As the dinner party was winding down, Lin Chu got a call from Zhang Peng.

"Hey, Brother Chu, could you come by the company this afternoon? I’ve hired two people and wanted you to take a look. Uh, I’ll admit I’m being a little selfish here. They’re old classmates of mine, friends, you could say, but I guarantee their work is up to par."

He said honestly.

If you’re going to build a company, you definitely need your own people.

But hiring your own people inevitably brings up the problem of "cliques."

It was better to give Lin Chu a heads-up about this sort of thing in advance.

Lin Chu thought for a moment, then smiled. "I put you in charge, so I definitely trust the people you hire. No need for me to check them out. But we should still welcome them. How about tonight? We can all have dinner together. Are they guys or girls?"

Zhang Peng laughed. "Two guys. Both for business development roles. They’re tough and can take a beating."

Lin Chu: "Alright. We’ll have dinner first, then arrange for the after-party. Sky City again. I have something to do this afternoon, so at six, you can take them directly to Ensue for dinner."

Zhang Peng: "Whoa, sounds good."

He also understood what Lin Chu meant: ’Your people are your responsibility. Just letting me know is enough, but they still have to know who the boss is.’

They had been living together recently, seeing each other day in and day out, so they had at least this level of unspoken understanding.

After hanging up, Lin Chu shook his head and smiled.

’The crew is getting bigger and bigger. This feels pretty good.’

’Supporting more people.’

’Supporting more men.’

He suddenly felt that his system was really suited for running a triad.

But... of course that was impossible. ’Do I want to end up crying behind bars, getting my ass torn open?’

’Don’t court death.’ 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

The dinner was pretty much over. No one was touching their chopsticks anymore, and the drinks were finished. Lin Chu said, "Shall we call it a night?"

Naturally, no one had any objections.

Full of food and drink, everyone got up and left.

Lin Chu casually paid the bill. Spending this kind of money on a meal was purely pocket change for him now.

He was already used to dropping several hundred thousand on a single meal.

Lin Xiwan linked her arm through Lin Chu’s as they walked out of the private room. She looked up and smiled. "I need to go to Li Kai’s place. My car is still parked there. Then I’m going home to hit the gym."

When she came out last night, she had taken Lin Chu’s car, so she hadn’t driven her own at all.

Lin Chu glanced at her and nodded. "Go ahead. You can just get a ride with Brother Kai."

Li Kai glanced at her and suddenly realized she had something she wanted to say to him. He nodded calmly. "Sure, let’s go."

Some things needed to be said clearly.

They reached the underground garage.

Gao Haitao smiled. "President Lin, you’ve been drinking. Shall I be your driver?"

Security, in a sense, was a high-end service industry.

Lin Chu was truly experiencing that service spirit now. He also happened to have something to discuss with him, so he nodded with a smile. "Alright, you can drive my car."

"And have these two guys each take a car and give the others a ride."

Gao Haitao made the arrangements, and they all went their separate ways.

...

The car slowly pulled out of the underground garage.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Lin Chu said nonchalantly, "Your company is quite capable. What’s your story? I don’t mean to pry into business secrets, I’m just curious."

Gao Haitao drove steadily. Hearing this, he smiled and said, "Our boss is a veteran. He’s got connections, and he wanted to find work for his brothers in arms."

"The company’s been around since ’07, so it’s been over ten years. We’ve just kept at it all this time."

"In the country, our company probably has the most complete set of licenses, as well as the best service quality and reputation."

Lin Chu nodded.

Then he suddenly asked, "What’s your relationship with Brother Kai?"

His tone was slightly playful, half-joking.

Hearing this question, Gao Haitao was instantly sensitive to Lin Chu’s underlying meaning and immediately said, "I climbed a snow mountain with Li Kai once when I was on vacation. That’s how we met. We just like each other’s posts on social media."

"But, President Lin, you can rest assured. The client is our God. Our boss’s favorite saying is: ’Listen up, brothers. If your boss—me—and the client both fall into the water, and you can only save one, you save the client first!’"

"This is the business we’re in!"

"This isn’t flattery; it’s the ancient spirit of the Escort Agencies."

"During every internal training session at my company, there’s one story I always tell. It’s about an Escort Agency in Shanxi during the Republic of China era. At the time, a draft house owner, in order to save the seven-year-old son of his subordinate, Shopkeeper Wang, mortgaged his family’s assets for 300,000 taels of silver. He hired over 200 Darts Masters from the Escort Agency to travel deep into Tsarist Russia, all to save that single bloodline. Seven years passed. The boy was rescued. The entire city spread the news and rushed to the city gates to welcome them back, but they only received the young master of the Wang Family. The more than 200 Darts Masters had all died along the way, using their lives to honor their commitment and credibility."

"Of course, things like that don’t happen anymore. We don’t have to risk our lives. But the client definitely comes first. That is our company’s greatest creed and asset."

Gao Haitao had served many wealthy people. He knew what big bosses worried about most: information leaks, being set up, betrayal by subordinates or brothers...

These were all common occurrences.

Fame and fortune are a double-edged sword. If you can’t control it, it’s truly dangerous.

’Although President Lin hadn’t said it outright—that he was worried about a brother turning on him and causing trouble—that was his meaning. He definitely had to make it clear for him.’

Lin Chu glanced at him, nodding thoughtfully.

’This guy has high EQ.’

"Do you still do fieldwork? How about I just hire you? I feel like you could even handle arranging some of my business dinners for me."

Lin Chu said with a smile.

Gao Haitao couldn’t help but smile too. "I’m 36. Although I still work out daily, my stamina and reaction speed are definitely not what they used to be compared to the younger guys. My only advantage is my experience."

Lin Chu: "Experience is exactly what I want. Danger is a low-probability event. I think you’re very capable. Of course, as a manager, your price should be a bit higher than your brothers’, right?"

Gao Haitao: "You’re joking, President Lin. I wouldn’t call it a ’price.’ My current salary is actually a bit lower than my brothers’. I’m on desk duty, after all. We need to give the younger guys more opportunities; they have the pressure of supporting their families. However, if President Lin truly thinks highly of me, then I’m definitely willing. For salary, sixty thousand will be fine."

He hadn’t expected Lin Chu to actually take a liking to him.

Many bosses preferred the young and strong types, mainly focusing on "conventional combat ability."

There were some like President Lin, but not many.

But again, the client came first.

Lin Chu: "Alright, it’s settled then. You handle all the paperwork."

...

「Meanwhile.」

In Li Kai’s car.

One of the security company’s men was driving, with Li Kai in the passenger seat, holding Lin Chu’s bag.

It was heavy—a full ten kilograms of gold.

Li Kai still hadn’t figured out what to do with it.

’He gave me way too much.’

Lin Xiwan was sitting in the back seat.

The atmosphere in the car was a little awkward.

While waiting at a red light, Li Kai finally broke the silence with a smile. "Teacher Meng, oh, no, sister-in-law, congratulations. You’ve latched onto a big tree."

Lin Xiwan: "Stop being so passive-aggressive. Can you just talk normally?"

Li Kai laughed. "How would I dare be passive-aggressive with you? I’m just congratulating you, really. Brother Chu is indeed stronger than me, richer than me, and more charming than me. So what can you do? I’m just a loser."

Lin Xiwan suddenly seemed to get angry. "Are you fucking crazy? Don’t talk like that. Tell me the details. What’s the deal with Big Brother? If an opportunity comes up later, I’ll cut you in."

"If I really make it official with Big Brother, I won’t treat you badly. You could even be considered our matchmaker."

"We’ve known each other for over a decade. We at least have that much trust, right?"

Li Kai: ?

He was suddenly a bit stunned.

When he came back to his senses, he almost wanted to laugh.

’In her dreams.’

...

...