Song Anning's Luck

Song Anning opened a new bank account and transferred some of his meager remaining savings to his mother. She had pressed him hard on the phone the night before, telling him to at least send some money first to tide them over.

After learning that he had returned to the country, his parents had not offered a single word of concern. They had gone straight to asking him for money. Especially after finding out that he was close to Cen Muxiao, the current president of the Cen family, the richest family in the country, they had become so excited they could barely contain themselves, openly urging him to borrow money from Cen Muxiao.

For a billionaire worth hundreds of billions, a few million was pocket change he could toss away without a thought. And since the person he had been thinking about day and night was the one asking, never mind lending it—even giving it outright would not be too much, would it?

Song Anning had indeed planned to borrow money, but he had not expected to stumble over Guo Lantai. In a moment of impulsiveness, he had lost two hundred thousand. If Cen Muxiao had not stepped in to help him out, he had no idea how embarrassed he would have been.

Now, with what little self-respect he had left, there was no way he could bring himself to ask for another loan.

He would use his own savings to hold things together for now. It would get him through for a while.

Besides, he had not come back to sit around and live off others. He could also work toward making his old dream come true.

He had originally imagined that after rushing back for Cen Muxiao regardless of everything, their relationship would make some progress, perhaps even heat up quickly.

But plans could not keep up with changes. On the path to making things real with Cen Muxiao, there was now an arranged marriage and a difficult Guo Lantai in the way.

His momentary impatience in the private room had nearly ruined his image in Cen Muxiao's eyes. While regretting it, he also reflected on himself. Winning Cen Muxiao over was not something he could rush.

And getting rid of the obstacle that was Guo Lantai required careful planning and a gradual approach. Otherwise, one careless move could leave him worse off than before.

With that in mind, he felt much more resolute and headed toward the bank entrance in a rather relaxed mood.

Cen Muxiao's identity was too sensitive, so Song Anning had not let him come inside. He was currently waiting in the car. Thinking of that, Song Anning could not help smiling knowingly again. As long as Cen Muxiao continued treating him like this, what was wrong with waiting a little longer?

It was not that he would not give Guo Lantai a chance. Cen Muxiao himself simply did not take Guo Lantai's presence seriously at all, leaving him no chance to interfere.

"Hey! Isn't this Mr. Song? Hello there!"

Just as he was about to step outside, someone suddenly called out to him. He turned around and could not help frowning. He did not know the man before him.

"Hello. May I ask who you are...?"

He composed himself, returned the greeting politely, then asked directly. He had only just returned to the country; aside from a few old acquaintances, he had not had time to meet any new friends.

The man before him was impeccably dressed and looked to be in his forties or fifties. Several people surrounded him, and a bank senior client manager was clearly accompanying him as well. He was likely an important figure of no ordinary status.

"Mr. Song, my surname is Wu. You may not remember me, but I saw you at President Cen's wedding. Here, this is my business card. Since we have had the good fortune to meet today, how about we have a chat somewhere private?"

As Wu Tianyong spoke, he handed over a gilded business card, then watched Song Anning with a beaming smile. The more he looked, the more satisfied he became. His face soon filled with expectation, and his manner could not have been more sincere.

Out of courtesy, Song Anning accepted the card. One glance at it startled him.

"You're President Wu of Lehong Entertainment?"

"Hahaha, it seems Mr. Song has heard of me after all. Then would you honor me with a conversation?"

Wu Tianyong threw his head back and laughed, then gave the senior client manager behind him a meaningful look.

The man quickly caught on, raised a hand to point toward a VIP room not far away, and respectfully invited, "President Wu, this way, please."

Wu Tianyong glanced at Song Anning again. He had already taken a liking to him, and now that they had happened to meet today, he did not want to miss the chance to show goodwill.

Song Anning had been pleasantly surprised upon learning the other man's identity. He had been considering entering the entertainment industry, but while he had the idea, he had not yet found a way in. He had not expected an opportunity to present itself so soon.

Lehong Entertainment was the kind of entertainment company countless people desperately wanted to get into. It had made stars out of more popular idols than anyone could count, and President Wu was the elusive boss behind it all, rarely seen in person.

He had remembered Song Anning after just one encounter at Cen Muxiao's wedding, and had even taken the initiative to greet him and suggest a chat. Did that mean he was extending an olive branch on behalf of Lehong Entertainment?

Seeing hope, Song Anning could not help exclaiming inwardly that his luck was unbelievably good!

But even in the face of Wu Tianyong's invitation, Song Anning hesitated. He knew this opportunity was rare, but when he thought of Cen Muxiao waiting outside, he ultimately gritted his teeth and declined.

"President Wu, it is an honor to meet you, but I'm truly sorry. Someone is waiting for me outside, so I'm afraid I must disappoint you."

"Someone is waiting?"

"Yes. I shouldn't keep him waiting any longer."

Wu Tianyong was a smart man. He could tell that Song Anning was quite tempted by his invitation. If he did not have greater concerns, Wu Tianyong believed he would not easily give up such a rare opportunity.

Then, on second thought, the person who could make him choose this must hold a far higher position than Wu Tianyong. That immediately made him think of Cen Muxiao.

With that thought, he smiled in understanding. "Oh, I see. Since that's the case, I won't force you. But Mr. Song, we can arrange another time to meet, can't we?"

Those words naturally struck right at Song Anning's heart. Holding the business card between his fingers, he nodded slightly. "Of course. Thank you, President Wu, for understanding."

Meanwhile, Cen Muxiao, who was waiting in the car, had not been idle either. He had received a call from his secretary, Wu Tong, and was listening to him report an unexpected situation.

"What did you say? There was an accident at the construction site for the project in Country D, and Guo Lanjun was injured and remains unconscious?"

After hearing the report from the other end of the line, Cen Muxiao asked again in a low voice.

"Yes, President Cen. That is the situation."

"How long ago did this happen? Why is it only being reported now?"

Wu Tong's heart trembled at the question, but he still answered truthfully. "Uh, our overseas representative was not in the area at the time. By the time he received the news, rushed back, and confirmed it, several hours had already passed, so there was a delay in the report."

"How serious are Guo Lanjun's injuries?"

"He is unconscious due to a concussion. His life is not in danger, but we do not know when he will wake up."

Cen Muxiao suddenly thought of Guo Lantai, who had returned to the Guo Family today. He should have arrived by now. Cen Muxiao wondered how the Guo Family had arranged things after receiving the news.

"Have the Guo Family gone over?"

"I asked. Chairman Guo and his wife caught the earliest flight this morning and have already headed over. They should be arriving soon."

As the chief secretary, Wu Tong naturally had to grasp information as comprehensively as possible. Especially when it concerned Guo Group—after all, they were the new madam's family—he paid even closer attention.

But after hearing this, Cen Muxiao could not help thinking: Guo Huaiyuan and his wife had both gone abroad, so why had Guo Lantai still returned home?

Had he not been informed?

Or had he already known but deliberately kept quiet, thinking it had nothing to do with him?

No wonder he had been so well-behaved all morning. He had something on his mind and could not be bothered causing trouble!