Under One Person: The End of Technique, Company Building

Let's get straight to the point.

That's just how domineering the Ten Elders are.

Zhuge Qi picked up the teacup, took another sip, and then slowly put the teacup back on the table.

"Old Master Lü is a man of few words, so I won't beat around the bush either." His tone was as calm as an old cadre giving a work report. "Lü Liang is indeed in our hands, but there is one thing I must make clear to you first. He was caught by us while he was working with the Quanxing gang. He is involved in multiple crimes, including stealing Zhang Xilin's body and assaulting public officials."

Lu Ci's eyes narrowed slightly.

"You want to take him back? No problem," Zhuge Qi said calmly. "But there are some procedural matters we need to complete first."

Lu Ci stared at him for two seconds, then suddenly laughed.

There was an indescribable meaning in that smile.

"Section Chief Zhuge, how old are you this year?"

Zhuge Qi adjusted his glasses: "Twenty-eight."

"At twenty-eight, to have become a section chief at headquarters and a confidant of Zhao Fangxu is indeed no small feat." Lu Ci's tone carried the air of an elder instructing a younger person. "But you must understand that there are some things that a twenty-eight-year-old like you cannot handle."

That's already made very clear.

You're a young person, don't meddle too much.

You have no right to interfere in the affairs of the Lü family.

If it were an ordinary person, they would have been terrified to the point of weakness upon hearing the Tenth Elder say such a thing.

But Zhuge Qi picked up his teacup again and slowly took a sip.

"Mr. Lü, you're right, I am indeed young." He put down his teacup and calmly met Lü Ci's sharp eyes. "But there's something you may have forgotten: I don't represent myself personally, I represent the entire NaDuTong Corporation."

These words were spoken neither lightly nor heavily, but they carried immense weight.

It's true that you, Lü Ci, are one of the Ten Elders, but behind me stands the entire company.

Lu Ci's eyes turned completely cold.

The atmosphere in the reception room plummeted to freezing point.

The atmosphere in the meeting room was like a taut string, ready to snap at any moment.

Lu Ci leaned back on the sofa, crossed his hands in front of his lower abdomen, and looked coldly at Zhuge Qi.

Zhuge Qi sat upright, a faint smile playing on his lips, his expression unchanged.

The two of them just stared at each other, neither of them speaking first.

Xu San sat to the side, his back already covered in a layer of cold sweat.

He was cursing inwardly.

What kind of karma have I created? I have to watch the Tenth Elder and the Headquarters Section Chief arm wrestle first thing in the morning.

If he says anything wrong, he'll be in deep trouble no matter which side he's on.

Xu Si was more composed than his brother, sitting in a chair with his legs crossed, holding an unlit cigarette in his hand, twirling it between his fingers.

But his heart was not at peace.

He was observing.

Observe Lü Ci's reaction, observe Zhuge Qi's reaction, and observe the direction of this game.

He knew that the outcome of today's negotiations would directly affect the future situation of the North China branch.

Ma Hong stood behind Zhuge Qi, his burly body taut, like a tiger ready to pounce at any moment.

Jiang Bai pushed up his glasses, his gaze shifting back and forth between Lü Ci and Zhuge Qi, trying to glean some information from their expressions.

Meng Xiaoxiao stood at the very edge, her hands behind her back, her eyes lowered, seemingly looking at the floor, but in reality, her ears were perked up higher than anyone else's.

Xiao Li had already turned on the voice recorder, his fingers on the keyboard, ready to record at any moment.

Lu Ci, one of the Ten Elders, personally went to negotiate.

The section chief is still so calm.

Her admiration for the section chief reached a new level.

The silence lasted for about ten seconds.

In the end, it was Lü Ci who spoke first.

"Section Chief Zhuge, you can follow the procedures if you want," he said in a deep voice, carrying an unquestionable authority, "but I need to see Lü Liang first."

This is the bottom line.

I'm already here, and if you won't let me see anyone, then there's nothing to talk about today.

Zhuge Qi nodded, his tone flat: "Of course."

He turned his head and said to Ma Hong behind him, "Go and bring Lü Liang over."

Ma Hong responded and turned to leave the reception room.

The meeting room fell silent again.

Lü Ci picked up the teacup in front of him and took a sip.

The tea is good, but it was clearly steeped for too long and became somewhat astringent.

He frowned and put down his teacup.

Xu San's eyelids twitched, and he quickly said, "Grandpa, I'll have someone brew another pot—"

"No need," Lu Ci waved his hand, interrupting Xu San.

His gaze remained fixed on Zhuge Qi.

"Section Chief Zhuge, are you from the Zhuge family?"

"Yes." Zhuge Qi nodded. "The Zhuge family of the Marquis of Wu, the main branch."

Lu Ci hummed in agreement and said nothing more.

But he was making plans in his mind.

The Zhuge family, the Wuhou faction, is a prestigious family in the world of supernatural beings. The fact that this young man could achieve this position at the age of twenty-eight shows that he is no ordinary person.

and……

Lu Ci recalled some rumors he had heard recently.

It is said that this Zhuge Qi is extremely powerful, having instantly killed four masters of the Zhang Kuang level.

He initially thought it was just an exaggerated rumor, but now it seems there might be some truth to it.

A person who can remain so calm in front of him is either a fool or truly confident.

Zhuge Qi was clearly not a fool.

Footsteps came from the corridor.

The door to the reception room was pushed open, and Ma Hong led Lü Liang in.

Lu Liang's hands were handcuffed in front of him, and his Qi was sealed by the Biyuan Needle, making him look somewhat listless.

But when he saw the people sitting in the reception room, he froze as if he had been electrocuted.

Lü Ci.

His great-grandfather.

And then there's his uncle, Lü Zhong.

Lu Liang's face turned deathly pale instantly, his lips trembled several times, and finally he let out a hoarse voice: "Grandpa...Grandpa..."

Lu Ci's gaze fell on Lu Liang, his expression complex.

There was anger, there was disappointment, but more than anything, there was something indescribable.

"Kneel down." Lu Ci's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an irresistible force.

Lü Liang's legs went weak, and he knelt on the ground with a thud.

His head was so low it almost touched the ground, and his body was trembling uncontrollably.

Lu Zhong sat to the side, looking at his nephew kneeling on the ground, his face expressionless.

But a fleeting, almost imperceptible emotion flashed in his eyes.

The meeting room was silent for a few seconds.

Lu Ci took a deep breath and turned to Zhuge Qi: "Now tell me your conditions. As long as I can agree to them, I won't bargain with you."

That's a very direct statement.

If you want to follow procedures and negotiate terms, then let's negotiate.

But don't beat around the bush with me.

Zhuge Qi smiled, stood up from the sofa, walked to the window, turned his back to everyone, and looked at the scenery outside.

"Mr. Lü, there's something I'd like to discuss with you privately."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the reception room was taken aback.

Want to talk privately?

What does that mean?

Lu Ci frowned slightly, his gaze lingering on Zhuge Qi's back for a few seconds.

"Get out, all of you," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Lu Zhong glanced at his father, hesitated, then finally stood up and walked out of the reception room.

Xu San and Xu Si exchanged a glance and then stood up as well.

Ma Hong, Jiang Bai, and Meng Xiaoxiao looked at Zhuge Qi, but Zhuge Qi didn't turn around; he simply waved his hand.

The three understood each other, turned around and walked out.

Xiao Li closed his laptop, picked up the documents, and was the last to leave the meeting room.

The door was closed.

Only Zhuge Qi and Lü Ci remained in the reception room.

Zhuge Qi turned around, walked to the sofa opposite Lü Ci, and sat down.

"Now you can talk." Lu Ci leaned back on the sofa, looking at him coldly.

Zhuge Qi did not rush to speak, but instead took out a folder from under the coffee table, opened it, and pushed it in front of Lü Ci.

"I know that Old Master Lü naturally controls this method very strictly, and even built Lü Family Village like an ironclad barrier, just to prevent this method from leaking out."

"But Lüjia Village may not be a monolithic entity."

The moment Lü Ci saw the document's title, his pupils contracted sharply.