Chapter 79

Xu Family Mansion.

Xu Zhiyun sat on the sofa with a stern face, absentmindedly fiddling with a few cultural trinkets.

Lu Chengwen smiled and said, "Uncle Xu, thanks to your family's strong support, I was able to complete the fundraising for the slum project. This is a contract, please review it. Once you sign this contract, the project will have a guaranteed bottom line. No matter how the project performs later, the Houde Group will be able to recover its costs."

Xu Zhiyun glanced at it, snorted, and threw the contract on the table.

"Lu Chengwen, I've been friends with your father for decades, no need to beat around the bush. I'll tell you straight, I won't let you marry my daughter!"

Lu Chengwen was stunned.

He thought, "Are you blind? This is a commercial guarantee contract, not a wedding invitation!"

"Not at all, what I mean is, you know the slum project, it's likely to lose money. Although our stock prices started to rise yesterday, they have cooled down today, and the increase is not as significant as expected. Also, the number of calls inquiring about internal housing has decreased. I estimate..."

Xu Zhiyun tapped the coffee table with his pipe. "I can afford to lose money, but I will never sell my daughter!"

Lu Chengwen thought, "What the hell!"

"Are you even listening? Who said anything about marrying your daughter!"

"Uncle Xu, this is a commercial contract, please take a look before you speak."

"No need!"

Xu Zhiyun suddenly stood up, waving his pipe. "Lu Chengwen, I'll tell you, you have a keen eye for this project, but its future is still uncertain. Your ability to manipulate this losing project to make money in the stock market is impressive!"

"But!" He waved his hand forcefully. "I, Xu Zhiyun, have seen many storms. Even if I invested 200 billion, or even 2000 billion, I would rather put all our family's assets on the line than be coerced by you!"

Lu Chengwen turned to look at Zhao Gang and Jiang Shihan, who were speechless.

Lu Chengwen took a deep breath. "Uncle Xu, please, just take a look at the contract. This is a contract, it has nothing to do with Xuejiao. If she refuses to sign, I came to you. My intention is..."

"If Xuejiao won't sign, I won't sign either!"

Xu Zhiyun said, "I know! Aren't you trying to force us to let you be together? You're offering us this benefit to make Xuejiao your girlfriend. You'll use sweet talk to trick my daughter into being with you, then get her pregnant and force us to have a wedding. In the end, all the Xu family's assets will be yours, right? Not just the Ninth Pharmaceutical Factory, but all my pharmaceutical factories, research teams, scientific institutions, hospitals... will all be yours, right?"

Lu Chengwen tilted his head, looking at the old man with a lack of energy.

He thought, "You really have a wild imagination! A guy with such ideas is called Long Aotian, not me!"

"I can't even avoid your family's troublemaker!"

Lu Chengwen tried to suppress his frustration. "Uncle, just take a look at the contract, just one look..."

"I don't need to look! I disagree!"

Lu Chengwen suddenly burst into anger, shouting, "You look at it!"

Xu Zhiyun was stunned. "You dare to shout at me!?"

Lu Chengwen grabbed his collar and pulled him close. Xu Zhiyun tried to resist, but Lu Chengwen was a true martial artist, with physical strength far beyond that of an ordinary person.

It was like picking up a chick.

Lu Chengwen gritted his teeth, pressing Xu Zhiyun's head on the contract, angrily saying, "Commercial contract! Commercial contract! There's nothing about dating in it! It doesn't take advantage of your family! Look clearly! If you don't, I'll rip your head off!"

Xu Zhiyun was actually scared.

Lu Chengwen, although a troublemaker before, was never this bad.

Before, he would always greet with a smile, a cunning look, and hidden schemes in his words.

But today, he was clearly agitated.

Xu Zhiyun looked back, and the servants in the house were also scared by Lu Chengwen, not daring to make a sound.

Xu Zhiyun coughed, picked up the contract, and felt something was off, so he read it from beginning to end several times.

"Is that it?"

"What else?"

Lu Chengwen sat across from him, legs spread, still angry, loosening his tie.

"Xu Zhiyun, I respect you, calling you Uncle! Can you listen to me? I said it's a commercial contract, why do you keep bringing up your daughter? Do you think I care about your lousy pharmaceutical factories and hospitals? I don't even need the management qualification for the Ninth Pharmaceutical Factory, which was specially approved. What do I need your stuff for?"

Lu Chengwen pointed at the contract. "Sign it! If you like, I'll transfer all the shares of the Ninth Pharmaceutical Factory to you! I have nothing to do with the Xu family!"

Xu Zhiyun looked suspicious. "But... your father called me and said... you like my daughter. Oh, sorry Chengwen, I... I'm getting old and forgetful."

Xu Zhiyun finally realized that this contract was a golden one.

He didn't need to invest anything, and 200 billion yuan would be guaranteed.

Such a contract, you should sign as many as possible.

His family's 200 billion investment would be fully protected, and it would only make a profit.

Xu Zhiyun signed the contract happily, feeling very satisfied.

He had been in pain over the 200 billion yuan that Xu Xuejiao had spent, but now, the young master of the Lu family had gone crazy and provided such an investment guarantee contract.

This was great! It was secure! No loss at all, and the terms were very clear. If the project lost money, the Dashing Group would compensate with double the bank interest on the 200 billion yuan.

It was like buying a guaranteed profitable fund or financial product, bound to make money.

He handed the contract to Lu Chengwen. "Chengwen, don't be angry, Uncle misunderstood. You know, I only have Xuejiao as my daughter, how could I bear to give her to a scoundrel? Right? Let's put ourselves in each other's shoes..."

Lu Chengwen looked at him. "Do you believe I'll tear up the contract right now?"

"Oh no, no, as long as you don't touch my daughter, I promise, our cooperation will continue as usual. Let's... have a drink?"

Seeing the 200 billion yuan that was sure to lose money now back in his pocket, and guaranteed to generate benefits in a few years, Xu Zhiyun was extremely happy.

"No time!" Lu Chengwen said irritably. "This is in duplicate, one for each of us. The contract is effective, keep it well. If you lose it, I won't give you a penny!"

"You see, how can you talk to me like that? You don't seem to like my daughter!"

Lu Chengwen handed the contract to Jiang Shihan, looking at Xu Zhiyun. "You! Take care of your daughter when you have time. In my house, she's just..."

Lu Chengwen didn't know how to say it. "I have no interest in your daughter! No interest in your lousy pharmaceutical factories and hospitals! Understand? And you think I'm forcing you to marry your daughter... make her stay away from me!"

"Oh, you..."

"What kind of person am I!" Lu Chengwen said excitedly. "Your family invests 200 billion, and I guarantee it. What kind of person am I!"

"My daughter keeps bothering me, acting in my house, making my parents think I'm a scoundrel. What kind of person am I!"

"I kindly bring you a guarantee contract to sign, and you act like the third aunt of Zhu Bajie. What kind of person am I!"

Xu Zhiyun was stunned by Lu Chengwen's outburst, unable to speak.

By the time he came to his senses, Lu Chengwen had already left with his people.

Walking out of the Xu Family Mansion, Lu Chengwen was still angry. "Next, the Chen family!"

...

Chen Qingbin was polishing an antique vase, with a few people holding trays of various tools.

Someone outside the door reported, "Master, the young master of the Lu family, Lu Chengwen, is here to see you."

Chen Qingbin was surprised. "Who?"

"Lu Chengwen."

Chen Qingbin's face turned sour. "A useless young master."

Everyone around him laughed.

Chen Qingbin put the antique in the box, and his assistant took it back to place it properly.

Chen Qingbin said sternly, "This kid, he was smart when he was young, but grew up to be useless. If it weren't for my father liking this kid, I wouldn't let him step into our house."

The house manager smiled. "After all, he is the eldest son of the Lu family. Although he's a dummy, the Lu family's face still needs to be given."

Chen Qingbin sneered. "A man, it doesn't matter if he's bad, lustful, uneducated, or ugly."

"Then... what does matter?"

Chen Qingbin said, "The worst thing is having no backbone! Talented men are all bad, lustful, and have a lot of flaws. But a spineless, cowardly wimp who only relies on petty cleverness to make a little dirty money is destined to be useless. I despise such men from the bottom of my heart."

"Then... we won't see him?"

"See. Why not?" Chen Qingbin said. "Let him in. Do you believe that a few words from me will make him stammer and tremble as he leaves our house?"

"That's true, Master, your presence is too overwhelming for ordinary people."

A moment later, Lu Chengwen, Jiang Shihan, and Zhao Gang walked in.

Lu Chengwen tried to adjust his emotions, still feeling frustrated from the Xu family.

He forced a smile. "Uncle Chen! Oh, it's been a long time, Uncle Chen still looks so mighty and handsome!"

"Hmm." Chen Qingbin smiled perfunctorily, speaking formally. "Chengwen, come in, sit down."

"Thank you, Uncle."

"Is there something?"

Lu Chengwen was already annoyed.

[What the hell, why is this old man also like this? Did I demolish your family temple? Can't you even offer a cup of tea to a guest?]

Lu Chengwen said, "Uncle Chen, our Chen family invested in a project with me recently, the slum project, 12 billion. I have a guarantee..."

"Enough." Chen Qingbin said. "Just over 10 billion, I can afford to lose it."

Lu Chengwen thought,

[Why don't you lose, you bastard! Can't you let me finish my sentence?]

"Not at all, what I mean is..."

"Lu Chengwen."

"Ah?"

"I know your little schemes." Chen Qingbin said. "Don't think that a twirl of your eyes makes you the smartest person in the world, capable of outsmarting everyone. To me, you're just a child playing in the mud."

[Here we go again.]

Chen Qingbin was also muttering. "I didn't agree with you and my daughter Xiaoyun being together, and you know that. Times have changed, let's let the past be the past. Besides, are you even suitable for each other? Do you think you are? My daughter, in terms of figure, appearance, talent, wisdom, and ability, is top-notch. Yes, you have some money, but we have been nobility since our ancestors. What about you? You're just nouveau riche! You have money now, but who can guarantee that you won't squander your family's wealth..."

Lu Chengwen closed his eyes, trying to calm down.

[Life is like a play, we meet because of fate. Getting angry over small things, thinking about it later, what's the point. If I get angry and die, who will be happy? If I get sick, no one will replace me...]

Jiang Shihan, listening to Lu Chengwen's thoughts, giggled.