Zhou Xuan was taken aback. He hadn't expected that this young Miss Yu would have such insight. She wasn't just a useless rich kid. She was far different from those young masters and ladies who would say things like "My father is so-and-so" or "My family has so much money."
To be honest, this Miss Yu Er wasn't exactly a beauty; her appearance was somewhat boyish. Zhou Xuan paused for a moment, then continued, "I don't like those kinds of occasions. I prefer quiet, uncrowded environments, and a ship is the most suitable. So, my earlier comments about your second brother weren't out of prejudice; I simply don't like that kind of work."
Yuqi chuckled and said, "You don't need to explain to me. I just think you're too strange. The more I think about it, the more unfathomable you seem. I'm not worried about whether you go to work for my second brother or not. But I think since you don't like a lively work environment and are willing to give up the opportunity to become famous, most people can't do that. Have you suffered some kind of setback?"
Zhou Xuan frowned. It seemed he had to keep a considerable distance from this Miss Yu. He had never liked girls who pursued him so relentlessly. Moreover, Miss Yu was too sensitive and too clever. She could see the big picture from the smallest clue and make connections to a whole host of things, which were often not far off from the truth.
Zhou Xuan didn't like having someone like that around. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Miss Yu, I'm sorry, I don't want to answer your question. I'm tired and need to rest."
Yuqi snorted, stared at Zhou Xuan for a long while before saying, "Are you kicking me out? Aren't you afraid I'll go to my dad and tell him your secret? And make you lose your job?"
Zhou Xuan said indifferently, "Whatever you want." After thinking for a moment, he added, "It seems like the work on your ship isn't anything particularly secretive, is it? I'm not here to infiltrate and gather intelligence. Whether you want it or not is up to you; I don't care."
Yuqi paused for a moment, then giggled and said, "You're not that easily angered, are you? I was just joking."
Yuqi understood that her boat wasn't some high-tech, top-secret area. This Hu Yun was just a laborer who made a living with his skills, so there was nothing to be afraid of. If he wasn't here, he would be somewhere else. How many fishing boats were there in the entire East China Sea?
It seems that Hu Yun has some deep secrets, but Yu Qi understands that no matter what his reasons are, or how many personal matters or sad things he has, they have nothing to do with the Yu family. Whether Hu Yun works on a ship or sings for money at her second brother's shop, it is not something shameful, and he has no need to be afraid.
So Yuqi quickly changed her tune, smiled, and said, "Then you rest, I'm going downstairs."
She glanced at Zhou Xuan again before turning around and going downstairs.
Zhou Xuan sensed that Yu Qi was slowly walking downstairs, lost in thought as she went. Although he didn't know what she was thinking, he was sure she was pondering some secret behind his back.
Zhou Xuan frowned, then got up, closed the door tightly, locked it, and went to the bathroom to take a shower and go to sleep.
The bathroom is equally luxurious, with a large, round bathtub instead of a showerhead.
Zhou Xuan turned on the hot water tap, then added some shower gel. As the hot water gradually increased, the shower gel produced snow-white foam.
When there was enough water, Zhou Xuan took off his clothes and lay down in the bathtub. The warm water soaked his body, making him feel extremely comfortable.
With his eyes closed, enjoying the comfort of the hot water, he used his supernatural abilities to probe downstairs.
In the large living room on the first floor, Yu Xiang and Yu Qi were both there, while Yu Changhe was drinking tea.
Yu Xiang was asking Yu Changhe about Zhou Xuan: "Dad, what exactly is this Hu Yun's background?"
Yu Changhe tapped his fingers on the thick mahogany coffee table and said in a deep voice, "Second brother, let me tell you something. I didn't care about what happened between you, Cheng Guang, and your eldest brother before, but now, regarding Hu Yun, I'm warning you, don't even think about it."
Yu Xiang blushed. It seemed that the old man was not unaware of his situation, but rather understood it very well. He just had never said anything about it. Naturally, this was because he was the old man's biological son, while Zhao Chengguang was just a son-in-law, hence the difference in importance.
Yu Xiang thought for a moment and then asked again, "Dad, I don't want to mess with him, but I just heard him say that Second Uncle and Brother Chengguang told him that they would give him an annual salary of one million plus commission. Is that true?"
Yu Changhe pondered for a moment before saying, "That's how it is, but I didn't give him the money for nothing. Do you know how many fish your Uncle Jinshan caught in those two nets the day before yesterday, all because of Hu Yun?"
Yu Changhe looked at Yu Xiang and Yu Qi, paused for a moment, and then said, "The two of them caught more than 60,000 catties of fish, and also caught twelve tiger sharks that were more than three meters long. The 60,000 catties of fish were sent to our own factory, and at a price of eight yuan per catty, that's already 500,000 yuan. As for the twelve tiger sharks, as soon as the news was announced, they were snapped up by big hotels and restaurants all over the country. Each tiger shark is worth 398,000 yuan, so that's 4.7 million yuan in cash. Just think about it, this one trip to sea brought in more than 5 million yuan. What's a million-yuan annual salary to Hu Yun compared to that?"
After pausing, Yu Changhe smiled faintly and said, "I give him a million-dollar annual salary, with commissions calculated separately. That's based on the same harvest. If it's the same harvest as your second uncle used to have, then what commission is there to speak of? But if his skills are truly excellent and he returns with a bountiful harvest every time he goes to sea, then it's only right that I give him a high reward. In general, our Yu family will still get the greater profit, won't we?"
Yu Xiang and Yu Qi then understood that this was the reason why the old man favored Hu Yun. The old man was known for his shrewdness. Giving Hu Yun a million-dollar annual salary was actually just giving him one-fifth of his total income this time. Moreover, he had him tied down. If he wanted to get a higher reward, he would have to have an equally good harvest. If the harvest was not good, he would only get this year's million and be fired or have his salary reduced next year. In fact, the Yu family did not suffer any loss.
Yu Xiang thought for a moment, then said to Yu Changhe, "Dad, I'd like to discuss something with you. This Hu Yun is a very good singer. Dad, you have no idea what level he's at. You could say he's on par with today's top superstars. Plus, with his other strengths, he's even better than those superstars. I guarantee that if he comes to my company, I can... at least increase my profits by tens of millions a year. Dad, what do you think...?"
"No way," Yu Changhe waved his hand without hesitation, coldly saying, "Second brother, I'm not trying to criticize you, but no matter how successful your business seems, with its mix of drugs and prostitution, you're bound to cause big trouble sooner or later. The higher-ups in Beijing are about to crack down on prostitution, gambling, and drugs. If you don't rein it in soon, it will definitely affect our entire family business."
As Yu Changhe finished speaking, he suddenly stood up, put his hands behind his back, and paced around the living room with a deep frown on his face.
Yu Xiang was taken aback. It was rare to see the old man like this. Could it be that he was going to get a beating from the old man instead of trying to recruit someone today?
Yu Changhe pondered for a moment, then suddenly stopped, turned around and stared at Yu Xiang, coldly saying, "Second brother, immediately hand over those entertainment venues under your control to your sister Yu Qi and let her manage them. You just focus on running your restaurants."
Yu Xiang was taken aback, then suddenly stood up, his face ashen, and said, "Dad, what do you mean? How much money did I make for the Yu family last year? Which of my hotels and entertainment complexes wasn't maximizing profits? And what about my elder brother? Aren't the houses in Peony Garden unsold? Over a billion yuan is tied up in them. If it weren't for my efforts, would the Yu family be so relaxed now?"
Faced with Yu Xiang's agitation and anger, Yu Changhe coldly waited for him to finish speaking before asking, "Are you done?"
Although Yuxiang was agitated and angry, seeing the old man's indifferent expression, his heart skipped a beat, and he became frightened, stammering, "I...I'm done..."
"Alright, now that you've finished talking, I'll have my turn to speak."
Yu Changhe's eyes were sharp as he coldly said, "Do you think I don't know about all the shady things you've been doing behind the scenes? You smuggled counterfeit cigarettes and alcohol in huge quantities, not to mention the drug business you were involved in at your nightclub. Do you want to die?"
Yu Xiang's face turned pale, and he said in a trembling voice, "Dad... I... I didn't..."
"Don't try to argue with me," Yu Changhe snorted. "Don't think I don't know anything just because I'm sitting at home. I know every single detail about you. Last year, you did rack your brains to make some money in order to compete with your older brother. But do you know that no matter how much money you make, it's only useful if you're alive to spend it? What's the use of having a lot of money if you're dead?"
Yu Xiang was filled with suspicion and wonder. He wondered how the old man knew what he was doing behind his back. There must be someone under his command who was his informant. If it was a police undercover agent, he would be more alert. But if it was the old man's undercover agent, he would hardly be able to detect it. Because if the old man wanted to commit adultery with his men, there would be absolutely no problem with it.
At this moment, Yu Xiang wasn't thinking about how the old man knew, but rather he was wondering who the informant was.
It must be said that Yu Xiang was terrified. If the old man were to take away his management power at this moment, he would be completely at a disadvantage in his contest with his elder brother, Yu Rui. The power of the Yu family would likely fall into the hands of his elder brother, and at that time, he would be powerless to turn the tide.
Yu Xiang's mind worked quickly. In a flash, he said to Yu Changhe, "Dad, you...you should let me manage it myself. I promise, within a week...no, within three days, I'll clean it all up and make sure we do business properly. Considering I'm only trying to expand the family business, Dad, please let me manage these businesses."
Then, pointing at Yuqi, he said, "Dad, look, my little sister just graduated. She probably doesn't have enough experience and energy to manage so many entertainment venues. How about I let her assist me for a while and then guide her?"
Yu Changhe said coldly, "Second brother, don't say so much. I've already notified the entertainment center management that your manager position has been revoked, and Yuqi's appointment letter has been sent over. Saying more won't change anything. Just manage the restaurant and hotel well. You'd better behave yourself for now and don't cause any more trouble. I'll have to clean up your messes."
Upon hearing the old man's order, Yu Xiang's face turned ashen. He knew the old man's methods very well; once he made a decision, no one could refute it.
Volume 1, Chapter 453: Kidnapping
Chapter 453 Kidnapping
Yu Changhe then said sternly to Yu Xiang, "All you know is to work relentlessly. If it weren't for my connections, and the fact that the relevant authorities above notified me, you would have been in jail long ago. Given your position, you know, a death sentence wouldn't be an exaggeration at all."
Looking at his father's extremely stern expression, Yu Xiang's disappointment and surprise had long since vanished, replaced by fear filling his heart. He knew how strong the old man's connections were after so many years of management. So even though he hadn't personally managed the Yu family's businesses, having distributed them all to him, his eldest son Yu Rui, and his brother-in-law Zhao Chengguang, his influence remained. With just a word from him, all of the Yu family's businesses would still be under his control.