Chapter 86: An Appetizer And A Business Partner!

Chapter 86: An Appetizer And A Business Partner!

The past few days have truly been spent in a complete mental daze as I try to wrap my head around the reality of having five children on the way, followed by a sixth child just a month later. By the time April and March roll around next year, the twins and Hana are going to officially make me a father.

I leaned my back against the brick corridor wall, waiting patiently for Victoria's afternoon lecture to wrap up so I could help her with the weekly restaurant testing. My mind kept spinning with a million different thoughts, mostly focusing on the massive layout changes happening at home today.

A professional moving company had arrived at the estate alongside a wave of newly hired staff, tasked with transferring absolutely everything my wives wanted over to our massive new mansion. It felt surreal, but thanks to Uncle Tang, I am officially going to be sleeping in a brand-new home tonight.

Naturally, the transition required some serious security clearance, so Mei and I ran extensive background checks on every single incoming staff member before letting them near the property. Our master-tier tracking caught one specific individual who secretly worked as an asset for the Song clan. Instead of throwing a loud fit, Anthony quietly reassigned the informant to a remote corporate position over in Star City, successfully neutralizing the threat without alerting the Song family that we had caught onto them.

Another interesting development with the big move is the fact that Nadia and Nichole are finally getting their own separate bedrooms for the very first time in their lives. It isn't that they mind sharing a bed with each other, but they both want to set a good example for their future kids while ensuring they can get some proper one-on-one time with me on designated nights.

Frankly, the new mansion has way more rooms available than my current harem can even deal with, so we are planning to just cluster together and use one wing of the estate for a while. Once Linda and Tina officially move in, we will finally start to branch out into the rest of the property.

The wives had stubbornly insisted that I take the grand master bedroom all to myself, reserving it strictly for group sleeping and general relaxation, while their individual bedrooms will be the designated spots for sexy time. The custom bath attached to my suite is absolutely insane, clearly designed by an architect who understood the needs of a wealthy man running a traditional harem of about eight wives. From what I understand of noble history, most harems don't ever exceed ten women due to the sheer amount of internal infighting.

Meanwhile, Scott and his two wives have officially packed up their things and moved into his mother's home over at the Song Estates in Star City. It is the exact same high-end property where I completely cooked the electronics in their luxury limo that night, causing all that political shit to hit the fan.

Just yesterday, I had a private, face-to-face chat with Anthony regarding the Lang family situation, and he let me know on the down-low that George Lang had completely fallen over himself to secure our alliance. Before our meeting, George only strongly suspected my true royal identity, but the second Anthony indirectly confirmed those suspicions, the man bent over backwards to push for Linda and me to be together.

I guess I can't be too pissed about his transactional personality, especially since the guy is giving his daughter's hand to me in marriage anyway. The part that made Uncle Tang and me laugh our asses off, though, was the fact that George desperately wanted Linda to marry me right away before Tina could swoop in. Because he can't reveal my secret identity to his own wife yet, Lady Lang stubbornly insisted on keeping the original June wedding date, leaving her husband wanting to bash his head into a brick wall.

As for Linda herself, things are moving fast on two separate fronts. First, our official engagement party is scheduled for a week from tomorrow, and she is incredibly excited because the societal rules will finally allow her to be openly affectionate with me in public.

She has also been dressing exclusively in her custom, handmade dresses all week, constantly bouncing around me to ask what my specific style preferences are. Just this morning, Linda actually wore a stylized dress that cut off right at her mid-thigh, which is a massive step for her considering she has never worn an outfit that short in her entire life.

Despite all the family excitement, my biggest internal issue right now is still Mei. Ever since our fast-food lunch inside the limousine on Tuesday, I haven't been able to stop thinking about our conversation, particularly her comment about how much she appreciates just being herself around me.

She acts her own age when the cameras are off, showing a playful, energetic side that makes her look like a woman trying to relive a lost youth that was stolen by intelligence training. She has not once lied to me about her various seductive acts, always dropping a hint to let me know when she is actively performing for an audience.

The real problem pops up during our late-night surveillance sessions. Because of my high-tier computer skills, she constantly needs me to bypass building networks and unlock physical servers, which usually results in her lounging around the workspace in her thin night clothing.

My eyes inevitably wander all over her body, forcing me to let out a quiet sigh. She isn't even doing it on purpose to tease me; I have simply found her highly attractive from the very beginning, even before my system capabilities awakened. Seeing her naked back when she was still technically Scott's woman had left a permanent impression on my mind, making her body completely entice me.

I am starting to think I have a serious Maid Fetish to match my apparent Teacher Fetish.

Speaking of the Teacher Fetish, that is probably the exact reason I find the mature woman currently standing at the front of the classroom so damn sexy. Victoria Long was just finishing up her notes, her elegant frame silhouetted against the chalkboard.

The last of the business students finally gathered their bags and left the room, allowing me to step through the doorway just as Victoria began stacking her processed exam papers into neat piles. She looked up, catching sight of my grey suit, and a warm smile broke across her face. "Glad you could make it with the big move of yours," she said, her voice echoing slightly in the empty lecture hall. "Are you sure it is alright to help me with that going on?"

I shrugged my shoulders, walking down the aisle to join her at the podium. "Uncle Tang hired professional movers who do this for all the high nobles," I explained honestly, grabbing a stack of papers to help her organize. "My wives only have to point their fingers and the crew rearranges the furniture until it's perfect. I don't have a clue where they want their things placed anyway. When I tried helping this afternoon, I was just scolded by the girls and told to come help you instead."

Victoria let out a soft laugh, immediately guessing that Mary or Hana had intentionally chased me out of the house so I wouldn't skip out on our kitchen arrangement.

Exactly two hours later, the empty classroom was silent save for the heavy thud of paper hitting wood. I dropped my final stack onto the desk, leaning back with a triumphant grin. "I am done Victoria," I announced proudly, tapping the tall tower of sheets. "That's two full classes graded to your one again, ha-ha."

Victoria stopped her pen, staring dumbly at the massive stacks I had compiled before a defeated smile touched her lips. "Fine, you get to drive then," she conceded smoothly, reaching into her blazer pocket. "I lost the bet."

I paused, my hand freezing mid-air as I pointed an accusing finger straight at her. "Wait a minute, you went slow on purpose," I called out, realizing the trap. "You dragged out your grading so not only did I do the bulk of the manual labor, but now I have to act as your personal driver too?!"

Victoria grabbed her leather purse from the chair, a beautiful, victorious grin stretching across her face as she stepped out from behind the desk. "I only played by your rules, Rick," she countered, her tone completely dripping with amusement. "You wanted a speed contest to see who got to drive, so it is not my fault I played the game to my distinct advantage, correct?"

I stood there completely speechless, my mouth slightly open as Victoria placed her heavy car keys directly into my palm like a true winner. I could only shake my head in disbelief, turning on my heel to follow her out the door.

After navigating the university traffic and safely parking her sedan in her designated underground parking spot, the two of us made our way into the secure elevator lobby of the Velvet Tower.

The resident bellhop, a young guy named Benz, recognized my face immediately as we approached the secure lift. He stepped forward to scan a master keycard, looking between the two of us. "Miss Long and Mr Tang hello, what floor would you like tonight?"

Victoria didn't bat an eye, keeping her expression perfectly neutral. "To the 40th floor Benz."

The bellhop's hand hovered instinctively over the button for the 39th floor. The moment his brain registered the exact number she had just requested, his eyes snapped over to me, his face practically screaming a silent question: You are letting this guy onto the private penthouse level?!

I didn't give him room to argue, immediately channeling the raw, unshakeable confidence of classic Sean Connery with my hardwired Acting capability.

"To the 40th floor Benz," I repeated, my voice dropping into a smooth, commanding baritone that left no room for hesitation.

The bellhop blinked under the pressure, quickly clearing his throat as he punched the top button. "Sorry, I had gotten distracted in my ear piece," he stammered nervously, stepping back toward the corner. "40th floor right away."

The elevator doors slid shut, and I couldn't help but smirk inwardly; it was completely obvious that men were almost never permitted to enter the 40th floor.

The lift came to a smooth halt, opening up directly into a secure, twenty-by-twenty-foot waiting foyer that sat right outside her front door. The area was heavily styled with plush leather couches, and Victoria pointed toward them as she fished her keys out of her purse. "Right there is where the maids and bodyguards wait if a guest comes over, like my family or your maid," she noted, gesturing toward a small side restroom. "It keeps the main living space private."

She unlocked the heavy wooden door, and the second we stepped inside, the modern apartment came alive. Integrated motion sensors instantly triggered the sleek overhead lights, illuminating the massive living room and kitchen area in a warm glow.

Victoria kicked her heels off by the entryway, placing her bags onto a polished side table. "Rick, come with me and I will show you everything you need to know," she called out, walking down the central hallway.

Having the entire top floor to herself meant her penthouse was absolutely massive, covering an area that felt like roughly half the size of my entire family estate if laid out flat. We emerged from the corridor into a breathtaking main living room that stretched at least fifty feet in both length and width.

To the right sat a culinary setup that was completely equal in size to a professional restaurant kitchen, boasting industrial steel appliances and vast marble islands. Further down the opposite side was a formal dining room, positioned beautifully so it couldn't be easily seen from the main lounging area.

Victoria paused at the edge of the island, pointing toward a doorway to my immediate left. "Right there is a full bathroom for your needs," she instructed, her fingers tapping a typed sheet of paper resting on the marble counter. "And here on the kitchen bar counter is a list of things that need prepping for our cooking. If you would not mind getting started, I will shower fast and change."

I snapped my heels together, offering her a crisp, military-grade salute as I stepped up to the counter. "Sous-Chef Rick Lee is officially on duty."

Victoria flashed a bright smile at my dramatic antics before turning to disappear down the master hallway. I turned toward the commercial sink, thoroughly washing my hands before diving straight into the task list.

She had been smart enough to organize her entire workspace like a functional restaurant rather than a standard home kitchen, making it incredibly easy for me to locate every specialized tool and fresh ingredient listed on the paper.

I decided to start with the most annoying prep work on the counter, tackling the potatoes first. I selected a few large russets, thoroughly washing the skin before wrapping them in buttered foil and tossing them deep into the preheated commercial oven for a long, thorough bake.

Next, I grabbed a chef's knife, quickly slicing another batch into uniform wedges and fries, dropping them into the dedicated fryer for a fast partial-fry before spreading them out across a wire rack to cool down properly.

With the starch sorted, I moved directly onto the protein prep, browning a large skillet of seasoned ground beef while expertly slicing fresh chicken breasts into thin, uniform strips. My hands moved in a fluid, practiced blur as I shifted toward the cutting board to start processing the fresh vegetables.

I was right in the middle of dicing a batch of crisp bell peppers when the heavy wooden door down the hall opened, and the lady of the house finally stepped out into the open space to inspect my progress.

Fortunately, I am legally married to some of the most stunningly beautiful women on the face of the planet. Thanks to that daily exposure, the absolute visual shock hitting my system right now didn't cause me to drop my chef's knife or stand there looking completely stupid, but my internal monologue was screaming. What the actual fuck was she wearing?

Victoria had her damp hair piled up in a remarkably sloppy, casual bun. Underneath that, she was rocking a tight white tank top paired with incredibly short black shorts that left miles of bare, flawless skin exposed.

The entire outfit was actively projecting a hot-as-hell atmosphere that made me want to instantly bend her over the marble island, but the visual was hilariously ruined by her footwear. Down on the kitchen floor, she was wearing a pair of plush, cute white rabbit slippers that completely derailed the fierce, sexy vibe she had going on.

I couldn't help but smile down at her feet as she reached over to pull an apron off the wall hook. Victoria caught my exact line of sight, pausing mid-movement as she adjusted the straps and asked, "Is it not good?"

I forced my attention back to the cutting board, the blade slicing smoothly through another bell pepper as I admitted the truth. "It is the opposite, actually. It helped to tone down your overdone attractiveness and made you look more like a cute big sister, rather than a fierce, untouchable CEO. If you did not have them on, a man might actually cut his fingers off while chopping, ha-ha."

Victoria only offered a knowing smirk at my defense, clearly satisfied with the answer as she stepped up to the island. She noted that most of the heavy prep list was already finished, grabbing her own custom chef's knife to start chopping vegetables right alongside me.

She leaned her shoulder slightly closer to mine as we worked, asking, "So everything I put on the list was what my restaurants would work with, so did you have any inspirations?"

As my mind scanned the culinary options, I realized that the concept of twice-baked, heavily loaded potatoes hadn't really caught on in this world yet. It was a classic dish I used to make all the time for my wives, especially for Mary back when we were still living in our cramped old apartment.

The reality was that the Italian, Mexican, and Indian culinary traditions in this universe hadn't really evolved past the absolute basics due to this Earth developing differently than my previous one. I could easily plagiarize a massive library of classic dishes like authentic tacos, pasta salads tossed in oil and vinegar, or rich curry rice. The existing food options here were just so incredibly basic and uninspired.

Victoria stood there completely amazed by my culinary breakthrough, though to me, it was just standard otherworldly cheating. I figured this was probably my true purpose on this Earth anyway—to spread the best ideas from my past life, creating an endless cycle where my future self would eventually carry new concepts back the other way.

"And after you mash the inner-potato with the ingredients, we put it back in the outer-potatoes we scooped out before, and bake it again," I explained, guiding her through the process.

I pulled out the first batch of potatoes I had prepared, loading them up with melted cheddar cheese, crispy crumbled bacon, and fresh chives. Victoria ate up every single movement of my hands, her eyes wide as she tracked my technique. With her own skills being at least Advanced, she could instantly spot the value in what I was doing.

Next, I moved on to the prepped chicken and seasoned ground beef, reaching for flour shells that mirrored soft tacos, substituting thin pita bread to fit the local ingredients. I layered the meats with crisp lettuce, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese, and a light splash of hot sauce before plate-lining them next to the smoking twice-baked potatoes.

I slid the entire spread across the counter, presenting it to her with a flourish. "Now you only have to try it all, Victoria."

I hopped up onto a nearby leather barstool, leaning my elbows on the marble as I watched her slowly sample a bit of everything. She looked remarkably cute trying flavors she had never experienced before, visibly struggling to figure out how to properly hold the soft taco on her first attempt.

I took a slow sip from the glass of premium red wine she had poured for me, and as the liquid hit my throat, a sudden realization slammed into my brain.

Her breasts were absolutely, terrifyingly enormous. Looking at her from this angle, she was easily a full cup size bigger than even Tina, and Tina was already pushing the absolute limits of what I could handle. This level of upper development completely caught my hormone-driven brain off guard.

I had been so incredibly busy managing the kitchen timers that I hadn't properly noticed how illegal that tank top actually was. My eyes involuntarily drifted down toward the hem of her short-shorts, tracing her long, bare legs. Fuck, I desperately needed to get back home to my wives so they could help me release these bad thoughts.

I am a total pervert, but in my defense, I am still an eighteen-year-old guy drowning in testosterone.

"Rick, are you listening to me?" Victoria's voice suddenly cut through my mental haze.

"Crap, what, did I burn something?" I blurted out, my system instincts flaring as I practically jumped off the stool and rushed over to check the completely empty, dark oven.

Victoria let out a bright, beautiful smile at my panicked reaction, leaning back against the counter as she clarified her question. "These are all wonderful recipes, so I need to buy them from you to use them. It is bad business to just give things away that you can use."

I let out a relieved breath, walking back over to sit down at the smaller island counter. "No need, if I want to make money I have lots of ideas I have not even tried yet so just use it."

Victoria didn't take no for an answer. She scooped up a massive forkful of the loaded twice-baked potato, stepping right into my space and shoving it directly into my mouth before I could protest. "I need to be able to compensate you or I cant use it," she insisted firmly. "If not money, do you need products or more things like meeting entertainers, hiring a rock band or anything?"

My mind briefly flashed to my old desire to meet the famous actress and singer Kate Kong, but I threw that out the window almost instantly. For all I knew, she might just turn out to be another manipulative Ana Zi. Instead, a much better idea clicked in my head, linking straight to my secret online network.

"I need a trustworthy business partner to launch my online product, a social chat group with new features," I told her, leaning in. "Plus advertising and coupons for other businesses can pair with it!"

The second the words left my mouth, Victoria's eyes locked onto mine. Her expression completely shifted, mimicking the exact look I would expect to see if a super-hot woman had just whispered take me now, Rick into my ear.

It was unmistakable. Victoria was an absolute business nut.

"So you need my face and credentials due to still being new and just starting University?" she asked, her analytical mind already spinning the possibilities. "What is your product?"

I pulled out my phone, quickly opening up the beta version of Harem-Chat while making sure there wasn't a single embarrassing notification on the screen. Victoria immediately walked around the counter, coming right to my side so she could look over my shoulder as I demonstrated the interface.

I explained the advanced communication architecture, showing her how we could seamlessly integrate digital coupons for selected local vendors and target high-value advertisements directly toward harem-oriented users. I made sure to emphasize that this wasn't some cheap singles dating site, since those already existed and almost always ended in complete disaster.

An hour flew by in an absolute flash. The two of us eventually migrated over to her massive living room couch, deeply discussing the various security protocols and user features she considered both profitable and feasible for the market.

By the time we finally paused, we had managed to completely polish off the entire bottle of red wine, though neither of us was anywhere near hammered. Victoria swirled the last drop in her glass, looking over at me with immense respect. "Well if we do this with the discounts, we can be the first company to offer both Tang and Long businesses in one site. This alone is truly different. It shows the site is balanced."

Right as she finished her sentence, my phone buzzed in my hand with an incoming text line.

[ Mei: Waiting in the parking garage in the white car. ]

I quickly typed out a brief confirmation, letting her know I would be down shortly before looking back up at Victoria.

"Is it time to go already?" Victoria asked, a look of genuine disappointment crossing her face. "I really had so much more, but... I guess we can pick it up next week."

I stood up from the plush cushions, grabbing my jacket to get ready for the trip downstairs. "The site is really easy for me to make, so I will in my free time make a Beta with our ideas and then we can play with it next Friday."

Victoria held her hand up toward me, silently asking for assistance, and I reached down to help her pull herself up off the deep couch.

Standing on the hardwood, Victoria was only about an inch shorter than me, bringing our eyes almost perfectly level. She looked down at her revealing clothes, letting out a soft chuckle. "Well I can't see you down dressed like this, so I can only see you to my door if that's fine."

"Fine with me," I replied, nodding.

I deliberately took the lead, stepping into the hallway first so she wouldn't think I was using the opportunity to stare at her bare legs or her ass.

When I reached the front door and turned around, Victoria came right to my side, her expression shifting into her serious corporate mask. "Rick, let's be business partners then. I will not take advantage of you, and I love your product. You can be the silent partner till you are ready to run it without me."

I offered her a warm, genuine smile, but given her current outfit, I internally felt like I was finalizing a massive corporate merger with a high-end adult entertainer. I looked her straight in the eyes. "When it comes to being business partners, I trust you, Victoria."

"Normally we would shake hands on our deal, but we are close enough that we can hug on it," she murmured softly.

Before my brain could even process the statement, Victoria reached out and wrapped her arms completely around my shoulders. She didn't loop them around my neck like a lover, but pressed her hands firmly against my upper back, pulling me into a tight embrace.

I instinctively let my arms slide around her mid-back, her warmth soaking straight through my suit jacket as she gave me a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

Her hand patted my spine, following it up with a comforting rub that stayed entirely on the professional side of the line, but the sheer physical proximity was insane. I could feel the soft weight of her enormous chest pressing flat against me, way more intensely than during our brief interaction in the garage earlier.

I immediately began broadcasting a mental command to my lower half, warning the dragon to not dare show his face right now, when Victoria spoke softly against my ear. "When I first talked with you at the Hospital Ball, I knew you were someone I could do business with, a real pioneer for the younger generation. I am glad I can make your talents shine. And like you I trust you as well Rick. Let's do well."

The second the sincere words hit my ears, every drop of superficial lust building up in my system instantly vanished. Looking at her, I realized she was an incredibly good, genuine woman, and I couldn't allow myself to view her as just another conquest to chase down.

The embrace naturally ended, and I stepped back into the open foyer, meeting her gaze with absolute sincerity. "I will never betray you or use you. So let's be great partners, good night Vicky."

Victoria smiled warmly, stepping back to hold the heavy wooden door open for me, and I offered a final nod as I stepped out into the secure elevator lobby.

As she closed and safely locked the heavy wooden door, Victoria slumped back, pressing her spine flat against the surface and letting out a long, shaky exhale. She slowly slid her hand up her white tank top, resting her palm directly over her chest as she closed her eyes.

"My heart won't stop beating funny," she whispered into the empty foyer, her voice trembling slightly. "Crap, did he think I was strange for hugging too long?! Oh, I am so embarrassed... He called me Vicky!"

She buried her face in her hands, her cheeks turning bright red under the dim hallway lights. "Is that like a tender nickname? Oh, he heard it from that damn Alex. But it sounded completely different when he said it..."

Victoria stood by the entrance, continuously mumbling similar nonsensical things to herself for about ten minutes as she tried to process the lingering warmth of the embrace. Finally, she shook her head vigorously, snapping herself completely out of the trance before walking back toward her home office to check on her corporate accounts, a beautiful, unmistakable grin plastered across her face.