The resounding victory of the Red Dragon forces in the naval battle off Vientiane was entirely within my predictions. Compared to the might of Country M’s Pacific fleet, our Tri-Service Legion’s naval combat capability far surpassed theirs. This overwhelming advantage in force deployment greatly minimized our casualties. Throughout the entire engagement, only during the final missile exchange did a stray cold missile strike the flank of one of our cruisers, but it proved entirely harmless against the vessel’s Jingang alloy hull.

The M forces quickly retreated, but I did not order a pursuit. As the saying goes, never press a cornered foe; if we truly drove the Americans to desperation, they might resort to anything. Letting them off the hook allows us to vex them further later on.

The troops swiftly landed on the Vientiane coast, immediately followed by thousands of mechanized soldiers, whose skin had undergone transplantation modifications, beginning the clearance of Vientiane residents and small towns within a hundred square kilometers. This task proved troublesome; fortunately, the area we selected was a bay on the eastern side of Vientiane.

This location was secluded and sparsely populated. Although the bay’s depth was less than ideal for establishing a deep-water naval port, we possessed advanced excavation equipment, making the modification of the area far from impossible. The bay was landlocked on three sides; the southern portion belonged to Malay territory, while the eastern and western sides were Vientiane territory.

Carlisle opened every door for us. He understood that by siding with us, he had thoroughly offended Country M and that future national stability would depend on the Red Dragon. Consequently, the resettlement work proceeded smoothly with full cooperation from the local government.

With the subsequent arrival of engineering ants, the Vientiane Naval Port was ready for use within a week. Both sea-based and land-based defensive structures were completed, making us impervious to strikes from the sea, air, and land.

Although the military base construction was still ongoing, having the port as a foundation allowed the Nansha Project to proceed smoothly. As for the grander future base construction plans, we had already decided to relocate the entirety of our Army, Navy, and Air Force strength to the Vientiane Military Base. In the Great Dragon Country, our forces could not afford to show themselves, and since Xijin was a typical landlocked nation, any branch of the military would have to traverse other countries to execute missions, which was highly inconvenient.

The Vientiane Military Base offered convenient ingress and egress via the sea for both the Navy and Air Force, while simultaneously allowing us to secure the Nansha islands and reefs—truly an excellent choice. As for Xijin and the underground Great Wall defense zone in the northwest border, only necessary garrison forces needed to remain stationed there.

During the port's construction, the Malay nation vehemently objected. This was because the Red Dragon naval port completely blocked the sea access situated between two separate territories of Vientiane that bordered Malay land. The Malay government threatened to unite with other nations to strike against the Red Dragon’s brand of anarchic terrorism.

Just like Country M’s declaration of counter-terrorism, we paid them no mind whatsoever. Empty words are useless; if they truly disagree, they must settle it with action. It was the same way the Great Dragon Country’s protests used to be—in the end, no one listened, allowing a small nation like Yue Nan to brazenly occupy twenty-eight islands. That is the result of talking without acting. No one will fear you anymore. That is why the Red Dragon acts first and speaks later, letting strength do the talking.

I remained in Vientiane for quite some time until all matters concerning the naval port were settled before returning home. The next phase, advancing towards Wan’an Shoal, required a period of buffering. However, the exploration and survey vessels belonging to the Shruik Company had already begun work in the waters around Wan’an Shoal. Yue Nan had yet to issue any statement regarding this; we were waiting for their attitude. Action could only be taken once Yue Nan was sufficiently provoked on this matter.

Upon returning home, I discovered that my father’s old friend, who had kept silent for so long, had finally exposed me. It meant another long stretch of not being home. Although the women had tried their best to cover for me, my father still grew suspicious. He contacted that old classmate, learning that I hadn't attended classes for several days.

“What have you been up to these past few days? Confess now,” my father said, sitting heavily on the sofa with a grim expression.

Revealing anything about the Tri-Service Legion was strictly forbidden, let alone admitting I had gone off to fight Country M. “Dad, a few of us friends pooled resources to visit a large international company for a tour. You know I study financial management; understanding the financial and fiscal management of a company is a good thing.”

My father was unconvinced. “Don’t lie to me. Your school never organized any such activity, otherwise my friend wouldn't be ignorant of it.”

“It was an initiative organized spontaneously among the students. This visit deeply impacted me; I’ve decided to start a large company as soon as I return.”

“Start a company? Didn't you say you sold the tofu company because you couldn't manage it? And now you dare to try again? You shouldn’t think you can conquer the world just because you have a few parlor tricks. Having some special abilities doesn't qualify you to run a business!”

I stated solemnly, “Dad, I understand that point. That's why I’m in university and why I went abroad for inspection. I am working very hard to improve myself. Rest assured, this time, if I commit, I will shock the world.”

My father ultimately decided not to press the issue further. Just then, the women learned I was home and came downstairs to see me. Their arrival made it impossible for my father to continue his criticism; after all, he knew the standing of these young ladies and certainly didn't wish to display patriarchal authority in front of these ‘important figures.’

Fang Yanmeng said sweetly, “Uncle, we haven’t seen Brother Zhao Qian in ages. Could you let him spend some time talking with us in our rooms?”

My father rose and returned to his room. “You all talk amongst yourselves. Stay for lunch, and please remind Zhao Qian this afternoon to go to class on time.”

The women responded cheerfully, “Don’t worry, Uncle. We will certainly lecture him, and he won’t dare skip class again.”

Ten women crowded into my room with me. Because the space was a bit tight, several jumped onto the bed, preparing to play cards. Zhao Fen, Zhao Fang, Yi Xiaorou, and Xiaoyudi immediately began pressing me for details about the Vientiane naval battle. They needed my input to refine relevant weaponry.

Throughout the engagement, we maintained absolute superiority and controlled the situation. There were no areas needing improvement, or perhaps none were discovered. However, after the Vientiane battle, we absolutely must enhance intelligence operations against Country M. The Americans will not accept defeat easily; they are certain to retaliate. Our advantage in firepower and numbers will soon be countered by Country M. Discovering how they plan to resolve several key technical issues is vital for us. Next, I’ll have Taozi intensify reconnaissance on M intelligence; we absolutely cannot afford any lapse in vigilance.

Having no input to offer, the few concerned girls left me alone and went to the ** to play boisterously with the others. I felt a genuine worry that the single bed might not withstand their collective weight. Although each of them was light, their sheer numbers were considerable.

Zhou Ni was comparatively shy. She sat by my writing desk, silently watching everyone else play. She was even less outgoing than the introverted Xu Jing. I understood why: Xu Jing was truly my woman now, having completely integrated herself into the family dynamic. But Zhou Ni was still somewhat unfamiliar with the other girls, and my intimacy with her had only progressed to the extent of her being forced to perform oral stimulation on me once, and me doing the same for her once.

I walked up behind Zhou Ni and gently wrapped my arms around her. “Nini, why aren’t you playing with everyone?”

Zhou Ni became flustered; this was the first time I had embraced her like this in front of the others. “Brother Zhao, I don’t know how to play cards. Watching the older sisters play is just as good.”