Several years ago, a rural woman in her forties, dressed in tattered clothes with mud-caked shoes, rushed into the Lou Family mansion in a disheveled state.
She spoke with a thick country accent, her voice trembling as her words came out jumbled and incoherent.
Kneeling in the center of the living room, she clutched the table corner so tightly her nails turned white, shouting repeatedly:
“Lou Tingwen! Return my money! Give back his life! My husband died unjustly!”
At the time, the Lou Family servants tried to drive her away.
But she clung desperately to the doorframe like a madwoman, weeping with heart-wrenching sobs.
Eventually, security guards forcibly dragged her out.
That piercing wail lingered in Lou Qiyun’s ears long afterward.
Could it be…
That things were far more complicated than they appeared?
Lou Qiyun’s fingers trembled slightly as scenes flashed through her mind.
The woman’s mentions of “Idea,” “Blueprint,” and “stolen Patent.”
And her tearful cries about “He signed the papers, but Lou Tingwen reneged”…
So it wasn’t rambling nonsense, but a real tragedy that had occurred!
Had Lou Tingwen been secretly stealing others’ Ideas for his own benefit since back then?
Was he paving his road to wealth with others’ sweat and blood, climbing to so-called “success” by stepping over countless people’s suffering?
No wonder!
No wonder the approval came through in just days!
How could it have gone so smoothly without shady deals and exchanges of benefits behind the scenes?
Those approval officials – weren’t they all giving him green lights because of his “philanthropist” and “successful entrepreneur” halo?
So this so-called “charity” was merely a fig leaf covering crimes!
A tool to whitewash his reputation!
A disguise to continue his deception!
When everything clicked into place, Lou Qiyun felt like her heart had been struck by a sledgehammer.
She nearly lost her balance, bracing against the wall to steady herself.
She couldn’t wait any longer – not even one more second.
Immediately pulling out her phone, her shaking fingers still managed to quickly open her contacts and dial Lu Lingchuan’s number.
The phone rang three times before being answered.
Lu Lingchuan’s lazy voice came through.
“Just one day apart, could you already be missing me?”
Lou Qiyun forced herself to calm down.
She closed her eyes, throat tight.
“I’m locked in at home. My passport and ID card have been confiscated. But I must leave – there are reasons I have to go.”
She paused, her voice dropping slightly.
“Help me.”
She didn’t want to appear weak, didn’t want to be seen as someone needing pity.
But her words still carried a barely concealed tremor.
On the other end, Lu Lingchuan’s previously relaxed posture on the sofa suddenly straightened.
The smile vanished from his face, replaced by frosty seriousness.
This was the first time Lou Qiyun had cried.
No matter how difficult life had been before – whether facing her biological father’s cold treatment, being marginalized by the family, or enduring mockery and ridicule – she had never shed a single tear.
She always gritted her teeth and persevered, swallowing her grievances and burying her anger deep inside.
But now, her heart felt squeezed by an invisible hand.
Her eyes grew hot as tears welled up uncontrollably, shimmering in her eyes yet stubbornly refusing to fall.
She knew it wasn’t weakness, but the collapse after being suppressed for too long.
Hearing the faint, choked breaths through the phone, Lu Lingchuan’s eyes darkened.
“Okay.”
After hanging up the phone, Lu Lingchuan slowly stood up, a cold smirk curling at the corner of his lips.
He stood by the window, his back straight and imposing.
When he had answered the call, they had been busy handling a covert operation.
Several core members were still in the same office, holding a meeting with encrypted documents and surveillance screenshots spread across the table.
Suddenly, Lu Lingchuan’s tone had shifted.
The moment Nan Yi heard that voice, he immediately grew alert.
With his extensive experience, he quickly sensed something was wrong. He swiftly retrieved surveillance data from around the Lou Family’s vicinity while discreetly sending people to investigate Lou Qiyun’s recent movements.
In less than ten minutes, he received the information and promptly reported, “The Second Miss of the Lou Family just met with Lou Tingwen. When she came out, she was extremely unstable—pale-faced, barely able to stand steadily, as if on the verge of a breakdown.”
He paused, lowering his voice.
“It’s likely related to the Lou Family’s recent maneuvers. I heard Lou Tingwen is preparing a ‘Family Restructuring’ document, which might involve a complete overhaul of assets and status… If the Second Miss doesn’t cooperate, her situation could become very dangerous.”
Lu Lingchuan remained silent for a long time, so long that everyone held their breath.
He stood by the window, motionless.
But in his pitch-black eyes, fury burned so intensely it seemed capable of scorching the air and consuming everything in its path.
“Lou Tingwen has a short memory,” he finally spoke, his voice terrifyingly calm. “It seems the lesson we taught him before was too lenient.”
Nan Yi understood clearly—the calmer the boss appeared, the angrier he truly was.
That calmness wasn’t relief.
It was the stillness of a decision made, waiting only for the moment to strike.
This time, the Lou Family had truly provoked someone they shouldn’t have.
But that was a problem for the Lou Family to deal with later. Right now, there were more urgent matters at hand.
Nan Yi picked up a document from the table and hurried over to Lu Lingchuan, presenting it with both hands.
“Boss, the Wu Family actually released the stolen semi-finished product to the market just to boost their stock price!”
After thorough investigation, they were almost certain the Wu Family possessed only that semi-finished product.
This intelligence aligned perfectly with the clues they had uncovered earlier.
The Wu Family had not mastered the core technology at all—they were merely packaging and launching a product based on stolen, incomplete data.
“What’s infuriating is that the Wu Family’s stock price actually rebounded!”
Nan Yi couldn’t help but slam the table, his voice rising sharply.
The market’s enthusiastic response was unbelievable.
The blind fervor of the capital market had turned an unfinished product into a symbol of “technological breakthrough.”
What was this supposed to mean?
Was it because the Lu Family was so dominant that even a pile of defective goods presented by their rivals was being hailed as a rare treasure?
Lu Lingchuan sat in his office chair, his slender fingers gently stroking the armrest, his stern face betraying little emotion.
He merely tilted his head slightly, glancing at Nan Yi’s utterly frustrated expression.
“Have we caught the mole?”
Nan Yi immediately straightened his posture and thumped his chest.
“He’s already been apprehended! He’s in the basement, awaiting your disposal.”
Lu Lingchuan’s eyes darkened, a murderous aura suddenly radiating from him.
The temperature in the office seemed to plummet, and even the sunlight outside appeared to dim.
He slowly stood up and took two steps forward.
“Take him to Wu Haifeng and deal with him directly.”
“The Lu Family is not someone anyone can trample on so casually!”
Nan Yi promptly acknowledged the order, turned, and strode away with firm steps.
But just as the door closed, a subtle suspicion stirred in his heart.
The boss’s approach this time…
It was almost too straightforward, even carrying a hint of taking up someone else’s cause.
Could it be that this matter involved deeper connections behind the scenes?
…
Lou Family Residence.
Since the incident with the proposal had erupted, Lou Qiyun had practically confined herself to her room all day long.
Aside from mealtimes, she hardly ever showed her face.