When Lu Chengwen regained his senses, he had already entered a state of post-climax clarity.
Lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling, he turned his head to look at Jiang Shihan lying beside him and let out a frustrated sigh.
[It's over. I messed up big time.]
[Now it's really become the cliché of a boss sleeping with his secretary.]
[That Luo Shiyin's drug was too potent. There was no resisting it. Who would've thought that even after she left, just the lingering scent she left behind could make me fall into this trap?]
[Dammit, next time I see that woman, I'll ignore her completely! I absolutely can't have any contact with her!]
Snuggled against Lu Chengwen, Jiang Shihan slowly woke up. Hearing his inner thoughts, she couldn't help but smile slightly.
So it was Luo Shiyin who drugged him. Annoying. I thought he actually liked me.
But that's fine too. President Lu is amazing in every way.
Lu Chengwen sensed that Jiang Shihan was awake. "Are you awake, Shihan?"
Jiang Shihan stopped pretending to sleep, opened her eyes, and gave him a shy smile.
Lu Chengwen said, "Shihan, I'm sorry."
Jiang Shihan shook her head, still resting on his chest. "It's okay. I was willing."
Lu Chengwen sat up and looked at her. "I…"
Jiang Shihan also sat up and chuckled. "I know."
"What do you know?"
Jiang Shihan deliberately made her smile appear relaxed. "You're the president of a trillion-dollar conglomerate. Whatever happens with your secretary is just a fleeting affair. You could never marry me. I know that."
"It wasn't just a fleeting affair. I was actually…"
"I know."
"You know again?"
"Yes." Jiang Shihan said, "That Luo Shiyin must have done something to you, made you fall under some kind of spell. This was an accident, not your fault."
Lu Chengwen nodded. "I… I'll make it up to you. How about I give you some money?"
Jiang Shihan was taken aback. "President Lu, I don't want your money, and I don't need you to take responsibility for anything."
"President Lu, Shihan genuinely likes you, admires you, respects you, and adores you. I know my status is lowly, and I could never be your lawful wife. To be honest… I used to dislike you. But after seeing the things you've done recently, I've come to deeply admire you. Especially toward me—you've actually been quite respectful these past few years. Compared to a tycoon like Huo Wendong, your harassment of women only extends to words, at most… just asking us to wear short skirts."
Lu Chengwen's mind was a mess, unsure of what to say.
Jiang Shihan continued, "You can make a difference in so many people's lives—their families, destinies, careers, housing, marriages, their children's education, their parents' medical care. I feel honored to be able to work alongside you in these great endeavors. And my mother's illness… I owe you everything for that. I could never repay your kindness in this lifetime."
Lu Chengwen shook his head. "I just stumbled into it."
"My mother's illness wasn't just stumbling into it." Jiang Shihan said, "In any case, I'm willing to be your woman in secret, your assistant, your right-hand, without expecting anything in return."
Lu Chengwen sighed. "I've wronged you. Give me some time."
"Let me help you get dressed."
---
Long Aotian had mostly recovered.
As the protagonist, he was, of course, resilient and healed at an astonishing speed—a true chosen one.
Moreover, he was an alchemist. After instructing Hua Xuening to refine some basic recovery elixirs according to his directions, accelerating his own recovery wasn't a problem.
His appearance had mostly returned to normal, and he had personally refined medicine to repair his bones.
At this moment, Luo Shiyin returned. "Subordinate pays respects to the Young Master."
"Hmm." Seeing that the Young Master had recovered about seventy to eighty percent, Luo Shiyin felt relieved. "The Young Master's talent is extraordinary, and your alchemy skills have improved by leaps and bounds. This subordinate admires you."
Long Aotian smiled faintly, quite pleased with himself.
"How did it go? Did you deal with Lu Chengwen?"
At the mention of this, Luo Shiyin's face turned red.
Not only had she failed to deal with him, but Lu Chengwen had also taken advantage of her in every way possible. Worse still, he had stolen her first kiss!
This kind of hatred was unforgivable!
This kind of humiliation was unspeakable.
She didn't dare admit that Lu Chengwen had kissed her. She was afraid the Young Master would look down on her for it.
"Lu Chengwen is cunning and didn't take the bait."
Long Aotian was shocked.
He had specifically called Luo Shiyin over to deal with the lecherous Lu Chengwen.
"From what I know, you've never failed before. What happened this time?"
"He seemed to know about my abilities and refused to meet my gaze the entire time."
"You have so many methods at your disposal. None of them worked?"
Luo Shiyin felt even more embarrassed.
It was like being a straight-A student who always scored first place, only to suddenly get a zero on a test. Even if no one said anything, she felt ashamed.
"Lu Chengwen is very cunning. This subordinate is incompetent. Please reprimand me, Young Master."
Long Aotian waved his hand impatiently. "Forget it. How about Huo Wendong? Any progress there?"
At this, Luo Shiyin perked up. "He's already firmly under my control. However, I've only made him infatuated with me and haven't used higher-level techniques to fully dominate him. I thought I'd wait until he acquires Qianfeng Group, and then…"
"Your approach is correct. If Huo Wendong were mentally unstable and turned into your puppet now, acquiring Qianfeng would still be difficult. Continue assisting him and help him take over Qianfeng."
"Yes! But if Lu Chengwen refuses to sell his shares, Huo Wendong will have a hard time."
Long Aotian said, "In this world, the only one immune to your charm is me, Long Aotian! No matter how careful Lu Chengwen is, he'll eventually become your plaything. Deal with him as soon as possible."
"Yes. This subordinate has another plan."
"Speak."
"To expedite the acquisition of Qianfeng Group, I can target Leng Tianhao. Turn him into my servant, force him to sell his shares to Huo Wendong at a low price, and then control Huo Wendong to help the Young Master manage Qianfeng. What do you think?"
Long Aotian was displeased.
He still wanted to deal with Lu Chengwen. This wasn't just about the bigger picture of conquering the four major families—it was also about his personal grudge against Lu Chengwen.
But for now, the bigger picture had to take priority.
Long Aotian nodded. "Fine. First, help Huo Wendong take over Qianfeng Group. We'll deal with Lu Chengwen later."
"Yes."
"Also, I'm running out of money here. Get Huo Wendong to cough up some funds for our immediate expenses."
At this, Luo Shiyin smiled faintly. "That's too easy. I can make him transfer all his assets to the Young Master."
Long Aotian waved his hand. "That would be too conspicuous. The entire Huo family would be alerted. We can't risk the big picture for small gains. From what I've seen, their family doesn't seem to care much about transactions under a billion. Do you understand?"
"This subordinate understands."
---
Bronze King had been living the high life these past few days!
Though confined to a small area, what was lacking in a big city? Nothing!
People like them, once they had money, had no concept of financial management or business.
Each of them was now a multi-millionaire, living it up like crazy.
They lived in villas, drove luxury cars, and spent extravagantly without a second thought.
These past few days had been pure, unadulterated hedonism.
Several cars pulled up in front of the villa.
Lu Chengwen stepped out, dressed in a short trench coat and sunglasses, looking like a supermodel.
Beside him was a seductive secretary in black stockings, followed by five burly men in identical black suits and sunglasses.
They stood behind Lu Chengwen with their hands clasped, expressions stern, the atmosphere intense.
Bronze King and his men hurried out to greet them. The three knelt on one knee before Lu Chengwen. "Subordinates pay respects to the Young Master! May the Young Master enjoy eternal blessings and live as long as the heavens!"
Lu Chengwen smiled faintly. "How have you been these past few days?"
Bronze King grinned. "Reporting to the Young Master, thanks to your generosity, we've experienced the pinnacle of luxury. We are endlessly grateful."
Lu Chengwen nodded. "Long Aotian is almost fully recovered."
The three were stunned. What was he talking about? Aren't you Long Aotian?
Bronze King was speechless. Lu Chengwen chuckled. "Iron King."
"Yes."
After several days of training, Iron King and his men had completely transformed in demeanor.
Though they hadn't yet met Lu Chengwen's standards, they were more than capable of putting on a convincing act in the short term. Moreover, they knew exactly why they were here and were restraining themselves accordingly.
Each of them was solemn, expressionless, and standing ramrod straight.
Zhang Long brought over a chair, and Lu Chengwen sat down, crossing his legs.
Wang Chao and Ma Han raised a parasol to shade him.
Zhao Hu set up a folding table.
Jiang Shihan placed a fruit platter and a drink on it.
Lu Chengwen sat in the chair, sipping his drink, and smiled at Bronze King.
Bronze King was shocked. "Iron King!? How could you… Young Master, wasn't he already…"
Iron King said sternly, "Idiot! Take a good look. This is our President Lu!"
Bronze King immediately stood up, utterly stunned.
Lu Chengwen said, "The guy you beat into a pig's head and broke both legs of is Long Aotian—the so-called Young Master you've been referring to. As for me, I'm Lu Chengwen, eldest son of the Lu family, head of the four major families in Snow City, and president of Dasheng Group."
Bronze King's mind exploded.
What the hell!?
He said furiously, "You… you… you dared to deceive me!?"
Lu Chengwen roared with authority, "You're pointing at me!? You're pointing your finger at me!?"
Bronze King actually faltered, not daring to point at Lu Chengwen anymore. His words came out unsteadily. "Wh-why… why is it like this?"
Iron King said coldly, "How could someone like Long Aotian ever be a match for our President Lu? Even if your leader came here personally, President Lu would play him like a fiddle and make him kneel to polish his shoes."
The three of them felt their heads buzzing.
Recalling everything they'd done since arriving in Snow City, they broke out in a cold sweat.
They realized they were finished.
Not only had they mistaken their master, but they had also beaten and berated the real Young Master into a pulp, even breaking both his legs before leaving. And of the five billion in cash, 4.9 billion had gone to Lu Chengwen.
The three of them had even split one billion among themselves!
Forget all the other crimes—just the fact that they had cut off contact with headquarters and embezzled a billion was enough for the organization to hunt them down to the ends of the earth.
Iron King said sternly, "Bronze King, out of respect for our past brotherhood, I'll show you a way out. You can't go back to the organization. You know exactly what you've done and what the consequences will be. I don't need to spell it out for you."
Bronze King clenched his fists. "I'd rather die than serve a spoiled rich kid!"
"Fine!" Iron King shouted. "You've got guts. But what about skills? What makes you think the three of you can take us on now?"
Zhang Long, Zhao Hu, Wang Chao, and Ma Han—four towering men—stepped forward, shielding Lu Chengwen.
Lu Chengwen pushed Zhao Hu aside with a fan. "Bronze King. You've got no way out. Even if you kill me, what then? After losing five billion in cash, do you think the organization will let you go?"
Bronze King started crying.
He hadn't expected things to turn out like this. He was furious, regretful, terrified, and lost.
"I'd never bow to a rich brat! I'd rather die standing than live kneeling! Brothers!"
"Here!"
"Let's fight our way out!"