Wang Zhuo could only helplessly allow these gossiping busybodies to elaborate, waiting until their clamor died down before using a more formal tone to tell them that such matters were fine for internal joking but strictly forbidden to be spread to outsiders.

The young men naturally slapped their chests in agreement. Having Wang Zhuo as a friend was something they were immensely proud of; jokes were jokes, but they cherished this friendship deeply.

That evening, the young men inevitably went out for a celebratory meal and drinks. After the dinner, some naturally headed to the internet café for an all-nighter, leading inevitably to sleeping in and skipping classes the next day.

Wang Zhuo didn't join them for the late-night antics at the internet café. He had too many pressing matters; being able to spare time to stay at school these first few days of the semester was already a considerable feat.

Early the next morning, after a quick workout, he picked up Qi Fei and Siyuan. The three of them ate breakfast together before heading to the airport to receive guests.

At ten o'clock sharp, Guan Shichen and his daughter stepped off the flight returning from Europe. Guan Shichen, the boss, was now reduced to a state where he didn't even have a dedicated driver. In contrast, Guan Yingying had risen high; her daily movements were not only served by dedicated personnel and private cars but also accompanied by professional bodyguards—a far more glamorous situation than when Lu Weimin served as both Guan Shichen's driver and bodyguard back in the day.

After more than a month apart, Guan Yingying seemed unchanged, still as captivatingly beautiful as ever. She wore a pair of tight, thin stretch denim jeans, unapologetically displaying her long, graceful figure. Her long hair was styled in big waves cascading over her shoulders, her bright face lightly made up, and large sunglasses completed the look, giving her the air of a major celebrity.

Guan Shichen was still the same old him, sporting a slight double chin and a beer belly, though his aura was slightly diminished. At forty-six or forty-seven, he should have been in the prime age for a successful businessman. Unfortunately, his company had collapsed, and this trip was to finalize the winding-up procedures abroad. If life had its peaks and troughs, he was certainly in a trough now; maintaining his current composure was already quite difficult.

Of course, Guan Yingying’s professional success had a significant impact on him. For the Guan family, this was a case of "if the East side is dark, the West side shines." While the father's business had suffered substantial losses, dealing a heavy blow, the daughter’s career had skyrocketed. In just three quarters, she had amassed a net worth in the hundreds of millions. With that in mind, what did Guan Shichen really have to worry about?

Right at the customs exit of the airport, Guan Yingying warmly embraced Wang Zhuo and the other two. The sight of these three beautiful women, girls, and young ladies standing together instantly drew the attention of many onlookers, many of whom couldn't help but look at Wang Zhuo with unconcealed envy and jealousy.

"Siyuan has grown taller!" Guan Yingying exclaimed, patting the younger girl’s shoulder, making Siyuan delighted.

Wang Zhuo shook hands with Guan Shichen and asked, "Uncle Guan, is everything sorted out?"

"I'm ashamed," Guan Shichen replied with a nod and a smile. "For my unprofitable little venture, I kept you all tied up for so long. I truly apologize."

The current Wang Zhuo was certainly no longer the inexperienced youth of yesteryear. Guan Shichen maintained a very humble posture, already regarding Wang Zhuo as an outstanding junior who could stand as his equal.

Wang Zhuo smiled sincerely, "Uncle, please don't be so formal. Sister Yingying is a veteran of Shengshi Wangchao; her family matters are everyone’s business. Let's not talk about delays."

The younger generation is truly formidable... Guan Shichen repeatedly nodded, his appreciation for Wang Zhuo reaching its peak.

Lunch was reserved at a five-star hotel. It wasn't overly extravagant but conveyed a sense of importance, serving as a welcome reception for the Guans.

After the main courses, Wang Zhuo asked Guan Shichen, "Uncle, what are your plans going forward?"

Guan Shichen pondered for a moment before replying, "Perhaps I'll try some physical projects. The foreign trade industry is quite risky and murky; I don't plan to continue with it."

In reality, if he had leveraged Wang Zhuo's resources to continue in foreign trade, he would have been many times stronger than before. However, he only had a general understanding of Wang Zhuo's situation and was entirely unaware of the deeper relationship between his daughter and Wang Zhuo, so he hadn't considered that avenue at all.

Qi Fei interjected with a smile, "Shengshi Wangchao is in urgent need of talent right now. We just don't know if Uncle Guan would be willing to come over and help."

"Heh heh," Guan Shichen laughed. "Yingying has told me about your rapid development—it truly can be described as meteoric. I’m afraid I can’t keep up with today’s young people."

Wang Zhuo and Qi Fei exchanged a look. Qi Fei continued, "Wang Zhuo and I have discussed this. We believe your true strength lies in foreign trade. If you could help us hold down the fort in Jingang, we are certain you would excel."

"Jingang?" Guan Shichen raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, Jingang," Wang Zhuo explained. "Sister Yingying should have mentioned it to you. The Taoyuan Copper Mine holds immense political and strategic significance. China's copper processing capacity has always been in surplus, but the Taoyuan Copper Mine will not only reverse this situation but also change export dynamics. Not just Jingang, but other cities will also need reliable people to manage them."

Guan Shichen slowly nodded. He understood Wang Zhuo’s point, and this field was indeed his forte—much more reliable than shifting into manufacturing.

"Dad, think about it carefully when you get back. We think this is viable," Guan Yingying said, placing a spring roll on her father's plate, temporarily concluding the topic.

...

In the following few days, Guan Yingying busied herself dealing with the backlog of affairs that had accumulated during her absence, keeping fully occupied every day.

Siyuan, according to Wang Zhuo's arrangements, also enrolled at Jiangzhou Electronic Science and Technology University as a specially recruited student, officially becoming a university student.

With all the beloved ones returning, Wang Zhuo's life finally settled back onto its normal track. However, his 'normal track' was a more exaggerated four-partner model than merely juggling two, the perils and excitements of which need hardly be mentioned.

Young, vigorous, strong-willed, and flush with hormones, Instructor Wang had unwittingly turned into a tightly wound thoroughbred, galloping wildly in the soft embrace of his women, fully savoring his good fortune.

In the blink of an eye, it was late September, and the intense heat had finally broken.

That day, he skipped the two mandatory cultural courses in the morning and, after a session of intense intimacy with Guan Yingying in her original residence, lay relaxed in bed while she leaned over him with a razor, meticulously shaving the stubble that had grown about half a centimeter on his legs.

"Should I shave your leg hair too?" Guan Yingying asked playfully.

"Stop fooling around; what man shaves his leg hair?" Wang Zhuo refused, half-amused, half-exasperated.

"You look like a savage," Guan Yingying pinched a patch of his leg hair.

Wang Zhuo chuckled, caressing her pretty face. "Don't you like this savage version of me?"

Guan Yingying responded with a flirtatious smile, tossing the razor aside. She pouted her full, rosy lips and playfully kissed Wang Zhuo’s somewhat weary erection.

"Fixed now?" Wang Zhuo touched the now smooth skin, finding the sensation quite amusing. He thought it would be even more interesting in a few days when the hair grew back, feeling rough like sandpaper.

"Not yet," Guan Yingying giggled. "There are still two more big 'eggs' to go."

Wang Zhuo burst into laughter. His phone on the bedside table vibrated then—a text message had arrived.

"Wang Zhuo, are you in class? The groundbreaking ceremony date for the Taoyuan Copper Mine has been set: September 30th. Are you attending?"

The message was from Qi Fei. With the staunch support of the three provinces of Dian, Qian, and Gui, the temporary road to the Taoyuan Copper Mine had been opened, and necessary production materials were arriving sequentially; mining could commence immediately.

"They set the date—September 30th," Wang Zhuo told Guan Yingying.

"Didn't we say October 7th? Why the change?" Guan Yingying asked.

"Probably to coincide with the National Day celebrations or something," Wang Zhuo joked. "It’s a good thing; starting a day earlier means earning money a day sooner."

"But with such short notice, the equipment won't all be in place, will it?" Guan Yingying murmured, resting her face against Wang Zhuo's lower abdomen for a momentary rest.

"What does that matter?" Wang Zhuo stroked her smooth hair. "We'll just put on a show. Let the leaders cut the ribbon, set off some firecrackers, park a few construction vehicles nearby for photos, and then fire a few blasts at the mine site—that counts as starting, right?"

"True," Guan Yingying giggled. "As long as it's enough for a fifteen-second news clip."

"Our news segment is thirty seconds long," Wang Zhuo cheerfully corrected her. "As for how many blasts I can set off, I don't know myself, but one blast is enough to satisfy you."

"You're bragging—" Guan Yingying pinched a spot of thin skin at the base of his thigh.

Wang Zhuo hummed smugly. "If you don't believe me, let's compare. But be warned, I’m not responsible if you swell up."

"Hmph," Guan Yingying slapped him lightly in dissatisfaction. "Who is as thick-skinned as you? You never swell up, no matter how hard you're worked."

"How am I not swollen?" Wang Zhuo said lecherously. "If I'm not swollen, how am I supposed to satisfy you?"

Realizing the nature of the 'swelling' he referred to, Guan Yingying let out a chuckle, then her eyes twinkled as a mischievous idea struck her.

Several minutes later, she brought Wang Zhuo to the brink of ecstasy and, leaving behind a quick, "Going to the restroom," she slipped away with a sneaky smile. Wang Zhuo waited excitedly in bed. When neither left nor right brought her back, and his arousal started to ache, he could no longer stand it and jumped out of bed to find her.

The bathroom was empty. The balcony was empty. The living room remained empty.

Only the other bedroom hadn't been checked. He walked over and pushed the door—it was locked from the inside?

Using his Clairvoyance, he peered in. Guan Yingying had already slipped into a sheer gauze dress and was lounging on the bed reading a magazine, her two small legs casually kicking behind her as she happily munched on a bag of potato chips.

"Hey, hey!" Wang Zhuo knocked impatiently on the door.

"What is it?" Guan Yingying jumped off the bed, approaching the door with a suppressed giggle.

Wang Zhuo asked with a wry smile, "Why do you manage the takeoff but not the landing?"

"Didn't you say you're not responsible if I swell up?" Guan Yingying said triumphantly. "Well, I'm not going to be responsible this time either. I'll let you taste what that feels like."