The Olympic year.
This year was a year of significant events for everyone, a year that would remain vividly in memory.
In this year, Longxia finally showcased itself to the world, and also in this year, disaster quietly descended.
Inside the sole prestigious university in Jiangbei, the University of Technology.
A youthful and lively girl was lounging on her shop counter, her legs tapping against the bed.
"What should I do! I'm really dead this time!"
"The boss must be on his way to hunt me down! What do I do? I'm so dead."
Her dejected expression drew the attention of many classmates in the dormitory.
This was a girl who was always noticeably cheerful. She had never been seen looking so downcast. What could have happened today?
"Oh, Little Yu! Don't look so full of woe and distress."
"What on earth happened?"
Another girl in the dormitory, wearing a face mask, said with a sigh.
Everyone in their dormitory knew Yu Xiaoyu quite well.
She was usually carefree and, despite being very beautiful, was not aloof at all.
She was the liveliest mood-maker in the dorm. What could possibly make her so distressed?
"Alas! Don't mention it. I went home yesterday and accidentally leaked my cousin's big secret. He might actually hunt me down."
"Does anyone here plan on going home in the next few days? Take me with you to avoid trouble."
Upon saying this, Yu Xiaoyu's face became even more dejected.
At home, she was the unruly little devil who feared no one.
However, her cousin, who had learned the essence of their uncle since childhood, was someone she was always a little afraid of.
Initially, she had just let slip a word. But that incident immediately piqued her own father's curiosity, and he promptly called her uncle.
Good heavens, was the esteemed little princess of the University of Technology being sold out like this?
The thought of her cousin's icy expression, questioning her emotionlessly why she leaked his secret, made Yu Xiaoyu's cheeks ache, and she felt an urge to flee.
"Ah? Your icy-faced cousin? What secret is it? Tell us!"
Her roommates, not concerned about Yu Xiaoyu's fate, immediately transformed into gossip mongers, looking full of curiosity.
These girls knew nothing of Yu Xiaoyu's background, having only briefly met her cousin, Yu Nian.
Despite his name sounding somewhat refined, Yu Nian was, in the truest sense, the top scholar and heartthrob of the entire University of Technology.
From Yu Nian, they could discern that Yu Xiaoyu's family must be quite well-off.
However, compared to the lively Yu Xiaoyu, who could jump three feet high, Yu Nian was more like a scion of a prominent family who kept a low profile.
"What secret could it be? Isn't it that she finally caught up with..."
"Hey! Good job, Lin Doudou! You're not concerned about me but are interested in my cousin's secret... This is outrageous, watch me tickle you to death..."
Halfway through her sentence, Yu Xiaoyu remembered her roommate's wickedness and immediately changed her expression, her small hands becoming restless.
"Ow ow ow! I was wrong, I was wrong!"
"Please! Please don't tickle me!"
The little girl couldn't stand it any longer and began to beg for mercy.
However, her pleas seemed to have no effect. After all, this girl was a person who wouldn't stop until she achieved her goal. To get her to let go, one could only wait until she was tired.
But today, the crestfallen princess didn't continue her teasing?
You ask why? Because she hadn't realized the danger she was in yet.
"Whoever causes trouble should fix it. No, I need to have a good talk with Old Man."
"At worst, I can go hide at Old Man's place. Big Brother is most afraid of Old Man anyway..."
With that thought, she immediately jumped off the bed.
Picking up a small bag that had no identifying marks but exuded exquisite craftsmanship everywhere, she turned and left the dormitory.
"Please take leave for me! Hmm, anyway, it's the holiday tomorrow, so I won't be back tonight."
With that said, she hurried out of the school.
"Taxi!"
Because she attended school locally, it was very convenient for the princess to go home or to her family's company.
However, for Yu Xiaoyu, this was akin to attending a fake university.
Good heavens, was she truly unable to escape her family's clutches in this lifetime?
As long as there was the slightest disturbance, her unscrupulous father would find out.
The key point was that while the old man might appear incredibly imposing to outsiders, he was a pure joker in front of his family.
Good heavens, the moment she complained about something, he turned into a traitor. How could a father do such a thing?
In the High-tech Zone, the sky belonged to the sky of Blue Wave.
In recent years, Jiangbei's science and technology economy had achieved tremendous progress.
Led by top enterprises like Wanyan Group and Jiangzhou Technology Group, Jiangbei, an inland provincial capital that was not initially favored, had become a truly major economic city.
Especially in the High-tech Zone, where supporting factories and internet companies were emerging one after another.
Newly built roads, towering skyscrapers rising one after another.
When Yu Xiaoyu, in a taxi, stopped in front of the Jiangzhou Group Building, her previously cheerful face immediately turned overcast.
If one didn't know better, they would think the girl was a born movie star; her ability to change her expression was truly a direct inheritance from her father.
"Woo..."
The little train immediately started, whistling from the corridor all the way to the end of the corridor.
But just as she was about to push the door open and begin her tirade, intending to issue a threat, she saw someone waving her to stop.
Her currently surging emotions abruptly halted.
This made the little princess instantly unhappy. She plopped down opposite that person, her cheeks puffed out in anger.
"No, no! The focus is on first and second-tier cities."
"Even if we expand, our biggest competitors will never be Yanjin Puzi."
"Have you heard of Liangpin Puzi from Hancheng? Yes, that kind of model."
"Although they haven't formed a scale yet, they must be taken seriously. It's not scary to follow the same path, but it is scary for us established enterprises to be overthrown by new ones."
"Yes, you're right, we must be vigilant."
"Only by staying one step ahead of them can we remain invincible!"
In the spacious boss's chair, Yu Zhou, holding a new generation Jiangzhou full-screen mobile phone, was issuing instructions bit by bit.
His anxious appearance carried a hint of disappointment that they weren't performing better.
Yu Xiaoyu also managed to understand quite a bit. Wasn't it just that the "Three Horses" company was calling again to ask him for strategic decisions?
Currently, Yu Zhou's overall strategic focus had completely shifted towards Jiangzhou Technology.
The entire Jiangzhou Group only owned a little over twenty percent of the shares in "Three Horses."
Although "Three Horses" was a behemoth, already a leading enterprise in the convenience food industry, and also in the beverage category.
However, the current Chairman of the Board of "Three Horses" was not Yu Zhou, but her Aunt Qin Siyue.
Currently, "Three Horses" in this industry was like a combination of Shanghao Jia and Wahaha.
Entering the physical retail sector was definitely a form of "dimension reduction strike."
And the actual strategic focus of "Three Horses" during this period? It was the integration of online and offline stores.
Previously, Yu Zhou had already decided on a combined strategy of following the paths of Three Squirrels and Liangpin Puzi.
It had developed to this stage. Although the internet had not yet fully boomed, they had not yet reached the peak bottleneck.
As such, even though "Three Horses" now had a new owner, everyone still hoped to receive strategic guidance from Yu Zhou.
This made Yu Zhou somewhat exasperated. His own largest company, Jiangzhou Group, was also incredibly busy.
"Did Aunt Qin contact you?"
"Hehehe! Old Man, you're in trouble!"
"If I exaggerate this matter to Mom, what do you think?"
"Will you be unable to return to your room for a while again?"
Seeing that Yu Zhou had finished his call, Yu Xiaoyu began to threaten him with a sly smile.
Heh, dared to trick your daughter, so prepare for divine retribution.
Upon hearing this, Yu Zhou, who had just displayed the full might of a boss, immediately flinched.
He was almost fifty years old now.
For some reason, his wife at home had become increasingly petty.
Good heavens, not only was she constantly bothering the dragon and phoenix twins, but Yu Zhou himself had not been spared.
If this trivial matter was exaggerated and told to that person by this little devil, there was no doubt that his fate had been verified countless times.
That's why Yu Zhou was currently experiencing both pain and pleasure.
Jiang Jie used to be incredibly gentle and elegant. Even if she felt a little wronged, she would never direct it at him.
But now, Yu Zhou felt that his status in the company was rising, and many people worshipped him like a god.
But his status at home? It was becoming lower and lower.
What? You ask how low?
It was only slightly better than his son Yu Feng.
He couldn't afford to offend the other three women.
"If you have something to say, say it. Can you stop always bringing that up?"
"I regret it! Why did I throw you in the trash can back then? The little cotton-padded jacket is leaky every day, and the even smaller one is too."
"My life!"
Seeing that there was no one in the corridor and the glass door of the office was closed, Yu Zhou began to complain without regard for his image.
Who would have thought that the chairman of a listed company, a super businessman whose wealth could rank among the top ten in Asia, would appear like this in front of his daughter and family?
"Heh, this trick won't work on me. Who told you to provoke me first?"
"Right now, I can't go back to school, and I can't go back home."
"It's all your fault, you old man!"
"I don't care. Only you can save me now!"
"If you don't help, we'll go down together. We'll see who loses more, you or me."
"You don't want your little cotton-padded jacket to be beaten, do you?"
The person immediately started to act unreasonable. Good heavens, watching this made Yu Zhou's head ache.
Was this still the adorable little cotton-padded jacket from when she was little, who would run into his arms the moment she saw him?
How could she only be thinking of taking him down with her?
"Can you be more ladylike?"
Yu Zhou rolled his eyes, feeling helpless.
Even though his hair was starting to turn white, he doted on his daughter immensely, even if this little cotton-padded jacket was leaky.
By all rights, if his daughter asked for something, he would undoubtedly support her wholeheartedly.
However, this time it also involved family, and even his nephew.
He wouldn't easily agree to anything the girl asked.
Come on, let's hurt each other!
As a father, his methods of tricking his daughter were endless.
Who wouldn't, when his daughter was so unrestrained?
She had gotten into trouble countless times since childhood.
Just like her twin siblings, she had bullied them so many times that they were almost traumatized.
Now that it was her turn to be bullied, shouldn't we be fair?
"Ah? You're changing the subject. Just tell me if you'll save me or not?"
"The only one who can save me now is you! My dear father..."
When one plan failed, the girl, who had never been ladylike, immediately hatched another.
This was also her ultimate move: 'acting cute.'
In an instant, Yu Zhou, a powerful figure in the business world, couldn't stand it.
Who could resist this? His bones were about to melt.
"Xiao Nian, Xiao Nian, listen to me!"
"Xiao Yu said she's not here, really, she told me herself! You, you don't go to the chairman's office..."
Just as the father and daughter were in a tug-of-war, a hurried voice came from outside.
Good heavens, Yu Zhou's head was immediately filled with black lines.
Was his assistant, whom he had hired less than two years ago, an idiot? It seemed the group's attendance management really needed improvement.
At the same time, the little princess sitting opposite the desk also jumped up.
"Dad! My dear father..."
"Coming, coming!"
"Your eldest nephew is arriving with a stride that disowns all kin, save me, save me!"
"I'll be beaten to death by him..."
Her appearance, jumping three feet high, showed no sign of ladylike behavior.
"Yu Xiaoyu, so you have days like this!"
Yu Zhou, who was watching the show from the side, was completely unmoved. What a joke! In this family, only her mother and cousin could control her.
Now that she had finally caught such an opportunity, wouldn't she go to heaven if she missed it?
Well, alright, it was true that he hadn't paid attention for a moment and had called Yu Huai immediately, but it wasn't his fault.
Who didn't know that his elder brother and sister-in-law were typical supporters of the "marry early, not late" philosophy?
If Yu Zhou didn't share such good news with his elder brother, who was now the mayor, he would be suffocated.
"Yu Xiaoyu..."
A cold voice, as if it had descended from an iceberg, made one shiver.
The next second, Yu Zhou immediately sat back in his chair, watching the show with a poker face.
Well, he had to maintain some image in front of his nephew.
"Ah!"
"Heh heh! Brother... I... I really didn't mean to..."
"You... you listen to my explanation..."
As a grandmaster of changing expressions (abbreviated as 'Bian Zong'), Yu Xiaoyu immediately put on a fawning smile. Her obsequious demeanor made both Yu Zhou and his nephew Yu Nian feel a mixture of amusement and exasperation.
In the family, there was only this living treasure who did things beyond everyone's expectations, and even then, no one dared to cause any trouble.
Who knew that even though this girl was afraid of her cousin, she was still the most doted upon by her uncle and aunt?
Her parents, Yu Huai and his wife, even treated her as their own daughter. The moment she visited her uncle's house, Yu Nian's status would plummet.
The thought of this made Yu Nian feel as if speaking too much would bring tears to his eyes.
In such a situation, he was momentarily unsure how to reprimand his sister.
"Alright, alright! Xiao Yu didn't mean it. Anyway, your parents were bound to know about this sooner or later. It's just that a slight accident has occurred now."
"Moreover, your parents have been looking forward to this day. They must be overjoyed right now. Just consider that this girl didn't mean it, alright!"
Yu Zhou said with a smile while watching the show.
To be honest, compared to his career success, even with a so-called commercial empire, he still preferred to see the younger generation interact with him without reservation, in a lively manner. That was what true human warmth felt like.
Even though he, Yu Zhou, appeared to be perfect in the media and other aspects outside, he still retained some childlike innocence even after being reborn for so many years.
Perhaps it was precisely because of this that Yu Zhou maintained such a mindset, which allowed him to live more and more happily.
Regardless of what others thought or whether they had their own troubles, for Yu Zhou, his life was quite fulfilling.
Not only did he have both sons and daughters, but his son and two daughters all doted on him, and most importantly, he enjoyed seeing harmonious family scenes.
Yu Nian looked at his uncle, feeling a mixture of amusement and exasperation.
He rubbed his nose and said, "Uncle, are you fanning the flames or trying to persuade me?"
Originally, he wanted to take advantage of his uncle's persuasion to gracefully step down.
Although his sister was somewhat afraid of him, his affection for Yu Xiaoyu was no less than that of Yu Zhou and Jiang Jie, her biological parents.
Who knew that the two young people grew up together as children?
Whether it was when they were toddlers or later in middle school and high school.
Whenever Yu Xiaoyu felt wronged, the first person she confided in was her brother.
And Yu Nian also told his sister everything.
He was an only child and had no biological siblings. He treated the three children of his uncle's family as his own younger brothers and sisters, doting on them.
He truly couldn't bear to hit his sister.
"Yes, yes! Big Brother is right!"
"My bad old man is just watching the fun and not helping!"
"Brother! Let's ignore this bad person..."
The incessantly changing little princess immediately raised the banner of "down with dad," hehe, you wanted to see my joke, but there's more to come for you.
"Hey, hey, hey, what's going on?"
"If I remember correctly, someone came to the company to hide from someone, right?"
"Just now you were pitifully asking me for help, and now I've become the bad guy being criticized?"
Yu Zhou was amused and exasperated. He picked up the teacup from his desk and took a big gulp of tea.
Good heavens, unknowingly, he had become the public enemy of this family. Where could he even reason?
"Tch! Just be glad you're still somewhat useful in this family, otherwise, I can't imagine your status."
"Who am I? I'm the biological daughter of the great Jiang clan leader. Old Yu! The fact that you can still speak in front of me now is all thanks to my mother's influence."
The little girl showed no sympathy. Good heavens, hearing these words made Yu Zhou even more amused and exasperated.
Where did this girl learn all these tricks?
"When will I ever have any status in this family!"
Yu Zhou wanted to roar to the heavens, but alas, at this moment, even if he wanted to complain a few words, someone would likely report it.
He could only glare resentfully at his daughter in front of him, lamenting that his little cotton-padded jacket was so leaky that he wanted to cry.
"Mom! Why are you here?"
Suddenly, Yu Xiaoyu blurted out.
Yu Zhou, who was subconsciously complaining, instinctively shrank his head and prepared to dodge.
"Yu Xiaoyu! You unfilial daughter!"
"You dare to deceive me!!"
After a moment of silence, Yu Zhou's roar echoed throughout the office.
(The End)