Chapter 701 - Businessca
"Ketchup wants to start a cybersecurity company! Meow~"
"Absolutely not," Iris shot down the idea without hesitation. Although she just told Jin Liwei that she wouldn't stand in the way of Ketchup starting a business, that didn't mean that she would just allow the virtual white cat to start a random business without careful consideration.
"Eeeeh? Why not, Mommy? I think Ketchup will be super-duper good in the cybersecurity business because I'm the cute and mighty Ketchup! Meow!"
Iris gave a strict look at Ketchup who faced them on a large-sized tablet on the low table in front of the chaise longue. "Never underestimate the field of cybersecurity, Ketchup. There are countless new threats popping up everyday. Even the top hackers in the world aren't 100% invulnerable to some of these threats. Do you really think that at your current level, you can play with the big guys out there? Serious cybersecurity is not a simple children's playground. It's a huge jungle filled with wild and dangerous beasts and innumerable other dangers."
Iris didn't mince her words in admonishing the virtual white cat's cockiness. When it came to anything related to the interconnected fields of computers, programming, the internet, cybersecurity, and hacking, Iris was always extremely serious and passionate. This was her specialty besides music. There was no way that she would allow anyone to belittle the field, not even her own daughter.
Sitting beside her, Jin Liwei kept quiet and allowed his wife to lecture their virtual daughter. After all, his wife was the great hacker Drakon. Her expertise in the field of cybersecurity was the real deal. Ketchup ought to listen to her mother.
"Meow..." Ketchup's overflowing confidence from earlier deflated in an instant. Her cute, fluffy head drooped and she looked dispirited.
Seeing Ketchup looking pitiful, Iris softened her strict expression and sighed. "I'm not saying that you can never start your own cybersecurity business. Just not now. Your skills are developing at a very rapid rate but the way you utilize them still lacks considerable finesse, making your actions very predictable. Predictability is vulnerability in this field. Sure, anyone who knows what they're doing can start a cybersecurity business but they need to offer something special to attract customers in order to compete with the established veterans in the industry.
"If you're going to enter the cybersecurity business, don't just carelessly jump in there and become average just like the others. I won't allow it even if you beg me! You are my daughter, Ketchup. The child of the hacker Drakon. By creating you, I already passed down a great deal of my hacker skills into your system. But that's still not enough. Even I still need to constantly polish my skills and continue educating myself in order to keep up with the fast-paced cyber world. At least aim to reach the level of a top hacker first and that means improving your skills more. Get to my level first. Or better yet, surpass me," Iris told the cat AI. Where Stories Blossom: Nâ¡vεlB¡n.
Ketchup's disheartened mood disappeared. She puffed out her white, fluffy chest with pride of being the great Drakon's child and determination to make her mommy proud. "Aye aye, Mommy! Ketchup will temporarily put aside my wish to create my own cybersecurity business until my skills reach Mommy's super-duper high standards. Meow!"
Iris nodded and sighed in relief. Everything she told Ketchup was Iris' own true feelings, but the number one reason she gave a harsh reality check on Ketchup was because of her fear for the cat AI's safety.
The field of cybersecurity was just not safe for the current Ketchup. She needed to mature first and develop the ability to protect herself from any danger because Iris might not always be there to do it for her and save the cat AI's fluffy butt whenever Ketchup landed herself in trouble. If something ever happened to Iris that would prevent her ability to protect Ketchup, then the cat AI needed to do it on her own or all of them would be in danger once her existence was exposed to those who harboured greed and evil in their black hearts.
Unbeknownst to Iris, her words spurred something in Ketchup's already powerful self-learning function. Ketchup clenched her fluffy paws as a new goal formed within her.
'Once Ketchup surpasses Mommy one day and make both Mommy and Daddy proud, Ketchup won't need to start a cybersecurity company anymore because by then, I, the cute and mighty Ketchup will be THE cybersecurity, the ultimate one in this world! Then Ketchup will be able to protect my mommy and my daddy and our whole family forever and ever. Nobody would dare harm Ketchup's family or else Ketchup will tear all of them down with my cute and mighty paws! Mreow!!!'
Jin Liwei decided to interrupt at this point. "Since you agree with your mom that you can't start a cybersecurity company for now, what's your next option?"
Ketchup didn't hold back and enthusiastically shared with her parents the other options that she had in her list of potential businesses that she could start. Both Iris and Jin Liwei went into business-mode and discussed the pros and cons of each type of business.
The cat AI had many ideas. Most of them were quite good to the point that they even elicited interest in her parents who were both businesspeople themselves. Some, however, caused Iris and Jin Liwei's mouths to twitch. Like for example, a premium ice cream and popcorn stands to honour her older siblings. Or a ketchup company to concoct and produce a wide variety of weird ketchup flavours for all kinds of taste buds.
"Let's put aside the ice cream, popcorn and ketchup businesses for now," Jin Liwei said. "You can start them as side projects in the future but only when you establish yourself as a successful and seasoned business...businesscat."
Iris and Ketchup both giggled.
After a long discussion that went way past midnight, they finally reached an agreement on what kind of business Ketchup would start.
"Wow! This is the perfect business for Ketchup! Thank you, Daddy and Mommy! You're the best! Meow~"
Chapter 702 - White Tigress
An unassuming company quietly launched a few days later. It was small but had quitea domineering name.
White Tigress International Virtual Assistant Services.
Its registered owner was Dominic Chua and had, for now, two Filipino employees who were also Chuas. They were his cousins.
However, it was interesting to note that the two employees called someone else their boss. Their cousin Dom said that he wasn't the real boss but someone named Kitty Jin. Due to a special situation, he decided to lend his name and become the registered owner on paper of the virtual assistant company. The way their cousin described it sounded shady so they couldn't help but worry at first.
"You're not doing something illegal, are you?" they asked him.
"Illegal? What are you talking about? Your gorgeous cousin will never do something like that!" Dom denied in an overdramatic voice as usual. "Rest assured that this is a legitimate company. Don't worry about that. Do you think that I'll recruit you into something illegal? If I do that, my Momsy together with your own momsies will surely murder me! Ah! I don't want to die yet without meeting my soulmate!" The initial instance of this chapter being available happened at N0v3l.Bin.
His two cousins agreed with him regarding their frightening mothers. Their initial doubts about the job offer also started to disappear.
"And I'll tell you something very important but don't tell anyone else. It's a secret," Dom said in a conspiratorial tone.
"What is it?"
"Do you remember the real boss' surname?" Dom quizzed them.
"It's Jin, right? Her name is Kitty Jin, if I remember correctly," one cousin said.
"Wait. Isn't your sir boss' surname also Jin? Are they related to each other?" the other cousin asked.
"Bingo! White Tigress is actually backed by my sir boss Jin Liwei himself, that's why you don't need to worry about this being illegal. Remember that my sir boss is the head of Jin Corporation, one of the biggest companies in Asia that has influence all over the world. He won't risk his name and reputation to back a small, illegal company."
"Then why won't your sir boss just openly back this company or maybe even take it as a subsidiary of Jin Corporation? Then White Tigress won't need to start from scratch like this."
"Hmph! It's because sir boss wants Baby KetchâI mean Kitty to learn the value of hard work and not expect everything to be served to her in a silver platter!" Dom told them.
"Baby Ketch? Is that the real boss' nickname? How cute~"
"Hmph! Of course Kitty is cute! But you have to be professional and don't call her by her nickname or you'll bring shame to me, your most handsome, beautiful and gorgeous cousin ever who recommended you! I recruited you not just because we're family but because you also speak Mandarin. But if you don't do a good job, I'm sure I can find other more suitable candidates, even if they're not from our Chua family!"
In the end, the two cousins were persuaded to work for the small, start-up company White Tigress after feeling reassured that Jin Liwei, President-CEO of the Chinese giant Jin Corporation, was the one personally backing it.
When they finally had the chance to speak to their new boss via voice call, they were very surprised at how young she sounded. She sounded like a child, for goodness' sake! She was also very weird because she kept on meowing and purring. Maybe she had some issues in the mental department, that was why their cousin Dom was asked to lend his name as the registered owner. A boss like this who acted like a cat would definitely drive away potential clients no matter how adorable she was. Despite this, they still signed the contract and became the first employees of White Tigress International Virtual Assistant Services.
Their initial impression of their Boss Kitty wasn't good because of her childish voice and overall weirdness but when they finally started working, they were shocked at her abilities. What the freaking fuck?! Was she still human? She was like a freaking robot!
"Damn. I think our boss is a genius or something."
"Yeah. Maybe she's one of those who has...what is it called again? Savage syndrome?"
"Savant syndrome, you idiot."
"Yeah, that one!"
"I agree. Come to think of it, doesn't our Cousin Dom always brag that his boss, the goddess Iris Long, is a genius? She invents new musical techniques like nothing and can speak more than ten languages and I heard that her new business sells out all of its products in mere days."
"Maybe Boss Kitty is Sir Liwei and Goddess Iris' love child. Isn't her surname Jin? And if she's really a genius, then she must have inherited it from Goddess Iris."
The two cousins laughed at the ridiculousness of the idea, treating it as a joke. They didn't believe that someone as young as Iris Long who was only in her early twenties would already have a grown child like their Boss Kitty. If she did, then Iris Long gave birth when she was only a child herself! Ridiculous! Hahaha!
###
Jin Corporation.
"It seems that Ketchup has been secretly learning from your lessons with Grandpa Lu," Jin Liwei told his baby girl while video chatting with her.
He and Xu Tian were currently eating lunch after the dishes Iris sent them arrived from Dragon Palace. On the tablet's screen, he could see his baby girl also eating lunch in a hotel room with Dom and her glam team. She flew to another city three hours away by plane before dawn this morning to attend an event as Long Industries' brand ambassador later tonight.
"Did she tell you that?" Iris asked.
"No, but I discovered this morning that Ketchup used my important business contacts and reached out to them recommending her White Tigress company. When I caught her, she told me that she heard Grandpa Lu always saying that it's okay to be shameless with family when it comes to business. The people in my contacts aren't ordinary. What's even more amazing is that Ketchup was able to secure a couple of them as her clients."
Chapter 703 - Delayed
"Ketchup."
"Yes, Mommy? Please don't be angry at Ketchup! Wuwuwu! Meow..."
"You did a great job," Iris said in a low and soft voice so that her glam team wouldn't hear what she was saying inside the hotel room. She was also wearing earbuds to prevent them from listening in to her conversation with Jin Liwei and their virtual daughter. Aside from Dom, Iris didn't trust her glam team to know about Ketchup's existence.
"Meow? Really, Mommy?" Ketchup's tears immediately stopped.
"Yes. I approve of your initiative in reaching out to potential clients and recommending your own company to them. That's one of the most important qualities a businessperson, or in your case, a businesscat should have."
Ketchup beamed with pride, her smile looking like the Cheshire Cat's mischievous grin in Alice in Wonderland.
"But," Iris continued in a serious tone, causing the smile on the white cat's fluffy face to falter. "You still did wrong by not asking your dad for permission. It's his contact list and you just disrespected your dad's privacy by accessing it without asking."
Ketchup started crying again. "Wuwuwu! Sorry, Daddy! Ketchup didn't mean to disrespect you! Ketchup won't do it again! Promise! Meowuwuwuwu!!!"
"Alright, dad will forgive you this time. Just don't do it again," Jin Liwei said. He wasn't really angry but felt amused instead. However, it was true that Ketchup needed to learn that what she did was wrong, so he controlled his expression so as not to show his amusement.
"Thank you, Daddy! Meowuwuwu!"
Afterwards, the naughty white cat was told to play because her mommy and daddy needed to talk. Ketchup's cute and fluffy figure could be seen chasing virtual butterflies on the tablet screen, but make no mistake, because she was actually also working on her company White Tigress 24/7.
In just a few days, she had already impressed her current clients whom she stole from her daddy's contact list and proven herself as an insanely efficient virtual assistant. It was not very difficult for her because she had been doing the same tasks while assisting her daddy at work. In fact, the tasks she had been completing for her clients were so much easier compared to her daddy's who was a President-CEO.
The two clients she stole from her daddy's contacts also worked in the corporate field. They had relatively high positions in other companies but not at the executive level yet. Nevertheless, they were actually more swamped with work compared to the executives because their current positions didn't qualify them to have their own official assistants hired by their companies. They had to do all of the tasks assigned to them by themselves or ask their colleagues for help which didn't always work out.
This was why they wanted to delegate the bulk of the required trivial tasks dumped on them by their superiors to someone else so that they could focus on the more important tasks that could actually advance their careers and let them climb the corporate ladder at a faster rate. When White Tigress International Virtual Assistant Services reached out to them, they immediately hired them out of desperation. They figured that if the virtual assistant services did a poor job, they could just fire them at any time.
Thankfully, it didn't come to that point. On the contrary, they were pleasantly surprisedâno, actually, they were very impressedâespecially by the virtual assistant named Kitty. Even though for some reason they weren't allowed to communicate directly with her and instead had to go through two other virtual assistants who acted as the customer service representatives, the two clients were still very satisfied because Kitty always completed the tasks that they assigned her in a very quick and efficient manner. Sometimes they suspected that the virtual assistant didn't sleep. She seemed to be always working even in the wee hours of the night.
They were so satisfied and happy by Kitty's performance that they couldn't help but recommend White Tigress to their colleagues as well. Due to their enthusiastic recommendations, White Tigress' clientele increased after just a few days.
Back to Iris and Jin Liwei's video call conversation, they also talked about Ketchup's business.
"White Tigress already earned back the 8,000 RMB capital that I gave to fund it in just a few days," Jin Liwei revealed. There was an unmistakable hint of pride in his tone.
Iris smiled. "Thank you for watching over Ketchup and her business."
"She's our child so of course I'll watch over her. Don't worry, love. Leave everything to me."
"I still feel a little worried, though. So I'll work on strengthening her security system and her company's in the next few days when I have the time." The initial instance of this chapter being available happened at N0v3l.Bin.
A small furrow formed between Jin Liwei's brows. "You're already very busyâ"
"We can't risk it, Liwei," she whispered. "Securing Ketchup's safety also means our safety."
His lips tightened into a thin line before sighing in resignation. "Alright. But don't push yourself too hard. You're now busier than me so I always worry about you."
"Thank you. I'll take care of myself. Dom and my bodyguards are also with me. They take care of me and pamper me as per your instructions," she told him with a knowing smile.
"They should or I'll give them hell if something ever happens to my wife during their watch."
"Nothing will happen to me," she reassured him.
"En. I'll make sure nothing happens to you," he said before remembering something. "Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. Second Brother texted this morning to apologize because your next pregnancy test appointment with him will have to be delayed. The hospital scheduled a major surgery for him that day."
She stiffened a little after hearing 'pregnancy test' but still nodded. "Okay, no problem."
Deep inside, she actually felt relieved that it was delayed. There was a confusing mixture of dread, fear but also excitement roiling within her whenever she thought about the pregnancy test. Her gaze dropped to her flat stomach.
'I don't feel pregnant.'
Shaking her worries away, she smiled at her darling and continued chatting with him until they both had to go.
Chapter 704 - Long Industries' Party Part I
As Long Industries' celebrity brand ambassador, Iris Long attended many events and performed a lot of marketing and PR duties for the company. Her circle of business acquaintances expanded a great deal during this short period of time as a result. She wouldn't be a student of the (shameless) business genius Sir Lu Jianhong if she didn't take advantage of this precious opportunity to meet important business figures from different fields on a regular basis.
On the surface, she was diligent in fulfilling her commitment as Long Industries' brand ambassador, but on the side, she was gathering potentially lucrative business connections for her own companies. After attending these events, she would instruct Chen Fei (Orchidia Beauty) and Hou Liang (Planet Monkey) to contact selected personages she met through these events to form some sort of business relationship. There was no need to worry about her real estate company Gold Heights because it was already well-established even before she acquired it after Jin Liwei gifted it to her.
In this way, Iris wasn't only increasing her personal influence in Long Industries, and in extension, in the Long clan but also expanding her companies' connections in the business industry. Also, she didn't forget her original goal of winning the Longs' battle of succession and purging the cesspool of ancient prejudice and narrow-mindedness in the clan for the sake of securing a safe and bright future for her godson, Little Jun.
It was difficult but without a doubt a win-win solution, hence why she didn't mind spending a lot of time and effort in her brand ambassadorship even though she barely had any time to rest and felt exhausted all the time.
Fortunately, her hard work paid off. Long Industries stock prices recovered and even exceeded its previous value before the overnight crash by a few points. There was no need for the contingency plans that Long Hui had been assigned to prepare in case Iris and Long Jian failed.
To celebrate the happy occasion, President-CEO Long Tengfei threw a company-wide party. All employees were invited from the ones in the lowest rungs to the top level. The party had to be hosted in a rented convention centre instead of a hotel hall in order to accommodate everyone. It wasn't very luxurious compared to previous parties but it was appropriate given that they just survived a dangerous stock price crash.
Iris attended the party without an escort but still stunned everyone wearing an elegant emerald evening dress with a golden dragon embroidered on the entire back. The dragon depicted on her dress was rising to the heavens, the symbol of the Long clan.
Seeing that she was wearing the clan's symbol with so much pride, many of the clan members who attended the party, especially the elders, couldn't help but nod in approval. Even Long Meng, Long Hui's number one supporter in the clan, appreciated Iris' homage.
The party seemed to freeze for a few seconds when Iris stepped inside the venue. Her entrance was silent, yet her presence was magnetic that almost everyone's heads turned towards her at the same time.
Unlike those who held high positions in the company, most of the average employees in Long Industries didn't retain their prejudice against her from her past reputation as a spoiled, selfish, fame-hungry and bitchy brat. In fact, there were quite a number of Black Stars among them.
"Kyaaaah! Boss Iris is here!"
"Thank you for saving our jobs, Young Miss Iris Long! Thanks to you, we didn't have to be laid-off!"
"Boss Iris! Please give me an autograph!"
Iris flashed them a breathtaking smile, dazzling them so much that they almost couldn't believe a human being could be so beautiful. They knew that Iris Long was beautiful and even caught sight of her multiple times coming in and out of the company recently, but there was just something about her at this moment that caused people to stare at her like dazed idiots. She seemed to radiate an extra brightness from within.
Greeting everyone, especially her fans, she interacted with them for a few minutes before Long Jian came to "rescue" her from the growing crowd.
"Sorry, please excuse me," she apologized to them. "I need to greet my father, President Long, first."
Her adoring fans didn't complain and waved her away with great reluctance. Many of them were happy because they got pictures and autographs from her. The evening was still young. There were plenty of opportunities to bump into her again later.
"You didn't bring anyone with you? Where are your bodyguards?" Long Jian asked in a whisper as he steered her away.
"My bodyguards are here. You just don't notice them. Liwei won't let me leave the house without bringing bodyguards especially after the bomb incident," Iris told him.
Long Jian looked around but the sheer amount of people milling about the convention centre made him unable to guess where her bodyguards were positioned. He just nodded and continued leading her deeper into the party.
It was interesting to note that even without an official announcement of segregation, the employees automatically divided themselves according to their positions in the company. Those belonging in the lower ranks were near the entrance where Iris was greeted with the greatest enthusiasm because a lot of them were her fans or admired her as a celebrity.
The farther Iris and Long Jian walked, the higher the positions of the people in the company and the more elitist they behaved with some ignoring Iris and Long Jian altogether as if the two were nobodies, despite already noticing them right from the start due to Iris Long's large and magnetic presence.
Iris and Long Jian also didn't acknowledge those snobs but made a show of reciprocating those who greeted them regardless of whether the greetings were sincere or not.
"This is so tiring. My lips are tired smiling and acting nice to all these people who are clearly talking trash behind our backs," Iris muttered while smiling. Where Stories Blossom: Nâ¡vεlB¡n.
Long Jian smirked. "You still have a long way to go, little sister. I told you that acting skills are important if you want to survive in the corporate world."
Chapter 705 - Long Industries' Party Part II
Iris' smile turned wry but only for a fraction of a second before reactivating her breathtaking smile as she and Long Jian greeted another department head or manager or whatever the person's position in the company was. Where Stories Blossom: Nâ¡vεlB¡n.
It took some time before the two reached the top-level group where Long Tengfei, the COO and the other executives congregated together. Long Hui was also there. If not for the cold glint in his eyes, the warm smile and friendly greetings coming out of his mouth almost made Iris believe that the man had turned over a brand new leaf.
Almost. But not quite.
Long Jian responded in kind, smiling and greeting even more warmly. The two half-brothers smiled and complimented each other, looking like they were almost flaunting their "brotherhood" to everyone, and eliciting a pleased expression from their father, Long Tengfei.
Standing beside Long Jian, Iris fought the urge to snicker at the masterful display of acting skills of the two. Unlike Long Tengfei who only chose to see the superficial interactions between his sons, Iris could feel the invisible sparks of hostility and resentment between Long Hui and Long Jian.
When Long Hui turned his "warm" smile and "friendly" greetings to her, she also felt the same hostility and resentment being thrown at her. A wave of irritation rushed over her, so sudden and intense that she almost allowed it to completely overwhelm her. It took a great deal of control for her not to kick Long Hui in the balls and permanently end his ability to father other children after Little Jun.
She relished the image in her head and almost went ahead with her impulse, but fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on one's viewpoint), she managed to remember her original goal of why she was expending so much time, effort and energy in Long Industries even though she had no interest in it at all. It was all for the sake of her godson Little Jun's future.
Thus, she forced a smile on her face and greeted the good-for-nothing scum, even when all she wanted to do at that moment was crush his balls. It was only a smile and a few short words but Iris already felt drained. Now she understood Grandpa Lu's dislike towards what he called "people matters" because it usually involved pretending to be nice towards people who might or might not be total assholes just to forge advantageous business connections.
Long Hui's fake smile and words grated on her nerves, intensifying her irritation and causing a throb in her temples. She really felt at that moment that she might repeat history and punch the asshole in the face just like how Grandpa Lu said he punched that asshole CEO back in the old days.
Fortunately, Long Tengfei and the other executives distracted her from her growing irritation by chatting with her. She respected Long Tengfei as a businessman, although not so much as a father. And she also quite liked the COO who gave her a good impression when she pitched her Orchidia Beauty company to them at Long Industries last year. Chatting with them somewhat eased her irritation.
"Miss Long, Deputy COO Long, both of you did an excellent job," the COO praised them before offering them a toast. "Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
Everyone else drank wine except for Iris who opted for a warm, spiced apple cider drink instead. She noticed that Long Hui's pleasant expression cracked a little when the COO praised her and Long Jian.
'What a petty man.'
The party continued in a cheerful, albeit uneventful, manner so far. However, for some reason, Iris grew increasingly uncomfortable as time went by. The soft classical music felt too tacky, although she usually enjoyed listening to it on her own. The clinking and clanking of silverware were too loud, sounding like thunderclaps to her ears, and the noisy chatter as well. Everyone smelled badâa mixture of sweat, heavy perfume, too much alcohol, or just plain body odour. Iris wanted to gag but quickly washed it down with the warm apple cider drink instead.
She really wanted to go home as soon as possible and rush to her darling's arms to inhale his unique masculine scent that she loved so much in order to clean and freshen her entire olfactory system which felt like it was being polluted the longer she stayed in this party.
"Are you okay? You look a little pale," Long Jian whispered.
She took a few deep breaths to get a hold of herself. "I'm just feeling a little tired. Busy schedule and not enough sleep. I'll be fine."
He examined her for a few moments before saying, "Maybe you're low on sugar again. Stay here. I'll get you a slice of cake or something."
Her eyes lit up. "Yes, please. Thanks! I want the chocolate-flavoured one."
"What a kid," he muttered but still left and headed towards the closest buffet tables.
When Long Jian was gone, Iris found a seat on a nearby table and gestured for a server to refill her drink. She turned her head when she noticed someone taking the seat beside her.
"Granduncle Jufang," she greeted.
"Xiulan, I noticed that you've grown close to that basâto your half-brother Jian," he said.
Iris' eyes narrowed, knowing that the elder almost said "bastard" to describe Long Jian. She might not hold any love for Long Jian and only treated him as an ally but the elder's prejudiced view regarding illegitimate children made her irritation return in full force.
The elder's antiquated values and that of the majority of the Longs were some of the top reasons why she aimed to purge the entire clan from its disgusting old prejudices. Taking over Long Industries wasn't enough. She wouldn't allow her godson Little Jun to be bullied by these old coots. That asshole Long Hui couldn't protect his son from the clan, so she and Jin Liwei would do it!
Although she was drowning in frustration, she still forced a smile on her face and nodded. "Yes, Granduncle. Brother Jian and I are siblings after all."
Chapter 706 - Long Industries' Party Part III
Long Jufang couldn't hide his disdain at Long Jian but quickly covered it up with an insincere nod. Then he leaned closer to Iris, making her flinch backwards. He didn't notice her reaction because he was looking at another direction. If he noticed it, he probably would feel offended.
Iris frowned and held her breath. Her lips pressed together into a tight line. The foul smell of alcohol, sweat, and old man body odour emitted by the elder assaulted her nose and almost made her faint on the spot. She was about to flee for fresh air when his next words stopped her.
"Look over there, Xiulan," Long Jufang whispered and used the jerk of his bearded chin to point at a group of people a few tables away. "That old man owns 3% shares."
His words temporarily distracted her from his foul smell. Immediately understanding why he was saying this, she focused on his next words.
He pointed at another table. "That madam owns 5% shares. That fella over there, 2%..."
She listened as he continued to point out a few other minor shareholders of Long Industries in attendance at the party. There were some names she recognized from the list Qiao Yu had which the financial manager was using to contact the individuals and offer to purchase their shares. Qiao Yu's efforts were sadly lackluster so far. They refused to sell once they learned of his connection to her.
Now it came to a point that she was considering of using another person to buy the shares for her and then transfer them to her name afterwards. As much as possible, she didn't want to use this method because she wanted to take over Long Industries in a transparent way to prevent any major repercussions against her reputation in the business industry, especially now that her Orchidia Beauty was at an important stage where it was booming at an insane rate even though it just started this year.
Jin Liwei also offered his help in acquiring the shares for her but she wanted to do it herself. She didn't want other people to say that she used THE Jin Liwei to take over Long Industries. Nobody would accept her as the true leader of the company in this way. This was why although it was a big pain in the ass to do everything the "proper" way (or as close to "proper" as possible), she chose to do it in order build a secure foundation for her future power and position in Long Industries, and in extension, in the clan as well.
However, if Qiao Yu's efforts to acquire shares continued to fail, then she would have no choice but to use other less "proper" ways to buy them, including asking Jin Liwei. After all, she wasn't the only one trying to purchase shares at the moment. There was no way she was going to allow Long Hui to maintain a big lead in terms of shares ownership in the company. [This novel is a contracted work with W e b n o v e l . c o m (remove spaces). If you're not reading this chapter on W e b n o v e l, it has been stolen. It's very discouraging to see thieves profitting from my hard work. Please read this novel on W e b n o v e l. Thank you! -Arria Cross]
It seemed that Long Jufang was aware of her current difficulties. "If you're interested, I could negotiate with those shareholders for you. Although the amount of shares I own is considered negligible compared to theirs, they still hold a certain degree of respect for me because of our acquaintance throughout the decades. If I make a tempting offer to purchase their shares, I have a higher chance of succeeding than if you did it on your own because they would give me face as an elder of the Long clan and also as a long-time fellow shareholder."
Iris tilted her head to the side as she considered his logic. He had a point. Dive into Stories, Embrace Enchantment: Nâ¡vεlB¡n.
He continued, "As for you, it's very unlikely that you'll be able to persuade them to sell their shares to you. First of all, your bad reputation in the past before the car accident is deeply ingrained not only in our clan but also in the entire company. Even if you changed a lot for the better right now, most of the old fellows still don't believe in you.
"Secondly, you've never shown any interest in working for the company before...until now, that is. Being the brand ambassador isn't really considered as officially working for the company. At most, it's just an honourary position. It holds no administrative power, even though you're the one who solved the stock price crash caused by your brother and the reason why we're having this party tonight. Compared to you, I know that those shareholders will be more willing to sell their shares to your brother Hui because he's the Deputy CFO, a position of legitimate power in the company. What's more, he has always been known as your father's successor before you were even born. Also, don't underestimate your brother's maternal family. The Zhengs are on par with us Longs. They'll do everything in their power to assist your brother Hui so that he could succeed your father as the next head.
"And lastly, people won't trust that you'll be able to successfully manage a big company like ours while at the same time continuing your work as a celebrity. Unless you quit showbiz and focus on being a full-time businesswoman, you'll find it very hard to gain the trust of the old fellows in the company. They'll only start believing in you if you can guarantee that you'll put in a large amount of time and energy into the company. So listen to me, Xiulan. As your elder, I suggest that you stop playing around, quit showbiz, and start working on a serious career from now on. I'm only saying this for your own good."
Iris' hands balled into tight fists as she fought the urge to punch something, or in this case, someone.
Stop playing around?
Quit showbiz?
Start working on a serious career?
Hah!
What did this old coot mean? That being a critically acclaimed and multi-award-winning musician who composes her own music at a young age was just playing around? That it wasn't a serious career?
The insult!!!
Chapter 707 - Long Industries' Party Part IV
A hand pressed down on Iris' shoulder, the firm yet gentle weight giving her a silent warning. Thanks to the sudden touch, she was able to regain control of her violent emotions which until a couple of seconds ago were in serious danger of erupting because of Long Jufang's careless and insulting remark about her showbiz career.
"Did you wait long, little sister? Here, I got you some cakes, mousse, and pudding. I got a little bit of everything that is chocolate," Long Jian announced from behind her before placing a big plate of various small slices of chocolate-flavoured desserts on the table with his right hand while his left hand remained on her shoulder.
Iris' eyes lit up, saliva immediately flooding inside her mouth, as soon as she saw the plate of delicious-looking desserts. The sweet and rich chocolate aroma wafted to her nose and somehow masked the foul smell of everybody else in the party.
"Thanks," she mumbled, unable to stop herself from taking the small spoon from Long Jian and starting to eat.
Long Jufang scowled, first at Long Jian's interruption, second at his presence which the elder deemed horribly unpleasant because of Long Jian's illegitimate child status, and third at Iris' disrespect of prioritizing food over his "sage" words.
"Granduncle." Long Jian greeted the scowling elder with a nod, his expression cool and unreadable, before removing his hand on Iris' shoulder and taking a seat on her other side.
"Hmph!" Long Jufang wanted to drive the bastard away and resume his conversation with Iris but he sensed that Long Jian wouldn't comply. They were also in a public setting at the moment with many eyes watching them. As a proud Long, he wouldn't allow their noble clan to lose face by exposing his derision of his bastard grandnephew in front of everyone.
In the end, he chose to ignore Long Jian's presence and turned to Iris. "Remember my words, Xiulan. You'll do well if you follow them."
Iris paused eating. She finished swallowing before facing Long Jufang. Her mood had greatly improved after tasting the mouth-watering chocolate desserts. Although she still felt insulted by the elder's disregard for her current showbiz career, she tamped the anger down.
"Granduncle, I'll think about your words," she replied. Well, it was true...to some extent. She would certainly think about what he said but it didn't mean that she would follow his advice.
Long Jufang didn't know this, however. He thought that she was agreeing to obey him. A pleased expression appeared on his wrinkled face as he nodded. "Very good!"
"Is your offer to help me negotiate with the shareholders still available?" she asked next.
The elder's pleased expression changed into a sly one, while on the other side of Iris, Long Jian's eyes glinted with curiosity.
"Of course," Long Jufang said. "I'll gladly act as an intermediary for you. But! I have a few conditions."
Iris didn't reply right away, observing the elder's expression instead and trying to decipher his thoughts. Although her expression-reading skills weren't very skillful, she was certain that his motives weren't entirely pure. Despite this, she was still willing to cooperate with the elder in order to reach her goals. [This novel is a contracted work with W e b n o v e l . c o m (remove spaces). If you're not reading this chapter on W e b n o v e l, it has been stolen. It's very discouraging to see thieves profitting from my hard work. Please read this novel on W e b n o v e l. Thank you! -Arria Cross]
Finally, she nodded. "I understand. What are your conditions, Granduncle?" she asked in a solemn tone.
Long Jufang smiled in triumph. "Let's talk more about this another time. It's not appropriate to discuss this kind of important matter in front outsiders," he said before throwing a shady look at Long Jian.
He didn't wait for them to reply before excusing himself and leaving.
"That nasty ancient fossil," Long Jian grumbled under his breath when Long Jufang was finally out of earshot.
Iris resumed eating.
He watched her enjoying the desserts for about a minute or so before inquiring about Long Jufang's offer to her. She didn't conceal the matter and told him about the elder's offer to act as intermediary between her and the shareholders in her mission to acquire more shares in Long Industries.
Long Jian was quiet afterwards. A touch of envy flashed in his eyes before it was replaced by determination and self-confidence.
The two didn't speak with each other for a few minutes. He was absorbed in his own thoughts while she was absorbed in finishing her desserts. Dive into Stories, Embrace Enchantment: Nâ¡vεlB¡n.
Afterwards, the two of them stood up and began roaming around the party to chat with the other guests. Iris didn't want to do it at first but Long Jian reminded her that if she wanted to grow her influence within the company, she needed to suck it up and follow his suggestion as an ally. In between chatting with other people, they also whispered to each other.
"Before I forget, let me you tell now that when I was getting you the desserts, I learned from a trusted source the punishment Father gave Long Hui," he said.
She raised an eyebrow and waited for him to elaborate.
"No bonus pay starting right now for two years. No salary raises for three years. Plus cancellation of other perks."
Iris frowned.
"Apparently, he'll also be sent to a tiny branch in a rural place somewhere up north where he'll stay until the remainder of the year."
Iris' frown deepened.
Long Jian sneered. "Not enough, right? Except for reduced income for three years, this punishment won't actually affect him in a significant way. Even his supposed temporary 'exile' to that tiny, rural northern branch will only last until the end of the year which is basically just a couple of months or so. I already expected that Father would give that son of a bitch a light punishment, but I didn't expect it to be this light. This is so unfair!"
"Indeed," she murmured.
"Tsk!" Long Jian was pissed off, but he still managed to flash a bright smile whenever someone greeted them.
"Father doesn't have the heart to give a harsh punishment to his eldest son, so that means that it'll be up to us to mete out our own punishment to him," she said.
Chapter 708 - Long Industries' Party Part V
"I like the sound of that," Long Jian replied with a smirk.
"The harder Long Hui clashes against us will determine how harsh our punishment for him will be," Iris said.
He snorted. "You're being too fair, little sister."
"I know," she sighed. "As much as I want to beat him up for all the horrible things he said and did because of his stupidity and insecurity, at the end of the day, he's still the father of my godson whether I like it or not."
Long Jian grunted.
Iris wasn't sure if he agreed with her or not from his vague response, so she looked at him directly in the eyes with a serious expression. "Our nephew, Little Jun, is a very cute, sweet and lovable child. I can't bear to do anything excessive that might scar him for life. That's why even though I'm furious at my godson's stupid father, I need to consider their parent-child relationship. We don't know what's going to happen in the future and what kind of relationship they'll have or how close or distant they'll be. If we destroy Long Hui to the point of no return now, but then in the future Little Jun decides that his father has been wronged by us..." Her eyes became troubled. "I don't want my godson to hate me," she whispered.
He didn't reply right away because he wasn't sure what to say. If this was before, he would probably have scoffed at his youngest sister's words for being overly emotional and dramatic. She had always been a drama queen since she was a little girl after all, taking after her mother Wei Lan...that was until the car accident.
Now, however, for some reason, he no longer had the heart to dismiss her concerns like he had done before. He didn't have any special feelings for his nephew because there hadn't been a chance for him to form a meaningful relationship with the child nor had the desire to form one (or so he believed). This was why he couldn't really relate to Iris' deep love and affection for Long Hui's son. But seeing the sincerity of her protectiveness towards the child in her eyes, he couldn't help but become interested in their nephew. Could he also become close to the child like her, even though the child was Long Hui's son, the man he considered to be his greatest rival in life? Unravel the Unknown, Unleash the Unimaginable: Nâ¡vεlB¡n.
A furrow formed between his brows. How did his thoughts turn like this? It seemed that his relationship with his youngest sister had greatly changed without him noticing since they began their temporary alliance. Was this good or bad? He wasn't sure.
'Let's just go with the flow,' he thought. 'We have a deal. As long as Xiulan and CEO Jin help free my mother from jail, I'll fulfill my end of the bargain and help Xiulan in the company. For now.'
He was still caught up in his own thoughts when he noticed that Iris stopped walking and was frowning at another direction. He thought that she was once again eyeing the buffet tables, so he backtracked to her side and asked, "What's wrong? Are you hungry again? I'm not gonna interfere with your lifestyle or anything like that, but is it really okay for you to eat too much sweets? Aren't celebrities always on diet?"
Iris rolled her eyes before gesturing for him to pay attention to where she was looking. He followed and saw Long Hui a few tables away talking with a group of old but distinguished people. It only took him a couple of seconds to recognize that some of them were minor shareholders in the company. [This novel is a contracted work with W e b n o v e l . c o m (remove spaces). If you're not reading this chapter on W e b n o v e l, it has been stolen. It's very discouraging to see thieves profitting from my hard work. Please read this novel on W e b n o v e l. Thank you! -Arria Cross]
"He's expressing his interest to purchase their shares and based on their pleasant conversation, it seems that he might just succeed," Iris murmured.
"How do you know that's what they're talking about?"
"I'm reading their lips. Hmm. Just now, they arranged a meeting to formally negotiate the matter in two days."
Long Jian was speechless. He almost blurted out "You're kidding me" but decided to hold his tongue instead after seeing that she was serious.
Huh. Did she really have such an amazing ability? If it was true, then he could only envy her. He wished that he could also read lips from a distance. This kind of ability was a huge advantage for creating opportunities and also for protecting oneself. So when he looked at his youngest sister again, there was now a touch of genuine admiration in his eyes.
As for Iris, she didn't notice Long Jian's admiring gaze because she was still focused on "eavesdropping" on Long Hui's attempts of courting the shareholders, the majority of them were the ones Elder Long Jufang pointed out to her earlier.
"He's working fast," she said.
"He's getting desperate," Long Jian corrected after recovering from his initial shock of her ability to read lips.
"Hmm. True. But from what I'm reading from their lips, it looks like his desperation is quite effective. I think he's trying to gain as much advantage as possible before being exiled to the rural north."
"He can't afford to buy all those shares..." He paused when he remembered something. "Oh, right. He might not be able to afford those shares by himself but the Zhengs and his fiancée's family, the Maos, are backing him. I also won't be surprised if Elder Meng and his other supporters in the clan will pitch in to help him buy more company shares. Although it's insanely reckless and expensive for him at this stage of his career, he still has the highest chance among us siblings to succeed in doing so. At this rate, he'll eventually become a major shareholder." He turned to her. "So what are you going to do about it?"
"I'll just have to move faster than him," she replied.
"How? With the help of Elder Jufang? That ancient fossil is a scheming snake. Do you really trust him?"
She gave him a side-eye. "No, I don't. I also don't trust you but look at usâallies."
Chapter 709 - Long Industries' Party Part VI
Long Jian was once again rendered speechless but couldn't argue with what Iris said because it was the truth, plain and simple. Indeed, there was no genuine trust between them right from the start, and yet somehow they still ended up becoming allies.
It would serve him well to remember that theirs was just a temporary alliance. Once they attained their own objectives, they would become rivals fighting against each other for the top position.
That was how it should be.
But why was it that right now he was thinking that it would be such a big shame to sever their pleasant relationship afterwards? They had only been working together for a short period of time but they already developed a camaraderie that surprised him.
He even started bringing little sweets in his pocket for whenever she had her childish cravings, for goodness' sake! Was he raising a pet or what?
Before he could examine his own feelings about their alliance, the party's emcee called everyone's attention to begin a round of important speeches from the company's key executives.
The atmosphere was very festive with a collective feeling of great relief after overcoming the nerve-wracking stock price crash. Nâ¡vεlB¡n: A Haven for Bookworms and Dreamers.
As the big boss, Long Tengfei was the last one to take the mic and give a speech. Truth be told, almost all the executives' speeches sounded the sameâmostly boring. Fortunately, he kept his speech brief and concise.
"Tonight we celebrate our tenacity to survive despite all the odds against us," he said. "We, Long Industries, are strong, dedicated and tough. We don't give up!"
His passionate statement earned the cheers from everyone.
He continued, "We fell dangerously close to the bottom but thankfully, we have talented individuals who quickly burst into action to solve our company's greatest predicament so far. And I'm proud to say that the leading figures who pulled us from drowning were two of my own children."
The cheers immediately became louder, the loudest being the ones near the entrance. Everyone knew who Long Tengfei was talking about. The large group near the entrance may have low positions in the company but they had the advantage in numbers. Many of them were Black Stars, so they couldn't help themselves but cheer with all their might.
"I would like to invite the Deputy COO who's also my second son, Long Jian, and of course, our company's current celebrity brand ambassador and also my youngest daughter, Iris Long, to come join me on the stage."
Amidst the almost deafening cheers and applause, mostly from the loyal Black Stars, two figures made their way to the stage to join their father. One was handsome while the other was beautiful. Both were elegant in their own way. Together, they looked divine. If people didn't already know that the two gorgeous individuals were siblings, it wasn't far-fetched to think that they were romantically well-matched.
Like a gentleman, Long Jian escorted Iris up the stage. They instantly became the centre of attention. A famous celebrity like Iris Long was already used to this kind of environment so there were no surprises there.
It was Long Jian who surprised everyone with his poised charisma. He looked very natural being the centre of attention just like his sister.
Long Tengfei commended the two siblings for their roles in solving the company's stock price crash. Although his praises for them were brief, there was no mistaking the pride in his voice. It was a refreshing sight for the employees because they were so used to seeing their President-CEO always looking serious and strict.
A few tables away from the stage, Long Hui plastered on a neutral semi-smile on his face while he followed along with everybody else and clapped, only his rhythm was slow and weak like a robot almost drained of its battery. [This novel is a contracted work with W e b n o v e l . c o m (remove spaces). If you're not reading this chapter on W e b n o v e l, it has been stolen. It's very discouraging to see thieves profitting from my hard work. Please read this novel on W e b n o v e l. Thank you! -Arria Cross]
Inside, he was seething as he watched his father sing the praises of Long Jian and Iris. Even with the loud cheering and applause, he could still hear snatches of mocking comments about him causing the overnight stock price crash. He could feel the judgmental stares being thrown at him like arrows deepening and widening the wounds on his pride and ego.
The contrast in treatment tonight between him and his half-siblings didn't escape his notice. On the contrary, he could feel it like a huge mountain pressing down on him and suffocating him and making it difficult to live as he normally did.
It was torture pretending to not be affected right now. He wanted to escape away from all the prying eyes but forced himself to stay and maintain the fake semi-smile on his face. People were bound to notice if he left when his half-siblings were still on the stage.
'Endure. You'll be the one standing at the top in the end,' he told himself like a prayer.
Remembering the appointments he managed to arrange with some shareholders earlier, his mood improved. He became aware through talking to them that a representative of Iris was going around and making offers to them to purchase their shares but was unsuccessful. He felt even better after thinking about her repeated failures in acquiring shares.
'Now you know it's not that easy to try and take over the company and contend against me.'
He watched the trio of Iris, Long Jian and their father climbing down the stage. They were a picture of a harmonious family. An ugly feeling filled him to the point that his chest tightened so much that it literally hurt. The good mood he had flew away as quickly as it came.
What happened? How did everything come to this?
He, Long Hui, had always been their father's biggest pride among them siblings. He had been groomed to be the successor ever since he could remember. Yet now there was disappointment in their father's eyes whenever he looked at him.
The thought of suffering the punishment his father gave him worsened the ugly feeling in his heart. He, the Deputy CFO, temporarily exiled to some useless branch?
Unable to take it anymore, he slipped away, walking aimlessly far away from everyone in order to keep his sanity.
Chapter 710 - Personal Air Freshener
As the evening grew late, some people began to leave. There were those, however, who only became more spirited as the party went on.
The festive atmosphere prompted many to drink more alcohol, becoming inebriated, although fortunately none acted too rowdy and ended up embarrassing themselves in front of their bosses and colleagues with any wild, drunken behaviour. Some though lost a little of their inhibitions by becoming more extroverted but thank goodness they didn't lose their good manners in the process as well.
Iris, who for some reason had become oversensitive to smells lately, almost couldn't bear the nauseating mishmash of revolting scents wafting from everyone around her. She paled and stumbled a little on her feet, doing her best not to inhale too much of the polluted air while cold sweat beaded on her skin.
She was roaming around by herself at the moment and interacting with some of her fans. Long Jian had long since left her to chat with his own circle of close colleagues.
Everyone was busy doing their own thing at the party, either using it as an opportunity to network and advance their careers or simply treating it as a break from work to relax and have a good time.
Iris adored her loyal fans, the Black Stars, and would always be grateful for their support but right now, she could no longer take the sickening smells assaulting her. After signing what felt like the millionth autograph tonight, she excused herself and made a quick escape.
In her peripheral vision, she noticed her bodyguards following her without acting too conspicuous with the female bodyguard walking closest to her.
"To the powder room," Iris said in a low voice but then gasped when the surrounding smells almost choked her. She immediately held her breath while hurrying out of the main hall. Her desperate actions caused her to sway and almost fall down.
Her female bodyguard reacted quickly and grabbed her arm to steady her. Iris allowed her bodyguard to guide her to the nearest empty powder room. It was fortunate that nobody noticed her discomfort because she still managed to look elegant as always.
The female bodyguard entered with her inside. Iris felt weak and a little dizzy but also relieved to be away from the suffocating jumble of smells at the party. Gradually, she managed to recover her bearings.
"Let's go back," Iris said, planning to return to the main hall to bid good night to Long Tengfei and the others so that she could finally go home and rest.
But before her bodyguard could respond, an insistent knocking interrupted them. Iris frowned, annoyed at the person who disturbed them.
"Occupied!" her bodyguard shouted at the door.
"It's me," a familiar male voice replied.
Iris' eyes lit up, her frown disappearing. The female bodyguard moved to open the door. [This novel is a contracted work with W e b n o v e l . c o m (remove spaces). If you're not reading this chapter on W e b n o v e l, it has been stolen. It's very discouraging to see thieves profitting from my hard work. Please read this novel on W e b n o v e l. Thank you! -Arria Cross]
Jin Liwei, still in his business suit, entered the powder room while the female bodyguard left and closed the door to give the couple privacy. He zeroed in on Iris and scowled after seeing her pale, unhealthy appearance. Her bodyguards needed some serious scolding because they didn't take care of his baby girl. It only took a second for him to reach her with his long legs.
"How are you feeling?" he asked as he gathered her in his arms. His voice sounded calm but his tight expression revealed deep worry for her and a touch of anger for those who caused her to become like this.
"I'm fine now," she assured him with a smile, delighted that he came to pick her up when she didn't expect it. Her body melted in his embrace while she pressed her face against his chest and inhaled his scent, not caring that some of her make-up smudged on his white dress shirt underneath his business jacket.
Ah, he smelled so good!
She could feel her entire olfactory system being cleansed of the stinky pollution she suffered earlier at the party. He was like her very own personal air freshener. As expected of her darling.
Inhale, inhale, inhale some more! Mmmm~
Sighing softly, she hugged his waist and pulled him closer.
"What happened?" he asked in a gentle voice while rubbing her back and kissing the top of her head.
"Hmmm. Just exhausted. I want to go home now, Liwei." Now that he was here, she felt very comfortable and lazy to provide a detailed explanation.
"Alright. We'll go home now." He didn't press her but decided to interrogate her bodyguards later. For now, he needed to bring his baby girl home so that she could rest.
The level of her exhaustion lately had become quite worrisome. He didn't want to interfere with her work knowing that she loved being busy, but if it started negatively affecting her health, then he would have no choice but to take a stand and stop her even if it resulted to them fighting. He couldn't bear for her to faint or go into coma again. Those experiences had traumatized him for life. The initial posting of this chapter occurred via N0v3l.B11n.
While hugging her, he began remembering what she was like in the past couple of weeks or so. A suspicion bloomed in his mind. Once it took root, it started nagging at him without rest.
He opened his mouth and was about to voice his suspicion to her but then stopped himself. His baby girl was too exhausted at the moment. There was no need to agitate her tonight. He closed his mouth and sighed. He would have to talk to her about it when she was well-rested, perhaps tomorrow.
They left the powder room. Xu Tian was outside the door with the bodyguards. Before Iris could say anything, Jin Liwei was already instructing his assistant to inform Long Tengfei that he would be taking Iris home. Xu Tian immediately left to do his bidding.
"Is that okay?" Iris asked. "I'm Long Industries' brand ambassador. I should at least personally inform Father and the others before leaving."
"Don't worry about it. They'll recognize Xu Tian and know that I sent him and took you away. Xu Tian will tell them that it's me who stopped you from personally bidding them goodbye. Who among them has the guts to find fault with my decisions?"