Chapter 31 A debt of 500,000! Your father will pay with his life!

Chapter 31 A debt of 500,000! Your father will pay with his life!

Lu Zhenguo's three orders were like three thunderbolts, shattering the dark clouds that had been gathering over the Lu family compound.

The wind direction changed overnight.

The east wing became a true forbidden area, with even the servants who were sweeping and cleaning only daring to bow from a distance outside the courtyard gate.

The name Su Wanqing seemed to have become a taboo, and no one dared to gossip about it behind her back anymore.

Liu Yuzhen's courtyard was deathly silent.

The curfew was like an invisible shackle, pinning the former mistress of the Lu family to the spot.

She smashed all the valuable porcelain in the room, but the sharp cracking sound couldn't vent even a fraction of the panic in her heart.

She forced herself to stop, stepping barefoot onto the cold shards; the stinging sensation brought a sliver of clarity back to her chaotic mind.

Su Wanqing...

That country girl has already made a name for herself.

With the double protection of the old man and the old woman, she was no longer a pushover who could be easily manipulated.

A head-on confrontation would only lead to humiliation.

Liu Yuzhen's gaze swept over the mess on the ground, finally settling on her distorted face in the mirror.

She cannot fall.

If she falls, her son Zhanwen's future and her family's support will all be ruined.

Since doing it openly won't work, let's use underhanded methods.

A wicked plan quickly took shape in her mind, and her breakthrough point was Lu Yao.

It was that marriage she had arranged to spite Lu Zhanting.

Now, this seemingly useless move has become her only remaining card to play.

She immediately sent someone to summon Lu Zhenguo's second son, Lu Yao's father, Lu Zhanyun.

Lu Zhanyun arrived quickly.

This slightly overweight middle-aged man always had an inescapable air of ingratiation and timidity about him.

As soon as he entered the room, he saw broken porcelain all over the floor and was so frightened that he stopped in his tracks and his voice trembled.

"Sister-in-law, you were looking for me?"

"Sit down." Liu Yuzhen's voice was hoarse, as if it had been sanded.

Lu Zhanyun dared not sit down; he carefully avoided the shards under his feet and stood there uncomfortably.

"Zhanyun, our second branch of the family is being trampled on. Don't you feel anything at all?" Liu Yuzhen cut to the chase, her tone full of grief and indignation.

"Sister-in-law, what... what are you talking about?" Lu Zhanyun asked, looking completely bewildered.

"What are you talking about?" Liu Yuzhen let out a sharp, cold laugh. "Haven't you figured it out yet? That woman Lu Zhanting brought back has bewitched the old master and the old lady in no time! She lives in the east wing, controls the purchasing power, and now she even has the old master's life in her hands! Tell me, will our second branch of the family still have a say in this family in the future?"

Lu Zhanyun remained silent.

He saw all of this, and the resentment and jealousy in his heart were amplified infinitely by Liu Yuzhen's words.

"That Su Wanqing is no pushover! She can kick Tingyu out of the Lu family today, and she could kick our whole family out tomorrow!" Liu Yuzhen's voice was full of inflammatory rhetoric. "We can't just sit here and wait to be destroyed!"

"Then... what can we do?" Lu Zhanyun panicked completely. "Dad and Mom are treating her like a living goddess now."

"That's why we need to join forces with outsiders!" A ruthless glint flashed in Liu Yuzhen's eyes. "How's it going with Deputy Director Wang? Yao Yao and Wang Hao's marriage must be settled immediately!"

Mentioning this matter, Lu Zhanyun's face immediately fell, filled with difficulty.

“Sister-in-law, that girl Yao Yao absolutely refuses. Yesterday she even slammed her fist on the table and said that if I forced her, she would… she would kill herself in front of me.”

"Nonsense!" Liu Yuzhen slammed her hand on the table, making the teacups rattle. "What kind of time is this to let her throw a tantrum? This is a marriage alliance! It's for the future of our entire second branch of the family! Deputy Director Wang is your father's old subordinate, and now he holds real power. With this marriage alliance, Lu Zhanting will have to think twice before he tries to touch us!"

Her voice was low, carrying an undeniable command.

"Go back now and tell Yao Yao that she has to marry into this family, whether she likes it or not! Arrange for the two families to meet and have dinner in two days! Set the formalities first, so that nothing goes wrong!"

"Two days later? So soon?" Lu Zhanyun hesitated.

"In a hurry?" Liu Yuzhen's gaze was fixed on him like a nail. "I'm afraid if we delay any longer, that bitch Su Wanqing will interfere and ruin everything! Zhan Yun, let me tell you, this not only concerns the second wife's family, but also your own position. If you mess this up, don't blame me, your sister-in-law, for not interfering in anything from now on!"

The blatant threat sent a chill down Lu Zhanyun's spine.

He knew very well that he had been able to live a stable life at his workplace all these years thanks to Liu Yuzhen's help behind the scenes.

He gritted his teeth; that pitiful fatherly love was utterly insignificant in the face of his future.

"Okay, sister-in-law, I'll do as you say! I'll take care of it as soon as I get back!"

"That's more like it." Liu Yuzhen's expression finally softened.

She looked at Lu Zhanyun and added a sinister remark.

"By the way, find a way to let the woman in the east wing know about this good news 'inadvertently'. I want to see what extraordinary abilities this good sister-in-law, who just allied with Yao Yao, has to turn the tide!"

Lu Zhanyun's heart skipped a beat, and he instantly understood Liu Yuzhen's wickedness.

This is an open strategy.

It was a blatant act of handing the knife to Su Wanqing, forcing her to take action, and then waiting to find fault with her.

No matter what choice Su Wanqing makes, it will be wrong.

He felt a chill in his heart, but dared not utter a single word of objection, and could only bow his head and reply, "Yes, I understand."

Watching Lu Zhanyun's hasty departure, a twisted smile appeared on Liu Yuzhen's face.

Su Wanqing, do you think you've won?

The game has only just begun.

I will personally dismantle the high platform you have painstakingly built, brick by brick!

...

The plan was executed at an astonishing speed.

That afternoon, Lu Yao rushed into the east wing in tears.

"Sister-in-law! Dad has gone mad!"

Like a frightened fawn, she rushed to Su Wanqing, her face covered in tears and despair.

"He's forcing me to meet that bastard Wang Hao the day after tomorrow to get engaged! He said it's an order, and if I don't go, he'll break my legs!"

Su Wanqing was carefully grinding the prepared medicinal herbs with a small silver pestle on the stone table in the courtyard. Upon hearing this, her hand movements only paused slightly.

the day after tomorrow?

Liu Yuzhen was even more anxious than she had imagined.

They can't wait to retaliate.

"Don't rush, sit down and have some water, tell me slowly." Su Wanqing helped her sit on the stone bench, her voice as calm as if she were just talking about the weather.

"How can we not be anxious! There's only one day left!" Lu Yao paced anxiously. "Is our plan... still in time? Will that good-for-nothing Wang Hao really take the bait?"

"meeting."

Su Wanqing put down the silver pestle, wiped her hands with a silk handkerchief, and spoke with a reassuring tone.

"The more spoiled a spoiled brat is, the more arrogant and greedy he is at heart. As long as the bait you offer is tempting enough, there's no reason why he won't take the bait."

She looked up and instructed the guards standing outside the courtyard, "Go and invite Young Master Zhan Ting over."

Lu Zhanting arrived extremely quickly, bringing with him a sharp and swift wind.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw Lu Yao crying her eyes out and his wife looking calm, and he immediately understood what was going on.

"Is Liu Yuzhen getting restless?" he asked in a deep voice.

"Okay." Su Wanqing nodded and explained the situation in a few words, "Since the time is moved up, our net must also be closed earlier. Let's do it tonight."

“Okay.” Lu Zhanting said without hesitation, “I’ll make the arrangements immediately. Monkey and the others are already prepared.”

He turned to leave, but Su Wanqing called him back.

"Remember, keep your hands and feet clean."

Su Wanqing's eyes were clear and sharp, revealing a calmness unique to a doctor.

"Our goal is not to kill Wang Hao, but to make him incur a huge debt. A debt that will cripple his father, yet he will not dare to speak out and can only swallow his anger and pain."

“I understand.” Lu Zhanting gave her a deep look. His wife’s ruthlessness and insight impressed him greatly. “Wait for my news at home.”

Before he finished speaking, he had already strode away.

Looking at Lu Zhanting's tall and reliable back, Lu Yao's panicked heart finally settled down.

"Sister-in-law, really... will it work?"

"Don't worry." Su Wanqing patted her hand, a sharp glint in her eyes. "There's nothing your older brother can't do. What you need to do now is wipe away your tears and prepare to watch a good show."

...

Night fell.

In the western suburbs of Beijing, there is an underground casino without a sign, where the air is filled with a decadent atmosphere of cigars, liquor, and money.

Wang Hao's luck today is off the charts.

He sat arrogantly in the center of the gambling table, with a mountain of chips in front of him, a scantily clad woman in his arms, and a cigar in his mouth, displaying extreme arrogance.

"Open! Open! I refuse to believe this!" The fat man opposite him, his eyes bloodshot from losing, roared as he pushed out his last batch of chips.

"I'll go with it." Wang Hao smiled dismissively and casually tossed out a few chips.

The dealer lifted the dice cup with a blank expression.

"Three, four, five, twelve o'clock, big!"

The fat man's vision went black, and he slumped into the chair.

"Hahahaha!" Wang Hao laughed triumphantly, gathering the chips on the table into his arms. "Thank you for the favor, Boss Sun!"

Just then, a casino manager wearing a vest approached with a big smile.

"Young Master Wang, you're really lucky!"

"That's right!" Wang Hao pinched the woman's cheek in his arms. "With a beautiful woman by my side, even the God of Wealth has to give me face."

"Young Master Wang, it's like this," the manager said in a low, mysterious voice, "a few big bosses from Hong Kong have arrived in the VIP room upstairs. They're looking for something exciting. Would you... be interested in going up and checking it out?"

A big boss in Hong Kong?

Wang Hao's eyes lit up instantly.

That's a real dragon crossing the river; even a little bit of it leaking between his fingers would be enough for him to live on for half a year.

“Interested! Of course I’m interested! Lead the way!” He pushed the woman out of his arms and followed the manager upstairs.

The VIP room was filled with smoke, and sure enough, there were several well-dressed "big bosses" sitting there, speaking fluent Hong Kong-accented Mandarin.

The smallest denomination of the chips in front of them was one hundred yuan.

Wang Hao's heart began to race uncontrollably.

The betting begins.

Everything was exactly as Su Wanqing had predicted.

At the start, Wang Hao's luck was unbelievably good, as if he were possessed by the God of Gamblers.

He won every hand, and the chips in front of him piled higher and higher. The "Hong Kong bosses" lost money, but they looked very generous and kept praising him as a "young hero" and "the reincarnation of the God of Gamblers".

Wang Hao became completely arrogant.

He felt like he was the king of the world, all-powerful.

He placed increasingly larger bets, and his demeanor became increasingly frantic.

The wind direction suddenly changed in the latter half of the night.

It was as if someone had turned off a switch, and his incredible luck vanished without a trace in an instant.

He started losing.

Losing one hand after another.

The money he had just won, along with his initial investment, poured out like a flood.

He became agitated, his eyes bloodshot, and he frantically doubled his bets, trying to win back his losses in one fell swoop.

However, the more he struggled, the more he lost.

In less than an hour, he had lost all his chips.

"Out of money?" The "Boss Li" across from him slowly exhaled a puff of his cigar and smiled contemptuously. "It's alright, Young Master Wang. We trust your character. We can sign the bill first."

The casino manager immediately handed over paper and a pen.

Wang Hao was blinded by rage, with only one thought in his mind: "Win it back."

He picked up the pen and signed the first IOU for 100,000 yuan without hesitation.

This was the beginning of a nightmare.

Once you have the first one, you'll get the second, the third...

As dawn approached, Wang Hao collapsed into a chair, utterly exhausted, his face ashen.

In front of him lay a thick stack of IOUs.

The astronomical figure on the last summary sheet made his blood freeze.

Five hundred thousand.

"Young Master Wang, please sign this." The manager pushed the pen in front of him.

"No... I don't have any money... I don't have that much money..." Wang Hao's voice trembled uncontrollably, and his teeth were chattering.

"No money?"

"Boss Li" stood up, walked up to him, gently patted his face with the back of his hand, and his smile turned into an extremely ferocious one.

"Young Master Wang, if you're going to have fun, you have to be prepared to pay the price. If you sign here and then dare to renege on your promise..."

He paused, then leaned close to Wang Hao's ear and spoke in a very soft voice.

"I guarantee that your family will have to go to the moat to retrieve your parts."

Behind him, two bodyguards in suits clenched their fists simultaneously, their knuckles making a sickening cracking sound.

Wang Hao's courage was instantly shattered.

He knew these people were definitely not joking.

With trembling hands, he signed his name and pressed his blood-red fingerprint onto the IOU that was enough to crush his life.

“Very good.” “Boss Li” nodded in satisfaction. “Three days. We’ll give you three days to raise the money. If the money isn’t there after three days… you know the consequences.”

After saying that, they put away the IOU, laughed loudly, and walked away.

Wang Hao lay alone in the room, his whole body soaked in cold sweat.

It's over.

Five hundred thousand, even if his father sold himself, he couldn't raise that much.

His life was completely over.

...

The next morning, this earth-shattering news spread throughout the relevant circles through various channels.

The phone at the Lu family's second branch was practically ringing off the hook with calls.

The first call came from Deputy Director Wang.

As soon as the call connected, his suppressed roar exploded: "Lu Zhanyun! What exactly does your Lu family want! My son and Yao Yao's marriage is off! Our Wang family is not worthy of your kind of privileged family!"

Lu Zhanyun was completely bewildered by the shout: "Old Wang, what... what do you mean? What happened?"

"What happened? How dare you ask me that!" Deputy Director Wang roared angrily. "Your good niece colluded with outsiders to set a trap, causing my son to lose 500,000 yuan overnight! 500,000 yuan! Are you trying to drive my whole family to their deaths?!"

With a "snap," the phone was abruptly hung up.

Lu Zhanyun held the buzzing receiver, completely dumbfounded.

Wang Hao...lost 500,000?

Was this a scheme orchestrated by Su Wanqing?

What... what exactly is going on?

Before he could figure it out, Liu Yuzhen called.

"Lu Zhanyun! What a mess you've made!" Liu Yuzhen's voice was shrill and grating. "I asked you to facilitate the marriage, and what did you do? You've completely offended him! Deputy Director Wang just called to interrogate us, saying that our Lu family set a trap for his son. This marriage is completely off!"

"Sister-in-law, I...I really don't know!" Lu Zhanyun was so anxious she was almost crying.

"You don't know?" Liu Yuzhen sneered on the other end of the phone. "I think you've been sold out by that bitch Su Wanqing, and you're still counting the money for her! I told you long ago she's no saint! This is revenge! Revenge for forcing Lu Yao to marry someone! She's cutting off our escape route!"

Liu Yuzhen's words were like a bucket of ice water poured over Lu Zhanyun's head.

He suddenly realized what was going on and understood everything in an instant.

What a coincidence!

Everything was too coincidental.

He had just finished pressuring Lu Yao when Wang Hao got into trouble.

Besides Su Wanqing, besides that woman who can make Lu Zhanting obey her every word, who else has such great power and such ruthless scheming?

A surge of immense anger and the fear of being fooled gripped his heart instantly.

He'd been tricked!

He was made a fool of like a monkey by that country girl!

"Su! Wan! Qing!"

He spat out the name through gritted teeth, his eyes filled with unprecedented resentment.

Meanwhile, inside the east wing, laughter and cheerful conversation filled the air.

"Hahaha! Sister-in-law! You're amazing!" Lu Yao laughed so hard she almost fell over, holding a string of candied hawthorns. "I heard that Wang Hao was beaten so badly by his father that he can't get out of bed and is still locked up at home! The Wang family is in complete chaos, how can they have time to care about any marriage alliances!"

She ran up to Su Wanqing, her face full of admiration, and said sincerely, "Sister-in-law, thank you so much this time. You're like a second parent to me!"

Su Wanqing was amused by her exaggerated statement and shook her head helplessly: "Alright, stop joking."

Although the plan succeeded, she felt little joy.

Lu Zhanting came out of the house and gently draped a cloak, still warm from his body, over her shoulders.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked.

"I was thinking about your second uncle." Su Wanqing looked at the quiet osmanthus tree in the courtyard and said softly, "We solved Lu Yao's problem, but it also meant that we completely pushed him to Liu Yuzhen's side."

"Liu Yuzhen's scheme is insidious precisely because of this. Her target from the beginning was not Wang Hao, but to use the consequences of this incident to divide us and deepen the rift between us and your second uncle."

“From today onwards, your second uncle will probably consider us his number one enemy.”

Lu Zhanting followed her gaze, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

"I don't care."

He spoke slowly, his voice low and firm.

"In this family, I only care about you and Grandma. As for the others, whether they are friends or foes, what does it matter to me?"

Su Wanqing looked up at his well-defined profile and felt a warm feeling well up in her heart.

She knew that this victory was only temporary.

Liu Yuzhen's venomous fangs will secretly seek new opportunities through Lu Zhanyun.

The internal conflicts within the Lu family not only failed to be resolved, but instead became even more acute.

The road ahead remains treacherous.

But Su Wanqing was not afraid.

Because she knows that no matter how strong the storm, the man beside her will be her strongest fortress.