The Puxin Airport was brightly lit in the early hours, illuminating the surrounding area as if it were daylight.

A young man and woman, both wearing masks, entered the fast boarding lane escorted by several security personnel.

"Why is it different from the usual procedures?" Tian Xi clung tightly to Lu Liang’s arm, expressing her confusion.

Before heading to the hotel, Lu Liang only took up 10% of her mindspace, but now it had risen to 50% or more.

She didn’t know if every girl was like this, having a physiological affection for their first man.

But for her, it seemed so. She wanted to follow Lu Liang everywhere, even to the restroom if she could.

She liked the scent on him almost obsessively. When their skins touched, she blushed and her heart raced.

"You’ll find out soon enough."

Lu Liang smiled, leading Tian Xi through the jet bridge to a shuttle, eventually arriving at a corner of the airport.

As they climbed the boarding stairs and entered the aircraft, Tian Xi was stunned: "Is this yours?"

The cabin had 12 luxurious seats resembling massage chairs, and there seemed to be a dining area in the distance, with a chef wearing a white hat smiling at them.

"Isn’t it obvious?" Lu Liang chuckled but suddenly caught a gaze. He turned to see Lin Yan smiling at him and Tian Xi: "Good evening, Mr. Lu."

"Chief Steward Lin, long time no see. Where did you go during the holiday?" He slightly nodded and greeted her.

The mature lady didn’t have the light voice and supple body of a young girl, but she understood that everyone was here to fulfill their needs.

Lu Liang had needs, and she felt a bit lonely, and so they naturally came together to comfort each other.

Once outside the room, Lu Liang was the boss, and she was the stewardess; they were purely in a working relationship.

So, seeing Lu Liang with a new girlfriend didn’t stir any emotions in her.

"I didn’t go far, just a trip to Zhoushan, rented a homestay." Lin Yan replied with a smile.

"That doesn’t sound too bad," Lu Liang said.

"Hello, Sister, I’m Tian Xi."

"Hello, Miss Tian."

"Can I look around?"

Lin Yan glanced at Lu Liang, and Lu Liang smiled, "Go ahead."

Tian Xi was full of excitement, not realizing the special relationship between the two, just like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden, exploring from start to finish, exclaiming in awe.

It wasn’t until Lin Yan reminded her that the plane was about to take off that she reluctantly ended her exploration.

Tian Xi still held onto Lu Liang’s arm, gazing at the scenery outside the window, suddenly turning to him, asking fiercely, "Tell me, did you deliberately treat me to such a good time?"

The heroine of Joy of Life, the Dior endorsement invitation, the company’s changed attitude, the highest hotel in Modu’s tallest building, and the ability to travel on a private jet.

She could attend the Shanghai Drama Academy, so her family conditions were naturally not bad. Her hometown in Chongqing, a quasi-first-tier city, had more than a moderately well-off standard of living.

But compared to these past few days, it was insignificant, as if her worldview had been shattered beyond recognition.

Previously, even just thinking about it, if Lu Liang ignored her, the company’s attitude towards her might change again, and Tian Xi would be so worried she couldn’t sleep.

Now she had glimpsed a corner of the Heavenly Palace, seeing what the life of the wealthy really was, and she felt she could never go back.

It seemed like Lu Liang’s conspiracy.

"Whether you go back or not, it’s not a conspiracy."

Lu Liang was amused, gently rubbing her head, "Do you still want to run away?"

Tian Xi squinted her eyes, smiling, "You said it, so I’ll cling to you fiercely in the future."

"It’s not clear who will cling to whom."

Soon the plane reached the stratosphere, and Lu Liang looked at the drowsy Tian Xi and softly said, "We won’t reach Xiangjiang until three; you should get some sleep."

Tian Xi hummed, following Lu Liang to the rear lounge of the cabin, immediately slipping out of her white shoes and into the covers, leaving more than half of the bed for Lu Liang, her face flushed.

"You sleep; I’m not sleepy yet."

Lu Liang hadn’t deliberately corrected his jet lag with his day-night inversion lately; he wouldn’t get sleepy until at least the morning.

"Then I’m not sleepy anymore," Tian Xi said, opening her bright eyes, planning to stay up all night with Lu Liang.

Lu Liang said, "I still have things to do; I can’t keep you company."

"Alright, then I’m sleepy," Tian Xi pouted, suddenly feeling a little lost, pulling the blanket over her head and acting a bit sulky.

"Then rest well," Lu Liang chuckled softly, patting the spot on her head, then leaving the lounge.

He knew Tian Xi was somewhat unhappy, possibly feeling insecure, but what could he do?

If Lu Liang wanted to play, he naturally would accompany her,

If he didn’t, even threats of death would be useless.

Lu Liang left the lounge, ordered a cup of coffee, then went to the study, using a satellite phone to call Hilt.

"Give me a list of which institutions are making these reckless claims."

Lu Liang’s tone was calm, but Hilt heard the underlying tension, pondering for a moment before saying, "The news initially spread from a dinner meeting, but I am not sure exactly who said it."

"Who was at that dinner?" Lu Liang asked.

"Jonathan Keck from Muddy Water Fund, Brennan Moreno from Gugen Fund, Ernst van Buren from Zade Fund."

"Are you sure it’s them?"

Lu Liang frowned; apart from Muddy Water Fund, which was relatively well-known, the other two were small fries.

It made him suspect that Hilt didn’t want him to make too many enemies and might have been deliberately deceiving.

Hilt said, "Lu, if you had that thought, would you show up personally?"

The big players always remain behind the scenes.

Take Wilson from JPMorgan as an example; although he was defeated by Lu Liang several times, he never said a bad word about him; he praised Lu Liang abundantly whenever his name came up.

And Su Shimin from Blackstone Fund and Soros from Quantum Fund; their comments were only ever about Lu Liang’s strategy and his company Tianxing.

Everyone is wealthy, and if push came to shove to such an extent that they needed to physically eliminate someone, they would never let anyone know who they were.

The ones on the surface,

They were merely scapegoats purposefully put forward.

In case Lu Liang directed his anger, it would not be on them.

If things were successful, and Lu Liang’s supporters sought revenge, it wouldn’t strike them either.

Gugen Fund and Zade Fund were just filler, and Muddy Water’s role was to balance the score.

Because if it succeeded, the unnoted Gugen and Zade’s weight was too light to balance it out.

Muddy Water, being a known short-seller of Chinese concept stocks, had just the right weight and stature.

Lu Liang squinted his eyes, speaking coldly, "It seems this is much more complex than either of us imagined."

He originally thought it was just some people shooting their mouths off. But now, it seemed to be a well-planned arrangement.

Even placeholders and weight-balancers had been arranged, right weight for taking the fall, just so fittingly.

Without Hilt’s information, Lu Liang might have dismissed it as ordinary boasting, without taking countermeasures—which might have allowed them to progress further.

Hilt fell silent: "Lu, what are you planning to do?"

Lu Liang’s suspicion was justified because, upon learning of the meticulous planning, his first thought was that they meant serious business!

"How about giving them what they want?"

Lu Liang’s lips curved into a smile. A legendary figure’s life, full of waves and turbulence, would surely have its heart-stopping surprises.

Rather than sit and be manipulated, why not manipulate them first, let them see, if something happened to him, what would happen, ideally taking a few down amidst the chaos?

Lu Liang was mainly curious about what would happen.

Although he’d been in a car accident earlier this year while driving himself, it was livestreamed throughout, and within an hour of losing contact, he was quickly reconnected.

This time, he wanted to sever contact for ten days or half a month, to observe the unfolding events. It’s a rare opportunity few people know—what if something happens to them?

Even if things went awry, Lu Liang could shift the blame onto those people—if they weren’t scheming, why would he push forward with the opportunity?

"It’s feasible."

Hilt suddenly turned serious, "But have you considered consequences beyond work?"

As a collaborator, he supported Lu Liang’s decision, because such a move, even if they didn’t catch a big fish, could take down some institutions, opening a bit of market space, allowing their investment bank to more smoothly enter certain fields.

But as someone who had known Lu Liang for years, Lu Liang having also helped him before, he wanted to offer some advice for Lu to consider carefully.

Human nature can’t stand tests. When gazing into the abyss, the abyss gazes back into you.

Historically, those who toyed with hearts never ended well; their conclusions were often lonely deaths.

Even if they became the world’s richest person, the lost trust, familial bonds, friendships, and love, would never return.