In a spacious classroom in Magic City, Feng Yunchen, Ai Xiaoxi, and more than a dozen other girls, dressed in loose dance attire, were practicing their moves. They followed the lead of their dance instructor—a rather delicate-looking man—mimicking his posture and movements as they danced to a Korean girl group's hit song, "Cat Step Light Tips" by AOA.
Of course, if Jiang Hai were here, he wouldn't understand a thing. He had no particular fondness for Korean pop culture and the only association he had with it was from an era when Fuyuan had been obsessed with it, constantly indulging in K-pop content.
Though their performance couldn't compare to a professional girl group in terms of difficulty and synchronization, the way they moved still had a certain allure.
"Alright, ladies, take a break. One more run-through, and we'll call it a night," the instructor announced, clapping his hands in satisfaction.
After all, these women were models. While not all good models could sing or dance well, they had excellent figures. Most importantly, their work required them to be flexible, which made it easier for them to learn the simplified choreography. Despite their occasional clumsiness, they were managing well enough.
At his words, the dancers let out a collective sigh of relief. Those with less stamina collapsed onto the floor, while the stronger ones, like Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi, walked over to grab water bottles and took small sips, recovering from the intense training.
"Sister Chen, I'm exhausted! Let's go eat tonight!" A young girl, looking barely past her teenage years, crawled over with a tired expression and blinked up at Feng Yunchen.
Feng Yunchen was the same age as Jiang Hai—born in 1988 and now 27 years old. By the traditional Chinese method of counting age, she was already 28. In this industry, youth was fleeting. Generally, if a model hadn't gained significant popularity by the age of 25, agencies would push them toward more provocative photoshoots. Beauty and youth faded quickly in this world, and many resorted to embracing a sexier image, leveraging their looks to earn money or secure wealthy patrons before eventually retiring.
Some, unfortunately, failed to secure either success or stability and ended up taking on less desirable jobs in the industry.
At events like CJ, models as old as 27 were rare unless they were specifically invited. Standard SG models were typically much younger. However, Feng Yunchen was an exception.
Despite her age, she didn't look a day over 22. Her skin was flawless, smooth, and fair. According to industry insiders, she had a unique combination of youthful energy and a regal presence—an irresistible appeal, especially to younger men who idolized the idea of an older "sister" figure.
The rest of the girls in the group were much younger. Aside from Feng Yunchen, the oldest was Ai Xiaoxi at 23. Three others were also 23, while the remaining were between 18 and 21, with a handful as young as 16 or 17—still high school students who, while perhaps not excelling academically, were eager to make money in the industry.
The girl who had just spoken to Feng Yunchen was the youngest, only 16, fresh out of junior high school. She had already secured admission to an arts school, meaning she didn't need to stress about entrance exams.
Despite her young age, she was well-liked—good-natured, without any arrogance or entitlement. Her only vice was her love of food.
"You're still thinking about food? If you eat too much, you'll turn into a round dumpling!" Ai Xiaoxi teased.
"Hey, I'm still growing!" the girl huffed, puffing out her cheeks in mock indignation.
"Alright, alright, eat whatever you want," Feng Yunchen laughed, indulging her.
Hearing those words, the young girl raised her fists in excitement. Watching her, Feng Yunchen couldn't help but reminisce about her own younger days. She had once been just as carefree.
But now... things were different. Fortunately, she had Jiang Hai. He was her support.
"Let's call Darlene and the others and see if they want to join us for dinner," she said, shaking off her thoughts.
Money was no longer a concern for them. Since Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi had committed to Jiang Hai, he had made sure they were well taken care of. Back in the capital, he had applied for two high-level personal bank cards, each loaded with 10 million RMB. He had given one to each of them, and while this was a mere drop in the bucket for Jiang Hai, it was a life-changing sum for ordinary people—enough for a lifetime if managed wisely.
Initially, when they had been in the U.S., Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi had refused to accept money from him. But as their relationship evolved, they let go of their hesitation and accepted his generosity.
Despite their wealth, they remained low-key, avoiding unnecessary attention and jealousy. This discretion was one of the reasons Feng Yunchen had thrived in the industry for so long—she avoided trouble, and trouble avoided her.
Ai Xiaoxi quickly pulled out her phone and sent a WeChat message. Darlene, Marian, and Azarina were watching TV in their suite. Upon receiving the message, they immediately agreed to go out for dinner.
Meanwhile, Jiang Hai had been in Haicheng for a day. He and Penelope had enjoyed a relaxing day, dining on local stir-fried dishes before heading to bed early. They had an important task the next morning—purchasing knife fish.
Early the next morning, a minister from Huayang Group arrived with a car, waiting downstairs at Jiang Hai's hotel.
To be honest, Huayang Group wasn't particularly enthusiastic about Jiang Hai's visit. He was here to "plunder" their research—specifically, the Yangtze River knife fish they had successfully bred but had yet to mass-produce. His presence was an unwelcome necessity, enforced by a court mandate that they could not refuse.
Founded in 1995, Huayang Group had grown into a massive enterprise, largely due to government backing. Unlike in the U.S., where governors were independently elected and could stand apart from the president, China's provincial leaders were deeply tied to the central government. Defying orders from above was unthinkable.
Thus, Huayang Group had no choice but to accommodate Jiang Hai's requests, despite their resentment. Their superiors had instructed them to provide him with whatever he needed—as long as it didn't result in financial loss.
By the time Jiang Hai came downstairs, the minister and his driver had been waiting for quite some time. The minister's face was fixed in a practiced, polite smile.
"Apologies for the wait—women take longer to get ready," Jiang Hai said with a smile, extending his hand.
The minister shook it, still maintaining his professional demeanor. "Not at all, not at all. I understand completely. Shall we head to the company first, or go directly to the research institute?"
Jiang Hai had no interest in meeting bureaucrats. "Straight to the research institute."
The minister smiled. In truth, neither side wanted a formal meeting. The researchers resented Jiang Hai for taking their work, and Jiang Hai had no patience for their formalities.
With that, the four of them got into the car and set off. As they drove, the minister introduced Huayang Group's extensive operations. While its primary focus was aquaculture and agriculture, it also had subsidiaries in real estate, logistics, finance, insurance, and human resources.
Had Jiang Hai come here without government backing, they wouldn't have given him the time of day—let alone sold him fish fry. But in China, government ties made all the difference. And in this case, Jiang Hai had the ultimate trump card.