Chapter 375 The Qian Family's Resurgence (Part 2)
The delighted Cao Pingao was just about to take off the blindfold on his face when his hand was pulled by Qian Yi's small hand:
"Could you please not take off the blindfold yet? I'm still a little shy~"
"Hahahaha, alright, alright, if you say don't take it off, I won't."
Qian Yi led the sightless Cao Pingao to sit down together on the edge of the bed, then she lowered her head, blushing, too embarrassed to speak.
Seeing that the other party remained silent for a long time, Cao Pingao proactively asked: "Xiao Yi, why did you suddenly change your mind?"
Qian Yi tugged at the lace hem of her slip dress and said, blushing, "It wasn't sudden. Actually, I—I don't even know when I started liking you—"
Cao Pingao groped for and wrapped his arm around her delicate shoulder, laughing: "That's wonderful, Xiao Yi, our relationship can finally take the next step."
Qian Yi took the opportunity to lean her head gently against his solid chest, inhaling his masculine scent, her heartstrings trembling:
"I have genuinely fallen for you. I'm not doing this just to enjoy the same treatment as the other sisters and cousins in the family~"
"Of course I know that." Cao Pingao stroked Qian Yi's smooth long hair, "Xiao Yi, you are a rare, non-materialistic good girl. Otherwise, you would have been enjoying the official Girlfriend treatment more than half a year ago."
After speaking, Boss Cao, whose eyes were still covered, began to lower his head, searching for the young girl's cherry lips.
Seeing this, Qian Yi bit her lip, then, with a flushed face, she met him with her own mouth---Inside the bathroom of apartment 3501.
The tall Cao Pingao squatted beside Qian Yi's feet, gently rinsing the bloodstains off her lower legs.
"Thank you, Husband~"
Cao Pingao looked up and smiled: "You changed how you address me quite quickly. Have you been calling me that in your heart for a long time?"
Qian Yi was full of shyness: "N-No~"
"Hahaha, if you haven't, why are you stuttering?"
Cao Pingao stood up and embraced her: "Xiao Yi, since you've called me Husband, I will take good care of you for the rest of my life."
Qian Yi was so touched that her eyes became moist. She hugged his waist tightly and said, "Husband, you are so good to me~"
--- Cao Pingao and Qian Yi, each wrapped in a bath towel, had just walked out of the bathroom hand-in-hand when they saw Qian Wan and Qian Jia standing in the living room waiting for them.
"Husband, please sit here. I have more good news to report to you~" Qian Wan said respectfully, her eyes lowered.
"More good news?" Cao Pingao led Qian Yi over, then spread his legs and sprawled out on the sofa.
Qian Wan quickly led Qian Jia to sit beside him, then had her pull out a testing device that showed two lines:
"Congratulations, Husband, Jia Jia is pregnant too~"
Cao Pingao looked calm: "Mm, that is good news."
Seeing the man's complete lack of surprise, Qian Jia's heart instantly sank halfway. She could only ask tentatively in a low voice:
"Husband~ Can I now enjoy the same treatment as the other sisters in the family?"
Cao Pingao glanced sideways at Qian Jia: "Starting tomorrow, you will have a 30,000 yuan monthly living allowance, just like everyone else, but zero pocket money."
"Ah?" Qian Jia pouted, looking like she was about to cry, "Husband, why don't I get pocket money~"
"Don't you know why?"
Cao Pingao put his arm around Qian Yi's delicate shoulder, his sword-like eyebrows slightly furrowed as he said: "We'll talk about pocket money once you have completely passed my test and given birth to the child."
"Alright~ I understand." Qian Jia lowered her head, speaking with a wronged expression.
Although Qian Jia had not completely earned Cao Pingao's forgiveness through pregnancy, she had at least gained his partial approval—
This boosted Qian Wan's confidence somewhat.
So, she finally took out a document she had prepared for a long time and presented it to Boss Cao with both hands.
"What is this?" Cao Pingao asked.
"This is a proposal I specifically prepared for you, Husband, and the sisters in the family."
As Qian Wan helped him open the document, she spoke with a sweet expression: "We are moving to the private villa area in Donghu Bay next month, right? To ensure the sisters live more safely and comfortably, my housekeeping company recently trained a batch of female security guards and private maids.
The private maids I selected are all healthy young women under 23 years old, and the female security guards I chose are female university students currently enrolled at Jiangcheng Sports Institute."
After listening to Qian Wan's words, Cao Pingao stroked his chin and said:
"Mm, that makes sense. Inside the villa area, aside from me, everyone living there is women and children. It is indeed more appropriate to have Liu Weiguo and his men handle the main gate and perimeter security, while female security guards patrol the interior of the villa area."
"How many female security guards did you train this time?"
Qian Wan quickly replied: "The first batch trained a total of 20 people."
"They can be divided into two shifts to ensure that there are female security guards on duty in the villa area 24 hours a day."
Cao Pingao nodded slightly: "Mm, submit the budget for this batch of female security guards to Yaoyao tomorrow. I approve it."
"Understood, Husband~"
Qian Wan tried her best to suppress the corners of her mouth from turning up and continued:
"Also, because the area of each villa is very large, the dozen or so Housekeeping Aunties we currently have definitely won't be enough, so I feel it is necessary to add a batch of young maids as well~"
Cao Pingao naturally approved of Qian Wan's proactive behavior of helping him "select concubines":
"Fine, submit the maids you trained to Yaoyao as well."
"Thank you, Husband, for affirming my work~" Qian Wan said in a gentle tone, her eyes lowered.
Because she maintained a slight bowing posture towards Cao Pingao, the cleavage visible through the neckline of her silk slip dress was completely exposed to Cao Pingao the entire time.
It must be said that although Qian Wan's looks were not significantly better than her two cousins, her plump and curvy figure was something Qian Jia and Qian Yi could not compare to.
Therefore, Cao Pingao stood up from the sofa and looked down at Qian Wan, saying:
"You have also rested for more than a year. It's time for you to bear me a second child."
Qian Wan's face flushed, and she was overjoyed internally, but she still said in a soft tone:
"I will follow all of Husband's arrangements~"
--- Inside the master bedroom of apartment 3501.
The gentle Qian Wan proactively submitted, doing everything in her power to flatter and serve Cao Pingao until he was completely satisfied.
[Marksman Badge (Gold) successfully activated]
[Congratulations to the host for successfully completing the More Children, More Blessings mission]
[Breeding target Qian Wan successfully conceived naturally. System reward: 10 million yuan for prenatal care]
[Skill Reward: Loyalty Badge (Bronze)]
[When the host holds the Loyalty Badge (Bronze), intimate interactions can slightly increase the Loyalty of females whose Loyalty is below 85% towards the host]
[The Loyalty Badge will upgrade upon the successful birth of the baby]
[Random Reward: 2 great tonic strengthening pills]
[Qian Wan's Loyalty +3. Current Loyalty: 90.75%]
Cao Pingao caressed Qian Wan's smooth and flawless beautiful back and smiled:
"How good is it when things are like tonight? As long as you use your intelligence where it should be used and assist Yaoyao in managing the household for me, I, your Husband, will help you fulfill all your small wishes."
Qian Wan was moved to tears, tightly hugging his neck and saying: "I understand, Husband~ I will definitely be obedient from now on~"
//376//
Chapter 376 How dare you call someone a scumbag?
The next day, August 16th, was Cao Pingao's 32nd birthday.
As soon as Boss Cao walked through the door after work, he noticed that all the girls in the house today had put on delicate, light makeup and were wearing the two types of outfits that best suited his preferences:
The older sisters were all wearing deep purple, off-the-shoulder, tight-fitting 'little mom' dresses, with ultra-thin black silk stockings on their legs—
Their naturally voluptuous and sexy figures, combined with the mature 'older sister' style, made Cao Pingao's blood surge.
The younger girls were all wearing JK uniforms consisting of white tops and dark blue pleated skirts, uniformly paired with over-the-knee black silk stockings—
The absolute white domain between the skirt and the stockings made Cao Pingao unable to take his eyes away, lingering on the sight.
Seeing Cao Pingao standing dumbfounded in the hallway with wide eyes, all the girls gathered around him, smiling, "How is it, husband? Do you like us dressed like this?"
"I like it, I like it, of course I like it," Cao Pingao said happily, "It would be even better if you could all dress like this every day."
Jin Yao covered her mouth and chuckled, "If the sisters dressed like this every day, I'm afraid your body wouldn't be able to handle it, husband."
"Hey! You dare underestimate your husband's strength."
Cao Pingao reached out and wrapped an arm around Jin Yao's slender waist, pulling her into his embrace, "It seems tonight I'll have to give you a good refresher on just how powerful your husband truly is."
"I want a refresher too~"
"Me too~ Me too~"
"Hmph hmph hmph hmph hmph~"
The room was instantly filled with joyful air.
--- Three days later, a small luxury motorcade consisting of two rolls-royce phantoms and one white car model slowly drove into the parking lot of St. Marys Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital.
After the iconic double doors automatically opened, Cao Pingao, tall and dressed in a white POLO shirt and casual black trousers, first exited the car, then turned around and carefully helped the heavily pregnant Lü Xiaomeng from the car onto a wheelchair that was already waiting nearby.
Besides the District Mayor's secretary, whose due date was approaching and who was at the hospital to await delivery, Xiao Ya, Liu Sijie, Zou Huimin, Wang Yuwen, Jie Jie, Shen Qingyu, and Qian Jia, a total of 7 women, also came to the hospital for prenatal check-ups.
Xiao Ya's due date was in October, and Liu Sijie's due date was in November; both of their bellies were already quite large;
As for Zou Huimin, whose due date was in December, and Wang Yuwen and Jie Jie, whose due dates were in January of next year, their bellies were only slightly rounded;
Then there were Shen Qingyu and Qian Jia, whose bellies were not visible at all; their due dates were in March and April of next year, respectively.
--- On the 3rd floor of the hospital, in the SVIP exclusive area specially set up for the hospital owner, Xu Bei, the deputy chief of obstetrics, who had successively completed prenatal examinations for the girls, invited Cao Pingao into her office.
"Boss Cao, the expectant mothers are all in very good health. The only slightly complicated case is Ms. Lü, whose due date is almost here—
Her twin pregnancy has a somewhat complex fetal position. I recommend a direct C-section for the safety of both the children and the mother."
Cao Pingao nodded earnestly, "I understand, Dr. Xu. We'll proceed according to your professional judgment."
"Thank you for your trust, Boss Cao. Now, let's go communicate with Ms. Lü together so she can be mentally prepared."
"Alright."
Subsequently, the two went together to Lü Xiaomeng's luxurious single room—
There, the seven girls who had completed their prenatal check-ups were gathered, chatting with the heavily pregnant woman with glasses who was lying on the bed.
After hearing from Xu Bei that she would be undergoing a C-section, Lü Xiaomeng felt both a little happy and a little worried.
The happy part was that the surgery would involve general anesthesia, meaning she wouldn't have to endure the pain of childbirth.
The worrying part was the issue of physical recovery after the surgery, especially whether she would have a scar on her belly.
At this moment, Cao Pingao, sitting by the bed, held her small hand and comforted her:
"Don't worry, Xiao Meng. Xinxin's triplets were also born via C-section. At first, she had a bit of a scar on her belly, but after applying a face mask for a period, there's now almost no trace of the surgery at all."
Seeing Lü Xiaomeng nod to Cao Pingao with eyes full of trust, Xu Bei, standing nearby, asked Xiao Ya, who was heavily pregnant, with a curious expression:
"What brand of face mask is so effective? It can even remove scars?"
Hearing Xu Bei's question, several girls around them secretly chuckled.
Her Best Friend Xiao Ya also covered her mouth and laughed, "I'll tell you on wechat later."
Xu Bei raised an eyebrow, "It's just a face mask, is there a need to be so mysterious?"
Just as everyone was gathered around Lü Xiaomeng's bed, chatting and laughing, Xu Bei's phone in her pocket suddenly vibrated.
She pulled out her phone, and her expression immediately changed, "Xiao Ya, you all chat first; I'm going out to take a call."
Xiao Ya nodded, "Mm, okay."
After Xu Bei left the room, Cao Pingao, who had keenly observed her change in expression earlier, asked Xiao Ya:
"Did Dr. Xu run into some trouble?"
Xiao Ya bit her lip, leaned in, and whispered to him, "She's been going through a divorce with her husband these past few days."
Cao Pingao: "Oh, so that's what it is---what's the reason for their divorce?"
Xiao Ya continued to whisper to him, "Xu Bei's husband cheated on her; he found an 18-year-old young mistress."
Cao Pingao grinned, "Damn, isn't that a classic scumbag?"
Xiao Ya couldn't help but let out a "pfft" of laughter, then gave Cao Pingao a fierce side-eye:
"How can you have the nerve to call someone else a scumbag?"
Cao Pingao was extremely thick-skinned, "Of course I have the nerve; I've never cheated in a marriage."
Xiao Ya: "—"
--- In the corner of the hallway outside the door.
Xu Bei held her phone, her brows tightly furrowed, and said in a low voice, "You are the party at fault for cheating. Why should the household assets be split fifty-fifty?
If you agree to my division plan, I'll agree to a consensual divorce; otherwise, we'll go to court.
You're already at my hospital? Okay, wait for me; I'll be down as soon as possible."
Xu Bei hung up the phone and turned around, just as she saw Cao Pingao walking out of Lü Xiaomeng's room.
"I'm sorry, Boss Cao, I have some personal matters today, so I might have to leave work a bit early."
Cao Pingao nodded, "Okay, be careful on your way."
Xu Bei forced a smile, "Thank you."
Then she quickly returned to her office, briefly tidied up her shoulder bag, and went downstairs to the hospital parking lot.
When Xu Bei saw her scumbag husband with a young girl with pigtails clinging to his arm, she nearly exploded with anger:
"Wang Feng! We're discussing our divorce; what's the meaning of bringing your mistress here?!"
"I can't help it; Xiong Xiong is too clingy; she doesn't want to be separated from me for a minute."
Wang Feng, with his slicked-back hair, large gold chain, and large gold watch, twirled his mercedes-benz car keys in his hand and said with an indifferent smile:
"Get in the car. I agree to a sixty-forty split of the household assets. Let's go to the law firm to sign the agreement."
Just as Xu Bei was feeling ashamed, annoyed, and full of unvented grievances, a mature male voice suddenly came from behind her:
"Dr. Xu, how about I accompany you to sign the divorce agreement?"
Xu Bei turned her head—it was indeed Cao Pingao, smiling.
Seeing a tall, distinguished young man suddenly appear next to his wife, Wang Feng's brows couldn't help but furrow slightly:
"Who are you?"
Before Xu Bei could speak, Cao Pingao grinned and quickly said:
"I'm Dr. Xu's suitor.
Hello there, ex-husband bro."
//377//
Chapter 377 Xu Bei, Pursued by a Rich and Handsome Man (Part 1)
As soon as the phrase "ex-husband brother" left her mouth, Xu Bei and Wang Feng froze simultaneously.
Standing nearby, Xiong Xiong, who was wearing a pink crop top and a white mini-skirt, examined Cao Pingao up and down with great interest.
Cao Pingao instinctively activated his system to scan her as well:
[Name: Xiong Zihan]
[Age: 18]
[Bare Face Score: 70 points]
[Figure Score: 77 points]
[Junior high school education, 18 former riders, 3 soul rings, history of smoking, 7 tattoos, has F-type disease and X-type disease]
[System Judgment: Unqualified]
Cao Pingao chuckled internally: Good heavens, this spirited young girl is truly tender, but also truly toxic.
Soon, Wang Feng, who believed he had seen through everything, burst out laughing:
"Hahaha, Xu Bei, you're hilarious. If you're going to hire someone to pretend to be your suitor just to save face, why didn't you hire a younger, handsomer fresh face?"
He glanced disdainfully at the "plain and unremarkable" Cao Pingao and continued to laugh:
"You hired someone of this caliber to cooperate with your act? If you want to save face, spend a little more money."
Xu Bei couldn't help but roll her eyes dramatically: "Wang Feng, what kind of eyesight do you have? Boss Cao is countless times more outstanding than you are."
"Oh, oh, oh, oh, you're really getting into the role."
Wang Feng shook the 188,000-yuan gold Rolex on his wrist and laughed mockingly:
"He's pretending to be a boss? He doesn't even have a decent watch on his wrist. Buying an Armani from a street stall and putting it on makes him a big boss?"
Although the cloakroom in the Royal Lake Family Estate contained 3 Patek Philippes, 4 Vacheron Constantins, 6 Rolexes, and 15 Cartiers gifted by his Girlfriends, Boss Cao, whose hands were currently in his pockets, was indeed not wearing a watch.
Because, aside from attending formal occasions, Cao Pingao, who usually had a lot of "activity" and frequently changed clothes, preferred a more relaxed and simple style, and avoided wearing unnecessary accessories.
He was already past the stage where he needed such things to display his wealth.
Cao Pingao said with a smile: "Whether I am a big boss or not is irrelevant. What matters is that you quickly divorce Dr. Xu; I am waiting here."
Xu Bei: "---"
Wang Feng: "---"
Xiong Zihan covered her mouth and chuckled: "Brother Feng, I didn't realize your wife was quite popular~"
Wang Feng frowned: "Xiong Xiong, you are still too young. I can see through their clumsy acting at a glance."
He pulled open the car door, sat into his mercedes-benz E300, and spoke to Xu Bei and Cao Pingao with displeasure:
"Forget it, continue acting if you want, as long as you, Xu Bei, agree to the divorce.
Hurry up and get in the car, then we'll all go to the law firm to sign the papers."
"No need, we'll take our own car."
Cao Pingao gently waved his hand, and a gleaming black rolls-royce phantom immediately stopped beside him and Xu Bei.
Wang Feng's eyes widened instantly:
"Hah, I take back what I just said. Xu Bei, you did spend some money to save face.
But renting a BBA car for this Boss Cao fellow would have been enough.
Don't you understand that too much is as bad as not enough? Do you think he looks like someone who could afford a rolls-royce?"
Wang Feng simply didn't believe that a young, rich, and handsome man who drove a Rolls could chase after a married woman in her thirties like Xu Bei.
Cao Pingao didn't bother responding to Wang Feng. Instead, he first helped Xu Bei into the back seat of the Phantom, and then climbed in himself.
Then the driver Dian Wei stepped on the gas, and the imposing rolls-royce was the first to drive out of the hospital parking lot.
At this moment, Xiong Zihan, sitting in the passenger seat of the mercedes-benz, curiously asked: "Brother, between the car that man is riding in and your mercedes-benz, which one is more expensive?"
Wang Feng stammered: "Well, this, uh, the rolls-royce is definitely a bit more expensive—but my mercedes-benz is mine, and the car they are riding in is rented!"
"Oh, Brother, don't get agitated. I was just asking casually~"
Xiong Zihan's eyes darted around. She took out the Apple phone Wang Feng had bought her and started checking the price of a rolls-royce online.
---In the back seat of the rolls-royce phantom.
Xu Bei bit her lip and said to Cao Pingao, who was sitting beside her:
"Thank you, Boss Cao~
Thank you for saving me from being too embarrassed or distressed in front of my cheating husband and his mistress—"
"You're welcome." Cao Pingao said with a smile, "As long as Dr. Xu doesn't mind me poking my nose into your business."
Xu Bei quickly waved her hand, her face slightly flushed: "No, no, of course not~"
Cao Pingao's current intention was actually very simple—to help Dr. Xu quickly resolve her troublesome divorce issue, because next week she was scheduled to perform a C-section on Lü Xiaomeng, who was carrying twins.
---Before long, Cao Pingao and the others arrived one after the other at Jiangcheng Zhiyue Law Firm.
Inside a small conference room.
A young male lawyer from the firm drafted a divorce agreement according to Xu Bei's request, splitting the family assets 60-40.
After reviewing it, Wang Feng expressed basic agreement but also proposed a few revisions.
In the waiting area outside the small conference room.
Xiong Zihan, who had already checked the price of the rolls-royce, seized the opportunity to sit next to Cao Pingao and asked sweetly:
"Brother~ Was that rolls-royce you were riding in really your car?"
Cao Pingao smiled and nodded, then took out his phone, opened wechat, and showed her his "Wallet" balance.
Xiong Zihan stared at the numbers on the screen and counted softly:
"Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands,
hundreds of thousands, millions, tens of millions—hundreds of millions—Oh my god! Brother, you are so rich~~~"
Xiong Zihan quickly moved closer to Cao Pingao, pressing her bouncy curves against his arm:
"Brother, why would such an excellent, rich, and handsome man like you chase after Brother Feng's wife?
What's the point of an old woman in her thirties?
What do you think of me? I just turned 18 this year~~~"
Cao Pingao turned his head to look at the spirited young girl who was diligently showing off her cleavage, and chuckled:
"Your name is Xiong Xiong, right?"
"Mhm~"
"Xiong Xiong, I'm a bit of a clean freak. If you are willing to first go to St. Marys Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital for a comprehensive physical examination, I can consider becoming friends with you."
Cao Pingao took out one of his business cards and handed it to Xiong Zihan:
"Take my business card to the hospital; all examination items will be free."
"Ah? Why?" The young girl looked astonished.
Cao Pingao grinned: "Because I own that hospital."
//378//
Chapter 378 Xu Bei, Pursued by a Rich and Handsome Man (Part 2)
After nearly two hours of bargaining, Xu Bei and Wang Feng finally signed their names on the divorce agreement and agreed to meet the next morning at the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau in Jiangnan District.
As soon as the two walked out of the small conference room, Wang Feng saw his little Girlfriend waiting outside, intimately leaning against Boss Cao, chatting and laughing happily with him.
Wang Feng instantly felt a faint green glow appear above his head.
"Xiong Xiong, what are you talking about with him? Hurry up and come over!"
"Oh dear~ Brother Feng is calling me. Brother, let's chat on wechat later, okay~"
After giving Cao Pingao a flirtatious look, Xiong Zihan stood up, walked over to Wang Feng, and whined in a saccharine voice:
"Brother Feng, don't misunderstand. I was just helping you investigate him, seeing if he's really a big boss, and if he's actually pursuing your wife~"
Wang Feng looked warily in the direction of Cao Pingao and Xu Bei, frowning as he spoke to Xiong Zihan:
"Do you need to investigate that? If he really is a big boss who can afford a rolls-royce, would he lack young and pretty girls around him?
A tall, rich, and handsome man chasing a divorced woman in her thirties, hmph, this kind of plot device that only appears in female-oriented wish-fulfillment novels won't happen in reality."
Xiong Zihan, who already knew that Boss Cao had over two hundred million in his wechat wallet alone, smiled without refuting, but she had already begun treating Wang Feng as her backup plan.
After signing the divorce agreement, Xu Bei, whose expression was much more relaxed, said to Cao Pingao: "The matter has finally come to an end.
Once I submit the documents at the Civil Affairs Bureau tomorrow morning, I won't have to deal with that scumbag Wang Feng ever again."
Cao Pingao smiled: "Congratulations, congratulations.
Let's go, Dr. Xu. It's almost mealtime, let's have a good dinner together to celebrate."
Xu Bei smiled: "Then I have to treat."
Cao Pingao: "Hahahaha, no problem. If you want to treat, you treat."
Xu Bei knew that Wang Feng was standing nearby watching her, so she proactively reached out and linked arms with Cao Pingao, leaving the law firm with him.
Although he "clearly knew" the other party was putting on a show for him, seeing the wife who had just signed the divorce agreement immediately link arms with another man still gave Wang Feng an indescribable awkward feeling:
"Let's go, Xiong Xiong. We should also go have a big meal to celebrate."
---After they finished dinner that evening, Cao Pingao drove Xu Bei back to the residential community where she lived.
Downstairs of Building 5.
Xu Bei, who was slightly tipsy, held her bag with both hands in front of her body and said with a flushed face:
"Boss Cao, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule today to accompany me to sign the divorce agreement and then have dinner with me. I really feel much better~"
Cao Pingao smiled: "Dr. Xu, you are Xiao Ya's Best Friend, which makes you my friend. It's just a small favor between friends; it's really nothing."
"Since Boss Cao treats me as a friend, I won't say thank you anymore."
Xu Bei subconsciously tucked the hair behind her ear, revealing her fair, rosy ear.
"It's still early, Boss Cao. Why don't you come up to my place for a cup of tea before you leave?"
The experienced Cao Pingao recognized the hint of flirtation in Xu Bei's eyes.
"Alright, I'll have a cup of tea before heading home."
---The apartment Xu Bei lived in was a standard two-bedroom unit.
The room was clean and tidy; one look and you could tell the occupant was a sensible person.
Cao Pingao sat at the island counter of the open-plan kitchen, watching the voluptuous Xu Bei boil water and steep tea for him.
"Boss Cao, here is your black tea~"
"Thank you."
Xu Bei placed a mug in front of Cao Pingao, then took a cup for herself and sat down next to him:
"Hey, Boss Cao, the internet says that in the eyes of you men, once a woman passes thirty, her attractiveness drops sharply. Is that really true?"
Cao Pingao smiled: "That depends on the person. For some women, thirty is their most mature, most sensual, and most charming age."
Xu Bei pouted: "Then I must not be the kind of woman you're talking about, otherwise why would Wang Feng cheat on me with a tattooed little punk girl?"
Cao Pingao immediately replied: "He was blind; it's not your problem."
Xu Bei turned her face towards him, smiling slightly: "Although I know you are comforting me, I still have to thank you—"
"Dr. Xu, I am not comforting you."
The corner of Cao Pingao's mouth curved up, revealing a hint of a mischievous smile: "I have personally experienced how comfortable it is to get along with an excellent, mature woman in her thirties."
After hearing his words, Xu Bei immediately recalled the folder on her office computer named [SVIP Mr. Cao]—
Although most of Cao Pingao's Girlfriends were young and pretty girls, he did indeed have four mature women over the age of thirty: Chen Shuting, Chen Xue, Xiao Ya, and Shen Qingyu.
Looking at the tall, masculine, and distinguished Cao Pingao, and recalling how her Best Friend Xiao Ya often talked privately about how strong his body was and how lasting his stamina was—
Under the influence of alcohol, Xu Bei involuntarily developed some different feelings in her heart.
She had just stood up, preparing to refill their teacups with water, when her legs suddenly went weak, and she fell right into the arms of Cao Pingao beside her:
"Oh dear~ I'm sorry, Boss Cao~"
Cao Pingao held her shoulders and slender waist: "Dr. Xu, are you alright?"
Xu Bei leaned her head gently against his chest, secretly sniffing the pleasant masculine scent on his body:
"I'm fine. I rarely drink, so those two glasses of red wine I had during dinner tonight were quite a lot for me."
"Then Dr. Xu, you sit and rest. I'll go get the kettle. Drinking more warm water will help you sober up."
"Wait~ Let's drink the water later~"
Xu Bei took the opportunity to wrap her arms around Cao Pingao's neck, preventing him from getting up from the chair:
"Can you just hold me like this for a little longer?"
Cao Pingao didn't say a single unnecessary word, simply holding the emotionally wounded Xu Bei gently, allowing her to sob softly in his arms.
After a moment, Xu Bei sniffled and said: "Boss Cao, I want to ask you for one more favor."
"Mhm, Dr. Xu, tell me. As long as I can do it, I will definitely help you."
Xu Bei's cheeks suddenly turned crimson, and she bit her lower lip as she spoke:
"Whenever I think about that scumbag Wang Feng cheating, I feel extremely unwilling to accept it.
Why was I so faithful to the marriage, only to end up being cuckolded by him? It's simply too unfair."
Cao Pingao nodded in agreement: "It is indeed unfair."
Xu Bei suddenly lifted her head from his embrace, her face still streaked with tears, her eyes mixing determination with a hint of flirtation:
"So, while I haven't formally divorced him yet, I want to cuckold him too, just to vent the resentment in my heart.
Boss Cao, are you willing to help me with this favor?"
//379//
Chapter 379: Is an 18-year-old girl really that malicious?
Cao Pingao had always been a warm-hearted, kind person.
Not to mention, Xu Bei, with tear stains still in the corners of her eyes, was looking at him with full expectation—
Under these circumstances, Boss Cao couldn't possibly refuse to lend a helping hand.
"Good—"
Before he could utter the remaining words, Cao Pingao's mouth was sealed by Xu Bei's soft lips—on the big bed in the bedroom.
Xu Bei, with a rosy complexion, rested her head on Cao Pingao's chest and sighed in her heart:
When Xiao Ya and I chatted before, she kept praising how good his body was, but I didn't quite believe it at the time—now it seems, everything Xiao Ya said was true, and she even understated it a bit.
"Thank you, Boss Cao. I've lived for over 30 years, and today is the first time I've known that being a woman can be so joyful~"
Cao Pingao's lips unconsciously curved upwards: "You're welcome."
Suddenly, a system notification sound rang in his ears:
[host has completed the 'Many Children, Many Blessings' mission. Breeding target Xu Bei has successfully conceived naturally. System rewards 10 million yuan.]
[Skill Reward: Marksman Badge (Bronze)]
[Random Reward: 2 Great Vigor Strengthening Pills]
Cao Pingao secretly rejoiced in his heart: Heh, good deeds truly bring good rewards.
Now that Xu Bei's divorce agreement is signed, it shouldn't be difficult to have her move into my private villa area with Xiao Ya and give birth to my child.
Speaking of Xiao Ya, her due date is in October, and Xu Bei conceived today—the timing just happens to be staggered—after Dr. Xiao gives birth to the Little Baby and finishes her confinement period, and then rests for a while, Dr. Xu's belly will begin to grow.
This way, there will always be a reliable and trustworthy female obstetrician who can provide services for me and my Girlfriends.
—The next morning.
Lying on the large bed, Cao Pingao opened his eyes and saw a beautiful, undulating picture bathed in the morning sun.
"Boss Cao, you're awake~" Xu Bei said with a low laugh.
Cao Pingao grinned and said, "Dr. Xu, it's hard for me not to wake up when you're like this."
Xu Bei smiled sweetly and continued earnestly with her yoga poses:
"I'm going to the Civil Affairs Bureau in a bit to meet Wang Feng and submit the documents together. Will you come with me?"
Cao Pingao put his hands behind his head, smiled, and nodded: "Once you help someone, help them all the way. I'll continue to play your suitor today, and I absolutely won't let you lose face in front of your ex-husband."
—An hour and a half later, in the parking lot of the Jiangnan District Civil Affairs Bureau.
As Wang Feng just got out of his mercedes-benz E300, he saw a white car model pull into the parking space next to him.
As the rolls-royce's iconic suicide doors opened, Wang Feng saw Xu Bei, who was about to divorce him, intimately holding Cao Pingao's arm as they both got out of the car.
Cao Pingao: "Hey, Ex-husband Bro, where's your little Girlfriend?"
Wang Feng frowned: "She has something to do today."
Xiong Zihan told Wang Feng that she was going shopping with her Best Friend, but in reality, she took a taxi to St. Marys Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital and was undergoing a comprehensive physical examination as requested by Boss Cao.
Subsequently, Cao Pingao and the other two walked into the Civil Affairs Bureau hall, took a number, and then sat together on the stainless steel benches in the waiting area, waiting for their number to be called.
Cao Pingao, sitting between the two, looked at the number slip in Xu Bei's hand and teased with a grin:
"Hey, number 69, that's a good number."
Dr. Xu, who understood instantly, blushed slightly and gently punched his arm with her pink fist:
"Oh~ you're annoying~"
Wang Feng, sitting next to them, had a dark expression and cursed inwardly: What the hell—are you two treating me as a T?
After waiting for a while, Xu Bei got up to go to the restroom.
Wang Feng seized the opportunity and asked Cao Pingao: "Hey, buddy, how much does Xu Bei pay you a day to act here with her?"
Cao Pingao looked sincere: "Who's acting? As soon as your procedures are completed today, Dr. Xu and I will officially be together."
"No, buddy."
Wang Feng frowned, scoffing disdainfully: "There are plenty of young and beautiful girls in Jiangcheng. You're treating a used car that I don't want as a treasure?"
Cao Pingao crooked his mouth and smiled: "Although it's nominally a used car, all the interior is brand new, except for a negligible scratch on the car door.
And I checked it carefully last night—the car condition is excellent, and it's stable and powerful when driving at high speeds."
Wang Feng: "—"
Just as he was about to retort, he saw Cao Pingao, who was over 1.8 meters tall, well-built, and muscular, smiling confidently and looking down at him—
Wang Feng's confidence was instantly shaken—his mouth was open for a long time, but he couldn't squeeze out a single word.
When Xu Bei returned from the restroom, she found Wang Feng sitting beside her, looking dejected, without the usual arrogance in his eyes.
"Did you two talk about anything? Why did he suddenly become like this?" Xu Bei asked quietly, looking happy.
Cao Pingao smiled: "Oh, nothing, we just chatted about cars casually."
Xu Bei immediately thought of the black, imposing rolls-royce: It must be that Wang Feng finally realized the luxury car wasn't rented, but belonged to Boss Cao himself.
After another half an hour, the call number display finally showed number 69.
Xu Bei stood up with a serious expression and submitted all the divorce documents with Wang Feng.
At the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau, looking at Cao Pingao and Xu Bei walking hand in hand, chatting and laughing, Wang Feng felt a mix of emotions.
Just then, his phone vibrated. He picked it up and saw a screenshot of a medical examination report sent by Xu Bei.
"Hmm?" Wang Feng clicked on the image and zoomed in, only to see "Xiong Zihan" written in the name field of the examinee.
As he continued to read through the examination results one by one, Wang Feng couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat:
"Holy crap! Is an 18-year-old girl really that malicious?!"
Wang Feng ran wildly to his mercedes-benz, got in, started the car, and then floored the accelerator, rushing to the nearest Grade A hospital.
//380//
Chapter 380: Joy of Moving into a New Home
The end of August.
Inside the SVIP zone on the 3rd floor of St. Marys Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital.
Xu Bei, the Deputy Director of Obstetrics, successfully completed the cesarean section, delivering a healthy and adorable pair of dragon and phoenix twins for Cao Pingao and Lü Xiaomeng.
[Congratulations, host, you have gained a pair of biological dragon and phoenix twins.]
[Congratulations, host, you have completed the Many Children, Many Blessings Mission. Mission Reward: 400 million yuan.]
[The multiple birth badge (Bronze) has been upgraded to the multiple birth badge (Silver).]
[host currently holds the multiple birth badge (Gold). The multiple birth rate has increased to: 20%.]
[Random Reward: 4 great tonic strengthening pills.]
Inside the luxurious single room.
After the anesthesia slowly wore off, Lü Xiaomeng opened her eyes and saw Cao Pingao, Jin Yao, Chen Shuting, Jie Jie, and Shen Qingyu sitting around her bed, along with the two crying little infants in their arms.
"Xiao Meng, you worked hard," Cao Pingao said gently, reaching out to stroke her cheek.
Lü Xiaomeng endured the increasingly noticeable pain from her incision and managed a smile:
"Hubby~ Have you chosen the babies' names?"
Cao Pingao nodded proudly: "The older brother is named Cao Cheng, and the younger sister is named Cao Xuanmeng."
"Cao Cheng, Cao Xuanmeng~" Lü Xiaomeng, still slightly weak, whispered, "I want to see them."
Cao Pingao and Jie Jie quickly placed the two babies from their arms next to Lü Xiaomeng—
Coincidentally, as soon as the two infants who had just been crying were placed next to their mother, they immediately stopped fussing.
Just as everyone was chatting and laughing in the room, three knocks suddenly came from the door:
"May I come in?"
Cao Pingao and the others turned around and saw District Mayor He Qing, a beautiful woman dressed in professional attire, standing at the door.
"District Chief He, please come in quickly." Cao Pingao led the way, standing up to greet her.
Seeing her direct superior personally come to visit her, Lü Xiaomeng, who was lying in bed, tried to struggle up a bit, but He Qing immediately stopped her:
"Hey, Xiao Meng, lie down and don't move. You just gave birth to two little babies.
I am visiting you now as your friend."
Lü Xiaomeng was full of emotion: "Thank you, District Mayor~"
He Qing smiled and said, "You're welcome. May I hold the Little Baby?"
Lü Xiaomeng nodded: "Of course, District Mayor. Do you want to hold the older brother or the younger sister?"
"Then I'll hold the younger sister."
He Qing carefully took the newborn Cao Xuanmeng from Cao Pingao's hands, and a happy smile appeared on her face that Boss Cao had never seen before—
Anyone with eyes could tell that she genuinely loved children.
After holding the Little Baby for a while longer, He Qing reluctantly handed her back to her mother.
Before leaving, He Qing said to Cao Pingao:
"Boss Cao, can I borrow you for a moment to say a few words?"
Cao Pingao nodded: "Mm, okay."
Then he followed He Qing out of the room.
As soon as the two left, the women in the room immediately gathered around Lü Xiaomeng's bedside to gossip:
"Hey Xiao Meng, District Chief He likes children so much, why doesn't she have one with her husband?"
"Right, I heard District Chief He has a strong family background. Just having a child shouldn't delay her political career, should it?"
Lü Xiaomeng pursed her lips and said, "Actually, I don't know the specific reason either. The District Mayor is quite approachable in private and can talk about any topic with her subordinates.
The only thing she has never brought up herself is why she hasn't had children, and of course, we don't dare to ask in detail."
---After leaving the room, Cao Pingao realized that He Qing's driver had been waiting in the corridor outside the single room door the entire time and had not entered.
After the two arrived at a secluded spot, He Qing began to speak:
"Boss Cao, I have received news that Jiaye Real Estate's debt and cash flow situation have begun to deteriorate rapidly. If this continues, Jiaye Real Estate will eventually collapse—for the stability of the Jiang City real estate market, can your two companies really not stop this now and shake hands to make peace?"
Cao Pingao smiled calmly and said, "District Chief He, this dispute was not initiated by me. The one who keeps raising the stakes during the price war is also Ye Fan.
If you want our two companies to turn hostility into friendship, shouldn't you talk to him first?"
He Qing frowned slightly: "Alas, to be honest, I already talked to Boss Ye first.
I don't know why, but his attitude is even more resolute than before; he clearly intends to fight you to the death."
Cao Pingao chuckled internally: Of course. I put a huge cuckold's hat on him. Given Ye Fan's arrogant personality, he absolutely cannot tolerate such humiliation.
"District Chief He, I still stand by what I said: no matter what kind of mess Jiaye Real Estate leaves behind, my Cao Wei Real Estate can stabilize the Jiang City real estate market single-handedly."
Having failed again as a mediator, He Qing had no choice. After chatting with Cao Pingao for a few more sentences, she left with her driver.
---Time flew by, and September arrived. It was finally the day for Cao Pingao and his large family to move into the large villas at Donghu Bay.
That morning, three blue Yutong luxury coaches passed through the gate guard post and stopped in the middle of the main road within the Cao Family Private Villa Area.
The excited young women, some holding their little babies, some linking arms, and some holding hands, successively stepped down from the coaches. Then, accompanied by their dedicated Nannies and Housekeeping Aunties, they headed off in different directions toward the large villas they had selected earlier—
The 16 three-story large villas were divided into two rows: Villas 1 through 8 faced the lake, and Villas 9 through 16 were close to the Donghu Bay residential area.
Villa No. 1, the closest to the main gate, was used by Cao Pingao as his private reserve and the fixed venue for the twice-weekly family gatherings.
Villa No. 2 housed the recently joined Cao Wei Song and Dance Troupe faction: Director Bai, senior dancer Li Shihan, and White Dove;
Villa No. 3, which included a large mahjong room, belonged to the four young women of the "sichuan faction": Xia Tian, Xu Yingying, Yang Zihan, and Wei Mengmeng;
Villa No. 4 housed Flight Attendant Liu Yun, female counselor Liu Sijie, Little Nurse Zhou Jing, and F-class Zou Huimin;
Villa No. 5 housed the core members of the "Yunan Faction," including the Qian Sisters Trio: Qian Wan, Qian Jia, Qian Yi, as well as Yu Qian, Liu Ruyan, and Wang Yuwen;
Villa No. 6 housed the family's Chief Steward Jin Yao, her Best Friend Li Jing, and the two simple-minded young women, Zheng Jiaqi and Li Yixuan;
Villa No. 7 housed "bananas number one sister" Zhang Yuwei, Sober in the Mortal World Wang Lulu, Baby Face, Huge Chest Xu Tiantian, pure and lovely Jiang Xinxin, and golden-haired, blue-eyed Sophia;
Villa No. 8, the innermost one, housed five career-oriented young women: Chen Shuting, Jie Jie, Shen Qingyu, Lü Xiaomeng, and Xiao Ya;
Villa No. 9, the first in the second row, housed the five young women who most recently joined the Cao family: Fan Binbin, Deng Xiaorong, Huang Panpan, Sun Ying, and Wang Hui.
Jiang Qianqian, the Eldest Miss of the Jiang Family, also chose a large bedroom with a lake view on the second floor of Villa No. 7, next door to Jiang Xinxin.
However, before Cao Pingao and Jiang Dawei had their confrontation, she temporarily couldn't live with her two Best Friends—Jiang Xinxin and Sophia—every day.
Throughout the day, moving company vans drove into the villa area one after another, transporting the luggage the women had packed in advance from the Yuhu Shijia Residential Area.
Then, with the combined help of their respective Nannies, Housekeeping Aunties, and newly recruited young maids, they spent the entire day tidying up and finally settled into their new homes.
---That evening.
In the spacious dining hall on the first floor of Villa No. 1, which measured nearly 100 square meters.
Boss Cao, sitting in the main seat at the head table, raised a stemmed glass, looked around at the three large tables of uniquely beautiful women, and said with a proud expression:
"Today is our first dinner gathering since moving into our new home.
Come, let's drink a toast together, wishing our Cao family even greater prosperity, abundant wealth, harmony, and many children and many blessings!"
The crowd of beautiful women chimed in sweetly:
"Cheers~"
Cao Pingao tilted his head back, finished the red wine in his glass, and grinned: "Chopsticks ready, let's eat!"
During the lively banquet, young maids dressed in matching maid uniforms diligently moved between the three large round tables, serving and portioning food, pouring wine and tea for the master and mistresses of the house, and constantly replacing clean bone plates.
Cao Pingao was very satisfied with the performance of the maids trained by Qian Wan, and he turned his head to ask Jin Yao:
"Yao Yao, how much are the salaries for this batch of newly recruited maids and female security guards?"
Jin Yao quickly put down her chopsticks and replied, "Xiao Wan offered them 6,000 yuan a month."
"Only 6,000 yuan a month?"
Cao Pingao laughed: "It looks like Xiao Wan has learned her lesson this time."
Jin Yao also smiled and nodded.
At this moment, Cao Pingao suddenly turned his head to look at Yu Qian, Liu Ruyan, and the others sitting on his left side:
"Qian Qian, all of you move back one seat."
Yu Qian and the others were all stunned for a moment, but then immediately obediently followed the instructions.
After the seat to his left was vacant again, Cao Pingao slowly took a sip of red wine before saying in a calm tone:
"Xiao Wan, you can sit back down."
//381//
Chapter 381: A Small Peak in Life (Part 1)
Under the watchful eyes of all her sisters, Qian Wan, filled with inner joy, tried her best to rise calmly from the third table, walked to the first table, and sat back down to Boss Cao's left.
"Xiao Wan, let bygones be bygones.
Today we all moved into a new home together. You should put more effort into assisting Yaoyao from now on, and together with her, take good care of all the sisters in the family. Do you understand what I mean?"
After listening, Qian Wan quickly lowered her eyes and replied obediently:
"I understand, Husband~"
Sister Yaoyao, all the misunderstandings before were my fault. From now on, if there's anything I can help with at home, please tell me immediately~"
Kind-hearted Jin Yao saw Qian Wan's humble attitude towards her, and her guard quickly dropped:
"Mhm, Xiao Wan, then let's manage this new home for Husband together from now on, so he can focus on developing his career outside~"
With the public reconciliation of the two, the atmosphere in the dining room immediately became more relaxed and pleasant.
After the dinner, the girls only sat together in the large living room for a while, and then all returned to their respective villas to continue busy tidying their rooms.
It was just past 7 PM, and the orange-red sunset still lingered in the sky, not yet completely set.
Cao Pingao, full and content, strolled leisurely on the lawn bathed in the afterglow, hands in his pockets, patrolling his territory like a lazy lion.
Suddenly, Li Yixuan, with two Pigtails, wearing a pink T-shirt and a white mini-skirt, bounced out of Villa No. 6, immediately jumped onto Cao Pingao, and wrapped her arms around his neck:
"Husband~"
Cao Pingao quickly supported her lower back and bottom with his hands, asking with a smile, "Yixuan, have you finished tidying your things?"
"Mhm~"
The little girl pressed her small nose against the man's neck, trying to sniff his scent:
"Husband~ I finished tidying the fastest, shouldn't you reward me~"
"Hahahaha, tell me, what reward do you want?"
Li Yixuan brought her cherry lips close to Cao Pingao's ear, her face slightly flushed as she whispered a few words to him.
"Alright, Husband will grant your wish."
--- A sudden cloudburst swept over this villa area under the setting sun.
In a large bedroom on the second floor of Villa No. 6.
Cao Pingao leaned against the headboard of the brand new big bed, holding the delicate and soft Li Yixuan in his arms.
"Husband, don't move yet~ Just hold me like this and sit for a while longer~"
"Okay." Cao Pingao caressed her small head and smiled, "We'll hold each other for as long as you say."
"Husband, you're so good to me~"
The Little Daoist Nun with the childlike face and ample bosom had been very distracted recently taking care of her Little Baby, so she especially cherished every moment she spent with her beloved man.
After they cuddled for over an hour, Cao Pingao finally, after coaxing the exhausted little girl to sleep, quietly left her room.
Passing by the adjacent bedroom, he saw Jin Yao and Li Jing, wearing identical silk camisole nightgowns, sitting together by the bed, feeding their Little Baby, while happily whispering and laughing.
So, with a smile, he pushed the door open and walked in: "Two beauties, what are you chatting about that's so joyful?"
Jin Yao looked at Li Jing, then bit her lip and said with a hint of shyness, "Husband~ I'm pregnant with your Little Baby again~"
"That's great news."
Cao Pingao smiled as he sat down next to Jin Yao and Li Jing, then wrapped his two large hands around their slender waists:
"Jingjing, Yaoyao is already pregnant with her second child. How have you been considering it?"
Li Jing's face flushed slightly, and she gently leaned her head on Cao Pingao's shoulder: "I'll follow Husband's arrangements~"
At this moment, Jin Yao on the other side said with concern, "Husband~ Jingjing gave birth to twins in her first pregnancy, which took a heavy toll on her body. How about you let her recover for a longer period?"
"You're right." Cao Pingao stroked Jin Yao's smooth long hair behind her head and said, "Then next time we go for a prenatal check-up together, Jingjing will come along too.
Then we'll have Dr. Xu give her a comprehensive physical examination to see if her current physical condition is suitable for a second pregnancy.
We'll all strictly follow medical advice and have scientific childbirth, how about that?"
Jin Yao smiled and nodded, then, like Li Jing, leaned her head on Cao Pingao's shoulder.
---Next to Villa No. 6, in the living room on the first floor of Villa No. 5.
The core members of the highly motivated "Yunan Faction" were gathered here for a tea party, celebrating their leader Qian Wan's return to Boss Cao's side and regaining his trust.
"Although the previous minor setback is over, everyone should be able to see that the competition within the family is becoming increasingly fierce. We must stick together to stay warm."
Qian Wan, with a confident expression, first turned her gaze to her two cousins:
"Xiao Yi, Jiajia has successfully conceived Husband's Little Baby. You need to hurry up and try harder."
Qian Yi's face flushed, and she said with her head slightly lowered, "I understand, Sister Xiao Wan."
Qian Jia, sitting next to her, couldn't help but glance at Qian Yi, her lips curving upwards uncontrollably:
Hmph, so what if you were chosen by Husband first and came to Jiangcheng with him first? In the end, wasn't I the one who got pregnant with his Little Baby first?
Then, Qian Wan looked at Yu Qian and Liu Ruyan:
"Qianqian, Ruyan, the three of us also need to get pregnant with our second child as soon as possible to solidify our position at the head table."
Yu Qian and Liu Ruyan both nodded in agreement.
Then Qian Wan continued:
"Besides having more children, we also need to find ways to further expand our team, because there's strength in numbers.
Jiajia, Xiao Yi, Yuwen, Zhou Jing and Zou Huimin, who live in Villa No. 4 next door, are our fellow Southern Henan natives. We should pay attention to interacting with them more often and try to win them over.
As for that Flight Attendant Liu Yun, she's a local of Jiangcheng. Ruyan, you two are from the same hometown, so she'll be your responsibility.
Liu Sijie's hometown is Yulin, Shaanxi. Qianqian, your hometown is also Shaanxi, so you'll be responsible for winning her over."
After assigning tasks, Qian Wan looked at the girls with sharp eyes and said:
"Sisters, currently, the maids, female security guards, Housekeeping Aunties, and most of the Nannies in the villa area are all our people.
I believe that as long as we learn from our last lesson this time and proceed steadily, we can gradually sideline Jin Yao and gain actual control of the family!"
//382//
Chapter 382: A Small Peak in Life (Part 2)
After the big meeting, Qian Wan took her two cousins into her bedroom and started a small meeting with them.
"Jia Jia, Xiao Yi, I asked you to check Chen Shuting and their income situation before. Do you have any results?"
Qian Yi didn't want to betray Jie Jie, who had always been very kind to her and taught her many things, so she didn't inquire about her privacy at all:
"I haven't found any useful information. The company's management income is kept quite confidential."
Qian Wan glanced at Qian Yi, said nothing more, then looked at Qian Jia.
Qian Jia, following Cao Pingao's instructions, "truthfully" replied: "According to what I've found out, Chen Shuting, Jie Jie, and Shen Qingyu all have an annual salary of 1 million."
"Only 1 million a year? Is that so little?" Qian Wan asked, her delicate brows slightly furrowed. "Jia Jia, is your source reliable?"
Qian Jia nodded without hesitation.
Qian Wan sat on the edge of the bed, pondered for a while, then looked up at her two direct cousins:
"Why do I feel like neither of you is very invested in this matter?"
Qian Yi asked curiously, "Sister Xiao Wan, why do you want us to inquire about Sister Jie Jie and their income?"
Qian Wan looked at Qian Yi and Qian Jia seriously and said, "Because I not only want to compete with Jin Yao for the family's financial power, but for my son and for you, I also want to compete for the interests within my husband's company.
---And every time I think of Chen Shuting and the others secretly making a fortune in silence, my heart feels as uncomfortable as if a cat is scratching it."
---After moving from Yuhu Shijia Residential Area, where they had lived for over two years, to a large villa in Donghu Bay, Cao Pingao began to move his three companies from their original office buildings to the Donghu Bay Building, which was self-built by Cao Wei Real Estate.
In addition to 12 high-rise residential buildings and 16 large villas, the Donghu Bay project also includes a row of 3-story commercial buildings along the street and two 40-story office buildings—Donghu Bay Tower A and Donghu Bay Building B.
Building A, which had completed its renovation early and had been vacant for two months, was the new home of Cao Wei Group:
The 1st floor houses the lobby and the group company's main reception.
The 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th floors are the company's employee cafeteria, coffee shop, and banquet hall.
The 6th, 7th, and 8th floors feature a fitness center and indoor swimming pool, allowing employees to exercise and stay healthy for free at any time after work.
The 9th to 20th floors are the office areas for the group's subsidiary, Cao Wei Real Estate.
The 21st to 24th floors are reserved floors.
The 25th to 30th floors are the office areas for the group's subsidiary, Banana Film and Television.
The 31st to 35th floors are the office areas for the group's subsidiary, Banana Media.
The 36th floor is the new headquarters for the Cao Wei Song and Dance Troupe.
The 37th and 38th floors are the office areas for Cao Wei Group's main company—Group CEO Chen Shuting, along with the two Vice Presidents Jie Jie and Shen Qingyu, all have an oversized office on the 38th floor.
The 39th floor features an executive dining room, a small gym and swimming pool specifically for the group's senior executives, and three high-level meeting rooms, two small and one large.
The entire 40th floor is Boss Cao's personal space: two reception rooms, a spacious secretary's office, the Chairmans Office with massive floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides, and a secret room behind the background wall—
However, this secret room was very different from previous ones; this time, hidden behind the invisible door was a large lake-view suite with a total area of nearly 300 square meters.
---It took approximately one month for the three companies to complete their relocation work, one after another.
Of course, Boss Cao himself would not personally participate in such specific matters.
Throughout September, he hardly left the villa area, spending every day in the picturesque paradise he had created, living a life of extravagance and leisure.
He naturally entrusted the relocation of the three companies entirely to Chen Shuting, Jie Jie, and Shen Qingyu.
---Time quickly moved to the end of September.
On this particular morning, the weather was clear and cloudless.
On the 40th floor of Donghu Bay Tower A, in the Chairmans Office.
Boss Cao stood in front of the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, his arms around Fan Binbin's slender waist, watching the scenery and wiping the glass with her.
Thinking that his total net worth had unknowingly exceeded 6 billion, and he had a staggering 2.2 billion in cash in his bank account, Cao Pingao instantly felt filled with power.
Not long after, Fan Binbin, her pretty face flushed, turned her head and said with hazy eyes:
"Boss~ Can we sit down and rest for a bit?"
"You're already tired after wiping windows for such a short time? Binbin, you need to exercise more often."
Cao Pingao pulled his boss chair over, and holding Fan Binbin, he sat in front of the floor-to-ceiling window to continue enjoying the scenery.
---At the same time, while Cao Pingao was embracing the beautiful Fan Binbin and enjoying life, Ye Fan, the young chairman of Jiaye Real Estate, was furiously smashing things in his office to vent his anger:
"Huang Dazu, you bastard! You old geezer pulled the rug out from under me at the most critical moment!"
Facing Cao Wei Real Estate, which had a continuous flow of subsequent funds, Huang Dazu, seeing the unfavorable situation, decisively chose to cut his losses, terminated all cooperation between Huangs Real Estate and Jiaye Real Estate, and began to demand repayment of outstanding debts from Ye Fan.
Jiaye Real Estate, whose capital chain was already very tight, suffered a heavy blow, and within a few days, it reached a point where it could not pay salaries or settle any project payments.
Construction teams, banks, material suppliers, and various creditors all heard the news and flocked to block the company's main entrance.
Desperate, Ye Fan called Jiang Dawei again:
"Uncle Jiang, you must save me, otherwise Jiaye Real Estate really won't be able to hold on this time."
Jiang Dawei on the other end of the phone was very helpless: "Ye Fan, how many times have I told you not to go against Pingao, but you just wouldn't listen—"
"Uncle Jiang, I know I was wrong.
After you help me through this crisis, I will personally go to Cao Pingao and shake hands with him to make peace.
Uncle Jiang, you and my dad have been friends for decades, and you wouldn't want Jiaye Real Estate, which he worked hard for most of his life, to go bankrupt just because of a small liquidity problem, would you?"
Jiang Dawei was silent for a long time on the other end, then sighed and said, "I can lend you a maximum of 100 million yuan."
"Ah? 100 million isn't enough, Uncle Jiang."
"Then how much do you need?"
"At least 300 million more."
Jiang Dawei: "—"
"Beep beep beep beep beep."
"Uncle Jiang? Hello? Uncle Jiang!"
"Damn it!" Ye Fan threw his phone against the office wall with all his might.
"You ungrateful Jiang Dawei, my dad helped you so much back then, and now at such a critical moment, you won't even lend me a hand!
Your conscience has been eaten by dogs!"
After a fit of impotent rage in his office.
Ye Fan took the elevator directly to the underground parking lot on the third basement floor, got into the back seat of a ghost that had been waiting there, and escaped from the company, which was blocked by a crowd of creditors.
---Soon after, the black ghost returned to the Ye Family's large villa.
Ye Fan, his face ashen, pushed open the door with force and strode towards the wine cabinet in the living room, ready to drown his sorrows in alcohol.
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a familiar tall figure—
Ye Fan sharply turned his head: he saw Cao Pingao, with a smile on his face, sitting leisurely on the large leather sofa in the middle of the living room, his legs crossed.
In his left arm, he held Deng Xiaorong, Ye Fan's stepmother, and in his right arm, he held Huang Panpan, Ye Fan's fiancée. In his hand, he held a stemmed glass with half a glass of red wine:
"Young Master Ye, long time no see."
//383//
Chapter 383: Chain Reaction (Part One)
Seeing his mortal enemy, Cao Pingao, brazenly appear in his house, embracing both his Stepmother and his fiancée—
Ye Fan, who had been pampered since childhood and never suffered any major grievances, felt his mind go instantly blank. It took him a long time to recover from the shock:
"Cao Pingao! You motherf*cker!"
Cao Pingao curled the corner of his mouth and chuckled, "Young Master Ye, you are, after all, an overseas student who returned to the country. Why is your language so crude?"
The furious Ye Fan pointed at him and Huang Panpan and roared:
"This is my home! You damn well better take this bitch and get out!"
"This is no longer your home."
Cao Pingao calmly stated this while playing with a strand of Huang Panpan's hair near her ear:
"Jiaye Real Estate's loan with the Jiangcheng Commercial Bank has been overdue several times. The bank believes your company has major debt risks and has already begun liquidating the equity and related assets you mortgaged with them."
Cao Pingao took out a document, slapped it onto the coffee table in front of him, and said with a smirk:
"The location of this villa is quite good. I just spent 25 million this morning to buy it."
"So this is my home now, and the person who should get out is you."
Ye Fan frowned deeply and roared, "I don't believe it, you're lying to me! Our family's villa is worth over 100 million. How could you possibly buy it for only 25 million?"
Cao Pingao laughed, "The general economy is poor right now. Where are you going to find a rich person willing to take over your family's large villa?"
"Once even the best villa has a price but no market, the selling price naturally keeps dropping."
Ye Fan then looked with disbelief at Deng Xiaorong, who was leaning against Cao Pingao's arm:
"Aunt Rong, my dad has been gone for less than a year... How could you get involved with him?"
Deng Xiaorong spoke with a complicated expression:
"Ye Fan, I'm only 26 this year. It's impossible for me to remain a widow for your father forever. I have to find a reliable support for my own future life."
She turned her head to look at Cao Pingao beside her, her eyes shining with trust and affection:
"My husband not only doesn't look down on me for being a widow, but he has also equally provided me with a good, worry-free life, and he even promised to arrange a position for me in the Cao Wei Group."
"If I were to miss out on such a good man who treats me so well, I definitely wouldn't be able to find another one even if I searched with a lantern."
"Oh, right, I have two more pieces of good news to tell you today."
Cao Pingao said to Ye Fan with a slight smile:
"Xiao Rong, just like Panpan, is pregnant with my child, and they are also twins."
"Ye Fan, you will soon have younger brothers and sisters."
Ye Fan: "---"
Having suffered multiple humiliations in a short period, the infuriated Ye Fan finally lost his last shred of sanity, grabbed a bottle of red wine directly from the nearby dining table, and charged straight toward Cao Pingao, who was sitting steadily on the sofa:
"Damn you!"
Cao Pingao remained completely calm, because the moment Ye Fan reached for the wine bottle, Dian Wei and Xu Chu, who were standing behind Boss Cao, had already strode toward Young Master Ye.
Ye Fan was easily disarmed of the wine bottle by the two burly Bodyguards, and after taking two punches to the stomach, he instantly regained his senses and quickly waved his hands, begging for mercy:
"Stop hitting me, stop hitting me, I won't fight anymore."
At this moment, Deng Xiaorong, sitting next to Cao Pingao, quickly pleaded:
"Husband~ You promised me before that you would try not to make things difficult for Ye Fan."
"Don't worry." Cao Pingao smiled and stroked her cheek:
"Old Dian, Old Xu."
Dian Wei and Xu Chu already had perfect tacit understanding with Boss Cao—as soon as they heard his call, the two immediately let go of Ye Fan and returned to their original positions.
"Ye Fan, if you hadn't repeatedly tried to scheme against my women, I honestly wouldn't bother with you or your Jiaye Real Estate."
Cao Pingao said while kneading Deng Xiaorong's delicate shoulder, "However, since I already promised Xiao Rong that I would let you live after this matter is over, I will keep my word."
After receiving Cao Pingao's visual permission, Deng Xiaorong got up from the sofa, walked over to Ye Fan, and handed him a white envelope:
"Ye Fan, Jiaye Real Estate is already insolvent."
"Inside is a plane ticket flying to England tonight. While you can still leave the country, hurry up and go rely on your classmates abroad."
"Aunt Rong---"
Ye Fan, whose face was filled with remorse and regret, remained silent for a long time before gritting his back teeth and taking the envelope from Deng Xiaorong's hand.
Seeing this, Cao Pingao also stood up from the sofa: "Alright, we'll be leaving first. Young Master Ye, hurry up and pack your luggage, then run away."
After speaking, he took Deng Xiaorong and Huang Panpan by the hand, one on each side, and strode out of the Ye Family's large villa.
--- On the way home.
Cao Pingao, sitting in the back seat of the rolls-royce, said to Deng Xiaorong, who was sitting on his right:
"There was more than just a plane ticket in that envelope you gave Ye Fan, wasn't there?"
Deng Xiaorong paused for a moment, then answered truthfully:
"Besides the plane ticket, there was also a bank card. The card has 200,000 Renminbi that I prepared for him."
"Ye Fan is Ye Wentian's only son after all, and I don't want him sleeping on the streets after going abroad---"
Deng Xiaorong reached out and looped her arm through Cao Pingao's, pressing her soft upper body against him: "Husband~ Will you blame me?"
Cao Pingao calmly shook his head: "I don't have any deep hatred toward the Ye Family, and Ye Fan's fate today is mainly his own doing."
"The fact that you took out your private savings to financially assist your nominal stepson in this situation only makes me think you are a kind-hearted girl."
"Husband~ Thank you for understanding me~"
The deeply moved Deng Xiaorong actively leaned in and kissed Cao Pingao. In response, Cao Pingao wrapped his arm around her slender waist, and they passionately embraced and kissed in the car.
This made Huang Panpan, who was sitting on Boss Cao's other side, blush deeply and feel somewhat flustered—after all, not long ago, she was still calling Deng Xiaorong "Aunt Rong."
Cao Pingao, having finished kissing Deng Xiaorong, looked back:
"Hahaha, Panpan, why is your face so red?"
"N-nothing much~" Huang Panpan said awkwardly, lowering her head slightly.
The experienced Cao Pingao instantly saw through the young girl's thoughts and pulled her into his embrace, laughing:
"Panpan, you and Xiao Rong are good sisters now. You don't need to be so shy in front of your husband and your good sister."
After speaking, he lowered his head and kissed Huang Panpan's soft cherry lips.
--- Soon, the news that Ye Fan, the Chairman of Jiaye Real Estate, had fled due to debt became the headline news in Jiangcheng.
As one of Jiangcheng's leading real estate companies, Jiaye's bankruptcy not only severely hurt Huangs Real Estate, which had deep cooperation with it previously, but also caused Jiang Dawei, who had supported Ye Fan with a large amount of working capital, to lose everything, leaving him unable to speak of his suffering.
Meanwhile, its competitor, Cao's Real Estate, seized the opportunity to acquire several core-area housing projects and undeveloped prime land originally belonging to Jiaye Real Estate at ultra-low prices, instantly becoming the strongest real estate company in Jiangcheng, bar none.
//384//
Chapter 384: Chain Reaction (Part 2)
This morning.
On the 39th floor of Block A of Donghu Bay Tower, in the large conference room of Cao Wei Group.
Group CEO Chen Shuting, CFO Jie Jie, COO Shen Qingyu, and management cadres from the three subsidiaries, all at or above department head level, were quietly waiting there.
Not long after, the company's sole big boss, Cao Pingao, walked in with a triumphant expression.
Behind him were three female secretaries, dressed in white shirts, black hip-hugging skirts, and black stockings.
With a'swish', everyone who had been sitting in the conference room stood up.
Only after Boss Cao sat down at the head of the rectangular conference table did everyone else reseat themselves.
"The commercial war with Jiaye Real Estate, which lasted more than half a year, has finally ended. After bottom-fishing for Jiaye's core assets at a low price, our Cao Wei Real Estate has become the strongest real estate company in Jiangcheng."
Cao Pingao smiled as he scanned the room, then continued, "This victory is the result of everyone's collective efforts. I will certainly reward everyone according to their contributions, and this year's year-end bonus will definitely be a big surprise for all of you."
After hearing Boss Cao's words, everyone in the conference room was beaming with joy, feeling incredibly lucky to be working under such a wise, capable, and charismatic boss as Cao Pingao.
"In addition, based on discussions among the group's management, the company has made the following personnel changes."
Cao Pingao took the folder handed to him by Chen Shuting and said as he read it:
"General Manager Chen Shuting, as the CEO of the entire Cao Wei Group, will no longer concurrently serve as the CEO of Cao Wei Real Estate.
Li Gui, the former Deputy General Manager of Cao Wei Real Estate, will take over from General Manager Chen and assume the position of CEO of Cao Wei Real Estate."
Li Gui, whose dream had finally come true, was filled with endless emotions. He subconsciously looked towards Wang Hui, who was standing by the wall, only to find that his Ex-wife was staring blankly in Cao Pingao's direction, not looking at him at all—
Li Gui's heart instantly felt like a overturned five-flavor bottle, with all sorts of emotions mixed together.
The other two deputy general managers of Cao Wei Real Estate sitting next to Li Gui—Zhao Gang and Wang Yong—were both indignant.
Zhao Gang: Li Gui, that old fox, using the method of sacrificing his wife to get promoted is truly... why didn't I think of it before?
Wang Yong: My wife isn't any worse looking than Li Gui's wife. It seems that to do well and climb fast in the group, one's head must definitely be a little green!
"As for the position vacated by General Manager Li, it will be filled by Deng Xiaorong, former Senior Advisor of Jiaye Real Estate, General Manager Deng."
Deng Xiaorong, exquisitely made up and wearing a proper OL suit, stood up from her seat, first bowed slightly towards Cao Pingao, and then generously greeted everyone present.
Many people present, including Li Gui, had known the young and beautiful Deng Xiaorong before and knew that she was the widow of the deceased Ye Wentian—
Zhao Gang: Directly parachuted in as a company's deputy general manager? It seems she's also the Chairman's 'person'. In future work, I need to be careful to keep my distance from her.
Wang Yong: Ah, the Chairman's life is truly rich and colorful, I'm so envious!
Li Gui: The Chairman even took in the Ye family's young widow? It seems he really likes married women—At this moment, Fan Binbin, sitting next to Deng Xiaorong, maintained a standard smile on her face, but she was already feeling displeased in her heart:
This Deng Xiaorong is a married widow, she looks alright, but her looks and figure are clearly not as good as mine. Why didn't my husband give me this deputy general manager position, but gave it to her instead?
No, I must go ask my husband for clarification later.
"As for the CEOs of Banana Media and Banana Film and Television, General Manager Jian and General Manager Shen will continue to hold those positions concurrently."
Cao Pingao put down the list in his hand and said to everyone, "These personnel changes are effective immediately. Does anyone have any questions?"
The entire room was silent.
Cao Pingao: "Alright, then today's special personnel meeting is adjourned.
General Manager Chen, General Manager Jian, General Manager Shen, the three of you stay. The rest of you can go attend to your business."
Soon, the large conference room was left with only the four-person core leadership team consisting of Cao, Chen, Jian, and Shen.
At this moment, Cao Pingao's two large hands also began to rest improperly on Chen Shuting's and Jie Jie's slender waists:
"Although we have made Cao Wei Real Estate the strongest real estate company in Jiangcheng, the real estate industry is, after all, a sunset industry now—it doesn't make much money and requires a lot of capital.
Therefore, the main development direction for our Cao Wei Group in the future will still be self-media, film, and television entertainment.
Sister Shuting, as the group's CEO, you should allocate more resources to Xiao Jie's Banana Media and Qingyu's Banana Film and Television."
"I understand."
Chen Shuting nodded lightly, then looked at Jie Jie and Shen Qingyu: "It seems our three guesses were correct. When you established Cao Wei Real Estate and took over the Donghu Bay project, you were mainly interested in those 16 villas.
If Ye Fan hadn't walked right into your trap, Jiaye Real Estate would probably still be doing well right now."
"Hahahaha, with Young Master Ye's personality, Jiaye Real Estate would have been ruined in his hands sooner or later."
Cao Pingao laughed, "Rather than benefiting people like Huang Dazu, it's better for me to kill two birds with one stone.
Now we not only have a beautiful new home, quiet amidst the bustle, but the company also has its own office building, and Ye Fan has started a new life abroad. It's killing many birds with one stone, how great is that."
After joking for a while, Cao Pingao said to Chen Shuting again:
"Sister Shuting, I currently have a lot of idle funds, so I want to establish another subsidiary specializing in financial investment, called Cao Wei Capital. You will still serve as its CEO concurrently."
Chen Shuting smiled helplessly, "Oh, I knew you wouldn't let me off so easily~"
Jie Jie and Shen Qingyu, sitting nearby, also covered their mouths and laughed.
---After the small core management meeting, Cao Pingao returned to the 40th floor alone.
He had just called his female secretary, Wang Hui, into his Chairmans Office to discuss work for a while when the landline on his desk rang.
"Hello?"
The voice on the other end was Qian Jia's: "Boss, Boss Jiang is here. He says he has something urgent to discuss with you."
"Oh, okay, tell him to wait a moment."
Soon, a smiling Cao Pingao and a slightly flushed Wang Hui walked out of the inner office together:
"Hey, Big Brother Jiang, please come in, please come in quickly."
The experienced Jiang Dawei, seeing this, instantly understood what Cao Pingao had been busy with in his office just now:
"Pingao, your new office building is truly beautiful, inside and out!"
"Haha, I just decorated it casually."
Cao Pingao politely welcomed Jiang Dawei into the inner room and sat with him on the leather sofa:
"Big Brother Jiang, you've come to see me today, so I assume there's a problem with your company's cash flow, right?"
Jiang Dawei smiled somewhat awkwardly: "Ah, previously, to repay Old Ye's favor, I lent Ye Fan a total of 1.3 billion yuan in funds.
The Jiaye Real Estate shares he mortgaged to me all became worthless with the company's bankruptcy liquidation—"
Cao Pingao said with a smile, "Big Brother Jiang, you and I have known each other for quite some time, and there's also Xinxin's connection—I won't say more. Just tell me a number."
Jiang Dawei looked touched: "If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to borrow 500 million in cash from you."
Cao Pingao looked relaxed: "No problem."
Jiang Dawei was stunned. He hadn't expected Cao Pingao to agree to lend him 500 million directly without discussing collateral or interest:
"Oh, Pingao, I really don't know what to say!"
Jiang Dawei said, beaming with joy, "I'll use Jiang Shi Industrial's company shares as collateral for this loan. As for the interest—"
Cao Pingao waved his hand: "Hey, Big Brother Jiang, let's not talk about interest between us."
"No, that won't do. Business is business. For such a large loan, how can I not pay you interest?"
After several rounds of back and forth between the two, Cao Pingao reluctantly agreed to lend 500 million to Jiang Dawei at an annual interest rate of 3%.
---Jiang Dawei, having successfully borrowed the life-saving money, felt a sense of relief.
After taking a car home, he called out to his wife, Zhou Li, as soon as he entered the door:
"Wife, quickly tell Auntie to prepare a few good dishes, and then go to the basement to get a bottle of Lafite. Tonight, I want to have a good couple of drinks! Relax!"
However, Zhou Li, who came down from the second floor upon hearing him, sat down next to Jiang Dawei with a deep frown and whispered:
"Husband, I have something to tell you."
Jiang Dawei looked puzzled: "Go ahead."
Zhou Li said seriously, "Qianqian threw up twice recently when eating at home, didn't she? I took her to the hospital today for a comprehensive check-up—"
As soon as he heard it was about his precious daughter's health, Jiang Dawei immediately became nervous:
"What did the check-up show? Is Qianqian sick?"
Zhou Li looked left and right, pursed her lips, and then said in an even lower voice:
"Qianqian isn't sick, but she... is pregnant."