Chapter 538: Uncle, You Haven’t Thought This Through

Chapter 538: Uncle, You Haven’t Thought This Through

As the eldest son of the primary branch of the prominent Li family, the father of Li Ruobing and Li Ruotai, and the designated successor upon whom Old Master Li had all but settled, Li Maoren was still in the prime of his life. He was perpetually swamped with affairs, so busy his heels practically clipped the back of his head; his itinerary was mapped out far in advance, making it virtually impossible to carve out sudden leisure unless planned a day or two ahead.

Wu Chen had called Li Maoren that morning.

Yet he had never asked Li Maoren to fly to Modu in person.

Regarding the matter of “cooperation,” the tight-knit circle that had already taken shape required only a single heavyweight to step forward, which was more than sufficient. Tang Jingbin was already stationed in Modu, making him perfectly positioned.

Wu Chen had considered the Gu family as well, but ultimately settled on Tang Jingbin.

He rather favored Tang Jingbin’s smiling-tiger persona.

Facing someone like that as an adversary was deeply entertaining; having him as an ally meant the other side of the negotiating table would receive an unforgettable demonstration of what “entertaining” truly meant!

According to the plan Wu Chen had swiftly outlined, the culmination of the matter would see An Huaiguo speaking to Li Maoren by phone—only after his conversation with Tang Jingbin.

That would settle everything!

As for how they interacted behind closed doors afterward, how they engineered the downfall of Hezhong Media, formed a united front against the forces backing it, or secretly launched other joint ventures along with countless fine details…

Wu Chen could not be bothered to meddle.

After a thousand years of resets, Wu Chen was merely playing through life. And the crux of playing through life was the game itself, not doing damned work!

Inside the private lounge adjoining the president’s office at Menghua Music.

“Your tie, let me…”

“No need. Stay seated. Does your leg not hurt anymore?”

Wu Chen stood before the mirror adjusting his suit. An Menglan had wanted to assist, but Wu Chen would not allow it. He had spent practically the entire afternoon keeping her company; their lunch had been ordered from a star-rated hotel and delivered directly, while the suit had been purchased by an assistant dispatched at An Menglan’s behest.

An Menglan knew Wu Chen had a crucial dinner engagement tonight.

Yet that was the extent of her knowledge.

Her thoughts were not on his evening plans in the slightest; she was consumed by dread, her care for him largely instinctive. Perhaps feeling that they might soon be torn apart, she sought to share as much tender intimacy with Wu Chen as possible in these lingering moments.

She could not bear to see Wu Chen suffer any harm.

“Then you must come see me tomorrow morning. You cannot wait until noon…” An Menglan murmured. She insisted on morning because by noon, the “one day” An Huaiguo had granted them would expire. She did not want to find herself unable to see Wu Chen one last time.

She was profoundly pessimistic!

She knew better than anyone what kind of man her father was, what he was capable of, and how far he would go! It was an insurmountable terror that no one could possibly resolve!

“I’ll return tonight and sleep with you,” Wu Chen replied, continuing to adjust his tie.

“My dad’s bodyguards have taken lives before…” An Menglan whispered in an almost imperceptible voice.

Wu Chen glanced at her and offered a gentle smile. Just as he was about to voice words of comfort—

Ring, ring…

His phone chimed.

Wu Chen retrieved the phone, his brow arching slightly at the screen before he answered, “Hello, Uncle.”

“I’ve landed,” Li Maoren announced.

Wu Chen was taken aback. It was rare for his calculations to go awry, even as the passage of time shifted external variables. Li Maoren flying to Modu in person to lend his backing had genuinely caught Wu Chen off guard for a moment, though he swiftly grasped why Li Maoren had made the trip.

There was an operational prerequisite: Li Maoren’s schedule today had contained enough flexibility for him to carve out the time.

Beyond that… Wu Chen was convinced that whether Li Maoren admitted it to himself or not, even if he later claimed he had come for the sake of the partnership, sincerity, and the like, a portion of his motive inevitably revolved around his daughter, Li Ruobing.

After all, Wu Chen’s friction with the An family this time was tied to An Menglan.

While fretting over romantic entanglements in the face of momentous affairs might seem petty, in practical terms, personal sentiments could carry negligible weight—or loom vast beyond measure! Li Maoren originally paid little mind to Wu Chen having other women, because he felt those women couldn’t compare with his daughter. But this time…

As her father, he had to take the initiative to do something that would genuinely move Wu Chen! He could not allow Wu Chen to be the sole party rendering favors forever!

“Uncle, you should have mentioned this beforehand…” Wu Chen said bluntly.

“Brat, are you suggesting I shouldn’t have come?” Li Maoren retorted with mild irritation. The two of them had shared countless private calls and were extraordinarily familiar with one another—so much so that at times, even Li Ruobing felt like an outsider!

“Not at all,” Wu Chen replied smoothly. “My point is, you haven’t notified the Gu family, have you?”

“No. Didn’t you ask Second Master Tang to handle it? Is the presence of the two of us not enough?” Li Maoren asked.

“It isn’t a question of being enough; it is far more than enough! One would have sufficed, let alone two!” As Wu Chen spoke into the receiver, he turned to the mirror to adjust his hair. “The issue is this: if only one person steps forward, it matters little who it is, as they represent the group as a whole. But if two show up, Uncle, you are an outsider arriving from beyond Modu, while the local Gu family is left out in the cold. Wouldn’t that appear as though… we are alienating the Gu family?”

“Mm…” Li Maoren paused in contemplation.

There were countless moments when he felt Wu Chen was some ancient monster who had walked the earth for centuries unknown! His sensitivity to human nature was borderline inhuman! An arrangement that seemed entirely harmless on the surface suddenly revealed massive complications once dissected through his eyes!

“If Second Master Tang handles this alone, it counts as an initial contact. But if two of you appear, it ceases to be a mere exploratory meeting and becomes a formal gathering to welcome a newcomer into the fold… It matters not if others cannot attend because they are outside Modu. But the Gu family… Uncle, you haven’t thought this through.”

Li Maoren was left utterly without retort.

This development truly was somewhat amiss!

“Then should I refrain from showing my face?” Li Maoren asked after a moment of thought.

“Since you’re already here, call the Gu family. Meet with them first, and then… there is no rush! Second Master Tang will receive him first. They’ll need to talk for a while and exchange the usual pleasantries…”

“Mm… Very well!” Li Maoren agreed, then asked, “Where are you now?”

“Changing my clothes. Preparing to set out,” Wu Chen replied, withholding his exact location.

“At An Menglan’s place?” Li Maoren inquired.

Just as expected!

He was beginning to care about this, if only a fraction! Yet Wu Chen was certain he would merely ask, and would never voice any objection! When it came to women, Li Maoren himself had lost track of how many he had!

“Yes, exactly so!” Wu Chen confirmed.