The car door swung open again. Lu Chengwen looked up at a fuming Xu Xuejiao. "What now?"
"This is my car!" she roared.
Lu Chengwen wandered the streets of Xuecheng, dazed and aimless. He hadn't called Zhao Gang to pick him up—he needed to clear his head. He hadn't smoked in ages, but facing what seemed like certain doom, he didn't care anymore. Buying a pack of cigarettes, he lit one and meandered through the city.
A car screeched to a stop beside him. Before he could say a word, Hua Xuening stepped out, knocked him out cold, and dragged him inside.
When he came to, he was tied to a chair, a harsh spotlight blinding him. He squinted, making out a man's silhouette.
"Lu Chengwen, you're quite the thorn in my side," the figure said.
"Long Aotian?" Despair washed over Lu Chengwen. Caught by him? I'm done for.
"I had no choice!" Lu Chengwen blurted. "Tie Tuo Wang was about to harass Xu Xuejiao, and you weren't there. I couldn't fight him—could I just let him bully her? She's one of your destined harem members, right? I was protecting her for you!"
"Then why'd you impersonate me in the café, getting him to invest five billion in your project?"
"Big brother, what was I supposed to do? I slapped him four times to protect Xu Xuejiao. If he knew I was lying, he'd kill me! Would you have backed me up?"
"Haha, not a chance."
"Exactly! I had no choice!"
"Well, don't blame me then. Now I have no choice."
"What are you going to do?"
"Relax, I won't kill you." Long Aotian sighed, frustrated. "To think, for a mere five billion, I have to resort to the Great Art of Face-Swapping."
"What are you talking about?"
Long Aotian moved the spotlight aside, patting Lu Chengwen's cheek. "To get that five billion fast, I can't waste time. I'll borrow your face, trick that idiot into transferring the money. After that…" He gritted his teeth. "Once I've swallowed three of the great families, your Lu family's next."
"Hey, hey, wait! Let's talk! I'll give you five billion, I'll—"
Hua Xuening stepped forward. "Quiet. We're not taking your life—just swapping your face with the Young Master's for a bit. No pain, no itch, but for twelve hours, you won't be you."
"You lunatics! What kind of bizarre tricks do you have? It's not fair! I'm just a rich villain with money and nothing else. You've got masters and artifacts popping up left and right. You call this a win? I look down on you! I despise you!"
Long Aotian and Hua Xuening ignored him. "Young Master," Hua Xuening said, "with your current injuries, the Great Art of Face-Swapping might not last long, and it could weaken your strength further."
"No matter," Long Aotian said, resolute. "Strength isn't the key here. The martial world isn't just about fighting—it's about connections and strategy. If I can't pull this off, uniting Xuecheng's four great families is a pipe dream. It's just a few hours. I'll manage."
Meanwhile, Tie Tuo Wang stood before a hotel's floor-to-ceiling window, head bowed. "Yes, yes, I messed up. I'm sorry, Strategist. I didn't expect—"
The Strategist exploded over the phone. "Didn't expect? You mistook your own master! Could you screw up any worse?"
"But when I came, I had no name, no code, not even a signal—"
"The Young Master is above such things! He can't be linked to our Great Organization. Did you expect him to use a secret handshake like you grunts?"
"No, no, that's not what I meant. It's just… Lu Chengwen was so cunning. Charming, surrounded by beauties, oozing charisma—his flair was off the charts!"
"I don't care what's in your pig brain! You're fully responsible for this mess!"
"Yes, yes, I'll find the Young Master and confess my mistake."
"If you don't fix this, come back with your head in your hands!" The Strategist hung up, furious.
Tie Tuo Wang closed his eyes, tilting his head back. "What a disgrace."
"Iron King, is… Long Aotian the real Young Master?"
Tie Tuo Wang, gripping the phone so hard it shattered, growled, "Lu Chengwen, that bastard! He played me like a fool!" Turning, he grabbed his subordinate's collar. "He slapped me four times in public, called me an idiot! The nerve!"
"Calm down, Iron King. Let's find him and take him out."
Tie Tuo Wang shoved him away. "Of course we'll take him out. But not now. Killing him would disrupt the Young Master's plans in Xuecheng. Still, I can't let him strut around after humiliating me. I've roamed the martial world for years—never have I faced such an insult!"
"We'll go now, break his legs, let him stroll in a wheelchair!"
"No! I'll handle him myself. If I don't, I won't rest in peace!"
This chapter isn't over yet. Please turn to the next page for more exciting content!
Hours later, Lu Chengwen woke in a dark, unfamiliar place, his skin crawling with dread. I've got to do something. I can't just wait to die. Then it hit him—the Flash Card!
Summoning his system, he selected the Flash Card with his mind. Flash me out! He chose to flash downward, hoping to escape the room. If he stayed, he'd still be trapped. This seemed to be a high-rise—flashing to a lower floor might give him a chance to flee.
With a thud, he plummeted into a large bathtub. A woman screamed, leaping up. Surfacing, Lu Chengwen saw… Leng Qingqiu.
Clutching a towel to her chest, she backed into a corner, terrified. "Long Aotian! What are you doing?!"
"It's me, Lu Chengwen!" he shouted.
"You're lying! Get out, or I'll call for help!"
"Don't! Don't scream! It's really me. Long Aotian swapped our faces!"
Leng Qingqiu's long legs pressed together, glistening from the water, breathtakingly stunning. Water dripped down, adding to her allure. "You… Qingqiu, you should cover… down there first."
"Ah!" She shrieked, adjusting the towel to cover below, but now her chest was barely shielded, her arms pressing tightly, distorting her curves. Lu Chengwen grabbed a nearby towel and handed it to her.
She reached for it, then realized she'd exposed herself again, quickly covering up. "Get out!"
Ignoring her, he stepped closer, draping the towel over her. "Qingqiu, listen. I'm Lu Chengwen. Three years ago, at a Mid-Autumn gala, I confessed to you, and you splashed red wine in my face, telling me to get lost. Your birthday's [date]. Besides economics, you love music and art. If you didn't have to run a business, you'd be a painter. You play the piano and cello. You love Sichuan cuisine but avoid it because it's too spicy. Your ex-best friend who betrayed you was Wan Xiaoling. For three years, I sent you lilies—your favorite flower. I'm Lu Chengwen."
Leng Qingqiu was stunned. Only a devoted suitor would know these details. "You… you're really… Lu Chengwen?"
She decided to test him. "Fine. If you're Lu Chengwen, give me Uncle Lu's phone number. There's a landline here. Call him now and arrange our engagement."
Lu Chengwen's brows twisted. "Engagement? I told you we're not a match! If I give him my number looking like this, he'll beat me with a broom!"
"Think of something in your head, silently."
"What?"
"Just do it, now, or I'm calling the cops!"
With no choice, he thought, You little brat, fine! I'll yank off your towel and spank you on the massage table!
Leng Qingqiu heard his familiar inner voice and finally believed him. "It's really you?"
"It actually worked?!"
"How… how do you look like Long Aotian?"
"Long story. That jerk used some face-swapping trick to use my face to scam Tie Tuo Wang into transferring the money."
"There's such a thing?! What kind of people are you?!"
"I don't know any of this stuff! He's the one with all these weird tricks. Hurry and get dressed—I won't look."
He turned away. Leng Qingqiu slipped into a bathrobe, glancing at him warily. Maybe a peek wouldn't hurt? Why am I being so chivalrous? In this situation, she'd probably be fine with it. Stop daydreaming, focus on surviving!
She smiled, fully convinced of his identity. A knock came at the door. Han Yue's voice called, "President Leng, President Lu's here to discuss the investment project."
"Got it," Leng Qingqiu replied.
"You okay, President Leng?"
"I'm fine."
"Really? I heard—"
Lu Chengwen snapped, "She said she's fine!"
Han Yue froze. A man's voice? Leng Qingqiu smacked Lu Chengwen and cracked the door open. "Han Yue."
"President Leng, are you—"
"It's fine."
Seeing Leng Qingqiu unharmed, Han Yue relaxed. The boss is human too. A little secret rendezvous… understandable. Reading Han Yue's expression, Leng Qingqiu smiled. "It's Lu Chengwen."
"Oh!" Han Yue exhaled, relieved. If it was Lu Chengwen, no worries. Their engagement wasn't a secret, and everyone knew he'd rather die than let Leng Qingqiu come to harm.
Leng Qingqiu, embarrassed, said, "I don't know how he got in here. Stall the guest—I'll be out soon."
Han Yue grinned. "Got it. Take your time… continue if you want."
Before Leng Qingqiu could clarify, Han Yue left. She turned, glaring at Lu Chengwen. Han Yue, amused, thought about the pair's three-year saga—a chaotic, public spectacle that had embarrassed both families. But after all that, they seemed to be together at last.
Reaching the meeting room, Han Yue froze. Wait. There's another Lu Chengwen out here. Who's in there? Is the boss cheating?
_
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