Patriarch He looked at Song Xiaodong for a good ten seconds, then shook his head and said, "This might be what sets you apart. We old-timers have perhaps stuck too long with traditional family management. Maybe it's time for a change."

Song Xiaodong quickly replied, "These are just some of my own thoughts. Maybe because I'm young, I'm not afraid of failure."

Old Master He nodded and said, "That's right. In our families, each Family Head holds on to power until death, and by the time the successor takes over, they're already quite old and lack vigor."

Song Xiaodong smiled slightly and said, "But such a Family Head is mature and steady, unlikely to make mistakes."

"Haha, there are pros and cons. That's life. Who can truly know what's right or wrong? Often, our merits and failings are judged by future generations."

Patting Song Xiaodong on the shoulder, Old Master He said with deep meaning, "Dongzi, I have high hopes for you. Go ahead with your plans. No matter what you do, our He family will be in the same boat as you."

Since he had come to Beijing, Song Xiaodong couldn't just return to Minghe without handling some matters here first, so he didn't go back the same day.

As soon as night fell, a call from Yang Yushi came in.

"Dongzi, are you back to Minghe?" Yang Yushi's voice had a soft, tender tone.

Song Xiaodong couldn't help but feel moved and said, "Not yet."

"That's great! Let's meet up tonight. It's not just me; Zhao Ruonan and Chu Xianling are here to welcome me. You should join us too."

"Well... maybe I shouldn't…" Song Xiaodong didn't mind Chu Xianling, but thinking of Zhao Ruonan gave him a bit of a headache. After all, she's a Junior General, outranking him. He always felt very constrained in front of Zhao Ruonan.

"Hey, Song Xiaodong, it's Zhao Ruonan!" came Zhao Ruonan's voice over the phone.

"Hello, Senior Officer!" Song Xiaodong instinctively greeted in a military fashion.

"I'm giving you half an hour to get to Yiyun Guild Hall!"

"Yes, Senior Officer!" Song Xiaodong instinctively replied.

The call ended immediately, and Song Xiaodong looked at his phone with a wry smile—oh, Zhao Ruonan was truly a headache.

But regardless, he had to go. Song Xiaodong quickly made his way to Yiyun Guild Hall.

Yiyun Guild Hall was a high-end venue, where not just anyone could enter. It's not just about having money; you need the right status to spend here.

Many wealthy people or celebrities hoped to be brought here to spend money, as it was seen as a status symbol.

Upon arriving, Song Xiaodong mentioned Yang Yushi's name, and the staff promptly escorted him upstairs.

While turning at the second-floor staircase, he encountered two girls head-on, one of whom was Shui Qinghe.

"Qinghe!" Song Xiaodong couldn't help but be pleasantly surprised. Ever since that encounter with this girl, she had vanished, not visiting the Su Family even once, and it had been months since he'd seen her.

"Ah…" Shui Qinghe first showed surprise upon seeing Song Xiaodong, then rolled her eyes and dragged her friend directly into a private room deeper on the second floor.

Song Xiaodong's face darkened—what was Shui Qinghe up to?

Just as he was about to follow, his phone rang. He answered to hear Zhao Ruonan say, "You have three minutes left."

Song Xiaodong's face darkened again and he quickly said, "I'm already at the guild hall."

"I want to see you in three minutes."

"Yes!"

Song Xiaodong had to give up on following Shui Qinghe, thinking maybe she was just playing around and not ready to leave with him yet, so she ran off.

In the innermost room on the third floor, Song Xiaodong saw Yang Yushi, Zhao Ruonan, and Chu Xianling.

"Hello, Senior Officer!"

"Hmph, at least you're punctual; otherwise, you'd be in trouble!" Zhao Ruonan glared at Song Xiaodong.

Yang Yushi immediately said, "Ruonan, can you stop acting like a boss? If you keep this up, I'll leave with Dongzi."

"You traitor, choosing love over friendship," Zhao Ruonan said sulkily, then grudgingly told Song Xiaodong, "Today you can ignore our military ranks."

"Thank you, Senior Officer." Song Xiaodong felt relieved, otherwise, it would be really awkward to hang out with Zhao Ruonan.

Yang Yushi came over and took Song Xiaodong's arm, saying, "Come on, Dongzi, sit down here."

Zhao Ruonan's face immediately tensed up, "Song Xiaodong, let go of Yushi."

Song Xiaodong's face darkened, and with a helpless gesture, he said, "I'm not holding her."

Yang Yushi pouted, "Ruonan, can you stop shouting all the time? I approached him on my own, alright?"

Zhao Ruonan's expression turned even more unpleasant, "Yang Yushi, you really are degrading yourself, proactively clinging to this jerk. Did he drug you or something?"

Yang Yushi smugly raised her chin, "Yeah, I am under his spell, and now I just want to be with him wholeheartedly."

"You…" Zhao Ruonan turned green with anger.

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