Chapter 084

Chapter 084

The day they returned to Hong Kong was June 29th, arriving in the afternoon, perfectly avoiding the wedding Ming Hui held for Ming Heng.

However, Lu Mingzhu saw the newspaper.

She had previously considered submitting an article, and her family had always subscribed to newspapers, more than one. Whether she had time to read them or not, Ah Rong would always neatly fold them and place them on the coffee table.

So, while sitting down for tea and preparing to submit another article, Lu Mingzhu picked up the newspaper, only to see the headline at first glance.

The headline, in large font, read, "Shipping Tycoon Spends a Million on Grand Wedding for Beloved Son."

Accompanying it was a photo of Ming Hui standing in the middle, with the groom Ming Heng and the bride Zhang Baoyi on his left and right. The groom was dressed in a three-piece suit, and the bride wore a pure white wedding dress adorned with a full set of diamond jewelry.

After careful grooming, the groom looked quite presentable, while the bride appeared dignified and beautiful.

A classic case of three parts natural looks and seven parts grooming.

Zhang Baoyi got what she wished for.

Ming Heng had a radiant smile, without a hint of reluctance, while Zhang Baoyi successfully married into a wealthy family as the main wife, improving her own and her family's standard of living. She might even be dreaming of having a son to inherit all the Ming family's assets.

Probably, that's what everyone thinks.

Although Ming Yue is the legitimate child, who told her to be a girl!

So far, no super-rich family has passed their business to a daughter instead of a son. Even without a son, they would support a son-in-law to take over, even if the son-in-law had multiple wives and concubines, showing no respect to the original wife.

What a despicable feudal mentality!

Lu Mingzhu frowned.

"Junyao, look, Mr. Ming is indeed generous when it comes to his son," Lu Mingzhu said, picking up the newspaper to show Xie Junyao. The article reported that Ming Hui held the wedding for his beloved son at the Yuanhua Hotel, outlining the expenses: each banquet table cost 666 yuan, with a hundred tables set. The bride's diamond jewelry came from the Mingzhu Diamond Jewelry Store, priced at 100,000 Hong Kong dollars. The couple was gifted a Western-style house worth 300,000 as a wedding gift and their marital home, along with a set of ruby jewelry as a betrothal gift, and many gold items and seafood.

The reporter must have been paid by Ming Hui, as they praised the bride at the end, saying she came from a prestigious family, was dignified and graceful, a refined lady studying at the University of Hong Kong, and a match made in heaven for the shipping tycoon's only son. However, they didn't mention how much dowry the bride brought.

After reading it, Xie Junyao was puzzled, "Didn't Ming Yue make a fuss?"

Although the expenses came from Ming Hui, they belonged to the Ming family. If not for Ming Heng, these should have been inherited by Ming Yue.

"No," Lu Mingzhu replied, browsing through other newspapers. Some reported that the main wife did not attend Ming Heng's wedding, while others gossiped about other celebrities at the banquet, such as her father!

One newspaper's headline was about her father.

Lu Mingzhu couldn't help but take a closer look. The headline read, "Playboy Tycoon Shifts Affections, Movie Star Heartbroken." The article claimed that Xia Lin had been working hard recently because her father had shifted his affections to his female secretary. Heartbroken, she could only throw herself into work, selectively forgetting that Xia Lin already had a new boyfriend, Louis.

The photo showed her father, with an elegant and beautiful young woman holding his arm, attending Ming Heng's wedding.

Although the photo was a bit blurry, one could tell from the lady standing shoulder-to-shoulder with her father, only half a head shorter, that she was tall and fair-skinned, with almond-shaped eyes full of affection.

She wore a cheongsam that accentuated her figure, with three strands of white pearl necklaces around her neck, her beauty no less than Xia Lin's.

What a charmed life!

What a charmed life indeed!

Lu Mingzhu stared at the photo for a moment, "Junyao, look, my dad has a new lover!"

No wonder he didn't let me attend the wedding with him, saying Xie Junyao should accompany me instead. Turns out he planned to bring another woman.

Xie Junyao leaned over to take a look and praised, "Uncle Lu is still as sharp as ever."

After saying that, he quickly expressed his loyalty to Lu Mingzhu: "I don't admire or want to copy Uncle Lu; I just think it's impressive how spirited he is at his age."

Lu Mingzhu chuckled, "I didn't say you were copying him."

After a pause, she added, "A good man doesn't follow his example, and that's the kind of man you can trust with your life."

"I definitely am," Xie Junyao said with a smile.

Lu Mingzhu flicked the newspaper and snorted, "My dad really never learns. It's only been a few days since the incident with Xia Lin. He'd rather spend money on other women than on his own daughter! He doesn't even think about it—if I spend his money, I'll take care of him in the future and provide for him in his old age. But other women might spend his money on young, handsome men and then cheat on him."

When Xie Junyao noticed Lu's father at the door, he frantically tried to signal her with his eyes.

Lu Mingzhu didn't notice. She put down the newspaper, picked up her teacup, took a sip, and smiled mischievously, "He's old, and she's young. He knows what she's after, so he should expect to be cheated on sooner or later."

Xie Junyao coughed loudly to remind her.

Lu Mingzhu looked up, momentarily confused, and asked, "Junyao, what's wrong? Is the tea too hot? Did it burn you? But I just drank it, and it's neither too hot nor too cold—it's just right."

She had recently taken it from her stash, repackaged it, and brought it home, claiming she bought it outside.

So, it still had the fresh taste of new tea.

The old man's tea was top-notch, far better than the usual stuff.

Before Xie Junyao could answer, Lu's father said coolly, "Say that again."

Lu Mingzhu covered her mouth, not daring to look toward the door, and silently asked Xie Junyao if it was true.

Facing her, Xie Junyao nodded helplessly. Who knew Lu's father would show up right after they got home, like he had eyes and ears everywhere?

Lu Mingzhu resigned herself and put her hand down.

Her eyes darted around, and she quickly stood up, rushing over to Lu's father to give him a big hug, saying sweetly, "Dad, oh Dad, my dear father, I missed you so much while I was away from Hong Kong!"

Lu's father wasn't fooled. He pushed her forehead back with his finger, making her tilt her head back, "You missed me so much you cursed me?"

"When did I curse you? You must have misheard because you're getting old," Lu Mingzhu denied without changing her expression. She pulled him over to the pile of things she had bought, which she hadn't had time to organize yet and looked a bit messy. "Look, I brought you so many gifts, which shows I always think of you. There's no more filial daughter in the world than me."

Lu's father's voice was still cool, "All for me?"

Lu Mingzhu was in a dilemma.

Of course, they were bought for everyone, but she couldn't tell the truth now.

She smiled and said, "If you like them, they're all yours. I just worry you might not like them."

"No, I do like them," Lu's father grumbled, calling the bodyguards to take everything to the car, leaving nothing for her.

Making her talk behind his back.

What an ungrateful daughter!

Lu Mingzhu was heartbroken but couldn't show it. Instead, she put on a filial face and said, "Dad, you like these things? You should've said so earlier. Hong Kong is close to the City of Flowers. I'll get you more tomorrow."

Everything was gone—what would she give to everyone else now?

Poor thing.

Mr. Lu's anger eased a bit, and he sat down on the sofa, nodding for Xie Junyao to sit down.

As Mr. Lu spoke, Xie Junyao stood up promptly, very respectfully.

"Mingzhu, how much cash do you have right now?" Mr. Lu asked her directly, without beating around the bush.

When it came to money, Lu Mingzhu immediately became wary and asked, "Why are you asking? You're a wealthy socialite in Shanghai and a super-rich tycoon in Hong Kong. You have money to spend on other women, so you wouldn't be after my little income, would you? Talking about money would just hurt our relationship!"

Mr. Lu angrily said, "Who's after your little money!"

"So why are you asking about my money?" After receiving a large dividend, Lu Mingzhu had never boasted about it to anyone, sticking to the idea of quietly getting rich.

"I'm offering you a chance to invest," Mr. Lu said.

Lu Mingzhu straightened up, "What kind of investment?"

Mr. Lu worried that after returning from the City of Flowers, his youngest daughter might feel too generous and want to donate again, so he decided to nip it in the bud. "First, tell me how much cash you have. If it's not enough, I'll make up the difference."

"You'll make up the difference?"

Lu Mingzhu fetched paper and pen, "I need to figure it out carefully."

Although she spent money quite freely, she didn't have any particularly large expenses, so after the dividends were deposited, she only checked them once a month and didn't bother much after that.

Xie Junyao never asked about Lu Mingzhu's money, so upon hearing this, he said, "Mingzhu, take your time to calculate. I'll head back first."

Lu Mingzhu looked up, "Aren't you staying for dinner?"

"I need to go back and spend time with my older brother. I have something to ask him," Xie Junyao said. He really wanted to stay with her until evening, but he couldn't.

He had to keep his distance.

Besides, it's best for a man not to know how much his wife has saved up. He should give her the utmost respect.

"Is it about penicillin? It would be great if our country had a factory that could produce it," Lu Mingzhu said. Not one to be clingy, she saw him off and then returned to calculate her funds.

Only after calculating did she realize how much she had.

The second-quarter dividend for this year hadn't arrived yet. She only received the first-quarter dividend in April. Mingzhu Textile Factory had 100,000, Mingzhu Diamond Jewelry Store was the most profitable with 1.5 million, followed by Yongfeng Bank with 650,000, Wan Gu Department Store with 500,000, Glory Real Estate Company with 800,000, and the forgotten power company with two quarters of dividends totaling about 500,000.

4.05 million!

She really felt like a super-rich lady.

"Not including rent, which I'll save for spending, plus a handling fee of 500,000, I can come up with about 4.55 million," Lu Mingzhu said. She didn't include the dividend she received in January because after deducting the 1 million she returned to Xie Junhao and the money she spent with Lu Pingan to start a company, plus her usual expenses, there was almost nothing left.

At the beginning of April, Lu Pingan wanted to acquire a particularly expensive set of equipment, so there was no dividend.

The amount Lu Mingzhu came up with was close to what Mr. Lu had estimated. He nodded and said, "It's almost July. You'll receive the second-quarter dividend soon, which will add about 3 million to that."

Lu Mingzhu exclaimed, "How do you know?"

She wasn't even sure herself.

"Just the company you and Pingan co-founded, by reselling old machinery, can generate a dividend of 2 million or even more," Mr. Lu said, knowing quite well about Lu Pingan's business operations. "The textile factory has received a large number of orders and is working around the clock. Your dividend will increase tenfold or more. The jewelry store has opened three branches, all doing well, and is preparing to open a fourth. The dividend will also double."

Lu Mingzhu rubbed her hands together excitedly, "Thank you, Dad!"

Without the assets he provided as a base, where would the dividends come from?

She leaned in closer to her father and asked, "What kind of investment are you talking about? Is it guaranteed to make money?"

Her father said on purpose, "No guarantees."

"Then never mind," Lu Mingzhu responded quickly and decisively, "If you can't guarantee it, I'll just buy land, build properties to rent out, and make money steadily."

Her father frowned and asked, "Why didn't you inherit your mother's and my business sense?"

Because I'm not really your biological daughter!

She couldn't say that aloud, so Lu Mingzhu just smiled and said, "Because everyone is their own person. The lucky ones might inherit all their parents' talents, while the unlucky ones, like me, though smart and beautiful, have different strengths."

She playfully shook her father's finger, "Come on, tell me, what's the investment about? I don't believe you'd be willing to make a deal that loses money."

Unable to resist her charm, her father said, "HSBC is selling a batch of shares, worth about 2 million dollars. I've already negotiated with the seller, just waiting for you to come back to sign and complete the transaction."

Lu Mingzhu exclaimed, "2 million dollars!"

But being an HSBC shareholder sounds great!

"I'll cover the cost for you, and you can pay me back next month when you get your dividends," her father said, not wanting her to have too much cash on hand, and certainly not planning to buy the shares himself and then give them to her.

"Thanks, Dad!" Lu Mingzhu didn't call him cheap, after all, 2 million dollars was no small amount.

The transaction was set for nine o'clock the next morning.

Lu Mingzhu was so excited that she woke up before five and waited for Xie Junyao to come running with her, but he didn't show up even after ten minutes had passed. Worried, she quickly knocked on the Xie family's door.

The maid who answered the door naturally recognized Lu Mingzhu.

"Miss Lu, are you looking for the second young master? He's not home."

Lu Mingzhu was startled, "Why isn't he here? We came back together yesterday!"

"The eldest master fell ill and was hospitalized the day before yesterday. The second master went there yesterday and hasn't come back, only sent bodyguards to get some clothes, saying he would stay at the hospital to accompany the eldest master," the maid truthfully told Lu Mingzhu.

Lu Mingzhu quickly asked which hospital it was; she needed to visit.

Xie Junhao is sick?

Hard to imagine.

Perhaps because he gave such a strong impression, seemingly omnipotent, so suddenly learning he was sick, Lu Mingzhu found it somewhat unbelievable.

The maid named the hospital, the most famous private hospital in Hong Kong.

Lu Mingzhu nodded, thanked her, and turned to leave.

Before she got home, she ran into He Yun who was out for a walk or a run, and quickly stopped to call out to him.

He Yun's gaze was soft, and he said gently, "Did you come back yesterday? Why are you out alone? Didn't Xie Junyao accompany you?"

"Big brother is sick, he's at the hospital accompanying him," Lu Mingzhu answered frankly, her eyes unable to hide her worry, "Uncle He, you've been at home, do you know what illness big brother has?"

"From what I know, it's just a minor ailment, he'll recover with some rest," He Yun said.

Lu Mingzhu didn't quite believe it, "A minor ailment requires hospitalization? It must be serious, Junyao hasn't even come back."

He Yun sighed helplessly, "If it were serious, your father would have sent someone to bring you back. The fact that he didn’t means it’s not a big deal, mainly just exhaustion."

Lu Mingzhu immediately fell silent.

Exhaustion?

Possibly.

He Yun changed the subject, "Don’t just focus on Xie’s older brother, you still have your godfather here. Did you enjoy your time in the City of Flowers? Did you bring back any gifts? I’ve been waiting here at home."

Lu Mingzhu replied awkwardly, "No gifts."

He Yun raised his eyebrows slightly, finding it unlike his goddaughter’s usual way of doing things.

No matter the cost, she always brought back gifts for her family no matter where she went.

Lu Mingzhu coughed lightly, "I accidentally upset my father with my words, and he took everything, even the gifts I had prepared for you and everyone else. There were lots of delicious pastries in there!"

He Yun chuckled, covering his mouth with his hand, "I guess you saw your father’s news."

"Yes, he’s already an old man and still doesn’t know how to look after himself. I told him the truth, and it made him mad. I had previously suggested he ask you for advice on how to stay healthy, but it was like he didn’t even hear me." Lu Mingzhu complained, but she was still pretty happy with her father at the moment.

After all, he’s rich and generous!

She still needed his help later to complete the HSBC share transaction.

He Yun put down his hand, "Everyone has their own way of doing things; your father is just like that, and it’s not going to change."

Scum is scum, no matter what!

Lu Mingzhu thought to herself, but said aloud, "Godfather, I can’t chat anymore; I need to get home. Next time I go out, I’ll bring back gifts for you and everyone."

"Wait," He Yun called her back.

Lu Mingzhu asked, "What else do you need? I’m very busy today, I have to go out with my father to handle some business, and then visit my elder brother in the hospital."

He Yun said, "I had someone gather a collection of antique paintings and calligraphy works from overseas, and there are a few pieces that might catch your fancy. When you have time, come over and take them back to enjoy."

Lu Mingzhu’s eyes lit up, "What’s there?"

"There’s a volume of Tang Yin’s 'Falling Flowers Poetry Album'," He Yun said nonchalantly, and indeed saw a dazzling sparkle in Lu Mingzhu’s eyes.

"The 'Falling Flowers Poetry Album'!" Lu Mingzhu exclaimed with joy.

He Yun added, "And there’s also a genuine piece by Wang Xizhi, a small script version of the 'Tao Te Ching'."

Lu Mingzhu spun around in place, "Oh my! Oh my!"

Priceless treasures!

"Is it the 'Tao Te Ching' I imagined, with thousands of characters?" Lu Mingzhu couldn’t help but seek confirmation.

He Yun smiled, "It should be."

Lu Mingzhu clasped her face with her fists, "Godfather, you must wait for me to come back, you must wait for me!"

"I will," He Yun promised.

Lu Mingzhu immediately changed her plans. She hurriedly finished her breakfast and went to visit Xie Junhao first.

As it turned out, Xie Junyao wasn't there.

"Big brother, where is Junyao? Didn't you say he was accompanying you in the hospital? Did he bail on you?" Lu Mingzhu asked while putting down the fruit and health supplements.

Xie Junhao, sitting on the hospital bed and leaning back while reading a book, put it down upon seeing her. "He had some urgent work to finish, so I sent him to handle it for me. Mingzhu, what brings you here? I specifically told him not to let you know."

"You're saying that, but if it weren't for your maid, I wouldn't even know you were hospitalized," Lu Mingzhu complained, sitting on the chair by the bed. She picked up a washed apple from the bedside table and started peeling it while saying, "Since you're sick, let Junyao handle the work. Wait until you're fully recovered."

Xie Junhao nodded, "It's just that I won't be around to keep you company."

"Keeping me company is no big deal; I'm not a kid." It's always Xie Junyao who's clingy, isn't it?

Lu Mingzhu handed the peeled apple to Xie Junhao.

Xie Junhao took it and before eating, said, "I need him to go on a trip to Europe for business for an important collaboration. He won't be able to keep you company for a long time."

Lu Mingzhu blurted out, "I'll go with him!"

She saw it as an opportunity to travel abroad.

She counted her advantages on her fingers: "I speak several languages and can act as his translator, accompanying him abroad in that capacity."

She had everything figured out, but it didn't pan out.

Because Xie Junyao had to leave today, with a boat scheduled for nine, and Lu Mingzhu had to stay behind to handle the stock transfer formalities.

Xie Junyao took the time to go home and pack, then went to bid farewell to Lu Mingzhu. Upon learning she had gone to visit his brother, he hurried to the hospital. After just a few words, he was rushed off by the bodyguards and Xie Junhao's secretary to avoid missing the boat.

Before she had a chance to feel lonely, Lu Mingzhu was picked up by her father's people to go to HSBC.

The one who showed up was the attractive secretary.

When she introduced herself to Lu Mingzhu, she said her surname was Dong, named Dong Cuijun, 27 years old, a British-Chinese, currently serving as her father's secretary.

A 36-year age gap with her father!

Lu Mingzhu smiled and said, "Thank you, Secretary Dong."

She treated her just like she did Xia Lin.

But she was far more capable than Xia Lin, speaking fluent English and conversing with HSBC's shareholders, accurately gauging everyone's emotional changes, giving Lu Mingzhu no chance to stand out.

In fact, neither Lu Mingzhu nor her father needed a translator.

Lu Mingzhu didn't mind much; smoothly completing the deal was her top priority.

Luckily, her father wasn't exaggerating; it was indeed a pre-arranged deal.

After completing all the procedures, Lu Mingzhu became a shareholder of HSBC, a small one. Dividends would start accruing from the third quarter, meaning she wouldn't get any dividends next month, which would still go to the original shareholder, as part of the deal's conditions.

HSBC is well-funded; $2 million really doesn't buy much stock, but it's more than what her father had previously bought for Lu Pingan.

Lu Mingzhu was more than satisfied!

After finishing this matter, she hurried back to the hilltop to He Yun's house to see her Tang Yin's "Falling Blossoms Poetry Album" and Wang Xizhi's small script "Tao Te Ching."

In her world, both of these works had been lost overseas, and Chinese people could only see them by going abroad.

Her godfather's clout is truly impressive to have secured them.

Lu Mingzhu was utterly captivated.

If He Yun really gave them to her, she would definitely cherish them for fifty years, and then donate them to the country when their value was at its peak, to truly demonstrate her patriotism.

Just imagine, the outside world reporting that the patriotic Ms. Lu donated national treasures worth 10 billion yuan, the priceless original masterpieces of Wang Xizhi, she would surely be showered with praise, hailed as unparalleled and unprecedented.

The more she thought about it, the happier she grew, and the future seemed bright.

Seeing her odd smile, He Yun couldn't help but be curious, "Mingzhu, what’s on your mind?"

"Ah! Nothing!" Lu Mingzhu quickly replied.

Glancing at the two calligraphy works on the large desk, still partially rolled up, Lu Mingzhu asked again, "Uncle He, are you really going to give these two national treasures to me?"

She couldn’t bring herself to refuse.

National treasures!

He Yun nodded, "No one appreciates them here, so it’s a bit of a waste, better to give them to someone who appreciates them. I think you’ll appreciate them, so I’ll give you a few more antique paintings and calligraphy works too."

Lu Mingzhu had already noticed the porcelain and ancient paintings displayed alongside the calligraphy works, all artifacts of national treasure caliber.

Hearing this, Lu Mingzhu was nearly beside herself with joy.

She might turn down gold and jewels, but when it came to these national treasures, Lu Mingzhu couldn’t bring herself to say no, after all, she knew that no amount of money could ever reclaim them, leaving only a lasting regret.

"Thank you, Uncle He! As it happens, I’ve got a wine cellar and a storage room ready for antique paintings and calligraphy works, they can be well accommodated there." While Lu Mingzhu was preparing for her exams, Xu the Butler had taken care of everything meticulously, including the wine cellar and storage room she wanted.

They had been ready for ages, just waiting for the treasures to arrive.

Just then, He Yun spoke up again.