After the Divorce, I Could Hear the Voice of the Future

Gao Jinhua left behind a check and departed; Liu Qing, who had made over a hundred thousand, was too lazy to ask for it, and they left the entertainment room one after another.

"Visitors harboring ill will, what bad ideas are they concealing?"

Watching their retreating figures, Lu Liang fiddled with the chips in his hand, and suddenly the chips exploded like a goddess scattering flowers over his hands.

"Mr. Lu, then I'll get back to work."

Lin Yan hurriedly pushed all her chips toward Lu Liang.

If it were just a few tens of thousands, she might have let it be, but the key point was that she had earned more than seventeen million. With so much money, she really didn't dare to accept it.

"What are you giving this to me for?" Lu Liang stopped Lin Yan, who was about to leave, and also wrote a check worth eight million.

Picking up the ten-million check from the table, he solemnly handed both to her: "You wouldn't want me to break my word, would you?"

"Mr. Lu, I really can't accept this." The enormous wealth was right in her hands, yet Lin Yan felt as if she were holding a hot potato.

Whether she didn't want to accept it or didn't dare to accept it, the sheer size of the funds with an unclear source would not pass the bank's scrutiny.

Lu Liang thought about it for a moment and realized it was indeed a problem. If he truly intended to give her the money, he would have to help her resolve it.

He suddenly asked, "Have you bought a house in Modu?"

Lin Yan subconsciously shook her head. In recent years, housing prices had soared, and the average price in the entire city had broken through the sixty-thousand barrier. There was no way she could afford it.

Fortunately, as Lu Liang's exclusive chief attendant, every business trip came with a minimum of ten thousand extra in bonuses. In less than a year, she could gather enough for a down payment.

"Let's do it this way then." Lu Liang called over Xu Jiawei, handed him the check, and said to Lin Yan, "I'll hold onto this money for you. When we return from New York, I'll get you a set."

"That settles it, then."

Lu Liang clapped his hands and left the entertainment room to head to the restaurant in the middle of the cabin. "Fix me a serving of Zhajiangmian, will you?"

Lin Yan stood dazed, while Xu Jiawei looked at her with envy. "Yan, do you have any requirements for the house type or location?"

Even though it was eighteen million, since Boss Lu had spoken, naturally they added a bit, raising the cap to twenty million.

A twenty-million housing allowance could buy a 'large' seven to eight hundred-square-foot apartment even in Xiangjiang, let alone Modu.

"Just make sure it's convenient to get to the airport," Lin Yan said, looking toward Lu Liang as unusual feelings stirred in her heart once again.

Lu Liang had been kind to her more than once, yet whenever she saw Su Wanyu holding a baby, her thoughts would dissipate with the wind.

But now, the thought emerged again because Lu Liang had always been ambiguous with other girls; just a few days ago, he had even traveled to Mohe with Reba.

"Professor Gao, let's play a few more hands, shall we?"

Lu Liang asked, his mouth curved into a smile, signaling his request to Gao Jinhua.

Gao Jinhua looked at him with an unfriendly gaze and said in a cold voice, "Mr. Lu, a casual gamble is refreshing, but being too addicted isn't a good thing."

"Life does not offer many opportunities for bold plays. How can I win if I don't gamble?"

Lu Liang smiled, his eyes, however, were fixed on Liu Qing.

Liu Qing gave a light smile and picked up a napkin to wipe her mouth. "Take your time, Mr. Lu. I'm going to rest."

With more than half the flight behind them, they would be landing at noon.

She needed to be fully rested to face the upcoming crisis.

"Professor Gao, wait," Lu Liang suddenly called out to Gao Jinhua, who was also about to leave.

He took a bite of pickles and asked with a smile, "What do you think about last year's 5G vote and its impact on Lenovo?"

For the sake of profit, brothers could turn against each other, fathers and sons could become enemies—Lu Liang did not believe in lasting friendships, only in lasting interests.

Although the public storm had shifted to the entertainment industry, the memory of the 5G vote scandal was deeply etched in the memory of every witness.

Now, when referring to the Liu family, netizens would think of 'loyal martyrs' and the 'conscience of the American Empire.' With the people's hearts lost, decline was only a matter of time.

The wise should seek benefits and avoid harm.

Although Lu Liang did not know what kind of ace Liu Qing had up her sleeve, he thought, why not deprive her of any chance to use it.

"Justice lies in the hearts of the people, Mr. Lu. Enjoy your meal," said Gao Jinhua with a proud face, turning and leaving. He saw Lu Liang's attempt to court him, but his refusal did not hesitate for a moment.

Lu Liang and the Liu family were like the speculative stocks and blue-chips of Big A. The former might have a strong momentum, but they would always come to an end, while the latter endured with Big A.

Besides, how could a nouveau riche who had only emerged in recent years compare to the foundations laid by three generations of the Liu family?

Lu Liang squinted his eyes, biting off a piece of the firm noodles. "It's only been a few years, and now the so-called gentry want to make a comeback?"

Gao Jinhua, if it were for profit, even if it were for sentiment, his refusal Lu Liang could not comprehend, but would accept.

However, it seemed that Gao Jinhua's refusal was out of a sense of identity, a disdain from the heart, which really irritated Lu Liang.

Counting back a few generations, they all came from humble beginnings, so now that they've been doing well for a few years, did they truly see themselves as somebodies?

After finishing their meal, Lu Liang headed to the rest area.

Time slipped by unnoticed.

In a drowsy state, he heard a knock at the door, "Mr. Lu, are you awake? We are about to land."

"Alright, I'll be right out."

Lu Liang quickly washed his face and changed his clothes.

Lin Yan handed him a cup of warm water, whispering softly, "Mr. Lu, the average temperature in New York is between 3 and 8 degrees Celsius. It's warmer than Beijing, but be sure to keep warm and add layers."

"Thank you." Lu Liang drank the cup of water in one gulp and then headed straight for the seats at the front.

"You're welcome." Lin Yan suddenly felt a sense of loss. Despite how well Lu Liang treated her, why didn't he give her even a hint of encouragement?

At one-thirty in the afternoon, the plane landed at New York Airport.

Two Mercedes S-class cars, along with a minibus, and the rest of the members had been waiting for a long time.

The group got into the cars one after another and set off for the Trump Hotel in the Manhattan district.

Since Old Te took office, all of his properties were enveloped in a halo of prestige, with especially high security.

Fans, out of devotion to their idol, would protect his related brands and properties as if they were their own and would admonish others not to damage them.

"I have no intention of contending, yet the populace suffers."

This phrase was too significant, otherwise, it wouldn't have defeated Larry, who had sixteen years of political legacy.

Before long, the cars arrived at the building's entrance, where a tall, blonde beauty stood smiling at the door.

Lu Liang was momentarily stunned. He hurriedly opened the door and quickly stepped forward. Miss Ivan greeted him warmly with a hug, "Mr. Lu, it's been so long since we last saw each other."

"Miss Ivan, how have you been?" Lu Liang was surprised; he hadn't expected the great princess to personally greet him.

After all, things were different from half a year ago. As Old Te's term neared the one-year mark, the status of the great princess had risen significantly.

But Lu Liang wasn't the only one surprised. Liu Qing and Gao Jinhua were as well, especially the latter, whose expression mirrored that of seeing a ghost.

In his mind, Lu Liang was just new money, markedly different from their old money aristocracy.

However, the new money knew the royal lineage and seemed to have a good relationship with them, which was hard for him to accept.

"I was just upstairs handling some business and heard you were coming, so I came down to say hello."

Miss Ivan's smile was as warm as a spring breeze. She looked at the few people behind Lu Liang, "Are these your friends?"

Lu Liang nodded, introducing them, "They are members of our team, here to submit the materials for a stock listing approval."

"Hello," Miss Ivan said with a slight nod, having heard that Lu Liang was in charge of a group's stock listing efforts.

"Miss Ivan, hello," Gao Jinhua said with a grin plastered on his face, his enthusiasm reminiscent of an eager, tail-wagging puppy.

In his Beijing Second Ring home, he prized a photograph in the living room, a handshake with Little Bu at a Harvard guest lecture on April 16 of '02.

Yet, just like with Lu Liang, his warm approach was met with an indifferent reception.

Although Miss Ivan's smile remained on her face, her perfunctory attitude was as apparent as if dealing with someone insignificant.

She turned to Lu Liang and said, "Mr. Lu, I have to get back to work, but feel free to contact me anytime if you need something."

"Take care."

Lu Liang nodded and watched Miss Ivan leave, then turned to Liu Qing, "Mr. Liu, Shall we meet downstairs in an hour?"

He had an appointment with Wilson and David from Goldman Sachs at four in the afternoon. Now it was two, so after freshening up, they'd leave at three.

"Sure."

Liu Qing was preoccupied. She believed any woman would feel ashamed standing next to Miss Ivan.

The more exceptional and talented a woman was, the more intense her insecurity in Miss Ivan's presence.

Miss Ivan wasn't just a pretty face; she was a remarkable woman of beauty, intelligence, and capability, instrumental to Old Te's successful inauguration.

Liu Qing deliberately avoided Lu Liang and joined Gao Jinhua in an elevator up to their room. Gao Jinhua was puzzled, "Why is Miss Ivan so close to Lu Liang?"

"Michigan is a traditional swing state, and Lu Liang's investments in Detroit are substantial."

Liu Qing sighed deeply, "His participation in the state visit last month must also be due to this."

"It's become a bit troublesome."

Gao Jinhua went silent for a while before starting to regret.

On the plane, he shouldn't have been so inconsiderate towards Lu Liang, who clearly wasn't just any ordinary new money.

"Professor, we've done our part, leave the rest to fate."

Liu Qing's expression darkened, feeling more powerless than ever.