Villain? No, I'll catch up with the protagonist after passing the civil service exam.

The atmosphere in the boardroom on the top floor of the Lu Group was as tense as a pre-battle mobilization meeting.

Lu Zhenhua sat in the main seat, his usually well-maintained old face now so gloomy it seemed to drip water. He held neither a cigar nor a teacup, but simply slammed a printed report on online public opinion heavily onto the table.

"Take a look at them all!"

The old man's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a long-lost domineering air of a business tycoon: "This is the good son our Lu family raised! He's out there upholding justice, catching bad guys, and what's the result? He gets yelled at and cursed by a bunch of entertainment actors! They even threatened to bankrupt the Lu family?"

"I, Lu Zhenhua, have spent my entire life in Jinghai. When have I ever suffered such humiliation?!"

The board members below were utterly silent, not daring to even breathe. They all knew that the old man was truly enraged.

Lu Mingze sat next to Lu Zhenhua, his expression equally grim. He had only been out of detention a few days ago and had been planning to keep a low profile, but then this mess happened.

Bullying his brother?

That made him even angrier than if he had been bullied!

"Dad, don't be angry. It's not worth ruining your health."

Lu Mingze stood up, straightened his suit and tie, and the sharp edge of the young master of the Lu family returned. "A bunch of actors who live off hype and popularity dare to challenge the Lu family? They probably don't know how to spell 'death'."

"Mingze, what are your thoughts?" Lu Zhenhua looked at his eldest son, his eyes filled with a test.

"The idea is very simple."

Lu Mingze walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, looked down at the bustling city below, and a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Don't they like playing with capital? Then let's play a big game with them."

"Investigate the equity structure of Huayi Media and those other small companies that joined in the fray. Issue this notice: Lu's Capital will immediately launch a hostile takeover bid for these companies!"

"I want to see their stock price plummet to worthless within three days! I want that guy surnamed Wang to be begging me on his knees!"

These words caused all the directors present to gasp in shock.

Hostile takeover?

This is a move that will hurt the enemy a thousand while also hurting yourself eight hundred!

One of the directors cautiously raised his hand: "Young Master, isn't this... a bit too much of a commotion? It's not worth it for the sake of the Second Young Master's reputation..."

"It can't be that bad?"

Lu Mingze whirled around, his eyes sharp as knives. "My brother is now a state employee, a police officer! They're not just tarnishing my brother's reputation, they're tarnishing the reputation of the entire Jinghai police force! They're tarnishing the reputation of the nation!"

"Members of the Lu family can suffer losses and injustices outside, but we will never allow anyone to bully us like this!"

"This isn't about money anymore, it's about saving face!"

Lu Zhenhua nodded with satisfaction, making the final decision.

"Let's do as Mingze says!"

The old man stood up, exuding the aura of a business tycoon. "The Lu Group has been dormant for too long, so long that even some Tom, Dick, and Harry have forgotten who the real boss is in Jinghai!"

"Pass the word: the group is officially establishing the 'Entertainment Investment Department'! Buy up every promising film and television company and artist studio on the market!"

"Aren't they trying to blacklist my son?"

Lu Zhenhua sneered, his voice filled with disdain.

"Then I'll buy the entire entertainment industry and give it to my son as a toy!"

……

An unprecedented capital storm targeting the entertainment industry in Beijing quietly began at this moment.

However, when Lu Mingze and his team of traders, known as the "Wolves of Wall Street," were sharpening their knives and preparing to make a big splash.

A report analyzing the equity structure from the legal department left him stunned.

"Bro, are you sure you're not mistaken?"

Lu Mingze stared in disbelief at the densely packed cross-shareholding chart on the report. "The second largest shareholder of Huayi Media... is held by our family through an overseas trust fund?"

"And that 'Tianyu International,' its angel investor... is my mom?"

"The most outrageous one is that arrogant young master. His father's company... the initial capital was borrowed by our dad, and now we still hold 30% of the shares?"

The head of the trading team pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, suppressing a laugh, and said, "Mr. Lu, that's the situation. In other words... these companies, strictly speaking, are all 'distant relatives' of the Lu family."

"Are they... like a flood washing away the Dragon King's temple?"

Lu Mingze was completely speechless.

He felt like a general preparing to sail an aircraft carrier to bomb a fishpond, only to find out that the fishpond was in his own backyard.

How can we fight like this?

"interesting."

Lu Mingze sat in the boss's chair, remained silent for a long time, and then suddenly burst into laughter, laughing so hard that tears almost came out.

"Fine, these bastards, they eat my food and want to smash my pot?"

He picked up the phone on the table and dialed the private number of Mr. Wang, the owner of Huayi Media.

On the other end of the phone, Mr. Wang was currently embracing his newly signed young model in a private club, celebrating the victory of the first wave of public opinion offensive.

"Hey? Who is this?" Mr. Wang answered the phone, his tone impatient.

"I am Lu Mingze."

"Young Master Lu...?!"

Mr. Wang was so startled that his hand trembled, and he spilled the wine. He quickly pushed away the young model in his arms and bowed obsequiously, saying, "Oh, Mr. Lu, what brings you to call me? Is it... is it about your brother? Don't worry, we were just joking with Officer Lu, we meant no harm..."

"joke?"

Lu Mingze's voice was as cold as ice, "You're joking about the Lu family's reputation? Mr. Wang, you've gone a bit too far with this joke."

"No...Young Master Lu, I..."

"Stop talking nonsense."

Lu Mingze interrupted him, "You have half an hour. Remove all those online trolls and marketing accounts under your command, and then post an apology to your brother... oh no, to my brother, on Weibo. The attitude must be sincere, and the content must be profound. If you miss a single word, you'll bear the consequences."

"Huh? An apology?" Mr. Wang was stunned. "Young Master Lu, this...this isn't the proper procedure..."

"rule?"

Lu Mingze sneered, "I'll tell you the rules now. The second largest shareholder of Huayi Media, 'Viking Capital,' belongs to my Lu family. Forty percent of the dividends you receive at the end of each year will go into my father's pocket."

"The 'overseas consulting fee' you used to pay for the villa you bought in Hawaii last year was invested in by my mother's private equity fund."

"Now tell me, who is in charge of the rules?"

There was a deathly silence on the other end of the phone.

All that remained was Mr. Wang's increasingly heavy breathing.

"You have three minutes to think about it."

After Lu Mingze finished speaking, he was about to hang up the phone.

"No! Don't hang up!"

From the other end of the phone came Mr. Wang's tearful scream, "I apologize! I apologize right now! Young Master Lu, you're like my own father! I'll go kowtow to Officer Lu right now!"

……

That afternoon, Weibo crashed again.

Huayi Media and all its artists collectively released a pinned apology letter, the contents of which were tearful and full of regret.

One second they were frantically attacking Lu Jingyan's online army and marketing accounts, and the next second they turned their guns on him and began praising Officer Lu's "great achievements." Their change of face was faster than turning the pages of a book.

The entire internet was stunned.

What kind of amazing move is this?

Meanwhile, in a private room at a private club.

Those young masters who were just discussing how to bring down the Lu family's heirs now looked ashen-faced, like defeated roosters.

"It's over...it's all over..."

"My dad just called me and said that half of our company's shares are held by the Lu family. With just one word from Lu Mingze, we'll all be packing our bags and leaving."

"How are we supposed to compete like this? They're not even in the same league!"

"No! I'm not reconciled!"

The young master who started the trouble slammed his fist on the table, his eyes bloodshot, looking like a madman. "We can't outmaneuver him with capital, we can't outmaneuver him with public opinion, but can't we even outmaneuver him with fists?"

He took out his phone and dialed a number.

"Hey? Black Panther Bro? Call me a hundred brothers! Bring all your gear!"

"I want that guy surnamed Lu to know that in Jinghai, besides money and power, there's something else called—people!"

"I refuse to believe that he can take on a hundred people by himself!"