"The business partners for the Su Family's upcoming chamber of commerce will now be announced by me!" Su Yanran said with a slight parting of her red lips, standing with a smile.
Everyone held their breath, craning their necks in anticipation.
"The partnership with the Su Family this time is something my Lin Family is determined to win!" Lin Wenbin endured the pain in his injured leg as he sat in his seat, his gaze fixed firmly on the stage.
Duan Wenting also sat in the most prominent spot, staring passionately at Su Yanran on the stage and muttering to himself, "The banking business is bound to be my Duan Family's! Working with the Saintess is truly something to look forward to!"
"I now announce that all of the Su Family's partnerships this time will be exclusively with a single entity!"
Su Yanran's words left everyone looking at one another in dismay. No one had expected that the Su Family would plan to share such a massive piece of the pie with just one partner.
"This is unbelievable! Who could possibly handle such an overwhelming stroke of fortune?"
"It really is anyone's game."
"To snatch first place from all of us and have the capacity to shoulder it, the only ones capable of this must be the Four Great Families, right?"
The crowd buzzed with discussion. The members of the Four Great Families were deeply excited, especially Lin Wenbin and Duan Wenting, whose joy was entirely written on their faces.
"The party we will be partnering with... is the Luo Family!" Su Yanran spoke again.
Everyone was instantly stunned. The courtyard lapsed into an eerie silence as the crowd exchanged bewildered glances.
"In Cangyang City... is there a second Luo Family?"
As questions arose, the entire crowd went wild!
As far as they knew, the only household in Cangyang City bearing the surname Luo that could be called a family was the very same Luo Family to which Luo Changqing belonged!
The doubts grew louder and louder. Ye Wanling stood frozen in place, pulling on Luo Changqing's arm in disbelief. "Brother Changqing, did the Saintess mean our Luo Family? Could there be some mistake?"
"Lingling, you need to have a little more confidence in your Brother Changqing!" Luo Changqing chuckled, leaning back leisurely in his chair.
Chu Tingting stood beside Duan Wenting, staring at Luo Changqing in utter shock, only to discover that the latter didn't even spare her a glance.
A pang of bitterness struck her heart. She had never been ignored like this by Luo Changqing before. Back then, Luo Changqing had been nothing more than a dog trailing behind her, obeying her every command!
"Brother Ting! What is going on here?" Chu Tingting was on the verge of tears!
After all, the only reason she had attached herself to Duan Wenting was to use this opportunity to get a slice of the pie from the Su Family's chamber of commerce.
By latching onto the Su Family, their Chu Family could use this chance to rise to the next level. It wasn't even out of the question for them to squeeze into the ranks of the top-tier families!
Yet now, everything had fallen through!
Duan Wenting's expression was exceptionally grim. "There must be something going on behind the scenes. Let's wait a bit longer; there might still be a turn of events!"
It wasn't just that Duan Wenting refused to believe it—Lin Wenbin was entirely unwilling to accept reality either. Dragging his broken leg, he couldn't help standing up and shouting a question at Su Yanran on the stage.
"Why? The Luo Family has already fallen from grace—on what grounds can they partner with the Su Family, and exclusively at that?"
"Could it be that they possess more strength than our Four Great Families?"
Lin Wenbin's words drew a wave of approval. Everyone had assumed that even if the Su Family were to pick a partner, their first choice would undoubtedly be one of the other three among the Four Great Families.
A strong alliance was the only way to endure!
Yet no one expected the Luo Family to be the biggest winner of all!
At that moment, under the expectant gazes of the crowd, Duan Wenting also stepped forward.
"Saintess, my late father previously discussed the banking business privately with the head of the Su Family, agreeing it would go to the Duan Family. Why has it been handed to the Luo Family instead?"
Every gaze shifted toward Su Haotian, the head of the Su Family, who was standing behind Su Yanran!
Su Haotian frowned as he looked at Duan Wenting. He never imagined that a junior would bring up a private verbal agreement between the two families and question him publicly now that a fait accompli had been established.
"It was merely a verbal discussion; how could it serve as the final outcome? The Su Family's chamber of commerce is not mine alone to run!"
An uproar swept through the crowd. No one expected that Su Haotian, for the sake of the Luo Family, would not hesitate to burn bridges with the Duan Family on the spot.
Duan Wenting wore a dark expression, casting a resentful glare at Luo Changqing, who simply raised an eyebrow at him in provocation.
Blinded by rage, Lin Wenbin once again couldn't help chiming in with provocation. "What grounds does Luo Changqing have? He's nothing more than a wild brute who crawled out of the deep mountains!"
"The Luo Family is practically wiped out now—what gives him the right to take on all of the Su Family's business partnerships?"
"He's even a murderer! He killed my brother and broke my legs! Saintess, you must uphold justice for us!"
Lin Wenbin wept bitterly, and quite a few people present looked at him with sympathy.
"You're spouting nonsense!" Ye Wanling's pretty face flushed red with anger, and she couldn't help stepping forward to defend him.
Luo Changqing also cast a cold gaze at Lin Wenbin.
He really didn't know when to quit! It seemed he was tired of living as well!
Acting like a madman, Lin Wenbin glared at Luo Changqing with utter disdain, looking entirely ready to fight him to the bitter death.
He truly harbored a deep, burning hatred for Luo Changqing!
Not only had this man killed his own brother and broken his leg, but he had also made him lose all face in front of various dignitaries!
Even if he couldn't secure the Su Family's business today, he would make sure Luo Changqing couldn't either!
Just as Ye Wanling was about to speak, Su Yanran let out a soft laugh. "Say what you will about whether I, Su Yanran, choose to partner with whomever I please—it is certainly not your place to question it!"
"What gives you the right to look down on the young master of the Luo Family? A wild brute? When the Luo Family was at the height of its glory, what was your Lin Family even worth?"
"Furthermore! As far as I know, Young Master Luo is a man of deep loyalty and righteousness. Back then, the only reason he dared to venture into Wanxuan Mountain alone was because he was deceived by Miss Chu. Now that the Luo Family has declined, Miss Chu goes off to seek another wealthy match—what a marvelous calculation!"
No one dared to doubt Su Yanran's words, nor did anyone question their truth. Everyone present stared at Chu Tingting with unconcealed disdain.
Chu Tingting trembled all over as the fig leaf she had tried so hard to conceal was stripped away in public by Su Yanran. "Brother Ting, it's not like that... I was truly sincere toward you..."
"Slap!"
Duan Wenting struck Chu Tingting across the face. "Stinking bitch! Aren't you going to apologize to Young Master Luo?"
The education Duan Wenting had received since childhood taught him that a real man knows when to yield and when to stand firm, placing the bigger picture above all else.
"S-Sorry..." Chu Tingting looked at Luo Changqing with deep humiliation.
Luo Changqing looked back at her expressionlessly.
"Get lost!"
"Don't pollute my eyes by staying in my sight!"
Chu Tingting looked at him in disbelief, then at the surrounding crowd pointing and jeering at her. Overwhelmed by shame, anger, and a sudden collapse, she could no longer bear to stay a moment longer. She turned and fled out of the Su Family's estate.
Duan Wenting watched Chu Tingting's retreating figure and ultimately gave chase. As he passed Luo Changqing, he shot him a resentful look and muttered in a voice meant only for the two of them, "Luo Changqing, my Duan Family has logged this score!"
Luo Changqing returned a look of utter contempt, then shifted his gaze back to Lin Wenbin.
Noticing Luo Changqing's gaze, Su Yanran's eyes grew icy. She turned to the guards behind her and commanded, "Throw him out! From this day forward, the Su Family forbids this person from stepping foot inside again!"
"In the Su Family's chamber of commerce, there is no longer any room for the Lin Family!"