In truth, Yao Yao, Zhao Xueqing, and Lei Xiaohui were all around the same age, just over twenty, yet each of them was already worth tens of millions—far more than their peers.
Not to mention, they all held military ranks. Their wealth was only going to increase in the future.
But worldly achievements aside, they were now Tier Three Transcendents, placing them among the most powerful people on Earth.
All of this was thanks to Li Xiang. If they hadn’t met him, they would just be ordinary working girls from impoverished families.
What more could they ask for? The three of them knew this perfectly well. ’We can’t compete with Jiang Cai’Er or Luo Feifei,’ they thought, ’but we’re still core members of the team, Brother Xiang’s personal assistants, involved in all his businesses and industries. If we stick together, securing the third, fourth, and fifth spots shouldn’t be a problem.’
They could now stand on their own two feet. In other words, their wings had hardened; they were in control of their own lives and had become the pillars of their families. As a result, their families no longer pressured them about getting married or set them up on blind dates.
No one dared to make a move on them. Even if someone had the guts to pursue them, the women would undoubtedly look down on him and reject him on the spot.
If anyone dared to keep bothering them, they would definitely be in for a world of hurt. The three of them had always been quite sharp, and now they were seasoned veterans. They held high-level corporate positions and had even participated in missions to hunt down Exotic Beasts. Shrewd and capable, they were not to be trifled with.
Even before meeting Li Xiang, Lei Xiaohui might have been relatively innocent, but Yao Yao and Zhao Xueqing had never been naive damsels.
Li Xiang actually quite liked these sharp-witted girls. ’As long as their intentions are good and their character is sound, having a few extra tricks up your sleeve is no bad thing. In the Apocalypse, it increases your chances of survival and allows you to accomplish more.’
’Besides, they were highly competent and had excellent management skills.’
Under their direction, Eternal Night Media’s livestream sales (tea, red wine, jadeite, and local mountain specialties), the shops in the scenic area, the resort’s operational management, and the progress tracking of the Shelter project were all running smoothly. They had the employees completely in hand, and even Jiang Cai’Er and Luo Feifei got along well with them. This was one of the reasons Li Xiang had given them shares in the company.
As the ancients said, the talent found in a single county is enough to govern a nation. Yao Yao and her friends were precisely those kinds of outstanding individuals.
After being away for so long, Li Xiang decided to stay put for a while. He spent his days on his Cultivation and handling various mundane matters.
There was some good news: Zhang Youyou was pregnant. When Li Xiang found out, he called Xu Xuan and Zhang Youyou to congratulate them.
Yao Yao, Zhao Xueqing, and Lei Xiaohui were also on good terms with Zhang Youyou, so they drove over together with gifts to visit the expectant mother.
On the way back, Yao Yao, Zhao Xueqing, and Lei Xiaohui couldn’t stop stealing glances at Li Xiang.
Li Xiang sensed what they were thinking but chose to ignore it.
’My first time must be with Jiang Cai’Er,’ he thought, ’and my first child must be hers as well.’
After he got back, Li Xiang went to visit another "expectant mother"—Yuanyuan.
Yuanyuan’s belly was getting bigger and bigger. Especially since she was carrying triplets and had an excellent diet, her belly was much larger than that of other panda mothers. But despite being pregnant for so long, she still showed no signs of giving birth, which left the villagers and the provincial expert team marveling in amazement.
Li Xiang went to see her that night and secretly used his Spiritual Power to check on her. Everything was normal, so he decided not to interfere and just let nature take its course.
’The triplets most likely have Extraordinary potential, so it’s not surprising the pregnancy is taking a little longer. After all, Nezha stayed in his mother’s womb for a full three years.’
...
「In the blink of an eye, it was mid-May, and the college entrance exams were drawing near.」
Brilliant golden sunlight streamed through the branches of the camphor trees at County No. 1 High School, weaving a dappled golden net across the red and white rubber track.
On the school’s athletic field, the coming-of-age ceremony and college entrance exam pep rally for the senior class was underway.
On both sides of the main stage, Phoenix Trees were in vibrant bloom, their petals drifting on the breeze and landing on a hanging, gold-gilt banner. It read: "At Eighteen, We Vow to Serve Family and Nation; in a Hundred-Day Sprint, We Ascend Kunlun."
The school normally operated as a closed campus, but for this special day, it had opened its gates to the public. Numerous county leaders and media personnel were invited, along with some parents who came to watch the ceremony.
As the county’s biggest internet celebrity, a member of the political consultative conference, a Major in the military, and someone who had donated six million yuan to the school, Li Xiang was naturally on the guest list and had a designated seat in the VIP section.
Of course, Jiang Jianguo and Aunt Jiang were there as well, having arrived in Li Xiang’s car.
Since Li Xiang and Jiang Cai’Er weren’t formally engaged yet, he couldn’t attend as a family member. The news that they would get engaged right after the exams was still a secret. If it got out now, forget his fans—the entire school would erupt, and the principal himself would likely object. The reason was simple: they were afraid it would affect Jiang Cai’Er’s performance on her exams.
The college entrance exam isn’t the only path to university, but for a school in an underdeveloped area like County No. 1 High, other avenues were essentially out of reach—or rather, its students weren’t eligible for them.
Jiang Cai’Er placed first in every exam. In the provincial mock exams, she was unequivocally number one in the entire province. The school treasured her; it was impossible to overstate her importance to them.
A few slackers tried to make a move on Jiang Cai’Er, even colluding with some punks from off-campus. Without Jiang Cai’Er having to lift a finger, the school found out and immediately expelled the students involved. As for the foolish off-campus punks, they were detained by the police and taught a harsh lesson.
This was the kind of treatment a top student received. In the cafeteria, the lunch ladies always gave Jiang Cai’Er extra food, making sure to pick out the best cuts of meat for her.