"With that, Wang Fugui hurriedly turned and walked over to the door.
Pulling it open, he saw two people standing outside.
One was a hotel waiter, and the other was Zhang Hao.
"Little brother, you're here. Please, come in."
Zhang Hao gave a slight nod and stepped into the office.
Yet the moment he saw Liu Huaqiang sitting inside, a smile appeared on his face.
"Fatty, long time no see."
Hearing this, Wang Fugui trembled.
Although he knew 'Fatty' was the boss's nickname, hardly anyone dared to address him that way.
Only those with a higher status and standing than the boss would dare to use his nickname directly.
At that moment, Liu Huaqiang suddenly looked surprised.
"Young Master Zhang, why is it you?"
"Why couldn't it be me?"
Zhang Hao replied with a smile, settling unceremoniously onto the sofa and crossing his legs.
Liu Huaqiang frowned because he suddenly remembered that the current Zhang Hao was no longer the Young Master Zhang of the past.
The old Zhang Hao was the son of a billionaire worth tens of billions, and his father Zhang Zhaoyang's name had even appeared on the rich list.
But the present Zhang Hao was nothing more than a poor wretch.
With this thought, he said indifferently, "Did I tell you to sit? Get up!"
Zhang Hao's expression flickered slightly, but a second later he laughed again.
"I haven't spent a small amount here in the past. If not two million, at least one million. I didn't expect you to look at people through colored glasses either. Since there's no old friendship to speak of, let's cut straight to the point: vegetable recipes are ten thousand each, and meat recipes are thirty thousand each. Not a single penny less."
"Hmph!"
Liu Huaqiang let out a disdainful snort, his expression darkening.
"I think you're crazy with poverty, kid. I'm not going to waste words with you—five thousand for the vegetables, ten thousand for the meat."
Zhang Hao narrowed his eyes. "In that case, there's nothing more to discuss. I'll just have to sell the recipes to another hotel."
With those words, he slowly stood up.
Liu Huaqiang wore an angry expression. "I'm not negotiating with you. Like it or not, you have to agree, or don't even think about walking out of this door!"
Wang Fugui immediately chimed in to persuade him, "Little brother, if you ask me, just agree. Why make things unpleasant for yourself?"
After all, he was the one who had called Zhang Hao here.
Faced with his overbearing boss, there was nothing he could do.
If Zhang Hao got beaten up, he wouldn't feel right about it either.
Zhang Hao smiled, showing not the slightest panic.
"Fat fatty, what if I insist on leaving?"
Liu Huaqiang said nothing, merely clapping his hands twice.
Thump, thump, thump.
Accompanied by a flurry of chaotic footsteps, seven or eight burly men poured in from outside.
With a ferocious look, Liu Huaqiang threatened, "Zhang Hao, I'm giving you one last chance. If you—"
Ring, ring, ring.
Suddenly, Zhang Hao's phone rang.
Pulling it out, he saw the name Su Yuyan displayed on the screen.
"Don't speak. I'll take a call first."
Zhang Hao pointed a finger at Liu Huaqiang, then answered the call.
A tense voice came through the receiver, "Zhang Hao, my parents are here."
Chapter 25: A Betrothal Gift of One Hundred Million!
"I'll be right back!"
"Mhm."
The call ended.
Zhang Hao stood there holding his phone, stunned for a moment.
Always fearless and unfazed by anything, he suddenly found himself at a complete loss.
Although he knew he would have to meet his future father-in-law and mother-in-law sooner or later, the moment it was actually happening, he had no idea how to handle it.
Because this matter was very complicated.
First was his relationship with Su Yuyan.
Second was Su Yuyan's relationship with her family.
Third was what Su Yuyan's parents thought of him.
Just as Zhang Hao's mind was in utter chaos, Liu Huaqiang's angry voice rang out.
"Kid, if you don't agree, don't even think about walking out this door!"
Zhang Hao exhaled sharply through his nose, anger washing over his face.
Then, he cast a cold glare at the thugs. "If you're going to make a move, stop dawdling. I'm in a hurry to get home."
Damn it, so arrogant!
Seeing Zhang Hao looking completely unfazed, the thugs instantly felt insulted.
Without even waiting for Brother Qiang's command, they lunged forward like a pack of wolves spotting a little lamb.
Bang, bang, bang!
After a series of dull thuds, the room fell silent once more.
The seven or eight burly men lay sprawled on the ground, groaning softly.
Zhang Hao stood straight in the center of the thugs, resembling a god of war.
Liu Huaqiang stared in utter shock.
He never expected Zhang Hao to be such a formidable fighter!
In his eyes, Zhang Hao was just a rich second-generation heir who only knew how to eat, drink, and make merry.
Could it be that he had been hiding his true abilities all along?
Even though he looked down on his luck on the surface, did he actually have an even deeper background?
At this thought, Liu Huaqiang instantly panicked.
At that moment, Zhang Hao turned around, his icy gaze landing on Liu Huaqiang.
"I have matters to attend to and must leave. We'll settle our business tomorrow!"
Leaving behind a harsh warning, Zhang Hao strode toward the door.
"Young Master Zhang, please stay."
Liu Huaqiang hurried to speak, his expression instantly shifting into a flattering smile. "Just now, your older brother here was only joking with you. I hope you won't take offense. How about this—I'll buy your recipes at the exact prices you named."
Hearing this, Zhang Hao paused for a moment, a corner of his mouth curving into a smile as he continued out of the room.
...
A few minutes later.
Zhang Hao hailed a cab back to the residential complex.
Along the way, he received two messages.
One was from Wang Fugui: "Little brother, I'm truly sorry. I was just doing what my boss told me to do. I hope you aren't angry."
The other was from his good buddy Zhao Yong: "Haozi, where are you living now? We want to come visit you and check out your three cute babies while we're at it."
Zhang Hao didn't reply to either message.
Throughout the entire ride, his mind was entirely consumed by how to face Su Yuyan's parents.
He had even anticipated what they might ask and how he should answer.
Soon, Zhang Hao arrived in front of his apartment door.
He took a deep breath and reached out to gently knock.
"Knock, knock, knock."
Tap, tap, tap.
The sound of high heels striking the floor drew closer from afar.
The door swung open, revealing Su Yuyan's graceful figure, though her face was etched with deep anxiety.
"I'm back."
Zhang Hao said with a smile. Seeing Su Yuyan nod and turn back into the apartment, he followed her inside.
There sat two people on the sofa.
One was the future father-in-law he had met yesterday.
As for the other, she looked just like a young maiden, dressed in a red dress. Her figure was exceptionally graceful, her skin fair, her features delicate, and a cascade of pitch-black hair fell to her waist. She looked every bit as beautiful as Su Yuyan.
Even though he knew she was Su Yuyan's mother, if the mother and daughter walked down the street together, people would undoubtedly mistake them for sisters.
At that moment, Zhang Hao smiled lightly at Su Yuyan.
"Yuyan, didn't you say your uncle and auntie were here? How come I only see your uncle and your older sister? Where's auntie?"
"Huh?"
Su Yuyan blinked in mild confusion, freezing for a second.
Su's mother narrowed her eyes, a trace of a smile breaking through her icy expression.
"Young man, I am Yuyan's mother."
Zhang Hao feigned astonishment. "Is that so? I'm terribly sorry. You look so young that I genuinely thought you were Yuyan's older sister."
"Oh, nonsense. I'm old and withered. You youngsters sure know how to sweet-talk."
Su's mother chuckled, feeling rather flattered.
After all, as a woman, who could possibly refuse being mistaken for a young and pretty girl?
"Ahem!"
Su's father suddenly coughed, casting a displeased look at Zhang Hao.
"Xiao Zhang, stop running your mouth. The kind of slick, glib person I despise most is someone like you. Before you came back, Yuyan told us everything from start to finish. After careful deliberation, and considering the situation with the three babies, I will allow you to stay with Yuyan."
Hearing this, Zhang Hao's face lit up with joy.
He had thought it would take a fierce battle of words to win the approval of Su's father and mother.
He never expected them to agree so suddenly.
Could happiness really arrive this unexpectedly?
"Rest assured, Uncle and Auntie. I will definitely not live up to your expectations and will wholeheartedly take care of Yuyan and the babies for the rest of my life."
With that, he smiled at Su Yuyan.
Yet right at that moment, he noticed the heavy sorrow on her face.
Zhang Hao's expression flickered.
Strange, both elders had agreed, so why did she still look so gloomy?
Amidst his bewilderment, he heard Su's father speak up.
"Don't get too happy just yet. While I am letting you stay, it's merely for the convenience of caring for the babies. If you want to become Yuyan's husband and the babies' father, you must meet my condition."
Zhang Hao asked, "What condition?"
Su's father said sternly, "Earn one hundred million within half a year!"
"One hundred million!"
Astonishment washed over Zhang Hao's face.
"That's right. Earn one hundred million in half a year, and I'll marry my daughter to you. If you can't do it, don't ever expect to see my daughter and the babies again."
As the words fell, Su Yuyan's reproachful voice rang out.
"Dad, aren't you just making things difficult for Zhang Hao? He has nothing right now—how could he possibly make one hundred million in half a year! I don't agree!"
Su's father stood up with a solemn expression.
"Your disagreement is useless. This is the condition I've set for Zhang Hao. If he lacks this capability, he isn't worthy of being my son-in-law!"
With that, he tilted his head and said coldly to Zhang Hao, "If you have no confidence in yourself, you can give up right now. I'll give you two million, and you must never come harass my daughter and the babies again."
Zhang Hao's expression turned serious, his gaze unshakeable.
"Uncle, I guarantee I will prepare the one hundred million betrothal gift within half a year. I hope you won't go back on your word when the time comes."
"I am a man of my word, but that one hundred million must be earned entirely by your own efforts. Borrowed money doesn't count."
"No problem!"
Seeing Zhang Hao's earnest expression, Su's father nodded and strode toward the door.
Upon seeing this, Su's mother immediately stood up to follow. As she passed by Zhang Hao, she whispered, "Xiao Zhang, I'm rooting for you."
"Thank you, Auntie."
"Call me sister."
"Uh..."
Zhang Hao stood frozen in place.
Shortly after, Su's mother and father were seen off by Su Yuyan, who hurriedly hurried back inside.
Anxious, she confronted him: "Zhang Hao, what on earth is going on in your head? That's one hundred million, and you only have a half-year deadline! How could you possibly pull that off? Even if you had refused, I had ways of making you stay."
Zhang Hao asked with a smile, "What ways?"
Su Yuyan lowered her head slightly, a blush blooming across her cheeks.
Chapter 26: A Family of Five, Born on the Same Day!
"I'll sneak—I mean, take the household registration booklet from home, and we'll go get our marriage certificate."
Hearing this, Zhang Hao couldn't help but laugh.
He never expected that the seemingly demure Su Yuyan could also have such a wild side.
It was just that this method definitely wouldn't work.
"No."
"No?"
Su Yuyan blinked in surprise, her delicate brows knitting together.
"Why not? Don't you want to get our marriage certificate with me? Or did you suddenly change your mind?"
Zhang Hao quickly replied, "Absolutely not! Where on earth is your mind wandering?"
"Because I want to prove through practical action that I have the ability to give you and the babies happiness."
"Besides, I'm twenty-one and haven't reached the legal marriage age yet. I have to wait another half year until after my birthday. By the way, how old are you this year?"
Su Yuyan replied, "Nineteen, born in the Year of the Horse."
As she spoke, she seemed to remember something and continued, "My birthday is also half a year away. What date is yours?"
"October first."
"October first!"
Astonishment washed over Su Yuyan's face.
Zhang Hao's expression shifted, and he asked with a smile, "Wife, you wouldn't happen to share my birthday, would you?"
Su Yuyan nodded. "It's not just the two of us; the three babies were also born on October first."
Hearing this, Zhang Hao's face filled with pleasant surprise.
What an incredible coincidence.
His wife and babies shared his exact birthday.
Such a scenario probably couldn't be found a second time anywhere in the country.
Just then, Su Yuyan suddenly burst into laughter.
"Actually, the babies shouldn't have been born on October first, but it was already around my due date. Since it was triplets, the doctor recommended a C-section, and coupled with the fact that I was afraid of pain, I went through with the surgery that day."
Zhang Hao gave a slight nod, his expression turning solemn.
Although he had never given birth, he knew how excruciatingly painful childbirth was for a woman.
The ten months of pregnancy were an arduous process, and when labor arrived, women had to endure pain akin to breaking bones.
Even with a C-section, it still hurt immensely.
"You've had it hard, wife. I swear, from now on I will never let you suffer even the slightest hardship, and I guarantee I'll make you happy and joyful every single day."
With that, he tightly grasped Su Yuyan's delicate hand.
Her heart instantly began to race, a crimson blush spreading across her face in an instant.
She wanted to pull her hand back from Zhang Hao's grasp, but his grip was simply too strong for her to escape.
"Let go already!"
"I won't let go."
With a gentle smile, warmth filled Zhang Hao's eyes.
Su Yuyan stopped struggling. Although she felt shy, feeling the warmth of Zhang Hao's palm suddenly gave rise to a sense of familiarity.
Yet right at that moment, she saw Zhang Hao reach out to lift her shirt.
Startled, Su Yuyan leaped backward in alarm, snapping angrily, "What are you trying to do? Don't cross the line!"
"Wife, don't misunderstand. I just want to look at the scar."
"No way!"
"Wife, I have a way to make the scar disappear."
"I don't believe you!"
"Really, Haicheng people don't lie to Haicheng people."
"I believe your ghost!"
...
Meanwhile, parked by the roadside at the residential complex entrance was a black Redflag L5.
Su's father, Su Jianlin, and Su's mother, Xia Yuhe, sat in the back.
Xia Yuhe wore a deeply aggrieved expression.
"Hmph, and you too! Why did you have to make things difficult for Xiao Zhang? Didn't you hear what our daughter said? Xiao Zhang can cook and is driven. I actually think the boy is quite good."
Frowning sternly, Su Jianlin said, "What does a woman like you know! Whoever wants to be my son-in-law must have extraordinary capabilities!"
"Then you still didn't have to go overboard. Earn one hundred million in half a year—could you do it?"
"Why couldn't I? Just last month I successfully negotiated a project that brought over one hundred million in profits to Su Corporation."
"Tch, if you didn't have the foundation laid by the Old Master, could you make one hundred million? If you were Xiao Zhang, could you make one hundred million in half a year? Besides, even if you bring over one hundred million in profit to the company, how much of that do you actually get? Is it even a million?"
Hearing this, Su Jianlin immediately grew displeased.
"If you don't know how to talk, shut your mouth! The enterprise was built by the Old Master through sheer hard work, and the money earned belongs to the Su Family. There shouldn't be any division of interests among family members!"
Xia Yuhe let out a huff. "That's how you see it, but is that how your older brother sees it? Relying on having a son, he wants to grab a larger share of the shares. Although Xiaorou is a boy, he doesn't even have as much masculinity as our daughter. It's a miracle if he manages to find a wife in the future."
"Shut your mouth! If you're so capable, you give me a son!"
"Hmph, whether you have a boy or a girl is determined by the man's genes. You can't perform yourself, yet you blame me."
"You!"
Su Jianlin was so furious he was left speechless, since the facts were indeed as she stated.
Whether it was a boy or a girl depended on the chromosomes inside the man.
Xia Yuhe continued to complain, "And I wanted to spend more time looking at the babies, but look at you—you wanted to leave after saying barely a few words. I'm starting to doubt whether our daughter is even yours biologically."
Su Jianlin glared with wide eyes. "Are you ever going to finish? We're going home to sleep!"
"Hmph, and I'll be sleeping by myself. Aside from covering my face in spit, what else are you good for anyway?"
Hearing this, Su Jianlin puffed out his chest in frustration.
Seeing this, Xia Yuhe raised an eyebrow and glared. "What, do you want to hit me?"
Su Jianlin let out a heavy sigh because he 'respected' his wife deeply; how could he possibly resort to violence?
He then turned a displeased gaze toward the driver. "Xiao Wang, do you not want this job anymore?"
"Sorry, Boss, driving right away."
With that, driver Xiao Wang stepped on the gas and moved the car forward.
Xia Yuhe: "Hmph, always taking it out on Xiao Wang. Are you even a man?"
Su Jianlin turned his head to look out the window, his face turning pale with fury.
...
"Miaomiao, say daddy."
"Jingjing, say daddy."
Inside the bedroom, Zhang Hao was patiently teaching Erbao and Sanbao to say daddy.
Because this task had already been underway for a day and a half.
If he still couldn't teach them by the day after tomorrow, he would face the System's punishment.
Although the System was miraculous, damn it, not only had he failed to make any money yet, but he actually owed the System over two hundred thousand.
He honestly didn't know whether this System was here to help him or to punish him.
"Daddy~"
A childish voice rang out.
Only, this 'daddy' had been called out by Dabao, Xinxin.
"That's my boy—Xinxin is amazing!"
A smile appeared on Zhang Hao's face, though it was tinged with a hint of bitterness.
At that moment, Su Yuyan glanced at the time. "All right, it's almost ten o'clock. The babies need to sleep, you should head back."
Zhang Hao smiled. "Wife, didn't you say yesterday that I could stay?"
"Mhm."
Seeing Su Yuyan nod, joy instantly bloomed in Zhang Hao's heart.
"Then where am I sleeping? With the babies, or in the other bedroom?"
"Nowhere at all. Yesterday was yesterday, today is today, so you better head back to campus. Watch out for safety on the road."
"Oh? You dare play with me."
With that, Zhang Hao stood up and strode step by step toward Su Yuyan, who was lying on the bed.
"What—what are you trying to do?"
Su Yuyan covered her chest with her hands, a slightly uneasy expression on her face.
"I'm going to tell you goodnight!"
With that domineering declaration, Zhang Hao turned around and left.
When Su Yuyan finally snapped out of her daze, she looked toward the doorway with a disgruntled expression and muttered, "Fool, if I tell you to leave, do you actually just leave? Did you really expect me to spell it out and ask you to stay and sleep here?"
Just then, Zhang Hao stepped out of the residential complex.
As he stood by the roadside waiting for a taxi, he noticed a Cadillac Escalade parked not far away slowly making its way toward him.
Chapter 27: What Do Married Men Fear Most?
"Young Master Zhang, I've finally waited for you."
The front passenger window slowly rolled down, revealing a chubby, smiling face.
Who else could it be but Shenghai Grand Hotel's boss, Liu Huaqiang?
Zhang Hao furrowed his brow. "You still looking for trouble?"
"No, no, no."
Liu Huaqiang hastily replied, "I was just too impulsive earlier, and I hope Young Master Zhang can forgive me. I'm here to buy the recipes, at the exact prices you named."
"Fine."
Zhang Hao agreed on the spot without a shred of hesitation.
Though he had made an enemy of this fatty at the hotel, as long as money could be made, anything could be tolerated.
After all, he had made a promise to his father-in-law to earn one hundred million in half a year."