As she spoke, she stomped her foot, the movement so alluring it was almost captivating.
Lu Chen chuckled, finding the girl rather charming and adorable! However, the thought of trampling the Shangguan family underfoot made him feel uneasy.
At this moment, Zhuang Keluo led Lu Chen to a sofa by the side. Looking out the floor-to-ceiling window, they could see the area closest to the stadium's worktable, offering a good view.
Inside sat a man of about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, wearing a sports jersey. He was very strong, muscular, and looked like he had been working out a lot.
His demeanor was also fierce and decisive, but not sinister. His features were masculine, giving him a sunny disposition. This made him seem much more impressive to Lu Chen than Zhuang Keluo's second brother, Zhuang Taotian, who was some kind of deputy police chief.
Zhuang Taotian always gave Lu Chen a sense of unfathomable unease.
Clearly, this was Zhuang Sicong.
A man sat there, seemingly lost in thought, exuding an imposing aura.
Lu Chen, after several conversations with Zhuang Youxing, had gained some understanding of the Zhuang family.
Zhuang Keluo had two older brothers and one older sister, one of whom was her second brother, Zhuang Taotian.
Besides these, there were over a dozen cousins, and even more siblings from other collateral branches.
In contrast, Shangguan Bei, while also having many siblings, had none of them by blood. Therefore, compared to Zhuang Keluo, she seemed much lonelier. Perhaps this was why she was more independent.
"Brother Cong!" Zhuang Keluo called out cheerfully.
Zhuang Sicong looked up, and upon seeing Zhuang Keluo, he also noticed the numerous hickeys on her neck. He was taken aback, then chuckled. Looking at Lu Chen again, she pointed a finger at him: "You two are so lovey-dovey!"
Zhuang Keluo touched her neck, smiling sweetly: "What can we do? We're at that passionate, energetic age!" She then hooked her arm around Lu Chen's, her large breasts resting on his shoulder, and said, "Let me introduce you, this is my boyfriend, Lu Chen!"
Then, she said to Lu Chen, "Brother Chen, this is my cousin, Zhuang Sicong. You can just call him Brother Cong."
Lu Chen was quite embarrassed by those earlier gestures, but he still managed to suppress his warm smile and nodded to Zhuang Sicong: "Brother Cong, hello. I'm in for a treat today. I wonder if I'll get to see you show off your skills."
Zhuang Keluo said smugly, "Brother Cong will definitely be on the field. He's a fierce warrior, like Guan Feiyu on the field, he'll crush those guys before they can even touch the ball." As she spoke, she made a few chopping motions in the air, appearing quite menacing.
Zhuang Sicong laughed heartily, "I'm not that amazing. This opponent is definitely a formidable one."
Lu Chen smiled faintly, "Brother Cong will win. A martial artist isn't afraid of losing a game, right? Besides, Brother Cong's skills are absolutely extraordinary!" He could tell from Zhuang Sicong's demeanor and aura that this person was definitely a martial arts practitioner, and at least at level four.
Zhuang Sicong's eyes flashed with a strange light: "Ah Chen, you're really something! You saw through me? You're a martial arts practitioner too?"
Lu Chen scratched his head and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect: "I've only learned a little. Compared to Brother Cong, I'm definitely far inferior. Brother Cong's cultivation is so high that it's noticeable—like the bulging temples and gleaming eyes described in martial arts novels. As for me, you can't see it at all; I'm no different from an ordinary person."
Upon hearing this, Zhuang Sicong laughed heartily. He said, "Ah Chen, you're an interesting person. But, what I can see isn't considered skillful. To be truly impressive is to not be able to see it at all—that's returning to simplicity!"
Lu Chen nodded: "That's right. Martial arts cultivation also has three realms. First, there's someone like me, seeing mountains as mountains and water as water. Then there's someone like Brother Cong, seeing mountains not as mountains and water not as water. And then, seeing mountains as mountains and water as water again."
Zhuang Sicong nodded repeatedly in agreement, while Zhuang Keluo frowned: "How strange, why do you two look so bromanced when you're together?"
Zhuang Sicong laughed again, stood up, shook hands with Lu Chen, and patted him on the shoulder: "Chen, I've heard so much about you! My fourth uncle has mentioned you more than once, praising you highly. The research director of Flying Eagle Biotechnology—that's a very prestigious position."
Lu Chen scratched his head: "It's nothing, I just messed around and got there."
Zhuang Sicong shook his head: "Chen, you're being too modest. You think you can get there just by messing around? Absolutely not! That girl Shangguan Bei wouldn't make you her top director just because she likes you!"
It seems Zhuang Sicong knows quite a bit.
Zhuang Keluo, listening from the side, was displeased and huffed repeatedly.
Zhuang Sicong winked at Lu Chen: "From now on, we absolutely mustn't mention Shangguan Bei in front of someone, otherwise, that person is very petty, and when they're petty, they'll throw a tantrum, and when they throw a tantrum, it'll be earth-shattering!"
"Brother Cong!" Zhuang Keluo stomped her foot and pouted: "Are you ever going to stop?!"
"It's alright," Lu Chen said calmly, "If she dares to throw a tantrum, I'll teach her a lesson!"
Upon hearing this, Zhuang Keluo opened her cherry-like lips, but then fell silent, pouting deeply. This displeased Lu Chen, who pointed at her lips: "Be good, don't pout, it's an eyesore!"
As he spoke, his gaze carried a menacing aura.
Zhuang Keluo was unhappy, but she still loosened her lips, no longer daring to pout.
Zhuang Sicong, watching from the side, couldn't help but be surprised. It seemed that Lu Chen was indeed quite capable; Zhuang Keluo, who had always been wild and untamed, almost disregarding any man, was actually so obedient to him.
The saying "everything has its counter" and "brine curdles tofu" perfectly describes this situation. However, Lu Chen's good fortune is a double-edged sword; those men who have been relentlessly pursuing Zhuang Keluo will likely use him as a target this time.
Moreover, Shangguan Bei is also involved.
Zhuang Sicong thought about these things discreetly, of course not aloud.
For a moment, he was indulging in amusement, but his impression of Lu Chen wasn't bad.
"Brother Cong, how confident are you about this match? Those guys from the Shangguan family seemed really arrogant today, all determined to win, a bit different from before."
Zhuang Keluo asked, then turned to Lu Chen to explain, "Our Zhuang family has played over a dozen football matches against those Shangguan kids. The Shangguan family has a team too, but they're no match for us, losing repeatedly. This time, they actually brought in the Yongda football team. But I don't think my Brother Cong will be too afraid."
Zhuang Sicong's expression turned serious: "Although Yongda is a level higher than us, their strength isn't that much stronger. I've carefully inquired about each of their players, and they're still roughly under our control. However, someone hinted to me that Shangguan Jinwang has found some secret weapon. It's very powerful!"
He sounded somewhat worried.
Zhuang Keluo turned to Lu Chen and explained Shangguan Jinwang's background, then waved her hand:
"Hmph, what secret weapon? As soon as Brother Cong enters the arena, he'll make sure they drop their armor and forget about retrieving their secret weapon. Besides, we're playing on home turf, what's there to be afraid of!"
Zhuang Sicong laughed heartily: "Little girl, you really know how to give people confidence."
Just then, his phone rang.
After answering, Zhuang Sicong said to Lu Chen and Zhuang Keluo: "The match starts in twenty minutes. I'm going down to warm up with the team. You two just watch!"
Then, he looked at Lu Chen: "Chen, I'm entrusting Luoluo to you. If she misbehaves, discipline her! But you still need to be firm when necessary, after all, she's a girl!"
He patted Lu Chen's shoulder and turned to leave.
Zhuang Keluo made a face at Lu Chen: "Didn't you hear me? It still hurts when it hurts!"
Her wild, playful demeanor, tinged with a touch of naivety, made Lu Chen reach out and pinch her rosy cheek.
The two sat down on the sofa, looking out at the vast lawn and blue sky. Zhuang Keluo comfortably propped her long, white legs up on the coffee table, then leaned against Lu Chen, grabbing one of his large hands and squeezing it.
Suddenly, she sighed: "Actually, I think Cong-ge fell for Shangguan Jinwang's provocation this time. The investment was too big, especially... in sports betting."
When she mentioned sports betting, she glanced at Lu Chen guiltily, and only breathed a sigh of relief when she saw his natural expression. Sports betting was illegal, of course, but it was always unavoidable, and it was only getting worse.
As a former scion of a wealthy family, Lu Chen was no stranger to sports betting; he often gambled on it himself. However, it's still largely a hobby.
A single football match can be quite profitable. For higher-level matches, there are sponsorships, advertising revenue, ticket sales, and television broadcasting fees. Participation in certain competitions can also bring substantial prize money.
But these are all minor expenses compared to secretly running a betting operation.
Many wealthy second-generation individuals and nouveau riche are willing to spend tens of thousands of dollars on football betting for a moment of thrill. Winning or losing millions in a single match is a small matter.
Lu Chen propped his legs up on the coffee table, leaning lazily against Zhuang Keluo. He asked, "Luo Luo, how much did you bet?"
"Me?!" Zhuang Keluo scoffed. "Not much, just playing around, a million. But Brother Cong's bets are a bit scary. He placed 80 million, and his people's bets combined are around 50 million, right?"
As she spoke, a shadow fell over her face. "If it's purely a contest of skill, I have a lot of confidence in Brother Cong. I'm most afraid he'll pull some tricks. I heard it from that guy Shangguan Mingbo. He was really serious about it, that 'secret weapon.' He even advised me to bet on Yongda Team to win. Pshaw, even if I lose, I'll still bet on Brother Cong to win!"
She looked at Lu Chen, trying to ingratiate herself. "Brother Chen, do you want to play? How about this, I'll lend you a million. If you lose, it's mine; if you win, we split it 50/50, okay?"