Since we are both reborn, of course I would choose the rich woman!

Chapter 365 is a pledge of loyalty, and also a test (6k views, please subscribe)

Mr. Liu's relationship with his father was not particularly good, and they had significant disagreements on the future development of the group and the family.

But Ryu Chung-yeol had very high expectations for Mr. Ryu, and he was really good to Mr. Ryu.

On the surface, Liu Zhonglie forbids his children from holding positions within the group to avoid violating company rules. However, in reality, Liu Zhonglie has put a lot of effort into the development of his children. Unlike his daughter, who is out in the public eye and braves the storms of the times, his son truly understands the importance of keeping a low profile and waiting for the right opportunity.

Mr. Liu now controls a very large domestic and international investment system, and all this hot money is in his hands. In the financial investment world, Mr. Liu is also very influential and has a very high status.

It can be said that as long as Mr. Liu remains stable, even if the Liu family gradually collapses in the future, the future of the Liu family will not be too bad. At least, that's what Liu Zhonglie thinks.

But now, Liu Zhonglie has received intelligence that his son is planning to rebel.

This is utterly absurd.

Faced with his father's questioning, Mr. Liu remained silent for a moment before saying, "Of course I know what's standing in front of my door. They're not ravines or dangers, but obstacles I must clear away. If our family wants a future, we must make some cuts."

This time, it was Liu Zhonglie's turn to be speechless.

Mr. Liu continued, “Dad, you can continue to stick to your original choice, but someone in the family has to make a change. You should support me, and you must support me.”

Liu Zhonglie understood what Mr. Liu meant.

He had completely overlooked the simple truth that you should never put all your eggs in one basket.

Actually, it's not fair to blame Liu Zhonglie for ignoring this issue. Over the years, Liu Zhonglie has made a lot of diversified investments, betting on both sides. He thought he had done enough, but now, after his eldest son's serious and resolute words, Liu Zhonglie realized that he hadn't done enough.

He didn't think as much as his eldest son did.

Liu Zhonglie's solemn face trembled for a moment, but he was eventually persuaded by his son.

As a result, Liu Zhonglie, who had come with great momentum, suddenly deflated like a punctured balloon and slumped down.

After a long time.

Liu Zhonglie said with some emotion, "I think I really am getting old."

Every successful man, after he rises to prominence, wants to accomplish everything he sets out to do. His mindset will subconsciously lead him to believe that he is the "protagonist," and then he will gradually evolve from a "protagonist" into a tyrant, becoming intolerant of disobedience.

Liu Zhonglie has been this kind of person all these years.

But now he had to admit that his ideas were somewhat naive, far less insightful, cautious, and serious than those of his son.

Seeing his father's sudden dejected appearance, Mr. Liu calmly sat down next to Liu Zhonglie. At this moment, they were father and son, ruler and subject, friends, and teacher and student. Mr. Liu said in a calm tone, "Dad, do you know what I've been going through lately?"

“My whereabouts and my personal space are as if they don’t exist. They can find me and talk to me whenever they want, but I can’t.”

“Look at the current state of development in China. Every industry is striving to move forward. Even if what we are doing is exploiting loopholes in human nature, if we continue to go our own way with the ever-increasing momentum of development, our space for survival will only shrink.”

Liu Zhonglie said in a muffled voice, "I know."

"Now that you've made up your mind, there's not much I can do to help you as your father. Is there anything else you need me to do?"

Mr. Liu thought for a moment and said, "Then let's make things look ugly."

Liu Zhonglie fell silent again.

Mr. Liu silently overturned the glass coffee table in front of them, then suddenly raised his hand and slapped himself hard across the face.

Even Liu Zhonglie was startled by this sudden action.

Liu Zhonglie watched as the red swelling slowly rose on his eldest son's cheek, his face twitched, and then he sighed as he grabbed an art piece on the side table of the sofa and threw it away!
"boom!"

An art piece fell onto the large LCD TV in the living room, creating a huge spiderweb-like crack in the screen.

Liu Zhonglie stood up and said in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, "From now on, I have no son like you!"

After saying that, Liu Zhonglie stormed out of the door, slamming it shut with a loud bang as he left.

Watching his father's departing figure, Mr. Liu silently got up and closed the door. Then, with his back to the door, he began to rub his face.

An hour later, news suddenly spread in business circles that Liu Zhonglie had fallen out with his son, and various rumors began to spread rapidly. Many people in the investment circle began to investigate the truth of the matter.

Half an hour later, Liu Zhonglie's group suddenly issued an important announcement, citing "contract expiration" as the reason for terminating the group's cooperation with Lianjin Capital. Liu Zhonglie's group will withdraw all funds invested in Lianjin.

The news caused a stir in the secondary financial market.

Countless financial insiders, including those from the China Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation (CSDC) and the China Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation (CSDC), began to adjust their investment strategies through the secondary market.

In an instant, Lianjin Capital's valuation in the domestic investment circle plummeted, and the funds withdrawn from Lianjin Capital poured into the internet ride-hailing technology company where Liu Zhonglie's daughter worked.

……

Two hours later, all these messages were displayed on Lü Yao's screen.

Looking at the news that suddenly broke out on the Internet, even a seasoned marketer like Lü Yao could tell with his toes that there must be capital behind it. Otherwise, no matter how fast the Internet information spreads, it could not be this fast.

Lü Yao found the tricks played by the Liu family father and son quite interesting.

At this juncture, this sudden move seems to imply a risky restructuring, and it even blocks Lü Yao's plans for Mr. Liu.

Lu Yao rubbed his chin in his office, wondering if Mr. Liu knew he was going to use him as a pawn.
No, no.

If there is no value to them, then Mr. Liu himself knows that their cooperation is impossible.

So why did Mr. Liu still do this?
The answer seems obvious.

Mr. Liu held a very powerful pledge of allegiance in his hand. This pledge was so powerful that even though he had been separated from his original faction, he was confident that he could be accepted by Lü Yao and his group.

Just as Lü Yao made his deduction, there was a knock on the door of his office. Lü Yao called out, "Come in."

As soon as she finished speaking, Rong Nianqing pushed open the door and strode in.

Upon seeing Rong Nianqing enter, Lü Yao subconsciously glanced at the clock on the table. It was 7:20 PM, more than an hour before his dinner with Mr. Liu, but Rong Nianqing had already arrived.

Lu Yao got up and went to the reception area. While preparing to make tea, he said, "It's still early. Why did you come?"

Rong Nianqing didn't even have time to drink water before saying directly, "I received news that Mr. Liu's father, Liu Zhonglie, came to see Mr. Liu more than two hours ago, and then a lot of news about Mr. Liu breaking ties with his family appeared online."

"What do you think about this?"

Rong Nianqing stared at Lü Yao.

Lu Yao had made plans regarding how to handle Mr. Liu, and he had discussed them with Rong Nianqing and Jian Xiaojie. However, given the sudden occurrence of this incident, Lu Yao and his team naturally could not handle it in the same way as before.

After pouring Rong Nianqing a cup of tea, Lü Yao got up and paced back and forth in the office. After more than a minute, Lü Yao said, "Originally, our contact with Mr. Liu was not a big problem and should not have caused much of an impact. But now that this has happened, I think it is more like Mr. Liu's own calculation."

“He genuinely wants to join us; at least that’s the attitude he’s put on.”

Rong Nianqing pondered for a moment, then continued, "I've investigated the relationship between Mr. Liu and his father. At Mr. Liu's wedding this year, his father even gave a speech, hoping that Mr. Liu would 'value integrity' and 'know how to be flexible.' The outside world also speaks of Mr. Liu as kind, honest, and a man of his word."

In fact, not much information about Mr. Liu is available to the public. Compared to his sister, Mr. Liu is practically invisible on the internet.

Hearing Rong Nianqing's words, and considering Mr. Liu's upbringing and his behavior, Lü Yao laughed and said, "Just take these comments with a grain of salt. If Mr. Liu's father has publicly stated that he hopes Mr. Liu will value integrity and know how to be accommodating, then it means that Mr. Liu is also playing mind games with his father, and very deep ones at that."

"Hoping Mr. Liu can be more accommodating means that Mr. Liu is rather stubborn and has significant disagreements with him on many issues."

This deduction aligns with Lü Yao and Rong Nianqing's impression of Mr. Liu.

Rong Nianqing nodded and said, "I think the same way you do, so to tell you the truth, we can't really accept him."

Lu Yao pursed his lips twice: "Then let's be frank and lay out the stakes."

Rong Nianqing continued, "But since Mr. Liu has already made such a move, he will definitely show great sincerity in order to join us. I have already spoken to my uncle and asked him to help look after Mr. Liu to prevent any accidents from happening on the way."

Lü Yao nodded and said, "Don't worry, I will find a way to make the cut in the future."

Rong Nianqing paused for a moment, then shook her head and said, "You misunderstood me. I'm not telling you this so that you can cut ties with him in the future. I came here in advance because I'm afraid you'll be influenced by your habitual thinking."

Lu Yao was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "Don't worry, Mr. Liu is not Lin Yongzhen, they are completely different."

Lin Yongzhen did indeed come with great sincerity. Her pledge of loyalty allowed Rong Nianqing to gain a foothold in Shangnan ahead of time and quickly dismantle the local interest groups in Shangnan.

But at that time, Lin Yongzhen was a caged bird, caught in the whirlpool, and had no choice.

Mr. Liu is different.

Both Lü Yao and Rong Nianqing could see that Mr. Liu's actions were actually a strategy of investing separately and betting on multiple fronts.

In fact, starting in 2010, Liu Zhonglie's consumer electronics company began to undergo a major restructuring. His company separated its original physical business and financial operations, and controlled the company through cross-shareholding. Liu Zhonglie also completed the transformation from a physical entrepreneur to an investor.

Today, the Liu family's investment portfolio is already very large.

The reason Liu Zhonglie did this was, of course, because he felt guilty and was afraid of being punished later.

From 2010 to the present, Liu Zhonglie's business has grown larger and larger, and his capital strength has become increasingly robust. He may feel that he did a pretty good job with the initial restructuring. But Liu Zhonglie's son has a longer-term vision than his father.

In the vast blue ocean market of the future, he did not see Liu Zhonglie's group sailing smoothly across the sea, nor could he see the once glorious enterprise; but the appearance of Lü Yao gave him direction in the vast world.

Lu Yao sat back down next to Rong Nianqing and said with a smile, "I must say, Mr. Liu's observation of the future, as well as his decisiveness and methods in doing things, are all very good."

In such a complex situation, he actually identified Lü Yao based on just one meeting...

This forward-thinking vision is undeniably astute.

If Lü Yao continues to ponder this in his office, he will definitely develop a sense of kinship with Mr. Liu.

Rong Nianqing's presence here is to prevent Lü Yao from having such thoughts.

This kind of thinking is terrifying.

Many of their current operations are top secret and absolutely cannot be exposed to someone with Mr. Liu's background. This is a matter of principle, and Lü Yao cannot make such a "basic mistake" because he carries a much greater future on his shoulders.

Lu Yao understood Rong Nianqing's concerns, so he thanked her and said, "Thank you for coming to support me, President Rong. Let's have a drink alone tonight."

Rong Nianqing smiled and said, "Okay."

After exchanging their thoughts, the two decided to go to the Mountain Lake Hotel to wait, as it was almost time.

Lu Yao and Rong Nianqing went to the banquet hall of the hotel together, while Jian Xiaojie arrived a little later than them.

When Jian Xiaojie saw Lü Yao and Rong Nianqing appear together, she knew they had finished exchanging information. However, Jian Xiaojie also brought some different information. Jian Xiaojie sat down next to Rong Nianqing casually, took the mineral water handed to her by the waiter to moisten her throat, and said, "You know about Mr. Liu's matter, right?"

"Yes."

"Right now, many people in the joint venture circle and overseas Chinese chambers of commerce are as anxious as ants on a hot pan. Just this one incident at Mr. Liu's home has caused quite a stir both domestically and internationally."

Lu Yao tilted his head to look at Jian Xiaojie and smiled, "I was discussing with President Rong before, and we were both a little unsure about how to arrange things for Mr. Liu. Now that you're here, it's all good. Could you make some arrangements for Mr. Liu? You have so many industries and businesses overseas, do you have any that would be suitable for Mr. Liu?"

Jian Xiaojie laughed: "You're really the one being sarcastic, aren't you? Mr. Liu arranging for me to come here is indeed very good."

The three of them looked at each other and laughed in unison.

At this point, even Rong Nianqing began to empathize with and enjoy the feeling of "scheming against someone".

During the chat, the screen of Lü Yao's phone on the table lit up. Lü Yao picked up the phone, glanced at it, and said with a stern smile, "Mr. Liu is arriving. I'll go greet him."

The most suitable person to go out and greet him is Lü Yao. The others, whether it's Rong Nianqing or Jian Xiaojie, are too high in status to be suitable to greet Mr. Liu.

Lu Yao went downstairs and stepped out of the elevator at just the right time, just in time to meet Mr. Liu in the hotel lobby.

Mr. Liu was dressed very simply today, wearing a white shirt and a black suit. The slightly oversized and unassuming style made him appear exceptionally down-to-earth and very approachable.

Lu Yao quickly stepped forward and warmly shook Mr. Liu's hand: "Mr. Liu, we've been waiting for you for a long time."

Mr. Liu grinned, but as he did so, the swelling on his face caused him to show a slightly pained expression.

Lu Yao had, of course, noticed Mr. Liu's expression long ago, but he still feigned surprise and asked, "Oh dear, Mr. Liu, what's wrong with you?"

Mr. Liu waved his hand: "Let's not talk about it. Let's go upstairs quickly."

Lü Yao sighed, "Alright, let's go up."

The scene where the two met in the hotel lobby was a display of their acting prowess.

Lü Yao knew that Mr. Liu was acting.

Mr. Liu also knew that Lü Yao was acting.

They both knew that the other was acting.

But this kind of performance must continue, otherwise it's considered "immature".

Upon arriving at the panoramic floor-to-ceiling banquet hall on the top floor of the Mountain Lake Hotel, Rong Nianqing and Jian Xiaojie stood up to greet Lü Yao as soon as he knocked on the door, as a sign of respect.

Mr. Liu appeared flattered and greeted Rong Nianqing and Jian Xiaojie one by one.

After exchanging pleasantries with Mr. Liu, Rong Nianqing said, "Mr. Liu, you're too kind. Please take a seat."

After the four people were seated, Rong Nianqing said with a smile, "President Liu, please don't think our meeting is too quiet or shabby. It's just that our meeting and discussions are very important."

Mr. Liu spoke grandly: "As the saying goes, it's not the quantity of soldiers that matters, but their quality. A good general is worth more than a thousand soldiers. It's already a huge honor that President Rong and President Jian would do me the honor of inviting me to dinner tonight."

As he spoke, Mr. Liu took the initiative to stand up and open the bottle of Moutai on the table: "Don't argue, I'll fill everyone's cups."

After filling everyone's glasses, Mr. Liu took two more glasses from the sideboard next to him and filled all three glasses in front of him. Then, holding up his glass, Mr. Liu said, "Let me toast you all first."

Lu Yao immediately said, "President Liu, this is really not good."

Mr. Liu bowed slightly to invite Lü Yao to sit down, and then said, "I know that my family background makes it hard for you all to believe me, but I have come with sincerity. Let me first toast you all."

After saying this, Mr. Liu drank the wine in his cup to the brim.

The spicy and stimulating liquor felt like a fiery thread sliding down Mr. Liu's throat, but the socially adept Mr. Liu was able to savor the sweetness of the liquor after a brief period of spiciness.

"Good wine."

Mr. Liu grinned and said, "I know. With your great abilities, you must all know about the matter of my father looking for me today. We had a very unpleasant argument."

Lü Yao, Rong Nianqing, and Jian Xiaojie all fell silent.

They hadn't expected Mr. Liu to be so direct and sincere, which caught them somewhat off guard.

Mr. Liu picked up his second glass: "Actually, I've never really agreed with my father's business strategy. Because of this, we've had a lot of disagreements on how the company is run. Now that we've fallen out, it's like I got what I wanted."

After saying this, Mr. Liu drank another full glass of wine.

I don’t know if it was the pain from the swelling on my face or the alcohol that was affecting my emotions, but of course, I think Mr. Liu’s acting was very good.

In short.

Mr. Liu exuded an aura of sorrow and loneliness.

With his last glass, Mr. Liu raised his glass and said earnestly, "With the intelligence of President Lü, President Rong, and President Jian, they must have guessed that I came here with a pledge of loyalty. But I must also say that I came not only with a pledge of loyalty, but also with a sincere heart."

"From now on, I, Liu, will never refuse any request you may make!"

After saying that, Mr. Liu tilted his head back and drank the wine in his glass in one swift and decisive manner.

After forcefully setting down his wine glass, Mr. Liu turned around and took out a thick file folder from his briefcase. He solemnly and gently placed the file on the "dining table" and said, "Gentlemen, you can measure my sincerity."

Lü Yao, Rong Nianqing, and Jian Xiaojie looked at each other in bewilderment.

This Mr. Liu is really too straightforward and direct.

Mr. Liu's swift and decisive move caught Rong Nianqing and Lü Yao completely off guard. The current situation is—Mr. Liu has gone all in. Should they follow? And if so, how?
During that brief exchange of glances, Lü Yao sighed once again.

No wonder he was groomed by Liu Zhonglie as a successor. Mr. Liu's character, methods, and even his overall vision and future outlook are quite remarkable. It's no wonder he was assigned to work at "Lianjin Investment".

In interviews and public statements, the Liu family emphasized the inheritance of family traditions and prohibited their direct descendants from working in the family's industrial group to avoid breaking the rules. However, in secret, they arranged for Mr. Liu to work in the capital company that controlled the real enterprises, making him the de facto boss of the real enterprises.

Many of Mr. Liu's past experiences are unknown to the general public, and there is very little information and data about him online, which contrasts sharply with the information disseminated by Mr. Liu's sister on the Internet.

Even today, with smartphones so advanced, Mr. Liu still carries an old-fashioned button phone.

Such a cautious and low-key person...

He was indeed the most ideal successor in Liu Zhonglie's mind.

No wonder Liu Zhonglie came over personally because of Mr. Liu's actions.

But what happened after he arrived... Lu Yao didn't know, but if he were to guess, it was probably that his eldest son persuaded Liu Zhonglie, and Liu Zhonglie tacitly approved of his eldest son's actions, and even secretly encouraged him to make the transition.

Thinking of this, Lü Yao raised his glass and said with a smile, "President Liu, I'd like to toast you."

As the spicy liquor went down his throat, Lü Yao's thoughts became clearer.

After Rong Nianqing and Jian Xiaojie finished reading the thick file that Mr. Liu had brought, Rong Nianqing put the file away and said with a smile, "Mr. Liu, nearly 70% of the information in these files you handed over is outdated."

Mr. Liu was stunned, and every hair on his body seemed to emanate a tremendous chill.

Yes.

This file is not only a pledge of allegiance, but also a test.

(End of this chapter)