delicious Hotpot; after these people try it out, they definitely won¡¯t continue to patronize it,¡±


    ¡°After all, most of those who eat hot pot are ordinary office workers. When the taste is roughly the same, the most important factor is still price.¡±


    ¡°Our Delicious Hotpot definitely doesn¡¯tck in vor, and our advantage is very clear.¡±


    ¡°Just you watch, once consumers regain their senses, they definitely won¡¯t go back to Jiang Bottom Fishing and will continue to patronize our Delicious Hotpot.¡±


    ¡°The craze for Jiang Bottom Fishing is unsustainable, and the ultimate victor will still be our Delicious Hotpot.¡±


    Yang Tiancheng fell silent briefly before presenting his analysis.


    Hearing his dad¡¯s well-reasoned analysis, Yang Jingsheng¡¯s displeased expression finally eased.


    After all, it concerned whether he could return to work at thepany.


    He agreed and said, ¡°Dad, you¡¯re right. The poprity of Jiang Bottom Fishing is unsustainable, and I believe it won¡¯t be long before things revert to normal, and the ultimate victor will still be our Delicious Hotpot.¡±


    ¡­


    At ten fifteen that night.


    The work group of Jiang Bottom Fishing.


    Every shop manager had posted today¡¯s turnover in the group.<div>


    The turnover for each shop had increased tenfoldpared to yesterday, reaching about two hundred thousand.


    Seeing this turnover, Xu Yang broke into a smile. This was normal.


    ording to Zhao Hai¡¯s estimate, thepany¡¯s profit margin was around ten percent.


    With twenty-one stores, each making about two hundred thousand, that totaled to roughly four million two hundred thousand.


    The daily profit was about four hundred twenty thousand.


    Over a month, that amounted to more than twelve million.


    Over a year, the profits would surpass a minor goal.


    And this was just twenty-one stores. If Jiang Bottom Fishing were to expand to other cities, profits would continue to rise.


    No wonder the system had said that in just a few years, Jiang Bottom Fishing had be a hundred-billion market value restaurant empire.


    Previously, Fish & Firepot Home¡¯s annual profit was around eighteen million.


    Now, a month¡¯s profit for Jiang Bottom Fishing already surpassed a year¡¯s profit for Fish & Firepot Home.


    Thepany¡¯s executives were sending joyful and surprised messages in the group one after another.


    Some even sent red packets.<div>


    For these executives, the better thepany¡¯s development, the higher their ie.


    Originally, they had little confidence in thepany¡¯s development, and some even had ns to resign.


    Xu Yang had renamed Fish & Firepot Home, which they all thought was a foolish move.


    However, Xu Yang had raised the sries of all employees, so they stayed on.


    They nned to wait and see what would happen.


    Unexpectedly, Xu Yang gave them a surprise.


    Now, no one had thoughts of resigning anymore.


    One could imagine that in the future, Jiang Bottom Fishing would develop better and better.


    By then, their ie would naturally rise along with the tide.


    Seeing an executive send red packets.


    Xu Yang, as the boss, naturally had to make a gesture.


    He sent out five hundred red packets in one go, each worth a hundred yuan, amounting to a total of fifty thousand yuan, letting the employees scramble for them.


    This was to liven up the atmosphere and give everyone a bit of happiness.


    After all, Jiang Bottom Fishing had a great start, and its future development wouldn¡¯t need to be worried about anymore.


    As long as they continued down this path, things would be fine.


    The hundred-billion restaurant empire was within reach.


    This mere fifty thousand was nothing inparison.


    ¡°Thank you, Boss¡±


    ¡°The boss is generous!¡±


    ¡°The boss is magnanimous!¡±


    Practically every employee managed to get a red packet unless they weren¡¯t looking at their phones, in which case there was nothing to be done.

 Chapter 102: 102 Good Idea

    Chapter 102: Good Idea


    Evening.


    Jiangdi Lao went viral across the entirework.


    Among all the buzz, Jiangdi Lao¡¯s supreme service even topped the trending search list.


    On various social media tforms, many people were discussing Jiangdi Lao¡¯s service.


    ¡°Having a hot pot at Jiangdi Lao and getting a free manicure, what a great feeling!¡±


    ¡°I was watching a movie while eating hot pot, and the waitress noticed my phone was just sitting on the table, obstructing the view, so she brought over a phone stand for me, truly thoughtful.¡±


    ¡°My wife and I took our daughter for hot pot, and the little one was being clingy, making us both unable to enjoy our meal peacefully. Then a service girl came over to y games with our daughter, making it the smoothest dining experience we¡¯ve had with our bundle of joy.¡±


    ¡°At Jiangdi Lao, children can eat snacks for free and even get some little toys, my son said he wants us to take him to Jiangdi Lao for hot pot again.¡±


    ¡°The service at Jiangdi Lao is truly beyond words,pletely changing my perception of the catering industry.¡±


    ¡°Jiangdi Lao¡¯s boss is really talented,ing up with such service is unprecedented.¡±


    ¡°I think everyone should go have a meal at Jiangdi Lao to experience their supreme service.¡±<div>


    ¡­


    Seeing thesements on social media, the faces of Yang Tiancheng and his son turned ugly again.


    This was a stark contrast to Yang Tiancheng¡¯s judgment.


    Clearly, consumers were extremely satisfied with Jiangdi Lao.


    There were virtually no negative reviews, only praise, and it was glowing praise.


    Initially, he had thought that consumers were just being lured in by influencers to try something new at Jiangdi Lao, assuming interest would wane once the hype died down.


    Now it seemed not to be the case.


    Obviously, Jiangdi Lao had found a unique path.


    That was supreme service.


    This was Jiangdi Lao¡¯s corepetitive edge.


    Normally, this wouldn¡¯t be a big deal.


    After all, even if consumers liked going to Jiangdi Lao for hot pot, it didn¡¯t mean other hot pot restaurants would be out of business.


    It¡¯s not like everyone would go to Jiangdi Lao for hot pot.


    Other hot pot restaurants still had room to survive.


    There were various reasons for this.


    Geographic location, pricing, taste, and so on.


    However, Meiwei Hot Pot was different.


    The Meiwei Hot Pot stores were right next to Jiangdi Lao, and they were the ones most impacted.


    If peoplee near a Jiangdi Lao store to have hot pot, most would definitely choose Jiangdi Lao first.<div>


    Being half as expensive doesn¡¯t really matter to people nowadays.


    Even if some chose Meiwei Hot Pot, the number wouldn¡¯t be significant.


    ¡°Tiancheng, what do we do now? Our hot pot restaurants are all next to Jiangdi Lao. Not many wille to our ce in the future,¡± Liu Yujuan voiced her worries.


    Yang Tiancheng furrowed his brows, remaining silent.<div>


    He had indeed been caught off guard this time.


    He had hoped to undermine Jiangdi Lao by selecting a location right next to it.


    He hadn¡¯t anticipated this turnaround.


    He really couldn¡¯t think of a good way to respond.


    ¡°Dad, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s hard to solve. Jiangdi Lao implemented supreme service, we can do the same,¡± said Yang Jingsheng.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Yang Tiancheng¡¯s eyes lit up.


    The core of Jiangdi Lao was supreme service.


    If Jiangdi Lao could do it, their Meiwei Hot Pot could also manage it.


    There¡¯s no issue of giarism and being sued here.


    Jiang Bottom Fishing has it, and so does Meishi Hotpot.


    The taste is almost the same, and the price of Meishi Hotpot is even cheaper than Jiang Bottom Fishing.


    Wouldn¡¯t this be able to turn the situation around?


    I must say, it¡¯s really a great idea.<div>


    Yang Tiancheng looked deeply at his son, ¡°Jing Sheng, it seems you¡¯ve learned your lesson fromst time, and you¡¯ve found the core solution to the problem at once. Not bad, very good indeed.¡±


    Yang Jingsheng said proudly, ¡°Of course, who do you think I am? If it wasn¡¯t for the guy I found not being up to scratchst time, it could have been a sess, and even if I hadn¡¯t managed to rent Zhao Hai¡¯s shop space, I could have still tarnished his reputation.¡±


    Yang Tiancheng did not respond,st time¡¯s incident truly showed his son¡¯s ipetence, the tactics were too childish.


    But his son had already been punished; there was no need to bring it up again.


    He said, ¡°Fine, I will arrange it tomorrow so that all the servers in our stores receive training to roll out the rted services.¡±


    At this moment, Zhao Yulu came home.


    ¡°Yu Lu, where have you been? It¡¯s almost eleven o¡¯clock. Why are you only getting back now?¡± Liu Yujuan asked.


    ¡°I had dinner with my colleagues,¡± Zhao Yulu replied.


    ¡°You found a job?¡± Liu Yujuan asked.


    The fact that Zhao Yulu had resigned from the bank wasmonly known by the three of them.


    ¡°Yes, I have,¡± Zhao Yulu nodded in response.


    ¡°Whatpany is it?¡± Liu Yujuan probed further.


    ¡°Jia Sheng Media,¡± Zhao Yulu answered truthfully.<div>


    ¡°It¡¯s the Jia Sheng Guild from Douyin, right?¡± Yang Jingsheng was informed about the situation.


    Jia Sheng Media Company is, in fact, Jia Sheng Guild.


    Just like Fengcai Guild, it¡¯s essentially Style Media Company.


    ¡°This is arge guild. On Douyin, it¡¯s one of thergest guilds. What do you do there?¡± Yang Jingsheng asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m the vice president,¡± said Zhao Yulu.


    ¡°What! Vice president? How¡¯s that possible? You¡¯ve just graduated not long ago. How could arge guild hire you as the vice president?!¡± Yang Jingsheng eximed, his face full of disbelief.


    It wasn¡¯t that he was looking down on Zhao Yulu, but rather it was the reality.


    Zhao Yulu had just graduated not long ago and to directly be the vice president of arge guild seemed impossible to anyone.


    Yang Tiancheng, however, had a glimmer in his eye, as if he had thought of something, and asked, ¡°Your position as vice president, does it have something to do with Chen Guanglei?¡±


    Zhao Yulu looked at Yang Tiancheng and nodded, ¡°Yes, Chen Guanglei¡¯s father¡¯spany has wholly acquired Jia Sheng Media, and he asked me to be the vice president.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Yang Jingsheng suddenly understood. ¡°I was wondering how they could hire you as the vice president. Since it¡¯s been fully acquired by Chen Guanglei¡¯s father¡¯spany, and considering how much Chen Guanglei likes you, it¡¯s not strange at all for you to be vice president.¡±


    Suddenly, something urred to him, his eyes lighting up, he continued, ¡°Yu Lu, Dad¡¯s hot pot chain is facing some difficulties now. Jiang Bottom Fishing is Xu Yang¡¯s, as you know, and it¡¯s very popr now, all due to the streamers¡¯ promotions. We¡¯re discussing ways to solve this, and I¡¯ve already thought of one. It is to emte Jiang Bottom Fishing¡¯s ultimate service. As long as weunch ultimate service, we should be able to turn the situation around. However, to quickly recover, we still need a bit of promotion. Now that you are the vice president of Jia Sheng Guild, surely you have many top streamers. Could you arrange for a few of them to help promote us?¡±


    Hearing his son¡¯s words, Yang Tiancheng¡¯s eyes also shone with anticipation as he looked at Zhao Yulu.<div>


    If streamers could promote without cost, that would be fantastic.


    It would definitely make Meishi Hotpot famous in the shortest time.


    Same ultimate service, but with lower prices at Meishi Hotpot, it could certainly snatch the business from Jiang Bottom Fishing.


    Zhao Yulu gave Yang Jingsheng a look before saying, ¡°That¡¯s no problem, but money still has to be paid as the guild isn¡¯t mine. I¡¯m just working there; I can¡¯t have those top streamers promote for free. They charge for ads, and if I don¡¯t, it will make it difficult for me to manage themter on, and it might even upset Chen Guanglei.¡±


    This reason was simply impable.


    Although Yang Jingsheng was somewhat displeased, he couldn¡¯t refute it.


    Especially since Zhao Yulu brought up Chen Guanglei at the end, he had even less to say.


    Yang Jingsheng said, ¡°Dad, what do you think¡­¡±


    In the end, the decision was left to Yang Tiancheng.


    Yang Tiancheng had also considered bringing in inte celebrities for promotions, otherwise if the situation persisted too long, the boss would surely be unhappy.


    After thinking for a moment, he nodded and said, ¡°Alright, send me the advertising rates for a few top streamers from your guild tomorrow, and I¡¯ll take a look.¡±


    Zhao Yulu nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±

 Chapter 103: 103 First Trip Abroad

    Chapter 103: First Trip Abroad


    Before Xu Yang knew it, an entire night had passed.


    After starting her workday, Zhao Yulu sent the price quotes from several top broadcasters to Yang Tiancheng.


    Upon seeing the quotes, Yang Tiancheng immediately furrowed his brows.


    The advertising rates these top broadcasters charged were not low, all ranging from one to two million.


    Yang Tiancheng dialed Zhao Yulu¡¯s number, ¡°Yu Lu, aren¡¯t these quotes a bit too high?¡±


    Zhao Yulu responded, ¡°These are actually discounted rates. If it weren¡¯t for me serving as the Vice-President, you wouldn¡¯t be able to secure them at this price. I mentioned our rtionship, and they agreed. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have been willing.¡±


    In fact, she wasn¡¯t telling the truth.


    These prices were the normal rates.


    She didn¡¯t leverage her rtionship with Yang Tiancheng.


    After all, she was just acting as a bridge and had no intention of giving Yang Tiancheng a discount.


    In fact, with her status as the Vice-President, she could have obtained some discounts.<div>


    But she didn¡¯t want to.


    She didn¡¯t want to help with Yang Tiancheng¡¯s affairs.


    What happened to Yang Tiancheng was none of her business.


    Of course, Yang Tiancheng was unaware of all this. After some thought, he could only say resignedly, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll think about it and decide which broadcasters to use for the promotion.¡±


    That very afternoon, Yang Tiancheng decided to hire three broadcasters, totaling five million.


    This was not a small sum, and since there had been no prior budget for this, naturally it had to be reported to the boss.


    After reviewing it, the boss frowned slightly, ¡°Do you think hiring broadcasters for promotion will work?¡±


    Yang Tiancheng nodded, ¡°Boss, it will definitely work. We¡¯re justcking in fame right now. If we can build our reputation by learning from Haido¡¯s service, and add in our well-received hot pot vors, plus the affordability of our prices, we will certainly be able to turn things around.¡±


    The boss was silent for a moment, then signed his agreement and said, ¡°I hope it turns out as you say.¡±


    Yang Tiancheng reassured, ¡°Boss, you can rest assured. Things will definitely develop as I¡¯ve described.¡±


    ¡­


    Haido had be a sensation and no longer needed management, practically running itself now.


    Xu Yang started to look for people to head to South America for an aluminum mining expedition.


    People from Fengkai Mining were still at the aluminum mine, with a one-week buffer period allowing Xu Yang to find someone to take over.


    Xu Yang had to find someone within a week to take over the task.


    As long as there was money, finding people was quite easy.


    There werepanies that specialized in this.


    Xu Yang got in touch with one suchpany and negotiated on-site.


    After the negotiation, he employed a team from thepany for one month at a price of five million.<div>


    The team would follow the requirements and carry out exploration and mining.


    During this month, the team would follow Xu Yang¡¯s directives.


    Originally, Xu Yang hadn¡¯t nned to go to South America himself, since he wasn¡¯t familiar with mining anyway, and he thought it was enough to just send the team to explore and mine.


    However, after some thought, he decided to make the trip.<div>


    This aluminum mine could bring in over ten billion in profits, so he couldn¡¯t take any chances.


    Three dayster, having made all necessary preparations andpleted all procedures, Xu Yang led the team and a six-person security squad, departing for South America.


    There was no choice, as it was said that Sita, a country in South America, was quite chaotic, so it was essential to be well-prepared.


    They flew to the international airport in Sita¡¯s capital and then drove to the location of the aluminum mine.


    The vehicle arrangements were the responsibility of the security personnel, so neither Xu Yang nor the exploration team needed to worry about it.


    Xu Yang had a fair amount of confidence in the security staff.


    He had hired thergest securitypany in the country, with business operations spread across the globe and possessing enough clout to be ranked in the top ten worldwide.


    They even had branches in the capital of Sita.


    Moreover, two local security personnel were dispatched to assist.


    The security staff issued everyone lightweight bulletproof vests and had everyone put them on.


    Everyone knew where they were and conscientiously wore them.


    No one made light of their own lives.


    The security team leader rode in the same vehicle as Xu Yang.<div>


    ¡°Mr. Xu, it¡¯s about three hours to the location of the aluminum mine. If we encounter anything on the way, you must listen to my instructions. I hope you understand,¡± the security team leader said.


    ¡°I understand,¡± Xu Yang nodded.


    On this matter, as the other party was the professional, Xu Yang naturally had no objections.


    Along the way, sporadic gunfire could be heard from time to time.


    ¡°The state of Sita is really chaotic. Gunshots like these are unimaginable in our Huaxia,¡± Xu Yang couldn¡¯t help butment.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± the security team leader said.


    ¡°Captain Wang, you must have been to many countries,¡± Xu Yang asked.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve basically set foot on every continent, and I¡¯ve been to half the countries in the world,¡± Captain Wang nodded.


    ¡°Captain Wang, it¡¯s my first time going abroad. I¡¯ve seen domestic media say that Huaxia is one of the safest countries in the world, with the best public security. Is that true?¡±


    Xu Yang, who had never been abroad, usually saw such news.


    He asked this question seeking confirmation.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Captain Wang¡¯s expression turned serious, ¡°We are fortunate to be born in Huaxia. There are few countries in the world as safe as Huaxia. Many are in perpetual turmoil, leaving people¡¯s lives in misery.¡±


    At that moment, intense gunfire erupted from up ahead.<div>


    The convoy came to a halt.


    ¡°Mr. Xu, please stay in the car for now.¡±


    After giving this instruction, Captain Wang got out of the vehicle.


    The security personnel from the other vehicles also disembarked, weapons in hand, bullets chambered, positioning themselves defensively.


    Captain Wang and two local security staff walked a short distance ahead.


    Soon, several pickup trucks approached from the front, their beds filled with armed men.


    Coming close, they stopped.


    One of the local security personnel even greeted someone in one of the trucks.


    After a discussion, it was learned that there was gunfire ahead, a turf war that had blocked the road. The fighting was estimated to not stop any time soon, at least for an hour or two.


    Taking a detour would require even more time.


    With no other option, they were forced to passively wait at this location.


    The people in the pickup trucks were part of the faction involved in the firefight, aiming to cut off the opponents¡¯ stronghold.


    They didn¡¯t cause trouble for Xu Yang and his party, mainly because of the renowned reputation of Wanquan Security, which even these men didn¡¯t dare to provoke easily.<div>


    Moreover, one of the local security officers knew the leader of the opposing group.


    After they left, Captain Wang informed everyone about the situation and said they could get out of the cars to get some fresh air.


    About an hour and a halfter, the gunfire ahead gradually subsided, and the pickup trucks returned.


    The men on the trucks had various injuries, but their faces were filled with joy.


    ¡°Help! Help!¡±


    At that moment, a cry for help came from one of the pickup trucks.


    Xu Yang was slightly startled and looked in the direction of the voice, seeing a middle-aged man in casual clothes.


    ¡°What are you yelling for? Keep it up and I¡¯ll kill you,¡± someone on the truck said.


    The pickup truck stopped, and one of the men got off, handing a cigarette to the local security staff, chatting andughing, seemingly in a good mood.


    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m also from Huaxia, we¡¯re allpatriots, please help me,¡± the middle-aged man who had been shouting continued to call out.


    He had heard the conversation between Xu Yang and Captain Wang earlier and knew they were from Huaxia; he also spoke the Huaxianguage.

 Chapter 104: 104: Discovering an Aluminum Ore

    Chapter 104: Discovering an Aluminum Ore


    ¡°Captain Wang, could I ask what¡¯s going on with this person?¡± Xu Yang didn¡¯t mean to meddle, but seeing that the other person seemed to be Chinese, he couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    If this person was innocently captured, he still wanted to attempt a rescue if possible.


    Captain Wang hesitated for a moment, then nodded and went to ask the local security staff.


    And that armed gang leader was there, too.


    After talking for a while, Captain Wang came back and reported the situation.


    Only then did Xu Yang understand that this middle-aged man was not Chinese but a man from the ind country.


    Because he had taken a fancy to a woman and nned to use money to get her to sleep with him, but the woman was unwilling, the ind man got angry, hit the woman, and tried to force himself upon her.


    Later, the woman¡¯s husband came over and managed to drive the middle-aged man away.


    The woman¡¯s husband had friends in the armed group.


    It was this armed group leader.


    He found the man and asked for help to take revenge.<div>


    There you have it, the armed leader raided the enemy¡¯sir to help his friend settle the score and captured the ind middle-aged man to bring him to the base, making good use of him and letting the ind man serve as cannon fodder.


    Xu Yang had the least tolerance for men who forced themselves on women.


    This ind man is simply trash.


    What¡¯s more, he pretended to be Chinese while actually being an inder, which was a clear deception, and that irritated Xu Yang.


    It¡¯s a good thing he asked Captain Wang first. If he had attempted a rescue without knowing the truth, that would have been troublesome.


    Xu Yang looked at the ind man, ¡°You¡¯re not Chinese, and you¡¯ve done such a thing, whatever happens to you, you deserve it.¡±


    The ind man, knowing his actions were exposed to Xu Yang, looked somewhat displeased, ¡°Even if I¡¯m not Chinese, you should still save me. The ind country and China are neighbors; we¡¯re like neighbors. Someone in your team obviously knows that armed group leader, why don¡¯t you ask him to speak up and save me, what¡¯s wrong with that? Don¡¯t you Chinese always say, ¡®Distant rtives aren¡¯t as good as close neighbors¡¯? Helping your neighbor, isn¡¯t that what you should do?¡±


    This ind man spoke as if he waspletely justified.


    Such words directly ignited the anger of Xu Yang and the others.


    ¡°Shameless!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re scum! Even throwing you in a trash bin would make me feel sorry for the bin.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a beast; you deserve to die.¡±


    ¡°And you expect Xu Yang to save you? Dream on!¡±


    ¡­


    Xu Yang said, ¡°I never imagined you would ask for my help with such an attitude, acting as if it¡¯s my obligation to save you. I really don¡¯t know where you get the audacity.¡±


    The ind man replied, ¡°What I¡¯m saying is the truth. Do you intend to stand by and watch me die?¡±


    Xu Yang responded, ¡°It¡¯s not about whether I can save you or not; even if I could, I wouldn¡¯t. If possible, I would even wish for your death.¡±


    Xu Yang originally didn¡¯t have a good impression of inders.


    After all, the ind country¡¯s past crimes against China were too numerous to document.<div>


    Now that it¡¯s a time of peace, naturally, Xu Yang couldn¡¯t do anything to inders.


    If this inder had spoken nicely and shown a plea for help, Xu Yang might have been internally conflicted and attempted to negotiate a rescue.


    But now, that¡¯s obviously impossible.


    It¡¯s not about whether he could save him or not; even if he could, he wouldn¡¯t.<div>


    He¡¯s not so noble to tolerate such behavior.


    ¡°What are you saying? How can you be so heartless?¡± the inder widened his eyes, seemingly unable to believe Xu Yang would say such a thing.


    He had grown ustomed to looking down on Chinese people.


    During his business trips to China, many Chinese people tried to please him.


    In China, he was treated like a VIP.


    This led him to a delusion that he could behave the same way with any Chinese person anywhere.


    Now it seemed he was mistaken.


    ¡°You such trash, just wait to die,¡± Xu Yang said indifferently.


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t just watch someone die,¡± the ind nation man yelled.


    Themotion here caught the attention of the armed leader.


    The man came over and asked what was happening.


    Captain Wang informed hispanion, and thepanion informed the other party.


    ¡°You really do deserve to die, I can¡¯t be bothered to take you back as cannon fodder,¡± the armed subordinate said coldly, ¡°Take him down.¡±<div>


    Upon hearing this, his men immediately took the man off the vehicle and kicked him in the shins, forcing him to kneel on the ground.


    The armed subordinate quickly pulled out the handgun from his waist and fired a shot.


    The ind nation man fell to the ground at the sound.


    This scene shocked Xu Yang and his group.


    The security personnel, used to life and death, were naturally unaffected, but for Xu Yang and the exploration and mining staff, seeing someone being killed for the first time made them feel uneasy.


    After killing the ind nation man, the armed subordinate bid his friend farewell and led his team back into the vehicles and left.


    At that moment, two people immediately threw up.


    Xu Yang, however, did not.


    ¡°He brought this on himself, he got what he deserved,¡± Captain Wang nced at the corpse of the ind nation man and waved his hand, ¡°Let¡¯s get in the car and go, the road is clear now.¡±


    It was then that everyone realized that there were no more gunshots.


    On the following journey, they still heard sporadic gunfire, but there were no more dys.


    When they arrived at the bauxite mine, it was already nighttime.


    The people from Fengkai Mining weed Xu Yang and his group.<div>


    The conditions here were almost the same as a construction site back home.


    Even so, it was still better than the living conditions of many locals.


    One had to admit that Fengkai Mining¡¯s treatment of its employees was quite good.


    The next day, Fengkai Mining handed over the work and left.


    Xu Yang¡¯s exploration and mining team then got to work.


    Xu Yang¡¯s requirement was to keep digging deeper.


    The system had said that there were bauxite resources deeper down, so they would just keep digging downward as originally nned.


    A weekter.


    Xu Yang, bored out of his mind in the office, yed games on his cellphone.


    The mining supervisor burst into the office, eximing with joy, ¡°President Xu, we found bauxite!¡±


    Xu Yang sprang to his feet, ¡°Really?¡±


    The supervisor nodded, ¡°Truly, they are currently surveying it to see how much there is.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Xu Yang said, pping his hands happily.<div>


    These past few days, staying in this godforsaken ce with no entertainment, no friends, and without his wife by his side, he felt like he was about to mold over.


    Finding the bauxite resources meant he could go back to his country.


    Therefore, he immediately followed the supervisor to check it out.


    The supervisor also briefed him on the situation, saying that Fengkai Mining hadn¡¯t discovered it because there was ayer of special rock barrier underneath that the machines couldn¡¯t detect at all. If it weren¡¯t for Xu Yang¡¯s insistence on digging deeper, it would have remained undiscovered.


    Two dayster, the survey data came out, and the bauxite resources were estimated to be worth about six billion.


    If sold directly, they could go for about one and a half to two billion.


    After all, miningpanies also have many costs; they need to invest a lot of manpower and resources, and the time span is also long.


    The price range, and how much it could be sold for, would depend on Xu Yang himself.


    Xu Yang asked the team to continue staying there while he took the survey data and set off back to his country to find a buyer.

 Chapter 105 - 105 You Disappoint Me

    Chapter 105: You Disappoint Me


    After returning to China, Xu Yang immediately got in touch with Wei Debin from Fengkai Mining.


    Originally, he had negotiated with Wei Debin to purchase the aluminum mine from Fengkai Mining.


    If Fengkai Mining offered a suitable price, he would resell the aluminum mine back to them.


    Having already dealt with them, and feeling that Wei Debin was a decent person, he decided to continue doing business with Wei Debin.


    ¡°What! You dug down another thirty meters below the aluminum mine and found more aluminum ore?!¡±


    Wei Debin couldn¡¯t hide his shock upon learning that Xu Yang had struck aluminum not long after taking over the mine.


    ¡°President Wei, I¡¯ve returned to the country and brought the data with me. If Fengkai Mining is interested, let¡¯s talk. If not, I¡¯ll contact other miningpanies,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°We¡¯re interested, of course we¡¯re interested. Don¡¯t contact anyone else. Let¡¯s meet tomorrow. Bring the information to ourpany. We¡¯ll examine it first and then send someone to investigate the site before we discuss the price,¡± said Wei Debin hastily.


    Fengkai Mining certainly wanted to buy back the mine, even if it meant suffering financial losses and a blow to their reputation.


    Of course, he also knew that, with such a development, the leaders in thepany who had insisted on transferring the aluminum mine would have to be held ountable.


    The chairman also had to bear leadership responsibility.


    There was no possibility of slipping through unscathed.


    Neither was there any hope of covering up the incident.


    The rediscovery of aluminum ore was something that couldn¡¯t be concealed.


    This matter would definitely be a topic of discussion in the industry, and Fengkai Mining would be aughingstock.


    But being aughingstock wasn¡¯t as important as getting the mine back.


    Making money was more important than being aughingstock.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll meet tomorrow at ten in the morning as usual.¡±


    Xu Yang hung up the phone and went straight to Fengcheng without even going home.


    The following day at ten in the morning.


    Xu Yang arrived at Fengkai Mining where Wei Debin received him, and the twomunicated while thepany team reviewed the data.


    In the end, a summary was reached and one person reported back to Wei Debin.


    Upon learning the situation was indeed as Xu Yang had described, the rediscovered aluminum ore resources were extremely valuable.


    ¡°President Xu, we will immediately send a team to investigate the location of the aluminum mine and give you the results in three days. How does that sound?¡± Wei Debin said.


    ¡°No problem,¡± Xu Yang naturally had no objections.


    It would take one day to send the team and another day or two to investigate.


    It must be said, giving results in three days showed great sincerity.


    At noon, Wei Debin invited Xu Yang for lunch.


    After lunch, Xu Yang said goodbye and left, taking the high-speed train back to Jiang City.


    That day was a Sunday, and Xu Yang called Zhao Yuxin to ask her to pick him up by car.


    Stepping out of the high-speed train station, a figure threw herself into Xu Yang¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Husband, I¡¯ve missed you so much.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin held Xu Yang tightly, as if trying to merge herself into his body.


    ¡°I miss you too.¡± Xu Yang kissed Zhao Yuxin¡¯s forehead, and they got into the car to go home.


    Once home, they couldn¡¯t wait to entangle with each other.


    At eight o¡¯clock in the evening, the pair finally left the residentialplex and went out to a restaurant for dinner.


    During the meal, Xu Yang briefed her on the situation of the trip.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying we could earn between one and a half to two billion?¡± Zhao Yuxin¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment.


    ¡°About that.¡± Xu Yang nodded.


    ¡°Hubby, you¡¯re amazing, buying it for fifty million and then flipping it for at least one and a half billion!¡± Zhao Yuxin¡¯s eyes sparkled with stars.


    ¡°Of course, you don¡¯t see whose husband I am.¡± Xu Yang boasted proudly.


    ¡­


    During this time, Haido¡¯s reputation continued to ferment, and the craze for Haido showed no signs of abating.


    On social media, everyone was talking about Haido¡¯s supreme service.


    Weimeihuoguo, which tried to emte Haido¡¯s service, not only failed to achieve the intended effect but also received bacsh from customers, making their business even worse.


    If, after Haido became a sensation, Weimeihuoguo¡¯s business was just quiet,


    now their business was bleak.


    The reason was that Weimeihuoguo¡¯s attempt to copy Haido¡¯s service was only superficial,cking the core essence.


    Haido¡¯s superb service was built on the foundation of high sries, coupled withprehensive training, resulting in staff who served customers wholeheartedly.


    Haido¡¯s service made people feel delighted.


    It was different with Weimeihuoguo. They didn¡¯t raise their staff¡¯s sries but demanded that they provide supreme service, which increased their workload. The staff, of course, were reluctant and when serving customers, were unwilling and brusque. Customers naturally did not feel satisfied, and sometimes even got talked back to by the servers.


    Under such circumstances, Weimeihuoguo¡¯s reputation plummeted.


    Compared with Haido, they seemed even more inadequate.


    Now, the number of customersing to Weimeihuoguo each day could be counted on one hand.


    Yang Tiancheng realized the problem and went to see the boss, seeking to convince him to raise sries. Then he would draw up a training n and rigorously train the staff, aiming to achieve the same level as Haido.


    The boss tly rejected Yang Tiancheng¡¯s request for a sry increase and said coldly, ¡°Yang Tiancheng, what did you promise me when you applied for five million in advertising expenses? Now the money is spent, and there¡¯s not a single result. You still think about raising sries. Do you think it¡¯s possible? Even if you provide more training for the staff, you can¡¯t achieve the same effect as Haido. If you¡¯re always one step behind, don¡¯t you realize that trying to learn from Haido was a mistake? All imitation can never surpass the original. People who want to experience that kind of service will only go to Haido. What you need to do is find another way to turn things around, not continue to mimic Haido.¡±


    Yang Tiancheng was at a loss for words. If he could think of another way to turn things around, he wouldn¡¯t have suggested a raise for the employees.


    After all, asking the boss to spend money is like cutting his flesh, especially when there¡¯s no certainty that it¡¯ll lead to profits.


    The boss¡¯s flesh isn¡¯t that easy to slice, is it?


    The boss continued, ¡°Yang Tiancheng, you¡¯ve disappointed me. I don¡¯t want to talk about your grudge with Zhao Hai, but you shouldn¡¯t bring your personal grievances into your work. You¡¯ve chosen our hot pot restaurants to be close to Haido. If it weren¡¯t for that, Weimeihuoguo would be easier to save. But now, it¡¯s be much harder. Forget about raising sries. You figure out a way to turn things around with the normal expenses. If you can¡¯t think of anything, I will have to cut this project or let someone else take over and relocate.¡±


    Running a hot pot restaurant indeed has potential.


    Even if Haido is bustling, other hot pot ces still attract patrons.


    The current predicament of Weimeihuoguo was due to Yang Tiancheng¡¯s poor decision to locate near Haido.


    He¡¯s likely to let someone else take charge of the project, choose a new location, and start over.


    Yang Tiancheng left the boss¡¯s office with a bitter expression, went back to his office, slumped into his chair, and felt an overwhelming sense of powerlessness.


    ¡°How can we turn this situation around?¡±

 Chapter 106 - 106 Misfortunes Never Come Singly

    Chapter 106: Misfortunes Never Come Singly


    Three dayster.


    Wei Debin called Xu Yang.


    He informed Xu Yang that the exploration of the aluminum mine wasplete and asked Xu Yang toe to thepany to discuss the price.


    Xu Yang visited Fengkai Mining again.


    The negotiation of the acquisition price was still conducted with Wei Debin.


    ¡°President Xu, our team at Fengkai Mining has finished the exploration, and it¡¯s indeed simr to the data you provided. May I ask what price you are willing to sell the aluminum mine for?¡± Wei Debin got straight to the point.


    ¡°Two billion,¡± Xu Yang named his price.


    ¡°President Xu, two billion is impossible. If we acquire it for two billion, not only would we make no money, but we would also lose money,¡± Wei Debin said.


    ¡°To tell you the truth, although the aluminum mine has rich reserves, the cost to extract it is very high. At two billion, we would rather not take it,¡± he continued.


    Wei Debin¡¯s face showed a bitter smile.


    ¡°Then how much are you willing to offer?¡± Xu Yang naturally knew that the other party would probably not agree.


    Negotiations were not really his forte.


    It didn¡¯t matter, as the talks could go on slowly, as long as the price didn¡¯t fall below 1.5 billion.


    ¡°One billion!¡± Wei Debin put up one finger.


    ¡°President Wei, you¡¯re really lowballing me. Even if you can¡¯t give two billion, it should be more than one billion,¡± Xu Yang¡¯s face darkened.


    ¡°President Xu, one billion is a reasonable price. The cost of developing an aluminum mine is very high, and considering you took it off our hands for only fifty million not so long ago and now you¡¯re turning it over for one billion, making a clear profit of 950 million, almost twenty times the return on investment. Such a return would be seen as a very sessful investment anywhere,¡± Wei Debin spoke confidently.


    ¡°How much I spent to take it over is not within the scope of our price negotiations. If you don¡¯t want it, I can sell it to someone else. I believe that many miningpanies would be interested in such arge aluminum mine,¡± Xu Yang stated calmly.


    The two sides engaged in verbal sparring, trading barbs back and forth.


    In the end, the acquisition price was set at 1.6 billion.


    It was one billion higher than the price that the system had said the mine was previously sold for.


    Xu Yang was quite satisfied with this.


    He had no intention of shopping around; there was no need.


    Contacting otherpanies might have fetched a slightly higher price, but definitely not by much, as no one is a fool.


    Selling straight back to Fengkai Mining was just fine.


    The two parties signed the contract quickly, and Fengkai Mining would transfer the funds to Xu Yang within three days.


    Xu Yang naturally had no objections.


    For such arge transaction, it was not possible to transfer the money immediately; getting it within three days was already very good.


    After all, Xu Yang was not in a hurry; all he had to do was sit back and wait to collect the money.


    There was no need to worry about Fengkai Mining defaulting on their payments.


    With a contract in hand, it was impossible for Fengkai Mining to default.


    If they did try to default, Xu Yang was not afraid.


    He was no longer the kind of small fry that anyone could push around.


    Armed with Fengcai Guild as a powerful tool for publicity, and friends like Jiang Yuheng and Su Wenbin who had significant strength in both business circles and officialdom, he was not intimidated at all.


    If anything happened, a bout of publicity by Fengcai Guild plus a little help from the two would essentially solve any issue.


    After signing the contract, Xu Yang informed the hired exploration and mining team that their work was done and they could return home.


    The cooperation between the two sides ended, not evensting a month.


    If Xu Yang needed their services again, he could continue to employ them.


    But such specialists were no longer needed by Xu Yang, unless the system provided him with another mine to acquire and explore.


    Unfortunately, the system did not provide any information.


    After lunch with Wei Debin, Xu Yang took the high-speed train back to Jiangcheng.


    That same evening, after dinner, Xu Yang was browsing on his phone when he saw a message from Wu Jing in the investors¡¯ WeChat group.


    Wu Jing: Dear fellow investors, the n to release ¡°Battle Leopard¡± during the Spring Festival has encountered a hitch, and it might not be able to hit Wandai Cinemas now.


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡±


    ¡°Wandai Cinemas isn¡¯t providing screening slots?¡±


    ¡°If it can¡¯t hit Wandai Cinemas, won¡¯t the box office take a hit by half?¡±


    ¡°More like two-thirds at least!¡±


    ¡°What should we do?¡±


    ¡°Director Wu, first tell us exactly what happened?¡±


    Several investors were immediately bewildered.


    It¡¯s known that Wanda Cinema Line is thergest in the country, upying half of the domestic cinema market.


    If it can¡¯t be screened in Wanda, the box office could lose more than half.


    It means that Wanda¡¯s disapproval of ¡°War Leopard¡± will severely affect the audience¡¯s viewing choices.


    At this moment, the investors were anxious.


    They invested in ¡°War Leopard¡± hoping for a high return.


    Such news right now was nothing short of disastrous.


    It was foreseeable that if it couldn¡¯t be screened in Wanda, there was no point in thinking about the box office returns.


    The money they invested was surely going to be wasted.


    Wu Jing: Wanda Cinema Line doesn¡¯t think highly of ¡°War Leopard¡±, iming military action films have no future. They refused without even looking at the sample, sigh¡­


    Wu Jing: Boss Yang, you have extensive contacts in the film industry. Do you think you could talk to someone from Wanda Cinema Line?


    Yang Chen is the boss of Feiyang Film and Television. Thepany was quite sessful in the past but has been declining recently.


    Good opportunities wouldn¡¯te to Feiyang for investments anymore.


    Investing in Wu Jing¡¯s ¡°War Leopard¡± was a significant risk for them.


    Only such opportunities were avable for Yang Chen to invest in.


    Yang Chen still had some connections from before.


    Wu Jing pinned his hopes on Yang Chen.


    ¡°Right, right, Boss Yang, you are the boss of a filmpany, we¡¯re counting on you this time!¡±


    ¡°Boss Yang, we don¡¯t have the capability or the connections in that area, we¡¯re depending on you!¡±


    ¡°Boss Yang, if you handle this matter, you can make me drink however much you want at the celebration party.¡±


    Yang Chen: I¡¯ll see what I can do.


    Ten minutester.


    Yang Chen: I got a friend to contact someone from Wanda through my connections. They wouldn¡¯t budge and still refused to allocate screenings. I¡¯m out of options too.


    ¡°What should we do now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s over, we at least had some hope before, but now we¡¯ve got nothing left.¡±


    ¡°¡®War Leopard¡¯ has faced so many difficulties¡ªinitially, there was no money, which stopped the shooting, and now, just as it¡¯s about to be released, we¡¯ve hit this snag.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because the domestic military action films have had such poor reputations in recent years that nobody wants to give us screen time.¡±


    ¡°I watched the sample and thought it was good. Why won¡¯t they watch the sample and give us a chance?¡±


    ¡°They just won¡¯t see it, and there¡¯s nothing we can do about it.¡±


    ¡°Is this the end for us? Does anyone else have connections?¡±


    ¡°Chairman Tang, you deal in antiques and are a shareholder of an auction house. Can¡¯t you use your connections to solve this problem?¡±


    The investors¡¯ spirits plummeted once again.


    Somebody thought of Tang Zhengqi.


    Tang Zhengqi is the vice-chairman of the Jiangcheng Antique Association and also a shareholder of an auction house. He has extensive connections, and perhaps he might have the right ones for this situation.


    Tang Zhengqi: I have no connections in the film industry, and even if I did, they would be at the friend of a friend of a friend level, which virtually means there¡¯s no way to resolve this.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡±


    ¡°If even Chairman Tang can¡¯t solve it, then there¡¯s nothing to be done.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not an insider. I invested in ¡®War Leopard¡¯ because I was impressed by Director Wu¡¯s sincerity. I don¡¯t have any connections.¡±


    The investors plunged back into despair.


    Seeing this, Xu Yang remembered he was a shareholder of Wanda Film and Television.


    Wanda Cinema Line is a subsidiary of Wanda Film and Television.


    It seemed, being a shareholder of Wanda Film and Television ought to be useful somehow.


    Last time, after Jiang Yuheng transferred a three percent shareholding, Fang Pengtao, the president of Wanda Film and Television, contacted him and the two made a simple acquaintance.

 Chapter 107: 107: Hidden Too Deeply

    Chapter 107: Hidden Too Deeply


    Xu Yang rummaged for Fang Pengtao¡¯s phone number and dialed it.


    A few minutester, he hung up the phone with a smile on his face.


    He opened the investor WeChat group and sent a message.


    Xu Yang: Director Wu, I just contacted Mr. Fang from Wanda Pictures, and he said he will get in touch with you regarding the screening arrangements. Just wait for his call.


    On the call, Xu Yang had asked Fang Pengtao to contact Wu Jing about the premier of ¡°Leopard Strike¡± in Wanda theaters.


    Fang Pengtao naturally did not dare to refuse.


    Xu Yang was a shareholder, and although he only held three percent of the shares, he was not someone Fang Pengtao could afford to neglect.


    One must know, the shares of Wanda Pictures were very difficult toe by.


    Others, even with money, had no way to buy them.


    The fact that Xu Yang¡¯s could obtain three percent of the shares indicated he was a person with substantial power.


    His status in the film industry was high, yet no matter what, he was still an employee and could notpare with shareholders like Xu Yang.<div>


    Therefore, when Xu Yang asked him to contact Wu Jing to discuss the premier of ¡°Leopard Strike¡± in Wanda theaters, he definitely would go and do it.


    He had heard of Wu Jing¡¯s ¡°Leopard Strike¡± and also that it had run into budget overruns during filming, which had caused the shooting to halt.


    Later, it was unknown how they had found another investor to finish the film.


    Only then did he realize that this final investor, the one who enabled thepletion of ¡°Leopard Strike,¡± was Xu Yang, a shareholder of Wanda Pictures.


    As for military action films like ¡°Leopard Strike,¡± he was skeptical about their sess.


    It was understandable why Wanda theaters were not giving it screen time.


    However, since Xu Yang had spoken up, it was clear that the film would be scheduled for screening.


    If the audience didn¡¯t like it, just reduce the number of screenings or even take it off the schedule.


    ¡°Holy shit, Xu, you know Mr. Fang from Wanda Pictures?!¡±


    ¡°Xu, you¡¯re awesome.¡±


    ¡°Xu, you should have spoken up earlier. You had us worried to death.¡±


    ¡°My God, Xu, you¡¯ve kept your cards so close to your chest.¡±


    ¡°We were panicking and had no solution, but Xu, you solved it with just one phone call.¡±


    ¡°Xu, if we get to enjoy any sess this time, it¡¯s all thanks to you.¡±


    The investors were all astonished.


    Just now, none of them had thought of asking Xu Yang to leverage his connections.


    Because from thest wrap party of ¡°Leopard Strike,¡± everyone had gained some understanding of Xu Yang.


    They had not expected Xu Yang to give them such a big surprise.


    To directly call Fang Pengtao.<div>


    Being able to call Fang Pengtao directly, what does that imply?


    It implies that Xu Yang¡¯s rtionship with Fang Pengtao was anything but ordinary.


    Within this group of investors, none were capable of directly calling Wanda Pictures CEO Fang Pengtao.


    Not even Yang Chen could do it.<div>


    Wu Jing: Mr. Fang from Wanda Pictures just called me. He said they will arrange screening for ¡°Leopard Strike¡± and also mentioned setting up a preview showing at Wanda Cinema in Jiang City Wanda za. I¡¯ve discussed it with him, the preview will be on February 1st at 8 PM, and he will attend the ceremony.


    Wu Jing: Xu, I can¡¯t thank you enough. If not for you, ¡°Leopard Strike¡± would have been finished.


    It could be said that Xu Yang had saved ¡°Leopard Strike¡± once again.


    As long as Fang Pengtao watched the preview, he was confident that getting Wanda theaters to increase screenings would definitely not be a problem.


    Although he did not yet know the rtionship between Xu Yang and Fang Pengtao, Xu Yang¡¯s phone call had clearly resolved the issue.


    Without Xu Yang, ¡°Leopard Strike¡± would have been in trouble.


    Xu Yang: I am an investor of ¡°Leopard Strike,¡± and doing something for the film is only natural.


    ¡°Xu, thank you!¡±


    ¡°Boss Xu is mighty!¡±


    ¡°With Boss Xu guarding ¡®Battle Leopard,¡¯ I¡¯m relieved!¡±


    The investors were all speaking one after another.


    Wu Jing: Boss Xu, you must attend the preview of ¡®Battle Leopard.¡¯


    Xu Yang: No problem, I¡¯ll go with my wife.<div>


    Such matters naturally involved not forgetting the wife.


    Tang Zhengqi: Little brother Xu, when Director Wu and his team arrive in Jiangcheng, you must take them to your Haido Hot Pot.


    ¡°Right, right, we must go to Boss Xu¡¯s Haido Hot Pot.¡±


    ¡°I see Haido¡¯s information every day, and when I go to Jiangcheng for the ¡®Battle Leopard¡¯ preview, I must give it a try.¡±


    ¡°If Boss Xu is treating, that would be great.¡±


    ¡°If Boss Xu is treating, no need to queue up, otherwise, you¡¯d have to wait at least half an hour.¡±


    Ever since all the anchors from Fengcai Guild started promoting Haido, everyone knew Xu Yang was the owner of Haido.


    Xu Yang: My Haido is right at Wanda za; on February 1st at 6 p.m., let¡¯s meet at the entrance of Wanda za. I¡¯ll treat everyone to hot pot, and after eating, we¡¯ll go watch the preview, how about that?


    ¡°No problem!¡±


    ¡°Boss Xu¡¯s arrangements are meticulous!¡±


    ¡°Boss Xu, thank you!¡±


    ¡°I feel like I want to eat at Haido more than I want to see ¡®Battle Leopard¡¯!¡±


    ¡°Me too, can¡¯t help it, Haido is too popr. Everyone online is talking about Haido¡¯s excellent service; everyone wants to experience it for themselves.¡±<div>


    The investors were speaking one after another.


    Xu Yang said: Since Boss Fang will attend the preview, I¡¯ll invite him to the hot pot too. Director Wu, you can contact him about it, after all, the future work will still need to be handled by you.


    Wu Jing: Sure, thank you, Boss Xu.


    He knew that Xu Yang was giving him an opportunity.


    Xu Yang might not care, but he did.


    Getting on good terms with Fang Pengtao would make shooting films and premiering them in Wanda¡¯s cinemas much easier.


    There would also be preference in scheduling.


    Before, Wu Jing never had such an opportunity to connect with a big shot like Fang Pengtao.


    Given this chance by Xu Yang, he certainly had to seize it.


    Xu Yang: No need to be polite; see you then.


    After sending that message, Xu Yang exited WeChat.


    Then he took Zhao Yuxin into his arms and mentioned the n to watch ¡®Battle Leopard¡¯ together on the evening of February 1st.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Zhao Yuxin naturally had no objections. She had never attended such a preview event before.<div>


    Moreover, she knew that as Xu Yang earned more and more money and met more and more people, as Xu Yang¡¯s wife, she would increasingly experience such asions.


    Immediately, she thought of something else and said, ¡°Honey, why don¡¯t we invite my dad toe along? It¡¯s been a long time since he¡¯s been to the movies. I remember, thest time was when I was a child; he took me to see an animation. Ever since I started middle school, even when I went to the movies, I went with ssmates and friends, not with him. It seems he hasn¡¯t been since then.¡±


    Xu Yang said: ¡°Of course, there¡¯s no problem. In the future, whatever arrangements you want to make for dad, just let me know. I¡¯ll support you.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, I know.¡± Zhao Yulu nodded repeatedly.


    The next day.


    Xu Yang visited Fengcai Guild to get an update on the situation.


    Everything was fine; live streaming brought in a profit of about three million a day.


    As more guilds joined live selling,petition intensified, and the profit margins for streamer-led sales decreased significantly.


    Even so, it was still incredibly profitable.


    Three million a day was ny million a month.


    A year came to one billion and eighty million, a true cash cow!

 Chapter 108: 108: Business Prodigy

    Chapter 108: Business Prodigy


    Having learned about the situation with Fengcai Guild, Xu Yang left and went to Jiang De Lao, where he met with Zhao Hai.


    Jiang De Lao was as busy as ever, with operations running smoothly and daily turnover remaining fairly consistent.


    Zhao Hai, however, mentioned two new developments.


    Recently, people from other cities had been calling to inquire if they could franchise and open Jiang De Lao restaurants in those cities.


    Regarding this, Xu Yang thought for a moment and said, ¡°No franchising. I want to run it as apany-owned operation. With franchising, it¡¯s hard for others to achieve our level of extreme service, and it could easily ruin Jiang De Lao¡¯s reputation.¡±


    Franchising could indeed save a lot of money and management hassle.


    But the quality of franchise stores couldn¡¯t be guaranteed.


    That was not what Xu Yang wanted to see.


    Besides, the expansion of Jiang De Lao was just a matter of money.


    He now had plenty of money and wasn¡¯t afraid to spend it.


    After all, it would bring a tenfold or even a hundredfold return in the future.<div>


    Zhao Hai nodded, ¡°That¡¯s what I thought too, so I didn¡¯t agree to their requests. In the future, I will make sure to give them a clear answer.¡±


    Xu Yang asked, ¡°Dad, you mentioned two issues, what¡¯s the second one?¡±


    Zhao Hai answered, ¡°There¡¯s also a number of investment institutions and business tycoons asking whether we want to raise funds.¡±


    Xu Yang smiled, ¡°If it were in the past, we would indeed need to raise funds for expansion, but that¡¯s not necessary now.¡±


    The 1.6 billion was about to be received,pletely eliminating the need for fundraising.


    Zhao Hai said, ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll also provide a clear answer to anyone who asks in the future.¡±


    Xu Yang added, ¡°By the way, Dad, the stores in Jiang City have stabilized, so I think we can start nning to expand to other cities. Start preparing and we can set the timeline for after the New Year. Once the New Year is over, we can get started on this.¡±


    Zhao Hai nodded, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve been thinking about thistely as well. Given Jiang De Lao¡¯s poprity, we definitely need to expand to other cities. I don¡¯t think we need to rush. The first step is to expand to the four first-tier cities, and the second step is to expand to second-tier cities. What do you think?¡±


    Xu Yangughed, ¡°Dad, your thoughts and mine are exactly aligned.¡±


    After chatting for a while longer, Xu Yang took his leave.


    In the blink of an eye, it was February 1st.


    It was 5:45 in the evening.


    Xu Yang, apanied by Zhao Yuxin and Zhao Hai, arrived at the entrance of Wan Da za.


    By that time, Wu Jing and the other investors had already arrived.


    Wu Jing had also brought along his wife, Xie Bei.


    Speaking of Xie Bei, she could be regarded as Wu Jing¡¯s wise and supportive partner.


    It is said that Wu Jing encountered significant difficulties in the early stages of ¡°Battle Leopard,¡± and it was Xie Bei¡¯s silent support behind the scenes that allowed him to persevere.


    Zhao Yuxin knew this from the news.


    Thus, Zhao Yuxin admired Xie Bei. The two had met during the ¡°Battle Leopard¡± wrap-up party and got along very well.<div>


    Meeting once again, they quickly struck up a conversation to the side.


    They looked like a pair of close girlfriends.


    Xu Yang then introduced Zhao Hai to everyone, ¡°This is my father-inw Zhao Hai, who is also the general manager of Jiang De Lao.¡±


    Everyone naturally greeted Zhao Hai cordially.<div>


    Although they didn¡¯t know Zhao Hai or his abilities, no one dared to neglect him, considering he was Xu Yang¡¯s father-inw.


    Wu Jing said, ¡°President Xu, Fang mentioned he¡¯ll arrive a bitter, as there was a traffic jam on the way from the airport.¡±


    Xu Yang nodded, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Just a little wait, nothing to worry about.


    In fact, he had already received a message from Fang Pengtao, sounding apologetic.


    Wu Jing asked, ¡°President Xu, do you think you could get Fengcai Guild¡¯s live streamers to promote ¡®Battle Leopard¡¯?¡±


    The New Year¡¯s live stream sales, along with the poprity of Jiang De Lao, made everyone recognize the power of Fengcai Guild.


    Without Fengcai Guild¡¯s promotion, even if Jiang De Lao was excellent, it wouldn¡¯t have be so popr so quickly.


    It was a powerful promotional weapon.


    If Fengcai Guild could promote ¡°Battle Leopard,¡± that would be fantastic.


    It would likely attract nationwide attention.


    Moreover, promotion by Fengcai Guild could save a significant amount of promotional expenses, truly a win-win situation.


    Now the publicity budget for ¡°Battle Leopard¡± really isn¡¯t much.<div>


    The production team was genuinely poor, and Wu Jing had to mobilize all his connections, as well as personally participate in various events and interviews.


    Xu Yang said, ¡°No problem, even if you hadn¡¯t mentioned it, I would have had them promote it.¡±


    As thergest investor, holding a twenty-five percent stake, the higher the box office for ¡°Battle Leopard,¡± therger his profits would be.


    Even if Wu Jing hadn¡¯t mentioned it, he would have had the hosts of the Fengcai Guild promote it.


    Wu Jing was overjoyed, ¡°I¡¯m so grateful for that.¡±


    Xu Yang waved his hand and smiled, ¡°Director Wu, there¡¯s no need for formalities, I¡¯m an investor in ¡®Battle Leopard,¡¯ it¡¯s only right that I do this.¡±


    The other investors, upon hearing that Xu Yang would get the Fengcai Guild¡¯s hosts to promote ¡°Battle Leopard,¡± also showed smiles on their faces.


    With the Fengcai Guild¡¯s promotion, this publicity move was a sure bet.


    It must be said, having Xu Yang as an investor was truly their luck.


    As they chatted idly, time silently passed, and it wasn¡¯t until 6:15 PM that Fang Pengtao finally arrived,te.


    ¡°I apologize, the traffic was terrible, and I made everyone wait,¡± Fang Pengtao expressed his apology.


    Everyone said it was no problem.


    ¡°Mr. Xu, I¡¯m sorry to have kept you waiting.¡±<div>


    Fang Pengtao came especially to Xu Yang, leaned slightly forward as a sign of respect to Xu Yang, and apologized again.


    Seeing this scene, everyone was shocked.


    They all understood what Fang Pengtao¡¯s actions meant.


    Initially, they were already surprised that Xu Yang was able to contact Fang Pengtao.


    They hadn¡¯t asked about the nature of the rtionship between Xu Yang and Fang Pengtao, guessing that Xu Yang might have sought Fang Pengtao¡¯s help through a friend.


    In their view, even withpanies like the Fengcai Guild and Jiang Bottom Fishing, Xu Yang¡¯s status still wouldn¡¯t match Fang Pengtao¡¯s.


    After all, with the backing of Wan Da Group, Fang Pengtao¡¯s status was not ordinary at all.


    At least while Fang Pengtao still held his position, the owners of typical enterprises wouldn¡¯t match his status.


    But now it seemed not to be the case.


    Judging from Fang Pengtao¡¯s respectful attitude towards Xu Yang, Xu Yang¡¯s status might be much higher than Fang Pengtao¡¯s, and to receive such respect, Xu Yang must have some connection with Wan Da Group.


    Everyone was very curious about what other status Xu Yang might hold.


    However, this was not the time to inquire; they would have to askter.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, you¡¯ve put in a lot of effort for the release of ¡®Battle Leopard,¡¯¡± Xu Yang said with a casual smile.<div>


    ¡°It¡¯s only right,¡± Fang Pengtao repeated.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go have hotpot.¡±


    Xu Yang led everyone to Jiang Bottom Fishing at Wan Da za.


    Upon arriving at the entrance.


    It was still as busy as ever.


    Many people were also queuing up.


    ¡°Business is booming here.¡±


    ¡°To run a hotpot restaurant like this, only Mr. Xu has such capability.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Xu is truly a marvel in the business world!¡±


    ¡°In the future, Mr. Xu might yet createpanies that will surprise us all.¡±


    Seeing the bustling scene, everyone repeatedly expressed their amazement.


    This was both candid speech and ttery towards Xu Yang.


    Ever since they saw Fang Pengtao¡¯s attitude towards Xu Yang earlier, they were even keener on establishing a good rtionship with him.


    ¡°Brother Xu, do we need to queue? If we do, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t make it to the ¡®Battle Leopard¡¯ screening,¡± Tang Zhengqi asked.


    ¡°No need, I¡¯ve already instructed them to reserve a private room for us,¡± Xu Yang replied.


    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Tang Zhengqi breathed a sigh of relief.


    As a resident of Jiang City, he had been to Jiang Bottom Fishing before with friends and had waited in line for over half an hour.


    But the taste was genuinely good and the service was genuinely excellent.


    Waiting for that half-hour didn¡¯t feel like a waste of time.


    Waiting half an hour in line to experience Jiang Bottom Fishing¡¯s supreme service was quite worth it.

 Chapter 109: 109: Seeking Investment Opportunities

    Chapter 109: Seeking Investment Opportunities


    Xu Yang made a call to the manager, who came out and led everyone through the back door, quietly entering the private room.


    This private room was specially prepared for distinguished guests, usually not open to the public, and would only be avable when a big shot came over.


    Since the boss wasing over with friends today, of course they were going to use this room.


    Entering through the back entrance was to avoid being seen.


    Even though many customers knew that such private rooms existed in the restaurant.


    But if they saw Xu Yang and his group enter from the front door, bypassing the queue and swaggering into the private room, it would still have a negative impact.


    Quietly going through the back door avoided this problem entirely.


    At 7:40 p.m., the group left Jiang Di Lao.


    Everyone left thoroughly satisfied.


    ¡°President Xu, the service at Jiang Di Lao is truly impable.¡±


    ¡°I was skeptical about what people said online about the ultimate service, but after experiencing it myself, I know it¡¯s just as they described.¡±<div>


    ¡°This kind of service, truly, only Jiang Di Lao could pull it off.¡±


    Everyone eximed in admiration.


    ¡°President Xu, when will you expand Jiang Di Lao to the capital? If it¡¯s there, I¡¯ll eat there often,¡± Yang Chen asked.


    ¡°We have been nning recently; probably after the New Year. We¡¯ll start the expansion ns then, and the capital will be the first stop for our expansion,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°Great, I¡¯ll be waiting. You have no idea, my wife and daughter, they keep pestering me to take them to Jiang Di Lao in Jiangcheng for hot pot. Travelling all the way to Jiangcheng just for hot pot really takes too much time. Once you open in the capital, that won¡¯t be an issue,¡± Yang Chen said.


    As they talked, led by Fang Pengtao, the group arrived at Wan Da Cinema.


    Wan Da Cinema was located on the fifth floor of Wan Da za.


    Stepping out of the elevator, they saw a middle-aged man in a smart suit waiting there, the general manager of the cinema.


    ¡°Mr. Fang,¡± the general manager immediately greeted with respect.


    Although both were general managers, there was a vast difference in their statuses.


    ¡°Take us to the screening hall,¡± Fang Pengtao said indifferently.


    ¡°Yes, please follow me.¡±


    The cinema¡¯s general manager led everyone to Screening Hall 5.


    Entering Hall 5, you could see many people were already seated inside.


    They were media journalists, film critics, and Wu Jing¡¯s celebrity friends, as well as some lucky viewers, all invited by the distributors of ¡°War Leopard.¡±


    Their opinions were critical.


    Once the screening ended, word of mouth would spread.


    This would greatly influence whether audiences would flock to the theaters or not.


    The cinema¡¯s general manager escorted everyone to take their seats in the back row.<div>


    The movie ran for 110 minutes.


    Once the film ended, the cinema burst into chatter.


    ¡°¡®War Leopard¡¯ is much better than previous military action films.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what anyone else says, I¡¯ll definitely rmend it to my friends.¡±<div>


    ¡°Same here, a military action film like this deserves support.¡±


    ¡°Wu Jing has created a work of conscience, bound to be a benchmark in military action films.¡±


    ¡°I think Wu Jing might just make aeback with ¡®War Leopard¡¯!¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t optimistic about ¡®War Leopard¡¯ initially, but I have to say, it was a pleasant surprise. Our country needs military action films of this caliber.¡±


    ¡°I must say, it¡¯s very thrilling, there¡¯s not a single dull moment!¡±


    Hearing thements from the media journalists, film critics, and the audience, everyone showed a smile.


    Leaving the screening room, Xu Yang asked, ¡°Mr. Fang, what do you think of ¡®War Leopard¡¯?¡±


    Fang Pengtao smiled and said, ¡°Excellent, far beyond my expectations.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll leave the issues of the movie¡¯s release and scheduling to you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too kind, President Xu,¡± Fang Pengtao replied with a smile, then turned to Wu Jing. ¡°Director Wu, I¡¯m happy for you being able to produce such a high-quality military action film. Our Wan Da cinema chain will definitely support films like this, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    This was amitment.


    Overjoyed, Wu Jing expressed his gratitude, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Fang!¡±


    The preview screening far exceeded expectations.<div>


    With Fang Pengtao¡¯s promise, Wu Jing was even more confident about the movie¡¯s box office sess.


    The group said their goodbyes to each other.


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin first dropped Zhao Hai off at his home, then returned to their own.


    No sooner had they arrived home than the telephone began to ring.


    Upon checking, Xu Yang saw that it was Tang Zhengqi calling.


    Xu Yang was somewhat surprised, wondering why Tang Zhengqi was calling him right after they had just shared a meal and watched a movie together.


    ¡°Brother Tang,¡± Xu Yang answered the phone.


    ¡°Little Brother Xu, you¡¯re home, aren¡¯t you? I hope I¡¯m not disturbing you,¡± Tang Zhengqi said with augh.


    ¡°I¡¯m home, Brother Tang. We just parted ways not long ago, what¡¯s up?¡± Xu Yang asked proactively.


    ¡°Little Brother Xu, I¡¯ll get straight to the point. I want to invest in your Jing Diving & Fishing with a hundred million yuan. As for the shares, you can decide however you see fit. What do you say?¡± Tang Zhengqi inquired.


    Jing Diving & Fishing was so popr that even he couldn¡¯t resist the temptation.


    Once he learned that Xu Yang was the owner of Jing Diving & Fishing, he had thought about investing.


    But he had hesitated, unsure whether to broach the subject.<div>


    After all, given how hot Jing Diving & Fishing was, they couldn¡¯t possibly be short of cash.


    There certainly must be many investors eager to buy in.


    After much deliberation, Tang Zhengqi still couldn¡¯t help but make the offer.


    Regardless of the oue, he had at least made the attempt.


    If his proposal was epted, he would surely reap extraordinary returns in the future.


    Anyone could predict that so long as nothing unexpected happened, Jing Diving & Fishing was bound to evolve into a colossal hot pot empire.


    A hundred billion in market value wasn¡¯t a dream!


    The shares of Jing Diving & Fishing were immensely valuable.


    If his offer was declined, there would be no regrets either.


    ¡°Brother Tang, I¡¯m very sorry, but I currently have no ns to ept investments from anyone,¡± Xu Yang said, rejecting the offer outright.


    Their rtionship was good, but not to the point where Xu Yang couldn¡¯t say no.


    Besides, he genuinely had no intention of taking on investors.


    Even setting that aside, if he were to consider epting an investment, the investor would have to be a benefit to Jing Diving & Fishing¡¯s development.<div>


    If they couldn¡¯t contribute positively and it was merely a matter of personal connections, Xu Yang would not agree to it.


    ¡°All right, my apologies for the overture. If there¡¯s any investment opportunity in the future that requires pooling together investors, I hope you¡¯ll think of me and include me in the investment,¡± Tang Zhengqi said, not overly disappointed since he was prepared for this eventuality.


    He casually mentioned this to ensure Xu Yang might think of him in the future, leaving a door open for himself.


    ¡°Sure, if there¡¯s a suitable opportunity in the future, we can invest together,¡± Xu Yang quickly agreed.


    After all, he would only invest with Tang Zhengqi if there were a fitting opportunity.


    Such matters were unpredictable.


    Xu Yang felt no burden on his conscience about it.


    Moreover, if a proper opportunity did arise, Xu Yang wouldn¡¯t mind coborating with Tang Zhengqi.


    After all, Tang Zhengqi was Xu Yang¡¯s first friend on Antique Street.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll thank you in advance, Little Brother Xu,¡± Tang Zhengqi said, a glint of light flickering in his eyes.


    Having gotten to know Xu Yang, he was convinced that Xu Yang was a genius when it came to investments.


    If Xu Yang could lead him to invest in just one or two sessful projects in the future, then this phone call would not have been made in vain.


    After a bit more small talk, they ended the conversation.

 Chapter 110: 110: Hard Days

    Chapter 110: Hard Days


    ¡°`


    The next day.


    Xu Yang asked Xiao Dongsheng to arrange for Fengcai Guild¡¯s streamers to promote ¡°War Leopard¡±.


    Soon, everyone knew that Wu Jing had directed a new film, a military action movie.


    Initially, people were not interested in this genre.


    After all, the military action movies of recent years had basically been trash.


    They didn¡¯t even want to watch the trailers.


    However, they couldn¡¯t escape the overwhelming promotion and ended up watching the trailers, some behind-the-scenes footage, and stories about the production.


    Furthermore, the test screening received positive feedback, and film critics, media reporters, and audiences gave ¡°War Leopard¡± high praise.


    This spurred a lot of viewers to start looking forward to ¡°War Leopard¡±.


    ¡°A movie Wu Jing worked hard on, we have to show some support.¡±<div>


    ¡°I¡¯ll go support it if I have the time, hoping Wu Jing can produce a good domestic military action film.¡±


    ¡°The trailer is intense. This is a man¡¯s movie. Definitely have to support it.¡±


    ¡­


    Before you knew it,


    there was just one week left until the New Year.


    That day, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin dined together with Zhao Hai at Zhao Hai¡¯s house.


    Right after dinner, Xu Yang received a call from his mother, Jiang Qiuping.


    ¡°Son, New Year¡¯s ising up, when are you and Yuxining back?¡± Jiang Qiuping asked.


    ¡°Mom, we should return on the twenty-ninth,¡± Xu Yang said.


    When to return home for the New Year had been discussed between him and Zhao Yuxin, settling on the twenty-ninth.


    ¡°Can¡¯t youe back earlier?¡± asked Jiang Qiuping.


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m a bit busy during this period, and Yuxin is working at the bank, she gets her holiday around that time,¡± Xu Yang exined.


    In fact, he wasn¡¯t that busy and could return whenever he wanted.


    It was mainly Zhao Yuxin¡¯s job; the end of the year was a busy time.


    Returning on the twenty-ninth was considered quite amodating.


    Others still had to work on the twenty-ninth and only got their holiday on New Year¡¯s Eve.


    Zhao Yuxin secured a one billion custodial fund from the Southwest Commerce Chamber¡¯s special investment fund, and the bank president gave Zhao Yuxin a day off in advance.


    Actually, if Zhao Yuxin had asked for a few days off earlier, it would not have been a problem; the bank president would surely have agreed.


    The bank president knew that Zhao Yuxin¡¯s husband was the owner of Fengcai Guild and Jiandi Lao.<div>


    Moreover, quite a bit of money had been deposited in the bank.


    But Zhao Yuxin was serious about her job and did not want to be treated too specially; she feared being alienated by her colleagues, which was not what she wanted, so she just asked for one day off.


    Xu Yang had talked with Zhao Yuxin, suggesting she resign and work in finance at Yangxin Investment.


    Zhao Yuxin said no, choosing to remain at the bank.<div>


    She said she liked working at the bank and enjoyed the work environment and camaraderie with her colleagues.


    Xu Yang had no choice but to let Zhao Yuxin do what made her happy.


    ¡°Well,e back on the twenty-ninth then. Your father and I have discussed inviting Yuxin¡¯s father to our home for the New Year. Otherwise, once you and Yuxine back here, her father will be alone in Jiang City for the New Year, which seems too lonely. Ask him if he would like to, okay?¡± Jiang Qiuping said.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Hearing his mother¡¯s words, Xu Yang realized he had been negligent.


    Indeed, when he and Yuxin returned to their hometown for the New Year, Zhao Hai would be alone in Jiang City.


    After ending the call, Xu Yang conveyed his parents¡¯ intentions to Zhao Hai and then said, ¡°Dad,e with us to my home for the New Year.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Dad, let¡¯s go together.¡±


    As her father¡¯s beloved daughter, Zhao Yuxin indeed had thought about this issue.


    ¡°`


    Originally, I was nning to talk to Xu Yang about it in a few days.


    However, Xu Yang¡¯s parents had already extended an invitation.


    This made things even better.


    Zhao Hai was indeed tempted, after all, if Zhao Yuxin followed Xu Yang, he would be alone.<div>


    The New Year hadn¡¯t even arrived yet, and thinking about the past, he had his daughter with him. This year, he would have to spend it alone, which truly left him feeling a bit empty inside.


    Still, he had some concerns and asked, ¡°Is this really convenient? Won¡¯t I be causing trouble for your parents?¡±


    Xu Yangughed, ¡°There is nothing inconvenient about it, and as for trouble, that¡¯s even less of an issue. If you cane, my parents will only be happy. My parents are very down-to-earth people. Since they¡¯ve invited you, it¡¯s certain they hope you can join us. Yuxin and I will be even happier. With both our families together, it will be much more lively.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin also urged, ¡°Dad, let¡¯s go together. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be at ease with you alone at home.¡±


    Zhao Hai hesitated for a moment, then nodded, ¡°All right then.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin said joyfully, ¡°That¡¯s great, now I can rest assured.¡±


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, at the Yang household.


    Four people were silently eating their meal, creating a somewhat oppressive atmosphere.


    Due to the dismal business at the hotpot restaurant, Yang Tiancheng had been in a bad mood since he got home.


    Liu Yujuan¡¯s cooking was quite good, and he usually enjoyed it with relish.


    But today¡¯s meal felt tasteless as wax.


    His expression was as if someone owed him billions.<div>


    ¡°Dad, is the boss thinking of scrapping the hotpot restaurant project?¡± Yang Jingsheng was the first to break the silence.


    ¡°He probably won¡¯t scrap it,¡± said Yang Tiancheng, shaking his head.


    ¡°So, the boss is going to continue supporting it?¡± Yang Jingsheng was puzzled.


    If they weren¡¯t scrapping it, why did Dad still look so upset?


    ¡°The reason why Meiwei Hotpot is doing so poorly is that the store is close to Haido, which has severely affected our business. The boss will likely choose a new location, farther away from Haido. Business should still be good there,¡± exined Yang Tiancheng.


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Yang Jingsheng breathed a sigh of relief, but was even more puzzled, ¡°Dad, then why do you still seem to be in a bad mood? Isn¡¯t this good news?¡±


    Yang Tiancheng said with bitterness, ¡°With the location being reselected, the boss probably won¡¯t let me be in charge.¡±


    If it were good news, his mood wouldn¡¯t be so sour.


    ¡°Ah?¡± Yang Jingsheng was taken aback, then said, ¡°Dad, that doesn¡¯t matter too much, does it? If you¡¯re not in charge, just go back to your previous job.¡±


    Yang Tiancheng looked disappointedly at his son.


    How could his son think this wasn¡¯t a big deal?


    He couldn¡¯t see the gravity of the situation.


    The primary reason for this disastrous failure was his mistake in choosing the location.<div>


    The boss had plenty ofints about him.


    With the boss unsatisfied, could he have an easy time?


    Return to his previous job? That was wishful thinking!


    Even if they didn¡¯t ask him to leave outright, they wouldn¡¯t put him in charge of anything important again.


    In the end, he would have to leave.


    ¡°Dad, why are you looking at me like that?¡± Yang Jingsheng was confused.


    Yang Tiancheng sighed and shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s likely that before long, I¡¯ll have to leave Meiwei Group.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± Yang Jingsheng was startled again, ¡°Dad, why?¡±


    Yang Tiancheng could only patiently exin, ¡°The hotpot project failed, and the boss is handing it over to someone else to handle. I¡¯m afraid everyone in thepany will be whispering behind my back, calling me ipetent. Do you think I could stay under those circumstances?¡±


    Finally, Yang Jingsheng understood and said anxiously, ¡°Dad, what are we going to do? If you leave Meiwei Group, can you find a job like this again?¡±

 Chapter 111: 111: Acting Out of Character

    Chapter 111: Acting Out of Character


    Yang Tiancheng shook his head, ¡°If I were to resign normally and go to another cateringpany, finding a deputy general manager position wouldn¡¯t be a problem, but with the hotpot as such a failed case, it¡¯s unlikely I¡¯ll find such a job.¡±


    The hotpot project was a stain on his career.


    There weren¡¯t many people willing to hire him to take charge of a project.


    At most, they would offer him a mid-level position, like some kind of manager.


    As for a high-level position like deputy general manager, don¡¯t even think about it.


    ¡°It¡¯s all that Xu Yang¡¯s fault, if it wasn¡¯t for his Haido, we wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this!¡±


    Yang Jingsheng¡¯s face was filled with resentment.


    In his view, everything was Xu Yang¡¯s fault.


    Not only had he been sent to the detention center, but Xu Yang also acquired what¡¯s called Haido, introducing some kind of ultimate service.


    It would have been a piece of cake, but he made it so popr that Meiwei hotpot didn¡¯t get any business at all.


    ¡°I really misjudged that Xu Yang,¡± Yang Tiancheng said bitterly.<div>


    He had indeed misjudged him.


    If Zhao Yulu were with Xu Yang, then the general manager of Haido wouldn¡¯t be Zhao Hai, but him.


    Given the poprity of Haido, its future development was bound to be a catering empire worth tens or even hundreds of billions.


    Being in charge of a catering empire worth tens or even hundreds of billions, just the thought of it was thrilling.


    Unfortunately, all of that had nothing to do with him.


    ¡°Who would have thought his luck would be so good!¡± Yang Jingsheng jealously ranted.


    He still believed it was all down to Xu Yang¡¯s luck.


    By sheer luck, Xu Yang made money from trading futures and finding bargains, which led to the subsequent acquisitions of Fengcai Guild and Haido, and his current sess.


    As for how the ultimate service at Haido came about, he intentionally or unintentionally overlooked that.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t luck anymore,¡± Yang Tiancheng shook his head and said.


    If he still said Xu Yang was just lucky, it would be nothing but self-deception.


    A son could deceive himself, but he could not.


    ¡°Hmph, no matter what, he¡¯s still no match for young master Chen!¡± Yang Jingsheng snorted.


    ¡°That¡¯s true, at least for now he¡¯s no match,¡± Yang Tiancheng nodded in agreement.


    Currently, Xu Yang indeed didn¡¯tpare to Chen Guanglei, after all, Chen Guanglei had a father worth several billions.


    Xu Yang¡¯s Fengcai Guild and Haido were making money, but they still couldn¡¯tpare to Chen Guanglei¡¯s father.


    As for the future, it was uncertain.


    If nothing unexpected happened, he would definitely surpass them in the future.


    But as for how Xu Yang was doing, it was already none of their business.<div>


    ¡°By the way, Yu Lu, after the failure of this hotpot n and possibly leaving Meiwei Group soon, I won¡¯t have a job lined up, could you talk to young master Chen and see if I could work at Jiasheng Media?¡±


    During this time, Yang Jingsheng hadn¡¯t been looking for work, just waiting for his dad to make a sess of the hotpot project and get promoted to president, then he could rejoin Meiwei Group.


    Now it seemed there was no chance of returning to thepany.


    If his father left thepany to look for another job, he wouldn¡¯t be able to start directly at a high level, and thus couldn¡¯t arrange a job for him.<div>


    That meant he had to think of other means, as he certainly couldn¡¯t stay jobless forever.


    And with hisck of ability, looking for work outside could only get him an ordinary job with a monthly sry of several thousand at best.


    Such work was absolutely torture for him.


    So, he set his sights on Chen Guanglei.


    He wanted Zhao Yulu to talk to Chen Guanglei and arrange a leading position for him at Jiasheng Media.


    ¡°You can just speak to him directly, don¡¯t you know him?¡± Zhao Yulu was somewhat reluctant.


    She knew all too well what kind of character Yang Jingsheng was.


    She definitely didn¡¯t want to work at the samepany as Yang Jingsheng.


    ¡°We know each other, but he¡¯s currently pursuing you, it would be more appropriate if you spoke to him,¡± Yang Jingsheng said, somewhat displeased.


    He knew Chen Guanglei, but that was all there was to their acquaintance.


    It was through a mutual friend¡¯s introduction.


    He introduced Zhao Yulu to Chen Guanglei. After Chen saw Yulu¡¯s photo and found her beautiful, he started to pay him some attention.


    But after Chen Guanglei met Zhao Yulu in person, he barely gave him the time of day.<div>


    He really had no special rtionship with Chen Guanglei.


    When it came to phone calls, he was at a loss for what to say.


    If he approached Chen Guanglei directly for job arrangement, the results would likely be unsatisfactory.


    ¡°He is pursuing me, but I can¡¯t make requests based on that. Otherwise, what does that make me? You better speak to him yourself,¡± Zhao Yulu was still unwilling to help.


    ¡°Yu Lu, what do you mean by this? Are you getting too big for your britches, not caring about your family anymore?¡± Yang Jingsheng¡¯s brow furrowed.


    Zhao Yulu didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Yu Lu, it¡¯s only right for you to help Jing Sheng out,¡± Yang Tiancheng naturally sided with his son.


    ¡°I do want to help him, but if I talk to Chen Guanglei, how would that make him see me? I¡¯d have a hard time after that. I can¡¯t just put myself in an awkward position for Jing Sheng¡¯s sake,¡± Zhao Yulu rarely talked back to Yang Tiancheng.


    Yang Tiancheng¡¯s brow furrowed, showing his displeasure.


    But he had to admit, Zhao Yulu made some sense.


    Asking Zhao Yulu to speak with Chen Guanglei about arranging a job for his son did seem unfair.


    After all, Zhao Yulu wasn¡¯t Chen Guanglei¡¯s girlfriend yet.


    ¡°Just tell Chen to give me a job at Jiasheng Media. How does that embarrass you? I think you just don¡¯t want to help!¡± Yang Jingsheng¡¯s expression soured.<div>


    Zhao Yulu remained silent.


    ¡°Not talking now? Did I hit a nerve? Have you really outgrown us? Remember, you were raised on the Yang family¡¯s dime. We ask you for a small favor and you can¡¯t even do that¡ªare you without a conscience?¡± Yang Jingsheng¡¯s tone grew harsher as he continued.


    ¡°I¡¯m full, you guys eat,¡± Zhao Yulu couldn¡¯t stand it any longer, and without arguing, she quickly finished her meal, put down her utensils, and returned to her room.


    ¡°Dad, look at her¡ªshe¡¯spletely disregarding us,¡± Yang Jingshengined.


    ¡°Let it be,¡± Yang Tiancheng gestured with his hand, ¡°She probably does feel put upon by this matter. Let¡¯s not press her further. You talk to Chen personally. He likes Yu Lu so much, and it was you who introduced them. You¡¯re owed some favor. It¡¯s just a job; he probably won¡¯t turn you down.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the only way,¡± Yang Jingsheng sighed reluctantly, feeling a lingering resentment towards Zhao Yulu in his heart.


    To think she wouldn¡¯t even mention it,pletely disregarding him as family.


    Before, whatever they asked of Zhao Yulu, she would do it.


    Even if she was reluctant, she¡¯d still go along with it.


    But today was different¡ªshe had not budged an inch.


    It seemed bing a vice president at a smallpany made her think she had wings.


    ¡°Yujuan, I¡¯m not full yet. Get me another bowl of rice,¡± Yang Tiancheng said.


    Liu Yujuan didn¡¯t move.<div>


    She continued to eat quietly as if she hadn¡¯t heard what had just been said, looking as though she was lost in a world of her own, pondering something.


    ¡°Yujuan,¡± Yang Tiancheng called out, raising his voice and tapping the tabletop.


    ¡°Ah? What?¡± Liu Yujuan finally snapped back to reality.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± asked Yang Tiancheng with a frown.


    ¡°Nothing, just wondering if there¡¯s any way to save the hotpot restaurant,¡± Liu Yujuan hurriedly replied.


    Of course, that was a lie. If she had such concern and capability, things wouldn¡¯t be this way now.


    What she pondered was what to do in the future.


    If Yang Tiancheng left Meiwei Group, his new work wouldn¡¯t be as good as before, and his ie would decrease.


    The money he gave her each month would surely lessen, and her quality of life would suffer.


    Her ex-husband Zhao Hai, on the other hand, was the general manager of Jiadi Lao, reaching another peak in his career, with the future looking even brighter.


    Should she get back together with Zhao Hai?


    If she reunites with Zhao Hai, Xu Yang would be her son-inw.


    She could be a vice president at the Fengcai Guild or Jiadi Lao without a problem.

 Chapter 112: 112 Meeting by Appointment

    Chapter 112: Meeting by Appointment


    Yang Tiancheng naturally did not know what Liu Yujuan was thinking. When he heard that she was trying to save the hotpot restaurant, his expression softened immediately, ¡°I¡¯m d you have this determination, but I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s already toote. I¡¯m still not full, go and serve me a bowl of rice.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Liu Yujuan went to serve Yang Tiancheng a bowl of rice and brought it back.


    ¡°Dad, if the boss decides to keep the hotpot restaurant open and just relocate, I think you should do your best to keep leading this project. As long as you can keep in charge, your position won¡¯t change. If we seedter, there is still hope for you to be the president.¡± Yang Jingsheng added.


    ¡°I know, I¡¯ll try my best, but whether I can retain it or not, I don¡¯t know. The hope is faint,¡± Yang Tiancheng said while eating.


    ¡°It¡¯s all Jiang Di Lao¡¯s fault. If it weren¡¯t for Jiang Di Lao, our Meiwai Hotpot¡¯s business wouldn¡¯t be so bleak!¡± Yang Jingsheng once again expressed his resentment.


    ¡­


    At half-past nine in the evening, Zhao Yulu had just taken a bath and was lying in bed when she heard a knock at the door.


    Immediately after, Liu Yujuan¡¯s voice could be heard.


    ¡°Yu Lu, are you asleep?¡±


    Zhao Yulu opened the door: ¡°Mom, what¡¯s up?¡±


    Liu Yujuan said, ¡°I want to talk to you.¡±<div>


    Zhao Yulu was startled, then said, ¡°Come in.¡±


    Letting Liu Yujuan in, she closed the door.


    Liu Yujuan took a seat on a chair in front of the vanity beside the bed, while Zhao Yulu sat on the bed.


    ¡°Mom, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Zhao Yulu took the initiative to ask.


    ¡°Yu Lu, the New Year is just a few days away. After we have our New Year¡¯s Eve dinner at home, let¡¯s go and spend some time with your dad,¡± Liu Yujuan said.


    ¡°Mom, are you thinking of getting back together with Dad?¡± Zhao Yulu asked.


    ¡°Why would you ask that?¡± Liu Yujuan was taken aback.


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t want to get back with Dad, why would you think of doing that?¡± Zhao Yulu said.


    ¡°I just think you should spend more time with him; after all, he¡¯s your biological father,¡± Liu Yujuan said.


    ¡°Mom, please don¡¯t deceive yourself, okay? Yang Tiancheng has fallen out of favor at thepany, and his days are bound to go downhill from here. You¡¯re looking for a way out now. Dad is already the general manager of Jiang Di Lao, and it¡¯s normal for you to want to get back with him,¡± Zhao Yulu said.


    ¡°Yu Lu, since you¡¯ve figured it out, I won¡¯t hide it anymore. I do have that thought. What do you think?¡± Liu Yujuan was surprisingly calm about it and did not seem to see anything wrong with it.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to ask me. Just make the decision on your own. I don¡¯t mind, and besides, it¡¯s none of my business anyway,¡± Zhao Yulu said.


    ¡°How can it be none of your business? If I get back with your dad, our lives will be much better than they are now,¡± Liu Yujuan said.


    ¡°Even if you did get back with my dad, it¡¯s still none of my business. You can do what you want. Also, about the New Year¡¯s Eve, I¡¯m not going. You can go by yourself,¡± Zhao Yulu said.


    ¡°Are you really not going?¡± Liu Yujuan frowned slightly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going, and I also advise you not to go. Dad is probably not going to get back together with you,¡± Zhao Yulu shook her head.


    ¡°Why not?¡± Liu Yujuan asked.


    ¡°Mom, are you confused? Do you think there¡¯s a man who would ept a woman who betrayed him, especially after so many years have passed?¡±


    Zhao Yulu was somewhat speechless, feeling that her mother was being clueless.<div>


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. We had a foundation of love in the past, or else we wouldn¡¯t have gotten married and had two daughters. For your sake, he should at least consider it,¡± Liu Yujuan said.


    ¡°Since that¡¯s what you believe and you¡¯re still holding onto hope, I won¡¯t be able to persuade you. Go ahead, then, and when your illusions are shattered, you¡¯ll understand,¡± Zhao Yulu said.


    ¡°Yu Lu, do you think I¡¯m shameful if I go with you?¡± Liu Yujuan asked.


    Zhao Yulu did not respond.<div>


    If it were another woman asking her, she would undoubtedly say that it was shameful.


    But Liu Yujuan was her mother, and she couldn¡¯t say such a thing.


    ¡°I know you probably feel that way in your heart, but only by doing this can I have a better life. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve done anything wrong. Society is cruel, and only women like me can live a better life,¡± Liu Yujuan had her own set of beliefs. Otherwise, she couldn¡¯t have betrayed Zhao Hai without any sense of shame, still thinking that she could get back together with him and that he would ept her.


    ¡°Mom, I really don¡¯t want to meddle in your and Dad¡¯s affairs. Just do what you think is best. Since you¡¯re not giving up, I won¡¯t try to convince you. When you hit the wall, you¡¯ll naturally understand,¡± Zhao Yulu saw the situation very clearly.


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Liu Yujuan said helplessly, having no choice but to leave.


    She thought that bringing her daughter along would increase their chances of sess.


    But since her daughter was unwilling to go, it was time to change tactics.


    The next day.


    Liu Yujuan arrived at the Linghai Road store.


    The employees in the store weren¡¯t busy.


    Knowing there would be no customers, they hadn¡¯t made any preparations.


    Many dishes were just frozen in the fridge, no preparation needed.


    Liu Yujuan was utterly bored.<div>


    After ying with her phone past ten o¡¯clock, she called Zhao Hai.


    Soon, the call was connected.


    Liu Yujuan immediately said, ¡°Zhao Hai, are you busy right now?¡±


    ¡°Not really, what¡¯s up?¡± Zhao Hai responded indifferently.


    Zhao Hai was surprised by Liu Yujuan¡¯s call.


    He had no idea what this woman wanted with him.


    Moreover, her tone seemed to have changed, bing quite gentle.


    It was nothing like her previously fierce and aggressive demeanor.


    ¡°I have something to discuss with you, and I¡¯d like to invite you to a meal. Do you have time?¡±


    Liu Yujuan thought it was best toy some groundwork first, meet Zhao Hai in person, and then visit his ce on New Year¡¯s Eve to spend it together. She believed that would be more effective.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time at noon, just tell me over the phone,¡± Zhao Hai declined.


    ¡°Are you that busy? Not even time for a meal at noon?¡± Liu Yujuan asked.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m really busy,¡± Zhao Hai replied.<div>


    ¡°What about the evening? Do you have time then?¡± Liu Yujuan asked.


    ¡°I won¡¯t have time in the evening either,¡± Zhao Hai said.


    By this point, Liu Yujuan would have to be foolish not to realize Zhao Hai was making excuses.


    Liu Yujuan couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Zhao Hai, do you really dislike me that much? I have something to discuss with you, and you won¡¯t even give me a chance to meet.¡±


    Zhao Hai said, ¡°You can tell me whatever it is over the phone.¡±


    Liu Yujuan said, ¡°It¡¯s not convenient to talk about it over the phone.¡±


    Zhao Hai thought for a moment and then said, ¡°In that case, how about six o¡¯clock this evening? Come to the Songlin Restaurant near Haido.¡±


    Liu Yujuan was overjoyed, ¡°Great, see you tonight.¡±


    After saying that, she hung up immediately, fearing Zhao Hai might change his mind.


    As long as they met, Liu Yujuan was confident that she could make Zhao Hai ept her again.


    Time passed quickly.


    At five-thirty in the afternoon, Liu Yujuan arrived at Songlin Restaurant near Haido, reserved a private room, and sent the room number to Zhao Hai.


    At six o¡¯clock, the door of the private room was pushed open, and Zhao Hai walked in.<div>


    ¡°Zhao Hai, you¡­¡± Liu Yujuan stood up with a smile on her face, but upon seeing Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin who followed Zhao Hai into the room, her expression changed instantly.


    ¡°What, you¡¯re not happy to see us?¡± Zhao Yuxin asked coldly.


    That morning, she had received a call from her father, who had exined the situation.


    Her father shared some of his spections with her and wanted her to join the meeting with Liu Yujuan.


    She naturally wouldn¡¯t refuse, and she even brought Xu Yang along.

 Chapter 113: 113 Shameless Woman

    Chapter 113: Shameless Woman


    ¡°How could I not be weing? I¡¯m so happy you coulde,¡± Liu Yujuan forced a reluctant smile on her face.


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin¡¯s arrival hadpletely disrupted her ns.


    Originally, she had intended to reminisce about the good old days of her romance with Zhao Hai, and then gradually steer the conversation toward reconciliation.


    But with Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin there, it became awkward to bring up her past romance with Zhao Hai.


    Her mind raced as she thought of other tactics.


    ¡°d to hear that. Have you ordered yet? If not, let¡¯s hurry up and order. I¡¯ve been working all day; I didn¡¯t have a good lunch and I¡¯m starving,¡± Zhao Yuxin said as she pulled Xu Yang to sit down, with Zhao Hai next to Xu Yang.


    A few seats away from Liu Yujuan.


    ¡°Not yet, you order,¡± Liu Yujuan responded.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll do it.¡± Zhao Yuxin picked up the menu and ordered seven or eight dishes, all the most expensive ones. ¡°Oh, and you did say you were treating my dad to dinner, right? You¡¯ll include Xu Yang and me in that as well? It would be awkward if after we¡¯ve eaten you suggest going Dutch,¡± she added.


    ¡°Yuxin, what are you saying? Are you implying that I can¡¯t even afford to treat you to a meal?¡± Liu Yujuan¡¯s face took on an ugly expression.


    Actually, she hadn¡¯t nned on spending any money.<div>


    After all, if she invited Zhao Hai to dinner, surely a grown man like him wouldn¡¯t expect her to pay, right?


    But now that Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin were there, it was different.


    And obviously, Zhao Yuxin¡¯s move was designed to corner her intomitting to pay for the meal.


    In this situation, she had no choice but to begrudgingly agree.


    It didn¡¯t matter. Once she and Zhao Hai got back together, spending Xu Yang, her future son-inw¡¯s money, would be as easy as asking how much she wanted.


    ¡°As long as you can afford it, I just think it¡¯s better to be clear about these things upfront to avoid any unpleasantnesster,¡± Zhao Yuxin said.


    What followed was silence.


    Zhao Hai hadn¡¯t figured out how to address the matter with Zhao Hai.


    Zhao Hai didn¡¯t want to be the first to speak. If Liu Yujuan wanted to talk, fine, if not, so be it.


    The dishes were swiftly served.


    As the four of them started eating, neither Liu Yujuan nor Zhao Hai spoke.


    Only Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin, the young couple, exchanged words.


    They chat about work and daily life.


    And they mentioned that the food tasted great, worthy of being a restaurant that ¡°Brother Yi¡± had rmended.


    The meal was soon drawing to a close.


    Liu Yujuan found herself forced to speak up.


    ¡°Zhao Hai, I asked you out today because I have something to tell you.¡±


    She had eaten her meal absentmindedly, her mind upied with how to approach the subject with Zhao Hai.


    ¡°I¡¯m almost full, I was starting to think you wouldn¡¯t bring it up,¡± Zhao Hai said as he put down his chopsticks, took a sip of tea, and wiped his mouth with a napkin.<div>


    ¡°Zhao Hai, what if¡ªI mean just if¡ªI divorced Yang Tiancheng, would you remarry me?¡± Liu Yujuan, unable to think of any sort of preamble, just blurted out her question.


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin exchanged a nce that suggested ¡®just as expected¡¯.


    Zhao Hai had suspected as much.


    Now it seemed Zhao Hai had guessed right.<div>


    Zhao Hai had insisted Zhao Yuxin apany him specifically to avoid misunderstandings about their meeting.


    To prevent rumors of their meeting reaching Yang Tiancheng¡¯s ears and causing a misinterpretation, which would be problematic.


    He absolutely wouldn¡¯t meet Liu Yujuan alone.


    Zhao Yuxin certainly didn¡¯t want her father to get back together with Liu Yujuan.


    In Zhao Yuxin¡¯s view, a woman like Liu Yujuan didn¡¯t deserve her father at all.


    Even though Liu Yujuan was her biological mother.


    But Zhao Yuxin had the utmost contempt for Liu Yujuan¡¯s character.


    ¡°Liu Yujuan, don¡¯t you find itughable to ask such a question?¡± Zhao Hai scoffed.


    ¡°What¡¯s soughable about it? You and I have two daughters, Yu Xin and Yu Lu. Isn¡¯t reconciliation perfectly normal?¡± Liu Yujuan asserted as if it were a matter of course.


    ¡°To you, it might seem normal, but to me, it¡¯s not,¡± Zhao Hai said. ¡°I can tell you unequivocally that I will not reconcile with you. You should just give up on that idea.¡±


    ¡°Zhao Hai, how can you be so heartless? Even if you don¡¯t consider me, you should think about Yu Lu. Yu Lu has never really had any happy times growing up in the Yang household.¡±


    ¡°You know what kind of person Yang Tiancheng is. He has never treated Yu Lu as his daughter. In his eyes, there¡¯s only his good-for-nothing son.¡±


    ¡°Our life at the Yang¡¯s hasn¡¯t been easy, and the only reason I chose to reconcile with you was to improve Yu Lu¡¯s future,¡± she said.<div>


    ¡°You¡¯re her biological father; it¡¯s your responsibility and duty to take care of her. You can¡¯t just care for Yu Xin and ignore Yu Lu.¡±


    Liu Yujuan brought up Zhao Yuxin to make her point.


    ¡°Liu Yujuan, you really are shameless!¡± Zhao Yuxin couldn¡¯t help but speak out.


    ¡°Zhao Yuxin, I¡¯m your mother. Watch the way you speak!¡± Liu Yujuan¡¯s face turned livid with anger.


    ¡°I¡¯ve said it before; I¡¯ve never considered you my mother, so don¡¯t always bring up that rtionship to make a point,¡± Zhao Yuxin retorted.


    ¡°Let me tell you, even if my dad had agreed to reconcile with you, I would never consent.¡±


    ¡°In my eyes, a woman like you is absolutely unworthy of my dad!¡±


    ¡°You have the nerve to say that Dad has a responsibility to take care of my sister and then use him of neglecting her?¡±


    ¡°You need to understand that it was you who took my sister away from Dad of your own ord, not Dad who neglected her.¡±


    ¡°If you hadn¡¯t taken her away, I¡¯m sure Dad would have been more than happy to raise both of us together,¡± she said.


    ¡°Now that you see Dad¡¯s life has improved, you want toe back to him, and you¡¯vee up with such a high-sounding excuse¡ªno, not a high-sounding excuse, but a shameless one.¡±


    ¡°Thinking about it, only a woman like you could do something like this. You¡¯re shameless to begin with,¡± Zhao Yuxin continued her tirade of criticism against Liu Yujuan.


    Zhao Yuxin¡¯s barrage left Liu Yujuan with a face alternating between shades of green and white.<div>


    ¡°You¡­¡± Liu Yujuan was so furious she couldn¡¯t find the words to speak.


    ¡°My dad and I have made our stance clear. You can give up on any hope of reconciling with him. Let¡¯s go, Dad.¡± Zhao Yuxin said as she pulled Xu Yang and prepared to leave, with Zhao Hai standing up to follow.


    ¡°Bastards!¡±


    Liu Yujuan was so angry that her face turned the color of iron, and she smashed a teacup onto the floor.


    Her wellid ns had been foiled by Zhao Yuxin.


    The situation, as it turned out, was not to her advantage.


    This significantly increased the difficulty of reconciling with Zhao Hai.


    But with Zhao Yuxin interfering, she truly was out of options.


    Zhao Yuxin had always been prejudiced against her, never having a good word to say upon meeting.


    Indeed, in her view, she was not in the wrong; it was Zhao Yuxin who was biased against her.


    From Zhao Yuxin¡¯s perspective, it was different.


    She held no prejudices against Liu Yujuan; she was simply stating the tant truth.


    ¡°Waiter, the bill, please!¡± Liu Yujuan called out.<div>


    The server approached swiftly.


    ¡°Good evening, ma¡¯am. The totales to 23,263 yuan, but we can round down the amount. It will be just 23,000 yuan,¡± the server said with a smile, cing a bill in front of Liu Yujuan.


    ¡°What did you say? 23,000 yuan?¡± Liu Yujuan stood up abruptly.


    ¡°Yes, madam, that¡¯s the discounted price,¡± the server replied with a smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. This is just an ordinary restaurant, not some fancy establishment. The dishes didn¡¯t seem that special. How could it be so expensive?¡± Liu Yujuan¡¯s face turned an ugly shade at the cost.


    She had been preupied with her thoughts and hadn¡¯t paid any attention to whether the food was particrly good or not.

 Chapter 114: 114: An Anticipated Life

    Chapter 114: An Anticipated Life


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, our restaurant might be a regr one, but we have six signature dishes that are very popr.¡±


    ¡°Despite being made frommon ingredients, the unique skills of our head chef make them highly sought after by customers, and thus the prices are slightly higher, varying from three to five thousand per dish.¡±


    ¡°Since you ordered all six signature dishes, the price naturally reflects that.¡±


    The waiter exined patiently.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t find anything special about them. Signature dishes? It must be a scheme to cheat consumers.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know, I won¡¯t be the sucker here. Call your manager over; I want to see if they dare to charge me this much.¡±


    ¡°If they do dare, I will file aint against you for deceiving customers. I wonder if your restaurant can remain open after that!¡±


    Liu Yujuan dered righteously.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, please watch yournguage. using us of cheating consumers is defamation against our restaurant. We have been an established restaurant for eighteen years, and never before has a customer used us of deceit. If you cause any negative impact on our restaurant, we can sue you.¡±


    The waiter was firm, his expression turning slightly stern, not indulging Liu Yujuan at all.


    In fact, their restaurant was doing quite well.<div>


    Furthermore, the restaurant staff were all professionally trained and had been clearly told how to handle such situations.


    ¡°You want to sue me? This is my first time seeing such an out-of-control restaurant. Not only do you cheat consumers, but you also sue them? You¡¯re really something. I¡¯ll just sit right here and wait for you to sue me.¡±


    Liu Yujuanughed in anger, her first time in such a restaurant.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, are you refusing to pay the bill?¡± the waiter asked.


    ¡°With such steep prices, how can I settle the bill? Call your manager, I want them to exin. Otherwise, I¡¯m not only refusing to pay, but I¡¯ll also expose your rip-off establishment!¡± said Liu Yujuan with a coldugh.


    ¡°Wait a moment, I will call the manager.¡± The waiter left.


    She knew she couldn¡¯t handle it herself and needed to find the manager.


    Three minutester, the waiter returned with a middle-aged man in a suit and leather shoes.


    ¡°Madam, I¡¯ve been informed about your issue.¡±


    ¡°Firstly, I need to reassert that our restaurant is not a rip-off joint, nor do we engage in any consumer deception.¡±


    ¡°The prices of our dishes are all clearly marked and have been filed with the Bureau of Commodity Prices and approved by them.¡±


    ¡°For this private room, you ordered our restaurant¡¯s six signature dishes and two additional dishes, which totals over twenty-three thousand. We¡¯ve already rounded down the decimal for you.¡±


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re willing to settle the bill and refrain from making nderousments about our restaurant. If they cause any negative impact, we reserve the right to protect our legitimate interests through legal action.¡±


    ¡°Here is the Bureau of Commodity Prices¡¯ approval for the pricing of all our dishes. You may take a look,¡± said the restaurant manager, cing a document in front of Liu Yujuan.


    ¡°There¡¯s actually an approval from the Bureau of Commodity Prices? Could this be fake?¡± Liu Yujuan¡¯s face turned unsightly upon seeing the document.


    ¡°Madam, if you suspect it¡¯s fake, you can make a phone call to verify. If it were fake, our restaurant wouldn¡¯t have been operating here for eighteen long years,¡± said the restaurant manager.


    Make a phone call to verify?


    Liu Yujuan neither had the time nor saw the need for it.


    She picked up the menu to check and found that indeed, the first three pages listed the six signature dishes, all with clear pricing, revealing no fraudulent activity.<div>


    For Zhao Yuxin to order such expensive dishes and speak in that way was simply like fleecing herself.


    Liu Yujuan¡¯s expression grew increasingly unsightly.


    She was beginning to suspect that Zhao Hai agreed to have dinner with her just to fleece her, to purposely disgust her.


    Whether that was his intention or not, she felt fleeced all the same.<div>


    ¡°Madam, please pay the bill. If you do not, we will take legal measures to protect our legitimate rights,¡± the restaurant manager said.


    One had to admit, the waiters and the manager of this restaurant were indeed unyielding.


    In other restaurants, even when faced with unreasonable customers, the staff would still keep smiling.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay, but before I do, I want to ask why the food is so expensive when your restaurant looks so ordinary? Can¡¯t you decorate the ce to look a bit more upscale?¡± Liu Yujuan asked, puzzled.


    ¡°Many customers have asked this question. Our boss has said that in the food and beverage industry, what matters most is the taste of the food, not the decoration of the restaurant. If having good decorations meant good business, then there would be no need to research cooking skills.¡±


    ¡°Fact has proven our boss right. Although our restaurant¡¯s decor isn¡¯t luxurious, our food tastes great, and our service is wless, so business is really good, and we have many returning customers,¡± the restaurant manager exined with a smile.


    ¡°By the way, I see there¡¯s a Jiang Di Lao nearby. Has it affected your business?¡± Liu Yujuan asked another question.


    This area is not far from the headquarters of Jiang Di Lao, and the nearby branch is their gship store, thergest among Jiang Di Lao¡¯s twenty-one outlets.


    Delicious Hotpot has branches near other Jiang Di Lao outlets, but none here.


    Since Jiang Di Lao¡¯s headquarters is located here, enjoying the home ground advantage, Delicious Hotpot did not open a branch in this area.


    ¡°At the beginning, we were slightly affected, since Jiang Di Lao is hugely popr and many customers went there for the experience, even I did,¡± the manager admitted.


    ¡°But Jiang Di Lao is a hotpot restaurant after all, and it¡¯s a different type of dining from our stir-fry; it targets different consumer needs. After a while, business returned to normal.¡±


    ¡°Those who want to eat hotpot at Jiang Di Lao do so, and those who want to dine with us wille here. Our business hasn¡¯t suffered.¡±<div>


    ¡°We¡¯re not like Delicious Hotpot, which made the mistake of opening right next to Jiang Di Lao. When ites to choosing hotpot, consumers will inevitably pick Jiang Di Lao over Delicious Hotpot.¡±


    ¡°I really can¡¯t fathom what the people in charge of Delicious Hotpot were thinking, opening right by Jiang Di Lao¡¯s branches.¡±


    ¡°Unless I¡¯m mistaken, Delicious Hotpot has suffered a heavy loss. Now it likely has only two options left, either shutting down or relocating¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve gone off on a tangent,¡± the restaurant manager said, realizing he had spoken too much and promptly stopped.


    ¡°Let¡¯s settle the bill,¡± Liu Yujuan thought she shouldn¡¯t have asked.


    Even the restaurant manager, an outsider, thought that Delicious Hotpot was down to itsst straws. Delicious Hotpot was surely finished.


    And Yang Tiancheng waspletely sidelined in thepany, with no choice but to leave.


    This only made her feel more strongly that she needed to get back with Zhao Hai.


    Only that way, not only would there be no decline in her standard of living, but it could even surpass her past lifestyle.


    After all, Zhao Hai was the general manager of Jiang Di Lao, and Xu Yang was the boss of both Fengcai Guild and Jiang Di Lao.


    Getting back together with Zhao Hai would transform her into a wealthy woman overnight.


    The very thought of such a life filled her with anticipation.


    She took out her bank card and handed it to the restaurant manager.<div>


    The restaurant manager personally processed the transaction and helped her pay the bill.


    ¡°Madam, we look forward to weing you again!¡± the restaurant manager said as he returned the bank card to Liu Yujuan.


    Liu Yujuan did not say a word, took her handbag, and left the restaurant.

 Chapter 115: 115: Not Willing to be an Ordinary Employee

    Chapter 115: Not Willing to be an Ordinary Employee


    Xu Yang and hispanions left the restaurant.<div>


    On the ride home with Zhao Hai, Xu Yang asked, ¡°Dad, have you thought about finding someone else?¡±


    It was just an offhand question, but Zhao Yuxin¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Dad, I think you really could find someone new. That way, someone would take care of you, and I¡¯d feel at ease. Plus, it wouldpletely crush Liu Yujuan¡¯s fantasies.¡±


    Zhao Hai was caught betweenughter and tears, ¡°You two needn¡¯t fuss over my affairs. After all these years, I feel quite content being alone, and I¡¯ve gotten used to it. As for Liu Yujuan, I¡¯m not senile enough to consider getting back together with her. I met her today because I sensed what she was hoping for and wanted to put an end to it.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Dad, I really think you should consider it. Recently, when I visited thepany, I overheard the employees gossiping that the finance manager seems quite interested in you.¡±


    Zhao Hai¡¯s expression changed slightly, ¡°Xu Yang, what nonsense are you talking about? Such things can be said in private, but if others overheard, how could I show my face to anyone?¡±


    Xu Yang smiled and said, ¡°Dad, I¡¯m not talking nonsense. The employees seemed very serious when they mentioned it. I even asked a few of them, and it appears to be true.¡±<div>


    Zhao Yuxin¡¯s eyes zed with the mes of gossip, and she excitedly asked, ¡°Husband, is it true? The finance department manager is really interested in Dad? What¡¯s her name, and what is she like? How old is she and where is she from?¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°The finance manager is named Zhou Ruyan. I¡¯ve met her, and it seems she¡¯s in her mid-thirties. ording to the employees, she hasn¡¯t found the right person and has remained single. They said she¡¯s truly a high-quality ¡®leftover woman¡¯ and is interested in our dad. The employees im it¡¯s true, but as for the details, I¡¯m not sure. Yu Xin, if you have time, you could go to thepany and have a chat with Zhou Ruyan to find out more.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin nodded repeatedly, ¡°Mm, I¡¯ll find time to visit thepany and have a talk with this finance department manager.¡±


    Zhao Hai¡¯s face changed again as he hurriedly said, ¡°Yuxin, don¡¯t be rash. If you cause a misunderstanding, how will I be able to face anyone?¡±


    Zhao Yuxin said with a grin, ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be reckless. I know how to handle situations with tact, I won¡¯t embarrass you.¡±


    Zhao Hai turned to Xu Yang, ¡°Xu Yang, can you please keep Yuxin in line? I can¡¯t control her.¡±


    Xu Yangughed and said, ¡°Dad, I trust Yuxin. She¡¯s very measured in her actions. Besides, if there is really a mutual interest and you bothe together, it would be a good thing.¡±


    ¡°You two¡­¡± Zhao Hai did not know what else to say.


    ¡­


    Liu Yujuan returned home.


    Yang Tiancheng and his son had juste back from eating dinner outside.


    That afternoon, Liu Yujuan had told them she was meeting a friend for dinner to discuss something and would not be cooking at home.<div>


    Naturally, Yang Tiancheng and his son ate out.


    ¡°Yujuan, how was the shop today?¡± Yang Tiancheng did not ask who Liu Yujuan had met for dinner or what they had discussed.


    Such urrences were toomon for Liu Yujuan, and there was no need to ask.


    It had happened many times before.


    In any case, as long as Liu Yujuan spent most of her time cooking at home, it did not matter if she didn¡¯t do so every evening.


    When Liu Yujuan did not cook, father and son would dine out at a restaurant, which was quite nice.


    ¡°It¡¯s the same old situation; there were only three tables of customers at lunch, spending a total of seven hundred thirty-five yuan,¡± Liu Yujuan said with a bitter expression.


    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s really the end,¡± Yang Tiancheng sighed helplessly, feeling profoundly powerless.


    If it were apetition with another hotpot restaurant, he could still think of some strategies.


    Butpeting with thispany, he really couldn¡¯te up with any ideas.


    The owner refused to raise sries, so naturally, there could be no training to motivate the staff to provide exceptional service.


    Unable to offer exceptional service, they were no match for thepetition.<div>


    This was an unsolvable problem.


    ¡°It¡¯s all Xu Yang¡¯s fault. If not for him, we wouldn¡¯t be in this situation,¡± Yang Jingsheng uttered these words of resentment once again.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to say that,¡± Tian Cheng waved his hand and sat on the sofa.


    Just at that moment, Yu Lu came back.


    Since her mother hadn¡¯t cooked, she had eaten outside before returning home.


    ¡°Yu Lu, I called Guang Lei today and asked him to arrange a job for me at Jia Sheng Media. He said he could do that, but he could only make me a regr employee. Do you think you could talk to him and get me a leadership position, even a small one?¡±


    Jing Sheng swallowed his pride today and called Guang Lei to beg for a job.


    Although Guang Lei didn¡¯t refuse, he said he could only arrange a regr job for Jing Sheng to start from the ground up, with the possibility of promotion in the future.


    Naturally, Jing Sheng wasn¡¯t happy about being just a regr employee.


    A regr employee is doomed to a life of hardbor.


    Being a small leader, at the very least, means you can assign work to others, giving you much more freedom with your time.


    As for the chance of future promotion, who knows how long that would take.<div>


    That kind of pie in the sky, unless it was offered by his father, was something he didn¡¯t believe in.


    It must be said that although hecked capability, he wasn¡¯t someone who could be easily fooled by anyone.


    ¡°If he has already said that, even if I talk to him, it won¡¯t make any difference,¡± Yu Xin certainly didn¡¯t want to say anything.


    ¡°Yu Lu, Guang Lei likes you and pursues you. If you talk to him, it must make a difference, it just depends on whether you¡¯re willing to speak up or not,¡± Jing Sheng said, somewhat discontentedly.


    ¡°It¡¯s useless; I¡¯m a bit tired, I¡¯ll go back to my room first.¡±


    Yu Lu went back to her room.


    ¡°Dad, look at her, now that she¡¯s be a vice president, she thinks she¡¯s too good to lend a hand, not even willing to help me,¡± Jing Shengined again.


    ¡°Enough, maybe she really has her difficulties. Don¡¯t be so harsh with your words,¡± Tian Cheng gestured with a wave of his hand.


    ¡°What difficulties could she have? It¡¯s just a matter of saying a word, she just doesn¡¯t want to help,¡± Jing Sheng grumbled discontentedly.


    ¡°If she doesn¡¯t want to help then let it be. You¡¯re not young anymore, you should find your own way to stand on your feet, and not always rely on others. If you¡¯re unwilling to be a regr employee at Jia Sheng Media, then go find a job by yourself,¡± Tian Cheng said.


    ¡°Finding a job by myself would still mean being a regr employee,¡± Jing Sheng¡¯s expression fell.


    ¡°Then go work for Jia Sheng Media,¡± Tian Cheng said.<div>


    ¡°I won¡¯t go. Yu Lu is a vice president at Jia Sheng Media and I¡¯d just be a regr employee, not even a minor leader; I¡¯d beughed to death,¡± Jing Sheng said.


    ¡°Then what do you n to do, just not work at all?¡± Tian Cheng frowned.


    If his son didn¡¯t work, his pressure would greatly increase.


    He knew very well that his son¡¯s monthly expenses were not insignificant.


    Not working meant draining the family resources.


    Having a job, while the sry was often insufficient, at least meant there was some ie.


    He wouldn¡¯t have to worry too much.


    Not working was a different matter altogether and led to even more idleness and greater expenses every day.


    ¡°Dad, how about I wait until your situation is more stable? When you leave Meiwei Group and look for a new job, there¡¯s still hope you could find a position like vice president. Then you can arrange a small leadership role for me,¡± Jing Sheng said.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Tian Cheng, although very disappointed in his son, truly loved him in his heart and couldn¡¯t bring himself to speak harshly or to pressure Jing Sheng.

 Chapter 116: 116 Employee Job Hopping

    Chapter 116: Employee Job Hopping


    He was twenty-six years old.<div>


    That afternoon, Xu Yang received a phone call from Xiao Dongsheng.


    ¡°President Xu, there¡¯s something I need to discuss with you,¡± Xiao Dongsheng said.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Xu Yang replied.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the situation. Recently, people from other guilds have been trying to poach our streamers. Most of them have refused, but a few seem to be considering leaving. There¡¯s one female streamer named Wang Ting who explicitly requested a twenty percent increase in hermission, or else she¡¯ll resign. How do you think we should handle this?¡± Xiao Dongsheng asked.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Xu Yang didn¡¯t say how to handle it but instead asked Xiao Dongsheng for his opinion first.


    ¡°I think we must nip this in the bud. We can¡¯t agree to any resignation. We need to make an example out of someone, starting with Wang Ting. We¡¯ll refuse her resignation on the grounds that her contract has not expired and ¡®freeze¡¯ her out by not letting her appear anywhere. Eventually, she¡¯ll be rendered useless. Even if she shows up again, she won¡¯t have any poprity left. This will deter any other streamers who might get simr ideas, and other guilds handle their popr streamers who want to switch allegiances in the same way,¡± Xiao Dongsheng exined his strategy.<div>


    In the past, his guild hadn¡¯t handled things this way.


    Mostly, because the streamers weren¡¯t that famous.


    If someone left, it didn¡¯t make much difference.


    But now things were different.


    The streamers from Fengcai Guild were all popr.


    Those who wanted to leave had at least five million followers each.


    Xiao Dongsheng felt that they couldn¡¯t be soft with these people.


    Otherwise, if the rest of the streamers followed suit, what would be of them?


    It probably wouldn¡¯t be long before all the streamers were gone.


    After all, the other guilds were offering much highermissions.


    Xiao Dongsheng¡¯s approach was also based on how other guilds handled simr situations.


    ¡°Old Xiao, that tactic might well have a deterring effect, but have you thought about how the other streamers will feel about such measures?¡± Xu Yang said.<div>


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Xiao Dongsheng found himself at a loss for words, unable to respond immediately.


    ¡°The other streamers will feel like they¡¯re selling themselves by working at Fengcai Guild, that leaving would ruin their careers. That¡¯s not what I want,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°President Xu, then tell me how to handle it,¡± Xiao Dongsheng asked.


    ¡°Anyone who wants to leave is free to do so. Besides paying the contractual penalty, they can leave. I want people who are willing to stay and work at Fengcai Guild. There¡¯s no need to stop those who don¡¯t want to stay,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°President Xu, if we do that, I¡¯m afraid many people will leave, and our losses will be huge,¡± Xiao Dongsheng said with a wry smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I believe most streamers are sensible. They can figure out whichpany is better for them. If they really think ourpany is no good, then they aren¡¯t really with us, and there¡¯s no need to work together,¡± Xu Yang was quite calm about it.


    Xu Yang had anticipated that other guilds would try to poach their streamers and that some might want to resign.


    Let those who want to leave, leave. Don¡¯t hold on to them.


    He believed that only a portion of people would want to leave.


    The departure of those few wouldn¡¯t affect the overall situation.


    ¡°Alright, then we¡¯ll do as you say,¡± Xiao Dongsheng said resignedly.


    Since the boss had decided on this course of action, he wasn¡¯t in a position to object.<div>


    Perhaps there was additional reasoning behind the boss¡¯s decision, but for now, he couldn¡¯t grasp it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll issue a statement in thepany group, and then let HR handle it ording to the statement,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°Understood,¡± Xiao Dongsheng replied.


    After ending the call, Xu Yang opened the WeChat group for Fengcai Guild and posted a statement.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, some of our employees have expressed a desire to resign recently. I know how other guilds handle this kind of situation, and I do not wish to do the same.¡±


    ¡°Although I would very much like for all staff to continue working with us, I won¡¯t stop anyone who really wants to leave. I won¡¯t deliberately make things difficult for anyone. It will be enough to pay the contractual penalty, and we can part on good terms.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t promise you the best treatment, but I can assure you that ourpany is definitely the most free, has the best atmosphere, and offers the best prospects for development.¡±


    ¡°Those of you considering resignation, I hope you think it through. Is thepany you¡¯re going to really that much better?¡±


    This statement surprised thepany¡¯s streamers.


    Being part of the industry, they¡¯d heard countless stories of guilds that used a variety of methods to prevent streamers from resigning, even going so far as to ruin their careers.


    They hadn¡¯t expected their boss to be so open-minded, allowing them to resign just by paying the penalty.


    This approach actually caused many streamers who had been contemting resignation to reconsider.<div>


    Indeed, it was as Xu Yang said. They needed to think carefully whether they could find another boss andpany as good as this one.


    Other guilds might offer them a highermission, but naturally, they would expect more in return.


    If they ended up with a bad boss, any future issues could trap them, unable to leave even if they wanted to.


    To put it bluntly, if you switch jobs and they don¡¯t give you the promised highmission, you are powerless and have to settle for less.


    For the streamers who weren¡¯t considering resignation, it strengthened their sense of belonging to thepany.


    A boss like this was rare to find.


    Apany like this was even more scarce.


    For the boss to be so open and clear about handling resignations¡­


    To be able to work for such apany, without fear of underhanded tactics from the boss, where hard work is always rewarded.


    However, Wang Ting, the streamer who had asked for a twenty percent increase in hermission, scoffed at the statement.


    ¡°Hmph, all these sweet words, just because they don¡¯t want to increase mymission?¡± she sneered.


    Wang Ting coldly huffed, took out her phone, and dialed a number.<div>


    Soon, the call was answered.


    Wang Ting said, ¡°Young Master Chen, I¡¯ve decided to resign. Thepany isn¡¯t making it difficult for me, I just need to pay the penalty, which is five million. You will need to cover that, and I hope you won¡¯t go back on the fifty percentmission you promised.¡±


    The person on the other end of the phone was Chen Guanglei. He smiled faintly, ¡°No problem. Once youe over, I¡¯ll even give you a bonus of one million, but I need you to do something for me.¡±


    Wang Ting asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    A one million yuan job likely wasn¡¯t a small matter.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner tonight, and we can talk about it in person,¡± Chen Guanglei said.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Wang Ting agreed.


    There was money to be made, of course, she would take it. Besides, Chen Guanglei was the boss; getting to dine with him and build a good rtionship was something she was eager for.


    After the call, she wrote her resignation letter and submitted it to her manager.


    The manager immediately approved it, agreed to the resignation, and directed Wang Ting to HR toplete the formalities.


    Wang Ting finished the procedures, and it was almost time to leave work.


    She packed up her things, left thepany, drove to the restaurant Chen Guanglei had mentioned, and met with him.<div>

 Chapter 117: 117: Investing in Stocks

    Chapter 117: Investing in Stocks


    He was twenty-seven.


    One evening, Xu Yang, Lin Junyi, Su Wenbin, and Jiang Yuheng dined together.


    After several rounds of drinks and a variety of dishes,


    Jiang Yuheng spoke up, ¡°Xu Yang, does your ¡®River Bottom Salvage¡¯ need financing? We have a bit of money and could invest for a stake in thepany.¡±


    Xu Yang was slightly startled.


    If it were before, he would never agree to someone asking if he needed financing.


    After all, he wasn¡¯t short of money; he still had over a billion in cash lying in his bank ount.


    He originally nned to invest that billion in the stock or futures market.


    But recently, the stock market had been performing poorly, and mostmodities in the futures market were in a near-dead state.


    In any case, he wasn¡¯t short of cash.


    However, since hest spoke with Zhao Hai about ¡®River Bottom Salvage¡¯s expansion ns, Zhao Hai had started to prepare, already sending people to scout for locations in the four major first-tier cities.<div>


    The feedback was that someone was secretly hindering their search for locations.


    This caught his attention.


    He asked Zhao Hai what exactly was going on.


    Zhao Hai exined that ¡®River Bottom Salvage¡¯ had encroached on the interests of some in the restaurant industry, who were trying to hinder its expansion through these means.


    Xu Yang inquired of Zhao Hai how they should resolve this issue.


    The solution Zhao Hai provided was financing.


    Xu Yang was still somewhat puzzled.


    If someone was hindering them, would financing really solve it?


    He wasn¡¯tcking money, after all.


    After Zhao Hai exined, Xu Yang finally understood the situation.


    It turned out that apany could not grow and develop with just money; it also needed connections.


    Otherwise, those vested interest groups would make it extremely difficult for you to progress.


    This is why many profitablepanies still seek financing.


    By bringing in strong investors through financing, those investors, for the sake of their own profit, would help clear thepany¡¯s developmental obstacles.


    Xu Yang had also considered financing and the first ones he thought of were Su Wenbin and Jiang Yuheng.


    One had a great influence in the business world, and the other had a significant influence officially.


    In addition, their rtionship with him was very good, meeting the criteria for financing perfectly.


    As for Lin Junyi, his connections weren¡¯t as strong, but his rtionship with Zhao Hai and Zhao Yuxin was good, and he had be a close brother to him, so sharing some shares with Lin Junyi wasn¡¯t out of the question.


    Originally, Xu Yang had nned to approach the three after the New Year, but since Jiang Yuheng had raised the issue now, sorting it out before the New Year was also fine.<div>


    With this in mind, Xu Yang said, ¡°I wee your investment for a share in thepany, but I can¡¯t guarantee that your investment will turn a profit since running apanyes with risks. If there are losses, you can¡¯t me me.¡±


    Jiang Yuheng and the others looked at each other, their faces beaming with joy.


    ¡°Xu Yang, does that mean you agree to our investment?¡± Jiang Yuheng asked.


    All three knew how many investors, many of them very capable, wanted to invest for a stake recently but had been refused by Xu Yang.<div>


    They had approached this with a try-and-see attitude.


    If Xu Yang had refused, they wouldn¡¯t have said anything.


    To their surprise, they really made it.


    ¡°Agreed, we¡¯re all brothers. Let¡¯s make money together in the future,¡± Xu Yang said with a smile.


    ¡°Xu Yang, thanks!¡±


    ¡°Xu Yang, a toast to you!¡±


    ¡°Xu Yang, I think this investment willst us a lifetime!¡±


    The three of them raised their sses and toasted Xu Yang.


    ¡°Tell me how much capital you can put up, and I¡¯ll see how many shares to distribute to you,¡± Xu Yang said.


    All three reported their investment stake.


    Jiang Yuheng invested four hundred million, while Su Wenbin and Lin Junyi each invested two hundred million.


    ¡°How about six percent of the shares for Jiang Yuheng and three percent each for Lin Junyi and Su Wenbin?¡±


    Xu Yang pondered for a moment, taking into ount the current scale of Jiang Dilo and its future growth rate, before offering the shares.<div>


    Jiang Dilo was destined to be a hundred-billion empire in the catering industry, and this was the maximum amount of shares he could offer.


    In the future, as they continued to expand, it was possible that they might bring in other investors.


    ¡°No problem.¡± None of the three had any objections.


    Although the shares seemed small, they were all insightful individuals.


    Given the poprity of Jiang Dilo, expanding to major cities across the country, even this small stake would be very valuable in the future.


    The next day, Xu Yang took the three men to Jiang Dilo Company to sign the contract, and they all transferred the funds to thepany¡¯s ount right away.


    ¡­


    In the president¡¯s office of Kaixuan Investments,


    Chen Guanglei was talking animatedly about how wonderfully the acquisition of Jia Sheng Guild was doing.


    Every day, live streaming sales were bringing in tons of money.


    He also mentioned cryptically that he had prepared a big surprise for Fengcai Guild.


    ¡°What surprise?¡± Chen Ankang asked.


    ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry about it. This surprise might just end Fengcai Guild¡¯s glory!¡± Chen Guanglei said with augh.<div>


    ¡°Alright, as long as you know what you¡¯re doing,¡± Chen Ankang didn¡¯t ask further.


    He didn¡¯t need to worry about the business tactics his son had learned.


    If things went awry or a mistake was made, he could step in to fix it.


    ¡°Dad, rest assured, I know what I¡¯m doing,¡± Chen Guanglei said confidently.


    Just then, the phone on Chen Ankang¡¯s desk began to ring.


    Chen Ankang picked it up and saw that the iing call was from his old friend Ye Ping,


    the one working at Fengkai Mining.


    ¡°Old Ye,¡± answered Chen Ankang.


    ¡°Old Chen, you should have listened to me. Now you must be regretting it,¡± Ye Ping said.


    ¡°Old Ye, what regret? I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Chen Ankang looked puzzled.


    ¡°Huh? You haven¡¯t heard?¡± Ye Ping was taken aback.


    ¡°Old Ye, what exactly are you talking about? What should I have heard about?¡± Chen Ankang felt Ye Ping¡¯sments were confusing.


    ¡°Ourpany¡¯s bauxite mine in South America,¡± Ye Ping exined.<div>


    ¡°Ah? What about it? No buyers?¡± Since deciding to invest in the acquisition of Jia Sheng Media, Chen Ankang had stopped paying attention to Fengkai Mining¡¯s bauxite mine in South America.


    ¡°What do you mean no buyers? The news is already out there, and you still don¡¯t know?¡± Ye Ping was somewhat speechless.


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation? Tell me about it.¡± Combining what Ye Ping had said, Chen Ankang suddenly had a bad feeling.


    ¡°A while back, the mine was sold to someone else for fifty million. That person brought in an exploration team and, in just one week, found a vast amount of bauxite deeper down. He then sold it back to Fengkai Mining for 1.6 billion. You didn¡¯t listen to me and missed out on an opportunity to earn over ten billion,¡± Ye Ping said, feeling sorry for Chen Ankang.


    ¡°What!¡± Chen Ankang eximed, standing up abruptly.


    Fifty million to buy, 1.6 billion to sell, making a profit of 1.55 billion in the blink of an eye.


    How long had that taken?


    He truly missed an opportunity to make a fortune.


    ¡°Old Ye, are you serious? Don¡¯t fool me,¡± Chen Ankang was reluctant to believe it.


    ¡°Old Chen, it¡¯s all over the news, why would I lie to you? You can go and check if you want. Anyway, I was just asking you about this today because I called mainly to withdraw the five hundred thousand I have invested in yourpany. My son found a girlfriend, they¡¯re getting married and need to buy a house. When can I withdraw the money?¡± Ye Ping said.


    ¡°Old Ye, we need to follow the rules. You should apply fifteen working days in advance, and after fifteen working days, you can withdraw the money, otherwise, you¡¯ll have to pay a lot of fees. Anyway, there¡¯s no rush for your son to buy a house, right?¡± Chen Ankang responded.


    ¡°It¡¯s not very urgent, so I¡¯ll apply now and withdraw it after the New Year. Anyway, I need to be going; I¡¯m busy with other things, goodbye.¡± Ye Ping was about to hang up the phone.


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t hang up,¡± Chen Ankang quickly said, ¡°I want to ask about that person who dealt in the bauxite mine, what¡¯s his name?¡±

 Chapter 118: 118 Regret

    Chapter 118: Regret


    ¡°It seems his name is Xu Yang, yes, Xu Yang, that¡¯s the name, he¡¯s a young man. I met him when we handed things over, he went to the South American aluminum mine,¡± Ye Ping said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of this person,¡± Chen Ankang furrowed his brows.


    ¡°Right, I heard that he¡¯s also the owner of the very popr ¡®River Bottom Scoop¡¯ restaurant chain that¡¯s all the rage these days. The young people nowadays are really something,¡± Ye Ping said.


    ¡°What!¡± Chen Ankang eximed once again in shock.


    The owner of ¡®River Bottom Scoop¡¯ has recently be well-known in the investment circle.


    He acquired ¡®Yu Huo Homnd¡¯ and renamed it ¡®River Bottom Scoop,¡¯ creating an ultimate service-focused hotpot brand¡ªthis has been an excellent investment case.


    Many prominent investors have said that the owner of ¡®River Bottom Scoop¡¯ is definitely a business prodigy.


    It turns out that it was the owner of ¡®River Bottom Scoop¡¯ who acquired the aluminum mine and made a profit of 1.555 billion.


    ¡°Old Chen, stop being so dramatic. Do you have anything else? I¡¯m going to hang up if there¡¯s nothing more, I¡¯m busy,¡± Ye Ping said.


    ¡°Nothing else. Let¡¯s get together sometime when you have a chance,¡± Chen Ankang said.


    After ending the call and putting down the phone, Chen Ankang¡¯s expression was incredibly sour.<div>


    ¡°Dad, you had such a big reaction just now, what happened?¡± Chen Guanglei asked incredulously.


    Chen Ankang didn¡¯t speak but instead took a deep breath, opened the webpage, and looked up information about the aluminum mine in South America owned by Fengkai Mining.


    He found that, as Ye Ping had said, the owner of ¡®River Bottom Scoop¡¯ bought it for 50 million and after discovering deeper aluminum resources, sold it back to Fengkai Mining for 1.6 billion.


    Several of Fengkai Mining¡¯s main leaders were disciplined.


    Confirming the authenticity of this information, Chen Ankang¡¯s expression grew even more sullen.


    ¡°Dad, what¡¯s going on? You¡¯ve got to talk to me,¡± Chen Guanglei was getting anxious.


    ¡°The aluminum mine in South America owned by Fengkai Mining¡­¡± Chen Ankang exined the situation.


    ¡°What! Acquired for 50 million, sold for 1.6 billion! A profit of 1.555 billion!¡± Chen Guanglei couldn¡¯t help but cry out in astonishment.


    ¡°I missed a chance to make a fortune,¡± Chen Ankang said with a bitter face.


    His worth was just over 3 billion.


    1.555 billion, almost half of his fortune.


    If he had listened to his friend and invested in acquiring that mine, that 1.555 billion would have been his.


    Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t listen to his friend, but his son¡¯s smooth talk, and acquired a guild instead.


    Although the guild could also make money,pared to the 1.555 billion, it seemed quite insignificant.


    ¡°Who on earth is so lucky!¡± Chen Guanglei gritted his teeth.


    ¡°It was a young man named Xu Yang,¡± Chen Ankang said shaking his head in bitterness.


    His regret was overwhelming.


    He regretted not sticking to his own judgment and being swayed by his son, thus missing out on a lucrative opportunity.


    ¡°What, Xu Yang!¡± Chen Guanglei eximed again, ¡°Dad, are you sure? You¡¯re sure it was Xu Yang?¡±<div>


    ¡°Yes, my friend said it was a young man named Xu Yang. Why, do you know this person?¡± Chen Ankang asked.


    ¡°It can¡¯t be possible, absolutely impossible, how could it be him! It must be someone with the same name!¡± Chen Guanglei shook his head repeatedly, unwilling to believe it was Xu Yang.


    At first, Xu Yang was the object of his disdain, even though Xu Yang made money by specting in futures and picking up bargains.


    Chen Guanglei still looked down on Xu Yang.<div>


    Lately, after Xu Yang acquired ¡®Yu Huo Homnd¡¯ and renamed it ¡®River Bottom Scoop,¡¯ and his investment in ¡®War Leopard,¡¯


    He mocked Xu Yang in front of Zhao Yulu¡­


    He called Xu Yang a fool, saying only a fool would make such investment moves.


    After learning that Xu Yang had acquired Fengcai Guild, and the guild made more than two billion in sales from live-streaming on New Year¡¯s Day with a profit of tens of millions, he went from looking down on Xu Yang to envying him.


    Apart from envy, there was regret, after all, he also wanted to acquire Fengcai Guild initially but thought he could drive down the price and buy it cheaper.


    Because of this, he missed the opportunity to acquire Fengcai Guild.


    Lately, with ¡®River Bottom Scoop¡¯ bing a huge sess, his envy had turned into madness.


    Jiang Di Lao is not something the Fengcai Guild canpare with.


    As long as there are no idents, the market value of Jiang Di Lao will undoubtedly soar rapidly, surpassing Kai Xuan Investment.


    Chen Guanglei¡¯s worth will also skyrocket rapidly.


    By then, it won¡¯t be just me looking up to Xu Yang, even my old man will have to look up to him.


    Chen Guanglei also wanted to learn from Xu Yang; recently, besides paying attention to the acquisition of Jia Sheng Guild, he was also looking for other investment opportunities, hoping to find a chance to make a big profit.


    He wanted to surpass Xu Yang through his own investments.<div>


    But now the news has juste out that Xu Yang has made over ten billion, and he really didn¡¯t want to believe it.


    ¡°Do you know this Xu Yang?¡± Chen Ankang asked with a frown.


    ¡°I know a Xu Yang, but it can¡¯t be the same person you¡¯re talking about. How could he possibly be that lucky?¡± Guang Lei said.


    ¡°My friend said, this Xu Yang is the owner of Jiang Di Lao. The Xu Yang you know, isn¡¯t he the owner of Jiang Di Lao?¡± Chen Ankang inquired.


    ¡°What! It really is him!¡± Guang Lei eximed in shock once again.


    The owner of Jiang Di Lao!


    It¡¯s confirmed! It¡¯s the Xu Yang he knew!


    ¡°It seems you really do know this Xu Yang. He¡¯s indeed an extraordinary young man. Since you know him, you should cultivate good rtions with him. I believe it¡¯ll be beneficial for you,¡± Chen Ankang said.


    He was not aware of the rtionship between Chen Guanglei and Xu Yang, nor did he know that Xu Yang was also the owner of the Fengcai Guild.


    Otherwise, he would not have said that.


    After all, Chen Guanglei had already expressed his intention to present a sizable gift to the Fengcai Guild.


    This was going to be a move to suppress the Fengcai Guild.


    ¡°He¡¯s just a country bumpkin from a county town. He doesn¡¯t deserve me making efforts to be in a good rtionship with him.¡±<div>


    Chen Guanglei¡¯s face turned sour, and he hurried out the door.


    He was really feeling upset and needed to go out to clear his mind.


    Going to a club to find a model seemed necessary.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Chen Ankang sighed deeply, shook his head, and sat back in his executive chair, ¡°Fifteen hundred and fifty million, just like that, slipped through my fingers. It seems I should not have listened to my son in the future, but it¡¯s a relief that the investment in Jia Sheng Media is profitable, which doespensate for the loss a little.¡±


    ¡­


    On the 29th day of the Lunar year, at nine in the morning.


    Xu Yang, along with Zhao Yuxin and Zhao Hai, returned to their old home in Cang County.


    They drove a Rolls-Royce Cullinan.


    Many people were going home for the New Year, resulting in traffic congestion on the roads.


    It wasn¡¯t until 5:30 in the evening that they finally got home.


    Xu Yang¡¯s parents were waiting downstairs just like when he returned during the Mid-Autumn Festival.


    And there were also many neighbors around.


    Everyone already knew about Xu Yang¡¯s return.<div>


    They came to join in on the excitement.


    After all, Xu Yang was someone who drove a car worth tens of millions.


    As soon as the Rolls-Royce appeared in everyone¡¯s sight, they knew Xu Yang had arrived.


    ¡°Xu Yang is back.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s a car worth tens of millions; its presence is just different.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, when this car enters the neighborhood, all other cars pale inparison.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already inquired, this is the first Rolls-Royce Cullinan purchased by anyone in our county.¡±


    ¡°Is there a need to ask about such things? It¡¯smon knowledge even without asking.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, even the richest family only has a five-million Bentley.¡±


    The crowd discussed among themselves.

 Chapter 119: 119: It’s this person who messed with me

    Chapter 119: It¡¯s this person who messed with me


    The Rolls-Royce Cullinan pulled up for parking downstairs.<div>


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin got out of the car and, in unison, called out, ¡°Dad, Mom!¡±


    Xu Yang then introduced Zhao Hai, who followed them out of the car, ¡°Dad, Mom, this is Yuxin¡¯s father.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± Zhao Hai greeted with a smile.


    ¡°Very good, wee.¡±


    ¡°Please have a cigarette first.¡±


    Jiang Qiuping nodded with a smile and reached out to take her daughter-inw by the hand.<div>


    Xu Deming, on the other hand, stepped forward offering cigarettes.


    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t smoke,¡± Zhao Hai waved his hand.


    ¡°Dad, my dad doesn¡¯t smoke,¡± Zhao Yuxin added.


    ¡°Well, it looks like I¡¯m the only one who smokes,¡± Xu Deming said helplessly, but he didn¡¯t light up.


    If nobody else smoked, it seemed inappropriate for him to puff away by himself.


    After that, Xu Yang handed out cigarettes to the neighbor and then opened the trunk to help everyone carry things upstairs.


    Once inside, Xu Deming made tea for everyone.


    ¡°You guys talk, I¡¯ll go cook.¡±


    After chatting for a while, Jiang Qiuping stood up and went to cook.


    ¡°Mom, let me help you,¡± Zhao Yuxin stood up and followed into the kitchen.


    This time, Jiang Qiuping did not stand on ceremony with Zhao Yuxin.


    When Zhao Yuxin came back for the Mid-Autumn Festival and offered her help, she wasn¡¯t at all delicate.<div>


    When she said she would help, she truly lent a hand. Since she was already a daughter-inw, there was no need for too much politeness; excessive formality would actually make things feel more distant.


    More than half an hourter, dinner was ready.


    The family happily enjoyed their meal together.


    Through casual conversation, Zhao Hai and his wife got to know Xu Deming better. They were all easy to talk to, making the interaction feel natural and rxed.


    Any initial awkwardness quickly faded away.


    Especially between Zhao Hai and Xu Deming, who found they got along quite well.


    It was primarily because they found amon interest.


    Calligraphy.


    Both of them would practice at home in their spare time.


    Talking about this, they exchanged some of their insights and felt a sense of regret for not having met sooner.


    It must be said that encountering someone with a shared passion is not an easy feat.


    The night passed swiftly by.<div>


    The next day was New Year¡¯s Eve.


    The family went out to buy groceries and spent the rest of the time drinking tea, ying mahjong, and chatting.


    In the afternoon, the second uncle¡¯s family of three came over.


    Both families celebrated the New Year together and shared the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner.


    The men just drank tea, yed mahjong, and chatted while the women prepared the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner.


    No sooner had they yed a few rounds of mahjong than Xu Yang¡¯s phone rang.


    He took it out and saw it was a call from Xiao Dongsheng.


    ¡°Old Xiao,¡± Xu Yang answered the phone.


    ¡°Boss Xu, it¡¯s bad, there¡¯s been an incident!¡± Xiao Dongsheng said anxiously.


    The New Year¡¯s period was a busy time for live streamers, many of whom had not gone home for the celebration but were working overtime at thepany.


    Xiao Dongsheng hadn¡¯t left either; he stayed at thepany.


    For those who chose to stay and work overtime, Xu Yang not only paid them ording to the holiday pay scale but also gave each a red envelope containing ten thousand yuan.<div>


    He was not stingy at all, and the employees praised the boss¡¯s generosity!


    Those who had thought about leaving but stayed because of a statement made by Xu Yang were very d they hadn¡¯t left.


    A casual ten-thousand-yuan red envelope wasn¡¯t something just any boss would hand out.


    Working for such a boss, there was no need to worry about anything.


    ¡°`


    And every time there were achievements, the boss would give rewards.


    Each holiday, Xu Yang was also generous with money, very practical.


    Other guilds definitely wouldn¡¯t have such benefits.


    ¡°It¡¯s the new year, what could possibly go wrong?¡± Xu Yang asked.


    ¡°Boss Xu, that recently resigned Wang Ting, she released a video on her personal Douyin ount, iming that you wanted to take advantage of her; the video is blurry, but it has already gone viral on Douyin,¡± Xiao Dongsheng briefly described the situation.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Xu Yang furrowed his brow, a glint of cold light shing in his eyes.


    He quickly realized that someone was targeting him.<div>


    A female anchor would never dare to confront a guild boss like himself, unless she was out of her mind.


    If he wanted, there were numerous ways he could deal with a female anchor, even if she were with another guild.


    The fact that someone dared to nder him surely meant they had a powerful backer.


    Without any unexpected, it was probably the guild that Wang Ting had defected to.


    Because if Wang Ting did such a thing to assist others, releasing that kind of video would certainly not be to her advantage.


    Only the guild Wang Ting joined could be behind this.


    Xu Yang had Zhao Yuxin take over his mahjong game, stood up, and walked to the balcony, asking, ¡°Which guild did Wang Ting jump to?¡±


    Xiao Dongsheng replied, ¡°Jia Sheng Guild.¡±


    Xu Yang continued, ¡°Do you know who the boss and the executives of Jia Sheng Guild are?¡±


    Xiao Dongsheng said, ¡°The boss is a rich second generation named Chen Guanglei, speaking of which, this Chen Guanglei was also looking to acquire our previous¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s him!¡± Xu Yang interrupted Xiao Dongsheng before he could finish, unable to suppress his outburst.


    ¡°Boss Xu, you know this Chen Guanglei?¡± Xiao Dongsheng asked in surprise.<div>


    ¡°Yes, looks like he¡¯s the one who wants to mess with me.¡± Xu Yang didn¡¯t even need to inquire about other executives of Jia Sheng Guild.


    As expected, it was Chen Guanglei who was scheming against him.


    Truth be told, he had met Chen Guanglei only a few times.


    But Chen Guanglei seemed to harbor significant animosity towards him.


    Thest time they gambled on stones, along with the jade that was cut out, he had won more than ten million from him.


    Chen Guanglei harbored a grudge and wanting to target him was hardly surprising.


    ¡°So, what do we do now?¡± Xiao Dongsheng did not ask how Xu Yang was so certain it was Chen Guanglei.


    There must be conflicts between the two that he was unaware of.


    Otherwise, Xu Yang wouldn¡¯t have concluded so quickly that it was Chen Guanglei causing trouble.


    These matters, Xu Yang would speak up if he wished to; if not, it was inappropriate to interrogate carelessly.


    Lest Xu Yang find it inconvenient to speak and they both end up in an awkward situation.


    By asking Xu Yang, he wanted Xu Yang to make the decision; some matters required Xu Yang to take charge.


    If Xu Yang did not suggest any strategy to deal with it, he would follow the established crisis management system and make the corresponding response.


    This question, however, truly stumped Xu Yang.


    He hadn¡¯t really thought about what to do; hecked experience in handling such situations.


    Issuing a denial would be ineffective; the onlookers wouldn¡¯t believe him.


    Even more so, the onlookers weren¡¯t concerned with the truth; they just wanted to watch the excitement.


    Unless he could produce solid evidence, the situation was definitely troublesome.


    But where would he find evidence?


    Just as he was about to ask Xiao Dongsheng how to proceed, a notification from the system pinged in his mind.


    [Ding! The situation the host faces triggers a reward condition, awarding top-level hacking skills!]


    In an instant, a flood of hacking knowledge entered Xu Yang¡¯s mind, and he became a top-level hacker!


    Xu Yang¡¯s eyes lit up.


    The timing of this system reward couldn¡¯t be better.


    With hacking skills, finding out who Wang Ting had recently contacted and discovering evidence would be no challenge.


    Thus, after watching the video on Douyin on the balcony, he left the balcony.


    At that moment, Xu Xiaoyu came running out of the kitchen, yelling, ¡°Bro, the inte has exploded; they¡¯re saying you took advantage of a female anchor. You didn¡¯t do it, right?¡±


    ¡°`

 Chapter 120: 120 Normal Business Practices

    Chapter 120: Normal Business Practices


    The yers at the mahjong table also looked towards Xu Yang. Just now, Zhao Yuxin had seen the Douyin video and shared the news with them.<div>


    However, they all believed that Xu Yang would not do such a thing. Their gaze was not meant as an inquisition about whether he had done it, but rather to discuss how to handle the matter.


    This kind of issue, if not handled properly, could be very troublesome.


    Thepany would definitely be affected.


    Not only would the bottom-of-the-river-catch be impacted, but even the bottom-of-the-river-catch would suffer repercussions.


    Even the movie ¡°War Leopard,¡± which Xu Yang invested in, would not be immune to the fallout.


    Anyone and anything rted to him would be affected.<div>


    Thepetition would not miss any opportunity to take a shot.


    ¡°Of course, I didn¡¯t do it,¡± Xu Yang said, annoyed.


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t, that¡¯s good. I believe you. That female anchor has a serpent¡¯s face, not nearly as pretty as me, and she certainly can¡¯t hold a candle to my sister-inw. How could you possibly be interested in that type of person?¡± Xu Xiaoyu let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°You guys don¡¯t doubt me, do you?¡± Xu Yang looked towards Zhao Yuxin and the others.


    ¡°Of course, we believe you,¡± they eximed in unison.


    ¡°Honey, what do we do now? How should we handle this? If we don¡¯t manage it well, it could be very troublesome,¡± Zhao Yuxin asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already thought of a solution. Just wait and see,¡± Xu Yang responded.


    Xu Yang returned to his room, took hisptop, and sat down on the sofa.


    Everyone exchanged puzzled looks, somewhat unsure about what Xu Yang was nning to do.


    Could he deal with it just by taking out hisptop?


    Xu Yang had no intention of exining as he opened hisputer, ready to begin working, when his phone rang again.


    It was a call from Li Liangping, the CEO of Douyin.<div>


    ¡°President Xu, you¡¯ve seen the video rted to you, right? Do you need me to do something? Block that female anchor¡¯s ount or anything else¡ªjust say the word,¡± said Li Liangping.


    These words fully demonstrated Li Liangping¡¯s trust in Xu Yang.


    As a business tycoon, he was naturally aware of what the situation was with the video.


    It was clearly a case of defamation against Xu Yang.


    In the video, the male figure was unclear, deliberately blurred, with the only clear aspect being Wang Ting¡¯s usations against Xu Yang.


    This was nothing short of outright nder.


    Such tactics might fool the general public, but not these business magnates.


    ¡°President Li, thank you, but there¡¯s no need for you to do anything. I¡¯ll have it handled soon,¡± Xu Yang said.


    If it weren¡¯t for his hacking skills, he might have really needed Li Liangping¡¯s help.


    But with the hacking skills at his disposal, he wouldn¡¯t need any assistance.


    Finding the evidence and posting it online would suffice.


    ¡°Alright, if there¡¯s anything you need help with, let me know as soon as possible.¡± After saying that, Li Liangping hung up the phone.<div>


    Xu Yang set down his phone and started tapping away at the keyboard with rapid clicks.


    Zhao Yuxin stopped ying mahjong and, along with Xu Xiaoyu, stood behind Xu Yang to watch his operations.


    Xu Deming, Zhao Hai, and Xu Dewei chatted while drinking tea on the side.


    The more Zhao Yuxin and Xu Xiaoyu watched Xu Yang¡¯s operations, the wider their eyes opened.


    ¡­


    At the Yang family residence.


    ¡°Hahaha, fantastic, Xu Yang is embroiled in a scandal with a female anchor; he¡¯s definitely going to fall this time!¡± Yang Jingsheng said, taking delight in the scandal.


    The inte was buzzing with the news, and Yang Jingsheng was all too happy to revel in it.


    ¡°Seems like someone is targeting Xu Yang,¡± Yang Tiancheng remarked.


    ¡°Dad, are you saying this is all fake? That the female anchor is framing him?¡± asked Yang Jingsheng.


    ¡°Of course, can¡¯t you see it? Such an obvious set-up,¡± replied Yang Tiancheng.


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s a setup, it should still be quite troublesome for him, right?¡± Yang Jingsheng asked.<div>


    ¡°Indeed, if he can¡¯t produce evidence to prove his innocence, it will be very troublesome.¡±


    As a seasoned corporate fox, Yang Tiancheng naturally knew the severity of such matters.


    The public is easily manipted by those with ulterior motives.


    Moreover, some people aren¡¯t concerned with the truth; they¡¯re just interested in the spectacle.


    Some can even destroy a person simply by leveraging public opinion.


    ¡°That¡¯s good, who cares if it¡¯s a setup or not, as long as Xu Yang has troubles, that¡¯s all that matters. It would be best if Fengcai Guild and Jiang Di Lao are affected and both go bankrupt. If that happens, Meiwei Hotpot can be saved, and Dad, you wouldn¡¯t have to leave Meiwei Group,¡± Yang Jingsheng said excitedly.


    ¡°If Jiang Di Lao goes bankrupt, it¡¯s indeed possible that Meiwei Hotpot coulde back to life,¡± Yang Tiancheng said, his eyes lighting up.


    The current predicament of Meiwei Hotpot came from Jiang Di Lao doing exceptionally well, especially since Meiwei Hotpot was located right next to it.


    Without Jiang Di Lao, Meiwei Hotpot¡¯s business could return to normal.


    ¡°Haha, it seems even heaven can¡¯t stand it anymore, let¡¯s see how Xu Yang can continue to be so arrogant.¡± Yang Jingshengughed gleefully at the misfortune.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know who¡¯s behind this move against Xu Yang. If they really take Xu Yang down resulting in Jiang Di Lao¡¯s closure, I really ought to thank that person,¡± Yang Tiancheng¡¯s mood improved a lot.


    Today is New Year¡¯s Eve. It seems that with the New Yeares a turn of luck for me.<div>


    Zhao Yulu returned to her room and dialed Chen Guanglei¡¯s phone number.


    The call connected quickly.


    Zhao Yulu asked directly, ¡°Chen Guanglei, is it you who¡¯s behind the plot against Xu Yang by Wang Ting?¡±


    Wang Ting had just been signed and then released that kind of video.


    If there wasn¡¯t someone behind it, she would absolutely not have done such a thing.


    She knew Xu Yang very well; he would definitely not do anything like that.


    The most likely person to have instigated Wang Ting was Chen Guanglei.


    Chen Guanglei had always disliked Xu Yang and even targeted him before. During thest gamble on stones, he lost over ten million to Xu Yang.


    Given Chen Guanglei¡¯s character, he wouldn¡¯t let it go so easily.


    ¡°Yu Lu, what are you talking about? What does Wang Ting¡¯s matter have to do with me?¡± Chen Guanglei sounded perplexed.


    ¡°Chen Guanglei, stop ying dumb. How can you do something and not admit it? What kind of behavior is that?¡± Zhao Yulu said.


    ¡°How do you know that what Wang Ting said is false, and Xu Yang couldn¡¯t possibly exploit Wang Ting?¡± Chen Guanglei asked.<div>


    ¡°I understand him; he would never do such a thing. And Wang Ting, just a female host, wouldn¡¯t oppose a boss like Xu Yang on her own. There must be someone behind this, and it¡¯s definitely someone from our guild, most likely you,¡± Zhao Yulu said.


    ¡°Alright, I admit it, it was me who instructed Wang Ting to do it,¡± Chen Guanglei, feeling cornered, had to confess.


    ¡°Chen Guanglei, you¡¯re despicable,¡± Zhao Yulu said.


    ¡°Yu Lu, how could this be called despicable? This is a normal businesspetition strategy, alright?¡±


    ¡°As long as it can bring down a rival, what¡¯s a little scheme?¡±


    Chen Guanglei seemed indifferent; in his eyes, this wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    As a second-generation rich kid, he knew better than the average person about the ruthlessness of businesspetition.


    To him, this scheme was child¡¯s y.


    Many people would even kill or set fires for the sake of their projects.


    ¡°This counts as a normal businesspetition strategy?¡± Zhao Yulu was astonished, clearly not deeply knowledgeable about business inner workings.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right, this is a normal businesspetition strategy. Yu Lu, you¡¯d better leave this matter alone. With this issue, once I¡¯ve created a weakness, I¡¯m confident I can bring Xu Yang down. He won me over ten million in that stone gamble. Does he really think my money is that easy to get?¡± Chen Guanglei said with a cold smile.


    ¡°Fake is ultimately fake, and if evidence is found, the one who will be in trouble is you,¡± Zhao Yulu warned.


    ¡°Where would he find evidence? He won¡¯t have the chance. He¡¯ll just be a rat everyone wants to hit. This is the New Year¡¯s present I¡¯m giving him, haha,¡± Chen Guangleiughed.


    ¡°I always feel like he will certainly have a way to deal with it,¡± Zhao Yulu said.


    ¡°Yu Lu, you¡¯re overrating him. He¡¯s just a fluke sess up until now; what kind of methods could he possibly have? If he has any, I¡¯ll twist off my head and kick it around like a ball.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this time he¡¯s definitely finished. Fengcai Guild will surely go down too, and Jiang Di Lao will be affected. The movie he invested in, ¡®War Leopard,¡¯ will be impacted too. No, even if the movie isn¡¯t affected, it will flop. In any case, he¡¯s done for this time, haha!¡± Chen Guanglei was full of confidence.

 Chapter 121: 121: It’s Really Haunted

    Chapter 121: It¡¯s Really Haunted


    The online public opinion was already in tumult.


    ¡°Fengcai Guild has been developing so well, I never expected the boss to be such scum. We must boycott the streamers from Fengcai Guild!¡±


    ¡°Right, a boss who has unspoken rules with female streamers, his guild should go out of business.¡±


    ¡°I heard the boss of Fengcai Guild is also the owner of Jiangdi Lao. I¡¯m not going to Jiangdi Lao for hotpot anymore.¡±


    ¡°Really? Is that true?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true. I checked the business registration, it¡¯s the same person.¡±


    ¡°Damn, I can¡¯t believe the boss of Jiangdi Lao is such scum!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s talented, managed to create Jiangdi Lao, but his morals arecking¡ªultimately, he won¡¯t go far.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense, that video doesn¡¯t prove anything; maybe he¡¯s being ndered.¡±


    ¡°ndered? How could it be nder? How could a female streamer dare to nder a boss unless her brain¡¯s been pinched in a door? She must have been unable to endure the oppression to take this route. After all, doing so would also damage her own reputation.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, don¡¯t try to make excuses for the boss of Fengcai Guild. Such a scummy boss must be brought down.¡±<div>


    ¡°Humph, evil deeds will meet with evil ends. I hope other bosses don¡¯t do simr things, or they will be exposed sooner orter.¡±


    Online discussions were rampant, mostly one-sided, harshly criticizing Xu Yang.


    It wasn¡¯t hard to see someone was fanning the mes.


    The asional rationalments were quickly drowned out by the torrent of verbal abuse against Xu Yang.


    It seemed that everyone had already convicted Xu Yang as a boss who had unspoken rules with female streamers.


    ¡­


    In Cang County, the Xu Family.


    Xu Yang sent the evidence he had collected to Xiao Dongsheng, instructing him to post it on the official website and to call the police.


    ¡°Done!¡± Xu Yang closed hisptop.


    It had to be said, using hacker skills was exhrating.


    It solved the problem in no time at all.


    With these hacker skills, anyone who dared to nder him was just asking for trouble.


    Anyone who dared to use unfair means against him, to strike at his business, was also asking for trouble.


    Zhao Yuxin and Xu Xiaoyu snapped back to reality.


    Xu Xiaoyu said, ¡°Brother, you were awesome just now, finding those recordings and videos so quickly. Only a hacker could do that, right? Are you a hacker?¡±


    Xu Yang nodded, ¡°Sort of.¡±


    ¡°When did you learn? You didn¡¯t know before. And you said you got dizzy just looking at the codes,¡± said Xu Xiaoyu.


    ¡°The past is the past. I secretly learned it during college,¡± Xu Yang fibbed.


    ¡°Brother, you¡¯re amazing. With skills like yours, you could have a million-dor sry in a big techpany,¡± said Xu Xiaoyu.<div>


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I just learned for fun. Is it that much?¡± Xu Yang feigned ignorance.


    ¡°Of course, big techpanies would definitely fight over a tech talent like you,¡± said Xu Xiaoyu.


    ¡°Whether there is or isn¡¯t, it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m not going to work in a bigpany,¡± Xu Yang said with a shrug.


    ¡°True that. You¡¯re a boss now, making who knows how much each year. There¡¯s no need for you to work in a bigpany,¡± Xu Xiaoyu nodded in agreement.<div>


    ¡°Husband, I never heard you mention you knew hacker skills before. You didn¡¯t reveal a thing¡ªit¡¯s quite a deep secret you¡¯ve kept,¡± said Zhao Yuxin, slightly reproachful.


    ¡°Heh, I was just thinking of giving you a surprise,¡± Xu Yang said, taking Zhao Yuxin¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Bleh! It¡¯s almost time for the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner, and you¡¯re still feeding me dog food. I can¡¯t stand it.¡±


    Xu Xiaoyu exaggerated a retching sound and ran into the kitchen.


    ¡­


    Xiao Dongsheng released a statement through the official ount.


    The gist was that Wang Ting¡¯s actions were nderous, orchestrated by someone else. The boss, Xu Yang, had entrusted thepany¡¯s attorney to take full charge of the matter, had collected relevant evidence, and had already reported it to the police.


    Additionally, the posted recordings and videos confirmed that Wang Ting was instructed by Jia Sheng Guild¡¯s hidden boss and the son of the owner of Kai Xuan Investments, Chen Guanglei, to nder Xu Yang.


    Suddenly, public opinion was in an uproar.


    ¡°Fuck, I didn¡¯t expect such a twist in the story.¡±


    ¡°I said it, how could the owner of Jiangdo be such a person!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what you said before; you called the Jiangdo owner scum and even said you¡¯d beat him up if you saw him.¡±


    ¡°Did I say that? I don¡¯t remember.¡±<div>


    ¡°These female streamers, they¡¯d really do anything for money, even stooping to nder, truly shameless.¡±


    ¡°No need to say, that female streamer is finished.¡±


    ¡°Finished and rightly so, no one would pity a person like that.¡±


    ¡°That Chen Guanglei is truly vile, looks like the Jia Sheng Guild isn¡¯t much better either.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I won¡¯t watch any streamers from the Jia Sheng Guild again.¡±


    ¡°To the owner of Jiangdo, we were blinded by others, we misunderstood you, I apologize to you, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Me too, I¡¯m sorry, I will watch more of your guild¡¯s streamers from now on and support them with donations when I can.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t donate to streamers, but I will go to Jiangdo more to eat hotpot to show my apology!¡±


    Public opinion flipped in an instant, in the face of irond evidence, those who stirred trouble did not dare toe forward again.


    ¡­


    When Wang Ting saw the evidence and deration posted by the Fengcai Guild, her vision darkened suddenly, she almost fainted.


    She knew she was finished, no one could save her now.


    Even if Chen Guanglei wanted to vigorously promote her, it wouldn¡¯t work.<div>


    Moreover, she understood the nature of these people.


    Now that she was no longer of any use, they definitely wouldn¡¯t waste any more resources on her.


    At that moment, she finally felt regret.


    Regret for being swayed by Chen Guanglei¡¯s seductive talk into framing Xu Yang.


    If she had just switched jobs without causing this mess, she could have continued being a streamer with a good ie.


    Now, not only is her career as a streamer cut off, but she also might face detention.


    Unless Chen Guanglei was willing to help her, with Chen Guanglei¡¯s powerful connections, she might avoid detention.


    So, she immediately dialed Chen Guanglei¡¯s phone number.


    ¡°Young Master Chen, you have to help me, Fengcai Guild has reported this to the police, if you don¡¯t help me, I¡¯ll be detained,¡± Wang Ting was truly panicked.


    She definitely couldn¡¯t be a streamer anymore, but being detained would be even more serious, and it would greatly affect her chances of finding other work in the future.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll help you, no need to fear detention,¡± Chen Guanglei¡¯s face was ugly, but he wasn¡¯t worried about the detention issue at all.


    When he saw the public opinion reversal, he had already discussed the matter with his dad.


    His dad told him not to worry, that he would handle it.<div>


    With his dad¡¯s connections, a promise to handle things meant they would indeed be taken care of.


    As for helping Wang Ting, it wasn¡¯t just lip service.


    He was doing it for show.


    If he didn¡¯t help Wang Ting, others would know that he didn¡¯t support those who worked for him when trouble arose.


    Then, no one would be willing to work for him in the future.


    ¡°Young Master Chen, thank you, thank you,¡± Wang Ting said gratefully.


    ¡°I¡¯ll transfer the one million to you, but you can¡¯t work as a streamer at thepany anymore. I¡¯m giving you your freedom, and I believe you understand that this is already the best oue,¡± Chen Guanglei said.


    ¡°I know, thank you,¡± Wang Ting was surprised that Chen Guanglei was still giving her a million.


    ¡°Alright, let it be,¡± Chen Guanglei hung up the phone.


    Putting down his phone, he gritted his teeth furiously, his face darkening again.


    ¡°How the hell did Xu Yang find those pieces of evidence, even the recordings of my calls with Wang Ting, and our meeting videos, it¡¯s like seeing a ghost!¡±

 Chapter 122: 122: Slapped in the Face Again

    Chapter 122: pped in the Face Again


    Yang Family.


    ¡°What the hell is Chen Guanglei doing? Can¡¯t even handle such a small matter, and he got caught with evidence, is he a pig?¡±


    Yang Jingsheng, seeing the public opinion reverse, spoke without any restraint.


    ¡°How could it have reversed like this? I really don¡¯t know how Xu Yang found evidence so quickly,¡± Yang Tiancheng said with a bitter smile, shaking his head.


    They had gotten their hopes up for nothing.


    They thought that through this incident, Xu Yang would be defeated, and both Fengcai Guild and Jiang Di Lao would go out of business.


    Delicious Hotpot was supposed to wee its spring.


    But to their surprise, in less than an hour, public opinion had reversed.


    Delicious Hotpot was still unable to escape its fate.


    The father and son were in a bad mood; the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner left a bad taste in their mouths.


    After finishing the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner, as in years past, the father and son left home to y cards.<div>


    Usually, the two wouldn¡¯t return until 12 o¡¯clock.


    Liu Yujuan finished cleaning up the dishes and said to Zhao Yulu, ¡°Yu Lu, I¡¯m going to find your dad. Are you sure you don¡¯t want toe with me?¡±


    Zhao Yulu was sitting on the couch ying with her phone, not even lifting her head, and shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not going. If you want to go, then go by yourself.¡±


    She knew that Liu Yujuan going there would not end well.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go by myself. For our mother-daughter livelihood, I¡¯ll lower myself just this once.¡± Liu Yujuan dressed up a bit, picked up her purse, and left.


    More than an hourter, Liu Yujuan came back, her expression very ugly.


    ¡°From your look, did dad not even let you enter the door?¡± Zhao Yulu was sitting on the couch, watching the Spring Festival G, and scrolling through her phone.


    ¡°I knocked on the door many times and nobody opened it. I called his phone, and he said he was at Xu Yang¡¯s ce. I could hear the ck of mahjong tiles, lively sounds; it was probably true. I never thought he would go to Xu Yang¡¯s ce to celebrate the New Year,¡± Liu Yujuan said, still with a miserable face.


    ¡°Even if he didn¡¯t go to Xu Yang¡¯s ce to celebrate the New Year, you wouldn¡¯t have a chance. Mom, just listen to me, don¡¯t do this anymore, keep some dignity for yourself,¡± Zhao Yulu tried to persuade her again.


    She really didn¡¯t know what her mom was thinking, under these circumstances, to still think she could get back with dad.


    Maybe that¡¯s the delusion of being involved.


    But as an outsider, she had already spoken up, and yet it didn¡¯t clear up.


    ¡°I believe, as long as I see him more, he will definitely ept me again. I don¡¯t believe that he has no feelings for me anymore,¡± Liu Yujuan said.


    ¡°Mom, do you really think he still has feelings for you?¡± Zhao Yulu asked incredulously.


    ¡°Of course, if he didn¡¯t, why wouldn¡¯t he find someone new? With his status, it would be very easy for him to find someone else. The fact that he hasn¡¯t is proof he still has feelings for me,¡± Liu Yujuan insisted.


    With Zhao Hai¡¯s status¡ªas a local and the owner of a restaurant, making hundreds of thousands a year¡ª


    Such a man was highly desirable, and Zhao Hai was quite handsome when he was young.


    If Zhao Hai wanted to, there would definitely be a lot of girls throwing themselves at him.


    In Liu Yujuan¡¯s view, Zhao Hai not finding someone new was because he hoped she woulde back to him with her daughter.<div>


    As for why Zhao Hai said those unfeeling words at lunch that day,


    Liu Yujuan¡¯s reason was that Zhao Yuxin was present, or it was a test of her sincerity.


    What she needed to do was to bravely face the difficulties, ignoring Zhao Hai¡¯s indifference, and keep seeking reconciliation. One day, Zhao Hai would agree.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know what to say to you,¡± Zhao Yulu was even more speechless.<div>


    ¡­


    The first day of the new year.


    Xu Yang took his family and his second uncle¡¯s family of three to watch ¡°Battle Leopard.¡±


    He had already told his family that he was the biggest investor for ¡°Battle Leopard.¡±


    After watching it, they came out of the cinema.


    ¡°Xu Yang, that movie was really good.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re d you invested in such a movie, promoting national and military pride. We hope you¡¯ll invest in more like it in the future.¡±


    ¡°As a woman, I was really engrossed in it, it was truly great.¡±


    The family all gave it high praise.


    Audiences who had seen it were mostly giving positive reviews.


    Only an extremely few were nitpicking, saying it wasn¡¯t good.


    Xu Yang knew that these very few couldn¡¯t affect the box office.


    What influenced box office revenues was the majority.<div>


    In short, ¡°Battle Leopard¡¯s¡± box office was stable.


    ¡°`


    River City.


    Chen Guanglei and Zhao Yulu came out of the cinema, with Chen Guanglei¡¯s face looking very unpleasant.


    Originally, he had asked Zhao Yulu to watch ¡°War Leopard¡± with him, so he could mock Xu Yang harshly in front of her.


    Before watching the movie, he basically bad-mouthed ¡°War Leopard,¡± saying things like it was sure to flop, the trailer might look good but the full movie definitely wouldn¡¯t, that military action films are only popr when they¡¯re from the morous nation and no one would watch a domestic one, and if anyone did, it would surely be met with nothing but criticism. As for the behind-the-scenes footage released by the promoters, he dismissed it as sheer tragedy marketing, and so on, ultimately devaluing ¡°War Leopard¡±pletely.


    But after watching the movie, he was proven wrong.


    He really wanted to say that ¡°War Leopard¡± was garbage.


    Yet, after thinking it over, he simply could not say it.


    To call ¡°War Leopard¡± garbage would only be deceiving himself.


    No one is a fool, unless they¡¯ve been paid to y dumb, or are people with stubbornly ingrained notions, who would say such a thing.


    It was foreseeable that the box office for ¡°War Leopard¡± would definitely not be bad.


    Xu Yang, as the major investor of ¡°War Leopard,¡± was sure to make a tidy profit.<div>


    This opportunity was originally his, but he failed to seize it.


    It was picked up by Xu Yang instead.


    Damn it, this Xu Yang, it¡¯s unclear how, but it seems like whatever he does, he seeds.


    Futures, antiques picking, acquiring Fish Fire and renaming it River Bottom Catch, acquiring Fengcai Guild, investing in ¡°War Leopard¡± ¨C every single one of these made money.


    And yet, all of these were things he himself had looked down on. The only thing he was interested in, the Fengcai Guild, he considered too costly and missed out on acquiring it, which was then bought by Xu Yang instead.


    It¡¯s as if Xu Yang was purposefully opposing him.


    Right, there¡¯s also Fengkai Mining¡¯s aluminum mine.


    That investment was truly lucrative.


    He had convinced his father to invest in Jia Sheng Guild, causing his father to miss out on a chance to make a fortune of over a billion.


    Thinking about all this, Chen Guanglei¡¯s face turned even uglier.


    However, he quicklyposed himself and squeezed out a reluctant smile to Zhao Yulu, saying, ¡°Yu Lu, I didn¡¯t expect Xu Yang to be so lucky, to have invested in such a movie. It¡¯s almost midnight, let¡¯s go eat.¡±


    ¡°No thanks, I have something else, I¡¯ll be leaving first,¡± Zhao Yulu shook her head, hailed a taxi and left.


    Still speaking of Xu Yang¡¯s good luck now would be nothing but self-deception.<div>


    Xu Yang had seeded in so many things he done.


    By contrast, Chen Guanglei had made so many mistakes.


    Those opportunities that Chen Guanglei failed to grasp were instead seized by Xu Yang.


    Zhao Yulu really couldn¡¯t fathom how Xu Yang had be so insightful, managing to make money with every investment.


    Though she didn¡¯t understand how, she had to admit that Xu Yang had changed.


    Compared to Xu Yang, Chen Guanglei seemed quite insignificant.


    Not only was his judgment poor, but he alsocked the courage to admit his own mistakes, continuing to chalk up Xu Yang¡¯s sessful investments to mere good luck.


    After all these events, aside from his identity as a rich second-generation, Chen Guanglei was practically useless.


    Xu Yang easily crushed Chen Guanglei.


    ¡°Was it really a mistake to leave Xu Yang?¡±


    Zhao Yuxin couldn¡¯t help but ask herself.


    This was the first time she questioned her decision.


    The more sessful Xu Yang became, the more it showed that her choice was wrong.


    Chen Guanglei watched as Zhao Yuxin got into the car and left, his face immediately darkening.


    Thinking to himself that she dared to show him attitude, what a piece of work.


    If it weren¡¯t for her pretty face, what right would she have to make him invite her to dinner?


    Yet such thoughts, after all, would only remain inside his mind. They were not to be voiced.


    He knew that with a woman like Zhao Yuxin, if he ever said such things, he would probably lose any chance with her altogether.


    He took out his phone and dialed a number.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have lunch together at noon.¡±


    ¡°Sure, where?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you the address.¡±


    After hanging up, Chen Guanglei sent out an address and got into his car to leave.


    With Zhao Yuxin gone, he was on the lookout for another woman.


    For someone of his wealthy second-generation status, finding a woman to have a meal with was almost too easy.

 Chapter 123: 123 Investment Opportunities in Pharmaceutical Companies

    Chapter 123: Investment Opportunities in Pharmaceutical Companies


    The second, third, and fourth days of the Lunar New Year were spent making New Year¡¯s visits.<div>


    On the fifth day, a high school ssmate came to visit.


    ¡°Xu Yang, you¡¯ve really made it big now, owning a live streamingpany, as well as Fengcai Guild, and even investing in movies. I¡¯m truly envious,¡± the ssmate said.


    The ssmate¡¯s name was Gao Zimo, and they had a rtively good rtionship.


    It was only slightly less close than his rtionship with Han Yanghui.


    Gao Zimo had learned about Xu Yang¡¯s situation from Han Yanghui.


    His visit today also had a purpose; he had something he needed to discuss with Xu Yang.<div>


    ¡°It¡¯s been alright,¡± Xu Yang modestly smiled. In front of his ssmates, he naturally couldn¡¯t show off.


    In fact, one should never show off in front of anyone.


    Humility and keeping a low profile were essential, otherwise it would only attract resentment.


    ¡°What are you working on these days? Did you end up in a hospital?¡± Xu Yang inquired, knowing that Gao Zimo had made it into a local medical university, but not where he was working.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m working at a pharmaceuticalpany,¡± Gao Zimo replied.


    ¡°A pharmaceuticalpany?¡± Xu Yang was slightly surprised, ¡°Couldn¡¯t you work in a hospital? Hospitals are more stable, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to get into big hospitals, and I didn¡¯t want to settle for a hospital in the county, so I went to Guangcheng and joined Hui¡¯an Pharmaceuticals as a researcher,¡± Gao Zimo exined.


    ¡°Hui¡¯an Pharmaceuticals? That¡¯s a listedpany, not bad,¡± Xu Yang was aware of Hui¡¯an Pharmaceuticals, having looked at quite a few stocks recently and knowing it was a rising star in the pharmaceutical industry.


    However, over the past year, Hui¡¯an Pharmaceuticals¡¯ stock had been on the decline.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, but thepany is currently facing some difficulties in its operations. I came to you to see if you¡¯d be interested in investing in Hui¡¯an Pharmaceuticals,¡± Gao Zimo said.


    ¡°Invest in Hui¡¯an Pharmaceuticals? I don¡¯t know much about it,¡± Xu Yang admitted with a wry smile.


    He hadn¡¯t expected Gao Zimo to, like Han Yanghui, try to draw him into making an investment.<div>


    Yet his knowledge of Hui¡¯an Pharmaceuticals was indeed very limited, just a superficial understanding.


    Investing as a shareholder was different from buying stocks on the stock market.


    Buying stocks on the stock market sometimes only required a quick look at the K-line chart to make a purchase.


    But investing as a shareholder in apany required a thorough understanding of thatpany.


    One would need toprehensively evaluate thepany¡¯s scale, finances, operational status, corepetitiveness, and future prospects.


    In this respect, Xu Yang really wasn¡¯t capable.


    His investments in acquiring Fengcai Guild and Yu Huo Ren Jia, which he then renamed to Fengcai Guild, were entirely guided by the system.


    Without the system, he wouldn¡¯t have invested at all.


    Investing in ¡°War Panther¡± was the same. If the system hadn¡¯t indicated that ¡°War Panther¡± had good box office returns and that ¡°War Panther 2¡± would do even better, he would never have invested.


    ¡°Then let me tell you about it. You can decide whether to invest or not. How does that sound?¡± Gao Zimo also wanted to do his part for thepany. Firstly, he worked at Hui¡¯an Pharmaceuticals, where the sry was good, and he did not want thepany to go under.


    Secondly, if he could bring in investment through his connections, thepany¡¯s boss would reward him.


    As for whether Xu Yang invested or not, he felt that it was enough to have made the effort.<div>


    If Xu Yang declined, it was no issue¡ªthey could simply catch up as old ssmates.


    But if Xu Yang decided to invest, the boss¡¯s reward could save him decades of hard work, something that might not even be achievable in regr circumstances.


    ¡°Alright, tell me about it, and I¡¯ll see if I can make an investment,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°Ourpany is currently developing a drug to treat stomach cancer. Most of our capital has been invested in the research and development of this drug.¡±


    ¡°The research for the medication has entered the final stage. If the development is sessful, you can imagine the potential,¡± Gao Zimo shared.


    ¡°Of course, such things can¡¯t be guaranteed, and if the development fails, thepany might very well go under.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s precisely because of this uncertainty and the unknown timeframe for development that the previous investors aren¡¯t willing to continue funding it.¡±


    ¡°Since it would require a substantial amount of additional funding with an uncertain period, those investors decided they would rather cut their losses than continue investing.¡±


    ¡°The boss was out of options and told thepany executives and us researchers to see if anyone could bring in investment. If anyone could secure funding, thepany would definitely reward them with a promotion to a critical position, and he even mentioned a one percent stake in thepany.¡±


    ¡°It was a huge temptation, but I originally didn¡¯t think much of it because I don¡¯t know any wealthy people.¡±


    ¡°Before the New Year, I got in touch with Han Yanghui, and he told me about your situation, so I wanted to ask if you were interested.¡±


    Gao Zimo briefly exined the situation.<div>


    ¡°A drug for treating stomach cancer? If such a drug were to be sessfully developed, it could indeed make a fortune. Since you¡¯re a researcher at yourpany, do you think it can be developed sessfully?¡± Xu Yang asked.


    ¡°I can only say that there is an eighty percent chance of sess,¡± Gao Zimo replied.


    ¡°That high?¡± Xu Yang expressed his surprise.


    An eighty percent sess rate was indeed very high.


    Especially since this was a drug for treating cancer.


    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s that uncertain twenty percent that depends on whether or not there¡¯s a wealthy person willing to take a gamble. If I had money, I would invest, but unfortunately, I don¡¯t,¡± Gao Zimo said with a wry smile.


    Xu Yang couldn¡¯t make a judgment.


    And he didn¡¯t know if what Gao Zimo was saying was true.


    Such things could only be confirmed by going to Hui¡¯an Pharmaceuticals and conducting an in-depth investigation to discern the truth of Gao Zimo¡¯s ims.


    Just as he was about to politely decline with the excuse of ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± a system alert sounded in his mind.


    [Ding! Hui¡¯an Pharmaceuticals is in the process of developing a breakthrough stomach cancer drug, which will be sessfully developed in a month. With this drug, Hui¡¯an Pharmaceuticals will grow into a pharmaceutical giant with a market value of over a hundred billion in the next five years!]


    Xu Yang¡¯s eyes lit up.<div>


    A market value of a hundred billion in the next five years.


    This was like fishing for a windfall from the depths of a river.


    And even more promising than that.


    He must invest!


    Xu Yang¡¯s gaze flickered, ¡°Based on what you¡¯re saying, yourpany indeed seems worth investing in. How much are you looking to raise?¡±


    Gao Zimo¡¯s eyes brightened, and he quickly replied, ¡°Our boss said that five hundred million should be about right.¡±


    This also showed the confidence of Hui¡¯an Pharmaceuticals¡¯ owner.


    Xu Yang asked, ¡°For five hundred million in funding, how much share is he willing to offer?¡±


    Gao Zimo answered, ¡°Ourpany¡¯s market value is twenty-six billion; five hundred million in funds would get you twenty percent shares.¡±


    Xu Yang pondered for a moment and then said, ¡°I¡¯m interested in investing, but I still need to visit yourpany first to see for myself whether it¡¯s as you described, and to also check out other aspects of thepany.¡±


    Gao Zimo nodded repeatedly, ¡°Of course, five hundred million isn¡¯t a small sum, so aprehensive examination is naturally required. It would be the same for anyone.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Alright, after the Spring Festival holiday, when I return to Jiangcheng, I¡¯ll distribute the new year bonuses to my employees and arrange some work, then I¡¯ll get in touch with you, and we¡¯ll arrange a time to visit yourpany.¡±<div>


    ¡°Good, I¡¯ll wait for your call,¡± Gao Zimo said cheerfully.


    If Xu Yang indeed invested, he would receive a one percent stake.


    It was a reward that didn¡¯t cost him anything.


    If thepany really could develop the cancer drug, just with that one percent stake, he could be a multimillionaire.


    After chatting a bit more, Gao Zimo took his leave and departed.

 Chapter 124: 124 Understanding the Situation

    Chapter 124: Understanding the Situation


    The seventh day of Lunar New Year.<div>


    Xu Yang bid farewell to his parents, taking Zhao Yuxin and Zhao Hai back to Jiangcheng.


    In the car.


    Zhao Yuxin, browsing her phone, said, ¡°The box office of ¡®War Leopard¡¯, aside from the seventy million on the first day of the new year, has exceeded one hundred million on the other days, and now it¡¯s almost seven hundred million. Some agency predicts that ¡®War Leopard¡¯ could potentially break ten billion in the final box office.¡±


    Xu Yang smiled and said, ¡°We¡¯re gonna make a good profit this time.¡±


    The box office was even higher than what the system had mentioned.


    This was also thanks to him letting the Fengcai Guild promote ¡®War Leopard¡¯.<div>


    Without the anchors from the Fengcai Guild spreading the word, ¡®War Leopard¡¯ would definitely not have been this popr.


    This showed that things could be done better than what the system had described.


    Just like thest time with the aluminum mine, the system mentioned someone sold it for 1.5 billion, but he sold it for 1.6 billion.


    Zhao Yuxin said, ¡°Wu Jing has made aeback with this movie.¡±


    Xu Yang nodded, thought of something, and then said, ¡°Yu Xin, now that the new year is over, you should find some time soon to chat with the financial manager, Zhou Ruyan, from Jiang Di Lao.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Mhm, I was too busy before the new year, couldn¡¯t find the time, but I¡¯ll definitely make time in the next few days to go to Jiang Di Lao and have a chat with her.¡±


    Zhao Hai became a bit anxious, ¡°Yu Xin, are you really going?¡±


    Zhao Yuxinughed, ¡°Of course, this concerns your happiness, Dad. I need to go and check.¡±


    Zhao Hai said bitterly, ¡°Doing this, how am I going to face people in the future?¡±


    Zhao Yuxin said earnestly, ¡°Dad, as I said, I have a sense of measure, and I absolutely won¡¯t make things awkward for you, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Yu Xin, Dad is now the President, he has a lot to deal with, but does not have an assistant by his side. I think we could have this financial manager Zhou Ruyan be Dad¡¯s assistant to share some of the workload. What do you think?¡±


    Zhao Yuxin¡¯s eyes shone, immediately understanding Xu Yang¡¯s implication.<div>


    This was about creating opportunities for Dad and Zhou Ruyan to be together.


    Zhao Yuxin nodded repeatedly, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. Dad works too hard; he indeed needs someone to share the workload.¡±


    ¡°You two¡­¡± Zhao Hai truly didn¡¯t know what to say.


    The two of them, singing in harmony, decided on his personal staffing matters.


    Without even asking for his opinion.


    Zhao Yuxin added, ¡°Right, we can¡¯t make the transfer now, I need to evaluate her first. I don¡¯t want another woman like Liu Yujuan for the boss.¡±


    Xu Yang nodded and said, ¡°Of course, but it shouldn¡¯t be the case. I¡¯ve heard Zhou Ruyan has a very good personality, highly regarded by her colleagues, very agreeable.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin said, ¡°That¡¯s good, but I¡¯ll have to meet her first.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Sure, everything is up to you.¡±


    Zhao Hai said bitterly, ¡°Xu Yang, Yu Xin, can you not do this? You¡¯re putting me in a difficult position.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin said, ¡°Dad, what¡¯s there to be difficult about? The matter is settled.¡±


    She could tell, Dad probably liked the financial manager Zhou Ruyan a bit.<div>


    Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t just talk about being uneasy or it being hard to do.


    He would have definitely rejected it outright.


    Dad was too embarrassed to say it outright, so naturally, she, the caring little cotton-padded jacket, had to step in.


    Zhao Yuxin went on, ¡°Oh right, honey, you¡¯re hosting a New Year¡¯s meal for the staff of Fengcai Guild and Jiang Di Lao tomorrow, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Xu Yang nodded, ¡°Of course, I n to invite all the staff of Fengcai Guild for lunch tomorrow, along with the few people invested by Yang Xin, and to invite all staff of Jiang Di Lao for dinner tomorrow night. What about it?¡±


    Zhao Yuxin said, ¡°I was thinking, our bank probably has the New Year¡¯s meal at lunchtime. I want to join you for the Jiang Di Lao New Year¡¯s dinner, to get to know that financial manager Zhou Ruyan, and to chat with her as a friend. That way it won¡¯t seem abrupt. What do you think?¡±


    Xu Yang nodded, ¡°Great idea, let¡¯s happily decide on that.¡±


    When they returned to Jiangcheng, it was already past six o¡¯clock, and the three of them ate dinner together.


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin took Zhao Hai home, then returned to the vi.


    As soon as they entered the vi, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin tumbled into each other¡¯s arms.


    In the past few days back in their hometown, it hadn¡¯t been convenient to do much, and the young couple, brimming with vigor, were indeed feeling a bit stifled.


    Soon, the sounds of love filled the house.<div>


    The eighth day of the first lunar month.


    In the morning, Xu Yang went to Fengcai Guild and Jiangcheng Hotpot to distribute red envelopes to all employees.


    Each person received 888 yuan, eliciting gasps of surprise from the regr staff.


    As regr employees, it was the first time they had received such generous red envelopes.


    Previous bosses would have done well to give out a hundred yuan.


    For workers, encountering a generous leader was extremely rare.


    Many expressed that as long as thepany was willing to keep them, they would work there for life, treating thepany like home.


    Imperceptibly, the employees¡¯ sense of belonging to thepany strengthened.


    Xu Yang didn¡¯t forget to visit Yang Xin Investments.


    Yang Xin Investments was still a small team, actively recruiting more people.


    Once they acquired morepanies, thepany would gradually be busier.


    At noon, all the employees from Fengcai Guild had their start-of-the-year meal together, and they also invited the staff from Yang Xin Investments since bothpanies were in the same building, so there was no need to eat separately with the Yang Xin Investments staff anymore.<div>


    In the evening, Xu Yang and the entire Jiangcheng Hotpot staff had their start-of-the-year meal together.


    Zhao Yuxin naturally got acquainted with Zhou Ruyan.


    The two of them had a nice chat, and Zhao Yuxin got the answers she wanted.


    The day went by just like that.


    By the time they returned home in the evening, it was already over nine, and Xu Yang reeked of alcohol.


    Zhao Yuxin considerately brewed some tea to help Xu Yang sober up, then said, ¡°Husband, today I interacted with Sister Ru Yan, and she feels just as you described, with a super nice personality. She definitely is interested in dad, I could tell from the way she looks at him. If she gets together with dad, he will surely be very happy.¡±


    Now that they were calling her ¡°Sister Ru Yan,¡± there was no doubt they had a good conversation.


    Xu Yang said, ¡°That¡¯s great, so shall I appoint her as dad¡¯s assistant tomorrow?¡±


    Zhao Yuxin nodded repeatedly, ¡°That¡¯s good, we can¡¯t dy. We need to expedite the matter with dad. I¡¯m just afraid Liu Yujuan will pester dad, but if dad gets together with Sister Ru Yan, Liu Yujuan will give up hope.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Xu Yang nodded, ¡°By the way, did you get her basic information? Tell me about it.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t gossip; he wanted to understand a bit more.


    After all, she could potentially be his mother-inw.<div>


    ¡°Sure,¡± Zhao Yuxin said, ¡°Sister Ru Yan is from the capital of Sichuan Province. Her parents both worked in governmental departments and are now retired. Her brother also works in a government job, is married, and his child is in junior high school.¡±


    ¡°Sister Ru Yan attended university in Jiangcheng, specializing in finance. Her parents wanted her to work back in the capital city, but she said she liked Jiangcheng and didn¡¯t want to return to a governmental job, so she stayed here.¡±


    ¡°She bought a two-bedroom, one-living room apartment in Jiangcheng and said she wouldn¡¯t consider marriage until she met the right person. Rather becking thanpromising, she implied that dad is someone who moves her heart.¡±


    Besides learning about Zhou Ruyan¡¯s situation, she also talked about dad¡¯s.


    These were mutual exchanges; they couldn¡¯t be hidden.


    As for whether knowing this information would affect the two of them getting together, she wasn¡¯t worried at all.


    Dad and Zhou Ruyan were both of an age where they would only pursue something they liked, and once they liked someone, they wouldn¡¯t care about anything else.


    Xu Yang said, ¡°In that case, our dad has hope. I think dad also has feelings for her.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t foolish; he could tell that Zhao Hai probably had feelings for Zhou Ruyan, otherwise, he would have definitely tried to block their matchmaking efforts.


    Zhao Yuxin nodded repeatedly, ¡°Yes, so even if we don¡¯t do these things, they would probably end up together eventually. What we¡¯re doing is just helping to speed up the process.¡±

 Chapter 125: 125 Heading to Guangcheng

    Chapter 125: Heading to Guangcheng


    On the first day of the ninth lunar month.<div>


    Xu Yang arrived at Jiang Di Lao and first went to the Finance Department to see Zhou Ruyan.


    Before appointing Zhou Ruyan as Zhao Hai¡¯s assistant, he needed to ask if Zhou Ruyan was willing.


    If Zhou Ruyan was unwilling, a forced appointment would definitely be inappropriate.


    If she was reluctant, he could find another way to bring them togetherter. It would just be a slower process.


    In fact, when it came to Liu Yujuan wanting to get back together with Zhao Hai, as long as Zhao Hai wasn¡¯t out of his mind or kicked in the head by a donkey, he would never agree.


    This was something Xu Yang didn¡¯t need to worry about at all.<div>


    The matter was even smoother than Xu Yang had anticipated. Upon learning that she was to be Zhao Hai¡¯s assistant, Zhou Ruyan simply stated, ¡°I ept thepany¡¯s arrangement.¡±


    She was a smart person and knew it must be Zhao Yuxin trying to match her with Zhao Hai.


    She epted the favor, because she truly liked Zhao Hai.


    After leaving the Finance Department, Xu Yang convened a meeting with the executives.


    ¡°Considering General Manager Zhao Hai¡¯s busy schedule, he needs someone to share the workload. Let Zhou Ruyan be the General Manager¡¯s assistant!¡±


    Xu Yang directly announced the appointment.


    Nobody was surprised at this appointment.


    The General Manager indeed needed an assistant.


    The previous General Manager did have an assistant, who was a confidant of the boss. After the boss left, that assistant resigned.


    Since Zhao Hai took office, he had not recruited an assistant.


    Some vice presidents had suggested that it was too much for Zhao Hai and he should hire an assistant.


    However, Zhao Hai said he could still manage and did not agree to it.<div>


    Therefore, Zhao Hai had been without an assistant.


    Now that Zhao Hai needed an assistant, it was perfectly normal.


    But to have Zhou Ruyan, the Finance Manager, take up the role of General Manager¡¯s assistant was somewhat unexpected to everyone.


    Nheless, they didn¡¯t think too much of it.


    This was a routine personnel move and none of their business.


    Even if some made any inferences, they wouldn¡¯t say anything.


    As long as they did their own jobs well, that was enough.


    Sometimes, spreading untruthful gossip that one shouldn¡¯t can be damaging to one¡¯s career.


    Only those with no aspirations would concern themselves with others¡¯ gossip everywhere.


    The meeting ended quickly.


    After handling this matter, Xu Yang discussed with Zhao Hai about the expansion of Jiang Di Lao and then left.


    The new year had passed, and Jiang Di Lao was ready to begin its full-scale expansion.<div>


    Starting from the four major first-tier cities and then to second-tier cities, they aimed to spread rapidly to build an empire of hotpot restaurants.


    Jiang Yuheng and Su Wenbin had already invested in thepany. If there was any obstacle they couldn¡¯t ovee, they would turn to those two for solutions.


    Their shares were not for free; when needed, they were expected to take action.


    ¡­


    On the tenth day of the lunar month.


    Xu Yang, apanied by the General Manager of Yangxin Company along withwyers and financial staff, took a flight to Guangcheng.


    They arrived in Guangcheng around noon.


    After checking into their reserved hotel, the group had lunch in the restaurant and rested briefly in their rooms before asking the hotel to arrange for a car to take them to Hui¡¯an Pharmaceuticals.


    Hui¡¯an Pharmaceuticals was located in a high-tech industrial park.


    At this moment, Ye Kaifeng, the owner of Hui¡¯an Pharmaceuticals, was standing at the entrance of thepany with his executives, awaiting Xu Yang¡¯s arrival.


    Gao Zimo, who was not an executive, stood out notably beside Ye Kaifeng.


    The executives had noints about this arrangement, only envy.<div>


    This was because they all knew it was Gao Zimo who had brought in the investors.


    During this time, the executive managers had been leveraging their connections to find investors.


    But they had found none, as everyone deemed the development of a stomach cancer treatment drug too unreliable.


    No one believed that Hui¡¯an Pharmaceuticals could achieve such a feat.


    Unexpectedly, a minor researcher from the R&D department had actually pulled in an investor.


    If this investor really put in the money, Gao Zimo would obtain one percent of thepany¡¯s shares and also receive a promotion.


    If thepany could seed in developing the stomach cancer drug with this investment, its future development would be rapid.


    The worth of these executives would also soar.


    Sries would certainly increase, and so would bonuses.


    ¡°Little Gao, thank you for this. Rest assured, as soon as your ssmate invests, I will immediately fulfill my promise,¡±


    Ye Kaifeng hadn¡¯t had a good year at all, not in the slightest.


    Thepany¡¯s funds could onlyst until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.<div>


    If they couldn¡¯t secure an investment before the fifteenth, thepany would be left without funds, just waiting for death.


    Over the years, he had sold his vi for the sake of developing this stomach cancer drug.


    He had sold the several luxury cars he¡¯d bought and now drove a dpidated Audi A6, which was even inferior to the cars driven by mid-level managers in hispany.


    Now, he and his wife and children were living in a rented house.


    Fortunately, he had a virtuous wife who neverined about the changes in their life and silently supported him.


    Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to persist and would probably have copsed by now.


    As thepany faced closure due to theck of funds, his heart was filled with unwillingness.


    But what good was this unwillingness?


    All his connections had been tapped, every potential investor had been met, and every stone had been turned, yet they couldn¡¯t attract any investment.


    Unexpectedly, right after the new year, on the first day back at work, the R&D department manager brought Gao Zimo to see him, exining that Gao Zimo had found a ssmate interested in investing.


    This news thrilled him.


    When he inquired about Gao Zimo¡¯s ssmate, Xu Yang, the owner of Fengcai Guild and Jiang Di Lao, he was staggered.<div>


    He also knew that the owner of Jiang Di Lao was known for acquiring Fengkai Mining¡¯s South American aluminum mine for fifty million yuan, discovering a huge aluminum resource there, and then selling it back to Fengkai Mining for 1.6 billion yuan.


    This investment case had been discussed by many investors.


    He had heard about it while seeking investments himself.


    This showed that Gao Zimo¡¯s ssmate had real strength and vision.


    Since there was an intention to invest, there was a high probability that the investment would happen.


    So, Ye Kaifeng instructed Gao Zimo to immediately contact Xu Yang, and they agreed that Xu Yang would visit thepany at three o¡¯clock that afternoon for an evaluation.


    If everything looked good after the inspection, he would invest.


    Indeed, to show his sincerity, Ye Kaifeng, along with a group of executives, stood at thepany¡¯s entrance to wee Xu Yang by half past two.


    The temperature today was ten degrees, cloudy, and there was a strong wind howling.


    Ye Kaifeng and the other executives had their hair disheveled by the wind and felt a bit cold.


    Despite that, no one dared to utter a singleint.


    With someone willing to invest, thepany could survive; a bit of wind was nothing to them.


    It didn¡¯t matter that it was just ten degrees or that the wind was strong.


    Even if it was minus ten degrees and snowing, they would still have to stand here.


    This was about everyone¡¯s livelihood.


    The executives were all highly paid; some even had incentive shares.


    If thepany sessfully developed the stomach cancer drug, their sries and bonuses would increase significantly.


    Compared to the gains they would potentially reap in the future, braving this wind was truly trivial.


    ¡°Thank you, President Ye,¡± Gao Zimo expressed his gratitude.


    He couldn¡¯t be sure if Xu Yang would invest until thest moment, so it wasn¡¯t a good time to say much.

 Chapter 126: 126: Investment

    Chapter 126: Investment


    At ten minutes to three, the Bentley carrying Xu Yang and several others slowly stopped in front of Hui¡¯an Pharmaceuticals.<div>


    Xu Yang and the others got out of the car.


    He immediately spotted Gao Zimo in the crowd.


    Gao Zimo immediately pointed out to Ye Kaifeng which one was his ssmate, Xu Yang.


    Thus, Ye Kaifeng immediately approached with Gao Zimo in tow.


    ¡°President Xu, hello, I am Ye Kaifeng from Hui¡¯an Pharmaceuticals. We are very pleased to wee you to ourpany for the inspection.¡±


    Ye Kaifeng came up to Xu Yang, extending his hand warmly.<div>


    ¡°President Ye, hello,¡± Xu Yang shook hands with him.


    The two exchanged brief pleasantries before heading into thepany.


    They arrived at a conference room.


    Next, Ye Kaifeng took out the documentation he had prepared, and Xu Yang asked hiswyers and financial team to review these materials.


    Xu Yang and Yang Xin, the investment general manager, were then taken on a tour of thepany¡¯s R&D department led by Ye Kaifeng.


    The manager of the R&D department gave a detailed introduction of their operations, with a focus on the development progress of a breakthrough gastric cancer drug.


    At present, this is thepany¡¯s biggest selling point to attract investment.


    One could say it¡¯s the only selling point.


    Xu Yang hade precisely for this reason.


    After listening to the introduction, Xu Yang learned that this special drug had reached the final public rtions stage.


    No investors had invested because they felt the uncertainty was very high.


    After all, nopany had yet developed a drug that couldpletely cure cancer.<div>


    Xu Yang would never have considered investing if it weren¡¯t for the system¡¯s prompt.


    The chances were really too slim.


    It¡¯s just like Wu Jing¡¯s ¡°Panther¡±¡ªat the time of shooting, no one could have expected it to be a huge box-office sess.


    Afterwards, Xu Yang continued his tour under Ye Kaifeng¡¯s guidance, visiting the workshops.


    The workshops for producing various pharmaceuticals all adhered to stringent standards.


    During this time, Gao Zimo apanied them throughout the entire process.


    He would chime in from time to time, as Ye Kaifeng had specifically instructed.


    Having Gao Zimo as a link was more advantageous.


    After the tour, they returned to the conference room where the financial experts andwyers had just finished examining all the documents.


    They produced a report for Xu Yang to review.


    The data and information were all urate.


    In fact, Xu Yang conducted these proceedings merely as a formality ording to the standard investment acquisition process.<div>


    With the prompts from the system, all of this was actually unnecessary.


    But without these steps, it would likely arouse suspicion.


    Deciding to invest without doing any due diligence is what a fool would do.


    Xu Yang did not want others to consider him a fool.


    By taking these steps, it was a normal investment.


    At most, others would say he had good insight or was just lucky.


    Finally, the negotiation came down to the acquisition price.


    Xu Yang said, ¡°President Ye, I can invest five hundred million, but twenty percent of the shares is not enough¡ªI want twenty-five percent.¡±


    Hearing this, Ye Kaifeng was both surprised and somewhat troubled.


    He was excited that Xu Yang was willing to invest five hundred million Yuan, which meant capital was no longer a concern.


    However, what troubled him was Xu Yang¡¯s demand for a twenty-five percent stake.


    Initially, he had nned to offer only twenty percent.<div>


    A twenty-five percent stake was beyond his expectation.


    ¡°President Xu, no problem, we can agree to a twenty-five percent stake,¡± Ye Kaifeng decided without too much hesitation.


    Now, since Xu Yang was willing to invest, it was just a matter of asking for a little more.


    Xu Yang was probably the only willing investor.


    If they didn¡¯t agree, thepany would copse in a few days.


    Paying a little more for thepany¡¯s lifeline was still worth it.


    Once the miracle drug was developed, he would simply transfer less money to himself afterwards.


    Better than thepany going under and losing everything.


    ¡°President Ye really is a person of great courage. I believe under your leadership, thepany will surely develop that gastric cancer miracle drug,¡± Xu Yang said with a smile.


    Twenty-five percent of the shares, once Hui¡¯an Pharmaceuticals became a giant in the pharmaceutical industry, those twenty-five percent would be worth billions.


    It must be said, this investment was a huge win.


    Next was drafting the contract and then signing it.<div>


    Once the contract was signed, Xu Yang immediately transferred five hundred million into Hui¡¯an Pharmaceuticals¡¯ ount.


    Ye Kaifeng let out a sigh of relief; the tension he had been holding onto was finally easing.


    The pressure had been immense during this period.


    Now that the funding issue was resolved, all they needed to do was wait for the miracle drug to be developed.


    He was still very confident about this gastric cancer miracle drug.


    In the evening, Ye Kaifeng, along with other executives and Gao Zimo, entertained Xu Yang and his party at an upscale restaurant near thepany.


    The next day, Xu Yang and a few others had breakfast and then took a flight back to Jiangcheng.


    Just as Gao Zimo arrived at work, the R&D department manager came over.


    ¡°Gao Zimo, the boss wants to see you in his office.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Under the envious gazes of his colleagues, Gao Zimo headed to the boss¡¯s office.


    Everyone already knew, Gao Zimo¡¯s ssmate had invested five hundred million and had be a major shareholder of thepany.<div>


    With thepany¡¯s financial issues resolved, it was time for the boss to keep his promise.


    And indeed, it happened just as his colleagues had guessed.


    Upon arriving at Ye Kaifeng¡¯s office, Ye Kaifeng took out a contract and asked Gao Zimo to sign.


    It was a stock transfer agreement, with one percent of shares transferred to Gao Zimo in recognition of his outstanding contributions to thepany.


    Gao Zimo was overwhelmed, his hand trembling as he signed.


    He could imagine, as long as the cancer miracle drug was sessfully developed, that one percent of shares would be worth at least a billion.


    He was quite confident in the sess of the cancer miracle drug.


    After all, he was part of the R&D department and, although not directly involved in that project, he was informed about some aspects of it.


    ¡°Thank you, President Ye,¡± Gao Zimo said excitedly.


    ¡°You deserve it, I¡¯m just keeping a promise,¡± Ye Kaifeng said, waving his hand, ¡°As for your position, I will talk to the HR manager and the R&D manager. I heard from the R&D manager that the supervisor of your project group resigned and there¡¯s been no recement. You¡¯ll take over as the supervisor of your project team. You have to take it step by step, I can¡¯t promote you to a high position all at once. You are still young, and I hope you understand.¡±


    ¡°Boss, I understand. This position is just right for me. Otherwise, if given too high a post, I wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it well,¡± Gao Zimo said.


    ¡°Good, I have high hopes for you, and now that you¡¯re also a shareholder, as long as you achieve results, I will definitely prioritize your promotion,¡± Ye Kaifeng said, satisfied with Gao Zimo¡¯s attitude.


    ¡­


    That afternoon.


    Zhao Hai was busy at work when his phone rang.


    Looking at the caller ID, it was Liu Yujuan.


    Zhao Hai frowned slightly, initially wanting to ignore the call but decided to answer after some thought.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± he asked indifferently.


    ¡°Zhao Hai, I called you several times this morning. Why didn¡¯t you answer my calls?¡± Liu Yujuan spoke with a hint of grievance.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t notice,¡± Zhao Hai replied, still indifferent.


    It wasn¡¯t that he hadn¡¯t noticed; he had chosen not to answer.


    He was well aware of Liu Yujuan¡¯s intentions and had no desire to entertain them.


    Getting back together with Liu Yujuan was out of the question.


    No matter how sweetly Liu Yujuan spoke, it was not going to happen.

 Chapter 127: 127: Blocking the Door

    Chapter 127: Blocking the Door


    ¡°That¡¯s okay, are you free tonight? I¡¯d like to take you out to dinner,¡± Liu Yujuan said.<div>


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the time,¡± Zhao Hai tly refused.


    ¡°Then when will you have time? I¡¯ll take you out,¡± Liu Yujuan knew Zhao Hai was making excuses, but she wouldn¡¯t give up.


    ¡°I won¡¯t have time any time,¡± Zhao Hai said.


    ¡°Zhao Hai, do you really hate me that much? You won¡¯t even give me a chance to have a meal with you.¡±


    Liu Yujuan had used this strategy before. Last time, it was this very tactic that made Zhao Hai agree to dine with her.


    Unfortunately, the n had been foiled by Zhao Yuxinst time.<div>


    ¡°I¡¯ve already given you a chance. I know what you want, so stop wasting your effort. We are never getting back together. Don¡¯t call me anymore,¡± he said.


    After speaking, Zhao Hai hung up the phone.


    Liu Yujuan¡¯s face turned ashen as she listened to the beeping tone on the other end of the line.


    Only by meeting could she possibly have the chance to persuade Zhao Hai to get back together with her.


    But Zhao Hai wouldn¡¯t even give her a chance to meet. What could she do?


    She couldn¡¯t possibly block his door, could she?


    Hmm?


    Block his door?


    That didn¡¯t seem like a bad idea.


    If Zhao Hai wouldn¡¯t give her the chance to meet, then blocking his door was no issue.


    To get Zhao Hai to ept her again, she had to make some effort.


    She would block his door!<div>


    Today, she would wait for him outside the Haido restaurant, wait for Zhao Hai toe out.


    With Haido employees watching, she believed Zhao Hai would have to give her a chance.


    Unless Zhao Hai wanted to make a spectacle of himself in front of Haido¡¯s staff.


    Thinking this, Liu Yujuan felt her spirits lift somewhat.


    At four-thirty, she informed her supervisor and called Yang Tiancheng to say she wouldn¡¯t be home to cook tonight. She also texted Zhao Yulu.


    Then she rushed off, driving to the open parking lot in front of Haido¡¯s headquarters.


    After parking her car, she stayed inside, waiting for Zhao Hai¡¯s appearance.


    At five-thirty, the end of the workday arrived, and employees started trickling out of the building.


    By nearly six o¡¯clock, she finally saw Zhao Haiing out.


    Initially, upon seeing Zhao Hai, Liu Yujuan was ready to get out of the car.


    However, seeing Zhao Haiughing and talking with a woman, Liu Yujuan stayed put for the moment.


    The following event took her by surprise.<div>


    She saw Zhao Hai and the woman get into a BMW 730 together.


    This was thepany¡¯s executive car for Zhao Hai; as a general manager, it was only fitting for him to drive a luxury car¡ªit wouldn¡¯t do to use his Wuling van.


    Zhao Hai sat in the driver¡¯s seat, the woman in the passenger¡¯s seat.


    ¡°What are Zhao Hai and that woman going to do?¡±


    Liu Yujuan thought of a possibility, and her face turned ugly; she started her car and followed them.


    She tailed them to an upscale restaurant and saw Zhao Hai and the woman enter together, taking a seat by the window.


    Now, Liu Yujuan¡¯s expression became even uglier.


    Undoubtedly, her suspicion was confirmed.


    This woman must be Zhao Hai¡¯s new love interest.


    Otherwise, Zhao Hai would never go out to dinner with a woman alone.


    Even if the two weren¡¯t together yet, Zhao Hai must like this woman.


    Given the way the woman acted, she seemed interested in Xu Yang as well.<div>


    A man and a woman, with the man affectionate and the woman interested¡ªgetting together seemed inevitable.


    ¡°No wonder he ignored my calls, not even sparing the time for a meal with me!¡± Liu Yujuan clenched her teeth with resentment.


    She wanted to get out of her car, rush into the restaurant, and disrupt Zhao Hai¡¯s date with the woman.


    But then she thought better of it, such behavior was akin to being a shrew, and it would likely further alienate Zhao Hai, making the prospect of rekindling their rtionship even more difficult.


    So, she waited in the car, for over an hour.


    When the two of them had finished their meal, paid the bill, and walked out of the restaurant, she got out of the car.


    ¡°Zhao Hai?!¡±


    Liu Yujuan feigned surprise, ¡°What are you doing here? I asked you out for a meal and you said you were busy. Turns out you were dining with another woman.¡±


    She nced at Zhou Ruyan and added, ¡°And who might this be?¡±


    Zhao Hai frowned slightly, unclear about Liu Yujuan¡¯s intentions, he could only say, ¡°This is a colleague from Grand Catch Bottom Restaurant.¡±


    ¡°A colleague,¡± Liu Yujuan said, looking at Zhou Ruyan with a smile, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Liu Yujuan, Zhao Hai¡¯s ex-wife.¡±


    Zhou Ruyan nodded slightly, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Zhou Ruyan.¡±<div>


    On New Year¡¯s Day dinner, Zhao Hai¡¯s daughter Zhao Yuxin had briefed her on Zhao Hai¡¯s situation.


    Due to his wife¡¯s betrayal, Zhao Hai had divorced her when Zhao Yuxin was five years old.


    Zhao Yuxin had stayed with Zhao Hai, while her older sister went with the ex-wife.


    The ex-wife had taken Zhao Yuxin¡¯s sister and started a new family with someone else.


    That person was none other than Yang Tiancheng, the deputy general manager of Delicious Hotpot.


    The reason Delicious Hotpot opened right next to Grand Catch Bottom Restaurant was due to Yang Tiancheng¡¯s desire to suppress Zhao Hai.


    Unfortunately, the move backfired.


    Not only did it fail to suppress Grand Catch Bottom Restaurant, but their business thrived even more, leaving Delicious Hotpot with no customers.


    Yang Tiancheng¡¯s days at Delicious Hotpot must have been difficult.


    Zhao Yuxin also mentioned that Liu Yujuan was a money-seeking woman who, seeing Zhao Hai be the general manager of Grand Catch Bottom Restaurant, wanted to reunite with him.


    She even hinted that if she liked her dad, she should seize the opportunity.


    In this moment, seeing Liu Yujuan, she felt the hostility in her eyes.<div>


    Zhou Ruyan knew that what Zhao Yuxin had said was probably true.


    It was evident from Liu Yujuan¡¯sment about asking Zhao Hai out for a meal.


    Moreover, she sensed from a woman¡¯s intuition that Liu Yujuan¡¯s presence here was likely no coincidence,


    and seemed to carry an intention to provoke her.


    She truly liked Zhao Hai; she had once thought she would be alone for the rest of her life.


    It was a case of preferring tock rather than to settle for less; without meeting the right person, she would neverpromise.


    But seeing Zhao Hai, her heart began to ripple.


    She admitted she was moved.


    Zhao Hai was a bit older indeed, but in matters of the heart, that didn¡¯t matter.


    In fact, it wasn¡¯t much of an age difference; she was thirty-eight and Zhao Hai was forty-eight, just a ten-year gap.


    And ording to Zhao Yuxin, Zhao Hai was also interested in her.


    Today, Zhao Hai had taken the initiative to ask her out to eat, and she naturally epted.


    Faced with Liu Yujuan¡¯s provocation, Zhou Ruyan didn¡¯t retort verbally,


    but rather responded calmly.


    Truth be told, Zhou Ruyan truly thought Liu Yujuan was delusional.


    Any man, confronted with a woman who had betrayed him, would never tolerate her.


    Let aloneing back yearster seeking reconciliation.


    Zhou Ruyan didn¡¯t understand what Liu Yujuan was thinking or how she could believe there was still a chance.


    Did she really take Zhao Hai for a fool?


    So, facing this kind of provocation, she really didn¡¯t need to do anything.


    She trusted that Zhao Hai would handle it well.


    ¡°Ru Yan, let¡¯s go.¡± Zhao Hai also guessed that Liu Yujuan¡¯s appearance was no coincidence. Not caring to engage with Liu Yujuan any further, he left with Zhou Ruyan.


    Liu Yujuan didn¡¯t know what to say and could only watch helplessly as the two got into the car and drove away.


    Liu Yujuan wanted to leave as well, but feeling hungry, she entered the restaurant, had her meal, and then went home.


    When she got home, Yang Tiancheng and his son had already returned.


    Zhao Yulu was back too, in her room.

 Chapter 128: 128 Severe Punishment

    Chapter 128 Severe Punishment


    ¡°Where did you go?¡± Yang Tiancheng asked, noticing that Liu Yujuan¡¯s face was ashen.<div>


    ¡°Nowhere special, just out for a meal with some girlfriends,¡± Liu Yujuan relied on the same excuse she¡¯d used before.


    Yang Tiancheng felt that Liu Yujuan wasn¡¯t telling the truth, but he didn¡¯t press her further.


    Now, his own matters were aplete mess. The boss had already decided today, to hand over the hotpot business to another deputy general manager, who would start anew with the selection and management of the location.


    The hotpot business was not something the boss would give up on, but due to Chen Guanglei¡¯s selfishness, which caused the group to suffer heavy losses, the boss was disappointed in him and wouldn¡¯t let him get involved anymore.


    The boss hadn¡¯t assigned him any new tasks either, which was equivalent to making him sit on the bench.


    If he didn¡¯t resign on his own, he feared the boss would find various methods to target him and force him to resign.<div>


    His time at Meiwei Group was probablying to an end.


    He snorted coldly and left the house.


    Feeling down, getting a drink with a friend seemed like the right thing to do.


    Yang Jingsheng didn¡¯t stay long and went out to have some fun.


    For him, although he was also worried about his dad¡¯s career, there was nothing he could do about it. Life had to go on, and so did his pursuit of beautiful women.


    Now, only Liu Yujuan and Zhao Yulu were left at home.


    Liu Yujuan went to Zhao Yulu¡¯s room, where she was busy ying with her phone.


    ¡°Mom, you didn¡¯t cook today. Did you go to see Dad again?¡± Zhao Yulu asked.


    ¡°How did you know?¡± Liu Yujuan essentially admitted it.


    ¡°I can tell from your demeanor. You must have been doing thistely. I guess Dad rejected you again, right? Just listen to me. Stop it; there¡¯s no chance for you two,¡± Zhao Yulu said.


    ¡°I called him many times today. He didn¡¯t answer. When I called in the afternoon, he picked up. I invited him to dinner, and he said he didn¡¯t have time. So, I went to the entrance of Haido to confront him. Guess what I saw?¡± Liu Yujuan said.


    ¡°How would I know?¡± Zhao Yulu rolled her eyes, toozy to guess.<div>


    ¡°He was on a date with a female employee from Haido, going out to eat, all smiles andughter,¡± Liu Yujuan¡¯s face turned ugly.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing strange about that. He used to be a restaurant owner and didn¡¯t socialize much, but now he¡¯s the general manager of Haido. A man like him would definitely attract women,¡± Zhao Yulu was quite nonchnt about it.


    ¡°He¡¯s chasing new women and won¡¯t take me back. What does he think I am? What does he think you are?¡± Liu Yujuan¡¯s face remained dark, as if Zhao Hai was a heartless betrayer.


    ¡°Mom, Dad has nothing to do with us anymore. Whatever he does, we can¡¯t control him. It doesn¡¯t matter if he¡¯s dating a woman; even if he marries one, it¡¯s his freedom,¡± Zhao Yulu saw things very clearly.


    ¡°Why would he marry another woman and not reconcile with me?¡± Liu Yujuan felt indignantly wronged.


    ¡°Mom, please stop this, you two are impossible,¡± Zhao Yulu sighed, trying to persuade her again.


    ¡°No, I had two daughters for him, and I¡¯ve gained nothing. Now that he¡¯s sessful, he won¡¯t take responsibility. There¡¯s no way he can just get away with that. He must reconcile with me; otherwise, I won¡¯t let this go!¡± Liu Yujuan said through clenched teeth.


    ¡°Mom, I really don¡¯t want to criticize you anymore. Just do what you want,¡± Zhao Yulu felt Liu Yujuan had entered a dead-end, beyond persuasion, and gave up talking.


    ¡­


    The twentieth day of the first lunar month.


    The police have announced the punishment regarding Wang Ting¡¯s false usations against Xu Yang, under Chen Guanglei¡¯s orders.


    Wang Ting was ordered topensate Xu Yang with two million yuan for defamation.<div>


    And to post an apology on her Douyin personal page.


    Kaixuan Investment and Jia Sheng Guild were ordered to post apologies on their official Douyin pages.


    And each topensate Fengcai Guild with twenty million yuan for defamation.


    Chen Guanglei himself was ordered topensate Xu Yang with five million yuan for defamation, and to post an apology on his Douyin personal page.


    These punishments must be carried out unconditionally.


    One could say that Chen Guanglei¡¯s scheming ended inplete failure.


    This was the oue even after Chen Ankang, his father, leveraged hisworks.


    Otherwise, the behavior of people like Chen Guanglei and Wang Ting would have been considered defamation and they would definitely face detention.


    Not long after the police issued their punishment, the officials from the Douyin tform also released the punishment for Jia Sheng Guild and Wang Ting.


    Jia Sheng Guild was punished for unfairpetition and harming its rivals by not receiving traffic support for two months.


    For Jia Sheng Guild, this was a severe blow.


    It must be understood that on short video tforms, traffic equals money.<div>


    Douyin provides each guild with a certain level of traffic support.


    Without traffic support, the visibility of the hosts from Jia Sheng Guild would be greatly affected, and their earnings would plummet dramatically.


    Jia Sheng Guild was in an uproar.


    The punishment for Wang Ting was much simpler: a lifetime ban from acting as a host on Douyin.


    As for this oue, Wang Ting had anticipated it, so she did not experience too much emotional upheaval.


    From now on, she would be unable to make money through livestreaming.


    Even if she went to other tforms, no one would reward her, and instead, she would be scolded.


    Chen Guanglei, in his office, saw these punishments and his face turned an iron shade of blue.


    The attempt to strike at Xu Yang not only failed but resulted in heavy losses for himself.


    It truly was a case of lifting a rock only to drop it on his own feet.


    ¡°How on earth did Xu Yang find that evidence!¡± Chen Guanglei gritted his teeth, still puzzled about how Xu Yang had found the evidence.


    ¡­<div>


    In a blink of an eye, the one-month theatrical release of ¡°War Panther 2¡± ended.


    The total box office was one billion five hundred million.


    This box office figure far exceeded everyone¡¯s expectations.


    Wu Jing became a member of the billion-yuan directors¡¯ club.


    Moreover, ¡°War Panther 2,¡± being a movie that he wrote, directed, and starred in himself, and as a mainstream patriotic film, received unanimous praise from the officials.


    This made him even more in demand.


    During this period, many big shots took the initiative to call Wu Jing to discuss cooperation matters.


    The messages were basically two-fold. If Wu Jing would shoot ¡°War Panther 2,¡± they would invest whatever amount of money was needed.


    If Wu Jing was not shooting ¡°War Panther 2,¡± they had scripts avable for him to direct.


    Wu Jing naturally expressed that he would be shooting ¡°War Panther 2.¡±


    In fact, just a few days after the Spring Festival box office results were out, he had already started writing the script for ¡°War Panther 2.¡±


    He had alreadypleted a first draft, with more revisions to follow to ensure the sequel would be even better than the original.<div>


    ¡°War Panther 2¡± would have an international scopepared to the domestic setting of ¡°War Panther,¡± and the sequel would be grander in scale while maintaining the same thematic core.


    Before that, a celebration banquet was to be held.


    On the day the movie ended its theatrical run, Zhao Yuxin had already decided that the celebration banquet would be hosted at the Jiangcheng Grand Hotel.


    It was to make it convenient for Xu Yang.


    After the decision was made, Wu Jing called Xu Yang.


    ¡°Mr. Xu, the theatrical release of ¡®War Panther 2¡¯ has ended, and the total box office is one billion five hundred million. We will host a celebration banquet at the Jiangcheng Grand Hotel. The date is set for the 15th of this month, which is one week from now, on a Saturday. I hope you can attend and feel free to bring your wife and your father-inw as well,¡± Wu Jing said.

 Chapter 129 - 129 Celebration Party

    Chapter 129 Celebration Party


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring my wife with me; I don¡¯t think my father-inw wille,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°Okay, see you then. Once it¡¯s confirmed by you investors, the earnings will be distributed. We¡¯re also preparing for ¡®War Panther 2,¡¯ and we¡¯ll be allocating the investment quotas at that time,¡± Wu Jing said.


    ¡°Good,¡± Xu Yang replied.


    The call ended.


    That evening, when Zhao Yuxin got off work and came back, Xu Yang told her about the event and asked if she would like to go.


    ¡°Go? Of course, I¡¯ll go. There should be quite a few female stars there; I need to keep an eye on you so that none of them can whisk you away,¡± Zhao Yuxin said with a smile.


    ¡°Those female stars, none of them are as beautiful as you. How could I be taken away? Besides, don¡¯t you know what kind of person I am by now?¡± Xu Yang said with a wry smile.


    ¡°I know what kind of person you are, but I don¡¯t know what those female stars are like. What if they throw themselves at you and you can¡¯t resist? With me there, I want to see who dares toe at you. If anyone does, just watch how I deal with her.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin bared her teeth, trying to look fierce, but it didn¡¯te off that way at all; instead, she looked rather cute.


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s settled then. I actually hope someone wille at me, just to see how you ¡®deal¡¯ with them,¡± Xu Yangughed, holding Zhao Yuxin in his arms.


    ¡°You hope someone wille at you?¡± Zhao Yuxin¡¯s eyes twinkled with a dangerous glint.


    ¡°Uh¡­ What I meant to emphasize was that I want to see how you deal with them,¡± Xu Yang said, somewhat at a loss for words.


    ¡°Humph, you pass,¡± Zhao Yuxin hummed coquettishly and went into the kitchen to cook.


    ¡­


    In the blink of an eye, the day of the celebration arrived.


    Xu Yang brought Zhao Yuxin to participate.


    Today, at the entrance of the Jiangcheng Grand Hotel, a long red carpet wasid out.


    Barrier tapes on both sides of the red carpet were held by arge number of security personnel maintaining order, keeping the excited fans on the outside.


    The sess party of ¡®War Panther¡¯ wasn¡¯t attended just by its main creative team.


    With the explosive sess of ¡®War Panther,¡¯ Wu Jing became incredibly sought after.


    It could be assumed that at least for the next few years, Xu Yang¡¯s directorial and acting career would notck big production projects.


    Whether directing his own films or starring in others.


    Many stars came to support the event, including some very popr ones.


    Many fervent fans were very interested in these stars¡¯ appearances.


    They hade early to catch a glimpse of their idols.


    Many media journalists were invited to the celebration.


    Many stars, directors, influential figures, and staff from the film industry walked down the red carpet amid continuous screaming from the fans.


    The celebration could be said to have gathered many stars, directors, and industry bigwigs, almost resembling a mini-award ceremony.


    Top female stars walking the red carpet drew the highest attention; their every grin, every gesture, and even the smallest wave of the hand elicited incessant screams.


    As for the third- and fourth-tier stars, they didn¡¯t get much attention.


    One fourth-tier female star resorted to a shy stunt by having the strap of her dress mysteriouslye loose while walking the red carpet, revealing a lot of her pale skin and causing a buzz among the crowd, with media journalists frantically snapping photos.


    No matter what, it was content.


    The female star achieved her goal, and the media photographers reached theirs¡ªa win-win situation.


    However, those who be famous in such a way are doomed not tost.


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin didn¡¯t walk the red carpet; they quietly entered from the side after everyone else had.


    Inside the celebration venue, Wu Jing was chatting merrily with others.


    As soon as Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin entered, Wu Jing¡¯s wife, Xie Bei, noticed them and hurriedly informed Wu Jing before the couple came over to wee them.


    In fact, before Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin¡¯s arrival, Xie Bei¡¯s main job was to look out for their arrival.


    Even when speaking with others, she consistently faced the entrance of the venue.


    Both she and Wu Jing were very clear on the importance of Xu Yang.


    Xu Yang was Wu Jing¡¯s benefactor.


    It could be said that without Xu Yang, there would be no Wu Jing as he is today.


    The couple was extremely grateful to Xu Yang and would absolutely not allow Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin to feel the slightest neglect.


    ¡°President Xu, you¡¯ve arrived,¡± Wu Jing walked over and immediately grabbed Xu Yang¡¯s hand, appearing very excited.


    Xie Bei was also greeting Zhao Yuxin.


    After chatting for a while, Xie Bei led Zhao Yuxin away to meet other female celebrities.


    Wu Jing, on the other hand, took Xu Yang to meet other investors.


    The other investors had already walked the red carpet and entered earlier.


    The conversation this time had smiles on everyone¡¯s faces.


    With the blockbuster hit of ¡°War Panther,¡± they were set to make a fortune.


    Zhao Yulu and Chen Guanglei also attended this celebration event.


    They were in one corner of the venue.


    It was Chen Guanglei who invited Zhao Yulu.


    Zhao Yulu originally didn¡¯t want toe.


    Because Xu Yang, as the biggest investor of ¡°War Panther,¡± was certain to attend this celebration.


    Moreover, in line with Xu Yang¡¯s character, he would bring Zhao Yuxin with him.


    She didn¡¯t want to meet with both of them.


    But Chen Guanglei mentioned that many celebrities would attend the event.


    Now, with the reputation of Jia Sheng Guild tarnished and Douyin¡¯s official support withdrawn, resulting in a significant drop in the guild¡¯s revenue¡­


    Even after two months, when Douyin officially restored traffic, many viewers still looked down on Jia Sheng Guild.


    Coming here presented an opportunity to meet with bigwigs from film productionpanies, discuss potential coborations, and explore celebrity endorsements.


    If celebrity endorsements were sessful, traffic issues would no longer be a concern.


    Celebrities bring their own traffic.


    Plus, many viewers would buy products simply because of the celebrity¡¯s fame.


    The issue of viewers¡¯ aversion to Jia Sheng Guild would also be readily solved.


    It has to be said, while Chen Guanglei had not always been reliable, what he said made sense to Zhao Yulu.


    As the deputy head of Jia Sheng Guild, Zhao Yulu also had an obligation to manage the guild well.


    Therefore, she followed Chen Guanglei and came along.


    ¡°Yu Lu, with ¡®War Panther¡¯s¡¯ huge sess, I heard Wu Jing is already nning ¡®War Panther 2.¡¯ Many big investors are interested in investing, and the original investors of ¡®War Panther¡¯ are sure to be pushed out,¡± he said.


    ¡°Our Triumph Investments is a major shareholder of Starry Sky Films, a majorpany in the film industry, and there¡¯s a possibility to get a piece of the action.¡±


    ¡°Later, I¡¯ll introduce you to the boss of Starry Sky Films, mainly to meet him to discuss the matter of celebrity endorsements,¡± Chen Guanglei said, holding a ss of red wine and sharing the information he had obtained.


    When he said the first sentence, a schadenfreude smile appeared on his face.


    Xu Yang was an investor in ¡°War Panther,¡± and if he couldn¡¯t invest in ¡°War Panther 2,¡± he would definitely feel very disappointed.


    After all, given the poprity of ¡°War Panther,¡± the box office of ¡°War Panther 2¡± would likely be lucrative.


    Thinking of Xu Yang being unable to invest in ¡°War Panther 2,¡± Chen Guanglei felt quite pleased on the inside.


    With the second and third sentences, his face showed a look of smug pride.

 Chapter 130: Go Hard

    Chapter 130: Go Hard


    ¡°Xu Yang can¡¯t invest in ¡®War Panther 2¡¯ anymore?¡± Zhao Yulu was somewhat surprised, focusing on this.


    ¡°Yes, Xu Yang invested in ¡®War Panther¡¯ because everyone was bearish on it, and he picked it up cheaply. Now everyone is bullish on ¡®War Panther 2¡¯. Since he¡¯s not an insider and has no background, naturally, he doesn¡¯t stand a chance. With his capability, in front of those big capitals, he¡¯s simply no match at all,¡± Chen Guanglei said with a smile.


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Zhao Yuxin nodded, agreeing with Chen Guanglei¡¯s analysis.


    ¡°Mr. Chen.¡±


    At that moment, a voice came from the side.


    Turning his head, he saw a portly middle-aged man approaching.


    Chen Guanglei showed a smile on his face and, once the man approached, introduced him with a smile, ¡°Yu Lu, this is Mr. Bi I mentioned earlier, the president of Xingchen Film and Television.¡±


    Zhao Yulu nodded slightly in greeting, ¡°Hello.¡±


    Bi Guanghui sized up Zhao Yulu and, with a hint of amazement in his eyes, praised, ¡°Mr. Chen, your girlfriend is really beautiful.¡±


    Chen Guanglei just smiled, neither confirming nor denying it.


    Zhao Yulu, however, upon hearing Bi Guanghui say this, immediately responded, ¡°Mr. Bi, you¡¯ve misunderstood. I¡¯m not Chen Guanglei¡¯s girlfriend, just an ordinary friend.¡±


    ¡°Is that so,¡± Bi Guanghui didn¡¯t believe Zhao Yulu, thinking that even if she wasn¡¯t now, she would be sooner orter.


    For Chen Guanglei, taking down a woman was a very simple task.


    Chen Guanglei, slightly displeased with Zhao Yulu¡¯s anxious rification of their rtionship, didn¡¯t show it and introduced, ¡°Mr. Bi, Yu Lu is the vice president of Jia Sheng Guild. I brought her here today to discuss the business of celebrity endorsements with you. If possible, she will handle all the specific matters with you in the future.¡±


    ¡°Sure, sure. I think there¡¯s a lot of potential in this venture. It¡¯s a win-win situation. Let¡¯s talk about it now before the celebrations officially start,¡± Bi Guanghui said.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Chen Guanglei naturally had no objections.


    He came here mainly to talk about this matter.


    As for watching female celebrities, he genuinely wasn¡¯t too interested.


    What female celebrities were like, he understood better than most.


    Though he was just a minor rich second-generation, he had slept with more than one third- or fourth-tier female celebrity.


    For a second-tier one, he had also slept with one after spending a lot of money.


    A first-tier one, however, he had never slept with.


    On the other side.


    Zhao Yuxin, led by Xie Bei, was chatting happily with several top female celebrities like Reba, Yang Mi, and Ya Ya.


    Everyone knew that Zhao Yuxin was the wife of Xu Yang, thergest investor in ¡®War Panther¡¯, so they naturally made an enthusiastic connection with her.


    After all, Xu Yang was also the owner of the Jangdexi and Fengcai Guild.


    For the promotion of ¡®War Panther¡¯, the Fengcai Guild was the biggest contributor.


    Moreover, Jangdexi was extremely popr, and it was clear to everyone that it would be a giant in the restaurant industry in the future.


    Xu Yang¡¯s worth could reach tens or even a hundred billion.


    Making a connection with Xu Yang now was simply a pleasant surprise for them.


    This time, Xu Yang¡¯s investment in ¡®War Panther¡¯ was just a coincidence.


    But who says Xu Yang won¡¯t get involved in the film industry in the future?


    If Xu Yang enters the film industry, he will definitely be a heavy-weight in capital.


    Xu Yang chatted with several investors for a while, felt a bit of an urge to pee, and headed to the restroom.


    On his way back, he saw Chen Guanglei heading towards the restroom.


    Xu Yang had a very poor impression of Chen Guanglei and initially had no n to bother with him.


    However, Chen Guanglei blocked Xu Yang¡¯s path.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Xu Yang asked indifferently.


    ¡°Xu Yang, do you think you¡¯re amazing just because you invested in ¡®War Panther¡¯ and made money?¡± Chen Guanglei sneered.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never thought that way, and even if I did think I¡¯m amazing, what¡¯s it to you?¡± Xu Yang retorted coldly.


    ¡°It has nothing to do with me, but I just find you irritating. You probably already know that Chen Guanglei is making ¡®War Panther 2,¡¯ right? Do you think you still have a chance to invest in ¡®War Panther 2¡¯? Let me tell you, you don¡¯t have a chance.¡± Chen Guanglei taunted with a mockingugh.


    ¡°Who told you I don¡¯t have a chance?¡± Xu Yang shot back.


    ¡°Do I need someone else to tell me that? You¡¯re just a country bumpkin from a small county town. If ¡®War Panther¡¯ hadn¡¯t been undervalued by everyone, and if Wu Jing hadn¡¯t been desperate, do you think you¡¯d have had a chance to invest? Let me tell you, you¡¯re nothing in front of the big capital!¡± Chen Guanglei scoffed.


    ¡°Are you stopping me just to say all this?¡± Xu Yang asked coldly.


    He had signed a priority investment agreement with Wu Jing, and it was for thirty percent of the financing.


    He had no intention of exining himself to the likes of Chen Guanglei; there was nothing to say.


    ¡°Of course, there¡¯s more. Also, you¡¯re out of the game. My dad¡¯s Triumph Investment is a major shareholder of Star Film, which is a heavyweight in the film industry. Surely they can invest. Surprised? Jealous?¡± Chen Guanglei said with a smug smile.


    ¡°Surprise is out of the question, and jealousy even less so. Aside from having a rich father, what else do you have? Honestly, you don¡¯t have any right to be proud in front of me. Given some time, even your dad won¡¯t have any right to be proud in front of me.¡± Xu Yang responded coldly.


    With the booming sess of River Bottom, its valuation would likely exceed ten billion once it expanded to first-tier cities.


    A second-generation rich kid from a family worth a few billion like Chen Guanglei really had no right to be proud in front of him.


    Not only did Chen Guangleick this right, but so did Chen Guanglei¡¯s father.


    ¡°Hmph, at least for today, don¡¯t even think about getting an investment opportunity in ¡®War Panther 2.¡¯¡±


    Chen Guanglei was no fool; he knew that if nothing unexpected happened, Xu Yang¡¯s worth would soon surpass his father¡¯s.


    The advantage he had over Xu Yang would soon be gone.


    Today¡¯s visit might be hisst chance to look down on Xu Yang.


    There might never be such an opportunity again.


    ¡°Whether I can get an investment opportunity in ¡®War Panther 2¡¯ or not, let¡¯s not even talk about that. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re just jumping around like a clown in front of me? Thest time with the stone gambling, and the thing with you getting that female host to nder me, haven¡¯t you learned your lesson?¡± Xu Yang mocked.


    ¡°The stone gambling was just damn luck on your side. As for the female host ndering you, I really don¡¯t know how you found evidence. Next time, you won¡¯t be so lucky!¡± Chen Guanglei snorted coldly.


    ¡°Are you saying that you still want to use these tactics against me?¡± Xu Yang narrowed his eyes, a hint of coldness flickering in them.


    He already disliked Chen Guanglei immensely. Although they hadn¡¯t had any previous grievances, this guy bounced around like a jumping clown in front of him.


    If Chen Guanglei truly wanted to go against him, Xu Yang wouldn¡¯t mind employing hacker techniques to dig up some dirt on him.


    People like Chen Guanglei probably had quite a bit of dirtyundry.


    Chen Guanglei was so arrogant, solely because he had a wealthy father.


    He could even look into Chen Guanglei¡¯s father and hispany.


    If he found something, Xu Yang wouldn¡¯t mind blowing the whistle and taking down Chen Guanglei¡¯s father¡¯spany.


    ¡°Hmph, you¡¯re just a country bumpkin from a small town. I can¡¯t be bothered with you.¡±


    Chen Guanglei had wanted to say more harsh words, but seeing the look in Xu Yang¡¯s eyes, and for some reason feeling an inexplicable chill, he suddenly snorted, sidestepped Xu Yang, and headed for the restroom.


    ¡°It seems that the previous retaliation against Jia Sheng Guild and Triumph Investment was taken too lightly. If there¡¯s a chance in the future, a more ruthless approach is needed to see if he dares to prance around in front of me again.¡±


    Xu Yang watched Chen Guanglei¡¯s retreating figure, his gaze flickering, before he returned to the venue.

 Chapter 131: 131 All Are Astonished

    Chapter 131 All Are Astonished


    Xu Yang returned to the venue and continued chatting with several investors.


    By then, Wu Jing had already left.


    After a while, Wu Jing came over with a document bag, apanied by several investors, and entered a small room.


    He then took out some documents from the bag and distributed a copy to each person.


    Wu Jing said, ¡°This is the profit distribution for investing in ¡®War Panther,¡¯ calcted based on everyone¡¯s investment ratio. It includes detailed calctions; please check if it¡¯s correct. If there are no issues, sign your name on it. By today, the money will be transferred into your ounts.¡±


    Everyone checked and felt there were no issues, so they signed their names.


    This time, Xu Yang¡¯s investment was twenty million, ounting for twenty-five percent.


    The box office of ¡®War Panther¡¯ was one billion five hundred million.


    The state deducted five percent as the movie special fund and three percent as taxes, the distributor took ten percent, and the cinemas took forty percent.


    The remaining forty-two percent, which was for investors, amounted to four hundred forty-one million.


    Xu Yang, having a twenty-five percent share, got more than two hundred ten million after taxes.<div>


    It was a massive profit!


    You should know that many movies don¡¯t rake in this much at box office.


    Despite the booming movie market now, there aren¡¯t that many films breaking the two hundred million mark.


    This time, everyone indeed struck it rich, with smiles all over their faces.


    ¡­


    The celebration began, and the investors went on stage for a group photo.


    Zhao Yuxin was having a lively conversation with a bunch of female stars, who all knew that Xu Yang was Zhao Yuxin¡¯s husband.


    ¡°Yu Xin, your husband is so handsome. If he joins the industry, he¡¯ll definitely be a top star,¡± praised Yang Mi.


    ¡°He¡¯s an investor, and being a top star isn¡¯t as good as being an investor,¡± Ya Yaughed.


    Zhao Yuxin, with gleaming eyes, looked at the figure on stage, her face beaming with a sweet and happy smile.


    Seeing Xu Yang so dazzling, she felt an immense pride and happiness.


    On the other side, Zhao Yulu and Chen Guanglei were also looking at the stage.


    Zhao Yulu had aplicated expression, seemingly lost in thought.


    Chen Guanglei, on the other hand, was full of envy.


    If his father¡¯s Triumph Investment had invested in ¡®War Panther,¡¯ he would have been the one taking the stage for photos, not Xu Yang.


    But thinking that Xu Yang couldn¡¯t invest in ¡®War Panther 2¡¯ anymore lightened Chen Guanglei¡¯s mood significantly, a smirk forming on his lips.


    ¡°Yu Lu, don¡¯t mind his current glory. After today, he¡¯ll be nothing. Besides, he can¡¯t invest in ¡®War Panther 2,¡¯ and he¡¯ll be aughing stock,¡± he said.


    Chen Guanglei never missed a chance to put Xu Yang down, regardless of how much he had suffered in front of Xu Yang before.


    Zhao Yulu pressed her lips together without speaking.<div>


    Even if Xu Yang didn¡¯t get the chance to invest in ¡®War Panther 2,¡¯ his investment in ¡®War Panther¡¯ had earned him quite a sum.


    Unless something unexpected happened, it would be money she could never earn in her lifetime.


    After the photo session, Wu Jing went off to discuss investing in ¡®War Panther 2¡¯ with other bigwigs of the film industry.


    Xu Yang and a few investors went to a small room to drink tea.<div>


    ¡°I heard some news; Wu Jing is going to make ¡®War Panther 2.¡¯


    ¡°Really? Then let¡¯s invest again. Riding the wave of ¡®War Panther,¡¯ even if ¡®War Panther 2¡¯ is not total trash, its box office won¡¯t be bad.¡±


    ¡°Many bigpanies have set their sights on ¡®War Panther 2.¡¯ We don¡¯t have a chance to invest anymore.¡±


    ¡°What, no chance? But we invested in ¡®War Panther,¡¯ and we should have some favor with Wu Jing. How could there be no chance?¡±


    ¡°Favor won¡¯t do any good. ¡®War Panther¡¯ was a hit, and practically everyone knows ¡®War Panther 2¡¯ is sure to make money. Those big capitals definitely won¡¯t let us small fry invest. In these matters, Wu Jing¡¯s influence is very limited.¡±


    ¡°So, what do we do? Just let it be?¡±


    ¡°What else can we do if not just let it be?¡±


    Everyone was talking at once.


    However, Xu Yang was silent, lookingpletelyposed.


    ¡°Xu, why aren¡¯t you saying anything? ¡®War Panther¡¯ is such a hit, ¡®War Panther 2¡¯ is sure to make money. Shouldn¡¯t we fight for a piece of the action?¡± Tang Zhengqi asked.


    All eyes turned to him.


    Nobody yet knew that he had signed a preferential investment agreement with Wu Jing for ¡®War Panther 2¡¯.


    ¡°I will invest¡­¡± Xu Yang revealed the fact that he had signed a preferential investment agreement with Wu Jing for ¡®War Panther 2¡¯.<div>


    ¡°What!¡±


    ¡°You actually signed a preferential investment agreement for ¡®War Panther 2¡¯ when you invested in ¡®War Panther¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Xu, did you already know that ¡®War Panther¡¯ would be a huge hit?¡±


    Everyone was stunned.


    Nobody expected Xu Yang to have such a move up his sleeve.


    ¡°Back then, I heard the details about ¡®War Panther¡¯ from Wu Jing, as well as his seriousmitment to filmmaking. I felt that the box office for ¡®War Panther¡¯ wouldn¡¯t be bad, at the very least it wouldn¡¯t lose money. A domestic military action film, as long as it doesn¡¯t lose money, is already considered a sess and could pave the way for a sequel. A sequel might make a profit. I was just making some early arrangements. It¡¯s best if it can make money for a sequel, but it¡¯s alright if it doesn¡¯t happen. After all, I don¡¯t lose anything,¡± Xu Yang exined.


    The real reason was what the system had said, that the box office for ¡®War Panther 2¡¯ would reach five billion.


    Of course, that couldn¡¯t be said out loud.


    ¡°Xu, you¡¯re incredible!¡±


    ¡°President Xu, your vision is truly impable.¡±


    ¡°You have a preferential investment agreement, so you¡¯re sure to be able to invest. We won¡¯t have a chance.¡±


    Some people expressed their amazement, while others sighed.


    Elsewhere.<div>


    In a tea room.


    Wu Jing and several big shots from the film industry were discussing the investment shares for ¡®War Panther 2¡¯.


    When Wu Jing mentioned the preferential investment agreement he had signed with Xu Yang, the mood among the group shifted.


    ¡°He really dares to ask for thirty percent of the investment. I wouldn¡¯t even dare to ask for so much.¡±


    Xue Zhanhua, the CEO of Hua¡¯an Film and Television, scoffed.


    Hua¡¯an Film and Television was a giant in the domestic film industry and thergest investor in ¡®War Panther 2¡¯.


    This small meeting to allocate the investment for ¡®War Panther 2¡¯ was led by him.


    ¡°Exactly, he alone wants thirty percent. Does that not mean we¡¯d be left with mere scraps?¡±


    ¡°Who does he think he is, a nobody that just appeared from nowhere? Being able to invest in ¡®War Panther¡¯ and to have made money from it should already be seen as a blessing. And now he wants to take a big slice of ¡®War Panther 2¡¯? He¡¯s way out of his depth.¡±


    ¡°No doubt about it; we must make him give up his share of the investment!¡±


    Other executives from different filmpanies, including Bi Guanghui, the CEO of Starlight Film and Television, voiced their anger.


    Only Fang Pengtao, the CEO of Wan Da Film and Television, quietly sipped his tea without uttering a word.


    Seeing this, Xue Zhanhua said, ¡°Mr. Fang, why aren¡¯t you speaking up? Don¡¯t you think this kid is too arrogant?¡±<div>


    All eyes turned to Fang Pengtao, puzzled.


    After all, with the backing of Wan Da Group, Fang Pengtao has always been very assertive.


    Although Xue Zhanhua was leading this investment discussion, he would definitely take Fang Pengtao¡¯s opinions into consideration.


    Some young upstart was taking thirty percent of the investment.


    That left very little for them.


    By nature, Fang Pengtao should be furious.


    But now, he wasn¡¯t even saying a word, which was unusual.


    Fang Pengtao raised his eyes to nce at the others, took another sip of tea, set down his cup, lit a cigarette, took a puff, and then said slowly, ¡°Gentlemen, I need to inform you that Xu Yang is a shareholder of Wan Da Film and Television.¡±


    As soon as these words were spoken, the entire room was shocked.

 Chapter 132: 132: Not a Single Percentage Point Less

    Chapter 132: Not a Single Percentage Point Less


    ¡°What! He¡¯s actually a shareholder of Wan Da Film and Television!¡±


    ¡°How is that possible! He¡¯s just some unknown kid!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Fang, you¡¯re not joking with us, are you?!¡±


    It¡¯s no wonder everyone was so shocked.


    Those present were all big shots in the film industry, and they all knew how precious shares in a Wan Da subsidiary were.


    Every big shot here, without exception, not only desired shares in a Wan Da subsidiary but also had the money.


    Yet, they had nowhere to buy them even if they wanted to.


    The head honcho of Wan Da, Wang Dalin, held the shares tightly in his grasp, treasuring them even more than his own son.


    Now Fang Pengtao had suddenly revealed that some unknown kid was a shareholder of Wan Da Film and Television; it was bound to shock them.


    However, Wu Jing, after his initial shock, showed a dawning realization.


    He finally understood why Xu Yang¡¯s single phone call could make Fang Pengtao contact him about discussing ¡°War Panther¡± film scheduling and screenings, and why, during the premiere of ¡°War Panther,¡± Fang Pengtao showed Xu Yang such a respectful attitude.<div>


    It turned out it was all because Xu Yang was a shareholder of Wan Da Film and Television.


    ¡°Do you think I would joke about something like this with you?¡±


    Fang Pengtao nced indifferently at Bi Guanghui, the head of Starlight Film and Television.


    It was precisely Bi Guanghui who had just imed that Fang Pengtao was joking.


    This left Fang Pengtao quite displeased.


    ¡°Mr. Fang, I misspoke.¡± Starlight Film and Television boss Bi Guanghui smiled sheepishly.


    ¡°Mr. Fang, may I ask, what is Xu Yang¡¯s background exactly? What¡¯s his story?¡± Xue Zhanhua inquired.


    He felt the situation was getting trickier.


    Shares in Wan Da Film and Television weren¡¯t something just anyone could obtain.


    He needed to clear up Xu Yang¡¯s identity to know how to deal with it.


    It was better not to offend someone like that, if possible.


    ¡°Sorry, but I can¡¯t disclose the background of ourpany¡¯s shareholders; otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t be fit to be the CEO,¡± Fang Pengtao said lightly.


    In fact, he didn¡¯t know Xu Yang¡¯s background either.


    All he knew was that the shares were transferred to Xu Yang by a major shareholder, the president of the Southwest Chamber of Commerce.


    As for why the president of the Southwest Chamber of Commerce decided to transfer shares to Xu Yang, that was unknown.


    He hadn¡¯t pried into it; such transactions among shareholders were not something for an employee like him to meddle with.


    If he inquired rashly and displeased a shareholder, trouble could arise, potentially costing him his position.


    ¡°Alright then.¡± Xue Zhanhua, feeling helpless, pondered for a moment before continuing, ¡°Mr. Fang, even if he is your shareholder at Wan Da Film and Television, asking for thirty percent of the investment shares is too much. We don¡¯t have much left.¡±


    Fang Pengtao asked, ¡°I can¡¯t do much about this matter. What would you like to do?¡±<div>


    Xue Zhanhua thought for a moment then said, ¡°I think we can negotiate with him, exin the situation, and ask him to give up some shares. Leave him with five percent; five percent for one person is already quite a lot.¡±


    Fang Pengtao responded, ¡°I do hope you can achieve that.¡±


    Although he couldn¡¯t do much, he was more than willing to let Xue Zhanhua negotiate with Xu Yang to relinquish the majority of his shares. If they could secure more shares for Wan Da Film and Television without offending Xu Yang, why not?


    ¡°Director Wu, what do you think?¡± Xue Zhanhua¡¯s gaze fell on Wu Jing.<div>


    In the matter of investment shares, Wu Jing certainly had to retain a certain percentage, with the rest being allocated amongst the others present.


    Even though Wu Jing¡¯s say was minimal, considering he was the director and lead actor of ¡°War Panther 2,¡± and since Xu Yang and Wu Jing had some rapport, it was necessary to seek Wu Jing¡¯s opinion.


    ¡°When I was shooting ¡®War Panther,¡¯ Xu Yang invested twenty million during the toughest times. Without that, ¡®War Panther¡¯ would have fallen through. He is my benefactor, as well as my savior. I won¡¯t be ungrateful and go against my conscience. I can¡¯t do much in this affair either. If you can persuade Xu Yang to give up the shares, I have no objections,¡± Wu Jing stated.


    Wu Jing always felt deeply grateful towards Xu Yang.


    Without Xu Yang, he wouldn¡¯t have reached where he was today.


    He couldn¡¯t possibly do something that would harm Xu Yang.


    That means his power is weak; otherwise, he would certainly have insisted on sticking to the contract despite any opposition.


    As for discussing with Xue Zhanhua and letting Xu Yang give up his shares, he really was powerless.


    ¡°Fine, as long as you have no objections, that¡¯s good enough for me,¡± said Xue Zhanhua with a nod, standing up to leave.


    He found another teahouse and then had his assistant go invite Xu Yang.


    Before long, the assistant had brought Xu Yang over.


    After the assistant introduced Xue Zhanhua, he eximed, ¡°President Xu is truly a young and promising talent.¡±


    He had heard from Wu Jing that Xu Yang was a young man.<div>


    He had thought that Xu Yang must be at least twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old.


    He didn¡¯t expect Xu Yang to be so young.


    He looked like a college student who had just graduated.


    ¡°President Xue tters me,¡± Xu Yang replied politely.


    ¡°President Xu, I wanted to meet with you to talk about the investment quota for ¡®War Panther 2¡¯,¡± Xue Zhanhua got straight to the point.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± said Xu Yang.


    ¡°You signed a priority investment agreement with Wu Jing for a thirty percent investment quota, which is too much. With so many otherpanies involved, there¡¯s not much left for us,¡± Xue Zhanhua said.


    ¡°What do you mean by that¡­?¡± Xu Yang asked.


    ¡°Could you consider giving up a part of your investment quota?¡± Xue Zhanhua asked.


    ¡°How much?¡± Xu Yang pressed further.


    ¡°Give up twenty-five percent; you keep five percent for yourself. With so many film and televisionpanies scrambling to invest, having a five percent share is already quite high,¡± Xue Zhanhua said.


    ¡°President Xue, what you¡¯re doing is practically robbery,¡± Xu Yang said with a coldugh.


    He knew that a thirty percent investment quota was very high.<div>


    If they had asked him to give up just a little, less than five percent, he might have agreed.


    It could be seen as a gesture of goodwill, towork with the big shots of the film and televisionpanies, and also to avoid giving Wu Jing too much trouble.


    But they asked for twenty-five percent right off the bat, leaving only five percent for him.


    That really was akin to robbery.


    In that case, he wouldn¡¯t concede even one percentage point.


    After all, he had signed a priority investment agreement with Wu Jing and held the initiative; he wasn¡¯t afraid of these people.


    ¡°President Xu, you can¡¯t say it like that. For a blockbuster movie like this, manypanies are eyeing it, and it¡¯s rare for one person to hold a thirty percent investment share. No one can swallow that much. By taking so much, others get less, which means you¡¯re denying others the opportunity to make money, which can provoke widespread anger,¡± Xue Zhanhua said mildly.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then we have nothing more to talk about,¡± Xu Yang said, standing up to leave.


    ¡°President Xu, I advise you to consider carefully. You may have signed a priority investment agreement with Wu Jing, but such agreements are easily circumvented in our eyes. Keeping five percent for you is already quite generous. If you don¡¯tpromise, you might end up with nothing at the end,¡± Xue Zhanhua¡¯s words carried a threat now.


    For the sake of money, he didn¡¯t care whether Xu Yang was a shareholder of Wan Da Movies or not.


    ¡°President Xue, are you serious?¡± Xu Yang asked.


    ¡°Of course, there¡¯s no doubt about that,¡± Xue Zhanhua replied.


    ¡°I remember that if a movie runs into legal disputes, it can¡¯t be green-lit, right?¡± Xu Yang inquired.<div>


    ¡°What are you getting at?¡± Xue Zhanhua¡¯s face immediately darkened.


    ¡°My point is, not a single percentage point less than thirty percent of the investment quota; otherwise, ¡®War Panther 2¡¯ won¡¯t be shot,¡± Xu Yang dropped the statement and left straight away.


    ¡°Son of a bitch, he actually dares to show me attitude!¡± Xue Zhanhua¡¯s face turned livid.


    It had been many years since anyone had dared to talk to him like that.


    Xu Yang was just a young upstart. Even if he was a shareholder of Wan Da Movies, so what?


    Did he really think he, a big yer in the film industry, was a pushover?

 Chapter 133: Show Him My Methods

    Chapter 133: Show Him My Methods


    Xu Yang returned to the venue to find Zhao Yuxin.


    The female stars all greeted Xu Yang one after another.


    Xu Yang simply nodded in response and said to Zhao Yuxin, ¡°Wife, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin was taken aback, not knowing why they had to leave now.


    The celebration party, they hadn¡¯t even eaten yet.


    However, she didn¡¯t ask why, feeling that it wasn¡¯t a good time to ask, and simply bid farewell to everyone.


    But Xie Bei couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°President Xu, what¡¯s the matter? Why don¡¯t you stay for dinner before leaving?¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°There¡¯s an issue at thepany that needs to be dealt with. See you next time.¡±


    After saying that, he took Zhao Yuxin and left.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? President Xu doesn¡¯t seem too happy.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, did something happen?¡±


    ¡°For sure, otherwise President Xu would never leave without eating.¡±


    ¡°Sister Bei, go ask your husband what exactly happened.¡±


    The female stars were all abuzz with spection.


    Xie Bei had her suspicions.


    Wu Jing had told her about the investment shares for War Panther 2, and it was possible that those filmpany bosses might try to snatch the investment shares from Xu Yang.


    Now that Xu Yang had left without eating, it was probably because of this.


    However, she didn¡¯t say anything out loud.


    Truthfully, she and her husband were on Xu Yang¡¯s side in this matter.


    Firstly, Wu Jing owed his sess to Xu Yang, without whom there would be no Wu Jing today.


    Secondly, it was indeed Xu Yang who had signed an agreement with Wu Jing, and he rightfully deserved those investment shares.


    But they, as a couple, had little influence among those tycoons and truly couldn¡¯t offer much help to Xu Yang.


    Zhao Yulu and Chen Guanglei also noticed Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin leaving.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are they leaving?¡± Zhao Yulu frowned.


    ¡°Heh, it¡¯s possible they got kicked out of the game, missed the chance to invest in War Panther 2 and just left,¡± Chen Guanglei said,ughing gleefully.


    Inside the meeting room where a few film industry magnates and Wu Jing were having tea.


    ¡°I wonder how the negotiation between President Xue and that kid is going,¡± said Bi Guanghui, the head of Xingchen Film and Television.


    ¡°There definitely won¡¯t be any problems. No matter what, he¡¯s just a young guy; with President Xue¡¯s negotiation skills, overpowering a youngster should be a piece of cake,¡±ughed another filmpany boss.


    ¡°Exactly, dealing with a young fellow is really too simple for President Xue,¡± echoed another filmpany boss.


    Wu Jing and Fang Pengtao remained silent.


    Xu Yang was a shareholder of Wan Da Film and Television, and it was inappropriate for Fang Pengtao toment.


    It was much the same for Wu Jing; he only felt gratitude towards Xu Yang and certainly would not speak ill of him.


    Moreover, he didn¡¯t think of Xu Yang as a simple character.


    If he were simple, Xu Yang wouldn¡¯t have be the boss of Fengcai Guild and Jiang Di Lao.


    While they were speaking, the door was pushed open and Xue Zhanhua walked in.


    ¡°President Xue, how did it go?¡±


    ¡°No need to ask; just look at President Xue¡¯s face and you can tell the negotiation didn¡¯t go well,¡± someone remarked.


    ¡°No way, did that guy actually dare to refuse?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve given him a 5 percent shareholding, that¡¯s already considering the fact he¡¯s a Wan Da Film and Television shareholder.¡±


    Seeing Xue Zhanhua return, they all spoke up.


    ¡°This Xu Yang doesn¡¯t appreciate our goodwill and insists on a 30 percent investment share. He even threatened me, saying if we didn¡¯t give him that much, he¡¯d file awsuit, stopping War Panther 2 from being approved,¡± Xue Zhanhua said, his face dark with anger.


    ¡°What!¡±


    ¡°This kid, he dares to reject our kindness!¡±


    ¡°And suing us, preventing ¡®War Panther 2¡¯ from starting, he is simply too arrogant!¡±


    ¡°Who does he think he is, just because he¡¯s a shareholder of Wanda Film and Television?¡±


    ¡°Even as a shareholder of Wanda Film and Television, he can¡¯t be so arrogant.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just him alone; we have so many people. Does he really think he can withstand the collective pressure from all of us by himself?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s really a greenhorn,pletely ignorant of the real world!¡±


    Hearing this, everyone was furious.


    Wu Jing and Fang Pengtao still did not speak.


    Xue Zhanhua looked towards Wu Jing and Fang Pengtao and said, ¡°Director Wu, President Fang, what do you say?¡±


    Seeing Fang Pengtao leisurely drinking his tea, Wu Jing stated first: ¡°President Xue, I still hold the same stance, I¡¯ve signed a priority investment agreement with him, and I¡¯m not going to go back on my word and vite that agreement. Moreover, he is my benefactor and supporter. If you want him to give up his shares, I won¡¯t get involved, and I¡¯m powerless to do so.¡±


    His attitude was clear: he did not want to help, but he was still inclined towards Xu Yang, just unable to provide help, which could be disregarded.


    Then, it was all about Fang Pengtao¡¯s attitude.


    Actually, it mainly depended on Fang Pengtao¡¯s stance.


    After all, Wu Jing was just a minor figure in front of all these big shots.


    But since Wu Jing was the director and leading actor of ¡®War Panther¡¯, they had to consider his opinion, or at the very least, they had to show him some respect on the surface.


    Otherwise, if Wu Jing said he wouldn¡¯t shoot ¡®War Panther 2¡¯, then whatever anyone else said would be pointless.


    Fang Pengtao put down his teacup and lit another cigarette, then said, ¡°I¡¯m not getting involved. Whatever you guys do, it¡¯s got nothing to do with me.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± Xue Zhanhua said, ¡°I just want to show him what I¡¯m capable of, to let him know that with me, it¡¯s not just an investment agreement that lets you do whatever you want!¡±


    ¡­


    Xu Yang took Zhao Yuxin and left, driving home.


    In the car, he asked Zhao Yuxin to use her phone to send a message to Wu Jing.


    Xu Yang: Director Wu, I couldn¡¯te to an agreement with Mr. Xue about investing in ¡®War Panther 2¡¯, I¡¯m sorry, it looks like this might dy the shooting of the film.


    He believed that Wu Jing already knew the oue of his negotiation with Xue Zhanhua.


    Soon, Wu Jing replied.


    Wu Jing: President Xu, you¡¯re being too modest. In this matter, I¡¯m on your side. I¡¯m very grateful to you, without your support, I couldn¡¯t have reached where I am today. Though I have little influence and I¡¯m sorry that I can¡¯t help you on this matter.


    Zhao Yuxin read Wu Jing¡¯s response to Xu Yang.


    Xu Yangughed: ¡°Wu Jing¡¯s character is still quite reliable.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin nodded: ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve also had a great time working with Xie Bei, and being friends with both of them is really nice.¡±


    Xu Yang then told Zhao Yuxin to reply.


    Xu Yang: Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just a temporary dy. It shouldn¡¯t take long to resolve this issue.


    Wu Jing: President Xu, I have faith in you and look forward to our continued cooperation.


    When they got home, Xu Yang thought it through carefully and prepared to strike back.


    He first called the general manager of Yang Xin Investment, instructing them to convene thewyers to sue Hua¡¯an Film and Television, and there would be follow-up actions.


    ¡­


    The celebration ended.


    Zhao Yulu and Chen Guanglei stepped out of the hotel.


    ¡°Yu Lu, I found out the real reason why Xu Yang left during the meal, and it¡¯s pretty much what I suspected,¡± Chen Guanglei said with a smile.


    ¡°Is it true? He was kicked out and can¡¯t invest in ¡®War Panther 2¡¯ anymore?¡± Zhao Yulu asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Chen Guanglei nodded with a smile, ¡°When Xu Yang invested in ¡®War Panther¡¯, he signed a priority investment agreement with Wu Jing. Essentially, if Wu Jing made ¡®War Panther 2¡¯, he would have the priority investment right with an investment share as high as thirty percent.¡±


    Zhao Yulu asked, ¡°If he had signed an agreement with Wu Jing and had the priority investment right, how could he still be kicked out?¡±

 Chapter 134: Acquiring a Copyright Company

    Chapter 134: Acquiring a Copyright Company


    Chen Guanglei exined with more than a hint of schadenfreude, ¡°Yu Lu, this is where you don¡¯t get it. With so many big capitals eyeing ¡®War Panther 2¡¯ like it¡¯s a juicy piece of meat, who cares about an investment agreement? Xu Yang is an outsider in the industry, and they will squeeze him however they want. Having an investment agreement is useless¡ªit¡¯s just a piece of paper in front of big capital!¡±


    Zhao Yulu nodded as if she understood.


    In this society, when the powerful want to suppress the small fries, they don¡¯t care about any rules. They just steamroll right over them with brute force, leaving the little guys with no room to resist.


    Chen Guanglei thenughed loudly, ¡°Just thinking about Xu Yang¡¯s frustrated look makes me happy. He couldn¡¯t invest in ¡®War Panther 2,¡¯ but Starlight Film and Television could. This investment is definitely going to earn a pretty penny.¡±


    Zhao Yulu didn¡¯t say anything.


    Chen Guanglei continued, ¡°Yu Lu, this time we¡¯ve already settled the issue of stars endorsing products with President Bi. Next, you need to liaise with them to arrange for celebrities toe to ourpany for live-stream product endorsements.¡±


    This matter was his main reason for attending the ¡®War Panther 2¡¯ celebration party.


    Otherwise, he really wouldn¡¯t have bothered to see Xu Yang basking in the limelight.


    Having settled this matter, he hoped to help Jia Sheng Guild out of its current predicament.


    Zhao Yulu nodded, ¡°All right, I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    ¡­


    In a blink of an eye, several days passed.


    These days had been calm throughout.


    Yang Xin¡¯s investmentwsuit against Hua¡¯an Film and Television was in progress.


    Xue Zhanhua had not yet made a move.


    Then the weekend arrived.


    With nothing much to do at home, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin decided to watch a movie.


    There were quite a few blockbuster films they hadn¡¯t seen before.


    Xu Yang nned to buy a membership with a video streaming site to watch movies.


    A year¡¯s membership fee was only a couple of hundred yuan, which was nothingpared to his massive wealth now¡ªit couldn¡¯t even be described as a drop in the bucket.


    Zhao Yuxin, on the other hand, said, ¡°Honey, why bother with a membership? Just search online. There are lots of free websites where you can watch directly.¡±


    Xu Yang replied, ¡°I know, that¡¯s pirated content. I used to watch that way too, but it seems the rity isn¡¯t as good as watching on a streaming site.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin countered, ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, there¡¯s not much of a difference. Anyway, I think it¡¯s fine.¡±


    Xu Yang then said, ¡°Honey, we¡¯re rich now, and if we¡¯re going to watch something, we should watch the best. There¡¯s no need to resort to pirated copies. After all, a year¡¯s membership costs less than two hundred yuan.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin rebutted, ¡°Honey, if you¡¯re going to insist on that, then I really must have a word with you. Even if we have money, we can¡¯t just squander it, and besides, you don¡¯t know how deep the cunning schemes of video streaming sites go. Don¡¯t think that by paying less than two hundred yuan for a membership fee everything will be perfect.¡±


    Xu Yang was taken aback, ¡°What cunning schemes?¡±


    Zhao Yuxin exined, ¡°One of my girlfriends fell for it before. She bought a membership, but some movies still required extra payment. Additionally, streaming sites tailor ads specifically for members, and if you want to remove those ads, you have to pay extra. If there are popr TV series you want to see ahead of others, you also have to pay extra. There are a lot of other tricks too. Basically, they¡¯re hell-bent on getting you to spend money. Nowadays, people are saying that members of streaming sites are just like leeks waiting to be harvested. Do you want to be a harvested leek?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Xu Yang immediately shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t mind spending a few hundred yuan, but I can¡¯t stand being treated like a leek ready to be harvested. I strongly condemn such behavior!¡±


    Zhao Yuxinughed, ¡°Honey, they care about the money, but you care about being seen as a leek; that¡¯s quite unique.¡±


    At that moment, a notification from the system sounded in Xu Yang¡¯s mind.


    [Ding! The National Copyright Office will carry out a special operation to crackdown on piracy in three months. By then, the prices for copyright of various cultural and knowledge products will increase manyfold!]


    Xu Yang¡¯s eyes lit up.


    A new investment opportunity had arrived! And it promised returns dozens or even hundreds of times over.


    Now all he needed was to acquire a copyrightpany. Let it frantically buy up copyright of cultural works and then simply wait for the money to roll in.


    With this thought, Xu Yang had no mood to watch any movies.


    ¡°Wife, let¡¯s not watch a movie now. I just remembered something I need to look up. You go ahead and have fun,¡± he said.


    With that, Xu Yang went into his study, turned on hisputer, and began searching for copyrightpanies on sale.


    Given rampant piracy, copyrightpanies were not faring well.


    Many were operating at a loss and willing to sell.


    After searching through multiplepanies andparing them, Xu Yang finally settled on a copyrightpany called Pioneer Culture.


    He dialed the phone number listed for thepany.


    The call connected quickly.


    Xu Yang asked, ¡°Hello, is this President Yu from Pioneer Culture Copyright Company?¡±


    The boss of Pioneer Culture Copyright Company was named Yu Liang, who asked, ¡°You are¡­?¡±


    Xuang Yang said, ¡°I represent Yang Xin Investment Company and am interested in acquiring yourpany. When will you be avable to meet and discuss this?¡±


    Yu Liang replied, ¡°I am currently out of town and won¡¯t return to Jiangcheng until Monday. Come to mypany at three o¡¯clock in the afternoon on Monday.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Fine.¡±


    In a sh, it was Monday.


    At two forty-five in the afternoon, Xu Yang, apanied by the General Manager of Yang Xin Investment as well aswyers and ountants, arrived at Pioneer Culture Copyright Company to meet with Yu Liang.


    Yu Liang was a man in his forties who looked fit, without any signs of being overweight.


    After a simple exchange of pleasantries, Yu Liang led Xu Yang and his team to a meeting room.


    Everyone took their seats.


    Yu Liang asked, ¡°President Xu, are you seriously interested in acquiring mypany?¡±


    Xu Yang nodded, ¡°Of course. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t havee. If yourpany passes mywyer¡¯s and ountant¡¯s inspection without issues, I¡¯ll carry out the acquisition.¡±


    Yu Liang finally smiled, ¡°Mypany¡¯s clean. I¡¯ll immediately get the paperwork ready for yourwyer and ountant to inspect.¡±


    Truth be told, thepany was just breaking even.


    That is to say, it wasn¡¯t making any money.


    Running a business without profit, he was all too ready to let go.


    However, despite advertising for over a year, while many had shown interest and visited thepany, none were willing to acquire it.


    Honestly, upon receiving Xu Yang¡¯s call, he thought Xu Yang would be just like the others.


    Now it seemed different.


    He could tell that Xu Yang was seriously intent on acquiring it.


    He wasn¡¯t just another passerby who would leave after a nce.


    Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have brought hiswyers and ountants on the first visit.


    At least not without wanting to seriously consider an acquisition.


    Of course he was thrilled about the chance to finally unload this burden.


    By recovering funds, he could invest elsewhere instead of being stuck in a stagnantpany. That was simply unbearable.


    Whether Xu Yang would profit after the acquisition was none of his concern now.


    Soon, he had someone bring the relevant documents over.

 Chapter 135: 135: Spending Money Recklessly is a Sin

    Chapter 135: Spending Money Recklessly is a Sin


    An hourter.<div>


    Thewyer and the financial officer had finished their inspection, found no issues, andpiled a report for Xu Yang to review.


    After looking at the report, Xu Yang got straight to the point, ¡°President Yu, yourpany doesn¡¯t have any legal or financial problems, so I¡¯ve decided to go ahead with the acquisition. Please give me your price.¡±


    Yu Liang was overjoyed, ¡°President Xu, since you¡¯re so sincere, I won¡¯t say much. I¡¯ll give you a discount; you can have it for four billion.¡±


    Xu Yang rolled his eyes, ¡°President Yu, I may be sincere, but you¡¯re not. Four billion and you call that a discount? Do you think I¡¯m a fool? If you¡¯re not going to be sincere, there¡¯s nothing for us to discuss. I¡¯ll take my leave!¡±


    Having said that, Xu Yang got up to leave.


    ¡°President Xu, don¡¯t go.¡± Seeing Xu Yang was about to leave, Yu Liang immediately became anxious, hurriedly stood up, ¡°President Xu, we can discuss the price. Please, have a seat, have a seat!¡±<div>


    This guy, he¡¯s not ying by the rules at all.


    Aren¡¯t prices meant to be negotiated?


    I quoted high, so you could bargain.


    But just leaving, what¡¯s that supposed to mean?


    Yu Liang was also frustrated.


    Xu Yang didn¡¯t sit down but said, ¡°President Yu, I have already shown my sincerity. If you¡¯re still not going to be sincere, then I really think we have nothing to discuss.¡±


    Yu Liang said, ¡°President Xu, why don¡¯t you make an offer? If I think it¡¯s eptable, we¡¯ll have a deal. How about that?¡±


    As long as the price Xu Yang offered wasn¡¯t too outrageous, he would ept it.


    Because he truly didn¡¯t want to be trapped in thispany anymore.


    The rampant state of piracy, who knows when it will change? It might never change, or he might not live to see the day it does.


    In the past, he thought that as society developed and progressed, the state would ce more emphasis on cultural and intellectual property rights. So, he founded thepany and acquired various cultural copyrights at low prices, expecting that once they were given more importance by the state, their values would greatly increase, yielding a substantial profit.


    But after waiting for more than a decade, there were no results, and he was losing patience.<div>


    It seemed like waiting for the country to pay attention to this matter was an indefinite prospect, so he might as well cut his losses.


    ¡°Three billion!¡± Xu Yang extended three fingers.


    Based on the financial evaluation, thepany was worth approximately three billion two hundred million.


    Of course, Xu Yang wanted to press for a lower price.


    ¡°President Xu, could you add a little more?¡± Yu Liang asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t add more. I believe yourpany is worth that much. Of course, buying and selling should be consensual. I¡¯m not forcing you. If you don¡¯t think it¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll just look for another copyrightpany. There are plenty of them for sale right now,¡± Xu Yang put pressure on Yu Liang.


    ¡°Fine, then three billion!¡± Yu Liang didn¡¯t hesitate much and epted the offer.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure doing business with you,¡± Xu Yang said with a smile as he extended his hand.


    ¡°A pleasure doing business,¡± Yu Liang shook hands with Xu Yang.


    Next up were drafting and signing the contract.


    After the partnership was signed and the transitionpleted, Xu Yang transferred three billion to Yu Liang.


    With that, Xu Yang became the new owner of Pioneer Culture Copyright Company.<div>


    First thing, he had his vice-president call a meeting with thepany employees.


    At the meeting, Xu Yang announced a twenty percent sry increase for the employees.


    Hearing about a raise from the new boss right off the bat, the employees were very happy.


    This kind of boss is what workers like the most.


    Then he said some things a new boss should say, motivational stuff and so on.


    After the meeting, Xu Yang asked the vice-president to stay behind.


    This vice-president was named Huang Zhigang, apany veteran, who had always worked diligently and earnestly.


    Xu Yang had just asked Yu Liang who would be the most suitable candidate to be promoted from within the staff to general manager.


    Yu Liang named Huang Zhigang.


    It was clear that Yu Liang highly recognized Huang Zhigang¡¯s work.


    Xu Yang got straight to the point and said, ¡°Huang, from now on, you will be thepany¡¯s general manager, fully responsible for thepany¡¯s business management.¡±


    Suddenly promoted to general manager, Huang Zhigang felt happiness hade too unexpectedly.<div>


    He had thought that the new boss would take the position of general manager himself or arrange one of his trusted aides to manage thepany.


    He hadn¡¯t expected to be made the general manager directly.


    However, having served many years as the deputy, he had theposure and began to express his stance, ¡°Thank you for your trust, Mr. Xu. Rest assured, I will definitely do a good job managing thepany.¡±


    Xu Yang was very satisfied with Huang Zhigang¡¯s attitude and nodded, ¡°As the new general manager, your first task is to make your utmost efforts to negotiate with various copyright and culturalpanies to acquire copyrights to various cultural and knowledge-based works.¡±


    Huang Zhigang said with difficulty, ¡°Mr. Xu, acquisitions will undoubtedly cost a lot of money, and thepany doesn¡¯t have much.¡±


    Xu Yang replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if I ask you to acquire, I will naturally provide the funds. I will deposit ten billion yuan into thepany¡¯s ount. I want you to spend all these ten billion within three months. If you don¡¯t, you won¡¯t need to remain as general manager.¡±


    Yu Liang was dumbstruck.


    Ten billion to be spent in three months meant spending over three billion a month.


    Moreover, it was a mandatory task, if he didn¡¯t spend it all, he could no longer be the general manager.


    And he was being forced by the boss to spend money.


    One had to say, this young boss was truly exceptional.


    Being pressured to spend money like this was something he had never encountered before.<div>


    However, thinking about holding ten billion and approaching various copyright and culturalpanies to acquire rights, that feeling of being treated like a god of wealth must be exhrating.


    With this thought, Huang Zhigang snapped back to reality and immediately said, ¡°Rest assured, Mr. Xu, I will definitelyplete the task!¡±


    What a joke!


    Earning money isn¡¯t easy, but spending it? Isn¡¯t that easy?


    Not to mention ten billion¡ªeven twenty billion could be spent.


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Huang, don¡¯t think that ten billion is a lot. You still have to negotiate and cut deals. If I find that you¡¯ve acquired copyrights at unreasonably high prices, the consequences will be very serious, understand?¡±


    He naturally had to make his point clear and give Huang Zhigang a heads-up.


    Otherwise, if Huang Zhigang were to recklessly spend money and then take kickbacks, that would be uneptable.


    His money did note from the wind; it was earned through the system.


    It might be even easier than if it had been blown in by the wind, but it still couldn¡¯t be spent recklessly.


    Reckless spending is a sin!


    Huang Zhigang¡¯s heart chilled, and he immediately said, ¡°Rest assured, Mr. Xu, I understand. I will definitely acquire various rights at the most reasonable prices!¡±<div>


    Xu Yang nodded in satisfaction, ¡°Very good.¡±


    Huang Zhigang hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°Mr. Xu, may I ask why you are doing this? As you know, piracy of various rights is rampant right now. Take the recently released movie ¡®War Leopard¡¯ for example; it¡¯s easily found online and can be watched directly, almost the same as paying to watch the legitimate version on a video website.¡±


    Xu Yangughed, ¡°You¡¯ll know once you¡¯ve spent the ten billion within three months.¡±


    He certainly couldn¡¯t say that the National Copyright Bureau wouldunch a special campaign to rectify the piracy of cultural and knowledge copyrights three monthster.


    This was a top-secret operation. If the news leaked, the entire market would be chaotic.


    In the end, he himself might be invited for a ¡®tea chat.¡¯


    ¡°Alright.¡± Knowing he wouldn¡¯t get any more information, Huang Zhigang didn¡¯t ask further.


    All he needed to do was to do his job well.


    After Xu Yang transferred ten billion yuan into thepany¡¯s ount and admonished Huang Zhigang to do his job well again, he left.

 Chapter 136: 136 Trouble Arises

    Chapter 136 Trouble Arises


    That day,<div>


    the General Manager of Yang Xin Investments, Ma Yangrong, reported that suing Hua¡¯an Film and Television was useless; Xue Zhanhua still managed to push forward the initiation of ¡°War Panther 2¡± through his powerfulwork of connections.


    Xu Yang couldn¡¯t help but furrow his brows.


    It seemed that Xue Zhanhua, such a mogul in the film industry, really wasn¡¯t easy to deal with.


    Other tactics had to be deployed.


    As he was about to inform Xiao Dongsheng to have the Fengcai Guild¡¯s live streamersunch a counterattack, his cell phone rang.


    It was Jiang Yuheng calling, and Xu Yang answered.<div>


    ¡°Xu Yang, we¡ªLao Su, Lao Lin, and I¡ªare all aware of the situation with Hua¡¯an Film and Television. We¡¯re together right now. If there¡¯s anything you need us to help with, just say the word, and we won¡¯t hesitate,¡± Jiang Yuheng said directly.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Xu Yang, us four brothers are united as one now. Your issues are our issues. Whatever you need us to do, just speak up,¡± Su Wenbin said.


    ¡°Xu Yang, I might not have as much clout as those two in the world of connections, but I, a digital influencer, still have quite a number of fans,¡± Lin Junyi said.


    ¡°Junyi¡¯s capabilities, I understand. Lao Jiang, Bin Ge, the two of you, I¡¯m not quite sure how you can help; why don¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    Xu Yang hadn¡¯t originally expected their help, but since they had called, there was no need to decline.


    Such matters, taken on together with brothers, would only strengthen their rtionship.


    ¡°Our Southwestern Chamber of Commerce¡¯s memberpanies have hired a few stars from Hua¡¯an Film and Television as spokespersons. We can terminate those spokesperson contracts and announce through the Southwestern Chamber of Commerce that our memberpanies will not engage Hua¡¯an Film and Television¡¯s stars for endorsements in the future. This will have a significant negative impact on Hua¡¯an Film and Television and give Xue Zhanhua a tough time,¡± Jiang Yuheng exined.


    ¡°Xu Yang, I can exert some effort on my end and block the approval of ¡®War Panther 2.¡¯ My connections are in official circles,¡± Su Wenbin said.


    With a little use of connections, blocking a film¡¯s approval was all too easy.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s proceed with that n. I will promote it through the Guild. Junyi will take charge of the publicity. With a three-pronged approach, let¡¯s see how Xue Zhanhua copes.¡±


    Originally, Xu Yang had only nned to have the Fengcai Guild do some publicity.


    Now, with Su Wenbin and Jiang Yuheng joining, the effect would be even better.<div>


    ¡­


    In the office of the President of Hua¡¯an Film and Television,


    Xue Zhanhua ended a call, with a smile creeping onto his lips.


    ¡°Thinking that with legal disputes, I wouldn¡¯t be able to get ¡®War Panther 2¡ä off the ground? How naive!¡±


    ¡°Against my powerfulwork, your investment agreement is nothing but waste paper!¡±


    ¡°Had you simply agreed to my terms, you could have retained a five-percent investment stake. Now, you don¡¯t even have that five percent left.¡±


    ¡°I really want to see what tricks you have up your sleeve to contend with me.¡±


    ¡°What does it matter if you¡¯re a shareholder of a huge filmpany? You¡¯re just a greenhorn. If I can¡¯t handle you, I might as well not be the President.¡±


    Xue Zhanhua was extremely smug.


    He couldn¡¯t even remember thest time he had to take action.


    In the past, his status alone was enough to overpower others.


    Even someone like Fang Pengtao had to show him some respect.<div>


    This time, taking action would also show others his capabilities.


    Otherwise, going too long without making a move could lead others to forget his existence.


    And any Tom, Dick, or Harry might pop up, challenging his authority.


    He had just lit a cigarette, enjoying a deep inhale, when the door to his office burst open and his assistant ran in, flustered and panicked.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Not even a knock on the door? If you don¡¯t give me a convincing reason today, then pack your things and get out!¡±


    Xue Zhanhua was extremely strict with his subordinates.


    This assistant was very capable in handling affairs; everything he had been tasked with had been done perfectly.


    Yet today, he was so reckless. If there wasn¡¯t a reasonable exnation, Xue Zhanhua would still deal with the situation mercilessly.


    ¡°President Xue, there¡¯s been an incident. Ourpany¡¯s artists Wang Xiaohua, Chen Doni, Guo Ya, and Feng Chen have all had their endorsements canceled at the same time!¡± the assistant said.


    ¡°What!¡± Xue Zhanhua was shocked, ¡°What happened? How could their endorsements be canceled at the same time? They¡¯re endorsing products from differentpanies.¡±


    He was somewhat baffled; how could such a thing happen.


    Even if there were scandals, they shouldn¡¯t all erupt simultaneously.<div>


    This matter was indeed serious enough that the assistant could be spared from dealing with it for now.


    The assistant said, ¡°President Xue, all of these artists were endorsing products from memberpanies of the Southwest Commerce Association, which has also issued a statement. They im that Hua¡¯an Film and Television has infringed upon their partners¡¯ interests, with all faults lying on our side. They demand wepensate for losses, and they also said that no memberpany will invite our actors for endorsements in the future!¡±


    Xue Zhanhua frowned, ¡°Ourpany has infringed their partners¡¯ interests? Whose interests have we infringed upon? Howe I don¡¯t know about this?¡±


    The assistant remained silent.


    Xue Zhanhua nced at the assistant, ¡°You said ourpany has infringed upon their interests? Is it some young actor or actress who has stepped out of line and offended someone?¡±


    The assistant replied, ¡°President Xue, no.¡±


    ¡°No?¡± Xue Zhanhua frowned again, ¡°Then what¡¯s the situation? The statement from the Southwest Commerce Association must be true. If they made such ims, there must be a reason. Didn¡¯t the statement specify?¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t,¡± the assistant shook his head.


    ¡°You go out first; I¡¯ll make some calls to inquire,¡± Xue Zhanhua waved his hand, signaling the assistant to leave.


    He first went online to look at the statement issued by the Southwest Commerce Association, before calling the boss of one of itspanies.


    Thispany was the one whose product was endorsed by the artist from Hua¡¯an Film and Television, Feng Chen.


    Soon, the call connected.<div>


    Xue Zhanhua said, ¡°President Liu, what¡¯s the situation on your end? Why would you suddenly terminate our coboration and even demandpensation from ourpany? The Southwest Commerce Association has issued a statement that they will no longer coborate with our artists in the future, greatly damaging ourpany¡¯s reputation. To the uninformed, it seems like there¡¯s something wrong with our artists.¡±


    President Liu said, ¡°President Xue, of all people to offend, why did you have to mess with a friend of our Young Master Jiang?¡±


    Xue Zhanhua frowned, ¡°Young Master Jiang? Are you talking about the son of your association president, Young Master Jiang?¡±


    President Liu confirmed, ¡°Yes, who else could it be?¡±


    Xue Zhanhua was puzzled, ¡°I haven¡¯t offended his friend.¡±


    He truly hadn¡¯t offended any friends of Jiang Yuheng.


    Knowing someone like Jiang Yuheng was not something he could afford to provoke.


    The friends of Jiang Yuheng would be people of his calibre.


    Although he was a local magnate, that was only rtive to the average person.


    Compared to Jiang Yuheng and his friends, he was far inferior.


    Offend a friend of Jiang Yuheng?


    Unless he went mad, he would never provoke a friend of Jiang Yuheng!<div>


    President Liu expressed surprise, ¡°Didn¡¯t offend? If that¡¯s so, then why would he give the word to break off coboration with us and demandpensation from you? Think carefully, have you recently offended anyone? That person might very well be a friend of Young Master Jiang.¡±


    Xue Zhanhua thought hard, and a name shed through his mind. He eximed, ¡°Could it be him?!¡±

 Chapter 137: Too Ruthless Means

    Chapter 137: Too Ruthless Means


    President Liu said, ¡°You¡¯ve remembered? If you have, then quickly deal with it, otherwise you¡¯re going to be in trouble this time.¡±


    Xue Zhanhua shook his head repeatedly, ¡°Impossible, he¡¯s just some unknown kid who¡¯s recentlye into money out of nowhere. At most, he¡¯s just a nouveau riche with a bit of cash, how could he be a friend of our Mr. Jiang!¡±


    The person he thought of was Xu Yang.


    Regarding Xu Yang, he had the public rtions department look into it.


    Xu Yang came from a small county in Hubei province and had never stood out before.


    Even been dumped by his girlfriend for being deemed unworthy.


    It was just that Xu Yang¡¯s luck was inexplicably good; dumped by his girlfriend, he caught the eye of her twin sister and they went straight to get a marriage certificate.


    Ever since he got the certificate with his ex-girlfriend¡¯s twin sister, Xu Yang seemed to be on a winning streak.


    He made money specting on futures, buying out a guild, acquiring Yuhuo Renjia, rebranding it as Jiangdi Lao, and making even more money.


    But even so, there was still a big gappared to Jiang Yuheng.


    How could Xu Yang be a friend of Jiang Yuheng?


    Clearly, Hua¡¯an Film and Television¡¯s public rtions department hadn¡¯t found any connection between Xu Yang and Jiang Yuheng, and they didn¡¯t know that Jiang Yuheng had already be a shareholder of Xu Yang¡¯s Jiangdi Lao.


    President Liu asked, ¡°Whom are you talking about?¡±


    Xue Zhanhua said, ¡°A young man named Xu Yang, but he shouldn¡¯t be your Mr. Jiang¡¯s friend.¡±


    President Liu asked, ¡°The Xu Yang you mentioned, is he the owner of Jiangdi Lao?¡±


    Xue Zhanhua nodded and said, ¡°Yes, the owner of Jiangdi Lao. You know him too?¡±


    President Liu said, ¡°Of course I know him, the owner of Jiangdi Lao, Xu Yang, is our Mr. Jiang¡¯s friend. Moreover, let me tell you, their rtionship is very good, and our Mr. Jiang has even invested in Jiangdi Lao!¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Xue Zhanhua was shocked.


    He hadn¡¯t expected their rtion to be so close.


    Jiang Yuheng investing in Jiangdi Lao meant that their rtionship wasn¡¯t just simply friends; they had be amunity of interests.


    No wonder the Southwest Business Association would issue such a statement.


    Now it seemed that Xu Yang was not so simple.


    President Liu said, ¡°President Xue, now that you know the crux of the problem, go resolve it. Otherwise, we are really going to seekpensation and it¡¯s not just talk¡ªwe need to stay busy, so I¡¯ll hang up first.¡±


    Having said that, President Liu hung up the call.


    On Xue Zhanhua¡¯s side.


    He put down his phone, his expression uncertain.


    To concede just like that?


    Though conceding to a friend of Jiang Yuheng wasn¡¯t disgraceful.


    Yet, it was still hard to swallow.


    Just then, the assistant pushed the door open and entered, once again without knocking, just as anxious as before.


    Xue Zhanhua furrowed his eyebrows again. ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you? Has something big happened again? Has the endorsement of another artist been canceled?¡±


    The assistant said, ¡°President Xue, it¡¯s not that another artist¡¯s endorsement has been canceled, but something big has indeed happened.¡±


    Xue Zhanhua felt a bad premonition, ¡°Spit it out quickly.¡±


    The assistant said, ¡°The project of ¡®War Panther 2¡¯ has been blocked. Just now, someone from the other side called to notify me, saying they couldn¡¯t reach you.¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Xue Zhanhua¡¯s expression changed, ¡°How could that be, how could it be blocked? I just got a call from someone, who said it had been approved.¡±


    The assistant said, ¡°That person said someone higher up intervened, and the reason given was very legitimate. After all, a movie with legal disputes can¡¯t be greenlit for production. That person also mentioned there would be consequences, that helping us this time would affect his career prospects. His tone didn¡¯t sound good.¡±


    Xue Zhanhua said expressionlessly, ¡°This is a risk he should take; I¡¯m not without offering him benefits.¡±


    As for the other party¡¯s future, Xue Zhanhua couldn¡¯t care less.


    So what if his tone was bad.


    This was a transaction.


    If the other party was doing business with him, they should be prepared for this.


    Xue Zhanhua added, ¡°This must be Xu Yang¡¯s doing¡ªhow does he have such a powerfulwork?¡±


    He really couldn¡¯t see through Xu Yang.


    It seemed that the other party was not just Jiang Yuheng¡¯s friend.


    Xue Zhanhua said, ¡°Mr. Xue, there¡¯s also¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What else?¡± Xue Zhanhua had a feeling that things were getting more troublesome.


    ¡°Now on Douyin, there¡¯s a video about ourpany; take a look.¡±


    The assistant held up the mobile phone to Xue Zhanhua and tapped the screen.


    Suddenly, a short video yed.


    The forbidden scene disyed a priority investment agreement for ¡°War Panther 2,¡± signed by Xu Yang and Lin Junyi.


    A voice-over said: ¡°Mr. Xu Yang and Director Wu Jing signed a priority investment agreement to invest in ¡®War Panther 2,¡¯ which ording to the contract, allowed for a thirty percent investment stake. However, Hua¡¯an Film and Television, as a major capital force, bullied him by only giving Mr. Xu Yang a five percent stake. They even threatened that if he didn¡¯t agree, he wouldn¡¯t even get the five percent, making the investment agreement worthless! In the face of big capital, Mr. Xu is just a small fry with no power to fight back. With no other choice, he could only expose the matter in the hopes thatizens would see Hua¡¯an Film and Television¡¯s true colors and that the relevant departments would uphold justice.¡±


    The video received ten million views, one million shares, and a hundred thousandments.


    It swept across Douyin, hitting the trending search list.


    Even other media outlets reported on it.


    This was the result of the promotional powerhouse Fengcai Guild, as all their streamers pinned the video to the top.


    Moreover, they mentioned the incident multiple times during their live broadcasts.


    Lin Junyi, in particr, worked hard by producing a shop visit video, where he used the incident to criticize Hua¡¯an Film and Television for their shameless behavior, saying how unseemly they were.


    In the end, he posed the soul-searching question: ¡°Is this how it works in your circles? As long as you have money, you can bully others? As long as you have money, you can do whatever you want? What about the legal agreements signed, can they just be tossed aside? Where is justice? Where is fairness? Where is righteousness?¡±


    ¡°I never thought that Hua¡¯an Film and Television would be such apany!¡±


    ¡°Junyi is right, Hua¡¯an Film and Television¡¯s behavior is indeed disgusting!¡±


    ¡°Today, I truly understand what it means for big capital to bully the little guy.¡±


    ¡°If even Xu Yang is oppressed, what about us regr people? If we catch the attention of these big capitals, wouldn¡¯t we be crushed to dust in a minute?¡±


    ¡°Definitely, but you don¡¯t need to worry. These big capitals only do things that are profitable, and to them, we are just ants, not worthy of their attention unless you touch their interests, or don¡¯t get caught as coteral damage; otherwise, it¡¯s just your bad luck.¡±


    ¡°To say that a legally binding agreement is worthless, Hua¡¯an Film and Television is reallywless.¡±


    ¡°I earnestly request the relevant departments to deliver justice for Mr. Xu Yang!¡±


    ¡°From now on, I won¡¯t watch any movies invested by Hua¡¯an Film and Television.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t watch any works of Hua¡¯an¡¯s artists either.¡±


    ¡°Boycott Hua¡¯an Film and Television, don¡¯t let such a cancer continue to exist in the film industry.¡±


    After watching the video and reading thements, Xue Zhanhua almost spat out a mouthful of old blood.


    This video had created an extremely negative impact on Hua¡¯an Film and Television; the losses were almost incalcble.


    This move was indeed too ruthless.

 Chapter 138 - 138 Decide to Reconcile

    Chapter 138 Decide to Reconcile


    ¡°You go notify the public rtions department to handle this,¡± Xue Zhanhua realized there was no other way and decided to let the public rtions team start their work.


    ¡°Okay.¡± The assistant took their cellphone and headed out.


    Xu Yang sat in the chair, his expression fluctuating, contemting whether to reconcile with Xu Yang or not.


    If he reconciled, it would mean he had lost, and his face would be utterly disgraced.


    What was meant to disy his power had turned into aplete embarrassment.


    In the future, when meeting other film industry magnates, especially those who were his sworn enemies, they were sure to mock him over this incident.


    He could foresee that for a long time toe, he would be theughingstock of the industry, the butt of jokes among other moguls during their leisure time.


    Thinking of such consequences made Xue Zhanhua¡¯s face grow even darker.


    ¡°No reconciliation, the matter has already happened, just deal with it. Let him face my wrath next,¡± he determined.


    ¡°Fengcai Guild, huh? And Wu Jing, with mywork, causing some trouble for these twopanies will be easy,¡± he mused.


    ¡°If you won¡¯t let me live in peace, I won¡¯t let you have it easy either.¡±


    Xue Zhanhua muttered to himself, picking up the cellphone on his desk, ready to make a call to stir up trouble for Fengcai Guild and Wu Jing, to show Xu Yang what he¡¯s capable of.


    Just then, the assistant pushed the door open once again, still in a panicked state.


    ¡°What¡¯s happened now?¡± Xue Zhanhua¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    Now, seeing the assistant made him a bit fearful.


    Twice the assistant had entered without knocking, each time bringing extremely bad news.


    Had something else happened?


    ¡°President Xue, there¡¯s a video circting online iming to show one of our vice presidents exploiting an actress from the bottom lines. It¡¯s caused quite an uproar,¡± the assistant reported as they ced their cellphone in front of Xue Zhanhua.


    It was a Douyin video, showcasing a conversation between a vice president and an actress from the bottom lines.


    ¡°Xiao Mei, if you¡¯re willing to sleep with me, you¡¯ll be the second female lead in XX drama.¡±


    ¡°President Feng, I¡¯m not that kind of person.¡±


    ¡°You think the role of a second female lead isn¡¯t enough? No problem, as the vice president, I can offer you the same role in another drama. Two second leads might make you a sensation, how about that then?¡±


    ¡°President Feng, I¡¯m truly not that kind of person.¡±


    ¡°You should think carefully; this is your opportunity. You know what this circle is like. Without any backing, it¡¯s very hard to be famous.¡±


    ¡°President Feng, I believe I can make it on my own through hard work.¡±


    ¡°Naive! Such thoughts are that of a fresh graduate. If you don¡¯t agree, I can immediately terminate our contract and cklist you. I have the power to ruin your reputation, making it impossible for you to work in this industry again.¡±


    ¡°President Feng, you¡¯re being unreasonable.¡±


    ¡°Heh, how does my being unreasonable matter? What can you even do to me? Stop pretending. When you entered this circle, you should have learned the rules. Just give in to me.¡±


    ¡°Even if I leave this industry, I won¡¯t agree to your conditions.¡±


    ¡°Humph, refusing a face-saving opportunity, I¡¯ve seen many women like you who say no but actually mean yes. I¡¯ll force myself on you and see what you can do about it. If you dare to leak this, you¡¯ll never survive in this industry, haha!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯te any closer, let go, you bastard¡­¡±


    The voice abruptly stopped, and the video ended.


    Scenes of the act, of course, couldn¡¯t be shared, but just from the dialogue, it was clear that this so-called President Feng had unscrupulously taken advantage of the actress.


    Moreover, it wasn¡¯t just one actress that had been exploited.


    As the video ended, Xue Zhanhua¡¯s face turned an ashen blue.


    He was aware this President Feng was lecherous and had a habit of exploiting actresses.


    Such matters, if not exposed, would usually go unnoticed.


    After all, there were many actresses who rose to fame by these means, some even hoping to be exploited to get better roles, and those who hadn¡¯t been would still try to use it to their advantage.


    But once exposed, the situation changed entirely.


    He looked at thements then.


    ¡°Fuck, that¡¯s way too tant!¡±


    ¡°This industry is such a mess; I never believed it before, but now I¡¯m totally convinced.¡±


    ¡°A vice president who has taken advantage of who knows how many actresses, what an animal.¡±


    ¡°No wonder so many people want to be executives in film and televisionpanies, they can just sleep with any actress they want.¡±


    ¡°If I had that kind of opportunity, I¡¯d be doing the same with the actresses, haha.¡±


    ¡°I really want to know who this little beauty is and whether she ended up getting taken advantage of.¡±


    ¡°Looking at it, she probably couldn¡¯t escape.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily the case; this video might just be the little beauty¡¯s doing, exposing the vice president¡¯s wicked deeds.¡±


    ¡°I want to know, if the vice president is this bold, what about the CEO?¡±


    ¡°The CEO must be even more awesome, taking advantage of even more actresses, hahaha!¡±


    Seeing thesements, especially the ones about him as the CEO, Xue Zhanhua¡¯s face darkened.


    He didn¡¯t take the initiative to proposition actresses; it was mostly the actresses who made the first move.


    ¡°This son of a bitch, how could he have a recording? Make him release an apology and admit his mistakes, and then get the hell out!¡±


    ¡°Also, get the PR department on it. I don¡¯t care what they think of; they must minimize the negative impact.¡±


    Xue Zhanhua roared in anger.


    ¡°Yes.¡± The assistant knew that Xue Zhanhua was truly enraged and didn¡¯t want to stay in front of him, lest he face the brunt of Xue Zhanhua¡¯s fury, so he took his phone and quickly left.


    ¡°It must be Xu Yang¡¯s doing; how the hell does he know all this?¡±


    Xue Zhanhua¡¯s face looked terrible.


    At that moment, the phone rang.


    He saw that the caller ID was a leader from the industry regtory department.


    ¡°Leader.¡± Xue Zhanhua answered the phone.


    ¡°What is going on with yourpany? Do you have any idea the negative impact yourpany¡¯s scandal is causing in society?¡± the leader said sternly.


    ¡°Leader, this is all nder by those with an agenda; we¡¯ll handle it,¡± Xue Zhanhua hurriedly replied.


    ¡°Whether it is nder by those with an agenda, you know better than I do. I don¡¯t want the situation to escte; you¡¯d better handle it quickly, or I¡¯ll handle yourpany,¡± the leader huffed and hung up.


    Xue Zhanhua, on his end, put down the phone, his face looking horribly gloomy.


    Now, he kind of wanted to reconcile.


    Reconciliation, perhaps, was the best choice.


    Otherwise, his benefits were yet to be reaped and he already faced heavy losses.


    Damage to thepany¡¯s reputation could eventually exceed the profits made from investing in ¡°War Panther 2.¡±


    Reconciliation!


    Xue Zhanhua gritted his teeth, deciding to reconcile.


    But how to reconcile?


    There¡¯s a knack to reconciliation, like calling Xu Yang directly, admitting defeat, and begging for mercy.


    Or finding a mediator tomunicate, getting the other side to back down, and then sitting down to talk.


    The former would mean losing face; thetter might save some.


    Xue Zhanhua chose thetter.


    But who to choose as the intermediary?


    Those connected to Xu Yang include Fang Pengtao of Wan Entertainment and Wu Jing.


    Before he could decide on an intermediary, his phone started ringing again.

 Chapter 139 - 139 Two Conditions

    Chapter 139 Two Conditions


    Seeing the caller ID, it was from a major shareholder.


    ¡°Director Zhou,¡± Xue Zhanhua answered the phone, respectfully.


    ¡°What on earth is going on with you? For the sake of an investment share in a movie, you¡¯ve made such a mess. Do you have any idea how much this will cost thepany? Do you know that ourpany¡¯s stock price has already hit the limit down? Do you realize how much we¡¯ve lost?!¡± the major shareholder interrogated with a stern voice.


    ¡°Director Zhou, I will handle this matter immediately,¡± Xue Zhanhua said as cold sweat appeared on his forehead.


    He was indeed a big shot in the film industry, holding five percent of thepany¡¯s dividend shares.


    This five percent of the dividend shares, he could enjoy dividends from while he was serving as the general manager.


    Once he resigned, thepany would automatically reim them.


    But the fury of the major shareholder was difficult for him to endure.


    ¡°Hmph, I¡¯ve talked with a few other shareholders. You¡¯d better settle this issue today, or you can stop being the general manager!¡±


    With a snort, the major shareholder hung up the phone.


    Xue Zhanhua put down his phone with a bitter expression on his face.


    ¡°Who should I find to mediate? If I go to Fang Pengtao for help, I¡¯ll owe him a favor. It¡¯s better to go to Wu Jing; with him, I won¡¯t owe any favors.¡±


    In his eyes, Wu Jing was just a minor character; seeking out Wu Jing would be giving face to Wu Jing and wouldn¡¯t involve owing favors.


    Xue Zhanhua was about to dial Wu Jing¡¯s number when his assistant pushed the door open and entered again.


    ¡°President Xue, it¡¯s bad!¡± the assistant was even more frantic than before.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Xue Zhanhua¡¯s heart sank, but he still needed to ask clearly.


    ¡°One of the new rising stars, P, has been exposed for sleeping with fans and drug use!¡±


    ¡°There are videos, pictures, and various recordings, WeChat messages!¡±


    ¡°All thepanies he endorsed have already issued statements suspending the cooperation!¡±


    The assistant then ced the phone in front of Xue Zhanhua.


    ¡°This bastard, sleeping with fans isn¡¯t the main issue, but drug use? Who gave him the guts!¡± Xue Zhanhua said, his face turning ashen.


    Sleeping with fans, as long as the fans are willing, it¡¯s consensual, not so severe.


    But drug use, that¡¯s serious.


    This was crossing a red line.


    Once this red line is crossed, one can forget about ever making aeback.


    Thepany had spent a great deal of money to cultivate this rising star.


    Just as he was bing famous, set to be thepany¡¯s cash cow.


    But before they could break even, such a scandal erupted.


    The losses were severe.


    And these were very tangible losses.


    All endorsements would be canceled, and thosepanies would even seekpensation.


    Xue Zhanhua felt he couldn¡¯t wait anymore and immediately dialed Wu Jing¡¯s number.


    Soon, the call connected.


    ¡°Director Wu, please pass a message to Xu Yang for me. I want to make peace and discuss the investment shares with him again. His thirty percent investment share will not be one percentage point less. We need to talk about some other matters as well. Tomorrow I will go to Jiangcheng to talk with him. Tell him not to take any action, or I really won¡¯t be able to hold on here,¡± Xue Zhanhua said immediately.


    He was truly afraid that if there were a few more minutes of dy, something else would be leaked, and then he could forget about being the general manager.


    ¡°Alright, I will call him right away.¡±


    Wu Jing had been keeping an eye on the news online.


    He had not expected Xu Yang¡¯s counterattack to be so sharp, forcing Xue Zhanhua to directly seek peace.


    He was quite willing to be the mediator, after all, ¡°War Panther 2¡± still needed to be filmed.


    The sooner the conflict between the two parties is resolved, the better.


    After hanging up the phone, he immediately dialed Xu Yang¡¯s number.


    Soon, the call connected.


    ¡°Director Wu,¡± Xu Yang¡¯s rxed voice came through.


    ¡°President Xu, your tactics are really impressive,¡± Wu Jing¡¯s first words were words of admiration.


    ¡°Just average,¡± Xu Yang chuckled lightly, ¡°Director Wu, did Xue Zhanhua ask you to call me?¡±


    Such a series of strikes would be too much for Xue Zhanhua to withstand, which was normal.


    For the sake of saving face, he didn¡¯t call himself directly but found a middleman instead.


    Xu Yang could understand Xue Zhanhua¡¯s psyche very well.


    He had hacker skills. If Xue Zhanhua wouldn¡¯t reconcile, he would continuously leak problems about Hua¡¯an Film and Television.


    Hua¡¯an Film and Television was a filmpany, and there was truly an abundance of damning material inside.


    Executives breaking the rules with actresses, young male actors sleeping with fans and using drugs, these were just appetizers.


    If Xue Zhanhua continued to resist, he would keep leaking more.


    In the end, Hua¡¯an Film and Television might even go bankrupt and shut down.


    ¡°President Xu really is prescient¡­¡± Wu Jing ttered, then ryed Xue Zhanhua¡¯s intentions.


    ¡°No problem, let¡¯s talk at the Jiangcheng Hotel again, tomorrow at ten in the morning. Since it all started there, let¡¯s end it there,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell him right away. This will be great news for him. See you tomorrow,¡± Wu Jing said.


    ¡°See you tomorrow.¡± Xu Yang hung up the phone.


    In the blink of an eye, it was the following morning at ten o¡¯clock.


    Xu Yang, Wu Jing, Xue Zhanhua, and other bigwigs from the film industry met at the Jiangcheng Hotel.


    This time, the bigwigs from other filmpanies also came to discuss the investment shares.


    Fang Pengtao was too busy toe, but Wan Da¡¯s share would not be forgotten.


    ¡°President Xu, you went too far. Do you know how much negative impact your actions have caused ourpany? How much loss?¡± Xue Zhanhua¡¯s face looked terrible.


    ¡°President Xue, I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying. If I remember correctly, you wanted to discuss the issue of investment shares with me, but it seems that¡¯s not the case now. Since that¡¯s the situation, I won¡¯t stay any longer. Farewell!¡±


    Xu Yang stood up to leave.


    If they started by using him, he wasn¡¯t about to indulge them.


    If Xue Zhanhua wanted to continue fighting, he was ready to apany him to the end.


    ¡°President Xu, please wait,¡± Wu Jing immediately became anxious, quickly standing up to pull Xu Yang back, and then turned to Xue Zhanhua, ¡°President Xue, we are here today to discuss the investment shares for ¡®War Panther 2¡¯, let¡¯s not talk about other things, shall we?¡±


    Xue Zhanhua was also aware that his words just now were somewhat inappropriate. He took a deep breath and forced a strained smile, ¡°President Xu, my apologies, I¡¯ve been dealing with some bothersome matters recently and misspoke. Please forgive me.¡±


    For a big figure in the film industry like him to say such words was indeed very rare.


    Xu Yang wasn¡¯t really nning to leave, so he said, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I won¡¯t hold it against you.¡±


    After saying that, he sat back down on the sofa.


    ¡°President Xu, let¡¯s talk about the investment shares,¡± Xue Zhanhua said.


    ¡°ording to the priority investment agreement, I hold thirty percent, not one percent less. As for the rest, you can handle it yourselves, it¡¯s none of my business,¡± Xu Yang said indifferently.


    ¡°No problem,¡± Xue Zhanhua naturally knew that Xu Yang wouldn¡¯t budge. This had already been discussed with other film tycoons, and he no longer pressured Xu Yang.


    Xu Yang¡¯s tactics were too ruthless, and the others were somewhat frightened.


    Whoever dared to step out, if Xu Yang used that kind of tactic on them, nobody could withstand it.


    ¡°Also, I hope you can agree to two conditions,¡± Xu Yang added.


    ¡°What conditions?¡± Xue Zhanhua narrowed his eyes, feeling somewhat displeased, but still decided to listen to what Xu Yang had to say.

 Chapter 140: It’s Necessary to Teach Him a Lesson

    Chapter 140: It¡¯s Necessary to Teach Him a Lesson


    ¡°Mr. Xue, I know the rights for ¡®War Panther¡¯ are in your hands and the rights for ¡®War Panther 2¡¯ are going to be too. I want you to hand over the rights for both movies to me,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Xue Zhanhua agreed without even thinking about it.


    To tell the truth, he didn¡¯t particrly care about the rights to these two movies; he didn¡¯t think they would make much money.


    If it would satisfy Xu Yang, he was willing to give them up.


    ¡°And the second condition?¡± Xue Zhanhua asked.


    ¡°The second condition is that the Starlight Film and Television Company must not participate in the investment for ¡®War Panther 2,¡¯¡± Xu Yang said indifferently.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± The expression on Bi Guanghui¡¯s face, the boss of Starlight Film and Television Company, changed immediately.


    If they couldn¡¯t participate in the investment for ¡®War Panther 2¡¯, that would be a huge loss.


    It could be said that if Xu Yang insisted on ousting Starlight Film and Television, other bigwigs would definitely agree for the sake of their own interests.


    ¡°Mr. Xu, why are you targeting Starlight Film and Television Company? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve offended you, have I?¡± Bi Guanghui said in a deep voice.


    He couldn¡¯t understand why Xu Yang was doing this.


    The others were also exchanging nces, equally puzzled.


    Could it be that there was some bad blood between Xu Yang and Bi Guanghui?


    But judging by what Bi Guanghui said, there didn¡¯t seem to be any issues.


    ¡°Triumph Investment, Chen Guanglei¡¯s dad¡¯spany, is a major shareholder in your Starlight Film and Television, right?¡± Xu Yang asked.


    ¡°Yes, what about it?¡± Bi Guanghui asked.


    ¡°Chen Guanglei once poached a host from my Fengcai Guild and schemed against me. That matter should have been over, after all, whether it was that host, Chen Guanglei, the Jia Sheng Guild, or Triumph Investment, they all faced punishment.¡±


    ¡°However, Chen Guanglei still acted like a foolish clown. At that celebration party, he was prancing around in front of me, and I was really fed up with his behavior; I felt it was necessary to teach him a lesson.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re looking for someone to me, you can only me him,¡± Xu Yang exined briefly.


    During that celebration, Chen Guanglei was mocking him in front of everyone, which made him very ufortable.


    He had already decided in his heart that given the chance, he would give Chen Guanglei a hard time.


    And now, the opportunity had arisen.


    ¡°Mr. Xu, that was Chen Guanglei¡¯s personal behavior. You shouldn¡¯t take your anger out on Starlight Film and Television,¡± Bi Guanghui said.


    ¡°Triumph Investment is just one of the shareholders in Starlight Film and Television, not even thergest one. Ourpany has other shareholders as well,¡± he added.


    Bi Guanghui felt very aggrieved; just because of that idiotic second-generation rich kid, Chen Guanglei, they would miss the opportunity to invest in ¡®War Panther 2¡¯. It was truly heartbreaking.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but that¡¯s not my problem. In any case, if you¡¯re not pulling out, then ¡®War Panther 2¡¯ won¡¯t be happening,¡± Xu Yang said indifferently.


    The other film and television moguls exchanged looks andmunicated with their eyes.


    They quickly came to a unanimous decision.


    ¡°Mr. Bi, for this investment, your Starlight Film and Television should perhaps sit this one out. We can coborate on other opportunities in the future,¡± Xue Zhanhua spoke up first.


    ¡°Right, right, Mr. Bi, we can coborate on other opportunities in the future,¡± another echoed.


    ¡°Mr. Bi, I actually think Mr. Xu is right. If we¡¯re to me someone, it should be that Chen Guanglei. I¡¯ve heard about him; he¡¯s arrogant because he¡¯s the son of Triumph Investment¡¯s boss, looks down on everyone, and is quite annoying. He¡¯s got a really bad reputation among the circle of rich second-generation kids,¡± yet another added.


    ¡°Put yourself in our shoes, if there were such an annoying person prancing around in front of us, chances are we would do the same as Mr. Xu, or perhaps even go further than Xu Yang has,¡± they continued.


    The other film and television bigwigs all spoke up in turn.


    ¡°President Xu, are you really going to do this?¡± Bi Guanghui said with a grave voice.


    ¡°Yes, if you feel disgruntled, feel free to retaliate against me, and we¡¯ll see if you can withstand my counterattack,¡± Xu Yang said with an air of confidence.


    Upon hearing this, Bi Guanghui¡¯s face changed.


    He would not dare to take action against Xu Yang unless he had gone mad.


    Even Hua¡¯an Film and Television couldn¡¯t withstand Xu Yang¡¯s counterattack, let alone Starlight Film and Television Company.


    Those shareholders would probably not want to be enemies with Xu Yang either.


    People like Xu Yang should at least not be turned into enemies, if not friends.


    The responsibility for this issue lies with Chen Guanglei, so the only thing to do is to report it truthfully and see what the major shareholders have to say.


    ¡°President Xu, you must be joking. This issue is Chen Guanglei¡¯s fault, how could we possibly retaliate against you?¡± Bi Guanghui forced a smile onto his face.


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. I¡¯m a reasonable man; I don¡¯t trouble others unless they trouble me, and if they do, I will certainly retaliate!¡± Xu Yang dered his principle in dealing with matters.


    He now had ample power to say these words, and he was surely as good as his word.


    With his hacker skills and the Fengcai Guild as his weapon for publicity, he could counter any adversary, truly with a position of strength.


    ¡°Gentlemen, I¡¯ll take my leave first,¡± Bi Guanghui stood up and left.


    Now that he had been kicked out, there was no point in staying.


    These people would definitely be discussing other matters.


    ¡°President Xu, is there anything else?¡± Xue Zhanhua asked.


    ¡°No, nothing more,¡± Xu Yang shook his head.


    His aims had been achieved; of course, there were no more issues.


    ¡°President Xu, I hope you won¡¯t expose any more of ourpany¡¯s dirtyundry, we are really struggling here,¡± Xue Zhanhua said.


    Just yesterday, that young star had been cklisted, and the regtory department had spoken out, stating that artists like P are absolutely intolerable.


    They even issued a ten million yuan fine to Hua¡¯an Film and Television, resulting in substantial losses for thepany.


    The major shareholder had phoned to question him, and if it hadn¡¯t been for his assurance that a reconciliation had been reached with Xu Yang and no further scandals would be released, his position as CEO would have been jeopardized.


    ¡°President Xue, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, I haven¡¯t released any scandalous information about yourpany,¡± Xu Yang wouldn¡¯t admit to such a thing, something that just could not be acknowledged, even if everyone knew he was behind it.


    ¡°All right, in any case, we havee to a resolution on this matter, and there won¡¯t be any further unpleasantness between us, right?¡± Xue Zhanhua, the cunning fox, knew Xu Yang¡¯s thoughts and simply changed his approach.


    ¡°Of course, as long as you don¡¯t infringe on my legitimate rights, there will be no unpleasantness between us,¡± Xu Yang indirectly made a pledge.


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± Xue Zhanhua had no choice but to trust Xu Yang.


    Trusting in Xu Yang¡¯s character, since he had made a promise, he wouldn¡¯t act recklessly.


    ¡°Your Fengcai Guild is so powerful, I hope you can continue to promote War Panther 2 in the future. That would be beneficial for everyone,¡± Xue Zhanhua said.


    ¡°Of course, even without your request, I would do so anyway. After all, I¡¯m one of the investors in War Panther 2. We¡¯ll all make money together. I¡¯ll do what I can,¡± Xu Yang naturally didn¡¯t refuse.


    Having the guild¡¯s streamers promote it was just a matter of giving the word.


    The sess of War Panther, greatly exceeding the system¡¯s forecast of five hundred million in box office, owed much to the Fengcai Guild¡¯s promotional efforts.


    The system had estimated that War Panther 2 would gross fifty billion, but with the Fengcai Guild¡¯s promotions, the box office should be even higher.


    The higher the box office, the more he would earn.

 Chapter 141: Coming into Shape

    Chapter 141: Coming into Shape


    KaiXuan Investments.


    Chen Guanglei¡¯s office.


    ¡°Hahaha, Xu Yang, oh Xu Yang, you¡¯re really courting death by messing with Hua¡¯an Film and Television like this!¡±


    Chen Guanglei had been paying close attention to the news about Xu Yang and Hua¡¯an Film and Television.


    Obviously, all the negative news about Hua¡¯an Film and Television was released by Xu Yang.


    He didn¡¯t know how Xu Yang managed to do it, but he knew that everything Xu Yang did was causing Hua¡¯an Film and Television to suffer huge losses.


    In his view, Xu Yang was simply seeking his own demise.


    Shareholders of Hua¡¯an Film and Television would certainly step forward to fight back.


    In his subconscious, Xu Yang was still just a small fry, absolutely incapable of contending with the well-established big shots.


    Thinking about Xu Yang being crushed under the counterattack of many big shots, leading Fengcai Guild and Jiang Di Lao to close down, made Chen Guanglei feel exceptionally good.


    At this moment, a knock on the door sounded.


    Chen Guanglei put on a straight face, ¡°Come in.¡±


    The door opened and a young woman walked in, ¡°Young Master Chen, President Chen is asking for you in his office.¡±


    This young woman was the assistant to the president of KaiXuan Investments, which is to say, the assistant to Chen Guanglei¡¯s father, Chen Ankang.


    ¡°Right now?¡± Chen Guanglei asked.


    ¡°Yes, right now,¡± the young woman nodded.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll head there immediately,¡± Chen Guanglei said as he got up.


    Upon arriving at the President¡¯s office, Chen Guanglei flopped down onto the sofa.


    ¡°Dad, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Do you know that you¡¯ve caused a huge disaster?¡± Chen Ankang¡¯s face looked very grim.


    ¡°Dad, how have I caused a disaster? I haven¡¯t done anything wrong,¡± Chen Guanglei felt utterly confused.


    ¡°Humph, you still say you¡¯ve done nothing wrong,¡± Chen Ankang snorted, ¡°Let me ask you, did you brazenly mock Xu Yang at the ¡®War Panther¡¯ celebration, saying that Xu Yang couldn¡¯t invest in ¡®War Panther 2,¡¯ but Xingchen Film and Television could?¡±


    ¡°Yes, so what?¡± Chen Guanglei didn¡¯t see anything wrong with his actions.


    ¡°Do you realize that because of your mockery, Xingchen Film and Television got kicked out and failed to invest in ¡®War Panther 2¡¯?¡± Chen Ankang scolded.


    ¡°What, Xingchen Film and Television got kicked out, and can¡¯t invest in ¡®War Panther 2¡¯ anymore? What does this have to do with my mocking Xu Yang?¡± Chen Guanglei was both surprised and puzzled.


    ¡°Bi Guanghui called me just now, Xu Yang and Hua¡¯an Film and Television have reconciled. One of Xu Yang¡¯s conditions was to kick Xingchen Film and Television out of the deal, saying it¡¯s because you acted like a buffoon at the ¡®War Panther 2¡¯ celebration, hopping around in front of him, wanting to teach you a lesson!¡± Chen Ankang said.


    ¡°What! They reconciled? How is that possible? Hua¡¯an Film and Television must have suffered heavily, are they really just letting it go?¡± Chen Guanglei was shocked.


    This waspletely unlike what he had imagined.


    Shouldn¡¯t it be that Hua¡¯an Film and Television¡¯s shareholders would take action, strike back at Xu Yang,pletely suppress him, and even cause Fengcai Guild and Jiang Di Lao to shut down?


    How could they just reconcile?


    The fact that both parties had settled was too shocking for him, and he had even overlooked the fact that Xu Yang had called him a jumping clown.


    ¡°What else can be done besides letting it go? With Xu Yang¡¯s mysterious and unpredictable methods, if the fight continued, Hua¡¯an Film and Television might even face closure.¡±


    ¡°Nobody knows how Xu Yang managed to get his hands on the dirty secrets of Hua¡¯an Film and Television, which has made many in the film industry shiver with fear and regard Xu Yang as one of the most untouchable people in the circle.¡±


    Chen Ankang did gather quite a lot of information, based on what he had just learned.


    ¡°How can this be? Could it be that the major shareholders behind Hua¡¯an Film and Television don¡¯t dare provoke Xu Yang?¡± Chen Guanglei¡¯s face looked terrible.


    ¡°It¡¯s not about not daring to provoke him, but rather that it¡¯s not worth it. Moreover, in this case, it¡¯s Hua¡¯an Film and Television that¡¯s in the wrong. Xu Yang is on the side of thew, and the issue has blown up already. If it esctes further, Hua¡¯an Film and Television will definitely be at a disadvantage. It¡¯s better to let it go. Having one more enemy is not as good as having one more friend,¡± Chen Ankang said.


    ¡°This Xu Yang, he has really be a force to be reckoned with,¡± Chen Guanglei said, his face looking even worse.


    ¡°Because of your actions, Starlight Film and Television missed the opportunity to invest in ¡®War Panther 2.¡¯ Everyone knows that ¡®War Panther 2¡¯ is bound to make money. The other shareholders of Starlight Film and Television have been calling me to express their dissatisfaction. They said that if I do not take action, they will never let the matter rest!¡± Chen Ankang said.


    ¡°How could they do this! Xu Yang is the real culprit here; how could they me me, let alone me you!¡± Chen Guanglei eximed.


    ¡°Do you still not recognize your own mistakes? I have told you before to befriend Xu Yang, yet not only did you not listen, you even went and offended him. He had no grudge against you. What¡¯s the benefit of offending such a person, huh?¡± Chen Ankang said, frustrated.


    ¡°I just can¡¯t stand him. He¡¯s just a country bumpkin from a small country town. He¡¯s only gotten this far by luck. How can he bepared to me!¡± Chen Guanglei said, his face ashen.


    ¡°A country bumpkin from a small town? I¡¯m not a native of Jiang City either, and my background is even worse than his. At least he¡¯s from a town, whereas Ie from a rural area. Are you also annoyed by me, maybe even look down on me?¡±


    Chen Ankang really felt like pping his son.


    ¡°Dad, how can youpare yourself to him? You are a true hero, someone who¡¯s gotten where he is through his own abilities, while he¡¯s just been walking in dog¡¯s luck!¡± Chen Guanglei argued.


    Of course, he couldn¡¯t possibly be annoyed with Chen Ankang.


    Without Chen Ankang, he wouldn¡¯t have the life he has today.


    Just that, when looking down on others, he naturally didn¡¯t think about his father¡¯s background.


    Besides, in his subconscious, he still believed that Xu Yang¡¯s sess was due to luck.


    ¡°If a person seeds once or twice, it might be luck, but if every venture they undertake is a sess, then that can¡¯t possibly be just luck.¡±


    ¡°Based on what you told me, I did a simple search on Xu Yang¡¯s experiences,¡± Chen Ankang continued.


    ¡°Whether it¡¯s futures trading, picking up bargains in antiques, acquiring Fishing Fire renamed Jumbo Catch, taking over Fengcai Guild or investing in ¡®War Panther.¡¯


    ¡°And the acquisition of a South American aluminum mine, each venture has been sessful, and he¡¯s considered top talent in the investment world.¡±


    ¡°How can you say that such a person has gotten to where he is just on luck?¡±


    ¡°Also, stop calling others ¡®country bumpkin.¡¯ It only makes you the butt of the joke.¡±


    ¡°With just Jumbo Catch, his worth has exceeded mine. You¡¯re mocking someone else, but it¡¯s you who¡¯s losing face,¡± said Chen Ankang, somewhat displeased.


    Xu Yang was so sessful, yet his son still thought Xu Yang got there by luck, which was purely self-deception.


    ¡°What, Jumbo Catch¡¯s market value couldn¡¯t be that high, could it?¡± Chen Guanglei was astonished.


    ¡°Jumbo Catch has already expanded to the top four first-tier cities. Once the stores in these cities open, they¡¯re bound to be a huge hit. At that time, Jumbo Catch¡¯s valuation could even reach tens of billions,¡± Chen Ankang said.


    ¡°What, a valuation of tens of billions!¡± Chen Guanglei cried out again, ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean Xu Yang is set to be a billionaire?¡±


    He could foresee how frightening the future of Jumbo Catch would be, but he thought it would be something years down the line.


    He hadn¡¯t expected it toe so soon, that just with the opening of stores in the four first-tier cities, the valuation could soar to tens of billions.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so surprised. Ten billion is a conservative estimate. ording to some research institutes¡¯ surveys and forecasts, as Jumbo Catch expands to the second and third-tier cities, its valuation could exceed a hundred billion, making Xu Yang a hundred billionaire!¡±


    Once more, Chen Ankang dropped a bombshell, leaving Chen Guanglei¡¯s head buzzing with shock.

 Chapter 142: Let You Understand Your Place

    Chapter 142: Let You Understand Your ce


    ¡°How could this happen, how could this happen!¡± Chen Guanglei muttered to himself, hisplexion turning somewhat pale.


    ¡°So, no matter what you have with him, don¡¯t provoke him anymore. Otherwise, it will only be a case of asking for trouble. This time, the other shareholders of Xingchen Film and Television have joined forces to pressure me, and I will have to lose at least fifty million to settle this matter, just because you provoked Xu Yang. I lost fifty million; if you provoke Xu Yang again, if he retaliates, I could lose five hundred million or even more,¡± Chen Ankang said.


    Chen Guanglei said nothing, his face a fluctuating mix of expressions.


    He had not anticipated that Xu Yang, whom he looked down upon, mocked, and regarded as a country bumpkin, would so quickly be someone he could not afford to provoke.


    Merely mocking him had cost his father fifty million.


    Fifty million.


    Even if his father¡¯s worth was several billion, fifty million was no small sum.


    Their family¡¯s vi was worth about the same amount.


    Just like that, a vi was gone.


    ¡°However, the idea you proposed, for the stars of Xingchen Film and Television to cooperate with Jia Sheng Guild in live-streaming sales, is a very good one. No one has yet tried this, and I believe it will achieve good results. If you focus your mind on your business, you will be able to achieve something,¡±


    Chen Ankang changed the subject upon seeing the look on his son¡¯s face, giving him a certain degree of affirmation.


    ¡°Dad, I understand,¡± Chen Guanglei said, hisplexion improving somewhat upon hearing his father¡¯s affirmation.


    ¡°All right, just remember what I said. You can go now; I have work to deal with,¡± Chen Ankang waved his hand, dismissing his son.


    He had said his piece, believing his son knew what to do.


    If his son could not understand even this, then he would be incredibly foolish.


    His son was not that foolish!


    Chen Guanglei returned to his own office.


    ¡°Xu Yang, you¡¯re ruthless, making my dad lose fifty million!¡±


    ¡°This time, with Jia Sheng Guild coborating with Xingchen Film and Television on live-streaming sales by celebrities, pioneering celebrity live-streammerce, we¡¯ll definitely surpass your Fengcai Guild!¡±


    ¡­


    After eating lunch, Xu Yang, Wu Jing, and others went home.


    Once home, he received a call from Ye Kaifeng, the owner of Hui¡¯an Pharmaceuticals.


    ¡°Mr. Xu, we¡¯ve seeded in developing the cancer drug!¡± Ye Kaifeng said excitedly.


    Persistence finally paid off; they had developed the cancer drug.


    This was epoch-making.


    One could imagine that Hui¡¯an Pharmaceuticals, with this drug, would definitely be a giant in the pharmaceutical industry.


    The person Ye Kaifeng wanted to thank the most for the sess in developing the medicine was Xu Yang.


    Without Xu Yang¡¯s investment, even if he wanted to persist, he could not have continued.


    It¡¯s not that the investments from other investors were unimportant; it¡¯s just that Xu Yang was the one who came through in his hour of need, the one most deserving of his gratitude.


    ¡°That¡¯s great! Next up is the clinical trial phase, right?¡± Although he knew it was bound to seed, hearing the news still made him very happy.


    This investment, in just a few years, could bring him an ie of at least ten billion.


    ¡°Yes, after the clinical trial, we can start selling, but it will take some time,¡± Ye Kaifengughed.


    The two chatted for a while before ending the call.


    In the blink of an eye, it was April.


    Jiang Bottom Fishing¡¯s stores in the four major first-tier cities were officially open for business.


    Xu Yang and Zhao Hai flew to various first-tier cities to attend the opening ceremonies.


    After making the rounds, a week passed.


    As expected by everyone, the opening of Jiang Bottom Fishing was very popr.


    Online calls for Jiang Bottom Fishing to open stores in second- and third-tier cities rose again.


    Xu Yang and Zhao Hai discussed it and thought it feasible to gradually proceed with this.


    Zhao Hai took care of these specific matters.


    Xu Yang was a hands-off manager; after discussing it, he did not concern himself with the details anymore.


    ¡­


    That day.


    Zhao Yulu finished work and went home.


    Liu Yujuan noticed Zhao Yulu¡¯splexion and asked curiously, ¡°Yu Lu, you seem to be in a good mood these days. Is something nice happening?¡±


    Indeed, Zhao Yulu always seemed to be in a good mood whenever she came home these past few days.


    It had been like this for several consecutive days, and today Liu Yujuan couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Zhao Yulu nodded with a smile and said, ¡°There is good news. Our guild coborated with Xingchen Movies and TV to pioneer celebrity livestreaming sales. The effect has been very good. Last month, our sales ranked first among all the big guilds on Douyin, and thepany awarded bonuses to every employee.¡±


    Liu Yujuan said, ¡°That is indeed good news.¡±


    Then, she pulled Zhao Yulu down to sit and swiftly changed the subject, ¡°Yu Lu, I¡¯m asking you, if I divorce Yang Tiancheng, would you support me?¡±


    Zhao Yulu was taken aback, then quickly said, ¡°Whether I support you or not, it wouldn¡¯t change your decision, would it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Liu Yujuan said. ¡°I¡¯m going to confront Yang Tiancheng today. When you get a chance, pack up your things; we¡¯ll move out tonight. We¡¯ll stay at a hotel first, and in the next few days, I¡¯ll rent us a house.¡±


    Zhao Yulu nodded, ¡°Okay.¡±


    If Liu Yujuan was divorcing Yang Tiancheng, she naturally would follow Liu Yujuan.


    She never had much of a sense of belonging to this home.


    It wasn¡¯t like she would stay in this house after Liu Yujuan left.


    At that moment, Yang Tiancheng and Yang Jingsheng returned home.


    Yang Tiancheng looked very upset.


    Today, he had resigned from thepany, havingpleted the procedures.


    Starting from tomorrow, he would have to look for a new job.


    There was no other choice; recently, his boss had stopped assigning him any work, cut his performance bonuses and other rewards, retaining only his base sry.


    The boss was forcing him out.


    Moreover, his previously good colleagues began to avoid him.


    Many employees were talking behind his back.


    He couldn¡¯t take it anymore and resigned in the afternoon.


    The boss made a token effort to keep him, uttering a few symbolic pleas before approving his resignation.


    Yang Jingsheng was still jobless and had gone out to hang out today.


    On their way back, Yang Jingsheng happened to run into Yang Tiancheng returning from work, so they went upstairs together.


    Seeing Yang Tiancheng¡¯s foul mood, Yang Jingsheng asked what was wrong.


    Yang Tiancheng shared the situation, which soured Yang Jingsheng¡¯s mood as well.


    ¡°Yujuan, let¡¯s have dinner,¡± Yang Tiancheng said, putting down his briefcase and heading towards the dining room.


    It was basically the same routine every day when he got home from work.


    His return marked dinner time.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t cook,¡± Liu Yujuan said.


    She was nning to confront Yang Tiancheng today, so of course, she wouldn¡¯t have cooked dinner.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you cook, and why didn¡¯t you tell me if you hadn¡¯t cooked?¡± Yang Tiancheng stopped in his tracks, turned his head to look at Liu Yujuan, and feeling even more irritated than before, his expression grew darker.


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason. I just didn¡¯t feel like cooking today,¡± Liu Yujuan said expressionlessly.


    ¡°Liu Yujuan, you frequently skip cooking these days. You could at least have notified us. We put up with it. Today you didn¡¯t cook, so why didn¡¯t you inform us? What exactly are you trying to do, stage a rebellion?¡± Yang Jingsheng, also in a bad mood, immediately roared.


    Liu Yujuan nced at Yang Jingsheng but didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Say something, I¡¯m telling you, if you don¡¯t give a solid reason, I will have to teach you a lesson and make it clear to you what your ce is in this family!¡± Yang Jingsheng¡¯s anger intensified upon seeing Liu Yujuan¡¯s silence.

 Chapter 143: 143 Divorce

    Chapter 143 Divorce


    ¡°I just don¡¯t want to cook, tell me, what status do I have in this family?¡± Liu Yujuan asked.<div>


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell you clearly, in this family, you are just a nanny, a nanny, get it? You should do what a nanny is supposed to do, instead of not cooking like you have been recently, not cooking today and not even informing me and my dad. I think you don¡¯t want this job anymore!¡± Yang Jingsheng said.


    ¡°Okay then, I¡¯ve been in this family for over a decade, raising you to adulthood, and to think, in your heart, I¡¯m just a nanny.¡± Liu Yujuan nced at Yang Jingsheng, then turned to Yang Tiancheng, ¡°Yang Tiancheng, this is your son, this is how he treats me, won¡¯t you say something?¡±


    Before Yang Tiancheng could speak, Yang Jingsheng burst outughing: ¡°Hahaha, you say you raised me, who gave you the face to say such a thing? My growth has nothing to do with you, you¡¯re just a nanny who did what you were hired to do. Don¡¯t keep saying you raised me; it¡¯s my dad who has been raising me. Actually, it¡¯s you, without my dad, you wouldn¡¯t even have the chance to live the life you do!¡±


    Yang Jingsheng was in a bad mood and let all his thoughts out.


    ¡°Enough, Jingsheng, don¡¯t say anymore,¡± Yang Tiancheng gestured with his hand, speaking indifferently.


    His attitude clearly showed agreement with Yang Jingsheng¡¯s words.<div>


    Liu Yujuan¡¯s contribution to Yang Jingsheng¡¯s upbringing held no significance.


    ¡°Dad, what¡¯re you afraid of? I¡¯m just telling the truth. They¡¯re just parasites, mother and daughter. Without you, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to enjoy a life without worries about food and clothes for over a decade, let alone live in a vi.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re just lowly to the bone, especially this Liu Yujuan; she¡¯s bing more and more presumptuous. If we don¡¯t teach her a lesson, she won¡¯t recognize her ce in this family, and in the future, she¡¯ll cause even more trouble.¡±


    Now that he had spoken, Yang Jingsheng became unrestrained.


    ¡°In that case, Yang Tiancheng, let¡¯s get a divorce,¡± Liu Yujuan seized the opportunity to propose divorce.


    Originally, she had thought of a different reason, but with Yang Jingsheng acting like this, she felt this reason was better.


    ¡°What did you say?!¡± Before Yang Tiancheng could respond, Yang Jingsheng started shouting again, ¡°Liu Yujuan, you actually dare to propose a divorce to my dad, do you think you have the right? In our family, you may be the nanny, but you don¡¯tck food or clothing. If you divorce my dad, you¡¯ll be nothing!¡±


    Yang Tiancheng said in a stern voice: ¡°Jingsheng, stop talking.¡±


    ¡°Dad, am I wrong?¡± Yang Jingsheng said, ¡°I think she hasn¡¯t adjusted her mentality, doesn¡¯t know who she is, and dares to talk about divorce with you. Once she divorces you, not to say she¡¯ll be out on the streets, but her quality of life will probably fall by so many levels, almost like those at the very bottom of society. No, that¡¯s wrong, she was already one of the lower echelons, if not foring to our house to be a nanny¡­¡±


    Seeing his son going too far, Yang Tiancheng again gestured with his hand and interrupted sternly: ¡°That¡¯s enough, stop talking!¡±


    Observing the seriousness in Yang Tiancheng¡¯s tone, far more severe than his previous nonchnce, Yang Jingsheng had to cut himself off and fell silent, though his look towards Liu Yujuan still carried scorn.


    Yang Tiancheng took a deep breath and looking at Liu Yujuan said, ¡°Yujuan, are you serious? Do you really want to divorce me?¡±<div>


    Liu Yujuan nodded: ¡°Of course, I wouldn¡¯t say such a thing casually. Have I ever mentioned divorce to you before?¡±


    Yang Tiancheng asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because of your son,¡± Liu Yujuan said, ¡°I¡¯ve taken care of this family for over a decade and done everything a mother should do, but you just heard it yourself, your son only sees me as the nanny. What¡¯s the point of me staying in this house?¡±


    Yang Jingsheng contemptuously said, ¡°Still saying you did everything a mother should do, you really know how to tter yourself. If not for my dad giving you money, would you have done those things? Any nanny could do them; you need to understand your own position!¡±


    Liu Yujuan ignored Yang Jingsheng and turned to Yang Tiancheng: ¡°You see, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any need for me to stay in this family. If I stay, who knows what unsightly things your son might say next.¡±


    Yang Jingsheng sneered, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to stay, then scram, and do it today, right now!¡±


    Yang Tiancheng red at his son and said in a deep tone, ¡°Jingsheng, enough!¡±


    Yang Jingsheng huffed but said nothing more.


    Yang Tiancheng took a deep breath, sat down on the sofa across from Liu Yujuan, and asked, ¡°I still want to ask one more time, why?¡±


    He certainly didn¡¯t believe that just because of a few words from his son, Liu Yujuan would want a divorce.


    ¡°I just said it, because of your son, he treats me like a nanny, I don¡¯t have a reason to stay in this family anymore,¡± Liu Yujuan said.


    ¡°You can deceive other people with that kind of talk, but not me,¡± Yang Tiancheng said with a sneer.<div>


    ¡°How did I deceive? What I¡¯m saying is the truth,¡± Liu Yujuan said, her face expressionless.


    ¡°Alright, since you don¡¯t want to say it, I¡¯ll say it for you. You want a divorce because you see that I¡¯ve lost power in thepany, and you feel that it will be difficult for me to maintain my current status. Meanwhile, Zhao Hai has be the general manager of Haido, and with thepany¡¯s development, his position will only get higher and higher. You want to divorce me and then remarry Zhao Hai, am I wrong?¡± Yang Tiancheng said.


    Liu Yujuan didn¡¯t respond.


    Yang Tiancheng had guessed the real reason she had asked for a divorce, and she wasn¡¯t surprised.


    After all, Yang Tiancheng was an old fox.


    Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to be the vice president of a restaurant group.


    Having been husband and wife for more than ten years, it would have been surprising if Yang Tiancheng couldn¡¯t see even this much.


    ¡°Liu Yujuan, you whore, to think of another man while within my house!¡± Yang Jingsheng cursed.


    ¡°Yang Jingsheng, you¡¯re going too far!¡± Zhao Yulu originally didn¡¯t want to get involved in this matter, but Yang Jingsheng¡¯s words were simply too much.


    ¡°How am I going too far? Is your mother not a whore? She¡¯s still with my father but fancies other men!¡± Yang Jingsheng said angrily.


    ¡°Enough, Jingsheng, don¡¯t speak anymore, I¡¯ll handle this,¡± Yang Tiancheng said, waving his hand to signal his son to stop talking.


    ¡°Dad, you¡¯re being too kind to her. If you ask me, a woman like this should be thrown out of the house long ago. She¡¯s just a cheap woman who doesn¡¯t deserve to stay in this family,¡± Yang Jingsheng said.<div>


    ¡°Enough, don¡¯t speak anymore!¡± Yang Tiancheng shouted sharply, somewhat angrily.


    Yang Jingsheng snorted coldly but said no more.


    ¡°Yujuan, I wasn¡¯t wrong about what I just said, was I?¡± Yang Tiancheng¡¯s gaze returned to Liu Yujuan.


    Liu Yujuan still did not speak.


    ¡°If you say nothing, I¡¯ll take it as you¡¯ve agreed.¡±


    ¡°Actually, your move wasn¡¯t very good. Do you think you can get back with Zhao Hai?¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you, it¡¯s impossible. No man would ept a woman who has betrayed him, especially since you¡¯ve been away from him for so many years.¡±


    ¡°You were pretty when you were young, but look at how old you are now, in your forties. How can youpare with those younger women?¡±


    ¡°With Zhao Hai¡¯s current status, he can have any type of woman he wants. Young female graduates who are prettier and younger than you would flock to him if he just showed interest.¡±


    ¡°Why would he choose you, a woman who once betrayed him?¡±


    Every word from Yang Tiancheng struck right at Liu Yujuan¡¯s heart.


    But she had already spoken, sealing her inability to turn back.<div>


    And yet, she still believed that she could return to Zhao Hai¡¯s side.


    Liu Yujuan said, ¡°This family can no longer amodate me. Just based on what your son just said, no matter what you say, I still want to divorce you. Let¡¯s go through the procedures tomorrow.¡±

 Chapter 144: 144 No Relation Anymore

    Chapter 144 No Rtion Anymore


    Yang Tiancheng thought for a moment and said, ¡°Liu Yujuan, since you¡¯re fixated on this issue, I can have Jing Sheng apologize to you, and I¡¯ll pretend you didn¡¯t say anything. We can continue living as we did before, how about that?¡±<div>


    No sooner had he finished speaking than Yang Jingsheng shouted, ¡°Dad, why should I apologize to her? She¡¯s just a cheap woman. If she wants a divorce, then let¡¯s get a divorce. Just let her scram, I never want to see her again!¡±


    He truly couldn¡¯t understand why his dad wanted to keep Liu Yujuan.


    It hade to this; just letting Liu Yujuan and Zhao Yulu scram would be enough.


    Liu Yujuan suddenlyughed, ¡°Yang Tiancheng, you¡¯ve been shrewd all your life, yet you have such a foolish son, I really feel sad for you.¡±


    Yang Jingsheng angrily retorted, ¡°Liu Yujuan, you cheap woman, who are you calling stupid?!¡±


    Liu Yujuan chuckled, ¡°You still don¡¯t know why your dad doesn¡¯t want to divorce me, if not stupid, then what?¡±<div>


    Yang Jingsheng was taken aback and asked subconsciously, ¡°Why?¡±


    Liu Yujuan replied with scornfulughter, ¡°You better ask your dad instead.¡±


    Yang Jingsheng looked towards Yang Tiancheng, ¡°Dad, why, why won¡¯t you divorce this cheap woman? Why keep her in the house?¡±


    He kept calling her a cheap woman.


    At first, Liu Yujuan found it quite grating to hear, but after listening to it so much, it became just another thing.


    Moreover, Yang Jingsheng had always been uninhibited with his speech, crude, and a fool; there was really no need to mind him.


    Yang Tiancheng did not answer his son¡¯s question but instead looked at Liu Yujuan and said, ¡°Liu Yujuan, do you really have to go to such extremes?¡±


    Liu Yujuan replied indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m going to extremes, but that your son never regarded me as part of the family. He treats me like a nanny and calls me a cheap woman. Put yourself in my shoes; you wouldn¡¯t tolerate it either.¡±


    Yang Jingsheng asked again, ¡°Dad, what¡¯s the real reason? Why don¡¯t you want to divorce this cheap woman?¡±


    He still couldn¡¯t fathom the reason, so he was determined to get it rified.


    Yang Tiancheng remained silent.


    Liu Yujuan said, ¡°Since he won¡¯t tell you, let me answer instead. Once we get divorced, he¡¯ll have to give me a share of his property. Just think how much property he has; he would have to give almost half to me. So, your talk of me living a lowly life as the ¡®underss¡¯ after the divorce simply doesn¡¯t hold water.¡±<div>


    ¡°What! He has to give you half the property!¡± Yang Jingsheng bellowed, ¡°You cheap woman, don¡¯t even think about it. Don¡¯t expect a penny from my dad¡¯s hands; that¡¯s his, not yours!¡±


    His eyes were red with anger.


    That money was his father¡¯s, and what belonged to his father would sooner orter be his.


    Now, to think that half would go to Liu Yujuan, it was like being forced to cut flesh from his own body!


    How could he endure this?


    Liu Yujuan replied with a light smile, ¡°This is stipted by the marriagews; no matter how loud you shout, it¡¯s useless.¡±


    Yang Jingsheng dered furiously, ¡°No matter what, my dad will absolutely not give you any money.¡±


    Liu Yujuan continued with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re already so enraged now. If what I¡¯ve just mentioned is only one of the reasons, and there¡¯s an even more important reason still, wouldn¡¯t you be even more furious if you heard it, to the point you couldn¡¯t even live with it?¡±


    Yang Jingsheng was startled, ¡°There¡¯s an even more important reason? What else could it be?¡±


    Liu Yujuan chuckled and said, ¡°The even more important reason has to do with Yu Lu.¡±


    Yang Jingsheng frowned, puzzled, ¡°What do you mean? What does she have to do with it?¡±


    Liu Yujuan said, ¡°Of course it¡¯s rted. Your father¡¯s career is already on the decline. With his own abilities, climbing back up is virtually impossible unless he uses external help. Chen Guanglei is currently pursuing Yu Lu. If Chen Guanglei and Yu Lu get together, your dad could still find a good job through Chen Guanglei, and further advancement isn¡¯t out of the question. But now that he¡¯s divorced from me, Yu Lu will definitely follow me. His chances to climb up through Yu Lu and get close to Chen Guanglei arepletely dashed.¡±<div>


    Now, Yang Jingsheng truly understood why he had to tolerate Liu Yujuan.


    This was not only about losing half of the family assets but also about cutting off hopes for his career.


    ¡°Liu Yujuan, you vile woman, your heart is so wicked, I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    Having realized everything, Yang Jingsheng became uncontrobly enraged, rolled up his sleeves, and was about to charge at Liu Yujuan.


    ¡°Yang Jingsheng, you dare!¡± Zhao Yulu immediately stepped in front of Liu Yujuan.


    ¡°Jing Sheng, don¡¯t resort to violence!¡±


    At the same time, Yang Tiancheng grabbed hold of Yang Jingsheng.


    ¡°Dad, why are you holding me back? Let go of me; I want to kill this vile woman,¡± Yang Jingsheng yelled.


    ¡°Jing Sheng, don¡¯t act rashly. If you kill her, you¡¯ll seal your own fate. If you hit her, and only injure her, she¡¯ll use that as a reason during the divorce to demand even more money from me!¡± Yang Tiancheng saw things clearer than anyone.


    ¡°Dad, are we just going to let her continue being so arrogant?¡± Yang Jingsheng was restless.


    ¡°Step aside for now; I¡¯ll handle this matter,¡± Yang Tiancheng pulled Yang Jingsheng aside.


    Then, he settled back on the sofa, looked at Liu Yujuan, and said, ¡°Liu Yujuan, have you really decided on divorce? I said it before, it¡¯s impossible for you to return to Zhao Hai.¡±<div>


    Liu Yujuan replied, ¡°Yang Tiancheng, we¡¯ve alreadyid things out today. Whether I can return to Zhao Hai or not, living together with you is out of the question.¡±


    Knowing that the situation was irredeemable, and thinking about the assets he had to split, as well as the lost hope of rising again, Yang Tiancheng gritted his teeth with resentment, ¡°Liu Yujuan, Jing Sheng is right, you truly are a vile woman!¡±


    Liu Yujuan was unfazed and turned to Zhao Yulu, ¡°Yu Lu, go pack your things. We¡¯re moving out tonight; we can no longer stay in this house.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Zhao Yulu stood up and went to her room to pack her belongings.


    Liu Yujuan¡¯s things were already packed. She discussed the distribution of the assets with Yang Tiancheng in the living room.


    Over half an hourter, Zhao Yulu had her things packed, a suitcase, and a bag.


    Dragging her suitcase, she came to the living room, ready to leave with Liu Yujuan.


    ¡°Yu Lu, I know I can¡¯t stop you from leaving with your mom, but I still hope that you¡¯ll continue to recognize me as your dad,¡± Yang Tiancheng still hoped to maintain a father-daughter rtionship with Zhao Yulu.


    In this way, if Zhao Yulu would really end up with Chen Guanglei, he could still use Chen Guanglei¡¯s influence to rejuvenate his career.


    ¡°Sorry, we won¡¯t have any rtion in the future,¡± Zhao Yulu said indifferently.


    ¡°Yu Lu, you¡¯ve lived in this family for over a decade. Are you really cutting off our father-daughter rtionshippletely just because of this?¡± Yang Tiancheng frowned.


    Without Zhao Yulu recognizing him as her father, he wouldn¡¯t be able to leverage Chen Guanglei to restore his career to its former heights, let alone make further progress.<div>

 Chapter 145: 145 A Useless Person

    Chapter 145: Chapter 145 A Useless Person


    ¡°I¡¯ve lived in this family for over a decade, that¡¯s true, but I never felt like you considered me your daughter.¡±<div>


    ¡°Our so-called father-daughter rtionship has never existed.¡±


    ¡°When I was little, whatever toy your son wanted, you bought it for him. But when it came to the toys I wanted, you said you wouldn¡¯t buy me anything.¡±


    ¡°Even if my mom bought me the doll I wanted, you¡¯din it was a waste of money.¡±


    ¡°Each year, you¡¯d take your son on vacation, but there was never a spot for me and my mom.¡±


    ¡°You spent money to send your son to the best schools, to various tutoring sses; with my education, you couldn¡¯t have cared less.¡±


    ¡°I went to a regr public school, and I got into college all through my own efforts.¡±<div>


    ¡°No matter what I did, it was never good enough for you. If I made any small mistake, you¡¯d scold me.¡±


    ¡°But if your son did anything wrong, you¡¯d just say it was okay, ¡®Just be careful next time.¡¯¡±


    ¡°Every time he and I had an argument, right or wrong, you always sided with him and scolded me.¡±


    ¡°As I got older, I was just a tool for you to climb the socialdder of the wealthy, forcing me to break up with Xu Yang is proof of that.¡±


    ¡°Although my mom harbored simr intentions, she at least cared about my life and my studies when I was younger.¡±


    ¡°What have you done for me? And now you talk to me about father-daughter affection, don¡¯t you find itughable?¡±


    Zhao Yulu let out all the frustrations that had been pent up over the years in one go.


    Yang Tiancheng was left speechless by her words.


    Reflecting on the past decade and more, his treatment of Zhao Yulu was indeed as she described.


    Zhao Yulu cared. She just never showed it until now.


    Now that she was about to leave this house for good, there were no more concerns holding her back.


    ¡°Zhao Yulu, even so, you were raised on the Yang family¡¯s food, what¡¯s wrong with asking you to do a few things?¡±<div>


    Yang Tiancheng didn¡¯t say a word, but Yang Jingsheng started to holler.


    ¡°A loser, don¡¯t talk to me!¡± Zhao Yulu nced disdainfully at Yang Jingsheng.


    This Yang Jingsheng, despite attending the best schools, possessed neither the skills nor the quality¡ªin fact, they were dismal.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Yang Jingsheng¡¯s face turned ashen with rage, and he looked as though he was about to burst and attack her.


    Thebel ¡®loser¡¯ was usually something he called others, no one had ever used it on him before.


    Zhao Yulu using it on him was particrly grating to his ears.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be rash,¡± Yang Tiancheng held back his son, ¡°in this situation, if you hit her, she definitely won¡¯t let it go easily, and you could very well end up detained again.¡±


    Liu Yujuan said with a sneer, ¡°Yang Tiancheng, look at your son. You¡¯ve given him such good conditions, yet you still couldn¡¯t raise him right, but the daughter you disregarded, Yu Lu, is a hundred times better than your son.¡±


    Yang Jingsheng yelled furiously, ¡°Liu Yujuan, you lowly woman, you have no ce to speak here!¡±


    Liu Yujuan waved her hand dismissively, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll say no more. Whatever happens between you and your father has nothing to do with me and my daughter anymore. Yu Lu, let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll stay in a hotel for now and look for a house in the next few days.¡±


    With that, the mother-daughter pair dragged their luggage and left.


    As the door closed, Yang Jingsheng exploded into a rage, ¡°Dad, just letting them go like that, is letting them off too easy!¡±<div>


    Yang Tiancheng nced at his son, ¡°If we don¡¯t let them go, what else can we do?¡±


    Yang Jingsheng didn¡¯t know how to answer. In fact, he also didn¡¯t know what to do. He couldn¡¯t hit her, and scolding her didn¡¯t make any difference to them.


    So he shifted the subject, ¡°Dad, do we really have to give Liu Yujuan half of our assets?¡±


    Yang Tiancheng replied bitterly, ¡°Pretty much, that¡¯s what thew stiptes. What else can we do if we don¡¯t divide it?¡±


    Yang Jingsheng said, ¡°I saw on TV, some people engage in property transfers. Can¡¯t you do a property transfer?¡±


    Yang Tiancheng replied with the same bitterness, ¡°It¡¯s impossible to transfer now. They would find out. Whatever has to be divided must be divided, not a penny less.¡±


    Yang Jingsheng couldn¡¯t help but curse, ¡°This despicable woman, utterly abhorrent, and that Zhao Yulu is just the same, turning her back on us like that!¡±


    Turning her back was the least of it; what really got to him was Zhao Yulu calling him useless. He simply couldn¡¯t bear it.


    If it weren¡¯t for his dad holding him back, he really would have given Zhao Yulu a beating.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s all my fault. I didn¡¯t care for her enough ordinarily. I always put all my energy into you and neglected her. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have done this, wouldn¡¯t have said such ruthless words,¡± Yang Tiancheng sighed.


    He knew that he was to me for this issue.


    Zhao Yulu had never really received much care from him since she was a child, so it was no wonder she harbored such resentment and swiftly cut off their father-daughter rtionship.<div>


    ¡°Dad, how can you me yourself? If you provided her food and raised her, that¡¯s already a great blessing for her. She should be grateful, not so heartlessly severing the father-daughter rtionship,¡± Yang Jingsheng was still indignant.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore,¡± Yang Tiancheng waved his hand and sighed again, ¡°When ites down to it, all these changes are because of Xu Yang.¡±


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Xu Yang, there wouldn¡¯t be any Riverbed Lure. I wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this, Zhao Hai wouldn¡¯t have be the General Manager of Riverbed Lure, and Liu Yujuan wouldn¡¯t have filed for divorce.¡±


    ¡°If we hadn¡¯t forced Zhao Yulu to break up with Xu Yang back then, it would have been better. With Xu Yang¡¯s character, he certainly would have treated us well. I would have been the General Manager of Riverbed Lure, and Zhao Hai wouldn¡¯t have even been considered.¡±


    Thinking about this matter again made him regret it deeply.


    If Zhao Yulu had continued her rtionship with Xu Yang, he wouldn¡¯t have cared about being the Deputy General Manager of Meiwei Group; he would have been the General Manager of Riverbed Lure directly.


    With a son-inw like Xu Yang, life would have been incredibly enjoyable.


    He would have had both status and wealth.


    Even if his soncked ability, he could have secured a good position in Xu Yang¡¯spany and would have had nothing to worry about for the rest of his life.


    Unfortunately, all of that vanished with Zhao Yulu breaking up with Xu Yang.


    Now, he could only watch helplessly as his arch-enemy Zhao Hai prospered at Riverbed Lure, calling the shots in the business world.


    ¡°Xu Yang is just too lucky. Who would have thought he could reach where he is now?¡± Yang Jingsheng was very envious of the sess Xu Yang had achieved.<div>


    Whether it was making money through futures investment, scoring big on antiques, earning money from acquiring Fengcai Guild, renaming Fishfire Folks to Riverbed Lure and profiting from it, or investing in the movie ¡®War Panther¡¯ and making a fortune¡ªeach of these was beyond his reach.


    Back when dad was the Deputy General Manager of the catering group and Xu Yang hadn¡¯t made it yet, he could look down on Xu Yang.


    But now, it was Xu Yang¡¯s turn to look down on him.


    What the fuck, where¡¯s the justice in that?


    ¡°It¡¯s not luck; it¡¯s capability. Relying solely on luck would never have gotten him this far,¡± said Yang Tiancheng, shaking his head.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about him anymore.¡± Yang Jingsheng, feeling more irritated the more he spoke of Xu Yang, decided to change the topic, ¡°Dad, you¡¯ve resigned from thepany now, what are you nning to do next?¡±


    Yang Tiancheng responded, ¡°What else can I do but look for a job?¡±


    Yang Jingsheng then asked, ¡°Can you still find a high-level position?¡±

 Chapter 146: 146 The Boss’s Vision is Just Different

    Chapter 146: Chapter 146 The Boss¡¯s Vision is Just Different


    Yang Tiancheng shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know. The hope is slim, mainly because the hot pot project failed. Otherwise, there would be no problem. Now everyone in the industry knows about me; I¡¯ve be theughingstock. Unless a friend with a good rtionship opens a cateringpany, it¡¯s basically not possible, but I don¡¯t have such friends. If I did, I wouldn¡¯t need to set my sights on Zhao Yulu.¡±<div>


    Yang Tiancheng said, ¡°Dad, I still hope you can find a high-level position and arrange a job for me. Otherwise, I can only be an ordinary employee, and I don¡¯t want to be a low-level ordinary employee.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Yang Tiancheng couldn¡¯t help but shake his head, feeling utterly helpless with his son, ¡°I¡¯ll try my best to look for one.¡±


    Yang Jingsheng¡¯s eyes flickered, ¡°Dad, to cling to Chen Guanglei, we don¡¯t necessarily have to go through Zhao Yulu, right? We can contact him directly.¡±


    Yang Tiancheng¡¯s eyes brightened slightly, ¡°That¡¯s true, but I don¡¯t know if the other party will pay attention to us.¡±


    Yang Jingsheng said, ¡°How can you know without trying? Maybe they just need people like you and me.¡±


    Yang Tiancheng nodded, ¡°That¡¯s true. I¡¯ll find a time to contact him and see what he says.¡±<div>


    ¡­


    That day.


    Xu Yang arrived at Fengcai Guild.


    Xiao Dongsheng reported a problem to him.


    ¡°President Xu, many guilds have recently coborated with celebrities to do live stream selling, and I see the sales are very good, which is affecting our sales. Do you think we should also invite some celebrities?¡± Xiao Dongsheng said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed this issue, but I¡¯m not nning to hire celebrities,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°Why?¡± inquired Xiao Dongsheng.


    To him, it seemed like a profitable venture, so why not do it?


    Due to other guilds hiring celebrities for live stream selling recently, many viewers had been drawn away.


    The live stream sales of the guild¡¯s own streamers had decreased.


    He thought that inviting celebrities for live stream selling would be promising.


    He discussed this with Xu Yang mainly to get his approval; as long as Xu Yang gave the green light, he would take action immediately.<div>


    He had already decided on which film and TVpanies to coborate with and which celebrities to invite.


    He would push this forward with the utmost speed.


    ¡°There are three reasons. First, inviting celebrities is very costly; they and their agencies take a significant cut. Although the sales arerge, the profit we can earn is not as high as imagined.¡±


    ¡°Second, inviting celebrities impacts our streamers, who are thepany¡¯s greatest asset. I don¡¯t want to upset our streamers for that bit of money, unless it also benefits them, only then will I consider it.¡±


    ¡°Obviously, just inly inviting celebrities doesn¡¯t benefit our streamers. If we have them coborate with celebrities and then share profits, it wouldn¡¯t be as profitable as the streamers selling by themselves.¡±


    ¡°Third, currently many guilds invite celebrities for live stream selling, and the quality of many products is quite poor. By promoting misceneous brands, those guilds can maximize earnings, but this creates a hidden risk, which is unfavorable for the long-term development of ourpany. No matter who sells it in ourpany, the quality must be assured.¡±


    ¡°For these three reasons, I won¡¯t hire celebrities for live stream selling. If you can solve these three issues, then it¡¯s no problem, I would agree to negotiate with film and TVpanies to hire celebrities for live stream selling.¡±


    Xu Yang had his own observations and thoughts about the market.


    These three points were the results of his observations and considerations.


    ¡°President Xu, you make a lot of sense. It was shortsighted of me; I can¡¯t resolve these issues. Let¡¯s continue to develop along our current path,¡± said Xiao Dongsheng.


    ¡°Old Xiao, everyone wants to make money, but there¡¯s some money I think we shouldn¡¯t earn, like selling those unbranded, uncertified products.¡±


    ¡°This is also why I¡¯ve emphasized multiple times that the products our guild¡¯s streamers promote must be of solid quality.¡±<div>


    ¡°This is not only being responsible to our viewers but also to our streamers and the future development of thepany.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t acquire Fengcai Guild just for fun, nor just to make some money and leave. I hope to develop thepany for the long term.¡±


    ¡°In other words, even if the short video industry declines in the future, I still hope that through the efforts of everyone in ourpany, we can pivot and carve out a new path, understand?¡±


    Xu Yang felt it necessary to share his future ns for Fengcai Guild with Xiao Dongsheng.


    ¡°Mr. Xu, I¡¯ve learned a lot from your talk. Rest assured, I know what to do now, and I have a clearer vision for thepany¡¯s future development,¡± Xiao Dongsheng said.


    The boss is indeed the boss, his vision is simply different.


    I was only thinking of immediate benefits, while the boss was thinking about future development.


    This is what vision means.


    Perhaps this is why I couldn¡¯t develop Fengcai Guild, but the boss acquired and grew it sessfully.


    Following such a boss is indeed my good fortune.


    After talking for a while longer, Xu Yang left.


    He drove his Rolls-Royce Cullinan to pick up his wife from work.<div>


    They were going to have dinner at his father-inw Zhao Hai¡¯s ce.


    From what his wife said, it seemed her father, Zhao Hai, had something to discuss.


    At 5:30 pm, he picked up Zhao Yuxin and headed straight to her father¡¯s house.


    In the car.


    Xu Yang asked, ¡°How¡¯s work been recently?¡±


    Zhao Yuxin replied, ¡°Pretty good.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you join Yang Xin Investment to take care of the finances, managing my money.¡±


    He had mentioned this before, and now he brought it up again.


    Zhao Yuxin shook her head, ¡°I¡¯d rather not. I think my job at the bank is very good, I really enjoy it. You should hire someone else for thepany¡¯s finances.¡±


    Xu Yang said helplessly, ¡°Alright, as long as you¡¯re happy.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin thought for a moment and said, ¡°Husband, I think things are good as they are now. You have your business, and I have my job. I also fear that if I joined thepany, our work philosophies might sh and affect our rtionship.¡±


    Xu Yang smiled, ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t need to worry about that. I¡¯ll support whatever you do.¡±<div>


    Zhao Yuxin shook her head, ¡°That¡¯s not what I want to see. You have your ideas, and I have mine. If our ideas don¡¯t match, conflict is inevitable. Even if you say you support me, you might still feel ufortable about it. I think it¡¯s better the way it is now. I work at the bank, and you¡¯re busy with your affairs. If there¡¯s any event, you take me along, and I¡¯ll get to know your friends too. This is better for our marital rtionship. Don¡¯t bring up this topic again in the future.¡±


    Xu Yang said helplessly, ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t bring it up again unless you raise it yourself.¡±


    Then he added, ¡°You mentioned dad has something to discuss, but he didn¡¯t say what it was. What do you think it could be about?¡±


    Zhao Yuxin shook her head, ¡°I can¡¯t guess. Dad was all mysterious when he calledst night.¡±


    As they talked, they arrived at Zhao Hai¡¯s house.


    Zhao Yuxin had the keys, so they went straight in, with her leading Xu Yang inside.


    As soon as they entered, they were greeted with a delectable aroma.


    ¡°Wow, it smells so good, like braised fish, and somehow it smells even better than when dad makes it.¡±


    ¡°Dad, we¡¯re here!¡±


    Calling out, they set down their things and headed to the kitchen door.


    Immediately, they were stunned.


    <div>

 Chapter 147: 147: Together

    Chapter 147: Chapter 147: Together


    They saw two people busy in the kitchen, one was Zhao Hai, and surprisingly, the other was Zhou Ruyan.


    Zhou Ruyan was in charge of the cooking, with Zhao Hai assisting her.


    ¡°Dad, Ru Yan, you two¡­¡±


    Zhao Yuxin snapped back to reality, realizing something, her face lit up with surprise and joy.


    ¡°Yu Xin, Xu Yang, Ru Yan and I are together now. We invited you over today to announce this to you,¡± Zhao Hai said as he took Zhou Ruyan¡¯s hand, whose pretty face blushed as she nodded at them both.


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful!¡± Zhao Yuxin was overjoyed, her gaze falling on Zhou Ruyan, ¡°Ru Yan, I knew the braised fish smelled better than when Dad makes it, it was your culinary skill! My dad is going to be so blessed from now on.¡±


    With thatment, Zhou Ruyan¡¯s cheeks turned an even brighter red.


    ¡°Yu Xin, Xu Yang, you guys have a seat first. There¡¯s one more dish, it will be ready soon.¡± Zhao Hai let go of Zhou Ruyan¡¯s hand and continued with his work.


    ¡°Okay then, I was thinking about helping out, but seeing you two so sweet together, like a harmonious couple, I won¡¯t interrupt. I¡¯ll just sit and wait for the meal,¡± Zhao Yuxin said.


    Zhao Yuxin pulled Xu Yang back to the sofa in the living room to sit down.


    ¡°No wonder Dad was being so secretive, it was because of this.¡± Zhao Yuxin couldn¡¯t contain her happiness, ¡°Husband, it seems your n was spot on. Having Ru Yan as Dad¡¯s assistant has really made their rtionship blossom. Otherwise, they couldn¡¯t havee together so quickly.¡±<div>


    Xu Yang said, ¡°It¡¯s also because they were attracted to each other. I just added a little fuel to the fire.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin smiled and said, ¡°Now it¡¯s great. Dad will have someone to look after him. He won¡¯t be all alone anymore. I used to feel sorry for him being alone on holidays when I wasn¡¯t with him. It weighed on my heart. Just likest year when you and I went home for the Mid-Autumn Festival, although I called him, and he was smiling, I could still see loneliness and sadness in his eyes. Now, that won¡¯t happen anymore. Even if I¡¯m not with him, Ru Yan will be.¡±


    Xu Yang nodded, ¡°Yes, with Ru Yan by his side, his life will be better.¡±


    Zhao Yuxin continued, ¡°Hmph, now that woman Liu Yujuan should give up!¡±


    She still hadn¡¯t forgotten about Liu Yujuan¡¯s attempt to reconcile with her dad.


    After betraying him, so many years had passed, and yet she had the delusion of getting back together.


    Soon, Zhao Hai and Zhou Ruyan served the dishes on the table.


    The meal was exceptionally joyful for the family, full of happiness and warmth.


    ¡°Dad, Ru Yan, I won¡¯t bother you two any longer, we¡¯ll be going now, bye.¡±


    After eating and resting for a while, Zhao Yuxin got ready to leave with Xu Yang.


    ¡°You little rascal.¡± Watching their retreating figures, Zhao Hai scolded with a smile.


    In the Rolls-Royce.


    ¡°Husband, I¡¯m so happy today. Let¡¯s watch a movie. Since tomorrow is Saturday and we don¡¯t have to work, it¡¯s okay to sleep in and go to bedte,¡± Zhao Yuxin proposed cheerfully.


    ¡°Sure, you pick the movie,¡± Xu Yang naturally had no objections.


    In fact, he and Zhao Yuxin had only watched a movie together twice, once at the premiere of ¡°Panther¡± and another time when it officially released.


    Other than that, they really hadn¡¯t gone to the cinema together.


    He had neglected that.


    Last time, he was considering watching ssic films at home and was about to buy a video membership, almost getting fleeced by the video website.


    Fortunately, his wife was aware of the scheme and they avoided being scammed.<div>


    Last time, he had also received information provided by the system to acquire a copyrightpany.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Zhao Yuxin immediately took out her phone to check, quickly choosing thetest movie to be released, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the cinema closest to our house.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Xu Yang had no objections.


    Zhao Yuxin gave the address, and Xu Yang immediately set the navigation.<div>


    Half an hourter, they arrived at the cinema.


    After buying drinks and popcorn, the time hade, and they entered the movie theater.


    Just as Xu Yang sat down in the theater, the notification sound from the system echoed in his mind.


    [Ding! Directed by Wen Muye and starring Xu Zhen, the movie ¡°I Am Not the God of Medicine¡± will start production in two months and, after its release, will gross thirty-five billion, bing the annual box office champion. The script of ¡°I Am Not the God of Medicine,¡± along with the cast list and various detailed materials, has been sent to your email. Please check!]


    Xu Yang¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Knowing the director and the lead actor, having the script, the cast list, and various materials.


    All he had to do was find this Wen Muye and have him cast Xu Zhen and the others, and he could start shooting right away.


    He couldpletely take the initiative with this movie.


    It was only because he was in the cinema that he didn¡¯t open his email right away to check out the script for the movie.


    A script for a movie that garnered thirty-five billion in box office surely couldn¡¯t be ordinary.


    Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Xu Yang and his wife enjoyed a movie together.


    After the movie, Zhao Yuxin said she wanted to get ate-night snack and mentioned how she missed the barbecues on the street near their school.


    Xu Yang didn¡¯t hesitate and took Zhao Yuxin to the barbecue street near their school.<div>


    When the Rolls-Royce Cullinan stopped at the entrance of the street, it caused continuous screams.


    ¡°Holy shit, a Rolls-Royce Cullinan!¡±


    ¡°Damn, which tycoon is here for barbecue?¡±


    ¡°Must be some rich second generationing to hit on girls at our school.¡±


    ¡°Definitely, every day there¡¯s a luxury car parked at the entrance of the school, picking up pretty female students.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still single, and these bastards are unting their wealth to steal girlfriends from me, it¡¯s infuriating!¡±


    ¡°It is infuriating. Once I graduate and make money, I¡¯ll do the same and pick up pretty college girls.¡±


    Amidst the chatter, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin got out of the car.


    Ignoring the gazes of the crowd, Zhao Yuxin, arm-in-arm with Xu Yang, arrived at a barbecue stall.


    Pang Brother¡¯s Barbecue.


    ¡°Pang Brother, give us ten skewers ofmb, ten skewers of squid, five chicken wings, fivetro, five Chinese cabbage, two eggnts¡­¡±


    Zhao Yuxin ordered the barbecue with familiarity.


    What to eat had already been decided in the car.<div>


    This barbecue store was a ce she and her ssmates often visited.


    Xu Yang, however, had never been there before.


    ¡°Right away, please wait a moment,¡± said the stout owner, who after a quick nce at Zhao Yuxin widened his eyes and eximed, ¡°Eh, are you Zhao Yuxin?¡±


    Zhao Yuxin smiled, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me, Pang Brother. I felt like having your barbecue today, so I came over. I didn¡¯t expect you to still remember me.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I remember,¡± the stout owner said. ¡°You used toe here often for barbecue, and you were one of our prettiest customers. I thought I would never see you again after your graduation, but you still remembered my barbecue. This must be your boyfriend, huh? He¡¯s quite handsome and sharp-looking¡ªa great catch in your eyes.¡±


    He then addressed Xu Yang, ¡°Young man, Zhao Yuxin was known as the campus belle at Jiangcheng University. Countless male students pursued her, but she never epted any of them. You are fortunate to have her as your girlfriend.¡±


    Zhao Yuxinughed, ¡°Pang Brother, he¡¯s not my boyfriend.¡±


    The stout owner was taken aback, ¡°If he¡¯s not your boyfriend with how close you two are, then what¡¯s the situation?¡±


    He was somewhat baffled.

 Chapter 148: 148: Hiring Xu Zhen as the Director

    Chapter 148: Chapter 148: Hiring Xu Zhen as the Director


    Zhao Yuxin chuckled, ¡°Big guy, he¡¯s my husband, we¡¯ve registered our marriage.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡± The stout owner was stunned, but soon regained hisposure and said with a wry smile, ¡°And here I thought there was some kind of situation. So it¡¯s like this. To think that you¡¯ve gotten married less than a year after graduation. Congrattions, congrattions. Go ahead and take a seat; I¡¯ll have your food grilled up in no time.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± said Zhao Yuxin as she led Xu Yang to an outdoor table to sit down.


    It wasn¡¯t long before the barbecue was served.


    The owner personally delivered the food and chatted with them for a few moments before leaving.


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin enjoyed their meal immensely.


    During the barbecue, they also bumped into some junior ssmates.


    Both of them reminisced about the good old days in college.


    After the barbecue, when it was time to pay the bill, the stout owner insisted they didn¡¯t need to pay, saying it was his treat.


    ¡°I¡¯m very happy to see graduatese back to my ce for a meal,¡± the stout owner exined his reason.


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin naturally didn¡¯t agree to this and left a hundred yuan before departing.<div>


    The barbecue would cost at most fifty yuan.


    By the time they got home, it was already past midnight. The couple took a shower together and then went to sleep.


    The next day.


    Zhao Yuxin slept in, having dered the night before that she wouldn¡¯t be woken up until noon.


    Xu Yang, on the other hand, got up as usual, washed up, ate breakfast outside, and then opened hisputer to check his emails.


    After reading the screeny for ¡°I Am Not a Medicine God,¡± he realized it was indeed a good script, an adaptation of real events.


    The director Wen Muye was an art film director who had made an art movie previously.


    It was quite profound but didn¡¯t do well at the box office, themon plight of art films.


    Xu Yang saw Wen Muye¡¯s phone number listed and called him.


    The phone rang for quite a while before being answered.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± A voice, still groggy with sleep, answered the call.


    ¡°Hello, this is Xu Yang from Yang Xin Investment. May I speak to Director Wen Muye?¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°What¡¯s it about?¡± Wen Muye sounded impatient.


    He had stayed up until six in the morning to finish the first draft of the screeny for ¡°I Am Not a Medicine God,¡± and now it was time for revisions.


    He had just fallen asleep a little while ago when the phone rang, waking him up, and the thought of another unknown investmentpany reaching out irritated him.


    Noticing the impatience in the other party¡¯s tone, Xu Yang went straight to the point, ¡°Director Wen, here¡¯s the thing: I¡¯ve got a script and I¡¯d like to invite you to direct it. What do you say¡­¡±


    Without letting Xu Yang finish, Wen Muye interrupted, ¡°I don¡¯t have the time, I¡¯m not interested. Don¡¯t call again!¡±


    Having said that, Wen Muye hung up the phone.


    Xu Yang slightly furrowed his brow, feeling a bit annoyed.<div>


    This guy sure has an attitude.


    If that¡¯s the case, I won¡¯t bother looking for you to direct.


    After all, the script is ready-made, there¡¯s a list of actors, and all sorts of materials are on hand.


    Just need to find a capable director to produce the film, and the box office should be decent.<div>


    So who to choose as the director?


    He hadn¡¯t decided yet when his phone rang, showing it was Ye Kaifeng from Hua¡¯an Pharmaceuticals calling.


    ¡°President Ye,¡± Xu Yang answered the call.


    ¡°President Xu, the phase I clinical trial of our gastric cancer drug was an unequivocal sess. The cancer cells in the patients who participated in the trial have been cleared!¡± Ye Kaifeng announced excitedly.


    ¡°That¡¯s great news!¡± Xu Yang responded, ¡°Does this mean it can be put on the market for sale?¡±


    ¡°Not yet, President Xu,¡± Ye Kaifeng replied. ¡°We have to conduct phase II and phase III trials. The state regtion for such drugs is very strict.¡±


    Not fully understanding the process, Xu Yang said, ¡°I see. But I believe that the second and third phases will also be sessful.¡±


    ¡°I believe that as well,¡± Ye Kaifeng said. ¡°Mr. Xu, here¡¯s the situation: Phase I of the experiment has already been a sess. Thepany is going to hold a press conference on Monday to announce this news. At that time, we hope that you can have your Fengcai Guild help publicize it.¡±


    The Fengcai Guild is simply a publicity powerhouse.


    Whether it¡¯s for promoting War Panther or for the struggle between Xu Yang and Hua¡¯an Film and Television, the Fengcai Guild has yed a vital role.


    Since Xu Yang is the owner of the Fengcai Guild, there¡¯s no reason for him not to utilize it.


    ¡°No problem, just have someone send me the video of the press conference, and I¡¯ll have the people at Fengcai Guild edit it and make sure all the streamers spread the word,¡± Xu Yang had no objections.


    Moreover, he also wanted everyone to know about the birth of this cancer medication to give those patients hope.<div>


    Although the medication might be expensive, it is ultimately a hope.


    As for the issue of high prices, that¡¯s not something he can change by himself.


    After all, it¡¯s not hispany¡ª he¡¯s just an investor.


    ¡°Mr. Xu, thank you. With your Fengcai Guild¡¯s publicity, I believe this medication will quickly be a household name,¡± Ye Kaifeng expressed his gratitude.


    ¡°Mr. Ye, there¡¯s no need to be so polite. I¡¯m a shareholder of thepany, and it¡¯s only right for me to do something for it,¡± Xu Yang said.


    The two chatted a bit more before hanging up.


    After putting away his phone, Xu Yang continued to ponder over who to choose as the director for ¡°I Am Not the God of Medicine.¡±


    ¡°What about Wu Jing?¡±


    Xu Yang had juste up with the idea when he immediately discarded it.


    Wu Jing has always been active in the action film sphere and might not be suitable for directing a drama like this.


    Plus, even if he had the ability, he probably wouldn¡¯t have the time.


    He has to film War Panther 2.


    You have to understand, War Panther 2 is a movie with a box office of five billion, which is much higher than ¡°I Am Not the God of Medicine.¡±<div>


    Can¡¯t let ¡°I Am Not the God of Medicine¡± dy Wu Jing from directing War Panther 2.


    So, whom to choose? Who is good at this kind of film?


    ¡°What about a big-name director? Like Zhang Guoshi or Chen Kaige?¡±


    Just as the idea came to him, Xu Yang shook his head again.


    Such big-name directorsmand a very high fee, and they might not necessarily be suitable.


    In recent years, the films these directors have made haven¡¯t done very well at the box office.


    Now, Xu Yang was in a dilemma, staring nkly at the actor list on hisputer screen.


    Suddenly, a name caught his eye.


    Xu Zhen!


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I could ask Xu Zhen to be the director. Xu Zhen isn¡¯t just an actor but also a director.¡±


    ¡°Although Xu Zhen is aedy director, the email says that Xu Zhen really likes this movie. Xu Zhen hasn¡¯t missed any promotional events for the film, and his performance in the film could be called perfect. He even won a minor award in Taiwan.¡±


    The more Xu Yang thought about it, the more he felt that choosing Xu Zhen as the director was feasible.


    The system only had Wen Muye¡¯s phone number and not Xu Zhen¡¯s.<div>


    The system probably wanted him to approach Wen Muye, and leave everything else to Wen Muye to handle.


    But since Wen Muye wasn¡¯t responding to him, he had to find another director.


    Xu Yang dialed Wu Jing¡¯s number.


    ¡°Mr. Xu, good morning,¡± Wu Jing said.


    ¡°Good morning, Director Wu. I have a film right now that I originally wanted you to direct, but since you¡¯re going to film War Panther 2, I¡¯m thinking of having Xu Zhen direct it. You¡¯re all in the same circle; do you have his phone number by any chance?¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°I do, I¡¯ll send it to you,¡± Wu Jing replied.


    ¡°Great, thank you,¡± Xu Yang hung up the phone.


    A little whileter, he received Xu Zhen¡¯s phone number from Wu Jing.


    Immediately, Xu Yang dialed Xu Zhen¡¯s number.

 Chapter 149: 149: If you want to go, go. I’m not going.

    Chapter 149: Chapter 149: If you want to go, go. I¡¯m not going.


    ¡°`<div>


    ¡°Hello, Director Xu, I am Xu Yang from Yang Xin Investment.¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°Mr. Xu, hello, hello,¡± Xu Zhen was very polite.


    Wu Jing had just called him, mentioning that someone wanted to invite him to direct a movie, which he hadn¡¯t taken very seriously.


    But when he heard it was Xu Yang, thergest investor in War Panther, he paid attention.


    After the huge sess of War Panther, various stories about the making of the film had be well-known.


    Wu Jing, being in a desperate situation, encountered a benefactor who made a hefty investment of twenty million, and only then was the film produced.<div>


    Moreover, this person was also the owner of Fengcai Guild and Jiang Di Lao.


    During the pre-release and release period of War Panther, Fengcai Guild worked tirelessly to promote it.


    Besides the quality of the film itself, Fengcai Guild¡¯s promotional efforts were indispensable for War Panther¡¯s box office earnings of 1.5 billion.


    Otherwise, it might have stalled at five or six hundred million.


    This was a consensus in the industry.


    Subsequently, when seeking investors for War Panther 2, a series of events urred, eventually leading to a conflict between Xu Yang and Hua¡¯an Film and Television.


    Xu Yang¡¯s tactics made Hua¡¯an Film and Television retreat in defeat, suffering heavy losses, and in the end, they could only seek peace.


    This battle made people realize the terror of Fengcai Guild.


    It also made people realize that Xu Yang was not someone to be provoked.


    If a giant like Hua¡¯an Film and Television could fall to Xu Yang, anyone else who dared to provoke him was courting death.


    After these events, although Xu Yang was an outsider to the industry, his name had be louder than many industry tycoons.


    Xu Zhen was originally an actor. Since the day Too Embarrassed became the top-grossing domestic film, Xu Zhen had transformed from an actor into a sought-after top director.<div>


    Even so, Xu Zhen knew that he did not carry much weight in front of someone like Xu Yang.


    Therefore, he spoke to Xu Yang with utmost courtesy.


    ¡°Director Xu, here¡¯s the thing, I have a movie that needs a director, and I think you¡¯re quite suitable. Do you have the time?¡± Xu Yang got straight to the point.


    If Xu Zhen were like Wen Muye, impatiently saying he had no time or interest, Xu Yang would not pay any more attention to Xu Zhen, he might even not consider Xu Zhen for a leading role.


    With the screeny in hand, he wasn¡¯t afraid of not finding actors and directors.


    However, judging from Xu Zhen¡¯s polite tone, it seemed unlikely to be like Wen Muye.


    ¡°Mr. Xu, thank you for your trust. To be honest, many people have approached me to direct films. How about this, send me the screeny, and I will have a look. If it¡¯s suitable, I¡¯ll take it on; if not, I can only apologize and not waste your time. Is that okay?¡±


    Having mingled in the industry for years, Xu Zhen had climbed from a minor actor to his current position, he was notparable to a newbie like Wen Muye when it came to dealing with people and business.


    By saying this, he paid sufficient respect to Xu Yang while also leaving himself room to manoeuvre.


    Even though Xu Yang represented strong capital, Xu Zhen, who had finally be a top director, needed to cherish his own reputation. He couldn¡¯t possibly agree to direct a lousy film.


    Otherwise, if he directed a flop, the audience wouldn¡¯t me Xu Yang¡ªthey would me him.


    Once his reputation was tarnished, it would be very difficult to clean.<div>


    ¡°Alright, send me your email address, and I¡¯ll forward the screeny to you.¡± Xu Yang had no objection.


    Such an attitude from Xu Zhen demonstrated he was someone responsible for himself and for the film he would direct.


    If Xu Zhen had simply agreed to any investor asking him to direct a film, his reputation would have likely been ruined long ago.


    After ending the call, Xu Yang soon received an email address from Xu Zhen.


    Xu Yang sent the screeny and followed up with a message: Director Xu, I¡¯ve sent the screeny.


    Xu Zhen replied: Alright, I¡¯ll look at it in the next couple of days and get back to you.


    ¡­


    That afternoon.


    ¡°`


    Liu Yujuan sessfully divorced Yang Tiancheng and even secured property worth over twelve million.


    The shared property from the marriage had amounted to that much in her hands.


    With this money, she could live a life of luxury for quite a long time.<div>


    Yang Tiancheng was left feeling depressed, not only having lost over ten million but also facing a hopeless career.


    ¡°Yang Tiancheng, from now on we¡¯re strangers, I hope you can find your way back to the pinnacle of your career.¡±


    Liu Yujuan said hypocritically before she left.


    ¡°Bitch!¡± Yang Tiancheng could only curse resentfully as he watched Liu Yujuan¡¯s retreating figure, but there was nothing he could do about it.


    ¡­


    That evening, at a certain apartmentplex.


    Liu Yujuan rented a two-bedroom, one-living-room apartment here, where she lived with Zhao Yulu.


    A little past nine o¡¯clock, she pulled a suitcase out of the bedroom and said to Zhao Yulu, ¡°Yu Lu, let¡¯s go meet your dad.¡±


    She was intent on reconciling with Zhao Hai and seemed quite confident about it.


    Yang Tiancheng¡¯s words had gone in one ear and out the other.


    ¡°If you want to go, go. I¡¯m not going,¡± Zhao Yulu said. Though she didn¡¯t acknowledge Yang Tiancheng as her stepfather, she felt his words made sense and agreed with them.


    That was the notion that Zhao Hai would never reconcile with her mother.<div>


    No man would ever ept a woman who had once betrayed him.


    But her mother just wouldn¡¯t listen, and there was nothing she could do.


    ¡°How can you not understand my good intentions? I¡¯m doing this all for you. Why won¡¯t you help me at all?¡± Liu Yujuan was indignant.


    Having her daughter apany her would certainly make the situation a bit better.


    In any case, seeing his daughter would soften Zhao Hai¡¯s heart, right?


    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, but this matter¡­ Forget it, there¡¯s no point in talking. You won¡¯t listen anyway. I definitely won¡¯t go. You can go if you want,¡± Zhao Yulu said, too weary to bother further.


    ¡°You¡­ Fine, I¡¯ll let you see that even without your help, I can get back with your dad,¡± Liu Yujuan said as she dragged her suitcase away.


    She hailed a taxi and went straight to Zhao Hai¡¯s ce.


    She climbed the stairs and knocked on the door.


    Soon, the door opened.


    ¡°Zhao Hai, I¡­¡±


    Liu Yujuan began to speak but stopped abruptly.<div>


    Because the person who opened the door wasn¡¯t Zhao Hai but a woman.


    It was Zhou Ruyan, the woman she saw meeting with Zhao Hai outside Jiang Di Lao that day.


    Moreover, Zhou Ruyan was wearing pajamas.


    This made Liu Yujuan¡¯s face sour.


    Could it be that Zhao Hai and Zhou Ruyan were already¡­


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Liu Yujuan asked with a hostile tone.


    ¡°You¡¯re here for Brother Hai, aren¡¯t you?¡± Zhou Ruyan didn¡¯t answer but asked calmly.


    ¡°Nonsense, if I¡¯m not here for him, would I be here for you? Youngdy, let me give you some advice: be honest and upright in life; don¡¯t think about taking shortcuts all the time. Otherwise, things won¡¯t end well for you.¡±


    Liu Yujuan¡¯s words were harsh, almost outright using Zhou Ruyan of being shameless.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been honest and upright, and I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯ve done anything underhanded. As for whether the oue will be good, that¡¯s not for you to worry about. Instead, as Brother Hai¡¯s ex-wife, someone who once betrayed him and now wants to get back together with him, you¡¯re the one who won¡¯t have a good oue. I¡¯d advise you to give up on that hope,¡± Zhou Ruyan retorted forcefully.


    Now that she was with Zhao Hai, of course, she needed to defend her own rights and wouldn¡¯t allow an outsider to belittle her.

 Chapter 150: 150: Not Willing to Concede

    Chapter 150: Chapter 150: Not Willing to Concede


    ¡°You¡­¡± Liu Yujuan¡¯s face turned livid with rage, about tosh out at Zhou Ruyan.<div>


    In this regard, she feared no one.


    But before she could get the words out, she saw Zhao Hai appear behind Zhou Ruyan.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Zhao Hai didn¡¯t give Liu Yujuan a warm reception, and his tone was particrly frigid.


    ¡°Zhao Hai, Tian Cheng and I have divorced. Now Yu Lu and I have nowhere to live, can we stay at your ce for a while?¡± Liu Yujuan began to y the victim, painting herself as pitiful.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but Ru Yan and I are living together now. It¡¯s inconvenient to have you stay here,¡± said Zhao Hai.


    What!<div>


    They really were living together!


    Although she had already suspected it, hearing the news still struck Liu Yujuan like a bolt from the blue.


    If they were living together, then the difficulty for her and Zhao Hai to reconcile had multiplied infinitely.


    ¡°Besides, you divorced Yang Tiancheng, he must have given you a share of his assets. Considering Tian Cheng¡¯s worth, with your share, you could easily afford to buy a house. So why portray yourself as so helpless?¡± Zhao Hai added.


    ¡°Zhao Hai, you know what kind of person Yang Tiancheng is. Do you think he would give me any property? I didn¡¯t get a single cent. Yu Lu and I are penniless now. We¡¯ve been staying in a hotel thesest few days and have run out of money. I originally wanted to bring Yu Lu with me, but she¡¯s too shy to face you, so I had toe alone. If you don¡¯t take us in, we¡¯ll end up on the streets. You can ignore me, but you can¡¯t ignore Yu Lu. No matter what, Yu Lu is your daughter,¡± Liu Yujuan yed the daughter card yet again.


    She always felt that using her daughter could leverage Zhao Yulu.


    But Zhao Hai was not so easily deceived.


    He questioned, ¡°Yang Tiancheng really didn¡¯t give you any property?¡±


    Liu Yujuan immediately shook her head: ¡°Nothing, not a single penny.¡±


    ¡°Wait here a moment,¡± said Zhao Hai. Then he went back inside the house.


    What did he mean by wait? Wait for what?


    Liu Yujuan was somewhat perplexed.<div>


    Before long, Zhao Hai returned to the doorway, holding a cell phone, and dialed a number.


    He even turned on the speakerphone.


    The call connected quickly.


    ¡°Zhao Hai, I¡¯ve lost my job, and my wife left me. Are you calling to mock me?¡±


    From the phone, a familiar voice emerged¡ªit was Yang Tiancheng¡¯s voice.


    Hearing this voice, Liu Yujuan¡¯splexion changed instantly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the time to make fun of you, and you should know that¡¯s not the kind of person I am,¡± Zhao Hai spoke dispassionately.


    ¡°Then why are you calling?¡± asked Yang Tiancheng.


    ¡°Liu Yujuan is at my doorstep now, asking me to take her in. She says you two have divorced and that you didn¡¯t give her a penny. I wanted to check with you, whether what she¡¯s saying is true?¡± said Zhao Hai.


    ¡°That damn woman!¡± The moment he heard this, Yang Tiancheng on the other end of the line erupted in anger, ¡°Zhao Hai, don¡¯t you believe her nonsense. I gave her over twelve million ording to thew!¡±


    Zhao Hai responded indifferently, ¡°Alright, I got it, thanks.¡±


    After hanging up, Zhao Hai turned to Liu Yujuan: ¡°This is what you call being about to end up on the streets?¡±<div>


    Liu Yujuan¡¯s face turned iron blue, her mouth opened, but she could not say a thing.


    What else could she say? Nothing would be useful now.


    She hadn¡¯t anticipated Zhao Hai would directly call Yang Tiancheng to verify.


    This kind of deceit, exposed right to her face, made her wish she could just crawl into a hole and hide.


    Bang!


    Zhao Hai sneered, said nothing more, and closed the door.


    ¡°Bastard!¡± Liu Yujuan cursed furiously, realizing that she had ruined her chances today, and dragged her suitcase away.


    Back home, the expression on her face was still quite ugly.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t let you in, did he?¡± Zhao Yulu had known this would be the oue.


    ¡°He¡¯s already living with that woman.¡± Liu Yujuan said angrily.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Zhao Yulu responded indifferently, and continued to y with her phone.


    ¡°That¡¯s your reaction? Aren¡¯t you going to say anything?¡± Liu Yujuan was dissatisfied with Zhao Yulu¡¯s calm response.<div>


    ¡°What should I say? Dad has been divorced for so many years. In the past, he probably didn¡¯t remarry because he wanted to take care of my sister and was afraid she would be wronged. Now that my sister is married, he hase out of retirement, be the boss of Jiang Di Lao, and found a new woman. It¡¯s pretty normal,¡± Zhao Yulu said.


    ¡°Are you trying to make me furious?¡± Liu Yujuan shook with anger.


    ¡°Mom, just listen to me, stop harboring illusions. Let¡¯s just live our lives well. Dad will never take you back,¡± Zhao Yulu said.


    ¡°I can¡¯t ept this. I bore him two daughters and got nothing in return. Now he¡¯s sessful, but he¡¯s found another woman.¡± Liu Yujuan was fuming.


    Zhao Yulu rolled her eyes, at a loss for what to say.


    From the sound of it, my mom thinks Dad¡¯s a heartbreaker.


    But she knew that wasn¡¯t the case.


    However, she no longer wanted to say anything about her mom.


    ¡­


    On Monday, Hui¡¯an Pharmaceuticals held a press conference.


    They announced the sessful development of a drug that cures stomach cancer, and that the first phase of clinical trials was aplete sess.


    The news broke, and it immediately caused a sensation.<div>


    ¡°Damn, even cancer can be cured now. Hui¡¯an Pharmaceuticals is amazing!¡±


    ¡°This is absolutely andmark event!¡±


    ¡°Incredible, there¡¯s hope for stomach cancer patients now!¡±


    ¡°If stomach cancer can be cured, can other types of cancer be far behind?¡±


    ¡°I hope Hui¡¯an Pharmaceuticals keeps up the good work and continues to develop drugs for other types of cancer!¡±


    ¡°A blessing for stomach cancer patients, now all stomach cancer patients have hope.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily the case. Only a small portion of stomach cancer patients might be saved.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Think about it, a drug that can treat stomach cancer will definitely be very expensive, probably costing millions. Most people are just ordinary folks, where would they get that much money for the medicine?¡±


    ¡°You do have a point. Let¡¯s hope Hui¡¯an Pharmaceuticals doesn¡¯t price it so high. Don¡¯t give stomach cancer patients hope and then plunge them into despair.¡±


    ¡°Thepany surely spent a lot of money on research and development. Unless there¡¯s government support, it certainly will be very expensive. Capitalists don¡¯t care about much other than making money.¡±


    ¡°No wonder people say that in this world, no sickness is scary except for poverty disease.¡±<div>


    ¡°Absolutely. As long as you have money, no cancer or terminal illness is too scary, as long as it is discovered early and treated vigorously. Even if it cannot be cured, it can greatly extend the patient¡¯s lifespan, making them no different from a normal person.¡±


    ¡°Such a piece of good news, yet you guys make it sound so grave. No matter what, this is a good thing. Maybe the government will include this drug in the scope of medical insurance reimbursement, so we won¡¯t have to worry about the cost.¡±


    ¡°Right, it¡¯s a good thing. I am proud of our country for having such an enterprise.¡±


    ¡°Hui¡¯an Pharmaceuticals sounds like a publicly-tradedpany. We could buy its stocks; there must be money to be made.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother. As soon as the announcement was made, Hui¡¯an Pharmaceuticals hit the upper limit.¡±


    ¡°Damn, not even giving us a chance to get on board!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush. This kind of stock will definitely have a strong bullish trend. Look for an opportunity to enter the market, hold on to it patiently, and there¡¯s definitely money to be made.¡±


    ¡°Haha, I¡¯ve been holding Hui¡¯an Pharmaceuticals stocks for a while. It used to fall constantly, and there were rumors that thepany was going bankrupt, which really stressed me out. I never expected such a huge pleasant surprise. I¡¯ll make myeback thanks to Hui¡¯an Pharmaceuticals.¡±


    ¡°Boo hoo, I couldn¡¯t stand Hui¡¯an Pharmaceuticals¡¯ decline anymore and just sold offst Friday. Why does fate have to y such a joke on me!¡±

 Chapter 151: 151: Let’s Make Money Together

    Chapter 151: Chapter 151: Let¡¯s Make Money Together


    The press conference ended.


    Ye Kaifeng had someone send the video of the press conference scene to Xu Yang, who immediately forwarded it to Xiao Dongsheng, asking him to have an editor work on it and then have all the presenters promote it.


    By noon that day, every presenter from Fengcai Guild released the video, and during their live broadcasts in the afternoon, they repeatedly mentioned the medicine for treating gastric cancer.


    It even sparked nationwide discussions.


    ¡­


    That afternoon, Xu Yang received a call from Xu Zhen.


    ¡°Mr. Xu, I¡¯ve read the script you sent me. It¡¯s written so well, so touching¡ªI¡¯m willing to direct this film,¡± Xu Zhen said.


    ¡°Good, I believe you¡¯ll certainly be a great director,¡± Xu Yang wasn¡¯t surprised.


    If even such a script was rejected, Xu Zhen would have been too short-sighted and would not have gotten to where he was now.


    ¡°Mr. Xu, have you considered the choice for the male lead? I really like the character in there. Could I be the one to y this role?¡± Xu Zhen inquired.


    When he was reading the script, he was deeply attracted to the character of the male lead.<div>


    This was a good script with a good role.


    Such scripts and roles were hard toe by.


    He felt he could use this script and role to take his directing and acting career to a higher level.


    The release of ¡°Too Awkward¡± had made him a highly sought-after director.


    But people generally regarded him as aedy director.


    Comedy films could make money, but they were also considered by many tock depth.


    As a director and actor with aspirations, Xu Zhen hoped to direct more profound movies and portray more profound characters.


    Directors and actors like that could then be called artists by people.


    This was one of the reasons why Feng Gangpao was not satisfied with just makingedies and also wanted to make dramas, disaster films, and war movies.


    ¡°Mr. Xu, actually, for the lead role of this film, I¡¯ve considered having you y it,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°Really? Mr. Xu, thank you for your trust. Letting me be the director and the lead actor, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t disappoint you. I will put aside all other work and devote myselfpletely to the making of this movie,¡± eximed Xu Zhen, excitedly.


    ¡°I believe in you,¡± said Xu Yang. ¡°By the way, regarding the other roles in the film, I have a list here that you can refer to.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Xu Zhen¡¯s excitement faded, reced by a furrowed brow.


    The shaping of characters relies on good actors.


    A good actor can turn an average role into something special.


    An average actor can turn a role that should shine into something mediocre.


    As a director, one of the biggest fears is having the financiers force unsuitable and unqualified actors into the film.


    That could ruin a movie.


    It¡¯s like the saying that one rotten apple spoils the whole barrel.<div>


    If Xu Yang was just inserting one or two extras, that wouldn¡¯t be much of a problem; Xu Zhen could manage that ordingly.


    But when Xu Yang spoke of having a list of actors, it implied he wanted to cast for all the roles¡ªwhich was definitely not okay.


    Even with all his capabilities, he wouldn¡¯t be able to make a good film.


    If that¡¯s what happened, the movie would be ruined.<div>


    ¡°Mr. Xu, actors are crucial to the portrayal of characters and the sess of a movie. As the director, I would still like to pick actors that suit the roles and I hope you can grant me this authority. Surely, you wouldn¡¯t want me to make a bad film either, as that wouldn¡¯t be in your interest,¡± Xu Zhen spoke rather diplomatically.


    This was such because Xu Yang was a big name, having given him such a great script and hiring him to be both the director and the lead actor.


    Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been so polite.


    If Xu Yang insisted on him using some messy actors for the other roles in the movie, then he would rather not be the director and lead actor.


    Because that way, he definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to produce a high-quality film.


    ¡°Director Xu, I know. I¡¯m just asking you to consider them, to give them an audition chance. If you find those actors suitable, use them; if not, don¡¯t. The decision is entirely in your hands. Moreover, I won¡¯t rmend any other actors to you in the future. What do you think?¡±


    Xu Yang naturally knew Xu Zhen¡¯s concerns.


    Actually, this was precisely a show of Xu Zhen¡¯s seriousness and responsibility.


    Only a director with such perseverance could make a good film.


    Directors who ept any chaotic roles stuffed in by investors can only produce bad movies.


    ¡°Alright, no problem.¡±


    Xu Zhen breathed a sigh of relief.


    Since that was the case, he could arrange for those people to audition.<div>


    After all, if they were unsatisfactory, he could just reject them outright.


    Such a promising film must be made with assurance; it was his opportunity.


    It absolutely could not be ruined by a few actors.


    ¡°Okay, for the other aspects, you¡¯re the expert, so I won¡¯t interfere. Please work out the budget for this film as soon as possible, so I can start looking for investors,¡± Xu Yang said.


    He could invest in this film alone, but that was unrealistic.


    Monopolizing the profits was not the way to go.


    Making money together was the right approach.


    Otherwise, from shooting to promotion to release, it would be extremely difficult. Xu Yang alone certainly couldn¡¯t handle it.


    Bringing in some investors would ensure they take care of everything, making the film¡¯s production and release go smoothly.


    He nned to hold forty percent of the investment and offer the remaining sixty percent to other investors.


    This would not only facilitate the smooth progress of the film but also help him to make connections.


    It was a win-win situation.


    Actually, this was the same as the expansion of Jiang¡¯s Bottom Fishing.<div>


    If it weren¡¯t for the investment and shares of Jiang Yuheng and Su Wenbin, Jiang¡¯s Bottom Fishing could never have expanded to the four top-tier cities, let alone nationwide.


    With their involvement, the expansion of Jiang¡¯s Bottom Fishing became smooth.


    Any obstacle would be resolved by them.


    ¡°President Xu, can you give me a share of the investment?¡± Xu Zhen asked tentatively.


    He was very optimistic about this film and would put his all into shooting it.


    The box office shouldn¡¯t be bad, so he hoped to have some share in the investment.


    ¡°No problem. I¡¯ll give you ten percent of the investment, how about that, are you satisfied?¡± Xu Yang smiled.


    Giving Xu Zhen, the film¡¯s director and lead actor, a share of the investment could motivate him to work even harder to make a good movie.


    Interest motivates people, after all.


    ¡°Satisfied, very satisfied, thank you President Xu. Rest assured, I will definitely make this film well,¡± Xu Zhen was excited.


    Initially, he thought that even if Xu Yang agreed to give him an investment share, it would at most be five percent.


    Unexpectedly, Xu Yang was so generous, giving ten percent straight away.


    It seemed that this film would not only change others¡¯ perceptions of him but also allow him to make a fortune!<div>


    After chatting for a while longer, they ended the call.

 Chapter 152: 152 Wang Xiaocong Calls

    Chapter 152: Chapter 152 Wang Xiaocong Calls


    After hanging up the phone with Xu Zhen, Xu Yang called the general manager of the copyrightpany, Huang Zhigang.


    More than a month had passed, and he needed to follow-up on the status of the copyright acquisition.


    Soon, the call connected.


    ¡°How is the acquisition of copyrights going?¡± Xu Yang asked directly.


    ¡°Mr. Xu, up to now, we have acquired the rights to a thousand movies, costing sixty million, two hundred television drama rights, for a total of four hundred million.¡±


    ¡°We got forty anime, spending seventy million, secured the broadcast rights to one hundred major sports events, for ten million.¡±


    ¡°We secured twenty variety show online rights, for ten million, and acquired the rights to one hundred popr online novels, for thirty million.¡±


    ¡°In total, we spent five hundred and eighty million.¡±


    Huang Zhigang reported.


    During this period, he had be a distinguished guest among various copyright and culturalpanies.


    Industry insiders knew he was holding heavy funds, actively purchasing arge number of cultural intellectual property rights.<div>


    Many even took the initiative to contact him.


    Big industry yers he could never reach before were now appearing before him, and their attitude was particrly courteous.


    All this was the opportunity given to him by Xu Yang, and he worked diligently, not daring to ck off in the slightest.


    At the same time, he remembered the boss¡¯s instruction, to spend the one billion within three months.


    This was not easy, after all, obtaining copyrights at reasonable prices inevitably involved hard bargaining with those copyright and culturalpanies.


    One could say that during this time, he was pained but also delighted.


    ¡°Very well, keep it up and make sure to spend the money within three months,¡± Xu Yang reiterated.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Xu,¡± Huang Zhigang responded.


    Ending the call.


    Just as he put down the phone and took a rest, the phone rang again.


    Looking at the caller ID, it was an unfamiliar number.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Xu Yang answered the phone.


    ¡°Hello, is this Mr. Xu?¡± a man¡¯s voice came through.


    ¡°Who is this ¡­¡± Xu Yang asked.


    ¡°Take a guess?¡± the man said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in guessing; just say it, or I¡¯ll hang up,¡± Xu Yang replied with impatience, as he had no interest in such pointless games.


    He had a strong dislike for strangers who called and expected him to guess their identity.


    ¡°Wait, Mr. Xu, let me introduce myself, I am Wang Xiaocong,¡± the man said.


    ¡°Wang Xiaocong? The son of Wang the billionaire, the national celebrity Wang Xiaocong?¡± Xu Yang was surprised, and hardly believing his ears, he hastily confirmed.<div>


    ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s me,¡± Wang Xiaocongughed.


    ¡°Wang Xiaocong, it really is you!¡± Xu Yang was shocked.


    He had not expected such a person to call him.


    Logically, he had no connection with the man.<div>


    ¡°Wang Xiaocong, what is the reason for your call?¡±


    Xu Yang quickly regained hisposure.


    The old him might have struggled to stay calm upon receiving a call from Wang Xiaocong, but he was different now.


    He was someone with a system, and although he was not yet on Wang Xiaocong¡¯s level, given time, he was sure to surpass and leave Wang Xiaocong far behind, bing a figure whom even Wang Xiaocong and his father would have to look up to, standing at the pinnacle of the world.


    ¡°Mr. Xu, I was dining with a friend from the film industryst night and heard you¡¯ve engaged Xu Zhen to make a movie. After looking into it, I am very optimistic about that movie. I wonder if I could get some investment quota from you?¡± Wang Xiaocong asked.


    ¡°Wang Xiaocong, if you want an investment quota, of course there¡¯s no problem,¡± Xu Yang agreed immediately.


    With Wang Xiaocong¡¯s participation, the filming and release of the movie would go more smoothly, and the box office would be more secure.


    ¡°Then, thank you,¡± Wang Xiaocong was not surprised. With his status, anyone not foolish would not refuse him.


    Anyway, Xu Yang was going to look for partners to invest with, so allocating him a portion of the investment was also beneficial for him.


    ¡°Mr. Wang is too kind. I haven¡¯t finalized the allocation of this investment quota yet. I need to consider how much specifically I should give you,¡± Xu Yang said.


    Giving Wang Xiaocong an investment quota was tricky; too little and he might be dissatisfied, but too much would mean less avable for others, undermining the effort to charm other people, which would be detrimental for both the movie and himself personally.


    This required a bnce, weighing the needs of all parties to arrive at a reasonable amount.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine by me. Whatever amount you give, I¡¯ll take it. No worries,¡± Wang Xiaocong said with nonchnce.<div>


    ¡°Okay,¡± Xu Yang replied.


    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing. My birthday is in half a month, and I¡¯d like to invite you to my birthday party. Will you be avable?¡± Wang Xiaocong said.


    ¡°You¡¯re inviting me to your birthday party?¡± Xu Yang was taken aback.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m holding the party in Jiangcheng this time, and I hope you cane. Jiang Yuheng and Su Wenbin will also be there,¡± Wang Xiaocong exined.


    ¡°All right, send me the time and address, and I wille with my wife,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll send it to you then,¡± Wang Xiaocong replied.


    It was their first time talking over the phone, and they weren¡¯t familiar with each other. Once they discussed their business, not much else was said, and the call ended.


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t expected to make contact with Wang Xiaocong so soon.¡±


    Xu Yang shook his head and put down his phone.


    He knew that as his business continued to grow, it was very likely that he would cross paths with this national celebrity, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to happen so quickly.


    His own Fengcai Guild and Jang¡¯s Bottom-scooping were growing rapidly.


    His investments in films were also making money. However,pared to the likes of Mr. Wang, there was still a great distance.


    The proactive phone call from the other party firstly showed a real interest in ¡®I Am Not a Drug God¡¯ and a desire to invest and share in the profits.<div>


    The second reason would likely be to make friends with him.


    Leaving other things aside, just the Jang¡¯s Bottom-scooping alone was on its way to bing a dining empire if nothing unexpected happened, making him a bona fide billionaire, or even multi-billionaire.


    Being friends with someone like that wasn¡¯t a downgrade.


    All the projects he had invested in were quite profitable, and the other party might also see an opportunity to make money from him.


    Within a blink of an eye, a week had passed.


    One day, having nothing to do, Xu Yang dropped by the Fengcai Guild to check on how things were going.


    Just as he was about to leave, Xiao Dongsheng approached him to report a situation.


    ¡°President Xu, a film and televisionpany took the initiative to call and express their interest in coborating with us on live-stream sales,¡± Xiao Dongsheng stated.


    ¡°Did I not say that we¡¯re not coborating with any film and televisionpanies?¡± Xu Yang furrowed his brows.


    What was Xiao Dongsheng doing? They had agreed clearlyst time, so why was this still being discussed? Had his words been forgotten?


    ¡°President Xu, it¡¯s like this. This film and televisionpany can meet the three conditions you mentioned,¡± Xiao Dongsheng quickly exined when he saw Xu Yang¡¯s displeasure.


    ¡°Oh? Is that so? Which film and televisionpany is it?¡± Xu Yang was taken aback, seeming somewhat surprised.


    After all, which film and televisionpany would allow for such a lucrative coboration?<div>


    ¡°Hua¡¯an Film and Television,¡± Xiao Dongsheng nced at Xu Yang.


    It was known that Xu Yang had previously, through the Fengcai Guild, had a confrontation with Hua¡¯an Film and Television.


    To be honest, he was also quite surprised when he received the call from Hua¡¯an Film and Television.


    ¡°Hua¡¯an Film and Television?¡± Xu Yang was somewhat surprised.


    Thest conflict with Hua¡¯an Film and Television had left both parties in unpleasant straits.


    Although they reconciledter on, his rtionship with Xue Zhanhua wasn¡¯t very good.


    There were still some knots in their hearts.


    He hadn¡¯t expected that Hua¡¯an Film and Television would seek cooperation.


    Undoubtedly, Hua¡¯an Film and Television¡¯s desire to coborate was Xue Zhanhua¡¯s decision.


    Had that guypletely let go of the grudges in his heart?

 Chapter 153: 153: Nineteen Percent Share, Happy Collaboration

    Chapter 153: Chapter 153: Neen Percent Share, Happy Coboration


    ¡°Profit sharing, did the other party mention it?¡± Xu Yang asked.<div>


    As long as the conditions were met that could make the host earn more money than usual through live stream sales, he wasn¡¯t opposed to proceeding.


    Xiao Dongsheng was about to reply when Xu Yang¡¯s phone rang.


    It was a strange number, from the capital.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Xu Yang answered the call.


    ¡°President Xu, hello, I am Xue Zhanhua.¡± Xue Zhanhua¡¯s heartyughter came through.


    ¡°President Xue, so it¡¯s you.¡± Xu Yang didn¡¯t have Xue Zhanhua¡¯s phone number, which indicated that despite their previous settlement, there genuinely had been some lingering awkwardness, for they hadn¡¯t exchanged phone numbers.<div>


    ¡°President Xu, regarding the investment amount for ¡®War Panther 2¡¯st time, it was all my fault, and ourpany has paid a heavy price for it. I apologize to you once again.¡±


    ¡°This time I¡¯m calling to hope for aplete resolution and to discuss a potential coboration with you on celebrity live stream sales. What do you think?¡±


    Xue Zhanhua¡¯s tone was extremely sincere.


    ¡°Since President Xue has put it this way, it would seem petty of me not to agree, but regarding the coboration, how would the profits be shared?¡± Xu Yang asked.


    ¡°A thirty-seventy split, you take seventy and I take thirty. You should know, when other film and televisionpanies coborate with other live stream guilds, it¡¯s also a thirty-seventy split, but it¡¯s usually the filmpanies that take seventy percent, the guilds take thirty percent. We¡¯ve reversed it; isn¡¯t that a sincere enough gesture?¡± Xue Zhanhuaughed.


    ¡°¡±A thirty-seventy split won¡¯t do,¡± Xu Yang pursued.


    ¡°Then how much do you want?¡± Xue Zhanhua asked.


    ¡°Ny-ten, I take ny and you take ten,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°What!¡± Xue Zhanhua was shocked. ¡°President Xu, isn¡¯t ten percent too little?¡±


    Xu Yang said indifferently, ¡°President Xue, that¡¯s my condition. If you agree, we can coborate. If not, let¡¯s forget it.¡±


    Xue Zhanhua gave a wry smile, ¡°President Xu, must you be so tough, can¡¯t it be a little higher? If we only get ten percent, we¡¯ll just be making enough to get by.¡±


    Xu Yangughed, ¡°President Xue, don¡¯t call me ruthless. Let me ask you one question, why would you be willing to only take thirty percent and work with our guild instead of otherpanies?¡±<div>


    Xu Yang was aware of what Xue Zhanhua was thinking and directly prompted him to say it.


    ¡°President Xu, I¡¯ve seen a lot of coborations between live stream guilds and filmpanies, and many of the products sold are of substandard quality, leading to numerous consumerints.¡±


    ¡°If this continues, there will be problems, and inevitably, it will affect the celebrities involved in the live stream sales.¡±


    ¡°The products your Fengcai Guild sells are still market-tested, quality-assured brand products, so we don¡¯t have these issues,¡± said Xue Zhanhua, giving his reasons.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, and there¡¯s another point you haven¡¯t mentioned: ourpany¡¯s hosts are of high quality, and through coboration with yourpany¡¯s celebrities, they can gain significant exposure,¡± Xu Yang pointed out.


    ¡°Without a partnership with ourpany, to maintain such exposure for your stars would require a considerable amount of advertising expenses,¡± he continued.


    ¡°By coborating with us, you¡¯ll be saving on that marketing budget, and at the same time raising the poprity of yourpany¡¯s celebrities.¡±


    ¡°Should the issue with substandard products arise, celebrities who coborated with other guilds will definitely be implicated.¡±


    ¡°Yourpany¡¯s celebrities will not have this problem and can even use it as an opportunity to promote themselves, thereby improving their poprity and reputation, which will greatly increase their value.¡±


    ¡°These are all intangible assets that will earn yourpany an unknown amount of money in the future,¡± he added.


    Xu Yang saw that Xue Zhanhua wasn¡¯t being entirely forthright and decided toy it out directly.


    ¡°President Xu, your vision is indeed prating,¡± Xue Zhanhua couldn¡¯t help but exim.<div>


    Indeed, his willingness to ept a lower profit share to partner with Fengcai Guild was based on these two points.


    He only mentioned one, not expecting Xu Yang to directly point out the other.


    Impressive indeed.


    This isn¡¯t something an average person outside the industry coulde up with.


    Immediately, he said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do a one-to-nine profit share, I¡¯ll take one and you take nine.¡±


    Xu Yangughed and said, ¡°Good, pleasure doing business with you. Mypany¡¯s General Manager Xiao Dongsheng will take full charge of this; just have someone coordinate with him.¡±


    After ending the call, Xu Yang said to Xiao Dongsheng, ¡°Old Xiao, you heard the conversation. A one-to-nine profit share, we take nine, Hua¡¯an Film and Television takes one, you handle the coordination with them.¡±


    ¡°Boss Xu, you¡¯re too impressive,¡± Xiao Dongsheng ttered, then added, ¡°All right, I¡¯ll get to it. I¡¯ll make sure there are no problems.¡±


    ¡­


    On the other side.


    Chen Guanglei arrived at Jia Sheng Guild.


    He went straight to Zhao Yulu¡¯s office.<div>


    ¡°What brings you here?¡± asked Zhao Yulu.


    ¡°Just came to see how you¡¯re doing,¡± Chen Guanglei said as he sat on the sofa. ¡°How¡¯s thepany doing? Celebrity-endorsed sales are still booming, right?¡±


    Celebrity live-streaming for product endorsements was an initiative he had started.


    Truth be told, as the creator of this trend, he was quite proud.


    This time, he had Xu Yang under his foot, achieving aplete victory.


    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s still very popr.¡± Zhao Yulu nodded.


    ¡°I see Fengcai Guild hasn¡¯t started celebrity live-stream endorsements. It must be because of thest investment issue with ¡®War Panther 2.¡¯ Xu Yang haspletely offended Hua¡¯an Film and Television.¡±


    ¡°To offend Hua¡¯an Film and Television is almost like offending most of the film industry. I¡¯m afraid he wants to cooperate with filmpanies, but no filmpany would be willing to work with his Fengcai Guild.¡±


    Chen Guanglei couldn¡¯t help but feel a touch of schadenfreude.


    Celebrity live-streaming for product endorsements was obviously a huge opportunity, and it made no sense for any guild not to take a bite of this big cake.


    Even the smallest live-streaming guilds would now invite celebrities over.


    If they couldn¡¯t get an A-list celebrity, they¡¯d get a B-list one; if not B-list, then C, D, or E-list celebrities would do.<div>


    Regardless, they were all proactively trying to carve out a piece of this cake, regardless of the size¡ªthey all wanted a share.


    Yet, Fengcai Guild remained silent, showing no intention of coborating with celebrities.


    In his eyes, it wasn¡¯t that Xu Yang didn¡¯t want to cooperate with filmpanies; it was that he couldn¡¯t even if he wanted to.


    No one wanted to work with Xu Yang.


    ¡°Maybe.¡± Although Chen Guanglei made sense, Zhao Yulu always felt it might not be for that reason.


    ¡°It¡¯s not ¡®maybe,¡¯ but ¡®definitely,¡¯¡± dered Chen Guanglei.


    ¡°The celebrity live streams are still popr now, but there¡¯s a problem,¡± Zhao Yulu suddenly mentioned.


    ¡°What problem?¡± Chen Guanglei inquired.


    ¡°The products the streamers are selling are of poor quality. Lately, quite a few consumers haveined about this issue, and it seems to be getting worse. I¡¯m worried that it might cause trouble,¡± Zhao Yulu exined.


    ¡°That¡¯s nothing,¡± Chen Guanglei scoffed with augh. ¡°Everyone is doing it this way. Otherwise, how can there be much profit from coborating with celebrities? It¡¯s by selling those products that we can earn more. Plus, if there are any issues, it¡¯s not our concern. Let the consumers take it up with the manufacturers. We have agreements with the manufacturers. We only handle sales; everything else is none of our business.¡±


    Zhao Yulu frowned and said, ¡°But if there¡¯s an issue and the state or Douyin cracks down on this, our guild will still be affected.¡±


    Chen Guangleiughed, ¡°Zhao Yulu, don¡¯t worry at all. Everyone is doing this. Do you think Douyin or the country will penalize us?¡±<div>


    Zhao Yulu questioned doubtfully, ¡°They won¡¯t?¡±

 Chapter 154: 154 Nobody Has This Vision Anymore

    Chapter 154: Chapter 154 Nobody Has This Vision Anymore


    ¡°No need to worry,¡± Chen Guanglei shook his head, ¡°If it were just a small portion of the guilds and anchors doing this, your concern would be valid. But if most are doing it, there¡¯s nothing to worry about. Thew does not punish the masses; that¡¯s the principle.¡±<div>


    Zhao Yulu didn¡¯t say anything.


    What Chen Guanglei said seemed to make some sense and yet not.


    To her knowledge, the anchors from Xu Yang¡¯s Fengcai Guild never sold fake goods; they had always marketed products of solid quality and good reputation.


    ¡°Anyway, you don¡¯t need to worry about this anymore. Let¡¯s not talk about it,¡± Chen Guanglei waved his hand, changing the subject with a mysterious tone, ¡°I came here this time because there¡¯s something else. Next week, I¡¯m taking you to attend a big shot¡¯s birthday party.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s the big shot?¡± Zhao Yulu couldn¡¯t help but ask, seeing the mysterious look on Chen Guanglei¡¯s face.


    ¡°Wang Xiaocong,¡± Chen Guanglei said proudly.<div>


    ¡°What, Wang Xiaocong!¡± Zhao Yulu was shocked, ¡°You know Wang Xiaocong? And you¡¯re going to his birthday party?¡±


    Asking these two questions, she realized how redundant they were.


    Given Chen Guanglei¡¯s personality, so fond of showing off, if he knew Wang Xiaocong, he would have bragged about it to her long ago.


    Obviously, Chen Guanglei didn¡¯t know Wang Xiaocong. More than likely, he would attend Wang Xiaocong¡¯s birthday party through a friend¡¯s introduction.


    Sure enough, Chen Guanglei¡¯s next words confirmed her guess.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Wang Xiaocong; he¡¯s a big shot, out of my league. But a friend of mine does.¡±


    ¡°Wang Xiaocong¡¯s birthday is next weekend, and he¡¯s chosen to hold the party in Jiangcheng.¡±


    ¡°My friend said he would take me and introduce me to Wang Xiaocong. This will be an excellent opportunity to mingle with top-tier second-generation rich kids like him.¡±


    ¡°Yu Lu, I¡¯ve also asked my friend about it. There will be a lot of top heiresses from Jiangcheng attending Wang Xiaocong¡¯s birthday party. If you can make a few heiress friends there and enter their circle, your future life will be different.¡±


    ¡°These days, I will help you gather information about the hobbies and personalities of those heiresses, so once you know, you can blend into their circle better.¡±


    Attending Wang Xiaocong¡¯s birthday party was an opportunity for Chen Guanglei.


    Bing friends with Wang Xiaocong, just the thought was thrilling.<div>


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Zhao Yulu said gratefully.


    She had always hoped for a chance to break into the circle of Jiangcheng¡¯s top heiresses.


    With that kind ofwork, making money would be much easier.


    A single message from one of them might even turn her into a multimillionaire.


    Zhao Yulu was genuinely thankful to Chen Guanglei for taking her to Wang Xiaocong¡¯s birthday party.


    ¡°Yu Lu, look, even though Xu Yang seems to be doing well recently, it¡¯s still impossible for him to enter such circles, but we have this opportunity,¡± Chen Guanglei didn¡¯t forget to put Xu Yang down again.


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Zhao Yulu nodded.


    On this point, she quite agreed with what Chen Guanglei said.


    Xu Yang might have achieved some sess, but without a solid foundation or connections, it would be absolutely impossible for him to enter such circles or attend Wang Xiaocong¡¯s birthday party.


    ¡°Yu Lu, let¡¯s have dinner together tonight. A new blockbuster from Prettier Nation is showing, and it¡¯s got high ratings. After dinner, let¡¯s go watch a movie,¡± Chen Guanglei seized the opportunity to invite her.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Zhao Yulu hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.


    Chen Guanglei had just mentioned taking her to Wang Xiaocong¡¯s birthday party and promised to collect information on the top heiresses¡¯ preferences to help her fit in with Jiangcheng¡¯s elite circles.<div>


    It would be somewhat inappropriate to refuse Chen Guanglei at this moment.


    ¡­


    That day.


    Xu Yang received another phone call from Xu Zhen.


    ¡°Mr. Xu, I¡¯ve contacted the actors from the list you provided and invited them to audition,¡± Xu Zhen said.


    ¡°I have to say, your insight is excellent.¡±


    ¡°The actors match their roles very well, and their acting skills are impressive. I¡¯ve already assigned them their respective roles.¡±


    Xu Zhen had set up the crew and started contacting the actors from the list Xu Yang had provided, inviting them to audition.


    Originally, he wasn¡¯t taking it seriously, thinking that all these actors were Xu Yang¡¯s personal connections.


    He was nning to just go through the motions, dismiss these people, and then look for actors ording to his own ideas.


    But you never know until you try; he was shocked when he did.


    The actors¡¯ fit for their roles was too high, and their acting was very good.<div>


    Surprised, he discovered another issue: none of these actors even knew who Xu Yang was; they had never even heard of him, so they clearly weren¡¯t Xu Yang¡¯s rtions.


    What did this mean? It meant that Xu Yang had selected these people from the vast sea of actors.


    And he had even sorted out the roles for these people.


    This insight was unmatched.


    He had no idea how Xu Yang had managed it.


    With such sharp discernment, it¡¯s no wonder he could invest in ¡°War Leopard¡± and make a fortune.


    ¡°As long as you think they¡¯re suitable, that¡¯s great,¡± Xu Yang said with a smile.


    The two discussed some other issues before ending the call.


    ¡­


    Two dayster, just past ten in the morning.


    KaiXuan Investments.


    Chen Guanglei arrived at his father Chen Ankang¡¯s office, plopped down on the sofa, and let out a yawn.<div>


    ¡°Dad, what¡¯s up?¡±


    He had been at the club the night before, looking for models.


    He partied pretty hard and stayed outte, and hadn¡¯t fully woken up when his dad¡¯s call woke him.


    His dad had told him toe to the office as he had something to discuss with him.


    So he had to push away the model in his arms, get up, freshen up, leave the club, ande to the office.


    Still looking half asleep.


    Chen Ankang frowned upon seeing his son¡¯s state, ready to scold him.


    Just then, Chen Guanglei¡¯s phone rang.


    ¡°Dad, I need to take this call,¡± Chen Guanglei said, pulling out his phone, and answering, ¡°Yu Lu, what¡¯s up?¡±


    Zhao Yulu said, ¡°Chen Guanglei, Fengcai Guild and Hua¡¯an Film and Television have coborated!¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Chen Guanglei eximed, ¡°How is that possible? How could Hua¡¯an Film and Television coborate with Fengcai Guild? Are you sure you didn¡¯t get it wrong?¡±


    Hua¡¯an Film and Television and Fengcai Guild had shed so fiercelyst time; Hua¡¯an Film and Television undoubtedly suffered heavy losses, and they definitely had a feud. How could they possibly coborate with Fengcai Guild?<div>


    Zhao Yulu said, ¡°No mistake, both Fengcai Guild and Hua¡¯an Film and Television have posted announcements, and several of Hua¡¯an Film and Television¡¯s top stars have already appeared in livestreams of some of Fengcai Guild¡¯s top broadcasters.¡±


    Chen Guanglei was baffled, ¡°How could this be? Didn¡¯t Xu Yangpletely offend Hua¡¯an Film and Television? Are they just letting it go? I don¡¯t see Xue Zhanhua as someone who would just drop an issue like this.¡±


    Zhao Yulu answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Chen Guanglei spected, ¡°It must be because Xu Yang made a hugepromise, offering enough profits for Hua¡¯an Film and Television to satisfy Xue Zhanhua, which is why he agreed to the coboration.¡±


    Zhao Yulu said, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s like you say.¡±


    Chen Guanglei asked, ¡°Why not?¡±


    Zhao Yulu exined, ¡°If Hua¡¯an Film and Television were after high profits, they wouldn¡¯t seek a coboration with Fengcai Guild, because Fengcai Guild only sells those products, and the profit margins on those items are not high, much lower than the products our guilds sell. If Hua¡¯an Film and Television simply wanted to make money, why wouldn¡¯t they partner with our guilds instead of Fengcai Guild?¡±


    Chen Guanglei reasoned, ¡°You make some sense. But what other reasons could there be for both parties to set aside past grievances and coborate? Forget it, I have things to handle here. I¡¯ll investigateter when I¡¯m free,¡± he concluded, then hung up the phone.


    Then he turned to Chen Ankang, ¡°Dad, what is it, what¡¯s the matter?¡±

 Chapter 155: 155: Must Sell the Guild

    Chapter 155: Chapter 155: Must Sell the Guild


    Chen Ankang didn¡¯t go straight to the point but instead asked, ¡°From what I gathered from what you said earlier, Hua¡¯an Film and Television have coborated with Fengcai Guild, and you don¡¯t know why?¡±


    Chen Guanglei was taken aback, then asked, ¡°Dad, do you know?¡±


    Chen Ankang nodded, ¡°In a word, it¡¯s all for profit. With enough benefits, conflicts between people, as long as they¡¯re not particrly deep-seated hatred, can be resolved. If I were Xue Zhanhua, I would also coborate with Fengcai Guild rather than other guilds.¡±


    Chen Guanglei was stunned again, ¡°Why?¡±


    Chen Ankang said, ¡°It¡¯s simple. Coborating with Fengcai Guild is safe, it gives peace of mind.¡±


    Chen Guanglei frowned, ¡°Dad, what do you mean? From what you¡¯re saying, it seems like coborating with our guild is unsafe, and it doesn¡¯t give others peace of mind.¡±


    Chen Ankang nodded, ¡°That¡¯s exactly the case.¡±


    Chen Guanglei, puzzled, said, ¡°Dad, I don¡¯t understand. Why is it that coborating with Fengcai Guild is safe and gives peace of mind, but with our guild, it¡¯s not safe and doesn¡¯t give peace of mind?¡±


    Chen Ankang sighed and said, ¡°Look at what products Jia Sheng Guild is currently selling, most are from unknown brands, and there are many substandard products. Selling such products will sooner orter lead to disaster. How can you make others feel safe and at ease?¡±


    ¡°Dad, you¡¯re talking about this.¡± Chen Guangleiughed, ¡°Zhao Yulu has already mentioned this to me, and I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any need to worry about it. As long as you can make money, that¡¯s fine. The quality issues are not our problem.¡±


    Chen Ankang shook his head, ¡°No, this is our problem. Once a scandal breaks, any guild and host involved in selling counterfeit products will not be able to escape unscathed. They might even face catastrophic consequences. Fengcai Guild insists on selling high-quality brand-name products, which is the right path. Guilds like Jia Sheng Guild, that only care about making money and neglect product quality, selling counterfeit products, will sooner orter face bacsh. By then, not only will they have to give back the money they made, but the guild might also go bankrupt.¡±<div>


    Chen Guanglei, incredulous, said, ¡°Dad, aren¡¯t you being a bit over the top? It¡¯s just selling some substandard products. How could ite to a point where we have to give back the money we¡¯ve made, or even the guild goes bankrupt? Besides, everyone is doing it this way. If it¡¯s not punished generally, we have nothing to fear from Douyin or national rectification. The important thing is that we¡¯ve made the money.¡±


    Chen Ankang shook his head, ¡°You¡¯re oversimplifying things. To be honest, I¡¯ve been too busytely and haven¡¯t kept an eye on Jia Sheng Guild. I let you handle it, but what you¡¯ve done has been disappointing. You¡¯ve narrowed the path for the future. You should learn from Xu Yang, have the guild sell high-quality brand-name products, rather than selling counterfeit products for profit.¡±


    Hearing his father say he should learn from Xu Yang, Chen Guanglei felt annoyed and couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°Dad, I think you¡¯re worrying too much. What¡¯s there to learn from Xu Yang? He doesn¡¯t sell high-profit products because he¡¯s stubborn and inflexible. He sticks to high-quality brand-name products and won¡¯t make much money. Operating like I do is the mainstream. It is the true path to making money.¡±


    Chen Ankang sighed, seeing that his son¡¯s mindset was still not changing, he could only say, ¡°Guanglei, I¡¯mforted that you could pioneer celebrity-driven sales, but I didn¡¯t expect the product quality to be subpar. I¡¯m not asking you to adjust now, and even if you did, it wouldn¡¯t change much. When the scandal breaks, we¡¯ll still face huge losses. The only solution now is to sell the guild, to withdraw in time to avoid the impending catastrophe.¡±


    Chen Guanglei was shocked, ¡°Dad, you want me to sell Jia Sheng Guild?¡±


    Chen Ankang nodded, ¡°Yes, sell it. Selling it now can still make a good profit. If you wait until the scandal breaks, it¡¯ll be toote to get out. You won¡¯t make any money, and even the investment capital might be lost. Start looking for a buyer in the next few days and sell the guild.¡±


    Chen Guanglei was still reluctant, ¡°Dad, the guild is making tens of millions a day.¡±


    He really didn¡¯t want to sell such a profitable guild.


    Moreover, he believed that his father¡¯s talk of the consequences of a scandal was somewhat rmist.


    If a scandal happens, so what? Everyone is doing the same thing; the consumers can¡¯t trace it back to them.


    As for penalties from Douyin and the government, he still believed that there would be no punishment due to the principle that thew does not punish the majority.


    ¡°No matter how much it earns, it must be sold. There is no room for negotiation. Understand?!¡± Chen Ankang said firmly.


    Chen Guanglei didn¡¯t respond, clearly unwilling.


    Chen Ankang sighed and said in a softer tone, ¡°Guanglei, listen to your dad. I won¡¯t be wrong about this. It¡¯s like that aluminum mine investment fromst time. I originally wanted to invest, but you persuaded me to put money into the guild instead, making me theughing stock of the investment world. I¡¯ve been a joke when meeting people these days. Fortunately, the guild made quite a bit of money, which somewhat made up for it. You must listen to me this time, sell the guild quickly, or else it¡¯ll be toote for regrets.¡±


    Hearing what his dad said, Chen Guanglei could only respond, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Although he verbally agreed, he had no intention of immediately looking for a buyer; instead, he nned to wait and see.


    ¡°Good, then you go ahead and take care of it early. It will put my mind at ease,¡± Chen Ankang waved his hand.


    He trusted Chen Guanglei to take care of the matterpletely.


    ¡°Okay, dad, I¡¯m off then,¡± Chen Guanglei got up and left.<div>


    ¡­


    That day.


    Xu Zhen was looking for a filming location for ¡°I Am Not the God of Medicine.¡±


    The main actors were essentially all in ce, and as for the extras, with money, there could be as many as needed.<div>


    Busy as he was, his phone began to ring.


    Seeing the caller ID, it was Wen Muye calling.


    ¡°Xiao Wen,¡± Xu Zhen answered the call.


    ¡°Director Xu, I¡¯ve recently written a script and just finished revising it. I think you¡¯d be the perfect fit for the lead role. Do you have time?¡± Wen Muye got straight to the point.


    Having revised the script, which was more or less finalized, he immediately reached out to Xu Zhen, wanting to secure his schedule.


    He felt Xu Zhen was the ideal choice for the male lead in his y.


    ¡°Xiao Wen, I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ve just taken on a y. I am both the director and the lead actor. It¡¯s a terrific y, and I n to dedicate myself entirely to shooting it. I can¡¯t take on your y,¡± Xu Zhen said.


    Xu Zhen held quite an admiration for Wen Muye, this talented young man.


    He had seen the art film directed by Wen Muye and couldn¡¯t stop praising it.


    During an event where they met, they enjoyed a pleasant conversation and exchanged phone numbers.


    He had also told Wen Muye that if there were any good films in the future, to consider him.


    Now, it seemed Wen Muye remembered his words and hade to him with a role.


    However, since he had just taken on ¡°I Am Not the God of Medicine,¡± there was no way he could make time for Wen Muye¡¯s film.<div>


    ¡°Ah? You¡¯ve taken on a y? But I believe you would be very interested in mine. Maybe after you read it, you would even consider dropping your current y,¡± Wen Muye said.


    ¡°Xiao Wen, it¡¯s not possible. My y is really good, and I won¡¯t drop it. Getting this y is my opportunity. Whether it¡¯s for my directing career or my acting career, it might lead to a breakthrough,¡± Xu Zhen shook his head and smiled.

 Chapter 156: 156 No possibility of cooperation

    Chapter 156: Chapter 156 No possibility of cooperation


    ¡°Xu Zhen, how about this, I¡¯ll send you the script, and when you have time, take a look. Trust me, this film won¡¯t disappoint you.¡± Wen Muye couldn¡¯t persuade any further, so he had to let Xu Zhen read the script first.


    He believed that as long as Xu Zhen read the script, he would definitely be drawn in.


    To push aside other acting offers was a very real possibility.


    It was quite rare for an actor toe across a good script.


    And when there was a good script, turning down other offers didn¡¯t count for much.


    ¡°Alright then, send me the script, and I will take a look before deciding,¡± Xu Zhen conceded.


    Xu Zhen, feeling helpless, couldn¡¯t tantly refuse, so he agreed to look at the script.


    After all, it wasn¡¯t good form to reject an offer outright without even reading the script; they might not approach him next time.


    No matter how busy, he needed to make time to read it.


    This showed that Xu Zhen¡¯s approach to dealing with people was much more mature than Wen Muye¡¯s.


    When Wen Muye received Xu Yang¡¯s call that day, he hung up impatiently without even letting Xu Yang finish speaking.<div>


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll send it right over to you,¡± Wen Muye said.


    Noon.


    After having lunch and taking a break, Xu Zhen took out hisptop to check out the script that Wen Muye had sent.


    He knew that with Wen Muye¡¯s earnestness, he would most likely call to ask about it by tomorrow at thetest.


    So the script definitely had to be read; only then would he know how to clearly decline Wen Muye and give him a convincing reason.


    Upon opening the script and reading a few lines, Xu Zhen was stunned.


    As he continued reading and finished the entire script, Xu Zhen couldn¡¯t help shaking his head.


    ¡°The script written by Xiao Wen is the same as the one Xu Yang gave me. This is a script sh,¡± he said.


    Xu Zhen took out his phone and dialed Wen Muye¡¯s number.


    ¡°Director Xu, how is it? Now you know my film is good, right? Have you agreed to drop your current one and take on mine?¡± Wen Muye¡¯s tone was filled with strong confidence.


    ¡°Xiao Wen, your film can¡¯t be made,¡± Xu Zhen said.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Wen Muye was taken aback.


    ¡°The story of the film I¡¯m working on is almost the same as yours; in fact, your script and mine are so strikingly simr, it¡¯s a sh. My film has already applied for a project proposal, so yours can¡¯t be made,¡± Xu Zhen exined.


    ¡°What! The scripts are strikingly simr, how is that possible?¡± Wen Muye eximed in shock.


    ¡°Xiao Wen, why would I lie to you? You should consider revising it, or maybe write a different story,¡± Xu Zhen suggested.


    ¡°Who gave you that script?¡± Wen Muye asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know him,¡± Xu Zhen replied, shaking his head.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, I just want to know who else hastched onto this real-life story and written a script that¡¯s so remarkably simr,¡± Wen Muye insisted.


    ¡°His name is Xu Yang, a boss from Jiangcheng,¡± Xu Zhen casually replied.<div>


    ¡°Xu Yang? That name sounds vaguely familiar; where have I heard it before?¡± Wen Muye was puzzled.


    ¡°Have you heard of him before?¡± asked Xu Zhen, surprised, and then he realized.


    Xu Yang¡¯s recent reputation had been quite prominent; it was not strange for Wen Muye to have heard of him.


    ¡°Is it the Xu Yang that¡¯s invested by Yang Xin?¡± Wen Muye suddenly remembered.<div>


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s him. Alright, Xiao Wen, I¡¯m busy now, let¡¯s talk some other time, goodbye,¡± Xu Zhen hung up.


    As Wen Muye listened to the beeping tone from the phone, he stood there, somewhat dazed.


    ¡°Thest time Xu Yang called me about a film he wanted me to direct, was it this one?¡±


    ¡°I was very impatient then, did they go straight for Xu Zhen after that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it must have been like that. Why didn¡¯t I just listen to him finish talking?¡±


    ¡°If I had listened to him, I would have been the director of that movie.¡±


    Wen Muye murmured for a bit, then immediately flipped through his call log.


    He found Xu Yang¡¯s phone number ording to the timestamp and dialed it.


    Soon, the call connected.


    Wen Muye immediately said, ¡°Hello, may I speak to President Xu? This is Wen Muye; you called me earlier.¡±


    ¡°Do you need something?¡± Xu Yang¡¯s tone was slightly indifferent.


    ¡°President Xu, first of all, I would like to deeply apologize for being impatient with you when you called mest time.¡±


    ¡°It happened because I was working on a script until six in the morning and got woken up. I was a bit irritated, which is why I acted that way. I hope you can forgive me.¡±<div>


    Wen Muye said apologetically.


    ¡°No problem, it¡¯s all in the past, I won¡¯t hold it against you,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°Thank you so much for your magnanimity, President Xu. Last time, I heard you mention you were looking for a director for a film. May I know what the film is, and could you tell me more about it?¡±


    Wen Muye guessed that Xu Yang wanted him to direct the movie that Xu Zhen had in hand, but that was just a guess and not confirmed yet. He still needed to ask.


    ¡°Actually, there¡¯s no need to talk about it anymore. I have already asked Xu Zhen to direct the movie. There¡¯s no possibility of cooperation between us for this project. If there¡¯s an opportunity next time, let¡¯s work together then,¡± Xu Yang said.


    It was indeed the movie Xu Zhen was directing!


    Wen Muye immediately said, ¡°President Xu, I am willing to be the director of that movie.¡±


    Xu Yangughed, ¡°Director Wen, as I said, I have already hired Xu Zhen as the director. There¡¯s no chance of cooperation this time.¡±


    Wen Muye said, ¡°President Xu, you can rece the director with me. Listen to me, I am the most suitable to direct this film. Honestly, the script I have been writing recently is almost simr to the one you want Xu Zhen to direct. I¡¯ve done in-depth research on the main character and all the supporting roles, as well as conducted interviews with relevant personnel. No one understands the lives and personalities of these characters better than I do. I¡¯m the most suitable director for this film. Please give me a chance.¡±


    He realized that directing this movie was an opportunity for him, and he had to fight hard for it.


    As for the friendship with Xu Zhen, he couldn¡¯t concern himself with it at the moment.


    He believed he was the most suitable; more suitable than Xu Zhen and trusted that Xu Zhen would understand.


    Besides, if Xu Zhen lost the role of director, he still had the role of lead actor.<div>


    Xu Yang still refused, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve already confirmed Xu Zhen as the director. He has done a lot of work for this movie, and I feel he is doing an outstanding job. If I rece him, what would others think of me? I¡¯m a businessman, I need to value reputation andmitment. Let¡¯s work together in the future if an opportunity arises.¡±


    Wen Muye was still not giving up, ¡°President Xu, to produce a movie of the highest quality, changing the director is quite normal in our industry. If it¡¯s difficult for you to tell Xu Zhen, I can talk to him.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°It¡¯s not about whether it¡¯s difficult to tell him. Didn¡¯t you hear what I just said?¡±


    Wen Muye acted as if he hadn¡¯t heard anything, ¡°President Xu, please give me a chance. I¡¯ll take only half of the usual fee.¡±


    Xu Yang said, ¡°This has nothing to do with money.¡±


    Wen Muye continued, ¡°President Xu, I¡¯ll only take a third, no, I don¡¯t need any fee at all. I just hope you will let me direct¡ª¡±


    ¡°Goodbye.¡± Xu Yang hung up the phone before Wen Muye could finish.


    No matter what, he would not agree to Wen Muye¡¯s request.


    He had already given Wen Muye a chance. Since Wen Muye didn¡¯t seize it, no one was to me but Wen Muye himself.


    He was confident that choosing Xu Zhen as the director was the right decision.


    Moreover, he had given Xu Zhen a ten percent investment stake, believing Xu Zhen would be fullymitted to the filming.


    The results might even turn out better than if Wen Muye was directing.


    Plus, with the Fengcai Guild¡¯s promotion, the box office could be even higher than what the system had estimated.<div>


    It wasn¡¯t impossible.


    The box office for ¡°War Leopard¡± was more than double what the system had predicted.

 Chapter 157: The Lion’s Big Mouth

    Chapter 157: Chapter 157: The Lion¡¯s Big Mouth


    Listening to the dial tone on the phone, Wen Muye¡¯s face was a mixture of light and shadow.


    It was clear, Xu Yang would definitely not be asking him to direct the movie.


    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, don¡¯t me me for being unkind.¡±


    Wen Muye gritted his teeth and dialed a phone number.


    It was the number of an executive from Tencent Pictures.


    Before calling Xu Zhen, he had already contacted this executive and shown them the script; the movie was to be led by Tencent Pictures.


    Now that things had turned out this way, and since he couldn¡¯t secure a director¡¯s position with Xu Yang, he would have to let Tencent Pictures handle it.


    A few minutester, he hung up the phone and sneered, ¡°Hmph, Xu Yang, if you won¡¯t let me direct, I won¡¯t make things easy for you either!¡±


    On Xu Yang¡¯s end.


    Not long after hanging up the call from Wen Muye, his phone rang again.


    It was an unfamiliar number, also from Shenzhen.


    He was curious about who from Shenzhen would be calling him.


    He didn¡¯t seem to have any friends from Shenzhen.


    Could it be a close ssmate who had moved to Shenzhen for work?


    ¡°Hello,¡± Xu Yang answered the phone.


    ¡°Is this President Xu? I¡¯m Wu Chengtao, the person in charge of the film department at Tencent Pictures,¡± Wu Chengtao said.


    ¡°Tencent Pictures? What do you need?¡± Xu Yang asked.


    ¡°I heard you¡¯re currently investing in a movie and have hired Xu Zhen as director, is that right?¡± Wu Chengtao asked.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct. Why, do you want to invest?¡± Xu Yang asked.


    ¡°Yes, we would like to invest,¡± Wu Chengtao said.


    ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll allocate a portion of the investment quota to you, but I can¡¯t say exactly how much right now; I need to confirm all the investors before allocating.¡±


    Backed by the Tencent Group, Tencent Pictures is a heavyweight in the film and television industry.


    If they wanted to invest, Xu Yang naturally had to give them face and a share of the stock.


    ¡°I hope you can determine the investment quota for Tencent Pictures right now. How much can you give?¡±, Wu Chengtao was somewhat aggressive.


    ¡°Determine it right now?¡± Xu Yang frowned slightly, displeased with the tone, ¡°If we have to decide now, I can give you five percent of the investment quota.¡±


    Normally, given Tencent Pictures¡¯ scale, Xu Yang would at least allocate ten percent of the investment quota to them.


    Their tone made him displeased, and since they wanted an immediate decision, he would only give them a five percent share.


    ¡°President Xu, you¡¯re not joking with me, are you?¡± Wu Chengtao chuckled coldly.


    ¡°I never joke about these things,¡± Xu Yang¡¯s tone became indifferent.


    ¡°President Xu, I hope to get forty percent of the investment quota, and I hope you can agree,¡± Wu Chengtao said.


    Forty percent of the investment quota?


    Xu Yang was stunned.


    This guy was asking for the lion¡¯s share.


    ¡°President Wu, I¡¯m only keeping forty percent for myself. The remaining sixty percent is to share with other investors; it¡¯s impossible to give you so much. If I gave you forty percent, it would leave only twenty percent for others, which is out of the question.¡±


    He had agreed to give ten percent to Xu Zhen, and he also nned to give ten percent to Wang Xiaocong.


    If we give another forty percent to the other party, the investment quota will be fully allocated, and we won¡¯t be able to bring in other investors.


    That¡¯s uneptable.


    Even though we have Tencent and Wang Xiaocong, ourwork is already very strong.


    But there are other intricate rtionships involved that need others to handle.


    Otherwise, even for Wang Xiaocong and Tencent Pictures, it¡¯s going to be tough.


    Maybe even because of this reason, it could lead to poor box office performance.


    It¡¯s the same old saying, money should be made together; this is what will allow things to go smoothly.


    To hog it all to oneself or have only a few benefit is absolutely not okay.


    ¡°Twenty percent for others is already quite generous. Just find four more people, giving each a five percent stake,¡± Wu Chengtao said with augh.


    ¡°Sorry, but that¡¯s far from what I expected,¡± Xu Yang replied.


    ¡°Mr. Xu, if you want to bring in more people, you could reduce your own investment share,¡± Wu Chengtao said, still smiling.


    ¡°Do you think that¡¯s possible? It¡¯s my movie. I give you forty percent of the investment quota, yet reduce my own share. Do you think I¡¯m an idiot?¡± Xu Yang said with a coldugh in response.


    ¡°Mr. Xu, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re an idiot, but I still hope you can agree. It¡¯s a good thing for both of us,¡± Wu Chengtao stated calmly.


    ¡°Sorry, but I can¡¯t agree to that,¡± Xu Yang said without hesitation.


    ¡°Mr. Xu, don¡¯t be so quick to refuse. I¡¯ve heard from Wen Muye that the movie directed by Xu Zhen is highly simr to the screeny he wrote, which was originally going to be invested by us. Now, it¡¯s as if you¡¯ve snatched it midway. I¡¯m only asking for forty percent of the investment share, that¡¯s not excessive, right?¡± Wu Chengtao said.


    ¡°Snatched it midway?¡± Xu Yangughed, no wonder the other party had the audacity to make such a huge demand. They thought he¡¯d hijacked the project and wanted such a high percentage topensate for their loss. ¡°Sorry, but this doesn¡¯t qualify as a midway hijack. It¡¯s just bad luck for Wen Muye to have written a script simr to mine. You wanting to invest in Wen Muye¡¯s film was also bad luck. If you really think you can demand forty percent investment share for this, let me be clear: you¡¯re asking for too much.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying you won¡¯t agree?¡± Wu Chengtao¡¯s tone turned cold.


    ¡°Yes, I won¡¯t agree,¡± Xu Yang responded coldly.


    ¡°Mr. Xu, you should think this through carefully. Tencent Pictures is backed by Tencent Group, and our strength is beyond your imagination. If you don¡¯t agree, we can make sure your movie never gets made,¡± Wu Chengtao threatened bluntly.


    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± Xu Yang asked with a coldugh.


    If it were the past, he definitely would have been afraid of threats.


    Now, naturally, he was not afraid.


    So what if they were backed by Tencent Group? If they really made him angry, he wasn¡¯t against fighting it out.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m threatening you. It would be best if you ept my terms and give us Tencent Pictures a forty percent investment share, otherwise, don¡¯t me me for not being courteous,¡± Wu Chengtao said with a coldugh.


    He believed that as long as Xu Yang understood the bnce of benefits and consequences, he would surely capitte.


    This was the power of strong capital; it could pressure any weaker party into submission.


    Even if the weaker party was upset, they had no choice but to endure.


    ¡°You know about my dealings with Hua¡¯an Film and Television, right?¡± Xu Yang asked with a coldugh.


    ¡°I know, but if you think you can use the same method against us, Tencent Pictures, as you did with Hua¡¯an Film and Television, you are mistaken. Try it if you don¡¯t believe me,¡± Wu Chengtao retorted without any fear.


    ¡°It seems that method won¡¯t work, but I still won¡¯t agree to your terms. I was considering giving you a five percent investment share, but now I¡¯ve decided not to give you any at all. Do whatever you think you can do,¡± Xu Yang defiantly refused to be threatened.


    If the other side wanted a fight, then they would have one.


    Others might fear Tencent Pictures, but he certainly did not.


    The worst oue was that the movie wouldn¡¯t get made ¨C no big deal.


    ¡°Fine, just wait,¡± Wu Chengtao said with a cold smile and hung up the phone.

 Chapter 158: Attending the Party

    Chapter 158: Chapter 158: Attending the Party


    Not long after his call with Wu Chengtao, Xu Yang¡¯s phone rang again.


    This time, it was a familiar voice.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Xue,¡± Xu Yang said.


    Indeed, it was Xue Zhanhua, the general manager of Hua¡¯an Film and Television, who had called.


    ¡°Mr. Xu, I heard you have a movie and you¡¯ve brought in Xu Zhen as director. I was wondering if we at Hua¡¯an Film and Television could participate in the investment?¡± Xue Zhanhua got straight to the point.


    ¡°Mr. Xue, having a giant from the film industry like Hua¡¯an Film and Television participate in the investment is naturally something I wee. However, the investment amount isn¡¯t yet determined. I still need to find other investors. We will allocate the shares uniformlyter,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°No problem, as long as we can participate in the investment, no matter how much, I am very grateful to you,¡± said Xue Zhanhua.


    ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Mr. Xue,¡± Xu Yang responded.


    ¡°I see that the cooperation between our stars and yourpany¡¯s livestreamers is really good. The stars have improved their reputation and the sales volume has also increased. This is a win-win situation. We should cooperate more on such good things in the future,¡± Xue Zhanhua said with augh.


    ¡°Indeed, I wee such win-win situations,¡± said Xu Yang.


    The two chatted a bit more, then ended the call.


    ¡­


    In the blink of an eye, it was Wang Xiaocong¡¯s birthday.


    Zhao Yulu had done up a delicate makeup, dressed in a snow-white dress, looking like a fairy descending to earth, carrying an LV bag, ready to head out.


    ¡°Yu Lu, you¡¯re dressed up so prettily, where are you nning to go?¡± Liu Yujuan asked curiously.


    Her daughter hadn¡¯t dressed up so exquisitely in a long time.


    If she wasn¡¯t mistaken, it must be for an important event.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to a birthday party,¡± Zhao Yulu pursed her lips.


    ¡°Whose birthday party? Chen Guanglei¡¯s?¡± Liu Yujuan inquired.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s Wang Xiaocong¡¯s,¡± said Zhao Yulu, her lips curling slightly.


    ¡°What! Wang Xiaocong¡¯s birthday party? He invited you? When did you get to know him? Why haven¡¯t you told me? Is he pursuing you?¡±


    ¡°My goodness, if you marry Wang Xiaocong, you¡¯d be a top-tier tycoon¡¯s wife!¡±


    Liu Yujuan was first surprised, then excited.


    If her daughter married Wang Xiaocong, that would truly be a spectacr rise.


    Wang Xiaocong¡¯s father was the wealthiest man.


    How much wealth the richest man had was anyone¡¯s guess.


    Anyway, she felt that no matter how much she spent, she couldn¡¯t spend it all in her lifetime.


    The thought of bing the wealthiest man¡¯s inw excited her beyond words.


    ¡°Mom, what are you talking about? I don¡¯t know Wang Xiaocong. It¡¯s Chen Guanglei who¡¯s taking me to his birthday party,¡± said Zhao Yulu, somewhat speechless.


    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Liu Yujuan¡¯s excitement dampened as if doused by cold water, but she quickly cheered up again. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯re so beautiful that maybe once you attend his birthday party, he¡¯ll take a liking to you.¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you, if he takes a liking to you and wants you to be his girlfriend, you mustn¡¯t refuse.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t act like you do with Chen Guanglei, ying hard to get. This is the son of the richest man, not the same as Chen Guanglei. If you refuse and miss out on this chance, you¡¯ll have nowhere to cry,¡± she warned.


    Upon hearing that Zhao Yulu might meet Wang Xiaocong, she no longer cared that Chen Guanglei was pursuing Zhao Yulu.


    Never mind that Zhao Yulu wasn¡¯t yet Chen Guanglei¡¯s girlfriend.


    Even if Zhao Yulu were Chen Guanglei¡¯s girlfriend, if Wang Xiaocong pursued Zhao Yulu, she would tell Zhao Yulu to ditch Chen Guanglei and be Wang Xiaocong¡¯s girlfriend.


    Chen Guanglei and Wang Xiaocong were simply not on the same level.


    The choice was obvious to someone like her; there was no need to think twice.


    ¡°Mom, you¡¯re getting more and more outrageous. I¡¯m leaving,¡± Zhao Yulu said.


    She couldn¡¯t stand to listen any longer and immediately left the house.


    Behind her, Liu Yujuan¡¯s words of advice still echoed.


    ¡°Yu Lu, you must remember what I said, this could be the most important choice of your life.¡±


    Zhao Yulupletely ignored such admonitions.


    By the time she arrived downstairs, Chen Guanglei was already waiting there.


    On the way to the party venue.


    Chen Guanglei shared with Zhao Yulu the personality traits and hobbies of a few top-tier wealthy and beautiful women, information he had gathered in recent days through his own research and by asking around.


    The aim was to help Zhao Yulu better integrate into the circle of the rich and beautiful.


    Over half an hourter, they arrived at the location of Wang Xiaocong¡¯s birthday party, the Golden Rainbow Hotel.


    This hotel was different from others, specializing in private events and offering high-standard, high-quality services.


    Inside were restaurants, a private movie theater, a game room, a billiard hall, a gym, a sauna room¡­


    In short, it was equipped with everything for dining, entertainment, and amodation.


    In the entire River City, this ce was unique, and business was booming.


    Even many corporate departments came here for team-building retreats.


    Today, Wang Xiaocong had spent a lot of money to book the venue exclusively.


    It was by reservation only, otherwise, it would have been unavable.


    Some people had already arrived and were chatting inside.


    Chen Guanglei and Zhao Yulu did not go in but stood at the entrance and made a phone call to the friend who had brought them to the party.


    Two minutester, after hanging up the phone, he said to Zhao Yulu, ¡°Yu Lu, I¡¯m not familiar with the people inside either. Qin Shao said he will be here in a few minutes, so let¡¯s wait here for a bit.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Zhao Yulu nodded in agreement.


    During the car ride earlier, Chen Guanglei had told her that his friend¡¯s name was Qin Feiyang.


    A few minutester, a Porsche sports car arrived, and a young man dressed in casual attire got out.


    ¡°Qin Shao,¡± Chen Guanglei immediately stepped forward to greet him, followed closely by Zhao Yulu.


    ¡°Chen Guanglei, you¡¯re here,¡± Qin Feiyang greeted him with a smile and a nod.


    Although Qin Feiyang wasn¡¯t among the top-tier rich second-generation, he was quite popr in the national circle of rich youth.


    This was all due to his exceptionalworking skills.


    It could be said that he had friends in every city he visited.


    It was for this reason that he was invited to Wang Xiaocong¡¯s birthday party and was able to bring a friend along.


    ¡°Qin Shao, this is the deputy director of Jia Sheng Guild and my friend Zhao Yulu,¡± Chen Guanglei introduced Zhao Yulu.


    Previously, Chen Guanglei had asked Qin Feiyang if he could bring a femalepanion to the party.


    Qin Feiyang had said there was no problem.


    ¡°Hello, Qin Shao,¡± Zhao Yulu immediately greeted him with a polite smile.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Qin Feiyang was slightly astonished.


    Despite having seen countless women, he rarely came across someone as beautiful as Zhao Yulu.


    He hadn¡¯t expected that Chen Guanglei, a third-tier rich second-generation like him, could have such good fortune to know such a pretty girl.


    That¡¯s right, in Qin Feiyang¡¯s eyes, Chen Guanglei was considered a third-tier rich second-generation.


    As for himself, he considered himself a second-tier rich second-generation.


    People like Wang Xiaocong were top-tier rich second-generations.


    However, as a second-tier rich second-generation with social skills, he managed to maintain good rtionships with many top-tier rich second-generations.


    ¡°Qin Shao, how well do you know Shen Yuyan?¡± Chen Guanglei inquired.


    ¡°What, are you trying to have your cake and eat it too?¡± Qin Feiyang eyed Chen Guanglei with a sideways nce.


    ¡°Qin Shao, please don¡¯t misunderstand,¡± Chen Guanglei was startled, ¡°I don¡¯t have those intentions, and I know my ce. A top-tier beauty like Shen Yuyan is out of my league.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like this, Yu Lu doesn¡¯t know anyone here, and when the party starts, we guys might chat together, and the girls might chat together. I¡¯m worried she might feel awkward being alone, so I was hoping you could introduce her, maybe you could introduce Yu Lu to Shen Yuyan.¡±

 Chapter 158: 158: Attending the Party

    Chapter 158: Chapter 158: Attending the Party


    Not long after his call with Wu Chengtao, Xu Yang¡¯s phone rang again.


    This time, it was a familiar voice.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Xue,¡± Xu Yang said.


    Indeed, it was Xue Zhanhua, the general manager of Hua¡¯an Film and Television, who had called.


    ¡°Mr. Xu, I heard you have a movie and you¡¯ve brought in Xu Zhen as director. I was wondering if we at Hua¡¯an Film and Television could participate in the investment?¡± Xue Zhanhua got straight to the point.


    ¡°Mr. Xue, having a giant from the film industry like Hua¡¯an Film and Television participate in the investment is naturally something I wee. However, the investment amount isn¡¯t yet determined. I still need to find other investors. We will allocate the shares uniformlyter,¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°No problem, as long as we can participate in the investment, no matter how much, I am very grateful to you,¡± said Xue Zhanhua.


    ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Mr. Xue,¡± Xu Yang responded.


    ¡°I see that the cooperation between our stars and yourpany¡¯s livestreamers is really good. The stars have improved their reputation and the sales volume has also increased. This is a win-win situation. We should cooperate more on such good things in the future,¡± Xue Zhanhua said with augh.


    ¡°Indeed, I wee such win-win situations,¡± said Xu Yang.


    The two chatted a bit more, then ended the call.<div>


    ¡­


    In the blink of an eye, it was Wang Xiaocong¡¯s birthday.


    Zhao Yulu had done up a delicate makeup, dressed in a snow-white dress, looking like a fairy descending to earth, carrying an LV bag, ready to head out.


    ¡°Yu Lu, you¡¯re dressed up so prettily, where are you nning to go?¡± Liu Yujuan asked curiously.


    Her daughter hadn¡¯t dressed up so exquisitely in a long time.


    If she wasn¡¯t mistaken, it must be for an important event.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to a birthday party,¡± Zhao Yulu pursed her lips.


    ¡°Whose birthday party? Chen Guanglei¡¯s?¡± Liu Yujuan inquired.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s Wang Xiaocong¡¯s,¡± said Zhao Yulu, her lips curling slightly.


    ¡°What! Wang Xiaocong¡¯s birthday party? He invited you? When did you get to know him? Why haven¡¯t you told me? Is he pursuing you?¡±


    ¡°My goodness, if you marry Wang Xiaocong, you¡¯d be a top-tier tycoon¡¯s wife!¡±


    Liu Yujuan was first surprised, then excited.


    If her daughter married Wang Xiaocong, that would truly be a spectacr rise.


    Wang Xiaocong¡¯s father was the wealthiest man.


    How much wealth the richest man had was anyone¡¯s guess.


    Anyway, she felt that no matter how much she spent, she couldn¡¯t spend it all in her lifetime.


    The thought of bing the wealthiest man¡¯s inw excited her beyond words.


    ¡°Mom, what are you talking about? I don¡¯t know Wang Xiaocong. It¡¯s Chen Guanglei who¡¯s taking me to his birthday party,¡± said Zhao Yulu, somewhat speechless.


    ¡°Oh, I see,¡± Liu Yujuan¡¯s excitement dampened as if doused by cold water, but she quickly cheered up again. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯re so beautiful that maybe once you attend his birthday party, he¡¯ll take a liking to you.¡±<div>


    ¡°Let me tell you, if he takes a liking to you and wants you to be his girlfriend, you mustn¡¯t refuse.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t act like you do with Chen Guanglei, ying hard to get. This is the son of the richest man, not the same as Chen Guanglei. If you refuse and miss out on this chance, you¡¯ll have nowhere to cry,¡± she warned.


    Upon hearing that Zhao Yulu might meet Wang Xiaocong, she no longer cared that Chen Guanglei was pursuing Zhao Yulu.


    Never mind that Zhao Yulu wasn¡¯t yet Chen Guanglei¡¯s girlfriend.<div>


    Even if Zhao Yulu were Chen Guanglei¡¯s girlfriend, if Wang Xiaocong pursued Zhao Yulu, she would tell Zhao Yulu to ditch Chen Guanglei and be Wang Xiaocong¡¯s girlfriend.


    Chen Guanglei and Wang Xiaocong were simply not on the same level.


    The choice was obvious to someone like her; there was no need to think twice.


    ¡°Mom, you¡¯re getting more and more outrageous. I¡¯m leaving,¡± Zhao Yulu said.


    She couldn¡¯t stand to listen any longer and immediately left the house.


    Behind her, Liu Yujuan¡¯s words of advice still echoed.


    ¡°Yu Lu, you must remember what I said, this could be the most important choice of your life.¡±


    Zhao Yulupletely ignored such admonitions.


    By the time she arrived downstairs, Chen Guanglei was already waiting there.


    On the way to the party venue.


    Chen Guanglei shared with Zhao Yulu the personality traits and hobbies of a few top-tier wealthy and beautiful women, information he had gathered in recent days through his own research and by asking around.


    The aim was to help Zhao Yulu better integrate into the circle of the rich and beautiful.


    Over half an hourter, they arrived at the location of Wang Xiaocong¡¯s birthday party, the Golden Rainbow Hotel.<div>


    This hotel was different from others, specializing in private events and offering high-standard, high-quality services.


    Inside were restaurants, a private movie theater, a game room, a billiard hall, a gym, a sauna room¡­


    In short, it was equipped with everything for dining, entertainment, and amodation.


    In the entire River City, this ce was unique, and business was booming.


    Even many corporate departments came here for team-building retreats.


    Today, Wang Xiaocong had spent a lot of money to book the venue exclusively.


    It was by reservation only, otherwise, it would have been unavable.


    Some people had already arrived and were chatting inside.


    Chen Guanglei and Zhao Yulu did not go in but stood at the entrance and made a phone call to the friend who had brought them to the party.


    Two minutester, after hanging up the phone, he said to Zhao Yulu, ¡°Yu Lu, I¡¯m not familiar with the people inside either. Qin Shao said he will be here in a few minutes, so let¡¯s wait here for a bit.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Zhao Yulu nodded in agreement.


    During the car ride earlier, Chen Guanglei had told her that his friend¡¯s name was Qin Feiyang.


    A few minutester, a Porsche sports car arrived, and a young man dressed in casual attire got out.<div>


    ¡°Qin Shao,¡± Chen Guanglei immediately stepped forward to greet him, followed closely by Zhao Yulu.


    ¡°Chen Guanglei, you¡¯re here,¡± Qin Feiyang greeted him with a smile and a nod.


    Although Qin Feiyang wasn¡¯t among the top-tier rich second-generation, he was quite popr in the national circle of rich youth.


    This was all due to his exceptionalworking skills.


    It could be said that he had friends in every city he visited.


    It was for this reason that he was invited to Wang Xiaocong¡¯s birthday party and was able to bring a friend along.


    ¡°Qin Shao, this is the deputy director of Jia Sheng Guild and my friend Zhao Yulu,¡± Chen Guanglei introduced Zhao Yulu.


    Previously, Chen Guanglei had asked Qin Feiyang if he could bring a femalepanion to the party.


    Qin Feiyang had said there was no problem.


    ¡°Hello, Qin Shao,¡± Zhao Yulu immediately greeted him with a polite smile.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Qin Feiyang was slightly astonished.


    Despite having seen countless women, he rarely came across someone as beautiful as Zhao Yulu.


    He hadn¡¯t expected that Chen Guanglei, a third-tier rich second-generation like him, could have such good fortune to know such a pretty girl.<div>


    That¡¯s right, in Qin Feiyang¡¯s eyes, Chen Guanglei was considered a third-tier rich second-generation.


    As for himself, he considered himself a second-tier rich second-generation.


    People like Wang Xiaocong were top-tier rich second-generations.


    However, as a second-tier rich second-generation with social skills, he managed to maintain good rtionships with many top-tier rich second-generations.


    ¡°Qin Shao, how well do you know Shen Yuyan?¡± Chen Guanglei inquired.


    ¡°What, are you trying to have your cake and eat it too?¡± Qin Feiyang eyed Chen Guanglei with a sideways nce.


    ¡°Qin Shao, please don¡¯t misunderstand,¡± Chen Guanglei was startled, ¡°I don¡¯t have those intentions, and I know my ce. A top-tier beauty like Shen Yuyan is out of my league.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like this, Yu Lu doesn¡¯t know anyone here, and when the party starts, we guys might chat together, and the girls might chat together. I¡¯m worried she might feel awkward being alone, so I was hoping you could introduce her, maybe you could introduce Yu Lu to Shen Yuyan.¡±

 Chapter 159: 159: Car Crash

    Chapter 159: Chapter 159: Car Crash


    Shen Yuyan was the top-level wealthy and beautiful woman in Jiangcheng, and also a top-level one in the country, but she was low-key, and not many people knew about her.


    There was an incident, though, that caused quite a stir in the circles of rich second-generation kids, to the extent that it even made the news.


    It was Shen Yuyan¡¯s eighteenth birthday when her father gave her an ultra-A-grade office building in the CBD, worth over two billion in total.


    Just with the rents from this building alone, she could lead a carefree life better than most wealthy and beautiful women.


    Chen Guanglei had the self-awareness to know that a woman like that was out of his league.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is, no problem, I¡¯ll introduce them when the timees,¡± Qin Feiyang suddenly understood.


    ¡°Thank you, Young Master Qin,¡± Chen Guanglei expressed his gratitude.


    ¡°Thank you, Young Master Qin,¡± Zhao Yulu was even happier and expressed her thanks.


    Zhao Yulu had also heard of Shen Yuyan¡¯s great name.


    Bing friends with Shen Yuyan would mean entering the circle of top-level wealthy and beautiful women directly.<div>


    ¡°No need to be formal, Wang Xiaocong probably hasn¡¯t arrived yet, let¡¯s go, we¡¯ll head in first.¡±


    Qin Feiyang waved them off and led the two into the hotel.


    Elsewhere.


    Xu Yang was on his way there with Zhao Yuxin.


    Zhao Yuxin asked, ¡°Husband, it¡¯s said online that Wang Xiaocong likes female inte celebrities, and every time he has a birthday party, he brings a lot of female inte celebs. Do you think it¡¯s true?¡±


    Xu Yang shook his head and smiled, ¡°I don¡¯t know, we¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡±


    It was well known that Wang Xiaocong had a fondness for female inte celebrities.


    His every girlfriend had been an inte celebrity.


    Wang Xiaocong didn¡¯t shy away from this fact; after all, he was just dating and had no intentions of getting married.


    He lived a very carefree life.


    Bang!


    As they were talking, the car shook suddenly.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been rear-ended.¡±


    Xu Yang frowned, checked his rearview mirror, and quickly pulled over.


    ¡°Wife, stay in the car, I¡¯ll go check it out.¡±


    Getting out, he saw that a red Ferrari had hit his car.


    From the sports car stepped out a tall, young woman with striking looks.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you, the road is so wide, and there¡¯s hardly any traffic, how could you rear-end someone?¡± Xu Yang frowned and said.


    He wasn¡¯t about to give any pleasant expressions just because she drove a Ferrari or because she was attractive.<div>


    This was a traffic ident.


    Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t serious. If it had been, any improper handling could¡¯ve been life-threatening.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, it¡¯s all my fault. I was looking at my phone and wasn¡¯t paying attention, and I hit you,¡± the young woman apologized profusely with her hands sped together.


    Then, she noticed Xu Yang was quite handsome, the key point being he was exactly her type.<div>


    It gave her a feeling of excitement.


    However, before she could make a move, she heard a woman¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Husband, how is it?¡±


    Zhao Yuxin had gotten out of the car.


    She saw that it was a red Ferrari through the rearview mirror.


    Initially, she didn¡¯t think much of it, but upon seeing a beautiful young woman getting out, she felt it necessary to get out as well.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, not too serious, we can still drive,¡± Xu Yang replied.


    Husband?


    Clearly, this woman was this man¡¯s girlfriend.


    They were well-matched; the woman was also very beautiful.


    But she wasn¡¯t inferior in looks. Even if they were boyfriend and girlfriend, as long as they weren¡¯t married, she still had a chance.


    Even though Zhao Yuxin called Xu Yang husband, the young woman didn¡¯t believe they were actually married.


    After all, they were both too young, just like her.<div>


    It¡¯s so normal now for boyfriends and girlfriends to call each other husband and wife.


    ¡°Then hurry up and get it sorted, or else we¡¯ll bete for the gathering,¡± Zhao Yuxin said.


    ¡°Handsome guy, beautifuldy, it¡¯s all my fault, I¡¯ll call the police immediately to deal with this,¡± Shen Yuyan recollected her thoughts and quickly made a phone call.


    Xu Yang also called his insurancepany.


    While waiting for the police and insurance personnel to arrive.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, it¡¯s all my fault, I¡¯ve dyed you. My name is Shen Yuyan, may I ask how to address you both?¡± Shen Yuyan introduced herself.


    Shen Yuyan?


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin exchanged nces, both feeling somewhat shocked.


    For her eighteenth birthday, Shen Yuyan received a birthday gift from her father, amercial building worth two billion.


    The two of them had seen this news.


    The woman before them, driving a Ferrari and with an extraordinary demeanor, could very well be the legendary Shen Yuyan.


    Zhao Yuxin said, ¡°My name is Zhao Yuxin, this is my husband, Xu Yang.¡±


    She further confirmed, asking, ¡°Miss Shen, are you the Shen Yuyan from the legend, the one who received a building from her dad as a birthday gift on her eighteenth birthday?¡±<div>


    Shen Yuyan replied helplessly, ¡°It seems that a lot of people know about that.¡±


    Zhao Yuxinughed, ¡°It was a sensational piece of news; your dad really went all out.¡±


    Shen Yuyan pouted, ¡°He did, but now when I hang out with friends, they often tease me, calling me andy.¡±


    Zhao Yuxinughed, ¡°Is it bad to be andy?¡±


    Shen Yuyan replied, ¡°It¡¯s not that it¡¯s bad, it¡¯s just the term that I don¡¯t like. Every time I hear ndy,¡¯ I think of thendy in Stephen Chow¡¯s movies. I guess other people might think the same way. How could I, a great beauty, feel good about such an association?¡±


    Zhao Yuxin chuckled, ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    The two women chatted, leaving Xu Yang with no chance to chime in, so he went back to ying with his phone in the car.


    After a short while, he saw from the rear-view mirror that the two women were chatting andughing, no longer acting politely or distantly with each other, as if they were long-lost best friends.


    This was a bit unexpected for him.


    Could it be that they¡¯ve just be good friends?


    The rtionships between women progress so quickly, don¡¯t they?


    ¡°By the way, Yuxin, I think your boyfriend is very handsome, and you two are a great match. Have you thought about getting married?¡±


    Now that they were much closer, Shen Yuyan took the initiative to ask this question.<div>


    If Zhao Yuxin hadn¡¯t thought about marrying Xu Yang, Shen Yuyan would keep watching and make her move when the time was right.


    ¡°We¡¯re already married,¡± Zhao Yuxin said with a smile.


    ¡°What? Married? Really?¡± Shen Yuyan was surprised, her eyes wide open.


    ¡°Really, we got our marriage certificatest year,¡± Zhao Yuxin said with a nod and a smile.


    ¡°How could you marry so early? What were you thinking?¡±


    Shen Yuyan felt some disappointment inside, but it didn¡¯t show on her face.


    It was not easy to meet a man who made her heart flutter, only to find out he was married.


    If Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin were just boyfriend and girlfriend and Zhao Yuxin didn¡¯t n to marry Xu Yang,


    Then, if they broke up, Shen Yuyan might have been ready to make her move.


    But now that they were married, there was no chance for her.


    Regardless of their rtionship and whether they might divorce,


    Even if they did divorce, she could not be with Xu Yang.


    Her dad would never allow her to be with a divorced man.


    No matter how excellent the guy was, it would not be eptable.


    Well then, they could just be friends. After all, she had a very good impression of Zhao Yuxin, someone who could be a close girlfriend.


    ¡°We both felt that we had found our other half, so we decisively registered our marriage,¡± Zhao Yuxin exined.


    ¡°I admire that!¡± Shen Yuyan couldn¡¯t help but give a thumbs up.


    If it were her, she wouldn¡¯t be able to make such a decision.


    So young, and even if she met someone she liked very much, she wouldn¡¯t be in a hurry to register the marriage.


    It would be nice to enjoy the feeling of being in love a little longer.

 Chapter 160: 160: Wang Xiaocong Appears

    Chapter 160: Chapter 160: Wang Xiaocong Appears


    The police and the insurancepany people arrived.


    After dealing with the situation, Shen Yuyan made a phone call for a tow truck, which arrived and hauled away the Ferrari sports car whose front end was a bit deformed from the crash.


    As for Xu Yang¡¯s Rolls-Royce Cullinan, it was still drivable, so Xu Yang didn¡¯t bother with it and continued to use it.


    ¡°Yu Yan, where are you heading? If it¡¯s on the way, we can give you a ride,¡± Zhao Yuxin asked.


    Although their rtionship had be very good, like best girlfriends, they still only offered a ride if it was convenient. If it wasn¡¯t on the way, they couldn¡¯t oblige.


    Otherwise, they would be dyed in attending Wang Xiaocong¡¯s birthday gathering.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to Bi Road, is that on the way?¡± Shen Yuyan inquired.


    ¡°What a coincidence, we¡¯re also headed to Bi Road. Get in,¡± Zhao Yuxin called out.


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s too coincidental, then I¡¯ll take you up on that offer,¡± Shen Yuyan didn¡¯t hesitate.


    It was a good opportunity to continue chatting with Zhao Yuxin, which was better than taking a taxi.<div>


    In the car.


    ¡°Oh? Are you also going to the Jin Hong Hotel? Today it¡¯s booked by Wang Xiaocong for a birthday party. Are you by any chance going to attend Wang Xiaocong¡¯s birthday gathering?¡±


    Shen Yuyan noticed that Xu Yang¡¯s GPS was set for the Jin Hong Hotel.


    ¡°What, you too?¡± Zhao Yuxin expressed surprise.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Shen Yuyan immediately nodded.


    ¡°It seems we really are fated,¡± Zhao Yuxinughed.


    ¡­


    Jin Hong Hotel.


    Zhao Yulu took the initiative to chat with the affluent beauties.


    But these affluent beauties only conversed with her politely, and after a few sentences, they didn¡¯t pay her much attention.


    Even though she knew what the affluent beauties liked and talked about their interests.


    Their attitude towards her was still lukewarm.


    This made her feel very disappointed and made her realize that to blend into these circles of wealthy beauties, these efforts weren¡¯t enough; she needed real strength.


    Otherwise, no one would truly ept her.


    In other words, she simply didn¡¯t have the right for others to include her in their circle.


    After facing rejection repeatedly, she could only stand alone to one side.


    At that moment.


    A roar of car engines came from outside.


    Two sports cars arrived, followed by a ck Mercedes-Benz business van.<div>


    ¡°Junior Wang has arrived!¡±


    ¡°Junior Wang is finally here!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s wee him!¡±


    ¡°Right, let¡¯s wee him!¡±<div>


    Everyone realized that Wang Xiaocong had arrived and started heading towards the entrance.


    Zhao Yulu also made her way to the entrance.


    No matter what, it wasn¡¯t appropriate to leave just yet.


    It was always good to meet Wang Xiaocong, the son of the richest man.


    At least, it would be something to talk about in the future.


    The two sports cars; one was a Koenigsegg, the other a McLaren.


    From the McLaren, a young man dressed in a grey tracksuit got out.


    It was the national celebrity Wang Xiaocong himself!


    From the Koenigsegg, two people got out.


    One was Jiang Yuheng and the other was Su Wenbin.


    From the ck Mercedes-Benz business van, six mboyantly dressed young women emerged.


    These six young women immediately gathered around Wang Xiaocong upon disembarking.


    ¡°Junior Wang is still the same; he can¡¯t do without those inte-famous girls.¡±<div>


    ¡°His taste hasn¡¯t changed over the years.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s be a signature of his, no need to make a fuss.¡±


    ¡°Right, but apart from Junior Jiang, who¡¯s the other person riding in the same car with him?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know? That¡¯s Su Wenbin, young Master Su, very low-key. His family has a strongwork in government circles, in this respect, I¡¯m afraid even Wang Xiaocong can¡¯tpare.¡±


    ¡°Damn¡­ that¡¯s freaking awesome!¡±


    ¡°No kidding, the people whoe with Young Master Jiang and Young Master Wang, could they be simple folks?¡±


    Everyone was discussing.


    ¡°Young Master Wang!¡±


    ¡°Young Master Jiang!¡±


    ¡°Young Master Su!¡±


    Everyone greeted Wang Xiaocong and his twopanions.


    The trio all nodded in response.


    Then they scanned the crowd, but didn¡¯t see Xu Yang.<div>


    ¡°Xu Yang probably hasn¡¯t arrived yet, let¡¯s go in first,¡± said Wang Xiaocong, surrounded by six female Inte celebrities as he walked into the hotel.


    Jiang Yuheng and Su Wenbin followed closely behind.


    The three of them came to a table and sat down, Wang Xiaocong then dismissed the female Inte celebrities.


    ¡°Old Jiang, give Xu Yang a call and check when he¡¯ll arrive,¡± Wang Xiaocong said.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Jiang Yuheng nodded, dialed Xu Yang¡¯s phone number.


    Two minutester, he hung up the phone.


    ¡°Xu Yang said he just got into a fender bender on the way here, just dealt with it, and is now on his way over,¡± Jiang Yuheng said.


    ¡°That¡¯s so unlucky, he might start thinkinging to my birthday party brings him bad luck,¡± Wang Xiaocong frowned.


    ¡°Guess who bumped into his car?¡± Jiang Yuheng shook his head with a smile, before asking mysteriously.


    ¡°How would I guess?¡± Wang Xiaocong rolled his eyes.


    ¡°It was Shen Yuyan,¡± Jiang Yuheng said.


    ¡°What, what a coincidence!¡± Wang Xiaocong had invited Shen Yuyan to the party.


    ¡°Yeah, Shen Yuyan was driving a Ferrari, identally hit Xu Yang¡¯s Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Her Ferrari¡¯s front end got bent out of shape, couldn¡¯t be driven, so now she¡¯sing with Xu Yang in his Cullinan,¡± Jiang Yuheng continued.<div>


    ¡°Xu Yang ising with his wife, right?¡± Xu Yang said.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Jiang Yuheng nodded.


    ¡°If he wasn¡¯t bringing his wife, I¡¯d suspect he and Shen Yuyan were up to something,¡± Wang Xiaocong said with augh.


    ¡°Old Wang, that kind of joke is okay when Xu Yang isn¡¯t around, but better not say it in front of him. He¡¯s very serious when ites to rtionships and doesn¡¯t like to hear such jokes,¡± Jiang Yuheng warned seriously.


    ¡°I know, I¡¯m not that indiscreet. You said his wife is very pretty, and she¡¯s actually his ex-girlfriend¡¯s twin sister. I¡¯m truly envious. I¡¯ve had so many Inte celebrity girlfriends but never found twins like that,¡± Wang Xiaocong spoke with envy.


    ¡°Old Wang, don¡¯t be envious. An urrence like Xu Yang¡¯s is serendipitous,¡± Su Wenbin said with a smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Wang Xiaocong nodded, then quickly changed the subject, ¡°Speaking of which, you two really hit the jackpot, investing in Xu Yang¡¯s Jiang D.¡±


    The development of Jiang D was anticipated.


    Many people wanted to invest but didn¡¯t have the chance.


    He had just heard that Jiang Yuheng and Su Wenbin had invested as shareholders.


    And there was another super Inte celebrity named Lin Junyi.


    Lin Junyi was very close with Xu Yang.


    Jiang Yuheng didn¡¯t deny it: ¡°Indeed, we made a big fortune.¡±


    Su Wenbin smiled and said, ¡°Old Wang, to tell you the truth, we weren¡¯t sure if Xu Yang would be willing to ept our investment at the time. But it worked out, and Xu Yang also wanted to take care of a few brothers. Making money together¡ªif you had known Xu Yang at the time, you could definitely have invested in Jiang D.¡±


    Wang Xiaocong¡¯s eyes lit up: ¡°Do you think if I propose to invest now, Xu Yang would ept it?¡±


    Su Wenbin shook his head: ¡°I don¡¯t know, you¡¯d have to ask him yourself. We¡¯d love for you to invest, but we can¡¯t interfere in such matters, or it would seem like we¡¯re overstepping.¡±


    Jiang Yuheng nodded in agreement: ¡°Right, we can¡¯t intervene in this. We can¡¯t speak for you, you have to ask him yourself.¡±


    Wang Xiaocong nodded: ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll find a time to talk to him.¡±


    Just then, Qin Feiyang came over with Chen Guanglei.


    ¡°Young Master Wang, let me introduce someone to you.¡±


    ¡°This is Chen Guanglei, his dad is Chen Ankang from KaiXuan Investment,¡± Qin Feiyang introduced.


    ¡°Young Master Wang, nice to meet you, I feel honored,¡± said Chen Guanglei with a subservient smile, appearing somewhat inferior.


    That was a stark contrast to his usual arrogant attitude.


    He couldn¡¯t help it; in front of ordinary people, he was impressive.


    But in front of Wang Xiaocong, this young rich second-generation just couldn¡¯t unt his feathers.


    The gap between him and Wang Xiaocong was muchrger than between him and an ordinary person.


    If he dared to show off in front of Wang Xiaocong, he probably wouldn¡¯t even have the chance to show off in front of ordinary people anymore.

 Chapter 161: 161 Personally Greeting

    Chapter 161: Chapter 161 Personally Greeting


    ¡°Chen Ankang¡¯s son, huh.¡± Wang Xiaocong took a look at Chen Guanglei and burst intoughter. ¡°I heard that your dad was initially keen on the aluminum mine of Fengkai Mining, but after listening to your sweet talk, he invested in acquiring Jia Sheng Guild instead. As a result, someone else took over the mine and made a whopping 1.55 billion, while your dad became theughingstock of the investment world, frequently ridiculed and even called a father-betrayed by his own son.¡±


    Wang Xiaocong didn¡¯t know Chen Guanglei was acquainted with Xu Yang, so he didn¡¯t mention Xu Yang¡¯s name.


    This matter became hot gossip in the investment world, with Xu Yang regarded as a very insightful up-ander.


    Any person in their right mind wouldn¡¯t think Xu Yang made those billions by sheer luck.


    They believed that Xu Yang must have conducted thorough investigations and meticulous analysis before taking over the mine.


    In contrast, Chen Ankang had be a cautionary tale.


    If it had been anyone else who said such things, Chen Guanglei would have definitely flipped out.


    But when Wang Xiaocong said them, Chen Guanglei didn¡¯t dare to lose his temper, and could only force an awkward smile, ¡°Who would have thought that a mine written off by Fengkai Mining could still find so many aluminum resources? Luckily, my investment in Jia Sheng Guild also made a good profit.¡±


    Wang Xiaocong nodded, ¡°That¡¯s true, I also had no intentions of investing when I saw the news, after all. If a professionalpany like Fengkai Mining had given up, who would still have the confidence to find aluminum? Perhaps this is the difference between us and them. They deserve to make money.¡±


    Qin Feiyang then introduced, ¡°Chen Guanglei, this is Young Master Jiang, and this is Young Master Su.¡±<div>


    Chen Guanglei hastily greeted them in an ingratiating manner, ¡°Young Master Jiang, Young Master Su, nice to meet you.¡±


    He had already heard of their identities from Qin Feiyang just a moment ago.


    As for Jiang Yuheng, he knew a little about him since Jiang Yuheng was touted as the most outstanding rich second-generation in Jiang City. He had seen Jiang Yuheng from a distance before.


    But regarding Su Wenbin, he was not so familiar, thankfully Qin Feiyang had filled him in.


    Jiang Yuheng and Su Wenbin looked at Chen Guanglei with unfriendly eyes.


    This hostility was even reflected on their facial expressions.


    It was as if there was a deep conflict between Chen Guanglei and the two of them.


    This left Chen Guangleipletely baffled.


    He hadn¡¯t had any interaction with these two men.


    Why, when they saw him, did they look at him as if they had seen an enemy?


    It was utterly iprehensible to him.


    ¡°Young Master Wang, Young Master Jiang, Young Master Su, you guys go ahead and chat, we¡¯ll be leaving first.¡±


    Seeing that the atmosphere was unfriendly, Qin Feiyang greeted the three and then led his group away.


    Once they were at a distance, Qin Feiyang asked, ¡°Chen Guanglei, have you offended Young Master Jiang or Young Master Su?¡±


    ¡°Not at all.¡± Chen Guanglei felt quite dejected.


    He simply could not recall when he had ever offended these two young masters.


    It could be said that he hadn¡¯t even had the chance to meet them, let alone offend them.


    ¡°No? Then what on earth is going on? They seem to have a grudge against you,¡± Qin Feiyang said with a furrowed brow.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know,¡± Chen Guanglei said with a bitter face.<div>


    He truly didn¡¯t know. This kind of resentment, without knowing the cause, he couldn¡¯t even begin to resolve it.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t know? Or could it be that you¡¯ve forgotten? Think carefully, have you offended them somewhere?¡± Qin Feiyang pressed.


    ¡°Young Master Qin, I really haven¡¯t. I haven¡¯t even had close contact with them. Today is the first time I appeared in front of them to greet them. I¡¯m not stupid, how could I possibly offend them? To offend them would be seeking death, right?¡± Chen Guanglei said bitterly.


    ¡°That¡¯s true, alright. I¡¯ll find a time to ask them. But before I get it clear, you shouldn¡¯t show your face around them; otherwise, it will only provoke their dislike,¡± Qin Feiyang warned.<div>


    ¡°Young Master Qin, I understand.¡± Without Qin Feiyang¡¯s admonition, Chen Guanglei already knew how to act.


    Seeing the murderous look in Jiang Yuheng and Su Wenbin¡¯s eyes, he was already panicking and frightened¡ªhow could he dare to show up in front of them again?


    On Wang Xiaocong¡¯s side.


    Wang Xiaocong asked, ¡°What¡¯s with you two, do you have some history with this Chen Guanglei?¡±


    Jiang Yuheng said, ¡°We don¡¯t have any history with him, but Xu Yang does.¡±


    Wang Xiaocong was startled, ¡°Let¡¯s hear it, what happened?¡±


    He genuinely didn¡¯t know about this matter; he only had a rough understanding of Xu Yang, knowing that the Fengcai Guild and ¡°river fishing¡± were Xu Yang¡¯s and that Xu Yang had purchased an aluminum mine and made a profit of 1.55 billion, invested in Wu Jing¡¯s ¡°War Leopard,¡± making a fortune, and had a sh with Hua¡¯an Film and Television.


    As for other things, he really didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°Duringst year¡¯s Chinese New Year, this Chen Guanglei poached a female broadcaster from Xu Yang¡¯s Fengcai Guild and instructed her to falsely use Xu Yang of breaking unspoken rules¡­¡± Jiang Yuheng briefly exined the incident.


    In fact, there were other matters between Xu Yang and Chen Guanglei, including Chen Guanglei¡¯s disrespectfulments towards Xu Yang at the Haicheng Jade Trading Center and the celebration party of ¡°War Leopard,¡± acting like a clownish jack-in-the-box, jumping around in front of Xu Yang.


    However, Jiang Yuheng was unaware of these incidents.


    ¡°I see, duringst year¡¯s New Year, I was abroad and didn¡¯t follow domestic news. So quite a bit happened, there really is no need to show any courtesy to this Chen Guanglei. The guy is just trouble, unting his minor wealth everywhere, not worth treating as a friend,¡± Wang Xiaocong said.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Jiang Yuheng nodded in agreement.<div>


    The group chatted for a while longer and, checking the time, felt Xu Yang should be arriving soon, so they got up to go out to meet him.


    Wang Xiaocong needed to be attentive to the others, and turned to the crowd, ¡°Everyone, please enjoy yourselves, I¡¯m going to wee someone at the entrance.¡±


    Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked.


    Who could it be that warranted all three of them to go out to wee?


    ¡°Wang, are you going to wee Yu Yan?¡± a wealthy and beautiful woman asked.


    This wealthy beauty, named Meng Qingxue, was a close friend of Shen Yuyan. She had just called Shen Yuyan and knew about the car ident Shen was involved in and was now on her way in a different vehicle.


    Moreover, it was about time to arrive.


    Aside from Shen Yuyan beingte due to the car ident, nearly everyone else had arrived.


    ¡°No, you guys go ahead and talk,¡± Wang Xiaocong shook his head and didn¡¯t reveal whom he was going to meet, as he, Jiang Yuheng, and Su Wenbin went out.


    ¡°Man, who are Wang and the others actually going out to wee?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t figure out who could have such influence.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t be an older, rich tycooning to the birthday party, could it?¡±


    ¡°No way, the guests today are all young people. Wang wouldn¡¯t invite an older rich person, that would just dampen the spirits, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±<div>


    ¡°Could it be the child of some high-ranking official from within the country?¡±


    ¡°Possibly, otherwise why would the three of them condescend to greet the guest.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go out and see, we¡¯ll find out who it is soon enough.¡±


    The crowd was buzzing with spection and followed suit heading outside.


    Zhao Yulu and Chen Guanglei were also very curious about who the three were going out to wee.


    The three were already among the top rich second-generation elites, and ordinary wealthy offspring would unlikely necessitate such attention from them.


    Could it really be, as some people guessed, a high-ranking official¡¯s son or daughter?


    But upon reflection, it seemed improbable.


    Children of such figures were unlikely to appear at Wang Xiaocong¡¯s birthday gatherings.


    That would be too ostentatious, not in line with the profiles of those official¡¯s offspring.


    If it got out, it would be a big problem for those individuals.


    Arriving at the entrance, before long, a Rolls-Royce Cullinan slowly drew up and stopped at the doorway.


    ¡°Could this be the person Wang is about to wee?¡±<div>


    ¡°It must be, a Rolls-Royce Cullinan is befitting in stature.¡±


    ¡°Are we finally going to see the true face of Lu Mountain?¡±


    The crowd buzzed with talk, their eyes glued to the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, eager to glimpse the arrival first-hand.

 Chapter 162: 162: Astonishing Achievements

    Chapter 162: Chapter 162: Astonishing Achievements


    Zhao Yulu and Chen Guanglei¡¯s heads buzzed the moment they saw the Rolls-Royce Cullinan.


    They recognized it immediately, it was Xu Yang¡¯s car.


    But how could that be possible?


    Given Xu Yang¡¯s social status, he didn¡¯t even qualify to attend the gathering, so how could he possibly have Wang Xiaocong personallying out to greet him?


    Both of them could hardly believe it.


    Chen Guanglei feared he was seeing things and even rubbed his eyes.


    But after rubbing his eyes, he realized the license te hadn¡¯t changed; it was indeed Xu Yang¡¯s Rolls-Royce Cullinan.


    ¡°He¡¯s here,¡± Jiang Yuheng and Su Wenbin both started smiling.


    They were very familiar with Xu Yang and knew this was Xu Yang¡¯s car; Xu Yang liked to drive this car when going out.


    The rear door opened, and the first to exit were two beautiful women.<div>


    Most people could recognize one of them as Shen Yuyan.


    The other woman seemed even more beautiful than Shen Yuyan.


    However, no one knew her.


    Many women felt they had seen her before though.


    Soon they remembered, she looked just like Zhao Yulu who they had just been chatting with.


    Quite a few people nced repeatedly towards Zhao Yulu.


    Without a doubt, these were two women rted to each other.


    If no surprises, they were probably twin sisters.


    However, right now everyone¡¯s focus was in front, so no one asked Zhao Yulu anything.


    ¡°My God, what¡¯s happening?¡± Shen Yuyan was stunned to see so many people standing at the entrance.


    At that moment, Xu Yang got out from the driver¡¯s seat.


    ¡°Xu Yang, I¡¯m d you came to my birthday party,¡± Wang Xiaocong took big strides over.


    ¡°Xu Yang,¡± Jiang Yuheng and Su Wenbin followed closely and greeted Xu Yang warmly.


    ¡°Wang Sha, did you put on this disy just to wee Xu Yang?¡± Shen Yuyan couldn¡¯t help asking.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me putting on a disy, it was Jiang Yuheng, Su Wenbin, and meing out to greet him; everyone else just came out to see what the fuss was about,¡± Wang Xiaocong exined.


    ¡°Got it,¡± Shen Yuyan nodded.


    When Wang Xiaocong was weing someone, everyone naturally became curious about who it could be.


    Coming out to see what the fuss was about wasn¡¯t strange at all.


    If she were among them, she would¡¯vee out too.<div>


    ¡°Wang Sha, this is my wife Zhao Yuxin,¡± Xu Yang pulled Zhao Yuxin to his side and introduced her.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m pleased you and Xu Yang coulde to my birthday party,¡± Wang Xiaocong seriously said such words twice.


    ¡°Thank you, I¡¯m delighted to attend your birthday party,¡± Zhao Yuxin politely responded.


    ¡°Who exactly is this person?¡±<div>


    ¡°Listening to how Wang Sha called him, it seems his name is Xu Yang, but I¡¯ve never heard of any powerful rich second generation named Xu Yang.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of him either, just who could this powerful rich second generation be?¡±


    Everyone discussed it, none of them knowing Xu Yang.


    ¡°I know this Xu Yang!¡±


    Suddenly, a voice called out.


    ¡°You know? Tell us quickly!¡±


    ¡°Right, right, we should be asking you; you have the widest connections and the best information.¡±


    ¡°Qin Feiyang, stop beating around the bush, spill it.¡±


    ¡°`


    Everyone looked towards Qin Feiyang.


    ¡°This Xu Yang is the boss of Fengcai Guild and also the boss of Jiang Bottoms Up,¡± Qin Feiyang said.


    ¡°What, the boss of Fengcai Guild and Jiang Bottoms Up!¡±


    ¡°Good heavens, the boss of Fengcai Guild and Jiang Bottoms Up is so young, I thought the boss of Jiang Bottoms Up was a middle-aged man!¡±<div>


    ¡°Fengcai Guild has a high status on Douyin, and many high-quality broadcasters are from Fengcai Guild.¡±


    ¡°The future development of Jiang Bottoms Up is self-evident, expected to be a catering giant worth hundreds of billions.¡±


    The crowd eximed incessantly.


    ¡°Xu Yang¡¯s achievements don¡¯t stop there, do you all know about the much-talked-about incident in the investment world? The aluminum mine of Fengkai Mining in South America,¡± Qin Feiyang revealed.


    ¡°Yes, we know, it was said to have been sold to someone for fifty million, and that personter found a massive amount of aluminum in that mine, selling it back to Fengkai Mining for 1.6 billion, making a profit of 1.55 billion.¡±


    ¡°Qin Feiyang, what do you mean, could this Xu Yang be rted to that incident?¡±


    ¡°Damn, Qin Feiyang, you¡¯re not going to say that this Xu Yang is the person who took over the aluminum mine and made a profit of 1.55 billion?¡±


    The crowd discussed it, looking at Qin Feiyang.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, it was Xu Yang who did it, and he made a profit of 1.55 billion.¡±


    ¡°Also, Wu Jing¡¯s ¡®War Panther¡¯ was a big hit because of his efforts.¡±


    ¡°Originally, Wu Jing was at his wits¡¯ end, begging everyone for investments, and ¡®War Panther¡¯ was on the verge of being abandoned when Xu Yang invested twenty million, allowing Wu Jing toplete the film.¡±


    ¡°Later, he even arranged for Fengcai Guild¡¯s broadcasters to promote ¡®War Panther¡¯ for free, which is why the film was able to earn 1.5 billion at the box office.¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, no matter how good the quality of ¡®War Panther¡¯ was, it would have been impossible to achieve such a high box office. The most it could have gotten was five or six hundred million¡ªthat¡¯s the consensus among industry insiders, especially since many people have a poor impression of domestic military action films.¡±<div>


    ¡°Later, due to investment issues with ¡®War Panther 2,¡¯ Xu Yang even shed with Xue Zhanhua, the head of Hua¡¯an Film and Television.¡±


    ¡°That incident escted greatly, eventually causing severe losses for Hua¡¯an Film and Television and they had no choice but to settle.¡±


    ¡°It can be said that Xu Yang rose rapidly within a year, and everything he has done has been astonishing.¡±


    ¡°Not to mention the other things, just Jiang Bottoms Up itself has already opened in the four top-tier cities, and is valued at over ten billion.¡±


    ¡°This Xu Yang is a proper billionaire.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not the second-generation rich, but first-generation wealth; he only graduated from collegest year and has be a billionaire in less than a year.¡±


    ¡°Think about it, how impressive he is. Among us, who has made ten billion on their own?¡±


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s through family connections, I doubt any of us have made ten billion, right?¡±


    ¡°As far as I know, even Young Master Wang and Young Master Jiang haven¡¯t reached that mark.¡±


    Qin Feiyang no longer teased the crowd and spilled everything he knew.


    ¡°This Xu Yang truly is incredible, his achievements are astonishing.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a billionaire, my dad¡¯s assets have just surpassed ten billion.¡±


    ¡°To make a profit of 1.55 billion in one go, that operation indeed is breathtaking. My dad often says that this young man is extraordinary, and he must meet him if he gets a chance. I didn¡¯t expect to meet him in person today.¡±<div>


    ¡°Just Jiang Bottoms Up alone, and soon he¡¯ll surpass most of us.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, many big shots say that Jiang Bottoms Up is expected to be a catering behemoth with a market value of hundreds of billions.¡±


    ¡°No wonder Wang Xiaocong personally came out to greet him; he has the clout. His investment ability is so formidable, following him in the future could mean making money.¡±


    ¡°I heard Wang Xiaocong¡¯s investments haven¡¯t been very sessful, and it seems that he might have this in mind.¡±


    ¡°We must definitely offer him a toastter, to foster a good rtionship.¡±


    The crowd¡¯s view of Xu Yangpletely changed, bing feverish.


    No one thought like Chen Guanglei, who believed that Xu Yang got where he was by luck.


    Chen Guanglei was heavily biased against Xu Yang, which is why he thought this way.


    A person like Xu Yang is definitely an investment genius. Whether it¡¯s vision or courage, both are definitely top-notch.


    Building a good rtionship with such a person is definitely all benefit and no harm.

 Chapter 163: 163 Not Only Pit Dad, but Also Pit Friends

    Chapter 163: Chapter 163 Not Only Pit Dad, but Also Pit Friends


    Chen Guanglei¡¯splexion turned somewhat pale.


    Listening to these people¡¯s discussions, he finally realized how foolish he had been before.


    Perhaps, at the beginning, when Xu Yang only acquired the Fengcai Guild, he could still look down on Xu Yang.


    Even when Xu Yang acquired Yuhuo Renjia and renamed it to Jiang Di Lao, he could still afford to look down on Xu Yang.


    But after Jiang Di Lao became an explosive sess, he should not have looked down on Xu Yang anymore.


    Just Jiang Di Lao alone hadpletely crushed him.


    Xu Yang was now a billionaire, let alone him, even his father had to look up to him.


    His father¡¯s assets, at most, were just a few billion.


    What did that make him, a young man born into wealth?


    That day, when he invited Zhao Yulu to his birthday party, he didn¡¯t forget to belittle and mock Xu Yang, saying Xu Yang didn¡¯t have the qualifications to attend such a gathering.<div>


    What qualifications did he have to mock Xu Yang?


    Thinking back on the celebration for ¡°War Leopard,¡± how he had bounced around in front of Xu Yang.


    It was really just as Xu Yang said, he was nothing but a jumping clown.


    Vocally calling someone a country bumpkin, iming that every sess was just luck, he looked down on him and never expected that the clown would actually be himself.


    Zhao Yulu was somewhat dazed.


    Unconsciously, Xu Yang had reached such heights.


    Why had she never realized this?


    Zhao Yulu couldn¡¯t help but question herself deeply.


    First, because she and Xu Yang had broken up, Xu Yang no longer belonged to her, and she did not want Xu Yang to seed. The more sessful Xu Yang became, the more it proved that her choice was a mistake.


    Therefore, she was unwilling to believe in the achievements Xu Yang had made.


    Second, because Chen Guanglei badmouthed Xu Yang in front of her every day, proiming Xu Yang¡¯s progress was just luck, and dering that everything Xu Yang did would end in disaster.


    Though Chen Guanglei was proven wrong every time, she was still influenced, thinking that Xu Yang would eventually revert to his original state.


    But now, she finally knew just how ridiculously wrong she was.


    Xu Yang¡¯s career was unstoppable.


    People like Wang Xiaocong not only looked at a person¡¯s present, but also their future.


    Even Wang Xiaocong personally going to the entrance to greet Xu Yang indicated that Xu Yang¡¯s future would definitely achieve even greater sess, such lofty achievements that even Wang Xiaocong wanted to bask in that glory.


    Suddenly, Zhao Yulu felt a deep pain in her heart.


    It was as if she had lost the most precious thing in her life.


    ¡­<div>


    After Wang Xiaocong and Xu Yang exchanged a few pleasantries, he beckoned, ¡°Let¡¯s go in and talk.¡±


    So, surrounded by several female online celebrities, Wang Xiaocong led Xu Yang and the others into the clubhouse.


    ¡°Sis, you¡¯re here too?¡±


    At the entrance, Zhao Yuxin saw Zhao Yulu and was a bit surprised, but after seeing Chen Guanglei next to her, she felt somewhat relieved.<div>


    Chen Guanglei must have brought Zhao Yulu with him.


    Being a wealthy second-generation like Chen Guanglei, it was quite normal for him to use his connections to attend Wang Xiaocong¡¯s birthday party.


    Zhao Yulu¡¯s expression wasplex as she pursed her lips and remained silent.


    Zhao Yuxin just nodded and entered the clubhouse with Xu Yang.


    ¡°Zhao Yulu, is that your sister?¡±


    ¡°My god, you¡¯re Xu Yang¡¯s aunt-inw?¡±


    ¡°Zhao Yulu, sorry for any rudeness earlier, we should talk moreter.¡±


    Quite a few rich and beautiful women started looking at Zhao Yulu differently.


    Initially, they thought Zhao Yulu was just an ordinary woman trying totch onto them.


    But Zhao Yulu was Xu Yang¡¯s aunt by marriage, which set her apart.


    Xu Yang was a figure even Wang Xiaocong would wee.


    Being Xu Yang¡¯s aunt by marriage made her well worth getting to know.


    Not only did the ¡®white, rich, and beautiful¡¯ girls¡¯ view of Zhao Yulu change, but even the other rich second-generation kids saw her differently now.<div>


    If one were to make Zhao Yulu his girlfriend, or even marry her, it would be akin to establishing an indirect rtionship with Xu Yang.


    Qin Feiyang pulled Chen Guanglei aside, his expression somewhat unpleasant, ¡°Chen Guanglei, Zhao Yulu is Xu Yang¡¯s aunt by marriage, why didn¡¯t you tell me? You even wanted me to introduce her to Shen Yuyan, are you trying to make a fool out of me?¡±


    Although he had been quite polite to Zhao Yulu just now, his attitude was not one that should be directed towards Xu Yang¡¯s aunt by marriage.


    If Xu Yang found out, would he mind?


    If Xu Yang did take offense, even Wang Xiaocong might stop dealing with him, and then his loss would be great.


    And besides, as Xu Yang¡¯s aunt by marriage, did she really need his introduction?


    In front of Zhao Yulu, wouldn¡¯t his actions seemughable?


    Chen Guanglei said, ¡°Qin, I didn¡¯t mean to, I¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t know how to exin himself.


    Could he say he had always looked down on Xu Yang?


    Under these circumstances, saying such a thing was like asking for death, wasn¡¯t it?


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Qin Feiyang suddenly pped his forehead, ¡°Now I understand why Jiang and Su treated you with such an attitude.¡±


    Chen Guanglei did not understand, ¡°Why?¡±<div>


    Qin Feiyang said, ¡°You saw the situation just now; clearly, Jiang and Su know Xu Yang, and they have a good rtionship. Last year, you even hired a female anchor to falsely use Xu Yang of unspoken rules with another female anchor, and in the end, you were fined. Do you think they would have a favorable opinion of you?¡±


    Upon hearing this, Chen Guanglei finally realized.


    Then, his face filled with bitterness.


    Damn it all, who knew that Xu Yang had such a good rtionship with Jiang Yuheng and Su Wenbin?


    If he had known, he definitely wouldn¡¯t have troubled Xu Yang.


    ¡°Chen Guanglei, you¡¯re really going to be the death of me. I was so foolish to introduce you to Jiang and Su, and it¡¯s quite possible they thought I was there to disgust them. They might even have a problem with me now because of it,¡± Qin Feiyang really couldn¡¯t restrain the urge to kick Chen Guanglei to death.


    Initially, Chen Guanglei had pleaded with him to bring him to Wang Xiaocong¡¯s gathering and even offered him some benefits.


    He thought there was no problem, as there were benefits to be had, so he agreed.


    He hadn¡¯t expected it to cause so much trouble.


    It was truly a loss not worth the price paid.


    This Chen Guanglei, not only was he a curse on his parents, but on his friends as well.


    ¡°Qin, I really didn¡¯t know about Xu Yang¡¯s rtionship with Jiang and Su. When I caused trouble for Xu Yang, it was because he wasn¡¯t prominent yet, and I thought he would quickly fall back to his original status. How could I have anticipated that he would rise so rapidly in such a short amount of time?¡± Chen Guanglei said with bitterness in his voice.


    ¡°Regardless, you have a grudge with Xu Yang, and now that I¡¯ve introduced you to Jiang and Su, they are definitely displeased with me. I need to exin things clearly to them. You¡¯d better apologize to Xu Yang and ask for hisplete forgiveness,¡± Qin Feiyang said.<div>


    ¡°Apologize to Xu Yang?¡± Chen Guanglei¡¯s face turned ugly.


    He had always been superior to Xu Yang, constantly mocking him.


    Now, to apologize to Xu Yang was something he truly couldn¡¯t bring himself to do.


    ¡°What, you¡¯re unwilling? But it¡¯s up to you, after all, this is your issue,¡± Qin Feiyang said, knowing what Chen Guanglei was thinking from the expression on his face.


    ¡°Qin, I will consider it seriously,¡± Chen Guanglei said, still with bitterness in his voice.


    ¡°There is one thing you¡¯ve done well, though. You¡¯re pursuing his aunt by marriage Zhao Yulu. If you manage to win her over, then he will definitely forgive you, after all, you would be family by marriage,¡± Qin Feiyang said with augh.


    ¡°Qin, the rtionship between Zhao Yulu and Xu Yang¡¯s couple isn¡¯t what you think it is,¡± Chen Guanglei replied bitterly.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Qin Feiyang asked, frowning.


    ¡°Between them¡­¡± Chen Guanglei exined the rtionship between the three of them.


    ¡°Damn, there¡¯s such a thing?!¡± Qin Feiyang was astounded.


    This Xu Yang, not only was he sessful in his career, but his romantic life was also impressive, truly blessed.

 Chapter 164: 164: Just Dont Mess with Xu Yang Anymore

    Chapter 164: Chapter 164: Just Don¡¯t Mess with Xu Yang Anymore


    ¡°So whether or not I tried to make Zhao Yulu my girlfriend, my rtionship with Xu Yang has never been good, and what¡¯s more, Zhao Yulu has always been indifferent to my pursuit,¡± Chen Guanglei said bitterly.


    ¡°Then there¡¯s a bit of a problem. You¡¯ll have to deal with it yourself, as I can¡¯t manage you anymore. Anyway, I have to go and exin things to Mr. Jiang and Mr. Su,¡± Qin Feiyang said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to think about it first.¡± Apologizing to Xu Yang was something Chen Guanglei was extremely reluctant to do; at least for now, he couldn¡¯t make up his mind.


    ¡°Fine, just take care of yourself.¡± Qin Feiyang turned and entered the hotel.


    Chen Guanglei¡¯s gaze flickered uncertainly for a moment before he stepped into the hotel.


    Then he saw Qin Feiyang speaking with Jiang Yuheng and Su Wenbin about something.


    Clearly, Qin Feiyang hadn¡¯t dyed a moment in exining things to Jiang Yuheng and Su Wenbin.


    Chen Guanglei casually chose a table to sit at.


    Apart from the table with Wang Xiaocong and Shen Yuyan, the ones filled with the wealthiest heirs and beautiful rich girls, other tables were fair game.


    Soon after, Qin Feiyang came back, sat down next to Chen Guanglei, and said, ¡°Chen Guanglei, I¡¯ve exined the situation to Mr. Jiang and Mr. Su. They don¡¯t me me. I advise you to go apologize to Xu Yang.¡±<div>


    Chen Guanglei said bitterly, ¡°Mr. Qin, I still want to think it over a bit more.¡±


    Qin Feiyang could tell Chen Guanglei didn¡¯t want to apologize and that thinking it over was just an excuse, so he refrained from urging further and simply said, ¡°Take care of yourself then.¡±


    Hearing Qin Feiyang¡¯s words, a rich second-generation nearby asked, ¡°Mr. Qin, what happened? Why must you persuade Chen Guanglei to apologize to Xu Yang? Has Chen Guanglei offended Xu Yang?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± Qin Feiyang didn¡¯t hide anything, exining the situation and even discussing theplex affair between Xu Yang, his wife, and Zhao Yulu.


    ¡°Shit, Xu Yang got himself both of the twin sisters?¡±


    ¡°Damn, why don¡¯t such good things happen to me?¡±


    ¡°Envy, I authentically envy him!¡±


    ¡°Chen Guanglei, are you out of your mind? Why go and trouble Xu Yang.¡±


    ¡°Even someone like Wang Xiaocong goes out to greet him. You had the chance to make a connection but not only did you avoid that, you also sought trouble with him. I really wonder if you¡¯re sick.¡±


    ¡°Chen Guanglei, even if you apologize and Xu Yang forgives you, your rtionship with him isn¡¯t likely to improve.¡±


    ¡°Exactly, with your personality, it¡¯s not just Xu Yang who doesn¡¯t want to be your friend, probably many people wouldn¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, this Zhao Yulu is really unlucky. She just broke up with Xu Yang not long ago, and then Xu Yang made it big.¡±


    ¡°His sister reaped the benefits; at least the wealth stayed within the family.¡±


    ¡°I had thought that if I could pursue Zhao Yulu, I might be able to forge a connection with Xu Yang and be rted by marriage. Now it seems that¡¯s not the case.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you might as well forget about that idea.¡±


    People were discussing animatedly.


    Soon, the situation became known to others.


    The crowd, once aware, looked at Zhao Yulu and Chen Guanglei differently.


    Those rich and beautiful girls who had been chatting warmly with Zhao Yulu earlier changed their attitude and cooled off, eventually walking away.<div>


    Zhao Yulu, confused, asked one of the friendly rich girls¡ªwho was only at the gathering because of her connections¡ªwhat was going on, and upon learning the reason, she couldn¡¯t help feeling a bitter taste in her heart.


    She turned to look at Zhao Yuxin and saw her sitting at a table with all the top-tier rich and beautiful girls,ughing and chatting.


    The rich girls treated Zhao Yuxin with a warm and natural friendliness which was clearly different from how they treated her.


    They genuinely wanted to be friends with Zhao Yuxin.<div>


    What she had desperately wanted and failed to obtain, her sister had easily achieved.


    All of this was because of Xu Yang.


    Using his capabilities, Xu Yang had entered the highest social circles, so much so that he was chatting away merrily with top-tier rich heirs like Wang Xiaocong.


    She understood all the more clearly now.


    Such circles were not ones you could simply choose to be a part of.


    Unless you had a certain level of status and identity, you didn¡¯t stand a chance.


    And when you reached that level, they would proactively wee you.


    In contrast, Chen Guanglei seemed rather pitiful.


    He was able to attend this birthday gathering only because of his connections.


    Beforeing, he had bragged a bit and hadn¡¯t forgotten to step on Xu Yang once more.


    Yet in front of Wang Xiaocong, he put on a fawning smile, looking extremely servile.


    Compared to him, one was in heaven and the other on earth.


    Thinking back, Zhao Yulu found itughable, the way Chen Guanglei used to speak of Xu Yang.<div>


    The other rich second generations didn¡¯t say much more to Chen Guanglei either.


    Noticing everyone¡¯s attitude toward Chen Guanglei, Qin Feiyang said, ¡°Chen Guanglei, what you¡¯ve done has embarrassed me. If there¡¯s nothing else, let¡¯s not get in touch anymore.¡±


    After speaking, Qin Feiyang stood up, left, and went to another table.


    Chen Guanglei still couldn¡¯t make up his mind to apologize to Xu Yang.


    And he felt that even if he apologized, it wouldn¡¯t change anything.


    What he had done before was indeed a bit excessive.


    At most, he would just avoid Xu Yang from now on, after all, he was a little rich second generation himself¡ªonce he closed his doors, he could still live his little life well.


    When dinner time ended, everyone formed their own groups for entertainment.


    Some went to watch movies, some went to y video games, some to y pool, some to y cards, some to the sauna¡­


    Zhao Yulu and Chen Guanglei no longer felt like staying to have fun.


    It was too embarrassing; everyone was cold towards them.


    They left the hotel.


    Chen Guanglei¡¯s face was sullen, but he still forced a smile: ¡°Yu Lu, let me take you home.¡±<div>


    ¡°No need,¡± Zhao Yulu shook her head to decline.


    ¡°Do you regret leaving Xu Yang?¡± Chen Guanglei suddenly asked.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t regret it,¡± Zhao Yulu gritted her teeth.


    To say she felt no regret would be false.


    Before, every time Xu Yang seeded at something, Chen Guanglei would belittle him in her presence.


    Even if she felt regret, it was very vague in her heart.


    Today¡¯s events made that feeling of regret crystal clear.


    But she couldn¡¯t admit it.


    What good would admitting it do? It would only serve as aedy for others.


    ¡°Yu Lu, it¡¯s impossible for you and Xu Yang now, even if you regret it, it¡¯s useless. It¡¯s right not to regret it, without Xu Yang, you can still have a wonderful life of your own.¡±


    ¡°You know how I feel about you, it¡¯s not toote now, let¡¯s go watch a movie, and after the movie, I¡¯ll take you to the riverside to take a walk, let¡¯s not go back tonight, okay?¡±


    Chen Guanglei¡¯s words can no longer be considered a hint.


    Any adult could understand what he meant.<div>


    ¡°No thanks, I¡¯m a bit tired; I just want to go back and rest,¡±


    Zhao Yulu knew what Chen Guanglei meant, nced at him, shook her head in refusal, walked to the roadside, hailed a taxi, and went home.


    Chen Guanglei stood there, his face turning ugly.


    It wasn¡¯t so much that he liked Zhao Yulu, but he found her attractive and wanted to possess her.


    Moreover, the time and effort he had spent on Zhao Yulu was simply too significant.


    The more he invested, the more he wanted a return.


    Only by possessing Zhao Yulu would he be satisfied and feel that his investments were worthwhile.


    But Zhao Yulu kept refusing him, which was starting to annoy him.


    Did she really think he, Chen Guanglei, was a pushover?


    In front of rich second generations like Wang Xiaocong, he might be nothing.


    But in front of ordinary people, he was still an unattainable little rich second generation with family assets of several billions.


    At least, in front of Zhao Yulu, he still held an absolute advantage in status.


    Yet he kept hitting the wall, which was irritating.


    Today might have been hisst chance, but Zhao Yulu still rejected him.


    ¡°Hmph, sooner orter, I will have you beneath me!¡±


    Chen Guanglei snorted coldly and left in his car.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 165: Chapter 165 Good Days Are Coming

    Jinhong Hotel.


    The others went to have fun on their own.


    Zhao Yuxin, Shen Yuyan, and a group of other rich and beautiful girls went to a KTV room to sing, while Xu Yang, Wang Xiaocong, Jiang Yuheng, and Su Wenbin, the four of them, were in a teahouse sipping tea.


    "Xu Yang, I''m really envious of you," Wang Xiaocong said with a sigh, sipping his tea.


    "Envious of what? I''m envious of you. You''re a national heartthrob, always getting whatever you want," Xu Yang said with a smile.


    "Don''t make fun of me, Xu Yang. You don''t know the struggles I have. Most of the investments I''ve made over the years have been losses, with only a few making money, and not even that much. Compared to your investments, I''m practically nothing," Wang Xiaocong said dejectedly.


    "My investments have a lot to do with luck," Xu Yang said.


    "Quit being modest, Xu Yang. You wouldn''t have luck if you didn''t have the ability," Wang Xiaocong shook his head.


    "That''s right, Xu Yang''s sess is due to skill. Without it, all talk of luck is nonsense," Jiang Yuheng said.


    "Luck can be credited once or twice, but not when it happens over and over. Don''t be too modest, Xu Yang," Su Wenbin said.


    "By the way, Xu Yang, both Old Jiang and Old Su have taken shares in your venture. I was wondering, is there still a chance for me to invest and take a stake?"


    Wang Xiaocong really wanted to invest in and take a stake in the venture.


    If he could invest, it would undoubtedly make a significant impact on his investment career.


    It would surely be profitable, and not just a little.


    If he invested in the venture, even his father would probably praise him.


    "Sorry, Young Master Wang, I''m not considering taking on more funding for the time being. If I do a second round of financing in the future, I''lle to you first. How does that sound?" Xu Yang tactfully declined.


    "Alright, it''s a deal," Wang Xiaocong wasn''t too disappointed; Xu Yang''s words were reassuring enough.


    As long as the venture opened up for further financingter on, he would get a piece of the action.


    That was good enough.


    Jiang Yuheng and Su Wenbin exchanged nces, relieved they hadn''t spoken up for Wang Xiaocong; that could''ve been awkward and might''ve given Xu Yang the wrong impression.


    "Xu Yang, Old Wang mentioned that you''re nning to make a movie and have invited Xu Zhen as the director. Can Old Su and I participate?" Jiang Yuheng asked.


    "Sure," Xu Yang said without refusal. "Let me think, with the two of you included, that should be about right. I''ll hold forty percent of the investment share, leaving the remaining sixty percent for other investors."


    "Ten percent goes to Director Xu Zhen, ten percent to Young Master Wang, ten percent to Hua''an Film and Television, ten percent to Wu Jing, and another ten percent each for you two, and that''s everything allocated."


    The Jiang family had significant influence in the business world, while the Su family wielded considerable power in government circles.


    With both of them on board, along with the hotshot director and actor Xu Zhen and Wu Jing,


    plus the giant in the film industry, Hua''an Film and Television, and the influential Wang Xiaocong,


    virtually every base was covered.


    Wu Jing had taken the initiative to call and express his interest in investing.


    Xu Yang had agreed.


    With "War Panther" and "War Panther 2," Wu Jing''s future in directing and acting was bound to be brilliant.


    In the future, Xu Yang could continue to invest in Wu Jing''s films; it was a win-win coboration.


    "That''s great!"


    "Xu Yang, thank you," Jiang Yuheng and Su Wenbin both felt they could make another fortune.


    Xu Yang waved his hand, smiling, "I''ll send you the specifics of how much needs to be invested in a couple of days; then, you can just transfer the money."


    ...


    Zhao Yulu arrived home, saw her mother watching TV, didn''t greet her, and headed straight to her bedroom.


    "Yu Lu, why are you back so early?" Liu Yujuan asked, puzzled.


    Wang Xiaocong''s birthday party, without even thinking, I knew it couldn''t just be a simple meal; there must be other entertainment activities.


    The time now should just be after dinner.


    "Mom, I''m a bit tired, so I came back first," Zhao Yulu replied in a low tone and continued toward her bedroom.


    "Wait a minute!" Liu Yujuan noticed something off about Zhao Yulu''splexion and quickly stepped forward to stop her, "Yu Lu, tell me, what exactly happened?"


    "Mom, it''s nothing. Didn''t I say? I''m a bit tired, so I came back first," Zhao Yulu shook her head.


    "Yu Lu, I''m your mom. Can''t I tell if something''s wrong with you? Tell me what happened right now. Was it Chen Guanglei who bullied you, or did Wang Xiaocong give you a hard time? He shouldn''t have, even out of consideration for your beauty, he shouldn''t make you unhappy," Liu Yujuan spected wildly.


    "Mom, it''s not like that, stop guessing," Zhao Yulu shook her head.


    "Then tell me, what exactly happened? If you don''t make things clear to me today, I''ll go find out where Wang Xiaocong is having her birthday party and ask her directly," Liu Yujuan insisted.


    Liu Yujuan pulled Zhao Yulu down to sit on the sofa.


    Wang Xiaocong was very high-profile; you could actually look up where she was holding her birthday party online.


    "Mom, don''t be like this," Zhao Yulu eximed in fright.


    If her mother really went to find Wang Xiaocong, then her embarrassment would be astronomical.


    "Then talk to me, what exactly is going on," Liu Yujuan said.


    "Mom, it''s like this..." Zhao Yulu exined the situation a bit.


    "What! Wang Xiaocong stepped out herself to wee Xu Yang? Xu Yang suddenly made more than ten billion? He''s already a billionaire? And in the future, he might even be a trillionaire?" Liu Yujuan gasped repeatedly, her head buzzing.


    She hadn''t expected Xu Yang to have climbed to such heights.


    To make more than ten billion all at once, be a billionaire, and possibly even a trillionaire in the future.


    What''s more, he was able to get Wang Xiaocong herself to greet him at the door.


    You must know, that''s Wang Xiaocong we''re talking about.


    The son of the richest man!


    In all of Huaxia, there weren''t many young people who could get Wang Xiaocong to personally greet them at her own birthday party.


    Perhaps the children of many official big shots could, but those people wouldn''t appear at such events.


    In the business world, they were definitely few and far between, probably countable on one hand.


    Yet, Xu Yang did it!


    "Zhao Yulu, your good days areing!"


    Liu Yujuan grabbed Zhao Yulu''s hand, bing even more excited.


    "Mom, what are you talking about? I don''t understand," Zhao Yulu said, confused.


    What good days areing? It seems like hard days are on the way instead.


    In any case, she didn''t see any signs of good days approaching.


    "You, why can''t you be more perceptive," Liu Yujuan poked Zhao Yulu''s forehead with her finger, "Think about it, if you return to Xu Yang''s side, won''t your good days arrive?"


    Zhao Yulu was somewhat speechless, "Mom, what are you thinking? Xu Yang is with Yu Xin now. How could I possibly go back to his side? We''ve broken up, it''s impossible in this lifetime. Stop thinking about all these messy things."


    Liu Yujuan poked Zhao Yulu''s forehead again, her tone one of exasperation, "You are so stubborn. Who says it''s impossible? If I say it''s possible, then it''s possible, as long as you''re willing, it can always happen."


    "Mom, you''re being silly, I don''t want to talk about this. I''m going back to my room," Zhao Yulu said, trying to get up and go to her room.


    "Don''t go," Liu Yujuan hastily held onto Zhao Yulu, "I''m telling you, this choice will affect your entire future life, you must listen to me."

 Chapter 166: Chapter 166: Listen to Me, Im Right

    "Mom, what exactly do you want? Xu Yang and I have already broken up, and he''s with Yu Xin now¡ªthey''ve even registered their marriage. You still want me to get back with him, isn''t that absurd?" Zhao Yulu was truly infuriated.


    "I''m not being absurd. If I say you can get back with him, then you can. Just hear me out," Liu Yujuan said.


    "Fine, you talk," Zhao Yulu said helplessly, forcing herself to listen.


    "Yulu, listen to me, Xu Yang must still love you," Liu Yujuan said earnestly.


    Zhao Yulu didn''t respond, only rolling her eyes at Liu Yujuan.


    "Don''t disbelieve me. Think about it, he broke up with you and immediately registered his marriage with Yu Xin as a rebound to get back at you. That''s clearly a sign that he still loves you."


    "And think about this, he registered the marriage with Yu Xin right after breaking up with you. What kind of feelings could they possibly have for each other? Do you believe Xu Yang loves Yu Xin?"


    "Also, they''ve only registered the marriage without any intention of holding a wedding ceremony or of having children."


    "Just registering the marriage without holding a wedding or letting everyone know, much less having children, means there''s nomitment."


    "This indicates that Xu Yang is always ready to divorce Yu Xin."


    "He must have been waiting for you toe back to him, waiting to get back together with you, you just haven''t realized it yet."


    "Today, with such an incident happening, he must be expecting you to go to him, wanting to reconcile."


    "As long as you go to him and say you''re willing to get back with him, he''ll definitely divorce Yu Xin right away and get back together with you."


    "So, your good days areing. The good days for me, your mother, are also approaching."


    "Oh my god, I''m going to have a billionaire son-inw. It''s just too wonderful. I''ll buy luxury cars, all kinds of branded clothing, bags, cosmetics, and even travel around the world!"


    Liu Yujuan became more and more excited as she spoke, already fantasizing about her wonderful future life.


    In a strict sense, she was now Xu Yang''s mother-inw.


    But since Yu Xin didn''t treat her like a mother, she was unable to enjoy the benefits that came with the status.


    Only if Xu Yang became Yulu''s husband could she reap benefits from him.


    Initially, Zhao Yulu was indifferent.


    But listening to what her mother said, it seemed to make some sense.


    Xu Yang had broken up with her only to register his marriage with her sister right after.


    Did Xu Yange together with her sister because of love? Clearly not.


    Perhaps they might develop love through their time together.


    But why wouldn''t they have a wedding? Why not have children?


    Not having children could be excused by their being young and not in a rush.


    But not having a wedding ceremony? That was inexplicable.


    With Xu Yang''s wealth, he could''ve easily held a grand wedding ceremony.


    Yet, Xu Yang hadn''t done so.


    So, could it really be, just as mom had said?


    Was he always waiting for her to return to him so that he could easily divorce Zhao Yuxin?


    Seeing Zhao Yulu silent, Liu Yujuan continued, "Yulu, you need to seize this opportunity. Call him tomorrow, meet with him. Believe me, as soon as you call him, he will be so happy, eager to meet with you. Just show your willingness to get back with him, and he will definitely agree, promptly divorcing Zhao Yuxin. Then, your good days will truly begin, and my good days wille too."


    "But if I do that, wouldn''t it be too cruel to my sister?" Zhao Yulu hesitated.


    "What''s so cruel about it? Your sister isn''t a fool. She must know that with Xu Yang rushing to register their marriage like that, he clearly doesn''t love her and is just using her as your stand-in."


    "She and Xu Yang are bound to separate sooner orter. The sooner they do it, the better for her. You''re not harming her; you''re helping her."


    "Xu Yang only became sessful after marrying her, which means all of his current assets belong to their joint marital property. If they divorce, she could get billions."


    "Billions! That''s enough for her to live a wealthy life. She can pursue her own happiness."


    "That way, both you sisters can lead happy lives, and I can enjoy a happy life as well!"


    Liu Yujuan spoke with authority, as if it were all true.


    "I always feel that something is not quite right. Let me think about it before I decide."


    Although Liu Yujuan''s words seemed to make sense, Zhao Yulu always felt that something was off.


    But she couldn''t pinpoint what was wrong.


    "What could possibly be wrong? Stop thinking so much, just listen to me, and you won''t go wrong!" Liu Yujuan said.


    "I need to think it over. I''m a bit tired now, I''ll go back to my room," Zhao Yulu stood up and returned to her room.


    "Then think it over well. Call Xu Yang tomorrow and arrange to meet him."


    Liu Yujuan didn''t stop Zhao Yulu from going back to her room but reminded her instead.


    Things needed to be taken slowly; it was normal for Zhao Yulu to be unable to adjust immediately.


    She believed that as long as Zhao Yulu thought it through seriously, she would understand.


    Now, it was unlikely that she and Zhao Hai would reconcile.


    After all, Zhao Hai was already with that woman named Zhou Ruyan.


    For her to go back now would be futile and would only result in humiliation.


    Her only support was her daughter, Zhao Yulu.


    Initially, she thought that Zhao Yulu being with Chen Guanglei was quite good.


    After all, regardless of other factors, Chen Guanglei was a wealthy second-generation, with his family owning assets worth several billion.


    As Chen Guanglei''s mother-inw, if she wanted money to spend, she should be able to ask him for a substantial amount.


    But now, she felt that Chen Guanglei was no longer suitable.


    Compared to the current Xu Yang, Chen Guanglei was nothing.


    Xu Yang was now a billionaire, a guest of honor at Wang Xiaocong''s birthday party, and someone Wang Xiaocong would personally wee outside.


    His future was even more promising, possibly bing a billionaire tenfold.


    Such a son-inw would certainly meet her financial needs.


    By then, she could buy whatever she wanted.


    As for what would be of Chen Guanglei, that was none of her concern.


    She could now look down on Chen Guanglei and not take him seriously.


    A wealthy second-generation like him was no match for Xu Yang.


    If Chen Guanglei dared to cause trouble, Xu Yang could deal with him in a matter of minutes.


    And Zhao Hai, due to Zhao Yuxin''s divorce from Xu Yang, was also going to lose his position as the general manager of Jiang Di Lao and be sent back to his original status.


    Thinking about this, she felt a burst of satisfaction.


    "Hmph, Zhao Hai, wait until Zhao Yuxin divorces Xu Yang and gets back together with Yu Lu, then I''ll see what kind of face you''ll pull!"


    "You even became involved with a female subordinate, refusing to reconcile with me. You''ll knowter that this is your biggest mistake!"


    She harbored a strong resentment towards Zhao Hai.


    She felt that him not reconciling with her was a betrayal.


    The next day.


    As soon as Zhao Yulu got up, Liu Yujuan asked, "So, have you made up your mind? If you have, take the day off to meet Xu Yang."


    "I haven''t decided yet, I''m off to work," Zhao Yulu left directly.


    "You..." Frustrated and unable to vent her anger, Liu Yujuan took a long time to calm down, "It seems I need to give her some good advice, or perhaps I need to add some fuel to the fire."

 Chapter 167: Chapter 167: Major Earthquake in the Live Streaming Industry

    In the blink of an eye, a week had passed.


    That day.


    A major earthquake shook the live-streaming industry.


    As more and more consumersined about the sale of counterfeit and inferior products by streamers and the situation showed an escting trend, it was feared that if no action was taken, even bigger issues would arise.


    The relevant state departmentsunched a heavy crackdown to rectify the issue of fake and inferior products being sold in the Douyin live-streaming industry.


    Douyin actively cooperated with the rectification and acted swiftly.


    Following the investigation and collection of evidence, a group of guilds was immediately penalized.


    There were a total of thirty guilds in this group.


    The penalties are as follows.


    First, all streamers of the guild were suspended for one month for rectification; during the suspension period, they could not live stream or post short videos.


    Second, the guilds were downgraded by one level in their rating; after rectification, they would be re-evaluated based on the guild''s development and size.


    Third, streamers who sold a significant amount of counterfeit and inferior products were banned!


    These three severe penalties caused an immediate outcry among the thirty guilds.


    It was well known that a guild''s one-month suspension could lead to huge financial losses.


    The downgrade of the guilds significantly affected their profit-sharing with the tform.


    The higher the level, the greater the profit-sharing.


    Conversely, the lower the level, the lesser the profit-sharing.


    After this rectification, restoring the original rating after resumption would be extremely difficult.


    As for the third point, it was even more severe.


    It was mainly the top streamers who sold the most counterfeit products for vast amounts.


    Generally, each guild relied on their top streamers to make big money.


    The other streamers could only earn a little.


    The banning of these streamers was like a heavy blow to the guilds.


    It left them crippled, barely clinging to life.


    It''s worth mentioning that Jia Sheng Guild, being a pioneer in engaging stars to help sell products, had created a preconceived notion among viewers; Jia Sheng Guild''s celebrity-endorsed sales had always been the best.


    The top streamers who coborated with celebrities had the highest sales.


    The state and Douyin decided to set an example by cing Jia Sheng Guild at the top of the list of penalties.


    The official announcement also stated that subsequent penalty lists would continue to be released until the problem of fake and inferior products being sold on Douyin''s live streams waspletely rectified.


    Furthermore, the rectification would start with Douyin and extend to the entire live-streaming emerce industry.


    No one would be spared!


    In an instant, all live-streaming guilds involved in the sale of counterfeit and inferior products felt a chill in their hearts.


    ¡­


    Fengcai Guild.


    "President Xu, you are truly amazing. You had predicted this earlier, saying that it was only a matter of time before a scandal would erupt. Thankfully, we strictly controlled our product quality and sold only reliable branded products, allowing us to avoid being affected by this earthquake."


    Xiao Dongsheng was filled with admiration for Xu Yang.


    This boss was indeed formidable.


    The uracy of his judgments was chillingly precise.


    Every strategic decision he made was unapproachable.


    The streamers he signed had all be inte celebrities.


    He had anticipated that Douyin would introduce a live streaming with goods feature, and Fengcai Guild had be a pilot guild for Douyin''s live-streaming sales, the first to taste the crab, reaping huge profits.


    When the trend of celebrities live-streaming with goods emerged, Xu Yang provided clear partnership terms.


    Eventually cooperating with Hua''an Film and Television, it turned out to be a win-win situation, with Fengcai Guild gaining the most benefit.


    Especially the relentless emphasis on selling reliable branded products, which avoided this round of implosion.


    All the other guilds are panicking and wailing, but within the big guilds, only Fengcai Guild has remained unaffected.


    Without a doubt, after this turmoil, Fengcai Guild is definitely the number one guild on Douyin, with no one able to shake its status.


    "No matter when, we must stick to our original intentions and not focus solely on short-term benefits at the expense of greater long-term gains," Xu Yang said.


    "Yes, President Xu, I truly realize your strategic wisdom now. Following a leader like you is a fortune for all ourpany''s employees," Xiao Dongsheng ttered Xu Yang.


    "Old Xiao, you''re praising me a bit too much, I''m starting to feel embarrassed," Xu Yangughed heartily.


    It has to be said, being ttered is quitefortable.


    "President Xu, I''m just telling the truth," Xiao Dongsheng said with a serious face.


    "Haha," Xu Yangughed again, then quickly sobered up, "What do you think we should do now?",


    This was his main reason foring today. He didn''t state it directly but decided to first hear Xiao Dongsheng''s thoughts.


    "President Xu, I''ve been thinking about this issue before you came. I think we can increase the number of livemerce sessions for our streamers.",


    "After all, with the market in such a state of disaster, our guild remaining unaffected highlights our reliability and credibility, dealing in quality, consumer-trusted brand products.",


    "Moreover, we can have the streamers asionally mention this during their live sessions, to make more viewers aware of it.",


    "If we handle this well, our guild will definitely be the top guild on Douyin, and nobody will be able to shake our position.",


    After the incident urred, Xiao Dongsheng felt relieved, but he quickly realized that this was also an opportunity for Fengcai Guild.


    As long as they seize it, Fengcai Guild will rise to greater heights.


    "You''re right, that''s what I think too. Go ahead and pass down the instruction, let the streamers do just that.",


    "Live streaming is very tough, I think we can do this: for the next month, the streamers'' normal livemerce sessions will retain the same revenue share. For the additional sessions, we can increase the streamers'' revenue share by thirty percent as a reward, which will motivate them even more.",


    Xu Yang said.


    "President Xu, you''re too generous. With a thirty percent increase in theirmission, I believe the streamers will be overjoyed," Xiao Dongsheng chuckled.


    Indeed, that''s the case.


    For streamers, live-selling is all about themission.


    The increased thirty percentmission is very generous.


    Many streamers will surely do their utmost to add sessions.


    "The support staff needs to ensure back-end services are well provided and prevent them from overworking. We need to bnce work with rest. If someone copses during a live stream, that would be a real loss. Pay special attention to this," Xu Yang instructed.


    If a streamer copses, as long as it isn''t serious, it won''t be too impactful.


    But if a streamer were to die suddenly from exhaustion, that would be a serious matter.


    That isn''t what he wants to see.


    Earning money is fine, but it must be bnced with rest. You can''t put money before lives.


    "Yes, I''ll have someone keep an eye on it, to make sure that doesn''t happen," Xiao Dongsheng said solemnly.


    Without Xu Yang''s reminder, he wouldn''t have considered this.


    It seems the boss really is the boss, not someone he canpare with.


    The two chatted for a while longer, then Xiao Dongsheng went off to get busy.


    ...


    KaiXuan Investments.


    Chen Guanglei, in his office, was looking at the news with an extremely unsightly expression.


    He had intended to wait and see how things unfolded, but before he could catch any wind of it, the government and Douyin began the crackdown.


    If he''d known, he would have listened to his father and sold the guild.


    Now, the money made has been washed away, withpensation and fines amounting to astronomical figures.


    After this crackdown, Jia Sheng Guild will likely be a third-rate guild.


    It might even face closure.


    Two words, it''s over!


    At that moment, the door opened and Chen Guanglei''s father, Chen Ankang, entered.

 Chapter 168: Chapter 168: Frustrated to Death

    "Guang Lei, did you see the news? Now you know my judgment was right, haha."


    "Tell me, how much did you sell the guild for this time, how much total profit did you make?"


    "The sales volume from live-streaming emerce has been good recently, should be able to make over two billion, right?"


    Chen Ankang was extremely happy.


    He had already predicted this rectification.


    Having his son sell the guild was a perfect way to avoid the risk.


    With this move, he could possibly offset the adverse impact from the previous failure to invest in the aluminum mine.


    Even if it wasn''t fully offset, it would at least be partially corrected.


    After all, investing in a project and making money, only to pull out before it ran into trouble¡ªthis kind of move was not something every investor could manage.


    And he was one of them.


    His capabilities were beyond doubt.


    The aluminum mine incident was just a case of trusting his son''s misjudgment.


    As long as he didn''t listen to his son''s baseless talk in the future, there would be no problems.


    Of course, in the future, he also needed to teach his son more and let him learn more.


    "Dad, I..." Chen Guanglei opened his mouth but found it difficult to say the words.


    "What''s wrong?" Chen Ankang saw the troubled look on his son''s face and had a bad feeling, his heart suddenly sinking, "Don''t tell me you didn''t sell the guild."


    "Dad, I didn''t sell it," Chen Guanglei knew he couldn''t hide it, so he could only tell the truth, and then he immediately exined, "Dad, it''s not that I didn''t listen to you. I agree with what you said, that the government and Douyin would rectify this situation sooner orter, I just wanted to wait and see.


    I thought even if there was a rectification, some warning signs or clues would emerge, so we could sell in time. But who could have expected the government to act so suddenly? I was caught off guard."


    "You..." Chen Ankang, shaking with anger, "Why didn''t you listen to me? I told you to sell the guild these few days, but you decided to do things your own way, wanted to wait and see, you... you..."


    He didn''t finish his sentence when Chen Ankang suddenly felt breathless, his vision ckening, and he copsed to the floor.


    "Dad, what''s wrong with you, Dad, don''t scare me, someonee quickly..."


    Chen Guanglei saw his father fall to the ground and was immediately frightened, rushing over while yelling out loud.


    Soon, severalpany employees, hearing his shouts, rushed in.


    Several people clumsily carried Chen Ankang out and took him to the hospital.


    ...


    The next day.


    Xu Yang received a call from Wang Xiaocong.


    "Xu Yang, Tengxun Film Industry sabotaged our movie yesterday," Wang Xiaocong said.


    "How did they sabotage us?" Xu Yang asked.


    On the night of Wang Xiaocong''s birthday, Xu Yang had already mentioned to Wang Xiaocong how Wu Chengtao, the head of Tengxun Film Industry''s movie division, had called demanding a forty percent share, and that Tengxun might cause trouble, asking Wang Xiaocong to keep an eye out and intervene if necessary.


    "They''re employing their connections, trying to prevent our movie from getting approval," Wang Xiaocong said.


    "So what now..." Xu Yang asked.


    "Don''t worry, it''s already been handled. In terms of connections, the old Su family is still very strong and isn''t intimidated by Tengxun Film Industry at all."


    "Speaking of which, Tengxun Film Industry is getting more and more overbearing, directly asking for a forty percent stake from you. Why don''t they just go rob someone?" Wang Xiaocong said indignantly.


    "Yeah, it''s not that I didn''t want to give them a share, but what they demanded was too much. They even wanted me to lower my own share, thinking that with Tengxun Group behind them, they can do whatever they want. I''m not going to indulge these people," Xu Yang said.


    "There''s no need to indulge them. Tengxun may be powerful, but not to the extent of being invincible. At least my father can stand up to them," Wang Xiaocong said.


    "I''ve already personally warned that Wu Chengtao fellow on the phone. I told him if he dares to mess around again, in the future, Tengxun Film Industry''s movies won''t be shown in Wanda cinemas. Let''s see who dares to work with them then."


    ```


    "That guy is just a lowlife, once Iid down some tough talk, he repeatedly assured me that he wouldn''t make a move again."


    When Wang Xiaocong had called Wu Chengtao, he had indeed talked tough.


    How dare they mess with his cake, did they really think Wang the Younger was a vegetarian?


    "Young Master Wang, you''ve always been so dominant, just making a call and threatening them, and it works like a charm," Xu Yang said with augh.


    "It''s not that I''m dominant, I''m not dominant at all, it''s all about relying on my old man''s power¡ªif it weren''t for my dad, I''d be nothing," Wang Xiaocong said.


    The conversation was awkward for Xu Yang, who could only reply, "Young Master Wang, you''ve still done well, making lots of investments withoutnding your dad in trouble."


    "Hahaha, that''s true. Although I''m good for nothing, at least I haven''t screwed over my dad!" Wang Xiaocongughed heartily, then suddenly changed the subject, "Speaking of screwing over one''s dad, I must tell you about something, you''ve probably heard about it, right?"


    Xu Yang said nkly, "Heard about what?"


    Wang Xiaocong chuckled, "It''s about Chen Ankang, Chen Guanglei''s dad."


    Xu Yang inquired, "I haven''t heard anything. What happened to Chen Guanglei''s dad?"


    "Looks like you really don''t know. I must have a good talk with you," Wang Xiaocong chuckled, "Last night, Chen Ankang had a heart attack and passed away in the hospital, beyond help."


    "Chen Guanglei''s dad died?!" Xu Yang frowned slightly.


    To be honest, he wasn''t much concerned.


    As far as he was concerned, Chen Guanglei was nothing but a buffoon.


    And he had never met Chen Guanglei''s dad, so he had no idea what kind of person he was.


    "Yes, he''s dead, and it was anger that killed him¡ªanger caused by Chen Guanglei," Wang Xiaocong said with an almost gleeful tone.


    "What happened? How could he be angered to death?" Xu Yang asked in astonishment.


    "Funny enough, this matter involves you," Wang Xiaocong said with a grin.


    "Damn it, Young Master Wang, don''t talk nonsense. This is about someone''s death. It can''t have anything to do with me. Plus, I''ve never even met Chen Guanglei''s dad, how could it be rted to me? I''m telling you, you better not falsely use me of this, or the cops will be inviting me for tea," Xu Yang said, somewhat speechless.


    How could this have anything to do with him? He didn''t even know Chen Guanglei''s dad.


    What on earth was Wang Xiaocong thinking?


    "Haha, Xu Yang, don''t get worked up, I just said it''s somewhat rted to you, I didn''t say you were the one who killed Chen Ankang, what are you so excited about?" Wang Xiaocongughed.


    "Young Master Wang, you can''t make jokes about that. The way you talk, anyone listening might think I''m responsible for the death of Chen Guanglei''s dad. You better give me a good reason, or we''re not finished," Xu Yang said.


    "I was about to get to that; once you hear me out, you won''t think I''m just bbering," Wang Xiaocong said with a smile.


    "Speak, I''m all ears," Xu Yang said.


    "Well, this all started with the aluminum mine you acquired. Chen Ankang had a friend from Fengkai Mining, who suggested that Chen Ankang buy that mine."


    "Chen Ankang originally intended to purchase it, but instead, his son Chen Guanglei convinced him to venture into the live streaming industry and buy the Jia Sheng Guild."


    "Later, you bought that aluminum mine for fifty million and discovered a huge aluminum resource within it, selling it back to Fengkai Mining for 1.6 billion,ting a profit of 1.55 billion."


    "Once the news spread in the investmentmunity, Chen Ankang became theughingstock, with everyone saying his son was nothing but a disappointment."


    "Hahaha..."


    At this point, Wang Xiaocong burst intoughter, and after hisughter subsided, he continued.


    "A few days ago, Chen Ankang was still telling people about the serious issues with Douyin guilds selling counterfeit and substandard products and that the state would eventually regte it."


    "He had already told his son to sell off Jia Sheng Guild and get out in time."


    "Sure enough, as he predicted, the state cracked down, and Fengcai Guild, being the first to bring in celebrities, was hit hard and targeted for major punishment."


    "After this clean-up operation, Jia Sheng Guild is barely hanging on; they could even go bankrupt in the future."


    "Originally, he was quite smug about it, but after asking his son Chen Guanglei, he found out that Chen Guanglei hadn''t sold Jia Sheng Guild."


    "After hearing that news, he got so angry that it triggered his heart attack, and after being taken to the hospital, he couldn''t be saved."


    After exining everything, Wang Xiaocong finally made the situation clear.


    ```

 Chapter 169: Chapter 169: This Really Sucks

    "How do you know all these details?" Xu Yang asked.


    "A friend told me, my friend has another friend who is a vice president at Triumph Investment." Wang Xiaocong said.


    "Then this has nothing to do with me, why are you saying it''s rted to me?" Xu Yang was somewhat speechless.


    Listening to the story, he couldn''t see any connection to himself.


    "You see, if it weren''t for you acquiring that aluminum mine, Chen Ankang wouldn''t have be aughingstock. He originally nned to use the timely sale of the guild to change people''s opinions of him, to stop them fromughing at him, which is why he made it public. But who knew that his son didn''t follow his instructions.


    Realizing he would be an even biggerughingstock might have been too much for him. It led to a fit of rage which brought on a heart attack, and he died despite resuscitation efforts," Wang Xiaocong said.


    "That''s a bit far-fetched. You can''t go around saying things like that, or people might think I had something to do with his father''s death." Xu Yang was a little exasperated.


    "Hehe, don''t worry, I''m just telling you. I would never say this to anyone else," Wang Xiaocong chuckled.


    "Alright, Chen Ankang''s business has nothing to do with us. On the movie side, keep an eye on things, don''t let Tencent Pictures pull any tricks." Xu Yang didn''t care about Chen Ankang''s business.


    Whether Chen Ankang lived or died had nothing to do with him.


    If it weren''t for Wang Xiaocong suggesting there was a connection, he wouldn''t have even bothered to ask what exactly happened.


    "No problem, rest assured, I''ve got this. Everything will be taken care of," Wang Xiaocong assured him.


    ...


    That evening, Zhao Yulu returned home and mentioned Chen Ankang''s death while having dinner with Liu Yujuan.


    "What, Chen Guanglei''s dad died? What happened? Wasn''t Chen Guanglei''s dad still the president of Triumph Investment? How could he just die? Was there an ident?" Liu Yujuan eximed in surprise.


    "There was an ident. He was angered to death by Chen Guanglei." Zhao Yulu said.


    After a day of brewing, the employees of rtedpanies to Triumph Investment were aware of the incident.


    Jia Sheng Guild, being a wholly-owned subsidiary of Triumph Investment, the news of the death of its president quickly spread.


    The cause of death was also circted.


    As the vice president of Jia Sheng Guild, Zhao Yulu naturally knew about it.


    She really hadn''t expected that Chen Guanglei would anger his own father to death.


    It truly was a case of "son''s treachery."


    "Angered to death? Tell me more about how he was angered to death," Liu Yujuan put down her chopsticks, very interested to find out.


    Whether Chen Guanglei''s dad died or not was of no concern to her.


    But a death caused by anger clearly had the vor of gossip.


    These days, she had nothing to do, just hanging out shopping with friends, doing beauty treatments and she loved to chat about gossip.


    As for whether this gossip was disrespectful to the deceased or not, it wasn''t within her considerations.


    "Originally, Chen Guanglei''s father thought the live streaming industry was chaotic, with many guild broadcasters selling fake and shoddy products. Believing the state would eventually crack down, he told Chen Guanglei to sell Jia Sheng Guild and withdraw in time."


    "But Chen Guanglei didn''t listen to his father, and didn''t sell Jia Sheng Guild. Now that the state has started to regte, our Jia Sheng Guild is a main target. All major broadcasters have been banned, and we''ve also been suspended for a month, facing a huge fine."


    "Chen Guanglei''s father thought that Chen Guanglei had sold the guild and was very happy about it. But when he heard from Chen Guanglei that it hadn''t been sold, he was instantly infuriated and it brought on a heart attack. He didn''t make it through at the hospital."


    Zhao Yulu knew the details quite well.


    "This Chen Guanglei really did betray his father," Liu Yujuan couldn''t help butment.


    In the past, she only watched such things on TV, witnessing people betraying their fathers.


    Now, she had finallye to know of such a person in real life, making for a perfect gossip protagonist.


    The next time she went shopping with her friends, she would definitely have to talk about this incident.


    "This Chen Guanglei is really irresponsible, to have actually driven his father to his death. Yu Lu, you were right to refuse to be his girlfriend; such a person isn''t reliable. With his father gone, I doubt he''ll be able to hold onto the wealth," Liu Yujuan said.


    "Before, you kept telling me I should agree to be his girlfriend, howe you''ve changed your tune now?" Zhao Yulu rolled her eyes.


    "Things were different before, and now can''t bepared to before, besides, Xu Yang is much better than him now," Liu Yujuan didn''t feel that there was anything wrong with her behavior.


    As long as someone is wealthy, she''d prefer her daughter to marry him.


    Whether her daughter was happy or not was not within her consideration.


    All she cared about was getting money from her son-inw to squander.


    "By the way, have you made up your mind about when to meet Xu Yang? He must be waiting for you to meet him and get back together," Liu Yujuan added.


    "Mom, I still need to think about it," Zhao Yulu hadn''t made up her mind.


    Anyway, she always felt that although Liu Yujuan made some sense, something didn''t sit right with her.


    "What''s there to think about?" Liu Yujuan looked disappointed, "If you wait any longer, the opportunity will be gone. Meet Xu Yang as soon as possible; it''s better for both of you if you get back together quickly."


    "Mom, I told you, I still need to think it over, stop pressuring me, I''m done eating and going back to my room,"


    Zhao Yulu really didn''t want to listen to Liu Yujuan going on about this matter; she quickly finished her meal, put down her chopsticks, and went back to her room.


    ¡­


    Weekend.


    Zhao Yuxin and Shen Yuyan went shopping.


    On Wang Xiaocong''s birthday party, Zhao Yuxin made a bunch of friends with whom she got along very well.


    Today, Shen Yuyan called her to go shopping, so Zhao Yuxin went.


    Xu Yang was at home alone with nothing to do, so he yed some mobile games.


    After two rounds of "King''s Glory," the system''s notification sound echoed in his mind.


    [Ding! Great White Shark Game Company is facing financial difficulties and is at risk of closing!]


    [In one week, someone will invest five million, allowing thepany toplete the game it is developing, "Shadow Pursuit"!]


    ["Shadow Pursuit" will pioneer a new genre of martial arts mobile games and will be the hottest mobile game in the second half of the year!]


    [With the poprity of this game, Great White Shark Game Company will make a huge profit and subsequently release several more hit games!]


    [Three yearster, Great White Shark Game Company will be the secondrgest gamingpany in the country, second only to Tencent Games!]


    Xu Yang''s eyes lit up.


    This is yet another excellent investment opportunity.


    He immediately put down his phone, took out hisptop, and started searching online.


    Truth be told, he had never heard of Great White Shark Game Company.


    It was only after looking it up that he learned it was a startup gamingpany establishedst year.


    The founders, all college graduates from the year before, used the money from their families to jointly invest and establish thepany.


    So far, Great White Shark Game Company had developed two small games, which received a lukewarm response.


    They were currently developing a new game called "Shadow Pursuit."


    Due to the mediocre response to the two small games, thepany was out of money and found it extremely difficult to raise more funds.


    If they can''t secure funding, thepany will soon close down.


    ording to the system, someone will invest five million in one week, allowing Great White Shark Game Company to finish developing "Shadow Pursuit," which will be a hit mobile game.


    So, Xu Yang only needs to invest in Great White Shark Game Company within this week, before that happens.


    For Xu Yang now, five million isn''t much; he could even invest more to get arger share, helping Great White Shark Game Company make "Shadow Pursuit" even better.

 Chapter 170: Chapter 170: Acquiring Great White Shark Gaming Company

    ```


    Without dy, Xu Yang picked up his phone and immediately dialed the number of the general manager of Great White Shark Game Company.


    The call was quickly answered.


    "Hello," a weary voice came through the phone.


    "Hello, am I speaking with General Manager Wang of Great White Shark Game Company?" Xu Yang asked.


    The contact name listed on the website of Great White Shark Game Company was Wang Yunfeng.


    "Who is this..." Wang Yunfeng asked.


    "I am Xu Yang from Yang Xin Investment. I saw that yourpany is seeking financing, and I''m interested in yourpany. If I find everything satisfactory after a site visit, I am willing to invest."


    Xu Yang was very direct, he didn''t want to get bogged down in the details. After all, there was big money to be made in the future.


    Tencent Games was a cash cow, and in three years, Great White Shark Game Company had be the secondrgest gamepany after Tencent Games, earning a lot of money every year.


    "Of course, when are you avable? We are always open to your visit, even on weekends; we don''t rest," said Wang Yunfeng, sounding pleasantly surprised.


    As a startup, the founders, including him, were almost always in the office developing games.


    They would only rest when they couldn''t stand it anymore.


    And now, with thepany on the verge of closing down, everyone was deeply worried, trying to find solutions in the office.


    The founders were in the office right now, so Xu Yang could visit for the inspection immediately.


    "I''lle over Monday morning at ten," Xu Yang considered and decided to visit on Monday.


    He had time, but he preferred to sign a contract and invest right after the inspection.


    For this, he needed to bring Ma Yangrong, the general manager of Yang Xin Investment, and the legal and financial officers with him.


    Today was the weekend, and Yang Xin Investment''s employees had the day off.


    He couldn''t possibly call them now and ask them toe back to work overtime, could he?


    That would be too cruel.


    He didn''t want to be cursed as a heartless boss by his employees.


    Moreover, as someone who had once been a low-level worker, he deeply understood how detestable it was for workers to be called in forst-minute overtime.


    "Okay, we eagerly await your arrival," said Wang Yunfeng.


    Before long, it was Monday.


    Xu Yang, apanied by Ma Yangrong, the general manager of Yang Xin Investment, and the legal and financial departments, arrived at Great White Shark Game Company.


    Great White Shark Game Company was located in a technology park.


    This government-established science and technology park was designed to support young entrepreneurs.


    Startups that rented office space here had a one-year exemption from rent payments.


    Upon entering Great White Shark Game Company, they met several of thepany''s founders.


    They were all like Xu Yang, having graduated from college justst year.


    Honestly, if not for the support of the "system," Xu Yang would be far behind these young entrepreneurs.


    "Mr. Xu, these are the founders of ourpany, this is..." Great White Shark Game Company started introducing their colleagues to Xu Yang.


    "Nice to meet you," Xu Yang nodded in greeting.


    "Nice to meet you, Mr. Xu," they also nodded in response.


    Honestly, they were somewhat surprised.


    They had originally thought that the visitor would be a middle-aged person.


    Even if not middle-aged, they figured he would be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight.


    But to their surprise, he was as young as they were.


    Probably a rich second-generation.


    This was what the founders were thinking.


    Xu Yang didn''t know their thoughts, and even if he did, he wouldn''t bother to exin.


    ```


    "President Xu, please take a seat here. I''ll introduce ourpany in detail, as well as the games we have developed in the past, the games we are currently developing, and our future vision and ns,"


    Wang Yunfeng led Xu Yang and his group to a resting area and poured a ss of water for each of them.


    Passing by the workstations of several founders, one could see that each desk had many hand-drawn illustrations on disy.


    On theputer screens, it was mostly the same.


    "President Xu, ourpany has developed two games before. To be honest, the market reaction to these games was not very good and both lost money. But with ''Chasing Shadows,'' which we are currently developing, we are confident we can surprise game enthusiasts, especially those who like martial arts games. This ''Chasing Shadows,'' we have used..."


    Wang Yunfeng gave a brief introduction, focusing mostly on ''Chasing Shadows,'' because it was a game nearingpletion. With a little investment, one could soon see the work released.


    He also brought over aptop to show Xu Yang and his group some character and scene designs from ''Chasing Shadows.''


    Of course, he also talked about several other games that thepany nned to develop in the future.


    It was like painting a blueprint for Xu Yang, making him, the investor, feel that thepany could continue to make money.


    "Not bad. How much financing are you looking for?" Xu Yang asked directly.


    "Five million," replied Wang Yunfeng. "With five million, we canplete ''Chasing Shadows.'' I believe we can definitely achieve good market performance."


    "Five million. How many shares are you offering me?" asked Xu Yang.


    "Fifteen percent," Wang Yunfeng said.


    This had been discussed and agreed upon by all the founders.


    "I''ll invest ten million to give you sufficient funds to make ''Chasing Shadows'' well and even better than you anticipate. But I want thirty percent of the shares. What do you think?" Xu Yang naturally wanted as many shares as possible.


    However, he couldn''t ask for an unlimited amount.


    A thirty percent stake, he believed, was still within reach.


    "President Xu, I need to discuss this with my partners," said Wang Yunfeng, clearly very pleased inside since this indicated Xu Yang was willing to invest more than expected.


    But the requested stake was beyond his expectations. Thepany was not his alone; several people had founded it together and all held shares, so he needed to consult with the others.


    "No problem," Xu Yang naturally had no objections.


    Wang Yunfeng left to consult in a separate office with his partners.


    Ten minutester, the group returned.


    Approaching Xu Yang, Wang Yunfeng smiled and said, "President Xu, we agree to ept your investment."


    Xu Yang smiled back, "Great, I look forward to a pleasant cooperation."


    This was within his expectations, considering Shark Games urgently needed investment.


    Now it was time to draft and sign the contract.


    The contract was signed.


    Xu Yang said, "Today, I will transfer ten million to thepany''s ount."


    This investment would go through the ount of Yang Xin Investments.


    "Alright, President Xu, please rest assured. We are confident that we will do well with ''Chasing Shadows.'' For thest two small games, our promotion was not in ce. This time, we n to have some game streamers promote it, and that should solve the problem," Wang Yunfeng said.


    Xu Yang blinked, then immediately smiled, "You don''t need to hire streamers. I will have the streamers from my guild promote it for free."


    Wang Yunfeng asked, "President Xu, do you own a live-streaming guild?"


    Xu Yang nodded, "Yes, Fengcai Guild on Douyin is mine. You should know about this guild, right?"


    "What, Fengcai Guild is yours!" Wang Yunfeng and his partners were shocked.


    They often browsed Douyin during their breaks and knew that Fengcai Guild was very impressive.


    "President Xu, we were actually thinking of asking Lin Xiang, a game streamer from Fengcai Guild, to promote ''Chasing Shadows.'' Since Fengcai Guild is yours, that''s wonderful!" Wang Yunfeng said excitedly.


    "Yes, just focus on making a good game. As for promotion, you don''t need to worry. I''ll have all the streamers from Fengcai Guild promote it," Xu Yang said.


    After a few more exchanges, Xu Yang left with his team.


    Xu Yang headed directly home, while Ma Yangrong, the legal and financial staff, went back to thepany.


    Upon arrival, Ma Yangrong immediately instructed the finance department to transfer ten million to Shark Games and informed the other party.

 Chapter 171: Chapter 171 Distinguished Alumni

    Just as he got home, Xu Yang''s phone started ringing.


    He nced at the caller ID and saw it was Gao Lang, his college counselor, calling.


    "Teacher Gao," Xu Yang answered the phone.


    "Xu Yang, am I disturbing you? Are you busy right now, is it convenient for you to take the call?" Gao Lang said.


    "Teacher Gao, why are you being so polite, talking about disturbing me or not? Whether I''m busy or not, if you call me, I''m going to take your call," Xu Yang said.


    During university, Xu Yang''s grades in his major were quite good, and he had a pretty good rtionship with his counselor.


    Gao Lang''s sudden politeness made him feel quite ufortable.


    With such an attitude from Gao Lang, he could vaguely guess the reason.


    It might be because he had suddenly be a wealthy man.


    Of course, Gao Lang must have been partly joking.


    After all, Gao Lang knew him well; he definitely wasn''t the kind of person who would forget his friends and mentors just because he got rich.


    Indeed, Gao Lang''s following words confirmed his guess.


    "You kid, still the same as ever. I thought bing a billionaire had changed you," Gao Lang said, reverting to his usual way of speaking with Xu Yang.


    He had learned from the ss group that Xu Yang had be wealthy and had taken the liberty of doing a little research.


    Without looking he wouldn''t have known, but when he did, it gave him quite a shock.


    Xu Yang was even more incredible than his ssmates in the group chat had described.


    A billionaire, no less!


    And in the future, possibly a multi-billionaire!


    "Teacher Gao, no matter what I be, I''m the same in front of you," Xu Yang said.


    "You haven''t forgotten where you came from, that''s great. I''m proud of the achievements you''ve made," Gao Lang said with satisfaction.


    "Teacher Gao, did you call about something?" Xu Yang asked.


    "Yes, our school is holding its fiftieth-anniversary celebration in October and will be inviting a group of outstanding alumni to participate. The achievements you''ve made have put you in the ranks of those being invited. It happens that I''m in charge of this notification task, and I hope you can make it back to attend," Gao Lang exined.


    Xu Yang was so outstanding, his achievements so dazzling.


    Inpiling the list of outstanding alumni, he had reported Xu Yang''s name right away.


    Naturally, Xu Yang''s achievements caught the school leaders'' attention and made their eyes widen.


    They agreed immediately to invite Xu Yang to the school anniversary.


    They even considered Xu Yang as one of the most outstanding alumni.


    And they specifically instructed Gao Lang to make sure Xu Yang woulde back for the celebration.


    "I''ve be an outstanding alumnus?" Xu Yang was stunned.


    He had never considered this possibility.


    Unexpectedly, he had be an outstanding alumnus without even realizing it.


    Although he had never attended any anniversary events, he knew what an outstanding alumnus was.


    In in terms, these were people who had made a name for themselves in society after graduation.


    There were government officials, business leaders or elites, renowned schrs, and so on.


    He had not expected to reach this point already.


    "Of course, yeah. You have the time, right? Let me tell you, the school leadership gave me a firm order, saying that I must invite you to the anniversary. If you don''te, I''m going to have a hard time," Gao Lang half-joked.


    The leadership did indeed issue him a firm order, telling him to find whatever means necessary to ensure Xu Yang would attend the celebration.


    As for life being hard, it wasn''t the case.


    After all, if he had done his best, if Xu Yang really didn''t have time and couldn''t return to school for the celebration, it would be understandable.


    After all, Xu Yang was a billionaire.


    As a billionaire, it''s quite normal to be busy.


    "I''m honored to ept the invitation from the school, and I will attend," Xu Yang naturally wouldn''t refuse.


    He wasn''t busy, as other people were managing thepanies he owned.


    Attending the school celebration wasn''t a problem due tock of time.


    "Good, the school leaders will definitely be pleased with this news," Gao Lang said with a smile.


    "Mr. Gao, are you happy?" Xu Yang suddenly asked.


    "Of course, I''m happy. You''re my student, and you''ve be sessful. Bying back to the celebration, you''d bring honor to my face as well. I want everyone to see that a student I taught has aplished so much, haha," Gao Langughed heartily.


    "Mr. Gao, thank you," Xu Yang said.


    During four years of college, Gao Lang had taken good care of him.


    For many things he didn''t know, Gao Lang would tell him and teach him how to handle them.


    "Why thank me? I just did what a counselor should do," Gao Lang knew what Xu Yang was referring to, "By the way, I saw in the group chat that you and Zhao Yuxin have registered for marriage, haven''t you? Congrattions."


    Xu Yang replied with a smile, "Thank you. We haven''t held the wedding ceremony yet. I will choose an appropriate time for it, and when I do, I''ll invite you. I hope you can attend."


    "Sure, I''ll be waiting for it," Gao Lang nodded, then added, "Zhao Yuxin was also a student at our school, and she is one of the distinguished alumni invited for this celebration. Make sure you bothe back for it."


    In truth, with Zhao Yuxin''s job, it was impossible for her to be considered a distinguished alumna.


    After all, Zhao Yuxin was just a bank clerk, far from meeting the standards of a distinguished alumna.


    But who could say anything when her husband was Xu Yang? Having a prominent husband naturally made one a distinguished alumna.


    "Sure, I''ll attend with her," Xu Yang said.


    "Great, send me your address, and I''ll mail you the invitations. When the timees, just bring them with you. I''ll also give Zhao Yuxin a call," Gao Lang said.


    He had seen in the group chat that a student mentioned Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin had moved into a vi in Century Garden, but he didn''t know the exact number of the vi.


    Xu Yang would need to send him the address.


    Of course, Xu Yang could also send the address of hispany.


    Any address where they could receive the invitation would do.


    "Alright, I''ll send it to you in a bit," Xu Yang said.


    "Good, then I won''t keep you any longer; you must have lots of work to do. I have other people to notify as well. Goodbye," Gao Lang said.


    "Alright, goodbye," Xu Yang replied.


    ...


    That afternoon.


    Chen Guanglei arrived at the Jia Sheng Guild.


    At this moment, Chen Guanglei hadpletely lost his former image.


    In the past, no matter the asion, Chen Guanglei always presented himself very tidily, with shiny hair, a fairplexion, and meticulously chosen clothes, all reflective of a young master''s style.


    But today, Chen Guanglei''s hair was disheveled, his eyes were bloodshot, his beard scruffy, and his clothes were wrinkled. His whole demeanor was utterly dejected as if he hadn''t woken up from sleep, resembling a downcast young master.


    When he entered Zhao Yulu''s office and she saw his appearance, she was taken aback, "What brings you here?"


    Chen Guanglei sat down opposite Zhao Yulu, somewhat wearily said, "I had nothing to do, just came to see you."


    Zhao Yulu asked, "Have you sorted out your issues? Are you okay?"

 Chapter 172: Chapter 172: Revealing the True Colors

    "It''s settled," Chen Guanglei nodded, "I''m alright, just a bit tired."


    These past two days had been upied with Chen Ankang''s funeral arrangements.


    Everything was taken care of, and today he would go to work at thepany, seeding his father''s position as president.


    But the process was anything but smooth.


    Since the Triumph Investment was not solely controlled by Chen Ankang, holding just forty-five percent of the shares,


    previously, with Chen Ankang around, other shareholders and executives were all well-managed, with none daring to cause trouble.


    Even Chen Ankang''s indulgence in letting his son, Chen Guanglei, hold a sinecure in thepany elicited no objections.


    But now things were different; Chen Ankang was dead, and it was a death brought on by anger.


    Chen Guanglei inheriting Chen Ankang''s shares was of course not a problem, but assuming the presidency was another story¡ªshareholders and executives had their reservations.


    In their eyes, Chen Guanglei was nothing but a profligate,cking in ability, knowing only how to indulge in his pleasures.


    The leading investment in the acquisition of the Jia Sheng Guild should have been profitable, but now it had be a loss.


    The reputation of the Jia Sheng Guild had plummeted to rock bottom.


    The invested money was very likely to be washed away.


    Furthermore, Chen Ankang had followed Chen Guanglei''s advice not to invest in the aluminum mine acquisition of Fengkai Mining, leading to a missed opportunity worth billions.


    It was Chen Guanglei who had infuriated his father to death.


    How could such a person be fit to serve as president?


    Therefore, at this morning''s routine executive meeting, many shareholders and executives voiced their opinions, suggesting a new election for president, as the position should be upied by thepetent.


    Since the majority held this view, it gave Chen Guanglei quite a headache.


    Eventually, Chen Guanglei could only state that the matter would be discussed at the next regr meeting, promising to provide a satisfactory response to everyone at that time.


    These individuals were not in a rush; indeed, they were curious to see what Guang Lei still had up his sleeve, so they agreed.


    Facing such a hostile situation, Chen Guanglei didn''t want to stay in thepany any longer than necessary. After dealing with some essential tasks, he headed this way.


    nning to have a meal with Zhao Yulu to lighten his mood, moreover, he was feeling very tired and didn''t want to continue like this with Zhao Yulu; he was considering a different approach.


    "If you''re tired, you should go home and rest," Zhao Yulu suggested Chen Guanglei return home, but her tone had not a hint of concern, as if speaking of a trivial matter.


    "It''s fine, being with you is the best rest. Let''s have dinner together tonight," Chen Guanglei smiled.


    "No thanks, I have things to do today, I need to get back home," Zhao Yulu shook her head in refusal.


    "Then how about tomorrow? I''ll pick you up tomorrow evening, and we can go out to dine," Chen Guanglei said.


    "I''m busy tomorrow as well," Zhao Yulu still declined.


    "Then you tell me a time when you''re free, and I''lle to pick you up," Chen Guanglei persisted.


    "Chen Guanglei, it''s impossible between us. You''re not the person I''m looking for. I''ve thought it through recently. We can be just friends, but being boyfriend and girlfriend won''t work. I believe you can find a better woman than me," Zhao Yulu said, realizing that Chen Guanglei wouldn''t easily give up, hence she decided to be upfront about it.


    "Zhao Yulu, do you think you can still get back with Xu Yang?" Chen Guanglei didn''t seem surprised by Zhao Yulu''s words; his expression hardly changed, instead, he asked her a question.


    "Chen Guanglei, I''ve never thought that way, it''s just that I really don''t think we''re suitable," Zhao Yulu shook her head.


    "Not suitable? Then what would make it suitable? Do you think I''m not rich enough?" Chen Guanglei said with a scoff.


    "Chen Guanglei, that''s not what I mean. It''s just that we truly do not match," Zhao Yulu still shook her head.


    She genuinely didn''t have feelings for Chen Guanglei, and it wasn''t an issue of money at all.


    Chen Guanglei''s family had assets worth billions; for an ordinary woman like her, being with Guang Lei would have been quite a catch.


    But she really didn''t like Chen Guanglei, not even a little bit.


    ```


    If she had any affection for him, she would have agreed to be Chen Guanglei''s girlfriend.


    But there isn''t any, and she wouldn''t force herself to be with someone she doesn''t like at all.


    Even if that person could give her a wealthy material life.


    What she''s looking for is someone she both likes and who is wealthy.


    "Heh, we''re not suitable," Chen Guanglei scoffed. "Since that''s the case, let''s get straight to the point. You be my girlfriend for two months, and I''ll give you ten million. How about that?"


    "What did you say?" Zhao Yulu''s eyes widened in disbelief.


    Clearly, she hadn''t expected Chen Guanglei to say something like that.


    "I said, you be my girlfriend for two months, and I''ll give you ten million. How about that?" Chen Guanglei repeated with a smile.


    "Chen Guanglei, what do you take me for? I''m not the kind of woman you think I am!" Zhao Yulu''splexion turned dark all of a sudden.


    To be his girlfriend for two months for ten million.


    She knew exactly what that meant.


    It meant selling herself for two months for ten million, at Chen Guanglei''s disposal.


    "So what kind of woman are you? Do you think you''re very pure? Haven''t you been slept by Xu Yang before? And for several years at that. During those years, he didn''t give you much money, did he? You just have to be my girlfriend for two months, let me sleep with you for two months, and you''ll get ten million.


    What else is there to say," Chen Guanglei said.


    "You..." Zhao Yulu trembled with anger.


    Chen Guanglei''s words were simply an insult to her.


    "What about me, Zhao Yulu? I was originally nning to invite you for a meal, take a drive, and then talk to you about this," he continued.


    "But you refused to have dinner with me, so I saved the money on a meal."


    "I''m not short of women. During the time I''ve been pursuing you, I''ve often gone to clubs to find women."


    "Many women have even taken the initiative to invite me to hotels."


    "I only pursued you because I thought you were pretty and I wanted to get you into bed, that''s why I put so much effort into you."


    "Did you really think I liked you, that I wanted to marry you? Stop dreaming. A woman like you couldn''t possibly enter the doors of the Chen family."


    "My family has assets of at least several billion. How could I possibly marry an ordinary woman like you?"


    "Now, I''m tired of wasting time on you."


    "One word, be my girlfriend for two months, for ten million, do you agree or not?"


    "Of course, if you''re not satisfied with the price, you can make an offer. As long as it''s within my eptable range, I will fulfill your request."


    "But let me tell you, ten million is already a high price. I don''t know how many models I could sleep with for that amount."


    "Better not be too greedy, or all you''ll get is a wasted effort!"


    Chen Guangleipletely lost patience with Zhao Yulu, revealing his true colors, and even spilled the beans about finding models at clubs and having one-night stands.


    "Chen Guanglei, you jerk, I don''t want to see you, get out of here!" Zhao Yulu was driven mad with anger.


    She had suspected that Chen Guanglei was definitely not as loyal as he appeared to be.


    That he was not so fond of her, or that he had quite a few girlfriends.


    But she never imagined Chen Guanglei could be such a beast.


    What about finding models and having one-night stands.


    And that pursuing her was just to y with her.


    This is simply aplete scumbag.


    Luckily, she didn''t agree to be Chen Guanglei''s girlfriend.


    Otherwise, in the end, she would be just another one yed by Chen Guanglei, then cruelly discarded.


    ```

 Chapter 173: Chapter 173 Must Take Revenge

    "You want me to get lost?" Chen Guanglei sneered repeatedly, "Zhao Yulu, have you confused something? This is mypany, and I arranged your position as vice-president. Since you won''t agree to my terms, what right do you have to keep your job? Why should I offer it to you? If anyone should get lost, it''s you!"


    With faces already torn, Chen Guanglei naturally wouldn''t hold back any civility.


    Upon hearing this, Zhao Yulu didn''t say anything else; she quickly gathered her things, grabbed her bag, and headed out.


    "Zhao Yulu, are you really not going to agree? I''ll add more money, fifteen million, will that do?" Chen Guanglei asked.


    "Chen Guanglei, today I''ve finally seen your true colors, from now on we have nothing to do with each other," Zhao Yulu said coldly without stopping her steps.


    "Still not agreeing?" Chen Guanglei frowned, "Do you think you can go back to Xu Yang''s side, is that why you refuse? I''m telling you, just forget about it; Xu Yang won''t spare you a second nce."


    Zhao Yulu didn''t speak, continuing to walk away.


    "Zhao Yulu, you''ve always been a gold digger, and you''ve been sleeping with Xu Yang for years. I''m willing to give you fifteen million, and that''s being very generous. I''m telling you, once this chance is gone, there''s no next one. If you agree to my terms, I can even make you the General Manager of the guild, how about that?" Chen Guanglei said, not giving up hope.


    "You''re always thinking about how to sleep with women; no wonder you could aggravate your dad to death!" Zhao Yulu stopped in her tracks, turned her head back, and retorted with a cold sneer.


    "What did you say?!"


    Chen Guanglei''s eyes immediately turned bloodshot.


    His father''s death due to his aggravation was something he felt terrible and guilty about.


    He regretted not listening to his father''s advice to sell off the guild.


    If he had sold the guild, his father would have been fine.


    He would have still been able to enjoy the carefree life of a wealthy heir, not needing to bother about anything.


    Even if troubles arose, his father would have been there to take care of them.


    But now, with his father gone, all kinds of demons and monsters seemed to be popping up, wanting to drink his blood and eat his flesh.


    He felt he might not even be able to protect his wealth.


    Before, when his father was still around, he never thought much of it.


    Now, with his father gone, he felt an emptiness inside.


    His father''s death because of his actions was his Achilles'' heel.


    Anyone who mentioned it in his presence was touching his weak spot.


    Even the shareholders and executives of Triumph Investments did not dare to speak of it.


    Now, Zhao Yulu had brought it up, and it instantly enraged him.


    p!


    Without warning, Chen Guanglei rushed over and smacked Zhao Yulu across the face.


    The p caught Zhao Yulupletely off guard; her head buzzed and she almost copsed.


    "You actually hit me?" Zhao Yulu covered her already swollen cheek, her face filled with disbelief.


    Her words had simply been a retort to Chen Guanglei.


    She had never imagined that Chen Guanglei would react so violently.


    "So what if I hit you, you slut, a gold digger who has been slept with for years? What do you have to be proud of in front of me? I offer you fifteen million to be my girlfriend for two months; I''m giving you face, and you have the nerve to throw it back in my face and even bring up my dad. I''ll beat you to death!"


    Chen Guanglei grew angrier as he spoke, and he pped Zhao Yulu across the face again.


    Now, both of Zhao Yulu''s cheeks quickly swelled up red.


    "You... how dare you hit me, I''m calling the police¡ªwait and see, you''ll get detained!" Zhao Yulu came to her senses, took out her phone, and dialed a number.


    "Hit me, I''m not afraid of the police. Go ahead and hit me, and if I get detained, consider that a loss for me!" Chen Guanglei sneered repeatedly, sure of himself.


    He made no move to stop Zhao Yulu.


    Even though his father had already passed away, he had left behind certain connections.


    Those connections were more than enough to take care of this matter, at most he''d just have to pay a fine.


    And as for that fine, it didn''t worry him at all.


    ...


    Evening.


    Zhao Yulu returned home and went straight to the bedroom.


    "Yu Lu, you''re back,e over here, I made your favorite braised fish today." Liu Yujuan called out immediately upon seeing her daughter return.


    "Mom, I''m not hungry, you eat." Zhao Yulu didn''t even lift her head as she continued to her bedroom.


    "Yu Lu, what''s wrong?" Liu Yujuan noticed something off in Zhao Yulu''s voice and came over quickly. Upon seeing Zhao Yulu''s swollen cheek, her face changed, "What happened to you, who hit you? Who''s so bold to hit you? Tell me, and I''ll deal with them!"


    No matter what, Zhao Yulu was her daughter. Seeing her daughter hurt naturally pained her, and she was furious with the desire to seek justice for her daughter.


    "Mom, don''t worry about it, I''m going to my room first." Zhao Yulu said.


    "No, you have to tell me clearly who hit you. It wasn''t Xu Yang, was it? Did he hit you when you went to see him?" Liu Yujuan spected.


    "No, I didn''t go see Xu Yang." Zhao Yulu quickly shook her head.


    "Then tell me, who hit you? Seeing you like this is killing me. If you don''t tell me, you''re not going back to your room. Sit down, I''ll get some ointment for you. It''s very effective, it''ll reduce the swelling quickly."


    Liu Yujuan had Zhao Yulu sit on the sofa while she fetched the ointment and applied it to Zhao Yulu''s face.


    "Tell me, who hit you? Whoever it is, I''ll deal with them!"


    Liu Yujuan set the ointment down, still angry.


    "It was Chen Guanglei." Zhao Yulu said.


    "What, him? Why would he hit you? Hasn''t he been pursuing you all this time?" Liu Yujuan was shocked.


    "He came to thepany..." Zhao Yulu exined the situation a bit.


    "That bastard! To say such things to you, and he hit you just for striking back. He''s such a scoundrel!" Liu Yujuan cursed.


    "I didn''t expect him to be that kind of person." Tears fell from Zhao Yulu''s eyes.


    Realizing she knew a beast was truly unbearable.


    "Yu Lu, you must get revenge!" Liu Yujuan said.


    "I''ve already called the police, and they''ve fined him a hundred thousand yuan, to bepensated to me." Zhao Yulu said.


    The reality was much like Chen Guanglei had said. He used his connections, and the police didn''t detain Chen Guanglei but merely fined him.


    "To Chen Guanglei, a hundred thousand yuan is just a drop in the bucket. What kind of revenge is that? To truly get revenge, you have to hit where it hurts, make him regret it." Zhao Yulu said.


    "What else can I do? Let''s just leave this matter behind. I won''t have anything to do with him anymore." Zhao Yulu said bitterly.


    "You can''t just let this go; you must get revenge!" Liu Yujuan insisted.


    "He has his connections, what can I do to him? Am I supposed to find some thugs to beat him up?" Zhao Yulu couldn''t think of a way to get revenge.


    She touched her cheek and found it no longer hurt.


    The ointment was incredibly effective; in just a short time, her cheek had already stopped hurting.

 Chapter 174: Chapter 174 Father-in-law Wants to Meet Father-in-law

    "It''s not about hiring thugs to beat him up; hiring thugs, that''s not hitting where it really hurts. He has always prided himself on being a second-generation rich kid, and now he''s inherited his dead father''s fortune. Those assets, those are his weak spot. Inflicting a huge loss on his wealth, that''s hitting where it hurts!" Liu Yujuan said.


    "Causing a huge loss to his wealth, I can''t do it." Zhao Yulu shook her head. What a terrible idea her mother hade up with.


    "I know you can''t, but someone else can." Liu Yujuan smiled.


    "Who?" Zhao Yulu asked, puzzled.


    "It''s Xu Yang," Liu Yujuan said with a smile.


    "Him?" Zhao Yulu was stunned.


    "Yes," Liu Yujuan said, "Think about it, Xu Yang is already a billionaire now, and hiswork is even more powerful. Even Wang Xiaocong has to personally greet him."


    "If Xu Yang helps you, causing a huge loss to Zhao Yulu''s wealth is a matter of moments!"


    "You just contact him right away, arrange to meet him, let him see you''ve been beaten, I''m sure he will immediately take you into his arms and ask who did it to you."


    "After knowing the situation, he will surely be infuriated and go after Chen Guanglei. Not only will Chen Guanglei get beaten up, but his wealth might not be safe at all!"


    "From then on, you''ll be back together!"


    By the end, Liu Yujuan wasughing again, already enjoying the prospect of a happy future life.


    "Mom, there you go again." Zhao Yulu really didn''t know what to say.


    Everything could somehow lead her mom back to Xu Yang.


    But still, she had to admit her mother was right.


    If Xu Yang was willing to stand up for her, dealing with Chen Guanglei would indeed be a matter of moments.


    After all, the Xu Yang of today, whether in terms of wealth orworking, was utterly overwhelming Chen Guanglei.


    Yet she hadn''t decided if she wanted to do things the way Liu Yujuan previously suggested.


    "What do you mean ''there you go again''? I''m looking out for your best interest. Why can''t you appreciate it? You call Xu Yang right now, have him avenge you, make that Chen Guanglei regret it!" Liu Yujuan urged, dissatisfied.


    "Mom, I''m not making that call. I haven''t made up my mind about what you said, and I don''t want you to bring it up again. I''m heading back to my room." Zhao Yulu got up and went to her room.


    "You silly girl, do you want to drive me crazy? Such a good opportunity, and you won''t seize it!" Liu Yujuan trembled with anger, "Right, aren''t you going to eat?"


    "You go ahead, I''ll rest a bit and eatter." Zhao Yulu replied and then entered her room, closing the door behind her.


    ...


    Meanwhile.


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin arrived at Zhao Hai''s home.


    "Dad, what''s the matter today?"


    Today, Zhao Hai had asked them over for dinner, saying he had something to talk about.


    He hadn''t said what it was over the phone, telling them he would talk about it when they arrived.


    No sooner had they stepped through the door and seen their fathering out of the kitchen with a dish in hand than Zhao Yuxin asked her question.


    "Let''s talk over dinner; you two have a seat first, the dishes will be ready soon," Zhao Hai said, cing the dish on the table.


    "Dad, you chat with Xu Yang. I''ll go help Ru Yan," Zhao Yuxin rushed into the kitchen, "Ru Yan, I''m here to help you!"


    Xu Yang and Zhao Hai sat in the living room, having tea.


    Xu Yang inquired about the current development status of Haido.


    Learning that the Haido business was still booming and was now preparing to expand into second-tier cities,


    With shareholders like Jiang Yuheng and Su Wenbin to back it up, national expansion presented no issues.


    Soon, the meals were ready, and the family sat down to dine together.


    Halfway through the meal, Zhao Yuxin asked again, "Dad, can you tell us now? What did you want to see us for?"


    Zhao Hai nced at Zhou Ruyan before answering, "Ruyan and I are already together, and we''re nning to visit her parents next weekend."


    "What?" Zhao Yuxin was stunned, then eximed with joy, "Really? That''s great!"


    If Dad is going to meet Zhou Ruyan''s parents, it means they''re preparing to get married.


    This was exactly what she had hoped to see.


    Xu Yang was somewhat surprised too; the old man was moving quite fast.


    And it made sense¡ªboth of them were of a certain age, so once they decided to be together, there was no need to dy things any further.


    Not like the young people who date for years.


    If they feel it''s right, they get together, meet the parents, and arrange the marriage.


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin, being so young and yet hastening to register their marriage, were an exception.


    If it weren''t for the system''s choice, Xu Yang wouldn''t have registered the marriage with Zhao Yuxin so quickly.


    "Dad, are you nervous about meeting Sister Ruyan''s parents?" Zhao Yuxin asked with a giggle.


    "A little bit." To say he wasn''t nervous would definitely be a lie. Although Zhao Hai wasn''t young and had been married once before, thus experiencing meeting the inws, he was still somewhat nervous about meeting Zhou Ruyan''s parents.


    "Don''t be nervous, my parents are very easygoing," Zhou Ruyan said in a soft,forting voice.


    "Sister Ruyan, you care so much about my dad, I''m jealous. I''ll leave caring for my dad to you from now on; I, the little padded jacket, should take my leave," Zhao Yuxin said with a cheeryugh.


    Upon hearing this, Zhou Ruyan''s cheeks flushed slightly.


    "You scamp," Zhao Hai scolded with augh.


    "By the way, Dad, do you want Xu Yang and me toe with you to meet Zhou Ruyan''s parents, to give you moral support?" Zhao Yuxin asked.


    "There''s no need for that, but if you guys have time, you cane along with me. It would be nice for Zhou Ruyan''s parents to meet you too," Zhao Hai said.


    "I definitely have time, my acquired business practically runs itself," Xu Yang said.


    "I''m also fine. If necessary, I can just ask for a couple days off. Sister Ruyan, would Xu Yang and Iing along cause any issues?" Zhao Yuxin asked.


    "What issues could there be? If you coulde, my parents and I would be delighted," Zhou Ruyan replied with a smile.


    "Good, then it''s settled. We''ll go on Sunday next week. Make your arrangements, and Yuxin, ask for a couple of days off," Zhao Hai instructed.


    "Alright," Zhao Yuxin nodded in agreement.


    After finishing the meal and chatting for a while longer, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin took their leave.


    On the way home.


    Feeling ted, Zhao Yuxin said, "Dad is going to meet the inws, and just thinking about it makes me happy and excited. I can''t wait to see what Dad will be like, hehe."


    Xu Yang shook his head with a smile, "He''ll definitely make Sister Ruyan''s parents happy."


    Zhao Yuxin nodded repeatedly, "Mhm, I believe it too. We''ll be able to witness the moment and enjoy a two-day trip there."


    "Zhou Ruyan''s hometown is in the capital of Sichuan Province, the Land of Abundance, and I haven''t been there before," Xu Yang noted.


    "I haven''t been there either, and I''ve heard there are lots of beauties. Honey, you''ll have to keep an eye on yourself," Zhao Yuxin said.


    Xu Yang replied with a wry smile, "So, am I not allowed to look at beauties? If there are so many, I can''t just walk down the street with my eyes closed. I''ll definitely end up looking."


    Zhao Yuxin huffed yfully, "A nce is fine; just don''t leer at them."


    Xu Yang was bemused, "With a beautiful wife like you, I''m too busy admiring you to leer at other women."


    Zhao Yuxin hummed in satisfaction, "Hmph, that''s the right answer."

 Chapter 175: Chapter 175: Medicinal Cuisine Workshop

    ```


    Upon returning home, Xu Yang''s phone started ringing; it was a call from Xu Zhen.


    "Director Xu," Xu Yang answered the phone.


    "President Xu, the opening ceremony for ''I Am Not the Medicine God'' is the day after tomorrow. Do you have time toe by?" Xu Zhen asked.


    "I have time, I''m not doing anything anyway." Xu Yang had never attended a film''s opening ceremony and had nothing to do, so he decided to go take a look.


    "Great, the opening ceremony will be held here in the capital. I''ll send you the specific time and location," Xu Zhen said.


    "Okay," Xu Yang nodded and hung up the phone.


    Before long, Xu Yang received the time and address from Xu Zhen.


    It was set for Friday morning at ten o''clock, in a hotel on the outskirts.


    After a while, Xu Yang heard the WeChat notification sound.


    He opened it and found that Wang Xiaocong had created a group chat.


    He added Jiang Yuheng and Su Wenbin to it.


    Wang Xiaocong: Did everyone get the call from Xu Zhen, asking us to join the opening ceremony? Are you guys going?


    Xu Yang: I promised Xu Zhen I would go. I''m the main investor of the movie, so naturally, I should show my support.


    Jiang Yuheng: I asked Xu Zhen if Xu Yang was going, and Xu Zhen said Xu Yang had agreed, so of course, I''m going too.


    Su Wenbin: Me too, Xu Yang, Old Jiang, let''s go together when the timees.


    The three of them being from Jiang City, they naturally nned to go together.


    Wang Xiaocong: Alright, I''ll wait for you guys here.


    There wasn''t much else to talk about, just confirming this matter.


    Wang Xiaocong had set up the WeChat group so that it would be convenient to discuss things in the future.


    Now, the four of them were a group.


    Jiang Yuheng and Su Wenbin had already be shareholders in Xu Yang''spany, and it could be said that they formed a very solid interestmunity.


    Although he and Xu Yang had invested together in ''I Am Not the Medicine God,'' it was just one film. He still hoped that, like Jiang Yuheng and Su Wenbin, he could be a shareholder in thepany.


    Even if he couldn''t invest and be a shareholder in thepany right away, if Xu Yang was interested in any projects in the future and they invested together, that would be okay too.


    The following afternoon,


    Xu Yang, along with Jiang Yuheng and Su Wenbin, took a flight to the capital.


    This was Xu Yang''s second visit to the capital.


    Thest time he was here was for the opening ceremony of the capital''s branch of hispany.


    He didn''t do any sightseeing, just attended the opening ceremony and then left for Guang City to attend another opening ceremony.


    This time, Xu Yang wanted to bring Zhao Yuxin along, but she had to work and wasn''t too interested in the opening ceremony, so she didn''te with him.


    Upon arriving in the capital, they went to the hotel where the opening ceremony was being held.


    The other three investors, Xu Zhen, Wu Jing, and Xue Zhanhua had already arrived and were waiting for the four at the entrance.


    "Director Wu, you''re here too; I thought you''d be busy filming ''War Panther 2'' and wouldn''te," Xu Yang said with a smile.


    "President Xu, ''War Panther 2'' is indeed being filmed, and we''ve already finished some domestic scenes. We''re preparing to head to Africa for shooting soon; for the next few days we''re just preparing, so I have some time and decided toe by," Wu Jing replied.


    "I see," Xu Yang nodded in understanding.


    After some pleasantries, Wang Xiaocong said, "Let''s go, I''ll treat everyone to a meal today. I''ll take you to a private restaurant that will definitely satisfy you, I guarantee you''ve never been there before."


    Jiang Yuheng couldn''t help but say, "Old Wang, that''s quite a im. It''s understandable to say that Xu Yang, Old Su, and I, being from outside the capital, have never been there, but Director Xu, Director Wu, and President Xue are all locals. How can you be so sure they haven''t been there?"


    Wang Xiaocong chuckled and said, "This private restaurant is run by a friend of mine, and it just opened three days ago. I don''t believe the three of them could have been there already."


    Having said that, he looked towards Xue Zhanhua and the others.


    ```


    All three shook their heads: "Haven''t been there."


    It wasn''t far from here, just half an hour''s drive away.


    "Medicinal Cuisine Workshop?"


    Getting out of the car and arriving at the entrance, they saw the signboard with the big characters, "Baihui Medicinal Cuisine Workshop." Everyone couldn''t help but feel a little stunned.


    "That''s right, the Medicinal Cuisine Workshop, guaranteed to surprise you all."


    Wang Xiaocong led everyone inside.


    As soon as they entered, a young man came to greet them.


    "Mr. Wang, you''re here." The young man greeted them with a beaming smile.


    "This is my friend Huang Hao, the owner of this Medicinal Cuisine Workshop," Wang Xiaocong introduced. "These few people are Xu Zhen and Wu Jing, you must know them, this is Mr. Xue from Hua''an Film and Television, this is Mr. Xu from Jiang Bottom Fishing, and these two are Young Master Jiang and Young Master Su, just like me."


    Huang Hao smiled and said, "Hello everyone, wee to my Medicinal Cuisine Workshop. I''ve prepared a private room for you all, please follow me."


    Huang Hao led the group to the most prestigious Tianzi private room on the second floor.


    This was the most honored private room.


    To receive someone of Wang Xiaocong''s status, naturally, the most honored private room was used.


    Once everyone was seated and tea was served, Huang Hao began to introduce the concept of medicinal cuisine.


    In essence, it meant enjoying delicious food while also benefiting your health.


    After Huang Hao finished introducing, Wang Xiaocong chuckled and said, "Huang Hao left out one thing, let me add it. Many medicinal dishes have a function: nourishing the kidneys, which can enhance *that* ability. Everyone, if you have the chance, should eat more medicinal cuisine, I guarantee it will make your wife or girlfriend more satisfied."


    The group exchanged nces and revealed knowing smiles.


    Such a function was very attractive to men, after all.


    "Then let''s get the dishes out quickly, Old Wang, we don''t know how to order, you arrange it," Jiang Yuheng said with augh.


    "Actually, I don''t know either, let''s let Huang Hao arrange it, he''ll take care of it perfectly," Wang Xiaocong said. "Huang Hao, there are just seven of us, you see fit how to arrange it."


    It was best to leave the arrangements to Huang Hao. If Huang Hao couldn''t even manage that, then he didn''t deserve to be his friend.


    Huang Hao nodded: "No problem, I''ll take care of it, you guys just wait."


    ...


    One hourter.


    Under Huang Hao''s escort, everyone walked out of the Medicinal Cuisine Workshop feelingpletely satisfied.


    "Old Wang, the medicinal cuisine was really beyond words, Jiangcheng should have it too. I''ll definitely visit the Medicinal Cuisine Workshop more often," Jiang Yuheng said with a smile.


    "You''re right, it''s got me feeling a bit impulsive now," Su Wenbin nodded repeatedly, clearly very content.


    Previously, they hadn''t eaten medicinal cuisine.


    Unexpectedly, it was quite magical. They had to eat more of it in the future.


    "Ha-ha, it''s good to feel impulsive. I''ll take you to a club that will surely satisfy you, how about that?" Wang Xiaocongughed.


    "Er... we don''t need to do that," Su Wenbin said, a bit speechless.


    "What do you mean ''don''t need to''? Today, I just want to treat you all well," Wang Xiaocong said.


    "Xu Yang, what do you say?" Jiang Yuheng was indifferent and sought Xu Yang''s opinion.


    If Xu Yang said they should go, he would also go.


    "What can I say? Of course, I''m going back to the hotel to rest. I have a wife, and I can''t be flirting around outside," Xu Yang said.


    "Damn, Xu Yang, do you have to be so serious? It''s okay for a man to have a bit of fun outside, as long as you have your wife in your heart," Wang Xiaocong said.


    "No, it''s a matter of principle. I won''t go and touch that," Xu Yang shook his head seriously.

 Chapter 176: Chapter 176: Sharing Investment Opportunities

    "Alright, since Xu Yang isn''t going, I guess the rest of us aren''t interested either, so let''s head back to the hotel to rest," Wang Xiaocong said.


    He didn''t really ask for Xue Zhanhua, Xu Zhen or Wu Jing''s opinions.


    The three of them knew that Wang Xiaocong definitely wouldn''t include them in such activities.


    Of course, even if they were invited, Xu Zhen and Wu Jing wouldn''t go either.


    They were celebrities, and if they were spotted and exposed, their careers would bepletely ruined.


    Xue Zhanhua would have been a bit better off; he wouldn''t have that problem.


    But why would Wang Xiaocong invite a man in his fifties to hang out? Wouldn''t that be a mood killer?


    Shortly after, they all returned to the hotel.


    Back at the hotel, they didn''t rest so early.


    Wang Xiaocong, Jiang Yuheng, and Su Wenbin went to Xu Yang''s room to drink tea and chat.


    "Xu Yang, do you have any investment projects you''re keen on right now?" Wang Xiaocong asked.


    "Right now," Xu Yang paused slightly in thought, "speaking of investment projects I''m keen on, there really is one."


    "What project, tell us!" Wang Xiaocong was invigorated, his eyes shining.


    He had just asked casually and didn''t expect there really to be one.


    Since it was a project mentioned by Xu Yang, he must invest in it.


    Xu Yang''s investment projects had never failed; they all made money, and not just a little, but a lot of money.


    Jiang Yuheng and Su Wenbin also looked toward Xu Yang, somewhat expectant.


    If there was a project, they would want to be part of it¡ªno one would think they had too much money.


    "Acquiring a copyrightpany," Xu Yang said. "I''ve already acquired a copyrightpany and invested one billion to have thepany''s general manager purchase arge number of various cultural knowledge product rights. Now I estimate that most of the money has probably been spent."


    The three-month deadline is almost up.


    Now, Pioneer Culture Copyright Company''s acquisition of copyrights should be pretty much done.


    Sharing this news with Wang Xiaocong and the others, letting them make money together, would definitely deepen their rtionships further.


    Especially, topletely get Wang Xiaocong on the same boat.


    Wang Xiaocong''s influence was even greater than Jiang Yuheng''s and Su Wenbin''s.


    In the future, there might be many asions where he would need Wang Xiaocong''s help.


    "What! Acquire a copyrightpany!"


    "You spent ten billion to buy all sorts of cultural knowledge product rights!"


    "Oh my, that''s a huge move," the three of them eximed.


    "Xu Yang, do you think copyright prices are going to skyrocket?" Wang Xiaocong asked after the shock.


    "Yes, with all sorts of piracy rampant, I don''t think this situation can go on forever. Sooner orter, the country will surely take copyright seriously, and then the government will step in and regte, ensuring copyright prices will definitely surge," Xu Yang said.


    "Everyone knows that the rampant piracy can''t continue indefinitely, but when will the country step in? Can we endure until then? You''re investing heavily now because you think the government will soon crack down and enforce regtions?" Wang Xiaocong said.


    "That''s my judgment," Xu Yang nodded.


    "Xu Yang, I have to say, you''re very bold, putting in a billion directly to acquire all kinds of copyrights. Just for that, I''m far behind you," Wang Xiaocong gave Xu Yang a thumbs up.


    One billion was not a small amount for him personally.


    Investing a billion directly to acquire copyrights was something he could not do.


    What if the government doesn''t regte it soon?


    Buying thepany, the capital is tied up, creating a lot of pressure.


    There are monthly rents to pay, and sries to dish out for the staff.


    All of this costs a considerable amount of money, and if you don''t know when regtions will kick in, you might not be able to hold on.


    ```


    "Anyway, once I set my sights on something, I go for it. If I lose, then I lose; it''s impossible to seed in every investment," Xu Yang said.


    He had already shared the news, and whether Wang Xiaocong and the other two wanted to enter the fray was now up to them.


    If they decided to get in, they would surely make a profit and would definitely be grateful to him afterward.


    If they didn''t, they would miss the opportunity and have only regretter on.


    "Old Jiang, Old Su, what do you say?" Wang Xiaocong asked.


    "What else is there to say? If Xu Yang can do it, and do it with a billion-dor move at that, why can''t we!" Jiang Yuheng said.


    "That''s right, this is something we must take on!" Su Wenbin followed.


    "Alright, since you both feel that way, I have no reservations. How about the three of us find a copyrightpany to co-invest in acquiring together?" Wang Xiaocong proposed.


    "Sure," both Jiang Yuheng and Su Wenbin had no objections.


    "Okay, I''ll arrange this matter. Tomorrow, I will have my investmentpany look for a copyright firm to acquire. You guys just need to provide the funds when the timees. Let''s discuss now how much we should collectively invest to acquire the rights," Wang Xiaocong said.


    "Xu Yang alone is investing a billion; as three people, we should at least match that number," Jiang Yuheng remarked.


    "Right, we can do that number," Su Wenbin agreed without objection.


    The two believed that with Xu Yang''s massive investment, the project was almost certain to seed, virtually a hundred percent.


    Investing a billion in total seemed reasonable.


    "Fine, then it''s 350 million each, and we''ll handle the acquisitionpany separately. Once we find the firm, we''ll pay whatever the amount is!" Wang Xiaocong stated.


    Jiang Yuheng and Su Wenbin, naturally, had no objections.


    And so, the three of them reached an agreement on the coboration.


    "Let me make one thing clear beforehand, if we lose money, don''t me me," Xu Yang gave everyone a heads up.


    "Xu Yang, what do you take us for? You''re leading us to make money; how could we possibly do anything like that?"


    "Xu Yang, if we lose, it''s just bad luck on our part. We absolutely won''t me you."


    "If anyone mes you, I''ll be the first to disapprove."


    All three made their stance clear.


    ...


    The next day.


    The group arrived at the location of the kickoff ceremony.


    This was an open space in front of the hotel entrance.


    Xu Zhen arrived earlier with the film crew and other staffers.


    They set up the booth, ced the incense burner, and prepared everything needed.


    Xu Yang, Wang Xiaocong, along with Jiang Yuheng and Su Wenbin, arrived together.


    They were thest to arrive, and when they did, all other attendees were already there.


    It wasn''t yet ten o''clock when Xu Zhen brought the main actors over to meet Xu Yang and the others.


    "This is Wang Xiaocong. I believe he needs no introduction; no one doesn''t know him," Xu Zhen first introduced Wang Xiaocong, then went on to introduce Jiang Yuheng and Su Wenbin.


    Finally, pointing at Xu Yang, he said, "This is Mr. Xu, whom I''ve mentioned to you before. It was he who rmended you to me."


    "Mr. Xu, thank you for giving us this opportunity!"


    All eyes turned to Xu Yang with excited expressions of gratitude.


    Xu Zhen was now a highly sought-after director, and for these unknown actors, participating in his movie was an enormous opportunity.


    Not to mention, it was such a promising film.


    Xu Zhen had told them that it was the chief investor of the film who had rmended them to him.


    In their hearts, they were immensely grateful to this Mr. Xu they had not yet met.


    By bringing them over, Xu Zhen was giving them the chance to express their thanks in person.


    ```

 Chapter 177: Chapter 177: Start-up Success

    "No need to be polite. I rmended you guys because I think your acting is good and you fit the roles really well. It''s your performance that satisfied Director Xu. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have chosen you," Xu Yang said, his gaze falling on one of the actors, and he couldn''t help but frown, "Director Xu, is this actor in a condition to participate in filming?"


    The actor looked sickly, as if a gust of wind could knock him over.


    Upon this, Xu Zhen offered an exnation.


    "President Xu, this actor''s name is Wang Chuanjun. He ys a patient, and this is the kind of state that''s required of his character."


    "After he was confirmed for the role, he started training like crazy, consuming only a few steamed buns each day."


    "Honestly, I''m quite worried about him. I keep telling him to take care of his health, but he insists that he must reach the same state as the character to do it justice. I really admire that."


    "I''m sure you''ve noticed that the other actors are all in unusual statespared to normal people. This is all the result of their strenuous training, all to urately capture the true appearance of the patients."


    "To tell the truth, I''ve been an actor for so many years, rarely have I seen such dedicated actors. As a director, seeing them like this, I feel both gratified and heartbroken, as well as deeply admiring."


    The dedication of these actors has given him even more confidence in making this film great.


    "I see," Xu Yang said, suddenly understanding. He admired these actors as well, thinking that with such performers, how could the film not be a sess?


    It must be because of such actors that this film was made possible.


    As for Director Wen Muye, the role he yed probably wasn''t that significant.


    This suggested that not working with Director Wen Muye probably wouldn''t make much of a difference.


    Xu Yang then cautioned, "Seeing how hardworking the actors are makes me even more confident that everyone will do a great job with the film. Still, Director Xu, you must ensure proper logistical support. As much as the actors aremitted to filming, we can''t let it actually harm their health."


    Xu Zhen nodded repeatedly, "President Xu cares, and you can rest assured we will definitely provide thorough logistical support."


    Suddenly, he added, "President Xu, they are very grateful for this opportunity you''ve given them. Beforeing over, they told me they wanted to take a photo with you, is that okay?"


    When Xu Zhen asked this question, all the actors were looking at Xu Yang with hopeful eyes.


    They just wanted a photo with Xu Yang to forever remember that he was the one who gave them this opportunity.


    "Sure," Xu Yang did not refuse.


    Following that, Xu Yang took a group photo with all the actors.


    Then it was time for the opening ceremony.


    Firstly, Director and lead actor Xu Zhen gave a speech, followed by investor representative Xue Zhanhua.


    Xu Yang and a few others were not ones to hog the limelight, so they left Xue Zhanhua to speak on behalf of the group.


    Wang Xiaocong did seem a bit eager to make an appearance, but since Xu Yang had no such desire, he lost interest as well.


    After the speeches, it was time for everyone to light incense.


    Having lit the incense, Director Xu Zhen and investor representative Xue Zhanhua unveiled the red cloth covering the camera.


    "Wishing a great start to the project."


    As the cry went up, a burst of firecrackers sounded.


    The whole sequence of events took over an hour.


    The timing was precisely managed; after the busy period was over and things were tidied up, it was time to return to the hotel for lunch.


    Xu Yang had never attended an opening ceremony like this before and found it quite interesting.


    After lunch, Xu Zhen took the film crew to the shooting location to begin filming.


    Wu Jing and Xue Zhanhua came over to greet Xu Yang and others before leaving.


    "Xu Yang, Old Jiang, Old Su, let''s go. I''ll take you on a good tour around the capital. You''re not from here, so there are ces you don''t know about," Wang Xiaocong called out.


    "Young Master Wang, you guys go ahead. I''m heading back to Jiangcheng today," Xu Yang said, shaking his head.


    "You''re already here. Why are you in such a hurry to go back? Stay and y for a few days before you return," Wang Xiaocong said.


    "Yes, Xu Yang, stay for a couple of days before heading back," Jiang Yuheng and Su Wenbin also tried to persuade him.


    "No, thanks. Today is a special day, I need to go back and spend it with my wife," Xu Yang still refused.


    "A special day?" Jiang Yuheng was puzzled.


    "What special day?" Su Wenbin was also somewhat confused.


    "Crap, today is May 20th!" Wang Xiaocong finally remembered.


    "That''s right, I have a surprise prepared for my wife tonight, so I must go back," Xu Yang said.


    "Alright then, since you''ve already said so, if I still persuaded you to stay, I would be hindering you from spending sweet moments with your wife. We can''t do that," Wang Xiaocong said.


    "I''m off; you guys have fun here." Xu Yang waved his hand and left.


    He went straight to the airport and returned to Jiang City.


    It was after 5 p.m. when he got back to Jiang City.


    Today happened to be Saturday, and Zhao Yuxin came to the airport to pick up Xu Yang.


    The couple returned to the downtown area, first took a stroll on the streets, then had dinner, followed by a movie, and after the movie, they went for a walk by the Lan River.


    By then, it was already 11 p.m.


    Zhao Yuxin had wanted to go back, but Xu Yang said that today was a good day and suggested they take a walk here.


    In fact, it wasn''t far from Century Garden.


    It was only a few minutes by car, or about half an hour walking.


    "There are so many couples out for a walk here."


    Upon reaching the Lan River, seeing many young men and women, mostly in pairs, Zhao Yuxin couldn''t help but exim.


    "Today is 520, a day withmemorative significance," Xu Yang said with a smile.


    "Actually, these holidays are just made up by capitalists to fool young people into celebrating and spending," Zhao Yuxin said with a scoff.


    "Hehe, no matter what, clear-headed people know what to do," Xu Yang said with augh.


    "That''s true," Zhao Yuxin agreed.


    As they walked hand in hand, basking in their sweet moments, a figure not far behind them was watching them intently.


    It was Zhao Yulu.


    Today, she hade here to clear her mind.


    She was in a very bad mood.


    Chen Guanglei''s behavior had left some shadows in her heart.


    It made her feel all the more that leaving Xu Yang had been a mistake.


    The only thing she could takefort in was that she had not agreed to be Chen Guanglei''s girlfriend.


    If she had agreed to it, andter Chen Guanglei showed his true colors, that would have been true regret.


    Seeing the backs of Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin, her delicate body couldn''t help but tremble.


    From their behavior, it was evident that their feelings for each other were very strong.


    She simply couldn''t see how Xu Yang was just treating Zhao Yuxin as a substitute for her.


    Xu Yang''s actions, and the loving nces he asionally cast back at Zhao Yuxin, were filled with affection.


    If she was just a substitute, would Xu Yang act like this?


    "Honey, let''s head back, I''m feeling a bit sleepy," Zhao Yuxin said after walking for a while.


    "Wait a moment," Xu Yang checked the time.


    "What are we waiting for?" Zhao Yuxin asked.


    "Look over there," Xu Yang pointed towards the Mingyue Tower on the other side of the Lan River.


    Mingyue Tower is one of Jiang City''s iconic buildings.


    Many tourists who visit Jiang City go up there.


    From the top, you can overlook the entirendscape of Jiang City.


    "Why are we looking at Mingyue Tower?" Zhao Yuxin asked curiously.


    "You''ll know very soon," Xu Yang didn''t exin.


    As his words fell, the screen on Mingyue Tower lit up.


    A countdown appeared on the screen.


    "10, 9, 8..."

 Chapter 178: Chapter 178 The Cost of Romance

    "What''s happening?"


    "Are they going to set off some special effects?"


    "That''s probably the case, there''s always been special effects during the New Year and festivals."


    Everyone had noticed themotion at the Bright Moon Tower.


    "3, 2, 1!"


    After the countdown, a sentence appeared.


    [Xu Yang loves Zhao Yuxin, forever!]


    The few short words immediately moistened Zhao Yuxin''s eyes.


    She was overwhelmed by an immense sense of happiness.


    "Husband!" Zhao Yuxin, with tears of joy, threw herself into Xu Yang''s arms.


    Not far away, Zhao Yulu''s heart skipped a beat when she saw the words on the Bright Moon Tower.


    Now, she was even more certain that Xu Yang did not see Zhao Yuxin as a mere substitute for herself.


    If she were just a substitute, Xu Yang would not need to do all this.


    This was the behavior of someone deeply in love.


    The onlookers strolling by the riverbank all let out cries of amazement.


    "Who is this Zhao Yuxin? She''s so lucky."


    "Xu Yang is so romantic, I wish I had a boyfriend like him."


    "This is showing off love to the whole city, I''m so envious."


    People either praised Xu Yang or envied Zhao Yuxin.


    "Husband, Xu Yang is so romantic, you should be romantic like that for me one day."


    Next to them, a woman said to her boyfriend.


    "Wife, I do want to be romantic like that, but that kind of romance isn''t for someone like me," the man said with a wry smile.


    "What do you mean, ''not for someone like you''? Humph, I think you just don''t love me," the woman huffed angrily.


    "Wife, you don''t understand the situation. Do you know how much such a romantic gesture costs?" the man still replied with a wry smile.


    "How much?" The woman was aware of the man''s circumstances. She knew he cared deeply for her and wasn''t afraid to spend money. Saying this must mean it really did cost a lot, perhaps more than the man could afford.


    Still, she couldn''t imagine just how much money expressing love in this way could cost.


    "It costs a million," the man said.


    He was knowledgeable about the matter; one of the wealthy second-generation guys in hispany did the same kind of deration to his girlfriendst Valentine''s Day.


    People in thepany had asked this rich second-generation how much such a gesture cost.


    "What, a million!" The woman couldn''t help but exim in shock, "Just to make such a deration costs a million? That''s too expensive."


    A million is not something the average person can afford.


    "That''s the price on a normal day. On days like 520, Qixi, Valentine''s Day, the prices at least double," said the man, shocking her again.


    "Double? That''s two million!" The woman was astounded.


    "Exactly, do you think I can afford that kind of romance? Two million could be a down payment on a house. Would you rather have a down payment for a house, or would you want me to make such a deration to you?" the man asked.


    "Of course, it''s for the down payment of an apartment," the woman said without hesitating.


    What a joke, her boyfriend wasn''t a second-generation rich kid; they were both working hard and saving money together. They had just barely saved up two million and were nning to use it to make a down payment on a house.


    If she took that money for a confession, she would have nowhere to cry.


    Women like romance, sure, but it has to be grounded in reality.


    If you ignore reality and get carried away with romance, you''ll just end up making life a mess.


    ...


    Zhao Yulu returned home.


    Liu Yujuan was still up, ying on her phone on the living room sofa.


    She had nothing to do all day, so she usually went to bedte.


    Seeing Zhao Yulu''s return, and noticing something was off with her expression, she couldn''t help but ask, "Yu Lu, what''s wrong? Did something unhappy happen again?"


    Zhao Yulu, this time, did not conceal anything and directly shared how Xu Yang had confessed his love to Zhao Yuxin, then said, "Mom, I think Xu Yang really loves Yu Xin. Everything you said before was just your conjecture, all false, so please stop telling me to get back with Xu Yang from now on."


    Liu Yujuan was also astonished, never expecting Xu Yang to pull such a stunt.


    But soon, sheughed and said, "Yu Lu, you''re just blinded. What he is doing is actually a roundabout way of urging you, to let him know you want to get back with him sooner."


    Zhao Yulu was somewhat speechless, "Mom, how can you twist everything to fit your own perspective?"


    Liu Yujuan said, "I''m not twisting it; that''s the reality. He put so much effort into his confession, so why hasn''t he held a wedding with Yu Xin? If he truly loved Zhao Yuxin, they would have had the wedding by now for everyone to witness their union."


    Zhao Yulu replied, "Actually, what he did today is pretty much the same as having a wedding."


    With today''s actions by Xu Yang, the whole city knew about it, and practically everyone who was a friend or rtive of Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin was aware of it.


    This was indeed like holding a wedding and announcing to everyone that they were together.


    Liu Yujuan argued, "How could thispare to a wedding? At most, this is a romantic confession between lovers, which is very unreliable. Only a wedding is the best proof."


    No matter what Xu Yang did, she believed that his heart only had space for Zhao Yulu and that he saw Zhao Yuxin merely as a substitute for Zhao Yulu.


    This blind confidence stemmed from the fact that Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin hadn''t had a wedding.


    If Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin had a wedding, she would have nothing to say.


    After all, someone like Xu Yang would never have a wedding with Zhao Yuxin if he didn''t truly want to be with her.


    Zhao Yulu shook her head, "I still don''t agree with you."


    Liu Yujuan''s eyes flickered, "If you want to know if I''m telling the truth, why don''t you call Xu Yang and meet him? Then you''ll find out. I''m sure that as soon as you see him, he will realize your feelings, take you into his arms immediately, and divorce Yu Xin as soon as possible to marry you."


    Zhao Yulu still shook her head, "You haven''t seen how they are together. I can tell, Xu Yang really loves Yu Xin, it''s not an act, nor is it seeing Yu Xin as my recement."


    "You," Liu Yujuan tapped Zhao Yulu on the forehead, "seeing is not always believing. You''re overthinking it. Just do as I say, and you won''t go wrong!"


    "The more you dy, the less favorable the situation bes for you. Every day they''re like a burning me, and if Yu Xin gets pregnant, then it will be difficult for Xu Yang to leave her."


    "I can see that Xu Yang is someone who values rtionships deeply. He might decide against divorcing Yu Xin for the sake of the child, and then you''ll truly have nowhere to cry."


    Hearing Liu Yujuan say this, Zhao Yulu began to doubt her own judgement again.


    Liu Yujuan added, "Yu Lu, what you need to do now is to show up in front of Xu Yang instead of thinking about all this nonsense. Trust me, mother''s intuition won''t be wrong; I won''t deceive you, nor will I harm you."


    "I''ll think about it more," Zhao Yulu said, and then she went back to her room.


    "Keep thinking about it, but without action, all the thinking in the world is useless," Liu Yujuan said with a touch of frustration.


    She truly was at her wits'' end; she had said so much, yet Zhao Yulu wouldn''t take action. She obviously couldn''t just tie Zhao Yulu up and bring her to Xu Yang.

 Chapter 179: Chapter 179 The Zhou Family

    The ss group chat exploded.


    ssmate A: "Holy shit, Xu Yang has done something big again!"


    ssmate B: "What''s the situation, did he buy another vi and sports car?"


    ssmate C: "For Xu Yang, buying vis and sports cars is trivial; I''m afraid only buying a private jet could count as a big deal."


    ssmate D: "Spill it, what happened exactly."


    ssmate A: "Just now, Xu Yang confessed his love to Zhao Yuxin!"


    ssmate B: "How is that a big deal?"


    ssmate A: A picture of the Pearl Tower.


    ssmate B: "Holy shit, that''s the Bright Moon Tower!"


    ssmate C: "This kind of confession really is a big deal."


    ssmate D: "I want to do the same for my girlfriend, I wonder how much it costs."


    ssmate E: "Don''t dream, this is the privilege of the rich. I''ve heard that this kind of confession costs a million each time, and that''s on an ordinary day. If it''s a special holiday, like today''s 520, or Qixi Valentine''s Day or something, the price doubles!"


    ssmate F: "Holy shit, a million, that''s like taking someone''s life!"


    ssmate G: "A million, I''d have to slog away moving bricks for who knows how many years to earn that!"


    ssmate H: "Note that on 520, Qixi, and Valentine''s Day, the price doubles to two million."


    ssmate R: "Truly the privilege of the rich, we office workers shouldn''t even think about it."


    ssmate T: "Wah wah wah, the money I earn in a lifetime of working is less than what rich people spend on one confession."


    ssmate Y: "Xu Yang, your move has left us with no ce to hide our shame."


    ssmate J: "Tonight, who knows how many people will be envying Zhao Yuxin."


    ssmate K: "Xu Yang spoils Zhao Yuxin so much, is that really okay?"


    ssmate M: "Whaaa, if someone confessed to me like that, I''d marry him right away!"


    ssmate N: "Go to sleep early, you''ll have it in your dreams!"


    ...


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin returned home and saw what their ssmates had said in the group chat, but they just looked at each other and smiled without paying much attention to it.


    That night, Zhao Yuxin was even more passionate than usual.


    Making Xu Yang a bit overwhelmed.


    The next morning, Xu Yang, for the first time, didn''t get up early like he usually did.


    No choice,st night was really exhausting, he was tossed around quite a bit.


    In the blink of an eye, a week passed.


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin, along with Zhao Hai and Zhou Ruyan, took a ne to the capital of Sichuan Province, Xicheng.


    In a certain neighborhood in the city, Zhou''s home.


    Zhou Ruyan''s parents were retired and stayed at home.


    Today, their daughter was bringing her boyfriend home, and the old couple were quite looking forward to it.


    Their daughter''s marriage was something they had worried over a great deal.


    She was pretty and had many suitors when she was young, but the daughter wasn''t interested in any of them.


    She said she had to find someone she liked; otherwise, she would rather stay single than settle for less.


    This had driven the old couple to desperation.


    When their daughter passed thirty without finding someone, they had given up hope.


    The daughter also said she might never get married in her lifetime.


    But unexpectedly, a while ago, the daughter mentioned she had a boyfriend and said she would bring him home for them to see.


    The couple was extremely happy.


    After all, getting married was better than being single, something they might not have felt when they were young.


    But what about when you''re old?


    When you''re old and alone, how lonely that must be.


    If you get sick or something, there''s nobody to take care of you.


    At that moment, a knock on the door was heard.


    Du Lian went to open the door.


    "Grandma Du."


    Standing at the door was an elderly woman, about the same age as Du Lian, and a young girl in her early twenties, who sweetly called out.


    They were neighbors from themunity.


    The elderly woman was named Yu Xiuhui, a retired colleague of Du Lian''s.


    The girl was Yu Xiuhui''s granddaughter, Ye Shanshan, who often came to visit.


    "Shanshan, Old Yu, pleasee in," Du Lian invited them into the house.


    "Grandpa Zhou." Upon entering the house, Ye Shanshan sweetly called out again.


    "Shanshan, you''re here," Zhou Chengping greeted with a smile, then nodded to Yu Xiuhui.


    "Shanshan, why are you here today? Aren''t you busy with your short videos?"


    Du Lian invited them to sit and asked with a smile.


    Everyone knew that Ye Shanshan was now a little inte celebrity.


    She had a Douyin ount with over three hundred thousand followers.


    She didn''t need to work a regr job, and her earnings each month were quite good.


    "Grandma Du." Ye Shanshan got up and sat next to Du Lian, hugging her arm, "My grandma said that Sister Ru Yan ising back today. Isn''t Sister Ru Yan working at Jiangdi Lao as a high-level executive? And the owner of Jiangdi Lao and Fengcai Guild is the same person.


    I want to join the Fengcai Guild, so I thought of seeing if Zhou Ru Yan could put in a word for me with the owner of the Fengcai Guild, to let me join."


    Du Lian was surprised, "You''re already a little celebrity. It shouldn''t be difficult for you to join the Fengcai Guild."


    Zhou Ru Yan''s father, Zhou Chengping, also nodded in agreement, "Yes, a web celebrity like you is someone the guild would need."


    Though they were both over sixty, they kept up with the times, asionally browsing Douyin, and understood the booming live-streaming industry well.


    A small inte celebrity like Ye Shanshan was definitely someone who could bring benefits to the guild.


    If she could bring benefits, the guild wouldn''t refuse her.


    But from what Ye Shanshan was implying, even joining the guild required connections.


    This was something they couldn''t quite understand.


    "Grandma Du, Grandpa Zhou, what you don''t know is that the Fengcai Guild is different," Ye Shanshan said.


    "You must all know about the recent rectification on Douyin. Many guilds were shut down or investigated for selling counterfeit and inferior products."


    "The Fengcai Guild is the only one among therge guilds that didn''t sell counterfeit and inferior products, which is quite exceptional."


    "Now, the Fengcai Guild is the top guild on Douyin, and I''ve heard that the guild offers excellent benefits. The boss is especially generous and even hands out bonuses to employees."


    "They have very strict standards for recruiting live-streamers. They look not only at the number of followers but also at the person''s character, past live-streaming behaviors, potential, and if they''re worth investing in, among other criteria."


    "Many live-streamers want to join the Fengcai Guild but don''t meet the standards. Just in our city, there was an inte celebrity with two million followers who applied to join the Fengcai Guild and got rejected."


    Ye Shanshan exined.


    "That being the case, this guild really does seem reputable, never having sold counterfeit goods. A guild like this is one that can develop sustainably. The boss has managed not to be tempted by money, upholding product quality standards; it shows that he is a boss with integrity¡ªexactly what society needs," said Zhou Chengping.


    "That''s why I''m thinking of asking Sister Ru Yan to see if she can help me out," Ye Shanshan said.


    "We don''t know if she can see the boss of the Fengcai Guild. You can ask her about itter," Du Lian said.


    "Sister Ru Yan is a high-level executive at Jiangdi Lao; she must be able to see him," Ye Shanshan affirmed.


    "Even if she can meet him, that doesn''t mean she can speak for you," Du Lian said with a wry smile.


    "It''s okay. I just want to ask Sister Ru Yan. I absolutely won''t make things difficult for her," Ye Shanshan assured.


    "Alright, when shees back, you can ask her yourself. We won''t interfere in this matter," Zhou Chengping said.


    "Mm-hmm, thank you, Grandma Du. Thank you, Grandpa Zhou," Ye Shanshan nodded repeatedly in gratitude.

 Chapter 180: Chapter 180 Arrival

    "Old Du, yesterday I heard you talking about Ru Yan''s boyfriend, who''s forty-eight years old and divorced. I''m wondering what you and your spouse are thinking. Why don''t you discuss it with Ru Yan? With her qualifications, finding a quality bachelor would be a piece of cake."


    Yu Xiuhui, who had been silent, spoke up.


    After the talk about her granddaughter was over, she wanted to chitchat about this matter.


    It wasn''t so much interference as it was an elder''s concern for a younger family member.


    After all, she had watched Zhou Ruyan grow up.


    "Old Yu, you know how it is. We''re already thrilled that Ru Yan is willing to find someone to marry; we can''t be asking for too much."


    "Besides, you know her as well - she has her own strong opinions. Whatever person or matter she''s set her mind on, it''s no use for us to say anything."


    "If what we said mattered, would she have waited until now without marrying? By now, she''d probably have a child in elementary school."


    Du Lian smiled wryly; she knew her daughter better than anyone else.


    "That''s true. By the way, you mentioned her boyfriend works at the samepany as she does, thatpany, Hotpot Jiang, but what exactly does he do?" Yu Xiuhui inquired.


    "We didn''t ask about that." Du Lian shook her head.


    "How about his family background?" Yu Xiuhui asked further.


    "I didn''t ask that either." Du Lian still shook her head.


    "You two really take it easy, not asking anything and just letting her bring the guy home." Yu Xiuhui was somewhat speechless.


    "Old Yu, I''ll say it again, we''re just happy she is willing to find someone to marry. We didn''t feel like asking too many questions." said Du Lian.


    "But you should still make things clear. If she finds someone from a poor family background and ends up living poorly, it would be better not to marry at all." Yu Xiuhui suggested.


    "Grandma, we should trust Ru Yan''s judgment. Whoever Ru Yan sis has chosen, must be the right person." Ye Shanshan actually felt Grandma was saying too much.


    "That''s a valid point. Oh, right, Old Du, Ru Yan''s boyfriend is divorced, are there any children involved? If there are children, that''s also something to consider. If she marries over there, she''ll have to take care of them, and whether or not she gets along with the children is something to think about." Yu Xiuhui added.


    "There''s no need to worry about that. ording to Ru Yan, he only has one daughter, and she''s already married." replied Du Lian.


    This was something Zhou Ruyan had brought up proactively; Du Lian hadn''t even asked.


    At that moment, a knock on the door was heard.


    "It must be Ru Yaning back," said Du Lian.


    A little earlier, her daughter called to say she hadnded.


    ording to the time, she should be here by now.


    "I''ll go open the door." Ye Shanshan felt as though this was her own home, and quickly got up and ran to open the door.


    She was a bit excited and wanted to see at first nce what Ru Yan sis''s boyfriend looked like.


    Opening the door, there stood four people.


    Two men and two women.


    One, naturally, was Zhou Ruyan.


    Standing to the left of Zhou Ruyan was a middle-aged man.


    This uncle has quite the presence.


    This must be Ru Yan sis''s boyfriend.


    Ru Yan sis has really good taste.


    Ye Shanshan couldn''t help but brighten up at the sight.


    Next, she looked to the right of Zhou Ruyan and saw a young woman even prettier than Zhou Ruyan, and beside the young woman stood a handsome man.


    She nced swiftly from left to right; it all happened in an instant.


    Ye Shanshan sweetly eximed, "Ru Yan sis, you''re back!"


    "Shanshan, you''re getting more and more beautiful," Zhou Ruyan said with a smile.


    One could say, Ye Shanshan grew up under her watch. Zhou Ruyan even held her when she was little.


    "Hehe, Ru Yan sis, no matter how much I grow, I can''t be as pretty as you," Ye Shanshan giggled.


    "Shanshan, what are you doing? Hurry and let them in," Yu Xiuhui saw her granddaughter standing at the door without promptly inviting the guests in and couldn''t help but frown and scold.


    "Oh oh, Ru Yan sis, and your friends, pleasee in," Ye Shanshan stuck out her tongue embarrassingly and quickly ushered them in.


    Zhou Ruyan and the three others came in and put down their things.


    "Dad, Mom, this is Mr. Zhao Hai." Zhou Ruyan introduced, "Dad, Mom, this is my boyfriend, Zhao Hai."


    "Hello, Uncle and Auntie," Zhao Hai quickly greeted.


    "Hello, hello," Du Lian and Zhou Chengping scrutinized Zhao Hai and nodded in response.


    "Mom, Dad, this is Brother Hai''s daughter and son-inw," Zhou Ruyan introduced Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin.


    "Hello, Uncle and Auntie," Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin greeted.


    "Hello, hello," Du Lian and Zhou Chengping looked at Zhao Hai''s daughter and son-inw with brightened eyes.


    A perfect match, golden boy and jade girl!


    The same eight characters sprang up in both their minds.


    "This is our neighbor, Aunt Yu, and this is her granddaughter Shanshan, who I''ve watched grow up," Zhou Ruyan introduced Yu Xiuhui and Ye Shanshan to Zhao Hai and the others.


    Zhao Hai and the others greeted them just the same.


    "Please sit down, everyone." Du Lian called everyone to take their seats and poured tea for them.


    "Mom, have brother and sister-inw note back yet? And Ming Ming and Tong Tong, I haven''t seen them in a long time," Zhou Ruyan asked.


    Her brother had gotten married quite a while ago and had a son and a daughter, who were both already in elementary school.


    They didn''t live with their parents but in a different district, and unless there was something going on, they only got together during the New Year or other festivals.


    This arrangement, as a result, minimized conflicts between daughters-inw and mothers-inw.


    Because living together, conflicts were likely to arise, inevitably.


    Those who could afford it, naturally chose to live separately.


    "They just called; they''re on the way now and should be arriving any minute," Du Lian said.


    "Ruyan, I heard from your mom that your boyfriend works at the samepany as you. What position does he hold?" Yu Xiuhui couldn''t help but ask.


    He thought Zhao Hai had an extraordinary air about him and was probably not an average employee.


    Plus, the gifts he brought¡ªtobo, alcohol, and senior supplements¡ªwere all very expensive kinds.


    This was not only a concern of hers but also of Du Lian and Zhou Chengping.


    Even Ye Shanshan was all ears.


    The boyfriend that Sister Ruyan found, this uncle, seemed very impressive.


    He must be a senior executive like Sister Ruyan.


    Perhaps holding a position like a director or deputy director at the bottom-fishing chain.


    Her gaze also shifted toward Xu Yang from time to time, feeling that he looked somewhat familiar.


    Only, she couldn''t recall who he was for the moment.


    "General Manager," Zhao Hai voluntarily replied.


    Upon hearing this, Yu Xiuhui and the others were stunned.


    The general manager of the bottom-fishing chain!


    This was something they had not anticipated.


    To think he was the general manager of the bottom-fishing chain.


    Yu Xiuhui and the others exchanged nces, at a loss for words.


    Just moments ago, they were discussing what the family background of Zhou Ruyan''s boyfriend might be like. They hoped she wouldn''t end up with someone from a poor background, leading to an unsatisfactory life after marriage, in which case it would be better not to marry at all.


    But with Zhao Hai being a general manager, there was no question of things not being good.


    Keep in mind, the bottom-fishing chain was incredibly popr, basically a household name by now.


    To be able to hold the position of general manager, his abilities and ie were certain to be extremely high.


    Zhao Hai and Zhou Ruyan were undoubtedly a well-matched couple.


    Moreover, with Zhao Hai''s daughter already married, there wouldn''t be any issues with looking after children in the future.


    Even Zhou Ruyan could consider having children.


    Zhou Ruyan was now thirty-eight years old, and although that would be considered advanced maternal age for childbearing, having children wasn''t a problem.


    With current medical technology fully supporting this, it was possible to ensure the safety of older expectant mothers.


    For a while, the room fell silent.


    It was Ye Shanshan who broke the silence, pping her forehead, "I remember now!"

 Chapter 181: Chapter 181: Mei Yi Group

    Ye Shanshan''s out-of-the-bluement startled everyone; they all turned to look at her.


    Her cheeks flushed as she stuck her tongue out a bit embarrassingly, but still, she pointed at Xu Yang and said, "I remember now, aren''t you the boss of Fengcai Guild? Last New Year''s Day, you attended the pilot live-stream shopping ceremony of your guild and Douyin with the president of Douyin. I saw that news; there was a picture of you."


    Xu Yang smiled and nodded, "Yes, that''s me."


    Ye Shanshan spoke excitedly and with enthusiasm, "I really didn''t recognize you incorrectly, you''re Xu Yang, the boss of Fengcai Guild!"


    Just a moment ago, she had thought that Xu Yang and the boss of Fengcai Guild named Xu Yang were two people with the same name.


    Du Lian couldn''t help but ask, "Xiao Hai, your son-inw is the boss of both Fengcai Guild and Jiangdi Lao?"


    Everyone knew that the boss of Fengcai Guild and Jiangdi Lao was the same person.


    "Yes," Zhao Hai nodded.


    Although they had already concluded it was probably true, hearing Zhao Hai''s affirmative answer still shocked Du Lian and the others.


    Zhao Hai''s son-inw being the boss of both Fengcai Guild and Jiangdi Lao was an extraordinarily favorable circumstance.


    They also watched the news usually, and to be honest, Fengcai Guild was alright, relying on the Douyin tform, so its potential was rather limited.


    But Jiangdi Lao was different; it wasn''t dependent on any enterprise, so its potential was very high.


    The estimated value of Jiangdi Lao had already surpassed tens of billions by now, and market analysts even said that once Jiangdi Laopletely expands into second and third-tier cities, it could be valued at over a hundred billion.


    With such a son-inw, Zhao Hai was literally entering the world of the wealthy elite.


    Unexpectedly, Zhou Ruyan at her age had married into such a wealthy family.


    And Zhao Hai wasn''t that much older either, only about a decade older than Zhou Ruyan.


    By modern standards, he was still in the prime of his life.


    "President Xu, I...I..." Ye Shanshan became somewhat coy and embarrassed to speak up.


    Originally, her intention of joining the Fengcai Guild was something she meant to discuss with Zhou Ruyan.


    She was well-acquainted with Zhou Ruyan, so she would have known exactly how to talk to her.


    But now that the boss of Fengcai Guild was here, it seemed more appropriate to speak with Xu Yang, yet she wasn''t familiar with him and was unsure how to broach the topic.


    "Shanshan, why are you hemming and hawing? Just say what you want to say," Ye Shanshan said, somewhat amused.


    "Ru Yan, here''s the thing. I came over today intending to find you..." Ye Shanshan exined her situation and then said, "But with President Xu here, I''m not familiar with him and don''t know how to approach this."


    After speaking, she stuck out her tongue embarrassingly again.


    Zhou Ruyan looked towards Xu Yang. This wasn''t something she could decide on her own.


    If Xu Yang weren''t there, she would have definitely said, "Let me ask when I get back."


    But with Xu Yang present, it was up to him to speak.


    "You first need to tell me about your situation, and I''ll also have to check your Douyin ount," Xu Yang said, without immediately agreeing.


    After all, even with a connection, he couldn''t just hire anyone indiscriminately.


    If someone was unsuitable, he couldn''t take them on.


    This was not only his responsibility towards the guild but also to Ye Shanshan.


    If she wasn''t suited for this line of work, she would be better off doing something else.


    "Alright, my current situation is..." Ye Shanshan briefly introduced her circumstances and then gave her Douyin ount to Xu Yang.


    "Okay, I understand your situation, and I''ll have a lookter," Xu Yang nodded.


    Now that he had just arrived at the Zhou''s, everyone was chatting, so it wasn''t a good time to check.


    "Thank you so much, President Xu." Ye Shanshan was delighted. As long as Xu Yang was willing to look, and with Zhou Ruyan''s influence, she believed there would be no problems.


    Joining Fengcai Guild and bing an inte celebrity with a million followers was no longer just a dream.


    After chatting for a bit more, Yu Xiuhui left with her granddaughter.


    She brought her granddaughter over for the purpose of joining the Fengcai Guild. Now that the matter was discussed and she had gotten a basic understanding of Zhou Ruyan''s boyfriend, Zhao Hai, it was time to take her leave.


    ```


    Staying here any longer would be inappropriate.


    Not long after Yu Xiuhui and Ye Shanshan left, Zhou Ruyan''s brother and sister-inw returned with their children.


    The whole family made the ce extraordinarily lively.


    Fortunately, the Zhou residence was spacious; had it been a regr house, the crowd would have indeed felt congested.


    Zhou Ruyan''s brother and sister-inw also worked for the government.


    Zhou Ruyan''s brother, Zhou Wenyao, was in the Commerce Bureau, and her sister-inw, Zhong Xin, was in the Education Bureau.


    Both of them were very adept at socializing with people.


    Zhou Ruyan''s nephew, Ming Ming, and niece, Tong Tong, were very close to her, sweetly calling her "little auntie."


    During the meal, Zhou Ruyan asked, "Brother, are you really that busy now? Mom told me you''ve had to work overtime even on weekends recently."


    Zhou Wenyao sighed and said, "Ah, the economic situation isn''t so good right now. Many businesses are struggling, and we have to find ways to help them out. Otherpanies are manageable, but if the Mei Yi Group doesn''t secure funding this month, it might have to close down. It''s a major issue that affects the employment of tens of thousands of people; we''re all very anxious."


    Mei Yi Group was among the top ten enterprises in Sichuan Province, specializing in garment manufacturing and considered abor-intensive enterprise with tens of thousands of employees.


    Moreover, these workers were mostly middle-aged uncles and aunties.


    Mostly locals, they needed to work and take care of their families at the same time.


    If thepany were to go under, it would affect the livelihoods of tens of thousands of people and impact numerous families.


    Banks were no longer an option for loans.


    When it came to financing, no one was willing to invest.


    If no one stepped in to invest, thepany would truly be finished.


    Xu Yang was acquainted with thispany.


    Mainly because he had once spected on the stock market and followed the price trends of thispany''s stocks.


    For the past year or so, it had been a continuous decline. From its peak, the value had already been cut in half.


    It was precisely this downward trend that caught his attention, and he had looked into some basic information.


    Unexpectedly, thepany''s operations were now so dire.


    If it couldn''t secure funding within a month, it would have to close down.


    Xu Yang wasn''t a savior; he had no interest in taking over a losing enterprise, so he didn''t utter a word.


    However, just then, the system''s notification sounded in his mind.


    [Ding! Mei Yi Group is facing financial difficulties. One monthter, it receives investment from an investment firm. With a profound reflection by the management, they identify the reasons for the downturn. Based on market research, theyunch several popr clothing lines six monthster.


    Three yearster, they break into the high-end brand market, and five years on, their market value has increased tenfold!]


    Xu Yang''s eyes lit up.


    Here was another investment opportunity.


    "How much money does Mei Yi Group need to get through this tough time?" Xu Yang inquired.


    At his words, not only did Zhou Wenyao freeze, but everyone else did too.


    That sounded like he was considering investing.


    "Mr. Xu, are you thinking of investing?" Zhou Wenyao asked eagerly, setting down his chopsticks.


    "I don''t think the economic situation will continue to worsen, and it should get better by next year at thetest."


    "Moreover, I''m aware that Mei Yi Group is one of the top apparel brands in the country. It''s just struggling due to the current economic climate and because it hasn''t been able to keep up with fashion trends, leading to operational difficulties."


    "I believe thepany''s executives must have realized this. As long as they secure investment to ovee this hurdle, they should be able to bounce back."


    "Of course, this is just my preliminary judgement. I haven''t visited thepany to inspect it in person, so I can''t make a final decision."


    "If possible, I would like to visit thepany with you tomorrow. As long as there are no major issues with thepany''s management and production, and the required capital is within my capacity, I might consider investing."


    Xu Yang said a lot, just to give others the impression that his investment would be well-founded.


    Mostly, it was to reassure his wife and those around him, lest they worry.


    ```

 Chapter 182: Chapter 182: Finalizing the Investment

    "Great, I''ll take you to thepany tomorrow," Zhou Wenyao said excitedly.


    Once he learned of Xu Yang''s identity, as both the owner of Fengcai Guild and an investmentpany that had invested in several enterprises, he had intended to inquire whether Xu Yang was interested in investing in the Mei Yi Group.


    He nned to casually bring it up during their chat after dinner.


    Unexpectedly, Xu Yang took the initiative to mention it.


    This was really too good.


    If he sessfully resolved this issue, he would definitely receive praise from his superiors and might even advance further.


    Recently, the director''s position was vacant, and many eyes were on it.


    Many people were guessing that the leadership would observe who could solve the problems of Mei Yi Group before deciding who would take on the role of director.


    Zhou Wenyao shared this spection.


    If it were so, solving the Mei Yi Group problem would certainly elevate him to the position of director.


    His rank would then be different, jumping over arge step at once.


    This was a rare opportunity.


    After the meal came casual conversation.


    Xu Yang took the opportunity to check out Ye Shanshan''s Douyin and felt it was not bad, a candidate for signing.


    If it were based on standard applications, the chances of signing her would be slim.


    After all, too many livestreamers wanted to join the Fengcai Guild these days.


    For someone small like Ye Shanshan, thepany wasn''t very interested.


    But with Zhou Ruyan''s connection, putting a bit more effort into Ye Shanshan, she could still be cultivated.


    In the afternoon, after three o''clock, Ye Shanshan and Yu Xiuhui came over again.


    "President Xu, did you watch my Douyin? What do you think?"


    Ye Shanshan looked eagerly at Xu Yang, waiting for an answer.


    "Your videos are pretty good, lighthearted and humorous, and you''re sweet and cute¡ªjust the type many people like to watch. However, if you want to be an inte celebrity with millions of followers, you''ll need some adjustments. I''ll have thepany provide you with professional training. You need toe to Jiangcheng for a half-month''s training, are you willing?" Xu Yang said with a smile.


    "Willing, of course I''m willing," Ye Shanshan nodded excitedly.


    You can''t buy professional training even if you tried, so how could she be unwilling?


    "Good, then it''s settled. Get ready these few days, and when the timees, you''lle back to Jiangcheng with us, and I''ll have thepany arrange your training," Xu Yang said.


    "That''s great, thank you President Xu!" Ye Shanshan jumped up happily, waving her arms.


    "President Xu, thank you so much," Yu Xiuhui was also very happy, her granddaughter''s issue was finally resolved.


    In fact, she had opposed her granddaughter bing an inte celebrity, but since her granddaughter insisted on pursuing it, she felt powerless to object.


    But recently, her granddaughter faced a bottleneck, saying that only by joining a guild and receiving professional packaging and training could she improve.


    She chose Fengcai Guild, but her application wasn''t sessful.


    Now that the problem was resolved, there was nothing to worry about.


    With Zhou Ruyan''s rtionship in the picture, there was no concern about poor development.


    After a bit more chat, the two left.


    The next day.


    In the morning, Xu Yang and Zhou Wenyao went to Mei Yi Group.


    At the entrance of Mei Yi Group.


    Mei Yi Group''s chairman, Wei Hailin, together with thepany''s executives, waited expectantly.


    Yesterday afternoon, Zhou Wenyao had called him, saying he found an investor who woulde for an inspection today, and if thepany had no issues, they would invest; he was asked to prepare well.


    And prepare he did. With half an hour to go before the scheduled time, he, alongside his executives, stood at the entrance, waiting.


    "This is President Xu of Yang Xin Investment, who is also the owner of Fengcai Guild and Jiang Di Lao," Zhou Wenyao introduced.


    Not many people know about Yang Xin Investment.


    But Fengcai Guild and Jiang Di Lao are famous names.


    Especially Jiang Di Lao, which is basically a household name now.


    And it has already spread that Jiang Di Lao has expanded into second-tier cities.


    Within this year, the Jiang Di Lao in the capital city will open for business.


    You should know that people in the capital city like hot pot even more and are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Jiang Di Lao.


    "President Xu, hello," Wei Hailin came over and warmly shook Xu Yang''s hand.


    After exchanging a few simple pleasantries, they entered thepany.


    First, they listened to Wei Hailin briefly introducing thepany''s situation, and then he took Xu Yang around thepany. They visited key departments like the design department and the operations department, and also went to see the production workshop.


    Everything was quite satisfactory.


    Today Xu Yang came alone, he didn''t even bring Zhao Yuxin with him.


    As for the legal and financial audits, those were temporarily not done.


    Wei Hailin said there would be no problems, and naturally, he wouldn''t invest if any issues were discoveredter.


    However, since the information was provided by the system, it was definitely reliable; it was merely a formality.


    Finally, they returned to the meeting room and started the final negotiations.


    "President Wei, how much funding are you looking to raise?" Xu Yang asked proactively.


    This question he had already asked Zhou Wenyao, who said it would be at least five hundred million.


    But Zhou Wenyao was, after all, an official representative, and he mentioned ''at least,'' so it was necessary to ask Wei Hailin, the person in charge of the enterprise.


    "President Xu, I won''t hide it from you, we need at least five hundred million to get through the tough times. If you are willing to invest more, I hope it could be eight hundred million. With that amount, things will be morefortable, and it will give us more buffer time to formte our next development ns more calmly," Wei Hailin spoke honestly.


    "Alright, no problem, I agree to invest, but not by myself. I want to bring together other people to invest. I''ll make another trip within a week with other investors. Then, I will bring the legal and financial teams to check all ounts," Xu Yang said.


    He could invest by himself, as he had the money; Fengcai Guild and Jiang Di Lao were very profitable, and he had the capacity toe up with the funds.


    But he didn''t want to hog the opportunity all to himself; he thought it wise to share some with others to help cementworking rtionships.


    Everyone earning money together was the best way to ensure his path would remain steady and stretch further.


    "That''s no problem," Wei Hailin said joyfully.


    They could wait a week.


    So like that, the investment was settled.


    With Wei Hailin escorting them personally, Xu Yang and Zhou Wenyao left.


    On the way back, Zhou Wenyao said, "President Xu Yang, thank you. You''ve solved a big problem for our Capital City."


    Xu Yang waved his hand, "I am optimistic about the development of Mei Yi Group. This will be a profitable investment, a win-win situation, so no need for thanks."


    By the time they returned to Zhou''s house, it was already noon.


    After eating, Xu Yang opened the WeChat group with Wang Xiaocong and the other two, and sent out a message.


    Xu Yang: I visited apany today and think it''s worth investing in. Wanted to ask you guys if you want in on it?


    Wang Xiaocong: Holy shit, you''ve found another investment project? If you think it''s worth investing, then it''s a must. Let me tell you, we just acquired a rightspany and threw in one and a half billion together, now we''re crazily acquiring rights.


    Jiang Yuheng: Xu Yang, no question about it, I''m following your lead. Whatever you think is worth investing in, I''m in.


    Su Wenbin: Same here.


    Wang Xiaocong: Whatpany is it?


    Xu Yang: A clothingpany. If you guys are interested in investing,e to Capital City tomorrow.

 Chapter 183: Chapter 183: Made a Fortune

    ```


    Jiang Yuheng: Is thispany located in the capital?


    Xu Yang: Yes, I''m in the capital right now.


    Wang Xiaocong: Holy shit, how did you end up over there?


    Xu Yang: I came here for some business and happened toe across this investment opportunity.


    Su Wenbin: Xu Yang, from what you''re saying, you didn''t know about it before you went there, yet you still managed to find an investment opportunity. I''m really impressed.


    Jiang Yuheng: That investment insight is truly unmatched.


    Wang Xiaocong: To paraphrase a saying, it''s not that there are no investment opportunities under the sky, but rather ack of eyes to find them. Xu Yang has such eyes. You can''t help but admire him.


    Xu Yang: Alright, get ready. It''s best if you arrive before noon tomorrow, and we''ll sign the contract at thepany in the afternoon.


    All three, Wang Xiaocong included, replied that it would be no problem.


    Leaving WeChat, Xu Yang called Ma Yangrong, the Investment General Manager of Yang Xin, asking him to bring the legal and financial teams and take a flight over today.


    That evening, Ma Yangrong and his team arrived and checked into the same hotel as Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin.


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin were not staying at the Zhou residence.


    The next day at noon, the three people, including Wang Xiaocong, arrived.


    At half-past two in the afternoon, the group reached the Fashion Group.


    After the legal and financial teams had checked the ounts and found no issues, they drafted a contract.


    Each of the four people invested two hundred million, acquiring a five percent stake each.


    After the contract was signed, the money would be transferred to Fashion Group''s ount within three working days.


    That evening, Wei Hailin, the Chairman of Fashion Group, along with senior managers, hosted a dinner for Xu Yang and his group of four.


    To be honest, Wei Hailin hadn''t expected Xu Yang to bring such influential investors.


    Jiang Yuheng and Su Wenbin, he didn''t know, but Wang Xiaocong, he surely recognized.


    With Wang Xiaocong investing, it was akin to having the support of Wan Da Group, which meant smoother future development for the Group.


    The next day, Wang Xiaocong, Jiang Yuheng, and Su Wenbin took a flight back.


    Xu Yang hadn''t left yet; he was to stay in the capital for two more days.


    Zhao Hai was to remain in the capital to meet friends and rtives of Zhou Ruyan.


    Because this time, it was pretty much an introduction before marriage, letting all friends and rtives know.


    You couldn''t just notify friends and rtives about the marriage out of the blue.


    The friends and rtives of the Zhou family had initially felt somewhat sorry for Zhou Ruyan when they heard she was with a 48-year-old man.


    But when they heard that Zhao Hai was the General Manager of Jang Di Lao and his son-inw was the owner of Fengcai Guild and Jang Di Lao, they immediately changed their opinion.


    Where was this feeling sorry? It was an extremely worthwhile match.


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin were happily at leisure, treating their time in the capital as a vacation.


    Three dayster, the group took a flight back to Jiang City.


    They brought Ye Shanshan with them, as she was going to train at Fengcai Guild.


    Back in Jiang City, they found a hotel near Fengcai Guild for Ye Shanshan.


    Ye Shanshan would be staying at the hotel for the next half month.


    They had dinner together in the evening and then sent Ye Shanshan back to the hotel before each of them returned home.


    In the blink of an eye, another week had passed.


    That day.


    Xu Yang was resting at home when his phone rang.


    The caller ID showed it was Jiang Yuheng.


    "Old Jiang," Xu Yang answered the phone.


    "Haha, Xu Yang, you''re awesome, this time we''re going to make a huge profit," Jiang Yuhengughed heartily, clearly overjoyed.


    "What''s up?" Xu Yang was a bit confused at first.


    "What else could it be? Haven''t you seen the news? Just released news reports that the National Copyright Bureau has announced they will be conducting a copyright cleanup operation to regte copyright chaos in the cultural market. Now, the copyrights we''ve acquired are going to be worth a fortune, hahaha!" Jiang Yuheng burst intoughter again.


    He, along with Wang Xiaocong and Su Wenbin, had spent two billion to acquire a copyrightpany and another one and a half billion to crazily acquire all sorts of copyrights.


    Due to the rush, they hadn''t spent it all, only a bit over seven billion.


    But they had made a huge profit.


    As soon as the National Copyright Bureau''s actions were announced, copyright prices skyrocketed rapidly, most of them increasing by several dozen times, some even by over a hundred times.


    ```


    They had never made such a profitable investment before.


    Naturally, they were extremely happy.


    Jiang Yuheng couldn''t contain his excited emotions, so he made a phone call to Xu Yang.


    "That''s fantastic."


    Xu Yang also smiled, although he already knew the results, he was still very happy.


    This investment could make them tens of billions.


    As long as they sold the rights, they would get cash.


    After hanging up with Jiang Yuheng, Wang Xiaocong and Su Wenbin sessively called.


    They talked about the same thing, allughing joyfully.


    This time, they really made a huge profit.


    This was an opportunity Xu Yang had shared with them.


    After finishing the calls with the two of them, Xu Yang called the general manager of Pioneer Culture Copyright Company, Huang Zhigang.


    "Mr. Xu," Huang Zhigang''s voice trembled with excitement.


    He naturally had seen the news too.


    The various rights purchased for a billion could now multiply in value dozens or hundreds of times.


    The boss had made a fortune!


    And he would definitely get a big bonus!


    He greatly admired Xu Yang and felt a bit of awe for him.


    In his opinion, Xu Yang must have had insider information to dare to make such a big move in acquiring various rights.


    Such insider information could only be obtained by incredibly connected individuals.


    Xu Yang''s background must be unfathomably deep.


    It was said that Xu Yang had no notable background, just a guy from a small ce.


    Before, he had believed that.


    But now, he no longer did.


    He didn''t believe that Xu Yang would dare to do this without having insider information.


    Xu Yang said, "Old Huang, you should have seen the news. If anyone calls wanting to buy the rights, you can sell to otherpanies based on the market price. If Tencent Video calls, don''t agree right away and report to me. I have my own ns, understand?"


    The person in charge of Tencent Pictures'' film division had once threatened him and even obstructed the project approval for "I Am Not the God of Medicine."


    He wasn''t someone who would just take a loss and let it go.


    This time, he could use this to his advantage and get some benefits.


    He would let the people at Tencent know that he wasn''t someone to be trifled with.


    "Understood," Huang Zhigang said.


    How the boss directed, he would act ordingly, no questions asked.


    "Old Huang, I know you all have worked hard these past three months. I won''t let your efforts go unrewarded. Every employee in thepany will get a bonus, the senior management will each get a reward of two hundred thousand, mid-level management one hundred thousand, and base-level staff fifty thousand. You tell finance to distribute the awards today.


    I will transfer the money to thepany ount in a bit," Xu Yang said.


    Thepany didn''t have many employees, so they could afford to distribute more bonuses.


    They truly made a lot this time, giving out more would also share the joy with the employees.


    Otherwise, not giving or giving too little in bonuses might cause some discontent among the staff, which would not be beneficial for future development.


    "Okay, thank you Mr. Xu, everyone will definitely be very happy," Huang Zhigang said excitedly.


    Sure enough, the boss''s reward had arrived.


    As the general manager, a two hundred thousand bonus was quite substantial.


    You should know his annual sry was only two hundred thousand; this bonus was a year''s worth of sry.


    It was the same for the other employees, the bonus was equivalent to a year''s sry.


    The boss''s rewards always had something special about them.


    "I wanted to take all the employees out for a meal tonight, but I don''t have the time, so I''ll have you represent me. Show my thanks to them, everyone has worked hard."


    Tonight, Xu Yang was going to have a gathering with Wang Xiaocong and two others.


    Wang Xiaocong had been moring for a gathering and flew over from Beijing.


    "Alright, I''ll arrange it, thank you, Mr. Xu," Huang Zhigang said.


    The two chatted for a few more sentences and then ended the call.

 Chapter 184: Chapter 184 Rejection of Purchase Intent

    The former boss of Pioneer Cultural Rights Company, Yu Bo, started a financial investmentpany and hired a dozen professional high-frequency traders, all of whom earned a decent ie every month.


    Yu Bo was very satisfied with the development of thepany.


    It was certainly better than hanging on to the half-dead Pioneer Cultural Rights Company.


    He had also long missed the feeling of being a boss again.


    When he hadn''t sold Pioneer Culture, he felt like he wasn''t really a boss at all, practically more miserable than an employee.


    Not only was he not making any money every month, he also had to pay rent and staff wages.


    Now, with a nice ie each month and after deducting rent, staff sries, and bonuses, the profit he took home was about two million.


    He was very satisfied with this figure.


    In a year, that would be more than twenty million, which truly wasn''t bad.


    In the future, if he could hire or train more professional high-frequency traders, the ie would increase even further.


    At that moment, he was in the office, enjoying his coffee, feeling veryfortable.


    Just then, his phone rang.


    Seeing the caller ID, he realized it was from a friend.


    "Old Wang." Yu Bo answered the call.


    "Old Yu, you''ve made a big profit this time." Wang Bin said.


    "Made a big profit? What do you mean?" Yu Bo was somewhat puzzled.


    Thepany''s earning capability definitely wasn''t at a level that could be considered a big profit.


    Besides, he hadn''t told any rtives or friends that he had switched to financial investment, fearing they mightugh at him.


    After all, he had lost quite a bit of money hanging on to Pioneer Culture over the years.


    His previous grand statements had be a joke.


    Now he was keeping a lower profile, nning to talk about sess only after achieving it.


    "You haven''t seen the news, have you? You''re at least a billionaire now." Wang Bin said.


    "What news?" Yu Bo asked.


    "The one about the National Copyright Bureau stepping in to regte the chaos in the cultural market''s copyright, man. They started a special regtion campaign, and the prices of the rights to all sorts of cultural and intellectual works skyrocketed. Most have increased by several dozen times, and a few have even increased by more than a hundred times.


    Tell me you haven''t made a big profit," Wang Bin exined.


    "What are you talking about! The National Copyright Bureau has started a regtory action?" Yu Bo stood up abruptly from his seat, feeling dizzy and a buzzing in his head.


    "Yeah," Wang Binughed, "it seems you really didn''t know. It''s fine, after all, making money is what counts. Mypany is having some difficultiestely, so shift some money my way, will you? I don''t need much, just around twenty million or so. For you now, that''s just a drop in the bucket."


    "The national regtion? Are you serious?" Yu Bo asked breathlessly, his head still buzzing.


    "Yes, calm down, don''t get too excited. Making money is good, but it''d be bad if you got too worked up about this amount and something happened," Wang Bin joked.


    Yu Bo opened his mouth but didn''t know what to say.


    "Old Yu, are you okay? You didn''t faint, did you?" Without a response from Yu Bo, Wang Bin was actually a bit worried that Yu Bo couldn''t handle the shock of this good news and had passed out.


    Passing out was not a big deal as long as he woke up, which wouldn''t be a problem.


    But if he passed out and became unconscious, that would be trouble.


    "Old Wang, I haven''t made any money."


    After a long while, Yu Bo took a deep breath and spoke slowly.


    His colleague found the news about the National Copyright Bureau''s special regtory campaign on theputer.


    It was true.


    He had missed the opportunity to make a fortune.


    "Huh?" Wang Bin was stunned, then said, "Old Yu, I''m just asking to borrow twenty million, don''t be like that."


    He thought Yu Bo was just making excuses not to lend the money.


    But saying it like that seems too fake.


    Everyone knows, Yu Bo, that you''ve made money¡ªand a lot of it.


    What''s the point in saying that?


    "Old Wang, I''m not lying to you, I really haven''t made any money. I sold the copyrightpany three months ago," Yu Bo said bitterly.


    "What!" Wang Bin eximed, "Damn, Old Yu, that means you missed out on the chance to get rich quick, no, you can''t be lying to me, right?"


    Wang Bin was somewhat in disbelief.


    "Why would I lie to you? If you don''t believe me, you can check it. The legal representative of Pioneer Culture isn''t me anymore," Yu Bo said bitterly.


    Wang Bin immediately started checking.


    He found out soon enough.


    "Damn, it really isn''t you anymore, you actually sold thepany, you this¡­" Wang Bin didn''t know what to say.


    "Old Wang, if there''s nothing else, I''m going to hang up," Yu Bo ended the call.


    He sat back in his chair, staring nkly at the ceiling.


    Just three months, only three months.


    He had missed out on the opportunity to be a billionaire.


    Why did that guye to buy hispany?


    ...


    Tencent Video.


    CEO Qiu Yong summoned thepany executives for a meeting.


    "I believe everyone has seen the news by now. What should we do? Let''s discuss," Qiu Yong said.


    "Mr. Qiu, the national campaign for this special rectification has already led to skyrocketing copyright prices, with film and television rights experiencing thergest increases."


    "Most have gone up by multiple times, some by a hundredfold."


    "What we need to do now, I think, can be approached from these three angles."


    "First is to immediately remove any works that we haven''t bought the rights to, to avoid being caught and having to pay massive damages."


    "Second is to purchase the broadcasting rights for various popr works before others do."


    "Third is to invest a substantial amount of money to acquire a variety of film and television rights. I believe that as the rectification work continues, the prices for film and television rights will rise further, which also presents a good opportunity to make money."


    The speaker was thepany''s Vice President, Wan Miao.


    "Very well said," Qiu Yong nodded in approval to Wan Miao and looked at the others, "Does anyone else have something to add?"


    The other executives began to speak, but none offered anything new, simply echoing Wan Miao''s points.


    "All right, then let''s proceed as Wan General Manager has suggested, with him in full charge of this matter."


    "The removal of unauthorized works needs to bepleted today. Thepany will invest one billion to purchase various popr film and television broadcasting rights, and an additional two billion in purchasing other film and television rights," Qiu Yong decided on the spot.


    "Yes!" Wan Miao immediately responded.


    After the meeting, Wan Miao quickly arranged for the removal of unauthorized works and contacted various copyrightpanies.


    Not long after, a subordinate who had contacted the copyrightpanies reported back: "General Manager Wan, we''ve contacted variousrge copyrightpanies and have found that many rights, especially those for popr films and TV series, are now in the hands of Pioneer Culture.


    Thepany spent a billion in three months to acquire arge number of film and television rights, and they also rejected our purchase offer."


    "What." Wan Miao said in surprise, "Most of the popr film and television rights are with thatpany? And they won''t sell to us? What''s going on? Did you get the details?"


    "That guy Yu Bo, I''ve even had a meal with him. What is he trying to do by acting like this?"


    He knew Yu Bo personally, having dined together.


    He just couldn''t understand why Yu Bo wouldn''t sell to them.

 Chapter 185: Chapter 185: Find Someone to Take Charge

    "President Wan, the current owner of Pioneer Culture is no longer Yu Bo," a subordinate reported.


    "Huh? Not him anymore? Then who is it?" Wan Miao was somewhat surprised.


    "It''s the owner of Yangxin Investment Company, Xu Yang. That''s right, this Xu Yang is also the boss of Fengcai Guild and River Bottom Scavenger," the subordinate said.


    "It''s him!" Wan Miao was somewhat shocked.


    The name Xu Yang, after the sh with Hua''an Film and Television, had be a thunderous presence in the film and television industry.


    Also, with the poprity of River Bottom Scavenger, basically anyone with a bit of status knew who the boss of River Bottom Scavenger was.


    Unexpectedly, Xu Yang had already be the owner of Pioneer Culture.


    Not to mention he had spent ten billion three months in advance to purchase the licensing rights.


    Did he know about the uing rectification actions by the National Copyright Bureau?


    Or perhaps he had absolute confidence in his own judgment, firmly believing that the National Copyright Bureau would soonunch a rectification action.


    Otherwise, why would he dare to do this?


    "Is he not selling to anyone, or is he specifically not selling to us?" Wan Miao asked.


    "I inquired a bit and found that he''s selling to other video websites, just not to us. Oh, and Pioneer Culture''s General Manager Huang Zhigang said that if we wanted to buy, we could call and discuss it with Xu Yang. He even gave Xu Yang''s phone number," the subordinate said.


    The subordinate took out a piece of paper and ced it on the desk in front of Wan Miao, on which a phone number was written.


    "What is this Xu Yang trying to do?" Wan Miao furrowed his brows.


    He immediately took out his cell phone and dialed the number.


    The call connected quickly.


    "Hello," a voice answered.


    "Hello, is this President Xu? I am Wan Miao, Vice President of Tencent Video," Wan Miao said.


    "It''s me. What can I do for you, President Wan?" Xu Yang asked leisurely.


    "President Xu, we at Tencent Video want to purchase film and television rights from your Pioneer Culture. However, General Manager Huang from Pioneer Culture said that you''re not selling to us and asked us to contact you directly. What do you mean by this?" Wan Miao asked bluntly.


    "That," Xu Yang said straightforwardly, "a while back I invested in a movie called ''I Am Not the God of Medicine.'' There''s a guy at Tencent Film named Wu Chengtao who imed to be the head of the film department. He called me, asking for a forty percent investment stake. I didn''t agree, and then he threatened me. Later, he even yed dirty tricks to obstruct the movie''s approval process.


    I think you understand what I''m saying, right?"


    Of course, Wan Miao understood; if he didn''t, he would be an idiot.


    This was Xu Yang''s revenge.


    Wan Miao said, "President Xu, you should know that although Tencent Video and Tencent Film both belong to Tencent Group, they are not rted to each other. You shouldn''t hold Tencent Video responsible for this."


    Xu Yang said, "Anyway, that Wu Chengtao pressed me using Tencent Group''s name, thinking he could do whatever he wanted because he had Tencent Group behind him. Since you guys are subsidiaries of Tencent Group and I have no chance of dealing with Tencent Film, I have found an opportunity to settle the score with you."


    This sounded somewhat unreasonable.


    But considering how young Xu Yang was, his actions were understandable.


    Wan Miao couldn''t help but smile wryly, "President Xu, what can we do to appease you? Should we fire that person?"


    Xu Yang said, "I don''t care what happens to that person, that''s your business. Honestly, if someone like him stays at Tencent Film, other film and televisionpanies, including myself, would be quite happy. I may continue to invest in movies in the future and will bepeting with Tencent Film. If they keep people like him around, that''s fine by me.


    As for appeasing me, I want the seven percent of the shares in Wan Da Film and Television that Tencent Group holds. I''m not asking for it for free, I''ll buy it at market value."


    In the past, when Tencent had not entered the film and television industry, it invested in Wan Da Film and Television and obtained a seven percent stake.


    Xu Yang wanted to increase his shares in Wan Da Film and Television so he could get more profit.


    Since there was such an opportunity, why not take it?


    Tencent Group should be willing to give up that seven percent.


    Otherwise, without the film and television rights from Pioneer Culture, Tencent Video would definitely fall from leading video website to a third-tier one.


    That business would bepletely beyond saving.


    After all, what attracts viewers to a video website is popr content.


    If you can''t find popr movies and TV shows on a website and there are hardly any other options, who woulde to watch movies and shows, or spend money there?


    Using the seven percent of shares to maintain Tencent Video''s dominant position in the video industry was still worth it.


    Wan Miao smiled wryly, "President Xu, I can''t make this decision."


    Xu Yang said, "I know you can''t make the decision. You should find someone who can. In any case, those are my terms. If you''re unwilling, then forget it. I''m confident that I won''t have trouble selling the rights to my film productions. I believe other video websites will be happy to buy them, and would love to see Tencent Video miss out."


    Wan Miao said, "President Xu, I''ll report this to the leadership immediately."


    Xu Yang responded, "Good, I''ll be waiting. But let me remind you to hurry. Otherwise, if other video websites buy up the popr shows, you won''t be able to get them even if you want to."


    Wan Miao smiled wryly, "I know."


    After hanging up the phone, he went to Qiu Yong''s office to report the situation.


    "This Xu Yang really is bold to want seven percent of Wan Da Film and Television''s shares from the group," Qiu Yong remarked.


    "President Qiu, we have to tell President Ma about this. If we can''t buy the rights, Tencent Video is finished. I trust President Ma won''t want to see that happen," Wan Miao said.


    "That''s true. In the end, it alles down to that Wu Chengtao from the film department of Tencent Film. I''ve heard about this. That guy is brainless, threatening people and causing trouble without knowing the extent of Xu Yang''s reach. Now he''s on close terms with Wang Xiaocong," Qiu Yong said with a coldugh.


    "Yeah, I think someone like Wu Chengtao should be kicked out, bringing us all this trouble!" Wan Miao said angrily.


    "He will definitely be kicked out after this. I''ll call President Ma first. You take a seat," Qiu Yong suggested.


    Qiu Yong took out his cell phone and dialed President Ma''s number.


    The call connected quickly.


    Qiu Yong said, "President Ma, there''s something I need to report to you..."


    He exined the situation briefly.


    Upon hearing this, President Ma on the other end of the line frowned, "That Wu Chengtao, what a fool. How can we have such people in thepany!"


    Qiu Yong remained silent.


    President Ma continued, "Agree to the terms. Anyway, the seven percent share in Wan Da Film and Television is now negligible to our group. In the past, we didn''t have our filmpany, so we invested in Wan Da Film and Television. Now that we have our filmpany, those shares aren''t important anymore.


    I''ll send someone to go with you tomorrow to sign the contract and transfer the shares to the other party."


    Qiu Yong replied, "Alright."

 Chapter 186: Chapter 186: The Interview

    He set down his phone.


    Qiu Yong exined the situation to Wan Miao and then said, "You contact Xu Yang. Tell him we''ll go sign the contract with them tomorrow, and schedule a specific time."


    Wan Miao was overjoyed, "Okay."


    Immediately, he gossiped, "What did President Ma say about Wu Chengtao?"


    Qiu Yongughed, "He called him an idiot. That guy is definitely finished. I bet President Ma is on the phone with Li Ming from Tencent Pictures right now, telling him to take care of that guy."


    Qiu Yong''s guess was correct.


    That''s exactly what President Ma did.


    At this moment in the General Manager''s office at Tencent Pictures, General Manager Li Ming received a call from President Ma.


    As soon as he picked up the phone, he was met with a fierce scolding from President Ma.


    Amidst the scolding, Li Ming figured out the situation.


    After hanging up, he went to Wu Chengtao''s office.


    He cursed out Wu Chengtao and demanded him to get lost today!


    Wu Chengtao never imagined that a single action of his would cost him his job.


    What''s more fatal was, after this incident, it was definitely going to be very difficult for him to find such a good job in the industry again.


    He also didn''t expect that Xu Yang had such influence, to actually make the conglomerate bow down.


    Unfortunately, it was toote for regrets now.


    He could onlyplete the resignation procedures and leave dejectedly.


    He also, from then on, bore a grudge against Xu Yang.


    Unaware of being resented by Wu Chengtao, Xu Yang at this moment arrived at a medicinal cuisine restaurant to dine with Wang Xiaocong and the others.


    The medicinal cuisine restaurant was chosen by Jiang Yuheng, who had not been able to forget the experience sincest time he ate it with Wang Xiaocong in the capital. He had been looking for a medicinal cuisine restaurant in Jiangcheng and found this one to be quite good, havinge here several times recently.


    When Xu Yang arrived, the three were already there.


    "Haha, Xu Yang,e on, have a seat, you''re our God of Wealth," Wang Xiaocongughed heartily.


    Xu Yang took his seat.


    "Xu Yang, I really want to thank you for giving us such a money-making opportunity," Jiang Yuheng said earnestly.


    "Absolutely, this further proves your unique vision. If there are investment opportunities in the future, you must tell us. We will definitely follow suit," Su Wenbinughed.


    That evening, the group drank quite a bit.


    ...


    The next day.


    Xu Yang, Wan Miao, and representatives from Tencent Group met at Jiangcheng Grand Hotel.


    Xu Yang, as he wished, obtained seven percent of the shares of Wan Da Film and Television. Together with the three percent share previously given by Jiang Yuheng''s father, he now owned a total of ten percent.


    Xu Yang also kept his promise and sold the film and television rights to Tencent Video.


    This matter was left for Wan Miao and Huang Zhigang to discuss.


    He couldn''t be bothered with such specifics.


    ...


    Meanwhile.


    Zhao Yulu put on a somewhat formal outfit, grabbed her bag, and was ready to head out.


    "Yu Lu, where are you nning to go?" Liu Yujuan asked.


    "Mom, I''m going to a job interview," Zhao Yulu replied.


    After leaving Fengcai Guild, she hadn''t looked for a job and was just staying at home every day, asionally going out to have fun. She was almost wasting away when she began to send out resumes online these past few days.


    There was apany that notified her yesterday afternoon, asking her toe in for an interview today.


    "Yu Lu, just listen to me. Go find Xu Yang, get back together with him, and you won''t need to look for any job," Liu Yujuan advised.


    "Even if you want to work, you could go to Fengcai Guild or Haido. They definitely have easy positions. Wouldn''t that be great?"


    Liu Yujuan could rte whatever Zhao Yulu was doing back to urging Zhao Yulu to return to Xu Yang''s side.


    "Mom, please don''t bring this up anymore," Zhao Yulu said, really at a loss for words. Her ears were practically calloused from hearing Liu Yujuan''s words.


    "If I don''t bring it up, when will you..." Liu Yujuan wanted to continue but, seeing Zhao Yulu''s displeased expression, quickly said, "Okay, okay, I''ll stop talking about it. By the way, whichpany are you interviewing with?"


    "A cultural copyrightpany called Pioneer Culture," Zhao Yulu replied.


    "What future is there in a copyrightpany?" Liu Yujuan frowned.


    "Mom, don''t underestimate copyrightpanies. Just yesterday, the National Copyright Administration initiated a special rectification action. Now, the prices for various cultural works'' copyrights have risen several tens of times."


    "This Pioneer Culture copyrightpany, they previously spent a billion yuan to buy arge quantity of cultural works'' copyrights. Those works'' copyrights, once sold, are worth up to a few hundred billion. Tell me, doesn''t that have promise?"


    "I guess they''re recruiting because they''re going to sell the copyrights and will need to deal with people from various major video sites, so there will be more work. Otherwise, there wouldn''t even be a chance for people to find work," Zhao Yulu guessed.


    Zhao Yulu was familiar with the situation, unlike Liu Yujuan, who, despite constantly scrolling through Douyin, never really watched any news, just someedy videos, beauty tutorials, and videos about how women can pursue better lives.


    "What, several hundred billion!" Liu Yujuan''s eyes widened in shock.


    "What did you think? I was drawn to that point as well, which is why I sent in my resume. Thepany offers quite a good sry package," Zhao Yulu said.


    "Even so, if you get in, you''ll just be an ordinary employee. It won''t be as good as going to Xu Yang... Alright, alright, I''ll stop talking. You go on to the interview," Liu Yujuan said.


    Liu Yujuan naturally brought the conversation around to Xu Yang again, but seeing Zhao Yulu''s face, she didn''t continue and just waved her hand instead.


    Zhao Yulu didn''t say anything more and left for the interview.


    Over half an hourter, she arrived at Pioneer Culture.


    "Hello, my name is Zhao Yulu. I received a notice from yourpany yesterday toe in and interview for the position of business specialist," Zhao Yulu said to the receptionist.


    "Alright, please follow me," the receptionist led Zhao Yulu to the conference room where interviewees were received.


    Along the way, passing through the employee working area, Zhao Yulu overheard the staff of Pioneer Culture discussing.


    "It was my first time eating hot pot at Haido yesterday. The experience was really great."


    "Haido is owned by our boss. You hadn''t taken the initiative to try it out¡ªare you saying you wouldn''t have gone if thepany hadn''t had the dinner therest night?"


    "It''s not that I didn''t want to go; I just really didn''t have the money. I bought a house, and after paying the mortgage every month, there''s hardly anything left. But with the 50,000 yuan bonus we got yesterday, I can finally rx a bit and live morefortably for a while."


    "Our boss is really generous. After acquiring ourpany, he gave us a pay raise. Yesterday, he even handed out such a big bonus."


    "For sure, I''ve decided that as long as thepany doesn''t fire me, I''ll work here for my entire life."


    Hearing these discussions, Zhao Yulu couldn''t help but stop in her tracks.


    "Miss Zhao, what''s the matter?" the receptionist asked, puzzled.


    "Your boss, is he also the boss of Haido?" Zhao Yulu asked, hardly able to believe it.


    "Yes, our boss is really good. Recently, ourpany acquired a lot of cultural works'' copyrights, and yesterday he gave us a considerable bonus, one for each of us, equivalent to a year''s sry. If you join ourpany, I believe you definitely won''t be disappointed," the receptionist said with a smile.


    She had thought that after hearing this, Zhao Yulu would be very happy and looking forward to joining thepany.


    But Zhao Yulu''s reaction left her stunned.


    "I''m sorry, I won''t be interviewing. Thank you for your time, goodbye," Zhao Yulu said.


    With that, she turned around and left.


    She hurried away, her figure disappearing from thepany.


    "What happened? Why did she leave? Did I say something wrong?"


    The receptionist looked bewildered, not understanding what had just urred.

 Chapter 187: Chapter 187: Determined to Meet

    Back home.


    "How did the interview go?" Liu Yujuan asked.


    Zhao Yulu shook her head, didn''t speak, and sat down on the sofa, her expressionplex.


    She seemed somewhat distracted.


    "Yulu, what''s really going on?" Liu Yujuan sensed something was wrong and asked again.


    "Mom, do you know who the boss of Pioneer Culture is?" Zhao Yulu asked.


    "How would I know?" Liu Yujuan rolled her eyes.


    "It''s Xu Yang," Zhao Yulu said.


    "What!" Liu Yujuan eximed, "How could it be him? Didn''t you say that the copyright value of those cultural works from Pioneer Culture is worth tens of billions?"


    "Yes," Zhao Yulu nodded.


    "My goodness, that''s not even ounting for Fengcai Guild and Jiangdo. Just this onepany alone, Xu Yang''s worth is tens of billions." Liu Yujuan was beside herself.


    "Yes, just with this onepany, his worth is tens of billions," Zhao Yulu nodded woodenly.


    "That''s great, Yulu, you must get back with him; we''re talking about billions! Even if I were given a billion, I wouldn''t know how long it would take to spend it all." Liu Yujuan trembled with excitement.


    Previously, it had only been said that the valuation of Xu Yang''s Jiangdo was in the tens of billions.


    Now, just Pioneer Culture alone was worth tens of billions.


    Moreover, these rights owned by Pioneer Culture were meant to be sold; they could be converted into cash directly.


    Unlike Jiangdo, which was just a valuation and couldn''t be sold for ten billion in cash.


    The amount of money on the books wouldn''t be too much, at most a few billion or tens of billions.


    Tens of billions, and just getting one percent for oneself would amount to hundreds of millions.


    With that kind of money, one could splurge on luxury cars, mansions, all sorts of luxury goods, and global travel with absolute ease.


    This time, Zhao Yulu didn''t argue, instead she fell silent.


    Perhaps, getting back with Xu Yang was the best option.


    Perhaps, her mother was right.


    Perhaps, she really should give it a try.


    If it''s as her mother said, she could get back with Xu Yang.


    If it''s not as her mother said, at least it could put her mother''s mind at rest, as well as her own.


    Her mother kept saying it every day.


    Deep down, she also held some expectations.


    Seeing Zhao Yulu seem swayed, Liu Yujuan quickly said, "Yulu, get back with Xu Yang. Trust me, just by reaching out to see him, wealth and glory would be within easy reach. You could also get back at Chen Guanglei for hitting youst time. With Xu Yang''s influence now, a single word from him would probably make Chen Guanglei penniless!"


    Zhao Yulu didn''t say a word.


    Liu Yujuan continued, "Yulu, no matter the oue, you should see him. Just do as I say."


    Zhao Yulu gritted her teeth and said, "Alright, I''ll find the right time to see him."


    Liu Yujuan was overjoyed, "That''s wonderful! If you see him, the two of you can get back together."


    Thinking of bing Xu Yang''s mother-inw, Liu Yujuan shook with excitement.


    Zhao Yulu said, "Mom, you''re so happy because if I got back with Xu Yang, you could start spending his money, right?"


    Liu Yujuan didn''t deny it, "That''s one of the reasons. More importantly, you would be reiming the happiness that belongs to you. Now, you better think properly about what to say and do when you see Xu Yang. However, no matter what you say or do, it probably won''t matter. Just showing up in front of him already demonstrates your attitude. I have some things to take care of, so I''m heading out."


    Having finished speaking, she returned to her room, grabbed her purse, and left the house.


    First, she picked up a Porsche Panamera.


    Then, she went on a shopping spree on Luxury Brands Street, buying a heap of high-end clothes and handbags, as well as a precious ne.


    She even splurged on a Patek Philippe watch costing 4.8 million.


    After such splurging, the money she had received from the divorce settlement dwindled down to only fifty thousand.


    Previously, she had helped Zhao Yulu repay a debt of one million.


    She had not intended to help Zhao Yulu with the repayment, but Zhao Yulu was so hounded by online lending agencies and friends that she had no choice but to use the money to cover Zhao Yulu''s debts.


    As for the two million Zhao Yulu owed Zhao Yuxin, Liu Yujuan did not help repay it.


    In her view, there was no need to repay that at all.


    Zhao Yuxin''s money was essentially Xu Yang''s money.


    Once Zhao Yulu reconciled with Xu Yang, that debt would naturally be gone.


    ...


    When Liu Yujuan arrived home, she was carrying bags big and small, and on her wrist was a new watch.


    "Mom, why did you buy so much stuff? And all from top brands¡ªLV, Chanel, Dior..." Zhao Yulu looked on in shock, her eyes wide, "This all must have cost millions, right?"


    "And this watch on your hand, is it new too? This looks like a limited-edition Patek Philippe watch, the kind that only top socialites buy. I remember it''s priced at 4.8 million!"


    She had a discerning eye and had always wanted to break into the circle of socialites, especially after doing her homework for Wang Xiaocong''s birthday party.


    She recognized at a nce that the watch Liu Yujuan was wearing was a limited-edition Patek Philippe.


    At Wang Xiaocong''s birthday party, there was a rich beauty wearing that exact watch.


    Sadly, despite her preparation, she failed miserably and couldn''t squeeze into the circle of socialites.


    On the other hand, her sister managed to make contacts with the socialites proactively, thanks to Xu Yang.


    What she hadn''t expected, though, was that Liu Yujuan would also be wearing that watch.


    "You know about it, huh? Does it look good on my wrist?" Liu Yujuan unted, somewhat proudly shaking her wrist.


    "Are you crazy? Why would you buy such an expensive watch?" Zhao Yulu said.


    "Of course it looks good. What''s 4.8 million? You''re about to get back together with Xu Yang. What''s wrong with me spending in advance? Besides, it''s my money. Why do you care so much?"


    "I''ll tell you¡ªI also bought a Porsche Panamera, the top-end model. Almost all the money from the divorce is gone now, just tens of thousands left."


    "If you''re willing to go meet Xu Yang in a Porsche, I can give you the keys. But I don''t rmend you do that. It''s better if you just take a taxi to meet him. If he knows you''re living poorly, he will be even more eager for you to return to his side and provide you with the best life possible."


    Liu Yujuan didn''t see any issue with it; after all, once her daughter returned to Xu Yang''s side, she would soon have more money.


    "You''ve lost your mind, spending all the money! Sure, I agreed to meet Xu Yang, but who knows what he''s really thinking? What if Xu Yang isn''t as you imagine?" Zhao Yulu said.


    "Don''t worry, I''m sure it''s as I imagine. It can''t be wrong," Liu Yujuan stated with conviction.


    "I can''t understand you anymore. If it''s not like that, you''ll be left out in the cold," Zhao Yulu said exasperatedly.


    "Impossible," Liu Yujuan said, shaking her head with a smile. "You don''t have to worry about me. When are you meeting Xu Yang?"


    Zhao Yulu replied, "I haven''t decided yet."


    Liu Yujuan immediately became anxious, "What''s there to think about? Just call him, agree on a ce, and go meet him."


    Zhao Yulu replied, "I''ll choose the most appropriate time to go."


    "You¡­" Liu Yujuan said impatiently, feeling like she''s trying to operate a hand pump. "You''re stalling over such a simple matter. You couldn''t make up your mind before, pondered over it for so long, finally made up your mind, and now you''re hesitating again? What''s this ''most appropriate time'' nonsense? As far as I''m concerned, tomorrow is the deadline."


    Zhao Yulu said, "When to go is my decision to make. If you keep pushing, I won''t go at all."

 Chapter 188: Chapter 188: Cant Let Others Get Ahead

    "You..." Liu Yujuan pointed at Zhao Yulu, at a loss for words.


    To not go, how could she not go? What would they do about life afterward?


    Would she really have to sell the car and watch she just bought?


    That''s not possible!


    How could the things she bought be sold off?


    "Alright, don''t say anything more. I have my own judgment. You go cook, I''m hungry," Zhao Yulu said.


    "Okay, okay, I''ll go cook. As long as you agree to meet Xu Yang, that''ll be enough," Liu Yujuan didn''t dare to say more.


    If Zhao Yulu really didn''t go, she would have been on the verge of tears.


    ...


    Xu Yang picked up Zhao Yuxin from work.


    After dining out, they went shopping.


    Zhao Yuxin said she ran out of cosmetics and wanted to buy a new set.


    They bought a set of Dior cosmetics, spending one hundred and thirty thousand.


    Initially, Zhao Yuxin didn''t want to buy something so expensive, but Xu Yang insisted on purchasing it for her.


    He said that since they had money now, he wanted his wife to use the best products.


    While paying, a notification from the system echoed in Xu Yang''s mind.


    [Ding! Qianjiao Cosmetics Company needs financing to escape its predicament. In three days, thepany will receive an investment. With this investment, thepany will sessfully develop a cosmetic product with special skin whitening effects.


    In the future, it will continue to develop a variety of highly effective skincare products, eventually growing into a cosmetics empire with a market value of hundreds of billions!]


    Xu Yang''s eyes lit up.


    Just by going out with his wife to buy cosmetics, an investment opportunity had fallen into hisp.


    When they returned home,


    Xu Yang didn''t immediately look into it. He was a bit tired from walking around while shopping.


    After all, there was no rush. The investment wouldn''t happen until three dayster.


    As long as he invested within three days, it would be fine. It could wait until tomorrow.


    The next day, after breakfast, Zhao Yuxin went to work.


    Xu Yang stayed at home, turned on theputer, and looked up Qianjiao Company.


    Qianjiao Company was based in Zhucheng and was a medium-sized cosmeticspany.


    The products they produced were all popr skincare products.


    No matter what, any information provided by the system was worth investing in¡ªanother future billion-dor enterprise waiting for his investment.


    It was the same routine as before: call to arrange a visit, bring the legal and financial teams to do a cursory inspection, and then directly invest.


    However, this time, should he get Wang Xiaocong and others to invest as well?


    He would first inquire about how much financing Qianjiao Company needed.


    Xu Yang picked up his phone, ready to dial Qianjiao Company''s number, when his phone rang first.


    Looking at the caller ID, it was Tang Zhengqi who was calling.


    It had been quite a while since the two of them had been in touch.


    Since the celebration banquet for "War Leopard," they hadn''t had any contact.


    "Brother Tang," Xu Yang answered the call.


    "Young Xu, I hope I''m not disturbing you with this call?"


    Tang Zhengqi''s attitude toward Xu Yang had changed.


    Now, Xu Yang''s status and identity were much higher than before.


    Not to mention the development of Jiang Di Lao, Tang knew that Xu Yang had formed brotherly rtions with Wang Xiaocong and others.


    This status made him much higher than Tang in an instant.


    Originally, he had prepared himself to address Xu Yang as "President Xu" when he made the call.


    But hearing Xu Yang still call him "big bro," he felt quiteforted, and continued to address Xu Yang as "little bro."


    "Big bro Tang, why are you being so formal with me, what''s this about bothering or not bothering?" Xu Yang said with augh.


    "Yes, yes, it''s my fault, haha." Tang Zhengqi returned to the casual manner he''d always used with Xu Yang, knowing Xu Yang was not the type to forget his old friends once he climbed to a higher position.


    "Big bro Tang, are you calling me for something?" Xu Yang asked proactively.


    He knew why Tang Zhengqi had said what he did just now.


    Xu Yang had a very good impression of Tang Zhengqi and considered him a friend worth making.


    When it came to friends, no matter how high he climbed, his attitude remained the same.


    It was not something that changed with status or identity.


    "Little bro Xu, it''s like this, recently a friend approached me to invest in apany, and I''m quite tempted to join in. I was wondering if you might be interested in investing together?" Tang Zhengqi said.


    If Xu Yang was interested in investing together, that would be fantastic.


    He had not the slightest doubt about Xu Yang''s eye for investment.


    Every single investment Xu Yang made had yielded astonishing returns.


    "Oh? Whichpany is it?" Xu Yang asked.


    "It''s a beautypany called Qianjiao Company, based in Zhucheng. From the information I''ve gathered, I think it''s a good opportunity," Tang Zhengqi replied.


    "Qianjiao Company!" Xu Yang eximed.


    He hadn''t expected such a coincidence, that Tang Zhengqi was also interested in investing in Qianjiao Company.


    "Little bro Xu, from the sound of your voice, you''ve heard of thispany?" Tang Zhengqi asked.


    "I''ve been researching thispany''s information and find that it really is a good investment prospect; it''s investable," Xu Yang replied.


    "Really? So, little bro Xu, will you join in on the investment?" Tang Zhengqi said excitedly.


    "I''m preparing to invest. I was about to call the other party to ask how much they are looking to raise. Since you''re ready to invest, did you get all the details?" Xu Yang asked.


    "I got the details. Qianjiao Company is looking to raise ten billion yuan, offering forty percent of the shares," Tang Zhengqi replied.


    "How many investors do you have, and how much are you thinking of investing?" Xu Yang inquired.


    "Little bro Xu, we have a total of five investors, each able to contribute one billion, which makes five billion in total, giving us twenty percent of the shares. Since you''re interested in investing and have strong financial capabilities, why don''t you take the remaining twenty percent?" Tang Zhengqi suggested.


    "No problem, I''ll take the remaining twenty percent," Xu Yang agreed without hesitation.


    "That''s great! When will you be avable? I''ll contact Qianjiao Company right away," Tang Zhengqi said excitedly.


    With Xu Yang joining the investment, it was nearly guaranteed to be a sure sess.


    "Let''s go tomorrow, the sooner the better for this matter," Xu Yang replied.


    "Alright, I''ll call Qianjiao Company right now," Tang Zhengqi said.


    "Good, I''ll wait for your update," Xu Yang responded.


    The call ended.


    About fifteen minutester, Tang Zhengqi called again.


    "Big bro Tang, is it confirmed?" Xu Yang asked.


    "It''s confirmed, we''ll go over tomorrow. Moreover, they mentioned that there''s already an investment institution discussing an acquisition with them," Tang Zhengqi informed.


    "What!" Xu Yang was shocked. Qianjiao Company was the future beauty empire worth hundreds of billions; he couldn''t let someone else beat him to it, "Which investment institution is it?"


    Tang Zhengqi replied, "You should know them; it''s Triumph Capital. I remember they acquired Jia Sheng Guild before. The son of the boss, Chen Ankang, even bribed a female broadcaster to nder you."


    Xu Yang narrowed his eyes, "Who''s in charge of Triumph Capital now, do you know?"


    Tang Zhengqi replied, "I just checked, and it''s Chen Ankang''s son, Chen Guanglei, who''s in charge."


    He had taken fifteen minutes to return Xu Yang''s call because he had gone to look up information on Triumph Capital.


    He knew that since Triumph Capital was interested in investing in Qianjiao Company, Xu Yang would definitely ask about it.

 Chapter 189: Chapter 189 What Are You Here For?

    Xu Yang frowned and said, "I don''t think Chen Guanglei is that capable, are the other shareholders of Kai Xuan Investment really willing to let such a person take charge?"


    To be honest, in his heart, Chen Guanglei was nothing but a profligate heir without much ability.


    Xu Yang didn''t believe that Chen Guanglei had the ability to run an investment institution.


    Unless that institution wasn''t afraid of going bankrupt.


    Kai Xuan Investment wasn''t solely owned by Chen Ankang, there were other shareholders involved.


    With Chen Ankang dead, would the other shareholders really want such a profligate heir to take the helm? Weren''t they afraid thepany would copse?


    "Originally, Chen Guanglei had no hope of bing the president,cking both ability and experience, but this guy was lucky, he found someone to help him devise strategies, managed to get those shareholders and executives to toe the line, and sessfully became the president." This was something Tang Zhengqi had just found out.


    "Oh, this guy found a capable person to help? That''s quite interesting. To help a useless rich second generation be the president, it seems he really has some skills. I would like to meet him if there''s an opportunity," Xu Yang said.


    Xu Yang became a little interested in this person.


    "You should know who this person is," Tang Zhengqi said with a smile.


    "Really? Who is it?" Xu Yang was somewhat surprised.


    "It''s the former vice president of Meiwei Group, named Yang Tiancheng. He was in charge of Meiwei Hotpot before, and since most of the stores opened near your Haido, business was dismal, and he was eventually kicked out," Tang Zhengqi exined.


    "What, it''s him!" Xu Yang was quite surprised.


    He hadn''t expected these two to have joined forces.


    This was truly surprising to him.


    Speaking of which, Yang Tiancheng had the means to force his father-inw, Zhao Hai, out of Meiwei Group back in the day.


    With Yang Tiancheng''s help, it wasn''t excessive for Chen Guanglei to take the position of president of Kai Xuan Investment.


    "Right, it''s him. I''ve also clearly found out that this acquisition is very important to Yang Tiancheng."


    "For this acquisition, Chen Guanglei has given Yang Tiancheng full responsibility, and other shareholders and executives have objections to it."


    "Yang Tiancheng wants to get the forty percent stake at the lowest possible price to firmly establish his position in Kai Xuan Investment."


    "Currently, his offer is eight hundred and fifty million. Qianjiao Company hasn''t agreed, and negotiations are at a stalemate."


    "If there aren''t other investorsing in for the acquisition, Qianjiao Company might eventually agree."


    "Since, Young Brother Xu, you are interested in thispany, it''s alright for us not to lower the price. I have discussed with several other investors, and we have decided to follow your lead and let you make the decisions," Tang Zhengqi said.


    Tang Zhengqi had very reliable sources, and he had pretty much found out everything.


    "That''s the best. During the negotiation, we won''t lower the price and will take over swiftly. Big Brother Tang, you trust me, and thispany will surely yield returns far beyond your expectations," Xu Yang said.


    "Of course, I trust you, and my friends also know of your achievements; they naturally trust you as well," Tang Zhengqi''s eyes lit up with excitement.


    If Xu Yang said so, then this investment would definitely make a lot of money.


    The most important thing was that investing with Xu Yang could further deepen their rtionship.


    There might be chances to participate in whatever investments Xu Yang gets involved in the future.


    "It''s great that you trust me. Regarding legal and financial matters, have you brought them along?" Xu Yang said with a smile.


    "We are just individual investors, and this investment is a personal action. I was thinking of letting the auction house''s legal and financial team handle it," Tang Zhengqi exined.


    "If that''s the case, then there''s no need to trouble you. I''ll bring my ownpany''s legal and financial team," Xu Yang said.


    "That would be great. We are taking the flight at nine-thirty tomorrow morning, do you want me to help you book the tickets? If so, you''ll need to send your identification information over," Tang Zhengqi suggested.


    He asked this because he sensed Xu Yang might not want to disclose his identity information and left the choice to Xu Yang.


    "We can book it ourselves. It''s the nine-thirty flight tomorrow; let''s meet at the airport," Xu Yang preferred to make his own booking.


    There was no need to give his identification information to others, even if that person was a friend.


    "Okay, see you at the airport tomorrow," Tang Zhengqi confirmed.


    After ending the call, Xu Yang phoned Yang Xin Investment''s legal and financial teams, briefed them, and asked them to send over their ID information.


    Employees'' ID information, in front of the boss, naturally doesn''t have any privacy to speak of.


    Zhao Yuxin had just finished taking a shower when the ne tickets were booked.


    Xu Yang told Zhao Yuxin about the trip to Zhucheng scheduled for the next day.


    He probably wouldn''t be able to return tomorrow and would have to spend the night in Zhucheng.


    "Honey, are you that optimistic about this beautypany?" Zhao Yuxin asked.


    She felt that Xu Yang was investing in more and morepanies.


    Every time Xu Yang invested in apany, he would tell her about it.


    Now, Xu Yang had investments in many different industry sectors.


    Setting aside the Fengcai Guild and Jian Diao, there were investments in the pharmaceutical industry, the film and television industry, the fashion industry, and the gaming industry; now he was adding the beauty industry to his portfolio.


    She really wondered whether her husband intended to invest across all industries.


    "Thepany''s research and development technology is quite impressive, and the cosmetics it hasunched are well-received," Xu Yang nodded. "Thepany is facing some difficulties now, but with some investment, it can ovee them and has great potential for development."


    "I don''t understand all these things. You decide how to handle it. I trust your judgment; thepanies you invest in will definitely make money," Zhao Yuxin trusted Xu Yang unconditionally.


    "Thank you for your support, wife," Xu Yang said, pulling Zhao Yuxin into his embrace.


    The next day.


    Xu Yang arrived at the airport, first meeting with legal and financial teams, then with Tang Zhengqi and his friends.


    After introductions and getting to know each other a bit, they lined up to board the ne.


    By the time they flew to Zhucheng, it was already twelve o''clock noon.


    After checking into a hotel near Qianjiao Company, he went to the hotel''s restaurant to have lunch.


    Just as he arrived at the entrance of the restaurant, he happened to meet Yang Tianchenging out.


    Yang Jingsheng was following behind Yang Tiancheng.


    Yang Tiancheng and Yang Jingsheng were both slightly taken aback when they saw Xu Yang.


    Yang Tiancheng greeted with a smile, "Xu Yang, I didn''t expect to see you here."


    As an old fox in the business world, Yang Tiancheng knew very well that the current Xu Yang was not what he used to be.


    The young man he once looked down upon was now a billionaire, an entity he could only look up to.


    For such a person, Yang Tiancheng naturally showed a smiling face.


    Yang Jingsheng, however, felt differently.


    No matter whether Xu Yang was a billionaire or not, he remembered how Xu Yang had gotten him detained by the police, leaving a stain on his life.


    His gaze towards Xu Yang carried a hint of resentment.


    "I didn''t expect to run into you here either," Xu Yang replied with a light smile.


    "Xu Yang, what are you doing in Zhucheng?" Yang Jingsheng asked, somewhat annoyed.


    He really hated seeing Xu Yang''s smile, thinking it especially punchable.


    Yang Tiancheng frowned slightly, very displeased with his son speaking to Xu Yang in that tone.


    He knew that Xu Yang was no longer the Xu Yang of the past.


    But since his son had already spoken, it wouldn''t be appropriate to scold him in front of an audience.


    "I''m here for a trip, not to chat. Time to eat," Xu Yang said.


    Naturally, Xu Yang wouldn''t tell them what he was really there for.


    He ignored the two of them and went into the restaurant with the others to eat.

 Chapter 190: Chapter 190: Provoking the Untouchable

    Yang Tiancheng and his son returned to their hotel room.


    Yang Jingsheng asked, "Dad, do you really think Xu Yang came to Zhucheng just to travel?"


    Yang Tiancheng shook his head, "How could that be? Look at him and those people, do they look like they''re here for tourism?"


    A young man like Xu Yang traveling with several people in their thirties, forties, or fifties?


    Wouldn''t it be nicer to travel with a beautiful wife?


    So, Xu Yang definitely didn''te for tourism; he must have had business here.


    Yang Jingsheng wondered, "Then what''s he doing in Zhucheng?"


    Yang Tiancheng shook his head, "I don''t know."


    He couldn''t figure out what Xu Yang was here for.


    Yang Jingsheng spected, "Could it be that he''s spotted apany here and hase to take it over?"


    Yang Tiancheng was taken aback for a moment but then nodded, "That''s quite possible. The current Xu Yang is something else. I''ve heard he''s taken over somepanies. Not too long ago, he even went to the capital to buy a clothingpany, and it was a joint investment with Wang Xiaocong."


    He had never considered the possibility that Xu Yang might be here to take over Qianjiao Company.


    Yang Jingsheng said with envy, "Xu Yang is so lucky, getting in with a rich second-generation like Wang Xiaocong."


    Yang Tiancheng nced at his son, "Jing Sheng, it''s not about luck. He didn''t get to where he is by mere chance but through strength. I know you don''t like him, and you even resent him because of your detention, but you should know that Xu Yang is no longer the one we used to mock and scoff at. He has be someone we can only look up to."


    Yang Jingsheng clenched his fists, "No matter what he bes, I just can''t stand him."


    Yang Tiancheng sighed deeply, "You still don''t understand how to control your emotions. Your dislike for him changes nothing; you can''t do anything to him, and it only causes you distress. If you do act out, you won''t affect him at all. On the other hand, if he gets angry, he could just say a few words and potentially ruin us¡ªbankrupt our family and destroy our lives."


    Yang Jingsheng was startled, "Dad, aren''t you exaggerating?"


    "Not in the least," Yang Tiancheng shook his head with a bitter smile. "Given Xu Yang''s status today, dealing with people like us would really just take a few words. Think about it, he''s already a billionaire just from Jiang Do alone, and with the recent state copyright bureau''s crackdown on the cultural market''s copyright chaos, the prices for cultural works'' copyrights have skyrocketed.


    I''ve seen some news and also heard that Xu Yang is the owner of a copyrightpany called Pioneer Culture, which holds copyrights worth tens of billions."


    "What!" Yang Jingsheng eximed, "Dad, is that true? Xu Yang''s a billionaire now?"


    Yang Tiancheng replied, "It''s true. I''ve checked, and Xu Yang is indeed the legal person for Pioneer Culture."


    Hiss...


    Yang Jingsheng gasped, "Has Xu Yang really be that formidable?"


    Justst year, Xu Yang was the subject of his ridicule.


    Now, he was already a billionaire.


    It felt unreal.


    Yang Tiancheng sighed, "Jiang Do''s expansion couldn''t have happened without the backing of significant capital, which we couldn''t ess. He made connections that would help him when needed. Plus, his brotherly rtionship with Wang Xiaocong means that now, unless you''re an established super tycoon, it''s tough to trouble him. To him, we are merely trivial figures, nothing more.


    If we keep opposing him, we''re just courting death. Do you understand?"


    Yang Jingsheng swallowed hard, "Dad, I understand."


    ```


    He was truly frightened.


    If his father hadn''t mentioned it, he wouldn''t have realized just how terrifying Xu Yang had be.


    Now, it seemed Xu Yang really wanted to crush him as easily as crushing an ant.


    He was someone he simply couldn''t afford to provoke.


    Although he wasn''t born into a wealthy second-generation family, he lived a life without worries.


    It was not worth it to court death over some trivial matters of the past.


    Yang Tiancheng sighed again, "Ah, if only I hadn''t forced Zhao Yulu to break up with Xu Yang back then. I would''ve been his father-inw, and you his uncle. What couldn''t we have asked for? What a pity..."


    Yang Jingsheng said bitterly, "Indeed, what a pity. But who could have known he would rise so quickly in such a short time?"


    He rolled his eyes, "Dad, what if we plead with him to help us, to get us a managerial position at Jiangdi Lao, could he arrange that?"


    Yang Tiancheng looked at his son as if he was looking at an idiot, "Do you think that''s possible? Not to mention what you did to Old Zhao''s restaurant in the past, what''s our rtionship with him? Why would he help us? Just because Zhao Yulu is his ex-girlfriend? Because I''m her stepfather? Because you''re her half-brother from a different father and mother?"


    What on earth was his son thinking toe up with such an idea?


    Yang Jingsheng gave a forced smile, "Dad, I was just saying it off the top of my head."


    Yang Tiancheng said, "Instead of mulling over this, you''d better think about how we''re going to secure this acquisition. This is our chance to really establish ourselves at Triumph Investment. If we handle it well, we''ll have a firm standing at Triumph Investment. If not, we''ll have nothing. Remember, this is our only chance."


    He was currently just a middle-level manager at Triumph Investment, an ordinary manager, and Yang Jingsheng was a lowly employee.


    Chen Guanglei had promised them that if they sessfully negotiated this acquisition, he would be promoted to deputy director, and Yang Jingsheng to manager. That way, they would truly have stable ground at Triumph Investment.


    Otherwise, even if they didn''t get kicked out, they would still be in an awkward position.


    Yang Jingsheng said, "Dad, thepany has allocated us ten billion. Zhang Qiuxue''s demand is also ten billion. Why don''t we just agree to it directly? If we agree, we can sign the contract immediately."


    "Foolish!" Yang Tiancheng scolded, "If we agree directly, how can we show our capability? What would they need us for? How can we talk about establishing ourselves in thepany? It''s only by negotiating and getting the shares at the lowest possible price that we can highlight our value and be taken seriously in thepany, do you understand?!"


    That was why he had pressured the price down to 850 million.


    In thest two days of negotiations, he had been upromising, putting endless pressure on Zhang Qiuxue.


    He nned to negotiate a bit more, and then raise another 50 million, reaching 900 million, which should be no problem.


    By saving thepany a billion, only then would the value of him and his son be apparent, only then could they secure their footing at Triumph Investment.


    This time, the opportunity only arose because Chen Guanglei''s father had passed away, and Chen Guanglei was in a difficult position within Triumph Investment, needing his help to ascend to the presidency through certain means.


    It could be said that if it weren''t for the passing of Chen Guanglei''s father, he wouldn''t have had this opportunity at all.


    In his heart, he was quite grateful to Chen Guanglei''s deceased father.


    If Chen Guanglei knew his thoughts, who knows what he would think.


    Yang Jingsheng nodded, "Dad, don''t worry, I understand."


    ```

 Chapter 191: Chapter 191 Successful Acquisition

    Three o''clock in the afternoon.


    Xu Yang and his entourage arrived at the Qianjiao Company.


    The Qianjiao Company was located in an industrial park.


    Zhang Qiuxue, the general manager of Qianjiao Company, together with her executives, weed them at thepany''s main entrance.


    Zhang Qiuxue was a woman in her thirties, very beautiful, and dressed in a stylish women''s suit that made her look verypetent.


    On the way there, Tang Zhengqi mentioned that Zhang Qiuxue was unmarried, a great beauty in the business circles of Zhucheng, many business elites wanted to pursue her, but unfortunately, Zhang Qiuxue did not take a fancy to any of them, or rather, she hadn''t found someone she deemed suitable.


    These gossips didn''t interest Xu Yang.


    Zhang Qiuxue was pretty, but not as pretty as his wife.


    "General Zhang, this is Mr. Xu, he is our main investor," Tang Zhengqi introduced to Zhang Qiuxue.


    "Mr. Xu, hello," Zhang Qiuxue said, slightly surprised, and reached out her hand.


    Xu Yang was too young, he looked just like a college graduate.


    "General Zhang, hello," Xu Yang shook hands with Zhang Qiuxue.


    Afterward, Tang Zhengqi introduced the other investors to Zhang Qiuxue, as well as the legal and financial team.


    After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Zhang Qiuxue led the group into thepany and to the conference room where negotiations would take ce.


    The formal negotiation began.


    "Mr. Xu, Mr. Tang, I believe you are both clear about the conditions. Triumph Investment is also looking to acquire ourpany. I''ll say it again, ten billion yuan. If you''re willing, we can sign the contract right now.


    If not, there might not be a need for further discussion. I do not wish to repeat what was said during the negotiations with representatives from Triumph Investment; it really is pointless," Zhang Qiuxue stated assertively, trying to put pressure on the other party to achieve her goal.


    Even if Xu Yang and the others wanted to negotiate and drive down the price, they should be able to offer a higher price than Triumph Investment could.


    After all, knowing that she was in talks with Triumph Investment and stilling over clearly indicated they were prepared topete.


    Competition meant the higher bidder would win; they should be able to offer a higher price than Triumph Investment.


    "I''m a very straightforward person. Since General Zhang has put it this way, I won''t say much else. Ten billion it is, please bring out your financial books for my people to inspect. As long as there are no issues, we can sign the contract," Xu Yang said, not wanting to beat around the bush.


    Otherwise, if thepany was really acquired by Triumph Investment, they would miss out on this opportunity to make a huge profit, a loss that would be more than they could bear.


    This had already been discussed with Tang Zhengqi and the others beforeing here.


    Tang Zhengqi and the others had no objections.


    Zhang Qiuxue was somewhat taken aback.


    She had assumed that there would be at least some haggling between them.


    Unexpectedly, Xu Yang agreed so readily to the ten billion without bargaining.


    However, Zhang Qiuxue was an experienced business CEO, her surprise shed by in an instant, and she immediately smiled and said, "Mr. Xu is indeed decisive. I will have the ounts brought over right away for your people to inspect. Please wait a moment."


    She left the conference room and, after about fifteen minutes, came back with the financial staff andptops containing the ounts.


    While the legal and financial team inspected the ounts, Zhang Qiuxue took Xu Yang and his entourage on a tour of thepany''s management, operational, and research and development departments.


    What they saw, whether it was the management, operations, R&D departments or the employees'' work status, satisfied Xu Yang and his group.


    In fact, the Qianjiao Company''s predicament was due to operational issues.


    Their marketing had not been well executed, failing to keep up with the changing marketing trends in the market.


    Nowadays, many focused on short video marketing and sales through live broadcasting.


    However, Qianjiao Company had no significant achievements in this area.


    The products of thepany were not the issue.


    Of course, it also had something to do with not releasing any new and effective products for quite some time.


    Xu Yang was aware of this.


    While visiting the operations department, Xu Yang said, "General Zhang, I see thepany hasn''t set up any live broadcasting or rted marketing efforts. What''s the reason for this?"


    Zhang Qiuxue replied with a bitter smile, "Mr. Xu, to be frank, we have tried before, but the results were not ideal, and over time it just fell by the wayside. We are also summarizing the issues in this area and n to cooperate with some live broadcasting guilds, inviting some famous hosts to sell our products live and see what the results are."


    Xu Yangughed, "You should cooperate with Fengcai Guild."


    Zhang Qiuxue responded with a wry smile, "Mr. Xu, we would like to, but from what I''ve heard, Fengcai Guild only works with big brands. Our brand is not something they would consider."


    Tang Zhengqi interjected, "General Zhang, with Mr. Xu here, cooperating with Fengcai Guild won''t be a problem!"


    Zhang Qiuxue''s eyebrows raised in curiosity, "Oh? Does Mr. Xu know someone high up in Fengcai Guild?"


    Tang Zhengqiughed heartily, "It''s not as simple as Mr. Xu knowing someone high up in Fengcai Guild; he''s the boss of Fengcai Guild."


    "What!" Zhang Qiuxue eximed in surprise, "Mr. Xu, you''re the boss of Fengcai Guild? And Jiang Di Lao too?"


    She only knew about the existence of Fengcai Guild and had heard that the boss of Fengcai Guild and Jiang Di Lao were the same person who had started from scratch.


    She didn''t know that the boss was named Xu Yang, nor did she know what Xu Yang looked like.


    Therefore, upon meeting Xu Yang and hearing his name, she didn''t show any unusual reaction.


    She had thought Xu Yang was just a rich second generation.


    She had not expected Xu Yang to be the boss of both Fengcai Guild and Jiang Di Lao.


    And Xu Yang was so young.


    Xu Yang nodded with a smile, "Yes, I believe the quality of thepany''s products is not an issue, and they can coborate with Fengcai Guild to set up a special live broadcast. In this regard, I will have people from Fengcai Guild contact you afterward."


    Zhang Qiuxue said excitedly, "That would be wonderful! Coborating with Fengcai Guild would not only help sell the products but also raise ourpany''s brand and product awareness. I''ve heard that nowadays, many consumers on Douyin only recognize products promoted by hosts from Fengcai Guild."


    Indeed, due to the chaos with live broadcast sales on Douyin in the past, the relevant authorities had stepped in to regte, and Fengcai Guild emerged as the only guild unaffected by the crackdown. Other guilds had more or less encountered problems, leading many consumers to purchase only from hosts of Fengcai Guild.


    It was even said that Fengcai Guild hosts had a built-in product quality assessment function.


    Any product promoted by a Fengcai Guild host was guaranteed to be problem-free.


    Even some lesser-known, yet high-quality brands had significantly increased in fame and sales through coboration with Fengcai Guild.


    During the conversation, Xu Yang''s phone rang¡ªit was the financial team calling, saying they had finished the inspection.


    So, the group returned to the conference room.


    The legal and financial team presented their conclusion report¡ªthe finances were in order, and Qianjiao Company had no legal disputes with otherpanies or individuals.


    Xu Yang said, "Then let''s sign the contract."


    The contract was drafted by the Qianjiao Company side.


    After drafting, it was confirmed by thewyers to have no issues.


    Xu Yang, the investors, and Zhang Qiuxue all signed the contract.


    "Pleasure doing business!"


    After signing the contract, the two parties shook hands.


    It was a mutually gratifying agreement.


    The investment funds would be deposited into thepany ount within three days.

 Chapter 192: Chapter 192: Killed by Him

    Zhang Qiuxue took out her phone and called her assistant to make a restaurant reservation.


    Tonight, she definitely had to host a banquet for Xu Yang and his team.


    It was already past five o''clock, and it was about time.


    Just after she finished the call, she was about to say something to Xu Yang and the others when her phone immediately rang.


    Seeing the caller ID, a smile curled up at the corners of Zhang Qiuxue''s mouth.


    "Mr. Xu, excuse me, I need to take this call," Zhang Qiuxue said apologetically.


    "Please, go ahead," Xu Yang said with a slight smile.


    "President Yang," Zhang Qiuxue answered the phone.


    Yes, it was Yang Tiancheng who was calling.


    Yang Tiancheng''s position at Triumph Investment was that of a manager, but as he hade to discuss an acquisition, Chen Guanglei had authorized him to tell Zhang Qiuxue he was the vice president for work purposes.


    "President Zhang, how are you considering it?"


    Yang Tiancheng was at the hotel, feeling somewhat uneasy, so he called to ask about the situation and, by the way, to put some pressure on Zhang Qiuxue.


    This morning, both parties had negotiated, and Yang Tiancheng had suggested Zhang Qiuxue to think it over and continue the talks the next morning.


    "I''ve decided not to consider it," Zhang Qiuxue said indifferently.


    "What do you mean?" Yang Tiancheng was somewhat puzzled.


    What did she mean by not considering it?


    "It means I have already reached a cooperation with another investor," Zhang Qiuxue said.


    "What!" Yang Tiancheng was shocked, "President Zhang, how can you do this? We were negotiating just fine; how could you silently reach an agreement with someone else?"


    Zhang Qiuxue sneered, "President Yang, what are you talking about? We were merely negotiating; we hadn''t reached any cooperation. Why can''t I work with someone else? Besides, you said that our negotiation was going well, but I didn''t feel that way at all. You kept pushing the price down, offering only eight hundred and fifty million and not budging at all, which made things very difficult for me.


    Now someone is willing to offer a higher price, so of course, I want to cooperate with them."


    Yang Tiancheng said, "President Zhang, as a person in the business world, you must understand that this is a negotiating tactic. Regarding the price, we can still discuss it. Eight hundred and fifty million¡ªif you are not satisfied, we can increase it. How about nine hundred million?"


    Zhang Qiuxue said, "President Yang, as I''ve said, I''ve already reached a deal with someone else, and they are much more sincere than you. They agreed without a second word to the conditions I proposed. I believe if you were in my position, you would make the same choice as me."


    "What, they agreed without a second word to a one billion acquisition?" Yang Tiancheng was surprised again.


    "Yes, I''ve already signed a contract with the other party. There''s no possibility of us working together. Goodbye," Zhang Qiuxue was about to hang up.


    "President Zhang, don''t hang up yet, I still have a question," Yang Tiancheng said urgently.


    "What other question do you have?" Zhang Qiuxue now faced Yang Tiancheng without the same pressure she had felt in the past two days.


    Actually, it was not just a little pressure; it waspletely absent, making her feel very rxed. She could listen to what the other party had to say.


    "Who did you cooperate with?" Yang Tiancheng asked.


    "Sorry, but I can''t disclose the name of my partner without their consent," Zhang Qiuxue said.


    "..." Yang Tiancheng didn''t know what else to ask.


    The call ended.


    Yang Tiancheng felt bitter and put down his phone.


    "Dad, what''s wrong? Has Qianjiao Company been acquired by someone else first?"


    Yang Jingsheng was right by Yang Tiancheng''s side. Although he hadn''t heard the entire conversation, he had caught the main content.


    "Yes, it has been acquired," Yang Tiancheng''s face looked incredibly unhappy.


    This acquisition was crucial for him and his son''s standing within Triumph Investment.


    But now, it was abruptly acquired by someone else, leaving them without a chance.


    This was truly hard for him to ept.


    "How could this happen without any hint of it, and it''s just been acquired like that? Doesn''t this mean we''ll lose our jobs at Triumph Investment?" Yang Jingsheng''s face also grew ugly.


    "I don''t know. It''s very possible," Yang Tiancheng said bitterly.


    "If I find out who that bastard is who acquired it first, I''ll kill him!" Anger and hatred were clear in Yang Jingsheng''s red eyes.


    "I also want to know, but Zhang Qiuxue isn''t talking," Yang Tiancheng said.


    "Dad, do you think it could be Xu Yang?" Yang Jingsheng suddenly blurted out this thought.


    "Hmm?" Yang Tiancheng''s gaze sharpened.


    "Just now, didn''t you say he wasn''t here for tourism? It''s very likely that he came for Qianjiao Company," Yang Jingsheng added.


    "Could it really be such a coincidence?" Yang Tiancheng''s expression turned ugly.


    Speaking of it, his hotpot n failed because of Xu Yang.


    If it hadn''t been for Xu Yang, whounched ''River Bottom Catch,'' which was not just ordinary hotpot, it would have been absolutely nopetition for Delicious Hotpot.


    If it is Xu Yang again this time, it would be equivalent to falling into Xu Yang''s hands twice.


    "Why don''t we call and ask?" Yang Jingsheng suggested.


    "Right, ask, we must rify who acquired it first so we can report back to Chen Guanglei," Yang Tiancheng nodded.


    He immediately dialed Xu Yang''s phone number.


    The call connected quickly.


    "Hello," Xu Yang''s voice came through.


    "Xu Yang, I want to ask, was it you who acquired Qianjiao Company?" Yang Tiancheng asked directly.


    "Yeah, what about it?" Xu Yang answeredzily.


    "It really was you!" Yang Tiancheng eximed.


    "Mr. Yang, why so surprised?" Xu Yang feigned ignorance.


    "Xu Yang, I was representing Kai Xuan Investments to acquire Qianjiao Company. We were just short of finalizing the price, and I didn''t expect you''d get the jump on me."


    Yang Tiancheng felt resentment in his heart but dared not show it.


    Xu Yang definitely knew about his representation of Kai Xuan Investments in the acquisition of Qianjiao Company.


    iming to be here for tourism was just to lull him.


    "Oh, that''s the case? Sorry about that, I really didn''t know," Xu Yang lied tantly.


    "Xu Yang, can we talk business?" Yang Tiancheng''s mind raced.


    Xu Yang had already acquired Qianjiao Company, and the deal was sealed.


    So, could he possibly acquire a small share, paying a slightly higher price?


    That way, he could better handle Chen Guanglei''s criticism.


    "What business?" Xu Yang inquired.


    "You''ve acquired a forty percent stake in Qianjiao Company. I was wondering if you could sell me a little, ten or twenty percent would do. I''m willing to pay a premium of ten million for the purchase. You could make a quick ten million from the resale, how about that?" Yang Tiancheng asked hopefully.


    "Sorry, I''m not selling," Xu Yang said without mentioning other investors, as there was no need to discuss these matters with Yang Tiancheng. "Anything else? If not, I''m going to hang up."


    The call ended.


    Yang Tiancheng slumped onto the sofa.


    "Xu Yang didn''t agree?" Yang Jingsheng had already found out it was indeed Xu Yang who acquired forty percent of Qianjiao Company.


    "He didn''t agree," Yang Tiancheng said with a bitter shake of his head.


    "That bastard, he''s ruined us!" Yang Jingsheng cursed angrily.


    Yang Tiancheng nced at his son. He wanted to say, don''t curse Xu Yang, we can''t afford to provoke Xu Yang.


    But on second thought, it didn''t matter if they cursed Xu Yang since he couldn''t hear them.


    Moreover, Yang Jingsheng was voicing his own thoughts.


    If it weren''t for some concerns, he would also swear a few words.


    "Dad, what do we do now?" Yang Jingsheng asked.

 Chapter 193: Chapter 193: Why is he everywhere?

    "I''ll call Zhang Qiuxue again to see if she can sell any more shares," Yang Tiancheng''s eyes flickered.


    "Yes, yes, as long as Zhang Qiuxue is willing to sell more shares, we still have room to maneuver," Yang Jingsheng nodded repeatedly, "Dad, call her quickly."


    Without saying much more, Yang Tiancheng dialed Zhang Qiuxue''s number again.


    "President Yang, what else do you need?" Zhang Qiuxue asked.


    "President Zhang, I wanted to ask if you are still willing to sell shares, we are still willing to invest," Yang Tiancheng asked.


    "I''m sorry, I was looking to raise ten billion, and I''ve got that now, so I don''t need to sell any more shares," Zhang Qiuxue replied indifferently.


    "President Zhang, I''m not asking for much, even five percent will do, I''m willing to pay a ten percent premium, what do you think?" Yang Tiancheng was unwilling to give up.


    "Sorry, not selling."


    With that, Zhang Qiuxue hung up the phone.


    On Yang Tiancheng''s end, there was nothing he could do but put down the phone with a troubled expression.


    Seeing his father''s expression, Yang Jingsheng knew it hadn''t worked out and quickly said, "Dad, what do we do now?"


    Yang Tiancheng replied bitterly, "What can we do? We can only report the truth to Chen Guanglei now."


    Yang Jingsheng asked, "Dad, do you think Chen Guanglei will forgive us?"


    Yang Tiancheng shook his head, "I don''t know, whether he forgives us or not, we have to make this call."


    Yang Jingsheng added, "Dad, you helped him take the president''s position, he can''t just turn his back on us like this."


    Yang Tiancheng said, "Let''s not talk about that again, especially not in front of Chen Guanglei. If he hears it, he might think we''re expecting something from him."


    Yang Jingsheng replied, "I know, I was just saying."


    Yang Tiancheng didn''t say anything more and dialed Chen Guanglei''s phone number.


    The call was quickly answered.


    "Yang Tiancheng, has the acquisition been sessful?" Chen Guanglei asked directly.


    "President Chen, the acquisition was not sessful," Yang Tiancheng replied.


    "Then what''s the matter?" Chen Guanglei asked.


    He hadn''t considered the possibility that someone else would have already snapped up the acquisition.


    After all, Qianjiao Company had been seeking investment for the past six months without sess.


    Basically, it was in a state of being unattractive to investors.


    If Yang Tiancheng was to acquire it at the ten billion price Zhang Qiuxue asked for, there would have been no difficulty whatsoever.


    Yang Tiancheng wanted to acquire Qianjiao Company at the lowest possible price.


    On this point, he had Chen Guanglei''s approval.


    Since no one else waspeting, they could drive down the price to maximize benefits.


    Not seeding in the acquisition, Yang Tiancheng was calling him, probably because there was something else he needed to discuss.


    "President Chen, Qianjiao Company has already been acquired by someone else," Yang Tiancheng stated.


    "What? Acquired by someone else? Didn''t you say this morning that negotiations were very sessful? Weren''t you confident that after another round of talks tomorrow, you could persuade them?" Chen Guanglei''splexion changed instantly.


    He knew that investing in Qianjiao Company was a decision made by all the shareholders.


    They had discovered that Qianjiao Company was a greatpany with excellent product reputations; it only had a slight operational issue.


    It was just that no investment magnates had noticed, otherwise, it would not have been their turn to acquire it.


    This was unquestionably a profitable investment.


    So thepany was very generous, providing ten billion in funds.


    They wanted a swift acquisition to avoid anyplications.


    Buying at the lowest possible price was a decision made by Yang Tiancheng, with Chen Guanglei''s support.


    This was all happening behind the scenes.


    Originally, such behavior, if the acquisition had ended sessfully, would definitely have won the admiration of shareholders and executives.


    Not only would Yang Tiancheng have established a foothold at KaiXuan Investments.


    Even Chen Guanglei''s position as president would have been much more stable.


    But now, Qianjiao Company had been preemptively acquired by someone else, so everything became problematic.


    What exactly did Yang Tiancheng do, how did he let someone else get ahead of him in the acquisition?!


    "President Chen, I didn''t expect it, Xu Yang that guy came out of nowhere, and he acquired it with lightning speed, I simply had no time to react," Yang Tianchengmented.


    "Who did you say? Xu Yang?" Chen Guanglei eximed in surprise.


    "Yes, that guy arrived, negotiated with Zhang Qiuxue, and directly acquired it, no price haggling, bought it for ten billion."


    "Such a situation is almost impossible for anyone else."


    "Xu Yang is obviously not ying by the rules, I was caught off guard, I had no time to react."


    Yang Tiancheng shifted the primary responsibility onto Xu Yang.


    After all, Xu Yang couldn''t hear them, and even Chen Guanglei didn''t dare and was unable to do anything to Xu Yang.


    Moreover, since Chen Guanglei had a grudge against Xu Yang, it was impossible for him to call Xu Yang and verify the situation with him.


    There was no need to worry about Xu Yang''s dissatisfaction or any retaliatory issues.


    "Xu Yang that bastard, how does he turn up everywhere? We finally identified a goodpany to invest in, only for him to step in first!" Chen Guanglei couldn''t help but curse.


    At Wang Xiaocong''s birthday partyst time, he didn''t apologize to Xu Yang because he couldn''t let go of his pride.


    Although he had decided not to trouble Xu Yang anymore,


    he still felt unhappy about Xu Yang in his heart.


    Now, Xu Yang had actually stepped in and snatched theirpany''s investment target, literally blocking his way to make money.


    He couldn''t do anything to Xu Yang, but if he didn''t vent with a few curses, he wouldn''t be able to calm the hatred in his heart.


    "Yeah, with him cutting in like that, there''s nothing we can do," Yang Tiancheng, realizing that Chen Guanglei was cursing Xu Yang and not him, felt much more at ease.


    "Yang Tiancheng, even so, I''m afraid you still can''t stay with thepany. You must understand, other shareholders took this acquisition very seriously. Your failure to secure it is hugely disadvantageous for you," Chen Guanglei said.


    "President Chen, I am willing to remain a manager and am not thinking about any vice-president position, can''t it be like this? Although I bear responsibility for this failure, the main me belongs to Xu Yang. If it weren''t for him, I would have certainly secured it," Yang Tiancheng expressed his desire to retain his managerial position.


    With a position, there would be opportunities in the future.


    Otherwise, considering his current situation, going to otherpanies to work would probably be much the same.


    Better to stay at KaiXuan Investments, where Chen Guanglei''s support could make it much easier to advance further in the future.


    "Well, I can only say, I''ll try to discuss it with those shareholders and executives."


    "At tomorrow''s routine meeting, I''ll first gauge their attitude. If they are particrly stubborn, I can''t help you,"


    "I can only say that I''ll do my best to keep you. You know, I personally value your capabilities highly,"


    Chen Guanglei was indeed speaking the truth; Yang Tiancheng''s assistance in acquiring the presidency had proven his ability.


    Having Yang Tiancheng in thepany was very beneficial for his own development.


    It wouldn''t be so easy for those shareholders or executives to pull him down from his position.


    "Alright, thank you for your trust, President Chen," Yang Tiancheng said.


    "No need for thanks, you''re working for me, I know what to do. Alright, since the acquisition was unsessful, you guys head back to Jiang City tomorrow, no need to stay there any longer,"


    Having said this, Chen Guanglei hung up the phone.


    After putting down his phone, his face darkened.


    If it weren''t for valuing Yang Tiancheng''s capabilities, he would definitely have let Yang Tiancheng go.


    "Yang Tiancheng can stay at thepany, but that useless Yang Jingsheng, just get rid of him!"


    Chen Guanglei made his decision.

 Chapter 194: Chapter 194: Some Melodramatic

    The next day.


    After breakfast, Xu Yang and hispanions returned to Jiangcheng.


    At the airport, they went their separate ways.


    Xu Yang first went to the Fengcai Guild and spoke with Xiao Dongsheng about coborating with Qianjiao Company for a live-streamed event to promote sales. Naturally, thetter actively set out to manage the affair as Xu Yang had intended.


    After delegating his tasks, Xu Yang had lunch outside and then went home.


    Once home, his phone rang, showing an unfamiliar number.


    "Hello," Xu Yang answered the call.


    "Hello, I''m Guo Wenlin, the property manager of Century Garden. You''re Mr. Xu, the owner of Vi 39, right?" Guo Wenlin asked with a touch of respect.


    "Yes," Xu Yang replied, puzzled about what the caller wanted from him.


    "Mr. Xu, hello. I hope I''m not intruding. On Saturday afternoon this week, we''re organizing a gathering for the owners. Our property department hosts these gatherings one or two times annually to facilitate exchanges among the owners, and practically all of them attend. Do you have time to participate?" Guo Wenlin asked gently.


    An owners'' party?


    Xu Yang immediately grasped the idea behind these gatherings: for owners to get to know each other and expand theirworks.


    He had to admit, these events organized by the property department were quite impressive.


    Xu Yang was interested in meeting more people, as he was currently focused on building hiswork.


    Although he had already made acquaintances like Wang Xiaocong, Jiang Yuheng, Su Wenbin, and Wu Jing, his connections were still rather thin.


    Many of the older generation business magnates might not be as wealthy as him, but theirworking was far more formidable.


    "No problem, I will bring my wife with me," Xu Yang agreed.


    On Saturday, Zhao Yuxin should be off work and even if she had to work, it wouldn''t be an issue to ask her to take a day off.


    At these kinds of owner gatherings, it was essential to take Zhao Yuxin with him. Getting to know more female owners would be beneficial for her, offering the chance to make more friends.


    "Alright then, I won''t disturb you further. I''ll send the specific time and location to your phone in a little while, please check it," said Guo Wenlin softly.


    "Okay." Xu Yang said.


    Shortly after ending the call, Xu Yang received the details from Guo Wenlin.


    He set his phone down,y on the couch, and nned to rest a while, to take a nap.


    At that moment, a WeChat notification chimed.


    Picking it up, he saw a message from Zhao Yulu.


    They still had each other on WeChat.


    Zhao Yulu: Xu Yang, are you busy?


    Xu Yang: Not busy, what''s up?


    Xu Yang didn''t find it necessary to avoid chatting with Zhao Yulu.


    They no longer had any special rtionship, but after all, Zhao Yulu was Zhao Yuxin''s sister.


    Zhao Yuxin didn''t acknowledge Liu Yujuan, but she still recognized Zhao Yulu as her sister. Although not warmly, her attitude toward Zhao Yulu wasn''t as cold as it was towards Liu Yujuan.


    Otherwise, she wouldn''t have agreed to lend Zhao Yulu money before.


    Zhao Yulu: I wanted to ask why, after you and Yu Xin got the marriage certificate, haven''t you held a wedding ceremony?


    She had constantly heard from her mother that Xu Yang''s unwillingness to hold a wedding ceremony with Zhao Yuxin meant he didn''t love her and was only using Zhao Yuxin as her substitute. Zhao Yulu wanted to ask this question herself.


    Xu Yang: Nothing much, we''ll do it when the time is right.


    When the time is right?


    Zhao Yulu felt this was just an excuse.


    It seemed that her mother was right after all.


    Zhao Yulu: Oh, then why haven''t you two had kids?


    Xu Yang: We''re both still young, there''s no hurry for kids.


    This answer was somewhat reasonable.


    Being newly married and young, it was normal not to rush into having children.


    Zhao Yulu: Oh, I need a favor from you. Could you meet me?


    She felt there was still a possibility of reconciling with Xu Yang and decided to meet with him.


    Xu Yang: If there''s anything, just say it on WeChat.


    Zhao Yulu: Some things are better said in person.


    Xu Yang: I don''t think there''s a need to meet, and if you''re unwilling to speak, let it be.


    He felt there was nothing that necessitated a face-to-face conversation; WeChat would suffice for any matter.


    Moreover, since the two of them no longer had any rtion, he didn''t see any further issues to discuss.


    Zhao Yulu: Some things really aren''t suitable to discuss on WeChat.


    Xu Yang: Then there''s no need to talk.


    Zhao Yulu: Do you dislike seeing me that much?


    Xu Yang: It isn''t about liking or disliking. I just don''t think there''s anything that needs to be discussed in person. If you don''t have anything else, let''s not chat; I need to rest.


    Xu Yang exited WeChat, put his phone on silent mode, and took a nap.


    Evening.


    After dinner,


    Xu Yang told Zhao Yuxin about Zhao Yulu contacting him that day.


    He even showed Zhao Yuxin the chat records.


    He didn''t want to hide it to avoid Zhao Yuxin overthinking if she found out he was in contact with Zhao Yuluter on.


    After reading the chat records, Zhao Yuxin looked at Xu Yang and blinked, "What do you think she wants to see you for?"


    Xu Yang shook his head: "I don''t know."


    Zhao Yuxin smiled: "Take a guess."


    Xu Yang still shook his head: "I can''t guess."


    He was toozy to guess.


    Zhao Yuxin smiled: "I guess she wants to reconcile with you."


    Xu Yang was taken aback: "Impossible, right? I could understand if I were single, but I''m already married to you."


    He had truly not considered this.


    After all, he and Zhao Yuxin were already married, and Zhao Yuxin was Zhao Yulu''s sister.


    If Zhao Yulu still wanted to reconcile with him, that would be rather melodramatic.


    Zhao Yuxin said: "Nothing is impossible. Even if it''s not the case, I think you should still meet her to find out what''s the matter. If it is as I suspect, you can also give her a clear answer and put an end to her hopes. What do you think?"


    She felt her guess was not a hundred percent urate, but at least above eighty percent so.


    Since Zhao Yulu and Xu Yang broke up, in less than a year, he had be a billionaire.


    Zhao Yulu was certainly regretful and would naturally want to reconcile with Xu Yang. It made sense.


    Just like Liu Yujuan, who wanted to reconcile once she saw her father be sessful again.


    Moreover, Zhao Yuxin was sure that Liu Yujuan yed a part in influencing this.


    She was not opposed to them meeting; rather, she saw it as an opportunity to end Zhao Yulu''s lingering thoughts.


    Xu Yang thought about it and, finding it reasonable, nodded: "Okay, youe with me."


    Zhao Yuxin shook her head: "I definitely won''t go. You meet her, and just tell me the oue."


    Blinking, she added: "However, when you meet her, call me and keep the line open. I want to hear what she has to say, otherwise, you might leave out details when youe back."


    Xu Yang nodded: "Alright."


    Anyway, there was nothing secretive between them; staying on the call and letting his wife know everything would mean he wouldn''t need to exinter. This was actually perfect.


    "Then message her to agree to the meeting and ask where she wants to meet," Zhao Yuxin handed Xu Yang her phone.


    "You ask," said Xu Yang.


    "Fine, I''ll ask." Zhao Yuxin did not refuse and sent out the WeChat message immediately.


    Xu Yang: I''ve thought about it and since you say there''s something to discuss in person, let''s meet. Send me the time and ce.

 Chapter 195: Chapter 195: Meeting

    Zhao Yulu and Liu Yujuan had just finished eating.


    "Yu Lu, when are you finally going to meet Xu Yang?" Liu Yujuan asked.


    The fact that Zhao Yulu and Xu Yang weren''t meeting was an unresolved issue, and they needed to facilitate this meeting as soon as possible.


    "I texted him on WeChat today, wanting to arrange a meeting, but he doesn''t want to meet me," Zhao Yulu said, feeling downcast.


    Xu Yang''s refusal to see her had ruined her mood for the entire afternoon.


    This seemed somewhat different from what her mother had said.


    Otherwise, why would Xu Yang not want to meet with her?


    "How could that be?" Liu Yujuan frowned.


    ording to her expectations, as long as Zhao Yulu proposed a meeting, Xu Yang would immediately agree and be eager to meet her.


    "Mom, if he doesn''t want to see me, it just means that things aren''t the way you think. Please don''t talk about reconciling us anymore," Zhao Yulu said.


    "I don''t believe it. There must be some reason he didn''t agree to meet you," Liu Yujuan was convinced her perspective wasn''t wrong, then she suddenly pped her forehead, "It must be because of Zhao Yuxin. When you texted Xu Yang, either Zhao Yuxin was by his side, or she saw the message. That''s why Xu Yang would refuse to meet with you, yes, that must be it!"


    "Is that so?" Zhao Yulu asked, skeptical.


    "Definitely," Liu Yujuan said with certainty, "By the way, when did you send the message?"


    "Noon," Zhao Yulu said.


    "Then they must have been eating lunch together. Xu Yang saw the message and was caught by Zhao Yuxin, that''s why he replied that way. You need to find a time when Zhao Yuxin isn''t with him to contact him. Also, why use WeChat? You should just call him directly," Liu Yujuan said.


    "That''s just wishful thinking on your part," Zhao Yulu was skeptical.


    "Yu Lu, just believe me, I wouldn''t be wrong. Do this, tomorrow morning during work hours, call Xu Yang right in front of me, and you will see whether I am right or wrong," Liu Yujuan was very confident in her guess.


    Zhao Yulu wanted to say something else when her phone buzzed with a WeChat notification.


    Zhao Yulu opened it and her eyes brightened, "It''s a message from Xu Yang."


    "Let me see," Liu Yujuan immediately moved next to Zhao Yulu to look at the message and burst into a smile, "See, I was right, wasn''t I? He''s now taking the initiative to send a message, asking you for the time and ce to meet. That''s great, respond quickly."


    Zhao Yulu was also very happy inside and started to think that her mother made sense.


    "Where should we meet? How about a tea restaurant?" Zhao Yulu was uncertain.


    "My silly daughter, how can you be so confused? How could you meet in a tea restaurant?" Liu Yujuan was somewhat speechless.


    "Then where should we meet?" Zhao Yulu asked.


    "Of course, somewhere that can evoke beautiful memories," Liu Yujuan said.


    Last time Liu Yujuan and Zhao Hai met, she wanted it to be somewhere that could evoke their beautiful memories.


    Unfortunately, Zhao Hai didn''t give her the chance. She knew Zhao Hai definitely wouldn''t agree, so being able to have a meal together was already good enough.


    That meal, however, was disrupted by Zhao Yuxin.


    This time was different for Zhao Yulu. Xu Yang had let Zhao Yulu choose the time and ce, so naturally, she should choose the best ce.


    The purpose of this meeting was to reconcile, so the best option would be ces that could evoke beautiful memories.


    "What you''re saying makes sense," Zhao Yulu agreed with her mother.


    "Of course it does. When have I ever been wrong? Now that Xu Yang has sent you a message, Zhao Yuxin must not be with him. Reply quickly," Liu Yujuan urged.


    "At this time, it should be their dinner time. Why wouldn''t Yu Xin be with Xu Yang?" Zhao Yulu said.


    "Who knows? Maybe Zhao Yuxin is out with friends, don''t bother about that now. Reply quickly," Liu Yujuan urged again.


    Zhao Yulu immediately replied with a time and an address.


    Soon, she received a reply from Xu Yang: "Okay, see you then."


    Seeing the message, Liu Yujuanughed excitedly, "That''s wonderful, tomorrow you two will be back together!"


    ¡­


    The next day, at eleven in the morning.


    Xu Yang drove to Xing Hai Park.


    This park, near Jiang City University, was filled daily with students enjoying themselves, many of them couples.


    It was also an important dating spot for these students.


    In this ce, Xu Yang and Zhao Yulu left behind many beautiful memories.


    Xu Yang still remembered that it was here that he confessed to Zhao Yulu, and she agreed to be his girlfriend.


    The two of them had also shared their first kiss with each other here¡­


    Countless wonderful memories surged in Xu Yang''s heart.


    Xu Yang shook his head, trying to dispel these memories.


    It was all in the past now.


    He took out his phone and dialed Zhao Yuxin''s number.


    The call was quickly connected.


    "Honey, have you arrived?" Zhao Yuxin asked.


    "Yes, I''ve arrived, just about to get out of the car and meet her," Xu Yang said.


    "Hmm, then you should hurry, it''s fine as long as I can hear your voice," Zhao Yuxin said.


    "Okay." Xu Yang ced the phone, still on a call, into his pocket.


    He got out of the car and walked to the ce he had agreed to meet Zhao Yulu.


    Underneath a willow tree beside an artificialke.


    This was the ce where the two had affirmed their rtionship.


    "You''vee."


    Zhao Yulu was looking forward expectantly, slightly excited to see Xu Yang appear.


    Seeing Xu Yang approach, her face revealed the sweet smile that was only present during their dating days.


    But to Xu Yang now, that smile held no attraction whatsoever.


    "What is it, just tell me," Xu Yang said calmly.


    Zhao Yulu''s smile stiffened slightly.


    This was not the scenario she had envisioned.


    Beforeing, Liu Yujuan had said more than once that upon seeing Xu Yang, he would be unable to wait to hold her in his embrace.


    The absence of such a scene and Xu Yang''s calmness made her feel uneasy.


    "Xu Yang, do you really not want to see me?" Zhao Yulu asked.


    "You asked me toe out, not to ask me this question, right? Speak if you have something to say, otherwise, I''ll leave," Xu Yang said.


    "Alright, let''s get to the point. Xu Yang, I want to say I''m sorry to you face to face."


    Despite the stark difference from the scenario she had imagined, Zhao Yulu took a deep breath and proceeded as she had nned.


    "You haven''t wronged me in any way, there''s no need to apologize," Xu Yang stated calmly.


    "I hurt you by breaking up with you, that''s where I have wronged you," Zhao Yulu said.


    "The moment you broke up with me, I was indeed heartbroken, but once I understood, it didn''t matter anymore, it was just your choice," Xu Yang said indifferently.


    This answer was not what Zhao Yulu wanted to hear.


    The indifference and calmness exhibited by Xu Yang were beyond her expectations.


    If Xu Yang had shown hatred toward her, or had been very cold to her, she could have epted it.


    That would prove he still had feelings for her in his heart.


    But Xu Yang''s calmness showed he had truly let go of everything, and she was no longer in his heart.


    Yet, Zhao Yulu still couldn''t help but ask the question that weighed on her mind, "Xu Yang, do you really not love me at all anymore? Can we go back to how things were, can we be together again?"


    As she asked, she waited nervously with anticipation.


    She hoped to hear the words she longed for.


    She hoped that Xu Yang''s previous calmness was just a fa?ade.


    She hoped that this time, Xu Yang would give her a surprise.

 Chapter 196: Chapter 196: Swaggering Fiercely

    Unfortunately, with Xu Yang''s response, her hopes were dashed.


    Xu Yang nodded and said, "I don''t love you anymore. Our thing is in the past. There''s no going back, no starting over together. It''s impossible."


    Zhao Yulu asked again, "Do you really love my sister Yu Xin?"


    Xu Yang nodded again, "Yes, I will grow old with Yu Xin."


    Zhao Yulu said, "But if you''re in love with Yu Xin and you two have already registered your marriage, why haven''t you held a wedding after all this time? Why don''t you want kids?"


    Liu Yujuan had instilled this idea in her: no wedding and no children meant not loving Zhao Yuxin, just waiting for her return, ready to withdraw at any moment and divorce Zhao Yuxin.


    Xu Yang said, "These two questions, you asked them in a WeChat message yesterday, and I''ve already answered them. I don''t want to repeat myself."


    Zhao Yulu nodded, "I understand now."


    All of a sudden, she seemed very calm.


    But beneath the calm exterior, her heart was filled with endless disappointment and pain.


    She knew that she had truly lost Xu Yang.


    Everything Liu Yujuan said was self-righteous guesswork, all of it wrong.


    "If there''s nothing else, I''m leaving," Xu Yang said.


    "Wait," Zhao Yulu hurriedly called out.


    "What else?" Xu Yang asked.


    "I know we''re over now, but before you leave, can you give me a hug?" Zhao Yulu harbored onest sliver of hope.


    "Sorry, I can''t. My hugs are only for Yu Xin."


    After saying these words, Xu Yang turned around and left without the slightest hesitation.


    Those words, he said not only to Zhao Yulu but also to Zhao Yuxin.


    Watching Xu Yang''s back as he walked farther and farther away, Zhao Yulu''s tears quickly blurred her vision.


    ¡­


    Xu Yang got back into his car.


    He picked up his phone and called Zhao Yuxin.


    "Wife, you heard all of that, right?" Xu Yang said.


    "Mhm, I heard it. See, I was right, wasn''t I? She did want to get back with you," Zhao Yuxin said proudly.


    "You were indeed right," Xu Yang said with a bitter smile.


    "Husband, you did well. After this meeting, she should give up for good and won''t bother you anymore. That''s for the best, for you and for her," Zhao Yuxin said.


    "Wife, you''re always right," Xu Yang said.


    "Hmph, of course, I am," Zhao Yuxin hummed with pride, "Well, I''m busy, I have to go now, bye-bye."


    Without waiting for Xu Yang to say anything, she hung up the phone.


    Xu Yang shook his head, put down his phone, and drove away.


    Noon.


    Liu Yujuan, along with a few girlfriends, went to a high-end restaurant for lunch.


    The average cost of a meal at this high-end restaurant started at five thousand yuan.


    "I only heard how delicious the food here was, I never imagined that I''d actuallye here to dine one day."


    "Without Sister Juan, we''d never get the chance to eat here in our lifetimes."


    "Look at this decor, so high-end and ssy."


    "This tea would be considered premium even in a tea house."


    "I heard that the paintings hanging on the walls are all authentic."


    "Juan sister, you''re about to be the mother-inw of a billionaire, we''re all so envious."


    "Sister Juan, when you be the billionaire''s mother-inw, please look out for us sisters."


    "Sister Juan, we''re counting on you from now on."


    "Sister Juan, can you ask your son-inw Xu Yang to get me a job at Haido? I''m not asking for much, just a mid-level management position would do."


    "Of course, that''s no problem. Asking that question is like pping my face, isn''t it?"


    "Yes, yes, I spoke out of turn."


    All of Liu Yujuan''s girlfriends were divorced women.


    As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together; they were all women like Liu Yujuan.


    Ever since they entered the restaurant, these people hadn''t stopped chattering excitedly, full of admiration.


    Arriving at the private room, they continued to express their admiration non-stop, all the while heaping praise on Liu Yujuan.


    Today, Liu Yujuan was treating them to a meal, and they had thought it would just be at an ordinary restaurant.


    They had never imagined that Liu Yujuan would bring them to taste luxury at the most expensive restaurant in the city.


    Moreover, Liu Yujuan was driving a Porsche Panamera.


    She was dressed in Chanel, carrying a Louis Vuitton bag.


    And on her wrist, she wore the recentlyunched limited edition Patek Philippe watch.


    This shocked all of them.


    They knew that Liu Yujuan had divorced and receivedpensation of over ten million yuan.


    But life was still long ahead, and that money shouldn''t be spent like this.


    Unless she no longer cared for her future.


    It was only after asking that they learned Liu Yujuan''s daughter, Zhao Yulu, had gone to find Xu Yang, preparing to reconcile with him.


    They were aware that Xu Yang had broken up with Zhao Yulu and had registered his marriage with Zhao Yuxin.


    Zhao Yulu''s attempt to reconcile with Xu Yang left them unsure of what to say, as they felt it was unlikely to seed.


    But after listening to Liu Yujuan''s analysis, they found it extremely usible.


    One could say that after today, Liu Yujuan would be Xu Yang''s mother-inw.


    Xu Yang was already a billionaire.


    So Liu Yujuan''s future life was certainly not a problem¡ªshe could spend money however she wanted.


    She needn''t care about that mere ten million.


    Even if she spent it all, it wouldn''t matter.


    Just one phone call to her billionaire son-inw would solve any financial issues.


    Hearing her friends'' ttering words, Liu Yujuan felt extremely gratified, her face always wearing a smile.


    Now that Zhao Yulu had gone to meet with Xu Yang, Liu Yujuan couldn''t wait toe out and treat her friends.


    She wanted to share this good news, to boast fiercely to them.


    In her view, the reconciliation between Zhao Yulu and Xu Yang was a foregone conclusion.


    As long as Zhao Yulu showed up in front of Xu Yang, everything would fall into ce.


    By the afternoon, Xu Yang should be at the Civil Affairs Bureau, divorcing Zhao Yuxin and marrying Zhao Yulu.


    Liu Yujuan had already given the household registration book to Zhao Yulu and even told her to bring her ID card along.


    "Hehe, don''t worry, you are all my sisters. If you ever need anything, juste to me. I will do my utmost to help everyone, and ensure you''re all satisfied. Go ahead and order, let''s enjoy ourselves today," Liu Yujuan said with a beaming smile.


    "Right, right, let''s order first, and chat while we eat."


    "There are so many choices for dishes here, I''ve heard that their orange marmde zed ribs are particrly delicious. We must get one."


    "And the signature dish, pan-seared foie gras¡ªdefinitely need to order one of those."


    "And then there''s the skan cod¡­"


    The group couldn''t wait to ce their orders.


    Soon, they had ordered over a dozen dishes.


    Liu Yujuan didn''t order, allowing her friends to choose whatever they liked, showcasing her generosity.


    The dishes arrived quickly.


    "This is the most delicious meal I''ve ever had."


    "Eating here is simply a pleasure."


    "No wonder so many millionaires are willing to spend so much money to dine here. Only ces like this can really be called dining. What we normally do can only be called filling our stomachs."


    "It''s all thanks to Sister Juan. Otherwise, we would never have tasted such delicious food in our lives."


    "Yes, thanks to Sister Juan. When she bes a billionaire''s mother-inw, she can eat here whenever she wants. Hopefully, she''ll bring us to taste more often."


    "I propose a toast to Sister Juan!"


    "Absolutely, let''s toast to Sister Juan."


    As everyone enjoyed the incredibly tasty meal amid loud exmations of delight, they naturally did not forget to tter Liu Yujuan.


    While talking, they toasted to Liu Yujuan, then continued eating.


    Basking inpliment, Liu Yujuan felt like she was almost floating to the heavens.


    She had never savored this feeling before.


    The sensation was just too exhrating.


    The thought of often hearing suchplimentary words in the future filled her with joy.


    It was all thanks to Zhao Yulu. If she had reconciled with Xu Yang earlier, Liu Yujuan would have enjoyed this treatment much sooner.


    But no matter, good things take time.


    Today, Zhao Yulu had finally gone to see Xu Yang.


    Her days of happiness were on the horizon.

 Chapter 197: Chapter 197: Cant Afford to Pay the Bill

    After the meal, they went to pay the bill.


    "Table number nine, check please." Liu Yujuan took out her bank card and pped it on the cashier''s counter.


    "Certainly, please wait a moment." The cashier smiled professionally, promptly checked the system for the price of table number nine, quickly printed out a bill, and handed it to Liu Yujuan with both hands, "Madam, the total is 328,565 yuan, but we''ll charge you 320,000 yuan. Please confirm."


    "How much?" Liu Yujuan thought she must have heard wrong.


    "328,565 yuan, we''ll charge you 320,000 yuan," the cashier repeated.


    "How could it possibly be that much!" Liu Yujuan hastily took the bill to examine it closely.


    She hadn''t realized until she looked, and was shocked when she did.


    They had ordered fifteen dishes, none of which cost less than ten thousand yuan, some as high as fifty or sixty thousand.


    "That much!"


    "Only Yujuan could afford such an expensive meal."


    "If it weren''t for Yujuan, when would we ever have the chance to eat such pricey dishes?"


    "There''s a reason why the dishes are costly, the vor is iparable to other restaurants."


    Liu Yujuan''s sisters were all very surprised, but they soon came to terms with it.


    This Yang''s Restaurant is the best in the city.


    For five people, spending 320,000 yuan seemed reasonable.


    Of course, that was based on the assumption that Liu Yujuan was picking up the tab.


    Otherwise, if they had to pay, they would realize whether it was reasonable or not.


    Liu Yujuan''s face turned somewhat ugly as she looked at the bill.


    She hadn''t expected the meal to cost so much.


    She only had fifty thousand yuan in her card, and even if she added her credit card, the most she coulde up with was one hundred thousand yuan, not even a third of the total. What was she supposed to do?


    Having no other choice, Liu Yujuan could only say to her sisters, "I only have fifty thousand yuan in my bank card, and another fifty thousand on my credit card. I can onlye up with one hundred thousand in total. You all have to chip in for the rest of the two hundred and twenty thousand. I''ll pay you back once I get the money from my son-inw in the next couple of days."


    She saw it as advance consumption, not a big deal.


    "Yujuan, you know my situation. Just a few days ago, I didn''t even have enough money to get a membership at the beauty salon."


    "Yujuan, you know my situation. Last month when I went shopping, I saw a bag that cost six thousand, and I couldn''t afford it."


    "Yujuan, you know my situation. My son is in college, and I can''t even afford his monthly living expenses. It''s my ex-husband who''s been providing for him."


    "Yujuan, you know my situation. My mom just had surgery at the beginning of the year, and all my money went to that. I''m barely getting by each month, and I wouldn''t daree out if it wasn''t for you inviting me."


    The sisters chattered away, each with their own excuse, and who knew if they were true or not.


    In any case, the message they wanted to convey was very clear: they had no money.


    "You don''t have it?" Liu Yujuan didn''t know if their stories were true or not, "My money isn''t enough, what should we do?"


    She turned to the cashier, "My money isn''t enough, and the rest is tied up in the stock market, unsold. How about I write you an IOU, and I''lle to pay the bill in a couple of days?"


    iming that her money was in the stock market was just a story Liu Yujuan made up, hoping the other party would agree to an IOU.


    The cashier shook her head, "I''m sorry, madam, we have never done that before in our restaurant. If you don''t have enough money at the moment, you could try calling a friend to borrow some."


    Naturally, it was impossible to eat now and payter with an IOU.


    If that were allowed, most people would probably opt for an IOU, and then it would be a mess trying to track everyone down for payment.


    "Yujuan, why don''t you call your daughter, Zhao Yulu? It''s already one o''clock, Zhao Yulu should be back together with Xu Yang by now. Just ask Zhao Yulu to have Xu Yang send a few million over casually."


    "Right, you said Zhao Yulu was meeting with Xu Yang at eleven, so she must be back with him by now. A phone call, and money won''t be an issue."


    "Absolutely, not to mention a few million, even tens of millions wouldn''t be a problem."


    "Yujuan, make the call quickly."


    The sisters urged Liu Yujuan to make a phone call.


    "Okay, I''ll call Yu Lu." Liu Yujuan took out her phone and dialed Zhao Yulu''s number.


    Soon, her expression turned ugly.


    "What''s wrong, Juan?" one of the sisters asked.


    "Yu Lu''s phone is turned off," Liu Yujuan said.


    "Why would her phone be off? Could something have gone wrong?" another sister wondered.


    "What could go wrong? I think, it''s because Zhao Yulu and Xu Yang met up and couldn''t help themselves... You know, young people, they understand. Probably they didn''t want to be disturbed, so they turned off their phones," one sister joked.


    "Li Fang is right," Liu Yujuan''s eyes lit up, and the ugly look on her face disappeared immediately.


    Just moments ago, she had thought that Zhao Yulu turned off her phone because there was a problem with her reunion with Xu Yang.


    Now, she thought that Zhao Yulu turned off her phone probably because she was meeting Xu Yang and they didn''t want any interruptions.


    "Ah, why didn''t I think of that? This is a good thing."


    "Indeed, it''s a good thing. It would be bad if they didn''t turn off their phones."


    "Being young is wonderful."


    The sisters had all been young once, so naturally, they understood what was meant.


    "If Zhao Yulu''s phone is turned off, Xu Yang''s must be too. So, whom do we ask for money?" the sister called Li Fang brought the conversation back to reality.


    "Juan, why don''t you ask your other daughter to lend some money? She''s been with Xu Yang for almost a year; she must have saved up quite a bit," a sister suggested.


    "My other daughter doesn''t even acknowledge me as her mother, even if she has money, even if I ask, she certainly wouldn''t be willing to lend it to me."


    Whenever Liu Yujuan mentioned Zhao Yuxin, her mood would sour.


    Whether they met face-to-face or spoke over the phone, Zhao Yuxin never showed her a pleasant face and spoke very sharply.


    "How about calling your ex-husband to see?" someone else suggested.


    "I think that''s possible. Your ex-husband is now the general manager of Jiandi Lao; lending you a few hundred thousand yuan wouldn''t be an issue at all."


    "Right, not just a few hundred thousand, even a few million wouldn''t be a problem."


    "Juan, just borrow from your ex-husband."


    Another round of urging from the sistersmenced.


    "Alright, I''ll give him a call and ask." Liu Yujuan wasn''t sure if Zhao Hai would lend her the money, but it was still a hope.


    Moreover, she was left with no other choice.


    Her parents had passed away and she hadn''t been in touch with her rtives on her mother''s side for many years, so borrowing money was out of the question.


    As for rtives on Zhao Hai''s side and Yang Tiancheng''s side, no one would recognize her as family anymore.


    Among friends, she was only close to these sisters.


    Others were merely acquaintances and unlikely to lend her money.


    Now, she was left with only Zhao Hai as an option.


    She dialed Zhao Hai''s phone number.


    After a long while, the call was answered.


    "Hello," Zhao Hai''s tone was indifferent.


    In his opinion, if Liu Yujuan was calling, it couldn''t be for anything good.


    "Zhao Hai, I''ve put all my money into the stock market and I urgently need three hundred thousand. Please lend it to me; it''s urgent," Liu Yujuan made up an excuse.


    Of course, she couldn''t tell Zhao Hai she''d spent her money on luxury cars, designer watches, and expensive items.

 Chapter 198: Chapter 198 Managers Suggestion

    "You put all the ten plus million you got from the divorce into the stock market?" Zhao Hai seemed to be asking for confirmation.


    "Yes," Liu Yujuan nodded.


    "Liu Yujuan, do you think I would believe that?" Zhao Hai suddenly sneered.


    "Why wouldn''t you believe it?" Liu Yujuan asked subconsciously.


    "I know exactly what you''re like. If I''m not mistaken, you''ve probably almost spent all the money you had, and now you''re in some trouble and urgently need money and can''t borrow any, which is why you called me, right?"


    Zhao Hai guessed quite urately based on his understanding of Liu Yujuan.


    If it were anything else, his guess might not have been so precise.


    But when it came to money, he trusted his guesspletely.


    "How did you know..." Liu Yujuan blurted out, then realizing she had misspoken, she immediately stopped talking.


    Unfortunately, it was toote.


    "Liu Yujuan, you drained over ten million from the divorce so quickly. It really is like you. I might have money, but I''m not lending it to you, and don''t call me again in the future."


    With that, Zhao Hai hung up the phone.


    Liu Yujuan''s face looked terrible.


    "Juan sister, you didn''t get the loan?" one of the sisters asked.


    "No, that guy is unwilling to lend!" Liu Yujuan said through gritted teeth.


    That Zhao Hai, really doesn''t have any concern for our past rtionship as husband and wife.


    "Juan sister, can you think of anyone else who might lend you the money?" Another sister asked.


    "I don''t know," Liu Yujuan was truly at a loss for who to turn to for a loan.


    "What are we going to do then?"


    The sisters looked at each other, all unsure of how to resolve the situation.


    They all wanted to leave. If it hadn''t been for the enjoyable meal they''d just had, making it feel rude to just walk away, they would definitely have left already.


    "Juan sister, your watch is worth four million eight hundred thousand. Why don''t you leave your watch here as coteral for now?" One sister suddenly came up with this idea.


    "That''s workable. After all, you will be able to get money from your son-inw in a couple of days," another agreed.


    "Right, right, it''s just temporary coteral, it''s no big deal. Youe back to pay the billter and take it back."


    "The question is whether the restaurant is willing or not."


    "What''s there to be unwilling about? This is a four million eight hundred thousand watch; for Juan sister to leave her watch here is an honor for them."


    The women chattered away.


    Liu Yujuan thought this was a good idea too. After all, she could just leave it here for now, and once she got the money from Xu Yang, she coulde back, pay the bill, and take her watch back.


    So, she took off her watch and said to the cashier, "Youngdy, watch carefully. This is a limited edition Patek Philippe watch that I bought for four million eight hundred thousand. I''m leaving it with you now, and you need to take good care of it. If it gets lost or damaged, I won''t let it slide."


    "Ma''am, we don''t have such a policy here. You should ask your rtives and friends to lend you the money instead," the cashier suggested.


    The cashier didn''t know if the watch was real or fake, and she wasn''t capable of appraising it.


    Who knew whether this group was putting on a y in front of her, trying to trap her in their scheme.


    If she got tricked, she''d be on the hook for over three hundred thousand.


    Then she''d have nowhere to even cry about it.


    She was just a clerk; where would she find the money to reimburse it?


    And even if the watch was real, she couldn''t possibly do such a thing.


    Mama mia, she''d never done such a thing before.


    "Look here, girl, how can you be so unappreciative? It''s an honor for your restaurant that our Juan sister is willing to leave her watch here!"


    "Exactly! Would our Yujuan, as the mother-inw of a billionaire, really stoop to deceiving you all?"


    "Youngdy, hurry up and write a receipt. When our Yujuan brings the money over, she will get her things back,"


    said the sisters, one after another.


    "Ladies, I''m sorry, but we don''t have such a policy here. I can''t do that," the cashier replied.


    "You see, this girl doesn''t know how to be flexible," a sister frowned and said.


    "She''s probably not inflexible, she just doesn''t dare make decisions. Youngdy, call your manager over; they should be able to make a decision," Liu Yujuan''s mind was quite sharp, having seemingly detected the heart of the problem.


    "Yujuan is indeed impressive, able to spot the problem at just a nce."


    "So true, we''re certainly not as perceptive as Yujuan."


    "Youngdy, hurry and call your manager out!"


    The women continued chattering and ttering Liu Yujuan.


    "Please wait a moment."


    The cashier also knew that this matter was beyond her and that she had to report it to the manager.


    Thereupon, she called a waiter over to find the manager.


    She needed to remain at the cashier as there were other customers besides Liu Yujuan needing to pay.


    A few minutester, a middle-aged man in a suit and leather shoes approached.


    He was the restaurant''s manager.


    The cashier briefly exined the situation to him.


    The manager nodded slightly to indicate his understanding, gesturing the cashier to carry on with her work, then turned to Liu Yujuan, saying, "Madam, we indeed do not have such a policy here, and we do not appraise watches. Even I cannot agree to your request to use the watch as coteral."


    Liu Yujuan furrowed her brows: "Then what should I do? I can''t borrow money at the moment, and I don''t know when I can get through to my daughter''s phone. Are you suggesting I stay here indefinitely?"


    The manager smiled and said, "Madam, may I suggest something? There is a pawnshop directly across the street from our restaurant where you can pawn your watch. When you have the money, you can simply redeem it."


    "That is indeed an idea," Liu Yujuan nodded in agreement.


    After all, pawning it to get the cash to settle the bill, then getting money from Xu Yang in the next couple of days to redeem the watch was the n.


    The manager smiled and offered, "Madam, I can have two of our security guards apany you there."


    Liu Yujuan waved a hand, "No need, I can go by myself."


    The manager insisted, "Madam, the valuable items you''re carrying are worth a lot. I really think it''s better to have our security apany you."


    Upon hearing this, Liu Yujuan finally understood.


    The manager was worried she might run off.


    On reflection, she realized that if she left and didn''t return, it would be difficult for the manager to locate her.


    Liu Yujuan could only say, "Fine, let the guards take me there."


    She didn''t n on running away. As the future mother-inw of a billionaire, it wasn''t necessary to flee over such a small amount of money.


    The manager immediately went to call two security guards, briefed them, and then brought them over, saying, "Madam, these two security guards will take you there. They know the ce, and having been discharged from the military, their skills are exceptional. They will absolutely ensure your personal and property safety."


    "Alright," Liu Yujuan nodded.


    "Yujuan, if you''re going to pawn something, then we''ll leave first," a sister said.


    "Yes, there''s no use in us staying here," another added.


    "Yujuan, I''ve got a meeting with a friend, I can''t stay for too long," another sister mentioned.


    The sisters were all eager to leave, not wanting to stay any longer.


    "Fine, you go ahead. We''ll get together another time." Liu Yujuan didn''t seem to mind and saw no need to wait any longer.


    Once the sisters had left, Liu Yujuan and the two security guards went to the Jiangcheng Pawnshop across the street.

 Chapter 199: Chapter 199 You Really Are Generous

    "Hello, how can I assist you?" the pawnshop attendant asked.


    "This is a Patek Philippe limited edition watch that I bought for four million eight hundred thousand. Could you appraise it and see how much it can pawn for?"


    Liu Yujuan ced the watch on the counter.


    At that moment, a young man with a scar on his face arrived at the entrance of the pawnshop and couldn''t help but take a deep look at Liu Yujuan upon hearing her words.


    "A Patek Philippe limited edition watch worth four million eight hundred thousand?"


    The staff member was taken aback, not reaching for the watch to examine it, but instead said, "Madam, please follow me this way, I''ll find someone to appraise it."


    The staff member led Liu Yujuan to a private room, poured her a ss of water, then went to find a watch appraiser toe over.


    After an appraisal, it was confirmed to be genuine, and the pawn value offered was three million.


    Liu Yujuan agreed on the spot, as pawning it there was merely meant to pay for a meal at the restaurant.


    She woulde back in a couple of days to redeem the watch with the money.


    After obtaining the money, Liu Yujuan left with two security guards.


    At the entrance, the previously mentioned young man with the scar pawned a piece of gold the size of a thumbnail.


    The pawnshop also offered gold buying services, and after appraisal, the gold was worth over ten thousand.


    After the transaction, the scar-faced young man casually inquired about Liu Yujuan.


    "Brother Wang, who was that just now? A single watch worth four million eight hundred thousand, why would such a wealthy person need to pawn her watch?" the scar-faced youth asked offhandedly.


    "I asked a security guard. That woman was dining at Yang''s Restaurant and, for some reason, ran short on money. She couldn''t borrow any more over the phone, so she had to pawn her watch here," Brother Wang, the staff member, exined.


    "Oh, the meals at Yang''s Restaurant are famously expensive. I haven''t had a chance to eat there myself. By the way, how many days did she pawn her watch for?" the scar-faced young man asked.


    "Just five days," Brother Wang replied, "Why are you so concerned about others? Where did you get this gold?"


    The scar-faced young man had visited a few times, each time with gold of roughly the same size.


    "Hehe, that''s a secret," the scar-faced youthughed, "I have to go now. When I get more gold, I''lle back to sell it to you."


    The scar-faced youth got up, waved his hand, and left.


    ...


    Liu Yujuan returned to the restaurant, paid off the three hundred and twenty thousand bill, and then drove away.


    She did not return home.


    Now that she had money again, she had to go shopping and buy some more things.


    After all, the money spent could always be taken from her wealthy son-inw, Xu Yang.


    After buying items worth several hundred thousand, and paying another visit to the beauty salon, she finally went home.


    Upon arriving home, she saw Zhao Yulu sitting on the sofa.


    "Oh? Why are you at home? Why aren''t you with Xu Yang?"


    "Or are you back to pack up your things, preparing to move in with Xu Yang?"


    "Let me tell you, you can move out, but he must give me ten million first, for me to spend," Liu Yujuan directly demanded ten million without feeling it was too much to ask.


    Keep in mind, Xu Yang was a billionaire after all.


    The valuation of Jiangdi Lao exceeded billions, and the worth of the copyright owned by thatpany, Pioneer Culture, was even up in the tens of billions.


    To ask for ten million, Liu Yujuan felt she was asking for too little.


    This was just the first time, so she didn''t want to ask for too much.


    After spending this ten million in a short while, she''d probably ask for a billion at least. Anything less wouldn''t do justice to having such a wealthy son-inw.


    Zhao Yulu didn''t speak and didn''t turn around to look at Liu Yujuan.


    "By the way, I called you, why didn''t you answer?" Liu Yujuan didn''t hear Zhao Yulu''s answer and asked again, but still received no reply.


    Sensing something was off, she quickly put down her handbag, walked over to the sofa opposite Zhao Yulu and sat down, only to see Zhao Yulu looking calm, seemingly lost in her own world, wondering what she was thinking about, "Yu Lu, at least say something, why aren''t you with Xu Yang?"


    "Mom, I went to see Xu Yang," Zhao Yulu said, her voice emotionless.


    "I know that, he went to the Civil Affairs Bureau to divorce Zhao Yuxin and marry you, didn''t he?" Liu Yujuan asked expectantly.


    "It''s impossible between us now..." Zhao Yulu briefly exined what happened during their meeting.


    "What, how could this happen!" Liu Yujuan''s face went pale.


    This was nothing like what she had expected.


    She thought that once Zhao Yulu appeared in front of Xu Yang, even without saying much, the two would reconcile.


    But ording to what Zhao Yulu was saying, Xu Yang had truly fallen in love with Zhao Yuxin.


    What to do now?


    Just today, she had pawned her watch.


    She had hoped to get some money from Xu Yang to redeem her watch.


    Now, with Zhao Yulu not getting back together with Xu Yang, that idea had gone down the drain.


    Where was she supposed to find the money to redeem her watch now?


    "That''s how things are, don''t bring this up in front of us ever again!" Zhao Yulu said.


    "No, you still have a chance. He must be ming you for leaving him. He wants to punish you with this method, to make you suffer before he can forgive you. Arrange another meeting with him. On the second meeting, you two will get back together," Liu Yujuan refused to give up.


    "Mom, stop deceiving yourself. These are all your wishful thoughts. I won''t listen to you anymore. I''m not a child, and I can judge for myself. Whether he still loves me or if he sees Yuxin as a substitute, I can tell the difference. From now on, stop talking to me about this," Zhao Yulu said.


    "You¡­" Liu Yujuan wanted to continue.


    "Don''t go on, just go cook. I''m hungry," Zhao Yulu said.


    "Alright, I''ll go cook," Liu Yujuan saw Zhao Yulu was determined and didn''t say any more. After all, she had shopped the entire afternoon and was hungry as well. It was better to have dinner before discussing further.


    After more than half an hour, the mother and daughter sat down at the dining table to have their meal.


    As they were almost finished, Liu Yujuan opened her mouth as if wanting to say something, but was seen by Zhao Yulu who seemed to know what Liu Yujuan was about to say. She spoke first, "If you''re going to talk about Xu Yang again, don''t me me if I get upset with you."


    Liu Yujuan, looking slightly displeased, changed the subject, "Okay, I won''t talk about Xu Yang. Let''s talk about something else."


    "What is it? Tell me," Zhao Yulu said.


    "I need some money right now, can you help me borrow some?" Liu Yujuan asked.


    Zhao Yulu frowned, "What do you need money for?"


    Liu Yujuan had spent all the money she got from the divorce, which infuriated Zhao Yulu.


    But that was Liu Yujuan''s money, and she had no intention of asking for it; although she was angry, she kept herself from any radical actions.


    But now, Liu Yujuan was actually asking her to help borrow money.


    "Today, I..." Liu Yujuan told the story of inviting her friends to eat out, not having enough money to pay the bill, and ending up pawning her watch.


    "What, are you crazy, actually dining at Yang''s Restaurant? Can we even afford a ce like that?"


    "One meal cost over three hundred thousand, you''re really extravagant. I haven''t even eaten such an expensive meal in my entire life," Zhao Yulu trembled with rage.


    This mother was really wasting the family''s resources.


    Just to show off to a few friends, she treated people to a meal that cost tens of thousands.


    She herself had never had such an expensive meal!

 Chapter 200: Chapter 200 Owners Gathering

    "I just thought that since you and Xu Yang might be getting back together, I''d treat the girls to a meal to celebrate," Liu Yujuan said nonchntly.


    "Celebrate? You''re celebrating when there isn''t even a hint of that happening, so much that you pawned your own watch!" Zhao Yulu was still fuming.


    "So I pawned it, so what? I figured that if you and Xu Yang got back together, I could get some money from him to redeem it," Liu Yujuan exined.


    "Now that you know it''s impossible between him and me, what do you n to do?" Zhao Yulu asked.


    "I was hoping you''d help me borrow some money," Liu Yujuan said.


    "Do you think I can borrow money? If I could, would I have had you help me repay a debt of a million?"


    "Good thing you helped me with the million debt, or else you would''ve squandered everything," Liu Yujuan countered.


    Zhao Yulu got so angry that she put down her chopsticks, feeling too upset to eat anymore.


    "Yu Lu, don''t say you can''t borrow it, you can," Liu Yujuan insisted.


    "How can I?" Zhao Yulu challenged.


    "Borrow it from Yu Xin. Didn''t you say you borrowed two million from her? You haven''t paid it back yet, and it doesn''t matter to her whether you do or not because she''s rich. If you help me borrow two million from her, wouldn''t that solve the problem?" Liu Yujuan offered a solution.


    "I have no face to borrow from her, and why should I borrow from her for you?" Zhao Yulu naturally refused.


    "Because I am your mother? Isn''t that reason enough?" Liu Yujuan, seeing Zhao Yulu''s reluctance, bluntly pulled rank as her mother.


    "What kind of mother does that?" Zhao Yulu''s eyes widened in disbelief.


    "What''s wrong with how I mother? I worked hard to raise you. What''s wrong with asking for a little help borrowing money?" Liu Yujuan argued confidently.


    "Mom, are you trying to ckmail me?" Zhao Yulu found it hard to believe.


    "It''s not ckmail. Your mother has encountered difficulties. As a daughter, shouldn''t you help me out?" Liu Yujuan said, as if it were her due.


    "I won''t help, even if I could borrow the money, I still wouldn''t help. You should take care of yourself," Zhao Yulu said angrily as she got up and returned to her own room.


    "You ungrateful girl, you won''t help me even this one time. I''ve raised you in vain," Liu Yujuan trembled with rage.


    But without Zhao Yulu''s help, she was at a loss.


    She had to think of another way.


    So, what exactly could she do to get the money and redeem her watch? She really didn''t want the watch to go from pawn to forfeit, which would be a huge loss.


    After much thought, she couldn''te up with any solutions.


    ...


    Soon, the time for the homeowners'' gathering arrived.


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin drove to a manor in the suburbs that covered hundreds of acres.


    Outside the manor, luxury cars were parked everywhere.


    Century Garden was a high-endmunity where all the residents were wealthy.


    Mercedes, BMW, Audi¡ªit was as if they cost nothing.


    There were also quite a few Maseratis and Porsches.


    And some were Bentleys, Maybachs, and Rolls-Royces.


    Someone like Xu Yang, who drove a Rolls-Royce Cullinan, definitely belonged to the top tier.


    Their arrival caught the attention of many.


    After all, it was very rare to see such young homeowners.


    Most of them were middle-aged.


    "Who are those two, so young?"


    "Don''t know them, never seen them before."


    "You don''t even recognize this? You really are uninformed."


    "What, you know them?"


    "Of course, I know them. They are the owners of vi number 39. The man is Xu Yang, the boss of Fengcai Guild and JdL, and the woman is his wife."


    "What! He is the boss of Fengcai Guild and JdL?"


    "My God, I heard that the boss of Fengcai Guild and JdL is very young. I didn''t expect him to be this young."


    "I also heard that the boss of JdL started from scratch. That''s really impressive."


    "I can''t believe that the boss of Fengcai Guild and JdL lives in the same neighborhood as us!"


    "I heard that JdL is valued at over ten billion now. Seeing such a young billionaire for the first time, it''s really something."


    "I heard that the boss of JdL is acquainted with the nation''s prominent young master Wang Xiaocong and has even attended Wang Xiaocong''s birthday party."


    "More than just acquainted, I heard the two are sworn brothers."


    "It''s said that it was him who invested in Wu Jing''s ''War Leopard,'' ensuring the movie''spletion. And with his guild''s help in promotion, ''War Leopard'' managed to pull in over a billion at the box office."


    "People say that the boss of JdL is a business genius. I''ve always wanted to meet him, and today, I finally have the chance. I must go and introduce myself."


    "Since we live in the same area, that gives us a connection. We definitely should get to know each other."


    Everyone was eximing continuously, buzzing with discussion, and their gazes toward Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin were extremely fervent.


    Everyone wanted to make connections.


    After all, this is a billionaire we''re talking about.


    Even in Century Garden, billionaires are few and far between.


    Moreover, not to mention other things, given the poprity of JdL, it''s expected that in just a few short years, it will grow into a hundred-billion hotpot empire.


    By then, Xu Yang will be a hundred-billionaire.


    Also, Xu Yang is sworn brothers with Wang Xiaocong.


    Getting to know Xu Yang is like indirectly making connections with the nation''s prominent young master Guo Wenlin and indirectly building a rtionship with the tycoon Wang.


    This kind ofwork is simply terrifying.


    Living in the same neighborhood and attending such a gathering, it would be such a waste not to introduce oneself to Xu Yang.


    Many people were itching to move, weighing how to get to know Xu Yang and leave a moresting impression on him.


    "Mr. Xu, Mrs. Xu, you''ve arrived."


    Not long after the couple entered the estate, amidst the buzzing of conversations, Guo Wenlin walked over quickly.


    "Manager Guo." Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin politely nodded to Guo Wenlin.


    "Mr. Xu, Mrs. Xu, I am delighted that you could attend this gathering. Just now, I was talking with a few homeowners about you. They are very eager to meet you. Would you be interested in meeting them?" Guo Wenlin asked softly.


    "Of course, I would also like to make more friends," Xu Yang knew that Guo Wenlin acted as an intermediary.


    Plus, Guo Wenlin knew his identity, so the people he introduced would definitely not be ordinary folks.


    He hade to the gathering to expand hiswork, naturally, he wouldn''t refuse.


    Rather than starting conversations on his own and getting to know the average homeowners, it was better to meet some high-quality homeowners through Guo Wenlin''s introductions.


    Of course, that didn''t mean he looked down on the other ordinary homeowners; he didn''t mind chatting with them either.


    But at such gatherings, you could only meet a limited number of people; it''s simply not realistic to meet everyone.


    Given that, it was natural to prioritize meeting high-quality homeowners first.

 Chapter 201: Chapter 201: Lucrative Investment Opportunities

    ```


    "All right, Mr. Xu, Mrs. Xu, please follow me," Guo Wenlin extended his hand in a weing gesture and led the couple to a group of three middle-aged couples.


    These individuals, clustered together chatting, exhibited a different air from the other property owners.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. and Mrs. Xu have arrived," Guo Wenlin introduced with a smile, "Mr. Xu, Mrs. Xu, this is¡­"


    Guo Wenlin introduced each individual to Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin in turn.


    The seafood tycoon, Cai Yangde, and his wife.


    The furniture magnate, Bai Hongchang, and his wife.


    The real estate mogul, Lan Penghua, and his wife.


    They got to know one another and exchanged greetings.


    Everyone was exceedingly courteous to Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin.


    They all knew Xu Yang was a rising star in the business world, a billionaire at a young age, with boundless potential for the future.


    After chatting for a bit, the women realized the men had business to discuss, and they left together.


    At a table not too far away.


    There was a slightly overweight middle-aged man steadily drinking, whose demeanor stood out from the other property owners.


    The other owners were all engaged in lively conversations with those around them.


    But he was just drinking nonstop, observing the other owners.


    His expression was somewhat weary, his hair slightly disheveled, and his clothes somewhat wrinkled.


    It seemed no one was interested in conversing with him.


    At that moment, a tall, thin middle-aged man came over, sat beside him, and said, "Old Chen, this won''t do. You said you came here to find investors for your near-bankrupt gamepany, yet you''re not making an effort to get to know anyone. Maybe, if you meet a big shot, they could save yourpany!"


    Chen Kaiji took a sip of his drink and shook his head, "You don''t understand. I need to observe and find the right target before striking up a conversation."


    The tall, thin man said incredulously, "I think you''d be better off casting a wider. You might run into some boss willing to invest that way. The person you select may not invest at all, and this technique of yours lowers the chances of securing an investment."


    Chen Kaiji shook his head, "Casting a wider is no good. If everyone knows you''re desperately seeking investment, they''ll think yourpany is a lost cause and will be even less inclined to invest."


    The tall, thin man said helplessly, "Alright then, have you identified a target after all this observation?"


    Chen Kaiji took another sip of his drink, a smile curling at the corner of his mouth, "Just now, I found one."


    The tall, thin man became interested, "You did? Who?"


    Chen Kaiji nodded toward a direction, "Him, the young man who just arrived, said to be the owner of Fengcai Guild and the boss of J Di Lao Company, Xu Yang."


    The tall, thin man looked at Xu Yang, who was jovially talking with several billionaires, and asked doubtfully, "Are you sure he will invest in your gamingpany?"


    Chen Kaiji replied, "With these things, how can anyone be sure? But I believe he''s the most likely to invest."


    The tall, thin man said, "Then you should go over and talk to him."


    Chen Kaiji replied, "No rush. The party has just started, and there will be an opportunity eventually. They are deep in conversation right now. If I went up to them, it would be unwee. Besides, I want to wait for a moment when he''s alone to approach him."


    The tall, thin man gave a wry smile, "I''m afraid someone of his stature won''t likely have a moment alone until the party is over."


    Chen Kaijiughed, "I''ll just keep an eye on him. I don''t believe I won''t find an opportunity. With an afternoon this long, he''s bound to go to the restroom eventually."


    The tall, thin man was taken aback, then raised his thumb in admiration, "Old Chen, I have to say I admire your determination!"


    Meanwhile, at Xu Yang''s side.


    After a conversation with the tycoons,


    Two partnership deals were struck. Cai Yangde and Bai Hongchang wanted to coborate with Fengcai Guild on exclusive live-streaming sales events.


    The quality of products from bothpanies was unquestionable.


    Actually, as long as one contacts Fengcai Guild and passes their screening, a coboration is almost guaranteed.


    The two sought to discuss coboration with Xu Yang, primarily as a means to form a connection with him.


    For such matters, Xu Yang was naturally not about to refuse.


    ```


    They exchanged contact information, agreeing to have theirpanies'' respective personnel get in touch after returning.


    As for the real estate tycoon Lan Penghua, he simply wanted to meet Xu Yang to expand hiswork.


    Those buying houses hadn''t yet thought of any potential areas for coboration.


    There were just some ideas, such as utilizing the Fengcai Guild for advertising whenever new properties wereunched.


    But since there were no new propertyunches at the moment, no coboration took ce.


    After chatting for over an hour, Xu Yang went to the restroom.


    When he came out of the restroom, a slightly overweight middle-aged man blocked his path.


    "Mr. Xu, hello, I would like to present you with an investment opportunity that could make you a lot of money."


    The middle-aged man was naturally Chen Kaiji.


    He had finally caught Xu Yang at the right moment when he went to the restroom.


    "Oh? An investment opportunity that can make big money?" Xu Yang looked the man over with visible interest.


    Such a person suddenly appearing before him didn''t cause any aversion in Xu Yang.


    From the way the man addressed him, he must have known who Xu Yang was.


    Clearly, the man wanted to rope him into an investment.


    Xu Yang was rather enjoying the sensation of being treated like a big shot.


    Chen Kaiji looked around then said, "Mr. Xu, please step aside with me. This ce is a bit crowded, and there are some things that are inconvenient to discuss here. Can we move to a less crowded area?"


    Xu Yang nodded, "No problem."


    The two of them moved to the side, away from the other proprietors.


    Normal conversation wouldn''t be overheard by the others.


    Xu Yang spoke up, "Go ahead."


    Chen Kaiji said, "Mr. Xu, allow me to introduce myself first. My name is Chen Kaiji, and I am the owner of a gamingpany."


    Xu Yang smiled and nodded, not saying anything, waiting to hear more.


    "My gamingpany is called Tenglong Games and had a bit of fame in the industry at one point. However, after heavily investing in the development of a game, we faced a massive failure leading to financial difficulties."


    "Ourpany has a highly professional gaming team. We are currently developing a game called ''Overlord,'' abat-themed game."


    "We areunching ''Overlord'' soon, and we are confident that it will be a hit, bringing profit to thepany. If you invest, once the game is sessful, you will receive profits far beyond your imagination."


    Chen Kaiji finished speaking and looked at Xu Yang with a burning gaze, seemingly eagerly anticipating an affirmative investment response from him.


    Xu Yang couldn''t help butugh.


    Just like that, he expected investment?


    Creating a hit game isn''t that simple.


    The guy, iming he could create a hit game and asking for investment, was being somewhat fanciful.


    Xu Yang only yed games asionally and wasn''t very familiar with the gaming industry.


    His investments were made ording to a system.


    Thest time he invested in the Great White Shark gamepany was also based on information from the system.


    Without the system''s guidance, he wouldn''t invest recklessly.


    There was no need to take unnecessary risks.


    Just as he was about to refuse, a system notification rang in his mind.


    [Ding! Tenglong''s ''Overlord'' will be a hit game next year. Thepany will develop several hit games in the future, and in three years, it will be one of the top five gamingpanies in the country!]


    Xu Yang''s eyes lit up.


    Just as this guy had said, this was indeed another investment opportunity to make a lot of money.

 Chapter 202: Chapter 202 You Are a Reliable Person

    Xu Yang pondered and asked, "How much is yourpany valued at, and how much are you looking to finance?"


    Chen Kaiji''s face lit up with joy, it seemed his judgment was correct. Xu Yang indeed was an investor.


    Otherwise, he wouldn''t have asked that question.


    Thus, he quickly said, "President Xu, mypany is valued at one billion, and I''m looking to raise three hundred million, offering you thirty percent of the shares."


    Xu Yang said, "I want eighty percent of the shares, I''ll give you eight hundred million, and you can keep the remaining twenty percent. You will serve as the general manager, continue to manage thepany, but thepany has to be renamed to Yang Xin Games. If you are willing, I will go through with the acquisition. If not, then let''s forget it."


    He had already acquired Great White Shark Game Company.


    This gamepany, he nned to hold the controlling stake, as it would be more profitable that way.


    Chen Kaiji was stunned.


    He had not expected Xu Yang to want a controlling stake.


    And to make himself into an employee, keeping only twenty percent of the shares.


    This indicated that Xu Yang saw potential in his gamepany.


    But the sudden change from boss to employee was something Chen Kaiji found hard to stomach.


    Even though this employee would hold twenty percent of the shares.


    After thinking it through, Chen Kaiji said, "President Xu, I only want to raise funds to get through this difficult period. I hadn''t thought about selling thepany."


    If he gave Xu Yang eighty percent of the shares, it essentially meant selling thepany.


    Xu Yang gave a faint smile, "I said, if you''re unwilling, then it''s fine. After all, I''m not desperate to make this investment."


    Having said that, he prepared to leave.


    "President Xu, wait a moment."


    Seeing Xu Yang about to leave, Chen Kaiji suddenly became anxious.


    He had approached many investors before, but they all said his gamepany had no future and declined to invest.


    If he couldn''t attract investment, thepany would go bankrupt in a matter of ten days to a fortnight.


    One could say Xu Yang was hisst hope.


    But Xu Yang asked for too much, leaving him in a dilemma.


    Seeing Xu Yang''s resolute intention to leave, he couldn''t afford to hesitate any longer.


    Without thepany, he would have nothing.


    In this period, he had mortgaged his house and car, pouring everything into thepany to keep it running.


    Instead of ending up with nothing, it was better to take the twenty percent of the shares and serve as the general manager.


    "Do you have anything else you want to say? These are my terms; if you agree, then agree. If not, then let''s forget it," Xu Yang said.


    "Fine, I agree," Chen Kaiji, gritting his teeth, agreed.


    "Good,e find me at Yang Xin Investment at ten o''clock next Monday morning," Xu Yang said.


    "Alright," Chen Kaiji nodded.


    The two exchanged contact information, Xu Yang sent Chen Kaiji the address for Yang Xin Investment, and then left.


    Afterward, Xu Yang also conversed with other proprietors.


    They all knew his identity and were extremely enthusiastic.


    Xu Yang reciprocated generously, drank a fair amount of alcohol, and collected quite a few business cards.


    At the end of the gathering, many people felt very satisfied for having attended, especially those who managed to talk with Xu Yang and get acquainted with him.


    Guo Wenlin personally escorted Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin to the manor''s gate, watched Xu Yang''s car disappear from view, and only then withdrew his gaze.


    On the car ride home.


    Zhao Yuxin excitedly said, "Husband, I made a few friends today, one of them is our neighbor, the wife of the Seafood King Lan Penghua. She said we should visit each other when we''re free."


    Xu Yang nodded and said, "Not bad. Today I closed two coborative deals and made one investment."


    Zhao Yuxin asked in confusion, "Coboration? With whom? And what investment?"


    Xu Yang narrated the situation to her.


    "Husband, I can understand the coboration with the Seafood King and the Furniture King, but can this gamepany really make money? Just because they say they can produce a hit game, you believe them?" Zhao Yuxin was somewhat incredulous.


    "Your husband naturally has his own judgment, and he will definitely make money. Just trust your husband," he said.


    Xu Yang obviously couldn''t say that it was the system that indicated the profitability, so he gave a vague answer.


    "Okay," Zhao Yuxin didn''t ask further.


    In fact, she was just asking casually and didn''t mean to delve into it.


    If Xu Yang was willing to invest in the acquisition, he must have had his reasons.


    Every investment Xu Yang made would yield amazing returns.


    She didn''t need to worry, and she didn''t want to.


    Monday.


    At ten o''clock in the morning, Chen Kaiji arrived at Yang Xin Investment.


    "Mr. Xu, aren''t you going to check out thepany?" Chen Kaiji asked.


    Seeing Xu Yang instructing the legal department to draft a contract, signifying his intention to sign it, Chen Kaiji couldn''t help himself.


    Considering you''re acquiring eighty percent of the shares and even changing the name, thepany will be yours; how can you not even take a look?


    "No need to look. I trust you; I think you are a reliable person, and yourpany is a reliablepany!" Xu Yang bluffed with all seriousness.


    "Uh... okay, I''m d to have your approval, Mr. Xu," Chen Kaiji could only say that.


    He didn''t want to go look at it, simply because he wasn''t interested anymore.


    ording to the system''s message, acquiring it was all that mattered.


    If it was the first investmentpany he was acquiring, he might have been interested in taking a look.


    But after acquiring Great White Shark Gaming, he couldn''t be bothered to check out other gamingpanies.


    The contract was signed.


    Xu Yang said, "Yang Xin Investment will transfer eight hundred million to Tenglong Gaming''s ount today. You handle the name change, and thepany''s operational management is your responsibility. My people will check in periodically, but I trust you won''t let me down."


    "Mr. Xu, rest assured, I definitely won''t let you down." Chen Kaiji was somewhat moved.


    It was rare for a boss to trust him so much.


    Chen Kaiji even felt the impulse to consider Xu Yang as a close friend.


    "Good, I''m leaving thepany in your hands, and that puts my mind at ease," Xu Yang nodded, patting his shoulder. "Go take care of it, I hope to see you get everything settled quickly. If there are any problems, you can contact Yang Xin Investment here."


    "Okay, Mr. Xu, then I''ll take my leave," Chen Kaiji stood up and left.


    Xu Yang left Yang Xin Investment.


    He went to Haido to understand the situation there.


    Now, Haido''s locations in second-tier cities had started renovations and would be ready to open in two months.


    At that point, thepany''s valuation would soar further.


    He had lunch with his father-inw and Zhou Ruyan.


    After lunch, Xu Yang went home.


    Once home, he received a phone call from Ye Kaifeng, the general manager of Hui''an Pharmaceuticals.


    "Mr. Xu, our phase II clinical trial for the stomach cancer drug has been aplete sess, and we''ll now proceed to phase III clinical trials. Once it passes phase III, we''llunch it to the market."


    "We must prepare for this by bringing in some major capital to protect thepany, or else we''ll be easy targets."


    "I''ve decided to release ten percent of the shares for funding of ten billion."


    "We''ll hold a shareholders'' meeting on Wednesday, and every shareholder should attend to discuss it. Everyone must contribute a proportion of their shares ording to their holdings."


    "As thepany''s secondrgest shareholder, you must attend."


    Ye Kaifeng was very busy, so even making this call was quite rare.


    "Okay, I''ll attend," Xu Yang naturally had no objections.


    This was very beneficial for the development of Hui''an Pharmaceuticals.


    Introducing heavy-weight capital would allow any issues that thepany couldn''t resolve to be managed through the capital''swork of connections.


    This was simr to when Xu Yang had Jiang Yuheng and Su Wenbin invest in Haido.


    If it had not been for their investments, Haido''s expansion in other cities would have been very difficult.

 Chapter 203: Chapter 203 Blaming Me Again

    Liu Yujuan drove her Porsche Panamera to a car repurchase dealership.


    Today was thest day to pawn her watch, she had to redeem it.


    But these past few days, she had been unable to get the money together.


    She had no choice but to sell her car.


    After inspection and appraisal, the Panamera, which she had bought for 2.5 million, could only be priced at 1.5 million.


    If she sold it, she would lose a million.


    Liu Yujuan didn''t want to let it go for such a low price and tried several other dealerships, but they all offered around the same.


    In the end, she had no option but to sell it.


    After selling the car, she took a taxi to Jiangcheng Pawnshop.


    What she didn''t know was that, at the moment she arrived, the eyes of a scar-faced youth in a van by the roadside outside Jiangcheng Pawnshop lit up.


    "Finally waited for you, richdy."


    "The value of your one watch is enough for me to build a vi back in my hometown and live a carefree life for the rest of my days."


    The scar-faced youth was from a county under the jurisdiction of Jiangcheng, just a ruffian.


    Sinceing to Jiangcheng, he had been making money through dodgy means, managing to earn twenty to thirty thousand a month.


    But he wasn''t satisfied.


    With hisrge monthly expenses, saving a few thousand was already good enough.


    The day he came to Zhucheng Pawnshop to sell gold, he saw Liu Yujuan and learned that she pawned a watch worth 4.8 million; he immediately started scheming.


    Just one job, to snatch the watch and sell it in another city, and he wouldn''t have to work anymore, he could go back home and enjoy life.


    He had been waiting here for days, just for Liu Yujuan to show up, looking for an opportunity to strike.


    Ten minutester, Liu Yujuan walked out of Jiangcheng Pawnshop.


    She didn''t wear the watch on her wrist but kept it in her handbag.


    Now, only a million was left in her bank ount.


    She was in a bad mood.


    "Xu Yang, you son of a bitch, why didn''t you get back together with Yu Lu? If you had gotten back with Yu Lu, why would I have had to sell the Porsche!"


    Liu Yujuan ced the me on Xu Yang''s head.


    In her eyes, he was to me for her current predicament.


    If Xu Yang and Zhao Yulu had gotten back together, she would have had nothing to worry about.


    She didn''t go home but decided to get her hair done first.


    It had been a while since she had her hair done, which she thought of as a form of rxation.


    She took a cab to a familiar hair salon.


    Three hourster, she came out of the hair salon looking much more spirited.


    By this time, it had already gotten dark.


    She had already messaged Zhao Yulu, telling her she wouldn''t be back to cook dinner that night.


    She walked to a nearby decent restaurant to have dinner.


    She hadn''t walked far when a man wearing a Monkey King mask rushed up to her, and before she could react, snatched her handbag and quickly disappeared into the crowd.


    "Ah! Robbery!" Liu Yujuan came to her senses and started shouting loudly.


    You see, the other things in the bag, like her ID, phone, bank cards, and makeup, didn''t matter.


    These items weren''t worth much, the phone was just a few thousand, and reporting the loss of the ID and bank cards, and recing the SIM card wasn''t a big deal; the makeup was also only a few thousand.


    But, inside was her watch valued at 4.8 million.


    She retrieved the watch, but only put it in her bag, not wearing it.


    She hadn''t expected such a thing to happen; had she known, she would have worn it on her wrist.


    If she had worn it on her wrist, even if a thug wanted to snatch it, it wouldn''t have been so easy to take.


    Now she was in trouble; if it really was stolen, she had nowhere to cry to.


    But the masked man, after darting into the crowd, quickly slipped into a nearby alley and vanished without a trace.


    Even if people wanted to help, they couldn''t.


    Liu Yujuan ran into the alley, shouting loudly but saw no sign of the thug. Her face immediately turned ugly, and she began to scream for people to help call the police.


    A few minutester, two nearby police officers arrived.


    "What happened?" one of the officers asked.


    "Officer, my bag was stolen, you must help me get it back, there are items worth millions in it," Liu Yujuan said anxiously.


    "Ma''am, don''t panic, we will do everything we can to catch the criminal. Before that, please tell us in detail what happened so we can investigate," the police officer said.


    "Just now..." Liu Yujuan recounted the situation.


    The officers first looked around the area, then checked the alley, and walked to the other end to look around.


    "Ma''am, I''m sorry, but we haven''t been able to obtain any useful information for now. We need to go back and check the nearby surveince to see if we can find the person. Please leave your contact information, and we will contact you if we find anything," the officer said.


    "How long will it take to solve the case?" Liu Yujuan asked eagerly.


    "I can''t give you an exact time, only that we will do our utmost to solve the case," the officer responded.


    "Alright then," said Liu Yujuan, resigned to the fact that she could only leave her name and contact information.


    After the officers had looked around a bit more to no avail, they left.


    Frustrated, Liu Yujuan found someone to call Zhao Yulu toe pick her up.


    She had no choice; all her belongings were in her bag.


    With nothing left, she didn''t even have the money to take the bus home and could only ask Zhao Yulu toe get her.


    When Zhao Yulu arrived, she asked, "What on earth happened? How did you get robbed?"


    Earlier, when Zhao Yulu received the phone call, Liu Yujuan had only said that she was robbed, penniless, and couldn''t return home.


    "Let''s go have a meal first; I''m starving. I''ll tell you all about it while we eat," Liu Yujuan pulled Zhao Yulu to a nearby restaurant.


    Using Zhao Yulu''s phone, Liu Yujuan reported the loss of her ID card, bank cards, and cell phone SIM card.


    During the meal, Liu Yujuan finally talked about what happened.


    "You sold your car and redeemed the watch, and now the watch has been stolen. How much money do you have left?" Zhao Yulu asked.


    "I still have one million," Liu Yujuan replied.


    "You went from ten million to just one million in such a short time!" Zhao Yulu became emotionally charged.


    Liu Yujuan had bought luxury watches and cars.


    Once purchased, these items, though they depreciate¡ªand quite severely at that¡ª


    were still assets, amounting to six or seven million. Even if they halved in value, there would still be three or four million left.


    If there was an emergency requiring money, selling the watch and the Porsche would have been a way to cover the urgent need.


    But now, with those items gone, only one million remained.


    "I had no choice, who knew it would turn out like this," Liu Yujuan said helplessly.


    "What do you mean no choice? If you hadn''t treated your friends to meals costing hundreds of thousands, none of this would have happened," Zhao Yulu reproached, still emotional.


    "How can you me me? If you had just gotten back with Xu Yang, none of this would have happened. Ultimately, it''s still your fault!" Liu Yujuan shot back.


    Zhao Yulu was astonished: "You''re ming me now?"

 Chapter 204: Chapter 204 Shareholders Meeting

    "If it''s not your fault, then whose is it? Me running to reconcile with Xu Yang was why I decided to celebrate early with the girls. I couldn''t reach you on the phone, and when I couldn''t borrow money, I was forced to pawn my watch. You didn''t seed in getting back together with Xu Yang, and I couldn''t get any money from him.


    That''s why I had to sell the car to retrieve the watch, which led to such an incident."


    Liu Yujuan was adamant, feeling no guilt at all¡ªit was all Zhao Yulu''s fault.


    "You are being utterly unreasonable!" Zhao Yulu eximed in anger.


    "What''s unreasonable about that? I am stating the facts. Forget it; I didn''t mean to me you anyway," Liu Yujuan gestured dismissively, continuing her meal.


    The infuriating conversation took Zhao Yulu''s appetite away.


    This was her own mother.


    And yet, the me was somehow on her.


    "When the police catch the crooks, we can get the watch back, and everything will be fine," Liu Yujuan said.


    "You''re still hoping the police will catch the crook? Dream on," Zhao Yulu scoffed.


    "What do you mean?" Liu Yujuan asked.


    "There''s no surveince in that area, and the criminals were wearing masks. With such circumstances, it''s very difficult to catch anyone. I''ve read lots of reports like this; ny percent of these cases end up unresolved," Zhao Yulu exined.


    "What! Unresolved cases!" Liu Yujuan''s expression turned ugly.


    That meant there was no way to recover the watch.


    "It''s your own fault for buying such an expensive watch for no reason. You could have bought an apartment with that money, even putting down half as a deposit would have been better!" Zhao Yulu vented with frustration.


    "I was thinking that once you and Xu Yang got back together, he would help me buy a vi. Who knew it would turn out like this," Liu Yujuan said.


    "It''s because you''re always assuming things that you''ve ended up in this situation," Zhao Yulu said angrily.


    "Why are you ming me again? If anyone, me Xu Yang!" Liu Yujuan retorted unhappily.


    Zhao Yulu nced at Liu Yujuan and was too tired to continue the argument.


    "Anyway, you should contact Xu Yang again, meet with him. It''s probably as I said; Xu Yang just wants to take revenge. Once he''s done, he''ll get back together with you," Liu Yujuan suggested.


    "Drop this matter, or I''ll fall out with you!" Zhao Yulu said coldly.


    "Alright, alright, I won''t bring it up again," Liu Yujuan stated, but she nned to mention it againter.


    In any case, she wouldn''t give up.


    Not unless Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin had a wedding and children.


    After eating, the two went home.


    ...


    Wednesday.


    Hui''an Pharmaceutical held a shareholders'' meeting, with all shareholders in attendance.


    This was Xu Yang''s first time at such a meeting, and he wasn''t familiar with the other shareholders, except for Ye Kaifeng.


    After getting to know the other shareholders a bit, the meeting began.


    "Our gastric cancer drug has now entered Phase III clinical trials, and based on the results of the first two phases, there shouldn''t be a problem with the third. Once the Phase III trials are passed, we willunch the product on the market."


    "To ensure smooth development of thepany and unobstructed sales of the drug, I''ve decided to bring in major capital."


    "This time, we are releasing ten percent of the shares to raise ten billion yuan."


    "All shareholders should contribute their shares in proportion to their stakes."


    "I hold fifty percent of the shares, and will release five percent. Does anyone have any objections?"


    Ye Kaifeng, as the chairman and general manager, spoke first.


    "No."


    "Without major capital, we indeed cannot open up the market. Those predators will tear ourpany apart."


    "No objections. I believe that as soon as we need to raise funds, many big investors will be willing to invest,"


    "There is no need to worry about that, as everyone knows ourpany''s gastric cancer drug will bring in countless profits,"


    "I only hold five percent of the shares, so I''ll offer up point five percent,"


    Everyone had no objections.


    They all understood the importance of bringing in big capital.


    Without big capital, thepany could also be swallowed up by big capital.


    Lacking strength, they couldn''t protect their wealth in the face of harshpetition.


    Being willing to make money with others was the only way to safeguard their own wealth.


    Seeing that Xu Yang remained silent and didn''t take a stand, Ye Kaifeng asked, "President Xu, do you have any other thoughts?"


    All eyes turned to Xu Yang.


    Everyone held Xu Yang in high esteem.


    To be honest, Xu Yang was the most powerful of all present.


    Even Ye Kaifeng was not as powerful as Xu Yang.


    Bear in mind, Xu Yang was now worth tens of billions.


    In theing years, with the Jiang Bottom Trawling business, he would be a multi-billionaire.


    Moreover, Xu Yang was on brotherly terms with Wang Xiaocong.


    That was the nation''s top young master, the son of the richest man, Wang.


    Being brothers with Wang Xiaocong essentially meant having connections with the richest man, Wang.


    Such terrifying connections were something they couldn''t evene close to, even if they tried.


    Therefore, when Xu Yang arrived, everyone was very enthusiastic towards him.


    Now seeing Xu Yang not speaking, everyone was curious to know if he really had other ideas.


    Xu Yang nced at everyone and nodded, "I do have a thought or two."


    "Speak," said Ye Kaifeng.


    "Let me first ask, the choice of which big capital to bring in requires collective discussion and decision, right?" Xu Yang asked.


    "Yes, the choice of which big capital to bring in requires collective discussion and decision," Ye Kaifeng nodded in agreement.


    "I hold twenty-five percent of the shares, which means I should offer up two point five percent. I am willing to offer up an additional two point five percent, totaling five percent. As for the remaining five percent, you all can divide ording to the respective proportions. I want the decision-making power to bring in big capital, meaning I will decide which capital to bring in.


    As for the ten percent of the shares, I will decide how much to give to whichpany. What do you think?" Xu Yang said.


    Upon hearing this, everyone was at first stunned, then their eyes lit up.


    With Xu Yang offering an additional two point five percent of the shares, they would have to give up less.


    Now, even a point one percent of Hui An Pharmaceuticals'' shares was extremely valuable.


    Xu Yang''s willingness to do this meant they could make even more money.


    The condition was merely granting Xu Yang the power to decide which capital to bring in, and the investment ratio for that capital.


    These matters were not of much concern to them.


    They believed that the capital Xu Yang brought in would definitely be substantial.


    Everyone also knew that Xu Yang desired this allocation power to make connections.


    That was fine, as long as it didn''t negatively impact thepany''s interests or their own.


    "President Xu, I agree,"


    "I also agree, that way we can give up fewer shares,"


    "President Xu, it seems you have big ambitions, beyond what I can match, but I support you,"


    One after another, they expressed their stance, with no objections.

 Chapter 205: Chapter 205: Bring it On

    Even Ye Kaifeng''s eyes lit up.


    He was happy to give away fewer shares too.


    As for using shares towork, he had no such intentions.


    He just wanted to run his own business well.


    Since Xu Yang was willing to give benefits for that power, he had no objections.


    "Good, I agree too!" Ye Kaifeng expressed his stance.


    With his agreement, everyone else agreed.


    All shareholders only needed to contribute five percent ording to their respective shareholding proportions.


    After that, the allocation would be easily determined.


    Once it was decided, Ye Kaifeng asked, "President Xu, may I ask which big capitals are you thinking of bringing in?"


    Xu Yang said, "I haven''t decided yet, but rest assured, it will definitely be big capital that can protect thepany. I am the secondrgest shareholder of thepany and naturally hope for thepany''s smooth development, just like everyone else."


    Ye Kaifeng nodded, "Good, we trust you."


    After the meeting, Xu Yang returned to Yang Xin Investment.


    He arrived at his office and considered whom to allocate the ten percent investment share.


    Currently, Xu Yang''spanies were all controlled by Yang Xin Investment, which also held shares in them.


    Xu Yang''s preliminary n was to use Yang Xin Investment as the core to build a cross-industry investment empire.


    In the future, he would likelye here often, so he had requested an office here.


    Inside the office.


    "Wan Da Group is one, after all, considering my friendship with Wang Xiaocong, I can''t exclude Wan Da Group from participating, and Wan Da Group is a top-tier capital..."


    As he was contemting, the mobile phone on Xu Yang''s desk started ringing.


    He picked it up and saw that it was an unfamiliar number from Shen City.


    "Hello." Xu Yang did not know who it was and was toozy to guess, so he answered the call directly.


    "Hello President Xu, this is Han Jun, the General Manager of the Investment Department at Penguin Group," the caller introduced himself.


    "Oh, General Manager Han, hello. May I know why you''re calling?" Xu Yang asked calmly, though his mind was stirring.


    This Han Jun, Xu Yang knew a little about him, one of the most sessful investors in the country.


    He had also made it ontost year''s list of the top ten outstanding investors in China.


    Most of therge-scale investments of Penguin Group were decided by him.


    If unexpected, this call should be about the shares of Hui''an Pharmaceuticals.


    Because everyone knew that Hui''an Pharmaceuticals would make a lot of money in the future, many big capitals were watching it.


    Now that the news of Hui''an Pharmaceuticals'' financing had been released, these big capitals would definitely call Hui''an Pharmaceuticals to express their willingness to invest.


    With the authority over the investment quota in Xu Yang''s hands, it was certain that Hui''an Pharmaceuticals would have these people call him.


    Just as expected, Han Jun said, "President Xu, our Penguin Group would like to invest in Hui''an Pharmaceuticals."


    Xu Yang smiled, "Good, I''ll allocate some quota to Penguin Group."


    Penguin Group being a top-tier capital, its investment in Hui''an Pharmaceuticals was naturally excellent.


    Han Jun said, "We at Penguin Group would like an eight percent investment quota and hope President Xu can agree."


    Xu Yang frowned, "General Manager Han, are you aware of how much investment quota Hui''an Pharmaceuticals is releasing this time?"


    Han Jun said, "I know, it''s a total of ten percent."


    Xu Yang said, "Then do you think it''s too much for onepany to want eight percent?"


    Han Jun proudly said, "Not at all. Our Penguin Group has the strength and the qualifications. I originally wanted ten percent, just for Penguin Group to take it all, but then I thought it wouldn''t be appropriate, and others should have the chance to have a share of the soup."


    Xu Yang said, "I''m sorry, but I can''t agree."


    Han Jun''s voice turned cold, "Mr. Xu, are you rejecting our Penguin Group?"


    Xu Yang replied indifferently, "I wasn''t originally rejecting your Penguin Group, but you''re asking for too much, so I have to refuse."


    Han Jun said coldly, "Do you know what it means to reject our Penguin Group? Can you afford the consequences?"


    Xu Yang said in a deep voice, "Are you threatening me?"


    Han Jun sneered, "Yes, I am threatening you. Don''t think that just because you''ve recently risen in the business world, you can do anything. Your little achievements are nothing in front of our Penguin Group. Believe it or not, if we wish, we can easily destroy all your industries!"


    Xu Yang responded with a coldugh, "I don''t believe you. If you''re that capable, bring it on."


    "What did you say?" Han Jun could hardly believe his ears.


    He had never heard someone speak to him in such a manner before.


    He represented the Penguin Group, a top-tier capital force in the business world capable of changing the market with a flick of a hand.


    And yet, someone dared to tell him to bring it on.


    This was practically a death wish.


    "It seems Mr. Han has poor hearing, so I''ll say it again, I don''t believe you. If you''re that capable, bring it on." Xu Yang was not intimidated in the slightest.


    To be honest, if the other party had been polite, he would have given them at least three percent of the investment quota.


    Wan Da Group would also get three percent.


    The remaining four percent would be divided among four other investors, each getting one percent.


    One might think that three percent or one percent isn''t much, but the future returns would be incredibly huge.


    The fact that Hui''an Pharmaceuticals could develop a gastric cancer drug indicates their strong research capabilities.


    The gastric cancer drug could definitely multiply Hui''an Pharmaceuticals'' market value several times over.


    If they develop another cancer drug in the future, Hui''an Pharmaceuticals could definitely grow into a hundred-billion enterprise.


    Three percent could mean thirty billion in revenue, a tenfold return on investment.


    With such ie, anyone would be jealous.


    But Han Jun demanded too much, and Xu Yang wouldn''t put up with it. The Penguin Group would get nothing from him.


    It wasn''t only the Penguin Group that was top-tier capital; many top-tier capitalists were lining up to invest.


    The absence of the Penguin Group would not be a problem.


    Even the Penguin Group wouldn''t dare to openly confront other top-tier capitals.


    "Mr. Xu, I''ve never heard such words before. You''ve got guts," Han Jun said with a cold smile.


    "I know you haven''t heard it before. It''s okay, you''ll get used to it after listening more," Xu Yang said with a light smile.


    "So you''re really set on falling out with our Penguin Group?" Han Jun said with a sneer.


    "Mr. Han Jun, please make one thing clear, it''s not me who''s falling out with your Penguin Group; it''s you being shameless, demanding a huge share, and threatening me when I refuse. How could I possibly give you the investment after that? Of course, if you think that by doing so, I''m falling out with your Penguin Group, then I don''t care.


    If it makes you happy, then so be it," Xu Yang said indifferently.


    "Fine, you just wait. I''ll make you understand the price of offending me!" Han Jun snorted coldly and hung up the phone.


    Xu Yang just smiled faintly, not at all concerned.


    If the Penguin Group really wanted to force a confrontation, he wasn''t afraid.


    Even if he truly couldn''t withstand the Penguin Group''s assault and all his industries were destroyed, it wouldn''t matter; given some time, he could rise again.


    He was a man with a system; what was the Penguin Group to him?


    Given enough time, he would surpass everyone.


    After putting down his phone, Xu Yang continued to consider who else to give investment quotas to.


    Before long, his phone rang again.


    Seeing the caller ID, Xu Yang immediately smiled.

 Chapter 206: Chapter 206: Determining The Investor

    "Mr. Wang."


    Xu Yang answered the phone.


    Indeed, the caller was none other than Wang Xiaocong.


    "Xu Yang, you''re impressive. I had no idea that you had invested in Hui''an Pharmaceutical at the beginning of the year, and even became the secondrgest shareholder."


    Wang Xiaocong genuinely didn''t know this.


    He hadn''t done a detailed investigation into Xu Yang, only knowing some superficial,mon knowledge.


    Xu Yang''s investments in Hui''an Pharmaceutical and the Great White Shark gamingpany were beyond his awareness.


    "Investing in Hui''an Pharmaceutical, I owe it to a high school ssmate who works there as a researcher. He mentioned during the New Year that theirpany was short of funds, but they were developing a potential stomach cancer cure. It seemed very likely to seed, so after a visit, I felt it could be a sess and I invested," Xu Yang briefly exined.


    "So that''s the case. I have to say, your insight is really sharp. I can''t help but admire it."


    "To tell you the truth, our Wan Da Investment inspected Hui''an Pharmaceutical at the end ofst year, but we deemed it unworthy of investment. We thought the idea of a stomach cancer cure was a bit far-fetched, too much of a pipe dream to create such a medicine."


    "You don''t know, my dad, when he heard the news that Hui''an Pharmaceutical had developed a cure for stomach cancer and knew that Wan Da Investment hadn''t invested, he scolded the general manager of Wan Da Investment something fierce."


    Since Xu Yang shared this with him, Wang Xiaocong candidly talked about his family''s situation.


    "You calling me couldn''t have been just to tell me this, right?" Xu Yang asked with augh.


    "Heh heh, no, it''s not that. My dad wants to participate in investing in Hui''an Pharmaceutical. Knowing that you control the investment quota allocation for Hui''an Pharmaceutical and aware of my acquaintance with you, he asked me to call you to see if there''s a chance for Wan Da Investment."


    Wang Xiaocong''s father was alsoying out ns in other industries, with the pharmaceutical industry being a crucial part.


    Apany capable of developing a stomach cancer cure is extremely attractive.


    It''s not just about the shares; there''s also a lot of other value attached.


    "Since your dad wants to invest, of course, I wee it. Wan Da Investment is also top-tier capital. Out of a total ten percent of the shares, let''s give you five percent," Xu Yang said, after some thought, deciding to offer Wan Da Investment a five percent stake.


    "You''re offering Wan Da five percent? Are you sure?" Wang Xiaocong could hardly believe it.


    "Of course, why, are you not satisfied?" Xu Yang said with a smile.


    "Satisfied, more than satisfied, thank you, Xu Yang!" Wang Xiaocong said excitedly.


    With a total of only ten percent of the shares, Xu Yang was giving Wan Da Investment five percent, which was half¡ªit was undoubtedly a huge face-giving gesture. What could he possibly be dissatisfied with?


    "Mr. Wang, we are..."


    Xu Yang hadn''t finished his sentence when Wang Xiaocong interrupted him.


    "Xu Yang, stop calling me ''Mr. Wang.'' From now on, call me by my name, or like Jiang Yuheng and the others, just call me Old Wang. I consider you a brother!"


    In fact, ever since Xu Yang had helped him and Jiang Yuheng, Su Wenbin, purchase the copyrightpany, earning them a hefty sum, Wang Xiaocong had fully acknowledged Xu Yang as a brother.


    He just hadn''t had the chance to correct Xu Yang''s form of address until now.


    This was an opportunity.


    Although it was somewhat utilitarian, it was the truth, and there was no need to cover it up.


    After all, their acquaintance was initially based on mutual benefit.


    If he didn''t think Xu Yang was capable and that following Xu Yang''s investments could be profitable, Wang Xiaocong, as a wealthy heir and the son of the richest man, would never have taken the initiative to get to know Xu Yang or invited him to his birthday party.


    Xu Yang was also acutely aware of this fact, and he was no different.


    He knew that being acquainted with Wang Xiaocong could be helpful in many ways.


    Take, for example, thest incident with Penguin Pictures obstructing the project "I Am Not the God of Medicine," where Wang Xiaocong stepped in and promptly resolved the issue.


    In reality, at their level, while notpletely devoid of close friends, many rtionships were founded on mutual benefits.


    "Alright, Old Wang, since it''s like this, don''t be shy at all," Xu Yang said.


    "Okay, anyway, I appreciate your gesture. I''ll speak with my dad about this, he''ll be very happy to hear it. We''ll talk more another time," Wang Xiaocong said.


    "Okay, we''ll talk next time," Xu Yang said.


    Call ended.


    Not long after Xu Yang put down his phone, someone else called.


    "Hello," Xu Yang answered the call.


    "Mr. Xu, good day, I''m from Ali Investment..."


    After that, Xu Yang took several calls, all from the helms of big capital.


    There were Ali Investment, Green Pine Capital, Byte Walk Investment, Transverse Investment...


    After the calls, Xu Yang reflected for a while and had basically finalized the investment list.


    Vanke Investment 5%


    Ali Investment 1%


    Byte Walk Investment 1%


    Transverse Investment 1%


    Green Pine Capital 1%


    Jiang Yuheng''s family investmentpany 0.5%


    Su Wenbin''s family investmentpany 0.5%


    Transverse Investment was Shen Yuyan''s dad''s investmentpany.


    Shen Yuyan''s dad was a very low-profile tycoon in Jiangcheng.


    Out of respect for Shen Yuyan, Xu Yang had given Transverse Investment a 1% share of the investment.


    After finalizing, Xu Yang informed Yang Xin, the general manager of Yang Xin Investment, Ma Yangrong, to notify the others, and have theme to Hui An Pharmaceuticals to sign the agreement tomorrow.


    With business settled, Xu Yang went out for lunch when noon arrived.


    At the same time.


    Liu Yujuan was dining out with four sisters again.


    The restaurant they chose was a regr one.


    It wasn''t like thest time Liu Yujuan treated them to a meal at Yang''s Mansion, the top restaurant in Jiangcheng where a meal could cost hundreds of thousands.


    Of course, it wasn''t Liu Yujuan who was treating this time; it was the sisters who had invited her out.


    "The restaurant seems quiet. Is it because the food isn''t very good?"


    As they entered the restaurant, Liu Yujuan noticed only a few diners and couldn''t help questioning the quality of the food.


    "Sister Juan, this is a ten-year-old restaurant; the food is actually pretty good. It used to do brisk business, but not long ago, a piece of the ceiling fell off, almost hitting someone. After that, customers became scarce. Now, the restaurant is nning to renovate, and once it''s refurbished, business will pick up again," exined their sister, Li Fang.


    While talking, the group headed into a private room.


    "Li Fang, how do you know all this? Do youe here often, or do you know the owner?" Liu Yujuan looked at Li Fang, who seemed quite familiar with the ce.


    "Sister Juan, you guessed right. I know the owner. He told me about it. In fact, we invited you here today because we wanted to discuss something with you," Li Fang said with a smile.


    "What is it?" Liu Yujuan asked.


    "The restaurant owner wants to renovate but has his funds tied up in stocks, and he''s been caught in a downturn. He believes the stock will rise in the future and doesn''t want to sell at a loss, so he''s seeking loans from acquaintances for the renovation."


    "His business was quite lucrative before, and he''s not worried about not making a profit. He''s looking to borrow for a year and is offering 50% interest."


    "The few of us sisters have borrowed some money from rtives and friends to lend to the owner. It''s not every day you get the chance to make a 50% return in a year."


    "So, we called you here to share this investment opportunity and see if you''re willing to lend money to the owner."


    "We''re all sisters here and if there''s money to be made, we should do it together," added Li Fang, summarizing the opportunity.

 Chapter 207: Chapter 207 Boss Lü

    "Borrowing money to renovate? Fifty percent interest? Such high interest? Could it be a scam? You haven''t been duped by this boss, have you?" Liu Yujuan became somewhat wary.


    Who would borrow money at fifty percent interest?


    It looks just like a scam.


    "Sister Juan, we know this boss; he''s no swindler. He''s a wealthy man, but all his money is tied up in stocks. He doesn''t want to sell at a loss, believing that the stocks will at least double in value in the future. And since the restaurant can''t go without renovations, that''s why he''s so eager to borrow money for a quick refurbishment," Li Fang exined.


    "Shouldn''t the restaurant owner have a house? He couldpletely mortgage his house to get a loan for the renovation," Liu Yujuan raised a question.


    "Of course, he has a house, but it''s already mortgaged, and he can''t get a loan from the bank," Li Fang said.


    "Then he should have quite a few friends; he could totally borrow money from friends to renovate," Liu Yujuan added.


    "He has already borrowed from all the rtives and friends he could, it''s just a little short, and he''s in a hurry to renovate, so that''s why he''s offering such a high interest rate to borrow the money," Li Fang said.


    "How much did you all borrow?" Hearing that there were reasonable exnations, Liu Yujuan seemed convinced.


    "Each of us borrowed two hundred thousand. You know that we don''t have money like you do, and seeing such an opportunity, we made countless calls before we managed to gather this money. To earn a hundred thousand in a year is more than what many white-cor workers make, so of course, we''re going to seize it!" Li Fang said.


    "Earning a hundred thousand in a year, where would you find such an opportunity? Now that we know about it, we''re definitely not going to pass it up. You''re our sister, and we hope you can make money with us," another sister chimed in.


    "Sister Juan, you said your daughter Yu Lu hasn''t agreed with Xu Yang, but you should still have several million, right? The boss only needs another million borrowed. If you lend out a million, you''ll make half a million after a year; that''s a BMW right there," Li Fang said.


    "A million, earning five hundred thousand in a year, that is indeed very good. You''re telling me this news and bringing me in to make money, naturally, I am grateful. However, I need to meet the boss before I can make a final decision."


    Liu Yujuan felt confident in her ability to judge people and could tell whether someone was a swindler or not, deciding she would meet the boss first.


    "Sure, I''ll bring the boss over," Li Fang said with a smile, immediately rising from her seat to leave the private room and fetch the boss.


    Before long, Li Fang came back with a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties.


    The middle-aged man had a square face, a respectable appearance, and didn''t look like a deceitful person; he seemed very reliable.


    "Sister Juan, this is Lu Wei, the restaurant''s boss, Mr. Lu. Mr. Lu, this is our sister, Sister Juan," Li Fang introduced them.


    "Ms. Liu, hello," Lu Wei greeted Liu Yujuan with a smile and a nod.


    "Hello." Liu Yujuan felt immediately that Lu Wei indeed seemed trustworthy. "Mr. Lu, my sisters told me to lend you money at fifty percent interest. Is that true?"


    "Of course, it''s true. Honestly, I wouldn''t do this if there were any other way. If it weren''t for Li Fang mentioning there''s a sister with money, I would have had to sell some of my stocks," Lu Wei said.


    "Alright, since my sisters trust you, I trust you too. But I''ve invested all my money in stocks. I''ll sell them this afternoon ande sign the contract with you tomorrow at noon. Then I''ll give you the money," Liu Yujuan said.


    Having invested in stocks was just an excuse she had found.


    In fact, her money was just lying in the bank, ready to be withdrawn at any time.


    But she still didn''t want to lend the money right then, deciding to go home and think carefully about whether it was worth it.


    If it was worthwhile, she woulde again tomorrow.


    If she sensed something fishy, she wouldn''te back.


    It was a precaution.


    "No problem, It''s perfect. I can have the contract ready today, so when youe over tomorrow, we can sign right away," Lu Wei said with a smile.


    "Great," Liu Yujuan nodded satisfactorily.


    "Sister Juan, we''ll also join you tomorrow."


    "Yes, yes, we''ll alle together."


    "The food here at Mr. Lu''s is excellent; we''lle for a meal again at noon tomorrow."


    All the sisters expressed they woulde together.


    "You''re wee to join, and I''ll cover both meals. Order whatever you like; you must be hungry. I''ll have the kitchen prepare the dishes right away," Lu Wei said.


    "Then thanks a lot to Boss Lu, we won''t be shy."


    "Sister Juan, you''re the star today, you do the ordering."


    "Sister Juan, let me tell you, some of the signature dishes here..."


    A group of women chattered away, and then ced their orders.


    Lu Wei left to make arrangements.


    Once he left the private room and closed the door behind him, the corners of his mouth curled into an enigmatic smile.


    He wasn''t borrowing money to refurbish the restaurant, but had actually lost a gambling bet in Ao city. With no way out, he concocted an excuse to borrow money from everyone.


    Soon, the food arrived.


    The women ate and chatted as they dined.


    "Sister Juan, howe you didn''t drive here today?" Liu Yujuan asked.


    "I sold my car," Liu Yujuan replied.


    "What? Why did you sell the car? You haven''t had it for long, right?"


    "Yeah, that was a Porsche Panamera, why sell it?"


    All the women were quite surprised.


    "I just felt that the car wasn''t very nice to drive, nning to change to another one," Liu Yujuan did not tell the truth.


    Having a 4.8 million watch stolen was not something to be proud of.


    "Sister Juan, you''re rich to the point of caprice."


    "No choice, who has a future son-inw that''s a billionaire, right?"


    "That''s true, changing a Porsche is nothing. If you want to change, just change."


    "Oh, if only I had such a son-inw too."


    "I no longer hold that hope, the boyfriend my daughter picked is a poor guy, destined to work for others his whole life. My daughter''s head over heels in love with him, insisting on him and no one else, it''s driving me crazy."


    Unaware of the specific circumstances, everyone looked enviously.


    A Porsche Panamera was something they dreamed about but could never attain.


    Liu Yujuan casually saying it wasn''t very nice to drive only fueled their envy.


    Having a wealthy son-inw sure seemed fantastic.


    "By the way, Sister Juan, what kind of car are you thinking of getting next time?" Li Fang inquired.


    "I think I should get a Ferrari sports car!"


    "Aren''t sports cars usually for young people, would that suit you?"


    "What''s not suitable about it, Sister Juan still looks very young."


    "Yes, Sister Juan keeps up her appearance well, unlike us, just in janes. Walking beside Sister Juan, people would say we''re not even from the same generation."


    The sisters were full ofpliments again.


    "I''m not sure yet what car to get, I''ll have a look first."


    Liu Yujuan''s hope now rested on Zhao Yulu reconciling with Xu Yang.


    Without the reconciliation, she wouldn''t have the money for a new car.


    As for what she would tell the sisterster when they asked, she would cross that bridge when she came to it.

 Chapter 208: Chapter 208 Welcoming the Richest Man

    After dinner, Liu Yujuan headed home.


    Not long after she arrived, she saw Zhao Yuluing back.


    "How did the job interview go?" Liu Yujuan asked.


    "I got the job," Zhao Yulu said.


    "Whichpany? I totally forgot to ask you this morning," Liu Yujuan said.


    "Shengda Literature," Zhao Yulu said.


    "How much is the sry per month?" Liu Yujuan was most concerned about the money.


    "Mom, don''t ask. No matter how much it is, you won''t be satisfied," Zhao Yulu said.


    "How do you know I won''t be satisfied?" Liu Yujuan said.


    "In your heart, only if I marry a rich man and you have money to spend will you be satisfied," Zhao Yulu said.


    "How can you say that?" Liu Yujuan frowned.


    That was inly using her of being mercenary.


    She didn''t consider herself mercenary, but rather making the most appropriate choice.


    "Am I wrong?" Zhao Yulu said.


    "Alright, alright, you''re right. Let''s not talk about this. I want to ask you, are you really not considering getting back with Xu Yang?"


    Liu Yujuan didn''t want to argue about this issue, so she changed the subject.


    "Mom, I''ve said it many times already," Zhao Yulu was truly tired of discussing this.


    "Yu Lu, just listen to me, I..." Liu Yujuan tried to persuade her, but seeing Zhao Yulu''s expressions, she quickly stopped that line of thought, "Okay, okay, I''ll stop. You decide for yourself."


    It seemed that the timing was not right; she would wait until her daughter''s reluctance wasn''t so strong before trying to persuade her again.


    ...


    The next day.


    Xu Yang arrived at Yang Xin Investment Company by nine in the morning.


    Today, he had to go to Hui''an Medicine to sign a contract to sell shares.


    Shortly after arriving at thepany, Xu Yang''s phone began to ring.


    "Old Wang," Xu Yang answered the call.


    The caller was none other than Wang Xiaocong.


    "Xu Yang, where are you?" Wang Xiaocong asked.


    "At thepany, what''s up?" Xu Yang said.


    "Whichpany?" Wang Xiaocong asked again.


    Xu Yang''s businesses were somewhat numerous, including Style Media, Jiangdo, Pioneer Culture...


    "I''m at Yang Xin Investment; unless there''s something else, I''ll mostly be here from now on. This is my main base. I have an office here," Xu Yang said.


    "Send me your location. My dad and I wille find you right away," Wang Xiaocong said.


    "Your dad ising over?" Xu Yang was surprised.


    Xu Yang was well aware of the gap between himself and a big shot like Wang Xiaocong''s father, Wang Dalin, who had once topped the wealth charts.


    For Wang Dalin toe to find him was truly unexpected.


    "Yeah, my dad will attend the signing with Hui''an Medicine. We arrivedst night, but it was toote to call you. He said that before the signing, he wanted to meet you. Just send the location first; we''ll talk when we meet," Wang Xiaocong said.


    "Alright, I''ll send the location to you," Xu Yang couldn''t ask any more questions, hung up the phone, and sent his location to Wang Xiaocong.


    Wang Dalining over to sign the contract was very unexpected for Xu Yang.


    It was known that investing in Hui''an Medicine was definitely going to be profitable.


    But no matter how profitable it was, it was merely a 5% share.


    Even with a five billion yuan investment, even if they made tens of billions in the future, Xu Yang doubted it was enough to get a big shot like him involved.


    Xu Yang was really puzzled as to why Wang Dalin would personally attend the signing.


    It appeared that he''d have to ask Wang Xiaocong about thister.


    Soon, Xu Yang received a message from Wang Xiaocong saying the hotel they were staying at was not too far from Yang Xin Investment, about twenty minutes away.


    Xu Yang did not dare to neglect and went to the office of the General Manager, Ma Yangrong.


    "Old Ma,e with me downstairs to wee someone."


    To greet Wang Dalin and his son, it was natural to bring along the General Manager.


    Otherwise, if Ma Yangrong knew nothing about it, when he saw themter, he wouldn''t know what to do.


    "President Xu, who are we going to wee?" Ma Yangrong was very curious.


    He knew better than anyone how much Xu Yang was worth.


    Who else could make Xu Yang personally wee them?


    "Wang Dalin," Xu Yang said.


    "What!" Ma Yangrong eximed in surprise, his face full of disbelief, "President Xu, are you serious? Is the wealthy Wanging?"


    "Yes," Xu Yang replied calmly, nodding his head. "Don''t make a fuss, just hurry up and follow me. No matter what, when such a big shotes to ourpany, we must show some gesture."


    "Yes, yes, yes." Ma Yangrong nodded repeatedly, and then said, "President Xu, should we have all the staff go to wee him?"


    Xu Yang shook his head: "It''s enough for just the two of us."


    He didn''t want to fuss over such superficial formalities. His own presence with Ma Yangrong to greet them was sufficient.


    Would Wang Dalin even take a nce at the employees? Would he care?


    Such formality was probably something Wang Dalin had experienced countless times. He might nce but definitely wouldn''t care, so there was no need for all that fuss.


    "Alright." Ma Yangrong nodded.


    The two left thepany and took the elevator to the ground floor of the building.


    At the building entrance, the two of them waited there.


    Fifteen minutester, a Bentley and a Mercedes Benz stopped at the entrance, one after the other.


    From the Mercedes, four men in suits and leather shoes got out.


    They positioned themselves at the four corners of the Bentley, forming a protective stance.


    The door of the Bentley opened, first a young man around 27 or 28 years old stepped out, followed by a middle-aged man who looked to be in his fifties.


    The young man was none other than Wang Xiaocong, and the middle-aged man was Wang Dalin, the chairman of Wan Da Group.


    Although Wang Dalin was in his sixties, he looked like he was in his fifties. Such was the condition of wealthy people.


    "Chairman Wang, wee to ourpany."


    Xu Yang stepped forward, his attitude not overly enthusiastic, but respectful and self-assured.


    "President Xu, hello," Wang Dalin shook hands with Xu Yang, his demeanor veryposed.


    In recent times, his son often mentioned that he had made a new friend, Xu Yang, the boss of JDL.


    About Xu Yang, he had knowledge prior to his son''s mentions: he had already heard of him.


    After all, JDL was too popr, creating too much buzz for any business tycoon not to know.


    Once he knew, naturally, he wanted to learn more about who the boss of JDL was.


    After looking into it, he found that Xu Yang was quite talented.


    But that was it.


    After all, he stood too high. No matter what JDL was, Xu Yang was still just a minor figure in his eyes.


    Latterly, learning the specific details about Xu Yang from his son, even he was somewhat startled.


    Investing in Wu Jing''s "Battle Leopard" yielded full rewards, acquiring Fengkai Mining''s bauxite mine in South America was even more lucrative,ting 1.55 billion in one stroke.


    And that wasn''t all.


    Investing in Style Media, spending a billion to acquire various copyrights, profiting tens of billions.


    This investment looked to him like Xu Yang had foreknowledge and was stockpiling.


    To be able to do this, in his view, Xu Yang must have a very formidable background.


    Otherwise, who would invest ten billion, frantically acquiring various copyrights?


    This warranted Wang Dalin to take Xu Yang seriously.


    More importantly, Xu Yang''s son and others had made quite a profit purchasing copyrightpanies during the recent national copyright bureau cleanup.


    So, taking the opportunity of signing the deal with Hui''an Pharmaceuticals, Wang Dalin decided to meet Xu Yang.

 Chapter 209: Chapter 209: Wan Da Groups Opportunity

    Wang Dalin had aged, and the group would ultimately have to be handed over to his son.


    But his son was rather ipetent, having achieved nothing that truly caught his eye.


    Xu Yang was different though, with just Jiang Bottom Fishing, he was beyondparison with his peers.


    Add to that a terrifying background.


    Either way, he was worth getting to know.


    Coming today signified his own regard for Xu Yang, and could also encourage Xu Yang to ce more importance on the rtionship with his son.


    This too was him, as a father, paving the way for his son.


    Observing the young man before him, who was neither servile nor overbearing in his interaction, exuded an extraordinary presence, calm and tranquil.


    Indeed, he was no ordinary person!


    It seemed that his visit was well worth it.


    "Mr. Wang, Young Mr. Wang, this is Ma Yangrong, the general manager of Yang Xin Investment, who is now fully in charge of the operational management of Yang Xin Investment," Xu Yang introduced Ma Yangrong to Wang Dalin and his son.


    In front of Wang Xiaocong, naturally, he couldn''t call Wang Xiaocong "Old Wang" as he would in private.


    Wang Dalin and his son gave Ma Yangrong a slight nod, as a form of greeting.


    After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the group entered the building and took the elevator upstairs.


    The people inside the building were stunned to see Wang Xiaocong and his father.


    "Look, who are those two people?!"


    "Oh my! That''s Wang the tycoon!"


    "Damn! That''s Wang Xiaocong!"


    "My goodness, what are Wang the tycoon and his son doing here?"


    "Who are the two apanying them?"


    "I know, one of them is Ma Yangrong, the general manager of our building''s Yang Xin Investment!"


    "The other seems to be from Yang Xin Investment as well, but I don''t know who!"


    "Seeing that guyughing and chatting with Wang the tycoon and his son, he must be of higher status than Ma Yangrong, just don''t know who he is."


    "I know, that''s the boss of Yang Xin Investment!"


    "No way, the boss is so young?"


    "Yeah, that young, and he''s also the boss of Jiang Bottom Fishing!"


    "What! This guy is the boss of Jiang Bottom Fishing?!"


    "No wonder, the tycoon and his son havee here. I heard that the boss of Jiang Bottom Fishing is very skilled at investing, and he gets along with Wang Xiaocong as brothers."


    Amidst the murmurs, Xu Yang and his group entered the elevator.


    They quickly arrived at the floor where Yang Xin Investment was located.


    Once inside thepany, Xu Yang asked Ma Yangrong to get busy while he led Wang Dalin and his son into the office.


    Thepany''s staff uttered exmations upon the arrival of Wang Dalin and his son.


    "Oh my, that''s Wang Dalin the tycoon and Wang Xiaocong!"


    "They say our boss is on brotherly terms with Wang Xiaocong, I was a bit skeptical, but now I''mpletely convinced."


    "Wang the tycoon personally came over, he regards our boss so highly."


    "I think our boss will definitely be a person like Wang the tycoon in the future, but I didn''t expect that our boss has already reached a point where he can converse with Wang the tycoon!"


    "Ahhh, if this news gets out, probably no one will believe it."


    "I''m going to post on social media, so all my girlfriends know, the kind ofpany I work for, apany where I can meet Wang the tycoon!"


    ...


    After they had entered the office, Xu Yang invited Wang Dalin and his son to take a seat, personally making tea for them.


    In the office, Xu Yang had arranged for a tea table.


    Recently, he had delved into tea ceremony, thinking of when guests visit, they could chat over tea. He had specially purchased quite a few precious teas.


    A good half-hourter, the three emerged from the office.


    What they had discussed, no one knew.


    But what was certain was that even Wang Dalin had a smile on his face as he left, the solemn expression from before no longer present.


    As they descended, the sighting of Wang Dalin and his son naturally provoked another series of exmations.


    Exiting the building,


    just as Wang Xiaocong was about to get in the car, she said, "Dad, you take your car, and I''ll ride with Xu Yang."


    Riding in a car with her father was far lessfortable and rxed than riding with Xu Yang.


    "Sure," Wang Xiaocong nodded and got into the Bentley.


    Xu Yang and Wang Xiaocong got into the Rolls-Royce Cullinan.


    The three cars started and headed for the South Suburb Park.


    Xu Yang had said that all the investors would meet in South Suburb Park and then go together to Hui''an Pharmaceuticals, which would make it easier for Hui''an to wee them.


    Otherwise, if each big shot required a personal reception by the general manager of Hui''an Pharmaceuticals upon entering thepany, it would be too troublesome.


    Inside the Rolls-Royce Cullinan.


    "Old Wang, why does your dad need to attend the Hui''an Pharmaceuticals signing ceremony in person?"


    Xu Yang finally seized the opportunity and asked this question.


    They hadn''t discussed this matter in the office earlier.


    They had talked about future cooperation with the Wan Da Group, with both sides feeling quite satisfied.


    That''s why, upon leaving the office, Wang Dalin had a smile on his face.


    Wan Da Group had a big te, and to achieve growth, they needed to find new breakthroughs.


    The rise of Xu Yang presented just such an opportunity for Wan Da Group.


    "I''m not quite sure, I only heard my dad mention once that this is an important part of his strategy in the medical field, and it also involves the health industry."


    "You know, my dad doesn''t share much of his consideration with me, and I''m not interested in hearing it, but I''ve heard that the capitals you''ve found are mostly from the founders themselves, like Zhang Yimin from Byte Jump, Shen Wanpeng from CrossHorizon Capital, and old Jiang''s dad, Jiang Dahai, and so on."


    Wang Xiaocong knew which capitals Xu Yang had approached.


    "Really? We''ll see Zhang Yimin as well?" Xu Yang was somewhat surprised.


    Byte Jump had now grown into a global unicorn, with Zhang Yimin bing one of the top-ranked billionaires and the youngest billionaire with a worth of over 100 billion.


    "Yes, I''ve heard that Zhang Yimin arrivedst night and is staying at the same hotel as my dad and me, just on a different floor," said Wang Xiaocong.


    Chatting along the way, they arrived at South Suburb Park, exchanged greetings with the other tycoons, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then headed for Hui''an Pharmaceuticals.


    As Wang Xiaocong had said, Zhang Yimin had indeede.


    More than half an hourter, they arrived at Hui''an Pharmaceuticals.


    The general manager Ye Kaifeng had been waiting at thepany''s entrance with other executives for a while.


    Today''s attendees were no ordinary people.


    Especially since Xu Yang had called him earlier to say that big shots like Wang Dalin and Zhang Yimin wereing.


    Ye Kaifeng was very excited about these big names'' arrival.


    With such big names present at the signing ceremony, after publicity, the future development of Hui''an Pharmaceuticals was sure to be unstoppable.


    Anyone who dared to hinder them would be opposing these tycoons and would certainly be crushed to smithereens.


    Meeting, introducing each other, exchanging pleasantries.


    Ye Kaifeng led the group through the routine and brought them to the conference room.


    Ye Kaifeng didn''t waste words.


    After a brief exnation, he brought out the contracts that had been prepared.


    Everyone reviewed them, found no issues, and picked up their pens to sign.


    After the signing, Ye Kaifeng offered to take everyone to a nearby restaurant for a meal.


    This was the usual practice.


    However, Shen Wanpeng from CrossHorizon Capital said he would like to treat them to the meal, and that it had already been arranged with several executives.


    The executives spoke up, confirming it was true.


    Hearing this, Ye Kaifeng did not insist further.


    Thus, the group left.


    They headed to the private eatery mentioned by Shen Wanpeng.


    Normally, if Ye Kaifeng were the host, it would definitely involvepany executives apanying the guests.


    But with Shen Wanpeng hosting, the executives couldn''t attend, leaving only Ye Kaifeng to go with the tycoons.

 Chapter 210: Chapter 210 Shock after Shock

    Exquisite Private Kitchen.


    Gao Le''an, the owner of the Exquisite Private Kitchen, stood at the entrance with a somewhat nervous expression.


    Half an hour ago, he had received a call from Jiangcheng magnate Shen Wanpeng, saying that he would bring a few friends over for a meal.


    Shen Wanpeng was a top local tycoon. For his daughter''s birthday, he gave her an entire office building.


    The friends of Shen Wanpeng were naturally no ordinary people; they should be at least on the same level as Shen Wanpeng himself.


    With such a group of peopleing for a meal, Gao Le''an had to present himself with the utmost demeanor and wee them at the entrance in advance.


    After waiting for over ten minutes, a Rolls-Royce Cullinan pulled up in the parking area in front of the restaurant.


    Four young men got out of the car.


    "Wang Xiaocong!"


    Seeing the first young man to step out, Gao Le''an recognized him immediately.


    As the heir of Wan Da Group and a top-tier rich second generation who was also active on the inte, Wang Xiaocong''s fame was indeed too great; anyone who knew how to surf the web would recognize him.


    The appearance of Wang Xiaocong here surprised Gao Le''an greatly.


    "Jiang Yuheng is here too!" Seeing the second young man to get off, Gao Le''an was shocked once more.


    Jiang Yuheng was a top rich second generation in Jiangcheng with a high profile; Gao Le''an had seen news about him before.


    "Who is that?"


    Gao Le''an didn''t recognize the third young man who exited the vehicle.


    This third young man was Su Wenbin.


    Because Su Wenbin came from a background in officialdom, he kept a low profile, and Gao Le''an had neither heard of nor seen him before.


    However, Gao Le''an dared not underestimate Su Wenbin.


    Anyone riding in the same car as Wang Xiaocong and Jiang Yuheng had to be of the same caliber.


    "That''s Xu Yang, the owner of Fengcai Guild and Jiang Bottom''s Trawl!"


    Seeing the young man getting out of the driver''s seat, Gao Le''an''s heart jolted once again.


    Originally, he wouldn''t have recognized Xu Yang.


    After all, Xu Yang was not a public figure and seldom attended public events.


    But the Exquisite Private Kitchen had once invited Lin Junyi, a top inte celebrity from Fengcai Guild to visit the restaurant.


    Therefore, Gao Le''an had thoroughly researched Fengcai Guild''s information and watched rted reports.


    He saw news about Fengcai Guild''s pilot coboration with Douyin for live-streaming sales, which included a photo of Xu Yang with Douyin''s President Li Liangping, so Gao Le''an recognized Xu Yang straight away.


    "Young Master Wang, Young Master Jiang, President Xu, wee to the Exquisite Private Kitchen," Gao Le''an gathered his wits, put on a smile, greeted them, and then said to Su Wenbin, "This gentleman is...?"


    "My surname is Su," Su Wenbin simply gave his surname.


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Young Master Su," Gao Le''an quickly said.


    "How do you know me? I''ve never been here to eat, and unlike Old Wang, I don''t show my face on the inte all the time, nor am I like Old Jiang, a well-known second-generation rich in Jiangcheng."


    Xu Yang was genuinely curious; this was the first time someone had recognized him in an unfamiliar ce.


    "President Xu, our Exquisite Private Kitchen had invited Brother Yi, the top inte celebrity from your Fengcai Guild to scout our restaurant. I took a personal interest in this matter and looked at some news about Fengcai Guild, where I saw your photo with the President of Douyin, Li Liangping. So, just now when I saw you, I recognized you immediately," Gao Le''an exined.


    "So, that''s how it is," Xu Yang nodded.


    He had made only a few public appearances, involving Fengcai Guild and Douyin''s pilot coboration for live-streaming sales, the wrap-up ceremony and celebration for "Leopard Tank", and themencement ceremony for "I Am Not a Medicine God"; those were the only four times.


    "By the way, let me introduce myself. My name is Gao Le''an, and I am the owner of the Exquisite Private Kitchen. Please follow me. I''ll show you inside."


    Since Shen Wanpeng and the others hadn''t arrived yet, Gao Le''an thought it was okay to take them inside first¡ªit shouldn''t take long and shouldn''t be a problem.


    "No need, we''re still waiting for someone," Wang Xiaocong waved his hand.


    "Young Master Wang, are you here with Mr. Shen and his party?" Gao Le''an suddenly made the connection.


    "Yes, he''s the one treating us today," Wang Xiaocong said with a smile and a nod.


    "I see," Gao Le''an realized, enlightened.


    Just then, a grand convoy of cars was approaching.


    The fleet included Rolls-Royces, Bentleys, Maybachs...


    All were the vehicles of top tycoons.


    The convoy stopped directly in front of the Exquisite Private Dining Restaurant.


    The person who got out of the Maybach was Shen Wanpeng.


    "Young Master Wang, Young Master Jiang, President Xu, Young Master Su, I''ll take my leave first." Gao Lean nodded slightly to Wang Xiaocong and the others as a sign of apology and then approached Shen Wanpeng with great respect, "President Shen."


    "Mr. Gao, is the food ready?" Shen Wanpeng asked indifferently.


    "President Shen, everything is ready. I timed it perfectly for your arrival, just in time." Gao Lean quickly replied.


    "Good to hear." Shen Wanpeng nodded in satisfaction.


    This was his first time hosting so many magnates for dinner. The magnates had given him face, and he couldn''t afford any mistakes.


    If they arrived and had to wait half an hour like other guests, it wouldn''t be good.


    One must know, the time of these magnates is incredibly precious and can''t be wasted.


    At this moment, the door of the Bentley opened, and a middle-aged man in his fifties with an authoritative face stepped out.


    "That''s Tycoon Wang!"


    Gao Lean''s eyes widened, unable to conceal his shock, almost eximing aloud.


    Shen Wanpeng was a big shot, but there was a gap between him and Wang Dalin.


    After all, Wang Dalin had once topped the list of the wealthiest people.


    Gao Lean truly hadn''t expected that Wang Dalin would be among Shen Wanpeng''s guests.


    "Old Wang, this is the ce I told you about for dining. I assure you, although it''s not very famous, the taste is absolutely top-notch, guaranteed to make everyone enjoy their meal." Shen Wanpeng said as he approached Wang Dalin.


    "I believe that the ce you rmend must be a good one. I''m looking forward to a treat today." Wang Dalin eyed the signboard of the Exquisite Private Dining Restaurant, "Exquisite Private Dining Restaurant, this has a bit of an ancient tavern feel to it, quaint and charming, nice."


    "This is Mr. Gao Lean, the owner of the restaurant," Shen Wanpeng pointed to Gao Lean and introduced him.


    "President Wang, wee to Exquisite for dining," Gao Lean said excitedly as he stepped forward.


    "Hmm," Wang Dalin just nodded slightly, without saying much more.


    In his eyes, Gao Lean was just a minor figure, not worth too much courtesy.


    Gao Lean did not feel slighted by Wang Dalin''s demeanor.


    Being a magnate, it was already very generous of him to show such an attitude.


    At this time, the Rolls-Royce car door opened, and a slim middle-aged man in his thirties got out.


    The man wore sses and had a slender physique.


    "This... this is Zhang Yimin from Byte Trotter!"


    Gao Lean''s spirit was shocked once again.


    The current Byte Trotter Company was quite impressive.


    Its Fight Sound app had taken the world by storm, achieving what even Penguin WeChat couldn''t.


    As a result, Zhang Yimin had be a top-ranking tycoon, on par with magnates like Wang Dalin and President Ma.


    The presence of such a magnate made Gao Lean suddenly feel an immense pressure.


    "President Gao, you''ve chosen a nice ce," Zhang Yiminmented as he walked over.


    "President Zhang, rest assured, the dishes inside will definitely satisfy you," Shen Wanpeng pledged with a pat on his chest.


    "I believe so," Zhang Yimin smiled.


    "President Zhang, this is the owner of the restaurant, Mr. Gao," Shen Wanpeng pointed to Gao Lean and introduced him again.


    "Hello, Mr. Gao," Zhang Yimin greeted Gao Lean with a smile and a nod, his demeanor much more down-to-earth than that of Wang Dalin.


    Zhang Yimin was known to be more approachable, unlike Wang Dalin.

 Chapter 211: Chapter 211 The Immortal Son-in-law

    "Hello, General Manager Zhang, wee to my restaurant," Gao Le''an eximed excitedly.


    To be honest, Wang Dalin gave him an impression of being high and mighty.


    Zhang Yimin seemed much more approachable to him.


    Then, one after another, a series of big shots stepped out of the other cars.


    There was the general manager of Ali Investment.


    The general manager of Green Pine Capital.


    And there was Jiang Dahai, father of Jiang Yuheng.


    Also the general manager of Hui''an Pharmaceutical, Ye Kaifeng.


    Gao Le''an was utterly shocked.


    Ali Investment, backed by the powerful Ali Group, had be a top-tier capital firm as soon as it was established.


    The helmsperson of Ali Investment, the right-hand man of Boss Ma, was often featured in the newspapers.


    Green Pine Capital, a globally top-ranked investmentpany.


    Many of thepanies it invested in had grown into Fortune Global 500 firms.


    Jiang Dahai, Jiang Yuheng''s dad, hailed from the southwest.


    It was said that Jiang Yuheng''s dad had extensive connections; he knew people from all walks of life.


    Shen Wanpeng introduced Gao Le''an to the several big shots.


    All the big shots nodded slightly toward Gao Le''an as a greeting.


    Since Shen Wanpeng was making the introduction, the big shots naturally showed some politeness.


    But that was it.


    They were unlikely to have an in-depth conversation with the owner of a small restaurant.


    At this time, at another restaurant nearby.


    Two taxis arrived.


    Five people got out of the cars: it was Liu Yujuan and her four sisters.


    Yesterday, after careful consideration, Liu Yujuan felt there were no issues and that it was a viable investment, with a return of fifty percent per year; investing a million yuan could yield five hundred thousand, which was probably more than what the executives of a smallpany make annually.


    Such an opportunity had to be seized.


    As for the possibility of the restaurant owner deceiving people, Liu Yujuan did not believe it would happen.


    Did they look like people who could be easily fooled?


    So, today at noon, she came with her sisters to sign the contract and also to mooch another meal; after all, Owner Lu had said these two meals would be free¡ªthere was no reason not to take advantage of the offer.


    "Ms. Liu, you''ve arrived, pleasee in quickly, I''ve prepared the dishes for you,"


    Owner Lu Wei had been observing the gathering of big shots at the Elite Private Kitchen and noticed Liu Yujuan and her party arriving. He quickly retracted his gaze and came over to greet them.


    Despite his curiosity about the big shots, his own business mattered most.


    "Owner Lu, you sure know how to treat people. Knowing that we wereing, you prepared all the dishes in advance," Li Fang said with a smile.


    "Hehe, of course," Lu Wei responded with a chuckle.


    "Alright then, let''s go inside," Li Fang said.


    "Wait, look over there¡­ why are there so many luxury cars?" Liu Yujuan noticed at the entrance of a restaurant a little distance away, a fleet of vehicles. These weren''t just any cars, but Rolls-Royces, Bentleys, Maybachs¡ªtypical rich people''s cars.


    Cars like these were rarely seen, and stumbling upon just one was tough.


    But now, there were several all at once.


    "Could it be that some big shot is dining at that restaurant?" A question popped into Liu Yujuan''s mind.


    "Jie, look, isn''t that your son-inw Xu Yang?" Li Fang suddenly eximed.


    "What, Xu Yang too?!" Liu Yujuan followed Li Fang''s pointing finger,


    "It is indeed Xu Yang!"


    Why would Xu Yang be here? Did those cars have something to do with Xu Yang?


    "The one standing with Xu Yang is Wang Xiaocong!"


    "And also Jiang Yuheng, Young Master Jiang!"


    "There''s another one I don''t know, but he must be a rich second-generation like Wang Xiaocong and Jiang Yuheng."


    Liu Yujuan''s sisters couldn''t stop eximing in surprise.


    Hearing their conversation, Lu Wei''s face showed his amazement.


    What did this mean?


    The one standing with Wang Xiaocong and the others was this Liu Yujuan''s son-inw?


    Liu Yujuan''s son-inw is that awesome?


    Looking at Liu Yujuan, she doesn''t seem like it.


    If this Liu Yujuan is the mother-inw to such a person, she wouldn''t need to borrow a million to make five hundred thousand.


    If she mentions it to her daughter and son-inw when she gets back, they will certainly know she''s lying about borrowing the money.


    The son-inw standing with Wang Xiaocong definitely can''t fail to see through her tricks.


    You guys don''t need to make such a fuss, I already told you, Xu Yang and Wang Xiaocong, as well as Jiang Yuheng, are as close as brothers,"


    Liu Yujuan said, brimming with pride.


    Although Zhao Yulu hasn''t gotten back together with Xu Yang, she feels it will definitely happen in the future.


    Even if they don''t get back together, with her sisters ttering her like this, she can''t help but be swayed.


    "Sister Yujuan, your son-inw Xu Yang is too impressive!"


    "Sister Yujuan, you''re going to live the high life from now on."


    "Sister Yujuan, you have to introduce my daughter to Xu Yang sometime, see if he can help me find a wealthy son-inw."


    "Ah, if my son had even one percent of your son-inw''s sess, I''d bepletely content."


    "One percent? If my son had one-thousandth of that, I''d be satisfied."


    "Sister Yujuan, don''t forget about us in the future. We''ll be counting on your help with our lives."


    The sisters chatted animatedly, though their feelings wereplex and hard to define.


    To be honest, they were conflicted inside.


    They both hoped that Liu Yujuan''s daughter, Zhao Yulu, would reunite with Xu Yang and yet hoped they wouldn''t.


    If Zhao Yulu and Xu Yang get back together, Liu Yujuan would be the mother-inw of a billionaire.


    Then the gap between them and Liu Yujuan would widen, and they would have to curry favor with her.


    Given Liu Yujuan''s character, she would definitely act all high and mighty.


    This was not something they wanted to see.


    The feeling of having to cozy up to a once close friend was particrly unpleasant.


    They could watch a stranger seed without any issue, as it had nothing to do with their lives.


    But it was difficult for them to ept seeing someone they knew doing better than themselves.


    The better someone they knew was doing, the worse they felt.


    Yet deep down, they still wanted to see Xu Yang and Zhao Yulu reunite.


    Liu Yujuan had a very strong vanity and a few kind words could bring many benefits¡ªshe could take them out to dine, to beauty salons, or even buy them clothes and bags.


    That''s why they had such conflicting feelings.


    "That''s Billionaire Wang!" Li Fang eximed again.


    "Billionaire Wang, are you serious, Wang Xiaocong''s dad is here too? Where?" Liu Yujuan was also shocked and immediately looked around until she saw him, "It really is Billionaire Wang!"


    Seeing Wang Xiaocong was surprising but still within the realm of eptance, as she already knew about Wang Xiaocong''s close rtionship with Xu Yang.


    But seeing Wang Dalin, that was beyond her scope of eptance.


    "My God, it really is Billionaire Wang!"


    "I thought only Wang Xiaocong woulde, never expected Wang Dalin too¡ªhe and his son have joined forces."


    "Look quickly, Billionaire Wang seems to be walking over to where Xu Yang is."


    "My God, isn''t that Zhang Yimin from Byte Tread Company?!"


    "What do you mean ''it seems to be''¡ªit is!"


    "TikTok is from Byte Tread. I read the reports. Zhang Yimin was ranked in the top ten on thest Fortune list, bing as significant as Billionaire Wang and CEO Ma."


    "And there are others, that one looks like our city''s top tycoon Shen Wanpeng."


    "I may not recognize the others, but to be in theirpany, they must be on the same level."


    "My God, look, Xu Yang seems to be having a great time chatting with Billionaire Wang and Zhang Yimin."


    "It''s not ''seems to be'', they are clearly enjoying themselves."


    "Xu Yang being all chummy with these tycoons, just incredible!"


    "I thought Xu Yang being brothers with Wang Xiaocong and Jiang Yuheng was impressive enough, but who would''ve thought he''d get on so well with someone on Wang Xiaocong''s dad''s level."


    "Sister Yujuan, Xu Yang is literally a son-inw sent from heaven!"


    Liu Yujuan''s sisters chattered non-stop, filled with envy and jealousy.


    Envy was evident on their faces, while jealousy and resentment lingered in their hearts.

 Chapter 212: Chapter 212: All the Big Shots Toasting

    "That''s right, Xu Yang is truly a godsend son-inw! Who would have thought he''d been hiding his light under a bushel, even knowing top tycoons like the wealthiest man Zhang Yimin!" Liu Yujuan said with a triumphant smile, her face beaming with pride.


    This scene thoroughly satisfied her vanity.


    However, Liu Yujuan soon remembered Zhao Yulu had not gotten back together with Xu Yang.


    Zhao Yulu still harbored resistant feelings, so it seemed Liu Yujuan needed to figure out a way to dispel those feelings quickly and urge Zhao Yulu to seek out Xu Yang again as soon as possible.


    "So, that Mr. Xu is the owner of Fengcai Guild and Jiang''s Catch, and he''s your son-inw, Ms. Liu?" Lu Wei asked in surprise.


    "Exactly," Liu Yujuan immediately nodded in acknowledgment.


    "Ms. Liu, why don''t you go over and say hello?" Lu Wei asked again.


    Upon hearing this, Liu Yujuan''s expression stiffened slightly.


    Going over to greet him now, Xu Yang might not acknowledge her.


    That would be embarrassing.


    After thinking it over, Liu Yujuan said, "With Xu Yang meeting with so many important people right now, my greeting would interrupt him. Better not to go."


    The few friends knew the situation.


    Because Zhao Yulu had not gotten back together with Xu Yang, he wasn''t truly Liu Yujuan''s son-inw just yet.


    "Sister Juan is right, approaching him now would disrupt Xu Yang."


    "As a mother-inw, one should consider her son-inw''s situation."


    "Mr. Lu, Xu Yang is definitely discussing business with those tycoons. Going up to greet him is absolutely inappropriate; it could be seen as Ms. Juancking tact, and it might even affect the business Xu Yang is discussing with the tycoons."


    "That''s right, Mr. Lu, don''t go making rash suggestions."


    Li Fang and the others joined in to support the statement.


    "I was too brash, it really isn''t appropriate to approach him in this situation," Lu Wei said with an embarrassed smile.


    What Liu Yujuan and her friends said made sense, it wasn''t suitable to approach in such circumstances.


    Yet he still had his doubts.


    He felt that it wasn''t just a matter of it being inappropriate for Liu Yujuan to greet Xu Yang.


    There was some other reason.


    But he had no idea what it might be.


    Could it be that Liu Yujuan and Xu Yang were not on good terms?


    Very likely, otherwise why would Liu Yujuan arrive by taxi?


    A billionaire''s mother-inw would surely havee in a luxury car, at least.


    And he had noticed that Liu Yujuan was a person extremely fond of vanity.


    With such a son-inw, not traveling in a luxury car would be doing herself a disservice.


    But Liu Yujuan had not done so.


    At that moment, Xu Yang, who was chatting andughing with several big shots, noticed what was happening over here and saw Liu Yujuan.


    Xu Yang was a bit surprised; he had not expected to see Liu Yujuan here.


    "Sister Juan, it looks like Xu Yang saw you," Li Fang said.


    "I know," Liu Yujuan had already noticed and gave Xu Yang a smile.


    Unfortunately, Xu Yang, who had just been sharing a joke with the tycoons, instead reined in his smile.


    Zhao Yuxin didn''t like Liu Yujuan, her mother, and did not acknowledge Liu Yujuan as her mother; naturally, Xu Yang was not going to show Liu Yujuan any friendliness.


    This left Liu Yujuan feeling both awkward and irritated.


    She thought to herself, once you be my son-inw, I must make you give me more money!


    "Ms. Liu, Mr. Xu has noticed you; do you think he''lle over to greet you? If he doese over..."


    As Lu Wei was speaking, Xu Yang and the tycoons entered the restaurant.


    Lu Wei couldn''t continue his sentence.


    This only deepened Lu Wei''s doubts.


    Liu Yujuan''s refusal to go over and greet Xu Yang could be said to be out of consideration for not disturbing him.


    But when Xu Yang noticed Liu Yujuan and didn''te over to say hello, that seemed less justifiable.


    Plus, the look in Xu Yang''s eyes when he saw Liu Yujuan was a bit off.


    It didn''t carry the kindness and respect one would expect to see when looking at their mother-inw but rather a sort of indifference.


    It seemed the rtionship between Liu Yujuan and Xu Yang was quiteplex, at the very least not a good one.


    Otherwise, it definitely wouldn''t have happened.


    This is for the best.


    When he heard that Xu Yang was Liu Yujuan''s son-inw, he got a scare, thinking about deceiving Liu Yujuan out of her money and then fleeing¡ªthe risk was substantial.


    After all, for someone like Xu Yang, it would be quite easy to employ resources to find him.


    Now it seemed that Liu Yujuan''s rtionship with Xu Yang must not be good.


    So if he were to embezzle the funds and run away, Xu Yang probably wouldn''t help Liu Yujuan find him.


    With this thought, Lu Wei felt relieved. Seeing Xu Yang and the big shots had entered the restaurant, he called out, "Ms. Liu, your son-inw has already gone into that private kitchen restaurant with the bigwigs to dine, shall we go in?"


    "Alright," Liu Yujuan nodded, and followed Lu Wei into the restaurant with a few sisters.


    Once inside the restaurant''s private room, Lu Wei immediately went to get the contract.


    "Ms. Liu, please take a look at the contract. Let''s sign the contract before dining."


    "Okay, I''ll check it first." Liu Yujuan reviewed the contract.


    The contract was very simple, just a very straightforward loan agreement.


    Feeling that there was no problem, Liu Yujuan signed it directly.


    Then she transferred a million yuan to Lu Wei''s bank ount using her mobile phone.


    "Thank you, Ms. Liu, I will arrange for the dishes to be served immediately."


    Seeing the money had been transferred, Lu Wei was overjoyed.


    He put away the contract and immediately went out to order the dishes.


    On the other side, at the extraordinary private kitchen restaurant.


    Xu Yang and his group had entered arge private room and sat at arge round table.


    A server dressed in a cheongsam with a graceful figure immediately came over to pour tea for everyone.


    Gao Le''an was arranging the food and drinks.


    Before starting to eat, Shen Wanpeng spoke up, "Gentlemen, we are all sitting together today thanks to Mr. Xu, for it was he who gave us this opportunity. Let''s all toast to Mr. Xu. What do you think?"


    "Certainly."


    "I agree."


    "Shen is absolutely right, this first toast should indeed be to Mr. Xu."


    All the bigwigs echoed in agreement, lifting their sses and looking toward Xu Yang.


    Originally, Xu Yang was just a junior with a fortune of merely several tens of billions.


    Compared to big shots like Wang Dalin and Zhang Yimin, he was far behind.


    Having all these seniors toast to him really wasn''t appropriate.


    But as Shen Wanpeng said, it was precisely because of Xu Yang that everyone had gathered together.


    It was Xu Yang who provided them with the opportunity to invest in Hui''an Pharmaceuticals.


    Hui''an Pharmaceuticals was an important link in everyone''s ns for the pharmaceutical industry and the health industry.


    Otherwise, these bigwigs would have nevere for such a small investment.


    Based on this, toasting to Xu Yang together was reasonable.


    "All of you are my elders. Shen, when you say that, you really humiliate me," said Xu Yang with a rueful smile on his face.


    "Xu Yang, what''s this talk of being humiliated? It''s you who gave us this investment opportunity!" Shen Wanpeng said.


    "Indeed, Xiao Xu, there''s no need to be modest."


    Wang Dalin was very optimistic about Xu Yang''s future; Xu Yang had a good rtionship with his son.


    As long as it wasn''t too much, he would stand by Xu Yang''s side.


    All the more so for just a toast.


    "Mr. Xu, Shen and Mr. Wang are right, just drink." Zhang Yimin joined in to persuade.


    "Xiao Xu, stop refusing. Drink up, so we can all enjoy our meal. The dishes are all here, and I''m salivating already. You can''t just let us sit here drooling," Jiang Dahai, Jiang Yuheng''s father, urged.


    He, too, was very optimistic about Xu Yang and had instructed Jiang Yuheng to get close to him.


    Moreover, Jiang Yuheng had already invested in Haido.


    In other respects, he had also followed Xu Yang''s investments and had made quite a bit.


    Because of his son''s rtionship, he, like Wang Dalin, also called Xu Yang "Xiao Xu."

 Chapter 213: Chapter 213: A New Investment Project

    "President Xu, don''t keep refusing, just drink the wine,"


    "President Xu, if you don''t drink, are you trying to starve this old man?"


    "President Xu, cheers!"


    The other magnates all spoke up, urging him on.


    "Alright," Xu Yang, having no choice, raised his ss in response.


    "Cheers!"


    Everyone clinked sses, drank their wine, and then started eating.


    "Hmm, this braised fish is good, definitely the best braised fish I''ve ever had."


    "President Shen, the ce you brought us to didn''t disappoint us at all."


    "Next time Ie to Jiangcheng, I''ll just eat here."


    Everyone who had tasted the dishes couldn''t stop singing their praises.


    The meal, filled with conversation,sted for over an hour.


    After eating, people were having tea when Xu Yang and Wang Xiaocong went to the restroom together.


    On their way back, Wang Xiaocong asked, "Old Xu, have youe across any investable projects recently?"


    Xu Yang was about to say no when suddenly, a system notification sounded in his head.


    [Ding! Shengda Literature, valued at six billion, is poised for major growth. Popr novels are being adapted into films and games, which will lead to an explosive increase, and thepany''s profits will surge significantly!]


    Shengda Literature!


    Xu Yang''s eyes lit up.


    Ordinarily, he also read some online novels and knew that Shengda Literature dominated the online novel industry.


    The leading literature website, Qidian Literature, was under Shengda Literature, among many other websites.


    Six billion was sufficient for an acquisition.


    At present, Xu Yang''spany''s profits were mainly from Fengcai Guild and Pioneer Culture.


    Fengcai Guild had a profit of over a hundred million every month.


    Pioneer Culture''s cash flow was even more impressive, exceeding tens of billions.


    They also had many rights in negotiation with various film and TV websites.


    Taking out six billion to acquire Shengda Literature was entirely without pressure.


    As for Jiang Bottom Fishing, the business was booming, but they couldn''t spare much for expansion.


    However, Xu Yang didn''t n to invest alone.


    His foundation wasn''t solid enough yet, and if anything happened, it would be troublesome to resolve on his own.


    If Wang Xiaocong joined in, it would be different.


    With this in mind, Xu Yang smiled and said, "Actually, Old Wang, there is one."


    Wang Xiaocong''s spirits lifted, "Really? Do tell!"


    He had just asked casually and hadn''t expected there really to be one.


    He had no doubts about Xu Yang''s judgement.


    After all, he had already enjoyed the sweet fruits of it.


    Any project Xu Yang was interested in was definitely worth investing in.


    "Shengda Literature," Xu Yang said.


    "Shengda Literature?" Wang Xiaocong frowned, "You mean the sales prices of online novels'' rights are going to rise, right?"


    "Yes," Xu Yang nodded.


    "Butst time we followed your advice and acquired some online novel rights, the value didn''t seem to rise much," Wang Xiaocong said.


    After thest rights acquisition, he, Jiang Yuheng, and Su Wenbin had been actively acquiring various cultural work rights.


    They covered film and TV works, games, variety shows, sports events, music, and literary works, including online novels.


    However, the value of the literary works rights hadn''t risen much.


    "I know, but I believe it''s only temporary. Think about it, the number of people reading online novels is increasing," Xu Yang exined.


    "Those highly popr novels have terrifying readership numbers, starting in the tens of millions."


    "We can predict that in the future, this trend will only grow more intense, with more and more people reading online novels."


    "Compared to other entertainment methods, reading online novels is the most cost-effective leisure activity."


    "That''s just one aspect. Many popr novels will be adapted into TV shows, animations, and some even turned into games."


    "I personally am very optimistic about the future of online novels and feel it''s a very worthy investment," he continued.


    "There are two ways to invest in this area: starting a new online novel website or directly acquiring an online literaturepany."


    "The former requires a lot of manpower, material, and financial resources, and it''s not guaranteed to grow strong."


    "The most secure method is thetter, to directly acquire a capable online literaturepany. Personally, I''m in favor of Shengda Literature," Xu Yang outlined his findings.


    Speaking convincingly, Xu Yang got Wang Xiaocong nodding along.


    "I know about Shengda Literature, and I do read some online novels, but I don''t really understand the specifics. Tell me more," Wang Xiaocong said.


    "Qidian Literature is thergest online novel website in the country, and it belongs to Shengda Literature," Xu Yang exined.


    "Really? I had no idea," Wang Xiaocong was surprised.


    He had the Qidian app downloaded on his phone.


    But whether it belonged to Shengda Literature, he truly had no clue.


    "Yes," Xu Yang nodded, "In fact, not only Qidian, but many other novel websites are also under Shengda Literature, such as Da Jiang Novels, Hong Xiang Novels, and so on. Most of the popr online novels originate from Shengda Literature," he continued.


    Xu Yang shared what he knew, information he had learned while researching online novels during his university days.


    "That makes Shengda Literature indeed impressive. How much is the acquisition?" Wang Xiaocong inquired.


    "Six billion," Xu Yang gestured with his hand.


    "Yikes... that''s a lot!" Even for someone with Wang Xiaocong''s wealth and temperament, he couldn''t help but take a sharp breath.


    If it was a few billion, he would have invested right away, without any pressure.


    But an investment of tens of billions was beyond his financial reach.


    He would have to report it to his father.


    Though the Wan Da Group had money to spare, it was a heavy-asset enterprise with limited liquid funds on the books.


    Toe up with that much money all at once would give his father a headache and would need some time.


    "That''s the price for a full acquisition, right?" Wang Xiaocong continued to inquire.


    "Yes, that''s the price for a full acquisition. Here''s what I''m thinking: if we''re going to acquire, let''s go for a full acquisition. How about we team up to buy Shengda Literature? What do you think?" Xu Yang proposed.


    "If we''re teaming up, I don''t really have that much money. I need to ask my dad to see if he''s interested," Wang Xiaocong replied.


    "No problem, you discuss it with your dad first. There''s no rush. Though it shouldn''t take too long either¡ªI''m nning to start talking about the acquisition in the next few days," Xu Yang advised.


    "Okay, after we leave, I''ll discuss it with my dad and give you an answer as quickly as possible," Wang Xiaocong nodded.


    The two returned to the private room, where the bigwigs chatted a bit more before dispersing.


    The owner of the Ultimate Private Kitchen, Gao Lean, personally saw everyone out the door and didn''t go back inside until their cars were out of sight.


    Today''s reception was sure to boost the restaurant''s reputation even further amongst the wealthy circle.


    After all, it was the private kitchen where wealthy magnates like Wang Xiaocong and Zhang Yimin had dined.

 Chapter 214: Chapter 214 Youve Been Deceived

    ```


    In the Bentley.


    Wang Dalin and his son were seated in the back.


    Wang Xiaocong mentioned Xu Yang''s wish to acquire Shengda Literature, emphasizing Xu Yang''s perspective, before asking, "Dad, what do you think? Is it worth investing in?"


    Wang Dalin was silent for a long time before he sighed, "This Xu Yang is truly remarkable. He has actually seen this opportunity."


    Wang Xiaocong''s eyes lit up, "Dad, do you mean it''s worth the investment?"


    Wang Dalin nodded, "Absolutely worth investing in. I''ve been looking for ways to improve the upstream construction of Wandai Film and Television, and I hadn''te up with any effective methods. Acquiring Shengda Literature would perfectly fill this gap. You know, nowadays many screenwriters write such a mess of TV drama scripts. There are hardly any excellent works in the entire industry.


    By adapting those popr online novels, there''s no issue at all, and those popr online novels naturallye with a fan base. As long as they are adapted, half the sess is already there."


    Wang Xiaocong nodded repeatedly, "Okay, I''ll join him in taking down Shengda Literature."


    The father and son discussed it further, and when they returned to the hotel, Wang Xiaocong called Xu Yang.


    The call was quickly answered.


    "Old Wang," Xu Yang had just returned to thepany.


    "Xu Yang, I just talked with my dad, and he says you''re incredible for discovering this investment opportunity. It''s definitely worth investing in, and my dad will put up the money to join you in the acquisition of Shengda Literature."


    "My dad says this acquisition is up to you. After you''ve considered it, just let me know how much money I need toe up with and what share I will get. My dad will actively reallocate funds. Once the funds are in ce, we can proceed with the acquisition."


    Wang Xiaocong was somewhat excited, sensing a huge return on investment in the future.


    "Okay, stay in Jiang City for the next few days. Once I have everything figured out, we''ll go to Shengda Literature to negotiate together," Xu Yang said.


    "I''m still not influential enough; with your participation, we won''t be too passive in negotiations and prevent Shengda Literature from raising their price too much," Xu Yang felt that bringing Wang Xiaocong into the negotiations was definitely a major advantage.


    He did not want Shengda Literature to underestimate him if he went alone.


    Despite having some strength, his depth was still insufficient.


    With Wang Xiaocong there, Shengda Literature would presumably not dare to quote an exorbitant price.


    "No problem. I don''t have anything significant to deal with. Whether I return to the capital or not doesn''t matter. I''ll stay in Jiang City; it''s like a vacation. Once you have things ready, let me know, and we''ll negotiate together," Wang Xiaocong readily agreed.


    "Alright," Xu Yang nodded.


    After chatting a few more sentences, they ended the call.


    Putting down the phone, Xu Yang pondered carefully.


    What would be a suitable share to offer to Wang Xiaocong?


    In the evening, after returning home.


    After having dinner with Zhao Yuxin, Xu Yang shared the matter with her.


    She was aware of every investment he made.


    Xu Yang had nothing to hide from Zhao Yuxin.


    "Husband, I support you, I believe in you. As long as you think the investment is viable, it''s certain to be profitable," Zhao Yuxin truly had unconditional trust in Xu Yang.


    "Thanks, my dear wife. It''s great to have you. With you, I''ve achieved what I have today," Xu Yang held Zhao Yuxin in his arms.


    "Husband, your achievements today are all due to your own efforts, they have nothing to do with me," Zhao Yuxin didn''t think Xu Yang''s sess was rted to her.


    "No, it does rte to you. Haven''t you noticed? Since we''ve been together, whatever I do seems to go smoothly. Whether it''s investments or anything else, I always make money. Without you, I couldn''t have achieved such sess," Xu Yang spoke the truth.


    It was only after being with Zhao Yuxin that he had the system, and with the system, he was able to get to where he is now.


    Without being with Zhao Yuxin, without the system, he would not be able to achieve what he had now.


    ```


    The person who deserves the most thanks is Zhao Yuxin.


    "Honey, hearing you say that, it does seem true, hee hee, I''m so happy," Zhao Yuxin felt a sweet delight inside her.


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, Zhao Yulu returned home.


    "You''re back, hungry, right? Go wash your hands and eat, I just finished cooking," Liu Yujuan brought a dish out from the kitchen to the dining table.


    "I really am hungry." Zhao Yulu set down her bag, went into the kitchen to wash her hands, then came out to sit at the dining table.


    She noticed that Liu Yujuan had prepared five dishes and a soup.


    Braised fish, mushroom chicken, lion''s head meatballs, braised shrimp in oil, one vegetable dish, and the soup was winter melon pork rib soup.


    "Mom, why did you cook so much?" Zhao Yulu filled a bowl with soup, took a sip, and then asked.


    Usually, it was just the two of them, mother and daughter, and they would only make two meat dishes and one vegetable, and it wasn''t certain whether there would be soup or not.


    Sometimes there was, sometimes not.


    But today, with so many dishes and winter melon pork rib soup, it was a bit unusual.


    "There''s good news today, so I made a bit more," Liu Yujuan also filled a bowl with soup and began to drink.


    "What good news?" Zhao Yulu asked curiously.


    "Let''s eat first, we can talk after we''re done," Liu Yujuan said with a smile.


    Half an hourter, after finishing the meal, Liu Yujuan cleaned up the dishes.


    The mother and daughter sat on the sofa.


    "Mom, what''s the good news?" asked Zhao Yulu.


    "Today, your mom made an investment, one with a high annual return of fifty percent..." Liu Yujuan exined how she had loaned money to Lu Wei, looking very proud, "A return of five hundred thousand a year, that''sparable to a smallpany''s senior manager. I''m impressive, aren''t I?"


    "An annual return of fifty percent, how is that possible? You must have been scammed!" Zhao Yulu didn''t believe lending some money could yield a fifty percent return.


    That was definitely impossible, the boss had to be a fraudster.


    "How could I be scammed? We signed a contract, and I looked over it carefully, there''s no problem with it. Plus, all my friends have loaned money too. We''re all shrewd people; how could we be scammed?" Liu Yujuan was slightly upset.


    She was boasting about her wise decision, an investment with extraordinary returns.


    But upon hearing it, Zhao Yulu immediately said she had been scammed. How could she be happy?


    "Mom, all of you have been scammed. It can''t possibly yield such a high return. Besides, he runs a restaurant; he must have quite a bit of money. And even if he doesn''t have cash, he could mortgage his house or car. It doesn''t make sense that he''d need to borrow even renovation money," Zhao Yulu still believed her mother had been scammed.


    "Do you think I hadn''t thought of that? He does have money, but it''s all in stocks, and he''s currently stuck, not wanting to sell at a loss. His house is already mortgaged, but it''s still not enough, so he wants to borrow a little. Otherwise, we wouldn''t have such an investment opportunity," Liu Yujuan said.


    "I still think it''s unreliable," shook her head Zhao Yulu.


    "Don''t worry, when I get five hundred thousand a year from now, you''ll see if I''m reliable or not," Liu Yujuan was not worried at all.


    "I think you should still ask your friends to get the money back. He must be a scammer. If he runs off with the money, you''ll have nowhere to cry," Zhao Yulu said.


    "You''re just worrying needlessly. How could the boss run away? His restaurant is doing well, and I made some discreet inquiries. He''s been running it for over ten years, had good business before, and wouldn''t scam people over such a small amount of money," Liu Yujuan stood firm in her belief.


    "Okay, if you want to believe, then believe," Zhao Yulu knew her mother''s temperament and didn''t want to argue further.


    "By the way, guess who I saw today?" Seeing that her daughter kept suggesting she might be scammed, Liu Yujuan wanted to change the subject.


    This was also the most important thing Liu Yujuan wanted to discuss with Zhao Yulu.


    Only if Zhao Yulu and Xu Yang got back together, could she truly be Xu Yang''s mother-inw.

 Chapter 215: Chapter 215: Inciting Again

    "Who is it?" Zhao Yulu asked.


    "Xu Yang." Liu Yujuan seemed very excited.


    "What''s so curious about seeing him? Why are you so excited?" Zhao Yulu was somewhat speechless.


    "Just listen to me, the people he was with today were no ordinary folks." Liu Yujuan said.


    "What''s so extraordinary about them?" Zhao Yulu asked again.


    "Guess who he was with today." Liu Yujuan suddenly said with a mysterious air.


    Zhao Yulu rolled her eyes and didn''t even feel like speaking.


    Who could guess?


    Liu Yujuan naturally knew what her daughter''s look meant and couldn''t help butugh. "You''d never guess. Even I was startled when I saw them. He was actually with Wang Xiaocong''s dad, the tycoon Wang Dalin, chatting andughing away.


    The tycoon Wang Dalin!


    "What!" Zhao Yulu was hugely surprised.


    Originally, Xu Yang being brotherly with Wang Xiaocong was surprising enough for her.


    Then, when she learned that Pioneer Culture was owned by Xu Yang, and Xu Yang was already a multi-billionaire, shepletely understood.


    But when it came to Xu Yang''s level, there was still a huge gap between him and Wang Xiaocong''s father, Wang Dalin.


    After all, Wang Dalin was once the top-ranked rich lister, one of the country''s most elite business magnates.


    With Xu Yang''s aplishments, he couldn''t possibly be at that level, right?


    So how was he chatting andughing with Wang Dalin?


    This was truly hard for her to believe.


    "You''re surprised too, aren''t you?" Liu Yujuan said. "I''ll tell you more, there wasn''t only Wang Dalin with him today, there were other tycoons of the same caliber."


    Zhao Yulu urgently asked, "Who else was there? Could it be the two Mr. Mas?"


    Liu Yujuan smiled and shook her head. "No."


    "Not them?" Zhao Yulu said, puzzled. "Apart from them, there seems to be no one else on the same level as Wang Dalin in the business world, right?"


    Liu Yujuan smiled and said, "Who says there''s no one else? Think again, there are others."


    Zhao Yulu thought for a moment and said, "Could it be Lei Jun?"


    Lei Jun''s Rice Phones, onceunched, rapidly swept the market, and have now be a giant in the industry.


    In recent years, the Rice Group has expanded into many fields.


    Lei Jun had be an elite figure, on the same level as Wang Dalin and the two Mr. Mas.


    "No," Liu Yujuan still shook her head.


    "Not him either?" Zhao Yulu frowned. "Then I have no clue. Oh, stop making me guess. Just tell me, who is it?"


    Liu Yujuan stopped beating around the bush and named the person: "It''s Zhang Yimin."


    "Him!" Zhao Yulu suddenly realized.


    Zhang Yimin''s Byte Trekpany was indeed powerful, and its Fight Sound app had taken the world by storm.


    Zhang Yimin had be a business magnate just like Wang Dalin, the two Mr. Mas, and Lei Jun.


    "Just look, Xu Yang''s connections have reached the very top of the business world. With such achievements, there''s probably no one among his peers who can match him," Liu Yujuan sighed.


    "Indeed." Zhao Yulu nodded in agreement.


    "Don''t you have anything else you want to say?" Liu Yujuan asked.


    "Say what?" Zhao Yulu was at a loss.


    "Get back together with Xu Yang," Liu Yujuan said with a look of frustration.


    "Mom, I''ve told you, Xu Yang doesn''t have feelings for me anymore. He''s in love with Yu Xin. I''m begging you, please don''t talk to me about this any longer, okay?" Zhao Yulu was somewhat irritated.


    The more sessful Xu Yang became, the more she regretted it.


    If she hadn''t broken up with Xu Yang, her life now would be unimaginably good, making countless people envious.


    She would have been embraced willingly by those who epitomize "white, rich, and beautiful."


    Moreover, she would have been among the most elite in the circle of the white, rich, and beautiful.


    Unfortunately, having split up with Xu Yang, all of that was no longer destined for her.


    "Yu Lu, I''ve told you countless times, yourst encounter with Xu Yang was just him testing you. There was absolutely no need for you to take it to heart."


    "Listen to your mother, contact Xu Yang again, see him one more time, and I guarantee he will reconcile with you."


    "Think about it, Xu Yang can now converse with tycoons like Wang Dalin and Zhang Yimin. It''s possible for him to be not just China''s richest man but also the richest man in the world."


    "Can you really give up on such a man? Are you willing to do that? Are you content?"


    "And think about this; after breaking up with you, Xu Yang immediately got a marriage certificate with Yu Xin. Would he really fall in love with her?"


    "I''ll tell you, from my understanding of men, that''s absolutely impossible."


    "Xu Yang''s heart only has you in it, just waiting for you toe back to him. Just listen to me, call him, get in touch with him."


    "As long as you get back together with Xu Yang, you can live the life of a wealthydy, having whatever you desire without the need to work."


    Liu Yujuan spared no effort to persuade Zhao Yulu.


    Indeed, if Zhao Yulu reconciled with Xu Yang, she would be living the life of a wealthydy.


    There was no doubt about it.


    Even more importantly, she would be Xu Yang''s mother-inw.


    Then, she could have whatever she wanted as well.


    "Mom, I don''t want to hear this. What you''re saying is just what you think; the reality isn''t like that at all. Remember how you guaranteedst time? I went to see him, and how did it turn out?" Zhao Yulu remained unmoved.


    The scene from herst meeting with Xu Yang was clear in her memory.


    Xu Yang was neither cold nor warm to her, but unimaginably calm.


    This calmness implied Xu Yang no longer held her in his heart.


    Unless, Xu Yang''s calmness was an act.


    But she did not believe so, for why would Xu Yang need to pretend?


    "Last time wasst time, this time is this time. If you go, you''ll know if what I''m saying is true. I can guarantee that if you go this time, you will definitely achieve the result I have mentioned," Liu Yujuan said.


    "You guarantee? What can you guarantee with? If I don''t get the oue you mentioned, what can I possibly do to you?" Zhao Yulu replied with a coldugh.


    "I..." Liu Yujuan opened her mouth but didn''t know how to respond.


    She had just been trying to encourage Zhao Yulu to meet Xu Yang again by making those statements.


    "Speechless now? You should refrain from deceiving me with those words in the future, and I urge you to face reality. Xu Yang''s aplishments have nothing to do with us anymore. You might as well give up on the idea of us reconciling," Zhao Yulu said.


    "You..." Liu Yujuan was so angry she was practically steaming, wishing she could meet Xu Yang in Zhao Yulu''s ce.


    Without Zhao Yulu going, without reconciling with Xu Yang, what would be of her own future?


    "Mom, stop talking about this. Instead of spending your time on this, think about yourself. The one million you lent out is definitely a scam. I suggest you demand it back; otherwise, you''ll surely lose it," Zhao Yulu brought up this topic again, reminding Liu Yujuan.


    "Don''t talk about that. I can''t be scammed," Liu Yujuan''s expression darkened.


    "Suit yourself then. It''s your money, and even if you had it, it wouldn''t concern me. Besides, I still suggest you stop hanging out with your friends all day. You probably don''t have much money left. It might be best to find a job, otherwise, in a short while, we won''t even be able to afford a ce like this. That''s it, I''m tired, I''m going to take a shower and sleep," Zhao Yulu said.


    After speaking her mind, Zhao Yulu did not allow Liu Yujuan to say more and went to take a shower.


    "Expecting me to find a job? As the mother-inw of a billionaire, how could I possibly work again? Seems like I need to find another way to make you meet Xu Yang," Liu Yujuan thought to herself, her face darkening as she watched Zhao Yulu go to bathe. After calming down, she began to think of ways to persuade Zhao Yulu to meet Xu Yang and reconcile with him.

 Chapter 216: Chapter 216 Opportunity

    Morning.


    Penguin Investments.


    The office of General Manager Han Jun.


    Han Jun was sitting at his desk, looking through documents.


    These documents had just been sent over by his assistant.


    They contained information about variouspanies from different industries.


    Thesepanies had been vetted and deemed worthy of investment by the research department after on-site inspections.


    The final decision on whichpanies to invest iny with him, the General Manager, to approve.


    Backed by the Penguin Group, Penguin Investments could be described as financially robust.


    However, they were very cautious with every investment.


    Initially, Han Jun wanted to invest in Hui''an Pharmaceuticals.


    Yet Xu Yang, who had the authority to allocate investment funds, didn''t give him any face, nor any share of the investment, which greatly annoyed him.


    Because of this, he was reprimanded by President Ma.


    He was told that failing to acquire Hui''an Pharmaceuticals had affected the group''syout in the medicine and health industry.


    President Ma ordered him to continue looking forpanies in the pharmaceutical industry.


    But finding apany like Hui''an Pharmaceuticals was nearly impossible, so he could only instruct his subordinates to keep looking.


    This matter wouldn''t be resolved quickly.


    The list ofpanies was finalized after two months of research and did not include any from the pharmaceutical industry.


    Han Jun meticulously reviewed the information of eachpany.


    Investment rationales were provided; all that was needed was for him, Han Jun, to give the green light.


    After more than an hour, Han Jun hadn''t found anypany worth investing in.


    It wasn''t that thesepanies were bad.


    After all, they had been rigorously researched by the research department and had a high likelihood of making money; the question was just how much they would earn.


    But Han Jun was dissatisfied, feeling that thesepanies, both in terms of their current scale and future growth potential, weren''t good enough to meet his expectations.


    Investing in thesepanies really wasn''t necessary.


    He wanted to invest inpanies that had a significant say in their industry or that had the potential to be industry leaders in the future.


    Suchpanies were what he considered truly worthy of investment.


    Having looked through the documents for over an hour, Han Jun was a bit tired, so he had his assistant bring him a cup of coffee.


    After resting for over twenty minutes with a coffee, Han Jun continued to review the materials.


    Soon, his eyes lit up.


    He finally found a high-qualitypany worth investing in.


    Thispany was named Shengda Literature.


    Shengda Literature was the overlord of online novel websites, with seventy-five percent of the market''s popr novels originating from its tforms.


    No otherpany could shake the status of Shengda Literature.


    In recent years, online novels experienced explosive growth, giving rise to numerous popr works, some even topping the trending searches and bing hot topics of conversation nationwide.


    Out of all forms of entertainment, reading novels is the most affordable.


    A novel with millions of words could keep one upied for a long time and wouldn''t cost much.


    Unlike watching movies or ying games, where a movie ticket costs dozens of yuan for just two hours, and gaming also requires quite a bit of spending.


    Therefore, more and more people are turning to reading novels, which appeal to a broad audience including the old, middle-aged, young, and kids.


    The National Copyright Administration''s action in rectifying copyright has caused the prices of copyrights for films, music, and other forms to skyrocket; yet the price of literary copyrights has not seen much movement.


    In the areas of film, gaming, and music copyrights, Xu Yang''s Pioneer Culture and Wang Xiaocong''spany had secured arge share.


    For many years toe, these twopanies would dictate the market dynamics of film, gaming, and music copyrights, and no one would be able to do anything about it.


    Penguin Film and Penguin Video will be greatly restricted in this regard.


    It is said that the general managers of bothpanies were scolded by Mr. Ma.


    If they had invested in Shengda Literature, adapting those popr online novels into movies, animations, and games would have allowed Penguin Film and Penguin Video to form a newpetitive edge.


    Those popr online novels naturallye with a vast fan base, ensuring that any adaptation, whether into movies, games, or animations, would attract immense attention.


    Penguin Film and Penguin Video would substantially reduce their demand for existing film and television works.


    It could even potentially affect the group''syout in the entertainment sector.


    The return on investment for Shengda Literature would be absolutely high; we must invest.


    We shouldn''t just limit ourselves to investing for a stake, but should aim for a full acquisition; this time we''ll make a big move.


    The more Han Jun thought about it, the more excited he became and immediately began to take action.


    With a market value of only six billion, he could make the decision himself.


    Meanwhile.


    Xu Yang came to Yang Xin Investment, told Ma Yangrong about the acquisition of Shengda Literature, and provided the details, asking Ma Yangrong to contact Shengda Literature.


    After busying himself with these matters, he took a break and drank tea in the office.


    Soon after, a call came in.


    "President Zhang," Xu Yang answered the phone.


    The caller was Zhang Qiuxue from Qianjiao Cosmetics Company.


    Since acquiring Qianjiao Company, there had been little contact between the two parties.


    Thest time they had contact was when Qianjiao Company had its first live broadcast special on Fengcai Guild, with sales exceeding a hundred million, and Zhang Qiuxue called to express her thanks.


    After that, there was no further contact.


    "Mr. Xu, I hope my call hasn''t disturbed you," said Zhang Qiuxue.


    "Not at all, what can I do for you?" Xu Yang replied with a smile.


    "Mr. Xu, here''s the thing: Yonghui Supermarket is currently selecting cosmetic brands for in-store presence, and I think this is an opportunity for us. I want to register andpete to be one of the cosmetic brands featured in Yonghui Supermarket. It would greatly boost Qianjiao Company," Zhang Qiuxue exined.


    Yonghui Supermarket is thergest national chain supermarket in Huaxia, and it purchases daily necessities products directly from suppliers.


    However, for cosmetic and skincare brands, it doesn''t purchase the goods but rather allows them to open in-store, as a cooperative approach.


    Being a leader in the domestic retail industry, Yonghui Supermarket has very strict criteria for cosmetic brands to be featured in its stores.


    If a cosmetic brand were to be featured, it would serve as a showcase window, significantly enhancing brand recognition.


    Currently, the sales of cosmetics and skincare products are mostly online.


    Online sales have much lower costs than offline sales.


    This is mainly because there are no expenses for rent,bor, and utilities.


    But cosmetic brands must maintain their offline sales channels.


    Physical stores are an important way to disy a brand.


    A cosmetic brand, no matter how popr its online sales are, will not be considered substantial without brick-and-mortar stores.


    After-sales service is a huge issue to begin with.


    Although after-sales services can be managed online, time is a big issue.


    Moreover, physical stores allow customers to try samples, participate in various activities, and so on.


    Newly established cosmetic brands may start with online sales, considering the lower costs.


    But as they grow, they must expand their offline channels; otherwise, it''s difficult to scale and strengthen the brand.


    Thanks to the investment from Xu Yang and others, Qianjiao Cosmetics Company has seen major development.


    Zhang Qiuxue has been considering this area of expansion.


    In this regard, there are mainly two forms.


    The first is to open one''s own stores or to adopt a franchising model.

 Chapter 217: 217: The Big Shot Calls

    Opening a self-operated store involves a significant investment.


    Rent,bor, water, and electricity are very substantial expenses.


    Franchising, on the other hand, can save on these costs and even bring in franchise fees.


    It also allows a brand to quickly spread across major cities nationwide in a short period.


    But there''s a downside to choosing franchising.


    That is, the brand has very little control over franchisees.


    If franchisees, for their own benefit, disregard the interests of the brand and do something undesirable, the brand''s image will be damaged.


    If you open self-operated stores, however, this problem can be avoided. Discover the mystery at m,vl_em|p_yr


    Haido adopts the self-operated store model.


    Self-operated stores allow for control over all major outlets.


    Haido became popr because of its extreme customer service.


    If franchising were used, the service provided by franchise stores would be hard to guarantee.


    Once the service declines, it ultimately affects Haido.


    The second option is to enterrge-scale supermarkets.


    Supermarkets inherently have traffic, and it''s significant traffic at that.


    Many beauty brands like to cooperate with supermarkets.


    The more famous the supermarket, the more popr it is with beauty brands.


    Being able to enter a well-known supermarket signifies the strength of a brand.


    It not only has the effect of advertising but also enhances the brand image.


    Yonghui Supermarket is a leader in the retail industry, and countless beauty brands want to partner with Yonghui Supermarket.


    "Director Zhang, just apply for it. Like I said, I don''t manage thepany''s operations," said Xu Yang.


    "President Xu, as you know, our Qianjiao Company is at most a second-tier beauty brand. Although the quality is assured, and I can guarantee that, our visibility isn''t high enough. Yonghui Supermarket is very strict about the beauty brands it admits; our chances are slim," Zhang Qiuxue exined.


    "So, your call is..." Xu Yang was somewhat confused about Zhang Qiuxue''s intentions.


    Zhang Qiuxue said joining the supermarket would be beneficial for thepany, but now she also mentioned that the opportunity to do so was slim.


    Xu Yang really didn''t understand why Zhang Qiuxue was telling him all this.


    "President Xu, I know you have extensive connections. Even Wang Xiaocong is on brotherly terms with you. Just yesterday, someone saw you together with the wealthy Wang and Zhang Yimin. I was wondering if you know the head of Yonghui Supermarket, Zhang Songxuan? If you do, could you help us get Qianjiao Company an opportunity there?" Zhang Qiuxue finally got to the point.


    Pictures of Xu Yang having a lively conversation with the wealthy Wang and Zhang Yimin were taken yesterday and uploaded online, causing quite a stir.


    Many people were curious as to who Xu Yang was.


    Zhang Qiuxue saw this news today.


    If before, when Xu Yang and Wang Xiaocong were close, Zhang Qiuxue didn''t consider asking Xu Yang for help.


    After all, no matter how you put it, Wang Xiaocong was just a junior, and the gap between him and a tycoon like the boss of Yonghui Supermarket was too significant.


    It was highly unlikely for Xu Yang to know the head of Yonghui Supermarket.


    But having seen the news of Xu Yang chatting happily with the wealthy Wang Zhang Yimin, Zhang Qiuxue thought it might be possible for Xu Yang to know the head of Yonghui Supermarket.


    So, she made the call to ask.


    "Director Zhang, I don''t know the head of Yonghui Supermarket and cannot help you," Xu Yang said with a wry smile.


    "You don''t know him, huh." Zhang Qiuxue sounded somewhat disappointed.


    Not knowing him, she didn''t have much confidence in securing the eligibility to enter Yonghui Supermarket.


    "Director Zhang, I''ll ask Wang Xiaocong and see if he knows him. If he does, I''ll see if he canmunicate with the head of Yonghui Supermarket to help us out. Although I met and had dinner with the wealthy Wang and others yesterday, approaching someone like him directly for help still seems a bit inappropriate."


    After all, since Qianjiao Company is a business I''ve invested in and own a twenty percent stake in, I hope to see it thrive. Offering a helping hand where appropriate isn''t a problem.


    After all, the better Qianjiao Company does, the higher my return will be in the future.


    "Thank you, President Xu," Zhang Qiuxue expressed her gratitude.


    "No need to be so formal; I don''t even know if I can be of any help. If I can''t, I hope you''ll understand, President Zhang."


    Xu Yang had given Zhang Qiuxue a heads-up to prevent her from getting her hopes up too high, lest she be utterly disappointed if he couldn''t be of any assistance, which would not be good for either of them.


    "President Xu, I understand. There''s no question of understanding or not. I''m already very grateful that you can help," said Zhang Qiuxue.


    "Alright, I''ll make some contacts now and get back to you with any news, good or bad," Xu Yang said.


    "Okay, thank you, President Xu," Zhang Qiuxue thanked once again.


    After ending the call, Xu Yang thought for a moment and was about to call Wang Xiaocong.


    But before he could dial out, his phone started ringing with a call from an unfamiliar number.


    "Hello," Xu Yang answered the phone.


    "Hello, President Xu, this is Zhang Songxuan from Yonghui Superstore," the caller introduced himself.


    Zhang Songxuan!


    He had just been discussing Zhang Songxuan with Zhang Qiuxue and was nning to call Wang Xiaocong to see if she knew Zhang Songxuan.


    Unexpectedly, Zhang Songxuan himself had phoned him.


    What could Zhang Songxuan want from him?


    With this thought, Xu Yang asked with a smile, "President Zhang, I''ve heard of your great name. May I know why you''re calling me?"


    Zhang Songxuan said, "President Xu, I''m actually a resident of Century Garden as well. I was abroad during thest homeowner''s gathering and couldn''t attend. I heard about you from the property manager and wanted to meet you in person, to get acquainted. I wondered if you might be free for dinner tonight?"


    Xu Yangughed and replied, "If President Zhang is inviting me to dinner, even if I don''t have the time, I''ll have to make time."


    It was natural to show courtesy when someone of Zhang Songxuan''s stature extends an invitation to dinner.


    Especially now, with the Qianjiao Company matter at hand, he had to ept.


    This would be a good opportunity to meet and talk with the magnate directly.


    Zhang Songxuan chuckled, "Then, President Xu, I''ll send you the details of our meeting time and ceter."


    "That''s fine by me; I''ll be there on time," Xu Yang said.


    After ending the call,


    Xu Yang stroked his chin and couldn''t help but smile.


    He hadn''t expected Zhang Songxuan to be a resident of Century Garden.


    And even less so that such a big-shot would reach out to him for a meal.


    Of course, Xu Yang didn''t believe that the invitation was just to get acquainted. Hardly ever would such a tycoon invite someone to dinner for such a simple reason.


    There must be something else.


    As for what it could be, Xu Yang couldn''t guess.


    No matter, having something to discuss was better; it would be the perfect chance to bring up the suggestion of Qianjiao Company moving into the Yonghui Superstore.


    Soon enough, he received a message from Zhang Songxuan.


    It was the time and ce for dinner.


    The time was set for six-thirty in the evening.


    The venue was familiar to Xu Yang; it was the same Exquisite Private Kitchen where he had dined with the tycoons just yesterday.


    It seemed that this private kitchen must be a favorite among the tycoons.


    He wondered if it was Shen Wanpeng who had rmended it.


    A whimsical thought suddenly crossed Xu Yang''s mind.


    Shaking his head, Xu Yang dismissed the unrted thoughts and dialed Zhang Qiuxue''s number.


    The call connected quickly.


    "President Xu, how did it go?" Zhang Qiuxue''s voice was filled with anticipation.

 Chapter 218: 218: Meeting

    "President Zhang, today''s event is quite a coincidence. I had just hung up your call when Zhang Songxuan, the owner of Yonghui Supermarket, called me. He asked me out for dinner tonight. I''ll talk to him about it this evening," Xu Yang said.


    "What, Zhang Songxuan personally called you for a dinner invitation?!" Zhang Qiuxue was incredibly shocked.


    It must be known that Zhang Songxuan is undeniably a business magnate, only slightly below the level of tycoons like Wang the billionaire.


    He is much more powerful than Xu Yang, at least for now.


    Such a magnate personally called Xu Yang and invited him to dinner.


    It seems that Xu Yang is even more formidable than she had imagined.


    "President Zhang, there''s no need to be so shocked. Regardless, I will bring up the issue you mentioned tonight, and I will inform you of the oue, whatever it may be," Xu Yang said.


    "Okay, President Xu, I trust you," Zhang Qiuxue said.


    "President Zhang, I will do my best, but I still hope you won''t hold out too much hope. The greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment," Xu Yang said with a wry smile.


    He himself had little confidence.


    "All right, regardless of the result, I am very grateful to you," Zhang Qiuxue said sincerely.


    Join us at m,v le mpyr


    "President Zhang, you''re being too formal. I''m a shareholder of Qianjiao Company, and it''s only right that I do this," Xu Yang said.


    The two exchanged a few more words and then ended the call.


    Having confirmed dinner with Zhang Songxuan for the evening, Xu Yang called Zhao Yuxin and told her to arrange her own dinner.


    "Husband, even if you hadn''t called me, I would have called you at noon. Tonight, some colleagues and I are having a dinner gathering, so I won''t be able to cook for you," Zhao Yuxin said with augh.


    "That''s perfect," Xu Yangughed.


    After chatting for a while, they ended the call.


    Xu Yang wasn''t busy, but Zhao Yuxin had to work, and it was a bit hectic at this time.


    In the blink of an eye, it was past six o''clock.


    Xu Yang drove his Rolls-Royce Cullinan to the Top-Notch Private Kitchen restaurant and headed straight to the private room agreed upon with Zhang Songxuan.


    Inside the private room, Zhang Songxuan was already waiting.


    "President Xu, you''ve arrived, please have a seat," Zhang Songxuan stood up and made a weing gesture, striking just the right note of cordiality.


    Since he had invited Xu Yang for dinner, it was natural to show a certain level of respect to him.


    It wouldn''t do for him to remain seated and not move when Xu Yang arrived.


    This also demonstrated the importance he ced on Xu Yang.


    Favorable for the forting conversation he intended to have with Xu Yang.


    "President Zhang," Xu Yang nodded, his demeanor neither servile nor overbearing, and took his seat opposite Zhang Songxuan.


    The private room was small, with a four-seater square table.


    "President Xu, this private kitchen was rmended to me by a friend. It''s my first time here as well. I''ve heard the food here is quite delicious, so let''s try it together," Zhang Songxuan said with a smile.


    "President Zhang, could your friend possibly be President Shen Wanpeng?" Xu Yang asked.


    "How did you know?" Zhang Songxuan was a bit surprised.


    "Yesterday, President Shen invited quite a few people to dine here, and I was one of them," Xu Yang said with a smile.


    "I see," Zhang Songxuan said, suddenly enlightened, and then added, "I truly didn''t expect that you, President Xu, would know President Shen."


    He didn''t ask Xu Yang who else Shen Wanpeng had invited yesterday.


    This kind of thing is fine if Xu Yang brings it up himself, but if he asks proactively and the other party doesn''t want to talk, it could be very awkward.


    The two chatted casually, and before long the dishes were served.


    After a few rounds of drinks and a variety of dishes,


    the two sides had be quite familiar with each other.


    Zhang Songxuan spoke up, "Mr. Xu, your Fengcai Guild is now thergest guild on Douyin, and many businesses want to cooperate with Fengcai Guild. I was wondering if my Yonghui Supermarket might have a chance?"


    Xu Yang was startled, "Mr. Zhang, does your Yonghui Supermarket also want to get into live-streaming sales?"


    Zhang Songxuan nodded, "Yes, if we don''t do live-streaming sales now, we''ll fall behind. The wave of the inte has a huge impact on physical stores. I have to say that our Yonghui Supermarket is already trying live-streaming sales, but doing it on our own hasn''t been very effective. Later I thought we needed to find a partner and seek cooperation with inte celebrities.


    Douyin is already the leader of short videos, and it upies 70 percent of the market share in live-streaming sales. Your Fengcai Guild is the number one guild on Douyin, with an excellent reputation. I had people research it, and every business that has worked with you has been very satisfied, whether it is in terms of sales volume or brand power. You are the best partner to work with."


    Yonghui Supermarket was struggling to keep up with the impact of live-streaming sales.


    Despite trying many strategies like issuing coupons and offering better services, the results were negligible.


    This sales trend is an irresistible force, beyond the power of human resistance.


    One can only survive and continue to develop by adapting to the trend.


    So, he had to seek cooperation with a guild for live-streaming sales, and after some investigation, Fengcai Guild was the first choice.


    Therefore, through a convoluted path of friends of friends, he managed to get Xu Yang''s contact information and asked him out to dinner.


    Xu Yang said, "Mr. Zhang, your Yonghui Supermarket has always had a great reputation and meets the cooperation requirements. However, you must ensure that the quality of the goods you provide is the same as that in your supermarket."


    Zhang Songxuan hastily replied, "Of course, we will ensure the quality. Without you mentioning it, I would demand it myself. After all, it rtes to the reputation of our Yonghui Supermarket. If people find out there''s a difference in product quality between our live-streaming sales and our physical supermarket, it would be a fatal blow to Yonghui Supermarket."


    Xu Yang nodded, "Okay, no problem. I''ll have someone from the guild contact you tomorrow."


    The two of them were bosses of their respectivepanies.


    All that was needed was to confirm the intention to cooperate, and let their subordinates handle the specifics.


    As for the negotiation details and profit sharing, Fengcai Guild would conduct an evaluation on different brands, ssify them, ande up with a fair distribution n.


    In this type of cooperation, Fengcai Guild holds the initiative.


    They offer a proposal, and if the other party is willing to coborate, great; if not, no problem.


    After all, Fengcai Guild is not short of partners, with businesses calling every day wanting to cooperate.


    Due to the limited number of streamers, they prioritize the best, and have turned down many brands.


    So even when faced with a big yer like Zhang Songxuan looking to coborate, Xu Yang wouldn''t interfere with the specifics of the deal.


    He wouldn''t sacrifice the benefits just because Zhang Songxuan approached him personally.


    The fact that Zhang Songxuan sought him out just proved how much Yonghui Supermarket needed Fengcai Guild.


    Therefore, there was even less need to be courteous.


    "Good, Mr. Xu, here''s to our cooperation," Zhang Songxuan said happily, raising his ss in invitation.


    He had high hopes for this coboration, hoping it would help Yonghui Supermarket out of its slump.


    "Here''s to a pleasant cooperation," Xu Yang smiled and raised his ss in return.


    After emptying the ss and taking a couple of bites of the dishes, Xu Yang said, "Mr. Zhang, I have something I''d like to talk to you about."


    Now that Zhang Songxuan''s matter had been dealt with, it was time to discuss his own.


    Zhang Songxuan put down his chopsticks and asked, "Mr. Xu, what is it?"

 Chapter 219: 219 The King of Soldiers Takes the Wheel

    "I heard that your Yonghui Supermarket is currently selecting beauty brands to house in your stores," Xu Yang said, stating his purpose.


    "A while back, I invested in a beauty brand. Could General Manager Zhang make it convenient for me and allow the brand I''ve invested in to enter your supermarket?"


    Xu Yang revealed his agenda.


    "General Manager Xu, if the beauty brand you mentioned meets our standards, there will definitely be no problem. May I ask what the brand is called?" Xu Yang asked.


    Zhang Songxuan did not immediately agree.


    After all, to be housed in Yonghui Supermarkets, the beauty brands needed to have excellent product quality.


    Otherwise, it would damage the reputation of Yonghui Supermarket.


    Even though he intended to forge a good rtionship with Xu Yang, he wasn''t going topromise on this principle.


    He needed to first verify whether the beauty brand Xu Yang had invested in met their standards.


    "It''s the Qianjiao Cosmetics Company from Zhucheng," Xu Yang announced thepany''s name.


    "Qianjiao Company?" Zhang Songxuan was somewhat surprised.


    "You know of it?" Xu Yang asked, seeing Zhang Songxuan''s reaction and guessing that he might be familiar with Qianjiao Company.


    Qianjiao Company was a second-tier brand, not very famous, and couldn''t even be considered a national brand, but it was quite well-known in Guang Province.


    "Yes," Zhang Songxuan nodded, "My investment firm has researched this beauty brand. We considered investing in it too. However, we faced some issues with our capital chain at that time and ended up not investing. I didn''t expect that you would invest in it."


    "Although Qianjiao Company is just a second-tier brand, the quality of their products is indeed very good, their R&D is highly formidable, and their beauty products are extracted from traditional Chinese medicine. Whenpared to simr products, their effects are superior and verypetitive."


    "I believe that in a few years, Qianjiao Company can be a first-tier beauty brand, likely carving out a niche for itself in the beauty market," he added.


    Zhang Songxuan held a high opinion of Qianjiao Company.


    Xu Yang''s face lit up with pleasure, "Since you also have a high opinion of Qianjiao Company, then there shouldn''t be any problem with them entering Yonghui Supermarket, right?"


    "No problem at all," Zhang Songxuan replied.


    Xu Yang smiled and said, "Thank you, General Manager Zhang."


    He picked up his ss to propose a toast, "General Manager Zhang, I''d like to offer you a toast."


    Zhang Songxuan raised his ss in response, "Pleased to cooperate."


    The situation had now reversedpared to earlier.


    Zhang Songxuan fell silent for a moment before saying, "General Manager Xu, I must tell you, the beauty brands housed in our Yonghui Supermarkets are all first-tier brands. Moreover, most can only be sold on the shelves, with only four brands allowed to have their own counters and a dedicated retail space of thirty square meters.


    Technically, as Qianjiao Company is only a second-tier brand, it wouldn''t qualify. But since it is apany I''m fond of and understand well, I personally approve it. I will make Qianjiao Company one of those four brands, granting it a dedicated counter in every Yonghui Supermarket nationwide."


    Xu Yang was overjoyed, "General Manager Zhang, I can''t thank you enough."


    He was aware of this, as Zhang Qiuxue had mentioned it to him, albeit briefly.


    In Zhang Qiuxue''s view, it was already a great opportunity for Qianjiao Company to sell their products in Yonghui Supermarket.


    She had not even dared to hope for a dedicated counter.


    Xu Yang knew that by giving a second-tier brand like Qianjiao Company a dedicated counter, Zhang Songxuan was doing him a favor.


    For this favor, Xu Yang was obliged to respond in kind.


    "General Manager Zhang, if there''s anything you need help with in the future, I''ll be more than willing to assist, no questions asked," Xu Yang dered on the spot.


    And in his mind, he thought about possibly offering Fengcai Guild''s cooperation with Yonghui Supermarket some concessions.


    "Haha, you are too courteous, General Manager Xu. It''s also quite a coincidence that Qianjiao Company is a brand I approve of. Otherwise, a second-tier beauty brand would never have the chance to have its own counter," Zhang Songxuanughed heartily, knowing that Xu Yang had taken his gesture to heart.


    That was very good.


    Based on what he knew, Xu Yang was a very perceptive investor.


    In less than a year, his worth had reached tens of billions.


    Such growth speed was astonishing to everyone.


    One could say there wasn''t a single tycoon worldwide who could match this rapid pace of growth.


    Xu Yang''s future was truly limitless.


    This was also one of the reasons he took the initiative to call Xu Yang and invite him to dine together.


    Getting on good terms with Xu Yang brought many benefits.


    Otherwise, simply facilitating the cooperation between Yonghui Supermarket and Fengcai Guild didn''t require his direct involvement at all.


    Stay immersed with m_vl_em_p_yr


    The meeting had yielded results far beyond his expectations.


    Not only had they agreed on the cooperation, but he had also garnered a favor from Xu Yang.


    Naturally, he was delighted.


    "Mr. Zhang, here''s to our pleasant cooperation." He poured wine into Zhang Songxuan''s ss, then filled his own and raised it once more.


    "Good, to a pleasant cooperation," Zhang Songxuan reciprocated, raising his ss in turn.


    The meal passed with both host and guest thoroughly enjoying themselves.


    Afterward, the two discussed various other topics.


    It was after eight o''clock when they finally left the private restaurant.


    Each went their separate ways.


    Zhang Songxuan had a driver, while Xu Yang had arranged for a designated driver from the restaurant in advance.


    On his way home, Xu Yang dialed Zhang Qiuxue''s number.


    The call connected quickly.


    "Mr. Xu, do we have a result?" Zhang Qiuxue''s voice was filled with anticipation.


    "Yes, we do. Zhang Songxuan has agreed to allow Qianjiao Company to settle in Yonghui Supermarket and even offered us a counter space," Xu Yang said with a smile.


    "What, he agreed not just to our Qianjiao Company''s settlement but also to counter space!" Zhang Qiuxue was incredibly shocked.


    Originally, she would have been satisfied with just being able to settle in and get the products on the shelves; she hadn''t expected counter space as well.


    Was her Qianjiao Company still a second-tier cosmetics brand? It felt like a super top-tier one now.


    "Yes, Zhang Songxuan will give the instructions. Arrange for your people to contact Yonghui Supermarket tomorrow," Xu Yang said.


    "Alright, Mr. Xu, you''re amazing, thank you so much," Zhang Qiuxue expressed, both excited and grateful.


    "No need to be so formal, I''m a shareholder of thepany, and I''m d to help out," Xu Yang responded.


    After exchanging a few more words, they ended the call.


    Putting down his phone, Xu Yang wanted to take a short rest.


    He had drunk a bit too much with Zhang Songxuan.


    At that moment, the designated driver spoke up, "Boss, there''s a car following us."


    "Hmm?" Xu Yang was startled and checked the rearview mirror but didn''t spot anything unusual, "How could there be a car following us? Which one is it?"


    The driver nced at the rearview mirror again before replying, "It''s that white Chevrolet."


    Xu Yang was puzzled, "How do you know they''re following us?"


    The driver simply said, "I sensed it."


    Sensed?


    Xu Yang was taken aback once more, somewhat skeptical.


    The driver exined, "Boss, I was once in the special forces, and after being discharged, I spent a few years as a mercenary abroad. I only returned to the country recently. I have an almost instinctual intuition for danger, and I''m absolutely certain. That white Chevrolet is following us, and there''s something dangerous about it."


    "You were in the special forces and worked as a mercenary?!" Xu Yang was astounded.


    Wow, he had unexpectedlye across such a character today.


    Is this the narrative of a special forces king returning to the city to work as a driver or a security guard?


    "Boss, what should we do now? Let them keep following, or do we lose them?" The driver didn''t pay attention to Xu Yang''s surprise but asked for instructions instead.


    For someone who had been in the special forces and worked as a mercenary for years, losing a tailing vehicle was ridiculously easy.

 Chapter 220: 220: No Need for a Reason to Beat You

    "You''ve been a mercenary, that''s not theming for you, is it?" Xu Yang didn''t answer but instead posed a question first.


    If they were after this guy, then he might as well let this guy find a ce to stop the car and just walk away.


    Anyone who could find a mercenary was definitely not an easy target.


    Although Xu Yang had a system, he also didn''t want to provoke such people.


    If someone like that got him in their sights, and he was killed in a confused mess, that would be tragic.


    He had a system and hadn''t yet reached the pinnacle of the world; his wonderful life, not yet fully enjoyed, to be cut short like that felt unbearable.


    "Boss, they''re not after me, they must be after you. That car has been following from the Exquisite Private Restaurant. It was already parked in front of the restaurant when I arrived there," the driver exined.


    "Based on my analysis, the people who go to the Exquisite Private Restaurant are wealthy, and the person in that car must be staking out the ce."


    "Seeing you drive a Rolls-Royce, they probably thought of making a move on you, kidnapping or something."


    The designated driver analyzed.


    This analysis made Xu Yang''s heart tremble.


    It reminded him of a certain case, where an actor had been kidnapped.


    That case had even been turned into a movie.


    It was about criminals staking out a ce and selecting a target to kidnap.


    His own situation seemed somewhat simr.


    "Big brother, what should we do now?" Xu Yang was out of ideas when it came to this kind of situation.


    If it weren''t for this designated driver, Xu Yang wouldn''t have even noticed he was being targeted.


    You never know when you might be kidnapped and threatened.


    At this moment, his only recourse was to ask the designated driver for help.


    "Do you trust me?" the designated driver asked calmly.


    To him, dealing with a few thugs was just as easy as dealing with small fry; it was not a problem at all.


    "I trust you," Xu Yang hesitated for a moment, then nodded.


    He had no choice at this point; it seemed he could only trust the designated driver.


    "As long as you trust me. I''ll drive to a nearby deserted ce to get rid of those people, what do you think?" Although Xu Yang said he trusted him, the designated driver still sought Xu Yang''s opinion.


    "Okay," Xu Yang nodded.


    The designated driver stopped talking and took the next right turn at the crossroads, drove a distance, then turned left into a street, and stopped the car.


    This street was under construction, with no pedestrians or vehicles passing through.


    It wasn''t long after they stopped that the white Chevrolet behind them also came to a halt.


    Four burly men got out of the Chevrolet, each blocking one of the car doors.


    "Boss, stay in the car, I''ll go down and take care of them," the designated driver said after lowering the car window a bit, then opened the door and got out.


    Xu Yang didn''t get out, but with the window lowered a little, he could both see and hear what was happening outside.


    If the window hadn''t been lowered, with the soundproofing quality of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, he wouldn''t have been able to hear anything outside; he would only be able to see through the ss windows.


    "You are the designated driver, right?" a buzz-cut thug standing outside the driver''s door asked as he saw the designated driver get out.


    Earlier, while they were staking out, they had overheard the conversation between the designated driver and Xu Yang.


    "Yes," the designated driver nodded.


    "Kid, our target isn''t you, but since you''re the rich guy''s driver today, I guess it''s just your bad luck," the buzz-cut man said, then immediately threw a punch at the designated driver''s face.


    "Starting the fight so quickly?" The designated driver raised an eyebrow, dodged the buzz-cut man''s punch by moving to the side, and with even greater speed, delivered a karate chop to the buzz-cut man''s arm.


    Crack!


    The crew-cut thug''s arm broke with a snap, followed by a scream of agony.


    "He''s a martial artist, or even a master. All of you,e here, let''s gang up on him!"


    The crew-cut man quickly retreated and called for hispanions to help.


    Two other burly men immediately joined in from the side.


    At this point, whether Xu Yang would escape from the car door was no longer important.


    Then, the three thugs charged at the designated driver together.


    Bang bang!


    The driver executed a roundhouse kick, sending two thugs flying.


    "So tough!" Xu Yang, inside the car, watched in astonishment.


    Is this the strength of a special forces soldierbined with a mercenary?


    The remaining one, pulling out a dagger from somewhere, waved it fiercely and red at the driver: "I''m not afraid of you. Come at me if you dare. I''ll see if I don''t kill you."


    The driver didn''t say a word, just shook his head with disdain, smiled mockingly, moved forward like lightning, and booted the opponent, sending him flying.


    The man hit the ground, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his face full of shock.


    The dagger in his hand had already fallen far away on the ground.


    The driver looked towards Xu Yang in the car: "Boss, you can get out of the car now. You ask them. Let''s see if it''s the same as my guess."


    Xu Yang got out of the car, nced at the three men lying on the ground, and finally set his gaze on the crew-cut man: "What do you want with me, following me like that?"


    The crew-cut man snorted coldly and remained silent.


    Xu Yang''s gaze intensified as he looked at the driver: "Bro, seems like this guy still isn''t being forting. I want him to honestly answer my questions. Got any ideas?"


    "Of course!" the driver said, "There are plenty of ways to deal with such people, like the tiger bench, pouring chili water... *cough* we don''t have those things now, nor the ce and tools, so let''s keep it simple. If he''s unwilling to answer honestly, then I''ll beat him until he does."


    Xu Yang nodded in approval: "Good."


    Experience tales with m_vl_em_p_yr


    The driver looked at the crew-cut man coldly: "You, just talk honestly and that''ll be the end of it. Why be so stubborn?"


    Without waiting for the crew-cut man to respond, he moved forward and grabbed the man''s other hand: "If you don''t talk, I will break this hand of yours right now and make youpletely disabled."


    Facing the driver''s icy gaze, the crew-cut man seemed to see a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood in his eyes. He knew the driver was by no means bluffing; this was a ruthless man. He quickly nodded: "Bro, I''m willing to talk, don''t break my hand!"


    p!


    The driver released the crew-cut man''s hand and smacked him across the face.


    "Bro, I already said I was willing to talk. Why did you still hit me?"


    The crew-cut man covered his cheek, his face full of grievance.


    "I hit you because I want to. Do I need a reason?" the driver said domineeringly.


    "No need for a reason." The crew-cut man''s face was filled with bitterness.


    What the hell kind of situation was this? They came to kidnap someone but ended up facing such a tough cookie.


    "Then hurry up and answer the boss''s question," the driver said.


    "Okay, okay," the crew-cut man nodded repeatedly and looked at Xu Yang, "Boss, we were staking out that restaurant and noticed your fancy car. Following you, we intended to kidnap you. A person like you must be rich, and by kidnapping you, we can get a huge ransom. With that money, we could make a clean getaway and live a wealthy life, carefree for the rest of our days."


    Damn, it was just as the driver analyzed, a kidnapping plot.


    If it weren''t for this stand-in driver today, he probably would have been in real danger.


    Maybe these people would have even followed him home.


    Not only was he in danger, but his wife could have been as well.


    With this realization, a cold sweat broke out on Xu Yang''s back. He immediately said, "Bro, call the police."

 Chapter 221: 221 Hiring a Bodyguard

    "Boss, it''s better if you make the call, they''re targeting you," the designated driver said.


    "Okay, I''ll make the call," Xu Yang nodded, took out his cellphone, and was about to dial.


    "Big brother, please don''t call the police, okay? We just gambled and lost, and in a moment of folly, we did this. We will never do it again, we will surely turn over a new leaf, work hard, and live well. Besides, you''re not hurt, please don''t call the cops."


    The man with the buzz cut pleaded with a face full of remorse.


    "I don''t care if this is your first time or not, you did it, and you have to face the consequences," Xu Yang had no sympathy for these people.


    For such people, prison is the best destination; otherwise, there is a good chance that there will be another victim.


    Today, he was lucky that the designated driver he found was a former special forces soldier and had been a mercenary, easily taking care of these men.


    But if these men repeated their tricks and targeted someone else, that person might not be as lucky.


    The designated driver nced at Xu Yang with a flicker in his eyes.


    If Xu Yang really let these people go, he would be utterly disappointed, and might even regret having saved him.


    Since he was the one who saved Xu Yang, he naturally didn''t want to save someone like that.


    The four men with buzz cuts looked at each other and then scattered, each running in a different direction.


    To escape was to gamble on luck once more.


    Under normal circumstances, at least two could have gotten away.


    But today''s circumstances were far from normal.


    The designated driver was a special forces soldier and had been a mercenary; there was no escape for them.


    "Thinking of running?"


    With a disdainfulugh, the designated driver quickly knocked them down one by one, dragging them all back.


    When Xu Yang saw them running, he did not make the emergency call, but after the designated driver brought them back, he dialed the police.


    After the call, several police cars arrived in less than fifteen minutes.


    After a brief inquiry, the police officers handcuffed the men and took them back to the station.


    Xu Yang and the designated driver went to the police station to give their statements.


    After giving their statements, a police officer came over to express his gratitude, saying that the men were suspects in several jewelry store robberies.


    Hearing this, Xu Yang was d he had called the police.


    Otherwise, there was a high probability that those men would have continued tomit kidnappings.


    Xu Yang and the designated driver left the police station.


    They got into a Rolls-Royce Cullinan.


    Xu Yang looked at the designated driver and asked, "Brother Jiang, thank you for saving me; I''d like to invite you out for somete-night food, do you have the time?"


    On the way to the station, he had already asked for the man''s name, Jiang Zhiyong.


    It was only fitting for Jiang Zhiyong, who had saved him, to be treated to a meal.


    Moreover, after today''s event, Xu Yang felt it necessary to hire a bodyguard, and Jiang Zhiyong seemed like an excellent candidate.


    A special forces soldier and former mercenary, a person like that was one in a million.


    Jiang Zhiyong smiled freely: "Sure."


    He hadn''t had dinner yet and was not pretentious about it.


    Xu Yang asked, "What do you feel like eating?"


    Jiang Zhiyong replied, "Mr. Xu, you choose, I''m easygoing."


    He naturally knew Xu Yang''s name now.


    Xu Yang suggested, "How about barbecue, what do you think?"


    Jiang Zhiyong had no objections: "No problem."


    He actually quite enjoyed barbecue; as the weather got warmer, eating barbecue and drinking ice-cold beer was blissful.


    But now he was working, so he couldn''t drink alcohol; instead, he would enjoy barbecue with soft drinks.


    "Alright, let''s go for barbecue, to this street that''s known for it."


    Xu Yang took out his phone and gave Jiang Zhiyong an address to navigate to.


    It was the BBQ street near Jiang City University.


    Last time, he and Zhao Yuxin had also gone there for a BBQ.


    More than half an hourter.


    The Rolls Royce Cullinan stopped at the entrance to BBQ street.


    The two got out of the car and arrived at Fat Brother''s BBQ Shop, which was the same ce Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin had visited before.


    Since he wasn''t familiar with the owner, Xu Yang didn''t greet the owner but simply ordered food from a waiter.


    He ordered quite a bit of food, including several bottles of cold beer.


    Xu Yang ced a bottle of cold beer in front of Jiang Zhiyong, who said with a wry smile, "Mr. Xu, I''m the designated driver, I can''t drink."


    Xu Yang said, "Go ahead and drink, I''ll find another designated driverter. It''s not easy toe out for a BBQ, how can we not have a drink? Plus, I have something I want to discuss with you."


    Jiang Zhiyong hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright, I''ll have a little."


    Soon, the skewers arrived.


    The two of them enjoyed the skewers and cold beer, feeling veryfortable.


    As they chatted casually and ate more, they became much friendlier with each other.


    Xu Yang asked, "Brother Yong, where are you from?"


    Jiang Zhiyong took a gulp of cold beer and replied, "From Fu County."


    Fu County was a county under the jurisdiction of Jiang City.


    It was about seventy to eighty kilometers from Jiang City''s downtown area.


    Fu County, despite its name, was not affluent, and it had only shed its designation as a poor county a few years back.


    Having studied four years of university in Jiang City, Xu Yang had some understanding of the surrounding areas. He had even visited Fu County for an agritainment trip with his ssmates, so he was somewhat familiar with the ce.


    "You used to be a special forces soldier and then worked as a mercenary for several years. How did you end up doing designated driving? You could totally get a better job."


    "With your skills, you''d be in demand by many securitypanies, right? You would be starting with at least a few hundred thousand in annual sry."


    Xu Yang expressed the doubts on his mind.


    Special forcesbined with mercenary experience¡ªsuch talent was definitely needed by securitypanies.


    Jiang Zhiyong bing a designated driver was something Xu Yang really couldn''t understand.


    "I''ve only been in Jiang City for a short while and haven''t found a securitypany that suits me, so I registered for this job. It''s flexible, and I can look for work while I do it," Jiang Zhiyong replied truthfully.


    "Old Bro Yong, I would like to hire you as my personal bodyguard and the head of the security department at mypany. Would you be willing?" Xu Yang revealed his true purpose.


    "You want to hire me?" Jiang Zhiyong was somewhat surprised.


    "Yes, after today''s events, I feel I need someone like you, and you would be the best candidate."


    "The job would involve apanying me when I go out for social engagements or other situations where your presence is needed. Other times, when there''s nothing special, you just work at thepany."


    "As for payment, you can set your sry. Whatever you think you''re worth, I''ll pay it. I will satisfy your demands," Xu Yang said very sincerely.


    "Could you tell me a bit about yourself?" Jiang Zhiyong didn''t immediately agree but decided to first learn a bit more about Xu Yang.


    "About myself..." Xu Yang shared some details about his situation.


    "Jiang Bottom Fishing is yours?" Jiang Zhiyong was a bit surprised.


    Even though he hadn''t been in Jiang City for long, he knew about Jiang Bottom Fishing. He had even gone out of his way to try it and found it to be very good.


    "Yes," Xu Yang nodded, "When I''m not busy, I just go to work at Yang Xin Investment, and asionally visit some otherpanies. If you agree, the ce where you will be working will also be at Yang Xin Investment."


    "Okay, I agree." After getting a basic understanding of Xu Yang''s situation, Jiang Zhiyong agreed.


    Moreover, through his conversation with Xu Yang, he felt that Xu Yang was a good person and probably a good boss.


    Working as a bodyguard andpany security for Xu Yang would likely be better than working at a securitypany.


    Xu Yang asked, "How much sry do you want?"

 Chapter 222: 222: The Situation Is Great

    "As for my situation, an annual sry of five hundred thousand would do," Jiang Zhiyong pondered before giving a figure.


    This was a level he deduced based on his own abilities and the sries offered by securitypanies to their executives.


    "I think you''re asking for too little. I''ll offer you an annual sry of one million,plete with five insurances and one fund, plus various bonuses," Xu Yang suggested.


    Xu Yang felt that talents like Jiang Zhiyong were hard toe by and was willing to spend a lot to hire him.


    One million a year to recruit such a person was really worth it for him.


    "One million, boss, isn''t that a bit much?" Jiang Zhiyong was surprised; he hadn''t expected Xu Yang to voluntarily raise the sry, and to double it at that.


    "I would be very happy if you could ept, and I really think you''re worth the price," Xu Yang sincerely said.


    "Alright, thank you, boss," Jiang Zhiyong was not coquettish, and he didn''t refuse.


    "Okay then. Come to thepany at ten o''clock tomorrow morning. I''ll have someone handle your employment procedures. Let''s leave our phone numbers and add each other on WeChat. I''ll send you thepany''s addresster."


    Xu Yang took out his phone, added WeChat, exchanged phone numbers, and sent Yang Xin Investment''s address to Jiang Zhiyong.


    Hiring Jiang Zhiyong made Xu Yang very happy.


    He hoped to sign the employment contract as soon as possible to avoid any unexpected changes.


    "Alright, I''ll be at thepany at ten tomorrow," Jiang Zhiyong said.


    Finding a job with an annual sry of a million, Jiang Zhiyong was also very pleased. Thank you for reading on m v le_mpyr


    After confirming the employment rtionship, the two became even closer.


    Then, they chatted quite a bit, mainly with Xu Yang inquiring about Jiang Zhiyong''s experiences as a mercenary.


    He was quite curious about it.


    After all, for ordinary people, mercenaries are shrouded in a veil of mystery.


    Jiang Zhiyong shared some details about his missions, but nothing too specific.


    In Jiang Zhiyong''s words, being a mercenary was simply about saving people and killing people.


    Despite that, Xu Yang was still amazed to hear about the things Jiang Zhiyong had done.


    The two ate barbecue until after eleven o''clock.


    Xu Yang called for a designated driver, first dropping off Jiang Zhiyong and then himself.


    When he got home, it was already midnight.


    Zhao Yuxin had already gone to bed.


    After taking a shower, Xu Yangy down in bed and went to sleep.


    The next day.


    During breakfast.


    Zhao Yuxin asked, "Husband, when did you get backst night? Exactly what happenedst night?"


    Last night, after she had returned from a dinner with colleagues, it was already past nine o''clock, and Xu Yang hadn''te back yet, so she called him.


    Xu Yang had said he had some matters to attend to and would bete. He didn''t specify what it was.


    He just told her not to wait for him and to go to sleep earlier.


    When she went to bed at eleven o''clock, she sent Xu Yang a message and then fell asleep.


    "I got home after midnight. Last night''s experience was indeed somewhat dangerous, but the end result was good," Xu Yang told her.


    "What exactly happened? Tell me about it," Zhao Yuxin pressed on.


    "I had dinner with Zhang Songxuan, the owner of Yonghui Supermarket..." Xu Yang recounted what had happened.


    He told her everything from having dinner with Yonghui Supermarket''s owner Zhang Songxuan, the cooperation they discussed during the meal, the encounter with thugs on the way home, how the designated driver dealt with the thugs, the visit to the police station to give a statement, then inviting the driver for barbecue, and finally hiring the driver as a bodyguard.


    There was nothing he needed to hide about these events.


    "I hadn''t expected you to experience so muchst night," Zhao Yuxin was taken aback.


    Hearing that Xu Yang had encountered thugs, she panicked and looked worried. But upon learning that the driver was a former special forces and mercenary who had saved Xu Yang, she breathed a sigh of relief.


    Later, when she heard that Xu Yang had hired the driver, she felt Xu Yang had made the right decision.


    Xu Yang was now a billionaire; it was necessary to have a bodyguard.


    After breakfast, they both went to work.


    At ten o''clock, Jiang Zhiyong arrived at Yang Xin Investment, with the Human Resources department processing his paperwork.


    After the formalities werepleted, Xu Yang took Jiang Zhiyong around to get familiar with thepany.


    He especially introduced Jiang Zhiyong to the general manager, Ma Yangrong.


    Furthermore, he discussed with Jiang Zhiyong the idea of establishing a securitypany.


    This idea had arisen in Xu Yang''s mind on his way in that day.


    It wasn''t prompted by any system notification; it was his personal idea.


    He felt that letting Jiang Zhiyong set up a securitypany shouldn''t be a problem.


    There would be many situations where a securitypany would be useful.


    For example, whenever hispany organized an event, it would need security personnel.


    If there was an emergency situation at thepany that needed to be dealt with urgently, having his own securitypany could ensure the fastest response and control over the matter.


    As he was investing in and bing a shareholder of more and morepanies, thosepanies would also need security services.


    As long as themunication was clear, there should be no problem, and there was no fear ofcking business.


    Jiang Zhiyong was a top-quality individual with special forces and mercenary experience; Xu Yang believed Jiang Zhiyong could certainly build a top-notch securitypany.


    Jiang Zhiyong was also very interested in establishing a securitypany.


    After all, Xu Yang had said that as Xu Yang''s bodyguard, he didn''t need to follow him all the time, just when necessary.


    At other times, he could stay at thepany, where he would certainly have a lot of free time.


    By establishing a securitypany, he could teach what he knew to others.


    After chatting for a while, Xu Yang let Jiang Zhiyong start working on this project.


    Xu Yang tasked Jiang Zhiyong with handling the registration, finding an office location, and the like.


    Of course, Xu Yang assigned someone knowledgeable to assist Jiang Zhiyong.


    As for funding, whatever was needed would be provided.


    After an extensive conversation, by noon, the two had lunch together, and then Jiang Zhiyong headed back home.


    Today was forpleting the onboarding process, and he would officially start work the next day.


    Heading back today would give him a good chance to think about various aspects of establishing the securitypany and get ready to start the next day on preparations for its foundation.


    In the afternoon, Xu Yang remembered about the acquisition of Shengda Literature and went to Ma Yangrong''s office to inquire, "Old Ma, have you been in touch with Shengda Literature? What did they say? Have they scheduled a meeting time?"


    Ma Yangrong replied, "President Xu, I''ve contacted them, expressed our intention to acquire, and have expressed our hope to arrange a meeting for discussion soon, but they said they need to discuss it internally first and will notify me once they have made a decision."


    "I see," Xu Yang said, "Well, let me know immediately once there''s any news."


    Subsequently, Xu Yang had Ma Yangrong report the status of variouspanies.


    Firstly, those that Xu Yang held absolute control over.


    Fengcai Guild had be Douyin''s number one guild, and it seemed unlikely that anyone would challenge its status in theing years.


    Jiang Bottom Fishing''s expansion into second-tier cities was progressing methodically.


    Pioneer Intellectual Property Company was another sess that made many envious.


    Yang Xin Gaming Company was fullymitted to the development of "Overlord."


    That game was expected to go live next year.


    Next were thepanies in which he was a shareholder through investment.


    Great White Shark Gaming Company''s "Shadow Pursuit" was set tounch in a week.


    Hui''an Pharmaceuticals, Wan Da Film and Television, Qianjiao Company, Meiyi Group ¡ª the development of thesepanies was exceedingly good.


    One could say the situation was very promising.


    Ma Yangrong had profound respect for Xu Yang, his boss.


    Xu Yang, a self-made man, had reached such heights in less than a year; truly astonishing.


    It was no wonder that even the richest man, Wang, held the boss in such high regard, personally visiting thepany.


    Xu Yang was the kind of person who, barring any unforeseen circumstances, was bound to reach the pinnacle of the world someday.

 Chapter 223: 223 Acquisition Negotiations

    Shengda Literature Company, conference room.


    On both sides of the conference table sat several middle-aged men, each dressed in a suit and leather shoes.


    On one side were Shengda Literature''s President Qiu Wenyu and several shareholders, on the other, the General Manager of Penguin Investment, Han Jun, and senior executives.


    Han Jun was optimistic about Shengda Literature and wanted to acquire it. Today, he personally led the team to negotiate.


    Han Jun was not just the General Manager of Penguin Investment but also the Vice President of Penguin Group and the right-hand man of President Ma.


    Logically, for a negotiation worth just billions, he didn''t need to be personally involved.


    But he was very optimistic about Shengda Literature, which was critical to whether Penguin Films and Penguin Videos could overtakepetitors by cutting corners. Moreover, it was crucial for Penguin Group''syout in the entertainment sector.


    So, he came.


    It not only showed his emphasis on Shengda Literature but also his determination to acquire it at all costs.


    "Mr. Qiu, name your price,"


    Seeing that various ount audits had no issues, Han Jun spoke first.


    "Mr. Han, why don''t you make an offer first?" Qiu Wenyu, wearing a pair of ck-framed sses, exuded an air of schrly elegance.


    To be honest, when Penguin Investment contacted him to acquire Shengda Literature, he immediately refused.


    After all, Shengda Literature was something he built from scratch, his life''s work.


    Moreover, Shengda Literature''s operations were excellent; there was no need for financing.


    Since Penguin Investment wanted a full acquisition, he was naturally reluctant.


    But his reluctance didn''t mean the other shareholders felt the same.


    After his refusal, Penguin Investment reached out to the other shareholders.


    Those shareholders were very interested in Penguin Investment''s acquisition and ganged up on him, which led to today''s negotiation.


    In the initial stages of Shengda Literature, to develop faster and grab arger market share, thepany went through several rounds of financing.


    With the financial support, Shengda Literature became the industry leader in online literature.


    However, this led to gradually decreasing shares in Qiu Wenyu''s hands.


    Now, he only held 25% of Shengda Literature''s shares.


    Within Shengda Literature, he was only the thirdrgest shareholder.


    The other two major shareholders, upon learning that Penguin Investment wanted to acquire thepany, began to entertain the idea of cashing out, leaving him in a passive position.


    "50 billion," Han Jun quoted a price.


    "Mr. Han, you came in person; I thought you really wanted to acquire our Shengda Literature, but looking at the price you''ve offered, it doesn''t seem that way," Qiu Wenyu replied with a directugh.


    What a joke!


    The current market value of Shengda Literature was over sixty billion.


    Han Jun offering only fifty billion for the acquisition was simply a daydream.


    He had no intention of agreeing to the acquisition in the first ce, and after hearing the price Han Jun had named, it was even less likely.


    Not to mention his disapproval; the shareholders keen on cashing out would not agree either.


    As expected, the other shareholders were also outraged.


    "Mr. Han, the price you''ve quotedcks sincerity."


    "Mr. Han, we both know the market value of Shengda Literature; with this price, it''s impossible for us to agree."


    "Mr. Han, if this is your approach, I see no need to continue the discussion."


    "Mr. Han, you don''t think we''re easy to bully, do you?"


    The shareholders wanted to take profit and exit but also wanted to leave with as much money as possible.


    With the low price Han Jun had offered, it was natural that they would not agree.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, the price I''ve quoted naturally has its reasons; perhaps you''d like to hear them first," Han Jun said with a faint smile.


    "Fine, go ahead."


    "I really want to see what reason you could possibly have."


    "Your reason had better justify the price you''re asking for, otherwise we truly have nothing to discuss."


    The shareholders'' agitated emotions began to subside a little.


    Since Han Jun mentioned he had reasons, they decided to listen to his reasons first.


    "Firstly, let''s address the issue of market value you mentioned. You should be aware that market value can be inted."


    "Secondly, the risk resistance of online literaturepanies is very low. ording to our research, within the past five years, thirty online literaturepanies have gone under, two of which were once ranked in the top five of the industry."


    "Given just these two points, I feel the fifty billion buyout price I''ve offered is already very fair."


    Han Jun took a sip of coffee, smiled faintly, andid out his reasons unhurriedly.


    "Mr. Han, our Shengda Literature doesn''t have the inted market value issue you speak of."


    "Regarding the second point you mentioned, since you''ve done your research, you should be well aware that our Shengda Literature is the number one online literaturepany."


    "Seventy-five percent of the top authors gather at ourpany. We are notparable to otherpanies."


    "With these authors, ourpany can produce a continuous stream of high-quality web novels. The readership is very stable and has been steadily increasing every year."


    "Our dominant position in the online literature industry is unshakable, not to mention the prospect of closing down."


    Qiu Wenyu rebuked each of Han Jun''s reasons one by one.


    Especially when addressing the second point, his words carried an air of pride.


    Shengda Literature was the undisputed hegemon of the online literature industry.


    The man behind this hegemony was none other than Qiu Wenyu himself, and he had every reason to be proud.


    Although the industry''s ceiling might be a bit low,


    to be the industry leader with apany worth only a bit over sixty billion,


    demonstrated his capabilities.


    The strength of Shengda Literature was beyond doubt and could not bepared with thosepanies that had folded, or others that hadn''t but fell far short of Shengda Literature.


    "Mr. Qiu is right, our Shengda Literature is different from otherpanies."


    "Ourpany is the industry leader; the big-name authors are essentially born within our ranks."


    "Any author dreaming of bing a star will choose our Shengda Literature."


    "This is our advantage, an iparable advantage, one that other web novelpanies can barely dream of."


    "With this advantage, we are far ahead of other web novelpanies."


    Shareholders aligned with Qiu Wenyu, one by one, expressed agreement with his statements.


    The negotiation was intense, and Qiu Wenyu''s speech was indeed very convincing.


    They had to admit, Qiu Wenyu truly deserved the credit for making Shengda Literature the titan of the online literature industry.


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    "You say that seventy-five percent of the outstanding web novel authors are signed to yourpany, and I''ll concede that point."


    "But you must understand that these web novel authors could sign with your site or another. "


    "If we''re willing to spend the money and offer them their ideal paycheck, I fear many of them would be willing to leave."


    "Do you still feel you have an advantage?"


    Han Jun smiled faintly, feeling that Shengda Literature''s advantage wasn''t so great after all.


    Upon hearing this, Qiu Wenyu and his associates'' expressions changed slightly.


    This was something they were naturally aware of.


    The decision of web novel authors regarding which site to write for was entirely up to them.


    If someone were to offer the authors significantly more than what they received at Shengda Literature, it was certain they''d be tempted.


    At the least, most web novel authors would leave.


    Or they might write for Shengda Literature while also writing for other web novel sites.

 Chapter 224: 224: Pig Teammate

    "Mr. Han, the web novel authors contracted with Shengda Literature have a very high recognition and loyalty to our website."


    "Because we have the most paying readers, which means higher subscription ie."


    "The benefits we offer web authors are also far greater than our peers."


    "Most of the industry''s top authors write their novels on our website, and the celebrity effect tends to attract many neers."


    "Getting these top authors to leave would not be easy."


    "At least I can say that currently, nobody is capable of doing so."


    "And for the next ten years, nobody will be able to do so."


    "As the industry develops, Shengda Literature will be even stronger, and no one will be able to shake our status in the industry."


    "I''ll say it again, the issue of an inted market value does not exist with Shengda Literature; in fact, I even think that the market value of over six billion undervalues our strength."


    Qiu Wenyu spoke with conviction.


    "Mr. Qiu is right, a market value of over six billion is underestimated, it should be at least seven or eight billion. Thinking of acquiring it for five billion is simply a fantasy."


    "In my opinion, a market value of over ten billion wouldn''t be excessive either, considering we are the industry leaders."


    "If you insist on five billion, there really isn''t any point in discussing further."


    "That''s right, such an insincere offer doesn''t warrant further discussion. We might as well disperse now and not waste everyone''s time."


    "In short, the acquisition price of 6.5 billion is the bottom line, otherwise there''s nothing to talk about."


    The shareholders echoed Qiu Wenyu one after another.


    They wanted to maximize their profits in departing the scene.


    As for what happens to Shengda Literature afterward, that was no longer their concern.


    Hearing these words, Han Jun shook his head and sneered.


    These people really dare to ask for it, a market value of seven or eight billion or even ten billion.


    Do they really take him for a fool? Stay informed at m-vl-em,pyr


    As for the purchase price of 6.5 billion, that might be worth considering further.


    After all, the value of Shengda Literature is immense, and it''s very important to Penguin Group, so acquiring it at this price wouldn''t be a loss.


    Anyway, his offered price of five billion was just a negotiating price.


    But he did not n to give in, at least not today.


    Only when negotiations came to a dead end would he consider giving in, and even then, not by that much.


    In any case, the goal was to acquire it at the lowest possible price.


    "Mr. Qiu, you just said that the web''s top authors'' loyalty to your site is high because they make more money and the benefits are good."


    "This is not an advantage at all. As long as there''s money, those authors will still leave."


    "As for the celebrity effect you mentioned, it''s not worth mentioning either."


    "If other websites poach most of your top authors, then the celebrity effect will no longer be on your side."


    "So, as long as there''s money, destroying Shengda Literature would be easy. Any so-called dominator can fall to the ground."


    Qiu Wenyu gave a faint smile and retorted.


    "Mr. Han, the scenario you mentioned isn''t likely to happen. Ourpany is the strongest in the web literature industry, and if anyone tried topete with us like this, we would have ways to cope," Qiu Wenyu said, frowning slightly.


    "Haha, I fear you might not be able to cope."


    "Shengda Literature became the industry leader not just because of your management skills but also due to your urate predictions of the industry''s development trend,rgely because there was no major capital involvement."


    "Had there been major capital invovlemen these past years, Shengda Literature would never have been able to dominate the web literature industry."


    "I can tell you the truth¡ªif Penguin Group cannot acquire Shengda Literature, we will either acquire otherpanies or establish our own web literature website."


    "We''ve set our sights on this market, and I think you should know our Penguin style very well. We aim to be the best, and Penguin intends to be the industry leader in web literature."


    "Mr. Qiu, you have developed Shengda Literature into an industry overlord, and even to the extent that the online literature industry has developed today, you have made a great contribution," Han Jun said.


    "I have great respect for you personally."


    "I hope that we can be coborators rather thanpetitors."


    "If we arepetitors, believe me, you won''t want to see that situation."


    "In the face of our Penguin''s powerful capital, think about it, can you withstand it?"


    As he spoke, a surge of momentum rose within Han Jun, and this presence overwhelmed the entire room.


    That was the power of big capital.


    Shengda Literature was just a small online literaturepany with a market value of just over six billion, equivalent to a mere fraction of Penguin''s market value; the gap was far too wide.


    Hearing Han Jun''s words, the expressions on the faces of Qiu Wenyu and the others changed.


    If Penguin were to enter the online literature market, they might either acquire Shengda Literature or purchase anotherpany, or even set up their own literature website, and then turn to deal with Shengda Literature.


    Given Penguin''s size, dealing with Shengda Literature would be like eating noodles, wouldn''t it?


    Han Jun was right.


    In the online literature industry, Shengda Literature could be an overlord not only because of its ownpetitive strength but also because of Qiu Wenyu''s capabilities.


    The most important reason was the absence of big capital participation.


    Why was there no participation from big capital?


    Because the "three melons and two dates" of the online literature industry were simply not worth big capital''s attention.


    With the development of the online literature market, gradual deepening, and its linkage with the film, animation, and game industries, there was a trend of starting to adapt online literature en masse.


    The value of the online literature industry had been uncovered.


    The cake of the future was set to grow bigger and bigger.


    At this point, the big capital began to emerge.


    If impacted by big capital, especially an assault from one like Penguin, the infusion of substantial funds into the online literature industry would undoubtedly cause a major shock.


    Shengda Literature, the overlord, might well be toppled from its position.


    Under Penguin''s attack, even copse was a possibility.


    "Mr. Han, we at Shengda Literature still hope to be acquired by you; after all, it''s better for everyone if the acquisition goes through, but five billion is a bit low; could you perhaps increase the offer?" Huang Chi, thergest shareholder, spoke first, no longer able to maintain hisposure.


    What he said was essentially an admission of submission.


    Qiu Wenyu nced at Huang Chi and couldn''t help but let out a sigh to himself.


    This guy couldn''t keep his cool.


    Intimidated by Han Jun, he had already given in.


    You should know that in business negotiations, endurance and resolve are crucial.


    Being frightened this easily meant that the subsequent negotiations would fall into a highly disadvantageous position.


    Such a pigheaded ally!


    "Mr. Huang, five billion is not a low offer already. If I were to acquire Yunhai Literature for two billion five hundred million and then invest another two billion five hundred million into it, I believe it would be very easy to surpass Shengda Literature," said Han Jun, his smile growing broader as he saw Huang Chi step forward.


    These guys were still too inexperienced.


    Hearing his words, the expressions on the faces of Qiu Wenyu and the others changed again.


    Yunhai Literature ranked second in the online literature industry, just behind Shengda Literature.


    If Penguin acquired and invested in Yunhai Literature, Shengda Literature might indeed be unable to withstand it.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 225: Chapter 225 Turning the Tide

    "Furthermore, you should know howrge our Penguin''s QQ and WeChat user base is. If we channel traffic to Yunhai Literature, imagine how many people would switch to Yunhai Literature. Add to that the welfare benefits we''re offering, which are far better than what Shengda Literature can provide. What can you possiblypete with us?" Han Jun further pressured.


    At this, Huang Chi and the other shareholders'' expressions grew even uglier.


    Penguin was sshing out so much cash; they truly couldn''t withstand it.


    If the acquisition talks really broke down and Penguin Investments went ahead and acquired Yunhai Literature, pouring in that much money...


    By then, Shengda Literature''s market value would definitely shrink, and sharply at that.


    Those wanting to cash out and exit would find it not so easy, and the price would definitely be low, possibly even cut in half.


    Thinking this way, they actually felt that five billion was already a good deal.


    The major shareholders looked at each other and quickly made a decision¡ªto agree to the acquisition.


    Qiu Wenyu noticed the others'' movements and spoke first, "Mr. Han, what you im may not be achievable. The online literature industry cannot merely thrive on money. From building a website to assembling editorial and operations teams, cultivating reader habits, etc., there''s a great deal of uncertainty. A single misstep in any of these phases may result in total failure.


    If you think that by investing a few billion, you can crush Shengda Literature, you''re seriously underestimating us and our industry."


    His words cooled down the major shareholders.


    They had been intimidated, and they really shouldn''t have been.


    Qiu Wenyu was right; the online literature industry isn''t something money alone can dominate.


    Over the years, Shengda Literature had faced many rivals.


    Though none were as strong as Penguin, they weren''t short of money.


    Yet in the end, none managed to surpass Shengda Literature.


    After years ofpetition, Shengda Literature still stood at the pinnacle.


    All of those rivals had been defeated by Shengda Literature due to various problems; some had even gone bankrupt.


    Han Jun sighed.


    He was about to thoroughly intimidate Huang Chi and the others. Judging from the looks on their faces, he knew they were ready to sell their shares.


    But Qiu Wenyu''s words turned the tables.


    It had to be said, Qiu Wenyu really was a talent.


    "President Qiu, others may not be able to do it, but we at Penguin Investments can!" Han Jun stated assertively.


    "President Han Jun, we shall wait and see," Qiu Wenyu retorted strongly.


    What he had said was indeed true.


    With Penguin entering the fray and throwing in two and a half billion, it would definitely cause trouble for Shengda Literature.


    But to say they could defeat Shengda Literature just with this money was not certain.


    The online literature industry isn''t that simple.


    In fact, no industry is that simple. Not all can strengthen and grow apany to be the leader in its field just with money.


    If that were the case, big capital would firmly lock down the industry''s voice, preventing the rise of so many newpanies.


    Penguin wouldn''t have been strangled at the start.


    And there wouldn''t be the current Penguin business empire, the inte overlord.


    The negotiation had up to now been in Han Jun''s favor, but Qiu Wenyu, with his own strength, had turned the situation around, making the sides equally matched.


    Under the circumstances with neither side giving in, today''s negotiation came to an end.


    Both parties understood that such negotiations couldn''t be settled in one go.


    Both sides went back and forth, a battle of wits and words¡ªit was unclear how many rounds of negotiation had to be endured.


    Han Jun was not in a hurry; after looking at the time, he decided they would talk again next time and left with his team.


    Qiu Wenyu apanied by the other shareholders, saw Han Jun and his entourage out the door.


    Although the two sides had just been locked in a fierce debate over their respective interests at the negotiation table, once the negotiations were over, they maintained proper decorum.


    At Victory Literature, it was only right for Qiu Wenyu and others to see Han Jun and his group off.


    As he watched Han Jun''s party drive away, Qiu Wenyu turned to the fellow shareholders and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, we are in this together. I understand your desire to make money, but we must hold our ground, not be swayed by Han Jun. Otherwise, we will be the ones to suffer."


    Huang Chi was the first to express his stance, "President Qiu, you''re right. I was almost taken in by Han Jun''s talk earlier, and I''m thankful you stepped in just in time. Otherwise, I would have really fallen for his tactics. For the uing negotiations, I''ll let you take the lead and I''ll try to keep silent."


    He indeed felt a bit guilty for his earlier behavior.


    If they had really agreed to Han Jun''s terms, they would have suffered a big loss.


    He realized he was far outmatched in this area, and it was best not to interfere too much. Unless absolutely necessary, he should stay out of it.


    "President Qiu, we feel the same. We were irrational just now, but thankfully we had you."


    "President Qiu, it''s all on you for the next round of negotiations."


    "I share the same sentiment. From now on, you will handle the negotiations, and we will keep silent."


    "We''re all in this together. I''m sure, President Qiu, that you can negotiate a price that will satisfy us all."


    The other shareholders spoke one after another, supporting Qiu Wenyu.


    These shareholders still felt a sense of relief.


    If they had agreed to Han Jun''s terms, the loss would have been real.


    They had witnessed Qiu Wenyu''s negotiation prowess.


    He managed to hold his ground, neither servile nor overbearing, against Han Jun¡ªthe top man at Penguin Investment and second inmand at Penguin Group¡ªturning an unfavorable situation around.


    Leaving Qiu Wenyu to lead the negotiations and speaking less themselves was undoubtedly the right choice.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your trust in me. However, I must say, if you do trust me, we shouldn''t let Penguin proceed with the acquisition. Victory Literature is the industry leader, and our future development will only improve. If you continue to hold onto your shares, the future returns will be even greater," Qiu Wenyu once again tried to persuade them.


    He had already tried to do so before, but the others had not listened, leading to these negotiations.


    "President Qiu, let''s not talk about that. We should focus on making Han Jun raise his purchase offer."


    "Just now, Han Jun said, if he can''t acquire Victory Literature, he''ll buy Yundai Literature or establish a new website."


    "With Penguin Investment''s top-level capital and their hefty funding, even if Victory Literature can withstand it, the impact would likely be quite substantial. It''s uncertain whether our stocks would be as valuable as they are now."


    "That''s why we think it''s better to cash out and exit."


    Huang Chi had already made up his mind to cash out and exit, so he naturally wouldn''t listen to Qiu Wenyu''s persuasion.


    "President Qiu, Han Jun has a point. If we don''t allow Penguin to acquire us, we''ll be their enemy. That would put us in a precarious situation."


    "President Qiu, we''d better concentrate on increasing the purchase price."


    "I feel the same way. I don''t want to be an enemy of Penguin and end up without even a drop of soup to drink."


    "Exactly, we can still make a decent profit if we exit now. If we don''t, we might face losses¡ªafter so many years, I certainly don''t want to exit with losses."


    The leading shareholders echoed Huang Chi''s views, firm in their resolve to exit.


    "Alright," Qiu Wenyu said with a helpless wry smile.


    "Okay, President Qiu, think about how we can get Han Jun to increase his offer to prepare for the next negotiation. We''ll be taking our leave now."


    After exchanging greetings with Qiu Wenyu, Huang Chi and the others left.

 Chapter 226: Chapter 226 Tao Yingjun

    "Ah!"


    As he watched the others get into the car and drive away, Qiu Wenyu let out a heavy sigh.


    The attitudes of those people had be unchangeable, which confirmed that Shengda Literature would definitely be acquired by Penguin Investments. It was now just a matter of how much money was involved.


    One reason he didn''t want Penguin Investments to acquire it was that Shengda Literature was his creation; he had poured so much of his heart and soul into its development to this point.


    Shengda Literature was like his child.


    Naturally, he didn''t want to hand his child over to someone else.


    Moreover, he knew from Penguin''s previous acquisition cases that if Shengda Literature was indeed acquired by Penguin Investments, they would surely send someone to act as the top manager.


    Then, Shengda Literature would no longer be under his control.


    Future developments at Shengda Literature would not be decided by him.


    ¡­


    Shengda Literature, operations department.


    It was already five o''clock, nearly time to leave work.


    Zhao Yulu finished her tasks and nned to go to the restroom before leaving work.


    Just then, her mobile phone on the desk rang.


    Zhao Yulu saw a strange number disyed on the iing call screen.


    "Hello," Zhao Yulu answered the phone.


    "Hello, may I speak to Ms. Zhao Yulu?" It was a woman''s voice.


    "Who is this?" Zhao Yulu asked.


    The voice was unfamiliar; it probably wasn''t someone she knew.


    "Ms. Zhao, do you still remember a traffic ident that urred on Jiangcheng pedestrian street three years ago? At that time, you pulled a woman back, saving her life," the woman said.


    Hearing this, Zhao Yulu immediately recalled the incident.


    It was a weekend day, and she was shopping on the pedestrian street with Xu Yang.


    A car had careened out of control into the pedestrian street, sending many people flying.


    Noticing the anomaly, everyone scattered to get out of the way.


    But one woman, as if frozen by fright, stood in ce and didn''t move.


    At that time, Xu Yang had gone to buy milk tea and wasn''t beside her.


    Seeing the car about to hit the woman, Zhao Yulu ran over and pulled her away.


    It could be said that, if not for her pulling the woman away, the woman might have died or be disabled.


    The woman was extremely grateful to Zhao Yulu.


    Zhao Yulu didn''t think much of it and told her it was nothing.


    Just then, Xu Yang came back in a hurry with two cups of milk tea and quickly asked if Zhao Yulu was injured.


    Zhao Yulu didn''t talk much more with the woman and continued shopping with Xu Yang.


    Could this woman be that same woman?


    With this thought, Zhao Yulu couldn''t help but ask, "Are you that woman?"


    "Yes," the woman said, "Ms. Zhao, I was only making a brief stop in Jiangcheng that year, so I didn''t find you at that time. Later, I was very busy with my career and had no chance toe back to Jiangcheng. Today, I''m in Jiangcheng and would like to invite you to dinner as a token of my gratitude. Are you avable?"


    "You already thanked me back then; there''s no need to be so formal. I just did what I should have," Zhao Yulu said.


    "Then let''s have dinner as friends, is that okay?" the woman asked.


    "Alright," Zhao Yulu replied helplessly, agreeing to the request.


    "I''ll add you on WeChatter and send you the time and ce for dinner," the woman said.


    "Okay," Xu Yang nodded.


    After ending the call, it wasn''t long before Zhao Yulu received the time and ce for the dinner, along with the woman''s name, Han Mengting.


    Zhao Yulu put down her phone and went to use the restroom. By the time she came back, it was almost time to leave work.


    At that moment, a female colleague with ck-framed sses sitting nearby said, "Yu Lu, a few of us new colleagues were talking and thought we''d go have hotpot at Hai Di Lao tonight. You''re free, right?"


    The girl with the ck-framed sses had started work at the same time as her.


    Coming in with her were three other people.


    New colleagues often have a lot to talk about.


    Gathering for a meal together is quite normal.


    Under normal circumstances, Yu Lu wouldn''t refuse such a dinner invitation.


    But just now, Han Mengting had called to invite her for dinner, and she had already agreed, so naturally she couldn''t go to the dinner with the other colleagues.


    "Min Min, I''d like to join you for dinner too, but I''ve already made ns to eat with someone else, so I can''t join you this time. Let''s do it next time, we''ll gather next time," Zhao Yulu said.


    "You''ve made ns already? With whom? A man or a woman? Is it that Tao Yingjun who asked you out?" the female colleague with ck-framed sses asked with a face full of gossip.


    In their group of new hires, there were five people, three women and two men.


    Among the women, her and another female colleague were quite average in looks and figure, while Yu Lu stood out the most.


    She caused a sensation as soon as she arrived at thepany.


    The news that a very beautiful girl had joined the operations department spread quickly throughout thepany.


    On that very day, a man came over to invite Yu Lu for a meal.


    That man''s name was Tao Yingjun, and he was said to be the son of one of thepany''s vice presidents.


    There was no denying his family''s wealth; it was just that he wasn''t very good-looking, not matching his name at all.


    Yu Lu didn''t ept his invitation, and even after he approached several times, she refused every time.


    Could it be that Yu Lu had softened and agreed?


    "Don''t talk nonsense, I''ve made ns to dine with a female friend," Yu Lu looked at her colleague somewhat speechlessly.


    "Really?" the female colleague with ck-framed sses blinked and asked.


    "Of course it''s true, why would I lie to you?" Yu Lu gave her colleague a look.


    After chatting for a bit, it was time to get off work.


    The other three new colleagues came over, and Yu Lu exined the situation to them.


    They understood and said they''d gather another time since there would be plenty of opportunities.


    The group left thepany together.


    Stepping out of the building, they saw a crowd gathered at the entrance.


    In the middle stood a young man dressed in luxury casual attire, holding a bouquet of roses in his hands.


    "It''s Tao Yingjun!"


    "What is he doing here?"


    "He''s not going to publicly confess his love to Yu Lu, is he?"


    "With the way he''s staring at Yu Lu without blinking, he definitely is!"


    "Yu Lu, seize the opportunity, that''s the vice president''s son right there."


    Seeing Tao Yingjun''s gaze fixed on Zhao Yulu, the colleagues stepped aside.


    Tao Yingjun, holding the bouquet of roses and wearing what he considered a charming smile, walked towards Zhao Yulu with deep affection.


    Seeing this guy, Zhao Yulu frowned.


    Ever since she started working at Shengda Literature, this guy had been pestering her.


    She had already unequivocally rejected his dinner invitations several times, and her intention was very clear.


    Yet to her surprise, he had made this public disy.


    "Yu Lu, the moment I saw you, I fell deeply in love. I never believed in love at first sight until I met you, and now I believe that love at first sight really exists in this world. I love you, be my girlfriend, I will make you the happiest woman in the world," he proimed.


    Coming up to Zhao Yulu, Tao Yingjun offered the roses with both hands.


    His face bore what he believed to be a charming and gentlemanly smile. Your journey starts at m_v le mpyr


    This was his signature smile.


    No matter how others saw it, he thought this smile was handsome and liked by women.


    Being the son of a vice president at Shengda Literature, many women at thepany were interested in him, and some even took the initiative to get into his bed.


    As for those women, he was not one to refuse if he liked what he saw.


    And if he found someone especially beautiful, he would take the initiative to pursue.

 Chapter 227: Chapter 227 Threat

    The moment Tao Yingjun saw Zhao Yulu, he swore he must get her into bed.


    Zhao Yulu was the prettiest girl he had ever seen.


    He had invited Zhao Yulu to dine with him several times and was refused each time. Tao Yingjun felt that Zhao Yulu was just feigning modesty.


    So, he orchestrated this whole scene.


    He thought Zhao Yulu would be moved and would agree to him.


    This was his trump card; whenever he pulled off this kind of deration of love, no woman could resist¡ªthey would be in his bed that very night.


    Based on such experiences, he was filled with confidence that he could win over Zhao Yulu today.


    "Say yes to him!"


    "Go for it, Mr. Tao!"


    "Mr. Tao is so romantic!"


    "I wish Mr. Tao would confess his love to me!"


    The onlookers, ever eager for drama, were saying all kinds of things.


    "Tao Yingjun, I don''t like you and it''s impossible for me to ept you. I hope you will not bother me anymore," Zhao Yulu said indifferently.


    "Zhao Yulu, do you think that you''re too good for me?" Tao Yingjun''s face turned ugly.


    He had imagined that Zhao Yulu would joyfully ept the roses and then throw herself into his arms.


    Then he would take Zhao Yulu out for dinner and a movie, and afterwards, they would go to a hotel to book a room.


    But he did not expect it to turn out like this.


    "Tao Yingjun, we''re all adults here, one should know that this isn''t a matter of being worthy or not."


    "I don''t like you; am I supposed to ept you just because I don''t like you?"


    "I''ll say it one more time, please stop bothering me in the future. Your actions only make me dislike you more."


    Zhao Yulu''s words made Tao Yingjun''s face even more displeased.


    She actually said she didn''t like him!


    Told him not to bother her!


    He was the son of the vice president of Shengda Literature, and his father held shares in Shengda Literature.


    He was indeed a minor rich second generation.


    When it came to chasing women, he was always willing to spend money.


    There was none he couldn''t win over.


    Of course, he had the self-awareness not to chase after those upper-ss beauties who were out of his league and would not embarrass himself by pursuing them.


    One could say that he had never suffered such a setback in pursuing women, and he was finding it quite unbearable.


    "Zhao Yulu, who the fuck do you think you are? My pursuit is a favor to you, and you dare to reject me,"


    "You don''t like me? What right do you have not to like me?"


    "My dad''s the vice president, and you''re just an ordinary woman. What right do you have to say that I''m bothering you?"


    "If it weren''t for your pretty skin, you think I''d bother with you?"


    Tao Yingjunid bare his face, and his words were incredibly offensive.


    The things he said shocked all the onlookers.


    "Wow, so this is the vice president''s son?!"


    "Acting like this after being rejected, what poor manners!"


    "Shh! Keep it down, the guy''s the vice president''s son after all. Be careful, or he might make life difficult for you!"


    "I actually think what he''s saying isn''t wrong. This Zhao Yulu doesn''t know what''s good for her, daring to reject Mr. Tao."


    "That''s right, if Mr. Tao confessed to me like that, I would have epted him."


    "I really don''t get it, why Zhao Yulu doesn''t like Mr. Tao, she''s missing out on an opportunity."


    "Who knows, maybe she thinks she''s pretty and wants someone better."


    "Honestly, I think Zhao Yulu finds Tao Yingjun too shabby-looking."


    "Damn it, Old Zhou, aren''t you afraid that Tao Yingjun will give you trouble for speaking like this?"


    "Afraid of what? I can''t stand that guy; I don''t know how many women he''s yed with. Every time he finds a new woman, he still acts all lovey-dovey, which makes me sick. If he gives me trouble, I might as well resign. I can find anotherpany to work for."


    "Old Zhou, you''re really something."


    The onlookers discussed amongst themselves with variousments.


    "You¡­" Zhao Yulu trembled with anger, not expecting to be met with such harsh words for rejecting him, "So this is your true face, everything before was fake. I am so d I refused you. Being with you would have been like falling into a pit of fire!"


    "You¡­" Tao Yingjun was furious.


    But he couldn''te up with a retort.


    Firstly, he hadn''t anticipated this situation.


    Secondly, what Zhao Yulu said was exactly what he had in mind, and his reaction proved it.


    The pointing and whispering of the people around him left him at a loss for words.


    Zhao Yulu nced at Tao Yingjun, said nothing more, and walked past him.


    Tao Yingjun turned to watch Zhao Yulu''s departing figure and yelled angrily, "Zhao Yulu, you just wait, I will definitely make you get the hell out of Shengda Literature!"


    A naked threat.


    The people at Shengda Literature all changed their expressions.


    Most had a worse impression of Tao Yingjun now, but there were still a few girls who felt that Zhao Yulu should have epted such a deration of love and that her refusal was ungrateful.


    In fact, these women wished they could take Zhao Yulu''s ce.


    Even though Tao Yingjun was a jerk, he was rich.


    And his father was a vice president.


    Being with Tao Yingjun could mean a promotion and a raise, and they might benefit from him as well.


    "Suit yourself, it''s just a job. If I don''t work, so be it."


    Zhao Yulu was indifferent, not looking back as she strode away and hailed a taxi to the restaurant where she had agreed to meet Han Mengting.


    The job was quite ordinary.


    If she had to resign over this, she didn''t see anything regrettable about it.


    Agreeing to be Tao Yingjun''s girlfriend just for a job was out of the question.


    If she were that kind of person, ready to agree to be the girlfriend of a man she didn''t like for money, then she wouldn''t be working at Shengda Literature now; she would have been with Chen Guanglei long ago.


    Although Chen Guanglei didn''t truly like her either and was just a yboy wanting to sleep with her.


    But at least, Chen Guanglei didn''t look as repulsive.


    Moreover, Chen Guanglei''s family wealth was far greater than Tao Yingjun''s.


    Chen Guanglei''s family had assets worth several billion, while Tao Yingjun''s father was just a vice president at Shengda Literature with a small share, not exceeding ten percent.


    ording to colleagues, their family barely had a few billion.


    The difference between them was too great.


    "Bitch, if you don''t agree with me, I will make sure you get fired!"


    Tao Yingjun gnashed his teeth and issued another vicious threat.


    Then, having lost face, he quickly got in his car and left in a hurry.


    Today''s event had been humiliating for him.


    Even if others were wary of his background and didn''t dare to talk about him in his face, they would surelyugh at him behind his back.


    It could be said that it was the first time he had lost so much face.


    ¡­


    Zhao Yulu arrived at the agreed restaurant, entered a private room, and saw Han Mengting.


    Han Mengting was a woman in her thirties, with medium-length hair and dressed in a sharp, casual women''s suit, exuding a strong and independent aura.


    After sitting down, Han Mengting ced the menu and her orders in front of Zhao Yulu, saying, "Miss Zhao, I ordered these dishes just now. See if there''s anything else you''d like, and I''ll have the waitere over."


    Zhao Yulu looked and said, "I like all of these, I''m not picky at all. This is already quite a lot; there''s no need to order more. Otherwise, it''d be wasteful if we can''t finish it."


    "Okay." Han Mengting nodded, looked at Zhao Yulu sincerely, and thanked her, "Miss Zhao, I would like to thank you again. If it weren''t for you, I don''t know what state I would be in right now."

 Chapter 228: Chapter 228 Future President

    Zhao Yulu forced a smile and said, "Miss Han, there''s really no need for formalities. If you''re so polite, what''s the point of us having this meal? You were saying that we''re eating together as friends."


    "All right, I won''t be polite anymore," Han Mengting, who was also quite forthright, responded. At this point, to keep on saying thank you was pointless, so she shifted the topic, "By the way, the guy who left with you that time, he was your boyfriend, right?"


    Zhao Yulu nodded: "Yes."


    Han Mengting said with envy, "The way he looked at you, he must have really loved you. It was like he treasured you so much he was afraid you''d fall if he held you in his palm and afraid you''d melt if he kept you in his mouth. I''m so envious, having someone love you like that. You must be married by now, right?"


    Zhao Yulu was silent for a moment before she said, "We broke up."


    Bringing up this topic made her mood heavy.


    If she hadn''t known Xu Yang''s situation, if Xu Yang hadn''t been so sessful, it wouldn''t have mattered so much.


    But Xu Yang had be a billionaire, and it was impossible not to know about him because her mother would mention him in front of her from time to time.


    Her mood just couldn''t improve.


    "Broke up?" Han Mengting was stunned and somewhat incredulous.


    At that time, when she saw how in love they seemed, she had thought they would get married.


    She hadn''t anticipated that such a couple would still end up breaking up.


    "I''m sorry, I didn''t know about this. That was thoughtless of me," Han Mengting apologized.


    "It''s fine, it''s all in the past now," Zhao Yulu tried to squeeze out a smile as if to show that it really was all behind her.


    But her smile, to anyone observant, would have seemed a bit forced.


    "Miss Zhao, where do you work now?" Han Mengting changed the subject.


    "At Shengda Literature," Zhao Yulu answered truthfully.


    "Shengda Literature?" Han Mengting was taken aback.


    Today, her uncle had led his team to negotiate with people from Shengda Literature, determined to take over Shengda Literature.


    "Yes," Zhao Yulu nodded, somewhat puzzled by Han Mengting''s reaction.


    Could it be that Han Mengting had some connection with Shengda Literature?


    "Miss Han, by the way you look, you know about Shengda Literature?" asked Zhao Yulu.


    "I like to read web novels in my spare time, and I know Shengda Literature is a behemoth in the web literature industry," Han Mengting said with a smile.


    "I see," Zhao Yulu realized.


    "Miss Zhao, what exactly do you do at Shengda Literature?" Han Mengting inquired.


    "I work in operations," Zhao Yulu said. "I haven''t been at Shengda Literature long and am still quite new. But I might be leaving Shengda Literature soon."


    "Why? You just joined, didn''t you? Is it because you find the job unsatisfactory, or is there a better opportunity elsewhere?" Han Mengting asked, puzzled.


    Normally, an employee who had just joined apany wouldn''t leave so quickly unless there was a special reason.


    "The job is great, and I really like the working atmosphere there. I''d like to stay on, but I''ve offended someone with a strong backing in thepany. They''ve made it clear they want me out, so I probably won''tst much longer," Zhao Yulu said with a bitter smile.


    Ever since leaving Jia Sheng Guild, she had been out of work, attending numerous interviews, but none felt quite right.


    Experience new worlds on M-VL-em|p,yr


    The one she did like, Pioneer Culture, turned out to be Xu Yang''spany, so she left without even interviewing.


    It was not easy tond the job at Shengda Literature, and she really enjoyed the operations work.


    If possible, it was better not to change jobs.


    Of course, if she were forced to leave, there wasn''t much she could do about it.


    After all, she wasn''t one topromise.


    "Can you tell me what happened?" Han Mengting asked, curious.


    "There''s nothing I can''t talk about¡­" Zhao Yulu began exining the situation.


    "It seems that this Tao Yingjun is not only a jerk but also trash, taking advantage of his background to bully people at will. I can''t stand this kind of person the most," said Han Mengting.


    "But there are such people in the workce, and for someone without a background like me, there''s nothing I can do when I encounter them except leave," Zhao Yulu said bitterly.


    "Miss Zhao, rest assured, as long as I''m here, I won''t let you leave," Han Mengting said.


    "Miss Han, what do you mean?" Zhao Yulu looked at Han Mengting in surprise, "Are you also from Sheng Da Literature? But I''ve never seen you before, and I don''t see your name in thepany''s high-level management list."


    She really couldn''t understand why Han Mengting would say such a thing.


    "Miss Zhao, just so you know, I''m a senior executive at Penguin Group," Han Mengting said with a smile.


    What!


    A senior executive at the Penguin Group!


    Zhao Yulu was utterly shocked.


    Han Mengting appeared to be just over thirty and had already be a senior executive at the Penguin Group.


    It was well known that the Penguin Group was an inte giant.


    Such a conglomerate had an incredible number of talents; thepetition was fierce.


    To be a senior executive at the Penguin Group, one had to be the cream of the crop, an elite among elites.


    However, a Penguin Group executive wouldn''t have authority over Sheng Da Literature, right?


    Could it be that Han Mengting also had friends in high positions at Sheng Da Literature?


    That was a possibility.


    If Han Mengting had a friend who was a deputy general manager at Sheng Da Literature, she could be protected.


    Sheng Da Literature had three deputy general managers, and all had the same powers.


    If one deputy general manager fully opposed another in a matter, they could generally seed.


    Especially in this case, since Tao Yingjun himself was in the wrong.


    Considering this, Zhao Yulu asked, "Miss Han, do you know any of our high-level managers at Sheng Da Literature?"


    "No," Han Mengting shook her head, "I don''t know anyone from Sheng Da Literature except you."


    "Then the meaning behind what you said just now..." Zhao Yulu was puzzled.


    "Well, the thing is, we at Penguin are venturing into the online literature sector, and today the General Manager of Penguin Investments personally led the team to yourpany for acquisition talks," Han Mengting exined.


    "Your Penguin is going to acquire Sheng Da Literature?" Zhao Yulu was very surprised.


    "Yes," Han Mengting nodded.


    "Sheng Da Literature is a leader in the online literature industry, even if you want to acquire Sheng Da Literature, it might be difficult, and even if the acquisition is sessful, would you be able to manage affairs at Sheng Da Literature?" Zhao Yulu was still somewhat doubtful.


    Let alone whether the acquisition would be sessful; even if it was, could Han Mengting really interfere directly with the affairs of Sheng Da Literature?


    Zhao Yulu was skeptical of this.


    "The acquisition will definitely be sessful, and once it is, I will assume the position of President at Sheng Da Literature," Han Mengting said with a smile.


    "I see."


    Zhao Yulu finally understood what Han Mengting meant earlier.


    It turned out that inside the Penguin Group, they were already prepared for a sessful acquisition.


    The candidate for the president of Sheng Da Literature had already been chosen.


    This also implied the resolute determination of Penguin Investments to ensure the acquisition of Sheng Da Literature.


    It seems that the chances of a sessful acquisition are quite high.

 Chapter 229 : 229 Opportunity

    At that moment, Zhao Yulu''s frustration from Tao Yingjun''s threats dissipated without a trace.


    With Han Mengting taking over as president of Shengda Literature, Tao Yingjun definitely couldn''t do anything to her because of their rtionship.


    It was now impossible for Tao Yingjun to use his father''s position as a vice president to threaten her.


    Moreover, Han Mengting might even help promote her.


    Even if she didn''t promote her, having such an acquaintance as president in thepany would make her life much better there.


    As long as Han Mengting stood up for her once, she was sure no one would dare to harass her in the future.


    "Miss Zhao, if I be the president of Shengda Literature, I will definitely need people. I would like to invite you to be my assistant. Would you be willing?" Han Mengting immediately extended the invitation.


    It seemed the acquisition of Shengda Literature by Penguin Investment was already a done deal.


    Her taking the position of president was also set in stone.


    Upon hearing this, Zhao Yulu trembled with excitement.


    Being a president''s assistant is the closest person to the president, the one the president trusts the most.


    It''s equivalent to a senior executive role, on par with a vice president.


    At least, that''s what she understood.


    Being an assistant to the president of Shengda Literature was far superior to being a vice president in the Jia Sheng Guild.


    Frankly, the work at Jia Sheng Guild wasn''t that great.


    After working at Jia Sheng Guild for a while, Zhao Yulu felt she hadn''t learned much.


    But being the assistant to the president of Shengda Literature was different.


    Not only would she be a senior executive, but she could also learn management from Han Mengting, a high-level executive at Penguin, and there was a possibility she could be a powerful woman in the future. Check back at m-v le-mpyr for more


    However, since shecked simr experience, she responded honestly, "Miss Han, I would naturally be willing to be your assistant, but I have never done this kind of work before, nor have I studied it. I''m afraid I might not handle things well and cause dys."


    Han Mengting revealed a look of appreciation.


    Zhao Yulucked experience and had not learned the relevant skills.


    If she immediately took on everything, iming she could handle it and promising not to let her down, and so on.


    Then, Han Mengting would have to reconsider her decision to employ Zhao Yulu as an assistant.


    She did not like that kind of person.


    Zhao Yulu''s attitude fit her taste perfectly.


    "Miss Zhao, rest assured, since I invited you to be an assistant without asking about your work experience, I naturally have my reasons. I will teach you how to do it, and I believe in my judgment. As long as you''re willing to learn, you''ll catch on quickly," Han Mengting said with a smile.


    "In that case, I ept your offer to be your assistant. Thank you," Zhao Yulu said happily.


    With such an opportunity, she naturally couldn''t miss out; missing it would be foolish.


    She never expected that a decision she made at the beginning would bring her this opportunity.


    Being favored by a powerful woman was definitely far better than knowing a rich beauty or entering their social circles.


    She had realized this fully at Wang Xiaocong''s birthday party.


    If one''s status and identity had not reached a certain level, it was impossible to force one''s way into those circles.


    You either need to be outstanding on your own or have someone to bring you in.


    Zhao Yuxin had Xu Yang, which was why so many rich beauties were willing to associate with her.


    And since she had already lost Xu Yang, she could only rely on herself.


    This was an opportunity, a chance to be a powerful woman.


    If she herself became a multimillionaire or still a senior executive in argepany, who would dare to look down on her?


    Even those rich beauties wouldn''t dare to look down on her.


    Those people relied on their parents for their current lifestyle.


    She, on the other hand, would achieve the life she wanted through her own efforts.


    She would have more confidence to interact with those people.


    With these thoughts, Zhao Yulu couldn''t help but feel a bit excited.


    "From now on, we''re partners. Don''t call me Miss Han anymore; it''s too formal. Just call me by my name," Han Mengting said.


    "Calling you by your name still doesn''t seem right. I''ll call you President Han," Zhao Yulu suggested after some thought.


    She really couldn''t bring herself to call her by her first name.


    "It''s fine to call me President Han at work, but it still feels too impersonal in private. How about this, I''m definitely older than you, so if you don''t mind, just call me Ting Jie in private," Han Mengting suggested.


    "Sounds good. At work, I''ll call you President Han, and in private, I''ll call you Ting Jie, and you can just call me Yu Lu, the same whether we''re at work or not," Zhao Yulu replied happily.


    A name signifies the closeness between two people.


    This change of address had subtly brought them closer.


    "Okay," Han Mengting said with a smile, nodding her head.


    The dinnersted until just past eight.


    The two talked a lot, and Han Mengting quite admired Zhao Yulu.


    Zhao Yulu, meanwhile, was very impressed by Han Mengting and even felt a bit of admiration for her.


    From that moment on, she truly began to understand what the highest-tier professionals in the workce were like.


    She''d never had the chance to experience this before.


    Her stepfather, Yang Tiancheng, had once been the vice president of Meiwei Group, butpared to Han Mengting, he was far behind, not just one level, but absolutely several.


    ...


    By the time Zhao Yulu got home, it was almost ten o''clock.


    Liu Yujuan hadn''t gone to bed yet; wearing pajamas, she was scrolling through her phone while seated on the living room sofa, with the TV on.


    "Yu Lu, you look happy. Did something good happen?"


    Liu Yujuan took one look at Zhao Yulu and noticed her good mood, prompting her to inquire.


    Zhao Yulu had told her that she wouldn''t be home for dinner through a message.


    She only mentioned that she was dining out with a friend, without going into details.


    "Yes, there is good news," Zhao Yulu nodded happily.


    "What good news? Could it be that you went to dinner with Xu Yang tonight? Have you two gotten back together?"


    Liu Yujuan''s eyes lit up with excitement.


    If Zhao Yulu had dinner with Xu Yang, their reconciliation was as good as confirmed.


    Then she would officially be Xu Yang''s mother-inw.


    And she would have endless money to spend.


    Oh my, just the thought excited her.


    With Xu Yang''s wealth of several billion, even a small goal from him would take her a long time to spend.


    "Mom, can you stop bringing up Xu Yang? I was in a good mood, but now it''s all gone because of what you said," Zhao Yulu felt annoyed.


    Her mood had been very good, but the mention of Xu Yang by Liu Yujuan really killed it.


    "It''s not that I want to bring him up, but what other good news could there be if you''re not getting back together with Xu Yang?" Liu Yujuan felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over her head as her excitement vanished.


    She couldn''t think of any other good news that Zhao Yulu could have.


    In her mind, nothing could be as important as reconciling with Xu Yang.


    "Mom, can''t you stop? I''ve already said it many times: Xu Yang and I are impossible. You''re still fixated on us getting back together. Without him, can''t I live my life? Can''t I be happy? Can''t there be any good news in my life?" Zhao Yulu was infuriated.


    "Without getting back together with Xu Yang, all your so-called ''good news'' can''t be considered good news. Only reconciling with Xu Yang can be considered a real blessing," Liu Yujuan asserted confidently.


    "You..."


    At the end of her patience, Zhao Yulu suddenly felt extremely tired and didn''t have the heart to argue any further. She headed straight to her bedroom.

 Chapter 230 : 230 Showing off Just the Same

    Liu Yujuan looked at Zhao Yulu''s figure and said with frustration, "All you do is keep yourself busy with trivial things, I advise you to focus on getting back together with Xu Yang!"


    Zhao Yulu stopped in her tracks, turned around and said, "Mom, I''ve already told you, stop bringing up Xu Yang!"


    "If we don''t bring up Xu Yang, will that work?" Liu Yujuan confidently said, "Look at you, going to work every day as an ordinary employee. How much can you earn in a month? Just a few thousand yuan. If you get back together with Xu Yang, what can''t you have? You wouldn''t even need to work!"


    Zhao Yulu took a deep breath and said, "Mom, without Xu Yang, I can still live the life I want based on my own efforts. Can you not mention Xu Yang in the future, please?"


    Liu Yujuan said, "Yu Lu, you''re oversimplifying life. For women from ordinary families like ours, without exceptional abilities or connections, it''s impossible to stand out just by working hard. Only by relying on a man can one possibly live the life one desires. That''s why I want you to get back together with Xu Yang. Even the slightest chance must not be missed."


    Zhao Yulu said, "My abilities may not be exceptionally strong, but they are still above average."


    Liu Yujuan replied, "So what if they are? There are plenty of capable people out there, but in the end, they''re just ordinary folks. They can never cross ss boundaries and be wealthy. The key is connections; with connections, lots of opportunities arise. That''s what''s most important."


    Zhao Yulu said, "Mom, do you still remember the car ident I told you about, when I was in my second year of university? I was shopping on the pedestrian street with Xu Yang and ended up saving a woman."


    "I remember, what about it?" Liu Yujuan frowned and said, "Don''t change the subject. Today I''m going to give you some good advice, to change your attitude and get back with Xu Yang."


    Zhao Yulu said, "You just mentioned that I don''t have connections, right? That woman is my connection."


    "What do you mean?" Liu Yujuan squinted, a bit puzzled.


    "Do you know the woman''s identity?" Zhao Yulu asked.


    "How would I know that," Liu Yujuan snapped.


    "Take a guess?" Zhao Yulu didn''t rush to reveal it.


    "How could I possibly guess? You''re saying she''s your connection; could she possibly be some big shot?" Liu Yujuan became somewhat interested.


    "Exactly, to us, she is a big shot," Zhao Yulu nodded.


    "Then tell me, who is she?" Liu Yujuan became curious.


    "She is a high-ranking executive at Penguin Group, named Han Mengting. Her uncle is Han Jun, the General Manager of Penguin Investment, who is also the Vice President of Penguin Group! She invited me to dinner tonight, and we chatted for a long time," Zhao Yulu said.


    "What!" Liu Yujuan eximed, "A high-ranking executive of Penguin Group, the niece of Penguin''s Vice President, she is indeed a big shot for us."


    "Did she invite you to dinner because she wants to bring you into Penguin?"


    "Oh my, if you gain her favor, bing a high-ranking executive at Penguin wouldn''t be impossible in the future."


    "The sry of a Penguin executive could be in the tens of millions, right? Bing a billionaire wouldn''t be a dream."


    The more she talked, the more excited and agitated Liu Yujuan became, trembling all over.


    If her daughter got into the Penguin Group, with their support, skyrocketing to sess would be just a matter of time.


    Never mind whether her daughter could reconcile with Xu Yang; with her daughter''s earnings, she wouldn''t have to worry about living expenses.


    "I don''t need to work at Penguin; Penguin is going to buy Shengda Literature. Right now, Han Mengting''s uncle Han Jun is leading a team to negotiate with the shareholders of Shengda Literature."


    "Penguin is determined to acquire Shengda Literature, and I believe the deal will be settled in the next few days."


    "Once Penguin acquires Shengda Literature, Han Mengting will be the president of Shengda."


    "Han Mengting has already told me, when she bes the president of Shengda Literature, she will make me her assistant. She will teach me how to perform well as an assistant and also educate me on management knowledge."


    "She also said that she will return to the Penguin Group headquarters after at most three years as president."


    "Before returning to headquarters, she will train me to be a qualified manager and rmend me to the group to be the president of Shengda Literature."


    As she spoke, Zhao Yulu herself could hardly contain her excitement.


    Once she became the president of Shengda Literature, she would be considered sessful in the business world as well, and no one would dare to look down on her anymore.


    Those rich and beautiful women who attended Wang Xiaocong''s birthday party lived such lives only because of their fathers, but she had achieved that kind of life through her own abilities.


    By then, she could even look down on them.


    "It''s great that you are going to be the president of Shengda Literature!" Liu Yujuan was also excited, "And in the future, if you do well at your job, you could also be a high-ranking executive at Penguin Group, right?"


    "That''s right," Zhao Yulu nodded.


    "That''s wonderful!" Liu Yujuan said excitedly, "Yu Lu, the good news you mentioned just now, it''s this, isn''t it?"


    "Yes," Zhao Yulu nodded again.


    "It really is great news, I didn''t understand the situation before, I misspoke, please don''t be mad at me, dear, how could I expect you to have such an opportunity?" Liu Yujuan took Zhao Yulu''s hand.


    "So, Mom, could you not bring up Xu Yang all the time in the future?" Zhao Yulu asked.


    "Sure, sure, sure, as long as you do your job well, I won''t mention him anymore, you''re going to be the president of Shengda Literature, and maybe even a high-ranking executive at Penguin Group, Xu Yang is not that important anymore. It''s okay not to get back together with Xu Yang."


    Liu Yujuan urged Zhao Yulu to get back with Xu Yang because she wanted to live a better life.


    But with Zhao Yulu bing the president of Shengda Literature and potentially entering the executive ranks of Penguin Group,


    the mother and daughter''s lives would improve.


    They could afford the multi-million-dor car and show off in front of her friends just the same.


    Whether they had Xu Yang or not really wasn''t that important.


    Her relentless persuasion for Zhao Yulu to reconcile with Xu Yang was due to this reason.


    If there were other sources of high ie, she wouldn''t want to do this either.


    Now things were looking up, Zhao Yulu had the opportunity and the high ie.


    There was no longer any need to push Zhao Yulu to make an effort where it wasn''t reciprocated.


    In her heart, she knew very well that it was unlikely for Zhao Yulu and Xu Yang to reconcile.


    The reasons she gave were just clutching at straws.


    As she had said earlier, as long as there was a glimmer of hope, one should not give up.


    Now, as long as Zhao Yulu could live well, they didn''t need Xu Yang.


    Of course, if Zhao Yulu could really get back together with Xu Yang, that would still be the best oue.


    After all, Xu Yang had a fortune worth tens of billions.


    Even if Zhao Yulu became a high-ranking executive at Penguin Group, the money she would make would certainly be nowhere near Xu Yang''s.


    "That''s good to hear, I will definitely seize this opportunity, it may be the most important opportunity in my life," Zhao Yulu''s eyes sparkled with determination.


    It was an opportunity to change her destiny.


    She must go all out, no matter what difficulties she faced, she had to ovee them.


    "Right, you must seize it, by then I''ll be the mother of a president, that sounds even more impressive," Liu Yujuan was overjoyed.


    Already imagining the scene of boasting in front of her friends.


    A daughter making her way to sess was something worth unting even more than a sessful son-inw.

 Chapter 231: Chapter 231 Making Things Difficult

    The next day.


    Zhao Yulu arrived at thepany for work.


    Her colleague, Li Minmin with the ck framed sses, had already arrived.


    As soon as she sat down, Li Minmin leaned in and said, "Yu Lu, you openly rejected Tao Yingjun yesterday andpletely offended him. He said he wants to have you leave thepany. I think things are looking bad for you."


    If she hadn''t had dinner with Han Mengting the night before, Zhao Yulu might have sighed.


    After all, looking for a new job would still be somewhat troublesome.


    But not now, she simply responded with a calm demeanor, "There''s nothing I can do. I can''t just agree to be his girlfriend because I''m afraid of offending him. I don''t like him, and there''s no way I would agree to be his girlfriend."


    Li Minmin suggested in a low voice, "Yu Lu, I think you should take a humble approach and apologize to Tao Yingjun. He might still forgive you."


    Zhao Yulu replied, "I did nothing wrong. Why should I lower myself to apologize to him?"


    Li Minmin sighed and said, "Yu Lu, in the workce, sometimes it''s not about right or wrong. For the sake of one''s job, one has to endure even if it''s unfair."


    Zhao Yulu said, "No matter what, I won''t apologize. If he really has the ability to make me leave, then so be it, I''ll leave."


    Once Han Mengting parachutes in to be the president of Shengda Literature, and I be Han Mengting''s assistant, then I''ll find a way to get rid of that disgusting scumbag Tao Yingjun!


    "Alright, let''s pretend I didn''t say anything," Li Minmin, seeing that Zhao Yulu could not be persuaded, dropped the subject.


    She couldn''t help butment that sometimes being too beautiful was not necessarily a good thing.


    9:30 AM.


    Zhong Lezhi, the Operations Department Supervisor, came to Zhao Yulu''s desk carrying a stack of thick files.


    He ced the files directly on Zhao Yulu''s desk.


    "Zhao Yulu,e up with the operational ns for these projects and hand them to me within three days," Zhong Lezhi said expressionlessly.


    As soon as Zhong Lezhi had walked in, all the colleagues had taken notice.


    Seeing Zhong Lezhi assigning tasks to Zhao Yulu, especially such a thick stack of files, which appeared to include at least ten folders, everyone realized the enormity of the task.


    Toe up with more than ten operational ns, even an experienced employee couldn''tplete them within three days.


    Maybe it was possible if the time was doubled and they worked overtime.


    Zhao Yulu was still a neer, and her probationary period wasn''t even over, how could she possiblyplete it?


    Clearly, Zhong Lezhi was deliberately making things difficult for Zhao Yulu.


    Since Zhao Yulu had joined thepany, she had been diligent and hard-working, and it seemed as if she had no issues with Zhong Lezhi.


    Moreover, when Zhao Yulu had first arrived, Zhong Lezhi had introduced her with a few other new hires to the old colleagues, and had evenplimented her.


    So why was he picking on Zhao Yulu now?


    Obviously, Zhong Lezhi was being instructed by someone.


    Who was instructing Zhong Lezhi?


    Connecting it to the previous night, when Zhao Yulu publicly rejected Tao Yingjun after work,


    Tao Yingjun, furious and embarrassed, had dered that he would make Zhao Yulu leave.


    Everyone immediately understood that the most likely scenario was that Tao Yingjun had instructed Zhong Lezhi to do so.


    And indeed, that was the case, Tao Yingjun had instructed Zhong Lezhi to do so.


    As long as Zhao Yulu failed toplete the work, they would have grounds to fire her.


    If Zhao Yulu dared to resist, they could fire her just the same.


    Everyone sighed silently in their hearts.


    They couldn''t help but feel some sympathy for Zhao Yulu.


    Having just started work, she found herself entangled with the likes of Tao Yingjun.


    What''s worse, Tao Yingjun''s father was a deputy general manager with shares in thepany.


    Offending Tao Yingjun won''t work out well.


    It probably won''t be many days before Zhao Yulu will really be forced to leave Shengda Literature.


    "Manager Zhong, assigning so many proposals to a new employee who hasn''t even passed the probation period, and requiring them to bepleted within three days, do you think I can finish them?"


    Zhao Yulu calmly retorted.


    If it were before, she would have been very angry.


    But now, she wasn''t angry.


    Because in her view, Zhong Lezhiing to trouble her was bound to fail.


    When Han Mengting took over as the president of Shengda Literature, and she became the president''s assistant, this Zhong Lezhi would probably be scared witless.


    Therefore, not to mention Zhong Lezhi, even Tao Yingjun, let alone Tao Yingjun''s father, she wasn''t afraid of any of them.


    At this moment, in her eyes, Zhong Lezhi was nothing more than a jumping clown.


    The more he frolicked now, the worse his end would beter.


    At this thought, a mocking smile appeared on the corners of Zhao Yulu''s mouth.


    Zhao Yulu''s reaction surprised her colleagues.


    This Zhao Yulu, truly bold, directly confronted the leadership.


    It must be said, such courage was admirable.


    Zhong Lezhi saw Zhao Yulu''s response, her demeanor surprisingly calm.


    Even revealing a mocking smile made her feel very ufortable.


    A junior employee actually showed a mocking smile towards her.


    This couldn''t be tolerated.


    If this were tolerated, what dignity would she, as a manager, have in front of the employees?


    "Zhao Yulu, I arranged a task for you, just do it. If you''re willing to do it, you canplete it. If you can''t finish it, it only shows that there''s a problem with your abilities!" Zhong Lezhi spoke gravely.


    "Manager Zhong, let''s not beat around the bush. With so many proposals, even an experienced employee would find it hardly possible toplete them in double the time, yet you''re asking a new employee to finish them within three days, what is your intention?!" Zhao Yulu shot back defiantly.


    Hiss¡­


    The colleagues all drew in a breath of cold air to themselves.


    If Zhao Yulu''s initial reaction had startled her colleagues, what she was doing now had utterly shocked them.


    Directly questioning Zhong Lezhi''s intentions was clearly a move to tear off the mask of civility.


    "Zhao Yulu, what sort of attitude is that? I''ve arranged legitimate work for you, what right do you have to question me?" Zhong Lezhi said angrily.


    Leaving aside the matter of making things difficult for Zhao Yulu at Tao Yingjun''s behest, it had now be an issue of her own face, and this made her temper rise rapidly.


    "Manager Zhong, ask your conscience, is the task you arranged for me really legitimate? You''re just deliberately making things difficult for me and still talking as if you''re honorable. Being a dog for Tao Yingjun won''t lead to a good oue!" Zhao Yulu stated.


    Upon hearing this, the colleagues weren''t just shocked anymore, but horrified.


    My goodness, what on earth was Zhao Yulu thinking?


    This was an outright confrontation.


    To actually call Zhong Lezhi Tao Yingjun''s dog...


    "Zhao Yulu, what I arranged is legitimate work. Your attitude towards me, and even dragging Manager Tao into this, is utterly outrageous!" Zhong Lezhi trembled with fury.


    Tao Yingjun, relying on his father''s connections, was a manager of a certain department.


    "Is it I who is outrageous, or you? You know very well yourself," Zhao Yulu said fearlessly.


    "You¡­" Zhong Lezhi was so infuriated she didn''t know what to say. As for Zhao Yulu, who seemed ready to go all out, the more she spoke here, the less advantageous it seemed for him. So instead, he turned with a coldugh, "Zhao Yulu, in any case, I''ve already assigned the work to you. If you can''tplete it, it just proves that you''re ipetent and not fit for this job.


    You know the consequences."


    Having said that, Zhong Lezhi turned and left directly.


    Read thetest tale on M-VL-em|p,yr


    "Zhong Lezhi, being a dog for Tao Yingjun, you want to force me out of thepany with such tactics; let me tell you, you won''t seed," Zhao Yulu said.


    Zhong Lezhi sneered and didn''t speak again, returning to her office.

 Chapter 232: Chapter 232 Acquisition News

    "Yu Lu, you''ve really offended Supervisor Zhong Lezhi now," Li Minmin said, somewhat anxious for Zhao Yulu.


    While Zhong Lezhi was there, she couldn''t say much.


    Only after Zhong Lezhi had left could she speak her mind.


    She remembered that Zhao Yulu didn''t seem like someone who would act impulsively.


    Confronting a leader to their face, calling them a dog, that''s a big taboo in the workce.


    Unless you don''t want to work there anymore, that''s when you would do something like that.


    Otherwise, with such a sour rtionship with the leader, how could you stay working at thepany?


    You sh with the leader and then say it''s impossible to be forced out of thepany.


    What does that mean?


    After all that, can you even stay at thepany?


    "Min Min, if I don''t offend him, what else can I do? Can I possibly make him stop making things difficult for me?" Zhao Yulu said.


    "Even so, dealing with him like that, how will you work in the future? Would it not be better to bear it for now and think of some other solution?" Li Minmin said.


    "I''ve already thought of a solution," Zhao Yulu said.


    "What solution?" Li Minmin asked curiously.


    "I''ll keep it a secret for now; you''ll know when the timees," Zhao Yulu thought about her uing role as the new president''s assistant, feeling a bit of anticipation.


    She wondered what expressions Tao Yingjun and Zhong Lezhi would have then.


    She was looking forward to that moment, and a slight smile appeared on her lips.


    "Yu Lu, you can still smile about this; I really don''t know what to say about you," Li Minmin said, at a loss for words.


    "What else can I do if I don''t smile? Should I be crying instead? The workce doesn''t believe in tears," Zhao Yulu said with augh.


    "Alright then," Li Minmin responded resignedly, "Yu Lu, we started here together, and I really don''t want you to leave thepany. Let me help you. We''ll work through lunch and stayte to work overtime, staying until 10 at night should do it."


    She truly considered Zhao Yulu a friend. Even though they hadn''t known each other long, she just felt like they got along really well, and that Zhao Yulu was the type that could be a close girlfriend.


    "Min Min, I appreciate your kindness. It''s clear that Zhong Lezhi is just following Tao Yingjun''s orders to target me. Even if we do get the n done, they''ll find other ways to keep making things difficult. It''s all useless," Zhao Yulu said.


    "What should we do then? I really want to keep working with you," Li Minmin said with a frown.


    "Don''t worry, didn''t I just say? I won''t let them kick me out sessfully," Zhao Yulu stated.


    "Okay, I guess I have no choice but to believe you," Li Minmin said though she felt doubtful inside.


    What could Zhao Yulu possibly do?


    After all, Tao Yingjun''s father is the vice-president of thepany.


    ...


    As lunchtime approached, the operations department began to buzz with activity.


    "I''ve got some explosive news to share, who wants to hear it?"


    A colleague suddenly spoke up.


    "What explosive news?"


    "Don''t tell me you''ve got a celebrity as your girlfriend?"


    "Go away, that''s ridiculous. If Qian Nan could get a celebrity girlfriend, then my wife must be the granddaughter of the president of Pretty Country," another colleague joked.


    "Most likely, it''s about someone in thepany, right?"


    "Could it be that Tao Yingjun has another scandal with some female employee?"


    "That''s not ''explosive news.'' At best, it''s just regr news," a voice retorted.


    "Qian Nan, stop beating around the bush. If you have some ''explosive news,'' just spill it already!"


    "Yeah, cut the crap and get on with it!"


    Everyone turned their attention to the colleague named Qian Nan.


    "Ourpany is going to be acquired!"


    With a slight smile, Qian Nan revealed the news he had just learned.


    Indeed, this news was truly explosive.


    "What! Going to be acquired?"


    "Ourpany is developing so well, it''s the overlord of the online literature industry with annual profits of several billion yuan. Would the shareholders really want to sell their shares?"


    "Yeah, have those shareholders gone crazy?"


    "Impossible. With Chairman Qiu''s ambition, he would never let someone acquire thepany."


    "Exactly, thepany was founded by Chairman Qiu, and it''s doing well at the moment, not short of money at all. There''s no way Chairman Qiu would ever sell thepany."


    "Qian Nan, you''re spreading false information, damaging thepany''s reputation. Be careful or the bosses will call you in for a ''tea talk''."


    "This is definitely just a rumor. I don''t believe ourpany is going to be acquired."


    Shocked by the news, the crowd soon regained their senses and thought Qian Nan was spreading false information.


    "It''s true. Tao Yingjun said it. A ssmate of mine from another department is on pretty good terms with Tao Yingjun. It slipped out while they were smoking together," Qian Nan said.


    "Really? If Tao Yingjun said it, there might be some truth to it!"


    "After all, Tao Yingjun is the son of the vice president. He wouldn''t talk nonsense about this kind of thing without reliable information."


    "Chairman Qiu and the other shareholders, are they really willing to sell thepany, huh."


    As soon as everyone heard that it was Tao Yingjun who had said it, they believed it almostpletely.


    Tao Yingjun''s dad is the vice president, which carries a lot of weight.


    "Check out the office gossip chat group. Others are talking about it too," Qian Nan said.


    Everyone took out their phones and opened thepany gossip chat group.


    The group was created by Tao Yingjun.


    It consisted of employees, and aside from Tao Yingjun himself, not a singlepany manager was in it.


    The initial purpose of the group was for everyone to shoot the breeze however they liked.


    It was also the go-to group forpany rumors.


    Any slight movements within thepany could be caught here, and at the fastest speed at that.


    So, virtually all of thepany''s grassroots employees had joined.


    Employee A: Heard thepany''s getting acquired!


    Employee B: I heard too, just not sure if it''s true.


    Employee C: It''s true. I heard the source is Young Master Tao. His words are solid, no lies there.


    Employee D: Young Master Tao,e out and confirm it, will you?


    Employee E: Yeah,e on, speak up. This is about ourpany''s future development.


    Tao Yingjun: It''s indeed true. Thepany is going to be acquired.


    Employee F: Holy shit, it''s for real!


    Employee G: Who''s going to acquire ourpany?


    Employee H: Must be some bigwig in the business world.


    Employee J: Isn''t that obvious?


    Employee T: Young Master Tao, spill the beans, who is it that''s going to acquire ourpany?


    Tao Yingjun: Heh, I''ll tell you, the one acquiring ourpany is no ordinary yer. A business giant doesn''t even cut it.


    Employee A: Holy cow, that''s badass?!


    Employee B: Young Master Tao, just tell us, who is it?


    Employee Y: I''m guessing it''s Ali. I heard from my uncle''s cousin''s son''s ssmate, who works at Ali. Ali has been eyeing the online literature sector, and zeroing in on ourpany is not surprising at all since we are the industry leader.


    Employee K: Could also be Penguin. I heard from my sister''s friend''s cousin''s uncle, who works at Penguin. Penguin is also making moves in the online literature industry.


    Employee L: You two are something else. Can we be serious for a moment?


    Employee M: Let''s just listen to Young Master Tao. Stop teasing us, yeah?


    Tao Yingjun: The previous two, one of you actually got it right!


    Employee H: Holy shit!


    Employee U: So it''s either Ali or Penguin!


    Employee G: Young Master Tao, please don''t make us guess any longer.


    Tao Yingjun: Heh, alright, I won''t tease you guys anymore. It''s Penguin that''s going to acquire ourpany!

 Chapter 233: Chapter 233 You Will Regret It

    Employee K: Fuck, my guess was right, my sister''s friend''s cousin''s uncle didn''t lie to me!


    Employee S: Being acquired by Tencent, we will all be Tencent employees, when people ask me where I work, I''ll say Tencent, and that will definitely amaze them.


    Employee F: Yeah, the Tencent brand is so dazzling, now when I go on blind dates and say I work at Tencent, my sess rate will surely skyrocket!


    Employee F: Haha, might even get a raise.


    Employee G: A raise? I doubt it, more likely they''ll start byying people off, that would be tragic.


    Employee J: Fuck, why so brutal!


    Employee K: If anyone tries toy me off, I won''t let them off the hook.


    Employee V: You won''t let them off the hook? What can you do anyway? You''d still have to leave quietly.


    Employee N: Stop talking nonsense, Tao Yingjun, any more gossip about the Tencent acquisition?


    Tao Yingjun: Heh heh, there actually is, I thought you guys weren''t going to ask. If you didn''t ask, I wouldn''t tell.


    Employee A: Tao Yingjun, out with it, what else is there?


    Employee D: The stool is ready, sitting and waiting for Tao Yingjun''s big reveal!


    Employee V: Tao Yingjun,e on, spill it already, don''t keep us hanging.


    Tao Yingjun: Yesterday, Tencent''s people were already negotiating with our shareholders, and among the negotiation team, there might be a great beauty.


    Employee A: Fuck, a beauty! (drooling emoji)


    Employee C: What kind of great beauty?


    Employee V: Is she as beautiful as Zhao Yulu?


    Employee B: If Tao Yingjun calls her a great beauty, she must really be one. But whether she''s as beautiful as Zhao Yulu, that''s uncertain.


    Employee M: That''s true, after all, Zhao Yulu is the prettiest girl I''ve ever seen.


    Tao Yingjun: I confessed to Zhao Yulu yesterday and got rejected. We had some unpleasantness, but Zhao Yulu is really beautiful. The beauty from Tencent isn''t as pretty as Zhao Yulu, just slightly less so.


    Tao Yingjun: Let me tell you, that beauty from Tencent is in her early thirties. A beauty of that age has a certain mature charm, plus she''s in a high position, so her temperament is something a young girl fresh out of college can''tpare with.


    Tao Yingjun: So all things considered, the beauty from Tencent is more charming, that''s undeniable.


    Tao Yingjun: I''m just telling the truth, you all will understand what I mean when you see her.


    Employee A: So she''s a powerful woman.


    Employee B: Isn''t that obvious? If she wasn''t a powerful woman, would she be in the negotiation team?


    Employee C: Tao Yingjun''s evaluation should be very objective.


    Employee D: Tsk tsk, I really want to see what this Tencent beauty praised by Tao Yingjun looks like.


    Employee E: When is Tencent''s teaming for the negotiation? I want to go to the lobby to check it out.


    Employee F: I want to check it out too.


    Employee G: If that beauty from Tencent takes a shine to me, that would be perfect.


    Employee H: Daydreaming in broad daylight.


    Employee G: You have to have dreams, what if theye true?


    Employee K: Right, right, when lovees, no one can stop it, love knows no status, it''s all about the chemistry.


    Employee L: That''s student era romance, you''re working now, don''t be so naive.


    Tao Yingjun: Tencent''s negotiation team came yesterday at 3 PM, today it should be the same. Those interested can go check it out in the lobby.


    Employee A: Definitely going!


    Employee D: Even if I have to skip work, I will go see.


    Employee K: Watch out for the boss catching you.


    Employee N: I can''t go, but you guys please take a video and share it.


    Marketing Department.


    "My God, ourpany is really going to be acquired by Tencent."


    "Being acquired is great, then we''re employees of Tencent."


    "As long as there are noyoffs, that''s fine. I don''t care whether it gets acquired or not. Otherwise, for the house I just bought, I''m definitely going to default on my mortgage," the employees discussed amongst themselves.


    Zhao Yulu looked at the message but didn''t say anything.


    As expected, the "Penguin beauty" that Tao Yingjun mentioned should be Han Mengting.


    Afternoon.


    Around three o''clock, quite a few employees had gathered next to thepany''s hall.


    Most of them were young male employees, all there to see the Penguin beauty that Ying Jun had talked about.


    Yu Lu also arrived.


    She wanted to see if the Penguin beauty Ying Jun mentioned was Han Mengting.


    Quite a few middle managers had shown up, and even a high-ranking executive hade.


    They were very concerned about this matter.


    After all, it concerned their future development.


    "Zhao Yulu, you''re actually here to join in the excitement. Have you finished those proposals I tasked you with?" Zhong Lezhi found Zhao Yulu in the crowd and walked over.


    Zhao Yulu nced at Zhong Lezhi without saying a word.


    The meaning was clear, she couldn''t be bothered to talk to Zhong Lezhi.


    This attitude instantly angered Zhong Lezhi, "Zhao Yulu, what do you mean by that? Is this the way you treat your leader?"


    Zhao Yulu nced at Zhong Lezhi again, "What attitude do you want me to have?"


    Zhong Lezhi said, "Zhao Yulu, do you believe that just with this attitude, I can fire you for disrespecting your leader?"


    Zhao Yulu said, "Zhong Lezhi, don''t think that just because you have Ying Jun backing you that you can do whatever you want. Let me tell you, I, Zhao Yulu, am not someone you can bully at will."


    Zhong Lezhi sneered, "Zhao Yulu, I haven''t bullied you. I''ve merely assigned you work, and now I''m just inquiring about your work progress."


    The fact that Ying Jun had told him to give Yu Lu a hard time was something he couldn''t admit.


    Even if everyone knew it well, he couldn''t admit it aloud and provide others with evidence.


    Who knows whether Zhao Yulu''s phone was recording. If a recording was made and it exposed him, he would be in big trouble.


    Even Ying Jun might not be able to protect him.


    "I''ve done the work, and you still don''t dare admit it. I despise you," Yu Lu gave Zhong Lezhi a look of contempt.


    "Zhao Yulu, it seems you really don''t want to work anymore, daring to speak to a leader like that. Since that''s the case, I will grant your wish. Go to the HR department and process your resignation tomorrow!" Zhong Lezhi was infuriated once again.


    This Zhao Yulu, she simply didn''t take him seriously at all.


    There was no need to wait for her to fail inpleting the proposals to find fault; just let her resign.


    Disrespecting a leader, notplying with a leader''s work arrangements¡ªthese two reasons were enough to fire Zhao Yulu.


    Plus, with Ying Jun''s support, there wouldn''t be any problem.


    "Zhong Lezhi, I swear you will regret this!" Zhao Yulu spoke sternly.


    If she had to resign, then so be it. Resign first, and once Han Mengting arrived, get herself recruited back in; it would be the same.


    "Heh, I can''t see any way you could make me regret my decision," Zhong Lezhi scornfully sneered.


    Just then, Tao Yingjun spotted Zhao Yulu and walked over.


    "Manager Tao," Zhong Lezhi greeted with a ttering smile.


    "Supervisor Zhong, you go ahead with your tasks. I want to chat with her for a moment," Ying Jun said.


    "Sure, you guys chat," Zhong Lezhi tactfully left immediately.


    Ying Jun looked at Zhao Yulu and smirked, "Yu Lu, now you know how formidable I am, right? This is the oue for offending me!"


    Zhao Yulu didn''t even look at Tao Yingjun, unwilling to see his vile face.


    Seeing Zhao Yulu ignoring him, Ying Jun felt a surge of anger, but forcefully suppressed it and continued, "Yu Lu, actually, I''m quite soft-hearted, especially towards beauties. Our rtionship isn''t beyond salvage. I can offer you a chance, and it''s not about being my girlfriend. Are you interested in hearing it?"


    Zhao Yulu was somewhat curious, "What opportunity?"

 Chapter 234 Nice to meet you

    Tao Yingjun smiled and said, "Just apany me for one week each month, just in the evening, that''s not too much to ask, is it? As long as you agree to this, I can make Zhong Lezhi back off, stop targeting you, and even let you be part of managementter on. My dad is the vice president, and if I talk to him, getting you a management position is no problem at all."


    His pursuit of Zhao Yulu was merely to sleep with her.


    Love, in his mind, didn''t exist.


    Even though Zhao Yulu was very beautiful, he just wanted to sleep with her, with no intention of marrying her.


    Initially, he thought a wasteful confession would be enough to get her into bed.


    But Zhao Yulu didn''t fall for it and even made him lose face in public, which he certainly couldn''t ept.


    Having Zhong Lezhi trouble and coerce Zhao Yulu was just a means to make her submit.


    Now, it was almost time to make his demands.


    In his view, there was a high chance of sess; otherwise, Yu Lu wouldn''t have asked like that.


    "Tao Yingjun, your smug look just makes me utterly disgusted!" Zhao Yulu said with a face full of revulsion.


    "Zhao Yulu, don''t be so ungrateful!" Tao Yingjun''s expression turned very ugly, "Don''t think just because you''re pretty that you''re above everyone."


    "In this world, there are plenty of beautiful women. In front of rich men like me, a beautiful woman like you can only be our ything."


    "And don''t act so high and mighty in front of me. If you''re not interested in a promotion, then let''s just be straightforward¡ªname your price. As long as it''s not too outrageous, I can satisfy you."


    "Get lost!" Zhao Yulu didn''t want to talk to Tao Yingjun anymore.


    "Ten thousand yuan for one night, how about that?" Tao Yingjun said in a grand manner.


    Zhao Yulu didn''t speak.


    "Twenty thousand yuan!" Tao Yingjun made another offer.


    Zhao Yulu still didn''t speak.


    "Fifty thousand yuan; let me tell you, with that kind of money, you can have your pick of top models," Tao Yingjun continued to bid.


    "Tao Yingjun, you really make me feel sick to my stomach, and if you keep talking, I''m really going to throw up," Zhao Yulu couldn''t stand it anymore and blurted out.


    "One hundred thousand yuan; with this price, you can have a third-tier celebrity. This is my final offer. You''d better seize the opportunity," Tao Yingjun still wasn''t giving up.


    "Tao Yingjun, if you say that kind of thing to me again, I''ll call the police and report you for harassment!" Zhao Yulu warned.


    "Call the police? Report me for harassment? What evidence do you have?" Tao Yingjunughed scornfully, not at all afraid, looking supremely confident.


    It wasn''t like no one had tried that before; in the end, it all came to nothing.


    Just then, there was amotion in the crowd.


    "Look, someone''sing, is it someone from Penguin?"


    "Judging by the aura of those few people, it must be."


    "You don''t even need to look at their aura; the one leading is Penguin''s General Manager, Han Jun. I''ve seen his photo in the news."


    "The woman by his side, that must be the big beauty from Penguin that little Tao mentioned, her aura is really something else."


    "A powerful aura of a strong woman is hitting us."


    "To tell the truth, this woman''s appearance is indeed not as good as Zhao Yulu''s, but considering her outfit and aura, all in all, she really beats Zhao Yulu."


    "Zhao Yulu is just a young girl, this one is a mature woman, also a strong woman from Penguin, there''s noparison."


    "If I could make this woman my wife, my life would be perfect."


    "There''s always someone daydreaming, can''t you be a bit more self-aware?"


    "You''ve got to have dreams, what if she looks at me in the crowd and falls in love at first sight?"


    "That''s the kind of thing only you would dare to dream about."


    "I really hope Penguin acquires ourpany and brands it with Penguin''s logo. Then when I mention I work for Penguin, people will know right away, and they''ll give me a thumbs up. Otherwise, when I say I work for Shengda Literature, a lot of people have no clue, and I always end up having to exin."


    The crowd was buzzing with discussion.


    Amid the chatter, Han Jun walked in with his team.


    Han Mengting could faintly hear the crowd''s discussions, but her expression didn''t change.


    She was ustomed to such scenes.


    Simrments were nothing new to her.


    In any case, these people could only dream; it was impossible for them to have her.


    For all these years, the man who made her heart flutter was just one.


    Unfortunately, that man was already married.


    This time,ing to Jiang City, she wanted to see that man.


    It wasn''t about interfering with his marriage, she just really wanted to see him.


    At this moment, Han Mengting spotted a familiar figure in the crowd.


    "Yu Lu¡­"


    Han Mengting stopped in her tracks.


    "Secretary Han, what''s wrong?" Han Jun stopped as well, slightly frowning.


    The others also paused, all looking at Han Mengting, curious to see what she was going to do.


    "President Han, I''ve seen an acquaintance, I''m going to say hi, please wait for me a moment," she said.


    With others around, Han Mengting and Han Jun addressed each other by their professional titles.


    Only in private would they revert to calling each other by their familial rtions.


    Having said that, Han Mengting left the group and walked towards Zhao Yulu.


    Everyone''s gaze followed Han Mengting.


    "Damn, it looks like she''sing towards me, could it really be as I just said, she saw me in the crowd and fell for me at first sight?"


    "Cut it out, if you mention love at first sight again, I''m going to be sick."


    "People without self-awareness are truly pitiable. With which eye did you see hering for you?"


    "It looks like she''s heading towards Mr. Tao."


    "Judging by the direction she''s going, it really does seem like she''s going for Mr. Tao."


    "Don''t just say it seems like it, it is!"


    "Damn, is Mr. Tao''s charm so great? Even the stunning beauty from Penguin is attracted!"


    The crowd was abuzz with gossip, their excitement mounting.


    Looking at the direction Han Mengting was heading, it was indeed towards Tao Yingjun.


    Tao Yingjun''s heart couldn''t help but surge with excitement.


    Damn, is my charm that incredible?


    Could it be this stunner from Penguin has fallen for me at first sight?


    Yes, indeed, if it wasn''t love at first sight, why else would she being towards me?


    It seems this beauty is quite bold.


    She''s making the first move after falling for me at first sight.


    So how should I respondter?


    With such a gorgeous woman throwing herself into my arms, I definitely need to maintain a gentlemanly demeanor, not too enthusiastic, but also not to let her feel neglected.


    With a mind as quick as lightning and seasoned in the art of wooing, Tao Yingjun knew exactly what to do.


    Ha ha, it looks like I''m in for a very pleasant night.


    When Han Mengting approached, Tao Yingjun put on his trademark smile, stepped forward, and extended his hand, "Hi, beauty, it''s a pleasure to meet you."


    Yesterday, his confession to Zhao Yulu was rejected, which was a great embarrassment for him.


    This event today was surely going to earn back his lost face.


    Ha ha ha, Zhao Yulu, are you watching?


    This is my charm!


    If you won''t get in my bed, there are plenty of women who will, including a stunning beauty from Penguin!


    This beauty''s overall credentials are much better than yours!


    Tao Yingjun roared with excitement inwardly.


    However, what Han Mengting did next caused Tao Yingjun''s smile to freeze, his hand hanging mid-air.

 Chapter 235 : 235 Whats Your Relationship?

    Han Mengting nced at Tao Yingjun with a trace of disgust shing in her eyes.


    This ugly man.


    How could he think she hade for him?


    Really, he had no self-awareness at all!


    "Yu Lu."


    She stepped aside Tao Yingjun and approached Zhao Yulu, giving her a hug.


    "Sister Ting," Zhao Yulu was also very surprised to see Han Mengting walking towards her.


    She knew that Han Mengting must havee for her.


    She couldn''t help feeling ted.


    Now, without her having to say anything, everyone knew she was connected to Han Mengting.


    Seeing this scene, everyone was stunned.


    "Damn, I thought this beauty was going for Tao, but she was actually going for Zhao Yulu."


    "It seems that Zhao Yulu has a very good rtionship with this beauty."


    "Of course, otherwise, why would she hug her as soon as she came up?"


    "No wonder Zhao Yulu dared to refuse Tao, she has such a solid background."


    "This Zhao Yulu has really been hiding deep."


    "Yeah,pared to the powerful women of Penguin Group, Tao''s vice-president daddy''s background doesn''t seem so impressive now."


    "That''s right, ourpany''s vice president can''tpare to the strong women of Penguin Group."


    "If ourpany gets acquired by Penguin, Zhao Yulu might just be one of the strongest people in ourpany."


    The crowd buzzed with discussion, looking at Zhao Yulu with faces full of envy.


    At the same time, they looked mockingly at Tao Yingjun.


    At that moment, Tao Yingjun still had a frozen smile on his face, his hand was still awkwardly suspended in mid-air.


    For fuck''s sake, he had thought the beauty from Penguin had fallen for him at first sight, ready to throw herself into his arms, and that they would enjoy themselves tonight.


    He had even nned how he would entertain this powerful, beautiful woman tonight.


    But unexpectedly, she wasn''t here for him, she was here for Zhao Yulu.


    His face turned shades of green and white, and feeling the mocking gazes around him, he was angry yet at a loss for how to react.


    He certainly did not daresh out at Han Mengting unless he wanted to lose his job.


    If he lost his temper with Han Mengting, once thepany was acquired by Penguin, probably not even his father could save him.


    And even if he didn''tsh out, his situation was grim.


    Zhao Yulu''s rtionship with Han Mengting was out of the ordinary.


    Once Penguin invested in and acquired Shengda Literature, the thought of his fate was frightening.


    Among the crowd, one person''s face was particrly pale.


    This person was Zhong Lezhi, the Operations Manager.


    He had been tough on Zhao Yulu at the instigation of Tao Yingjun.


    Originally, he thought Zhao Yulu was just an ordinary person; making life difficult for her was not a big deal.


    To give Tao Yingjun satisfaction by challenging an ordinary person came with its benefits.


    But now, seeing the close rtionship between the powerful woman from Penguin and Zhao Yulu put him in a bind.


    It reminded him of two phrases Zhao Yulu had previously said.


    One was: I am not someone you can bully at will.


    The other was: You will regret this.


    When Zhao Yulu said those words before, Zhong Lezhi did not take them seriously and didn''t give them a second thought.


    Now, in this situation, these words were fully confirmed.


    Zhao Yulu indeed was not someone he could bully at will.


    And he was full of regret.


    If he had known earlier about Zhao Yulu''s powerful background, even if Tao Yingjun offered him benefits, he shouldn''t have made things difficult for her.


    But now, he hadpletely offended Zhao Yulu.


    If Shengda Literature were to be acquired by Penguin, Zhao Yulu would certainly not let him off easily.


    Thinking of this, Zhong Lezhi''s face turned even paler.


    "Yu Lu, I''m leaving first, we''ll talk another day," Han Mengting said,ing over just to greet Zhao Yulu, effectively backing her up.


    After all, it would take some time to negotiate the Penguin Corporation''s acquisition of Shengda Literature.


    This negotiation was a war of attrition.


    Only if the Penguin Corporation sessfully acquired Shengda Literature could she assume the position of president.


    But before that, Zhao Yulu''s situation probably wouldn''t be easy.


    ording to what Zhao Yulu said, she might be forced to resign.


    This wasn''t what she wanted to see.


    That was also why she did what she did.


    In a nutshell, she was backing Zhao Yulu.


    Let everyone know that Zhao Yulu had this connection with her.


    That Tao Yingjun, who couldn''t win Zhao Yulu over and wanted to make things difficult for her, wouldn''t dare to trouble Zhao Yulu anymore, even if he had a deputy director as a father.


    Once she took office as the president of Shengda Literature, she would handle this father and son ording to Zhao Yulu''s wishes.


    People like Tao Yingjun had done too many shady things.


    Finding some leverage against him would be all too easy.


    With Tao Yingjun''s deputy director father indulging him like that, he surely wasn''t clean either.


    It would be easy to dig up something on them.


    "Alright," Zhao Yulu nodded.


    At this moment, she was extremely happy.


    She was just waiting for the Penguin Corporation to acquire Shengda Literature and for Han Mengting to be the president of Shengda Literature.


    Then, she would be the president''s assistant.


    Han Mengting rejoined the group and, along with Han Jun and others, left for the elevator.


    Recovering from his awkwardness, Tao Yingjun looked at Zhao Yulu and asked, "What is your rtionship with that woman?"


    "Sorry, noment," Zhao Yulu replied coldly and headed towards the elevator.


    "You¡­" Tao Yingjun''s face turned extremely ugly.


    Did this Zhao Yulu really think that just because she was associated with a powerful woman from Penguin, she could disregard him?


    Even if Penguin acquired Shengda Literature, it wasn''t certain whether that powerful woman would be able to take charge of Shengda Literature.


    Only a true high-level executive could intervene in the internal affairs of an acquiredpany.


    Considering how young that powerful woman was, she couldn''t possibly be one of Penguin''s executives, could she?


    If she was not an executive, she couldn''t have authority over Shengda Literature.


    Thinking this, Tao Yingjun felt somewhat relieved.


    However, he still had to consult his father about this matter.


    To avoid being caught off guard should any unexpected situation arise.


    "Manager Tao, do you know what position that woman holds at Penguin?"


    Zhong Lezhi came over, looking worried as he asked.


    He had alreadypletely fallen out with Zhao Yulu.


    If that powerful woman truly was one of Penguin''s high-level executives, and Penguin acquired Shengda Literature, and she involved herself in the affairs of Shengda Literature, then that would be problematic.


    He would be in big trouble.


    He had only just managed to be a supervisor, and he didn''t want to be fired.


    Shengda Literature was a leadingpany in the industry, and thepensation was quite good.


    If he got fired, finding such a good position wouldn''t be easy.


    "I don''t know, I have to ask my dad first," Tao Yingjun shook his head.


    "Manager Tao, I listened to you this time and offended Zhao Yulu. You have to cover for me," Zhong Lezhi begged.


    He knew that people like him would be the scapegoats if anything went wrong.


    He truly regretted it. If he could do it over, he wouldn''t have followed Tao Yingjun''s suggestions to give Zhao Yulu a hard time.


    There was no helping it now; the deed was done, so he had to rely on Tao Yingjun.


    "Supervisor Zhong, don''t worry, since you''ve been working for me, I will definitely cover for you. Besides, that woman... she''s probably not a big shot, she won''t have authority over us but for now, stop making things difficult for Zhao Yulu," said Tao Yingjun.


    "I understand," Zhong Lezhi nodded.


    He wouldn''t go after Zhao Yulu without Tao Yingjun saying so. Before getting the full picture, he wasn''t foolish enough to continue hassling Zhao Yulu.


    "Alright, I''ll go ask my dad and rify the situation," Tao Yingjun turned and left.

 Chapter 236 : 236 Finally Realizing the Seriousness of the Problem

    Operations Department.


    Zhao Yulu became the center of attention for everyone.


    Originally, everyone thought that Zhao Yulu was just a newbie.


    Now it seems, where is this a newbie?


    This is simply a pro.


    The strong woman from Penguin, having such a good rtionship with Zhao Yulu.


    Thiswork is simply incredible.


    Even if she doesn''t work at Shengda Literature, she can choose a better job.


    When Zhao Yulu dared to stand up to Director Zhong Lezhi, they thought she wascking a harsh lesson from society, or that she relied on her looks, not afraid of not finding a job.


    Now it seems that''s not the case at all.


    The confidence that Zhao Yulu showed in refusing Tao Ying Jun and standing up to Zhong Lezhi must havee from that strong woman at Penguin.


    "Yu Lu, what''s the name of the strong woman you were hugging just now, and what''s her position at Penguin?" Li Minmin leaned over to Zhao Yulu and asked curiously in a low voice.


    "Her name is Han Mengting, and she''s an executive at Penguin Group," Zhao Yulu said with a light smile.


    "What, an executive at Penguin Group!"


    Li Minmin was startled, let out a sharp scream, and quickly covered her mouth.


    An executive at Penguin is definitely one of the elites among business elites.


    Han Mengting is only in her thirties.


    An executive in her thirties, especially at an inte giant like Penguin, is simply unimaginable.


    Truly worthy of being a strong woman!


    No wonder Zhao Yulu isn''t afraid of Zhong Lezhi.


    With such a background, of course, she''s not afraid of him.


    If I had such a background, I would choose to fight back too if someone gave me trouble.


    Especially under the circumstances of Penguin nning to acquire Shengda Literature.


    ...


    Tao Ying Jun arrived at his father''s office.


    His father, Tao Yongchang, is a vice president of Shengda Literature, in charge of the market.


    All the external liaison work is his responsibility.


    During the development of Shengda Literature, he made significant contributions.


    Qiu Wenyu gave him five percent shareholding as a reward for his efforts.


    However, he only has dividend rights, no voting rights.


    And the shares will be automatically retracted if he leaves thepany.


    Also, they will be forcefully retracted in emergency situations.


    For instance, in the current situation, where Penguin is acquiring all shares, they would be taken back.


    Tao Ying Jun dared to be so domineering at Shengda Literature because he had such a father as a vice president.


    "Why did youe?"


    Seeing his sone in, Tao Yongchang put down his work.


    "Dad, I want to ask you something," Tao Ying Jun said as he sat on the sofa.


    "What is it?" Tao Yongchang picked up the thermos, poured some hot water, and sat opposite his son.


    Judging from his son''s expression, it seemed to be something important.


    "Dad, there''s a woman in her thirties on Penguin''s negotiation team, do you know what position she holds at Penguin?" Tao Ying Jun asked directly.


    "That woman, ah, her position is not simple," Tao Yongchang said, taking a sip of his tea.


    "How is it not simple?" Tao Ying Jun''s heart skipped a beat, sensing a bad premonition.


    "Her name is Han Mengting, she''s the board secretary of Penguin Investment Group," Tao Yongchang said with a smile.


    "What! The board secretary!" Tao Ying Jun was shocked.


    He might not be that capable, but with a vice president as his father, he still knew some of the high-level corporate structures.


    Secretaries differ from one another.


    For instance, a regr CEO''s secretary is just someone who works closely with the CEO and is not considered a high-ranking position.


    But a board secretary is different.


    In publicpanies, the board secretary is truly a senior executive.


    The board secretary liaises with the board of directors and reports to each member, assuming a position of distinction.


    And those group directors are essentially shareholders of the corporation.


    It can be said that even the general manager of the group has to be polite to the board secretary.


    "Dad, that Han Mengting is only in her thirties, couldn''t she be the mistress of a major shareholder of Penguin?" Tao Yingjun asked.


    It was hard to imagine how Han Mengting, such a young woman, could be the board secretary for a behemoth like Penguin.


    Based on his sordid suspicions, he thought Han Mengting must have climbed her way up by offering her body, potentially being a mistress to one of the significant shareholders.


    His question, in fact, was put rather subtly.


    Even in his heart, he spected whether Han Mengting might be President Ma''s mistress.


    "Ying Jun, you are mistaken about this. She isn''t anyone''s mistress. She is a genuine powerful woman who has earned her position through her abilities," Tao Yongchang rified.


    "She holds a double doctorate in Economics and Law from Yale University, and what is more incredible, shepleted her double doctorate curriculum by the age of twenty-five, obtaining both degrees."


    "Besides that, she also has a very powerful background."


    Tao Yongchang had a certain degree of knowledge about Han Mengting.


    "What sort of background?" Tao Yingjun wasn''t particrly moved by Han Mengting''s dual doctorate degrees in Economics and Law.


    Even with a double doctorate, rising to a position like board secretary for an inte giant like Penguin Investment would be incredibly challenging.


    Han Mengting''s background must have yed a significant role.


    Hence, he was more interested in Han Mengting''s background.


    "Han Mengting''s own uncle is Han Jun, who is leading the negotiations this time."


    "You should know that Han Jun is the Vice President of Penguin Group and also the General Manager of Penguin Investment."


    "Han Jun is highly valued by President Ma within the Penguin Group."


    "Over the years, under Han Jun''s investment strategies, Penguin Group has built a massive business empire and established a business ecosystem."


    "It can be said that Han Jun is President Ma''s right-hand man."


    "With Han Mengting''s own outstanding abilities and the connection through Han Jun, it''s not surprising for her to secure the board secretary position at Penguin Group," he added wistfully.


    Tao Yongchang couldn''t help but express his admiration.


    There really is noparison between people. With a good background and strong capabilities, such individuals are destined to be the elites of society.


    "I didn''t expect her to have such a substantial background," said Tao Yingjun, his face turning uglier by the minute.


    Zhao Yulu was very close to Han Mengting.


    If he treated Zhao Yulu that way and Penguin acquired Shengda Literature, Zhao Yulu would definitely ask Han Mengting for help against him.


    For the board secretary of Penguin Group to target him would be all too simple.


    Tao Yongchang didn''t notice his son''s changing expression and continued, "I also heard that once Penguin acquires Shengda Literature, Han Mengting will take over as President of Shengda Literature!"


    "What!" Tao Yingjun''s face grew even more somber.


    As a board secretary, Han Mengting would already have no trouble meddling in Shengda Literature''s affairs and dealing with him.


    With Han Mengting taking over as President of Shengda Literature, it would be even less of a problem to beat him down.


    It wasn''t just him at stake; even his father could be implicated.


    The possibility of both father and son being ousted from Shengda Literature wasn''t out of the question.


    Now, he was really troubled about what to do next.


    At this moment, Tao Yingjun finally realized the severity of the situation.


    All that he had came from his father.


    Without his father, he would have never been able to hold a management position at Shengda Literature.


    He would have never been able to be so arrogant at Shengda Literature without anyone keeping him in check.


    If his father were to be implicated, his privileged life would be over.


    Should people in the industry find out that he was the cause of his father''s downfall, it would be very difficult for his father to find a simr position in the industry again.

 Chapter 237: Chapter 237 Solution

    Tao Yongchang didn''t notice anything odd about his son and continued, "Ying Jun, let me tell you, Han Mengting is still single. You can find a chance to get to know her. If you can win her over, we father and son will truly strike it rich."


    Although his son wasn''t much to look at, when it came to love, who could say for sure?


    Just like back in the day, when he was down on his luck and got relentlessly pursued by an unattractive woman. Unable to resist, he ended up marrying her and they had their son, the unattractive Tao Yingjun.


    "Dad, I think that''s quite unlikely, you should stop dreaming," said Tao Yingjun with a bitter expression.


    "What''s the matter, usually you chase women with such bravado, don''t you? Howe you''ve lost your nerve with someone of high social standing?" Tao Yongchang nced at his son with disdain.


    He knew about his son''s escapades.


    Young people''s affairs, those of mutual consent, he didn''t want to meddle in.


    If things got out of hand, he was able to smooth them over and couldn''t be bothered to micromanage.


    "It''s not that I''ve lost my nerve, but there''s a bit of an issue," Tao Yingjun said grimly.


    He had to tell his father about the feud with Zhao Yulu, and Zhao Yulu''s close rtionship with Han Mengting.


    A solution had to be found; otherwise, they both would be doomed.


    "What''s the problem?" Tao Yongchang noticed his son''splexion and couldn''t help but frown.


    "Dad, before I start, did you bring your nitroglycerin pills?" Tao Yingjun asked.


    "You rascal, have you gotten yourself into some serious trouble?" Tao Yongchang''s face turned sour.


    This question was not new to him.


    Every time it was asked, it preceded a major disaster.


    Recently, his son had messed around with a girl and got beaten up by her boyfriend. His son retaliated and ended up putting the boyfriend in the hospital.


    "Dad, don''t get excited, I''m just asking casually. I think the situation is quite serious, but maybe you won''t think so. Just hear me out," said Tao Yingjun.


    "Fine, speak. If it''s serious, watch how I break your legs. It seems I''ve been too indulgent with you over the years. From now on, I''m going to keep a tighter leash on you," he said.


    Tao Yongchang took a deep breath and quelled his anger.


    He decided to listen to what his son had to say before making any ns.


    "Dad, here''s what happened..." Tao Yingjun proceeded to exin the grudge he had with Zhao Yulu, as well as Zhao Yulu''s rtionship with Han Mengting.


    "You little rascal..."


    Tao Yongchang exploded with rage.


    The trouble his son had caused was bigger than any previous messes.


    One wrong move and he himself could be dragged down by this rascal.


    It was the very definition of a headache for a parent.


    He stood up, pointed at Tao Yingjun, and let out a curse, but suddenly he couldn''t catch his breath, and sat down, clutching at his chest. He quickly took out a bottle of nitroglycerin pills from his pocket, swallowed them, and after a few minutes, he started to recover.


    "Dad, are you okay?" Tao Yingjun sat beside Tao Yongchang, asking with concern.


    "I''m not going to die," Tao Yongchang sighed heavily, looking at Tao Yingjun with a ze of anger, "You scoundrel, getting into such a mess this time. If things go south, I could be brought down by you. Go and apologize to that Zhao Yulu immediately. I don''t care how you do it, but you must get her forgiveness!"


    Tao Yingjun said, "Dad, if an apology would help, I would definitely go apologize. But after the way I''ve humiliated her, just an apology won''t make her forgive me."


    Tao Yongchang immediately said, "Then use money. As long as she''s willing to forgive you, pay her. As long as what she wants isn''t too much and within my means, I''m willing to give it to her."


    Paying to resolve the crisis was always his first thought.


    This was the same method he had used to deal with his son''s previous troubles.


    His wealth might not be much to real rich people.


    But to the average person, it was an astronomical figure.


    Money can be lost, but it can also be earned back.


    If the career is gone, climbing back up will be hard.


    Even if Zhao Yulu has a rtionship with Han Mengting, she probably wouldn''t regard money as mere dirt, right?


    She should still be swayed by money.


    "Alright, I''ll call her and ask,"


    Tao Yingjun hadn''t thought of any good solutions either. He took out his cell phone and dialed Zhao Yulu''s number.


    Two minutester, he hung up the phone.


    Tao Yingjun shook his head bitterly, "No matter what I said, she insisted on not taking the money and demanded I pay the price."


    Tao Yongchang''splexion turned ugly.


    If money couldn''t solve the problem, he really couldn''t think of any other way.


    "What should we do now? It''s all your fault, you rascal, always messing around with women. Do you have any idea how many problems you''ve caused over the years, too arrogant to pull yourself back."


    "Now you''ve hit a snag; not only are you in trouble, but I''m also screwed because of you. If I really go down with you, I won''t give you another penny in the future!"


    Tao Yongchang looked at his son as if he wished he could p him to death.


    It really wasn''t easy for him to reach his current position.


    If he was really fired, especially because he was sabotaged by his own son, this would certainly spread to otherpanies in the industry.


    Hoping to secure another vice president position would then be slim.


    And at Shengda Literature, he owned shares.


    The dividends from those shares were quite substantial each year.


    If he left thepany, his shares would be retracted.


    "Dad, I didn''t expect Zhao Yulu to have Han Mengting as her background. If I had known, even if I couldn''t win her over, I wouldn''t have threatened her, troubled her, and certainly wouldn''t have said those extremely insulting words," said Tao Yingjun with a pained expression.


    That was his heartfelt confession.


    He dared to threaten those women recklessly because he knew they didn''t have any backing.


    He wouldn''t dare to mess with anyone whose family was stronger than his.


    "What''s the use of saying all this now!" Tao Yongchang red at his son, grinding his teeth with anger.


    "Dad, it''s true that talking is useless now, what''s key is that we need to find a way to solve this issue," said Tao Yingjun.


    "What other solution could there be? Can you think of anything?" Tao Yongchang said angrily.


    "Dad, I think the only way is to prevent Penguin from acquiring Shengda Literature. As long as Penguin doesn''t acquire Shengda Literature, Han Mengting won''t be able to be the president of Shengda Literature and can''t meddle in our affairs," suggested Tao Yingjun.


    "Isn''t that obvious? In the current situation, Penguin''s investment in acquiring Shengda Literature is a done deal. As a vice president with shares, albeit only dividend shares without any say, how could I possibly stop Penguin''s investment from acquiring us!" Tao Yongchang said irritably.


    Not to mention being unable to stop it, once the acquisition went through, his shareholding would be forcibly taken back.


    "Dad, I remember you mentioned once that Yang Xin Investment also wanted to acquire Shengda Literature, right?" Tao Yingjun asked.


    "Yes, what about it? Huang Chi, the major shareholder, tipped me off about it, asking me to keep it from CEO Qiu, so I kept it under wraps, preventing Yang Xin Investment froming to negotiate," Tao Yongchang replied.


    "Dad, I think there''s something off about Huang Chi''s behavior," Tao Yingjun said.


    "What''s off about it?" Tao Yongchang frowned and asked.


    "Dad, think about it. Huang Chi wants to cash out for a profit. Logically, letting Yang Xin Investmente in topete should yield a better acquisition price than just Penguin Investment alone,"


    "But he explicitly wanted you to withhold the information and prevent Yang Xin Investment from getting involved, which is illogical."


    "I guess that he must have struck some sort of deal with Penguin, where after the acquisition, they would give him certain benefits that are greater than what he would get from a two-partypetition,"


    "I think you should report the news of Yang Xin Investment wanting to acquire Shengda Literature to CEO Qiu and do your best to facilitate it,"


    Having analyzed the situation, Tao Yingjun came up with this suggestion.

 Chapter 238: Chapter 238 Pay Attention to One Person

    "Great idea, why didn''t I think of that?" Tao Yongchang''s eyes lit up.


    Indeed, if Yang Xin Investment were to acquire Shengda Literature, even if Han Mengting''s reach were long, she wouldn''t be able to interfere with Shengda Literature''s affairs.


    The trouble caused by his son would be resolved just like that.


    "Dad, you see how brilliant I am,ing up with such a good idea all at once," Tao Yingjun couldn''t help but brag.


    "Brilliant my ass, if it weren''t for you, would I even need to do all this?" Tao Yongchang couldn''t help but curse.


    "Dad, anyway, what''s done is done, and I''ve thought of a solution, so stop being angry, okay?" Tao Yingjun felt incredibly relieved.


    What does it matter if Zhao Yulu and Han Mengting are close? As long as Penguin Investment doesn''t acquire Shengda Literature, there will be no issue.


    However, he also felt a bit of regret.


    With Zhao Yulu and Han Mengting being so close, his dream of sleeping with Zhao Yulu now seemed impossible to achieve.


    "The matter of Yang Xin Investment has been held up by Huang Chi''s instructions, and you know my rtionship with Huang Chi. If I report to President Qiu secretly, it will anger Huang Chi."


    Tao Yongchang began to hesitate again.


    Huang Chi is thergest shareholder of Shengda Literature.


    He was able to attain the position of vice president thanks to Huang Chi''s help.


    If he privately reported Yang Xin Investment''s intention to acquire Shengda Literature to Qiu Wenyu, it would definitely anger Huang Chi.


    Angering Huang Chi, thergest shareholder, was not a good thing; he might even lose his position as vice president.


    "So what if it angers him," Tao Yingjun said indifferently, "Dad, Huang Chi is nning to cash out and leave, he won''t be a shareholder of Shengda Literature in the future. He will no longer be of use to us, nor will he have any power over us."


    "But if Penguin acquires Shengda Literature, and Han Mengting bes the president of Shengda Literature, I will definitely be forced to leave thepany, and you''ll likely be implicated. Then we''d be finished."


    "If you report this matter to President Qiu, he will definitely be grateful to you, since it''s advantageous for him. The twopaniespeting will surely drive up the acquisition price."


    "If we facilitate Yang Xin Investment''s acquisition of Shengda Literature, we would also be doing Yang Xin a favor, and they will remember our good deed. Our positions in thepany will be even more secure in the future."


    "That''s why this is a good move, it will be beneficial for us if done right, and besides, we have no other way out."


    It had to be said, Tao Yingjun''s analysis made a lot of sense.


    Tao Yongchang fell silent.


    If it wasn''t for his son''s issue, it wouldn''t matter to him who acquired Shengda Literature.


    He didn''t want to get involved in the matter.


    But with his son''s mess, it was a different story.


    For the future of both father and son, they had to do it.


    With this thought, Tao Yongchang immediately said, "All right, let''s do as you said!"


    Tao Yingjun gave a thumbs up, "Dad, you''ve made a wise decision!"


    Seeing his son like this, Tao Yongchang was so infuriated he couldn''t help but curse, "You little rascal, if it weren''t for you, why would I bother with this headache? If you don''t start behaving, you''ll be the death of me one day!"


    "Dad, don''t worry, I''ll definitely be more cautious in the future. I won''t mess around after this lesson," Tao Yingjun said with his lips, but in his heart, he didn''t think so.


    Giving up the yboy lifestyle was out of the question; at most, he''d just be more careful in the future.


    And as for a situation like with Zhao Yulu, that was definitely an anomaly.


    He wouldn''t be so unlucky as to meet another Zhao Yulu.


    "Hmph, you''d better remember what you said!" Tao Yongchang huffed, then his brow furrowed again, "Even if I report to President Qiu about Yang Xin Investment wanting to acquire ourpany, the chances of Yang Xin Investment sessfully acquiring thepany are still slim, as Penguin is too powerful an opponent."


    "Xu Yang, the owner of Yang Xin Investment, became a billionaire in less than a year, and although he''s formidable, his foundation is clearlycking. Compared to Penguin, the gap is huge."


    "The likelihood of Yang Xin Investment defeating Penguin to acquire Shengda Literature is slim."


    "If the acquisition fails, our situation as father and son will still be grim,"


    Hearing his father''s words, Tao Yingjun felt his previously light mood be heavy again.


    Indeed.


    Yang Xin Investment''s involvement in thepetition was merely thatpetition.


    The capabilities of Yang Xin Investment,pared with Penguin Investment, were far too inferior.


    Moreover, ording to what his father had said, Penguin Investment was determined to acquire Shengda Literature.


    Tao Yingjun could only respond, "Dad, no matter what, at this point, we can only do our best."


    Tao Yongchang naturally understood this reasoning too, nodded his head, then immediately scoffed, "If this doesn''t work out, see how I''ll deal with you!"


    Tao Yingjun said, "Dad, as long as you give it your best effort, I''m confident you can seed."


    He himselfcked confidence as he said this.


    "You may go. I need to call Yang Xin Investment first andter meet with President Qiu."


    Tao Yingjun didn''t want to speak further with his son, waved his hand, and dismissed him.


    After Tao Yingjun had left, Tao Yongchang didn''t immediately make the call, but first leaned back on the sofa, closed his eyes, and pondered deeply.


    He meticulously nned what he had to do next.


    A few minutester, he opened his eyes, took out his cell phone, and dialed the number of Ma Yangrong, the general manager of Yang Xin Investment.


    The call connected quickly.


    Tao Yongchang immediately said, "Hello, Manager Ma, this is Tao Yongchang, the Deputy General of Shengda Literature. You''ve contacted me before."


    Ma Yangrong responded, "Hello, Manager Tao, hello! Are you arranging for us to negotiate the acquisition of yourpany?"


    Tao Yongchang said, "Yes, President Qiu just told me to inform you toe over tomorrow afternoon at two o''clock for negotiations."


    Today was toote; it had to be tomorrow.


    Penguin Investment woulde in the afternoon three days from now, and Yang Xin Investment was scheduled toe at two o''clock.


    Only by having both parties meet face-to-face would there be effective results.


    Ma Yangrong said, "Alright, thank you. We''ll be there on time. I must immediately inform President Xu; he will be very pleased to hear this."


    He knew that Xu Yang ced great importance on the acquisition of Shengda Literature.


    Tao Yongchang said, "Manager Ma, there''s something else I need to tell you."


    Ma Yangrong asked, "What is it, Manager Tao?"


    Tao Yongchang said, "During the negotiations, you need to pay special attention to one person."


    Ma Yangrong sensed the gravity of the situation and asked seriously, "Who should we be cautious of? Please inform me, Manager Tao. If things work out, we will certainly not forget your help."


    "Beware of a man named Huang Chi," Tao Yongchang said. "He is thergest shareholder of Shengda Literature and does not want Yang Xin Investment to acquire Shengda Literature. The reason I haven''t replied to you is because he instructed me not to. Penguin has already been in talks with them for two days."


    "What? Are you saying Penguin Investment also wants to acquire Shengda Literature and that negotiations have been going on for two days?!" Ma Yangrong was shocked.


    This matter was too serious.


    If Penguin acquired Shengda Literature, President Xu would undoubtedly be disappointed in him.


    Then, Ma Yangrong realized a problem: If Huang Chi had told Tao Yongchang not to reply to him, why was he replying now and even sharing this insider information, advising him to be wary of Huang Chi?


    He immediately voiced this question.


    Tao Yongchang simply said, "Manager Ma, I can''t go into details, but just remember, I am in support of Yang Xin Investment acquiring Shengda Literature."


    Ma Yangrong said, "Okay, thank you. I need to report this matter to President Xu Yang immediately."

 Chapter 239 A Person with Courage

    Ma Yangrong had another talk with Tao Yongchang before ending the call.


    Immediately, Ma Yangrong went to find Xu Yang and exined the situation, then said, "President Xu, it''s my work mishap. I failed to notice the Penguin''s acquisition of Shengda Literature."


    He was deeply self-critical.


    After contacting Shengda Literature, he just waited for their reply and did not pay attention to the movements on Shengda''s side.


    Now, Penguin had already been negotiating with Shengda Literature for two days.


    If the two parties sessfully negotiated, then Xu Yang''s idea of acquiring Shengda Literature would fall through.


    He, as the general manager, might be removed from his post.


    Originally just a vice-president of Style Media, his career path seemed to have reached its end without any surprises.


    Xu Yang transferred him to Yang Xin Investment, appointing him as the general manager of Yang Xin Investment.


    This was an enormous opportunity for him.


    You should know, Yang Xin Investment managed all of Xu Yang''spanies, equivalent to a holding group.


    Moreover, Xu Yang had discussed with him the ambition to make Yang Xin Investment into amercial empire.


    With Xu Yang''s precise judgment in investments, it might only take a few years to establish amercial empire.


    By then, he would also be a significant figure in the business world.


    If he were removed because of this incident, he would truly regret it to death.


    "Now that they haven''t reached an agreement yet, we still have a chance. However, after this incident, we must pay more attention to the projects we intend to invest in and acquire," Ma Yangrong said.


    Xu Yang was somewhat dissatisfied with Ma Yangrong for not noticing Penguin''s intervention in the investment.


    However, he did not intend to penalize him.


    After all, the man was not a professional investment talent and was still growing through learning.


    Besides, people inevitably make mistakes. Making a mistake is not terrible; what''s important is recognizing the mistake, learning the lesson, and ensuring not to repeat simr errors in the future.


    Luckily, the mistake Ma Yangrong made had not led to severe consequences.


    Since Penguin Investment and Shengda Literature were still negotiating, he still had an opportunity.


    And with the hints from the vice president of Shengda Literature who called Ma Yangrong, it was highly advantageous for Yang Xin Investment to acquire Shengda Literature.


    "Yes, President Xu, I will definitely be more vignt and will certainly not make such a mistake again," Ma Yangrong let out a sigh of relief.


    Xu Yang''s words meant that he was not going to be removed from his position.


    As long as he wasn''t removed, that was all that mattered.


    In the future, he must pay double the attention and could not afford to make any more mistakes.


    ...


    Shengda Literature.


    Once Penguin Investment''s team left, Tao Yongchang went to find Shengda Literature''s president, Qiu Wenyu.


    "President Qiu, I''d like to discuss something with you," said Tao Yongchang.


    "What is it?" Qiu Wenyu asked.


    "President Qiu, you probably don''t want to see thepany being acquired by Penguin, do you?" Tao Yongchang asked.


    "What can I do if I don''t want it? Penguin is determined to acquire ourpany, and people like Huang Chi are all looking to cash out and exit. In the end, it will only be a matter of price," said Qiu Wenyu with a bitter smile.


    "President Qiu, if you really do not want Penguin to acquire Shengda Literature, there actually is a way," Tao Yongchang said with a smile.


    "Vice President Tao, please rify," Qiu Wenyu narrowed his eyes.


    "In fact, there''s anotherpany interested in acquiring Shengda Literature. If you don''t want Penguin to do so, it might be possible for you to meet with thatpany''s representatives," Tao Yongchang said.


    "Whichpany?" Qiu Wenyu asked eagerly.


    "Yang Xin Investment. I don''t know if you''ve heard about this investmentpany?" Tao Yongchang said.


    "Of course, I''ve heard of it," Qiu Wenyu nodded.


    This Yang Xin Investment was no ordinary firm.


    Its owner, a young man named Xu Yang, had stunned everyone with a few of his investment moves.


    Whether it was the acquisition of Fengcai Guild or the takeover of Yuhuo Rinjia Hotpot to change it to Jiangdo, it was extremely sessful.


    By acquiring Fengkai Mining''s bauxite mine in South America for fifty million, and then reselling it to Fengkai Mining for 1.6 billion, he made a profit of 1.55 billion.


    This acquisition astounded the capital markets.


    Latter, his investment in Wu Jing''s "War Panther" also made arge profit.


    Over the investment quota of "War Panther 2", he had a huge fight with Hua''an Film and Television, causing them heavy losses.


    Subsequently, as the National Copyright Office initiated a rectification campaign, Xu Yang became involved in the copyright market ahead of time, purchasing a copyrightpany and spending a huge sum of ten billion to acquire various cultural work copyrights, earning an extremely full pot.


    It is said that the value of the copyrights owned by thatpany is as high as tens of billions.


    Xu Yang truly became a billionaire.


    Such a person would be known by anyone with a bit of status in the business world.


    "Mr. Tao, is Yang Xin Investment really going to acquire ourpany?" Qiu Wenyu asked for confirmation.


    If it were other capital, he did not think it couldpete with Penguin.


    But it might not be the same with Yang Xin Investment.


    It''s not that Yang Xin Investment is more powerful than Penguin Investment.


    The strength of Yang Xin Investment is still far less than that of Penguin Investment. Enjoy exclusive content from m v -NovelFire


    After all, Penguin Investment is top-tier capital, backed by the Penguin Group.


    Han Jun himself is also incredibly strong.


    But the thing is, Xu Yang is a person of great courage.


    Topete with capital like Penguin Investment, what''s needed is courage.


    As long as there is courage, it''s possible to defeat Shengda Literature.


    After all, the market value of Shengda Literature is just over six billion.


    Both parties can afford the acquisition; money is not the issue at all.


    It''s just a matter of who can offer a higher price.


    "It''s true, actually, on the same day that Penguin Investment contacted us, Yang Xin Investment also reached out to me," Tao Yongchang nodded.


    "Then why didn''t you tell me?" Qiu Wenyu frowned.


    "Mr. Qiu, it''s not that I didn''t want to tell you, but Huang Chi wouldn''t let me, and he even threatened me, saying that if I told you, he would make life difficult for me. As you know, I am the vice president, and in addition to your trust, I also have the support of Huang Chi, who is also the biggest shareholder. I had no choice," Tao Yongchang said with a bitter face.


    Since doing this meant a break with Huang Chi, he might as well push all the me onto Huang Chi.


    As for Huang Chi''s reaction, he couldn''t care less and didn''t need to.


    Because if Penguin acquired Shengda Literature, both he and his son would be out of luck.


    Only if Yang Xin Investment acquired Shengda Literature could he and his son secure their position.


    As for Qiu Wenyu, even if there was me, it shouldn''t be too much of a problem.


    "What, it was Huang Chi who didn''t let you speak? Why would he do that?"


    Qiu Wenyu expressed surprise and iprehension.


    Huang Chi and several other shareholders wanted to cash out and leave the scene.


    At such a time, another capital''s interest in acquisition and their mutualpetition would be beneficial for Shengda Literature, definitely securing a higher acquisition price.


    But Huang Chi did not allow Yang Xin Investment to partake, what on earth was his intention?


    "As to why he would do that, I''m not very clear, but I have a guess," Tao Yongchang said.


    "What''s your guess?" Qiu Wenyu asked.


    "I think Huang Chi must have reached some agreement with the Penguin side, the agreement being to assist Penguin in the acquisition of our Shengda Literature."


    "After a sessful acquisition, Huang Chi would be able to obtain certain benefits from Penguin, benefits much greater than what could be gained from the increased acquisition price bypetition between two capitals."


    "Only this could exin his refusal to let Yang Xin Investment join thepetition; otherwise, it makes no sense."


    Tao Yongchang ryed his son''s analysis.

 Chapter 240: Chapter 240 Fully Support Your Acquisition

    "You''re right, it should be just like that." Qiu Wenyu couldn''t help but nod vigorously.


    He had only temporarily failed to think of this point; given a little time, he would certainly have thought of it.


    Once Tao Yongchang exined it, he understood immediately and agreed with Tao''s analysis.


    Looking back on the past few days of negotiations, Huang Chi always seemed to perform poorly.


    At first, he thought Huang Chi was intimidated by Han Jun.


    But now, it seemed that was not the case at all.


    This guy simply wanted to push them into selling their shares at a low price.


    Thinking of this, Qiu Wenyu''s face turned ugly.


    "President Tao, you listened to Huang Chi before without telling me, why are you telling me now?" Qiu Wenyu asked another question.


    "President Qiu, like you, I don''t want Penguin to acquire our Shengda Literature." Tao Yongchang said.


    "Whether ourpany is acquired by someone else doesn''t seem to matter to you, does it?" Qiu Wenyu said, surprised.


    He really couldn''t understand why Tao Yongchang wouldn''t want Penguin to acquire Shengda Literature.


    He personally didn''t want Penguin to acquire Shengda Literature, firstly because Penguin''s offer was too low.


    Secondly, after Penguin''s acquisition, he would no longer be able to remain the CEO.


    Because this is what Penguin did when it acquired otherpanies in the past.


    He had also heard that if Penguin''s acquisition was sessful, the woman named Han Mengting who attended today''s negotiation would be the CEO of Shengda Literature.


    Under the immense pressure of powerful capital, he couldn''t escape the fate of thepany being acquired.


    But he still hoped that after the acquisition, thepany would still be under his management.


    He didn''t want others to manage it. After all, he had founded Shengda Literature himself, and it contained his hard work.


    He didn''t want to hand it over to someone else, nor did he want to see it get messed up under another''s management, or even be ruined.


    However, Tao Yongchang was just a vice president, so why didn''t he want Penguin to acquire it?


    You should know, with Penguin''s acquisition, backing up against a powerful Penguin, it''s still beneficial for thepany''s people.


    Maybe if they perform well, they might even get a chance to work at Penguin.


    "President Qiu..." Tao Yongchang said with a wry smile, exining his son''s situation.


    It couldn''t be helped; if he didn''t reveal it, Qiu Wenyu probably wouldn''t be able to rest easy.


    "So that''s how it is." Qiu Wenyu suddenly saw the light.


    Tao Yongchang''s son was indeed no good.


    If he didn''t cause too much of a scandal, Qiu Wenyu was disinclined to get involved.


    "Your son indeed went too far; you must discipline him, for it''s bad for thepany. If there''s a next time, I won''t be able to keep him in thepany," Qiu Wenyu said.


    Considering Tao Yongchang was willing to correct his errors, Qiu Wenyu decided not to pursue Tao Yingjun''s matter for the time being.


    Someone like Tao Yingjun was harmful to thepany.


    Who knows, maybe some talented individual might leave thepany because of being oppressed by Tao Yingjun.


    "President Qiu, rest assured, I will definitely discipline him strictly in the future; he absolutely won''t do such things again," Tao Yongchang immediately promised.


    "Alright, then arrange another meeting with Yang Xin Investment to talk," Qiu Wenyu said.


    "President Qiu, I''ve already arranged it for them toe over at two o''clock tomorrow afternoon. I was thinking, since Penguin alwayses over after three in the afternoon, this would be the perfect time for them to meet and startpeting. What do you think? If you don''t like the time, I''ll ask them to reschedule," Tao Yongchang said.


    "The timing is good; let''s keep it that way." Qiu Wenyu was quite satisfied with Tao Yongchang''s arrangements.


    "As long as you''re happy." Tao Yongchang said, smiling.


    "By the way, give me Xu Yang''s phone number, I want tomunicate with him," Qiu Wenyu said after thinking for a moment.


    "I don''t have it; I will ask General Manager Ma Yangrong of Yang Xin Investment," Tao Yongchang said as he immediately made a call and got Xu Yang''s phone number.


    The two talked for a while longer, and then Tao Yongchang got up to leave.


    Qiu Wenyu leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and meditated.


    A few minutester, he picked up the mobile phone on the desk and dialed Xu Yang''s phone number.


    The call connected quickly.


    Qiu Wenyu said, "Hello, may I speak to President Xu?"


    Xu Yang asked, "This is...?"


    Qiu Wenyu said, "Hello President Xu, I am Qiu Wenyu, the CEO of Shengda Literature."


    "Oh, President Qiu, hello," Xu Yang said, somewhat surprised.


    What did this guy want by calling his phone?


    "President Xu, you want to acquire our Shengda Literature, right?" Qiu Wenyu asked.


    "Yes," Xu Yang said.


    "Xu Yang, I want to ask, if you acquire Shengda Literature, have you thought about who you want for the future CEO?" Qiu Wenyu asked.


    "I have," Xu Yang said.


    "May I ask who it is?" Qiu Wenyu asked.


    "Who else could it be, of course, it''s you, President Qiu."


    "Shengda Literature was founded by you, and you have developed it into the overlord of the online literature industry."


    "Moreover, you are a promoter of the online literature industry; your significant contributions have helped it grow to its current scale."


    "I believe no one understands Shengda Literature and the online literature industry better than you."


    "If our Yang Xin Investment acquires Shengda Literature, I would invite you to serve as the CEO and continue to manage Shengda Literature."


    "With you in charge, I can rest easy."


    What Xu Yang said was the truth.


    He didn''t want to interfere with the management of Shengda Literature after acquiring it.


    Qiu Wenyu was indeed the best candidate for CEO.


    Even if Qiu Wenyu didn''t want to stay on, Xu Yang would find a way to make him stay.


    It could be said that truly no one was better suited to manage Shengda Literature than Qiu Wenyu.


    Xu Yang''s words made Qiu Wenyu feel very pleased inside.


    This Xu Yang understood him.


    Immediately, Qiu Wenyu said, "President Xu, thank you for your recognition, I will do my utmost to assist you in acquiring Shengda Literature."


    Since the acquisition was inevitable, he had to strive for the position of CEO.


    Now that Xu Yang had made a promise, he felt at ease and naturally willing to help Xu Yang with the acquisition. Continue your adventure at m|v-l''e-NovelFire


    Only if Xu Yang acquired it could he continue to be the CEO.


    Upon hearing Qiu Wenyu''s words, Xu Yang was somewhat surprised, but even more delighted.


    It seemed that Penguin was not nning to appoint Qiu Wenyu as CEO, which was why Qiu Wenyu wanted to help him.


    With Qiu Wenyu''s support, the likelihood of his sessful acquisition had greatly increased.


    The pair spoke for quite a while longer before ending the call.


    ...


    The next day.


    Just as Zhao Yulu had arrived at work, she was called into the office by supervisor Zhong Lezhi.


    "Zhao Yulu, about what happened yesterday, it was my fault. I apologize to you and hope you can forgive me."


    Yesterday, Zhong Lezhi had asked Tao Yingjun about Han Mengting''s identity.


    Tao Yingjun hadn''t told him, only advising him not to worry.


    This matter affected his career prospects; how could he not be worried?


    And the less Tao Yingjun said, the more worried he became.


    So, he asked around.


    After many twists and turns, he finally came to know Han Mengting''s identity.


    He was almost scared to death upon finding out.


    Good heavens.


    Han Mengting turned out to be the Secretary of the Board at Penguin Group.


    She''s also the niece of Han Jun, the Vice President of Penguin Group and General Manager of Penguin Investments.


    It was said that Han Mengting graduated from Yale University with dual doctorates in Economics and Law.


    She had both ability and background, a truly intimidating person.


    He had also learned that if Penguin sessfully acquired Shengda Literature, Han Mengting would assume the position of CEO.


    Yesterday, he had offended Zhao Yulu severely.


    If Han Mengting became CEO, what good woulde to him?


    Looking at the current situation, it was practically a foregone conclusion that Penguin would acquire Shengda Literature.


    If he wanted to keep working here, he had to get Zhao Yulu''s forgiveness.


    It had not been easy for him to be a supervisor, and he did not want to leave.


    Thus, he arrived at thepany early today. As soon as he saw that Zhao Yulu was at work, he immediately called her into his office to apologize.


    Although he knew it would not be easy, or even likely, to obtain Zhao Yulu''s forgiveness,


    he would still try if there was even the slightest chance.

 Chapter 241 Ill Cling to Your Coattails

    "Manager Zhong, your transformation sure is quick," Zhao Yulu sneered.


    "Zhao Yulu, you should know that it was Tao Yingjun who made me do this. I''m just a minor manager. Tao Yingjun has a higher position than me, and he has a father who is a vice president. When he tells me to do something, I can''t just ignore it, right? I was forced to do it. In fact, I was very reluctant to do such things," Zhong Lezhi said with a pained expression.


    "Manager Zhong, you make it sound like you''re so innocent. From the way you behaved yesterday, it seemed like you were trying to trouble me in order to please Tao Yingjun. I didn''t see any reluctance from you. Instead, I saw you looking like you were quite enjoying it. You were very eager to show off and curry favor with Tao Yingjun.


    Don''t think I can''t see through you," Zhao Yulu said with a coldugh.


    "Yes, I did have that intention, but I had no choice. This is the tragedy of small figures like me. I hope you can forgive me, considering the fact that I have elders and juniors to take care of."


    Having his intentions exposed, Zhong Lezhi did not try to argue but openly admitted it and even yed the sympathy card in hopes of winning Zhao Yulu''spassion.


    Women tend to be soft-hearted; hopefully, it would work.


    "Manager Zhong, everyone has to pay the price for their actions. If you were just following Tao Yingjun''s orders and assigning me work without looking so pleased about it, I might have actually forgiven you if you apologized to me now. But after the way you acted yesterday, it''s impossible for me to forgive you like that.


    I''ve already told you that I''m not someone you can bully at will, and I''ve warned you that you would regret it. But you just wouldn''t listen, so you can''t me me," Zhao Yulu said.


    Zhao Yulu had no intention of forgiving Zhong Lezhi.


    The tragedy of a little man.


    Having elders and juniors to care for.


    It''s all nonsense.


    If Zhong Lezhi wants to oppress her to please Tao Yingjun, then he''s going to have to pay the price.


    "Zhao Yulu, I really know I was wrong, and I will do whatever it takes for you to forgive me. You can hit me, curse me, or even ask me to kneel down. I just beg you to forgive me," Zhong Lezhi pleaded.


    Zhong Lezhi was quite a character; to obtain Zhao Yulu''s forgiveness, he was willing to do anything, even kneel before her.


    This was his capacity to bend and stretch.


    "Manager Zhong, you don''t have to do this. I''m not going to forgive you that easily. You will pay the price you ought to pay. If there''s nothing else, I''m going back to work," said Zhao Yulu.


    Zhao Yulu turned and left.


    "Zhao Yulu, are you really going to be this ruthless?" Zhong Lezhi stared at Zhao Yulu''s departing figure, his face extremely unsightly.


    Once Zhao Yulu walked out of the office door, he would bepletely finished.


    "Manager Zhong, it''s not that I''m being ruthless; it''s that you went too far," Zhao Yulu said without turning back, then she left the office.


    She returned to her workstation.


    Her colleague Li Minmin leaned over and asked, "Yu Lu, what did Manager Zhong want with you?"


    Zhao Yulu smiled and said, "What do you think?"


    Li Minmin blinked: "He knows you''re close with Han Mengting and has discovered Han Mengting''s identity. Is he apologizing to you, asking for your forgiveness?"


    Zhao Yulu smiled and nodded, "You got it right."


    Li Minmin pressed on, "So, did you forgive him?"


    "No," Zhao Yulu shook her head.


    "Yeah, it''s right not to forgive him. If you forgave him just because he apologized, others would think you''re easy to talk to, and more people would bully you," Min Min said.


    "In the workce, we need to establish a reputation for not being easy to mess with, so that others won''t dare to bully us easily," she added.


    Li Minmin nodded repeatedly and even shared a piece of her mind.


    "Min Min, you graduatedst year just like me, but why do I feel like you''re an old hand at office politics?" Zhao Yulu said.


    "Humph, all I learned in one year, don''t you doubt it. I''ve tried it, and it works. In my previouspany, some old employees bullied me, butter they apologized, and I forgave them. When other people bullied me, I fought back fiercely and made them look bad. After that, no one dared to bully me again," Li Minmin said proudly.


    "So that''s how it is. You''re right, if others bully us, we should fight back and let everybody know we''re not to be trifled with," Zhao Yulu said.


    "Yeah, right, Yu Lu, ourpany should be acquired by Penguin soon, right?" Li Minmin asked again.


    "It should be very soon. Penguin is determined to seed with this acquisition; they won''t drag it out," Zhao Yulu replied.


    "After the acquisition, with Han Mengting bing president, given her rtionship with you, she should relocate you, right?" Li Minmin inquired.


    "Yes," Zhao Yulu nodded.


    "Where to? Come on, tell me," Li Minmin pressed eagerly.


    "Transferring to... better not say for now. You''ll find out when the timees," Zhao Yulu said.


    "Yu Lu, please tell me, if you don''t, it''s like being wed by a cat; I won''t be able to sleep at night," Li Minmin pleaded.


    "If I tell you, you can''t tell anyone else," Zhao Yulu considered and then said.


    "Yu Lu, you can trust me, I''m someone who can keep a secret," Li Minmin assured her.


    "Well, once Penguin acquires ourpany and Sister Ting bes the president, she''ll move me to her side to be her assistant, to help her withpany matters," Zhao Yulu revealed.


    "Han Mengting is making you her assistant, you''re going to be the president''s confidante," Li Minmin was astonished.


    The president''s assistant, although not a high-ranking position, was someone even the vice presidents didn''t dare to underestimate.


    Besides, working alongside the president would connect you with important people and teach you a lot.


    In the future, you would definitely be able to hold your own.


    Zhao Yulu, like her, had not been with thepany long, and hadn''t even finished her probationary period.


    She had to grind away at her post, with promotion and sry increase seeming very distant.


    But Zhao Yulu was on her way to bing the president''s assistant.


    Some people''s fortunes just can''t bepared.


    "Min Min, this matter isn''t finalized yet. After all, Penguin hasn''t sessfully acquired ourpany yet, so you must not spread the word. If the acquisition doesn''t go through and this gets out, everyone in thepany willugh at me, and I won''t be able to continue working here," Zhao Yulu cautioned her once more.


    It happened to her before when she worked at the bank.


    She had asked Chen Guanglei to help, to have the ten billion fund of the Southwest Commerce Association''s special investment fund entrusted to the bank.


    With Chen Guanglei''s guarantee, she boasted about it before it was settled.


    When the deal fell through, she became aughingstock at the bank, and the bank manager disapproved of her, showing her disdain every day. This led to her resignation from the bank.


    "Yu Lu, don''t worry, I won''t say anything," Li Minmin assured her once again, then continued, "But Penguin''s acquisition of ourpany is a done deal. You''ll be the president''s assistant soon, I really will miss you."


    "Min Min, we are friends. Don''t worry, I''ll help you if there''s a chance. I won''t let you stay in an entry-level position for too long," Zhao Yulu said.


    She got along especially well with Li Minmin. Once she became an assistant, she would definitely give Li Minmin a hand if given the chance.


    Moreover, Han Mengting had said that she would only act as the president of Shengda Literature for a maximum of three years and wouldter rmend her for the presidency.


    By then, she would need her own team.


    "Yu Lu, really? Will you really help me?" Li Minmin eximed excitedly.


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    "Of course. We joined together, and I''m closest to you. I consider you a good friend. You''ve helped me many times, and I remember it all. I''ll definitely help you if I get a chance," Zhao Yulu assured.


    "Yeah, thank you Yu Lu. I''ll be counting on your support then," Li Minmin said, nodding repeatedly.

 Chapter 242 Not Even One Ten-Thousandth as Good as Xu Yang

    ```


    1:45 p.m.


    The negotiation meeting room.


    Several shareholders, including Huang Chi, had arrived.


    "What the hell is Qiu Wenyu doing? Doesn''t Penguine only at three in the afternoon? Why did he ask us toe over now?"


    "I don''t know, I asked him but he wouldn''t say."


    "I was sleeping so well during my nap, and he woke me up. Really annoying."


    The shareholders grumbled amongst themselves.


    "President Huang, you''re thergest shareholder, do you know what''s going on?" someone asked Huang Chi.


    "I have no idea, I asked him as well, and he didn''t tell me either." Huang Chi was also unclear about the situation.


    "Speaking of which, Penguin''s offer is too low. After two days of negotiation, they''ve only agreed to add two billion. It''s still far from our demand of sixty billion."


    "Then let''s just keep grinding them down. I''m certainly not willing to sell at such a low price."


    "Indeed, even if they don''t raise it to sixty billion, they should at least get to fifty-seven or fifty-eight billion."


    Having nothing else to do, they started discussing the negotiations with Penguin again.


    After negotiating for two days, Han Jun had only increased the offer to fifty-two billion, which they really couldn''t ept.


    "I think Han Jun won''t possibly increase it that much. I guess fifty-five billion is the limit," Huang Chi said leisurely.


    "So what do we do? Are we really going to sell our shares at fifty-five billion?"


    "Fifty-five billion is still a bit low."


    "President Huang, since there''s nothing else to do, let''s discuss it and set a minimum price. If we reach it, we sell."


    "Yes, let''s discuss it now, andter tell Qiu Wenyu to negotiate based on the price wee up with."


    The shareholders discussed amongst themselves.


    "I think we can only settle for fifty-five billion. As soon as it hits that price, I n to sell. Otherwise, if Penguin doesn''t buy and instead invests heavily in supporting other online literaturepanies, Shengda Literature will definitely not be able to withstand it. Our shares will plummet, and they might even be cut in half," Huang Chi said.


    "To sell at fifty-five billion?"


    "President Huang, shouldn''t we aim a bit higher, like fifty-six billion?"


    "Yeah, if we can earn more, then let''s earn more."


    The shareholders chimed in one after another.


    "There''s not much difference, we need to look at the long term. Choosing between selling at fifty-five billion or having the shares devalue in our hands, everyone should be quite clear about the better option," Huang Chi said.


    "If there''s nothing we can do, then we''ll have to settle for fifty-five billion."


    "Ah, if it''s a bit less, then it''s a bit less."


    "It''s not that much different. Let''s just settle for that. Instead of wasting so much effort, we might as well go do our own things, potentially earning even more."


    "Right, so let''s decide today. Fifty-five billion, and ask directly if Han Jun wants it or not. If not, then forget it!"


    Everyone nodded in agreement.


    "Don''t worry, at fifty-five billion, Han Jun is likely to agree. After all, acquiring Shengda Literature is better than buying otherpanies."


    Huang Chi''s mouth revealed a smirk of a sessful plot.


    Just as Tao Yingjun had analyzed.


    He had indeed reached an agreement with the Penguin side, negotiated with Han Jun.


    As long as Huang Chi helped to set the purchase price to no more than fifty-five billion, Han Jun would give him significant benefits.


    Those benefits would allow him to earn several billion, no problem.


    That is why he told Tao Yongchang not to respond to Yang Xin Investment.


    After two days of negotiation, these shareholders were all worn out.


    Taking advantage of this opportunity, he subtly persuaded them.


    Now, it seemed the persuasion was very sessful.


    ...


    In front of Shengda Literature''s main entrance.


    ```


    Tao Yongchang and his son stood here, ready to wee Xu Yang and his entourage.


    This was Qiu Wenyu''s instruction.


    After all, Tao Yongchang and his son also supported Yang Xin Investment in the acquisition of Shengda Literature.


    It was very necessary for Tao Yongchang to have contact with Xu Yang and show his face around him.


    As for Qiu Wenyu''s decision, Tao Yongchang naturally agreed happily.


    He also knew this was a gesture from Qiu Wenyu.


    Both parties standing on the same line made the rtionship even more solid.


    "Xu Yang, the owner of Yang Xin Investment, amassed a fortune of tens of billions just one year after graduating from college, which is truly unimaginable."


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    "If you had even one ten-thousandth of his business sense, I''d be fully satisfied."


    Tao Yongchang sighed, nced at Tao Yingjun, and couldn''t help but shake his head.


    "Dad, what do you mean by that? Am I really that bad? Not even worth one ten-thousandth of Xu Yang?"


    Tao Yingjun felt somewhat irritated.


    Xu Yang was impressive; his worth had reached tens of billions in just one year.


    But for his father to belittle him like this was extremely annoying.


    "Do you think you''re worth one ten-thousandth of Xu Yang?" Tao Yongchang gave his son a sidelong nce.


    "Why can''t I be worth one ten-thousandth of him? I think it''s no problem," Tao Yingjun said stubbornly, with a defiant look.


    "No problem my ass. Let me do the math for you. Xu Yang''s worth is tens of billions, let''s just say fifty billion for the sake of argument. This figure was estimated by authoritative financial analysts; it''s always an underestimate with absolutely no overestimation," Tao Yongchang argued.


    "Because the growth of Jiangdo is too terrifying, it''s estimated value has now reached two or three hundred billion."


    "One ten-thousandth of fifty billion is five million."


    "Think about it, do you have a worth of five million? From the time you started working until now, you haven''t even made five million."


    "Let alone five million, you haven''t even made one million, and you run out of money every month, still asking me for more."


    "Tell me, are you worth one ten-thousandth of Xu Yang?"


    Tao Yongchang analyzed sternly to his son.


    "It does seem to be the case."


    Tao Yingjun was taken aback by his father''s words.


    By that calction, he indeed wasn''t even worth one ten-thousandth of Xu Yang.


    "So, rein it in from here on out. Today, Boss Qiu told me that if there''s another incident like the one with Zhao Yulu, you''ll be kicked out of thepany, and even I won''t be able to protect you," Tao Yongchang warned.


    "Dad, that thing with Zhao Yulu was an ident. All the things I''ve done before never led to something like this. It''s because Zhao Yulu hid herself too well; you can''t me me," Tao Yingjunined.


    "Hmph, if not you then who? If you didn''t do such things, there would be no trouble. Today''s incident was saved only because Yang Xin Investment stepped in. Otherwise, both of us would''ve been finished," Tao Yongchang scolded.


    "The more you walk at night, the more ghosts you''ll encounter. If you always walk by the river, your shoes are bound to get wet."


    "If you keep behaving like this, you might run into another major obstacle, and we might not be so lucky next time," Tao Yongchang warned with a snort.


    "Enough, Dad. Don''t talk anymore. I won''t do it again," Tao Yingjun answered, though he didn''t really mean it in his heart.


    Old habits aren''t changed instantly.


    He believed that if there was a next time, there should still be a way out.


    There''s always a way out.


    There''s always a solution to be found.


    While the father and son were talking, they saw a Rolls-Royce Cullinan followed by a Mercedes-Benz sedan arriving one after the other.


    "Here theye!" Tao Yongchang''s eyes brightened.


    Xu Yang''s ride was the Rolls-Royce Cullinan; this had already spread around.


    He reminded his son, "Snap to it and don''t embarrass me."


    Tao Yingjun nodded: "I know."


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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 243: Chapter 243 This is a Good Thing

    ```


    Two cars stopped ahead.


    Two young men alighted from the Rolls-Royce, Xu Yang and Wang Xiaocong.


    From the Mercedes, three people got out, the general manager Ma Yangrong, as well as the legal and financial officers.


    "Fuck, that''s Wang Xiaocong!" Tao Yingjun eximed in surprise.


    "Don''t make such a fuss, everyone knows Xu Yang and Wang Xiaocong are brothers. It''s not strange for them to appear together," Tao Yongchang chastised promptly.


    In fact, he was also shocked.


    But he had more experience and didn''t show it.


    Then, he added, "It''s very likely that Xu Yang has brought Wang Xiaocong to join the acquisition of Shengda Literature. If that''s the case, the sess rate of acquiring Shengda Literature will greatly increase."


    "Right, right, with the addition of Wang Xiaocong, the son of the wealthiest man, the sess rate of acquiring Shengda Literature will significantly increase!" Tao Yingjun nodded repeatedly.


    "Alright, enough talking, let''s go over to meet them."


    Tao Yongchang led his son quickly towards Xu Yang and his party.


    "Mr. Xu, Young Master Wang, wee to Shengda Literature."


    "I''m the deputy general manager of Shengda Literature, Tao Yongchang, and this is my son Tao Yingjun, the manager of the marketing department."


    Tao Yongchang introduced himself and his son.


    "Nice to meet you." Xu Yang extended his hand and shook hands with Tao Yongchang and his son.


    ording to what Ma Yangrong had said, it was this Tao Yongchang who had followed the major shareholder Huang Chi''s instructions and had not reported to Shengda Literature''s president Qiu Wenyu about Yang Xin Investments'' intention to acquire Shengda Literature.


    Somehow, yesterday, he had taken the initiative to arrange a meeting to negotiate and had even informed about Huang Chi''s matter.


    This gave Xu Yang a rather good impression of Tao Yongchang, for if he hadn''t responded, the Penguinpany might have sealed the acquisition deal these past two days.


    Then, Xu Yang would have had nothing to do with it.


    Wang Xiaocong didn''t say anything and couldn''t even be bothered to greet them.


    He too had heard that Tao Yongchang was the guy who hadn''t replied to Ma Yangrong.


    That almost cost him and Xu Yang the chance to acquire Shengda Literature.


    Even though Tao Yongchang was acting on someone else''s orders, it still left Wang Xiaocong feeling annoyed.


    Besides, his main role ining with Xu Yang was to show support; the primary negotiations were still Xu Yang''s responsibility.


    Wang Xiaocong''s attitude left Tao Yongchang and his son somewhat displeased, yet they did not dare to say anything.


    What could they do, feeling annoyed or not, the man was the son of the wealthiest man.


    If they dared to offend Wang Xiaocong, there would be no benefit for them.


    "General Tao Yongchang, please take us to meet with President Qiu Wenyu and others," Xu Yang said.


    "Of course, please follow me, President Qiu has already gathered the shareholders and is waiting for you in the conference room."


    Tao Yongchang led Xu Yang and his party into thepany, taking the elevator to the floor where the conference room was located.


    As soon as the elevator doors opened, they saw Qiu Wenyu standing at the doorway.


    "This is our President Qiu. President Qiu, Mr. Xu and Young Master Wang have arrived."


    Upon exiting the elevator, Tao Yongchang quickly introduced them.


    "Mr. Xu, Young Master Wang, wee to Shengda Literature," Qiu Wenyu greeted them, shaking hands with Xu Yang and Wang Xiaocong respectively.


    Qiu Wenyu was also somewhat surprised by the appearance of Wang Xiaocong, but he didn''t show it on his face.


    And he immediately guessed that Wang Xiaocong''s purpose foring with Xu Yang was probably to participate in the acquisition of Shengda Literature.


    He couldn''t help but feel delighted; with Wang Xiaocong''s involvement, it was definitely a good thing.


    With Xu Yang''s boldness and Wang Xiaocong''s profound background, theirbined effort to acquire Shengda Literature was simply perfect.


    As for Wang Xiaocong, he naturally couldn''t keep a straight face with President Qiu.


    After all, Qiu Wenyu was still the president of Shengda Literature.


    ```


    Ever since Xu Yang mentioned acquiring Shengda Literature, he had looked into Shengda Literature, which, naturally, brought him to Qiu Wenyu.


    Qiu Wenyu founded Shengda Literature and developed it to its current state, even managing to lead the online literature industry with his personal efforts.


    He had a lot of respect for Qiu Wenyu as a person.


    Xu Yang then introduced Ma Yangrong to Qiu Wenyu.


    After some brief pleasantries, Qiu Wenyu led Xu Yang and his group to the meeting room.


    The Tao father and son didn''t qualify to attend the meeting; in fact, Tao Yongchang didn''t want to go, unwilling to face Huang Chi.


    After all, in Huang Chi''s eyes, he was a traitor.


    "President Qiu, you..."


    As soon as Qiu Wenyu walked into the meeting room, someone wanted to ask what was going on, why they were called so early.


    But upon seeing the people following Qiu Wenyu, the person about to ask immediately held their tongue.


    These shareholders didn''t recognize Xu Yang and the other three, but they immediately recognized Wang Xiaocong.


    There was no helping it; Wang Xiaocong was too famous.


    "Hehe, let me introduce everyone, this is President Xu from Yang Xin Investment, and this person needs no introduction, right? Young Master Wang, I believe everyone here knows him," Qiu Wenyu introduced with a chuckle.


    Then, he invited Xu Yang and his entourage to take their seats.


    "President Qiu, why have you brought them here?" Huang Chi suddenly had a very bad premonition.


    "President Xu and Young Master Wang want to acquire Shengda Literature. Our negotiations with Penguin have been at a standstill for two days. Penguin is only willing to raise the price to 5.2 billion, so I thought of inviting President Xu and his team, hoping they may offer us a better acquisition price. I trust no one objects to this," Qiu Wenyu said.


    "Of course not!"


    "This is great news!"


    "Yeah, Yang Xin Investment also wants to acquire us; of course, we wee it."


    "As far as we are concerned, as long as the price is right, we don''t care who buys us."


    "Exactly, I have heard of President Xu''s reputation. His investment moves have astounded many investment bigwigs. It''s an honor to meet him in person today."


    "Indeed, we were hoping to learn some investment skills from President Xu."


    "Young Master Wang is the same, I heard his recent investments have made quite a profit."


    The shareholders naturally weed the arrival of Xu Yang and others.


    Competition was good for them.


    Withpetition, prices might go up.


    Otherwise, just dealing with Penguin alone, with Han Jun being so aggressive, left them feeling rather dissatisfied.


    Now with the addition of Yang Xin Investment, let''s see if that Han Jun can still be so assertive, if he can still offer such a low price.


    Although they had discussed earlier that Penguin could raise the price to 5.5 billion.


    They still thought it was too low.


    With Yang Xin Investment now in the picture, they might be able to push the price up higher.


    Achieving the 6 billion goal wasn''t out of the question.


    The only one not pleased on the scene was Huang Chi.


    The arrival of Xu Yang and his group caught him off guard.


    If Yang Xin Investment got involved, it would be difficult for him to finalize the agreement he had with Han Jun.


    What on earth was Tao Yongchang doing?


    Hadn''t he been told to not respond to Yang Xin Investment and to stall them if they inquired?


    Why were these people still here?


    It was bad enough they came, but to do so without notifying him.


    Could it be that Yang Xin Investment, unable to wait for a response or seeing Tao Yongchang dragging his feet, contacted Qiu Wenyu directly?


    However, things were as they were now, and wondering about this was useless. He would have to ask Tao Yongchangter.


    With these thoughts in mind, he spoke up, "President Qiu, we''re in the middle of negotiations with Penguin, and at three o''clock, we have the negotiation meeting with them. Isn''t it somewhat inappropriate to discuss this with them right now?"

 Chapter 244 Lets Talk It Over

    "Mr. Huang, I don''t see anything wrong with it, it''s to our advantage, guys, do you think what I''m doing is wrong?" Qiu Wenyu asked everyone.


    He said no more about the secretive task Huang Chi gave Tao Yongchang.


    After all, once Yang Xin Investment acquired thepany, there would no longer be any connection between the two parties. There was no need to make things difficult for the other party over this.


    Doing that would meanpletely burning bridges.


    As a mature businessman, one would never make such foolish decisions.


    "Yeah, there''s nothing wrong at all."


    "Mr. Huang, I also think what Mr. Qiu proposed is pretty good."


    "Mr. Huang, I think what Mr. Qiu is doing is fine."


    Several shareholders were in support of Qiu Wenyu.


    "I just feel that it''s disrespectful to Penguin. Even if we have to talk with Mr. Xu and the others, we could change the time, couldn''t we? Tomorrow morning would work, too," said Huang Chi.


    "I don''t think there is any disrespect. What do you guys think?" Qiu Wenyu asked everyone again.


    Anyway, he wanted to get the others on his side.


    This was the general trend, and even if Huang Chi was thergest shareholder, he dare not go against this tide.


    "I also see no issue with it, I don''t feel it disrespects anyone from Penguin."


    "Negotiations are negotiations. As long as it doesn''t dy anything, then it''s fine."


    "Exactly, Mr. Huang, you''re really overthinking it. Could it be that because Mr. Qiu called us here so early, you didn''t get a good nap, and you''re holding a grudge against him? Let''s not sweat the small stuff. What''s important now is to sell our shares at a good price.


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    Mr. Qiu is looking out for our best interests. Once the shares are sold at a good price, you can sleep anytime you want."


    "Yes, Mr. Huang, let''s not quibble over this. Mr. Qiu is just looking out for our best," the shareholders chimed in one after another.


    "Fine, since none of you have an issue with it, I won''t say more. Let''s negotiate then," Huang Chi replied with unspoken difficulty.


    He couldn''t very well say, "I''ve reached a private agreement with Han Jun to let Penguin acquire Shengda Literature for no more than 55 billion."


    If he said that, the shareholders'' anger would probably be directed at him.


    However, he wasn''t too worried.


    After all, it was only Yang Xin Investment''s first negotiation, and it certainly wouldn''t be settled so quickly.


    He nned to message Han Junter, telling him to go ahead with the acquisition today.


    With that thought, he began to feel more at ease.


    Xu Yang and his group had not spoken the entire time.


    He had alreadymunicated well with Qiu Wenyu. This was the n.


    This Huang Chi, no matter how he struggled, was doomed to fail.


    It was now impossible for Penguin to acquire Shengda Literature.


    "Good, since everyone agrees, I will have my assistant bring over the documents for Mr. Xu''s people to review," Qiu Wenyu said.


    The assistant was already prepared at the door, and Qiu Wenyu immediately asked the assistant toe in and ce the documents in front of Xu Yang''s group.


    Qiu Wenyu said, "Mr. Xu, here are the documents. They have been reviewed by Penguin already, and the results are there. You can have your people review them or look directly at the results; it''s just a matter of whether or not you trust them."


    Xu Yang smiled slightly, "Since the documents have been reviewed by Penguin, I trust that there are no problems, and of course, I trust that you, Mr. Qiu, would not deceive me. However, we still need to go through the necessary procedures."


    Qiu Wenyu gestured with his hand, "Then please, go ahead and check."


    Xu Yang signaled the legal and financial teams to review the documents.


    The review of the documents took over twenty minutes.


    The results were consistent with what Penguin had provided.


    "Mr. Qiu, everyone, what kind of acquisition price are you looking for?" Xu Yang nced over Qiu Wenyu and the others and asked.


    "Mr. Xu, not to make youugh, but of course, we hope the higher the price the better," Qiu Wenyu replied with augh.


    "Yes, the higher the better."


    "Mr. Xu, the price Penguin offered is not low."


    Several shareholders chimed in, one after another.


    "I see that Shengda Literature''s current market value is a little over six billion two hundred million. I havee with sincerity, so I''m offering six billion. If you''re willing, we can sign the contract now, and the money will be in your ount within three business days. If you''re not interested, I can only assume you''re not sincere. Once I leave this door, I won''te back.


    Instead, I''ll move on to acquiring other online literaturepanies. What do you all think?" Xu Yang said.


    Six billion!


    Upon hearing this number, the expressions of several shareholders lit up with delight.


    After two grueling days of negotiations with Penguin, Han Jun had only managed to reach an offer of five billion two hundred million.


    Their demands had already been lowered.


    With an offer of five billion seven or eight hundred million, they felt it would be eptable to sell.


    Just moments ago, they had discussed the matter and came to believe that Han Jun could only raise the offer to five billion five hundred million.


    They had already decided that if Han Jun truly offered five billion five hundred million, they would sell their shares.


    Now, Xu Yang was directly offering six billion.


    What is called a pleasant surprise? This was a pleasant surprise.


    This Qiu Wenyu, by bringing in Yangxin Investment, had just reached the goal in one fell swoop.


    Moreover, if they didn''t sign the contract now, Xu Yang would not go through with the acquisition.


    There would be no next round of negotiations.


    Then they would have to face Penguin''s squeeze again.


    How to choose? Was there even any need to ask?


    "I agree to President Xu''s offer. What about you all?" Qiu Wenyu asked.


    "I agree as well!"


    "With the price President Xu is offering, there''s definitely sincere intent. I agree too."


    "I''m onboard!"


    Except for Huang Chi, the other shareholders quickly took a stand.


    "President Huang, with such a great offer on the table, won''t you agree?" Qiu Wenyu''s gaze fell on Huang Chi.


    "President Huang, please make your position clear quickly."


    "Right, isn''t this the price we wanted?"


    "President Huang, what are you thinking? You seem unhappy."


    All eyes turned to Huang Chi.


    Huang Chi felt a bitter taste in his heart.


    Xu Yang had been so decisive, going straight for the acquisition, and offering six billion, catching him off guard.


    If Xu Yang had merely made an offer of six billion, he could have made a case for waiting to see Penguin''s move, suggesting that withpetition, they might be willing to increase their offer.


    But the key point was, Xu Yang said if they didn''t agree to sign now, as soon as he left, he wouldn''te back.


    That movepletely cornered him.


    With no other option, Huang Chi steeled himself and said, "Everyone, I think we should wait and let Penguin''s peoplee over so they can bid against each other. That would be better."


    Upon hearing this, everyone''s eyes lit up again.


    Xu Yang was already offering six billion now.


    If Penguin was still willing topete, then the price would definitely be higher than six billion.


    "President Qiu and all my friends, it seems that someone among you thinks I am a fool, as is Wang Shao. Since that''s the case, let''s pretend I was never here. I won''t be back in the future either. Goodbye."


    With that, Xu Yang stood up and was about to leave.


    Leaving was out of the question, but he had to show his firm attitude.


    If he let Huang Chi get the upper hand and waited for Penguin toe so they could bid together, acquiring Shengda Literature might be impossible.


    Even if he could acquire it, he would have to pay a much higher price than six billion.


    "President Xu, don''t go. Let''s talk this through. Please have a seat and wait for a moment while I persuade President Huang," Qiu Wenyu hastily intervened.


    "President Qiu, I respect you and admire you. I''ll give you three minutes. Once those three minutes are up, if you still can''t reach a consensus, I will leave," Xu Yang said as he sat back down.

 Chapter 245: Chapter 245 Keeping Promises

    "President Huang, President Xu has offered a price of six billion, which has already met our expectations. Why are you unwilling to sell your shares? Do you really want to sell them to Penguin for a low price?" Qiu Wenyu asked.


    "Yes, President Huang, what exactly are you thinking?"


    "President Huang, the goal has been achieved; let''s not overthink it."


    "We know you want to make more, but President Xu and the young Mr. Wang aren''t fools. How could they possibly agree to what you''re saying?"


    "President Huang, just sell the shares already."


    The other shareholders also looked at Huang Chi with puzzled expressions.


    "I just feel that it can be sold for a higher price," said Huang Chi, expressionless.


    "President Huang, one shouldn''t be too greedy. If you''re too greedy, you''ll end up with nothing in the end."


    "Yes, six billion is already very good."


    "President Xu, we are all willing to sell our shares. If he doesn''t want to sell, that''s his business. Please acquire our shares," one shareholder said.


    "Yes, President Xu, we are willing to sell. Once you acquire our shares, you will be thergest shareholder, and then thepany will be under your control," another shareholder added.


    A few shareholders urged him, and seeing that Huang Chi remained unmoved, they turned to Xu Yang and expressed their willingness to sell their shares.


    "I want to acquire either all of it or none at all. Since you can''te to an agreement, then it''s unfortunate, but you''ll just have to sell your shares to Penguin at a low price," Xu Yang said, shaking his head.


    "Old Huang, what are you really thinking? If you don''t agree, I''ll pull out of the real estate project we invested in together!" one of the shareholders said.


    "Old Huang, we partnered up for that holiday vi project, and it''s only halfpleted. If you don''t agree, then we might as well not finish it," another shareholder said.


    These two shareholders had a good rtionship with Huang Chi and had engaged in some projects together.


    "You two..." Huang Chi looked at them, his face full of disbelief, "If you pull out or drop the project, you''ll suffer heavy losses too."


    He hadn''t anticipated that they would threaten him.


    "We''ll take the loss; if everyone loses together, then so be it. Since you don''t care about our interests, we see no reason to care about yours."


    "That''s right. And what you''re doing is without any reason. I''m starting to suspect that you might be an undercover agent sent by Penguin; otherwise, why would you always speak in Penguin''s favor?" another shareholder chimed in.


    The two shareholders stated their thoughts.


    They were shrewd individuals and had begun to sense something unusual.


    Huang Chi, intentionally or not, always seemed to favor Penguin''s acquisition.


    That was very abnormal.


    Hearing what the shareholder said, the other shareholders'' expressions also changed subtly.


    Looking at Huang Chi, their eyes were filled with suspicion and hostility.


    If that was really the case, then Huang Chi would be betraying them.


    "Everyone, please don''t look at me like that. Am I that kind of person? I only thought about selling at a better price. Since you all agree and Old Li and Old Zhang are threatening me, what can I say? I''ll agree with you all and sell my shares," Huang Chi said, knowing he was powerless to change the situation, and reluctantly agreed.


    If Old Li and Old Zhang really decided to go hard on him, then his loss would definitely exceed one billion.


    Even the benefits he got from Han Jun''s side were not a billion.


    With no other choice, he had to agree.


    As for exining to Han Jun, that would have to do.


    The situation simply didn''t allow him to continue to act on Han Jun''s behalf.


    If he persisted, these people might tear him apart.


    "That''s more like it!"


    "Old Huang, why cause such trouble? You should''ve just agreed directly," said a shareholder.


    "Old Huang, a little greed is okay, but too much greed isn''t good. It could backfire on you," said another.


    The shareholdersmented one after another.


    "Alright, alright, let''s not talk about this anymore. I have agreed. Let''s just sign the contract," said Huang Chi.


    Since he had made up his mind, Huang Chi didn''t want to waste any more words and was keen to sign the contract and get it over with.


    "Congrattions, you''ve made a wise choice," Xu Yang said to Huang Chi for the first time.


    He had never really held Huang Chi in high regard.


    This guy almost messed up his ns.


    Fortunately, he had finally caved.


    Huang Chi smiled, "Mr. Xu, I''m very happy to sell my shares to you."


    Xu Yang responded with a smile, then turned to Qiu Wenyu, "President Qiu, with this full acquisition of Shengda Literature, I hold sixty percent of the shares through Yang Xin Investment, and the minority, forty percent, held by Wang''s Great Investment. Please have someone draft the contract."


    The distribution of shares had already been discussed with Wang Xiaocong.


    He had to take the lead, and that was non-negotiable.


    Even in partnership with Wang''s Great Investment, it was no exception.


    On this point, Wang Xiaocong and Wang Dalin had no objections.


    They felt very fortunate to be able to invest alongside Xu Yang.


    Without Xu Yang, they wouldn''t even have thought of this investment opportunity.


    "President Xu Yang, I''ll have someone draft the contract immediately," said Qiu Wenyu, getting down to business.


    Ten minutester, he came over with the contract.


    Xu Yang first had thewyers from Yang Xin Investment examine it.


    After the review, there were no issues.


    Xu Yang and Wang Xiaocong signed their names.


    With this, the acquisition of Shengda Literature was finallyplete.


    Xu Yang and Wang Xiaocong were both very happy, and so was Qiu Wenyu.


    Apart from Huang Chi feeling a bit upset, the other shareholders were also pleased.


    Find your next read on m_v l|e-NovelBin


    "The money will be transferred within three business days. Everyone can go back and just wait to receive the funds," Xu Yang said with a smile.


    "Haha, thank you, President Xu!"


    "President Xu, let''s add each other on WeChat. We should all get rich together in the future."


    "Right, right, President Xu, let''s add each other."


    The shareholders, of course, wouldn''t miss the opportunity to get on good terms with Xu Yang.


    Xu Yang was a rising star in the investment industry, always garnering impressive returns on each investment.


    If they could ride on Xu Yang''s coattails, they would have no worries about making money in the future.


    Haven''t you seen Wang Xiaocong making money alongside Xu Yang?


    Even setting that aside, it was beneficial to forge a good rtionship with Xu Yang.


    Xu Yang''s worth was now in the tens of billions, surpassing everyone present.


    And with Xu Yang still so young, it was possible for him to be the wealthiest in China, or even the richest man in the world, someday.


    If Xu Yang indeed became the richest man in the world one day, they could boast about having the WeChat of the world''s richest man.


    "It''s nothing, in the investment industry, I''m just a junior. I still have a lot to learn from everyone," Xu Yang said amiably.


    Xu Yang naturally didn''t refuse.


    While these people might not have as much wealth as him, their background was definitely stronger than his. Bing friends was a good thing.


    After adding WeChat and exchanging a few pleasantries, Xu Yang''s gaze fell on Qiu Wenyu, "President Qiu, I formally invite you to be the CEO of Shengda Literature. You will be fully in charge of the management and operation of Shengda Literature. I am looking forward to seeing you take Shengda Literature to new heights."


    Qiu Wenyu stood up immediately, replying solemnly, "Thank you, President Xu. Rest assured, I will not let you down."


    Xu Yang''s words eased the stone in his heart once and for all.


    Although Xu Yang had invited him to continue as CEO over the phone, those were just words. Nothing was certain until the end, and it was unclear whether Xu Yang might change his mind.


    Clearly, his worries were unnecessary. Xu Yang was a man who kept his promises.

 Chapter 246 The Man Who Was Moved

    Han Jun left the hotel with his team and headed to Shengda Literature to continue the negotiations.


    He drove himself with his niece Han Mengting in the same car.


    The hotel they stayed at wasn''t far from Shengda Literature, just about a ten-minute drive.


    "Uncle, we can''t dy the acquisition of Shengda Literature any longer, to prevent any unforeseen circumstances," Han Mengting said seriously.


    "Don''t worry, there won''t be any unforeseen circumstances. Shengda Literature is already in the bag," Han Jun was very confident.


    "One can never predict such uncertainties, I have a bad feeling," Han Mengtingmented.


    "Is it your ''sixth sense'' again?" Han Jun nced at his niece and couldn''t help butugh.


    "Let me tell you, my sixth sense is very urate. When I was studying in the beautiful country, I was about to take the subway, but I felt danger and didn''t get on. Later, there was an ident on that subway, and many people died. If not for my sixth sense, you wouldn''t be able to see me now," Han Mengting was somewhat dissatisfied.


    "Alright, alright, your sixth sense is very urate. I only say one thing and youunch into me like a machine gun, not caring whether I can handle it or not," Han Jun quickly surrendered, knowing his niece was getting irritated.


    "I don''t care if you can handle it or not, who asked you to doubt my sixth sense," Han Mengting retorted.


    "Fine, I won''t doubt it, you''re right, we can''t dy things any longer. We''ve been negotiating for two days, it''s about time. Huang Chi just sent me a message saying he''s talked to several shareholders, today we''re raising our offer to 5.5 billion, we should be able to sign the contract," Han Jun said.


    "That''s good then," Han Mengting nodded.


    "Alright, the acquisition is basically settled, let''s talk about you," Han Jun said.


    "Me? What about me?" Han Mengting asked, puzzled.


    "What else could it be, of course, it''s about your romantic life," Han Jun said.


    "What''s wrong with my love life?" Han Mengting asked again.


    "What do you mean ''what''s wrong''? Look at you, in your thirties and still without a boyfriend, your parents'' advice means nothing to you."


    "They''ve nagged me many times, told me to urge you to find a boyfriend as soon as possible, better yet get married."


    "I think our Penguin''s Fang Yan is quite good. He likes you and is pursuing you, why won''t you ept him!"


    The Fang Yan Han Jun referred to was the vice president of a division in their group, around the same age as Han Mengting, in his early thirties, simrly a highly educated talent who had studied abroad in the beautiful country.


    Moreover, his family background was good, on par with the Han family, a perfect match in terms of social status.


    Honestly, Han Jun was very pleased with Fang Yan.


    He had even tried to set them up, arranging a date for the two.


    But Han Mengting just wasn''t interested in Fang Yan, which left him quite helpless.


    "I don''t deny his excellence, but he just doesn''t give me that heart-fluttering feeling," Han Mengting pursed her lips.


    "Heart-fluttering?" Han Jun was somewhat speechless, "Mengting, you''re not a young girl anymore, in your thirties and still talking about heart-fluttering feelings. If there''s someone who likes you andes from a good family, and is a decent person, you should marry him. Besides, once you get together, you might start feeling the excitement."


    "How can that be alright? How can we be together if there''s no excitement?" Han Mengting''s attitude towards romance was still very youthful; she was looking for someone who could make her heart flutter.


    "If that''s your standard for choosing a partner, then there''s a high chance you''ll never meet your other half in this lifetime," Han Jun said helplessly.


    "Who says so?" Han Mengting thought of someone and a smile curved on her lips.


    "Hm? From the sound of it, have you met someone who makes your heart flutter?" Han Jun asked.


    "Not exactly met," Han Mengting said.


    "What do you mean? You''ve either met or you haven''t, what''s this ''not exactly met''?" Han Jun was confused.


    "It means I know of him, but he doesn''t know me; I''ve never seen him in real life," Han Mengting said.


    "You''re not talking about some male celebrity, are you?" Han Jun asked.


    "How could that be possible? How could I possibly fall for a male celebrity? Stop guessing wildly," Han Mengting said.


    "Good, if you had fallen for some male celebrity, I fear I would have to break up a pair of lovebirds," Han Jun said.


    For ordinary people, celebrities are elevated and unattainable.


    But to someone like Han Jun, that wasn''t the case.


    He certainly didn''t want his niece to be involved with any male celebrities.


    "Uncle, you''re being too overbearing. If I were to fancy a male celebrity, he would definitely be outstanding andpletely different from other male celebrities. You shouldn''t doubt my taste," Yang Xin said.


    Han Mengting knew that her uncle had a rather unfriendly attitude towards the entertainment industry.


    In fact, her own attitude towards the entertainment industry wasn''t very friendly either.


    None of the male celebrities in the entertainment circle caught her eye.


    "Fine, as long as he''s not a male celebrity, just tell me who it is. Howe you know him, but he doesn''t know you?" Han Jun asked.


    "Uncle, you mustn''t get angry if I tell you," Han Mengting decided to give her uncle a heads-up.


    "You think I''ll get angry?" Han Jun furrowed his brows.


    "Possibly," Han Mengting replied.


    "Go ahead, I won''t get angry," Han Jun said.


    Whether or not to get angry would depend on who it was; he had to draw it out of her first.


    "His name is Xu Yang," Han Mengting said.


    "Xu Yang?" Han Jun frowned again, feeling the name sounded familiar. He quickly remembered, "You''re not talking about Xu Yang from Yang Xin Investments, are you?"


    In his memory, that was the only Xu Yang he knew of.


    Last time during the financing of Hui''an Pharmaceuticals, Xu Yang had taken control of the investment quota distribution. He had even called Xu Yang.


    He had wanted an eight percent shareholding, but Xu Yang had not given him any face and had tly refused him. Later, Xu Yang hadn''t allocated him any share at all.


    This matter had put him in a very awkward position, and he even got scolded by President Ma for missing out on the investment opportunity in Hui''an Pharmaceuticals, which affected the group''syout in the pharmaceutical and even in the health industry.


    Now he was still trying to remedy the situation by scouting for investable pharmaceutical enterprises.


    "That''s right, it''s Xu Yang from Yang Xin Investments," Han Mengting said with a smile and nod.


    After Xu Yang''s acquisition of Fengkai Mining and his remarkable debut, she began to pay attention to Xu Yang.


    Subsequently, Xu Yang''s moves amazed everyone.


    The booming sess of Jiangdi Fishing stunned all onlookers.


    His investment in the film "War Leopard" revealed his foresight.


    Even more, he positioned himself in the copyright market early on and made a fortune, bing a billionaire many times over.


    Such a person fascinated her.


    Although she hadn''t met Xu Yang in real life, she had already been deeply attracted to him.


    Moreover, Xu Yang''s appearance from his photos was exactly her type.


    "But I heard that Xu Yang is already married," Han Jun said with a frown.


    If Xu Yang weren''t married, there would be no issue with Han Mengting liking Xu Yang.


    In fact, he would wholeheartedly approve and would do everything possible to bring them together.


    After all, such a young man had already be a billionaire.


    He had started from scratch, achieving this in less than a year.


    Such a business prodigy was truly rare, with limitless potential for the future.


    But Xu Yang was married.


    He truly didn''t understand what his niece was thinking, fancying a married man.


    "So what if he''s married? Can''t I be moved just because he''s married? Besides, the divorce rate is so high nowadays. Getting married so early, he might have done it impulsively. Who knows, he might get divorced someday," Han Mengting said with a pout, seemingly unconcerned.

 Chapter 247 Mind the Image

    "What if they don''t divorce?" Han Jun was somewhat speechless.


    "If they don''t divorce, then they don''t," Han Mengting shrugged, unconcerned.


    "Your attitude isn''t right, could it be that you want to be his mistress?" Han Jun eyed his niece with suspicion.


    "Uncle, what are you thinking? I''m the secretary of the board of directors at Penguin Group, how could I possibly be someone''s mistress?" Han Mengting was at a loss for words.


    Liking someone is one thing, but she would certainly never be a mistress to someone else.


    She was an executive at Penguin Group, not just any ordinary young girl.


    Even if she had the mentality of a young girl in matters of the heart, it was still impossible for her to do that kind of thing.


    "It''s not a good thing to keep pining for someone who''s married," Han Jun frowned deeply.


    This really wasn''t good at all, who knew if his niece might do something outrageous.


    He had to figure out a way to make his niece give up on this once and for all.


    "Uncle, don''t worry about my affairs, I will handle them myself," Han Mengting said.


    "I don''t think you can handle it well. Liking a married man is very dangerous, I advise you to give up this idea sooner rather thanter and find the one who truly belongs to you," Han Jun said seriously.


    "Uncle, I know. I came to Jiangcheng this time thinking of meeting Xu Yang. If I could meet his wife as well, that would be even better. I could then see for myself what their marriage is like. If their rtionship is good, I won''t think about him anymore, but if it''s not, perhaps I have a chance. Of course, I won''t do anything, I''m just waiting for him to make a decision.


    What do you think of my approach?" Han Mengting exined.


    "That could work, it might make youpletely lose interest. Otherwise, you''ll always harbor illusions. But if you''re going to meet him, I have to be there," Han Jun said.


    "Sure, I''d want someone toe with me even if you weren''t there. How about this: once we acquire Sheng Da Literature, you can call and invite him and his wife out for a meal. During the meal, it will be easy to see the state of their rtionship," Han Mengting suggested.


    "Okay," Han Jun thought about it and felt there was no issue.


    As they spoke, they arrived at the parking lot in front of the Sheng Da Literature building.


    After getting out of the car, they saw several peopleing out of the building.


    "Is that Wang Xiaocong?"


    "Is that Xu Yang?!"


    Seeing Wang Xiaocong, Han Mengting felt nothing; she had met Wang Xiaocong more than once.


    Seeing Xu Yang, however, she was excited, her eyes shining.


    Just now, she was talking with her uncle about Xu Yang and about inviting him and his wife to dinner.


    She hadn''t expected to see Xu Yang himself here.


    It seemed she and Xu Yang were quite fated after all.


    Speaking of which, even though Xu Yang wasn''t the very handsome type, he truly fit her aesthetic.


    She liked this kind of sunny boy.


    Ah, her heart was racing, and she was starting to lose control.


    "Watch your image, you''re about to drool," Han Jun was somewhat speechless.


    It was just Xu Yang, was there a need to get this excited?


    "Oh, I did get a bit carried away." Hearing her uncle''s words, Han Mengting snapped back to reality and realized that she had indeed lost herposure.


    How embarrassing, her colleagues were watching.


    She wondered what her colleagues would think.


    Turning to look, she noticed that her colleagues were minding their own business, pretending they hadn''t seen anything, which made her feel relieved.


    These colleagues were quite considerate.


    "Mr. Wang, President Xu," Han Jun greeted the two men proactively.


    "Oh, it''s President Han, hello," Xu Yang said with a smile.


    He didn''t have a good impression of Han Jun.


    Thest time he called, Han Jun had aggressively demanded eight percent of the investment quota in Hui''an Pharmaceuticals.


    After Xu Yang refused, the other party had even threatened him.


    Luckily, for reasons unknown, no further action was taken.


    Even if there were any moves, Xu Yang wasn''t afraid.


    It was just Penguin, after all.


    He had the system and wasn''t afraid of any rival.


    Even facing a behemoth like Penguin, he regarded it from a lofty perspective, because he was destined to stand atop the world.


    However, one does not p a smiling face, and since the other party took the initiative to greet him, he naturally responded.


    Wang Xiaocong simply nodded slightly, not saying much.


    Speaking of which, he felt no fondness for this Han Jun.


    The guy was Penguin''s right-hand man, and over the years, his maneuvers had greatly impacted Wan Da Group, causing his old man to suffer considerable losses.


    Han Jun wanted to say more, but Han Mengting beat him to it.


    "Mr. Xu, hello, my name is Han Mengting, I''m the Board Secretary of Penguin Group."


    Han Mengting stepped forward and extended her hand to Xu Yang, her beautiful eyes fixed on him, sizing him up incessantly, with a look that resembled a big bad wolf eyeing a littlemb.


    Xu Yang didn''t know what Han Mengting meant, he only noticed something strange and peculiar about her gaze.


    Xu Yang had already heard from Qiu Wenyu about Han Jun and his entourage.


    This woman named Han Mengting was supposed to be the president of Sheng Da Literature after Penguin sessfully acquired it.


    However, this appointment was no longer valid for Han Mengting.


    Gathering his thoughts, Xu Yang shook hands with Han Mengting, "Hello."


    Han Mengting was very excited; this was the man she was smitten with.


    My god, to have such contact upon first meeting was simply too blissful.


    That smile was really sunshine itself; her little heart could hardly take it.


    "Mr. Xu, I..."


    Unable to contain her excitement, she wanted to continue the conversation with Xu Yang, to delve into more profound topics.


    But she had barely begun speaking when Han Jun interrupted her.


    "Secretary Han, please step back, I need to have a word with Mr. Xu," Han Jun said.


    "Oh." Han Mengting understood Han Jun''s intention, feeling somewhat displeased but obediently stepped back two paces.


    She stepped back, yet her enchanting eyes remained on Xu Yang, shining brightly.


    "Mr. Xu, if Secretary Han has offended you just now, please forgive us," Han Jun said.


    "Not at all, Mr. Han is too polite," Xu Yang replied with a smile.


    "Mr. Xu, may I ask what brings you and the young Wang here..." Han Jun inquired doubtfully.


    "The same as you," Xu Yang replied with a smile.


    "You''re also here to acquire Sheng Da Literature?" Han Jun was taken aback, somewhat surprised.


    "Yes, we are very optimistic about the development of Sheng Da Literature," Xu Yang nodded.


    "How are the negotiations going?" Han Jun asked.


    "Heh, you''ll find out soon enough. We''ll be leaving now, goodbye," Xu Yang chuckled, leading his people away.


    Han Mengting wanted to follow and talk to Xu Yang, but Han Jun stopped her.


    "Mind your image, this is a public ce. You are the Board Secretary of Penguin Group; everything you do represents Penguin Group," Han Jun said sternly.


    "Alright," Han Mengting gave in, reluctantly watching Xu Yang get into the car and drive away.


    The Rolls-Royce Cullinan carrying Xu Yang had vanished from sight, yet her gaze had not wavered.


    "Cough cough!" Han Jun, somewhat at a loss for words, had to remind his niece to be mindful again.


    "Ah... Mr. Han, I was just lost in thought for a moment. Let''s go up for the negotiations now. Since Yang Xin Investment and Wang Xiaocong are involved, we need to speed up the negotiations. Let''s secure Sheng Da Literature today."


    Han Mengting snapped back to reality, swiftly adjusting her mindset and demeanor, quickly regaining the image of a powerful woman.


    "Yes, we need to finalize the deal with Sheng Da Literature today to prevent anyplications," Han Jun nodded and led his group into Sheng Da Literature.


    He hadn''t considered the possibility that Xu Yang had already sessfully negotiated.


    After all, it was only the first day of negotiations for Yang Xin Investment. Find your next read on m_v l|e-NovelBin


    In his view, it was impossible to negotiate sessfully so quickly; it usually took at least a few rounds of talks.


    That''s the standard procedure.

 Chapter 248 Which Side Are You On?

    A group of people took the elevator to the floor where the negotiation meeting room was located.


    As soon as they stepped out of the elevator, they saw Qiu Wenyu and several shareholders drinking tea andughing in the rest area, seemingly quite happy.


    This gave Han Jun an uneasy feeling.


    "President Han, you''re here," Qiu Wenyu called out with a wave of his hand, not even standing up.


    "President Qiu, let''s get down to the negotiation quickly. As for the price, let''s discuss it further and try to settle it today," Han Jun said, still somewhat formal.


    "President Han, there''s no need to negotiate," Qiu Wenyu said with a smile.


    "What do you mean?" Han Jun narrowed his eyes.


    "Ourpany has already been acquired," Qiu Wenyu spread his hands and pointed at the major shareholders, "Look, now I''m here celebrating with them over tea and pastries."


    What!


    Acquired!


    Han Jun was shocked.


    How could this be, could it have been acquired by Yang Xin Investment?


    But how could that be possible!


    Yang Xin Investment had only appeared today.


    Could they have acquired it on their first visit?


    Han Mengting was also somewhat incredulous. Her thoughts were simr to Han Jun''s, suspecting it was Yang Xin Investment who had acquired it at first instinct.


    "Could it be that it was acquired by Yang Xin Investment?" Han Jun couldn''t help but blurt out.


    "Oh? It seems you''re very well-informed, President Han. Xu Yang from Yang Xin Investment and Wang Xiaocong from Wan Da Group just left. Did you run into them?" Qiu Wenyuughed.


    "It must be, otherwise how would President Han know."


    "President Han, now Sheng Da Literature belongs to Yang Xin Investment and Wan Da Investment. You no longer have a chance," one of the shareholders chimed in.


    "President Han, I''m really sorry. We wanted to sell our shares to you, but the price you offered was too low," another shareholdermented regretfully.


    "Yes, we negotiated for two days, and you only offered 5.2 billion," another shareholder pointed out.


    "We had no choice. Xu Yang and Wang Xiaocong met our demands, so naturally, we agreed to their offer," another shareholder exined.


    Other than Huang Chi, the shareholders spoke one after the other.


    "What price did they offer?" Han Jun''splexion turned ugly.


    Now that thepany was acquired, what could he do? He certainly couldn''t scold these people, could he?


    Besides, they were investment tycoons, and he had no authority over them, so he had no right to scold them.


    He did, however, have a reason to reprimand Huang Chi, since they had reached an agreement.


    But with Yang Xin Investment and Wan Da Investment acquiring Sheng Da Literature, Huang Chi hadn''t mentioned a word to him, which was baffling.


    However, in front of everyone, he naturally couldn''t disclose the agreement he had with Huang Chi, as it would embarrass Huang Chi and thoroughly offend him, which wouldn''t be good.


    He would have to ask privatelyter on.


    "Six billion," a shareholder said with a chuckle, making a gesture with his hand.


    "President Han, regarding the price, I must say,pared to Xu Yang, you were too stingy," another shareholder added.


    "Yes, Xu Yang started straight with 6 billion, while you only offered 5 billion, and after two days, added just 2 billion. You can''tpare to Xu Yang," another shareholder pointed out.


    "Six billion, that was our target. When he offered this price, we naturally sold our shares to him," a shareholder stated.


    "That''s right, you were so stingy that we had no confidence you would negotiate up to 6 billion," the shareholders continued one by one, all except Huang Chi, who remained silent.


    Han Jun''s face grew even darker.


    This Yang Xin Investment was clearly here to disrupt his ns.


    Otherwise, how could they suddenly offer 6 billion?


    With negotiation, there was no way they needed to spend that much.


    This also shows that Xu Yang is very optimistic about the development of Shengda Literature.


    Although he was somewhat displeased by Xu Yang''sst refusal to provide the requested investment amount,


    it cannot be denied that Xu Yang has a shrewd eye for investments.


    Every investment he has made has yielded amazing returns.


    Shengda Literature will certainly have amazing returns in the future as well.


    Han Jun thought the same.


    But now that Yang Xin Investment has acquired it, no matter how astounding the returns, they would no longer be his concern.


    At this moment, Qiu Wenyu''s phone rang.


    Qiu Wenyu answered the call and a minuteter, hung up.


    Qiu Wenyu said, "President Han, I apologize, but I have to get back to work. Ourpany has been acquired by Yang Xin Investment and Wan Da Investment, so this negotiation is no longer necessary. You can stay and enjoy some tea and a chat, but I need to leave to take care of things."


    After saying that, Qiu Wenyu left for his own office.


    Stay here for tea and chat?


    Han Jun certainly wasn''t interested.


    "Well, I''ve had enough tea; it''s time for me to go."


    "I should be going too. I didn''t sleep well during my noon nap; I need to go back and catch up on some sleep."


    "Same here, I''ll go back for a nap too. Going out for a foot wash and massage tonight would be good. These past few days of negotiating with President Han have been exhausting; need to rx a bit."


    "Old Zhang, let''s go and unwind together."


    "Sure, it would be nice to havepany. We can talk about that project you mentionedst time."


    "President Han, we''re leaving now. It''s a pity we couldn''t sell the shares to you. Hopefully, we can cooperate again in the future."


    "President Han, you all rushed over here, so at least have some more tea before you go. We won''t be apanying you any longer, goodbye."


    The shareholders got up one after another, greeted Han Jun, and took the elevator to leave.


    Only Huang Chi stayed behind.


    "President Huang, don''t you think you owe me some exnations?" Han Jun stared at Huang Chi and asked.


    "President Han, let''s leave this ce first. It''s not the right ce to talk," Huang Chi said with a wry smile.


    "Okay," Han Jun had no objections.


    The group took the next elevator, went downstairs, and exited the building.


    "Tell me what happened. How did it happen that Xu Yang and Wang Xiaocong came over and directly acquired Shengda Literature? You didn''t even give me a heads-up." Han Jun sounded somewhat reproachful.


    After all, they had reached an agreement, and even though Huang Chi had not fulfilled the agreement, the fact that someone else swooped in and he didn''t even inform Han Jun was uneptable.


    "President Han, you can''t me me for this. It''s all Xu Yang''s crafty doing," Huang Chi defended himself.


    "He came over with his people and directly offered 6 billion. He also said if we agreed, we would have to sign the contract immediately, and if not, he would leave with his people straightaway."


    "Furthermore, he would note back but instead would go to acquire other online literaturepanies, leaving us no choice but to sell our shares to your Penguin Group at a lower price."


    "His offer of 6 billion met everyone''s expectations, so naturally, all the other shareholders immediately agreed."


    "I stood alone, struggling to say a few words, trying to buy time for you to arrive. They even suspected I had some collusion with you."


    "It wasn''t until I agreed to sell my shares that they dropped their suspicions," Huang Chi said with a pained expression.


    "A masterstroke. That move was really powerful, truly worthy of the man who... became a billionaire within a year!"


    Han Mengting cheered and almost said, "truly worthy of the man I fancied."


    Thankfully, she caught herself in time.


    Otherwise, if others heard it, God knows how many rumors would spread.


    Nevertheless, after she said that, everyone still looked at her with strange eyes.


    To cheer for someone who just snatched the deal, whose side was she on?

 Chapter 249 Tonight Will See the Outcome

    "Uh¡­ why are you all staring at me like that?" Han Mengting was somewhat baffled for the moment.


    "Secretary Han, when ites to Xu Yang, I hope you can talk less, try to speak as little as possible, better yet, not at all, okay?" Han Jun said seriously.


    This niece of his, once the topic of Xu Yang was brought up, her eyes would light up.


    She obviously became irrational, her intelligence severely impaired.


    He was genuinely afraid she might blurt out something earth-shattering.


    "Alright then." Han Mengting pouted.


    "This Xu Yang is indeed decisive," Han Jun continued, "This matter is also my fault. Had I known, I wouldn''t have pressed the price so hard. It gave Xu Yang the chance to swoop in and seed immediately."


    To be honest, he was feeling a bit regretful now.


    If he hadn''t driven the price down so harshly, it was likely that even if Xu Yang hade in, even if he had offered sixty billion, the shareholders wouldn''t have sold their shares so quickly.


    So many years of smooth sailing had made him ustomed to negotiating from a position of strength.


    Under normal circumstances, this approach had no issues.


    But encountering someone like Xu Yang, that''s where problems arose.


    This Xu Yang, he clearly yed by his own rules.


    The very first day of negotiations, he went straight for the acquisition. No one could stop him.


    "President Han, I can only say I''m very sorry, I couldn''t help you acquire Shengda Literature. Our agreement is void now. I have to go, I''ve got other matters to attend to. Let''s hope we can work together again in the future."


    Having said that, Huang Chi got into his car and left.


    "Uncle, what do we do now?" Han Mengting asked.


    "Xu Yang and Wang Xiaocong have already acquired Shengda Literature. If we still want to acquire Shengda Literature, we can only buy it from Xu Yang and Wang Xiaocong now," Han Jun reflected, then said.


    "Are they willing to sell the shares?" Han Mengting expressed doubt.


    "As long as the price is right, they definitely will," Han Jun affirmed.


    "They acquired it for sixty billion. How many billions are you nning to offer?" Han Mengting inquired.


    "That depends on Xu Yang''s attitude. I can''t be sure right now," Han Jun admitted.


    "If I had known it woulde to this, I should have made an offer of sixty billion right off the bat. Then there wouldn''t be all these issues," Han Mengting sighed.


    "Who knew Xu Yang would suddenly intervene. If I had known Xu Yang would get involved, I would have made an offer based on the total market value the very first day. Just over sixty billion. Now, even if I get shares from Xu Yang and Wang Xiaocong, it''s definitely going to be a lot more than that. This time, I''ve been bested by that kid Xu Yang," Han Jun said with a wry smile.


    "It seems this isn''t the first time, though. I remember you saying you wanted to invest in Hui''an Pharmaceuticals and ended up getting rejected by Xu Yang," Han Mengting teased.


    "Can you not bring up my failures?" Han Jun was somewhat exasperated.


    "Alright, alright, I won''t mention your failures. So should we set up a meeting with Xu Yang and Wang Xiaocong together?" Han Mengting asked.


    "No need, just setting up a meeting with Xu Yang will do," Han Jun replied.


    "Why? Is Wang Xiaocong not important enough for your attention?" Han Mengting pressed.


    "It''s not that he''s unimportant. It''s just that this acquisition was likely led by Xu Yang, with Wang Xiaocong simply following to invest. I''m not belittling him, but if it weren''t for Xu Yang pulling him into this investment, he certainly wouldn''t have seen this opportunity to acquire Shengda Literature.


    So, as long as Xu Yang is dealt with, Wang Xiaocong won''t be difficult to handle," Han Jun exined.


    "That makes sense, Xu Yang really is amazing!" Han Mengting''s eyes shone brightly.


    "Enough, let''s go back to the hotel. I''ll give him a call and arrange a meeting," Han Jun instructed.


    The group got into the car and headed back to the hotel.


    Once back at the hotel, Han Jun took out his phone, intending to call Xu Yang.


    Han Mengting suggested, "Why not just invite Xu Yang to dinner tonight? Have him bring his wife along, and I''ll apany you."


    Han Jun nced at Han Mengting, pondered for a moment, and then nodded, "Okay."


    To make Han Mengting give up, it was necessary for her to meet Xu Yang and his wife.


    The sooner they met, the better. Otherwise, Han Mengting would cling to her fantasies, unwilling to seek a boyfriend.


    Han Jun dialed Xu Yang''s phone number.


    Soon, the call connected.


    "President Xu, this is Han Jun."


    Since thest call had been somewhat unpleasant, Han Jun wasn''t sure if Xu Yang had saved his number, and felt it was better to introduce himself to avoid the awkwardness of being asked who he was.


    "President Han, what can I do for you?" Xu Yang had just returned to thepany.


    "President Xu, I''d like to invite you to dinner tonight. I have some matters to discuss in person. Are you avable?" Han Jun asked.


    "President Han, there''s no need for dinner. I have to dine with my wife tonight. Whatever you have to say, just say it. ''Seeking advice'' is too formal; if I know, I will tell you," Xu Yang politely declined.


    He had no interest in having dinner with Han Jun.


    Han Jun''s threat during theirst interaction had left him feeling quite unhappy.


    Their rtionship was already strained, and they werepetitors. Xu Yang saw no reason to have dinner with Han Jun.


    Why bother, when he could spend that free time having dinner with his beautiful wife?


    "President Xu, some things need to be said in person to be clear. You can bring your wife along. Consider it a casual meal between friends. I''ll also be bringing Han Mengting, the woman I introduced myself as earlier," Han Jun said.


    Han Mengting couldn''t help but re at her second uncle.


    Was it necessary for him to emphasize who she was, even when she had already introduced herself, and moreover, as a great beauty? Didn''t Xu Yang remember her?


    As for her re, Han Jun simply chose to ignore it.


    "I see," Xu Yang thought for a moment, "Alright then, let''s have dinner together. Send me the time and ce."


    "Sure, I''ll send it to you in a bit," Han Jun said.


    After ending the call.


    Putting down his phone, Han Jun said, "It''s settled. He''ll bring his wife along. This will let you see for yourself what their rtionship is like and help you move on."


    Han Mengting chuckled, "That might not necessarily help me move on. It might just make me fall even harder."


    Han Jun spoke sternly, "Mengting, I must warn you: whatever you do, do not cross the line and interfere with someone''s marriage."


    Han Mengting waved her hand dismissively, "Alright, alright, I know. I''m not brainless. How could I do something like that? What I mean is, if their rtionship isn''t good, then there might be a chance they''ll divorce. I''d only pursue Xu Yang if he were divorced."


    Han Jun was left speechless once more, "It seems there''s no reasoning with you."


    Han Mengting replied, "If you can''t persuade me, then stop trying. You''d better just pray that Xu Yang and his wife are deeply in love. Oh, and that Xu Yang''s wife is beautiful because if she isn''t, they really might end up divorced."


    Stay connected with m-v l|e''-NovelBin


    Han Jun shook his head and sighed, "Enough talk. We''ll see what happens tonight."


    "Oh, right," Han Mengting suddenly remembered something, "seeing Xu Yang''s wife tonight, I have to bring someone else to join us, or else I''ll be a bit nervous."


    Han Jun asked, "Who are you thinking of inviting?"


    Han Mengting answered, "Zhao Yulu."


    Han Jun said, "Is that the girl you hugged yesterday?"


    "That''s her," Han Mengting nodded, then sighed, "I was nning to have her as my assistant when I took over as president of Shengda Literature. I''ve already spoken to her about it, and she must have been looking forward to it. But now, with Yang Xin Investment and Wan Da Investment having acquired Shengda Literature, she''s sure to be disappointed."


    Han Jun frowned, "How could you make such a promise before seeding in the takeover?"

 Chapter 250: Chapter 250 High-End Dinner Party

    Han Mengting said, "Didn''t you say before that our acquisition of Shengda Literature was a sure thing? I told her that, but who knew Xu Yang would emerge out of nowhere."


    Han Jun said, "For such matters, you should be able to assess on your own, ''a sure thing'' is just an expression, but whether the acquisition will actually seed is another matter. You''re a PhD in Economics, you can''t be unaware of ck swan events."


    After his words, Han Mengting was left somewhat speechless and could only say, "This issue is indeed something I did not consider carefully enough. I''ll exin the situation to her and apologize."


    Han Jun nodded and said, "Okay, as long as you handle it."


    Han Mengting sighed, "I hope she doesn''t think I''m ying her."


    "She probably won''t," Han Jun said, "she hasn''t lost anything, the worst is just unmet expectations, and having you as a friend, she''s too happy to be bothered."


    He had heard from Han Mengting about the conflict between Zhao Yulu and Tao Yingjun.


    Faced with Tao Yingjun''s bullying, she was powerless to resist.


    This meant that Zhao Yulu was just a very ordinary girl.


    Such a girl, unless she''s foolish, would not fall out with Han Mengting.


    Otherwise, it would be all drawbacks with no benefits.


    If because of such a matter she fell out with Han Mengting, then she wasn''t worth being Han Mengting''s friend.


    Han Mengting sighed and said, "I hope so."


    She shook her head, "Never mind, I don''t want to think about it anymore. Have you chosen the time and ce? Once you have, I''ll make the call."


    "Make the phone call first, say you''ll send her the address in a bit. I''ll choose somewhere suitable," Han Jun said.


    They weren''t locals, so they needed to look it up.


    "Okay," Han Mengting nodded and dialed Zhao Yulu''s number.


    ...


    Zhao Yulu was busy with work when her mobile phone on the office desk rang.


    Looking at the caller ID, she saw it was Han Mengting calling.


    "Mengting," Zhao Yulu answered the phone.


    "Yu Lu, do you have any ns tonight?" Han Mengting didn''t go straight to the point but first asked Zhao Yulu if she was free.


    "No, what''s up?" Zhao Yulu said.


    "Well, Han and I have a dinner to attend tonight, and I''d like to bring you along, would you like that?" Han Mengting asked.


    "Of course," Zhao Yulu readily agreed.


    A dinner that Han Mengting and Han Jun would attend was definitely a high-end gathering of influential people.


    Han Mengting bringing her along was clearly an introduction into the circle of bigwigs.


    This was an incredibly rare opportunity for her.


    Let alone having no ns, even if she did have ns, she would have to cancel them to attend such a dinner.


    "Great, I''ll send you the time and addresster; you can take a taxi there," Han Mengting said, satisfied.


    "Absolutely, Mengting, I''ll be there on time," Zhao Yulu said.


    After hanging up, Zhao Yulu''s face was still filled with excitement.


    "Yu Lu, was that a call from Han Mengting?" Li Minmin came over and quietly asked.


    "Yep," Zhao Yulu nodded with a smile.


    "Looking at you, it must be good news; tell me about it. What''s the good news?" Li Minmin asked curiously.


    "She''s taking me to a dinner party, and Han will be there too," said Zhao Yulu.


    "My goodness, the dinners Han and she go to are definitely high-end; Yu Lu, you''re shooting straight for the stars, directly entering the circle of the big shots," eximed Min Min with envy.


    She would never have the opportunity to attend such an upscale dinner in her lifetime.


    "Keep it down a bit; don''t let everyone know," Zhao Yulu hurriedly said.


    "What''s the big deal if others find out, let them be jealous," Li Minmin said.


    "It''s still better not to make it widely known. Until everything is settled, I don''t want people to know. By the way, you haven''t talked about my future work arrangements with anyone, have you?"


    Live and learn.


    After what happened at the bank, Zhao Yulu really didn''t want anyone to find out about those things.


    "Don''t worry, I am the keeper of secrets." Li Minmin had truly not told anyone.


    If she had told anyone, the whole office would probably be buzzing by now.


    "Mm-hmm, Min Min, I believe you," Zhao Yulu said.


    "Yu Lu, if you go to the dinner, can you bring me along?" Li Minmin also wanted to attend such high-end dinners.


    Just attending once would definitely be an eye-opener.


    "Uh... The thing is, Sister Ting said she would take me, I don''t know if I can bring you..."


    Zhao Yulu grimaced, this was not something she could decide.


    "Yu Lu, why don''t you ask her if you can bring me along? Don''t worry, I absolutely won''t steal your thunder, and with you being so beautiful, even if I wanted to, I couldn''t." Li Minmin said.


    "Min Min, it''s not about stealing the thunder. It''s my first time attending such a dinner, and I''m a bit nervous. If you coulde along, I wouldn''t be so nervous. I''m just afraid that if I ask Sister Ting, she might get upset," Zhao Yulu said.


    This kind of dinner was not like attending Wang Xiaocong''s birthday gatherings.


    Those were casual and mostly young people.


    You could do whatever you wanted without many rules and formalities.


    These high-end dinners are somewhat formal asions.


    She had never attended one, and she really was a bit nervous.


    If Li Minmin went with her, it would take some of the pressure off.


    "It shouldn''t be an issue, bringing one is bringing, bringing two is also bringing. And, we''ll probably have to drink at that kind of dinner, right? I have a great alcohol tolerance. I can drink two jin of baijiu with no problem. If there''s a need to drink, let me do it!" Li Minmin dered confidently.


    To gain experience by attending a high-end dinner, she was willing to go all out, revealing her secret of being able to drink heavily. Experience exclusive tales on m v|l e''-NovelBin


    "You can drink two jin of baijiu with no problem?" Zhao Yulu''s eyes widened in surprise.


    She hadn''t expected Li Minmin to be such a heavy drinker.


    "Yes, this level of alcohol tolerance is just average back where Ie from, but here, it''s definitely top-notch. You probably don''t drink as well as I do, right?"


    Li Minmin hailed from the north, a ce known for its culture of drinking fromrge bowls and eating hearty chunks of meat.


    Having started drinking from a young age, she had a remarkable capacity for alcohol, even as a girl.


    "Not at all, I get drunk after just two liang of baijiu," Zhao Yulu said with a wry smile.


    "See, you should ask Sister Ting if you can bring me along," Li Minmin urged, batting her eyshes.


    "Alright, I''ll send a WeChat message to ask." Zhao Yulu finally nodded.


    Having Li Minmin''spany could share the mental stress, and her ability to drink was an added bonus, making it worth asking.


    "Mm-hmm, hurry and ask," Li Minmin urged repeatedly.


    Zhao Yulu sent the message: Sister Ting, for the dinner, I''d like to bring a female colleague from the same department. Is that okay?


    Soon, Han Mengting replied: Since she''s someone you''re willing to bring, I trust she''s sensible. Sure, bring her along.


    As for Zhao Yulu bringing someone, she was unconcerned.


    Zhao Yulu: Okay, thank you, Sister Ting.


    "It''s settled then, Sister Ting said it''s fine, we''ll go together in the evening," Zhao Yulu showed Li Minmin the message.


    "That''s great, I''ll get to broaden my horizons," Li Minmin jumped with excitement, drawing sideways nces from the office colleagues.


    "Li Minmin, what''s got you so happy?"


    "Broaden your horizons? Where are you going to do that?"


    "Li Minmin, if you have good news, share with us," the colleagues asked one after another.


    "It''s nothing, I''ve never been to an amusement park, nning to go broaden my horizons there," Li Minmin casually made up an excuse, naturally not mentioning the high-end dinner.

 Chapter 250 - 250 High-End Dinner Party

    Han Mengting said, "Didn''t you say before that our acquisition of Shengda Literature was a sure thing? I told her that, but who knew Xu Yang would emerge out of nowhere."


    Han Jun said, "For such matters, you should be able to assess on your own, ''a sure thing'' is just an expression, but whether the acquisition will actually seed is another matter. You''re a PhD in Economics, you can''t be unaware of ck swan events."


    After his words, Han Mengting was left somewhat speechless and could only say, "This issue is indeed something I did not consider carefully enough. I''ll exin the situation to her and apologize."


    Han Jun nodded and said, "Okay, as long as you handle it."


    Han Mengting sighed, "I hope she doesn''t think I''m ying her."


    "She probably won''t," Han Jun said, "she hasn''t lost anything, the worst is just unmet expectations, and having you as a friend, she''s too happy to be bothered."


    He had heard from Han Mengting about the conflict between Zhao Yulu and Tao Yingjun.


    Faced with Tao Yingjun''s bullying, she was powerless to resist.


    This meant that Zhao Yulu was just a very ordinary girl.


    Such a girl, unless she''s foolish, would not fall out with Han Mengting.


    Otherwise, it would be all drawbacks with no benefits.


    If because of such a matter she fell out with Han Mengting, then she wasn''t worth being Han Mengting''s friend.


    Han Mengting sighed and said, "I hope so."


    She shook her head, "Never mind, I don''t want to think about it anymore. Have you chosen the time and ce? Once you have, I''ll make the call."


    "Make the phone call first, say you''ll send her the address in a bit. I''ll choose somewhere suitable," Han Jun said.


    They weren''t locals, so they needed to look it up.


    "Okay," Han Mengting nodded and dialed Zhao Yulu''s number.


    ...


    Zhao Yulu was busy with work when her mobile phone on the office desk rang.


    Looking at the caller ID, she saw it was Han Mengting calling.


    "Mengting," Zhao Yulu answered the phone.


    "Yu Lu, do you have any ns tonight?" Han Mengting didn''t go straight to the point but first asked Zhao Yulu if she was free.


    "No, what''s up?" Zhao Yulu said.


    "Well, Han and I have a dinner to attend tonight, and I''d like to bring you along, would you like that?" Han Mengting asked.


    "Of course," Zhao Yulu readily agreed.


    A dinner that Han Mengting and Han Jun would attend was definitely a high-end gathering of influential people.


    Han Mengting bringing her along was clearly an introduction into the circle of bigwigs.


    This was an incredibly rare opportunity for her.


    Let alone having no ns, even if she did have ns, she would have to cancel them to attend such a dinner.


    "Great, I''ll send you the time and addresster; you can take a taxi there," Han Mengting said, satisfied.


    "Absolutely, Mengting, I''ll be there on time," Zhao Yulu said.


    After hanging up, Zhao Yulu''s face was still filled with excitement.


    "Yu Lu, was that a call from Han Mengting?" Li Minmin came over and quietly asked.


    "Yep," Zhao Yulu nodded with a smile.


    "Looking at you, it must be good news; tell me about it. What''s the good news?" Li Minmin asked curiously.


    "She''s taking me to a dinner party, and Han will be there too," said Zhao Yulu.


    "My goodness, the dinners Han and she go to are definitely high-end; Yu Lu, you''re shooting straight for the stars, directly entering the circle of the big shots," eximed Min Min with envy.


    She would never have the opportunity to attend such an upscale dinner in her lifetime.


    "Keep it down a bit; don''t let everyone know," Zhao Yulu hurriedly said.


    "What''s the big deal if others find out, let them be jealous," Li Minmin said.


    "It''s still better not to make it widely known. Until everything is settled, I don''t want people to know. By the way, you haven''t talked about my future work arrangements with anyone, have you?"


    Live and learn.


    After what happened at the bank, Zhao Yulu really didn''t want anyone to find out about those things.


    "Don''t worry, I am the keeper of secrets." Li Minmin had truly not told anyone.


    If she had told anyone, the whole office would probably be buzzing by now.


    "Mm-hmm, Min Min, I believe you," Zhao Yulu said.


    "Yu Lu, if you go to the dinner, can you bring me along?" Li Minmin also wanted to attend such high-end dinners.


    Just attending once would definitely be an eye-opener.


    "Uh... The thing is, Sister Ting said she would take me, I don''t know if I can bring you..."


    Zhao Yulu grimaced, this was not something she could decide.


    "Yu Lu, why don''t you ask her if you can bring me along? Don''t worry, I absolutely won''t steal your thunder, and with you being so beautiful, even if I wanted to, I couldn''t." Li Minmin said.


    "Min Min, it''s not about stealing the thunder. It''s my first time attending such a dinner, and I''m a bit nervous. If you coulde along, I wouldn''t be so nervous. I''m just afraid that if I ask Sister Ting, she might get upset," Zhao Yulu said.


    This kind of dinner was not like attending Wang Xiaocong''s birthday gatherings.


    Those were casual and mostly young people.


    You could do whatever you wanted without many rules and formalities.


    These high-end dinners are somewhat formal asions.


    She had never attended one, and she really was a bit nervous.


    If Li Minmin went with her, it would take some of the pressure off.


    "It shouldn''t be an issue, bringing one is bringing, bringing two is also bringing. And, we''ll probably have to drink at that kind of dinner, right? I have a great alcohol tolerance. I can drink two jin of baijiu with no problem. If there''s a need to drink, let me do it!" Li Minmin dered confidently.


    To gain experience by attending a high-end dinner, she was willing to go all out, revealing her secret of being able to drink heavily. Experience exclusive tales on m v|l e''-Freewebnovel


    "You can drink two jin of baijiu with no problem?" Zhao Yulu''s eyes widened in surprise.


    She hadn''t expected Li Minmin to be such a heavy drinker.


    "Yes, this level of alcohol tolerance is just average back where Ie from, but here, it''s definitely top-notch. You probably don''t drink as well as I do, right?"


    Li Minmin hailed from the north, a ce known for its culture of drinking fromrge bowls and eating hearty chunks of meat.


    Having started drinking from a young age, she had a remarkable capacity for alcohol, even as a girl.


    "Not at all, I get drunk after just two liang of baijiu," Zhao Yulu said with a wry smile.


    "See, you should ask Sister Ting if you can bring me along," Li Minmin urged, batting her eyshes.


    "Alright, I''ll send a WeChat message to ask." Zhao Yulu finally nodded.


    Having Li Minmin''spany could share the mental stress, and her ability to drink was an added bonus, making it worth asking.


    "Mm-hmm, hurry and ask," Li Minmin urged repeatedly.


    Zhao Yulu sent the message: Sister Ting, for the dinner, I''d like to bring a female colleague from the same department. Is that okay?


    Soon, Han Mengting replied: Since she''s someone you''re willing to bring, I trust she''s sensible. Sure, bring her along.


    As for Zhao Yulu bringing someone, she was unconcerned.


    Zhao Yulu: Okay, thank you, Sister Ting.


    "It''s settled then, Sister Ting said it''s fine, we''ll go together in the evening," Zhao Yulu showed Li Minmin the message.


    "That''s great, I''ll get to broaden my horizons," Li Minmin jumped with excitement, drawing sideways nces from the office colleagues.


    "Li Minmin, what''s got you so happy?"


    "Broaden your horizons? Where are you going to do that?"


    "Li Minmin, if you have good news, share with us," the colleagues asked one after another.


    "It''s nothing, I''ve never been to an amusement park, nning to go broaden my horizons there," Li Minmin casually made up an excuse, naturally not mentioning the high-end dinner.

 Chapter 251: Chapter 251 Opportunity Lost

    "Don''t get so worked up," Zhao Yulu quickly pulled Li Minmin to sit down.


    "Sorry, I got a bit too excited just now," Li Minmin stuck out her tongue.


    "Sister Ting sent a message, take a look," Zhao Yulu urged Li Minmin to check the message.


    "6:30, Yang''s Restaurant, that''s the fanciest restaurant in River City. I heard that a meal there costs at least tens of thousands. It truly lives up to its high-end status," Li Minmin eximed in astonishment.


    She spoke softly, just like before, audible only to the two of them.


    "Yeah, I''ve never spent money there myself."


    Zhao Yulu suddenly remembered how her mother once took her and her sister to Yang''s Restaurant. A meal cost them three hundred thousand, and in the end, they didn''t have enough money to pay, so they had to pawn a watch.


    Later, they had to sell their car to retrieve the watch.


    And stillter, the watch got stolen.


    "6:30, just perfect after we get off work. We can take a taxi there," said Li Minmin.


    "Mm-hmm," Zhao Yulu nodded.


    ...


    In the blink of an eye, it was almost time to get off work.


    Xu Yang drove his Rolls-Royce Cullinan to pick up Zhao Yuxin from the bank where she worked and headed to Yang''s Restaurant.


    On the way, Zhao Yuxin asked, "Hubby, what exactly is this dinner about?"


    Zhao Yuxin had messaged her that he was taking her to a dinner party but hadn''t given any details.


    Xu Yang said, "Han Jun, the vice president of Penguin Group, has invited us for dinner."


    Zhao Yuxin expressed her confusion, "For this kind of dinner party, it would be fine for you to attend, why bring me along?"


    She felt no surprise at the invitation from the vice president of the Penguin Group for her husband to dine.


    Now, Xu Yang''s status was different; even the richest man, Wang, had personally visited Xu Yang.


    Being invited by the vice president of Penguin Group was all too normal.


    Xu Yang smiled and said, "Wife, I''m going to tell you something, but you can''t get mad, okay?"


    Zhao Yuxin was puzzled, "Why would I get mad? Just tell me, I won''t be angry."


    Xu Yang exined, "Didn''t I go with Young Master Wang to acquire Victory Literature today? When we were leaving, we encountered Han Jun with his team in negotiations. We intercepted them; they probably want to buy shares from us, so he invited me to dine. In his team, there is a woman who seems to have other intentions towards me.


    He''s nning to bring that woman along, so of course, I need to bring you too."


    Xu Yang wasn''t a fool; Han Mengting was so proactive and looked at him differently. It was obvious she was interested in him.


    Zhao Yuxin immediately became vignt, "Hubby, are you saying that woman fancies you? Or is she trying to seduce you to buy shares?"


    Xu Yang nodded, "That''s pretty much it. I''m not entirely sure, so I initially declined, saying I had to dine with my beautiful wife. But then Han Jun said it was fine, it wouldn''t be a problem to bring you along."


    "Hmph, if that''s the case, then I need to be on full alert. To think she has designs on my husband, she doesn''t stand a chance!"


    Zhao Yuxin assumed abative stance.


    Sovereignty issues were not to be provoked!


    "Honey, don''t worry, no matter what you do, I support you," Xu Yang rified his position.


    Actually, his actions had already shown where he stood.


    Otherwise, he wouldn''t have brought Zhao Yuxin along.


    Naturally, Zhao Yuxin understood this.


    "Mm-hmm, I know."


    ...


    Zhao Yulu and Li Minmin took a taxi to Yang''s Restaurant and arrived at the private room mentioned by Han Mengting, and walked in.


    Han Jun and Han Mengting were already there.


    "Sister Ting, General Han," Zhao Yulu immediately greeted both.


    "Come over and have a seat," as soon as Han Mengting saw them arrive, she immediately invited them to sit down.


    "Mr. Han, this is Zhao Yulu, and this is..." Han Mengting was introducing the two people to Han Jun but didn''t know Li Minmin''s name.


    "Mr. Han, Sister Ting, my name is Li Minmin," Li Minmin introduced herself proactively.


    "There''s no need to be nervous, it''s just a meal with some people," Han Jun was very assertive at work, but in private, he''s quite amiable and didn''t keep a stern face.


    "Okay," Zhao Yulu and Li Minmin, both newbies, naturally nodded again and again.


    Seeing Han Jun''s demeanor, the two felt their anxious hearts rx quite a bit.


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    "Right, Yulu, before the guests arrive, I need to tell you something," Zhao Yuxin said.


    "Sister Ting, what is it?" Zhao Yulu asked.


    "It''s that our Penguin Group didn''t seed in acquiring Shengda Literature," Han Mengting said.


    "What, how could the acquisition have failed, did something happen?" Zhao Yulu was shocked and dismayed.


    Without the sessful acquisition, Han Mengting wouldn''t be able to take up the position of CEO at Shengda Literature, she wouldn''t be able to be the CEO''s assistant, and the prospect of bing a CEO herself in the future was even more impossible.


    Wasn''t Penguin Group''s acquisition of Shengda Literature a sure thing? How could it have failed?


    What happened, what exactly went wrong?


    Zhao Yulu''s heart nearly copsed.


    This might have been the most important opportunity of her life.


    Just like that, it was gone?


    Li Minmin''s expression also changed slightly.


    If Penguin Group couldn''t acquire Shengda Literature, Han Mengting wouldn''t be the CEO, Zhao Yulu couldn''t be the CEO''s assistant, and then Zhao Yulu wouldn''t be able to help her.


    Her attitude was better, after all, her loss wasn''t as great as Zhao Yulu''s.


    And she even felt a bit of sympathy for Zhao Yulu.


    Such a good opportunity had disappeared just like that.


    "Ah, there''s nothing we can do. Another investmentpany undercut us, catching us off guard," Han Mengting sighed.


    "Which investmentpany undercut us?" Zhao Yulu asked.


    That investmentpany hadpletely obstructed her career path, which was utterly despicable and hateful.


    "Yang Xin Investment and Wan Da Investment," Han Mengting replied.


    "What, Yang Xin Investment!" Zhao Yulu eximed.


    "Yulu, why such a big reaction?" Han Mengting was a bit puzzled.


    Li Minmin was also somewhat bewildered.


    Hearing the name Yang Xin Investment didn''t warrant such a strong reaction, did it?


    She had also heard of Yang Xin Investment, it seemed that the projects they invested in were very good and had high returns.


    The owner of Yang Xin Investment was also the owner of Jiang De Lao.


    "It''s nothing," Zhao Yulu shook her head.


    She couldn''t possibly say that the owner of Yang Xin Investment was her ex-boyfriend, now her brother-inw.


    "Oh," Han Mengting looked at Zhao Yulu intently but didn''t ask further. She continued, "I''m telling you this so that you can be mentally prepared. However, we still have a chance. This dinner is an opportunity."


    "Sister Ting, I don''t quite understand," Zhao Yulu was somewhat bewildered.


    What kind of opportunity was this dinner?


    "We''ve invited the owner of Yang Xin Investment, Xu Yang, to this dinner. We n to talk to him to see if we can buy the shares from him," Han Mengting exined.


    "We''ve invited Xu Yang?" Zhao Yulu was taken aback.


    "Yes, he''ll bring his wife along. I asked you two toe because I felt I might be a bit nervous facing Xu Yang''s wife. Having you there will make me feel better," Han Mengting said vaguely, not revealing her true thoughts.

 Chapter 252 Major Blow

    Anxious?


    A strong female figure like you, nervous about facing Xu Yang''s wife? Hardly seems likely.


    Li Minmin expressed her skepticism.


    Of course, she wasn''t about to voice that doubt.


    At that moment, Zhao Yulu could no longer hear what Han Mengting was saying.


    She was thinking about an excuse to leave.


    Thest thing she wanted was to face Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin.


    Then everyone would know that she was connected to Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin.


    After all, she and Zhao Yuxin were twin sisters, and they looked far too alike.


    After thinking it over, she decided to go to the restroom first, contact a friend, and have the friend callter on iming there was an emergency, so she could leave.


    Thus, she was about to excuse herself to go to the restroom.


    However, before she could get the words out, the private room door opened.


    A young couple walked in.


    It was Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin.


    Done for!


    Zhao Yulu''s mind exploded with panic, and she wished she could bury her head under the table so that Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin wouldn''t see her.


    "President Xu, you''ve arrived!" Han Jun stood up.


    Han Mengting followed suit and got up.


    Zhao Yulu and Li Minmin, seeing this, could only stand as well.


    Seeing Zhao Yuxin beside Xu Yang, Han Jun, Han Mengting, and Li Minmin were all dumbfounded.


    Isn''t this Zhao Yulu?


    No, this must be Zhao Yulu''s twin sister.


    The three of them looked from Zhao Yuxin to Zhao Yulu, and for a moment, nobody said a word.


    "Sis, you''re here too," Zhao Yuxin said, breaking the awkward silence.


    Encountering Zhao Yulu here was just as surprising for Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin.


    Truly twin sisters.


    Indeed, how else could they look so alike, as if carved from the same mold?


    That''s what Han Jun and the others were thinking.


    Han Jun snapped back to reality and said with a smile, "This must be Mrs. Xu. Who would have thought you and Miss Han here are sisters. Since we''re all family, there''s no need to be formal. Please, take a seat."


    "President Han, Miss Han, I''m sorry, but something urgent hase up, and I must leave," Zhao Yulu said, unable to stay any longer, she grabbed her purse and quickly walked out.


    "Yu Lu," Li Minmin saw Zhao Yulu leaving and also excused herself, picking up her purse to follow.


    She didn''t understand what was going on, but since Zhao Yulu had left, and she hade with Zhao Yulu, naturally she couldn''t stay either.


    Han Jun and Han Mengting exchanged nces, sensing that there was an issue with Zhao Yulu''s departure, but they said nothing to stop her.


    "President Xu, Mrs. Xu, please take a seat," Han Jun quickly adjusted his mood and gestured again.


    The departure of Zhao Yulu and Li Minmin didn''t affect the dinner.


    In fact, Zhao Yulu and Li Minmin were non-essential to the gathering.


    It was Han Mengting who mentioned she might be nervous meeting Xu Yang''s wife, which led to inviting Zhao Yulu, and Zhao Yulu brought Li Minmin along.


    Without the two of them, nothing was affected.


    The main purpose of the dinner was to discuss taking over shares from Xu Yang.


    The issue with Han Mengting was secondary.


    "Thank you," Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin took their seats.


    Han Mengting kept sizing up Zhao Yuxin.


    It had to be said, Zhao Yuxin was incredibly beautiful, one of the most gorgeous women she had ever seen.


    And her figure was outstanding.


    In terms of looks and body, shepletely outshone her.


    And one could tell at a nce that Zhao Yuxin was not just a trophy wife.


    Perhaps her only advantage was her higher education.


    In this respect, she felt that very few could surpass her, and Zhao Yuxin should not be amongst them.


    But what use was that?


    What was even more fatal was that, from the moment Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin walked in until they sat down, Xu Yang had been holding Zhao Yuxin''s hand the entire time.


    Even when taking a seat, he pulled the chair out for Zhao Yuxin and settled her bag for her, the epitome of considerate.


    From these small gestures, it was clear that Xu Yang was deeply in love with Zhao Yuxin.


    Moreover, the way Zhao Yuxin looked at Xu Yang was also shining with light.


    This was a couple deeply in love with each other.


    In just a short moment, Han Mengting''s heart had suffered a severe blow.


    It could be said that expecting Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin to divorce had be impossible.


    It seemed that Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin would grow old together.


    Waiting for Xu Yang to get a divorce was unrealistic.


    It looked like she had to return to reality and find another man who could make her heart flutter.


    "Ahem." Han Jun, noticing Han Mengting staring at Zhao Yuxin, couldn''t help but cough to remind her.


    Han Mengting came to her senses, adjusted her thoughts, and introduced herself, "Mrs. Xu, hello, I am Han Mengting from Penguin Group, it''s a pleasure to meet you."


    Seeing Han Mengting return to her normal state, Han Jun breathed a sigh of relief.


    Zhao Yuxin responded with a smile, "Hello, my name is Zhao Yuxin, and I''m also very pleased to meet you."


    So this was the woman who wanted to make a move on her husband.


    Humph!


    "President Xu, Mrs. Xu, I''m not very familiar with Jiangcheng, but I''ve heard that this restaurant is the best in Jiangcheng. Secretary Han and I ordered some dishes just now, but I''m not sure if they suit your tastes. Please take a look and see if you''d like to add anything else."


    Han Jun gestured for Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin to look at the menu, which listed the dishes they had ordered.


    Xu Yang smiled and said, "President Han, these dishes are also our favorites. There''s no need to order more."


    Han Jun nodded with a smile, "That''s good then."


    ...


    Zhao Yulu walked swiftly out of the restaurant.


    Li Minmin hurried after her, catching up.


    "Yu Lu, what''s the matter, why did you leave?" Li Minmin asked.


    "I don''t belong there," replied Zhao Yulu without further exnation.


    She didn''t want people to know about herplex rtionship with Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin.


    If others found out, they would know she had left Xu Yang and would definitely mock her.


    "Yu Lu, I had no idea Xu Yang was your brother-inw; my goodness, I''m so shocked," Li Minmin said, her excitement growing.


    Xu Yang was a billionaire worth hundreds of billions.


    To be honest,pared to Han Mengting''s background, Xu Yang''s was much more formidable.


    "By the way, Yu Lu, since Xu Yang is your brother-inw, why do you still work at Shengda Literature? Xu Yang has so manypanies, and Jiang Bottom Fishing is incredibly popr. He could easily arrange for you to work on the management team there; it would be effortless," Li Minmin said, puzzled.


    She didn''t understand why Zhao Yulu would choose toe out and work.


    Was it because she didn''t want to rely on connections and preferred to strive on her own?


    "Min Min, I can''t exin to you for the time being, but could you please not tell anyone about this for now?" Zhao Yulu felt somewhat overwhelmed and needed to think things through.


    First and foremost, she had to ensure Li Minmin didn''t spread the news and let others in thepany know.


    After all, not many people knew about it, and people with the status of Han Jun and Han Mengting would likely not gossip. Hence, as long as she cautioned Li Minmin not to talk about it, that should suffice.


    She would have time to consider how to handle the situation.


    Whether to resign directly from Shengda Literature or not.


    "Alright," Li Minmin agreed, sensing something was off. Since Zhao Yulu wouldn''t say more, it was useless to keep asking.


    "Min Min, I''d like to leave first. You go ahead and find somewhere to eat, sorry for dragging you out today only to leave first," Zhao Yulu apologized.


    "It''s okay, I''ll just grab something casual to eat. Yu Lu, I don''t know what''s going on with you, your sister, and brother-inw, but I want to say, we''re all family, and it''s better to talk things out," Li Minmin advised, believing there to be a conflict between Zhao Yulu and Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin.


    "Mm, I understand. I have to go now, goodbye," Zhao Yulu took a taxi and left.


    "Well, I can''t dine at Yang''s Restaurant; I''ll have to settle for fast food," Li Minmin said resignedly, shaking her head. She nced back at Yang''s Restaurant onest time before walking away to find a nearby diner to eat.

 Chapter 253 Competition Breeds Progress

    Yang''s Restaurant.


    The wine had made three rounds, and the dishes had passed through five vors.


    Han Jun began, "President Xu, I would like to buy the Shengda Literature shares you acquired today from you. I wonder if you are willing to sell?"


    This was Han Jun''s purpose in inviting Xu Yang to dinner.


    It was about time to eat and get down to business.


    Xu Yang shook his head, "I''m sorry, President Han, I am bullish on the development of Shengda Literature and will not sell."


    To this answer, Han Jun was not surprised and smiled, "President Xu, you are bullish on the development of Shengda Literature solely because you want to make money. I believe as long as the price is right, you would still be willing to sell, right?"


    Penguin Group, with its deep pockets, didn''t see money issues as a problem.


    He was very confident that he could acquire the Shengda Literature shares from Xu Yang.


    Xu Yang''s lips revealed a slight smile, "President Han, you''re not wrong, I am indeed looking to make money. If the price is right, naturally, I will sell. But I''m afraid you won''t be able to meet my price."


    Han Junughed, "President Xu, you haven''t even named a price. How do you know I can''t meet it?"


    Xu Yang appeared somewhat troubled, "President Han, let''s not talk about it, I''m afraid you really can''t meet it."


    He was telling the truth as he felt Han Jun wouldn''t agree to his asking price.


    "President Xu, that''s underestimating me, and not just me, but also our Penguin Group."


    "What''s the status of our Penguin Group? A domestic inte titan, and we also hold a certain status internationally."


    "Just name your price, and I will definitely meet it."


    Han Jun''s tone carried a hint of arrogance.


    He had reasons to be proud.


    For Penguin Group, a giant in the inte industry, buying the shares from Xu Yang''s hands was no difficult task.


    "Since President Han has put it that way, I can only name my price. 36 billion." Xu Yang said tly.


    "How much?" Han Jun was somewhat stunned, almost doubting his own ears.


    "36 billion." Xu Yang repeated with a light smile.


    "President Xu, aren''t you being a little insincere? That''s ten times the acquisition price." Han Jun''s face started to darken.


    "That''s precisely ten times the price. I believe that''s what Shengda Literature''s future is worth, and naturally, I should sell at this price. How can you say I''m not sincere?" Xu Yang spread his hands.


    "President Xu, this isn''t fun anymore. I came here with genuine intent to buy your shares, but this price is just ying me." Han Jun said gravely.


    "President Han, look at yourself. First, you say I''m not sincere, and now you say I''m ying you. But what did you say earlier? You said I should just name my price, and you would definitely satisfy me," Xu Yang said with a sneer.


    "I..." Han Jun''s face turned the color of iron, but he was speechless for a moment.


    Indeed, it was he who had said that, relying on Penguin''s financial clout and speaking with an air of arrogance.


    But the price Xu Yang named was outrageous.


    Ten times the acquisition price.


    Snicker!


    Han Mengting couldn''t help but snicker at the sight of Han Jun being put in a spot.


    After receiving a fierce re from Han Jun, she quickly said, "Sorry, I just remembered a funny joke and couldn''t helpughing. Please continue, haha."


    The excuse was rather poor.


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin gave Han Mengting a curious look, feeling that she might not be on Han Jun''s side.


    "Yu Xin, I want to go to the restroom, do you want toe with me?"


    Han Mengting felt that she was not suitable to stay here anymore and should leave.


    Regarding Xu Yang, she had no more thoughts.


    However, she did want to get on good terms with Zhao Yuxin.


    It wouldn''t be bad to be friends with Zhao Yuxin and her husband.


    "Sure." Zhao Yuxin had no objections and stood up to leave with Han Mengting.


    In the private room, only Xu Yang and Han Jun were left.


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    "President Han, as I see it, sometimes you shouldn''t talk too big, because it can easily put you in an awkward situation."


    "The price I quoted wasn''t intended to y you, I genuinely see great potential in Shengda Literature and think it''s worth that much in the future."


    "If you don''t want to buy it, then let''s forget it, I won''t insist."


    Xu Yang had never nned to sell, unless Han Jun really could pay thirty-six billion.


    "President Xu, does this mean you really don''t want to sell your stock shares?" Han Jun knew Xu Yang did not want to sell his shares, and that the high price was just an excuse.


    "Look at you, President Han, I said I wouldn''t sell, and you didn''t believe me just now. You asked me to give a price, and when I did, you didn''t have the money to buy. What do you expect me to say?" Xu Yang said, helplessly.


    "President Xu, our Penguin definitely ns to enter the online literature industry. If you''re unwilling to sell all your shares, how about selling a part of them? We can share the development dividends together," Han Jun''s tone softened.


    "I''m not sure how many shares you want." Xu Yang asked.


    Letting Penguin buy into thepany wasn''t out of the question.


    With Penguin joining, Shengda Literature''s development would surely receive a significant boost.


    "At least fifty-one percent of the shares. You should know, when our Penguin acquires apany, we at least want controlling interest, which is beneficial for our group''s future strategic adjustments, and the subsidiarypanies shouldply with the group," Han Jun said.


    "I''m sorry, President Han, but I can''t agree to that. I also want controlling interest, at least for Shengda Literature," Xu Yang shook his head.


    If Han Jun had only wanted ten percent or less of the shares, Xu Yang might have agreed.


    He could discuss with Wang Xiaocong and together they could shift a small portion of the shares to Han Jun.


    But Han Jun''s starting bid was fifty-one percent for controlling interest; that was something Xu Yang could not agree to.


    "President Xu, I would advise you to agree. If you do, you can just sit back and wait for the dividend ie without worrying about anything. If you refuse, if you refuse, our Penguin will also acquire other online literaturepanies or establish our own. Then, you will facepetition with our Penguin, which I presume is not what you want to see," Han Jun said.


    "Competition it is, then. I think it''s quite good. Shengda Literature has been dominant for too long, and it''s natural for thepany''s people to becent. Competition is necessary for progress,"


    Xu Yang was unfazed.


    Even if Penguin got involved, he believed in Qiu Wenyu''s ability to lead Shengda Literature forward.


    In pastpetitions, Shengda Literature had always been the victor.


    So what if Penguin enters the fray? Just bring it on.


    "Are you serious, President Xu?" Han Jun narrowed his eyes.


    He hadn''t expected this guy to be so tough.


    "Of course, I never joke about such matters," Xu Yang said with a smile.


    "All right, it seems we are destined to bepetitors. I hope Shengda Literature can hold on," Han Jun said.


    "I believe that under the leadership of Qiu Wenyu, Shengda Literature will be fine. Your entry will only spur Shengda Literature on, pushing it to develop even better," Xu Yang said.


    "President Xu, I must say, you are different from the rest. Others try to avoidpeting with our Penguin, but you seem to wee it. Just for that, I admire you," Han Jun said.


    "You tter me, President Han. I''m just a junior with much to learn from predecessors like you," Xu Yang said with a light smile.

 Chapter 254 Can You Stop Dreaming

    Zhao Yulu returned home.


    She didn''t eat, nor did she have the appetite to eat.


    As soon as she entered the door, Liu Yujuan, who had just finished eating at home, saw Zhao Yulu return and couldn''t help saying, "Eh, didn''t you say you had a dinner party tonight? Why did youe back so early?"


    "I suddenly felt a bit unwell, so I came back early."


    Zhao Yulu didn''t want to deal with Liu Yujuan and went straight to her bedroom.


    "Yu Lu,e here, I have something to tell you," Liu Yujuan said.


    "Mom, I''m feeling a bit unwell right now. Whatever it is, let''s talk about it tomorrow," Zhao Yulu didn''t stop walking.


    "What''s wrong with you, exactly? Do you need to go to the hospital?" Liu Yujuan approached Zhao Yulu, looking her over from head to toe with a furrowed brow, "I think it''s not that you''re unwell, but that you''re in a bad mood, right? Talk to me, what happened, who upset you again?"


    Zhao Yulu said, "Mom, even if I''m in a bad mood, can you just let me be alone for a while?"


    Liu Yujuan said, "Being alone, you can easily end up in a dead end. Talk to me, I''ll help you analyze the situation and think of solutions."


    Zhao Yulu felt helpless and could only sit down on the couch, "Mom, I don''t want to talk about it. Just say what you have to say. If you don''t tell me, I''m going to my room to rest."


    "Fine, if you won''t talk, then that''s it," Liu Yujuan said, "My thing is, I''ve thought it over, and I should go out to work. I can''t be cooped up at home all day!"


    Zhao Yulu looked at her mom with some surprise, "Has the sun risen from the west today or what? You''re actually taking the initiative to talk about working. When I mentioned working to you before, you were indifferent."


    Liu Yujuan red at her daughter, "Wasn''t I just not ready at the time? Also, there was nowhere suitable to go, but now it''s different, I''ve thought of a good ce."


    Zhao Yulu asked, "What ce?"


    Liu Yujuan smiled and said, "It''s your Shengda Literature, of course."


    Zhao Yulu was stunned, "You mean to work at Shengda Literature? What position would you apply for? It seems there''s no suitable position for you, right?"


    Liu Yujuan red at her daughter again, "With you there, why would I need to apply for anything?"


    Zhao Yulu was somewhat puzzled, "What do you mean you don''t need to apply because I''m there? What are you saying?"


    Liu Yujuan said, "Are you pretending to be confused or what? You''re about to be the CEO''s assistant¡ªthat''s the person the CEO trusts the most. Would it be hard for you to arrange a supervisor or manager position for me? Isn''t it just a matter of saying the word?"


    Zhao Yulu suddenly realized that this was her mother''s n.


    Zhao Yulu shook her head, "Mom, I''m afraid I''m going to disappoint you. I can''t arrange that for you."


    Upon hearing this, Liu Yujuan''s expression grew grim, "I''m telling you, Zhao Yulu, arranging a management position is just a matter of saying the word, and you''re unwilling to do even that. Do you even have your mom in your heart? Do you think that just because you''re about to advance in your career, you can disown me as your mom?"


    Zhao Yulu was somewhat speechless, "Mom, please don''t put it in such an unpleasant way. If I say I can''t arrange it for you, naturally I have my reasons."


    Liu Yujuan asked, "Then tell me, what are your reasons? If your reasons aren''t sufficient, I can only assume you don''t want to take care of your mom."


    Zhao Yulu sighed, "I didn''t want to tell you about this, to avoid you nagging on and on. Are you sure you want to hear it?"


    "Of course I want to hear it. Why wouldn''t I?" Liu Yujuan said.


    "Alright, since you want to hear it, I''ll tell you. The reason I can''t arrange a job for you is that I won''t be able to be the CEO''s assistant," Zhao Yulu said.


    "Why not? Didn''t you say that once Han Mengting bes the CEO, she would make you her assistant? Did she go back on her word?" Liu Yujuan asked, puzzled.


    "She didn''t go back on her word; it''s that she can''t be the CEO of Shengda Literature anymore," Zhao Yulu said.


    "Why not?" Liu Yujuan asked.


    "Because another investmentpany has stepped in before Penguin and acquired Shengda Literature," Zhao Yulu said.


    "What! Which investmentpany is this? Why are they so hateful? Isn''t this cutting off your path for career advancement?" Liu Yujuan was extremely shocked and equally furious.


    You should know, this was her daughter''s opportunity.


    Bing the CEO''s assistant, and three yearster when Han Mengting stepped down, her daughter would take over Han Mengting''s position as CEO.


    Just one step up, and her daughter''s life would bepletely different.


    No matter what, she would at least be able to find a high-level management job in the future.


    But now, the opportunity was gone.


    This so-called investmentpany had simply cut off their mother and daughter''s hope.


    "It''s Yang Xin Investment and Wan Da Investment," Zhao Yulu said.


    "Yang Xin Investment? Isn''t that Xu Yang''spany?" Liu Yujuan furrowed her brows.


    She was well aware of exactly how manypanies Xu Yang openly owned.


    It was her bragging right amongst her friends.


    "Yes," Zhao Yulu said.


    "Xu Yang actually blocked your career advancement path; that''s too hateful," Liu Yujuan''s face looked very unpleasant.


    "Alright, you already know the situation. I can''t arrange for you to work at Sheng Da Literature, so you need to find a job on your own. Besides, I''m going to resign from Sheng Da Literature too," Zhao Yulu said.


    "Why resign? This is your chance," Liu Yujuan suddenly changed her mind.


    "What opportunity?" Zhao Yulu asked.


    "With Xu Yang acquiring Sheng Da Literature, you can meet Xu Yang again. Just dere your feelings for him again, and get back to his side. If you return to his side, you''ll be the wife of a billionaire, and I''ll be the mother-inw of a billionaire," she said.


    "Right, maybe Xu Yang acquired Sheng Da Literature because you work there. He might be using this way to let you know that he''s always been paying attention to you," she spected.


    "By doing this, he''s expressing his love for you."


    "Exactly, it must be like this. Oh my god, Yulu, our mother and daughter''s good days areing!"


    Liu Yujuan became more and more excited as she spoke, her whole body trembling.


    Thinking about Zhao Yulu getting back together with Xu Yang, and herself bing Xu Yang''s mother-inw with endless money to spend, of course, she''d be excited.


    "Mom, can you stop daydreaming?" Zhao Yulu rolled her eyes, speechless.


    This mom was really something, to make so many assumptions about such things.


    If she hadn''t met Xu Yang before and known that Xu Yang no longer had feelings for her, maybe she would have really believed these words.


    But ever since that meeting, Zhao Yulu no longer believed these things.


    Xu Yang truly had no love left for her.


    Everything between the two of them hadpletely ended.


    "This isn''t daydreaming. Otherwise, why did he decide to acquire Sheng Da Literature just as you started working there?" Liu Yujuan insisted on her view.


    "Mom, I don''t agree with what you''re saying, and I''m toozy to argue with you about it. I''ve said what I had to say; I''m going back to my room to rest," Zhao Yulu stood up, intending to go back to her room.


    "Wait a moment," Liu Yujuan quickly grasped Zhao Yulu''s arm.


    "Mom, what else is there?" Dealing with such a mom, Zhao Yulu felt really helpless.


    "Are you really resigning?" Liu Yujuan asked.


    "Yes, now that Xu Yang has acquired Sheng Da Literature, it''s inevitable that people at thepany will find out about my rtionship with Xu Yang, and our past will definitely be dug up by others. I''ll be the object of ridicule. How can I stay there? Okay, I''m going back to my room," Zhao Yulu pulled away from her mother''s hand and went back to her room.

 Chapter 255 Dont Provoke Zhao Yulu Anymore

    Century Garden, Vi No. 39.


    After his shower, Xu Yang saw Zhao Yuxin half-reclining on the bed, holding her phone, seeming to be texting with someone.


    "Who are you chatting with? You look so happy," Xu Yang climbed onto the bed and held Zhao Yuxin in his arms.


    "I''m chatting with Han Mengting," Zhao Yuxin said blissfully.


    "You''ve added each other on WeChat? By the look on your face, you seem to get along quite well," Xu Yang remarked with some surprise.


    "Mhm, Sister Ting is quite the power woman, she has a lot to teach me," Zhao Yuxin nodded repeatedly.


    "Just don''t forget, she''s had her eye on your husband here," Xu Yang reminded her.


    "I haven''t forgotten. She came clean with me. She also said that, seeing how loving we are, she no longer harbors those thoughts, and only wants to be friends. I don''t mind, just friends then," Zhao Yuxin said.


    "So that''s it then, do as you please," Xu Yang replied.


    Ding-dong!


    At that moment, another WeChat message came in.


    Han Mengting: Yuxin, the rtionship between you, your sister, and your husband seems quite unusual. Could you tell me what''s going on? Of course, if this is private and you don''t wish to say, then just ignore my question.


    Zhao Yuxin showed the message to Xu Yang and asked, "Husband, do you think we should tell Han Mengting?"


    Xu Yang answered, "It''s up to you, I don''t mind either way. If you feel like telling her, tell her; if not, then don''t."


    Zhao Yuxin thought it over and said, "I also think it doesn''t matter, there''s nothing that can''t be said."


    Zhao Yuxin: My sister is my husband''s ex-girlfriend.


    Han Mengting: Shocking!


    Han Mengting: Yuxin, did you steal your sister''s boyfriend?!


    She remembered now. No wonder she found Xu Yang somewhat familiar; he was Zhao Yulu''s boyfriend.


    Three years ago, she had seen Xu Yang with Zhao Yulu. Xu Yang was wearing a sun hat and sunsses, so she hadn''t seen him clearly.


    Zhao Yuxin: It''s not like you think. They had broken up before I started seeing Xu Yang.


    Han Mengting: So, Xu Yang dumped your sister and confessed to you, and that''s when you got together with him?


    If that was the case, Xu Yang would be a real jerk.


    Zhao Yuxin: My sister broke up with Xu Yang voluntarily. Xu Yang was actually quite heartbroken at the time.


    After sending this message, Zhao Yuxin looked up at Xu Yang.


    Back then, Xu Yang had been devastated, got drunk, and that''s when they had be intimate; afterwards, they started dating.


    Han Mengting: Err... I''m a bit confused now. Xu Yang is such a quality man, why would your sister break up with him? What was she thinking?


    Zhao Yuxin said: When my sister and Xu Yang broke up, it was just after she had graduated. Xu Yang had nothing then and couldn''t give her the life she wanted.


    Now, Han Mengting understood.


    So, Zhao Yulu broke up with Xu Yang over money.


    Just graduated, at the start of his career, Zhao Yulu wasn''t willing to give Xu Yang any time to grow.


    It seemed Zhao Yulucked foresight.


    Seeing how sessful Xu Yang is now, she must be full of regret.


    Perhaps it was that blow that spurred Xu Yang to seed and be a billionaire.


    This was definitely an inspirational story.


    Han Mengting: It seems you really have an eye for good men, picking up a treasure of a guy.


    Zhao Yuxin: Hehe, I think so too. Actually, I''ve always liked Xu Yang, but I thought I had no chance since he was with my sister. I never imagined they would break up. I''m really grateful to my sister; without her breakup with Xu Yang, I wouldn''t have had a chance with him.


    Han Mengting: I''m so envious of you, finding such a treasure of a man.


    Zhao Yuxin: I envy myself too, Sister Ting. Given some time, I believe you''ll find your significant other too.


    Han Mengting: Mhm, I believe so too.


    Zhao Yuxin: By the way, how do you know my sister?


    Han Mengting: It''s a long story, I''ll tell you when we meet next time. I didn''t expect to see Yu Lu this time. She''s an employee of Shengda Literature.


    Originally, if Penguin had acquired Shengda Literature, I would have be the president of Shengda Literature, and she would have been my assistant, but your husband and Wang Xiaocong preemptively acquired Shengda Literature, so I couldn''t make that happen.


    Zhao Yuxin: So that''s how it is.


    Han Mengting: Mhm, but our determination to enter the web writing market will not change. In the future, we will bepetitors with your husband. Don''t be mad at me, okay?


    Zhao Yuxin: I don''t deal with those things, and besides, I trust my husband. He will certainly handle these matters well.


    Han Mengting: You really trust your husband, huh?


    Zhao Yuxin: Of course, he''s my husband. If I don''t trust him, who should I trust?


    Zhao Yuxin: Sister Ting, it''s gettingte. I''m going to sleep, good night.


    Han Mengting said: Alright, good night.


    Zhao Yuxin put down her phone and ryed the contents of their conversation to Xu Yang.


    Xu Yang wasn''t surprised by Penguin''s intention to enter the online literature market since Han Jun had already made his stance clear during the meal.


    However, he was somewhat surprised about Zhao Yulu working at Shengda Literature.


    But it was just a minor surprise; he had no other thoughts about it.


    "Husband, my sister works at Shengda Literature, probably in a basic position. Should we find her a better job?" Zhao Yuxin asked.


    "No need. She knows that I acquired Shengda Literature. She''s likely to resign," Xu Yang shook his head.


    "That''s true. If the situation between her and us spreads at Shengda Literature, I''m afraid she wouldn''t be able to withstand the odd looks from others," Zhao Yuxin thought for a moment and understood Xu Yang''s intention.


    "Alright, let''s not worry about her anymore. Let''s focus on our own business."


    Xu Yang kissed Zhao Yuxin''s red lips.


    Momentster, sounds of passion filled the room.


    ...


    The next day.


    Tao Yingjun arrived at Tao Yongchang''s office.


    "Dad, what''s so important that you couldn''t just tell me over the phone and had to make mee all the way here?"


    Tao Yingjun flopped onto the sofa.


    "This matter is very important, and I can''t exin it clearly over the phone," Tao Yongchang said, sitting across from him on another sofa.


    "Is it that important? What is it?" Tao Yingjun asked.


    "From now on, don''t provoke Zhao Yulu anymore," Tao Yongchang said sternly.


    "That''s it?" Tao Yingjun paused, "Dad, both Yang Xin Investment and Wan Da Investment have already acquired our Shengda Literature, and Penguin is already out of the picture. Han Mengting shouldn''t be able to control us, right?"


    "It''s not about Han Mengting anymore. Zhao Yulu has another background," Tao Yongchang said seriously.


    "What background could be so strong that even you can''t handle it? If she had such a background, why would she work as amon employee at Shengda Literature?" Tao Yingjun was full of doubts.


    "I can''t handle her background," Tao Yongchang shook his head.


    "Tell me, what is it?" Tao Yingjun inquired.


    "The boss of Yang Xin Investment, Xu Yang, is her brother-inw," Tao Yongchang said calmly.


    "What! The boss of Yang Xin Investment, Xu Yang, is Zhao Yulu''s brother-inw!" Tao Yingjun jumped up in shock.


    This news truly startled him.


    If it were Penguin appointing the president, he and his father would have been in trouble.


    Now that Zhao Yulu''s background turned out to be the boss of Yang Xin Investment, Xu Yang, they would still meet a grim fate.


    Isn''t it like they just got rid of a hungry wolf, only to invite in a ferocious tiger?


    "No, that''s not right." Tao Yingjun suddenly realized something, "Dad, you must be bluffing, trying to scare me. If Zhao Yulu''s brother-inw is Xu Yang, could you still be so calm?"


    Tao Yongchang gave a slight smile, "This involves deeper issues, which is why I called you here, to exin it to you. Otherwise, it really wouldn''t be clear."


    Tao Yingjun asked curiously, "Dad, please tell me, what exactly is going on?"

 Chapter 256 Im Counting on You for This Lifetime

    Tao Yongchangughed, "This Zhao Yulu, back in college, was Xu Yang''s girlfriend."


    "What!" Tao Yingjun was shocked again, "Zhao Yulu was Xu Yang''s girlfriend during college? What''s the situation now? Howe Xu Yang is together with Zhao Yulu''s younger sister?"


    Tao Yingjun felt his head was spinning a bit.


    Tao Yongchang chuckled, "The story is quite simple. After college, Zhao Yulu dumped Xu Yang for being poor, and that''s when Xu Yang got together with Zhao Yulu''s younger sister. Xu Yang must have been stimted by Zhao Yulu, striving to improve himself, and powerfully rising to the challenge, eventually bing a billionaire."


    "Damn!" eximed Tao Yingjun, "So there was this story. Zhao Yulu must be dying of regret now, seeing Xu Yang as a billionaire."


    Tao Yongchang shook his head, "Isn''t that obvious? If it were you, wouldn''t you regret it?"


    Tao Yingjun replied without hesitation, "Of course I would."


    Anyone would regret it in this situation.


    It''s like throwing away something you owned because you didn''t value it.


    Then someone else finds it, realizes it''s a treasure, sells it for an astronomical price, and lives happily ever after.


    Meanwhile, you are still struggling at the bottom.


    Anyone would find it unbearable.


    "This Xu Yang, he''s really lucky, getting both the sisters," said Tao Yingjun enviously.


    Tao Yingjun began to envy Xu Yang once again.


    Such an opportunity is not something just anyone could enjoy.


    Let''s not talk about him being a minor rich second-generation kid; even Wang Xiaocong, the son of the richest man, has never been said to enjoy such pleasure.


    "Can you please not think about that sort of thing all day long!" Tao Yongchang said, a bit disappointed.


    "Dad, any man would envy Xu Yang, wouldn''t you?" Tao Yingjun retorted.


    "Er..." Tao Yongchang was momentarily at a loss for words, so he quickly changed the subject, "Alright, now that you know the situation, you should take my advice, right? Don''t mess with Zhao Yulu anymore."


    Tao Yingjun said, "Dad, ording to this, Zhao Yulu''s rtionship with her sister and brother-inw must be pretty bad, right?"


    Tao Yongchang nodded, "Indeed, from what I''ve learned, the rtionship between them indeed isn''t great. Moreover, Zhao Yulu''s family is quiteplicated. From a young age, after her mother divorced her father, she lived with her mother in another family, whereas her younger sister stayed with their father. In short, their rtionship is really not good."


    He had put in a lot of effort to find out these things.


    Tao Yingjunughed, "Then what''s there to be afraid of? If their rtionship is bad, they surely wouldn''t bother with her. Isn''t she at my mercy in thepany?"


    Tao Yongchang red at his son, "How can you be so dull? No matter how strained their rtionship is, they''re still family. If you really anger Zhao Yulu and she swallows her pride to ask her sister for help, do you think her sister would help her out?"


    This son sometimes was really thick, even with things exined so clearly, he couldn''t grasp this simple point.


    "You have a point; I didn''t consider that. Rest assured, I won''t provoke her again," Tao Yingjun finally realized the seriousness of the situation.


    Just like, no matter how unruly he is, or how much his father ims to be hands-off, the father-son bond can''t be cut. To say he won''t intervene, he still will.


    "Good that you understand," Tao Yongchang nodded satisfied.


    ...


    The operations department.


    Upon arriving at work, Zhao Yulu started writing her resignation letter.


    With Xu Yang acquiring Shengda Literature, it was only a matter of time before everyone in thepany learned of her past.


    By then, she feared everyone wouldugh at her.


    She couldn''t possibly stay in such an environment.


    Better to leave.


    This job was not indispensable.


    "Yu Lu, what are you doing, writing a resignation letter?"


    Li Minmin leaned closer and saw Zhao Yulu writing a resignation letter, and she quickly asked.


    "Yes, I''m leaving," Zhao Yulu said as she continued writing.


    "Why? Yulu, your brother-inw Xu Yang and Wang Xiaocong have acquired Shengda Literature; that''s a good thing, isn''t it? No matter what''s between you two, it shouldn''t affect your job, right? Even if you two don''t get along and Xu Yang won''t look after you or arrange a better position for you, you can still continue in this position."


    Li Minmin was really puzzled.


    Having Xu Yang as a big backer, even if one doesn''t make use of it, there''s no need to leave, right?


    "There are some things I can''t exin to you right now, but I really have reasons I have to go," Zhao Yulu said.


    "Yulu, I don''t want you to go, what will I do without you?" Li Minmin really didn''t want Zhao Yulu to leave.


    It was not just because she felt Zhao Yulu was a friend worth having, but also because she saw Zhao Yulu''s powerful background.


    In the workce, if one doesn''t have special abilities or a strong background, it''s very hard to get promotions and raises.


    Perhaps, Zhao Yulu was her opportunity.


    "Min Min, I also want to be colleagues with you, and I regard you as a friend. How about this, let''s have dinner together tonight, and I''ll exin the specifics to you."


    Zhao Yulu thought about it and felt that there was no need to hide things from Li Minmin, a friend like her.


    Besides, her matter was something Li Minmin would find out about sooner orter.


    "Yulu, are you really leaving?" Li Minmin asked again.


    "Really," Zhao Yulu nodded.


    "Alright, it seems I can''t keep you here. Then let''s go to Jiang Dihao tonight," Li Minmin suggested.


    Jiang Dihao, Xu Yang''s hotpot restaurant.


    Zhao Yulu''s hand paused, then she resumed and nodded, "Okay, let''s go to Jiang Dihao."


    Speaking of which, she''d only been there once when she couldn''t resist because of its poprity and went with a friend for a meal.


    There''s no denying, the taste was good, and the service was excellent.


    But she always felt a bit ufortable inside.


    If she hadn''t left Xu Yang, she would have been thedy boss of Jiang Dihao.


    It''s just that, it was her sister who was thedy boss of Jiang Dihao.


    That''s why she hadn''t gone there again.


    Good taste, good service, but a bad mood meant there was no reason to go.


    While she was writing the resignation letter, a Rolls-Royce Cullinan pulled up in the car park in front of Shengda Literature Company''s entrance.


    Two young men got out of the car.


    They were Xu Yang and Wang Xiaocong. Find more chapters on m_v l|e-NovelBin


    The reason they were here today was to meet with the senior executives of Shengda Literature and to get a look at the different departments of thepany.


    As the owners of thepany, although they trusted Qiu Wenyu, they still needed to have a basic understanding of thepany.


    "Old Xu, do you know how awesome I feel that we sessfully outmaneuvered Penguin this time?" Wang Xiaocongughed heartily.


    "Is it really that awesome? I don''t quite feel that," Xu Yang said.


    "Of course, it is! You don''t know, theyout of Penguin over these years has been quite ufortable for our Wan Da Group, with significant losses. This acquisition of Shengda Literature is aplete victory for us. I told my dad the result, and he even praised me," Wang Xiaocong said proudly.


    "Your dad praised you, did he give you a small goal to have fun with?" Xu Yang joked.


    "That he didn''t, but he told me to hold onto you tightly. How high my achievements will be in the future depends on you," Wang Xiaocong said.


    "It seems like it''s your dad who''s the big leg to hold onto, right? What am Ipared to your dad? At best, mine is just a mosquito leg. If you want to cling onto a big leg, you should be clinging onto your dad''s," Xu Yang said incredulously.


    "Old Xu, don''t belittle yourself. Even though you might not have reached my dad''s heights yet, my dad says he only represents the past, whereas you represent the future. Of course, I need to hold onto your big leg. Just don''t despise me or kick me away. Anyway, I''m counting on you for the rest of my life," Wang Xiaocong said.

 Chapter 257: Chapter 257 Xu Yang Invests, The Company Has a Future

    Wang Xiaocong''s words left Xu Yang feeling both amused and exasperated.


    However, he didn''t refute them.


    Indeed, as someone with a system, he did represent the future.


    Titles like the richest in Huaxia or the world would soon be surpassed by him, as he would be the new wealthiest person in both Huaxia and the world.


    Moreover, it shouldn''t take too long.


    After all, in less than a year''s time, he had already amassed a fortune of tens of billions.


    The beginning is often the hardest, but once on the right track, explosive growth follows.


    Now was the period of explosive growth.


    "Mr. Xu, Mr. Wang, Mr. Qiu has instructed me to pick you up. He has already gathered thepany''s management team and is waiting for you in the meeting room."


    Approaching the entrance, Qiu Wenyu''s assistant immediately came forward to greet them.


    This assistant, they had seen him yesterday when they came.


    "Okay, let''s head up," Xu Yang nodded, following Qiu Wenyu''s assistant into Shengda Literature together with Wang Xiaocong.


    The moment the two entered, someone recognized them.


    "Holy shit, is that Wang Xiaocong?!"


    "Are you kidding me? Why would Wang Xiaoconge to ourpany¡ªholy shit, it really is him!"


    "What''s going on, why would Wang Xiaoconge to ourpany?"


    "What''s so surprising about that? Wang Xiaocong was here yesterday at ourpany."


    "Really? I had no idea."


    "He came around two in the afternoon yesterday; people weren''t working that afternoon, so not many noticed. He left without much of a stir, so it didn''t make big waves."


    "Damn it, there must have been people who saw him, why didn''t anyone mention it in thepany chat? "


    "I don''t know about that. Maybe the people who saw it just aren''t interested in this kind of thing. Whether Wang Xiaoconges or not doesn''t matter to them. I''m the same¡ªI saw it, but I wouldn''t mention it in the chat. Only someone like you would b about it everywhere."


    "Holy shit, what do you mean? You think I would b about this everywhere, make a fool of myself, is that it?"


    "I didn''t say that; it''s just that people have different attitudes when dealing with things."


    "By the way, who''s that guy with Wang Xiaocong? He''s even handsomer than Wang Xiaocong!"


    "That''s a fact, indeed. When ites to looks, Wang Xiaocong really can''tpete, but he''s rich, which is why his inte celebrity girlfriendse in quick session."


    "If my family were as rich as Wang Xiaocong''s, I''d change girlfriends nonstop too."


    "So, does nobody know who that guy is? I feel like I''ve seen him before, but I can''t recall."


    "I know, that''s the boss of Fengcai Guild and Jiang Di Lao!"


    "Right, that''s him. I heard he''s now worth tens of billions."


    "My God, it''s actually him. I was somewhat skeptical about the online rumors that the boss of Jiang Di Lao and Wang Xiaocong are as close as brothers, but seeing them together, it seems true."


    "Definitely true. Didn''t you see how friendly they are when talking? Just like good buddies."


    "But why have theye to ourpany?"


    "Holy shit, could the two of them be nning to acquire ourpany? I heard Xu Yang owns an investmentpany called Yang Xin Investment, which has impressive investment achievements. Wang Xiaocong represents Wan Da Group, which has top-tier investment capital."


    "No way? But isn''t ourpany in talks with Penguin?"


    "What does it matter if they''re in talks? Wan Da is no less significant than Penguin."


    "Yeah, and with Xu Yang added to the mix, they definitely have the capacity to go head-to-head with Penguin."


    "Now that these two are here at ourpany, I have to post this news in the group chat so everyone knows."


    "Yeah, definitely. And take a picture¡ªpictures mean evidence. That''s the only way people will believe us; otherwise, they won''t."


    "Right, right, snap a photo. That''s not a vition of their portrait rights, is it?"


    "Vition my ass. With this kind of photo, how could they possibly care?"


    Many employees started to discuss.


    Some left to take pictures and uploaded them to thepany chat group.


    Suddenly, thepany chat group exploded.


    Employee Q: Picture, my God, the national celebrity Wang Xiaocong came to ourpany!


    Employee A: What''s he doing here?


    Employee S: I don''t know, but one thing is certain, it''s definitely something big¡ªWang Xiaocong would never show up otherwise.


    Employee D: Isn''t that stating the obvious?


    Employee F: Who''s that person with Wang Xiaocong?


    Employee G: No idea, but he looks somewhat familiar.


    Employee H: Damn, that''s Xu Yang, the boss of Fengcai Guild and Jiandi Lan!


    Employee J: What, it''s actually him!


    Employee K: They say the two are as close as brothers. It seems it''s true.


    Employee L: Looks like something big is about to go down in ourpany.


    Employee C: Who can go and find out what those two are doing here?


    Employee V: No need to find out, everyone check the gossip chat group. Tao Yingjun has already said it in the group.


    Employee B: Really? I need to check it out quickly.


    Gossip chat group.


    Tao Yingjun: Today, Yang Xin Investment''s boss Xu Yang and Wan Da Group''s young master came to ourpany, mainly to have a high-level meeting and incidentally to look over thepany''s situation.


    Employee A: Tao Sha, what''s the situation? We don''t have any rtionship with them, right? Why have a high-level meeting?


    Employee B: Yeah, why?


    Employee C: Does having money mean you can do whatever you want?


    Employee D: Everyone calm down, let''s hear what Tao Sha has to say.


    Employee E: Right, Tao Sha certainly hasn''t finished speaking.


    Employee F: Tao Sha, hurry up and tell us, what''s really going on?


    Tao Yingjun: Heh heh, the situation is, ourpany has been acquired by Xu Yang''s Yang Xin Investment and Wang Xiaocong''s Wan Da Investment!


    Employee T: What! How is this possible?


    Employee Y: Wasn''t ourpany negotiating with Penguin?


    Employee U: Yeah, weren''t we talking with Penguin? Wasn''t it a done deal that we were being acquired by Penguin?


    Employee I: Did Penguin get outbid by these two?


    Tao Yingjun: Heh heh, the one upstairs is actually right. Penguin got cut off by these two. They offered more money and fully acquired our Shengda Literature. So remember, our new bosses from now on are Xu Yang and Wang Xiaocong.


    Speaking of which, these two made quite an effort in acquiring Shengda Literature.


    If it wasn''t for their push, it would have been nearly impossible for the two to acquire Shengda Literature.


    Therefore, in regards to this matter, Tao Yingjun felt quite proud.


    Employee A: Being acquired by Yang Xin Investment and Wan Da Investment isn''t bad either; Wan Da is top-tier capital, just like Penguin.


    Employee H: Yeah, and with Yang Xin Investment added to the mix, its strength is even greater than Penguin''s.


    Employee J: I heard that Yang Xin Investment''s track record is amazing. Any enterprise or project Xu Yang invests in gets incredible returns. Ourpany''s future development is definitely promising.


    Employee L: Exactly, I feel relieved with Xu Yang''s investment. I must work even harder and follow thepany''s growth and expansion.


    Employee R: Can I say I work at Wan Da in the future?


    Employee T: Of course, you can also say you work at Xu Yang''spany. In any case, say whatever benefits you.


    Employee U: It''s better to say we work at Wan Da Group, after all, everyone knows of Wan Da Group. Xu Yang''s fame might be more among the younger crowd.


    Employee I: Among young people, drop Xu Yang''s name; among the older ones, cite Wan Da Group. Perfect!

 Chapter 258 Women Cant Always Expect To Reap Without Sowing

    Operations Department.


    Li Minmin saw the message in the group chat and nudged Zhao Yulu''s hand, saying, "Yu Lu, your brother-inw Xu Yang and Wang Shao havee to thepany. Tao Yingjun said they''re here for a meeting with thepany''s senior management."


    "Oh," Zhao Yulu simply replied and continued writing her resignation letter.


    Whether they came or not, it had nothing to do with her.


    "Yu Lu, I really don''t want you to leave," Li Minmin said.


    "Min Min, I''ve already told you, I have to leave forpelling reasons. Let''s talk about it over dinner tonight. I''m off to submit my resignation."


    Zhao Yulu finished writing her resignation letter, printed it, and took it to her supervisor''s office.


    "Zhao Yulu, are you resigning?" Supervisor Zhong Lezhi frowned.


    "Yes, Supervisor Zhong," Zhao Yulu nodded.


    "Zhao Yulu, you know that Yang Xin Investment and Wan Da Investment have acquired ourpany, not Penguin, and you think that Tao Yingjun and I will no longer target you, so you''re choosing to leave, right?"


    "I can assure you that such a situation will not happen again. You can continue to work here."


    Although it wasn''t Penguin that acquired Shengda Literature, knowing Zhao Yulu''s rtionship with Han Mengting, he wouldn''t dare to trouble Zhao Yulu anymore.


    Not only did he not dare, Tao Yingjun also wouldn''t dare.


    After all, with someone like Han Mengting, who had extensive connections...


    If they really wanted to help Zhao Yulu, they could surely use theirwork to her advantage.


    By then, even Tao Yingjun''s father might not be able to protect Tao Yingjun.


    Tao Yingjun wouldn''t be so foolish as to continue troubling Zhao Yulu.


    As for himself, a minor supervisor, he definitely wouldn''t be that foolish either.


    "Supervisor Zhong, my resignation is unrted to this matter," Zhao Yulu said.


    "Unrted to this matter?" Zhong Lezhi furrowed his brows, "Then what else could it be that would make you resign? Can you exin in more detail?"


    The resignation form simply cited personal reasons and did not specify any details.


    "I''m sorry." Zhao Yulu naturally wouldn''t say.


    "All right, I''ll ask one more time, are you sure you really want to resign?" Zhong Lezhi asked again.


    "Yes," Zhao Yulu nodded.


    "Fine." Zhong Lezhi said no more, wrote "Agreed" on the resignation form, and signed his full name.


    Zhao Yulu, holding the resignation form, immediately went to process the paperwork.


    It was done in a few minutes.


    "Min Min, I''m leaving. See you tonight." Zhao Yulu packed up her things, greeted Li Minmin, and left.


    "Min Min, what''s going on, did Zhao Yulu resign?" a colleague came over and asked.


    "Yeah, she resigned," Li Minmin nodded.


    "Why? Is it because the acquisition of ourpany wasn''t by Penguin?" the colleague asked.


    "That''s one of the reasons I guess, but I''m not entirely sure," Li Minmin said.


    "You''re so close to Zhao Yulu, she didn''t tell you?" the colleague inquired.


    "No, she didn''t. We''re going to have dinner together tonight, and she said she would tell me then," Li Minmin said.


    Zhao Yulu''s resignation didn''t stir up muchmotion in the Operations Department.


    After all, Zhao Yulu hadn''t been with thepany very long.


    Although she was beautiful and had caused a sensation,


    That was pretty much it.


    Not everyone had thoughts about Zhao Yulu.


    Most people were just preupied with their own matters.


    A colleague''s resignation was nothing out of the ordinary.


    Gossip Chat Group.


    Tao Yingjun: There''s another piece of news rted to Zhao Yulu. Do you guys want to hear it?


    Employee S: News rted to Zhao Yulu? What news?


    Employee D: Of course we want to hear it. Hurry up and spill it.


    Employee F: Tao Jun''s making it sound so mysterious. It must be some explosive news.


    Tao Yingjun: That''s the Xu Yang, Zhao Yulu''s brother-inw.


    Employee H: What! Xu Yang is Zhao Yulu''s brother-inw!


    Employee J: Boss Tao, you couldn''t have gotten it wrong, could you? If Xu Yang is Zhao Yulu''s brother-inw, why would Zhao Yulue to ourpany as an ordinary employee?


    Employee K: Yeah, could there be a mistake?


    Employee L: Although Boss Tao''s scoops have never been wrong before, I seriously doubt this one. It must be fake news.


    Employee M: Don''t talk like that, guys. Just because Xu Yang is Zhao Yulu''s brother-inw, does that mean Zhao Yulu can''te out and work? Maybe she wants to experience life?


    Employee E: That''s true. If someone could rely on connections but chooses to rely on their own efforts instead, isn''t that okay?


    Tao Yingjun: The news is a hundred percent true. They have another rtionship. This rtionship will definitely shock all of you.


    Employee R: Oh? What rtionship?


    Employee T: Boss Tao, can you spit it out in one sentence? You''re making us all very anxious.


    Employee Y: Yeah, Boss Tao, stop stringing us along.


    Tao Yingjun: Hehe, Xu Yang is Zhao Yulu''s ex-boyfriend.


    Employee U: Damn, for real?


    Employee K: I''m feeling so confused; this is all too tangled for me.


    Employee H: What''s there to be confused about? It''s simple: This Xu Yang was with Zhao Yulu first, and then he got with Zhao Yulu''s sister¡ªenjoying thepany of sisters!


    Employee G: Damn, Xu Yang sure knows how to y the game.


    Employee R: Do all rich people know how to y like that?


    Employee E: Xu Yang must be a jerk, right? He dumped Zhao Yulu and turned to her sister, and Zhao Yulu''s sister probably isn''t any better.


    Employee R: Damn, this is some real melodrama!


    Employee H: Let''s pity Zhao Yulu for three seconds!


    Tao Yingjun: Hehe, don''t talk nonsense. It''s not what you guys think.


    Employee A: If it''s not that, then what is it?


    Employee B: Come on, Boss Tao, spill it! You''re killing us here!


    Employee C: Boss Tao, if you don''t tell us soon, I''m going to storm your office with a knife.


    Tao Yingjun: Hehe, Xu Yang and Zhao Yulu dated in college. After graduation, it was Zhao Yulu who took the initiative to break up.


    Employee A: Did Zhao Yulu get her head stuck in a door?


    Employee B: If it wasn''t a door, then she must have been kicked by a donkey. Why else would she break up with a billionaire?


    Employee C: Really don''t know what Zhao Yulu was thinking, breaking up with a billionaire.


    Employee D: Could it be that Xu Yang has a tendency for domestic violence, and Zhao Yulu couldn''t stand it?


    Employee R: It''s very possible, otherwise who would want to break up with a billionaire?


    Tao Yingjun: Stop specting. Xiao Yulu and Xu Yang broke up soon after graduating when Xu Yang hadn''t yet made his fortune. The reason for their breakup doesn''t need to be said; you all understand, right?


    Employee J: Got it, got it. Zhao Yulu broke up with Xu Yang because she looked down on him for being poor!


    Employee R: So that was it. We almost misunderstood our boss Xu Yang.


    Employee T: Boss Xu Yang, I misunderstood you. I apologize.


    Employee Y: No need to apologize; he doesn''t even know about it.


    Employee U: After breaking up with Zhao Yulu, Xu Yang resolved to make something of his career and became a billionaire. It must have happened like that.


    Employee K: That''s absolutely an inspirational story.


    Tao Yingjun: It really is like that.


    Employee A: Zhao Yulu''s judgment is off. She broke up with him right after graduation without even giving the guy some time to develop.


    Employee B: Exactly! Young people have unlimited potential. Giving them a year or two, and if by then the career hasn''t taken off, breaking up is still not toote.


    Employee C: Can only say Zhao Yulu wasn''t destined for it!


    Employee D: Zhao Yulu''s sister is just too lucky, then: a billionaire''s wife, wow.


    Employee E: Zhao Yulu must be full of regret now.


    Employee F: Feel for Zhao Yulu for three seconds!


    Employee G: Zhao Yulu is simply materialistic; such a person isn''t worthy of sympathy.


    Employee H: Exactly, women can''t always be thinking about picking up the ready-made.

 Chapter 259 Not to the extent of killing the donkey once its outlived its usefulness, right?

    Employee J: There''s nothing wrong with a woman being materialistic, after all, it concerns her future life. But for Zhao Yulu to dump someone for being poor right after graduation, that seems a bit off. You''ve got to give people some time to develop.


    Employee K: When a woman chooses a man, it''s like betting on life. If you bet right, you be a winner in life; if you bet wrong, you lose everything.


    Employee L: Speaking of which, aren''t you worried that Zhao Yulu will feel really embarrassed by your gossip bomb, Ying Jun? Aren''t you afraid she''s going toin to our new big boss, Xu Yang? No matter what you say, she did have a thing with him, and they''re still rtives now.


    Employee R: Yeah, Ying Jun, you better be careful.


    Employee T: I''ve got news for everyone, Zhao Yulu has resigned.


    Employee Y: Holy shit, don''t tell me it''s because of your gossip bomb, Ying Jun, that drove her away.


    Tao Yingjun: This has nothing to do with me, right? (Cold sweat emoji)


    He hadn''t anticipated this, so absorbed in the thrill of his gossiping.


    He hadn''t expected Zhao Yulu to actually resign.


    Would Xu Yang me him for this?


    Employee M: Ying Jun, I think it''s rted. With all this gossip you spread, everyone''s view of Zhao Yulu has turned negative, and lots of people are mocking her, saying she missed the chance to be the wife of a billionaire. How could she stay at thepany after that?


    Employee N: Yeah, if it were me, I''d have to leave too.


    Employee W: Ying Jun, you''re ruthless. Be careful that Xu Yang doesn''te after you.


    Employee Q: Good luck, Ying Jun!


    Tao Yingjun, previously quite pleased with himself, now looked somewhat ufortable.


    ...


    Conference room.


    The meeting began.


    Xu Yang sat at the head of the table, Wang Xiaocong to his right, and Qiu Wenyu to his left.


    "Please wee Mr. Xu to speak!" Qiu Wenyu led the apuse first.


    Before Xu Yang and Wang Xiaocong arrived, he had briefed the situation to the senior managers.


    To them, who was acquiring Shengda Literature didn''t really matter.


    As long as there were noyoffs or sry cuts, everything was fine.


    On this point, Qiu Wenyu had reassured the managers that there would be no changes.


    He had discussed this matter with Xu Yang.


    As his words ended, a round of apuse broke out.


    "Hello everyone. I came here to meet all of you in person. I have no ns to parachute in someone else to manage Shengda Literature. The president will continue to be Mr. Qiu, as he is the most suitable candidate. As for everyone else, I trust you are also the most suitable candidates.


    There is no need for personnel changes. I look forward to seeing all of you under Mr. Qiu''s leadership, taking Shengda Literature to greater heights..."


    Xu Yang said his piece.


    Having acquired so manypanies, this kind of speech was second nature to him.


    The crowd breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Xu Yang say there would be no personnel changes.


    After Xu Yang finished speaking, Wang Xiaocong didn''t speak.


    He was just an apanying figure, not bothered to say anything.


    After all, following Xu Yang''s lead was the right thing to do.


    His role was to represent Wan Da Group, to show Xu Yang had a strong backing and to give people confidence.


    On the surface, Xu Yang still needed the support of Wan Da Group.


    After the meeting, under the personal lead of Qiu Wenyu, Xu Yang and Wang Xiaocong visited the various departments of thepany.


    ¡­


    Tao Ying Jun''s office.


    Bang!


    The office door was violently pushed open, and Tao Yongchang stormed in furiously.


    "Dad, what brings you here? What''s happened, who has upset you?"


    Seeing his father''s rage, Tao Ying Jun was baffled.


    "You little bastard, I told you not to provoke Zhao Yulu, but you wouldn''t listen. Do you not want to work at thepany anymore? If things go south, I might get dragged down by you as well!"


    Tao Yongchang roared angrily.


    "Dad, I haven''t provoked Zhao Yulu," Tao Ying Jun said.


    "You still say you haven''t provoked Zhao Yulu? What did you say in that gossip chat group? Isn''t that provocation?" Tao Yongchang shouted furiously.


    "Dad, how did you know about that if you''re not in the group?" Tao Ying Jun asked, puzzled.


    "Just because I''m not in it doesn''t mean I can''t find out? Normally, I can''t be bothered to care about the nonsense you spout in that group, unless it''s something serious. But you had to go and talk about Zhao Yulu''s matter¡ªthat''s clearly embarrassing her. No matter what, she''s Xu Yang''s aunt by marriage. If you embarrass her and Xu Yang finds out, do you think you''ll get off easily?


    I might not even be able to protect you!"


    Continue reading at m|v-l''e -NovelBin


    Tao Yongchang was fuming.


    He wasn''t in that gossip chat group, but he had one of his subordinates join it. Unless it was something significant, that subordinate wouldn''t report back to him¡ªonly if Tao Ying Jun did something egregious would he be informed.


    Just now, that subordinate thought the incident was serious and reported to him immediately after his meeting.


    After reading the report, he was so angry he nearly fainted. It took a quick-dissolve nitroglycerin tablet to calm his racing thoughts.


    But inside, the anger was still burning.


    Visiting the various departments of thepany with Xu Yang and Wang Xiaocong was something only Qiu Wenyu needed to do; he didn''t have to apany them, so he headed straight over.


    "Dad, it''s not that serious, right? Xu Yang and Wang Xiaocong were able to acquire Sheng Da Literature partly because we helped. It was my idea too. Xu Yang wouldn''t be so ungrateful as to bite the hand that feeds him, would he?"


    Tao Ying Jun thought the situation was somewhat serious, but he didn''t believe it was serious enough to get him fired, let alone implicate his father.


    "What do you know? Who knows what we did? Besides, not informing President Qiu in time about Xu Yang wanting to acquire Sheng Da Literature was my mistake. Can we really highlight our contributions in front of Xu Yang? If he remembers, it''s a pleasant surprise for us, but if he doesn''t, we can''t do anything.


    If he decides to kick us out, it would only take a word, and nobody can say anything about it," Tao Yongchang said.


    "Dad, so what should we do now?" Tao Ying Jun was starting to panic.


    "You need to apologize to Zhao Yulu right away, beg her forgiveness. I don''t care if you have to kneel or prostrate yourself, whatever it takes, you must get her to forgive you!" This was Tao Yongchang''s solution.


    "Dad, an apology is out of the question now. Didn''t you see the chat? They said Zhao Yulu has already resigned and left," Tao Ying Jun said.


    "What, she left?" Tao Yongchang indeed hadn''t read thetter part of the WeChat group''s conversation, having seen only the middle part, which he thought was a big deal, and came right over.


    "Yes, she''s gone, no longer an employee of thepany," said Tao Ying Jun.


    "You¡­ are you trying to kill me?" Tao Yongchang pointed at his son, wishing he could p him to death.


    "Dad, it can''t be that serious, can it?" Tao Ying Jun said.


    "Forget it, I don''t want to deal with it anymore. What''s done is done; let things take their course. If you get fired, it''ll be your own fault. From now on, you''ll have to fend for yourself," Tao Yongchang said, suddenly feeling dispirited and unwilling to manage the situation.


    If his son was fired, it might actually be a good thing.


    It would save him from wielding his influence at thepany and stirring up trouble, leaving Tao Yongchang in a difficult position.


    This was not his fault; his position as vice president should still be secure.


    Having said his piece, he got up and left.

 Chapter 260 Will Not Tolerate Such a Menace

    Qiu Wenyu took Xu Yang and Wang Xiaocong on a tour of thepany''s various departments.


    After visiting several departments, Qiu Wenyu''s assistant Wu Xiaoman approached them.


    "Mr. Qiu, I have some important matters to report to you," Wu Xiaoman said.


    "What''s the matter?"


    Qiu Wenyu frowned, as he was apanying the two major bosses on a tour.


    How could Wu Xiaoman be so thoughtless toe over and interrupt?


    What important matter could be more important than apanying the two major bosses?


    However, he immediately remembered that Wu Xiaoman had always been very sensible in handling matters, and wouldn''t disturb them without a good reason in such a situation.


    Unless something truly urgent had urred that needed to be reported.


    "Mr. Qiu..." Wu Xiaoman nced at Xu Yang and Wang Xiaocong, hesitating as if she had more to say.


    Clearly, she didn''t want to discuss it in front of Xu Yang and Wang Xiaocong.


    Qiu Wenyu immediately understood and said to Xu Yang and Wang Xiaocong, "Mr. Xu, Young Master Wang, I have some matters to handle, what do you think..."


    "No problem, you go ahead and deal with your matters first, of course, prioritiese first, besides we''ve almost finished our tour," Xu Yang replied with a casual smile, not minding at all.


    Wang Xiaocong didn''t speak, looking indifferent.


    "Alright, please rest in the lounge area for a bit, I''ll join you shortly."


    Qiu Wenyu left with Wu Xiaoman and returned to the office.


    "What in the world is it?" Qiu Wenyu asked sternly.


    "Mr. Qiu, it''s rted to Xu Yang, look at the messages in this group chat," Wu Xiaoman handed her phone to Qiu Wenyu.


    "What messages?" Qiu Wenyu frowned, taking the phone to check the messages.


    He knew about the gossip chat group.


    It was created by Tao Yongchang''s son, Tao Yingjun.


    Wu Xiaoman was in it and would inform him if anything significant happened that was worth his attention.


    The group was quite interesting; sometimes,pany inside information would be missed without it.


    After reading a string of recent messages, Qiu Wenyu''s face darkened.


    "Xu Yang''s aunt works at ourpany? And this aunt was once Xu Yang''s girlfriend?"


    "Tao Yingjun gave her a hard time? And now he''s leaked her past, causing her to resign?"


    "That bastard Tao Yingjun, isn''t this embarrassing for Xu Yang?"


    "No matter what, she''s still his aunt, and whether their rtionship is good or not, that''s not for outsiders to judge."


    Qiu Wenyu had not expected Xu Yang''s romantic life to be so extraordinary.


    After breaking up with his girlfriend, to get together with the girlfriend''s sister.


    This move was truly unparalleled.


    A loose-lipped Tao Yingjun was also to me for speaking carelessly about such a matter.


    Doesn''t Xu Yang have a face to save?


    "Mr. Qiu, that''s why I had to interrupt you, as this matter will sooner ortere to Xu Yang''s knowledge."


    "Tao Yingjun has always relied on his father''s position as the vice president to cause trouble in thepany."


    "I think you should take a stance and handle this proactively," Wu Xiaoman said, aware of the seriousness of the situation, daring to interrupt Qiu Wenyu.


    Otherwise, she wouldn''t have had the audacity to disturb Qiu Wenyu when he was apanying the two big bosses.


    "You''re right, and what you did was right. Xu Yang will find out about this sooner orter, and Tao Yingjun must be dealt with. However, Tao Yongchang did contribute to the acquisition of ourpany by Xu Yang and Wang Xiaocong," Qiu Wenyu hesitated again.


    Dealing with Tao Yongchang''s son, Tao Yingjun, might cause Tao Yongchang to be dissatisfied.


    Fear that in the future when assigning Tao Yongchang tasks, he might be passive and neglect his duties.


    "President Qiu, I think you have absolutely no reason to worry."


    "Tao Yongchang is Tao Yongchang, Tao Yingjun is Tao Yingjun, this Tao Yingjun is a cancer in thepany, many employees are unhappy, and some talents have been driven away by him."


    "I think he should have been removed a long time ago, otherwise it will affect the development of thepany."


    "As for Tao Yongchang, if he is dissatisfied, he can simply leave."


    "We surely can''t tolerate such a scourge in thepany just because of him."


    "I believe Xu Yang, once he knows, will not tolerate such a scourge either."


    Wu Xiaoman also deeply disliked this Tao Yingjun, the reason being that when she first started working, this guy even harassed her.


    Luckily, being Qiu Wenyu''s assistant, he didn''t dare to mess around, otherwise, she too might have been forced to leave thepany.


    So under these circumstances, she naturally wanted to give Tao Yingjun a piece of her mind.


    "You''re right," Qiu Wenyu nodded in approval.


    "President Qiu, or maybe you could inform Xu Yang about this and see what his stance is?" Wu Xiaoman suggested, "That way, it might be easier to exin to Tao Yongchang''s side."


    Qiu Wenyu''s eyes lit up: "Right! How did I not think of that? Telling Xu Yang and letting him make the decision would be even better, wouldn''t it?"


    Wu Xiaoman did not speak further, having said enough already, there was no need for more words.


    "Come on,e with me, if Xu Yang asks what else Tao Yingjun did wrong, you''ll be the one to answer."


    Qiu Wenyu took Wu Xiaoman back to the lounge area, where only Xu Yang and Wang Xiaocong were having tea and pastries.


    "President Qiu, have you taken care of the matter?" Xu Yang asked with a smile.


    "President Xu, this matter is about you," Qiu Wenyu said. "Xiaoman just reported it to me, and after some thought, I felt it was necessary to tell you and hear your decision."


    "About me?" Xu Yang raised his eyebrows.


    "Yes." Qiu Wenyu nodded.


    "Then tell me, what''s this about me?" Xu Yang was genuinely curious.


    "Xiaoman, you tell him," Qiu Wenyu deferred to his assistant.


    "President Xu, here''s the situation¡­" Wu Xiaomanid out the details and showed Xu Yang the messages.


    Xu Yang''s expression turned sour.


    While the people at Shengda Literature wouldn''t have a negative view of him even if this became known, it was purely a matter of privacy, and he did not wish it to be public knowledge.


    Even if you know, you shouldn''t be talking about it like this.


    "You just mentioned that this Tao Yingjun, relying on his father''s position in thepany, has been arrogant and has done quite a few bad things. What kind of things has he done?" Xu Yang inquired.


    Simply dealing with the person based solely on this might make people think he was mixing personal issues with official business.


    If there were other issues, it would be better to deal with Tao Yingjun based on those other issues.


    While everyone understood what was really going on, on the surface, one absolutely could not say that he was being dealt with because of this private issue, but rather, one had to grasp other faults as the basis.


    Wang Xiaocong, who had been ying with her phone, also put it down, curious to hear just how rampant this Tao Yingjun had been.


    "President Xu, I''ll just mention a few incidents," said Wu Xiaoman.


    "A year ago, ourpany hired a female editor who was very talented. She was excellent at guiding authors in their writing, and many failing authors improved and created hit works under her guidance."


    "Tao Yingjun, seeing that she was beautiful, harassed her. Annoyed beyond endurance, she eventually had no choice but to resign and moved to another online literaturepany, a decision many regretted."


    "Half a year ago, a technician in the technical department, because he couldn''t stand Tao Yingjun bullying a female colleague, spoke up against him and was beaten for his troubles. Later, his father intervened, and after a substantial settlement, the matter was considered closed. But the technician ended up resigning too."


    "Three months ago, this guy got involved with a married female colleague. Her husband even came to thepany, causing a huge ruckus, which was very bad for thepany''s image."


    "In the end, it was his father, Deputy General Tao, who suppressed the incident. The married woman resigned, and he went on as if nothing happened."


    Wu Xiaoman mentioned three incidents.


    Each one involved a woman.

 Chapter 261 Tell Him to Get Lost

    ```


    The more Xu Yang listened, the uglier his expression became.


    Even Wang Xiaocong''s face looked somewhat unpleasant.


    He had many inte celebrity girlfriends, changing them one after another, but it was always consensual; he never forced anyone into anything.


    That a son of a vice-president of a smallpany would be so arrogant and tyrannical was something he found extremely unsatisfactory.


    "President Qiu, whatever Tao Yingjun was like before is none of my business, after all, the former Shengda Literature had nothing to do with me."


    "But the future Shengda Literature belongs to me and Wang Shao, and we absolutely won''t allow such a person to stay in thepany."


    "Otherwise, it will affect the development of Shengda Literature, and I do not want to see that happen."


    "From now on, no matter who it is, they must not engage in these kinds of actions, and if discovered, they must be dealt with seriously."


    "What do you say, Wang Shao?"


    Xu Yang naturally wanted to deal with Tao Yingjun; such a person couldn''t be allowed to stay in thepany.


    "Of course he can''t stay, that guy needs to get lost!" Wang Xiaocong was even more irate.


    Just the son of a vice-president, and he dares to force women, what garbage!


    I''m the son of the richest man, and even I never did such a thing!


    "President Xu, Wang Shao, rest assured, I''ll make him leave today," Qiu Wenyu immediately nodded.


    "His father, Tao Yongchang, doesn''t have any issues, does he?" Xu Yang asked.


    "No, Tao Yongchang''s work is actually quite satisfactory. The only issue is that he arranged for his son to work here, and his son''s domineering behavior was somewhat shielded by him," Qiu Wenyu said.


    "Okay, let bygones be bygones. I won''t pursue it further, and besides, in this acquisition of Shengda Literature, he also yed a helpful role. Tell him that I''ll only hold his son ountable; his son''s actions won''t affect him."


    Originally, Xu Yang had considered meeting with Tao Yongchang alone, but with his son causing such trouble, it seemed unnecessary to meet him anymore.


    "Alright, I will convey your words," Qiu Wenyu nodded.


    "As for Tao Yingjun, if possible, please invite back the talented individuals he drove away, and offer them somepensation. You judge how much topensate, President Qiu, just do what you think is appropriate."


    "Whether or not those people return, we need to make this gesture, and you must announce this to the entirepany, so that everyone knows that such actions cannot be repeated in the future. Only then can we create a positive cycle."


    Xu Yang was thinking further ahead, hoping to minimize the negative impact Tao Yingjun had on thepany as much as possible.


    "Okay, I''ll handle it well," Qiu Wenyu said.


    "If there''s nothing else, Wang Shao and I will take our leave now, you keep busy," Xu Yang said as he stood up.


    After this incident, Xu Yang was no longer in the mood for a tour.


    He would visit again when he had time in the future; by then, he hoped to see apletely new aspect of thepany.


    With Qiu Wenyu''s escort, Xu Yang and Wang Xiaocong left Shengda Literature.


    Upon returning to his office, Qiu Wenyu immediately ordered Wu Xiaoman, "Go tell Tao Yingjun to get out today!"


    "Okay," Wu Xiaoman knew this would be the case and turned to leave.


    After Wu Xiaoman left, Qiu Wenyu dialed Tao Yongchang''s phone number and asked him toe to his office.


    ...


    Wu Xiaoman arrived at Tao Yingjun''s office.


    "Assistant Wu, what brings you here?"


    Tao Yingjun, who was ying games in his office, quickly closed out of the game at the sight of Wu Xiaoman.


    This female assistant of Qiu Wenyu''s, both attractive in figure and face, was someone he had designs on.


    He had attempted to express his feelings through normal means but was rejected.


    Since she was Qiu Wenyu''s assistant, he really couldn''t resort to force.


    What wind had blown this beauty into his office today?


    ```


    Could it be that this beauty had a change of heart and agreed to be his girlfriend?


    At this thought, Tao Yingjun''s eyes couldn''t help but light up, his whole body trembling with excitement.


    "I''m here to convey General Manager Qiu''s message, that you''re to process your resignation immediately," Wu Xiaoman said expressionlessly.


    Tao Yingjun was not only ugly but also recklessly engaged in rtionships with men and women alike.


    It''s really a wonder how someone like him has the nerve to tenderly tell each woman ''I love you.''


    Maybe that''s just what a scumbag is capable of.


    She considered herself lucky to be Qiu Wenyu''s assistant.


    If she were a regr employee in another department, she''d probably be forced to leave thepany too.


    Fortunately, all of this was finallying to an end today.


    "What? Process my resignation? What do you mean?" Tao Yingjun was stunned.


    "It means to go through the departure formalities and leave thepany," Wu Xiaoman replied, still expressionless.


    "Resignation? Why does General Manager Qiu want me to resign?" asked Tao Yingjun, frowning.


    "You know exactly why," Wu Xiaoman said.


    "I know? I don''t know! Tell me, why do I have to resign?!" Tao Yingjun said, somewhat agitated.


    "First, you''re ipetent; you got into thepany on your dad''s coattails and even took up a manager''s position."


    "Second, your arrogant behavior in thepany has driven away many employees, leading to widespread resentment among the staff and severely damaging ourpany''s reputation, resulting in a significant loss of talent."


    "Are these two reasons sufficient?"


    Wu Xiaoman hade up with two reasons on the way over.


    "My dad is the Deputy General Manager; is General Manager Qiu really going to fire me? Won''t he even give my dad some face?" Tao Yingjun''splexion turned sour.


    "I''m sorry, but your dad''s influence doesn''t extend to this matter," Wu Xiaoman said, shaking her head.


    "Is it Xu Yang who gave the order to fire me? Just because I mentioned Zhao Yulu and his affair in the group?" Tao Yingjun recalled what he had said in the group chat.


    "That was just the beginning; the main reason is what you''ve done in thepany," Wu Xiaoman said.


    "This Xu Yang, turning his back on me, as if he could have acquired Shengda Literature without me," Tao Yingjun said angrily.


    "Tao Yingjun, watch yournguage. What do you mean by ''without you, Manager Xu couldn''t have acquired Shengda Literature''? You know very well what happened. It was your father''s mistake to begin with; you were just doing what you were supposed to do. Manager Xu didn''t me your father; he''s actually grateful to him.


    Do you really want to turn that gratitude into something else?" Wu Xiaoman said sternly.


    "I¡­" Tao Yingjun opened his mouth but didn''t know what to say.


    He certainly didn''t want that gratitude to change, because if it did, his father might also be fired.


    But to leave Shengda Literature like this was something he really couldn''te to terms with.


    Working here was so good: a leadership position, anything that needed doing he just ordered someone else to do it, and he could asionally flirt with the beautiful women in thepany.


    If anything went wrong, he had his Deputy General Manager dad to cover for him.


    If he left, he couldn''t simply stay unemployed forever, but with his abilities, he would only be able to get the most ordinary job, with no connections¡ªhow miserable that would be.


    "Assistant Wu, isn''t there any possibility for negotiation? I''ll work hard from now on, make a clean break with the past, and never do those things again. Can I stay and keep working?" Tao Yingjun said.


    From now on, he wouldn''t do those things; with his father backing him, work was easy.


    He would just find women outside of work if necessary.


    "I''m sorry, I''m only here to ry a message. Whatever General Manager Qiu says, that''s what I do. All right, I''ve delivered the message. Please go handle your resignation process," Wu Xiaoman said.


    After finishing, Wu Xiaoman turned and left.


    "Bitch, still putting on airs with me. If you weren''t Qiu Wenyu''s assistant, I would''ve had you in bed long ago!"


    After Wu Xiaoman left, Tao Yingjun cursed under his breath.


    Unwilling to be dismissed like this, he went to Tao Yongchang''s office.

 Chapter 262 Heaven Has Eyes

    "Dad, Qiu Wenyu is going to fire me. Could you please talk to him for me? I want to stay and continue working."


    Tao Yingjun sat down on the sofa.


    He still had some confidence, believing that if his dad talked to Qiu Wenyu, he should be able to stay. After all, if Qiu Wenyu then spoke to Xu Yang, Xu Yang would probably give Qiu Wenyu face.


    "You should leave," Tao Yongchang said.


    "Dad, what did you say?" Tao Yingjun was surprised.


    "I already know about your dismissal. President Qiu told me. I''ve spoiled you too much in the past, leading you to be so arrogant and overbearing at thepany, and now you''ve ended up in this situation. Maybe it''s for the best," Tao Yongchang said.


    Just now, Qiu Wenyu had called him over and conveyed Xu Yang''s intentions.


    Tao Yongchang had been mentally prepared, so it didn''t reallye as a surprise to him.


    After all, no new boss would tolerate someone like Tao Yingjun.


    Not knowing was one thing, but once aware, they would certainly want to dismiss such a person.


    Anyway, he hade to understand that his son leaving to be self-reliant outside might not be a bad thing.


    He was getting on in years and couldn''t always cover for his son, nor could he manage to cover all the time.


    "What kind of good thing is that? If I go out there, I''ll only be able to work as a regr employee," Tao Yingjun said with a bitter face.


    "A regr employee then, a regr employee. If you want to be a leader, work hard for it. You''re still young and have the chance to change. If you were old, it would be toote even if you wanted to change. I can protect you for a moment, but not for a lifetime. Go andplete the resignation procedures," Tao Yongchang said.


    "Dad, do I really have to leave?" Tao Yingjun was reluctant.


    "Nonsense, get out of here quickly. Don''t keep hovering around in front of me, it irritates me just looking at you," Tao Yongchang got somewhat angry. Your next journey awaits at m v|l-e''-NovelBin


    If it weren''t for the fact that he was his real son, he would have truly wanted to p Tao Yingjun to death.


    With no other choice, Tao Yingjun could only leave toplete the resignation procedures.


    The news of his resignation spread quickly throughout the entirepany.


    Suddenly, the wholepany was abuzz.


    "Holy shit, Tao Yingjun has resigned!"


    "What happened? Why would Tao Yingjun resign?"


    "There must be some inside story that we don''t know about!"


    "Isn''t that obvious? There would be no resignation for Tao Yingjun without some backstory!"


    "Do you think Tao Yingjun said something about Zhao Yulu, Xu Yang got wind of it, got angered, and Xu Yang personally ordered Tao Yingjun''s dismissal?"


    "Very possible. This guess should be very close to the truth."


    "But surely Xu Yang wouldn''t be so petty, right? It was just talking, after all. It''s not like it cost him a piece of flesh!"


    "It''s not about being petty. This is about someone''s reputation."


    "From what Tao Yingjun said, it doesn''t seem like he tarnished Xu Yang''s reputation, though. If anything, it would be destroying Zhao Yulu''s reputation."


    "That''s exactly what I''m talking about¡ªZhao Yulu. Tao Yingjun damaged Zhao Yulu''s reputation, forcing her to resign. Xu Yang, as her brother-inw, had to support his ex-girlfriend and current aunt."


    "I think you guys have it wrong. It''s very possible Xu Yang learned about Tao Yingjun''s past misconduct and didn''t want such a person staying in thepany to affect its development."


    "That''s possible too, after all, making money is what''s most important."


    "No matter what, Tao Yingjun has ultimately resigned. From now on, it''s unlikely for us, the small employees, to get information from the higher-ups."


    ...


    The gossip chat group.


    Employee H: Hahaha, Tao Yingjun has resigned, which is really great news. There is justice in the world after all.


    Employee A: To the person above, watch out, Tao Yingjun mighte after you!


    Employee H: Come after me? He''s on his way out¡ªhow could he? And even if he wanted to, he couldn''t, right?


    Employee B: Exactly, he can''t do anything now. We can say whatever we want.


    Employee C: Tao Yingjun has done plenty of bad things in the past. It serves him right to be gone.


    Employee D: I''m going to add a chicken leg to my dinner tonight to celebrate.


    Employee F: This is a gossip chat group established by Tao Yingjun himself. Is it really okay for you all to talk about him like this?


    Employee G: It doesn''t matter. Tao Yingjun is leaving anyway, and he''s going to disband this group, so what''s wrong with me speaking my mind?


    Employee J: Right, we should say what we want to say.


    Employee K: Everyone, look quickly, there''s an announcement in thepany group, it''s about Tao Yingjun.


    Employee R: What, an announcement about Tao Yingjun?


    Employee T: Going to check it out right now!


    The gossip and discussions rose and fell in every department, spreading even to the gossip chat groups.


    No one held back in speaking their minds, openly calling out his name, no longer referring to him as "Young Master Tao".


    After all, Tao Yingjun had been dismissed, so there was nothing to fear.


    And there was no need to be afraid of Tao Yingjun''s deputy general manager father either.


    Such a person would not bother with these little employees.


    Otherwise, if these little employees stirred up trouble, it would be more trouble than it was worth for Tao Yongchang.


    Company group.


    Notice: Tao Yingjun, manager of thepany''s marketing department, has grossly vitedpany regtions. After deliberation by the senior executives, he has been dismissed. We hope all employees take this as a warning. No one shouldmit simr acts, and if discovered, will be dealt with severely!


    Employee M: Oh my God, Tao Yingjun has really been dismissed.


    Employee A: This ''vition ofpany regtions,'' what exactly does it refer to? I''m a bit confused.


    Employee D: No need to worry about what the regtions are, you just need to know the oue.


    Employee G: Good riddance, let''s see how he can swagger around now.


    Employee H: This scourge is finally leaving.


    Employee J: Now, with pretty female colleagues around, we might have a chance too.


    Employee K: Yeah, if not taken by him, they would be driven away, it was really annoying.


    Employee R: He''s gone alright, but his deputy general manager father is still here, is it really ok to talk like this?


    Employee T: There''s nothing wrong with it, we''re stating facts. I believe Mr. Tao is a reasonable man and won''t give us trouble over this.


    Employee Y: Yeah, I believe that too.


    Employee U: Too bad, Zhao Yulu left. Otherwise, with my good looks, I still would have had a chance.


    Employee Q: You''re shameless, you know that? You''ve insulted the very word ''handsome''.


    Employee W: Zhao Yulu''s brother-inw is Mr. Xu. Chasing after Zhao Yulu isn''t that easy, you guys might as well keep dreaming.


    Employees: Tao Yingjun is gone, let''s go celebrate at Haido tonight, who''s in?


    Employee B: I''m in, we''ve got to celebrate, it would be unjust not to.


    Employee V: Count me in, Haido is owned by Mr. Xu, this is like currying favor with him, hoping for a bigger end-of-year bonus, haha.


    It can be said that most people were quite happy about Tao Yingjun''s dismissal.


    Because of all the despicable things Tao Yingjun had done before.


    Everyone was wary of Tao Yingjun''s deputy general manager father and didn''t dare say much on the surface, but they all had their thoughts.


    Tao Yingjun, while processing his resignation, saw thesements in the group and his face turned ck.


    All these bastards had been fawning over him previously, with only a few daring to speak like this, and even then, only in private.


    And now, they really dared to say anything.


    After finishing the paperwork, Tao Yingjun left thepany with not a single person seeing him off.


    Even those who had most eagerly bootlicked him before became cold when they saw Tao Yingjun leave.


    This made him realize that in thepany, he truly was nothing.


    All he had relied on was the deputy general manager, his father.


    Now, there was no way he could ask his father for help.


    Could he still expect his father to scold these people on his behalf?


    Impossible.


    His father would not do such a thing either.


    At this critical moment, if his father dared do so, he might even face dismissal himself.


    "Wait until I make a name for myself outside, then I''ll show you!"


    As he walked out of thepany building, Tao Yingjun nced back at the high-rise onest time, then turned and strode away.

 Chapter 263 The Opportunity Comes Back

    At Zhao Yulu''s home.


    Zhao Yulu was home alone, Liu Yujuan had disappeared somewhere.


    Zhao Yulu sat quietly on the sofa in the living room, not moving at all, her thoughts a mystery.


    Time passed unmarked until she picked up her cell phone next to her and called Han Mengting.


    The call connected quickly.


    "Mengting, I''ve resigned from Shengda Literature." Zhao Yulu said.


    "What? You resigned? So what are your ns now?" Han Mengting was somewhat surprised.


    "Mengting, you must know about what happened with Xu Yang, right?" Zhao Yulu asked.


    "Yes, I know, your sister Yu Xin told me." Han Mengting said.


    "Do you think I''m materialistic, pathetic, and yet not deserving of sympathy?" Zhao Yulu asked again.


    "Yulu, I only know the basics of your situation, I''m not clear on the details, so it''s not appropriate for me toment."


    "As for whether I think you''re materialistic, or pathetic, or deserving of sympathy, I can''t really answer those questions directly."


    "But I want to say that if Xu Yang had not be a billionaire, if he were still just an ordinary low-level worker, nobody would say anything about your choice, and everyone would say you made the right decision."


    "Or if you found a new boyfriend now, someone richer and kinder to you than Xu Yang, people would say that you made the right choice."


    "Do you understand what I''m trying to say?"


    After a brief silence, Han Mengting offered these thoughts.


    "Mengting, I understand." Zhao Yulu nodded.


    "You''re not just calling me to ask these questions, are you?" Han Mengting asked.


    "I''ve resigned from Shengda Literature, could you help me get a job at Penguin?" Zhao Yulu asked.


    "I''m the secretary of the board, and in principle, it wouldn''t be a problem to get you a job as an ordinary employee at Penguin Group, but thepetition there is fierce. Without exceptional ability, it''s hard to stand out, and I don''t rmend you join Penguin Group," Han Mengting said.


    "All right." Zhao Yulu sounded disappointed.


    She wasn''t sure if Han Mengting truly had her best interests at heart, or simply didn''t want to arrange it for her.


    After much thought, she felt her life''s dilemma had to be resolved through Han Mengting.


    That''s why she mustered the courage to make the call, asking straight out for Han Mengting to arrange a job for her.


    Her thinking was that with a connection to Han Mengting at Penguin Group, promotions and raises mighte easier.


    Perhaps she was being too hopeful.


    "Yulu, don''t be discouraged. Penguin hasn''t acquired Shengda Literature, but we''re not giving up on the online literature sector."


    "We are nning to acquire a certain online literaturepany soon, and this acquisition shouldn''t take long."


    "I will still be appointed as the president of the acquired online literaturepany."


    "I will still need an assistant, and I hope you can take on that role. What do you think?"


    Han Mengting felt Zhao Yulu''s breakup with Xu Yang demonstrated ack of foresight, but such matters are often hard to articte clearly.


    She wouldn''t hold a negative opinion of Zhao Yulu because of this.


    Moreover, Zhao Yulu had once saved her life, and if she could lend a hand, she would.


    A girl like Zhao Yulu deserved a better life.


    "Sure, thank you, Mengting." Zhao Yulu brightened up immediately.


    Initially, she felt there wasn''t much hope left.


    But unexpectedly, the situation took a turn for the better.


    Penguin''s acquisition of another online literaturepany would most likely involve the second or thirdrgest in the field.


    With Han Mengting as president, and herself as Han Mengting''s assistant.


    In fact, working at Shengda Literature is not much different.


    "Don''t mention it, I look forward to seeing your growth, and I believe in you," Han Mengting said with a smile.


    "Okay, thank you, Ting sister," Zhao Yulu thanked her again.


    "Yulu, I want to say a couple more things about you and Xu Yang," Han Mengting said.


    "Go ahead," Zhao Yulu replied.


    "Xu Yang has already married your sister Yu Xin, and I can tell that they are very much in love, the kind that cannot be separated."


    "What you need to do is not to regret or to wallow in self-pity, but to let go of the past, to not care about other people''s opinions, and to live an exciting life of your own."


    "When you clear the thorns and climb to a certain height in your career, those voices thatughed at you will disappear."


    "Your original choice cannot be said to be wrong, even if it was, as long as you are sessful, others will not say anything."


    Han Mengting felt it was necessary to give Zhao Yulu some encouragement, especially since Zhao Yulu would be her assistant in the future.


    She didn''t want Zhao Yulu''s work to be affected by this matterter on.


    "Ting sister, I used to dwell on this a lot, and every time I thought about it, I would be full of regret."


    "Having heard what you''ve said, Ipletely understand now. You''re right, the past is the past, and I should learn to let it go."


    "I should not live in regret, but look forward, as once I seed, others will no longer have anything to say."


    "Ting sister, thank you. You''ve helped me out of a deadlock," Zhao Yulu said.


    Hearing Han Mengting''s words, Zhao Yulu felt as if she had an epiphany.


    Indeed, her rtionship with Xu Yang was just an episode in her life.


    There''s no denying that breaking up with Xu Yang and seeing him seed was an ironic situation for her.


    Those who knew about it wouldugh at her.


    She was also affected by this incident, which was why she resigned from Shengda Literature today.


    Every time she thought about it, she would regret it.


    She shouldn''t be like this, as it does no good to continue in this way.


    What she needed to do was to let go of the past and embrace life anew.


    So what if she no longer had Xu Yang? With her own efforts, she could still lead a wonderful life.


    Moreover, now with the help of Han Mengting, who was like a noble person assisting her,


    she might well be a powerful woman.


    By then, those mocking voices would disappear.


    "It''s good that you''re receptive and have thought it through. Take a few days off to rest and get yourself in gear, because once we start, we''ll be busypeting with Shengda Literature, the king of the cultural industry. The work will be quite hectic," Han Mengting advised.


    "Also, I tend to be very decisive and efficient at work, and I hope you can join in with the utmost energy andmitment."


    "As long as you perform well, my promise remains the same: when I return to the head office, I will rmend you to be the president of the online literaturepany."


    "This would be much better than entering the Penguin Group directly."


    "The internalpetition at Penguin Group is really fierce, far less pleasant than working at a subsidiary."


    "Of course, if you excel in the president''s position, it''s not impossible to join Penguin''s management. That position would be on a different level."


    "Alright, I have spoken a bit too much. Take a good rest for several days. As soon as things are settled on my end, I will contact you immediately."


    Han Mengting urged and encouraged.


    "Okay, Ting sister, I definitely won''t let you down," Zhao Yulu promised earnestly.


    Ending the call, Zhao Yulu''s face broke into a smile again.


    The opportunity hade back to her.

 Chapter 264 Women Must Rely on Themselves

    Evening.


    Zhao Yulu and Li Minmin were dining at Haido.


    "Yu Lu, I''ve got good news, Tao Yingjun has been fired," Li Minmin said.


    "Fired? Doesn''t he have a dad who''s a vice president? How could he still be fired?"


    Zhao Yulu didn''t know about this news. Before she finished writing her resignation letter, she had already left all thepany''s groups.


    "Thepany''s announcement said that Tao Yingjun vitedpany policies. Everyone is guessing that it was because he spoke about you in the group, Xu Yang found out, and then he got fired," Li Minmin said.


    "Spoke about me? So, does that mean you already know about my past with Xu Yang?" Zhao Yulu''s tone was calm.


    "Yeah, I know. Actually, I think it''s no big deal. You didn''t need to leave. Anyway, Xu Yang is now your brother-inw. In the future, definitely no one would dare to bully you. Maybe the leaders would even promote you," Li Minmin said.


    "Maybe, but I really don''t want to work in that kind of environment anymore," Zhao Yulu said.


    "So what do you n to do in the future? I think you can totally talk to Xu Yang, and work at hispany. With so manypanies he has, it would be no problem for you to take a management position at any of them."


    Li Minmin didn''t understand theplexities of the situation and still didn''tprehend why Zhao Yulu wanted to work elsewhere.


    "I''m not going to work at hispany. I''ve already found another ce," Zhao Yulu said, shaking her head.


    "You''ve found a ce? Where?" asked Li Minmin.


    "I called Sister Ting this afternoon. She said Penguin hasn''t given up on entering the online literature industry and ns to acquire other online literaturepanies. When the timees, she will still be the president of the acquired online literaturepany and she wants me to be her assistant," Zhao Yulu said.


    "Really?" Li Minmin''s eyes lit up.


    "Yes," Zhao Yulu naturally understood what Li Minmin was thinking, "Min Min, don''t worry. Once I have established myself in the newpany, I will suggest to Sister Ting to bring you over."


    "Yeah, yeah, Yu Lu, thank you," Li Minmin nodded again and again, very happy.


    Zhao Yulu would be her backer in the future.


    With a backer, one could be promoted and get a raise.


    Otherwise, one may just remain a small employee for life.


    "This is our opportunity to be strong women in the workce, and in the future, we can be independent without relying on anyone," Zhao Yulu said.


    "Yeah, yeah," Li Minmin nodded repeatedly in agreement. Now that her future work was settled, she rxed and asked curiously, "Yu Lu, Tao Yingjun only vaguely mentioned your affair with Xu Yang. Could you tell me the details? If it makes you ufortable, you don''t have to say."


    "There''s nothing ufortable about it." Having talked with Han Mengting in the afternoon, Zhao Yulu had already let go of the past. She spoke of it with utter tranquility, "When I broke up with Xu Yang, there were reasons on my side and also because of family influences."


    "My mother and father divorced when I was very young. I lived with my mother, and my sister lived with my father."


    "My mom is quite mercenary and remarried a man who was somewhat wealthy."


    "Living with my mom, I was inevitably influenced by her. While studying, I didn''t feel it mattered, but after graduating, it was different."


    "Actually, it''s not that I had to break up with Xu Yang right after graduation; after all, we had so many years of feelings for each other."


    "But my mom would nag me every day about Xu Yang''s shorings, saying he was penniless, came from a small ce, would struggle to establish himself in the big city, and even if he could afford a house, he would carry a mortgage for a lifetime. She also said how a woman should be."


    "My stepfather also didn''t want me to continue dating Xu Yang but hoped I would meet some rich second generations, marry one, and help with his business."


    "They kept criticizing Xu Yang, talking my ear off till I was sick of it, and it influenced me, making me feel that Xu Yang indeed would have a hard time getting settled in Jiangcheng."


    "So, that''s how I ended up breaking up with Xu Yang."


    "On one hand, I wasn''t firm enough, and on the other, family issues yed a part."


    "After I broke up with Xu Yang, he got together with my sister."


    "My sister said she had always liked Xu Yang and confessed to him after we split up."


    "Just like that, Xu Yang and my sister got together and even got their marriage certificate."


    Zhao Yulu was talking about this matter in detail to someone else for the first time.


    It was only because she had let go that she could speak of it.


    She hade to view Li Minmin as someone she could confide in.


    Being able to talk about it showed that she had truly moved on.


    "So Xu Yang being with your sister like that, the two of them must not have had much affection, right?" Li Minmin asked.


    If there was affection, Xu Yang would have been a scumbag.


    "At first, they probably didn''t have much affection, butter on, he must have fallen in love with my sister," Zhao Yulu said.


    "I see," Li Minmin nodded.


    "Seeing Xu Yang be so sessful, at first, I didn''t think much of it, butter on, I regretted it," Zhao Yulu said.


    "I would have regretted it too," Li Minmin said.


    A billionaire, just slipped away.


    Anyone would regret missing out on that.


    "But I don''t feel that way now," Zhao Yulu said.


    "You''ve let go?" Li Minmin asked.


    "Yeah, I''ve let go. Today, I called Sister Ting and she gave me some advice, and it was then that I truly let go," Zhao Yulu nodded.


    "What did she say?" Li Minmin asked.


    "She said my choice wasn''t wrong; it''s just that now Xu Yang has be a billionaire, and it''s normal for everyone tough at me for that."


    "If Xu Yang hadn''t been sessful, or if I had found a boyfriend richer than Xu Yang, thoseughs would not have existed."


    "What I need to do is not to dwell on what I''ve lost because what''s gone can nevere back. I have to learn to let go and focus on the future."


    "Actually, for most women, relying on a man can be unreliable. A woman can only truly take control of her life by being self-reliant and having her own career."


    Zhao Yulu didn''t repeat Han Mengting''s exact words but shared her own understanding.


    "You''ve said it well, women should indeed have their own careers and not just rely on men. Self-reliance is most reliable. No wonder Sister Ting became a high-ranking executive at Penguin while still so young."


    Li Minmin was very envious of strong women like Han Mengting. If only she could be such a powerful woman, that would be wonderful.


    "That''s why, as Sister Ting''s assistant this time, I will learn as much as I can from her and strive to be a strong woman like her in the future. Even without a man, I can still live well," Zhao Yulu said.


    "Yeah, me too. When I go work at the newpany with you, I''ll definitely work hard to do my job well and strive to be a strong woman," Li Minmin waved her hand.


    "As long as we''re willing to work hard, we can make it. What many peopleck are opportunities, and since we have them, we must seize them," Zhao Yulu said.


    "Yeah, let''s work hard together," Li Minmin nodded repeatedly.

 Chapter 265 Dont Like to Borrow Money

    Before one knew it.


    A week had passed.


    Jiang Zhiyong reported to Xu Yang, saying that the securitypany had been established and was now officially on the right track.


    "Take me to see it."


    Xu Yang and Jiang Zhiyong went to the securitypany together.


    Because a training ground was needed, the securitypany was located in the suburbs.


    Through Jiang Zhiyong''s introduction, it turned out that this ce used to be the location of another securitypany.


    That securitypany had been poorly managed and went bankrupt.


    Jiang Zhiyong had taken it over just in time, including quite a few of the security personnel.


    In recent times, Jiang Zhiyong had been mainly busy renovating and rebuilding to make it the way he wanted.


    After all, he was a special forces soldier turned a mercenary.


    Such a person would not be found in a regr securitypany.


    His management and training methods were different from others'' and required some modifications.


    After everything had been sorted out, Jiang Zhiyong then came to report to Xu Yang.


    Xu Yang walked around and felt it was good.


    In fact, he wasn''t very knowledgeable about this area, but he thought thepany''s security staff seemed in good shape.


    Thepany''s logistical staff also appeared to be working well.


    That was sufficient; there was no need to manage so much.


    He trusted Jiang Zhiyong, and it was enough to leave the management to him.


    It''s worth mentioning that he had given twenty percent of the shares of the securitypany to Jiang Zhiyong.


    For talent like Jiang Zhiyong, preferential treatment was necessary.


    It could strengthen Jiang Zhiyong''s sense of belonging.


    He certainly didn''t hope that Jiang Zhiyong would switch to anotherpany over money.


    He believed that the sry he offered, along with the twenty percent of shares, would allow Jiang Zhiyong to work with peace of mind and give his all to thepany.


    Before Xu Yang left, Jiang Zhiyong said, "President Xu, I''d like to ask for some time off. There''s a discount on an apartmentplex, and today''s thest day of the discount period. I''d like to go this afternoon to see if there''s a suitable apartment."


    Jiang Zhiyong had worked as a mercenary abroad for a few years and had saved quite a bit of money.


    The apartmentplex he mentioned wasn''t a high-end area, and the discount meant buying an apartment outright shouldn''t be an issue.


    "Sure," Xu Yang naturally had no objections.


    ...


    In the afternoon.


    Jiang Zhiyong went to see apartments.


    Upon arriving at the sales department, a female sales associate received him and showed him around.


    After looking at several apartments, he chose one of them.


    The full price was six million, with a ten percent discount for a total of five million four hundred thousand.


    This left Jiang Zhiyong somewhat taken aback.


    He only had five million.


    He had thought that buying an apartment outright wouldn''t be a problem.


    To his surprise, even with the discount, he was still forty thousand short.


    "Can the price go any lower? I don''t have enough money, just five million, and I''m forty thousand short," Jiang Zhiyong said somewhat embarrassedly.


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Jiang, this is already the lowest discount, only avable during the promotion period. Otherwise, our property''s apartments are not discounted," the sales associate Song Sihui said.


    "Can''t go any lower, huh." Jiang Zhiyong scratched his head.


    "Mr. Zhiyong, if you don''t have enough money, you can take out a loan. As long as you provide proof of employment and ie, getting a loan is quite easy," she offered.


    Song Sihui offered an apologetic smile, suggesting that Jiang Zhiyong take out a loan to buy a house.


    "I won''t take out a loan, the interest on loans is too high. It''s just like working for the bank," Jiang Zhiyong shook his head.


    Even though he earned a million a year, he wasn''t willing to be ughtered by the bank.


    "Mr. Jiang, actually taking out a loan isn''t as bad as you think. If you get a loan, the money that you don''t need can be invested. As long as the investment is sound, it''s quite easy to recoup the interest," Song Sihui exined.


    "That''s still working for the bank," Jiang Zhiyong shook his head again, "Besides, you mentioned that only a sound investment can recoup the cost. What if the investment fails? I could lose the principal too. I don''t understand much about investing, and there''s a high probability of failure with investments."


    Song Sihui was somewhat at a loss for words. This man was truly stubborn.


    However, Jiang Zhiyong''s obstinacy gave her a different kind of feeling.


    "Mr. Jiang, you could ask friends for a loan, then pay it backter. There''s no interest between friends, right?"


    In Song Sihui''s view, Jiang Zhiyong being able to put down five million meant he was no ordinary man.


    An ordinary person couldn''te up with five million. They''d make a down payment and take out a loan to buy a house. Discover exclusive tales on m,v l''e-NovelBin


    It''s said that birds of a feather flock together. If Jiang Zhiyong coulde up with five million, his friends probably weren''t far behind. Borrowing a few hundred thousand should be a breeze.


    "I don''t like borrowing money from others," Jiang Zhiyong said as he shook his head.


    He had been a mercenary, and his brothers in the mercenary team were wealthy.


    Just one phone call and borrowing a few hundred thousand or a million wasn''t a problem.


    But he really wasn''t used to borrowing money.


    "Mr. Jiang, if you don''t want a loan and don''t want to borrow money, what other methods do you see?" asked Song Sihui.


    "Wait a moment. Let me ask my boss to see if I can get an advance on half a year''s sry," Jiang Zhiyong said.


    "Alright," remarked Song Sihui, a bit shocked, and immediately nodded in agreement.


    This man could manage to get four hundred thousand by advancing half a year''s sry; he definitely was a high executive in a big conglomerate.


    It was hard to tell at a nce.


    No matter how she looked at Jiang Zhiyong, he didn''t resemble a high executive.


    At the very least, the high executives she had met inpanies didn''t look like Jiang Zhiyong.


    Jiang Zhiyong took out his phone and dialed Xu Yang''s number.


    The call connected quickly.


    Jiang Zhiyong said, "Mr. Xu, I''m looking at houses in Sunshine Community and I''ve found one I like. The house is discounted to five million and four hundred thousand, but I only have five million. I wanted to ask if I could get an advance on half a year''s sry. I know it''s not quite appropriate to ask you this, but I''ve run out of options."


    Xu Yang replied, "Old Jiang, there''s nothing inappropriate about it. Advancing your sry is definitely not a problem. Don''t even mention half a year''s sry, even if you need an advance for a full year, it would be okay."


    Jiang Zhiyong expressed his gratitude, "Thank you, Mr. Xu."


    He made the call because he thought Xu Yang was an approachable boss.


    And the call had indeed been the right move.


    "Old Jiang, you mentioned you''re looking at houses in Sunshine Community? Isn''t that near the Century Garden where I live, in thatmunity?" asked Xu Yang.


    "Yes, that''s the one," Jiang Zhiyong replied.


    "You mentioned advancing half a year''s sry; is it because you''re a few hundred thousand short?" Xu Yang asked again.


    "Yes, I''m short by four hundred thousand," Jiang Zhiyong replied.


    "I remember that Sunshine Community is developed by Jiang City''s real estate tycoon Lan Penghua," Xu Yangmented.


    "I wouldn''t know about that," Jiang Zhiyong hadn''t researched this information.


    "You''re still in the sales office, right? Ask the salesperson who''s attending to you if it''s a property developed by the real estate tycoon Lan Penghua. I want to confirm this," Xu Yang instructed.


    "Mr. Xu, why are you asking this?" Jiang Zhiyong was puzzled.


    It was just a sry advance; was there a need to ask this?


    The two issues seemed unrted.


    "Old Jiang, here''s the thing. The real estate tycoon Lan Penghua lives in the samemunity as I do, and I know him quite well. If it''s really his development, I''ll see if I can get you an even bigger discount. That way, you won''t need to advance your sry and you could save some money," said Xu Yang.


    Helping Jiang Zhiyong this way, Xu Yang also aimed for Jiang Zhiyong to remember his kindness.


    After all, as a bodyguard, loyalty was extremely important.

 Chapter 266: Chapter 266 Yao Qingfeng

    "Just wait a moment, I''ll ask," Jiang Zhiyong said with some joy. If he could get an additional discount and not have to get an advance on his sry, that would be even better. So he asked the female sales representative, Song Sihui, "Miss Song, is the boss of this property development the real estate tycoon Lan Penghua?"


    "Yes, Mr. Jiang, do you know our boss?" Song Sihui was somewhat surprised.


    "I don''t know him, but my boss does," Jiang Zhiyong said with a smile, speaking into the phone, "Mr. Xu, this property is indeed developed by Lan Penghua."


    "You tell me, how much is the price of the house you''re interested in?" Xu Yang asked.


    "The price is six million, but today there''s a discount, 10% off, so it''s five million four hundred thousand," Jiang Zhiyong replied truthfully.


    "Okay, I got it. Wait a moment, I''ll give Lan Penghua a call and see if he can give you a further discount. If he doesn''t give you a discount, I''ll wire you the money," Xu Yang said.


    "Alright, thank you, Mr. Xu," Jiang Zhiyong said gratefully.


    After hanging up, Jiang Zhiyong said to Song Sihui, "Miss Song, my boss knows your boss. He''s going to ask if he can get me a further discount. Please wait a bit longer."


    "Sure," Song Sihui nodded, then curiously asked, "Mr. Jiang, may I ask who your boss is?"


    "My boss is Xu Yang," Jiang Zhiyong replied.


    "Xu Yang, that name sounds familiar," Song Sihui remarked.


    "My boss is the owner of Jiang Bottom-Up," Jiang Zhiyong said.


    Xu Yang had manypanies, but the most famous were Fengcai Guild and Jiang Bottom-Up.


    Among them, Jiang Bottom-Up was more famous.


    After all, Fengcai Guild was just one live broadcasting guild on Douyin.


    To be honest, not even all Douyin users knew of Fengcai Guild.


    But Jiang Bottom-Up was different; it could be said to be known to everyone.


    "What, your boss is the owner of Jiang Bottom-Up?!" Song Sihui was shocked.


    She hadn''t expected that the boss of the man standing before her was the owner of Jiang Bottom-Up.


    It was said that the owner of Jiang Bottom-Up was an investment genius, and many big yers in the business world valued Xu Yang highly.


    The richest man, Wang Dalin, even favored Xu Yang greatly.


    Xu Yang and Wang Dalin''s son, Wang Xiaocong, were like brothers.


    Jiang Zhiyong being able to talk to Xu Yang like this, discussing an advance on his sry, must mean that he was someone Xu Yang trusted greatly.


    No wonder Jiang Zhiyong could affords a five million property.


    Now, she looked at Jiang Zhiyong differently.


    At that moment, Jiang Zhiyong''s phone rang; it was Xu Yang calling.


    "Mr. Xu, how did it go?" Jiang Zhiyong answered the call.


    "I spoke with Lan Penghua, he said he''ll give you a 50% discount. That way, you won''t need to get an advance on your sry, and you''ll even save some money," Xu Yang said on the phone.


    Xu Yang had just called Lan Penghua and exined the situation, emphasizing that he valued Jiang Zhiyong greatly.


    Lan Penghua was already intent on making connections with Xu Yang, so given this opportunity, he directly offered to sell at half price.


    Xu Yang naturally appreciated Lan Penghua''s kind gesture.


    At worst, he would bring Lan Penghua along for an investment in the future to return the favor.


    For him, this was no big deal.


    He had said that, given the chance, he would include the other party in investments, leaving him pleasantly surprised.


    Actually, Lan Penghua had been waiting exactly for those words from Xu Yang.


    Considering that the real estate industry was not easy at the moment, Lan had been thinking about getting involved in something else.


    However, in recent years, his investments inpanies in other industries hadn''t made any money, and he had actually lost quite a bit.


    It was rumored that Xu Yang had a particrly keen eye for investments, with projects he took interest in often yielding astonishing returns.


    Adhering to Xu Yang was sure to bring in money.


    Yet, his only interaction with Xu Yang had been a brief encounter at a property owners'' meeting, and there wasn''t anything Lan could coborate on with Xu Yang, making it difficult for him to seek out Xu Yang.


    Without coboration, such a visit would bear little fruit.


    Only when something benefited both parties could their rtionship really progress.


    Just like Zhang Songxuan from Yonghui Supermarket, which has a partnership with Fengcai Guild.


    Zhang Songxuan''s rtionship with Xu Yang is pretty good now.


    Sometimes when meeting with Zhang Songxuan, this guy would boast about his connection with Xu Yang, which made him seethe with envy and jealousy.


    "Such a low discount!" Jiang Zhiyong was somewhat shocked.


    He thought that getting a 20% discount would already be good.


    As long as he got a 20% discount, six multiplied by eight is forty-eight; four hundred eighty thousand¡ªhis money would suffice.


    But unexpectedly, the discount went straight to 50%.


    That would only be three million.


    "Hmm, you can save some money; the sales manager wille to find you, I have told him about your clothing and physical features, just wait at the sales center," said Xu Yang.


    "Okay, thank you, President Xu," Jiang Zhiyong said.


    "Don''t mention it, let''s leave it at that, I''m hanging up," said Xu Yang.


    Jiang Zhiyong hung up and turned to Song Sihui, saying, "Miss Song, my boss has negotiated a 50% discount for me; they said your manager woulde shortly and we''ll proceed with the paperwork then."


    "Fifty percent, such a low discount!" Song Sihui eximed in shock.


    "It must be because our boss is quite familiar with your boss; it''s me who has gotten the advantage," said Song Sihui.


    The two waited in the lounge area.


    Amid their conversation, a man''s voice rang out.


    "Are you Jiang Zhiyong?"


    Jiang Zhiyong turned his head and saw a man of the same age on the side, his arm around a woman''s waist.


    "You''re Yao Qingfeng?" Jiang Zhiyong squinted his eyes.


    "Yes, it''s me. You really are Jiang Zhiyong, I truly didn''t expect to meet you here," Yao Qingfeng said with a smile.


    "Neither did I," Jiang Zhiyong replied in a t tone, without the joy of meeting a familiar face.


    Yao Qingfeng was his high school ssmate.


    The two had some disagreements back in high school, stemming from adolescent squabbles between boys and girls.


    Jiang Zhiyong, tall and handsome, as well as a basketball star, was very popr with female ssmates.


    A girl that Yao Qingfeng liked, however, was fond of Jiang Zhiyong, which irked Yao Qingfeng.


    Yao Qingfeng then sought the help of local thugs to beat up Jiang Zhiyong.


    Though tall and strong, Jiang Zhiyong was no match for several thugs in a fight and was beaten quite badly.


    Jiang Zhiyong wasn''t one to hold grudges, and he resented Yao Qingfeng for the fight, but as time passed, he let it go and didn''t keep dwelling on it.


    But after high school graduation, Yao Qingfeng arranged for another beating.


    At that time, he was with his sister, and Yao Qingfeng even pped her.


    That drove Jiang Zhiyong over the edge.


    His reckless determination frightened the thugs, who couldn''t hold him back.


    He ended up giving Yao Qingfeng a thorough beating, leaving him bedridden for a week; he had avenged his sister.


    Even though he had gotten revenge, Jiang Zhiyong hadn''t let go of the matter.


    Yao Qingfeng hitting him was one thing, but hitting his sister was uneptable.


    So, seeing Yao Qingfeng, Jiang Zhiyong naturally wouldn''t show any pleasantries.


    Speaking of which, his decision to join the military was also rted to the two times Yao Qingfeng got thugs to bully him.


    He joined the military during his first year of college. Explore stories at m,v l''e-NovelBin


    "Jiang Zhiyong, I heard you went to join the army, is that right?" Yao Qingfeng asked with a grin, sitting opposite Jiang Zhiyong with the woman.


    "Yes," Jiang Zhiyong responded coolly.


    He had told a few close friends about joining the army.


    It wasn''t surprising that Yao Qingfeng knew this.


    However, he hadn''t been in contact with his ssmates for a long time.


    He asionally kept in touch when serving in the domestic military.


    Afterward, when he went abroad to be a mercenary, all contacts had ceased.


    Having just returned recently and not quite settled yet, he hadn''t reached out to his old friends.

 Chapter 267: Chapter 267 Dont Mess Around

    "I haven''t heard from you in so many years, you haven''t been in the army all this time, have you?" Yao Qingfeng asked.


    "No," Jiang Zhiyong shook his head.


    "So what did you do after that?" Jiang Zhiyong''s eyes lit up, and he immediately pressed on with his questions.


    He asked these questions because he wanted to bring up this topic, to find out what Jiang Zhiyong had been doing.


    In his eyes, someone like Jiang Zhiyong who had been a soldier definitely didn''t have much to show for it.


    After leaving the service, if they weren''t working as security guards, they were doing some other ordinary job.


    He had to get to the bottom of it so he could show off.


    Back in school, he could find someone to beat up Jiang Zhiyong, but now that wasn''t an option. Find adventures at m_v l|e-NovelBin


    Otherwise, Jiang Zhiyong, who had served in the military, might just beat him to a pulp.


    That wasn''t the way of things now.


    Having money was the ultimate, and being richer than Jiang Zhiyong was a way to strike at him.


    "What I went off to do isn''t really your business, is it?" Jiang Zhiyong didn''t feel like disclosing his stint as a mercenary abroad.


    "Jiang Zhiyong, you''re being no fun. We did have some unpleasantness in high school, but we were hot-blooded youths. You can''t still hold a grudge against me, right? I mean, you did beat me up so bad I was bedridden for a week," Yao Qingfeng said.


    "Holding a grudge or not, that''s all in the past. We don''t have any sort of rtionship, and I don''t see any need to tell you what I''ve been up to," Jiang Zhiyong said bluntly.


    Yao Qingfeng felt somewhat annoyed.


    Without knowing what Jiang Zhiyong did for a living, he couldn''t use that information to undermine Jiang Zhiyong and show off in front of him.


    At this moment, the woman beside him spoke up.


    "Honey, why ask him what he does? If he doesn''t want to say, just let it be. Besides, look at his clothes¡ªhe''s obviously not doing too well. A lot of ex-soldiers like to work as security guards; I bet that''s what he''s doing," she said.


    At her words, Yao Qingfeng''s eyes gleamed.


    Indeed, if Jiang Zhiyong didn''t want to say, that was fine.


    Given how Jiang Zhiyong was dressed, he surely wasn''t doing too well.


    It was highly likely he had be a security guard.


    "Jiang Zhiyong, what job are you doing now? You''re not really working as a security guard, are you?" Yao Qingfeng asked bluntly.


    "Sort of," Jiang Zhiyong replied casually.


    He was a bodyguard, and also the chief instructor and general manager of a securitypany.


    Naturally, that wasn''t the same as being an ordinary security guard.


    But he couldn''t be bothered to engage with an arrogant man; of course, he wouldn''t reveal all this.


    Salesperson Song Sihui next to them blinked, sensing Jiang Zhiyong was certainly not telling the truth.


    A security guard?


    Could a person working as a security guard pull out five million in cash to buy a house?


    Could he just call Xu Yang and get an advance on half a year''s sry of four hundred thousand?


    Could a security guard be so valued by the boss of Jiang Bottom Fish Xu Yang that he personally phoned her boss to get the house for half-price?


    That was absolutely impossible.


    However, as an outsider, it wasn''t her ce to butt in.


    "Hehe, so you really went on to be a security guard," Yao Qingfeng said with a sneering smile. "Jiang Zhiyong, a security guard''s sry is around four to five thousand a month, right? I may not be much, but I''ve opened a smallpany that makes seven or eight hundred thousand a year. Mypany also needs a security guard.


    If you''re willing to work with me, I can fire the current one and double your sry. What do you say?"


    If Jiang Zhiyong came to work as a security guard for hispany, that would be amusing.


    He would be able to look down on Jiang Zhiyong all the time.


    That thought, just thinking about it, was thrilling.


    Back then, Jiang Zhiyong had beaten him up so badly he couldn''t get out of bed for a week. He hadn''t forgotten that.


    Revenge served this way was quite satisfying.


    "Not very appealing," Jiang Zhiyong shook his head.


    What a joke.


    He was earning a million a year; why would he go to some small broken-downpany to work as a security guard for ten thousand a month?


    Yao Qingfeng, the small-time boss, didn''t even make as much as he did.


    "I''m offering a sry of ten thousand, and you''re still not satisfied?" Yao Qingfeng frowned and lectured, "Jiang Zhiyong, let me tell you, in this society, it''s fine to care about face, but you shouldn''t let pride get in the way of making money. You earn a few thousand a month as a security guard while I''m offering you ten thousand. Why can''t you put aside your pride to earn money?"


    Jiang Zhiyong gave Yao Qingfeng a nce but said nothing.


    He hade to understand what this guy was up to by talking so much.


    "Jiang Zhiyong, why are you looking at me like that? Am I wrong?"


    "In today''s society, making money is the ultimate goal."


    "Look at me. Although I can earn close to a million a year and am considered somewhat sessful among high school ssmates,"


    "I''m nothingpared to many big bosses."


    "In front of those tycoons, don''t I still have to ster a smile on my face?"


    "I offered you a job at mypany for your own good. You can''t be a security guard earning just a few thousand dors a month forever."


    "You should really consider it, or you''ll regret missing this opportunity."


    Yao Qingfeng tried his best to persuade Jiang Zhiyong to work for hispany.


    "There''s no need to consider. I won''t regret it," Jiang Zhiyong shook his head and said.


    "If you don''t want the opportunity I''m offering, that''s fine. Anyway, what are you doing here?" Yao Qingfeng asked.


    "What else would I be doing here if not buying a house?" Jiang Zhiyong said somewhat speechlessly. Wasn''t that a pointless question?


    Who woulde to this ce for no reason if not to look at houses?


    "Buying a house? Do you have the money to buy a house?" Yao Qingfeng was astonished.


    This guy is just a security guard; where would he get the money to buy a house?


    Jiang Zhiyong nced over and couldn''t be bothered to respond.


    "Hey Jiang Zhiyong, what do you mean by that? I asked you a question, would it kill you to answer?" Yao Qingfeng was getting annoyed.


    "What do you think I mean? If I don''t have the money to buy a house, why would Ie here? Isn''t what you''re asking nonsense?" Jiang Zhiyong said.


    "You..." Yao Qingfeng''s anger surged, but he didn''t know how to retort right away.


    "Honey, buying a house now is rtively easy. I''ve had a look, and with just a 10% down payment, you can buy a house. The cheapest one here is only four to five million; with a 20% down payment, that''s just four to five hundred thousand. He has been a security guard for so many years; he must have saved some money.


    Borrowing a bit from rtives and friends, he can totally afford a house," the woman beside Yao Qingfeng said.


    "You''re right," Yao Qingfeng couldn''t help nodding in agreement.


    Song Sihui''s expression turned a bit odd.


    These two didn''t understand the actual situation at all. They simply believed that Jiang Zhiyong was a security guard and pretended as much in his presence, which was preposterous.


    She had seen others pretend before.


    Those people would at least find out the other person''s circumstances before putting on an act.


    "Oh, I just thought of something. I heard your sister married a man from Jiangcheng, you must have borrowed quite a bit of money from her, right?"


    "You protected your sister so much back then, and now you have finally gotten a return from her. That''s pretty good," Yao Qingfeng said with a sneer.


    "I warn you, don''t bring up my sister, or I''ll find it hard not to hit you, and no one can stop me."


    Jiang Zhiyong''s expression turned cold, his gaze sharp as a knife.


    Of course, he hadn''t borrowed his sister''s money, nor did he need to.


    Actually, when his sister got married and bought a house, he even gave his sister three million.


    His sister did marry a man from Jiangcheng, but the man came from an average family.


    They even had to take out a loan to buy a marital home.


    He gave his sister three million so she could buy the house outright.


    Yao Qingfeng had pped his sister once, and he would never forget that.


    Even though he had beaten Yao Qingfeng half to death in retaliation at the time, he still remembered it.


    His family was his Achilles'' heel, especially his sister.


    If anyone disrespected his sister, he was willing to risk everything.


    "Stop messing around, I won''t say it anymore,"


    With Jiang Zhiyong''s knife-like gaze on him, Yao Qingfeng felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave, his heart trembling.


    He didn''t doubt Jiang Zhiyong''s words in the slightest. If he really angered Jiang Zhiyong, he might actually throw caution to the wind and attack him.


    He definitely didn''t want to be beaten half to death by Jiang Zhiyong again.

 Chapter 268 The Manager Arrives

    "Jiang Zhiyong, you haven''t signed the contract yet, have you?" Yao Qingfeng asked.


    "Not yet," Jiang Zhiyong replied indifferently.


    "Regardless of our past rtionship, I really want to advise you, with your situation, it''s best not to buy a house."


    "You only make a few thousand yuan a month, and after paying the mortgage, there won''t be much left."


    "And with the mortgagesting for decades, by the time you finish paying it off, your life will pretty much be over, as if you''ve spent your entire life working for the property developers and the bank."


    "For someone like you, it might be better to rent, and when you get old, just move back to the countryside. There you have a house, and the costs are lower."


    "If you had that money saved in the bank, you wouldn''t know how well you could live."


    "You''re not like me, although I''m also buying a house with a loan, I''ll pay a fifty percent down payment, and the mortgage will only be for ten years, which is absolutely pressure-free."


    "I would never spend my lifetime working for the bank and the property developers."


    "It''s just that I need to keep some funds to sustain thepany''s operations; otherwise, paying in full would not be a problem for me."


    On the surface, Yao Qingfeng seemed to be advising Jiang Zhiyong, but in reality, he was just showing off himself.


    "Oh," Jiang Zhiyong responded indifferently.


    "You look like you''re not listening, but it doesn''t matter; I''ve said what I needed to, I''ve done my duty as an old ssmate," Yao Qingfeng said pretentiously.


    "Thank you," Jiang Zhiyong said.


    At this moment, the male sales attendant who was serving Yao Qingfeng came over with the contract for Yao Qingfeng to process.


    "Why hasn''t your manager arrived yet?" Jiang Zhiyong asked Song Sihui.


    "I''m not sure, I''ll give them a call," Song Sihui said, taking out her cell phone to make a call.


    "Sihui, what do you need the manager for?" the male sales attendant serving Yao Qingfeng asked Song Sihui.


    Yao Qingfeng was carefully reading the contract, and with nothing else to do, he simply asked.


    "Mr. Jiang here is buying a house, and the boss is giving a discount; I need the manager to confirm it before I can let him sign," Song Sihui exined.


    Song Sihui couldn''t just give Jiang Zhiyong a fifty percent discount based on a single phone call.


    If Jiang Zhiyong was a scammer, staging a scam in front of her, she would have nowhere to cry.


    "A discount from the boss?" the male sales attendant eximed, surprised and uncertain as he nced at Jiang Zhiyong, "Sihui, you''re not kidding, are you? Does this gentleman know our boss?"


    Pfft!


    Yao Qingfeng, who was reading the contract, burst outughing.


    "Thisdy, are you mistaken? Your boss is the real estate king of Jiang City, would he give a discount to a security guard?" Yao Qingfeng shook his head and chuckled, then looked at Jiang Zhiyong, "Tell me, Jiang Zhiyong, as a security guard, what makes you think you''re eligible for a discount from Jiang City''s real estate king?


    Have you been a security guard so long that you feel there''s no way out, so you''ve started to swindle and deceive?"


    Jiang Zhiyong nced at Yao Qingfeng but said nothing.


    "What''s the matter, hit the nail on the head? Got nothing to say? Someone else might be fooled by you, but with me here, you definitely won''t seed. I know everything about you. It would be better for you to leave now, else with such deceit, you''re looking at jail time, you know that?" Yao Qingfeng rambled on.


    "Whether I''m swindling or not is not for you to judge," Jiang Zhiyong felt this guy was really annoying.


    "Heh, I don''t want to meddle, but when I see you deceiving people, I have to expose you. People like you are the dregs of society; without people like you, our society would be so much better," Yao Qingfeng said.


    "Our manager has arrived," just then, Song Sihui saw the managering in through the main entrance.


    That the manager wasing from outside through the main entrance meant that he must have been out, which exined why it took so long for him to appear.


    The manager scanned the sales office and his gazended on Jiang Zhiyong.


    The boss had described Jiang Zhiyong''s features and the style of clothes he wore; it must be this man.


    The manager quickly walked up to Jiang Zhiyong, a smile breaking across his face: "Hello, may I ask if you''re Mr. Jiang Zhiyong?"


    "That''s me," Jiang Zhiyong nodded slightly.


    ```


    "Mr. Jiang, I''m Pan Xinhui, the manager of the sales department. I''m sorry, I was out handling some business just now, and once I received a call from the boss, I immediately rushed back, but it still took quite some time. I apologize for making you wait so long."


    ```


    Pan Xinhui''s face was full of apologies, and his attitude was exceedingly respectful.


    At this point, Song Sihui waspletely certain that Jiang Zhiyong was someone who could get a fifty percent discount from the boss.


    "What''s going on? Manager Pan, is it? Does this guy know your boss?" Yao Qingfeng was utterly baffled by Pan Xinhui''s attitude, his face a picture of disbelief.


    "May I ask who you are?" Pan Xinhui looked at Yao Qingfeng, frowning slightly.


    Whether he knew the boss or not was none of your business.


    However, he wouldn''t bluntly say that; first, he would ask for the other party''s identity.


    "I''m here to buy a house," Yao Qingfeng stated confidently.


    A customer who wants to buy a house is a client, and a client is king.


    Yao Qingfeng felt he had every reason to speak with his back straight in front of the manager of the sales department.


    "Oh, so you''re here to buy a house. I wee you to do so; however, whether Mr. Jiang knows our boss or not seems to have nothing to do with you, does it?" Pan Xinhui said, puzzled.


    "I''m his high school ssmate, and I know all about him. He used to be a soldier and then worked as a security guard. A person like him, how could he possibly know your boss? Don''t be fooled by him," Yao Qingfeng said.


    "I see, it seems you might not be very aware of Mr. Jiang''s current situation," Pan Xinhuimented upon hearing Yao Qingfeng''s words, now having a pretty good idea of the situation.


    This fellow, although a high school ssmate of Jiang Zhiyong''s, must not get along with him.


    Moreover, his knowledge about Jiang Zhiyong was stuck in the past.


    He wasn''t at all aware of Jiang Zhiyong''s present situation; otherwise, he wouldn''t speak like this.


    You must know, the boss had made it very clear when he called.


    Jiang Zhiyong was someone the boss of Jiang Di Lao valued greatly and instructed him to ensure that Jiang received excellent service.


    A fifty percent discount was an unprecedented concession.


    Who the boss of Jiang Di Lao was, by now, anyone with some status knew.


    Just with Jiang Di Lao alone, Xu Yang had be a billionaire, not to mention thepanies and projects he had invested in.


    Even Wang, the wealthiest man, regarded Xu Yang with respect. There were even reports that Xu Yang had been seen in high spirits discussing with Wang and the owner of Byte Walking Company, Zhang Yimin.


    Xu Yang, along with Wang Xiaocong and Jiang Yuheng, one of the top rich second-generations in Jiang City, were as close as brothers.


    Could someone Xu Yang ced such importance on be an ordinary person?


    This guy actually thought Jiang Zhiyong was a security guard; it wasughable and showed apleteck of awareness.


    "Not clear? That''s impossible," Yao Qingfeng was somewhat stunned, "Does he really know your boss?"


    "Not know?" Yao Qingfeng shook his head.


    It was Jiang Zhiyong''s boss who knew their boss; Jiang Zhiyong didn''t know him.


    "Since he doesn''t know him, why would your boss give him a discount?" Yao Qingfeng waspletely puzzled.


    Could it be that the brain of a real estate tycoon got kicked by a donkey?


    "Mr. Jiang, may I talk about your situation?" Pan Xinhui sought Jiang Zhiyong''s opinion.


    He knew how to conduct himself in business; some impressive people liked to keep a low profile and did not want their affairs disclosed.


    If he blurted out the details without Jiang Zhiyong''s consent, that would offend him.


    This was a valued guest that the boss had instructed him to treat well. Offending Jiang Zhiyong would be a disaster for him.


    The boss had said this person was key to bridging the gap between the boss and Xu Yang.


    ```

 Chapter 269 No More Buying

    "Speak up," Jiang Zhiyong had no intention of letting Yao Qingfeng know about his affairs, but this guy Yao Qingfeng was really annoying.


    Making fun of me and showing off in front of me is one thing.


    Just now, it even escted to using me of cheating and swindling.


    Since that''s the case, let Pan Xinhui spell it out and p Yao Qingfeng''s face hard.


    "Okay," Pan Xinhui nodded slightly and looked at Yao Qingfeng, "Sir, Mr. Jiang may not know our boss, but his boss knows our boss."


    "What does that mean? His boss knows your boss, so you give him a discount?" Yao Qingfeng was somewhat puzzled.


    "Yes," Pan Xinhui nodded.


    "I still don''t understand," Yao Qingfeng said,pletely baffled.


    "Let me exin, Mr. Jiang is highly valued by his boss. When he came to buy a house, he was paying in full, but was just a little short. When his boss found out, he called our boss to ask for a discount, and our boss gave a fifty percent discount straight away. Do you understand now?" Pan Xinhui exined patiently.


    "What, a fifty percent discount!" Yao Qingfeng was staggeringly shocked.


    You should know that the recent promotion at Sunshine Residence was just a ten percent discount.


    A ten percent discount had already driven many people crazy.


    A five million dor house could save several hundred thousand.


    A fifty percent discount would mean saving two to three million.


    "Wait, you just said he was paying for the house in full? That would mean paying five million at once? Just slightly short, doesn''t that mean he has five million?" Yao Qingfeng questioned further.


    "Yes," Pan Xinhui nodded in response.


    "How is that possible, he''s just a security guard, how could he have so much money?" Yao Qingfeng was bing somewhat hysterical.


    Even he couldn''t produce five million so easily.


    How can this guy, just a security guard, have so much money?


    Jiang Zhiyong''s sister married into a family in Jiang City, but it was said that the family was very ordinary, they couldn''t possibly lend Jiang Zhiyong so much money.


    "I cannot answer that question for you; that should be Mr. Jiang''s privacy. That''s why I said you seem to be quite unaware of Mr. Jiang''s current situation," Pan Xinhui stated.


    "Where did you get all that money?" Yao Qingfeng stared intently at Jiang Zhiyong.


    Thinking back on how he had bragged in front of Jiang Zhiyong, paying a fifty percent down payment and being smug about it, Yao Qingfeng felt a burning shame on his cheeks.


    But he still had to ask the question.


    He wanted to figure out how Jiang Zhiyong could have so much money.


    "Sorry, noment," Jiang Zhiyong didn''t want to say he had earned it as a mercenary.


    It was unnecessary to let Yao Qingfeng know, to avoid otherplications.


    "Then who is your boss?" Yao Qingfeng pressed on.


    Jiang Zhiyong''s boss being able to get a real estate tycoon to give Jiang Zhiyong a discount indicated no small status, he wanted to find out exactly who it was.


    "I can tell you that, my boss is named Xu Yang," Jiang Zhiyong said.


    "Xu Yang? That name seems familiar," Yao Qingfeng furrowed his brow.


    "It seems like the owner of Fengcai Guild and the Jiang Bottom Trawling restaurant is named Xu Yang," the woman beside him said.


    "Is it him?!" Yao Qingfeng''s eyes widened in astonishment.


    "That''s right, it''s him," Jiang Zhiyong nodded.


    "How can this be, how can you be so highly regarded by boss Xu Yang? You''re just a soldier who''s left the service, what have you done to earn his esteem?" Yao Qingfeng''s face was full of disbelief.


    He really couldn''tprehend how Jiang Zhiyong could be so esteemed by such an important person.


    He now understood that Jiang Zhiyong''s earlier admission of being a security guard was just him not wanting to bother with him, casually acknowledging it.


    "Sorry, I don''t want to answer that question."


    To answer that question, there''s a lot to discuss, and Jiang Zhiyong just didn''t feel like exining all that to Yao Qingfeng.


    Pan Xinhui said, "Sir, Mr. Jiang has answered what should be answered, and he won''t address what shouldn''t be. Please, just sign the contract."


    Then Pan looked toward Jiang Zhiyong, "Mr. Jiang, pleasee to my office, I will arrange for people to assist you with the various procedures as quickly as possible."


    Their attitudes towards the two were different.


    He was indifferent to Yao Qingfeng but respectful toward Jiang Zhiyong.


    Yao Qingfeng shouted, "Wait a minute!"


    Pan Xinhui asked, "Sir, do you have something else?"


    Yao Qingfeng didn''t pay attention to Pan Xinhui, but looked at Jiang Zhiyong and said, "Jiang Zhiyong, your boss values you so much that he can get you a fifty percent discount from the real estate tycoon. Look, could you ask your boss to talk to the real estate tycoon and get me the same discount? After all, we were old ssmates. If you help me out, I''ll remember your kindness.


    In the future, if you need anything, just ask, and I won''t refuse."


    If he could get a fifty percent discount, he would save more than two million yuan.


    Even for his smallpany, it would take around three years to earn that much money.


    "Sorry, I can''t."


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    Jiang Zhiyong shook his head and directly refused.


    It wasn''t just because of past issues with Yao Qingfeng, but also Yao''s recent attitude.


    What was more important, he didn''t want to bother his boss.


    He wasn''t some clueless youngster; he knew that epting help from Xu Yang meant owing a favor.


    To Xu Yang, it may not be a big deal.


    But Jiang wasn''t willing to let Xu Yang owe someone a favor over someone like Yao Qingfeng.


    "Jiang Zhiyong, are you still holding a grudge because of what happened in high school and how I just treated you? If so, as long as you''re willing to help me get a discount from the real estate tycoon, I''m ready to apologize," Yao Qingfeng said.


    "I don''t need your apology," Jiang Zhiyong shook his head and replied.


    "Hey Jiang Zhiyong, aren''t you too spiteful? Regardless, we were high school ssmates and had three years of friendship."


    "Plus, you are valued by Xu Yang, how can you hold such a grudge? If you act like this and Xu Yang finds out, you''re not going to end well."


    Yao Qingfeng looked displeased.


    Jiang Zhiyong''s refusal to help was annoying him greatly.


    In his view, it was just a matter of one word from Jiang Zhiyong, and he could save more than two million yuan.


    By saving that much, he wouldn''t even need a loan and could pay in full.


    "Manager Pan, let''s go," Jiang Zhiyong stood up, not bothering with Yao Qingfeng anymore.


    "Sure, this way please," Pan Xinhui led Jiang Zhiyong and Song Sihui to the office.


    "What a petty sess!" Yao Qingfeng couldn''t help but curse as he watched Jiang Zhiyong''s retreating figure.


    "Mr. Yao, let''s continue with the contract. If there''s anything you don''t understand, I can exin it to you," the male salesperson said.


    "What''s the point of looking at the damn contract, Jiang Zhiyong is buying here, why the hell would I buy?"


    Yao Qingfeng mmed the contract on the table and got up to leave.


    If Jiang Zhiyong was buying a house here, and he did too, he''d inevitably bump into him in the future, and that would be so annoying.


    Therefore, he could only look elsewhere to buy.


    The woman by his side followed closely behind and quickly left the sales office.


    "Uh..." The male salesperson was taken aback and momentarily forgot to give chase.


    Coming back to his senses and taking a few steps, he stopped.


    Under these circumstances, Yao Qingfeng probably wasn''t going to buy the house considering Jiang Zhiyong; chasing him would be useless.


    An hourter, Jiang Zhiyong left with Pan Xinhui and Song Sihui seeing him off.

 Chapter 270 Encountering Yang Jingsheng Again

    Saturday.


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin both had the day off.


    During breakfast, Zhao Yuxin asked, "Honey, what time are mom and dad arriving today?"


    Xu Yang said, "They''ll arrive at five-thirty in the afternoon. When we get back to town, it''ll be just in time for dinner. They haven''t tried Haido before, so we n to go there."


    A week ago, Xu Yang''s mother, Jiang Qiuping, called to say that she had booked the flight tickets and would be visiting Jiang City to see her son and daughter-inw today.


    Their son was now sessful, yet they had not visited Jiang City before.


    They were not driving over, as it was too tiring, but flying in from Shashi City.


    Zhao Yuxin nodded repeatedly, "Mhm, I feel like it''s been a while since I''ve had Haido too. This will be a good chance to satisfy my cravings."


    "I haven''t been there in a while either," Xu Yang said with a smile. "Right, we should invite your dad and sister Ru Yan as well. Both our families can go together."


    "Great, sister Ru Yan hasn''t met our parents yet," Zhao Yuxin nodded in agreement.


    After breakfast.


    Zhao Yuxin called her father.


    Once off the phone, Zhao Yuxin said, "Husband, it''s settled. What shall we do this morning?"


    Xu Yang held Zhao Yuxin in his arms and asked, "What do you want to do?"


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    Zhao Yuxin thought for a bit and said, "Honey, you previously identified some antiques and found some great deals. How about we stroll around the antique street? I want to see firsthand how you pick up those deals."


    Xu Yang couldn''t help but smile wryly, "Finding deals like that isn''t something you can just do whenever you want. I would love to find some, but there need to be overlooked items to find. Opportunities like thate by chance."


    Zhao Yuxin said, "How will you know if there aren''t any if we don''t go? Maybe there are some to be found since you haven''t been there for so long."


    Xu Yang asked, "Do you really want to go?"


    Zhao Yuxin nodded and said, "Mhm, I really do. Let''s treat it like window shopping. Otherwise, we''ll have nothing to do at home."


    Xu Yang said, "Alright, if you want to go, then let''s go!"


    The two of them got ready and set off.


    Over half an hourter, the Rolls-Royce Cullinan stopped at the entrance to the antique street.


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin got out of the car and began their stroll along the antique street.


    Zhao Yuxin was brimming with excitement, examining various interesting antiques, and regardless of their authenticity, she would have Xu Yang assess them.


    Halfway through their stroll, they walked into an antique shop.


    After looking around and, like the other stores, finding no deals to be had, they prepared to leave.


    That''s when they heard a voice.


    "Xu Yang, it''s you!"


    Along with the voice, a man walked in from outside.


    "It''s you," Xu Yang narrowed his eyes as he saw the man.


    The man was none other than Yang Jingsheng.


    Xu Yang hadn''t expected to run into him here.


    Thest time they met was at a hotel in Zhucheng.


    "Xu Yang, what, you thinking of scouring the antique street for deals again?" Yang Jingsheng said with a cold smile.


    Xu Yang nced at Yang Jingsheng and without responding, he took Zhao Yuxin''s hand, ready to leave.


    "Xu Yang, now that you''re here, don''t rush off," Yang Jingsheng blocked Xu Yang''s path.


    "What do you want?" Xu Yang frowned.


    He really had nothing much to say to the man.


    Back when he was with Zhao Yulu, he had invited the man for a meal, only to be ridiculed and belittled by him relentlessly.


    Back then, for the sake of Zhao Yulu, he endured it.


    But now, he had no connection to the man, and unless necessary, he wouldn''t bother speaking a word to him even if they met.


    "Xu Yang, you made a fortune from that lucky purchase before, earning tens of millions. We have a treasure in our store; do you want to take a look? You might find a huge bargain," Yang Jingsheng said with a smile.


    "Your store? This is your shop? Since when did you start dealing with antiques?" Xu Yang asked curiously.


    "I''m not running a business; I work here as an employee," Yang Jingsheng exined.


    Last time, he and his father had failed to acquire Qianjiao Company. His dad could still be a manager at Kai Xuan Investments, but he wasn''t so fortunate and was directly fired.


    He even asked Chen Guanglei to arrange a job for him at anotherpany.


    Chen Guanglei was the president of Kai Xuan Investments, which had stakes in manypanies, so in theory, there should have been no problem for him to arrange a job for Yang Jingsheng at one of them.


    But Chen Guanglei was very clear that Yang Jingsheng was aplete waste of space.


    Even if he made arrangements, it would just be a hassle.


    If there were any slip-ups at work, it would ultimately fall back on him anyway.


    So, Chen Guanglei made up all sorts of excuses to shirk off the responsibility.


    Having no other choice, Yang Jingsheng could only look for a job himself.


    But with his capabilities, finding a good job was just too difficult.


    All he could find were very ordinary jobs.


    He couldn''t keep any job for long.


    After changing through several jobs and finding none to his satisfaction,


    one day, he thought of Xu Yang''s lucky find in the antique street.


    So he figured whether he too could strike it big here.


    Therefore, he took a stroll down antique street.


    With his expertise or theck thereof, it was like looking in the dark; how could he ever find a bargain?


    He happened to see this shop hiring staff.


    Yang Jingsheng thought it over and figured he could work here, learn something, and maybe he''d find his own big bargain.


    If Xu Yang could do it, why couldn''t he?


    And so, he applied and started working here.


    "I see, your career path has been quite diverse. You were in the catering business before, then at Kai Xuan Company, now dealing with antiques," Xu Yang said, realizing the full picture.


    "Hmph, if I''ve ended up like this, it''s all thanks to you!" Yang Jingsheng snorted, his expression sour.


    If it weren''t for Xu Yang taking over Yuhuo and changing it to Jiangdi Lao, causing Meiwei Hotpot to lose business, his father wouldn''t have lost his position at Meiwei Group and been forced to leave.


    If it weren''t for Xu Yang stepping in and acquiring Qianjiao Cosmetics Company, he and his father would''ve been able to secure their positions at Kai Xuan Investments.


    His dad could''ve be the vice president of Kai Xuan Investments, and he would''ve been mid-level management.


    They could''ve returned to their former status, or even surpassed it.


    In his eyes, everything was Xu Yang''s fault; Xu Yang was the reason for his current plight.


    His resentment and hatred toward Xu Yang were beyond words.


    Even though his dad often told him that Xu Yang was now someone they could only look up to and advised him to let go of the past and not provoke Xu Yang¡ªeven to walk around him if they crossed paths¡ª


    he couldn''t let it go.


    Although he imed to have moved on, he hadn''t truly let go in his heart.


    Today, seeing Xu Yang here, he suddenly devised a n to swindle Xu Yang thoroughly.


    "Yang Jingsheng, you can mess with food all you like, but you can''t just say anything you want. What do you mean ''your current state is all thanks to me?" Xu Yang said.


    "Hmph, am I not stating the facts?" Yang Jingsheng retorted coldly.


    "If that''s what you think, then let it be," Xu Yang said, with no interest in arguing with Yang Jingsheng, "Please step aside, and don''t block the way."


    "Don''t go just yet. We have a treasure in our store; don''t you want to take a look?" Yang Jingsheng hadn''t forgotten the real reason he was stopping Xu Yang.


    "What kind of treasure?" Xu Yang asked casually.


    He wasn''t very interested in seeing it, but if the other party brought it out, he might still take a look.

 Chapter 271: Chapter 271 Selling to You for a Low Price

    "Wait a second, I''ll have the boss bring it out right away," Yang Jingsheng said.


    "Okay, let the boss bring it out," Xu Yang felt it was no big deal to take a look; after all, it wouldn''t waste much time.


    The two sat down on the chairs in the store to rest.


    Yang Jingsheng spoke to the middle-aged man behind the counter, "Boss, let''s go get that treasure from the back hall."


    While speaking, he made faces at the man.


    The middle-aged boss didn''t understand what Yang Jingsheng was up to; there was no treasure in the back hall.


    However, based on Yang Jingsheng''s facial expressions, he figured out what Yang Jingsheng meant¡ªto go to the back hall together, where Yang Jingsheng would exin everything.


    "Okay."


    The middle-aged boss nodded and followed Yang Jingsheng into the back hall.


    "What exactly are you up to?" the middle-aged boss asked.


    "Boss, isn''t there a small lion statue in the corner of our back hall? You said you''ve had it for a long time, that it''s from the Republic era. Sell it to that guy," Yang Jingsheng said.


    "Who exactly is that person?" the middle-aged boss asked.


    "He''s the boss of Riverbed Salvage, Xu Yang," Yang Jingsheng said.


    "What, it''s him?!" the middle-aged boss eximed in shock.


    "That guy once came to Antique Street and hit the jackpot by finding a huge loophole. This time he''s here with his wife, probably to make her happy. Sell this thing to him and make a good profit," Yang Jingsheng said.


    "Does he really not know antiques?" the middle-aged boss asked.


    If he understood antiques, this item definitely couldn''t be sold.


    "He doesn''t know shit. Don''t let his current status fool you; I know what he was like before better than anyone," Yang Jingsheng said with a sneer, his face full of disdain.


    "Oh, it looks like your rtionship with him is quiteplex. Tell me, what''s your rtionship? Howe you know him so well?" the middle-aged boss asked curiously.


    "In the past, my half-sister was his girlfriend. They broke upter, and after that, the guy made it big," Yang Jingsheng said with considerable irritation.


    If Zhao Yulu hadn''t broken up with Xu Yang, he would now be Xu Yang''s brother-inw.


    In Xu Yang''spany,nding a high-level management position wouldn''t have been a problem.


    There would definitely have been manypany beauties willing to climb into his bed.


    What a pity, Zhao Yulu broke up with Xu Yang, and all that became nothing but wishful thinking.


    Not only that, but because of Xu Yang, his life became increasingly difficult; he had toe to Antique Street to work.


    "So you have that kind of rtionship. Even so, with your rtionship with him, asking him for a job shouldn''t be a problem. Why would youe work here?" the middle-aged boss asked, puzzled.


    "It''s a long story. That guy came from a small county town, started with nothing. When my sister introduced him to me, I looked down on him. But who would have thought, after they split up, he somehow struck it rich and soared high. Now he''s a billionaire, so naturally, he won''t give me the time of day," Yang Jingsheng exined truthfully.


    "I see," the middle-aged boss realized, silently cursing the guy for getting what he deserved.


    You look down on someone, and when they be sessful, why would they bother with you?


    "Boss, let''s not talk about me anymore. Take out that statue and sell it to him," Yang Jingsheng said.


    "How are you so sure he will buy it?" the middle-aged boss asked.


    "I''m not certain, but there''s no harm in trying. After all, that thing''s been sitting here for so long. If he doesn''t buy it, there''s no loss," Yang Jingsheng said.


    "You have a point. Take the statue out, and be careful with it," the middle-aged boss said. "I bought it for a thousand bucks, and if you break it, I''ll deduct a thousand from your sry."


    "Alright," Yang Jingsheng suddenly felt a bit stifled.


    But no matter how stifled he felt, he still had to take it.


    After all, he was the employee and the other was the boss.


    So, Yang Jingsheng went and took out the statue.


    "Xu Yang,e over here and take a look. This statue is a treasured item of the shop owner''s. It''s not something shown to just anyone."


    Yang Jingsheng ced the statue on the table.


    "This statue..." Xu Yang nced at it, and his eyes subtly lit up.


    However, he kept hisposure.


    "Boss Xu, what do you think? This little lion statue cost me a pretty penny to acquire," the middle-aged boss also came over to persuade. "As Xiao Yang mentioned, it''s not something I''d ordinarily show off. I wasn''t lying about that. If it weren''t for someone of your statureing along, you wouldn''t even get the chance to see it."


    "Boss, which dynasty is this statue from?" Xu Yang asked.


    "This is a statue from the Tang Dynasty, from the era of Empress Wu Zetian, moreover, it was made on her personal orders," the middle-aged boss seriously bluffed.


    "Boss, that kind of talk might fool others, but this is just a statue from the Republic era. Don''t think I don''t know that," Xu Yang said with a sneer.


    "How could that be? I had it appraised; it''s definitely from the Tang Dynasty!" The middle-aged boss was surprised to be caught out but pretended to be a victim of deception.


    One had to admit, the guy was an excellent actor.


    Even Yang Jingsheng, who was standing off to the side, was secretly impressed.


    Yet, he was also amazed by Xu Yang''s level of appraisal.


    The fact that Xu Yang could tell the statue was from the Republic era showed he truly had skill.


    It seemed that Xu Yang''s ability to find bargains wasn''t just due to luck; he had the expertise to back it up.


    "If you''re so convinced it''s from the Tang Dynasty, then sell it to that appraiser," Xu Yang chuckled.


    "Boss Xu, is it really from the Republic era?" the middle-aged boss inquired.


    "Absolutely. If I''m wrong, you cane find me, and I''ll pay you ten million," Xu Yang dered confidently.


    "I trust Boss Xu''s judgment," the middle-aged owner said.


    "Thank you," Xu Yang replied.


    "That damned appraiser, next time I see him, I''ll make sure he regrets it, making me lose five million," the middle-aged boss gritted his teeth in frustration, then turned to Xu Yang and said, "Boss Xu, what do you think of this statue? Even if it''s from the Republic era, it''s still pretty good, isn''t it? Would you be willing to buy it? If you are interested, I can sell it to you for a low price."


    "This statue is indeed quite nice. Buying it to use as a desk ornament wouldn''t be bad at all, depending on the price you''re offering," Xu Yang replied.


    "Boss Xu, I bought it for five million. Since it''s from the Republic era, it''s obviously not worth as much. How about five hundred thousand?" the middle-aged boss proposed.


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    "You''re selling a Republic era statue for five hundred thousand?" Xu Yang gave the middle-aged boss an askance look.


    "Boss Xu, as a Republic-era piece, it certainly isn''t worth as much historically, but the craftsmanship of this statue is excellent," he said.


    "Just look at how lifelike it is. Nowadays, very few people can make a statue like this."


    "Even if someone were to make one, it would likely cost two to three hundred thousand, so this statue is definitely worth five hundred thousand. The price I''m offering is absolutely fair," the middle-aged boss said with a silver tongue.

 Chapter 272 Lady Xus Dagger

    "Boss, I''ll offer fifty thousand yuan. If you''re willing to sell, I''ll buy. If not, then forget it," Xu Yang said.


    "Mr. Xu, isn''t that price a bit too low?" The middle-aged boss looked embarrassed.


    He had bought it for one thousand yuan, originally thinking that the statue would be stuck in his own hands.


    Now, being able to sell it for fifty thousand yuan, he was very happy.


    But he still wanted to try his luck and see if he could sell it for a higher price.


    "If you think it''s low, then let''s forget it," Xu Yang said, pulling Zhao Yuxin, ready to leave.


    "Mr. Xu, wait, I''ll sell it!" the middle-aged boss hastily shouted.


    If Xu Yang left, he feared there would be no other buyer.


    "Are you sure you want to sell?" Xu Yang asked.


    "Sure," said the middle-aged boss through gritted teeth, with a pained expression on his face, although he was inwardly over the moon.


    "Fine," Xu Yang didn''t say much more, asking the seller to write up the bill and then made the payment.


    The fifty thousand yuan was quickly transferred.


    "Xu Yang, congrattions on buying such a good statue," Yang Jingsheng said with a chuckle, his smile full of mockery.


    This guy, when ites to appraising antiques, has some level of expertise.


    But spending fifty thousand yuan on this statue wasn''t all that impressive.


    "Thanks," Xu Yang smiled.


    Without this man, he really wouldn''t have been able to acquire the statue.


    It wasn''t excessive to sincerely say thanks.


    "Young man, why did you spend fifty thousand yuan on this statue?"


    As the boss was preparing to pack up, an old man with white hair walked in from outside.


    "President Zhou, howe you''re here?"


    The boss was surprised.


    The visitor was Zhou Tai, the president of Jiangcheng Antique Association.


    Zhou Tai seldom visited the antique street, unlike Vice President Tang Zhengqi, who often strolled around and sometimes brought friends along.


    One could say, Zhou Tai visiting the antique street was a rare urrence.


    "I haven''t been here for a long time and came to see if there was anything good," Zhou Tai nodded slightly to the middle-aged boss, then turned his gaze to Xu Yang, "Young man, I am Zhou Tai, the president of the Jiangcheng Antique Association. I want to ask why you spent fifty thousand yuan on this statue. It seems to be a work from the Republic of China era, and not worth that much at all."


    "If I say I thought it looked nice, would you believe me?" Xu Yang asked with a smile.


    "I don''t believe that. Just looking nice can''t justify that amount; you must have bought it for another reason. For such taste, you could have spent fifty thousand yuan on modern crafts and bought a lot," Zhou Tai shook his head.


    "Indeed," Xu Yang nodded.


    "Could the young man enlighten me?" Zhou Tai''s eyes sparkled.


    Anyway, he couldn''t see anything special about it.


    But it seemed like the young man had spotted something significant, and that made him very curious about what that might be.


    "I have no problem enlightening you, but I''m afraid if I do it here and the boss sees the true value of this piece, he might not be able to handle it," Xu Yang said, touching his nose.


    Seeing him act this way, the middle-aged boss''s heart skipped a beat, feeling as if he had lost something valuable.


    However, not knowing would make it even harder to bear.


    Thus, the middle-aged boss said, "Mr. Xu, I also want to know what you''ve seen in this item. Don''t worry, I can handle it; even if I misjudged this piece, I will ept the oue. I''ve dealt with making mistakes before."


    Xu Yang asked, "Are you sure you want to know?"


    The middle-aged boss nodded, "Sure."


    Yang Jingsheng sneered, "Xu Yang, don''t be so secretive. What could this thing possibly be that our boss wouldn''t know? I don''t believe you could discover anything new."


    What this thing was, both parties knew very well.


    Anyway, since the item was already sold, it didn''t matter what he said.


    If the object was truly valuable, would the boss not know?


    Ignoring Yang Jingsheng, Xu Yang took the cardboard box that the boss was going to use to pack the statue, ced it on the ground, then took the statue and put it inside, closing the lid before picking it up, and smashing it hard onto the ground.


    This motion startled everyone present.


    "Fuck, why did you smash it?" Yang Jingsheng eximed.


    The middle-aged owner and Zhou Tai didn''t speak.


    They trusted that Xu Yang definitely wasn''t acting without reason.


    If he smashed the statue, there had to be a reason.


    Could there be something inside the statue?


    Zhou Tai and the middle-aged owner concurrently thought of this possibility.


    Zhou Tai''s face was full of expectation, his gaze burning as he looked at the cardboard box, just waiting for Xu Yang to open it and reveal the answer.


    The middle-aged owner, on the other hand, felt his heart sink. If there really was something valuable inside, then he had made a huge loss.


    Xu Yang opened the box, shuffled around for a bit, and cleared away the broken pieces of the statue.


    Then, they saw a dagger inside.


    "What kind of dagger is this?" Yang Jingsheng was the first to ask.


    Xu Yang took out the dagger and ced it on the table for Zhou Tai to appraise.


    "This is Lady Xu''s Dagger!" Zhou Tai eximed in shock.


    With his appraisal expertise, dering it as Lady Xu''s Dagger meant there was basically no question about it.


    "What! Lady Xu''s Dagger!"


    Not to mention that Yang Jingsheng had been working here for some time ¡ª even if he hadn''t, he would still know what era Lady Xu''s Dagger was from.


    It was an item from the Warring States period, the very dagger used by Jing Ke in his assassination attempt on the Qin king.


    The value of such an item was immeasurable.


    How did Xu Yang realize there was Lady Xu''s Dagger inside? Could he possibly have X-ray vision?


    What he didn''t know was that Xu Yang didn''t have X-ray vision, but he did have the Appraisal Master Skill rewarded by the system, which had detected something extraordinary within the statue.


    In truth, Xu Yang wasn''t certain what was inside, he just felt that it contained something of extraordinary value.


    Just like the first time he came to the Antique Street and saw that vase on a street stall, he felt there was something special about the base of the vase. After buying it and taking it home, he smashed the vase and found a bloody red ring inside, making a billion from it.


    This dagger, being Lady Xu''s Dagger from the Warring States period, was worth even more.


    "Lady Xu''s Dagger... Lady Xu''s Dagger..." the middle-aged owner repeated to himself, feeling dizzy and somewhat copsing inside.


    This had originally been his own item.


    He had treated it like junk, stored away in the back room.


    Why hadn''t he identally broken it himself?


    Why hadn''t any of the staff identally broken it?


    If it had been broken, the item would have been his.


    Lady Xu''s Dagger, if put on auction, could probably fetch several hundred million.


    From his antique shop, he earned barely a million throughout the year.


    It would take hundreds of years to earn several hundred million.


    If this had been his, he could have just shut down shop and retired.


    Immediately after, he turned and red fiercely at Yang Jingsheng.


    It was all this guy''s fault.


    If it hadn''t been for this guy''s bad idea, he wouldn''t have sold the item.


    If he hadn''t sold it, there might still have been a chance of it getting broken in the future.


    Then, Lady Xu''s Dagger would still be his.


    "Boss, why are you looking at me like that?"


    Yang Jingsheng felt a chill down his spine, turned around, and discovered the boss ring at him as if he wanted to devour him, which scared him.


    "We''ll settle thister!" the middle-aged owner said fiercely.

 Chapter 273: Chapter 273 Parents Begin National Tour

    "Young man, are you selling this Lady Xu''s Dagger?" Zhou Tai asked with a burning gaze.


    "If President Zhou''s offer is right, then of course I''ll sell. I''m not into collecting anyway. I just came to the antique street for fun," Xu Yang said.


    "Three years ago, the auction price for a Dragon Scale Dagger of the same period was three billion yuan at a Beijing auction. I''ll buy this Lady Xu''s Dagger for three billion yuan, what do you think?" Zhou Tai said.


    Three billion yuan!


    Yang Jingsheng felt dizzy when he heard this.


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    If those three billion were his, how great that would be. He could livefortably for the rest of his life, no need to work a job.


    At this moment, Yang Jingsheng truly wished he could p himself several times.


    Why did he let his boss sell this thing to Xu Yang?


    Why didn''t he identally break it just now?


    If it broke and the boss didn''t notice, it would be his.


    Not just Yang Jingsheng, the middle-aged boss was feeling dizzy too.


    Listening to this price, the middle-aged boss felt so heartbroken he could almost bleed.


    Three billion yuan.


    The amount of money he wouldn''t earn in three hundred years.


    And it just slipped away from him.


    All because of that bastard Yang Jingsheng.


    If it weren''t for that bastard Yang Jingsheng, how could he have sold this thing?


    The middle-aged boss really felt like beating Yang Jingsheng to death right there and then!


    "President Zhou, I don''t know the value of this Lady Xu''s Dagger. I need to ask a friend of mine in the antiques world. He is Tang Zhengqi, the vice president of your Jiangcheng Association. I need him to give me a price reference," Xu Yang said.


    "You''re friends with Little Tang?" Zhou Tai said, somewhat surprised, "That''s fine. You can call him for advice, and then you can feel reassured."


    "Hmm," Xu Yang nodded, took out his cell phone, and dialed Tang Zhengqi''s phone number.


    The call connected quickly.


    Xu Yang went straight to the point: "Brother Tang, I need to trouble you with something."


    Tang Zhengqi said, "Brother Xu, you''re too polite. No trouble at all; just tell me what you need. If I can help, I won''t hesitate."


    Last time, he had invested in Qianjiao Cosmetics Company together with Xu Yang.


    Thanks to a coboration with Fengcai Guild, Qianjiao''s sales had soared.


    Moreover, with new products developed, thepany''s growth was rapid.


    It''s safe to say that this investment was going to make him a lot of money.


    All thanks to Xu Yang.


    He was even nning on following Xu Yang in future investments.


    Of course, he would spare no effort to help Xu Yang now.


    "Brother Tang, here''s the thing. Today at the antique street, I made a lucky find¡ªa Lady Xu''s Dagger. Someone wants to buy it for three billion yuan, and I wanted to ask you what you thought about that price," Xu Yang said.


    Xu Yang didn''t mention it was Zhou Tai who wanted to buy it.


    After all, Zhou Tai and Tang Zhengqi knew each other, both being part of the antiques association, as president and vice president, respectively.


    He was afraid that mentioning it would make Tang Zhengqi reluctant to speak the truth.


    "Damn, you actually found Lady Xu''s Dagger? You''re so lucky!" Tang Zhengqi eximed in amazement.


    Saying Xu Yang was lucky wasn''t to say his abilities fell short, it was purely ament on his fortune.


    Finding a bargain involved not only skill but also luck.


    If you don''t have luck, even with great skill, it''s useless.


    "I also think I''m pretty lucky. Brother Tang, about the price, is it worth it?" Xu Yang said.


    "Three years ago, the Dragon Scale Dagger from the same era as Lady Xu''s Dagger was auctioned off for three billion yuan at a Beijing auction. If someone is offering three billion yuan, that''s very fair," Tang Zhengqipared it with the Dragon Scale Dagger from that auction.


    "Alright, thanks, Brother Tang. I''ll treat you to a meal another day," Xu Yang said.


    "Brother Xu, you''re too courteous," Tang Zhengqi replied.


    The two chatted a bit more, then ended the call.


    "How is it?" Zhou Tai asked.


    "President Zhou, I''m sorry, it''s not that I don''t trust you, but I really don''t understand the market for this item, so I had to consult someone familiar," Xu Yang said apologetically.


    "I understand," Zhou Tai nodded.


    "Vice President Tang said that your asking price was very fair," Xu Yang said.


    "So, will you sell it?" Zhou Tai said.


    "Of course," Xu Yang said.


    The two reached a deal, and Zhou Tai gave the money to Xu Yang.


    With Lady Xu''s Dagger in hand, he left.


    Before leaving, he also exchanged phone numbers with Xu Yang, saying that if there was any other antique in the future, he could contact him and he would buy it.


    Having made three billion, Xu Yang also left with Zhao Yuxin.


    "You son of a bitch, I lost three billion today because of you, and it''s all your fault; get the hell away from me and don''t ever let me see you again!"


    Not long after Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin left, the middle-aged boss flew into a rage and started beating up Yang Jingsheng with a flurry of punches and kicks.


    "Boss, it wasn''t my fault, you approved the sale of that item too," Yang Jingsheng pleaded amidst his wails.


    "You still dare to shirk responsibility, get the hell out of here now!" The middle-aged boss kicked Yang Jingsheng to the door.


    "Boss, I''ve worked for you for half a month, even if you want to fire me, you have to pay me my sry." Yang Jingsheng struggled to his feet.


    "You still have the nerve to ask for a sry from me, I''ll kill you..."


    The middle-aged boss was about to rush over and hit Yang Jingsheng again, scaring Yang Jingsheng into running away quickly.


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin naturally didn''t know about any of this.


    "Husband, you''re so awesome," Zhao Yuxin said, looking at Xu Yang with admiration and starry eyes.


    "Heh, of course, don''t you know whose husband I am?" Xu Yangughed.


    "Mm, you''re my husband," Zhao Yuxin''s eyes crinkled into crescent moons.


    The couple continued to walk through the gallery street and left around noon.


    During this time, there were no more unexpected bargains to be found.


    They found a nearby restaurant, had lunch, and then went shopping on the pedestrian street.


    Around two o''clock, Xu Yang''s phone rang.


    Looking at the caller ID, it was a call from his mom.


    "Mom," Xu Yang answered the call.


    "Son, your father and I have already arrived at the airport, we''ll be boarding soon, and we''ll arrive at 5:30, remember that," Xu Yang''s mom, Jiang Qiuping said.


    "Mom, I remember, Yu Xin and I wille to pick you and dad up," Xu Yang said.


    "Good," Jiang Qiuping ended the call.


    Sha City Airport.


    The waiting hall.


    Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping were sitting on chairs, with Jiang Qiuping smiling as she looked at her phone, "All right, just a few more hours and we''ll get to see our son and daughter-inw."


    "Hmm," Xu Deming was also eagerly anticipating seeing his son and daughter-inw.


    This trip wasn''t just to visit their son and daughter-inw.


    They nned to take a national tour.


    First, they''d stay in Jiangcheng for a week and then move on to other cities.


    Actually, everyone has the dream of exploring the greatndscapes of their mothend.


    Some even want to visit other countries.


    However, most people are limited by their economic situation and can''t do so.


    In the past, they were among these majority.


    Now, their son had money, and they could finally fulfill this dream.


    They had sorted out the goods in their supermarket during this time and decided to start their national tour.


    The first stop, of course, was Jiangcheng, to first see their son and daughter-inw.


    As they were talking, suddenly two people approached them.


    "Old Xu, Old Jiang, is that really you?" the man said, somewhat surprised.

 Chapter 274: Chapter 274 Your Son is Quite Capable

    "Liu, Song, it''s you," said Xu Deming with some surprise when he saw the two of them.


    The man was Liu Kaile, and the woman was Song Li, his college ssmates.


    Back in college, the four of them got along quite well.


    After graduation, Xu Deming returned to Cang County to develop his career due to his parents'' poor health, so he could take care of them.


    Jiang Qiuping, being from the same county as Xu Deming and not wanting to separate from him, followed him back.


    In a small county, there wasn''t much prospect for development.


    Apart from official departments or public institutions, other private enterprises didn''t offer much opportunity.


    As college graduates, they could only find some of the most ordinary jobs.


    Eventually, they saved some money and opened a supermarket.


    Fortunately, the supermarket business was doing well, which was much better than working outside.


    Once the two returned to the county, they gradually lost contact with their ssmates.


    As for Liu Kaile and Song Li, it was heard that they stayed to work in Shashi, but how well they were doing was unknown.


    However, judging from their dress and appearance, they seemed to be doing quite well.


    "Old Xu, Old Jiang, I really didn''t expect to run into you here after what, more than a decade?" said Liu Kaile.


    "Indeed, it''s been over a decade," Xu Deming couldn''t remember exactly how long it had been, but it was certainly over a decade.


    "The main reason we haven''t seen each other for so many years is because of you two. You didn''te tost year''s ss reunion," Liu Kaile pointed out.


    "It felt like there was no point, so we didn''t go," Xu Deming replied.


    Five years after graduation, they attended a ss reunion.


    Full of enthusiasm, they went, only to return disappointed.


    Initially, they thought that a ss reunion was just a ce for ssmates to catch up on old times and share current situations, to keep the friendship from growing stale.


    But in reality, it wasn''t like that at all.


    The ss reunion had turned into a bragging fest for some.


    Those who were doing well were fawned over by many.


    Those not doing as well were mocked andughed at.


    Your next read awaits at mvl


    After that reunion, whenever there was another organized, Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping never attended again.


    What was the point?


    Was it to be ridiculed by others?


    They weren''t that low!


    They hade to understand.


    The feelings between ssmates could change.


    If they really wanted to get together, they could just contact a few of their closest friends and meet up with them.


    Those closest friends wouldn''t look down on anyone for not doing well.


    "Heh, for some people, it is quite meaningless," Liu Kaile chuckled.


    Liu Kaile and Song Li took a seat next to Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping.


    Of course, Liu Kaile and Song Li knew why Xu Deming said what he did.


    It was about being ridiculed for not living well when attending ss reunions.


    "Old Jiang, where are you headed?" Song Li asked.


    "To Jiang City," Jiang Qiuping replied.


    "Really? What a coincidence, we''re also going to Jiang City," Song Li said.


    "Old Xu, what are you doing in Jiang City?" Liu Kaile inquired.


    "Visiting my son and daughter-inw," Xu Deming responded.


    "Visiting your son and daughter-inw? Does that mean your son is already married?" Liu Kaile asked in surprise.


    "Yes," Xu Deming nodded.


    "ording to when you two got married, your son must have just graduated from college not long ago, right?" Liu Kaile asked.


    Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping had invited him and Song Li to their wedding.


    However, they didn''t attend; they just gave a red envelope.


    Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping had a child, and they knew it.


    Calcting the time, it seemed that Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping''s son was about twenty-two or twenty-three years old, so he must have just graduated from college not long ago.


    "Yes, my son just graduatedst year," Xu Deming said.


    "Graduatedst year and now he''s already married? That''s really early; even earlier than you back in the day."


    "You two went back to your hometown to develop and spent quite a few years before getting married."


    Liu Kaile was genuinely surprised; Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping''s son was already married.


    Aren''t young people nowadays all for marryingter?


    Why was Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping''s son in such a hurry?


    "It''s all the same, early orte. I think it''s good that my son got married early. We don''t have to worry about his marriage anymore," Xu Deming said.


    "What''s so good about that? Young people marrying early can easily be constrained. It''s not conducive to personal career development," Liu Kaile disagreed with Xu Deming''s view.


    "That''s not always true. There''s wisdom in ''settling down before establishing oneself.'' It makes sense to marry first, then build a career," Xu Deming said.


    "Haha, who cares about that now? Everyone wants to have a career established before getting married. If you marry without a career, your married life won''t be happy."


    "They say a poor couple has a hundred woes, and not even a penny can stumble a mighty hero. These ancient proverbs are not just empty talk."


    "Just like my son; he has a girlfriend too, but I told him not to get married so early. I want him to focus on his studies and career first," Liu Kaile exined his own reasoning.


    Liu Kaile had his own set of principles.


    "Getting the career sorted first is also good," Xu Deming didn''t argue with Liu Kaile.


    These are all personal opinions; no point in fussing over them. Arguing is pointless.


    "My son hasn''t started working yet; he''s studying for his master''s degree. I told him, with the intensepetition in society now, an undergraduate degree isn''t worth much. It would be best to get a doctorate before starting work. That way, he could go much further in his career," Liu Kaile said proudly.


    His son was his pride.


    When talking about his son in front of others, he always beamed with pride.


    "Pursuing a doctorate is great; thepetitive edge is naturally iparable to that of a bachelor''s degree," Xu Deming acknowledged Liu Kaile''s point.


    "Right? You agree too, so why didn''t you encourage your son to pursue a graduate degree?" Liu Kaile asked.


    "The child has his own ideas. If he doesn''t want to study further, then he won''t. Working is also fine. I don''t interfere with the child''s business," Xu Deming said.


    Have his own ideas?


    Doesn''t want to study?


    No interference?


    Perhaps it''s because his academic results aren''t good, and he couldn''t get into a graduate program even if he wanted to?


    "That''s true," Liu Kaile chuckled, "By the way, I''m guessing your son and daughter-inw must have been university ssmates, right?"


    "Yes, how did you guess?" Xu Deming asked, somewhat surprised.


    "Haha, getting married so early, they usually date in college. Otherwise, girlfriends found after starting work, where does it happen so quickly?"


    Liu Kaile felt that since Xu Deming''s son didn''t pursue postgraduate studies and married so early, he probably was too focused on women.


    "True, once you start working, finding a girlfriend isn''t that easy. Even if you find one, you usually don''t get married so quickly," Xu Deming nodded.


    "Xu, not to criticize you, but you really shouldn''t have let your son marry that early," Liu Kailemented again.


    "The child has his own thinking. If he wants to marry early, he can. I don''t interfere, and I don''t see anything wrong with it. Like I said earlier, once the son is married, we don''t need to worry about the major events in his life," Xu Deming said.


    "That''s also true. Anyway, he''s already married; whatever is said now is toote. Oh, and where''s your daughter-inw from?" Liu Kaile asked.


    "From Jiang City," Xu Deming replied.


    "Then your son is quite capable, scoring a wife from Jiang City," Liu Kailemented.


    Given Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping''s looks when they were young, their son''s looks definitely weren''t bad.


    Young girls prioritize looks, so it''s no wonder Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping''s son was able to find a wife from Jiang City.

 Chapter 275 Whats the Difference from Being a Kept Man

    "Hehe, actually, as long as he likes her, it doesn''t matter where she''s from," Xu Deming chuckled.


    "That''s true. By the way, how much does your son earn a month now?" Liu Kaile asked.


    "I really don''t know," Xu Deming said.


    There were news reports now that his son had be a billionaire, but he genuinely had no clue how much his son earned each month.


    For a person like his son, he probably wouldn''t care about how much he earned each month, but rather how much he earned each year or from each investment.


    Only wage workers would know exactly how much they earned each month.


    Don''t know?


    Liu Kaile secretly curled his lip in disdain.


    He probably didn''t want to say because the sry was low, not because he didn''t know.


    After all, what kind of good job could a man who didn''t make it into graduate school and whose mind was preupied with women find?


    Ten thousand a month, tops.


    Poor woman, who married Xu Deming''s son.


    With such a man, her future life would be worrisome.


    "By the way, now that your son is married, has he bought a house in Jiangcheng?" Liu Kaile asked again.


    "He has," Xu Deming replied.


    That vi, he''d seen it in a video, was truly excellent.


    This visit to his son''s house was a good opportunity to experience what living in a vi felt like.


    However, he didn''t volunteer the information that his son had bought a vi.


    If he brought it up, it might be seen as showing off.


    He wasn''t that kind of person and feared others thinking he was.


    "Then your son and daughter-inw will be under a lot of pressure in the future," Liu Kailemented.


    "A lot of pressure? What do you mean?" Xu Deming was somewhat puzzled.


    "Your son buying a house, surely you took out your savings to help him with the down payment, and he pays the mortgage every month, right? That definitely puts a lot of pressure on him," Liu Kaile assumed confidently.


    "My son bought the house without using our savings," Xu Deming shook his head.


    "Not using them? Where did he get the money?" Liu Kaile was confused, then pped his forehead, "I get it, it must have been your daughter-inw''s family who provided the money, right? Xu, no offense, but letting your daughter-inw''s family pay the down payment will make your son look bad at home. If I were you, I''d definitely put up my own savings."


    He believed he had discovered the truth, with an undertone of preaching in his words.


    "Liu, my son..." Xu Deming wanted to offer some exnation.


    But before he could say anything, Xu Deming was interrupted by a pat on the shoulder, "Xu, don''t bother, I understand everything. I know that if you used your savings, even your retirement could be in jeopardy. I can understand why you wouldn''t want to part with that money."


    "I..." Xu Deming opened his mouth, wanting to exin, but seeing Liu Kaile''s expression, he suddenly lost the interest to do so.


    Forget it, let Liu Kaile think what he wants to think.


    He probably wouldn''t believe him even if he did exin.


    "I just thought of something, your son and daughter-inw didn''t get married because she was pregnant, did they?" Liu Kaile asked again.


    "No, that''s not the case. I''d like to have a grandchild, but there isn''t one," Xu Deming replied with a wry smile.


    "That''s good. I think it''s a good thing," Liu Kaile said.


    "How is that a good thing?" Xu Deming frowned. Was he suggesting that he didn''t want to have grandchildren?


    "Xu, think about it. Your son got married so early, the pressure is already high. He bought a house and has to pay a mortgage. If they had a child now, baby form is expensive; your son''s pressure would be even greater. Waiting to have children is a wise choice," Liu Kaile said.


    "Liu, I don''t think I mentioned that my son has a mortgage to pay, did I?" Xu Deming said.


    "Don''t you have to pay it back?" Liu Kaile was puzzled, but then he thought he had found the truth, "Damn, Old Xu, your son is way too something, huh? Does the woman have to pay the mortgage too? How is that different from living off a woman?"


    "..." Xu Deming was somewhat taken aback by Liu Kaile''s words, and he didn''t know whether tough or cry.


    This Liu Kaile, really had some imagination.


    Moreover, he actually believed his own fabrications.


    Now, it had escted to his son living off a woman.


    "Liu Kaile, can you not talk about my son like that?" Jiang Qiuping''s face darkened.


    This Liu Kaile, he was getting more and more outrageous.


    She had long noticed that Liu Kaile and Song Li had changed since their college days, even since the first time they had attended a ss reunion.


    Asking all these questions, saying all this, just to find a sense of superiority in themselves.


    Her son was a billionaire, and her daughter-inw was beautiful.


    They lived in a vi and drove a luxury car worth nearly ten million.


    Who wouldn''t be envious?


    This guy, looking for a sense of superiority in front of her and her husband, could he even find it?


    Normally, when two adult men were talking, she wouldn''t have interrupted.


    But Liu Kaile was really going too far.


    Saying her son lived off a woman, she really couldn''t tolerate that.


    "Old Jiang, don''t be angry. You know what my Old Liu is like, sometimes he just says whateveres to his mind without thinking," Song Li quickly interjected, and then red fiercely at Liu Kaile, "If you don''t know how to speak, then don''t talk nonsense."


    "Yes, yes, yes, I spoke out of turn, Old Jiang, I''m sorry, I shouldn''t have said that. I should say your son is capable, buying a house without your money, and not needing your money for the mortgage either. He''s really amazing," Liu Kaile gave a thumbs up.


    But his tone, no matter how you heard it, didn''t sound quite right, as if it was tinged with mockery, and his facial expression proved this point.


    "Old Liu, we didn''t say anything, and you''re thinking so much..." Xu Deming really didn''t know what to say.


    "Old Xu, it''s not that I''m overthinking, but sometimes, whenever I encounter this kind of situation, I can''t help but think of my son, and just speak my mind. If there''s anything improper in what I said, please forgive me," Liu Kaile said.


    "Alright," Xu Deming replied helplessly.


    "By the way, Old Xu, Old Jiang, are you still running a supermarket in Cang County?" Liu Kaile asked again.


    "Yes," Xu Deming said.


    "How''s the supermarket business?" Liu Kaile asked again.


    "It''s okay," Xu Deming always responded like this when asked about the business.


    "Just okay? Then the ie is just okay too?" Liu Kaile asked again.


    "Yeah," Xu Deming nodded.


    The ie was good, but when others asked, he also said it was just okay.


    You know how much you''re earning, no need to let everyone else know.


    "If the ie is just okay, in my opinion, you might as well shut down the supermarket and find a job outside," Liu Kaile said.


    "We''re used to it now, and we''ve reached this age. We don''t want the hassle. Sticking to the supermarket is what suits me," Xu Deming said.


    "Old Xu, we''re still in our prime years. Listening to you, it sounds like you''re old. If you don''t want to find a job, you cane to me. I''ve started apany, and I need to hire people," Liu Kaile said.


    "You started apany?" Xu Deming was surprised. He really didn''t know that.


    "Yeah, I started it a few years ago. You wouldn''t guess how much I make in a year," Liu Kaile said.


    "How much?" Xu Deming asked.


    "I make five to six million a year," Liu Kaile said proudly, "Old Xu, honestly, it was only after bing a boss that I understood what making money is all about. Working for others will never let you get ahead. It''s only as a boss that you can get ahead.


    When my son finishes his Ph.D., unless he gets a job at some big corporation with an annual sry of ten million, I''ll have hime back and take over my business!"

 Chapter 276 Only Making Money is the Absolute Principle

    "It''s hard to believe that you''ve now be a boss earning millions a year, impressive."


    Xu Deming''s words came from the heart, yet his tone was very calm.


    He himself didn''t have the ability nor the chance anymore.


    Thankfully, his son was aplished, a billionaire.


    His own achievements didn''t matter anymore.


    At his age, his son''s sess was the greatest sess.


    "Hehe, why don''t you and your spousee work at mypany, I can guarantee to arrange everything clearly for you, ensuring you get a high sry that''s more than what you''d make running a supermarket and the work won''t be as tiring," Liu Kaile invited again.


    Spending a little money to hire the two of them, they could see how sessful he was every day.


    That feeling, simply too cool.


    "No thanks, I''m quite happy with my supermarket. I''m getting on in years and just want to do something rxed, like a pre-retirement," Xu Deming said.


    What a joke.


    With his son being a billionaire, how could he possibly work for someone else?


    If he really wanted to work, it would be for his son.


    "Hey, Xu, after all these years, you''re still the same, unable to let go of face. In today''s society, face isn''t worth much; it''s making money that truly matters," Liu Kaile said.


    "It''s not about losing face for me, it''s about not wanting to trouble myself. Besides, my son is wealthy. Even if I wanted to work at yourpany, he wouldn''t agree," Xu Deming said.


    Your son is wealthy?


    Your son is just a gold-digging idler, what money can he have?


    Liu Kaile curled his lip but said, "Okay, if you don''t want to, let''s forget it. If you change your mind, you can contact me anytime."


    Xu Deming didn''t respond.


    "By the way, Xu, we have a ssmate from Jiangcheng, you remember him, right?" Liu Kaile asked.


    "Are you talking about Mo Jinxin?" Xu Deming did remember such a ssmate.


    Their rtionship was mediocre; he only knew the other person was from Jiangcheng, but it was Liu Kaile and Song Li who were quite close with Mo Jinxin.


    "Yes, we''re nning a trip to Jiangcheng and have told him about it. We can meet up with him; since we''ve run into you, why don''t we all get together?" Liu Kaile said.


    "We''d better not. Our rtionship with him isn''t as good as you two have. We wouldn''t even know what to talk about if we went," Xu Deming didn''t want to go.


    Just an ordinary ssmate, there really was no need to gather.


    With that time, it''d be better to enjoy Jiangcheng''s tourist attractions with his son and daughter-inw.


    "What does it matter? We''re all ssmates. Since we''ve run into each other and have the chance, what''s wrong with getting together?"


    "Besides, let me tell you, Mo Jinxin is not a simple man; he''s also a boss now, owning a toypany, and his worth has exceeded a hundred million. He''s pretty amazing."


    "If you go, you might be able to get your son a job in hispany. Having this connection can certainly get your son a good job position, making his work and life easier in the future."


    "As a father, even if you don''t think for yourself, you should consider your son," he added, persuading earnestly.


    "No need, my son''s work and life don''t need my consideration; he''s handling it very well on his own," Xu Deming said.


    A billionaire son needing his own connections to work in a ssmate''spany with a mere hundred million worth?


    Even if his son went there, would Mo Jinxin dare to hire him?


    "Xu, you''re too stubborn. I just can''t reason with you," Liu Kaile shook his head, looking at Jiang Qiuping, "Old Jiang, persuade your Xu. This attitude won''t do. We as parents should think about our children, not avoid doing things for them just because of our so-called pride."


    Liu Kaile''s persistent persuasion wasn''t really for the sake of Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping.


    To be honest, the affection between ssmates has faded over the years.


    To put it bluntly, whether Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping are doing well, and whether Xu Deming''s and Jiang Qiuping''s son is doing well, is none of his damn business.


    Having Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping reunite with Mo Jinxin is meant to highlight his own sess.


    He might not be on Mo Jinxin''s level, but he can certainly crush Xu Deming.


    "Lao Liu, my husband just said that we don''t need to worry about our son''s life. The job you mentioned at Mo Jinxin''spany, we won''t be needing that," Jiang Qiuping refused. She and Xu Deming were not the boastful type and did not mention that their son was a billionaire.


    Even if she did, the other party probably wouldn''t believe it.


    It would then be a hassle to exin or prove it, and she didn''t want to waste the effort.


    Whether Liu Kaile and Song Li believed it or not was irrelevant since they didn''t need others'' envy to satisfy their vanity.


    "You two... ah, what''s there to say about you."


    Liu Kaile shook his head and sighed, finding Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping to be quite unreasonable.


    He offered them an opportunity, yet they wouldn''t seize it.


    No wonder they were doomed to spend their lives tending to their little supermarket, with their son living off his wife.


    Being poor isn''t without reason.


    Unlike him, who would make connections with impressive people to build his business.


    "Lao Liu, we appreciate your kindness, but our son really doesn''t need the help," Jiang Qiuping added.


    "Alright then, since that''s the case, I won''t say more," Liu Kaile said helplessly.


    Right then, the airport broadcast announced the boarding of their flight, prompting the group to stand and queue for boarding.


    Once on the ne, Liu Kaile saw Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping heading towards the first-ss cabin and couldn''t help but say, "Lao Xu, Lao Jiang, you guys are also in first ss?"


    He had wanted to tell Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping that he would be sitting in first ss, suggesting they chat after the flight to unt his sense of superiority.


    Unexpectedly, Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping were ahead of him.


    This surprise left him somewhat puzzled.


    Were the two of them really willing to splurge like this?


    "Yes, what about it?" Xu Deming replied.


    "No, nothing, just that we''re also in first ss, we might even be next to each other."


    Liu Kaile chuckled.


    These two guys, taking first ss, must be for the experience, I guess.


    They must have agonized over buying the first-ss tickets.


    Definitely, how else would someone who runs a small supermarket afford a first-ss ticket?


    Moreover, with Xu Deming''s life at the bottom of society, still living off his wife.


    Otherwise, it would mean Xu Deming had changed, turned into someone who only cared about his own pleasures, unconcerned with his son''s well-being.


    But based on what he knew of Xu Deming''s character, that was unlikely.


    It''s also possible that Xu Deming''s son booked the first-ss tickets for his parents, putting on airs, so they could enjoy it for once.


    Regardless, Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping sitting in first ss must not have been feeling too good about it.


    After all, for them, the expense was too great.

 Chapter 277 The Young Lady is So Beautiful

    Everyone found their seats, and Liu Kaile was right; their seats were all in the same row but on opposite sides of the aisle.


    "Haha, old Xu, old Jiang, this is quite the coincidence. We can continue our chat all the way," Liu Kaile couldn''t help butugh.


    They hadn''t talked for long enough before; he still wasn''t finished chatting.


    To be precise, he hadn''t shown off enough yet.


    He hadn''t yet talked about thepany he had established, his son''s girlfriend, and what kind of family she came from.


    He hadn''t mentioned that he had bought a vi in Bi Garden in Sha City.


    He hadn''t mentioned that his car was a Mercedes worth over a million...


    There was still so much to show off.


    If he missed this opportunity, there might not be another.


    If he didn''t show off now, he might never see Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping again, perhaps not even in this lifetime.


    After all, the gap in their statuses was too great; they were no longer people from the same world and would likely not contact each other again unless necessary.


    Xu Deming smiled wryly; he really didn''t want to chat with Liu Kaile.


    But he couldn''t just walk away.


    He had no choice; he''d have to find an excuse to say he was going to sleepter on.


    Soon, the ne took off.


    After a flight of over two hours, the nended at Jiang City International Airport.


    ...


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin drove to the airport and waited at the arrival gate.


    "Why are there so many people?" Zhao Yuxin looked around and saw quite a few young men and women.


    "I don''t know," Xu Yang shook his head.


    "I know, there''s a celebritying, these are starstruck youths."


    Zhao Yuxin suddenly noticed some people holding light boards with a name on them.


    "Which celebrity is it?" Xu Yang asked curiously.


    "It''s Shen Ying''er," Zhao Yuxin said.


    "It''s none of our business anyway, I see mom and dad," Xu Yang said.


    ...


    Getting close to the arrival gate.


    "Old Xu, I see Xiao Yang and Zhao Yuxin," Jiang Qiuping spotted her son and daughter-inw at the gate immediately.


    She hadn''t seen her son and daughter-inw for almost half a year, and she truly missed them.


    Seeing them on video was nothingpared to meeting them in person, which brought so much joy.


    "Hmm, I see them too," Xu Deming said with a smile on his face, then frowned, "It looks like they are surrounded by a group of youngsters, what''s happening?"


    "I don''t know," Jiang Qiuping was also puzzled.


    "Old Xu, old Jiang, don''t walk so fast. I haven''t met your son and daughter-inw yet. At least introduce us, let us get to know them," Liu Kaile and Song Li hurried to catch up.


    They were eager to see what Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping''s son and daughter-inw were like.


    From the lower echelons of society, they probably weren''t much to look at, most likely the image of exhaustion.


    "Sure," Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping slowed down.


    Their son and daughter-inw were their pride, and they had no qualms about introducing them to Liu Kaile and Song Li.


    At that moment, bodyguards making way for someone followed them, enclosing two people in the middle.


    "Excuse us, excuse us."


    The bodyguards were shouting, with a hint of barging through, prompting travelers to step aside.


    Naturally, Xu Deming and the others were no exception.


    "Who''s this with such a big entourage?"


    "Isn''t this some celebrity? She seems very familiar."


    "That''s the popr actress Shen Ying''er."


    "It''s her! No wonder there''s such a fuss, needing so many bodyguards to clear the way."


    "I can''t believe we got to see Shen Ying''er here."


    The crowd murmured among themselves, some recognizing the woman being escorted by the bodyguards.


    It was the popr actress Shen Ying''er.


    Shen Ying''er was initially just a student who had recently graduated from a film academy, having just signed with a moviepany and starred in a film, albeit as the third female lead.


    But this third female lead was exceedingly likeable and suddenly became a top star.


    Consequently, her treatment improved significantly with bodyguards clearing the way for her whenever she went out.


    Moreover, there were many young male and female fans at the airport, holding up signs with her name on them.


    These star-struck youngsters, knowing that Shen Ying''er wasing to Jiang City for an event, waited here, hoping to catch a glimpse of her as soon as possible.


    "Ying''er! Ying''er! Ying''er!"


    "Shen Ying''er! I love you!"


    The fans screamed and shouted frantically.


    They wanted to rush over for a close encounter with Shen Ying''er.


    But they were stopped by the bodyguards, which left the fans feeling helpless and angry, yet there was nothing they could do.


    Shen Ying''er smiled and waved at her fans.


    However, she soon noticed that many fans were gathered around a man and woman.


    "Wow, miss, you''re so beautiful."


    "Miss, I think you''re even more beautiful than our Ying''er."


    "Miss, have you acted in any TV shows or movies? I''ve never seen you before."


    Of course, the two people surrounded by the young boys and girls were Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin.


    Zhao Yuxin was exceedingly beautiful, even more so than Shen Ying''er.


    These star-chasing young boys and girls were instantly captivated.


    They even forgot about their idol.


    Witnessing this scene and hearing what they said, Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping were a bit stunned.


    Their daughter-inw was so beautiful that she was mistaken for a celebrity.


    In their daze, they also felt very proud.


    This meant their son was capable, to have found such a beautiful wife.


    "That girl is indeed very pretty," Liu Kaile couldn''t help but exim.


    "That''s my daughter-inw," Jiang Qiuping proudly dered.


    "What, she''s your daughter-inw!"


    "And the guy holding her hand, that''s your son?"


    "Old Xu, Old Jiang, your son is really fortunate to have found such a beautiful wife."


    "Your son is indeed quite handsome, somewhat simr to how Old Xu looked in his youth, and surely very attractive to girls."


    Liu Kaile and Song Li were astonished.


    But they quickly came to terms with it, as many girls at school choose boyfriends based on looks.


    With Xu Deming''s son''s good looks, it''s very normal for him to have a beautiful girlfriend.


    If he were out in society, finding a girlfriend this beautiful would be challenging.


    Apart from looks, one must have money, and in fact, having money is the most important factor.


    Suddenly, Liu Kaile and Song Li thought they understood why Xu Deming''s son had married so early.


    Having found such a beautiful girlfriend, he had to get married quickly.


    Otherwise, once out in society, it''s inevitable to be influenced, and what if they broke up?


    Even though marriage can also end in divorce,


    these days, the divorce rate is indeed high,


    but divorce is at least much less likely than a boyfriend-girlfriend breakup.


    If they have children, then the likelihood decreases even further.


    With so many people surrounding Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin, Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping didn''t find it appropriate to go over and greet them.


    They decided to wait until the couple had gotten rid of the star followers.


    So, after exiting the airport, they stood to one side.


    Shen Ying''er, escorted by bodyguards and seeing many of her fans holding signs with her name flocking to Zhao Yuxin, was somewhat astonished.


    Wasn''t this a bit too much?


    Aren''t you my fans?


    Your idol is right here.


    Even if you go chasing after someone else, at least drop the signs.


    Frankly holding signs with my name and chasing after another woman, where does that leave my face?

 Chapter 278 Killing Two Birds with One Stone

    ```


    "I refuse to believe that woman could be so beautiful that she makes my fans betray me!"


    Shen Ying''er was very displeased as she looked toward Zhao Yuxin, who was surrounded by her fans.


    Upon looking, Shen Ying''er was somewhat stunned.


    Even as a person full of confidence, she couldn''t im she was more beautiful or had a better figure than Zhao Yuxin.


    "If it were me, I might have done the same as those fans and chased after that woman."


    Shen Ying''er couldn''t help but think this way.


    "What are you all doing? Ying''er is right here, your idol is right here!"


    Shen Ying''er''s assistant, Sister Zhou, yelled at the fans who were surrounding Zhao Yuxin.


    "Sister Zhou, stop shouting. Do you want everyone to know about my fans'' betrayal?" Shen Ying''er was somewhat speechless.


    "I don''t know where that woman came from, to actually steal your fans. It''s just too much." Sister Zhou was furious.


    "You can''t say she stole my fans. It''s just that my fans saw her beauty and thought she was a celebrity, so they wanted to chase after her," Shen Ying''er felt it wasn''t a big deal.


    "Ying''er, you became famous as soon as you debuted. You have no idea what people would do for fame," Sister Zhou said.


    "What do you mean?" Shen Ying''er asked, confused.


    "Do you really think that woman''s presence here is a coincidence?" Sister Zhou retorted.


    "Isn''t it? She''s probably just here to pick someone up," Shen Ying''er said.


    "Of course not," Sister Zhou said. "I''m certain that woman knew about your schedule today and specifically waited here to attract attention. Also, those fans who flocked to her side, they''re not your fans."


    "Really?" Shen Ying''er was shocked.


    "Why not?" Sister Zhou said. "Ying''er, you''re too young. Such things aremon in the industry. I''m sure those supposed fans were hired by that woman to pretend to be yours, gathering around her to create an illusion, making people think she''s prettier."


    "Just a bit of maniptionter, and it would attract a wave of hype."


    "This is clearly riding on your poprity. Believe it or not, there will soon be news about her on the inte."


    "I could even guess what the headline will be."


    "Shocking! A beauty appears at the airport, attracting Shen Ying''er''s fans!"


    "Once this news breaks out, with a little push, that woman will gain massive attention."


    "I have to say, the tactic is brilliant. No one has done it before. Once it sparks a topic, her fame is sure to skyrocket, and she might outshine even third-tier celebrities."


    "By then, it''s possible for her to directly sign with a moviepany."


    "Even if she doesn''t sign with a moviepany, making money through live streaming is also an option."


    Sister Zhou was making a lot of sense with her words.


    "Sister Zhou, aren''t you exaggerating a bit? It doesn''t seem like what you''re saying," Shen Ying''er was skeptical.


    "Ying''er, you''re too naive. I''ve been in the entertainment industry for almost ten years. I''ve seen plenty of cases like this. That woman is definitely trying to use this opportunity to debut. Just believe what I say," Sister Zhou was very confident in her judgment.


    She felt her spection was pretty much close to the truth.


    Experience tales at mvl


    "But there''s a problem," Shen Ying''er said.


    "What problem?" Sister Zhou asked.


    "If that woman wants to use this as a chance to debut, she shouldn''t be with a man. Look, she''s been holding that man''s hand the whole time," Shen Ying''er said.


    In the entertainment industry, that was an unwritten rule.


    Especially for men and women who relied on their looks, it was notmon to openly reveal an intimate rtionship with the opposite sex.


    ```


    "This is indeed a problem," Sister Zhou frowned, only to reveal an all-seeing expression soon after, "I get it, this is yet another hype tactic."


    "Hype tactic?" Shen Ying''er asked.


    "Exactly, a hype tactic. Even though that beauty is holding that man''s hand, the two of them are probably not in a romantic rtionship, but are siblings or she is his elder sister."


    "When people think they are a couple, that woman will issue a statement saying they are siblings, which will give her another burst of poprity."


    "Moreover, it''s possible this guy could also take the opportunity to make his debut. It''s a case of killing two birds with one stone."


    "Yes, that must be it. This perfectly exins the problem you mentioned."


    Sister Zhou spoke with conviction.


    "..." Shen Ying''er was somewhat at a loss for words.


    She found that Sister Zhou had already decided that was the case, as if any kind of problem could find a reasonable exnation.


    "Forget it, if that''s really the case, then it''s no big deal. Anyway, I''ll just do my job well."


    Shen Ying''er was rather open-minded and didn''t seem to mind.


    However, her assistant, Sister Zhou, was not that kind of person.


    "Ying''er, we absolutely can''t just let this matter go," she said.


    "If we let it go, countless people will look for simr opportunities totch onto your poprity in the future."


    "You''ve just entered the entertainment industry and don''t know how treacherous it is. Sister Zhou, I''ve been in the industry for many years and have seen a lot of storms."


    "To put it bluntly, if we let this go, in the future, people both inside and outside the circle will think you''re easy to bully, and they will really bully you."


    "People within the industry will snatch your resources and try every means to obstruct your career, while those outside willtch onto your poprity by any means necessary."


    "You have to let others know that you''re not someone who can be easily bullied, and only then will they not dare to bully you lightly."


    "Look at that guy, relying on his good looks, he dares totch onto your poprity like this."


    "When we face situations like this, we absolutely cannot remain silent; we need to teach the other side a lesson."


    "We have to make them understand that we''re not to be trifled with, and thattching onto your poprityes with a price."


    Sister Zhou, speaking like a veteran, instructed Shen Ying''er.


    "Okay, Sister Zhou, what should we do then?" Shen Ying''er really couldn''t refute Sister Zhou, and she would also need Sister Zhou to handle these matters in the future, so it wasn''t good to oppose her views too much.


    "Ying''er, you don''t have to do anything, just leave it to me. Don''t worry, with me as your assistant, I won''t let anyone bully you," Sister Zhou said.


    "Alright," Shen Ying''er nodded.


    At this moment.


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin, who were surrounded by so many people, were totally frustrated.


    They had already seen Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping walk out of the arrival gate and were standing on the side, unable to go over and greet them.


    "Can you all not do this, please? I''m not some kind of star. I see you are fans of Shen Ying''er; she has alreadye out, so please go chase after your idol," Zhao Yuxin said helplessly.


    "Miss, you''re not a star, yet you''re prettier than one. We''ll just follow you," one of them said.


    "Yeah, yeah, we used to like Shen Ying''er, but now we like you even more. From now on, you''re our idol," another chimed in.


    "Miss, what''s your name?"


    "Miss, what''s your Weibo ount? I''ll follow you."


    "Miss, you''re so pretty, why don''t you be a celebrity?"


    "Miss, if you debut, I''ll definitely be your fan. I believe you''ll quickly be the most popr female star," another said confidently.


    The young boys and girls chattered incessantly, not listening to Zhao Yuxin''s words at all.

 Chapter 279: Chapter 279 The Old Woman Over-Imagined

    "Considering your age, you should be students. You should focus your energy on your studies, not running around chasing stars. Otherwise, your parents would be heartbroken if they saw you like this," Zhao Yuxin said.


    "Miss, what you said is very simr to our schoolteachers."


    "Miss, our teacher is just an old man. If you were our teacher, I definitely wouldn''t be chasing stars anymore. I would listen attentively in ss instead."


    "Yeah, Miss, why don''t youe to our school and be our teacher?"


    "To be a teacher in a school you need to pass certifications, and even if Miss could pass them, it would be very troublesome. Miss, why note to my home and be my private tutor? You don''t need to pass certifications for that."


    "Yeah, Miss, if you''re willing to be my private tutor, I can ask my parents to pay you twenty thousand a month."


    "Tsk, just twenty thousand to hire Miss as a tutor, wishful thinking. I will ask my parents to pay thirty thousand."


    "You''re all too stingy. I''ll have my parents pay fifty thousand!"


    The teenagers became even more frenzied.


    Zhao Yuxin was at a loss for words again.


    "You... you shouldn''t do this, I can''t be a teacher. Go chase your idol, please. We''re here to pick someone up, and since they have alreadye out, blocking us like this will dy our business," she said with great patience.


    Jiang Qiuping remarked, "Old Xu, it seems that Xiaoyang and Yuxin arepletely surrounded by those people, and they can''t break free. Should we go help them?"


    Xu Deming shook his head: "No need, they''re just students who think our daughter-inw is pretty and are acting a bit irrationally. If we go to help, it may actually make matters worse."


    Jiang Qiuping asked, "Then what should we do? When can they get away?"


    Xu Deming smiled, "Don''t worry, such matters should be quickly resolved by Xiaoyang. Don''t forget who he is now."


    "That''s true," Jiang Qiuping nodded.


    Their son was now a billionaire. He should be used to big scenes by now, and such issues should be easy to resolve for him.


    "These kids, getting so fanatic about chasing stars. What will be of them in the future?"


    "Indeed, I wonder what their parents would think if they saw them like this."


    Liu Kaile and Song Li were also somewhat affected as they witnessed this scene.


    On this side.


    Sister Zhou, Shen Ying''er''s assistant, somehow procured a megaphone and directly shouted towards Zhao Yuxin''s side, "Hey beauty, don''t you think you''re overdoing it?!"


    At these words, Zhao Yuxin was taken aback, as was Xu Yang.


    The young men and women surrounding them were also stunned.


    No one understood what Sister Zhou meant.


    "What do you mean? What''s overdone?" Zhao Yuxin quickly regained herposure and asked with a frown.


    "Pretending, still pretending with me. I''ll tell you, I know exactly what''s on your mind," Sister Zhou sneered.


    "What''s on my mind, make yourself clear, please. I don''t even know you, so don''t be sarcastic here," Zhao Yuxin got a bit angry.


    Anyone would be annoyed if a stranger talked to them this way.


    "Exactly, if you have something to say, speak clearly. Don''t be sarcastic."


    "You''re so ugly, yet you criticize our Miss. Aren''t you ashamed?"


    "You might be Shen Ying''er''s assistant, but that doesn''t give you the right to be arrogant here."


    "Indeed, what did our Miss do to you? How can you talk about our Miss like that?"


    Seeing Sister Zhou speak this way, the teenagers got angry too.


    Watching this scene unfold, Shen Ying''er was somewhat at a loss for words.


    Were these people really her fans?


    She had originally not believed what Sister Zhou had said, but now she was starting to believe it.


    If they were really fans, how could they so quickly call out her name, especially to her face?


    These people were probably actors hired by this man and woman.


    "You..." Sister Zhou was so angry she felt like her lungs were about to explode and was about to start cursing at these people.


    But then she thought about being in a public ce and that arguing with these people might cause trouble for Shen Ying''er.


    Perhaps this man and woman were just waiting for her to do exactly that.


    She definitely couldn''t let the scheming of this shameless couple seed.


    Taking a deep breath, Sister Zhou didn''t pay any attention to these people and directly addressed Zhao Yuxin, "Beauty, don''t y dumb with me. Don''t think I don''t know what you''re up to. You''d better stop this act right now, or don''t me us for holding you ountable!"


    Zhao Yuxin grew angrier as this woman targeted her, and the words made her feelpletely baffled.


    "What do you mean exactly? Please rify. If you don''t make it clear, then shut your mouth!" Zhao Yuxin said.


    "I originally wanted to spare you some face, but since you''re still ying dumb, I see no need to spare you any dignity."


    "These young men and women gathered around you two, they''re just paid actors hired by your behind-the-scenes team, right?"


    "Others might not see through it, but I saw it at a nce. You just want to ride on our Ying''er''s poprity to break into the entertainment industry."


    "If you were just modestly riding on the poprity, I''d tell you to stop, and you''d stop and leave quietly, then I would let it go as if nothing happened."


    "But you continue to y dumb, so don''t me me for being rude."


    "Even if you do gain some fame, you''ll never be able to debut. I will report this to thepany and suppress you; you''ll never make it in the entertainment industry."


    Sister Zhou''s words were confident, as though she was speaking the absolute truth.


    Her words had barely finished when Zhao Yuxin and Xu Yang didn''t even have a chance to say anything.


    The group of young men and women immediately exploded.


    "You old woman are talking nonsense, using us of being shills hired by the youngdy!"


    "Exactly, we''re not shills. We were originally fans of Shen Ying''er''s music, but now we no longer support Shen Ying''er and have started to support this youngdy instead."


    "Old woman, are you delusional!"


    "Seriously, this is ridiculous. I think this old woman here has a problem in her head, I suggest you get checked at a mental hospital." Your next journey awaits at mvl


    "Please don''t think too highly of yourself, acting as if we could only be fans of Shen Ying''er."


    "Our youngdy here is so beautiful, even more so than Shen Ying''er. Does she need to ride on Shen Ying''er''s poprity to debut?"


    "Exactly, you''re blinded by your own delusions."


    The young men and women were extremely angry, and it looked like if the bodyguards weren''t holding them back, they were ready to charge forward and give Sister Zhou a beating.


    "You shills are really acting quite well; I''m genuinely curious where they found such talented actors like you."


    "But in the end, you are shills, and shills will have ws."


    "Your w is holding signs with Ying''er''s name and chasing after that woman."


    "You should know that our Ying''er''s fans are very loyal."


    "Any fan of Ying''er''s would never switch to supporting someone else halfway, especially not a random person."


    "Let me tell you, you''re all too green. I have nearly ten years of experience in the entertainment industry, and you little kids can''t fool me."


    Sister Zhou sneered again and again, wearing an expression that said she saw right through them.

 Chapter 280 Must Strike First

    Hearing Sister Zhou''s words, the young boys and girls exploded once again.


    "Olddy, we''ve already said¡ªwe''re not paid actors, and you dare to still call us that? I''m not going to let this go," one said.


    "Olddy, Shen Ying''er having an assistant like you is a total disgrace to her," another chimed in.


    "Olddy, I was thinking of continuing to support your Miss after bing a fan, but seeing how you behave, I''ve decided to turn from fan to hater of Shen Ying''er," a third one dered.


    "Yeah, me too," someone agreed. "Shen Ying''er isn''t worth our support with an assistant like you."


    "And it''s not just us," someone vowed. "We''ll tell everyone else who supports Shen Ying''er to turn their fan love to hate as well."


    ...


    Sister Zhou ignored these people and instead stared at Zhao Yuxin, who was so angry she couldn''t find the words to speak, and sneered, "What''s the matter, rendered speechless by what I said?"


    Zhao Yuxin''s face was grim. "With your wild imagination, you really shouldn''t be an assistant. You should be a screenwriter."


    From the youths'' conversations, it was clear that this person was Shen Ying''er''s assistant.


    Truthfully, she found it hard toprehend why this person just assumed that she was the one being referred to and acted so utterly convinced of it.


    "Heh, struck a nerve, have I? Are you angry because I''m right?" Sister Zhou mocked.


    "Some of those people just now made a good point¡ªyou really do have a problem. You should consider getting checked at a psychiatric hospital," Zhao Yuxin retorted.


    "We don''t need to waste time on this kind of person," Xu Yang said, gently squeezing Zhao Yuxin''s hand. He addressed the crowd of young boys and girls still surrounding them, "Please make way, we''re really here to pick someone up, and they''ve arrived. We have to go, so everyone please go about your business."


    He hadn''t anticipated this kind of scenario happening before they arrived.


    Not being celebrities, yet being mobbed by fans¡ªwhat kind of situation was this?


    "Miss, we''ll let you go, but give us your Weibo ount," one of the youths demanded.


    "Yeah, Miss, your Douyin ount is fine too," added another.


    "Young man, if you want to take the Miss away, then tell us her Weibo or Douyin ount," a third one insisted.


    The youths continued to crowd around them, asking for various ount details.


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin exchanged helpless nces.


    "No choice then, we''ll have to call over the airport security," Zhao Yuxin said resignedly.


    Xu Yang shook his head, preparing to call for airport security.


    Just then, they saw several airport security guards quickly approaching them.


    Themotion here was massive, and with so many people gathered together, it was seriously disrupting the airport order, which naturally called for intervention.


    "Make way, please. Your behavior is severely disrupting airport operations. Please step aside," the head of security immediately began to urge.


    After some persuasion, the young boys and girls finally left. Find your next read at mvl


    Only then were Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin able to free themselves and approach Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping.


    "Dad, Mom," both of them called out almost in unison.


    "Xu Yang, Yu Xin, let me introduce you," Xu Deming said, "These are Liu Uncle and Zhou Auntie, university ssmates of your mother and me."


    "Liu Uncle, Zhou Auntie," Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin both greeted the couple courteously.


    "You two really make a perfect match," they were told.


    Liu Kaile and Song Li had to admit that Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping''s son was quite handsome and his daughter-inw was beautiful.


    When it came to their looks, there really was nothing to criticize.


    However, it was a pity that living at the bottom of society, being handsome was of no use for a man; under the heavy pressure of life, it was easy to age prematurely.


    For a woman, being pretty was useless as well, within a few years, life could grind her down into a in Jane.


    On the contrary, those who weren''t as handsome but were wealthy could maintain their vitality very well.


    At forty or fifty years old, they could look like they were in their thirties.


    It was even more so for women. A wealthy woman, even if not so beautiful, could dazzle with her style alone, her aura outshining pretty but poor women by miles.


    As they aged, the gap between them could seem as wide as a generation to an outsider.


    After exchanging pleasantries for a while, they started walking towards the exit of the airport.


    Shen Ying''er and Sister Zhou, already escorted by bodyguards, had headed towards the airport exit first.


    They got into the vehicle arranged by the event organizers and headed for the event location.


    On the vehicle.


    Shen Ying''er said, "Sister Zhou, I think that woman just now really seemed to be genuinely passing by, really there to pick someone up. You might have misunderstood her."


    Sister Zhou replied, "Ying''er, you''re really too naive. Of course, they''ll do a full act; you don''t need to worry about it. I''ll take care of it."


    Shen Ying''er asked, "How are you going to handle it?"


    Sister Zhou sneered, "I''ve already thought of something..."


    She briefly described her nned course of action.


    "Isn''t that a bit harsh?" Shen Ying''er frowned slightly.


    "There''s nothing harsh about it." Sister Zhou said, "Ying''er, you''re new to the entertainment industry, naive, and softhearted. To tell you the truth, such a disposition isn''t very suitable for surviving in the entertainment industry."


    "Luckily, you have me, your Sister Zhou. I will make you understand what the entertainment industry is like. You also need to gradually change your personality and not let anyone bully you."


    "Anyone who bullies you must be hit back, to make them afraid to bully you again and to let others know that you''re not to be trifled with, or else they will have to pay a painful price."


    Whenever there was an opportunity, Sister Zhou would offer her guidance.


    "I just feel like maybe the situation isn''t thatplicated. Maybe they really were just passersby and we''re overthinking. We could wait and see. If they really are trying to piggyback on our fame or stir up publicity, then we can deal with it. That might be a better approach," Shen Ying''er said with a wry smile.


    "Ying''er, this is the first thing you need to learn. When something happens, it''s best to nip it in the bud so that any negative impact can be minimized."


    "If we let them stir up publicity and then we respond to it, the harm will have already been done, and it will take a massive effort and a steep price to handle it, with poor results. Only by taking the initiative can we achieve the best oue," Sister Zhou lectured again.


    "I still think it''s not right."


    Shen Ying''er genuinely felt that the other party wasn''t as Sister Zhou said, trying to use this opportunity for fame.


    So beautiful, wanting to break into the industry, there were surely many ways to do so.


    With the advancement of social media, starting a livestream or the like, they would definitely garner a lot of fans.


    Attracting the attention of filmpanies was also an easy task.


    If the other party really wasn''t as Sister Zhou suspected, her actions would certainly cause harm to them.


    Sister Zhou said, "Ying''er, leave this matter to me. I''ll handle it. Rest assured, as your assistant, I''m not going to harm you, only to protect you, so that no one affects your future."


    Shen Ying''er said helplessly, "Okay then."

 Chapter 281 Trending on Social Media

    Xu Yang and his party walked out of the airport.


    Xu Yang and the four of them said goodbye to Liu Kaile and Song Li, and got into the car to leave.


    "Is Xu''s son driving a Rolls-Royce Cullinan?" Liu Kaile''s eyes widened.


    "What, a Rolls-Royce? How is that possible, are you sure you didn''t see it wrong?" Song Li eximed in surprise.


    Although she did not know how much the Rolls-Royce Cullinan cost, she knew the brand Rolls-Royce, which is the ride of top tycoons.


    "I didn''t see it wrong, it was indeed a Rolls-Royce Cullinan," Liu Kaile asserted.


    "Impossible, how could his son be so rich." Song Li was unwilling to believe it.


    "Just because he''s driving a Rolls-Royce doesn''t mean he''s rich," Liu Kaile thought for a moment and calmed down.


    "You mean..." Song Li began to specte.


    "Either Xu Deming''s son is driving for some big boss, using the boss''s car to pick up Old Xu, or the car is rented."


    Liu Kaile felt that only this exnation could ount for why Xu Deming''s son was driving a Rolls-Royce.


    "Exactly, that has to be it. I was saying there''s no way Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping''s son could be that wealthy," Song Li nodded again and again, very much in agreement with Liu Kaile''s spection.


    "People like that are just pretending to be more than they are, they look impressive but in reality, they are struggling," Liu Kaile said disdainfully.


    "Right, but if others want to pretend, it''s none of our business," Song Li said.


    "That''s true, let''s go, we''ll take a taxi to the hotel."


    Liu Kaile and Song Li took a taxi to the hotel they had booked.


    In the taxi.


    Liu Kaile said, "We definitely need to invite Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping when we meet and have dinner with Mo Jinxin."


    Song Li said, "But Xu Deming declined." Find exclusive stories on mvl


    Liu Kaileughed, "What does it matter if he declined? When the timees, we''ll have Mo Jinxin personally call to invite him, and I don''t believe he won''te."


    Song Li said, "If Mo Jinxin personally invites him, with Xu Deming''s character, he definitely won''t be able to resist losing face. As long as he''s still in Jiangcheng, we can definitely get him toe."


    ...


    Xu Yang and his group of four arrived at the main Haido store.


    The main Haido store was near the Haido headquarters.


    Zhao Hai and Zhou Ruyan had already arranged things and were waiting at the entrance.


    Upon meeting, Zhao Hai introduced Zhou Ruyan to Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping.


    After exchanging a few words, they entered a private room in Haido.


    During the meal, Xu Yang''s cellphone rang.


    He took it out to see that it was from Wang Xiaocong.


    "Old Wang," Xu Yang answered the call.


    "Old Xu, you and your wife have hit the hot search, quite impressive," Wang Xiaocong said with a chuckle.


    "The hot search? How did we end up on the hot search? What''s going on?"


    Xu Yang was quite puzzled.


    He knew that he and Zhao Yuxin were very low-profile people, not public figures, and they hadn''t done anything, so how could they end up on the hot search?


    "Hehe, just take a look and you''ll know," Wang Xiaocong was just calling to tease him a bit, and if Xu Yang didn''t know, it was like passing the message on.


    "Alright, I''ll take a look."


    After hanging up the phone, Xu Yang opened the trending searches, and indeed found news about himself and Zhao Yuxin there.


    The headline: "Piggybacking on the heat of our Ying''er is fine, but this is too much."


    There were on-scene photos of him and Zhao Yuxin surrounded by Shen Ying''er''s fans.


    The poster was Sister Zhou, Shen Ying''er''s assistant.


    The text read: "You want to piggyback on the poprity of our Ying''er, which I can understand, as our Ying''er is currently very popr. It''s normal for people to do this, but when I pointed it out and told you to stop, you should have stopped. Instead, you not only continued but also refused to admit it.


    By doing this, you''re bullying our Ying''er, and I will expose you so that everyone can see your vile face and let theizens be the judge!"


    This news, in just over an hour''s time, had garneredments from more than fifty thousand people.


    Most of thesements were left by fans of Shen Ying''er, all cursing him and Zhao Yuxin, mainly cursing Zhao Yuxin.


    Because Sister Zhou''s usations were directed at Zhao Yuxin, he was just incidentally involved.


    "Howe there''s always someone trying to leech off our Ying''er''s poprity? It''s just so despicable!"


    "Our Ying''er is so popr that there are always those who try to leech off her fame, it''s an inevitable issue."


    "Mhm, other people''s idols can''t even get others to leech off them even if they wanted."


    "Fans switching loyalty on the spot, turning from fans to bystanders, that''s absolutely impossible, these people must be actors paid by that woman."


    "Yeah, it''s just too fake."


    "So unseemly."


    "It''s one thing to leech off the poprity, but to even step on our Ying''er while doing it? Absolutely unbearable."


    "Support Ying''er in her fight against that fame-leecher!"


    "May I meekly ask, does anyone else think that miss is really pretty?"


    "The person above, are you really a fan of our Ying''er? Where do you see that miss being pretty?"


    "To the one above, to be fair, that miss is indeed very pretty, seems even prettier than Ying''er."


    "Impossible, that must be fake, the result of makeup and camera filters. In reality, she''s definitely not as pretty as our Ying''er, who is equally beautiful in both real life and photos."


    "Mhm, our Ying''er is the prettiest."


    "I''m a fan who went to the airport today to pick up our idol, and I want to rify one thing: I''m not one of those paid by that miss. I truly was a fan of Ying''er."


    "Mhm, I also went to the airport today, we''re not hired by anyone."


    "That miss in the photos is really pretty."


    "Mhm, even prettier than Shen Ying''er."


    "Let me tell you, that miss is even prettier in real life than in the pictures."


    "Impossible, there''s no woman in the whole world prettier than our Shen Ying''er."


    "These people are just paid shills,ing out to whitewash, don''t believe them."


    "These people are going too far, our Ying''er is such a nice person, yet there are always people bullying her."


    "It''s so hateful that people are always trying to sponge off our Ying''er''s fame. Can''t they pick on someone else?"


    "Ying''er is too kind-hearted. She became popr shortly after her debut, some people think Ying''er is easy to bully, that''s why they''re leeching off her poprity."


    "Ying''er might be easy to bully, but we, her fans, are definitely not to be trifled with. I will make sure that person pays the price."


    "Exactly, as Ying''er''s die-hard fans, we won''t allow such behavior to slide; otherwise, who knows how many others will try to leech off our Ying''er''s fame in the future."


    "Who exactly is that woman? We must find her out."


    "Right, we have to find her and teach her a lesson."


    "Anyone who knows her Weibo or Douyin ount, share it. I want to pay her a visit."


    ...


    After reading some of thements, Xu Yang didn''t want to look anymore.


    He never imagined that he and Zhao Yuxin would end up on the trending search like this.


    "Husband, what are you looking at?" Zhao Yuxin, seeing Xu Yang on the phone the whole time, leaned in curiously and asked.


    "We''re on the trending search," Xu Yang said with a wry smile.


    "Trending search? What happened?" Zhao Yuxin asked with a puzzled face.


    "You guys can make it to the trending search?"


    "What happened?"


    "You''re not celebrities, why are you on the trending search?"


    "Lately, you haven''t shown up anywhere, attended any events."


    Xu Deming and the others, confused by Xu Yang''s words, all looked towards him.

 Chapter 282 The Unparalleled Good Man

    "You''ll know once you check the news," Xu Yang said with a wry smile.


    Hearing this, everyone immediately took out their phones to check the news.


    "So that''s what happened."


    "That''s just ridiculous, iming Yu Xin is riding on Shen Ying''er''s poprity."


    "Right, does Yu Xin need to ride on Shen Ying''er''s coattails?"


    "It''s all because that assistant of Ying''er got too full of herself. At the airport, she even had the nerve to criticise Yu Xin. I didn''t expect her to take this matter to the inte."


    Xu Deming and the others were all talking at once.


    At that moment, Xu Yang''s phone rang again.


    The caller ID showed that it was Lin Junyi calling.


    "Bro Junyi," Xu Yang answered the call.


    "Xu Yang, I can''t believe someone said Yu Xin is leeching off Shen Ying''er''s trending search. I''m dying ofughter. They''ve even dragged you into it. Do you want me to clear things up for you?" Lin Junyi said.


    "That sounds good, please clear it up," Xu Yang considered for a moment and then nodded.


    Lin Junyi was now a superstar on the inte. A single message from him was more effective than many others'' words.


    "Got it, I''ll rify right away," Lin Junyi said.


    After hanging up, Lin Junyi immediately went to thement section of that news article and spoke out using his own ount.


    "Everyone, calm down, this is just a misunderstanding. The handsome guy in the photo is my boss, and the beautiful woman is my boss'' wife. Do you guys really think that my boss'' wife would want to ride on Shen Ying''er''s poprity?"


    Lin Junyi, already a superstar on the inte, attracted a massive following with every word he said.


    As soon as he made his statement, the inte went wild.


    "Whoa, Bro Junyi is on the scene!"


    "That guy turns out to be Bro Junyi''s boss, and the woman his boss'' wife, so she''s the Fengcai Guild''sdy boss."


    "Could this Bro Junyi be fake? Maybe someone hired him to do damage control?"


    "It''s real, he''s got verified status on Weibo. I''m one of his followers."


    "My God, I had no idea the Fengcai Guild''sdy boss was that beautiful. This has to be a misunderstanding then."


    "Yeah, it must be Shen Ying''er''s side that''s full of themselves."


    "Now Shen Ying''er is going to be embarrassed."


    "Hmph, just a guild''sdy boss, what''s so great about her? How could she possiblypare to our Ying''er? Our Ying''er is a hot star, not some guilddy boss."


    "Exactly, just a live-streaming guild''sdy boss. It''s only natural she''d want to leech off Ying''er''s poprity."


    "Shen Ying''er is more awesome than Fengcai Guild''sdy boss? That''s hrious!"


    "Haha, seriously, that''s going to kill me. Kids, don''t just focus on entertainment news, try reading some other news once in a while, especially financial news."


    "Kids, believe it or not, if your Shen Ying''er knew the identity of the Fengcai Guild''sdy boss, she probably wouldn''t be able to speak clearly in her presence."


    "Comparing Shen Ying''er to the Fengcai Guild''sdy boss is just nonsensical."


    "What''s the matter, why can''t they bepared? Just spell it out if you have something to say."


    "Why can''t they bepared? Go do some research on your own."


    Soon after, another voice spoke up.


    Wang Xiaocong: Do you folks really think my sister-inw would need to leech off Shen Ying''er''s poprity? That assistant to Shen Ying''er is either here for augh or trying to reverse leech off my sister-inw''s fame!


    With Wang Xiaocong''s statement, the incident reached its climax.


    "Holy shit, even Wang Xiaocong has blown up."


    "People say that Wang Xiaocong and the Fengcai Guild''s boss are like brothers, and it looks like it''s true."


    "Of course, otherwise why would he call the Fengcai Guild''sdy boss his sister-inw."


    "Wang Xiaocong has spoken, do Shen Ying''er''s deluded fans still think the Fengcai Guild''sdy boss needs to ride on Shen Ying''er''s coattails for fame?"


    "So what if Wang Xiaocong has spoken? She''s just thedy boss of Fengcai Guild. It''s just that the boss of Fengcai Guild happens to have some connections and knows Wang Xiaocong, what''s the big deal?"


    "Exactly, what''s so impressive about that? She''s not even worth a single finger of our Shen Ying''er."


    "I just said, you kids should stop focusing on entertainment news all the time, it''s better to read some other news."


    "These people probably didn''t take it in, let me educate them."


    "The boss of Fengcai Guild is not just the boss there, he''s also the boss of Jiangdi Lao, the boss of Pioneer Culture, the boss of Yang Xin Investments, the boss of Yang Xin Games, and a major shareholder in many otherpanies."


    "In short, the boss of Fengcai Guild is a billionaire worth tens of billions!"


    "Do you think the wife of a multi-billionaire would need to ride on Shen Ying''er''s poprity?"


    "If she wanted to enter the industry, what resources wouldn''t she have?"


    Stay connected through mvl


    "Do you know the difference between celebrities and the rich? Celebrities are there to serve the rich."


    "That''s because Shen Ying''er''s assistant didn''t recognize President Xu, otherwise she would definitely not think that Mrs. Xu was cozying up to Shen Ying''er for fame, and she definitely wouldn''t have dared to tweet that post."


    "This behavior of Shen Ying''er''s assistant is already infringing on her reputation, and if pursued, it could be the end of Shen Ying''er."


    "Alright, now that you''ve been educated, do you still think she''s just the wife of a guild boss?"


    "Holy shit, the man in this photo is actually the boss of Fengcai Guild!"


    "My god, he''s also the boss of Jiangdi Lao, I''m eating hotpot at Jiangdi Lao right now!"


    "I''ve heard that just with Jiangdi Lao, the boss is already a billionaire."


    "The wife of Jiangdi Lao''s boss definitely wouldn''t need to cling to Shen Ying''er for attention."


    "Mrs. Xu is so beautiful, I''m so envious."


    "If I could find such a beautiful woman to marry, I would willingly give up twenty years of my life."


    "I said it, someone as beautiful as her wouldn''t need to mooch off of poprity."


    "Upstairs, you''d better take a look at what you were saying just now."


    "Upstairs, that was my brother''s ssmate''s little brother''s cousin using my ount, it''s got nothing to do with me."


    "President Xu is really handsome, the sunny kind of handsome, not the pretty-boy type, now that''s a real man."


    "Yep, sunny, handsome, and rich ¨C totally a tall, rich, and handsome man."


    "They''re really suited for each other."


    "This is just like a domineering CEO. Look at how well President Xu is protecting his wife in the photo."


    "If I had a boyfriend like that, I''d wake upughing from my dreams."


    "The two of them look so young, and they''re already married, it''s incredible."


    "Yeah, a lot of young people, especially wealthy ones, don''t like to get married so early, like Wang Xiaocong."


    "Uh-huh, Wang Xiaocong is already thirty and still not married, still dating a stream of inte-famous girlfriends, just like he''s still in his twenties."


    "Wang Xiaocong: Why does it alwayse back to me, what have I ever done to anyone?"


    "President Xu getting married so early shows that Xu Yang is an exceptional man. There are many rich guys who have girlfriends but won''t get married. They wait until the woman''s beauty fades with age, then they''ll find excuses to break up and find a younger girlfriend. That kind of man is just scum. President Xu married the one he''s set on, he embodies what a good man is."


    "Right, right, if a man truly loves a woman, he''ll marry her, otherwise it''s all lies."


    "What''s President Xu''s Weibo handle, I want to follow him."


    "What about Mrs. Xu''s Weibo handle, I want to follow her too."


    "Neither of them has a Weibo ount, they keep a low profile."


    "Good man, good woman, they''re really a match made in heaven."


    "If I could marry a good man like President Xu, I''d be willing to do anything."

 Chapter 283 Simply a Pig

    "You guys, your faces change too quickly. It was you who badmouthed President Xu and Mrs. Xu, and now it''s you who are praising them."


    "How can you say that? We didn''t know President Xu and Mrs. Xu''s identities before. Now that we do, it''s only natural for us to change our stance," said the person above.


    "Exactly, we were deceived by Shen Ying''er''s assistant. It was just a misunderstanding."


    "Why hasn''t Shen Ying''er''s assistant deleted the Weibo post yet? Does she intend to keep it up and embarrass Shen Ying''er further?"


    "This assistant is ipetent. She may not care about her reputation, but our Shen Ying''er does."


    "As for Shen Ying''er''s assistant not recognizing Mrs. Xu, that might be excusable, as Mrs. Xu probably supports President Xu from behind the scenes withouting into the public eye. But Xu Yang has been in the news; if the assistant doesn''t recognize him, that''s a bit ipetent."


    "Not just a bit ipetent, totally ipetent. Such a person shouldn''t be Shen Ying''er''s assistant, or else Shen Ying''er will be implicated in the future."


    "Yeah, who knows how much negative impact this incident will have on Shen Ying''er."


    "Shen Ying''er is really unlucky to get saddled with an assistant like this."


    "I strongly suggest Shen Ying''er changes her assistant."


    "It seems the assistant was assigned by herpany. It might help to leave ament on the official Weibo page of herpany."


    "I''m on it right now."


    "Me too!"


    ...


    At Jiang Bottom Fishing, inside a private room.


    Following Lin Junyi and Wang Xiaocong''s statements, public opinion had turned, and everyone rxed.


    Zhou Ruyanughed and said, "Yu Xin, it''s all because you''re too pretty, attracting all those fans of the big star."


    Zhao Yuxin blushed slightly and said, "Ru Yan, stop teasing me. It''s those students who are too crazy."


    Zhao Hai nodded in agreement, "Indeed, many young students these days are crazy about chasing celebrities. I don''t know how their parents manage them."


    Zhou Ruyan replied, "Maybe their parents don''t even know that their children are chasing stars so frantically."


    Xu Demingmented, "This whole thing is because Shen Ying''er''s assistant was too presumptuous. Without rifying the situation, she assumed that Yu Xin was clout-chasing."


    Jiang Qiuping nodded in agreement, "Actually, her thinking is understandable, but she spoke out of turn without understanding the true identity of Xiao Yang and Yu Xin. She didn''t do her job well enough."


    Xu Yang said, "Let''s move on from this matter. Let''s eat and chat. Mom, Dad, how long do you n to stay in Haicheng?"


    Xu Deming replied with a smile, "We n to stay for a week. After that, we''ll head to Haicheng, then to the capital. We''ll spend time in the north beforeing back south. We n to spend the second half of the year traveling around, really exploring our country."


    Xu Yang said, "As long as you have your ns, that''s fine. I''ll transfer ten million to you tonight, just ask if that''s not enough."


    Jiang Qiuping replied, "You don''t need to transfer money to us. Our savings are enough, especially since you''ve already given us five million. That''s plenty."


    Xu Deming chimed in, "Yeah, keep your money. We have enough, we don''t need yours."


    Xu Yang said, "Alright then, but if you ever need more, just call me."


    Not wanting to argue about this issue any longer, he decided to transfer the money directly to his mother''s bank card when the time came.


    After dinner, they parted ways with Zhao Hai and Zhou Ruyan, and Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin took their parents home.


    ...


    In the capital, at a high-end restaurant, inside a private room.


    Zhang Xingwen, the general manager of Starfire Entertainment, was dining with friends.


    Suddenly, his phone rang.


    Seeing the caller ID, Zhang Xingwen''s heart lifted with happiness.


    "Gentlemen, I need to take this call. Please continue eating and drinking," he said.


    Zhang Xingwen, phone in hand, quickly left the room.


    "What''s going on? Who could Zhang have received a call from?"


    "Who knows? But one thing''s for sure, it must be from some big shot, or he wouldn''t have reacted that way."


    "Isn''t that stating the obvious?"


    "When hees back, just ask him,"


    "Right, there''s no need for us to guess. Let''s move on."


    While chatting, the friends continued eating and drinking.


    Zhang Xingwen left the private room and found a quiet corner before answering the call.


    "Mr. Wang, good evening."


    Indeed, the caller was none other than the national celebrity, Wang Xiaocong.


    Their friendship wasn''t deep; they had met a few times and chatted briefly during those encounters.


    Receiving a call from Wang Xiaocong was quite a surprise for Zhang Xingwen.


    This meant Wang Xiaocong needed him for something. Otherwise, he would never call.


    In his memory, it was the first time he had received a call from Wang Xiaocong.


    In the past, it was always him trying to contact Wang Xiaocong, making up excuses to invite him out.


    But Wang Xiaocong paid him no attention.


    Today, Wang Xiaocong taking the initiative to call him truly made him feel incredibly honored.


    "What are you doing?" Wang Xiaocong asked straight away.


    "I''m having dinner with some friends right now, nning to go to the Emperor Entertainment City for a foot bath after eating. Mr. Wang, would you like to join us?" Zhang Xingwen said.


    "You kid still feel like getting a foot bath, I''m really astounded by you," Wang Xiaocong said with a wryugh.


    "Mr. Wang, what do you mean by that?" Zhang Xingwen asked, puzzled.


    "Just check the trending searches, and you''ll know. Considering our acquaintance, I''m giving you a heads-up with this call."


    With that, Wang Xiaocong hung up.


    A sense of dread welled up in Zhang Xingwen''s heart.


    He knew Wang Xiaocong would never joke with him.


    And from what Wang Xiaocong implied, it was definitely bad news.


    So, he quickly went online to check the hottest topics.


    He soon found the statement posted by Shen Ying''er''s assistant and quickly understood the situation, his face darkening instantly.


    It turned out that the popr young actress Shen Ying''er''s assistant had attacked Xu Yang''s wife on social media, iming Xu Yang''s wife was leeching off Shen Ying''er''s poprity.


    Damn, that assistant was an absolute pig.


    Didn''t she check who the other person was before posting?


    With Xu Yang''s status, a simple check would have sufficed.


    This damn stupid assistant, it doesn''t matter if she embarrasses herself, but she''s causing Shen Ying''er to lose face.


    Shen Ying''er was at the height of her poprity, and thepany treated her like a cash cow.


    One wrong move could potentially end her career.


    The more he thought about it, the angrier Zhang Xingwen became.


    He immediately logged into thepany system, found Shen Ying''er assistant''s phone number, and dialed straight away.


    Soon, the call connected.


    "Hello, who is this?"


    Shen Ying''er''s assistant, Ms. Zhou, didn''t recognize the number. She didn''t know who the caller was.


    "This is Zhang Xingwen," he said in a stern voice.


    "Zhang Xingwen? Who is Zhang Xingwen?" Ms. Zhou certainly knew who thepany general manager Zhang Xingwen was¡ªhe wasn''t just the manager, but also the owner''s son.


    However, she had never imagined Zhang Xingwen would call her, a mere assistant, and she was taken aback for a moment. Find your next adventure on §Þ??


    "You''re asking who I am," Zhang Xingwen could no longer suppress his anger.

 Chapter 284 The Untouchable Person

    "I...you''re President Zhang?" Sister Zhou was initially a bit angry and wanted to say how would she know who he is, but then she remembered the general manager''s name, isn''t it Zhang Xingwen?


    This frightened her to the core.


    She just couldn''t understand why the general manager would call her, such a minor assistant.


    "Good that you know it''s me," Zhang Xingwen said angrily, "Delete thattest Weibo post of yours immediately! And I mean immediately!"


    "Why?" Sister Zhou was somewhat puzzled.


    She of course knew which Weibo post was hertest one.


    It just seemed to her that Zhang Xingwen''s demand was somewhat baffling.


    That post was criticizing that woman for clinging to Shen Ying''er''s poprity; there was nothing wrong with it.


    Why would Zhang Xingwen personally call to have her delete the post?


    "You still ask why? Do you even know who you think is the woman clinging to poprity?" Zhang Xingwen said furiously.


    "Who? Isn''t she just some artist that apany is trying to promote?" Sister Zhou realized the issue might be serious, but still quietly asked.


    "This is just your personal assumption, you just assume that''s the case without checking who she is and recklessly post things? Is this how you work usually?" Zhang Xingwen questioned angrily.


    "President Zhang, who is that person?"


    Now, Sister Zhou knew the woman''s identity was not simple.


    However, she still mustered the courage and asked weakly.


    "Listen to me carefully: that man, Xu Yang, is the boss of Fengcai Guild, the boss of Jiang Bottom Fishing, the boss of Pioneer Culture; a genuine billionaire. His worth is even higher than my father''s, and that woman is his wife."


    "Do you think the wife of a billionaire would need to cling to Shen Ying''er''s poprity?"


    "Now the news has be a hot mess. Wang Xiaocong has alreadye out to rify, and Shen Ying''er has be a joke."


    "What''s more ridiculous is that your Weibo post is still up there!"


    "You fool, couldn''t you have checked the person''s identity before posting?"


    "Now the problem is, Shen Ying''er bing a joke is a minor issue; the most important thing is that Xu Yang has been offended."


    "You should know that Xu Yang is on brotherly terms with Wang Xiaocong, and schmoozes with big shots like Wang Xiaocong''s dad, Wang the tycoon, and Zhang Yimin."


    "You almost got me killed, do you understand?!"


    Zhang Xingwen got more and more angry as he spoke, even cursing came out.


    Given his status, it was almost unheard of for this to happen in front of his subordinates.


    But he was truly too infuriated, and only by swearing could he vent the anger in his heart.


    "President Zhang, I was wrong. I saw that the woman was so beautiful and thought she was an artist promoted by some other entertainmentpany. I didn''t realize she was so important."


    Sister Zhou was trembling with fear.


    To think that woman, the wife of such a big shot, she actually assumed was fame-chasing.


    It was trulyughable.


    "What use is it to know you''re wrong now? Hurry up and delete the Weibo post; every second it remains up there, it tarnishes thepany and Shen Ying''er''s name!" Zhang Xingwen said angrily.


    "Yes, yes, President Zhang, I''m deleting it right now."


    Sister Zhou naturally did not dare to disobey, and knowing Zhao Yuxin''s identity, she knew what to do even without Sister Zhou telling her.


    This time she had really made a fool of herself.


    She was just an assistant, humiliation didn''t matter to her, she wouldn''t be taken seriously, but the key point was that Shen Ying''er was humiliated along with her.


    "After deleting it, you must post an apology, apologize to Xu Yang and his wife, and tell Shen Ying''er to post an apology too, do you understand?" Zhang Xingwen instructed.


    If Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin were just ordinary people, whether or not to apologize wouldn''t matter.


    But Xu Yang was a billionaire, chummy with Wang Xiaocong, someone who couldugh and joke with tycoons like Wang the tycoon and Zhang Yimin.


    So not only did we have to delete the post, but we also had to apologize.


    Otherwise, if Xu Yang took offense, that would spell trouble for me.


    Experience more on §Þ??


    I remember all too well how disastrously Hua''an Film and Television suffered for offending Zhang Xingwen in the past.


    If Xu Yang did the same to Xinghuo Film and Television, there would be nowhere for me to even cry.


    And it wasn''t just Shen Ying''er and Sister Zhou who had to apologize; I had to apologize myself.


    I wasn''t supposed to apologize with a post, but had to call Xu Yang to apologize personally.


    I had to make amends, and only by knowing Xu Yang''s attitude could I feel at ease.


    "Okay, President Zhang, I''ll delete the post right away, and I''ll apologize," Sister Zhou said.


    After hanging up, she immediately logged into Weibo, deleted that blog post, and began to carefully craft her apology post.


    Just then, her phone rang; it was Shen Ying''er calling.


    "Ying''er," Sister Zhou answered the phone.


    "Sister Zhou, hurry up and delete that Weibo post. I just saw the news and found out that the couple we ran into at the airport today are people we cannot afford to mess with. Delete the post quickly."


    Shen Ying''er''s voice was trembling, clearly filled with fear.


    Even though she was new to the entertainment industry, she knew that figures like Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin were not ones she could afford to provoke.


    She was in her prime, and to ordinary people, it seemed glorious.


    But in front of the real power yers, someone like her meant nothing.


    Xu Yang was a billionaire, the boss of Fengcai Guild, Jay River Fishing, Pioneer Culture, and many otherpanies.


    She had heard about the conflict at the start of the year between Xu Yang and Hua''an Film and Television.


    While Xu Yang was not part of the entertainment industry, he was considered a hidden tycoon within it, listed as one of the people in the industry you didn''t want to mess with.


    Just a word from him could end her rising star.


    It wasughable that her assistant thought that Xu Yang''s wife was trying to gain attention by association with her.


    Her own assistant was about to get her killed.


    "Ying''er, don''t worry, I already deleted that Weibo post just now," Sister Zhou hastily reassured her.


    "Good that you deleted it. You know about that woman''s identity now, right?" asked Shen Ying''er.


    "Yes, President Zhang just called me," Sister Zhou replied.


    "What! President Zhang called you? This issue has gotten his attention? Was he very angry?" Shen Ying''er''s pretty face turned a bit pale.


    "President Zhang was furious. He scolded me and Ying''er, I''m really sorry for implicating you with my failure to do my job properly," Sister Zhou admitted quickly.


    Not admitting it wasn''t an option; the situation was such that she couldn''t possibly argue.


    "Sister Zhou, let''s not talk about that right now. Tell me quickly, did President Zhang say anything else? Do I need to do something to rectify this mistake?" Shen Ying''er asked urgently.


    If Zhang Xingwen had something else in mind for her to do, it meant he was not nning to put her career on ice.


    If nothing was said, then she was probably doomed, and her career woulde to an end.


    "I was just about to call you about that. President Zhang said we need to issue an apology, to apologize to Xu Yang and his wife," Sister Zhou said.


    "Right, right, an apology. You post your apology quickly, and I''ll post mine too," Shen Ying''er agreed.


    She nodded again and again, feeling a sigh of relief.


    That meant thepany had no intention of sidelining her.


    Ending the call, both began to write their apology statements.


    Aftermunicating online, reviewing and refining each other''s drafts several times, once they felt it was appropriate, they logged into their Weibo ounts and posted the apology statements.

 Chapter 285 Personal Apology

    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin brought their parents back to the vi.


    Upon seeing the luxurious vi, Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping expressed their amazement for quite some time.


    After having a look around, Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping took a shower and went to bed.


    They had no choice, they were simply too exhausted today.


    In the morning, they took the high-speed train from Cang County to Sha City, then flew to Jiang City.


    Originally, they could have rested on the ne.


    But that guy Liu Kaile just wouldn''t stop chattering away the entire journey.


    Even when he said he wanted to rest, he didn''t seed.


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin took a shower andy in bed, Zhao Yuxin yed with her phone for a bit, then ced the phone in front of Xu Yang.


    "Honey, Shen Ying''er and her assistant have issued an apology," Zhao Yuxin said.


    Xu Yang nced at it.


    The apology statement was around seven or eight hundred words long, simr to a middle-school student''s essay.


    It was clear that the words were earnest, fully acknowledging their mistakes.


    At least, that''s what the apology statement suggested.


    "Even Wang Xiaocong has stepped in, if they didn''t issue an apology statement, I would really be angry," Xu Yang said.


    Experience more tales on §Þ??


    "Yeah, Shen Ying''er''s assistant was really too presumptuous," Zhao Yuxin nodded.


    "Alright, let''s not worry about this anymore. Let''s sleep, and tomorrow we''ll go out with mom and dad," Xu Yang said.


    ...


    The next day.


    In the morning, while having breakfast, Xu Yang''s phone rang.


    The caller ID showed an unfamiliar number.


    "Hello?" Xu Yang answered the phone.


    "Hello, may I speak with Mr. Xu?" A man''s voice came through.


    "You are...?" Xu Yang asked.


    "Hello Mr. Xu, I''m Zhang Xingwen, general manager of Starfire Entertainment," the voice said.


    Yes, it was Zhang Xingwen on the line.


    He had gotten Xu Yang''s phone number from Wang Xiaocong and called personally to apologize.


    "Starfire Entertainment? I don''t think we''re acquainted. I also don''t recall having any dealings with Starfire Entertainment. What do you need from me?"


    Xu Yang had never heard of this filmpany, and in fact, he wasn''t very familiar with the film industry.


    He remembered the filmpanies he had coborated with, but otherpanies, unless they were particrly famous, were unknown to him.


    This Starfire Entertainment was really a stranger to him, and he was even more clueless that Shen Ying''er was an artist under Starfire Entertainment.


    "Mr. Xu, Shen Ying''er is one of our artists. Her assistant, being presumptuous, posted a Weibo that caused a very bad impact on you and your wife. I''m calling to apologize," exined Zhang Xingwen.


    "I see, Shen Ying''er''s assistant was indeed somewhat reckless. However, both Shen Ying''er and her assistant have issued an apology on Weibo, which I have seen. Let''s consider this matter closed; I won''t hold it against them," Xu Yang responded.


    Since the other party had apologized, and the general manager of Starfire Entertainment personally called to apologize, Xu Yang didn''t take the matter to heart any longer.


    Zhang Xingwen finally breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Xu Yang''s words.


    Xu Yang was now a hidden mogul of the entertainment circle, a shareholder of Wan Da Entertainment, the boss of Pioneer Culture, and the owner of Fengcai Guild.


    With just the resources from these fewpanies, cklisting Shen Ying''er would be a piece of cake.


    In essence, it could be done with just one word.


    Shen Ying''er was currently in her prime, a cash cow for Starfire Entertainment.


    Of course, he didn''t want such a cash cow to be cut down just like that.


    "Thank you, Mr. Xu. I have already fully understood the ins and outs of the situation," said Zhang Xingwen.


    "This was all caused by Shen Ying''er''s assistant, acting on their own initiative; it has nothing to do with Shen Ying''er herself, who repeatedly tried to stop that assistant."


    "Despite that, the assistant still acted presumptuously, believing that your wife was clout-chasing, and eventually posted that Weibo message."


    "As a result, ourpany has decided to fire the assistant. Mr. Xu, do you think this solution is eptable?"


    Even though Xu Yang was magnanimous and said to let the matter rest, Zhang Xingwen had to show a clear stance.


    An apology alone was not enough; concrete actions were necessary.


    "Mr. Zhang, this is an internal matter for yourpany. How you handle it is up to you. I have no right to interfere," Xu Yang said indifferently.


    "Alright, I understand, Mr. Xu. May I give Shen Ying''er your phone number so she can call and apologize to you personally? She''s still in Jiangcheng, or I could ask her toe to yourpany and apologize to you in person."


    Without Xu Yang''s permission, Zhang Xingwen dared not give Shen Ying''er Xu Yang''s phone number.


    Without Xu Yang''s permission, he also dared not let Shen Ying''ere over to apologize.


    "Shen Ying''er has already issued an online apology. That''s enough; there''s no need for a phone call or a face-to-face apology," Xu Yang replied.


    Xu Yang had no time to meet with a female star just to ept her apology; it wasn''t necessary.


    "Alright, Mr. Xu, your generosity is much appreciated, and I thank you on behalf of Shen Ying''er," Zhang Xingwen said.


    "There''s no need for such courtesy, Mr. Zhang," Xu Yang replied.


    The two chatted for a few more moments before ending the call.


    After breakfast, Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin took their parents out for a day of fun.


    In the blink of an eye, three days passed.


    This morning.


    The family had breakfast together.


    Xu Deming said, "Xiao Yang, Yuxin, today we n to rest at home and meet up with a ssmate for dinner in the evening. If you have things to do, go ahead, don''t mind us."


    The previous night, Xu Deming received a call from his ssmate Mo Jinxin inviting them to dinner, stating that Liu Kaile and Song Li would also join.


    If it had been Liu Kaile and Song Li who invited them, Xu Deming would have refused outright.


    Since it was Mo Jinxin who called personally, Xu Deming felt it hard to refuse and agreed.


    After ying in Jiangcheng for three days, they were a bit tired, so they decided it was a good day to rest at home.


    Xu Yang nodded and said, "Okay. Where are you having dinner? I can drive you there."


    Jiang Qiuping replied, "No need, we can just take a taxi there. You tend to your own business."


    She really didn''t want to trouble her son.


    Having spent three days in theirpany, they were already quite satisfied.


    Though the son imed to be free, he still had things to attend to.


    Throughout the day, two or three calls woulde in¡ªsome about work, others from friends.


    But Xu Yang declined them all.


    Xu Deming said, "Xiao Yang, Yuxin, you young people have your own things to attend to. In the next few days, we''ll go out on our own, no need for you to apany us anymore. Just go on with what you need to do."


    Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin exchanged nces and could only reply, "Alright, Mom and Dad, then you can use my car for the next few days."


    Xu Deming responded, "No need, we can just take a taxi. Besides, your car is so expensive, I wouldn''t dare to drive it. If it gets scratched or bumped, that''s hundreds of thousands right there."


    Xu Yang suggested, "How about you drive Yuxin''s Maserati then?"


    Xu Deming shook his head again, "Really, no need. Going out to eat might involve drinking some alcohol; driving would just be a hassle."


    Xu Yang conceded, "Alright then, but if you need anything, just give me a call."


    Jiang Qiuping reassured, "Xiao Yang, don''t worry, we''ll be fine."


    Zhao Yuxin offered, "Mom and Dad, why don''t you use my Maserati when you go out these next few days? It''s more convenient to have a car."


    Xu Deming still shook his head, "Yuxin, there''s no need. When going out, I think taking a taxi is better. After a day out, I''d be tired and then having to drive is a burden to me. It''s better to take a taxi; it''s convenient, and I can rest in the car. We really don''t need to use a car."


    Zhao Yuxin said helplessly, "Okay then."

 Chapter 286: Chapter 286 The Problem with Lazy Cat Live Streaming

    ```


    After breakfast,


    Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping just rested at home.


    Originally, today was scheduled to spend time with his parents, with no other arrangements made. Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin didn''t go out; they stayed at home with his parents.


    Around eleven o''clock, Xu Yang''s phone rang. It was a call from Wang Xiaocong.


    "Old Wang," Xu Yang answered the call.


    "Old Xu, I''ve arrived in Jiangcheng. Let''s have lunch together. I''ve got something to discuss with you," Wang Xiaocong said.


    "Sure," Xu Yang readily agreed.


    His parents were at home, and his wife as well.


    Whether he was at home or not didn''t really matter.


    "Let''s go to the Ultimate Private Kitchen. The taste there is really good, and I want to go there again."


    Wang Xiaocong had fond memories of the food at that private kitchen.


    Last time, when they invested in Hui''an Pharmaceuticals, Shen Yuyan''s father, Shen Wanpeng, invited all the big shots to dine at the Ultimate Private Kitchen.


    Everyone raved about the food there, and naturally, Wang Xiaocong was no exception.


    This time over, he picked that ce.


    "I thought you were going to treat me to a medicinal meal," Xu Yang joked.


    "Medicinal meals can be had anytime, but I can only eat at the Ultimate Private Kitchen when Ie to Jiangcheng. It''s better we go there," Wang Xiaocongughed.


    "Alright, I''ll head out in a bit," Xu Yang said.


    "Great, I''ll wait for you over there," Wang Xiaocong replied.


    After hanging up, Xu Yang mentioned the ns to his parents and Zhao Yuxin.


    "Honey, you go ahead. I''ll stay at home with your parents." Zhao Yuxin got along very well with her inws. With Xu Yang stepping out, she took care of them easily and without any pressure.


    "Okay, then I''m off. With you here, I''m at ease. Mom and Dad, I''m leaving."


    Xu Yang picked up his car keys and left.


    ...


    More than half an hourter,


    Xu Yang arrived at the Ultimate Private Kitchen and went straight to the private room Wang Xiaocong had mentioned.


    "Old Xu, you''re here. Have a seat. I''ve ordered a few dishes. See if there''s anything else you want to order," Wang Xiaocong pointed to the menu.


    "No need, I''m good with anything."


    When someone else was treating, Xu Yang wouldn''t order dishes.


    He had no dietary restrictions, so he was content to eat whatever was avable.


    Soon, the dishes were served.


    Xu Yang and Wang Xiaocong began eating while they talked.


    "Old Xu, I''ve heard that Penguin fully acquired Yunhai Literature yesterday and officially entered the online literature industry," Wang Xiaocong said.


    "Really? That was quick," Xu Yang wasn''t surprised.


    Thest time he had dinner with Han Jun, thetter had already mentioned he wouldn''t give up on the online literature market¡ªeither acquire other online literaturepanies or establish one on his own.


    Penguin''s choice of the former was foreseeable.


    After all, acquisitions were more convenient than starting a newpany from scratch and allowed for quicker results.


    "Penguin is really disgusting. They want to meddle in every industry," Wang Xiaocong couldn''t help butin.


    Over the years, Wan Da Group had been greatly impacted by Penguin. Whenever Penguin was mentioned, Wang Xiaocong''s tone turned sour.


    "Old Wang, Penguin''s persistence in entering the online literature field shows they have great faith in its future. This proves our acquisition of Shengda Literature was the right move," Xu Yang said.


    "You''re right, I''m just annoyed by them. They''ve put Wan Da Group under so much pressure. Anyway, now that Penguin has entered the scene, do you think we need to make some moves with Shengda Literature?" Wang Xiaocong asked.


    "There''s no need. Shengda Literature is the leader. It''s not wise to strike first."


    ```


    "Penguin''s acquisition of Yunhai Literature is definitely aiming to challenge the dominance of Shengda Literature. Let''s see what moves they make; we can respond ordingly based on their tactics," Xu Yang said.


    "Besides, we don''t understand the specifics of running this type of business. If we don''t understand it, we shouldn''t interfere blindly."


    "It''s best to leave it to Qiu Wenyu to handle. Qiu Wenyu has managed Shengda Literature as an industry leader for so many years, never seen defeated by otherpanies'' operations, but instead, the leading status has be even more stable."


    "I believe he can also handle Yunhai Literature, now backed by Penguin, with ease."


    Xu Yang would not interfere with the management of thepany lightly. Since he had chosen Qiu Wenyu to continue as president, he would trust him.


    As long as there were no major issues, he wouldn''t intervene.


    "You''re right. We don''t understand, so let''s not worry about it. Anyway, I trust you, and since you trust Qiu Wenyu, I naturally trust him too," Wang Xiaocong said.


    "Inviting me to dinner, you must have something else to talk about, right?" Xu Yang said with a smile.


    "Yes, there''s something more important," Wang Xiaocong replied.


    "What is it?" Xu Yang asked.


    "You should know I founded Lazy Cat Live, right?" Wang Xiaocong asked.


    "I know," Xu Yang nodded.


    It wasn''t that he had deliberately kept tabs on it, but sometimes he woulde across news about Wang Xiaocong and learn that Wang had invested in severalpanies, including Lazy Cat Live.


    Lazy Cat Live mainly focuses on gaming livestreams.


    "So, is this matter you want to discuss about your Lazy Cat Live?" Xu Yang inquired.


    "Yes. Right now, in our country''s game livestreaming field, the three giants are my Lazy Cat Live, Dayu Live, and Hubei Live."


    "Dayu Live and Hubei Live are under Penguin''s banner, and my Lazy Cat Live is at a critical moment in thepetition with these two."


    "I want to raise funds to keep up the fight with them, and I was hoping you would invest. Are you interested?"


    "If you are interested, I''m willing to sell a portion of the shares to you at a low price," Wang Xiaocong exined, looking to get Xu Yang to invest.


    The two of them were familiar enough with each other; there was no need to beat around the bush.


    Xu Yang wouldn''t invest inpanies that weren''t hinted by the system.


    Establishing a security firm was an exception.


    That was because of the former soldier Jiang Zhiyong; he felt that a securitypany would probably not lose money.


    Moreover, as his business expanded, he often needed a security firm as support to confidently handle many situations.


    Even if he had a good rtionship with Wang Xiaocong, he wouldn''t invest just because Wang asked him to.


    Just as he was about to refuse, a system prompt rang in his mind. Your journey continues with §Þ??


    [Ding! Lazy Cat Live has internal management chaos... If it can be resolved, it will be reborn, but if it can''t be resolved, it will only face closure!]


    This prompt held quite a significant amount of information.


    Xu Yang listened for a couple of minutes.


    "Old Xu, are you interested in investing or not? Just give me an answer," Wang Xiaocong urged, seeing Xu Yang remain silent without responding and growing a bit anxious.


    Honestly, Xu Yang was hisst hope.


    If Xu Yang invested in Lazy Cat Live, it would mean that Xu Yang had faith in it, and Wang wouldn''t need to worry as much.


    If Xu Yang didn''t want to invest, then Lazy Cat Live might really be finished.


    "Uh... sorry, I was just thinking about the issues with your Lazy Cat Live," Xu Yang came back to his senses and offered an apologetic smile.


    "So, are you willing to invest?" Wang Xiaocong asked again.


    "Old Wang, forgive my bluntness, but Lazy Cat Live doesn''t justck money. It''s not a problem that can be solved with money; there are internal issues with thepany," Xu Yang said gravely.


    "What issues? Tell me," Wang Xiaocong demanded, putting down his chopsticks with a jolt.


    He had no doubts about Xu Yang''s judgment.


    If Xu Yang said that there were problems inside Lazy Cat Live that couldn''t be solved with money, then these issues were definitely serious.

 Chapter 287: Chapter 287 Recommendation of Talents

    "You founded Lazy Cat Live Streaming and are itsrgest shareholder with a controlling stake. If I''m not mistaken, you rarely involve yourself in the management and operations of Lazy Cat Live Streaming, do you?" Xu Yang asked.


    "You''re right about that. I prefer investing to managing. I have no interest in managing apany. Aren''t you the same? Just a hands-off boss. What does the problem you mentioned have to do with me, a hands-off boss?" Wang Xiaocong retorted indifferently.


    "Although I''m also a hands-off boss, my way of being hands-off differs from yours," Xu Yang shook his head with a wry smile.


    "What''s the difference?" Wang Xiaocong blinked.


    In his opinion, all hands-off bosses were the same.


    "Even though I don''t partake in thepany''s management and operations, I have Yang Xin Investments, which essentially manages the otherpanies for me."


    "The staff at Yang Xin Investments conducts aprehensive review of the affiliatedpanies it controls or has a stake in every so often."


    "If apany exhibits obvious problems, the general manager of Yang Xin Investments will report to me, and I will intervene based on the actual situation."


    "So far, there have been no such problems; the operations of the subsidiarypanies are doing quite well."


    "In short, I''m hands-off to a limited extent, whereas you are truly hands-off andpletely uninvolved, so we''re different."


    "Let me ask you, do you have any idea what''s going on inside Lazy Cat Live Streaming now?"


    Xu Yang, now free from other concerns, often stayed at Yang Xin Investments, contemting the future development of thepany.


    Periodically reviewing the subsidiarypanies was a system he had established.


    "Uh¡­ well, I guess I have some idea. Are you talking about the problem of divided factions within the management?" Wang Xiaocong pondered before asking.


    "Exactly, that''s the issue," Xu Yang nodded.


    "That problem¡­" Wang Xiaocong gave a bitterugh, finding himself at a loss for words.


    Since its establishment, Lazy Cat Live Streaming had undergone several rounds of financing. With each round, the management team experienced a reshuffle.


    Different financiers had their own preferred management personnel.


    These managers vied with each other for power and interest, leading to a highly chaotic administration.


    Several times it escted into major conflicts, and it was only Wang Xiaocong''s intervention that stabilized the situation.


    Frankly, he felt quite helpless about this issue.


    "Old Wang, you spent a lot of money to poach several game broadcasters from other live streaming tforms. They started with great enthusiasm, but over time, they lost their passion. To use the current terms, they''ve started to ''lie t.''"


    "The revenue they generate doesn''tpare to the fees you pay them, with some even failing to meet the required weekly streaming hours," Xu Yang analyzed the situation for Wang Xiaocong.


    "It''s true that what you''ve described is the current state of Lazy Cat Live Streaming. It seems I''ve been too lenient, letting those broadcasters forget who they really are," Wang Xiaocong said, bing annoyed.


    "Old Wang, this isn''t about the broadcasters; the main issue lies in the internal management."


    "With such chaotic management, broadcasters see no future. Whether they work hard or not seems to make no difference, so of course they would choose to ''lie t.''"


    "Those managers are only interested in vying for power and benefits, not in thepany''s development. They turn a blind eye to the broadcasters'' performance."


    "Good or bad work makes no distinction for them. With such managers, think about it¡ªif you were a broadcaster, would you be motivated to stream?"


    Xu Yang further dissected the situation of Lazy Cat broadcasters.


    "Of course not," Wang Xiaocong admitted with a bitter smile and a shake of his head.


    "That''s the point. Lazy Cat Live Streaming might seem fine on the surface, but in reality, it''s a shell of strength surrounding hollowness. To be honest, if you weren''t the owner of Lazy Cat Live Streaming, it probably would have copsed and gone bankrupt long ago."


    "If you don''t resolve this now, in another year or so, you might find that the problem can''t be solved, and bankruptcy will be the only option left," Xu Yang said bluntly.


    Wang Xiaocong is the owner of Lazy Cat Live Streaming and the heir to Wan Da Group.


    This status has been very beneficial for Lazy Cat Live Streaming''s development.


    Many people were willing to give Wang Xiaocong face.


    This was also one of the reasons Lazy Cat Live Streaming developed so quickly.


    Being wealthy and having the title of heir to the Wan Da Group, Wang Xiaocong spent money to attract a few top game broadcasters.


    Initially, with the influence of these top broadcasters, thepany''s development should have been problem-free.


    However, due to poor internal management, it failed to achieve the expected profits.


    Eventually, thepany started running short on funds.


    Wang Xiaocong didn''t realize this and proceeded to initiate further financing.


    Wang Xiaocong is no fool; why did he fail to recognize this?


    It was because he was misled by those in management.


    The subsequent rounds of financing were no different.


    Now, Lazy Cat Live Streaming is seriously ailing.


    It''s only because Wang Xiaocong is the boss that it has not already closed down.


    These were facts reported by the system.


    Otherwise, Xu Yang would not have known about them.


    "Old Xu, your words have really woken me up. I used to think Lazy Cat Live Streaming was doing well, and I was quite pleased with myself, thinking it was just short of funds, and that financing would be the solution."


    "Now, I see that it''s not just about the money, but the management team is the issue."


    "If we don''t solve the management issue, there''s no hope for Lazy Cat Live Streaming''s development," Wang Xiaocong said.


    "Old Xu, thank you. If it weren''t for you, Lazy Cat Live Streaming might have ended up bankrupt just like you said, after a while," Wang Xiaocong sincerely thanked Xu Yang.


    It seemed that seeking out Xu Yang today had been the right decision.


    Otherwise, he wouldn''t have known when he would havee to realize this issue.


    "Old Wang, you treat me as a brother, so there''s no need for thanks," Xu Yang said, waving his hand.


    "Alright, then I won''t stand on ceremony with you. Since you''ve identified the problems with Lazy Cat Live Streaming, you must have a solution, right?" Wang Xiaocong looked at Xu Yang with eager eyes.


    "Of course, there''s a solution," Xu Yang nodded, "First, we need to find a suitable CEO to resolve the issues of the internal factions within Lazy Cat Live Streaming."


    Wang Xiaocong nodded in agreement, "Makes sense, but finding a suitable CEO is difficult."


    As the saying goes, ''A thousand troops are easy to get, one general is hard to find.'' Finding the right manager is extremely challenging.


    Some might say, with enough money, what kind of talent can''t you find?


    It''s not that simple. You can find them, but when you find them is the problem.


    If yourpany is in trouble and you can''t find someone now but only after half a year or a year, what''s the point then?


    Suddenly, Xu Yang smiled and said, "Old Wang, if you trust me, I can rmend someone to you."


    Wang Xiaocong''s eyes lit up, "Old Xu, we''re brothers, of course I trust you. Tell me quick, who do you rmend?"

 Chapter 288: Chapter 288 Investing in Stocks

    Xu Yang smiled slightly, "Xiao Dongsheng."


    Wang Xiaocong was startled, "Xiao Dongsheng? Isn''t he the general manager of your Style Media? Your right-hand man, you''re willing to give him to me?"


    Xu Yang said with a smile, "Of course not to give him to you, just to lend him to you for a while to sort out the issues with Lazy Cat Live Streaming. Once that''s done, I''ll call him back."


    Wang Xiaocong said, "What about your Fengcai Guild then? Find someone else to manage it?"


    The Fengcai Guild had be the number one guild on Doyin, a cash cow that absolutely couldn''t make any mistakes.


    "The Fengcai Guild is developing very well and is now on the right track. As long as it continues in this manner, letting the deputy take over the management will be totally fine."


    "Xiao Dongsheng''s abilities are incredibly strong. Having him manage the Fengcai Guild is already an underutilization of his talents."


    "I''ve already made preparations to transfer him to the Yang Xin Investment side. That side is now my main business hub, managing all thepanies under my control."


    "I want him to take on more responsibility, give him a higher position. Before transferring him, I want him to go to your Lazy Cat Live Streaming and resolve the issues there."


    "This will also be a test for him, and I want to see more of his capabilities before reutilizing him in the future."


    "While he''s there, I''ll still be paying his sry as usual. However, once he''s taken care of your issues, you should also give him some reward."


    Xu Yang believed in Xiao Dongsheng''s abilities and had ns for his future, with no intentions of having him manage the Fengcai Guild indefinitely.


    Wang Xiaocong immediately expressed his stance, "Don''t worry, I will definitely not shortchange him. You pay his sry, I will also pay his sry, following your standards. After he gets it done, I will give him a reward too. I, Wang Xiaocong, am not stingy, especially when ites to talent."


    Xu Yang nodded, "That''s for the best."


    Wang Xiaocong asked, "After sorting out the issue of factions within the management, is there anything else that needs to be done?"


    Xu Yang replied, "Of course, that was just the first step."


    Wang Xiaocong inquired, "What''s the second step?"


    Xu Yang didn''t answer directly but instead asked, "You said earlier that the game live streaming industry now is a tripartite standoff. Dayu Live Streaming and Hubao Live Streaming are both part of the Penguin Group. So, tell me, what are these two live streaming tforms'' advantages over Lazy Cat Live Streaming?"


    After some thought, Wang Xiaocong said, "I think their biggest advantage is relying on Penguin, and Penguin Games is the titan of the gaming industry. The hottest games right now, like ''Kings of Glory'', ''League of Legends'', and others, their rights are held by Penguin. Our Lazy Cat Live Streaming hosts have to pay Penguin to purchase the broadcast rights, which is a significant expense.


    Being part of the Penguin Group, Dayu and Hubao don''t have this expense."


    Wan Da Group had also invested in several gamepanies over the recent years, but thesepanies hadn''t developed well and hadn''t produced any hit games.


    Compared to Penguin Games, it was like heaven and earth. There was simply noparison.


    Xu Yang said with a smile, "You''re right, it''s indeed like that, and you''ve seen it very clearly, which is good."


    Wang Xiaocong sighed, "Clear as I see it, it''s still unsolvable. Honestly, this has a huge impact on our Lazy Cat Live Streaming. If one day Penguin stops giving out rights, we won''t have any games to stream. Those less popr games, people don''t even bother to watch them."


    The most popr games in the country were those few for which Penguin held the rights, putting Lazy Cat Live Streaming in a very passive position.


    If Penguin stops licensing rights, the streamers of Lazy Cat Live Streaming wouldn''t be able to stream those games, and Lazy Cat Live Streaming would virtually be out of business.


    Xu Yang nodded, "That''s true."


    Wang Xiaocong sighed again and continued, "Xu, the fact that our Lazy Cat Live Streaming''s hosts can stream ''Kings of Glory'' and ''League of Legends'' is because I spent a lot of money to buy the distribution rights from Penguin; otherwise, they wouldn''t have been avable for purchase. The cost of these rights ounts for half of Lazy Cat Live Streaming''s expenses.


    To put it unpleasantly, Lazy Cat Live Streaming is just working for Penguin. Penguin eats meat, and my Lazy Cat Live Streaming can only sip soup, and that soup is nothing but clear broth without even a bit of meat in it."


    Speaking of this, Wang Xiaocong was very frustrated.


    Originally, when copyright was in disarray, this issue didn''t exist.


    But ever since the National Copyright Bureauunched a special rectification campaign, thendscape of the copyright market had changed.


    Penguin, with copyrights in hand, began to use copyright issues to aid its subsidiaries in theirpetition.


    Now, Penguin was willing to sell those popr game distribution rights to Lazy Cat Live not because they had softened, but because the copyrightpany bought by Wang Xiaocong held arge number of film and television rights. Pioneer Culture had even more film and television rights, and Xu Yang was on good terms with Wang Xiaocong, like brothers.


    So, in order not to affect Penguin Movies and Penguin Video, Penguin was willing to grant Lazy Cat Live the rights to those popr games.


    Otherwise, they would simply have crushed Lazy Cat Live.


    Businesspetition is very cruel; there is no room for pity.


    "It''s indeed so," Xu Yang nodded.


    "Old Xu, why don''t you take a stake in Lazy Cat Live? I''ll give you a part of the shares, sell them to you at half price. If we join forces, we can make Lazy Cat Live take off. This can be a source of ie, and besides, I know you''ve established Yang Xin Games, and you''ve even acquired a gamepany. I believe that your gamingpany will definitely be able tounch hit games in the future.


    Then, Lazy Cat Live could gradually turn the tide and make a huge profit," Wang Xiaocong said with a fiery gaze.


    "Sell them to me at half price? That doesn''t seem quite right, wouldn''t you be making a big loss?" Xu Yang was somewhat astonished.


    By now, he had already decided to take a stake in Lazy Cat Live.


    As long as those issues were resolved, Lazy Cat Live could be reborn.


    He believed Xiao Dongsheng wouldn''t disappoint him.


    But Wang Xiaocong selling him shares at half price, he felt Wang Xiaocong would be making a big loss.


    As brothers, he couldn''t let his brother suffer such a loss.


    "Old Xu, don''t push it away. If it weren''t for you, I would never have realized the real problems with Lazy Cat Live, let alonee up with a solution. You also helped me find a suitable candidate for president. Just for these two points alone, selling you shares at half price is not an overstep at all. This matter is settled; otherwise, you''re not treating me like a brother," Wang Xiaocong insisted.


    "Alright, then I''ll take advantage of you this time." Seeing Wang Xiaocong had put it that way, Xu Yang didn''t y coy.


    With the deal settled, both were happy.


    After eating, Wang Xiaocong invited Xu Yang to get a foot massage. Xu Yang declined, so Wang Xiaocong went with his inte celebrity girlfriend, and Xu Yang returned to Yang Xin Investment.


    At three in the afternoon, Xu Yang arrived at Xiao Dongsheng''s office.


    "Old Xiao, I''ve got something to tell you," Xu Yang settled onto the couch.


    "President Xu, what is it?" Xiao Dongsheng stepped out from behind his desk and sat down opposite Xu Yang.


    "You''ve heard of Lazy Cat Live, haven''t you?" Xu Yang asked.


    "I''ve heard of it, it''s a game streamingpany founded by Wang Xiaocong," Xiao Dongsheng nodded.


    "I''m thinking of having you take on the position of president at Lazy Cat Live, are you interested?" Xu Yang asked directly.

 Chapter 289: Chapter 289 Preparations Complete

    "President Xu, what is this..." Xiao Dongsheng was momentarily baffled.


    To have him go to Lazy Cat Live Streaming and serve as the president, what did that mean?


    Could it be that Xu Yang had acquired Lazy Cat Live Streaming?


    "Old Xiao, it''s like this..." Xu Yang exined the situation, then said, "I feel that among the people around me, only you are capable of solving the problems at Lazy Cat Live Streaming."


    Hearing this, Xiao Dongsheng couldn''t help but smile wryly, "President Xu, this issue isn''t easy to resolve."


    ording to what Xu Yang said, Lazy Cat Live Streaming was rife with internal factions, and the situation was exceedinglyplex.


    Being parachuted in to serve as the president and tackle these problems would be particrly thorny.


    To solve the problems meant having to impinge on the interests of those factions.


    In the workce, there''s hardly anything more difficult than this.


    Stand in the way of other people making money, and they will definitely oppose you.


    "Old Xiao, it''s precisely because it''s not easy to solve that I''m choosing you. Otherwise, there wouldn''t be a need for you to step in. Are you willing? If you''re not, then I''ll have to find someone else."


    President Xu gave Xiao Dongsheng a choice. If Xiao Dongsheng wasn''t willing to go, then he wouldn''t force him.


    However, if Xiao Dongsheng was reluctant to take on this challenging job, then Xu Yang''s evaluation of him would be lowered.


    In future job assignments for Xiao Dongsheng, he couldn''t be entrusted with too high a position.


    After all, the higher the position, the more one needs a spirit ready for challenges.


    Otherwise, no matter how capable one is, without that spirit, it won''t work.


    "President Xu, I''m willing. Since you trust me, I will do my utmost to handle this matter well," Xiao Dongsheng said gravely.


    "Good, rest assured, while you are working over there, you will still get your sry from this side, not a penny less."


    "On top of that, Wang Xiaocong will also match your sry, so you''ll essentially be drawing a double sry."


    "And once you manage to sort things out, Wang Xiaocong will reward you. Whatever reward Wang Xiaocong gives will certainly be quite generous."


    "Let me tell you in advance, I will definitely establish a grouppany in the future, and what we have now with Yang Xin Investment is just the groundwork."


    "You are the first veteran who followed me; my business started with the acquisition of Fengcai Guild. When the timees, I will definitely bring you up to the grouppany to hold a high position. I hope you won''t disappoint me."


    Xu Yang wasn''t just making empty promises; he truly meant it.


    This was a movement of personnel, and it also allowed those below to have space to rise up.


    "Thank you, President Xu, I will strive to do every task well."


    Xiao Dongsheng was very excited inside.


    To establish a grouppany and have him serve in a high-ranking position was undeniably a major opportunity in life.


    You should know, Xu Yang''s worth had already reached tens of billions.


    Fengcai Guild had now be a small industry for Xu Yang.


    Seeing Xu Yang''s businesses growing more and more, he also hoped to climb higher.


    President Xu sending him to deal with the affairs of Lazy Cat Live Streaming was a test, an assessment of his abilities before entrusting him with a more important responsibility.


    This trip to Lazy Cat Live Streaming, he had to resolve the issues well to show President Xu his capability.


    The next day.


    Wang Xiaocong came to Yang Xin Investment with a contract.


    He split thirty percent of his seventy percent shareholding and gave it to Xu Yang.


    Lazy Cat Live Streaming was valued at twenty billion; thirty percent was six billion.


    Halved, it was three billion.


    For Xu Yang, three billion was a minor issue.


    After all, Pioneer Culture was incredibly profitable.


    The cash flow there was very abundant.


    That day, Xu Yang immediately asked Yang Xin''s investment firm to transfer funds from Pioneer Culture to the corporate ount of Lazy Cat Live Broadcast, showing support for Xiao Dongsheng''s move.


    Following that, Xu Yang took Wang Xiaocong to meet with Xiao Dongsheng, where they talked for a long time. Mainly it was Xiao Dongsheng asking questions and Wang Xiaocong answering, as a preliminary assessment of Lazy Cat Live Broadcast before Xiao Dongsheng officially took over.


    Even if Wang Xiaocong was not fully informed, he still knew some of the situation.


    This would help Xiao Dongsheng start work more quickly after his appointment.


    As for the specifics, they would only be rified after Xiao Dongsheng took office.


    ...


    Yunhai Literature.


    CEO''s office.


    Two women sat opposite each other.


    One was Han Mengting, the CEO parachuted in after Penguin''s acquisition of Yunhai Literature.


    The other was Zhao Yulu, Han Mengting''s executive assistant who followed her there.


    Both had a meeting earlier that morning, reviewed various departments, and had essentially organized thepany''s affairs.


    Now, they sat together, strategizing on how to develop Yunhai Literature.


    "Yu Lu, I was parachuted in, and the previous executives are resistant to me,"


    "Many people in thepany are skeptical of me, thinking I am an outsider inexperienced in their field, and my leadership might lead Yunhai Literature''s development downhill,"


    "You must have felt this atmosphere during our inspection this morning; it''s pervasive throughout thepany,"


    "Therefore, I must achieve performance results as quickly as possible to convince these people and secure my position,"


    "As my assistant, we''re in this together¡ªglory and loss alike. We need to work hard together,"


    Han Mengtingid bare the current situation straightforwardly.


    "President Han, I understand. Only by achieving results can we silence those who doubt us,"


    Zhao Yulu was certainly aware of the situation Han Mengting described.


    Only if Han Mengting secured her position would hers be stable.


    Han Mengting was her support; if she failed to perform and got called back to headquarters,


    then Zhao Yulu''s life-changing opportunity would be cut short, without any chance of redemption.


    "Good that you understand. Yunhai Literature is the secondrgest online literaturepany, with Shengda Literature being our biggestpetitor,"


    "Currently, seventy percent of prominent authors and various qualitywork authors are writing books on websites under Shengda Literature,"


    "One could say that Shengda Literature controls thergest group of online authors in the industry, a significant advantage for them,"


    "The apps of several novel websites under Shengda Literature have an activity level sixty percent higher than those under Yunhai Literature,"


    "The difficulty to catch up with or even surpass Shengda Literature is immense, but no matter how difficult it is, we must undertake the challenge,"


    "What do you think we should focus on?"


    Han Mengting exined the industry situation, especially that of Shengda Literature.


    "President Han, first of all, I think we should start with building our author team, bringing in some top authors to strengthen our ranks,"


    "The influence of top authors is indisputable. By poaching these authors, their fans will naturallye along,"


    "Top authors produce high-quality novels, which we can leverage for traffic. Over time, Yunhai Literature''s readership will increasingly grow,"


    "With more readers, authors'' ies will rise; higher ies will attract even more authors to write books on Yunhai Literature''s websites,"


    "With more authors, the probability of producing quality novels increases, which in turn attracts even more authors,"


    "This way, a virtuous cycle forms. Given enough time, it''s entirely possible for ourpany to catch up with or even surpass Shengda Literature,"


    Zhao Yulu spoke confidently.


    During her time at home on leave, she had not been idling.


    To be an outstanding assistant, she hade fully prepared.

 Chapter 290 Helplessness and Heartache

    "You mean to poach top authors from Shengda Literature, right?" Han Mengting asked.


    "Yes, as you also mentioned earlier, seventy percent of the industry''s top authors are writing for websites under Shengda Literature. Poaching their top authors can be seen as an indirect way to weaken Shengda Literature''s power, achieving two goals at once," Zhao Yulu said.


    "Good, continue," Han Mengting nodded.


    "Next, we need to divert traffic to expand our reader base. We at Penguin have two major social media tforms, QQ and WeChat, which make it very easy to drive traffic to Yunhai Literature. This is also a huge advantage for us. As long as we have top authors and guide the right amount of traffic, we can expand our readermunity.


    Once we have both authors and readers, catching up to and even surpassing Shengda Literature is just a matter of time," Zhao Yulu said.


    "Yu Lu, it seems you have prepared well during this time, and my thoughts align with yours," Han Mengting said with satisfaction.


    She hade to serve as President of Yunhai Literature and had naturally prepared for the role.


    She already had a rough n for where to start and how to develop thepany.


    Her questioning of Zhao Yulu was more of a test to see if she had been diligent in her work.


    If Zhao Yulu had been clueless, Han Mengting would have been truly disappointed.


    Zhao Yulu''s responses were very good and satisfying, almost matching her own thoughts.


    Shengda Literature is indeed the overlord of online literature at present.


    But as the President of Yunhai Literature, she was confident about taking down Shengda Literature and making Yunhai Literature the new overlord of the online literature industry.


    Her confidenceid not only in her self-belief but also in the backing of Penguin.


    The fact that Shengda Literature had seventy percent of the high-quality authors wasn''t scary at all.


    Authors would move for money; those authors could be poached.


    Backed by Penguin, Yunhai Literature really wasn''t short on funds.


    As for the readers, that wasn''t an issue either.


    Just like Zhao Yulu said, with QQ and WeChat, two massive social tforms by Penguin, driving traffic was extremely simple.


    The reader base of Yunhai Literature could surpass Shengda Literature in a short time.


    With authors and readers, Yunhai Literature surpassing the overall strength of Shengda Literature was just a matter of time.


    "Yu Lu, I''ll leave the task of poaching authors to you," Han Mengting said.


    "Understood, President Han, I will handle this task well," Zhao Yulu responded confidently.


    Evening.


    Zhao Yulu returned home.


    Liu Yujuan was at home. Seeing Zhao Yulu, she looked her up and down and couldn''t help asking, "Yu Lu, you''re dressed so formally; did you go for a job interview?"


    For some time, Zhao Yulu had been at home.


    Zhao Yulu hadn''t told Liu Yujuan that she was going to work at Yunhai Literature.


    "I didn''t go for an interview; I went to work. I''m hungry, is dinner ready?" Zhao Yulu put down her bag.


    "It''s ready. You went to work? I haven''t seen you leave these past few days. Where did you start working at? Tell me about it," Liu Yujuan said.


    "Mom, let''s start eating, I''ll tell you about it while we eat," Zhao Yulu said, heading to wash her hands.


    "Okay, let''s eat first," Liu Yujuan agreed.


    Five minutester, mother and daughter sat at the dining table.


    "Come on, tell me, whatpany did you join?" Liu Yujuan asked.


    "Yunhai Literature," Zhao Yulu replied.


    "Another online literaturepany?" Liu Yujuan frowned slightly, feeling that suchpanies were not very promising and didn''t make much money.


    "Yes," Zhao Yulu nodded.


    "Is it the same position as before, at Shengda Literature?" Liu Yujuan asked.


    "No." Zhao Yulu shook her head.


    "Then what position is it?" Liu Yujuan asked.


    "President''s assistant." A smile appeared on Zhao Yulu''s face.


    "What, the President''s assistant? How did you manage that? You just applied directly, and they chose you to be the President''s assistant? Besides, you''ve been home these days; I haven''t seen you go out for any interviews. Was it online application?"


    Liu Yujuan was somewhat shocked and confused.


    "Penguin failed to acquire Shengda Literature, so they acquired Yunhai Literature instead. They sent Han Mengting to be the president over there, and she called me to be her assistant," Zhao Yulu exined with a smile.


    "I see. Did you already know about this? Why didn''t you tell me?" Liu Yujuan realized, sounding somewhat reproachful.


    "Nothing was final yet, so I didn''t want to say anything. Otherwise, it would be just likest time¡ªyou would be disappointed," Zhao Yulu replied.


    "That makes sense. Now that you''re the President''s assistant, could you arrange for me to work at Yunhai Literature? I''m not asking for much, just a middle management position would be fine, like a supervisor or manager," Liu Yujuan said hopefully.


    She couldn''t just do nothing all the time, mainly because she had no money.


    If she had money, not going to work wouldn''t be an issue; she could go shopping, get beautified, or travel.


    But without money, she couldn''t do anything she wanted to do.


    Most of the time, she could only stay at home, watch TV, or scroll through her phone, which was rather boring at times. It would be better to have a job.


    "Mom, I can''t arrange that. I''ve just joined thepany and haven''t even secured my foothold yet. If I ask Han Mengting to help arrange a position, what do you think she''d think of me?"


    Zhao Yulu tly refused.


    She had be Han Mengting''s assistant thanks to Han''s appreciation.


    To arrange for anyone, it would have to be approved by Han Mengting.


    She had just started her job and hadn''t yet aplished anything noteworthy.


    Now, to try and get someone a management position?


    Han Mengting would probably think she was overstepping her bounds and could even fire her.


    This was an important opportunity in her life, and she absolutely wouldn''t allow anyone to ruin it, not even Liu Yujuan.


    "How would she see it? You''re her assistant, and I''m your mom. Isn''t asking her to arrange a job for me the most normal thing in the world?" Liu Yujuan was slightly discontented.


    "Mom, can you be reasonable? This might seem natural to you, but others don''t see it the same way," Zhao Yulu suddenly felt exasperated.


    Her good mood of the day had now vanishedpletely because of Liu Yujuan''s remark.


    "How am I being unreasonable? You just don''t want to arrange it, right? Now that you''ve be the President''s assistant, have you grown wings? Have you stopped caring about your mother?" Liu Yujuan wasn''t the kind of person who could be reasoned with.


    Of course, she believed that she was the reasonable one.


    "Mom, I told you, I can''t arrange it ¨C I just can''t. Why can''t you understand me for once? I''m only an assistant, not the President. You''re asking me to do something impossible. Do you want to ruin my career before you''ll be satisfied?" Zhao Yulu felt so wronged that she wanted to cry.


    "How can you just not do it? I think you just don''t want to. How would finding a job for me ruin your career?" Liu Yujuan persisted relentlessly.


    Bang!


    Zhao Yulu, feeling both wronged and angry, put down the bowl of rice she had barely touched and stood up to leave.


    "Where are you going?" Liu Yujuan asked.


    "I''ve lost my appetite. I''m going out to eat!"


    Zhao Yulu''s eyes brimmed with tears as she grabbed her purse and headed straight out the door.


    She couldn''t take it anymore.


    Having such a mother left her feeling helpless and heartbroken.

 Chapter 291 Having My Son Is Enough

    Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping took a taxi to a high-end restaurant.


    This was the ce where Mo Jinxin was treating everyone to a meal.


    Upon reaching the private room mentioned by the other party, they opened the door to find only two people inside, Liu Kaile and Song Li.


    "Old Xu, Old Jiang, you''re here, take a seat," Liu Kaile greeted them.


    "Has Mo Jinxin not arrived yet?" Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping sat down and immediately asked.


    "Not yet, he said he had some matters to deal with and would bete. You know how it is with billionaires like him; being busy is pretty normal," Liu Kaile exined on behalf of Mo Jinxin.


    "Oh," Xu Deming nodded, saying nothing more since they had arrived more than ten minutes early anyway.


    "Old Xu, how did you get here? Did your son drop you off?"


    Liu Kaile recalled the scene a few days earlier at the airport where he saw the two of them getting into a Rolls-Royce and wanted to confirm if the situation was as he had imagined.


    "No, we took a taxi," replied Xu Deming.


    Liu Kaile thought to himself that it was just as he had expected.


    Xu Deming''s son must be just a driver for some big-shot, either driving the big-shot''s Rolls-Royce or it was a rental.


    Otherwise, having a Rolls-Royce surely meant wealth.


    A wealthy person wouldn''t let their parents take a taxi to a ssmates'' dinner.


    "So it''s like that, taking a taxi is good. We also came by taxi. There''s no way around it, this is Haicheng, not Sha City. I can''t just drive my car worth one and a half million yuan here!" Liu Kaile sighed and bragged a little more.


    He had already shown off on the ne that day, so much so that Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping couldn''t get any rest.


    But he felt he hadn''t bragged enough and had to continue.


    Finally having the chance again, he felt he must brag fiercely; otherwise, he would be doing himself an injustice.


    Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping exchanged a nce but said nothing.


    They chose to ignore this kind of ostentation.


    If it had been Liu Kaile and Song Li inviting them to the meal, they definitely wouldn''t havee.


    After all, they had already had a full taste of Liu Kaile''s talent for showing off at Sha City''s airport lounge and on the ne.


    He could show off about anything.


    Cars, houses, career, son, and so on.


    But Mo Jinxin had personally invited them to dinner, talking about old ssmates, how long it had been since theyst met, and now that they were in Haicheng, they were on his turf. If they didn''te to the dinner, it would be disrespectful to him.


    The conversation having reached that level, they had no choice but to honor the invitation.


    "How have you been enjoying your days in Haicheng?" Liu Kaile asked further.


    "Pretty good," Xu Deming replied.


    "Are your son and daughter-inw apanying you?" asked Liu Kaile.


    "Yes," Xu Deming nodded, not willing to say more.


    If it were a genuine conversation, he surely would have said more.


    But he knew whatever he said, Liu Kaile would take as another point to show off and unt himself, so it was better not to give Liu Kaile the chance.


    "Your son and daughter-inw are quite filial, taking leaves to be with you. However, doing so can affect their careers," Liu Kaile said.


    "It''s alright," Xu Deming didn''t see any issue.


    Mainly because his son had so many businesses that even if he left some matters unattended, the impact would be negligible.


    As for his daughter-inw, there was even less of an effect.


    They had heard that, being the billionaire son''s wife, her job at the bank was incredibly easy. Not only had her position been promoted, but her workload had also decreased.


    If you want to take leave, just ask for it¡ªno problem at all.


    Still good?


    I''m afraid that even if things aren''t going well and you''re greatly affected, you wouldn''t say it, would you?


    Liu Kaile let his imagination run wild again,ughed, and continued, "How many more days are you going to stay in Jiang City?"


    Xu Deming said, "We''ll y for another three or four days."


    They nned to have fun in Jiang City for a week before heading to Haicheng.


    Liu Kaile sighed, "I''m really envious of you guys; owning a small supermarket allows you so much freedom. It''s different for me; I have apany to manage, and getting away for three or four days is already pushing it. After meeting Mo Jinxin tonight, we''re heading back to Sha City."


    It was another round of showing off.


    Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping were speechless. How could he link this to that?


    "Old Xu, I really want to help you by offering you a job at mypany. Won''t you reconsider?" Liu Kaile brought up the subject again.


    He really wanted Xu Deming to work at hispany¡ªto be the boss of an old ssmate would be too cool.


    "Old Liu, thank you, but I really won''t go." How could Xu Deming not see through his intentions?


    Even if he didn''t see through them, it wouldn''t be possible for him to go.


    His son was a billionaire; if he were to work, it would be to assist his son.


    "Alright, I''m truly sincere, but I won''t force you. If you change your mind in the future, you''re always wee," Liu Kaile said, knowing it was impossible to lure Xu Deming and giving up.


    "Don''t bring it up again in the future," Xu Deming said.


    "Okay, we''ll change the subject. What does your son do for work?" Liu Kaile had forgotten to ask this question.


    "You''ve really got me there," Xu Deming said, unable to specify what his son''s job entailed.


    His son owned manypanies but wasn''t responsible for any specific tasks.


    It wasn''t like he could say his son was a boss, after all.


    Got you stumped?


    I think you''re just embarrassed to say it.


    It must be either driving for some big shot or some very ordinary job.


    Liu Kaileughed to himself in disdain, indulging in another bout of wild imagination.


    "Then where does your daughter-inw work?" Liu Kaile asked again.


    "She works at a bank," Xu Deming said.


    "Bank job? Not bad at all. Your son found you a good daughter-inw," Liu Kaile said.


    Regardless, working at a bank is quite respectable.


    Suddenly, Liu Kaile changed the topic, "However, bank employees are under a lot of pressure these days. When I do VIP banking business, I chat with the bank staff. They face very stringent targets every month and every quarter. If they don''t meet their targets, they don''t get the performance bonus, and their sries aren''t high either."


    Jiang Qiuping couldn''t help but interject, "My daughter-inw doesn''t have this problem."


    "Is that so?" Liu Kaile shook his head and chuckled. "I''ve never heard of any bank employee without this issue, unless they are from a wealthy family with significant socialworks that allow them to easily meet the targets for savings acquisition and financial product sales."


    He didn''t believe that Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping''s daughter-inw could be the child of a wealthy family with strong connections.


    In his eyes, Jiang Qiuping was just being stubborn.


    "My daughter-inw has my son, and that''s enough for her to aplish those tasks with ease," Jiang Qiuping said.


    "Old Jiang, what do you take your son for?" Liu Kaileughed and shook his head, clearly not believing Jiang Qiuping''s words. "Old Xu, when Mo Jinxin arrivester, you should drink a few more with him. If he''s pleased, he could get your son a job in hispany."


    "With that connection, he could definitely arrange a good position for you."


    "Plus, with your daughter-inw working in a bank and Mo Jinxin being worth over a hundred million, just depositing a bit of money into your daughter-inw''s bank could make her job a lot easier."

 Chapter 292 Focus Shifted

    Xu Deming said, "My son doesn''t need him to arrange a job, and my daughter-inw also doesn''t need his help. You can stop mentioning these things."


    Jiang Qiuping followed, "Exactly, Old Liu, if you still consider us ssmates, then stop saying these things."


    "You all..." Liu Kaile shook his head in disappointment. "All right, if you don''t want to listen, then let''s just drop it. I don''t feel like talking about it anymore."


    Xu Deming checked the time and frowned, "Why hasn''t Mo Jinxin arrived? It''s already 6:30, we agreed to dine at six, and it''s been half an hour. As the one hosting, being half an hourte is a bit much, isn''t it?"


    Liu Kaile said, "Mo Jinxin is worth hundreds of millions; it''s normal for him to be busy. Being half an hour or an hourte is no big deal. We''re not doing anything; waiting a little longer won''t hurt."


    Xu Deming said, "I came here to eat, not to wait aimlessly. Call him and ask. If he''s really tied up, then we can get together another time."


    There won''t be a next time.


    No matter what Mo Jinxin says, he would note again.


    If he''s really busy, he doesn''t have to invite us.


    Inviting people over and then not showing up, without a phone call or message, what does that mean?


    It''s clear he doesn''t take this dinner invitation seriously.


    Put bluntly, he doesn''t take any of us seriously.


    Liu Kaile may tolerate it, but he cannot.


    Not to mention his son is a billionaire, even if he weren''t, he wouldn''t tolerate it.


    Even if he ran a small supermarket, he had no intention of currying favor with Mo Jinxin.


    "Mo Jinxin must be tied up with something, maybe he''s discussing business with some big shot, otherwise he wouldn''t be thiste. I don''t want to call now; it might disturb him," Liu Kaile didn''t want to make the call.


    He was afraid of disturbing Mo Jinxin and upsetting him.


    He was hoping to have a good chat with Mo Jinxin during this meeting and get closer to him.


    "Dinner time is meant for eating, what business could they be discussing?" Xu Deming said, frowning.


    "Old Xu, you don''t understand. The richer the person, the busier they get. They don''t have set times for meals. On the other hand, the lower characters, with not much to do, have more free time, allowing them to eat and sleep punctually, and even watch a couple of episodes of TV series in the evening. I have a deep understanding of this," Liu Kaile said.


    "Alright, even if that''s the case, the least he could do is say something. How long are we supposed to wait?" Xu Deming was clearly unhappy.


    "He''s probably caught up in business with a big shot and can''t get away to let us know," Liu Kaile said.


    "I don''t believe he doesn''t have the time to make a call or send a message," Xu Deming said, dissatisfied.


    "Old Xu, what you don''t know is that to text or call while discussing business with a big shot is to show disrespect. It''s absolutely not done," Liu Kaile said.


    "If that''s the case, why did he choose to host a dinner tonight? Why not some other time?" Xu Deming remained very displeased.


    "It must be an unforeseen situation that came up at thest minute. I think that''s the only exnation," Liu Kaile pondered and concluded.


    "I don''t care what his situation is. I just want to know when he''ll arrive. I can''t wait forever. Are you going to call or not? If you''re not, then Jiang Qiuping and I are leaving."


    Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping came to eat, not to sit and starve while waiting for someone.


    Besides, they didn''t even want toe to this dinner in the first ce.


    It was Mo Jinxin who insisted on them being here.


    Having put up with this treatment upon arrival, neither Xu Deming nor Jiang Qiuping could tolerate it.


    "Old Xu, don''t rush. I''ll make the call. Is that okay?" Liu Kaile knew Xu Deming''s personality well.


    Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping would actually walk out, and he knew they were capable of it.


    If Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping left now and Mo Jinxin were to show upter, he would certainly not be pleased.


    Moreover, without Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping, it would be harder to prove he was also a wealthy man.


    "Then make the call," Xu Deming said.


    Liu Kaile took out his cell phone to dial.


    A minuteter, he hung up the phone.


    "Mo Jinxin said he''s already on his way and will arrive within twenty minutes," Liu Kaile said.


    Xu Deming said, "We''ve waited for so long; he''ste and is already on the way. Why didn''t he inform us?"


    "This..." Liu Kaile really couldn''t find any excuse to exin for Mo Jinxin.


    "I think he simply didn''t take inviting us to dinner seriously," Xu Deming said.


    "Old Xu, you''re going a bit too far with that. Mo Jinxin is a big boss; it''s normal for him to be busy."


    These were words Xu Deming dared to say, but he didn''t dare.


    In his view, Xu Deming, running a small supermarket in a small ce, had already reached a stage of having no desires, not even considering for his son and daughter-inw.


    But he still wanted to establish a good rtionship with Mo Jinxin and take hispany to the next level.


    He also wanted his son to have a better life after graduating.


    Some things just couldn''t be said.


    Xu Deming didn''t speak anymore. As for Liu Kaile, he had seen through him and had nothing more to say.


    Following that, the few of them chatted sporadically, and half an hour slipped by unnoticed. It was seven o''clock by the time Mo Jinxin finally arrived.


    "I''m sorry, really sorry, I was just dealing with a client today, and that''s why I''mte. I''ll penalize myself with three drinkster."


    Mo Jinxin was a slightly overweight middle-aged man with a face that radiated prosperity.


    Upon entering the private room, he repeatedly apologized.


    This attitude did make Xu Deming feel a lot better.


    Before long, the dishes were served.


    Mo Jinxin talked about penalizing himself with three drinks, but he didn''t follow through.


    Xu Deming and the others certainly weren''t going to remind him.


    If they did, the meal might have been impossible to enjoy.


    After the third round of drinks and the fifth course, everyone''s spirits lifted.


    "Old Xu, Old Jiang, it''s been over a decade since west met, isn''t it? In the blink of an eye, we''re all in our forties and fifties. Time really spares no one," Mo Jinxin couldn''t help but sigh.


    He had met Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping once, five years after graduation at a ss reunion, and had not seen them since.


    As for Liu Kaile and Song Li, they had met justst year.


    After all, his rtionship with Liu Kaile and Song Li was better.


    And both Liu Kaile and Song Li were ambitious, wanting to establish a good rtionship with him, a billionaire.


    "Indeed," Xu Deming couldn''t help but nod.


    Even though they weren''t close with Mo Jinxin, not having seen him for so many years had changed their feelings now.


    "By the way, Old Xu, Old Jiang, I heard from Old Liu that your son is working in Jiangcheng and even found you a daughter-inw from Jiangcheng, right?" Mo Jinxin said.


    "Yes," Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping both nodded.


    "I''ve also heard that your daughter-inw is very beautiful, isn''t that so?" Mo Jinxin took a sip of his drink and asked casually.


    "That''s right. The beauty of my daughter-inw is truly rare in this world," Jiang Qiuping said proudly.


    Her son had found such a beautiful and sensible daughter-inw, and she had always been very proud of that.


    Whenever she talked about her daughter-inw in front of rtives and friends, she couldn''t hide the smile on her face.


    "Mo Jinxin, what do you mean by asking this?" asked Xu Deming, who couldn''t help but frown, sensing some other implication.


    They were just chatting; it seemed improper to ask such a question, didn''t it?


    Isn''t your focus a bit off?

 Chapter 293 Too Shameless

    ```


    "Mo Jinxin, why are you asking this?"


    ```


    Upon hearing Xu Deming''s words, Jiang Qiuping also realized something was amiss.


    Even Liu Kaile and Song Li were caught somewhat off guard by Mo Jinxin''s question.


    "Old Xu, Old Jiang, since you''vee, I''ll just speak frankly."


    "I heard from Old Liu that your son is quite something, found himself a beautiful woman," said Mo Jinxin, "they say your daughter-inw is even prettier than a celebrity."


    "I now have a worth of over a hundred million; I''ve got a bit too much money, and I don''t have other hobbies¡ªI just like to y with women."


    "To be honest, I''ve been with quite a few female celebrities, but it''s just so-so."


    "Your son''s job isn''t great, right? He''s a kept man, and your daughter-inw''s family is also average."


    "Just let me sleep with your daughter-inw for one night, and I''ll give you one million."


    "An old ssmate''s daughter-inw, I haven''t had that before, just thinking about it is exciting."


    "That''s why I''m offering one million. With one million, you could retirefortably in a small county."


    "After all, you just have to trick your daughter-inw intoing to a hotel and drug her¡ªit''s guaranteed she won''t know anything afterward, and you can pretend nothing ever happened."


    Mo Jinxin had invited Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping for a meal today for this very purpose.


    Anyways, we''re all adults, there''s no harm in speaking openly.


    In his view, Xu Deming''s and Jiang Qiuping''s lives weren''t great, their son was a failure.


    It was very possible they would agree.


    Of course.


    He also knew that if Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping didn''t agree, then the rtionship between them would break down.


    He didn''t care; as for his rtionship with them as ssmates, he really didn''t give a damn.


    Ever since he became wealthy, his mentality had changed. People like Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping weren''t worth a nce from him.


    If it hadn''t been for Liu Kaile mentioning that Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping''s daughter-inw was beautiful, he wouldn''t have invited Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping to dinner.


    "Mo Jinxin, you''re despicable!" Jiang Qiuping stood up angrily, grabbed the tea in front of her, and sshed it directly onto Mo Jinxin''s face.


    "Mo Jinxin, it''s really unexpected that you''ve be such a beast in human clothing!" said Xu Deming as he stood up, ring at Mo Jinxin.


    Neither of them could have imagined that Mo Jinxin would say such things.


    They were ssmates; although their rtionship had been average during their school years and they didn''t know Mo Jinxin very well.


    But still, they were ssmates.


    Mo Jinxin was disregarding even the most basic decency.


    Even Liu Kaile and Song Li were dumbfounded.


    They hadn''t expected Liu Kaile to say such things.


    They kept in touch often and hadn''t realized Mo Jinxin was this sort of person.


    Their previous meetings had always been typical old-ssmate gatherings.


    Even though Mo Jinxin also put on an act, they were all too familiar with that act, because they did it too.


    That wasn''t too bad.


    But for Mo Jinxin to actually plot against his ssmate''s daughter-inw and shamelessly dere it to their faces.


    That was just too shameless.


    "Jiang Qiuping, you''ve gone too far!" Mo Jinxin''s face darkened as he quickly wiped the tea off his face with a napkin.


    No matter what, he is still a billionaire.


    In his opinion, even if Jiang Qiuping and Xu Deming disagreed, at most they would just show anger and verbally use him.


    But Jiang Qiuping went so far as to ssh tea on him, something he had never considered.


    Fortunately, the tea had been poured out for quite a while and was only lukewarm.


    If it had been freshly poured boiling tea, his face would have been scalded.


    "Mo Jinxin, you''re so shameless, sshing tea on you is too mild!" Jiang Qiuping said furiously.


    "I was trying to offer you a chance to make money so that you have enough for retirement. You''ve been running a small supermarket in a small county for most of your lives, and the savings in your bank ount probably don''t even amount to a million."


    "Moreover, your son is in Jiangcheng, just working at the bottom rung. You don''t need this money for retirement; you couldpletely use it to help your son, as long as you don''t let him know about this matter."


    "Instead of thanking me, you treat me like this. Isn''t that excessive?"


    Mo Jinxin''s shameless self-justification was unyielding.


    "Mo Jinxin, I''ve truly seen your true colors now. You''ve be lower than a beast, scum!" Xu Deming clenched his fists, wishing he could knock Mo Jinxin to the ground with a punch.


    Beforeing, he and Jiang Qiuping had prepared themselves for Mo Jinxin to boast in front of them like Liu Kaile did.


    But they never expected Mo Jinxin to be so shameless.


    It made him feel disgusted.


    "Xu Deming, what do you mean ''lower than a beast, scum''? I have money and want to enjoy women, what''s wrong with that? Only an unsessful man like you would stay honest and upright. Honestly speaking, it''s only because you''re my ssmates that I''m offering a million. If it were someone else, I wouldn''t even give that much," Mo Jinxin stated nonchntly.


    "Let''s go, Old Xu. There''s no need to waste more words on such scum. Staying here for one more second makes me feel incredibly disgusted," Jiang Qiuping said, pulling Xu Deming away.


    "Think it over carefully. Once you walk out that door, you won''t have this opportunity again," Mo Jinxin said with a coldugh.


    Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping didn''t look back, or say a word.


    "Jiang Qiuping, you sshed tea on my face, and I''ll remember that. With my ability, finding your son and daughter-inw''s workces is no big deal. I could get them fired in a minute, ruin their lives, and then find a way to get your daughter-inw into bed. You won''t get a single cent," Mo Jinxin said with a coldugh.


    "Mo Jinxin, are you serious?" Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping stopped in their tracks and turned around to ask.


    "Of course. You still have time to agree, and I can still give you a million. Later on, I might even arrange for your son to work in mypany, and I''ll make sure he is satisfied with the job," Mo Jinxin dered as he saw Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping stop.


    Mo Jinxin felt a smile curl on his lips, thinking there might still be a chance to make things work.


    It seemed that threats were more effective.


    "I heard from Old Liu that you''ve started a toypany. What''s the name of it?" Xu Deming asked.


    "Jinxin Toy Company. Why do you ask? Do you think my toypany is fake? That I''m deceiving you? That I don''t have the money to give you? You''re free to check.


    My worth of over a hundred million is real and unexaggerated," Mo Jinxin stated proudly.


    "You will pay for your actions today," Xu Deming said, then left with Jiang Qiuping.


    "Pay the price? Who are you trying to fool?" Mo Jixin scoffed, dismissing Xu Deming''s wordspletely.


    What could a person from a small county town do to make him pay?


    "Come on, Old Liu, Old Song, let''s continue eating. Don''t mind them. They don''t appreciate what''s offered to them. It''s better off without such ssmates," Mo Jinxin called out to Liu Kaile and Song Li.


    "Mo Jinxin, we have something to attend to and must leave. Enjoy your meal," they said.


    Liu Kaile and Song Li stood up and quickly left the private room.


    Although they liked to show off, that was all.


    It''s normal to want to boast about sess.


    But Mo Jinxin was just too shameless.


    Thinking back on Mo Jinxin''s shameful words, they felt disgusted as well.


    They no longer wanted to maintain a good rtionship with Mo Jinxin. The bond between ssmates was now severed.


    It''s better off without such ssmates.

 Chapter 294: Chapter 294 Long Time No See

    "Old Xu, Old Jiang, wait for us."


    Liu Kaile and Song Li left the restaurant and hurriedly caught up with Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping.


    "Hmph, Old Liu, to associate with a beast like Mo Jinxin, I will no longer consider you my ssmate," Xu Deming snorted coldly.


    "Old Xu, I really didn''t know he was so shameless. In the years I''ve been in touch with him, he never showed this side. If I had known he was so shameless, I would never have associated with him, let alone allow him to invite you to dinner. I''ve already made my stance clear just now; I will have nothing to do with him from now on."


    Liu Kaile quickly disavowed any association with Mo Jinxin.


    What he said was indeed true.


    Walking away directly was making his stance clear, to no longer associate with Li Zixuan.


    "Yes, Old Xu, Old Jiang. If we had known he was such a despicable person, we would never have associated with him. His behavior disgusted us too. We''ve cut all ties with him," Song Li chimed in.


    The words of the two did make Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping''s expressions soften slightly.


    "Fine, if you''re not associated with him, then we are still ssmates."


    Since Liu Kaile and Song Li were unaware of the true character of Mo Jinxin, their actions could be excused.


    "Old Xu, Old Jiang, let''s find a ce to eat. I owe you an apology for this incident. I am also responsible."


    Although Liu Kaile liked to show off, he still had a sense of right and wrong and decency.


    He was responsible for this incident and owed Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping an apology.


    "Old Xu, Old Jiang, we''re leaving tomorrow. It''s not easy to meet up, and we haven''t had a proper meal together. Let''s consider it a ssmate reunion. Besides, we hardly ate just now, we still need to eat," Song Li continued to persuade.


    "Alright, then let''s find a ce to eat."


    Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping exchanged nces and agreed.


    Indeed, it was past seven now, and they needed to find a ce to eat.


    Since it was like this, having a meal with Liu Kaile and Song Li was no big deal.


    The two found a nearby restaurant to dine in.


    By this time, it was already past eight, and the dinner rush was over.


    After they ordered, the food was served in about fifteen minutes.


    The few of them ate while chatting.


    Liu Kaile and Song Li refrained from boasting and instead reminisced about their campus life.


    This significantly improved the mood of Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping.


    If Liu Kaile and Song Li had continued to boast, they would have quickly finished their meal and left.


    As they were almost done eating, a group of youths emerged from a private room.


    One of the youths paid the bill and began to leave with the others.


    Suddenly, the youth who paid caught a glimpse of a young woman dining by the window out of the corner of his eye and immediately stopped in his tracks.


    "Chen Guanglei, what''s wrong?"


    A youth dressed invish casual attire frowned.


    "Nothing, Boss Li, I just saw an acquaintance, let''s go," Chen Guanglei shook his head and was about to leave.


    "Wait a minute." Li Zixuan had already followed Chen Guanglei''s gaze and saw the young woman seated by the window.


    "Boss Li, what are you..." Chen Guanglei spected.


    "A beauty." Li Zixuan''s eyes lit up, "Chen Guanglei, are you saying that beauty is your acquaintance?"


    "Uh, sort of," Chen Guanglei admitted.


    The beauty dining by the window was none other than Zhao Yulu.


    He had pursued Zhao Yulu for a long time without sess.


    Later, when he dropped his facade, he even hit Zhao Yulu.


    Theypletely fell out and had no further association.


    Seeing Zhao Yulu just now was an instinctual pause, feeling somewhat dazed.


    He knew he could never have Zhao Yulu now, so he stopped thinking about it.


    Looking at Li Zixuan, it seemed he was interested in Zhao Yulu.


    It makes sense.


    No matter how you look at it, Zhao Yulu''s appearance and figure are top-notch, surpassing many celebrities.


    It''s just a pity that I can''t win her over.


    Li Zixuan taking an interest in Zhao Yulu is quite normal.


    "I''m very interested in that beauty. Introduce me to her, let me get to know her," Li Zixuan said.


    As a wealthy second-generation yboy, naturally, when he sees a beautiful woman, he wants to flirt a bit.


    "Young Master Li, I know her, but we''re not on good terms," Chen Guanglei said hesitantly.


    He really didn''t want to see Zhao Yulu unless he absolutely had to.


    "No problem, our bad rtionship doesn''t prevent you from introducing her to me. I just need an excuse," Li Zixuan said.


    "Alright," Chen Guanglei said helplessly and could only bring Li Zixuan and his group over.


    He had no choice, Li Zixuan was someone he needed to please.


    Li Zixuan was a rich second-generation from Haicheng, the scion of a multibillion-dor conglomerate.


    Much more impressive than his own second-generation wealthy status.


    Li Zixuan was the most powerful second-generation rich he could connect with at his level.


    People like Wang Xiaocong were beyond his reach.


    He had met Wang Xiaocong once through an introduction by a friend, but once the friend knew that he had a past conflict with Xu Yang, they were reluctant to interact with him, and Wang Xiaocong didn''t take him seriously at all.


    Therefore, whatever Li Zixuan requested, as long as it wasn''t too excessive, he would fulfill it.


    Introducing Li Zixuan to Zhao Yulu naturally wasn''t too excessive a request.


    "Yulu, long time no see," Chen Guanglei said with a smile as he approached Zhao Yulu''s dining table.


    "Chen Guanglei, what are you doing here?" Zhao Yulu, who had just finished eating and was about to leave, furrowed her brows upon seeing Chen Guanglei.


    She remembered clearly how Chen Guanglei had hit herst time.


    Chen Guanglei was thest person she wanted to see, bar none.


    Even Tao Yingjun from Shengda Literature wasn''t as bad as Chen Guanglei.


    Because Chen Guanglei had not only said many indecent things but also hit her.


    She had never suffered such humiliation before.


    "Yulu, let me introduce you, this is my friend, Young Master Li," Chen Guanglei said, ignoring Zhao Yulu''s attitude and went straight to introducing Li Zixuan.


    "Hello, beauty, my name is Li Zixuan, it''s a pleasure to meet you."


    Li Zixuan put on a smile that he thought was charming and reached out his hand, hoping to shake hands with Zhao Yulu.


    He believed that with his handsome appearance and the aura of a rich second-generation, he could make Zhao Yulu''s heart flutter.


    However, things didn''t go quite as he anticipated.


    Zhao Yulu merely nced at him, without shaking hands or showing any intention to do so.


    "Chen Guanglei, please take your friend and leave immediately."


    In her eyes, Li Zixuan was a friend of Chen Guanglei, which meant they were of the same kind.


    She now had no good feelings towards people like Chen Guanglei.


    Uh...


    Li Zixuan, being ignored by Zhao Yulu, had his smile freeze on his face, his hand hanging awkwardly mid-air, feeling incredibly embarrassed.


    This was the first time he had taken the initiative to flirt with a beautiful woman and been ignored.


    In the past, even if those beautiful women weren''t interested in him, they would still respond politely.


    But Zhao Yulu didn''t just refrain from shaking hands with him; she merely gave him a look and didn''t say a single word.


    This kind of reaction was something he found quite hard to ept.


    He lowered his hand, extremely annoyed inside, yet he didn''t show it.


    "Beauty, why keep people at arm''s length? I just want to make friends," Li Zixuan said, regaining hisposure and smiling again.

 Chapter 295: Chapter 295 Lawless

    "Sorry, I don''t want to be friends with you," Zhao Yulu finally responded to Li Zixuan.


    But this response turned Li Zixuan''s face dark.


    In approaching women, he had never faced such a setback.


    It really made him feel extremely upset.


    He looked at Chen Guanglei and asked, "This woman seems not only to have a bad rtionship with you but also to have a great animosity towards you. What''s her background?"


    Chen Guanglei replied, "There''s no special background, just an ordinary family."


    Li Zixuan said, "You''re not going to tell me it''s one of those ordinary families from Shencheng, are you?"


    Chen Guanglei responded with a bitter smile, "Mr. Li, how could I make that kind of joke? It''s indeed just an ordinary family."


    "That''s good," Li Zixuan sighed in relief, "No background, then it shouldn''t be a problem for you to have her spend a night with me, right?"


    Since an acquaintance was out of the question, he would abandon that approach and try another.


    "This... it doesn''t seem appropriate," Chen Guanglei naturally understood what Li Zixuan meant, which was for him to force Zhao Yulu into Li Zixuan''s bed.


    He really didn''t dare do that, otherwise, once Xu Yang found out, he would be done for.


    Zhao Yulu was Xu Yang''s ex-girlfriend, and if that was the only connection, he wouldn''t be afraid.


    Whether Xu Yang would stand up for Zhao Yulu was uncertain.


    But now, Xu Yang was still Zhao Yulu''s brother-inw.


    If the situation escted and Zhao Yulu had no way out and sought help from her sister, Zhao Yuxin, then Zhao Yuxin would definitely not ignore it.


    At that point, Xu Yang would surely get involved.


    Xu Yang getting involved would be nothing good.


    Xu Yang''s influence was too significant now, and he was on good terms with Wang Xiaocong and Jiang Yuheng.


    Dealing with him would be all too easy.


    "What? Is there a problem?" Li Zixuan''s expression was not looking good.


    "Mr. Li, her situation is a bitplex. Let''s go first, and I''ll exin it to youter," Chen Guanglei said.


    "What''s soplex about it? Besides, what does it matter if it''splex? Since you''re unwilling to do it, I''ll have my men take care of it."


    "Gu Xing, Cao Feng, go ahead and take this beauty out. Let''s all head back to the hotel together."


    Li Zixuan, growing impatient, was somewhat dissatisfied with Chen Guanglei.


    He directly ordered the twockeys who hade with him to act.


    This was something he did frequently.


    For women from ordinary families, even if he forced himself upon them, he had a myriad of ways to handle the situation without any issues.


    So, essentially, he had no reservations.


    Asking Chen Guanglei to do it was giving Chen Guanglei a chance.


    Since Chen Guanglei didn''t act, he would take matters into his own hands.


    Chen Guanglei''s inaction made Li Zixuan think less of him.


    A person who can''t follow his orders, why bother trying to please him?


    He didn''t need that kind of ingratiation.


    To ingratiate oneself with him, one must do as he says.


    "Got it."


    Gu Xing and Cao Feng were Li Zixuan''sckeys, rich second-generation kids who often did these things with ease.


    "What are you doing?" Zhao Yulu became panicked.


    "Beauty, our Mr. Li would like to invite you to have an in-depth conversation at the hotel."


    "Don''t worry, beauty, Mr. Li will surely make you satisfied," they implied with unmistakable rity.


    "You... you''repletelywless. Chen Guanglei, I can''t believe you hang out with these people. If they darey a hand on me, you won''t be able to escape being involved!" Zhao Yulu said.


    "Mr. Li..." Chen Guanglei also didn''t want this to happen and tried to persuade him.


    "Chen Guanglei, I gave you face when I agreed to dine with you, and I also gave you face when I let you handle things. The dinner was quite nice, but when I ask you to do something, you drag your feet. What use do I have for you if you also want to persuade me to stop? Do you believe that with just one phone call, I can shut down yourpany?"


    Li Zixuan interrupted Chen Guanglei before he could finish, waving his hand, and spoke quite domineeringly.


    "But Mr. Li..." Chen Guanglei tried again to say that Xu Yang was Zhao Yulu''s brother-inw.


    However, he couldn''t continue as Li Zixuan cut him off again.


    "Chen Guanglei, if you say another word, yourpany will be shut down tomorrow."


    At that, Chen Guanglei dared not say another word.


    ```


    He could only think that when the time came, he would clear himself of any me and hope not to get implicated.


    "Beautifuldy, let''s go, don''t make us get rough."


    "Beautifuldy, Mr. Li is someone who cherishes beauty and detests violence, it wouldn''t look good if we got rough, he would feel bad."


    Gu Xing and Cao Feng stood on either side of Zhao Yulu, ready to use force the moment she was unwilling.


    "You''repletelywless!" Zhao Yulu''s face was red with anger.


    "Take her away." Li Zixuan didn''t want to waste words with Zhao Yulu, his arrogance was at its extreme.


    The twockeys immediately took hold of Zhao Yulu and started to leave.


    "You... let go of me!" Zhao Yulu struggled.


    "What''s the situation?"


    "These people look like rich second-generation kids, it''s some rich people''s issue, hard to figure out."


    "Rich second-generation kids are spoiled and have nothing better to do, they specialize in these kinds of antics..."


    People at the other tables nced over, whispering and pointing.


    "Help, I don''t know them, they''re kidnapping me!" Zhao Yulu cried out for help urgently.


    She never imagined that just going out for a meal would lead to something like this.


    These people were far too arrogant.


    "What! Kidnapping!"


    "Kidnapping someone in broad daylight, too arrogant!"


    "If it''s really kidnapping, we can''t let them get away!"


    The customers eyed Li Zixuan and his group, restless and ready to act.


    "Don''t misunderstand, everyone. This is my girlfriend, she''s just being petnt. She ran out to eat alone, I''m just bringing her back home. She always does this when we argue, it''s happened many times already."


    Li Zixuan exined to the crowd with a smile, as if it were all true.


    "Oh, I see!"


    "It''s just a couple''s quarrel, then it''s none of our business."


    "Exactly, intervening just earns you grievances."


    Hearing Li Zixuan''s exnation, the customers lost their will to interfere.


    Themotion caught the attention of everyone in the dining hall, naturally including Xu Deming and his group.


    Liu Kaile couldn''t help saying, "Hey, old Xu, old Jiang, isn''t that your daughter-inw? Why is that guy iming her as his girlfriend?" Chapter Find:


    Song Li said, "I''ve heard that some kidnappers im the person they''ve abducted are spouses in a dispute, could this be one of those situations?"


    Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping were somewhat taken aback and uncertain.


    During the day at home, Zhao Yuxin was with them.


    She even told them that she would dine out with friends in the evening.


    They had left the house first, and Zhao Yuxin left after them.


    As for where Zhao Yuxin went and whom she was dining with, they had no idea.


    Wasn''t she supposed to be eating with friends? Why was she alone here?


    "Never mind that, we must stop them!"


    Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping almost simultaneously stood up and quickly walked towards Zhao Yulu.


    Liu Kaile and Song Li got up and followed.


    "Stop right there!"


    Just as Zhao Yulu was about to be dragged to the door, amanding shout rang out.


    Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping quickly blocked the path of the culprits.


    "Old man, what are you doing?" Li Zixuan narrowed his eyes.


    "She is my daughter-inw, let her go this instant!" Xu Deming said angrily.


    At those words, Zhao Yulu was stunned on the spot.


    She wasn''t even married, how did she be this uncle''s daughter-inw?


    However, seeing that Xu Deming bore some resemnce to Xu Yang, she immediately understood the situation.


    This must be Xu Yang''s father, mistaking her for her sister Zhao Yuxin.


    Not just Zhao Yulu was taken aback, Chen Guanglei was as well.


    Could it be that Zhao Yulu was married?


    No way, Zhao Yulu shouldn''t have gotten married so quickly, right?


    ```

 Chapter 296: Chapter 296 Things Have Gotten Out of Hand

    "Your daughter-inw?" Li Zixuan frowned, then said in a cold voice, "What do you mean your daughter-inw? She''s my girlfriend. What nonsense are you spouting? Move aside immediately, or don''t me me for being rude."


    "She is my daughter-inw, and this is kidnapping. Let her go right now, or I''m calling the police!" Xu Deming stood his ground, clearly determined not to let Li Zixuan take the girl away.


    "You old fool, I see you won''t take a toast but will be forced to drink a forfeit. Out of my way!" Li Zixuan''s face turned fierce, and he kicked Xu Deming to the ground.


    "Old Xu, are you okay? How can you hit people? Help, someone! These people are kidnapping and beating someone. Someone, help!" Jiang Qiuping quickly went to help Xu Deming up while calling for help.


    "You aren''t going to take her away. In broad daylight, you arewless!"


    Liu Kaile and Song Li stood in front of the group, blocking their way.


    "Help, I really don''t know them, they''re trying to kidnap me!" Zhao Yulu also shouted for help.


    Now was not the time for exnations; the first priority was to get away.


    This once again drew the attention of the customers.


    "It really does seem like a kidnapping!"


    "Tomit a kidnapping in broad daylight, this is justwlessness."


    Chapter Stay:


    "We absolutely cannot let them take the person away!"


    "Call the police right now!"


    Some customers immediately moved to intervene, and security personnel also approached.


    "Young Master Li, we should go. In this situation, there''s no way we can take her," Chen Guanglei said anxiously.


    With the situation having escted like this, it was certain they couldn''t take her away anymore.


    "You old bastard, how dare you ruin my ns. Don''t let me see you again," Li Zixuan red fiercely at Xu Deming, dropped a harsh word, and left with his people.


    Everyone could see that Li Zixuan was no ordinary person, so they didn''t stop them from leaving.


    Seeing that the situation was resolved, the customers returned to their seats to eat.


    "Uncle, are you all right?" Zhao Yulu came up to Xu Deming and asked with concern.


    Uncle?


    Xu Deming, Jiang Qiuping, Liu Kaile, and Song Li were all stunned.


    Seeing their reactions, Zhao Yulu took the initiative to exin, "You must be Xu Yang''s father, right? Zhao Yuxin is my younger sister."


    Upon hearing this, Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping suddenly realized.


    So, she wasn''t their daughter-inw but their son''s ex-girlfriend, now their big sister-inw.


    They were familiar with Zhao Yulu''s circumstances.


    They never imagined that they would meet Zhao Yulu under such circumstances, in such a manner.


    If Zhao Yulu hadn''t broken up with their son, she would now be their daughter-inw.


    Liu Kaile and Song Li were also beginning to understand. The girl in front of them must be the twin sister of Xu Deming''s daughter-inw; otherwise, she couldn''t look so simr that even Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping couldn''t recognize her.


    "Yu Lu, it''s you. I thought you were Yu Xin. I''m fine. By the way, what was the deal with those people just now?" Xu Deming asked.


    "They''re just some scumbag rich kids. One of them I knew. Luckily you were here; otherwise, I might have really been taken away by them. I didn''t expect them to dare to be sowless," Zhao Yulu said, still shaken by the experience.


    Luckily, she encountered Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.


    "It''s good you''re safe. In the future, if you encounter such a situation, you need to yell out loud so that other people are aware of your situation. There will be people who will stand up for you," Xu Deming said.


    "I was a bit frightened just now andpletely forgot about that," Zhao Yulu said.


    After chatting for a while, Zhao Yulu thanked them again and left.


    Xu Deming and the others were also finished eating, so they paid the bill and left.


    Meanwhile.


    Chen Guanglei and his group got into the car and left.


    Li Zixuan grumbled unhappily, "Damn it, what bad luck. It''s not every day you see a beauty you like, and then some old geezer ruins it."


    Chen Guanglei hesitated before saying, "Young Master Li, this matter might get a bit troublesome."


    Li Zixuan frowned at Chen Guanglei, "What trouble could there be?"


    Chen Guanglei said, "Zhao Yulu''s background is quite special."


    "What''s so special about it?" Li Zixuan said. "Didn''t you say she doesn''t have any backing andes from an ordinary family?"


    Chen Guanglei braved himself and said, "His family is ordinary, but a bit special, she is Xu Yang''s aunt by marriage."


    Li Zixuan frowned again, "Who is Xu Yang, why do I feel like I''ve heard this name before?"


    Chen Guanglei exined, "The boss of River Salvage."


    "What!" Li Zixuan''s face changed, "Damn it, Chen Guanglei, you said he had no background, now you are saying she is Xu Yang''s aunt by marriage, what the hell is that supposed to mean?"


    Of course, he had heard of Xu Yang''s big name.


    In just a year, Xu Yang had be a billionaire.


    Every investment he made yielded astonishing returns, astonishing many tycoons.


    Not only that, Xu Yang''s ownwork of connections was ridiculously strong, rubbing shoulders with top second-generation rich like Wang Xiaocong and Jiang Yuheng.


    There had even been reports of Xu Yang chatting andughing with tycoons like the wealthy Zhang Yimin.


    If he had known Zhao Yulu was Xu Yang''s aunt by marriage, he definitely would not have dared to mess with her.


    Although his own dad was also a billionaire, hiswork of connections could notpare to Xu Yang''s.


    A rtionship like that with the wealthy Zhang Yimin is not something just anyone can climb up to.


    Chen Guanglei said with a wry smile, "Young Master Li, the situation with Zhao Yulu is a bitplicated, I wanted to exin earlier, but you didn''t give me a chance to do so."


    Li Zixuan looked upset, "Are you saying it''s my fault?"


    Chen Guanglei quickly said, "I wouldn''t dare."


    Though he said he wouldn''t dare, in his heart, he truly felt that way.


    He did bear some resentment towards Li Zixuan.


    After all, if Zhao Yuxin, Zhao Yulu''s sister, found out about this, and asked Xu Yang to stand up for Zhao Yulu, then he might get implicated.


    However, he did not dare to show his resentment towards Li Zixuan.


    Li Zixuan asked, "So what do we do now?"


    He knew things could be pretty serious.


    Xu Yang''s wrath was not something he could handle.


    It really was because Xu Yang''swork was too strong.


    Chen Guanglei said, "Young Master Li, don''t panic, Zhao Yulu and her sister don''t get along very well, so she probably won''t tell her sister about it, and that means Xu Yang won''t find out, and there won''t be any trouble."


    Li Zixuan asked, "Are you sure?"


    Chen Guanglei nodded, "Sure!"


    Given the rtionship between Zhao Yulu, Zhao Yuxin, and Xu Yang, Zhao Yulu probably wouldn''t tell Zhao Yuxin, and even less likely tell Xu Yang.


    After all, things hadn''t reached an irreparable stage.


    If Zhao Yulu really had been taken to the hotel and yed by Li Zixuan, then it might be a different story.


    Chen Guanglei was quite relieved that someone had stepped in to prevent it.


    But what puzzled him was that the two people imed Zhao Yulu was their daughter-inw.


    Could it be that Zhao Yulu had really gotten married?


    With Zhao Yulu''s personality, she shouldn''t have gotten married so quickly.


    Even if she found a rich second-generation boyfriend, she wouldn''t marry so fast.


    Besides, those middle-aged men and women didn''t look wealthy at all, they were obviously just an ordinary family.


    Zhao Yulu wouldn''t have married a man from an ordinary family, would she?


    "That''s a relief," Li Zixuan breathed a sigh of relief.


    If it wasn''t absolutely necessary, he really didn''t want to have a conflict with Xu Yang.


    After all, his family''s assets were only about the same as Xu Yang''s.


    But when it came to top-tier connections, he was far behind.


    Even if Xu Yang couldn''t really harm him, it was still better to avoid conflict.


    Otherwise, even if Xu Yang couldn''t do much to him, causing trouble with such a person would also mean trouble with his own father, and at the very least, he''d be in for a scolding.

 Chapter 297: Chapter 297 It Really Has Nothing to Do with Me

    Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping returned home.


    Xu Yang was alone at home, Zhao Yuxin was having dinner with friends and had not yet returned.


    "Dad, what happened to you?"


    Xu Yang saw that his dad had a band-aid near his eye, clearly covering a wound.


    "Ah, today, while we were dining, we encountered Zhao Yulu..."


    Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping sat on the sofa, and Jiang Qiuping briefly exined the situation.


    "Who is that second-generation rich kid?" Xu Yang''s face darkened.


    Since his dad got hit, he had to clear things up.


    No matter who it was, if they dared to hit his own dad, he couldn''t just let it slide.


    "We don''t know, let''s leave it be, it''s just a scratch on the face."


    "There''s one thing we can''t just let go of though, I''ll tell you about it, and you''ll see what can be done."


    Xu Deming didn''t take his own beating to heart, but he felt that Mo Jinxin''s matter couldn''t be overlooked.


    "What else happened? Could it possibly be worse than what happened to you?" Xu Yang asked, puzzled.


    "Indeed, it''s more serious than what happened to me..." Xu Deming exined the issue with Mo Jinxin.


    "He really is scum, worse than an animal. Jin Xin Toy Company, huh? He will get what he deserves."


    Xu Yang''s face turned extremely grim.


    This Mo Jinxin, truly a piece of trash.


    Such a person couldn''t be let off easily.


    Even if it had not affected him directly, he felt that the guy deserved to be punished.


    At this moment, Zhao Yuxin came back.


    "Dad, what happened to you?" Zhao Yuxin, seeing the band-aid near Xu Deming''s eye, hurried over and asked with concern.


    "Dad and his ssmate were having a meal when..." Xu Yang summarized the event and then said, "Call your sister. I want to know the full story, who exactly those people are."


    It would be inappropriate for him to call Zhao Yulu.


    He had to understand the situation with those people to know what to do next.


    When Xu Deming and Jiang Qiuping heard Xu Yang say this, they knew that Xu Yang was not nning to let the matter go.


    However, they didn''t try to dissuade him further.


    Their son was doing this for their sake.


    Besides, their son was probably capable of handling it.


    They didn''t need to worry about how he would proceed.


    "Okay, I''ll call her." Zhao Yuxin immediately took out her phone and dialed Zhao Yulu''s number.


    Soon, the call connected.


    "Sis, what exactly happened today?" Zhao Yuxin asked directly.


    "You mean the incident where Xu Yang''s dad was hit? Xu Yang asked you to call me, didn''t he?"


    Zhao Yulu could anticipate that Zhao Yuxin would make the call.


    Xu Yang wouldn''t call her, and she didn''t mind.


    What had passed with Xu Yang didn''t matter anymore, whether or not she called him was irrelevant.


    "Yes, what exactly happened, and who are those people?" Zhao Yuxin inquired.


    "I don''t know who the person who hit him is, but they were with Chen Guanglei. From how Chen Guanglei acted, he seemed to defer to that person. It''s likely the guy is even wealthier than Chen Guanglei, some rich second-generation. You should find out the specifics; it''s best to ask Chen Guanglei directly," advised Zhao Yulu.


    "Alright, send me Chen Guanglei''s number, and I''ll have Xu Yang ask him," Zhao Yuxin said.


    "Okay." Zhao Yulu nodded.


    She hadn''t deleted Chen Guanglei''s phone number yet.


    After hanging up, she immediately found it and sent it to Zhao Yuxin.


    Zhao Yuxin received the phone number Zhao Yulu had sent her, and said to Xu Yang, "Honey, my sister said she doesn''t know who those people are, but they were with Chen Guanglei, and it seems they''re even richer second-generation rich kids than Chen Guanglei. She sent over Chen Guanglei''s number, saying if we want to get the details straight, we should ask Chen Guanglei."


    Xu Yang nodded, "Alright, send me Chen Guanglei''s number, and I''ll talk to him."


    Zhao Yulu nodded, left, and sent Chen Guanglei''s number to Xu Yang.


    Xu Yang stood up and left the living room, finding a spot on a stone bench in the yard and dialed Chen Guanglei''s number.


    The call was quickly answered.


    "Hello," Chen Guanglei''s voice came through.


    "This is Xu Yang," Xu Yang said in a heavy tone.


    "Xu Yang!" Chen Guanglei was startled, "What are you calling me for?"


    This guy, he wouldn''t be calling to take Zhao Yulu''s side, would he?


    That shouldn''t be the case, Zhao Yulu hasn''t really gotten into any trouble.


    Given Zhao Yulu and Xu Yang''s rtionship, Zhao Yulu shouldn''t have told Xu Yang and Zhao Yuxin about the incident.


    "I want to know who the person with you today who hit my dad is," Xu Yang asked directly.


    "Hit your dad?" Chen Guanglei was puzzled, then eximed in shock, "You mean, the middle-aged man Li Shaohit was your dad?"


    This was something he had never anticipated.


    Now, he understood what was going on.


    Why they said Zhao Yulu was his daughter-inw.


    They must have mistaken Zhao Yulu for Zhao Yuxin.


    Damn, this was really a big deal now.


    Indeed, Xu Yang had no intention of taking Zhao Yulu''s side, but it was a different matter when Li Zixuan hit Xu Yang''s father.


    Xu Yang was surely going to stand up for his father.


    "Yes, that''s my dad. Whatever you guys do is none of my business as long as it doesn''t affect me, but you''ve angered me today, and I will make you pay the price. Who is this Li Shao?" Xu Yang said coldly.


    "His name is Li Zixuan, a rich second-generation from Haicheng. He came to Jiang city to have some fun, and I invited him to join us for dinner," Chen Guanglei exined.


    "I had no idea he would be so arrogant. When he saw Zhao Yulu was pretty, he approached her, and when Zhao Yulu ignored him, he wanted to force himself on her. Even if I wanted to stop him, I couldn''t."


    "Xu Yang, you have to believe me, I really had nothing to do with this," Chen Guanglei hurriedly rified.


    This matter was no joke.


    With Xu Yang''s father having been attacked, Xu Yang would certainly not let it go.


    He had to distance himself from it to avoid Xu Yang''s revenge.


    With Xu Yang''s current status, dealing with him would be all too easy.


    As for Li Zixuan, he couldn''t worry about that now.


    He wanted to curry favor with Li Zixuan, but it had to depend on the situation.


    If he couldn''t even protect himself, why worry about someone else?


    Now, facing Xu Yang, he could only look up to him.


    The superiority he felt before hadpletely disappeared.


    Even thinking back on it now, he found it somewhatughable.


    At Wang Xiaocong''s gatheringst time, a friend had asked him to apologize to Xu Yang, but he didn''t, thinking he would just avoid Xu Yang in the future and it would be fine.


    Little did he know, this incident would still involve Xu Yang.


    "Whether it involves you or not, I will figure it out. Tell me what happened in detail; I''ve only gotten a general idea from my dad''s side, and it''s probably not the whole picture. You should know best," Xu Yang said.


    "Okay, I''ll tell you..." Chen Guanglei detailed the situation.


    "It seems this Li Zixuan hasn''t done this kind of thing just once," Xu Yang''s expression turned cold.


    He wasn''t a savior, but now that he hade across such an incident, he naturally didn''t want to let such a person continue to harm others.

 Chapter 298 Proactive Resolution

    "I don''t know about that," Chen Guanglei dared not respond to that remark.


    He did have some basic understanding of Li Zixuan''s situation. Otherwise, how could he ingratiate himself with the other party?


    So, he knew what Li Zixuan was like.


    But he couldn''t say it, otherwise if Li Zixuan found out, he wouldn''t end up in a good ce.


    "Fine, I''ll let him know what happens to people who hit my dad," Xu Yang said coldly.


    "Xu Yang, look, this whole incident from beginning to end has nothing to do with me. Your dad being hit by Li Zixuan has even less to do with me. You''re not going to go after me too, are you?" Chen Guanglei asked.


    "Your matter can wait until I''ve dealt with Li Zixuan. Anyway, this all started because of you, and you''re on the same side as Li Zixuan. You can''t escape responsibility."


    With that, Xu Yang hung up the phone.


    Chen Guanglei gave a wry smile and put down his phone.


    It was obvious that Xu Yang didn''t intend to let him off the hook.


    After a moment''s thought, he dialed Li Zixuan''s phone number.


    Soon, the call was answered.


    Chen Guanglei said, "Young Master Li, there''s a bit of trouble."


    Li Zixuan asked, "What trouble?"


    Chen Guanglei said, "It''s about Zhao Yulu."


    Li Zixuan frowned and said, "Didn''t you say there was no problem? Why are you now saying there''s trouble - is that Xu Yang going to stand up for her?"


    Chen Guanglei said, "Xu Yang isn''t standing up for her. He''s standing up for the person you hit."


    "The person I hit?" Li Zixuan said, "You mean that old geezer? What does that old geezer have to do with Xu Yang?"


    Chen Guanglei replied bitterly, "That''s Xu Yang''s father."


    "What!" Li Zixuan eximed, "How could it be, wasn''t it said that Zhao Yulu is his daughter-inw? How could she be Xu Yang''s father?"


    Chen Guanglei exined, "Young Master Li, the situation is a bitplicated. Zhao Yulu and her sister are twin sisters. Zhao Yulu used to be Xu Yang''s girlfriend. After they broke up, Xu Yang got together with Zhao Yulu''s sister. Now Zhao Yulu is Xu Yang''s aunt by marriage. Because the sisters look almost exactly alike, Xu Yang''s father mistook Zhao Yulu for his own daughter-inw."


    "Fuck!" Li Zixuan was shocked again, "This Xu Yang, sleeping with the sister after the sister, and they are such stunning twin sisters, what kind of damn luck has he stumbled upon."


    Since Zhao Yulu was so beautiful, her twin sister definitely had to be equally beautiful.


    It made him feel a mix of envy, jealousy, and hatred.


    Thinking that he, too, was a wealthy heir with billions at his disposal, yet he had never had such luck.


    What merit or ability did Xu Yang have to enjoy such blessings?


    It''s just fucking unfair.


    "Young Master Li, now''s not the time to sigh over this," Chen Guanglei said, somewhat speechless.


    Was this the time to talk about Xu Yang''s dumb luck?


    It was time to think about how to face Xu Yang''s fury.


    "Right, right, this isn''t the time to talk about that," Li Zixuan snapped back to reality. "So, what should we do now? I didn''t mean to hit his father. If I had known it was his dad, I definitely wouldn''t have hit him, and if I''d known Zhao Yulu was his ex and aunt by marriage, I wouldn''t have messed with her. The responsibility for this lies with you¡ªyou need toe up with a solution to fix this."


    He couldn''t think of any solution, so he had to rely on Chen Guanglei toe up with one.


    Chen Guanglei had expected this before making the call and had already thought of a solution, so he said, "Young Master Li, we didn''t know before, so we couldn''t do anything. But now that we do, we should take the initiative to solve it, not wait for Xu Yang toe to us and then try to exin."


    Li Zixuan nodded and said, "You''re right, so how do we take the initiative?"


    Chen Guanglei said, "You can call Xu Yang, apologize, and indicate that you will providepensation. As for what topensate, that''s up to you. If Xu Yang is not satisfied with thepensation you offer, you can ask him what he wants. I think, as long as it cates Xu Yang, it doesn''t matter if the price is a bit steep.


    Anyway, we can''t let this issue escte any further, otherwise his wrath might make you suffer a lot."


    Li Zixuan nodded repeatedly, "Right, right, you''re right. I''ll call him right away and offerpensation in the hope that he won''t pursue this matter."


    Chen Guanglei said, "Okay, let''s leave it at that for now. I''ll send you Xu Yang''s phone number, and you can call him."


    "Alright." Li Zixuan put down his phone, not calling immediately, but first considering what kind ofpensation to offer.


    "What''s wrong, Young Master Li?"


    The two rich second-generation followers, Gu Xing and Cao Feng, were sitting beside Li Zixuan.


    They only caught the gist of the conversation they overheard but hadn''t listened carefully, so they asked him about it.


    At this moment, they had just returned to the hotel.


    "The old guy I hit today... he''s Xu Yang''s father¡­" Li Zixuan briefly exined the situation.


    "Holy shit, it''s Xu Yang''s father!"


    "So what do we do now?"


    Gu Xing and Cao Feng''s faces turned pale with shock.


    They were also aware of Xu Yang''s background.


    Especially Xu Yang''s unbridled way of conducting himself.


    Take his conflict with Hua''an Film and Television, for example, it was just like that.


    He exposed the dark secrets of Hua''an Film and Television''s executives and artists, causing them to suffer heavy losses.


    As for how Xu Yang got hold of those dark secrets, no one knew.


    And because nobody knew, that''s what made Xu Yang so fearsome.


    If you crossed Xu Yang, who knew when your dirtyundry would be aired by him.


    Their families''panies, or their own actions, had more or less some issues.


    If those were exposed, nobody could save them.


    This was also why Li Zixuan did not want to have a conflict with Xu Yang.


    "Chen Guanglei said it''s best to take the initiative to call and apologize, and to offerpensation proactively. What do you think would be the best way topensate?" Li Zixuan asked.


    "I think giving money directly shows the most sincerity."


    "I agree, after all, you don''t know if other forms ofpensation will be to his liking."


    Gu Xing and Cao Feng were unanimous in their opinion.


    "Makes sense. But how much should we give?" Li Zixuan couldn''t think of any other form ofpensation and agreed with the idea of offering money, but how much topensate was another question.


    "This¡­ it''s up to you, Young Master Li. Whatever amount you think is appropriate, justpensate that amount."


    "Exactly, you just kicked Xu Yang''s father once, and the guy didn''t suffer any severe injuries. Just consider and decide for yourself how much is appropriate to give forpensation. That''s all you need to do."


    With thepensation amount unclear, Gu Xing and Cao Feng could only let Li Zixuan make the decision.


    "If thepensation amount you propose doesn''t satisfy Xu Yang, you can ask him how much he actually wants. As long as you can afford it, you can agree to it," Gu Xing suggested further.


    "Makes sense. Let''s do that. I''ll call him."


    Li Zixuan nodded, took out his phone, and dialed Xu Yang''s number.


    Chen Guanglei had already sent him Xu Yang''s phone number.

 Chapter 299 Human Scum and Losers

    Xu Yang on his end.


    After hanging up Chen Guanglei''s call, he immediately went back to his room, took out hisptop, and using his hacking skills, he searched for information about Li Zixuan.


    In his view, a second-generation rich punk like Li Zixuan must havemitted many illegal acts.


    Using this incident to give the other party a profound lesson was more than appropriate.


    It wasn''t long before he found the information he was looking for about Li Zixuan.


    You never know until you look, and what he found was shocking.


    This Li Zixuan was truly a scumbag among the rich and entitled.


    Illegal racing, hitting pedestrians more than once, with the worst case resulting in turning a pedestrian into a vegetative state.


    Forcing himself on women, with over twenty victims.


    Smoking marijuana was a daily necessity for him; he had reached the point where he couldn''t function normally without it every day.


    Illegally possessing firearms, he once nearly killed someone in a conflict using a gun.


    Each case, each incident, was simply appalling.


    But all these had been smoothed over with money and connections by his father and brother.


    Thepany owned by Li Zixuan''s family was a furniturepany valued at fifty billion.


    It ranked among the top ten in the furniture industry.


    Li Zixuan''s father and brother hadn''tmitted any illegal crimes themselves, if you could say there were any, it would be covering up for Li Zixuan, using money and connections to fix his problems.


    And then there was exploiting loopholes in business operations, evading taxes, and the like.


    Seeing this, Xu Yang had no intention of opposing Li Zixuan''s father and brother, but as for Li Zixuan himself, he would not be lenient.


    He sorted out the dirt on Li Zixuan, prepared to expose it on the inte, and sent it to the relevant departments.


    Just then, his phone rang.


    Looking at the caller ID, it was an unfamiliar phone number.


    "Hello?" Xu Yang answered the call.


    "Hello, Mr. Xu, this is Li Zixuan," Li Zixuan introduced himself.


    "What do you want?" Xu Yang hadn''t expected Li Zixuan to call and spoke indifferently.


    If he wasn''t mistaken, it must be Chen Guanglei who told Li Zixuan about the situation, prompting him to call.


    "Mr. Xu, regarding my harassment of Zhao Yulu and the incident where I hit your father today, I am extremely sorry," said Li Zixuan.


    "And then?" Xu Yang asked coldly.


    He didn''t believe for a second that Li Zixuan was just calling to apologize.


    "To show my remorse, I am willing to pay apensation of five million to your father, and I hope Mr. Xu can forgive my recklessness," Li Zixuan said, lowering his posture significantly. Apensation of five million was an adequate expression of sincerity.


    After all, Xu Yang''s father was merely kicked.


    To bepensated five million yuan for a kick.


    If it were an ordinary person, they would likely be overjoyed beyond measure.


    They might even wish that Li Zixuan would kick them a few more times.


    Most people in this world don''t earn five million in their entire lives.


    In other words, apensation of five million could directly change someone''s life.


    But Xu Yang was not an ordinary person; he was a billionaire.


    "Do you think I''m short on money?"


    Xu Yangughed coldly.


    If he hadn''t known how despicable Li Zixuan''s character was, he might have agreed.


    But having looked into Li Zixuan''s background, he couldn''t agree.


    With people like Li Zixuan around, there''s no telling how many more would get hurt.


    He wasn''t a savior, nor someone who meddling in others'' business.


    But having stumbled upon this, he felt he needed to intervene.


    I just couldn''t stand by and do nothing.


    If I didn''t intervene, I''d feel uneasy.


    "I know Mr. Xu doesn''tck money, and if thepensation of five million isn''t satisfying, you can name your price. As long as it''s not too outrageous, I''m willing to pay. Or if there''s something else you need me to do, just say it, and I''ll do everything in my power to meet your demands," Guang Lei said.


    Li Zixuan cursed Xu Yang in his heart for being greedy; five million still wasn''t enough for him.


    In his view, Xu Yang was just looking for a way to extort him.


    He hade to Jiang City merely hoping to have a fling, yet had unfortunately crossed paths with Xu Yang.


    What rotten luck he had.


    "I don''t want your money, nor do I need you to do anything. I will seek justice for my father in my own way," Xu Yang said calmly.


    "Mr. Xu, what do you mean by that?" Li Zixuan''s face changed.


    From Xu Yang''s tone, it seemed he intended to trouble him in another way.


    Remembering how Xu Yang had managed to expose the scandals of Hua''an Film and Television''s executives and artists with some unknown strategy, Li Zixuan had an ominous premonition.


    Would Xu Yang dig up the things he had done?


    If that were to be exposed, he would be ruined.


    Even his father and brother wouldn''t be able to save him then.


    "Heh, what I mean, you''ll soon find out."


    Xu Yang let out augh and hung up the phone.


    "Bastard!" Li Zixuan''s face darkened, really wanting to smash his phone.


    It seemed that Xu Yang was not going to let him off the hook.


    "Young Master Li, the other party didn''t agree?" Gu Xing asked softly.


    "This guy, he says he doesn''t want money and that he''ll seek justice in his own way!" Li Zixuan gritted his teeth in anger.


    "What should we do then? It seems like he has incredible means to get dirt on people. If he figures out your situation and exposes it, that would be difficult to deal with," Gu Xing said.


    "Yes, by then it might be irreparable."


    Gu Xing and Cao Feng, who followed Li Zixuan, naturally knew what Li Zixuan was capable of.


    Even, they were involved in many of the incidents themselves.


    It could be said that if Li Zixuan got into trouble, they would be in trouble as well.


    "If he won''t ept my apology andpensation, maybe he thinks I''m not influential enough. I''ll talk to my dad and have him call Xu Yang. I refuse to believe that, with my dad also being a billionaire of equal wealth, Xu Yang would dare to disrespect him!"


    Li Zixuan could only think of asking his dad for help.


    "Exactly, if uncle steps in, it will definitely get sorted out."


    "Uncle is also a respectable figure in the business world. I don''t believe Xu Yang will fail to give uncle face," Gu Xing said.


    Gu Xing and Cao Feng both agreed with Li Zixuan''s approach.


    "I''ll call my dad right away." Li Zixuan immediately dialed his father''s number.


    Soon, the call was connected.


    "Why are you calling me at this time? You''ve never called me at this hour before."


    On the other end of the line was a stern-looking middle-aged man, around fifty years old.


    It was Li Zixuan''s father, Li Changsheng.


    Currently, he was wearing pajamas and pondering in his study.


    Receiving a call from Li Zixuan surprised Li Changsheng.


    He knew his youngest son was nothing like his eldest.


    The eldest son was very ambitious and always followed his father''s ns.


    He had studied economics in college.


    After graduating, he joined thepany to gain experience.


    Now he was the vice president of thepany and had be his right-hand man.


    In a few years, he would be ready to take over his father''s position.


    This made Li Changsheng quite proud and was one of his proudest aplishments.

 Chapter 300 Can Only Blame Him for Being Too Bullying

    Many entrepreneurs, wanting their children to take over the business, have not had their wishes fulfilled.


    Your own son, willing and capable of taking over the business, is stronger than most wealthy businessmen.


    In this respect, he has done better than Wang, the tycoon.


    Wang''s Son, Wang Xiaocong,cks the ability to take over from Wang.


    He just likes to mess around outside, hasn''t earned much money, but keeps changing female inte celebrities one after another.


    It''s fair to say, Wang Xiaocong is far behind his elder brother inparison.


    But his younger son is different.


    He is the very definition of a spoiled second-generation rich kid.


    Lacks ambition; doesn''t evene to work when asked to.


    He spends his days flitting around with his entourage, indulging in food, drinks, and fun.


    That would be fine, as the family wealth is enough for the younger son to livefortably for a lifetime.


    And with the elder son taking over, how the younger son eats, drinks, and ys won''t affect the family.


    But the younger son does more than just eat, drink, and y; he does other things too.


    Forcing women, using marijuana, causing injuries through street racing, getting into fights and hurting people.


    All sorts of things that have given him and his elder brother many headaches.


    Many times he was taken into custody, and both he and his elder brother had to use connections, spend money and favors, just to bail him out.


    They''ve scolded and hit him, but the younger son never changes his ways.


    He had no better way to discipline his younger son, so he just let him continue on this path.


    At this moment, the younger son called, and Li Changsheng instinctively had a bad premonition.


    That is, Li Zixuan had caused trouble again.


    "Dad, there''s something I need to tell you about. I can''t handle it, so I need your help to solve it," Li Zixuan said.


    "You little rascal, what trouble have you gotten into now?" As soon as Li Changsheng heard, he knew it was as he had suspected and immediately flew into a rage.


    "Dad, don''t be mad yet, listen to me first. Yes, I caused trouble, but it''s not a big deal. I just kicked someone, that''s all," Li Zixuan said.


    "You kicked someone? What kinda trivial issue is that? How does thatpare to the troubles you''ve caused before? You''re calling me at this time, saying you can''t handle it, you can''t deal with such a minor issue as kicking someone, you might as well be dead," Li Changsheng said, growing even more angry at what seemed like such a trivial matter.


    "Dad, don''t rush, listen to me,"


    "If it were just that simple, I would have solved it already,"


    "It''s because it''s not simple that I can''t sort it out, that''s why I''m asking for your help,"


    Li Zixuan said with a wry smile.


    "What''s soplicated about kicking someone? Did the other party have some clout?" Li Changsheng quickly got to the crux of the matter.


    Had the other party not been influential, with his son''s status, such a matter could be settled in minutes.


    "Really worthy of being my dad, you guessed it, the other party does have clout," Li Zixuan said.


    "If you know the other party is influential, why do you still kick them? Isn''t that looking for trouble, giving me a headache?" Li Changsheng got angry again.


    Knowing the party''s influence and still going to provoke them is outright asking for trouble.


    "Dad, I''m not an idiot, why would I kick someone for no reason? I didn''t know who they were. They were meddling in my business and trying to ruin my ns, so I kicked them," Li Zixuan said.


    "Then tell me, who is the other party?" Li Zixuan, tired of this issue, directly inquired about the other party''s identity.


    "Xu Yang''s father," Li Zixuan said.


    "Xu Yang''s father? Who is this Xu Yang?" Li Changsheng murmured, not immediately realizing who Li Zixuan was talking about, just feeling the name Xu Yang sounded somewhat familiar.


    "Dad, Xu Yang is the boss of Hua''an Film and Television. I kicked his father," Li Zixuan said.


    "You¡­ you little bastard, are you trying to kill me?!" Li Changsheng burst out in fury.


    Xu Yang''s reputation was something he naturally knew.


    He was a figure many in the business world did not wish to provoke.


    Because Xu Yang''s methods were too cunning.


    Neither the executives nor the artists at Hua''an Film and Television understood how Xu Yang got hold of their dark secrets.


    Many tycoons had called Hua''an''s president, Xue Zhanhua, to inquire about the situation, even Xue Zhanhua himself didn''t know.


    For many, Xu Yang''s methods incited fear and caution.


    Running a business, there were more or less certain issues.


    Problems weremon in the film and television industry, but other industries had their issues too.


    If they had a conflict with Xu Yang and he pulled this on them, they wouldn''t be able to handle it either.


    Now, Li Zixuan had gotten on Xu Yang''s bad side, and even kicked Xu Yang''s father.


    Could the other party let bygones be bygones?


    If Xu Yang dug up his son''s dirt and went public, it would probably be the end of his son''s life.


    Getting arrested meant saying goodbye to freedom for life.


    "Dad, I didn''t want it to happen, I didn''t know the man was Xu Yang''s father at the time," Li Zixuan said bitterly.


    "Tell me exactly what happened, don''t leave anything out," Li Changsheng took a deep breath.


    Now wasn''t the time to me his son, but to settle the matter.


    To settle things, he had to fully understand the ins and outs of the situation.


    "Dad, it''s like this..." Li Zixuan exined without daring to hide anything.


    "You little rascal, you''re going to meet your end because of a woman someday!" When Li Changsheng heard his son had kicked Xu Yang''s father over a woman, he couldn''t help his rising anger.


    "Dad, if you want to punish me, let''s deal with the issue first, then punish me. Once I learned the man was Xu Yang''s father, I immediately called Xu Yang, offering topensate five million, but he refused. So I asked him to name his price or state any other conditions. As long as I could do it, I would help him," Li Zixuan said.


    "He still didn''t ept?" Li Changsheng asked.


    "Yeah, he still didn''t. He said he''d seek justice for his father in his own way. I''m afraid he''ll act recklessly, so I have no choice but to turn to you. Maybe you could call him, see if he''ll back off. You carry as much weight as he does, he should give you face," Li Zixuan said.


    "You actively apologized and offeredpensation, that was very good of you," Li Changshengmented.


    Whatever the situation called for, Li Zixuan did well in that regard.


    If it''s well done, he would praise; if not, he would scold.


    He was clear about his stance in this.


    "I think so too," Li Zixuan didn''t expect praise from his father and was quite pleased with himself.


    "Hmph, you might have done well, but he hasn''t forgiven you. The oue isn''t good, what do you have to be proud of?" Li Changsheng snorted coldly.


    "Dad, you can''t me me for this."


    "I made a proactive offer of five million inpensation. Anybody would ept that."


    "I think it''s just Xu Yang making a mountain out of a molehill."


    "After all, I just kicked his father once. His father wasn''t seriously hurt, at worst he just felt some pain at the time."


    "Plus, I said if he''s not satisfied, he could suggest a figure, or tell me to do anything else. Whatever I could do, I would satisfy him."


    "I''ve lowered myself to such an extent, and if he''s still unwilling, it can''t be my fault. It can only be because he''s being too oppressive."


    "Dad, it''s true he''s on brotherly terms with Wang Xiaocong and has connections with tycoon Wang, but he can''t just act so recklessly."


    "You are his peer, a billionaire too, even if he won''t give me face, he should give you face."


    "Please, give him a call. Otherwise, I''m out of options."


    Li Zixuan had said a lot, shifting the me onto Xu Yang, feeling that Xu Yang was being overly aggressive.

 Chapter 301 Not in the Mood for Jokes

    "What you''re saying does make some sense, you''re already like this, and if he still doesn''t agree, it really seems a bit too much." Li Changsheng agreed.


    "Dad, then you make the call, I just don''t believe he really dares to do anything to me," Li Zixuan said.


    "Okay, send me his phone number and I''ll give him a call," Li Changsheng said.


    "Alright, Dad, I''ll send it to you right away." Li Zixuan felt a surge of joy and quickly hung up the phone to send Xu Yang''s number to his father.


    "Li Shao, Uncle is willing to intervene?" Gu Xing asked.


    "Of course, no matter what, I am his son. If he doesn''t step in, is he just going to watch me get bullied by Xu Yang?" Li Zixuan said.


    Anyway, every time he caused trouble, it was either his father or his brother who stepped in and always helped him resolve it.


    "Exactly, that Xu Yang is too much of a bully. You only kicked his father once, and even after youpensated five million, he refused to ept it. With uncle calling, you probably won''t even need to spend five million," Gu Xing said.


    "Definitely, how can we forget, uncle is a veteran tycoon. No matter what Xu Yang does, he has to show some respect. Now this is great, Xu Yang won''t get a penny," Cao Feng said.


    "Hehe, you''re right, I can save myself five million," Li Zixuanughed.


    ...


    Century Garden, Vi No. 39.


    After hanging up with Li Zixuan, Xu Yang continued to look through documents.


    This time he was digging up information on Mo Jinxin.


    He quickly found it.


    It had to be said, Mo Jinxin was truly worse than a beast.


    At first, he was fairly normal.


    But after bing a billionaire, his mentality changed.


    He particrly fancied women.


    Whenever he saw a beautiful woman, he always thought about getting her into bed.


    He paid to sleep with several female celebrities.


    Later, he felt that female celebrities were just so-so and stopped pursuing them.


    Instead, he found ordinary women more appealing.


    In Mo Jinxin''spany, he had affairs with quite a few female employees.


    These female employees included both unmarried and married women.


    Some were consensual, others were coerced.


    The coerced ones were a minority.


    These coerced female employees, due tock of substantial evidence, and because Mo Jinxinpensated them with amounts ranging from one hundred thousand to a million, stayed silent.


    There was one who, after being forced,mitted suicide by jumping off a building.


    This incident happened a year ago and caused quite an uproar at the time.


    But because there was no substantial evidence, they couldn''t do anything to Mo Jinxin.


    The female employee who attempted suicide didn''t sustain serious physical injuries, but the incident greatly affected her mental health, making her extremely resistant to any contact with men.


    Xu Yang easily obtained evidence of Mo Jinxin coercing this female employee.


    Because when Mo Jinxin did these kinds of things, he liked to record videos to keep as mementos for his enjoyment afterward.


    That female employee, after the incident, had already left Mo Jinxin''s Jin Xinpany.


    He still needed to find her and convince her toe forward and use Mo Jinxin.


    Xu Yang nned to assign this task to Jiang Zhiyong.


    With this in mind, Xu Yang made a call to Jiang Zhiyong.


    Soon, the call connected.


    "Boss Xu," Jiang Zhiyong''s voice came through.


    "Brother Jiang,e to Yang Xin Investment tomorrow, I have a task for you," Xu Yang said.


    Now, Jiang Zhiyong''s work was mostly at the securitypany.


    He would only receive calls from Xu Yang when he was needed.


    "Understood, Boss Xu," Jiang Zhiyong said.


    After hanging up the phone with Jiang Zhiyong and putting down his phone, Xu Yang was ready to anonymously post Li Zixuan''s incriminating materials and evidence online, as well as send them to the relevant departments.


    At that moment, his phone rang.


    It was a number he didn''t recognize.


    "Who would call me at this hour?"


    Xu Yang muttered to himself and answered the call.


    "Hello, President Xu, I am Li Zixuan''s father, Li Changsheng," said Li Changsheng.


    "What do you want?" Xu Yang asked.


    It seems that Li Zixuan had no intention of letting things go and must have sought help from his family.


    "President Xu, my son is unruly and has offended your father. As a father, I feel very guilty and wish to apologize to you," Li Changsheng said.


    "And then?" Xu Yang replied indifferently.


    "President Xu, my son has already told me the whole story. I won''t beat around the bush¡ªjust don''t pursue this matter any further, and I am willing topensate you with any amount you demand," Li Changsheng said.


    "Are you serious? No matter how much I ask for, you are willing?" Xu Yang inquired.


    "Of course, I am a man of my word. If you don''t believe me, you can ask around to see if this is true. This has always been my principle in the business world¡ªif I say something, I will do it," Li Changsheng thought with a hint of joy.


    "President Li, saying such things, if I refuse yourpensation, it would seem that I am being petty," Xu Yang''s eyes flickered, and the corner of his lips curved upward.


    "I knew it, President Xu is a generous person and wouldn''t stoop to my son''s level," Li Changsheng felt very smug inside.


    His own phone call had worked, and Xu Yang was going to ept. It seemed his influence was significant.


    So what if Xu Yang was as close as brothers with Wang Xiaocong, or chatting amicably with the wealthy Zhang Yimin? He still had to show respect to me, right?


    "Fine, then. I''ll state thepensation amount," Xu Yang said.


    "You say it," Li Changsheng said.


    "One hundred billion," Xu Yang stated.


    "I didn''t catch that... How much did you say?" Li Changsheng thought Xu Yang had said one billion, which, for his son''s sake, he was willing to pay.


    Otherwise, given Xu Yang''s methods, his son would be finished.


    Perhaps through this incident, he could also build a connection with Xu Yang.


    For him, that would definitely be a good thing.


    After all, Xu Yang''s investment capabilities were well-recognized by the business tycoons.


    Many tycoons wanted to build a rtionship with Xu Yang and make money by investing with him.


    Haven''t you seen Wang Xiaocong making a fortune by following Xu Yang?


    But then he realized Xu Yang hadn''t said one billion.


    This made him think, maybe Xu Yang had misspoken.


    "President Li, one hundred billion," Xu Yang said calmly.


    "President Xu, you must be joking?" Li Changsheng said.


    "President Li, I really have no intention of joking with you," Xu Yang said calmly.


    "President Xu, surely you can''t be ying me? The market value of mypany is in the hundreds of billions, but asking me for one hundred billion, isn''t that like asking for my life?" Li Changsheng''s face darkened.


    One hundred billion was something he couldn''t produce unless he sold thepany, but that was impossible.


    "President Li, what are you talking about? It was you who said not to pursue your son''s issue and that you were willing to pay anypensation I asked for. Moreover, you imed to be a man of your word. Have you forgotten what you''ve just said?" Xu Yang mocked.


    "You..." Li Changsheng''s face turned ashen, but he was left speechless.


    He did say those words, true.


    But when he made such a statement, the other party should know what he meant.


    Even if we''re talking about apensation, it should be a reasonable amount.


    Even if it was somewhat inted, he could ept that.


    But to say one hundred billion was outrageous.


    It was clear to him now that Xu Yang had no intention of letting his son off the hook.


    With this realization, Li Changsheng took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "President Xu, do you really need to be so ruthless?"

 Chapter 302 Speaking Affectionately

    Xu Yang said indifferently, "Mr. Li, it''s not that I''m heartless. You talk aboutpensation and say I can name any amount, but when I do, you can''t pay it. What else can I do?"


    Li Changsheng spoke in a deep voice, "President Xu, I, Li Changsheng, have a reputation in the business world. I have some rtions with the top tycoons. If I ask for their help, I believe they would help me. Even if you won''t give me face, you should at least show some respect for them, right? If it esctes to that extent, it wouldn''t look good for you either.


    You''d be perceived as being unreasonably harsh, which would be disadvantageous for you. I still hope you think it over carefully."


    Xu Yang replied, "I''ve thought it over very clearly. I won''t let go of your son''s matter easily, so there''s no need for any more superfluous words. Goodbye."


    After that, Xu Yang hung up the call.


    No matter which top business tycoon Li Changsheng found, Xu Yang didn''t care at all.


    After all, a scumbag like Li Zixuan must be sent to reform.


    "Honey, are you done?"


    At this moment, Zhao Yuxin came up behind Xu Yang.


    "Mm, I''m almost done," Xu Yang replied as he took Zhao Yuxin''s hand and had her sit beside him.


    "Tell me about them. Who are all those people?" Zhao Yuxin asked.


    "Alright..." Xu Yang briefly exined the situation.


    "They''re just scumbags," Zhao Yuxin said indignantly.


    Someone like Li Zixuan is simply a blight on society.


    "Indeed, he''s a scumbag. It''s my first time encountering such a second-generation rich kid. Although there have been news reports about how some rich second generations behave, they always seemed far removed and less credible. Now it seems that such people do exist, and Li Zixuan is a representative of them," Xu Yang said.


    "What do you n to do?" Zhao Yuxin asked.


    "I''vepiled all the evidence and I''m preparing to send it anonymously to the relevant authorities. To prevent Li Zixuan''s family from using their connections to get him off, I n to expose him online as well. With public opinion monitoring the situation, no matter how strong Li Zixuan''s family connections are, it would be useless.


    No one would dare to defy public sentiment to help him, unless they''re willing to risk implicating themselves," Xu Yang said.


    "Husband, you''re doing the right thing. This kind of scum should be sent for re-education. Once it''s exposed online, everything will be foolproof," Zhao Yuxin said.


    Just then, Xu Yang''s phone rang again.


    Upon checking the caller ID, he saw it was Zhang Songxuan from Yonghui Supermarket calling.


    "Go ahead and take the call, I''ll inform my parents about the situation. They want to know how you''re handling things. If I tell them, they can go ahead and rest assured, have a shower and go to sleep," Zhao Yuxin said as she got up and left.


    "President Zhang," Xu Yang answered the phone.


    "President Xu, good evening. I hope I''m not disturbing your rest," Zhang Songxuan said politely.


    "Why would you say that, President Zhang? There''s no disturbance. I wouldn''t be resting so early anyway. What''s the matter?" Xu Yang asked.


    "President Xu, Li Changsheng called me earlier and told me about his son''s issue. He has a decent rtionship with me and wanted to see if I could talk to you, to see if you could perhaps make an exception and not pursue his son''s responsibility any further. Of course, he says he''s willing to offer apensation of one billion yuan," Zhang Songxuan said.


    Yonghui Supermarket and Fengcai Guild had conducted a livestream shopping event.


    Now, sales of products from Yonghui Supermarket are no longer a concern.


    The issue that had been troubling him waspletely resolved.


    He often said that forming a rtionship with Xu Yang had been beneficial, and he had mentioned this to Li Changsheng as well.


    Zhang Songxuan may not have been a top-tier tycoon like Wang, but he was very close to that level.


    Zhang Songxuan was the most impressive contact Li Changsheng could hope to enlist for help, and wanted Zhang to speak with Xu Yang, to see if, for the sake of Zhang Songxuan''s face, Xu Yang might refrain from pursuing his son''s liability.


    Zhang Songxuan had originally not intended to intervene. After all, Li Changsheng''s son had assaulted Xu Yang''s father.


    It was a difficult position for him to take on such a matter.


    But he could hardly resist Li Changsheng''s persuasions, and Li Changsheng had also promised concessions on a project they were about to coborate on.


    Zhang Songxuan wavered and agreed to try making a phone call.


    Of course, he also said that it was just to try, and if it didn''t work, it wouldn''t be his fault.


    After all, he wouldn''t jeopardize his rtionship with Xu Yang over this matter.


    "President Zhang, may I ask if you are aware of what kind of person Li Zixuan, the son of Li Changsheng, is?" Xu Yang inquired.


    Li Changsheng had approached Zhang Songxuan to be a lobbyist, but Xu Yang would not yield.


    No matter who came to be a lobbyist, he would notpromise.


    However, if he said nothing and directly refused Zhang Songxuan, that would certainly upset him.


    So, he nned to talk about Li Zixuan''s issues.


    First, he needed to be clear whether Zhang Songxuan knew of Li Zixuan''s character.


    "I have heard a bit, that he is someone who only knows how to indulge in food and fun, a stark contrast to his older brother," Zhang Songxuan replied.


    "President Zhang, Li Zixuan is not just a frivolous pleasure-seeker," Xu Yang said.


    "Oh? What else is there? I really don''t know the specifics," Zhang Songxuan curiously said.


    It seemed that Xu Yang''s insistence on holding Li Zixuan ountable was rted to this.


    "President Zhang, this Li Zixuan¡­" Xu Yang gave an ount of some of Li Zixuan''s scandals.


    "What! Li Zixuan is so outrageous and depraved!" Zhang Songxuan was shocked and horrified.


    He truly did not know about these circumstances.


    This youngest son of Li Changsheng was nothing but scum and a disgrace.


    A young person with family wealth may indulge in pleasure without much issue.


    Being with women also wasn''t a problem as long as it was consensual, and no one would really mind.


    But Li Zixuan''s behavior was too much.


    There were also things like illegal street racing causing injuries, marijuana use, and illegal possession of firearms resulting in harm.


    All these issues were tantamount to asking for death.


    "So, do you still n to plead on his behalf?" Xu Yang asked.


    "No, I can''t advocate for such scum; he should be locked up and reformed, or who knows how many people he could harm," Zhang Songxuan responded.


    Now that Zhang Songxuan knew the true nature of Li Zixuan, there was absolutely no way he would plead on his behalf.


    If their positions were reversed, he wouldn''t let Li Zixuan off either.


    "President Zhang is someone who understands justice and distinguishes right from wrong," Xu Yang said with a smile.


    "President Xu, I am ashamed, to have spoken for such filth; I owe you an apology," Zhang Songxuan said.


    "You are too kind, President Zhang; you were not aware of the specifics before, which is understandable. You''ve already made your stance clear just now," Xu Yang responded.


    "President Xu is magnanimous. I must have a serious talk with Li Changsheng about this matter. His son is such trash, yet he asked me to intercede. By the way, I will make a call to Li Changshengter to discuss this, and it won''t interfere with your pursuit of Li Zixuan''s ountability, right?" Zhang Songxuan inquired.


    "No, I will be sending the materials to the relevant departments shortly and will also expose them online. What awaits Li Zixuan is an inescapable; he cannot escape," Xu Yang ascertained.


    "That''s it then, our relevant departments are quite formidable in this aspect. Alright, I''ll hang up now," Zhang Songxuan concluded.


    Zhang Songxuan hung up the phone.

 Chapter 303: Chapter 303 Threat

    Zhang Songxuan hung up Xu Yang''s call and immediately dialed Li Changsheng''s number.


    The phone connected quickly.


    "Old Zhang, how did it go?" Li Changsheng was waiting for Zhang Songxuan''s call and asked directly as he answered.


    "Old Li, you almost fucking killed me!" Zhang Songxuan was furious.


    "Old Zhang, what are you talking about? How did I harm you? Is it just because I asked you to help plead for my son?" Li Changsheng was bewildered by Zhang Songxuan''s remark.


    It couldn''t have escted to harming someone, could it?


    "You know exactly what kind of bastard your son is, and yet you still expect me to plead for him? If that''s not screwing me over, what is!" Zhang Songxuan said angrily.


    "Old Zhang, what''s wrong with my son? How is he a bastard?" Li Changsheng had a bad feeling.


    Could it be that Zhang Songxuan knew about the things his son had done? Did Xu Yang tell him?


    "Don''t y dumb with me. Your son would have been locked up long ago if it weren''t for you," Zhang Songxuan said coldly.


    He was no fool.


    With the things Li Zixuan had done, if it weren''t for Li Changsheng cleaning up after him, he would have been locked up a long time ago. How could he still be atrge?


    Today, he had just hit a snag with Xu Yang, and it was well deserved.


    "Old Zhang, you know everything? Did Xu Yang tell you?"


    Since Zhang Songxuan had spoken this way, it showed he must know. So, there was no point for Li Changsheng to pretend anymore.


    "Yes, Xu Yang told me. I initially thought your son was only into frivolous pursuits, but I never imagined he would be so heartless andwless. You better watch out for yourself," Zhang Songxuan said.


    "Old Zhang, no matter what, he is still my son. If I don''t look after him, who will? Do I just watch him get caught and go to jail?" Li Changsheng said.


    "Being caught and going to jail might actually be good for him. You shouldn''t have cleaned up after him in the beginning. Letting him continue down this path, now that he''s caught, by the time he gets out, half his life will be gone," Zhang Songxuan said.


    "Old Zhang, don''t talk without understanding the pain. If it were you, could you make that decision at the beginning?" Li Changsheng snorted coldly.


    "I..." Zhang Songxuan opened his mouth but suddenly found himself at a loss for words.


    Putting himself in the other''s shoes, he wasn''t sure he would make the decision he was suggesting.


    s, the love of a parent is a pitiful thing indeed.


    Zhang Songxuan sighed and said, "Xu Yang ns to pursue this to the end. Your son can''t escape. I suggest you advise him to turn himself in. That way, he could reduce his sentence by a few years."


    Li Changsheng said, "Impossible. If he gets caught, like you said, by the time he''s out, half his life will be gone, his whole life ruined. Worstes to worst, I''ll send him abroad, and he''ll nevere back. If I want to see him, I''ll just visit him overseas."


    Zhang Songxuan sighed and said, "Forget it, I can''t handle this kind of thing. You do what you think is best."


    Li Changsheng said, "Anyway, I still want to thank you."


    After the conversation ended, Li Changsheng''s gaze flickered.


    After pondering for a while, he dialed Xu Yang''s number again.


    The phone connected quickly.


    "Mr. Li, it''s already veryte, what else do you need?" Xu Yang had just sent the evidence to the relevant departments and exposed it online, and was preparing to go back to his room to bathe and sleep.


    "Mr. Xu, I''ll ask you once more, do you really intend to pursue my son''s responsibility, to bring my son''s issue to light?" Li Changsheng said gravely.


    "Mr. Li, I''ve already answered this question when you called me just now," Xu Yang said.


    "Xu Yang, if you really do such a thing, if you really cause my son to be imprisoned, I''ll use all my resources to take down yourpany. Your assets and mine are simr; even if it means risking my wholepany, I am determined to ruin your life!" Li Changsheng said, somewhat crazily.


    "Are you threatening me?" Xu Yang narrowed his eyes.


    "That''s right, I''m threatening you. You were poor before, and it wasn''t easy for you to build your current career. You wouldn''t want to see it fail and go back to the bottom, would you?"


    Li Changsheng sneered, believing he had grabbed Xu Yang''s Achilles'' heel.


    "Mr. Li, are you serious?" Xu Yang asked.


    "Of course, if you dare to get my son locked up, I''ll make sure you end up at the bottom as well. I''ve lived more than half my life already, I have nothing to lose, but you''re still young. I can afford to gamble; can you?" Li Changsheng sneered.


    "Mr. Li, don''t you have an older son? Don''t you want to think about him?" Xu Yang asked.


    "No need, with his abilities, even if he has to work for someone else, he can find a good job. He''s definitely notparable to you. My older son doesn''t have any issues, and there''s no way you can mess with him," Li Changsheng said.


    "Mr. Li, to be honest, I was only nning to let your younger son be incarcerated for reform, so he wouldn''t harm others any further. But since you''re acting so irrationally, I''m not going to give you that chance. I hope you won''t regret it when yourpany copses," Xu Yang said gravely.


    "Xu Yang, I''ve been in the business world for over twenty years. You think copsing mypany is easy? Even if you have connections with the wealthy Wang, it''s not that simple. Even if you could copse mypany, yours wouldn''t be far behind. When you''re no longer useful, neither the Wang family nor the Jiang Family will give you a second look.


    You will never be able to rise again," Li Changsheng sneered.


    "Well, let''s wait and see," Xu Yang hung up the phone.


    On Li Changsheng''s end, he put down the phone with a gloomy expression.


    He had thought that threatening Xu Yang would make himpromise.


    To his surprise, Xu Yang was still determined to go through with it.


    They would have to send the younger son abroad.


    If they left immediately, there should still be time.


    He looked at the flight information for Jiang City and his eyes lit up. Picking up his phone, he dialed his son''s number.


    Soon, the call connected.


    "Dad, how did it go?" Li Zixuan had been anxiously waiting for his father''s call. As soon as he picked up, he asked impatiently.


    "That bastard Xu Yang is bent on sending you to jail. Head to Jiang City Airport right now. There''s a flight to the capital of Yue Country at twelve. First fly to Yue Country, then head to Europe or America," Li Changsheng said.


    "Dad, is it that serious?" Li Zixuan was startled; this was telling him to flee the country.


    "It''s that serious. We won''t talk more now, we''ll discuss the detailster. Hurry up and pack, and head to the airport," Li Changsheng said.


    "Okay, I''ll listen to you and head to the airport right now," Li Zixuan naturally had no objections.


    Anyone might harm him, but his dad definitely wouldn''t.


    In the past, his dad had cleaned up after all his messes.


    In short, following his dad''s instructions was never wrong.

 Chapter 304 Arrest and Surrender

    Li Zixuan finished packing his things and was about to leave without paying any attention to Gu Xing or Cao Feng.


    However, as soon as he opened the door, he saw several police officers standing at the entrance.


    "Who are you looking for?" Li Zixuan''s heart skipped a beat, but he feignedposure.


    "Li Zixuan, you are suspected of illegal assault and illegal possession of firearms among other crimes. Pleasee with us for an investigation."


    The leading middle-aged police officer gestured broadly, and immediately two young police officers stepped forward to subdue Li Zixuan and handcuffed him.


    "What nonsense are you spouting? I haven''t hurt anyone, and I certainly don''t have any guns. You are enforcing thew recklessly!"


    Li Zixuan shouted loudly, struggling continuously.


    "Li Zixuan, don''t bother denying it. We have concrete evidence before we came to arrest you. Cooperating with the investigation is the right path for you," the middle-aged police officer sneered.


    "What concrete evidence? It''s all fake. I''ve been framed. Someone help! The police are arresting people arbitrarily. Help!"


    Li Zixuan continued his loud protests in an attempt to create chaos and enlist the help of the onlooking, uninformed public.


    His shouting alerted the other residents on the floor.


    Many people came out of their rooms.


    Gu Xing and Cao Feng from the neighboring room also emerged.


    Seeing Li Zixuan being arrested, their faces turned pale.


    They had been involved in quite a few of Li Zixuan''s misdeeds. With Li Zixuan arrested, could their own arrests be far behind?


    "Look everyone, I am aw-abiding good citizen. The police are arresting people arbitrarily; you must stand up for justice on my behalf."


    Li Zixuan cried out to the people around him.


    However, the scene was quite different from what he imagined, with people indignantly using the police.


    These people didn''t speak but looked at him with strange eyes.


    "What are you looking at me like that for? I''m aw-abiding good citizen. The police are arresting people arbitrarily. Shouldn''t you be stopping them?"


    "They are arresting me today, and it could be you tomorrow. Are you going to condone this kind of behavior? If so, you''re also heading for disaster!"


    Although Li Zixuan was a hedonist, he could be quite articte when it came to these matters.


    But none of his words had any effect.


    "Does this guy think we''re idiots or what?"


    "Aw-abiding good citizen, my foot!"


    "If he is aw-abiding good citizen, then I must be a citizen of honor!"


    "How can such scum have the nerve to say these things!"


    "Scum, beast, viin, degenerate! He still has the face to yell here. If it weren''t for the police presence, I''d have gone up and punched him already!"


    "Exactly, people like him, I''d beat up every time I saw them."


    The crowd burst into a flurry of discussion and endless cursing.


    "What do you mean by this? Why are you speaking about me in such terms?!" Li Zixuan was bewildered, not understanding why they were reacting like this.


    "You don''t know yet? The crimes you''vemitted, as well as the rted evidence, have been exposed online. Everyone already knows what kind of person you are."


    "Indeed, if you were aware, you wouldn''t have been shouting like that just a while ago."


    "Do you realize that your shouting in front of everyone is nothing but the antics of a buffoon?" the middle-aged police officer said with a coldugh.


    "What!" Li Zixuan''s vision darkened, and his head buzzed. If it weren''t for the two police officers holding him, he would have certainly copsed.


    "So don''t try to be clever by exploiting kind-hearted people. Come with us for an investigation, and honestly confess all your problems. That''s the correct way out," the middle-aged police officer waved his hand, "Take him away!"


    Under the watchful gaze of the onlookers, Li Zixuan was led away.


    "Scum, beast, viin, degenerate!"


    "Good riddance, he won''t be able to harm anyone ever again!"


    "With what he has done, spending twenty or thirty years in prison is certain!"


    "Given his age, if he gets out after twenty or thirty years, he''ll be around fifty, most of his life will be behind him."


    "He deserves it, if you ask me, he should be locked up for life!"


    "Exactly, someone like him will just harm others again if he is released!"


    "You can''t say that, you have to give people a chance to reform."


    "That''s true, after being locked up for so many years, I don''t believe he''d dare do the same things after getting out."


    "If he dares to do it again and gets caught, he''ll just die in prison."


    As the crowd discussed, they all returned to their rooms.


    Gu Xing and Cao Feng also went back to their room.


    "Old Gu, Li Zixuan has been arrested, he''s definitely done for, what do we do?" Cao Feng asked anxiously.


    "What else can we do but run away? Otherwise, if we get caught, we''ll spend at least a few years in prison," Gu Xing replied with a flicker in his eyes, appearing rtively calm.


    "Run away, you mean flee abroad?" Cao Feng asked.


    "Yes, flee abroad. With the wealth of our families, we can still live well," Gu Xing said.


    "But if we do that, we''ll never be able to return to our country," Cao Feng didn''t want to run.


    Living abroad forever was not what he wanted.


    He still felt life was better in his own country.


    "If we don''t run, we''ll have to spend a few years in jail, are you willing?" Gu Xing nced at Cao Feng.


    "Of course, I''m not willing, but I''d rather serve time in jail than flee. After getting out of prison, I can continue living life as it is now," Cao Feng said.


    "Damn, are you serious?" Gu Xing was somewhat speechless.


    This guy would actually prefer to go to jail than to live a carefree life abroad.


    "I think it''s a good idea. I used to be on tenterhooks all the time, fearing that something would happen to Li Zixuan and that we would be implicated."


    "Now that he''s caught, we''re definitely implicated. I don''t want to hide abroad for the rest of my life; that would be the real despair."


    "Besides, even if we want to hide, can we be sure to get away?"


    "If we turn ourselves in and confess proactively, we might get a lighter sentence. If we behave well in prison, we might even get a reduced sentence."


    Fully aware of his predicament, Cao Feng felt a sense of calm.


    "You''re really going to turn yourself in?" Gu Xing frowned. Though he found Cao Feng''s argument reasonable, he was unresolved.


    "I''ve decided. I''m going to surrender. If you want to run, then run. I can''t stop you," Cao Feng said.


    "If you surrender, then I''m not running," Gu Xing said with a bitter smile.


    If Cao Feng were with him, he would have apanion, which seemed good.


    But running away alone would be too deste.


    Even if they lived abroad, it wouldn''t be very fun.


    Like Cao Feng said, it would be better to surrender, spend a few years in jail, and then they could continue with their current lifestyle afterward.


    After all, their families had assets worth billions. Whether or not they went to jail would not affect their quality of life.


    Unlike some ordinary people who, after being released from jail, have to find a new job to survive. With a criminal record, it''s hard to find a job, forcing them to work the hardest and most tiring jobs at the bottom of society.


    "If we''re not running, then let''s go to the police station and surrender together. If we gote and Li Zixuan implicates us, the police wille to us, and it won''t count as surrendering," Cao Feng said.


    "No, if we go out now and the police are on their way to catch us, what do we do? We should call the police station and let them know we want to surrender. That way we''re sure to be safe," Gu Xing said.


    "You''re right, I''ll call right now."


    Cao Feng took out his phone, dialed the emergency number, exined the situation, and then they both went to the police station to surrender.

 Chapter 305 Boss Huang

    Haicheng, Li Family.


    After hanging up the call with his younger son, Li Zicheng rushed in frantically.


    "Dad, there''s been a disaster, Zixuan''s situation has been exposed! He''s already been arrested by the police!"


    Li Zicheng wasn''t aware of the incident, it was only after a friend called him, saying that Li Zixuan was trending on the search engine.


    After going online, he learned that all the things Li Zixuan had done, and the evidence, were exposed.


    Having read the news, he then saw the news of Li Zixuan being arrested by the police.


    "What! Arrested?! That son of a bitch, it seems he''s really hell-bent on mutual destruction!" Li Changsheng lost his color in shock, a surge of anger boiling within him.


    The son of a bitch he was referring to was, of course, Xu Yang.


    "Dad, what exactly is going on?" Li Zicheng, seeing Li Changsheng''s reaction, seemed to know something about the matter.


    "Zixuan offended someone, and that person wants to hold him responsible, to ruin him!" Li Changsheng said through gritted teeth.


    "Who is it, to be so malicious!" Li Zicheng was furious.


    Although his brother was no good, he was still his brother.


    No matter what trouble his brother got into, he would be involved.


    But that person directly exposed the incident and the evidence online, which was just too cruel.


    To rescue him would be incredibly difficult.


    Whether they could sessfully rescue him was truly uncertain.


    "It''s the boss of Jiangdi Lao, Xu Yang!" Li Changsheng said again, teeth gritted.


    "Him!"


    Li Zicheng naturally knew Xu Yang, and had more than once expressed admiration for him.


    After all, Xu Yang started from scratch and became a billionaire within just one year.


    Such a figure is admired by any young person with aspirations.


    He hadn''t expected that the person behind his brother''s arrest would turn out to be Xu Yang.


    "Dad, what exactly happened? Zixuan is not unaware of Xu Yang, and he''s not so brainless. How could he have offended Xu Yang?" Li Zicheng''s brow furrowed, deeply perplexed.


    He had once urged Li Zixuan to read about Xu Yang, with the intent to inspire him.


    That report had a photo of Xu Yang in it.


    Thus, Li Zixuan recognized Xu Yang.


    Even though Li Zixuan liked to indulge in enjoyment, he wasn''t brainless. He definitely wouldn''t offend a billionaire of simr wealth to his father without reason.


    There must be something behind this.


    "About that incident..." Li Changsheng exined the situation.


    "So that''s how it is, it was just kicking his father once, wasn''t it? Payingpensation of a billion and he still won''t ept? Isn''t that a bit too much?" Li Zicheng''s face looked somewhat grim.


    "Exactly, I even asked Zhang Songxuan to plead on our behalf, but he still wouldn''t ept it, it''s utterly outrageous!" Li Changsheng said through gritted teeth.


    No matter what the younger son was like, no matter how he broke thew, he was still his son.


    Xu Yang let his son get arrested like that, it was as if he didn''t regard him at all.


    "Dad, what do we do now? With the incident exposed, it''s going to be much harder to rescue him like we used to," Li Zicheng said worriedly.


    "No matter what, we have to try. I''ll call the person with the biggestwork of connections we have," Li Changsheng said.


    "Good, although it''s already veryte, the sooner we get involved in this matter, the better," Li Zicheng said.


    Li Changsheng didn''t speak any further, picked up the mobile phone from his desk, and dialed a number.


    The phone rang for a long while before it was answered.


    "Minister Huang..." Li Changsheng said.


    "Li Changsheng, how many times have I told you to call me boss!" an authoritative voice came through the phone.


    At the same time, the voice also carried a hint of irritation.


    "Yes, yes, Boss Huang, sorry, I have an urgent matter and forgot in the moment," Li Changsheng quickly apologized.


    "What could you possibly need at thiste hour?"


    Boss Huang was a square-faced middle-aged man, looking around fifty years old.


    He was currently d in a bathrobe, sitting in a room of a certain estate and smoking on the bed.


    He nced at the blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty who had just walked out of the bathroom and grew even more disgruntled with Li Changsheng''s call at this hour.


    "Boss Huang, it really is urgent, otherwise I wouldn''t disturb you sote," Li Changsheng said.


    Facing Boss Huang''s tone, Li Changsheng felt annoyed as well, but he could only put on a smile.


    After all, he needed the man to solve his problem.


    "Spit it out then, don''t waste my time learning foreignnguages!" Boss Huang said sternly.


    "Yes, yes, I''ll make it quick. My youngest son has offended someone, and that person has taken the issue to the police. My son has been arrested now; could you possibly get them to release him first?"


    Li Changsheng didn''t mention the exposed incident because he knew that if he did, Boss Huang would definitely not dare to help.


    Nobody would dare to take such a great risk to fish someone out of trouble, not even Boss Huang.


    Because once he made a move, it would certainly attract attention.


    If the disciplinary authorities noticed, it would be over.


    "How can your son be so much trouble, tell me, how many times have I helped you out because of him?" Boss Huang frowned and said.


    This youngest son of Li Changsheng was simply a menace.


    He remembered lending a hand twice before.


    Once when Li Zixuan was involved in illegal street racing, hitting someone and causing them to be vegetative, and once for gun-rted injuries.


    "Boss Huang, I really had no other choice. My son isn''t bad at heart; he''s just young and immature, a bit rash. I''m hoping you can step in this time. If you help get him out this time, I''ll send him abroad, so he won''t cause trouble in the country anymore¡ªout of sight, out of mind!" Li Changsheng said.


    "You should have done that a long time ago. I''ve told you, with your son like this, staying in the country, it''s only a matter of time before troublees," said Boss Huang, his tone slightly softening.


    "Yes, I should have listened to you. Once you help get him out, I''ll send him abroad overnight. I won''t seek your help for him again, and that will make things easier for all of us," Li Changsheng said.


    "Alright, which police station has him?" Boss Huang asked.


    Li Zixuan''s troublemaking wasn''t confined to Haicheng; it was nationwide.


    In this regard, he had experience.


    The two times he had helped were once in Haicheng and another time in Guangcheng.


    He needed to know exactly where the arrest had taken ce before he could make a call to help.


    "Jiangcheng," Li Changsheng replied.


    "What exactly did your son do this time?" asked Boss Huang.


    "He just kicked an old fellow. The person wasn''t seriously hurt, but the victim''s son is someone influential and wants to really go after my son. The guy is too malicious; we have no choice but to turn to you," Li Changsheng said vaguely, trying to deceive Boss Huang into helping pull his son out.


    "To seek such extreme measures for such an act is indeed too malicious. Doesn''t that disrupt the harmony among people? It can have a major impact on societal attitudes, and how can we build a harmonious society like that!" Boss Huang expounded grandly.


    "Boss Huang, your awareness is indeed high. You''re right, such people are nothing but stumbling blocks to the country''s efforts in building a harmonious society, and they simply shouldn''t exist. Rest assured, I will deal with that guy. Contributing to the construction of a harmonious society is also our responsibility as entrepreneurs," Li Changsheng chimed in high-mindedly.


    "Li Changsheng, you''re not too bad, and that''s why I like doing business with you," Boss Huang couldn''t help butugh.


    "Thank you for thepliment, Boss Huang," Li Changsheng said, while inwardly he scoffed.


    Damn it, is that really why you like doing business with me?


    If it weren''t for my money, would you still like doing business with me just because I can sing a few high praises with you?

 Chapter 306: Chapter 306 You Killed Me

    "Heh heh, I''ll get your son out this time, and next month I''m taking annual leave to visit Haixi Province¡ªany suggestions for me?" Mr. Huang chuckled.


    "Mr. Huang, Haixi Province is a great ce, the provincial capital is right on the coast. There''s a vi area there, facing the sea, where you can enjoy the charming seascape, very suitable for someone like you to rx."


    "I happen to own a vi there, and I''ll put the keys in your hands. You can holiday there whenever you want."


    "Rest assured, you won''t be missing out on studying foreignnguages there, I''ll arrange everything for you."


    Li Changsheng knew all too well that the other party was angling for a favor.


    He didn''t hedge; he offered up a vi directly.


    Saying the other party could holiday there anytime was the same as gifting the vi.


    He would even arrange for rted services.


    As long as it could save his younger son, he wasn''t stingy with money.


    That vi was worth a hundred and fifty million.


    "That would be perfect, just wait for the good news of your son being released," Mr. Huang said with augh before hanging up the phone.


    A blonde, blue-eyed beauty immediately came to his side, ready to help him undress.


    "Hold on, I need to make a call first," Mr. Huang stopped the blonde beauty, scrolled through his contacts, and dialed a number.


    Soon, the call connected.


    "Teacher," it was Dong Gang from the Jiangcheng police department.


    He had been Mr. Huang''s student back at thew university.


    "Dong, have you guys arrested a young man named Li Zixuan today?" Mr. Huang got straight to the point.


    "Yes," Dong Gang''s expression turned a bit odd.


    What did the teacher want with this information?


    "I heard that this young man just kicked someone, nothing serious, but the victim''s son is somewhat influential and refuses to let it go."


    "Things like this, you have to try everything to mediate, you can''t just arrest people."


    "Young people are bound to make minor mistakes; they deserve the chance to redeem themselves. Otherwise, arresting people at the drop of a hat isn''t conducive to building a harmonious society in our country."


    "Release him first, then exin everything to the parties involved, and be sure to mediate the situation."


    Mr. Huang made a lofty pitch with the ultimate goal of having Dong Gang release Li Zixuan.


    "Teacher, I don''t understand why you''d want to do this under these circumstances," Dong Gang said.


    "Do I have to exin my actions to you?" Mr. Huang frowned, clearly displeased.


    He needed to get this sorted, he still had to study foreignnguages.


    Why was this student being so unreasonable?


    "I''m sorry, teacher, but I can''t release him," Dong Gang said firmly.


    No matter who called, he wouldn''t release him.


    A person like Li Zixuan, as long as there was evidence, had to be dealt with.


    It didn''t matter who called.


    Besides, the situation had already be widely known.


    Lately, Dong Gang had been hearing odd stories about his teacher''s activities.


    He had always been reluctant to believe them.


    But now, it seemed highly likely they were true.


    Otherwise, why would his teacher, under such tant circumstances, still recklessly demand that he release someone?


    Was that a trivial matter?


    If what Li Zixuan had done was considered trivial, then what constituted a serious issue?


    For the first time, he felt no respect for his teacher, only a deep sense of disappointment.


    "It looks like you no longer regard me as your teacher," Mr. Huang said gravely.


    "Teacher, you''ll always be my teacher, but I can''tply with this request of yours. I can''tprehend why, despite clear evidence and public knowledge, you would still ask me to release him. Do such people not deserve legal punishment in your eyes?" Dong Gang said.


    "What did you say? What evidence is conclusive, known to everybody?" Boss Huang felt something was off.


    "Teacher, do you really not know?" Dong Gang frowned.


    "I don''t know, isn''t Li Zixuan just in trouble for kicking someone? How could such a trivial matter be known to everybody?"


    After arriving at the estate and having dinner with friends, Boss Huang hade to study foreignnguages, not caring about what was happening on the inte.


    Even normally, he didn''t pay much attention to things on the inte.


    "Teacher, Li Zixuan has done many outrageous things. We have gathered the evidence, and judging by those actions, he''s looking at a minimum of twenty years of fixed-term imprisonment. Moreover, all those incidents and evidence have been exposed on the inte, so when I said earlier, I don''t know why you would risk such a public outcry by calling me and asking me to release him," Dong Gang said.


    "What!" Boss Huang eximed, his body jolting as he stood up abruptly.


    "Teacher, if you didn''t know, you should go online and check it out," Li Changsheng shook his head with a sigh, and hung up the phone.


    On the other end of the phone.


    Boss Huang hurriedly went online to check the news.


    Covering all the headlines were stories about Li Zixuan.


    The top five trending topics, all about him.


    "Li Changsheng, you bastard, not telling me about this, you''re trying to kill me," he cursed.


    Having understood the whole story, Boss Huang''s temples throbbed with rage, unable to contain his anger.


    If he had known it was this serious, he would have never agreed to help.


    In such a situation, whoever intervenes would be doomed.


    Only if he had his head caught in a door would he have offered help.


    In fact, with his status, under normal circumstances, he would have made sure to fully understand the specifics before lending a hand.


    That had been the case the two previous times he helped.


    But today, he was so eager to study foreignnguages that he skipped this step.


    He quickly dialed Boss Huang''s number.


    Soon, the call connected.


    "Boss Huang, is it taken care of?" Li Changsheng asked.


    "Li Changsheng, I''ve taken care of your mother, you''re trying to get me killed!" Boss Huang swore angrily.


    "Boss Huang, what do you mean?" Li Changsheng had a guess, supposing that Boss Huang knew the specifics but pretended not to.


    "Li Changsheng, you damn well know what I mean. Your son''s business is all over the ce, known to everybody, and you still expect me to fish him out? Isn''t that harming me?" Boss Huang fumed.


    "Boss Huang, all I''m trying to do is save my son. I hope you understand a father''s desperate heart," Li Changsheng said.


    Despite Boss Huang''s verbal abuse, anger rose in Li Changsheng''s heart, but he restrained himself.


    "Understand my ass, you dare to deceive me like this, you just wait, I won''t let you get away with this," Boss Huang raged.


    There''s nothing he hated more than being deceived.


    "Boss Huang, don''t you think you''re going a bit too far? Our rtionship is based on mutual benefit. I was just desperate to save my son today, I hope you can understand that," Li Changsheng said with a frown.


    "You son of a¡­" Boss Huang''s fury was not yet quelled, on the brink of cursing again.


    But just then, the door to the room was opened.


    "Who is it?" Boss Huang turned around sharply, only to find several policemen at the door, along with a few disciplinary officials.


    He recognized the uniforms of the disciplinary officials clearly.


    Seeing these people, Boss Huang was stunned.


    "Boss Huang, this title must have brought you quite a profit, huh? We''ve got aplete handle on your case. Come back with us for an organizational investigation," said one of the disciplinary officials.


    The disciplinary officials had been investigating Boss Huang all along, and, as of today, they had finally obtained conclusive evidence of his illegal and corrupt conduct and hade here to make an arrest.


    Boss Huang felt darkness before his eyes as his phone fell to the floor and he copsed, weakened.


    He knew that it was over for him.

 Chapter 307 Great Satisfaction

    Haicheng, Li Family.


    Li Changsheng hung up the phone, his expression very ugly.


    "Dad, didn''t get it done?" Li Zicheng asked.


    "Didn''t get it done. Boss Huang found out the specifics, and was just visited by the discipline department, so he''s done for. We''ve also lost our biggestwork through him," Li Changsheng said, his face grim.


    "What do we do then? Isn''t Yu Xin beyond help?" Li Zicheng frowned.


    "He is beyond help now. The whole thing has be public knowledge. Xu Yang''s move was too ruthless. No matter who it is, they wouldn''t want to help. If they did, they might implicate themselves. I didn''t tell Boss Huang the specific situation earlier because I wanted to get his help while he was still unaware, but it still didn''t work," Li Changsheng said bitterly.


    "To think this bastard, we didn''t have any grudge with him, and all Yu Xin did was kick his father once, yet he went this far. What was he after?" Li Zicheng couldn''t understand.


    "I don''t know, maybe he thought what Yu Xin did was too reprehensible to overlook," Li Changsheng shook his head.


    "What Yu Xin did is none of his business. He''s not a police officer. Why does he need to meddle so much!"


    Although Li Zixuan really disapproved of his brother''s behavior, Xu Yang''s actions also made him very angry.


    "Sigh, it''s no use talking about it now. Yu Xin can''t be saved," Li Changsheng sighed.


    "This Xu Yang, if I ever get the chance, I must take revenge for Yu Xin!" Li Zicheng clenched his fists tightly.


    "No need to wait forter. I''ve already decided to use all my resources to deal with him. He used to be a penniless nobody, just someone who has risen unexpectedly to be a billionaire in the past year," said Li Changsheng confidently.


    "I''m going to make him a penniless nobody again, and let him learn what a miserable end it is to offend me!"


    A vengeful glint sparkled in Li Changsheng''s eyes.


    It could be said that Xu Yang was his nemesis.


    "Dad, but he has connections with Wang, the wealthy father and son, and seems to be quite familiar with many business bigwigs. Can we really take him down?" Li Zicheng said with a frown.


    Xu Yang''swork was extremely powerful.


    First of all, there was his connection with Wang, which they could only look up to.


    Their strongest business friend was Zhang Songxuan of Yonghui Supermarket.


    Butpared to Wang, Zhang Songxuan was on a lower level.


    "I''m sure that Wang Xiaocong is the only one close to Xu Yang. Wang only looks highly upon Xu Yang for his son''s sake. They definitely won''t help us if we go after Xu Yang," Li Changsheng stated.


    "Other old rich families won''t help either. At most, it will be young affluent people like Wang Xiaocong who might help, but they don''t have much power."


    "I''m different. I will personally seek people out for help, and they will certainly be willing to make a move. There''s a good chance we could take down Xu Yang," Li Changsheng said with confidence.


    "Dad, should we think this over a bit more?"


    Frankly, Li Zicheng didn''t want to proceed this way.


    He hoped to take revenge for Li Zixuan, but only if they were confident and the loss wasn''t great.


    Now, going after Xu Yang, even if they could actually make Xu Yang a penniless nobody again, their own situation would likely be almost the same.


    He was supposed to take over thepany and didn''t want to see it destroyed.


    "There''s no need. It''s decided. The next few days, think about how we can topple Xu Yang''spany," Li Changsheng decided without any intent to change his mind.


    "Alright," Li Zicheng knew he couldn''t change his father''s decision and could only reluctantly agree.


    However, they needed to n this carefully.


    Absolutely could not act rashly.


    Xu Yang''swork was too powerful.


    Although Li Changsheng just said Wang and other veteran tycoons wouldn''t help Xu Yang.


    But who could be certain of that?


    What if they did intervene?


    So, if they were to do it, it had to be a surefire strike.


    Only then, those veteran rich wouldn''te forward to help.


    Businessmen follow profits, and seeing no benefit in helping Xu Yang, they naturally wouldn''t extend a hand to help.


    ...


    The inte was in an uproar by then.


    "Absolutely heartless and insane, absolutely heartless and insane."


    "Is this the legendary spoiled second-generation rich kids?"


    "ying with women, drag racing, smoking marijuana, and possessing guns illegally¡ªthey''ve done so much. People like this should have been arrested a long time ago."


    "Scumbags, beasts, the dregs of society¡ªI feel like these words are not enough to describe him."


    "Right, to use these words to describe him is an insult to the words themselves."


    "If my family were rich, I don''t know if I would be like this."


    "I''m afraid you''ll never get an answer to that question."


    "Speaking of which, this guy has done so many things before, howe no one arrested him until now?"


    "He must have had connections and money to take care of all that."


    "I guess Li Zixuan was so used to beingwless that he ended up walking right into it and got himself caught."


    "I think this spection is very close to reality, after all, that''s how novels are written."


    "Li Zixuan must have had a protective umbre; otherwise, he couldn''t have remained above thew for so long. I hope the authorities will root out whoever''s protecting him."


    "Exactly, that''s the biggest cancer. It must be rooted out."


    "Haha, regardless, seeing such a person being arrested is truly satisfying."


    "Mm, I''ve decided, I''m going to celebrate with ate-night snackter, and add a chicken leg to it!"


    ...


    Over at Xu Yang''s ce.


    After taking a shower, hey on the bed.


    Zhao Yuxin ced her phone in front of Xu Yang and said, "Honey, the inte is in chaos right now. What Li Zixuan has done has provoked public outrage, with everyone calling for his punishment¡ªit''s quite a spectacle."


    "Very normal," Xu Yang nced at it and had anticipated such a reaction.


    After all, Li Zixuan''s behavior was too nefarious, and anyone with a sense of justice would find it uneptable.


    "Now Li Zixuan is done for, right? There should be no one who dares to help him anymore," Zhao Yuxin said.


    "Definitely no one will dare to help him. Whoever extends their hand will be doomed. No one would be foolish enough to risk their future to help such a person," Xu Yang shook his head.


    Exposing Li Zixuan''s actions and evidence was meant to prevent this from happening.


    With the pressure of public opinion, no one would dare to tamper with this.


    "That''s great. People like him won''t be able to harm others anymore," Zhao Yuxin was very happy that Xu Yang had done a good deed.


    "Alright, let''s not worry about this any longer and focus on our own matters."


    Xu Yang began to get frisky.


    Soon, the sounds of lovemaking filled the room.


    ...


    The next day.


    When Xu Yang arrived at thepany, he saw Jiang Zhiyong and called him into the office.


    "Brother Yong, here''s the situation..." Xu Yang briefly exined Mo Jinxin''s issue and the situation of the girl who tried to take her own life, "The evidence has already been collected. You go find the girl and have here forward to use Mo Jinxin. That incident had a great impact on her. Be careful with your approach when contacting her."


    "Don''t worry, Boss Xu, I know what to do," Jiang Zhiyong said.


    "The evidence and other matters will be handled by thepany''s legal department. If you need anything in this regard, just get in touch with legal. If there''s anything else that can''t be resolved, contact me. In any case, the sooner this is settled, the better," Xu Yang said.


    "Understood," Jiang Zhiyong nodded.


    The two chatted for a while longer, with Jiang Zhiyong asking questions and Xu Yang providing answers based on the information he had.


    Once Jiang Zhiyong had the answers he needed, he left.

 Chapter 308: Chapter 308 Training the Team

    Xu Yang took a break before looking for Ma Yangrong.


    "Old Ma, I hope I haven''t disturbed your work?"


    Xu Yang entered Ma Yangrong''s office and sat down on the sofa.


    "Mr. Xu, what are you talking about? Is there something you need?"


    Ma Yangrong got up from behind his desk, walked over, and sat opposite Xu Yang.


    Every time Xu Yang came, he had something to say; he wouldn''te just to have tea and chat without a purpose.


    After all, he had many things to attend to himself.


    "Indeed, I have something, and it''s very important," Xu Yang said.


    "Mr. Xu, please speak," Ma Yangrong took on a serious tone.


    "Old Ma, what are your thoughts on business warfare?" Xu Yang didn''t go straight to the point but instead asked a question.


    "Business warfare?" Ma Yangrong was taken aback.


    "That''s right, business warfare," Xu Yang nodded.


    "The so-called business warfare is about defeating thepetitors by any means necessary; this is my simple understanding," Ma Yangrong pondered and replied.


    "About the same. Today, I''vee to ask you tounch a business war, not just to defeat thepetitors but topletely crush them," Xu Yang said.


    "A business war? Topletely crush thepetitors?" Ma Yangrong was somewhat astonished, "Mr. Xu, may I ask, why do this? And who is the opponent?"


    It had always been peaceful until now.


    Whenever Xu Yang was interested in apany, he would acquire it, and everything went smoothly.


    He had never initiated a business war.


    Even the incident between Xu Yang and Hua''an Film and Television, strictly speaking, couldn''t be considered a business war.


    That was merely Xu Yang using methods unknown to others to obtain damaging information about the executives and artists of Hua''an Film and Television, exposing it, causing Hua''an Film and Television to suffer heavy losses, and in the end, forcing apromise.


    In the end, they shook hands and made peace, even investing together in "War Panther 2".


    He was puzzled as to why Xu Yang wanted to initiate a business war, especially one that aimed topletely crush thepetitors.


    What kind of deep animosity was this?


    "Have you heard about the uproar from the newsst night?" Xu Yang asked.


    "Are you talking about that scumbag rich second-generation Li Zixuan''s affair?" Ma Yangrong inquired.


    The hottest news fromst night was about Li Zixuan.


    Even someone like him, who preferred to keep a low profile, hadmented online a few times.


    The gist of it was that such scumbags must be severely punished, or justice would not be served.


    "Yes," Xu Yang nodded.


    "You''re saying the business war is rted to him?" Ma Yangrong asked again.


    "Yes," Xu Yang replied. "The matter of Li Zixuan getting arrested was my doing. I found all the illegal things he''s done, along with the evidence, submitted it anonymously to the police and exposed it online."


    "What! It was you!" Ma Yangrong was shocked.


    Just the previous night, he had been wondering at home who was behind it, celebrating that it was a true act of justice, much to everyone''s satisfaction.


    He had not expected that the person behind it was his own boss.


    "No need to make such a fuss. Don''t let this word get out; let others say what they will," Xu Yang cautioned.


    "Understood. I know. I will not tell a second person," Ma Yangrong promised, nodding solemnly.


    "Li Zixuan''s father, Li Changsheng, has vowed to exert all his efforts to crush me. After thinking it over, I decided to strike first andpletely smash the Li family''spanies. I want you to form a team and operate it personally. Can you do that?" Xu Yang said.


    "Mr. Xu, to be honest, I have never done something like this before. If you entrust me with this task, I can only say that I will try my utmost to achieve what you''ve asked," Ma Yangrong did notmit rashly.


    After all, he had never done something like this before.


    Moreover, until now, he had been just the deputy head of Fengcai Guild, with abilities still below Xiao Dongsheng.


    Xu Yang had moved him to this position, allowing his talents to have greater room to flourish.


    He had a clear understanding of himself, and even if Xu Yang hadn''t entrusted this task to him, he wouldn''t have had any regrets.


    He couldn''t let his own issues get in the way of Xu Yang''s affairs.


    "I know this business battle is also an opportunity to train you, and I hope you canplete it," he said.


    "Here''s what we''ll do, I''ll send you the information I''ve gathered about the Li Family''s Changsheng Furniture Company, and you''ll form a team today to develop an operational n."


    "My requirement is that within two days, you must crush Changsheng Furniture Company. n your time around this deadline. As for finances andworking, you need not worry," he instructed.


    "Tomorrow morning, I''lle to thepany, and you''ll present your n to me. If I find it feasible, we''ll proceed immediately. If not, then we''ll discuss further. How does that sound?"


    Xu Yang was aiming to train a team.


    As his business grewrger, these kinds of situations were inevitable.


    He couldn''t just resort to hacking every time something came up.


    Hacking wasn''t a cure-all.


    Just like in this case, Li Zixuan was guilty of numerous crimes. Submitting evidence to the police and exposing him online was the effective approach.


    But taking on Li Zixuan''s father, Li Changsheng, and his eldest son wouldn''t work the same way.


    Because they didn''t have any significant blemishes on their records.


    In such cases, the only option was to engage in corporate battle.


    The same went for the current situation with Penguin stepping in, acquiring Yunhai Literature, and entering the online literature industry.


    The adversary would certainly aim topete with Shengda Literature, employing countless tactics.


    If Qiu Wenyu couldn''t handle it, Xu Yang could send in the team to operate and resolve the crisis facing Shengda Literature.


    "Alright, I''ll gather the personnel right away, form the team, ande up with a n today to deliver to you tomorrow morning," Ma Yangrong said.


    "Good, I trust you. I''ll send the information about Changsheng Furniture Company to your email in a bit," Xu Yang replied.


    Xu Yang stood up, patted Ma Yangrong''s shoulder, and left.


    Watching Xu Yang''s retreating figure, Ma Yangrong clenched his fists.


    In his heart, he silently swore toplete this task sessfully.


    This was not only a test for him but also an opportunity.


    If he did well, he would surely be indispensable to Xu Yang in the future.


    If he failed, Xu Yang might not trust him with important tasks anymore, and he would likely stagnate in his career.


    By the time Xu Yang established a conglomerate, progressing further would be much more challenging.


    ...


    In Haicheng, at the Li Family residence.


    During breakfast, Li Changsheng asked, "Zicheng, how did it gost night? Have you had any leads on how to deal with Xu Yang?"


    Li Zicheng replied with a wry smile, "Dad, I''ve onlye up with some ideas. It''s not so simple; Xu Yang isn''t easy to deal with. Give me a few days, I wille up with a moreprehensive n. As you''ve said, to aplish this task, we must deliver a fatal blow, or we won''t achieve our goal. So, we can''t rush into this."


    Li Changsheng nodded in agreement, "That''s true, I''ve thought about it a little too. Don''t hurry, take a few days to think it over. Let''s set a deadline, how about webine our thoughts in three days and finalize a n then? We can''t drag this on too long."


    Li Zicheng nodded, "That''s fine, three days is no problem."


    After taking a couple of sips of milk, Li Zicheng added, "By the way, Dad, how are things going with Zixuan?"


    Li Changsheng sighed deeply and said, "Thewyer called just now, he''s confessed to everything. Under these circumstances, he''ll likely get at least twenty years. There''s nothing we can do anymore."


    Li Changsheng had sent thewyer to Jiangcheng the night before.


    Last night, Li Zixuan had been interrogated until 2 a.m.


    Thewyer was the first to receive the news, but since it was in the middle of the night, he didn''t report to Li Changsheng right away.


    This morning, as soon as Li Changsheng got up, thewyer had called to ry the detailed situation.


    Thewyer''s role was now merely to help with the procedures; there was little else he could do.

 Chapter 309 The Meeting

    ```


    Li Zicheng said, "Coming out after twenty years, Zixuan would be in his forties."


    Li Changsheng''s eyes shimmered with a vengeful light, "That''s why we must think this through carefully this time. When the timees, we have to crush Xu Yang in one fell swoop, shatter his family, and leave him destitute, only then can we consider it vengeance for Zixuan."


    "I know." Li Zicheng nodded and then added, "By the way, Dad, should we go visit Zixuan?"


    Li Changsheng said, "I will goter, and I''ll be back in the evening. You don''t need to go; you handle thepany''s matters."


    Even though he felt powerless, he still needed to visit.


    Otherwise, how deste would his son be?


    ¡­


    After leaving thepany, Jiang Zhiyong got into his car and dialed the phone number of the girl who had attempted suicide by jumping off a building.


    Xu Yang had given it to him.


    Xu Yang had found out the girl''s details and told all to Jiang Zhiyong.


    The phone rang for a while before being answered.


    "Hello." The girl''s voice was somewhat hoarse.


    "Hello, may I speak to Miss Lin Jing?" Jiang Zhiyong asked.


    "Who are you?" Lin Jing on the other end of the line asked warily.


    "Miss Lin, hello, my name is Jiang Zhiyong, I am the General Manager of Yang Xin Security Company," Jiang Zhiyong introduced himself.


    His public identity was now the General Manager of Yang Xin Security Company.


    The role of Xu Yang''s bodyguard was not something he would divulge to others; there was no need to let people know.


    This was more advantageous for Xu Yang.


    "Jiang Zhiyong? Yang Xin Security Company? I don''t know you, and I''ve never heard of thispany. What do you want with me?" Lin Jing asked, puzzled.


    "Miss Lin, I need to discuss something with you. It''s not convenient over the phone. Can we meet at noon? I know thepany you''re working for and there''s a Wind Language Restaurant nearby. I''d like to invite you to lunch there. Would that be okay?"


    Jiang Zhiyong attempted to invite Lin Jing in a calm tone, fearing that startling her might make her reluctant to ept the invitation.


    "What''s the matter that can''t be discussed over the phone, that it requires a face-to-face meeting?" Lin Jing didn''t agree immediately.


    "Miss Lin, it''s a long story ¨C really not something that can be exined clearly over the phone. I assure you, it''s very important to you. I hope you can make it. I am familiar with that restaurant; yourpany''s employees often go there for meals. Consider it just going out for lunch," Jiang Zhiyong hinted, implying that Lin Jing''s safety shouldn''t be a concern.


    "Fine, I will go there at noon." After a moment of silence, Lin Jing agreed.


    She was truly curious about why this person was seeking her out.


    Something so significant that it couldn''t be resolved over the phone and required a meeting to exin.


    That restaurant was frequently visited by her colleagues; she had been there several times. There shouldn''t be any safety issues.


    This was the main reason she agreed to the meeting.


    Having hung up the phone, she asked a colleague nearby, "Xiaoxue, do you know of Yang Xin Security Company?"


    "Yang Xin Security?" Xiaoxue, the colleague, shook her head, "I don''t know about it. I''ve heard of a Yang Xin Investment though, rumor has it that it''s owned by the boss of Jiang''s Dredging. Whether this Yang Xin Security has anything to do with that Yang Xin Investment, I have no idea. Why are you asking?"


    Lin Jing shook her head, "Nothing much, just asking. I''ll look it up online."


    She put down her smartphone and started to search online.


    Upon searching, she discovered that Yang Xin Security Company was indeed a subsidiary under the control of Yang Xin Investment.


    This meant it belonged to the boss of Jiang''s Dredging.


    The general manager''s profile was listed online, and his name was indeed Jiang Zhiyong.


    Still, she racked her brains without figuring out why the general manager of Yang Xin Security Company would be looking for her.


    ```


    Lin Jing shook her head and stopped pondering, thinking that she would probably know everything after the noon meeting.


    Before she knew it, lunch break arrived.


    "Xiao Jing, let''s go eat at the Fengyu Restaurant together," her colleague Xiao Xue invited.


    "Xiao Xue, I''ve made ns to eat there with someone else. I can only go with you, not eat with you. You should ask other colleagues to join you," Lin Jing said with a bitter smile.


    "Oh, I see, okay. I''ll ask Xiao Ya toe, and we''ll go together," colleague Xiao Xue replied.


    The three girls went to Fengyu Restaurant together, and upon arrival, Lin Jing parted with her two colleagues and entered the private room that Jiang Zhiyong had mentioned.


    Upon entering, she saw a young man about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old who looked just like Jiang Zhiyong, the general manager on the website of Yang Xin Security Company. This eased Lin Jing''s tense nerves quite a bit.


    "Miss Lin, please have a seat," Jiang Zhiyong stood up and gestured.


    Lin Jing nodded her head and walked over to take a seat.


    "Tell me, what do you want to talk about?" Lin Jing asked directly.


    "It''s about what happened to you at Jinxin Company," Jiang Zhiyong said.


    "Why are you bringing this up? What exactly are you trying to do?"


    Lin Jing suddenly stood up, eyes fixedly staring at Jiang Zhiyong.


    That episode was something she never wanted to mention again.


    But every night, she was haunted by nightmares.


    You could say that this incident tormented her continuously, causing her great pain.


    Yet she also knew that unless she saw Mo Jinxin brought to justice, the nightmares would persist.


    This was her obsession.


    However, getting Mo Jinxin to face legal punishment was as difficult as climbing to heaven.


    She was just a nobody, while Mo Jinxin was a billionaire.


    With no evidence at hand, she saw no hope for getting Mo Jinxin to face thew.


    What did this man want with her, mentioning this issue to her?


    Could it be that Mo Jinxin, that devil, had sent this person to her?


    "Miss Lin, please don''t be nervous. I''ve been sent by my boss to help you, to make Mo Jinxin face legal punishment," Jiang Zhiyong hurriedly exined, fearing Lin Jing''s misunderstanding, he hastily turned to leave.


    "Your boss sent you to help me? Why? I checked, and Yang Xin Security is a subsidiary of Yang Xin Investment Holdings, the owner of which is Xu Yang, the boss of Jiang Hotpot, a bona fide billionaire. How could he notice me, and why would he help me?"


    Lin Jing couldn''t believe in pies falling from the sky.


    Moreover, how could a billionaire like Xu Yang ever take notice of her?


    "All I can tell you is that Mo Jinxin, this scum, has offended our boss. After finding out what kind of scum he is, our boss decided he must pay the price. It''s not just about helping you; it''s something our boss wants to do. He simply intends to use your hand to bring Mo Jinxin to legal justice. Are you willing?" Jiang Zhiyong exined.


    He didn''t mention the fact that Mo Jinxin had designs on the boss''s wife, as it would not reflect well.


    "Of course, I''m willing. No matter what your boss''s motives are, as long as it leads to Mo Jinxin facing legal punishment, I''m willing. What do you want me to do?" Lin Jing''s eyes were filled with a vengeful gleam.


    It was something she thought about every moment of every day.


    As long as she could achieve this, she would do anything.


    Yet, even if she paid a devastating price, she could not make it happen on her own.


    Now that there was a chance, she was of course willing.


    She had no reason to doubt Jiang Zhiyong''s words. For people like Jiang Zhiyong or the boss of Jiang Hotpot, there was no need to deceive someone like her.

 Chapter 310 Revenge for You

    "Actually, what I need you to do is very simple, just appear as a witness to testify against Mo Jinxin, and I will handle other evidence and hiring awyer," Jiang Zhiyong said.


    "Just like that?" Lin Jing was somewhat astonished.


    It was too simple, almost hard for her to believe.


    "Just like that." Jiang Zhiyong smiled and nodded.


    In fact, it wasn''t difficult.


    ording to the information Xu Yang had sent him, this Lin Jing was a very brave girl, which was why she resisted so firmly.


    Unlike some girls who, facing such things, for the sake of so-called face and reputation, would suffer in silence, not daring toe forward to testify.


    With Lin Jing, such issues did not exist.


    The information said that Lin Jing somewhat rejected contact with men.


    This, Jiang Zhiyong had not felt at all.


    "Okay, I can testify at any time; just call me when it''s time," Lin Jing said.


    "Good, I''ll call you in the morning, that will be my phone number, you can save it. If you need anything, you can also call me," Jiang Zhiyong said.


    The food was served, they had their meal, and then they went their separate ways.


    On the way back to herpany, Lin Jing felt much better.


    She was looking forward to hearing the court''s sentence for Mo Jinxin.


    Thanks to Xu Yang pulling some strings, the court session was scheduled after five working days.


    Since the evidence was conclusive and both witness and material evidence were present, Mo Jinxin could not deny his guilt.


    Mo Jinxin was sentenced to five years in prison.


    Hispany, due to his incarceration, also fell apart.


    The things he had done before were also exposed in the media, causing an uproar anew.


    It could be said that Mo Jinxin had be someone everyone condemned.


    Even if Mo Jinxin got out in the future, making aeback would be impossible.


    Even getting a job would be extremely difficult.


    After hearing the court''s sentence for Mo Jinxin, Lin Jing shed tears.


    She had waited a long time for this day, thinking it would nevere, yet it came so suddenly.


    It made her believe in that saying, "Justice may be dyed, but it will never be absent."


    That very night, for the first time in a long time, she did not have any nightmares.


    From that point on, she started a new life free from burdens.


    But those are all things that happenedter.


    ...


    That afternoon.


    Li Changsheng, in the Jiangcheng detention center, saw his younger son.


    "Dad, you have to save me, get me out of here, I don''t want to go to jail," Li Zixuan started yelling as soon as he saw his father.


    The thought of going to prison was unbearable for him.


    He already knew that if he really went to prison, he would be there for at least twenty years.


    Twenty years.


    Just thinking about that time terrified him.


    How could he live with that?


    Speaking honestly, he regretteding to y in Jiangcheng, and even more so, he regretted provoking Zhao Yulu and consequently angering Xu Yang''s father.


    Otherwise, he would still be that rich second generation who could do whatever he wanted, instead of ending up like this.


    While regretting, he also despised Xu Yang.


    If it hadn''t been for Xu Yang relentlessly pursuing him, finding evidence of his misdeeds, forwarding it to the police, and exposing it online, he wouldn''t have ended up like this.


    "Sigh." Li Changsheng heaved a heavy sigh, not even knowing what to say.


    "Dad, why are you sighing? Just talk to me. When are you going to get me out?" Li Zixuan became even more panicky.


    What is this, is there really no way out?


    It can''t be.


    Even after being exposed, there should be a way to resolve this.


    "Zixuan, there''s nothing we can do, I can''t save you. However, I can promise you, I will have Xu Yang''s family ruined and destroyed, to avenge you!" Li Changsheng said helplessly, stating the fact.


    Unable to save his son, his heart ached more than anyone''s.


    But Xu Yang had been too ruthless.


    The evidence was conclusive, and it had been exposed online.


    Even having connections couldn''t help now.


    Moreover, the biggest connection in this regard had already been caught.


    "What do you mean there''s no way, there has to be a way. You need to think harder. Even if I''m in jail, even if you ruin Xu Yang''s family for my sake, what does it do for me? I still have to sit in jail!"


    Li Zixuan''s eyes turned bloodshot, and he became somewhat hysterical, bellowing with rage.


    "Enough!" Li Changsheng roared in anger.


    His son''s behavior was disgraceful.


    It was aplete embarrassment to him!


    At his father''s shout, Li Zixuan fell silent, staring nkly at Li Changsheng.


    After a moment, he again became hysterical: "Why are you shouting at me? If you have the ability, rescue me! If you can''t save me, you sure have the nerve to yell at me. What kind of father are you, unable to save your own son? What use do I have for a father like you?"


    p!


    The second Li Zixuan''s words ended, his face was struck by a heavy p.


    "You actually hit me?" Li Zixuan, covering his cheek, looked at his father, disbelief written all over his face.


    Li Changsheng took a deep breath and said, "I didn''t want to hit you, but look at yourself, what have you be? If I could save you, wouldn''t I? Can''t youe to your senses a bit?"


    Hearing this, Li Zixuan could only bitterly ept the fact that he couldn''t be saved, and he burst into sobs.


    Li Changsheng did not offerfort, because he knew there was no way to get Li Zixuan out; anyfort would just seem pale and powerless.


    A few minutester, Li Zixuan stopped crying.


    Li Changsheng sighed and said, "I''ll say it again, I will have Xu Yang''s family ruined and destroyed, to avenge you."


    Li Zixuan numbly nodded, "I understand."


    Li Changsheng said, "You stay well in there, strive for a reduced sentence. When youe out, you will still live a life of luxury, better than most people in this world."


    Li Zixuan nodded again, "I understand."


    "Alright, I''m leaving now, I wille to see you again after some time, and by then, I will tell you the news of Xu Yang''s family''s ruination."


    Li Changsheng, having no desire to stay any longer, got up and left.


    ...


    The next day.


    Xu Yang went to thepany.


    Not long after he entered the office, Ma Yangrong arrived with a document in hand.


    "Mr. Xu, the n has been prepared, please review it."


    Ma Yangrong ced the corporate warfare n in front of Xu Yang.


    "Okay, I''ll take a look." Xu Yang picked it up to read and, after finishing, couldn''t help but show a smile, "Good, your n has basically thought of everything. Let''s implement it as is. We mustn''t dy; let''s strike immediately, with the aim to bring down Changsheng Furniture Company within the next couple of days."


    "Alright, I''ll get people on it right away." With Xu Yang''s approval, Ma Yangrong was full of enthusiasm and left immediately to gather his team for the takedown of Changsheng Furniture Company.


    Watching Ma Yangrong leave, Xu Yang''s smile remained. He muttered to himself, "Li Changsheng, I originally just wanted your son to stop harming people, but since you threatened me, I have to be less polite. If yourpany copses tomorrow, I wonder if you''ll regret it then?"

 Chapter 311 Launching a Business War

    A piece of news set the inte aze.


    Yang Xin Investments dered war on Changsheng Furniture Company.


    "What''s going on, why would Yang Xin Investments dere war on Changsheng Furniture?"


    "Don''t know, these twopanies are totally unrted."


    "The boss of Yang Xin Investments is the owner of Jiang Bottom Lottery''s Xu Yang, he''s been a prominent figure in the business world over the past year. Seems like he thinks his limelight isn''t big enough, so he''s pulling this stunt."


    "Xu Yang wouldn''t dere war on someone for no reason, there must be a reason behind it, hurry up and find out."


    "I''ve heard some rumors that it has to do with the son of Changsheng Furniture''s boss, that scumbag Li Zixuan who''s been in the news these past few days. The evidence against that scumbag was apparently found by Yang Xin Investments'' boss Xu Yang, who handed it over to the police and leaked it online.


    Li Changsheng is furious, vowing to ruin Xu Yang and leave him penniless, so Xu Yang wants to strike first and take down Changsheng Furniture."


    "Don''t just say it seems like it, we need the exact information."


    "I have exact information, it''s definitely like this without a doubt, I can vouch for it with my reputation."


    "Damn... this is going to spark a major war in the business world."


    "Things are heating up in the business world; it''s been a long time since we''ve seen bigwigs unleash this kind of corporate warfare."


    "This is a fight to the death."


    "I''m with Yang Xin Investments, hoping they''ll crush Changsheng Furniture. Li Changsheng, raising a son like Li Zixuan, can''t be any good himself. It would be best for Changsheng Furniture to go bankrupt and leave Li Changsheng homeless."


    "Me too, I support Yang Xin Investments, I support Xu Yang, Xu Yang is my idol."


    "Haha, Xu Yang is sworn brothers with Wang Xiaocong and can joke around with tycoons like Wang richest man Zhang Yimin. Li Changsheng thinking he can ruin Xu Yang and his family is nothing but a pipe dream."


    "Exactly, it''s like an ant trying to shake a tree."


    "You can''t say that, Li Changsheng is an established tycoon with connections you shouldn''t underestimate."


    "Yeah, don''t underestimate anyone, the oue might be quite the shocker."


    Countless onlookers were excited, and many business heavyweights also took notice of the matter.


    Such amercial battle hasn''t happened in a long time.


    Moreover, it was an open deration of war.


    Why ruin your opponent sneakily when you could crush them?


    Why announce it at all?


    Many people didn''t quite understand the approach of Yang Xin Investments.


    Xu Yang looked at the information on the inte and just gave a slight smile.


    Next, all he had to do was wait and enjoy the show.


    At that moment, his phone rang.


    The caller ID showed it was Wang Xiaocong calling.


    "Old Wang," Xu Yang answered the phone.


    "Old Xu, what the hell are you up to? Is what''s said online true?" Wang Xiaocong asked.


    He was, of course, aware of the news about Li Zixuan.


    As an inte-savvy person, he would have to be dead not to know about this news.


    In fact, he hadmented on it, saying Li Zixuan was a disgrace to the second-generation wealthy and tarnished their group''s reputation.


    In his words, he showed utter contempt for people like Li Zixuan.


    But he never imagined that this matter had anything to do with Xu Yang, nor did he expect that the evidence against Li Zixuan was discovered by Xu Yang and given to the police, then leaked online.


    "It''s true," Xu Yang nodded and said.


    "What exactly happened, tell me about it." The inte just gave a rough idea, and Wang Xiaocong wanted to hear the details.


    "About this Li Zixuan..." Xu Yang briefly exined the situation.


    "This Li Zixuan really is a beast, tarnishing our reputation as rich second-generations. You did the right thing. People like him should be reformed inside, rather than left outside to harm others," Wang Xiaocong cursed.


    "That''s what I thought, so I did it," Xu Yang said with augh.


    "Is it true that Li Changsheng really wants to ruin yourpany and make you a pauper?" Wang Xiaocong asked again.


    "It''s true, I could tell he wasn''t bluffing. So, I had someone devise a n to take down Changsheng Furniture, to strike first as the best defense," Xu Yang said.


    "Well done, that''s exactly what you should do. Just like some people on the inte said, Li Changsheng, raising a son like Li Zixuan, isn''t any good either. It''s best if he ends up on the streets!" Wang Xiaocong praised.


    "ording to the n I had put together, if things go smoothly, we should see results by tomorrow at thetest, just wait and watch," Xu Yang said.


    "Alright, I''ll be waiting," Wang Xiaocong nodded, then added, "Can I get involved?"


    "Old Wang, you can''t get involved in this; I''m also using this as an opportunity to train my team," Xu Yang refused.


    He knew that when Wang Xiaocong said this, he was also offering to help.


    But it wasn''t necessary for now.


    He hoped to rely on his strength to crush Li Changsheng Furniture.


    If, in the end, he really couldn''t manage, then he would ask Wang Xiaocong for help.


    "Okay, if you need my involvement, just let me know," Wang Xiaocong said.


    "Sure," Xu Yang replied.


    The call ended.


    Then, many people called him.


    Jiang Yuheng, Su Wenbin, Lin Junyi, his father-inw Zhao Hai, Zhang Songxuan, Wang the tycoon, Shen Wanpeng...


    All of these people said that if he needed anything, he just had to ask.


    Xu Yang declined each offer.


    ...


    Haicheng.


    At this moment, Li Changsheng Furniture Company was like a frightened bird in a startled flock.


    The boss behind Yang Xin Investment was like a fish that slips through the, with a strongwork of rtions.


    Dering war on Li Changsheng Furniture Company was like a bolt out of the blue for them.


    It wasn''t to the point where everyone was panicked, but many people were affected, and that was indeed the case.


    After all, Xu Yang was someone who addressed Wang Xiaocong as a brother and chatted andughed with the tycoon Zhang Yimin.


    Such a person, dering war on Li Changsheng Furniture Company, must be fully confident.


    In the president''s office.


    "This Xu Yang is outrageously bullying us. I haven''t even made a move against him, and he''s already striking at me!"


    Li Changsheng was extremely angry, mming his office desk hard, causing his wrist to hurt terribly.


    However, his mind was so consumed by rage that he didn''t care about the pain in his wrist.


    Sitting opposite him, his eldest son Li Zicheng, also had an extremely ugly look on his face.


    "Dad, what do we do now?" Li Zicheng asked.


    "What else can we do? We''ll just have to deal with it as ites. I really want to see what tricks he has up his sleeve. Call a leadership meeting immediately!" Li Changsheng said.


    The leadership included both the senior and middle management.


    As for the junior leadership, they didn''t need to attend the meeting.


    They would be informed afterward.


    "Okay, I''ll notify them right away," Li Zicheng nodded.


    A few minutester, in the conference room.


    Li Changsheng spoke a bunch of nonsense, the gist of which was that Xu Yang was going too far and that this was a battle for survival, so everyone should be fully alert.


    He also said that he would personally oversee things and that if anyone noticed anything amiss, they should report it to him for him to deal with directly.


    After the meeting, the leaders conveyed the boss''s message.


    The employees didn''t dare to ck off and immediately got to work.


    They were very curious about how Yang Xin Investment was going to proceed.


    Li Changsheng returned to his office.


    He had barely sat down when the customer service manager rushed over.


    "President Li, our emerce tform just received two negative reviews," the customer service manager said.


    Li Changsheng Furniture Company mainly sold furniture on the emerce tform, with very few sales in physical stores.


    One could say that most of their ie came from online sales.


    "You''reing to me over two negative reviews? What do I need you for?" Li Changsheng almost passed out from anger.


    This trivial matter was also brought to him; they really didn''t treat him like a boss at all.

 Chapter 312 Handling Negative Reviews

    "Mr. Li, didn''t you say that any situation should be reported to you?"


    The customer service manager felt somewhat wronged.


    "Now you have an excuse? Two negative reviews count as what, a fart of a situation? Don''t we get negative reviews on the emerce tform all the time? Is there ever a day without one or two negative reviews?"


    Li Changsheng was furious, pointing at the customer service manager and cursing him, with spittle flying everywhere.


    Their Changsheng Furniture was one of the top ten furniturepanies in the country, withrge sales volumes, but only average product quality. It was normal to have negative reviews.


    But to sell thousands of orders every day and only have one or two negative reviews was the usual rate.


    To those few customers who left a negative review, giving them a fifty-yuan red packet would make them happy beyond measure, thinking they''d struck a great deal.


    So truly, one or two negative reviews were insignificant.


    It simply couldn''t count as a situation.


    The customer service manager, scolded to the point of humiliation, left with a long face.


    After more than ten minutes, Li Changsheng''s cup of tea wasn''t even finished when the customer service manager returned.


    "If you''re here to talk about one or two negative reviews again, go directly to the human resources department and process your resignation!"


    Before the customer service manager could speak, Li Changsheng blurted out this sentence.


    "Mr. Li, there really is an unusual situation this time. We''ve got over twenty bad reviews, which already exceeds the total from the past few days," said the customer service manager.


    "What! So many bad reviews in such a short time? Let''s go to the customer service department!"


    Li Changsheng instantly sprang into action.


    In online sales, the bigger the shop, the less they fear negative reviews.


    Having two or three negative reviews out of thousands of orders was absolutely normal.


    But getting over twenty negative reviews in just over ten minutes was abnormal.


    It was clear that someone was causing trouble.


    Li Changsheng immediately thought that Yang Xin Investment must be behind it.


    However, he was a man who had weathered great storms and wasn''t panicked.


    In times of trouble, it was essential to remain calm. The one thing to avoid was panic.


    The more panicked one was, the easier it was to make mistakes, allowing the other party to seize on weaknesses and force one into an even more disadvantageous position.


    Soon, Li Changsheng and the customer service manager arrived at the customer service department.


    It was arge room with several rows of desks, each row with a dozenputers.


    Youthful female employees sat in front of theputers, all with sweet voices.


    The customer service manager''s office was also in this room, in one corner, separated by ss.


    Li Changsheng and the customer service manager entered the customer service manager''s office, and Li Changsheng sat down in the manager''s chair.


    The customer service manager tapped a few keys on the keyboard, and a pie chart immediately appeared on the screen.


    "This isn''t just over twenty negative reviews, it''s over thirty now."


    Li Changsheng''s face turned ugly.


    The customer service manager had spoken of over twenty just a while ago; during their walk over, the number had increased to over thirty.


    The pie chart showed three reasons for the negative reviews.


    Reason one was poor quality, ounting for thirty-one.


    Reason two was courier dy, ounting for one.


    Reason three was instation issues, ounting for one.


    The negative reviews for reasons two and three were clearly normal.


    Reason one, however, was clearly not normal.


    Comints about poor quality were the toughest kind of negative reviews to encounter.


    After all, customers who understand furniture quality are incredibly rare.


    Choosing furniture, customers just look at whether it looks good and whether it''s sturdy and durable; they don''t bother about minor quality issues.


    Even if after use they truly found the quality to be poor, very few would bother to leave a negative review just for that; at most, they would just stop buying furniture there.


    "How are you nning to deal with this issue?" Li Changsheng looked up and asked the customer service manager.


    "Mr. Li, this is somewhat difficult to handle," the customer service manager replied, his face twisted with concern.


    "What''s so difficult about it? Assure the customer that we''ll solve the problem, then get them to leave a positive review in exchange for a fifty-yuan cashback. Isn''t that the usual process?" Li Changsheng said angrily.


    Suddenly, I realized that this customer service manager is quite ipetent.


    Such a simple issue, and they can''t even handle it properly.


    Once this matter is over, it seems I''ll need to seriously consider whether to keep this person as the customer service manager.


    "Mr. Li, it''s not very clear talking about it here, please follow me to see the customer service staff," the customer service manager said, steeling themselves.


    Upon hearing this, Li Changsheng''s heart skipped a beat.


    It seemed that the situation wasn''t as simple as he had thought.


    "Alright, lead the way."


    Li Changsheng immediately stood up and followed the customer service manager to a customer service representative''s desk.


    The customer service manager pointed to theputer screen in front of the staff member and said, "Mr. Li, take a look at this."


    Li Changsheng''s expression darkened as soon as he saw it.


    Typically, when customersin about poor furniture quality, they only look at the surface, and being able to mention glue issues is already considered knowledgeable.


    But this customer insisted that the leather used in the sofa was different from the advertisement, iming that their leather was not the top-grain French leather as imported.


    Their advertisement imed it was top-grain leather imported from France.


    In fact, the leather was imported from France, but it was not top-grain; it was rawhide.


    They received the rawhide and processed it at the factory, then imed it was top-grain imported leather.


    In other words, this customer''sint was too professional.


    So professional that only someone who dealt with production would know about it, not a sofa buyer.


    Li Changsheng''s expression turned sour and after thinking for a moment he said, "Reply to him that our leather is definitely imported from France."


    The customer service representative immediately responded as instructed: Our leather is definitely imported from France.


    However, as soon as the service rep replied, the customer sent a message back.


    It was a picture.


    The picture showed their promotional image.


    On it was a line of red text: The sofa is made of top-grain leather imported from France! 100% authentic guarantee!


    The words "top-grain" and "authentic guarantee" were both bolded and circled.


    At that, Li Changsheng''s face turned ck.


    The 100% authentic guarantee is a rule of the emerce tform, a pledge made by every online store.


    If counterfeit goods are discovered, it would mean a tenfoldpensation.


    This customer was evidently knowledgeable about the furniture industry and savvy about online shopping.


    The message was clear: if the sofa didn''t match the advertisement, he''d demand a tenfoldpensation.


    The sofa cost twenty thousand; tenfoldpensation would be two hundred thousand.


    Li Changsheng thought for a while and said, "Reply to him that we offer a genuine guarantee, and if he thinks otherwise, he can go ahead and report us!"


    By ''report,'' he meant not toin to thepany, but to the relevant authorities.


    But Li Changsheng wasn''t really afraid.


    The customer service manager asked, "Mr. Li, could this affect us?"


    "Affect my ass!" Li Changsheng scoffed, "If he wants to fuss about it, let him. If he proves his point, the worst I''ll do is pay the two hundred thousand. I don''t believe he has the energy to go through with it!"


    He realized that this person was definitely sent by Yang Xin Investment.


    Otherwise, who would leave such a professional negative review?


    No worries, if Yang Xin Investment wanted to go for an appraisal, then they should just go ahead.


    Spending all that manpower and resources just to get a two hundred thousandpensation.


    Anyway, Li Changsheng really didn''t care.


    To be honest, the tactic Yang Xin Investment was employing was truly low-level.


    He had thought at first that the other party woulde up with something.


    Now it seems that Yang Xin Investment is still too naive.


    To dere war over such a thing was downrightughable.


    He was going to make Yang Xin Investment aughingstock in the business world. That would be the time for his counterattack.

 Chapter 313 Striking the Vital Points

    The customer service manager immediately got the idea and couldn''t help butugh, "Yeah, let them fuss over it. After all their fussing, it''s just a matter of 200,000 yuan. I bet that the 200,000 won''t even cover their expenses for making such a fuss. They are shooting themselves in the foot!"


    "Exactly," Li Changsheng nodded, and then turned to ask, "Any other issues?"


    The customer service manager quickly brought Li Changsheng to another customer service representative and pointed to theputer screen, "Mr. Li, we have a customerint stating that the formaldehyde content in our wardrobes is too high."


    Li Changshengughed as soon as he heard this.


    Their wardrobes did have formaldehyde levels that were too high.


    But the excess wasn''t much, just three times the standard.


    This level of excess, people couldn''t even smell anything off.


    So, Li Changsheng asked, "Did you ask him if he smelled anything unusual?"


    The customer service rep moved the mouse and pointed to the screen, "Mr. Li, I did ask earlier, and he sent me this picture."


    Li Changsheng looked at the picture and was immediately stunned.


    It was a photo of a formaldehyde detector, clearly showing the exceeded level.


    Li Changsheng wanted to curse.


    Damn it, who the hell buys a formaldehyde detector out of the blue?


    This was clearly Yang Xin Investments causing trouble.


    After thinking for a moment, Li Changsheng said, "Tell him that the excess formaldehyde has nothing to do with the wardrobe, it might be that his other furniture has issues."


    The customer service rep did as instructed.


    Soon after, the other party replied.


    No text, just a photo.


    The photo showed an empty room where the walls didn''t even have ster on them, with only a solitary wardrobe standing in the center of the room.


    "Holy shit!"


    Li Changsheng couldn''t help but swear.


    Damn it, now what could he say?


    He couldn''t possibly me the formaldehyde issue on the bricks and cement used for construction, could he?


    If this wasn''t Yang Xin Investments causing trouble, he, Li Changsheng, might as well go knock his head against a wall and die.


    Li Changsheng, grinding his teeth, said, "Tell him we doubt the data from his formaldehyde detector. We will send someone over to inspect and ask him to wait patiently. If there is indeed an issue with the wardrobe, we will definitelypensate."


    The customer service rep did as told.


    Li Changsheng startedughing, "Don''t send anyone just yet, just drag it out as long as possible. If it really can''t be dragged out any longer, then send someone. After the inspection, don''t deal with it right away, just say it''s being processed, keep dragging it out, at least for half a year. No one will be able to do anything to us."


    It''s worth mentioning, this is amon tactic used by merchants, and there''s nothing you can do about it.


    After all, customers don''t have the time and energy to wear down merchants.


    And during this time, the merchant continues to do business and make money as usual.


    Li Changsheng felt that Yang Xin Investments'' move was not that impressive.


    Just like that, he had cracked it in two or three moves.


    Xu Yang was still too green topete with him.


    Just wait until he had his nid out in a few days, he would send Xu Yang plunging into an abyss!


    The customer service manager at his side couldn''t help butpliment, "Mr. Li, you are truly capable. I had no idea how to handle it just now, but you resolved it as soon as you came. Now, for these kinds of problems, I know how to deal with them."


    Li Changsheng gave a smug smile, "Of course. When my business was just starting out, I was involved in manufacturing, sales, as well as after-sales. These kinds of problems are child''s y for me. If I couldn''t handle this sort of issue, where would my billions in worthe from!"


    The customer service manager naturally ttered him again.


    At that moment, the front desk beauty from thepany entered the customer service department and quickly approached Li Changsheng, "Mr. Li, there''s awyer looking for you at the front desk."


    Li Changsheng raised his eyebrows, "Awyer? Why would awyer be looking for me? Where did thiswyere from?"


    The receptionist said, "He ims he''s here to protect his clients'' rights."


    Li Changshengughed upon hearing this.


    Protect clients'' rights, huh.


    Just over thirtyints about poor quality, and they send awyer for the rights protection, as if that could do any good.


    Even if they seeded in the rights protection, could it really harm mypany?


    Yang Xin Investment is not up to the mark.


    Li Changsheng shook his head and said to the pretty receptionist, "I see, bring him to my office."


    "Yes," the receptionist left.


    Li Changsheng left the customer service department and returned to his office.


    Soon, the receptionist brought awyer in and then left.


    Thiswyer was very young, looking just like a university graduate, the kind who had just joined aw firm.


    Li Changsheng couldn''t help but sneer, "Why has Yang Xin Investment sent you? They should have sent awyer of at least thirty-four years old to show respect to me."


    He didn''t invite the other party to sit, and as he spoke, he even lit a cigarette.


    This action was a significant sign of disrespect to the youngwyer.


    Not to mention offering a ss of water, at the very least let the person sit down to talk.


    The youngwyer seemed not to mind at all, smiled, and introduced himself, "Hello, President Li, my name is Huo Wenrui."


    Li Changsheng took a puff of his cigarette, flicked some ashes into the ashtray, and then said leisurely, "Lawyer Huo, I know who you''re here to protect the rights for. I''ve already proposed solutions to your clients, so what more do you want to pursue in rights protection?"


    Huo Wenrui smiled and said, "President Li, please show me yourpany''s customs tax records."


    "What did you say?" Li Changsheng''s eyes widened, and his hand, ready to smoke, paused mid-air.


    "My clients say your sofas are not genuine French topyer leather, which doesn''t match your advertisements. You told my clients to get them authenticated, which is hard to verify directly, but it''s possible to distinguish based on the customs duties, as the tariffs for topyer leather differ. A simple inquiry will rify the matter," Huo Wenrui kept smiling as he spoke.


    "What!" Li Changsheng stood up abruptly.


    That move was vicious.


    It hit right at the weak spot.


    Li Changsheng sneered, "Fine, I admit the advertisement was misleading. Isn''t it justpensation of ten times for a false im? Only two hundred thousand, can''t I just pay it off? No need to look at the customs duties!"


    Since it hade to this, there was nothing more to say; justpensation it would be.


    Two hundred thousand, he really didn''t care about that sum.


    Huo Wenrui smiled and said, "Okay, thank you, President Li. On behalf of my two thousand clients, I thank you. Although yourpany has produced and sold counterfeit products, you have the courage to take responsibility, which ismendable."


    Li Changsheng was stunned, "What did you say? How many clients do you have?"


    "Two thousand, what about it?" Huo Wenrui looked puzzled.


    Li Changsheng''s face turned incredibly sour.


    Just now, only over thirty people hadined about the quality.


    How did it be two thousand people?


    Now, he realized that he had fallen into the trap set by Yang Xin Investment.


    He thought Yang Xin Investment was just stirring up a small fuss, but he hadn''t expected them to pull such a move.


    Ten timespensation, two hundred thousand per client, two thousand clients, that adds up to four billion.


    If that money were paid, thepany''s working capital would be gone.


    Yang Xin Investment really does have quite the strategy.

 Chapter 314 Consecutive Traps

    What Li Changsheng couldn''t understand was how Yang Xin Investment managed to find so many people in such a short time.


    The incident with his son happened the day before yesterday.


    Even if Xu Yang learned about his son''s predicament and decided to engage in a business war with him, aiming to bring down hispany, it has only been two days.


    In two days, how did they find so many customers willing to buy furniture from Changsheng Furniture Company?


    To tell the truth, he was starting to wonder if Xu Yang had been plotting against him all along, and if his son''s issue was a trap set by Xu Yang.


    Otherwise, it made no sense.


    Actually, he was overthinking it¡ªXu Yang didn''t even know him before, nor did he have the intention to engage in business battles with anyone.


    It was only because he was pushed that he came up with this idea.


    As for why they found so many people in such a short time,


    with money, these things really weren''t a problem.


    They didn''t even use two days; it all started yesterday.


    Ma Yangrong felt that the n was wless. By paying in advance and outsourcing to otherpanies, they contacted those people.


    Even if the overall n had problems, this move was definitely foolproof.


    The person in the team who came up with this move was praised by everyone after sharing it; they weren''t worried that Xu Yang wouldn''t adopt this move.


    Even if, retreating ten thousand steps, Xu Yang didn''t adopt it, it wouldn''t matter, as it hadn''t cost much money.


    After all, no concrete action had been taken yet; it was merely a verbal intention with some deposit paid.


    Li Changsheng''s face twisted in displeasure as he gritted his teeth, "Don''t mention those two thousand clients; I haven''t agreed topensate so many people. I need to think about this matter and see how to handle it."


    Huo Wenrui took out a voice recorder from his suit pocket and smiled, "President Li, I have recorded our conversation just now, and this recording can be used as evidence in court."


    Li Changsheng''s expression turned even more unsightly.


    Now, it seemed he hadpletely fallen into the trap.


    "President Li, thank you for cooperating. Goodbye."


    After saying this, Huo Wenrui turned and left.


    "Bastard!" Li Changsheng cursed through gritted teeth, mming his fist on the desk.


    At that moment, the office door was pushed open, and his eldest son, Li Zicheng, walked in.


    "Dad, awyer just came by. What happened? Is it rted to Yang Xin Investment?"


    He wasn''t yet aware of the situation; he had only heard that there was a problem with customer service, and that his old man had gone to sort it out.


    Afterward, awyer hade, apparently also in connection with Yang Xin Investment.


    Hearing that thewyer had already left, he came over to inquire.


    "Ah¡­" Li Changsheng sighed and went through the situation with him.


    "What,pensate four hundred million? Where do we have that much cash? Isn''t that asking for our lives?" Li Zicheng''s face paled.


    Li Changsheng was worth billions, but that was in assets, not cash.


    Thepany couldn''t possiblye up with that much cash all at once.


    To do so would truly plunge thepany''s working capital into a state of exhaustion, and they would have to seek funds from other ces; this could cause major problems.


    Li Changsheng fell silent for a moment, then said, "Actually, this issue isn''t difficult to resolve. Just let them wait; we''re not going to pay immediately. If they''re too impatient, they can sue. Litigation is a very lengthy process, and it would be at least a few months before the case even goes to court."


    The strategy of dy might seem like a rather disgraceful method on the surface.


    But in many cases, it is the most effective way to solve problems.


    Li Zicheng nodded repeatedly, "Right, right, we''ll just drag it out. We don''t need a few months; just a few days from now, once wee up with a n, we can directly crush Xu Yang, and no problems will remain."


    Li Changsheng smiled and nodded, "Exactly, that''s the way to do it."


    Just then, Li Changsheng''s cellphone on his office desk rang.


    Li Changsheng nced at it and saw it was a call from one of the executives.


    "President Li, I just got some news. You should turn on the TV," said the executive.


    "What''s the matter?" Li Changsheng furrowed his brows.


    "Ourpany is on the news. You''ll know once you see it," the executive said.


    Putting down his phone, Li Changsheng immediately picked up the remote on his desk and turned on the television across the wall.


    This television was used by Li Changsheng to watch the news, and he always watched the financial news broadcasts every day.


    He didn''t need to pay close attention, just turning on the TV and listening to the audio was enough while he worked.


    As a tycoon like him, he could easily pick up on financial information that was useful to him and wouldn''t miss any major financial events.


    What appeared was Haicheng TV station, which was broadcasting the news.


    He saw that beautiful newscaster he had dined with present in a clear and articte manner, "The furniture market in our country has always been rather unregted. Despite the nation''s repeated efforts to rectify the situation, there are still enterprises that brazenly vite regtions.


    Our station has just received news that Changsheng Furniture has been discovered selling counterfeit and inferior products and mustpensate affected customers tenfold ..."


    "Yang Xin Investments is simply too bullying!" Li Changsheng gnashed his teeth in anger.


    They had just obtained the recording, and the TV station had already posted the news.


    It was clearly a one-two punch.


    They intended to ruin the reputation of Changsheng Furniture through the TV station.


    Without a reputation, who would buy furniture from Changsheng Furniture in the future?


    It had to be said, thisbination of blows was quite powerful.


    "Dad, it''s not a big deal. We''re familiar with people at the Haicheng TV station. A little PR, taking down the news, and having them release a rification won''t be a problem," Li Zicheng was not overly concerned about the matter.


    "That''s true," Li Changsheng nodded, cing down the remote, but his finger identally touched a button.


    The TV screen immediately switched to the provincial TV station.


    The news on the provincial TV station was also broadcasting the news of Changsheng Furniture''s tenfoldpensation.


    "How is this possible!"


    Li Changsheng''splexion changed, and he quickly picked up the remote to change the channel.


    He switched to another province''s TV station, only to find that it too was broadcasting the news of Changsheng Furniture''s tenfoldpensation.


    "How could this be!"


    Following that, he flipped through many channels only to find that all the provincial TV stations were broadcasting the news about Changsheng Furniture''s tenfoldpensation.


    "All the provincial TV stations are broadcasting news about ourpany?"


    Li Zicheng''splexion also shifted.


    Cold sweat beaded on Li Changsheng''s forehead, and his body trembled uncontrobly.


    Suddenly thinking of something, he picked up his phone to check the online news.


    He discovered that at the top of the Weibo hot search list was also news about Changsheng Furniture.


    The headlines of other major news media were also about Changsheng Furniture.


    At that moment, Li Changsheng fully understood.


    Yang Xin Investments started with a few negative reviews, slowly ripping open a huge tear, causing Changsheng Furniture to bleed profusely.


    One move after another, this series of traps, you wouldn''t know what their final move was until the end.


    If this news was left to ferment, in just an hour or two, thepany could dere bankruptcy and closure.


    Many tycoons were paying attention to the business battle between Yang Xin Investments and Changsheng Furniture.


    Seeing this, many tycoons were in awe.


    "Yang Xin Investments really has some great tactics!"


    "All the provincial TV stations, the entire online tform, working together, that''s a brutal move."


    "If Li Changsheng can''t solve this problem, today we could see Changsheng Furniture go bankrupt."


    "Li Changsheng is a veteran wealthy businessman in the industry, he won''t be easily defeated, let''s keep watching, I think he has the ability to turn the situation around."


    "Exactly, if he were knocked down so easily, that would be underestimating him."

 Chapter 315 Suppressing Public Opinion

    The business magnates gathered together for tea and a show, appearing very leisurely.


    Yet Li Changsheng felt utterly overwhelmed.


    However, he was not about to resign himself to fate.


    He had methods to deal with such problems.


    If he didn''t have any strategies, how could he possibly have grown his business sorge in the inte era?


    With his mind racing, Li Changsheng quickly thought of a n and said to Li Zicheng, "The employees must already know about the news. You go and calm their emotions first. I''ll pull some strings, and everything will be smoothed over soon."


    "Okay." Li Zicheng left.


    Li Changsheng closed his eyes, considering his words, before opening them again, picking up his phone, and dialing a number.


    The call connected quickly.


    Li Changsheng immediately said, "Director Du..."


    The other party cut him off instantly, "President Li, how many times have I told you not to call me that on the phone? Call me ''boss''!"


    Li Changshengughed at that moment, recognizing the nature of these people, so heughingly said, "Haha, okay, I was a bit anxious and forgot, sorry about that, Boss Du. Here''s the thing, the news about mypany is causing quite a stir. You must have seen it, right? These TV stations are really crossing the line.


    It was just a minor issue, and they''re wildly reporting on it based on some dubious information. Isn''t this making things difficult for private enterprises like ours that contribute to local employment?"


    Boss Duughed, "It is a bit much. Private enterprises aren''t easy to run. We should be supporting and protecting them, not criticizing and undermining them. Making mistakes is not the end; correcting them is what matters. To fixate on errors and even call for apany''s downfall is harsh. It would dishearten private entrepreneurs.


    Don''t worry, I''ll issue a verbal order to pull those news stories immediately."


    "Okay, thank you, Boss Du." Li Changsheng sighed with relief.


    After ending the call, Li Changsheng thoughtfully formted his words and dialed another number.


    The call connected quickly.


    Before Li Changsheng could speak, he heard a heartyugh, "Haha, President Li, it''s been a while since we''ve connected. How have you beentely?"


    Li Changsheng''s face soured, and he retorted with a huff, "Boss Feng, what exactly is going on? We''ve been cooperating so well. You once promised me that you wouldn''t publish any news unfavorable to ourpany. But look, your journalists are the most enthusiastic. The articles they''ve posted... they''ve already tarnished mypany''s reputation."


    Boss Feng replied with augh, "President Li, you have to understand me. Our tform has always adhered to the principles of fairness and objectivity, exclusively serving themon people..."


    Without waiting for him to finish, Li Changsheng interjected, "Three million!"


    "I''ll have them remove the news immediately!" Boss Feng changed his tone on the spot, "President Li, you must be very busy. Let me help you touch base with the other media? I won''t charge you a penny!"


    Li Changsheng smiled faintly, "Boss Feng, I don''t really understand media matters. I indeed need your help. But it isn''t right not to charge for services. I can''t let you spend your own money on my behalf. Here''s what we''ll do: I''ll set a budget of two million per agency. Whatever you negotiate is yours to keep, anything extra is yours."


    Upon hearing this, Boss Feng''s smile grew even brighter, "Okay, President Li, rest assured, I''ll take care of it well for you."


    After hanging up, Boss Feng didn''t immediately make another call but instead lit a cigarette and leisurely smoked.


    A few minutester, after checking his shellpany ount and seeing an additional three million, he snuffed out the cigarette, picked up his phone, and started dialing one number after another.


    "Old Guo, remove the news about Changsheng Furniture, one million six hundred thousand is the ceiling price. With your fan base, that''s the price."


    "Old Zhou, delete the news about Changsheng Furniture, one million three hundred thousand. Old Guo''s fan base is evenrger than yours, and I''m giving you the same deal of one million three hundred thousand, which is really quite fair."


    "Old Chen, that''s the final offer, one million, I really can''t go higher!"


    As he made his calls one by one.


    News about Changsheng Furniture Company started to disappear from the inte at a visibly swift pace.


    An article with a hundred thousand reads and thousands ofments disappeared upon refreshing.


    Looking at the news on other media ounts, it was noted that they too had been deleted.


    It seemed as if these media outlets had, at the same time, removed the news about Changsheng Furniture and reced it with other trending stories.


    This left theizens who were following the event utterly dumbfounded.


    What was going on?


    How could such a hot topic disappear all of a sudden?


    Some posted inquiries, but there were hardly any responses.


    Some felt something was off and voiced their skepticism about the matter, only to be warned by the site administrators for disrupting online order, and even had their ounts banned.


    A potential cyberstorm of public opinion was thus forcefully suppressed.


    The same was true for major television stations.


    They were originally broadcasting news about Changsheng Furniture Company just fine.


    Then, the screen switched, and other news items were broadcasted instead.


    The expressions of the news anchors didn''t change at all, a testament to their utmost professionalism.


    ...


    Only after seeing the news suppressed did Li Changsheng heave a sigh of relief.


    He had managed to withstand the onughtunched by Yang Xin Investments.


    Next, it would be seen whether Yang Xin Investments had any other moves up their sleeve.


    At that moment, Li Zicheng came over, smiling happily, "Dad, you''re incredible. You''ve cracked Yang Xin Investments'' sessive attacks in no time."


    Li Changsheng took a sip of tea, a smug smile on his face, "Of course, I''ve been a power yer in the business world for over twenty years. Not just any greenhorn can bring me down."


    The business tycoons paying attention to this matter immediately understood what was going on.


    "Li Changsheng has struck back, and what a countermove it was, instantly suppressing the news."


    "Heh, Li Changsheng, an old-school mogul, has dominated the business world for so many years; if he didn''t have the skills, he would''ve been devoured long ago."


    "Now, we''ll see how Yang Xin Investments will make their move."


    "Manipting public opinion isn''t hard to counter. Yang Xin Investments must have anticipated this. I look forward to their next move."


    "Currently, Changsheng Furniture has suffered a bit of reputation damage and spent some money to suppress the news, which are like superficial wounds. Far from bringing down Changsheng Furniture, maybe Yang Xin Investments is preparing a major strike."


    Several of Haicheng''s business tycoons gathered in a tea house for a chat.


    Not long after, one of the tycoons received a phone call, and his expression turned a bit odd.


    A business tycoon asked, "What''s the matter, Boss Meng?"


    Boss Meng replied, "I just got a piece of news. A leader from the television administration with thest name Du was just taken away by the disciplinary department."


    Upon hearing this, the faces of the tycoons all shifted.


    The television administration oversees all of Hua Xia''s major radio stations.


    Although Boss Meng only mentioned the leader''sst name, Du, without giving the full name, everyone knew who it was.


    This Mr. Du indeed had issues, which anyone well-informed knew about.


    However, he was cunning in his actions and kept his hands clean.


    The disciplinary department hadn''t been able to grasp any evidence against him and was thus unable to deal with him.


    Now that he had been taken away by the disciplinary department, it was clear that they had caught him red-handed.


    A tycoon asked, "Boss Meng, what was the reason?"


    After taking a sip of tea, Boss Meng replied, "Abuse of power."


    The fact that he had been taken away by the disciplinary department for abuse of power meant that the transgressions were significant.


    The tycoons looked at each other, at a loss.


    A business tycoon pressed, "Boss Meng, stop beating around the bush and tell us the specifics."


    With a smile, Boss Meng said, "You must have already guessed it. Yes, it was him who ordered the press-down on the news about Changsheng Furniture at the television stations, and the disciplinary department got evidence of it!"

 Chapter 316 A Battle to Establish Fame

    Hearing what Boss Meng said, everyone''s first thought was that it must be Yang Xin Investment at work.


    "Yang Xin Investment really is formidable," someone remarked.


    "To bring down a bigwig like that with such ease, it''s truly terrifying!"


    "Everyone says Xu Yang and Wang Xiaocong are like brothers; could it be he asked the wealthy Wang for help?"


    "ording to the information I got, nobody helped; it was all Yang Xin Investment''s doing."


    "This Yang Xin Investment, after this battle in the business world, will be a headache for others in the future."


    ...


    At this moment, Boss Meng''s phone rang again.


    A minuteter, after hanging up, his expression was exactly the same as it had been after the previous call.


    A business magnate asked, "Boss Meng, has something else happened with Yang Xin Investment?"


    Others asked the same.


    Boss Meng replied, "Just got news that a leader surnamed Feng in Haicheng was arrested for epting bribes and controlling public opinion."


    Upon hearing this, everyone raised their eyebrows.


    Just now, it had been the television tycoon taken away by the disciplinary authorities.


    Now, it was a leader surnamed Feng from Haicheng who had been arrested.


    To say that this had nothing to do with Yang Xin Investment was impossible.


    Clearly, it was Yang Xin Investment at work again.


    Boss Meng continued, "It seems we''ve underestimated Xu Yang. When he was shing with Hua''an Film and Television in the past, we thought he only used underhanded tactics that weren''t fit for the public eye, but now it seems that''s not the case."


    Originally, Xu Yang was someone they were wary of.


    After all, no one knew how Xu Yang got a hold of others''promising material.


    But it was just wariness.


    For business magnates like them, they weren''t truly afraid.


    But now, they were indeed a bit scared.


    With the methods employed by Yang Xin Investment, they wouldn''t be able to withstand it if the same tactics were used against them.


    ...


    In Haicheng, at the president''s office of Li Changsheng Furniture Company,


    when Li Changsheng learned that his two major connections had been toppled, his face immediately looked unsightly.


    "Dad, what''s going on?" Li Zicheng couldn''t help but ask.


    "I don''t know," Li Changsheng shook his head bitterly.


    He couldn''t figure out what exactly was happening.


    But one thing he was certain of was that it had something to do with Yang Xin Investment, with Xu Yang.


    Right at that moment, the television that was on began broadcasting news about Li Changsheng Furniture.


    "After the issues with Li Changsheng Furniture Company were exposed, it has attracted widespread attention..."


    Father and son were both stunned.


    As soon as theirwork fell, news about Li Changsheng Furniture immediately emerged.


    This gave Li Changsheng a bad premonition.


    He immediately picked up the remote to change the channel.


    Other stations were all reporting news about Li Changsheng Furniture.


    What was different fromst time,


    was that not only was the provincial television broadcasting it, but many local stations were also covering the news about Li Changsheng Furniture.


    Under these circumstances, it wasn''t that these local stations had inside information; rather, everyone knew that news about Li Changsheng Furniture was a hot topic, so they were following the trend to report on it.


    By following the trend, they could get a piece of the action.


    If they weren''t even willing to follow the trend, they would miss outpletely.


    Generally, this indicated that apany was on itsst legs.


    Li Changsheng quickly picked up his phone to check the online news.


    The more he saw, the uglier his face became.


    The previously deleted news had re-emerged.


    Not only that, but even media outlets that had previously ignored the matter began to issue their ownmentaries.


    Even the state media had entered the arena to offer their insights.


    Everyone knew that state media represented authority.


    This kind of situation usually emerged when a verdict was about to be sealed.


    "It''s over!"


    Li Changsheng''s eyes darkened, and he almost fainted.


    He knew that thepany could no longer be saved.


    He never expected that he would fall at the hands of Xu Yang.


    He originally thought that if it were just a matter of business warfare, it wouldn''t mean much.


    At worst, it would just mean a loss of money and would not shake the foundation.


    Once he and his son had a n in ce, it would be Xu Yang''s doomsday.


    But unexpectedly, Xu Yang had, in just one day''s time, started with a few negative reviews and step by stepid out a path to bankruptcy for their familypany.


    ¡­


    The big shots who were watching the drama y out over tea couldn''t help but sigh.


    "This Xu Yang has certainly made a name for himself in the business battle with this one fight."


    "Previously, we only knew Xu Yang was great at investing, but now the business warfare abilities he has disyed are something no opponent can underestimate."


    "In just one day, to bring a billion-dor conglomerate to bankruptcy and closure, such tactics are truly terrifying."


    "What I want to know is whether Xu Yang has used resources from people like Wang, the tycoon."


    "ording to the information I''ve gathered, he has not. Many people, including Wang the tycoon, have called Xu Yang, offering help, but Xu Yang refused."


    "Without leveraging resources, relying solely on personal strength, it really is impressive!"


    "In the future, avoid provoking Xu Yang and those around him. Otherwise, if he does this to yourpany, you''ll definitely end up like Li Changsheng''s furniturepany."


    "Ultimately, it stilles down to Li Changsheng''s son, Li Zixuan, being out of control and provoking Xu Yang, which led to this situation."


    "Everyone should go home and keep an eye on their children; don''t let them cause trouble for no reason. Otherwise, like Li Zixuan, they not only put themselves in jeopardy but also drag down their families."


    "Tonight, I''m going to warn my son about this."


    That very night, many tycoons called their children home and gave them a stern warning.


    Do not provoke Xu Yang or rted people, or you may not even know how you died.


    At the same time, instruct your children to behave and not stir up trouble everywhere.


    Because you never know who might have a connection to Xu Yang.


    Perhaps even an ordinary person might have a rtionship with Xu Yang.


    Just like Li Zixuan, who thought some old fellow was a nobody and kicked him around.


    Who could have expected that the old fellow was Xu Yang''s father.


    ¡­


    Triumph Investment.


    From the moment Yang Xin Investment dered a business battle with Changsheng Furniture, Chen Guanglei had been closely monitoring the incident''s progress.


    He saw the public opinion emerge, only to be suppressed again.


    Chen Guanglei even mocked Xu Yang to himself for a moment, thinking Xu Yang was overestimating himself, believing he could bring down Changsheng Furniture was just a dream.


    Xu Yang was impressive, but could taking down a billion-dor conglomerate be that easy?


    But when public opinion resurfaced, even bigger than the first time, and even the state media came down toment, Chen Guanglei knew Changsheng Furniture was finished.


    "This incident started because of me; Xu Yang called before, saying he would settle the score with Li Zixuan before dealing with me."


    "This guy has brought down Changsheng Furniture, would he target me next?"


    "Changsheng Furniture is finished, and destroying my Triumph Investment would be as easy as eating noodles, right?"


    "No, I have to call Xu Yang proactively, apologize, and beg for his forgiveness. Even if it means bleeding a little, I''m willing, as long as he doesn''t move against me."


    Chen Guanglei became somewhat uneasy, immediately picked up his phone, and dialed Xu Yang''s number.


    At this moment, Xu Yang had just finished listening to Ma Yangrong''s report.


    For this business battle orchestrated by Ma Yangrong, Xu Yang had greatly praised him.


    And he had given a reward to Ma Yangrong and his team.


    The phone rang, and Xu Yang gestured Ma Yangrong to leave before answering the call.

 Chapter 317: Chapter 317 Opportunity to Make Big and Quick Money

    ```


    "Xu Yang, congrattions on crushing Changsheng Furniture and creating a miracle that''s never before seen in the past or will ever be in the future,"


    As soon as the phone was connected, Chen Guanglei began to suck up.


    "You''re calling me, what''s the matter?" Xu Yang rolled his eyes, not wanting to listen to Chen Guanglei''s nonsense.


    "Xu Yang, I''m calling first to congratte you, and second to say I''m sorry," Chen Guanglei said.


    "Hmm," Xu Yang responded indifferently.


    He clearly understood Chen Guanglei''s intent¡ªnow that Changsheng Furniture was done for, Chen Guanglei couldn''t sit still anymore, for fear that he would be Xu Yang''s next target.


    Actually, had Chen Guanglei not called, Xu Yang really hadn''t nned on doing anything to him.


    After all, although the incident stemmed from Chen Guanglei, it didn''t really have much to do with him.


    To tell the truth, the gap between the two was too big, and Xu Yang couldn''t be bothered to trouble Chen Guanglei.


    But since Chen Guanglei had called, it was time to see what the other party had to say.


    "Xu Yang, I''llpensate you with fifty million, as spiritual damage fees for your father. I hope you can be generous and not pursue my responsibility anymore," Chen Guanglei said.


    "I''m not interested in money," Xu Yang quoted Mr. Ma''s famous line, feeling quite pleased with himself.


    "Then what do you want? I have a shop worth about fifty million. It''s likely to appreciate in value in the future. Would you be interested in that?" Chen Guanglei asked.


    That shop was purchased by his father five years ago.


    Initially, Chen Guanglei didn''t even know about it.


    It was only after his father died that he went through his father''s assets and discovered this.


    "A shop? Where?" Xu Yang asked curiously.


    "In the heart of the old city district, currently leased out to someone running a supermarket," Chen Guanglei replied.


    The center of the old city district didn''t have much room for appreciation anymore.


    Xu Yang was going to refuse when the system alert sounded in his mind.


    [Ding! The municipal government of Jiang City is nning to redevelop the old city district, and the core area of the old city district has huge potential for appreciation!]


    Xu Yang''s eyes lit up.


    However, the system did not specify when the municipal government would redevelop the old city district.


    "Alright,pensate me with that shop, and we''ll consider this matter settled," Xu Yang said.


    This was an opportunity to make a fortune¡ªto get the shop first and then sweep up other plots in the old city district.


    "Okay, thank you," Chen Guanglei breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Prepare the contract ande to mypany," Xu Yang said.


    "Whichpany are you at?" Chen Guanglei asked.


    Xu Yang''spanies were numerous¡ªYang Xin Investment, Yang Xin Gaming, Style Media, Water Bottom Fishing...


    "Yang Xin Investment," Xu Yang replied.


    End of call.


    More than half an hourter, Chen Guanglei arrived with the contract.


    After signing the contract, Chen Guanglei left.


    Finally, this matter was settled.


    It allowed Chen Guanglei to heave a long sigh of relief.


    Otherwise, he wouldn''t have been able to sleep peacefully.


    Back in his car, ready to drive away.


    At that moment, his phone rang¡ªit was a friend calling.


    "Hello, Old Dong," Chen Guanglei answered the call.


    "Chen Guanglei, you''ve made a big fortune this time!" Dong Zhe said.


    "Are you here to mock me?" Chen Guanglei was somewhat displeased.


    His friend was aware of the issue with him offending Xu Yang.


    "I have no reason to mock you. I''m serious. However, this depends on whether yourpany can survive Xu Yang''s onught," Dong Zhe continued.


    ```


    "I advise you to take the initiative to apologize to Xu Yang andpensate him to seek his forgiveness, otherwise you definitely won''t be able to withstand it."


    "He even took down Changsheng Furniture, so taking down your Triumph Investment would be way too easy for him."


    Dong Zhe had always been persuading Chen Guanglei to take the initiative in offeringpensation.


    No matter what the business war is, Xu Yang is not someone Chen Guanglei can afford to provoke.


    "I have already made thepensation, and Xu Yang has forgiven me, so my issue with him is over," Chen Guanglei said.


    "That''s great, how much did youpensate?" Dong Zhe asked.


    "Fifty million," Chen Guanglei said.


    "Fifty million to escape disaster is really not much, especially since they brought down a corporation worth tens of billions," Dong Zhe said.


    "What did you mean just now when you said I made a big profit? I''m feeling annoyed, and I don''t want to talk about this anymore. Let''s change the subject," Chen Guanglei said, feeling agitated.


    "Haven''t you seen the news?" Dong Zhe asked.


    "What news? I didn''t see it, I''ve been busy withpensating Xu Yang just now, and I''ve only just finished," Chen Guanglei said.


    "Just now, the municipal government announced the renovation of our old city district, and thend prices there are going to skyrocket very quickly."


    "I remember you told me a while ago that your dad bought a shop in the center of the old city, right?"


    "That shop of yours is right at the core of the old city district, and it''s now worth at least seventy to eighty million."


    "Let''s not talk about the money, haven''t you always wanted to get into the real estate industry? This would be a very big chip; with this shop, you could officially enter the real estate industry."


    This was the reason Dong Zhe said that Chen Guanglei had made a big profit.


    "What!" Chen Guanglei almost bit his own tongue.


    He thought that the shop''s potential for appreciation was not great anymore, which is why he used it aspensation for Xu Yang.


    He never expected such a thing to happen.


    "Chen Guanglei, if you don''t enter the real estate industry, sell the shop to my dad." Dong Zhe''s family was in real estate.


    "That shop is gone," Chen Guanglei said bitterly.


    "Gone? What do you mean?" Dong Zhe asked, not understanding.


    "Ipensated Xu Yang with it," Chen Guanglei admitted frankly.


    "What! How could you think of using that shop forpensation?" Dong Zhe was even more puzzled.


    "I thought the shop had limited room for appreciation, so Ipensated him with it," Chen Guanglei said bitterly.


    "You..." Dong Zhe really didn''t know what to say.


    He had missed the opportunity to get into the real estate industry.


    "Who could have expected this," Chen Guanglei said with a bitter expression.


    Even though the real estate industry is no longer what it once was, it''s still one of the pirs of the national economy.


    Entering the real estate business is still very promising.


    Ever since he took over Triumph Investment, he had been wanting to get into the real estate industry.


    But he never found the right opportunity.


    If he hadn''tpensated Xu Yang with the shop, it would indeed have been an opportunity.


    But now, that opportunity was gone.


    "Sigh, in that case, you really have no chance now," Dong Zhe sighed.


    "There''s nothing I can do about it, who knew this would happen, I''ve just signed the contract," Chen Guanglei said with bitterness in his tone.


    Anything associated with Xu Yang was bad luck for him.


    Whether it was predicting the futures market, picking up bargains in the antique street, gambling on stones, acquiring guilds, or acquiring Qianjiao Company...


    All these things bore Xu Yang''s shadow.


    Whether Xu Yang did it deliberately or not, Chen Guanglei was the losing party.


    "Alright then, let''s leave it at that, I have other things to do, I''m hanging up now," Dong Zhe ended the call.


    "This Xu Yang, is simply toxic."


    Putting down his mobile phone, Chen Guanglei couldn''t help but give a bitter smile and drove away.

 Chapter 318: Entering the Real Estate Industry

    Xu Yang here.


    Not long after Chen Guanglei left, he got down to business, preparing to acquire real estate in the old city district, this time hoping to make a quick andrge sum of money again.


    But before he was ready, he heard the municipal government announce the redevelopment of the old city area.


    That dashed his hopes of making a quick fortune.


    Half an hourter, Xu Yang received a phone call.


    It was from the real estate tycoon Lan Penghua.


    Initially, the two had only met once at a property owners¡¯ gathering.


    Last time, when Jiang Zhiyong bought a house, Xu Yang called Lan Penghua, who offered a fifty percent discount.


    Their rtionship had taken a step forward from there, and they could be considered friends.


    Xu Yang knew he owed Lan Penghua a favor, neither too big nor too small.


    In the future, he would involve Lan Penghua in any good investment projects to make money together.


    "President Xu, you¡¯re impressive, securing the most central shop in the old city area before the municipal nning was even announced,"


    the phone had barely connected when Lan Penghua praised him.


    "President Lan, would you believe me if I said it¡¯s a coincidence?" Xu Yang said with augh.


    As Jiangcheng¡¯s real estate tycoon, it wasn¡¯t surprising for Lan Penghua to know about this.


    The news that Chen Guanglei hadpensated him with that shop must have already gotten out.


    "Coincidence?" Lan Penghua was skeptical.


    After all, Xu Yang¡¯s timing was too urate.


    He had acquired that shop shortly before the municipal government released the redevelopment n for the old city district.


    No businessman would believe it was a coincidence.


    "It really was a coincidence. I believe you already know the story; it was Chen Guanglei who took the initiative topensate me with it," Xu Yang exined.


    "He took the initiative topensate the shop to you?" Lan Penghua was somewhat taken aback.


    He knew that Chen Guangleipensated Xu Yang, but didn¡¯t know that it was done on Chen Guanglei¡¯s own initiative.


    "Yes, he offered it himself. I thought the location there was good. Having such a ce, I considered doing something with it in the future, but out of the blue, the municipal government announced the redevelopment n for the old city, making it seem like I had insider information."


    Xu Yang did have insider information, not from the municipal government, but from the system.


    "I see," Lan Penghua didn¡¯t linger on that¡ªXu Yang said it was a coincidence, so let it be a coincidence. The main issue at hand was more important, "President Xu, I¡¯m not sure what your ns are for that shop, whether to sell it directly, or..."


    Xu Yang raised his eyebrows, "President Lan, are you interested in buying it?"


    Lan Penghuaughed, "If I said I had no interest, that would make me an unqualified real estate developer. Right now, there must be many people eyeing your shop."


    Xu Yang nodded, "That¡¯s true."


    Before Lan Penghua called, a few people had already called with offers, some of them quite high. One person had bid one billion.


    Lan Penghua said, "President Xu, I have an idea, but I¡¯m not sure if I should say it."


    Xu Yang replied, "Go ahead."


    Lan Penghua continued, "President Xu, I see you¡¯ve established quite a fewpanies and invested in many acquisitions, but you don¡¯t have a propertypany. How about seizing this opportunity to establish a real estatepany and enter the property industry?"


    "Enter the property industry?" Xu Yang was taken aback, then said, "I haven¡¯t really thought about that. It¡¯s mainly because it¡¯s too much trouble."


    Lan Penghua replied, "So you are interested. This is exactly what I wanted to discuss with you. I know you don¡¯t like dealing with the day-to-day management, so I have a proposal: Let¡¯s establish a real estatepany together. I will take care of the operational management, and you can just be the silent partner. How does that sound?"


    This was Lan Penghua¡¯s true purpose for making the call.


    There was no opportunity for coboration between them, and this was a chance.


    If they established a propertypany together, their rtionship would undoubtedly deepen.


    This partnership would be more solid than many other business rtionships.


    ```


    There will be even more opportunities to participate in Xu Yang¡¯s other investment projects in the future.


    "I see," Xu Yang couldn¡¯t make up his mind at the moment.


    The system only said that the shop would appreciate in value.


    It didn¡¯t say whether establishing a real estatepany would be profitable.


    Establishing a real estatepany does involve significant risks.


    Lan Penghua continued, "Mr. Xu, rest assured, with my years of experience in the industry, our newly established real estatepany may not make a fortune, but at least it won¡¯t lose money. Moreover, starting with the redevelopment of the old city district is definitely profitable."


    Xu Yang thought about it and agreed that capturing part of the redevelopment of the old city district was sure to be profitable, as it was an official project with guaranteed returns.


    As for future projects, that would depend on the circumstances.


    But no matter what, it wouldn¡¯t be too bad.


    To put it bluntly, even if it ended in a loss, it wouldn¡¯t be much, and with his worth, he wasn¡¯t afraid of losing that bit of money.


    His business empire was bound to touch all trades and professions in the future.


    Not every investment had to rely on the system.


    After all, businesses that the system advised to establish or acquire were definitely profitable.


    Those not mentioned by the system, he could try himself as a way to hone his judgment and abilities.


    Even if it resulted in losses, it wouldn¡¯t be much, inconsequential, and wouldn¡¯t impact the bigger picture.


    Hadn¡¯t it been the same with establishing the securitypany?


    Entering the real estate industry could be approached in the same way.


    With this in mind, Xu Yang said, "Mr. Lan, since you sincerely invite me and there¡¯s such a great opportunity, I¡¯d be embarrassed not to ept. Tell me, how will we do this?"


    Lan Penghua was overjoyed, "Mr. Xu, I¡¯ve thought about it. You can value that shop at one hundred and fifty million as your share, I¡¯ll invest three hundred million, you¡¯ll have forty percent of the shares, and I¡¯ll have sixty percent. What do you think?"


    Xu Yang said, "But wouldn¡¯t you be at a loss that way?"


    That shop had already received offers of one hundred million.


    But reaching one hundred and fifty million seemed unlikely.


    Valuing it at one hundred and fifty million, owning only a third of the investment, yet holding forty percent of the shares.


    Clearly, he was getting a great deal.


    Lan Penghua said, "Mr. Xu, let¡¯s not talk about losses. Being able to establish apany with you, I feel I¡¯m the one making a profit. If you think I¡¯m at a loss, just include me in other investment projects that suit me in the future."


    He wouldn¡¯t make a losing deal, he was just looking at the long-term picture.


    As long as Xu Yang included him in future investments, he could easily make back this money.


    Plus, their rtionship would be stronger through this cooperation, which was worth more than anything else.


    Lan Penghua was confident in his ability to judge people.


    Given Xu Yang¡¯s capabilities, in the near future, he could very well be the richest man in Huaxia, or even the world.


    With this rtionship, the value it could bring him in the future was incalcble.


    "All right, if I say any more, I¡¯ll just seem pretentious."


    With Lan Penghua having expressed himself to this extent, it wasn¡¯t good for Xu Yang to say much else.


    That very afternoon, Lan Penghua personally came to see Xu Yang.


    The two talked for over an hour, and Xu Yang signed all the necessary documents.


    The next steps were Lan Penghua¡¯s responsibility now.


    Three dayster, Huayang Real Estate Company was established.


    The first order of business was to announce a bid for the old city district renovation project.


    However, on the very next day, an issue arose with the bid for the old city district renovation project, forcing Lan Penghua to seek out Xu Yang.


    ```

 Chapter 319 - 319 Whatever President Xu says, do it

    In Xu Yang¡¯s office.


    Lan Penghua said with a bitter smile, "Mr. Xu, it¡¯s all my fault that I¡¯ve involved you. The bid for the old town district renovation is probably going to be suspended."


    Xu Yang said, "Mr. Lan, start from the beginning, what exactly happened?"


    Lan Penghua exined, "Here¡¯s the thing, over the years, thend I¡¯ve acquired and the projects I¡¯ve managed have made a lot of money, which has made other real estate developers jealous. They don¡¯t want me to continue growing stronger. I¡¯ve got word that now, other developers are banding together to block my bid for the old town district renovation.


    I¡¯m afraid we¡¯re unable to participate in this project."


    Xu Yang, puzzled, said, "They bid, we bid, it¡¯s fairpetition, what¡¯s that got to do with anything?"


    Lan Penghua replied, "This time, they¡¯re not nning on ying fair. They intend to resort to underhanded tactics."


    Xu Yang raised an eyebrow, "What kind of tactics? Tell me about it, let me broaden my horizons."


    The affairs of the real estate industry were not something he was very clear about.


    "They n to buy off the judges..."


    Lan Penghua outlined the situation.


    The process for the old town district renovation project goes like this:


    First, the city hall publicly announces the news, then it openly invites tenders for the project, followed bypanies submitting their bids. Next, a panel of judges reviews the bids and decides on the winning enterprise, and finally, the winning enterprise begins construction.


    As it stands, the city hall has already publicized the tender, and nextes corporate bidding.


    The judges are experts invited by the city hall from the provincial city, and upon arriving in Jiang City, they are isted. This is to prevent thepanies bidding for the project from buying the experts off.


    Xu Yang, still unclear, asked, "If that¡¯s the case, how can they buy off the experts?"


    Lan Penghua said, "There¡¯s always a way if there¡¯s a will. ording to the information I¡¯ve received, their n is to intercept the experts¡¯ car en route. After the experts¡¯ car exits the freeway, they¡¯ll stop it and attempt to bribe them."


    Xu Yang said, "That must be illegal, right? If discovered, not only the experts will face trouble, but even the enterprises that attempted the bribery could be banned from bidding."


    Even though Xu Yang was not well-versed in real estate, he understood the gravity of the situation.


    Lan Penghua nodded, "Yes, to block me, they¡¯ve really stopped at nothing. Moreover, thework they¡¯ve formed by banding together is far more powerful than mine. If discovered, they have people to cover for them, so they have no concerns. If we were to try it, we might run into trouble."


    This was why Lan Penghua said it was impossible to get involved.


    Others could brazenly pursue such acts, but he dared not and could not do the same.


    Xu Yang was silent for a moment, then asked, "When do the experts arrive?"


    "They¡¯re due to arrive this afternoon," Lan Penghua checked his watch, "Based on the information I have, they might leave the freeway in a little over half an hour. The other real estate developers will send people to intercept the car near the toll station, looking for the experts. Once they find them, we¡¯ll have no chance, after all, experts are human. If offered enough money, they can be bought."


    Xu Yang asked, "Have you ever tried buying off experts before?"


    Lan Penghua shook his head, "No, I never do such things. If I did, it would leave a stain on my reputation. While I also work on building connections¡ªnothing gets done these days without them¡ªI always stay within legal boundaries. I absolutely do not engage in illegal activities."


    Xu Yang nodded, "That¡¯s right, we can¡¯t engage in illegal activities. Otherwise, if things go wrong, one could end up in prison and have their life ruined. There are plenty of opportunities to make money legally now; there¡¯s no need for that sort of thing."


    That was his genuine sentiment.


    If Lan Penghua was the type to make money by any means necessary, Xu Yang might have to reconsider their partnership.


    He would not want to partner with someone who had no bottom line.


    Otherwise, if Lan Penghua got into troubleter on, it could also drag him down.


    Lan Penghua sighed, "Mr. Xu, I just feel a bit sorry for you. With our capability, bidding for the old town district renovation and securing a few projects to make a good start waspletely achievable. Who would¡¯ve thought that other real estate developers would stoop so low, targeting me collectively and even using their connections for illegal actions? I can¡¯tpete with that."


    Xu Yang narrowed his eyes, "Are they already sending people to intercept the vehicles now?"


    Lan Penghua nodded, "Yes, they¡¯ve already taken action."


    Xu Yang said, "Then you send someone over there too."


    Lan Penghua was taken aback and looked at Xu Yang with a mix of surprise and uncertainty, "Mr. Xu, what do you mean?"


    Could it be that Xu Yang was willing to take a risk and buy off the experts?


    ```


    Didn¡¯t we just say that we can¡¯t do anything illegal?


    Xu Yang exined with a smile, "Mr. Lan, don¡¯t look at me like that. I couldn¡¯t possibly do anything illegal. The reason I¡¯m asking you to send someone over is to stop them."


    Lan Penghua didn¡¯t understand, "How to stop them? We can¡¯t just say that you want to bribe the experts, so I¡¯m going to report it, right? Even if we report it, it¡¯s no use because they have connections to protect them."


    Xu Yang said, "I¡¯ve thought of a way, but it¡¯s going to cost some money. It¡¯s up to you to decide if you¡¯re willing to spend it, Lan Penghua."


    Cost money?


    Isn¡¯t that still bribing the experts?


    Lan Penghua was confused.


    "Mr. Lan, if you still want to work on the old city district reconstruction project, trust that I won¡¯t do anything illegal. Just send someone over, and you will understandter on."


    Xu Yang didn¡¯t offer further exnation; it wasn¡¯t necessary.


    "Alright, I trust you. I¡¯ll send my assistant over."


    Lan Penghua immediately took out his phone, dialed his assistant¡¯s number, and instructed the assistant to rush to the area near the highway tollgate entrance.


    Half an hour passed quickly.


    The assistant called in, "Mr. Lan, I¡¯ve arrived. I see quite a few people stopping cars."


    Xu Yang said, "Just keep an eye on them, keep the phone line open. Once they find the expert, you go over. Do exactly as I tell you."


    The assistant asked, puzzled, "You mean¡­"


    Lan Penghua immediately said, "This is Mr. Xu. Whatever Mr. Xu says, you do it!"


    The assistant was startled; he knew his boss had joined forces with Xu Yang and immediately said, "Understood."


    About five minutes passed.


    The assistant reported, "A seven-seater business van has been pulled over to the side of the road. It should be the experts¡¯ car."


    Xu Yang immediately said, "Go over there, hand your phone to the expert in the car, and tell them we¡¯re another real estate firm."


    "Understood," the assistant said and quickly walked over.


    At this moment, a phone had already been ced in front of the experts in the car.


    The assistant immediately did as Xu Yang had instructed, and handed the phone to the experts in the car.


    One of the experts in the car activated the speakerphone on both phones.


    "Another person hase. The businesspetition in Jiangcheng is really fierce, huh?"


    "I¡¯ve turned on the speakerphone on both phones so that everyone can talk. I¡¯m curious to hear how you allpete," said one of the experts.


    This kind of solicitation, even if they hadn¡¯t experienced it, they had heard of it.


    But they didn¡¯t expect the people in Jiangcheng to be so crazy as to stop cars on the road.


    To be honest, this was the first time they had encountered something like this.


    "Lan Penghua, is that you?" A middle-aged man¡¯s voice sounded.


    "Jiang Guohao, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m with Mr. Xu," Lan Penghua spoke up.


    He recognized the voice immediately.


    The man was Jiang Guohao, the instigator behind the other real estate merchants banding together against him.


    This guy used to be Jiangcheng¡¯s number one real estate merchant, but the real estate projects he had been involved in over the past few years weren¡¯t making much money, and he had been surpassed by Penghua, sliding to second ce.


    Jiang Guohao was not willing to ept this and joined forces with other real estate merchants, intent on keeping Lan Penghua out of the old city district reconstruction project.


    This was a big piece of cake, and as long as Lan Penghua was out of the picture, Jiang Guohao could regain his throne as the number one real estate merchant in Jiangcheng.


    ```


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