Transformation

Old Piero looked at the man before him—a mountain shrouded in mist.

You could see him, yet you could never truly see through him.

At this moment, Old Piero realized he might have made a mistake.

But once you’re at the gambling table, a gambler doesn’t back down easily.

"Of course, passing the proposal is just the first step," Old Piero shifted his tone, raising the stakes.

"The subsequent review process will be complicated. There will be significant resistance—from the ruling party and from Country A."

"But don’t worry, Mr. Lu," he smiled. "The Liberal Party will be the most reliable friend to you and your family."

The subtext was clear: You need me.

Lu Chenyuan finally lifted his gaze, meeting Old Piero’s eyes.

"Mr. Piero," he began, his voice calm yet carrying an unusual weight.

"I’ve always believed that the foundation of our cooperation isn’t friendship."

"It’s mutual interest."

"Bringing Mo Qingli home aligns with my interests."

"A stable, prosperous, and independent J Country aligns with the Liberal Party’s interests—and with Xia Country’s as well."

"We’re doing something that benefits everyone."

He paused, then added,

"So, this isn’t about one party helping the other."

"We’re simply helping ourselves."

Old Piero’s smile froze.

With those measured words, Lu Chenyuan had stripped away all pretenses of "favor" between them,

reducing their relationship to its barest, most equal form: a partnership.

Old Piero suddenly realized—

he had underestimated this young man.

That harmless, fatherly demeanor was just a facade.

Beneath it lay the mind of a lion: calculating, precise, and ruthless.

"You’re right, Mr. Lu," Old Piero quickly regained his composure, standing up. "I was being shortsighted."

"Then I won’t disturb your family time any further."

He extended his hand.

"Pleasure doing business."

"Pleasure doing business," Lu Chenyuan replied, shaking it.

After seeing Old Piero off,

the warmth on Lu Chenyuan’s face slowly faded.

He walked to the window, watching Old Piero’s car disappear down the street.

From today onward, Old Piero was no longer just an ally.

He had become a partner to be wary of.

Power was the ultimate catalyst.

It could inflame a man’s ambitions overnight.

But Lu Chenyuan wasn’t concerned.

He never placed his hopes in anyone’s "goodwill."

He only trusted the plans he laid with his own hands.

Mo Qingli stepped out from the inner room,

placing a glass of warm water by Lu Chenyuan’s side.

"He’s changed," she said.

She had overheard the entire conversation.

"Power changed him," Lu Chenyuan turned to her.

"He wants more from us," Mo Qingli cut to the heart of it. "He wants us to owe him."

"He’s overreaching," Lu Chenyuan chuckled.

He led her to the couch, sitting down together.

"Qingli, in this world, there are no permanent friends—only permanent interests."

"Right now, Old Piero’s interests align with ours in bringing you home. So, he’ll do his part."

"But what happens after? When his ambitions clash with our interests?"

"Then, he becomes our next opponent."

Mo Qingli leaned against his shoulder.

She loved listening to him dissect the chessboard of power with that icy, analytical tone.

It made her feel safe.

Because she knew—this man always saw one step ahead of danger.

"What do we do now?" she asked.

"We wait," Lu Chenyuan answered. "Then, we go home."

...

The arrival of lawyer Lu Jinlin brought more concrete progress.

He carried an official document from J Country’s Supreme Procuratorate.

"Mr. Lu, President Mo," he handed over the file, his expression professionally restrained.

"The Procuratorate has formally dismissed all previous charges against you."

"Their reasoning: insufficient evidence and serious procedural flaws in the investigation."

It was a monumental victory.

Legally, Mo Qingli had been cleared.

"But," Lu Jinlin’s tone shifted, "they’ve added a new condition."

"They’re requesting President Mo cooperate as a ‘witness’ in a so-called ‘transnational financial crime’ case."

"That’s absurd," Mo Qingli said coldly after reading. "This is just another delay tactic."

"Exactly," Lu Jinlin nodded. "The ruling party’s last stand."

"They don’t dare detain you illegally anymore, so they’re using legal procedures to keep you here."

"They’re buying time—to appease Country A and strengthen their own bargaining position."

"What do we do?" Lou Mengling asked anxiously from the side.

She didn’t understand the legal jargon, but she grasped one thing: Qingli still couldn’t return home.

"Mom, don’t worry," Lu Chenyuan reassured her.

He looked at Lu Jinlin, his gaze steady.

"We’ll accept."

"What?" Everyone was stunned.

Even Lu Jinlin seemed surprised. "Mr. Lu, this means President Mo will have to stay for at least another month or two."

"It’s fine," Lu Chenyuan shook his head.

"If they want procedure, we’ll give them procedure."

"If they want time, we’ll give them time."

He turned to Mo Qingli, his eyes filled with absolute trust.

"I believe in my wife. No matter what case they fabricate, she’s untouchable."

"And I believe in our country," he glanced out the window.

"She won’t let her citizens suffer injustice overseas."

His words carried unshakable conviction, bolstering everyone in the room.

Lu Jinlin took a deep breath, finally understanding Lu Chenyuan’s strategy.

Retreat to advance. Strike after the enemy exhausts themselves.

Let them drown in bureaucracy while we wait for the tide to turn.

"I understand," Lu Jinlin gathered the files.

"I’ll communicate this to the Procuratorate accordingly."

...

Life seemed to return to its earlier calm.

Lu Chenyuan resumed his role as a full-time father.

Mo Qingli began attending biweekly "questioning sessions" at J Country’s Procuratorate as a "witness,"

accompanied each time by Xia Country’s embassy officials and legal team.

The prosecutors scoured for even the slightest flaw in her testimony.

They found nothing.

Mo Qingli was impeccable—her answers precise, methodical, airtight.

Gradually, even the prosecutors lost patience.

The "interrogations" became a hollow formality.

And beneath this surface calm,

high-level talks between Xia Country and J Country’s new government had quietly begun.

No one knew what they discussed.

But everyone saw.

Xia State announced it would fully open the underlying interface of the "Tianshu" system to Nation J.

Nation J declared it would engage in deep collaboration with Xia State in the fields of new energy, artificial intelligence, and modern agriculture.

One heavyweight cooperation agreement after another was unveiled in rapid succession.

Nation A issued its most severe protest.

But this time, Nation J chose silence.