Stronger by Paying Salaries and I Have 1 Billion Employees

"What are you doing standing out here? Don’t you have a key?"

Chen Yansen walked up to her, teasing with a smile.

His enhanced sense of smell easily picked up that Meng Jie had put on perfume. A faint scent of gardenia lingered in the air.

His gaze swept over her. In the dim light, he noticed a pair of calves wrapped in white stockings. From her outfit to her makeup, it was clear she had put in a lot of effort.

"It’s cooler out here." Meng Jie had wanted to say she was waiting for him, but the words that came out were the opposite of what she felt.

"It’s even cooler inside."

Chen Yansen ruffled her hair, took out his key to open the door, and led Meng Jie into the living room.

"There’s beer and braised snacks in the fridge. Want some?" Chen Yansen set down his books, plopped onto the sofa, and pointed at the refrigerator.

"You’re learning Java?" Meng Jie asked in surprise, looking at the stack of books he was holding and flipping through one of them.

"That’s right. A boss has to understand the tech, or it’s easy to get fooled by your subordinates."

Chen Yansen offered a different explanation this time.

"Oh, no wonder you haven’t come to see me lately." Meng Jie’s lips curved into a slight smile. With her hands behind her back, her face broke into a brilliant grin.

Seeing her just standing there in a daze, Chen Yansen shook his head with a smile. He got up, grabbed some braised snacks and two beers from the fridge, and set them on the coffee table.

FSSSH!

Chen Yansen popped the tab, took a sip, and looked at Meng Jie. "Did you get all dressed up just to come over and space out?"

"No." Meng Jie snapped back to reality. Meeting Chen Yansen’s teasing, knowing gaze, she felt as if he could see right through her, and a blush crept onto her cheeks.

"Wow! Duck wings and duck necks! You’ve been hiding good food from me."

Meng Jie picked up a can of beer and sat down at the coffee table, facing Chen Yansen to chat.

"Didn’t I give you a key? You’re the one who hasn’t been coming over."

Chen Yansen retorted with a smile.

Meng Jie fell silent. She had come over once on her own after getting the key, but as soon as they entered the bedroom, Chen Yansen’s ulterior motives had become all too clear.

’Thankfully, Chen Yansen never forces me. Otherwise, he would have ’conquered’ me long ago.’

"Cheers!" Not knowing how to respond, Meng Jie just raised her beer and clinked it against Chen Yansen’s.

"The stockings look nice."

Chen Yansen took a sip of beer, his hand resting on Meng Jie’s calf and stroking it gently, as if kneading a cloth doll.

Meng Jie’s face turned beet red. She tried to pull back, but the coffee table was right behind her, leaving no room to retreat.

Seeing Chen Yansen’s face getting closer and closer, and remembering her purpose for the night, Meng Jie abruptly set down her beer, wrapped her arms around his neck, and initiated a kiss.

"That’s a bad habit. We’ll have to fix that."

Chen Yansen raised a hand to block her for a moment, teasing softly. Before Meng Jie could react, he kissed her soft, pink lips.

Meng Jie’s figure wasn’t fleshy, but she had curves in all the right places, exquisitely proportioned.

The two beers, with only a single sip taken from each, were abandoned on the coffee table.

From the living room to the bathroom, and then to the bedroom, Chen Yansen carried Meng Jie the entire way.

To him, Meng Jie’s weight of under 100 pounds felt as light as a large doll, which gave him a few more... options.

Throughout the night, sounds like a baby crying could be heard continuously.

A teacher living in Unit 4 wondered about the cat in heat. ’Why is it making such a racket?’ It went on until one in the morning before the commotion finally died down.

「The next morning.」

The chirping of birds and the buzzing of cicadas outside the window woke Chen Yansen from his dream. He slowly opened his eyes, feeling a bit helpless.

’Having hearing this good isn’t entirely a blessing. I can hear every little sound within 20 meters crystal clear.’

Even earplugs didn’t do much.

Meng Jie, her shoulders bare, was lying on his chest, her breathing steady. She was fast asleep.

Chen Yansen slipped his hand under the covers to grope around. A moment later, the rhythm of Meng Jie’s breathing changed.

"I heard that if you lift a sleeping person’s hand, it won’t drop on its own. Let me try."

Chen Yansen said deliberately, pulling his right hand back.

"I’m not an idiot." Hearing this, Meng Jie stopped pretending. She opened her eyes and stared right at Chen Yansen.

"What are you looking at? Never seen someone as handsome as me?"

Chen Yansen said with a wicked grin, pulling her closer.

"Yeah, my roommates all say I’m eating well." Meng Jie giggled, not hiding her meaning at all.

As she spoke, she propped herself up on her elbows, completely unaware that her upper body was now in full view.

Chen Yansen had good stamina and recovered quickly, and it was the morning, when his energy was at its peak.

"Don’t!" Meng Jie felt weak all over.

Chen Yansen was not pleased. Just as he was about to sit up in bed, he heard a KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK at the door.

"Who is it?" Meng Jie’s heart tightened as she asked in a whisper.

"How should I know?"

Chen Yansen grabbed a bath towel, wrapped it around his waist, and walked into the living room in his slippers. He shouted to the person outside, "Who is it? It’s so early! Are you going to let a person sleep?"

His morning exercise having been interrupted, his tone was not very pleasant.

"Brother Sen, it’s me! Uncle Chen is here to see you," Wang Zihao shouted from the door.

’Uncle Chen?’

’Holy crap!’

’Why is Chen Guobin here?’

The last time he was drinking with the old man, Chen Yansen had complained that other kids’ parents would visit them at school since they didn’t come home for the holidays, but Chen Guobin had never once come to Xucheng.

Chen Yansen had just been teasing, but he never expected Chen Guobin to actually show up.

"Hang on a second!"

Chen Yansen rushed back to the bedroom, picked his clothes up off the floor, and quickly got dressed. He didn’t forget to tell Meng Jie, "My dad’s here."

Meng Jie panicked. She first dove under the covers, but two seconds later, she poked her head out. "What should I do? Should I hide?"

"It’s fine. I’ll close the bedroom door. You stay here. I’ll take Lao Chen to the Innovation Park."

After giving her instructions, Chen Yansen walked to the living room and opened the door.

"Brother Sen, it’s already 9 o’clock, and you’re still not awake?" Wang Zihao said casually as he started to walk in.

"Get me the data from last night’s launch. I need it urgently." Chen Yansen blocked Wang Zihao’s path, making up a random excuse to get rid of him first.

"Last night’s? It’s only been a few hours. What value would it have?" Wang Zihao was baffled, a confused look on his face.

"Just go get it!" Chen Yansen said, waving his hand dismissively.

"Alright, I’ll head to the Innovation Park then. Uncle Chen, let’s eat off-campus for lunch. I’ll book a private room."

Wang Zihao didn’t ask any more questions and spoke enthusiastically to Chen Guobin.

"Okay, Zihao, you go on ahead. I’ll treat you to lunch," Chen Guobin replied with a smile.

Wang Zihao waved and turned to go downstairs.

"What are you hiding in there? Did you really have to send Zihao away?"

Chen Guobin stepped into the living room and looked around suspiciously. The bedroom door was shut tight.

"Lao Chen, you think you’re some kind of Sherlock Holmes? What could I possibly be hiding?"

Chen Yansen flatly denied it. It wasn’t that he was afraid of Chen Guobin; he just didn’t want to listen to him nag.

"Is that so?" He looked Chen Yansen up and down and started walking toward the bedroom.

Chen Yansen quickly blocked him, raising an eyebrow with a grin. "Lao Chen, the living room is where you belong. The bedroom is my private space."

"I’m your old man!" Chen Guobin started to get anxious. He was afraid his son would go astray now that he had money. The more Chen Yansen blocked him, the more worried he became.

"My girlfriend’s in there." Seeing that Lao Chen was dead set on barging in, Chen Yansen had no choice but to tell the truth.

’Girlfriend?’

Chen Guobin instantly lost his momentum. Deflated, he plopped onto the sofa, pointed a finger at Chen Yansen, and almost took a swing at him.

But on second thought, he remembered that at Chen Yansen’s age, he had been about to get married himself, so his anger subsided.

"Is it Meng Jie?" Chen Guobin asked in a low voice.

"Who else? And seriously, you could’ve at least given me a heads-up before coming." Chen Yansen grabbed a bottle of mineral water from beside the cabinet, handed it to Lao Chen, and grumbled.

"Hmph! Weren’t you the one who said it? That a father should surprise his kid? I was just following your instructions to the letter."

Chen Guobin glanced at the bedroom door. Knowing Meng Jie was inside, he muttered to himself, ’Hui Zhen, ah, your son’s all grown up.’

"This is a scare, not a surprise," Chen Yansen said irritably.

"Alright, I’m heading to the Innovation Park to find Zihao. You... you and Meng Jie get up soon. I’m treating for lunch."

Chen Guobin couldn’t sit still any longer. After his hurried instructions, he rushed out the door.

"Do you know the way?" Chen Yansen asked.

"It’s a straight road. How could I get lost?" Chen Guobin waved his hand and was gone in a flash.

Chen Yansen closed the door with a smile, returned to the bedroom, and, seeing Meng Jie lying on the bed, pounced on her.

By the time the two of them had cleaned themselves up, it was almost eleven, and Wang Zihao was already calling for the second time.

Only then did Chen Yansen and Meng Jie go downstairs and head off campus.

"Uncle Chen... he..." Meng Jie started to say, but hesitated.

"Don’t worry. Lao Chen is tight-lipped. He won’t go around blabbing," Chen Yansen reassured her.

"That’s good." Meng Jie’s face was still red. Being caught by Chen Yansen’s father had scared her half to death.

"I’ll send him packing tonight," Chen Yansen said with a look of disdain.

"You’re such a filial son," Meng Jie said, covering her mouth with a small smile. She had heard from Chen Yansen that he and his father called each other by their full names, completely ignoring formalities.

Three minutes later, the two got out of their car and walked into the restaurant’s private room.

"Hello, Uncle Chen," Meng Jie greeted politely.

"You must be Meng Jie. I’ve seen you before. A girl really does change so much as she grows up. You’ve gotten more and more beautiful."

Chen Guobin was very pleased with Meng Jie and praised her generously.

Meng Jie was wearing colored contacts instead of glasses. Her features were delicate and exquisite, and sitting next to Chen Yansen, she had the look of a delicate bird clinging to her man.

This was a completely different person from the tomboy in Lao Chen’s memory, who had once chased a boy while brandishing a table leg.

Wang Zihao sat on Chen Guobin’s right, acting as chummy as if he were Lao Chen’s own son.

The group ate and chatted, and the meal lasted for over three hours.

Before Lao Chen could get up to pay the bill, Wang Zihao beat him to it.

"You kid!" Chen Guobin was a little displeased.

"Uncle Chen, every time Brother Sen eats with my dad, he’s the one who pays. It’s my turn to show you some respect."

Wang Zihao chuckled, his words smooth and pleasing.

Chen Guobin didn’t insist further and nodded in satisfaction. That morning, he had gone to the Innovation Park and seen that the more than 200 employees, both upstairs and downstairs, all worked for Chen Yansen. Only then did he truly feel that his son had indeed matured and become responsible.

"Lao Chen..." Just as Chen Yansen was about to persuade Lao Chen to go home, Chen Guobin spoke first. "I got your mom a bigger house last week, so you don’t need to worry about things at home. I’m leaving this afternoon."

"So soon?" Chen Yansen was taken aback for a moment.

Chen Guobin didn’t say anything. He pulled him aside, secretly took out something the size of a cigarette pack, and slipped it into his pocket. He said earnestly, "You two are young and still in college. You have to take safety precautions."

Chen Yansen took it out and looked. The brand name "Jissbon" was written brightly on the package. He thought for a moment, then handed it back to Lao Chen. "I don’t need this."

"You want me to break your legs? You have to use them!" Chen Guobin said with a stern face, stuffing the item back into Chen Yansen’s hand.

"I mean this brand is low-quality. I usually use better ones," Chen Yansen said with a straight face, then added, "You can keep this box for yourself."

"Who am I supposed to use it with?"

Chen Guobin almost swore. Helpless, he put the item back in his pocket, hailed a taxi, and went to the bus station.

His trip really was just to see his son. He came for a look and then left.