Chapter 1: Strange Phenomena in the Underworld

  The night is dim, the street is crowded with people coming and going, a bustling street with a dazzling array of lights, a group of leisurely people are spending their sleepless time at the roadside night market.

  Qian Xiaohong and Lu Xiaoying spent a night drinking and singing with Liu Daqi in the song hall for the clients of Lan's Group. They sang until their voices were hoarse, and the carefully designed makeup on their faces no longer made them look radiant, replaced by pale complexions and disheveled hair. After such a night, those bosses all said they had a great time when leaving the nightclub, repeatedly promising to cooperate with Lan's Group.

  Two days later, Qian Xiaohong finally received a call from Liu Daqi after anxious waiting. On the phone, Liu Daqi told them to take the contract to his company and find a manager named Yin Guangming, who would sign the contract with Lan's Group on behalf of the company.

  After hanging up the phone, Qian Xiaohong called Lu Xiaoying, and the two of them were afraid that if they went a second later, Liu Daqi would change his mind. They didn't even wash their faces before taking a taxi to Liu Daqi's company.

  Shunli and Liu Daqi's company signed a contract, other bosses also called to inform them one after another. Within a week, they basically recovered most of their clients. With these clients, the Lan Group can make a comeback now.

  Everything is ready, now there's just one big problem, and it's a very big one.

  The biggest problem now is the lack of funds, Lan Jingqiu plans to go find He Jucai's father, Old Master He Jiangyu.

  He first called Huo Jucai and explained everything to him. After listening, Huo said he could help arrange a meeting with his father.

  "I'm not familiar with cosmetics, so I'm not interested in investing in your company." Mr. Huo received Lan Jingqiu in his study, sitting at his desk with a high-end cigar in his mouth. After listening to Lan's plan, he remained silent for a long time before speaking bluntly, without leaving any room for politeness. He then extinguished the cigar in the ashtray and leaned back in his chair, placing his hands on the table and tapping his fingers lightly but rhythmically on the surface. This gesture seemed to reflect that he had made this decision after careful consideration, weighing the pros and cons.

  "Dad," Huo Jucai knew his father's temper, once he said something, it was hard to change, so in order to help his friend, he had to say a few more words. He walked up to the table and stood in front of his father, saying, "Your business is so big, almost every industry is involved, except for cosmetics. With your years of experience in doing business, now women pay attention to two things: clothes and their faces. In order to look better than others, they are willing to spend a lot of money. So the cosmetics market has a promising future. For the sake of business, and also for me, your son, you should consider helping my friend."

  He Jiangyu looked at his son, got up and poured a glass of foreign wine, stood in front of the cabinet and took a sip, then turned around and said: "Lan Shi Group was also famous a few years ago, Lan Shi cosmetics is also a brand, it's a large enterprise with strong funds. However, facing funding shortages now also shows that the company management is not proper, can be said to be on the verge of bankruptcy. As a businessman, my first consideration is to make money. Now investing in Lan Shi Group, I still need to discuss with other shareholders of my company."

  When he heard the words "let's discuss it", Huo Jucai understood that his father had already changed his mind, and he even knew that the reason for his change of heart was not how much money the Lanxiang Group's cosmetics could make him, but because of what he had said.

  In He Jiangyu's heart, his only son He Jucui was useless except for eating, drinking and having fun, and had no interest in business at all. So he has been very worried about it in recent years, especially when his physical condition was not as good as before, he was afraid that He Jucui could not inherit his property, or might lose all of his property. Just now, the analysis of the cosmetics market made He Jiangyu secretly relieved, and agreeing to invest in Lan's Group's cosmetics was actually a way to encourage He Jucui.

  "Ho Dong," Lan Jingqiu said, "In the past, the Lan family group did have management problems, but now the company has signed contracts with several companies and the company's management has been completely revamped. It is no longer the old Lan family group. As long as we produce our products, we will definitely make money."

  "Dad," said Huo Jucai, "I didn't understand business before, but I'll work hard to learn from now on. You investing in Lan's company is like paying a tuition fee for me to study at the Lan Group. Who knows, maybe one day I can help you too. Besides, they are your son's most sincere friends in this city. Your son hopes you can lend them a hand. Three million isn't a big deal for you. If it pays off, everyone will be happy. Even if we lose, it's just three million. But by helping my friends, you'll also be helping your son."

  Huo Jiangyu remained silent, his wine cup rotating in his hand.

  "Alright," he said after a moment, "I can invest in the Lan Corporation, but I hope to see results within half a year."

  "No problem!" Lan Jingqiu said excitedly and hastily after seeing that Old Man Huo had already agreed.

  Mr. Huo looked at his son and Lan Jingqiu, took a deep breath, then looked at the contract that Lan Jingqiu had prepared earlier, signed his name on it, and stamped it with the seal that was almost stolen from him during his last birthday celebration.

  After signing, he asked Huo Jucai to send Lan Jingqiu out and said that the 30 million would be transferred to the Lan Group's account in two days.

  With the support of Mr. Huo, Lan Jingqiu was overjoyed and rushed back to the company to share the good news with everyone. Lan Yutong heard it and laughed out loud with tears in her eyes, thanking them repeatedly.

  Two days later, the Lan family group began to bustle with activity. Even the usually lazy Qian Xiaohong and Lu Xiaoying joined in their work. The few of them led the company employees in a day-and-night struggle. Lan Yutong, this handsome young man who only knew how to eat, drink and have fun, was now so busy that his feet didn't touch the ground as he ran between the company and the factory. Qian Xiaohong and Lu Xiaoying also returned to their residence very late at night. Sometimes, for safety reasons, they took turns sleeping in the factory.

  Lu Xiao Ying was also very happy, she helped to inspect and package the finished products. After Yang Hua's hypocritical behavior, she no longer thought about love, that kind of mythical love can only be perfectly expressed in literature, and only on TV by actors' exaggerated performances, there is no pure love in real life, at least it's not easy to have that kind of beautiful and pure love like snow in winter, so now she just wants to help Lan Jing Qiu save the company.

  Qian Xiaohong was the same, she was also very concerned about the company's progress, so during this time she didn't go to see her deeply loved Zhang Mingyu. Even though she missed her boyfriend and wanted to go see him, seeing everyone busy as can be, she couldn't bear to be idle by herself. Therefore, her longing for her boyfriend could only be expressed over the phone.

  Zhang Mingyu occasionally calls her, but only says a few words before hanging up the phone with the excuse of being busy at work. Every time is like this, and Qian Xiaohong understands this behavior very well, because she believes that Zhang Mingyu loves her as deeply as she loves him.

  However, Lu Xiao Ying never believed in Zhang Mingyu's words, thinking that he hung up the phone because Qian Xiaohong said she had no money on her. But even if it was true, would Qian Xiaohong listen? Would she believe?

  Therefore, every time Lu Xiao Ying heard them talking on the phone, she couldn't help but worry about Qian Xiaohong, fearing that she would be disappointed in love like before and have thoughts of despair.

  Fortunately, Yang Hua will definitely not like her once he sees her true appearance. She had expected this all along, so it won't lead to any disaster.

  But she is now worried about Qian Xiaohong, Qian Xiaohong's love for Zhang Mingyu can be said to have reached the point of being deeply ingrained in her bones. If she were to find out that Zhang Mingyu was just a disgusting playboy, what would happen to Qian Xiaohong? This question has been on her mind, thinking and worrying about it all along. Several times she wanted to tell Qian Xiaohong the truth, but seeing how deeply in love Qian Xiaohong was with Zhang Mingyu, whenever his name was mentioned, she would go on and on about how great he was. So, she didn't want to break Qian Xiaohong's heart, especially since Qian Xiaohong might not even believe her words.

  They were busy and happy like this.

  Time flies like an arrow, and in a few months, after several months of hard work, the Lanxi Group's production of Lanxi cosmetics finally completed the customer's order task. Box after box of goods were neatly placed in the warehouse, and they gathered under the bright lights of the warehouse, looking at the results of their hard work day and night, hugging each other and congratulating each other.

  "Finally done!" Lan Jingqiu let out a long sigh as she gazed at the towering pile of goods, excitedly telling Lan Yutong.

  "These are all your credit," Lan Yutong also looked at the goods, then turned around and knelt down to everyone suddenly, "Thank you! Thank you!"

  Qian Xiaohong and Lu Xiaoying hastily bent down to support Lan Yutong, saying: "Don't be like this!"

  Lan Yutong waved her hand and shook her head, saying: "Xiao Hong, Xiao Ying, don't pull me, listen to what I have to say."

  He paused, then continued: "I want to thank you for three things. Firstly, you changed me. In the past, I only knew how to spend money and not earn it. I thought that with the Lan Corporation's billions in assets, I had the whole world at my feet. But because of this mindset, I was reckless and played games with people's lives. Secondly, you taught me how to be a human being. After my father passed away, under Ou Xiaoqian's temptation, I sank deeper and deeper into darkness, passing the years in a daze. If it weren't for you, perhaps the Lan Corporation would have been taken from me without me even realizing it. Can you imagine? If that really happened, wouldn't I be a criminal? I would have destroyed my father's life work, the Lan Corporation. How could I face my deceased father with that on my conscience? You helped me pick up the pieces of filial piety that I should possess as a son, making me understand that having money isn't everything, and that one should live with ideals and strive for them, even if it means being wounded by thorns along the way. At least then life would be radiant and proud. Thirdly, you taught me that to make life wonderful, one must take action themselves. As long as it's something earned through one's own labor, plain food can be just as delicious as delicacies. This period of time has indeed been tiring for me, every night when I return home my waist and back ache, sometimes I even have trouble sleeping. Compared to the past, it's indeed more difficult, but I feel fulfilled. You helped me understand what true happiness is."

  Lan Jing listened quietly, and Lan Yutong's words made him feel happy in his heart. The change in Lan Yutong could be said to be the most successful thing in his life. He understood that money was nothing after all.

  That night, they returned to the company and celebrated in Lan Yutong's spacious office, noisily passing the time until midnight before returning home and falling into a sweet sleep.

  The next morning, Lan Jingqiu got up early, still in a state of excitement. He stood in front of the wardrobe, thinking about what to wear. Today was the day when those clients would come to transport the goods, and he wanted to make a good impression and commemorate this special day, so he didn't want to dress casually.

  He put on his clothes and walked to the bedside to pick up the phone he had thrown on the bed. At this moment, his phone rang. He picked it up and saw that it was Lu Xiaoying calling him, so he smiled and thought: These people are really impatient!

  "Hey!" He said casually, turning his face to the mirror to check if his face was clean and handsome.

  "Oh no, Uncle Lan! The warehouse caught fire last night and all our hard work over the past period has gone to waste. All the goods were burned to ashes!" The urgent voice of Lu Xiao Ying came from the other end of the phone, her words almost shocking him into a stupor.