"Mom said again, 'That girl Mengmeng is too wild, and besides, she can’t keep Zhao Qian in line. Moreover, she’s about to graduate from university, so I think you’ll have to supervise and manage Zhao Qian at school from now on. If anything comes up, call Auntie. Your main task is to supervise him so he doesn't go chasing after other girls. I just don't get it; you all clearly know he has a harem of girlfriends, yet you still throw yourselves at him so desperately. Auntie truly worries about you all.'"

I was afraid my mother would overdo it and have the opposite effect. After finally gathering this collection of top-tier beauties, it would be a disaster if an elderly scolding scared them away. So, I opened the door and said, "Zhou Ni, let's go. Don't delay everyone's dinner."

My mother asked, "Where are you going now? Aren't you coming back for dinner?"

I replied, "Yes, we're going to eat at Xu Jing's place. We might be back a bit late tonight."

My mother waved her hand, "Go, go. They always say you raise a son to rely on him in old age, but once you get a wife, you forget your mother."

Zhou Ni looked quite embarrassed. "Auntie, why don't you come eat with us? It'll be livelier with more people."

My mother said, "What would an old woman like me do at a young people's gathering? Go on, don't be late. I'm used to eating alone. Have fun."

On the road, Zhou Ni said to me, "Brother Zhao, please spend more time with Auntie when you have the chance. She’s always alone at home and gets so lonely. People get scared of solitude as they age, and Uncle is at work all day."

I wished I could stay home for a few more days, but sometimes time simply wouldn't allow it. I told Zhou Ni, "My mom has been quite the nag recently. I haven't spent a single day home during a long holiday. Why don't you move in later? I think my mom gets along with you quite well. You can keep her company in the evenings when you don't have class and show your filial piety as a daughter-in-law."

"I... I never said I was going to marry you."

I took out a ring and placed it on Zhou Ni's finger. "I brought this back from Africa, it's for you."

Zhou Ni whispered, "Is this a proposal? I’m only 19."

I said, "Zhao Fang is only 15, and we aren't going to register the marriage, so age doesn't matter."

Zhou Ni clutched the ring tightly. "If I move in, will Sister Jing have any objections? She's very lonely over there by herself too."

"I'll have her move in too. Isn't there an empty apartment across the hall from my place? I've already had Mengmeng persuade the landlord to swap it for a new unit. You and Jingjing can move into that one, so we can see each other every day."

Zhou Ni nodded. "I'll listen to you, but I'm a little scared of your mother. She checks things so strictly. She saw right through my identity after barely three sentences."

Heh heh, my mother has eyes like a fiery golden gaze; she can spot a flaw in a single glance from these women.

Before we even reached the Tie Niu Tofu Company, Xia Huren called. "Old Qian, the three commanders of the Legion are here. Should we meet up? There are a few things we need to discuss."

We really didn't have a discreet place in the capital. I said, "Let's go to the Tie Niu Tofu Company. It’s remote, and there aren't many workers there. Just make sure everyone wears plain clothes so as not to frighten Uncle and Auntie."

"Alright, we’ll hurry over right now."

Zhou Ni asked me, "Do you have business, Brother Zhao? Should we step aside?"

"No need. It’s just a small meeting. When you get older, you’ll participate too, but for now, focus on your studies."

Zhou Ni replied, "I understand. In the future, I will handle things just like Sister Jing. You saved our entire family's lives; my brother and I have decided that after graduation, we want to help share your burdens."

Upon entering the Tie Niu Tofu Company, I saw Zhu Da and Cai Bao'er. I grabbed them. "Why are you two here?"

Zhu Da and Cai Bao'er exchanged a mischievous grin. "Commander Zhao, trying to sneak off alone to eat stewed chicken with your mother-in-law, are we? We used four great golden bowls to bribe the Village Chief, Er Sha, the Xu family, and the Zhou family. From now on, we’ll be the first to get intel on any activities here. You won't be able to shake us brothers off so easily."

I laughed too. "Perfect timing. We're having a meeting shortly. Don't worry, I guarantee we’ll assign you two any arduous and grueling tasks."

Cai Bao'er interjected, "Stop it, Commander Zhao. We worked ourselves ragged in Africa for half a month for nothing! Are you still planning to marry my sister or not?"

I quickly covered Cai Bao'er’s mouth. Zhou Ni was standing right beside me, and suddenly another potential brother-in-law popped up, which was quite awkward. Zhou Ni smiled. "Brothers, you chat. I'll go help Mom with chores."

I said to Cai Bao'er, "Since I got involved in this matter, I will see it through to the end. Actually, our trip to Africa wasn't in vain. I'll explain the outcome to you later."

Zhu Da scoffed, "Silly Baozi, stop worrying. Relax. Even if your sister remains a three-year-old forever, Commander Zhao is still set on marrying her. He's practically unstoppable among those under thirty now; maybe he even has a penchant for younger girls. Just wait to be an older brother-in-law."

Xu Jing walked out of the office and greeted me happily. "Brother Zhao, you're here."

I said, "Just in time for dinner. I'll need to borrow your office for a meeting shortly. If you're free, you should join; everyone here is family. Is the Village Chief here too?"

"He's in the workshop; I'll go call him."

A short while later, Xia Huren arrived with Liu Hu, Zhang Dahai, and Shen Jian. We called Zhu Da and Cai Bao'er, and everyone gathered in the office. I addressed the three commanders. "These individuals are the people I trust most. I will consult with them on any matters, so please speak freely."

Shen Jian said, "Recently, Red Dragon’s business has increased, but the management is quite chaotic. Commander, please pay attention to this issue to avoid affecting the operational efficiency of the entire Three-Sphere Legion."

Xia Huren explained, "This is actually due to having two distinct mechanisms within one company. Currently, the Three-Sphere Legion's operations are channeled through Red Dragon, which also handles many ordinary civilian businesses. Mixing them together inevitably leads to some confusion."

I pondered for a moment. "How about this: In the future, when Red Dragon receives a task, it must first be categorized. Those requiring handling by the Three-Sphere Legion will be forwarded to me for arrangement and execution. Ordinary business will be handed over to Tiger, who will have full responsibility. From now on, everyone manages their own domain and fulfills their duties. This should significantly improve efficiency."

The four of them nodded in agreement. Zhang Dahai stated, "Commander Zhao, the preparation work for the crew of Fleet One is complete. When can we take over the ships for our first drill?"

The construction of the cruisers and destroyers had been finalized. Shrek Company had already issued an announcement to the world, stating they would commence normal exploration and other economic activities in the Wan'an Shoal immediately. They requested that vessels from Yue Nan act in accordance with the maritime defense regulations of Da Long Country. Otherwise, Yue Nan would bear full responsibility for any maritime disputes that might arise.

I told Zhang Dahai, "Let's postpone it for a few days. The first batch of five Xia-class cruisers and twenty Xiyu-class destroyers is finished. However, the construction of our South China Sea base has been consistently unsuccessful. Without a supply and maintenance base, the fleet has no home, and I feel uneasy."

Shen Jian agreed, "The Commander is right. Although submersible carriers can handle supply issues, the fleet lacking a maintenance port is a major hidden danger. But the terrain in the South China Sea is complex, and most of the reefs are not under our control; choosing a location for the port is really difficult."

I sighed as well. "Does anyone have any good suggestions? Should we just build a port ourselves? If a major storm hits at sea, are we supposed to let the fleet just drift around without a harbor?"

Zhu Da exclaimed, "Damn, look at your gloomy faces. Just take down Wen Lai! It's closest to the South China Sea. Even if they don't have superior military ports, with our excavation technology, we could build one in ten days or so."

Everyone was stunned; this idea was quite insane. Wen Lai is a small country, smaller than Xijin in both population and area, but its geographical location is quite advantageous. Because its territory is small, it would be easy for our current military strength to control.

Cai Bao'er, for the first time, was in agreement with Zhu Da. He chimed in, "I support Commander Zhu's suggestion. Since we already took down Xijin, what do we have to fear from Wen Lai? Besides, that guy is occupying one of our reefs covering 3,000 square kilometers; it makes me angry just thinking about it. Look, I have photos here of the King of Wen Lai's extravagant lifestyle; this guy is filthy rich, nearly surpassing Old Bill. We should kidnap him, extort a few tens of billions, and then take over the country."

Cai Bao'er's suggestion was even wilder and naturally wasn't agreed upon by everyone, but the three commanders, including Xia Huren, approved of using Wen Lai as a military base. How to achieve this goal would require some maneuvering.

I reminded everyone, "We obviously can't openly attack them without reason. However, unconventional matters call for unconventional means. I suggest Commander Zhu and Cai take the lead; they should sneak into Wen Lai first and cause chaos, then let Red Dragon move in to clean up the aftermath. We can then use that opportunity to control Wen Lai's military and politics, and subsequently establish our military base there."

"Great idea!" everyone exclaimed, slapping the table in praise. If there’s no reason, create one. Although it’s a bit underhanded, considering Wen Lai isn't exactly a model nation, controlling it first will lay the groundwork for future operations in Ma Lai and Fei Lu.

I told Zhu and Cai, "This must be done quickly, and your identities must remain secret because the fleet assembly work cannot be delayed any further. Once we have the support of a powerful fleet and submarines, we can firmly control the Nansha Archipelago. Controlling Nansha, in turn, allows us to suppress Ming Dao. As for Shen Yu Island, with the fleet, we won't have to worry about the R-people yielding."

Zhang Dahai reported, "We currently have 20 Mercury-class submarines, 40 Mars-class submarines, and 5 Venus-class submersible carriers. This strength is sufficient to take on the R-country Navy, but to confront the M-country Navy, a surface fleet is essential."

I added, "Also, we must not overlook the Xiong Country above our heads. Although their original regime has long since disintegrated, the remaining military strength is still formidable. With our current capabilities, confronting both of these nations simultaneously poses a great danger. Therefore, Nansha is our first battle to strengthen ourselves; we must win it decisively!"

Zhu Da and Cai Bao'er affirmed, "Don't worry, Commander Zhao. If there’s one thing our brothers excel at, it’s creating trouble, sabotage, infiltration, and looting. Within a week, we'll have Wen Lai crying for their fathers. Then your main army can march in and realize our grand plan for the nation."

I clasped my hands together. "It all depends on you two brothers. Be careful not to harm innocent civilians, or we won't be able to justify ourselves."

The two also clasped their hands. "Rest assured, Commander Zhao. Although we brothers are bad, we aren't irredeemable. We'll organize our forces tomorrow and infiltrate Wen Lai. Expect good news soon."

After settling this major issue, everyone felt much lighter. In the future, we would have three bases in the Pacific: one is the secret base beneath the Okinawa Trough, serving only for scientific research, warehousing, and as a clandestine port for submarines. The second is the Wen Lai military base, which is about to be constructed. Besides building a port, if we can secure higher control, relocating some army and air force units there wouldn't be out of the question. The Wen Lai base holds crucial significance for future control over Nansha and the Strait of Malacca. The third base will be the Nansha base, established after reclaiming the Nansha reefs and relying on the Wen Lai military base. The Nansha base will have a major impact on Ma Lai, Yin Ni, Fei Lu, and the M-country's military base in Xin Jia Po. This is a vital link for Da Long Country to break out of the island chain control.

In the afternoon, the National News Spokesperson issued a solemn statement regarding R-country's plan to build an airport on Shen Yu Island. Shen Yu Island has historically been sacred and inviolable territory of Da Long Country, and any aggressive action will be met with a fierce counterattack from Da Long Country.

It could be said the government’s stance this time was very tough. Furthermore, when the news was released, Da Long Country’s navy dispatched destroyers and submarines to patrol and demonstrate in the waters around Shen Yu Island. However, because the waters around Shen Yu Island fall within Ming Dao’s defense zone, lingering there for too long risks provoking maritime disputes between the two sides, so the effect was not significant.

After discussing a few more issues, Xia Huren and the three commanders stood up to leave. I tried to keep them for dinner, but they insisted on returning, so I let them go.

Next, I spent some time discussing company matters with the Village Chief and Xu Jing. At the same time, I asked Xu Jing for the group company's 3D animation promotional plan to give to Xu Chen to produce. The production fee would be paid at the highest market rate, which was my way of helping her as much as possible.

"Dinner time!" Zhou Ni called to us from outside the window. The Village Chief packed up first and went out to help set the table. Xu Jing and I sat for a while longer.

I took out a pile of gifts. "Jingjing, see which one you like. These are what we found in Africa; everyone got something."

Xu Jing looked at them and also picked out a ring. "I'll take this one. You have to put it on for me personally."

I took Xu Jing's delicate hand. "Aren't you afraid the company people will laugh?"

"I am afraid, but I'd be more afraid without you by my side. Being near you is what makes me happiest. If you put this ring on me, I’ll consider it your proposal—and I accept. You have to treat me well from now on and never abandon me."

I kissed the back of Xu Jing’s hand. "Don't worry, wife. In a few days, after the renovation across the hall is finished, you and Zhou Ni can move in together, and we can be together often. If you miss me at night, just call, and I'll be over."

Xu Jing nodded, her face flushed. "I'm yours now. Whatever you say goes, just so you don't say I'm naughty and stop paying attention to me later."

For more novels, visit storyread.net.