I’d been home for a few days, but only to put my parents' minds at ease. The summons from the central government kept piling up. Positions that were once purely titular now demanded real action; otherwise, how could I face the public? Was I really expected to be someone who just collected a salary without doing any work? I doubted anyone would stand for that.

I had dedicated offices at the Ministry of State Security, the Ministry of Public Security, and the Rectification Office. A deployment order had also come down from the Military Commission, requiring me to report to the Nanjing Military Region as a Staff Officer for Operations immediately after the New Year. Although this post drew some murmurs of disapproval, it was settled thanks to the strong push from Chairman Li Zhenyu and General Yi Tianfeng.

Now, a large entourage followed me everywhere—truly a spectacle of success. Yet, I felt a slight headache brewing; it seemed I still needed time to adjust to this kind of life. As evening approached, after wrapping up the last matter at the Rectification Office, my secretary, Liu Ying, brought me my overcoat. "Director, your girlfriend is waiting for you outside."

"Which one?" With so many girlfriends, I could only ask that way.

Liu Ying tidied my briefcase as she replied, "Zhou Ni. She’s here to take you out for dinner."

"Oh," I almost forgot. I had promised Zhou Ni I would join Zhao Ting tonight.

Liu Ying carefully adjusted my collar. I was on very good terms with the four people at the Rectification Office, but her gesture still warmed my heart—being cared for was, after all, a good thing.

"Director, you truly are blessed. So many girlfriends, and your career is flourishing. Everyone envies you."

I laughed. "Indeed. I even envy myself. All the good fortune seems to have landed on me. See you tomorrow."

After finally dismissing the security details from the Ministry of State Security and the military, I slipped into Zhou Ni’s car. Zhou Ni said, "Brother Zhao, let’s go to our school. Tingting originally wanted to treat you outside, but after discussing it, we decided to invite you to our dorm so we can cook for you ourselves. What do you say?"

"That sounds wonderful," I replied. "I’ve been sick of entertaining those central government types these past few days. Something light would be perfect."

When I appeared before Zhao Ting, she unexpectedly dropped to her knees with a soft thud. This was the scene I feared most. It was Zhou Ni who understood my thoughts, as she, too, had knelt before me once. Now, though grateful, she wouldn't act that way again; instead, she offered quiet care through her actions. "Tingting, get up quickly. Brother Zhao will be angry if you do this. He dislikes this kind of behavior the most."

Zhao Ting cried out, "But this is the only way I can express the great debt I owe Director Zhao for clearing my brother’s name!"

Zhou Ni and I pulled Zhao Ting up. "That was simply what I ought to do. Just as you once said, what is an official who doesn't fulfill his duties in his position? You study law to punish corrupt officials, don't you? I just did my job; it’s nothing worthy of such immense gratitude."

Zhao Ting wiped her tears. "Zhou Ni said you always have an answer, and it’s true. Godfather, may I follow you in punishing the wicked from now on?"

Zhou Ni let out a small snort beside us. I quickly interjected, "Don't call me Godfather. It sounds awful. Call me Zhao Qian."

Zhao Ting refused, "Godfather is the one who saved our lives. If it weren't for you, my parents might have been tormented to death by those bad people. Not only would my brother’s grievances have gone unaddressed, but I probably wouldn't even be alive now. You gave us a second life, like re-creating parents. So, my father was absolutely right to ask me to recognize you as Godfather."

I pretended to be angry. "If I say we change it, we change it. If you call me that again, I’m leaving immediately and never coming back to your dorm, never seeing you again."

Zhao Ting panicked. "No, I’ll change it! Director Zhao."

Zhou Ni pulled Zhao Ting closer. "Tingting, I was also saved by Zhao Qian, just like you. Why don't you call him Brother Zhao too? It’s more familiar."

Zhao Ting nodded. "Brother Zhao."

Zhao Ting, thin and delicate, provided a striking visual contrast to the fuller figure of Zhou Ni—quite pleasing to the eye, actually.

Zhou Ni said to me, "Brother Zhao, why don't you go pick up Yun Yao? Tingting and I will start cooking."

Yun Yao shared a dorm with Zhou Ni and Zhao Ting. She had a session with her dance instructor after class, so she usually returned later. I knew where her studio was, and it was a good chance to stroll around the campus and clear my head. I remembered how much I used to enjoy aimlessly wandering the grounds.

What I hadn't expected was to see dozens of male students pressed against the window of the dance studio. Curious, I walked over and peered inside, nearly spitting blood. Yun Yao was practicing inside, clad in a tight dance outfit—something modern, very youthful and energetic. Her full breasts bounced relentlessly with her movements, drawing continuous whistles from the onlookers. Some men couldn't help but swallow hard.

One guy muttered, "Damn, if breasts like that performed an erotic dance, she'd kill people."

Another chimed in, "She doesn't need an erotic dance; she's already killing me now. If she could do an MTV with the superstar Liu Xue, it would blow up the charts. Think about it, Liu Xue’s chest is even fuller than hers."

Someone else added, "Too bad Liu Xue disappeared. They say she was too beautiful, that even God became envious and whisked her away to heaven."

"You all know nothing! Liu Xue was clearly an immortal who descended to the mortal realm. That day she was filming a commercial, her earthly assignment was complete, and she ascended."

"Stop talking! Yun Yao is coming out. Hurry down, everyone. If she sees you all like this, none of you will get a chance. You’re a bunch of perverts! Can’t you be more respectable?"

Sure enough, Yun Yao emerged from the studio wearing a long, pristine white down coat. The male students immediately swarmed her, showering her with solicitous inquiries, offering flowers, drinks, and tea—an extreme level of attentiveness that made even me feel inferior.

"Miss Yun Yao, I know a bouquet of flowers doesn't mean much, so I’d like to invite you to a simple dinner tonight. And I know a simple dinner doesn't mean much either, so after the meal, I want to take you for a wild night at the Great Wall. I trust you won't refuse the invitation of an honest man like myself."

Yun Yao looked blankly at the young man before her; she never paid attention to external people or matters. "Who are you? I don't know you."

"My name is Gao Sheng, known as one of the Four Titans of Longteng University, though such empty titles mean little. My ambition is to become a Fleet Admiral, commanding the navy to defend our nation's seas, just like my father."

Someone nearby whispered a reminder to Yun Yao, "Gao Sheng’s father is the Chief of Staff of the Great Dragon Country Navy."

Suddenly, Yun Yao felt a pair of eyes watching her from beyond the crowd. It wasn't an uncomfortable gaze, but one that brought her pleasure and joy. "Brother Zhao! It’s you. What are you doing here?"

Yun Yao smiled, bursting through the circle of boys and running towards me. The few boys close to her were momentarily stunned by her smile. As she ran, she carried a fleeting fragrance with her, and recalling the enchanting sight of her dancing just moments ago, someone let out an involuntary moan.

Yun Yao paid no heed to the others' gazes. After all, at seventeen, she was still a child, and in front of the man she liked, she had no desire to hide anything. Furthermore, she needed no pretense, for what was accepting his hand or lying beneath him every night?

"I came to take you to dinner."

"Great! Let’s go," Yun Yao said, pulling me along, completely ignoring the son of the Navy Chief of Staff.

Gao Sheng suddenly called out from behind, "Zhao Qian! Stop right there."

Confused, I paused and turned back. "Is something the matter, Classmate Gao Sheng?" We had once spent a thrilling period together on the East China Sea oil platform, so we weren't strangers.

Gao Sheng asked, "The Zhao Qian featured on the television broadcasts—that’s you, isn't it?"

I smiled. "I suppose so."

Gasps! The surrounding students already found my face familiar. Recently, photos and reports about this remarkable individual had saturated the internet. To discover that this influential figure was standing right there caused quite a stir.

Gao Sheng stated firmly, "Others may fear you, but I don't. Everything must be conducted with reason."

I replied, "I never asked you to fear me, either. We are entirely unrelated. Why would you fear me? Did you perhaps do something wrong yourself?"

"Don’t deflect the topic," Gao Sheng said coldly. "What is your relationship with Fang Yanmeng? And what about Ouyang Qing? Now you're setting your sights on Yun Yao. What exactly are your intentions? It’s one thing for the media to heap praise on you, but I never thought you’d turn out to be such a scoundrel."

I put my arm around Yun Yao's slender waist. "She is my girlfriend. Fang Yanmeng is too, Ouyang Qing is too, Su Xue is too, Zhou Ni is too, and Li Qi is too. I advise you all to abandon any fleeting thoughts about them. I don't have time for a chat session. Goodbye."