It has been a week since the Wen family acquired Chu Corporation. During this week, there have been numerous major news events. First, Mr. Chen completely stepped down to live a quiet life, handing over the power of the Chen family to Chen Ran, who had recently been involved in a scandal, causing dissatisfaction among the younger generation of the Chen family. However, the reason Chen Ran took control was because the Wen family helped him behind the scenes, as he had contributed a lot in bringing down Chu Corporation. When Chu Corporation collapsed, it also took a bite out of the Wen family, preventing them from monopolizing the capital market in Beijing in the short term. Meanwhile, the previously quiet Yu family suddenly emerged into the Beijing business circle, creating a new balance between the Yu family, the Wen family, the Su family, the Gu family, and the Chen family.

Although the Cheng family, focused on entertainment, and the He family, focused on high-tech industries, are both financially powerful, they have always kept a distance from the chaotic business circle. Recently, however, they have shown interest in aligning with the Yu family. As a result, the Wen family has been temporarily unable to achieve a monopoly. The above news is official, but the gossip circulating among the business circle is even juicier. One rumor is that Su Ran is no longer valued by the Su family and has been kicked out. Another rumor is that Chu Shangluo has started farming outside the city. This news is especially shocking—Chu Shangluo, who had been living a life of luxury, is now reduced to farming. It’s the fall harvest season now; what could he possibly be planting? Besides, with his extravagant lifestyle, he could never tolerate such hard work.

There have been various speculations about why Chu Shangluo would do this. Some say that he was forced into it by the Wen family and has no other way to make a living but farming. Others claim he was deeply hurt by Ren Jiaoming, and now his mind is no longer sane, like his brother. Among these discussions, the most negative comments dominate. Those who once saw Chu Shangluo as a dark horse now feel they were wrong. The Chu family’s decades-old legacy was ruined under his leadership, and he even caused harm to his own brother. No wonder he ended up in this situation; he has no one in his family to help him. It’s just karma.

What they didn’t know was that Chu Shangluo, who was always in the public eye, had just come out of the bank. He walked outside and lit a cigarette. This was the fifth bank that had refused to loan him money. He sat down on the steps, feeling agitated, slowly smoking. After receiving the three hundred million from the Wen family, he used part of it to give to the Chu family members who were willing to stand by him. Though the amount seemed large, the Chu family is enormous, and the Wen family had reached agreements with several companies to avoid hiring Chu family members, leaving them jobless. This act of kindness far exceeded the money he gave them.

The remaining money was used to plug the various holes in his finances. After doing so, he was still left with 120 million in debt. This debt was incurred when he rashly borrowed money to build a villa for Ren Jiaoming. Now, the construction had been halted, and the house remained unfinished. Such a large villa would be hard to sell quickly, and it was likely he would end up stuck with it. Just thinking about this villa gave Chu Shangluo a headache. He truly was the first to dig his own grave in the name of love. The 120 million debt was urgent, and the bank had been hounding him for repayment. If he didn’t repay within a month, the bank would freeze all of his properties. But Chu Shangluo didn’t have many properties—just one house. Though he had been flipping properties before, he didn’t have any extra on hand now. He didn’t even have a little savings left. All his money had been put into Chu Corporation.

The only project that could bring him money now would take at least a year to pay out. After thinking it over, he realized his only remaining asset was a piece of land on a mountain outside the city. The land had been abandoned for many years, but it had naturally grown many fruit trees and crops. The soil was fertile, so Chu Shangluo organized some members of the Chu family to try planting crops on it.

Chu Shangluo let out a long sigh, holding a cigarette as he walked back slowly. A car passed by him, and suddenly slowed down, with Ren Jiaoming observing the familiar figure of the man from behind. Somehow, he quietly followed in the car.

This week, Chu Shangluo looked thinner. His hair was messy, and he was dressed casually—gone were the expensive suits, replaced by a simple white T-shirt and black casual pants. After getting up from the ground, his pants were covered in dust, and every step he took left a trail of dirt behind him. He didn’t look at all like a CEO. He resembled a young man defeated by life’s changes, but there was a depth and frustration to him that others lacked. Ren Jiaoming frowned as he watched Chu Shangluo in this state.

Chu Shangluo sighed deeply, feeling exhausted. He was carrying too much: his hatred for the Wen family, his anger toward Ren Jiaoming, his responsibilities toward the Chu family, his desire to turn things around, and the 120 million in debt. Each of these weighed heavily on him, making it hard to breathe. He wanted to give up, to leave the mess behind and chase after the extreme sports he loved as a child. But he realized he couldn’t do that, because he couldn’t accept it. He didn’t want to submit to fate. He had always been determined—when he fell, he would climb back up. There was no word for “resignation” in Chu Shangluo’s dictionary.

Wasn’t it just a personal betrayal? Chu Shangluo’s heart ached as he thought of this. He admitted that he loved Ren Jiaoming too deeply and had been thoroughly hurt. Every time he thought about it, it felt like a knife stabbing his heart. But he wouldn’t let this defeat him. He suppressed the pain and focused on finding a way to turn things around and get revenge. Those who hurt him would never have an easy time.

The autumn heat was intense, and after walking for a while, Chu Shangluo was drenched in sweat. He passed by a convenience store and bought an ice cream, eating it while smoking. Ren Jiaoming watched as Chu Shangluo ate the ice cream and remembered how he used to prevent him from eating cold foods because it would cause him stomach pain. Just as he thought this, Chu Shangluo stopped, threw away the ice cream, and pressed his hand to his stomach, his face showing pain.

Ren Jiaoming clenched his lips, his hand tightening on the steering wheel as Chu Shangluo’s face grew paler. Chu Shangluo slowly squatted down, pressing his stomach and massaging it in an attempt to ease the pain. The high temperature of the day couldn’t make him feel any warmer. He cursed himself for not learning his lesson. After a while, the pain subsided, and Chu Shangluo wiped the sweat from his forehead and continued walking. He walked a little further, then climbed onto a small electric scooter, still holding his cigarette, and rode toward the outskirts of the city.

Chu Shangluo wasn’t driving a luxury car because he had sold it. The small electric scooter wasn’t his either—it was borrowed from Chu Zong. The scooter was quite old, with some scratches on the body and tires that made a screeching sound when it moved, which annoyed Chu Shangluo to the point he wanted to throw it away. The autumn wind blew across his face as he took a deep drag from his cigarette, his eyes a little dazed. How long had it been since he had felt this way? How long since he had let the wind blow in his face during work hours? Once outside the city, the trees along the road were half yellow, bathed in a golden hue. Chu Shangluo watched the autumn scenery, and the gloom on his face gradually faded.

He thought of the phrase “hitting rock bottom before bouncing back.” Now, with nothing to his name, it was actually easier to let go and act freely. The Chu family had also started from nothing, and though the journey hadn’t been smooth, with many setbacks, they had always risen back up. The Chu family was different; they were united and determined, and as long as they worked together, they could turn things around.

At that moment, his phone rang. Chu Shangluo, still riding, answered the call skillfully with one hand while keeping the other on the handlebars. Ren Jiaoming was slightly stunned, never having known that Chu Shangluo could do this.

After reaching his destination, Chu Shangluo parked the scooter in front of a field and walked toward a small house in the field while still talking to Chu Zong on the phone.

Chu Zong sighed lightly on the phone. “Cousin, what should we do? The old city area is pressuring us to move out quickly, but the demolition compensation isn’t coming through anytime soon. There are so many of us, and we can’t find a place to move right away. Plus, the relatives don’t want to separate; they want to stay together. It’s a bit difficult.”

Chu Shangluo silently smoked his cigarette as he walked along the field. As he passed by a rice paddy, a few members of the Chu family were planting rice. This was a biannual rice planting, and it was the right time to plant another batch.

Chu Shen clumsily walked through the rice paddy, grabbing the rice stalks, but he stumbled and fell. Chu Shangluo was quick to step into the paddy and helped him up, then took the rice from Chu Shen’s hand and swiftly planted it in the mud. “This isn’t hard. You just grab the root and plant it in the mud,” Chu Shangluo said. Chu Shen was momentarily stunned. He hadn’t expected Chu Shangluo to do this. He then said, “Uncle Luo, you’re amazing.”

Chu Shangluo replied, “Once we get the machine, it’ll be easier, and you won’t have to work so hard.” Chu Shen couldn’t help but sigh. Did Chu Shangluo even have the money to buy a machine?

Covered in mud, Chu Shangluo calmly walked out of the rice field and said to Chu Zong, “Just wait a little longer. If you don’t move, the demolition can’t proceed. I’ll figure something out and see if there’s a suitable place for you to live.”

Ren Jiaoming silently followed behind Chu Shangluo, not far off. He watched Chu Shangluo, whose hands were still dripping with mud, and his heart tightened with a feeling of discomfort.

After ending the call with Chu Zong, Chu Shangluo entered a small house. Even though Chu Shen came to clean every day, the dust from the field was still thick. Chu Shangluo wasn’t particular about cleanliness. He sat down on a chair and started thinking about how to get the 120 million. In the past, he never thought 120 million would be difficult to get, but now it felt like an insurmountable challenge.

He could borrow from his father, but Chu Shangluo didn’t want to ask. He had accumulated this debt because of love, so how could he ask his parents to pay for it? Moreover, Chu Shangluo’s older brother, Chu Shangyue, needed expensive treatment, and the money he borrowed would take time to repay. His treatment couldn’t be delayed, so this was something he had to bear silently for now.

Chu Shangluo rubbed his temples in frustration when his phone rang again. Seeing that it was his father’s call, he hesitated. He didn’t want to answer Chu Chendong’s call at this moment. Since the Chu family had been taken over, Chu Chendong had only called him twice—once to ask how the family members were being arranged, and once to ask how much money was left in the company. He didn’t want to deal with a father who had been so indifferent.

The phone rang on, buzzing in his ears, and after a moment, he reluctantly answered it. Chu Shangluo didn’t speak first; he was waiting to hear what irrelevant thing his father would say this time. A moment later, Chu Chendong spoke: “The Wen family… forget it. Don’t go against them. You should take the weight off your shoulders and come back.”

Chu Shangluo’s anger flared up to his head. He fought to control his rage and asked, “Why? Why forget it? They’ve been scheming against our family, plotting to turn my brother into a fool! Why should we just forget about it?”

On the other end of the phone, there was silence. Chu Shangluo felt frustrated and furious. “What kind of entanglement do you have with the Wen family? Why won’t you say anything? You can swallow your pride, but I can’t!”

Just then, a woman’s voice came through the phone. “Xiao Luo, don’t argue with your father. We’re just worried about your safety. Your brother misses you too. Come back.”

“Miss me? Why didn’t you miss me earlier? Now you miss me?” Chu Shangluo’s eyes reddened. He didn’t want to hear any more and hung up the phone, kicking the table in frustration. The drawer flew open, and a red object fell out.

Chu Shangluo blinked his dry eyes, took a deep breath, and bent down to pick up the company seal that had fallen to the ground. When he raised his head, he saw Ren Jiaoming standing at the door, his expression complicated.