Saturday, November 11, 2023, Clear, -1°C to 7°C.

Yanjing Huating, Large Flat Apartment.

8:30 AM.

Sunlight filtered through the thin curtains, washing away the morning chill and bathing the entire room in a golden hue.

On the pink velvet round bed,

Little Jing’s long eyelashes fluttered slightly as she slowly opened her eyes, her gaze still a bit blurry and dazed.

Last night, she had personally picked up the haute couture dress and jewelry she had ordered for the birthday party.

She had also arranged for them to be delivered to the presidential suite at Lan Feng International Hotel.

Then she spent a long time trying on the outfits there, taking many “battle armor” photos in front of the mirror.

She was so excited that she only fell asleep very late.

After a while, her thoughts gradually returned to normal.

She picked up the phone on her bedside, lit up the screen, and entered the “Wonderful 2D World” WeChat group.

Turning to the side, her smooth, fair calves stretched out from under the silky blanket, gently kicking.

Her big eyes sparkled as she scrolled through last night’s chat records.

Qingqing was bragging again in the group, but this time Susu was right beside her as a “witness.”

With Susu’s praise, Qingqing had become the novel’s heroine—wildly cool, dazzling, and totally over the top.

Laughter of “hehehe” echoed in the bedroom.

Little Jing found it more and more amusing.

She had been mistakenly added to this group at first, thinking it was just a regular 2D fan club. But everyone here was a talent, speaking so well;

she loved this place.

Especially Qingqing—since the beginning, she liked this group member the most.

Her imagination was wild, her stories rich in detail with twists and turns, making it a daily delight.

Later, she discovered that they all shared the same boyfriend. She was quite happy about that.

In recent investigations, she roughly figured out the real identities behind the “female supporting characters” in Xu Qing’s stories.

For example, the “green tea bitch” with beautiful legs who always wanted to climb up was probably Lin Muxue.

The mature, charming female saleswoman at the luxury car 4S dealership, Xu Qing’s “cousin,” was Wen Ruan.

And one of Tang Song’s company partners was likely Gao Mengting, vice president of Songmei Apparel.

Thinking of Gao Mengting,

Little Jing exited the group chat and opened Douyin.

She typed “Songmei Apparel” directly into the top search bar.

Soon, an official flagship store account with a blue verified badge popped up.

Its avatar was a stylish black-and-white “HEYISTUDIO” logo.

She clicked in.

The homepage window displayed an array of clothing styles, each shot with high quality, and the models were well-known fashion bloggers.

The highest-selling and top-highlighted item was a city-style windbreaker with a striking design.

Below, the sales number shockingly showed over 20,000 sold.

Little Jing’s eyes widened slightly.

A windbreaker originally priced at 1299 yuan, discounted to 599 yuan for Double Eleven, and from Songmei Apparel’s own new brand, had sold more than 20,000 pieces during just three days of preheat activity!

That meant over 12 million yuan in sales!

Unbelievable!

She continued scrolling, growing more amazed.

The data was unreal. That host called He Yiyi had nearly 3 million fans.

Having worked for a long time at Jinxiu Commerce and later studied live-stream e-commerce due to Tang Song’s startup venture, she was quite familiar with the industry.

She knew very well that in the fiercely competitive apparel track, for a new brand to achieve this scale so quickly required extremely precise management and powerful operational capabilities behind it.

At first, she hadn’t even known her boyfriend owned Lan Feng International Hotel, nor that he had such deep connections with someone like Shangguan Qiuyas.

Back then, she was only thinking about how to use her father’s connections and Jinxiu Commerce’s channel resources to help his small company grow bigger and stronger.

But later, because of troubles on her father’s side and an urgent transfer to Tang Yi Precision, she hadn’t paid much attention to Songmei Apparel.

Unexpectedly, in just a few months, it had grown so incredibly.

Although this live-stream e-commerce company wasn’t outstanding yet, the scariest thing about this industry was its growth speed. Maybe soon it could become a company valued in the billions.

Little Jing let out a light breath, her expression serious.

It seemed this woman named Gao Mengting would be a tough opponent in the future.

Of course, compared to the current “big boss” Wen Ruan, she was still a step behind.

Recently, Xingyun International Group had been very active, reportedly about to apply for an IPO, which would further boost Wen Ruan’s value.

A mature, sexy, powerful thirty-year-old female tycoon.

Little Jing was confident but had to admit she couldn’t compete with that.

That was why she was so eager to build that “birthday stage” for Tang Song and herself.

If her father’s new energy enterprise crisis wasn’t resolved soon, her status as the “main wife” would be completely suppressed!

Everything depended on tomorrow!

Little Jing’s eyes flickered, a defiant curve lifting the corner of her mouth.

She threw back the covers and sat at the edge of the bed, stretching lazily.

The white silk camisole nightdress with a cute panda print rode up slightly, revealing vast swaths of snow-white, smooth skin and strawberry-patterned panties.

She sat there in a daze, thinking for a moment.

Barefoot, she stepped on the soft long-pile carpet.

Entering the walk-in closet, she casually changed into a fitted autumn outfit that perfectly outlined her sweet yet sexy figure.

After a simple wash and skincare routine, humming a song, she stepped lightly out of the bedroom.

The housekeeper, Aunt Pei, who had long been waiting in the living room, immediately came forward.

“Miss, good morning. Breakfast is ready.” Aunt Pei’s tone was respectful yet warm, like an elder relative.

“Thank you, Aunt Pei.” Little Jing smiled sweetly and sat down at the dining table.

A lavish and exquisite breakfast was served one dish at a time, plated like works of art.

Little Jing held up her phone and took a “click” photo of the eggs Benedict garnished with caviar and snow peas, sending it to Tang Song.

Her message read: “Good morning, Song. It’s Double Eleven today, your company must be very busy. Keep it up!”

She ate while chatting with Tang Song, occasionally laughing softly at her own jokes.

Aunt Pei hesitated a moment, then leaned in and whispered, “Miss, yesterday I heard Madam say that a very distinguished guest will be attending your birthday party tomorrow. So Madam specially invited many of her close friends to support the occasion.”

“Ah?” Little Jing blinked, pausing, “What kind of distinguished guest?”

Could my secret have been leaked?

I had kept the matter of Zheng Qiudong and Shangguan Qiuyas tightly under wraps, wanting to create a big shock to my parents and Qin Hua’s group.

Aunt Pei glanced toward the door, lowering her voice with a mix of reverence and puzzlement:

“Apparently, he’s from Singapore. They say he’s the ‘young master’ of a large group, surname Meng. I heard Madam tell her friends that his family runs what they call a ‘family office,’ which manages an uncountable amount of wealth. They’re preparing to invest a large sum in our new energy projects. The young master is apparently under thirty, unmarried, has released an album and published books, and is quite famous.”

Little Jing’s brow instantly tightened.

She knew about family offices;

many in this circle had them.

But most relied on domestic securities firms or trusts to handle wealth management and inheritance.

For her mother to mention “Singapore” and “family office” with such weight meant this person’s identity and background were extraordinary.

Coupled with “uncountable wealth” and “new energy,” a clear image formed in her mind:

A young master from a top overseas financial consortium, wielding massive capital, searching for quality new energy assets to invest in.

This hit precisely on her father’s most urgent and vulnerable need.

Hueneng Electronics had technology reserves, or else her father wouldn’t have sold Jinxiu Commerce just to rescue it.

If it could survive this crisis, it might really take off.

This was troublesome.

She needed a shock to make her parents see Tang Song’s “strength” (the actual controller of Lan Feng International), and the top connections standing behind him—Shangguan Qiuyas.

Then, riding on Shangguan Qiuyas’s influence, leverage Tang Yi Precision’s resources to revitalize Hueneng Electronics’s technology route.

Thus, Tang Song would become the Tian family’s “savior.”

In the future, even if her parents found out Tang Song had other women around, given this huge favor and Tang Song’s own potential, they could only grit their teeth and accept it.

She could then relax and enjoy life with Tang Song and bring along Qingqing, Luna, and others.

But now, this Meng guy’s sudden appearance might completely derail the plan.

After all, no matter how capable Shangguan Qiuyas was, she was only Director Jin’s assistant.

She could mobilize industry resources and connections, but that was a relatively long, meticulous process.

This Meng guy could probably bring the simplest, roughest, and most direct capital.

He could use pure cash power to solve Hueneng Electronics’s funding chain problem or even launch a direct acquisition.

If at tomorrow’s birthday party, the person standing beside her father was this “money daddy,” then the “shock effect” brought by Tang Song and Shangguan Qiuyas would be greatly diminished.

Though Tang Song was also extraordinary, holding 80% of Lan Feng International and running a rapidly growing live-stream e-commerce company,

in front of a family office that could mobilize hundreds of millions of US dollars, they simply weren’t in the same league.

After all, Tang Song had started from scratch, coming from an ordinary rural family;

the difference in background was huge.

This originally her-led “future son-in-law strength showcase” might turn into a “quality potential son-in-law PK contest” led by her father.

This made her feel uneasy.

“Miss, does Madam intend to introduce that person to you?” Aunt Pei’s face showed worry.

She knew Little Jing had a boyfriend who would attend.

If at that time, with such a person by the master and mistress’s side, surrounded by relatives and friends, problems would definitely arise between Little Jing and her boyfriend.

She had been the Tian family’s senior housekeeper for over ten years and had practically watched Little Jing grow up.

Little Jing pressed her lips, “It’s okay, Aunt Pei.”

Fortunately, Zheng Qiudong would also be there this time.

This Dejurenhe chairman was a real big shot whose status and influence should be able to handle that Meng guy domestically.

Unfortunately... Zheng Qiudong was unlike Shangguan Qiuyas;

he had not developed that special close relationship with Brother Tang Song.

Ah... embarrassing, ptooey...

Little Jing’s cheeks flushed as she scolded herself silently.

Of course Brother Tang Song couldn’t have that kind of close relationship with him—that would make him gay!

Though she had some perverted little hobbies, she was definitely not a fujoshi!

However...

Her eyes darted mischievously, and an idea quietly took shape in her mind.

She must find a way to cleverly use Shangguan Qiuyas’s little schemes at tomorrow’s birthday party and also bring this big shot Zheng Qiudong into the circle to jointly support Brother Tang Song!

10:00 AM.

The door lock clicked softly.

Little Jing, chatting in the living room, looked up immediately, “Dad, you’re back!”

Tian Chengye replied with a grunt, took off his suit jacket, and casually tossed it on the sofa.

He sank heavily into the seat.

His tie was crooked, his face full of undeniable exhaustion and fatigue.

For more than half a month, he had practically lived at Hueneng Electronics in Hangcheng.

He had to soothe the nearly collapsing technical team while negotiating with various investment institutions, hoping to secure life-saving funds. He had lost a lot of weight.

Little Jing quickly put down her phone and furrowed her brows. “What happened? Your eyes are bloodshot. Didn’t sleep well last night?”

Tian Chengye rubbed his swollen brow and said hoarsely, “I didn’t sleep all night... I regret it, regret it so much I couldn’t sleep. Jingjing, Dad... did something incredibly stupid.”

“What happened?” Little Jing’s heart tightened.

Tian Chengye’s gaze lost focus as he stared at the ceiling, his voice filled with uncontrollable frustration, “Yesterday... there was major good news from Jinxiu Commerce.”

Little Jing immediately reacted, “The valuation went up?”

Last month, to plug the financial hole at Hueneng Electronics, her father had painfully sold his 7.5% stake in Jinxiu Commerce.

At that time, it was based on an overall valuation of 1.8 billion yuan.

Because everyone was optimistic about Jinxiu’s future appreciation potential, a company called Jingyi Asset Management from the Imperial Capital quickly took over.

Reportedly, though newly established, this company had strong overseas capital backing and spent lavishly.

They paid 135 million yuan in cash, relieving her father’s debt crisis.

Tian Chengye remained silent for a long time before speaking in a voice almost like a dream, painfully:

“Meigou Technology leaked internal news that its ‘Global Express Pass’ plan has been jointly approved by the Ministry of Commerce, the General Administration of Customs, and other departments, and reached cooperation agreements with more than ten countries along the Belt and Road. Jinxiu Commerce’s name appeared in a series of channel memoranda...”

Hearing this, Little Jing immediately understood.

Due to Smile Capital, Jinxiu Commerce had already deeply cooperated with Meigou Technology in cross-border e-commerce and even had some internal priority channels.

But previously, because Meigou’s overseas business model had been set, Jinxiu Commerce was a latecomer. Although it got a share, it never got the core cake.

Now it was different!

This was a new, strategic-level cooperation promoted at the national level!

Jinxiu Commerce would undoubtedly ride this first wave of favorable wind! ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ Nove1Fire.net

Tian Chengye painfully scratched his head, voice full of regret: “One wrong step leads to many more! If I had waited a little longer, even just a month before selling, the valuation might have been 2.5 or even 3 billion! This time... I lost nearly 100 million!”

Seeing her father’s face full of depression and unwillingness, Little Jing sighed inwardly.

She knew better than anyone that this mistake was a heavy blow to her father, who was already in a critical crisis.

But there was no medicine for regret.

The shares of Jinxiu Commerce could never come back.

“Dad, it’s okay. Business has its ups and downs. There will be other opportunities.”

Tian Chengye looked at his sweet and obedient daughter, hesitated several times, and finally sighed heavily.

He was now besieged on all sides.

Zhongcheng Group was declining, and his personal assets had shrunk greatly.

He carried huge loans personally.

He had sold his stake in Jinxiu Commerce to prop up Hueneng Electronics, but missed major good news.

One wrong step after another.

He was truly afraid—afraid that one day he would suddenly explode financially, losing everything and ruining his daughter’s stable and comfortable life.

Because of this, he was more urgent than ever to want his daughter to have a strong and reliable future.

Yancheng Normal University, School of Computer Science and Technology, Room 412.

The weekend campus was much quieter than on workdays.

Jiang Yourong sat in her office, wearing anti-blue-light glasses perched on her nose, focused on revising a National Natural Science Foundation grant application.

“Ringing—”

A somewhat abrupt phone ringtone broke the quiet.

She picked up the phone, heart skipping a beat, almost instinctively standing up and quickly walking to a corner near the window to answer.

“Hello, Assistant Shangguan,” she said, unconsciously polite.

“Yourong, sorry to disturb your weekend rest,” came the clear, pleasant yet somewhat intimate voice of Shangguan Qiuyas from the other end.

“No, no, I’m just organizing some documents in the office.”

“Good,” Shangguan Qiuyas said brightly and naturally, “I just arrived from the Imperial Capital, and I’m near your university. Since I’m here, I’d like to invite you to lunch. I’ve already booked a restaurant. Is that convenient?”

This sudden invitation made Jiang Yourong’s heart leap.

She knew someone like Shangguan Qiuyas would never just “drop by” or “casually” invite someone for lunch.

“Convenient! Of course convenient!”

“I’m just outside your teaching building.”

“Okay, I’m coming down now!”

After hanging up, Jiang Yourong took a deep breath, went to the mirror, quickly tidied her makeup and outfit.

After confirming everything was proper, she put on her coat, grabbed her handbag, and quickly left the office.

Outside the teaching building, she immediately saw a black Maybach parked by the roadside, radiating power.

By the car stood a tall and slender figure gracefully poised.

She wore a finely tailored beige long trench coat with a matching turtleneck cashmere sweater underneath, exuding a quiet but undeniable powerful aura.

Her features were sharp and vivid, like a Greek sculpture.

Golden wavy hair cascaded like a waterfall over her shoulders, making her skin glow with a cold white radiance under the lights.

Jiang Yourong’s heart skipped.

Anne Kate!

She recognized her quickly, not only because she was a committee member of Gathering Capital but also because last time before Su Yu’s concert, she had met her in Su Yu’s Lan Feng International apartment.

At that time, she was just an inconspicuous Luna and barely spoke.

But why was she suddenly here?

As Jiang Yourong was uncertain, Anne Kate stopped in the corridor.

Her icy blue eyes, as clear and cold as a Siberian lake, fixed on her.

It was a gaze from a higher dimension—calm, indifferent, yet with a soul-penetrating pressure.

Jiang Yourong stopped, breathing a bit tight.

She knew some background: one of the heirs of the American Kate family, a true world-class wealthy beauty.

Their eyes met.

Jiang Yourong forced herself to calm down and put on a polite smile. “Hello, Ms. Kate. What a coincidence to see you here.”

“Not at all, darling.”

Anne’s voice was light, with a hint of lazy American accent, and the tail tone lifted slightly.

Then she stepped forward, leaned toward Jiang Yourong, and curled a playful, elusive smile.

“I’m here for you.”

Jiang Yourong’s legs tightened.

Damn! Of course she came for me, Empress Muxue!

And... why does this voice sound so familiar?!

She instinctively held her breath, trying to piece together the fragments of memory.

A vague flash suddenly appeared.

Last time when Tang Song was on a business trip in Modu, the foreign female voice on the other end of the call, mixed with pleas and gasps, seemed... to be her!