The Bootlicking Antagonist Only Wants to Survive, but the Female Lead Refuses to Follow the Usual Plot

The military strategist was tall and slender, while King Jin Tuo was burly and robust. Both men were impeccably dressed in sharp suits, looking every bit the upper crust.

King Jin Tuo had thick eyebrows and large, piercing eyes that radiated a fierce aura. He couldn't hide his disdain and hatred towards Lu Chengwen.

The strategist, on the other hand, had delicate brows and almond eyes, his gaze calm and composed. Unlike King Jin Tuo, he exuded no murderous intent, instead, he wore a kind smile.

As soon as he entered, the strategist walked towards Lu Chengwen with a smile, "Mr. Lu! Mr. Lu, Mr. Lu! Hehehe, I've heard so much about you, your name is like thunder. I've been wanting to meet you for a long time, but I never had the opportunity! Today, my wish has finally come true!"

Seeing the strategist's friendly demeanor, Lu Chengwen stepped forward, mirroring his movements, and shook his hand warmly, "Mr. Strategist, I've been waiting for you! I've always longed to learn from you, but I never had the means. Today truly fulfills my wish!"

Jiang Shihan and Zhao Gang were baffled. This was wrong! These two men had been clashing behind the scenes for rounds, they should be staring at each other with bruised eyes, wanting to tear each other apart.

"Please, please, please," said Lu Chengwen.

"You're too kind, Mr. Lu," replied the strategist.

Lu Chengwen didn't sit in his boss's chair, instead, he sat beside the strategist on the sofa, like old friends reuniting after a long separation.

"Mr. Strategist, you look so well!"

"Ah? Really?"

"Yes! I always imagined you as an old man with a long beard, a wise hermit, but you are so young and handsome, truly inspiring!"

"Oh, no, no, Mr. Lu, you are the one who is young and promising, full of energy and ambition!"

The two men started complimenting each other.

King Jin Tuo's face grew increasingly dark, his eyes filled with icy coldness that made Lu Chengwen feel like he was under a hawk's gaze. He could only avoid looking at him.

"Shihan, what are you standing there for? Bring tea, the best tea!" commanded Lu Chengwen.

"Oh," the strategist interjected, "I heard Mr. Lu has the best brandy in all of Beiguo. Don't be stingy!"

"Hahaha! You have good taste, Mr. Strategist. Shihan, tell them to prepare a feast in the reception area, I want to entertain Mr. Strategist and King Jin Tuo."

"Yes, sir."

...

The table was laden with a sumptuous feast, featuring sturgeon, deer tail, and bear paw. In Lu Chengwen's previous reality, these were protected species, anyone caught eating them would be imprisoned.

However, in this world, the ecosystem was well-preserved, these animals weren't endangered, but there were strict regulations, so they were allowed to be consumed, but they were expensive.

Ordinary people couldn't afford them, nor did they have any interest in eating them. Lu Chengwen honestly didn't think they were that delicious.

But these dishes were perfect for showcasing wealth and extravagance, elevating the reception's standards.

Jiang Shihan stood behind them, pouring wine for the three men. Two of them were laughing, but only King Jin Tuo kept his eyes fixed on Lu Chengwen.

Lu Chengwen raised his glass, "King Tuo, a hero with valiant spirit! Mr. Strategist, your talent shines like a beacon! Together, you are a perfect match! Cheers!"

The strategist chuckled, "Mr. Lu's headquarters is magnificent, grand, and impressive, with intricate carvings and stunning scenery. Cheers!"

The three men, the strategist, King Jin Tuo, and Lu Chengwen, started drinking.

The strategist and Lu Chengwen engaged in constant business compliments, avoiding any serious talk.

This was a negotiation tactic. From the strategist's perspective, if he remained silent, Lu Chengwen would be forced to think, the more he dragged things out, the more anxious Lu Chengwen would become, and the more uncertain he would feel.

Lu Chengwen knew this, but he wasn't a novice in the business world either.

He might not be able to beat them in a fight, but his intelligence was certainly no less than theirs.

If he wasn't in a hurry, neither was Lu Chengwen.

If they wanted to kill him, they would have done it already. They must have something to say. If they didn't bring it up, they could just drink.

After chatting for a while, King Jin Tuo suddenly slammed his fist on the table, silencing the room.

Jiang Shihan and Lu Chengwen both tensed up.

King Jin Tuo pointed at his chest, "I, Jin Tuo, the King of Toes, earned this!"

Lu Chengwen nodded.

King Jin Tuo continued, "Being the King of Toes means making money! And I don't like taking money from the poor! I take it from the rich!"

Lu Chengwen smiled, "Then who is rich?"

King Jin Tuo pointed at Lu Chengwen, "You! Lu Chengwen, the eldest son of the Lu family, the head of the four great families of Xuecheng, you are rich!"

"Hahaha!" Lu Chengwen said generously, "Bold! King Jin Tuo, take whatever you want!"

King Jin Tuo said, "I'm not a bandit who robs and steals. I, King Jin Tuo, make money with integrity and honor."

"Well said!" Lu Chengwen slammed his wine bottle onto the table, "But as far as I know, the Xuecheng branch of the Big Organization has made a lot of money over the years, especially you, King Jin Tuo, you're incredibly wealthy, a man of immense fortune!"

"Wrong! I'm just running errands for the leader."

The strategist explained, "And I'm the strongest leg."

Lu Chengwen was confused, "Then how many legs does the leader have?"

The strategist replied, "Four, of course."

King Jin Tuo slammed his fist on the table, abruptly placing his leg on the table, staring at Lu Chengwen, "But three of those legs! Are broken!"

Lu Chengwen was shocked, "Broken!?"

King Jin Tuo said, "Our brothers, Silver, Copper, and Iron, were all abducted! You tell me, how much money did that person make?"

Lu Chengwen nodded, "I see."

The strategist narrowed his eyes, "Mr. Lu, you...don't know about these things?"

"Sigh," Lu Chengwen poured himself a glass of wine, drank it down, and looked at the cup, "I know."

"Oh? Tell us more."

Lu Chengwen said, "The escape of Silver, Copper, and Iron, the three Kings of Toes, was heroic! However, all my cash is invested in the slum project, the accounts are directly supervised by the government. And the recent funds I received, eight out of ten were robbed by a man named Hun Tian Gang. You tell me, how much money did he make?"

"Hun Tian Gang!?" The strategist asked in confusion, "You said his name is Hun Tian Gang?"

"Have you heard of him?"

"No."

King Jin Tuo squinted, "Is this person in Xuecheng now?"

"He is, and he isn't."

The strategist smiled, "Mr. Lu's words are very mysterious. Tell us more."

King Jin Tuo said, "Tell us."

Lu Chengwen said, "This man lurks around Xuecheng, coming and going at will, like a ghost. The conflict between me and Long Aotian is all because of him! This man is very capable, I'm simply no match for him, including Big Brother Long Aotian, none of us are his match. If the two of you can help me get rid of this Hun Tian Gang, money, as much as you want!"

The strategist and King Jin Tuo exchanged glances.

The strategist smiled, "We don't have the guts to kill Hun Tian Gang, but we do have the guts to rob a rich merchant, and it's a big one!"

This was a blatant threat.

They meant, stop your nonsense, I'm not doing you any favors, I'm here for the money, you don't give me money, I'll kill you.

Lu Chengwen laughed, "Then you can't blame me, blame yourselves for being incompetent."

King Jin Tuo stood up abruptly, "What did you say!?"

The strategist stopped him, smiling and asking Lu Chengwen, "Why?"

Lu Chengwen said, "I, Lu Chengwen, am just an empty shell. Every morning when I wake up, I have to take care of thousands of employees, their food, and their living expenses, how much of it actually ends up in my mouth? My daily expenses are astronomical. Go check my accounts, if I have more than 50 billion in cash, I'll take your surname."

The strategist narrowed his eyes, "The 150 billion from a while back, and the 300 billion from Huo Wendong..."

"The 150 billion was taken by Hun Tian Gang. The 300 billion from Huo Wendong was used to buy a subsidiary of Qianfeng Group, the money went directly into Qianfeng Group's account, it has nothing to do with me."

Lu Chengwen wiped his mouth, "Plus, I'm involved in a slum project, it's like burning money, I invest a certain amount, and the other three families have to invest the same amount. Xuecheng is out of money, and I'm also out of money."

"But!" Lu Chengwen slammed his fist on the table, "As soon as Hun Tian Gang is gone, 150 billion will be yours!"

The strategist looked at Lu Chengwen, "Mr. Lu, aren't you afraid you'll have a short lifespan?"

Lu Chengwen laughed, "I'm not afraid, I've taken care of everything. Once Hun Tian Gang dies, I'll have access to the hundreds of billions he's been siphoning from me over the years. At that point, a mere 50 billion is just a hair on a bull."

"A hair?"

"A hair!"

King Jin Tuo couldn't take it anymore, "Stop this nonsense about Hun Tian Gang! Mr. Lu, in short, we came here today, we won't leave empty-handed!"

King Jin Tuo stared fiercely at Lu Chengwen, "Mr. Lu, you're asking to be killed!"

Lu Chengwen laughed heartily, "Brother, you're right! When I was in my mother's womb, a fortune teller pointed at my mother's belly and said, 'This child's biggest flaw is his love of self-destruction!' Brother, can I change that?"

King Jin Tuo waved his hand angrily, "You can't change it, it's in your nature!"

Lu Chengwen waved his hand, "Jiang Shihan!"

Jiang Shihan walked over, holding a tray, on which lay a card.

Lu Chengwen grabbed the card and threw it in front of the strategist, "This card has 50 billion in cash, you can take it back first, as a down payment. Once you take down Hun Tian Gang, we'll all get rich together."

The strategist looked at King Jin Tuo, and King Jin Tuo looked at the strategist.

50 billion right in front of them, take it or not?

The strategist smiled, pressed a finger on the bank card, slowly slid it towards himself, and pocketed it.

"Mr. Lu, after you've kept your word, I hope you won't break it."

Lu Chengwen held up a wine bottle with both hands, "Mr. Strategist! Brilliant! King Jin Tuo! Strong!"

The two men quickly held up a wine bottle each, "Mr. Lu, brilliant and strong!"

...

In the elevator, King Jin Tuo was displeased.

"Strategist, we agreed on 200 billion, this is only 50 billion."

The strategist glanced at him, "You know nothing! I can't believe it, Lu Chengwen is fearless and measred, a ruthless character. 50 billion, of course, we can't take it back and report to the Young Master. But if we ask him for more money now, I'm afraid he won't comply."

"Then kill him!"

The strategist sighed in frustration, "Kill, kill, kill, all you know is kill. Is his life worth 150 billion? We have to get the money back first, then cooperate with the Young Master's strategy and take down the Lu family! Without money, nothing can be done."

"Looking at him, shaking his head and acting like he's so clever, it makes me furious!"

The strategist frowned, "Hun Tian Gang? I haven't heard of anyone with that name in the martial arts world. But I remember a few days ago, the Young Master was indeed beaten by someone called Hun Tian Gang. He was seemingly the Young Master's teacher."

"Is that true?"

The strategist looked at him, "Do you think Silver Toe could have been the Young Master's opponent with his skills?"

"Oh."

King Jin Tuo was confused, "So, are we really going to work for Lu Chengwen?"

The strategist smiled, "Work for him? We'll kill Hun Tian Gang and take his money. Then we'll go back to Lu Chengwen and ask for more!"

"Isn't Hun Tian Gang's money Lu Chengwen's money?"

"You idiot! Hun Tian Gang has no money!"

"If he has no money, why are we looking for him?"

The strategist looked at this fool, speechless, "We! Take Hun Tian Gang's money, put it in our pocket, then tell Lu Chengwen, that Hun Tian Gang has no money! Make him keep giving us money! Double-dipping, you understand?"

King Jin Tuo suddenly understood, but he was still puzzled, "But Lu Chengwen has no money!"

The strategist looked at King Jin Tuo, wanting to slap him silly.