After finalizing the deal, Jiang Qiuyi and Li Miao decided to relax by soaking in the hot springs at a hotel owned by the Lu Group.

Following the soak and a rejuvenating massage, the two parted ways and headed home.

Wang’s team was quick to prepare the contract, finishing it in just three days.

On the day of the signing, Jiang Qiuyi didn’t bring many people along—only her driver, bodyguard, and the lawyer, Yan Xu, whom Lu Mingcheng had assigned to her.

After reviewing the contract, Yan Xu identified a few loopholes and asked the other party to make corrections.

During the brief pause as the lawyers worked on revisions, Mr. Wang took the opportunity to size up Jiang Qiuyi. Over the past three days, he had done his homework and looked into her background.

Finally, he broke the silence. “Miss Jiang.”

Jiang Qiuyi, busy updating Li Miao on their progress, glanced up at him. “Yes, Mr. Wang? Is there something you’d like to say?”

Mr. Wang hesitated for a moment, then leaned in slightly and spoke in a low voice. “If I’m willing to lower the price a bit more and keep a small percentage of the team’s shares, would you consider it?”

With the Lu Group’s backing, even the most struggling team was unlikely to fail.

Hearing this, Jiang Qiuyi smiled faintly. “No, I’m not interested.”

She put away her phone and said calmly, “Mr. Wang, I want full ownership of the team’s shares.”

Mr. Wang fell silent.

Realizing there was no persuading her, he gave up.

Before long, the contract was finalized and signed.

After signing her name, Jiang Qiuyi sent a quick message to Lu Mingcheng.

In less than half an hour, Mr. Wang received a notification that the payment had been transferred.

With a broad smile, he extended his hand to Jiang Qiuyi. “Thank you, Miss Jiang. I look forward to our collaboration.”

Jiang Qiuyi gave a small nod and looked at him. “Mr. Wang, regarding the team’s past—whether it’s about the players or anything else—good or bad, I hope you’ll keep it confidential.”

Mr. Wang immediately replied, “Of course.”

He definitely didn’t want to risk being held accountable by the Lu Group.

After the contract was signed, Mr. Wang personally took Jiang Qiuyi to the team’s base to introduce her to the members.

Thanks to Mr. Wang’s prior notice, all the team members were up and ready, even though it was still early in the morning.

When they saw Jiang Qiuyi walk in, they froze in unison, staring at her in surprise.

Oblivious to their reaction, Mr. Wang gestured toward her and said. “This is your new boss, Miss Jiang Qiuyi.”

Everyone responded in unison. “Hello, boss!”

Jiang Qiuyi: “…”

She couldn’t help but chuckle, the corners of her lips curling into a smile. “Hello, everyone.”

After a brief pause, she asked softly, “Have you packed your things yet?”

The group looked at each other, confused. “Packed what?”

Jiang Qiuyi turned to Mr. Wang. “You didn’t tell them?”

Mr. Wang let out an awkward laugh, rubbing his hands together. “Ah, I’m sorry, Miss Jiang. It completely slipped my mind—I’ve been so busy.”

“Hmm.”

Jiang Qiuyi didn’t seem bothered. She addressed the team again. “Go pack your things. We’re moving to a new place.”

No one moved.

Still calm, Jiang Qiuyi added warmly, “It’ll be a better place than here.”

Seeing that no one responded, she raised an eyebrow and asked, “You don’t want to move?”

“It’s not that,” one of the players, their team captain, finally spoke up, his voice hesitant. “Do you even know anything about gaming?”

“I don’t,” Jiang Qiuyi admitted with a small smile. “But I like your dreams.”

Not long after her words fell, the group of young men exchanged a brief silence before turning around and heading upstairs in unison.

They had gone to pack their things.

Watching them, Jiang Qiuyi felt a sense of satisfaction.

Before coming to sign the contract with Mr. Wang, she had already picked out their new residence—a lakeside villa.

The villa occupied a large area with stunning views. It was surrounded by a picturesque lake, perfect for daily walks or exercise along the shore.

The villa belonged to Lu Mingcheng, but since it was too spacious for just the two of them, neither had ever lived there. Now, it was just right for the team of young players.

She did a quick mental calculation. The three-story villa had over a dozen rooms, and both the second and third-floor living areas were spacious enough to be turned into workspaces.

Given the tight timeline, Jiang Qiuyi had arranged for only the essentials to be delivered beforehand. While the villa originally had some sofas and beds, they weren’t sufficient. After confirming the team would move in, she quickly had additional furniture sent over.

As for the computers, she ordered the most expensive, top-of-the-line models optimized for gaming.

When she arrived at the villa with the group of young men, they stepped out of the car, looking utterly bewildered.

Were they being scammed?

Could she possibly be planning to… keep them?

“Captain,” one of the younger players whispered cautiously, “she’s not a scammer… right?”

The captain, Cheng Yongjia, paused for a moment before replying in a low voice, “Do scammers drive Bugattis with chauffeurs?”

The group fell silent.

Cheng Yongjia thought for a bit and added, “Even if she is a scammer, it’s still better than staying where we were before.”

“True,” someone chimed in. “Honestly, if we’d stayed there any longer, I think I might’ve died from eating instant noodles every day.”

The players exchanged glances, silently reaching a consensus, and followed her in.

They hesitated no longer—because they had no other options.

As Jiang Qiuyi led them into the villa, she overheard their quiet discussions and could tell they were pleased with the place.

Just as Jiang Qiuyi was about to speak, Qiu Jianbai and Chen Fu came down from upstairs.

Since everyone was part of the same circle, they naturally recognized each other.

After introductions, the team no longer doubted that Jiang Qiuyi was legitimate.

Jiang Qiuyi glanced at the time and instructed, “Go ahead and put your luggage away. We’ll have a meal together later.”

Someone asked, “How do we decide on the rooms?”

Raising an eyebrow, Jiang Qiuyi smiled. “Pick whichever one you like. There aren’t many rules here—your comfort and happiness are what matter most.”

“Does that mean one room per person?” another asked.

Jiang Qiuyi nodded. “Of course. The second and third floors are all available. The first floor might be a bit noisy, so I’d suggest avoiding it.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the group of young men grabbed their luggage and bolted up the stairs.

Blinking in surprise, Jiang Qiuyi murmured to herself, “There’s actually an elevator here, you know.”

But by then, everyone was already upstairs.

Qiu Jianbai chuckled and glanced at her. “Thank you.”

Chen Fu also echoed his thanks.

Jiang Qiuyi waved it off casually. “No need to be polite. It’s what I should do.”

After settling into their rooms, the group of young men lingered upstairs for a while before coming back down.

Jiang Qiuyi had arranged for a chef to prepare lunch for them.

When the food was served, everyone was stunned.

Lobster, oysters, foie gras… Alongside the luxury items, there were also more familiar, everyday dishes.

Since Jiang Qiuyi wasn’t sure what they liked, she had asked the chef to prepare a bit of everything.

The long dining table was completely covered with food.

Everyone stared at the table, frozen, not daring to pick up their chopsticks.

Jiang Qiuyi couldn’t help but laugh, her voice soft. “Go ahead and eat—why aren’t you digging in?”

The captain, Cheng Yongjia, looked at her, his hands clenched tightly on his lap, his body trembling slightly.

For this group, it had been a long, long time since they’d experienced such an atmosphere.

Suddenly, someone spoke up. “Boss.”

Jiang Qiuyi responded with a calm “Hmm?” and asked, “What is it?”

“Could we maybe not be this extravagant in the future?” a thin, frail-looking boy said hesitantly. “We don’t need to eat food this fancy.”

Hearing this, Jiang Qiuyi smiled. “Don’t worry—you won’t eat me into bankruptcy.”

She took a bite herself and gestured for them to start. “Go ahead. Just focus on staying healthy and playing your best. Leave everything else to me.”

The group fell silent, emotions stirring as they exchanged glances.

The previous boss, Mr. Wang, had said the same thing.

When Mr. Wang first brought them together, they had a few good days too.

But after that, it was instant noodles every day.

Jiang Qiuyi understood what they were thinking, but there was no way for her to prove herself right now—it would take time.

Qiu Jianbai, the most senior among them, glanced at the others and spoke up. “Let’s eat first. Whatever happens in the future, we’ll deal with it then. Right now, what matters is eating well and filling up.”

Chen Fu also started to eat.

Cheng Yongjia hesitated, pressing his lips together, before finally picking up his chopsticks.

That was all it took—everyone else began moving at once.

They devoured their food, eating in large, hurried bites.

As Jiang Qiuyi glanced around casually, she noticed someone quietly eating through their tears.

She paused for a moment, suddenly recalling the information she had read.

Some of the young men under Mr. Wang’s care had run away from home, while others came from impoverished families. They all shared a love for gaming, which led them to sign agreements with Wang.

Cheng Yongjia, the oldest, was only twenty, and the others were around eighteen, with two even younger than that—still underage.

Thinking about this, Jiang Qiuyi withdrew her gaze.

She didn’t want to disturb them or make them feel embarrassed, so she decided to pretend she hadn’t noticed.

After finishing her meal, Jiang Qiuyi gave a few instructions and then left.

She left the management of the base to Qiu Jianbai, and for the coaches they still needed, she asked him to find and hire them.

Jiang Qiuyi’s only concern was funding.

In the following days, Jiang Qiuyi would occasionally visit the villa. She noticed that everyone there was working incredibly hard, always training, never resting.

They were chasing their dreams.

Jiang Qiuyi was worried they wouldn’t get enough good food, which could affect their growth, so she hired two chefs to cook for them every day.

In addition to the chefs, there were also staff to handle laundry and cleaning—everything was taken care of.

One day, Li Miao accompanied her to tour the base.

When they left, the two of them planned to go shopping. After spending the last few days taking care of the kids, Jiang Qiuyi hadn’t had the chance to indulge herself.

“How does it feel?”

Jiang Qiuyi raised an eyebrow. “It’s great.”

She smiled and added, “It’s very rewarding.”

“Are you not afraid of throwing your money away?”

Jiang Qiuyi looked at her, tilting her head thoughtfully. “Well, it’s fine. Every businessman faces failure before success.”

Besides, it wasn’t even her money at risk.

Li Miao was defeated by her logic.

She fell silent for a moment, then couldn’t help but agree with Jiang Qiuyi’s reasoning.

“So, what about President Lu? Does he know you’re supporting all these young men? What does he think about it?”

Li Miao’s eyes gleamed with gossip.

Jiang Qiuyi: “…”

She chuckled and gave her a sidelong glance. “Don’t make it sound like I’m supporting them.”

Li Miao: “Well, it’s kind of the same.”

Jiang Qiuyi shook her head. “He hasn’t said anything. Occasionally, he’ll ask about how they’re doing.”

Li Miao raised an eyebrow and smiled. “President Lu is that generous?”

Jiang Qiuyi gave a slight hum. “Generous? We just don’t interfere with each other.”

Li Miao stared at her profile for a moment before sighing. “Sigh.”

She said, “Actually, I’m in the same situation as Huo Xun.”

A marriage without love was never truly perfect.

Jiang Qiuyi glanced at her and softly replied, “Then you’re better off than I am.”

After all, a year from now, she was going to be kicked out with nothing.

When they arrived at the mall, both of them put their worries aside and dove straight into shopping.

Jiang Qiuyi picked out several beautiful dresses, swiped her card, and paid.

After finishing with the clothes, they headed straight for the handbag store.

If there’s one thing women can never get enough of, it’s bags.

A good bag can cure just about anything.

Jiang Qiuyi spotted a new bag and tried it on. She turned to Li Miao. “What do you think?”

Li Miao nodded. “It looks great.”

Jiang Qiuyi glanced at the mirror and agreed—it did look good.

She was about to tell the sales associate she’d take it when a familiar voice came from behind. “Hi, I’d like to see that bag.”

Jiang Qiuyi didn’t move.

The sales associate greeted her with a smile and said softly, “Would you like to try a different color first? I’ll have my colleague bring the white one from the back, but it’ll take a couple of minutes.”

Xu Wanbai paused for a moment, then shook her head. “No, I want this white one.”

She looked at the sales associate. “I’ll wait.”

As soon as she spoke, Jiang Qiuyi turned around.

Seeing her, Xu Wanbai froze for a second. “Miss Jiang.”

Jiang Qiuyi gave a slight hum.

Xu Wanbai smiled and whispered, “What a coincidence, I didn’t expect to run into Miss Jiang here.”

She added, “Miss Jiang, may I try on this bag?”

“Of course.”

Jiang Qiuyi handed it to her and then sat down next to Li Miao to rest.

Xu Wanbai was wearing a black suit today, looking very professional and capable.

However, her figure was quite good, with curves in all the right places, giving her a very elegant aura.

^_^