That month, Liang Meng at Baoquan was making steady, methodical progress, while Jiang Han and Lin Qing were going through a life-and-death trial in the futures market.

Lin Qing understood clearly — if steel prices did not rebound, Jiang Han would be completely out of ammunition in the final two weeks.

Every evening when she came home, she could still see Jiang Han sitting calmly on the terrace, drinking from the glass Lin Qing had given him.

He seemed to never know what fear was. Nothing could make him afraid.

After Liang Meng officially announced Lu Zhou as Baoquan Herbal Tea’s new brand ambassador, it was, just as expected, met with universal dismissal.

“Baoquan is really done for. They finally went with Lu Zhou after all.”

“This guy hasn’t played in months — he’s probably just looking for a payday before retiring.”

“That thing where his foot touched the ball — that was probably cheating.”

“Baoquan without Longquan really is nothing.”

But within just a few days, Lu Zhou turned everything around at the World Tour in Sanya, delivering consistent, composed performances to claim the championship once again!

Overnight, the wind shifted completely.

Public opinion doesn’t simply ride the wind — it is the wind, it is the tide.

This was Lu Zhou’s comeback victory after the disastrous penalty incident — his first championship since returning to the fairway.

Headlines across every major platform competed for attention:

“Having weathered every storm, hammered and tempered ten thousand times — the boat has already passed ten thousand mountains.”

“Touching bottom and bouncing back, the king returns — China’s godlike hidden gem of golf claims championship in Sanya.”

“The fearlessness of youth — Chinese athlete Lu Zhou closes perfectly, climbs the men’s golf world rankings.”

“2024 Golf Sanya Tour: professional player Lu Zhou dazzles with raw talent, breaks records — the future is bright!”

…

Looking at one of the trending news items, Liang Meng couldn’t help but say to Daiwei: “The internet really does have no memory. Just a month ago, they were shooting Lu Zhou full of holes.”

Daiwei nodded: “To the victor go the spoils. The very people praising him to the heavens now are probably the same ones who were tearing him apart back then.”

“Not probably — definitely the same people. How many people in China actually follow golf? But since it’s his first time entering the top five in the international rankings, Lu Zhou should be properly famous now.” Liang Meng said.

She thought back to the scene just before Lu Zhou left.

“When I come back, you’ll know whether I’m up to it or not.”

Liang Meng smiled to herself. There was no need to wait for him to come back — Lu Zhou had already answered that question for everyone.

“We bet on Lu Zhou and we bet right.” Daiwei said. “These past two days I’ve had the workers running three shifts, around the clock, cranking out as much herbal tea as possible to stockpile.”

“You always were the one with foresight. From here on out, our production line is going to be running twenty-four hours nonstop.”

Liang Meng smiled, took out her phone, and showed Daiwei the comments under the trending topic:

“Baoquan little princess, sit tight — the whole nation is going to put you on the rich list!”

“Baoquan really has an eye for talent — they bet on a champion, and won a total victory!”

“No wonder Baoquan switched to a gold can for their new packaging! ‘Gold can’ — it’s a ‘golden crown’ — well played.”

“So thrilling!”

“The Baoquan queen, the former little princess of Longquan — still absolutely delivers!”

Daiwei took off his glasses, visibly moved — eyes glistening.

Equally moved were Longquan’s distributors, who one after another hung up posters of Lu Zhou’s championship victory in their live-stream rooms.

In an instant, Lu Zhou and Baoquan became inseparably bound as the kings of the moment.

Word had it that at the busiest point, even Lu Zhou himself — just back from Sanya — pulled on a cap and went to the factory to help unload stock.

The entire Ling Xue SOHO floor belonging to Baoquan was buzzing like a hive!

Everyone was full of energy, moving with urgency and purpose!

Within ten days, sales had grown by 500%!

Profits were extraordinary!

Lin Qing and Jiang Han, watching the news from the penthouse, were genuinely happy for Liang Meng and Lu Zhou.

Liang Meng was now working until very late every single night, sleeping only three or four hours a day.

Every time Lin Qing’s mother went to the medical center, she not only took part in the new drug trial herself, but also carried back large bags of tonics to brew herbal medicine for Liang Meng.

Everyone was doing their part, and everything was thriving.

And finally, the day Jiang Han had been dreading — the day his ammunition ran out — arrived.

Neither Liang Xing’s “income injection” nor the “supply management” approach had been able to sustain Jiang Han’s bottomless burn.

Stainless steel 2589’s price remained flat as a plate of iron, continuing to probe new lows.

In the last critical moment, Liang Meng, having just recovered a wave of funds, gave Jiang Han one final lifeline.

Before Liang Meng wired the money, Lin Qing, out of a sense of responsibility and duty, went to warn her in person.

“Baoquan is going strong right now, I know you have money. But Jiang Han…” Lin Qing hesitated, then still advised Liang Meng: “Your money might as well be thrown into water.”

“Whether it’s thrown into water, or thrown into the ocean.” Liang Meng sighed. “I trust Jiang Han. If it really comes to that… there’s still Ling Xue.”

As expected — a wealthy beauty is never naive!

Capital-bred heiresses, wringing every last advantage, is pure instinct.

Liang Xing and Liang Meng — truly sisters through and through.

Lin Qing felt she’d meddled unnecessarily and had made the trip for nothing.

In the café, the two of them sat across from each other and leisurely finished their coffee.

Lin Qing asked: “That glass from Wang Xiancheng — did you personally return it to him in the end?”

Liang Meng stirred her coffee with a spoon and answered: “What else would I have done?”

“Did you notice anything off about it?” Lin Qing thought for a moment and still couldn’t help asking.

“Notice what?” Liang Meng looked up.

“I switched out that glass — the outer packaging is the same, but I threw out the original receipt!” Lin Qing confessed to Liang Meng.

“Why?! Why would you do that? And where’s the original glass?!”

“I gave it to Jiang Han.”

“For goodness’ sake! Lin Qing, you are really something! If you wanted to butter up Jiang Han, why not use your own money?!” Liang Meng said sourly.

Lin Qing was not about to back down: “I have no money. Since when is that news to President Liang?”

“Fine! Well played!”

Liang Meng lifted her coffee cup for a sip. She could only pray Wang Xiancheng hadn’t noticed. And even if he had — the contract was already signed, so it didn’t matter.

“By the way, has Wang Zaiwu been in touch with you recently?” Lin Qing put her cup down and asked curiously.

Liang Meng shook her head: “He’s called me a few times, but I’ve just been too busy to call back.”

Lin Qing thought of what Jiang Han had told her about the true relationship between those two — half-siblings who passed each other without knowing — and felt a wave of melancholy.

What it means to meet face to face without recognizing one another — she understood it now.

The two of them sat a while longer, then went their separate ways.

The next three days passed quietly.

Liang Meng transferred 500 million to Jiang Han from Baoquan’s profits.

Finally, on the third day, at the close of the evening trading session, stainless steel 2589’s price suddenly began to surge at a breathtaking speed!

“This is bad!”

Wang Xiancheng and his team, sitting before their screens, all felt a chill run through them.

Stainless steel 2589 had been falling for months — a sudden spike in the final stretch of trading meant that what lay ahead was impossible to predict.

And Wang Xiancheng had been betting heavily on 2589 going short. If steel prices climbed, the losses wouldn’t be a matter of a few hundred million.

The entire investment management department at Wanheng stayed through the night with their boss. Wang Xiancheng himself could smell the danger on the wind.

In the days that followed, stainless steel 2589 remained locked in a rapid upward surge day after day.

For Jiang Han, it was a hundred million clawed back from the abyss every single day.

For Wang Xiancheng, money was hemorrhaging out in geometric multiples every minute.

Lin Qing was truly in awe of Jiang Han. In those final seconds before the steel price reversed, even the 500 million Liang Meng had sent him had been nearly exhausted.

Yet Jiang Han still rose at the same hour every day, worked out when it was time to work out, practiced his Ba Duan Jin health exercises when it was time for that.

He was a living embodiment of the saying: “Let the mountains crumble before you, and never let your face change color.”

Now that the steel price had risen, Jiang Han sat before his screen just as he always did — unmoved by either gain or loss.

Perhaps for him, money had long since become nothing more than a string of numbers.

Lin Qing cheered for Jiang Han from the depths of her heart: let him earn it! Let him earn every bit of it!

A man like this deserved to earn it.

“Boss, what do we do now? Wanheng’s capital is extremely tight! We can’t hold on any longer!”

Wang Xiancheng’s subordinate urged him anxiously.

Wang Xiancheng refused to accept it. He still firmly believed this was only a temporary correction, and that stainless steel prices would come back down.

But even so, he had no choice but to take precautions.

“Borrow from Baoquan. I hear Baoquan’s profits have been quite good lately.”

At that moment, Wang Xiancheng thought of the “golden goose” he had leased to Liang Meng — Baoquan.

His secretary immediately made the call.

But Liang Meng’s response was unequivocal: “No.”

Wang Xiancheng was so furious he overturned everything on his desk.

His face turned dark as he unleashed a torrent of abuse at his secretary for failing at such a simple task.

“Go back to Liang Meng and tell her — if she refuses to lend, I’ll sue her and reclaim the ‘Baoquan’ brand!”

His subordinates were baffled and pushed back: “But Boss — on what grounds would we sue Liang Meng?”

Wang Xiancheng smiled, cold and sinister — the smile of a man who had already laid his trap far in advance.

His gaze drifted icily toward a gift box sitting on the rosewood cabinet. Between gritted teeth, two words came out, hard and cold: “Bribery.”

Those below him understood immediately.

If Liang Meng’s charge of “bribery” could be proven, then the brand she had obtained through unlawful means could be reclaimed on the spot.

President Wang’s move was inspired!

Absolutely inspired.

“What did you just say?”

Liang Meng listened to the report from Baoquan’s legal team and felt the blood drain from her face.

“Wang Xiancheng is suing me? What is he suing me for?”

“He says that in order to obtain the Baoquan lease rights, you personally bribed him.”

“Bribed? With what did I bribe him?”

Liang Meng was crying out her innocence to the heavens!

“His lawyer’s letter states it was an Edo Kiriko glass purchased at SKP, valued at twenty thousand yuan.”

“What?!”

Liang Meng narrowed her eyes.

Though she was a stunning beauty, the shock nearly had her jaw dropping wide open.

“Say that again — what did I bribe him with?!”

“A glass worth twenty thousand yuan.”

At that, Liang Meng’s heart — which had been hanging in mid-air — finally settled.

“Call Wanheng’s legal department immediately. Tell Wang Xiancheng: whichever court he wants to take me to, I’ll meet him there. Liang Meng will see this through to the end. And if he only sends a lawyer’s letter but doesn’t actually go to court — then he’s the one who’s beneath contempt!”

The legal team member left the room.

Liang Meng broke into laughter and called Lin Qing.

Lin Qing was also laughing with indignation, and said: “This is hilarious! That Wang Xiancheng has clearly lost so much in the futures market he’s out of his mind. Tell him to go ahead and sue! I already have the Pinduoduo screenshot for 29.9 yuan saved on my phone — sending it to you right now. He has truly lost the plot! “

“He really has lost it! The Baoquan brand — I leased it for fifteen percent of Longquan’s equity. And he thinks some underhanded little trick is enough to take it back from me? Not a chance. See you in court! I am going to teach him a lesson he won’t forget!” Liang Meng fumed. “Accuse me of bribery? Bribing him with twenty-nine yuan and ninety cents?!”

Lin Qing had been boiling with righteous indignation right alongside her, but then she heard Liang Meng say she was going to “teach Wang Xiancheng a lesson,” and her heart tightened again.

Who knew what scene would unfold when this pair — biological father and daughter — faced each other in a courtroom, and then discovered who each other truly was.

“Right — Liang Meng, evening trading is starting. I have to get back to it.”

“Go ahead. Take care.”

She hung up, and Lin Qing turned it over in her mind from every angle. She decided it would be better to first tell Wang Zaiwu about the relationship between Wang Xiancheng and Liang Meng.

Give Wang Zaiwu some time to process it. That way, when this father-daughter pair clashed in the future, at least he could be a buffer.

“What?! Lin Qing!! You’re saying…?”

Wang Zaiwu, summoned out to meet her, heard this explosive piece of news and immediately collapsed backward into his seat.

He was speechless for a long moment!

He was, genuinely, stunned by the news Lin Qing had brought.

But even in the midst of that shock, there was a vague undercurrent of something that felt almost… reasonable. Why was that?

“Lin Qing! What do I do?? Tell me what to do???”

Wang Zaiwu first fell into a panic, then suddenly dropped to one knee, wrapped his arms around Lin Qing’s leg, and began to weep — oblivious to whether anyone else in the bar could see them.

Lin Qing pushed him off with a foot in disdain: “People are watching! People are watching! What do you mean, what do you do? You should be happy right now!”

“I should be happy?”

Wang Zaiwu looked up with his theatrically “tearful eyes.”

“Yes! Your father is a president! Your sister is a president! Your future brother-in-law is a president! You are the heaven-chosen son of a household of presidents! A fortune of billions awaits you to inherit — from this day forward, the only hardship left in your life is the iced Americano sitting right in front of you. Wang Zaiwu, you are the universe’s greatest prodigy at choosing your rebirth, the number one being guided by fate’s precision algorithm!”

As she spoke, Lin Qing gave him a mock formal bow.

Wang Zaiwu turned it over in his mind: actually, now that Lin Qing put it that way, it did kind of make sense!

No wonder he had always felt somewhat dominated by Liang Meng — so this was just the most simple and honest dynamic between biological siblings playing out!

It all made sense!

Everything made sense now!

“Oh no.”

In the midst of his elation, Wang Zaiwu’s smile suddenly vanished.

He looked up, as if just remembering something, and turned to Lin Qing: “My dad has been taking my sister to court these past few days. They’re about to go before the intermediate court.”

Lin Qing rolled her eyes and helplessly reminded Wang Zaiwu:

“You’d better go home and have a good look at that ‘Kiriko’ glass. Whether it’s the real thing.”

“What do you mean??” Wang Zaiwu was no fool.

Helpless, Lin Qing opened her phone and showed him the screenshot of her purchase.

“You’re saying my dad is about to take my sister to court for bribing him with twenty-nine yuan and ninety cents?” Wang Zaiwu looked genuinely alarmed.

He immediately, at once, without a single moment’s hesitation, picked up the phone and called the head of Wanheng’s legal department: “Drop the suit! Drop the suit!”