Trillionaire's Slice of Life

Chu Mo nodded again, lifting the wine glass before him, his voice calm as he said: "Miss Yu, happy birthday!" As his words fell, he lifted his glass and drained it in one gulp. The long-haired girl slightly squinted her eyes. After glancing at Chu Mo across from her and waiting for him to finish half a glass of red wine, she gritted her teeth, her gaze shifting. She picked up an empty glass from the table, poured herself half a glass of Heidsieck, nodded gently towards Chu Mo, and the next moment, tilted her head back and emptied the glass. The long-haired girl obviously drank too hastily, or maybe she didn't know how to drink at all; anyways, she coughed violently twice in the middle, and when she put down the glass, one of her cheeks was already flushed with an alluring blush. Chu Mo's mind raced, but for the life of him, he couldn't recall a Yu family appearing in the city at any time. Previously, Chu Mo had memorized all the notable families in the city. He should know all the families with assets over ten billion, but there was indeed no Yu family among them. There was only one possibility, then: the so-called Yu family was not very famous in the city, or their assets had not yet reached the ten-billion scale, belonging to the second-tier families. Chu Mo had a good impression of Miss Yu; this was the first impression she had left on him. In any case, if it weren't for the slightly awkward atmosphere, Chu Mo might even have been willing to have a drink with her. The crisis at hand was gradually calmed due to the long-haired girl's intervention. Several of the men, while still somewhat resentful, and that young man named Zhao Hongsen glaring fiercely at Chu Mo, they simmered down somewhat due to the presence of six or seven tall bodyguards around and the long-haired girl's continuous persuasion. Lin Feng, who had been silent all this time, finally stood up. He cast a smile that wasn't quite a smile at the long-haired girl. According to his script, the group of young masters should have clashed with Chu Mo, and Chu Mo would have made even more enemies. Although these young masters essentially could not impact Chu Mo, annoying him was still possible; it was just a pity that because of the long-haired girl's conciliation, this impulsive conflict was diffused, which left Lin Feng, the young master of the Lin family, somewhat dissatisfied in his heart. However, in such a setting, the young master of the Lin family naturally wouldn't show his dissatisfaction. He simply nodded lightly at Chu Mo, then turned to leave. Just then, a disturbance suddenly arose in the bar. In a moment, a tall and aged figure could be seen slowly making his way over. The previously elegant and noble Lin Feng, upon seeing the old man with a straight back, immediately put on a respectful and pleasing demeanor. Then, the young master of the Lin family quickly walked up to the elder, and with a full-face pleasing smile, Lin Feng said: "Grandpa Lu, what brings you here!?" All around, a group of second and third-generation youths who had still been visibly irate lowered their heads when they saw who had arrived. The young man whose arms were pinched white by Fang Lihu instantly turned into a well-behaved boy. When the group of second and third-generation youths all carefully and respectfully approached the old man, greeting him as the most well-behaved juniors, Chu Mo finally rose from his seat for the first time. The elder across from him was not like the immature kids of those second and third-generation youths, but a top-notch boss who could speak to him on equal terms. The patriarch of Hua Country's Lu family. Lu Meiqiang, a genuine resident of the city, held a top position in the entire Hua Country's collectors' circle. The Lu family was one of the four great families of the city, and Grandpa Lu's name was even more renowned than the four great families themselves. Two months ago, Lu Meiqiang had just celebrated his seventieth birthday. Ever since he sold his collection of antiques to Chu Mo for twenty billion, the Lu family had emerged from their crisis. With Grandpa Lu's vigorous management in the past few months, the Lu family had smoothly overcome their difficulties and was even showing signs of further advancement. Chu Mo shared a deep relationship with Grandpa Lu, the two being rare friends despite their age difference, and they maintained rather frequent contact. Most of the twenty billion worth of antiques Grandpa Lu had sold to Chu Mo were now housed in the Longevity Club, and the painting by Tang Bohu, valued at thirty-six billion, was also one of Chu Mo's favorite pieces. Amid the respectful greetings of the second and third-generation elites, Chu Mo stood still in his spot, silently observing. He then noticed that Old Master Lu only nodded slightly towards the young heirs, but when facing the Lin family's Lin Feng, he smiled and said something. As for the long-haired girl on the extreme end, she stood behind the young heirs all along. Clearly, with her status, she didn't even qualify to stand in front of Old Master Lu. It was only a moment, but after Old Master Lu had exchanged pleasantries with the group of second-generation elites, he turned around and strode towards Chu Mo. "Mr. Chu, it's the young people like you who have boundless energy. I must admit, our generation has indeed grown old!" Old Master Lu approached Chu Mo with a beaming smile, and unlike with the younger heirs from before, the elderly man reached out for a handshake. The two greeted each other like friends who hadn't seen each other for many years, vigorously and familiarly. "Old Master Lu is the very definition of 'old but vigorous.' Just look at those your age—be it the heads of the eight major families or the four major families of Modu—how many can still maintain their poise and vitality like Old Master Lu?" Chu Mo and Old Master Lu were friends despite the age difference, without much adherence to seniority hierarchy, thus there were no particular taboos between them. He gently shook the old man's hand and then smiled as he said: "Please!" "I really wonder what wind has brought Old Master Lu here so late at night. Is there anything you'd like to instruct?" Chu Mo naturally knew that with Old Master Lu's status in Modu, he wouldn't seek him out without reason. Since the other party had come, it surely wasn't without purpose. True enough, the old man before him looked a touch sentimental as he took a light breath and said wistfully: "Mr. Chu, I am troubled. I fear waking up one day to find Modu's skies have changed, and the four great families of Modu might cease to exist. If the Lu family, with its two-hundred-year history, were to fall on my watch, I could never face our ancestors!" Chu Mo's lips curled into a faint smile. He would not be swayed by Old Master Lu's words. With a light chuckle, Chu Mo, who then exuded an overwhelming presence, said indifferently: "Is Old Master Lu pleading for the Lin family? Or have you been pressured by the eight major families?" ... Dressed casually, Chu Mo appeared calm and composed. Across from him, the elderly man dressed in traditional Chinese attire had a slightly stern expression. As an elder renowned throughout Hua Country, every move he made represented the stance of the entire Lu family. The Lu family was worth hundreds of billions, quite less than the Lin family, and coupled with recent disturbances that had shaken its foundations, if not for the 200 billion rescue by Chu Mo, the Lu family would have already collapsed. The Lu family was at a precarious moment, and coincidentally, at this time, the Modu power dynamics had suddenly shifted. The emerging clans, represented by Chu Mo and the Fang family, had begun to challenge the ancient clans, represented by the Lin family. If their challenge succeeded, the Lin family would be removed from the ranks of the four major families of Modu, leading to its decline. What's more terrifying is that behind the Lin family stood the eight great families of Hua Country. In essence, Chu Mo was challenging the entirety of Hua Country's ancient lineage with his own strength. The focal point of this storm wasn't just the Lin family's supreme jewelry store and the Bafang Kelai Jewelry Store represented by the Fang family. The outcome of the two stores was just a microcosm of the new versus old power struggle. On a national level in Hua Country, the outcome was trivial. However, in Modu, the result was directly symbolic of a reshuffling among the four great families, carrying immense significance for the entire city. Naturally, under these circumstances, the attitudes of the other three families in Modu would be even more cautious and conservative. Now, Old Master Lu's initiative in approaching Chu Mo likewise signified that one of the four great families of Modu—the Lu family—was prepared to choose sides! Whether the Lu family would align with the emerging power of Chu Mo or instead back the Lin family, representing the old forces, would be revealed in this small bar!