Chapter 131: New Years Eve Bash!

Chapter 131: New Years Eve Bash!

Saturday, New Years Eve arrived with a crisp bite to the winter air.

The whole family had just concluded an early dinner together inside the main dining room while the sun was still visible outside the large windows.

My wives and I had seriously considered the absolute pros and cons regarding who would or should not go to the high-profile corporate event tonight, and we had finally made our definitive choices.

The pregnant women would all stay safely behind at the mansion with Zoe to rest. Victoria, Kim, Mei, Mercy, and I would officially form the active party group heading out into the city, while Lucy chose to stay home at the estate.

The practical reasons for this setup were simple. The event was going to be an exceptionally long night under flashing cameras, meaning we more likely than not wouldn't be returning home until the sun literally rose the next morning. There would also be a massive amount of traditional wine drinking throughout the night, as end-of-the-year customs usually dictated.

Lucy explicitly did not want to risk being caught on national television if she could possibly help it, given her delicate situation. She had only recently gained her physical freedom back from a decade of hiding and preferred to keep a significantly lower profile for the time being. Plus, she would comfortably keep a protective digital eye on our entire group through the venue's connected security grid.

Tina and Jenifer were currently dressing to attend a grand Fire Birds banquet over at the Phoenix Headquarters down town. Tina was officially heading out as my proxy for the evening since I obviously couldn't be present at two major events at the exact same time.

Cat Woo was also attending the corporate banquet as a fresh member of our ranks, serving Tina directly as part of her new training regimen. She was aggressively learning how to handle the exact administrative job Jenifer had masterfully done before, now that Jenifer's professional focus was shifting entirely to me personally as the real Leader to be.

I took my time giving a warm, loving New Years kiss to every single one of the wonderful women staying behind or heading out elsewhere, before turning to get ready alongside the party group.

Victoria stepped out of her dressing room wearing the exact same stunning purple-velvet-dress she had originally worn during our grand marriage celebration with the twins. Mei and Mercy, on the other hand, had completely coordinated their looks, stepping into matching velvet-cheongsam-dresses dyed a deep, vibrant blue with a striking white-tiger embroidered across the back fabric.

I had explicitly told my personal maids beforehand that I wanted them to wear traditional clothing instead of their standard maid outfits for tonight, wanting their appearance to perfectly match the formal image of me and Vicky. Mei looked absolutely incredible in the traditional Chinese wear, and the sleek blue outfit made Mercy look significantly more stunning than usual.

All three of the women were wearing matching gold accessories, a detail perfectly calculated to complement the fact that I was wearing my sharp black tuxedo paired with a gleaming gold-tie.

I checked the weight of the gold watch resting against my wrist. Standing next to me, Victoria was now openly wearing her gold-wedding-band, choosing tonight to subtly warn the high-society world of her upcoming, shocking marriage news on live national television.

Lucy had completely lifted the security seal on my marriage contract details at this point, since Vicky was officially preparing to announce the relationship to the entire world. Lucy had been overly, suspiciously happy about the legal shift. When I pushed her for more details earlier, she simply offered a playful smirk and told me it was a massive surprise for the future that I would absolutely love, so I chose not to push the issue any further.

Benz had been called in to function as our primary driver for the night, and his explicit orders were to stay behind and guard the vehicle while we were inside the venue. We were taking my pristine white Tang limo out of the garage.

The four of us said our final goodbyes to the mansion for the night, and I formally promised the girls that I would call them all simultaneously through Harem-Chat immediately after midnight to greet them properly.

Without wasting another moment, we piled into the back of the luxury vehicle and left the estate for our high-stakes end-of-the-year event.

The white limo glided smoothly along the slick streets, eventually pulling up directly in front of Kim's home.

"Husband, you should go retrieve Kim, she seems to be running behind, we will wait in the car for you two." Victoria instructed, shifting her position on the leather seat.

Mei and Mercy were actively shifting their weight as if they were going to step out and retrieve the late Kim themselves, but Victoria smoothly voiced her command to me before they could even offer. I simply offered a knowing smile, stepped out of the vehicle, and walked up the front path to get her.

Kim was a total, absolute klutz at times and had probably created a massive disaster while getting ready, leaving her entirely flustered trying to fix whatever item she had accidentally broken.

Ding Dong!

The chime echoed through the quiet house. Just a fraction of a second after I pressed her doorbell, I heard the frantic, heavy sound of Kim rushing down the hallway to open the lock. The door swung wide, revealing her standing there with a heavy blush staining her cheeks as she looked at my tuxedo. "Please come in, Rick. I had trouble getting my hair up so I was running behind a bit, ha-ha."

I looked up at her head to inspect the damage. She had successfully tied her hair back into an incredibly pretty, sophisticated Western-style bun secured tightly with a long silver-ribbon, leaving a few loose strands of her blonde hair framing the sides of her face. However, she was still wrapped completely in her plush bathrobe and looked like she desperately needed to put her dress on. She instantly noticed my eyes tracking her clothes, her blush deepening.

"I am ready to go as soon as I get my dress zipped, can you please help me? It is a nice dress and it is hard to reach the middle of my back?"

"Sure, no problem," I replied, stepping past the threshold into the warm hallway. "And relax, we are very early. We only are going so soon because Victoria is meeting with organizers and her company heads."

The moment I followed her straight into her bedroom, my jaw nearly hit the floor, and she instantly shrunk back in total, absolute embarrassment.

What had once been Hana's pristine, spotless, and entirely minimalist room design was nowhere to be found inside the space. Instead, the environment looked exactly like the messy bedroom of a chaotic teenager—or rather, it looked remarkably like my past life's teenage shut-in bedroom.

Her room wasn't filthy or unhygienic by any means, but there was a chaotic assortment of old clothing thrown carelessly to the sides, a mountain of fashion magazines piled high on the bedside table, a finished Lean Cuisine microwave meal container she had recently eaten sitting out, and the overall decoration scheme was wild. There were rock band posters plastered all over the walls, interspersed with glossy movie advertisements. Kate Kong's face even graced her walls in the exact same excessive fashion I would have done back on Earth if I had possessed absolutely no shame. In short, her room was pure, unadulterated chaos.

"AH! Rick, please don't look, I-I um, I-" Kim stammered, frantically stepping in front of the food container to block my view.

I let out a soft chuckle, offering a warm, reassuring smile to the red-faced woman to calm her nerves. "I used to decorate my room like this before high-school, so I understand. It is probable I would have done it during high-school if I didn't sleep on the couch, so relax. I can tell you it's clean, but are just too busy to immediately pick it up. Plus, you don't have a maid for such a big home, right?"

Kim offered a frantic nod of her head in complete agreement with everything I just said, visibly relieved that I wasn't judging her. She rapidly ran over to her bed, reaching down to pick up two distinct dresses—one was a pristine white fabric, and the other was a shimmering silver material. She held them out toward me.

"They are both the same style of dress, but what dress do you like?"

She was holding up a sleek, sleeveless dinner dress that extended down toward her thighs—significantly longer than the micro-dresses Hana typically preferred to wear around the estate, but still undeniably sexy.

"Normally, I could only see you in that white dress," I commented, weighing the options carefully. "But with it being New Years, the silver one would be perfect under the flashing lights and the festive party atmosphere. Honestly, you will look good in both."

She blushed heavily at the compliment, swiftly handing the silver dress into my grip while tossing the white one onto the pile on her mattress. True to my observation, she just casually tossed things aside to worry about later.

Then, without a single shred of shame or hesitation, she let her robe slide completely off her shoulders and drop to her feet, revealing her body clad only in a matching set of white undergarments crafted from delicate lace and silk. She turned her back to me. "Hold it at my feet and I will step into it, then just lift it up, please."

As I knelt down on the floor to do exactly as she requested, I suddenly realized my face was positioned mere inches away from her flat bellybutton. I cleared my throat to break the sudden tension. "North American women are very confident in their bodies to let me do this, right?"

She placed both of her hands firmly onto my shoulders to maintain her physical balance while I carefully brought the heavy silver fabric up over her legs and hips. She looked down, a sweet, incredibly tender smile crossing her lips as she explained. "For most American women, that is true, but for me, it is because I trust you and know you are a gentleman."

She took a moment to adjust her boobs comfortably into the structured bodice of the dress before turning her back completely toward me so I could reach the zipper. I gently pulled the tab up the smooth track of her spine, keeping my fingers steady.

"Don't put that much trust in me, Kim. I am only a man after-all, and when I drink, I have done some silly things, so be cautious around me, alright?"

I reached over to help her slide into her long, warm white coat while she reached down to grab her evening purse from the dresser. She let out a loud laugh, a prominent, highly endearing dimple showing on her cheek as she beamed at me.

"Golly Geez, Rick. You are too honest, ha-ha. Let us go before the others think I seduced you."

She wrapped her arm firmly around my left arm, her bright green eyes observing my profile with an intense, quiet affection as we walked down the front path together toward the waiting limo.

A short drive later, we arrived at the massive Star City Arena, heading straight toward the entrance of the Main Stadium.

This time around, the security teams didn't give me a single shred of harassment regarding my hidden firearms. It looked as though Tony's father had been heavily threatened by one of my lethal wives for his childish, petty tactics during our first visit to the venue, clearing our path entirely.

Our unified group of five headed straight into the exclusive Long family VIP room, giving us a secure base to get ready for the upcoming meet-and-greet portion of the evening.

The luxury VIP suite was definitely going to become incredibly crowded tonight, since the top four executives of Victoria's corporate empire along with their respective plus-ones had been officially invited to join our circle. Ana Zi, Kate, and Jean were also on the guest list for the private room.

With a high-profile group of this size, the main seating area offered plenty of space to mingle. Ana Zi was scheduled to function as the primary Host MC for the massive entertainment show tonight, while Kate was set to perform a set of about five of her hit songs leading directly up to the midnight Bell Chimes. There was absolutely no traditional Ball Drop custom in this world; instead, the culture utilized massive, ornate Pipe Chimes that were struck with heavy mallets to ring in the new year.

I adjusted the hidden earpiece resting inside my ear canal. Mei, Lucy back at the mansion, and I were all wearing synchronized communication devices to maintain unbroken contact, allowing us to keep a strict eye out for any incoming high-society figures or potential rival factions.

Mei, Mercy, or I would make sure to always stay securely positioned at Vicky's side throughout the entire evening. Plus, Victoria had her own dedicated security detail heavily spread around the entire stadium parameters for additional protection, a necessary precaution given Kate's massive celebrity presence around us.

The heavy digital clock on the wall shifted its numbers. It was officially time—the grand doors had just opened to the waiting public at exactly 8 pm, and the elite guests were about to arrive.

I am currently standing directly at the reinforced glass window, overlooking the massive sea of people flooding into the stadium below and actively socializing with one another. There are three grand live performance stages set up across the main floor, but only one remains active at any given time while the other two are seamlessly moved around and replaced by the production crews in the dark. Kate is scheduled to take over the massive center stage near the last half-hour of the night leading into midnight.

Over to the side, Kim, Mei, and Mercy are sitting comfortably in the designated servants' chairs. Those specific seats are honestly every single bit as nice and plush as the primary center ones, a fact I know firsthand since I once sat in them myself during my earlier days here. Victoria is seated directly in the center of the front row with her personal belongings, holding my heavy armored long coat in the adjacent seat to save it for me.

The very first person to officially arrive for the evening was Ana Zi. She gracefully walked through the double doors and went straight to greet Vicky, while she and I briefly exchanged a subtle wave across the room to acknowledge one another. Vicky knew the exact social dynamics at play and immediately had Ana sit directly next to her so they could chat intimately, a brilliant move that instantly made Ana seem immensely important to the observers for her high-profile role as the hostess tonight. Plus, Vicky knows damn well that I don't want to actively deal with her.

Next to arrive through the security checkpoint was Diana Long. She and her corporate husband quietly moved toward the back row to take their places at the far end of the aisle. Yes, to completely avoid any petty social fighting or embarrassing scene, everyone has a strictly assigned seat printed directly onto their invitation card, or Vicky would be in a massive bind with every single guest trying to aggressively sit next to her.

I stepped forward to politely greet the next couple to arrive while Vicky was completely occupied with her current conversation. "Keven Kyoto, hello. I thought I would welcome you while Vicky was busy talking with Diana, and who is this?"

Standing directly next to his shoulder was a remarkably elegant woman from the Japan Empire who exuded a highly refined and noble air, and the thick gold wedding band resting on her finger clearly alluded to her being his wife, or at least one of them anyway.

Keven smiled, offering a respectful nod as he adjusted his jacket. "Thanks, nice to see you again, Mr Tang. This is my 1st wife, Kameko Kyoto."

Due to my Education Basic skill tier, I can seamlessly read and speak all common foreign languages taught in schools, but because I am only at a basic proficiency level, I cannot fully eliminate my thick Eurasian accent. However, when it comes to speaking and listening fluently in public, it is absolutely no problem for me.

-Greetings Mrs Kameko Kyoto. Your husband and I have met before.-

His wife looks instantly amused, her eyes shifting with sudden interest because a young man was actually kind enough to speak to her in her native tongue, offering more than just her husband's usual input.

-Ufufu, I am surprised your Japanese is so good for a young man who has never been to the Japan Empire. It is wonderful to have met you Mr Tang. My husband and I met on one of his business trips to my homeland, and we fell in love.-

Keven was really surprised to see me speaking so effortlessly and smoothly to his wife, especially since his own grasp of the language isn't nearly as fluent. He wasn't the only one caught off guard by the display; even Vicky had not known that I spoke foreign languages so incredibly well until this exact moment.

Mei completely forgot about my core background skills as the literal Yellow Emperor, and she is violently smacking herself in her mind right now for not talking to me in Chinese all this time! She is dwelling on all the wasted fun we could have had using it out on the battlefield or in our daily life around the estate. Yes, she is technically a Eurasian spy and a citizen here, but Chinese is still her native home language. Plus, the Yellow Emperor not knowing his own native language seems entirely stupid to not have it, right?!

-My best friend's wife was called Akeno Minamoto, now she is Tong. So, I have practiced with her before.-

No, I haven't practiced with her a single time in my life, but I absolutely don't want to look incredibly suspicious or trigger an investigation here. She offered a knowing nod of her head and then shared a shocking detail with me.

-Minamoto is one of the major families in our Japan Capital, so your friend is lucky to marry a Princess.-

I aggressively channel all of my acting skills to cover up the sudden facial twitches threatening to break my expression upon hearing what she just said.

The heavy term Princess in their culture is roughly equivalent to the massive social status tier of Tina Feng. I can't believe Akeno is actually legitimate high nobility. Fuck, is my buddy James in for an incredibly bumpy, dangerous ride in the near future?!

Keven cleared his throat, offering a gentle smile as he broke into the foreign chat. "My wife, and Rick, perhaps talking in another language might seem rude, when half the room can't speak it?"

She quickly covered her mouth with a manicured hand in a highly coquettish fashion, immediately offering an apology. "Sorry, sorry, I was just having fun with your new friend, fufu."

"Looks like Victoria is free so go and say hello, have fun you two." I reply, gesturing toward the front rows.

And without another word, the two left my side to go do just that.

The next guests to walk into the room were a mature woman and her two young children. Vicky had explicitly invited both kids along due to her corporate husband currently working late on an empire project. Gretta Yang stood there with striking white hair and sharp gold eyes, the powerful executive who runs Victoria's entire cosmetics line and the exact woman who previously put me in my own commercial. Her ten and nine-year-old daughters look exactly like miniature versions of her.

"Mrs Yang, it is so nice to meet you again, your girls?" I ask, stepping down to greet them.

"Oh, Mr Tang, polite and charming as usual." Gretta beamed, gesturing down at the two matching dresses. "Yes, these are my two shy angels. They are big fans of Kate Kong and Ana Zi, so they begged to come, fufu."

I point a finger across the lounge toward the couch where the hostess is resting, offering a piece of advice. "Better get your autographs now while she is not busy, because later she will be gone doing the show."

The three ladies immediately left my side to go bug the famous actress for signatures.

The exact second I saw Pam and Sam Sun come walking through the main double doors into the room, I suddenly remembered that I had something important to tell Kim! Using that as an immediate excuse, I turned my back and left them behind without a word.

Well, a nearby maid pointed the Suns straight to their assigned seats, but Sam went straight toward Victoria the absolute moment he saw her sitting unguarded by me. I just shake my head at his behavior from a distance, thinking to myself—just wait until later, you bastard. The incredibly happy, stunned face he will make once the truth drops is going to put absolute sunlight into my heart.

Soon after, a pair of famous women I do know came marching into the VIP suite, and roughly half the room instantly flocked toward them like moths to a flame. I had already been privately told by Lucy through my earpiece that Kate was heavily delayed outside due to a massive swarm of fans, forcing security to physically escort her through the private hallways to get her here safe.

Kate, immediately spotting me looking out the window again, smiled brightly and brushed past every single elite guest except for the two little girls, taking a quick moment to sign their items. Then, she walked over and stood right next to me at the glass with a massive smile on her face.

Kate is wearing a long, white, form-fitting long-sleeved dress that accentuates her figure. It unfortunately makes her exceptionally huge chest a bit too noticeable to the crowd, but her wide hips luckily make the sight look far less unbalanced. She stands about two inches shorter than Vicky, but both of the women possess the exact same identical measurements, making Kate the absolute dream lover of most mainstream fans. And sadly, back in my younger years, I was one of those exact young men.

"You look handsome tonight, Rick." Kate murmured, her red eyes tracking my profile.

"Looks like you are going to make poor Ana look shabby again, ha-ha." I tease softly, looking at her dress.

"Ah! Is it bad?" She gasped softly, her hands flying up to her chest as a look of panic crossed her features. "I wanted to cover my skin but still look like a princess for my performance later, phew."

I see that she looks genuinely dejected by my remark, prompting me to step closer and clarify my words. "Dummy, I meant it looks too good on you. Dont you know what I meant?"

Her long white hair is completely down tonight, not tied up or bound in any way. She gently knuckles the side of her own noggin in a highly traditional, cute idol fashion, letting out a soft sigh. "You know me the best, I sometimes get slow. I can't believe I can memorize my lines though, fufu."

"Kate, you are a genius with your acting and entertainment." I say, looking at her honestly. "And I am sorry."

She tilts her head to the side in confusion, her red eyes blinking up at me. "Why are you sorry, Rick?"

"I keep calling you Idiot or Dummy, but I don't really mean it." I admit, rubbing the back of my neck. "I just always called you that as a kid, so it just comes out of my mouth, so I am sorry."

Kate immediately put on a deeply charming, radiant smile, her gaze softening as she answered. "I like it! You are the only-person to honestly tell me when I am doing something dumb or stupid. Everyone is afraid to hurt my feelings. And... I was really dumb back then, you know. So I only hear my friend calling me our childhood name when you say it. I really don't want you to stop when I deserve it. I do make silly mistakes sometimes, fufu."

Listening to her soft voice, I am genuinely starting to see her as the exact same girl sitting up in the tree from our childhood again, and I find myself feeling incredibly glad about it.