The night was heavy with rain. Neon lights flickered across the cracked streets, washing the city in shades of blue and crimson.Lu Cheng stood at the edge of the rooftop, the wind tearing at his coat. Below him, the skyline of River City stretched endlessly—beautiful, heartless, merciless.
Five years ago, this was his empire.Now, it was his cage.
He still remembered that night—the betrayal, the scandal, the handcuffs biting into his wrists.They said he stole millions from the Lu Group. They said he drove his mother to death. They said he was done.
They didn't know the truth.He had been framed.
The memory of his mother's last words haunted him every night.
"Cheng'er, never kneel to evil. Wait for your chance."
That chance came tonight.
A phone buzzed in his pocket.Unknown Number: "He's here. The banquet starts in ten minutes."
Lu Cheng's lips curled into a thin, dangerous smile. "Then let's begin."
Inside the Crystal Tower, chandeliers sparkled like frozen stars. The city's elite gathered in laughter and champagne, unaware that the storm had already arrived.
At the center of it all stood Chen Shaohui, the man who had stolen his company, his reputation, and his peace.Next to him—Su Meixue, the woman who once held Lu Cheng's hand and swore she believed him.
Now, her laughter cut through the air like glass.
"Mr. Chen," she said sweetly, raising her glass, "congratulations on your new partnership. I believe the Lu Group will prosper under your leadership."
Lu Cheng stepped out of the shadows.Every head turned.Every whisper froze.
"Funny," he said, his voice cold as rain, "I don't remember handing it over."
Chen Shaohui's smile stiffened. "Lu Cheng? I thought you were in prison."
"I was," Lu Cheng said. "Now I'm free—and I've come for what's mine."
Silence. Then laughter.
Chen tilted his head. "You think you can fight me? You're a ghost from the past."
"Ghosts," Lu Cheng said quietly, "don't forget."
He placed a black card on the table. The logo shimmered faintly—Ares Capital.The room gasped. Even Chen's face twitched.
"Starting tonight," Lu Cheng continued, "Ares Capital will acquire forty percent of Chen Group shares. I suggest you drink less and read the news tomorrow."
He turned away before anyone could respond.Behind him, Chen's composure cracked.
And Su Meixue—her hand trembled, her lips parted. For the first time in five years, she saw him not as a man broken, but as a storm reborn.
Lu Cheng walked out into the rain, his reflection fractured by the city lights.The past had buried him once.Now, he would bury the past.
Tonight marked not the end—but the beginning.