Turning Passive into Active

Morning. Lu Chenyuan and Mo Qingli were sitting at the dining table having breakfast.

Lu Chenyuan spoke as if offhandedly,

"Qingli, us being trapped here was an accident." He paused, then continued,

"But it doesn’t have to be a dead end."

Mo Qingli looked up, quietly watching him.

This man, no matter the circumstances, his mind was always racing, searching for the pivotal move to break the stalemate.

"I’ve been thinking." Lu Chenyuan reached out and gently stroked the back of her hand,

"This might actually be an opportunity."

"An opportunity for me to finally step out from under the shadow of Yuanlong."

Mo Qingli’s heart stirred slightly.

She understood what he meant.

"Depersonalization?" she asked.

"Exactly." Lu Chenyuan nodded. "A great company, a strong industry, can’t forever hinge on one person."

"In the past, my presence was Yuanlong’s anchor—but also its invisible ceiling."

"Everyone grew accustomed to relying on my judgment, my decisions."

"Over time, they’d lose the ability to think independently and grow unrestrained."

"Now, with me trapped here, for Yuanlong, for Hanqing and Lianshan, for Lin Yuan and Ren Qian and everyone else—this is the harshest, but also the best, rite of passage."

Lu Chenyuan paused, his gaze drifting to the city skyline of Country J outside the window.

"And for me, there’s a new battlefield."

"Country J is my new battleground."

"In two or three years, I’ll turn it from a pawn of Country A into a neutral party worth winning over."

"I’ll make myself the fulcrum that shifts Country J’s future."

His voice was calm, yet it carried a force that could move mountains.

Mo Qingli listened quietly, watching the man before her, the calculating brilliance shimmering in his eyes.

She knew every word he spoke was a carefully considered strategy.

But she also knew these words held another layer—reassurance for her.

He feared she might lose heart from their imprisonment, that the shackles might crush her hope.

So, for her sake—and his own—he painted a vision grander and more challenging than mere exoneration.

This man always knew how to turn adversity into a game of chess.

Mo Qingli reached out, smoothing the faint crease between his brows.

"Alright," she said. "I’ll stay with you."

"Whether this place is a cage or a battlefield, I’ll be by your side."

Warmth instantly flooded Lu Chenyuan’s heart.

He lowered his head, pressing a light kiss to her forehead.

"I’m sorry you have to endure this."

"Don’t be." Mo Qingli shook her head, leaning against his shoulder. "Wherever you are is home."

...

The day after Lu Chenyuan and Mo Qingli’s wedding, global media was still frantically dissecting his statement about "temporarily residing in Gedu."

Speculations ran wild.

Some called it a strategic retreat for negotiation.

Others claimed it was a desperate political gamble.

No one could have guessed that Lu Chenyuan, at the eye of the storm, had already begun laying the groundwork for the next chapter of his life.

He declined all visits and interviews except those from the Xia Country embassy.

To the outside world, he seemed to have truly entered a state of "seclusion."

Yet through an encrypted satellite line, his directives were being precisely transmitted across the globe.

The first call went to Zhang Qi.

"Zhang Qi, initiate Project ‘Spring.’"

Zhang Qi’s voice on the other end was as steady as ever.

"Understood, Mr. Lu. Funds have started transferring through multiple channels."

"Good." Lu Chenyuan continued, "Register a new trust fund in Country L."

"Set the beneficiaries as the core employee committees of Yuanlong, Hanqing, and Lianshan."

"Within three years, I want all shares under my name gradually transferred into this fund."

"I want Yuanlong to become a company with no actual controlling shareholder."

Zhang Qi fell silent for a moment.

Having followed Lu Chenyuan for years, he knew exactly what this decision meant.

Lu Chenyuan was personally "surrendering" the trillion-dollar empire he’d built from scratch.

"Mr. Lu, you..."

"Execute the order." Lu Chenyuan cut him off.

"Yes." Zhang Qi asked no further questions.

He knew every decision his boss made carried depths he couldn’t fathom.

"One more thing." Lu Chenyuan added.

"Find someone for me."

"In Country J, Gedu."

"His name is Lu Jinlin, a Xia-descent top lawyer."

"I don’t need you to approach him. Just gather every detail—his background, family, social connections, even his favorite tea."

"Understood."

After hanging up, Lu Chenyuan glanced at Mo Qingli, who was handling Mo Group documents nearby.

His first step was to find the most reliable legal ally on this unfamiliar terrain.

And this ally had to be someone who could grasp his grand vision.

Jingzhou, Civil Affairs Bureau.

Against a red backdrop, Lin Yuan and Ren Qian sat side by side.

The camera flashed, capturing their smiling faces in a small photograph.

Ren Qian looked at the two red booklets in her hand, unable to suppress a grin.

She’d always been decisive.

After Lin Yuan’s proposal yesterday, she’d pulled out her household register from her bag on the spot.

They’d rushed to the bureau that evening, only to find it closed.

So at dawn today, they became the first newlyweds of the day.

No announcements, no flowers, no ceremony.

Just the two of them.

Stepping out into the sunlight, Lin Yuan held Ren Qian’s hand, her radiant smile making everything feel surreal.

"So... we’re married?" He was still dazed.

"Problem?" Ren Qian shot him a look. "Regrets, Mr. Lin?"

"None!" He shook his head vehemently, tightening his grip. "It’s just so fast—like stolen time."

"Exactly." Ren Qian laughed. "Time stolen from work."

She stopped walking, turning to face him seriously.

"Lin Yuan, skip the wedding."

"Right now, we can’t afford extravagance—nor should we."

"With Chenyuan and Qingli still in Country J, it wouldn’t sit right for us to celebrate loudly here."

"We’ll make up for it after we win this war."

Lin Yuan nodded. He understood.

"But," Ren Qian added, "we are having one small dinner."

"Not just for us."

"For the company, for everyone still holding the line."

Lin Yuan caught on immediately.

"Got it. Show them we’re still here—the sky won’t fall."

"Right." Ren Qian smiled. "Come on, Mrs. Lin is treating Mr. Lin to breakfast. Then, back to work."

Lin Yuan gazed at her, eyes full of adoration and admiration.

This is the woman he loves.

Forever clear-headed, forever knowing what matters most.