Everyone present knew very clearly that ever since the Lin family decided to end their partnership with the Lu Group, there was almost no chance for reconciliation between the two families.
Lin Pengcheng had built the Trade City precisely to break into this market.
What he had taken away was a cake right under the Lu family’s nose.
So the two families could never really get along. Even if they weren’t openly hostile, they would at least act like strangers.
Lu Chengxuan really shouldn’t have been here.
But he showed up anyway.
Not only that, he was holding a set of car keys. Anyone who heard Lin Shen’s words would immediately reconsider the relationship between the two of them.
Like throwing a stone into still water, the atmosphere in the conference room shifted instantly. Whispered speculations started spreading like wildfire.
This was exactly what Lin Shen had expected, and he couldn’t care less. Calmly, he stepped down from the podium in the company’s hundred-person conference room, right in front of everyone. Lin Wangye was stunned, only realizing what was happening after a long moment, then scuttled after him with quick, awkward steps, like a lagging character in a video game.
The three of them disappeared through the conference room doors together.
A few people, still too excited from securing the shares, had left earlier and missed Lin Shen’s earlier words. When they stepped into the elevator and saw Lu Chengxuan, their faces froze.
And then, they watched, dumbfounded, as Lin Shen and Lu Chengxuan stepped side by side into the elevator, smiling as they waved toward them.
“Second Uncle, Second Aunt.”
Lin family’s Second Uncle felt his scalp tighten. He stared at Lu Chengxuan as if he’d seen a ghost, unable to believe his eyes, completely paralyzed.
The elevator was deathly silent.
Lin Shen didn’t seem to care that his greeting went unanswered. As the elevator slowly descended to the first floor, he strode out of the building and slipped into the passenger seat of the luxury car parked at the main entrance.
Lu Chengxuan opened the driver’s side door and, under everyone’s watchful eyes, pressed the accelerator and drove off.
The lingering scent of exhaust stung the air slightly, as if silently announcing some ominous warning.
The Lin Second Uncle’s first thought was that the Lu Group had bought the headquarters.
Before he could even process how Lin Shen could make such a reckless move, he soon heard from the other Lin family members who had come down a moment later that Lin Shen was planning to bid on the old city area on Huanghe Road.
Holding shares in one of the branches of Trade City, his blood pressure shot up instantly. Luckily, someone nearby held him steady, or he might have fainted on the spot.
“W-what… what’s going on here?”
Second Uncle Lin glanced at Wu Yingxia and Hu Haoyang, as if hoping the mother and son could explain something.
In truth, everyone present had watched Lin Shen grow up.
In their eyes, Lin Shen was just a spoiled kid addicted to online games, useless, always hanging out with shady friends, completely incompetent—a true wastrel.
This was evident every time Lin Pengcheng ranted angrily about his son.
After Xie Ying passed away, it was widely known that the father and son were on terrible terms.
Even though Lin Pengcheng never admitted the exact reasons why things had gotten so bad, everyone understood—Lin Shen had pushed the relationship to the breaking point, from having his bank cards confiscated to running away from home.
It all came down to the same thing: Lin Shen was rebellious, stubborn, and useless.
When Xie Ying was alive, she would protect him. Without his mother as a shield, Lin Pengcheng, who had always dreamed of raising a successful son, naturally became deeply disappointed and could no longer indulge him.
Who would have thought that this long-dismissed wastrel would make such a bold move, one that no one saw coming?
The city was developing at lightning speed, and the old city districts in prime locations, right in the city center, were like mountains of gold on Ningchang’s map.
Whoever could claim a spot would strike it rich.
The Huanghe Road old city district was surrounded by complete infrastructure and numerous residential areas, and it was right next to the CBD—a genuine gold mine, universally expected to fall into the Lu Group’s hands.
And yet, as soon as Lin Shen announced he would bid, Lu Chengxuan, the recognized heir of the Lu Group, showed up.
Even more outrageous—he came at a moment’s notice… and acted as Lin Shen’s driver!
After Lin Pengcheng’s death, the Lin family had only been thinking about grabbing whatever resources they could and running. Now they were collectively stunned. No one had expected Lin Shen to hold such a trump card.
Chapter one of the sword manual: first, strike your own family.
During the recent meeting, no one had imagined such a turn of events. As more Lin family members came down the stairs, the crowd gathered in front of the headquarters, voices overlapping, chaos breaking out.
The Lin family had no real power. They had only relied on Lin Pengcheng’s shadow to thrive.
With the tree gone, and Lin Shen seeming incompetent, the only person capable of holding half of the Lin family together was Hu Haoyang, the one Lin Pengcheng had personally mentored.
This was nearly everyone in the Lin family’s consensus.
After Lin Pengcheng passed, the family had almost blindly followed Wu Yingxia and Hu Haoyang, without hiding their intentions.
As Second Uncle Lin voiced his doubts, the others grew anxious.
“Yeah, what does Lin Shen think he’s doing?”
“Why is Lu Chengxuan here?!”
“If the Lu family drops out of the bidding, wouldn’t Linhong have the best chance?”
“That’s not acceptable! If he actually wins, we won’t get a single benefit.”
“And the subsidiary will have to be canceled and renamed!”
“Why not just skip the business registration? Don’t change it.”
“Are you crazy? The contract’s signed, sealed, and dated. If you don’t change the name, get ready for a lawsuit!”
“What do we do? Haoyang, don’t just sit there!”
“Yeah, you were so sure back then, swearing Lin Shen couldn’t do it. Following him was just asking for trouble! And we don’t understand this stuff—you’re the smart one, so figure it out!”
Faced with the relatives’ panicked and emotional questions, the mother and son felt like they were being roasted alive.
Seeing her son’s pale, tense face, Wu Yingxia had no choice but to pull out her secret weapon.
She forced a few tears and weakly claimed she still couldn’t get over her grief. The day-long funeral and several hours of meetings had drained her completely, and her head was spinning so badly she could barely stand.
Hu Haoyang reacted quickly. Putting on a calm facade, he told everyone that the Lu family would never give up on the Huanghe Road old city gold mine. Maybe Lin Shen had secretly sold the headquarters to the Lu family, and all this was just to shake everyone up and get back at them.
Hearing that, everyone thought it made sense. Seeing Wu Yingxia on the verge of fainting, they gradually backed off.
Meanwhile, as the car left the headquarters, Lin Wangye couldn’t hold back. Leaning forward from the back seat, he asked, “What’s going on? How could you make such a huge move behind everyone’s back? You even kept me in the dark—trying to scare me to death, huh?”
Lin Shen couldn’t help but chuckle. “I really didn’t have time. Haven’t you seen how busy I’ve been lately?”
“Oh…”
Lin Wangye quickly caught on, turning anxiously to Lu Chengxuan.
“Brother Lu, your family’s dropping out of the bidding, right?”
“Of course not,” Lu Chengxuan said, keeping his eyes on the road. “A project this big, my dad would never quit. It’s just me who’s stepping back.”
“Ha…” Lin Wangye scratched his head in confusion.
“He means the project will be handled by other members of the Lu family,” Lin Shen added slowly, closing his eyes and leaning back. “He’s not taking it.”
Over the past two years, Lu Chengxuan had already proven his capabilities through Chengfeng. In theory, such a major project should’ve gone to him to be safe.
Lin Wangye asked in surprise, “Your uncle didn’t say anything?”
“I told him Chengfeng is at a critical development stage, and if we’re not careful, Shengtian will take the lead. I can’t handle it all, so he naturally looked to someone else.”
“Oh… I see.”
Lin Wangye thought for a moment, his worry growing.
“So can Linhong even win? Judging by qualifications, it seems your family still has the edge. Plus, so many subsidiaries were thrown into the mix today.”
Lu Chengxuan paused briefly, then noticing Lin Shen still had his eyes closed, spoke to Lin Wangye: “Not necessarily. The Huanghe Road old city project is a major project for Ningchang City. Qualifications are important, but they’re not the only factor. The key is how the proposal is written and how the project is planned.”
Lin Wangye still didn’t quite understand, asking, “Does that mean no one in the Lu family but you can write proposals?”
“Of course not,” Lu Chengxuan said firmly. “My dad hired people who could definitely produce a perfect proposal. But there’s a difference between me and the others: they follow a principle—don’t make mistakes. I’m not bound by that. Their proposal might not be the same as mine.”
Lin Wangye was completely lost, scratching the back of his head like it was about to come off.
Lin Shen seemed to let out a long-suppressed sigh. “Talk to him in plain language—he doesn’t get it.”
“Our proposal will match the planning style of our existing commercial areas: European layout, focusing on fashion, high-end, and international vibes,” Lu Chengxuan said.
That was exactly how the Huanghe Road commercial district had been in the past life.
Lin Wangye nodded like a little chick pecking grain, then, seeing that Lu Chengxuan hadn’t finished, pressed on: “And then?”
At the red light, Lu Chengxuan hit the brakes, glancing at Lin Wangye in the rearview mirror, and explained seriously: “Submitting such a proposal meets the basic requirements, no problem. But commercial areas like this are everywhere—they’re common nationwide. If we can create a proposal that makes Huanghe Road a landmark for Ningchang City, maybe even a signature tourist spot, the chances of winning the bid skyrocket. In that case, qualifications matter less.”
Hearing this, Lin Wangye finally got it.
The open tender above wanted a company to build a central commercial area in the old city district of Huanghe Road. The Lu family would naturally submit a perfect proposal for a central commercial area.
They’d be giving a ‘1+1=2’ answer for a known question.
But if another proposal exceeded expectations, that would be a ‘1+1>2’ effect.
Just as he was about to clap in admiration for Lu Chengxuan, Lin Shen, sitting in the passenger seat, cleared his throat and emphasized: “Remind him this idea was mine.”
The traffic light ahead turned green, and Lu Chengxuan hit the accelerator.
“This idea was Lin Shen’s,” he said.
Lin Wangye, who had already raised both hands, enthusiastically spun around and clapped like crazy. Then he leaned forward and playfully pinched Lin Shen’s shoulder: “Awesome, awesome! You’re the best! Truly my dad! Super impressive!”
The plain, over-the-top flattery made Lin Shen feel light and relaxed. He closed his eyes, crossed his arms, and leaned back to rest.
“So, how are you planning it?” Lin Wangye blinked. “I know the proposal has to be secret, but can you give me a little hint, Dad?”
“That…”
“Are you his dad? Why are you stealing my line?”
Lin Shen suddenly opened his eyes and cut off Lu Chengxuan mid-sentence. Lu Chengxuan immediately fell silent, fully immersed in his role as the driver.
Lin Wangye’s gaze bounced between the two, finally landing on Lin Shen. His eyes sparkled as he eagerly said, “Come on, tell me! Just a little!”
“Well, the inspiration actually came from your boyfriend across the ocean,” Lin Shen sat up slightly and said, turning to Lin Wangye: “Who says only European style is international? Why can’t Chinese style be the answer too? I’m planning a Chinese-style commercial street, with all the shops along the road in ancient architectural style, so walking down it feels like stepping into Chang’an City.”
Lin Wangye’s eyes lit up.
“Great idea! If it were me, I’d definitely want to check it out! Shi Yuan would love it!”
Lin Shen smiled, then returned to business: “But it’ll be tricky to implement. Traditional Chinese architecture is a whole field of study. It’s beautiful, yes, but the mortise-and-tenon structures are complex, and the cost is much higher than modern buildings. Even if Linhong emptied the headquarters’ funds, she couldn’t cover it all.”
“Oh…” Lin Wangye caught on, thinking aloud: “So not only do we have to secure the original investors, we also need to pull in new ones. Otherwise, money alone will block everything.”
“Yeah, the trickiest part right now is this,” Lin Shen said, closing his eyes again and leaning back with a sigh. “Once my dad left, all the investors wanted to run. I have to go talk to them one by one, convince them to stay, and then find some money from other places.”
After he spoke, Lin Wangye instinctively reached into his pocket.
Hearing the rustle of clothes from the back seat, Lin Shen already knew what he was doing. He rubbed his forehead and chuckled: “Keep the little cash in your wallet for an ice cream. It’s not even close to enough.”
Lin Wangye pouted but admitted silently that made sense.
A project this big required money starting in the ten-digit range. His six-digit savings wouldn’t even cover a three-bedroom apartment downtown, let alone help out here.
The car was quiet for a few seconds, then Lu Chengxuan’s low voice spoke up: “Once a project this big starts, new investors will naturally want in. Projects that contribute to the city can usually apply for subsidies. The urgent thing now is to secure the current investors. Winning the bid depends on having money ready to spend.”
Lin Wangye turned to Lin Shen: “Then let’s talk to the investors first. The open tender has some time, no rush.”
Lin Shen nodded. “Mm.”
“If you need new investors, I can recommend a target,” Lu Chengxuan said.
“Who?” Lin Shen looked at him. “Which generous soul?”
“Shengtian,” Lu Chengxuan said.
Lin Wangye scratched his head again. “Ha…”
“Shengtian has a lot of momentum. He’s invested in many projects, so he definitely has money,” Lu Chengxuan said. “You could give it a try—I think there’s a good chance.”
Lin Shen couldn’t help but laugh. “If it works, I’ll be standing on the same side as Shengtian, becoming an opponent of Chengfeng.”
Lu Chengxuan stayed calm, shrugging lightly: “That’s not important. The important thing is to solve the immediate problem first.”
Hearing that the two sides might become rivals again, Lin Wangye, who had been thinking about helping Lin Shen, suddenly grew alert. His eyes immediately shifted to Lu Chengxuan.
“Brother Lu, why don’t you—”
“Don’t ask him. He can’t help,” Lin Shen quickly cut him off. “Officially, the two families are competitors. The only thing he can do is scare those poor relatives a bit. Anything more, and his dad’s going to get involved.”
“Oh… right, I forgot,” Lin Wangye muttered, resting his chin on the passenger seat. “I keep getting this feeling… like we’re really one family.”
The two in the front seats didn’t respond.
About ten seconds later, Lin Shen suddenly spoke.
“Driver, stop the car by the side of the road.”
He snapped his fingers toward the back seat and tapped the window.
“Son, shake some money from your wallet and buy me a bowl of iced jelly.”
*
Lin Wangye: And here I thought my little wallet cash didn’t matter… now it’s exposed! QAQ
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
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