Some things… it wouldn't be a surprise if I told you too early…" Nina smiled, picked up her wine glass that she had just placed on the coffee table, took a sip and said, "Don't you think the surprise I gave you yesterday was big enough?"
"…I didn't feel any surprise, but I almost got killed by that bastard Zhou Ye… is true…" Pepper said, twisting her still slightly sore A4 waist unnaturally.
"Tch—you're blatantly showing off." Nina said dissatisfied.
"Hmph—who told someone to leave me there and run to the basement of the villa to play with their mecha? You missed the big party, don't blame me…" Pepper spread her hands with an innocent look.
Just then, two figures walked in, and a slightly slender figure said, "Hi, girls, it's time, the press conference is about to begin…"
"Of course, I'm ready." Nina smiled and stood up, walked to the man's side, and obediently let him put his arm around her A4 waist.
That's right, it was Zhou Ye and Dotty Underwood who came in. No matter what, today could be considered Nina's big day, and Zhou Ye couldn't possibly miss this very important day for Nina.
Zhou Ye put one arm around Nina, and opened the other hand, gesturing towards Pepper, who was standing there hesitating.
"Okay, okay…" Pepper walked over helplessly, complaining as she obediently placed her slender waist into the man's hand… She knew that she had fallen into this man's hands, and she would never be able to get rid of him in this lifetime, or rather, she was unwilling to get rid of him…
Today, Nina finally officially took over Stark Industries, which marked the beginning of a new era, and also represented the beginning of a new story…
Chapter 543
Seoul Airport—A huge private jet landed slowly in the center of the runway with a piercing sound of rubber tires rubbing against the ground. After a short taxi, the private jet with the Umbrella Corporation logo finally docked at a gate.
The cabin door opened, and a tall figure with golden hair walked out… That's right, it was Zhou Ye.
After attending his goddaughter's press conference, this guy left New York—because when he saw Pepper Potts, he thought of another girl he had been raising outside. The purpose of this trip to Seoul was naturally to take back the girl he had been raising outside.
As for Pepper Potts? This girl needs a good rest these days. Who told her to be so crazy after knowing the truth? She looked like she wanted to drain Zhou Ye dry to get revenge on him. The ending goes without saying… Pepper Potts will have to endure some indescribable pain these days. Of course, she also wanted to come with Zhou Ye… After all, this is the time when Pepper Potts is clinging to Zhou Ye, but… she was firmly kept at Stark Industries by her best friend Nina.
After all, although Nina has taken over the affairs of Stark Industries, but… for her, a tech nerd, letting her manage the company is not as reliable as letting her design weapon systems. Without Pepper Potts, the all-purpose secretary, Nina said that she couldn't handle Stark Industries. So, how could she let Pepper Potts go?
In Nina's words, there's plenty of time in the future. Moreover, Zhou Ye is definitely going to pick up girls on this trip to Seoul. Wouldn't you feel uncomfortable standing by his side watching him flirt with other women? So, it's better to stay and help her manage the company… Out of sight, out of mind.
After careful consideration, Pepper Potts felt that this was really the truth… After all, she had just started dating Zhou Ye, and it was temporarily impossible for her to accept her man flirting with girls in front of her, let alone sending girls to her man like Natasha and Ophelia…
Therefore, Zhou Ye came to Seoul alone… Of course, his subordinates brought an Umbrella Corporation management team… After all, this time Zhou Ye came to Seoul as a major shareholder of the Umbrella Corporation, and his team was responsible for the annual evaluation of Seoul University, which meant how much financial support the Umbrella Consortium would provide them in the next year.
Umbrella's layout in the global education sector… In Zhou Ye's words, what is the most important thing in this world? Of course, it's talent. You need to know, what's the most powerful thing in the Marvel world? It's not mutants, it's not superheroes, but all kinds of endless black technologies… How to network these talents? Is there a better way than laying out the education industry around the world?
Therefore, Umbrella had long ago reached some kind of agreement with thousands of top-ranked universities in the world. Umbrella provided those universities with scientific research projects and funding, but those universities had to come up with feasible technological products to repay Umbrella.
These funds are not worth mentioning to Umbrella, and the various technologies harvested in return are countless times the investment. What reason does Umbrella have not to do it…
Faced with Umbrella's behavior of eating alone, some consortia and governments have resisted it, but it's useless. Not many consortia have Umbrella's courage and strength, and it's even easier to resist the government… It's not good to change to a more obedient political party to govern. For Umbrella, which is lurking in the water like a behemoth, this is a very simple matter.
Therefore, Zhou Ye simply came to Seoul this time under the banner of the Umbrella Technology Evaluation Team.
"Hello, Mr. Zhou…"
As soon as Zhou Ye got off his private plane, a middle-aged man with glasses and a gentle appearance came over with an obsequious look, and enthusiastically extended his hand to Zhou Ye.
"You are?" Zhou Ye just nodded. He didn't like physical contact with men. Same-sex repulsion.
"I am Park Xin-woo, the Deputy Minister of Education of the Great Han Ming Kingdom…" The gentle middle-aged man didn't mind Zhou Ye's slightly rude behavior. He knew that he was really not enough to face a giant like Umbrella, let alone him, even if the president saw this man… he couldn't do anything.
You need to know that there is no wall that doesn't leak wind. Based on the idea of who benefits and who is suspected, those small countries whose regimes have been overthrown all unanimously believe that the Umbrella Consortium did it… Although the United States is at the front to take the blame, this only makes the heads of various countries more jealous of Umbrella. Through this incident, they saw to what extent the Umbrella Consortium's control over the US military and political circles had reached…
"I was entrusted by the President to come and welcome everyone from the Umbrella Consortium. The President specifically instructed me that Mr. Zhou Ye must be satisfied." The smile on Park Xin-woo's face was almost obsequious.
"Thank you for your consideration, thank you to your president…" Zhou Ye said perfunctorily. He didn't come here to be entertained by these guys, he came to take back the girl he had been raising…
"Please, we have prepared a special car for you and your team!" Seeing the impatience on Zhou Ye's face, Park Xin-yu tactfully hurried to the side, respectfully like a doorman at a grand hotel, bending over, extending his hand, and making a gesture of invitation.
Zhou Ye was too lazy to dawdle with a middle-aged man here; he wasn't a beautiful woman. What was there to say to him? He directly and unceremoniously strode towards a VIP passage that had already been cordoned off.
The members of the Umbrella Corporation's technology assessment team behind him also quickly followed. For them, closely following the Overlord's footsteps was the most important thing. As for the Deputy Minister of this Great Cold Country? Who would care?
Walking out of the airport through the VIP airport aisle, Zhou Ye saw a row of Daewoo cars... His brow furrowed. Zhou Ye really couldn't stand Korean cars... "Has our motorcade arrived?"
The temporary assistant behind Zhou Ye heard Zhou Ye's question and quickly looked at the personal terminal on his wrist, then said, "Overlord, our motorcade has arrived..."
"Have them drive over..." Zhou Ye didn't intend to give these Koreans any face at all. For these super shameless guys, you have to slap their faces hard, slap them until they doubt their life...
"Yes!" The assistant said, hurriedly issuing an order to the motorcade on the personal terminal. Two minutes later—seven incomparably luxurious extended Umbrella Pathfinder sedans, protected by six Umbrella Guardian SUVs in front and behind, slowly stopped in front of Zhou Ye.
Zhou Ye unceremoniously sat directly in the most luxurious extended sedan in the middle... and the other team members each took their seats in the other vehicles according to their ranks—the motorcade slowly drove away from the airport.
"Mr. Zhou..." At this time, Park Xin-yu, who had been panting and chasing all the way, only saw the receding shadow of the Umbrella motorcade... In the end, he could only lower his hand, supporting his knees and panting heavily... You must know that in the Umbrella Corporation, those who can occupy high positions are basically Umbrella's own employees who have undergone genetic modification. Their speed is not slow at all...
As for Zhou Ye, he sped up his walking speed in order to get rid of this Korean guy who looked unpleasant. So, when Park Xin-yu looked up, he found that he could no longer find the VIP he was supposed to receive... By the time he trotted all the way over, he could only see the taillights of the car...
"Deputy Minister... what do we do?" A driver of the motorcade asked cautiously.
"What do we do? How would I know what to do..." Park Xin-yu was really depressed at this moment... He didn't expect this major shareholder of Umbrella to be so difficult to serve... But no matter how difficult it is to serve, we still have to serve him...
Thinking of this, Park Xin-yu bent down and randomly found a car to jump into, shouting at the driver, "Hurry up and follow them, you idiot!"
Chapter 544
At this moment, Zhou Ye, sitting in the car, gently pressed the button on the center console, raising the partition between the passenger compartment and the front driver's seat. In this way, the entire spacious passenger compartment formed a very enclosed space.
"Come out, Xiao Ying..." Zhou Ye said casually, leaning back on the comfortable sofa in the car.
"Overlord..." As a slightly coquettish female voice sounded, a slender figure wearing a black tight-fitting suit suddenly appeared in Zhou Ye's arms. As soon as she came out, she unceremoniously straddled Zhou Ye's lap, her boneless arms wrapped around Zhou Ye's neck, and said with a face of grievance, "Overlord, you haven't summoned me for too long... Your personal shadow guard is like a non-existent transparent person..."
"..." Zhou Ye was speechless. This ripe peach-like beautiful woman was never an easy lamp to deal with. To become the leader of the shadow guards, his personal shadow guard, how could she be a simple woman? Don't look at her coquettish and weak appearance. In fact, the lives of people stained on her hands are not few... At least no less than a thousand people have died directly or indirectly in her hands.
However, no matter what, she is Zhou Ye's secret lover who handles those things that Zhou Ye is too lazy to handle. Moreover, she can be regarded as one of Zhou Ye's women, so how could Zhou Ye not appease her a little?
"Which grand gathering have you missed?" Zhou Ye hugged Ying Yi's waist unceremoniously, directly exposing her. "Who secretly sneaked into my arms in the middle of the night a few days ago? Did you think I wouldn't know just because you left before I woke up?"
"There's no way... Overlord always ignores me. As a woman who desires the Overlord's favor, I can only rely on myself..." Ying Yi was not embarrassed by being exposed at all, and even a little secretly pleased. After all, Zhou Ye can feel what she has done through her residual aura, which shows that her Overlord still has her in his heart...
"Slap—" Zhou Ye slapped Ying Yi's thickest part unceremoniously, "Don't talk about those useless things... You know what I called you out for..."
"Overlord... you hit me, it hurts." Ying Yi had a face of grievance, her expression as if Zhou Ye really hit her very hard. "Rub it for me, and I'll tell you..."
"Okay..." Zhou Ye said while rubbing her, "This time, you will be by my side as my personal secretary..."
Zhou Ye would not admit that he was not used to a man running around behind his butt all the time. Compared to that male temporary assistant, Zhou Ye felt that his shadow guard was more pleasing to the eye.
"Really? Overlord..." Ying Yi sat up straight in surprise. From the day she was born, she knew that she was Zhou Ye's shadow, the person who was always hidden behind him. At the critical moment, she had to use her life to ensure Zhou Ye's safety... She did not have the slightest resistance to this mission...
However, that was her duty as a shadow guard, and as Zhou Ye's woman, she also wanted to appear openly by Zhou Ye's side and enjoy the feeling of being envied, jealous, and hated...
It's just that, as a shadow guard, a shadow that shouldn't appear in the bright world. She deeply knew that it was just her extravagant hope... Today, this extravagant hope has finally become a reality—she excitedly asked her man: "Really? Is this real? You're not kidding me, are you..."
"It's true." Zhou Ye looked at Ying Yi, who was already so excited that she was incoherent, and felt a little guilty in his heart. He had watched Ying Yi being born with his own eyes... Zhou Ye still remembered the silly little girl who had just opened her eyes and stared blankly at him, asking himself [Are you my Overlord??]
Decades passed, and the adorable little girl was transformed by him into a ripe, juicy peach... However, her loyalty to him never wavered... Was he perhaps neglecting her too much? Zhou Ye thought with a touch of guilt.
At that moment, Ying Yi had already hopped to the side, rummaging through her spatial wristband, looking like she was turning everything upside down... "Where is it? Why can't I find it?"
"Xiao Yi, what are you looking for?" Perhaps feeling a little guilty, Zhou Ye's voice softened considerably.
"I'm looking for that OL outfit I bought last time... I originally wanted to use it to play games with you, Master... but why can't I find it?" Ying Yi said without looking up.
"..." Zhou Ye was speechless. Had his preferences been completely figured out by his women?
"..." At this moment, Ying Yi suddenly stopped her rummaging, and blankly raised her head, looking at Zhou Ye. "You just... what did you just call me...?"
"...Xiao Yi, what's wrong?" Zhou Ye asked, confused.
"...No, you're not Master... Who are you?" Ying Yi suddenly jumped onto Zhou Ye, baring her teeth and looking like she was about to fight him to the death. "Master never calls me Xiao Yi... not even during... that time... even though I begged him so much..."
"...That's because your name is too advantageous..." Zhou Ye rolled his eyes and said speechlessly.
"I can't help it... Who told me to be the leader of Shadow Guard Unit One?" Ying Yi said with a hint of smugness. Actually, she was just joking with Zhou Ye... It could be said that after decades of being inseparable, Ying Yi knew Zhou Ye's habits like the back of her hand. Even the slightest movement could allow her to distinguish whether it was Zhou Ye or not. After all, anyone who had watched a person for decades would be able to do so.
Ying Yi, who understood her man, knew that Zhou Ye was feeling guilty just now... She just wanted to dispel the guilt in her man's heart through this method... But now it seemed that the effect was not very good, because Ying Yi still saw a trace of apology in Zhou Ye's eyes.
Ying Yi once again curled her entire body into Zhou Ye's arms, and whispered in his ear: "Don't feel guilty, darling, because your little Ying feels very satisfied... While other women can only see you once every few days, I can see you every day... I feel very happy, so I am willing to always be the woman behind you, your eternal shadow..."
"Isn't it hard?" Zhou Ye gently stroked Ying Yi's smooth, long hair and asked in a low voice.
"It's hard... Every time I see you with other women, I have to endure it very hard... So every time after it's over, I secretly sneak into your arms and fend for myself..." Ying Yi smiled like a little fox who had stolen a chicken... Her beautiful eyes narrowed into slits.
"..." Zhou Ye couldn't help but roll his eyes. This girl really didn't take a loss. "We're almost there. Aren't you going to change your clothes?"
"Ah... That's right." Ying Yi said, and couldn't care less about snuggling in her master's arms and acting coquettishly. She began rummaging through her treasures again...
Finally, before the convoy arrived at the Seoul Umbrella Hotel, Ying Yi found her black OL suit. While complaining that the driver was driving too fast, she changed her clothes.
Faced with Ying Yi's complaints, Zhou Ye was already speechless. Ying Yi wasn't just changing clothes, she was completely seducing him. It was estimated that if there wasn't enough time, she would have dared to dance a striptease in the car in front of him.
In the end... Zhou Ye originally called Ying Yi out to find out about the current situation of the girl he had been raising outside, but... he didn't ask anything... Whose fault was this?
Thinking of this, Zhou Ye, who had just put his arm around Ying Yi and got out of the car, couldn't help but slap Ying Yi's fleshy part again...
"..." Ying Yi bit her lips tightly, her eyebrows lowered, and her body trembled, looking like she was aggrieved and dared not speak out. The people in the hotel all felt sorry for this beautiful young woman, and even a few Koreans rolled up their sleeves, eager to play the hero to save the beauty.
However, when they saw the tall and strong Umbrella employees walking out of the other vehicles, they all shrank back... A hero can't stand a crowd...
They could only helplessly watch Zhou Ye swaggeringly put his arm around the perfect young woman and walk into the hotel...
Chapter 545
The top floor of the Umbrella Hotel, the presidential suite that was never open to the public, finally welcomed its owner today. This was the first time that the presidential suite reserved for the hotel had welcomed its owner.
The Umbrella Hotel Group, under the Umbrella Corporation, has more than 300 hotels in more than 100 countries around the world, with a total of 1.05 million rooms...
Of course, this is not the point. The point is that every hotel under the Umbrella Hotel Group has a presidential suite with the best location, the most complete facilities, and the most luxurious decoration... And this presidential suite is not open to the public. Its only owner is always Zhou Ye, the master of Umbrella.
Although Zhou Ye may never stay in a certain hotel, the Umbrella Hotel Group still reserves this presidential suite. In their words, money is nothing, loyalty to the master is priceless.
At this moment, Zhou Ye was comfortably sitting on the comfortable sofa in the presidential suite, enjoying Ying Yi's massage service...
"Zhao Hailun, born in 1980, is now seventeen years old..." Ying Yi massaged Zhou Ye's shoulders while describing the information her man wanted to know. "She was born into a wealthy family. Her father, Zhao Zhiyuan, is the CEO of a medium-sized import and export trading company, and her mother, Jin Yanmei, is a full-time housewife..."
"Hmm..." Zhou Ye closed his eyes, enjoying Ying Yi's service. It would be nonsense to say that he was tired, he was just enjoying the feeling of being surrounded by beauty...
"From the age of six, Zhao Hailun demonstrated an intelligence far exceeding her peers. After our covert testing, her IQ is a staggering 220, making her a true genius..." Ying Yi continued, unfazed, "At ten, she completed the elementary and middle school curriculum through self-study. A private high school exceptionally admitted her... And a year later, she successfully graduated from that private high school and was admitted to Seoul University... Currently, she is pursuing her third doctoral degree, and I hear she has chosen biological genetics this time..."
"She's a real academic powerhouse..." Zhou Ye muttered, rolling his eyes. "What other information do you have?"
"Other information..." Ying Yi chuckled, "According to the reports from the Shadow Guards following her, she's completely immersed in the ocean of knowledge, a bit of a ditz, really. To her, dates and the like are far less important than experiments... Moreover, her incredibly high level of education is a significant barrier that deters many men."
"So, nothing uncontrollable has happened, right?" Zhou Ye asked, satisfied.
"Of course not. Even if something uncontrollable were to happen, we would make it controllable..." Ying Yi said confidently. She had great faith in her Shadow Guards. Any one of them could easily beat some so-called superheroes to a pulp. That wouldn't be a problem at all.
Moreover, the most terrifying aspect of the Shadow Guards wasn't their strength, but their ever-concealed presence. An unseen blade is the deadliest blade. Even the most powerful hero can fall victim to a hidden arrow. They aren't samurai or heroes. For them, as long as the mission is completed, no means are off-limits. If absolutely necessary, the Umbrella Corporation is their most solid backing. Requesting support is a good idea.
With Umbrella's current global presence, Umbrella's armed support forces can reach any country or location within fifteen minutes... and engage in combat.
Zhou Ye was very satisfied with Ying Yi's answer... After all, he wouldn't be pleased if something unexpected happened just when the little lamb he had reserved had grown up and was ready to be eaten... When he was unhappy, he would definitely make the other party even more unhappy.
"However, Master, we have recently discovered something interesting..." Xiao Ying said, throwing herself into Zhou Ye's arms.
"Oh? What is it?" Zhou Ye frowned. Could someone be trying to snatch his little lamb? That would be a death wish...
"No, no... it's not what you think..." Xiao Ying smoothed out the frown on her man's forehead with her delicate hand and said, "We recently discovered that she's been chatting passionately online with someone nicknamed 'my'..."
"Oh? What are they chatting about?" Zhou Ye inadvertently tightened his grip slightly. Xiao Ying frowned slightly and gently bit his ear. "Don't worry, darling. After our investigation, the person nicknamed 'my' is a woman..."
"Oh? Who is she?" Zhou Ye asked curiously.
"Maya Hansen... a PhD who used to specialize in computer science but has become obsessed with biology in recent years..."
"Maya Hansen???" Zhou Ye thought the name sounded familiar.
"The developer of the Extremis virus..." Xiao Ying reminded her man.
"Oh, oh... so it's her..." Zhou Ye nodded, finally remembering who it was.
"They met on an international biological network forum... and have been using MSN to keep in touch ever since..." Ying Yi slowly introduced, "Recently, Maya Hansen has been encouraging your little lamb to study abroad at Stanford University... In her words, biological genetics is an emerging discipline, and Zhao will no longer be able to learn anything at Seoul University. Stanford University, as the world's leading institution for biological studies, can fully satisfy your thirst for knowledge."
"...So?" Zhou Ye believed that Ying Yi wouldn't tell him something unimportant. There must be more to it.
"So... tomorrow, your little lamb might participate in the Umbrella evaluation... darling."
The Umbrella evaluation is actually a case of spending a fortune to recruit talent. The Umbrella evaluation organization, while evaluating the research projects of the universities it is located in, will also hold an evaluation session for all students in the school. All students in the school can sign up. Of course, as long as you pass the tedious preliminary, re-examination, written test, and interview, then you will be eligible to freely choose majors and subjects in all universities that Umbrella can reach...
This is a problem for those universities whose subject rankings are slightly behind, but in the face of Umbrella's large annual investment and research funding, they have to bite the bullet and pretend not to see it...
This has also become the preferred way for some students from poor families to study abroad... You should know that students who have passed the evaluation also enjoy study abroad subsidies issued by Umbrella. Of course, you must first sign a contract of servitude... Only after graduating and working for the Umbrella Corporation can you be eligible for study abroad subsidies.
Even so, there is an endless stream of people signing up every year...
What Zhou Ye found strange was that since Zhao Hailun's family wasn't short of money, why would she want to take this path? You should know that even if you pass the evaluation, Umbrella will not help them get admission without signing a contract of servitude.
At this moment, Park Xin-woo, who had just arrived at the hotel, was bowing and scraping, explaining to his boss on the phone at the front desk why he wasn't with the distinguished guest and why he was being stopped outside the hotel...
"Idiot—don't you know what it means to cater to someone's preferences? If Seoul University's research funding is drastically reduced this time, then you will be a sinner of our Great Cold Country..."
"Yes, Minister, I understand..."
"Bring out all your potential... and get this done for me."
That Minister… I need your help with something…" Park Xin-yu said somewhat timidly.
"What is it?"
"I just found out… that Mr. Zhou Ye brought a beautiful young woman back to the hotel." As Park Xin-yu spoke, he covered the microphone and cautiously glanced at the Miss at the front desk, then whispered, "When I picked him up at the airport, I didn't see any beautiful young woman, so I have reason to believe that this is the work of the Umbrella Corporation's Seoul branch director…"
"Park Xin-yu, you bastard! I told you to curry favor with him, not to investigate his private affairs! If you want to die, don't drag me down with you. Who do you think the major shareholder of Umbrella is? Do you think you can mess with them?" The roar coming from the microphone made Park Xin-yu move the microphone slightly away. "Do you believe that one phone call from them could mobilize the entire US military stationed at our Yongsan base to suppress you and me as anti-government armed forces?"
"No, Minister, you misunderstand me…" Park Xin-yu waited until his immediate superior stopped roaring before hurriedly explaining, "I don't want to pry into Mr. Zhou Ye's privacy, but I'm thinking that Umbrella must be more familiar with their major shareholder than we are… So, can we assume that this Mr. Zhou Ye likes beautiful women? Can we borrow a few people from the cultural world to help me complete this important mission?"
The other end of the line was silent for a moment, then said, "Good, Xin-yu, you've learned to do things with your heart… I'll communicate with the head of the Ministry of Culture about this matter and call you later."
"Yes, Minister…" Park Xin-yu curled his lips. When scolding someone, they use your full name, but when you have a good idea, they only call you by your first name… Really…
Chapter 546
Li Xiaoli is a girl with dreams of becoming a star. At just eighteen years old, she has already been with DSP Media for two years. These two years of trainee life have brought her desire for the stage to its maximum.
Fortunately, the company has already scheduled her to debut as a group with three other girls in a year. This promise makes her practice even harder… It can almost be described as obsessive.
"Ah, Xiaoli-oni is always so early, how can we younger sisters bear it…" A playful girl with slightly dark skin walked into the practice room, changing her dance shoes as she spoke.
"You guys… be more diligent, so you won't get booed on stage…" Xiaoli said while stretching her legs.
Now, she lives with the three younger sisters in the group. In this four-member group, she is the oldest, so, without a doubt, she has become the temporary leader.
"Oni, good morning…"
"Oni, good morning…"
As they spoke, two more girls walked in. They chatted about the popular drama from last night while taking off their coats, changing their shoes, and preparing to warm up…
A dozen minutes later, the warm-up ended—
Xiaoli straightened her back and said with the air of a leader, "Today, let's practice the choreography that was taught to us yesterday fifteen times…"
"Fifteen times? Oh my god, that's going to kill someone, Oni…" Cheng Youli, as the youngest sister in the group, usually likes to act cute the most.
"Yeah, Oni… isn't that a bit too much?" Yu Zhuxian also asked hesitantly.
"You have to know…" Xiaoli hadn't finished speaking when the door to the practice room was opened. Their assistant, Jin Jingyan, walked in with a serious expression and said, "This morning's practice is temporarily canceled. Change your clothes and come with me to the president's office…"
"Did something happen? Oni?" Xiaoli looked at the serious expression on Jin Jingyan's face, who had always taken care of them, and a sense of foreboding arose in her heart.
"No… it's nothing. You'll know when you get there!" Jin Jingyan's hesitant appearance made Xiaoli and the others even more uneasy. They quietly changed their clothes and followed Jin Jingyan towards the president's office on the third floor.
At the door, Jin Jingyan went in first to report to the president, and soon came out and said to the four girls, "Go in, the president is waiting for you."
"Li Xiaoli is here…" Xiaoli greeted as she opened the door, bowing before seeing the president. You have to know that in this country, seniority and hierarchy are taken very seriously. She didn't dare to walk in without bowing, that would be very impolite.
"Yu Zhuxian is here…"
"Li Zhen is here…"
"Cheng Youli is here…"
The other three girls followed suit and walked into the office, which, for them, was no less than a place that determined their fate.
Li Gaoyan looked at the four girls in front of him, and he really couldn't bear it… But, as an entertainment company founded in 1991, he didn't have the strength or power to compete with the senior officials of the Ministry of Culture…
Moreover, the words revealed by the senior official who called him made him even more terrified… Umbrella.
Li Gaoyan may have some assets now, but… if he offended this international behemoth called Umbrella, then wiping him out would only take a matter of minutes…
He, Li Gaoyan, could brazenly say, "I don't give a damn about your Ministry of Culture. At worst, I won't stay in this country; I'll immigrate to another country... start from scratch, and at worst, struggle for another ten years..."
But, what if he offended Umbrella? They wouldn't even need to lift a finger; just a slight hint... and there would be people from both sides of the law eager to please this international behemoth, willing to trade his head for their favor.
In short, he couldn't afford to offend them... Moreover, Li Gaoyan wasn't some impulsive, hot-blooded youth. Throw away nearly ten years of struggle just like that? Impossible... These girls were pretty, but they weren't his... Was it necessary for him to go this far for them? There's no shortage of anything in the entertainment industry, especially beautiful women... they're everywhere...
Thinking this, Li Gaoyan also straightened out his mindset. He had been forced into a corner; he had to comply, whether he wanted to or not... He could always look at things from a different angle. If... if this attempt to curry favor was successful, wouldn't that mean he would be clinging to a powerful backer from now on? What debut in Japan, what debut in the home country, that's all bullshit. With Umbrella's help, you could debut globally...
The more he thought about it, the more logical it seemed, and a hint of a smile crept onto Li Gaoyan's face. "Hyori, how has the president treated you all usually?"
"...The president treats us very well..." Hyori could only say that. What else could she say? That you just wander around and never actually care about us? Only a fool would say that.
"Now... the president is facing a problem. Shouldn't you help the president?" Li Gaoyan's face was smiling like a chrysanthemum... That smile made Hyori feel a little disgusted...
However, she still had to say in a low voice, "President... what exactly is the matter? If we can help, we definitely will..."
The other three girls had completely relinquished their right to speak to their unni.
"Now... the president has encountered such a thing..." Li Gaoyan said with some difficulty, looking at the girls, noting each of their expressions in his heart. It seemed he would have to talk to them separately later... "Just now, an official from the Ministry of Culture called me, hoping that I could send a few girls to accompany a distinguished guest..."
"No... absolutely not..." Hearing this, Hyori didn't need to hear any further to know what her president meant. She directly rejected Li Gaoyan's words with a frosty expression.
The other three girls also looked at Li Gaoyan with horror, the president who usually seemed somewhat amiable now looked somewhat ferocious at this moment...
"...I knew it would be like this. It seems I still have to talk to them one by one..." Li Gaoyan muttered to himself, then said to Hyori, "Hyori, you stay, the other three go wait outside the door for a while..."
"Why... we won't leave unni here alone..."
"That's right, we will definitely not abandon unni..."
"We won't leave..."
Li Gaoyan sighed weakly, then comforted them, "Don't worry, I will definitely not do anything to your unni, I'm just talking to her, and Jingyan is here too, what are you afraid of..."
"It's okay... you guys go out first, I'll be fine." Hyori didn't want to make things too tense. After all, she still wanted to debut on stage. If she really fell out with the company, it would be normal for them to shelve her for ten years. They had all signed fifteen-year contracts...
"Then... unni, be careful. If anything happens, shout loudly, and we'll rush in to save you immediately." Yuzhu Xian, the second oldest in the group, looked at Li Gaoyan directly with a threatening gaze.
"Yeah... thank you!" Hyori felt her eyes were a little blurry. With such good sisters, what did she have to fear?
The three girls filed out one after another, each giving Li Gaoyan a fierce glare before leaving...
Li Gaoyan didn't care about these little girls' actions at all. He believed that when these girls knew what they were about to face, they would definitely be as helpless as he had been just now...
Chapter 547
"Would you like coffee or black tea?" In the office, only Li Gaoyan, Jin Jingyan, and Hyori were left for the time being. To ease the tense atmosphere between the two sides, Li Gaoyan stood up and asked.
"Plain water is fine..." Hyori sat uneasily opposite Li Gaoyan, planning to shout for help if anything went wrong... Her trust in Li Gaoyan had dropped to freezing point.
"..." Li Gaoyan didn't care about Hyori's somewhat hostile gaze. He stood up directly, poured a cup of plain water for Hyori in a disposable paper cup, and then placed it in front of her.
"Do you know? When I received the call from the Ministry of Culture official just now, my heart was also filled with anger..." Li Gaoyan tried his best to make his expression look indignant.
"..." Hyori held the paper cup in her hands, neither drinking nor speaking... She didn't drink because she didn't know if there was anything hidden inside... Drinking a drink given to you by someone who has revealed malice towards you is something only a fool would do... And she didn't speak in order to see how this president would perform...
Anyway, she had already made up her mind to resist to the death... At worst, she would be shelved; what was the big deal?
"But... when that official told me who I was supposed to accompany... I shamefully succumbed..." Lee Go-yeon continued his monologue, even turning on the office television as he spoke... It was morning news time.
Originally, his purpose in turning on the television was just to ease the atmosphere between them. After all, if only he was talking, the atmosphere would be awkward, and such an atmosphere would make people concentrate and pay attention... which would not be conducive to his persuasion later.
But heaven was merciful, perhaps unwilling to see him so troubled... The Seoul morning news was broadcasting exactly the news he wanted to see most—
[We interrupt this program for breaking news. The educational foundation affiliated with the Umbrella Corporation of the United States has arrived in Seoul today. According to insiders, they will conduct their annual project evaluation of Seoul University. Seoul University has always been one of the schools supported by the Umbrella Educational Foundation...]
What followed was a long report introducing the Umbrella Corporation and its affiliated educational foundation... The report practically portrayed the Umbrella Educational Foundation as a judging institution representing the international advanced level of education, claiming that universities receiving project funding from this institution were world-class...
Hyo-ri, who had been keeping her head down, noticed that her president had suddenly fallen silent. She couldn't help but curiously raise her head to see what he was doing... When she saw Lee Go-yeon watching the news with rapt attention, she couldn't help but turn her attention to the television as well.
More than ten minutes later, this lengthy news report, almost on par with a head of state visiting Seoul, finally ended... Through the news, Hyo-ri finally gained a preliminary understanding of this Umbrella Corporation... It was huge... immense... incomparably immense...
"Do you know who the Ministry of Culture wants you to accompany?" Lee Go-yeon asked Hyo-ri again after the news ended.
"...I don't know..." Although she didn't know, Hyo-ri had already made some guesses based on the president's somewhat strange and abnormal behavior just now.
"It's the major shareholder of this Umbrella..." Lee Go-yeon said helplessly, "If it were just the instructions of certain people in the Ministry of Education, I could still resist... Although I, Lee Go-yeon, can't be called a good person, I still can't bring myself to sell out my employees..."
"Why? Umbrella is just an American company..." Hyo-ri asked, puzzled. She had already been led into Lee Go-yeon's trap.
"You really think Umbrella is just a company?" Lee Go-yeon smiled mockingly, then turned the computer screen in front of him to face Hyo-ri, saying, "Take a look... see how powerful this American company you speak of is..."
Hyo-ri stood up slightly, leaned on the table, and looked at the information on the computer screen. This information could be said to be the most complete information that Lee Go-yeon could collect...
Each headline was shocking...
[An African country accuses the Umbrella Corporation of rudely interfering in its internal affairs...]
[The speaker of a South American country's parliament died of a heart attack the day after suing the Umbrella Corporation in The Hague. Authoritative medical experts say this was purely an accident, denouncing certain organizations that stir up trouble for demonizing the Umbrella Corporation.]
[Security companies under the Umbrella Corporation appeared in the Gulf War, and their performance attracted the attention of various countries...]
Various kinds of information, various kinds of news... Many of them were old news...
The more Hyo-ri looked, the more frightened she became... She felt that at this moment, she truly saw the truth of a corner of this world, but this truth made her feel scared...
"This information has long been deleted from the internet..." Lee Go-yeon continued to put pressure on Hyo-ri. "This was collected by a journalist friend of mine... and he told me to read it quickly, otherwise, it would be deleted from the internet in no more than an hour..."
Just as he was speaking, Hyo-ri watched in horror as the computer screen in front of her flashed and went black... Then, the burnt smell of melting circuit boards wafted out...
"Aish, my computer..." Lee Go-yeon wailed, looking at his smoking host.
"If... I mean... if I refuse them... what will happen?" Hyo-ri asked blankly, sitting in her chair, watching the president frantically trying to save his computer host.
"Hehe..." Lee Go-yeon finally gave up on the mission of saving his host, slumped back in his seat, and smiled bitterly, "I don't know... I don't know what will happen..."
"Then... will everything be alright?" Hyo-ri looked at her president with hope in her eyes. She really wanted to hear Lee Go-yeon say that everything might be alright.
But to her disappointment, what Lee Go-yeon said was: "I saw you were looking at it seriously just now, so I didn't scroll down to see the rest of the information... There's a report about someone who resisted Umbrella..."
"He... what happened to him?" Hyo-ri asked hopefully.
"The whole family died..." When Lee Go-yeon said this, he felt a gust of cold wind blowing straight into his neck... He couldn't help but shrink his neck and then said, "So... it's not that I'm forcing you... I'm also being forced to make a choice. Hyo-ri, as a senior who has been in the entertainment industry for a few years... I advise you... it's better to choose to yield. This circle is not as glamorous as outsiders see it. Even if you lucky escape Umbrella's coercion today, you may encounter other coercion tomorrow... Instead of that, you might as well cling to a thick thigh, so that someone can shield you from the wind and rain... Your path to stardom will also be smoother!"
The following words can truly be called Lee Go-yeon's heartfelt words... He also wanted to indirectly cling to Umbrella's thick thighs.
"...I...I know...President..." Hyo-ri was a little dazed... Only after truly understanding Umbrella did she know what a desperate existence it was. Not to mention that she was just an ordinary person, even the speaker of a small country would be killed if they said so, and after the killing, someone would jump out to help them justify it...
Even if she wasn't afraid of death, she had to think about her family... At this moment, Hyori finally yielded... She stood up weakly and bowed to Lee Goyeon, "I know what to do... President, I'll go back and touch up my makeup first..."
"Go ahead..." Lee Goyeon waved his hand, feeling a little unbearable... Seeing a lively and cheerful girl turn into this, although he felt bad, he had no choice but to continue... Otherwise, he was afraid that he would be the one crying with no tears later.
"When you go out, call Yuzhuxian in..." Lee Goyeon's words made Hyori's body stiffen, but she quickly regained her composure. She knew that none of the four sisters could escape... "I understand..."
Chapter 548
"We're here..." Lee Goyeon, sitting in the passenger seat of the van, looked at the extremely luxurious five-star hotel in front of him... He turned his head and said to the four girls sitting in the back seat, "Let's get out of the car..."
"..." The four girls resisted silently, but... they still obediently got out of the car... Looking at the luxurious Umbrella Hotel, for some reason, the four girls felt that the red and white umbrella-shaped logo in the center of the hotel logo was so dazzling that they couldn't help but start shedding tears silently again...
Naturally, they weren't gullible people, so after Lee Goyeon explained the ins and outs of the matter to them, they returned to their dormitory and checked it out online...
Although they didn't find any negative news about Umbrella... the immense size of Umbrella still made them feel incredibly hopeless... It could be said that Umbrella was a behemoth spanning multiple industries such as armaments, mechanical manufacturing, biopharmaceuticals, chemicals, resources, shipbuilding, and so on... Facing this monster, what could the four weak girls do to resist?
In the end, they could only choose to obey...
"Don't cry... Your makeup is ruined again..." Lee Goyeon's persuasion only made the four girls cry even harder...
"Waaah... Waaah... Unnie... I haven't even been in love yet... I don't want to accompany an old man..." The youngest, Sung Yuri, couldn't help but hug Hyori and cry bitterly...
"..." Hyori could only remain silent at this time. When had she ever been in love? She had given up too much for the stage... But now...
"Wah..."
"I don't want to accompany that old man either..."
Hearing Yuri's cries, the other two girls couldn't help but hug Hyori and cry bitterly... They also had given up too much with their yearning for the stage. Boyfriends? How could they dare? But daring not to didn't mean they had no yearning for love... Which girl didn't harbor spring? They also had yearnings for love... But now...
"...Don't cry..." The four girls crying in each other's arms in front of the Umbrella Hotel was simply too eye-catching... Lee Goyeon was as anxious as an ant on a hot pot, pacing around in circles, but he couldn't hit or scold these girls... He could only worry anxiously.
At this time, a middle-aged man wearing glasses and a black suit appeared in front of him, with a condescending expression on his face, and directly questioned, "Are you Lee Goyeon?"
"You must be Director Park Xin-yu... It's a pleasure to meet you..." Lee Goyeon had dealt with people in officialdom quite a bit. In his opinion, this man had a strong official aura, and he would definitely not mistake him.
"This is the merchandise you brought?" Park Xin-yu ignored Lee Goyeon's outstretched hand and directly pointed at the four girls crying in each other's arms, saying, "We're entertaining VIPs this time, and you brought me these four pieces of trash?"
"Don't..." Lee Goyeon hurriedly took a step forward, came to Park Xin-yu's side, and whispered in his ear, "That's precisely why these four girls are pure... Maybe that lord likes this kind of thing?"
"Hmm... That's true." Park Xin-yu thought for a moment and realized that this was indeed the case. After all, no man liked a woman who was more experienced than him... Then who was playing who? Thinking of this, Park Xin-yu whispered, "Quickly tell them to stop crying. What kind of decorum is it to cry and sob here?"
"Okay, okay, Director, I'll persuade them now..." Lee Goyeon agreed while running to the girls' side and whispering, "Ladies, don't cry... What's there to cry about... Don't all women have to go through this?"
His persuasion was worse than no persuasion. The four girls cried even louder...
Finally, Lee Goyeon was driven to desperation, "Alright, alright, we're not going... At worst, I'll sell the company and your whole family will die..."
Hearing Lee Goyeon's words, the four girls suddenly felt a chill... They remembered that terrifying Umbrella Consortium again... One by one, they gradually stopped their tears...
"That's right..." Lee Goyeon took tissues from the assistant and handed them to the girls, saying, "Maybe this VIP is a handsome young man? Then you'll have made a big profit and have a backer... And you'll have met a handsome young man..."
He was purely talking nonsense with his eyes open. Although no photos of the Umbrella Consortium's executives had been exposed... in his mind, anyone who owned shares in this behemoth of a consortium was either an old man or close to it...
The four girls knew very well that the president was just comforting them... However, they couldn't help but start fantasizing. In fact, their requirements were really low... low enough that as long as the other party wasn't the kind of old geezer with a big belly and a face full of age spots, it would be fine.
When the four girls walked into the hotel behind Lee Goyeon and Park Xin-yu... they were first stunned by the luxurious decorations of the hotel... If it were normal times, they would definitely be jumping up and down with joy if they could come here to play, but... today, when they thought of what they were about to lose, they had no mood to play at all...
The four girls nervously followed the two men into the elevator, all the way to the top floor... Then, they stepped out of the elevator and, led by Park Xin-yu, headed towards the stairwell...
"Isn't this... isn't this already the top floor?" The youngest, You Li, noticed this detail and asked cautiously.
"This isn't the top floor..." Sensing victory within reach, Park Xin-yu's spirits lifted, and he was now interested in answering the girl's question. "Didn't you notice how many floors this hotel has?"
"Isn't it sixty-eight floors?" Xiao Li stated the highest floor number button on the elevator...
"Heh heh... In fact, it's sixty-nine floors," Park Xin-yu explained. "It's just that we're not qualified to ride the elevator that goes directly to the sixty-ninth floor, so... we can only go to the sixty-eighth floor and then walk up ourselves..."
"Why? If it's a hotel room... why doesn't the elevator reach the top floor?" This time, it was Li Zhen who asked.
"Because that floor is never open to the public..." Park Xin-yu had only just found out about it. "That floor is specially reserved for the one above... All Umbrella hotels have such a reserved room..."
Hearing Park Xin-yu's words, the four girls felt a wave of power and influence wash over them... What is high-end? What is luxury? This is it...
The group had just reached the entrance to the sixty-ninth floor when they were stopped by a dozen bodyguards who looked like Terminator robots, tall and muscular. "Who are you? This place is not open to the public. You've come to the wrong place."
"Um, everyone, I'm Park Xin-yu from the Ministry of Education, here to pick up Mr. Zhou Ye from the airport..." Park Xin-yu explained. "I was thinking that Mr. Zhou Ye is visiting Seoul for the first time and isn't familiar with the area, so I'm introducing him to a few guides..."
"Our..." The bodyguard standing in front of Park Xin-yu was about to refuse when he was suddenly slapped on the back of the head, causing him to stumble...
"Idiot!" A battle soldier, equally tall and muscular, walked out from behind the bodyguard. It was An Dou Dou, who Zhou Ye used to tease... When Umbrella entered this world, he was brought in as well... Now he is a supervisor in the Umbrella Security Company.
As a battle soldier who had followed Zhou Ye for quite some time, An Dou Dou knew his master too well: better to kill the innocent than to let the guilty go free... His master would definitely not let go of these four beauties who could be considered little sweethearts... If you send them away, where will you find them when your master asks about it?
"An Head... Why did you hit me?" The beaten battle soldier asked blankly.
"Idiot, you've been following the master for nothing. Don't you know what kind of person he is?" An Dou Dou waved his hand and said, "These four can go in... As for you? We'll let you know when my master is interested..."
With his words, the surrounding bodyguards quickly separated the six people, isolating the four girls inside the passage, while blocking the two men outside.
Chapter 549
The four girls, Xiao Li and the others, who had been separated by the battle soldiers, looked helplessly at their president...
After all, they were too young. Even the oldest, Xiao Li, was only just eighteen years old this year... Faced with such a situation, they were all at a loss...
"Go in... Don't worry, it'll be alright..." Even though he was separated, Li Gao Yan loudly instructed the girls, "Remember what I told you on the way... Go in..."
"Oh..." Xiao Li nodded uneasily, while the other three girls were now tightly holding each other's hands in fear... How could they not be afraid in the face of these fierce-looking battle soldiers?
"Ladies, please follow me..." An Dou Dou tried his best to restrain his baleful aura, forcibly contorting his face in an attempt to give the four girls a kind smile... But he failed. No matter how you looked at it, he looked more like a butcher than a clown.
"Y-yes..." Xiao Li's voice was trembling... There was no way around it, An Dou Dou looked too menacing.
"Looks like the warm man style doesn't suit me..." An Dou Dou muttered to himself as he took the lead and walked towards the depths of the corridor...
"Xiao Li Unnie... What should we do...?"
"Unnie, I'm scared..."
"I'm scared too, Unnie..."
"Actually, I'm very scared too..." As the eldest sister, the only thing Xiao Li could do now was to be the one to embolden her three younger sisters. "Let's go in... For our families..."
Hearing their Unnie mention their families... the three girls fell silent. They had already come this far, and they could only go in... Thinking of this, the four girls looked at each other, a move that was both mutual encouragement and a way to build courage, slightly dispelling the unease in their hearts...
The four girls, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, strode towards the depths of the corridor with the same attitude as revolutionaries going to the execution ground... To be honest, although the corridor was brightly lit... they inexplicably felt as if they were stepping into the bloody maw of a giant beast.
Trembling with fear... shuffling their feet... the four girls finally arrived at the door of the room that would determine their future fate—
An Dou Dou had been waiting here for a long time... Seeing the four girls slowly approaching with an unwilling look on their faces, he smiled and knocked on his master's door...
"What is it?" Zhou Ye's slightly displeased voice came from the intercom on the door.
"Master, that Park Xin-yu said he brought you four tour guides…" Hearing the dissatisfaction in Zhou Ye's voice, An Doudou hurriedly said.
"Oh… I don't need…" Zhou Ye's words stopped abruptly… His tone changed, "Let them come in themselves… You go busy yourself!"
"Yes, Master." An Doudou said, opening the door and gesturing for the four girls to enter… He knew that his master's change of heart must mean he had taken a liking to one of the girls…
At this moment, Zhou Ye, inside the bathroom, was watching the activity outside with interest through the personal terminal on his wrist… Actually, he originally had no interest in seeing those so-called tour guides, but… he saw a familiar figure—Lee Hyori…
"Interesting… This is too interesting… I can see her in this world too?" Zhou Ye looked at the three-dimensional projection in front of him and said to himself with a smile. You have to know that there was a time when he was quite infatuated with this girl… That slender waist… That dancing body… Heh heh.
"Darling, have you discovered something fun?" Xiao Ying lazily squeezed into her man's arms, looked at the three-dimensional projection in front of her man, and smiled: "Oh, four little beauties, darling, are you interested in them?"
"Of course… This is someone I used to be infatuated with…" Zhou Ye's words stunned Xiao Ying. Her man being infatuated with someone? This was simply unimaginable to her…
"Then do you need me to avoid them for a while?" Xiao Ying asked tentatively.
"No need, I'll go see them…" Zhou Ye said, standing up, stepping out of the bathtub. Xiao Ying hurriedly followed, grabbing a towel and helping her man wipe the water droplets from his body…
"Rest for a while and come out early, soaking for too long is not good for the skin…" Zhou Ye instructed, then walked out of the bathroom. Xiao Ying obediently responded, then shrank back into the bathtub. She took out a few black dots from her bracelet with great interest and threw them out…
The black dots directly turned into a black light that was difficult to see with the naked eye and disappeared into the bathroom. Then, Xiao Ying opened her personal terminal and completed the network connection with those spy mechanical insects that had been released—instantly, the images in the house appeared in front of her…
Xiao Ying said that she definitely didn't want to peep, she was just very curious about how her man would treat the object of his previous infatuation…
And at this moment—the four girls, like four frightened rabbits, walked into the suite uneasily and stood at the door—
Faced with the ultimate luxury of the presidential suite, they felt awkward, afraid of accidentally breaking something that they couldn't afford to pay for even if they sold themselves…
"Annyeonghaseyo—Excuse me… Is anyone here?" In the end, Hyori, the oldest, carefully faced the empty living room and greeted…
However, saying it was a greeting, in reality… the sound was barely louder than a cat's meow…
This almost made Zhou Ye, who had just walked out, burst out laughing. This girl, who would be called the Nation's Fairy in the future, actually looked as cute as a frightened kitten now…
Zhou Ye simply didn't bother to change his clothes and walked straight out…
"Y-You, hello…" The four girls didn't even have time to see what the person who came out looked like before they hurriedly bowed ninety degrees… Their president's instructions and what they had seen and heard along the way filled them with awe for this major shareholder of Umbrella who had just come out… To be precise, it should be fear far outweighing respect.
Zhou Ye leisurely walked to the sofa in front of the four people and sat down. He looked at the four girls' slightly trembling bodies and couldn't help but ask, "Am I that scary?"
"N-No, it's not…" Hyori said tremblingly. At this time, she heard Zhou Ye's voice, and it seemed that this person's voice was not old, which made her feel a little relieved…
"Since I'm not scary, then why are you trembling?" Zhou Ye asked with interest, able to tease this fairy… Zhou Ye felt very happy… After all, he had been infatuated with her for a while.
"W-We're just excited…" Hyori listened to Zhou Ye's voice, magnetic and gentle, which made her curious about what the owner of this voice looked like… As she spoke, she quietly raised her head…
Golden, medium-length hair… A handsome and unparalleled face… A strong and well-proportioned body… All of this formed a man like a god…
Hyori knew for the first time that a man's body could be so beautiful… The undried water droplets on this man's hair dripped onto his body one by one, slowly sliding across his upper body along the ravines formed by his muscles…
Hyori couldn't help but feel… that the temperature in this room seemed a little too high, why did she suddenly feel so thirsty…
The youngest, Yuri, suddenly couldn't hear her unnie speaking anymore. She couldn't help but raise her head slightly. The first time she saw Zhou Ye, she couldn't help but widen her eyes… covering her mouth with her hand, "Ah————!!!!"
How could it be Yuri…"
"Don't bully Yuri, come at me if you have a problem… You old lecher…"
Yuri's outburst stirred the other two girls, who jumped up, ready to fight to protect their sister… However, when they saw Zhou Ye… they were speechless.
The group of girls stared wide-eyed, their faces full of surprise, which made Zhou Ye couldn't help but laugh…
Chapter 550
"Excuse me, are you Mr. Zhou Ye, a shareholder of the Umbrella Corporation?" Xiao Li asked cautiously.
"Yes, that's me." Zhou Ye looked at this national enchantress with interest and smiled, "Is there something you need from me?"
Hearing Zhou Ye admit his identity, Xiao Li was overjoyed… The smile on her face became even sweeter. "Actually… we were sent by Director Park Xin-yu to receive you…"
These were the words Park Xin-yu had repeated countless times. No matter what, he had to mention his name to make an impression on Zhou Ye… This could only benefit his future political career…
"Receive me?" Zhou Ye's lips curled up, revealing a playful smile.
Zhou Ye could guess what kind of entertainment government officials would provide… "Have you done this kind of reception many times?"
"No, no, this is our first time…" Hearing Zhou Ye's slightly disdainful tone, Xiao Li hurriedly explained, not wanting Zhou Ye to misunderstand her for some reason…
"That's right… It was Park Xin-yu who forced our president, and the president who forced us…" Yuri, who was always quick to speak her mind, blurted out…
"Oh… So I should thank this Park Xin-yu…" Zhou Ye's words made Xiao Li and the other girls feel like they had fallen into an ice cave. Hearing this, Zhou Ye's once somewhat glorious image in their hearts instantly shattered…
Xiao Li couldn't help but mock herself in her heart. Yes, how could I have thought that this handsome young man would be on our side? He must have been born into a wealthy family. To him… what else do ordinary girls like us have besides beauty? We're just their toys…
However, Zhou Ye's next words made Xiao Li's heart couldn't help but feel a hint of sweetness…
"Thanks to him, I was able to meet you beautiful girls… Otherwise, as a newcomer, I wouldn't be able to find you even if I wanted to…" Zhou Ye had been observing the expressions of the four girls, seeing through these four inexperienced young women…
"Alright, since you're here to accompany me… how long are you planning to stand at the door?" Zhou Ye smiled slightly, patted the seat beside him, and motioned for them to come over and sit there…
Seeing Zhou Ye's action, Xiao Li couldn't help but slowly walk over and obediently sat beside Zhou Ye… And her three little sisters also sat down next to her…
"…" Zhou Ye looked at the four girls sitting in a row, speechless and rolled his eyes. "Are you lining up to share the spoils?"
"But…" Zhou Ye's words made Xiao Li feel uncomfortable. She originally thought he would be different from other men, but…
"But what?" Zhou Ye liked the feeling of being able to change the mood of someone who had once been infatuated with him with just a few words. At this moment, he planned to play a domineering CEO forcing himself on her scene… "Are you planning to just accompany me like this?"
With the questioning, Zhou Ye's face became stern. Hundreds of years of being in a high position, hundreds of years of treating human lives like grass, had naturally cultivated a kind of temperament in Zhou Ye. When he tensed up his face, even Nova, the New Star Supreme who had been in a high position for a long time, felt frightened when she saw him, and didn't dare to disobey Zhou Ye's meaning. Of course, Guan Guan, that masochist, was an exception. In Guan Guan's words, she just loved Zhou Ye's expression, begging for a whipping…
Looking at Zhou Ye's stern face, Xiao Li's heart couldn't help but beat faster… Cold sweat broke out on her forehead… In her heart, a voice was telling her loudly, don't disobey him, don't resist him… or you will die…
"Y-yes…" Xiao Li trembled and stood up, then obediently sat on Zhou Ye's lap, burying her little head deeply behind Zhou Ye's back…
At this time, her heart was filled with mixed feelings, including grievances… dissatisfaction… fear… sadness… If it hadn't been for Zhou Ye's intimidation just now, she would have probably burst into tears long ago.
The other girls also sat down on both sides of Zhou Ye tremblingly, holding Zhou Ye's arms with their hands… To be honest, Zhou Ye could feel their trembling bodies through his arms…
Now, two people sat on Zhou Ye's left and right, and Xiao Li sat directly on Zhou Ye's lap, instantly all the seats around Zhou Ye were taken… This almost made Yuri, who was a step slower, cry. She stood in front of Zhou Ye, looking back and forth in a loss, trying to find a place for herself…
"Dance for me…" Zhou Ye's voice sounded faintly, and the flustered Yuri immediately felt like she had heard heavenly music. She hurriedly ran to Zhou Ye's front, threw off her high heels, and started dancing barefoot on the carpet…
To be honest… she didn't dance very well… After all, they were still in the training stage, and… the current world doesn't favor s.e.x.y dances, but more like the kind of extremely ancient dance in Zhou Ye's eyes—Disco.
While Youli was dancing, Hyori was actually subtly turning her face, secretly watching her sister's dance while observing Zhou Ye's expression… She saw that Zhou Ye's expression really couldn't be described as liking it…
Especially influenced by Zhou Ye's increasingly ugly expression, her sister's dance steps became more and more error-prone… She had long abandoned the fantasy that Zhou Ye would be a good man… At this time, she had completely corrected her position with Zhou Ye and no longer dared to harbor any illusions about him… In fact, there was still a little… It was just hidden extremely deep, waiting to sprout.
"Or… or let me dance… Youli, Youli might be a little uncomfortable today…" Hyori said, carefully observing Zhou Ye's expression… To be honest, even after being treated like this by Zhou Ye, she still thought Zhou Ye was too handsome…
"Oh?" Zhou Ye looked at Hyori with interest, his hand slowly moving on her waist, and said playfully, "You know my identity, right?"
"Y-yes…" Hyori nodded with difficulty.
"Then do you know what happens to those who play with me?" Zhou Ye had become addicted to playing the tough guy game, and when he said this, he felt like a gangster himself…
"K-know…" Hyori looked at Zhou Ye, as if in those golden pupils, she saw mountains of corpses and seas of blood… Saw the scene of blood red dyeing the sky… Even so, she still wanted to help her little sister.
Biting her lip, Hyori said, "I… I will definitely dance a dance that will satisfy you…"
"I look forward to your performance." Zhou Ye smiled, he gently released his arm that was hugging Hyori's slender waist, and then made a gesture of invitation…
Hyori took a deep breath and stood up… walked to Youli who was about to cry. "You have already performed very well, leave the rest to me…"
"Oni…" Youli looked at her sister walking over, almost crying… After hugging her sister reluctantly, Youli walked towards the sofa, but when she wanted to sit aside, she found Zhou Ye patting his leg at her…
Not daring to resist, Youli could only aggrievedly replace her sister's previous position… becoming Zhou Ye's new pillow.
Chapter 551
Although with a moment of impulsiveness, Hyori went up to save her little sister, but when she really faced Zhou Ye's teasing gaze, she was a little at a loss…
It can be said that the four of them belong to the same group, what Youli knows, she also knows… What Youli doesn't know, she naturally doesn't know either… Obviously, Youli's dance just now couldn't satisfy this overbearing man, so what can she dance?
Zhou Ye looked at Hyori standing in front of him, looking uneasy, and almost laughed out loud… This girl, her mouth is faster than her brain… However, Zhou Ye didn't really want to do anything to these four girls, after all, although girls are for playing with, playing too much and scaring them would not be good…
Thinking of this, Zhou Ye said leisurely: "A dancer… must dance out their inner voice, I want to see your dance of the heart…"
Zhou Ye's words, like a flash of lightning, instantly illuminated the haze in Hyori's heart, at this moment, she forgot all external factors, forgot the power of Umbrella, forgot the grievances of being forced… Letting go of her heart…
Between a smile and a frown, in every twist and movement, Hyori danced out her inner yearning for the stage, as well as her dissatisfaction with Zhou Ye…
In Hyori's dance steps, she transformed into a fairy, teasing Zhou Ye, the big villain, to her heart's content… She seemed to be the only protagonist in this dance world, and everything else was reduced to her foil…
After a dance—Hyori was still immersed in the state just now, unable to extricate herself…
It wasn't until Hyori adjusted her breathing evenly that she realized that her little sisters were looking at her with a surprised gaze… And the big villain in her mind was also looking at her with a playful gaze.
"What kind of big villain am I in your mind…" Zhou Ye said with a smile, although Zhou Ye didn't understand dancing very well, he had already seen a lot from Hyori's smile and frown just now…
"A bad guy who forcibly forces others to do things they don't want to do…" Hyori also went all out, she directly said, ignoring the constant winks her little sisters were giving her.
"Oh? Interesting…" Zhou Ye was not angry, he smiled and said, "Then, now this villain wants to force you to do something you dislike even more…"
"What do you want to do…" Hyori couldn't help but hug her chest with both hands, looking alert.
"Striptease… can you do it? Do a segment…" Zhou Ye's casual words almost made Hyori's lungs explode…
"What? Don't want to?" Zhou Ye smiled… This kind of game made him feel very interesting, so he didn't mind continuing to play.
"You're dreaming…" Even though she had expected something to happen when she came here, but… when it came to the point, she was still a little unwilling… Hyori refused with a pale face.
"You will be willing…" Zhou Ye said, gently tapping the center console on the coffee table, and the super-large screen TV in the suite's living room lit up…
The four girls looked at Zhou Ye somewhat at a loss, then at the television, not knowing what he meant. But soon… they were left with only shock and anger…
On the fifty-inch television screen, it was divided into four equal parts, looking as if four televisions were playing at the same time. Although this split-screen technology was advanced, it wasn't the reason for their horror…
What truly horrified them… was the scene in the four split screens… These were four bird's-eye views… as if looking down on the earth from the sky. Although they were initially confused, the four girls, including Xiaoli, quickly recognized where it was… After all, it was their home from childhood, and they were extremely familiar with every plant and tree there.
"What are you going to do to them…?" Xiaoli looked at Zhou Ye, her face bloodless. At this moment, Zhou Ye's smile, in her eyes, was like a demon from hell…
"Guess?" Zhou Ye smiled. When he saw these four girls, he had the headquarters investigate their origins… Locking onto their home addresses with Umbrella's satellites was easy for Umbrella.
It has to be said… playing the villain is addictive. This feeling of threatening others is super interesting, Zhou Ye was a little bit enjoying it…
"I… I know what to do…" Xiaoli bit her lower lip tightly. She finally succumbed…
"Then jump up…" Zhou Ye said, slapping the upturned bottoms of the three girls beside him, "Of course, you are the same… After all, you are a group… A group must have a group dance…"
"Yes…"
The other three girls also had tears in their eyes, and stood up one by one… shuffling to Xiaoli's side.
The four girls looked at each other, hoping to see a trace of surprise in their sisters' eyes… But in each other's eyes, they couldn't see any surprise, only deep despair…
"Ah, that's right, how can there be no music for dancing?" Zhou Ye said, deliberately playing a song called [Miss Korea] from the console. This song would be Xiaoli's main song in the future… But in this world, it hasn't been born yet…
"You can start now…" Zhou Ye said, leaning back on the sofa casually, looking at the four girls with anticipation… At this moment, Zhou Ye was really looking forward to it. Many people have seen Xiaoli's star-like dance steps, but who has seen a striptease? Zhou Ye couldn't wait…
As the music sounded… Xiaoli felt that the singing voice was so familiar, how could it sound so much like herself? But at this time, she couldn't think so much… She looked at Zhou Ye's eyes, helpless and sad…
She felt that Zhou Ye, this hateful guy, had completely shattered all her fantasies about love… Or rather, Zhou Ye was the type of boy she liked, but… this feeling of being threatened and forced… shattered the last trace of fantasy in her heart…
Xiuli was dancing while crying… The other three girls were the same…
Just as the clothes on the four girls' bodies gradually became unable to cover their bodies… Zhou Ye sighed.
Although the horrified expressions of the girls when they were forced made him feel very interesting… But in the end, he wasn't such a bad person… Facing the girl who was looking at him with a heartbroken expression, tears falling down… He really couldn't force her to the end…
"Forget it… stop…" Zhou Ye said, turning off the music and standing up, "Actually, I was just joking with you…"
Xiaoli looked at Zhou Ye with tears in her eyes, as if she couldn't believe what she heard… She had experienced too much joy and sorrow today, so much that she couldn't tell whether it was real or illusory…
"Okay, don't cry… you won't be pretty if you cry anymore!" Zhou Ye's hand gently stroked Xiaoli's cheek, using his thumb to wipe away the tears that kept falling from her eyes…
"Woo woo woo woo… Wah ah ah ah… You bastard… You bad egg…" Originally, when Zhou Ye had a cold face, Xiaoli was sad, but she could still hold back her sorrow and stubbornly force herself not to cry, but… Zhou Ye was so gentle to her, she couldn't bear the grievances in her heart anymore, she hugged Zhou Ye tightly and cried loudly…
The other three girls couldn't help but hug Zhou Ye and cry bitterly…
After all, they were just ordinary girls. The Umbrella Group was like a mountain, pressing down on their heads and hearts. They couldn't breathe… They were careful all the way, forcing themselves to smile… just to struggle for survival…
"You are a bad egg… Wah ah ah…" Xiuli cried and beat Zhou Ye with her small fists… She wanted to vent all the shock and grievances she had suffered today…
"Okay, I'm a bad egg… Don't cry…" Zhou Ye looked helplessly at the four girls who were hugging him and crying, it was really a headache… Playing games and playing big…
Facing Hela, Zhou Ye could press her down and force her, but these four crying girls… Zhou Ye was a little helpless… But it's not really that there is no way…
Zhou Ye has special persuasion skills… What skills do you ask? That needs to be explained from a physiological point of view… Crying is a way to vent negative emotions, right? Crying requires the use of the mouth, right? Then… using another more intense emotion of joy to dilute this negative emotion, and then blocking their mouths, Zhou Ye still has a way to do it…
In the end, in the living room, the girls' cries became weaker and weaker, replaced by a sound that made people blush and their hearts beat faster…
Chapter 552
Seoul at the beginning of the Lantern Festival—a prosperous scene.
At this moment, in the presidential suite on the top floor of the Umbrella Hotel, Hyori was awakened by the hunger in her stomach... After all, she had been frightened all day, and after arriving here, she was pranked by an unscrupulous man, followed by a very calorie-consuming exercise... Even someone made of iron would be hungry at this point...
Slowly opening her eyes, Hyori looked at the handsome face in front of her and had the urge to pounce on him and take a bite, not because she was hungry, but because she was angry at this bad guy...
Although some of the misunderstandings had been cleared up, and Hyori knew that this man wouldn't do anything to her family... but... this bad guy actually disregarded her pleas... and forcibly did that to her. Even now, she still feels a little sore when she moves.
After brandishing her claws for a long time, Hyori sadly realized that she still couldn't bring herself to bite him... In the end, she couldn't bear to...
"Puchi—" A snicker escaped. Hyori knew that a certain hateful man was already awake... She pounced on him playfully, shouting, "Bad guy..."
Actually, Zhou Ye had already woken up the moment Hyori woke up... He was just squinting, wanting to see how this girl he had just conquered would react... But seeing Hyori's cute appearance, pretending to be fierce, Zhou Ye finally couldn't help but laugh...
Facing Hyori, who was pouncing on him, acting more like she was playing than biting, Zhou Ye just smiled slightly, hugged the enchantress, and asked, "Are you hungry...?"
"You... how did you know...?" Hyori asked stutteringly.
Zhou Ye wouldn't tell her that he had already heard the protests from her stomach. He just reached out, picked up the internal phone next to the large bed, and said without much elaboration, "Prepare dinner for five people and bring it up..."
"Yes, Master," the person on the other end of the phone respectfully replied.
Zhou Ye hung up the phone directly... It wasn't that he had forgotten about Xiaoying, but Xiaoying had just contacted him, saying that she wanted to check on the living conditions of his little lamb, so he didn't need to wait for her for dinner tonight.
Hearing Zhou Ye say dinner for five people, Hyori realized that... today, all her sisters had been eaten clean by this bad guy... She couldn't help but grit her teeth in hatred. She climbed onto Zhou Ye again, straddling him, looking like a valiant female knight, and looked at Zhou Ye with an unkind expression, asking, "How do you plan to take responsibility?"
"Responsibility? Responsibility for what?" Zhou Ye looked at the girl who was like a little wildcat and couldn't help but want to tease her.
"You, you bastard..." Tears welled up in Hyori's eyes... She didn't expect Zhou Ye to be such a person... He wanted to deny everything after taking advantage of her...
"Okay, okay, why are you crying again...?" Zhou Ye finally understood the watery charm of Eastern women today. If he teased Ophelia and the others like this, they would probably silently pull out their guns and fight him, but this girl in front of him, who was just baring her fangs and claws, suddenly became teary-eyed... Zhou Ye felt that he couldn't tease this girl in the future, or he would be drowned in their tears sooner or later.
"I was just teasing you... silly girl," Zhou Ye said, pulling Hyori into his arms and saying, "My Zhou Ye's woman is my woman. I don't have a record of letting anyone go."
Although Zhou Ye's words were extremely domineering, Hyori was overjoyed to hear them... No matter what, this bad guy had admitted that all her sisters were his women...
The little wildcat instantly turned into a kitten, obediently lying in Zhou Ye's arms, tightly hugging Zhou Ye's body...
She didn't know what kind of feelings she had for Zhou Ye, but it seemed appropriate to describe it as a mixture of love and hate... But now, she felt that she couldn't live without him... [Zhou Ye said that the Spring Breeze Rain Transformation Technique had become an instinct... He accidentally, you know.]
Just as Hyori was enjoying a rare moment of tranquility today, a small head popped out from the blanket next to her. Who else could it be but Yuri? As soon as she popped out, she cried out that she was hungry, "Unnie... I'm so hungry... Is there anything to eat...?"
"Puchi..." Hyori looked at her youngest sister in the group, still confused, as if she thought this was her dormitory, and couldn't help but laugh... "There will be something to eat in a moment. Zhou Ye has already ordered dinner."
"Ah..." Hearing her unnie's words, Yuri suddenly woke up. Seeing Zhou Ye's teasing smile, she couldn't help but slip back into the blanket and cover her little head with the blanket... Although everything had already happened... But, as expected, seeing Zhou Ye at this time still made her feel shy, after all, strictly speaking... they had only met Zhou Ye today.
"Hahaha..." Zhou Ye looked at Yuri, who was hiding in the blanket like a groundhog, and finally couldn't help but laugh... But calculating, dinner was almost here, and it was time to call them to get up and wash up...
Thinking of this, Zhou Ye suddenly lifted all the blankets... Yuri, Lee Jung, and Ok Juhyun were lying haphazardly inside... There were also four dazzling blood-colored plum blossoms on the sheets... telling people what kind of things had happened here...
"Yah... the bad guy is here..." Seeing that the barrier above her head suddenly disappeared, Yuri couldn't help but exclaim.
"Hmph, you dare to call me a bad guy? Are you ready to pay the price?" Zhou Ye said, pouncing on her...
"Unnie, help... the bad guy is going to bully people..." Yuri couldn't help but ask her sisters for help...
"Don't be afraid, little Yuri, Unnie is here to save you..." Hyori also pounced on him with great interest. This kind of playfulness made her feel that the distance between herself and this man was rapidly closing, whether psychologically or physiologically...
And the other two girls who had already woken up also joined the battle...