Courtyard houses: Those who are capable are rewarded, and many children bring many blessings.

For the sake of this ripe and beautiful young woman, Niu Dazhuang stayed in Japan for another month or so.

Niu Dazhuang was still the same Niu Dazhuang, but Yu Beibei was clearly different; it was her colleagues who noticed this change.

"Sister Yu, we women need men to nourish us. Look at your current state of mind. Ever since you came back from your trip with your old flame, you've been noticeably different, especially your skin, tsk tsk... it's even more elastic than mine..."

"Xiao Zhang, you have such a mouth! It's both endearing and infuriating. Who told you we were old flames? We're just old friends from over ten years ago. We went out for a few days together, and you guys started making us old flames!" Yu Beibei said with a smile.

"Sister Yu, outsiders see our work as glamorous, but only we ourselves understand the hardships behind it. If I weren't..."

I didn't want to get involved with Japanese people, but I couldn't resist. So what if I have an old flame? It won't hurt us. We'll still live our lives normally when we go back to China.

"Xiao Zhang, your roundabout strategy wasn't very effective; I saw through it. Was my change that obvious?"

"It's so obvious. The anger you usually keep inside is gone now, isn't it? Your mind is clear, so it's definitely different. If it weren't for the wisdom of our ancestors, you wouldn't know how to balance Yin and Yang..."

"I think you just want a man! Don't try to stop me from thinking what you want."

Xiao Zhang didn't mince words: "I just miss my wife, what's so hard about admitting that? Your thinking is a bit outdated." Xiao Zhang had no idea what Yu Beibei and her friends were like back then; they were much bolder than they were now. They've just toned it down.

Niu Dazhuang and his group first went to Hong Kong Island. After working there for a few days, Niu Dazhuang found two Filipino maids for the beautiful Guan and brought them back to Yanjing.

Work is slow these days. Computers aren't widespread yet, and design institutes still use entirely hand-drawn blueprints.

The 30-story Huachen Hotel alone required over 1000 blueprints, all hand-drawn. There were still areas that needed modification, and the design institute spent over three months just on the blueprint work alone.

When Niu Dazhuang returned, it was already July, and the foundation had not yet been laid.

Niu Chengqun was tanned and very thin; it was his first time in charge of a project, and he had to worry about everything. No wonder he was thin.

They've really got a lot of skills; communicating with designers is one thing, communicating with workers is another...

Seeing his father return leisurely, the father and son drank beer together that evening.

"Once this project is finished, I need to take a break for a while. Dad, you have to support me a bit. I also want to go abroad."

"Hmm, not bad, not bad."

"Dad, what's so good about this? You're already tipsy after barely drinking any."

"I'd say you've improved a lot in the last six months; you're much more composed now."

"Well, you're really stubborn! Dad, these past six months have been quite tough on me, much more demanding than when I was in the factory. I've completely given up on this or that kind of worker, and those laborers and contractors... well, how should I put it? You try to talk to them nicely, but they just won't listen. They keep making the same mistakes over and over again..." Niu Chengqun started complaining.

Niu Dazhuang didn't disturb him, and listened attentively to his son's complaints while pouring himself a drink...

Occasionally, Niu Dazhuang would ask, "Can you understand the construction drawings now?"

"There are supervisors already in place, do I still need to learn this?"

"It's never a bad thing to learn more!" In fact, Niu Dazhuang himself didn't know much, but that didn't stop him from instructing his son.

Niu Dazhuang doesn't plan to let his sons get involved in the futures or foreign exchange markets. These markets are too complex, and he's a special case who's managed to thrive in them.

I would prefer that my children go into business, even if it's just trading companies.

Niu Dazhuang had been away from home for almost half a year. After eating and drinking, Niu Chengqun wisely took his wife and children back to his home.

Once the door is closed, the real show begins.

The next day, Niu Dazhuang went to the municipal government first. He told his brother-in-law, Bai Hongjun, about what had happened over the past six months.

"Can you do me a favor?"

"Tell me, what do you want me to do this time?"

"Those five guys, oh, you know, the five bodyguards who gave me the party, I think they're not young anymore, could you give them a speedy retirement?"

"You're really thinking too much. They should be around twenty-five or twenty-six, right? That's their prime age. You're saying they should change careers? Who are you trying to fool?"

"The guard regiment has so many men, losing five of them won't make a difference. Please help me out!"

"Forget about those five. I'll see if I can get you a few genuine discharges this fall during the demobilization season."

"Could you get me a few more? The more the merrier."

"Forget about the guards. How about a veteran who's been in combat?"

"Yes, I want them. Not only do I want people with all their limbs intact, but I also want people who are missing an arm or a leg."

"You've got a pretty high level of awareness. Okay, I'll remember that."

"I haven't finished my business here yet, and I'll have to go out again in a few days. Right now, Japan has just cast its net, and it won't be ready to be harvested until next year. I'm thinking of making a trip to the north to get a feel for the place first, and then I'll go and make some moves in the north after Japan has finished harvesting its net."

If nothing goes wrong, not only will I personally gain a significant advantage from the north, but our country will also take a small step forward.

"Damn it, do you know what you're saying?" Even the second-in-command swore, which shows how explosive this news was.

Niu Dazhuang said confidently, "I know now. It's something he said back then: 'When the satellite goes into space, the red flag falls to the ground.' I think the red flag in the north is really going to fall. Just imagine, it's like a whale fall in the ocean!"

Bai Hongjun lost his composure. He stood up and paced back and forth in his office. Not to mention, Bai Hongjun would definitely tell the person who said that to get lost.

While the North isn't as powerful as it was in the 1960s and 70s, it was still one of the poles of the bipolar world, the leading member of the Warsaw Pact. How could the red flag have fallen so easily? To what extent? How did it fall? Is it threatening civil war or…?

A series of questions swirled in Bai Hongjun's mind. He glanced at his cheap brother-in-law, who always said things that were shockingly accurate.

Back in those special times, the fact that my father was able to advance half a grade was all thanks to this person's judgment.

Thanks to his godlike prediction, the Bai family not only escaped unscathed during those ten years, but also chose the right side during this period, ensuring the Bai family's prosperity for twenty or thirty years.

Therefore, since these words came from Niu Dazhuang, Bai Hongjun had no choice but to take them seriously.

"Come on, come home with me, and you can talk to the old man in person." Although the old man has retired, his influence is unmatched by the city's top official.

"No rush, there are still several years until that day!"