The atmosphere in the dining room the next morning was subtly tense.
Lu Qianqian was absent. After Lou Mengling personally went upstairs to persuade her, she had stopped crying but buried herself under the blankets, refusing to see anyone.
At the table sat only Lu Chenyuan and Lu Chenjin, the latter sporting faint dark circles under his eyes from a sleepless night.
Lu Chenjin kept his head down, silently sipping his porridge without a word.
His elder brother’s words from the night before had seared into his mind like a brand—leaving him ashamed, shaken, and yet stirring a faint, unfamiliar longing he hadn’t even recognized in himself.
The feeling of being seen, understood, and even having his future mapped out was something he had never experienced in his twenty years of life.
"Made up your mind?" Lu Chenyuan set down his utensils, dabbing his lips with a napkin before speaking calmly.
Lu Chenjin’s grip on his spoon tightened, though he still didn’t look up. "About what?"
"Whether you’ll keep wasting your talent underground or step into the spotlight and fight for a real championship."
Lu Chenyuan’s tone was utterly indifferent, as if discussing the weather.
After a long silence, Lu Chenjin finally spoke, his voice hoarse. "I… can I really do it?"
For the first time, his usual defiance was absent, replaced by a fragile uncertainty.
Underground racing was thrilling, but deep down, he knew it was nothing more than a dead-end thrill.
Professional racing was another world—one he had secretly yearned for yet deliberately avoided out of sheer rebellion.
"It’s not about whether you can. You must." Lu Chenyuan’s gaze bore into him with unshakable authority.
"The coach I’ve hired for you is Hand, former technical director of an F1 championship team. Your physical trainer is a retired top expert from the national team. Your support staff will meet world-class standards."
Lu Chenjin’s head snapped up, disbelief flooding his eyes.
Hand—a legend in the racing world!
Countless elite drivers would kill for even a single piece of advice from him.
"You…" His lips parted, but no words came.
He had assumed his brother just wanted to drag him out of the gutter and keep him on a short leash somewhere.
But instead, Lu Chenyuan had struck like lightning, paving a golden path straight to the top.
"I’ll lay the road, but you’re the one who has to walk it." Lu Chenyuan watched his stunned expression before continuing, his words carrying deeper weight.
"And what I need from you isn’t just racing."
"Then what?" Lu Chenjin asked instinctively.
Lu Chenyuan’s fingers tapped rhythmically against the table, as if sketching out a grand blueprint.
"Have you ever considered what determines the outcome of a race—besides the driver?"
"The car itself. The engine, chassis, aerodynamics, tires… and data analysis."
The answer spilled from Lu Chenjin’s lips without hesitation—these were things etched into his bones.
"Exactly." Lu Chenyuan nodded approvingly.
"A few days ago, I reviewed a report on new energy vehicles. Current battery and electronic control systems still have massive room for improvement."
"Racing is the ultimate testing ground for automotive performance. Many cutting-edge civilian technologies are born on the track."
He locked eyes with Lu Chenjin, speaking slowly and deliberately.
"What I need isn’t just a champion driver named Lu Chenjin."
"I need you to become a leader in Xia Country’s future automotive industry. Your talent shouldn’t just be used to surpass opponents—it should drive technological innovation."
"I’ll establish an independent new energy technology lab, initially led by you, dedicated to R&D and testing for racing applications. Winning races is your short-term goal. Your ultimate mission is to see the technology we develop installed in cars across the nation."
The dining room fell into silence.
Lu Chenjin was utterly speechless. His mouth hung open, his mind blank.
Champion driver… Leader of Xia Country’s automotive industry… Driving technological innovation…
Each phrase detonated like a thunderclap in his mind.
He had never imagined that his "frivolous" hobby—the one his elders dismissed as a waste of time—could be tied to something so monumental.
He had always assumed his brother looked down on his passion for cars.
Now he realized Lu Chenyuan didn’t disdain it—he simply thought Lu Chenjin was playing at too low a level.
A surge of fire erupted from the depths of his heart, scorching through his veins and raising goosebumps across his skin.
It was the electrifying thrill of purpose—of being handed a mission and a value greater than himself.
"I… I’ll do it!" Lu Chenjin nearly shouted the words, his eyes burning with exhilaration. All his confusion, rebellion, and resentment had finally found an outlet—one fierce enough to incinerate them all.
Watching his brother’s ignited determination, the faintest trace of a smile tugged at Lu Chenyuan’s lips.
The most unruly "knight" on his chessboard had finally been pulled back within the boundaries—and given a clear direction to charge.
……
In the study, Lu Chenyuan stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the gardeners at work in the courtyard below.
Lu Chenjin’s issue was temporarily resolved, but another, deeper and more insidious problem demanded immediate attention.
His father—Lu Mingye.
In the original storyline, Lu Mingye’s infidelity and illegitimate child were the sparks that crushed Lou Mengling, severed the Lu family’s maternal support, and gave the Li family an opening to sow discord within the household.
This ticking time bomb had to be defused—before it exploded beyond control.
He dialed Lin Yuan’s internal line.
"Lin Yuan, I need you to investigate something."
"Of course, President Lu." Lin Yuan’s voice, as always, was steady and efficient.
"Pull all records of my father Lu Mingye’s personal account transactions over the past eighteen years. I need to know where every non-routine expenditure exceeding 100,000 yuan went—especially any long-term, fixed transfers to specific recipients."
Lu Chenyuan’s tone was calm, but the request would unsettle anyone.
Investigating one’s own father was taboo in any family.
Yet Lin Yuan didn’t hesitate—not even his inflection wavered.
"Understood. What level of confidentiality?"
"Highest clearance." Lu Chenyuan’s voice hardened. "No third party can know. Use our most reliable overseas team—no internal channels within the group."
"Copy that. Results within three days."
"Appreciate it."
Hanging up, Lu Chenyuan’s gaze deepened further.
Heart] Chen Yi traversed the cultivation world for eight hundred years, charging his way to the Tribulation Transcendence stage. Just as he was outwitting his 81st Heavenly Tribulation to ascend to immortality, he was suddenly pulled into a chat group called the "Multiverse Transmigrators Support Group." To his surprise, the group was filled with nothing but fresh-faced newbies who had just transmigrated. [Help! I transmigrated into a disgraced concubine in the cold palace, and the tyrant emperor is about to execute me!] [I ended up as a cannon-fodder villain, and the protagonist is still chasing me—WTF!] [I woke up as the protagonist’s father, but I’m about to be sacrificed in a ritual! What do I do? Urgent!!!] Chen Yi stared at the chaotic flood of desperate pleas in the group and fell into deep thought. "Seriously? You drag me into a newbie transmigrator chat group… only after I’m one step away from becoming an immortal?"
agon king storylines. At the start, I obtained the "Ultimate Lackey System" - the more I act as a lackey, the stronger I become. What else could I do? I chose to become the personal henchman of the ultimate villain, Su Muwan. I provoke all sorts of chosen ones, snatch away their opportunities, and commit every evil deed imaginable. You ask who's behind me? Hmph! You're not worthy of knowing my lady's name! ...... ....... I am Su Muwan, the eldest daughter of the Su family. Since childhood, I've possessed extraordinary talent in martial arts, which led to my arrogant and domineering personality in my past life. I was even foolish enough to repeatedly challenge those favored by heaven, ultimately resulting in a tragic death. In this life, I must behave and absolutely cannot walk the same path again!! However... SLAP!! "So you're the Dragon King, huh?!" When I saw my little lackey swagger over and viciously slap the Dragon King who was hiding his identity, I felt my heart sink. Su Muwan's suspended heart finally died as she watched Qin Luo, her utterly loyal lackey, standing before her. She fainted on the spot from shock. Heaven is determined to destroy me!! (Pure love 1v1, light-hearted, no angst, single female lead, villain, reincarnation, lackey)
Explosive Plot Song Gua crossed over into another world, bringing along a whole crew of his doppelgangers—all of them mischief-makers. This was a world where everyone could choose a class. Song Gua became a "Bondweaver," capable of borrowing power, while his doppelgangers took on a wide variety of classes, covering just about everything. The number of doppelgangers grew day by day, each one a talented individual with a charming way of speaking. Under Song Gua's brilliant leadership, they would "greet" each other daily and engage in friendly "sparring," pulling off one major scheme after another on Earth. Sometimes they were bandits—stealing bosses, plundering mines, snatching resources. Sometimes they were saviors—descending like divine warriors to face world bosses threatening to massacre cities. Sometimes they even went undercover, infiltrating various major factions to stir up trouble from within, keeping their enemies constantly on edge. To prevent their doppelganger abilities from being exposed, Song Gua made them wear masks with mahjong tile patterns and don Taoist robes in various colors. "Remember, in front of outsiders, call me 'The Dice.'" "Got it! Boss!" "Not 'Boss'—it's 'The Dice.' Think about the vibe, pay attention to the vibe." "Yes! Boss!" "For crying out loud..." From then on, whenever they appeared, they would have their own theme song playing: ~Hey~ paying respects at the mountain stronghold at night~ whose arm is draped over whose shoulder~ gather your courage and follow along...
orn and Humiliation】【Forced Love】 In his past life, Lin Ran was betrayed and murdered by his girlfriend and family, while the yandere female aristocrat, who had treated him as a mere plaything, avenged him by doing in his enemies. Upon seeing the yandere female aristocrat lying in the same coffin, ready to die with him, Lin Ran realized how profoundly mistaken he had been. Reborn, he abandoned the fickle campus beauty and wholeheartedly embraced the yandere female aristocrat's arms. "Ran! If I dig out your eyes and turn them into a specimen, you'll only be able to look at me!" Lin Ran: "Darling, kiss me!" "Ran! If I break your legs, you won't run away anymore, right?" Lin Ran: "Love, hold me tight!" "Ran! If..." Lin Ran: "Hush now! Love me more!" Luo Yao: ... Seeing his scumbag dad: "Take him out!" Seeing his stepmother: "Get rid of her!" Seeing his brother: "Eliminate him!" Seeing his white moonlight: "Send that to Southeast Asia!"
