Chapter 152: Is the Main Consort Coming to Cause Trouble?

Lin Ketong did some research on Cheng Yao’s company, browsing through the recommendations and recognizing a few of the streamers…

She hadn't expected his company to have grown to such a scale.

Setting her phone aside, Lin Ketong peeled a shrimp and asked, "Are you planning to enter the film and television industry next?"

"Didn't you hear him say? He opened a tech company, too."

"?"

Lin Ketong looked at him, full of skepticism. She couldn't quite grasp Cheng Yao’s intentions; wasn't he supposed to be breaking into the film industry? Why had he suddenly pivoted to tech?

Besides, starting a tech company wasn't exactly something you could just do on a whim.

Cheng Yao didn't explain. He grabbed a handful of shrimp and pushed them toward her, saying, "Keep peeling, don't just sit there..."

"Oh."

Lin Ketong cast a resentful glance at him. She continued peeling the shrimp, making sure to dip them in the spicy sauce before handing them over.

Cheng Yao ate the shrimp with contentment, washing them down with a gulp of beer. It couldn't get any better than this—having two beauties, both scoring above eighty, peeling shrimp for him. What a life.

Who would’ve thought, right? You all have your moments, too.

Get on your knees, and keep peeling!

Lu Mengyao teased him with a hint of bitterness, "Cheng Yao, is this how you treat Zhang Ya when you peel shrimp for her?"

"Zhang Ya... so your girlfriend's name is Zhang Ya? What a plain name..."

Lu Mengyao glanced at Lin Ketong and replied, "The name might be plain, but she looks like a celestial beauty. She’s an art student at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music; she’s leagues ahead of us at the Nanjing University of the Arts."

"Do you have a photo?" Lin Ketong asked, licking her gloves in curiosity.

Cheng Yao unlocked his phone and placed it on the table.

Lin Ketong took a look. While she wouldn't say she was completely eclipsed, the girl’s face was exquisitely beautiful, and her temperament was elegant. Even in ordinary clothes, her exceptional grace couldn't be hidden.

Deciding not to embarrass herself further, Lin Ketong silently went back to peeling shrimp.

Cheng Yao crossed his legs and remarked, "She peels for me voluntarily. She’s much more mature than you two."

"Ugh, I don't believe that."

Lin Ketong hesitated, then said, "I don't know if I should say this or not."

"We're all on the same side, there's nothing you can't say."

"Alright then..."

Lin Ketong looked at Cheng Yao and posed a question from the depths of her soul: "With the way you're living right now, won't having a 'main palace' cause trouble? If you get caught, it’ll be a disaster. I don't understand what’s going on in your head."

"..."

Cheng Yao was left speechless; the point was valid, but he couldn't explain it. Abandoning Zhang Ya was out of the question.

"What do you know?"

Lu Mengyao chimed in, stirring the pot: "Teach her a lesson later, let her see what you're really capable of!"

"You're insane."

Lin Ketong didn't want to engage; she felt Lu Mengyao was truly a pathetic woman.

Cheng Yao chatted with them for a while, showing endless patience, knowing he wouldn't have time to talk later.

After they were full, they showered...

He eventually shattered Lin Ketong's defenses and broke through her reserve—though Lu Mengyao barging in halfway through certainly played a part.

By then, it was too late for Lin Ketong to run; she was utterly mortified.

Seeing how skilled Lu Mengyao was, Lin Ketong was stunned, instantly realizing that this seemingly innocent girl had been "disciplined" by Cheng Yao quite often.

[Your intimacy with your fostered girlfriend has reached ninety. You have received 'Blocking Capsule' *1.]

Without the luck halo, it was impossible to be a "European Emperor" every time.

Still, the Blocking Capsule was quite useful to him. Since he had just used up his last one, he would save this for next month. Getting a few of these a month was a good deal.

The next morning, Lin Ketong looked at Cheng Yao with an expression of disgust, even more evident than usual.

Cheng Yao didn't care; he was satisfied, and that was all that mattered.

That morning, he called the saleswoman, Ji Manqing. She delivered the contract to the villa in person, and Cheng Yao handed over Lin Ketong’s ID to sign for her.

"Done. We’ll take the one in the back."

"Understood."

He had already scoped out the location. The surroundings were excellent, and he intended to buy it to keep it separate from the other areas.

This way, their privacy would be better protected.

After paying over forty million for the property, Ji Manqing was so happy she could barely stand; she treated Cheng Yao like an ancestor.

With the two previous villa sales, she had been promoted to sales team leader. Even if there wasn't much room for further advancement, the commission was real.

Not wasting any more time on the house, Cheng Yao transferred 2.5 million to Lin Ketong, telling her to buy whatever she wanted.

Although she had been embarrassed last night, she had enjoyed the process, and now that she had money, Lin Ketong had nothing to complain about.

Host: Cheng Yao
Appearance: 85
Skill: Folding
Wealth: 1.7161 billion
Items: Blocking Capsule *1, Matchmaker's Red Thread *3, Bestie Card (Silver) *1

After tonight, his wealth would return to two billion.

It was precisely because the money came so easily that Cheng Yao wanted to invest more in real industries to consolidate his status. If he could generate wealth through real businesses, he could continue to live this lifestyle even if the "Golden Finger" were to disappear.

He knew clearly that his cheat was his only reliance, but now that he could create his own foundation, every little bit helped—it was better than nothing.

This gave him a greater sense of security when spending money.

To put it bluntly, he was still a bit insecure.

Leaving the Gaoke Ziweitang district, Cheng Yao drove to Jiangning Shengxia Technology Co., Ltd.

Construction in the surrounding area had begun. The land was bought outright—one hundred acres at a total cost of thirteen million.

The perimeter walls were going up; by the time he came back in a few weeks, it should be finished. There were no factory workers on duty yet, but the senior management was all present.

He was grooming Wang Yuting to be the CFO. It depended on whether she could cut it; if not, he’d replace her. No big deal.

The deputy director had already been hired—a middle-aged woman who had been married with children for years. She was stable, reliable, and had been sourced through a headhunting firm. Her communication skills were excellent.

After a brief chat, and amidst the flattery, Cheng Yao entered the factory.

"Director Cheng, the samples are ready. Take a look..."

Cheng Yao picked up a toothbrush; it was simple and aesthetically pleasing.

He pondered for a moment before saying, "Make the patterns a bit cuter. The design doesn't need to be bizarre; keep it minimalist. Has the program been installed?"

"The zero-point needs fixing. We're working on it; it’ll take at most two days."

"Alright. I’ve already contacted an endorser; she should be here by Tuesday. Get everything ready."

"Yes, sir."

Cheng Yao ran the show single-handedly because he was the sole investor with no other shareholders. He held 100% of the equity, as it was a subsidiary.

"Once the toothbrushes are out, you can start hiring production staff. Let's see the yield on the first batch..."

"What about the distributors?"

Cheng Yao smiled. "I have some connections now. That Director Yang from before introduced quite a few. We can negotiate with them, and the agents are already lined up..."

"Understood. I'll inform Manager Lu, and we can start production."

"Hygiene and quality must be guaranteed."

"You can rest assured on that..."

Cheng Yao didn't linger at the factory. With both Shengxia Entertainment and Shengxia Technology running, there wasn't much for him to do in the office.

It was a day off, so he was quite idle. After lurking in his group chats for a while, he drove to Xinjiekou.

"Cheng Yao?"

As he parked at the entrance of the Yurong Building and headed upstairs, he ran into an acquaintance.

Qiu Wan was surprised. Was this fate?

Cheng Yao looked at Qiu Wan from his second-year class and asked with a smile, "What a coincidence, what are you doing here?"

Coincidence, my foot.

He knew this was the Matchmaker's Red Thread working its magic.

Qiu Wan was accompanied by a few other girls who were looking at Cheng Yao with curiosity, their minds racing...

"I'm out shopping with friends. The milk tea here is really good."

Qiu Wan pointed to the milk tea shop behind her and asked, "How about you?"

"I have a friend who opened a shop here, so I came to check it out."

"Oh..."

"You guys have fun. I have some business to attend to. See you."

"Yeah, see you."

Qiu Wan wanted to say something, but hesitated, a trace of disappointment in her heart.

After Cheng Yao walked away, the girls started chattering.

"Wait, isn't that the heartthrob from the other class? The most handsome guy in our School of Economics. Should we introduce you to him?"

"No, no. I couldn't handle someone like that. I'm not worthy."

"Me neither."

"I saw him get out of that car."

Qiu Wan nodded slightly. "It looks like the most expensive Ferrari model; I heard it costs forty million. Plus, he opened his own company. He's very famous in school now."

"A true heartthrob!"

...

...

Upstairs, Cheng Yao glanced at the clerk at the counter and then found Chen Xingyan in the lounge.

"Yo, what wind blew you here?"

"The northwest wind. I'm about to turn into a salted fish. Want to grab a bite?"

Chen Xingyan teased, "You’re eating the northwest wind, but your company doesn't need your attention... Oh right, you're the 'hands-off' boss. I’m so envious. Wait for me until Chen Ruiyong gets here. The steak place downstairs is pretty good."

"Sure."

Cheng Yao didn't care what he ate.

A moment later, Chen Ruiyong arrived. He seemed surprised to see Cheng Yao, though he wasn't as hostile as before.

Still, he knew this kid was eyeing his sister, and he felt a bit resentful.

Watching Chen Xingyan and Cheng Yao chat as they walked away, Chen Ruiyong sighed. His little sister had really grown up.

...

...

Leaving the shop, Cheng Yao looked back. "Is your brother a 'sister-complex'?"

"What nonsense are you talking about? I remember you have a sister, right?"

"Yeah, I haven't seen her in two weeks. I've been letting her run wild."

Chen Xingyan was speechless. To have a brother like that...

Business at the twelfth-floor steakhouse was booming.

Chen Xingyan couldn't even finish a large Tomahawk steak. Cheng Yao asked, "About that trip we talked about, are you guys coming?"

"Me? I don't have time right now. You guys go ahead."

"Alright then."

Cheng Yao sighed. Qin Haoran said he was busy, and so did Zhou Qing. Lin Sujiao and Wu Xinxin said they were free...

It seemed the guys were all talk.

Of course, he couldn't invite Lin Sujiao out alone; she wasn't his type, and Wu Xinxin was even less of an option.

In two days it would be November, and the paulownia leaves were already turning yellow.

Time really flies.

Cheng Yao mused to himself. It seemed that if he wanted to go on a trip, he’d have to wait until after Zhang Ya's birthday. It would be a disaster if he got too carried away and forgot her birthday.

After all, he had made a promise to Zhang Ya.

Besides, the birthday...

Cheng Yao was very much looking forward to it. It would be the perfect time to head to Shanghai with Xia Shiqi and Zheng Yuechan.

...

...