The Starlight Pavilion was still buzzing with the ghost of Lu Chen's fifty-million-dollar bid when he stepped into the cool night air. But he didn't head for the limousine. Instead, he walked toward the darkened corner of the parking lot where a rugged, blacked-out military SUV sat idling, its engine humming with a power that shook the pavement.
A man leaned against the hood, smoking a hand-rolled cigarette. He wore a scarred leather jacket and combat boots, looking more like a mercenary than a member of the world's wealthiest family.
This was Lu Han, Lu Chen's second cousin—known in the underworld as "The Iron Hound." Unlike Lu Chen, who had been exiled to the kitchens and streets to learn humility, Lu Han had been exiled to the private battlefields of North Africa to learn strength.
"Three years in a kitchen didn't make you soft, I see," Lu Han said, his voice like grinding gravel. He flicked his cigarette away. "I watched the feed. Fifty million for a rock? You always were the dramatic one, Chen."
Lu Chen stopped a few feet away. "The exile is over for all of us, Han. Why are you here?"
"The Old Man," Lu Han said, his expression darkening. "Our grandfather. He's called for a Blood Gathering in three days. He wants to see which of the 'Exiles' actually learned anything. But there's a problem."
The Internal Threat
Lu Chen's eyes sharpened. The Lu Family was not a united front. It was a predatory ecosystem. Every generation, the heirs were scattered to the winds. Some were sent to the slums, some to the military, some to the tech hubs. Only the ones who returned with power were allowed to keep their names.
"It's Lu Feng, isn't it?" Lu Chen asked.
"Bingo," Lu Han spat. "Our 'Golden Boy' cousin. He spent his three years of exile in Silicon Valley. He didn't start from zero like you—he started with a 'small' gift of ten million and turned it into a ten-billion-dollar AI empire. He thinks he's the rightful heir to the Jade Throne. He heard about your return tonight, and he's already moving."
"Moving how?"
"He's buying the debt of the hospital where your sister is staying," Lu Han revealed. "He knows Mei is your weakness. He doesn't want to kill you, Chen. He wants to buy you. He wants you to kneel and sign over your 900-billion-dollar inheritance to him before the Blood Gathering."
The Counter-Strike
Lu Chen felt a cold fire ignite in his chest. It was one thing for outsiders like Manager Zhao or Lin Feng to insult him. It was another for a member of his own bloodline to target his sister.
"Chen Bo!" Lu Chen called out.
The steward appeared from the shadows instantly. "Yes, Young Master?"
"My cousin Feng thinks he's a genius because he plays with software. Let's show him what real-world leverage looks like. Who provides the satellite servers for his AI firm?"
"That would be 'Star-Link Global', a subsidiary of the maritime group you took over an hour ago," Chen Bo replied with a faint, knowing smile.
"Shut them down," Lu Chen commanded. "Not forever. Just for ten minutes. Let the 'Golden Boy' see his stock price drop by a billion dollars a minute. And send him a message: 'The janitor found some trash in the server room. I'm just cleaning it up.'"
The Arrival of the Third
Before Lu Han could respond, a sleek, neon-blue electric motorcycle skidded to a halt between them. The rider pulled off a chrome helmet, revealing long, silver-dyed hair and a face of striking, cold beauty.
Lu Xinyi. The third cousin. She had been exiled to the world of high-stakes espionage and fashion in Paris.
"Are we starting the family feud without me?" she asked, her eyes dancing with a dangerous light. "I just flew in from Zurich. Chen, darling, your suit is exquisite, but your shoes are still those hideous sneakers from the kitchen. We really must fix your image before we face the Old Man."
She hopped off the bike and looked at Lu Chen seriously. "But Han is right. Feng isn't your only problem. The 'Shadow Committee'—the elders who manage the family's secret hoard—they don't like that you survived the poverty trial so easily. They think you cheated."
"I survived by scrubbing floors and eating cold rice," Lu Chen said, his voice vibrating with suppressed power. "If they think that's cheating, they're welcome to try it themselves."
"They won't try it," Xinyi warned. "They'll just try to kill you. There's a contract out. Two million dollars. A pittance for us, but enough to bring every assassin in this city to your doorstep tonight."
The Siege Begins
As if on cue, the red laser dots of three sniper rifles appeared on the pavement, dancing toward Lu Chen's chest.
Lu Han didn't hesitate. He pulled a folding tactical shield from his SUV. "Get behind the car! Now!"
CRACK!
The first bullet shattered the window of a nearby parked car.
Lu Chen didn't run. He stood in the center of the laser sights, his hands behind his back. He looked at the rooftop of the building across the street.
"They think two million is enough to buy my life?" Lu Chen whispered.
He pulled out his phone and pressed a single button on a private app. A global broadcast went out to every registered mercenary and bounty hunter on the dark web—a system the Lu family had secretly funded for decades.
[CONTRACT UPDATE]: Target: Lu Chen. Status: PROTECT. Reward for the heads of the assassins currently at the Starlight Pavilion: $100 Million per head. Verified by the Black Gold Account.
The laser dots on Lu Chen's chest didn't just disappear—they suddenly jerked upward as the snipers on the roof were tackled by their own teammates, greedy for the 100-million-dollar counter-bounty.
Screams echoed from the rooftops, followed by a heavy silence.
Lu Chen turned to his cousins, his expression unchanged. "The 'Golden Boy' uses money to build walls. I use it to build a world where the walls belong to me. Now, shall we go see our sister?"
Lu Han and Lu Xinyi looked at each other, a newfound respect—and a hint of fear—in their eyes. The janitor wasn't just back. He was the most dangerous man they had ever met.