Chapter 103: Elder Shi's Game

Morning.

Lu Chen sat silently in the study, flipping through a newspaper with some boredom.

This recent period of time has been truly too busy.

It has been a long time since he was this leisurely.

"Sir, news from Manager Li's side: the funds have been fully deployed."

Housekeeper Wang knocked lightly on the door, walked to Lu Chen's side, bowed slightly, and placed the telegram in front of Lu Chen.

"Mm, notify Xuan Hua to return."

Lu Chen nodded slightly, glanced at his watch, and did not write anything on the telegram.

"Also, how much time is left before visiting Elder Shi?"

"According to the recently agreed-upon time, you have one and a half hours left."

Housekeeper Wang glanced at his watch and spoke in a low voice.

Lu Chen nodded slightly, stood up to return to the bedroom, washed up again, and changed into a new suit.

Only then did he go downstairs to the reception hall.

"Let's go."

Lu Chen did not linger; he simply nodded slightly to Chen Mo and walked toward the parking lot first.

"Chen Mo, sit in the back."

Chen Mo was slightly stunned, closed the passenger door, and followed Lu Chen to sit in the back seat.

"The operation report from Piaoliang Guo is out, right? You send the pension to the homes of the corresponding brothers."

Lu Chen tossed a pack of 555s to Chen Mo and lit one for himself as well.

His tone carried a hint of heaviness as he continued to speak.

"When Xuan Hua returns, he will bring back their ashes; you make the arrangements."

"Understood. Should they be buried with the previous brothers?"

After taking a few deep drags of his cigarette, Chen Mo's voice carried a hint of hoarseness.

He looked up at Lu Chen, his tone filled with a trace of questioning.

"No, bury them in the public cemetery. They are not to be buried with those brothers; someone will be watching."

Lu Chen paused, then spoke softly, reaching out to pat Chen Mo on the shoulder.

His gaze looked out the window.

"I remember every one of their sacrifices."

"Good."

After finishing his cigarette, Chen Mo nodded slightly.

Passing through the bustling streets of Central, going further and further, and passing not far from Nitan, a grim mansion appeared in Lu Chen's line of sight.

The car stopped slowly at the main gate, and a middle-aged butler wearing a suit was already standing at the entrance.

After Lu Chen's car came to a steady stop, he stepped forward a few paces and opened the car door.

Chen Mo got out first and stood to the side; only then did Lu Chen straighten his suit and step out.

He nodded slightly to the middle-aged butler.

"Mr. Lu, my master is waiting for you in the reception hall. Please follow me."

He reached out, guiding Lu Chen as they walked into the courtyard.

Lu Chen instantly felt over a dozen gazes sweep over him.

This was a feeling that even the Luosha mansion had never given him.

It was just like... a military fortress; if there were even the slightest bit of unpleasantness, he wouldn't find it strange if a dozen guns appeared pointed at his forehead.

Lu Chen did not stop, though his back felt a bit uncomfortable.

As for Housekeeper Wang and Chen Mo, they did not follow; instead, servants from the Zhuangyuan carried Lu Chen's gifts and followed far behind.

"Please, this way."

The butler guided Lu Chen to an open wooden door and bowed slightly.

Inside the door, the wooden decor was extremely luxurious, emitting a faint scent of sandalwood.

Lu Chen nodded slightly, straightened his suit once more, then reached out to knock on the door and walked into the reception hall.

"Little Lu, come sit over here."

Elder Shi put down his newspaper, beckoned to Lu Chen, and took off his reading glasses to set them aside.

Lu Chen nodded slightly, did not speak, and obediently sat in the spot indicated by Elder Shi's wave.

He watched Elder Shi quietly.

"Last time at the board meeting, you kid really made me look at you with new eyes."

Elder Shi waited for the servants to pour the tea and set out the cigarettes, and only after they had all exited the reception hall did he speak indifferently.

"I heard you kid pulled off some big thing recently? You didn't even come to see this old man."

"It is indeed this junior's fault for not coming to visit you at the first opportunity."

Lu Chen picked up his teacup lightly and took a sip.

Only then did he pick up the filterless cigarette from the coffee table, light it, and take a light puff.

A spicy, pungent taste rushed straight to his crown, making Lu Chen almost faint.

Lu Chen looked deeply at Elder Shi and coughed a few times.

"This cigarette is so strong; are you, Elder, having a laugh at this junior's expense?"

He placed the cigarette in the ashtray, took out a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his mouth lightly, and then pulled a pack of 555s from his own pocket.

He did not pull it out, but instead placed it on the coffee table and picked up the cigarette again.

"Kid, who told you to touch things without asking? Hahaha..."

Old Shi laughed heartily for a while before he spoke.

"I'm old, I'm used to smoking this; I'm not used to that stuff you young people have, not used to it at all."

Old Shi waved his hand while laughing.

He picked up a cigarette, lit it, and took a blissful puff.

After exhaling a pale blue cloud of smoke, he spoke.

"You kid really are a Monkey King; this time you've turned Xianggang upside down."

"No matter how strong the Monkey King is, he still can't escape the palm of the Buddha, can he?"

A flash of depth crossed Lu Chen's eyes, and his tone carried a hint of ease.

He crushed out the filterless cigarette, pulled out a 555, lit it, and took a deep drag.

This time it was much more comfortable.

"Isn't it true that after all this turning around, I still ended up in your hands?"

"Hahaha, you."

Old Shi coughed a few times while laughing and pointed at Lu Chen.

After a few minutes, he took a puff of his cigarette.

"I already understand your intentions; this is the land deed for Tianran Gang, you can buy it back for 1 pound."

Old Shi reached out a hand, stopping Lu Chen, who was just about to speak.

"As for me, I'm old, I don't want to scheme back and forth anymore. Do you know the difference between the shipping magnates of Xianggang and me?"

Lu Chen was stunned for a moment and took a deep look at Old Shi.

He silently lit a 555, finished smoking it, and took a light sip of tea.

He cleared his throat before speaking.

"Information; every ship is an island of information. The shipping magnates of Xianggang might have some, but they only care about themselves."

"You kid, not bad."

Old Shi looked at Lu Chen with some surprise, a flash of appreciation, complexity, and regret crossing his eyes.

He took a slow puff of his cigarette, his tone carrying a trace of vicissitudes.

"There are so many old fogies who have lived their whole lives and still can't see this point, still scheming back and forth. By the end of this year, the shipping industry will suffer a heavy blow; without information, they won't even know how they lost everything."

A flash of ruthlessness crossed Old Shi's eyes.

"Little Lu, I'll give you a chance. You have the port; do you have the guts to take on a fleet at the end of the year?"

"With all due respect, I could take on a fleet, but I don't have the business."

Lu Chen took a deep look at Old Shi, and the cigarette in his hand paused slightly.

The smile on his face remained unchanged, but his other hand tightened slightly.

"If you were to introduce some business to me, then I would have no problem."

"Starting this year, the demand for textiles in Europe will increase greatly; the goods will be sold out without even needing to leave the port."

Old Shi looked at Lu Chen before speaking softly.

"Xianggang is indeed a good transit and distribution center. Little Lu, what do you think?"