Chapter 57: Three Minutes Until President Lu's Explosive Rise

This was the closest Lu Chengwen had ever been to death.

The system had warned him: Lu Chengwen had seven chances, each time as a villain, and each time following the script led to his inevitable demise.

In the first two attempts, Lu Chengwen was completely clueless, stumbling through and meeting his end without understanding what was happening.

By the time he grasped the situation and tried to make the most of it, he realized that the outcome for the villain was nearly impossible to change. He died twice more.

By the fifth attempt, he was consumed by anxiety.

No one had ever experienced what he had—dying five times across four different worlds, plus his original real world!

Death, even once, was enough to instill extreme fear.

But Lu Chengwen, after dying five times, was already at the peak of fear.

The fifth attempt was his best performance yet—he survived for three days.

But in the end, a small oversight led to complete failure.

Through repeated "deaths," Lu Chengwen learned one thing: as a villain, you cannot afford to make mistakes.

A tiny error could lead to catastrophic consequences, leaving no chance for recovery.

Now, this was his final opportunity. If he died at the hands of the protagonist again...

There would be no rewards, no return to the real world... nothing.

He would have to accept his fate as a dead man, truly and permanently.

So, this time, Lu Chengwen remained calm and composed, keeping a low profile. He knew that impatience could ruin everything. He had no more chances left; he couldn't afford a single mistake.

One misstep, and it would be eternal damnation.

Now, Long Aotian stood before him.

The rage in Lu Chengwen's heart was indescribable.

Long Aotian!

You're the protagonist!

You're powerful! You have countless treasures, allies, techniques, and connections! You can do anything!

All the beauties are yours!

The fortunes of several families, built over generations, will ultimately belong to you!

This world is yours!

Everything is yours!

And I... am destined to be nothing more than a piece of meat on your chopping block, right?

My existence is meaningless. No matter how I struggle, no matter how I compromise or avoid conflict, the end result is just a minor footnote in your glorious life, isn't it?

How laughable!

Damn system, you just want to see a small-time guy like me, a poor delivery boy who suddenly struck it rich, show my ugly face, don't you?

You want to see me humiliated and desperate, scrambling to survive, don't you?

You want to see me grovel before the protagonist, willing to be his dog just to stay alive, don't you?

Lu Chengwen's eyes were bloodshot as he glared at Long Aotian, his anger burning fiercely.

"Nice glare," Long Aotian said casually. "But none of my enemies have ever defeated me with just a look."

He walked up to Lu Chengwen. "How about this? Be my dog, and I'll take care of you."

Lu Chengwen's eyelid twitched. "Why do you want me to invest in the amusement park project?"

"The amusement park will become a landmark in Snow City. From now on, it will be the new center for shopping, leisure, and entertainment. The potential is limitless."

Long Aotian sat on the sofa, crossing his legs and speaking leisurely. "In short, once the project is completed, I'll review the financial statements, and all profits will be distributed by me. No one else can know about this—just you and me. You'll foot the bill, but the profits will be mine."

Lu Chengwen clenched his fists. "What if I refuse?"

Long Aotian stood up and walked over to Lu Chengwen, patting his shoulder lightly. "You'll agree. Think about your family—your dad, your mom, and oh, you have a younger brother, right?"

Inside, Lu Chengwu tried to rush out, but Chen Mengyun held him back, and Xu Xuejiao quickly covered his mouth, sternly telling him to stay quiet.

Long Aotian continued arrogantly, "Iron King is a fool who can go die. He's just a troublemaker. But there's still Copper King, Silver King, Gold King... over a hundred Kings waiting for you. I don't need to dirty my hands to destroy your family. Think carefully."

When Long Aotian threatened him, especially when he mentioned "mom," Lu Chengwen's rationality returned.

You can't fight this beast head-on. You have to outsmart him.

"Fine. I agree."

"Good. Remember, your life, and your family's lives, are in my hands," Long Aotian threatened. "If you try anything funny, I'll make your entire family disappear."

Long Aotian left. Lu Chengwen sat on the sofa, expressionless.

No anger, no anxiety, no joy, no sorrow—just calm. A terrifying calm.

He held a glass of wine, looking out at the night view outside the window, his expression a mix of smiles and anger.

A group of people filed out from inside, but Lu Chengwen didn't even glance at them.

Xu Xuejiao approached first, smiling. "Brother Lu..."

"Leave."

Lu Chengwen cut her off.

Xu Xuejiao said, "What's he so proud of? If we join forces, we can definitely take him down..."

Lu Chengwen turned to look at her. "This is between him and me. It doesn't involve anyone else. Stay away from me from now on."

Xu Xuejiao wanted to say more, but Chen Mengyun pulled her back and shook her head.

Chen Mengyun had never seen Lu Chengwen like this before.

He had always been someone who wore his emotions on his sleeve.

When he made money or gained an advantage, he would jump for joy, wanting the whole world to know.

When he lost money or suffered a setback, he would fly into a rage, and those around him would suffer.

But today, his silence was terrifying.

The kind of terrifying that sent chills down your spine.

Lu Chengwen continued to gaze out the window.

"Zhao Gang, see them out."

Zhao Gang knew full well that his boss was in the worst mood he'd ever been in.

Zhao Gang said softly, "Everyone, please go home and rest. The boss needs some time alone."

Zhang Shen'er exhaled and took out a recorder. "He threatened you today. Under normal circumstances, you could sue him."

Lu Chengwen smiled.

At this moment, Lu Chengwen's smile seemed frightening.

In reality, it was just an ordinary smile.

But for some reason, at this moment, Zhang Shen'er suddenly realized that she had never truly understood this man.

His smile made her pause, realizing that this man was indeed the eldest son of the Lu family and the current president of Dasheng Group.

He truly had the demeanor of a great leader.

Despite the storm raging inside him, his expression remained calm, his smile serene.

But within that serene smile, there was strength, patience, resilience, and defiance.

Zhang Shen'er didn't even notice that her voice had softened. "If you feel genuinely threatened, call the police immediately."

Lu Chengwen smiled. "Thank you."

As he passed by Tang Yiyi, Lu Chengwen paused.

Tang Yiyi thought she was done for.

This was trespassing, and with a police officer friend right there, if Lu Chengwen decided to make a scene, her friend would have to arrest her on the spot.

"I..."

"Miss Yiyi, you've worked hard. Go home and rest."

"I'm sorry..."

"Sorry, I didn't have time to talk to you today. Let's meet another time."

Even Zhang Shen'er was stunned.

Tang Yiyi had been invited by him!?

Lu Chengwen walked into the bedroom, lay down on the bed, and began to contemplate life.

This feeling of being controlled by someone else was truly unbearable.

The people in the room each had their own thoughts as they filed out. Zhang Shen'er and Tang Yiyi shared a car, while Chen Mengyun and Xu Xuejiao, both realizing the other had feelings for Lu Chengwen, found their relationship becoming awkward. After a few strained words, they each went home.

...

The next day, Mayor Zhao invited everyone to another meeting.

But on the street outside the government building, Lu Chengwen saw a crowd of residents from the slums protesting.

Many were opposed to Dasheng Group taking over the slum redevelopment project, believing that Lu Chengwen, the unscrupulous businessman, was out to suck the people dry. The protest was intense...

As soon as Lu Chengwen stepped out of his car, he was surrounded by the crowd. Zhao Gang and a few bodyguards desperately tried to shield him.

Leng Qingqiu, on the other side, instructed her subordinates to hurry over and help, or else Lu Chengwen might be torn apart by the angry mob.

Lu Chengwen kept a stern face, saying nothing as he walked toward the building. But after a few steps, he saw a security guard roughly pushing an old woman. He immediately erupted in anger. "Let her go!"

Lu Chengwen's pent-up emotions burst forth. Ignoring his own safety, he rushed over and pulled the bewildered bodyguard away. "How old is she? Are you insane, pushing her like that?"

The old woman didn't appreciate Lu Chengwen's gesture. She threw a rotten egg at his face, shouting angrily, "Three years! This project has been going on for three years! We haven't seen a single penny! We've been renting places to live, and my grandson can't even get into school. I can't afford my medicine anymore! You rich people, living in mansions and driving luxury cars, do you even care about the poor? My son broke his leg delivering food, and he's still in the hospital!"

The bodyguard tried to push the old woman again, but Lu Chengwen shouted, "Don't push her!"

As the bodyguard loosened his grip, the old woman rushed forward and grabbed Lu Chengwen, scratching his face. Several bodyguards quickly intervened, trying to separate them.

"Three different bosses have come and gone! They took the money and ran! You're all leeches, sucking the blood of the poor! You're all scum..."

...

The 200-meter distance took Lu Chengwen over 20 minutes to cover.

Standing in the restroom, Jiang Shihan, her eyes red, helped Lu Chengwen tidy his clothes, muttering, "What kind of people are they? We didn't take their money! If they want to vent, they should aim at the right people. What did we do to deserve this..."

Lu Chengwen looked at his disheveled reflection in the mirror and suddenly smiled.

Jiang Shihan's phone rang. "Are you here yet? Hurry up, use the back door. Tell the guard that President Lu's clothes are ruined and reek of rotten eggs. He can't attend the meeting like this! Hurry!"

After hanging up, Jiang Shihan apologized, "President Lu, please wait. The new clothes are on the way. They'll be here soon."

"No, I'll go to the meeting like this."

"President Lu..."

...

In the conference room, all eyes turned to Lu Chengwen as he entered.

Clearly, everyone had heard about the incident outside, and many already had videos of Lu Chengwen being pelted with rotten eggs on their phones.

Lu Chengwen, his face glowing red with scratches from the old woman, smiled and said, "Sorry to keep everyone waiting."

Mayor Zhao felt a bit guilty. "President Lu, I'm sorry. The people don't understand the situation and acted impulsively. Please try to understand."

"I understand, I understand," Lu Chengwen said calmly as he took his seat. The people around him covered their noses.

The stench of rotten eggs was overwhelming.

Mayor Zhao said, "I've heard some rumors that Dasheng Group is withdrawing its investment. President Lu, today I called you here to confirm this in person..."

"Do we even need confirmation?!" Hu Shuhui stood up again. "It's all over the community that Dasheng Group is backing out! If Dasheng withdraws, our 30 million donation is off the table too!"

With Hu Shuhui stirring the pot, many companies began to voice their opinions. Some accused Lu Chengwen of being unethical, toying with Mayor Zhao and Secretary Wu.

Others claimed that Dasheng Group was only in it for the profit, using the slum project to gain popularity before pulling out. If they withdrew, their promised support for the project would also need to be reconsidered.

Some even harsher comments accused Lu Chengwen of being a troublemaker, saying he only knew how to take advantage and had never done anything worthwhile...

The room was in chaos.

But the representatives from the four major families remained silent.

Leng Qingqiu didn't speak, just watched Lu Chengwen.

Chen Mengyun and Xu Xuejiao didn't engage in any discussions, nor did they look at anyone else. They simply kept their eyes on Lu Chengwen.

Mayor Zhao was growing angry.

Secretary Wu, furious, shouted, "Please maintain order in the meeting!"

Mayor Zhao sighed, his eyes betraying a hint of suppressed anger. "President Lu, please speak."

Lu Chengwen stood up and smiled again.