As Chen Qingbin swung his club, Long Aotian announced loudly, "Xu Xuejiao, on behalf of the Xu family, pledged 120 billion for the shantytown project."
"What!?"
Crack!
Chen Qingbin's fate was worse than the others. He didn't fall, but the shock twisted his waist with a sickening crunch that everyone heard.
Sweating profusely, he gasped, "Quick, my… my back…"
Lu Guanghong seized the moment. "Old Chen, what's wrong? You're a rich aristocrat—your back's giving out too?"
Chen Qingbin groaned, "Help me, quick!"
Leng Tianhao chimed in, "No can do. I'm a washed-up noble—my own back's shot. Haha, 120 billion? Your daughter's got guts. Gotta hand it to you wealthy elites!"
Xu Zhiyun supported Chen Qingbin. "Damn, Old Chen, that's a nasty twist! 100 billion's no big deal? To me, anything under 200 billion's small fry. Easy, easy…"
Three old men with aching backs sat in a row, their tempers cooled. Xu Zhiyun, leaning on his club, grinned at them.
"Haha, look at you three, boasting like you own the world. One's son is a 'genius,' another's daughter a 'prodigy.' Old Chen, your girl's usually so well-behaved—why's she joining the chaos? Haha, now the shantytown's got your three families propping it up. I'll sleep like a baby tonight."
The three glared at him, but Xu Zhiyun only grew smugger.
"What, mad? Come on, decades of friendship! Old Chen, don't stress—100 billion's not pocket change, but it won't ruin you. Look at Old Lu—his son dropped 500 billion and he's cool as a cucumber. Poor Old Leng's got it worst. From what I know, coughing up nearly 50 billion? Can your family recover? Haha!"
Leng Tianhao fumed but winced when he tried to sit up straight. Xu Zhiyun twirled his club. "Three out of four down, and here I am, watching the show."
He turned, reciting dramatically, "Pity the emperors Qin and Han, lacking in literary grace; Tang and Song rulers, short on flair. The great Genghis Khan only knew how to shoot eagles."
Turning back with a wicked grin, he looked at the three fuming old men. "All gone by."
Facing the horizon, he declared, "For true heroes, look to today!" With burning passion and boundless pride, he swung his club.
At that moment, Long Aotian said calmly, "Xu Xuejiao pledged 200 billion for the Xu family."
"What!?"
Snap!
"Ah—my back!"
Now all four old men sat in a row, clutching their backs.
Leng Tianhao nodded. "What'd Old Xu say? 100 billion's no big deal? How much does it take to hurt?"
Chen Qingbin said, "He said 200 billion!"
"Oh!" Leng Tianhao laughed. "Old Xu, you hit the mark! Your daughter's got real guts. I'm just a broke noble scraping together less than 50 billion."
Chen Qingbin added, "My daughter at least spared me—she didn't go for 200 billion. Xu Xuejiao's the real visionary, the true prodigy!"
"Exactly, exactly."
Lu Guanghong took a deep breath. "This is weird! What's wrong with those four? Did they plan this?"
Xu Zhiyun couldn't take it anymore. "Get me my phone! I'm calling that damned girl to find out what's going on!"
The other three said in unison, "You lose! You're calling first!"
"Lose? I'm out 200 billion! You think I care about losing a bet? What are you all thinking? We're all screwed here!"
They paused, then nodded, each calling for their secretaries to bring their phones. Four old men, clutching their backs, dialed their kids.
In the restroom, Lu Chengwen lounged on an ornate sofa, looking smug.
A system voice chimed, "Congratulations, Host, for investing in a grand project that could bankrupt the Lu family."
"Thank you, thank you." Lu Chengwen crossed his legs. "I've survived three days. Time for my reward, right?"
"Please wait, we need to verify, dear!"
"Verify away. I'm in no rush."
Lu Chengwen felt invincible. How am I this brilliant? Bankrupting my own family—who thinks of that?
And the risk was manageable. Lose just enough, stop short, and move the family elsewhere with the remaining wealth. With his business acumen, he'd rebuild. Maybe not a multi-billion empire, but a few hundred million? No difference to him. The key was disappearing from Long Aotian's radar. Once he pulled this off, Long Aotian wouldn't spare him a glance.
The system spoke, "Host, we've verified. Your reward is limited for now."
"What? Why? I've done so much—don't I deserve more? Be fair!"
"Here's the deal: if you fully bankrupt the Lu family, every 10 billion lost earns you 100 million in the real world, claimable upon return."
"What about now?"
"Your pharmaceutical shares dropped by tens of billions, but the company's still operational, and the stock could recover, so it doesn't count yet."
"And the shantytown project?"
"Sorry, dear, it hasn't started. You'll need to actually lose the assets to earn the corresponding rewards."
Lu Chengwen fumed. "Fine, but I survived three days without getting killed. That's worth something!"
"Yes, dear! You have three options. First, a copy of the Sunflower Manual. With it, you can make it your base skill, upgrading it with points to boost your strength…"
"Next."
"Dear, this is our recommended package! Choose the Sunflower Manual, and we'll throw in ten beautiful women—"
"Next, next, next!" Lu Chengwen muttered. "If I'm mastering the Sunflower Manual, what do I need women for?"
"Alright, second option: a one-time Immovable Bright King Technique card. It grants invincibility against all physical attacks, with unlimited defense."
"Now that's interesting," Lu Chengwen said, rubbing his chin. One-time use, though. If it was unlimited, I'd never fear Long Aotian again.
"What's the third?"
"A one-time Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms card. It lets you instantly defeat any opponent—except Long Aotian."
Lu Chengwen thought, What's the point? Long Aotian's the only one I'd want to crush. This is useless.
"I'll take the Immovable Bright King card."
"Great, please keep it safe. Also, for every 10 billion in assets lost or gained, you can claim 100 million in the real world. But we only count the net total—you can't double-dip."
"So, I either go all-in on earning or losing. Got it."
"Yes, dear! But be careful. You can't do anything unnatural."
"Like what?"
"You can't transfer assets to strangers, buy things at inflated prices, or deliberately destroy valuable assets—like antiques or buildings—for insurance payouts."
"Don't worry. I don't need cheap tricks to lose a fortune."
Lu Chengwen grinned. Things were going smoothly. With the Lu family's trillions in assets, he could lose most of it, keep a few billion as capital, and walk away with tens of billions in real-world rewards. Unimaginable wealth for most. But he had to lose, not earn. As Xuecheng's fattest sheep, if he kept making money, Long Aotian would target him to swallow the four families. With only a son and no daughters for Long Aotian's harem, Lu Chengwen was in a death trap. The only way out was to crash the Lu family fast, making Long Aotian lose interest. Then, relocate south and live quietly as a low-key tycoon—safe at last.
Leng Tianhao stared at Leng Qingqiu. "Qingqiu, tell me, what were you thinking?"
"Lu Chengwen doesn't do losing deals," Leng Qingqiu said. "Xu Xuejiao and Chen Mengyun both threw in big money too. I think this could be a game-changer. The Leng family can't afford to miss out."
Leng Tianhao's face hardened. "Forty-nine billion. You've bet our entire cash flow, our family's future, on this?"
"Yes," she said firmly. "In desperate times, you go all-in. I trust my judgment."
He slammed the table. "What about that land deal? How do we fund that now?"
"I had to choose one. I made my choice."
"You had no right to choose! You're just the CEO, not the decision-maker!"
"You sent me to that meeting to represent you. I spoke, and we signed the contract. The money's committed."
"You…" Leng Tianhao fumed.
Long Aotian set down his glass and stood. "Qingqiu, you made a huge mistake."
"What's it to you?" she shot back.
"Mind your manners!" Leng Tianhao snapped. "Aotian's my advisor now."
Long Aotian smiled. "We can break the contract. I'll use my connections to minimize losses and secure that land deal quickly."
"I won't agree to breach the contract," Leng Qingqiu said.
Long Aotian's tone grew serious. "Qingqiu, don't you see? Lu Chengwen's a scheming opportunist. How can you trust him?"
She looked at him coldly. "I see his heart—pure and clean. You're the hypocrite, hiding behind a noble facade."
"Enough!" Leng Tianhao barked. "I've decided. Next week, we'll hold a board meeting. I'm appointing Long Aotian as Qianfeng Group's CEO. You'll be his deputy. And your engagement to Lu Chengwen? It's off."
_
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