CHAPTER 99: CHAPTER 35: THE CAGE_2

"Niece, where did you find your manager?"

They also wanted one.

Su Xiaocai smiled without speaking. Since Ji Li didn’t bring it up, she wasn’t about to disclose anything on her own.

Later, Su Xiaocai mentioned the conditions for starting her company. She made two points clear: First, she must be the chairperson and hold more than sixty percent of the shares. Second, the company would not go public.

Going public is too troublesome. It costs money, one needs to maintain control, prevent others from seizing it, and also make the information transparent.

Just having to maintain control was enough for Su Xiaocai to refuse going public.

These weren’t issues; President Hu and Wu Zhaoxiang had mentally prepared for them.

After gaining the approval of the two bosses, Su Xiaocai didn’t delve further into the topic.

Yu Haoming was impressed, marveling at Su Xiaocai’s assertiveness. The three investors didn’t voice a single word of opposition, making it clear how formidable Su Xiaocai’s abilities were.

Then it was all about eating, drinking, and chatting.

This restaurant is best known for its fruitwood roast chicken. Su Xiaocai ordered a serving and picked up a piece of just-out-of-the-oven chicken leg—crispy skin, tender meat, juicy, with the aroma of the fruitwood lingering in the mouth.

Su Xiaocai shared with Ji Li, "This is delicious, you have to try it."

Ji Li, seeing how much she enjoyed it, picked up a piece and agreed, "It’s indeed good. Do you like chicken wings? I bet the wings are even better."

"Mmm, mmm, mmm," Su Xiaocai responded, also being a fan of chicken wings.

President Hu, seeing the two eating so enthusiastically, couldn’t wait to have some as well. It was tasty, but not exactly mind-blowing.

"Is it really that good?" President Hu suspected he was perhaps too old, and his tongue not as sensitive.

"You’re an old man allergic to romance; you wouldn’t understand," Wu Zhaoxiang, more adept in social skills than President Hu, chimed in, "This is called emotional value—anything tasty is worth mentioning. No wonder your wife always complains that you don’t know how to talk."

Renowned as a wife-loving figure in the business world, Su Xiaocai didn’t hold back her praise, "Uncle Wu’s life experience is rich, men who cherish their wives will always have good fortune."

"That’s right, that’s right." Speaking of luck, Wu Zhaoxiang was quite pleased, "I’m different from those straightforward rough guys. In the future, when you choose a boyfriend, make sure to pick someone with a zest for life. A wife who praises every day is the key to harmony in a relationship."

President Hu scoffed, not quite agreeing, thinking Wu Zhaoxiang’s wife was silly and easily fooled by sweet words.

As for his own wife, she had no sense of humor, only a crisp slap, and every day she gives him a smack.

President Hu thought, his increasing weight was definitely due to the swelling from the slaps.

But he dared not say it aloud.

If he dared, he was sure tomorrow’s sunshine would dim, as he might have to wear sunglasses.

Su Xiaocai had eaten her fill, picked up a piece of fruit, and just put it in her mouth.

It was so sour, she wanted to spit it out but was too embarrassed to do so.

Su Xiaocai swallowed the sourness, "This is good, try it you guys."

Sharing the joys and enduring the hardships together, everyone pulled sour faces one after another.

She laughed heartily, shedding the composed maturity from earlier conversations, acting just like a child.

At that moment, all four realized that Su Xiaocai was just a teen, and they lost their tempers instantly.

After finishing the meal and preparing to leave, two men and two women approached. One of the girls nervously asked, "Excuse me, are you Invincible Love of Vegetable Planting?"

Su Xiaocai felt awkward. How come that name suddenly sounded so cheesy?

She nodded, "Is something wrong?"

The girl exclaimed excitedly, "We really love you! Can we take a photo with you?"

Su Xiaocai hadn’t adapted to her newfound online fame yet. Her account had suddenly shot past ten million followers overnight, and the number was still rapidly growing.

Yet, she hadn’t had the time to check it.

The fan’s sudden photo request left her bewildered.

Ji Li whispered a reminder, "They’re your fans."

It took her a moment to react, "Oh, sure."

Su Xiaocai stood up and took a photo with them, trying to relax, but she felt her smile was probably quite stiff.

She asked for a copy of the photo too. Once outside the restaurant, after waving goodbye to the two bosses, she looked at the photo.

As expected, the smile was a bit silly. Su Xiaocai thought, there will likely be many more photo opportunities in the future, "I need to practice smiling when I get back."

Ji Li said, "It’s beautiful like this, no need to be too deliberate."

"You’re pretty, so you can say that," Su Xiaocai said, looking at herself in the car mirror, glancing left and right, practicing different smiles and searching for the best angle.

At this time, both she and Yu Haoming were sitting in Ji Li’s car.

Yu Haoming’s living situation wasn’t ideal, so he wanted to move immediately, and Ji Li was giving him a ride along with Su Xiaocai to help with the move.

Standing in front of the tall building where Yu Haoming lived, Su Xiaocai fell silent. The building was packed with people, and as soon as you stepped into the community gate, you could smell all sorts of human odors.