Collecting Taxes

Early morning.

“Yaaawn—”

At the breakfast table, Ye Shuang noticed An Shiyu yawning. It wasn’t just her—even Anshi Yi looked a little drowsy, sitting there with her spoon motionless for ages.

“What’s wrong? Didn’t you sleep well?” This was the first time Ye Shuang had seen the two fishes so exhausted. “You two didn’t stay up all night playing games, did you?”

“We went out to catch a thief last night, and even got praised by the police,” Anshi Yi said, stretching lazily.

Ye Shuang didn’t believe her. “Catch a thief… in a game?”

Surely they hadn’t gone out in the middle of the night to catch one in real life, right?

“Come on~” Anshi Yi said. “I wasted all my tracking skills and didn’t even land a big fish.”

“Exactly,” An Shiyu agreed.

The two fishes were singing the same tune, and Ye Shuang couldn’t tell whether they were just talking nonsense or if something had really happened. However, their exhausted appearances were definitely genuine, so he said, “Since you’re so sleepy… why don’t you just stay home and rest today?”

“Roar?”

“Okay.”

The two fishes agreed without the slightest hesitation.

“Wait, it’s that easy to take the day off?” Tang Keke raised her hand. “Big Brother, I stayed up late too. I’d like to request a day off so I can sleep in.”

“Request denied,” Ye Shuang said.

“Why?”

“You don’t look sleepy at all.” Ye Shuang looked at Tang Keke, but the moment he finished speaking, Keke collapsed onto the table. “Ah, I’m dead.”

Seeing this, Bai Yuyou reached out a paw and poked Tang Keke in the armpit—

“Hahahaha, stop, Yuyou! Hahahaha, I’m not dead!” Tang Keke was still terribly ticklish. After being poked a few times, she immediately started rolling around on the spot, finally apologizing to Bai Yuyou.

“Keke, are you still sleepy?” Bai Yuyou asked innocently.

“Not anymore.”

After breakfast, Ye Shuang took Bai Yuyou and Tang Keke out, leaving the two fishes and Yezi at home. Yezi was on summer vacation and didn’t need to go to the group every day, so Ye Shuang figured the two fishes could help keep an eye on the child.

As soon as Ye Shuang and the others left, An Shiyu yawned and went straight upstairs.

Yezi, meanwhile, took out her summer homework and began working on it.

“Wait, don’t students in the lower grades not have to do summer homework anymore?” Anshi Yi asked when she saw Yezi’s workbook.

“It’s not compulsory.” Yezi held her pencil and explained, “The school recommended that we buy these supplementary materials, but it’s voluntary.”

“Oh, voluntary.” Anshi Yi nodded knowingly. “Forget it, I’m going upstairs to sleep. Yezi, if you get hungry, order some takeout for me.”

“Okay.”

Yezi seemed to be used to this. After all, she had spent quite a long time with the two Sister Fish and knew exactly what they were like. Expecting them to make her lunch was clearly unrealistic.

Fortunately, Ye Shuang had prepared lunch in advance and left it in the refrigerator. Yezi basically only needed to heat it in the microwave before eating. He just hadn’t prepared enough for the two fishes today.

Yezi would have to think about their lunch as well.

The lazier the adults, the more industrious the child.

…

Meanwhile, Ye Shuang drove Bai Yuyou and Tang Keke to the company.

“Do your best. If there’s anything you don’t understand, come find me,” Ye Shuang said as they rode the elevator.

“Okay.”

After parting ways with Bai Yuyou and Tang Keke, Ye Shuang went to his office.

“Good morning, President Ye.”

“Mm.”

Ye Shuang returned to his seat. Beside him, Kou Kou had already prepared a cup of coffee and set it down for him. After all, she was his personal assistant. Compared with the two fishes, she wasn’t as capable on the work front and was better at serving drinks, organizing schedules, and handling similar matters.

“Thanks.” After taking a sip of coffee, Ye Shuang continued, “They’re all unavailable today and asked for the day off.”

“Miss An already told me in advance. She also sent me all the documents that will be needed today,” Kou Kou immediately replied.

“Hm? She’s quite thoughtful.” Ye Shuang looked a little surprised. He hadn’t expected everything to have been prepared ahead of time.

“Yes, President Ye. The speech for today’s meeting, as well as these…” Kou Kou showed him the documents she had printed out.

Naturally, all these presentations and written materials had been prepared by the two fishes. Ye Shuang only needed to read them aloud, so there shouldn’t be any problems.

“Mm…” Ye Shuang skimmed through them. After confirming that everything was in order, he smiled. “I thought I’d be busier with them taking the day off, but it looks like things are more or less the same. It’s just quieter.”

“That’s all thanks to Miss An preparing the documents in advance,” Kou Kou said.

Ye Shuang glanced at the computer beside him. Its screen remained dark and silent. It really was unusually quiet.

Perhaps the two fishes should work from home in the future.

Of course, that was only a passing thought. Ye Shuang knew very well that the reason the two fishes worked so diligently most of the time was because they wanted to stay by his side.

“President Ye, there’s also the matter concerning Tao Yiyi…” Kou Kou began. “The legal department has officially filed the lawsuit.”

“Mm.” Ye Shuang already knew about that.

“Tao Yiyi came to the group today, but security stopped her at the entrance,” Kou Kou added.

“What did she come here for?” Ye Shuang asked.

“Uh…” Kou Kou hesitated.

“If you have something to say, just say it.”

“Well, after Tao Yiyi arrived at the group, she took out her phone and started recording a video. She said that our group was abusing its power and bullying her…” Without exaggerating anything, Kou Kou took out her phone and showed Ye Shuang the video from earlier that day.

Tao Yiyi really had panicked. In the video, she and the security guards were arguing, her expression extremely agitated. In the end, the police took her away.

After all, not only had the group sued her and demanded five million yuan in compensation, but the accounts she operated had also been shut down. The accounts hadn’t been banned because of anything Chen’s side had done; they had simply been reported by netizens.

Tao Yiyi had imagined that she could use the incident to attract a wave of traffic and then walk away unscathed. Instead, she had not only lost her way out, but also ruined her reputation. No major company would want to hire her after this, and she still had to face a lawsuit.

“Even Da Huijun has pushed his tax payments eighty years into the future, yet people still use these same old tricks.”

Seeing Tao Yiyi suffer such a backlash, Ye Shuang wasn’t surprised in the slightest. After all, people like these internet brats only destroyed public sympathy by making such a fuss, leaving girls who genuinely needed help unable to receive it.

Ye Shuang no longer needed to concern himself with Tao Yiyi’s affairs, but things were different for her. She was up against the legal team of the Chen Group.

Ye Shuang wasn’t going to let himself be bullied without a word.

“By the way, President Ye, President Chen would like you to come over,” Kou Kou said as Ye Shuang was getting his thoughts in order.

“Hm? All right.”