“Bring that unfilial son back!”

“What? Our stock price has rebounded?”
“Someone is buying in large quantities? It’s not the Lu family?”

At the Song residence, Song De, who was overwhelmed with anxiety, suddenly received good news.

The Song family’s stock had been saved. They had thought they would be utterly defeated, but someone had started buying up their shares in bulk, and now recovery seemed possible.

With this turn, the money they had invested would finally have some effect, and bankruptcy was no longer imminent.

Yet what Song De feared most was that the buyer might be the Lu family—if so, the Song family would essentially be selling itself to them.

The news was delivered by Song De’s most trusted younger brother, Song Ming.

Though Song Ming was also pleased, he understood what his elder brother was worried about.

“It shouldn’t be the Lu family. If it were, they’d have approached us with their terms by now. But so far, there’s been no word from them.

And, brother, there’s another thing that convinces me the buyer can’t be from the Lu family.”

Song Ming recalled one especially crucial piece of evidence.

“What is it?”

“Just as our shares were being bought up, the Lu family started selling off their entertainment division stocks. The total value of the shares sold was about 1.3 billion.”

1.3 billion isn’t a particularly large sum on the stock market, but it’s not insignificant either. The Lu family never invested much in the entertainment sector, and their holdings in Lu Media are worth only a few dozen billion at most. A sale in the billions would still account for a small fraction.

To be able to offload so many shares at once could only mean the Lu family’s shareholders could no longer bear to watch.

“He who brings destruction upon himself cannot survive. There are always some who see things clearly.”

Song De finally felt the lump of anxiety in his chest dissipate.

But soon, he began sifting through his mental list of business partners from over the years. Who would be willing to extend a helping hand in such dire straits?

“Could it be Old Zhang? No, the Zhangs have never been close to us, and besides, Old Zhang probably doesn’t have that much capital.”

“Maybe Old Wu? That’s unlikely too. Old Wu has been hoping for our ruin, eager to swoop in and make a killing.”

“Old Liu, think carefully—who could possibly be both an adversary of the Lu family and have the means to buy up so many shares?”

Song De looked at Song Ming.

But Song Ming also looked utterly baffled.

“Brother, to be honest, if I knew, I’d have told you already. That’s just it—I have no idea. Over the years, the people we’ve associated with have either wanted something from us or were simply in mutually beneficial arrangements. Frankly, most of them would rather stab us in the back than lend a hand. There are precious few who’d genuinely help us out.”

Song Ming was speaking the truth. Song De could not agree more. In business, that’s simply the brutal reality—everyone acts in their own interest; true friends are exceedingly rare.

The Song family’s downfall would benefit many and harm none. And to offend the Lu family on behalf of the Songs—there would be even fewer willing to do that.

So, this time, whoever stepped in to buy up Song shares and simultaneously struck a blow against the Lu family was nothing less than a benefactor to the Songs.

“Brother, do you think it could be someone Xiao Ya knows?” Song Ming thought of Song Yazhi. After all, their own social circles overlapped heavily over the years. Only Song Yazhi, now mingling in the entertainment industry, might have met some wealthy heirs willing to intervene.

“Xiao Ya? Let’s not get our hopes up. I’d be glad if my daughter didn’t cause us trouble, let alone help. By the way, can you find out who the buyer is? If you can, pay close attention—we can’t be accused of ingratitude.”

For an ordinary shareholder, finding out the buyer’s identity would be difficult. But when someone steps in to prop up a collapsing house of cards like the Songs, it becomes far easier. Not to mention, this mysterious buyer was now a major shareholder in the Song family’s company—there’s no way they couldn’t find out who it was.

Song Ming nodded. “Don’t worry, brother. I’ll look into it right away.”

With that, Song Ming stood up and hurried off to investigate.

Meanwhile, in circles on par with the Songs, Su Yunjin’s move to dump Lu family shares and buy into the Song family was a hot topic of conversation.

“What’s going on?”
“Someone’s helping the Song family? Does that mean the Songs won’t collapse after all?”
“Thank goodness I didn’t follow the crowd and sell Song shares, or I’d have suffered a huge loss.”
“But this is so bizarre—who would help the Songs, and has anyone found out who it is?”

Investigations began in earnest.

Everyone wanted to know who had come to the Songs’ aid, who had the courage to so openly challenge the Lu family.

The truth soon surfaced, and when it did, the established families were stunned.

“Su Yunjin?”
“Impossible—it’s Su Yunjin?”
“The heir to the Seven Gates, that Su Yunjin?”

Su Yunjin’s account was not hard to trace, but the path leading to the truth still sent chills down people’s spines.

Perhaps the Song family was in the dark, but at higher levels, Su Yunjin’s name was synonymous with the Seven Gates.

And now, Su Yunjin had not only dumped all of the Lu family’s entertainment shares but also invested heavily in the Song family. Wasn’t this a clear signal that the Lu family had offended the Seven Gates?

“This is too strange—how could the Lu family have angered the Seven Gates?”
“Could it be because of that scandal involving the Lu family’s son and Song Yazhi?”
“No, if it were just a tabloid scandal, why would Su Yunjin step in to help the Songs? Unless…”

Those who guessed the truth hesitated to speak, while other heirs and heads of the great houses were wide-eyed with interest.

“I heard this whole affair was orchestrated by Lu Yiqing. Could it be that Su Yunjin simply couldn’t stand Lu Yiqing and decided to act?”
“That’s possible. So what should we do?”

In the past, the Lu family and the Seven Gates were engaged to be married. No one knew all the details, but after all, it was a matter between betrothed families.

Now, with Su Yunjin publicly dumping Lu family shares, it was clear to all that the alliance was in jeopardy—and in such times, it pays to choose a side early!

The great houses discussed in hushed tones.

At the Lu residence, Lu Yuanhang had also noticed Su Yunjin’s selloff of the entertainment stocks.

Undeniably, a few billion was just a drop in the ocean for them, but the implications behind the move were grave.

Su Yunjin’s sale of Lu family shares was nothing short of a public announcement that the alliance between the two families was in trouble.

“Where is that unfilial son?”

Enraged, Lu Yuanhang pounded the table and shouted at Pei Yuanshen.

“He should be at the company. Yuan, don’t be so angry. This is all that rascal Pei Xuan’s fault. I’ll give him a good lesson when I get back.”

Pei Yuanshen did his utmost to shield Lu Yiqing.

But at this moment, how could Lu Yuanhang not see through it?

What did this have to do with Pei Xuan? He was nothing more than a watchful eye placed by Lu Yiqing’s side and could never make decisions for him. Besides, who understood his own son better than he did?

“Call him—tell that unfilial son to come home!”