Gongsun Ce glanced at Gongsun Ce walking out of the classroom, and a smile flickered in Shangguan Tengfei’s eyes, the corners of his mouth tilting slightly upward. “Perhaps, that person is indeed worth worrying about!”

“Fei’er?” Shangguan Yunmeng called softly. Seeing that he didn't seem inclined to speak, she didn't press the matter. Yet, within the beautiful woman's eyes, something else seemed to be concealed.

It was already approaching evening, inside the villa where Yang Yi and the others were staying collectively.

“Boss, everything has been handled as you instructed. We’re just waiting for the grand opening!” Xu Ming declared, brimming with excitement.

“Yeah, I’m ready too!” Ye Xiaohou glanced at Yang Yi, then asked, “But I wonder if we should open simultaneously, or…?”

“Of course, simultaneously, and the opening day must be appropriately grand,” Yang Yi sneered darkly.

“But what kind of grandeur are we talking about?” Ye Xiaohou asked, puzzled.

“Third Brother, do your family know your current situation?” Yang Yi suddenly asked Xu Ming.

“Uh, Boss, don’t even mention it. That old man of mine called to chew me out a few days ago!”

“Chew you out?” Not just Yang Yi, everyone looked at Xu Ming with confusion.

“Yes! That old man actually told me I was wasting my time, and if I didn’t want to study, I should come back and be a Major General for him. It’s been driving me crazy.”

“Be a Major General?” Fatty Lin exclaimed in shock.

“Yeah! I was originally planning to go back after getting the company sorted out,” Xu Ming glanced nervously at Yang Yi, adding.

Yang Yi naturally knew what Xu Ming was thinking. He could only manage a faint smile and asked, “Third Brother, what is your decision?”

“This… I don’t know either. I can’t just abandon the company, especially since it’s just getting started…” Xu Ming said, looking thoroughly dejected.

“Hmm!” Yang Yi pondered for a moment. He had indeed learned a fair bit about Xu Ming’s family background early on. As the sole heir to the Southern Military Region, Xu Ming was obligated to return for rigorous training to potentially inherit the position of Commander of the Southern Military Region. Yang Yi understood this from the perspective of Xu Ming’s father.

But just as Yang Yi was about to speak, Xu Ming interjected, “Actually, my old man is coming over these few days. He said he wants to…!”

“Hmm?” Yang Yi frowned suddenly and asked, “Your father is coming to Shanghai?”

“Yeah, he said he wants to meet you,” Xu Ming replied, a grin spreading across his lips.

“Holy crap, Third Brother, your dad is coming here to see the Boss?” Ye Xiaohou exclaimed loudly.

“Yeah.”

“Honestly, I didn’t want him to come, but he insisted on meeting you,” Xu Ming seemed to be holding something back.

“Heh heh, Third Brother, you didn’t happen to use me as a stepping stone, did you?” Yang Yi said, thoroughly exasperated, feeling like he could see right through the crooked schemes brewing in Xu Ming’s mind.

“Tsk tsk, Boss, you can’t blame me this time. I struck a deal with my old man!”

“What kind of deal? Could it be you…” Fatty Lin’s expression abruptly shifted from astonishment to disdain as he stared at Xu Ming.

“Well… Actually, I said I’d agree to go back and become a Major General, but only after a year, because I really want to get this company off the ground. But my old man wouldn’t budge, and in the end…” Xu Ming let the sentence trail off.

But it was obvious to anyone with eyes that this shameless fellow had already thrown Yang Yi under the bus. Indeed, when Xu Ming received the phone call, the Commander of the Southern Military Region had presented this condition to secure Xu Ming’s return: he wanted to meet Yang Yi personally. If Yang Yi could persuade him to let Xu Ming stay, the matter would be reconsidered…

“Boss, so this time you absolutely have to help me. If you can convince my old man, that’s all it takes,” Xu Ming pleaded with Yang Yi, his face a picture of supplication.

“Damn it, you little brat. First, you sell me out, and now you’re asking me to sell my own freedom?” Yang Yi retorted irritably.

“Boss!” As he spoke, Xu Ming suddenly turned his pleading gaze toward Ye Xiaohou. Ye Xiaohou merely turned his face away, and Fatty Lin did the same. Seeing these two shameless guys acting this way, Xu Ming sighed inwardly.

But when he spotted Long Yi and Feng Shi standing behind Yang Yi, the scoundrel pulled out the stops, adopting a tearful, snotty expression as he looked at the two guards.

“Uh!” Long Yi and Feng Shi were momentarily taken aback. A moment later, Feng Shi pursed her lips into a smile, while Long Yi’s typically icy expression broke into a rare, faint grin.

“Dragon Lord, actually, I think it would be quite good if Xu Ming could go back early to be a Major General,” Long Yi didn't plead on Xu Ming’s behalf but instead delivered what sounded like a death sentence.

“Damn this guy…” Xu Ming cursed inwardly, thinking, What a waste of acting effort!

“Oh? And why is that?” Yang Yi suddenly smiled cryptically, clearly eager to hear if Long Yi’s next thought aligned with his own.

“If one of us operating in the underworld could become a Major General, perhaps even a General, it would be immensely advantageous to us. Think about it—the development of the underworld inevitably leads to friction with local authorities, perhaps even the police. If we had someone…” Long Yi cast a wicked glance at Xu Ming and then stopped speaking.

However, no one present was an idiot, so they all understood exactly what Long Yi meant. They nodded in firm agreement. Fatty Lin remarked, “Brother Yi, that is indeed a great concept.”

“Agreed, I second that!” Ye Xiaohou said.

“Yes, a good concept. But who will develop the film company then?” Yang Yi’s mouth curved into a smile as he asked.

“Boss, you can rest assured on that matter. You can hold me responsible; managing a film company is something I can handle,” Long Yi suddenly took responsibility for the film company, nearly making Xu Ming roll his eyes.

“Boss…”

“Heh heh, Third Brother, what do you think about this arrangement…?” Yang Yi waved his hand, looking mischievously at Xu Ming.

“Sigh—I knew it! I should have waited until my old man got here to say anything. Looks like I have to obediently go back and start training,” Xu Ming lamented gloomily.

Yang Yi stood up, walked over to Xu Ming, and patted his shoulder, his expression extremely serious. “Third Brother, actually, our involvement in the underworld is akin to a Chairman of the State holding power within the Party. The difference is they operate in the light, and we operate in the dark. Both are interdependent; sometimes, we must borrow the power of the light to temper the darkness we embody. I hope you understand this point!”

“Yes, Boss, I understand clearly!” Xu Ming certainly grasped the implications, but the truth was, the brat just wanted a few more carefree days of university life.

“Heh heh, actually, given your capability, securing a Major General rank shouldn't be difficult. It’s just that the authority of a Major General is always secondary to that of a full General…”

“Whoa, Boss, you’re not suggesting I aim for General, are you?” Xu Ming exclaimed in shock.

A General in a country is comparable to a regional commander, a top figure in the military hierarchy. While slightly different from a Military Region Commander, their power is immense. Once one achieves the rank of General, accumulating military merits a few times over would mean that Xu Ming, as the Second-in-Command of the Southern Military Region, could directly take over a command post in any military region. That wasn't a joke; put plainly, this fellow could stir up massive waves in the military establishment. [Author’s Note: I’ve made some minor modifications here to avoid conflicts, so please don't take this personally, haha, you naughty person.]

“Haha, don’t tell me you lack confidence?” Yang Yi laughed heartily. In his heart, he felt immensely proud. What an incredible feeling it would be to have a brother capable of shaking the military establishment as a General—it felt absolutely intoxicatingly cool.

“I’ll do my best!” Xu Ming felt a touch of helplessness toward Yang Yi, but to achieve the goal, he had already sworn an indelible oath in his heart—an oath to make the greatest possible contribution to Yang Yi.

Fatty Lin suddenly remembered something and asked, “Then Brother Yi, if Third Brother’s dad is coming here to see you, what should we do?”

“Yeah, my Uncle isn’t exactly a lightweight either!” Ye Xiaohou also seemed to recall something, his expression growing uneasy. “I really don’t like thinking about those things!”

“Uh, this!” Yang Yi was momentarily unsure how to proceed. Although he had decided Xu Ming should return to become a Major General and had assigned the film company to Long Yi, Xu Ming’s father insisting on a visit now made a refusal difficult.

“Heh heh, you deal with it when it comes—meeting the legendary Commander of the Southern Military Region wouldn't be a bad thing after all!” Yang Yi declared as if making a sudden decision.

“Uh!” Everyone present was momentarily stunned. They were all aware of the potential consequences if the meeting between Yang Yi and the Commander of the Southern Military Region were to leak, given their respective statuses. But since Yang Yi had decided to meet him, there was no other way.

“Don’t worry, nothing will go wrong,” Xu Ming smiled faintly. “I’ve already explained the situation to my dad. He knows what he needs to do.”