Meeting your father-in-law for the first time is the most terrifying thing in the world, this was Jiang Ye's only thought at the moment.
Jiang Ye sat obediently by the table, sweat beading on his forehead, like a rabbit.
Beside him sat Cen Yemeng, head bowed and blushing, silent as a scolded child waiting for her stern father to unleash his rage.
Across from Jiang Ye sat Cen Yemeng's father.
The father-in-law's appearance was intimidating enough. He stood at least 1.9 meters tall and weighed around 95 kilograms, his build like a black bear that had crawled out of the deep forests of Northeast China.
Cen Yemeng's face was small and delicate, her skin incredibly smooth. Her father, however, was like a different species. He had a square face covered in thick flesh, rough, sallow skin, fierce, small triangular eyes, and remarkably developed jaw muscles. Most critically, he had cauliflower ears.
Cauliflower ears, also known as fighter's ears, were flat, messy ears shaped very much like dumplings. They were typically found on boxers, wrestlers, and other individuals who frequently endured blows. Cauliflower ears were not congenital; they were deformities formed by repeated trauma to the ears, causing cartilage to break, bleed, and then heal.
If Jiang Ye encountered someone with cauliflower ears on the street, he would never dare to provoke them. Yet, this man was now his father-in-law!
Jiang Ye knew very well that his father-in-law could make him vomit blood with a single punch. This was a formidable man who would make even a tiger act like a kitten!
The father-in-law's sharp gaze swept over Jiang Ye, as if trying to see through him completely.
"Mengmeng, you have so many talented young men pursuing you, why did you choose someone like this? He doesn't look particularly outstanding," the father-in-law said bluntly.
Cen Yemeng's face flushed as if she were about to bleed. "Dad! Jiang Ye is very good."
"Uncle, my feelings for Yemeng are genuine," Jiang Ye said, gathering his courage. Although his father-in-law was terrifying, he had to try and win him over.
"What do you do for work?" the father-in-law asked, his voice deep.
"I'm a General now," Jiang Ye replied. "I command three small cities on a colony planet."
Jiang Ye finally felt a flicker of confidence. He met his father-in-law's gaze, thinking, "I'm a General, powerful in my domain, commanding tens of thousands of people. I should be good enough for your daughter!"
"A mere General, and you dare to court my daughter?" The father-in-law's face showed a hint of anger.
"Dad! He doesn't know who you are," Cen Yemeng interjected anxiously. "He's from ancient times and knows almost nothing."
Jiang Ye was utterly bewildered. If even a General was looked down upon, who was this old father-in-law?
"I will continue to work hard. My planet is just beginning to develop, and I am young, capable of striving," Jiang Ye quickly said. "I earn a billion a week right now."
"You think a billion is a lot?" The father-in-law showed a slight smile, and when he smiled, he possessed an almost imperial majesty. "You really don't know who I am?"
Jiang Ye shook his head blankly. "No... I don't."
"Do you know Wanhu Weaponry Company? I am its founder and controlling shareholder," the father-in-law said slowly. "Our company's market value is twenty trillion."
Jiang Ye's mind reeled, stunned by the number.
He silently calculated. Earning a billion a week, it would take him 20,000 weeks, or about four hundred years, to earn twenty trillion.
If he had started earning a billion a week from the time Zhu Yuanzhang raised his army until Chongzhen hanged himself from a crooked tree, he still wouldn't have caught up to his father-in-law's company's market value.
This was unbelievable, a twenty-trillion-dollar magnate with cauliflower ears.
"Dad, I don't lack money," Cen Yemeng frowned. "I'm not someone who values material possessions. I'm happy with my current life, and Jiang Ye can completely support me."
"It's not about whether you value material possessions or not; it's about whether a man has the ability to protect you. Do you think I earn money for luxury? It's to protect you in this chaotic world!" The father-in-law's voice suddenly rose. "We've been fighting the Mil people these past few days. Over twenty thousand people have died on the front lines in half an hour. In this world, how can you be safe without vast amounts of money?"
"Although free love is encouraged now, it doesn't work for me," the father-in-law said, looking at Jiang Ye again.
Jiang Ye felt numb. He expected his father-in-law to say something like, "Here's fifty billion, leave my daughter."
However, his father-in-law didn't say that. Instead, he suddenly softened.
"I can see that, whether it was an impulsive decision or a well-thought-out one, my daughter likes you a lot right now."
"But I cannot hand over Mengmeng to a greenhorn who can barely protect himself."
"Don't think that being a General makes you someone important. A General on a colony planet is nothing. The Mil people wouldn't even bother attacking you. The development level of your colony is akin to the primitive era; you can't even imagine the intensity of real interstellar warfare. The Dyson Spheres built by the Mil people could devour your planet in less than two days."
"You are from ancient times, and you are still young. I don't expect you to reach great heights. However, you must possess a certain ability and ambition to become a qualified father in the future."
"Therefore, my only requirement for you is to provide a betrothal gift of five hundred billion. After that, you two can live your lives as you please. This is not a high demand; it will be easy to accumulate this amount once your colony develops a bit more."
"Before marriage, I don't care how you conduct yourselves, but there's one thing: absolutely no children. If you dare to get Mengmeng pregnant before marriage, I'll smash your head. Mengmeng, do you hear me? If you dare to have a child casually, I'll break your legs."
Cen Yemeng glared defiantly at her father. "I want to have children with Jiang Ye! One this year! Two next year!"
"How dare you!" The father-in-law's eyes widened, and he roared.
With that, the father-in-law stood up and left without looking back, slamming the door behind him.
Jiang Ye and Cen Yemeng both let out a sigh of relief, slumping onto their chairs, drenched in sweat, leaning back-to-back.
"Your father is terrifying," Jiang Ye said, feeling like he had narrowly escaped death. "I thought he was going to beat me to death with two punches, after all, I'm just a young kid who secretly courted his precious daughter."
"He has a tough exterior but a soft heart. Don't worry, he won't do anything to you," Cen Yemeng said, reaching out to hug Jiang Ye and whispering in his ear, "Do you want children?"
"No, no, no, I want to have a serious talk with you," Jiang Ye said, grabbing her hand seriously.
"Okay," Cen Yemeng nodded obediently.
"Marriage isn't just about two people; it's about two families. My family only has me left, but your family still has your parents, and perhaps your siblings?" Jiang Ye said.
"Don't be scared when I tell you this," Cen Yemeng blinked. "I have a total of 62 brothers and sisters."
Jiang Ye was stunned again, his mouth agape. "How can there be so many?"
"My dad is rich, you know, rich people tend to have more children," Cen Yemeng said. "My status at home isn't very high. I'm not smart enough, not capable enough, and I have no ambition to inherit my father's business. But my dad likes me quite a bit, maybe because I'm cuter? So, I'm one of his most treasured daughters."
Jiang Ye nodded blankly, feeling like a commoner who had accidentally wooed a princess. The Cen family was practically royalty, with a national fortune, an emperor-like, imposing old man, a multitude of descendants, rules, and hierarchy, but also warmth.