Lu Chengwen couldn't believe it. The author of this novel must have a brain full of cow dung.
What kind of nonsense is this!?
What's wrong with these female leads!?
Have they no shame!?
With this kind of attitude, they're not even as good as me, and they're supposed to be heroines!?
Refusing to save someone because it's too expensive? I've never heard of such a thing!
But he couldn't give up. His ultimate goal was to get these two major female leads as far away from him as possible. Long Aotian was out of the picture for just one day, but after that, these women were walking plot bombs waiting to explode.
Lu Chengwen put his arm around Xu Xuejiao again, grinning. "Xuejiao, dear, I'm Lu Chengwen, the bad guy, right? I saw you trying to stand up for this girl just now. I'm not bluffing. Can you spare, say, a hundred thousand—or even fifty thousand—to save her?"
Xu Xuejiao slowly shook her head. "Not convenient."
"Come on! Look, if you hire her, I'll cover her salary. You don't have to pay a cent. How's that?"
Xu Xuejiao shook her head again. "Oh, I get it. You're trying to extort me!"
Lu Chengwen's face turned liver-red with frustration. "Extort you? I'm not asking you for money! You take her, she works for you, and I'll pay her salary—"
"Why would I get such a sweet deal?" Xu Xuejiao interrupted. "You must be trying to plant a corporate spy in my company. Don't think I'm that easy to fool. I'm pretty smart, you know!"
Lu Chengwen suppressed his anger, lowering his voice. "Are you dense? She's not a spy. Even if she were, just stick her in some dead-end job where she can't access sensitive info. Problem solved!"
Xu Xuejiao replied, "I'm in medicine. Everyone I hire has to be trustworthy. This woman, with her groveling attitude, doesn't seem like a good person."
Lu Chengwen couldn't hold back anymore. "How is she not a good person!? She's the most filial, intelligent, capable, and resilient girl I've ever met!"
"She's just a kid who gave up her education in her teens to work because of her mother's illness. No one else would take a job as my secretary, knowing I'm a sleaze, a jerk, a bastard—but she did, because the pay was good!"
"She's been with me for five years, diligent, never making a mistake! Every time I groped her, lifted her skirt, spied on her, or humiliated her with crude jokes… she endured it! All to earn money for her mother's treatment!"
"She bears the office gossip alone, never defending herself, never arguing. She puts up with my harassment at work, then goes home—no clubbing, no hot pot, no movies, no shopping. Her work clothes are decent, but her casual stuff? Cheap market buys. Know why?"
Lu Chengwen's voice rose with anger. "Because she's terrified of losing her job! She saves every penny for her mother's treatment! How could someone like that be a bad person? How could she seem like a bad person?"
"Oh?" Xu Xuejiao raised an eyebrow. "Brother Chengwen, you know her well, huh?"
"Of course I do! It's been five years!" Lu Chengwen said passionately. "Xu Xuejiao, I misjudged you! I thought you were kind-hearted, sweet, compassionate, always ready to help someone in need. But now? I don't even know what I'm saying anymore…"
Lu Chengwen started smacking himself.
Damn it, why am I getting so worked up? What am I blabbering about? That's the hero's righteous spiel! Why am I acting like some noble hotshot?
Both women stared as Lu Chengwen slumped into his chair, elbows on his knees, rubbing his temples in frustration.
Jiang Shihan was stunned.
President Lu… sees me like that?
Is he actually a kind, caring person?
Then why does he keep bullying me? If you want to help me, you could just do it yourself—why push me onto President Xu?
I don't get it. This guy's completely unhinged today.
Xu Xuejiao smiled. "Brother Chengwen, my secretary texted. The press conference is about to start. I'm off to prep!"
Lu Chengwen didn't look up, just waved irritably, signaling for her to leave, you demon.
Xu Xuejiao stifled a laugh, pushed the door open, and glanced back to see Lu Chengwen flailing his arms like a windmill, smacking himself. She burst out laughing.
_
At the press conference, Lu Chengwen mustered his energy and read the script prepared by his team.
The speech was well-crafted, emphasizing that Ninth Pharmaceutical had chosen morality over profit in a tough decision.
It also promised the media and public that the company would conduct a thorough self-review and internal investigation.
As expected, midway through the conference, Lu Chengwen and the other executives' phones buzzed incessantly. The company's stock was plummeting.
A press conference this humiliating typically wouldn't include a Q&A session.
But the reporters were too eager.
One stood up. "Mr. Lu, does this fake drug incident hold any broader significance? Could it happen again? How will your factory ensure all future drugs are up to standard? Can you guarantee no similar issues have occurred with drugs already sold?"
Jiang Shihan quickly intervened. "I'm sorry, we're not taking questions—"
Lu Chengwen waved her off, leaning into the microphone. "If there were past issues, we'd have held this press conference sooner. If there are future issues, we'll hold another one. I can't guarantee our production process will always be flawless, but I can promise that every time something like this happens, we'll destroy the batch and hold a press conference. The fact that we're here today shows Ninth Pharmaceutical will always choose morality over profit."
Jiang Shihan was shocked.
This guy, who's usually so flippant, gave a solid answer.
A beautiful female reporter stood up. "President Lu, rumor has it you're engaged to Qianfeng Group's CEO, Miss Leng Qingqiu. Is that true? Some say you've pursued her for years and used your family's influence to pressure the Leng family. Is there any truth to that?"
Jiang Shihan jumped in. "Sorry, that's unrelated to this press conference. We won't address those questions."
The reporter didn't back down. "It's said you're a profit-driven capitalist with no regard for ethics. Is this press conference just a publicity stunt to project a responsible image?"
Lu Chengwen eyed the persistent reporter, and it hit him.
Damn it, another major female lead.
Long Aotian was locked away for a day, but how were all his harem girls showing up?
He couldn't afford to offend a journalist at a press conference.
Smiling, he said, "I'm a capitalist, but whether I'm profit-driven isn't for me to say—it's up to you. As for whether this is a stunt, that's not for me to decide either. But I am sending a message: we're reflecting deeply, and we're serious about responsibility. Thank you."
Jiang Shihan quickly wrapped up, "Thank you all for attending. The press conference is over."
Lu Chengwen stood and left, security escorting him out.
Reporters swarmed, especially the female journalist, who pushed to the front, waving her recorder. "President Lu! Can one press conference erase such a massive blunder? Will your factory's processes have similar issues again? Was this mistake human error or an accident? If human, who's responsible for this huge failure?"
Lu Chengwen's face darkened as he ignored her and walked away.
Damn you, Long Aotian, you pest.
You're out of the picture, but my troubles haven't lessened one bit.
Why do you need so many women?
Sure, novel protagonists often have multiple love interests, but you… you're too much of a playboy!
Yes, I'm jealous, but… you're shameless!
Yes, I want to be you, but… you're ridiculously suave.
Leaving the hall through a private corridor, Lu Chengwen strode forward.
Another group approached, led by a woman in a qipao and high heels, walking straight toward him.
Lu Chengwen's eyes locked onto her.
Graceful figure, perfect proportions, breathtaking beauty…
Another major female lead, Chen Mengyun.
Chen Mengyun was Chen Qiushou's granddaughter, older sister to Chen Moqun and Chen Mohuan.
Now, she was the CEO of the Chen family's conglomerate, wielding immense power and influence.
But back in the day, she was his official girlfriend—his childhood sweetheart, his first love.
Thanks to Chen Moqun's meddling, their relationship had ended messily, leaving his first love in tatters, an embarrassing wreck.
Meeting her now was bound to be awkward.
Luckily, Lu Chengwen was in a rush. He decided to pretend he didn't see her, striding past her briskly.
Chen Mengyun froze when she saw her first love, pausing instinctively.
But Lu Chengwen acted like she was invisible, walking right by.
You don't see me, you don't see me, you don't see me…
You just don't see me!
I messed up back then, and I don't have the face to see you. Let's both move on and live well.
Chen Mengyun turned, watching his retreating figure.
Am I hallucinating?
She gave a bitter smile.
Can't I let him go?
Lu Chengwen hadn't gone far when Xu Xuejiao appeared, blocking his path. "Brother Chengwen! Hey, I just saw Sister Mengyun go by! Mengyun!"
Lu Chengwen nearly lost it. "Don't… don't call her!"
"Mengyun, over here!"
Chen Mengyun had wanted to leave, feeling foolish.
It had been over three years since their breakup. Lu Chengwen hadn't once reached out—not for dinner, not to apologize, not even a call or text.
Complete radio silence.
Seeing him today, her heart still skipped a beat.
He was her first love, the first man she'd loved. A girl never fully forgets her first man, not unless she loses her memory. Even at eighty, in a wheelchair, she'd remember him.
Xu Xuejiao's shout forced them to face each other.
Among the four major families, calling them "tight-knit" was a stretch, but they maintained a veneer of courtesy.
In high society, no one openly feuded with major players or conglomerates.
The young heirs didn't have deep friendships, just acquaintances who nodded at each other at events, exchanging polite small talk.
Chen Mengyun turned back, smiling. "I thought that figure looked familiar. It's you, President Lu. What's this? A new style?"
Lu Chengwen forced a laugh, trying to play it cool. "Oh, sorry, sorry. Been so busy lately, always lost in thought while walking."
Xu Xuejiao, having called them together, now fell silent.
She knew they'd dated before and was deliberately stirring the pot to watch the drama.
After her polite remark, Chen Mengyun ran out of words, unsure what to say.
Lu Chengwen's explanation fizzled, and he too went blank, unable to find words.
They stared at each other, lips moving but no sound coming out.
The three stood there in awkward silence.
Xu Xuejiao glanced back and forth, watching their expressions.
Lu Chengwen opened his mouth, then closed it, managing only a polite smile.
Chen Mengyun, equally embarrassed, tilted her head slightly, fussing with her hair to mask her discomfort.
The awkwardness hit its peak.
Xu Xuejiao, you little troublemaker, why'd you call her over!?
I'm dying of embarrassment. I just want to crawl into a hole.
Mengyun's even prettier now. Her chest has developed so well. I even touched it back then… Shame I didn't seal the deal…
Chen Mengyun's eyes widened in shock. "President Lu, what did you say?"