A rainy day.
It had rained last night. The rain wasn't heavy, but it lingered incessantly until early morning. When Su Ning stepped out, the bluestone paved road outside was completely wet, and the sky was gloomy and dark.
"Doesn't this look like the entrance of a major villain in a TV drama, using the scenery to foreshadow the future? The protagonist is about to face a miserable life?"
She asked with great interest, her eyes never leaving the scenery outside the window. To avoid drawing attention, she had been forced to stay in the hospital ward every day, eating and sleeping, sleeping and eating. Her routine was irregular, blurring the line between day and night—
Back when she was a wage earner, she had really looked forward to this kind of lazy, parasitic lifestyle.
Only after actually living it did she realize how boring it was.
"The host is very self-aware."
"Of course."
Su Ning's eyes were bright and sparkling. Lin Sen accidentally caught a glimpse of her in the rearview mirror; she looked exceptionally radiant. Even her strands of hair seemed to exude a sense of joy. One look was enough to tell that she was very happy.
The winner who was about to harvest the fruits of victory.
It was only natural.
"Didn't you guys bring me here to be the villain?"
Su Ning leaned back against the car seat with a smile, her fingertips tapping lightly as she said seriously:
"I'm a very serious person. Although I've been a good person since childhood, since we agreed on being a heartless rich person, I will absolutely act the part—a villain is a villain. Without villains, where would the competition and story come from?"
She paused for a moment.
"It's like a catfish in a pond. Without it, the other fish might be comfortable, but they will slowly die in that comfort. So, the catfish might seem like a threat, but it's actually their benefactor."
The system understood what she meant.
"Heh, so you are also the benefactor of those you've scammed, right?"
"The one who knows me best is the system."
It would rather not know this; its database was being polluted!
...
The shareholders' meeting was scheduled for noon.
To everyone's surprise, the venue was quite upscale. It was a place that frequently hosted high-end banquets and salons, and the prices were steep. People had been wondering how the stingy and shameless Su family had suddenly changed their ways.
Then—
"So Mayor Chen paid for it? I didn't expect him to be so loyal and righteous."
Someone spoke with a sour tone. In today's Beiping City, Chen Huaiqian held great power.
His position was so secure that even the war between the two sides couldn't shake it.
How should one put it? Recently, he had suffered no less than ten assassination attempts! Although he wasn't severely injured to the point of hovering between life and death like his ally Su Ning, he had still been pushed to extreme misery.
"You can't say that. Miss Su and he have gone through thick and thin together, so their bond is naturally different."
"What's the use of that?"
Exactly. No matter how deep the bond, death extinguishes everything like a snuffed-out lamp. At most, he would look after the Su family and a few subordinates a bit, but nothing more.
Someone sighed with emotion:
"Being alive is what matters most. Once a person is gone, everything is gone."
At eleven in the morning.
On the street not far from the meeting venue, vehicles began to appear one after another. Cars, which were a rare sight in the past, were now as common as cabbages, appearing everywhere and seemingly losing their preciousness.
No, not entirely.
Inside a certain black sedan, the owner in the back seat was resting with his eyes closed, preparing for the upcoming struggle. Suddenly, he felt the car jolt violently, nearly throwing him to the floor.
"What happened?"
As he spoke, he subconsciously looked outside.
Well, no need to ask.
He saw a fleet of luxurious, brand-new, and imposing vehicles roaring past, like a pack of howling beasts, arrogant and eye-catching.
"Isn't this Su Ning's motorcade?" The man first frowned, then quickly relaxed his brows and sneered. "Lin Sen is really an ungrateful wretch. He even let the Su family ride in these cars."
Despite saying that.
His eyes couldn't help but follow the motorcade. There was no other reason than it being too majestic and cool. If only he had one...
He wasn't the only one thinking this way.
Along the way, everyone who saw the motorcade had similar thoughts.
The Su family didn't deserve them!
Upon arriving at the destination.
A lot of people had gathered at the entrance. They weren't in a hurry to go in; instead, they greeted each other and exchanged pleasantries, hiding barbs in their words as they probed for information.
"Oh my, Boss Yu actually came too. You kept it so secret and didn't even think to notify an old friend. Otherwise, I could have played the host and thrown a welcome banquet for you."
"I came in a hurry, so I didn't want to bother you."
The former sneered inwardly.
In a hurry? Who was he trying to fool? But he also grew vigilant.
This guy had been doing business in the south all year round. No one could have guessed that he would actually come to Beiping and manage to get an admission ticket in such a short time. He probably had a big shot backing him.
The fertilizer plant was just too tempting!
Second Uncle Guan got off the rickshaw. Looking at the crowd chatting and laughing cheerfully before him, he suddenly felt dizzy. Half of the people he recognized were prominent figures in Beiping, and as for the other half he didn't know, just looking at their clothes and demeanor told him they were not to be trifled with.
He was the only one who looked out of place.
Sigh, his heart was full of bitterness.
Because he had chosen his side too firmly before, those who wanted to buy shares had all avoided the Guan family. In the end, he, the chief culprit, had to step forward and attend the shareholders' meeting.
Many strange gazes fell upon him.
As if asking—
Who is this shabby guy?
Even with Second Uncle Guan's thick skin, he couldn't quite hold up at this moment. Suddenly, he thought of the fortune he had gotten from Half-Immortal Su earlier. Driven by some inexplicable impulse, he approached Su Zhenzhu, who had just appeared at the door, and asked with concern:
"I didn't come here for anything else. The fertilizer plant isn't something I can covet. I just want to ask how Miss Su is doing?
My family knows a good doctor.
His ancestors were imperial physicians from the palace, and treating the emperor was a piece of cake for them. Although the current successor isn't very famous, his medical skills surpass his predecessors. If Miss Su needs it, I can take you to see him later."
The entrance fell silent for a moment.
It was unbelievable.
Has the guy surnamed Guan gone mad? Su Ning's big ship might be luxurious, but it's already half-sunk!
Those who didn't know him started to ask around. Once they learned about the history between the Guan family and Su Ning, their eyes filled with teasing. What was this situation?
You don't become loyal until you're beaten?
Or is a beaten dog more obedient?
"You are very thoughtful."
Su Zhenzhu's expression softened imperceptibly. She nodded at him and then signaled him to follow. Second Uncle Guan didn't understand why but followed instinctively. The figures of the two quickly disappeared.
Seeing this, some people also wanted to enter early.
The spring chill was biting.
Just standing there made the cold seep into their bones. It would be nice to go in early and warm up. However, they were stopped by the serious and cold guards. No matter what they said, the guards only replied:
"It's not time yet. You cannot enter."
"Then why could the guy surnamed Guan go in just now?" The person realized the answer right after asking; Su Zhenzhu had brought him in.
However, he wasn't angry. He looked around with an elegant demeanor and smiled:
"It doesn't matter if we wait a little longer. After all, my family doesn't know any famous doctors who can bring the dying back to life. I can't compare to his sincerity."
His words were profoundly meaningful.
It elicited a burst of tacit laughter.
...
Stepping through the door.
Second Uncle Guan felt full of regret. It's over, it's over. He must have been possessed just now... Damn it, maybe Half-Immortal Su cast a spell on him!
Her magic power is truly formidable.
Letting his imagination run wild and his thoughts scattered, it wasn't until he was halfway inside that he realized the area was heavily guarded. Looking around, there was a guard stationed almost every two meters.
Silent, with sharp eyes and an upright posture.
It made him feel a bit familiar.
Yes, like Su One.
The further they went, the more guards there were and the tighter the security became. When they were still ten meters away from the hall, there were even people conducting body searches. Second Uncle Guan's doubts grew deeper and deeper.
Weren't they just selling a factory?
Why go through all this trouble?
Knock, knock, knock—
Su Zhenzhu stepped forward herself, curling her fingers to knock on the door. For some unknown reason, Second Uncle Guan's mouth suddenly went dry, his chest heaved violently, and a cold sweat broke out on his back.
"Come in."
A cold yet familiar female voice sounded.
Second Uncle Guan was in disbelief, his feet seeming to be nailed to the spot. He watched the door open, watched as Su Zhenzhu, who had been blocking his view, disappeared inside—
Su Ning was sitting in the seat of honor.
She gave him a faint glance, looking somewhat surprised:
"Someone from the Guan family?"
