Su Su held Zhao Qiang's hand and said, "Zhao Qiang, we are from the Old Ran Academy. I have some advice for you: you can't trust a woman who looks seductive on the outside. If you're looking for a partner, a pure and innocent girl like my sister is the best choice!"
Yang Wei seized the opportunity to add, "Yeah, Brother Zhao Qiang, that honey thing isn't popular anymore. My sister has a bright future ahead of her; she'll definitely be a big star. You'd be so lucky to marry her."
Su Su blushed and covered her head with the blanket. Although the two had said "I love you," it was actually during a critical moment. Now that everything was peaceful, neither of them was too embarrassed to bring it up again.
Su Su continued to criticize Hu Qian on behalf of her sister: "Zhao Qiang, I think it would be better to let my sister be your secretary. She is also highly educated and can handle your company's affairs with ease. She is especially good at accounting and will help you keep a safe purse."
Su Su peeked out from under the covers and said, "Sister, what nonsense are you talking about? You guys should eat quickly. Zhao Qiang, stop drinking. Look, you can't even sit still."
Zhao Qiang's brain was already a mess, otherwise he wouldn't have remained silent when Su Su and Yang Wei said those things. Right now, he was leaning against the sofa and starting to put his biochip into hibernation mode, so he looked like he was asleep.
Hu Qian sighed. She couldn't let Zhao Qiang drink anymore. It was a pity that her alcohol tolerance was also limited. It seemed that she had to bring Xu Xiaoya with her to any banquets. She was the real champion of alcohol.
After Su Heqian and Wang Yuru expressed their respect to Zhao Qiang, their New Year's Eve lunch was over. Wang Yuru packed up all the utensils, since her eldest daughter was driving her second daughter's car, it would be easy to take them home.
The atmosphere was already a bit awkward with Zhao Qiang pretending to be asleep. Just then, Hu Qian's phone rang. She quickly got up and went to answer it. "Yes...is that so? Wait a minute, I'll be right there."
Seeing Hu Qian's serious expression, Su Su quickly turned off her laptop's standby screen. "Sister Qian, my computer is on. What are you looking at?" Su Su had no ill intentions. Although she considered Hu Qian an enemy, the two still got along quite well.
Hu Qian sat down next to Su Su and said while browsing the internet, "Something's come up at the company. Hey, Manager Liu, I saw it. Gong is planning to use us as a scapegoat to make a name for himself. They want to launch a surprise attack on us while the employees are on holiday during the Spring Festival. If we don't react in time, they'll fabricate charges against us. Manager Liu, have all the public relations department leaders come back to the company to oversee things. Their salaries during this period will be calculated at ten times the normal rate. They must cooperate with the technical department to win this war of words. I don't care what the cost is, I only care about the result!"
The page Hu Qian opened displayed a message: "Gong Security Company's current advanced optimization software monitors user **. Gong will provide users with a comprehensive blocking software to address this vulnerability. This software can block the functions of the advanced optimization software and perfectly prevent the client from sending any data packets to the server host."
This message was just the first sign of trouble, and Hu Qian dared not let her guard down. After a moment's thought, she found a number and dialed it. "Director Li, this is Hu Qian. Could you please move the 'China Red' advertisement a few hours earlier? I can't wait for tonight's Spring Festival Gala. Something's come up at the company, and I need a strong presence right now, preferably now. Can you get it done in five minutes?" "Okay, I'll turn on the TV and wait."
Su Su handed the TV remote from the bedside table to Hu Qian, asking, "Qian, is this a hassle? Should we call Zhao Qiang? He seems drunk. Will he be okay?" In Su Su's eyes, only Zhao Qiang could handle everything; this was a girl's blind worship.
Su Su said, "Yes, don't make rash decisions. The company belongs to Zhao Qiang, not you. You're just a secretary; you don't have that kind of power. If you mess it up, can you take responsibility?" Hu Qian was taken aback and said, "The company belongs to Zhao Qiang? Are you kidding me? This is a company I founded. Although we have a partnership, it hasn't been formally restructured yet. I absolutely have full management and decision-making power. Zhao Qiang only takes a share. Why should I bother him with this? If I mess it up, I won't be responsible to him, right?"
Su Su couldn't believe it: "You...you own your own company?"
Hu Qian said, "Yes."
Su Su said angrily, "Then why did you say you were Zhao Qiang's secretary?"
Hu Qian said, "That's true. Who says I can't be his secretary just because I have my own company?"
Su Suteng stood up: "You, you're playing us."
Hu Qian ignored Su Su's unreasonable behavior. At this time, Li Qierren from the TV station had already arranged the advertisements. It just so happened that this time slot was the advertising period, so the promotional advertisement for the China Red Operating System was immediately in place. It was just a matter of moving the original few advertisements to the back, which was not complicated to do.
"A Chinese-made operating system that wins users' trust with its simplicity and practicality, realizing the red dream of the Chinese people!"
Hu Qian dialed the phone again, "Minister Tang, release the first test version of China Red immediately. Send a pop-up message to all clients through the optimized software to announce the official launch of the China Red operating system and solicit improvement suggestions from users with rewards. Anyone whose suggestions are adopted will be rewarded with a minimum of 10,000 yuan and a maximum of 100,000 yuan!"
The Su family was shocked again. The advertisement they had just seen was on CCTV-1! Leaving aside the advertising fee, it was incredibly expensive. To get an ad on CCTV-1 with just a phone call—that was a significant move! And that wasn't all. The rumored "China Red Operating System" circulating online was actually created by this woman! Judging from her phone conversation, her company was Rednet Technology, the predecessor of last year's wildly successful "black" website, with a market value of at least several billion. Now, they had launched a Chinese-made operating system. If user feedback wasn't too bad, its intangible asset value would immediately multiply several times, potentially reaching tens of billions! After all, China didn't yet have an operating system that could rival Microsoft, and not just in China, but in the world, there wasn't a single civilian operating system that could truly compete with Microsoft. If this software succeeded, its value would be extraordinary.
Three chapters today as a minimum.
Volume 2 [204] The Woman Who Doesn't Get Jealous
Just then, the phone rang again. The knock-off's ringtone was deafening. Hu Qian quickly took the phone out of Zhao Qiang's pocket. The number displayed was Xu Xiaoya. After hesitating for a moment, Hu Qian still pressed the answer button. Zhao Qiang was completely unresponsive at this point.
“Zhao Qiang, Hu Qian’s plan for me is to launch the China Red Operating System advertising campaign tonight. I clearly saw it on TV just now. Also, I logged into the China Red official website and the first test version appeared there. Why didn’t she tell me first? Our ads are supposed to complement each other. Her actions are so undisciplined.”
Hu Qian was a little embarrassed. Qi Li's actions had indeed disrupted Xu Xiaoya's overall plan. "I'm Hu Qian. Zhao Qiang was drunk. Xiaoya, please let me explain."
Xu Xiaoya paused for a moment, then asked, "Where are you?"
Hu Qian said, "The hospital."
"Zhao Qiang is in trouble again?" Xu Xiaoya, who had been calm just moments before, became anxious.
Hu Qian quickly said, "No, I'm visiting classmate Zhao Qiang. Don't make wild guesses."
"Is it convenient to talk?" Xu Xiaoya had to ask first.
Those in the room were all people unrelated to this matter. Hu Qian said, "It's convenient."
Xu Xiaoya's voice was somewhat cold: "Fine, explain it to me. You should have seen the operational plan I gave you before the New Year. We discussed it collectively before making a decision. It is undeniable that the company is indeed managed separately, and you all have 100% autonomy. But in the end, we are still a whole. It's not that anyone can do whatever they want. Although I don't mind you taking the lead, public matters are public matters, and private matters are private matters."
Hu Qian blushed. Xu Xiaoya's words had made her think in the wrong way, or perhaps Xu Xiaoya's intentions were indeed wrong.
"Xiaoya, you've misunderstood me. You've launched an attack against Rednet Technology. You know how rapidly things change in the internet age. I have to launch the China Red Operating System first, to confuse the public and distract users, and second, to enhance Rednet Technology's reputation. Otherwise, if users hold onto the fabricated 'facts,' it will be extremely detrimental to us. Even a delay of a few hours, let alone a few minutes, will cause huge losses!"
Xu Xiaoya remained silent for over two minutes, presumably checking online. Then, she adopted an apologetic tone, saying, "I'm sorry, Sister Qian, I didn't notice that. It was really wrong of me to get angry at you earlier. I apologize." Gong wants to completely overhaul the internet company. Now it's our turn. It seems our plan needs to be changed. I'll have Zhang Lingfeng start the promotional plan ahead of schedule. Also, should we ask someone to give Jun a heads-up? A mad dog isn't scary, but once it bites, it's hard to shake off. This will affect our product during our promotional period. After all, Gong is now a behemoth, while we…"
Hu Qian hesitated, "I don't have anyone here who can talk to Gong. Even if he has some influence, it might not be enough." Only now did Hu Qian understand why her grandfather always made her attend social events: networking. It was an opportunity to build connections, but unfortunately, she hadn't cherished it. She always thought her grandfather was trying to promote her.
Xu Xiaoya said, "Find Yang Shiqi and tell her that Zhao Qiang said to warn Gong that if he causes trouble for no reason, he should smash up their company!"
Hu Qian wasn't sure if this would work, but she still used Zhao Qiang's phone to call Yang Shiqi.
"Haha," Yang Shiqi always liked to start her conversation with Zhao Qiang in this kind of manly and straightforward manner, "Old Zhao, wishing me a Happy New Year! I haven't prepared a red envelope yet."
I am Hu Qian
The laughter on the other end stopped immediately, and after a long pause, Yang Shiqi said, "What do you mean? Why are you using Zhao Qiang's phone? Are you trying to intimidate me? Don't think you can seduce Zhao Qiang just because you're pretty. No one can ruin my cooperation with him!"
Hu Qian said, "Zhao Qiang is drunk."
Yang Shiqi said, "I'm in Beijing right now. Do you mean I should fly over there immediately to take a look?"
"The key is to wage cyber warfare. This time, the target is Rednet Technology. Don't tell me you don't know Rednet Technology. If something happens to it, Zhao Qiang won't be happy."
Yang Shiqi said, "If something happens to Rednet Technology, it only means that you, Hu Qian, haven't done your job properly and haven't been effective!"
Hu Qian didn't mince words. "Fine, you decide for yourself. I'm not good at bullying people. If you don't want to help, that's fine. Whether Zhao Qiang complains about me is my business. You can decide for yourself."
After saying that, Hu Qian hung up the phone. Gong Company's headquarters were in Beijing, and with Yang Shiqi's influence, taking action against it wouldn't be difficult. However, whether Yang Shiqi would stand idly by was still unknown, since Hongwang Technology was nominally Hu Qian's company. If Gong could destroy Hongwang Technology, it would render Hu Qian utterly useless in front of Zhao Qiang, which would definitely be advantageous to Yang Shiqi.
The Su family members exchanged glances, somewhat confused about Hu Qian's actions. However, they sensed something amiss: Hu Qian was no ordinary person, and it seemed there was another woman by Zhao Qiang's side whose power appeared to surpass even Hu Qian's. This was because Hu Qian, with her connections to Rednet Technology...
Zhao Qiang estimated the time; the alcohol had been mostly metabolized by his liver. So he restarted the biochip. When he opened his eyes, Hu Qian had just refreshed the network. Just one minute earlier, the company had posted a message: an engineer had mistakenly interpreted normal data packets from the optimization software as the software spying on user information. The engineer had been fired, and the company had issued an apology to the optimization software.
Su Su witnessed the incident being successfully resolved within minutes, a seemingly insurmountable obstacle in her eyes. The company even publicly apologized to Rednet Technology, a move that horrified her with its behind-the-scenes power! And the core of all those involved throughout the entire process turned out to be Zhao Qiang!
Su Heqian, Wang Yuru, Su Su, Yang Wei, and Su Su looked at Zhao Qiang with more complicated emotions in their eyes. Zhao Qiang couldn't adapt for a moment and touched his face, saying, "Didn't it get wet?"
Hu Qian poured Zhao Qiang a glass of water and handed it to him, saying, "No, you get drunk as soon as you drink, so don't drink anymore."
Zhao Qiang nodded. This time, Su Su didn't dare to say a word. Yang Wei also kept his mouth shut. Hu Qian was not just Zhao Qiang's secretary. She was clearly doing the work of a secretary, serving Zhao Qiang tea and water.
The atmosphere in the ward was somewhat oppressive, so Zhao Qiang decided not to linger any longer and said goodbye to go home. Although Su was a little reluctant, she didn't say it out loud. Hu Qian had put too much pressure on her, and for a moment Su felt lost and helpless.
The newly bought food was in the living room. The TV emitted a festive sound, announcing the start of the Spring Festival Gala. However, Zhao Qiang and Hu Qian did not stay in the living room to watch it. Instead, they hid in Zhao Qiang's bedroom, each guarding a computer. Zhao Qiang watched the online live stream, while Hu Qian searched for several text messages on Baidu and then sent them to her friends one by one to wish them a Happy New Year—a routine she did every year.
Zhao Qiang handed over his phone and said, "Sister Qian, can you send me a few messages too?" Having a secretary is no excuse for not using her.
Hu Qian took the phone and laughed, "Should we make Xu Xiaoya and Su Su's text messages a little more cheesy?"
Zhao Qiang said, "You can write whatever you want, as long as you don't get jealous."
Hu Qian rolled her eyes at Zhao Qiang: "I'm too lazy to be jealous of those things. It's too cold under the bed, I'll go to bed to warm up." As she spoke, Hu Qian took off her coat and crawled into bed. Then she started composing text messages for Zhao Qiang, and pulled up her phone book one by one. She was truly a responsible secretary. Moreover, the text messages to Xu Xiaoya and Su Su were indeed quite cheesy. The replies from the two of them made Hu Qian blush. They were all words of love and affection.
Could Hu Qian really not be jealous? The answer is naturally no. However, Hu Qian understood very well that if she wanted to win Zhao Qiang's heart, she had to be magnanimous. Even if she had to pretend, she had to put on a show. This was her only advantage at the moment.
Hu Qian believed that she would eventually adapt to this magnanimous mindset through long-term self-hypnosis. At that time, even if she saw Zhao Qiang being intimate with another woman in front of her, she probably wouldn't be furious. Of course, it wasn't because she didn't love Zhao Qiang. On the contrary, Hu Qian felt that she had really fallen for Zhao Qiang recently. Was this a case of love growing over time? More likely, it was because of the mystery that Zhao Qiang exuded. What girl doesn't want to find a capable husband? Hu Qian was no exception.
If Hu Qian can truly resist being jealous of Zhao Qiang's other women, will Zhao Qiang ever give up on her? He'll probably choose her first! Any other man would make the same choice and be overjoyed.
"Who is Liu Yiyi?" Hu Qian asked casually when she saw an unfamiliar woman's number.
Zhao Qiang said, "I am the manager of Donghai Yiyi Fashion Apparel Co., Ltd., and I am an unpaid computer maintenance worker for her company."
Hu Qian nodded: "She should be pretty good-looking, otherwise she would really be unworthy of her company's name."
Zhao Qiang laughed and said, "She's alright, but she doesn't seem to like men. She was also involved in the Xu Xiaoya, Luo Weibaihe incident I mentioned to you last time. You can investigate it together, and you'll naturally get to know her then."
Hu Qianran asked, "You're really disgusted by this?" Zhao Qiang looked away from the screen. "I wouldn't say I'm disgusted, but I'm afraid Xu Xiaoya will dislike me because of it."
Hu Qian said, "I don't think so. Xu Xiaoya clearly has feelings for you. Girls sometimes like to play around, so don't take it to heart. Just like when you guys go to the red-light district together, it's purely out of curiosity and for the thrill."
"
Zhao Qiang said, "I think you should ask Xu Xiaoya yourself. If this drags on any longer, I don't know what to do. I can't let go of Xu Xiaoya, and I'm also very interested in Su Su. Do you think I'm being too greedy? But I've been putting it off on both sides and haven't confessed yet. Now I can't bear to give up on either of them."
Zhao Qiang hesitated to make any promises or confessions to Xu Xiaoya because he was wary of her being a lesbian. He also didn't think too far ahead about Su Su due to her age and the fact that he was in Donghai. However, the winter break and the incident where Su Su shielded him from a bullet made him realize that she was equally important to him. Now, Zhao Qiang is extremely conflicted.
Volume 2 [205] Winter has passed, spring has arrived
Liao Qian comforted him, "No, normal men all have a bit of greed. Oh... Chuan Yao isn't a normal man, having one or two girlfriends isn't a big deal."
Zhao Qiang asked in surprise, "You really think so?"
Hu Qian nodded. "Don't let them meet for now. Keep this a secret for as long as possible. Tell them the truth after you've settled things between them separately. Then they won't have any reason to leave you. Like my dad, I know of three women. In the eyes of ordinary people, this is outrageous, but in officialdom and the business world, it's perfectly normal. Some have over a hundred mistresses."
Zhao Qiang was overjoyed: "Hu Qian, you're such a sweetheart! Okay, I'll listen to you. Your generosity makes me feel indebted to you. Is there anything in the program that needs improvement? I'll do it for you for free this time, but you have to give me a chance to express my feelings." An ordinary boy's love and affection are clearly revealed. Just think, which boy doesn't want to show himself in front of the woman he loves? Zhao Qiang is no exception. As for money, that's just being polite.
Hu Qian's selfless efforts finally paid off, and she was so moved she almost cried. "Zhao Qiang, I'm so glad I didn't misjudge you. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future, so why rush things? I don't want you to feel like we're doing a transaction."
Holding up a sign proclaiming selflessness and righteousness is not in Zhao Qiang's nature; he doesn't care about that at all. He chuckled and climbed into bed, saying, "I understand. What's urgent now is our own business."
Hu Qian blushed and turned her head to face the inside of the bed. She then pulled the covers up and remained silent, but the trembling in her body revealed her nervousness. Zhao Qiang quickly stripped off his clothes, determined to get her this time. For this reason, Zhao Qiang didn't dare to drink a drop of alcohol that night.
Soon, Hu Qian's wool sweater was thrown out of the blanket, followed by a new thermal undershirt (the one she had washed that morning), then a bra. Then, Hu Qian let out a long moan in bed as Zhao Qiang was already on her chest, her nipple nowhere to be seen. Zhao Qiang was like a nursing infant, constantly demanding more, while waves of tingling currents spread throughout Hu Qian's body, making her feel extremely comfortable, and a more urgent desire rose from the bottom of her heart.
More clothes were thrown out of the blankets—Hu Qian's pants and sexy underwear. Since this day was bound to come eventually, the two decided not to think about anything and indulge themselves on New Year's Eve. With a closer relationship, she would become Zhao Qiang's real woman, and things would be easier in the future. Zhao Qiang could trust Hu Qian more, and Hu Qian could finally relax and no longer be saddened by her grandfather's disappointment.
"Ah!" Hu Qian cried out in pain, but the sound was quickly suppressed, an inevitable step. Soon, the pain turned into a moan of pleasure. Although Hu Qian suppressed it extremely, her panting breaths still drifted through the air through the blanket, filling the bedroom with a spring-like atmosphere. Of course, there was also some lewdness in it. Every now and then, Hu Qian's beautiful figure would be revealed from a corner of the blanket, especially her full breasts, which Zhao Qiang couldn't get enough of.
Hu Qian, experiencing her first taste of hardship, felt both pain and pleasure. With one hand gripping Zhao Qiang's back and the other tightly clutching the bedsheet, she loosened and tightened her grip repeatedly, demonstrating Zhao Qiang's prowess and how he had completely erased the defeat she suffered at noon! He was a true man, though his biochip had some flaws. Now, he was displaying his prowess, leaving Hu Qian trembling all over.
Under the covers, the two men embraced tightly, their bodies intertwined. Zhao Qiang's virginity finally ended on the night of the Lunar New Year, and from then on, just like his career, his love life was about to enter a new chapter.
Hu Qian nestled in Zhao Qiang's arms like a pear blossom battered by wind and rain. The two lay in each other's arms, whispering to each other. This was the tenderness after the leak of sex, the most intimate moment for the two of them, speaking their hearts and feeling each other's presence.
"The Hu family is dwindling, especially my generation. Despite my father having many women outside the marriage, he only had two children, my younger brother Jiang and me. My grandfather was extremely disappointed in him and took him to countless doctors, but nothing worked. It seems like retribution for my father because he broke my mother's heart."
As Zhao Qiang stroked Hu Qian's smooth back, he said, "It must be very sad for your grandfather that such a large family doesn't have a qualified heir."
Hu Qian said, "Yes, my grandfather's father had several brothers, and their branches are thriving. If Jiang and I can't carry on my grandfather's business, then my uncles might take everything that Jiang and I should have." Zhao Qiang said, "No, they can't take anything from you and Jiang!"
Hu Qian hugged Zhao Qiang's neck tightly and kissed him on the cheek. "Mmm, because of you."
Zhao Qiang was somewhat troubled: "But it seems I might end up like your father, juggling three relationships at the moment. I hope we won't have a family tragedy like your mother's. I don't want you to get hurt."
Hu Qian chuckled and said, "No, because I'll handle these things for you. I'm not like my mom. So don't worry."
Zhao Qiang let out a smug sigh. He rested his head on his pillow, looked up at the ceiling, and said, "The class monitor is very good at overall coordination. So now, she's in charge of all the main tasks. You're a bit weak-willed, but you have a good temper, so you can manage the household chores. I'll be very busy in the future, so you'll have to help me, otherwise I can't manage on my own."