Peninsula: I, a chaebol! I will never follow hidden rules.

The sun rises, and a new day begins.

"Hmm~~~"

After stretching out, a sleepy-eyed Ahn Yoo-jin straightened her toes, crossed her long, beautiful legs, and then sat up in bed.

Across from them, Jin Qiutian also woke up. But she stayed in bed and didn't get up. She just turned over to face An Youzhen and said with some strange feeling, "Yuan Ying has been resting for more than a week. Has her injury not healed yet? If she can't debut in the future, she will definitely regret resting for so long."

"A ligament sprain will definitely not heal easily. But with Yuan Ying's talent, she should get a spot in the debut lineup."

Upon hearing this, Jin Qiutian was taken aback, then asked curiously, "What about the two of us?"

"It should be fine, right?" Ahn Yoo-jin was quite confident.

But Jin Qiutian seemed uncertain: "I don't think so."

"You lack confidence? You're very capable, don't be afraid, okay?"

Faced with her best friend's encouragement, Jin Qiutian shrugged and gave a helpless smile: "There are a total of ninety-six contestants. How many of them can debut in the end? At most, maybe a dozen or so? But that day, Li Cailing's little group had eleven people."

They've taken up eleven spots, how many are left for us? With over eighty people vying for those few remaining debut spots, do you really think our chances of debuting are high?

The day before yesterday at noon, the contestant who was at the bottom of the class in Li Cailing's practice room saw the text message that Li Zhixuan had sent to Li Cailing, and then framed Li Cailing in front of everyone.

The manager of the "Hi! Girl" program first reprimanded the "tail-end girl," and then took Lee Chae-ryeong's phone to make a call to someone who was suspected to be Lee Chae-ryeong's boyfriend.

Because it was on speakerphone, everyone present heard it, and the other party immediately asked Choi Sam-soon, the head of the "Hi! Girl" program, to answer the phone.

It is clear that Li Cailing's suspected boyfriend is no ordinary person.

Later, the room leader took the phone and led Li Cailing and the other eleven people to find Cui Sanshun.

In the end, none of the eleven women, including Li Cailing, suffered any punishment.

What does this mean?
Lee Chae-ryeong's boyfriend is even more awesome than the head of the "Hi! Girl" program!

What about the other ten people who were with Li Cailing? They're probably all people with connections too.

Since they have connections, their group must have already secured their debut spots.

Moreover, Jin Qiutian had inquired about it yesterday and found out that the members of Li Cailing's small group were all very capable.

With talent and connections, they're bound to debut.

If the number of debut spots is reduced by eleven, how many will be left?
With 85 people vying for the remaining few spots, the competition was fierce, so Jin Qiutian had absolutely no confidence.

In response, Ahn Yu-jin stated firmly, "Even if there's only one spot left, I'll fight for it!"

"Then I wish you success." With that, Jin Qiutian made a heart shape with her hands for An Youzhen.

Seeing this, Ahn Yoo-jin got out of bed and ran to Kim Qiu-ti's bed with her long legs. Then she crawled into Kim Qiu-ti's blankets, happily hugged her, and said, "It would be best if we succeeded together, so that I can hug you like this when we debut."

Jin Qiutian blushed slightly at this, then pouted and said in a slightly apologetic and cute way, "But I want to sleep while hugging Li Zhixuan."

Ahn Yu-jin: (_)
"Haha!" Jin Qiutian was amused, then quickly hugged An Youzhen and coaxed her softly, "Okay, okay, I'll sleep with you, alright?"

"Hmph~" Ahn Yoo-jin gave a smug snort, her face full of arrogance.

Seeing this, Jin Qiutian reached out and gently pinched An Youzhen's delicate cheek, then said helplessly, "But to be honest, we've been training at Xingji Entertainment for a while now, and I don't know when we'll be able to see Li Zhixuan again."

"What's the rush? As long as we can stay with Star Era Entertainment, even as trainees, we'll have a chance to see him sooner or later."

"Well, that's true."

"Ding ~"

As they were talking, both of their phones rang.
If their phones ring at the same time, it means someone is sending messages to both of them simultaneously.

The two exchanged a glance, and Jin Qiutian reached out and took his phone.

"Hey! That Zhang Yuanying!"

……

At nine o'clock in the morning, Li Zhixuan arrived at a multi-person ward in the inpatient department of Seoul Hospital. This multi-person ward was also a suite with a total of eight beds inside and outside.

At this moment, all eight hospital beds are filled with people. What these eight people have in common is that they are all receiving intravenous fluids, but what they differ from each other is that some have bruises and swelling on their faces, some have casts on their arms, some have casts on their legs, and one of them is even wrapped in bandages all over his body, with only his eyes, nose and mouth showing.

Each one is in a worse state than the last! How could they beat people up like that?

These eight people, besides Li Zhixuan's driver, are Li Zhixuan's personal security team leader.

Of course, Li Zhixuan had more than eight people around him, including drivers and security team leaders, but only these eight people passed the test.

"Greetings, President!" "Greetings, Third Young Master!"

When they saw Li Zhixuan arrive, the eight people on the bed struggled to get off and bow to him, including the one whose whole body was wrapped in bandages.

Seeing this, Li Zhixuan quickly stepped forward and pressed down on his shoulder, then said to everyone, "Alright, alright, don't move, all of you lie down properly, especially you."

The last sentence was said to the one whose entire body was wrapped in bandages.

After he finished speaking, Li Zhixuan noticed that he was choking up and crying: "President, I have done what I promised you."

Only when he spoke did Li Zhixuan recognize him; he was the driver on duty yesterday.

"Don't cry, don't cry, how did you end up in such a miserable state?"

“Uh…” The driver immediately stopped crying, and then explained to Li Zhixuan in a somewhat embarrassed voice, “It’s probably because I cursed them too rudely, and they got angry and beat me up all over.”

Because he's a smart aleck?
Li Zhixuan wanted to laugh, but looking at the miserable state of his subordinates, how could he still laugh?
He then solemnly bowed deeply to the people on the bed: "Brothers, you have suffered for me."

As he spoke, he turned around to ensure that everyone inside and outside could receive his salute.

Seeing this, everyone was startled and quickly said, "Young Master, please don't do this, we can't accept it."

"Yes, you've been so kind to us, so we should repay you."

The driver, whose body was wrapped in bandages, said, "President, protecting you is our duty. And we shouldn't frame you for something you didn't do. So we just did what we were supposed to do. You don't need to do this."

Knowing when to hold back and not say what needs to be said—that's true eloquence.

But can Li Zhixuan take their words seriously?
"There's no such thing as 'should'. You're paid, not risking your lives for me. But since you've been willing to die rather than betray me, from now on you're my brothers! You're all great. Don't worry, you'll cover all the medical expenses, nutrition expenses, lost wages, and compensation for emotional distress. In addition, I'll personally award each of you a bonus of one billion."

"A billion?!"

The eight people were shocked!

They followed Li Zhixuan and earned salaries far exceeding the average salary in South Korea, yet they still couldn't earn 100 million a year.

Now Li Zhixuan is going to give them a bonus equivalent to more than ten years' worth of their salary!

To be honest, they guessed that Li Zhixuan would give them a bonus, but they thought 100 million would be the most they could get, but they didn't expect it to be 1 billion.

It's impossible not to be surprised, but there's just too much money. I feel a little uneasy holding onto it.

Everyone looked at each other, and finally the driver cautiously asked, "President, isn't this too much?"

"Multiple farts!"

Li Zhixuan immediately retorted irritably, "Xiao Zheng is getting married soon and hasn't even bought a new house yet, does that mean he doesn't need money? Xiao Wang's mother is seriously ill and paralyzed, does that mean he doesn't need money? Your wife wants your son to go to an international school, does that mean he doesn't need money? There are money to be spent everywhere, are you stupid to refuse money given to you?"
Besides, this is something you risked your lives for! You deserve it! You've been so kind to me, so I certainly can't treat you unfairly.

"All of you, take good care of your injuries. Once you're healed, come protect me as soon as possible. There are always bastards trying to harm me, and I won't feel at ease without you by my side. I'll be putting you to good use once you've fully recovered."

Upon hearing this, the driver gave an embarrassed smile: "Yes, yes, I was wrong."

A conspicuous bag with a missing arm immediately raised its good arm and said, "President, I can actually be discharged from the hospital right now."

Li Zhixuan smiled helplessly, "You still have your arm in a sling. If something really happens, will you protect me or will I protect you?"

"Hahaha!"

Faced with everyone's laughter, the man's face turned a little red, and he hurriedly assured Li Zhixuan, "I will definitely risk my life to protect you."

"Alright!" Li Zhixuan said, then went over and gently patted the man's arm: "You should stay here and recover. Your wife just gave birth to your son, and I can't let them become an orphan and a widow."

"Yes, I will listen to you."

Li Zhixuan nodded in satisfaction, then said to everyone, "Alright, I've said everything I needed to say. I have to go be with my wife now. I'll come see you all again in a couple of days. Goodbye."

Goodbye! Take care!

After bidding farewell to everyone, Li Zhixuan turned and left. But as soon as he reached the door of the ward, he stopped and turned back.

"You're all smart people. I hope you can stay by my side until I retire. When I'm old, we'll go fishing and have barbecue together in Jeju Island. Goodbye!"

After Li Zhixuan left, the people in the ward remained silent for a while before someone tentatively asked, "Do you think this 1 billion is a settlement fee?"

What is a "settlement allowance"? It's the money you're given before you're asked to do something dangerous, something where you're on the verge of death!

So someone immediately retorted, "Impossible. Being given an important position doesn't mean sending you to your death. I think the Third Young Master is just arrogant and rich. What we consider a billion is a lot, but in his eyes it might be equivalent to ten thousand yuan."

Upon hearing this, someone immediately chimed in, "I think so too. The Third Young Master knows our individual situations. If he didn't intend to give us important responsibilities, would he need to care about us so much?"

The billion-dollar bonus and the increased rewards made everyone very happy and excited. They all felt that they had made the right bet, that Li Zhixuan had not treated them unfairly, and that their suffering last night had not been in vain.

But there was one thing neither of them mentioned. That was why Li Zhixuan had brought up their families earlier. Was it really just out of concern?
Family is their Achilles' heel!
From now on, even if it's just for their families, they must be utterly loyal to Li Zhixuan. Besides, Li Zhixuan is willing to pay them. A boss who's willing to pay is a good boss! As long as the money is enough, they might even help him rebel.

No one has mentioned this. Why?
Because Li Zhixuan is right, they are all smart people.

On the other side, Li Zhixuan went to visit Jin Gaoen and Ahn Jae-hee, and also went to the intensive care unit to visit Li Zhiwu.

After finishing, he left the hospital and went to the airport, boarding Lee Jung-hyun's private plane to Jeju Island.

On Jeju Island, three pregnant women were recording a TV program while simultaneously expressing their concerns. Due to their emotional state, filming was temporarily suspended.

Afterwards, everyone went to rest on the production crew's bus.

What happened to the three pregnant women? The remaining six people had no idea. Could it be due to hormonal imbalances during pregnancy affecting their mood?

Just as Kim Tae-yeon and the others were making wild guesses, Lim Yoona suddenly spoke to Jung Soo-yeon and Bae Joo-hyun: "Why don't we go back to Seoul first and come back in a couple of days? It's not far anyway, it only takes an hour by plane."

"Okay."

Jessica Jung and Joo-hyun agreed immediately without the slightest hesitation.

Then, the three of them looked at Kim Tae-yeon and the others.

Kim Tae-yeon and the others certainly had no objections.

"Back to the resort! Pack your things, book your flight, and head back to Seoul."

Soon, the group returned to the resort.

As soon as they entered the house, they saw a figure busy in the kitchen!
"Hey! Oppa!"

Bae Joo-hyun took a step and ran towards Lee Chi-hyun.

"Don't run! Don't fall!"

Li Zhixuan panicked a little and quickly ran over to hug Pei Zhuxuan, kissed her forehead, and then asked his girlfriends while holding her, "Why are you back so early? I was going to bring you lunch later."

The other women didn't answer. Jessica Jung walked over, her eyes red-rimmed, and asked, "When did you get here?"

"I just arrived not long ago either." As he spoke, Li Zhixuan hugged Zheng Xiuyan in his arms and gently patted their backs to comfort them.

Immediately afterwards, Lim Yoona walked up to Li Zhixuan and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"

"It's okay, don't worry. It wasn't a big deal anyway, since I didn't do it."

As he spoke, Li Zhixuan pulled Lin Yun'er over as well. Then, he took his three wives' hands and squatted down, kissing each of their little bellies one by one, and asked in a high-pitched voice, "Babies, did you miss Daddy?"

Seeing that he looked relaxed, the three pregnant women finally felt relieved.

Immediately, Bae Joo-hyun reached out and gently poked the scumbag's forehead, saying coquettishly, "The oldest is only three months old, how could she be conscious? Are you taking advantage of us?"

"Why would I need to take advantage of you? Isn't it always possible to take advantage of you? Come on! Let's go to the room and have a spar!"

(End of this chapter)