36: Chapter 36 Vulgar

After a bit of small talk, Fattys Mom slapped her thigh and said, "You two go ahead and sit for a while. I'm going to the back of the yard to feed the chickens and rabbits, and I'll be back shortly to whip up some lunch for you!"

It was still early for lunch.

Fatty patted his chest and declared, "Let's go! I'll take you to pick some fruit! The grapes and figs in the yard are ripe, and they're super sweet!"

Having grown up in the city, Director Chu Yao had never seen anything like picking fruit from one's own backyard. A rare glint of interest appeared in her eyes, and she nodded slightly.

Fatty brought over a stepladder and handed her a pair of shears. "Pick whatever you want, they're perfectly ripe!"

Director Chu Yao took the shears and carefully climbed up the stepladder.

The ladder wobbled slightly, and she instinctively gripped the handrail. Lin Yu immediately stepped forward, firmly holding both sides of the ladder, and looked up to advise, "Slow down, no rush. Watch your step."

His warm voice drifted up from below, making her feel inexplicably at ease. Director Chu Yao glanced down at him, gave a soft "Mm," and reached up to snip a cluster of plump, purplish-red grapes.

The fruit was heavy and fragrant, with an enticing color. She snipped away with great enthusiasm, her eyes sparkling with a rare, lively radiance—gone was any trace of her usual "ice beauty" demeanor.

After a while, she suddenly felt something was off. Why was Lin Yu, down below, completely silent? Director Chu Yao leaned down in confusion and looked down from the ladder—

Lin Yu had crouched down on the ground at some point. His hands were still supporting the ladder's legs, and a strange, unreadable smile hung on his lips as he looked up at her.

"What are you doing?" Director Chu Yao asked, puzzled. Lin Yu looked perfectly serious. "I got tired of standing, so I'm crouching to hold the ladder while I take a break."

Director Chu Yao stared into his eyes, and the more she looked, the more she felt his smile was somewhat lecherous. Following the direction of his occasional furtive glances, she realized instantly. Her cheeks flushed bright red. Angry and embarrassed, she spat out softly,

"Indecent!"

She quickly climbed down the ladder, shoved the shears into Lin Yu's hand, and huffed, "You do it! I'm not picking anymore!"

Lin Yu's shoulders shook as he suppressed his laughter. He took the shears and climbed up the ladder with a straight face. "Fine, I'll do it. I guarantee I'll pick the sweetest ones for you."

Ding! Director Chu Yao's intimacy + 5. Current intimacy: 72.

He worked efficiently, and before long, the basket in Fatty's hands was full of grapes.

Fatty carried the grapes into the kitchen, brought out an empty basket, and moved the ladder under the fig tree.

Lin Yu continued to climb the ladder to pick figs. Director Chu Yao stood under the tree, looking up at him. Her cheeks were still flushed, but the anger in her eyes had vanished, replaced by a gentle reproach.

By the time the basket was nearly full, Fattys Mom and Fattys Dad had finished their chores and returned. They washed a large platter of grapes and figs and set them on the table; the fruit was crystalline and fragrant.

The four of them sat around the table. Fattys Mom and Fattys Dad enthusiastically urged them to eat the fruit, their gazes landing on Lin Yu and Director Chu Yao from time to time, filled with affection and satisfaction.

Fattys Mom pressed two plump, soft figs into Director Chu Yao's hands, smiling kindly. "Girl, hurry and try them. They're sweet and soft, not astringent at all. By the way, I haven't asked yet, where is your home?"

Just as Director Chu Yao was about to speak, Lin Yu chuckled from the side and interjected, "Auntie, have you forgotten? Didn't you and Fattys Dad specifically go to the city yesterday to discuss business with her father?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Fatty and his parents froze on the spot. The three of them looked at each other, confusion in their eyes, which was immediately followed by a sudden flash of realization—

President Chu? That President Chu who runs the chain of supermarkets in Ze City? This unbelievably beautiful and elegant young woman before them was actually President Chu's daughter!

"Oh my heavens!" Fattys Mom slapped her thigh, her enthusiasm multiplying instantly. She reached out to take Director Chu Yao's hand, but fearing she might be too forward, she pulled back halfway, smiling from ear to ear. "So you're President Chu's daughter! I was wondering why you looked so poised and blessed—you really are a lady of high standing! Sit, sit! Auntie will go get you more delicious things!"

Fattys Dad also hurriedly stood up. His previously reserved posture completely relaxed, and his gaze towards Director Chu Yao was now filled with courtesy and respect.

Seeing this, Lin Yu took the opportunity to get to the point. "Uncle, how did your discussion with President Chu go yesterday?"

At the mention of business, Fattys Dad's face grew serious, and he sighed. "It's settled, but my operation here is too small, so I can't handle large quantities for now. Your aunt and I have discussed it; we aren't looking to make money yet. We'll collect meat from relatives, friends, and neighbors. Since the pigs and sheep are raised by the villagers themselves, we know the source, so the meat is reliable and safe to eat."

"We'll get the channels open first and build a reputation. Even if we don't make money, we can't let this business opportunity slip away. We'll expand our scale slowly as we go, one step at a time, and we'll eventually make it work."

Lin Yu nodded gently. Fattys Mom and Fattys Dad's approach was steady, practical, and neither greedy for speed nor reckless—exactly the qualities most rare and valuable in the food business.

He curled his lips, deciding to drop a bombshell on this family that would be enough to turn their entire world upside down.

"Fatty," Lin Yu turned to look at Fatty, who was eating grapes on the side, "do you remember the plot of land I took you to see in the High-tech Zone yesterday?"

Fatty almost swallowed the fruit pit in his mouth and nodded repeatedly. "Remember, remember! Isn't that the big vacant plot the company acquired? I've heard colleagues in the company talking about it. What about it, Old Lin?"

He was nonchalant at first, but seeing Lin Yu's ambiguous smile, his voice grew quieter, while his eyes widened, his pupils slightly trembling.

The next second—Fatty sprang up from his small stool, pointed at Lin Yu, and shook with excitement, cursing uncontrollably, "Holy shit... Holy shit!!"

"No way, Old Lin! It's not what I think it means, is it?!"

Fattys Mom and Fattys Dad were startled by their son's sudden outburst of madness. With confused looks, they huddled together and whispered, "What's wrong with this kid? Is he possessed?"

Lin Yu smiled calmly. "Don't worry. Let Fatty explain it to you two slowly. Once you hear it, you'll understand."

The yard fell silent, save for the sound of the wind blowing through the leaves. It took a full two minutes for Fatty to suppress the excitement surging to his head. He pressed his hands on his parents' shoulders, speaking slowly and deliberately, his voice trembling:

"Dad, Mom, do you know the company where Lin Yu and I work?"

"We know. It's a big company, very promising," Fattys Mom nodded.

"Then do you know how big of a plot of land the company acquired in the High-tech Zone?"

Fatty took a deep breath and roared out the number: "Three thousand acres, a full three thousand acres!!"

Fattys Mom and Fattys Dad were stunned. "Three thousand acres... how big is that?"

"How big?" Fatty pointed outside the yard. "In our village, all the strawberry greenhouses, apple orchards, and pear orchards combined only add up to over twelve hundred acres! Three thousand acres is more than double all the land in our entire village!"

The couple gasped in shock, their expressions changing instantly.

"Do you know what they're going to build on such a huge piece of land?" Fatty's voice was very low, yet carried earth-shattering impact. "They're building a super-sized cafeteria!"

"In all of Ze City, all the schools, all the welfare homes, and all the nursing homes—their three meals a day will be supplied by this massive cafeteria!"

"Dad, Mom—you do the math. How much produce will they need every day? How much meat? How much rice, flour, and oil?"

"That's a contract for daily supply, year-round! It's a stable business that gold and silver mountains couldn't buy!"

Fatty walked over to Lin Yu's side and grabbed his arm, his eyes red. "And Old Lin is someone who actually calls the shots in the company! As long as our family's meat meets the standards, it can go directly into the super-sized cafeteria!"

"Tell me... how much meat can we sell in a day?!"

Boom!! This statement blew Fatty's family of three away.

Fattys Mom's legs went weak, and she nearly collapsed to the ground. The ashtray in Fattys Dad's hand clattered to the floor, spilling ash everywhere.

The three looked at each other, all incoherent.

"Re-really?"

"Three thousand acres... a super-sized cafeteria... cooking for all the schools in the city?"

"Lin Yu, are you really willing to give this business to us?"

It took a long while for the three to recover. Fattys Dad grabbed Lin Yu's hand, his own hand shaking. "Xiao Yu, Uncle knows you're capable, but this is too big... is everything you said true?"

Lin Yu nodded, his tone steady and forceful. "Of course it's true. Someone has to supply the goods, right? Besides, Fatty and I are brothers who would die for each other. If I don't think of you for this good opportunity, who would I think of? But I'll say the ugly things first: there are four conditions, and not a single one can be missed."

Fatty's family of three immediately sat up straight, listening attentively.

"First, you must establish a formal company or professional cooperative; you can no longer be individual small-scale farmers."

"Second, all paperwork must be in order. Quarantines, inspections, certifications—nothing can be missing."

"Third, the quality of the meat must be top-notch. It must meet standards, be safe, and be reliable. This is the bottom line."

"Fourth, the price doesn't need to be lower than others, but it absolutely cannot be higher than the market price."

Lin Yu paused, giving them the final reassurance. "This project will take a full year from construction to operation. You have one year to expand your scale, accumulate strength, get the paperwork done, and build your channels. The better you prepare, the larger the share you will have in the super-sized cafeteria."

As his voice fell, Fatty's family of three was absolutely ecstatic. Fattys Mom wiped away tears on the spot, holding Lin Yu's hand and thanking him repeatedly; Fattys Dad didn't say a word, immediately taking out his phone to call a restaurant in town to order a table full of hearty dishes to be delivered directly to the house.

Braised pork, braised pork knuckles, and soy-sauce pig trotters—all made at home—were brought to the table plate after plate, piled up like a small mountain. Their enthusiasm toward Lin Yu and Director Chu Yao was such that even their own son, Fatty, was pushed aside and completely sidelined.

Before they left, Fattys Mom and Fattys Dad stuffed everything they had—local specialties, apples, figs, free-range eggs, handmade noodles, freshly milled flour—into Lin Yu's car until the trunk was packed full.

"Xiao Yu, Director Chu Yao, you must come often!"

"We have everything at home, and it's all clean and reliable!"

Before getting into the car, Lin Yu dropped one more comment that left the couple tearfully grateful. "Uncle, Auntie, if you don't have enough funds later on, I can provide some to support your startup. If you want to take out a bank loan, there are now support policies for rural breeding and planting with low interest rates. I have connections at the bank and can help you with that. Discuss it among yourselves and do whatever is most convenient for you."

Fattys Mom and Fattys Dad were too moved to speak, bowing repeatedly.

...

The car drove away from Muli Village, speeding toward the city. Director Chu Yao sat in the passenger seat, watching the scenery fly by outside the window, her heart unable to calm down for a long time.

She had originally thought that Lin Yu was just a capable young man with a good personality.

But today in Muli Village, that three-thousand-acre plot of land, the super-sized cafeteria, the supply project for all the city's schools... plus the few words her father had inadvertently mentioned about Lin Yu at home earlier—

This man was far more powerful and outstanding than she had imagined. So powerful that it made her feel a little flustered.

They returned to the building where the company was located.

Fatty said goodbye to Lin Yu and excitedly returned to his department's floor, walking with a spring in his step.

Director Chu Yao followed behind Lin Yu. The entire grand office building belonged to this company.

The lobby was bright and exquisitely decorated, with employees moving about in an orderly fashion, each with a look of confidence and drive on their faces. An aura of strength, professionalism, and prosperity rushed toward her.

Director Chu Yao's heart gave a slight tremor.

She followed Lin Yu into the president's office.

It was spacious and understated, with a view of half of Ze City outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. As soon as they sat down, Tang Man walked in carrying a cup of hot tea and smiled slightly. "Director Chu Yao, please have some tea."

Director Chu Yao was slightly taken aback.

She had met Tang Man at the sales center. At the time, she had thought this woman had an excellent temperament, was beautiful, and capable. She hadn't expected her to actually be Lin Yu's assistant.

The two top beauties looked at each other. There was no hostility; instead, they felt a sense of mutual appreciation. After a brief chat, they became familiar with each other.

Just then, the office door was pushed open one after another.

Several figures with outstanding postures and distinct temperaments walked in one by one.

President—President Wang Ya.

Vice President—Vice President Liu Qingyan.

Administrative Director—Administrative Director Tang Xingmian.

Investment Director—Investment Director Shen Ruoyao.

Every single one of them was a top-tier beauty with stunning looks, exceptional temperament, and top-notch ability. Standing there, they formed a scene that one couldn't take their eyes off.

Director Chu Yao sat to the side, watching silently.

Surrounded by such a group of stunning women, Lin Yu remained calm and composed, in full control of the situation.

At this moment, Director Chu Yao's heart was inexplicably in turmoil. How could a man as outstanding as this lack beautiful women by his side?

Lin Yu checked the time and said to Tang Man, "Tang Man, take Director Chu Yao around the company and let her get familiar with the environment."

"Certainly, Boss!" Tang Man reached out and naturally took Director Chu Yao's hand. "Director Chu Yao, let me show you our company."

The two walked out of the office hand in hand.

As soon as the door closed, the office instantly entered work mode. Lin Yu put away all his smiles, his expression serious. "Speak, what's the progress on each item?"

President Wang Ya stepped forward first and handed over a document. "President Lin, all the paperwork for the food company has entered the planning and approval stage, and we expect to have it finalized within a week. As for the construction site, the main road has already begun hardening, and the connecting section to the external highway is under simultaneous construction. The design institute's surveying equipment has all arrived on-site, and geological surveying is underway."