Zhu You was also very cooperative, saying, "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. It is my honor to meet you all today. I hope for your kind guidance."
The audience below didn't know how to feel about the situation. In their opinion, it was *they* who were honored to meet Zhu You, not the other way around.
From Zhu You's words and demeanor, it was clear he was genuinely happy to be there, not forced.
This made things even more difficult.
Often, people would resort to any means necessary to achieve their goals, using threats and temptations, but that was nothing. What was truly difficult was to make someone genuinely convinced, willing to obey, and even feel happy about it.
Lu Ming had achieved this.
He had neither threatened nor tempted Zhu You; instead, he had made Zhu You willingly attend the exhibition.
This was something money couldn't buy!
Difficult, extremely difficult.
At the same time, everyone also had a question: Why?
Lu Ming, a penniless nobody with no background, why was he able to make Zhu You, the world's greatest painter, willingly come?
It was truly baffling.
At this moment,
Boris walked over, bowed deeply to Zhu You, and said, "Master Zhu, your painting skills are beyond my reach. In fact, many of my techniques were inspired by your works. If I were to compete with you, I would never accept. Therefore, I voluntarily concede."
Another concession.
Following Isabella, Boris also conceded. Coupled with the previously defeated boxing champion, in three matches, Lu Ming had a perfect record!
Logan's defeat was swift and decisive.
He never imagined that the three social celebrities he had invited with great expense, possessing both skill and popularity, would suffer three consecutive losses.
What's more, they were defeated by a nobody, a character who was brought in by members of the White Lotus Society!
What did this mean?
Was the White Lotus Society working against Logan?
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Logan, on stage, had turned ashen, unable to even feign his hypocritical smile. He wished he could leap up and stab Lu Ming, that detestable obstacle, right now. Yet, he forced himself to suppress his rage.
Losing his temper in front of so many people would be unwise and only lead to further disrespect.
Taking a deep breath,
Logan smiled at the crowd and said, "Everyone has been sitting and listening for quite some time; you must be tired. How about we take a short break for half an hour? You can drink water, use the restroom, or smoke in the designated outdoor area. We will resume the presentation after thirty minutes."
Everyone could see that Logan was trying to save face.
After three consecutive defeats, Logan no longer had the dignity to stand on stage. Even if he could invite more social celebrities, he suspected they would all be defeated by Lu Ming.
Besides, could he even invite anyone else?
According to internal sources, these three were the biggest names Logan could manage to invite, and he had no ability to find more external support.
With all three of them defeated, Logan's presentation was essentially ruined, and he would almost certainly not receive the qualification to establish the school.
What to do?
After speaking to the crowd, Logan immediately left the stage and returned to his private lounge, closing the door behind him.
He sat on the chair, staring blankly at the floor, contemplating how to resolve the current predicament.
If the presentation ended like this, today would be a complete failure, and his plan to undermine the next generation of Jinling would be in vain.
He had to find a way to overcome this crisis.
The only solution was to find more influential figures to support him!
But the problem was, Lu Ming had already defeated the boxer, the musician, and the painter. Whom else could he find? What if the next person he invited was also defeated by Lu Ming?
Logan rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to relax, and carefully considered the problem.
What should he do?
Suddenly, a spark of inspiration struck him. He had an idea!
Lu Ming could defeat people in both the cultural and martial spheres, but there was one type of person he was sure Lu Ming couldn't defeat: the wealthy!
Why did parents send their children to elite schools?
It was for a better education, to achieve success.
What was the standard for success?
It was wealth!
If a school could offer connections to many wealthy individuals, allowing children to interact with major financiers from a young age and build networks, parents would flock to such a school.
Networks, Logan had plenty!
He didn't need those major financiers to actually help at the school; a video call to say a few kind words for Logan would suffice. After school started, a few superficial interactions with the students would be enough to convince the parents.
He didn't need to truly provide them with connections; he just needed to create the illusion: attending this school meant meeting many rich people.
That would be enough!
Logan revealed an evil smile.
He smugly declared, "Let's see how you defeat me this time!"
Even if Lu Ming was proficient in both arts and combat, so what? In this world, there was something more captivating than proficiency in arts and combat: money!
In the face of money, all that "proficiency in arts and combat" was worthless.
At this moment, the door opened, and a man stood in the doorway of the lounge.
Logan looked up. He recognized him. It was He Honghui, the deputy envoy of the Star Sacred Envoy of the White Lotus Society. Seeing him, Logan's anger flared. If it weren't for the White Lotus Society's interference, Logan wouldn't have been driven to this point.
He Honghui stepped inside, closing the door behind him.
Logan said with clear dissatisfaction, "Mr. He, it seems I didn't give you permission to enter."
He Honghui gave a cold smile and said, "Mr. Logan, I know you are angry right now, but there's no need to vent your frustration on me. I've come to help you."
Help?
Heh!
It would be a miracle if the White Lotus Society wasn't causing trouble.
He Honghui continued, "You must be troubled by Lu Ming, right? Actually, this wasn't the White Lotus Society's intention. His presence here is entirely due to the Star Sacred Envoy, Peng Ying. Peng Ying was infatuated and fell under Lu Ming's influence, which is why she brought him in. As a loyal follower of the White Lotus Society, I am deeply concerned for both you and the society. I've come to find you now because I want to help you resolve the Lu Ming issue."
Oh?
Logan's face immediately lit up with a smile, but it quickly turned into a frown as he said, "Lu Ming knocked out the boxing champion with a single punch. His strength should not be underestimated. Can you eliminate him?"
He Honghui smiled, "What era are we in? Who still settles things with their fists?"
Logan nodded, "Alright. If you can get rid of Lu Ming, I'll give you a million in benefits."
He Honghui waved his hand, "I don't want any benefits. I just want to be friends with Mr. Logan. I hope you won't mind."