Following the cancellation of his wedding invitations due to special circumstances, Huang He found himself in a unique predicament. He had decided to pursue a path that would involve not just one, but potentially all of his potential partners.
The first person to be convinced was Leng Zhiwen. Huang He presented his unconventional idea, and she readily agreed. The narrative suggests that Leng Zhiwen might have even been anticipating such a development, given that she had proactively shared her situation with Huang He and seemingly let go of her chance to become his wife.
The next hurdle was his mother-in-law, an undoubtedly more challenging individual to persuade. Huang He had intended to speak with her directly, but Leng Zhiwen intervened, insisting she would handle the conversation.
Meanwhile, Huang He altered his wedding plans significantly, abandoning the idea of inviting any guests. His original intention was a low-key ceremony, with fewer than ten tables of guests. This was primarily due to Leng Zhiruo's identity, the revelation of which could have negative repercussions. While Huang He wasn't afraid, he wished to avoid unnecessary complications. However, if he were to pursue a polygamous union, any guest, no matter how close, could inadvertently leak information to his numerous enemies, leading to a fate far worse than that of Wang Yingfei, whom he had previously driven away.
Consequently, Huang He instructed his staff to inform all invited guests that the wedding had been canceled due to special circumstances. He assured them that he and his wife would still marry, but without a formal ceremony, opting for a simple registration. He also promised to host a celebratory dinner at a different hotel later. Although he didn't offer an explanation, his guests, understanding the gravity of a last-minute cancellation, didn't pry and instead expressed their respect for his privacy. Thus, all guests gracefully withdrew their attendance.
Following this, Huang He hastily moved the wedding venue to the Huang family ancestral shrine, leading to the ceremony that had recently taken place.
On the other side, after a dinner where emotions ran high, Leng Zhiwen and her mother engaged in a lengthy discussion. Leng Zhiwen confessed that after much deliberation, she realized that marrying in her sister's stead was the worst possible solution. Firstly, her sister would lose the man she loved and would likely never find happiness. Secondly, she herself would not be marrying because she was loved, but as a substitute for her sister, which she considered a profound insult that would prevent her own happiness. Therefore, this path would ruin the futures of both sisters.
Her mother, upon hearing this, acknowledged the logic but was at a loss for what to do if this plan also failed. Seizing the opportunity, Leng Zhiwen proposed her radical idea: for Huang He to have both of them. She argued that both she and her sister deeply loved Huang He and could never love another man, deeming all others inferior to him. Furthermore, she was already prepared to be a mistress, which was arguably a worse fate than her current proposal. This arrangement, she reasoned, would create a perfect balance. If she had children, they would carry her sister's bloodline, effectively making them half-sons to her sister, thus resolving any future issues.
Her mother, exhausted by the emotional turmoil, found Leng Zhiwen's reasoning compelling and, in her dazed state, agreed. The next morning, the thought of giving all three daughters to Huang He troubled her, but with no better alternatives, she resigned herself to the situation.
With the mother-in-law convinced, the third target was Leng Zhiruo. However, Huang He, Leng Zhiwen, and their mother all understood that Leng Zhiruo was the most stubborn. A straightforward explanation would never lead to her agreement with such an outlandish plan. Therefore, Leng Zhiwen proposed a deceptive stratagem: to have Leng Zhiruo unknowingly participate in the wedding ceremony with Huang He, making the situation irreversible. This led to the shocking scene Leng Zhiruo witnessed: marrying her sister's intended at the same time.
Subsequently, Leng Zhiwen explained the situation to her sister. Although Leng Zhiruo found it absurd, she had already participated in the solemn rituals before the Huang family ancestors, and these vows, it seemed, could not be undone. Finally, Huang He personally intervened, and after several hours of discussion in their room, Leng Zhiruo reluctantly agreed, bringing this convoluted affair to a quiet conclusion. The outcome, of course, was a resounding success for Mr. Huang, with his mother-in-law losing two daughters in one fell swoop.
Most notably, Leng Zhiwen and Leng Zhiruo reached an agreement: neither would officially register their marriage. They would only consider a brief legal registration if they became pregnant, solely to provide their children with a legitimate status, and would then divorce. This ensured that both sisters would maintain equal standing and avoid the distress of a conventional marital relationship. Thus, the mother-in-law was truly at a disadvantage.
Huang He's wedding concluded without much fanfare. While many knew he had married, the identity of his bride remained unknown. This was not surprising, as wealthy individuals often preferred to maintain a low profile, especially concerning their wives and children. Photos were kept from public view, and even names were withheld, to prevent potential harm from malicious individuals, which could lead to devastating loss. Despite their seemingly arrogant demeanor, the wealthy were still human and, when faced with criminals, might resort to begging for mercy. In Hong Kong alone, hundreds of affluent individuals had fallen victim to various criminals, some of whom, with mere handfuls of people, had managed to manipulate the lives of billionaires. Therefore, although Huang He's decision to forgo a public wedding invitation might have displeased some, learning that only relatives, not outsiders, attended brought them comfort. The act of attending a wedding was less important than ensuring no one else was treated differently, thus preserving their own dignity.
And so, the month of May passed uneventfully. Jiangnan Group operated normally, the nation progressed, and the COVID-19 situation gradually eased, allowing cities to regain their vibrancy. Everything was developing prosperously until June, when Huang He, amidst an intimate moment with his wife, received a piece of intelligence.
Upon examining the intelligence, Huang He discovered it was related to a bidding process. According to the information, Yahoo, America's largest internet company, intended to purchase a batch of servers to expand its network services and had issued a tender to major server manufacturing companies worldwide. Yahoo planned to select a supplier through a competitive bidding process for these servers. The tender indicated a substantial procurement of servers valued at approximately $2 billion, a colossal order that sent server manufacturers globally into a frenzy. Each company was actively preparing their bids, vying for this immense $2 billion contract. Considering the global server market was only worth slightly over $10 billion annually, this single order represented 20% of the year's total sales, making it an opportunity no one could refuse.
After pondering the intelligence, Huang He immediately departed for Cao County, where he met with Ni Guangnan, who was at work. Presenting the intelligence, Huang He said, "Elder Ni, please examine this." Upon reviewing the server specifications, Ni Guangnan exclaimed, "Tsk, tsk. As expected of servers required by world-leading internet companies, the data requirements are astonishing. To provide such servers, the technological prowess must be immense!"
"Alright, Teacher," Huang He interjected, "enough with the flattery. My question is, do we have the capability to produce servers that meet these requirements?"
Ni Guangnan pondered for a moment before replying, "That... would be extremely difficult. Looking at this tender, it's divided into two parts. The first is for computing servers, which we absolutely cannot produce. Many of the data requirements cannot be met by simply linking a large number of servers, and the tender also specifies energy consumption limits."
"Therefore, while our servers may be inexpensive when linked together, their power consumption would be high. It's simply impossible for us to meet the energy consumption requirements stipulated in this tender. So, when it comes to computing servers, we definitely cannot get involved!" Ni Guangnan stated with absolute certainty, which was within Huang He's expectations, as the technological gap between Jiangnan Servers and world-leading server companies was still too significant.