Chapter 107: Chapter 11 Just Spent a Billion, It’s Back Again
The nearly one hundred million yuan villa had nearly exhausted Sun Dasheng’s funds.
I need to make money, and fast.
The system had bound him to five women.
Now, whose pockets are ripe for the picking?
Without much thought, his gaze landed on Wu Xiaoli, who was idling at home.
It’s time to find her something to do.
That evening, when Xiang Yiren arrived home, she was ecstatic to hear about the new house. She had no sentimental attachment to the old one and didn’t want to stay there a moment longer. With Sun Dasheng’s permission, she called a moving company to transfer her numerous personal belongings to the villa.
Sun Dasheng didn’t go to help with the move. He said he had things to do that evening and left the two women to handle it themselves.
Xiang Yiren instantly understood the hint; this man had other women. Being clever and considerate, she kept his secret perfectly from her best friend. Jiang Ziyan still thought he was only with the two of them.
「Hospital」
In a VIP ward of the Inpatient Physical Therapy Department, Wu Xiaoli was diligently caring for her mother. She was very happy to see Sun Dasheng arrive with gifts. He was here again, not long after his last visit.
It shows this man really cares for me. He keeps me in his thoughts.
Out loud, however, she complained, "Why do you buy so much every time you come? My mother can’t eat much. It’s such a waste."
The smile on her face, however, betrayed her true feelings as she gladly accepted the gifts.
After chatting with Mother Wu for a while, the elder promptly shooed them out. The two shared a knowing smile and walked to the park they had visited before.
"I see Auntie’s complexion has improved a lot. You should hire a good nurse to help care for her, so you don’t have to do everything yourself," Sun Dasheng said as they walked.
Wu Xiaoli nodded, then asked, "Yeah, the doctor said she can be discharged in a couple of days. I plan to bring my mom home to recuperate."
"That works too. We can find a live-in nurse to help lighten your load."
Hearing him mention a nurse again, Wu Xiaoli suspected he had a task for her. "Brother Sun, is there something you need me to do?" she asked.
She’s as sharp as a tack; she gets it instantly.
He found a bench by the lake, and they sat down.
"I’ve recently acquired two companies and I’m a bit short on staff. I was thinking, if you’re willing, you could come help manage one," Sun Dasheng said.
He spoke gently, but his tone left no room for opposition.
"They are both chain stores. One is a milk tea shop chain, which I’ve already assigned to someone. The other is an internet cafe chain that still doesn’t have a manager. I was hoping you could help run it."
Wu Xiaoli felt a little insecure. Having been a homemaker since she finished her schooling, she lacked real-world professional experience. If I’m put in charge of a whole chain of internet cafes, will I just mess things up?
When she voiced these concerns, Sun Dasheng just laughed heartily, looking completely unconcerned. He pulled her into his arms and patted her head reassuringly. "If we lose money, we can always make more. This company is just for you to get some practice."
Wu Xiaoli was deeply moved by his words. This man spoils me rotten.
She hugged his waist tightly, silently vowing that she would give him a result he could be proud of.
[Wu Xiaoli’s Workplace Debut. Stress Index: Five Stars. Experience Points +1000]
Oh! The experience points are rolling in, just like that.
Convert!
[Experience Points Converted +800]
A high bond value sure is nice; it gives a lot of extra experience points.
**Status Panel**
Protagonist: Sun Dasheng
Occupation: Investor
Level: 3 (1,000/10,000) (Grey)
Experience Points: 1,500
Withdrawable Value: 0
Personal Cash: 10,000,000
Investment Company Cash: 2,000,000
My personal and company accounts are both running low on funds. The investment company just invested in two businesses and has no other immediate plans. I’ll cash out the experience points into my personal account for now.
Cash out!
Personal account received: 106,000,000
Added to the original 10,000,000.
Total: 116,000,000.
He was back to his "small goal" of over a hundred million.
My fear of financial inadequacy is temporarily alleviated.
After getting things sorted out for Wu Xiaoli, Sun Dasheng returned to the company. The head of finance approached him, saying there were several applications for company business vehicles that needed his signature.
He glanced at the list: a Mercedes V-Class and a Toyota Alphard. The former cost about 700,000 yuan to get on the road, while the latter would be at least 1,000,000 yuan. The purchase order was for three Mercedes V-Classes and one Alphard, for a total of 4,000,000 yuan. However, the company account only had 2,000,000 yuan left.
He crossed the Japanese-made vehicle off the list. We’ll get three Mercedes for now. With the significant price drops on fuel-based vehicles, ordering three at once will likely come with a discount. The company’s remaining funds should be just enough. I can use future experience points to replenish the investment company’s funds later.
"Alright, Chairman," the finance head said before leaving.
It took him a few days to sort out the personnel for the two newly acquired companies. He designated office areas within the headquarters for the food company (the milk tea chain) and the internet information company (the internet cafe chain). Then, he assembled a management team for Qian Zhi to run the milk tea shops and another for Wu Xiaoli to run the internet cafes.
By the time he finished, February had arrived, and the New Year was fast approaching.
Sitting before the floor-to-ceiling glass window in the chairman’s office, he gazed into the distance, feeling somewhat sentimental. A month ago, with the same view, he had sat in his former company’s office signing his resignation agreement, feeling completely dispirited. A month later, he sat here as the boss of several companies.
He couldn’t help but marvel at how unpredictable life was.
Thank you, System Dad.
He picked up his phone and habitually dialed a number. This time, the call actually connected.
"Hello! My dear master, why are you calling me?" a coquettish and cute voice on the phone squashed Sun Dasheng’s rising irritation.
But his tone was still unfriendly. "You brat, what’s been going on with you? Your phone has been unreachable, and you haven’t been replying on WeChat. Your master couldn’t even find you."
He had good reason to be angry. His little apprentice had offended the leadership at her company, and he had been worried she was being treated unfairly. He had been planning to bring her into his own company, but then he completely lost contact with her. He had even tried going to her company to find her, but it seemed they had recently laid off so many people that security at the main entrance was much tighter and wouldn’t let him in.
"Master, I’m sorry! I resigned and blocked all external contact. I went on a spur-of-the-moment trip."
This little apprentice is quite willful.
"Where are you now?" Sun Dasheng asked, his mood still sour.
"Master, don’t worry, I’m perfectly safe. I’m traveling around the country. Right now, I’m in Harbin. The Ice and Snow World here is so beautiful!" Ouyang Jiani’s excited voice exclaimed over the phone.
Looks like she’s in a pretty good mood. She hasn’t gotten depressed over resigning like us middle-aged men.
"When are you coming back?" Sun Dasheng asked.
But he immediately caught himself. Come back? What was she going to come back for? The New Year was just around the corner. The girl would probably go straight home to Bai Jing for the holiday.
"Next year, are you going to look for a job back home, or will you come back to Shanghai City?"
"Don’t worry, Master, your little apprentice will come back to Shanghai City," Ouyang Jiani said. "I’m used to living there. I’m still not quite accustomed to the dry weather in the northern cities."
"Alright. Give your master a call when you get back to Shanghai City."
"You got it, Master."
Hanging up the phone, Sun Dasheng felt a weight lift from his shoulders.
It seems my old company is really in dire straits. Their layoffs have been borderline insane.
「February 2nd, the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month—the Little New Year in the north.」
「Hengdian」
On the set of a small film crew in Hengdian, the person in charge, Sun Dacheng, gathered the staff together after they wrapped. He announced some good news.
"Today is the Little New Year in the north, so the company has arranged a banquet at the hotel for everyone!"
"Wow! The company rocks!" the crew members from the north cheered excitedly.
"And for our friends from the south, don’t worry. Tomorrow is the Little New Year in the south, and we’ll do it all over again."
Now the southerners were thrilled as well, and everyone cheered, "Long live the company!"
At the hotel, after removing their makeup, the three young women huddled together.
"Do you think tonight’s feast was Uncle’s idea?" Li Sili asked first. "Do you think he’s going to surprise us with a visit?" She grew excited at the thought.
"I doubt it..." Fang Sihan was skeptical. "Uncle has so much to deal with at the company."
Li Sili, displeased with that answer, turned to Yun Yuqing. "Yu Qing, you’re the smartest of us. What do you think? Am I right?"
Yun Yuqing, who had been discreetly applying lipstick, put it down and said, not meaning a word of it, "I’m not a mind-reader, how would I know what Uncle is thinking?"
In truth, she had received a message from him earlier and knew he was coming tonight. But from her friends’ conversation, it was clear she was the only one who knew. She couldn’t help but feel a secret thrill.
It seems Uncle likes me best.
"Forget it. It’s getting late, let’s go eat. We shouldn’t keep them waiting too long," Li Sili said.
The "they" she referred to were their classmates from school. Since Li Sili was just an extra with no competing interests, and she often watched them film, she got along best with these older schoolmates.
After dinner, they returned to their hotel rooms.
Not long after, Yun Yuqing heard a knock at the door. Glancing through the peephole, she immediately opened it, her face blushing as she said, "Uncle, you’re here."
The newcomer wore a mask and a baseball cap, so covered up that one might have mistaken him for a celebrity.
Once inside, he swept the girl into his arms, buried his nose against her chest, and greedily inhaled her milky scent, making her blush a deep pink. "Did you miss your Uncle?"
Yun Yuqing’s shrewd eyes darted around, and she turned her head away. "Not at all."
"Oh? Then I’ll just go to Si Han’s room," the man said, starting to let go.
"Don’t!" The girl clung tightly to his chest. "I didn’t just miss you. I missed you very, very much."
Holding her, Sun Dasheng pinched her small cheek. This little minx certainly knows how to play her cards.
He closed the door, enclosing them in their own little world.
Afterward, Yun Yuqing lay in his arms like a little kitten. "Uncle, have you eaten?" she asked.
"What? Are you saying I didn’t try hard enough?" Sun Dasheng teased. "Do you want to find out just how sharp my blade is again?"
This little thing is getting bold enough to provoke me.
"Uncle, you misunderstood! That’s not what I meant," Yun Yuqing said, quickly stopping his mischievous hands from wandering. "We just had our cast dinner, and you weren’t there. I was worried you were delayed on the road and hadn’t eaten."
Oh. So she was actually talking about food.
He stroked her smooth back. "I ate before I came," he said. "I didn’t want to join you all because I was afraid my presence would make you feel constrained and you wouldn’t be able to enjoy yourselves fully."
As a boss, he’s surprisingly considerate.