"We can't discuss big matters, but we can talk about small ones, right?" Jiang Ye took out the list of questions from his pocket and found Su Yueming's. "Your current position is still my secretary, isn't it?"
"Yes," Su Yueming replied. "But I'm no longer your only direct secretary; you've hired several more."
Jiang Ye frowned.
Hired several more secretaries?
Su Yueming had a large secretarial team under her, as there were too many tasks for her to handle alone.
If several direct secretaries were added, and each direct secretary had a new team under them… then his jurisdiction might have expanded significantly!
"Are you married?" Jiang Ye asked.
Su Yueming nodded.
Jiang Ye took out a ballpoint pen and made a note on the list.
"And children?" Jiang Ye continued.
"Eight."
Jiang Ye's pen almost fell. He looked up at Su Yueming in surprise. "Are you sure?"
"Yes," Su Yueming sighed helplessly. "I just received the Heroic Mother medal."
"Congratulations, you've maintained your figure quite well," Jiang Ye could only congratulate her.
He marveled inwardly. Secretary Su had eight children in twenty years, which was truly remarkable. Perhaps the expansion of the secretarial team was due to her extended maternity leaves?
"Who is your husband?" Jiang Ye asked.
"Let's not talk about that," Su Yueming shook her head.
"Why not? I can tell you about your husband from twenty years ago."
"Too much spoilers would make life meaningless. The anticipation of love is an essential life experience, and I don't want to rush to the destination," Su Yueming smiled. "When you went back twenty years ago, you didn't tell me who my husband was either."
Jiang Ye understood.
Soon, the special vehicle landed at the Commander's Mansion.
Jiang Ye got out of the car and found that the Commander's Mansion had barely changed, still the same messy lawn. Only a few small saplings from back then had grown into towering trees in the distance.
"Honey." A familiar voice.
Jiang Ye turned around. Cen Yumeng was standing at the entrance, smiling.
Her appearance had changed significantly, not by aging, but by becoming younger, completely transforming into a maiden. She was wearing a pink silk nightgown and silk shorts, her slender legs were fair and tender, her face had thinned considerably, and her eyes had become more sparkling and captivating. She had tied her hair into a bun, looking playful and cute.
Jiang Ye walked over, and Cen Yumeng immediately jumped into his arms and hugged him.
Jiang Ye could clearly feel that her weight had decreased significantly.
The sound of slippers shuffling, a man walked out and met Jiang Ye's gaze.
Even though he had anticipated this scene, seeing the man standing before him, who looked exactly like him, Jiang Ye still felt a sense of unreality.
"You're here." The Jiang Ye from twenty years later smiled, his eyes more composed, his physique still robust, but his face was clearly much younger, like he had just turned eighteen.
This feeling was very strange. Jiang Ye had expected to see an older version of himself and his wife, but unexpectedly, both of them had undergone reverse aging, appearing more like younger generations.
"I'll call you Old Jiang and Old Cen," Jiang Ye looked at him in surprise. "Did you just have a rejuvenation surgery?"
"No, it was a beauty preservation treatment," Old Cen rested his chin on Jiang Ye's shoulder. "Our physiological ages are both nineteen."
"That's really young," Jiang Ye was astonished. "But isn't it a bit too young?"
"It's alright. Look how delicate my wife is, like a flower," Old Jiang chuckled casually. "We plan to change our ages every ten years. The next one is tentatively set for thirty-three. A couple at nineteen is too immature; thirty-three is the golden age."
"Let's eat, let's eat, don't let my husband go hungry," Old Cen turned to Old Jiang and said.
"Clarify, I'm your husband, he's your husband from twenty years ago," Old Jiang said with a strange expression.
"You, you're even jealous of yourself?" Old Cen giggled with a blush.
Jiang Ye also felt a bit awkward.
He was holding his wife from twenty years in the future, right in front of his future self.
This feeling was truly damn strange!
Old Jiang sighed. It was his future self anyway, so there was nothing to be angry about. Moreover, he had already experienced the same thing twenty years ago, and he knew what was going to happen next.
The three of them went upstairs together, Cen Yumeng in the middle, holding both Jiang Yes' hands.
The meal was prepared in advance, quite lavish, ten dishes, two soups, plus dessert.
Jiang Ye sat down and was about to take out the list of questions from his pocket.
The Old Jiang opposite him raised his hand. "Don't bother. I know the questions you want to ask. I won't tell you most of them, only give you a little hint that you can remember with your mind."
Jiang Ye was stunned. "Why?"
"It's meaningless," Old Jiang said dismissively.
"How can it be meaningless?" Jiang Ye raised his voice. "I can see that our marital relationship is still very good after twenty years. At least tell me..."
Before he could utter the word "son," the Old Jiang opposite him anticipated it.
"Forest is on an alien planet, busy. He hasn't returned," Old Jiang lowered his head and drank his soup, speaking unhurriedly. "Whether we had other children in these twenty years, and Forest's development over these twenty years, Mengmeng and I have decided not to tell you."
"Why!" Jiang Ye became anxious.
Old Jiang didn't explain, picked up food and ate, his expression extremely calm.
Jiang Ye was speechless. His future self was not cooperating. What was this old guy thinking?
How could anyone go against themselves?
This person is me!
"If you want advice about the future," Old Jiang spoke again, "I'll give you one piece."
"Go ahead," Jiang Ye said without hesitation.
"Twenty years ago, Jiang Ye Star and Birong Star had just completed their population boom, with extremely high poverty and unemployment rates, and very primitive social development. To revitalize the market, you are undertaking an investment worth trillions, right?" Old Jiang said slowly. "You prepared a trillion funds to invest in those destitute local entrepreneurs, and you've already invested several hundred billion."
"That's right," Jiang Ye nodded. "Should I stop or continue?"
"Expand," Old Jiang said casually. "In a short period, most of the investments will be wasted, billions upon billions will go down the drain. But then, the results will explode exponentially. The speed of commercial development will far exceed your imagination. Jiang Ye Star and Birong Star will witness spectacular scenes. You know 'spring bamboo shoots'? The shoots will grow at a visible rate. A few days ago, the bare mountain forest will become a dense bamboo forest where a Qinggong master can fly around in a few days."
"Can't you give me some specific pointers?" Jiang Ye frowned. "I won't invest in those losing bosses, only in the profitable ones."
"There are so many bosses, denser than migrating fish, how can I remember them all?" Old Jiang said irritably, picking up a piece of green vegetable and chewing it with a crunch. "I'll only guide you this much. Take out the money and invest heavily in those entrepreneurs, that's all."
Jiang Ye felt like spitting blood at this moment.
He never expected his future self to be so perfunctory.
It was truly inexplicable. This was his own flesh and blood, why wouldn't he help wholeheartedly? Why be so dismissive?
"Wife, have you been well these past twenty years?" Jiang Ye turned to Old Cen.
"I'm not telling you," Old Cen also smiled.
Jiang Ye angrily slammed his chopsticks on the table, unable to eat.
His future self and future wife had ganged up against him!
What was the point of this strict secrecy?