MBBBA Chapter 9

Half an hour later.

At Yiqiao Technology.

Qiao Qiao was changing clothes in Zhang Peng’s office when he heard a commotion outside.

“Zhang! Today I’m exposing your true colors. Your company is even named Yiqiao Technology, pretending to be all deep and affectionate. Tell me, where did you hide that girl from earlier? Is she in your office? You’re cheating! I already texted Xiao Qiao. I’m right here watching you, seeing where you’re hiding her. Let’s see how you explain this to Xiao Qiao!”

“…”

“Speechless, huh? What were you doing earlier? Once Xiao Qiao finds out you’re a scumbag, you’re done for! You’ll end up worse than I did!”

“…”

Qiao Qiao corrected his thoughts—it wasn’t a commotion; it was Luo Xuan making noise all by himself. After finishing getting dressed, Qiao Qiao stepped out of the office, taking in the sight of Luo Xuan suddenly going silent. Calmly, he asked, “What are you doing here?”

The air around them was filled with the scent of cola, rapidly oscillating between cherry and regular.

Qiao Qiao felt a chill in his heart and signaled for Luo Xuan and Zhang Peng to come inside the office to talk.

Luo Xuan stared at Qiao Qiao in disbelief. “Xiao Qiao?”

The sudden shift to the cherry cola scent made Qiao Qiao’s expression turn cold and untouchable, like a snow lotus on a distant mountaintop. “Don’t call me Xiao Qiao. We have no relationship anymore.”

Luo Xuan hurriedly pointed at Zhang Peng, who was standing silently. “I’m here to help you catch him cheating. This guy is no good. I saw him just now meeting someone!”

Qiao Qiao had already had enough fun messing with him and didn’t want to drag this out any longer. He straightforwardly explained, “He was meeting me. We teamed up to mess with you.”

Luo Xuan was stunned. He looked at Qiao Qiao carefully, comparing him to the voluptuous woman from before, and realized it was indeed the same person! Except, of course, without the chest—although the hips were still there! His gaze had barely drifted when Zhang Peng’s pheromones, strong with cola, forced him to double over in submission.

Luo Xuan sighed in defeat. “Alright, I misunderstood.” He had genuinely wanted to ask out that “lady”! Now he had been caught red-handed by Qiao Qiao. He knew that compared to Zhang Peng, his competitive edge was once again diminished, but he also knew there was one advantage Zhang Peng could never match—money.

Turning to leave, Luo Xuan declared, “I’ll be back!”

Zhang Peng retorted, “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”

Qiao Qiao frowned. “I have a feeling he’s got more tricks up his sleeve.”

Zhang Peng reassured him, “It’s not your fault. I’ve long suspected there’s something wrong with his head.”

Qiao Qiao quickly shifted focus. “It’s been a while since I’ve been in your office,” he said, casually sitting on Zhang Peng’s desk with a seductive smile, his eyes alluring. “This place has a certain ambiance.”

Zhang Peng stood firm. “I never fool around at work.”

Qiao Qiao swung his legs playfully, his face all innocence. “I never said anything.”

Yet, as he spoke, he kicked off his shoes and placed his foot on Zhang Peng’s…

Zhang Peng was immediately flustered.

Two hours later, Qiao Qiao lay contentedly on the couch, scrolling through his phone.

Zhang Peng stared at his computer, making a mental note to not only continue his workout routine but also start drinking tonics.

He couldn’t afford to be drained dry!

This was his last stand.

A week later, Luo Xuan showed up again, as if he’d been waiting near the company for the chance to catch Qiao Qiao visiting Zhang Peng.

Pulling out a diamond ring, Luo Xuan pretended to be nonchalant as he said, “You were drunk last time, so you didn’t take this. It’s an apology gift.” He tried to sound modest. “It’s not big, just five carats.”

In the brief silence that followed, the scent of cherry cola pheromones whipped into a tornado, leaving Luo Xuan gasping for breath. He fell to his knees, unable to withstand the pressure.

During the past few weeks, Zhang Peng’s pheromone levels had skyrocketed to an incredibly high threshold.

Now that Qiao Qiao and Zhang Peng had cleared the air about the past, neither held any grudges. Although Zhang Peng looked down on his love rival, that didn’t stop him from crushing him with pheromones. Qiao Qiao, munching on a cucumber, watched with interest as Zhang Peng’s one-sided slaughter unfolded.

Luo Xuan didn’t beg for mercy—not because he was particularly tough, but because Zhang Peng’s pressure made it impossible for him to speak.

He knelt there, snot and tears streaming down his face, struggling in agony. The diamond ring, which he had been sure would win Qiao Qiao over, rolled out of his hand, looking dull and lifeless.

Why, despite all his money, couldn’t he win Qiao Qiao back?

Luo Xuan just couldn’t understand.

Of course, Qiao Qiao wasn’t about to teach Luo Xuan what love really was. The only reason he had dated this fool in the first place was that Luo Xuan used to play guitar under his window every day.

Qiao Qiao had thought Luo Xuan was just a naïve kid, only to find himself tripped up by this guy. Luo Xuan, a rich second generation, had simply left for overseas studies without a word. Back then, rumors spread among their classmates that Qiao Qiao had been played by the rich kid, that he didn’t even get a breakup fee, and that his dreams of marrying into wealth had been shattered.

Later, when Qiao Qiao met Zhang Peng, fell in love, and got to know him, some classmates laughed at him for settling with a “poor loser” as a rebound.

It’s strange how some people, living like maggots themselves, will assume the worst about others’ lives.

Qiao Qiao didn’t care if people insulted him, but he couldn’t stand them badmouthing Zhang Peng. The person who called Zhang Peng a “poor loser” was later caught cheating in an exam and received disciplinary action, leaving him with only a certificate of completion instead of a degree.

To this day, that person never knew why, after cheating on so many exams and even securing a spot for graduate school, he was suddenly caught that one time.

Qiao Qiao finished his cucumber and grabbed a small pear to munch on, all while cheerfully watching Luo Xuan writhe in pain.

Do something wrong, and you have to pay for it.

Qiao Qiao always knew that Zhang Peng had a cold, ruthless side in front of others—just like he did.

Their tenderness was reserved for each other.

“Bang!”

The office door was suddenly slammed open, and a young man with thinning hair, dark circles, wearing a plaid shirt and faded jeans, burst in, shouting, “Boss, we’ve made it! We’ve made it big!”

His excitement shattered the tense and sinister atmosphere.

Luo Xuan, gasping for air, hastily grabbed the diamond ring from the floor, stuffing it into his pocket as he sat down, wiping away tears.

Qiao Qiao didn’t say a word on his behalf; he had completely forgotten about him.

Faced with the confused looks from Zhang Peng and Qiao Qiao, the young man shouted at Zhang Peng, “Boss, developing artificial intelligence has been designated as a national strategy! Over ten publicly traded companies have reached out to us, wanting to invest and collaborate with us! Including Zhu Yu Capital! We’ve made it! Boss, you were right! Artificial intelligence is the next big thing! If we seize this opportunity, even pigs can fly! We’re all going to take off!”

The young man’s words compared their entire company to pigs, but judging by the expressions of the excited colleagues gathering around, no one seemed offended. In fact, they looked thrilled at the prospect of finally becoming “pigs.”

Even Zhang Peng couldn’t help but feel the same. His mind was racing with a thousand expletives—nothing else could fully express his emotions at that moment. Although he had always believed AI would be the next big thing, now that it was actually happening, he felt an exhilarating rush, as if he were soaring to the skies.

Zhang Peng tried to stay calm, as if he were used to dealing with major events. “These small matters can wait. I need to buy Xiao Qiao a seven-carat diamond ring first. We’ll handle the rest afterward.”

The young man was in complete awe. No wonder Zhang Peng was the boss—this was the kind of man who didn’t just earn money, but earned it to spend on his partner!

Qiao Qiao looked down at his own delicate hands, thinking how beautiful they would look adorned with a diamond ring. Glancing at Luo Xuan’s “only five-carat” diamond ring, he smiled sweetly and said, “Indeed, five carats is too small.”

Luo Xuan quietly stowed away his diamond ring. Could it be that even his money couldn’t outshine Zhang Peng’s? No, that couldn’t be. His cousin Wei Ning had given him an entertainment company. Yiqiao Technology was just a small company—how much could they possibly raise? He had to go back and find out how much Zhu Yu Capital was investing in Yiqiao Technology.

Although Wei Ning hadn’t been paying much attention to Luo Xuan, he eventually found out through various channels a month later that Zhu Yu Capital had invested five billion yuan in Yiqiao Technology.

The entertainment company Luo Xuan owned, which was on the verge of collapse, was valued at about 80 million yuan.

Luo Xuan: “…”

At the same time, the local media started reporting on Yiqiao Technology.

“According to reports on the morning of August 21st, Yiqiao Technology has completed a 700 million RMB Series B funding round with multiple investors.”

Luo Xuan: “…”

Two months later.

Yiqiao Technology dominated the national media.

“Partnering again with Zhu Yu Capital, Yiqiao Technology secures over 5 billion RMB in Series C funding, preparing to go public!”

“Will the combination of technology and capital create a new legend?”

“Exclusive interview with Wei Ning: Trusting Yiqiao Technology, Trusting Zhang Peng!”

Luo Xuan: “…”

Meanwhile, the value of his Xingguang Entertainment had dropped by 10 million.

As 2016 ended and 2017 began, Zhang Peng and Yiqiao Technology had become the subject of widespread media attention both at home and abroad.

“Going public in six months, how did Yiqiao Technology achieve this miracle?!”

“From facial recognition to voice technology and autonomous driving! How is Yiqiao Technology leading the way?”

“Unveiling Zhang Peng, the man behind Yiqiao Technology!”

Luo Xuan: “…”

His Xingguang Entertainment went bankrupt, leaving him as a broke second-generation heir. He wanted to ask his cousin for another company, but his father informed him that they had been kicked out of the group by his cousin.

The reason? His father had mocked his cousin’s wife, who happened to be the owner of Zhu Yu Group.

Luo Xuan wondered if his father had lost his mind.

For years, their family had relied on Zhu Yu Group, living a smooth and prosperous life. But suddenly, they were cast out of the family and left struggling to make ends meet. His father kept starting companies that quickly went bankrupt, squandering all their assets. In desperation, he borrowed money from loan sharks and couldn’t pay it back.

His father lashed out at him, saying that after raising him and sending him abroad for school, he had accomplished nothing. Although Luo Xuan was an alpha, he had been pampered since childhood and didn’t know the first thing about running a business. Working for someone else was out of the question—it was beneath him.

His mother, accustomed to a life of luxury, was now living in debt, crying every day.

Luo Xuan sold his car, watches, and diamond rings, but it still wasn’t enough to cover the loan shark’s demands.

He called up his old classmates and childhood friends, begging for help, but they either claimed poverty or hung up on him.

Some even said, “You’ve done too much evil. Now it’s your turn to pay.”

Despairing, he contemplated suicide, but he didn’t even have the courage to go through with it.

A phone call pulled him back from the abyss. It was from one of his old friends: “I’ll take care of your father’s debt. Come stay with me for a couple of years.”

Luo Xuan was overwhelmed with gratitude, thinking his friend was offering comfort. He quickly packed his things and headed to his friend’s house.

…

Zhang Peng was going insane! The explosive growth of Yiqiao Technology over the past six months had turned him into a signing machine, buried under endless contracts, orders, and new partnerships with big names. Even as the company’s leader, he was constantly on edge, watching Yiqiao Technology’s frenzied expansion.

These days, he barely managed five or six hours of sleep each night, with the rest of his time consumed by work.

Late one night, Qiao Qiao got up to use the bathroom and heard Zhang Peng talking in his sleep: “Just give me one day to get the marriage license.”

Qiao Qiao sighed, kissed Zhang Peng’s dark circles, and thought, Forget about a day to get the marriage license. You should first find an hour to, you know, do it.

As he lay back down, Qiao Qiao couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret: Is this what they mean by “Regret teaching my husband to pursue power”?

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