Chapter 369

The bedroom door opened, and Kong Sang, dressed in a maid's outfit, walked in, followed by a tall, foreign woman—Lina, the housekeeper for Viceroy Norton.

"Mr. Ni."

Lina walked with elegant steps to stand before Ni Yongyao, performed a curtsy, and only then raised her head to look at him.

"Mr. Ni, the Viceroy has prepared a dinner party and asked me to invite you to dine with him this evening."

Lina looked at Ni Yongyao and said, "This dinner will only include Mr. Norton, Miss Xierlin, and yourself, Mr. Ni."

Hearing this, Ni Yongyao understood that Viceroy Norton had not given up and wanted to continue matchmaking him with Xierlin, hence this three-person family dinner.

However, Ni Yongyao would not refuse. Although he did not intend to give up the whole forest for a single tree, Norton was, after all, the Viceroy of Hong Kong, and maintaining a good relationship was necessary—as long as they didn't become family.

Moreover, Xierlin was exceptionally outstanding in both her features and her figure, and Ni Yongyao did not mind spending more time with her.

"Tell Mr. Norton for me that I will attend the dinner on time."

Ni Yongyao said.

"Then, Mr. Ni, see you this evening."

Lina said, curtsied to Ni Yongyao once more, and turned to leave.

7:00 PM.

Central, Viceroy's Mansion.

A luxury sedan drove in from the distance; the guards at the gate of the Viceroy's Mansion saw the license plate and immediately let it pass.

The sedan slowly drove into the Viceroy's Mansion and stopped in the courtyard.

The car door opened, and Ni Yongyao, dressed in a crisp suit, stepped out.

"Mr. Ni, you are very punctual. Follow me; Mr. Norton and Miss Xierlin are waiting for you."

As the housekeeper of the Viceroy's Mansion, Lina coming to greet Ni Yongyao personally—a job that should have been done by a doorman—was enough to show the importance the Viceroy placed on him.

In fact, that was the case; the reason Viceroy Norton arranged this family dinner was because Ni Yongyao had once again exceeded his expectations.

Originally, in Norton's eyes, Ni Yongyao was already the most outstanding entrepreneur in Hong Kong, but since the product launch, Norton's impression of him had been refreshed yet again.

As a general who had personally experienced war, Norton knew very well what the Scorpion armed helicopter and the Explorer military vehicle meant.

He knew even better that even an old-school empire like the British Empire had yet to design an armed helicopter with top-tier performance like the Scorpion.

Let alone the Scorpion, the British Empire's own domestically designed armed helicopters had long been surpassed by the American Apache, to the point where they had to import Apaches to ensure their military's combat effectiveness.

Therefore, the moment Norton received the news, he realized that his previous actions had been too subtle and that he needed to increase his efforts and use any means necessary to win Ni Yongyao over to his side.

That was the reason for this family dinner.

Lina made a gesture for Ni Yongyao to follow, and then led him toward the dining room.

Unlike when she went to the Ni family manor before, Lina had changed into a different outfit—a well-tailored evening gown that accentuated her graceful curves to the fullest.

From Ni Yongyao's perspective, the mountains and valleys were all in view.

Soon, the two arrived at the dining room.

"Ah Yao, come quickly. Dinner has long been prepared; we were just waiting for you."

Upon seeing Ni Yongyao, Viceroy Norton immediately stood up, his face beaming with a smile. If an outsider saw this scene, they would likely think there was some kinship between Ni Yongyao and Norton.

"Mr. Norton."

Ni Yongyao greeted Norton.

He then took his seat under Norton's enthusiastic hospitality.

The Viceroy's Mansion's dining room was very large, several times larger than an ordinary family's living room, and the dining table was in the style of the British royal court, large enough to accommodate an entire large family for dinner.

However, this family dinner only had Norton, Xierlin, and Ni Yongyao, so it felt a bit empty.

"Mr. Ni... we... meet again."

Ni Yongyao's seat was right next to Xierlin. The young girl was no different from before; she still blushed and felt shy upon seeing Ni Yongyao, and she didn't even dare to meet his eyes when she spoke.

Ni Yongyao smiled and patted Xierlin's head, making the girl's cheeks even redder.

The three then began their meal.

The atmosphere during the meal was very harmonious. Viceroy Norton was extremely enthusiastic, chatting with Ni Yongyao incessantly, never letting the conversation go cold.

From the environment in Hong Kong to the wars of the past, Norton talked on and on without any sign of stopping.

It wasn't until an hour later.

Norton put down his knife and fork, wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin, looked at Ni Yongyao, and said, "Ah Yao, you know I have always thought highly of you. You remember what I told you before about the marriage with Xierlin, right?"

"I remember."

Ni Yongyao said.

"I am getting old, and Xierlin is my most beloved daughter. My greatest wish now is to see Xierlin walk down the aisle."

Viceroy Norton stared intently at Ni Yongyao and said, "Ah Yao, I can give you a promise: as long as you marry Xierlin, I will use all means to support you.

I will retire next year, and by then, the entire Ginas family will support your rise. With the strength of the Ginas family and your own, no one in all of Hong Kong will be able to compete with you.

You don't need to worry about the British side either; getting you a noble title is no problem, enough to make you the Viceroy in a legitimate way."

Norton's words were very direct, without any beating around the bush. He was bluntly telling Ni Yongyao that as long as he married Xierlin, the position of Viceroy would be within his grasp.

The reason Norton was so direct was that he realized Ni Yongyao's strength. To say nothing else, just the Black Steel Industry company alone demonstrated immense military value.

Norton knew very well that Ni Yongyao had already entered the sights of more people, and he could no longer afford to plan slowly; he had to use strong medicine immediately to bind Ni Yongyao and the Ginas family together completely.

"A noble title, Viceroy... Mr. Norton is truly willing to pay a high price."

Ni Yongyao said.

"I have lived in Hong Kong for decades and know an old saying you have here: 'If you don't risk the child, you won't catch the wolf.'"

Norton laughed and said, "Ah Yao, not everyone can offer such conditions, and my daughter is so beautiful. What are you still hesitating about?"

Ni Yongyao turned his head to look at Xierlin beside him. In all fairness, although the girl was slightly immature, she was undoubtedly a top-tier beauty who fit Ni Yongyao's aesthetic perfectly.

Xierlin met Ni Yongyao's gaze, immediately lowered her head, her heart pounding in her chest, and she was too nervous to speak.

Ever since she first saw Ni Yongyao's photo and deeds in the newspaper, Xierlin had developed a strong interest in him, and subsequently, she was deeply attracted to him.

At this moment, listening to the conversation between her father and Ni Yongyao, Xierlin knew it concerned whether she could marry him. She was very nervous, occasionally stealing a glance at him with her peripheral vision and quickly looking away to avoid being noticed.

"Mr. Norton, the conditions you offer are excellent, but I'm afraid I cannot be rash regarding the matter of marriage. I still need some time to consider."

Ni Yongyao said calmly.

Norton was the Viceroy, after all. Even if Ni Yongyao had already made a decision, he couldn't refuse too bluntly, or the relationship between the two sides might deteriorate rapidly.

"That is only natural. Ah Yao, take all the time you need to consider. In any case, my promise remains valid. Whenever you have made up your mind, come at any time; the doors of the Viceroy's Mansion are always open to you."

Norton laughed heartily, showing no change in his emotions, and said.

Having been Viceroy for decades, Norton's shrewdness was naturally very deep; even if he felt some dissatisfaction, he would not show it.

However, Xierlin was different. Upon hearing that Ni Yongyao had not agreed, a deep sense of disappointment appeared on her small face, and she even began to wonder if her own charm was insufficient, which was why Ni Yongyao hadn't agreed twice now.

"I will."

Ni Yongyao said.

"Alright, let's not talk about this. Let's talk about your business; those companies of yours are truly incredible..."

Norton changed the subject and continued to chat with Ni Yongyao.

An hour and a half later, Norton checked the time and said, "It's getting late. Ah Yao, would you like to stay the night?"

"I still have some things to do when I get back, so there's no need to stay."

Ni Yongyao said.

"Since that's the case, I won't force you."

Norton shrugged. Seeing that he couldn't get Ni Yongyao to stay, he had no choice but to say to the housekeeper Lina, "Lina, see Ah Yao out for me."

"Very well."

Lina nodded, looked at Ni Yongyao, and said, "Mr. Ni, please."

Ni Yongyao stood up, and just as he was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something. He turned back, patted Xierlin's head, and said, "Goodbye, Miss Xierlin."

"Mr. Ni... goodbye."

Xierlin said in a low voice, her eyes full of reluctance.

Ni Yongyao said nothing more and left.

Walking out of the dining room, Lina opened the car door and sat directly in the driver's seat.

"What are you doing?"

Ni Yongyao looked at Lina and said.