The First Chosen One of Fortune

The Second Ring Road, Beijing. Nanchizi Street.

It was a hutong where even ride-hailing drivers usually didn't dare to venture.

Towering walls of blue brick and gray tile lined both sides. Hidden along the top of the walls, every thirty meters, were high-definition infrared cameras bearing military-grade insignias.

At the end of the alley stood a massive, traditional courtyard estate, its footprint rivaling that of an entire city block.

Boasting a classic five-courtyard layout, it was built upon the ruins of a Qing Dynasty princely mansion.

There was no plaque above the entrance.

The only markers were two weather-beaten white marble lions flanking the doors and four armed inner guards standing at attention.

This was the ancestral home of the Shen family.

Three bulletproof Maybachs pulled up to the vermilion gates.

The guards didn't step forward to interrogate them. Instead, they pushed open the heavy wooden doors, which were wide enough to let two trucks pass side by side.

Shen Fei stepped out of the car.

He did not let Su Qingxue follow him inside.

"Qingxue, head over to the Shen Group headquarters in the World Trade Center first. Wait for me in the top-floor office. Ling Shuang and Ling Xue will take some men to protect you," Shen Fei instructed.

An internal family transition of power was no place for outsiders. That was the rule.

"Alright. You... be careful." Su Qingxue hesitated for a moment before nodding, promptly getting back into the car.

Shen Fei stepped over the high threshold alone.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, a profound sense of ancient heritage washed over him.

Century-old locust trees towered into the sky, their canopies blotting out the sun.

Beneath his feet lay golden bricks passed down from the Ming Dynasty, so dense that they seemed to absorb the very sound of his footsteps.

Along the way, servants in dark traditional jackets and hidden guards in sharp suits stopped in their tracks, bowing a full ninety degrees to Shen Fei.

Not a single person dared to raise their head to look him in the eye.

He passed through three ornate festooned gates.

Finally, he arrived at the grand council hall in the main courtyard.

The hall was incredibly spacious, with yellow rosewood armchairs lined up on either side.

The air carried a faint, lingering scent of sandalwood mixed with agarwood.

Seated on the master chair in the very center was an old man.

He was eighty years old.

Dressed in an exceptionally plain navy-blue Tang suit, he was rolling two walnuts in his hand.

The walnuts clacked against each other, emitting a crisp, rhythmic sound.

The old man had a full head of silver hair and deep age spots on his face, yet his back was perfectly straight—like a long spear poised to pierce the heavens.

But the most terrifying thing about him was his eyes.

They were not clouded by age.

Instead, they were as sharp as a falcon's, seemingly capable of seeing through any disguise.

This was the patriarch of the Shen family, Shen Wanjun.

A living fossil from a turbulent era who had carried a gun, killed men, and later built a trillion-dollar empire in the treacherous seas of commerce.

Shen Fei stepped into the center of the hall.

He stood still.

He did not kneel, nor did he offer any flattering greetings.

He simply bowed with strict formality, offering the traditional salute of the Shen family's eldest legitimate grandson.

"Grandpa, I have returned," Shen Fei said, his voice perfectly steady.

The clacking of the walnuts stopped.

Shen Wanjun did not speak immediately.

His eagle-like eyes sized Shen Fei up and down.

He watched him for a long time.

He scrutinized everything from Shen Fei's posture to his gaze, and even the rhythm of his breathing.

The old man's gaze slowly shifted from intense scrutiny to surprise, before finally softening into a profound look of approval.

After spending the last few months in Jinling.

His eldest grandson—who had always been clever but somewhat impetuous and arrogant—had changed.

He had become as deep and still as water, his sharp edges now completely concealed.

He even exuded a faint, terrifying aura of malice that made even Shen Wanjun's heart skip a beat.

It was a presence that could only be forged by someone who had truly seen blood, taken lives, and slain powerful figures.

"You've toughened up."

Shen Wanjun finally spoke, his voice booming like a mighty bell.

"How did the situation in Jinling finally play out?"

"Lin Tian, the head of the Dragon King Palace, is dead," Shen Fei answered concisely.

"As for the remnants of the Dragon King Palace overseas, I had the hidden guards cut off their financial supply chains. While we were at it, we sold their core strongholds to local armed factions. They are completely dismantled."

"The Lin family's assets have been entirely absorbed into the Shen Group. Not a single penny slipped through the cracks."

Shen Fei's report held no boasting or exaggeration.

He spoke as if he were recounting the most trivial of matters.

Shen Wanjun listened and nodded.

He set the walnuts down on the table.

"Good. Decisive and ruthless, leaving no loose ends behind. That is exactly the kind of iron fist a grandson of Shen Wanjun should possess."

The old man stood up.

He didn't use a cane. Though his steps were slow, they were incredibly steady.

He walked over to Shen Fei and patted him on the shoulder.

"Little Fei. Your grandfather is getting old."

"The great ship of the Shen family is too massive, and it carries far too many people. Lately, some folks have started to think that I'm too old to wield the blade anymore, and they've been making petty moves behind the scenes."

Shen Wanjun's voice echoed throughout the cavernous hall.

"Your return couldn't have been timed better."

The old man suddenly turned around to face the doors.

"Come in, all of you!"

His shout was full of vigor, cutting through the air with immense piercing power.

From outside the doors came the slightly chaotic sound of approaching footsteps.

Moments later, over a dozen middle-aged and elderly men filed into the council hall.

These men were the core figures from the various branches of the Shen family.

Among them were the regional presidents who commanded the Shen Group's overseas territories, high-ranking officials navigating the treacherous waters of politics, and several senior elders from the collateral bloodlines.

Leading the pack was a middle-aged man in a custom Armani suit, his hair slicked back sharply.

His facial features bore a striking resemblance to Shen Fei's father.

Yet, as he looked at Shen Fei, his eyes concealed a deep-seated hostility and disdain.

This was Shen Fei's second uncle, Shen Zhenhai.

He was the current helmsman of the Shen family's second branch, maintaining de facto control over nearly thirty percent of the Shen Group's real estate and mineral resources.

After entering the hall, the men took their places standing beside the armchairs on either side. No one dared to sit.

Because the patriarch had not yet given the word.

Shen Wanjun swept his gaze over the crowd.

Then, he uttered a sentence that plunged the entire hall into dead silence.

"Now that everyone is here, I have an announcement to make."

The old man pointed to Shen Fei standing beside him.

"Starting today, Little Fei will take full control of all the Shen family's daily affairs. Major group decisions, financial allocations, and command over the hidden guards will all be transferred to him."

"My words are his words."

"And his words are my words."

Shen Wanjun's tone was chilling, radiating an undeniable, oppressive authority.

"If anyone has a problem with this,"

"You can go to the accounting office right now, collect your severance, pack your bags, and get the hell out of the Shen family estate!"

Boom!

His words went off like a massive bomb amidst the crowd.

The entire hall was sent into an uproar.

Several elders from the third and fourth branches turned deathly pale. They exchanged nervous glances, wanting to object but lacking the courage to speak up.

Full control?!

This wasn't some training exercise; this was handing the ultimate authority of the entire Shen family directly into the hands of a twenty-something kid!

It also meant that, from now on, these collateral branches would have to dance to the tune of a wet-behind-the-ears brat just to survive!

Shen Zhenhai's face instantly turned livid.

He took a fierce step forward, openly defying the patriarch.

"Father! I object!"

Shen Zhenhai's voice was loud, carrying a distinct edge of interrogation.

"Little Fei may have accomplished a few things in Jinling, but that just proves he has some street smarts. The Shen family is a multi-billion-dollar empire! We have ties spanning the military, politics, and the business world!"

"He's just in his twenties! On what grounds is he directly taking over the family? Does he know the first thing about macroeconomic control? Does he have any idea how to maneuver around those old foxes in the capital?"

"Giving him full control will run the Shen family straight into the ground!"

Shen Zhenhai's words struck a chord with several members of the collateral branches.

"He's right, Master. This is far too reckless."

"Why not let Young Master Shen take the position of vice president in the group first, so he can gain a few years of experience."

For a moment, the council hall was filled with voices of opposition.

Shen Wanjun looked at them coldly without saying a word.

He was waiting.

Waiting for Shen Fei's reaction.

This was his final test for his grandson.

If Shen Fei couldn't even suppress these leaping clowns, then he indeed couldn't sit securely in the position of the family head.

Shen Fei stood quietly in place.

Facing the accusations of the crowd and the difficulties made by his second uncle, he was not angry, and did not even defend himself.

He just slowly turned his head.

Looking at a young man standing behind Shen Zhenhai.

That was an extremely eye-catching young man.

Around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, wearing a custom-made moon-white long gown, completely out of place in the surrounding atmosphere of suits and leather shoes.

He had a handsome face and an extraordinary temperament.

He stood there quietly, his eyes revealing a lofty arrogance, as if watching a farce.

The moment Shen Fei looked at him, he also looked at Shen Fei.

Their eyes met.

The young man's mouth curled into a sneer, and he slightly raised his chin.

Shen Fei issued a command in his mind.

System, activate luck scan.

Ding!

Target locked.

Name: Lin Yu.

Luck Level: SS.

Current Luck Points: 5000 points.

Core Tags: Heir to an ancient martial arts family, peerless in medicine and martial arts, young master of a hidden sect.

Status: Deeply bound to the faction of the Shen family's second branch. Extremely hostile to the host.

Shen Fei's eyes narrowed slightly.

So this was the confidence his second uncle had to publicly challenge the old man.

Heir to an ancient martial arts family.

Peerless in medicine and martial arts.

A Son of Fortune with this kind of setup was usually a dimensional strike existence in urban web novels.

They possessed martial prowess beyond worldly understanding and mastered medical skills that could bring the dead back to life.

Given time, they could win over countless powerful figures and eventually crush all wealthy families.

Shen Fei looked at Lin Yu's confident expression that looked down on everyone.

He could even guess what Lin Yu was thinking right now.

Nothing more than, I, Lin Yu, have come down from the mountain, and I will definitely assist Second Master Shen in seizing the position of the family head. You, Shen Fei, are just a playboy relying on your family background, and I can crush you with one hand.

Childish.

And ridiculous.

Shen Fei withdrew his gaze.

He ignored Lin Yu and looked at Shen Zhenhai, whose face was ashen.

"Second Uncle."

Shen Fei spoke.

His voice was not loud, but it suppressed the noise of the entire venue in an instant.

"You think I'm young, you think I don't know how to maneuver."

Shen Fei walked towards Shen Zhenhai step by step.

His leather shoes stepped on the gold bricks, making a muffled sound.

"Then let me ask you something."

"On the twelfth of last month, you opened an account in a Swiss bank under the name of the Shen family's overseas real estate company."

Shen Fei walked up to Shen Zhenhai and stopped.

"Twelve billion in funds was transferred into this account. The payee was several offshore shell companies controlled by the Wang family in the capital."

The entire venue instantly fell dead silent.

Shen Zhenhai's pupils contracted violently, and his complexion instantly turned from ashen to pale!

"You... what nonsense are you talking about!" Shen Zhenhai forced a roar.

Shen Fei did not pause, his voice still flat.

"On the fifteenth, you had a secret meeting with Second Young Master Wang for three hours on the top floor of the Chang'an Club. You promised that as long as the Wang family helped you sit in the position of the family head, you would transfer the Shen Group's two rare earth mines in South Africa to the Wang family at twenty percent of the market price."

"The audio recordings, videos, and vouchers of the fund flow."

"Are all in my phone right now."

Shen Fei took out his phone and casually waved it.

"Second Uncle, is this your so-called macro-control?"

"Is this your maneuvering with old foxes?"

"Taking the Shen family's meat to feed someone else's dogs. And then exchanging it for the hat of the family head on your head."

Shen Fei put his phone back in his pocket.

"Do you deserve the surname Shen?"

The entire council hall was silent.

You could hear a pin drop.

Everyone looked at Shen Fei in horror.

Especially those side branch members who had just echoed Shen Zhenhai, they were so scared that they broke out in cold sweat and their legs went weak.

Shen Zhenhai trembled all over.

He couldn't figure out how Shen Fei, who was far away in Jinling, knew about these top-secret transactions that even his wife didn't know about?!

And it was accurate to every sum of money and every point in time!

It was over.

It was all over.

Shen Wanjun sat in the main seat, his face having darkened to the extreme. The walnuts in his hand were directly crushed by him, and the wood splinters pierced his palm, but he was completely oblivious.

"Number Two." Shen Wanjun's voice revealed a bone-chilling murderous intent.

Shen Zhenhai fell to his knees with a thud.

But he was not reconciled!

He suddenly turned his head and looked at the young man in the moon-white long gown behind him.

"Mr. Lin! Save me!" Shen Zhenhai let out a roar like a trapped beast.

As long as Lin Yu made a move.

As long as he showed the absolute martial power that was enough to crush all secular armed forces.

He still had a chance to turn the tables!

Hearing this cry for help.

Lin Yu, who had been watching with folded arms, finally moved.

He slowly stepped forward and stood in front of Shen Zhenhai.

He did not look at Shen Wanjun, nor did he look at those terrified side branch members.

Lin Yu stared straight at Shen Fei, his tone carrying a condescending pity.

"Young Master Shen, you should let people off when possible."

"Although the Second Master is at fault, he has the grace of recognizing my worth. With me, Lin Yu, here today, you cannot touch him."

Lin Yu clasped his hands behind his back, and an invisible true qi erupted from his body, blowing his clothes so that they fluttered loudly.

Mid-stage Grandmaster Realm!

The powerful air wave even overturned two heavy yellow rosewood chairs nearby.

The whole audience was horrified.

How could those ordinary people have seen such a scene? They retreated in fright.

Lin Yu was very satisfied with this effect.

He looked at Shen Fei and the corners of his mouth curled up.

"Young Master Shen, worldly power is vulnerable to a single blow in the face of absolute martial force."

"You'd better think clearly before deciding whether to go against me."

Shen Fei looked at the SS-level Son of Fortune in front of him who was full of posturing.

He didn't laugh.

Nor was he angry.

He just shook his head extremely calmly.

"So noisy."

Shen Fei raised his right hand.