Who is the Pawn

Li Jinchuan did not witness the confession by the nameless lake, but he saw the aftermath.

The next day, when he "coincidentally" ran into Lu Ruoxi again in the library, Su Yang was seated calmly beside her.

This time, Su Yang was no longer the silent guardian.

His gaze, when it met Li Jinchuan's, was steady—yet carried an unmistakable declaration.

It was the look of a victor.

As for Lu Ruoxi, from start to finish, she didn’t spare Li Jinchuan a single glance.

She didn’t even bother with superficial politeness.

She outright ignored him, as if he were nothing more than thin air.

Li Jinchuan stood there, watching them discuss equations he couldn’t comprehend in hushed tones.

The sunlight was the same, the scene unchanged.

Only now, he was the outsider—a complete failure.

He turned and left the library.

No anger, no resentment.

His face was eerily calm.

Back in his apartment, Li Jinchuan opened his laptop and pulled up the files on Lu Ruoxi and Su Yang.

He stared at their smiling faces on the screen for a long time.

Then, he laughed—a cold, self-mocking laugh.

He finally understood where he had gone wrong.

His mistake was believing in something as illusory as "love."

He had thought that personal charm and a fated encounter would be enough to win a woman’s heart.

It was the most laughable mindset he’d inherited from his father, Li Xiujian.

Lu Ruoxi was no ordinary girl.

She was a mathematical genius, Lu Chenyuan’s younger sister.

Her world was rational, pure, and sharply defined.

To enter it, one didn’t need vague "feelings"—only tangible value that matched hers.

Su Yang had that.

Not because Su Yang himself was exceptional.

But because behind Su Yang stood Lu Chenyuan.

Lu Chenyuan had paved their path, creating an environment where they could grow together.

And what did Li Jinchuan have?

Nothing.

The identity of a fallen noble, the son of a criminal.

His loss was deserved.

Li Jinchuan shut his laptop, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes.

He hadn’t lost to Su Yang.

Once again, he had lost to Lu Chenyuan.

That man hadn’t even needed to step onto the battlefield to dismantle all his plans effortlessly.

Defeat surged through Li Jinchuan like a tide.

But soon, it was replaced by something fiercer—ambition and hatred.

If love wasn’t the path, then he would take another. One more direct, more ruthless, and far more effective.

Power.

Only absolute power would let him crush Lu Chenyuan beneath his feet.

And then, whether it was Lu Ruoxi or anything else, all would be his for the taking.

Li Jinchuan opened his eyes. The hesitation in them was gone.

In its place was a cold, predatory glint.

He needed a new starting point, a new pawn.

Three days later.

An upscale club in Jingzhou.

A high-end salon titled "Future Finance" was underway.

Those in attendance were either heirs to fortunes or rising stars in finance.

Li Jinchuan stood in a corner, wearing a borrowed suit.

The invitation in his hand had been dug out from his father Li Xiujian’s old belongings—long expired.

But with a little maneuvering, he’d slipped in unnoticed.

Like a starving hunter, he scrutinized the crowd, searching for his prey.

Soon, he found her.

Qin Ya.

The eldest daughter of the Qin family.

Jingzhou’s infamous "Princess."

Surrounded by sycophants, her face radiated boredom and impatience.

She was a proud peacock, scoffing at every flattering word thrown her way.

The corner of Li Jinchuan’s mouth curled.

Perfect.

The prouder, the more capricious—the easier to control.

Because in her world, there was only herself.

Appease that ego, and everything else would follow.

Li Jinchuan didn’t approach immediately.

He waited for his moment.

It came soon enough.

A young heir beside Qin Ya, eager to impress, loudly analyzed the latest stock trends.

"Ya-jie, Yuanlong Tech is on fire! Their 'Boundless' system is driving the whole industry—their stock’s tripled. I threw in some cash last week and made a killing!"

"Seriously, anyone not buying Yuanlong right now is an idiot."

"Lu Chenyuan’s playing this perfectly. Turning stone into gold."

The crowd murmured agreement.

But Qin Ya’s brow furrowed.

The Qin and Mo families were direct competitors in the new energy sector.

And everyone knew about Mo Qingli’s ties to Lu Chenyuan.

Praising Lu Chenyuan in front of her was suicide.

Then, a cold voice cut through the chatter.

"Fools."

The word, though quiet, carried.

Everyone turned.

Li Jinchuan stepped forward, champagne glass in hand.

"What did you say?" The boasting heir flushed red.

"I said, you see the bait but not the fisherman behind it." Li Jinchuan’s gaze swept the crowd before settling on Qin Ya.

There was no flattery in his eyes—only a faint challenge.

"Yuanlong’s stock is a bubble. Lu Chenyuan’s selling a dream, mortgaging market expectations to hijack the whole industry. The moment his cash flow stumbles or the tech fails to deliver, this party turns into a stampede."

His words landed like a hammer. No one had ever dared to trash Yuanlong so boldly.

"Who the hell are you? Spouting nonsense!"

"Yeah, what do you know?"

Li Jinchuan ignored them. His eyes stayed locked on Qin Ya.

She raised a hand, silencing the room.

Then, she studied him with newfound interest.

"Your name?" she asked, tone dripping with condescension.

"Li Jinchuan."

"The Li family’s?" Her eyebrow arched.

That name had become taboo in Jingzhou’s elite circles.

"You’ve got nerve, showing up here."

"Losers don’t have the luxury of nerve," he replied evenly. "Only the need to find their next chance."

The raw ambition in his words pleased Qin Ya.

Far more entertaining than hollow flattery.

"Oh?" She stepped closer. "And where do you think your chance lies?"

"Not with Yuanlong Tech." Li Jinchuan lowered his voice, just for her.

"But with whoever can stand against it."

"Say… the Qin family."

Qin Ya’s pupils flickered. This man was sharp. And blunt.

He knew exactly what she wanted to hear.

"Go on."

"Lu Chenyuan's 'Boundless' ecosystem appears flawless on the surface. But it has one fatal weakness," Li Jinchuan said.

"It's too heavy. R&D, production, distribution, charging networks... He wants to dominate the entire industrial chain. That means he needs massive, continuous capital investment. His frontlines are stretched too thin."

"All it takes is creating enough trouble at one critical node to drag down his entire system."

"Such as?" Qin Ya's interest grew.

"Batteries," Li Jinchuan replied, his eyes glinting with shrewdness.

"The core of new energy vehicles lies in battery technology. Lu Chenyuan currently relies on the Mo family's tech. What if a cheaper, superior battery technology—controlled by the Qin family—emerges on the market? The 'Boundless' ecosystem would be cut off at its roots."

Qin Ya felt a flicker of realization.

This was precisely the headache plaguing the Qin Group.

In the new energy sector, the Qin family had always been overshadowed by the Mo family.

Yet this down-and-out man before her had pinpointed the crux in a single sentence.

"Do you understand technology?" she asked.

"I don't," Li Jinchuan shook his head. "But I understand human nature. And capital."

"Technology can be bought or developed. But strategic vision—and the ruthlessness to seize opportunities—can't be purchased."

He met Qin Ya's gaze, enunciating each word:

"Miss Qin, what you need isn't a technician. You need a blade."

"A blade that can pierce your enemy's heart with precision."

Qin Ya fell silent.

She studied Li Jinchuan—handsome, composed, brimming with ambition, like a predator lying in wait.

Though down on his luck, his edge was unmistakable.

Suddenly, the spoiled heirs buzzing around her seemed like dull, insignificant flies.

"You're interesting," Qin Ya finally said.

She retrieved a business card from her clutch and handed it to him.

"Come to the Qin Group tomorrow afternoon."

Without another glance, she turned and strode away, leaving a crowd of stunned onlookers in her wake.

Li Jinchuan examined the card.

Only a gilded name and a phone number adorned it.

He knew the fish had taken the bait.

Tucking the card away, he drained the last of his champagne.

Then he vanished into the clamoring crowd.