MLMD -Chapter 358 Major Procurement (Part 3)

Women who make their living in the entertainment industry naturally have good social awareness. Seeing Yue Yang, Yun Feng, and Zhao Santong talking business, they sensibly didn’t go over to bother them. Instead, the dozen or so women gathered in a corner and chatted among themselves.

As the saying goes, three women make a show—so when more than ten women got together, it was even livelier. And the topics of women’s conversations were nothing more than cosmetics, luxury handbags, clothes, and jewelry, especially for female stars who relied on their looks to make a living. Almost the moment they gathered, nearly everyone’s eyes focused on the necklace around Xiao Lu’s neck.

“Oh my, Xiao Lu, your jewelry is so pretty! Where did you buy it? It must have cost a fortune, right?”

“Xiao Lu, how come I’ve never seen you wear this before?”

“Yeah, violet jadeite! It’s gorgeous! Who gave it to you? How much did it cost?”

Several women surrounded Xiao Lu, chattering away, their eyes filled with envy. But some people stayed aside and didn’t join the excitement—among them was Xiao Shi.

These days, Xiao Shi had been doing extremely well. Four or five months ago, the company arranged for her to star as the female lead in a movie. Filming had just wrapped up a few days ago, and it was scheduled for release sometime soon. She was riding high on success. She had been notified in advance to attend a social engagement that evening and had carefully dressed up. But the moment she walked in, she saw that Xiao Lu was also there—and wearing such an exquisite necklace. For some reason, a sour feeling immediately rose in her heart.

Surrounded by several colleagues she usually got along with, Xiao Lu couldn’t help feeling a little shy. With a bashful yet happy expression, she said, “Ah Yang just gave this to me. I think it was over three million.”

Originally, Xiao Lu had wanted to say that she didn’t want it at first, but Yue Yang had insisted on buying it for her anyway. On second thought, she swallowed those words. Better to keep them to herself—saying it out loud would only invite resentment.

Even so, her words sparked a wave of envious looks. Xiao Dan, who was closest to Xiao Lu, giggled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“Xiao Lu, we’re so close—we’re basically besties, right? I always share good things with you. How about you share your Ah Yang with me too? Let me experience what it’s like to live in a luxury mansion, drive luxury cars, and wear expensive jewelry. From now on, we’ll be real sisters!”

“Hahaha…”

Xiao Dan’s words had everyone laughing. A voluptuous, beautiful married woman patted Xiao Dan on the shoulder, giving her a thumbs-up.

“Xiao Dan, you’ve really got guts—trying to steal someone’s man right in front of her!”

“What’s there to be afraid of?” The girl with an innocent-looking smile said boldly. “For women, the most important thing is choosing the right man. Look at our Xiao Lu—after following President Yue, she has everything now. If she can even give President Yue a child, she’ll be a bona fide rich madam. My standards aren’t that high. I’d be satisfied just being a mistress. Don’t worry, Xiao Lu—I won’t fight you for the main wife position. Just accept me!”

“Hahaha… Xiao Dan, you’re shameless! You can actually say things like that!”

The girls laughed until they were doubled over.

Although they were joking, deep down, how could they not harbor such hopes themselves? These days, countless girls at Haitian Entertainment envied Xiao Lu’s luck. She had only been an unremarkable second-tier star. All it took was attending one dinner and choosing the right man—and suddenly she had luxury houses, luxury cars, jewelry, everything. And the man she followed wasn’t some potbellied forty- or fifty-year-old “successful” businessman, but an unmarried man under thirty—a textbook diamond bachelor. Men like that were incredibly rare.

Nearby, Zhao Santong watched the girls laughing and joking and couldn’t help sighing.

“Seeing these girls makes me feel old. I really can’t keep up with you young folks anymore.”

Yue Yang looked at him teasingly. “I hear that nowadays, older men with money or power like to keep mistresses, sometimes more than one. Some even need a computer to manage them all. What I don’t get is—these guys are already past their prime, barely able to last a few minutes in bed, so why are they still so enthusiastic about it? Is it because keeping a lover makes them feel young again? Brother Zhao, can you explain it to me?”

“Pfft—”

Yun Feng, who had been drinking wine, couldn’t hold it in and sprayed red wine out of his mouth, then collapsed laughing on the sofa.

Zhao Santong was stunned by the sudden, outrageous question. His face turned red as he pointed at Yue Yang and cursed, “Yue Yang, what did I ever do to you that you’d tease me like this? What does this kind of thing have to do with me? Why are you asking me?!”

“Oh man… I can’t take it anymore—I’m dying of laughter!” Yun Feng clutched his stomach, laughing so hard it hurt. “Brother Zhao, look… your true colors have finally been exposed! I’ve got to tell sister-in-law about this. Oh man… I’m dead!”

Just as the three were joking around, the private room door opened and a young man in his thirties walked in. Seeing him, Yun Feng quickly waved him over, then said to Yue Yang, “Brother Yue, this is the friend I told you about. The factory that produced the stab-resistant vests you customized last time belongs to him. Old Ge—weren’t you always saying you wanted to meet the big client who ordered ten thousand stab-resistant vests? Well, he’s right here. What are you standing there for?”

Hearing this, the newcomer immediately smiled and extended his hand to Yue Yang. “I heard Yun Lao’er made a very capable friend, and I’ve long wanted to meet you. Didn’t expect we’d only meet today. Mr. Yue, my name is Ge Maocai. A pleasure!”

“Mr. Ge, hello.” Yue Yang stood up and shook his hand, immediately noticing the thick calluses in the web of his palm.

After exchanging pleasantries and sitting back down, Ge Maocai spoke earnestly. “Mr. Yue, to be honest, Yun Lao’er and I are old friends. A couple of years ago, I opened my own factory, specializing in products like stab-resistant vests. But you know how it is—the domestic market isn’t great for this kind of thing, and police orders are fiercely competitive. Small factories like mine can only pick up scraps the state-owned enterprises don’t want. It’s been really tough. I heard from Yun Lao’er that you have extensive overseas connections. I was wondering if you could help me find some buyers?”

Yue Yang sat silently, thinking. Stab-resistant vests were one of the items he needed in large quantities. Combat experience had proven their effectiveness against cold weapons like knives, spears, and arrows. If issued on a large scale, they could significantly reduce marching burdens and enhance combat effectiveness. He had already included them on his procurement list, and since they were consumables, regular orders would be needed. But could he trust such a large order to someone he had just met?

He studied Ge Maocai carefully. The man looked ordinary, but carried himself with a crisp, decisive air, sitting ramrod straight even on the sofa. Yue Yang suddenly asked, “If I’m not mistaken, Mr. Ge, you were a soldier, weren’t you?”

Ge Maocai looked surprised, then nodded. “Sharp eyes, Mr. Yue. I did serve in the army for a few years. I transferred out the year before last.”

“Transferred?” Yue Yang repeated softly, then smiled. “I see.”

Seeing Yue Yang silent for so long, Yun Feng grew anxious and was about to say something, but Zhao Santong stopped him with a look.

After a while, Yue Yang suddenly smiled broadly. “Why not? I happen to need fifty thousand stab-resistant vests. An order’s an order, no matter who it goes to. Since Mr. Ge came personally, it saves me the trouble of looking. Have someone from your factory go to Guangyuan Trading Company tomorrow. Someone there will discuss the details with you.”

“That’s wonderful!” Ge Maocai was overjoyed. He grabbed Yue Yang’s hand and thanked him repeatedly. “Thank you, Mr. Yue! You’ve really saved my factory!”

Seeing his excitement, Yue Yang turned serious. “Mr. Ge, let’s be clear first. I’m giving you the order, but you must strictly control quality. This is life-saving equipment. If anything goes wrong due to quality issues, I will hold you accountable.”

Ge Maocai thumped his chest. “Don’t worry, Mr. Yue. We soldiers mean what we say. If you find our products don’t meet standards, you can spit in my face!”

“Good.” Yue Yang nodded.

At that moment, a waiter came in to say the dishes were ready. Yun Feng called everyone to the table and waved for the girls to come over as well.

During the meal, Ge Maocai, buoyed by the big order, was in high spirits, constantly toasting Yue Yang. With more than ten pretty, socially adept girls present, the atmosphere was excellent. Xiao Lu leaned affectionately against Yue Yang, pouring wine and picking dishes for him, the very picture of a virtuous woman.

Watching them, Ge Maocai sighed. “President Yue, I’m a few years older than you. If you don’t mind, may I call you Brother Yue?”

Yue Yang smiled casually. “Of course. Makes me sound younger, doesn’t it?”

“Hahaha…” Everyone laughed.

At this point, several girls exchanged looks with the married woman called Sister Li. She understood, silently cursing these little vixens for pushing her forward, but for her own interests, she smiled and asked Yun Feng, “President Yun, I heard the company’s about to start filming a forty-million production. Is that true?”

Yun Feng smiled slightly. “You’re well-informed. The decision was just made.”

Sister Li and the girls exchanged looks, barely able to hide their excitement. With a new production starting, company actresses would naturally be considered first. That meant opportunities for roles—maybe not the female lead, but supporting roles were possible. They wisely refrained from asking directly about casting, but each silently resolved to secure a spot in the new drama.

The banquet lasted until late at night. As a young, wealthy patron, Yue Yang became a prime target for the girls’ toasts. Despite Xiao Lu watching vigilantly, she was outnumbered. The girls took turns, and with her average alcohol tolerance, Xiao Lu was soon drunk. After that, they cheerfully turned their attention to Yue Yang. Zhao Santong and Yun Feng egged things on from the side. Yue Yang didn’t want to spoil the mood, and before he knew it, he had drunk too much. Unable to drive afterward, he vaguely heard Yun Feng instruct two girls to take Yue Yang and Xiao Lu back to the Yulong Bay villa…

The next morning, when Yue Yang groggily opened his eyes, he found several snow-white bodies sprawled over him.

He gently moved a pale leg off his stomach and shifted the beauty in his arms aside, then sat up to look carefully. At first glance he was shocked—there were three naked bodies in his bed. Besides Xiao Lu, there were two other women. Looking closely, he realized they were Sister Li and a younger girl.

“Damn, what the hell happened?” Yue Yang slapped his forehead hard. He then remembered that last night, he and Xiao Lu had been brought back by two girls, who escorted them into the bedroom—after which, in his drunken state, he’d ended up sleeping with both women.

“Alcohol really ruins lives…” Yue Yang muttered, annoyed.

“Sigh…”

“Are you regretting it?”

A soft voice sounded beside him. Turning his head, Yue Yang saw Sister Li sitting up, staring at him with wide eyes.

“Well… this…” Yue Yang was at a loss for words. In ancient times, with his status, sleeping with women would have been considered an honor for them. But this was modern society—at least on the surface, one that preached equality. And Yue Yang wasn’t the kind of scumbag who’d sleep with someone and then deny responsibility.

Seeing his dilemma, Sister Li said calmly, “You don’t need to feel guilty. We’re all adults. Everyone drank too much last night—things went a bit too far, which is understandable. Besides, I’m already a mother of two. If anyone lost out, it’s you.”

“Are women these days really this open-minded?” Yue Yang thought.

Now sober, his wits returned. He glanced at her graceful body and smiled faintly. “I remember you struggled pretty hard last night. If you hadn’t run out of strength, I wouldn’t have succeeded.”

“You—” Sister Li’s composure shattered, her face flushing red. She cursed softly, “Pah… If Xiao Lu hadn’t helped you, how would I have let you succeed? I don’t care—it was just a one-night dream. But Xiao Dan is still a virgin. You have to take responsibility for her. Xiao Dan… stop pretending to sleep. It’s already happened. Your twenty-plus years of innocence were taken by this guy—he owes you an explanation.”

At that, a timid voice spoke up, “Sister Li, please don’t say anymore…”

Yue Yang looked down to see the girl beside him awake, her face red as an apple, long lashes trembling. Too shy to meet his eyes, she burrowed under the covers, leaving only her head exposed.

He also noticed bloodstains on the sheets. He slapped his forehead in frustration—what a mess.

Their voices woke Xiao Lu as well. She said nothing, simply sat behind Yue Yang and hugged him tightly. One man and three women sat on the bed, staring at each other.

After a long silence, Yue Yang sighed. “Alright. What’s done is done. Regret won’t help. Sister Li… and you—Xiao Dan, right? What happened last night wasn’t intentional. Tell me—what can I do to make it up to you?”

Sister Li shook her head. “I told you, I don’t matter. But Xiao Dan is still a virgin. She and Xiao Lu are known in the company for keeping themselves clean. Since you’ve taken her, you might as well accept her too—let her keep Xiao Lu company. Xiao Lu… would you be willing to have Xiao Dan as your companion?”

She directed the last question at Xiao Lu, who was still hugging Yue Yang’s back tightly.

“What kind of mess is this…” Yue Yang sighed again and turned to look at Xiao Lu, who wore a conflicted expression. After all, no matter how generous a woman was, sharing the same man with another woman was hard to accept…