How could the big boss be dining with a mere secretary?

Some things were understood without being said, while others naturally followed.

As a veteran in matters of romance, Du Chengrong firmly controlled the pace. After a romantic candlelit dinner, he invited Xia Ziyu to dance.

This dance, of course, wasn’t in public but in a hotel suite.

With slow rhythmic music, Xia Ziyu managed to dance until she was drenched in sweat, showing her dedication.

Dancing was inherently an intimate activity, involving inevitable physical contact.

After one dance, clothes gradually diminished, and somehow they moved from the suite’s living room to the bedroom.

What can be said? What kind of woman hadn’t Du Chengrong seen before?

But after one night, he had to admit this Vivi had skills.

In bed, she was passionate yet retained a touch of innocence.

Dancing women usually had good figures. While Vivi wasn’t the most voluptuous, her waist was slim and flexible, quite energetic.

Early next morning, Du Chengrong patted her smooth back, leaving a check on the bedside table:

“How can one dance without good shoes? Young ladies should treat themselves well.”

Xia Ziyu blushed, softly responding “Mm.”

She didn’t ask whether this was just a one-night stand with Du Chengrong. Demanding commitment after one night would likely send someone like Du Chengrong running.

She needed to proceed gradually.

After Du Chengrong left, Xia Ziyu picked up the check. Chairman Du was certainly generous with women – otherwise, why would so many throw themselves at him?

The check was for 50,000 Hong Kong dollars – who needed that much for a pair of shoes?

Xia Ziyu couldn’t earn 50,000 Hong Kong dollars in a year at Cheng Rong Group.

But one night with Du Chengrong earned her that much.

Such an easy way to make money – no wonder some girls didn’t want to work hard, preferring to trade their bodies and youth for money. This has existed since ancient times, not just in present-day Hong Kong.

Even Xia Ziyu thought the Du family was excessively wealthy – 50,000 Hong Kong dollars converted to quite a sum in Chinese currency.

“But this isn’t enough!”

Xia Ziyu casually tossed the check into her bag.

Heaven had given her this opportunity, letting her meet Du Zhaohui and sending her to Hong Kong!

With the Cheng Rong Group being such a giant entity, even if Du Zhaohui hadn’t suggested using feminine charms, she would have been tempted.

What was 50,000 Hong Kong dollars?

Was it enough to buy a pair of shoes, enough for the diamond necklaces Du Chengrong’s concubines wore, enough for their large diamond rings? And their mansions, their luxury cars for transportation, their designer clothes that never repeated throughout the year… This was the kind of life only seen in TV dramas.

If others could succeed, why couldn’t she?

Du Chengrong’s Fourth Mistress Liu Keying had merely been a tutor before, who became involved with Du Chengrong and was taken in as the fourth concubine.

Xia Ziyu tried hard to push the memory of Du Chengrong’s loose skin from her mind.

Success always requires sacrifice.

Stories she’d read before had mentioned young women finding elderly wealthy men – after the wealthy man died and they received their inheritance, these women were only around 30, still young enough to find handsome young men!

…

Du Zhaohui was the first in the Du family to learn about Xia Ziyu and Du Chengrong’s bedroom activities.

“Even useless things have their uses sometimes.”

Du Zhaohui muttered.

Ah Hua was loyal to him – Du Zhaohui had dismissed even the Filipino maid and raised Ah Hua’s salary. How could Ah Hua not be devoted to him?

“Young Master, I think Xia Ziyu isn’t very honest.”

According to the plan, Xia Ziyu should have been stringing along both Chairman Du and Second Young Master Du, creating discord between father and son.

Ah Hua felt Xia Ziyu was now solely focused on seducing Chairman Du.

Could she be hoping to rise through Chairman Du and then kick aside the Eldest Young Master too?

Du Zhaohui sneered, “She’s always been a dog, doesn’t even know how to write the word ‘loyalty.’ Did you think I ever trusted her? I’m just using her to muddy the waters in the Du family. If she wants to cast me aside to rise… we’ll see about that!”

Ah Hua realized he was right.

Her identity was falsified with Young Master’s help, the plastic surgery was done by doctors Young Master found.

Still a wanted criminal in mainland China – if Xia Ziyu wanted to betray them, she’d better consider whether she could handle the consequences.

“About you selling your house and car, regarding Chairman Du…”

Du Zhaohui waved his hand, “I’ve convinced the old man.”

In reality, he hadn’t.

Du Chengrong neither supported nor opposed it – if he wanted to gamble his entire fortune, let him.

After all, the villa already belonged to Du Zhaohui, and the car and other properties were bought with his dividends. If he wanted to sell them, Du Chengrong couldn’t stop him.

Du Chengrong just told him that if he lost the gamble, no one would clean up his mess – no one would cover these losses, and he’d still have to repay the 20 million Hong Kong dollars principal!

Neither Du Zhaohui nor Du Zhaoqi would receive company dividends this year.

Du Zhaohui only had the money in his hands – if he lost the gamble, his ending would naturally be miserable.

Du Zhaohui wouldn’t say these things – if he didn’t appear completely confident, even if he lacked faith, those around him would be more panicked, thinking following him had no future, and might be bought over by others!

As Du Zhaohui thought this, his assistant informed him that house buyers had arrived.

Du Zhaohui’s villa was well-located – as soon as the news spread about selling it, people made offers.

But seeing the Young Master Du reduced to selling his house and car, others saw his urgent need for money and naturally tried to lowball him. The assistant said the market price was 14 million Hong Kong dollars, but some offered only 10 million, nearly causing Du Zhaohui to burst a blood vessel.

Slightly more sincere offers came in at 13 million Hong Kong dollars.

Now Du Zhaohui was meeting the most sincere new buyer, who had just emerged offering 13.8 million Hong Kong dollars.

It wasn’t too far from 14 million, and Du Zhaohui, eager to get to Shenzhen after the spring banquet, agreed to meet this buyer.

“Young Master, the person buying the villa is here.”

The assistant’s expression was strange, but Du Zhaohui didn’t notice.

When the buyer entered swinging his car keys, Du Zhaohui immediately sat up from the sofa, his expression changing from dark to pleased:

“Brother Yuanyue, it’s you?”

Tang Yuanyue looked around the villa’s interior, “Zhaohui, I heard you needed money. As friends, how could I stand by and watch? But why are you selling the villa? Do you know how unpleasant the rumors outside are? They’re saying you can’t compete with Du Zhaoqi, that you’re selling your Hong Kong properties to leave, that you’re too embarrassed to stay in Hong Kong and want to start fresh elsewhere?”

Du Zhaohui wanted to spit in Tang Yuanyue’s face.

Bah, this was treating him as a friend, extending a helping hand?

A villa worth over 14 million, and Tang Yuanyue only offered 13.8 million – wasn’t this deliberately antagonizing him?

“Whether I can compete or not doesn’t matter. Are you seriously buying or not? If buying, pay up – 14 million Hong Kong dollars, no haggling.”

Tang Yuanyue shook his head, his expression seeming to pity him as if saying he truly had fallen on hard times – previously spending tens of millions a year, now haggling over 200,000?

This matter had nothing to do with 200,000 Hong Kong dollars. Tang Yuanyue raised his eyes:

“13.8 million, I won’t raise it. Others would kick you while you’re down. As friends, I’m already offering the highest price.”