After leaving the hospital, Ling Ruoke drove to the company. She first distributed the gifts to everyone, including food and small trinkets. They might not be worth much money, but they were the thought that counted.

"Sister Ruo, you're so kind!"

"Yeah, Sister Ruo, I love you to death!"

"Don't let your brother-in-law hear you say that, or he'll definitely throw you into Antarctica to keep the penguins company."

"..."

They were talking back and forth, their mouths stuffed with food, their words mumbled and unclear, which was quite amusing.

Ling Ruoke shook her head helplessly and looked at her capable and handsome director. "Xia Mo, come to my office later."

"Okay." Xia Mo typed a few words on the keyboard, then stood up and ran to her office.

Pushing open the door, Xia Mo asked with a mischievous grin, "Sister Ruo, is there some big gift you're giving me that you're doing all this secretly?"

"It's daytime now, stop dreaming." Ling Ruoke put down her laptop bag and picked up a cup to wash it. "Wait a minute, let me wash a cup and pour some water first."

"I'll do it."

"No need, I'm not used to your servile attitude, haha." Ling Ruoke joked and then pushed open the door to leave.

Xia Mo shrugged and casually picked up a magazine, flipping through it from beginning to end, but didn't find anything interesting. Magazines these days are getting more and more boring and pointless.

Ling Ruoke brought in water.

"Sister Ruo, is Feng Nuan alright?" This saleswoman had been with them for a while and had always performed very well. They had seen her photo; she was a lively and pretty girl. They were all quite saddened that something like this had happened to her.

Ling Ruoke sat down and sighed. "It's impossible for her to be okay. Any decent girl would be sad and upset. But she's quite strong, and I believe she'll get better soon."

"That's good. Everyone likes her and feels sorry for her." The girl was a typical northerner, very obedient, calling everyone "brother" and "sister," and was exceptionally warm; it was hard for anyone not to like her.

Ling Ruoke nodded. "I met Feng Nuan in S City, and I think she's a pretty good girl. I've also made a decision, and I'm sorry I didn't ask for your opinion beforehand."

"What decision? It's not that Feng Nuan is going to replace me, Xia Mo, is it? Wow, Sister Ruo, you're too cruel to me!" Xia Mo is also a playful person, not at all like the calm and cool person she seemed to be when they first met.

Ling Ruoke picked up a magazine and threw it at him. "Yeah, yeah, your sixth sense is very accurate, alright? Okay, let's get back to the point! Didn't you guys give feedback before that Brother Zhang was unwilling to cover the execution in L City? So I'm planning to let Feng Nuan be in charge of the execution in L City. The young lady is very confident, and Brother Zhang has no objections. What's your opinion?"

Xia Mo raised an eyebrow and thought for a moment. "If Feng Nuan's communication skills are good enough, she can maintain good relationships with all parties, and she can also manage people, then there's no problem. Listening to her talk on the phone, she seems like a very capable person."

"Give it a try. I think if we could promote someone to be in charge of L City, things wouldn't be as prone to problems as they are now. Brother Zhang is capable, but he's prone to making mistakes if he tries to handle multiple things at once." A distant solution can't quench a nearby fire; that's an age-old truth.

Xia Mo nodded. "I think it's feasible. Anyway, our Peihuo team has always been willing to promote newcomers, and it has proven to be the right thing to do."

Ling Ruoke smiled upon hearing this, picked up her cup, and took a sip of water. "There's one more thing. Feng Nuan and Brother Zhang reminded me of it too. Aren't we always trying to retain more sales promoters? And also trying to stabilize those part-time assistants?"

"Um."

"Although we've been focusing on these two aspects, it hasn't been very effective. Our plan to increase wages for continuous work doesn't seem to be working. The reason is that nobody wants to be a temporary employee forever; they might be working today but not tomorrow. So I have an idea: we could provide these part-time workers with career planning, or guidance. That is, those who serve Peho long-term and perform well would have the opportunity to become Peho's full-time employees and can continuously advance. For example, from a sales promoter to a part-time assistant, then to an onboarding assistant, then to a city manager, or even to headquarters—all of these are possible."

Xia Mo looked at her, as if deep in thought. Finally, he clapped his hands and burst into laughter. "Sister Ruo, your plan is brilliant! Our Pei Huo will continue to grow stronger, and we won't need to recruit from outside anymore; we can just promote outstanding personnel from within!"

"Then organize a conference call, bring in the heads of each city, and let everyone discuss the specific details together. Schedule it for the afternoon, and let me know when the time is confirmed."

"Okay, I'll get right on it!" Xia Mo rushed out.

For this plan, Ling Ruoke, Xia Mo, and others held meetings for several days in a row, hoping to come up with a comprehensive plan.

When the final decision was made, Lin Beibei exclaimed that if they had had such a plan back then, they would have been rich and successful long ago. Her words made everyone laugh.

Later, the plan indeed achieved excellent results, earning high praise from even the clients. Many temporary staff members even introduced their brothers and sisters to the company, creating a thriving atmosphere.

Perhaps it was precisely because of these foundations that he was able to handle the company more effectively when he later handed it over to Xia Mo. After all, he had grown alongside the company, and he was keenly aware of every step it had taken.

After a few busy days, Ling Ruoke went to the hospital to see a doctor and was surprised to run into Gu Miaomiao.

Gu Miaomiao seemed to be pregnant; her movements were always focused on her abdomen, a common posture for pregnant women. Her face was haggard, and even her skin had become rough and dull. Her eyes stared blankly ahead, as if she had suffered a great blow.

Ling Ruoke stood not far away, silently watching her. She was completely absorbed in her own world, unaware that someone was watching her. Only when she looked down at her abdomen did a hint of light appear on her face.

Ling Ruoke felt terrible. Gu Miaomiao had been turned into a victim of her mother's "forcing growth." If it weren't for Rong Xiumei's antics, perhaps Gu Miaomiao would have grown up happily and met the person destined to love her for a lifetime.

With a soft sigh in her heart, Ling Ruoke was about to look away when Gu Miaomiao saw her at that moment.

Gu Miaomiao's eyes widened slightly in surprise, then she turned her head away. Perhaps she didn't want anyone she knew to see her looking so haggard and disheveled.

Ling Ruoke turned to leave, but because she was so focused on her thoughts, she almost bumped into someone. Looking up, she realized she had bumped into Rong Xiumei. "I'm sorry."

Rong Xiumei glared at her, snorted coldly, and stomped her feet loudly, grazing her body as she bumped into her.

Ling Ruoke stumbled from the bump, shook her head helplessly, and strode out of the hospital without lingering. There were too many unfortunate people in the world, and she was powerless to help them.

Several days passed, and there was still no news from the colonel.

Before they knew it, it was Fu Lingyun's one-month birthday. Although her father wasn't home, and none of their relatives and friends were there, they still wanted to celebrate. However, with only her mother, godmother, and grandmother present, it felt a bit lonely. Ling Ruoke had wanted to invite Mei Yanting, but Tan Peishi didn't like her, so she had to give up on the idea.

And that day happened to be a Sunday.

Ling Ruoke spent almost the entire Saturday shopping, buying clothes and toys for the little one, thoroughly enjoying herself. If she weren't so energetic, she would have collapsed on the street.

Mei Yanting was also shopping with her. She said that Chen Shan would soon be taking her back to his hometown in Shandong, so she needed to pick out some gifts for Chen Shan's family and wanted Ling Ruoke to give her some suggestions. Mei Yanting seemed very excited, chattering away, and would quickly steer the conversation back to Chen Shan after only a few sentences.

Seeing her excited enthusiasm, Ling Ruoke thought that perhaps she and the colonel were overthinking things; it was possible that the two of them could actually get together. The outcome was not certain, and it was inappropriate to sentence them to death now.

Early Sunday morning, Ling Ruoke went to the Fu family's house with her things. She took out the things for the baby and compared them one by one. Then she accompanied Tan's mother to buy groceries, so that even though there were only three of them, they would still cook a good meal.

They had just returned from grocery shopping and were still washing the vegetables in the kitchen when someone suddenly knocked on the door.

Tan Peishi, carrying her child, went to open the door, only to find three soldiers, all colleagues of Fu Peigang. They explained that Fu Peigang had instructed them that morning that today was his son's one-month celebration, and they should come and join in the festivities. They also brought gifts from Fu Peigang for his son: toy models, all made of bullets, but meticulously polished to prevent injury to the child's delicate hands.

Besides the toys made by the child's father, there weren't many other necessities or food. It was all collected from the contributions of comrades, who bought a little here and a little there; it was a huge pile.

Tan Peishi, who had been inwardly cursing Fu Peigang, finally felt relieved. She placed the toys on the table and held the little one beside it. The little one babbled and reached out with his chubby little fingers to touch the toys. He occasionally made excited sounds, and his two still weak little legs kicked and thrashed.

With three more people, the table finally became lively. We bought red wine and beer, and everyone clinked glasses and had a few drinks.

Just as we were halfway through our meal, someone knocked on the door again.

Ling Ruoke, who was sitting near the door, hurriedly stood up to open it. When she opened the door, she saw that the child's father had returned!

"Wow, baby, your dad's back. See him?" Tan Peishi hurriedly pulled the child up upright so he could see his father. But the little guy wouldn't cooperate, sucking his little finger and not even glancing at him. "Fu Peigang, it's over, your son doesn't recognize you anymore."

Everyone laughed and giggled.

Ling Ruo desperately wanted to rush home; her colonel must be back by now. However, she couldn't leave halfway through the baby's one-month celebration, so she had to be patient. Just as she was about to close the door, another person suddenly darted out. Startled, she jumped up and hugged the person's neck. "Huo Qingfeng, you're back!"

"Your sister-in-law is so warm and welcoming!"

"Captain, you're quite the ladies' man!"

Huo Qingfeng came in with Ling Ruoke in his arms, glared at them and said, "Blessings my ass! I'm holding my own wife, what's that called blessing? That's happiness, don't you understand?"

The brothers had already moved to the other side of the cage, leaving a space for Huo Qingfeng and Fu Peigang to sit down next to Ling Ruoke and Tan Peishi.

"Brothers, is this an explanation? This is blatant boasting!"

Huo Qingfeng glanced at them, looking like he was saying, "What can you do to me?" "Wife, hurry up and get me some food, I'm starving." They had just returned from a mission, taken a shower, changed their clothes, and rushed back without even having a sip of water.

Ling Ruoke responded and hurriedly ran inside to fill two large bowls with rice.

A brother handed him a half-empty bottle of beer, which Huo Qingfeng took, tilted his head back, and gulped it down. He then slammed the bottle down on the table and exclaimed, "Awesome!"

Ling Ruoke quickly came out carrying two large bowls of rice. Luckily, Pei Shi's table wasn't small, so everyone could sit down. Besides, it was a celebration, so they had prepared a lot of food—enough to fill everyone up!

The five men teased and joked with each other, making the atmosphere at the dinner table exceptionally lively. Even the baby in Fu Peigang's arms stared curiously with wide eyes, turning his head to look at this and that, quite busy.

"See? See? Even Little Lele looks down on you! Little Lele, give him a good thrashing!"

"If anyone should despise someone, it's you!"

Somehow, they brought out little Lele, which made everyone laugh even harder.

Ling Ruoke watched them playfully bickering, a faint smile on her face. Her cheeks were flushed from the red wine, like blooming flowers. Her gentle smile was so alluring, it made one's heart flutter.

The soldiers avoided looking at her, firmly keeping their eyes fixed on her, thinking to themselves, "The captain's wife is so beautiful. No wonder the captain dotes on her so much. If I had a wife like that, I'd spoil her rotten!"

Huo Qingfeng couldn't resist touching his wife's thigh under the table. He'd missed her terribly after more than ten days apart. After drinking, his wife was practically a bewitching enchantress, igniting a fire within him that burned fiercely.

After dinner, the group moved to the sofa to chat, and someone even went downstairs and brought back a case of beer. Judging by their demeanor, it seemed they weren't going to stop until they were completely drunk.

Tan Peishi held the child and coaxed him to sleep. The father, who hadn't seen his son in a long time, naturally followed her in. After closing the door, the couple shared their feelings.

Ling Ruoke helped Tan's mother tidy up the stall, cleaning and wiping away a lot of things, working up a sweat. Towards the end, her back was aching. She had already spent a long time cooking that morning. By the time she had cleaned the kitchen until it was sparkling clean, she was almost exhausted.

In the living room, the men were still laughing and joking, and even Fu Peigang joined in.

Ling Ruoke didn't want to go over there, so she went to the room to check on the baby. She found Tan Peishi still in her arms. "Not asleep yet?"

"Don't even mention it, this little rascal is so clever. He insists on being held and lulled to sleep, his hands gripping your clothes tightly. As soon as you put him on the bed, he opens his eyes immediately." Tan Peishi shook her head, but her tone was clearly indulgent.

Hearing this, Ling Ruoke covered her mouth and laughed. Looking at the little guy's hand, it was indeed clutching Tan Peishi's chest. She'd heard that when drinking milk, he'd eat from one side while tightly holding onto the other, afraid someone would covet his treat.

Tan Peishi nudged her, blinked, and said, "Why are you here instead of getting close to the captain?"

"Being intimate, my foot! They're chatting. A bunch of men, why would I want to get in? It'd be so awkward. Besides, I don't have the nerve to do that." Ling Ruoke rolled her eyes at her and pinched her.

Tan Peishi exclaimed "Oh!" and slyly leaned over, saying, "As long as you sit next to the captain, they'll definitely say goodbye immediately, believe it or not?"

"I'm not that bored."

However, the soldiers didn't stay long, and before leaving, they teased Huo Qingfeng and Fu Peigang. They were chased and killed by the two of them, amidst a cacophony of screams and howls.

Ling Ruoke had just come out when she heard the noise when Huo Qingfeng turned back and strode towards her. "Wife, let's go home." With that, he picked her up and carried her outside.

When Fu Peigang returned later, he laughed heartily and made another round of teasing.

Tan Peishi, holding her child, stood at the doorway and couldn't help but chuckle to herself.

Ling Ruoke pinched him, glared at him, and said in a muffled voice, "I haven't taken my things yet." Before she finished speaking, Tan's mother handed her her bag with a smile.

Huo Qingfeng took her and carried her down the stairs.

After a while, Ling Ruoke could still hear their laughter, and her face turned even redder. She released one hand and pinched the colonel's arm hard.

"Spare the rod and spoil the child, my dear wife, you must love me to death!" Huo Qingfeng didn't even flinch as he grabbed her lips and kissed her several times.

Ling Ruoke glanced at him, both amused and exasperated, and then burst out laughing. He had returned safely, and her heart was filled with relief. "I've noticed that every time you come back from a trip, your boasting only gets better."

"Of course. Because every time you go out, your husband's achievements increase. With increased capital, it's natural to let it out, isn't it?" Huo Qingfeng grinned and reached out to pinch her delicate cheek.

Ling Ruoke grabbed his hand and bit down hard. She gritted her teeth while giving him a defiant glare.

Huo Qingfeng merely raised an eyebrow, remaining silent. He knew all too well that his wife loved him to death and would never dare to bite him hard. Even if she left teeth marks, she'd still let him rub them.

Sure enough, Ling Ruoke let go after biting for a while. She looked down at the neat teeth marks on the back of his hand, then reached out to touch and rub them.

The car sped along and drove into the villa gate.

Huo Qingfeng jumped out of the car, picked up his wife, and ran into the house as fast as he could, all the way to the bathroom.

Ling Ruoke exclaimed speechlessly, "Are you crazy? You run straight to the bathroom as soon as you get home!"

"You're covered in sweat, don't you feel uncomfortable if you don't wash off?" Huo Qingfeng put her down, breathing into her ear as he took off her clothes.

Ling Ruoke struggled for a while but couldn't win against him, so she just let him be. Besides, it had been so long since they'd seen each other, and she missed him too. Thinking this, she felt a surge of heat within her.

Huo Qingfeng took off his clothes, pulled her into the bathtub, and sighed comfortably. He hadn't had a moment's rest these past few days trying to remove that tumor; he was exhausted.

Ling Ruoke lay on top of him, receiving his passionate kisses. In her dazed state, she felt as if there was something she wanted to say to him. But her mind was too hot to recall anything at the moment.

Just as Huo Qingfeng was excitedly about to merge with her, his mind suddenly cleared. "Wait!"

"What's wrong?" At this moment, the veins on Huo Qingfeng's forehead bulged, and he asked through gritted teeth.

Ling Ruoke had no choice but to quickly recount the examination and recuperation process. Seeing the veins bulging on his forehead, she noticed his speech was becoming increasingly rapid.

"That's it?" Huo Qingfeng said in a hoarse voice.

Before Ling Ruoke could respond, his actions elicited a gasp from her. "You—"

"I'll wear it later." I've finally had a few moments of indulgence, and now I have to wear that thing again? It's so annoying. Anyway, it's just on the shelf next to the bathtub, I can grab it anytime.

Ling Ruoke wanted to say something, but he wouldn't let her speak at all. He sealed her lips with his and used his passion to confuse her mind, leaving her no choice but to let him "do whatever he wanted".

They returned a little after one o'clock, and by the time Huo Qingfeng had finished eating and drinking, it was already evening. Looking out the floor-to-ceiling window, the sunset was ablaze with vibrant colors.

Ling Ruoke only glanced at him before snuggling against his chest and falling asleep, exhausted.

Huo Qingfeng held her in his arms, but he wasn't sleepy at all. His eyes darted around, and he thought of the mission again. His handsome, sword-like eyebrows furrowed slightly, clearly indicating his dissatisfaction.

The mission was accomplished admirably, the only blunder being that Gu Tianze escaped. Gu Chengze, in order to allow his son to escape, didn't hesitate to blow up the entire building to bury himself; he's practically a ruthless tyrant. No wonder the military invested so much manpower and resources to remove this cancer.

As for Gu Tianze, if he isn't found and brought back as soon as possible, he'll definitely become another troublesome figure. Like Gu Chengze, Gu Tianze is an ambitious man. Now that the military has destroyed the Gu family's power, he certainly won't let it go. In short, we must find him as soon as possible and prevent him from making a comeback.

As for Guzheng, she was sent abroad by Gu Chengze and Gu Tianze long ago, and they believe she won't come back to cause them trouble. His wife can finally live a good life.

However, life is unpredictable, and no one knows what might happen next. Perhaps that's what makes life so fascinating.

All we can do is face it bravely.