After ninety-nine online romances, I finally met my ex in person when school started.

"What did you call me?" Zhu Xun Chuan flicked his cigarette ash.

"Master! Brother-in-law!" Ye Shaoqing pounced on Zhu Xunchuan, shamelessly clinging to his leg. His fervent enthusiasm was unstoppable. "Master, that joint lock you just used was so cool! Teach me! How about I pay you a hundred million for your apprenticeship? If not, I'll give you this horse farm!"

Zhu Xun Chuan's eye twitched twice.

This kid is really genuine.

With Ye Shaoqing as a trump card, his situation in the Yangtze River Delta has completely turned around. The Ye family, this towering tree, has not become a mortal enemy, but rather the sharpest knife.

"Get up first." Zhu Xun Chuan kicked his hand away. "The apprenticeship fee is waived. From now on, don't hang around the Meng family's doorstep too much. Your Sister Meng has a bad temper. If she pisses you off, she'll beat me up too."

"Got it! Got it all!" Ye Shaoqing scrambled to his feet, dusted off his knees, and turned to the second-generation rich kids on the observation deck, yelling, "What are you all looking at! Get over here and call him 'Big Brother'!"

Xu Pangzi and the others seemed to wake up from a dream, and rushed over in a row, bowing their heads and bending over in unison.

"Hey Chuan-ge!"

The sounds were perfectly synchronized and deafening.

The two mixed-race models, ever the opportunist, moved closer. One of them, emboldened, thrust out her remarkably full chest and called out in a high-pitched, coquettish voice, "Brother Chuan, are you thirsty? Would you like us to help you relax?"

Her pale thighs were almost touching Zhu Xun Chuan's trousers, and the strong scent of her perfume wafted into his nose.

Ye Shaoqing slapped the young model away, angrily shouting, "Get out of here! Do you think your bunch of ordinary girls are good enough for my brother-in-law? Only a beauty like Sister Meng is worthy of him!"

Zhu Xun Chuan was too lazy to pay attention to this farce.

Just then, my phone in my pocket suddenly vibrated violently.

He took out his phone, and a WeChat message popped up on the screen.

From: [Grandmaster]

Where did you buy all those local specialties? If you don't come back soon, your sister will personally go to the horse farm to catch you.

This is immediately followed by a five-second voice message.

Zhu Xun Chuan casually tapped the receiver, and Meng Wan Qing's languid, deep voice, carrying a touch of mature woman's unique allure, came through:

"My mom's braised pork and bamboo shoot soup is ready. If you make your mother-in-law wait for you for dinner... you'll really have to sleep in the guest room closet tonight, Xiao Xunchuan."

The last syllable was drawn out, carrying an undisguised flirtation and threat.

This woman had clearly received the news from Ye Shaoqing clearing the horse farm through an inside source in the Meng family.

What appears to be urging her to eat is actually a check-up and a way of protecting her husband.

Zhu Xun Chuan put his phone back in his pocket. The image of Meng Wanqing in the morning, wearing a silk nightgown, her large expanse of snow-white skin faintly visible, involuntarily surfaced in his mind. And then there was that crazy Shen Shuzhu in the closet last night.

The waters of the Meng family are not only deep, but also turbulent enough to drown people.

It's 3 PM. The Huangpu River is shimmering.

A three-story luxury cruise ship costing hundreds of millions of dollars was completely booked out. A champagne tower stood tall on the deck, and the melodious sound of a saxophone echoed throughout.

This was no ordinary party for rich kids. All the top young men from Hujiang were present, each dressed in a suit and standing with impeccable posture.

Fatty Xu and the others didn't even dare to breathe loudly, staring in awe at the observation deck sofa area on the top floor of the cruise ship.

Ye Shaoqing acted with absurd speed. Less than two hours after returning from the horse farm, this extremely high-profile apprenticeship banquet was held.

He took off his custom-made riding attire and changed into an extremely formal black Chinese-style jacket. At this moment, the eldest grandson of the Ye family, who was a force to be reckoned with in Shanghai, was holding a steaming cup of the finest Da Hong Pao tea, and knelt firmly before Zhu Xun Chuan.

"Master! Please have some tea!" Ye Shaoqing shouted loudly, his voice echoing throughout the entire deck.

Zhu Xun Chuan sat casually on the main leather sofa, legs crossed. He didn't refuse, reached out and took the blue-and-white porcelain covered bowl, lifted the lid, blew on the tea leaves, and took a sip.

"Get up." Zhu Xun Chuan casually placed the teacup on the glass table. "I don't have many rules. In the future, try not to cause trouble outside and don't embarrass me."

"Absolutely! From now on, anyone who dares to disrespect Master in Shanghai, I'll personally break their legs!" Ye Shaoqing scrambled to his feet, his face full of fervor.

He reached into his robes and pulled out an exquisitely crafted sandalwood box, which he presented to Zhu Xun Chuan with both hands.

The wooden box was opened, and on the yellow velvet lining lay a pure gold leaf. The veins were clearly visible, and the craftsmanship was extremely exquisite.

"Master, this is a gold leaf passed down from our Ye family patriarch. There are only a handful in the entire Ye family." Ye Shaoqing lowered his voice, his tone solemn. "Seeing this leaf is like seeing the person. From now on, in the Yangtze River Delta region, whether you are a business tycoon or someone from all walks of life, anyone who sees this leaf will have to do three things for you unconditionally."

The second-generation rich kids who had been eavesdropping all gasped in shock. Fatty Xu's eyes widened in disbelief.

This isn't a formal apprenticeship ceremony; it's practically handing over half of Hujiang's access pass with both hands.

Zhu Xun Chuan didn't stand on ceremony. He picked up the heavy gold leaf with two fingers and casually put it into his suit pocket.

"I appreciate the thought." Zhu Xun Chuan stood up, patted Ye Shao Qing on the shoulder, and said, "I have things to do tonight. You handle these people. I'll be going now."

"Farewell, Brother Chuan!"

Led by Fatty Xu, dozens of top-tier second-generation elites on the deck bowed deeply in unison, creating a thunderous sound.

Zhu Xun Chuan waved to the crowd with his back to them and walked down the gangway to the helicopter landing pad.

As evening fell, a black Audi A6 drove into the Meng family compound.

Dinner was a homemade braised pork and bamboo shoot soup, prepared by Meng's mother. The tense atmosphere of the previous day was surprisingly warm and cozy. Zhu Xun Chuan drank three bowls of soup, making his mother-in-law beam with joy.

The dinner ended. Meng Changjin put down his chopsticks, glanced at Zhu Xunchuan, and turned to walk towards the study on the second floor.

Zhu Xunchuan followed him inside.

The study door closed, shutting out the outside sounds. Meng Changjin sat behind the large rosewood desk, a cigarette in his hand, but he didn't light it. He scrutinized Zhu Xunchuan, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

"I heard the horse ranch in the western suburbs was cleared out this afternoon." Meng Changjin's voice was calm, revealing neither joy nor anger. "That kid from the Ye family has practiced martial arts since he was a child, and he has a fiery temper. You didn't suffer any losses, did you?"

Zhu Xun Chuan walked to the table, took out a lighter, and lit Meng Chang Jin's cigarette.

"He does have a pretty explosive temper, but he's still quite polite." Zhu Xun Chuan put away his lighter, took out the gold leaf from his pocket, and casually placed it on the large table.

The luster of pure gold was somewhat dazzling under the table lamp.

Meng Changjin exhaled a puff of smoke, his gaze falling on the leaf. He paused.

Having held a high-ranking position at the provincial or ministerial level for many years, Meng Changjin rarely lost his composure in public. But this token, which was usually reserved for core members of the Ye family, was now truly placed before him.

"Why did he give you this?" Meng Changjin squinted.

"The apprenticeship ceremony." Zhu Xun Chuan said in a slightly more relaxed tone, "He insisted on dragging me to learn joint lock grappling, and this afternoon he even served tea on the Huangpu River. From now on, he'll have to call me master when he sees me, and he'll have to call Wan Qing master's wife."

The study fell into dead silence.

A full half minute passed.

Meng Changjin's fingers, holding the cigarette, trembled slightly. Then, this powerful official in charge of Shanghai suddenly leaned back in his chair and burst into an extremely hearty laugh.

"Excellent! Excellent tactics!" Meng Changjin pointed at Zhu Xunchuan, his eyes filled with undisguised admiration. "Yesterday, I pressured you with a 10 billion yuan trap, thinking you would either seek help from the Shen family or simply back down. I never expected you to directly recruit the one who overturned the table!"

What do politicians value most? Not existing leverage, but the ability to break the deadlock.