Chapter 19: This Man Is Sick

Leng Qingqiu was summoned back by her parents with a single phone call.

"Dad, Mom."

The meal was already laid out on the table.

"Mm, you’re back." Leng Tianhao gestured, "Sit down, let’s talk."

The three of them—Leng Tianhao, his wife, and Leng Qingqiu—sat down to eat. Leng Tianhao’s expression was impassive; it wasn't that he was unhappy, but he was naturally a very stern man. Today, he unexpectedly placed a serving of vegetables onto Leng Qingqiu’s plate, which caught her by surprise.

Leng Qingqiu felt a warmth in her heart. "Thank you, Father."

Leng Tianhao smiled slightly. "I heard Lu Chengwen went to your company today to cause a scene? And ruined one of your business deals?"

Leng Qingqiu nodded. "In reality, he was helping me."

"Oh? How so?"

"That Jiao Shiheng is a fraud. He bribed one of my vice presidents of auditing and tampered with the audit materials. Brother Chengwen found out through some channel and went to beat him up."

Leng Tianhao laughed. "Jiao Shiheng... that project of his is worth over two billion, isn't it? That was a close call! Our Leng family cannot afford to have another two billion in cash tied up; that would be a fatal blow to our family. We absolutely must make a profit on this capital, otherwise, I’m afraid we’ll never recover."

"I apologize, it was my oversight in judgment regarding personnel," Leng Qingqiu said, bowing her head slightly, maintaining a respectful tone.

Leng Tianhao waved his hand. "I’m not blaming you. But since even you didn't spot the problem with that project, how did Lu Chengwen know?"

"I don't know," Leng Qingqiu replied. "He may appear careless, but he is actually meticulous. Sometimes his methods are quite unscrupulous, so I am not surprised he was capable of this."

Leng Tianhao nodded in agreement. "The Lu boy is quite a character. If he can maintain his composure in the future, he will be a force to be reckoned with. The engagement is set for the tenth of next month; you should prepare yourself."

Leng Qingqiu went silent.

Leng’s mother hurriedly placed some food into Leng Tianhao’s bowl, trying to appease him. Leng Tianhao was the chairman; although he had delegated power to Leng Qingqiu as the executive president, the majority of the shares in the Qianfeng Group remained in his hands. This was a common management model for major families. Therefore, while Leng Qingqiu held the most authority in the company, Leng Tianhao remained the ultimate figure of power in the household.

Her mother knew that Leng Qingqiu was extremely resistant to this arranged marriage. Both father and daughter had fiery tempers and a penchant for having the final say, leading to many arguments over this matter. She was deeply worried that they would start fighting again.

Leng Tianhao said, "Don't blame your father for being heartless. The Leng family is on the verge of life and death. Even though you’ve done well these past few years, we have yet to achieve a major turnaround. The enterprise is weighed down by too many deep-seated problems. You’ve worked hard."

"It’s not hard. I have the confidence to lead Qianfeng back to its peak."

"Mm, I believe in you," Leng Tianhao said. "That is why the support of the Lu family is indispensable. You must get engaged as soon as possible. Once you are part of the Lu family, everything will be different, and the situations you face will be much easier to handle. Furthermore, the Lu family will offer their assistance; at the very least, we won't have to worry about our capital chain collapsing."

Leng Qingqiu set down her chopsticks. Her mother immediately grew tense.

"Brother Chengwen and I will not be getting engaged."

As expected, the words were out. Her mother nervously glanced at Leng Tianhao. He, too, grew displeased and set down his own utensils.

"How many times have I taught you? Those who aim for great things do not nitpick at minor details. You are the daughter of Leng Tianhao, the president of the Qianfeng Group! Not some office clerk in a small enterprise! Do you think you can be like an ordinary person, meeting some boy at a party who wears sweatpants, likes working out, skateboarding, and listening to rock music, and then marry for the sake of so-called 'love'?"

"Your marriage concerns the survival of the enterprise and the rise and fall of the family. Hundreds of people are watching you with bated breath. A single correct choice is worth more than thirty years of desperate struggling—do you not understand this principle?"

Leng Qingqiu’s expression remained blank. "You’ve misunderstood. This time, it is not that I don't agree; it is that Lu Chengwen does not agree."

Both Leng Tianhao and her mother were stunned.

Her mother blurted out, "He doesn't agree? What’s going on? He’s been chasing you for three years, how could he not agree? What did you do? Is it... do you have another man that he found out about?"

"No."

"Then why?" her mother asked anxiously. "He likes you so much, why would he suddenly change his mind?"

"I don't know."

Leng Tianhao said angrily, "Are you intentionally offending him, and now using this as an excuse to fob me off?"

"Father, is that my style of doing things?"

Leng Tianhao paused. He realized that was true; his daughter was not one to resort to petty schemes. She was highly strategic in major matters, but she was certainly not the type of ordinary girl filled with small, devious tricks. Such pettiness was indeed not Leng Qingqiu’s style.

"Then what is actually going on?"

Leng Qingqiu said, "I told you, I don't know. Right now... he hates me."

"Hates you!?"

"Yes." Leng Qingqiu felt deeply aggrieved and saddened, yet she had to maintain a composed expression. "He currently acts as if he wants to stay as far away from me as possible, even to the point of never seeing me again."

Her mother panicked. "How could... it be like this?"

Leng Tianhao said, "When I was at the Lu residence the day before yesterday, I noticed something off about that boy. So there really is a problem." He thought for a moment. "Fine, I will look into this. As for you, take some initiative and get closer to him. You’re a girl, you need to show a softer side; you can't always wear that 'stay away' look on your face. He has feelings for you; it should be easy to win him back."

Leng Qingqiu shook her head. "I’m afraid it won't be that easy. Regardless, with or without the Lu family, I will lead Qianfeng back to its peak. Please rest assured, Father."

With that, Leng Qingqiu stood up and left the table. "I’m finished. Please enjoy the rest of your meal."

Watching his daughter defy him, Leng Tianhao suppressed his rage. "If you two are not engaged by the tenth of next month, I will call a board meeting to hire a new executive president. You can choose between your freedom and your career."

Leng Qingqiu stood at the door for a few seconds, said nothing, pushed the door open, and left.

***

After making a phone call, Lu Chengwen learned that while he was in the holding cell, Xu Xuejiao had already managed to stabilize the condition of Jiang Shihan’s mother. When Jiang Shihan heard that Lu Chengwen had been taken to the police station, she immediately wanted to bring a lawyer to bail him out, but was stopped by Xu Xuejiao.

Now that the person was saved, it was a pity that he had been swindled out of over ten billion by that devil, Xu Xuejiao.

Having found Xu Xuejiao, Lu Chengwen was in a foul mood. Anyone, even the world’s richest person, would be unhappy to be swindled out of ten billion like that. Lu Chengwen was not the world’s richest person, and ten billion was enough to cost the Lu family their lifeblood. The total assets of the Lu family did not exceed two hundred billion; while ten billion was an astronomical figure for an ordinary person, it was a massive sum even for the Lu family.

Fortunately, it wasn't a loss of cash; if it had been, the Lu family’s capital chain would have likely collapsed. Losing shares in a pharmaceutical factory was at least manageable.

Sitting in a business cafe with Xu Xuejiao, Lu Chengwen marveled at her appearance. Xu Xuejiao looked nothing like a new-generation leader of a wealthy family. Leng Qingqiu was always in professional attire, evening gowns for events, always graceful, luxurious, neat, and capable. Chen Mengyun preferred a more traditional style, often wearing cheongsams or Hanfu, though most of the time she, like Leng Qingqiu, favored professional or high-end fashion styles.

Only Xu Xuejiao was different. She rarely involved herself in business, preferring to travel and take photos. Her clothes were mostly casual and quite impulsive. Yesterday she had worn a JK uniform to visit the Chen family; today, she wore a pink princess dress. With her hair in twin tails and a lollipop in her mouth, the pink dress highlighted her youthful vitality and innocent, playful nature. Her slender legs, clad in ankle socks and brown casual leather shoes, made her look even more mischievous and cute.

She was currently looking at Lu Chengwen with a triumphant expression.

"Sign it, rich boy."

Lu Chengwen pulled the contract over, read it from beginning to end, and gave a bitter smile. "When the media interviews you in the future and asks what the most successful business deal you ever made was, you must remember this one."

"Uh-huh."

Watching Lu Chengwen carefully read the contract, Xu Xuejiao wore a smirk. *Hmph! Let’s see what excuses you come up with now.*

Lu Chengwen finished reading and nodded. "No problem."

Xu Xuejiao was surprised. "No problem?"

"Mm."

Lu Chengwen grabbed a pen, signed his name with a few quick strokes, and handed the contract back to Xu Xuejiao. She didn't need to look; she had been watching the whole time. Lu Chengwen hadn't tried any tricks; he had genuinely signed his name and even pressed his thumbprint.

Xu Xuejiao didn't take the contract. She stared at Lu Chengwen in absolute shock. The impact was beyond measure!

*Is he kidding!? What is this guy kidding about!?*

*Because of a joke, he actually transferred over seventeen billion in equity to me!? Does he even know what he’s doing? In this world, even the richest person wouldn't do something so stupid! Is this guy a madman, a fool, an idiot, a total moron!?*

*He could have just made up an excuse, shamelessly said he was joking, and since there was no evidence, I couldn't have done anything to him! Isn't he an expert at this kind of thing?*

Lu Chengwen looked at the motionless Xu Xuejiao, feeling puzzled.

*[Is this girl stupid? Why isn't she moving?]*

"Hey? Hello?" Lu Chengwen waved the contract twice. "Look at the contract, why are you looking at me?"

Xu Xuejiao furrowed her delicate brows, took the contract, but kept her eyes fixed on Lu Chengwen’s face. The playful, giggling expression she had before was gone. Her cute, exquisite doll-like face was now terrifyingly serious. She looked down at the signature lines—everything was in order.

In other words, as long as she kept this contract, the net profit for the day would be over seventeen billion! And that was just the book value. With full control over the entire Ninth Pharmaceutical Factory, the future profits would be immeasurable.

"Why?"

Lu Chengwen wiped the red ink from his finger with a wet wipe. "Why what?"

"This contract." Xu Xuejiao sounded somewhat vexed. "Why did you sign it?"

"If I didn't sign it, wouldn't you say I was a man who doesn't keep his word?"

Xu Xuejiao stared at Lu Chengwen, trying to find some trace of a motive in his expression. Unfortunately, Lu Chengwen was as calm as ever, completely unbothered. Seeing his relaxed appearance, Xu Xuejiao blew up.

"Lu Chengwen! What kind of game are you playing! Tell me!"

Lu Chengwen was startled by her sudden anger and looked into her eyes. "This... why are you getting so angry over making ten billion?"