"If your elder brother really doesn't go to the company tomorrow, you should go there first to take charge," Father Lu instructed Lu Fenglin.
There should be a board meeting tomorrow. If Lu Chuanbai really didn't show up, they couldn't just let others laugh at them.
After Father Lu left with a sigh, Lu Fenglin took out his phone and called Zhuang Hailan.
Zhuang Hailan was just about to call Lu Fenglin to tell him the good news when she saw his name on the phone screen.
"Manager Lu! I found someone to pretend to be that kind of woman and break into Mr. Smith's room today. After today's incident, Mr. Smith will definitely not cooperate with Lu Chuanbai anymore!"
Zhuang Hailan's voice was full of excitement.
But Lu Fenglin wasn't affected by her excitement. His tone was cold and distant. "If Mr. Smith leaves, he probably won't cooperate with me either."
"This is the good thing you've done. Just listen to yourself. Does it make any sense?"
Zhuang Hailan's smile froze on her face instantly. Her heart sank, and she felt at a loss.
"Manager Lu, what do you mean... Did I do something wrong?"
"Nonsense!" Lu Fenglin said impatiently.
"Not only have you gotten me on Mr. Smith's blacklist, but you've also brought irreversible losses to the Lu Group!"
Zhuang Hailan was suddenly saddled with such a heavy responsibility. She panicked and tried to defend herself. "Manager, it's not like that! I did this for you..."
Hearing Zhuang Hailan drag him into this, Lu Fenglin turned cold. He scolded her coldly, "Shut up! What does this have to do with me? Isn't it just your own wishful thinking to scheme against Lu Chuanbai!"
"I..." Zhuang Hailan was rendered speechless. Her fingers holding the phone turned white, and her face looked extremely ugly.
She was... being abandoned by Lu Fenglin.
Zhuang Hailan heard Lu Fenglin chuckle on the other end of the phone. His words chilled her to the bone.
"Zhuang Hailan, if Lu Chuanbai doesn't find out it was you, I won't inform on you."
"But if he does find out, and if you dare to mention me in front of him, I'll definitely make you pay the price."
"I heard your father has two small factories. I don't think you want his business to fail so soon."
After saying that, Lu Fenglin sneered and hung up the phone.
Zhuang Hailan panicked instantly. When she called back, Lu Fenglin's phone was already turned off.
Zhuang Hailan slumped to the floor from the bed, like a broken doll that had been played with and discarded. Her heart was filled with despair.
It was over. Now Lu Fenglin didn't acknowledge her. If she was found out, she'd have to take all the blame!
That night, Lu Chuanbai asked his assistant to suppress the news about Mr. Smith. Under no circumstances could the scandal about Mr. Smith be made public.
He also had his assistant investigate the hotel where Mr. Smith was staying. The next morning, Lu Chuanbai got up early and waited for Mr. Smith at the hotel entrance.
Mr. Smith had booked the earliest flight back home. Yawning, he walked out of his room and was suddenly blocked by Lu Chuanbai, who sprang out from a corner.
Mr. Smith's face instantly darkened. He pulled his suitcase and tried to bypass Lu Chuanbai.
Lu Chuanbai grabbed Mr. Smith tightly and showed an apologetic smile on his face.
"Mr. Smith, I apologize for what happened last night."
"Don't worry. I've taken care of everything. No one will ever know."
Mr. Smith sneered. His thin, typically foreign lips curled to one side.
"This was supposed to be your problem to solve. Don't think I'll agree to cooperate with you just because of this!"
"Mr. Smith, you've misunderstood. I'm not here to talk about cooperation today. I'm here to compensate you!"
There was a humble and generous smile on Lu Chuanbai's face. He was proud of the unique ancient tomb culture of his country. "I'd like to take you to see an ancient relic that no one in the world knows about yet, the Yangtianfu Taoist Temple."
Mr. Smith didn't understand what Yangtianfu meant, but he was interested in the Taoist temple.
"This is a site my wife recently discovered. The ancient buildings in the Taoist temple are very well-preserved."
"There are all kinds of rare treasures inside, and even a hundred ancient corpses that are a thousand years old. Their skin hasn't even decayed."
Lu Chuanbai's words instantly piqued Mr. Smith's interest. Seeing the longing look on Mr. Smith's face, Lu Chuanbai pointed to the reception sofa beside the hotel lobby.
"If you're willing, I'd like to tell you the story behind Yangtianfu. I'm sure you'll like it!"
"Okay!" Mr. Smith readily agreed. But then he thought it might be a bit embarrassing, so he covered his mouth and coughed lightly. He said somewhat coyly,
"I'm doing this for Xu Qingqing's sake. I'll give you a chance. Go ahead."
"Sure." The smile on Lu Chuanbai's lips widened. He silently praised Xu Qingqing's charm.
Today was the monthly board meeting of the Lu Group.
At this board meeting, the directors mainly wanted to urge Lu Chuanbai to speed up the progress of the GH5 project.
The meeting room was clean and tidy. The green plants and flowers by the window made the space full of vitality.
But the directors sitting at the meeting table were getting impatient. It was already five minutes past the usual meeting time, and Lu Chuanbai still hadn't shown up.
As Lu Fenglin expected, Lu Chuanbai didn't come.
Lu Fenglin proudly checked his reflection in the glass door of the meeting room. He carefully adjusted his tie and put on a polite and humble smile.
He was going to take over Lu Chuanbai's position today, and this position would be his from now on.
Lu Fenglin confidently pushed open the door and walked in. Hearing the sound, the shareholders turned their heads and were disappointed to see that it was Lu Fenglin.
One of the men sitting in the upper seat impatiently ordered Lu Fenglin, "Where's your elder brother? Go and call him here for the meeting. Our time is very precious!"
Hearing the man's rude words, Lu Fenglin didn't feel offended at all. He straightened his suit collar.
"My elder brother won't be coming today. I'll replace him for this meeting."
The directors were stunned to hear this. They watched as Lu Fenglin walked step by step towards the seat that should have been Lu Chuanbai's.
A noblewoman with an elegant appearance, a dignified demeanor, and her silver hair coiled up questioned Lu Fenglin.
"Lu Fenglin, you've never been involved in the GH5 project. What gives you the right to replace Lu Chuanbai?"
"The board meeting is not a place for you to fool around. Call Lu Chuanbai right away and ask him to come to the meeting!"
The other directors also whispered to each other. Their words were full of distrust and disdain for Lu Fenglin.
Hearing the doubts about him, a hint of cruelty flashed in Lu Fenglin's eyes. But on the surface, he was as gentle as a spring breeze, with a polite smile.
"I didn't want to tell you all this at first, but since you're all insisting on seeing my elder brother, I'll just be honest."
"Because my elder brother did something that completely angered Mr. Smith, the GH5 project may not be able to continue."