It was the height of summer, the perfect time to go out and admire the beautiful women, yet here I was stuck at home, grinding away to prepare for the Gaokao entrance exams. It was frankly laughable; my old man was practically forcing me to review high school material for the university entrance exams this year.

Although I’d been performing exceptionally well these past six months—eating dinner at home every day and shuttling between major corporations—my father still saw me as drifting aimlessly. He’s held a long-standing grudge that I didn't attend university back then, constantly asserting that I’d never achieve much professionally and that no truly fine woman would ever be attracted to a man with only a high school diploma.

However, things seem to be turning out somewhat contrary to his predictions. In terms of both romance and career, my momentum is currently thriving. Naturally, I couldn't disclose the matters concerning the three major companies and the base to my father, but the situation at just the Tie Niu Tofu Company alone is extremely promising.

In these past six months, we’ve managed to spread our tofu products across the entire capital city of Jingdu, and our goods have even appeared in the surrounding two provinces. As for my relationships with the various women, they are heating up rapidly. Of course, due to certain special circumstances, apart from the few I’ve already claimed, the others remain in the dating stage; however, the prolonged time spent together has undeniably deepened our bonds.

Under these circumstances, my father brought up his new theory of crisis: he claimed my cultural foundation was too weak, and as the business expanded, there would inevitably come a day when I couldn’t cope. He also accused me of being too frivolous, implying my intentions with every woman were impure, and that juggling so many would eventually lead to disaster—losing everything. Therefore, he insisted I needed to start by improving my own personal quality, at the very least not being less educated than those women.

Later, Fang Yanmeng became entangled in this whole affair. She strongly encouraged my father to let me apply to Long Teng University. I knew her angle perfectly well—she wanted us to be classmates, which would significantly increase the time we could spend together compared to the others. I haven't been unaware of the subtle skirmishes among them these past six months: the four girls upstairs form one faction, Fang Yanmeng and Xiao Chuchu form another, and Zhang Xiaoya fights independently. Alas, my dream of a harmonious, happy large family has yet to be realized, and I still haven't managed a threesome to this day.

The Gaokao is tomorrow. I spent a little while reading this morning, though I was mostly putting on an act. I’ve already memorized these simple books, but I flip through them daily just to satisfy my mother’s belief that her son is diligent and studious. This afternoon, I have to check the exam venue, a task Fang Yanmeng promptly took upon herself, driving over to pick me up at noon.

On the way, Fang Yanmeng noticed I looked downcast and said, "Brother Zhao Qian, don't be upset. What's the big deal about university? With your intelligence, you can just treat it as a vacation. Wait until you finish your bachelor's, then go for your master's; finish your master's, then go for your doctorate..."

I pleaded, "My good wife, are you ever going to stop? Are you suggesting I wait until I’m eighty before marrying you?"

That comment worked immediately. Fang Yanmeng couldn't hide the joy on her face: "Husband, I know you don't need these empty titles, but you have to consider my feelings. Both my parents graduated from Harvard. I was originally going to study in Star Country, but I insisted on choosing Long Teng University. If you have the status of a Long Teng student, perhaps it will make things easier when dealing with my parents."

I understood this strange phenomenon prevalent in our country; often, people focus too much on appearances, especially those who value face the most. This is why the business of fake diplomas is booming and deception runs rampant.

Seeing that I was still quiet, Fang Yanmeng continued, "Actually, you'll like university once you get there because it’s brimming with beautiful women. It’s certainly better than being stuck in your small circle forever. The Five Golden Flowers of Long Teng University are quite famous, you know."

Hearing the word "women," my interest was piqued. Indeed, I am falling further and further, against my will. Now, I can barely sleep at night without hugging a woman. Is this the punishment inflicted upon me by that rogue snake?

"Heh heh, I doubt anyone famous could be more famous than you sisters. Besides, you can't use that reason to persuade my dad to let me go to university! What if I fall for another girl there?"

Fang Yanmeng pulled the car over to the roadside, leaning against the steering wheel, and said to me, "I am the least attractive of the Five Golden Flowers. That should tell you how beautiful they are. But don't even think about them. My sisters and I will keep you firmly under control. After we get married, I can tolerate those few sisters, but absolutely no new additions!"

So, Fang Yanmeng was one of Long Teng University’s Five Golden Flowers. Well, she absolutely deserved the title. Although her appearance was slightly less striking than the others, her delicate charm was incomparable to girls like Xiao Yirou or Zhang Xiaoya.

The romantic perspectives of the women have now escalated to critical levels. Zhang Xiaoya, Xiao Chuchu, and Zhao Fen have all brought up the issue of marriage in the future. Zhao Fen is easier to handle; after all, she has a sister in between us. The other two are more troublesome: they both stated they could tolerate the existence of those few girls after marriage, but it must be kept secret, and absolutely no new partners are allowed.

Thinking about this made my mood somewhat turbulent. Sooner or later, they are going to drive me crazy. On second thought, perhaps a few years of university might change the situation. With that thought, I opened the car door and stepped out. We had arrived outside the No. 1 High School exam center. Following the instructions on my admission ticket, I located tomorrow’s room to familiarize myself with the environment, and then we could leave.

Without the air conditioning of the Ferrari, the scorching sun was instantly unbearable. Fang Yanmeng held a small floral umbrella, dressed in a pristine white dress, and linked arms with me as we walked toward the campus.

There were quite a few students taking the Gaokao; rows of boys and girls stood at the school gate, along with some anxious parents accompanying them. Fortunately, the traffic police were maintaining order, otherwise, the front of No. 1 High School would have been completely blocked by those luxury cars alone.

Although the students’ minds were relatively pure, the occasional male student who caught a glimpse of Fang Yanmeng under the umbrella let out gasps of admiration, hurrying to alert his companions to look this way.

Fang Yanmeng was quite smug, even intentionally exposing half her face for them to see, deliberately moving closer to me, as if afraid others wouldn't know she was my girlfriend.

As we entered the school gate, a girl handed me a brochure in passing. I glanced at it as I walked; it turned out to be an admissions pamphlet for XX University. Anyone who has gone through the exams knows that schools relying on such tactics to recruit students are, by and large, very mediocre. I received countless such flyers when I took the Gaokao back then, but now, other than Long Teng University, no other school held any appeal for me—this was the unanimous decision reached by everyone at home: Long Teng University’s Business Administration Department, in preparation for eventually taking over all the companies.

Speaking of the companies, I have to admire my own discerning eye. In reality, with everyone helping out, I truly became the hands-off supreme manager. Tie Niu Tofu Company, under the leadership of the village chief, is flourishing; who now dares to disrespect the village chief as an official? His management talent is extraordinary.

Red Dragon Security’s workload has increased slightly during this period. Although still not massive, under the meticulous management of Xia Huren, I believe it will soon skyrocket. The sixty-five Super Soldiers are settled in using Red Dragon as their base. Although Professor Chen still intends to continue the modification project, I stopped him. The Serpent Pearl is a precious, non-renewable resource. Until a low-cost modification method is found, the Super Soldiers will remain limited to sixty-five.

Huan Yu Communications is now a giant. Although its current business scope is narrow—satellite leasing and Huan Yu Mobile Communications—both are incredibly profitable ventures. With the massive production lines from the T Desert and ample mineral resources as backing, manufacturing a few satellites and tens of millions of cell phones is trivial.

Huan Yu Mobile phones are also known as Global Connect network phones. Due to the coverage of numerous satellites, the signal from Huan Yu Mobile phones reaches every corner of the globe. Furthermore, Huan Yu Mobile’s new phone is an ultra-miniature computer, achieving all the functions of a regular computer while winning users over with its low cost and high-speed network.

Xiao Chuchu even quit her job at her father's company for Huan Yu Comms, dedicating herself entirely to managing the Huan Yu business. Although she occasionally abuses her position to help her father, I pretend not to notice when I see it. It's hard to find a capable, beautiful, and passionate wife these days, especially since she never brings up salary. Can I really complain about her helping her father-in-law a little?

Fang Yanmeng’s Earth Energy operations aren't complicated; she can manage them even while attending school. Currently, aside from sales of new high-energy batteries, Earth Energy is busy acquiring massive amounts of mineral resources from foreign countries—buying mining rights if possible, or securing exclusive purchasing agreements if not.

We are stockpiling resources in preparation for potential scarcity; this is called having supplies eases the mind. The ten-thousand-mile Great Wall beneath the northwestern frontier has brought us abundant minerals, but for now, I prefer not to tap into our own nation's resources; let’s dig elsewhere first. Along the border tunnels, we have already dug secret passages into Niuguo and several XX×Stans that used to belong to Xiong Country. Their deep mineral resources are basically under our control, but we dare not touch those on the surface or shallow layers, as they are too easily discovered, which could trigger international disputes. Although Great Dragon Country is currently powerful, we cannot resort to bullying; otherwise, what’s the difference between us and that hegemon, Star Country?

The Tri-Service Combat Legion’s morale soared after the battle during the Lantern Festival. Zhang Dahai now commands fifteen Mercury-class nuclear attack submarines; this number is sufficient for localized warfare, so we have decided to cease production of the Mercury class.

Shen Jian's Air Force has one hundred Mountain Hawk fighters. This fighter jet has reached fifth-generation capability. Since it is a fighter, not a spaceship, the emphasis is on stealth and multi-functionality; excessively high speed is not ideal for combat, but endurance is a key factor. Thanks to those five women (plus Xiaohui), these issues have been resolved thoroughly, and I barely need to worry. With Shen Jian on board, selecting and training pilots is also not my concern. The massive airport beneath the Kunlun Mountains has long been completed; even if an enemy nation attacks with nuclear bombs, they might not be able to destroy it entirely in one strike.

Liu Hu's Army has always trained alongside Shen Jian's Air Force because the Army also possesses Leopard attack helicopters. Since the Tri-Service Legion is fundamentally one branch of the service, the only current drawback is that the Navy only has submarines and cannot conduct coordinated training, but the integration of the three services is only a matter of time.

My investment in this Tri-Service Legion has been substantial. The Chairman provided me with 2 billion RMB for four subsequent Type 056 submarines, and Hua Qingqing contributed 2 billion RMB for two Serpent Pearls. All 4 billion RMB has been poured into the military. Although we manufacture the equipment ourselves and don't need to purchase it, I have to cover all the living expenses—food, drink, washing, and sleeping—for the nearly 2,000 officers and men. This expense is enormous. I considered asking the Chairman for some military funding, but after thinking it over, I feared it might create complications later, making it hard to refuse requests. If I owe no favors, discussions will be easier down the line.

No. 1 High School was my alma mater, so finding an exam room was quite easy. I originally said there was no need to come look, but Fang Yanmeng insisted on dragging me out. In this heat, if it weren't for my sturdy constitution, I would have suffered heatstroke. After checking the venue, the two of us hurried back outside.