Zombie Apocalypse: Creation

"You really, really sure? I just came back from the Three Russians' place, and they already agreed to IPO a third of their company stock."

"Good for them. But I much prefer holding the company myself. I don't want public disclosure of my finances."

Seeing Anna adamantly refusing to open up the slightest, Xiaoyun soon ran out of options as he turned over to Kate.

"Ahem... Anna, didn't you want money to expand the company's factory?" Kate softly asked.

"I'm already about to secure a loan from the bank for it. Are you trying to convince me to sell out my company, too?"

"I'm going to be frank with you, Anna. Do you really think you can keep this company private like this?"

As Kate suddenly stood up from her seat, Anna was taken aback as she looked a little intrigued towards her.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I know the company survives on government contracts. Do you really think Yuqi will let Houqin continue ordering from you if you don't play their games?"

"Are you trying to threaten me?"

"I'm not threatening you. I owned a portion of the company myself. I just want to tell you, every other company out there is planning to go IPO.

If we are the only one that doesn't go IPO despite being the biggest company in Luoping, what do you think the public is going to think of us?"

"When did public perception matter? Besides, all of my workers love me, and thousands of people want to join in." Anna argued.

This time, Kate fell into silence. She knew what Anna was saying was true. Everyone in the town had a positive perception of the company.

It has one of the strictest labor laws, favoring employees even over Anna's financial interest.

Especially when she was willingly giving out a percentage of profits as bonuses to the employee rather than pocketing it for herself.

"Anna, you're too naive. Do you really want to know why Yuqi sent me and Xiaoyun here today?"

"To convince me to sell out my company?"

"No, to remind you that this company could be nationalized at any point for national security concerns."

"She won't do that to me."

"Says who? You're going to be the biggest arms manufacturer that's not public. One that even the government couldn't invest in."

Kate's word instantly made Anna realize something was a little off. Some key info that she was missing.

"What do you mean by that?" Anna asked again, her face starting to look a little nervous.

"Look, Anna, do you remember which country we are in? The ground that you are standing on?"

Anna didn't answer back, but Kate answered it for her.

"We are in China, a country that already has laws regarding sensitive industries like ours. What makes you think you can be free of oversight?

If this were before the outbreak, we would have already given special management shares to the government for them to see everything."

"I have no problem showing my finances to Yuqi."

"Anna, you still don't understand... It's not that Yuqi wants to see your finances. The government wants a share of your profits."

"They can very well do it in taxes," Anna responded after a short silence.

"Taxes look bad. And don't think for a second that they could just raise the cost of the steel that they sell to you.

I already know you are going to charge the military a higher price. They aren't stupid. There's no other way around it.

We need to sell a percentage of the company to let everyone in the town share the benefits, and the government to get a share of the profit."

As Anna fell into silence once again, it soon became abundantly clear Kate had managed to convince the brink of accepting it.

"Anna... I don't want to say this. But please don't make this hard for me and Yuqi." Xiaoyun murmured.

"Fine, fine, fine. I'll IPO a portion of my company. How much do I need to sell before you're satisfied with it?"

"Just thirty percent. No, twenty percent is fine. You can choose whatever percentage to raise funds with." Xiaoyun answered.

"Kate, you tell me, how much should I IPO with?" Anna grumpily asked as her face looked extremely annoyed by the decision she had to make.

"Twenty percent of yours, and ten percent of mine."

---

As Xiaoyun and Kate stepped out of the factory, one of their faces was filled with excitement as they entered the car.

"Woohoo! Thank god she accepted it. Now everything is a fully closed loop." Xiaoyun happily said as he started up the car.

"Mhm. Don't forget what you promised me."

Kate murmured as her face looked a little grumpy, almost as if she was starting to regret her collaboration with him.

"Just wait until this weekend."

---

When Xiaoyun and Kate arrived back home, Yuqi was already sitting on the sofa with Lianrong in her arms.

"Off work so early today, aren't you?" Xiaoyun asked as the two of them sat down next to her on the sofa.

"Only ten minutes earlier."

"Daddy!" Lianrong yelled as she turned her head and noticed Xiaoyun right beside her.

"Hey, Lianrong."

As Xiaoyun gently patted Lianrong on the head, Yuqi quickly moved her back before looking at the two of them with suspicion.

"You two aren't trying to get me to raise the military budget, aren't you?"

"Of course not. I already got that resolved... Ahem, where's Leyan and the kids?" Xiaoyun curiously asked.

"In the backyard. Why are you two acting so weird?" Yuqi questioned as she gently patted Lianrong on the head.

"Weird? We didn't even do anything. We're just sitting on the sofa. Anyway, I'm going to go to the backyard."

As Xiaoyun left the living room, Kate remained seated next to Yuqi on the sofa.

"Hey Yuqi, how much money do we have at home?" Kate curiously asked.

"Why are you suddenly asking that?"

"I'm just curious. That's all.

"About a few hundred thousands. You need money or something?" Yuqi questioned as Lianrong raised her arms for a hug.

"No. I have my own money... I was just thinking that maybe I should invest some of my own money into the upcoming stock market."

"Go for it. You have your own bank account, right?"

"Yeah... But do you know what's the best company I could invest in? Like hypothically, if I were given a million dollars right now."

"You know you're asking a government official right here about investing. The head deputy governor of all people."

"Hey, as two private individuals in this house... Besides, who said government officials can't help their family invest?"

"Because it's written in the law."

Yuqi's answer made Kate fall into silence for a second as she didn't expect Yuqi to be so straightforward with her answer.

"Whatever. I'll find the right investment myself."

"Where did you even get a million dollars to invest with anyway?" Yuqi questioned as she brought Lianrong up to her arms.

"I just happen to own 30% of Anna's company——Ahem, ignore what I just said."

"Well, if I were you, just keep holding the company. Her company is probably the most profitable investment you could make."

As soon as Yuqi finished talking, she suddenly noticed a faint vein popping near Kate's temple.

"You okay?'

"I'm fine... Sorry, I need to make a phone call. I'll be right back."

With Kate sprinting towards the kitchen, Yuqi didn't think too much about it as she turned her attention back to Lianrong.

"Mommy! I'm hungry!"

"Don't worry. Mommy will feed you."

---

Meanwhile, out in the backyard...

"Hey, what are you all doing in the backyard?" Xiaoyun asked out loud as he walked over to the pavilion.

"Just letting the kids have a little bit of the sunlight. You done with work already?" Leyan questioned back.

"Yeah..."

"Daddy!"

As the kids surrounded Xiaoyun in the middle, he quickly gave each of them a hug before putting them back into the small sandbox.

"Anyway, why are you here?"

"I just want to see the kids."

"Really? No other motives?"

"Come on, first Yuqi, now you? Why can't I just be here and spend time with the kids? Is it really that weird?"

"Mhm... My bad. I didn't mean to make assumptions like that."

"Thank you."

"Dad! Help me m-make a sand castle!" Yongyi yelled out loud.

"Okay! Let me come down and help you."

Seeing Xiaoyun getting down to the floor and picking up a small sand bucket, Leyan's mind began seriously regretting her assumptions earlier.

"Honey, can you watch the kids? I need to go cook dinner."

"Of course. Just go."

As Leyan walked back into the house, Xiaoyun started stuffing sand into the bucket and packed it as hard as he could.

"You guys all want a sand castle?"

'Yeah!" All five of them excitedly yelled out loud.

"Great. Let me show you guys how it's done. Yongyi, Qiaolan, can you two be my assistants?"