Chapter 57

This was the closest Lu Chengwen had ever come to death.

The system had informed him that he had a total of seven chances, each time playing the role of a villain, and each time following the script, he was destined to die.

In the first six times, Lu Chengwen was completely dazed during the first two, and died without even realizing what was happening.

By the time he understood the situation and wanted to perform well, he found that the outcome for a villain was very hard to change, and he died two more times.

Starting from the fifth time, he was already very anxious.

No one had experienced the same as him, dying five times across four different worlds, plus his own real world.

Death, even once, was enough to instill the utmost fear.

And after dying five times, Lu Chengwen was already at the peak of his fear.

The fifth time he crossed over, he performed the best, managing to survive for three days.

But in the end, a small mistake led to his complete failure.

Through repeated "deaths," Lu Chengwen realized that as a villain, he could not afford to make any mistakes.

A tiny error could lead to catastrophic consequences, with no chance of redemption.

And now, this was his last chance. If he died at the hands of the protagonist this time...

All the rewards, all the chances to return to the real world... would be gone.

He would have to accept his fate of being truly dead.

Therefore, this time, Lu Chengwen remained calm and composed, lowering his stance, knowing that small things could ruin the bigger plan.

He had no more chances, and he could not afford any mistakes.

One mistake, and it would be eternal ruin!

Now, Long Aotian was right in front of him.

Lu Chengwen's anger was indescribable!

Long Aotian!

You are the protagonist!

You are powerful! You have many magical treasures! Many brothers! Many skills! Many methods! Wide connections! You can do anything!

All the beautiful women are yours!

The hard-earned achievements of several generations of major families ultimately belong to you!

This world is yours!

Everything is yours!

And I! Am I destined to be just a piece of meat on your chopping board?

The meaning of my existence is that no matter how I struggle, no matter how I compromise and avoid, the final outcome is just a tiny, insignificant episode in your glorious life, right?

How ridiculous!

The damn system just wants to see a small character like me, a poor delivery boy, suddenly rich and showing my ugly face, right?

It just wants to see me, in my lowly and humiliating state, desperately trying to survive, right?

It just wants to see me, groveling before the protagonist, willing to be a lackey just to stay alive, right?

Lu Chengwen's eyes were bloodshot as he looked at Long Aotian, his anger burning.

"Your eyes are good," Long Aotian said casually. "But none of the enemies I've faced have ever defeated me with just their eyes."

He walked up to Lu Chengwen. "How about this, you be my dog, and I'll protect you."

Lu Chengwen's eyelids twitched. "Why do you want me to invest in the amusement park project?"

"The amusement park will become a landmark in Xuecheng, and from now on, it will be the new shopping, leisure, and entertainment center. The potential is limitless."

Long Aotian sat on the sofa, crossing his legs, and said leisurely, "In any case, after the project is completed, I will review the accounts, and all the income will be distributed by me. No one else can know about this, only you and I. You will spend the money, but the profits will be mine."

Lu Chengwen clenched his fists. "What if I refuse?"

"Ha ha." Long Aotian stood up, walked to Lu Chengwen, and lightly patted his shoulder. "You will agree. Think about your family, your father, your mother, oh, and you have a younger brother, right?"

Inside, Lu Chengwu was about to rush out, but Chen Mengyun held him back, and Xu Xuejiao quickly covered his mouth, sternly telling him not to make a sound.

Long Aotian said arrogantly, "Iron Lump Wang, that fool, can go to hell. He's just a troublemaker. But there are Copper Lump Wang, Silver Lump Wang, Gold Lump Wang... over a hundred of these fools waiting for you. I don't need to get my hands dirty to make your family fall apart. Think about it."

Hearing Long Aotian's threats, especially when he mentioned "mother,"

Lu Chengwen's rationality returned a bit.

He couldn't fight this beast head-on! He had to use his wits!

"Fine. I agree."

"That's good. Remember, your life and your family's lives are in my hands." Long Aotian threatened, "If you try any tricks, I'll make your whole family disappear."

Long Aotian left.

Lu Chengwen sat on the sofa, expressionless.

He was not angry, not anxious, not happy, not unhappy, just calm, a terrifying calm.

He held a glass of wine, looking at the night view outside, with a smile that was neither a smile nor a frown.

A group of people filed out, but Lu Chengwen didn't even look at them.

Xu Xuejiao approached, smiling. "Brother Lu..."

"Leave."

Lu Chengwen interrupted.

Xu Xuejiao said, "What's so great about him? If we join forces, we can beat him..."

Lu Chengwen turned to look at Xu Xuejiao. "This is between him and me. It doesn't involve anyone else. Stay away from me."

Xu Xuejiao wanted to say more, but Chen Mengyun held her back, shaking her head.

Chen Mengyun had never seen Lu Chengwen like this.

He was always expressive, showing his emotions openly.

When he made money or gained an advantage, he wanted the whole world to know.

When he lost money or suffered a setback, he would be furious, and no one around him would be spared.

But today, his silence was terrifying.

Lu Chengwen continued to look out the window.

"Zhao Gang, see them out."

Zhao Gang knew that his boss was in the worst mood he had ever been in.

Zhao Gang said softly, "Everyone, go back and rest. The boss needs some time alone."

Zhang Shen took a deep breath, taking out a recorder. "He threatened you today. According to the law, you can report him."

Lu Chengwen smiled.

At this moment, Lu Chengwen's smile was somewhat terrifying.

In fact, it was a very ordinary smile.

But for some reason, at this moment, Zhang Shen suddenly realized that he had never really understood this person.

This smile made Zhang Shen momentarily distracted, feeling that this person, as the eldest son of the Lu family and the current president of Dashing Group, truly had the demeanor of a great leader.

He had a storm of emotions inside, but his expression was so calm, his smile so composed.

But in that composed smile, there was strength, endurance, resilience, and defiance.

Without realizing it, Zhang Shen's voice had softened. "If you feel genuinely threatened, report it immediately."

Lu Chengwen smiled. "Thank you."

Passing Tang Yiyi, Lu Chengwen paused.

Tang Yiyi thought she was done for.

This was breaking and entering, and there was a police friend right there. If Lu Chengwen wanted to make trouble, her friend would have to arrest her personally.

"I..."

"Miss Yiyi, thank you for your hard work. Go home and rest."

"Sorry..."

"Apologies, I didn't get a chance to talk to you today. Let's meet another day."

This left Zhang Shen completely baffled.

Tang Yiyi was invited by him!?

Lu Chengwen walked into the bedroom, lay on the bed, and pondered his life.

The feeling of being controlled by others was truly unbearable.

The people in the room had their own thoughts and filed out. Zhang Shen and Tang Yiyi shared a car, while Chen Mengyun and Xu Xuejiao, both aware of each other's feelings for Lu Chengwen, became awkward with each other, exchanged a few awkward words, and went home separately.

...

The next day, Mayor Zhao invited everyone to a meeting.

But on the street in front of the government building, Lu Chengwen saw residents from the slum area blocking the way.

Many people opposed Dashing Group's takeover of the slum project, believing that Lu Chengwen, the unscrupulous businessman, was out to drain the blood and sweat of the common people, causing a significant disturbance...

As soon as Lu Chengwen got out of the car, he was surrounded by a crowd. Zhao Gang and several bodyguards protected him tightly.

Leng Qingqiu also instructed her subordinates to hurry over and help, otherwise, Lu Chengwen might be torn apart by the angry crowd.

Lu Chengwen, with a stern face, walked silently toward the building. But after a few steps, he saw a security guard pushing an old lady, and he immediately became furious. "Let go!"

Lu Chengwen's suppressed emotions erupted. He rushed over, ignoring his own safety, and pulled away the confused bodyguard. "How old is she? Are you crazy to push her like that?"

The old lady didn't appreciate Lu Chengwen's help. She threw a rotten egg at his face and angrily shouted,

"Three years! This project has been going on for three years! We haven't seen a single cent, and we've been living in rented houses. My grandson can't even get into school. I can't afford my medicine! You rich people, living in villas and driving luxury cars, do you ever think about the poor? My son broke his leg delivering food and is still in the hospital!"

The bodyguard tried to push the old lady again, but Lu Chengwen shouted, "Don't push her!"

The bodyguard let go, and the old lady rushed in, scratching Lu Chengwen's face.

The bodyguards quickly intervened, trying to separate them.

"Three bosses have come and gone! They take the money and run! You're drinking the blood of the poor! You scoundrels..."

...

It took Lu Chengwen over twenty minutes to walk the less than two hundred meters.

In the bathroom, Jiang Shihan, with red eyes, helped Lu Chengwen tidy his clothes, muttering, "What kind of people are these! The money wasn't taken by us! If they want to vent, they should find the right people. Who have we wronged..."

Lu Chengwen looked at his disheveled reflection in the mirror and suddenly smiled.

Jiang Shihan's phone rang. "Are you there yet? Hurry up, use the back door, and tell the guard that President Lu's clothes are ruined and smell of rotten eggs. He can't go to the meeting like this! Hurry!"

After hanging up, Jiang Shihan said apologetically, "President Lu, please wait. They are nearby, and the new clothes will be here soon."

"No, I'll go back in these."

"President Lu..."

...

In the meeting room, as soon as Lu Chengwen entered, everyone's eyes were on him.

Clearly, everyone had heard about the incident outside, and many had videos of Lu Chengwen being hit by a rotten egg on their phones.

Lu Chengwen, with a red face and scratches, smiled. "Sorry, sorry, kept you all waiting."

Mayor Zhao felt guilty. "President Lu, I'm sorry. The people don't know the full story and got a bit carried away. You have to understand!"

"Understood, understood." Lu Chengwen sat down calmly, and everyone around him covered their noses.

The smell of the rotten egg was quite pungent.

Mayor Zhao said, "I've heard some rumors that Dashing Group is pulling out of the project. President Lu, I called you here to confirm this with everyone..."

"Do we need to confirm this?!" Hu Shuhui stood up again. "Everyone in the circle is talking about it, saying that Dashing Group is trying to take back what it has already done! I don't care about that. If Dashing Group pulls out, our thirty million donation will also be canceled!"

With Hu Shuhui stirring the pot, many companies expressed their opinions. Some criticized Lu Chengwen, while others mocked Mayor Zhao and Secretary Wu.

Some said that Dashing Group was only in it for the profit and was now pulling out after using the slum project to gain popularity. They said that if Dashing Group pulled out, the assistance projects they promised to the government would also need to be renegotiated.

Others said even more harsh things, calling Lu Chengwen a troublemaker and saying that he had only ever taken advantage of others and had never done anything decent...

The scene became chaotic.

But no one from the four major families spoke up.

Leng Qingqiu remained silent, watching Lu Chengwen.

Chen Mengyun and Xu Xuejiao didn't discuss with anyone or even look at anyone, just staring at Lu Chengwen.

Mayor Zhao was furious.

Secretary Wu, enraged, shouted, "Please maintain order in the meeting!"

Mayor Zhao sighed, his eyes revealing suppressed anger. "President Lu, please speak."

Lu Chengwen stood up and smiled again.