The news that spread quickly throughout the Magnificent Tang Corporation was: "General Manager Gao Beilei and Security Department Head Su Ben have married in secret a year ago and have become legal husband and wife. Big Boss Tang Xiu and Security Department Head Su Ben grew up together, and Big Boss Tang addressed Gao Beilei big sis-in-law in front of many people."
In a flash, the employees in the whole company now looked at Su Ben in a different light. Even fools could now see that the real bull of the company aside from the Big Boss Tang Xiu was Su Ben! With the Big Boss as a brother, the General Manager who had become his wife was the real winner of a lifetime!
****
At dusk.
Tang Xiu, Su Ben, Gao Beilei, Su Quan, and Su Xiangfei, who had just arrived, all gathered in the Bluestar Villa Complex, enjoying rare dinner time.
"Wow! It's so lively here!"
Clear harmonious laughter came from outside the dining room. Chen Xiaowan, wearing a red trench coat, came into the room and brought with her a fragrant scent.
Tang Xiu got up, went forward to greet her and gave Chen Xiaowan a big hug. After releasing her, he smilingly said, "It's been more than 3 years since the last time we met, Sis Xiaowan. You look more beautiful and younger than ever. Anyway, why didn't you bring my future brother-in-law here?"
"Cut the crap, silly! I don't have a boyfriend yet!" Chen Xiaowan chuckled and said, "Big Sis has been missing you. You just left and went away for more than 3 years."
Having said that, her eyes looked slightly reddish, and she would have burst into tears if there weren't so many people present.
Tang Xiu held her shoulders and smilingly said, "I've been very busy dealing with some things, Sis Xiaowan. Otherwise, I'd have run back to see you already. Come, I'll introduce you to these guys…"
Chen Xiaowan took a deep breath, trying hard to suppress her emotions, and smilingly said, "Nah, spare me the introduction. Who doesn't know these guys, silly? It's just, I never thought that General Manager Gao would also be here."
"Uh, she's my wife, Sis Xiaowan." Su Ben chuckled.
"You say what?!"
Chen Xiaowan was as though getting hit by unbelievable news. As the General Manager of the Magnificent Tang Corporation and a great personage in the finance world, Gao Beilei was, without a doubt, one of the super personages whose eyes eyed the top. Yet, she turned out to be Su Ben's wife?
No way… is this some kind of prank or something? They're worlds apart!
"I was equally dumbstruck the moment I heard it too, Sis Xiaowan." Tang Xiu chuckled and said, "But after thinking about it, only then did I understand that one man's meat could be another man's poison. General Manager Gao loves Brother Ben. It's like a dense and cold foxtail grass getting together with warm and spicy safflower."
"Pfft…"
"Hahaha…"
Everyone abruptly burst into laughter and Su Ben gruffly scratched his head, at a loss whether he had to cry or laugh.
Nobody was a stranger here. Thus, the atmosphere was warm and harmonious. Just as everyone had enough to eat and drink, Scarface Qiang came over in a rush. The man's hair was rather long and his face was unshaved. His whole being, however, didn't look decadent but instead look vigorous and full of spirit, though the smell of alcohol on him hadn't yet disappeared. Obviously, he was drinking tons of alcohol when Tang Xiu called him.
"BOSS!" Scarface Qiang was barely able to hold back his excitement as he called out.
Tang Xiu pushed the chair and got up. He then came to Scarface Qiang's front, looked at his slightly reddish eyes, and gently patted his shoulder. Then, he turned his head and said, "Quan, tell auntie to get a bowl of noodles and cook two hot dishes. There are no strangers here today, and there's something I need to tell everyone. Alright, you come here and take a seat first."
Scarface Qiang felt warm inside and took a seat next to Tang Xiu. Afterward, he forced a bitter smile and said, "I'm really sorry for letting you down, Boss."
"No, it should be me apologizing to you." Tang Xiu waved his hand and said, "I got too preoccupied in the past years and failed to take care of you. Regardless, we're all adults here, so there's no need to pull any pretentious attitude with each other. Now that I'm back, I'm going to give all you a choice, and I'll respect your decision no matter which one you choose."
Scarface Qiang's lips squirmed, but he didn't utter anything and just firmly nodded. Ever since he met Tang Xiu in his hometown, he had already decided to give up everything and handed his future to Tang Xiu when he went to Star City with him.
All things considered, Tang Xiu didn't disappoint him. He founded a winery and brewed the world's best wine, God's Nectar. The Magnificent Tang Corporation rapidly developed and he became a billionaire in just a few years as a result. Even if he finally left the company helplessly and gave up his position as the winery director, he still had several billion yuan in his bank account. The money itself was just his dividends in recent years.
In his heart, Tang Xiu's kindness and his acknowledgment of his worth made him trust Tang Xiu unconditionally.
Tang Xiu raised his cup of wine and toasted with Scarface Qiang's. He then casually said, "Chen Liwei has been killed by me, and those tens of corruptors and embezzlers in the company have been removed as well. Some others who once took advantage of the company have also been punished."
Scarface Qiang was inwardly shaken and looked grateful. He had no idea how Tang Xiu was able to investigate this matter. But whether he had investigated it or not, it was obvious that Tang Xiu had avenged his grudge by killing the culprit who had framed him.
"Scarface Qiang's life is yours to use in the future, Boss."
Tang Xiu smiled slightly in response. He then lowered his glass and continued, "There are no outsiders here, so I'm giving two choices to all of you. Firstly, I'll teach a cultivation technique and turn you into a cultivator. But after two years, you all will have to leave your families and businesses and strive with me in another world, and you will have no chance to return to Earth again in your lifetime. The other choice, Qiang, you'll have a 49% stake in the winery 2 years later. You can also become the Deputy General Manager of the Magnificent Tang Corporation should you choose this option, with which you can get status and fortune easily. Whatever you decide, I'll respect your decision no matter what."
Scarface Qiang was silent for a while and then slowly asked, "Where are we going to, exactly? Am I just the only person who can leave and can't take anyone else?"
"You can bring 4 people with you," Tang Xiu said. "You can take four people you care about most, and they can also cultivate. As for our destination, you should've heard of it. It's the Immortal World as told in the legends."
"Just three. I only need 3 quotas." Scarface Qiang said in a deep voice, "Boss, this Scarface Qiang has received your grace and acknowledgment. I can feel that you really regard me as your own person. My parents have passed away and I only have my loved ones, a wife and a pair of children."
"Is that really your final decision?" asked Tang Xiu with a smile.
Scarface Qiang firmly nodded, and his eyes even looked more excited as he said in a deep voice, "That's really my decision. Although I know nothing about cultivation nor do I know whether the Immortal World is really as wonderful as told in the legends, I still want to keep following you, Boss."
Tang Xiu then shifted to Chen Xiaowan and smilingly asked, "How about you, Sis Xiaowan?"
"But what can I do there?" Chen Xiaowan hesitated.
"Following me will either give you a chance to have a happy and prosperous life or face death together with me," Tang Xiu answered.
"I don't understand what you mean." Chen Xiaowan was confused.
"Sis Xiaowan, you should have heard of the ascendance of cultivators to become immortals." Tang Xiu explained, "As a matter of fact, this is not some fairy tale and story in the legends, it's real. The higher plane above our world is a much vaster world with trillions of races called the Immortal World. However, I also have archenemies I have a deep blood feud with over yonder, and these enemies of mine are also very powerful. If you follow me to the Immortal World, you may one day stand above trillions of walks of life, but there's also a chance that I'll be killed by my powerful enemies and we will all vanish. The reason I came back and called you to come here is to give you these choices."
Chen Xiaowan thought about it for a while and then replied, "I'm going with you, Brother."
"Have you thought it through?" asked Tang Xiu with a smile.
"Positive." Chen Xiaowan nodded.
"Since both of you have decided so, then you're to leave your work and then follow me later! After you're done dealing with your private affairs, go to Nine Dragons Island!"
"Huh? Where's this Nine Dragons Island?" Chen Xiaowan asked curiously.
"It's an island in the Pacific Ocean I bought. It's also my base camp," Tang Xiu replied with a smile.
Chen Xiaowan rolled her eyes and snappily exclaimed, "You bought an island, and yet you just told me? You really got no conscience, you know that?"
Conscience?
Tang Xiu forced a wry smile inwardly. He was too lazy to quarrel with her because he would definitely end up the loser every time he quarreled.
Suddenly, Su Ben interjected. "I'm going with you to the Immortal World 2 years later, Tang Xiu. You gotta find someone else to manage the Magnificent Tang Corporation when the time comes!"
Tang Xiu was stunned and couldn't help laughing immediately. "Okay! We'll make arrangements for that moment, of course! However, you, Xiangfei, Quan and some others will start from tomorrow. Deal with your private issues and work. Then you go home and take your loved ones to Nine Dragons Island. Adapt to life there first and keep cultivating. You can adapt to your new life in the Immortal World faster later."
"What about me?" Gao Beilei hurriedly asked.
Tang Xiu spent some time to ponder about it. Then, he slowly said, "Sis-in-law, you're to stay here! We still need the Magnificent Tang Corporation to make money, after all. Although I won't send anyone else to search the entire Earth for resources, I won't leave good things behind. Besides, we still need tons of money to purchase resources."
Gao Beilei nodded in response. But then, she suddenly understood something and exclaimed, "No wonder more than 90% of the net income of our Magnificent Tang Corporation is to be transferred quickly all this time. It turns out that you use it to purchase cultivation resources."
"Well, we got hundreds of thousands of people who need cultivation resources, to begin with." Tang Xiu wryly smiled. "We wouldn't have been able to maintain everything if we didn't have a huge wealth to support them. It's still manageable for now, but it will be a true headache when we go to the Immortal World! After all, the currency used in the Immortal World are things used by Immortals. Our consumption will be simply like a bottomless pit."
Everyone exchanged dismayed glances and suddenly couldn't utter anything in response. They knew nothing about the Immortal World and naturally had no idea what kind of currency was used over there.
Still… there were hundreds of thousands of people needing cultivation resources? Meaning, Tang Xiu had been cultivating hundreds of thousands of cultivators all this time?