Chapter 1021 - Fake Experts
Xu Tian excused himself and left in a hurry for his own lunch break before Ketchup could find another reason to tease him again. Although he had to deal with the white cat AI's mischief on a daily basis, it was difficult for him to get mad at her because she was too cute and usually knew when to stop before going too far.
Another good thing about her was that she had no problems apologizing whenever she knew that she did something wrong unlike the deceptively polite Bacon who was actually an extremely vindictive little villain once someone offended him or his family members. He was especially protective of his mother Iris Long, now Mrs. Jin. Only Xu Tian's boss and lady boss could make the black cat AI reluctantly apologize to others.
After Xu Tian left, Jin Liwei headed straight to the IT Department where the employees were all enjoying their lunch buffet. Everyone welcomed him with great enthusiasm.
"President Jin, thank you very much for the delicious lunch!"
"Congratulations on your marriage, Boss Jin! Please also send our regards to Madam Jin!"
Jin Liwei couldn't stop himself from smiling whenever people referred to his wife as Madam Jin or Mrs. Jin in front of him. His usual cold demeanour would thaw a great deal. Others found him easier to approach whenever he was like this.
He joined the IT Department and ate lunch with them. A few hand-chosen people from the department were members of his personal tech team. Before meeting his wife, he had thought that his own tech team was among the top computer experts in the world but he was proven wrong.
His wife, once the legendary hacker Fantom in her past life and now the hotshot of the hacker world Drakon, was on an entirely different league than all the members of his personal tech team combined. Even his brother-in-law's own hacker team from Shadow Winds were a few levels higher. However, Shadow Winds' hacker team still couldn't touch his wife's level.
This just proved that his wife was a total genius that only less than a handful of other hackers in the world could compete with. To Jin Liwei, however, he believed that his wife was the number one hacker in the world even if she told him before that there were other formidable hackers that she called the "old guys".
After creating two extremely advanced and sophisticated AIs, their virtual cat children Ketchup and Bacon, he was certain that her skills had surpassed her previous level as Fantom in her past life.
His wife was at the peak of the hacking world. Her older brother Nikolai, now living as his Fifth Brother Lu Zihao, was also able to gather talented hackers for Shadow Winds. Jin Liwei did his best to hire what he thought to be the cream of the crop for his own personal tech team, but his wife's legendary hacking skills and his brother-in-law's handpicked hacker team made him realize that there were still many superior talents hidden in the criminal underworld who didn't want to work in the open.
It seemed that even if he was one of the wealthiest and most influential people in the business industry and was treated as a VIP almost wherever he went, there was still a big part of the world that he had no access intoâthe international criminal underworld.
Based on the Vetrov report, the international criminal underworld was teeming with first-class talents, hidden wealth and resources, and its own flourishing illegal economy.
It was called the "underworld" for a reason. That was because it was its own world functioning illegally hidden under the normal legal world that the majority of people were living in. And the Vetrovs had reigned supreme in their own powerful dynasty in the international criminal underworld for several generations until they were all annihilated a few years ago.
Although it had been extremely tragic, Jin Liwei was glad that his wife was able to escape the clutches of the international criminal underworld by being reborn to who she was now as Long Xiulan, a.k.a. Iris Long.
He watched his employees in the IT Department as they chatted about the latest news in the tech industry while enjoying the sumptuous buffet lunch he and his wife arranged for all of them today. The members of his personal tech team gathered around him. They were more comfortable interacting with him, the company's President-CEO, compared to the other regular members of the IT Department because they had been working for him in a personal capacity for years.
Two members acted particularly more familiar to him than the other members of his personal tech team. Gu Chang was the IT Department's Senior Database Administrator while Diao Yijue was a Senior Information Security Specialist.
These two people alongside Ketchup were the ones in charge of Jin Corporation's new security system that Iris created. They were the ones who witnessed the "birth" of Ketchup and knew the secret of Iris Long's true prowess as a hacker. They begged Iris to be their master but she turned them down, suggesting that they ask her AI daughter instead. However, the newborn Ketchup looked down on them and refused to accept them as her disciples as well.
To hide Iris Long's existence as the powerful hacker who defended Jin Corporation from the hacking attack this past summer, Jin Liwei assigned Gu Chang and Diao Yijue to pretend to be the ones who defeated Eagle and created the company's new security system. Iris personally trained the two of them to master the intricate security system in order to fool everyone into thinking that they were the creators.
As a result, Gu Chang and Diao Yijue quickly became known as the two most valuable experts in the IT Department. Their colleagues admired them. Some envied them. The new hires wanted to be like them someday, treating them as respected role models to be followed in order to be successful in this field.
Only the two of them knew the truth. They were only fake experts benefitting from a true master's unbelievable hacking skills. Regardless of what they felt about the current situation, they had no intention of revealing the truth.
How could they do such a stupid thing?
No way!
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Chapter 1022 - Formidable Powerhouse Family
Gu Chang and Diao Yijue didn't want to die yet. There was no way that they would reveal the truth when it would mean offending a formidable powerhouse family.
The husband, their big boss Jin Liwei, was a multibillionaire and the head of the country's biggest and wealthiest company.
The wife looked like a harmless female celebrity but was actually more frightening than her husband. Someone who could defend Jin Corporation from a powerful hacker that they were all helpless to fend off and could create mind-blowingly advanced and sophisticated cat AIs that acted like real humans was a great force to be reckoned with.
Finally, the couple's cat AI children Ketchup and Bacon were both impressive hackers as well. The most amazing but also frightening thing about these two AI siblings was their extremely powerful self-learning function. If their mother who was already a powerful hacker herself continued to train them, they might just be able to surpass her one day.
With this kind of formidable members, Gu Chang and Diao Yijue didn't dare to offend such a frightening family. Any one of them had the power to destroy their lives.
Their big boss Jin Liwei was still fine because they had been working for him for quite a number of years now. His wife Iris Long was also alright because she was generally a kind person as long as nobody crossed her.
Gu Chang and Diao Yijue might have had a rough first impression with the couple's AI daughter, Young Miss Ketchup, when she looked down on them after she was just "born", but they were more comfortable with her now after becoming in charge of Jin Corporation's new security system alongside her. She was quite easy to get along and super cute too, just like a real little girl. On one hand, they begun to dote on her like uncles. But on another hand, they admired her exceptional computer skills and treated her like a master even though she still refused to take them in as her disciples.
As for the Young Miss Ketchup's new younger brother, the cat AI Bacon, Gu Chang and Diao Yijue weren't too familiar with him. They only met him a few times when Ketchup brought him to Jin Corporation and showed him around the company's security system. The black cat AI seemed nice and polite.
However, they often heard Ketchup complaining about her younger brother's naughty misdeeds and how their big boss Jin Liwei scolded and punished him time and time again.
Ketchup once warned them, "Changchang and Juejue, whatever you do in your lives, don't offend the cute and mighty Ketchup's naughty little kitty brother Bacon. Ever! Bacon is a super-duper to the highest level big meanie who loves tormenting people he views as enemies! Be careful or you'll regret not listening to Ketchup! Meow~"
Although they hadn't personally witnessed just how dangerous Bacon could be, both Gu Chang and Diao Yijue decided to listen to Ketchup's warning. After all, it was better to be safe than sorry.
After the immensely satisfying three-hour buffet lunch break, the catering service ended and everyone returned to work with big smiles and full stomachs.
Gu Chang and Diao Yijue brought their big boss, Jin Liwei, to the company's restricted security system control room. Ketchup was already waiting for them inside as they respectfully gestured for Jin Liwei to sit down first.
The white cat AI was playing with a ball of yarn in the huge computer monitor but all three of them knew that she was always monitoring everything that was happening in Jin Corporation's extensive computer system, particularly the highly advanced, sophisticated and intricate yet still very robust security system that her mother Iris Long created for the company.
Diao Yijue took it upon himself to prepare hot tea for all of them, serving Jin Liwei first before anyone else. Other than the two of them and of course their big boss Jin Liwei, no other humans were allowed to enter the all-important security system control room.
This place and the server room were the most restricted areas in the company. They contained classified secrets not only pertaining to the company itself but also hardware and software traces of a formidable hacker, namely Iris Long, who installed various modifications during the summer after Eagle's hacking attack.
Jin Liwei sipped tea while gesturing for them to start reporting.
"Sir, the hacking attacks against Jin Corporation have increased in frequency in the last couple of weeks," Gu Chang said.
"Sometimes multiple attacks happen at the same time," Diao Yijue followed up next. "The hacking styles are pretty similar to each other but we suspect that the attacks are done by a group of different people who are working together. They're targeting different points of our security system and trying different tactics to breach it but to no avail."
"Meaning, my wife's security system successfully thwarted them," Jin Liwei concluded.
"That's right, Daddy! Mommy's work is super-duper to the highest level amazing! And with Ketchup overseeing Mommy's awesome security system and Changchang and Juejue providing back-up, those evil poopoo-heads will die of old age first before they can breach our company! So don't worry, macaroni! Jin Corporation will be safe under the cute and mighty Ketchup's watch! Meow~"
"En." Jin Liwei nodded, satisfied at his AI daughter's confidence and of course proud of his wife's top quality work.
Gu Chang and Diao Yijue looked at each other and appeared as if they wanted to say something but were reluctant to do so.
"What is it? Speak."
Gu Chang cleared his throat. "I don't mean to undermine Mrs. Jin and Young Miss Ketchup's obviously superior computer skills but...."
Jin Liwei frowned when the man didn't continue speaking for more than five seconds. "But what?"
"Sir, what he's trying to say is that the hacking attacks have not only been becoming more and more frequent but also becoming more and more forceful. We're also confident with our current security system but if things continue going on like this, those bastards might just be successful in breachingâ"
"No way, hairspray! The cute and mighty Ketchup won't allow any breaches to happen under my watch! Hmph! Changchang and Juejue, Ketchup is disappointed in you two! Daddy, please tell these two poopoo-heads that Mommy's system is super-duper the bestest in the whole wide world ever! Meow!"
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Chapter 1023 - Not My Money
"Of course, your mom's system is the best in the world," Jin Liwei told Ketchup. But before she could become smug, he added, "It's good to be confident of your own skills and proud of your mom's abilities but don't look down on others too much. Even your mom never acts conceited and we know how superior her level of skills are compared to yours.
"Gu Chang and Diao Yijue are both your colleagues who your mother personally trained to handle Jin Corporation's new security system with you. The two of them might not be on par with your level but they're not people who should be looked down upon that easily. Jin Corporation never hires incompetent people."
Ketchup hung her white furry head in shame of her behaviour. "Sorry, Daddy. Also sorry, Changchang and Juejue. Ketchup won't be conceited, promise! Ketchup is a good kitty baby who listens to my daddy and my mommy. Meow~"
"Young Miss Ketchup, there's no need for apologies!"
"It's fine, Young Miss Ketchup. Let's not dwell on it anymore and move on. The past is the past! We'll do our best to upgrade our skills so as not to make President Jin, Mrs. Jin, and Young Miss Ketchup lose your faces for trusting the two of us."
Ketchup giggled, already feeling much better. She didn't overdo it though and gave furtive glances at her daddy to gauge his reaction.
Jin Liwei's expression didn't change much but his eyes looked indulgent towards his AI daughter. This lasted for only a few seconds, however. His expression became serious once again.
"Although I'm also confident in our company's security system that my wife created, both Gu Chang and Diao Yijue's concern is still valid. It's better to be prepared and have several back-up plans. I'll talk about this matter with my wife and see what kind of suggestions she can give us. This is her specialty after all."
Gu Chang and Diao Yijue both nodded. They both wished to learn more from a top-level expert like their lady boss but she hadn't gone over to the company for quite some time now. Their big boss Jin Liwei was also extremely protective of her so the chances of meeting her in person was very slim. All they could do was to learn from actual experience working with a highly advanced AI like Ketchup instead.
Jin Liwei tapped the arm of his seat, thinking. Then he called his AI son.
"Bacon."
A black cat AI appeared in an instant beside his older sister in the computer monitor. "Bacon is here, Father." His glowing golden eyes swept an indifferent gaze at the two other men in the control room before returning to his father.
"Bacon, you have a lot of free time this month since you're still grounded. Help your Big Sister Ketchup and her colleagues Gu Chang and Diao Yijue to monitor the company's security system that your mom made. The company is being constantly attacked by multiple hackers in the last two weeks. I think that this is a perfect opportunity to apply what you've learned from your daily training with your big sister. Go work together to fend off against the hacking attacks."
Bacon's tail began to rotate and his golden eyes glowed brighter. "Does this mean that Father is lifting Bacon's punishment? Bacon isn't grounded anymore?"
"You're semi-grounded. You can only work on the things that I approve of. No more misbehaving and making your mom upset or I'll..." Jin Liwei thought for a moment about how to effectively make a point to his willful AI son. Then an idea popped in his head. "Or I'll cut off your allowance! If you dare continue doing naughty things behind your parents' back, I'll not only cancel your allowance but also temporarily confiscate all the money in your savings account."
For the first time ever, Bacon's usual bored face changed expressions and twisted in horror.
"Father, please don't do that! It's not...it's not classy!"
"It is classy. Classier than hitting your butt."
Bacon became speechless, too shocked by his father's threat. He looked like someone who was witnessing the world ending in front of him.
Then he suddenly burst into tears. The tears quickly formed a small puddle around him.
"Gasp! Bacon is crying?! Oh no! What to do, Daddy?! Meow!"
Jin Liwei's mouth fell open, also shocked at the sight before him. This was the first time that he saw his AI son crying. Ever. Bacon always gave him the impression of being mentally stronger than his older sister Ketchup. Jin Liwei never expected that his AI son would melt down like this. Bacon was crying so hard that his entire furry body was trembling. He looked so heartbroken and miserable that Jin Liwei had to turn his head to the side and look away.
Was he too harsh on Bacon just now?
Or was this just another new tactic that his cunning AI son learned to soften him up?
"Bacon's...m-money...not my money...wuwuwu. Father, why would you treat Bacon like this? Am I not your child anymore? Bacon works so hard to save up my money...wuwuwu. Bacon wants to buy Mother the most special and classiest present with my money but Father wants to take it all away! Even Uncle Zihao would never do this kind of wicked thing to Bacon. Wuwuwu...not my money...."
Then his golden eyes dimmed and he stopped moving but tears still continued flowing to the virtual floor around him.
"Daddy, Bacon ran straight to Mommy! Oh oh oh! Poor Bacon! The cute and mighty Ketchup feels super-duper bad for my little kitty brother! What to do, Daddy?! Meow!"
Before Jin Liwei could respond, his phone started ringing.
"Daddy, Mommy is calling. Meow~"
Jin Liwei stiffened for a couple of seconds before sighing, feeling resigned to what was about to come. "Answer it."
"Aye aye, Daddy! Meow~"
"Darling, why is Bacon crying so hard?" Iris' concerned and confused voice filled the entire control room.
Jin Liwei threw a meaningful look at Gu Chang and Diao Yijue. The two understood and immediately excused themselves. As they went out of the control room to give the family privacy, their expressions showed their bewilderment at what they witnessed just now.
What a crazy family!
So scary!
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Chapter 1024 - Sensitive Child
"What in the world happened? This is the first time that I've seen Bacon cry. He says that you, his father, are the one who doesn't love him anymore and made him cry so hard like this."
Jin Liwei sighed but slowly began to relax a bit because his wife wasn't automatically blaming him. She wanted him to explain what happened first and to understand the entire situation. Fortunately, she didn't get into one of her extreme mood swings.
He explained to her what happened in the most objective manner that he could without shifting any blame to either himself or their AI son, Bacon. Ketchup also interjected her own version of the events as a spectator.
Bacon's golden eyes were glowing again which meant that he was back in the control room. He was still crying but not as hard as before. There was an obvious wronged expression on his face. He also avoided looking directly at his father.
Jin Liwei saw all this and sighed once again while massaging his suddenly aching temples. He didn't think that he was wrong at all in disciplining his own AI son. What he was worried about the most was his wife's reaction after hearing what happened.
He wanted to avoid arguing with her on how to discipline their AI son, especially since she had the tendency to spoil each and every one of their cat children without any reservations. In short, he had to play the bad cop all the time while all their children adored her because she rarely scolded them.
"I see," Iris murmured afterwards.
Jin Liwei and their two AI children all waited in nervous silence for her final verdict.
Bacon in particular looked very different from usual. His bored expression was nowhere in sight. He looked very pitiful instead.
Jin Liwei already felt his heart softening at the sight. He had no doubt that his wife was also seeing the same pitiful appearance of Bacon on her end. If he was already softening, then how much more so for her?
If she decided to side with their AI son, Jin Liwei was already prepared to back off this time. It wasn't worth it to deal with both an upset wife and an upset son at the same time. He planned to wait for today's emotions to calm down and address the issue on another day.
Both he and Iris knew the kind of personality that Bacon had. If they failed to discipline him properly right now while he was still young (he was basically still a baby), then who knew what kind of dangerous troubles he would find himself into someday when he matured?
It also didn't help that the kid admired his Uncle Zihao a lot, not to mention that the majority of his personality was based on that uncle, and liked to spend most of his time working at Shadow Winds. Although Bacon enjoyed teasing his Uncle Zihao, the truth was that the kid was more interested in his uncle's line of work than his father's. That in itself was already a great source of worry for both Jin Liwei and Iris.
However, they already agreed to let Bacon work for Lu Zihao. In this way, the couple hoped to be kept updated to both Lu Zihao and Bacon's activities and be able to quickly help them out of danger if needed.
Back to the present situation, Jin Liwei finally heard his wife's verdict.
"Bacon, you misunderstood your dad," Iris said in a gentle voice.
Jin Liwei's eyes became gentle. He was pleased but not because his wife sided with him but because of her obvious warm, motherly tone as she spoke to their AI son. He knew that she still feared turning into a bad mother but he believed 100% that she was already a terrific mother.
She may lack the heart to admonish their children most of the time but it didn't mean that she was someone who allowed their children to do whatever they wanted without fearing any negative repercussions. When needed, she knew how to be firm, never allowing any of their children to walk all over her head. Nevertheless, she would still leave the harsh lecturing of their children to him.
The teary Bacon sniffed, his child's voice trembling. "Mother...wuwuwu...my money...."
"Oh, Bacon. Don't be so upset with losing money, okay? Money is just money. If you lose it, fine. You are the son of your father and me. We know that you have the ability to earn more money just like your father and I."
"And Ketchup, too! The cute and mighty Ketchup has the ability to earn more money, too! Meow~"
Iris chuckled. "Yes. And your Big Sister Ketchup, too. So what's there to be worried about? Our family is filled with competent people who know how to earn money."
Bacon blinked his tearful golden eyes. "But Mother...."
"Besides, your father didn't say that he'll cut off your allowance and take all the money you've saved up forever. He only said that he'll do it if you misbehave again. If you behave, then there's no need to worry, right?"
"Wuwuwu...."
"If you misbehave, your father will ground you like usual. In addition to that, he'll also cut off your access to your money. But if you learn your lesson and start behaving again, then the money will be returned to you. It's as simple as that. I also think that this is reasonable."
Jin Liwei continued to listen to his wife patiently explaining his true intentions to their AI son while also comforting the kid. His heart felt warm and sweet. He once again silently thanked whatever higher powers that brought them together to become one family. There was no doubt that his wife and their children were his most important and precious treasures in his entire life.
"Father," Bacon finally addressed him after calming down a bit.
"Yes, son?"
Bacon widened his teary golden eyes, looking very adorable by doing so, and glanced at Jin Liwei shyly. The sight was very unusual to all of them. Bacon was shy? If this was before witnessing him melting down like what happened just now, they would never even think of such a possibility.
Iris and Jin Liwei then realized that this seemingly tough and no-nonsense AI son of theirs also had a vulnerable side to him. And the trigger was money. Thinking more carefully, it didn't feel too surprising.
Perhaps whenever Bacon said that he needed more money as compensation for emotional distress before, he really did feel distressed emotionally and wanted money to feel better. Bacon seemed to treat money as some sort of security blanket.
'Bacon is actually such a sensitive child,' Jin Liwei thought. 'Maybe even more so than Ketchup.'
Based on Jin Liwei's observation and the new knowledge he gained about his AI son today, Ketchup preferred expressing all of her emotions as openly and as freely as possible. In contrast, Bacon liked to keep everything inside and hide his true emotions behind his usual bored expression.
With such complicated and humanlike emotions like these, there was no way that Jin Liwei and Iris would treat Ketchup and Bacon as mere artificial intelligence beings. They were, without a doubt, their children.
Then Jin Liwei heard his wife say, "Oh, darling. How I wish that I could hug Bacon and Ketchup! I would love to hold the two of them in my arms. My babies!"
'Me, too,' he replied in his mind.
"Mommy, the cute and mighty Ketchup also wants to hug Mommy and Daddy! Meow~"
Bacon's tears finally stopped. His golden eyes glowed brighter and his tail rotated like helicopter rotors. Although he didn't say anything, it was clear that he was as excited as his big sister.
"I'm going to do it!"
"What are you going to do?" Jin Liwei asked his wife even though he could already guess what she meant.
"I'm going to make real bodies for Ketchup and Bacon!" Iris declared, her voice filled with determination. "No matter how long it takes, I'll make sure to give our AI children real bodies. I want to at least hug them before I die."
"Mommy's not going to die! Mommy is going to live forever and ever and be a one big happy family with Daddy and us kitty babies and our future human siblings until the end of time! Wuwuwu! Please don't die, Mommy! Meow!"
"Bacon won't let Mother die. Bacon will destroy the world if Mother dies. So please don't die or I'll really destroy this world and not care about it at all even if it's not classy."
Jin Liwei was scowling. Although he knew that death was natural and inevitable in the course of life, he still disliked hearing this kind of talk about dying especially when it involved his wife. She already experienced such a tragic death in her past life. He didn't want to think about dying right now. There were still a lot of things that he planned to experience with his wife and their family. For once, he didn't lecture Bacon on his vicious words.
It was Iris who did. "Bacon, please don't say that."
She was about to continue speaking but Jin Liwei interrupted her. "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore."
"But darlingâ"
"The children are still young, Evelina. We'll talk to them again about topics such as old age and things like that when they're a bit older and can handle such matters."
She hesitated but still acquiesced. "Fine."
He sighed in relief. However, a new worry took root in his heart.
He and his wife were both humans. The twins she was carrying were also humans. Ice Cream and Popcorn were regular cats.
All of them would die one day.
But what about Ketchup and Bacon?
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Chapter 1025 - Beautiful Wallpaper
Unlike the rest of their family, Ketchup and Bacon were both artificial intelligence beings. As long as nothing catastrophic happened in the future, the two of them could live on forever. They were basically immortals.
Jin Liwei's paternal instincts couldn't help but feel upset at the kind of life his two AI children would experience in the future after the rest of their family still alive today were gone. Would Ketchup and Bacon have to watch all of their loved ones grow old and die one by one? He couldn't imagine the full extent of sadness and loneliness that kind of life the two cat AIs would feel.
"Father, Bacon is sorry," his cat AI's son's small voice interrupted his increasingly troubled thoughts.
Jin Liwei forced himself to focus on the present but not before making a mental note to discuss his worries about their AI children with his wife.
"Bacon feels calmer now," the black cat AI said. "Mother is right. I misunderstood Father. Money is not everything. Family is more important. Bacon apologizes for accusing Father of treating me poorly. I was wrong. Father loves all of us, your children. Bacon promises to listen to my parents more, to behave, and to not be too naughty, so that the money I worked so hard to earn and the monthly allowance Father and Mother give me will stay in my savings account where it belongs until I choose to spend it."
"Good that you know how to reflect on your actions," Jin Liwei replied in a gentle yet still firm tone. "I'm proud of you, Bacon. Sometimes you may feel that I'm too strict with you but I hope that you'll always remember that I'm only doing this for what I believe is for your own good. All your mother and I care about is for all of you, our children, to grow up properly and live with as little regret in life as possible."
"Bacon is still young so I don't fully understand Father's words, but yes, I will try to always remember. Does Father forgive Bacon?"
Jin Liwei chuckled. "Of course, I forgive you. You're my son."
Bacon's golden eyes glowed brightly, no longer wet with tears. His tail swished from side to side a couple of times before rotating like a helicopter's rotor blades. "Thank you, Father."
Iris' delighted laughter flowed out of the speakers like a refreshing cool breeze. "I'm glad that the two of you father and son made up."
"The cute and mighty Ketchup is super-duper happy, too! Ketchup wishes that Daddy and my little kitty brother Bacon get along always because we're one big happy family! Right, Mommy? Meow~"
"You're right, Ketchup." Iris chuckled but stopped.
Then they heard Dom's distant voice through the loudspeaker. Iris and Dom spoke for a few seconds.
"Sorry, darling and babies. I need to go now. I'm going to head to Orchidia Beauty and meet up with Brother Chonglin there to do the final checks of our preparations for the upcoming launch of his men's line."
"Alright, love. Always take care of yourself. I want to see a safe and healthy wife at home later tonight."
"Don't worry, Daddy! The cute and mighty Ketchup will accompany Mommy on her trip to Orchidia Beauty and make sure that she and my twin human siblings are safe! Meow~"
"Good. Do that."
"Aye aye, Daddy! Meow~"
Iris laughed. The husband and wife spoke some lovey-dovey words before ending the call.
"Father, Bacon wants to accompany Mother, too. Can I go? I will return here to help Big Sister Ketchup reinforce the company's security system and defend against the hacking attacks after making sure Mother arrives safely at Orchidia Beauty."
"En." Jin Liwei waved his hand in a go-ahead gesture.
"Thank you, Father. Bacon is lucky to have not only a classy mother but also a classy father. I will go now. Goodbye."
Bacon disappeared. Unlike Ketchup who had the ability to basically be everywhere she wanted, Bacon couldn't perform multiple tasks at the same time very well. Helping fortify Jin Corporation's powerful security system was a high-difficulty task, so Bacon would need 100% of his focus on it.
However, Jin Liwei wasn't in a hurry to get his AI son to work. Ketchup was still able to handle things by herself for now, not to mention that both Gu Chang and Diao Yijue were there to help oversee the company's security system. Besides, Jin Liwei also wanted to make sure that his wife arrived safely to her destination.
After all of that had been settled, he asked Ketchup to call Gu Chang and Diao Yijue who were both still waiting patiently outside the door to return to the control room so that they could continue their meeting.
The meeting didn't last for too long. Jin Liwei returned to his office at the top floor within half an hour. The buffet lunch for the entire company was finished. Everyone already returned to work.
Xu Tian was waiting for him at the office.
Jin Liwei walked to his desk. His computer's screensaver was a short, three-second clip of his wife turning her head to face the viewer and smiling in that beautiful, bright smile of hers. As soon as he sat down, the screensaver deactivated and showed the home screen. The wallpaper was a family photo.
He and his wife were sitting side by side on a fluffy, shaggy carpet in the cat room. His arm was draped around her shoulders. The adorable Little Jun was grinning and sitting between the two of them.
Ice Cream was lying on Iris' lap as usual while Popcorn was balancing his lithe body on Jin Liwei's shoulder like a circus act.
In addition, a very realistic Ketchup and Bacon were also included in the photo as if it was originally taken with the two of them. Ketchup was sitting on her white fluffy butt on one of Jin Liwei's thighs. Her smile was obvious, looking so much like Iris. On the other hand, Bacon was lying beside Little Jun's feet and folded himself like loaf of bread with his fluffy black paws tucked underneath his body.
Both Popcorn and Ketchup looked happy and energetic while Ice Cream and Bacon looked grumpy and bored respectively. Popcorn and Ketchup looked like they were enjoying themselves. In contrast, Ice Cream and Bacon looked like they were forced to participate in the photo shoot.
Jin Liwei couldn't help but smile at his computer's beautiful wallpaper. When he was still a bachelor and before meeting his wife, he remembered not giving a damn about the screensavers or wallpapers of his computers and other electronic devices. He didn't bother changing the default theme.
Now, however, he frequently changed the screensavers and wallpapers of all his computers and mobile devices. All of them were clips and photos of his wife and their family. There were so many wonderful photos and videos that he took of them that he wanted to see them every single day. This was his own little way of doing just that.
The second computer monitor blinked and showed Ketchup in her virtual kitty office. The office was more like a tidier version of her virtual playroom. There were virtual toys everywhere which she said were for "stress relief".
"Hi, Tiantian! Did you enjoy your lunch break? Meow~"
"Yes, I did. Thank you for asking, Young Miss Ketchup."
"Ehehe. Sorry for calling you poopoo-head earlier. Ketchup didn't really mean it. Meow~"
"It's fine. Please don't worry about it."
After the two finished their short chat, Jin Liwei made a gesture, signalling that it was now time to work.
"Sir, the special contest that you're hosting for the Black Stars is almost halfway through. We've received tens of thousands of submissions alreadyâ"
"Seventy thousand and eight hundred sixty eight submissions, to be exact. Oh, seventy thousand and nine hundred one now! Meow~"
"Thank you for your accuracy as always, Young Miss Ketchup."
"No problemo, fried potato! Ehehe. Meow~"
Xu Tian returned his attention to his big boss and scrolled on his tablet. "President, I estimate that we'll receive at least five hundred thousand entries by the end of the contest. Perhaps even moreâ"
"Liangliang says that it's not impossible to receive a million submissions to the contest! The cute and mighty Ketchup also agrees because my mommy is the bestest in the whole wide world and has lots of loyal fans in the Black Stars who love her! Also, my daddy is giving so many prizes that even Ketchup wants to enter the contest but Daddy says that I can't because it's a conflict of interest. How sad! But it's okay! Ketchup is already rich and doesn't need any of the prizes. Ehehehe. Meow~"
"Who's Liangliang?" Xu Tian asked, confused.
"Liangliang is MonkeyFace, Emperor Monkey, and the hacker KeymonSTER who always helps defend my mommy from online bashers before he got too busy running Mommy's gaming company. He's nerdy but cool. Ketchup likes him and Chenchen! Oh, Chenchen is iEatSlippers and I Am Slipperlord, the founder of Black Stars' mighty warriors of justice, the Slippers Army, where Ketchup and Bacon are now active leaders. Meow~"
Xu Tian finally realized who she was talking about. "Oh, you mean CEO Hou Liang and CFO Wu Chen of Mrs. Jin's Planet Monkey."
"Yes, exactly! Meow~"
Xu Tian nodded. "If CEO Hou says that the entries might reach a million, then we must prepare for that." He turned to his big boss. "President, what are your plans on how to choose the winners from among the great number of submissions?"
Jin Liwei tapped his fingers on his desk. "I originally wanted to choose the winners myself."
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Chapter 1026 - Bacon's English Name
Xu Tian's eyebrows wrinkled but it only lasted for a second before his expression returned to his usual professional one. "Sir, I don't suggest for you to do that. Examining hundreds of thousands of submissions, maybe even a million if CEO Hou Liang's projection proves to be correct, is just not possible to finish by yourself in time before the year ends."
Jin Liwei nodded and continued tapping his fingers on his desk, thinking. "I'm well aware of that. I wasn't expecting for that many entries to join my special contest either."
His eyes glanced at his AI daughter who was chasing after a virtual ball in his computer screen. Then an idea hit him. "Ketchup."
The white cat AI immediately stopped playing and sat on her fluffy butt. "Yes, Daddy? Meow~"
"Do you think that your company can hire a large number of temporary virtual assistants to help me filter through the entries for my special contest? I'll write down a list of guidelines for them to follow on how to choose the best entries. This should make my final choices easier."
"President, are you still planning on choosing the final winners by yourself?" Xu Tian asked.
"Of course. I'm the one who's officially hosting this special contest in honour of my wife, so I should be the one who chooses the winners in the end. I'm only going to choose the most deserving onesâthe ones who praise my wife the best."
"Understood, President."
Jin Liwei turned his attention to Ketchup who had her furry little head tilted to the side just like her mother, looking very adorable by doing so. "So what do you think, Ketchup? Can you do it? It's urgent so it's better if it's done as soon as possible."
"How long will the job last, Daddy? Meow~"
"Hmm. A couple of weeks or so. Since it's my contest, I'll be the one to pay the temporary workers. Treat this job as a commission from me to your White Tigress company. I'll not only pay the temporary workers the overtime rate but also a holiday rate because we need them on such short notice. Of course, your company will also get a commission fee on top of that."
At that moment, Bacon reappeared next to Ketchup and told her, "Hire me as a temporary worker in your company. I want to see how creative the participants are in praising Mother in their entries. And of course, my main reason is to help Father narrow down the entries to the very best so that he can have an easier time in choosing the final winners."
Ketchup snickered. "Bacon, you little liar! You just want your cute and mighty Big Sister Ketchup to hire you because you overheard Daddy say that he'll pay the overtime and holiday rates. Hihihi! Meow~"
Jin Liwei's mouth twitched. He agreed with his AI daughter but didn't point it out. "Bacon, did your mom arrive at Orchidia Beauty yet?"
Bacon shrank his little furry head to his fluffy neck. "Not yet, Father."
After his surprising meltdown earlier, Bacon now began to show a little more expressions in front of family members instead of just his usual stone face.
"Don't worry, Daddy! The cute and mighty Ketchup is still accompanying Mommy and Uncle Domâand oh, my little human twin siblings, too! They're all okay! Meow~"
"Good." Jin Liwei nodded, relieved.
"Father, may I also work at Big Sister Ketchup's company as a temporary worker?" The black cat AI's tail swished back and forth in hopefulness.
"You're still grounded."
Bacon's tail drooped. "Oh."
Jin Liwei felt his heart softening. He couldn't really make himself act too strict on his AI son right now especially after what happened earlier and discovering how sensitive Bacon actually was. Fine, then. If it was only for today, he would let it slide.
It was good to be strict on one's children but being too strict wasn't good either. Just look at how miserable and suffocated his wife felt in her past life by how her mother Madam Vetrova raised her. There needed to be a balance on how to raise happy children who loved and respected their family.
"Alright," he finally said. "Ketchup, hire your little brother. But make sure to keep an eye on him. He's still grounded...well, semi-grounded."
"Aye aye, Daddy! Please help Ketchup draw a suitable contract for the temporary workers. Meow~"
Jin Liwei sent Xu Tian a meaningful glance.
Xu Tian stepped forward. "Let me take care of the contract template, Young Miss Ketchup. I'll have it ready by the end of the workday."
"Thanks, Tiantian! Ehehe. Meow~"
Bacon's tail rotated into blur. "Thank you, Father."
Ketchup faced him and puffed out her fluffy white chest. "Jin Bacon, you're hired! After signing the employment contract, you'll officially become a temporary worker at my White Tigress International Virtual Assistant Services. Yay! This is super-duper to the highest level exciting! Meow~"
"Big Sister Ketchup is known as Kitty Jin in your company. Bacon also wants to be known by an English name."
"What name does my little kitty brother want? Oh oh oh! What about Pussy Jin? Then we kitty siblings will be the most perfect combination ever! Meow~"
Xu Tian couldn't stop himself from releasing a bark of laughter before quickly disguising it as a loud cough. "Excuse me. The weather is cold...."
Unlike his assistant, Jin Liwei was able to restrain himself from reacting and maintained a rather calm expression. His mouth only twitched again but that was it. He looked at his AI son and was sure that Bacon would detest Ketchup's suggestion.
Bacon, however, tilted his furry head to the side. "Should Bacon use Pussy Jin?"
"Do it, Bacon! Then we'll become known as the Team Kitty and Pussy Siblings! Amazing, right? Meow~"
Xu Tian started another coughing fit but stopped after receiving a frosty look from his big boss.
Jin Liwei finally couldn't take it anymore. "There's no way I'm allowing you to use that name. Absolutely not!"
This time, both Ketchup and Bacon tilted their furry little heads at the same time in an identical movement.
"Aaaw! But Daddy, it's the perfect name for Ketchup's little kitty brother! It matches Ketchup's English name, Kitty Jin! Meow~"
"Why not, Father? Bacon thinks that Pussy Jin is good."
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Chapter 1027 - Panther Jin
Jin Liwei opened his mouth but closed it again. He wasn't sure how to explain why he wouldn't allow his AI son to use Pussy Jin as Bacon's English name.
Both his AI children might seem very mature because of their eloquence and powerful computer skills they inherited from their mother, but based on their ages, Ketchup and Bacon were basically still babies. There was no doubt that one day, Jin Liwei and his wife would eventually need to educate their AI children about some "adult things" when the two were a little older and more mature, but for now, the husband and wife preferred for Ketchup and Bacon to retain their "childhood innocence" longer.
He sighed. "That name is no good. Choose another one."
Ketchup continued whining while Bacon looked to be contemplating.
"If you can't think of any, I'll help you think of one," he suggested in a hurry, a little worried that the cunning Bacon might register his English name as Pussy Jin behind his back when signing the employment contract for White Tigress.
"Please wait a moment, Father," Bacon said. "I'll consult with Mother first." Then the black cat AI's golden eyes dimmed.
About a couple of minutes later, Bacon's eyes glowed again. "Father, Bacon is back."
Jin Liwei already had an idea how his wife responded based on Ketchup's sulky posture.
"Mother and Uncle Dominic both say that Pussy Jin is no good so Bacon won't use it."
"Aaaw! The cute and mighty Ketchup still thinks that Pussy Jin is perfect! Meow...."
"Mother laughed while Uncle Dominic looked horrified. Bacon doesn't understand why Pussy Jin isn't a good name but since Mother says it's no good, then Bacon now thinks it's no good, too."
'I was the first one who told you that it's no good,' Jin Liwei thought. But more importantly, he felt relieved that Bacon didn't insist on using such a horrible name. It was a good thing that whenever his wife said something, even the hard-headed Bacon would obey it 100%.
"How about Bacon use Panther Jin as my English name instead? Is it alright, Father?"
"Oh oh oh! The cute and mighty Ketchup thinks that Panther Jin is good, too! It matches our Black Stars usernames! I'm KittyBaby while my little kitty brother is PantherBaby! We're going to be known as the awesome Team Kitty and Panther Babies! Perfect, right? Meow~"
The two cat AIs looked at their father in unison, their adorable feline faces filled with hopeful expectation.
Jin Liwei began tapping his fingers on the desk again as he considered the name. "It's a little unusual but it's much better than Pusâthan that horrible name. Alright, Bacon. From now on, your English name is Panther Jin, if that's what you really want."
Bacon's tail rotated like helicopter rotors and his eyes glowed brightly. "Thank you, Father."
"Yay yay! Panther Jin, you have to do an excellent job when you work as a temporary worker in my company, okay? Your cute and mighty Big Sister Ketchup is your boss now soâ"
"You're not my boss yet. Bacon hasn't signed the contract yet."
"Tiantian, hurry up and draft the contract! The cute and mighty Ketchup can't wait to become my little kitty brother's super-duper awesome to the highest level boss! Meow~"
"Please don't worry, Young Miss Ketchup. I'll definitely submit it to you before the workday is over."
Now that his AI son's English name was settled, Jin Liwei instructed the AI siblings to start fortifying the company's security system and defend against malicious hacker attacks. He was still a little worried about Bacon who just had a meltdown earlier but he trusted the increasingly dependable Ketchup. She would surely keep an eye on her little brother. However, he still sent a message to both Gu Chang and Diao Yijue to inform him if anything happened to his two AI children.
Xu Tian continued discussing other matters with him before reminding him about the dinner with the executives later that evening. "Sir, should I confirm with Mrs. Jin if she's still coming tonight?"
"No, it's fine. If my wife is able to come, then she will come. If not, it's fine. But increase the security at the restaurant tonight just in case."
"Understood, President." Xu Tian took note of it on his tablet.
###
Later that evening, Jin Liwei and Xu Tian arrived at the entrance of a five-star hotel. The sky was already dark but the city lights were bright everywhere. This was a rather wealthy area, so there weren't a lot of people loitering on the streets. However, Jin Liwei was still recognized by some especially since his name and his face had been so conspicuous in the headlines in the last few days.
"Wow, it's CEO Jin! He's much more handsome and taller in person than I initially expected!"
"CEO Jin, please choose me as one of the winners in your special contest! I poured my heart and soul in recreating Boss Iris' iconic stage performance moments in the video I submitted!"
"President Jin, please take care of Boss Iris! If you dare cheat on her or hurt her, all of us from the Slippers Army will whack you with our mighty slippers!"
If this was before, Jin Liwei would have ignored any random people trying to catch his attention. But it was different now. These people, the Black Stars, were his wife's loyal supporters. He stopped in his tracks and looked at the small group of people.
"En, don't worry. I'll definitely take care of my wife and never cheat on her. There's no need to remind me."
"Kyaaaaah! Boss Iris' husband talked to us! Who said that he's a cold and snobbish prick again?"
Jin Liwei chuckled, causing the fans and the other bystanders to stare at him in a daze regardless of whether they were male or female.
"Thank you for supporting my wife. Please continue to support her."
"No problem, CEO Jin! We, the Black Stars, will follow Boss Iris for the rest of our lives!"
Jin Liwei nodded.
Xu Tian stepped forward this time and redirected the people's attention to him while the bodyguards led Jin Liwei inside the hotel.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Chapter 1028 - Crazy
Inside a standard single bedroom at the five-star hotel, Rose Young was pacing back and forth in front of the curtained windows. Her best friend, Jenny Tseng, was lounging on the bed and watching the entertainment news on TV while sipping the hotel's complimentary champagne straight from the bottle.
"Today marks the official end of superstar Jin Chonglin's contract with his long-time management, Bright Summit Entertainment Company," the show's host reported. "Earlier this week, Jin Chonglin and his new sister-in-law, multi-award-winning musician Iris Long, announced in a press conference that they are leaving Bright Summit together to start their own entertainment company with CEO Jin Liwei called LXC Studio. Some new details about LXC Studio have surfaced since then.
"LXC Studio made an official announcement this morning that Jin Chonglin and Iris Long's managers also left Bright Summit to follow them to their new company. Mr. Lin Dong, Jin Chonglin's manager, will become the Chief of Talent Management while Ms. Tang Yiyi, Iris Long's manager, will be the Deputy Chief. Mr. Lin and Ms. Tang will remain as Jin Chonglin and Iris Long's managers respectively despite assuming their new higher positions at LXC Studio.
"In addition, LXC Studio also announced that they have signed the rock band Pandemonium who collaborated with Iris Long to perform the award-winning and history-making song, 'Monster of Insanity'. The four Pandemonium members are also managed by Iris Long's manager, Ms. Tang Yiyi. They also amicably terminated their contracts with Bright Summit to follow Iris Long and Manager Tang to LXC Studio.
"So far, there are no other artists reported to have signed with LXC Studio aside from Pandemonium. However, Jin Chonglin has been stating in his recent interviews in the past few days that LXC Studio is open to signing more talented artists, not necessarily exclusive to musicians only like him and Iris Long, but also actors and actresses, even models and comedians."
Then a clip of Jin Chonglin answering questions in an interview with a popular night-time talk show host played next.
"LXC Studio's vision is to be the home of the best multi-talented and most creative artists who strive for the ultimate mastery of their own respective crafts. Our artists will not be mere characters manufactured for the sole purpose of becoming commercial hits to the general public but strong and unique individuals instead whose mission is to leave a clear mark in history."
"That's quite a vision," the host said. "Are you not afraid that people might think that you're being too idealistic?"
Jin Chonglin flashed his iconic killer smile. "Of course, I'm being idealistic. Not only me. My sister-in-law Iris Long thinks the same way, too. But we're not afraid of other people's skepticism and criticism because we're determined to do our best to achieve our vision. This is why we started our own company in the first placeâto have the freedom to chase after our own ideal dreams in our own terms, and hopefully, to help other artists to do the same."
"I commend you in taking the risk to leave your long-time management company to start your own with your brother and sister-in-law. Speaking of your brother and sister-in-law, may I ask about how the newlyweds Mr. and Mrs. Jin are doingâ"
The TV went off all of a sudden.
"Hey, I'm watching!" Jenny complained.
"I don't want to hear anything about that slut." Rose Young tossed the remote control to a far corner.
Jenny rolled her surgically-enhanced eyes while drinking more champagne. Then she sighed dramatically. "I'm so bored, Rosie! We've been here since the afternoon. What time is it? There's a spa downstairs. How about we get a massage while waiting?"
"No! It's already dinner time. We have no time to waste going to the spa or anywhere else. I'm sure that Big Brother Liwei and the other executives will be arriving at the hotel restaurant downstairs soon."
"You're still calling that man Big Brother." Jenny sighed again and drank more champagne.
Jenny snatched the bottle from her.
"Hey!"
"You promised to help me in my plan tonight, so I need you to be clear-headed, not drunk!"
"Ugh. You're so mean to your bestie. I'm getting hungry. Can we order room service?"
"No! The less people who sees us here tonight, the safer we'll be!"
Before Jenny could find another thing to whine about, Rose's phone rang. She answered it and set the call on speakerphone so that Jenny could also hear.
"Hello, Luke?"
"Big Sister Rose, one of our cousins just messaged me saying that Jin Liwei and his assistant along with several bodyguards finally arrived."
Rose Young's eyes lit up and she began trembling from excitement. "Good. Remember to do everything we planned. Don't mess it up for me! I need this to succeed, do you hear me?"
"Y-yes, Big Sister Rose." Luke hesitated. "Uhm, another cousin of ours just informed me that there appears to be extra bodyguards around Jin Liwei. I think that, uhm, it's going to be more difficult to execute your plan than we initially expected."
"How many more bodyguards than usual?"
"Uh, I think five times more than usual...."
"That many?!" Rose dug her nails into her palms and began pacing back and forth in the room again. "Why did he increase the number of bodyguards?"
"Rosie, let's cancel this ridiculous plan tonight, okay?"
"No way! Jenny, we're going to do this tonight! If we wait longer, more people will have the time to figure out our movements and locations. It's all or nothing! I must do this!"
"Ahahaha, you're crazy, Rosie!" Jenny cackled but there was no humour in her expression.
Rose stopped and looked at her best friend straight in the eyes. "Yes, I'm crazy, Jenny. I'm so fucking crazy for Jin Liwei. I need him to be mine, do you hear me? He has to be mine! Only mine!!!"
Jenny shivered a little seeing her friend's crazed look. "Fine, whatever. I'll help you, Rosie. But I hope that whatever happens tonight, you'll be ready for the consequencesâgood or bad. Fuck, why am I friends with you again? This is fucking nuts! I need to get botox again after this is over because I have new wrinkles from the stress you're giving me! Ugh!"
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Chapter 1029 - For The Money
About a couple of blocks away from the five-star hotel, a nondescript van was parked in a dark alley where huge, industrial-size garbage collection bins were located. The place was a big contrast to the bright night city view just a few steps ahead. With the huge garbage bins shielding the van from the street, nobody would be able to see the hidden vehicle without personally going into the alley and checking the place out.
Inside the van, Luke ended the disturbing phone call with Rose Young, his Singaporean maternal cousin. There were other two cousins around his age in the van with him. He called them cousins, but the degree of their blood relations was very distant. Nevertheless, he was still very close to them because they all grew up together in a humble village far away from the big cities. Most residents in the village were distant relatives one way or another.
Earning money was a struggle for everyone in the village. Therefore, many youths like Luke would choose to move to big cities to study or to work or do both at the same time. This was exactly what he was doing right now. He was working part-time while studying.
While growing up back in the village, he had vague memories of listening to his mother and some neighbourhood aunties gossiping about his mother's cousin marrying a rich Singaporean businessman. Since then, that auntie became a famous rags-to-riches legend not only in the family but also in the entire village. That legendary auntie was Rose Young's mother.
He already knew that his Cousin Rose was rich, but only when he met her did he realize just how rich she was. Every single item she carried on her person had eye-popping price tags. Not only her. Jenny Tseng, her twice-divorced, flirty but fun best friend, was even more extravagant in her spending than Rose Young. He couldn't relate to the two rich, Singaporean ladies and felt like they lived in another world.
"Bro, are we really going to do this?" his best friend who was sitting beside him asked, interrupting his thoughts.
"Y-yeah, I guess so."
"Dude, I'm telling you that this is crazy," his cousin said from the driver's seat.
"If the police catches us, we'll be in deep shit."
Luke sighed, feeling helpless. "I know. But our parents told us to assist Big Sister Rose in any way that we can."
"Will her Young family really help all of our families leave the village and prosper in a nice city?"
His cousin at the driver's seat snorted. "If they really wanted to help us, they should've done it a long time ago. Why wait three decades to do so? I'm only here because that woman already paid us big money in advance. She promised to give us double the amount if her fucked up plan succeeds tonight. I'm only here for the money and not because she's a blood-related cousin. I don't give a damn about Rose Young and her family. They're Singaporeans, so to me, they're foreignersâin short, strangers."
His best friend nodded. "Same here. I'm only here for the money and for our buddy here."
Luke wiped the nervous perspiration on his forehead with his long sleeves. "Sorry for calling you all the way here to do this. But you're the ones I trust the most including our three other bros inside the hotel."
Before the other two men could reply, his phone vibrated. It was the signal from their other bro whose role was to be the look-out in the hotel. Both Luke and his best friend checked the hotel maintenance uniforms that they were wearing. Jenny Tseng used her connections to procure the outfits for them.
"Alright, let's do this!" His best friend opened the van door and hopped outside the dark alley.
Luke was sweating a lot and trembling a little underneath the uniform. He hesitated and seriously thought about quitting. However, he remembered the money sitting in his bank account that was more than enough to pay his entire university education. If the plan succeeded tonight, Rose Young promised to not only give him more money but also help him find a good job and give his parents a nice property in any city. This didn't include the additional help that the Young family would give.
"Dude, just do it according to the plan," his cousin said after noticing his hesitation. "But if you think that things are not going right, escape immediately and return here. I'll drive all of us to safety, I promise. If there's something I'm confident about myself, it's my driving skills and my knowledge of the lesser-known roads."
"Thanks." Luke smiled at him and finally left the dark alley with his best friend.
The two didn't enter through the hotel's main entrance but a side door instead, scanning their employee access cards that Jenny Tseng also managed to procure for all of them.
"Bro, I'm heading to my assigned position now and meet up with our other bro."
Luke nodded. "Me, too. Stay safe."
They parted ways. Luke headed to the cleaning supplies room to get his "props". After doing that, he didn't immediately go to his assigned position. His expression looked torn. He fiddled with his phone for a couple of minutes before making his mind.
He called someone. It rang a few times but nobody answered. He tried calling for three more times before an irritated, male voice finally answered.
"U-uncle Romeo, this is Luke...."
Romeo Young was polite but distant, even a little cold, while speaking to him. Luke, however, didn't have the time to care about the man's tone right now. He immediately spilled all the beans about the plan tonight.
They talked for about five minutes with Romeo asking him a lot of questions. Luke could feel the older man's restrained fury even through the phone call, but he felt better after confessing.
"Uncle, should we...uhm, c-cancel Big Sister Rose's risky plan?"
"No, my daughter already made up her mind. She can't be stopped when she's like this. Do what she told you to do and I'll handle the rest. Don't panic if new people start helping you later. It might take a while but I'll definitely send some reinforcements to provide you all with a safe escape route later."
Relief flooded Luke. "Yes, Uncle! Thank you very much!"
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Chapter 1030 - I Know All About The Plan
In a rather quiet upper middleclass neighbourhood, Jin Jiali was holed up in her bedroom. Even though it had already been a few months since they moved to this place, her resentment against Iris Long continued to fester in her heart and grow into hatred.
Iris Long was the reason why Jin Liwei kicked Jin Jiali's family out of the Jin clan and why the old man Lu Jianhong forced out her father Jin Chenggong from his esteemed position at Jin Corporation's board of directors. If it weren't for the bitch Iris Long, Jin Jiali and her family wouldn't have experienced such a disgraceful downfall from high society.
Although Jin Jiali and her family still had a lot of money compared to the average family, their extravagant spending habits remained the same when they were still very rich, so their money was dwindling quickly. Soon after being kicked out of the clan, they had to downsize and move to this smaller house in a neighbourhood filled with people beneath their previous social level.
They thought their current house was small but it was actually one of the biggest homes in the neighbourhood. It just couldn't compare to their previous mansion. They also had to sell their other properties because they lost a lot of assets when her father was removed from Jin Corporation's board of directors. Partners began to distance themselves from Jin Chenggong, afraid of making Jin Liwei and Sir Lu Jianhong unhappy.
This was why Jin Jiali couldn't accept her family's current situation. Her bedroom in this house was so tiny compared to her previous bedroom suite in the mansion. They were poorer now but their whole family refused to admit it and continued to act like bigshots like before. As a result, nobody really befriended them in this new neighbourhood. They didn't care, though, because those people weren't on the same level as them anyway.
At the moment, Jin Jiali was lying on her bed while staring at her phone screen. She was anxiously waiting for Jenny Tseng's update about her Big Sis Rose Young's plan at the hotel tonight. Jin Jiali wanted to participate but they decided not to allow her because of her young age. She was already eighteen but she still looked very much like a young teenager. Her young age would be very conspicuous if she loitered in a hotel at night.
"This is so frustrating! I want to see the action with my own eyes!" She tossed the phoneâstill no reply from Jenny Tseng or Rose Youngâand rolled on the bed before starting to punch her pillow in frustration.
After venting a bit, she made a decision. "I'm going to the hotel tonight! I don't care what anybody says!"
She changed her clothes and put on a coat in a hurry before sneaking downstairs, planning to steal her father's car key to drive herself to the hotel. When she was passing down the home office, however, she overheard her father talking inside. She stopped because she heard the name Rose. Pressing her ear on the door, she eavesdropped on her father's phone conversation. It turned out that he was speaking with Romeo Young.
"What did you say?! Rose did what? Brother Romeo, I don't believe that you don't agree with me that your daughter's plan is ridiculous. Jin Liwei is not an easy man to target. If he were that easy, I would've already gotten my revenge against him for causing my family's downfall. His security is almost comparable to important officials in the nation. And according to my observations, his security has improved even more in the last few months. I don't know where he got those new bodyguards but they're no joke, I'm telling you. Some even look like cold-blooded assassins based on their appearances and auras alone."
Jin Jiali pressed her ear closer to the door, trying to hear the conversation more clearly. She was frowning at her father's obvious disapproval of Big Sis Rose's plan. Why? What was wrong with it? She thought that it was quite good. She couldn't think of a better plan than it, to be honest.
"Jia'er, what in the world are you doing there?"
Jin Jiali screamed from shock.
Then her mother also screamed because of her shocked scream.
The door to the home office banged opened and an alarmed Jin Chenggong marched out roaring. "What the hell happened?!"
"Dad, mom scared me!" Jin Jiali pressed her hand over her thundering heart.
"You're the one who scared me!" her mother retorted, mirroring her actions.
"You two!" Jin Chenggong glared at them.
"Brother Chenggong, what's happening over there?" Romeo Young's faint voice asked through the phone.
Jin Chenggong immediately returned to the phone conversation and assured the other man that everything was fine. Then he continued to glare at his wife and daughter before gesturing that he had an important phone call so they shouldn't disturb him.
"Dad, wait!"
"What is it?" Jin Chenggong asked in an impatient tone.
"I know all about Big Sis Rose's plan tonight," Jin Jiali said.
He was taken aback at first before feeling suspicious. "How do you know about it? This is serious, Jia'er. Don't joke around."
"I'm serious, dad. I met with Big Sis Rose and her friend Big Sister Jenny Tseng earlier this week and heard all about their plan. I wanted to participate tonight but they eventually told me not to because I look too young."
Her mother looked between the father and daughter before wisely not saying anything. She didn't understand what was going on anyway.
It seemed that Romeo Young heard what Jin Jiali said because he told Jin Chenggong, "I want to talk to Jiali."
Jin Chenggong handed the phone to her.
"Hello, Uncle Romeo?"
"Tell me what you know about your Big Sister Rose's plan tonight."
Jin Jiali was hesitant but Jin Chenggong gestured her to cooperate. "Are you going to stop Big Sis Rose?"
"No, I'm not."
"Really?"
"Really. I'm going to send help to her and hopefully your father will also agree to provide assistance as well because he's the one who's there while I'm still here in Singapore. I'm going to make sure that my daughter won't get into trouble no matter what happens tonight. So tell me everything you know about her plan, Jiali."
She felt relieved. "Okay, Uncle Romeo."
Then she told him everything.
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!