Chapter 1431 Give Me a Heart Attack One Day
At first, Long Tengfei thought that Phantom Dragon Funds was targeting his Long Industries. But on closer inspection, it was doing the same thing to other businesses, both new and long-established ones.
It was aggressively acquiring as many shares as it could buy. His Long Industries wasn't anything special when viewed from this perspective. Nôv(el)B\\jnn
Besides, the acquisition of shares itself wasn't a bad thing. It even helped in increasing the value of the shares due to the attention. The total value of Long Industries as a company had increased a lot since Phantom Dragon Funds started targeting its shares. In a way, Long Tengfei should be thankful for it.
However, his intuition as a businessman honed from decades of experience couldn't help but sound an alarm at the too-aggressive acquisition of shares of his company.
He suspected that there might be something in play behind the scenes that he hadn't figured out yet. He needed more information about the other party's real intention as to why they wanted to acquire so many of his company's shares.
Long Industries was his life and blood.
There was even a point in his life when he thought it was more important than his children.
Of course, he was already starting to mend his ways, but Long Industries was still an important part of his life and identity. He couldn't allow anyone to blindside him and take his company away without a fight.
This was why he wanted to meet the people behind Phantom Dragon Funds in person. It was only now that the other party accepted his invitation for a meeting.
He was initially displeased. He thought that they were too cocky for their own good. Typical behavior of ambitious youngsters just setting foot in the industry.
Now, however, his displeasure turned into anticipation after hearing that the owner was finally willing to show his face to others. Long Tengfei couldn't wait to meet the mysterious eccentric owner behind Phantom Dragon Funds
They arrived in front of a closed door.
The assistant knocked on the door before opening it.
Long Tengfei and Cai Guang walked inside the conference room, ready to greet the CEO and the mysterious owner.
Then they were both stunned.
Iris stood up from her seat at the head of the table and gave them a dazzling smile. Her smile blinded them, further freezing them on the spot.
"Hello, Father," she greeted Long Tengfeifirst before nodding at Cai Guang. "Welcome to my Phantom Dragon Funds. I heard from my CEO that you've been looking forward to meeting me. Please sit down. What would you like to drink? Coffee, tea, juice, water?"
"Y-you...Xiulan?" Long Tengfei stammered.
Iris tilted her head to the side and smiled. "Yes, Father. It's me."
Long Tengfei didn't remain shocked for too long. He had already experienced far more shocking bombshells thrown by his youngest daughter before today.
The first time was when he discovered that his daughter was in a romantic relationship with CEO Jin Liwei of Jin Corporation.
The second time was when he learned that his daughter was actually a rare genius and even enrolled in the legendary school for geniuses, Cross Academy.
The third time was when he unknowingly attended his youngest daughter's surprise wedding and learned that she was also pregnant at the same time.
And finally, the biggest shock (more like the biggest happy surprise so far) was when his youngest daughter plus his other daughter gave birth to their own sets of twin sons respectively.
Of course, there were many more shocking bombshells in between these huge ones. He should have already become numb at being shocked by his youngest daughter all the time, but in fact, he still couldn't get used to it.
His daughter, Long Xiulan, was too much of an outlier among the people he knew.
Most of the time, she didn't conform to logic. She loved to shock others.
'She'll give me a heart attack one day if she continues like this,' he thought, feeling helpless.
Finally, he asked, "You're the owner of Phantom Dragon Funds?" he asked.
"Correct." Iris didn't deny it.
Long Tengfei sighed. He glanced at his long-time assistant Cai Guang who still hadn't recovered from his stunned state. Then he didn't stand on ceremony and sat down. He felt exhausted all of a sudden.
"Tea," he requested. "No, I want coffee instead."
He needed something stronger than tea to face this cunning daughter of his. Looking around the elegant yet imposing conference room, the fact that his daughter threw him this kind of curveball was starting to sink in. Indeed, she was a genius.
Someone average couldn't possibly set up a new company and grow it at the speed of light like this. Only a genius like her could create a diabolical company and target her own father's company, wanting to swallow it, while at the same time doing the same to other companies to make it look less conspicuous.
So he had been right to suspect his youngest daughter before.
She indeed owned Phantom Dragon Funds, and yet he retracted this suspicion after falsely believing that his supposedly reliable son-in-law wouldn't allow Iris to run a company investing an enormous amount of money so recklessly like this.
It turned out that his son-in-law, Jin Liwei, loved his wife too much that he would allow her to do anything she wanted despite the possible disastrous consequences.
Long Tengfei once again sighed.
He felt a dull ache in his head. When the CEO himself served him and Cai Guang a cup of black coffee each, he would've downed it in one go if it wasn't so scalding hot.
The other staff already left. Only Iris, the CEO, Long Tengfei and Cai Guang were left in the conference room.
"Xiulan...." Long Tengfei began saying, but couldn't formulate a coherent sentence to tell her daughter yet.
"Fatherâno, I should call you President Long Tengfei since we're in an official business setting," Iris said. "I know what you want to ask me. I won't waste any more time and keep you guessing."
Chapter 1432 Face-off Between an Old And a Young Dragon
"Yes, I own Phantom Dragon Funds since day one," Iris said. "And also yes, I set it up primarily to win the majority shareholder rights at Long Industries. Of course, now that my investment company is running well, no matter what the outcome in my battle at Long Industries, I intend to let Phantom Dragon Funds continue investing in various businesses in different sectors and also continue helping out promising entrepreneurs in realizing their dreams."
She looked at Long Tengfei straight in the eye. "I want you to remember this, President Long Tengfei. I want Long Industries, but I don't necessarily need it. After all, I'm still a businesswoman who already owns multiple successful companies."
She made sure to emphasize the word "successful".
Long Tengfei immediately understood the point she made.
He asked, "Does it have to be this way?"
The smile disappeared from Iris' face. "No, it doesn't have to be this way."
His heart did a hopeful skip. "Then...."
But before he could finish his sentence, Iris interrupted him. "But if Long Hui becomes the next head of Long Industries and the clan, then it will have to be this way. I already told you this so many times before. I won't allow him to succeed after all the things he did. I know that you had been grooming him since he was a child to be your successor, but I want you to look clearly at his abilities without any bias. Do you think that he'll be a good leader?"
He didn't answer.
He couldn't.
Iris continued, "Fine, I admit that his business sense is not terrible. But it's nothing extraordinary either. Big Sister Jinjing is so much more skilled than him. Oh, and before you get any ideas about her, I'm not giving her to your company, so don't even think about it, President Long. She belongs to my Orchidia."
Long Tengfei scowled, not sure whether to laugh or cry. "I didn't say that I'm trying to poach your sister away from you."
"Even if you try poaching her, she won't be tempted anyway." She shrugged. "The benefits of all my companies are so much better than Long Industries. So unless you threaten her with filial piety, she won't be moved to leave my company to work for you."
He became speechless. Her daughter's tone was polite, yet her words were extremely savage. It was clear that she was criticizing his company and making it sound like it couldn't compare to her own companies.
Before he could even have the chance to retort, she added, "Even Big Brother Jian is a much better leader than Long Hui. His performance and the results of his projects are much more commendable than your eldest son's who have everything handed to him on a silver platter."
Once again, he couldn't out-argue her.
"And lastly, me." She pointed at herself. "Is there any need to question my abilities at this point? Even if you subtract my husband's power and influence from me, I have still built several successful businesses with stable foundations with my ability. Now tell me, President Long, I'm gonna ask you this for the last time because I don't want to keep repeating myself to you, which one among us siblings do you think is the best choice to become the next head of your company? Be honest and judge it according to your criteria as a wise businessman with decades-long experience and not as a biased parent."
Silence filled the conference room.
Phantom Dragon Funds' CEO and Cai Guang dared not breathe too loudly as they watched the tense confrontation between the father and daughter.
They could imagine an old, noble dragon facing off against and bold, fearless young dragon.
The sparks between the two almost singed the hairs off their heads.
Long Tengfei was the first one to break the tense silence.
"You...are indeed my daughter."
Iris raised an eyebrow. What did he mean by saying that? Was he praising or criticizing her?
He sighed again. He didn't know how many times he had sighed today. This sigh, however, seemed to be the heaviest.
"Alright, Xiulan," he said. "Based on what I can see, you are indeed the best choice to succeed as the next head of Long Industries." n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Her bright smile returned.
His tired look was replaced by seriousness. "I can make it official and publicly announce you as my successor, if that's what you want. But that won't silence the detractors against you. Despite everything that happened to your eldest brother, he's still my firstborn and the one expected to inherit my mantle as the next head of Long Industries."
"I know," she replied.
"Using this," he gestured at her office, "Phantom Dragon Funds of yours to forcefully snatch the majority stake of Long Industries will indeed aid your plans, but it will also leave your rule extremely unstable. Since you're so proud of your current businesses that you built with stable foundations, then you must also prioritize stabilizing your position at Long Industries if you want to become the next head. I might have already chosen you, but it's useless if the rest of the company refuses to acknowledge you."
"Challenge accepted," she said with a smile.
"There is one way to allow the rest of the company to accept you more easily, that is, if you're willing to do it."
"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow, feeling intrigued.
"Reveal that you're an active student at Cross Academy and provide proof of your admittance."
She didn't respond right away.
"Once people learn that you're affiliated with such a renowned world-class educational institution, then it's easier for them to accept you as my successor and not doubt you too much."
"Because I'll be labelled as a genius and not just as a product of nepotism, is what you mean," she said.
"Exactly."
She tilted her head to the side and pondered about it. "I'll eventually reveal my connection to Cross Academy. I'll think about when."
"Suit yourself," he could only say.\
Chapter 1433 You're a Cross Academy Student?!
Long Tengfei didn't understand why his daughter would withhold such an important achievement from the public. If it were any other normal person, they would have already bragged about it long ago. And yet his daughter kept it a secret for so long.
Despite his inner thoughts, he didn't persuade her any further. He knew long ago that his youngest daughter was the most willful among his children.
Nobody could force her to do anything that she didn't want to do. She was like a bulldozer who would trample upon anyone who dared to stand in her way, even if they were her own parents.
Looking at her now, he knew that there was no changing her mind about whatever she had decided.
She had her plans. But since he already acknowledged her as his successor, then he could only try to minimize the damage and outrage that would certainly occur to the already hostile relationship between his eldest son and his other children.
"You can continue being Long Industries' brand ambassador, but I'll still arrange an official position with actual power in the company for you," he promised her. "I can do this much as the head of the company and as a father. You'll face more criticism compared to your two older brothers because you didn't start from the bottom like them."
She shrugged at his warning. "I don't mind criticisms. I eat them for breakfast."
"You!" He sighed again and shook his head. He didn't bother responding to her witty quip. Instead, he said, "Xiulan, I know that you have a grudge against your eldest brother, but he's still your blood-related sibling. Can you...can you just...leave him a little leeway without being too ruthless?"
"You still remember what he did to your eldest grandson, right? Even if you don't care about Jiang Ying Yue, you must still consider Little Jun in your heart. And don't forget about his now ex-wife, Mao Qiyue, that vicious woman! Not only did she slander Jiang Ying Yue but she almost harmed my godson! Even now, the Maos are still so vindictive despite already suffering retribution for their actions. They have no remorse at all! If not for my husband's tight security team, then the Maos would've already harmed your eldest grandson and his mother many times over!
"So, President Long, if you want me to stop being too ruthless to your eldest son, then you must also educate him first to conduct himself and the people closest to him properly. He's the one who didn't want to play fair first. I'm only retaliating. I'm not a saint or a martyr. I'm not going to smile and turn the other cheek when somebody is treating me and my loved ones poorly!
"And to be honest, I'm not even that ruthless to him yet. I'm still leaving it to the law to punish him according to the level of his misdeeds. If I were to be really ruthless to him, then he wouldn't even have the time and energy to scheme against anyone ever again because he'd be too busy just trying to survive. You understand what I mean, President Long?"
The conversation between the father and daughter didn't end well.
They might technically not have quarreled, but the tension between them was almost too much to bear for Cai Guang and Phantom Dragon Funds' CEO.
There was no satisfactory conclusion about Long Tengfei's plea for her eldest son to his youngest daughter in today's meeting.
Long Tengfei might have already chosen his youngest daughter as his successor, but he didn't feel at ease. Not at all.
He knew that his eldest son's misdeeds had piled up too high that it was already justifiable for him to negate Long Hui's qualifications as the successor of Long Industries. But Long Hui was still the son that he had painstakingly groomed as his successor for so many years.
These conflicting emotions had already caused him indecision so many times when it came to his children's battle for succession.
With a heavy heart, he bid goodbye to his youngest daughter and left with Cai Guang. Silence filled the vehicle as they made their way back to Long Industries.
"Will everything be fine in the end?" he asked no one in particular.
His long-time loyal assistant, Cai Guang, thought that his boss was speaking to him. He replied, "Young Miss Xiulan might be temperamental but she has already proven to be an excellent business leader. I believe that she'll do what's best for the company after she takes over and that includes how to deal with Eldest Young Master Hui and Second Young Master Jian. I'm sure that she'll still remember them as her biological brother no matter what."
Long Tengfei sighed, closed his eyes, and tried to calm his restless mind and heart. "I hope you're right. I really hope that you're right."
###
After Long Tengfei left, Iris noticed that the eyes of Phantom Dragon Funds' CEO were shining while looking at her.
"Is it true that you're a Cross Academy student?" he asked, unable to contain his excitement. Nôv(el)B\\jnn
She nodded, not bothering to conceal it. It was true, anyway. There was no need to hide it from him, especially since she already considered him as one of her people after becoming the new CEO of Phantom Dragon Funds.
"Awesome!" The usually cool and competent man now looked like a giddy teenager who had met his idol in person for the first time. "I always dreamed of being admitted to Cross Academy after watching an unauthorized documentary about it when I was a kid. Unfortunately, I don't quality."
"You graduated from an Ivy League business school just like my husband," she said. "Many people also dream of being admitted to your alma mater. There's no need to feel envious of me. You're already impressive in your own right."
"I know, boss. I'm not belittling my own achievements, I worked hard for every single one of them. But it's Cross Academy! The legendary Cross Academy!!! It's the highest level among the world-class schools in the world. The top among the top! Do you know how many people would kill just to set foot in there?!!! Cross Academy!"
Chapter 1434 Deputy Chief Marketing Officer
Iris humoured the excited man's curiosity and answered most of his questions. As long as no sensitive private matters were violated, she shared some information about Cross Academy.
Afterward, he asked in a confused tone, "Why won't you reveal that you're a Cross Academy student?"
She crossed her legs and sipped her hot tea. "Just like you said, Cross Academy is legendary. All of us Cross Academy students have our own pride. Right now, I don't feel that I have enough personal achievements in my current fields of studyânamely, foreign languages and business administration. I'm also a celebrity. Every move I make can be made into hot news. What I want is to be big enough to wear the title of Cross Academy student with ease and not the title wearing me down instead. Although I don't care much about what others think about me, I don't want them saying that I'm not good enough for Cross Academy."
He didn't completely understand what she meant, but he respected her decision. Now that he knew that his boss was a certified genius from Cross Academy, his respect for her became absolute. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
It would be a lie if he said that he didn't look down and underestimate Iris Long a bit before she hired him as the new CEO of Phantom Dragon Funds.
Like others, he held some misconceptions about her. For example, she only became successful because of her identity as a wealthy young miss and later as the wife of CEO Jin Liwei.
It was only after working closely together with her on running Phantom Dragon Funds that he discovered that this woman was a force to be reckoned with in her own right. Now that he learned that she was also admitted to Cross Academy, he definitely became loyal to her in addition to gaining more respect for her.
Iris didn't mind the almost fanatic gaze of the man.
There was respect and awe in his eyes.
What she didn't tell him was that she wanted to prove herself first by honing her translation skills and by becoming a global billionaire. Although others would argue that her current achievements were already enough, her past achievements as Evelina Vetrova at Cross Academy were too enormous compared to the current her.
She wanted to surpass her past achievements to satisfy her competitive spirit, even though her competitor was none other than herself.
Only then would she be confident and proud enough to reveal her identity as a Cross Academy student.
###
Long Tengfei was true to his word. After a few days, he immediately released an official announcement appointing the current celebrity brand ambassador, Iris Long, as the new Deputy Chief Marketing Officer of Long Industries.
The news was even reported by the media.
This decision caused an uproar in the company, especially among the board of directors.
Iris arrived at Long Industries with great fanfare. She didn't avoid the reporters gathered outside the company building and even entertained a few questions from them. Then Dom and her bodyguards, together with the company security staff, safely escorted her inside.
Long Jian, the company's Deputy Chief Operating Officer, was the one who personally welcomed her and led her up to the President's office.
"This is not a smart move," he told her once they were enclosed in the elevator. "There are many who are planning to sabotage you now that you have risen directly to Deputy CMO. Even the former Deputy CMO, now promoted as the new Chief Marketing Officer, expressed his dissatisfaction at your sudden promotion."
"I know." Iris wasn't perturbed at all, but still gave him a grateful smile for the warning.
He gave her a weak scoff, trying his best to act disgusted at her grateful smile.
Iris shrugged while listening to him talk about some of the most relevant company gossip.
She already did extensive background research with Ketchup and Bacon on the people that she would be closely working with at Long Industries now that she was the new Deputy CMO.
The previous Deputy CMO was now her immediate superior, promoted to Chief Marketing Officer. The previous CMO had retired.
According to her research, the new CMO was planning on promoting his own protégé as his deputy but was instead blindsided by President Long Tengfei's decision to promote his daughter. Of course, he wouldn't be too happy about it.
Iris didn't care too much about this kind of petty politics in the office. She was ready to prove herself to the CMO and to everyone in the company that she was more than qualified for the position.
Nevertheless, she was still surprised when she found out that Long Tengfei appointed her as the new Deputy CMO. When he promised a few days ago that he would give her an official position in the company with real power, she assumed that she become an upper mid-level manager and not an executive so soon. But she quickly recovered and didn't hesitate to accept the appointment and go for her first day at work at Long Industries as soon as possible.
Why would she reject it?
At least, Long Tengfei was true to his word and already helped pave the way for her as his successor as the head of Long Industries.
Long Jian asked beside her, interrupting her thoughts, "Can you handle the additional workload?"
She looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Are you worried about me, my dear brother?"
He pretended to shiver. "Stop using that sweet tone on me! Who's worried about you?! Don't forget that we're opponents, okay?! Opponents!!!"
"Oh." Iris stopped teasing him and instead began checking her immaculate manicure, looking uninterested.
"Hmph! There's no way I'll feel worried about you. I'm only like this because of our temporary alliance. We need each other's help to stabilize our positions and influence in this company, and most importantly, to kick out that a**hole, Long Hui. Once that's done, to each our own. Understand?"
She nodded. "Of course."
He snorted but still carefully led her to their father's office once they exited the elevator.
Chapter 1435 You're a Black Star, Aren't You?
Waiting for them inside the President's office were Long Tengfei and also the newly appointed Chief Marketing Officer.
Iris could feel the other party's eyes inspecting her, but she wasn't fazed. At least, she could sense that the CMO wasn't overtly hostile to her. Although she didn't know the CMO as a person yet, based on the background investigations she and her AI cat children conducted, he was always professional and took his work seriously. This kind of person wouldn't backstab other people for his gain. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
She hoped that he was as she expected.
If he was, then she just needed to display her high standard of professionalism and abilities.
Besides, what others thought of her wasn't her business.
As long as she accomplished her tasks, she didn't care about people's opinions about her in this company.
Her goal at Long Industries was different compared to her goals for her own businesses.
She only viewed herself as a temporary vessel to acquire the company and run it for a few years before handing it to the next successor.
If Little Jun grew up to be a competent leader, then she would hand the company to her godson in a heartbeat. But if the child wasn't interested, she could still find and groom other potential candidates and choose the best among them.
As long as it wasn't Long Hui or any of his greedy minions, Iris had no problem handing over the responsibility of running Long Industries to another competent leader. But the person must pass her high criteria first.
The introductions at the President's office were very brief.
Long Tengfei simply made the introductions. His move was meant as a signal to the new CMO that he was backing his youngest daughter and the CMO better take care of her. The CMO pretended not to notice. His expression looked stern right from the start.
Long Jian looked like he still wanted to say something to Iris, but the CMO already led her away to her new office.
The CMO was her direct superior. He was very perfunctory in introducing her to their team, but Iris didn't mind.
They immediately convened in the conference room. The CMO handed her a folder containing a series of documents.
"These are the company's current marketing plans. We plan to expand our shipping routes in Europe and renew our current partnerships in Asia and North America. The current routes in the other continents will remain as they are for now. Review each of the plans, make suggestions as you see fit for our team to review, and then present the finalized plans next week."
Iris didn't change her expression as she opened the folder and began speed-reading the documents.
The CMO and the others didn't know whether she was just pretending to be calm or if she was really confident in her new position in the company.
To be honest, most of them were disgruntled upon learning that she was parachuted by her father, especially those who were vying for the position of Deputy CMO. Those ones believed that they were more competent and qualified to become the new Deputy Chief Marketing Officer than her.
When they first learned that President Long Tengfei assigned his celebrity daughter, Iris Long, to be the next Deputy CMO, they thought that it was an absurd decision.
But what could they do?
The higher-ups were the ones making the major decisions. They just needed to obey whether they liked it or not.
As for working with Iris Long, they would just close one eye and pretend to be harmonious with her.
No matter how dissatisfied they felt at her sudden promotion, she was still the President's daughter after all.
What happened was clear nepotism.
Those who claimed otherwise were either blind or a fool.
They just hoped that she wouldn't drag their team down too much. As long as she wouldn't rock the boat too much, then they could ignore her other inadequacies.
Most importantly, they didn't want to offend her because she had the biggest backer in the country's business worldâher husband, Jin Liwei of Jin Corporation.
CEO Jin was known to blacklist individuals that offended him before. They were all corporate workers. It wasn't worth it to offend an overbearing ancestor like CEO Jin.
It was true that when the gods fought, the mortals would be the ones to suffer the most.
Iris might not hear their thoughts, but she could sense them.
She didn't care. All she cared about was familiarizing herself with her new workplace. She was already grateful that the CMO was professional enough and even prepared this mini-orientation for her.
They might not believe in her yet, but at least they respected her enough not to openly give her a bad attitude.
Afterward, she immediately went to work in her newly assigned office.
They were very thorough and even assigned an assistant to her, albeit it was a newbie.
"B-boss, do you need me to do something for you?" The assistant was eager to please.
Iris glanced at her and blinked a few times. "Hmmm. You look familiar. Have we met before?"
The nervous assistant's eyes lit up, but was unable to reply to her question immediately.
Iris was unsure whether her new assistant was too timid or too excited. Although Iris wasn't too pleased at the assistant's apparent timidity, she decided to give her the benefit of the doubt and allow the person some time to display her abilities. The most important thing was that Iris could sense the assistant's sincerity in her desire to please her.
"Go and ask Dom about my preferences," Iris ended up telling her.
"Understood, Boss Iris!"
Dom returned to her side after she started to settle in her new office. She watched as her new assistant spoke with Dom.
Then it struck her why the person looked familiar.
When her new assistant returned with a cup of hot black tea made from tea leaves that Dom especially bought from home, Iris smiled at her.
"I remember you now," she said. "You're a Black Star, aren't you?"
Chapter 1436 Level of Productivity
The new assistant gasped and became teary-eyed. "I didn't think that you'll remember me, Boss Iris."
"Of course, I remember you." Iris took a sip from her cup of tea. "I've seen you a couple of times supporting me in the audience when I attended some talk shows before I took hiatus from showbiz."
The new assistant became even more excited and pledged her undying loyalty to Iris.
"I originally wanted to apply to Orchidia, but my college mentor knows your father, President Long Tengfei, and recommended me to work for you as your new assistant here at Long Industries instead. It's very sudden and I only got the call last night, but I immediately accepted the job. I hope that you can depend on me like how you depend on Brother Dom."
"Please take care of me, then," Iris said with a sincere smile.
The new assistant beamed.
Now that Iris knew that her new assistant was a Black Star, her initial misgiving about the person's apparent timidity disappeared. She didn't stand on ceremony and immediately assigned some tasks to this new assistant of hers.
In the meantime, Ketchup also worked fast and gathered background information about the young woman. Iris read through it and couldn't help but nod in approval.
The young woman's education was quite impressive. Top three of her entire batch in university. Not bad.
Iris didn't think that working as her assistant was a downgrade for a new graduate with good prospects. As long as the young woman could prove herself, then Iris would give her better opportunities to climb the corporate ladder in the future.
This was only the first day.
Black Star or not, Iris intended to test her new assistant's abilities. If she was reliable, then she would keep her. If not, then she would let her go. Simple as that.
Nevertheless, the background information that Ketchup gathered showed that the new assistant was quite promising. Her background was also clean.
Only time would tell if the young woman would be able to satisfy Iris.
"Dom, show her the ropes about how I want things done," she instructed.
"No problem, Boss!" Dom gave her an okay sign with his fingers.
Iris returned to her own tasks.
The CMO and the others might not believe in her abilities yet, but she was satisfied with this job appointment. Only a fool would reject Long Tengfei's goodwill of directly appointing her as the Deputy Chief Marketing Officer.
Long Tengfei didn't assign her this position just for the sake of giving her a job title with actual power. He actually thought it through.
She was a celebrity.
What better way to utilize her fame than to assign her to the Marketing Department?
This way, she would be able to perform well and show results quickly.
Iris understood Long Tengfei's thought process. Even though she didn't need such careful consideration because she was confident about her abilities, she still felt a little touched. Just a little bit.
"Ketchup, ask your dad to recommend a bottle of alcohol to gift your Grandpa Long," she instructed her cat AI daughter.
"Aye, aye, Mommy! Meow~"
Not even a minute later, Jin Liwei directly called her.
"Happy with the arrangement there?" he asked in his low, sexy voice.
Her lips curled into a smile. "Yes."
"Good to hear. Don't worry about the alcohol. I'll take care of it and personally choose a good one from our wine cellar at home. Long Tengfei is still my father-in-law, after all. I'll have to also thank him for taking care of my wife this time."
Iris chuckled. "Alright, I'll leave it to you, then."
The husband and wife chatted for a couple more minutes before hanging up to focus on their own respective work.
###
Iris started coming to Long Industries and working there for a few hours every day. She didn't care about other people's criticisms of her not following the company's office hours, both regular and overtime hours.
All she cared about was completing the tasks assigned to her by her direct superior, the Chief Marketing Officer. If not for the need to interact with other people and show her presence in the company, she wouldn't even bother going to the company in person every day and just complete the work remotely at home.
But this was an important period for her to extend her influence at Long Industries. Whether she liked it or not, showing up in person at the office was necessary for her plans.
Others thought that her showing up at the company for only a couple of hours each day was a sign that she was slacking off. She could hear people gossiping about her. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
They were complaining about how unfair it was for them to work regular hours and even overtime, but she would only show up for a couple of hours or so at most.
Iris only shrugged at their grievances. They could only see what they wanted to see.
They didn't see that in the short couple of hours or so that she was at the office, she completed more tasks than they could finish in a couple of weeks. They couldn't match her level of productivity even if they tried.
Besides, all this time, she wasn't just working for Long Industries. She also had her own businesses, not to mention that she was still working on her collaboration with her music mentor, Enrique Valdez, in preparation for her showbiz comeback.
Most importantly, she was also a new mother who couldn't bear to leave her babies for too long.
There were also other miscellaneous tasks that needed her attention.
If those criticizing her could only see what her typical day looked like, they might vomit and even collapse from exhaustion just imagining it.
To Iris, however, every day felt very fulfilling instead.
She already completed the big tasks that Long Industries' CMO assigned herâthe marketing plans.
Her husband, Jin Liwei, also helped provide some useful and practical suggestions.
She was only waiting for the day to present them on the deadline. She didn't want to appear too eager to prove herself to the company by presenting it earlier than the agreed date. She was biding her time before striking.
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Chapter 1437 Like His Own Son
Iris might appear like she was only doing the bare minimum, but the quality of her work was unquestionable. For her, it wasn't based on how long she spent working on the tasks but on the quality of the results. This had always been her principle whenever she worked on something.
After another day of hard work, Iris went home and headed straight to the nursery to hug her babies.
"Mama! Mama!!" Little Mochi and Little Matcha immediately abandoned their toys and crawled up to her.
She knelt on the floor and caught her twins. The cats and puppies also ran in circles around her, each trying to catch her attention.
Little Jun wasn't at home, unfortunately. It was Jiang Ying Yue's day off today. She took her son to Lin Yehan's farm villa for an overnight stay. Everyone could see Lin Yehan's painstaking efforts in trying to bond with his soon-to-be stepson so that Little Jun wouldn't feel neglected in any way. This was especially important since Lin Yehan and Jiang Ying Yue were already starting to plan their wedding.
Lin Yehan's farm villa was quite far from Dragon Palace, but he would still take the time and effort to drive the long distance almost every day just to spend more quality time with the mother and son. Even when Jiang Ying Yue was on duty at the mansion, Lin Yehan didn't mind and insisted on spending time with Little Jun instead. Everyone witnessed his sincerity. He really treated the mother and son as his own family now.
Although her godson was absent, Iris was still happy to see her babies welcoming her home. She kissed her children a few times and couldn't help but sigh in contentment. "Ah, Mommy is recharged now, thanks to my babies."
Little Mochi giggled and also gave her plenty of drooly smooches on the cheek. Little Matcha was a bit more reserved, only giving her one kiss on the cheek.
She played with her children for some time before Ketchup informed her that Jin Liwei had arrived home. She and Dom carried the twins to welcome her husband. The cats and puppies also followed by their feet.
Jin Liwei's stern expression immediately softened upon seeing his family welcoming him home.
He took Little Matcha who was reaching for him from Dom and went straight to his wife and other son, Little Mochi. The family of four embraced each other. The cats and puppies also rubbed themselves against their legs.
The family was about to head straight for a meal when Dom received a call.
"Boss, it's Big Sis Yue," Dom said.
Iris took the phone and listened to a frantic Jiang Ying Yue.
"Calm down, Ying Yue," Iris said, trying to calm down Jiang Ying Yue. "I can't understand what you're saying. Explain to me slowly and clearly."
The calmer Lin Yehan took over the call from his fiancée to explain the situation.
Iris put the call on loudspeaker so that her husband could also listen.
It turned out that Little Jun was having a fever. The child had been fine and energetic like usual in the morning, but by the afternoon, he began to feel lethargic.
Jiang Ying Yue allowed her son to take a longer nap than usual, but when she checked on Little Jun just now, she found her son burning up with a fever.
Iris was also worried about her godson. She glanced at Jin Liwei.
"Eldest Brother, drive Little Jun to the hospital," Jin Liwei said. "Xiulan and I will follow you shortly."
"We're almost at the hospital," Lin Yehan told them. "Ying Yue is beside herself with worry. Please have Xiulan come and help comfort her."
"Of course, we'll be right there," Jin Liwei replied.
After the phone call ended, Jin Liwei entrusted the kids to the nannies and instructed the butler to drive one of his cars to the front driveway while Iris rushed to get her bag. Dom, on the other hand, ran to the medical wing. They didn't even bother changing their clothes before hurrying to the driveway where Jin Liwei was already waiting.
Iris sat in the front passenger seat while Dom and the in-house doctor sat in the back.
As soon as the last door shut closed, Jin Liwei drove away with the engine roaring.
Iris was filled with worry. If only she could teleport to her godson's side, she would have already done it in a heartbeat.
Now that she was a mother herself, her worry for children increased several-fold.
Jin Liwei held her hand and squeezed it. "Our godson will be fine."
She nodded. Little Jun would be fine. He should be fine!
"Eldest Brother Yehan is with them," he assured her. "He won't let anything happen to Little Jun. He already cares about the little guy like his own son." n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
"I know," Iris said with a sigh. "We can all see Eldest Brother Yehan's efforts in caring for Little Jun. His interactions with Little Jun always feel natural. There's no awkwardness at all. So far, he's fulfilling his promise of treating Little Jun like his biological son. Ying Yue said that this is the biggest reason why she decided to accept Eldest Brother Yehan and even took the initiative to propose marriage to him. He's just too good to pass up."
"Very true," Dom echoed from the backseat. "Big Sis Yue did indeed say that."
After speaking, Dom returned to shutting his eyes and clasping his hands together to continue praying for Little Jun's safety and good health.
The in-house doctor beside him was quietly contacting her peers from the hospital where Lin Yehan planned to take Little Jun.
Iris did her best to calm down. Then she patted Jin Liwei's hand that was holding hers. "Drive safely. We're in a rush, but safety is still a priority."
Jin Liwei didn't argue. He gave her hand another gentle squeeze before focusing on driving.
Iris tried calling Jiang Ying Yue and Lin Yehan a few times, but unfortunately, the call was unable to go through.
Chapter 1438 Guilty
Finally, Iris and Jin Liwei's group arrived at the hospital. Iris couldn't contact either Jiang Ying Yue or Lin Yehan at all. Fortunately, their in-house doctor was able to contact some of her peers working at the hospital and gathered information about Little Jun as soon as he was admitted. Thanks to the doctor, Iris and Jin Liwei's group headed straight to Little Jun's private room without having to search like headless chickens.
As soon as they entered the private room, Jiang Ying Yue threw herself at Iris and sobbed. Iris patted Jiang Ying Yue's shaking muscled shoulders, trying to comfort her, while Jin Liwei asked Lin Yehan about the child's condition.
Outside in the hallway, the in-house doctor spoke with the doctor assigned to Little Jun while Dom busied himself coordinating with the bodyguards who followed them in another car and the hospital's security to make sure that Iris' presence in the hospital remained a secret.
It would be too much trouble if the paparazzi discovered Iris at the hospital and started disturbing the other patients and medical staff just to get some footage of her.
When Jiang Ying Yue somewhat calmed down, she felt a little embarrassed. It was very rare for her to lose control of her emotions like this.
"Sorry," she whispered.
"Don't apologize," Iris said, continuing to pat her. "We're both mothers. I understand your worry and fear for your child. Little Jun is also my godson. I feel the same way as you."
Then the two walked to the hospital bed where Little Jun was now sleeping.
Iris stroked her sleeping godson's hair and kissed his forehead. It was still warm to the touch, causing her heart to clench. The poor child looked pale and exhausted. Iris' eyes couldn't help but mist over at the sight of the IV needle inserted into the back of the child's small hand.
"It's my fault," Jiang Ying Yue said, her eyes red and swollen. "I didn't pay enough attention to my son."
Before Iris could reply, she caught a word from her husband and Lin Yehan's conversation not far away that caused her alarm. "What did you say? Dengue? Little Jun has dengue fever?!"
The two men looked at her and nodded. Their expressions looked grave.
Iris looked at Jiang Ying Yue who also nodded.
"Where did he get dengue?" Iris demanded.
Jin Liwei said, "In the past couple of weeks, Little Jun only stayed either at Dragon Palace or at the farm villa. So the infection could have only occurred in one of these two places."
"There's a higher chance that it occurred at my place because it's a farm," Lin Yehan said, looking very guilty. "The next routine fumigation is scheduled to be next week, but I'll have it bumped up to tomorrow instead. No, today."
"Help me arrange it to be done at Dragon Palace, too," Jin Liwei said. "It's better to be safe than sorry. I can't risk it with the twins at home, too."
Iris agreed with her husband. She also planned to inform her big brother and Long Jinjing about it, so that they could also protect themselves from infected mosquitoes that may harm her twin nephews, Little Misha and Little Dima.
Lin Yehan looked remorseful. "I'm sorry, Ying Yue. I didn't take care of Little Jun enough at my home."
Jiang Ying Yue shook her head. "It's not your fault, Yehan. You can't possibly control every little insect on your property. Besides, the infection might not even have happened at your place. I remember taking Little Jun to stroll in the city for a morning last week during my day off. You had an important meeting that day, so you weren't able to accompany us. Maybe he got infected there. I know that both your farm villa and Dragon Palace are strict when it comes to hygiene. That's why it's my fault for bringing my son outside. Maybe we walked past some unclean places where he got infected."
"It's no use playing the blame game," Iris said. "We should focus on helping Little Jun recover and reduce the chance of this happening again."
"Xiulan is right." Jin Liwei placed his arm behind his wife to show his support. "It's good that you rushed the child to the hospital before his condition worsened. Let the doctors treat him so that we can bring him home sooner."
The Dragon Palace in-house doctor entered the room and provided them with a more detailed explanation from what she gathered from the hospital doctor which comforted them a little more, especially both Jiang Ying Yue and Lin Yehan who were almost drowning in guilt.
Afterward, Jin Liwei and Lin Yehan went out to arrange the fumigation of their respective properties as soon as possible. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
Iris and Jiang Ying Yue were the only ones left with the still-sleeping sick child.
"Don't blame yourself anymore," Iris said. "Kids are more susceptible to illnesses."
Although she said this to comfort Jiang Ying Yue, Iris still felt a lingering fear in her heart.
Even her twins already got sick a couple of times before from the common cold. The first time it happened, Iris almost collapsed from fear and worry. Her heart felt like it was being twisted and sliced open while watching her babies suffer from sickness. If Jin Liwei hadn't been there by her side, she might have already had a meltdown.
Jiang Ying Yue had been a mother longer than Iris. She had also experienced her son getting sick several times. Despite this, Jiang Ying Yue continued to worry about Little Jun every single time.
A mother would never stop worrying about her children even when they had grown up.
Jiang Ying Yue still felt very guilty. Just like what she told Lin Yehan earlier, she understood that her son getting dengue fever wasn't something that she could control. However, she still couldn't stop the guilt from bubbling inside her.
She had been enjoying the day with her fiancé when her son got sick. She felt like she had neglected Little Jun for her selfish happiness.
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Chapter 1439 Sick Little Jun
"Don't think like that," Iris told the guilty Jiang Ying Yue. "That's unfair to you and Eldest Brother Yehan." She stroked Little Jun's pale cheek and sighed. "Little Jun should get better now that you brought him to the hospital before his condition worsened. I'm sure our little boy will recover soon. You should rest, too. You'll be able to think more clearly tomorrow and take better care of the child, so stop blaming yourself too much. I'll call the butler and have him send some change of clothes, toiletries, and other necessities from home."
Jiang Ying Yue bit her lip. "That...doing all of that...is not really...."
Iris sighed. "Ying Yue, you know that more than being a member of our household's security team, you're also one of my closest friends, the mother of my godson, and soon, you'll also be Liwei and my official Eldest Sister-in-law after you marry Eldest Brother Yehan. You're also off-duty right now. No need to be polite with me, especially if it concerns my godson."
Jiang Ying Yue almost burst into tears again but she held it in. Instead, she smiled through moist eyes and said, "Okay. Thank you, Xiulan."
As much as Iris wanted to stay and help take care of Little Jun at the hospital today, she couldn't bear to leave her own babies at home for too long.
After helping make arrangements for Little Jun's stay at the hospital, Iris and Jin Liwei left together. Dom would stay for a few hours to run errands with Lin Yehan while Jiang Ying Yue stayed beside Little Jun.
Seeing his wife's expression, Jin Liwei sighed and reassured her, "Eldest Brother will accompany the mother and son at the hospital tonight. You don't need to feel guilty about not accompanying our godson. He has his own parents to take care of him. Our twins also need us, love."
"I know," Iris replied. "It just pains my heart to see Little Jun so sick like that. He's usually so lively."
"He'll be fine, love."
"Yes, you're right."
Their in-house doctor was also staying in the hospital tonight to help monitor Little Jun. Although this hospital was good, they still preferred their in-house doctor to help take care of their godson. She had all their children's medical records and knew their health better than anyone else.
Jin Liwei said, "I gave Jiang Ying Yue an indefinite leave to take care of our godson. She can return to work once he's back to normal."
Iris nodded and gave him a grateful smile.
He added, "Our godson is a very sturdy guy just like his mother. He'll get better soon, I'm sure."
"I hope so."
Then he said, "Eldest Brother also mentioned that after all this, he wants Jiang Ying Yue and Little Jun to move with him to the farm villa."
She frowned. "Big Brother and Big Sister Jinjing moved out with our little nephews not too long ago. And now Ying Yue and our godson are also moving out?"
Jin Liwei refrained from saying anything at the moment and allowed his wife to process her emotions. He knew that his wife's maternal instincts were running high ever since she gave birth. If possible, she wanted all the children to stay with them under the same roof.
When the Lu twins moved out, his wife almost got depressed. Fortunately, their Little Mochi and Little Matcha cheered her up. Of course, he also helped distract her in bed every night, so that she didn't have any time to feel depressed.
In the end, Iris released a long sigh. "If they want to move out, then so be it. As much as I want our godson to live in our house, I know that Eldest Brother Yehan wants to build his own little family with Ying Yue and Little Jun. In the future, they might also have more children."
Every family wanted to build their own home on their own terms.
She didn't want to ruin others' comfort and happiness for her selfishness.
After Lin Yehan and Jiang Ying Yue got engaged, Iris knew that there would come a time when the mother and son would move out of Dragon Palace. She had been dreading it all this time. And now, it was indeed happening. And so soon, too.
She had long treated Little Jun like her own son. Just imagining him moving out was enough to make her feel like her heart is being stabbed.
But no matter what happened in the future, she would always feel happy for her friend for finding her other half. All she could do as a friend was to support Jiang Ying Yue and hope that she would also find happiness in her spouse like how Iris found a blissful married life with Jin Liwei.
Most importantly, Iris and Jin Liwei would always be there for their godson, Little Jun.
Early the next day, Iris and Jin Liwei once again visited Little Jun at the hospital. They heard that the poor child woke up at dawn and vomited a few times. Fortunately, he was already at the hospital so the medical staff was able to make him feel better quickly.
"Mama! Papa! Mowning~" Little Jun greeted his godmother and godfather as soon as they entered the private room.
"Good morning, sweetheart." Iris kissed his forehead and checked his temperature at the same time.
Good. No fever anymore. And he looked a bit more energetic today.
But in her eyes, the poor child's eyes looked a bit too sunken, his cheeks a bit too hollow, and his body looked a bit too skinny.
Iris signaled at her husband who was holding several tiered bento boxes. They brought breakfast and some snacks prepared at home by their private chef. Normal ones for Jiang Ying Yue and Lin Yehan, while light, non-greasy foods were prepared for Little Jun. Nôv(el)B\\jnn
"Hungry, Little Jun?" Iris asked.
"Yesh! Junjun is veewy hungwy, Mama Shuwan!" (Yes! Junjun is very hungry, Mama Xiulan!)
Everyone smiled at the adorable child.
Iris insisted on feeding the child herself while telling Jiang Ying Yue and Lin Yehan to begin eating theirs.
Chapter 1440 Legal Guardians
After feeding her godson, Iris lightly poked his cute little nose. "You have to get well soon, Little Jun. Your little cousins miss you already and want to play with you again."
"Mochi, Matcha?" Little Jun asked.
"Yes." She nodded.
"Junjun want chu pway wif Mochi, Matcha, Mama! And da katty and da doggie!" (Junjun wants to play with Mochi and Matcha, Mama! And the kitties and the doggies!)
"Of course, sweetheart. They all can't wait to play with you, too. But you need to get well soon first. Okay?"
"Okay, Mama~"
After a light breakfast for Little Jun, the nurses returned to administer medications to the child. Perhaps because Iris mentioned that he needed to get well soon first to play with his little cousins again, Little Jun didn't complain even once when he was made to drink any of the medicine, even the bitter ones.
He also wasn't afraid that there was an IV needle inserted into his hand. In fact, he was proud of it because Lin Yehan told him that it meant he was a strong boy for not crying about it. He couldn't wait to show it off to his godparents. Of course, neither Iris nor Jin Liwei were stingy in praising the little guy.
Soon after, Little Jun became drowsy and slept again.
Jiang Ying Yue cleared her throat to get everyone's attention. They all looked at her.
Lin Yehan sat beside Jiang Ying Yue to give her support. It looked like he already knew what she wanted to say.
Iris and Jin Liwei also sat together across them.
"Xiulan, Sir Liwei, I want to thank you for always being there for my son," Jiang Ying Yue began. "I know that you've always treated and protected Little Jun like your own child. And I'm always grateful for that. I've...I've discussed this with Yehan...and...uhm...."
Yehan took her hand and squeezed it, encouraging her.
She gave him a shy smile before facing Iris and Jin Liwei again. "Yehan and I have decided...uhm, we want to ask you both if you are willing to become Little Jun's legal guardians."
"Yes, of course, we're willing," Iris agreed with no hesitation at all.
"En." Jin Liwei nodded.
"Thank you." Jiang Ying Yue's eyes watered.
Lin Yehan said, "Ying Yue and I are going to marry soon. I'm going to register both mother and son under my household. Although Ying Yue and I intend to live long, just in case something happens to both of us, at least we have trustworthy people to continue raising Little Jun with love and care. Both of you are already the child's godparents, but I suggested to Ying Yue to make it official and appoint both of you as legal guardians."
Jiang Ying Yue nodded. "I don't want Long Hui to...to get my son...if something really bad happens to me and Yehan. I don't trust that man. I'm sure that he'll marry someone else again. What if his new wife mistreats and harms my son? I can't bear it!"
"Both of you can rest assured that Xiulan and I will take our duties as legal guardians seriously," Jin Liwei said. "Eldest Brother, have your lawyer process the legal guardianship immediately. It's good that you suggested this to Jiang Ying Yue."
Lin Yehan agreed.
Iris also nodded. "When you have more children in the future, you can also make us their legal guardians so that Little Jun and his siblings will always be together."
Jiang Ying Yue blushed.
Lin Yehan smiled. "Thank you."
Afterward, Iris and Jin Liwei said their goodbyes and left the hospital together.
###
Dragon Palace Home #10.
Iris worked at her home studio with her music mentor, Enrique Valdez. They were finally done with the rough stages of their much-anticipated music collaboration.
It had been a long time coming.
They should have been completed and released it sooner, but the project got delayed time and again due to Iris' surprise pregnancy, sudden secret wedding, and other unexpected incidents over the past couple of years.
It was a good thing that Enrique Valdez was very patient and understanding of his protégé's circumstances.
Besides, he enjoyed every single second of his stay in the country and even became semi-active in the domestic music scene. Music programs, talk shows, and variety shows were clamouring to invite him as a special guest.
Although he would leave the country from time to time to take care of his other matters, he would always return and continue personally working with Iris whenever she had free time.
"The timbre of your voice has slightly changed after you gave birth," Enrique said. "Don't worry too much about it. I think that this is a blessing in disguise. It makes your tone richer and more soulful. However, you need to train it more in order to modulate your tone more effectively. Practice what I taught you and you'll improve soon."
Iris nodded. "Understood."
"Everything's okay now with the samples we made. Have JJ arrange the musicians, so we can now start the actual recording."
"Okay, Teacher. I'll call him now."
Her music producer, JJ, immediately answered her call. The three discussed the next steps of their projects. In the end, everyone agreed that they would record at JJ's company.
Initially, Iris wanted to record at her home studio, but after estimating the number of people that would be involved in the music project, including musicians, backup singers, technicians and other staff, she could only agree to record at JJ's company studio instead.
Now that she was a mother, she valued her family's privacy even more.
She didn't want some random strangers encountering her babies at home. Even though their home security was top-notch, it was still better to be safe than sorry especially when it came to her family's safety.
After the phone call, Iris glanced at the time. "I need to check on the kids."
Enrique Valdez was used to it. He waved her away. "Go ahead. I'll stay here in the studio for a while. I have a couple of melodies that I want to play around with."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om