The Next Day.
Hua Xuening personally picked out clothes for Jiang Xiaohou in the fitting room, overjoyed.
Jiang Xiaohou was very obedient, letting her do as she pleased. Hua Xuening was very serious, making her try on several outfits.
Lu Chengwen urged from the doorway, "Are you done yet? I'm in a hurry!"
"Alright, alright!" Hua Xuening led Jiang Xiaohou out, excitedly asking Lu Chengwen, "Master, does she look good?"
Lu Chengwen was stunned for a moment, then smiled. "She really does look good. Little Monkey, you're truly beautiful!"
"Ah? Really?" Jiang Xiaohou touched her face, feeling very shy and nervous. "Thank you, brother, I..."
Lu Chengwen glanced at his watch. "Let's go, let's get to work."
He gave only one compliment before turning to leave, once again making Jiang Xiaohou extremely unhappy.
Lu Chengwen! You've ignored this prince's beauty too many times!
When I kill you, I'll make sure to tell you exactly why!
Chengwen District.
Many road signs, markers, and even the newly published Xuecheng travel brochures and maps had already started using the new name.
Lu Chengwen was quite pleased.
To reach this level as a businessman, not many can do it, right?
The car drove directly into the wealthy district. Lu Chengwen was inspecting a project.
Er Long walked over.
Lu Chengwen glanced at him—dressed in a suit, looking sharp and proper.
As he approached, Er Long lowered his head. "President Lu."
Lu Chengwen nodded. "You haven't been in contact with those good-for-nothing friends of yours recently, have you?"
Er Long looked embarrassed. "No, I've been studying the whole time."
"Good." Lu Chengwen said, "I've decided to personally invest in this golf course. I'll take sixty percent, and you get forty. There's only one requirement—no losses."
"Understood."
"Got any ideas? Let's hear them."
Er Long stepped forward, spread out the blueprints, and began explaining his plan:
"This area needs to have a garden-style leisure center, but it doesn't need to be too complicated since our main business is golf. Over there..."
Lu Chengwen interrupted him, "Do you know why people come to golf courses?"
Er Long answered, "Golf is an elegant, high-class gentleman's sport. It originated from—"
Lu Chengwen shook his head, cutting him off. "To show off! To make connections!"
"Huh?"
"You think those rich guys really understand fine wine? Really know cigars? They all have highly paid experts advising and guiding them."
"The rich play this game, first, to display their wealth, and second, to expand their networks. How many of them are actually here purely for the sport?"
Er Long nodded. "I understand."
"That's why the reception area is crucial. After playing golf, people need to eat and drink, take a bath, get a massage, smoke cigars, and drink wine together. Someone will introduce them to new circles, and they'll discuss deals that they wouldn't talk about elsewhere..."
Lu Chengwen counted on his fingers as he explained:
"Luxury! Maximum prestige! Make them feel unique, like our place is different from all the rest. The entry barrier must be high! The membership fee must be ridiculously expensive! That's the main way we filter our target clientele!"
"Government officials should receive complimentary membership cards."
"But... wouldn't that trigger some kind of... investigation?"
"We're giving out membership cards! Not asking them for favors. What's there to investigate? Here, they can use their cards to drink fine wine for free and play golf as much as they want. We just need them to come!"
"But just now, didn't you say we should... raise the prices?"
Lu Chengwen was exasperated:
"That's for the rich! The rich have money, so we take their money! Officials have power, so we respect their power and let them in for free. They don't like spending money to act rich. They like privilege! That's the difference in their taste compared to the wealthy!"
Er Long nodded. "I... I was focusing on professional studies all this time. Haha, I was so naive."
"You're not naive. You still need to study. If you know nothing, how will you manage professionals in the future?"
Er Long thought for a moment, then bravely asked his own question: "Those officials, like the Minister of Transportation, the Chief of Police... will they really come here? Won't they..."
Lu Chengwen replied, "We're just running a venue. Officials have work to do, and they need circles too. I'll go find Mayor Zhao and give all the city-level officials a card. If they like it, they'll come. If not, whatever!"
Er Long was still puzzled. "But... is this really proper?"
Lu Chengwen impatiently said, "Why are you still stuck in that street-thug mindset?"
"Government officials are much smarter than you think! They need a place like this. If we don't provide it, they'll go somewhere else! They need a venue where their guests feel at ease to talk business."
"If they need to check on crops, they go to the fields. If they need to understand the market, they visit the bustling streets. If they need to negotiate deals, they need a quiet, high-class place where their targets let their guard down. And a golf course—private, enclosed, safe, discreet, and prestigious—is the perfect choice! Got it?"
"They need friends for many of their dealings. Do you think running a city is as simple as sitting in a chair and giving orders?"
Er Long was stunned. "President Lu, you're incredible! How do you know all this?"
Lu Chengwen smiled. "If you work hard enough, persist long enough, and study enough, then in your next life—if you're born into a family like mine—you'll understand. You'd know all this at eight years old."
Lu Chengwen patted him on the shoulder. "Keep it up."
As they walked out, Jiang Shihan was trying to hold back laughter.
"What are you laughing at?"
"Er Long admires you to death."
Lu Chengwen said, "People like him are hard to tame. If he doesn't genuinely feel that he used to be just a wild outlaw, he won't sincerely change. Only those who have seen the vast ocean will find it hard to be content with mere streams."
Jiang Shihan nodded. "Huh? Where's Little Monkey?"
Just as Lu Chengwen was about to go look for him, a person suddenly dropped from the sky, landing right in front of him.
Lu Chengwen instinctively tensed up and took half a step back. "Who's there!?"
The person stood up and lifted his head. Under the cover of his bamboo hat, it was none other than Ahu's face.
"Ahu!?"
Lu Chengwen said, "You... what are you doing here?"
Ahu looked around. "Boss Lu, I came to bring you information!"
"Huh?"
"They want to kill you!"
"Kill me!?"
Lu Chengwen was shocked. "Who? Who!?"
"My brothers, and Dangkou Tianwang, all want to kill you!"
"What's going on!?"
"They already know that you're not our young master."
Lu Chengwen gritted his teeth. "Dangkou Tianwang got involved too?!"
"The big boss contacted the strategist and reconfirmed your identity. It can't be hidden anymore. For my brothers and the Dangkou people, the only way to return to the organization is to capture you, force you to hand over the 10 billion funds, and then kill you."
Lu Chengwen was puzzled. "Then why… why aren't you killing me?"
Ahu hesitated for a moment, then smiled. "I… I think… I get along with you quite well. Hehe."
Lu Chengwen nodded. "Good brother! You haven't touched that 100 million fund, have you?"
"Haven't touched it, haven't touched it, not at all."
"I'll tell you about an investment company later. Go find them, I guarantee this money will multiply. It'll make more money for you, and in the future, you'll be living the life of a billionaire."
"Thank you, Boss Lu!" Ahu said, "Brother Rong is really making a foolish move! Boss Lu, Hua Xue Ning is very useful, you should keep her by your side. When those six Upper Four Gates experts come for you, she can handle three of them on her own!"
Lu Chengwen nodded. "Thanks to you."
"And! I'm definitely going to slack off in this fight. Just let Miss Xue Ning know, so that… she won't really cut me down!"
"Don't worry, Xue Ning is smart, there won't be any problems."
"That's… exactly what I'm worried about—her intelligence."
Ahu left.
Lu Chengwen grew nervous and quickly turned to Jiang Shihan. "Call Xue Ning, quick, quick, quick! Zhao Gang, prepare the car, we're heading home!"
As they stepped out and were just about to get in the car, a figure suddenly descended from the sky.
Lu Chengwen instinctively shielded Jiang Shihan. "Who's there!?"
The figure landed, lifted his head—it was A Xiao.
"A Xiao!? You're not wandering anymore?"
A Xiao looked at Lu Chengwen, his eyes filled with sorrow, conflict, hatred, yet also helplessness.
"You… stay calm, don't act rashly…"
A Xiao sighed. "They want to kill you. You should leave now."
"Huh?"
Lu Chengwen's first reaction was:
[I can't betray Ahu. I have to pretend I just found out about this.]
"Who? Who wants to kill me?"
"My brothers, and Dangkou Tianwang."
Lu Chengwen was stunned. "You… why are you telling me this?"
A Xiao let out a deep sigh and looked up at the blue sky and white clouds.
"For love."
Lu Chengwen and Jiang Shihan exchanged glances, thinking to themselves—this guy is crazy, absolutely crazy.
Does Luo Shiyin have such a lasting effect!?
After all this time wandering, he still hasn't moved on?
A Xiao looked at Lu Chengwen. "I know, you all think I was hit by her Five-Colored Illusion Flower Eyes."
Lu Chengwen and Jiang Shihan quickly waved their hands. "No, no, no such thing…"
A Xiao said sadly, "Lu Chengwen, I really envy you."
"I'm about to be chopped to death, and I still envy you."
A Xiao smiled bitterly. "I'll try my best to protect you."
"Why?"
A flicker of sadness passed through A Xiao's eyes. "I don't want her to be sad."
Lu Chengwen actually felt sorry for A Xiao.
"Brother, you… you're really a romantic! But honestly, it's just dating. Most adults have experienced heartbreak. Feeling sad is inevitable. In those moments when you wake from a dream, there are some things you don't need to ask now, and some people you never need to wait for…"
A Xiao said bleakly, "But if this isn't love, then what is there to grieve over? It's all my fault for being useless, for walking away…"
Lu Chengwen froze. "You… went wandering… to become a traveling singer, didn't you?"
"Anyway, I'll try my best to maneuver things. But Hua Xue Ning—you better warn her. Her sword is too fast, I don't want to fight her to the death."
"Oh, got it."
A Xiao turned around, paused, and slightly tilted his head. "Lu Chengwen."
"Yes."
"I should have been under the car, not inside it, watching you two be so sweet."
Lu Chengwen and Jiang Shihan exchanged helpless glances.
"But this way, at least I… can let go easier, and find the courage to leave."
"You… should hurry up and leave. If your brothers find you here, you'll be in trouble."
A Xiao leapt up, vanished into the distance in just a few moves.
Lu Chengwen kept staring at the spot where A Xiao disappeared. "This is too weird! These people are nuts!?"
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