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Chapter 971 A Game-Ahead Success: Reaching the Top Overnight

Money can't solve all problems.

But it can solve at least 99% of your problems.

If we add Governor Zhou's current status, then all the face and prestige will be taken care of.

"This child is too kind!"

Liu's mother, beaming with joy, pulled Liu Shishi's aunt along with her hand: "Last time, Shishi gave us a bracelet, I heard it cost several million. She even gave us one before the New Year. And now she's giving us so many again! You'd better take some back with you later..."

The word Versailles doesn't exist yet.

Aunt Liu Shishi couldn't help but roll her eyes when she saw that even with all her willpower, Liu's mother couldn't suppress the upturned corners of her mouth.

Looking at Shi Shi's eyes as she gazed at this divine son-in-law, it was as if she could pull out fine threads of longing.
After greeting everyone, the Liu family relatives were so enthusiastic that they were almost overflowing. They crowded around Zhou Yutang and rushed into the living room, hurriedly arranging for him to sit in the main seat.

"Mr. Zhou, have some tea! Top-quality pre-Qingming Longjing tea!"

My second uncle was very good at handling things. He smiled and said, "I heard from Shishi that you like to drink tea, so I specially asked a friend from the South to bring some for you."

His wife's pupils dilated in shock.

No, is this still my husband?
At home, Master Jing is usually a very chauvinistic man, but today he seemed like a completely different person, providing such meticulous service.

Zhou Yutang accepted the gift with both hands, her tone gentle yet carrying an undeniable aura: "Second Uncle, you're too kind. Just call me Yutang."

"Yes! Good! Good! Good!"

Uncle Liu's mouth was stretched almost to his ears.

At this moment, Liu's father stepped back behind the crowd, his back ramrod straight, his gaze sharp as a hawk's, carrying a scrutinizing air.

Yes, they're still trying to maintain the authority of an elder.

Auntie tugged at Liu's mother's arm and gestured with her lips in his direction. Liu's mother immediately rolled her eyes at her, a gesture she inherited from her ancestors.

Liu's father remained unmoved, and even snorted inwardly.

We agreed to stick to our principles, so why did my teammates surrender at the last minute?

Despite his mother's disdain, he remained steadfast and determined, refusing to give up.

So what if you're rich and powerful?
I, Liu, am from a distinguished family. Who in the martial arts world doesn't know Liu Tianli, the sworn brother of Mr. Yuan Kuocheng and a master of Xihe Dagu storytelling?
They still have that much backbone.

"Uncle, auntie."

Zhou Yutang adopted a humble posture, with a warm smile on his face and a sincere tone, saying, "I am truly sorry. I should have visited you two earlier. However, I have been busy with affairs and have not been able to find a suitable time, which has delayed me until today. I am really sorry."

"Hey, hey, your business is more important."

The mother-in-law was increasingly pleased with her son-in-law and even told Zhou Yutang to take care of his health.

"Ah."

Mr. Liu nodded slightly. Like many middle-aged people of his age, he was concerned about national and family affairs.

I watch the news broadcast every day without fail. I remember Zhou Yutang was on screen with his superiors just before the Lunar New Year, and his stiff expression had softened considerably.

"According to Liu Shishi, my uncle is someone who understands and loves painting."

As Zhou Yutang spoke, he calmly stood up and took the gleaming sandalwood painting box handed to him by the bodyguard.

He held the painting steadily in both hands and respectfully presented it to Liu's father. "It just so happens that a friend gave me a painting by Qiu Shizhou called 'Boating on a Snowy Night,' which is a gem that has been overlooked by me. I brought it here today for you, Uncle, to appreciate and critique it."

"Um!?"

Upon hearing the name Qiu Shizhou, Liu's father's hand trembled as he drank his tea, and he could hardly contain himself.

Zhou Yutang opened the painting box in front of him, and a cool and distant fragrance of ink and literature, as if it had been refined over the years, wafted out.

It instantly captivated the attention of those in the know.

Zhou Yutang's tone remained calm and even, as if he were handing over an ordinary gift.

The moment Liu's father's gaze fell upon the contents of the box, his pupils contracted sharply, and he froze.

He didn't bother with formalities, carefully took the painting out of the box, and examined it intently.

The ancient silk scroll, with its warm, lustrous sheen, bears brushstrokes, seals, and inscriptions.
The relatives nearby peered over, looking on with a mixture of confusion and awe, nodding frequently as if they understood.

Who is Qiu Shizhou?

My aunt asked her husband, who teaches history at a university.

The latter's eyes lit up like two beams of flashlight, and his tone was slightly excited: "This is a master who, along with Shen Zhou, Wen Zhengming, and Tang Yin, is known as one of the Four Masters of the Ming Dynasty. His works are rare and have high artistic and historical value; they can be considered priceless treasures."

"How much is it worth? It can't be over a million, can it?"

"Your aunt doesn't care about this or that," she asked directly.

"Millions? Are you kidding me? It'll be at least tens of millions."

"what!?"

Liu Shishi's aunt stared wide-eyed in astonishment.

My uncle-in-law, who watches many antique appraisal shows, confidently stated, "I once saw that the 'Red Cliff' painting sold for 80 million at auction. This 'Boating on a Snowy Night' hanging scroll shouldn't be that expensive, but if it's genuine, it'll definitely cost at least ten million."

After several minutes, Liu's father slowly let out a breath, nodded and sighed, "This ink and brushwork are so vibrant and spirited; it is undoubtedly a genuine work by Qiu Shizhou!"

Despite his fondness for the book, Liu's father did not covet it and pushed it back, saying firmly, "This gift is too valuable; I cannot accept it."

"Uncle, you flatter me."

Zhou Yutang laughed and said, "This painting has a serene and elegant artistic conception. If I put it there, it would make me look like I'm wasting my talents."

Your understanding, love, and cherishing of it, and the fact that it has found a good home, is its destiny. Please accept this as a small token of my respect.

That's a well-spoken statement; Zhou Yutang really doesn't know much about calligraphy and painting.

This is one of the local specialties that Boss Jiang sent as a gift before the Lunar New Year.

It was said that it was brought back to China through overseas channels, and since Liu's father happened to like it, Zhou Yutang used it to present to his father.

"Dad, please accept it."

Liu Shishi also tried to persuade him, and after much refusal, Liu's father finally accepted it.

The saying "He who eats another's food is bound to him, he who takes another's money is bound to him" is absolutely true.

Previously, Liu's father disliked Zhou for abducting his daughter, but after being knocked unconscious by a genuine work of Qiu Shizhou's calligraphy, he now found Zhou Yutang to be quite handsome.
As for Liu's relatives, everyone was even more enthusiastic, and their tone of voice unconsciously carried a hint of flattery.

It's not their fault for being realistic.

The story of Director Qi in "In the Name of the People" is still vivid in my mind.

Zhou Yutang's current status and the resources he can access are unimaginable to ordinary people.

Even a glimpse of wealth peeking out from between the fingers is an indication of immense riches.

However, Zhou Yutang did not put on airs and lowered his posture appropriately, showing great courtesy to the elders.

The meal was heartwarming and comforting, and the atmosphere was even more harmonious than expected. Liu Shishi was naturally happy and exchanged a warm and pleasant smile with Zhou Yutang.

After finishing their meal, Liu Shishi suddenly decided to go see a movie, and her second uncle and aunt's two children joined in the commotion.

Zhou Yutang waved his hand and led the two burdens to his own Starry Sky Cinema.

The two did not engage in any overly intimate behavior, but they held hands the entire time.

The kid was quite well-behaved during the movie, keeping quiet throughout.

Occasionally, he would glance at Zhou Yutang with admiration, and at the romantic starlight above, exclaiming "Wow!" repeatedly.

Zhou Yutang and Liu Shishi's generation grew up watching Hong Kong and Taiwan idol dramas.

Children born in Generation Z, like Liu Shishi's aunt and uncle.

In their hearts, Zhou Yutang held a position almost like a god.

They probably already had the winter break essay topic in mind: "My Brother-in-Law, the Richest Man in the Entertainment Industry." They were completely immersed in the high-octane plot, exclaiming in surprise at the thrilling and exciting parts.

"Does it look good?"

"nice!"

When the movie ended, the two junior high school students jumped up and down excitedly.

"The Jiaolong Special Forces are awesome!"

Do you really think Americans are that awesome?

"Ha, the Americans are nothing!"

The boy from my sister's and second uncle's family has a real Beijing air about him. He puffs out his chest, holds his head high, and says with a disdainful look, "I want to join the Jiaolong Special Forces in the future. I'll be the next Dragon King!"

"He's promising."

Zhou Yutang couldn't help but smile and patted Jingye's proud little head.

My half-day with the child is over. I've arranged for a driver to take me home.

On the way, Liu Shishi linked arms with Zhou Yutang, resting her head on his broad shoulder, scrolling through the Maoyan app, seemingly more concerned about box office trends than Zhou Yutang himself.
"Today's box office has already exceeded 5.5 million, and it looks like it won't be lower than yesterday's."

This Spring Festival, Liu Shishi specially took three days off from the film crew.

I'm flying directly to Hengdian early tomorrow morning to continue filming "The Story of Minglan".

Zhou Yutang dedicated his last night entirely to her.

"You're going abroad again in a few days, right?"

"The company has a few meetings to attend. I'm going to South Korea on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year to work on the film's post-production. I'm flying to North America on the 25th."

Zhou Yutang felt the arms holding her in a warm embrace tighten, and gently pulled the seemingly weightless First Sister into her arms.

After so many years of marriage, sometimes we don't need to say much to feel each other's feelings, and it's inevitable that we'll hand in our homework at night.

Before I even got home, I felt warm breath on my Adam's apple and was kissed by soft lips.

Zhou Yutang's hands seemed to have built-in navigation, naturally placing them where they should be.

Biting her lip and suppressing a sound, Liu Shishi's legs were weak and her eyes were glazed.

Compared to her usual dignified and gentle demeanor, she exuded a more alluring charm.

Since they were in the car, Zhou Yutang didn't make any further moves, only showing a little tenderness.

Liu Shishi's cheeks flushed slightly as she nestled in Zhou Yutang's arms, and she suddenly spoke:

"Honey, what do you think about us having a baby?"

"Then we need to work harder."

Zhou Yutang put his arm around Liu Shishi's slender waist.

The answer, given without the slightest hesitation, made Liu Shishi feel as if several fireworks were bursting in her heart, pounding together and soaring into the sky.

Then it blossoms into an incomparably beautiful scene.

Liu Shishi is not blind.

With strategists like Zhuge Liang and Feng Xiaogang acting as their eyes and ears, the news of Zeng Li giving birth to a daughter and Da Meiyuan's pregnancy was no secret within their small circle.

To say I'm not sad is simply deceiving myself.

No matter how generous a woman is, she will never want to share her man with others.

Ultimately, male-female relationships are nothing more than conquest and being conquered.

Zhou Yutang undoubtedly held an absolute dominant position in this relationship.

In particular, his career and love life are closely intertwined with his, and he also arranges everything around him in a clear and orderly manner.

The more this happened, the more Liu Shishi became inseparable from Zhou Yutang, often playing the ostrich and turning a blind eye.

My man is always thinking about his career. It's all because of the people around him who have led him astray. And those slutty, shameless women are just too shameless!

The younger you are and the less experienced you are, the more you will demand perfection from others. But where in the world is there a perfect person?

Before her debut, her company hyped up the topic of "Fairy Cousin" in order to generate traffic. Later, the media and netizens often compared Liu Shishi and Liu Yifei.

This incident bothered her for a while, but she eventually let it go.

The white moonlight can never replace the red rose.

What good would it do to argue and find out who's better?
The matter of the child caused Liu Shishi to feel panicked.

With the encouragement and instigation of those around him, and after much private deliberation, he felt he should do something, and that's when he spoke directly to Zhou Yutang.

The latter did not disappoint her either.

Aquaman put a lot of thought into trying to treat everyone fairly, and he had already made contingency plans for this.

Liu Shishi and Liu Yifei ultimately held different places in his heart.

The shares of Starry Sky Games were given away without hesitation, and the treatment Zhou Yutang prepared for Liu Shishi and her children goes without saying.

They immediately made a promise to the top female star.

Of course, hard work is more than just talk.
Following its opening day, "Operation Red Sea" grossed 6.63 million yuan on the second day of the Lunar New Year, and continued to steadily gross 5.82 million yuan on the third day.

The total box office has reached 18.05 billion yuan in just three days.

Leading the Spring Festival film season by a wide margin.

Following behind is "Monster Hunt 2," which, thanks to the strong foundation of its predecessor and pre-sales, became a huge hit on its opening day.

However, the box office continued to decline over the next two days due to negative word-of-mouth, and the total box office for the three days reached 10.78 billion yuan, which was no match for the competition.

The huge success of "Operation Red Sea" has also led to related reports and clips appearing on TikTok and Bilibili's overseas video platforms in surrounding Asian countries.

Of course, compared to box office revenue.

For this group of people.

Clearly, the advanced weaponry and elite combat capabilities displayed by the Chinese navy are truly awe-inspiring.

"This is definitely AI-generated." — Indian netizen

"Wow, our Republic of Korea's navy isn't bad either!" — South Korean netizen

"Is this the strength of the Chinese navy?" — A Japanese netizen

"."

Thanks to the platform's promotion, the influence of this explosive military film continues to spread.

The internet was in an uproar, and the private group chat of the three generals of Jiangdong, which was widely rumored to be popular, was also quite lively.

"@Lu Yang, you're treating!"

"I want to eat a whole roasted lamb!"

"big eater!"

"Haha, thanks to President Zhou, we're in luck this time."

Lu Yang sent out more than ten red envelopes in one go: "I have to make arrangements when I get back!"

He was even out doing promotional tours on the first day of the Lunar New Year. Every time he came out of the movie theater and rushed to catch up on the box office, he would take out his phone to check the figures and get so excited that he couldn't sleep.

Last year, Guo Fan's "Candle in the Tomb 2" was a huge hit, followed by Wen Muye's steady progress, which earned him another film with a box office of over 10 billion yuan.

The wheel of fortune turns, and now it's Lu Yang's turn to rise to power among the three great generals of Jiangdong.

Moreover, it's the kind of movie that's poised to top the charts!

(End of this chapter)