Chapter 338 The pain of telling the truth
In a dimly lit room.
A young woman, with her hair disheveled and her two snow-white legs bare, walked across a high-end carpet.
She walked to a bamboo chair and slowly sat down.
Lifting her head, her pitch-black eyes peered out from beneath her hair, looking fierce and eerie.
"How's it going?"
"Your Highness, Chi Baocheng left three people behind in Snow City to continue observing."
"Tch."
The woman's voice was hoarse. She cracked her mouth open and started laughing.
Her laughter was terrifying, like that of an evil demon king.
The black-clad man kneeling on the ground seemed very nervous, keeping his head down and staring at the carpet, swallowing hard.
The woman turned around, leaning on a long blade: "The world is just too boring, isn't it?"
"This… is… is…"
The woman lifted her snow-white leg and placed it on the man's shoulder.
"The world is nothing but darkness. Humanity shouldn't exist, the world shouldn't exist… And even if it does, it has no meaning…"
"I… Your subordinate…"
The woman smiled: "Are you afraid of me?"
"N-no… not afraid…"
The woman lowered her leg and used the sheath of her long blade to gently lift the man's chin: "You should be afraid of me."
"I… Your subordinate…"
The woman laughed.
Without any warning, she suddenly burst out laughing uncontrollably.
She laughed so maniacally, so terrifyingly, like a total lunatic.
"This is too interesting! Too interesting! A guy so weak I could kill him with just a flick of my finger actually dares to go and save someone!? There are still such idiots in the world, ahahaha…"
The man was so nervous he could barely breathe. "If Your Highness finds him displeasing, I can kill him for you."
"Hmm!?"
The woman suddenly turned her head, grabbed the man by the collar, and placed the long blade against his neck. Her voice turned hoarse and ferocious: "He's mine!"
"Yes… Your subordinate…" The man struggled to get the words out.
"Such an amusing person, so clumsy, so stupid, so foolish, so… ahahaha! It's like a gift from the heavens! A gift!"
"Yes, Your Highness… I'll protect him in secret."
"No, no, no, that won't do…"
The woman turned around, pacing aimlessly like a madwoman, then stopped in the hall.
Bending over, she suddenly whipped around, her terrifying eyes making the man nearly collapse to the ground.
She grinned:
"Don't disturb him just yet! I'm afraid he'll get scared, I'm afraid he'll be frightened!"
Her voice became soft and gentle, cautious: "We need to watch in silence, see what he plans to do. Appreciate it, observe him as if he were an ant struggling to survive in a whirlpool. That's… what makes it truly fun!"
The woman leaned on her long blade, then abruptly straightened up, raising her arms high: "This is so much fun! Ahahaha…"
An overwhelming energy burst out from her body, suffocating those around her.
Her white robes flapped wildly in the storm, her long hair swept backward in the gusts, but her two slender, snow-white legs, standing firmly on the carpet, were like crystal pillars, unmoving…
…
"What?"
"Another seven billion came in! So, what do you think, little Lu? Isn't your big sister amazing?"
Lu Chengwen's facial features were scrunched up in disbelief: "I just… I just casually helped you set up three old men at the construction site, and he really wired you seven billion!?"
"Yup! That's right! Get me three more old men, and I can make another seven billion."
Lu Chengwen rubbed his chin in frustration: "Xuejiao… Let's stop. The world is full of Long Aotian."
"What are you saying? I'm just one hundred and ninety billion short of buying you!"
Lu Chengwen felt a wave of irritation in his heart.
[What's wrong with this Long Aotian? Are you insane!? Why is he just throwing money around like this!?]
[What's even happening right now? Do you even understand the situation? You're supposed to be the male lead, dammit! Use your brain for once, would you!?]
[No, wait! This isn't about Long Aotian! It's about Xu Xuejiao!]
Lu Chengwen abruptly turned his head to glare at Xu Xuejiao.
Xu Xuejiao grinned smugly at him, even raising her eyebrows provocatively.
Lu Chengwen squinted his eyes.
[When I first got here, I almost got killed by her schemes! This girl is toxic!]
"Hey! What are you thinking? Are you bad-mouthing me in your head?"
Xu Xuejiao put on a stern face.
"Nope."
"Really?"
"How would I dare?"
Lu Chengwen replied with a cheeky smile.
But deep down, he thought:
[This can't go on! We can't keep milking this one sheep—Long Aotian—for all he's worth!]
[If Long Aotian explodes one day, completely breaks down, and goes all-out, I'm screwed!]
[I need to figure out a way to clean this up. Xu Xuejiao, this lunatic, would squeeze blood out of a stone if she could!]
[Long Aotian is still a person! He has feelings, pride, and dignity!]
[If you keep torturing him like this, to the point where he becomes a complete wreck, won't he just snap?]
[If he snaps, I'll be the first one he kills!]
Xu Xuejiao asked, "What are you worried about?"
"Oh, nothing," Lu Chengwen forced out a smile.
"Don't think I don't know what you're thinking!"
"Really, it's nothing."
"Actually, I've been thinking about how this whole thing needs to have an ending."
Lu Chengwen clapped his hands: "Exactly! That's what I was thinking too! Xuejiao, we're on the same page here. Let's…"
"I'll scam him out of another one hundred and ninety billion and completely break him!"
"Hey! No way! Give him a break, will you!?"
"Oh, come on, don't worry! Once I get that one hundred and ninety billion, hehe, you'll be mine!"
"Me…"
"What!? Are you going to back out now!? Do you know how hard it is for me to scam people out there!?"
"You… It is very hard, I'm not saying I'm backing out, it's just…"
"Just what!? I don't care! You promised me!"
Xu Xuejiao left, skipping away happily.
Looking at her innocent and carefree figure, her lively and adorable posture, and her small, enchanting, upturned backside…
Lu Chengwen felt that both he and Long Aotian might end up dead because of her.
This won't do!
The balance between him and Long Aotian must be maintained! If the balance breaks, his death will come.
But there was no way to explain this to Xu Xuejiao. Even if he did, she wouldn't understand, and even if she understood, she wouldn't believe it.
Not to mention her—sometimes even he felt dazed, as if he had been born in this world, as if he truly were the eldest son of the Lu family.
His memories of his original world were fading, while his memories and feelings of this world were growing stronger.
Thinking back to when he initially planned to squander the family fortune to trade for a chance to return to his original world—it seemed laughable now.
No, no one in this world really knows what I'm doing.
I have to take control myself and not let others take the lead.
As this thought struck him, Lu Chengwen picked up the office phone and dialed Long Aotian's number.
"Hello! Big Brother! Hahaha, how are you doing lately?"
"Oh, Chengwen, I'm doing fine!"
"How's your family?"
"Everyone's good!"
"How's your… uh, backdoor?"
"Stop spouting nonsense. Get to the point!"
"Well, there's… something I wanted to talk to you about."
"Alright, go on."
Lu Chengwen said, "Big Brother, could you… I mean… stop investing in the Paradise City project? I'll pay you back. You can invest in whatever projects you like. Or maybe go to the provincial capital? Even better, go down south!"
Long Aotian was stunned on the other end.
What's going on? Why is Lu Chengwen suddenly saying this to me?
"Chengwen, did something happen?"
"There's no problem. I'm just… worried. This project has had a lot of ups and downs, and I'm afraid it might cause bad blood between us. How about this—you've invested how much in total? I'll figure out a way to pay you back. Take this money, and no matter where you go, you'll be treated as a major investor, like a god of wealth. How about that?"
Long Aotian chuckled, "Chengwen, I know, I get it, I understand. This project will definitely be profitable in the future, and it can also connect with your Chengwen District. Now, such a promising project, and you're letting me get involved—you must be feeling uncomfortable…"
"No, no, no, Big Brother, that's not it. I…"
"Chengwen! We're brothers! And what should brothers do? Help each other and support one another! You give me this great opportunity, and I'll always remember your kindness!"
Lu Chengwen was nearly in tears. "Big Brother, this project… it might not really be a good opportunity. Please, pull out!"
"Chengwen, let's talk this through. This piece of land—you initially said you'd give it to me."
"Yes."
"Later, due to various reasons, you didn't give it to me and chose to develop it with Xu Xuejiao."
"Yes."
"But you promised me personally that I could get involved, holding 40% of the shares. Isn't that right?"
"Yes, yes, but…"
"Now, the project is about to start, and you're seeing the potential future profits, so you want me to withdraw. Chengwen, is that how brothers should act?"
"Big Brother, let me ask you one question! What if—just if—this business loses money?"
"It won't lose money! With you here, what's there to worry about?"
"I'm not a god! I've made many money-losing deals! Big Brother, if it loses money, then what? If… it becomes a failed project, then what? If… it turns out to be a scam, then what?"
"Hahaha! If that's the case, I'll accept it!"
"What did you just say!?"
Lu Chengwen felt like Long Aotian had gone mad.
No way—Lu Chengwen's insistence on getting Long Aotian to withdraw only made Long Aotian more convinced that there was a huge untapped profit hidden somewhere he hadn't seen yet.
I've poured so much effort and put in so much work for this project—how could I just withdraw because you tell me to?
Oh, so you come to me when you need money, but when it's time to make money, I'm supposed to back off?
Damn it!
Sweat beaded on Lu Chengwen's forehead. Long Aotian wouldn't budge.
Frustrated, Lu Chengwen snapped, "Big Brother, this project is already a massive pit. If you keep going with it, you'll absolutely get trapped. I'm being honest here—I'm doing this for your own good! I'm begging you to trust me!"
"Trust you!?"
Long Aotian sneered.
Do you think it's my first day roaming the world? Do you think I don't know whose words to trust?
I trust Luo Shiyin. I trust Qi Meishao. I trust Zhuge Xiaohua. I even trust Xu Xuejiao.
But you, Lu Chengwen? Heh, sorry—I. Don't. Trust. You.
"Chengwen, I've made up my mind to invest in this project!"
"Let me tell you, even if this project loses money, even if it fails, even if it's the biggest pit ever and I lose everything, I'll still see it through to the end!"
"And in the future, no matter what happens with this project, I won't have a single complaint against you, Lu Chengwen!"
"One more thing—I've got some fixed-term deposits in the bank. After they mature, I'll invest those as well! A great man never goes back on his word!"
"That's it!"
The call ended, leaving Lu Chengwen dumbfounded. "His fixed term… is about to mature."
At this moment, the secretary called through the office line, "Mr. Lu, Miss Qi Meishao is here to see you."
________________________________
read more than 80 advanced chapters on patreon
patreon.com/jodex7