Abacus Fails

One by one, the core executives of Lu Corporation—department heads personally promoted by Lu Chenyuan—stood up like dominoes and submitted their resignations.

They had never followed the platform of Lu Corporation, but Lu Chenyuan himself.

With Lu Chenyuan at the helm, they were a formidable force.

Without him, they abandoned this seemingly grand yet already leaking ship without hesitation.

Within minutes, a thick stack of resignation letters piled up on the conference table.

The core management of Lu Corporation had been hollowed out in an instant.

Lu Mingshi was stunned.

As he took in the scene before him, fury surged from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.

This was an attempt to strip Lu Corporation bare!

Before leaving, Lu Chenyuan had still managed to stab him in the back!

That bastard!

He had never once regarded Lu Mingshi, his own uncle, with any respect!

Lu Mingshi whipped his head toward Lu Chenyuan and roared in rage, "Lu Chenyuan! What the hell is this supposed to mean?"

Lu Chenyuan looked at him, a trace of pity in his eyes.

"Uncle, you were the one who wanted all of this," he said calmly.

"Now, I’m giving it to you. Whether you can hold onto it—that’s your problem."

With that, Lu Chenyuan turned away without another glance at the shocked, panicked, or gleeful faces in the conference room.

What remained was a hollowed-out shell of a company, teetering on the brink, and Lu Mingshi—seated in the CEO’s chair—his expression shifting from disbelief to fury, then finally twisting into something vicious.

"Fine. Just fine!" Lu Mingshi ground out through clenched teeth, glaring at the direction Lu Chenyuan had left.

After the humiliation came a sickening rush of triumph.

Gone? Good riddance!

He had planned to purge Lu Chenyuan’s loyalists one by one anyway.

Now that they had resigned on their own, he’d save himself the trouble—and a fortune in severance pay!

Did Lu Mingshi really think he couldn’t find replacements?

Jingzhou was overflowing with talent!

All he had to do was put out the word, and countless would flock to serve under him!

"What’s with the panic?" Lu Mingshi slammed his palm on the table, barking at the uneasy board members and executives.

"Lu Corporation doesn’t need any of them to survive! A bunch of self-important fools—good riddance! From today onward, I’m at the helm. Those who want to stay, your compensation doubles. Those who don’t, get the hell out with the rest!"

The taste of power made Lu Mingshi swell with arrogance.

He reveled in this feeling of absolute control, blind to the fact that a sinking ship rarely capsizes from an iceberg—but from the unnoticed cracks and rot within.

...

Meanwhile, in a secluded estate elsewhere in Jingzhou.

Li Xiujian had just hung up the phone, his face dark with fury.

News of the upheaval at Lu Corporation had reached him almost instantly.

Lu Chenyuan resigning?

The entire core team walking out?

That idiot Lu Mingshi taking over as CEO?

The flood of information made one thing crystal clear—he’d been played.

"Damn it!"

His fist smashed onto the table, shattering an exquisite purple clay teapot.

"Lu Mingshi!" he hissed through gritted teeth, murderous intent flashing in his eyes.

Now he understood—Lu Mingshi’s frantic fundraising hadn’t been to acquire shares in his Sheng Tian Real Estate at all. It was to seize power from Lu Chenyuan!

The key piece of his carefully laid plan—the perfect greedy, foolish scapegoat—had slipped away at the last moment.

"Boss... what do we do about Sheng Tian now?" a subordinate asked nervously.

"Do?" Li Xiujian let out a cold laugh, his gaze sharp with venom.

"What else can we do? Keep looking for a buyer. Then start offloading our shares quietly..."

Yet, unease gnawed at him.

What truly haunted him was that secret ledger.

Though his tech team had repeatedly assured him their servers hadn’t been breached, he couldn’t shake the feeling that things weren’t so simple.

Just then, another subordinate hurried in, his expression grim.

"Boss, that plot of land in the southern suburbs... it’s just been auctioned off."

"What?" Li Xiujian shot to his feet. "By whom? At what price?"

"A newly registered company called 'Yuanxing Real Estate.' They outbid our maximum offer by five percent and paid in full upfront."

"Yuanxing Real Estate?" Li Xiujian frowned. The name was unfamiliar.

After a moment’s thought, he snapped, "Dig into them. I want to know who’s behind this company—every last detail!"

That southern suburban land had been crucial to his next move.

But now, with Sheng Tian’s funds still tied up and the land snatched away, he felt like he was being led by the nose by an unseen opponent.

A long-forgotten sense of frustration and danger coiled in his gut.

What he didn’t know was that, at this very moment, inside a newly established office, Lu Chenyuan was reviewing the land acquisition contract handed to him by Zhang Qi.

"Well done," Lu Chenyuan nodded.

"Mr. Lu, 'Yuanxing Real Estate' is a shell company registered with offshore funds. The legal representative is insulated—Li Xiujian won’t trace it back to us anytime soon," Zhang Qi reported.

Lu Chenyuan’s gaze drifted to the window, overlooking the bustling city below.

He remembered clearly—in the original timeline, this land had been secured by Li Jinchuan upon his return from Haizhou.

The original story had glossed over it, mentioning only that Li Jinchuan had accomplished something in Haizhou and obtained critical information.

Now, it was obvious—that so-called "critical information" must have been the investment intent of the Stra Group.

But in this life, he wouldn’t just prevent the tragedy that befell the Lu family.

He would strip away every opportunity that had allowed the Li family to rise.

"Securing the land isn’t enough," Lu Chenyuan said coldly.

"Li Xiujian is desperate to offload Sheng Tian now. We need to light the fire before he finds another scapegoat."

Recommend Series

My Dad Married a Female CEO, and I Gained Four Older Sisters

My Dad Married a Female CEO, and I Gained Four Older Sisters

Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"

With Strong Wings You Betray Your Master, Why Cry When I Held Back a Trick

With Strong Wings You Betray Your Master, Why Cry When I Held Back a Trick

u serious?" Chen Feng watched helplessly as his painstakingly trained disciple, fresh off a championship victory, publicly abandoned him. "You had your chance, but you didn’t appreciate it. Now, face the consequences of your choice!" Chen Feng possessed the "Master System," a treasure trove of supreme martial arts techniques, capable of molding ordinary individuals into peerless prodigies. "Legs like yours? A shame not to train in the Crippling Kick." "Ever heard of a palm strike that descends from the heavens?" "Auntie! I see extraordinary bone structure in you—a martial arts prodigy, one in ten thousand." The once-defiant senior disciple, now watching her juniors rise to fame one after another, dominating the internet, was consumed by endless regret.

After Amnesia, They All Say They’re My Girlfriend

After Amnesia, They All Say They’re My Girlfriend

reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?

The Villainous Young Lady Cries in Frustration: I Told You Not to Provoke the Protagonist

The Villainous Young Lady Cries in Frustration: I Told You Not to Provoke the Protagonist

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)