Huo Wendong looked at the shattered fragments of the teacup on the ground. He felt as though every bone in his body had been removed.
Meanwhile, Long Aotian continued delivering his profound insights:
"A few minutes ago, before I appeared in this room, could you have predicted its fate? Could you?"
Huo Wendong lifted his head, completely dumbfounded, and shook it.
"Exactly! That's what change is! Change happens just like that—so suddenly!"
Long Aotian declared, "This project of ours is the same way. We can't expect everything to go exactly as scripted after we've designed it. Right now, I'm asking you for seventy billion because we need to handle these unforeseen situations!"
Huo Wendong knelt on the ground, picking up the shattered pieces, on the verge of tears.
Long Aotian said, "Why are you still collecting that junk? Look, let me show you something else. Take this painting, for example. Before I arrived, could you have imagined it being torn apart?"
"Big brother! You're my big brother! Don't touch my painting! That's from the Song Dynasty—"
Long Aotian, with a ripping sound, tore the painting into two pieces.
"Destiny is just that marvelous!"
"Long Aotian, you son of a—!"
Long Aotian: "Still don't get it, huh? Next, let's look at this vase. Can you imagine—"
"I can! I can! I get it! I understand! You're my dad! Take your hands off it! Off! Now!"
Long Aotian was confused. "What's the matter?"
Huo Wendong clutched his chest. "Put the vase down!"
Long Aotian held the vase. "I just want to demonstrate something—"
"No need to demonstrate! I get it! I understand! I understand everything! Please, put the vase down carefully…"
"And the seventy billion—"
"I'll transfer it right away. Just put the vase down."
Long Aotian smiled. "See? You could've just said that earlier! Look how exhausted you've made me."
He casually placed the vase back and continued, "So, our goal is to—"
"The vase! My vase!"
The vase suddenly tipped over.
Long Aotian reacted quickly and caught it.
"Phew… it's fine. Haha."
Huo Wendong felt as though he had just died and been resurrected. He patted his chest. "You scared me to death. If this vase broke, I swear I'd—"
"You need to take me seriously when I talk! Our goal is to conquer vast territories—"
Long Aotian, holding the vase by the neck, got so passionate during his speech that he spread his arms wide. The vase struck a pillar and shattered with a crash. Only the neck of the vase remained in Long Aotian's hand.
Huo Wendong was utterly devastated.
It felt more painful and despairing than losing his own father.
He stared blankly at the remaining piece of the vase in Long Aotian's hand. "Give it… give it to me… I can find someone to repair it, maybe it can still be fixed—"
Long Aotian casually threw the remaining piece of the vase to the ground, shattering it completely.
"Fix what? Forget the vase. I'm talking business here! Business! A multi-billion-dollar business!"
"Ah…"
Huo Wendong knelt on the ground, staring at the countless fragments of the vase, completely heartbroken.
Long Aotian pulled a sword off the wall. "Look at this sword. It's perfectly fine right now, but in just a moment—"
"Stop!" Huo Wendong shouted. "I'm telling you, I get it! I get it! Do you understand what 'I get it' means? Put the sword back! Otherwise, you won't see a single cent!"
"Wow, so sensitive about a few antiques?"
Long Aotian tried to hang the sword back on the wall. He didn't hang it properly, and it fell, smashing another vase and piercing a rolled-up painting inside the vase.
Huo Wendong was about to lose his mind.
"Get out! Just get out! Don't touch anything! Seventy billion will be transferred right now—just leave! Get out of the door and you'll have seventy billion! Go! You… damn…!"
Long Aotian was baffled but left the room. Before stepping outside, he glanced back.
"Wow, that was easy? My persuasive skills are amazing!"
Inside, Huo Wendong was crying as if mourning the death of a loved one.
"Look how moved he is! Truly, I'm a master of emotional manipulation!"
…
Xu Xuejiao's personal bank account currently held 19 billion.
Adding the 12 billion she'd previously scammed from Long Aotian, she had swindled a total of 31 billion from him.
She still needed 19 billion more to reach her target of 50 billion.
Xu Xuejiao sighed deeply. "Still too slow!"
She stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the bustling world outside, falling into deep melancholy.
After all this effort, she was still nearly 20 billion short.
Am I not working hard enough?
Or am I being too merciful?
That scoundrel Cheng Wenge… relationships between men and women are such a simple matter, but he insists on tying them to economic benefits.
Long Aotian still has untapped potential. I can dig deeper.
Hmm… is my dad idle these days?
I'm his most precious, adorable, beloved daughter.
So… scamming him a little bit, he can handle it, right?
I'll start by checking his heart to see if it's up to the task.
Yes! That's the plan!
…
Long Aotian drove into the city, tailing Lu Chengwen's car.
He wanted to see for himself what Lu Chengwen had been up to recently.
Then he noticed a beat-up Santana following Lu Chengwen too.
Long Aotian found it strange. The person in that car looked awfully familiar.
As he intentionally overtook the car to take a closer look, he was stunned. Chu Bai!?
This guy was still alive!?
Lu Chengwen stopped to buy lamb skewers at a roadside stall.
Chu Bai seized the opportunity and was about to move forward when Long Aotian grabbed him and dragged him into an alley.
Chu Bai was scared out of his wits.
"Yo… young master?!"
Long Aotian glared at him. "What are you doing?"
Chu Bai gritted his teeth. "I'm here to take out Lu Chengwen!"
Long Aotian laughed. "You embezzled from the organization, didn't you? Probably tens of billions? Got rich, huh? Why are you holding a grudge against him?"
"My money... was all scammed by Lu Chengwen!"
"Your money was actually given to Lu Chengwen by that Gold, Silver, Copper, Iron Girl Group of yours. And a lot of it was the organization's funds!"
"My money! From the second batch onward, I used my own savings! Young Master, I've wronged you. I'm too ashamed to face you, and I can't go back to the organization. My only thought for the rest of my life is to kill Lu Chengwen!"
He was just about to charge out when Long Aotian grabbed him by the collar and yanked him back.
"Hey, hey, hey! What about your four subordinates—wait, no, five subordinates? You're not going to deal with them? They're running wild all over the place!"
Chu Bai gritted his teeth. "They're a bunch of idiots. They were deceived by Lu Chengwen. The real culprit is Lu Chengwen! Killing even one of them would alert him. I've been following him for a long time, and today is a rare opportunity. No matter what, I'm going to kill him! Young Master, don't stop me!"
Long Aotian dragged him back again and pinned him against the wall.
"You damn idiot! Why weren't you this proactive from the start? Could've avoided all this mess!"
"Young Master..."
"You can't touch Lu Chengwen right now."
Chu Bai lowered his head. "I'm sorry, Young Master. Killing Lu Chengwen is my only reason for living now."
He raised his head. "Even if it's your order, I refuse to obey."
"Then I'll beat you to death."
Chu Bai was almost in tears. "He's the enemy! He's your enemy too!"
Long Aotian said, "Right now, he's very useful to me. Calm down. Besides, there's no grudge that can't be resolved, no hurdle that can't be overcome!"
Chu Bai turned his head, tears streaming down his face. "You wouldn't understand."
"It's just money! As long as you're alive, there's always a chance to earn more."
"No! It's not about the money!"
Chu Bai said, "Young Master, you'll never understand my pain!"
"How painful can it be?"
"Heart-wrenching! Soul-crushing! It keeps coming back, tormenting me, keeping me up all night!"
"Wow! That bad, huh? What exactly happened? Spill it."
Chu Bai hesitated, embarrassed. "It's... hard to say."
"What's so hard to say to me? You've scammed me so badly—did I kill you for it?"
Chu Bai hesitated again. "I… let's say, for example, Young Master, if your…"
"Hmm."
"Your… uh… um, well, your backside… keeps… uh… getting better, then... bam! It happens again… and again… bam, bam, bam, bam, bam..."
Long Aotian broke out in a cold sweat. "How the hell do you know that?! Don't you dare tell anyone! If you say a word, I'll kill you!"
"Huh?!" Chu Bai was dumbfounded. "Young Master... I was talking about myself!"
Long Aotian froze for a moment. "I was talking about you too."
Chu Bai suspiciously glanced behind Long Aotian. Long Aotian grabbed him and turned him around.
"Anyway, you'll be working for me again. If you can't go back to the organization, I can..."
Chu Bai still had his doubts. Could it be that the Young Master also…? No way!
He's the Young Master. Could he really have been repeatedly…?
Chu Bai shifted his body, trying to peek behind Long Aotian. Long Aotian yanked him back again.
"…So, you'll be working for me again. After the mission, I'll make sure you're well rewarded…"
Chu Bai was becoming more and more convinced—something happened to the Young Master!
He's hiding it!
Could it be he really was injured… back there?! Repeatedly?!
It can't be! The Young Master is so powerful—if he was injured, wouldn't he have killed Lu Chengwen?!
Chu Bai still tried to glance behind Long Aotian.
Long Aotian once again straightened him up. "…By then, you'll be under my protection, and the organization won't hold your past against you…"
Chu Bai was almost certain now!
The Young Master must have suffered greatly!
I'm an old man. If it happens to me, it happens. But the Young Master is young and in his prime—did he really get…?!
How could he endure it?! Lu Chengwen must've gone all out!
But looking at him… it doesn't seem like it.
Long Aotian grabbed Chu Bai again and pinned him against the wall. "Are you done?! I've told you a hundred times—I'm fine, I'm fine! Why won't you believe me?!"
Chu Bai said, "Young Master, if you're feeling aggrieved, just cry it out! I understand your pain."
Long Aotian glanced around. "I swear, I really want to smack you! Did you hear what I just said or not?"
"I heard, I heard. From now on, I'll listen to you."
"Keep an eye on Lu Chengwen. Be careful, and don't get caught. Hua Xuening is a tiger—if she catches you, she'll stab you with a sword."
Chu Bai instinctively covered his backside. "Yes, I… I'll be very cautious."
Long Aotian said, "That's it. We'll stay in touch by phone."
The two exchanged numbers, and as Long Aotian turned to leave, Chu Bai couldn't help but stare at Long Aotian's backside.
Long Aotian turned back and roared, "Stop looking, dammit! You're sick!"
At the alley entrance, Lu Chengwen and Zhao Gang happened to pass by.
Both of them were holding four lamb skewers each, eating happily.
Zhao Gang said, "Boss Lu, I heard someone got injured at the construction site a few days ago, fell from the second floor."
"Careless. Did they get sent to the hospital?"
"They did, but…" Zhao Gang couldn't stop laughing. "He was unlucky—landed right on a steel rod, hahaha!"
Lu Chengwen laughed loudly. "For real?"
"For real!" Zhao Gang said, "We laughed for so long! Even the insurance company guys couldn't stop laughing."
Lu Chengwen chewed on his lamb skewer. "That's it for him. The guy's life is over now."
Zhao Gang, still chewing, caught up. "How can someone live after that?! If it were me, I'd just die! Anyone with even a shred of dignity would rather die! Boss Lu, wait up…"
In the alley, the two men stood in the shadows, faces grim, their eyes fierce.
But neither said a word.
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