Chapter 340
“What brings you here?” Sheng Wenhao looked somewhat surprised at Xu Ke standing outside the door. “It’s almost mealtime already. Why aren’t you at home with your wife but instead came to my humble abode?” Sheng Wenhao put on a slightly mischievous smile, “Don’t tell me you made her angry, got kicked out, and came to take refuge with me?”
“What are you thinking? Yaoyao and I are getting along great.” Xu Ke brushed past Sheng Wenhao standing in his way, walking in as if he were at his own house.
“Then why aren’t you having dinner with your wife and instead came to hang out with a single guy like me? You’re not here to console me in my lonely single life, are you?” Sheng Wenhao opened the fridge, took out two cans of beer, handed one to Xu Ke, opened one for himself, and took a contented sip.
Xu Ke rolled his eyes at Sheng Wenhao, “When I was out shopping with Yaoyao today, I ran into a woman who came to pick a fight. I suspect this has something to do with Sheng Hong, and we might need to hold off on our previous plans.” Xu Ke’s expression became somewhat serious as he spoke.
Sheng Wenhao’s originally cheerful expression gradually became more serious due to Xu Ke’s words.
“What is it? Is that woman troublesome?”
“I just feel that the woman isn’t simple, and I’ve got an uneasy feeling. I’ll have someone investigate first. If there’s no issue, we’ll proceed as planned.” Xu Ke said in a deep voice.
“Alright, I’ve waited this long anyway, a few more days won’t matter.” Sheng Wenhao said, chugging a mouthful of beer.
Xu Ke patted Sheng Wenhao’s shoulder and said in a deep voice, “I’m relieved to hear you say that. I was worried you might get hung up on it.”
“I can’t afford to. If I had been stubborn, I wouldn’t have made it through when I was in Africa. I wouldn’t have what I have today.”
“By the way, how are you finding it here? If it’s uncomfortable, why not move back to the estate? There are so many rooms in the house; you could stay in a different room every day.” Xu Ke joked as he looked at Sheng Wenhao.
“No need, I’m fine here. I wouldn’t want to go to your estate and feel awkward bringing a woman home, let alone having to face all those happy couples. There’s such freedom in living alone.” Sheng Wenhao shot Xu Ke a smug glance, laughing as he spoke.
“I’m still young; I’m in no rush to get married. I plan to consider marriage only after I’m thirty. I need to enjoy a few more years while I’m young and not rush into the grave of marriage.” After saying this, Sheng Wenhao took another big gulp of beer, the pale liquid tracing down his slender neck and disappearing beneath his collar.
“That’s your choice; as long as you’re aware of it yourself, it’s fine. Just drink less when you live alone. It’s getting late, so I won’t keep chatting. I should head home; your sister-in-law is waiting for me for dinner.” Xu Ke patted Sheng Wenhao’s shoulder, stood up, declined Sheng Wenhao’s offer to see him off and left the apartment alone, driving home.
Xu Ke had someone monitor Sheng Hong’s movements, but a few days later, Sheng Hong and Xu Jiahui’s interactions remained highly secretive. They seemed unrelated, yet Xu Ke’s unease did not diminish. The detective sent to investigate the woman could only find out that she flew in from America. There was no information on what she came for or what she did in America.
At the company, the board, previously subdued by Xu Ke’s newly developed game, seemed to be stirring again. It was as if an invisible net was slowly closing in from the dark, and Xu Ke felt a sense of crisis.
“Our company has only made a profit off this one game project in the past half year. The other projects are nearing completion; we can’t rely on a single project all year, can we? The funding from this one project is substantial, but our Xu Corporation isn’t a small company; we have tens of thousands of employees, plus executives and board members. We can’t possibly make a living off this alone.” Someone in the board meeting looked up at Xu Ke and said.
“You’re right, and I understand your concerns. You didn’t need to say it; I was already planning to address this at today’s board meeting. As you know, since I took charge, our company’s only new project is the game department’s latest development. Beyond that, we only have old projects nearing their end and no longer bringing in profit, so I’ve also been looking for new opportunities for our company lately.”
“I just received insider information. At the end of this month, the government plans to lease two plots of land; one is in the neighboring city to the north of Shangjing, and the other’s location is farther in Zhezhou. Both locations are promising for development, but the land in the north of Shangjing is more beneficial for us. Therefore, I plan to bid for that plot next month and develop it into the best resort in the country, a tourist spot, so you can start preparing.” Xu Ke said steadily, his gold-rimmed glasses resting on his nose, his voice even taking on a slightly mechanical narration.
“Is the information reliable? What’s the budget for this land?” Chairman Miao asked, smiling with gentlemanly grace.
“You can rest assured that the information is reliable. As for the budget, it’s roughly estimated at around seven billion eight hundred million, not including the resort construction costs.” Xu Ke adjusted his glasses and said coldly.
“I believe you will receive related updates in a few days. I’m mentioning it today to give everyone here a heads-up. I’ve noticed the recent restlessness among you all, and I take note of it. Today, I want to tell everyone that I, Xu Ke, can create value and lead Xu Corporation to greater heights. This plot is just the beginning.”
“So,” Xu Ke slowed down his speaking pace at this point, sweeping his gaze around the conference room, observing everyone’s expressions, “I hope you can all stay calm and refrain from making reckless moves. After all, I have no tolerance for mistakes. If I catch wind of anything, I won’t hold back just because you’re my elders or company veterans. Be careful.”
Xu Ke’s straight mouth curled into an upward arc, the beautifully shaped eyes hidden behind thin lenses, still couldn’t conceal the coldness shooting out from within.
Those caught in Xu Ke’s gaze felt a chill run down their spines, especially the ones with guilty consciences; their hearts skipped a beat, intimidated by the coldness in Xu Ke’s eyes.
This young man has such deterrence; could it be what they say about a tiger father having no dog sons? The board members wondered.
“Alright, that’s it for today’s meeting. Once you’re back, I’ll have the assistant send you the relevant documents.” Xu Ke, satisfied with the deterrence he had caused, pulled back his imposing demeanor, appearing once more like a university student.