Chapter 29: Deceived

Liu Chengzhi sat down, his expression desolate, choosing a seat at random. The banquet had already lost all appeal for him.

Yu Ping tried to comfort him, saying, “Let it go, don’t put too much pressure on yourself. If things really don’t work out, we can just sell the company to Hong Changhai and leave Luocheng.”

“I can’t accept that,” Liu Chengzhi replied, knocking on the table.

“Fu Yu, I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Here you are.”

At that moment, a handsome and distinguished young man approached, greeting Liu Fuyu.

“Liang Kuan? When did you return to the country?” Liu Fuyu asked.

“I just got back yesterday. These must be Uncle and Aunt?” Liang Kuan introduced himself proactively. “My name is Liang Kuan. I was in the same high school class as Fuyu. My father is Liang Jian from Jiansheng Group.”

“You’re the son of President Liang of Jiansheng Group?” Liu Chengzhi was surprised. Jiansheng Group was an established enterprise in Luocheng, though not a large one. Three years ago, after Liang Jian joined the Wanhao Chamber of Commerce and allied with the Murong family, their business expanded rapidly, surpassing Zhicheng Group in both size and strength.

Liang Kuan had once pursued Liu Fuyu, but she hadn’t liked him; at the time, Liu Fuyu’s heart belonged only to Lin Yang. Liang Kuan had finally given up after being severely beaten by Lin Yang.

“Yes,” Liang Kuan replied with a touch of pride.

“Is President Liang here as well? I should go offer him a toast!” Liu Chengzhi thought that if he could get connected to the Wanhao Chamber of Commerce through Liang Jian, Zhicheng Group might still be saved.

The Wanhao Chamber of Commerce had been founded by Murong Zhang and Chen Tianhao. Every business owner in Luocheng aspired to join; it once dominated the city’s commercial world. Later, Murong Zhang and Chen Tianhao fell out, and Chen Tianhao established the Hongxing Chamber of Commerce. Now Luocheng was split between the two powerful organizations, neither able to overcome the other.

Hong Changhai, who wanted to swallow up Liu Chengzhi’s company, was a core director within the Hongxing Chamber of Commerce, making him a formidable opponent.

“My father is on a business trip abroad and couldn’t make it back, so he sent me to attend the birthday banquet on his behalf,” Liang Kuan explained.

Hearing this, Liu Chengzhi’s spirits fell even lower.

After chatting with Liu Fuyu for a while and exchanging contact information, Liang Kuan left.

“Dad, is Liang Kuan’s father really that influential? You even wanted to go toast him. Liang Kuan used to chase after me like a lovesick puppy and got beaten up by Lin Yang for it,” Liu Fuyu said.

“No wonder he made a point to greet you. This could be an opportunity,” Yu Ping’s eyes lit up. She explained the situation with Jiansheng Group to Liu Fuyu, who understood her own predicament well enough—if she didn’t act soon, her days as the eldest daughter of the Liu family might be numbered.

“Fuyu, go find Liang Kuan and build a good relationship with him. See if he can help your father get into the Wanhao Chamber of Commerce,” Yu Ping instructed.

“All right! I’ll go now.”

Liu Fuyu hurried over to find Liang Kuan, who was chatting with several of Luocheng’s affluent second-generation heirs. Among them, two or three were her current classmates, all from families more prominent than hers. One girl, Wang Li, was her nemesis—less attractive than Fuyu, but from a wealthier family. The two never saw eye to eye, and Fuyu always felt overshadowed by her in social situations.

Liu Fuyu straightened her dress and walked over to greet Liang Kuan.

“Fuyu, come join us for a drink. Let me introduce you to some friends,” Liang Kuan said with a smile.

“You know her, Liang?” Wang Li asked.

“Of course! Fuyu and I were high school classmates. I even pursued her back then, but she wasn’t interested. I still regret it to this day,” Liang Kuan replied, grinning.

Seeing Wang Li’s face darken at that, Liu Fuyu felt a burst of satisfaction—finally, she could hold her head high among these classmates.

“We were just kids then. Besides, my family was strict and wouldn’t let me date,” Liu Fuyu explained.

One of Liang Kuan’s friends chimed in, “So, now that you’re grown up, if Liang pursues you again, you won’t turn him down, right?”

Fuyu felt awkward. Truthfully, she didn’t like Liang Kuan, but right now she had to keep him happy—offending him was not an option.

“Relationships take time. Besides, maybe Liang has found someone else by now and wouldn’t be interested in me anymore,” she replied cleverly.

“My heart’s always been with you. I haven’t dated anyone these past three years,” Liang Kuan said earnestly.

“Liang, you’re so devoted! Miss Liu, did you hear that?” the others teased, egging them on, making Fuyu even more uncomfortable.

“Don’t make a fuss,” Liang Kuan said. “Fuyu’s right, there’s no need to rush into relationships. Time is on our side.”

Fuyu breathed a quiet sigh of relief and whispered, “Thank you,” to Liang Kuan. His presence really had allowed her to shine among her peers. She found herself enjoying this feeling and began to feel a certain fondness for him.

After a while, Fuyu pulled Liang Kuan aside and brought up the matter Yu Ping had asked her to discuss.

Liang Kuan laughed. “I thought it was something big. It’s a small matter, leave it to me.”

“Really?” Fuyu was overjoyed.

“Of course. I’ll call my father right now and get this sorted for you.” With that, Liang Kuan took out his phone and stepped out onto the balcony to make the call.

“Dad, I have a friend whose family wants to join the Wanhao Chamber of Commerce. Can you make it happen?” Liang Kuan asked.

On the other end, Liang Jian sounded out of breath, with the faint sounds of a woman in the background. “Arrange it? Do you think I’m the president? Cut the trouble, you brat. You’re back in the country and already causing me headaches.” With that, Liang Jian hung up and went back to his meeting with his female secretary.

Liang Kuan stroked his chin and returned to the banquet hall.

“How did it go? What did your father say?” Fuyu asked eagerly.

“No problem at all,” Liang Kuan replied smoothly. “My father said it’s a simple matter. The formal membership will be processed at the next board meeting, so just wait for the notification.”

Of course, Liang Kuan had his own agenda—he’d string Fuyu along with promises, hoping to get her into his bed first.

“Thank you! You’re amazing,” Fuyu exclaimed, her face alight with excitement.

“Come, let’s go share this good news with my parents,” Fuyu said, taking Liang Kuan by the arm and leading him to Liu Chengzhi and Yu Ping, telling them that Liang Kuan had already handled everything.

Liu Chengzhi and Yu Ping were both delighted, thanking Liang Kuan profusely.

“This is wonderful! With this connection, once we join the Wanhao Chamber of Commerce, our company won’t just survive the crisis—it could even rise to new heights. Didn’t Qin Monong’s Starshine Group take off and expand rapidly only after joining the Wanhao Chamber?” Yu Ping was almost trembling with excitement.

Liu Chengzhi finally relaxed as well. “This is a lifeline. It seems our luck is turning at last.”