Lu Wan regained her senses and said in a daze, “……No need.”

The man in the video did not mind and smiled as he asked again, “Then do you like yachts and sports cars?”

Lu Wan could not help but remind him, “That…… I’m still a high school student.”

Yachts and sports cars? Like the kind that livestream viewers used to tip hosts? But she had heard that even those were outrageously expensive props, costing hundreds or thousands.

Lu Jinye was silent for a few seconds before sighing. “I didn’t consider it carefully. I’ll give you a supplementary card. You can buy things yourself. But this card has a foreign daily spending limit of five million. If you want to buy something more expensive, you can tell me, and Uncle will buy it for you.”

The bald man in the front seat handed over a card.

“Young Miss, please accept this.”

Lu Wan: “……”

If the man hadn’t spoken with such seriousness, Lu Wan would have suggested that he go see a psychiatrist.

Why did he keep saying such baffling things?

Under the repeated urging of the burly man, Lu Wan reached out and took the card.

Lu Jinye said, “Wanwan, I’ll have someone send you home. If you need anything, you can come to me or tell Ah Biao. He will immediately help you. Uncle will never let you suffer any grievance.”

Ah Biao, who was on the front passenger seat, turned his head and showed a smile that he believed to be kind, but which actually looked ferocious to others.

“Young Miss, don’t worry, I’m absolutely reliable!”

Lu Wan: “……”

Mm, she could see that.

Lu Jinye gave a few more instructions. Considering his niece might feel dizzy from being on a video call in the car too long, he quickly ended the connection.

After he hung up, Lu Wan let out a sigh of relief, her tense nerves loosening.

She was a little bewildered. Uncle?

Lu Wan thought back.

In the novel, there had been one crucial reason why she, this cannon fodder character, clashed with the female protagonist.

Lu Wan was the male protagonist’s fiancée!

The male protagonist did not like Lu Wan, yet he had not taken the initiative to dissolve the engagement.

On the other side, he had taken in the poor female protagonist and let her live in his house.

That overly self-confident female protagonist declared to the world that she was paying rent with labor, and that her relationship with the ‘domineering landlord’ was absolutely pure! She would not allow others to slander her!

But since they lived under the same roof, the two constantly acted ambiguously, almost to the point of a home run.

All their sweet interactions had made his fiancée unbearably jealous, driving her to do many crazy things.

Later, as cannon fodder, she had fallen into disgrace, the engagement had naturally dissolved, and the male protagonist stood tall on the moral high ground without losing anything.

Lu Wan sorted out her thoughts.

Probably because she was just a tool character in the novel, her background had only been briefly mentioned.

Thinking about it now, the male protagonist had hated the female supporting character so much, yet had not broken off the engagement himself. Aside from the plot-driven misunderstandings and melodrama, could it have been because of her powerful uncle?

The male protagonist, considering his own interests, did not want to offend the Lu family.

Thinking of it that way, he wasn’t stupid at all.

Lu Wan’s determination to draw a clear line with that pair of kissing fish grew even stronger.

Looking at the card in her hand, she asked curiously, “……What does my uncle do? Does he hate the Zhao family very much?”

When Ah Biao thought of the Zhao family, he ground his teeth fiercely and clenched his fists, his joints cracking.

Lu Wan: “……”

The atmosphere felt rather off.

Ah Biao briefly explained to Lu Wan about the Zhao family’s past.

Lu Wan’s mother was the youngest daughter of the Zhao family, with two elder brothers above her.

But even combined, the two brothers did not have half of Third Miss Zhao’s brains.

After graduating from university, Third Miss Zhao was sent by her father to manage a poorly performing business division of the family group.

Surprisingly, she turned things around in just two years, making people look at her in a new light.

But her achievements did not earn her due recognition.

Her father handed the project she had worked so hard on to the eldest son, while she was sent to another failing subsidiary to continue cooling her heels.

Third Miss Zhao did not lose heart. In just half a year, the company under her charge revived, but that effort was again taken away, this time by the jealous second brother.

It wasn’t the lack that caused resentment, but inequality. Her parents’ favoritism toward their sons chilled her heart completely. She left the Zhao family and started her own company with outside investment.

Capable as she was, within just a few years, her business thrived and prospered.

This time, she refused to let the Zhao family manage her company, creating conflict.

The Zhao couple still wanted to use their daughter for a marriage alliance, seeking maximum benefit.

Even if the man was fifteen years older than her and had a notorious reputation.

In a fit of defiance, Third Miss Zhao married the poor but handsome researcher she had only been dating for a month.

At the time, Lu Wan’s father had not yet been taken back by the Lu family, and he was still a poor young man.

Few people had faith in their marriage. The man not only lacked money, but was younger than Third Miss Zhao.

Unexpectedly, not long after the wedding, they had a child. They remained deeply affectionate, and a few years later had a second child.

Meanwhile, Third Miss Zhao’s company grew larger, so large that it stirred the Zhao family’s greed.

They tried persuading her to divorce her poor husband, abandon him and the children, and return to the Zhao family with her assets.

But it was to no avail.

Fifteen years ago, Lu Wan had gone missing at the Zhao family’s estate.

That day was the birthday of the Zhao family’s patriarch. They had gone to great lengths to bring back the two grandchildren for a ‘reunion’. It was supposed to be just a meal, but an accident happened.

Because of this, Lu Wan’s mother almost completely broke ties with her family.

Ten years the river flows east, ten years the river flows west^[1]fortunes rise and fall with time.

Back then, the two brothers had schemed against their sister out of fear that she was too capable and might compete for assets.

Now it was different. Over the years, the Zhao family declined, while the sister’s company thrived, and they wanted a share.

That was why, when the Zhao family received news, they hid it from the child’s parents instead of telling them.

They had made a fine calculation. They wanted to use Lu Wan to get close and repair relations.

Because the Zhao family deliberately withheld information, Lu Jinye only received the news a day late. That was why he had just staged that forced stop-and-snatch scene.

After listening, Lu Wan felt complicated, but at least she now knew her biological parents had loved her.

Ah Biao added, “Luckily, you’re smart, Young Miss, and didn’t immediately follow those Zhao bastards!”

Lu Wan smiled faintly. “My uncle must be very smart.”

The Zhao family had intentionally blocked the news, and yet her uncle, all the way in the US, had only been delayed by one day.

That was not simple at all.

Ah Biao snorted coldly. “Of course. The Zhao family doesn’t even have the right to speak in front of the boss.”

Lu Wan thought again of her uncle’s baffling words.

Planes, yachts, five million……

“What exactly does my uncle do? Has he always been abroad?”

Ah Biao replied, “The boss is in business. Now he mainly works in electronics, finance, and manufacturing. Domestic markets are booming, and he also has many businesses here.”

The Lu Group was founded half a century ago, with deep roots and industries all over the world.

The current head, Lu Jinye, was third generation, with a renowned name.

Looking at the two bald, muscular men in the car, Lu Wan still felt uneasy, so she asked, “Then what did he…… used to do?”

Ah Biao hesitated. He could not lie to the young miss, but he could not exactly say the Lu family had started out in…… that business.

Besides, that was all ancient history. They ran legal businesses now.

Scratching his head, Ah Biao said, “Nothing much. He used to run martial arts clubs, international logistics, large-scale fireworks…… but on a bigger scale.”

Lu Wan nodded, sincerely admiring, “He has done so much. That’s amazing.”

Thinking about it, her uncle was truly inspirational and hardworking— a businessman worthy of respect!

────ρя


After ending the call, Lu Jinye loosened the collar button of his shirt and asked with a smile, “How did I do just now?”

“Boss, you were just like my dead grandpa! That old man used to talk a lot and always stuffed me with things I didn’t need! But I really miss him.” His subordinate replied honestly.

Lu Jinye: “……”

That was probably meant to be a compliment— that he had the demeanor of an elder. Fine, he would take it that way.

He was getting older, his temper growing, but he still wanted to leave a good impression on the child.

Lu Jinye had an elder brother, but years ago, his brother and sister-in-law had died in an accident.

The Lu family had few descendants. In this generation, it had just been him and his brother’s son relying on each other.

Until a few years ago, when Lu Jinye discovered he actually had a younger brother.

His father had once been involved with a woman and had a child.

She had been a top student, devoted to research, and had raised the child alone without ever informing the Lu family, even until her death.

Only years later did Lu Jinye learned of it by chance.

When he reunited with his younger brother, Lu Wan’s father was already in his forties. From the poor researcher he had once been, he had become…… still a not-very-wealthy university professor.

The Lu family seemed cursed to bear only sons. Not only were they few in number, but they were all male through generations.

After acknowledging his younger brother, Lu Jinye learned he had a niece. He had been overjoyed, and upon hearing she had been missing for years, had been furious.

The Zhao family’s company had faced difficulties in recent years, all due to Lu Jinye’s hand.

He had money and power, and naturally could do whatever he wished.

That his niece had gone missing back then was certainly inseparable from the Zhao family! Of course, he could not let it go.

At the shooting range, Lu Jinye loaded bullets while saying, “Raising a girl is more worrisome. What if someone bullies Wanwan?”

The bald man beside him froze for a moment, then his face turned vicious. “I’ll send a few men to secretly follow the young miss. If anyone dares, we’ll take care of them and dump them into the open sea!”

“How many times have I told you? This is a society ruled by law now! And having people follow her isn’t good either. It’ll make Wanwan unable to make friends.” As he spoke, Lu Jinye raised the gun and emptied the entire magazine in one breath.

On the target opposite, there was only a single hole.

That meant the shooter’s aim was exceptional. Every shot had hit dead center in the same spot.

Lu Jinye calmly reloaded and said unhurriedly, “A discreet beating is fine. Then send a few men with lawyers to legally ‘greet’ their whole family and ask what exactly they mean by it.”

“Boss, you really are brilliant!”

Lu Jinye glanced at the man and frowned. “And you all— looking like you just got out of prison— scared the little girl just now. Everyone must start growing out their hair. The longer the better. Look approachable.”

“Understood.” The man rubbed his bald head, thinking it was cooler for summer…… He thought a bit, then added, “Our young miss looks healthy and lively. She’s just a bit timid.”

At the beginning of the video call, the young miss had looked like she was about to cry.

“It’s normal for girls to be timid.” Lu Jinye said casually.

His niece was, of course, the best in the world, flawless. If she were timid, then they just needed to eliminate anything that might scare her. That was an easy fix.

Lu Jinye raised his hand again and emptied another full magazine.

On the target, there was still only the same hole as before, but just a little wider now.

Two magazines of bullets all hit the exact same point.