Chapter 198: Chapter 52 Mom, why are you fighting with Uncle Sun in the room?_2
Early in the morning, people can have quite a temper.
Afterward, during breakfast in the living room, Nan Nan asked curiously, "Mom, why were you and Uncle Sun fighting in the room?"
Wang Manman’s ears turned red, and she shot Sun Dasheng a sidelong glance. Look at the mess you’ve made. Even Nan Nan heard us.
"Mom wasn’t fighting with Uncle Sun, we were..."
"Uncle and your mom were exercising," Sun Dasheng explained for her.
"Really?" Nan Nan nodded her little head and went back to battling the delicious food on the table.
Under the table, Sun Dasheng’s leg was kicked. But he was quick to react, immediately clamping down on her leg with his own. She was wearing a pair of smooth black stockings today, and when Sun Dasheng reached down to touch her foot, he found it incredibly smooth and exciting to the touch.
Her foot seemed to be a sensitive spot; just a few touches made her blush furiously.
Nan Nan noticed something was off. "Mom, why is your face red? Are you sick, like I used to get?"
Wang Manman quickly pretended that nothing was wrong and stroked her daughter’s little head. "Mommy is fine, Nan Nan. Eat up, or your breakfast will get cold."
"But your face is all red, Mom. You used to say that when my face got red, it meant I was sick and needed shots and medicine."
While struggling to pull her foot back, Wang Manman explained, "Mommy is just a little hot, that’s all. It’ll be fine in a moment. It’s different for grown-ups than it is for kids, you know."
"Oh, I see. Well, if you do get sick, Mom, you have to remember to get shots and take your medicine," Nan Nan advised, still a little worried.
"Mhm, thank you for your concern, Nan Nan. Mommy knows," Wang Manman said, stroking her daughter’s head with a tender expression. She was such a sensible little darling; all the love lavished on her had been worth it.
After breakfast, the family of three strolled around the residential community, mainly to help Nan Nan get accustomed to her new home and to let her make more friends. The advantage of having Sun Dasheng around was that the other children saw she had a mother and a father, and with a dad so tall, they naturally wouldn’t dare to bully her.
Watching her daughter happily playing with the other kids, Wang Manman leaned against Sun Dasheng’s shoulder.
"Thank you for being willing to spend time with me and Nan Nan."
Her backside received a light pat in response. "What are you talking about? Nan Nan is your daughter, but isn’t she my daughter, too?"
Hearing him say that made her happier than any amount of pampering could. As a single mother, her greatest worry was the relationship between her daughter and him—whether Nan Nan would like him, or whether he would like Nan Nan. These were the things that weighed on her mind. Fortunately, for the time being, they were getting along harmoniously.
"Yes, you’re right. I was wrong, I deserve a spanking. Punish me severely tonight," Wang Manman whispered, pressing close to his ear.
What a temptress! Sun Dasheng thought, giving her a fitting appraisal. He finally understood Boss Cao’s tastes.
That night, just as she wished, she was put through a rigorous round of "military training." And what did that training involve? Of course, it started with practicing the standing position, followed by the kneeling position, and finally, the prone position. Oh! This didn’t seem like basic training at all. It must have been advanced marksmanship practice.
After spending a few lovey-dovey days at Wang Manman’s house, Sun Dasheng finally remembered he had a company to run. The first thing that greeted him upon his return was bad news from his old classmate, Qian Zhi.
The chain of milk tea shops was no longer sustainable. The capital chain had snapped, and if the parent company didn’t intervene, they were headed for bankruptcy.
Seeing Qian Zhi’s ashamed expression, Sun Dasheng calmly asked his secretary to bring him a cup of tea.
"There’s no rush. Have some tea first. You’ve brought a lot of documents, so let me take a look. We can talk after I’m done reading."
A silence fell between them. Sun Dasheng flipped through the pages quickly. Qian Zhi had been diligent, listing all the problems the milk tea shops faced. Some issues he had managed to improve, but others were beyond his control. For instance, Sun Dasheng had forbidden him from choosing cheaper, lower-quality suppliers for raw materials, which meant costs couldn’t be brought down. Unable to cut expenses, he had tried to increase revenue by raising the price of the milk tea.
Unfortunately, the customers didn’t bite. People had chosen their small brand over the big ones precisely because they were getting great value: good ingredients, generous portions, and reasonable prices. Now that the prices were higher, customers voted with their feet, flocking to other brands instead. Brand loyalty was low, which was something he couldn’t do anything about. The result was that the business had been better off before the reforms; once they were implemented, the collapse only accelerated.
Sun Dasheng put down the documents. "Old Qian, this isn’t your fault. The milk tea business is a sunset industry with fierce competition. When it comes to investing, you can’t always expect to make a profit. In our line of work, if you invest in a hundred companies and ten of them turn a profit, you should thank your lucky stars. So don’t blame yourself. How about this: draft a new plan. Whether you want to transform the business or keep selling milk tea, just regroup. I’ll still support you."
His old classmate’s support and understanding made Qian Zhi even more ashamed. He set down his teacup, stood up, and straightened his clothes. "Director Sun, rest assured. This time, I will conduct a thorough market analysis before formulating a plan. With your support, I will do everything I can to bring the milk tea shops back from the brink."
After seeing Qian Zhi off, Sun Dasheng looked at the system panel.
No miracle occurred. The milk tea shop is struggling and has effectively gone bankrupt. Experience Points +2000.
What a huge harvest.
He then checked his stats:
Protagonist: Sun Dasheng
Occupation: Investor
Level: 3 (1,000/10,000) Grayed Out
Experience Points: 4,800
Cash-out Value: 48,000,000
Personal Cash: 83,700,000
Investment Company Cash: 38,000,000
How terrifying!
The 4,800 experience points alone translated to about 3.4 "small targets" in RMB. Adding his personal and company funds, he had a total of 460 million in cash. Heh, that was a considerable sum. Most publicly listed companies didn’t have that much cash on hand.
Since the returns from failed investments were so great, he had to find a few more companies to "shear." As for shearing, could he pick the same industries again? In other words, could he choose another internet cafe chain and milk tea shop?
As he thought this, a large "X" appeared on the system panel for the first time.
Oh? This was the first time the system had ever interacted with him, which was a bit of a surprise. His curiosity took over.
Could a single company be sheared repeatedly?
No "X" appeared, which meant it was possible. Of course, after a company went bankrupt, he would have to reorganize it and strip its negative assets before it could be counted again.
He summoned the manager of the investment department, and the two began their clandestine planning session. In the end, they decided to target a poorly managed hot pot restaurant chain. The chain had a total of seven directly-operated stores across Shanghai City, but their mediocre locations resulted in middling business. The asking price was only 30 million. After a personal inspection, they noted that the renovations alone for each store were worth at least 3 million.
They made a final offer of 20 million. The deal was done.
Now, who should he entrust this hot pot chain to? Just as Sun Dasheng was pondering this dilemma, someone he hadn’t seen in a long time suddenly sought him out.
「Auntie’s Milk Tea Shop in Shanghai.」
On the second floor, by a window, an elegant but frosty goddess was sipping her coffee. She seemed to radiate a chilling aura of her own, and the tables immediately surrounding her were all empty. The men sitting at more distant tables only dared to sneak occasional glances, mesmerized by her beauty and air of detachment. Whenever she happened to look up, these peeping toms would hastily look away, pretending to be absorbed in their phones.
I wonder which lucky guy will end up with a woman like her?
That question had barely formed in their minds when the answer to it walked in. A tall figure, well over six feet, appeared on the second floor. He had handsome features, accented by a light circle of a beard that added to his masculine charm. Dressed in a well-fitting outfit, he immediately became the center of attention for the women there. With long strides, he walked straight toward the ice queen. No one made a sound, as if his approach was the most natural thing in the world.
"You’re here?" The ice queen, whose expression had been cold all this time, actually revealed a faint smile.
"Yes, I’m here." Sun Dasheng pulled out a chair and sat down.
He accepted the milk tea she offered. "Long time no see," he said with a smile. "Thank you. I was starting to think you’d never contact me again."
He gazed at the woman before him, feeling slightly dazed. Even after being with so many women, the feeling she gave him was still the most special. This was Si Ruoqi, the ice queen from his hometown.
Who would have guessed that in the next second, her composure would shatter? The ice on her face melted instantly as she frowned her pretty brows, grabbed Sun Dasheng’s hand, and implored with a pitiful look, "Big Victory Brother, please save your little sister."