Just as Zhou Muchen was about to speak, Xue Chen stood up first, volunteering eagerly.
"Brother Chen, let me go to Pearl City first to meet that Liu Yutong. I want to see for myself if she really has three heads and six arms as the rumors say!"
Zhou Muchen frowned slightly, but before he could say anything, Gu Yebai, sitting beside him, chuckled and poured cold water on Xue Chen's enthusiasm.
"Give it a rest, Young Master Xue. If you charge over there like that, are you going to negotiate or just serve yourself up on a platter? Don't end up getting pinned to the table and humiliated again, or our Cloud Mountain Society's reputation will really be dragged through the mud all the way to Pearl City."
The small circle initiated by Zhou Muchen did indeed have a private name: the Cloud Mountain Society.
The name "Cloud Mountain" was taken from the idiom "clouds and mountains shrouded in mist," which conveyed a sense of low-key discretion while also hinting that their circle was extraordinary and utterly inaccessible to ordinary people.
Currently, the Cloud Mountain Society had seven members: five were children of influential families from large compounds for high-ranking officials/military, and two were top-tier domestic heirs to immense fortunes.
However, only four were present at the moment; the other three were not here.
The Cloud Mountain Society didn't have internal rankings; it leaned more towards being a consortium for collaboration and making money, somewhat similar to the Pearl Chamber of Commerce initiated by Liu Yutong.
The Pearl Chamber of Commerce was also just a nominal organization, never formally registered. Its purpose was to screen for potential business partners to invest alongside and provide investment capital for Pearl Capital.
Lu Hong also shook his head. "Muchen, I also think it's inappropriate for Xue Chen to go now. Let's not mess things up."
He too was starting to find Xue Chen unreliable, mainly because Xue Chen had made a poor impression on them today and seemed particularly fond of showing off.
Of course, they liked to show off too, but at least they weren't as brainless as Xue Chen, who could easily get himself pinned down and embarrassed.
Hearing both Gu Yebai and Lu Hong speak of him this way, Xue Chen's face fell.
"How would I mess things up? This time I'll definitely..."
Zhou Muchen cut him off. "Alright, Xue Chen, go if you want. If you can't handle it, let us know."
He hadn't wanted Xue Chen to go either initially, given how poorly the guy had demonstrated his capabilities—impulsive and quick to anger—making it highly likely he'd botch things.
If Xue Chen hadn't begged him persistently and even pulled some strings, Zhou Muchen wouldn't have accepted him into the Cloud Mountain Society in the first place.
But then he reconsidered. Letting this hothead go test the waters first, to gauge the depth and reaction of that Wanlong Society's young mistress, might not be a bad idea.
If he succeeded, all the better.
If he failed, and if Xue Chen truly proved too incompetent, it would provide the perfect excuse to remove him from the Cloud Mountain Society.
Hearing Zhou Muchen actually agree, Xue Chen immediately beamed with joy. "Brother Chen, don't worry. I'll definitely handle this matter beautifully, make that Liu Yutong beg to transfer the shares to us!"
Zhou Muchen looked at his eager-to-prove-himself expression and merely gave a faint "hmm," offering no further response.
The other two seemed to have understood Zhou Muchen's intention and tacitly acquiesced.
.............
Pearl City.
Liu Yutong and the vice-principal finalized the usage plan for the student aid fund.
The Wanlong Group would provide approximately two million in student aid funds annually. This money was primarily to support truly needy students, but the assistance wouldn't be given as direct cash. Instead, it would be provided as targeted subsidies based on the students' meal card usage patterns.
If a student's daily spending in the cafeteria consistently fell below the set minimum threshold for several consecutive days, and their purchases were concentrated in the most basic, budget-friendly food sections, the system would automatically flag that student as a potential aid recipient.
Subsequently, the foundation's platform would discreetly deposit a nutritional subsidy into the student's meal card at regular intervals, without alerting the student.
This plan was adapted by Liu Yutong from a method used by a school in her previous life. She thought it was quite a good approach.
While there might still be loopholes—for instance, some internet-addicted teens might skimp on meals every month to save money for gaming—it was arguably more reliable and fairer than having people fill out application forms for assessment.
Most importantly, it preserved the dignity of more introverted students.
After settling the student aid fund, the two discussed the Wanlong Group's campus recruitment event. Once Liu Yutong promised to give priority consideration to students from the Finance University, the smile never left the vice-principal's face.
A group of seniors would be graduating this semester, so this would provide them with some full-time job opportunities, helping to address employment challenges.
After discussing the first two matters,
the vice-principal proactively brought up the university anniversary celebration with Liu Yutong, informing her that her name had been submitted and approved very quickly.
This meant Liu Yutong would be the only student representative in nearly a decade to take the stage and speak at the anniversary ceremony.
Although this grand celebration was only held once every ten years, it was still a significant honor.
.......
Liu Yutong had just stepped out of the vice-principal's office when she ran into Yu Xin, who was hurrying over.
"Sister Yutong, something bad happened. I might have messed up."
Then she recounted everything that happened in Lu City in detail, including how the arrogant young master Xue Chen had been thoroughly humiliated by Chu Yang.
Of course, that wasn't the important part. What mattered was the identity of those people—all children of influential families from the big courtyard—and that they had set their sights on an industry under their Wanlong Society, wanting to acquire Wanhui Youxuan at an extremely low price.
After listening to Yu Xin's account, Liu Yutong smiled slightly. "Interesting. I didn't expect to attract big sharks from outside so quickly."
She didn't seem the least bit anxious, as if what she had just heard was as ordinary as a greeting like "Nice weather today."
In contrast, Yu Xin, who had remained unflappable in front of Zhou Muchen and the others, was now getting worried.
Of course, it was only in front of Liu Yutong that she didn't bother to conceal her true feelings.
"Sister Yutong, why aren't you worried at all? They clearly want to devour our Wanlong Society whole!"
Liu Yutong: "It's normal for them to come after us. Our projects are currently the pig flying on the trend/frontier. Everyone wants a bite."
"The difference is, some people want to raise the pig together and share the meat when it's fat, while others want to snatch it for themselves to devour alone. Obviously, the group you mentioned belongs to the latter."
"Sister Yutong, what should we do then?" Yu Xin asked.
Liu Yutong: "I'll handle this matter. If anyone approaches you again, just tell me. I'll go meet them personally!"
"Don't worry. Our Wanlong Society has come this far, weathering all sorts of storms. A few spoiled heirs thinking they can swallow us up won't find it so easy."
Hearing Liu Yutong say this, Yu Xin felt reassured.
After all, in her heart, Liu Yutong was an omnipotent presence. It was precisely because she had such a formidable backer that Yu Xin had been able to remain so calm and unflinching in Lu City.
"Alright, don't worry. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. You go back and rest properly. Leave this matter to me."
Yu Xin gave an affirmative "hmm" and left.
After seeing Yu Xin off, the smile on Liu Yutong's face gradually faded.
She wasn't as completely indifferent as she appeared on the surface; she understood very well just how deep the waters ran here. The resources these children of the compound could mobilize were in no way comparable to the likes of Zhao Weixiang.
However, she was no longer the person she used to be.
Liu Yutong took out her phone and made several calls in succession.
The content was largely the same—gathering some information to prepare a response in advance.
Of course, she could also have Li Xiaohui step in directly.
That silly girl Li Xiaohui still hadn't really suspected that Liu Yutong had known her true identity all along.
Regardless, unless absolutely necessary, she didn't want to involve Li Xiaohui.
Because if things weren't handled properly, Li Xiaohui might have to completely sever ties with the Wanlong Society.
Sometimes, a low-profile mascot can be more of a deterrent than one openly placed in the spotlight.
