Long Aotian narrowed his eyes. "I've noticed you're everywhere, Lu Chengwen. Wherever you go, things start to go off the rails."
Lu Chengwen hurriedly said, "Mengyun, don't mess around! This isn't the time for jokes!"
Chen Mengyun shot him a smug, mischievous look. "You tell me, have you ever bullied me?"
Lu Chengwen pulled her aside, his voice low and urgent. "Big sister, you can't play like this! This could get me killed!"
"Oh, so you're scared of someone?" she teased.
"You need to clear this up with him, or I'm seriously screwed!"
"Fine. Agree to have dinner and watch a movie with me."
"Are you insane?" Lu Chengwen hissed, struggling to keep his voice down. "We're done! You wanted to break up back then, and we did. Bridges crossed, paths parted!"
"What if I want to win you back with true love?"
Lu Chengwen glanced nervously at Long Aotian and Chen Moqun, who were now sharing cigarettes and chatting. He was torn—worried Chen Mengyun's recklessness would get him killed and terrified that Moqun's hotheadedness would provoke Long Aotian into wiping him out.
Lu Chengwen said, "One movie, one dinner, then we go our separate ways."
"You hate me that much?" Chen Mengyun asked, her tone hurt.
"Big sister, how could I hate you? You're gorgeous! I just want to stay alive!"
"What are you babbling about?"
"Look, just be nice to Long Aotian, get along with him, and put in a good word for your brother. He could be Moqun's kryptonite."
"What else do you know?" she pressed.
"That's all I can say. Any more, and I'm a dead man."
Chen Mengyun nodded. "Dinner and a movie—you're keeping your word?"
"A gentleman's word is his bond."
"Good." Chen Mengyun walked back to Long Aotian, her demeanor suddenly poised and mature. "Mr. Long, thank you for helping us out."
"A small matter," Long Aotian said with a grin. "I don't mean to brag, but those punks? Nothing. Even the toughest fighters from beyond the border would kneel before me."
Chen Mengyun nodded. "I can tell you're a master."
"Want me to teach Lu Chengwen a lesson? Or should we grab that coffee first, and I'll deal with him later?"
She smiled. "I was kidding. I don't like guys who fight all the time."
"Oh, well, about that coffee…"
"No need. I don't really drink coffee, and I've got plans with Chengwen-ge for dinner and a movie. Until next time."
She turned, grabbed Lu Chengwen's hand, and dragged him downstairs.
He tried to pull free, but her icy glare stopped him. "Try breaking away, and I'll let him kill you," she whispered.
Lu Chengwen thought: [Damn, you're ruthless!]
[I've known you for years, and I never saw this side of you!]
[You're terrifying when you get like this!]
He didn't dare pull away—she didn't know the stakes and might actually get him killed. But holding on was like taunting Long Aotian. Fine, I'll stall as long as I can.
Lu Chengwen grabbed Chen Moqun. "You're coming too, fatso!"
"Why him?" Chen Mengyun huffed.
"We've got things to discuss."
As they left, Chen Mengyun giggled uncontrollably.
Lu Chengwen grumbled, "You're still laughing? You almost got me killed!"
"Why are you so scared of that Long Aotian?" she demanded.
If I could explain, I would've already, he thought. "He's mine and Moqun's kryptonite. You'd better protect your brother. That fatso could die by his hand—don't say I didn't warn you."
Moqun scoffed, "That's it?"
Lu Chengwen fixed him with a deadly serious stare. "Moqun, do you trust me?"
"Duh, you're my brother. Of course I do."
"Then listen: if you want to live, don't mess with him. You saw his fighting skills—he's on a whole different level from us, who just learned a few moves at a dojo for street brawls. He's ruthless, ambitious, and will stop at nothing. He won't care that you're the Chen family heir. He's capable of anything, including killing you."
Lu Chengwen laid it on thick, hoping to scare Moqun straight.
Moqun nodded grimly. "You're right. That guy shocked me today. If you hadn't stopped me, I'd probably be in the hospital by now."
"Exactly! We can only outsmart him, not overpower him."
Moqun nodded again. "He's after my sister's beauty, just like that scumbag Hu Shuhui. No way I'm letting him win."
Lu Chengwen groaned inwardly. This plot is a nightmare to navigate.
"Don't meddle in his thing with your sister. Stay out of it, and he might leave you alone. But if you block his pursuit, he'll definitely kill you!"
Chen Mengyun chimed in, "So I'm destined to be his, huh?"
Lu Chengwen sighed. "I don't care about your business, and I can't control it. My only goal is keeping me and Moqun alive. That guy will kill for a woman."
Chen Mengyun huffed. "Well, I'm ignoring him and sticking with you. How's that?"
Lu Chengwen stared at her. "You…"
Moqun laughed. "Relax, it's just Long Aotian. I'll handle him."
Lu Chengwen nearly lost it. "Are you two even listening? Was everything I just said nonsense?"
"Chengwen, when did you get so spineless?" Moqun asked.
"I'm not spineless! I'm playing this game strategically, making calculated choices!"
"What does that mean?"
Lu Chengwen glared at the bathrobe-clad fatso. "Just get in the car. I'm done talking to you."
In the back of a car, Long Aotian scanned a newspaper, his face dark. Hua Xuening sat across from him. "Young Master, Lu Chengwen keeps ruining your plans. Why not just kill him?"
Long Aotian looked up. "Are you telling me how to do my job?"
"I wouldn't dare. I just hate seeing you lose to him."
Long Aotian snorted. "Things aren't going as planned. Something feels… off."
"Because of the outhouse incident?" Hua Xuening asked.
Long Aotian's eyes flashed. "Never mention the outhouse again. Ever."
"Yes, sir!"
He took a deep breath. "We can't kill Lu Chengwen yet. The situation's changed. My original plan was to take down the Leng, Xu, and Chen families one by one, then combine their strength to crush the Lu family. But now, all three are hitting snags."
"The snag is Lu Chengwen!" Hua Xuening said.
Long Aotian nodded. "For now, we can't kill him, but we can make him suffer."
"Send a message to Shiyin. It's time for her to act."
Hua Xuening frowned. "I can handle this kind of mission!"
Long Aotian chuckled. "No, some tasks require Shiyin's touch."
Hua Xuening's face soured. "All she does is seduce men."
Long Aotian laughed heartily. "You're too rigid. I thought Jiang Shihan could be my mole to gather intel, but that traitor's loyal to Lu Chengwen. Shiyin's mine, and Lu Chengwen's a lecher. Once I figure out his weaknesses, the Lu family will fall."
"You're targeting the Lu family first?" Hua Xuening asked.
Long Aotian shook his head, a glint of malice in his eyes. "The best target is still the Leng family."
Lu Chengwen woke up feeling refreshed, his mind clear.
He'd figured it out. Why was he always Long Aotian's rival? Because he was still in the game! As long as the Lu family remained one of Xuecheng's four major families, it would be a target for Long Aotian's takeover. That wouldn't change.
Unless the Lu family shrank to the point of irrelevance—a second-rate or even third-rate entity. Then it would fade into the background of this "story," unnoticed by the protagonist.
Plus, his social connections would shift, reducing his entanglements with the female leads.
Yes! Lose a few deals, bankrupt some subsidiaries, sell off assets, and keep only a few core, profitable ventures. That way, the family's lifestyle wouldn't tank too hard, and they'd all stay safe.
I'm a genius.
The shantytown redevelopment project was the first step. If he played it right, all his problems could vanish.
At Dasheng Group, Lu Chengwen sat at the head of the conference table, smiling at his executives. "I've reviewed the financial reports—you've all done well. The internal affairs department will reward contributions. All subsidiaries, departments, and standout employees involved in profitable projects will be recognized. And I'm raising salaries across the board—by at least twenty percent."
The room erupted in shock.
Lu Chengwen was notoriously stingy. Dasheng Group's salaries were the lowest in the industry, just enough to keep people from jumping ship. He made money outside and pinched pennies inside, living lavishly while his employees scraped by. The company had long grumbled about it.
But Lu Chengwen was cunning, using every trick to keep senior management loyal. Stay, and you'd enjoy decent pay and the prestige of working for a thriving company. Leave, and you'd miss out on the value and achievement Dasheng offered. It was a trap—stay, and you'd never earn top dollar; leave, and you'd regret it.
So, his announcement stunned everyone. Vice President Li Meiqin was floored. "Mr. Lu, should we discuss this internally first? A twenty percent increase is significant. It'll spike our operating costs…"
"No discussion needed," Lu Chengwen said firmly. "Execute my decision."
Li Meiqin frowned, baffled by her boss's behavior. Her first thought was: Does he know my plan? Is he that sharp? Damn, I underestimated him.
For the first time, Li Meiqin felt a deep, instinctive fear of Lu Chengwen.
_
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