Urban Seduction: Housewives Club

Chapter 73: A Moment of Heartbeat

”You think I havenʼt thought about it? I once told those people that I could forgo my salary as long as they covered the orphanageʼs daily expenses. But not a single one agreed.” Li Xue said with a bitter smile.

”We have over a hundred children here, and the annual expenses for living, tuition, and medical care amount to about a million. As soon as those companies hear that figure, they just ignore me.”

Ye Fei was puzzled. ”A million isnʼt much for those big companies, right? Plus, hiring you as a senior manager shouldnʼt be less than that. I really donʼt understand what theyʼre thinking.”

Li Xue scoffed. ”A million isnʼt much for those big bosses; they probably spend more than that on gifts for their lovers. But if itʼs for the orphanage, even if itʼs just ten thousand, theyʼll hesitate. And the reason they wanted me to sign a contract before I graduated, do you think it was just for my so-called talent? They were just looking for someone from a humble background whom they could hire at a low cost.”

Ye Fei was taken aback. The business people he usually interacted with were only Liu Yiru and her friends. Liu Yiru, being kind-hearted, wasnʼt like those unscrupulous bosses. So in Ye Feiʼs mind, those wealthy individuals who often attended charity events were like his idols, good people. Now, it seemed he was completely wrong, and he couldnʼt help but feel that his life experiences were too limited.

Li Xue noticed Ye Feiʼs thoughtful expression after she spoke and half-jokingly asked, ”What are you thinking? Are you considering how to help this orphanage?” She had her own motives; since Ye Fei was a friend of Zi Mao, he probably wasnʼt a bad person.

Judging by his demeanor, he likely came from a wealthy family. If she could win him over, even if his family didnʼt contribute, his personal help could significantly ease the orphanageʼs struggles.

However, Ye Fei responded with a question that seemed unrelated. ”If you were to manage a company worth over a hundred million, would you be confident in doing it well?”

Li Xue was puzzled by his question, thinking he was joking. She replied lightly, ”Whatʼs so hard about that? Even if itʼs a hundred million, if you gave me the Feiyun Group, I could manage it just fine.”

Ye Feiʼs demeanor changed to seriousness. ”Iʼm serious; I hope youʼll answer me seriously as well.”

Realizing Ye Fei wasnʼt joking, Li Xue also became serious. ”Well, it depends on the type of company. But as long as itʼs not on the brink of collapse, I believe I have the ability.”

Li Xue wasnʼt bragging; she had always understood how hard it was for Old Lady Li to support her education, so she approached learning with utmost seriousness.

During college, she participated in several research groups, and her proposals were often more refined than those of seasoned business magnates.

Thatʼs why those big companies sought her even before she graduated. Despite knowing she might never use that knowledge, Li Xue didnʼt waste it and had become even more mature in her thinking.

”If itʼs a well-funded, diversified company with extensive connections, could you manage that? I mean one that can grow, not just maintain this orphanage,” Ye Fei asked the crucial question.

”A company like that could be managed by someone without this kind of knowledge, let alone me,” Li Xue replied confidently. But then she sighed, ”However, where would I find such a company that would want me?”

”Previously, I didnʼt want to manage one, but now I do,” Ye Fei finally revealed his thoughts. ”I plan to start a company and hire you as the executive president. The company will cover all expenses for the orphanage, and I can offer you a high salary or even shares. Are you interested?”

”You? Starting a company?” Li Xue looked at Ye Fei in disbelief. Seeing he didnʼt seem to be joking, she asked, ”Alright, how much do you plan to invest initially?”

”That depends on your capabilities,” Ye Fei smiled. ”The greater your abilities, the more space Iʼll give you to operate. By the way, you just said you could manage a company worth a hundred billion. Is that true?”

”Of course it is!” Li Xue answered without hesitation. ”If itʼs as you say, well-funded and with connections, I definitely wonʼt have any problems.”

”Alright,” Ye Fei decided. ”Iʼll invest one billion to start a company, and I hope you can manage it well.”

”One billion?” Li Xue was stunned. In her mind, she thought Ye Fei would only invest a few million for fun, which is something some reckless young masters might do.

But she never expected that this sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy would speak of one billion; how could she not be surprised?

At that moment, Ye Fei dropped another bombshell. ”Of course, that one billion is just the initial investment. If you perform well, I will continue to invest. Soon, the largest corporate group in the country, even the world, will be born from our hands!”

At that moment, Ye Fei felt a surge of ambition. Initially, he just wanted to create a decent company to help the orphanage while secretly supporting his family. But now, he harbored ambitions of dominating the business world. With his current capabilities and nearly endless funding sources, achieving this was not impossible.

Seeing Ye Feiʼs heroic demeanor, Li Xue felt he appeared even taller, like a towering hero. At that moment, a feeling she had never experienced in twenty-seven years surged within her.

Looking at him, her heart raced. However, she quickly shook her head, feeling a bit self-deprecating.

What was she thinking? He was just a kid, more than a decade younger than her.

Yet, despite this thought, she knew deep down that Ye Feiʼs image in that moment would be etched in her heart for a long time, perhaps even for a lifetime.

Li Xue shook her head, trying to dismiss the strange feeling inside her, and asked, ”Are you serious?”

Ye Fei nodded. ”I never joke when Iʼm discussing serious matters.”

”But youʼre just a kid; where would you get that much money?” Li Xue still couldnʼt understand. She thought to herself, even if he came from the Liu-Ye family, it wouldnʼt be possible for him to casually take out that much money to start a company. What she didnʼt realize was that she was actually right, but Ye Feiʼs money didnʼt come from his family.