Finally, everything was settled. After a busy day, Su Chen finally had some time to relax and lay down comfortably. Even though the current storyline seemed intricate and bewildering, he believed that everything was still on track. Su Chen felt confident in his ability to control the narrative up to this point. However, he had been spending too much time interacting with these female leads lately. No novel would depict the protagonist spending so much time with an antagonist. This was getting ridiculous. If this continued, he genuinely feared that these female leads might fall for him, especially the apparent interest from Zhang Li. Su Chen decided he needed to address Zhang Li's situation as soon as possible, ideally by tomorrow.
Meanwhile, in the emergency room of the Imperial Hospital, Qin Yu was once again receiving treatment. His injuries this time were severe, constantly coughing up blood and muttering someone's name in his delirium, clearly holding a grudge against that person. With the relentless efforts of numerous skilled doctors, this once-glorious war god barely held onto his life on the operating table. However, it wasn't until the early hours of the next morning that this "Child of Fate" finally awoke, with his most loyal subordinate waiting by his side.
"My lord, what happened to you?" Qin Yu clenched his fist, unwilling to admit he had been reduced to such a state out of sheer anger; it would tarnish the reputation of a war god. "Zhang Li, you will pay a bloody price," there was a terrifying murderous intent in Qin Yu's eyes.
He hadn't expected that, even when he had humbled himself so much, the other party would still dare to ignore him. "Lai En, at any cost, I want Zhang Li's company to go bankrupt, and I want this woman to kneel before me and beg," Qin Yu ordered with anger.
"My lord, the Zhang family is currently targeting Zhang Li. We don't need to take action, do we?" Lai En frowned in confusion. Lai En was Qin Yu's most profitable subordinate in the business world with a high commercial talent. Given the current circumstances, targeting Zhang Li seemed counterproductive and would only benefit the Zhang family in the end. The situation had become even more challenging, especially after Lin Qingyan refused to cooperate with them.
"Most importantly, if we become enemies with Zhang Li, it would be much harder to get the Zhang family on our side. Later, when we want to deal with the Su family, it will become even more difficult," Lai En reasoned. The best way for them to gain power was to nurture and eventually integrate the entire family into their fold. If they acted against Zhang Li now, they'd lose their chance at nurturing such an influential ally, which would be a significant loss.
"I understand!" Qin Yu clenched his fists, not wanting things to be this way. No one understood the recent tense situation better than he did. "I received news that Su Chen has chosen to help Zhang Li, and she has agreed to accept his assistance. I will absolutely not allow this to happen," he said with a stern expression. "The Su family's decision to support Zhang Li aligns with our intentions. Once the Zhang and Su families, including the Wang family, join forces, we will undoubtedly be defeated."
Qin Yu couldn't afford to take too many considerations into account now. Even if he couldn't win over the Zhang family, he wouldn't let Su Chen have them either. Therefore, Qin Yu hoped to seize this opportunity to collaborate with the current head of the Zhang family to counteract Su Chen. Although working directly with the Zhang family meant he might not fully gain control over them as he had hoped, he believed that if they could eliminate Su Chen, it would be worth it.
He had never been rejected like this before. Didn't Zhang Li despise him? In that case, he was determined to make her come begging to him.
Lai En didn't say much in the end, just nodding in agreement. At that moment, Qin Yu had other matters to attend to. He quickly grabbed his phone to send a message to another subordinate. Being a renowned warrior, Qin Yu had numerous reliable aids at his disposal. Now that Zhao Menghan was no longer trustworthy, he naturally had to rely on others for assistance.
"Number Three, how's the investigation I tasked you with going?" "It's still ongoing, but we have made some progress. It seems exactly as you mentioned, sir. All of this is indeed closely related to the Su family," came the reply. Qin Yu scoffed coldly. His suspicions were correct. With both old grudges and new animosities in mind, Qin Yu's hatred for the Su family deepened, especially towards Su Chen. He believed that the prestigious title of the capital's top young master should rightfully belong to him. In his eyes, the contrasting treatment he and Su Chen received from Lin Qingyan, Wang Bingbing, and Zhang Li was all due to Su Chen's status.
"By the way, I need you to investigate another person for me. It's the young miss of the Su family, Su Xian'er." "Su Xian'er? Is she the one known for her ruthless nature?" "Do you know her?" Qin Yu asked, somewhat curious. On the other end, Number Three remained silent for a long while.
Of course, she knew Su Xian'er. In her past life, she was defeated by this very woman. This woman was truly terrifying.
She was like a machine without any weaknesses, proficient in every aspect. "I don't personally know her, I've just heard of her," she replied. "Are you investigating Su Xian'er because of Su Chen?"
Qin Yu responded, "Exactly. I want Su Chen to experience despair. Su Xian'er is quite impressive, fit to be my woman." Thinking of the humiliations he endured recently, Qin Yu was seething with anger. He realized that whenever Su Chen was around, he was the one who faced misfortune. But of course, he didn't believe that all of this was orchestrated by that bastard Su Chen.
Qin Yu would never admit that anyone from his generation could surpass him. But the disgusting feeling of being overshadowed by someone like Su Chen was something he had never felt before. Now, both Wang Bingbing and Zhang Li were compromised. Clearly, they could no longer assist him.
Thus, Su Xian'er became Qin Yu's next target. After all, he believed that once he had control over Su Xian'er, the Su family would easily fall into his hands. Then, he wanted to see how Su Chen would dare to challenge him. He would show Wang Bingbing and Zhang Li just how unworthy the man they sided with truly was.
On the other side, Number Three was clearly very upset. In her previous life, when Su Xian'er had the entire world hunting her down, only Su Chen had chosen to help her. The thought of Qin Yu plotting against Su Chen now was something she couldn't agree with. After a brief silence, Number Three swiftly forwarded the information to Qin Yu.
Qin Yu was pleased and remarked, "Number Three, we've cooperated for such a long time, perhaps we should meet in person." Though Qin Yu had never seen Number Three before, from her voice, he could discern that she seemed to be a woman. Suppressing her disgust, Number Three reluctantly replied, "I have other matters to attend to, so let's end this conversation. Please transfer my payment quickly." With that, she promptly ended the chat.
Isabella played with her long hair, lost in thought. Regarded as a genius hacker, Isabella believed there wasn't a place in the world she couldn't infiltrate. Selling information had earned her a considerable fortune, especially from clients like Qin Yu. However, due to the nature of her work, she never appeared in public. In her previous life, it was around this time that she met Qin Yu. He had tricked her into coming to China to target the Su family. Having never met her match before, in China, she encountered Su Xian'er. In the latter's eyes, Isabella's hacking skills were trivial. However, later on, it was Su Chen who saved her. In her previous life, she learned about Su Chen's peril but couldn't prevent it. In this lifetime, she was determined not to let such events happen again.
Meanwhile, in the hospital, Qin Yu was still restless. "Lai En, how is Lin Qingyan doing? Is there any room for a turnaround?" Qin Yu was reluctant to give up on using Lin Qingyan as a trump card. In his perspective, as long as he had Lin Qingyan's assistance, all problems would be easily resolved. Lai En reported, "Sir, Lin Qingyan has recently gained significant momentum. For some unknown reason, she changed the company's operational direction and ventured overseas, and it's evident that she's achieving success."
Lai En's expression became increasingly solemn as he spoke of Lin Qingyan, clearly indicating the admiration he held for her in his heart. "Lin Qingyan's capabilities are truly remarkable. With an unparalleled vision, in less than a month, she maximized profits, causing her company's market value to surge dramatically," Lai En praised. His innate nature since childhood was to respect the strong, explaining his loyalty to Qin Yu. Over the past few days, he had been observing Lin Qingyan and deemed her an exceptional emerging leader in the business world.
"Of course, otherwise, I wouldn't have taken an interest in her," Qin Yu said, revealing a smug smile as if he had already decided that Lin Qingyan would be his. "This woman has tremendous skills and ambition. I must have her on my side. Contact her immediately; I wish to meet her as an investor," Qin Yu instructed confidently, believing she wouldn't refuse him this time.
The sun illuminated the earth, marking the start of a new day. After waking up, Su Chen meticulously recalled the contents of a novel. According to the plot, it was now time for the protagonist to clash with the minor antagonists. It seemed that an orphanage where Qin Yu once lived was going to be demolished, leading to conflicts with some minor characters. During this time, Qin Yu also won over a beautiful woman he had once met in his childhood. Which means, Su Chen thought, I won't be involved in today's scenes. Perfect. "Now I have time to attend to other matters," Su Chen mused. Although relieved to not face the deranged female protagonist today, Su Chen remembered he had yet to fulfill a promise made to Zhang Li.
He suddenly became extremely anxious, and feeling as if he had no choice, he decided to help Zhang Li. Driving his Lamborghini Veneno, Su Chen soon arrived at Zhang Li's company. There, he observed employees who skillfully feigned working while essentially doing nothing, reminding him of his past self.
Years had passed in a blink of an eye since those days, days he seldom experienced now. In a daze, Zhang Li's secretary, Li Ling, led him to Zhang Li's office. Throughout their walk, Li Ling's gaze remained fixed on Su Chen, making him feel incredibly uncomfortable.
"Do you need something?" he inquired. Caught off guard, Li Ling quickly responded, "No, no. My apologies, Young Master Su. Please don't be upset with me." Waving dismissively, Su Chen generously said, "It's a minor thing. If I were to get upset over such matters, what kind of person would I be? Go on with your work."
Because Li Ling wasn't the main female protagonist, Su Chen chose not to put on a pretense around her; he had grown weary of doing so for so long. "Thank you, Young Master Su," Li Ling gratefully responded. Afterward, she turned and left, her heart brimming with joy and confusion. She thought to herself, 'I never realized how charismatic Young Master Su truly is. It's no wonder Miss Zhang is so smitten with him. He's so fascinating!' Yet, she had heard rumors that he was a volatile young master who would torment people on a whim. It seemed that such rumors were not always to be trusted.
Meanwhile, in another office, Zhang Li watched Su Chen's every move through a hidden camera, her attention glued to her phone's screen.
"Are the rumors really true? They say Su Chen is a volatile and ruthless scion," Zhang Li pondered internally. "Has he truly been concealing his true self all this time?" she wondered.
Bored and aimless, Su Chen began to reflect and question his life's choices.
["Ah, I'm so stressed out. These people are so unreliable,"] he thought.
["I wonder what Zhang Li will wear today. I'm actually a bit excited. Yesterday's skirt was not short enough for my liking."]
["Even though I genuinely dislike her, she's undeniably attractive. Since there's no chance for us, I might as well enjoy the view."]
["And Qin Yu is really fortunate, surrounded by so many beautiful women. I bet he's now chatting and flirting with some young widow."]
Feeling a bit embarrassed about these thoughts, Su Chen redirected his attention. The reason he wanted to help Zhang Li was tied to a valuable item he had acquired: a potion called "Heart of Desire."
This potion had the power to revitalize men, especially those influential leaders with fortunes exceeding billions. While they might appear wealthy and dominant, the reality is often different.
Alluring as worldly pleasures might be to the common man, they pale in comparison to the temptations faced by those in power.
Therefore, Su Chen was fully confident that, with the "Heart of Desire" potion, he could attract a significant amount of investment.
Of course, this was contingent on Zhang Li's company being genuinely investment-worthy.
Moreover, the "Heart of Desire" potion also had the uncanny ability to render women utterly compliant.
Thinking about this, Su Chen cast a sly glance in the direction of Zhang Li's yet-to-arrive figure, smirking to himself.
Apart from the formula for the "Heart of Desire," the system had also rewarded him with three finished samples.
With a mischievous grin, Su Chen discreetly dropped a bit of the potion into Zhang Li's water glass on her office desk.
He casually carried on with what he was doing, looking nonchalant. A smirk played on his lips.
["I'm so eager to see Zhang Li's reaction after she drinks this medicine. Hahaha,"] he thought to himself.
["What if she suddenly starts undressing? That would be quite inappropriate, wouldn't it? But I can't help but anticipate it a little."]
["Regardless, when the time comes, I'll simply say it's the secret sauce that secured her the 100 billion investment. After all, that's the truth, and Zhang Li shouldn't have much to say against it."]
At that moment, Zhang Li, who was in the elevator on her way back to her office, suddenly froze. Her eyebrows furrowed in anger and her fists clenched tightly. "Damn it, this cheeky fellow actually dared to drug me," she mentally exclaimed. For a brief moment, she wanted nothing more than to land a few solid punches on Su Chen, but then thought better of it.
The situation was not easy to explain and, after some contemplation, she decided to let it slide. "What did he slip into my drink? And why the mention of undressing? What exactly is he plotting against me?" Zhang Li was caught in a whirlwind of emotions, torn between fury and elation. "Moreover, can this substance truly solve my investment dilemma? We're talking about a 100 billion here! What kind of magic potion has this kind of power?" She wondered about its origin, thinking, "Where did Su Chen even get this from? Just how many secrets is he hiding?" For a brief moment, Su Chen, in Zhang Li's eyes, became increasingly enigmatic.
Soon after, Zhang Li, wearing her high heels, stepped into the office. Her gaze quickly settled on the water cup on the desk, and then shifted to Su Chen, who was feigning sleep. With a cold snort in her heart, she thought, "This cheeky guy, pretending to be asleep, huh?"