Chapter 67: New Situation, New Approach

Lu Chengwen felt like he was about to vomit blood.

He thought to himself, *You guys are from a different world than mine.*

*You have no idea how destructive this sect can be!*

*Good heavens, if you go out there and start blabbering about this... I'll have to bang my head against a wall!*

"Master, this name... seems a bit inappropriate!"

"Huh? Inappropriate?"

Lu Chengwen forced an awkward smile. "It's... a little bit."

Long Aotian, however, didn't seem to care. "I think it's fine..."

Lu Chengwen glared at him. "Shut up! You don't understand what's going on here!"

"Hmm." Hun Tiangang pondered for a moment. "Well... my two signature techniques are Cold Saw Beauty and Golden Bell Shield. Let's take one character from each—'Beauty' and 'Shield.' That would make it..."

"Master, wouldn't that still be the Beauty Shield Sect?"

"You're not getting it. This 'shield' isn't the same as the previous one."

"But it sounds the same!"

"Oh."

Hun Tiangang thought for a while longer. "Got it! As the old saying goes: 'The land of Yan and Zhao has always been home to heroic and tragic figures!' Let's name it based on the region. We'll call it..."

Lu Chengwen knelt down, tears streaming down his face. "Master, tell me the truth... have you been looking at photos on the computer?"

Hun Tiangang waved his hand dismissively. "Ah, forget it! Anyway, we'll just call it the Beauty Shield Sect!"

Long Aotian excitedly said, "Thank you, Master! Congratulations on becoming the founding patriarch of the Beauty Shield Sect!"

"Hmm." Hun Tiangang nodded. "I'll tell you this, but keep it a secret. My full name is Hun Tiangang, courtesy name Guanxi!"

Lu Chengwen nodded. "Makes sense."

Hun Tiangang continued, "Today, the two of you have become my disciples. From now on, you must love and care for each other. No infighting. Otherwise, I'll kill you both. I never really planned to pass on my legacy anyway. If I end up with two troublemakers who fight each other, I might as well just kill you both and be done with it."

"Yes, Master. We wouldn't dare."

Hun Tiangang said, "You may leave now. I'm also leaving this place."

Long Aotian was immediately anxious.

*What do you mean we're leaving? And you're leaving too?*

*We've been kowtowing and flattering you like crazy, and now that we've joined your sect, you're just going to leave?*

*What kind of game are you playing!?*

"Master, then... how can we find you if we need guidance?"

"No need." Hun Tiangang replied. "Aren't you both doing well in Snow City? I'll find you easily. I'll drop by occasionally to teach you a thing or two. If you learn it, great. If not, no big deal. My teaching style is... casual."

"This... alright then."

Hun Tiangang laughed heartily. "Hahaha! Good disciples! Today, I, Hun Tiangang, have established my own sect! Hahaha!"

A gust of wind swept through, and Hun Tiangang shot out of the cave like a demon, soaring into the sky and disappearing into the distance.

"Aotian, Chengwen, remember your vows! Hahaha..."

The two of them looked at each other, thinking, *What just happened?*

*He's just... gone?*

The two of them walked out of the cave. Iron Tuo Wang and Hua Xuening were waiting at the entrance, clearly not getting along.

As soon as they saw Long Aotian and Lu Chengwen come out, they both rushed forward. "Young Master!"

Lu Chengwen laughed. "Iron Tuo Wang, according to Master's instructions, I've sworn brotherhood with Long Aotian! From now on, we're not just fellow disciples but also sworn brothers. We'll share fortune and misfortune, and be brothers for life! So, let's let bygones be bygones!"

Long Aotian turned to Lu Chengwen and smiled. "Chengwen, my junior brother, from now on, we're brothers. We should support and help each other!"

"Of course! Big Brother!"

Long Aotian said, "You scammed me out of five billion in cash. Now that we're brothers, you should return that money, right?"

"Ah, Big Brother, that's a bit tricky!"

"What do you mean?"

"That five billion has already been given to Mayor Zhao for welfare projects, so... it's gone."

"But you have so much money. You can return my five billion!"

"My money? That's even harder! I signed a fifty-billion deal with the city government, as you know. Right now, my entire group's liquid assets are only about thirty billion. I still need to figure out how to come up with another ten billion to cover the gap!"

Long Aotian's expression darkened. "Well, junior brother, if that's how you want to play it... don't blame me for not caring about our brotherhood."

Lu Chengwen took a step back. "Master said you can't hit me!"

"Hahaha!" Long Aotian laughed maniacally, his eyes fierce. "We're both members of the Beauty Shield Sect, so of course we can't kill each other. But... there are other ways to make you pay up. And just because I won't kill you doesn't mean others won't."

Lu Chengwen glanced at Hua Xuening. "She saw us swear our vows. If you order her to kill me, she'll look down on you!"

"Will she?"

Hua Xuening coldly replied, "Absolutely not!"

Lu Chengwen was shocked. "Think carefully! I'm the one who saved you. I fed you those two pills mouth-to-mouth!"

At the mention of this, Hua Xuening's face turned red with anger. "Don't bring that up! If anything, it makes me want to kill you even more!"

Long Aotian said, "Iron Tuo Wang, this is your last chance. Kill Lu Chengwen, and I'll spare your life."

Iron Tuo Wang shouted, "Screw you! I'm loyal to the Young Master, and I'll never betray him! I've already sworn allegiance to Young Master Lu Chengwen. Are your ears broken?"

Long Aotian was furious. Lu Chengwen grabbed him and pulled him aside. "Big Brother, let's talk privately."

The two of them walked to the side, and Lu Chengwen smiled. "Big Brother, why are you in such a hurry? It's just five billion, right? And that piece of land? Let me go back and think of a solution. I might not be able to get all of it, but I can probably scrape together two or three billion to help you secure that land."

"Are you sure?"

"How can I be sure about something like this?" Lu Chengwen said. "In any business deal involving billions, nothing is ever 100% certain. We just have to push forward and see how things play out. But with me on your side, this should be a piece of cake. Besides, now that we're fellow disciples, I genuinely want to be your friend. I'm very generous with my subordinates, let alone my senior brother!"

Long Aotian's eyes narrowed as he considered this. "If junior brother is willing to help, then fine. We can discuss this further."

"Once we're back in Snow City, let's find some time to sit down, have a drink, and talk about how I can help you achieve your ambitions. With my support, conquering the four major families of Snow City will be a breeze!"

Long Aotian was genuinely tempted.

He felt that while Lu Chengwen was cunning, he was also bold when it came to spending money.

If Lu Chengwen was willing to support him, the pace of taking over the other three families would definitely accelerate.

If Lu Chengwen proved loyal, he could keep him around as a lackey. His business acumen could be useful.

With Lu Chengwen helping him amass wealth in the North, he could reap the benefits without lifting a finger.

Even if Lu Chengwen became unnecessary later, once the other three families were under control and the four major families were unified under his command, dealing with Lu Chengwen would be a trivial matter.

His life would be mine eventually!

With that in mind, Long Aotian said, "Junior brother, to be honest, I have grand ambitions. I plan to unify the four major families of Snow City, and eventually the entire North. If you're truly willing to support me, we can join forces and conquer the North together. When that happens, I'll share everything with you!"

"Deal!"

Lu Chengwen began passionately expressing his admiration for his senior brother.

They found a road and made a call. An hour later, Zhao Gang arrived with several cars.

The cars drove to a large hotel, and everyone was shocked.

Lu Chengwen was dressed in tattered clothes, with bruises and cuts all over his arms, legs, and face. There were even bloody welts in several places.

The hotel manager immediately recognized Lu Chengwen. "Mr. Lu!? What happened to you...?"

Lu Chengwen said, "Went bungee jumping. No more questions. Where's Jiang Shihan? I told her to wait for me here."

Jiang Shihan quickly ran over with a few people. She was equally shocked when she saw him. "Mr. Lu? What happened...?"

"Don't ask. Is the room ready?"

"Everything's prepared. The feast, the wine, and the new clothes you requested..."

"Alright, give me the key card. You can leave now."

"I can stay and assist you..."

"Not needed. Go."

The immediate crisis had passed, but there was still a ticking time bomb: Iron Tuo Wang and his four subordinates.

When they arrived at the presidential suite, everyone was stunned.

In their organization, they could never afford such a luxurious suite.

They had been given five billion in funding, but their daily allowance was only a few thousand yuan.

Waiters filed in one after another:

"Mr. Lu, this is the lobster that arrived today. Twelve thousand per piece."

"Mr. Lu, this is the king crab you ordered. Twenty-three thousand per piece."

"Mr. Lu, this is the wine you requested. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. Three million per bottle."

"Mr. Lu, this is the premium care kit you ordered..."

The four of them were dumbfounded.

*Is our Young Master this rich!?*

*Well, he did have five billion... he can do whatever he wants!*

*Wait, no. He said that Young Master Lu of the Lu family isn't just worth five billion. Five billion is pocket change to him. He just invested fifty billion in a project!*

*Rich! So rich!*

Lu Chengwen changed into a new set of clothes and walked out of the dressing room. The five of them were even more impressed.

*So handsome!*

Lu Chengwen said, "Sit, eat, drink. Don't be shy."

Iron Tuo Wang chuckled. "Then... we won't stand on ceremony!"

The five of them were starving. They had been working hard for years, but most of the money they earned went to the organization. Very little ended up in their pockets.

*The organization is too ruthless!*

*They control their subordinates too tightly!*

When Iron Tuo Wang had been holding the five billion, he had thought more than once about running away with the money.

But he didn't dare.

Now that the Young Master was treating them, why hold back? Let's feast!

The five of them devoured the food, each holding a bottle of three-million-yuan wine.

Lu Chengwen sat there, not eating, just swirling his wine glass and watching them.

Iron Tuo Wang smiled. "Young Master, you've been starving all day. Why aren't you eating?"

"You eat first. Then I'll talk to you about something."

"Alright, alright."

After wolfing down the food and drinking quite a bit, Lu Chengwen ate a few bites himself and then put down his fork. "Was it good?"

"Yeah, yeah! The king crab was so tender, especially the meat in the legs. So satisfying!"

Lu Chengwen smiled. "Do you want to eat like this every day?"

Iron Tuo Wang was stunned. "That's... too extravagant. We're grateful to have this occasionally, but we can't waste the Young Master's money."

Lu Chengwen chuckled. "Even if the five of you ate eight meals a day until your eightieth birthdays, you wouldn't bankrupt me."

The group was stunned. "Of course, of course. The Young Master is wealthy."

Lu Chengwen continued, "Also, from now on, each of you will receive a monthly salary of two hundred thousand! Iron Tuo Wang, you'll get five hundred thousand! Is that enough?"

Their eyes lit up. "Thank you, Young Master! Thank you for your generosity!"

Lu Chengwen added, "That's not all. I'll buy each of you a property in Snow City. Tomorrow, I'll send someone to transfer the deeds. They'll all be high-end properties, worth over five million."

The five of them were ready to kneel and kowtow.

Lu Chengwen said, "I'll also give each of you a luxury car worth a million, and I'll cover all your monthly expenses."

Now the five of them really did kneel and kowtow.

In other words, each of them had just landed a job with an annual salary of over two million, and Iron Tuo Wang was making six million!

On top of that, they each instantly gained millions in assets.

And all their daily expenses would be covered, meaning their earnings were pure profit with no overhead!

Anyone would be overjoyed to have a job like this!

Lu Chengwen said, "There's just one thing—I need you to cut all ties with the organization."

The five of them froze.

Lu Chengwen calmly poured himself a glass of wine and looked at them. "I want you to defect."