"Mom's in a great mood today!" The fish-eye wrinkles on Miao Hanfu's forehead softened. "What's the matter?" Gao Ruolan asked. "Ruolan, our mooncakes won third place! I just saw it on TV!" Miao Hanfu beamed. "Oh! Mom! You didn't tell me, and I completely forgot!" Gao Ruolan pulled out the large red envelope containing ten thousand yuan and handed it to Miao Hanfu, saying, "Keep this for the family. I'm working as a promotional staff at the mooncake shop—it's actually quite well-paid." Miao Hanfu eagerly accepted it. At that moment, Dad Gao Caisheng returned, humming a tune, and his daughters were struck by his rare joy. So Miao Hanfu said, "Caisheng, what's made you so happy?" "Listen to the ringtone I just set up!" Gao Caisheng proudly displayed his ordinary Nokia flip phone, and as the tone played, it said, "Congratulations! I've won! My phone number has won!" "Dad! Don't be joking! This is just a simple phone ringtone—how seriously are you taking it?" "Gao Caisheng said. Look at my phone number. Gao Caisheng called Gao Ruolan using his own phone, and upon seeing the caller ID, Gao Ruolan was both surprised and delighted, exclaiming, "Dad! Really? This is the winning number for the first prize!" "Hehe! I've really won!" Gao Caisheng said proudly. It turned out that today, under the arrangement of the car wash owner, Gao Caisheng had delivered a phone. The phone's ringtone was "I've won!" While he was relaxing during his spare time, watching the live broadcast of the Mid-Autumn Festival and birthday celebration, he sent out a message of good wishes. Unexpectedly, shortly afterward, he received a notification that he had won a 5,000-yuan prize, which amazed the car wash staff and impressed the owner, who praised Gao Caisheng's good fortune. "Today, we have double joy at our home!" Miao Hanchu was delighted beyond words. She quickly served the freshly cooked meals, and the three of them enjoyed their dinner with a few glasses of wine. Of course, Gao Ruolan and Miao Hanchu drank the red wine brought by Gao's uncle during his recent visit, while Gao Caisheng still had his usual er-guo-tou. "Ruolan, Dad wants to know—how far have things progressed with Mr. Gao?" Gao Caisheng, half-drunk, looked at Gao Ruolan, whose face had grown slightly flushed from drinking. "Dad! Please don't ask!" Gao Ruolan held her bowl in her left hand and used her chopsticks to gently scoop up rice, eating in small bites. "Mr. Gao's mooncakes have already gone crazy all over the world. Such a wonderful young man—you mustn't miss your chance. Just keep going, please!" Gao Caisheng encouraged her. "Caisheng, you just mentioned it, and now I'm really worried. Look at Miss Qiu on stage—she seems so well-matched with Mr. Gao. I wonder if my Ruolan has the right connection with him!" Although Miao Gao Ruolan remained silent, simply setting down her bowl and chopsticks and saying, "Dad, Mom, I'm going to practice taekwondo at my uncle's place tomorrow!" "Are you not going to school tomorrow?" Gao Caisheng asked. "I've taken leave!" Gao Ruolan replied. Miao Hanfu and Gao Caisheng exchanged a glance, then said nothing. They sensed that their daughter must have something on her mind, but was unwilling to share it. While Gao Ruolan felt lonely due to the lack of a match, a handsome young man suddenly appeared and challenged her. Upon seeing it was Gao Liang, Gao Ruolan was amazed. The two exchanged vigorous moves—brilliantly showcasing their skills—drawing the attention of everyone in the gym. Uncle Miao Dayong stepped forward and was delighted to see it was Gao Liang. "说着，一个侧踢直取高亮面部，然而高亮是谁？他可是猪八戒下凡转世，能受得住她的这一脚吗？"Ah!" High Ruo Lan launched the kick with all her strength. The kick missed, and her body lost balance, leaning forward. In front of her stood a cement cylinder about one meter in diameter. Should she fall onto it, she'd surely suffer a head wound and bleeding. As everyone gasped in astonishment, Gao Liang moved with astonishing speed and slipped ahead. Just as Ruo Lan closed her eyes in despair, she felt her body gently collide with Gao Liang's chest—how warm and secure it felt! At that moment, her heart raced, and her breathing quickened. Naturally, her face turned crimson, as everyone clapped and cheered. One of the taekwondo students shouted, "Hey, handsome guy! Beautiful lady! Let's have a dance! Let's have a dance!" The hall erupted like boiling water—everyone joined in, shouting, "One! One!" The cheers rose and fell in waves. Gao Liang glanced at everyone, then lifted Gao Ruolan—radiant as a flower, beautiful and enchanting—into the air, spinning her three times, which sent the crowd into a joyful uproar. Many people threw bouquets of flowers toward the center of the hall and clapped enthusiastically. Gao Ruolan, cradled in Gao Liang’s strong, steady hands, felt so happy she nearly fainted. Her flushed cheeks, shy gaze, and tender expression deeply moved Gao Liang. The audience’s applause swelled, as if cheering for them. "A handsome man and a stunning woman—what a perfect match!" someone clapped and exclaimed in admiration. "Today’s taekwondo class was absolutely wonderful!" another shouted with excitement, their voice drawing attention from all corners of the hall. At that moment, Uncle Miao Dayong arrived, clapping his hands and saying, "The student just now was absolutely right. They just delivered an outstanding taekwondo lesson, demonstrating all the various taekwondo movements—exactly in line with what we've been practicing recently." "Taekwondo is absolutely fantastic! I really want to encourage more people to learn it!" One of the participants exclaimed, inspiring everyone else. It was clearly evident that many new students had come, drawn by word of mouth. After indicating to everyone to practice well, Miao Dayong went off to attend to his own matters, leaving Gao Liang and Gao Ruolan to chat. Though still visibly displeased after the earlier happiness and excitement, Gao Ruolan looked somewhat reserved. Gao Liang smiled at her and said, "It seems whenever we meet, you're always frowning like a bitter gourd!" Just as he was about to leave, Gao Ruolan said, "Gao Liang, at that ball dance, I realized how perfectly suited you are for Qiu Xinxue." She said it with a sense of quiet disappointment, her voice soft and low. But Hengliang was clear and his reply came as a surprise to Gao Ruolan: "Right now, besides the 1 million I've earned, I have nothing!" This statement made Gao Ruolan's eyes widen in disbelief—she couldn't quite believe it was Hengliang who had said it. "However!" Hengliang added without waiting for her to speak. Gao Ruolan assumed it was Qiu Xinxue, so she felt a bit let down. She clenched her teeth, her face showing clear disappointment. "You fool!" Hengliang gently squeezed Gao Ruolan's nose. "It's actually the one right in front of me!" The words were said with ease, yet Gao Ruolan heard them and couldn't help but cry. At that moment, Miao Dayong came over quickly, still on the phone, asking Hengliang, "Chen, the house manager, called to check if you're available?" "I'm not!" Hengliang replied decisively. Miao Dayong then followed through with the message. Gao Ruolan asked Gao Liang what exactly was going on. In front of Miao Dayong, Gao Liang explained the argument he had with his father. Gao Ruolan was deeply moved and, together with her uncle Miao Dayong, encouraged Gao Liang to go back home. But after Gao Liang repeatedly said "NO! NO! NO!", he shifted the topic and said, "I just want to do the things I truly enjoy. Let's focus on studying taekwondo together!" "That sounds wonderful!" Miao Dayong exclaimed excitedly, saying, "Young Gao, I've already filed a patent for your new fighting style!" "Really!" Gao Ruolan gasped, saying, "Uncle, you're telling the truth!" Miao Dayong produced a bright red taekwondo patent certificate. As soon as Gao Ruolan saw that the designer and patent holder were Gao Liang, she couldn't help but praise, "Gao Liang! I never thought you were truly amazing!" "Having said that, she couldn't help but grasp High Qingxue's hand. The two stood side by side, looking exceptionally youthful and vibrant. Miao Dabing watched them and his eyes sparkled—exactly what he had hoped for: High Lord and his niece together! On Friday, after the board meeting of Saint Dorothy Mary Business School concluded, the shareholders gradually left the main conference hall. But Gao Qingxue was called aside by Song Si'an. Once they were sure no one else was around, they began talking. Song Si'an took out a document from her pocket and handed it to Gao Qingxue, saying, 'Miss Gao, this is a business research report I've prepared—please take a look.' Gao Qingxue flipped through a few pages and asked, 'You mentioned that there was an influential force behind the last business bidding event—was that correct?' Song Si'an nodded and said, "I spent nearly a month investigating and finally uncovered a company named Black Water involved. They bribed the bidding company and colluded with Yunday Enterprises to create commercial hype, setting up a strategic rivalry between Liangchuang and Shendong Groups. Once both groups are weakened through their competition, Black Water will reap the benefits as the ultimate winner." "Professor Song, do you know the background of this Black Water company? What exactly is their origin?" Gao Qingxue pointed to the line on the document reading "Black Water Company Background: Undetermined" and asked. Song Si'an shook his head and said, "This will require further investigation. I'll update you once I have more information!" Then he changed the subject and asked, "Has Ou Yang returned home yet?" Gao Qingxue shook her head and replied, "My father has sent people searching everywhere, but they haven't been able to find him!" Song Si'an said, "Ms. Gao, don't worry. Ou Yang is quite intelligent and will be safe." "Gao Qingxue took a deep breath and said, 'I still don't know when my unremarkable younger brother will return to school.' Song Sigan smiled optimistically and replied, 'Based on my feeling, this day will surely come!' They exchanged a warm smile. "You're really lacking in ambition, kid. Being number one in the underworld means nothing to us—we need to be number one in the business world!" Boss Niu snuffed out the cigar he hadn't finished, shouting. "The top player in the business world is Shenlong Group, forming a tripartite power with Xintian and Lianchuang Groups. Xintian Group has close ties with our Blackwater Company—specifically, their VP Lin Mingjun, who has a close relationship with me!" After saying this, Star爷 handed over the relevant materials on Xintian Group to Boss Niu. After reviewing them, Boss Niu clapped his thighs and said, "Excellent! I've assigned you a task: to jointly establish a new group company between Blackwater and Xintian!" "Boss Niu is truly brilliant! I'll go handle it right away!" Star爷 said, then promptly set off to carry out the task. Gao Zhongming got straight to the point: "Ladies and gentlemen, I've convened all of you today to discuss a very important matter. Please allow me to introduce the situation to you!" He then opened his right hand toward his daughter. ... The situation was urgent, and all members were at a loss, sighing in frustration. "Let's analyze our customers again!" High Qingxue pointed to the customer analysis report on the projection wall and said. "As you can see, our customers are primarily long-standing clients who have traditionally followed a sales model of first stocking inventory and then collecting payments. However, our Lianchuang Group faced issues last time due to..." "This was all due to my impulsive decision—I never realized that the commercial bidding event was actually orchestrated by an underlying company. I was simply overwhelmed at the time!" High Zhongming stepped forward, deeply regretful. The board members were now agitated, with several requesting to withdraw their investments. Yet, High Zhongming pleaded with them, "Ladies and gentlemen, please give me some time. I can't accept that our shared, well-established enterprise—something we've worked on together for nearly two decades—has collapsed overnight. I beg you to believe me!" Each member had to agree after hearing the chairman's remarks, though they still made one request: if no signs of recovery were seen within one month, they would decisively withdraw their investment. After the board meeting, Gao Zhongming turned to the heavens and cried out, "Heaven! Now my son has left, and the company is bankrupt—what am I to do?" One day, Gao Liang was walking through the city and felt thirsty. He went to a stall selling beverages and newspapers and said, "I'd like a bottle of Coca-Cola, and a copy of today's newspaper, please!" "Certainly! Certainly!" The two staff members responded at the same time—how familiar that sounded! When Gao Liang looked up, both sides were astonished. The two staff members said, "Sir, we've been searching for you for a long time!" "You used to wear a flowered shirt and have short hair—when you set up your stall, you should have chosen a more bustling location!" Gao Liang took the beverage and newspaper they offered. The flower-shirt and the yellow-haired guy looked solemn, saying, "Boss, don't mind me, since Master Cow, the elder of the Star Lord, has stepped in, the entire black-market network of the Gao family village is now under his control. We've nowhere else to go, so we've come to this quiet place in search of a chance to survive!" "Master Cow is truly arrogant! Last time, when one of their people discovered us, they took all our belongings!" the flower-shirt exclaimed with indignation. "It's not just that they took them—we were also beaten up! Boss, look at my arms and legs!" The yellow-haired guy held out his arms and thighs, revealing numerous wounds. High-light saw the injuries and clenched his fists, saying, "They've gone too far! One day, I'll make them pay!" Just as he finished speaking, a passerby bought a newspaper and began reading: "Three major players vying for dominance in the IT market; Lianchuang Group on the brink of bankruptcy." High-light instantly unfolded his newspaper and stared at it, stunned. He couldn't help but worry about his family business. After all, in his past life, his birthday coincided exactly with the founding day of the Liangchuang Group—his deep affection for the group stemmed from the shared journey of growth between himself and the company. He had mastered cutting-edge computer technology precisely because he had grown up alongside Liangchuang. Thus, he set aside some funds and entrusted the flower-shirted young man and the yellow-haired one to investigate the details during their spare time, preferring not to appear publicly himself. Soon, the two had uncovered that the Hua Tong Group was backed by a powerful syndicate, which was actually founded by this very "Buffalo Boss." Highlight was stunned—this Buffalo Boss was his fiercest rival! Not only did he dominate the underworld, but he also sought to rule the business world. His ambitions were truly vast, achieved through means that were anything but legitimate. It seemed now that he could no longer remain passive. Mr. Niu's Black Water Company has formed a strong partnership with Lin Mingjun's Xin Tian Group, establishing the powerful Huatong Group. Through a powerful alliance between the underworld and the business world, both parties achieve mutual benefits and meet their respective needs.