Zhang Lingfeng couldn't wait any longer and rushed home to discuss it with his parents. Based on the current efficacy of this slimming tea, he was absolutely certain that the monthly sales volume across the country would exceed 10,000, perhaps even reaching 100,000. In that case, his monthly dividend would be as high as 300 million! Even if he had to allocate 100 million to grease palms, he would still have 200 million left over. And that was just for one month. What about a year? And if he also considered future overseas sales? How could Zhang Lingfeng not be shocked!
Only Zhao Qiang and Xu Xiaoya remained in the room. Xu Xiaoya stared at Zhao Qiang with her bright, watery eyes and said in a tender voice, "Zhao Qiang, why do you trust me so much? Aren't you afraid I'll run away with your company if you entrust everything to me?"
Zhao Qiang said, "I'm not afraid. I'd give you the whole company if you want, because I had nothing a few months ago. I can always start over."
Without hesitation, Zhao Qiang offered to give her the entire company. Xu Xiaoya hugged him from behind, her voice choked with emotion, "You're too generous to your friends. Giving away 30% of the shares is too much. It hurts me to accept it. Doing business isn't easy, and there are costs involved in producing the mother tea."
Zhao Qiang said, "Xiaoya, this is how I see it. We can't keep bothering Senior Brother Shan every time we run into trouble. Besides, his personal influence is limited, and the areas where he can help us will become increasingly restricted in the future. But Zhang Lingfeng's family is huge and deeply entrenched in the province, and they can even speak for us at the central government level. Moreover, he admires me greatly, so I think cooperating with him is the most appropriate thing to do. As for the 30% stake, it's totally worth it. With the Zhang family as our protector, we'll have a spokesperson in the government, and with Yang Shiqi protecting us in the military, who would dare to bully us?"
Xu Xiaoya tightened her embrace around Zhao Qiang, pressing her soft breasts against his body. With her eyes closed and a blissful expression on her face, she nestled against Zhao Qiang's back. "Alright, I'll do whatever you say. After all, you're the boss. So, are you planning to give Yang Shiqi 30% of the shares as well?"
Zhao Qiang chuckled: "You guessed right. How can we completely bind them to our cause without a huge incentive? If they knew we took the lion's share while they only got the scraps, do you think they would resent us? Right now, we've only taken 70%, not even counting the cost of the core materials. I think they'll only be grateful to us. In the future, if anything happens to the company, they'll be even more courageous than us, while we can just collect the money without worry."
Xu Xiaoya giggled and said, "You're so naughty! It's too late, let's go back. I'm a little dizzy and want to rest early."
At the exit of the disco, a group of classmates, led by Wu Bing, stopped Zhao Qiang and Xu Xiaoya. Xu Xiaoya looked a little tired. "Classmates, I'm sorry to have scared you all tonight. Haha, I just talked some business. I think if you're free after the New Year, you should come back. Maybe there's a job you might be interested in."
Before Wu Bing and the others could even speak, Xu Xiaoya reassured them. Wu Bing asked, "Squad leader, are we going to work at Shunfeng Technology? They're using so many of us?"
Xu Xiaoya said, "Why go to Shunfeng Technology? They only do ordinary sales and repair work there."
Wu Bing said, "Is that going to Qimingdeng Electronics? We know your relationship with Luo Wei is quite special. We'd be willing to work in the factory there. I heard that even a regular worker at Qimingdeng Electronics can earn over four thousand a month. You know how hard it is for our major to find a job without connections. Engineering surveying? Who would dare hire inexperienced people like us?"
"
Xu Xiaoya said, "Qimingdeng Electronics will expand next year. You can go if you want, but there is another project in the works right now, which may start after the Spring Festival. It is related to health food. The work will be easy, and you may be asked to do some sales channel work. The salary will not be lower than that of Qimingdeng Electronics. You can think about it yourselves."
Wu Bing took the lead and said, "Of course we'll follow your arrangements, squad leader. So, you're in charge of the health food section, squad leader?"
Someone chimed in, "Yes, we're willing to follow you, class monitor."
Xu Xiaoya said, "No, I won't participate in direct management. Zhang Lingfeng will be in charge of the overall operation of the health food business. You will have to abide by the company's rules and regulations, otherwise I won't be able to speak to you."
Judging from Cai Cai's situation, Zhang Lingfeng also wanted to curry favor with the squad leader and Zhao Qiang, so Wu Bing said, "I'm willing to come back. I'll report for duty after the New Year."
The other classmates agreed, and Xu Xiaoya said, "In that case, everyone should take a taxi home and have a good Spring Festival. Call me when you get back and I'll make arrangements for you."
The Passat slowly came to a stop in front of Shunfeng Technology. Zhao Qiang turned off the lights but didn't turn off the engine. The temperature inside the car was maintained by the heater. Xu Xiaoya in his arms was already breathing softly and slowly. She had fallen asleep on Zhao Qiang's lap. After getting into the car, she held Zhao Qiang like this. The two of them didn't speak and silently enjoyed the sweet and happy warmth.
Zhao Qiang gently stroked Xu Xiaoya's hair, revealing her beautiful face, fair neck, and deep cleavage. Zhao Qiang was captivated. Marrying the class monitor wouldn't be bad, but the question was, did she only love him? Or was she also having lesbian relationships with Luo Wei and the others? This was truly a dilemma.
Brightness gradually broke through the car window; the night had passed just like that. Zhao Qiang leaned back in his seat and dozed off for a while. He couldn't bear to wake Xu Xiaoya; her sweet sleep evoked a deep sense of tenderness and affection. He'd spent half the night driving, knowing he could always get the car fixed if it broke down—Zhao Qiang wasn't short of money these days. Xu Xiaoya stirred, her first instinct being to hug him tightly. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Zhao Qiang still in her arms. "Qiang, why are we only home now? Did I sleep too long? I drank too much last night; my head is still spinning."
Zhao Qiang didn't actually object to Xu Xiaoya drinking. Sometimes he even enjoyed watching her do these crazy things, especially since Xu Xiaoya only acted this way in front of him. This showed her immense trust in him, which warmed Zhao Qiang's heart. So he didn't complain at all. "It's okay for you to drink more beer, since you're not afraid of getting fat. Just drink less liquor in the future, because it might hurt your stomach and brain."
Xu Xiaoya stroked Zhao Qiang's chest, "But people say that drinking beer until you're drunk is bad for your stomach and makes you more prone to headaches."
Zhao Qiang laughed and said, "Then you shouldn't drink anything." The two were in a state no different from lovers, but Zhao Qiang was conflicted and refused to make things clear. Xu Xiaoya was also stubborn and insisted on waiting for Zhao Qiang to take the initiative. So they did intimate things like lovers but neither of them broke the last barrier.
Xu Xiaoya sat up straight, her full breasts displayed before Zhao Qiang. "It's dawn. I need to take a shower before having breakfast. Also, I'm going to buy you a car today. We're going home for Chinese New Year soon, you can't..."
Zhao Qiang didn't object: "Okay, you decide. You help me choose the style, and the price should not exceed 100,000."
Xu Xiaoya didn't insist on buying Zhao Qiang an expensive luxury car. That afternoon, she picked up a Chery Tiggo 4 revamped luxury model in black. Including full insurance, it cost just over 110,000 yuan, which met Zhao Qiang's requirements. This kind of car was also suitable for driving on the terrain of Zhao Qiang's hometown and was very low-key to drive in Donghai City.
Hu Le and Liu Dazhuang went back to their hometowns for the holiday today, so no one came out to watch the excitement. Zhao Qiang test drove the car for a while at the entrance and expressed his strong satisfaction, "I finally have my own car!" Unfortunately, he doesn't have a driver's license yet. Either Zhao Qiang takes the test himself, or he has to ask Zhang Lingfeng to find a solution.
Xu Xiaoya chuckled. "When are you going back to your hometown? Do you want me to go home with you for the New Year?"
Although Zhao Qiang secretly hoped to take this sexy and beautiful girl back to his hometown and show off in front of others like Liu Wei, he also knew that Xu Xiaoya had parents, and it would be unfair of him to do so. "Let's leave on the afternoon of the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month. There's not much to do at the company. Recent income has been quite good. Let's inform Luo Wei about our year-end bonuses."
Xu Xiaoya said, "Okay, let's do it tonight. I'll have Wei cook a nice meal and we'll celebrate with champagne."
Luo Wei rushed back in the afternoon. She and Xu Xiaoya spent more than two hours in the kitchen making a big pot of braised pig's trotters, as well as three hot and three cold dishes. Luo Wei was the main chef, while Xu Xiaoya was just doing odd jobs. She was good at nine things in the kitchen, but there was no hope for the last one.
In contrast, Luo Wei, wearing an apron and strutting around the kitchen with her long, slender legs, truly embodied the image of a virtuous wife and loving mother. This made Zhao Qiang occasionally think, while away from home, that it would be wonderful to have two wives—one to manage affairs outside and the other to cook at home. The one outside should ideally be a sophisticated lady in public and somewhat unrestrained in bed, someone like Xu Xiaoya, with her personality and figure, would be the best choice. Judging from her seductive actions towards Zhao Qiang, she would definitely not be very reserved in bed. As for the one at home, she should be both elegant in public and capable in the kitchen—hmm, someone like Luo Wei would be perfect.
The air conditioning in the lounge/restaurant was on full blast. The two women were only wearing thin, tight-fitting shirts. Xu Xiaoya was very voluptuous. Every time Zhao Qiang saw her "breasts," he would recall the intense feeling of touching them. He still felt like he was dreaming about Xu Xiaoya's tenderness last night and wondered when he could enjoy it again.
Luo Wei was more petite, but she had the advantage of long legs. The two sat on either side of Zhao Qiang, which made Zhao Qiang feel overwhelmed by their beauty. He could smell their sweet fragrance, and the air seemed to be filled with the warmth emanating from their bodies, as well as the aroma of the food.
Xu Xiaoya said with a grin, "Boss, say a few words. Junior Sister Luo is considered a real veteran in our company. We've been working for you for half a year now. Although we received some compensation for uniforms recently, it's not enough to express your gratitude, is it?"
Zhao Qiang coughed. These were his two most loyal employees. Although Zhao Qiang had intended to bring Hu Qian and Zhang Lingfeng into the company, those two were not like these two female students. It would take time to completely win them over, not to mention Yang Shiqi, that arrogant soldier. Therefore, he had to show his sincerity to these two.
"This afternoon I looked through the company's annual accounts. There's not much to say about Shunfeng Technology. We didn't originally plan to make it big. As you know, I will hold the largest share of Rednet in the future. Its main businesses are operating systems, antivirus software, and a health product company under construction. It can be said that next year's work will be even busier. In order to show my appreciation for your work in the past six months and to encourage your work in the coming year, I have decided to give out five million as year-end bonuses!"
"What?" Xu Xiaoya and Luo Wei both widened their eyes. Xu Xiaoya said, "You're planning to make us both act like idiots?"
"Dividing five million into two is just plain stupid," Zhao Qiang hurriedly explained. "Wrong. There's also my own bonus of one million. I've worked very hard these past six months, so can't I get a reward? Anyway, this five million was transferred by Yang Shiqi to show her sincerity, so we'll split it." Xu Xiaoya and Luo Wei exchanged a glance and burst into unladylike laughter. Finally, Luo Wei stopped laughing and said, "You're too generous. Our work isn't worth that much bonus."
Zhao Qiang said, "Isn't there also your share dividends? Next year, this amount will definitely double, or even several times. Anyway, we will never lack money in the future. Why should we work hard to earn money and not spend it? So no one should refuse."
Luo Wei glanced at Xu Xiaoya. In fact, Luo Wei had always consciously prioritized Xu Xiaoya in company affairs. Firstly, Xu Xiaoya was Zhao Qiang's team leader and had been involved in company matters earlier than her. Secondly, Zhao Qiang's trust in her was unquestionable. It could be said that Xu Xiaoya practically had the power to decide the fate of every project. If she said a project was no longer worth pursuing, it was almost certain that Zhao Qiang would abandon it.
Secondly, Xu Xiaoya's abilities are also evident to all. She has great foresight for the company's future development. It can be said that with her assistance, Zhao Qiang can achieve twice the result with half the effort. Moreover, Xu Xiaoya's decisiveness can make up for Zhao Qiang's indecisiveness. Zhao Qiang naturally realized this early on. In addition, with the ambiguous relationship between the two, Xu Xiaoya will only have more power in the future!
Xu Xiaoya said, "Anyway, Zhao Qiang isn't short of money. As the company expands in the future, the people we meet will be of a higher class and have higher tastes, so consider this money as our clothing and makeup expenses."
Xu Xiaoya agreed, and Luo Wei didn't refuse either. "Okay, thank you, Zhao Qiang."
Zhao Qiang said, "Don't be so formal. These are your cards. The PINs are all sixes for one and all eights for the other. Let's start eating now." As he spoke, Zhao Qiang pulled over the pot of braised pig's trotters, picked up the biggest piece, and started gnawing on it.
Xu Xiaoya and Luo Wei carefully put away their bank cards. Seeing Zhao Qiang eating so voraciously, they both laughed. Luo Wei said, "Eat slowly, we won't take it from you."
Xu Xiaoya laughed and said, "Eating with Zhao Qiang always feels like feeding a pig. His appetite has been too good lately. Zhao Qiang, you've gained at least 30 pounds, haven't you? Shouldn't you lose some weight?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Please don't, I'm just accumulating energy."
Xu Xiaoya patted Zhao Qiang's belly and said, "You've accumulated it all here? What's the use? Are you planning to fly? I think it should be safe to land with it."
"I have my own clever uses for this mountain man," Zhao Qiang said, no longer speaking. He ate the pig's trotters even faster, to the point that he forgot to open the champagne.
Knock knock knock, someone was knocking on the door of the lounge. Xu Xiaoya got up and opened the door to check. "Yang Shiqi? You really know how to be in time. Did you smell the food from across the street?"
Yang Shiqi has been staying at the temporary barracks opposite Shunfeng Technology recently, but he usually doesn't bother her. The fact that he came over now that it's dark must mean he has something to do.
Volume 2 [172] Purification
"You know what I'm doing. Why don't you know my voice?" Yang Shiqi's voice, mixed with her own, always gave Zhao Qiang goosebumps.
Xu Xiaoya moved a chair to the dining table for Yang Shiqi, "Let's eat together. It's definitely not as good as the food in your army, but you'll have to make do."
Yang Shiqi grabbed her chopsticks without hesitation. "The army's food has many varieties, but nothing tastes as authentic as food cooked in a hot pot."
Zhao Qiang glanced at Yang Shiqi and asked, "Is something wrong?"
Yang Shiqi nodded: "I'm here."
Zhao Qiang said, "Pretty fast, got it, hurry up and eat."
Xu Xiaoya asked in confusion, "What code are you using? Are you afraid we'll leak it?"
Yang Shiqi said, "Yes, this is something only Zhao Qiang and I can know. If you don't mind, I'll start eating." About half an hour later, Zhao Qiang finished off a bowl of pig's trotters, patted his half-full stomach, and said, "Let's go, let's go take a look."
Yang Shiqi elegantly put down her chopsticks, took out a tissue to wipe her mouth, and stood up, saying, "Thank you for your hospitality, ladies. It must have been Mr. Luo who made the dishes. In my opinion, Mr. Xu doesn't have that kind of ability."
Xu Xiaoya rolled her eyes at Yang Shiqi: "If you had said that before dinner, I would have kicked you out."
Yang Shiqi led the way, saying, "You don't need to urge me on; I'll go on my own."
The temporary barracks were heavily guarded. In a sealed prefabricated house, there was a special tanker truck, the exterior of which was completely covered with radiation-proof material.
Yang Shiqi said, "It's in this tanker truck. You should know I risked a great deal of danger to smuggle it here. The radioactive material inside is enough to kill the entire population of Donghai City! Don't play games with me. If there's an accident, we'll both be buried with it."
Zhao Qiang nodded. This Yang Shiqi was indeed crazy enough to do something like this. Although it was clear that the so-called prefabricated house was not simple and was made of special radiation-proof materials, it was nothing compared to the underground laboratory that was wrapped in layers. However, Zhao Qiang couldn't care less. Call him reckless or nonsense, things had already come to this. He just needed to figure out a way to extract these substances as soon as possible.
"Can I stay here by myself for a while?" Zhao Qiang asked Yang Shiqi.
Yang Shiqi said, "I have to remind you again that this matter is absolutely not to be taken lightly. Your two women are in the courtyard across the street. You don't want them to be implicated. They are beautiful women in their prime. If they were to die because of your carelessness, you would be heartbroken, wouldn't you?"
Zhao Qiang ignored Yang Shiqi's claim about "two women," saying, "Don't worry, I won't make a move unless I'm sure I can succeed."
Yang Shiqi said, "If you need to move the vehicle to the refining workshop, I will have my people drive it. I don't trust anyone else."
Zhao Qiang nodded: "I understand. Could you please buy me a lot of chocolate?"
Yang Shiqi asked, puzzled, "Chocolate? What do you mean? You want to use it to extract... a substance?"
Zhao Qiang said, "No, I'm afraid I'll go hungry and have nothing to eat. The production volume can't be less than five hundred boxes, and I need it within half an hour. Can you do that?"
Yang Shiqi looked somewhat displeased, but finally said, "Send it over right away. I just don't understand, are you an idiot? You just ate a whole bowl of pig's trotters!"
Zhao Qiang was the only one left in the prefab house. He paced around the tanker truck, releasing energy to sense the contents inside. Sure enough, it was the "matter" Wei had mentioned. To standardize the naming, Zhao Qiang decided to use Professor Gu's term, "matter." However, this "matter" contained a large amount of radioactive elements. Zhao Qiang could sense strong fluctuations when his energy penetrated the protective layer. If these substances were to escape, they would definitely harm the surrounding humans, and even Zhao Qiang himself would likely be affected.
What to do? How to safely extract the "material"? Zhao Qiang's brain-based biochip began to calculate rapidly. According to the relevant information Wei left him, there was a possibility. Zhao Qiang could control the energy to envelop the tanker in a special magnetic field to ensure that the radioactive material inside would not leak. Then, he could use energy to separate the "material", purify it, and take it out. The remaining residue would be taken away and disposed of by Yang Shiqi.
However, this process requires a lot of energy and cannot be interrupted in any way. Zhao Qiang calculated the energy he had accumulated recently, and it seemed that he could barely maintain the minimum requirements. But if something unexpected happened, Zhao Qiang couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't be able to keep up. Therefore, he needed a lot of chocolate to quickly replenish some of his energy. The sooner he got his hands on the "material," the sooner he could repair Wei. This was Zhao Qiang's most urgent repair task at present. If a genius repairman couldn't even repair his most precious thing, then what kind of repairman was he?
The door to the prefab house was pushed open, and dozens of soldiers carried in boxes filled with chocolates of various brands. Yang Shiqi followed them in. "Is this enough? It's about six hundred boxes, which is the most we can find right now. If we need more, we'll have to go to towns or other cities to find more."
Zhao Qiang nodded: "That's about right. Can you guarantee me how much time alone I need? I need to be absolutely undisturbed, no matter what happens. You must promise me with your life that I won't..."
Yang Shiqi's expression turned serious: "You plan to purify it here? Although I don't know your purification method, I have serious doubts about its safety! Zhao Qiang, I've trusted you enough, you can't let me down."
Zhao Qiang said, "Since you trust me so much, why not trust me one more time? If this is the final step to success, are you willing to give it up?" Yang Shiqi stared at Zhao Qiang's face for a long time before finally saying, "I will wait outside until dawn. We'll die together. If we succeed, I will have made a great contribution. Zhao Qiang, I'm going crazy with you. You have to give me a surprise, otherwise this will be the last time we speak to each other while we're alive."
The matter had become so serious that it was a matter of life and death, so Zhao Qiang was even less likely to joke about it. "Yang Shiqi, to be honest, I'm not a fan of you, but you're a straightforward and generous person, unlike your usual effeminate self. I think you'll get what you want tomorrow morning. Consider it a Chinese New Year gift for your family."
The door to the prefab house closed, leaving only Zhao Qiang inside. Outside, layers of sentries stood guard, their killing intent undiminished even in the cold wind. The contents of the house were extremely dangerous. Even if Yang Shiqi managed to secretly cross the sea to get here, no one could hide her if something went wrong. Therefore, keeping an eye on her was more important to these soldiers than their own lives.
Zhao Qiang tore open a few boxes of chocolates and continued to simulate the entire purification process while eating them. After the calculations of the super-powerful material chip, Zhao Qiang was certain that everything was foolproof before he started. Although he was still a little uneasy, Zhao Qiang couldn't wait to find a safer place. Things in this world are inherently gambles, and even in an underground laboratory, no one can guarantee that nothing will go wrong.
The advanced biochip clearly indicated to Zhao Qiang that even if it couldn't be purified, it wouldn't be able to break the tanker's protection. Even if the tanker's protection malfunctioned, Zhao Qiang could use energy to seal off the radiation leakage. Even Zhao Qiang, who was closest to the radiation source, wouldn't be harmed. That's why Zhao Qiang decided to take action. Without a first attempt, how could he proceed with subsequent work?
A large amount of energy separated from Zhao Qiang's body, enveloping the tanker truck to form a protective barrier. Then, as the layers of lids on the tanker truck were opened, Zhao Qiang immediately sensed a powerful energy surge on the protective barrier. A force was trying to break free of its restraints, but after Zhao Qiang strengthened the energy blockade on the protective barrier, it was obediently controlled within it. The predictions given by the biochip were all correct, and Zhao Qiang became even more confident.
Although the tanker truck was not rotated, the contents inside were already in high motion due to the energy. From the opening of the tank, one could see that the contents were surging like waves, and the speed of movement was getting faster and faster. If Zhao Qiang hadn't released energy to protect the tank wall, the strong impact would have shattered the entire tank!
During high-intensity motion, the "matter" mixed with the radioactive material was separated and slowly formed a dazzling black sphere in the pore. This sphere grew larger and larger, from the size of a soybean to the size of a ping-pong ball, and then to the size of a chicken egg or goose egg. As it grew, Zhao Qiang's body slowly shrank, and the loss of a large amount of energy made him look emaciated!
Zhao Qiang casually grabbed a piece of chocolate from Kuiyun's plate and continued to stuff it into his mouth while letting the biochip continue running the purification program. In fact, every bit of energy circulation had a detailed trajectory that could be traced, but these subtle program data were all completed by the biochip in the background, and Zhao Qiang did not notice them.
Time passed, and a thick layer of broken packaging boxes accumulated on the ground. Yang Shiqi, listening from outside, heard no sound from inside. He nervously circled the prefab house at least a hundred times! The sky grew darker and darker; this must be the darkness before dawn. Yang Shiqi's unease intensified. He even regretted trusting Zhao Qiang so easily. One wrong move and he would gamble away all his wealth, potentially implicating his family and even harming the people of Donghai City—that would make him a sinner for all time. Why did being with Zhao Qiang always give him a feeling of wanting to go crazy? Was it Zhao Qiang's ruthless decisiveness in Hedian that was influencing him?
Major Wang, who had been following him despite the bitter cold, whispered a reminder: "Young Master Yang has made a decision. We'll see dawn in two more hours. Should we go in and take a look?"
Yang Shiqi gritted her teeth: "Wait a little longer."
"If we disturb Zhao Qiang, all our efforts will be wasted, and half a night of waiting will be for nothing."
An hour passed, and the sky seemed to be beginning to brighten. Major Wang hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and said to Yang Shiqi, "Young Master Yang, don't wait any longer. If something happens to him, we still have time to save him."
Yang Shiqi glanced at her watch; it was a little past five in the morning. Actually, it was still nighttime at this time of year in winter, but people probably thought it was already daylight due to their perception.