I, the number one master of metaphysics, have achieved legendary status in the entertainment industr

Chapter 61 Before the Storm

Three days is enough time for a lot to happen.

Wang Huajian's condition continued to deteriorate.

Outside the intensive care unit of the private hospital, Zhou Li stood with a grim face, looking through the glass window at her son lying on the bed, his body covered in tubes. Wang Zhentao sat on a bench, his hands behind his head, saying nothing.

Qingsong stood to the side, his face still pale, but his eyes were much calmer than they had been a few days ago.

"Sir," Zhou Li turned around, her voice so hoarse it was almost unrecognizable, "Hua Jian... is there really no other way?"

Qingsong remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking, "Young Master's soul was injured by karmic fire, and ordinary methods are indeed insufficient to repair it. But if..."

"What if?" Zhou Li suddenly looked up.

"If we can obtain the treasure containing dragon energy from Lu Fan, and use the dragon energy to nourish the young master's soul, there might still be a glimmer of hope." Qing Song looked at her with deep eyes, "Dragon energy is the purest and most yang energy in the world. It can not only repair damage to the soul, but also make the young master's foundation even stronger than before."

Hope ignited in Zhou Li's eyes, then quickly turned into a deeper ruthlessness: "Then what are we waiting for? Let's just grab it!"

"It's not that simple." Qingsong shook his head. "We underestimated him before. The fact that he was able to break the Blood-Summoning Array shows that he has a deep understanding of mystical arts, and that treasure has already recognized its master and is connected to his life. If we try to take it by force, not only will we not get it, but we may also suffer a backlash again."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Wang Zhentao looked up, his eyes bloodshot. "We can't just watch Hua Jian die!"

Qing Song paced slowly, pondering, "To defeat him, we must start with those around him."

"Yu Tinglan?" Zhou Li frowned. "Her relationship with Lu Fan is delicate right now, it's not certain..."

"It's not Yu Tinglan," Qingsong interrupted her. "It's Su Qin."

"Su Qin?" Wang Zhentao asked, puzzled. "Her company is on the verge of collapse, what value could she possibly have?"

"Precisely because she's on the verge of collapse, that's the best opportunity to break through," Qingsong sneered. "When people are desperate, they'll do anything to survive. Su Qin has been able to navigate the business world for so many years without failing, not because of luck, but because of her ruthlessness and decisiveness. As long as she realizes that helping Lu Fan will only lead to her complete downfall, while betraying him will give her a way out..."

He paused, then looked at Zhou Li: "Ms. Zhou, you've been a prominent figure in the business world for many years, you should understand this principle better than I do."

Zhou Li's eyes flickered, and she slowly nodded: "I understand."

She turned to Wang Zhentao and said, "Contact Li Guoming immediately and tell him to speed things up. As for Su Qin, I want her to be completely desperate within three days."

"Furthermore," Qingsong added, "the fellow cultivators I invited will arrive tomorrow. With their help, even if Lu Fan has dragon energy protecting him, he won't be able to escape our grasp."

A cold glint flashed in Zhou Li's eyes: "Fine. This time, I'll make sure Lu Fan dies a horrible death."

……

At the same time, in Su Qin's office.

She leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes, and pressed her fingers hard against her temples.

Several documents were spread out on the table—one was the preliminary results of the tax audit, which was worse than she had anticipated; another was an early payment reminder from the bank; and the third was a formal application submitted by Zhao Dehai and others to convene a special shareholders' meeting.

The door was pushed open.

Su Qin opened her eyes and, seeing that it was her assistant, breathed a sigh of relief: "What is it?"

"Mr. Su, there's a man named Li Guoming who wants to see you," the assistant said cautiously. "He... he's now with Zhou's Capital. Do you want to see him?"

Su Qin's eyes turned cold. After a few seconds of silence, she slowly said, "Let him in."

A few minutes later, Li Guoming pushed open the door and entered.

He was wearing a brand-new, custom-made suit, his hair was neatly combed, and he had a smug smile on his face. He was a completely different person from the vice president who had been low-key and silent in the conference room just a few days ago.

"President Su." He sat down opposite Su Qin, crossing his legs. "You don't look too well? Things at the company must be giving you a headache."

Su Qin looked at him coldly: "Speak your mind."

Li Guoming smiled, took a bank card out of his pocket, and pushed it in front of Su Qin.

"There's thirty million in here," he said slowly. "The password is your birthday, I didn't change it."

Su Qin stared at the card, her eyes growing even colder: "What does this mean?"

"The meaning is very simple." Li Guoming leaned forward and lowered his voice, "Chairman Zhou asked me to tell you that as long as you publicly declare that you have completely severed ties with Lu Fan, and... at the upcoming board meeting, support the resolution to remove yourself and resign voluntarily, this 30 million is your way out."

He paused, his smile deepening. "Furthermore, Zhou's Capital will reserve a senior advisor position for you, with an annual salary of two million. You won't have to do anything; you'll just be a figurehead and collect the money. Your company... well, it's doomed anyway, so why bother trying to hold on?"

Su Qin stared at the bank card and remained silent for a long time.

Li Guoming thought she was seriously considering it, and his smile grew wider and wider.

Then--

Su Qin reached out and picked up the bank card, then gently folded it under Li Guoming's smug gaze.

A crisp "click" sounded.

The bank card broke in two and she casually threw it into the trash can.

Li Guoming's smile froze on his face.

"Go back and tell Zhou Li." Su Qin stood up, looking down at him. "I, Su Qin, have been in the business world for so many years, and I haven't relied on betraying my friends. Let her keep that money to buy paper money for her son's funeral."

Li Guoming's face turned ashen: "Su Qin, you..."

"roll."

Li Guoming stood up awkwardly, walked to the door, then turned back and glared at her fiercely: "Fine, you've got guts! I'll see how long you can keep this up!"

The door slammed shut.

Su Qin stood there, her chest heaving.

After a long while, she took a deep breath, picked up her phone, and dialed Lu Fan's number.

"Xiao Fan." Her voice was hoarse but firm. "Zhou Li came to me, trying to bribe me."

There was a second of silence on the other end of the phone, then Lu Fan's calm voice came through: "Sister Qin, what was your reply?"

"I folded up the 30 million and threw it in the trash." Su Qin forced a smile. "Thinking about it now, it hurts a little."

Lu Fan chuckled softly, "Sister Qin, thank you."

"No need to thank me." Su Qin walked to the window and looked outside. "I, Su Qin, am not that kind of person. But... Xiao Fan, you need to hurry. I can't hold on much longer here."

"I know," Lu Fan said calmly. "Give me two more days. In two days, it will all be over."

After hanging up the phone, Su Qin looked at the darkening sky outside the window and let out a long sigh.

Two days.

She can afford to gamble.

……

That evening, in Lu Fan's apartment.

Yu Tinglan, Su Qin, Li Gang, and Feng Qianqian sat around the coffee table.

A detailed map was spread out on the coffee table, marking several key locations: the Wang family villa, the Zhou family capital headquarters, the private hospital, and... the twelfth floor of Boss Han's office building.

"The help Qingsong hired will arrive tomorrow," Li Gang said in a low voice. "According to Lao Mao's information, there are four people in total. One is a sorcerer from Southeast Asia, one is a shaman from the north, and the other two are Taoists, who are said to be quite skilled."

"They're quite powerful." Lu Fan nodded. "It seems they're determined to make a move this time."

"Xiao Fan, are you sure you can do it?" Feng Qianqian looked at him with concern.

Lu Fan did not answer directly, but instead took the jade pendant off his neck and placed it in his palm.

Under the light, the jade pendant was warm and smooth, and the crack was almost invisible. In its place, a very faint, almost imperceptible golden luster flowed slowly through the jade.

"I have fully activated the dragon energy within this jade pendant," Lu Fan said slowly. "As long as I am alive, it will protect me. Qing Song and the others will not be able to take it by force so easily."

He paused, then looked at everyone: "But I need you to do something for me."

"Go ahead," Yu Tinglan said.

"The Zhou family will definitely launch a fierce counterattack, and Sister Qin and Tinglan's company will be the first to bear the brunt." Lu Fan looked at Su Qin and Yu Tinglan, "I need you to hold on for the last two days. No matter what methods they use, do not compromise."

Su Qin and Yu Tinglan exchanged a glance and nodded simultaneously.

"Li Gang," Lu Fan turned to Li Gang, "you continue to keep an eye on the movements of those marketing accounts and online trolls. Once they start creating a large-scale campaign, let me know immediately. Also, Li Chen, you can start releasing the evidence we've found, but you need to time it carefully."

"Understood." Li Gang nodded solemnly.

"Sister Feng," Lu Fan looked at Feng Qianqian, "how is your son doing?"

Feng Qianqian's eyes were slightly red, but her tone was firm: "I feel much better after using the talisman you gave me. I can now get out of bed and walk a few steps, and my spirits are much better. Xiao Fan, don't worry, whatever you need me to do, I'll do it."

Lu Fan nodded, stood up, and glanced at everyone present.

"Two days from now, I will set up an altar on the twelfth floor of Boss Han's building," he said slowly. "At that time, no matter what methods the Zhou family uses, I will face them head-on. In this battle, it will be either him or me who lives."

"But don't worry—" his voice lowered, "I won't lose."

The room was silent for a few seconds.

Then, Yu Tinglan was the first to stand up, walk up to Lu Fan, and extend her hand.

I believe you.

Su Qin also came over and placed her hand on Yu Tinglan's hand.

I believe you too.

Li Gang and Feng Qianqian exchanged a smile, then stepped forward at the same time, their four hands clasped together.

Looking at them, Lu Fan felt a warm current welling up in his heart.

He reached out and placed his hand on top.

"Then it's settled."

"The final battle will take place in two days."

……

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

The Zhou family's counterattack was more ferocious than expected.

On the first day, Suqin Company held an extraordinary shareholders' meeting. Although Old Master Zhou came to support the company despite his illness, the shares held by Zhao Dehai and others, plus the scattered shares secretly acquired by Zhou's Capital, were enough to form an overwhelming advantage. Suqin was officially removed from the position of CEO and given three days to hand over the reins.

The news caused an uproar in the industry.

Shortly after, Jaywalk Studio also ran into trouble.

Yu Tinglan was negotiating three important projects when the partners almost simultaneously backed out, citing different reasons but sharing the same attitude. Meanwhile, within the company, several middle-level managers suddenly resigned en masse, taking with them a batch of core business documents that were currently in progress.

Worse still, the Star Awards judging committee officially notified Jaywalk Studio that due to the recent "complex public opinion environment and some controversial events," the nomination qualifications of all artists under Jaywalk Studio will enter a "re-evaluation" stage.

This means that Yu Tinglan's efforts over the past year may have been completely wasted.

That night, Yu Tinglan sat in her office all night.

The next morning, she sent Lu Fan a message:

"I'm fine. I can handle it."

Lu Fan stared at the message for a long time without moving.

The sky outside the window was overcast, as if it were about to rain.

He walked to the window, opened it, and let the damp wind blow in.

The jade pendant on his chest was slightly warm, and the golden luster flowed faster, as if reminding him of something.

"Master," Lu Fan murmured to himself, "when you taught me mystical arts, you said that the greatest taboo for a cultivator is to implicate the innocent. But now, all the people around me have been implicated by me..."

He was silent for a moment, then his eyes regained their firmness.

"Therefore, I must win this battle."

"For my master, for them, and for myself."

He turned and went back into the house, taking an old wooden box from the cabinet.

Opening the box revealed a complete set of magical artifacts—left to him by his master: a peach wood sword, a copper coin sword, a wood talisman for suppressing the altar, the Three Pure Ones Bell, and stacks of pre-drawn talismans.

He took them out one by one, examined them carefully, and then neatly arranged them on the table.

Finally, he picked up the jade pendant and held it in his palm.

The jade pendant was warm and smooth like jade, yet a faint heat flowed from it, spreading down the arm and throughout the body.

Lu Fan closed his eyes and felt that power.

"Tonight is the night of the decisive battle."

"The Zhou family, the pine tree..."

Let's put an end to this.

Outside the window, a bolt of lightning tore through the sky, followed by a deafening rumble of thunder.

Heavy rain poured down.

……

It was 7 p.m. in Boss Han's office building.

The exhibition hall on the twelfth floor had been cleared out, leaving only a huge array drawn in vermilion in the center. The array was based on the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) and nested with complex runes. Each node had a copper coin pressing down on it, and under each coin was a talisman.

In the center of the array, there was a small table with the Three Pure Ones Bell, a peach wood sword, a talisman wood, and... a jade pendant lying quietly on the velvet.

Lu Fan stood in the center of the array, wearing the Taoist robe left by his master, and closed his eyes to concentrate.

Boss Han stood to the side, smoking a cigarette, his face grave.

Yu Tinglan, Su Qin, Li Gang, and Feng Qianqian stood in a corner of the exhibition hall, none of them speaking.

The rain outside the window grew heavier, thunder rumbled, and lightning flashed intermittently across the dark night sky.

"Here it comes." Lu Fan suddenly opened his eyes and said in a low voice.

Before the words were finished—

The lights in the exhibition hall suddenly went out.

Immediately afterwards, a chilling aura surged in like a tide, instantly enveloping the entire twelfth floor.

Eerie footsteps echoed in the darkness.

Boom, boom, boom.

One step, two steps, three steps.

The sound grew closer, as if something was coming up the stairs step by step.

Yu Tinglan subconsciously grasped Su Qin's hand.

Su Qin also gripped her hand tightly; their fingers were icy cold, but neither of them flinched.

Boss Han stubbed out his cigarette and stood behind Lu Fan.

Lu Fan looked up toward the stairwell, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Now that you're here, stop hiding."

"Come out."

The words had barely left his mouth—

"Bang!"

The door to the stairwell was suddenly kicked open.

Five figures filed in.

Leading the group was Qingsong, who had changed into a black robe and was holding a black peach wood sword. His face was pale, but his eyes were as sinister as a venomous snake.

He was followed by four people:

A middle-aged man with dark skin, wearing a floral shirt, a string of bone ornaments around his neck, and carrying a palm-sized cloth bag in his hand—a Nanyang sorcerer.

An old woman with disheveled hair, wearing a colorful robe, and with strange totems painted on her face—a northern shaman.

Two middle-aged Taoist priests, dressed in Taoist robes and holding whisks, looked arrogant—they were members of the Taoist sect.

As soon as the five people entered the exhibition hall, the chilling atmosphere intensified, and they could even vaguely see faint black mist drifting in the air.

"Lu Fan," Qing Song said in a sinister tone, "you have quite the nerve to wait here."

Lu Fan looked at him calmly: "I've been waiting for you for a long time."

"Waiting to die?" Qingsong sneered.

"When you arrive, then..." Lu Fan paused slightly, "I'll send you on your way completely."

"Arrogant!" Qing Song's face darkened. "Make your move!"

Before he finished speaking, the four people behind him attacked at the same time!