money player

Sin Yiu-man embraced Guo Bi-wan as they strolled slowly along the beach.

"You're not having a good time in the Zhao family?"

"A very strict father-in-law, a difficult mother-in-law, a husband who doesn't love her, and a sister who makes things difficult for her."

Sin Yiu-man smiled faintly, "Just how many good sisters does he have?"

"two."

"Not many? You think you can't handle that with your skills?"

"What good would it do if I got rid of him? He's keeping a few other women on the side, and I don't have the energy to deal with them one by one."

"That's true. You deal with the old problems, then new ones pop up. Haven't you thought about divorce?"

Guo Biwan shook her head, "I have children, and I don't want them to be without a mother."

"several?"

"One son and one daughter."

“I don’t raise sons for others, I can’t raise them properly. I can raise daughters, though. If anything happens, you can give your daughter to me and I will raise her for you.”

Guo Biwan chuckled and said, "You can raise a daughter to be well-behaved?"

You should understand my concerns.

Guo Biwan nodded, "I understand. When one's heart is set on the wild, one will covet the family fortune. However, it seems a bit premature for us to talk about this now."

"It's not early. I'm a responsible man. You need to know what I can give you and what I can't."

Guo Biwan hugged Xian Yaowen's waist and said sweetly, "Thank you, Mr. Xian."

"I'm going to Taipei tomorrow. If nothing unexpected happens, I'll be back the day before the banquet. If there's anything urgent, you can tell me now."

"I want 100,000 yuan. I'll pay you back after I sell the shares."

"You have a share?"

"Grandma said to divide it into three portions."

"Oh, is there something you'd like to do?"

"Yes."

"Call your ex-sister and ask her to arrange a lawyer for you. Make sure some procedures are done carefully, otherwise, you'll have trouble later."

Guo Biwan smiled and said, "I wouldn't dare. If Zhong Jieling found out that I had been with your brother, she would kill me."

"Don't tell me you didn't know Yaowu before we started, and that you weren't afraid before, but are you afraid now?"

"Now that I have you, can't I be anxious and insecure?"

"Okay, I'll take your sweet talk. Don't worry, contact her. I'll handle it."

"It's so kind of you."

Will he hit you?

Guo Biwan's eyelashes fluttered twice. "Why do you ask that?"

"Let me ask you another question: Have you ever seriously practiced martial arts?"

"No."

"That's why I asked you the previous question. Under normal circumstances, a woman can't beat a man. Once he finds out about us, he'll definitely be furious and probably beat you up."

If he hasn't hit you before, he won't beat you too badly. You were wrong, so you deserve to be beaten, and you have to endure it. But if he has hit you before, he might beat you to death.

Although you approached me willingly, and I bear little responsibility, I don't want you to die young. I'll assign you a female bodyguard; you can find an excuse to bring her back to the Zhao family. She will protect you.

Guo Biwan stopped, turned around, and stared at Xian Yaowen's face, her eyes sparkling. "You, you're so kind, you even thought of this for me."

Sin Yiu-man gently stroked Guo Biwan's cheek, "It's just an affair, not murder. I don't want to kill you."

Guo Bitan tiptoed and kissed Xian Yaowen on the lips, saying, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Sin Yiu-man took Guo Biwan's hand and continued walking forward. "Go to Shan Jin Lou at 2 PM tomorrow, and Chen Yan will give you the money."

"Is it Chen Yan?"

Sin Yiu-man chuckled and asked, "Which one are you talking about?"

"Who else could it be? The one with a big reputation, the one who's in the underworld."

"Oh, we must be talking about the same person."

"She's one of yours?"

“You weren’t very well-informed before; quite a few people know she was working for me.”

“I’ve been Mrs. Zhao for far too long.”

"Getting married and being yourself are not mutually exclusive, Miss Guo. I wish you happiness in being yourself again."

Guo Biwan choked up, "He... he rarely touches me, not for a year..."

Sin Yiu-man covered Guo Biwan's mouth, "Don't say that. I'm just an adulterer and have no right to question this. You don't need to be troubled by this."

"Mm." Guo Biwan nodded, her fingers sinking into Xian Yaowen's.

After the two walked a short distance, Sin Yiu-man said, "I have very few shares in Ritz Garden. Acquiring Zhenxiang Real Estate is just a business matter. It's normal to lower the price. Moreover, given that your grandfather had a very bad relationship with the Hong Kong government back then, he will probably use official power to suppress it."

“My father passed away early, and our branch was bullied by the other three branches for many years.”

“I understand.” Xian Yaowen nodded. “When your third uncle, Guo Shuanglong, was studying in Tokyo, he met some important figures in Japan. I need his help, and you will need his help in the future. Don’t make things too awkward.”

"Did you consider this when you decided to form a marriage alliance with the Guo family?"

"Correct."

"I understand. My relationship with my third uncle isn't too bad."

Sin Yiu-man glanced at his watch. "We've talked enough. It's time to go back."

"Ah."

Back by the campfire, Sin Yiu-man gracefully ended the picnic and took Fok Chi-han to Cheung Lai's office.

Zhang Li wasn't there, but Ding Jiajia was. When she opened the door, she was kissing a stranger on the sofa.

The wild man was scared away, but Ding Jiajia stayed.

She lit a cigarette, put her feet up on the coffee table, and brazenly sized up Huo Zhixian. "Boss, who is this?"

Instead of answering, Sin Yiu-man asked, "Pretty boy or sugar daddy?"

"I'm not so lucky to meet a sugar daddy; he's my new gigolo."

"You're sick. You're giving all the money you earn from selling your smiles to gigolos. In a couple of years, when you're old and faded, covered in diseases, no honest man will be willing to support you. Let's see what you do then."

Ding Jiajia threw herself into Xian Yaowen's arms, a sweet smile on her face, "Big Boss, are you worried about me?"

Xian Yaowen stuck out his index finger and poked Ding Jiajia's cheek to push her away a little. "Instead of spending money to support a gigolo, why don't you go to a nightclub and hook up with a sugar daddy? I'll talk to Zhang Li and he'll give you a bigger commission."

Ding Jiajia sat up straight. "Big boss, thank you, but I don't need it, hehe, unless you're the sugar daddy."

"Now, Stand up, Get out!"

Ding Jiajia suddenly stood up, stamped her left foot, and exclaimed, "Yes, Sir!"

As he spoke, he took a few steps, then turned around with a sly smile, "Big boss, want to borrow a couple of condoms?"

"roll."

Ding Jiajia twisted her body and waved, "Bye-bye."

After Ding Jiajia closed the door, Huo Zhixian asked, "Is she a dancer?"

No, she's singing here.

"Oh, you two are very close?"

Sin Yiu-man grasped Fok Chi-han's soft hand, "I like her personality, I spoil her a bit, which makes her lose her sense of propriety."

"Oh."

"You sit here, I'm going to make a phone call."

Sin Yiu-man made an internal call and learned that Zhang Li was in the octagon and that there was a lot of betting on tonight's match. Zhang Li wanted to go and take a look.

Not wanting to disturb anyone, he sat down at the typewriter, typed out a few things he needed to tell them, took the key to open the safe, put the paper inside, and wrote a reminder on the desk.

First, he took Huo Zhixian to her grandmother's residence, and then Xian Yaowen went to the villa on Lantang Road.

Sun Shuquan sat alone in the garden listening to the radio.

Sin Yiu-man sat down next to Sun Shu-chuan. "Where's Mom?"

Sun Shuquan straightened her mischievous little feet and said timidly, "Mom is playing cards."

“Perfect timing, that’s exactly what I was looking for.” Xian Yaowen took out a Montblanc Meisterstück 146 Lady fountain pen from his briefcase. “This is for you. I don’t know if you’ll like it.”

Sun Shuquan took it and glanced at it, then said happily, "I like it very much."

"I'm glad you like it." Sin Yiu-man put his briefcase aside. "Did you get your monthly allowance?"

Sun Shuquan nodded. "Aunt Wang gave it to me the day before yesterday."

"From now on, the monthly allowance for the following month will be sent out on the last day of each month. If it is inconvenient for you to collect it, it will be saved for you, and you can collect it all at once when it is convenient."

Sun Shuquan lowered his head and said softly, "Aunt Wang said so."

Sin Yiu-man nodded and said slowly, "From your mother's perspective, I am your stepfather, but the age gap between us is not large. You don't need to call me Dad, nor do you need to care about the fact that I am your stepfather. Apart from your mother, you can call me whatever you like."

In psychology, there is a phenomenon called prematurely seizing the fruits of victory, which refers to attributing the success of something too early or excessively to the person who reminded or helped the person, or the person involved, before the success is fully achieved.

This behavior deprives one of the joy and sense of accomplishment that should be gained when things are finally completed. It weakens the executor's intrinsic motivation by providing premature gratification.

Emotionally, I treat you like my daughter, but I won't give you too many pointers on how to conduct yourself in the future. This isn't because I don't care about you, but because of the situation I just mentioned, and the awkwardness and concerns I have about being a stepfather.

Do you understand?

Sun Shuquan thought for a moment and nodded, "I understand."

"Okay, I have a piece of advice for you at fifteen: dare to express your own demands, refuse unreasonable requests, avoid putting yourself in a dilemma, and always put yourself first."

Xian Yaowen tapped the table lightly. “You are a member of the Sun family, and you are also a member of the Xian family. I will protect you from the wind and rain and will not make you compromise. Speak your mind boldly and don’t hold back. Don’t fall into self-doubt or self-pity.”

Some things that are difficult for you might be very simple for me; some things that can be explained clearly will remain misunderstandings if you don't speak up.

As soon as he finished speaking, Sin Yiu-man stood up. “Your birthday is coming soon, and I don’t plan to come back for your birthday party. My mother died in childbirth, so I don’t celebrate my birthday, and I can’t care about the birthdays of the people around me. Please understand.”

Sun Shuquan said hurriedly, "No, it's okay."

Sin Yiu-man nodded and buttoned up his suit jacket. "Don't stay up too late. Tell your mother I'm flying to Taipei tomorrow."

"it is good."

"Good night."

Goodnight!

After Sin Yiu-man left, Sun Shu-chuan recalled what he had said and gained some insights, which increased his goodwill towards Sin Yiu-man.

"This stepfather seems quite nice."

Beep beep beep, splash splash, beep beep beep, thump thump thump.

Xian Yaowen stood in the living room of Building 4, and Cen Peipei helped him unbutton his cuffs.

What happened to Huo Zhixian?

"Huo Baocai may be going to the United States and has taken a liking to me."

"To be a concubine?"

"Ah."

"What does Huo Baocai want after paying such a high price?"

"It's not certain yet, no rush, he'll tell us sooner or later."

How did Huo Baocai find you?

"International Hotel, I delivered it to my door myself."

"You're not staying at Alice's place?"

"I ran into Lai Hung-sun's sister-in-law yesterday evening."

Cen Peipei playfully punched Xian Yaowen in the chest and said coquettishly, "You're so busy."

"I ran into the Guo Biwan sisters again at Ritz Garden tonight. It might not be a coincidence."

"Speak the key."

"Guo Biting is trying to seduce me."

"Anything else?" Cen Peipei took off Xian Yaowen's vest and asked with a half-smile.

"Guo Biwan also seduced me, and I fell for it."

Cen Peipei rolled her eyes. "Master, you really have no taste in anything. Guo Biwan is Uncle's mistress."

Xian Yaowen hugged Cen Peipei and said with a grin, "There's nothing I can do. I'm just naturally good-looking and born to use my good looks to seduce men."

"Pah!" Cen Peipei spat lightly. "Shameless."

"You're only just finding out?"

Sin Yiu-man picked up Sham Pui-pei and carried her into the bathroom. The two of them laughed and joked as they lay down in the bathtub.

Cen Peipei nestled in Xian Yaowen's arms, reaching back to touch the wound on his chest. "Did Alice do this?"

"Ah."

Does it hurt?

"No pain."

Cen Peipei lifted Xian Yaowen's chin, "Did you and Guo Biwan do it?"

"How dare this servant?" Xian Yaowen blinked, looking completely innocent. "This servant has been conserving his energy, waiting for Madam's favor."

"Hmph." Cen Peipei pinched Xian Yaowen's chin and twisted it. "You're a smart dog, at least you know what's good for you."

Xian Yaowen blinked again, picked up a bath towel and scrubbed Cen Peipei's body, "Tomorrow you give Chen Yan 100,000 yuan, hand it over to Guo Biwan at Shan Jinlou at 2 pm, and also send her a female security guard."

"Is she so special that she invested so much from the very beginning?"

Xian Yaowen lifted Cen Peipei's arm and rubbed her armpits. "I'm responsible for our investment. Her husband is abusive, and I'm afraid she'll be beaten to death."

"Oh." Cen Peipei's free hand drew circles on Xian Yaowen's chest. "Isn't the master afraid that outsiders will find out about your affair?"

"It's not uncommon outside that Lizhen and I were already having an affair, so stealing someone else's wife a second time is nothing new. It'll just be a rumor for a few days at most."

"Sir, you should just calm down."

I'll try my best.

"Be gentle, you're pulling my hair. Oh, sir, what do you think, should I shave my armpit hair?"

"Your armpit hair is sparse and sexy, and it won't cause any odor, so you don't need to shave it."

"really?"

"Ah."

“Oh.” Cen Peipei picked up her wine glass and took a sip. “I just received a telegram from Dubai this afternoon. They’re urging us to start the Free City project.”

"I have neither money nor time, so I'll put it off until I'm done being a treasure hunter."

"Are you planning to go to India?"

“Money can be a powerful motivator. If I don’t go and keep an eye on things, I’m likely to run into trouble. Besides, I’m also planning to go to India to do some research. Just looking at the data isn’t enough.”

"Sir, are you going to see an agent?"

"Don't be jealous. Now is a good time to make moves in India. I'm going there this time to select a few candidates and then proceed gradually."

"What about that actress Madhubala? Isn't she good enough?"

“She can only be a backup option; the best choice is a high-caste Parsi heiress who has fallen on hard times.”

"Whatever you want." Cen Peipei rolled over and lay on top of Xian Yaowen. "Have you thought about the matter of staying at headquarters? Friends' development plan in the United States can't be delayed any longer. I plan to leave for New York before the end of October."

"It's not a big problem. You can start making preparations for departure."

Cen Peipei kissed Xian Yaowen, then straddled him, saying, "Let's stop rubbing. You're leaving again tomorrow, so let's hurry up and have a good meal."

Xian Yaowen chuckled, "When did Madam become so lewd?"

"It's all your fault."

"Alright, alright, it's all my fault. Let the dog servants serve Madam properly." Xian Yaowen helped Cen Peipei up from the bathtub. "The bathtub is boring, let's go somewhere else."

"Where?"

"Rooftop".

The next day.

Before heading to the airport, Sin Yiu-man had breakfast at the restaurant of the Hong Kong Grand Hotel.

Cheryl and Sally sat opposite him; Sally was breathing heavily, and even a cigar couldn't lift her spirits.

Sin Yiu-man cut a piece of fried egg and stuffed it into his mouth, giving Sally a disdainful look. "The weather is nice today, perfect for a trip. Did you sleep well last night?"

Sally rolled her eyes. "You changed the subject so abruptly."

"Hmm, it's as awkward as two women being together. What was yesterday's anniversary? Why did you choose to stay in a hotel instead of a villa?"

Sally rolled her eyes again, but Cheryl answered seriously, "Yesterday it was Sally and me..."

"Cheryl, don't tell him."

“Alright.” Sin Yiu-man shrugged. “I won’t pry into your marital affairs, Sally. You still have two hours before work starts. Why don’t you go catch some sleep?”

"No need. I'm meeting a client here at 7:30. It's a big client with an advertising budget of 30,000 a year."

"GBP?"

"Hong Kong dollars".

"Wow, what a big client."

Sally pointed at Sin Yiu-man's face, then slapped the table and left.

Xian Yaowen gestured with his lip towards her departing figure, "What's wrong with her? She seems off, not like her usual self."

“She wanted more last night, but I had to get up early…” Cheryl shrugged.

“No wonder, it turns out it’s because of unsatisfied desires.” Xian Yaowen pointed to Cheryl’s face. “Ever since you got together with Sally, every time I see you, I’ve noticed that the freckles on your face have decreased significantly, which means your relationship is going well. But Sally’s complexion has been getting worse, which means her physical needs are not being met.”

"Does Sally need another lover?"

“That’s possible.” Sin Yiu-man put down his knife and fork and wiped his lips. “Or another possibility is that Sally needs a man.”

Cheryl clenched her fist. "Sally doesn't need a man."

"Alright, this is between the two of you." Xian Yaowen picked up his knife and fork to continue eating his breakfast, and changed the subject, "When are you planning to meet with Lin Shaoliang?"

Cheryl composed herself, lit a cigarette, and said, "Lin Shaoliang has just figured out the business's relationships little by little, just as you suggested, and he'll probably come knocking on our door in the next couple of days."

"Okay, Lin Wenjing didn't suffer too much, did he?"

"We have good food and drink, but no freedom."

Sin Yiu-man nodded slightly. "It's still uncertain who will sit in that chair in Indonesia. There's a lot of dirty dealings between the various factions. It may seem calm on the surface, but it's actually turbulent and chaotic inside. Chaos means opportunity."

Indonesia has many good things; Lin Shaoliang is a good stepping stone, and we should use him to establish direct contact with Indonesian indigenous forces.

"Lin Shaoliang's route and the oil route seem to be different."

"We don't need to go to so much trouble to stick to one path. Right now, the business should expand in all directions. We'll do business with whoever makes money. As for whether we'll bet on one power to reach the top in the future, we'll take it one step at a time."

Sin Yiu-man forked a piece of bacon and fed it to Cheryl. “The fate of the trading company is intertwined with the fate of Great Britain. Moving forward, every decision you make must take politics into account and must be made with utmost caution.”

"Adam, I'm under a lot of pressure, and I might not do well."

Sin Yiu-man smiled faintly and said, "Don't put so much pressure on yourself. No matter how bad the future may be, it won't be worse than before. You and I are just an ugly child and a beautiful child who came from the countryside."

Cheryl glanced at Sin Yiu-man, a knowing smile spreading across her face. (End of Chapter)