Luo Shiyin was so frightened that her legs had gone weak.
Yuan Fang noticed Luo Shiyin's dazed state and abruptly yanked his wrist free, slamming a palm into her shoulder before darting past her to chase after Silver Tuo King.
Silver Tuo King descended from above, landing with a *boom* that shattered several marble floor tiles.
Meanwhile, Long Aotian lay motionless on the roof of a car, his body riddled with broken bones, blood continuously seeping from the corner of his mouth.
Silver Tuo King grinned savagely. "Today is your death day!"
Behind him, Yuan Fang landed as well.
Luo Shiyin, desperate to save her master, leaped down from the building after them.
Leng Tianhao wailed in despair. "Shiyin! Wait for me! Let us roam this world together, living freely and unrestrained!"
With that, his body suddenly erupted with immense energy, sending Leng Qingqiu tumbling to the ground as he lunged forward, ready to jump.
Huo Wendong had never seen such a bizarre turn of events!
He rushed over and grabbed Leng Tianhao, who already had one leg over the edge, his face covered in sweat. "Leng Tianhao! Have you lost your damn mind?!"
"Let me go! Without Shiyin, what meaning does my life have?!"
"You want to jump? Fine!"
"Yes! I'm jumping!"
"Then sign this damn contract first before you leap!"
Huo Wendong turned and roared, "Zhang Shuai! Mary! Go! Bring the contract over now! Hurry! Move your asses!"
His assistant team scrambled like mad to the previous office, grabbed the contract, and sprinted back. Huo Wendong scribbled his signature, then shoved the other copy at Leng Tianhao. "Sign! Once you sign, jump all you want—I won't stop you!"
Leng Tianhao scrawled his name.
Huo Wendong smirked viciously. "Transfer the funds! Now! Make it official! Where's the notary?!"
With such a major incident unfolding, Zhang Tuofeng had already arrived.
"President Huo."
"Notarize this! Stamp it! Hurry!"
"But… under these circumstances—"
Huo Wendong, still gripping Leng Tianhao with one hand, grabbed Zhang Tuofeng with the other and growled through clenched teeth, "Listen, today's negotiations have been a goddamn nightmare. Don't piss me off. You're just a damn chamber of commerce chairman—do your job, certify these contracts as legally binding, and shut the hell up!"
Zhang Tuofeng was fuming but glanced at his colleague, who quickly began recording evidence.
"I hereby declare that the contracts signed today are valid unless—"
"They're valid even if the sky falls!" Huo Wendong bellowed.
"Fine, fine. Got it recorded?"
His colleague nodded. "All set."
Zhang Tuofeng, not one to back down either, stamped the documents aggressively and glared. "Contracts are now in effect!"
Huo Wendong released Leng Tianhao, snatched the contract, and after confirming all signatures, finally broke into laughter. "Hahaha! Qianfeng Group is mine now!"
Just as Leng Tianhao was about to jump, Lu Chengwen yanked him back and knocked him out with a single palm strike.
Leng Qingqiu, clutching her ankle, approached Lu Chengwen. "Thank you."
Huo Wendong, seeing Lu Chengwen appear, was utterly baffled. "You… Who the hell are you?"
Lu Chengwen grinned. "Lu Chengwen. Who else would I be? Don't recognize your old classmate?"
"Then what the hell was that farce just now?"
"No idea!" Lu Chengwen feigned confusion. "What happened?"
Leng Qingqiu had already signed and stamped the two contracts, with Zhang Tuofeng notarizing them. She exhaled deeply and nodded at Lu Chengwen.
Huo Wendong tucked away the contract and glared at Lu Chengwen. "I don't care what game you're playing. I'm out of here! From now on, this building is under my control!"
"Hahaha!" Lu Chengwen slung an arm around Huo Wendong. "Congratulations, President Huo, on acquiring a subsidiary of Qianfeng for 30 billion. Impressive."
"What the hell are you talking about? I bought Leng Tianhao's shares! The entire Qianfeng Group is mine now!"
"Oh?" Lu Chengwen raised an eyebrow. "That's not what your contract says, is it?"
Huo Wendong's mind went blank. He frantically pulled out the contract, and his face paled instantly.
He whirled around. "Zhang Shuai! Mary! Get your asses over here! What the hell is this?! Explain this shit to me!"
"It's… the contract…"
"What kind of contract is this?! I spent 30 billion on a Qianfeng subsidiary?! And it's located—"
Huo Wendong scanned the document. "—in the outskirts of Nan Country?! Are you two traitors?!"
The assistants looked ready to cry. "You were in a hurry, and the old man was about to jump. We wanted to get it signed before he died, so… we rushed it. The contract must've been swapped."
Huo Wendong turned to Lu Chengwen, then to Leng Qingqiu.
"The shares… Where are the shares?"
Leng Qingqiu waved her copy of the contract. "I've already acquired all of my father's shares for one dollar. Qianfeng is now mine."
Huo Wendong staggered back, his legs giving way. "A conspiracy… You… You set me up! This is a scam!"
Spotting Zhang Tuofeng, he grabbed him. "Brother Tuofeng, they tricked me! I signed this contract without knowing the details—it can't be valid! You have to back me up!"
Zhang Tuofeng coldly pushed his hand away and pulled out his phone. A loud playback of Huo Wendong's own voice rang out:
"Even if the sky falls, it's valid!"
"You… You're… You're swindling me! I'll sue! I'll take you to court!"
Lu Chengwen nodded. "Sure! A lawsuit involving tens of billions hasn't happened in a while. This one could drag on for a decade. Perfect—both Qianfeng Group and I have excellent legal teams. Let's take our time."
Leng Qingqiu added, "Notify all senior executives—there's a meeting shortly."
Lu Chengwen walked over to Zhang Tuofeng and shook his hand.
The two had collaborated for years and shared a silent understanding, exchanging a knowing smile.
"Brother Tuofeng, thanks for your hard work."
"Just doing my job."
Leng Qingqiu approached as well. "Brother Tuofeng, sorry to trouble you further. There's another major project tomorrow that requires your presence."
"My pleasure. You two…" Zhang Tuofeng gestured between Lu Chengwen and Leng Qingqiu.
Lu Chengwen laughed. "Business partners."
But Leng Qingqiu smiled at Zhang Tuofeng. "When we get engaged, you must come for the wedding, Brother Tuofeng. Don't be late."
Zhang Tuofeng burst into laughter. "You two rivals have completely switched roles now! Hahaha!"
Lu Chengwen said, "Qingqiu, handle the rest. I'll keep Brother Tuofeng company."
"Mm. Brother Tuofeng, take care. We'll talk later."
Lu Chengwen and Zhang Tuofeng walked out, dismissing their subordinates.
Zhang Tuofeng remarked, "Lu Chengwen, you're ruthless. Scamming Huo Wendong out of over 30 billion?"
Lu Chengwen smirked. "No choice. I'm investing in the slums, and the money's burning faster than I expected."
Zhang Tuofeng advised, "This project is massive. You need trustworthy people managing the funds. Any slack, and losses will be in the hundreds of millions."
"I know. Brother Tuofeng, how can I thank you?"
"Don't even start!" Zhang Tuofeng cut him off. "Last time you transferred me 120 million, I almost got investigated. If I hadn't returned it that same night, I'd have been in deep trouble. I didn't help you because Huo Wendong was rude to me or because of our friendship."
"I know. You're the chamber chairman—you have to prioritize stability."
"Glad you understand." Zhang Tuofeng mused, "From what I've seen, Huo Wendong is ambitious. He came here with a vengeance. What I don't get is—why Snow City? With the Huo family's wealth, is this place worth such a massive investment?"
Lu Chengwen and Zhang Tuofeng stopped by a floor-to-ceiling window.
Lu Chengwen explained, "First, Huo Wendong wants revenge. He's petty—back in school, he lost Chen Mengyun to me and never got over it. This time, I think he's here to settle old scores."
"Second, his standing in the family is rising, but his reputation isn't solid. He probably needs to prove himself here to the higher-ups, paving the way for taking over Oriental Group."
Zhang Tuofeng nodded. "Chengwen, you've grown."
"Brother, you rarely compliment me."
Zhang Tuofeng patted Lu Chengwen's shoulder. "Honestly, if you hadn't helped my family in a big way, I'd want nothing to do with you. But lately… I've been impressed. The reckless, absurd young master of the Lu family has shed his frivolity and is becoming a conscientious entrepreneur. I'm proud. If you need anything, as long as it's legitimate, I've got your back."
"Thanks in advance, brother."
Lu Chengwen gestured, and Jiang Shihan hurried over.
He whispered, "Have Li Meiqin schedule a meeting with me. Also, bring someone from finance."
"Auditing the accounts?"
"Mm."
"The project just started. An audit now might cause issues."
"If we don't check now, the problems will only grow. Brother Tuofeng hinted that our rapid fund depletion isn't accidental."
"Understood. President Lu, Old Master Chen has been trying to meet with you for days. It's getting hard to decline."
Lu Chengwen frowned. "What do I have to talk to an old man about? Annoying. How's your mom?"
"Surgery is tonight."
"Get Xu Xuejiao."
But before he could finish, Xu Xuejiao was already approaching. "Little Lu, looking for me?"
Lu Chengwen walked over. "Thanks for today."
"Just words?"
"I also want to thank you." Leng Qingqiu approached. "I wanted to talk to you earlier, but you weren't in the meeting room."
Xu Xuejiao forced a smile. "No need. I did it for Chengwen, not you."
Leng Qingqiu maintained her politeness. "I know. But I'm the one who benefited, so thank you anyway."
Lu Chengwen knew these two women sparked tension whenever they were together, so he changed the subject.
"Xuejiao, Shihan's mom's surgery is tonight. You should rest early—it'll be exhausting."
"I'm fine. But what do I get for operating on her mom?"
Lu Chengwen blinked. "You never used to ask for rewards."
"Because I didn't have to. They'd offer more than I wanted anyway."
"Aren't you… the Miracle Doctor?"
"Lu Chengwen, listen clearly. Doctors don't treat everyone. We're human too. I need high fees to filter my target patients—that's how I focus. Free treatment? No way."
"Fine, fine. Name your price. I won't haggle."
"Sorry, it's not about money."
"Then what do you want?"
Leng Qingqiu knew Xu Xuejiao was about to make a difficult demand.
Her frown suddenly smoothed into a smile. "You two talk. I have work to do."
Once Leng Qingqiu was out of earshot, Xu Xuejiao lifted her chin triumphantly. "I want you to spend an entire day with me."
"One day? That's it?"
"Yep. That's it."
"Easy."
"Not so simple." Xu Xuejiao grinned. "Twenty-four hours. You do whatever I say—shopping, eating, movies, even sleeping."
Lu Chengwen stared. "What are you planning?"
"There are only a handful of people in the world who can treat Shihan's mom's condition. In Snow City, aside from me, only Long Aotian could've done it—and he just jumped off a building. So now, it's just me. Think carefully."
"I don't believe you'd refuse to treat her if I say no."
"You think I've never walked away and let patients die before? Doctors understand life differently. Your call."
Lu Chengwen felt a surge of anger.
[*What kind of 'healing hands, compassionate heart' is this? The hands are skilled, but where's the compassion?!*]
[*Holding a patient hostage! Disgusting!*]
Jiang Shihan looked conflicted, but Xu Xuejiao seemed unwavering.
"President Lu, if that's the case, maybe—"
"I agree." Lu Chengwen cut her off. "But if the surgery fails, the deal's off."