In the room, Chen Song stared blankly at the balance in his mobile banking app.
Even now, he still could hardly believe it.
Just one sentence.
And the money had been transferred just like that?
"What are you doing? Come sing with us."
Just then, Li Hansheng, who had been rounding people up, came over to hurry him along. "Where's Lu Yuan?"
Only then did Chen Song snap out of it. He told Li Hansheng what had just happened, his voice trembling with excitement.
"What are you thinking? You think someone can just pull out five hundred thousand? Maybe Lu Yuan was just messing with you." Li Hansheng, who had already taken offense at Lu Yuan for stealing the spotlight, warned Chen Song to be careful and not believe him.
"No, he wasn't."
Chen Song said, "Because Student Lu really did transfer me a deposit of three hundred thousand."
At those words, Li Hansheng stood there, completely stunned.
He'd transferred three hundred thousand just like that—and that was already what his BMW outside had cost.
Meanwhile,
Zhou Yunqiong had also seen what happened.
But her gaze lingered in the direction Lu Yuan had left, thoughtful.
At the hotel entrance,
Lu Yuan had only just stepped outside when his phone vibrated.
Two messages had come in from different people.
Manager Zhang from Rongsheng Real Estate: Hello, Mr. Lu. The contract for the Farm you purchased has been signed.
Lawyer Wang: Mr. Lu, Longhu Mountain has accepted your ten-million donation and invites you to come by when you have time to choose a Lay Disciple Dojo. This will be our way of thanking you.
All taken care of?
Seeing this,
a smile spread across Lu Yuan's face.
The process hadn't been entirely smooth, but it had worked out in the end.
Without another thought, he headed for the parking lot.
"Lu Yuan."
But soon, a cool voice rang out behind him.
He turned and saw Zhou Yunqiong had come out at some point, with the man called Uncle Zuo beside her.
"Is something the matter?" Lu Yuan stopped, choosing not to ignore her.
After all, this woman was no ordinary person.
"Nothing."
Zhou Yunqiong stepped forward and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, drawing glances from passersby.
She really was stunning. Wherever she went, she attracted attention. But with Uncle Zuo standing beside her, none of those passersby dared approach to strike up a conversation.
Zhou Yunqiong paid them no mind. She simply said softly, "We haven't seen each other since graduation a year ago. You've changed a lot."
"Likewise. Before, you'd never have taken the initiative to talk to me." Lu Yuan's tone was flat.
At that, her expression shifted slightly.
But she soon smiled and replied, "Who's to say that isn't true?"
Ever since Zhou Yunqiong was born, nearly everyone had revolved around her. No one would disregard her words or her attitude; even her parents doted on her and treated her like the apple of their eye.
And she had loved that feeling. It had been that way for as long as she could remember.
In her mind,
she could ignore others, but no one could ignore her.
Just like today: Lu Yuan had cared deeply about her back in college, yet now he treated her this way. It left Zhou Yunqiong feeling strangely unsettled.
So in the end, she decided to come out and see whether he was being genuine or just playing hard to get.
"If there's nothing else, I'll be going."
Lu Yuan could tell what she was thinking, but he had no interest in it. He said as much and turned to leave.
At last, Zhou Yunqiong couldn't help frowning, though she was good at hiding her feelings. "Actually, I've always known your family was well-off—more than well-off, even. The reason I turned you down in college was simply that I thought we belonged to different worlds."
At that moment, Zhou Yunqiong was desperate to regain the upper hand, so she brought up their college days.
And it was only natural that she knew about Lu Yuan's family background.
In other words,
the Wuzhou Group behind her knew, too.
"Are you finished? Can I go now?"
Lu Yuan truly didn't want to listen to her ramble. He had nothing to say, so he turned and started to leave.
After the global upheaval, he had spent ten years struggling at the bottom and enduring all kinds of cruelty. He had long since forgotten those feelings.
"Lu Yuan!"
At last, Zhou Yunqiong struggled to keep her emotions in check. "I only want to tell you one thing: make the most of the days ahead. A lot will change in the future. Everything will become unfamiliar, nothing like the world you know."
"Miss."
Just as she was about to continue,
Uncle Zuo suddenly stepped forward and silently shook his head.
And Lu Yuan?
He kept walking without stopping.
Still, he had heard every word Zhou Yunqiong said.
"Looks like certain people already know—or have even confirmed—that the global upheaval is coming. The Zhou Family is one of them."
"And these people may have been preparing in secret for a long time, building up their strength."
Lu Yuan thought it over, gleaning a great deal from what she had said.
The Zhou Family and the Wuzhou Group behind it were both shrouded in mystery. In his previous life, he had thought they were just an ordinary corporate group. But after the upheaval, the Wuzhou Group rose rapidly, and the Zhou Family produced one formidable figure after another, shaking the world with unfathomable power.
He'd assumed the Zhou Family had reached those heights by relying on the resources of the Wuzhou Group.
But it seemed that wasn't the case. Otherwise, Zhou Yunqiong wouldn't have said what she just had.
Lu Yuan guessed that there were many mysterious forces like the Zhou Family, both in the country and around the world.
Of course,
he felt no worry or apprehension about any of it.
Because he had a powerful advantage no one else possessed: he knew exactly what would happen next.
Where the good things were, where the treasures lay, where fate's great gifts awaited—Lu Yuan knew it all.
As long as he made the most of it,
what did the Zhou Family matter?
What did any great power matter?
He could face them all without fear, with absolute confidence!
So Lu Yuan said nothing. He got into his car and drove away from the hotel.
"Miss, you revealed rather a lot just now."
Uncle Zuo couldn't help sounding exasperated.
"I lost my composure."
At that, Zhou Yunqiong nodded. After taking a deep breath, she calmed down completely.
The next moment, she returned to her usual cool demeanor, keeping everyone at a distance.
"Miss, there's something I don't understand. Why did you bother meeting up with those people? You were classmates, yes, but so what? You're different from them. Your bloodline is the strongest our Zhou Family has seen in generations. When the time comes, you'll immediately become a Daughter of Heaven."
Uncle Zuo paused, then continued, "Whether the people in that hotel will even survive is an open question."
"Even if they do, the gap between them and you will only grow wider. No one can predict how great it'll become."
His words carried an air of superiority.
"Of course I know."
Zhou Yunqiong smiled and held out her arm.
In the sunlight, it seemed to glow with a faint golden light, almost dreamlike.
But as soon as she drew her hand back, it all vanished. She turned to look at the hotel and said softly, "I've just been bored lately."
Uncle Zuo smiled. But when his phone vibrated, he checked the message and his expression changed.
"Miss, one of the plots of land the family head asked you to buy has been snapped up by someone else."
"Really?" Zhou Yunqiong asked, surprised. "Where?"
"The Farm on the outskirts of Wuzhou City."
Before you continue