novelraw Chapter 625: The Fourth Partner
Chapter 625: The Fourth Partner
Chapter 625: The Fourth PartnerNew York time, 9 a.m.
On a weekend morning in Manhattan, a rare sense of laziness lingered in the air.
On Park Avenue, at the top-floor duplex apartment.
Outside the window were the dense skyscrapers and the neatly arranged green blocks of Central Park.
Inside the private office,
Secretary Jin sat upright behind the desk.
Wearing a comfortable shirt, her brown hair was meticulously pinned back, revealing a smooth, full forehead and an exquisitely slender swan-like neck.
Her stunningly beautiful face held no unnecessary expression.
In front of her were three monitors side by side.
They displayed an oil hedging plan from the commodities team, an ESG portfolio analysis of Zenith Capital’s European carbon credit fund... “Sarah.” Without looking up, her gaze remained focused on the screen as she spoke calmly, “Send the revised oil plan to the Shenzhen office. Also, notify the London compliance team—I need to see the final approved version of the ESG report before noon New York time.”
Not far behind her, a blonde female assistant immediately began to operate.
At that moment,
“Knock, knock, knock—” came the sound of a knock at the door.
The door was gently pushed open.
Lin Tiantian quickly stepped in. “Director Jin, it’s a call from Assistant Shangguan.”
Secretary Jin’s movement paused slightly. She raised her head and reached out her hand.
Her posture remained elegantly calm, but in her clear and lively eyes flickered a barely noticeable ambition.
She took the phone and brought it close to her ear. “Shangguan.”
“Director Jin, I’ve left the Lan Feng International Hotel. Just now, President Tang gave me a clear answer.” Shangguan Qiuyue’s voice carried excitement.
Secretary Jin’s fingers unconsciously tightened, and her breathing grew irregular.
She had already guessed the answer, but kept her voice steady as she asked, “What did he say?”
“President Tang asked me to tell you—see you in New York next month.”
“...I understand.” Secretary Jin’s voice was very light, as if confirming a trivial matter. “Thank you, Shangguan, you did very well.”
After hanging up,
Secretary Jin’s ever-tense, swan-like elegant spine finally relaxed slowly.
She leaned back into the soft chair, slowly closing her eyes.
“Thump, crackle, crackle—”
The heartbeat echoed clearly in her ears, beating again and again.
Sarah and Shen Yuyan bowed their heads slightly, unsure if they were interrupting.
After a long while, Secretary Jin reopened her eyes.
Her usually cold gaze rippled with a starry smile.
“That’s enough work for this morning. Tiantian, help me book a window seat at Jean-Georges for lunch. I want the white truffle set.”
Her voice returned to its usual calmness but carried an imperceptible lightness.
“And also, book an appointment for me at The Row’s Atelier on Madison Avenue. I need a new suit tailored for next month’s shareholders’ meeting.”
Lin Tiantian nodded slightly and promptly responded, “Understood, Director Jin. I’ll arrange it right away.”
Secretary Jin gently nodded and left the office, her steps light as she walked into the master bedroom’s walk-in closet.
At the dressing table, she softly pulled open the top drawer.
Inside lay a simple silver photo frame quietly resting.
She held the frame in her palm, her fingertips lightly and repeatedly stroking the cold glass surface.
The photo was from winter 2020—she and Tang Song posing together in New York, celebrating the establishment of the Tangjin Family Office’s New York headquarters.
Snowflakes were drifting down from the gray sky, and in the distance stood the iconic bronze bull statue of Wall Street.
At that time, he had finally left the cage of Yancheng and joined Meigou Technology in the Imperial Capital, with her personally serving as chairman.
Under her covert arrangement, Liu Qingning was busy with campus entrepreneurship, and Su Yu, due to various “coincidences,” almost completely “disappeared” from his world.
They began an intimate and inseparable period of “struggle.”
Day and night together—New York, the Tangjin Family Office, London, Singapore, Tokyo...
Together they created one wealth legend after another.
It was the most wonderful part of her memories.
Secretary Jin’s fingertips rested on Tang Song’s profile, and the emotion in her eyes began to melt.
“Are you finally coming back?”
She closed her eyes, speaking in an extremely calm yet possessive tone.
To the photo frame, she murmured, “The time has come.”
“I hope it will still snow in New York on the 14th of next month.”
...
North City Garden community.
A Maybach S-Class slowly stopped in front of Building 4.
“Miss Xu, goodbye.”
“Goodbye.”
Xu Qing, carrying her bag, entered the elevator.
The thrilling scenes from tonight’s birthday party still played rapidly in her mind.
She was in an extremely excited state of “feasting on gossip.”
She had also finally seen with her own eyes the “blond foreigner” Annie Kate from Jingwu Capital that her best friend had mentioned.
Indeed, imposing and intimidating.
Hmph! It was only because it was Xiao Jing’s birthday party that no one dared steal the spotlight.
Otherwise, I, Miss Xu Qing, would have stepped up for Yanyan!
After all, she had heard from Shen Yuyan that back in Modu, she was often “bullied” by that foreigner.
“Yum—”
The door lock clicked open.
Xu Qing hummed a song as she leisurely changed into slippers in the foyer.
Entering the living room, she immediately saw the familiar figure on the sofa:
A close-fitting black-and-white striped U-neck T-shirt, high-waisted tight pants.
They perfectly outlined her curvy and sexy figure.
Her whole presence exuded a uniquely lazy, at-home charm.
“Yan, Yanyan... why did you suddenly come back?”
Xu Qing’s heart instantly leapt to her throat, her whole body highly tense.
The wild scenes from a few nights ago in her best friend’s room with Tang Song flooded her mind uncontrollably, along with today’s dream.
Shen Yuyan stood up with a smile. “I’m telling you, Da Sha Qing, you can’t be that dumb, right? If you saw the light on when you came in, you should have guessed.”
“I...” Xu Qing instinctively avoided her best friend’s scrutinizing eyes and clumsily explained, “That, um... a few days ago I saw your sheets were a bit dirty, so I helped wash them. Washed them clean.”
“That’s suspicious! You’re definitely acting weird today!” Shen Yuyan stepped closer, appraising her from head to toe. “Spill it! Did you do something to betray me?”
Being called “Da Sha Qing” and not refuting it, even washing her sheets for her was unprecedented.
Xu Qing hurriedly shook her head, flustered: “No way! I didn’t!”
Shen Yuyan raised her eyebrows, said no more, and instead asked, “Did you just come back from the birthday party? How was it? Any gains?”
At this, Xu Qing immediately changed the subject: “Let me tell you, tonight was absolutely amazing.”
She spoke as she opened the fridge, taking out fruit, drinks, and some snacks.
She pulled her best friend onto the sofa and began to describe the events vividly.
Being a novelist herself, she was skilled at embellishing and dramatizing.
Her story, filled with theatrical twists and turns, portrayed Tang Song as a profound, mysterious figure who could stir up storms with a wave of his hand—a godlike, majestic image.
Shen Yuyan listened quietly, her expression constantly changing.
Since Tang Song left Yangcheng, she had been busy with Smart Chain Future’s fundraising, which was now nearly finalized.
This trip back was to report progress to Tang Song and prepare for moving.
She naturally knew Tang Song’s relationships with those big shots, but it was the first time she learned that he had such a close personal relationship with Wu Kezhi, founder of Jingwu Capital!
Moreover... such a high-profile gathering appeared at Xiao Jing’s ordinary birthday party.
Even Ouyang Xianyue personally sent gifts.
What shocked her most was that
Tang Song’s generosity was well-known, but she never expected him to casually give away shares worth over a hundred million.
A complicated feeling of jealousy mixed with inexplicable excitement surged in her heart.
It was too extravagant.
If this gift had been given to Xu Qing or herself, they would have instantly transcended social classes.
After all, this was Jinxiu Commerce!
With Smile Capital backing it.
After a long while, Xu Qing slowly paused.
She stealthily glanced at her best friend and, seeing her thoughts had shifted away from the sheet washing, finally relaxed.
Then she said proudly, “By the way, Yanyan, I’ve already found a subtenant. We can get the remaining rent and deposit.”
“Oh? Who is it?”
“You don’t know her. She’s a junior I met at Yuhua Commercial Building before. Named Yao Lingling.”
“Alright, you decide.” Shen Yuyan suddenly looked into her eyes. “Qingqing.”
“What’s up?”
“Don’t you think Tang Song is a bit unfair?”
Xu Qing was silent for a moment, clicking her tongue.
Somewhat indifferent, she said, “Not really. Tang Song treats me well too—he bought me a car and gave me all sorts of random things. He also said before that if I wanted, he could give me shares of Ordinary Folks.”
Seeing her best friend’s “give a little sunshine and she blooms” silly look, Shen Yuyan sighed helplessly inside.
ε=(0^*)唤—
She knew Xu Qing too well.
This girl had no real ambition.
Though she always said she wanted money, deep down she just wanted a comfortable life where she didn’t have to worry about living expenses and could write freely.
Because she knew about Tian Jing and Tang Song’s relationship and still inserted herself as the “third party,” she always felt ashamed and fearful when facing Tian Jing.
She wouldn’t feel negative because of Tang Song’s kindness toward Xiao Jing.
But this time was different.
What Tang Song gave Tian Jing was not just shares in a company, but his top-tier connections and social circle recognition!
These things were truly “unfair” and couldn’t be measured by money.
Looks like I have to help this unambitious old best friend.
And I must... make Tang Song feel more “guilty” toward her, so he will proactively give more “compensation.”
As her thoughts raced, Shen Yuyan said bluntly:
“Qingqing, after we move, invite Tang Song to stay for a couple of days at the Lan Feng International apartment.
Tell him the new place feels too empty, and you want him to... keep you company.”
“This...” Xu Qing’s face instantly flushed red, her eyes flickering like a schoolgirl caught doing something wrong.
She actually wanted to live with Tang Song very much.
But Tang Song’s capability was so overwhelming that every time he “bullied” her, she took days to recover.
So she rarely took the initiative to invite him over.
Shen Yuyan seemed to see through her thoughts and suddenly leaned close to Xu Qing’s ear.
Her warm breath brushed her sensitive earlobe.
In a voice only the two could hear, she whispered softly, “Don’t be afraid. When the time comes... big sister will help you. I definitely won’t let him bully you too badly.”
“Ah!” Xu Qing exclaimed, as if burned. “I’m not afraid! Besides, you’re unreliable. When I asked you for help before, you didn’t even dare show your face.”
“This time it’s different.” Shen Yuyan chuckled. “I’m his special assistant now.”
Xu Qing pouted. “So what if you’re an assistant?”
Shen Yuyan winked and suddenly kissed her friend’s cheek.
Xu Qing pushed her away playfully. “What are you doing~”
Shen Yuyan smiled mischievously. “Special assistant means... when the boss has ‘too much energy,’ I take the initiative to help him release the excess energy...”
Her words grew more explicit and brazen.
Xu Qing’s mouth opened, face red enough to bleed. “Go away, stop joking around!”
Then the two started playfully wrestling.
For a moment, the scene was full of springtime bliss.
.....
Night had deepened.
The clamor of Yancheng gradually quieted down, outside only the core CBD buildings remained brightly lit like a dragon of lights.
The cold late-autumn wind howled wildly between the tall buildings,
blowing the heavy velvet curtains at the presidential suite’s floor-to-ceiling windows, clashing against the cold glass.
Inside the room, the main lights were completely off, only the corner ambient light still shone.
Shadows interwove chaotically on the carpet, walls, and the messy bed.
“...Tang Song, sir... I’m sorry...”
Xiao Jing slid down along the floor-to-ceiling window.
Tears blurred her makeup;
her jet-black long hair, damp with sweat, stuck to her pale skin.
The originally pristine and flawless haute couture wedding dress was now in ruins.
Broken lace and silk hung scattered on her body.
Yet she was not at all disheveled—rather, she exuded a breathtaking beauty in her brokenness.
Tang Song gently lifted the pitiful Xiao Jing onto the bed.
Looking at the dazed, flushed white-rich-beauty,
he handed her a cup of warm water to drink and then covered her with the blanket.
Tang Song got out of bed and took a quick shower in the bathroom before returning.
He held the white-rich-beauty in his arms, feeling her delicate, smooth pale skin, savoring the recent exquisite moments.
A surge of indescribable emotion rose in his heart.
Tonight’s Xiao Jing had left him with an extremely deep impression.
Though clearly overwhelmed, she was fearless and even pathologically intoxicated by it.
Combined with that sweet and obedient face, it was simply...
Tang Song exhaled deeply and gently rubbed the soft hair atop Xiao Jing’s head, comforting her still trembling body from extreme pleasure.
He opened the system interface,
entered the [Partner] module.
[Selectable Partner List:]
[Xu Qing] [Progress: Couple, deep liquid exchange] [Buffs: Inspiration Surge, Acting Improvement, Thought Expansion, Energetic]
[Gao Mengting] [Progress: Couple, deep liquid exchange] [Buffs: Emotional Contagion, Delicate Skin, Body Repair, Focus Enhancement]
[Tian Jing] [Progress: Couple, deep liquid exchange] [Buffs: Kidney Strengthening, Fair Complexion, Excellent Hair Quality, Body Shape Optimization]
In fact, upon entering the birthday party scene under the [Tang Song’s Reflection] buff, he had already completed the “simulation” of this choice and instantly arrived at the optimal answer.
Xiao Jing was undoubtedly the “best version.”
First, her “initial stats” were extremely excellent.
As the daughter of a top tycoon, she had grown up immersed in capital and power, with a natural intuition for their operation.
She was far smarter than she appeared on the surface. This was evident from her active purchase of quality rental properties, running the Tian’s Barbecue chain, and her discreet orchestration of the entire birthday party.
Her starting point was higher than Zhao Yaqian, Lin Muxue, and even Wen Ruan.
Second, she had no strong personal ambition but great potential and a clear, efficient “growth path.”
Her greatest desire was a happy and interesting life.
She had an almost pathological, unshakable attachment and “loyalty” to him.
This meant as long as Tang Song pointed her the way, the system’s cultivation tasks would be very simple and rapid.
One of his current core goals was to quickly cultivate “qualified” partners to gain charm value bonuses.
From this perspective, Xiao Jing was the most efficient experience pack at this stage.
He only needed to provide the simplest guidance.
Xiao Jing would transform into the shape he wanted.
This was very different from Xie Shuyu, who had a similarly high starting point.
That female CEO was a workaholic. Even though she had developed deep feelings for him, work still came first.
As for Liu Qingning, the academic top student, she was highly self-motivated.
Even if Tang Song didn’t intentionally cultivate her, she was already on the right track, constantly watched by Secretary Jin and others.
It was better to add her later when unlocking more slots, as charm enhancement became harder over time.
He selected [Tian Jing] and clicked the [Bind] button.
A prominent system prompt popped up.
[Cultivating a partner may consume vast amounts of finances, materials, and energy. Excellent partners can bring you... Binding partners has a quantity limit;
please choose wisely.]
Tang Song glanced at Xiao Jing beside him again.
Clicked [Confirm].
Suddenly, the entire light screen exploded with dense heart bubbles, roses, and meteor showers—extremely romantic and beautiful.
“Ding! You have successfully bound [Tian Jing] as a partner!”
“[Partner - Tian Jing] information collected. Cultivation plan task generating...”
The light screen flowed on.
[On November 12, 2023, you gained your fourth partner. She once carefully orchestrated a grand stage play for you, trying to control the entire situation, but ultimately willingly became your follower in this greater drama you directed.]
[You have received your partner Xiao Jing’s sincere blessing and gained the buff ‘Fair Complexion.’]
Seeing the buff’s name, Tang Song felt slightly disappointed;
what he really wanted was “Kidney Strengthening.”
But this buff was still good.
He had once obtained [Delicate Skin] from a beautician and [Snow-White Skin] from a wealthy beauty, forming a combo.
Top-tier skin texture should also add quite a bit to appearance charm rating.
Checking the time, it had just passed midnight.
Tang Song held the already sleeping Xiao Jing in his arms, wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth, and soon fell into a deep sleep himself.
Outside the window, the cold late-autumn wind still howled.
Inside the bedroom, it was warm as spring, quiet and peaceful.
......
November 13, 2023, Monday, cloudy, -2 to 8 degrees Celsius.
At 6 a.m.
Tang Song woke from a deep sleep.
Suddenly, a crisp system notification sounded in his ear:
“Ding! [Partner - Tian Jing] cultivation plan has been generated. Please check the [Partner] module.”
In the darkness, Tang Song quickly opened his eyes.
He opened the system interface and entered the [Partner] module.
Around [Tian Jing]’s exquisite illustration in a wedding dress, a circle of dazzling golden light shimmered.
Clicking the card, he checked the details.
The interface switched, showing two color-coded sections on the left and right.
[Partner: Tian Jing (23 years old)]
[Role: Tang Yi Precision - HRBD]
[Height: 168 cm, Weight: 48 kg]
[Physique: 64, Endurance: 67, Agility: 74, Comprehension: 82] (Note: different rating standards for males and females)
[Growth Progress: 45%]
On the right was a multiple-choice question:
[Please select the cultivation mode for your partner]
[A: Simple Mode (Private Partner), dedicated to creating a quality private partner (emotional comfort and physical satisfaction), cultivating obedience, sensory development, body and appearance optimization, systematic refinement of ball skills... requires few resources and much emotional care]
[B: Normal Mode (Manager), based on Simple Mode, participate in managing some high-end real estate resources under Tangjin Family Office through Jingyi Asset Management (including private clubs, high-end venues, star hotels), moderately involved in planning and operations... requires more resources and moderate emotional care]
[C: Hard Mode (Agent), based on Simple Mode, join Dejurenhe as a global special project partner, managing some high-end real estate resources under Tangjin Family Office through family trusts and Jingyi Asset Management, achieving strategic synergy and closed loops between two major sectors... requires a large amount of financial resources and little emotional care]
[D: Custom Mode, players forcibly plan according to their own will, including (canary, life assistant, administrative assistant, elite executive...)]
[Note 1: The first three choices are based on Tian Jing’s own abilities, growth environment, cognitive level, and temperament, reflecting the best cultivation strategies.]
In the dark, Tang Song looked at the three options floating on the screen. A trace of expected understanding flashed in his deep eyes.
As the “Reflection” state predicted,
essentially, Xiao Jing was indeed a “salted fish,” even more so than Zhao Yaqian.
Her life pursuit might simply be to enjoy a carefree wealthy life and play some twisted little games with the one she liked.
But she was also very “comprehending,” very smart.
Therefore, even the highest difficulty cultivation path, [Hard Mode], was essentially only “agency.”
Not like Wen Ruan, the “media queen,” who needed to personally fight on the front lines.
She didn’t need to create value, only manage and allocate the value Tang Song arranged for her.
In the game Heartthrob Simulator, to complete dungeon tasks and increase influence, he had globally acquired and integrated a large number of top real estate assets.
Private clubs next to Central Park in New York, hidden dining houses deep in Kyoto’s Gion, gentleman’s clubs in London’s Mayfair, ultra-five-star hotels in Singapore...
These were all under various trusts and SPVs, indirectly controlled by the Tangjin Family Office.
These high-end social spaces were the “venues” used by various system characters to entertain important political and business figures, top celebrities, and host high-net-worth events.
They also served as a direct demonstration of the Tangjin system’s soft power externally.
After all, being able to entertain the most important guests in one’s own territory in any global core city guaranteed absolute privacy and demonstrated strength.
Meanwhile, Zheng Qiudong’s Dejurenhe was essentially the “human resource network” serving the Tangjin system.
As Dejurenhe expanded globally, they had to contact numerous clients from diverse cultural backgrounds, making these “physical locations” increasingly important.
In return, Dejurenhe’s global client network could continuously provide these private, membership-based venues with a steady stream of rigorously screened top members and cutting-edge information flow.
This expanded the Tangjin system’s global influence.
These two were indeed very compatible.
Moreover, with Zheng Qiudong, an ambitious “career soldier,” leading the charge, it was much easier and more comfortable for Xiao Jing to manage these already well-established high-end assets.
Correspondingly, the system’s cultivation plan tasks would be simpler,
more fitting her “salted fish” personality core.