Trillionaire's Slice of Life

The atmosphere in the private room was oppressively tense.

The patriarch of one of the four great families of Modu, respectfully called "Grandpa Lu" by countless people, wore a gloomy expression as dark as still water.

Dressed in a peony qipao with three thousand strands of dark hair coiled atop her head, the eldest young miss of the Lu family, Lu Siyue, was equally terrifyingly silent.

The four or five young men and women in front of her were her closest friends, among whom the troublemaker, Liu Ming, had played with her since they were kids, having been together since they wore split pants—his friendship with her couldn't be simply summed up with the word "friend."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Especially Liu Ming, the two of them were childhood sweethearts. This fellow, proud of being born two hours earlier than herself, had always seen himself as an older brother, taking great care of her since childhood.

As a child, Lu Siyue once said she would definitely become his bride when they grew up, which shows how intimate their relationship was.

Of course, after growing up and finding out that this guy changed girlfriends faster than flipping through books, she completely treated him as a dear friend.

If it were any other matter, Lu Siyue would have done everything possible to smooth things over, even if it put her at a disadvantage, she would never let her friends be embarrassed.

But this matter...

It wasn't just a simple case of a calligraphy and painting worth four and a half billion. The Lu family's company had suffered severe losses due to poor management, and they urgently needed a large amount of capital to fill the holes. If they weren't driven into a corner, given how much her grandfather loved that piece of calligraphy, it would be absolutely unthinkable to sell it to raise money.

It could be said that the Lu family had reached a very dangerous state. Without enough money, the Lu family's Feiyue Technology Group might not make it through this crisis.

And if Feiyue Technology collapsed, it could even shake the foundations of the Lu family. Although it wouldn't collapse outright, it would be a blow to the bone, and thinking of restoring its former glory afterward would be nothing but a fool's dream.

Therefore, the calligraphy and painting worth four and a half billion was not just a piece of art but also a life-saving straw for the prosperity and decline of the entire Lu family.

And now, this piece of calligraphy had been stained by her childhood friend, instantly losing its value...

She really had no way to stand up for her childhood friends.

"Grandpa Lu, it was my rashness. I, Liu Ming, will take responsibility for what happened today. You just show me the way, and if I, Liu Ming, frown then I'm not a man."

The young man known as Liu Ming was the same age as Lu Siyue, both 27 this year. His family might not compare to the four great families of Modu, but they had some substance, which was why he could be friends with Lu Siyue.

The young man was about 1.77 meters tall and noticeably lean, similar to Chu Mo a few months ago. With a fair complexion and an inexplicable ruffian aura about him, he must be quite popular with young girls.

However, the youth who had kicked in the door with a brazen air now hung his head like a frostbitten eggplant, his fair face slightly pale.

Still, he did have some courage; at this moment, he voluntarily stood in front of Grandpa Lu, ready to face whatever came.

The patriarch of the Lu family, respected by countless people in Modu, gradually regained his composure. He no longer looked as gloomy as before, instead becoming expressionless with neither sorrow nor joy.

Yet, he didn't speak or express his stance, keeping the entire private room terribly silent for a time.

Lu Meiqiang was revered as Grandpa Lu by the entire Modu, not solely because of his status as the head of one of the four great families but also due to his benevolent and sociable nature.

He liked making friends from all walks of life. Not to mention Modu, across the whole Hua Country, anyone of status considered it an honor to form a connection with Grandpa Lu of Modu.

As long as one was acknowledged by him and truly faced hardships, they could seek his help. Although it wasn't guaranteed that the problem would be completely resolved, one would not come away empty-handed.

Ten years ago, the real estate tycoon Zhao Zeyu of Jizhou poorly managed his business and was in debt of one billion; out of options, he came to Grandpa Lu's door, explained his situation, and Grandpa Lu directly lent him three billion interest-free. Now, ten years later, not only has Zhao Zeyu cleared his debt, but he also ranked in the top hundred on last year's Forbes list.

Such examples were plentiful.

The reputation of "Grandpa Lu" wasn't just spoken but built over decades of consistency—this was how he earned the moniker Grandpa Lu.

Huang Tingjian's "Inscription of the Stele" was priced at four and a half billion, and indeed Lu Meiqiang was in urgent need of that money.

Despite his stature, he could easily raise thirty to fifty billion with a word, but unless absolutely necessary, Lu Meiqiang would not allow himself to be demeaned to that point.

At his level, face sometimes meant even more than life itself.

Grandpa Lu would absolutely not bow his head for a mere few billion in loans.

That was his bottom line and the face of Lu Meiqiang.

So, he would rather privately sell his favorite calligraphy and painting to raise the money than ask anyone for help.

Choosing Chu Mo as the transaction partner was due in part to Chu Mo's vast wealth, but another reason was that he had no prior dealings with Chu Mo, so there was no loss of face involved in the transaction.

Picking Houhai Bar as the transaction venue also carried the idea of avoiding public scrutiny.

Houhai Bar was a place he frequented, so even if people found out, it wouldn't lead to undue speculation.

Yet, for all his calculations, he could never have expected that just as Chu Mo was willing to buy the painting for even more than he had anticipated, an unexpected Liu Ming would emerge, destroying all his hard work with two drops of alcohol.