During this period, the driving force behind the three individuals' relentless pursuit of martial arts and continuous breakthroughs was the desire to continue serving by Young Master Yun's side.
With A'da and the other two returning, their original responsibilities naturally fell back upon them.
As for Elder Qiu, Elder Liu, Lu Boyun, Du Lü, and the four clan elders, their role was solely protective, continuing to follow Zhao Yunhai.
Zhao Yunhai entered closed-door cultivation for another day, and the next day, he returned home with Yang Hui.
Seeing his mother playing mahjong, Zhao Yunhai casually placed the four cups of coffee he had just bought to the side.
Zhao Yunhai merely glanced at the three of them.
However, even that single glance startled the three mahjong partners.
After all, Zhao Yunhai had flipped the table on them more than once in the past.
"Don't panic, my darling son is very filial now."
"Come, come, one cup each."
Qin Siwan, without hesitation, took the coffee and distributed it to the three, her eyes brimming with smiles.
"Is that your future daughter-in-law, Sister Qin? As expected of a direct descendant of the Yang family, the aura she projects is truly remarkable."
"Yes, yes, it's clear that your darling son, Sister Qin, likes her very much."
"Congratulations, congratulations, Sister Qin's wish to hold her grandchild will soon come true."
Qin Siwan's smile widened as she listened to their words, one after another.
"It's still early, still early."
Though she said it dismissively, Qin Siwan's eyes were already alight with anticipation.
Indeed, how wonderful it would be to hold her grandchild.
If Zhao Yunhai knew this, he might not come home for a while, as he didn't want children at the moment.
"I'm going to take care of some things. You go watch my mother play mahjong."
After casually telling Yang Hui, Zhao Yunhai went upstairs to his room.
"Yu Manlou, how is Li Mingyi doing recently?"
Lying on his bed, Zhao Yunhai called Yu Manlou.
Yu Manlou spoke with great excitement, "Boss, your foresight is truly remarkable! In just one month, Longgong Marine Company's profits have exceeded one billion."
"We've struck gold with this investment."
Yu Manlou had never expected that an ordinary person like this, after receiving the boss's investment, would turn his life around so dramatically.
He had investigated the man; his fishing skills were indeed peculiar, and he was certainly capable.
However, capability alone wasn't enough to manage a company, yet this man had repeatedly surpassed his expectations.
"It's normal. If he needs any help, try your best to provide it. If it's truly insurmountable, come to me directly."
Zhao Yunhai also thought of the protagonist's mockery halo, which easily attracted others to target the protagonist.
Such troubles were simple for him to resolve.
As long as Li Mingyi did not betray him, Zhao Yunhai would treat Li Mingyi as one of his own.
Villains are not heartless individuals.
On the contrary, many villains are fiercely protective of their own, which is why they would capture the young ones to get to the elders.
Zhao Yunhai has always treated his own people very well, never being stingy.
A billion yuan was merely a string of numbers to Zhao Yunhai, causing no ripple in his heart.
"Yes, Chairman." Yu Manlou replied.
"Oh, and Tiangong Company can no longer be considered just a company; it should be elevated to a group. Please handle the paperwork for that, and then you can have me sign it."
"This time, I will come to select the location for Tiangong Group's headquarters."
"That's all for now. I'll hang up."
Zhao Yunhai quickly finished stating the purpose of his call and hung up.
"It seems that by taking the protagonist as a subordinate, the protagonist's halo has neither disappeared nor been suppressed. This method is viable."
Countless ideas flashed through Zhao Yunhai's mind.
To be honest, he was not skilled in scheming; he often had ideas but needed someone to flesh out the details.
In the future, dealing with protagonists could not rely solely on him; he could only provide the general direction.
Many influential figures have think tanks, which in ancient times were akin to keeping retainers.
The success of bringing Li Mingyi, a protagonist, into his fold allowed Zhao Yunhai to envision the rapid establishment and worldwide spread of his Tiangong Group.
As long as he could bring protagonists from every industry into his fold, Tiangong wouldn't require his personal attention; he might wake up to a vastly changed enterprise.
This time, when leaving Yan Jing, Zhao Yunhai brought Yang Hui along. After all, a place where he would reside in the future needed a mistress.
He bid a simple farewell to his companions in the group chat. A few brief exchanges informed him of their recent exploits.
Women of various statuses had brought them varying degrees of pleasure.
Zhao Yunhai, being an experienced player, actively engaged in suggestive conversations in the group.
After all, their flamboyant lifestyles were all thanks to his guidance as a seasoned veteran from his previous life.
While he might not carry the burdens of his past self, Zhao Yunhai gladly embraced this one.
In terms of playfulness, Zhao Yunhai in his previous life had been far more adventurous than them.
Haizhou, Haicheng.
Upon landing in Haicheng, Zhao Yunhai specifically visited Longgong Marine Company, a subsidiary of Tiangong Group.
"I haven't had the chance to personally thank you for my mother's illness!"
"The surgery was a complete success. Although she's still recuperating in the hospital, she'll be able to return once she's fully recovered."
Li Mingyi personally welcomed Zhao Yunhai outside, expressing his gratitude.
Zhao Yunhai appreciated protagonists who remembered kindness. He patted Li Mingyi's shoulder and said earnestly.
"The surgery's success was expected. You'll be able to manage this company with a clear conscience from now on."
"If you must express your gratitude, then make this company flourish in the future."
"Rest assured, you have definitely chosen the right person."
Li Mingyi thumped his chest, confidently assuring him.
After a few conversations, Zhao Yunhai left Longgong Marine Company with satisfaction.
Regarding the site selection for Tiangong Group, Zhao Yunhai and Yu Manlou repeatedly confirmed, finally settling on Qianzhou.
Qianzhou was not an economically developed region. Compared to Jingzhou, Zhongzhou, Haizhou, and Yunzhou, it was still a semi-developed area.
In the short term, investing in Qianzhou was an unwise choice.
However, in the long run, Qianzhou, being inland and bordering the four major continents of Yun, Hai, Chi, and Guang, held considerable potential for the future.
"Then it's Qianzhou. Qianzhou is the area where my Zhao clan's control is weakest. I'll go there to fill that gap."
It was for this reason that Zhao Yunhai ultimately decided on Qianzhou.
Years ago, when the Nine Continents were just being reorganized, those who had pledged allegiance to the Zhao clan had, by exploiting certain coincidences, attempted to break away from the Zhao clan.
At that time, the Zhao clan had focused its efforts on areas like Zhongzhou, Jingzhou, Haizhou, and Yunzhou, viewing Qianzhou as a burden and naturally abandoning it.
However, those who betrayed the Zhao clan were executed on the spot.
This was the price of betrayal. All those under that person who had participated in the betrayal vanished.
The number of people who disappeared was immense, causing those who dared to stir up trouble to fear for their own safety.
That person's betrayal also allowed the Zhao clan to purge many who had harbored disloyal intentions but had not yet revealed them.
The human heart is unfathomable. Despite the Zhao clan's strength, they could not fathom the depths of human hearts.
After all, loyalty and betrayal were but a thought away.
Zhao Yunhai even suspected that the clan might have intentionally used this incident to target certain individuals, making it impossible for anyone to find fault.
That night, in a secluded corner of Haicheng's coastline, a "floating corpse" was washed ashore by the waves.