money player

Xian Yaowen looked in the direction of the sound and saw Li Huiwang looking at him.

He smiled and said, "Mrs. Lu, are you coming down to watch a movie, or to do some inventory?"

Li Huiwang sat down next to Xian Yaowen and replied with a smile, "I don't understand what Mr. Xian means by 'inspection'."

Xian Yaowen smiled faintly: "The richest man in my hometown is surnamed Liu. When I was young, I herded cattle for him. Richest man Liu cherished his family property very much. He would let me spend the night in the cowshed, chase away mosquitoes for the cattle, and serve the cattle when they got up at night and when they drank water."

Every night before going to bed, Liu, the richest man, would come to the cowshed to check if I was slacking off, weigh the cows' stomachs to estimate how much grass was left inside, and he would come to inspect again early the next morning. If the amount of grass was lighter, he would immediately suspect me of stealing food and hang me up to beat me.

Li Huiwang raised his hand to cover his mouth, tilted his head slightly and chuckled: "Mr. Xian is truly witty."

Xian Yaowen's gaze swept across Li Huiwang's right neck and found a faint red pinch mark, which, judging from its shape, should have been caused by the man's right thumb.

He compared various pleasurable poses with the angle of the pinch mark in his mind, but none of the poses could form a pinch mark at that angle. The pinch mark was most likely not formed in a joyful atmosphere, but rather left by a man choking a woman in a fit of rage.

"In a fit of rage, he grabbed his wife by the neck. Interesting."

He glanced discreetly at Li Huiwang's lower abdomen out of the corner of his eye and said, "Madam Lu, I wonder if Mr. Lu is free tomorrow? I plan to pay him a visit."

Li Huiwang's belly was very flat, and her slender figure meant that even when she was sitting, there was no sign of excess fat puffing out her clothes, so she was probably not pregnant.

Since Friendship Films began its collaboration with Cathay, he has never stopped gathering information on Lok Wan To. Lok Wan To's mother, Lim Shu Jia, comes from the Lim family of Penang. Her family owns tin mines in Selangor. Her father retired early due to illness, and her mother was forced to take over the responsibility of managing the tin mines. Because she was almost illiterate, she designed a complex hieroglyphic accounting system to manage the family's vast finances.

Because Lin's mother was illiterate, she attached great importance to her children's education. Lin Shujia studied until she was eighteen years old, then took over the job of her distant cousin Lin Shugui and married Lu You, becoming his fourth wife.

At that time, Lu Younian was sixty-eight years old, in the prime of his life. The following year, Lu Yuntao was born. Not long after Lu Yuntao turned one month old, Lin Shujia became pregnant with her eldest daughter, Lu Wanting. Then, as the saying goes, "a thousand years is too long, seize the day," and Lin Shujia was reluctant to give up her full-time job. She never stopped getting pregnant. Her second daughter, Lu Wanping, was no more than a year younger than her eldest daughter.

Having given birth to one son and two daughters, Lin Shujia had only been out of confinement for a few days when she was busy preparing for Lu You's funeral.

To put it simply, while Lu Yuntao was still playing in the mud, his eldest granddaughter had already reached marriageable age and was betrothed, and several of his older brothers and sisters had also passed away. However, most of Lu You's assets ended up in Lin Shujia's hands, which shows just how capable Lin Shujia was.

In fact, while Loke Wan To was still studying at Cambridge, Lin Shu-Chia had already founded the predecessor of Cathay Theatre, "United Theatre," in 1935. It was not a sole proprietorship, and its shareholders included lawyer Chiu Te-Yi and Englishman Max Baker.

Qiu Deyi was born in 1899, only four years younger than Lin Shujia. His father was Qiu Jinghui, who served as a senior executive for Lu You's close friend, Lu Qiujie, a tycoon in Kuala Lumpur. In 1937, Qiu Deyi married Lu Wanping, who was in her early twenties.

The marriage did not last long. It ended almost as soon as Lu Yuntao returned from his studies abroad. In 1947, Lu Wanping remarried Thomas McNeill, a well-known Englishman who had been the chairman of the municipal council since the previous year. Anyone who wanted to do business in water, electricity, gas, real estate, etc. in Singapore would definitely have to get involved with him.

In the same year, Qiu Deyi remarried; his wife was Lu Huirong, the granddaughter of Lu Qiujie's younger brother, Lu Qiutai.

Then there's the eldest daughter, Lu Wanting. She married Zhu Guoliang, Lu Yuntao's right-hand man. Zhu Guoliang's father was Zhu Jiabing, Lu You's trusted right-hand man and "manager of the estate," and also a well-known local figure.

Once you untangle the loose ends, some things become quite clear.

When Lu Yuntao returned after graduation, he brought back a wife of Eurasian descent, Kai White. After taking birdwatching photos for a few years, he calmly took over the family business from Lin Shujia. He lost or divorced his first wife at some point and married his second wife, Li Huiwang.

Although the Lu family has no throne to inherit, it is still a large and powerful family. Logically speaking, they should have already started to consider the matter of succession. However, Lu Yuntao is about to turn thirty-six or thirty-seven years old and still has no children. Lu You has many children and grandchildren and is not in a hurry even after he passed away. Lin Shujia only has Lu Yuntao as her only son, so it would be against common sense for her not to be in a hurry.

Li Huiwang has been married into the Lu family for a year and a half, but there is still no sign of pregnancy. If she is infertile, Lin Shujia should have arranged for Lu Yuntao to take a concubine long ago, but there has been no news of it. Therefore, it can be inferred that Lu Yuntao is very likely impotent or prefers men.

"What time will Mr. Xian arrive? I'll prepare some snacks in advance."

"I haven't had afternoon tea prepared by Mrs. Lu yet. If it's convenient, I'll arrive promptly at 2 PM."

"I have prepared some refreshments and am looking forward to Mr. Xian's arrival."

Sin Yiu-man cupped his hands in greeting, using the brightening screen as a natural way to end the conversation.

Hong Kong.

With her large pregnant belly, Zhong Jieling slowly climbed the stairs of Building No. 9 in the Xian family compound. Reaching the second floor, she knocked on a door and entered Zhou Ruoyun's temporary bedroom.

The maid helped Zhong Jieling sit down in a chair, and Zhou Ruoyun pointed to the steamed pumpkin on the coffee table, "Jieling, it's just been steamed."

Zhong Jieling waved her hand, "I just ate half an apple, I can't eat anymore."

Ever since the first pregnant woman in the family, Sin Yiu-man has personally arranged for the dining room to be staffed 24 hours a day, ensuring all ingredients are readily available so that anyone can cook whatever they want whenever they wish, and they can eat whatever they want without any dietary restrictions.

Zhong Jieling and Zhou Ruoyun received the same treatment. There was no question of whether one of them had an advantage or not; the only difference was whether one of them ate it or not. Since Zhong Jieling didn't eat it, Zhou Ruoyun naturally didn't stand on ceremony. She scooped up a little pumpkin with a spoon and put it in her mouth.

"You want to see me if you have something to do?"

Zhong Jieling nodded and opened her briefcase. "There are two documents that need to be signed by my sister-in-law."

"what document?"

Chung Kit-ling placed two documents on the coffee table: "One is an appointment letter, and the other is a share transfer agreement. Kim Fu Gui Holdings wants to hire the eldest sister-in-law as the head manager, with an annual salary of HK$6 and a 3% share allocation."

"Jin Fugui Holdings?" Zhou Ruoyun asked suspiciously, "When did your family get this company?"

“It was registered a long time ago, but it only had business in Sai Kung. The current Jin Fu Gui Holdings is a Hong Kong company that was spun off from the Sai Kung business. The latest situation is that Ms. Li Zhiqing invested US$400 million without holding any shares; Ms. Morgan invested US$400 million and held 20% of the shares; Ms. Sassoon invested US$200 million and held 15% of the shares; London Jin Fu Gui Holdings held 52% of the shares, the company itself retained 13%, and after the sister-in-law signed, the remaining 10% was left.”

Zhou Ruoyun was slightly shocked by the $1000 million, but her attention quickly turned to the shareholding structure. "Is London Golden Fortune Holdings a wholly-owned company of the family?"

"It is now, but not in the future. The eldest brother is inviting shareholders to join us."

"British shareholders?"

"Yes, King Fook Holdings is a British-owned company."

What kind of business does the company do?

"Investing in foreign firms in Hong Kong, acquiring shares or controlling stakes."

Zhou Ruoyun complained, "The master is really something, he didn't tell me beforehand."

"The eldest brother probably made a last-minute strategy adjustment. With an actual capital of $1000 million and a valuation of $2000 million, the eldest brother has to personally participate in the management and personally endorse the company, otherwise the shareholders will not trust it."

"Am I just a puppet in this big class?"

Hearing this, Zhong Jieling was displeased. She was also pregnant and busy every day with her big belly. Sister-in-law Peipei not only oversaw everything from the rear, but also had a business to run.

Sister-in-law Lizhen has to go on business trips to the mainland every ten days or so, and she also manages several highly profitable businesses. She's so busy that she doesn't even have time to play the entertainment card; she can only play the business card.

Xia Minxin, the eldest sister-in-law, not only had to assist Peipei, the eldest sister-in-law, but also had to maintain the Xian family's external connections. She had to appear in public every day and deal with all sorts of people.

Jin Man's sister-in-law, who had been instructed by her elder brother not to participate in the family business, is also sharing the family affairs.

Sister-in-law Baoshu successfully expanded the Taiwan market for the Xian family, and with her merits fulfilled, she began her retirement.

Wanqing's sister-in-law helped the Xian family expand their real estate business at low cost.

Sister-in-law Yixin is stationed in Singapore and has never been home. She lives alone in a foreign land, yet she has to manage the entire DBS business.

Zhilan and Meilin were also heavily pregnant, but neither of them took a break to rest and prepare for their pregnancy; they were still working as usual.

You, Zhou Ruoyun, are the only one in the family who has nothing to do. When you were able to run and jump, you were at the hospital every day. When your father was sick, your daughter was by your side to take care of him and it was hard to complain. Now that we're asking you to do something, you actually dare to use the word "puppet". How big is your Zhou family's business? You can get $60 for the first job as a puppet.
When the waters are not level, naturally some people harbor resentment, especially Zhong Jieling. Like you, Zhou Ruoyun, you are both ties for marriage with the Xian family. The Zhong family is as solid as a rock and can continuously bring benefits to the Xian family, while the Zhou family is showing signs of decline and may very well be sucking blood from the Xian family in the future.

What gives you, Zhou Ruoyun, the right to be so arrogant and aloof?

Is it because you're pregnant with the eldest grandson of the Xian family? Is it because you're the only one in the family who was legally married?

Pregnant women are prone to mood swings and are very sensitive. Zhong Jieling was already harboring resentment because she was working overtime late at night. Moreover, today was the day Xian Yaowu was supposed to return from India and arrive home by evening, but she hadn't seen him yet.

If his older brother assigns him an urgent task, he'll call home, but if there's no word, he's probably off on a quest. He's got three pregnant women at home, all show and no substance, and he doesn't want to come back, right?
In a flash, Zhong Jieling vented her resentment and said in a gentle tone, "Sister-in-law, Jin Fugui Holdings is related to the Xian family's high-level connections in the UK and their long-term plans in Hong Kong. My brother is handling it himself and hasn't revealed much to others. If it weren't for some legal documents that I needed to deal with, I wouldn't know much either."

Zhong Jieling grasped the key point: Zhou Ruoyun was resentful that she knew nothing about her. Hearing Zhong Jieling's words, her mood improved. While complaining, she picked up the documents and started reading.

Sin Yiu-man emphasized and implemented the principle that eyes are for seeing things, and one should not sign documents without carefully reading them. Therefore, the Sin family members have all studied contract interpretation and pitfalls, and they are also vigilant enough to carefully check every word and sentence.

After verifying that everything was correct, Zhou Ruoyun signed the six documents in triplicate.

After leaving, Zhong Jieling personally delivered two documents to the study in Building No. 1, where Wang Xiamin, who was on duty, filed them.

Victor Law has established a new subsidiary, "A·CL," which will primarily handle document filing, consular authentication, and, in the future, Hague Apostille certification.

Zhong Jieling was in charge of the specific tasks, but the highest leader was Wang Xiamin.

As Chung Kit-ling suspected, Sin Yiu-wu was indeed having an affair, and he was doing it with remarkable efficiency, already on his second date.

He returned from Delhi on a British Overseas Airways flight, with two technical stops in Kolkata and Bangkok. In Bangkok, he would pick up some passengers who were traveling halfway through the journey. This guy not only seduced Mrs. Zhao, who boarded in Bangkok, but also a flight attendant named Anita Lee.

Everyone knew the woman's name, but she only revealed the name "Mrs. Zhao." They made love in the car. Afterwards, he followed her and saw that her destination was Causeway Bay. He guessed that she was a kept woman by an old man from Southeast Asia.

The latter only knew that his surname was Li and his working name was Anita. He didn't ask for her real name. After having a Western meal, he had the nerve to ask to stay at her house. At this time, he was wearing a flight attendant's hat and had lit two cigarettes. He put one into Anita's mouth.

Anita was slumped over the dining table, the collar of her flight attendant uniform shirt stained with soup, her face a mess, looking like she was performing Peking Opera. There was soup, bok choy, salted fish, and shredded braised pork—everything imaginable.

The area around and under the dining table was a mess, with crumbs of food and plates scattered everywhere.

Anita took two puffs of her cigarette, then exhaled with a "pfft," the cigarette stained with vegetable juice and tasting like salted fish.

She slowly raised her head and looked behind her. "Will you marry me?"

Xian Yaowu exhaled the smoke from his mouth and shook his head. "No."

"What if I get pregnant after you put it inside?"

"Destroy."

Upon hearing this, Anita wiped her hand on the table, grabbed a clump of food scraps, and threw it at Xian Yaowu's face. "You bastard, I'll just pretend I was bitten by a dog. Get lost."

Xian Yaowu wiped away the vegetable scraps and said with a grin, "Why are you so angry? It's just that I won't let you have children, not that I won't support you."

He slapped Anita's plump buttocks. "I'll go to the car dealership tomorrow and order you a car."

"Really?" Anita's face lit up with surprise.

"Why would I lie to you?" He slapped her fat buttocks again. "I gave you a gift, aren't you going to do something in return?"

Anita gave Xian Yaowu a flirtatious wink, her eyes glistening with vegetable juice, then stood up, supporting herself on the table, and slowly knelt down in front of him.

In the Cathay Cinema theater, Sin Yiu Man was analyzing the film, examining every frame meticulously. He didn't miss a single movement, glance, or piece of fabric, studying Malay-style emotions and artistic expression.

Meanwhile, it's also necessary to pay attention to the reactions of the Malay audience. Cathay Cinema tickets are expensive, and those willing to come are mostly avid moviegoers, representing the cinema's valued customers; their preferences need to be carefully understood. (End of Chapter)