Xu Family Mansion
Xu Zhiyun sat sternly on the sofa, idly fidgeting with his collection of antique prayer beads.
Lu Chengwen approached with a smile. "Uncle Xu, thanks to your family's generous support, we secured the funding for the shantytown project. Here's a contract for you to review. Sign it, and your investment is guaranteed to break even, no matter how the project turns out. Houde Group will recover its costs."
Xu Zhiyun glanced at the contract, snorted, and slapped it onto the table. "Lu Chengwen, your father and I have been friends for decades—no need to beat around the bush. I'll be blunt: you marrying my daughter? Not a chance!"
Lu Chengwen froze. Did you even look at the contract? It's a business deal, not a marriage proposal!
"Uncle Xu, that's not what I meant. The shantytown project, as you know, is likely to lose money. Sure, our stock spiked yesterday, but it's cooled off today. The surge wasn't as big as expected, and inquiries about pre-sales have dropped. I estimate—"
Xu Zhiyun banged his pipe on the coffee table. "I can afford to lose money, but I won't sell my daughter!"
Lu Chengwen thought, What the hell? Are you even listening? Who's talking about your daughter?
"Uncle Xu, this is a business contract. Just take a look, please."
"No need!" Xu Zhiyun stood, waving his pipe. "Lu Chengwen, you played this project well, milking the stock market for profit—that's your skill. But I've seen my share of storms. Two hundred billion or two trillion, I'd sink my entire fortune into this, and you still wouldn't strong-arm me!"
Lu Chengwen glanced back at Zhao Gang and Jiang Shihan, who looked equally exasperated. He took a deep breath. "Uncle Xu, please, just glance at the contract. It's got nothing to do with Xuejiao. She refused to sign, so I came to you. My intention—"
"If Xuejiao won't sign, I sure as hell won't!" Xu Zhiyun cut in. "I know your game! You're dangling this deal to force us to let you date her. You'll sweet-talk her, get her pregnant, and pressure us into a wedding. Then what? You take over the Xu family fortune—my pharmaceutical plants, research teams, hospitals, all of it! That's your plan, isn't it?"
Lu Chengwen tilted his head, staring wearily at the old man. You've got some imagination! That's Long Aotian's playbook, not mine! I'm dodging your daughter like the plague!
Suppressing his irritation, he said, "Uncle Xu, just look at the contract. One glance."
"I won't agree!" Xu Zhiyun snapped.
Lu Chengwen's patience snapped. He roared, "Take a damn look!"
Xu Zhiyun flinched. "You dare yell at me?!"
Lu Chengwen grabbed his collar, yanking him close. As a novice ancient martial artist, his physical strength was far beyond ordinary. Xu Zhiyun was like a ragdoll in his grip. Pressing the old man's face to the contract, Lu Chengwen growled, "Business contract! Business! Nothing about dating or screwing over your family! Read it, or I'll twist your head off!"
Xu Zhiyun, stunned, didn't resist. Lu Chengwen had always been a scheming rascal, all sly smiles and hidden agendas, but this raw anger was new. The household staff froze, too scared to intervene.
Xu Zhiyun coughed, picked up the contract, and skimmed it, then read it thoroughly—twice. "This is it?"
"What else would it be?" Lu Chengwen plopped onto the sofa, legs spread, loosening his tie in frustration. "Xu Zhiyun, I respect you, call you Uncle. Can you listen for once? I said it's a business contract, yet you keep bringing up your daughter. Your rundown factories and hospitals? You think I want them? My Ninth Pharmaceutical's license is specially approved—I don't need your stuff!" He jabbed at the contract. "Sign it! Hell, I'll transfer Ninth Pharmaceutical's shares to you if you want! I'm done with your family!"
Xu Zhiyun, suspicious, muttered, "But… your dad called, saying you like my daughter. Ugh, my mistake, Chengwen. I'm getting old and confused."
Finally grasping the contract's value, Xu Zhiyun realized it was a golden ticket. His 200 billion investment was fully protected, guaranteed to profit with no risk. He'd been aching over Xuejiao's reckless investment, but now Lu Chengwen, in a fit of madness, had handed him a safety net. If the project lost money, Great Sage Group would pay double the bank interest on the 200 billion. It was like buying a surefire wealth fund.
Xu Zhiyun signed gleefully, feeling elated. Handing the contract back, he said, "Chengwen, don't be mad. I misunderstood. You know, Xuejiao's my only daughter. How could I hand her to a scoundrel? Let's be fair…"
Lu Chengwen glared. "You believe I'd tear this up right now?"
"No, no!" Xu Zhiyun backpedaled. "As long as you leave my daughter alone, our partnership stays solid. How about a drink?"
"No time!" Lu Chengwen snapped. "This contract's in duplicate—one for each of us. It's effective now. Keep it safe. Lose it, and you get nothing."
"What's with the attitude?" Xu Zhiyun chuckled. "You don't even seem like you like my daughter!"
Lu Chengwen handed the contract to Jiang Shihan. "You! Control your daughter. She's a menace at my house!" He struggled for words. "I'm not interested in her or your lousy factories and hospitals. Got it? Me, forcing you to marry her off? Tell her to stay the hell away from me!"
"Hey, now—"
"What kind of guy am I?!" Lu Chengwen exploded. "Your family invests 200 billion, I guarantee it, and I'm the bad guy? Your daughter's glued to me, causing a scene at my house, making my parents think I'm a jerk—and I'm the bad guy? I bring you a guaranteed contract, and you act like you're the queen mother's uncle—what kind of guy am I?!"
Xu Zhiyun, stunned by the tirade, stood speechless. By the time he recovered, Lu Chengwen and his team were gone.
Stepping out of the Xu mansion, Lu Chengwen's anger lingered. "Next stop, the Chen family!"
Chen Family Estate
Chen Qingbin was polishing an antique vase, surrounded by assistants with trays of tools. A servant announced, "Master, Young Master Lu Chengwen requests an audience."
Chen Qingbin paused. "Who?"
"Lu Chengwen."
His face darkened. "That useless rich kid."
The staff chuckled. Chen Qingbin placed the vase in its box, handed it to an assistant, and sneered. "When he was young, he had some spark. Now? The older he gets, the more pathetic. If my father didn't like him, I wouldn't let him set foot in our house."
The head butler smiled. "He's the Lu family's heir. A bit of a showboat, but we should give the Lu family some face."
Chen Qingbin scoffed. "A man can be bad, lustful, uneducated, or ugly—none of that matters. What's unforgivable is spinelessness. A real man, even if flawed, has grit. But a coward who scrapes by on petty schemes to make dirty money? He's doomed to amount to nothing. I despise men like that."
"So… we don't see him?" the butler asked.
"Why not?" Chen Qingbin grinned. "Let him in. I bet I can make him stammer and tremble out of here with a few words."
"You've got that commanding presence, Master," the butler said. "Most can't handle it."
Lu Chengwen entered with Jiang Shihan and Zhao Gang, still seething from the Xu family. Forcing a smile, he said, "Uncle Chen! Long time no see—you're still as dashing and formidable as ever!"
"Hmph," Chen Qingbin replied with a perfunctory smile, his tone official. "Chengwen, have a seat."
"Thanks, Uncle."
"What's this about?"
Lu Chengwen's irritation flared. What's with this guy? Did I burn down your ancestral shrine? Can't even offer a guest some tea?
He pressed on. "Uncle Chen, your family invested in the shantytown project—120 billion. I've got a guarantee contract—"
"Enough," Chen Qingbin interrupted. "A mere 120 billion? I can afford to lose it."
Then lose it all, you bastard! Can't you let me finish? Lu Chengwen thought.
"That's not what I mean—"
"Lu Chengwen," Chen Qingbin cut in. "I know your little games. You think a few clever tricks make you a genius who can outsmart the world? Your schemes are child's play to me."
Here we go again, Lu Chengwen thought. Chen Qingbin rambled on, "I never approved of you and Mengyun—you know that. Let the past stay buried. Are you two even a match? My daughter's looks, talent, intelligence, ability—she's top-tier. Sure, you've got money, but we're old nobility. Your family? Nouveau riche. You're flush now, but who says you won't squander it all?"
Lu Chengwen closed his eyes, chanting inwardly: Life's a play, we meet by fate. Why lose your cool over small stuff? If I let anger kill me, who benefits? If I get sick, no one takes my place…
Jiang Shihan, hearing his thoughts, stifled a laugh.
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