Chapter Summaries

After discovering that Lin Chao Ci owned the Penguin Company, Ximen Wentian apologized to Mr. Ma and ended his attacks, deepening Mr. Ma’s confidence in Lin’s backing. Lin then expanded the Beauty Series nationwide, attracting prospective agents and business partners with its rapid sales.

• Ximen Wentian found that Lin Chao Ci was the Penguin Company’s sole shareholder and ordered the attacks stopped, its utilities restored, and compensation prepared.
• Ximen Wentian visited the Penguin Company, apologized to Mr. Ma, and gave him a one-million-yuan check.
• Mr. Ma called Lin Chao Ci to praise his influence, and Lin rejected Ximen Wentian’s request to meet him.
• Lin Chao Ci sent salespeople across the country to promote the Beauty Series, gain market share, attract partners, and create jobs.
• Businesspeople came to the Lin Group seeking agency rights and other deals, and several considered Lin’s high fees after hearing about the Beauty Series’ strong sales.

As the Beauty Series surged in popularity, Mr. Chen tried to enlist Director Li to pressure the Lin Clothing Factory, but learned the Lin family had powerful political connections and hurried to make amends. Lin Chao Ci counted over forty million yuan in earnings and ordered a full day of National Broadcasting Station advertisements while launching the expensive Goddess of the Luo River Series.

• Mr. Chen offered Director Li a gold Three-Legged Golden Toad and asked him to trouble the Lin Clothing Factory over its wholesale prices and sales manager.
• Director Li warned Mr. Chen that the Lin company was not someone he could afford to cross and revealed that the previous Municipal Party Secretary was surnamed Lin.
• Mr. Chen realized he had insulted the Lin company’s sales manager, rushed to apologize, and bought exclusive distribution rights for a provincial capital.
• Lin Chao Ci calculated that distributor payments, wholesale orders, and retail sales had earned the Lin Group over forty million yuan.
• Fang Miaoke told Lin Chao Ci that the National Broadcasting Station would charge a hundred thousand yuan per one-minute advertisement if the Lin Group bought more than ten.
• Lin Chao Ci ordered the Lin Group to book every advertising slot for a full day and launch the Goddess of the Luo River Series with garments starting at 588 yuan.

Lin Chao Ci decided to expand into luxury goods and hire another secretary because Fang Miaoke was overworked. He recruited Li Si Han at university, offering her a salary and help with her degree, but she remained wary of his intentions.

• Lin Chao Ci decided to use his money to establish factories and companies producing luxury goods such as bags, shoes, and jewelry.
• Lin Chao Ci realized Fang Miaoke was overwhelmed and decided to hire another secretary, considering Li Si Han instead of Liu Shuang'er.
• Lin Chao Ci went to Haikou University, found Li Si Han in class, and asked her to become his secretary in exchange for repaying her favor.
• Lin Chao Ci offered Li Si Han five thousand a month, possible bonuses, and help obtaining her degree even if she stopped attending classes.
• Li Si Han was tempted by the offer but worried Lin Chao Ci might use the job to make improper demands of her.

Lin Chao Ci visited Liu Shuang'er at school, teased her, and shared a kiss with her during class. Meanwhile, Xichuan Province officials discussed orders to close loss-making factories and lay off tens of thousands of workers, while several leaders tried to avoid responsibility.

• Lin Chao Ci hired Li Si Han and arranged for her to report to his company after school.
• Lin Chao Ci sneaked up behind Liu Shuang'er and frightened her by poking her shoulders from her blind spot.
• Lin Chao Ci revealed himself, comforted the embarrassed Liu Shuang'er, and kissed her while their classmates watched.
• The bell rang, and Lin Chao Ci invited Liu Shuang'er to lunch as classmates reacted to their relationship.
• At a provincial Party committee meeting, officials discussed closing inefficient factories and laying off tens of thousands of workers.
• Several officials claimed illness, travel, or other responsibilities to avoid taking part in the layoffs.

The provincial Party committee assigned Lin Jianguo to lead the task force handling laid-off workers after seven of nine standing committee members voted for him. Though he knew the task would be difficult, Lin Jianguo accepted it and promised the secretary he would see it through.

• The provincial Party committee members avoided volunteering to handle layoffs and factory closures because the work could provoke protests and political consequences.
• The governor proposed Lin Jianguo for the assignment, and the deputy secretary joined him in supporting the proposal.
• Seven of the nine standing committee members voted to put Lin Jianguo in charge, while the secretary and the military district's XX abstained.
• Lin Jianguo learned about the appointment from the secretary while overseeing dam reinforcement and was stunned by the news.
• Lin Jianguo accepted the assignment and promised the secretary he would handle it properly despite its difficulties.

Lin Chao Ci expanded Lin Clothing while avoiding risky bank loans, then returned home to find his father struggling to place tens of thousands of laid-off workers. He proposed hiring up to ten thousand workers through the factories his company had acquired and finding other placements for the rest.

• Li Si Han and Fang Miaoke reported that Lin Clothing had acquired dozens of factories and was seeing strong sales and distributor interest.
• Lin Chao Ci ordered more factory acquisitions and a month-long advertising buyout, but decided not to use leveraged loans because rival families might exploit his debt.
• Lin Jianguo called Lin Chao Ci home and explained that the standing committee had rejected his plans for placing laid-off workers.
• Lin Chao Ci offered to hire five thousand workers at his factories, potentially ten thousand with two shifts, and suggested seeking jobs at other businesses and giving extra compensation to those left without work.

Lin Chao Ci told his father about his rapidly growing company, then traveled with Lin Jianguo from Haikou City to the imperial capital for New Year. At the airport, they reunited with Lin Huguo and headed to the Military Commission Compound to see the family.

• Lin Chao Ci told Lin Jianguo that his company had over a dozen factories, could hire more than five thousand workers, and was valued at at least a hundred million.
• Lin Jianguo praised Lin Chao Ci but warned him to avoid illegal or shady business, then agreed to travel home for New Year.
• Lin Chao Ci and Lin Jianguo packed gifts and clothes, boarded a flight, and arrived in the imperial capital the next morning.
• Lin Huguo met them at the airport and embraced Lin Jianguo, feeling guilty that his older brother had given him the chance to inherit their grandfather's military connections.
• Lin Chao Ci urged the brothers to continue their reunion at home, and they drove toward the Military Commission Compound.

Lin Chao Ci returned to the Military Commission Compound and reunited with his family before the New Year. After warmly greeting Grandma and teasing his sister and Fourth Uncle, he found Grandpa alone in his study and urged him to join the family gathering.

• Fourth Uncle brought Lin Chao Ci to Courtyard No. 1, where Grandma and the family welcomed him home.
• Grandma fussed over Lin Chao Ci and insisted he had lost weight, while he reassured her and showed off his muscles.
• Lin Weiyi pouted that Lin Chao Ci had ignored her, and he teased her affectionately before their father showed her off to Fourth Uncle.
• Lin Chao Ci learned Grandpa was hiding in his study and went upstairs to see him.
• Lin Chao Ci caught Grandpa pretending to read an upside-down newspaper and urged him to put work aside and spend time with the reunited family.

Lin Chao Ci reunited emotionally with his grandfather, then joined a family discussion about Fourth Uncle’s request to transfer to a remote military district. Lin Chao Ci supported the move by pointing to future opportunities, leaving his grandfather puzzled over how he knew about plans that had not been formally proposed.

• Lin Chao Ci hugged his grandfather and admitted how much he had missed him, while his grandfather comforted him and welcomed his tears.
• Fourth Uncle entered with Lin Jianguo and revealed that he had requested a transfer from the municipality’s military district to a remote region.
• Lin Jianguo and his father questioned Fourth Uncle’s decision, and Fourth Uncle explained that he wanted broader service experience and a stronger record to advance his career.
• Lin Chao Ci argued that border service could offer more positions, higher ranks, and valuable experience for Fourth Uncle.
• Lin Chao Ci’s grandfather wondered how he knew about discussions to raise ranks and create more posts in remote regions when no formal proposal existed.

Lin Chao Ci told his family about the Lin Group’s early success, and his grandfather accepted his choice to pursue business instead of the family’s military or political path. After the family dispersed for the afternoon, Lin Chao Ci decided to meet friends whose past motives had once misled him.

• Lin Huguo gained the old man's tacit approval to transfer to a remote region, and Lin Jianguo described his prospects as deputy governor.
• Lin Chao Ci reported that the month-old Lin Group had grown to a value of over a hundred million, surprising his family.
• The old man told Lin Chao Ci to pursue what he wanted and offered to arrange a career path for him later if he changed his mind.
• After lunch, the family members left for their plans, leaving Lin Chao Ci, Lin Qingzhou, Lin Weiyi, and the two young cousins at home.
• Lin Chao Ci received invitations from former friends and decided to meet them despite remembering their ulterior motives.