Chapter 103: My First Business Goes Live!

Chapter 103: My First Business Goes Live!

Sunday was full of some movers coming to personalize and finish Tina and Jenifer's rooms. It was far easier due to both women's rooms being simple and plain in their needs.

Daniel Feng, the leader of the Fire Birds, called me personally to let me know that I am now officially the vice-leader of the Fire Birds until he steps down. He wants to have lunch with me in the near future to make plans, assuring me that Tina can still do her current duties in my place. So next Sunday after Disneyland, Tina and I will eat out with him.

That Sunday, I had Tina on one arm and Linda on the other, trading challenging glances and using me as a tug-o-war stuffed toy. I loved every second of it.

Monday to Thursday was the normal life of university, computer work, and harem life, with Tina really making me work hard once Thursday night came around. That poor closet bed really tried hard to keep up with her boundless energy. The best part was that she actually wore the maid outfit she had promised me, allowing me to fully live out my maid fantasy with her. Despite her earlier playful threats, we managed to get plenty of sleep that night.

What about my personal maid squad? Well, Jenifer still calls me Master like Mercy and Mei do, but I have not once asked about whose maid she truly is now because she is already calling Tina by her first name like a close friend.

Mercy and I are doing our regular workouts and now martial arts sparring. Our relationship was not affected by our talk. She is truly just taking her job seriously and making Mei pick up her game as a maid.

Mei is so excited about going to Disneyland this Sunday that I can practically feel her pent-up longing for it. She even printed out the park's layout map ahead of time to formulate a strict plan of attack, proving her long-held dream of going there is much stronger than I first thought.

I had lunch with Uncle Anthony during the week to get his permission and coupons from the Tang businesses to put into my new Harem-Chat company. When I found out Big-Burger was one of my uncle's businesses, I got incredibly excited. He told me that when I graduate, he would give me the whole fast-food chain as my graduation gift. Fuck yeah! I can actually own my favorite burger joint.

And that pretty much updates the highlights of the week until this current Friday afternoon, as I stand in the hall waiting for Victoria's class to let out.

I adjusted the collar of my black tieless suit, choosing it because we are not doing university work today, but heading straight to one of her board meetings for the soft launch of Harem-Chat with the new features added. I had worked closely with Lucy Shen online to finish up the beta for the soft open launch.

The heavy classroom doors finally opened. After a lingering student finished asking a final question, Victoria stepped out into the hallway and came right toward me with a bright smile. "Let us go and launch your business, Rick."

I fell into step beside her, offering a quick correction as we walked down the corridor. "Nope, you're the first wife, so it is our business. Now let's make some money, hopefully?!"

She slipped her keys into my palm. Even with other students still milling about the hallways, the two of us got right into the car together as I drove us over to the Velvet Tower. About the other students seeing us? Vicky does not care about rumors, due to the fact that our file is completely sealed and no one can prove anything other than we eat dinner together on Fridays while working on class assignments.

Benz pretends he does not see anything during the elevator rides, but I occasionally see him nod to himself with a hidden grin in the reflective metal walls.

Vicky stepped out ahead of me when the elevator reached the thirty-ninth floor, turning back with a parting instruction. "I am going up to shower and change for the meeting, so go find Lucy Shen and you will be in the meeting as her assistant to hide your involvement. Just have her talk for you in the meeting while you both sit in for it. So see you in a while."

She leaned in and kissed me gently while only Benz was on board, but it was just a quick peck before she headed toward the private stairs.

Ding! The elevator doors closed behind me, and I walked down the long glass-wall corridor to the left-side computers department. A few employees looked at me in wonder because I normally don't come here this early, but seeing my formal clothing and confidence, no one questioned me due to them knowing I am already highly familiar with this place.

Knock knock! I rapped my knuckles firmly against Lucy Shen's office door.

[ Rick, come on in, I have been waiting for you. ] A soft voice filtered instantly through the electronic intercom speaker next to the frame.

Click! The electronic door unlocked with a crisp green light appearing above the doorknob to show it was open, so I let myself right into the office.

The glasses-wearing woman was buried behind a massive computer bank of five monitors lined up together—three sitting side by side, and two mounted directly over them to create a high-tech HUD formation. She almost looked like a pro-gamer playing as her own entire team with the way she was typing, her fingers moving like a chipmunk on coffee. She was definitely as fast as me, her Computer Use skill guiding her muscle memory flawlessly.

Without slowing her pace on the keyboard, she offered me a quick smile. "I am just sending some of this to the copy-room for those suits, it won't take long Rick, so just help yourself to my refrigerator there, you can get a beer if you like."

I walked over to the corner appliance and did just that, pulling out a cold bottle of my favorite brand of domestic, Miller Lite. No, I don't drink it for the low-calorie aspect, it just has a softer beer taste that I genuinely enjoy.

After popping the top and taking a refreshing sip, I began to lean back and look around her large office. Naturally, the first thing my eyes locked onto was the early-thirties lady herself. Her long black-crimson hair was incredibly shiny, and her red-framed glasses just made her look youthful. Her outfit consisted of a knee-length white dress with long sleeves, tailored just loose enough to not be constrictive.

I noticed a few framed pictures resting on her desk and the side table behind her, showing various movie stars and a fun night out at the Velvet Lounge. My gaze lingered when I noticed Vicky and I were included in a couple of the shots, but something did not quite add up with the selection. "Hey Lucy, I don't see a picture of your husband?"

Tap tap tap! Her fingers kept typing away at lightning speed, never slowing down for even a fraction of a second as she dropped a bombshell that surprised me. "Hum? Yeah, that is because I have never had one. I only tell others that so men don't hound me for dates. I had a fiancé once, but he broke it off when I could not bear children after my accident. So it was pointless to find a partner after that. That is how life kicks you when you are down. But I am fine."

Fuck. I really seem to know exactly how to accidentally bring up everyone's sad pasts. Now that I think about it, Kim is not nearly as bad off as Lucy is.

No traditional noble man will easily let a woman into his harem if she can't make a baby, since the nobility views it like a man with erectile dysfunction—making the woman feel pointless to them except for physical pleasure.

I shifted my weight uncomfortably, taking another small sip from my bottle. "I knew you had an accident, but sorry I didn't know about the husband thing. There are men out there that don't care about that, you know?"

Her hands never stopped moving across the keys even when she turned her face to look at me, still looking perfectly happy despite my heavy words. She gestured toward the screen with her chin. "No point in being sorry, not like you can help me with it, right? On that screen is the list of cleaned and ready to use new features for the meeting, double check them."

I walked over to stand right next to Lucy, leaning over her shoulder to inspect what she had put together for the corporate presentation.

The main thing both Victoria and I had added—that I had honestly completely overlooked during development—was the Event Planner! This comprehensive feature had custom modules for scheduling dates, managing sleeping arrangements like the rotation at my home, tracking birthdays, anniversaries, doctor appointments, and even things for children. It even included an isolated channel for the harem's underaged kids to be given family reminders and event alerts without seeing the main chat.

There was a lot more packed into the code, but these features must be given to users slowly so we don't completely overwhelm them at launch.

While I was confirming the layout, Lucy suddenly reached up, took my beer straight out of my hand, and took a quick drink before handing the bottle right back to me like it was absolutely nothing. "Sorry, my throat was dry from talking, thanks."

I just shrugged it off, since Eurasia is not some strict Japan Empire anime world of indirect kisses or anything, so I chose to just ignore the gesture.

Who could have known this woman actually saw the indirect kiss as a massive deal? I had absolutely no idea about the silly, racing thoughts she was having, nor did I notice she had temporarily stopped typing because her imagination was getting a bit special.

I cleared my throat, forcing my eyes back onto the interface. "This feature for reminders will save me in my harem, that is for fucking sure! This was a great idea, Lucy."

She smiled softly, pushing back from the desk as she stood up from her computer chair to give me room. "Rick, sit here and look, I am done with my work, so just be comfortable while you finish, fufu."

So I did, slipping into the comfortable computer chair as Lucy occasionally leaned over my shoulder, her finger pointing out specific blocks of code to improve for the 1.2 versions to come.

During the ten minutes we worked, a faint sensation hit me, making me feel like she had just lightly sniffed my hair. I brushed it off, tracking the source instead to the cool draft of the server room air conditioning humming nearby.

A distinct wave of strawberry body spray drifted from her, contrasting with Vicky's usual vanilla. It was highly likely from the exact same company, probably a gift she had swiped from Vicky. As we scrolled through the interface, Lucy occasionally reached over, drank straight from my beer, and seamlessly replaced it with a fresh, ice-cold bottle from her fridge. I had a creeping suspicion she was doing this on purpose, but I could also just be imagining things.

Lucy patted my shoulders firmly, pulling my attention away from the monitor. "Oh, Rick! I forgot to mention it, but I also was invited onto the cruise from the Ben group, so will you also be my bodyguard on the week long trip? I have to inspect the hardware on the Island Resort for our Long Enterprise, so it is business for me?"

Her blue eyes looked down directly into mine, waiting for a positive response. I figured it was perfectly fine since I wasn't getting paid by the others anyway, and it served as an excellent excuse to legally carry my guns on the vessel.

"I guess I can make it a pro-bono contract, so I can carry my guns, and you will be with Vicky, right?" I asked, looking up at her from the desk.

Lucy immediately wrapped her arms around my neck from behind, squeezing tightly. "Here is a hug in advance! It won't be for free. You get a hug each day for bodyguard work, ufufu."

Just before the close contact started to feel a bit too uncomfortable, she let me go. Her expression shifted instantly into a crisp, professional mask as she began gathering her presentation folders. "Let us go Rick, we have a meeting now, so fun-time is over. Bring your computer with us and we will communicate with our private chat for the deals."

I grabbed my briefcase, stepping into stride behind the suddenly quiet and reserved Lucy Shen. Seeing her switch into such a strict corporate persona felt entirely strange, especially now that I was growing used to her friendly side.

We stepped into the elevator, heading down to the thirty-eighth floor where the company holds all of its executive board meetings. The members all have private offices on this level, keeping them entirely separate from the corporate hustle and bustle of the standard floors above. Down here, the atmosphere was quiet, pristine, and perfect for the VIPs of the company to conduct business.

The thirty-eighth floor features three distinct boardrooms, with the largest anchoring the north side and two smaller units flanking the east and west wings. Ten lavish offices line the perimeter, reserved exclusively for the personal and business use of the executive officers.

A central lobby serves as the main hub, where the secretaries of the executive officers man the desks to screen calls and coordinate tasks. Each officer governs a specific arm of the empire; for instance, one executive controls the Star Entertainment Group, while another oversees a select franchise of luxury restaurants.

Spanning from the eleventh floor all the way to the thirty-seventh are the primary business offices of the massive subsidiary companies under Victoria's direct command. My wife holds a staggering amount of economic power.

The thirteenth floor acts as the headquarters for Star Entertainment, supplemented by a professional recording studio on the twelfth floor and a complete television broadcasting station on the eleventh. The network primarily handles radio broadcasts and smaller online interviews, while the company maintains a separate, full-scale production studio in the northwest for major films and television shows.

My thoughts wandered off as I followed Lucy into the main boardroom, noting that the space was easily the size of Vicky's entire penthouse office. A fully stocked refreshment bar lined the left wall, positioned directly opposite the right side of the long mahogany table where Vicky usually sits. She hadn't shown up yet, intending to make her entrance last.

Out of the ten officers already seated around the table, nine of them were women. The sole male exception was a young player, remarkably fresh for an executive role in his mid-twenties.

His name was Keven Kyoto. He was twenty-five years old, possessing short black hair, green eyes, and an average build. A quick glance at his posture revealed he possessed Basic Karate as his martial arts skill. He manages the entire printed media division and bookstore chains, which includes international licensing for foreign anime, light novels, and films.

The oldest and most powerful woman at the table, hailing directly from a core Long subordinate family, was Pam Sun. She was forty-five years old, with sharp blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. She runs the entire Star Entertainment Group, is married, and has an eighteen-year-old son. Industry rumors whispered that her son and Ana Zi were frequent casting couch partners.

The next woman also represents a prominent subordinate family of the Long block, Gretta Yang. She was thirty years old, boasting striking white hair and golden eyes. She commands Victoria's high-end cosmetic lines and possesses a deeply charming appearance, heavily resembling Lane Feng. She is married with two daughters.

Diana Long sat a few seats down. She was twenty-eight years old, a member of a branch family with short black hair and deep purple eyes. She holds the position of the fourth most influential person at the table, directing the advertisements and commercial media divisions.

The remaining six women weren't worth evaluating at this exact moment, so I simply kept my eyes on the room, scanning for threats.

Arranged around the perimeter of the conference room were several single armchairs, each equipped with small folding desks for laptops that could fold flat and hide beneath the seats. These comfortable work chairs were reserved for the personal secretaries of the ten board members.

Lucy and I claimed two chairs positioned directly behind Victoria's empty head seat. Lucy leaned over, her voice barely a breath in my ear. "All of these movers and shakers would shit their pants if they knew the young man in the back was Vicky's husband, ufufu."

Keven Kyoto, who was normally accustomed to being the only man in the room, looked surprised to see another male sitting in the secretary row who clearly wasn't a standard bodyguard. He took a second look at my suit, his eyes narrowing in recognition. "Excuse me? Are you that young man Rick Tang that fought in last week's match?"

Hearing the name Tang spoken in a high-level Long corporate meeting was jarring. It was the equivalent of Kimberly Long suddenly showing up to dictate policy at a Tang, Song, and Ning block alliance meeting. It just didn't happen.

I looked up from my briefcase, keeping my expression perfectly neutral. "That would be me, Mr. Kyoto."

"Congratulations on your engagement then," Keven replied smoothly, offering a polite nod. "I have met Tina Feng before and she is a charming woman. If I could fight, I too would have tried my luck."

This guy was sharp. Even if he didn't care about me personally, he maintained a friendly facade, fully aware that for me to secure a seat in this room meant he shouldn't fly off the handle like an idiot. To occupy any of these ten executive seats, you needed a minimum of an Advanced if not Master level corporate skill to run the show.

Diana Long stared directly at me from across the table. I watched her pull out her smartphone, her thumbs moving quickly as she typed a text message, likely reporting my presence straight to the main Long family.

The heavy double doors clicked open, and Victoria finally walked into the boardroom. Dressed in a crisp, sharp blue business suit, she carried an air of absolute authority as she took her seat directly in front of us. Her brown-haired secretary, wearing a contrasting pink outfit, slid into the chair to the right of Lucy.

Vicky immediately shifted into her no-nonsense business mode, her deep and charming voice commanding the entire room. "Let us begin today's meeting."

For the next half hour, I sat silently as the board reviewed profit metrics, quarterly expectations, and newly proposed corporate ventures. I was surprised to hear Kate Kong's upcoming New Year's Eve show brought to the table, realizing just how many separate departments were currently pulling strings for this single event. It was tracking to be broadcast live across all of Eurasia for the holiday countdown.

Pam Sun leaned forward, resting her elbows on the polished wood. "I would like to use Ana Zi as the main host for the show that night. She was popular during the Feng Tournament and she has worked with Kate Kong. So unless anyone has issues with Miss Zi, will I contact her for it?"

No one voiced an objection. I secretly agreed with the choice; Ana Zi might be completely tasteless and predatory in private, but she was undeniably flawless in front of a camera lens.

Victoria tapped her pen against the table, drawing everyone's eyes back to the head of the board. "Finally, I have a new online business venture I am launching, and I want ideas and volunteers to support it."

With a quick nod, Vicky turned toward Lucy to initiate the digital demonstration for the board. The window blinds automatically slid shut, the lights dimmed, and a massive projector screen dropped smoothly from the ceiling.

Twenty minutes later, the presentation concluded. Victoria raised the lights back up, sitting back as she waited for the executive feedback.

Keven Kyoto rubbed his chin, reviewing the notes on his tablet. "Well it is definitely good for men, but I don't know if women will use it?"

Gretta Yang offered a cheerful, bright smile, leaning forward enthusiastically. "I do like the ability to reach more women for cosmetics. Our Day-Spa will get a larger boost due to the implications of hitting the right target groups."

Pam Sun shook her head dismissively, crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't see this helping the entertainment side of things. And it is just silly when you can just call your husband or fellow sister wife for something. This seems very niche."

Diana Long's brow furrowed into a deep frown as she glared at the summary screen, her voice dripping with immediate hostility. "For me in the advertisement, it makes no sense to offer coupons for Tang businesses, this is counterproductive. Is this Rick Tang's idea of a joke?"

Many at the table nodded at that specific point, murmuring in agreement about the absolute absurdity of advertising Tang businesses on a premier Long corporate venture. I paid them no mind, keeping my hands moving as I quietly typed away on my keyboard, systematically breaking down every single one of their arguments. Once finished, Lucy seamlessly slid her laptop directly in front of Victoria, displaying my compiled notes.

Vicky scanned the screen, a small, victorious smile touching her lips before she looked up to address the room. "To Kyoto's point, women actually utilize this platform far more than men, and our initial test samples prove it. This interface allows an entire group chat to coordinate instantly instead of forcing a user to call each and every person individually. The persistent logs are a massive benefit for members who have been working or sleeping, and the immediate result is that men never miss important family events anymore, leading directly to happy wives."

Victoria shifted her gaze down the table, locking eyes with Gretta Yang. "Most of the active users are naturally going to be women, which means our cosmetics division stands to grow the most out of anyone through exclusive offers and deals found only on this platform."

She then turned her sharp attention toward Pam Sun, her tone growing colder. "Calling everyone one by one is silly and a massive waste of corporate time. The younger generation now uses instant messaging and digital chat rooms regularly. As for the claim that this isn't useful for the entertainment side of things? You can easily showcase upcoming trailers and play exclusive music tracks in the background of every single chatroom. Let your younger employees brainstorm some creative ideas. If you are entirely unable to come up with things, then find someone who can."

Lastly, she turned her full, icy glare directly onto Diana Long, shutting down the branch family member completely. "This business is entirely about money and not your personal pride in the Long name. Showing our user base that we bring them the absolute best coupon choices in the market will secure us all of the available business instead of only three-quarters of the market! Plus, the Lang and Feng blocks will willingly offer their own business deals once we demonstrate our willingness to not alienate the customers. Your backwards thinking actively tells one-quarter of the paying market that we simply do not want their money?! If you are not capable of performing the job I need you to do, I will gladly find another Long who is."

Her eyes squinted into a dangerous glare as she swept her gaze across every single executive at the table. "I intentionally started teaching at Star University to scout for bright new talent. Even before his true name became Tang, Rick Lee possessed significantly more natural business skill than half of the people sitting in this exact room. I routinely have a hard time keeping up with his pacing, and what exactly does that tell you about your own capabilities? Do not insult my student in my face ever again, or security will escort you out of this building with your belongings packed in a box. Questions?"

The room fell into a stunned, suffocating silence until Gretta Yang cautiously raised her hand, breaking the tension with a cheerful expression. "I might be relatively new to this type of online platform, but I believe it is the absolute perfect place for my products. If no one else in this room is brave enough to take the leap, I will happily take it under my wing. Victoria Cosmetics desperately needs to step into the new digital age with our traditional products, so I am more than willing to gamble on it."

Victoria offered a firm nod, her expression softening slightly. "Then Lucy Shen will work directly with the web designer to ensure the integration stays simple for your company. You only need to promote the venture under your brand name, and the system automated backend will take care of the rest. The servers are completely ready to go, so it will require minimal manpower on your end. Let me know what I can do personally to make this work. Now, if no one else has any constructive critiques, this meeting is officially settled."

The moment the meeting adjourned, Victoria briskly swept out of the boardroom. A second later, my phone vibrated in my pocket.

[Victoria Long: Hurry up, I want to hold you tonight. Love you.]

I read the message with a grin, shutting my laptop and sliding it back into my briefcase. Lucy watched me pack, her eyes dancing with amusement.

"Looks like Victoria Cosmetics will get a sudden surge in the top ten power grab in these meetings, fufu. The rest of the board will look back eventually and be incredibly happy they wanted your product."

After exchanging a few more parting words, I stepped out into the quiet hallway and made my way straight to the elevator bank. The heavy metal doors slid open right away, revealing Benz standing inside with a knowing wink. "Going on up into the sky?"

I stepped into the elevator cab, adjusting my suit jacket. "Benz, fortyth floor please."

Just as the elevator doors began to slide shut, Diana Long's furious voice echoed down the corridor as she stormed out of the boardroom. "Hold the door!"

Benz didn't hesitate, immediately pressing the door-close override button. The heavy panels slammed shut right in her face, completely blocking her from getting inside to see my destination while simultaneously hiding the lift's destination indicator from the lobby displays. He knows exactly who outranks who in this building.