He wants to adopt a younger sister, but his aloof wife disagrees.

Thailand's rainy season is finally over.

As the smoke of battle clears in Chiang Mai, Phuket welcomes its most enchanting dry season. The Andaman Sea, a deep blue like a giant sapphire, gently laps against the fine, powdery white sands of Naka Island. The sun shines down relentlessly, turning the sea into a shimmering gold.

A week has passed since that night at "Guigu".

During this week, Jiang Che was neither in a hurry to return to China nor to deal with the vast business empire left vacant due to the collapse of the Song family. He left all the mess to Han Xiao and Athena, and then, along with Shen Qingge, chartered a seaplane and flew directly to a private island near Phuket.

This is the most luxurious area of ​​Six Senses, featuring individual ocean-view villas. There's no hustle and bustle of tourists, only the sea breeze, coconut palms, and ultimate tranquility.

"call--"

Jiang Che, wearing beach shorts and shirtless, revealing his well-defined muscles, walked out of the villa's infinity pool, holding two freshly mixed "Blue Hawaii" drinks.

Sunlight shone on his skin, giving it a healthy glow. His body, enhanced by the system, exuded a captivating aura of masculinity, even when he was just standing casually.

On a deck chair, Shen Qingge, wearing sunglasses and a black one-piece swimsuit with a semi-transparent white gauze overlay, lazily basked in the sun. Although she had shed her "President Shen" persona, the aloofness and nobility ingrained in her bones still made her seem like an untouchable queen on this tropical beach.

"Honey, have something to drink."

Jiang Che handed her the wine glass, then sat down on the recliner next to her and reached out to apply sunscreen to her.

Cool fingertips brushed against her warm back skin, and Shen Qingge hummed comfortably, like a cat being stroked.

"I wish I could live like this forever." Shen Qingge took a sip of her cocktail, looked at the beautiful scenery where the sea and sky met in the distance, and sighed, "I used to think that work was everything in life. Now I realize how foolish I was."

"It's not too late to realize this now." Jiang Che smiled and kissed her shoulder. "From now on, we'll take a vacation every year. The world is so big, we can take our time exploring it."

"By the way, how much longer until that girl arrives?" Shen Qingge glanced at her watch.

"Judging by the time, it should be soon." Jiang Che pointed to the distant sky. "Look, speak of the devil and he appears."

In the distance, a seaplane painted with a pink Hello Kitty pattern roared in over the sea. Its flamboyant color scheme seemed out of place against the blue sky and white clouds, yet it was full of vitality.

"This girl..." Shen Qingge sighed and chuckled, "Does she have to charter such a flashy plane? Is she afraid people won't know she's Su Xiaoruan?"

The plane left a white trail on the sea and came to a steady stop on the dock in front of the villa.

The hatch had just opened.

"Aaaaaah!! The ocean! The beach! Bikinis! Here I come!!"

A figure dressed in a bright yellow bohemian maxi dress, wearing an exaggerated straw hat, and dragging two huge suitcases burst out like a cannonball.

Su Xiaoruan.

This newly crowned Best Actress, now incredibly popular in China, showed absolutely no signs of being a celebrity. She kicked off her high heels and ran barefoot along the boardwalk, waving as she went:

"Brother! Sister! I missed you so much!!"

"Slow down, no one's going to take it from you." Jiang Che shook his head helplessly and got up to meet him.

"Bang!"

Su Xiaoruan threw herself into Jiang Che's arms, clinging to him like a koala, rubbing her face against his chest: "Waaah, brother, you smell so good, it's like sunscreen! I want some too!"

"Get down, you're a grown woman." Shen Qingge walked over and patted her bottom sternly, but the doting look in her eyes was impossible to hide. "Can't you see there are staff members here? Be careful you don't get photographed and end up trending on social media again."

"Hmph, this is a private island, where would paparazzi come from?" Su Xiaoruan jumped off Jiang Che, hugged Shen Qingge's arm, and acted coquettishly. "Besides, even if I trend on social media, it'll be 'Su Xiaoruan visits relatives in Phuket, the three of them have a happy time together,' how positive is that!"

"Alright, stop being so cheeky." Jiang Che took her suitcase. "Are you hungry? I've had some seafood barbecue prepared."

"I'm starving! I'm starving!" Su Xiaoruan rubbed her flat stomach. "The airplane food is awful! I want my brother's grilled lobster! Garlic and cheese flavor!"

"Okay, plenty."

……

It was evening.

A bonfire was lit on the villa's private beach.

Jiang Che did not let the hotel's chef do it, but instead once again demonstrated his "all-around gigolo" skills by taking matters into his own hands.

Fresh Australian lobsters, mantis shrimp as thick as an arm, and oysters still smelling of the sea sizzle and release mouthwatering aromas as they are grilled over charcoal.

Su Xiaoruan sat on the beach without any regard for her image, a shrimp in her left hand and a skewer of meat in her right, eating with her mouth dripping with oil. Shen Qingge, on the other hand, elegantly sipped her white wine, occasionally wiping Su Xiaoruan's mouth.

"Oh, right, brother."

Su Xiaoruan swallowed a mouthful of lobster meat, then suddenly remembered something: "I also brought a mission with me this time."

"What mission?" Jiang Che asked, flipping the scallops on the grill.

"Director Feng asked me to ask you if you've secured funding for your next film?" Su Xiaoruan blinked. "Ever since 'Green Snake' became a hit, a lot of investors have wanted to get their people on the cast, and Director Feng is getting really annoyed. He said he trusts you and wants you to continue as the biggest producer so he doesn't have to put up with those coal mine owners anymore."

"And..." Su Xiaoruan chuckled, "I heard this is a big production, filming in Hollywood, and it's a sci-fi movie!"

"A science fiction movie?" Jiang Che raised an eyebrow.

"Yes! It's called 'Folding Fold.' Director Feng has big ambitions; he says he wants to compete for an Oscar and make China's first true hard science fiction film."

Jiang Che pondered for a moment.

Science fiction films are the crown jewel of the film industry, but also the most expensive. However, in parallel universes, Chinese-language science fiction has always been a weak point.

Tell Lao Feng that money is not a problem.

Jiang Che handed the grilled scallops to Shen Qingge, his tone calm yet domineering:

"Let him go ahead with the preparations. As long as the script is up to par, Clear Entertainment will invest as much as he wants."

"We're not short of money now."

Having just acquired the Song and Ye families, two major conglomerates, Jiang Che's cash reserves have reached an astronomical figure. He could easily afford to buy half of Hollywood, let alone a single movie.

"Yay! Long live brother!" Su Xiaoruan cheered.

Just as the family of three was enjoying a rare moment of warmth, a discordant commotion suddenly came from the direction of the public beach not far away.

"Hey! You! Move away!"

"This area is restricted for filming!"

Immediately afterwards, several burly white bodyguards wearing sunglasses roughly pushed aside the hotel staff and walked towards Jiang Che's private beach.

Behind them followed a group of staff carrying cameras and reflectors. Surrounded by them like stars around the moon was a middle-aged white man with a long beard and wearing a director's hat, and a hot Hollywood actress in a bikini.

"What's going on?" Shen Qingge frowned and put down her wine glass.

The manager of the Six Senses Hotel rushed over, sweating profusely, and bowed apologetically to Jiang Che: "Mr. Jiang, I'm so sorry! That's the crew of the famous Hollywood director Spielberg (pseudonym). They're filming an action blockbuster called 'Deadly Shore.' They were originally filming on the next island, but the director suddenly felt that the sunset angle here was better, and insisted on coming over to film..."

"We told them this is private property, and you've already booked it, but they..." The manager glanced at the arrogant bodyguards, clearly angry but unable to speak out, "They were very tough, saying they only wanted ten minutes, just to take a picture and leave."

"tough?"

Jiang Che sneered, wiped his hands, and stood up.

There are two things he hates most in his life.

First, my meal was interrupted.

Second, someone was showing off in front of him.

Tell them to fuck off.

Jiang Che didn't even glance at them, simply saying to the manager indifferently:

"I've booked this place. I won't give up even a second, let alone ten minutes."

The manager turned pale with fright: "But... Mr. Jiang, that director Nolan has a very bad temper, and that actress is Jennifer Lawrence, a top Hollywood star... The company behind them is Universal Pictures..."

I don't care who he is.

Jiang Che turned around and looked at the people who had already stepped into the private beach area and were setting up equipment; his eyes instantly turned cold.

"Since they can't understand human language, I'll go and teach them."

Jiang Che walked straight over.

At that moment, the bearded director Nolan was pointing at the spot where Su Xiaoruan was sitting and shouting, "That spot! Perfect light! Move that girl out of the frame!"

Several bodyguards immediately stepped forward, trying to drive away Su Xiaoruan, who was eating lobster.

"Hey! Don't touch me!" Su Xiaoruan was startled and dropped the lobster in her hand.

"Snapped!"

Suddenly, a large hand reached out and grabbed the wrist of the bodyguard who was trying to shove Su Xiaoruan.

"ah--!"

A scream.

The burly bodyguard, who was 1.9 meters tall, felt as if his wrist was being clamped by iron clamps, and his bones were about to break.

Jiang Che put one hand in his pocket, grabbed the bodyguard's wrist with the other, and threw him away like trash. Then he stood in front of Su Xiaoruan and looked coldly at the bearded director.

"Get out."

It consists of only two words, yet it carries a suffocating sense of oppression.

Director Nolan was stunned. He was used to being a tyrant in Hollywood, treated like royalty wherever he went. Even the local mayor had to be polite to him. Who was this Asian man?

"Who are you?"

Nolan took off his sunglasses and stormed over, yelling, "You know how much one minute of my time costs? I'm filming art! You're ruining art!"

"Art?"

Jiang Che chuckled and pointed to the posing actress next to him:

"Is taking pictures of these pretentious poses considered art?"

"Furthermore, this is my private property. Trespassing in Thailand is punishable by immediate death. Understand?"

"You..." Nolan was speechless with anger. "How much? I'll pay double!"

He assumed Jiang Che thought the amount was too small, so he pulled out his checkbook and asked, "Ten thousand dollars? Twenty thousand?"

Jiang Che looked at him like he was an idiot.

"System, check who the investors are for this production team," Jiang Che silently instructed in his mind.

[Ding! Query complete.]

[The film *Dead Shore*, primarily funded by Universal Pictures.]

[Secondary investor: Sky Capital (North American branch), 30% stake.]

Jiang Che smiled.

It turns out the flood washed away the Dragon King Temple. But since it's our own dog, we should discipline it even more.

"money?"

Jiang Che took out his phone and dialed a number (President of Sky Capital North America):

"Hello, this is Jiang Che."

"Can you check something for me? Does Universal Pictures have a project called 'Deadly Shore' lately? And the director is that bearded guy named Nolan?"

A respectful voice immediately came from the other end of the phone: "Yes, Boss, that's one of our key projects this quarter. What's wrong?"

"Withdrawal of investment."

Jiang Che looked at the arrogant Nolan in front of him and said calmly into the phone:

"Also, tell the CEO of Universal Pictures. If they still want to get Sky Dome Capital's funding next year, get this director out of here immediately."

"I don't like his beard. It's too ugly."

After saying that, Jiang Che hung up the phone.

The entire room fell silent.

Nolan looked at Jiang Che as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world: "Hahaha! Did you hear that? He said he wants to fire me? Boy, are you acting?"

The actress named Jennifer covered her mouth and sneered, "These days, anyone can pretend to be rich. Withdrawing investment? Do you know how much this movie cost? Two hundred million US dollars!"

however.

Only thirty seconds had passed.

Nolan's phone rang. It was the CEO of Universal Pictures calling personally.

Nolan answered the phone smugly: "Hey Boss! Someone here makes a joke..."

"You idiot!!!"

The CEO's deafening roar came from the other end of the phone: "Who did you offend just now?! Do you want to kill the whole company?!"

"Sky Dome's financing is frozen! Frozen!!"

"Now! Pack your shit and leave! You're fired!"

"And apologize to Mr. Jiang! If he doesn't forgive you, you'll never work in Hollywood again!"

Nolan's phone fell to the ground with a "thud".

He stared at the young Asian man before him, his face pale and his body trembling.

Sky Capital... Mr. Jiang...

Good heavens! He actually messed with that legendary mastermind?!

"Mr... Mr. Jiang..."

Nolan's knees buckled, and he almost knelt down: "I... I didn't know... Please..."

"roll."

Jiang Che, too lazy to listen to his nonsense, pointed to the public beach in the distance:

"Take your people and go back to your own territory. Don't pollute my air."

"Yes! Yes! Immediately!"

Nolan, feeling like he'd been granted a pardon, scrambled to direct the crew to evacuate. Jennifer, the actress who had been so arrogant just moments before, was now pale-faced and slunk away, clutching her skirt.

In just two minutes, the beach returned to tranquility.

"Wow--!!!"

Su Xiaoruan held the remaining half of the lobster, her eyes sparkling with admiration:

"Brother! You're so cool! That director won a Golden Globe! You fired him with just one phone call?!"

"Keep a low profile."

Jiang Che sat back down in front of the grill and brushed a layer of butter onto the lobster:

"He brought it on himself. Time to eat."

Shen Qingge watched this scene and shook her head helplessly. She knew that this was Jiang Che. No matter where he was or who he was facing, he would always be the king who controlled everything.

……

However, Jiang Che did not notice.

Just as the film crew was leaving, a middle-aged woman in the crowd, wearing a baseball cap and looking like an assistant director, did not panic like the others.

She kept staring at Su Xiaoruan.

Or rather, she was staring at the jade pendant around Su Xiaoruan's neck that swayed with her movements (a birthday gift from Jiang Che, but actually the only old item Su Xiaoruan had when she was a homeless person, which Jiang Che had repaired and re-set).

The woman was clutching a faded old photograph tightly in her hand.

The photo shows a young noblewoman holding a baby girl in her arms. The baby girl is wearing an identical jade pendant around her neck.

"So alike...so very alike..."

The woman murmured to herself, her eyes glistening with tears of emotion.

"Young Miss... I've finally found Young Miss..."

She took out her phone, avoided the crowd, and made an overseas call.

The phone number's location was displayed as Europe, Rothschild Family Headquarters.

"Hello, Mr. Butler."

The woman's voice trembled:

"Tell the master and mistress."

"The 'Oriental Pearl' that was lost twenty years ago... has been found."

"She's in Phuket. With a man named Jiang Che."

……

Night was falling.

The campfire on the beach gradually died down.

Jiang Che was unaware that having just dealt with the Song family, an even larger storm involving the world's top wealthy families was already brewing.

And this time, he's not the main character.

It was that silly girl who snuggled in his arms, eating with her mouth all greasy—Su Xiaoruan.

"Achoo!"

Su Xiaoruan suddenly sneezed.

"What's wrong? Did you catch a cold?" Jiang Che took off his shirt and draped it over her shoulders.

"No." Su Xiaoruan rubbed her nose and chuckled. "Someone must be thinking about me! Or... my fans are urging me to go back to work!"

Looking at her carefree smiling face, Jiang Che suddenly felt a strange premonition.

But he quickly suppressed this premonition.

"No matter who's thinking of you."

Jiang Che patted her head:

"As long as I'm here, no one can take you away from me."

"Are you full? Go back to sleep if you're full. I'll take you surfing tomorrow."

"Yay! I want to learn to surf! I want to be the queen of the sea!"

Under the moonlight, the three shadows were stretched long and intertwined, creating a warm and beautiful scene.