451: Chapter 451 is the most powerful person in the world!

After speaking, he took another big gulp.

The meal lasted nearly three hours.

After three rounds of drinks and tasting all the delicacies.

The form of address had changed from the initial 'President Shen' to the affectionate 'Brother Shen' and 'Little Shen'.

Those men who were initially reserved had now completely let loose.

They draped arms over each other's shoulders, loudly played finger-guessing games, shared jokes from their hometowns, and spoke of their hopes for the future.

They no longer viewed Shen Yan as a distant, high-and-mighty boss.

Instead, they saw him as a good brother with whom they could drink and boast, someone who would stand up for them, remember their names, and care about their families.

Fang Jian sat to the side, not drinking too much.

He watched all of this with a clear head.

He watched Shen Yan navigate the tables with ease, managing to chat with everyone.

He knew Shen Yan was winning over their hearts.

This tactic wasn't particularly brilliant.

It was nothing more than paving the way with money and winning loyalty through emotion.

Yet, precisely these simple and direct methods were the most effective.

What were these brothers who followed him from their hometown to toil on construction sites truly lacking?

They lacked not strength, nor skill.

What they lacked was respect, someone who appreciated them, and a goal that allowed them to see hope.

Shen Yan gave them all of this.

Fang Jian sighed inwardly; this young President Shen had limitless potential for the future.

He could deal with enemies using thunderous methods, and he could also use a gentle, nurturing approach to unite people.

It felt secure to work under a man like this.

Ten o'clock at night.

When Shen Yan returned home, the villa was quiet.

Liu Hui had an academic exchange meeting that evening and had not yet returned.

He quietly changed his shoes and walked up to the second floor.

The door to Youyou's room was slightly ajar, with warm, dim yellow light spilling out from within.

He pushed the door open and saw a small figure slumped over the bed, his little head nodding rhythmically, as if about to fall asleep at any moment.

The story machine on the bedside table was still playing a soothing lullaby.

Hearing the door open, Youyou jolted awake and lifted her head.

Seeing that it was Shen Yan, her drowsy eyes instantly lit up.

"Daddy!"

She cheered, scrambled off the bed, and rushed toward Shen Yan with her arms wide open.

Shen Yan quickly took a few steps forward and caught her steadily.

"My little princess, why aren't you asleep yet?"

He picked Youyou up, sat on the edge of the bed, and spoke in an exceptionally gentle voice.

All the coldness and calculation from his day outside melted away the moment he held his daughter.

"I was waiting for Daddy."

Youyou wrapped her arms around Shen Yan's neck and nestled her little head into the crook of his neck, carrying a pleasant scent of milk.

"Daddy, I have to tell you, something very fun happened at kindergarten today!"

The little girl instantly became energetic, all sleepiness gone.

"Oh? Tell me about it."

Shen Yan adjusted himself to a comfortable position, allowing her to lean against him.

"Today, that little fatty in our class, Wang Xiaopang, the one who always likes to snatch other people's things, he snatched Lin Nuo's Ultraman toy again!"

Youyou's tone carried a hint of minor indignation.

"And then?" Shen Yan asked in response.

"And then Lin Nuo cried. The teacher criticized Wang Xiaopang and told him to return the toy to Lin Nuo, but he just wouldn't!"

"That's really unreasonable."

Shen Yan frowned, putting on an expression of 'I'm very angry too.'

Seeing that her father shared her outrage, Youyou became even happier.

"Right! Then I walked over and told Wang Xiaopang, 'If you don't give it back to Lin Nuo right now, I'll... I'll... '"

The little girl seemed to be searching for a word with some deterrent power.

"You'll what?" Shen Yan asked curiously.

"I'll tell the teacher you were secretly eating chips during class!'"

Youyou proudly lifted her chin.

Shen Yan couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"And then? Was Wang Xiaopang scared?"

"He wasn't scared at all!" Youyou pouted.

"He said, if you dare tell the teacher, I won't play with you anymore."

"So what did you do?"

"I'm not afraid of him not playing with me!"

Youyou puffed out her little chest high.

"Then I told him, 'If you don't give it back, I'll ask my daddy to come!'"

"I said my daddy is the most powerful person in the world. He can transform! With a 'whoosh,' he can turn you into a little pig!'"

Youyou gestured with her little hands as she spoke.

Shen Yan looked at his daughter's serious yet proud little face, and the softest part of his heart was touched.

He reached out and exaggeratedly drew a circle in the air.

"That's right, Daddy knows magic. It's called the 'Heng Heng Ha Hei' Pig Transformation Spell!"

He made a funny face, which made Youyou giggle uncontrollably.

"What happened next? Did Wang Xiaopang return the toy?"

"He returned it!"

Youyou laughed so hard her eyes narrowed into slits.

"He seemed genuinely a little scared, so he gave the Ultraman back to Lin Nuo. To thank me, Lin Nuo shared half of his cookies with me too!"

"Wow, our Youyou is so amazing. You've become a chivalrous heroine."

Shen Yan pinched her little nose.

"Daddy, what is 'chivalrous'?"

"It means helping good people who are bullied and chasing away bad people who do wrong."

"Mhm, then I will continue to be chivalrous in the future!"

The little girl said, letting out a huge yawn.

Her eyelids started drooping, and her voice gradually lowered.

"Daddy... today... Auntie Su came to pick up Lin Nuo too..."

"She also brought me... brought me a very big... big bear doll..."

"I put it... I put it on my little sofa..."

"Tomorrow... we'll play with it together... okay...?"

As she spoke, her voice turned into even, steady breathing.

Her small body completely relaxed in Shen Yan's arms, falling into a deep sleep.

Shen Yan held her quietly, not moving an inch.

The neon lights outside the window cast mottled shadows across his face through the sheer curtain.

In this moment, he wasn't the chairman of some company, nor was he the calculating new tycoon of the business world.

He was just Youyou's daddy.

He was the most powerful person in the world, the one who could 'transform' for her and 'chase away bad guys' for her.

After a long while, he carefully placed Youyou flat on the bed, took off her little slippers, and covered her with the quilt.

The moment he tucked in the corner of the blanket, Youyou smacked her lips in her sleep, a sweet smile appearing on her face.

Shen Yan leaned down and gently kissed her forehead.

"Good night, my little hero."

He turned off the bedside lamp, leaving only a dim floor lamp in the corner.

Then, he silently slipped out of the room and gently closed the door.

The hallway was silent.

Shen Yan leaned against the wall and let out a long breath.

The disputes on the construction site, the calculations in the business world, the struggles for control over people's hearts...

All the exhaustion from these things vanished in his daughter's smiling face and sleepy murmurs.

This was what he had to protect.

This was the bottom line that he would never allow anyone to touch.

As for Chen Wu,

Shen Yan's gaze once again became deep and icy cold.

The game had only just begun.