Ruan Mingliang, Fang Zixuan, and even Lin Zhengmin all gasped in unison the moment they heard those words.
"Lu Chen bought Taifu Plaza? Impossible! How… how could that be?"
The news hit Fang Zixuan like a nightmare made real.
If anyone else had said it, she would've dismissed it on the spot. But coming from Gao Jianli…
A man of his status had no reason to cooperate with Lu Chen in telling such a lie.
And even if it were a lie, think about it—what kind of person could make someone like Gao Jianli play along?
No matter how one looked at it, it meant the Lu Chen before them was no longer the same man from the past.
They had spent more than four years together, and yet she had never seen a hint of this ability or background in him.
Could it be… that he had been testing her all along?
Then didn't that mean she had thrown away a watermelon just to pick up a sesame seed?
Regret surged through her like a tidal wave.
"Lin Zhengmin, do you not want to work anymore? Get these two out of here. Don't interfere with my meeting with the boss."
Before they could think any further, Gao Jianli barked another order.
"Yes. You guys, throw them out. And go to Administration—print out some notices and post them at every entrance of Taifu Plaza. Put these two on the blacklist."
Without hesitation, Lin Zhengmin ordered several security guards to drag Ruan Mingliang and Fang Zixuan out.
"Director Gao, you can't do this! Business requires integrity! You already agreed to lease to us!"
Ruan Mingliang shouted desperately.
But what answered him was cold indifference and the guards' rough shoving.
Moments later, he was tossed out the door.
"Boss, are you satisfied with how I handled it?"
As soon as they were gone, Gao Jianli put on his most flattering smile.
"Very good. President Gao, I trust your handling of things."
Lu Chen praised him generously, the anger in his chest finally easing.
After chatting a while longer and learning about the mall's general operations, Lu Chen stood up to leave.
At the last moment, Gao Jianli halted all staff outside and publicly introduced Lu Chen as the new owner.
Surrounded by bows and flattery, Lu Chen finally got into the elevator.
…
Downstairs, Ruan Mingliang and Fang Zixuan had just been thrown out.
"Fang Zixuan, look at the mess you made! Do you even use your brain? You got slept with for four years and still had no idea what he really was? Did your chest grow but not your brain?"
At this moment, Ruan Mingliang pushed all blame onto her.
To him, moving into Taifu Plaza had been extremely important.
Despite living luxuriously, he was only the second son of the Ruan family.
To win his grandfather's favor, he needed achievements—and entering Taifu Plaza had been the old man's long-standing wish.
He had finally gotten ahead of his older brother this time.
He thought everything was guaranteed.
Yesterday, he had even bragged about it at home, confidently promising that nothing would go wrong.
His grandfather had praised him and even promised that if the project succeeded, he would put Ruan Group's Jinmao Real Estate under his management.
But now, not only had the contract fallen through—he was blacklisted.
Which meant the possibility had been destroyed forever.
When he returned home, wouldn't his older brother seize the opportunity to strike?
Grandfather would surely be furious.
"Young Master Ruan, this isn't my fault… he never showed any sign of this…"
Fang Zixuan was so wronged she was on the verge of tears.
If she had known, she would never have chosen Ruan Mingliang.
Look at Lu Chen—Taifu Plaza! He says he bought it, and he actually bought it.
And Ruan Mingliang?
He had to grovel to employees just to rent a storefront.
Comparing the two made her heart ache in regret.
What on earth had she done?
She had given up a diamond bachelor for… this.
"I don't care! When he comes down later, you're going to beg him. I don't care what you have to do—he must let me into Taifu Plaza. If you succeed, your benefits won't be small. If you fail—hmph!"
Ruan Mingliang roared, anger boiling over.
"Oh…"
Fang Zixuan didn't dare defy him.
Thinking of how well Lu Chen used to treat her, regret only deepened.
Part of her even wondered if she could mend their relationship.
If she could… why would she still bother with this scumbag?
Just then, Lu Chen walked out of Tower A.
Her eyes lit up, and she rushed over.
"Lu Chen, I'm sorry! I know I was wrong. Everyone makes mistakes. For the sake of our four years together, please forgive me!"
"Let go of me."
The moment she grabbed his hand, Lu Chen felt nothing but disgust.
"Don't be like this! I really know I was wrong! He kept tempting me—makeup, handbags—one after another. I failed to resist. But I swear, I never slept with him! I'm still clean!"
When he shook her off, she suddenly dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around his leg.
"Heh, you think I'll believe that? Weren't you the one who said I couldn't compare to him?"
"No! I was blind! He's nothing compared to you! He can't even compare to your… to your toes! I know I was wrong!"
Lu Chen froze for a second, then shook his head.
He had never imagined Fang Zixuan could say something like that.
Off to the side, Ruan Mingliang's face had turned so dark it looked ready to drip ink.
"Enough. Stop disgusting me. You're not worthy of being my woman."
He strode away, leaving Fang Zixuan wailing on the ground.
"Hmph! So now I'm not even as good as his toes, huh? Then go back to him, idiot!"
"Don't! Weren't you the one who told me to do whatever it took to keep him—?"
She had gambled everything on the hope that Lu Chen might soften because of their four years together.
She never expected him to be so absolutely merciless.
Since she couldn't win Lu Chen back, she couldn't afford to lose this last "meal ticket."
"You can't leave! You slept with me—you have to take responsibility!"
Seeing Ruan Mingliang turn to leave, she lunged at him and clung to him tightly.
"Slept with you? Didn't you just say you were clean?
Besides, I've slept with plenty of women. Am I supposed to take responsibility for each one? You'd need to queue around Taifu Plaza a few times.
Get lost, you jinx."
With that, he kicked her away and left.
"Waaah—!"
Fang Zixuan collapsed on the ground, crying her heart out.
In just half a day, everything had fallen apart.
…
After leaving Taifu Plaza, Lu Chen checked his watch.
It was only a little past four.
With a fresh ten billion in hand, he figured he might as well enjoy himself a bit.
Just then, the system chimed.
Ding. Host reversal detected. Reward: one flash-sale purchase.
Ding. New product added to the shop. Host may choose whether to buy.
"Huh?"
The sudden notification stunned him.
Wasn't he only supposed to get one flash-sale chance per day?
Still, he opened the system shop.
"What the—?!"
One glance, and he nearly blacked out—blurting out a curse before he could stop himself!