Fortunately, before being chopped into pieces by the knives, Yu Lian still remembered to clap his hands vigorously and loudly said, “So, it’s a meeting! It’s very important and serious business! Girls, please temporarily detach yourselves from unproductive low-level interests and look at this world full of dangers!”

He put on a very serious expression, and the girls, of course, had no choice but to become serious as well.

Zhi Xia explained that she was actually just using a dinner knife to cut cake for everyone. Lilia also explained that she was just using a fruit knife to peel fruit for everyone, which was actually true.

The girls thought that since they were going to discuss serious matters, they should do it while drinking tea. With such a tea party atmosphere, even if they couldn't agree later, they wouldn't end up fighting.

Yu Lian confirmed once again, these were indeed all understanding and good girls!

“Once Aisen and Tamir’s design plan is established, they will proceed with the design of Light Wings and ion pulse engines… You can understand it this way: the former can replace solar sails, and the latter is considered a revolutionary breakthrough for small ship engines. Once we have a prototype, we can cooperate with Mihiel Rozes’s Brooklyn Shipyard to build a small cruise ship and participate in next year’s Galactic Race! Once we win, we can just wait to collect the money!”

“Yu Lian, are you that confident in their abilities?” Zhi Xia certainly knew Aisen and Tamir’s skill level, but a genius damage control mechanic and a genius designer were two completely different things.

Not only do I have confidence in their abilities, but I also have more confidence in the “inspiration” I gave them.

Moreover, there’s no need to worry about technology leakage. The basic Light Wings are, in essence, a “civilian low-spec version” of solar sails. As for ion pulse engines, even if they don’t develop them, the Empire will achieve a key breakthrough in another five or six years.

Let them do it, let them become famous faster, let them become golden geese in the eyes of the upper class faster… Then, let them have a proper identity to proceed with the next step of the plan.

As for another major tech genius, Bai Ziya, whose potential is even greater, he is after all the young master of the Bai family from New Divine Province, and his abilities lean more towards data processing and theoretical aspects. Therefore, he doesn’t need to carry components with his two good friends on Earth.

More importantly, this child was a dropped grade, and although he had graduated from university, he was still underage and had to return home. Furthermore, Yu Lian also needed him to do some preliminary work for him in New Divine Province.

“But, Yu Lian, are you still an active soldier? Can you open a company?”

“There are indeed some procedural hidden dangers. That’s why I need your help. Aisen and Tamir are both engineering geeks; they can’t handle management structure, financial systems, or general administrative tasks. So, Zhi Xia, Lilia, are you interested in joining in the fun?”

If these two girls manage human resources and finance respectively, it would be truly perfect. More importantly, their hometowns are on Earth, making them proper local celebrities in the capital, Earth, and overall, their family backgrounds are quite good.

As Teacher Li taught, this is what is called an enlightened gentry.

It’s still the same saying: make many friends for yourself, and few friends for your enemies.

“Anyway, you haven’t decided what to do yet, right?”

“None of your business!” Zhi Xia glared at Yu Lian: “Lilia and I have already agreed to go on a tour around the Suspension Arm!”

“That’s right! Rent a small cruise ship and pilot it ourselves. Starting from the Solar System, we’ll circle the entire Third Suspension Arm, and it will take half a year!”

This was also a classic move for young masters and ladies. After graduating from university, they could go traveling first. As the saying goes, ‘reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles.’ This was to experience the “world”; then, they could do some work at charitable organizations, which was to experience “society.”

This way, at least their resumes would have splendid content to fill. When the time came to join important positions, it would be a matter of course.

However, being willing to travel ten thousand miles is always better than hiding at home attending various “celebrity gatherings” and creating a persona of a “socialite waiting to be married.”

“Have a good time. You indeed have half a year to decide whether to join. During this period, Aisen and Tamir will achieve some results. Also, I’ve already given Aisen your contact information. If there are any issues, he’ll call you, so remember to help him out a little for the sake of comradeship!” Yu Lian said sincerely.

Probably with Mihiel Rozes’s endorsement, the subsequent discussion went very smoothly. The girls hesitated for a moment, then expressed that they would seriously consider this startup plan.

“Then, Anne… Last week, those cruisers from the New World Garrison were officially refitted and are currently undergoing training in the Gibraltar Star System. The Garrison did recruit some people at Gibraltar Starport, but they need capable officers even more. Eleanor asked me to recommend some talents to her, and I left your name.” Yu Lian said.

Of course, besides Anne, there were also Li Baolu and Anton Kou Shan; it just depended on how Eleanor would use them.

Yu Lian looked at the future star captain, the only girl from this student council group who became famous in later generations. He knew that this girl was consistent inside and out, essentially a troublemaker who sought excitement.

Because commanding a warship made her adrenaline burn more than driving a speeder or motorcycle, she joined the navy.

Indeed, she showed a look of interest.

Very good, let the “Black Rose of the Yarwen Starfield” bloom early in the New World.

“Eleanor should call you.” Yu Lian paused, then looked at Lilia, and then at Daina.

“I’m not idle at all!” Miss Daina Jefferson quickly raised both hands and loudly said, “I’ve already said it, I have to go back to the countryside to raise cattle! The cowboys at home are all trouble, someone needs to manage them!”

Yes, cattle counted in seven figures, ranches measured in tens of thousands of square kilometers, plus cowboys equipped better than the local security forces! So you joined the army just to better command the cowboys, right? The next step is to overthrow the government!

“I’m also very busy; I even refused Zhi Xia’s invitation to travel together…” Lilia Alfonso said helplessly, “Dad wants me to go back and help him. The situation at home is a bit complicated, and we really need manpower.”

Yes, unsettled planets always tend to have complex security situations. Therefore, as one of the largest influential families in the area, they indeed need family talents who have received strict, high-quality military training.

“Daina’s hometown is in New Tennessee, right? It requires two jumps from the Luna Star System, and the journey takes about a week.”

“If it’s a high-speed transport ship or warship equipped with an antimatter supercharger and space-slip device, it only takes three days. But it really is the countryside.” Daina looked at Yu Lian with confusion, then at Lilia.

“And then, Lilia’s hometown is in New Seville! In the same star system is Lumina Planet, which sounds quite tough.”

Lilia nodded helplessly, then shook her head: “Actually, it’s not too bad. The Luminans, even if they cause trouble, they always target Earth. It’s just that New Seville is an ocean planet, with less than ten percent land area, so administrative efficiency really can’t be high. Almost every inhabited large island is a semi-autonomous administrative region, and they all have their own autonomous armed forces, so security is indeed a problem.”

“That’s good.” Yu Lian nodded.

“…That’s, good?”

Yes, it’s really good! Some industries are particularly suitable for ocean planets!

“Maybe before long, we can meet there.” Yu Lian smiled and said, “I have a somewhat immature small plan. A small plan to connect Lumina, New Seville, and New Tennessee. If it succeeds, it might even solve the Lumina terrorists once and for all.”

Additionally, it could also deal with The Myriad Souls Heresy once and for all. And then, it could also contribute to my personal small goals.

And finally, it might even resolve Charlie once and for all!

Wow, killing N birds with one stone! I’m practically a strategic genius! It’s a great pity that I didn’t discover this talent in my previous life, nor did I have the opportunity to develop it!

However, after exchanging glances, the girls all showed worried expressions.

“Wow, Yu Lian, when did you get possessed by that Horatio Wien guy?”

“…That Yu Lian, Aisen-kun’s side, Zhi Xia and I will make time to check on it. You, you absolutely must not get carried away!”

“You boys often get carried away and use your tails as flagpoles. This is a sickness, and it needs to be cured!”

You see, this is why Yu Lian felt that the girls (for now) could not become comrades. They were all smart and good girls, but they were simply too down-to-earth.

If it were Horatio Wien, although he would mock him greatly, he would never dismiss it on the spot without even listening.

Historically, it is indeed only those who are both arrogant and obsessive who can change the world!

“So, that’s why I gathered them! I described to them my future career plans and the future grand policies of the world. They thought I was too carried away, and I knew they thought I was carried away. So the discussion took a little longer. You know, they’re not naive and sweet, but good girls from prominent families who received higher education. Precisely because of this, they wouldn’t be easily convinced by me.”

“I had to analyze the situation from the most realistic perspective, from the microcosm to the macrocosm, from the daily lives of ordinary people to the national economy and the future of the universe! This wasn't just a meeting; it was clearly a grand lecture on history and economics! That’s why I talked from ten in the morning until one in the afternoon, and then we just had a picnic together! I’m telling the truth!”

At this point, Yu Lian felt a faint glow of a pioneer attaching to him, and he immediately swelled with pride.

He could now understand the mental journey of previous pioneers. They journeyed alone, they carried heavy burdens, and they were like the single ray of light in the darkness, gradually illuminating the path forward for the entire world.

Then, he finally found companions, and then more and more people joined him, and then a path finally emerged. He changed the world in this way.

Yu Lian looked up at the sky, feeling that he could finally see Teacher Li’s back; however, when his gaze met Feifei’s smiling peach blossom eyes, he quickly brought himself back to reality.

“So, Feifei, you have to believe me!”

Feifei nodded with a smile, presumably, probably, perhaps, seemingly believing him.

“So, Yu’er, those drawings you made last time weren’t meant to be sold, but rather for you to start your own agency?”

“Well, I’ve thought about it. Those drawings aren’t quite mature enough… but it’s not bad to start a small workshop to test the waters. Aisen and Tamir are so skilled, and I happen to have some spare cash,” Yu Lian said.

Feifei pouted: “Last time I saw a house I liked in Atlancity, about 90 square meters, with a rooftop garden… I’ve saved some money, and I was thinking if I pooled it with Yu’er, the down payment should be enough!”

Atlancity is the capital of Mars. As mentioned before, after the miraculous terraforming project, Mars and Titan are now habitable planets, with settled populations of one billion and three hundred million respectively, making them quite sizable inhabited planets.

“Who wants to buy a house on Mars! Oh, wait, why are you thinking about buying a house now? I’m a spiritual energy user; I have an apartment in Big Apple City,” Yu Lian said.

“But you still need your own property,” Feifei said as a matter of course, “Besides, I heard someone say last time that housing prices on Earth have peaked, while those on Mars and Titan still have good investment value…”

This sounds familiar! I feel like I’ve heard this many times in my previous lives.

“Forget it, it’s fine if Yu’er wants to try. Anyway, those two little foxes have been quite bored lately, so giving them something to do is good, saves them from flirting all the time.”

Yu Lian couldn't help but scratch his ear, feeling as if he had heard some words from Feifei that were completely out of character for her. He felt this must be an illusion.

“But, Yu’er… do you really not understand what those little vixen, flirtatious vixen, cheating vixen are thinking?”

Yu Lian couldn't help but scratch his ear again, thinking, why is this girl not playing by the rules? We’re having a good chat, you can’t just flip the table!

Yu Lian looked up at the sky, then at the sun, pondering how strong the dome above was and whether he could smash through it with his head, before finally giving up with a grunt.

“Zhi Xia wants to be a playwright and an explorer, while Liuli has always wanted to be a painter… Heh, don’t let their military school education fool you, at heart, they are just such artsy young girls. Daina and Lilia both have family businesses to inherit, but the former only wants to manage her hometown’s millions of cattle and thousands of cowboys, along with that food processing plant; Lilia will probably develop into a female warlord, but deep down, she hopes to find a good man to marry and raise a family with.”

This is the life they aspire to! Who can say that such a life is not fulfilling? Who can say that such a life is necessarily worse than a magnificent one?

“After all, they are not hot-blooded, ambitious men like Horatio and the others!”

Feifei sighed silently, having to admit this point.

“I’ve said this to Horatio and the others. What we’re going to do in the future is not about hosting banquets, nor is it about embroidery. So, let the rose-colored stories of our student days remain in those rose-colored student days. As for the future, that will involve being beaten by the real world. Talking about these things now is too premature!”

Besides, I didn’t ask about their well-being, didn’t give thoughtful handmade gifts, didn’t build snowmen downstairs in the cold, didn’t pester them to go back to their hometown, didn’t go on dates alone, and didn’t even establish a warm-guy persona. Is all of this my fault?

“Then you could have cut off their thoughts more directly.”

“Nonsense, I can’t bear… bah, what I mean is, we’re all adults now, so there’s no need to speak so rigidly. We should always leave some room for maneuver for each other.”

And if I really turn off all the side quests, I always feel like something very serious will happen!

“Now everyone is no longer a student, so let’s first start a small business together. Seek common ground while reserving differences in a common endeavor, and find the future! Moreover, we can also Explore the future path a little.”

Feifei still sneered, but said, “Through this agency?”

“I have never doubted the future of this new company, and precisely because of this, we need enough collaborators. I’ve already allocated it: Aisen and Tamir will have technical shares, 10% each. Then, 20% will be set aside and distributed to everyone in the student council according to their investment and management work. I estimate that after the racing competition ends, the company will be on the right track, and the profits will be quite substantial. One thing is certain: I truly hope the girls can earn some dowry together.”

“As for the remaining 60%…”

“That belongs to Yu’er?”

“I was going to say it belongs to me and Feifei, and then Feifei could act like a major shareholder in front of the girls, ordering them around…”

Feifei’s sparkling peach blossom eyes narrowed into slits again, and she asked with a smile, “But?”

“But, I also want to do some other explorations. So, when the company truly expands to a certain scale, I will distribute it to all employees and specifically establish an organization to manage these profits!”

Feifei raised her eyebrows, genuinely showing a look of surprise. She thought for a long time, but still could only shake her head and sigh, “Sorry, Yu’er, I really don’t understand. Yu’er, you’re not thinking of doing charity, are you?”

“Feifei can take a look first; I think you will definitely understand earlier than rough guys like Horatio and Yahata!” This was truly not a polite remark; Yu Lian genuinely felt this way.

For some reason, Feifei also felt that she had received a rather extraordinary compliment, and she smiled sweetly again.

Just as Yu Lian thought this chapter could finally be turned, Feifei suddenly said, “But, Yu’er, what if they catch up to your pace again?”

“Huh?”

“The growth of young people is always illogical. Yu’er surprised us greatly after returning from New Yumen, so who can guarantee that when you meet them next time, they won’t surprise you greatly?”

“Then, of course, I will regard them as comrades-in-arms whose backs I can fully rely on, until death do us part! Just like on the Red Tiger back then!” Yu Lian looked up at the sky, sincerely hoping for that day to come!

“You’re playing dumb again!” Feifei smiled and shook her head: “I mean, what if there comes a day when you don’t need to pretend to be foolish for these grand reasons, and you face the same situation as today, what then?”

Yu Lian gazed at the distant sun, and for a moment, he felt an urge to break through the dome, rush into the universe, and be surrounded by stars.

A minute later, he regained his senses, summoned all his courage, and solemnly said, “This, I can only beg the universe spirit for help, to bring happiness to everyone!”

Anyway, this sentence, probably only the universe spirit and the observing lords would instantly understand.

The intelligent Feifei didn’t seem to fully understand either, so she smiled noncommittally, looked down at the time, and directly moved on to the next topic: “We’re planning to go home together the day after tomorrow, right?”

“The tickets are already bought.”

Feifei nodded, a fleeting blush crossing her fair face, but she still said in a calm tone, “Then tomorrow morning, come with me to buy some Fire Rock Wine. I asked, and Guanghan City’s foreign trade station will have it in stock tomorrow.”

“Fire Rock Wine? Oh, the kind Uncle Wei likes best?”

“Yes, Dad said we’ll have dinner together when we get back, at the restaurant. Both families.”

“That’s great! I happen to be visiting an elder the day after, and he also enjoys that!”

Seriously, as a persistent Crystal Palace author, you guys should have some confidence!

This Meow really wrote the student council girls as Feifei’s accessories and tools; their status was almost infinitely close to that of concubines… Didn’t I say that more than a hundred chapters ago?

As for the limited crystal, bah, the core combat team seats, they were definitely reserved for Eleanor, Ina, Gongsun Qing, and the like! The third-rate singer lady only appeared for five or six chapters, don’t you think her presence already surpassed all the girls in the student council?

Besides, too many members in the Crystal Palace, bah, the core combat team, are troublesome to write and unrewarding. It truly becomes just symbols in a all-virgin, all-harem stallion novel, and what’s the point in that?

So, there must be a reasonable way for them to exit, but also be able to be pulled back to save the day at any time!