At three in the afternoon, Lu Heng took Jiang Yunxing to their meeting destination.
They had arranged to meet at a high-end restaurant. Although they were only meeting one person, they still reserved a nice private room.
The two arrived early. While their guest hadn’t shown up yet, Lu Heng ordered the dishes after taking his seat and calmly sipped his tea. Jiang Yunxing, however, was fidgeting in his chair as if he was sitting on pins and needles.
“You don’t need to be so nervous.” Lu Heng put down his teacup and pushed Jiang Yunxing’s tea closer to him. “When they arrive, you just need to sit here.”
Jiang Yunxing touched his teacup, nodded, and asked, “Ge, when you talk business, should I step out?”
“It’s not confidential, no need to leave,” Lu Heng said. “He won’t be coming alone either. If the talk goes well today, we might sign the contract on the spot, so he’ll bring at least one legal counsel.”
“Is there anything I should do?” Jiang Yunxing asked.
Lu Heng glanced at him. “Just act as my bodyguard.”
Jiang Yunxing nodded blankly. “Oh, okay. Ge, I’ll protect you well.”
By the time they finished their tea and all the dishes were served, their guest finally arrived.
The visitor was Zhang Pu, a powerful businessman who owned a large portion of properties in the city center.
The purpose of today’s meeting was to persuade Zhang Pu to invest in the Lu Corporation’s subsidiary company.
The subsidiary was newly established with only a handful of projects. Even with Lu Shenghua as the chairman, rapid value appreciation wasn’t easy.
Moreover, now that Lu Shenghua had handed the company to Lu Heng, giving the subsidiary only the Lu family name, gaining investors’ trust for the subsidiary’s development was no simple task.
As soon as the guest arrived, Lu Heng put on a smile, stood up, and walked toward Zhang Pu with cigarettes in hand.
“Mr. Zhang, welcome. I took the liberty of ordering some dishes. I hope they suit your taste.”
The cigarettes were specially chosen as Zhang Pu’s favorite, as were the dishes. Lu Heng had done his research beforehand.
Catering to investors’ preferences was part of the necessary preparation.
Zhang Pu took the cigarette and scanned the array of dishes on the table. His gaze toward Lu Heng noticeably softened.
He sat across from Lu Heng and lit the cigarette. “As expected of Lu Shenghua’s son. You’re capable of handling things independently at such a young age. But aren’t you still underage? How could he let you take over the company so early?”
Lu Heng replied, “You’re too kind, Mr. Zhang. I came of age recently. Taking over the company was my request to Father. I wanted to share some of his burden.”
Zhang Pu was stunned. “Hm? Weren’t you just seventeen? Two months ago, your father told me you presented early as an Alpha before coming of age.”
“You must be thinking of my younger brother,” Lu Heng maintained his composure and said calmly. “I’m Lu Shenghua’s eldest son, Lu Heng.”
Zhang Pu’s expression shifted slightly as he smiled. “Oh, so you’re Lu Heng.”
Although it was a subtle change, Lu Heng could tell Zhang Pu’s attitude wasn’t as favorable as before.
In this world, only Alphas seemed destined for success. All power and advantages were built upon being an Alpha.
Betas had a slim chance, but they had to work much harder. Omegas were completely written off.
As an Omega, Lu Heng faced not only the challenges of being seen as young and inexperienced but also the systemic oppression unique to this world. If Lu Tian wasn’t still young and Lu Shenghua couldn’t find anyone more suitable, Lu Heng wouldn’t even have gotten the chance to manage the subsidiary company.
Lu Heng had considered all these early on, so Zhang Pu’s sudden change in attitude didn’t fluster him.
He took out the project documents and handed them to Zhang Pu with both hands. “Mr. Zhang, these are the documents for the F City project. Please take a look.”
Zhang Pu took the documents but only glanced at the first page before setting them aside. “Let’s not discuss that now. Let’s chat while we eat. It’d be a waste to let all this good food go cold.”
Zhang Pu was obviously avoiding the topic. Lu Heng didn’t press him and said, “You’re right, Mr. Zhang.”
Seeing Zhang Pu had finished his cigarette, Lu Heng offered him another one and lit it for him before lighting one for himself.
Zhang Pu seemed surprised. “Omegas can smoke?”
“I don’t smoke much. Cigarettes are harmful to the body. It’s the same for everyone,” Lu Heng said.
Zhang Pu laughed. “You’re right about that. Even strong Alphas can develop health issues from long-term smoking. But it’s more harmful to Omegas, doesn’t it affect pregnancy?”
Lu Heng bit the cigarette filter lightly and shot a quick glance at Jiang Yunxing.
Male Omegas could get pregnant? Jiang Yunxing had never mentioned that.
Jiang Yunxing seemed to sense Lu Heng’s gaze and lowered his head even more.
Zhang Pu finally noticed the person beside Lu Heng. “Who’s this? I don’t think I’ve seen him before.”
Lu Heng replied calmly, “My brother was worried about me traveling alone, so he hired a bodyguard to accompany me.”
“Oh, how thoughtful of your brother. It is dangerous for an Omega to be out alone. This must be an Alpha then?”
Jiang Yunxing belatedly realized Zhang Pu was talking to him and nodded dazedly.
He had never experienced anything like this in his life. Just sitting here made him feel like he was on pins and needles, let alone having someone address him directly.
This was a thousand times more terrifying than being called in by a teacher for scoring zero on a test.
“Perfect! I was just worried about having no drinking companion,” Zhang Pu said, waving his hand. His secretary brought out a bottle of baijiu, filling one glass to the brim and another halfway.
Zhang Pu held out the full glass to Jiang Yunxing. Jiang Yunxing’s mind suddenly cleared.
Even though he had never dealt with people like this before, he could sense that Zhang Pu was targeting Lu Heng.
Since learning Lu Heng was an Omega, Zhang Pu’s attitude had completely changed, every word belittling Lu Heng’s gender.
He was furious but there was nothing he could do. The full glass of baijiu was right in front of him, its pungent smell making him nauseous.
He despised alcohol, but if drinking this glass could help Lu Heng, he would do it without hesitation.
Just as he started to raise his hand, the person beside him moved faster.
Lu Heng took the wine glass. His expression remained unchanged, but his tone grew heavier. “Bodyguards can’t drink while on duty, Mr. Zhang. I’m the one here to discuss business with you today, so naturally, I should be the one drinking.”
After speaking, Lu Heng took the initiative to clink his glass with Zhang Pu’s. His hand was steady, not spilling a drop, and he drank half the wine without changing his expression.
Zhang Pu was quite surprised, holding his glass in mid-air for a while before finally reacting.
He took a perfunctory sip, put down his glass, and chuckled twice, but had nothing more to say.
Lu Heng raised his glass again and finished the remaining half in one go. His expression unchanged, he said, “Mr. Zhang, now that we’ve had our drinks and chatted for so long, I hope you haven’t forgotten the main business.”
Through this exchange, Lu Heng had figured out Zhang Pu’s attitude. He abandoned his initial friendly approach and went straight to the point.
Zhang Pu finally looked Lu Heng in the face properly. After a long stare, he picked up the project documents beside him.
As a business veteran, he wasn’t just someone who liked to make things difficult for others. With his abundant experience and wisdom, even though he looked down on Lu Heng’s secondary gender, he was still meticulous about work.
Lu Heng’s behavior surprised Zhang Pu, even earning some genuine admiration, but ingrained prejudices couldn’t be changed so quickly. He flipped through the documents, but his expression remained stern.
He quickly went through the thick stack of documents. “The ideas and proposals are quite good. I’ve had my eye on that area in F City for a long time. It’s indeed a prime location. Development there has been slow, but in the past two years, most of the new housing has been completed. If we build entertainment facilities and utilize them well, there could be significant returns.”
“The new housing should be completed this year as planned. Most residents there are locals, and the other properties are basically sold out. After the new housing is completed, give it another six months, and the foot traffic in that area will reach unexpected levels. Within two years at most, that area will be as prosperous as N City’s city center,” Lu Heng described the bright future in a particularly calm tone, then continued, “Since Mr. Zhang is interested in developing that area, I won’t elaborate further. Why don’t we look at the contract directly?”
Signing the contract immediately would be the smoothest outcome Lu Heng had imagined, but the smoother the plan seemed, the harder it was to achieve.
No matter how well he portrayed F City’s future, it was still just a vision. Plans never kept up with changes, and as an investor, Zhang Pu naturally wouldn’t let Lu Heng lead him by the nose.
“Your ideas are very good, and your vision is well-founded. I also believe in Lu Corporation’s capabilities,” Zhang Pu smiled. “But Lu’s strength was built up bit by bit by Lu Shenghua. You’re just a youngster who just became an adult. How can I trust you?”
Lu Heng looked back at Zhang Pu, his calm demeanor tinged with coldness. “Then perhaps Mr. Zhang could tell me how to earn your trust.”
“Since we’re talking business, I should at least witness your business capabilities firsthand,” Zhang Pu said while pouring more wine into Lu Heng’s glass. “I heard Lu Shenghua handed the entire branch company to you to manage. How about this: if you can get the company’s value ranked in the city’s top ten, I’ll invest.”
The wine gurgled into Lu Heng’s glass, quickly reaching the brim.
Lu Heng just stared at it without picking it up.
The branch company had just started. Despite Lu Corporation’s backing, its current ranking had barely surpassed thirteenth. Zhang Pu’s condition wasn’t impossible to meet, but given the company’s current situation, it would be difficult to achieve in the short term. If it dragged on too long, someone else might snatch up the F City project.
Lu Heng said, “But this project can’t afford to be delayed anymore, can it?”
Zhang Pu seemed quite indifferent. “In business, the worst thing is being hasty. I’m not sure of your capabilities, and just handing over the investment to you would only lead to bigger losses if something goes wrong. What’s more, this investment isn’t exclusively for you. Many people are eyeing the F City project. I’m willing to give you a chance only because of Lu Corporation’s reputation.”
Lu Heng fell silent again, his right hand gripping the wine glass, his thumb slowly rubbing against its surface.
Zhang Pu laughed. “Feeling troubled, aren’t you? Lu Heng, you’re still young after all. You don’t know how cruel the business world can be…”
“One week.” Lu Heng cut off Zhang Pu’s words and looked up at him. “Give me a week, and I’ll meet your standards. When that happens, I hope you’ll be quick about it. I still have school, and I don’t have time to fly between two cities.”
Zhang Pu was stunned again. After a while, he laughed once more, this time more heartily than before.
“Good, good! You really are Lu Shenghua’s son, all talk and action.” Excited, he drained his glass and said, “Okay, I promise. If you can do it in a week, I’ll invest.”
Although their business talk ended, the atmosphere remained tense. Throughout the meal, Lu Heng’s glass was never empty.
Zhang Pu deliberately kept the drinks coming, and Lu Heng had no reason to refuse, so he could only keep downing glass after glass.
Fortunately, Jiang Yunxing had pestered him to eat something before coming, so the alcohol didn’t hit his empty stomach too hard.
Before they knew it, a whole bottle was emptied, with Lu Heng drinking most of it.
He didn’t flush when drinking, and his expression remained unchanged, showing no signs of intoxication.
Zhang Pu’s face had turned red, and his voice became a bit floaty. That smile stayed plastered on his face.
The dinner-turned-drinking session finally ended when Zhang Pu received a phone call.
Zhang Pu’s secretary led him out first, leaving only Lu Heng and Jiang Yunxing in the private room. Neither spoke.
Lu Heng leaned sideways against the chair’s backrest, one hand propping himself up, staring blankly at the edge of the table.
After a while, a glass of warm water appeared in his line of sight.
“Ge, drink some water to warm your stomach,” Jiang Yunxing said.
He had been sitting beside Lu Heng the whole time, witnessing how much alcohol Lu Heng had consumed during the hour-long dinner.
He had seen people drink heavily before and knew how uncomfortable it could be. Thinking of those scenes, Jiang Yunxing lowered his head further, his voice full of dejection. “Ge, I’m sorry I couldn’t help you at all.”
His eyes felt sore, and his heart ached terribly. Before he could recover, a shadow suddenly loomed over him.
Lu Heng leaned toward Jiang Yunxing, grabbed his hair, and yanked his head back, forcing him to look up.
Then, he brought his face close to Jiang Yunxing’s and pressed their lips together.
The cool sensation spread from their connected lips, accompanied by heavy breathing. This time, Jiang Yunxing didn’t dodge, but his mind had already scattered to the winds, leaving him frozen like a wooden post.
After barely two seconds, Lu Heng pulled back slightly and stared at Jiang Yunxing with displeasure.
“Have you never kissed before?” Lu Heng’s breath carried a hint of alcohol, but his tone remained cool. “Open your mouth.”
Author’s Note:
Thanks for waiting. Once again, I emphasize that all business-related content is pure fiction, just enjoy the story~
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