Not long after Hua Xuening left Lu Chengwen's side, Copper King and his two companions returned.
The three of them knelt on one knee before Lu Chengwen, their faces glowing with excitement.
"Young Master! We, your subordinates, have fulfilled our mission! We've rescued Leng Tianhao!"
"So quickly?" Lu Chengwen was astonished. "Bring him here, let me see."
The fat man tossed a bag onto the ground and opened it, revealing the still-unconscious Leng Tianhao.
Lu Chengwen smiled. "Take him to the inner room to rest."
"Yes, Young Master!"
Copper King was exhilarated. "Young Master, your prediction was spot-on—Lu Chengwen was really there. Hah, he even tried to trick us, claiming he was you! But I'm no fool! Did I fall for it? I gave him a good beating, focusing especially on slapping his face! My two brothers each broke one of his legs. Here, look—I took photos."
Lu Chengwen glanced at them and exclaimed, "Holy shit!"
Beside him, Chen Mengyun frowned deeply. "You can't even tell who that is anymore!"
Lu Chengwen grinned. "I can recognize him. I'd know that guy even if he were reduced to ashes."
Internally, Lu Chengwen was overjoyed.
Now, Copper King and his crew had no way back to Long Aotian's side.
The protagonist of a story like this never tolerated even the slightest slight—he always sought revenge. After the beating Copper King had given him, Long Aotian would undoubtedly retaliate.
"Copper King, transfer that money to me."
"Yes! Young Master!"
Lu Chengwen said, "Transfer 4.9 billion. That'll do."
"What about the remaining 100 million?"
Lu Chengwen smiled. "You've completed this mission exceptionally well. Each of you will receive an additional 10 million as a reward."
Copper King and his companions were ecstatic.
The Young Master was truly generous!
The Young Master was truly lavish!
The Young Master was truly magnanimous!
Back in the organization, even if they were injured or lost limbs on a mission, the reward would only be a measly 100,000 or 200,000.
But here, for such an easy task, the Young Master had given them 10 million each!
The three of them knelt and kowtowed again.
Lu Chengwen smiled. "Rise."
"Uh… Young Master, if each of us gets 30 million, what about the remaining 10 million?"
Lu Chengwen grinned. "You're their leader. You deserve a little extra."
Copper King rubbed his hands together in excitement. "Young Master, in all my life, I've never lived so lavishly! You're like my reborn parents, my second chance at life! From now on, my brothers and I will follow you, Young Master, with unwavering loyalty!"
"Mmm." Lu Chengwen nodded. "But don't get too complacent. As for the extra 10 million, you'll need to spend some of it on appearances. Look at the clothes you're wearing…"
Lu Chengwen continued, "The three of you should go shopping. Buy a few sets of clothes each. Jiang Shihan will accompany you. Remember, when I'm not around, you'll take orders from her."
"Yes! Young Master!"
"Don't be stingy when buying clothes. You're my people, and you represent my face—Long Aotian's face. I can't stand men who pinch pennies."
"Young Master, rest assured! I'll take good care of these two brothers."
Lu Chengwen's strategy was indeed brilliant.
With such generous rewards, they wouldn't even question the reliability of the money—they'd just want the transfer completed as soon as possible.
Once the transfer was done, their 30 million would be securely in their pockets.
Thus, the transaction went off without a hitch.
Lu Chengwen received 4.9 billion in cash, while the three men split 1 billion among themselves.
Lu Chengwen then sent Jiang Shihan off with them.
Jiang Shihan had already been briefed by Lu Chengwen and kept in mind: Right now, Boss Lu's identity is Long Aotian, their Young Master. Don't mess it up.
---
At the mall, Jiang Shihan strode ahead in black stockings and high heels, her heels clicking rhythmically, followed by three burly men.
Copper King silently marveled.
The Young Master was truly impressive!
So many beautiful women surrounded him!
"Goddess…"
Jiang Shihan stopped and turned. "Don't call me 'goddess.' Just 'Shihan' is fine."
"Ah…"
Jiang Shihan said, "The Young Master asked me to take you shopping for clothes and other necessities. I've arranged a villa in the suburbs for you—it's not huge, but it's spacious enough for the three of you. There's also a BMW X6 for your use."
The three men were overjoyed. "Thank you, Miss Shihan!"
Jiang Shihan giggled. "Each of you needs three suits, six pairs of dress shoes, three belts, and six dress shirts. As for casual wear, everyday clothes, sneakers, and personal necessities like toiletries, socks, and underwear… you can choose those yourselves."
"Miss Shihan, the Young Master is so generous with his money. Where does it all come from?"
Jiang Shihan smiled. "The Young Master just needs to make a call to one of his branches, and someone will deliver 5 billion as pocket money without hesitation. Do you think he'd ever lack funds?"
"Yes, yes! The Young Master is truly remarkable."
"And the four major families of Xuecheng will eventually fall into the Young Master's hands. Following him means living like gods in the future. You've chosen the right person."
The three men were beyond thrilled.
Back when they were Red Shirt Guards in the organization, they'd never enjoyed such treatment.
This was like ascending from hell to heaven.
"Miss Shihan, the three of us are new here. We'd appreciate your guidance and kind words to the Young Master on our behalf!"
"Mmm, that depends on your performance!"
Jiang Shihan smiled faintly, and the three men took the hint, buying her two watches and several outfits.
"Miss Shihan, does the Young Master have any… taboos we should be aware of?"
Jiang Shihan replied, "You've asked the right question. With the Young Master, doing things right is important, but avoiding mistakes is even more crucial."
"The Young Master dislikes those who act too much like gangsters. In Xuecheng, you must abide by the law and behave civilly. If you run around causing trouble, bullying ordinary people, tarnishing the Young Master's reputation, he will undoubtedly fly into a rage. At that point, he might just crush you and toss you into the river."
"Understood, understood. We'll definitely be law-abiding, civilized gentlemen."
"The Young Master cherishes women and dislikes those who mistreat them. You'd better not get into fights over women here. Otherwise, the Young Master will deem you incompetent and shallow, and the punishment will be severe."
"Got it, got it. No bullying women. Anything else?"
"Hmm… the Young Master dislikes ostentatious behavior. You can do whatever you want in Xuecheng, but don't draw too much attention. The Young Master needs you to remain hidden, ready to act when others can't. So keep a low profile."
"Right, right. Low profile, low profile…"
Jiang Shihan added, "The Young Master knows you've worked hard, so he asked me to take you to a nightclub to unwind. I've already spoken to the manager there. You can go and have fun—just don't cause trouble."
"Of course, of course! We'll be on our best behavior!"
---
That night, a massive financial battle made headlines.
The Eastern Group, an external force, had launched a takeover war in Xuecheng. The Lu family had fiercely resisted, pouring hundreds of billions into the fight, and now held a significant portion of the Leng family's shares.
Later, Leng Tianhao made a public appearance, holding a press conference to stabilize the situation.
The war without gunfire had temporarily ceased.
The result?
The Eastern Group's northern division had acquired 29% of Qianfeng Group's shares.
The Lu family's Dasheng Group had acquired 20% of Qianfeng's shares.
Another 20% remained in Leng Qingqiu's hands.
The final 31% was held by Leng Tianhao.
The Leng family's situation was now precarious. One wrong move, and they could lose everything.
Leng Qingqiu had regained consciousness and was now sitting at the dining table, staring at Lu Chengwen.
Lu Chengwen wiped his lips.
"Why aren't you eating?"
Leng Qingqiu smiled faintly. "Thank you."
"No need for thanks." Lu Chengwen said. "The doctor said you're fine—just like you overslept for a few hours. Damn, you slept soundly, but I was walking in and out of hell the whole time."
"Why?" Leng Qingqiu asked.
"It's complicated. Hard to explain in a few words. Let's just say a lot of people and a lot of things happened at once, and I—"
"I'm asking why you saved Qianfeng. You're short on cash right now—those hundreds of billions were meant for the slum redevelopment project, weren't they? Was Qianfeng worth it?"
Lu Chengwen chuckled. "It wasn't just for Qianfeng."
"Then what for? For me?"
Lu Chengwen thought for a moment. "For myself. Now eat."
Leng Qingqiu had no appetite. After reviewing today's transaction reports, she saw the bigger picture and felt deeply uneasy.
"Originally, I planned to withdraw from Qianfeng Group. I'd transfer all my shares to my father at a low price and start fresh on my own. But now, it seems someone is plotting against us. Qianfeng Group is likely beyond saving."
"Your father already knows Long Aotian's true colors. He must be figuring out a plan now. With his shares, plus ours, we can dominate the board. The situation is still under our control."
Leng Qingqiu shook her head. "My father doesn't trust you at all. After being knocked out, the first people he saw when he woke up were you and your team. He refuses to believe Long Aotian kidnapped him. Instead, he thinks you set him up."
"If he continues siding with Long Aotian, and with Huo Wendong holding 29% of the shares, the two of us won't stand a chance against them."
Lu Chengwen sighed. "I underestimated things. I thought he'd realize Long Aotian's scheme once he woke up. But Long Aotian covered his tracks too well—he didn't even show his face during the kidnapping. And the timing of my rescue happened while your father was completely unconscious, so… heh, he missed everything that happened in between."
Lu Chengwen took a sip of juice. "And damn Huo Wendong deliberately acted like he was on my side. That made your father resent me even more. He thinks I conspired with my old classmate from Nan Guo to devour Qianfeng through trickery."
Leng Qingqiu looked at Lu Chengwen. "Chengwen."
"Yeah?"
"Devour Qianfeng."
Lu Chengwen was stunned. "What are you talking about? Why would I do that?"
"Do it." Leng Qingqiu's voice was firm. "I'd rather you take over Qianfeng than let Long Aotian and Huo Wendong swallow it whole."
"I don't have that kind of money! Even if I did, I'm not interested in Qianfeng."
"Don't underestimate Qianfeng just because it's struggling now. Over the past few years under my management, I've resolved many internal issues. With a few major projects, Qianfeng's advantages will quickly become apparent, and it'll regain its competitive edge. Plus, the secret projects I've been working on are about to turn profitable."
"No, no, no, no. You've misunderstood." Lu Chengwen shook his head. "I'm not refusing because I think Qianfeng has no future. It's because that's your company, your dream, the result of years of hard work laying the foundation. I can't… just take it from you. Absolutely not."
Leng Qingqiu said, "I hold 20% of Qianfeng's shares. You hold another 20%. Together, we still have a chance to fight."
"I already said no."
Leng Qingqiu stood up, walked over to Lu Chengwen, and slowly knelt on one knee. She took his hand and gazed into his eyes.
"I, Leng Qingqiu, from this day forward, will devote myself wholeheartedly to being the woman behind Lu Chengwen. I'm willing to give everything to him—my body, my heart, my dreams, my all. I will never betray you."
Lu Chengwen was speechless.