Chapter 43 Elementary School Students' Autumn Outing
Everyone had been drinking, so the designated driver from the Zero Ring Road had to drive them back.
Qin Tianrui remained seated in the car, showing no intention of leaving. Qiao Wu didn't bother urging him, figuring someone would always drive him home eventually.
"Your home address."
Qin Tianrui gave the designated driver a random location; he wasn't going home. He wasn't stupid enough to risk a second beating within a few hours.
Let's find a place to hide first.
He had only just returned to the foot of the mountain when he saw his brother's car waiting there to pick him up.
The car carrying Lu Jinzhi and Lu Yingchi was also there. Qiao Wu didn't stay long, lest he be arrested and interrogated again. After dropping the person off, he greeted Qin Lian through the car window and left.
Qin Tianrui stood on the road with his neck hunched over, not daring to lift his eyes.
But his brother didn't even get out of the car: "Get in."
After saying that, he closed the car window.
Qin Tianrui dawdled as he approached, startling even the driver in front of him: "Young Master, what's wrong?"
Qin Lian: "Heh."
"..." Qin Tianrui was even more frightened, staring at his belt, afraid that he would be in for a beating at any moment.
But the car didn't leave. Qin Lian had a notebook on his lap, and he scribbled on it a few times. A video was playing on it.
Qin Tianrui didn't even need to look; he could tell from the sound that it was a video of him being beaten.
And then there was the earth-shattering sound of Qiao Wu's brakes.
Is this a case of repeatedly desecrating a corpse?
"…elder brother."
"Shut up."
Qin Lian told Qiao Wu to go ahead and do whatever he wanted, and even said it was okay if he hit his younger brother. But in reality, he didn't know what had happened on the spot. He only knew that, given his younger brother's personality, he must have gotten into trouble again.
So he asked Jiang Yuan for videos of the scene, both outside the mansion and on the street, which Jiang Yuan had already prepared.
Qin Lian had considered many possibilities, but he never expected that the "beating" Qiao Wu mentioned would torment Qin Tianrui to this extent. Now, after seeing the video, he finally understood.
Although I've hit Qin Tianrui many times at home, I've never actually scared him like this before.
He is, after all, my own brother, and family. Every time I take action, it's mainly to teach him a lesson.
Qin Lian watched the video over and over again. His first reaction was not that Qin Tianrui was tied up so badly and looked so disheveled, but rather, "Where did Qiao Wu get such audacity?"
Putting aside the fact that she pinned him to the ground and slapped him, if she hadn't controlled the car properly and had actually hit Qin Tianrui even slightly, things would have been very difficult to handle.
Without absolute confidence and a firm grasp of victory, she couldn't have acted so decisively, let alone turn around and celebrate with others after performing these earth-shattering feats.
However, the video was taken by a drone, and since the incident happened so suddenly, it was impossible to capture what Qiao Wu said in front of the car.
What could she say to make Qin Tianrui get into her car without a word after escaping death and stay there obediently for several hours?
"What did she say to you?" Qin Lian asked.
Qin Tianrui glanced at the screen, somewhat embarrassed, and stammered, adding fuel to the fire: "He called me brainless and humiliated me."
Qin Lian had no idea what kind of person he was: "His exact words."
Only then did Qin Tianrui reluctantly relay everything.
It wasn't that he had a good memory, but rather that this was the first time he had ever heard these words in his life, and he hadn't quite figured some of them out yet, so they were etched into his mind and couldn't be erased.
He originally thought his brother would at least be a little angry after hearing this, since he also represented the Qin family's reputation.
Unexpectedly, Qin Lian suddenly laughed after hearing this.
Qin Tianrui: "???"
In Qin Lian's view, if Qin Tianrui is not disciplined, he will be beaten to the ground like in the video sooner or later. Some people are concerned about the power of the Qin family, but those who have nothing are often fearless.
At that point, even if Qin Tianrui called out the name of the King of Hell, no amount of money could save his life.
Therefore, he felt more at ease with Qiao Wu's actions than with any outsider. To his surprise, Qiao Wu would pull him out of the crowd and teach him a lesson.
She would even reach out and help him up.
This person is really interesting.
"Brother." Seeing that he wasn't about to be hit, Qin Tianrui asked in a conciliatory manner, "What did she mean by telling me to stand up by myself?"
Qin Lian really didn't want to hit anyone anymore, mainly because Qin Tianrui was too dirty now, and he didn't want to get his hands and belt dirty.
"She called me in front of so many people today to tell everyone that she is educating you as an elder, just like me, and that only my instruction can be used against you, no one else can."
Qin Lian said coldly, "Although you lost face in front of others, the nature of this matter is just a junior making a mistake. If you want to regain this face in the future, you can only strive to win people over with your own abilities. Otherwise, you will always be a spoiled brat who is disciplined by his elders."
Qin Tianrui was stunned.
Just speak, why beat around the bush like that? Why translate a single sentence into such a long translation?
He asked, puzzled, "Brother, why are you guys supporting her?"
Qin Lian closed the laptop: "Because she has a brain."
"..."
He's already been called brainless so many times today, doesn't he have any dignity left?
“Not everyone is Qiao Wu.” Qin Lian took out his phone. “And not everyone will pull you up at the last moment.”
Qin Tianrui was taken aback.
Then I saw his brother open the chat box with Qiao Wu and transfer money to him, tens of thousands of yuan at a time.
That's great, paying someone else to beat up your brother.
He is the only brother in the world.
He touched his burning, aching face and thought: It's not so bad, actually. Lu Yingchi's face was swollen too, he just didn't see it when he hit Lu Yingchi.
Qiao Wu accepted Qin Lian's transfer with a clear conscience.
The next day, after everyone had left, she went to Lu Jiang's study.
She had returned late the previous night from the Zero Ring Road and had been drinking, so she didn't come up to bother her.
"Perfect timing." Lu Jiang was examining his safe when he saw her arrive, so he turned his wheelchair around. "I was just looking for you. Please sit down."
Qiao Wu sat down in the chair: "Did you call me because of what happened last night, sir?"
"You took the fourth brother out for a car chase and clubbing." Lu Jiang's face was expressionless. "The second brother and Lu Ning went too. Do you think I should come looking for you?"
He had always been curious about how Qiao Wu managed to keep his sons so well-behaved; it turned out he had simply catered to their preferences.
Lu Jiang was indeed angry; he felt that Qiao Wu should be a composed person.
Qiao Wu asked gently, "Which result is the old gentleman not satisfied with?"
"That's not a place for them! Look at the way they were speeding!" Lu Jiang said sternly. "Did they even get into a fight with that brat from the Qin family?"
Qiao Wu nodded readily: "Yes."
This swift and decisive word caught Lu Jiang off guard. He paused for a moment: "Xiao Wu, your uncle trusts you, but your uncle really doesn't know what you're thinking?"
“Sir,” Qiao Wu sat up straight, “what kind of people do you hope they will become? Will they all be as intelligent and capable of taking over the company as the second young master?”
"Then I'll have to burn just how much incense?" Lu Jiang scoffed. "As long as they don't embarrass me!"
“They didn’t embarrass you yesterday,” Qiao Wu said. “It was Qin Tianrui who embarrassed you.”
"Is this the same thing?"
"Yes," Qiao Wu replied calmly. "Has anyone in your family done anything that you find shameful during this time?"
Lu Jiang frowned, finally finding something he didn't like: "What did the third brother go to do?"
"Why do you think the Third Young Master's acting is bad? You watch TV dramas too, and you have your favorite actors." Qiao Wu retorted, "If he could become that kind of artist, wouldn't it be great if your favorite actor was your own son?"
"How can that be the same? What can he accomplish with his appearance?"
Qiao Wu said with certainty, "He can."
"Do you remember when the Third Young Master was a child, he went to the school sports meet with a fever of 39 degrees Celsius for a prize and even won first place?"
Lu Jiang: "Is that so?"
“You don’t remember because you were on a business trip abroad at the time, and when my father called you, you just told the family doctor to pay attention.”
Lu Jiang then understood the meaning behind her words: "Are you blaming me?"
“No, as the company’s leader, you are forced to work outside, so this is not your fault.” Qiao Wu shook his head. “I just want to say that the Third Young Master is more persistent than you think. If he decides to do something, he will definitely do it well.”
"You said it yourself, that was when he was a child."
"Then why don't you look at the results before rejecting him?" Qiao Wu opened the computer he brought, flipped it over and pushed it in front of him. "This is the program's publicity process. The production team will announce the contestants' information soon, followed by a preview episode."
Lu Jiang read through all the rules of the show, and he felt that Lu Xuan wouldn't be able to stick to the process of filming all night.
“He only has a month. He won’t win any Best Actor or Best Television Actor awards, nor will he achieve anything great,” Qiao Wu said. “But he is definitely more capable than you think.”
Lu Xuan has already wasted 23 years, so one more month won't make a difference.
Lu Jiang did not speak.
Seeing this, Qiao Wu continued, "As for the Fourth Young Master..."
Lu Jiang was genuinely regretful about the slap he received yesterday. After all, he had caused such a scene on his very first day back home, and his expression was not pleasant.
Qiao Wu: "If it were before, he probably would have already started a fight with you."
Of the entire Lu family, only Lu Yingchi, who seems to still be going through his rebellious phase, dares to lay a hand on his father and threatens to jump off a building at the drop of a hat.
"I should thank him?"
Qiao Wu said seriously, "If you hope that the Fourth Young Master can become a Forbes Young Entrepreneur overnight, then only the God of Wealth descending to earth can make it happen."
Qiao Wu recalled for a moment and said with a smile, "He once asked me if he was very useless. Old sir, how disobedient do you think the fourth young master must be to ask such a question?"
"He is loyal and will stand up for Lu Ning and help her with her homework. He is willing to listen to advice and stay away from people with bad intentions. He goes home on time every day to attend classes. In fact, he is no different from college students from ordinary families. He can control his emotions and not fight when he is angry with you. Even last night when he went to the Zero Ring Road, he did not speed. Even when someone cut him off, he did not do anything excessive. He has to ask for permission before drinking."
She said softly, "Sir, so I don't think the Fourth Young Master is shameful. They are all very good."
Lu Jiang, who had originally called Qiao Wu over to interrogate him, now found himself unable to say a word; Qiao Wu had said everything.
And why does it seem like Qiao Wu knows his son better than he does?
“If you compare them now with those of the past and still feel dissatisfied with their changes, then I’m sorry I can’t do this job,” Qiao Wu said. “I will resign.”
"..."
Lu Jiang felt threatened.
Was it just his imagination? Why did it seem like Qiao Wu was speaking politely and respectfully today, but there was a hint of rudeness in his tone?
After waiting quietly for a few seconds to make sure there was no sound, Qiao Wu continued, "If you still think there's something to it, could I say a few more words?"
Lu Jiang said irritably, "You've already said so much, what's a few more sentences?"
Qiao Wu still had to be a little more reserved in front of her elders. She smiled shyly and said, "Sir, everyone in the family follows the rules downstairs, including the second young master. Would you like to try it too?"
"?" Lu Jiang felt it was a bit absurd, pointing at himself, "Me?"
"Which rule do you think is unreasonable and difficult to follow?" Qiao Wu nodded. "It's strange that you don't have the same patience for your own child as you do for me."
"Your initial intention in training me was to help the Lu family develop better, and now I am convinced that doing so will make the family more harmonious. You have seen the results. For the sake of our common goal, I hope you can also abide by it. Of course, if you are unwilling, I can remove those things. I cannot guarantee the consequences if you have any conflicts with the family next time."
Lu Jiang gripped the armrests of the wheelchair tightly. In all his years, even Qiao Zhiyi had never dared to say such a thing to him.
He had once praised Qiao Wu for being more decisive than her father, but he never expected that the same decisiveness would be applied to him in this way.
He doesn't like others standing above him.
But Qiao Wu is right, he and she share the same goal.
When Mr. Lu was young, he made many compromises for the company and for business. I never thought he would have to continue to compromise now.
But now the company is no longer his concern; all he wants is for his family to be more harmonious.
He looked at the little girl in front of him with a complicated expression.
Qiao Wu was right. He was more patient with Qiao Wu than with the other children because Qiao Wu was smart and well-behaved and never did anything wrong.
If she hadn't become a bit strange over the years, he wouldn't be so skeptical of her now.
But looking at her now, Lu Jiang felt that she was still as smart as ever.
She was even clever enough to resemble the second son, because she knew what leverage she could use to get him to compromise the fastest.
He finally looked away and changed the subject: "I heard that the second brother made you the chairman of the foundation."
Upon hearing this, Qiao Wu knew that he had agreed.
Her shoulders relaxed considerably, and she nodded gently: "Yes."
“The foundation has a lot going on, but you’re still young. You can always reach out to Xie Yi if you need anything,” Lu Jiang said. “Are you going to attend that forum soon?”
"yes."
“Isn’t the fourth brother going on an autumn outing this weekend? Take him with you. He doesn’t seem to know what to do all day. The second brother at the company doesn’t like him either. Take him out to see the world. He’s an eyesore at home.”
Qiao Wu understood what he meant.
Although Lu Yingchi may not necessarily go into business in the future, it won't do him any harm to take a look.
"After all, it's the first time I've participated in a school-organized group activity since starting university, so it's very important," Qiao Wu said. "But I'll also ask for his opinion."
She took her computer back, thought for a moment, and then said, "Sir, I'm not closer to you than your children. Why don't you try to be more patient with them? You are a father, and a father is like a mountain or a tree; he will always be taller and more imposing."
She said gently, "They mistakenly thought you were unwell, so they rushed to the hospital as soon as they woke up without even putting on their shoes. And didn't the third young master, who had left home, also go to the hospital to see you? Although there was some unpleasantness, he couldn't have gone there just to mock you."
"As for me," she smiled, glancing at the cabinet behind Lu Jiang, "if it weren't for the fact that the other party is my father and would favor me, I wouldn't have been so reckless as to break into a stranger's safe."
Qiao Wu left.
Lu Jiang turned back to look at the safe that had been broken into back then.
There wasn't anything important inside, he didn't make a will, and he wasn't there to hear a few brats apologize.
He had a strange feeling when he was woken up by his third brother's phone call in the middle of the night and heard his drunken apology.
It was as if a few children were being silly and spoiled, getting drunk and throwing a tantrum. They wouldn't cause any serious trouble, but it made him both laugh and cry, and he felt a long-lost sense of liveliness.
In short, it's better than yesterday when things were tense and people were ready to fight.
Are these children taking advantage of his favoritism?
Does he really need to prepare several safes?
-
The charity forum was held in southern Jiangsu.
After attending the forum, Qiao Wu needs to stay there for at least a week to prepare for the interviews for the launch of the Lu Foundation's public welfare projects this year. It is also the first public welfare activity of the Lu Foundation under the new president, so he needs to participate in person and conduct on-site inspections.
When Lu Yingchi returned home and heard about this, he said without hesitation, "I'll go with you."
"Where are you going?" Qiao Wu examined his face; the swelling had gone down considerably after applying the medicine. "You can only stay there for a weekend at most, and you have to get up at 8 a.m. on Monday."
Damn it, 8 a.m.
“Then the weekend is fine too,” Lu Yingchi said indifferently. “That autumn outing is also to southern Jiangsu, and we have to take a bus together. Besides, what places haven’t I been to, both domestically and internationally? It’s not interesting.”
“The tourist attractions aren’t that interesting.” Qiao Wu placed the ointment in front of him, gesturing for him to apply some more. “But this might be your only chance in your life to go out and have fun with your classmates. Fewer people go in your sophomore year, and even fewer in your junior and senior years. After graduation, you may never see each other again.”
Lu Yingchi didn't really like the phrase "this lifetime," as it sounded like a separation of life and death.
“I don’t know them well either,” he said.
“How can you get to know someone if you don’t play around?” Qiao Wu raised an eyebrow. “Besides, it might be the only time in your life you’ll ever ride a bus with a group of ordinary people, without luxury cars, yachts, wine, or gourmet meals prepared by a special chef.”
Lu Yingchi thought about the scene for a moment and concluded: "What's the difference between this and participating in a reality show?"
"Go ahead," Lu Ning whispered from the side. "My old school held one before, and it seemed pretty fun."
What do you mean by "seems like"?
Lu Ning pouted: "It's more fun with more people."
But not many people played with her.
Lu Yingchi pinched her mouth: "What's fun with a lot of people? Next time I'll take you to a private place, I'll book the whole place for you, you can do whatever you want."
That's what he said, but he actually never participated in the reality show "Transformation".
I'm a little tempted.
But if he had to choose between Qiao Wu and that ridiculous autumn outing, he would still prefer Qiao Wu.
Qiao Wu noticed his hesitation for a couple of seconds, so he offered a suggestion: "Well, you're in southern Jiangsu anyway. If you don't find it fun, I can have someone pick you up. Or you can come find me tonight. There's a cocktail party after the forum."
Killing two birds with one stone.
Lu Yingchi: "Then...that's fine too."
On that day...
Qiao Wu set off for the airport early in the morning.
Lu Yingchi went to school first to meet up with his classmates.
As Lu Yingchi's car drove up, the students waiting in the school square looked on with envy but dared not approach.
Everyone knows that Lu Yingchi's family is rich, and he doesn't live on campus or eat in the cafeteria. After class, he has his own circle of friends and doesn't hang out with ordinary people, so everyone keeps their distance from him.
I never expected that this young master would be willing to participate in this kind of activity, which is similar to an elementary school students' autumn outing.
Seeing Lu Yingchi park his car and walk over, everyone quickly looked away, fearing that it would be bad if the young master was unhappy.
The other students didn't see it, but Lu Yingchi did.
What's absurd is that this was an autumn outing for the entire college, and all he could see were heads, not a single one of which was familiar to him.
Young Master Lu's social circle used to be a mixed bag. The classmates he could hang out with were all rich second-generation heirs, and none of them were in the same class.
Moreover, he never pays attention to what his classmates look like, let alone who the class monitor or the Youth League secretary is. He just needs to find the classroom according to the class schedule. Now, no one is pointing out which brick their class is standing on.
He glanced around, and anyone who met his gaze quickly looked away.
Young Master Lu, with his hands in his pockets, became even more displeased.
What's so fun about it?!
But Young Master Lu never wastes his time internally. He randomly grabbed someone and asked, "Do you know where the Finance Class 1 is?"
The class monitor, whom he had grabbed, asked, "In front of you?"
“…Oh.” Lu Yingchi patted his shoulder. “Thanks.”
"No, you're welcome." The class monitor couldn't help but ask, "Are you going on the autumn outing too?"
Lu Yingchi frowned: "Or should I come and see you off?"
"Then, there's no need for you to trouble yourself."
"What do you mean, 'you'?" Lu Yingchi felt it sounded like a mockery. "I don't have a name?"
"have."
“You look unfamiliar,” Lu Yingchi said.
The surrounding classmates: "..."
Bro, don't you realize he's the class monitor?
The squad leader said with a wry smile, "I have an average-looking face."
Lu Yingchi asked in confusion, "Why are you shaking? Am I scary?"
"no."
Yes.
Everyone has heard of your legend; just look at what happened to those rich kids who fell out with you.
Seeing that the other party was completely oblivious, Lu Yingchi finally asked with a dark face, "What I mean is, what's your name?"
"He is the class monitor, and his name is Fei Jingming."
Only then did Lu Yingchi realize that he might have done something wrong.
"Excuse me." Lu Yingchi put his arm around his shoulder. "Squad Leader Fei, now I recognize you. Let me know where you are later, I can't find the bricks in the class."
"Don't worry, the class signs will be ready soon."
Soon, the buses for each shift stopped by the roadside, and everyone boarded one after another.
Lu Yingchi was tall and was in the last seat. He wasn't unfamiliar with buses, so he didn't find it difficult to sit.
But when he got on the bus, it was almost full of people.
All that was left for him was the spot next to Squad Leader Fei, which his classmates had tacitly reserved for him.
Lu Yingchi took a long stride across, sat down, and stretched out his long legs.
LOL, it's impossible to stretch out properly.
He clicked his tongue in displeasure.
Some people are in first class on airplanes, while others are in the back seat of buses.
This kind of experience only happens once in a lifetime, which is great. He has no regrets at all.
But how did Qiao Wu know? Had she participated before? I don't think so.
He vaguely remembered that Qiao Wu didn't like to hang out with her classmates at all when she was in college before she went abroad.
Seeing that the person next to him was getting impatient and that his long legs had nowhere to go, Fei Jingming quietly moved to the side to give him more space.
Lu Yingchi wasn't sitting comfortably, so his attention was constantly on his surroundings, and he naturally noticed that the people around him were getting further away.
He didn't turn around.
I just felt that this autumn outing was really boring, so I decided to go find Qiao Wu after getting off the bus.
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