Chapter 190 Recipe

The study room in the villa.

Zhao Chen looked at the surveillance footage uploaded on the tablet: his father-in-law was carrying out an "anti-wildcat raid drill" in the garden with the "hammer", and his mother-in-law was surrounded by a group of strong men praising pickles... A faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

Lin Feng stood at the table and reported, "Mr. Chen, all of the Gu family's related assets have been liquidated. The several overseas shareholders who were upset have also been 'appeased.' Gu Changhai's funeral...no one attended."

"Hmm," Zhao Chen replied, swiping his fingertips across his tablet, bringing up a blueprint. It was a vacant lot behind the villa, facing the lake, where a glass-domed greenhouse was planned. The blueprint was labeled "Madam's Mother's Exclusive Pickle R&D Base."

"This piece of land will be built according to this plan." Zhao Chen handed the blueprint to Lin Feng. "Use the best materials and a constant temperature and humidity system. Build a small workshop next to it with all the necessary tools and according to Michelin kitchen standards."

Lin Feng looked at the words "Pickled Vegetable R&D Base" on the blueprint and twitched his lips. "...Yes! I'll make sure Aunt Li's pickled vegetable business continues to flourish!"

"Also," Zhao Chen pushed his gold-rimmed glasses, "Old Wang, the circulation of 'Shiba Inu Coin' is limited to core members. Tell Su Xiao that if she dares to mention the dark web auction price in front of Yu Ling again..."

He paused, then said calmly, "Next time as a 'guild benefit', give her a box of 'Wangwang Special' snail noodles with durian filling."

Lin Feng: “…I understand!” (Three seconds of silence for Miss Su)

At night, master bedroom.

Yu Ling lay on Zhao Chen's chest, playing with the belt of his pajamas with her fingertips, with the heavy "Shiba Inu coin" hanging around her neck.

"Zhao Chen."

"Um?"

"Is the Gu family...really gone forever?" Her voice was muffled.

Zhao Chen tightened his grip around her arm, rubbing his chin against the top of her head. "Yeah. When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. Gu Qianqian is in the sanatorium and will never be able to leave." He lowered his head and kissed her forehead. "Are you scared?"

"I'm not scared." Yu Ling raised her head, her eyes sparkling in the darkness. "I just feel... like I'm dreaming. A few months ago, I was so worried about my project being stolen, and my aunt blocked my door and demanded money... Now..."

She looked around the unrealistically luxurious bedroom, then at the man beside her who could burn threatening letters as waste paper, turn antique brooches into dog tags, and arm her entire family to the teeth with "guild benefits."

"Now," Zhao Chen continued, his voice low and smiling, "Mrs. Zhao, all you need to worry about is whether to have the Michelin chef's air-shipped truffles for breakfast tomorrow, or the braised pork buns that your mother-in-law lovingly airdropped."

Yu Ling chuckled, and her emotion vanished. She poked his chest and said, "Hey, your guild...are you really not considering going public? I think Lidya Su wants to buy shares."

Zhao Chen grabbed her rebellious fingers, placed them on his lips and kissed them. The eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses were deep and charming in the night:

"Going public? That's a hassle." He turned over and enveloped her, his breath scorching. "Having you in the Guild is enough. You're guaranteed to make money, and you can hold it for life."

Early in the morning, Yu Ling was awakened by the vibration of her cell phone.

It was a series of photos and videos sent by Li Xiulan.

Photo 1: Yu Jianbang, wearing a security uniform and reading glasses, operates a button-studded control panel with a serious expression. The screen displays a dozen surveillance footage (including a neighbor's cat basking in the sun on the rooftop). Emblazoned on the side of the console is the phrase: "Wangwang Security - Community Command Center (Internship)."

Photo 2: In the giant "smart vegetable garden," juicy Chinese cabbages and vibrant tomatoes thrive. Nearby stands a sign: "Li Xiulan Special Experimental Field No. 001."

Photo 3: Bald "Iron Fist" and several muscular team members, each holding a lunch box filled with white porridge and Li Xiulan brand pickles, squat on the garden steps and eat with relish. Several "Wangcai" Rottweilers look on eagerly.

When the video was opened, Li Xiulan's excited voice was heard:

"Lingling! Look! Your dad is so awesome now! He's in charge of the surveillance for the entire Wutong Garden! And my vegetables! High technology makes all the difference! Tiequan and the others say they're sweeter than imported organic vegetables! This vegetable garden Xiao Zhao gave me is amazing!"

"Oh right!" Li Xiulan lowered her voice mysteriously at the end of the video. "Iron Fist said Xiao Zhao wants to build me a whole workshop dedicated to pickling pickles by the lake! With a constant temperature! Oh, how expensive is that! You have to talk to him. Don't always spend the 'guild's' money! We can do it ourselves..."

The video suddenly stops.

Yu Ling stared at her phone, then at the man beside her, still sound asleep, his profile perfectly defined. The morning light filtered through the gauze curtains, casting a soft glow on his pajamas, even the adorable Shiba Inu print on them.

She lowered her head and kissed the shallow teeth mark on his collarbone (where she had bitten it last night).

"Zhao Chen."

"Hmm..." The man didn't open his eyes, but his arms tightened habitually, pulling her into his arms. His lazy nasal tone was extremely sexy.

"Your guild..." Yu Ling buried her face in the crook of his neck, which smelled of fresh air, and said sullenly, "...are you still in need of a boss lady? One with her own pickle recipe?"

Zhao Chen's low, joyful laughter echoed overhead, his chest vibrating. He tightened his arms, rolled over, and pressed her down, kissing her ear with a hot breath.

"We need you." He bit her earlobe, his voice unclear and domineering. "We need someone like you. Hand over the formula, and the Guild will buy it out for life. Now... a deposit first?"

The sun is shining outside the window.

Wangcai Bencai, holding his pure gold dog bowl, squatted outside the master bedroom door on time and scratched the door panel with the Shiba Inu's paw prints.

"Woof!" (Dinner is ready! Dog food! With meat!)

At this time, Yu Ling's cell phone rang.

"Lingling! I'm your aunt!" Wang Meifeng's shrill voice exploded into Yu Ling's phone. "Haohao is your cousin! Now that you're the chairman, it's a piece of cake to arrange a position for him. Just let him be... a vice president! Just to manage people!"

Yu Ling held the phone ten centimeters away and rubbed her throbbing temples: "Aunt, the company has rules, executives have to..."

"The rules? You're the one who made them!" Wang Meifeng interrupted, her voice even higher. "Haohao held you when you were a child! Have you forgotten your roots? Your mother has even agreed to intercede for you! It's settled! Haohao will report to the company tomorrow!"

“Beep…beep…beep…” A busy tone came.

Yu Ling stared at her black phone screen and angrily threw a pillow with a picture of a surly Shiba Inu onto the sofa. Wangcai, who was chewing on a teething stick nearby, shuddered in fear.