71: Chapter 71 Zhong Xiaoai: My White Moonlight... Is it you?

Meimei was engaging in a verbal battle with the two elders at the Huang residence, while Zhao Yang was facing a multiple-choice question back in his dorm.

He hadn't used the skill draw reward from the System when he first met Huang Yimei. At the time, he was pestering the System about Zhong Xiaoai, so he had simply set it aside. Now that his emotion points had reached a Breakthrough of fifty million, he had finally reached the threshold for a targeted draw.

The rules were not complicated—the more precise the locked range, the more expensive it was.

"System, do you have any superpower categories? Like wind control or fire control?"

[Yes. But it is incompatible with the rules of this world and is not supported for a draw.]

"What category does Unarmed Combat Technique fall under?"

[Military and police skill category. A targeted draw requires a payment of eighty million emotion points.]

Zhao Yang raised an eyebrow: "Even a broad category is this expensive?"

[The targeted consumption is directly proportional to the rarity of the skill.]

Fine.

Zhao Yang couldn't be bothered to argue further. He already had quite a few skills on hand, and most of them had proven genuinely useful. This time, he needed to fill a gap with something crucial that he currently lacked.

After pondering for a moment, he made a decision.

"System, skill draw, direction: Social Sciences category."

[Consuming fifty million emotion points to perform one social sciences skill draw.]

[Skill obtained: Command, Level 6.]

[Command: Managing personnel, coordinating resources, and leading structures.]

Zhao Yang punched the air vigorously.

Command—it could rank in his top three.

The Seal of Hearts Return made his faction as solid as a rock, but their execution always lacked a little something; Command was just the thing to fill that shortcoming. As the deputy director of the Joint Laboratory of Intelligent Investigation, he would inevitably have to lead teams and get things done in the future. This skill had come at just the right time.

In the evening, Huang Yimei's call came in.

"Zhao Yang, my parents want to invite you over for a meal to thank you for your help with the Guan Zhizhi matter. Are you free?"

Zhao Yang smiled as soon as he heard her tone—no need to ask, this girl definitely had it on speakerphone and was making the call in front of her parents. He didn't expose her, instead replying smoothly: "Tell your uncle and auntie not to be so polite; it was just a small favor."

"Don't push it away, otherwise they'll keep nagging, and my ears will grow calluses."

"Alright then, I'll be there at seven."

Huang Yimei hung up the phone and spread her hands toward her parents: "You heard it all, right? I didn't collude with Zhao Yang. If you have anything you want to ask tonight, feel free to ask."

Huang Jianzhi and Wu Yuejiang exchanged a glance and both ducked into the kitchen.

Huang Zhenhua curled his lip: "Rose, I don't believe for a second that you didn't collude."

Huang Yimei rolled her eyes at him: "You think you're so smart."

"You're going to Hucheng to film, and you're even taking Mom and Dad with you, leaving me alone at home to drink the northwest wind?"

"Then you go too."

Huang Zhenhua spread his hands: "I have work."

"Then eat at the cafeteria." Huang Yimei smiled triumphantly, then changed the subject, "By the way, brother, I'm a person in the film and television industry now. Leave your sister-in-law's matters to me; I guarantee I'll introduce you to a great beauty."

Huang Zhenhua waved his hands hurriedly: "Don't! The film and television industry is too complicated; I can't handle it. You need to be careful yourself, don't get taken advantage of."

"Don't worry, Brother Yang and Sister Meimei will both look out for me."

"Hmph." Huang Zhenhua's expression changed, "And you say you didn't collude with Zhao Yang?"

"Shh..." Huang Yimei lowered her voice, "Keep it down, don't let Mom and Dad hear."

"Alright then, lend me that 'Yaou Fenghua' phone with the dark gold pattern to play with for a few days."

Huang Yimei's eyes widened: "Didn't you just switch to a hongdou phone? Just buy a case and put it on; it's not expensive."

"Don't try to fool me." Huang Zhenhua wasn't buying it, "Don't think I can't tell; the one Zhao Yang gave you is a limited edition, a set of nine, each worth over two thousand. And you lied to Mom and Dad saying it was a phone case... Are you lending it or not?"

Huang Yimei sighed helplessly and glared at him fiercely: "Lend! Don't scratch it, or I'll strangle you."

At seven in the evening, Zhao Yang arrived at the Huang residence carrying two bags of fruit. He had bought them at the campus supermarket, but he had picked only the expensive ones.

Wu Yuejiang came to greet him: "You're here, that's enough; why bring things?"

Zhao Yang put down the fruit: "Eating more fruit is good for your health. Auntie, really, there's no need to be so polite. We live in the same compound, so we're neighbors; inviting me over specially makes me feel embarrassed."

Huang Jianzhi greeted him with a smile: "Don't be reserved, sit down. The food will be ready soon; it's just a home-cooked meal, don't mind it."

Zhao Yang sniffed: "Don't be humble, this smell is no worse than the restaurants outside."

A moment later, the food was on the table, and the five of them sat in a circle. The Guan Zhizhi matter was just an opening; the topic soon turned to Huang Yimei. Zhao Yang could see that although Huang Jianzhi and Wu Yuejiang were happy for their daughter, they were still anxious inside—the film and television industry was too far from their world, so far that it made people uneasy.

"Uncle, Auntie, you are overthinking it." Zhao Yang put down his chopsticks, his tone firm, "Since Rose has chosen this path, I will definitely protect her well-being and use all resources to ensure she walks steadily and goes far."

The elderly couple exchanged a glance, both hearing the weight in his words. But some things cannot be completely put at ease by a single promise.

Huang Jianzhi frowned slightly: "Zhao Yang, it's not that I don't trust you. I've heard a thing or two about the film and television industry; it's too complicated. For a family like ours, just thinking about it is daunting."

"You don't need to worry about that either." Zhao Yang smiled, "I didn't mention it before because I was afraid you would overthink it—Tomorrow Culture was founded by me."

"Ah?"

Everyone except Huang Yimei froze in unison.

"Aren't you a cadre within the System?" Huang Jianzhi looked astonished.

Zhao Yang explained: "Rose should have mentioned to you that I have some ways to earn extra money. I founded the company during college, and later, after I entered the System and got promoted, there were more restrictions, so I transferred the business out. So, on the surface, Tomorrow Culture has nothing to do with me now, but in reality, the company still listens to me."

This statement took a slight detour, framing the startup time as his college years. Huang Jianzhi and Wu Yuejiang were both highly educated and had orthodox thinking; telling the blunt truth might have easily caused them to overthink.

The elderly couple was still digesting this, but Huang Zhenhua was the first to snap out of it: "No wonder everyone at Tomorrow Culture calls you 'Brother Yang'; turns out you are the big boss behind the scenes."

Huang Jianzhi let out a long breath: "That makes me much more at ease."

Wu Yuejiang also chimed in: "I really didn't expect it, Xiao Zhao, you hid it so deep."

The Huang family's doubts were completely gone, and the meal was enjoyed by both host and guest.

After Zhao Yang said goodbye, the Huang family chatted until very late before going to sleep—chatting about Huang Yimei's future, Huang Zhenhua's marriage prospects, and the arrangements for their trip to Hucheng.

The next morning, just as Zhao Yang finished his morning exercise, his phone rang.

Third Institute Deputy Director Director Gao Wenbo.

"Xiao Zhao, resting on the weekend?"

"Yeah, just finished breakfast." Zhao Yang replied, while rolling his eyes in his heart—nonsense, if you don't rest on the weekend, do you work overtime?

"Hahaha, I just heard some news. The higher-ups have already released the recruitment information for our laboratory, and you should receive resumes in your work email very soon. Just take some time to screen them. Alright, nothing else, have a nice weekend, see you Monday, and we'll talk about this."

After speaking, he hung up without waiting for Zhao Yang to reply.

Zhao Yang stared at his phone screen: "I'd rather believe there are ghosts in the world than believe a leader's words. What about the promise to let me rest for a while?"

Actually, Director Gao Wenbo had also braced himself to make this call.

The Joint Laboratory of Intelligent Investigation was a project that the Ministry of Public Security paid close attention to, and it had a high status, so naturally, many people were eyeing it. The people asking him for favors had been endless, and he couldn't just turn them down directly, so he simply let everyone send their resumes to Zhao Yang.

At this moment, somewhere in the Imperial Capital.

Zhong Xiaoai, as the daughter of Zhong Zhengguo and a bona fide little princess within the Imperial Capital's System, naturally noticed this recruitment information. Her gaze fell on that email address—the letters "Zhao Yang" were particularly eye-catching.

Her thoughts drifted involuntarily back to Handong University, to that afternoon of a fleeting glance.

A soft light flashed in her eyes, and she murmured: "Zhao Yang... is it that Zhao Yang?"