From rejecting the beautiful female CEO to becoming extremely powerful

Lu Yunzhou followed Su Qingwan out of the villa, then paused for a moment.

Seven or eight black SUVs were parked in the yard, their engines whirring softly, their exhaust fumes swirling into white mist in the air.

Two bodyguards in black stood beside each car, their posture upright, their eyes sweeping over the car and then looking away.

This scene was even more exaggerated than he had imagined.

Su Qingwan walked straight to the third car, opened the back door, and got in.

Lu Yunzhou went around to the other side and got into the car. As soon as the door closed, the convoy started moving.

Seven or eight SUVs drove out of the manor in a single file, with no gaps between them, and drove towards the outskirts of the city, crunching over the gravel road.

The car is very well soundproofed; not a single sound of the wind can get in.

Su Qingwan leaned back in her chair with her eyes closed, her left index finger tapping the armrest idly.

Lu Yunzhou endured it for three minutes.

"President Su, can you speak now?"

"What's the rush?"

"You handed me a gun, and it was loaded with live ammunition."

Lu Yunzhou lowered his voice, "I need to know what kind of situation it is today."

Su Qingwan lifted her eyelids and turned her face to look at him.

The makeup on her face was exquisite and cold, completely different from when she was lazy and bossy at home.

"Have you heard of the Cloud Peak Club?"

"I've heard of it."

Lu Yunzhou nodded.

The Supreme Black Card that Xiao Sihai gave him was from Yun Dian.

"Do you know what else is pressing down beneath the clouds?"

Lu Yunzhou shook his head.

Su Qingwan turned her gaze to the receding shadows of the trees outside the car window, and her voice became lower.

"The Cloud Top Club is just a shell on the surface."

"At its core is a council of elders composed of industry giants from various sectors in Sheng'an City."

"Twelve seats, each chair representing billions of dollars in assets and countless connections."

"I occupy one of those seats."

Lu Yunzhou's back tensed up.

"The Council of Elders holds a deliberation meeting every quarter to handle disputes among members, the distribution of benefits, and the punishment of violations."

"What rules did you break?"

Su Qingwan's lips twitched: "I signed foreign investment agreements for two port logistics projects under my name at the beginning of the year without passing the review of the plenary council, and someone leaked it to the council."

"What about the punishment?"

"At best, my deposit will be forfeited. At worst, I'll be stripped of my seat and forced to auction off all my properties within the parliamentary system."

Lu Yunzhou took a breath.

Disqualifying her from her seat and forcing a mandatory auction is tantamount to kicking Su Qingwan out of Sheng'an's top circle.

Without this protective shield, all those who have been watching her will come out in droves.

"So you're still going?"

"You'll die even faster if you don't go."

Su Qingwan tightened her grip on the armrest. "Absence is equivalent to abstention. Those old fogies are just hoping I won't show up so they can just stamp the verdict. They won't even give me a chance to defend myself."

Lu Yunzhou was silent for a few seconds: "What's the worst-case scenario?"

Su Qing turned around and looked directly at him, her eyes clear and devoid of any superfluous thoughts.

"At worst, we'll break off all pretense and take action on the spot."

The carriage was quiet for a while.

Lu Yunzhou touched the spot under his ribs where Glock was located: "Understood."

"There's one more thing."

Su Qingwan spoke again, "Feng Shan from Fengming Group is here today as well."

Lu Yunzhou frowned.

Feng Qianyi's uncle, the one who argued fiercely with Feng He at the hospital, his face turning red, and who was determined to seize the president's position.

"Does he have a seat?"

"No, but he managed to get in with one of the elders inside, and he went in today as an entourage member."

Su Qingwan lowered her eyes. "Don't reveal your relationship with Fengming inside."

"I understand."

Su Qingwan stopped speaking and closed her eyes to rest again.

After driving for an hour and a half, the convoy turned onto a mountain road on the outskirts of the city. The sunlight was blocked by trees on both sides, and soon a large iron-gray gate appeared ahead.

An electric fence was erected on top of the high wall, and a monitoring ball rotated every five meters. Six tactical personnel guarded the entrance, two of whom carried minibuses on their shoulders.

The lead vehicle handed over the documents, the other party verified the identity, and then scanned the chassis with equipment before raising the barrier to let them pass.

As the off-road vehicle drove through the tree-lined road, an artificial lake unfolded, and a villa rose up in layers along the mountainside, surrounded by water on three sides, leaving only a path underfoot.

The convoy stopped by the lake, Su Qingwan got out of the car, and Lu Yunzhou immediately stood half a step behind her to the left.

The parking lot was already filled with more than a dozen luxury cars, and thirty or forty bodyguards were scattered around, their eyes following the two as they moved.

Su Qingwan had only taken ten steps when she heard a greeting from her right.

"Hey, Chairman Su, you've finally arrived!"

The man was in his early fifties, with a robust build, a thick gold chain hanging from his collar, and a tight suit that could barely contain his stomach.

Lu Yunzhou recognized him as Lei Hu, the vice president of Huixin Group.

Back then, someone tampered with Su Qingwan's drink at Huixin Wine House. Lu Yunzhou rushed into the private room to rescue her, and those people were Lei Hu's men.

Su Qingwan stopped. "Mr. Lei, are you waiting at the door because you're worried I won't be able to find my way?"

Lei Hu forced a smile and leaned closer. "Chairman Su is still as imposing as ever. But today's scene is unusual. The old gentlemen inside have a lot to say, and the atmosphere is quite tense."

"Mr. Lei, you're well-informed. Why don't you just tell me directly which ones are planning to target me?"

Lei Hu rubbed his hands together. "Look at what you're saying. Who would dare to mess with Chairman Su? I'm just giving you a heads-up because of our years of cooperation."

Su Qingwan looked at him, "What bottom line?"

"Someone has submitted a new proposal to investigate the origins of the foreign investment in the port project, and has even included the suspicion of money laundering in the materials. If this accusation is confirmed, it won't just be a matter of a small fine."

Lu Yunzhou's gaze darkened.

Once money laundering is confirmed, the parliamentary ruling is just the beginning; criminal prosecution will follow.

Su Qingwan didn't even raise an eyebrow. "Did President Lei wait for me specifically just to deliver this message?"

"I'm a soft-hearted person, and I couldn't bear to see Chairman Su go in and suddenly everything went black, not even knowing who handed him the knife."

"Then let me remind you, Mr. Lei, I haven't settled the score with you for the banquet that Huixin arranged last time. Today, your smile at me makes me feel nauseous."

Lei Hu's smile faltered for a moment. "I've already investigated that matter. It was due to my subordinates' negligence; it has nothing to do with me."

Su Qingwan stared at him. "Whether it matters or not, you know better than I do. Stop pretending to be a good person in front of me; you can't do it."

The warmth on Lei Hu's face faded, and his lips fell into a sullen expression.

"Fine, since Chairman Su doesn't appreciate it, I won't make a fool of myself. But there's something I need to say here."

He stepped back, put his hands in his pockets, and said, "Once you step through that door, you won't be the powerful Chairman Su outside anymore. Those guys inside can just stomp their feet and the whole of Sheng'an will shake."

Lei Hu glanced at Lu Yunzhou again. "Bringing bodyguards won't help. After security, all personal weapons are stored. Guns can't be brought in."

"Mr. Lei worries too much; it might shorten his lifespan."

Su Qingwan walked past him and headed straight for the main building.

Lei Hu stood there and sneered, "Then I wish Chairman Su can still bring his seat out today."

Lu Yunzhou caught up with Su Qingwan, "Is he telling the truth? We're leaving the gun?"

"real."

"Then you're giving me back the gun?"

Su Qingwan didn't turn around, her high heels clicking on the stone path. "The gun can't get in, but you can."

The two bronze doors of the main building were open, and four security personnel were guarding inside. Metal detectors and signal jammers were placed on the table.

Su Qingwan stepped onto the stairs. "When it's your turn to go on stage, I'll be watching you."

She walked straight through the gate.