The crowd jeered at Lu Ming.
Jiang Anzhi even sneered, "Your wife told you to get lost, understand?"
Lu Ming glared fiercely at Cheng Hai, leaving behind a parting shot: "With me here, the Jiang family will absolutely not fall. Cheng Hai, we'll see."
With that, he turned and left.
Everyone shook their heads.
"Still spewing nonsense as he leaves. This guy is really good at being disgusting."
"I truly don't understand why the old man let this guy join the Jiang family. He just annoys everyone and holds the Jiang family back."
"When the opportunity arises, we'll find a reason to kick him out of the Jiang family. It'll be easier on the eyes."
Throughout the entire Jiang family, from top to bottom, no one besides Jiang Lan looked upon Lu Ming with favor.
Yet, it was precisely Jiang Lan who stood up and said with a smile, "Uncles and elders, you're investing millions upon millions, and my elder sister is sinking 200 million in one go. My pockets are shallow, and I can't keep up. I won't embarrass myself here. Goodbye."
She left the conference room without looking back.
Others didn't believe Lu Ming's words, but she did.
It was no joke. Lu Ming had said he would take down Tianlong Group and he actually did, and he could enter Godly Island effortlessly. He was definitely a person of immense influence.
His words were worth listening to.
Seeing Jiang Lan's hasty departure, everyone else also showed expressions of disgust.
"What's wrong with this girl? Why is she siding with Lu Ming?"
"She's always been like this since she was young, not fitting in, never getting along with her family. If she doesn't join, fine. Fewer people to share the profits, and we'll make more."
Only Jiang Mengxin felt a little uncomfortable.
She really wished Jiang Lan would join the project, to earn money with her sister. Unfortunately, her younger sister was so clueless, letting such a huge opportunity slip through her fingers.
"Alas, little sister, it's not that your sister doesn't want to help you, but you're just too disappointing."
"You just don't have the destiny to make money."
Jiang Mengxin waved her hand, "Who else doesn't want to join? You can leave now."
She scanned the room. No one left.
She said, "Since everyone wants to join the commercial project in Qunhui Road, let's consolidate the investment funds now. Senior, we'll process this one by one and get started."
...
Lu Ming left the Jiang Corporation office building and walked alone on the street, watching the passing cars, and sighed deeply.
"The Jiang family is more difficult than I imagined."
If there were only external enemies, then everyone would unite against them and overcome the difficulties.
It wouldn't be hard.
But the problem was that the high-ranking members of the Jiang family were all brainless. They feared not god-like opponents, but pig-like teammates.
It was truly difficult to lead these pig teammates through tribulation.
Lu Ming muttered to himself, "Master, this problem you've left me is truly hard to solve."
Just then, Jiang Lan quietly walked over and asked with a smile, "What difficult problem can't you solve? Let me try to help you. I was the first place winner in the city's advanced mathematics competition."
Lu Ming chuckled and asked in return, "Why did you come out? Aren't you investing in the Qunhui Road commercial project with them?"
Jiang Lan said, "I've given up."
"Why?" Lu Ming was a little surprised.
"Didn't you say we shouldn't invest?" Jiang Lan looked at Lu Ming.
Uh...
Lu Ming hadn't expected anyone to actually believe his words. He asked, "No one else believes me, so why do you?"
"Because you saved my life. You are my great benefactor," Jiang Lan smiled sweetly.
"Just because of that?"
"And also..." Jiang Lan's smile faded, and she said sternly, "This project was brought by Cheng Hai, and I don't trust him. Cheng Hai is a two-faced, greedy, and lustful person, a scoundrel of low character. If it were truly a profitable project, would he kindly offer it to our Jiang family to undertake? Heh, it's impossible even if you think about it with your toes."
Lu Ming nodded.
It seemed the Jiang family wasn't entirely composed of pig teammates; there were still some clear-headed individuals.
He asked, "Then why didn't you stop your sister? And don't others know about Cheng Hai's character?"
Jiang Lan gave a wry smile. "My status in the Jiang family isn't as important as you think. I have little influence and no one listens to me. I've reminded my sister more than once to keep her distance from Cheng Hai, but she never believes me. Cheng Hai always acts righteously in front of her, winning her favor. More often than not, my sister believes Cheng Hai more than she believes me."
Lu Ming frowned slightly.
He hadn't expected Jiang Mengxin to be so deeply ensnared by Cheng Hai.
This was problematic.
If Jiang Mengxin trusted Cheng Hai so much, and Cheng Hai intended to destroy the Jiang family, then Jiang Mengxin would be completely unprepared, even being sold and helping count the money.
This was a major crisis.
"Cheng Hai," Lu Ming slightly raised the danger level of this name.
Cheng Hai himself was not scary.
What was scary was Jiang Mengxin's trust in him!
At this moment, Jiang Lan's phone rang, and a message arrived.
She casually opened it. It was a congratulatory message from China Mobile: Dear Ms. Jiang, China Mobile congratulates you on your birthday and wishes you happiness every day.
Jiang Lan gave a wry smile and turned off her phone.
Lu Ming, standing nearby, also saw the message and asked with some surprise, "What, is it your birthday today?"
Jiang Lan nodded, "Yes."
"Then... why is no one celebrating your birthday?"
"I'm used to it," Jiang Lan said with a hint of sadness. "Since I was young, my parents only cared about my elder sister and never showed me much affection. Birthdays were never celebrated. My sister always remembered, but in the last few years, since she took over as CEO of the Jiang family, she's been so overwhelmed with work that she's even forgotten to celebrate my birthday."
Lu Ming felt both sympathy and confusion upon hearing this.
Why, for the same daughters, were Jiang Xueyi and Xu Qin so doting on Jiang Mengxin, but ignored Jiang Lan?
Don't parents usually favor the younger ones and overlook the older ones?
Why did this couple do the opposite?
Jiang Lan, as the second young lady of the Jiang family, appeared outwardly glorious, but in reality, she had always been neglected. It was no wonder she was unconventional and didn't interact well with her family.
Lu Ming smiled and said, "Well, for the trust you've shown me today, I'll repay you once. I'll celebrate your birthday today. Tell me, what gift do you want? As long as you can name it, your brother-in-law will surely fulfill it."
"Really?"
"Of course!"
Jiang Lan squinted, a plan forming in her mind.
She pointed to a towering skyscraper in the distance and asked, "Brother-in-law, do you know what that building is?"
Lu Ming nodded, "I do. It's Jinling's tallest building, the symbol of the city—the Zifeng Tower."
"Mmm," Jiang Lan said, "The birthday gift I want is for Zifeng Tower to shine for me tonight."