At thirty, I started my comeback from the intelligence system.

He turned around abruptly and grabbed the phone.

The phone rang a few times before being answered. Lu Jingxiang's usual calm and authoritative voice came from the other end, but there was a slight background noise, as if he were in a car: "A-Ming? Calling at this hour, is the board meeting over? How did it go?"

"Third Uncle!" Lu Shiming's voice was distorted with excitement and anger. He forced himself to lower his voice, but spoke very quickly.

"It's over! It's all over! That bitch Mu Xueke suddenly proposed appointing some nobody named Chen Geng as the president's assistant at the meeting. It's obvious she's trying to sideline us and cultivate her own cronies!"

"I planned to launch an attack together with Sun Liwei and Qian Jianguo, but who knew... who knew those two bastards, after a twenty-minute break, somehow got some kind of spell on them and came back and changed their minds! They cowered like quails!"

"Liang Dan, Wang Zhenye, and that old fox Song Rui, they're all opportunists! I... I'm completely alone now! They humiliated me in public, so I had no choice but to slam the door and leave!"

He finished speaking in one breath, his chest heaving violently.

However, there was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, followed only by the slight noise of a vehicle driving smoothly.

Just as Lu Shiming was about to speak again, Lu Jingxiang's voice rang out slowly and calmly, revealing little emotional fluctuation.

"Ah Ming, calm down. I told you before, that young lady from the Mu family, although young and a woman, is no pushover, having taken over the Hanfeng brand from Mu Yunhai and been sent to Shenzhen. You underestimated her this time."

"Third Uncle! This isn't the time to talk about this!"

Lu Shiming said anxiously, "She's going to target our Lu family! She can slap me in the face today, and tomorrow she can destroy our foundation in Hanfeng! That project in Luohu District..."

"The project in Luohu District is a done deal; she can't do anything about it."

Lu Jingxiang interrupted him, his tone still calm, even carrying a subtle hint of shrewdness.

"Ah Ming, you need to think long-term. No matter how capable Mu Xueke is, she's still an outsider with no real connections in Shenzhen. Hanfeng is a complex and entrenched organization. Does she think she can control the situation by promoting one or two people whose backgrounds are unknown? How naive!"

He paused, seemingly considering his words, and lowered his voice even further.

"The Mu family is not a monolithic entity. Mu Yunhai is getting old and his energy is waning. In recent years, many practical affairs of the Mu family have been handled by the second branch of the family, Mu Yunjiang and his son Mu Xuezong."

"Mu Xueke is just a girl, fresh out of abroad, and she wants to take over such a huge business, even coming all the way to Shenzhen... Hmph, do you think Mu Yunjiang and his son would be happy to see her establish herself at Hanfeng and achieve anything?"

Lu Shiming was taken aback, his anger subsided slightly, and his mind raced: "Third Uncle, you mean...?"

"What I mean is, we can be allies of Mu Yunjiang and his son in Shenzhen, but we are not their henchmen, much less their lackeys."

Lu Jingxiang's voice carried a cold indifference that seemed to know the inside story. "Mu Yunjiang and his son will not sit idly by and watch Mu Xueke grow stronger. We have already demonstrated our value and strength, so what we need to do now is not to rush out and become targets, but to remain calm and observe the situation."

"If necessary... we can even secretly add fuel to the fire. We'll only act when the Mu family members start fighting amongst themselves, leaving each other severely weakened. What's your little setback today? Impatience ruins a grand plan. Be patient; fortunes change!"

"Your third uncle is getting old, but who knows, by the time you take over, our Lu family might be able to reach the same level as the Mu family is today."

These words were like ice water, extinguishing most of Lu Shiming's anger, but also sending a chill down his spine.

His third uncle's cunning and scheming were far deeper than he had imagined.

Exploiting the internal strife within the Mu family?

The current strength of the Lu family in Shenzhen is far from enough to rival that of the Mu family, one of the four great families in Beijing!

This move is risky! But if it succeeds, the rewards will be enormous!

"I...I understand, Third Uncle." Lu Shiming took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. "Then what do we do now..."

"Now, do what you're supposed to do. Push forward the Luohu District project quickly and achieve results; that's your shield and your record of achievements. Within Hanfeng, keep a low profile, but keep a close eye on those who need to be watched, and seize the power that needs to be seized."

"That Chen Geng... have someone investigate his background, the more detailed the better. But don't act rashly."

Lu Jingxiang instructed, "I have other matters to attend to here, so I'll leave it at that for now!"

The call ended... Lu Shiming held the phone, which was still dialing a busy tone, and stood by the window for a long time.

His third uncle's words showed him another possibility, but the feeling of being used as a pawn and having to endure and wait was not pleasant.

He looked out the window, his eyes turning sinister again.

Chen Geng, Mu Xueke...we'll see!

He silently recited in his heart...

Meanwhile, outside Villa No. 301 in Hengda Garden Villa District.

This is a high-end villa area located in the suburbs, with a quiet environment and tight security. The black Audi A8 slowly drove in and stopped.

Lu Jingxiang opened the car door, told the driver to "pick him up at three o'clock in the afternoon," and then walked alone towards the villa.

This morning he inspected a public welfare project. After the inspection, he said he was feeling unwell and needed to rest. Instead of returning to the district government, he had his driver take him here.

He entered the password and opened the heavy bronze door.

The interior decoration is a low-key luxury Chinese style, with mahogany furniture, calligraphy and paintings by famous artists, and porcelain ornaments on the antique shelves. The air is filled with a faint sandalwood fragrance. Everything looks like the elegant residence of a successful businessman or cultured person.

Upon hearing the door open, a middle-aged woman wearing an apron and holding a rag came out of the first-floor bathroom. If Chen Geng were here, he would definitely recognize her at a glance as Yu Xiulian, his mother Cui Lanzhen's good friend.

When Yu Xiulian saw Lu Jingxiang, she quickly wiped her hands on her apron and put on her usual ingratiating smile.

"Boss, you're back. I just finished cleaning the living room and kitchen downstairs, and I'm wiping down the bathroom now!"

Lu Jingxiang hummed in response, his gaze quickly sweeping across the first floor as was his habit.

Clean, tidy, and just like before.

He was fairly satisfied with Xiulian; she didn't talk much, was quick and efficient, and most importantly, seemed uneducated. She came once a week, only cleaning the downstairs area; she was never allowed to go upstairs, and he only gave her the key to the downstairs door.

"Don't worry about upstairs, same as always."

As Lu Jingxiang changed his shoes, he spoke casually, his tone carrying the condescending indifference of an employer to a servant.

"Oh, I know, I know. Don't worry, I never go up there."

Yu Xiulian nodded quickly. She had been working here for over a year and was already used to the "boss's" rules.