Chapter 120: Discussing Merits and Rewards, Her Dream
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
Jiang Fuyue still wore that oversized male attire, but the duckbill cap had been taken off, allowing her gender to be clearly discerned.
In Liu Jinzhong’s eyes, calling her a green and inexperienced little girl would not be an exaggeration.
Yet, it was precisely this little girl who defeated the Dragon King, swiftly took control of Yufeng Kitchen, and now sought to obtain the safe password, attempting to reach out to the entire financial group and steal something from Lousheng!
Say she underestimated herself?
But she was indeed advancing step by step toward her goal, even dealing with the biggest obstacle, Long Tian, decisively.
Originally thought to be an ambitious, ruthless, and mysterious youth.
Never expected that she could casually utter his previous name and even knew who named him!
Faced with his questioning, Jiang Fuyue calmly took out something: “Perhaps it can give you an answer.”
A red jade seal lay quietly in the girl’s fair palm, with a tiger’s head as the cap and carvings of “Spring River Flowers and Moon” night scene all around. Especially the rising and half-covered round moon, surrounded by mist, as if shrouded in a layer of elusive gauze, adding to the mystery.
“This, this is Lousheng’s private seal!” Liu Jinzhong exclaimed excitedly.
The next moment, he suddenly bent his knee and knelt on the ground, “If Lousheng entrusts the private seal to Miss, then Miss is the true heir of Fengyu Financial Group, rightfully reclaiming everything! I was blind before, I hope Miss can forgive me. In the future, I will swear to follow you and obey your commands!”
As soon as he knelt, Little Six reflexively stepped back two steps, looking at him with the eyes of someone looking at a fool, filled with both confusion and a hint of hidden disdain.
How could a man kneel just like that?
This was too spineless!
However, Liu Jinzhong’s expression made him unable to laugh. The sincere worship, akin to staring at devotion, and the faint tears in his eyes all seemed unbelievable to Little Six.
Was it necessary?
Was this “Lousheng” really that amazing?
“Get up, Uncle Liu,” Jiang Fuyue said, her eyes revealing a fleeting complexity.
Liu Jinzhong stood up, making way, and bowed, “Let me take you to the study.”
“Mm.”
…
Ten minutes later, the two stood in front of the safe.
Liu Jinzhong said, “This safe was left by Lousheng back then. Both Long Tian and I know the password, but it needs to be used in conjunction with the key. If forcefully opened, the self-destruct mechanism will be activated. So for more than twenty years, Long Tian could only watch. You—”
He originally wanted to ask if Jiang Fuyue knew the whereabouts of the key, but he saw the girl approaching with the seal, pressing the carved patterns around the laser port in a clockwise direction. The safe made two beeping sounds, and then she aligned the seal head with the so-called “keyhole” and slowly pushed it in.
The mechanical clattering sounded in the quiet study.
The heavy and mysterious feeling of a long-sealed antique being reopened, as if participating in an ancient ritual.
Liu Jinzhong’s eyes were bloodshot, and as he gazed at the girl in front of him, it seemed as if he could also see the shadow of that person.
Twenty years, he had finally waited for this moment…
Jiang Fuyue skillfully entered the password, and with a click, the door opened.
This was also the first time Liu Jinzhong saw what was inside the safe.
Various keys, big and small, were strung together with hemp ropes, lying quietly on the first layer.
The second layer had various seals scattered around.
On the third layer, hundreds of sealed document bags were neatly stacked.
The power of the Financial Group that Long Tian could never grasp in his lifetime was now all gathered here.
Jiang Fuyue pulled out several sealed bags from the third layer, about a dozen, and handed them to Liu Jinzhong. “Open them.”
“…yes.”
Soon, Liu Jinzhong handed over the opened paper documents with both hands. “Miss.”
“What are you giving them to me for? Take a look.”
Liu Jinzhong was stunned, “Me?”
“Yes,” Jiang Fuyue casually picked up a bunch of keys, playing with them between her fingers. “You.”
He lowered his head in confusion, and his gaze suddenly paused.
“This… this is…” His voice and hands trembled simultaneously.
“The operating authorization and land ownership certificates for the sixteen branded hotels under Yufeng are all here.”
The so-called “Financial Group” is, as the name suggests, a private or group entity with substantial economic strength, owning numerous large enterprises.
In economic terms, it is a monopoly formed by the fusion of a few financial oligarchs controlling huge banks and large enterprises.
Compared to the famous “Eight Great Families” in the capital, Yufeng has always been low-key and terrifyingly discreet since its establishment. There are almost no reports about it in the financial magazines circulating in the market.
To some extent, it is an “underground Financial Group”!
Its industries are spread across the southern part of China, with sixteen branded hotels as the backbone, and branches covering real estate, tourism, catering, entertainment, logistics, construction, chemicals, and many other fields.
When Lou Mingyue left, only the catering industry was handed over to Long Tian, and other industries were managed by professional managers.
The relevant seals and engraved stamps of these industries were all locked in the safe.
This is also why, despite being the public face of the Financial Group, Long Tian could never interfere with internal decisions!
It’s like an emperor without a royal seal, no matter how cunning he is, he will always be lacking legitimacy.
Liu Jinzhong looked at the property rights worth hundreds of billions in his hands and fell into a profound sense of bewilderment.
“….I don’t understand what you mean.”
Jiang Fuyue, “Do you know why Lousheng sent you to Binzhou University to study hotel management back then?”
Hotel management…
Liu Jinzhong’s whole body shook.
Jiang Fuyue continued, “Binzhou has the richest tourism resources. Twenty years ago, Yufeng secured the largest six development sites along the Binjiang Road.”
“So, I am not the one who was exiled… am I?” Liu Jinzhong’s hands trembled.
Jiang Fuyue smiled, enunciating each word, “You are the biggest trump card left by Lousheng for twenty years later, and the facts have proven that.”
“But I…”
“Keep these things,” Jiang Fuyue interrupted him, “I’ll give you two years. First, clean up the accumulated problems in these sixteen hotels on your hands over the past twenty years. Next, I want to see those six development sites in Binzhou thriving. This is not a negotiation, it’s an order, with KPI assessments. If you don’t do well, step down.”
This statement was ruthless and uncompromising, but Liu Jinzhong’s expression brightened, “Rest assured! I will do my best!”
“Very well. Yufeng Kitchen will be temporarily under your management. Also, find a reliable auditing company to reconcile the financial accounts of all subsidiaries of the Financial Group over the past twenty years according to this list. I want to see the results within three months at the latest.”
In recent years, due to Long Tian’s inability to intervene in decisions other than catering, assets were preserved, but they were also left in a state of uncontrolled neglect.
This time was an opportunity to rectify it all!
After thinking for a moment, Liu Jinzhong tentatively asked, “Based on Miss’s meaning, it seems that you are not planning to appear publicly at the moment?”
Jiang Fuyue glanced at him approvingly, “Smart.”
“Why? You are the designated heir by Lousheng, holding all the seals, and Lousheng’s private seal is also in your hands. No one would dare to oppose…”
“Cough! I haven’t graduated from high school yet; being low-key is the way to go.”
Liu Jinzhong: “!” A high school student?!
Seeing that everything was arranged more or less, Jiang Fuyue said, “Uncle Liu, you go out first, and by the way, call those two people outside to come in.”
“Yes.” Liu Jinzhong bowed and exited the study.
Soon, Hu Ben and Little Six came in.
The two stood in front of the huge yellow rosewood desk, looking at the casually seated girl in the chair, a surreal feeling arose.
The luxurious surroundings, the dazzling delicacy, even wearing the expensive “outfit” provided by Jiang Fuyue, the incongruent awkwardness still lingered, impossible to shake off.
“Sit,” the girl lifted her chin slightly.
Hu Ben and Little Six exchanged glances and sat down.
Jiang Fuyue glanced at the former and suddenly spoke, “The performance is not bad.”
Hu Ben was stunned, “…You taught well.”
Jiang Fuyue raised her lips, her right hand resting on the desk, tapping her fingers rhythmically.
After a while, “Have you ever thought about what you can do?”
She asked about “what you can do,” not “what you want to do.”
Hu Ben blushed, “…Can fighting count?”
Little Six hesitated, “I can pick locks, pry doors, slash bags, unload car wheels…”
As he spoke, he couldn’t continue.
Jiang Fuyue listened without much reaction, as if she had expected it.
“So, what are your dreams?”
Both of them were dumbfounded.
Is this an online audition for “The Voice of China”?
But Jiang Fuyue’s expression didn’t look like she was joking at all.
Hu Ben looked bewildered, and Little Six wasn’t any better.
“Sister Yue, what do you mean? I don’t quite understand.”
“People live in this world, there should be some goals, right?” Jiang Fuyue replied.
Hu Ben thought for a moment, “….Living a good life, does that count?”
“It counts. And you?” Jiang Fuyue looked at Little Six.
The latter was obviously not in the right state of mind, “I… I don’t know.”
After saying that, he awkwardly scratched his head.
He was an orphan, accustomed to the life of wandering the streets. Later, he followed Hu Ben, doing whatever he asked without having his own thoughts or ideas.
As for the “good life,” he certainly had some anticipation, but it wasn’t that strong. After all, he was quite content with his current situation.
The atmosphere became a bit awkward.
To ease the tension, Little Six unexpectedly blurted out, “Sister Yue, what about you?”
As soon as the words came out, he regretted it.
Hu Ben’s heart also tightened, cautiously glancing at Jiang Fuyue.
But the girl’s expression remained calm, as if she didn’t feel offended. Only a hint of confusion flashed in her clear peach blossom eyes. The next moment, her red lips lightly opened:
“I want to develop the most remote areas of our country.”
Huh?
Both of them were stunned.
Is she sure she’s not writing a primary school essay?
But Jiang Fuyue didn’t say anything more, as if the fleeting emotion was just an illusion.
“You’ve done well tonight,” she said, opening a drawer and taking out two cash checks. “This two million is your reward. You can choose to take the money and leave, or stay and work. But, I must make it clear beforehand, strength speaks here. Even if you stay, I can’t guarantee you the positions you want.”
“Think it over and tell me your answer in five minutes.”
Hu Ben stared at the check in front of him. With this million, he could buy a decent house, marry a simple and worry-free wife, and his mother wouldn’t have to do odd jobs or take on odd tasks at home anymore…
It seemed like the “good life” was about to come true.
But is a life where everything is visible at a glance really what he wants?
“The visible stability” or the “uncertain adventure” – which one to choose?
Little Six looked at the two light and fluttering pieces of paper on the table, not even the size of his palm, yet they represented two million?
Gulp —
He swallowed nervously.
Jiang Fuyue reminded, “There’s only one minute left.”
Originally thinking Hu Ben would make the first move, but unexpectedly, it was Little Six who spoke first this time, “I’ll stay!”
Jiang Fuyue asked him, “Reason?”
Little Six hesitated for a while and said very seriously, “I also want to develop the most remote areas of our country!”
Jiang Fuyue: “…”
Hu Ben: “…”
“No… why do you both have these expressions? I’m serious! I’m not joking! I really think so. Sister Yue, you have great powers, and I’m just a little rascal with no skills, good at petty theft, probably not up to your standards…”
Jiang Fuyue: “Get to the point.”
Little Six: “I don’t understand big principles, but I know that squatting at the entrance of the largest restaurant on the street, picking up things at will, is much better than those small restaurants.”
“How did you come up with the idea of developing the country?”
“Cough… didn’t you want to do it? Take the boss’s will as your own, treat the boss’s goals as your goals, keep up with the boss’s pace, and in the future, won’t we get more than this one or two million?”
Little Six said with enthusiasm.
Jiang Fuyue listened, looked at him for a moment, and seemed to appreciate him a bit.
Finally, Hu Ben also declared, “I don’t want the money. I’ll follow you, Sister Yue.”
“Good.” Jiang Fuyue took back the checks and turned to the two with a regretful yet disappointed look, smiling, “It’s not too late to regret now.”
Hu Ben: “No, no, no…”
Little Six: “You’re really humorous.”
“Okay, after all, you are people who have done good service, so I can’t let you start too low.” After that, she threw two keys onto the table.
“These are the two largest bars in Linhuai, King and Queen. Now, you are in charge. Within three months, if the turnover cannot achieve an increase of more than fifty percent, then you’ll go and be waiters, carrying plates, for at least half a year.”
The two were stunned upon hearing this, standing still for a while without reacting.
Jiang Fuyue thought they found it difficult and were unwilling to do it. She was about to speak when the next second —
Little Six: “Hu Ben, did I hear it right? Is that King and Queen the one I know?”
“Y-yes, it should be?”
“Then, aren’t we transforming into big shots? Wearing toad mirrors, flower shirts, and big gold chains!”
Hu Ben cleared his throat, barely suppressing his emotions, “Six, let’s, let’s keep a low profile, don’t get carried away!”
“Yes, yes, keep a low profile.”
Jiang Fuyue: “…”
In the end, the two immediately agreed, ready to make a big splash without delay.
However, Jiang Fuyue still reminded the two: “Managing a bar isn’t just about being able to fight. If you encounter something you don’t understand, go find Uncle Liu, he will send someone to teach you.”
“Okay!”
Jiang Fuyue rested her head on one hand, the other hand gesturing to the two, “If there’s nothing else, go out.”
Little Six turned around first, but saw Hu Ben standing still in place: “Hu Ben…”
“You go first, I have something to discuss with Sister Yue.”
“….Okay, I’ll wait for you outside.”
Jiang Fuyue raised an eyebrow, her gaze falling on Hu Ben’s face: “What do you want to say?”
“Sister Yue, can you…” he gritted his teeth, as if making a determined decision, “help my mom find a stable job?”
“You are now managing a bar, arranging an easy job for your mother is not difficult.”
“Miss, what I mean is—a stable job.” He emphasized each word.
The key point was: stable!
“What are you afraid of?”
“In the past, when I got into fights, my mom worried a lot. Now, I don’t want to see her cry again.”
Jiang Fuyue found it amusing, “What, do you think I’ll let you fight to the death?”
But Hu Ben replied seriously, “Regardless of whether you will or not, I am prepared for it.”
A moment of silence.
Jiang Fuyue said, “My family’s pancake shop is short of staff. You can let your mother give it a try.”
Hu Ben was delighted. If his mom could work together with Sister Yue’s family, no matter how much the salary was, safety would be guaranteed first, and that would be enough!
Jiang Fuyue probably did this to ease his mind.
“In the future, facing dangers, I, Hu Ben, will have no complaints!”
“Remember what you said today.”
…..
After Hu Ben and Little Six left, Jiang Fuyue continued to deal with the affairs of Yufeng.
An underground Financial Group that had been neglected for twenty years couldn’t be cleaned up overnight.
Fortunately, as the top of the pyramid, many things didn’t require her personal involvement. With a command given, relayed through Uncle Liu, there were plenty of people to execute it.
A wise person works with their mind; a foolish person works with their strength.
It was an essential skill for leaders to be able to delegate tasks.
Until the first light of day appeared, with the morning sun rising, Jiang Fuyue finally closed the last document in her hand.
Liu Jinzhong reached out to take it, gave it a quick scan, and said, “… You can rest assured, I know what to do.”
“Mmm.”
Jiang Fuyue had been working for a long time, and Liu Jinzhong had been accompanying her throughout, ensuring that everything was in order.
“Miss, it’s getting bright, and the room is already tidied up. Would you like to rest?”
Jiang Fuyue’s reason for not returning home that night was that she stayed at a classmate’s house to make it convenient to secure a spot at the city library the next morning.
At this moment, going home was not an option.
“Uncle Liu is indeed considerate.”
Liu Jinzhong lowered his eyes and closed them, speaking respectfully, “It’s my duty.”
Jiang Fuyue stood up from her seat. After a long period of working hunched over the desk, her neck felt a bit stiff.
Just as she was about to leave, Liu Jinzhong’s deep voice came from behind—
“Miss, can I ask you something?”
Jiang Fuyue paused.
“How is Lousheng… doing?”
Can’t wait until next week to see more? Want to show your support? Come to my Patreon where you can get up to 5 more chapters of After Rebirth, I Am the White Moonlight of All The Big Brothers right away translated by Lazy Girl T! Go donate at Paypal or Ko-fi to show your appreciation! :)
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
