An hour later...
At the Peace Hotel in Shanghai.
This was a historic hotel that had stood since the wartime era. During the turbulent years of China's past, many influential figures had gathered here to discuss matters. Even now, in the new era, the tradition remained—a mark of respect for history.
No one knew who the current owner of the Peace Hotel was, but no one dared to cause trouble either. There was simply no need.
Liu Meng had arranged a meeting with the representatives of the three major families—all except the Samsungs.
Lu Youqi and Wang Xiaolin had already arrived and were seated in Private Room No. 1, their expressions grim. The two of them had been pushed to the brink by Liu Meng’s maneuvers. The moment she entered the room, their eyes immediately darted behind her.
But there were only two assistants, carrying a few documents.
"Where’s President Luo?"
Liu Meng strode straight to the head of the table and sat down without hesitation, a move that visibly angered the two tycoons.
"President Luo won’t be joining us today. I’m the one who called this meeting."
The two men exchanged glances.
"Hmph! Even Luo Yao would have to ask for our permission before sitting there. Who the hell do you think you are?"
Liu Meng tossed two stacks of documents onto the table.
"Save the bravado. Take a look at these acquisition proposals."
"Acquisition proposals?"
What the hell?
Confused, they picked up the documents. By the time they finished the first page, their eyes had widened in shock.
"What? You want to buy out all our businesses? This is outrageous! Since when did Luo Yao develop such an appetite?"
Wang Xiaolin, however, remained silent.
While the terms were far from favorable for him, he couldn’t deny that the proposal offered a way to cut his losses and survive. The only catch was the acquisition method—Luo Corporation demanded absolute control despite holding a minority stake.
Narrowing his eyes, Wang Xiaolin spotted the loophole.
Luo Corporation had always been known for its deep pockets, so why resort to such underhanded tactics instead of a straightforward buyout?
It could be Luo Yao’s shrewd business tactics—or it could mean Luo Corporation was strapped for cash.
"Tch." Wang Xiaolin sighed.
Even if Luo Corporation was financially strained, what could he do about it?
He had long wanted to take down Luo Corporation, especially in recent days. He believed Luo Yao was engaging in cutthroat competition—if that was the game, then no one would come out unscathed.
But guess what?
No matter how hard he and Lu Youqi dug, they couldn’t find a single scandal tied to Luo Corporation. Every operation was squeaky clean.
For a conglomerate of this scale—the world’s top financial empire—to maintain such integrity wasn’t just difficult; it was nearly impossible.
Lu Youqi had once suggested spreading false rumors, but before they could act, the plan backfired spectacularly.
Now, even if they tried again, it wouldn’t matter. Lies were still lies.
At best, it might tarnish Luo Yao’s reputation slightly, but it wouldn’t disqualify her from the bidding war.
Wang Xiaolin’s understanding of Luo Yao had deepened.
Liu Meng: "If you two aren’t interested, then so be it. We’ll keep playing hardball. But just remember—going head-to-head with Luo Corporation means risking total annihilation."
Lu Youqi finally snapped. His usual composed demeanor vanished, replaced by a furious glare.
"You little bitch, do you really think I’ll let you walk out of this hotel alive?"
Liu Meng clapped her hands mockingly. "Calm down, Patriarch Lu. Whether I leave here or not isn’t up to you."
At that moment, the hotel’s elite security team stormed in. Liu Meng leaned back lazily.
"This hotel isn’t yours to command."
Lu Youqi’s eyes bulged in disbelief.
"What? The owner here is… Luo Corporation?"
Liu Meng shook her head. "To be precise, it belongs to our young master, Lin Ran."
The two men fell silent for a long moment before finally speaking.
"Even so, we won’t agree."
Liu Meng didn’t argue.
"Agreement isn’t the point. Actually, today, I wanted to show you a little spectacle."
"What spectacle?"
"The downfall of the Li family."
Both men stared at her, unable to believe an assistant could be so audacious.
Even if they joined forces, they could only deal a minor blow to the Li family. Total annihilation?
"Hahaha! I’ve seen arrogance, but never like this."
Liu Meng shrugged. "Well, today’s your lucky day."
"Fine, fine. Let’s see how the Li family falls. How long do you need to pull it off?"
Liu Meng held up one finger. Lu Youqi frowned.
"A year? A month?"
Liu Meng shook her head.
Wang Xiaolin: "Don’t tell me it’s just one day?"
Again, Liu Meng shook her head. "One hour."
The two men were speechless…
"Haha, my apologies for being late!" Li Chifen strode in, head held high, nodding only at Liu Meng.
Lu Youqi and Wang Xiaolin could only gape at Li Chifen, then back at Liu Meng, utterly baffled by whatever game they were playing…
Meanwhile, upstairs, Luo Yao and Lin Ran gazed at the Bund’s skyline, awaiting the outcome.
"Yao Yao, is this hotel really mine? It’s such an iconic place."
The Peace Hotel wasn’t particularly large or luxurious, but its legacy was undeniable—a century-old institution, even designated as a cultural heritage site.
"It’s just a hotel. If you like it, keep it. If not, I’ll have it burned down."
Lin Ran sweatdropped. This woman was unbelievable.
A historic landmark, and she talked about torching it like it was nothing.
Was money really that trivial to her?
"That won’t be necessary. It may not be a five-star hotel, but it’s got character. And it’s a state-protected heritage site—how did you even manage this?"
"I traded a project for it. But that’s irrelevant. What matters is that you’re happy."
Even after all this time, Lin Ran was still moved by Luo Yao’s devotion.
This level of pampering was reserved for him alone.
He could only imagine how significant that "project" must have been.
"Ran, what do you think will happen to the Li family this time?"
Lin Ran thought back to his past life. Something felt off.
In that timeline, the Li family had also collapsed—but not this soon.
It had happened much later. Yet now, the process had accelerated.
Was this another ripple effect?
Well, it didn’t concern him.
"I’d say the Li family is about to become history."
Luo Yao blinked.
"Then shouldn’t we celebrate this historic moment?"
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
m back to his original world. In the end, he realized he had overthought things. [Hey, why is Shen Manni, the female lead, acting strange? Shouldn't she be fawning over the male lead at this point?] [Zhou Qiaoqiao, are you sick? Weren't you supposed to break off your engagement today?] [Damn it! An Youyi, please do your job as an undercover agent and sell my information to the protagonist, you idiot!] ... At this moment, Xu Mo himself didn't know that these female leads had already heard his inner thoughts. Then they decided not to play by the rules. Xu Mo: Please respect my profession as the big villain!
