"If he's willing to sell to us at the market price, we'll take it. Have them return to Vietnam immediately and continue the acquisitions," Yi Anguo said directly. "It's merely a matter of making a little more or a little less money. If the other party is really willing to sell at market price, we absolutely have to take it. If we don't, someone else will, and trying to buy it back from them will be much more difficult."

「A few days later.」

Chen Xuejiao did not disappoint. She successfully negotiated an angel investment with Wang Tao, the founder of Da Jiang Company. The deal was based on a valuation of 30 million Hong Kong dollars, with Hualong Investment Company investing 9 million Hong Kong dollars for a thirty percent stake.

Yi Anguo was very satisfied with the result. Although it wasn't the forty percent he had envisioned, it was still an excellent outcome. It was unlikely the other party would give up so many shares all at once. If a founder gives up too many shares from the start, their stake gets significantly diluted after the Series A, B, and C funding rounds.

It was just like with Penguin Company and Tao Bao Company; the founders' shares were eventually diluted to the point they held less than ten percent. If not for the contracts they signed to retain control of the voting rights, their companies would belong to someone else entirely.

"Not bad. From now on, you're the Vice President of Hualong Investment Company. Congratulations," Yi Anguo said approvingly.

"But what about my father's company and the partnership with Uncle Yi...?" Despite her joy, Chen Xuejiao hadn't forgotten the matter of her own family company's survival.

Yi Anguo nodded. "I already promised you, and I won't go back on my word."

"How about this? You know the situation best, so you can handle it. This will be your first official task. I hope you'll keep up the good work and not disappoint me."

"Uncle Yi, is this really okay? Shouldn't I avoid a conflict of interest?" Chen Xuejiao asked after a moment of hesitation.

"No need to worry about that. My philosophy is simple: I don't use people I doubt, and I don't doubt the people I use. Since I've entrusted this to you, it means I believe you can handle it," Yi Anguo said.

"Thank you, Uncle Yi! I'll make sure to handle the task you've given me and not let you down," Chen Xuejiao said.

"At work, it's best if you call me Boss," Yi Anguo added after a thought.

"Alright! Thank you, Boss," Chen Xuejiao immediately corrected herself.

"And when we're not at work, can I still call you Uncle Yi?" she asked.

"Suit yourself," Yi Anguo replied after a moment.

"Boss, are you planning to invest as a private individual, or will you partner with my father's company through a corporate investment?" Chen Xuejiao asked again.

"Let's do it in the name of Anguo Property Company," Yi Anguo said. "You'll be the Vice President of Hualong Investment Company, but you'll also be my personal assistant. Your official employment will be with Anguo Property Company, which will handle your basic salary, social security, and other benefits."

"As for bonuses and dividends, I'll give those to you separately. There's no fixed amount; it will all depend on your performance. Do a good job, and you'll get more. You can also just think of it as depending on my mood—if I'm in a good mood, I'll give you more; if not, you'll get less."

"If you have no objections, you can get to work. First, go to the property company to complete your onboarding and sign the employment contract."

"If you do have objections, then we can pretend I never said any of this. I'll give you one million as a reward for negotiating the Da Jiang Company investment, and we'll be even."

"I have no objections at all! Being able to work and learn from you is an honor you've bestowed upon me, and it's my good fortune," Chen Xuejiao said immediately.

"If there are no other problems, then you can get started," Yi Anguo said, nodding with satisfaction.

Assigning Chen Xuejiao to negotiate with her father was another test. The final result would still require his approval, so Yi Anguo had nothing to worry about. The father-daughter pair, however, had plenty to think about. Being as sharp as they were, Ou Xiaolong and Chen Xuejiao would surely realize this was a test from him. The question they now had to consider was how to satisfy Yi Anguo without sacrificing too much of their own interests.

When Ou Xiaolong heard that his daughter was there to discuss an investment partnership on behalf of Yi Anguo's property management company, he was initially overjoyed, but his excitement quickly faded.

The reason is simple! If Yi Anguo came to talk to me himself, I could play the sympathy card, plead poverty, and complain about how hard things are to convince him not to be too harsh and leave me enough profit to survive. But he sent his own daughter... what am I supposed to do now? Grovel and complain in front of her?

Seeing her father's long face and his listless, dejected expression, Chen Xuejiao smiled. "Dad, I'm the one here to negotiate with you, and you seem unhappy. Would you prefer he sent someone else?"

"Do you think you'd gain a bigger advantage if Uncle Yi sent someone else?"

"I was hoping to negotiate with Yi Anguo personally. What is there for me to discuss with you?" Ou Xiaolong said, shaking his head.

"Even if it weren't me, Uncle Yi would never have come to negotiate with you himself," Chen Xuejiao said. "Do you think the Uncle Yi of today is the same as he was before? He's a very busy man now. He can't possibly handle every single matter personally."

"That's true. The Yi Anguo of today has risen so high, he's almost out of my league," Ou Xiaolong sighed.

"I'm not just the vice president of Hualong Investment Company, I'm also Uncle Yi's personal assistant now," Chen Xuejiao suddenly added.

"Why would he value you so much? Making you a vice president and his personal assistant?" Ou Xiaolong asked, surprised and confused as he sized up his daughter.

"Dad! What are you thinking?" Chen Xuejiao said, seeing right through him. "Uncle Yi is an upright gentleman, not as sordid as you imagine."

"An upright gentleman? He has quite a few women around him. Don't be naive," Ou Xiaolong cautioned. "I don't want you to sacrifice your own happiness for the company's sake. Even if the company goes bankrupt, we won't starve. We'll still live better than the average person."

"Dad! Your words are an insult to Uncle Yi and to your own daughter. In your eyes, am I really a woman with no self-respect?" Chen Xuejiao said, displeased.

"I'm just worried about you!" Ou Xiaolong said anxiously. "Besides, doesn't Yi Anguo already have a personal assistant? What does he mean by hiring you as his personal assistant now? If he dares to lay a hand on you, I'll take him on, even if it costs me the company!"

Although he had no sons, Ou Xiaolong truly loved his two daughters and held no patriarchal views. He was grateful to his wife, and their relationship had always been strong; he never resented her for not giving him a son. Ou Xiaolong was also quite self-disciplined. When socializing for business, he knew his limits. He might occasionally hire an escort, but it would only be to sing and drink with him; he almost never took things further.

"Dad, it's not my place to comment on how many women Uncle Yi has," Chen Xuejiao argued. "But he isn't married. Whoever he's with is his own freedom. As long as those women aren't being forced, who can say anything? And while you might think your daughter is beautiful, and I admit I don't think I look bad, just consider his current assistant, Assistant Zhou. She's no less attractive than I am—in fact, she might even be more beautiful. She's been with him for several years, and has he ever had any kind of inappropriate relationship with her?"

"How do you know they don't have an inappropriate relationship?" Ou Xiaolong retorted with a sneer.

"Dad, I don't know why you're so distrustful of Uncle Yi, but if he and Assistant Zhou really did have something going on, what would he have to be afraid of? He already has so many women. What difference would one more make?" Chen Xuejiao countered.

"Who knows? Who can say for sure? Maybe he just enjoys that kind of thrill," Ou Xiaolong said, shaking his head. "As the saying goes, a wife is not as good as a mistress, a mistress not as thrilling as a secret lover, and a secret lover not as enticing as one you can never have. It's entirely possible he enjoys the ambiguity of it all."

"I can't say about anything else, but when it comes to relationships, Yi Anguo is no upright gentleman. He's a completely and thoroughly unfaithful man. How can you expect a man like that not to have ideas about a young, beautiful assistant by his side?"

Chen Xuejiao finally lost her temper. "So, based on what you're saying, you object to me working as his personal assistant? You think that if I do, I'll end up in some messy relationship with him? That he'll play with my feelings and my body?"

"Fine! You can solve the company's problems yourself. I'm out of ways to help you."

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