Seeing Chen Xu's bewildered expression, Guan Yi took a few deep breaths and said, "Xu, there are some things I haven't told you before... Well, I was born in Las Vegas, but I grew up in San Francisco. My family... well, you should know, my family is quite wealthy, and I am not bad myself, so I don't know how many people have had ulterior motives towards me since I was a child."
Xie Zhan thought to himself, "Miss is being far too modest. The butler's wealth is far more than just 'some'; it's no exaggeration to say he's richer than a country! With such wealth, as the first in line of the family and the only heir, even if Guan Yi were a sow, there would be a lot of people scrambling to get her, not to mention that Guan Yi herself is a stunningly beautiful woman."
"As the heir of the family, I am considered a suitable match for some business partners, so I can't easily offend them. But I also don't want to continue to deal with them. So when I went to university, I secretly returned to China alone, hoping to enjoy a few years of leisure... But the young lady of the housekeeper can't just disappear without a reason, so I found a girl who looks about 70% like me and had her impersonate me to study at Cambridge."
Hearing this, Chen Xu really didn't know whether to call her naive or what, forgoing Cambridge to go to Hoi Hsieh University, a school whose name had never even been heard of in the world.
He shuddered and couldn't help but say, "That Huang guy... could he be your stand-in?!"
Guan Yi's face was gloomy. She lost her mother at a young age, and her father, with his high status, naturally had no shortage of women. But those women were all mistresses, and they didn't even have any official status. They weren't even qualified to enter the Guan family's ancestral home!
Guan Yi thought it was normal for her father to have other women, but she absolutely could not allow someone to replace her mother as the mistress of the house... What's more, that person was her substitute, the "Miss Ellen" that everyone thought she was... At least she could be considered half a daughter to him, right?
How could Guan Yi possibly accept such a thing?!
Xie Zhan sighed and said, "Miss, Master also has his reasons..." He seemed hesitant to speak, but finally gritted his teeth and said, "Since Madam passed away, Master has had a very difficult twenty years. Yes, Master has indeed had many women, but none of them can compare to Madam. Master has suffered a lot these years!"
Although it wasn't explicitly stated, Guan Yi and Chen Xu both understood that men want women not only for physical needs but also for psychological ones. Some women can be slept with but cannot be confided in; that's the difference between a mistress and a wife.
“Miss, I’ve worked in the housekeeping department for thirty years. I witnessed firsthand how the master and mistress met and fell in love. Miss, do you know? You and the mistress look so alike. Every time I see you, I’m reminded of the late mistress…”
It's not unusual for a daughter to resemble her mother, but Guan Yi is an incredibly intelligent person. Although she was saddened by the mention of her mother, she quickly realized, "You mean... Huang Xiusha looks a lot like my mother too?"
“That’s right!” Xie Zhan knew that his young lady had been extremely intelligent since childhood, and said, “Not long ago, there was a small problem in the business. The Zhang family betrayed us. The master was very angry and disappointed. As you know, the Zhang family patriarch and our master have been friends since childhood, so the patriarch was so angry that he fell ill.”
"Huh? Why weren't you told me?"
“At that time, Miss was still in school, and Master said not to disturb you, and his illness wasn’t serious.” Xie Zhan said, “It was Christmas, and Miss Huang came back from her holiday… As your substitute, we respected her quite a bit, and Miss Huang was gentle and quiet. When she learned that Master was ill, she personally took care of him. You know, people are very vulnerable when they are sick, and when Master was young, he was occasionally ill, and it was always Madam who took care of him, so…”
"So Dad was immediately smitten? He wanted to marry a woman who looked a lot like Mom and her daughter, who was more than 20 years younger than him, and even two months younger than her daughter, to be my stepmother?"
Xie Zhan remained silent. As the saying goes, even an upright official finds it difficult to settle family disputes, and he had no say in such matters.
Chen Xu scratched his head, actually feeling... indifferent!
Grandpa Guan has been single for so many years, and now he's remarried... It's unexpected, but also quite reasonable! As for the bride being a bit young... well, that doesn't seem to be a problem for wealthy people, right? Look at Professor Yang Zhenning, not only did he marry her, but he also managed to get her pregnant despite his advanced age...
There's a saying that goes, "That's right!"
After watching "The Return of the Condor Heroes", I realized that age is not a problem;
After watching "Brokeback Mountain," I realized that gender isn't an issue.
After watching "King Kong," I realized that whether someone is human or not is not the issue.
After watching "Ghost," I realized that whether I live or not isn't the real issue...
It's not a big deal that the old man has found love again; it's Guan Yi who should be more understanding... Besides, it's not like the old man doesn't have women; he's just made one his official wife...
Of course, Chen Xu wouldn't dare say that; he felt guilty! He really couldn't decide which girl was the "official wife"...
Guan Yi's face was not gloomy. Although she had thought of all the key points, everyone knows the general principles, but it's not the same when it comes to themselves. Guan Yi lost her mother at a young age and regarded her mother as the most important person in the world. It was really hard for her to accept a woman as her stepmother... let alone her substitute!
"Has Dad already planned to hold the wedding banquet?"
“Well, there’s no rush,” Xie Zhan said awkwardly. “After all, Miss Huang is still nominally your stand-in for now. The master’s idea is to give Miss Huang a proper title after you finish university, which is about two and a half years from now, when you come back to take over the family business. However…”
"But what?"
"Alas, it seems that the master truly regards Miss Huang as his wife. As for their relationship... only some core members of the family know about this matter. After all, to outsiders, Miss Huang is you. So the master is considering revealing Miss Huang's identity. Of course, the master will not break his promise to let you return early. However, let's skip the stand-in."
Guan Yi looked gloomy. She still couldn't accept this. It wasn't just a matter of whether or not there was a body double anymore; it involved Guan Yi's mother's status and even family ethics. How could she remain calm?!
A heavy silence filled the carriage.
After a long silence, Guan Yicai said, "So, Father called me back this time just to talk to me about this?"
"Yes, Master just wanted to ask for your opinion, Miss. Miss... Master is getting on in years, it hasn't been easy for him. I know there are some things I shouldn't say, but I still have to say them. Miss, try to let go of some things. Just pretend they don't exist..."
Guan Yi remained silent.
She understood Xie Zhan's meaning, but she still found it hard to accept.
Xie Zhan actually knew she wouldn't accept it, so he asked her to turn a blind eye. Guan Yi also knew that her father hadn't remarried in the past twenty years not because he hadn't met any good women. Considering the Guan family's wealth and the old master's demeanor, he had seen far too many women of all kinds, but none of them had ever had the opportunity to become the new mistress of the Guan family. Now that the old master had made this decision, it meant that it was absolutely impossible to change it.
Such a big matter naturally needs to be discussed with Guan Yi. In name, it's a discussion, but in reality, there's no room for discussion at all.
Xie Zhan knew this principle, Guan Yi knew it, and even Chen Xu knew it.
The car stopped in front of a magnificent building. Chen Xu leaned out and saw that the building, which looked like a palace, had the words "Paradise on Earth" written on it in several languages. Next to the sign was a badge with four leaves.
"This is a casino? It's so beautiful!" Chen Xu showed no awareness of what a world-class tycoon should have. In his view, Las Vegas was most famous for gambling, so he naturally assumed that this was a casino.
Guan Yi glanced at him: "No, this is just a hotel." Looking at Chen Xu's expression, the woman's lips finally curled into a slight smile: "Las Vegas started out because of gambling, so many people now think of it as a gambling city, and that the purpose of coming to Las Vegas is to gamble. But that's just a prejudice. Admittedly, since the Nevada State Legislature passed a bill legalizing gambling in 1931, Las Vegas has earned its reputation as a gambling city worldwide, known as the 'Sin City.' But this city built in the desert can't rely solely on gambling. In recent decades, far-sighted wealthy individuals in Las Vegas have begun to develop the city, transforming it into a diversified entertainment hub. Nearly 40 million tourists visit Las Vegas every year, but only a minority come specifically to gamble."
After a pause, Guan Yi said, "Of course, our family also has a casino. If you'd like to see it, I'll take you there in a bit."
Chen Xu was ashamed. He had always thought that Las Vegas was just a gambling city, but he never knew it could be so different.
"Is this your family's property?"
Guan Yi smiled: "That's one of them. The family owns seven hotels like this in Las Vegas and five top-tier casinos. Of course, the family has many other businesses as well. These properties in Las Vegas are just a part of it." The woman didn't say something... these properties weren't just a part, but a very small part!
What Guan Yi didn't mention was that these Las Vegas casinos held a very high position in the management team because casinos had a very important function...money laundering.
Basically, none of these families have businesses that are completely aboveboard; in fact, their shady income far exceeds their open income. The role of casinos is to launder this shady income and turn it into legal income.
Arms and drugs?
No, no, no, those are child's play. Someone with the butler's power wouldn't even look at that little bit of money. The real shady deals are exchanging money for power, or power for money!
These are the important things!
Of course, Guan Yi wouldn't tell Chen Xu about these things.
In Guan Yi's eyes, Chen Xu was still a good man; he shouldn't be exposed to the darker side of the world yet, nor should he be corrupted. However, even this woman herself didn't realize that her man had already been corrupted…
The two most powerful forces hidden in the shadows of this world are preparing to "join forces"...
Chapter 342 Changes
Chen Xu was placed in the hotel's most luxurious suite. Of course, to avoid suspicion, Guan Yi did not stay. However, Chen Xu felt that such concealment was meaningless, because when no one else was around, Xie Zhan suddenly whispered to him, "No matter how your relationship develops in the future, I just hope you will not hurt Miss."
Xie Zhan is considered Guan Yi's elder and has been with the family for a long time. At least nominally, he is Guan Yi's "uncle," so his words are perfectly reasonable. Chen Xu, as the younger generation, naturally had to obediently bow his head. In fact, parents of Chen Xu's generation have gradually become more open-minded and less rigid in their views on their children's love lives. Nowadays, many parents or elders don't force their children's love lives; they just hope their children won't get hurt.
Chen Xu was quite willing to accept this explanation... after all, the other person was an elder! He also knew that since he and Guan Yi had broken the last barrier, their behavior had inevitably become intimate, and someone as discerning as Xie Zhan could see it at a glance.
But Xie Zhan's next words caused Chen Xu to become depressed.
He said, "Young man, some things are inevitable, whether out of necessity or curiosity, but I hope you will be careful." Just as Chen Xu was pondering the meaning of these words, the uncle discreetly slipped a box into his hand.
Durex!
Ugh! Wasn't that a bit too blunt?!
To be honest, Chen Xu has indeed been having a lot of "short nights and long nights" lately, and as for protective measures, he hasn't really paid much attention to them... Now he understands Wu Yu's feelings; wearing a condom is really unpleasant!
As for the child, Chen Xu, immersed in their sweet world, didn't think about it at all, but Guan Yi seemed to be on medication... Young people often don't consider the consequences of such things.
Xie Zhan naturally knew this, and he never expected that the young lady who had always kept herself pure would give her most precious first time to this boy. After all, the level of sexual openness in the United States is very high, and it has to be said that scions of wealthy families like theirs, due to their own character and the money and status they possess, often have rather decadent private lives, like the Hilton sisters... There are indeed not many people like Guan Yi who have always kept themselves pure, but this time when she returned, Xie Zhan noticed that his young lady's walking posture was no longer that of a virgin. Shocked, he had to give Chen Xu a warning.
In Xie Zhan's view, whether Chen Xu and Guan Yi will ultimately end up together is still unknown. To put it bluntly, although Grandpa Guan thinks highly of this young man, his own strength is still far from enough to compete for a spot... Xie Zhan is unaware that Chen Xu already owns five percent of the shares in "The Translator".
Therefore, influenced by American trends, Xie Zhan subtly gave Chen Xu a warning: Do whatever you want, young couples can understand each other, but please don't leave behind a child!
Chen Xu didn't think too much about it. He was thinking that he and Guan Yi weren't married yet, and having a child was indeed not a good idea. He was the kind of person who took things as they came, and the situation was a bit awkward, so he didn't take it to heart... Naturally, he wouldn't tell Guan Yi.
Meanwhile, on the top floor of the hotel, in a luxurious suite, Guan Yi gently knocked on the door. A deep voice came from inside: "Come in." Then the door was opened, and standing in front of Guan Yi was a girl who looked quite similar to her.
Upon closer inspection, this girl is quite different from Guan Yi in many ways. For example, Guan Yi has large eyes, while this girl's eyes are not as bright. Also, Guan Yi exudes a confident and noble aura, which this girl is relatively weaker in.
But if someone is unfamiliar with her, they might easily mistake this girl for the housekeeper's daughter.
The girl was visibly flustered when she saw Guan Yi, but Guan Yi smiled warmly at her, walked in, and casually asked, "How is Dad?"
This girl was Huang Xiusha, Guan Yi's stand-in. Normally, Guan Yi wouldn't have given her a friendly look, and even she herself didn't expect Guan Yi to speak to her so kindly. At this moment, Grandpa Guan, who was lying on the bed, coughed and said, "I'm fine now, Shasha, you can go out now."
Huang Xiusha glanced at Guan Yi, then ran away like a frightened rabbit.
Guan Yi's eyes flashed with disdain, but he sat calmly in front of Grandpa Guan's bed, slowly picked up an apple and began to peel it, saying, "Dad, it seems you've really gotten old. You weren't so prone to getting sick before."
Guan Yi's attitude left Grandpa Guan somewhat bewildered. Based on his understanding of his daughter, he had long anticipated that she would make a huge fuss when she found out he was getting married, and it might even escalate beyond control. She might even slap Huang Xiusha across the face when she saw her.
But he didn't expect Guan Yi to be so calm.
Somewhat bewildered, Grandpa Guan took the apple. Only then did he realize that his daughter had never peeled an apple herself before! Now it seemed that although the apple wasn't peeled as well as Sasha's, with a lot of the flesh removed, it was at least presentable.
It seems that my daughter has really learned a lot from living independently outside for the past year and a half.
The atmosphere was awkward. Guan Yi just chatted casually, making no mention of the wedding. Old Master Guan felt that he could understand his daughter less and less. She wasn't like this when he last saw her during his trip back to China!
Finally, Grandpa Guan couldn't help but speak up: "Alright, my precious daughter, don't hold back your words. I know you're unhappy with Sasha, but..."
“There’s no ‘but,’ Dad.” Guan Yi said calmly, “That’s your freedom. It’s not just us younger generation who can freely choose to date. You have that right too.”
Old Master Guan, a shrewd man, frowned slightly before finally smiling and saying, "Alright, you were waiting for me here? You wanted to talk about Chen Xu, right? That young man is quite good. Although he's a bit stubborn, he's still very malleable. Young people are bound to be impulsive and naive, especially someone like him who didn't grow up in a prominent family. It's inevitable that he'll think of many things in a simple and beautiful way. But he'll mature after experiencing some setbacks. As for his family background..."
Judging from the old man's tone, it seemed that he was somewhat materialistic and looked down on the poor. Guan Yi quickly said, "Although Chen Xu's family can't compare to ours, they are definitely not bad off. Dad, do you know that the internet god SMMH has already given Chen Xu five percent of the shares of 'The Translator of Babel,' just like Yi Shuihan! That means that in the next two or three years, Chen Xu will definitely become one of the top billionaires in the country!"
"What?!" Old Master Guan was clearly not aware of this news and sat up in shock: "He got the same shares as Yi Shuihan?!"
“Yes.” Guan Yi said with some pride, “Of course, Yi Shuihan’s S Company business is not limited to the translator business. Moreover, the world-class online game ‘Zongheng Tianxia’ which is about to be launched can make Yi Shuihan the richest man in China. But I believe Chen Xu is not bad either. Just the five percent profit from ‘Babel Tower Translator’ is enough for many people to work for a lifetime. If I assist him, then this money will be enough for us to build a new business empire. So Dad, Chen Xu has such strength. He is qualified to become our Guan family’s son-in-law.”
"Wait a minute, wait a minute..." Old Master Guan tapped his forehead and slowly said, "Why did SMMH give Chen Xu five percent of the shares?"
"I don't know either. Chen Xu was vague about this, but I believe there must be something he can't say. Since he won't say, I won't ask... But Chen Xu is SMMH's student, that's for sure. Maybe it's to take care of his student. SMMH has a very strange temper."
Grandpa Guan said "Oh" and fell into deep thought.
This news was indeed very shocking. As a top tycoon in the shadows of this world, it was absolutely unacceptable to work in isolation. Therefore, the butler had put a lot of effort into investigating SMMH, which almost always shook the world every time it appeared, but to no avail. However, they also knew that Chen Xu's relationship with SMMH was extraordinary, and their daughter's relationship with Chen Xu was also extraordinary. So, this meant that SMMH had indirectly become the butler's friend... or at least, not an enemy.
With the butler's power, although he wouldn't be afraid of SMMH, this newly emerged and terrifying entity in the shadows, it would be far better to be friends with someone who possesses such terrifying technology than to be enemies. However, the old man never expected that SMMH would value Chen Xu so much!
Five percent of the shares in *The Translator* represent billions in profits! He just gave it away so casually? Giving it to Yi Shuihan is easy to explain, since Yi Shuihan is openly managing his business and acting as his agent, but giving it to Chen Xu…
Grandpa Guan frowned.
Unfair rewards and punishments without any justification are a major taboo for any leader!
In short, rewards and punishments must be measured!
You can't punish someone without a reason, that's for sure. If you beat your subordinates every now and then, it will only make them resentful. But you can't reward someone without a reason either!
Because if a leader rewards someone based solely on their own preferences without making any outstanding contributions, it can easily discourage others!