Li Tieniu, whom I had been looking everywhere for, returned shortly after. The stubborn fool insisted on using his phone instead of the company network, leading to missed connections until he finally realized I was already at the office.

I instructed Zhu Da to send men to fetch Taotzu as well, since he was in charge of intelligence work. For not reporting something as significant as the Jinniu Tofu incident, he certainly deserved a reprimand.

After a morning of discussion, analysis, and research, we determined that the Jinniu Tofu company was deliberately obstructing us; they were essentially finished. Judging by the Japanese tofu they were distributing, the Jinniu Tofu company was deeply connected to the Birdman. If they were going to be ruthless, we would be merciless. Before sunrise tomorrow, this company would cease to exist. The executioner would be Taotzu, which I considered a chance for him to atone for his mistake.

The next priority was getting Tieniu Tofu back into the sales network. Our largest current collaborator was the Baixing Shopping Chain, but unexpectedly, the person in charge there had been bought off by Jinniu Tofu. They clearly thought I was a sick cat because I hadn't shown my teeth. I told Taotzu to thoroughly investigate this company's background, and we would discuss the precise methods of dealing with them after lunch.

I was washing my hands, and Xu Jing stood by with a towel, "Brother Zhao, I heard you got accepted into university."

I replied to Xu Jing, "Don't listen to everyone's flattery. The scores haven't been released yet; we must wait for the final results before anything is certain."

"You'll definitely make it!" Xu Jing encouraged me. "We all believe in you; in our eyes, you are the best."

It had been a while since I last saw Xu Jing. Xia Huren told me her accounting skills were exceptional; she managed both companies' books impeccably. She was a meticulous, serious, and responsible young woman.

"You're doing very well too. The accounts are managed so clearly; everyone praises you. Running between both places every day must keep you exhausted. In the future, when Red Dragon Security hires another finance person, you can focus solely on managing Tieniu Tofu Company."

"No, Brother Zhao, I can handle it. This workload is nothing, and besides, I’m earning double salary now. You aren't suggesting I stop doing both sides because you’re worried about money, are you?"

"Is your Brother Zhao the kind of person to be stingy? But if you work yourself ragged and can’t get married in the future, don't blame me."

Xu Jing blushed and whispered, "I wasn't planning on getting married anyway."

Mother Xu then called out, "Time to eat!"

The table was laden with dishes, but looking closely, everything seemed to feature tofu as the main ingredient, merely presented in different styles.

The Village Chief said, "What can we do, Little Zhao? My work hasn't been up to par lately, causing the factory quite a few losses. All this tofu is old stock; frozen tofu doesn't taste as good. We were short on time and couldn't go out to buy other vegetables. Please don't mind."

"Village Chief, why be formal with me? I actually like frozen tofu. Come on, everyone, start eating. I see the little girl is starving me out too; don't just wait around."

Mother Han Fen and her daughter, along with Father Xu and Mother Xu, seemed quite reserved. None of them expected the world to be so small—that both families' benefactor was the same person, and that they were all so close. The more they interacted, the more mysterious their benefactor seemed, as if nothing could ever stump him.

Seeing that everyone was still staring at me and not touching their chopsticks, I said, "Please, start eating; I'm the guest today. How can you all take the lead?"

Only then did everyone begin to eat. As they ate and conversed, their initial sternness toward me gradually faded. The little girl glanced at Xu Jing, then at me, and chirped, "Uncle Zhao, you and Auntie Xu Jing look so good together. Marry her as your wife! She's so pretty and gentle; she could have a little brother for you in the future, okay?"

Xu Jing blushed and pretended to try and swat the little girl, who giggled and hid behind me. Looking at Xu Jing, I felt a stir of emotion, but the situation was too precarious. I still had a whole household of women to deal with; if I caused more trouble, I was afraid they would tear me limb from limb when I got home.

I remained silent. Xu Jing said to the little girl, "Children don't know what they're saying; don't talk nonsense. Brother Zhao already has a girlfriend. Besides, with my qualities, I'm not worthy of him at all."

The little girl retorted, "Just because he has a girlfriend doesn't mean he can't marry you! I have two friends back home who said they want to marry me when they grow up. I can see that you like Brother Zhao."

Xu Jing was utterly mortified by the little girl's sudden serious statement. She hastily put down her chopsticks, saying, "I'm full," and fled to her room to hide.

Because the weather was so hot, everyone gathered in the office after the meal to cool off with the air conditioning. Before long, Taotzu submitted the information on the Baixing Shopping Chain, and preparations for the action against Jinniu Tofu that night were finalized.

Baixing Shopping Chain has a registered capital of 200 million RMB. It was listed on the M Country exchange one year ago and has over a hundred chain stores of various sizes, including more than twenty large supermarkets, spread across the counties and districts of the Kyoto direct-controlled municipality. The company president is Yu Qinghai, who personally holds a thirty percent stake. Another dozen or so minor shareholders hold twenty-one percent, while the remaining forty-nine percent are publicly traded free shares.

"What do you think of this company? What are its future development prospects?" I asked Xu Jing, as she had to leave her room to discuss matters.

Xu Jing was flipping through the company's performance reports. She replied casually, "Very good. Yu Qinghai is one of the top ten private entrepreneurs in Kyoto City. He started from a small grocery store, and all his current achievements are the result of hard work. The stock development is very healthy; it's a potential stock. As for future prospects, although the retail industry's profit margins are low, as people's purchasing power increases, there is significant room for growth."

I sat down next to Xu Jing and said, "Tell me the details about the company's stock situation."

Zhu Da tugged at Li Tieniu beside him, then cast a sidelong glance at the two already huddled together in front of the computer. Everyone understood, smiled, and quietly filed out of the room.

Xu Jing explained, "Brother Zhao, look, the face value of Baixing Shopping stock is 3 yuan. Nearly 70 million shares were issued, with an initial offering price of 6 yuan per share—a very decent price for a small retailer. On the day of the offering, the stock price was pushed up to 9 yuan and is currently holding steady around 10 yuan per share. Listing the company allowed Yu Qinghai to profit handsomely and raised 300 million in capital, which is the main reason Baixing Shopping has developed so rapidly over the past year."

"Jingjing, how many hundred million RMB do you think Baixing Shopping is worth?"

Xu Jing replied, "I don't know much about this company's assets; it should be less than two hundred million. Besides the buildings used as fixed assets in the supermarkets and malls, much of the merchandise sold doesn't count as company working capital; instead, it's borne by the stall lessees. The accounting here is very difficult to trace."

I nodded. "I'll call the purchasing department manager and see if there's any room for maneuver. By the way, what was the phone number again..."

I stood up to reach for the desk phone. Xu Jing stood up to grab the address book, and the two of us bumped heads.

"Ouch," both of us exclaimed, clutching our foreheads before tumbling back into our chairs.

"Heh heh," we looked at each other and laughed, then stood up again to continue our original task.

"Brother Zhao, perhaps you should call later? They might be resting at midday."

Xu Jing flipped open the address book and reminded me kindly.

Right, I shouldn't disturb others' rest just because I wasn't sleeping. So, the two of us sat down and started chatting.

I asked Xu Jing, "Xu Jing, do you think university life is interesting? Will people laugh at me for going back to university at 24?"

Xu Jing observed me for a moment. "I can't really tell, Brother Zhao. If you said you were 18, no one would doubt it, but if you said you were 28, people would also believe you."

"Heh heh, so I've become a demon? Exactly how old am I?"

Xu Jing answered seriously, "Your face doesn't show it at all. Your skin is excellent, and your face shape is perfect. If one looks with a young mindset, you look 18. However, anyone who has interacted with you knows you are very mature, decisive in your actions, and confident in everything. The best age for a successful man is around 30, so people would likely place you in the 27 or 28 age bracket."

"Jingjing, hearing you say that makes Brother Zhao very happy. I feel like I’ve returned to my youth."

Xu Jing argued, "Brother Zhao, I’m telling the truth! Don't believe me; go ask the other students when you get to university. Girls in college love mature guys, and you are already successful in your career. Who knows how many girls you’ll charm then?"

"Then I really shouldn't go to university. If I steal all the girls, those single guys there will surely eat me alive."

Xu Jing laughed heartily. The two chatted more and more happily, oblivious to Father Xu and Mother Xu sneaking to the window to check on them repeatedly, leaving each time with satisfied smiles.

I remembered what I observed during dinner and said to Xu Jing, "By the way, Jingjing, I need to ask you a favor."

Through this conversation, my relationship with Xu Jing had unknowingly grown closer, which was evident in her increasingly relaxed tone of speech. "What is it, Brother Zhao? You sound so secretive."

I leaned close to Xu Jing’s ear and whispered a couple of sentences. Xu Jing exclaimed in surprise, "Ah, really? How did I not notice?"

I joked, "Of course you wouldn't notice. You're a young girl, and I, your elder, am a mature, successful, and confident man. I see such a small matter at a glance."

"I’m 24 too; I’m not a little girl! Brother Zhao, do you think this can work out? Uncle Tieniu has a good temper and works hard, and Sister Han Fen is beautiful and simple; they are indeed a good match."

"Then hurry up and be the matchmaker for them! I'll treat you to a meal if it succeeds."

"I think it would be better if my parents handled this. What they say carries weight. If I, a young girl, try to matchmake them, Uncle Tieniu and Sister Han Fen might think I’m just fooling around."

I hadn't paid attention to everyone's titles before, but now I realized the naming convention was all mixed up. If it was mixed up, so be it; it was just a term. "That works too. Find an opportunity to tell your parents. The sooner this happens, the better. I will cover all the expenses for the wedding banquet."

"Okay, I’ve noted that, Brother Zhao. But speaking of treating you to a meal, you helped our family so much; I should be the one treating you. Are you free tonight? How about tonight?" Xu Jing’s face showed a slight blush; wasn't this tantamount to asking him out?

I pondered for a moment, "Tonight probably won't work. I have to pull an overnight shift at Yuejin Construction Engineering Company. How about another day? I’ll treat you."

A hint of disappointment crossed Xu Jing’s face, but she quickly recovered, "Okay, Brother Zhao, remember your word."

"Do we need to pinky swear?"

"Sure, a pinky swear then." Xu Jing extended her fair, slender little finger.

For some inexplicable reason, as my hand closed around Xu Jing's soft, delicate little finger, a tremor resonated deep within my heart.

"Meow!" A cat's cry interrupted the moment, and Xu Jing separated her finger from mine, her face flushed.