After Han Qianjing was done with her work, she returned and realized that the courtyard was silent. She went straight to the bedroom and looked at the bed. "Chu Jinyu, why are you still sleeping in bed? Don't you know how precious time is?"
When she was young, she only slept two to three hours a day because of her work. Why was her daughter so lazy? She could not understand no matter how she thought about it.
When Chu Jinyu heard her voice, she instinctively sat up.
Her messy hair and red rings around her eyes made her look extremely disheveled. She said weakly, "Sorry, I slept in."
Han Qianjing did not like her frail look. She said coldly, "Did you not sleep much last night? Do you think you can really continue to stay in Shanghai with your current mental state?"
The moment that was said, Chu Jinyu immediately looked at her and said, "I can do it! This is only temporary."
"Oh? That'd better be the case."
Han Qianjing turned around and said, "Freshen up. I'll wait for you in the hall."
The door closed and Chu Jinyu walked unsteadily to the toilet. She looked at the woman in the mirror and revealed a mocking smile. Indeed, after thinking for the entire night, she still could not make herself forget Lu Ming.
She used cosmetics to hide the fatigue on her face. Right after, she put on a casual shirt and went to the hall. Breakfast was already laid out on the table. She sat opposite Han Qianjing and the two of them picked up their cutlery, one after another.
A tense silence hung in the air.
After some time, Han Qianjing picked up a cup of coffee and said, "I know a young man about your age. Not only is he young and promising, but his character is also quite good. Furthermore, he's the new owner of No. 1 Residence. If there's a chance, you should get to know him."
"You've never met him, so how would you know that he has a good character?"
Chu Jinyu muttered softly. She was a little surprised to learn that the owner of No. 1 Residence was a young man. After all, she thought that the people who could afford to purchase it were all middle-aged men of high status or even older.
In her opinion, only someone who had relied on his own hard work to own this house could be considered young and promising. However, if he had bought it with his family wealth, it could only mean that he had reincarnated well.
When Han Qianjing heard this, she took a sip of coffee and said, "You haven't interacted with him before, so how would you know that he's not suitable for you? Besides, even if you two don't get along, with his financial situation, he can provide for you. In addition, our side isn't bad either. It can be said that it's an alliance of the strong."
If this marriage was successful, it would be beneficial for her.
Chu Jinyu said unhappily, "Do you only care about the company's benefits?"
Han Qianjing did not say anything and simply looked at her daughter silently until Chu Jinyu started to back down.
"If you can be better than me, I will choose to listen to your opinion. Or if the suitor you find is better than the one I show you, then you can do whatever you want, but… right now, you can't."
Han Qianjing felt that since her daughter could not, she should just listen to her.
Chu Jinyu put down her bowl and chopsticks and said, "I'm done eating."
Seeing that she was about to leave, Han Qianjing asked, "Where are you going?"
"Company."
Looking at her daughter's departing figure, Han Qianjing sighed helplessly. "Why did she become more rebellious as she got older? As her mother, I would not harm her. When would she understand this?"
As Chu Jinyu was walking out, she saw an unexpected scene—
Lu Ming was actually leaving No. 1 in a leisurely manner!
"Wasn't he here to discuss business? Why did he stay overnight?" she wondered.
She wondered if Lu Ming had a good relationship with the owner of No. 1 Residence.
"However, no matter how good their relationship is, could it be so good that he stayed overnight? Or are they related? That doesn't seem right." She remembered that Lu Ming came from an ordinary family. "How could he know such a rich person?"
Her mind raced. She suddenly recalled that Lu Ming mentioned that he wanted to buy a house at Upper Forest Park yesterday. "However, based on his financial ability, wasn't it a joke?"
The owner of No. 1 Residence was about the same age as her.
Han Qianjing's words rang out again. Lu Ming and she were not that far apart in age.
"Could it be…" she thought.
"No, no, no. This is simply a fantasy!"
She rationalized that if Lu Ming was really that capable, there should have been a change in his style of dressing. However, what he was wearing clearly looked like ordinary clothes. She reckoned that they would not even cost 500 yuan in total.
She thought perhaps Lu Ming did not reach an agreement yesterday and he had come early this morning to try to negotiate.
At the thought of this, she was convinced that this was the case. For some reason, she could not help but feel a little disappointed. At the same time, it crossed her mind that if Lu Ming was really the owner of No. 1 Residence, her mother would definitely consent to their marriage without hesitation.
However, even if Lu Ming had no credentials right now, she could create them! She wanted to help him develop the credentials that would keep him by her side!
So she took out her phone and sent a text message.
Binjiang office, top floor.
Lu Ming, who had originally planned to head to his office to settle some matters, came over after receiving the text message from Chu Jinyu. He sat on the soft, branded sofa and asked, "Is there something you want to discuss?"
"Let's work together. I value your ability very much. I hope to hand over the company's perfume research and development board to you."
Currently, Chu Jinyu's company was mainly involved in the cosmetics industry. The plan for the future was to expand into new markets—clothes, skincare, and other women's products. Meanwhile, the research and development department was the most mature section of the company. She wanted to use this collaboration to improve Lu Ming's social status. If he could deliver results one day, the obstacles from her mother's side would be reduced.
This was also the fastest shortcut now. If Lu Ming was to start from being just an ordinary office employee, she would probably be married to someone else before he could reach the level that would please her mother.
Lu Ming did not know her good intentions. As he had other work to do, he could not squeeze out the time to collaborate with her.
But just as he was about to reject her offer, the system's cold voice sounded in his ears.
[Host, please make one of the following choices:]
[Option 1: Agree to cooperate. Reward: Star Creation Entertainment Agency (One of the biggest management companies in the world, firmly at the top of the entertainment industry, with countless Best Actresses and Best Actors under its banner. It boasts a lot of celebrities, including singers, dancers, actors, and so on.)
Option 2: Decline politely. Reward: Title 'Salted Fish' for being someone who's not willing to do anything.
Option 3: Keep vacillating. Reward: A halo for being indecisive.]
"Star Creation?"
He rubbed his chin and thought to himself, "If I remember correctly, most of the popular celebrities are from this company, right?"
It could be said to be the pillar of the entertainment industry. Every year, there were countless new people who wanted to sign deals with Star Creation.
After all, there was a saying—if you had signed a contract with Star Creation, it would be difficult for you not to become popular.The fact that Star Creation could help stars become popular with every signing was enough to show how capable this management company was at developing stars!
So Lu Ming chose the first option without hesitation. "Alright, let's collaborate. I will manage this portfolio well."
When Chu Jinyu saw that he did not reply for a long time, she thought that he was going to reject her. Just as she was about to persuade him to accept her offer, he unexpectedly agreed. After heaving a sigh of relief, she took out the contract that she had prepared beforehand and said, "Let's sign it."
"Okay."
Lu Ming asked as he signed, "There's something I don't understand. Why are you helping me? Aren't you afraid that I'll mess up?"
He knew that such a good opportunity was something that others could only dream of. Many people had tried so hard to forge a partnership, but he got it with just a few words. "If those people find out about this, they will probably want to commit suicide," he thought.
Chu Jinyu smiled and said, "I have faith in you."
She was willing to pin her company on Lu Ming and risk it all because she believed in him.
Seeing her expression, Lu Ming was stunned at first. Then he felt a warm surge in his heart. He reached out and rubbed the top of her head. "Silly girl, don't worry. I won't mess this up."
No one would have thought that the person who trusted him the most was actually a childhood friend who had no blood ties with him.
And the two of them had been separated for six years.
Chu Jinyu smiled at him and said, "I look forward to your performance."
They chatted for a while more before Chu Jinyu's phone rang. The caller was Wu Yong. As soon as she picked up the call, a panicked voice came from the other end. "Chairman Chu?"
"Supervisor Wu, why did you call?"
"I shouldn't have bothered you, but the situation is really urgent and I have to call you. Are you free now?"
"An emergency?"
"Did something happen at the company?" she thought.
This made Chu Jinyu wonder. "I'm free."
"It's like this. Originally, we had agreed with the celebrity to shoot the new lipstick commercial today, but she suddenly threw her weight around and quit. Now we can't find any other celebrities on our side. If we don't launch the commercial at the agreed time, we might lose millions of yuan!"
"Why did the deal change suddenly?" she wondered.
Chu Jinyu asked, "Who is that female celebrity?"
"Shu Shengzi."
The person on the other end paused for a moment before continuing, "She was from Starsource Company previously."
Lu Ming raised his eyebrows slightly. "Starsource again?" he wondered.
"Could it be that the Lu family is behind this again? They are really persistent," he thought.
Chu Jinyu's expression instantly turned ugly. Of course, she knew that Starsource had a close relationship with the Lu family. After all, everyone knew that the Lu family wanted a piece of the pie in the entertainment industry, so they had invested in Starsource long ago. Although on the surface the boss was someone else, the actual authority was the Lu family.
So the only possibility she could think of was that Lu Ze had done it intentionally to take revenge on her for rejecting him in public.
"Okay, I'll be right there."
After hanging up, she stood up and said apologetically, "I have something to do. Why don't…"
"I'll go with you. There might be a solution."
Since she had helped Lu Ming, he naturally wanted to return her favor.
Chu Jinyu did not think too much about it. She just thought that he was curious about her life and readily agreed.
On the other side.
Lu Ze, who was lying comfortably in bed, was enjoying some grapes. The bandage on his face had not been removed. "Is everything done?"
"Young Master Lu, don't worry. Because of Shu Shengzi's impromptu strike, it's already a mess over there. When the time comes and they don't launch their commercial on time, the product will hit the shelves late and they will definitely suffer heavy losses!"
Brother Zhang said with a bruised face. His injuries were all inflicted by Lu Ze. If not for the fact that he still had to rely on the Lu family to survive, he would probably have run away.
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Ze laughed loudly. As his expression was too exaggerated, the wound tore open again!
He took a deep breath and said with a dark gaze, "Spending 500 thousand yuan to put Shu Shengzi on strike and making that b*tch lose more than a million yuan—that's my win! Damn it! She really doesn't know what's good for her. Does she think I can't fix her?! No matter how f*cking rich she is, how could she recover so quickly after losing so much money?!
I'll make her kneel on the ground and beg me!"
Ever since he was humiliated by Chu Jinyu in public a few days ago, all he had been thinking about was revenge. It would be best if he could use this opportunity to make demands.
As for the source of the 500 thousand yuan, he had naturally borrowed it from his friends. Lu Yaohua and Tang Wenyi were both very tight on cash now, so how could they let him spend it on such a thing, especially when the other party was someone from the Chu family? They could not afford to offend them.
Brother Zhang controlled his expression and said, "As expected of Young Master Lu, such an idea is absolutely perfect! I'm sure it won't be long before you can have the beauty in your arms!"
"Of course!"
Insolent laughter filled the room.
Meanwhile, at the filming location.
The atmosphere was heavy and the two sides were in a deadlock.
Initially, all the preparations were done—not only the filming location, the crew, but also the schedule for the other supporting roles. However, the problem lay with Shu Shengzi.
A gorgeous woman in a white dress was standing outside the set, twirling her brown hair with her index finger in a leisurely manner. She was Shu Shengzi, who was famous for her charm.
"I told you, I'm not doing any shoots. No matter what you say, I won't start work."
A man in a suit standing at the side had a worried look on his face. "Ms. Shu, this is considered a one-sided breach of contract, right? Don't you think you should honor the terms? Do you know how much losses our company will suffer if this goes on?!
He paused for a moment before continuing, "You said that your hairstyle was not good. I asked the hairdresser to change your hairstyle more than ten times. You said that your clothes were not good. I asked someone to buy dozens of sets for you at the last minute! You also said that your makeup was not good, that the temperature of the air conditioner was not good, and that you were picky about all sorts of things! Those who don't know might even think that you had been sent by the higher-ups to check on hygiene!"
He was really tired of being tormented. His patience had a limit. They had been at the beck and call of Shu Shengzi and had fussed around her. In the end, she simply said that she wanted to cancel the show without even bothering to give a reason!
This was playing him like a monkey!
"How much did the person behind you give you? I'll give you the same price! As long as you shoot this endorsement."
Shu Shengzi hesitated for a few seconds before saying arrogantly, "Even if you pay, it's useless."
Although this was a big company, its Shanghai branch company was not that big.Compared to the power that the Lu Corporation had amassed over the years, it was a world of difference. She wanted to continue working in Shanghai. As the saying goes, a strong dragon cannot suppress a local snake. The help that this company could provide her was really too little.
Moreover, Young Master Lu had promised her that as long as she did this thing well, she might even be able to rise like a phoenix!
She could almost see herself living the life of a rich wife. She had always wanted to marry into a rich family, and the Lu family was one of her goals.
It was just offending a small company. Perhaps after this, she could simply leave the industry.
To her, this was a rare opportunity and she had to grasp it tightly!
So, no matter what these people said, she would not start work! As for the compensation, with Young Master Lu around, what was she afraid of? It was just a small sum of money!
Although the Lu Corporation had a scandal recently, even after suffering a loss, a rich person would still be better off than an ordinary person. She just wanted to enter upper-class society quickly. No one would look down on her then.
"I advise you not to waste your breath. Once the time is up, I will leave by myself. Why don't…"
She glanced disdainfully at the supporting cast who had already changed into their clothes. "You guys are shooting first? Ha, but I think you'll laugh your heads off if you launch it, right? With your acting skills, you won't be able to catch up with me for the rest of your life!"
A girl wearing a bun in the middle said angrily, "What are you talking about?! You're the one who's unwilling to start work now, not us! You're willing to sell your reputation for some benefit. Are you willing to sell your soul for more money?"
As she spoke, she became increasingly angry. The one who made all sorts of requests was Shu Shengzi, and the one who made sarcastic remarks was also this person. "On what basis!?" she thought.
"Who do you think you are? You're in the same industry. Do you think I haven't heard shameful things about you? You failed to seduce someone. And you almost got banned!"
She seemed to want to attack again, but her companion grabbed her in time.
"Don't be angry, don't be angry. If you hit her, you'll have to pay her medical fees! This is not worth it!"
"That's right! Don't suffer a double loss. Our salary this time is so little. If something goes wrong and she's hospitalized, won't that make things worse?"
…
The words of the girl with the bun pierced Shu Shengzi's heart. This matter was a dark history that she desperately wanted to bury.
Back then, in order to become a rich man's wife, she impulsively got a rich young master drunk. Just as she was about to do the deed, that young master woke up next to her and threw her out of the hotel.
This matter happened to be captured by the paparazzi who were hiding in the dark. The angry young master from the wealthy family intercepted Shu Shengzi's sources of revenue, almost forcing her to leave the industry.
Now that her popularity had finally risen a little, she did not expect to be exposed by an actor in a supporting role!
"I think you're just jealous of me! You're just jealous of me! That's right, no matter what, my status is a hundred times higher than a small-time actor like you! Even with that incident, I can still be a female protagonist, and you're nothing!"
Shu Shengzi sneered and said, "I'm sure that people like you won't be able to afford an apartment even if you work as a walk-on for the rest of your life, right? Do you want me to introduce you to a few rich businessmen?! You look down on me, but the reality is, I look down on you!"
Her words infuriated the other supporting actors.
As if she did not notice the tense atmosphere at all, Shu Shengzi said, "A low-class person is a low-class person. After this matter is over, I'll be a rich man's wife! If you have the ability, don't stop her! My face is very exquisite. It will cost you hundreds of thousands every time you smash it!"
All the crew that were present were enraged now.
"We are all humans. What right do you have to classify us? Aren't we all doing our jobs?"
Wu Yong said with a black face, "This is not a place for you to behave atrociously! Don't you think you've gone too far?"
"Too far?"
Shu Shengzi sneered. "Do you think I'm willing to stay with you people? You're lowering my net worth! If I weren't satisfied with your fee, I wouldn't have agreed to do this!"
It was the first time that Wu Yong met an artiste with such a bad personality. It was not that no actor had been dissatisfied with them in the past, but words like these were said secretly. To say them out loud like this, the person either had no EQ or was brainless.
Obviously, Shu Shengzi was both.
She did not understand the world of the upper class. Even ordinary families would not fancy a person like her, let alone wealthy families.
"Since you've agreed, I'll have to trouble you to fulfill your promise. At least don't make things too ugly!"
Shu Shengzi said disdainfully, "You're just a small supervisor. What right do you have to order me around?!"
"What right? Because you've already signed a contract!"
Chu Jinyu walked in in her high heels and said coldly.
Shu Shengzi looked in the direction of the voice. When she saw that face, jealousy welled up in her heart. "Why is there someone more beautiful than me?!" she thought.
She said in an unpleasant tone, "And who are you? Don't you know that idlers are prohibited here?"
Seeing this, Wu Yong stepped forward and said respectfully, "Boss."
"Boss?"
No wonder Shu Shengzi found this person familiar. At first, she thought that she was a celebrity.
However, she still retorted, "From your tone, I thought I signed a deed to sell myself! I'm in a bad mood now. If you can make me happy, perhaps I'll be kind and start work."
If Chu Jinyu still could not tell that this person was messing with them, then her brain would have been wasted.
The most important thing now was to get to work, but looking at the other party, she probably would not budge. "What should I do?"
She racked her brains for a solution.
When Lu Ming, who was outside, saw this, he took out his phone and made a call. "Is it Ms. Zhu? Help me contact the actor who played Hermione in 'Harry Potter'—Emma Stone."
"Ms. Emma? Okay, please wait a moment."
After a while, a string of numbers was sent to his phone. This was indeed a top management company. They were efficient.
Lu Ming quickly dialed a number. "Hello, I am the boss of Star Creation. Are you Ms. Emma Stone?"
When Emma, who was filming overseas, heard this self-introduction, she revealed a surprised expression. She did not expect that the boss of a top management company would call her personally one day!
Feeling flattered, she said, "Hello, I am. Is there anything I can help you with?"
If Star Creation really took a fancy to her, she would definitely reach a higher position! And her path to stardom would be smoother!I hope Ms. Emma can make a trip to China. There's a cosmetics commercial that requires your help. Are you free to come over now?"
Commercials!
This was what it meant to have a free lunch!
She was overjoyed.
Emma's eyes widened in disbelief. "Am I dreaming?" she wondered. The boss of Star Creation had actually contacted her to shoot a commercial?! In the past, she would never have accepted other advertising projects when she was filming, but this was an invitation from Star Creation!
This was no ordinary company!
If she accepted, not only would she gain the other party's favor, she would also become even more popular!
She had already made her choice.
She asked carefully, "Are, are you really inviting me to shoot a commercial? Are you calling the right number? Or am I dreaming?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Ming laughed. "He seems a little too cute," she thought.
"You didn't hear me wrongly, Ms. Emma Stone. Are you willing to accept my invitation? Because I'm in a little bit of a hurry, so it would be good if you could come over now."
Emma blinked her dark brown eyes. She had not heard wrongly! The other party was really inviting her!
She said in disbelief, "This makes me feel like I'm dreaming. Since you invited me, I think I'll agree without hesitation. After all, it's my greatest honor to be able to collaborate with Star Creation!"
"Then, I'll wait for you in China."
After hanging up, Emma still felt that it was surreal. Just to be sure, she called the manager of Star Creation. "Ms. Zhu? This is Emma Stone. Just now, someone called and said that he's the boss of Star Creation. He wants me to go to China to shoot a commercial. Is this true?"
"Yes, that's true. I've already arranged everything for you. If you need anything else, feel free to call me."
Emma replied with a few words and put away her phone. She jumped up excitedly on the spot, then looked at the director and said, "Mr. Smith, please push my scenes back. I have something to do today, so I can't shoot!"
Then she looked at her manager. "Push back all my work for now! I'm going overseas! I'm going to China now."
The manager said in surprise, "Are you crazy? Do you know how many things we have lined up? Just the termination fees alone will cost us a bunch…"
Emma interrupted her. "Do you know? Just now, the boss of Star Creation personally invited me to shoot a commercial in China! I've already checked with Ms. Zhu. Everything is ready over there!"
Everyone on the set looked at her.
This movie had invited many international female celebrities. Even they, who were used to all kinds of invitations, could not help but show envious expressions. Instantly, there was a lot of discussion.
"Oh my god! What did I hear?! Am I dreaming? Emma actually received an invitation from the boss of Star Creation! It's my dream to collaborate with Star Creation."
"Looks like another superstar has emerged. When the time comes, if Emma really manages to establish ties with Star Creation, don't forget us because we don't even know the phone number of the boss."
"Maybe the boss of Star Creation is a fan of Emma. Otherwise, why would he suddenly call? I really envy your luck, Emma."
"Me too. Good luck. Perhaps I'll be proud to have a good friend like you in the future. Do well and try to leave a good impression on the other party. If there's anything you don't understand, call us anytime."
Emma's heart warmed. After this period of acting, they were both her teachers and friends.
"I won't forget you all."
At this moment, her manager received the information from Star Creation. She came back to her senses. It was true! Star Creation really wanted to collaborate with Emma!
She took a deep breath and bowed to the director excitedly. "Sorry, we'll definitely rush back when we're done."
Director Smith sighed and said, "Alright, I can't let you give up such a good opportunity. I'll move Emma's scenes back. Don't forget to come back."
After getting his agreement, the manager looked at Emma's seat. "We should go! Don't make them anxious!"
"Alright!"
…
On the other side, the atmosphere at the filming location was getting tense.
"Boss, why did you invite such a person? There were so many candidates previously."
A young man in a white hoodie, Ah Cheng, muttered softly. Although Shu Shengzi was indeed good-looking, there were many people who were more outstanding than her in terms of appearance. For example, their boss, Ms. Chu, was one of them.
As the boss of the company's business team, An Shiling tutted. "That was because other celebrities had no free slots in their schedules." If she had known this would happen, she would not have looked for Shu Shengzi.
"Ms. Shu, we're all very busy. Please finish filming this commercial. Otherwise, our company will really lose millions of yuan!"
"What has it got to do with me? I don't want to shoot because I don't want to. Don't tell me you want to force me?"
Shu Shengzi yawned lightly. "I disdain working with local brands. My goal is to become an international big shot."
A short-haired woman from one of the business teams had the most explosive temper. She said, "Then why did you accept the job back then?! You accepted the project but refused to shoot the commercial. Are you crazy? You are causing us to lose so much money now! Why? Are you willing to pay?"
"Your person-in-charge is not in a hurry, so why are you in a hurry?"
Shu Shengzi looked at Lu Ming and said in a sarcastic manner, "If you're willing to beg me, I don't mind staying a little longer. Besides, I think your boss is quite good-looking. Why don't…"
"Let her do it. Her looks sell well in our industry."
The short-haired woman blurted out, "Shameless! Untrustworthy person!"
Ah Cheng and An Shiling quickly stopped her, afraid that something would happen again.
"Calm down! Yuelian."
Chu Jinyu clenched her fists. She definitely wanted to blacklist this person. Lu Ming patted her shoulder and said calmly, "Relax, don't be nervous. Since she is unwilling to cooperate, you just have to do the preparations later. You are so much prettier than her. It's just a commercial."
He raised his hand to look at the time on his watch. It was almost time.
Meanwhile, Chu Jinyu was already prepared to go on set. Everyone was ready. She was doing it for the company's benefit, but she also did not want the effort put in by so many people to go down the drain.
"Although I've never tried filming endorsement commercials, I don't mind giving it a try. Oh right, Ms. Shu, after I get through this crisis, I won't let you off."
Seeing this, Shu Shengzi frowned. The boss had personally come on board. This was not part of her script. She said loudly, "Do you think filming a commercial is that simple?! Stop joking. A layman is a layman…"
"Boss! An unfamiliar private jet has landed on the rooftop of our company!"
"What?!!!"
A private jet?!
The security guard's words made everyone run to the rooftop. Lu Ming followed behind Chu Jinyu. He looked at the black jet and flashed an imperceptible smile.
"She's finally here?" he thought.
A blond girl in a pink fairy dress walked down slowly. She had fair skin and well-defined facial features. She exuded an intellectual and elegant aura. Her charming dark brown eyes looked ahead forever as if she was looking at her lover.
This made many people gulp. "Beautiful!"
No words could describe her beauty. Simply 'beautiful' could not describe her. She was like a fairy who had descended into the mortal world.
They could not help but wonder if such looks really existed.
From the side, Ah Cheng and Yuelian shook An Shiling's shoulder and said excitedly, "That's Hermione from Harry Potter, right?! She's so beautiful! She's so beautiful!"
"Look at our boss again."
She pointed at Chu Jinyu. "The boss looks comparable to her, or even better. The two of them standing together is simply a visual feast."
The former was like a proud and lofty plum blossom, while the latter was like a cold and glamorous rose.
Shu Shengzi couldn't care less. Although she found Emma Stone's arrival hard to believe, the opportunity was right in front of her. If she could gain her favor, she might become an international A-lister in the shortest time possible!
The thought of it warmed her heart.
So she replaced the scornful look on her face with a solicitous and obsequious expression. She walked forward and said, "Hello, my name is Shu Shengzi. May I know why you're here, Ms. Emma? I heard that you've been working with Director Greta recently. Why did you suddenly come here despite your busy schedule?
And there was no news at all about your visit. Could it be that someone invited you to a banquet? Oh right, I'm very familiar with Shanghai. May I have the honor of being your tour guide? I'll definitely let you have fun. Or are you here to look for someone? By the way, can you give me an autograph?"
She took out a piece of paper and a pen from somewhere and looked at Emma Stone with glowing eyes.
Yue Lian snorted at this and muttered, "Acting like a big shot in front of us and now sucking up to a famous celebrity. How cool! Those who don't know might even think that she's lucky in this life because she did something good in her past life!"
"It's ingrained in the people—bullying the weak and fearing the strong."
Ah Cheng said unhappily.
An Shiling, on the other hand, was lost in thought. According to the news, Emma was indeed filming in a secluded location at this time, so why would she suddenly come here? And why would she stop over at their company? She did not think it was a coincidence.
"Was Boss the one who invited her?" she wondered.
Her manager immediately shielded Emma and said coldly to Shu Shengzi, "You can't ask for autographs now. We're here to work."
"No news was leaked because we rushed over at the last minute."
Emma looked at the pestering Shu Shengzi and felt annoyed. She hated flies that couldn't be waved away.
However, she turned around and looked at the red-haired woman standing at the front. She could not help but be stunned.
"Very beautiful!" she thought.
And it was an impressionable look.
She hastened her footsteps and stood in front of her. "May I know who your boss is?"
"That's me. My name is Chu Jinyu. Hello, Miss Emma. May I know why you're looking for me?"
Chu Jinyu's voice was calm. She did not make any blunders when facing a big shot.
Emma exclaimed, "So it's you? I thought you were a celebrity. In fact, I'm here to help with the commercial."
Everyone gasped.
Shu Shengzi's eyes widened. "How is that possible?! With your net worth and schedule, you couldn't have agreed to come and shoot a budget commercial! Did you get the wrong person?"
Although Chu Jinyu disliked her tone, she was right. She did not invite Emma over. The company was just starting, so there was no need to invite such an expensive person.
"Is there a misunderstanding? I haven't contacted Ms. Emma."
Chu Jinyu turned around to face Emma Stone, looking a little puzzled.
Before Emma could say anything, Shu Shengzi said smugly, "Look, like I said, you must have come to the wrong place. I'll help to find whoever Ms. Emma is looking for."
Her manager glanced at her and thought to herself, "She really doesn't know how to read people's faces."
Emma ignored Shu Shengzi and smiled. "I'm looking for you, the Jingchen-Shanghai branch company. You're Ms. Chu, right?"
Chu Jinyu nodded slightly with a dumbfounded expression. "May I know who invited you?"
"It couldn't be mom, could it?" she thought.
"I received a request from a mysterious gentleman in the entertainment industry. That was why I came specifically to collaborate with the Jingchen-Shanghai branch company. I'm also deeply honored by this partnership."
There was an uproar!
"What is going on?!" they thought.
Someone actually invited Emma to come personally!
"And she feels honored?"
They wondered if they were dreaming?
It was clearly their company's honor to be able to collaborate with Ms. Emma!
Ah Cheng was stunned for a moment before he asked, "Boss, did I hear wrongly? My goddess is honored? Or have I been staying up late nights so often that I have a problem with my hearing?"
"We all heard her."
An Shiling told the truth. Yuelian nodded in agreement. She looked at her arm that was red from her pinching. The pain could not be fake.
Although this scene seemed to only happen in dreams, she had to admit that it was real.
"Jingchen is just an ordinary, small start-up company. How could they have any connections to invite you?"
Shu Shengzi said in disbelief.
The manager rolled her eyes. How could a company related to Star Creation be a small company? If it was a small company, were there big companies in the world?
"Nonsense," she thought.
Emma said calmly, "That gentleman called me personally. I still have the ability to differentiate between real and fake."
Chu Jinyu felt that she was starting to not understand what they were talking about.
"Which gentleman called you personally?" she wondered.
"What is deep honor?"
She asked slowly, "Who is that gentleman?"
"He said he doesn't want to be exposed yet, so I can't say."
Emma smiled.
How could an ordinary person be selected by the boss of a company like Star Creation?
She continued, "Let's start filming the commercial now."
They returned to the filming set again. Chu Jinyu touched Lu Ming's arm and muttered, "Brother Lu Ming, what exactly is going on? Am I dreaming?
Why did Ms. Emma Stone suddenly appear out of nowhere and rush to help her solve a difficult problem?"
Lu Ming chuckled. "If you don't know, how would I know? But this is a good thing, right?"
He didn't mind letting Chu Jinyu know his identity, but for some reason, when he sent a message to Emma's manager, he felt like teasing her.
When the truth was revealed, she would definitely be shocked.
"Indeed."
The filming team was ready.. Chu Jinyu did not think too much and immediately immersed herself in her work.When they arrived at the filming location, the crew got to work, feeling very energized. After all, working with such a famous female celebrity was all they could wish for.
Chu Jinyu handed the props that she had originally prepared for herself to the blond girl and said, "We're planning an 'angels and demons' theme. The angels will be the protagonists showcasing the company's new lipstick."
Obviously, she instinctively felt that the other party was here to play the female protagonist.
However, Emma Stone quickly waved her hand and said, "I'm only here to play a minor supporting role this time. You should be the female lead."
Being invited by the boss of Star Creation was already a rare blessing for her. Even playing a minor supporting role was enough to satisfy her. No matter what, this was a good assignment that her friends could not even get.
Moreover, the document sent to her clearly stated that she was in charge of playing one of the Evil Demons.
Everyone gasped again!
The child star and very experienced Emma Stone was actually willing to be cast in a supporting role?
"Is there something wrong with our hearing?" they wondered.
They could understand if their boss was also an international superstar, but… according to their understanding, she did not have acting experience. She was a complete novice in this aspect. In addition, Emma Stone's acting skills were a given.
They could not help but suspect that the boss must have a lot of connections.
Then again, even Chu Jinyu herself seemed very surprised, so they could not wrap their heads around it.
The mastermind, Lu Ming, simply stood by the side and smiled without saying a word. Now that he had the ability to let his childhood friend lead a good life, why should he let someone steal her thunder?
"Me?!"
Chu Jinyu looked startled. She was just a newbie who knew nothing about filming. "Since there is a better candidate, why do they need me to come on board personally?"
She asked curiously, "Is Ms. Emma dissatisfied with the plot or something? We can discuss it again."
"No, I'm very satisfied with your script. To be honest, I haven't seen such a trendy plot in a long time. It was actually arranged by that gentleman. I think if you play the role of an angel, the effects will definitely be much better."
Emma Stone did not mind saying a few nice things. What if the boss of Star Creation was still secretly observing their every move? Even if he was not, it was fine to just flatter them.
To her, there were pros and cons.
But to others, this was equivalent to a nuclear explosion!
"That gentleman's arrangement?"
It was good enough to have her accept the invitation despite her busy schedule, but casting Emma Stone in a supporting role was unthinkable?!
"Unbelievable!" everyone thought.
They began to wonder about the identity of that gentleman. Which big shot could make an A-list celebrity go so far? Could he be from an aristocratic family?
Although they racked their brains, they did not guess that the person was Lu Ming, who was wearing ordinary clothes and standing right in front of them.
He kept such a low profile that no one noticed him.
Ah Cheng was completely captivated by his goddess. He muttered, "What status does this gentleman have to convince Ms. Emma Stone to take on the assignment?"
"I can't guess who this gentleman is, but I think we won't be able to guess even if we guess for three days and three nights. I've given up. We just need to know that the company doesn't have to lose so much money."
Yuelian placed her hands behind her head and glanced at the pale Shu Shengzi. She chuckled disdainfully and said, "This is much better than some big shot. She really thinks she's a superstar. A real superstar doesn't even say anything. Instead, she's very happy to be a supporting actor.
Someone even turned down the female protagonist role that was offered to her. It was unthinkable, right? Oh, right, I almost forgot that someone was fawning over Miss Emma Stone but was treated as non-existent by her. How stupid! It seems that stupid is as stupid does."
She belittled Shu Shengzi mercilessly, her words hurting her heart. As for Shu Shengzi, she pursed her lips tightly and did not say anything because what Yuelian said was the truth.
She was the one who went back on her word at the last minute. She was the one who played the crew like monkeys and fawned over Emma Stone.
She thought that everything would go according to her plan. According to the plan, she would have left by now. Perhaps the crew might even cry and beg her to shoot the commercial.
However…
All of this was disrupted by the sudden appearance of Emma Stone!
Not only did her plan fail, but she was also mocked by these people.
"Why?!" she wondered.
"Why did Emma Stone come here in person?"
Traces of blood appeared on her red lips, but she paid no attention to it. She was completely immersed in her own world and could not extricate herself.
An Shiling glanced at Shu Shengzi calmly, feeling quite pleased with herself. "If she could just obediently finish filming the commercial, take the money and leave, wouldn't that be great? But she had to create trouble," she thought.
She looked around and her gaze rested on Lu Ming for a few seconds. Although the boss said that he was the new in-charge, his presence was not felt after his initial appearance surprised them.
"Come to think of it, what was the expression of the new in-charge when the private jet landed just now?"
She could not remember.
At that time, her attention was all on Emma Stone, so how could she have noticed him?
The reason she was puzzled now was mainly because she felt that this person was too calm and did not fit in with them. However, he did not look like someone with a high position. Perhaps she was thinking too much.
On the set, Chu Jinyu saw that Emma Stone was determined to make her the female lead, so she did not continue to reject her. She said, "My acting skills might not be very good. If I do anything wrong, please forgive me."
"It's fine. My acting skills were very bad at first."
Emma Stone said with a smile. She thought that the other party would have a terrible personality. It seemed that she had guessed wrongly. "She is polite and refined," she thought to herself, "Perhaps she comes from an influential family?"
"Let's begin now!"
Wu Yong said excitedly.
The crew got busy all at once. Shu Shengzi was tacitly ostracized by them.
"Boss, your expression has to be gentler. You're an angel now, not a devil who'll fight the next second!"
Chu Jinyu looked at the photographer helplessly and said, "I'm already at my limit."
"You're more like a devil than an angel."
The photographer looked at the camera and sighed. It did not go smoothly from the start. What should he do next?
Emma Stone, who was standing at the side, seemed to have noticed something. After changing into a black dress and wings, she quickly walked to Chu Jinyu's side and whispered a few words. Chu Jinyu's expression immediately became much gentler.
Instantly, the photographer's eyes lit up. Emma was indeed an experienced actress.
"Yes, yes, yes! That's it!"Hence, during the entire commercial shoot, Chu Jinyu's gaze kept landing on a certain person from time to time. This made some sensitive people realize that something was going on. However, as she was their boss and superior, they did not dare to think too deeply.
Lu Ming, who had his hands crossed in front of his chest, felt uncomfortable. "Why is she looking at me? Is there anything strange on my face?" he wondered.
He instinctively touched his face. "Good. There's nothing."
He thought if it wasn't him, then there was something wrong with Chu Jinyu.
"What did Emma Stone tell her?" he wondered. He thought there was something seriously wrong with that intense gaze.
Obviously, he had not taken Chu Jinyu's confession seriously. Otherwise, he would have guessed the reason.
Not far away, Shu Shengzi was lost in her own thoughts for a long time. She looked at the harmonious atmosphere in the studio, which was very jarring to her. The female lead should have been her. She should have been the one at the center, being supported by the A-list celebrity!
If she had not been arrogant earlier, would she have had the chance to get to know Emma Stone?
With an A-list superstar in a supporting role, this commercial would absolutely go viral! At that time, her net worth would definitely increase several fold! But all of this was ruined by her own willfulness and greed for so-called wealth!
She wished she could start over and slapped herself hard!
"500 thousand yuan? Bullsh*t!"
Now that the plan had failed, she would be lucky if Young Master Lu did not blame her. There was not a chance that he would marry her. She did not shoot the commercial, and they might have offended that mysterious big shot.
She began to tremble at the thought.
Would such a powerful person really let her off?
Even if he could, he would not let her have it easy! Her career, which was just starting to take off, was gone again. This time, no one could save her.
"I… Why did I have to gamble on my future and go against Jingchen Company?"
Yuelian, who was running around with the new clothes, almost tripped over Shu Shengzi when she was not paying attention. She said impatiently, "Why are you still here?! We don't need you anymore. As for the compensation, please transfer the money to us within a week!"
The compensation!
Shu Shengzi thought of the amount stated in the contract. She had thought that if she became the wife of a wealthy man, she would definitely be able to fork out the money immediately. But now, she simply could not afford that huge sum!
She was afraid that she would have to empty her pockets!
At the thought of this, her eyes rolled up and she was about to faint. However, Yuelian quickly held her up. Immediately after, a pungent smell rushed to her nose. "What? Are you trying to avoid paying compensation? Luckily, I brought essential balm, which can refresh your mind!"
Shu Shengzi could not faint even if she wanted to.
She stood up unsteadily. Without raising her head, she could sense the malicious intent of the staff. Then, like a rat on the streets, she scuttled away.
"Tch, I was wondering how amazing she was. I didn't expect her mental fortitude to be so poor."
Yuelian rolled her eyes and put the essential balm back into her pocket. After all, ordinary people could not stand the smell. But this was her overtime tool. As long as she took a whiff of it, she would be energized immediately.
With the guidance of an experienced actor like Emma Stone, the filming went very smoothly. Even the other supporting actors learned a lot. After the shooting was completed, she signed a few autographs for the crew and cast. Only then did the filming come to an end.
Chu Jinyu's relationship with Emma Stone had also developed on the set and they quickly became good friends. "Thank you for coming this time. Otherwise, I would have lost more than a million yuan. Moreover, acting occasionally is not a bad experience."
"What are you talking about? I'm also very happy to be able to collaborate with a great beauty like you. This trip to China is not in vain."
Emma Stone chuckled.
The two of them chatted for a while before Chu Jinyu pulled Lu Ming over from the corner. "He is my childhood friend and is also the person in charge here."
"Hello, my name is Lu Ming."
Lu Ming reached out his hand and said.
When Emma Stone heard his voice, she was stunned for a few seconds. She instinctively grabbed his hand and then quickly retracted it. "You really sound like someone I know."
It was no different from the man's voice on the phone, but she did not think that the dignified Star Creation boss would be willing to be placed under others. It was probably a coincidence.
Just as Lu Ming thought that he was going to be exposed, she continued, "However, there are many people in this world who have similar voices. How could you be him?"
Lu Ming heaved a sigh of relief. The other party did not guess the correct answer.
Chu Jinyu did not think too much about it and said, "It's meal time now. You should be very hungry, right? This time, it's my treat. I'll let you sample fine Chinese cuisine."
"That's great! The last time I came to China was a few years ago. The delicious food here has been on my mind for a long time!"
Emma Stone's eyes lit up. She was already famished and didn't have much strength left. However, it would be embarrassing to mention it. She didn't expect Chu Jinyu to say it first.
Seeing this, Lu Ming could not help but smile. He said, "Let's go to the Hilton Hotel. I'll lead the way."
He walked in front while Emma Stone held Chu Jinyu's arm and said softly with a smile, "He's quite good-looking. Your taste is also…"
She gave a thumbs up.
A light blush involuntarily crept onto Chu Jinyu's face.
While shooting the commercial, Emma Stone observed that Chu Jinyu's attention was on Lu Ming. She immediately guessed that she liked him. Immediately after, Emma Stone suggested that she have a mental image of Lu Ming during the filming. As expected, the result of the filming turned out very well.
Typically, Chu Jinyu did not have much of an expression. Perhaps it was a habit, but since she liked Lu Ming, she would smile at the thought of him. This was also her habit. Emma Stone took advantage of this.
Unfortunately, Lu Ming did not realize it at all.
Emma Stone's heart could not help but beat faster when she saw Chu Jinyu acting like a little girl. Even though she was used to seeing beautiful women, she could not help but sigh at this moment. "How beautiful!" she thought.
"He must like you too, right?"
Chu Jinyu shook her head and said, "His love for me is like the relationship between family members."
She was very aware that no matter how well Lu Ming treated her, that was only because he was protective of his younger sister. She was very greedy—being his younger sister was not enough.
Emma Stone consoled her, "You're so beautiful and capable. He'll definitely fall in love with you. I remember there's a Chinese saying—Feelings grow with each passing day."
"Thank you for your blessings."
Chu Jinyu smiled and said.Lu residence.
Lu Yaohua looked at the thick stack of bills and paced around the study anxiously.
He wished that this was just a dream. He had thought that he would be fine after getting through these few days. But more debts had to be paid. When would these days end?!
Now, he was increasingly convinced of Master Liu's words. Every day that he did not sell that piece of land, he would be unlucky!
He had to think of a way to sell it as soon as possible, but the auction process was still underway. He called that place several times a day just to hasten the change of ownership!
If this continued, the Lu Corporation that he had worked so hard to build would be finished!
"What should I do?" he thought.
What should he do?
He glanced at the empty shelf from the corner of his eye and could not help but feel his heart ache. He had sold everything that he could in the past few days, but this was just a drop in the bucket. It could not fill the bottomless abyss of his debts.
"Am I really going to declare bankruptcy?" he wondered.
He immediately rejected the idea. If he really did that, the losses would be minimal, but that would mean that he would lose the right to compete for the position of the Tang family's head!
If he really succeeded in becoming the head of the Tang family, this small amount would be nothing in comparison.
He could only bite the bullet now. It was better than admitting defeat!
Just as he pulled himself together and was about to calculate his assets and see if there was anything else he could sell, his phone rang. He picked it up and looked at the caller ID. After hesitating for a moment, he chose to answer the call.
Lu Yaohua put on a fawning expression and asked, "Chairman Wang, why did you call suddenly?"
"Boss Lu, it's not that I want to say this, but aren't you taking too long to repay the money? Even a snail can go faster than you. Didn't you say not long ago that you'd be able to pay this week? This is already the last day. Don't tell me you still haven't prepared the money?"
A helpless voice came from the other end.
Lu Yaohua smiled dryly and said, "What are you talking about? I've been a little tight on cash recently. It's not like you don't know my situation, but don't worry, I'll definitely repay the money to you. What do you think?"
"Of course I know you'll pay me back, but you might take a few years to pay me back. I can't wait that long. Besides, it's not that I don't want to do favors, but I'm really in a hurry to use money. If it really doesn't work, you can sell your house. In any case, if you make a comeback in the future, what kind of house can't you have? This will be nothing."
What he said made sense, but there was no way Lu Yaohua would comply.
After all, Tang Wenyi would definitely be the first to disagree!
All at once, his thoughts were running wild.
He looked at the bills on the table. This was the first person he needed to pay back the money to at the moment. The rest could be delayed. 3 million yuan was not a lot for him in his heyday, but things were different now. He would have to consider for half a day even if it was 1 million yuan, not to mention three times the amount!
"I understand. I'll try to borrow money now to pay you back. What do you think?"
"Alright, let's put it this way! If I don't see your remittance tomorrow morning, don't blame me for being uncivil!"
Immediately after, he hung up.
Lu Yaohua sat on the chair dejectedly. It was true that troubles never came singly, and the more he thought about it, the more his head hurt.
Not long after, the door was pushed open. Because of the crisis at home recently, Tang Wenyi could only stay at home and not even go shopping.
She slapped a piece of white paper down on the table and said unhappily, "When can I wake up early in the morning and not see these figures? The creditors are showing up every day. Although my friends are not saying anything on the surface, they must be looking down on me behind my back!"
As the daughter of the Tang family, she had never been so mistreated.
"Have you thought of a solution?"
Lu Yaohua shook his head and said, "Can you borrow some money from your sisters?"
"How is that possible!? They can't wait to laugh at me! Forget about getting help from them."
This reminded Tang Wenyi of everything that she had experienced at the Tang family. When she came back, she decided to never bow down to those people. If word got out, she would not have the face to return to the capital!
The study fell silent.
After some time, she asked worriedly, "Are we really out of options?"
"Recently, not only have the debts been pressing, but the company has also been incurring losses. Now we can only continue operating with the support of cash flow. Is Grandpa really determined not to lend money?"
Lu Yaohua scratched his head and said stubbornly.
Tang Wenyi nodded with a grave expression. "I called to ask again. Grandpa has decided not to do anything."
In fact, the other party only gave her two choices. Either hang in there, and there might be a turnaround, or get a divorce and take her son to the Tang family. She could forget about inheriting the family business then.
How could she accept this?
If one of her sisters was elected as the family head, she would definitely make things difficult for herself. At that time, there was a high chance that she would be ostracized by the Tang family. Taking control of the family business was her last trump card!
She paused for a moment before continuing, "Our precious son was sent to the hospital because his condition had worsened. The money I have now is to pay all his medical fees. I don't have any spare money."
Lu Yaohua's mood worsened when Lu Ze was mentioned. He picked up the gold Pixiu beside him and put it in a red gift box. "Let's go borrow money. I helped Zhuo Wenbin before. He'll definitely lend us money."
"Then I'll go with you!"
…
In a villa in the western suburb, a middle-aged man in a golden bathrobe was smoking.
Lu Yaohua, who had changed into a suit, pushed his gift to him and smiled. "Don't you love this Pixiu? I brought it here specially for you today."
The last time Zhuo Wenbin visited Lu Yaohua's house as a guest, he had stared intently at the golden mythical beast and kept praising him for his good taste.
Lu Yaohua had spent a lot of money to buy this Pixiu. It was very precious and he rarely let people touch it for fear that someone might break it accidentally. If he did not have a favor to ask now, he would not have been willing to give it away.
He consoled himself. "It's just a golden Pixiu. No matter how expensive it is, it can't be that expensive. It's better to use it to exchange for what we really want."
As expected, when Zhuo Wenbin heard this, his eyes instantly lit up. He carefully opened the gift box and held it in his hand to observe it. He sighed with emotion. "This color is really beautiful! It feels better to the touch than I have imagined!"
He observed it admiringly and even let out cries of delight from time to time.If not for Tang Wenyi clearing her throat a few times, he would have forgotten that there were guests at home.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm just so happy. I hope you don't mind."
After Zhuo Wenbin cautiously placed the golden Pixiu back into the box, he heaved a sigh of relief. Then he looked up and said, "Big Brother Lu, you came over today to catch up with me, right? After all, we haven't contacted each other in a while."
Every time they gathered together, they were basically talking about cooperation. Other than that, the two of them would not talk about anything else.
Lu Yaohua smiled awkwardly. "You saw through me! Your observation skills are still as amazing as ever!"
He did not deny that Zhuo Wenbin had guessed his intention correctly. After all, he had looked down on Zhuo Wenbin previously. No one knew that one day, he would actually bow down to this person.
"Hahahaha! We've worked together for so long, I should know a little about your personality."
In the past, it had always been Zhuo Wenbin who praised Lu Yaohua. Now that their roles had changed, Zhuo Wenbin could not help but feel light-hearted.
"I've also heard about your recent situation. Not only did you lose the lawsuit, but there was also a problem with your financial chain. Back then, you helped me. If you didn't let me have that partnership, how could I be where I am today? So naturally, I have to repay you."
He paused for a moment and said boldly, "Although my company is not as good as yours, it's still considered good in Shanghai! Tell me, what do you need my help with? I'll try my best to settle it for you!"
Tang Wenyi and Lu Yaohua heaved a sigh of relief.
On the way there, they were worried that Zhuo Wenbin would hit them when they were down or watch on the sidelines. Fortunately, he had a conscience.
Lu Yaohua had not given away his treasure for nothing.
"I want to borrow 8 million yuan from you."
He would repay 3 million yuan to others, and 5 million yuan would be used to fill the shortfall in the company.
When Zhuo Wenbin heard this number, he fell silent.
Eight million yuan was not a small sum!
Tang Wenyi was also well aware of this. Instantly, her nerves tensed up. "Could it be that we have asked for too much and the other party does not have so much money to lend?" she wondered.
She thought, "Why did Yaohua help such a useless person back then? Did he really think that he was doing charity?"
The disdain in his eyes flashed quickly, so quickly that no one noticed.
If not for the urgent situation, she would have snubbed such a person. She glanced at the exhausted Lu Yaohua. "Have I really chosen the right person?"
She wondered if she had chosen to marry a rich heir in the capital back then, would everything have been different?
Then she would not have to humble herself everywhere she went. She just needed to be a rich lady quietly. At the thought of this, emotion welled up in her heart. She said with a dark gaze, "If it's too much, 7 million yuan is fine too. To be honest, we're quite short of money now."
"That's right! With all this mess facing us, we have no choice but to do this. If this goes on, we'll all be sleeping on the streets! Brother Zhuo, can you lend us as much as you possibly can?"
Lu Yaohua tested the waters.
Zhuo Wenbin put the cigarette in the ashtray and pondered for a moment before saying, "Since Big Brother Lu gave me the Golden Pixiu, that's enough to show your sincerity. How could I disappoint you?"
Lu Yaohua said in surprise, "You agreed?!"
"Really?"
Tang Wenyi had thought that Zhuo Wenbin would not lend them so much money. She did not expect him to relent so easily. It was happiness falling from the sky!
"I, Zhuo Wenbin, never lie."
He made a gesture and the servant standing at the side immediately understood. She took out two black suitcases from the cabinet and placed them on the table.
Zhuo Wenbin pressed a button to reveal the bright red banknotes inside. He said, "Two boxes of 5 million yuan each. Take it that it's a loan from me."
"10 million yuan?!"
Lu Yaohua was stunned. He had expected to borrow 8 million yuan, but the other party had given him an additional 2 million yuan!
"I know you guys haven't been doing very well recently. This money should be enough to let you guys have a peaceful life. However, this isn't a small sum. I hope the two of you can clear your debts quickly. Otherwise, if something happens to my company, it'll really be over."
Zhuo Wenbin chuckled.
He was willing to believe Lu Yaohua because he had helped him during his toughest times. In addition, he knew that his wife was from the Tang family in Beijing. They were famous for being protective of their family.
Even if Lu Yaohua could not pay up by then, the Tang family would choose to pay to protect their reputation.
To him, not only could lending money to Lu Yaohua make him grateful to him, but he could also make the Tang family owe him a favor. Why not?
His thoughts were running wild, but Tang Wenyi and her husband did not notice at all. They were completely immersed in joy.
Zhuo Wenbin took a sip of tea and said, "If the Lu Corporation can make a comeback, Brother Lu will treat us to a meal to celebrate. How about that?"
"Alright, no problem!"
Lu Yaohua was much more relaxed now that he had resolved something.
He picked up the teacup and finished the tea quickly. Then he said, "Brother Zhuo, you're such a straightforward person! From now on, we'll enjoy good fortune together!"
"Then I'll be waiting for your good news!"
Zhuo Wenbin's smile did not falter. He seemed to have thought of something and said, "Oh right, what is your youngest son up to lately? I heard that he hasn't been in good health."
Lu Yaohua froze and looked troubled. "He's in the hospital again."
Hospital?
He recalled the rumors a while ago.
Zhuo Wenbin suppressed his laughter and said, "It seemed that he was trying to date Ms. Chu on the streets and was beaten up. Is this true?"
Lu Yaohua blushed as if he had been slapped several times. It was so embarrassing! No matter what, Lu Ze was his son. Whatever Lu Ze did, he would lose face too!
Everyone knew that Chu Jinyu was known for being difficult to woo, but his good-for-nothing son refused to believe the hearsay and insisted on crossing her path. Now he was lying in the hospital again.
He was spending as much time in the hospital as at home.
"Sigh, I also want to teach him some company matters, but he always disappears on me. When the time comes, the Lu Corporation must not land in a situation where there's no successor!"
Zhuo Wenbin took another sip of tea and said, "In my opinion, your son has gone astray. He doesn't have a good reputation; in fact, he has a bad name.. He can be said to be the complete opposite of another person."The complete opposite?"
Before Tang Wenyi could react, Lu Yaohua blurted out, "What do you mean?"
"You must not have been paying attention to news in the industry recently, right? Otherwise, how could you not know about him?"
Zhuo Wenbin paused for a moment before he continued, "They are both young men, not much older than each other. Their surname is Lu as well. Recently, there is a Lu Ming who is taking the business world by storm. Do you know that?
At first, I almost thought that he's related to you! But according to him, his parents died a few years ago, and he is the only one left. He came from an ordinary family, and he had achieved so much at such a young age. He's really extraordinary for someone so young!"
"Lu Ming?"
Lu Yaohua's eyes widened. He wondered if he had heard wrongly.
"My elder son has become a celebrity in the industry recently?!" he thought.
"What's going on?
Could it be just a coincidence?
However, is there really a second person named Lu Ming in Shanghai?"
Before he could respond, Zhuo Wenbin continued, "I think he's a rising star in the industry. I'm sure he'll surpass us soon. You haven't forgotten about the Ruixin Group, right? Last time, you wanted to collaborate with them, but you were rejected."
Lu Yaohua nodded blankly.
"The Ruixin Group is a big bone that is difficult to chew. Back then, we did not expect that Lu Ming would be well-liked by the Ruixin Group. In the end, after a meal, the two parties established a business partnership. There's also Elegance and Commerce. We wanted to collaborate with them back then."
The two of them had wanted to join forces with Elegance and Commerce. In order to show their sincerity, they went to the company when the sun had just set. In the end, the other party's boss did not even appear. They only spoke to his secretary for a while before being rejected.
"Many of them saw the boss of Elegance and Commerce having a good chat with Lu Ming. They directly struck up a few collaborations. Then there's Weijin Group, Yuanye Corporation, Hanxing Technology…"
The companies that Zhuo Wenbin mentioned were all top-ranking companies. Although Lu Yaohua had been in the business world for many years, he had yet to collaborate with these companies. At the same time, these companies were companies that he thought were difficult to deal with.
Lu Ming had negotiated deals with companies that he had partnered and those that he had not.
Could it be that only his elder son had inherited his outstanding genes?
Zhuo Wenbin sighed. "I estimate that Lu Ming has earned hundreds of millions of yuan recently. He is a true genius! If I'd known about him earlier, I would definitely have pulled him into my company…"
Tang Wenyi interrupted him in disbelief. "How is that possible!? That bastard Lu Ming can't be so powerful!"
In her impression, Lu Ming was still a weak child who knelt on the ground back then.
Even though he had slapped her repeatedly in the face previously, she only thought that he was plain lucky. She was determined not to admit that this bastard was better than her precious son!
"It must be a coincidence! A coincidence!"
Seeing this, Zhuo Wenbin asked curiously, "Do you know him?"
Neither of the couple was willing to talk about Lu Ming.
He could tell that there was something fishy going on.
Suppressing his excitement, he asked, "Brother Lu, is he really related to you? His Wanke Real Estate has been very popular recently. Who wouldn't want to work with him? Perhaps if you ask him to help you, your company will have a chance!"
"Wanke Real Estate?"
This made the couple, who initially thought that it was a coincidence, instantly confirm that the Lu Ming that Zhuo Wenbin was talking about was really the one they knew.
Lu Yaohua forced a smile and said, "He's my child with my ex-wife."
Zhuo Wenbin smiled and said, "No wonder I didn't hear you mention him. You really have a good son! Although your younger son is useless, your elder son is very promising. I'm curious too. They clearly have the same father, but why are they worlds apart?"
Other than the fact that they had the same surname, there was no similarity between the two.
Zhuo Wenbin increasingly felt that lending 10 million yuan to Lu Yaohua was the right choice. After all, Lu Ming was rising rapidly and, ordinarily, they could not curry favor with him even if they wanted to. If Lu Yaohua could pull some strings, perhaps they could negotiate a few collaborations. At that time, his net worth could increase several times!
He said respectfully, "With such a promising elder son, your company will return to its former glory soon, right? You don't have to worry about the successor of your company. Who knows, he might even be able to advance your company. Don't forget me when that time comes."
But only if the father and son had a good relationship.
Lu Ming had already cut ties with Lu Yaohua and he was a pawn that he had abandoned. How could Lu Yaohua lose face and beg the other party to come back and inherit the company?
But now that his elder son was so capable, even he could not help feeling envious.
Seeing the two of them looking a little unhappy, Zhuo Wenbin thought of Tang Wenyi's words. "Could it be that… you two don't have a good relationship?"
Lu Yaohua nodded.
"After I divorced my ex-wife back then, I did not contact Lu Ming again. It was only a few months ago when my younger son was diagnosed with uremia and needed a suitable kidney that I… I asked him to donate his kidney on account that we are family. He refused without hesitation. Because of this matter, we had a very unhappy relationship.
Zhuo Wenbin was shocked. "Big Brother Lu, how could you do such a foolish thing!?"
Now his plan had gone down the drain.
If he had known that Lu Ming would be so successful, Lu Yaohua would not have treated him so badly. He would have brought him home to eat and drink with him. He would not have ended up in such a sorry state.
Lu Yaohua bitterly regretted it. How could he have treated Lu Ming like trash! To think that he had rich social experience and could read people accurately! Lu Ming was written off because he thought that he would never amount to anything!
He was really old and blind!
Trying to calm himself down with tea, Zhuo Wenbin said, "Why don't you humble yourself and apologize to him? And promise to give him the company. He might change his mind. No matter what, you're his father."
Lu Yaohua did not say anything.
He knew very well that once his elder son made a decision, he would never turn back. In addition, because of their attitude, it would be a mercy if the other party did not exterminate them.
When Tang Wenyi heard this, her face turned livid!
"We did not do anything wrong. Why should we invite that bastard back?!" she fumed.
Her son was just immature. When he was able to understand things, Lu Ming would be nothing. She had completely forgotten that Lu Ming and Lu Ze were only two or three years apart. Moreover, Lu Ze was already an adult.
Before she could retort, Lu Yaohua stood up and said, "Let's go to the hospital!"