Lu Luo got out of the car, immediately catching the attention of the other family members. These members of other families, grouped in twenties or thirties, gathered at the entrance of the Ji Garden villa. As Lu Luo watched them, they were also looking at him, and some astute individuals had already begun reporting to their families' operational leaders.

"The Luo Family has arrived."

Zhang Yifan and the others were all dressed in standard bodyguard combat gear. In contrast, Lu Luo and Bai Yuetong, who were the last to exit the car, wore rather distinctive attire. Bai Yuetong was dressed very casually in denim shorts and an oversized shirt, looking as if she were on vacation. Lu Luo, however, wore a suit, standing amidst the crowd and exuding an air of authority like a big boss.

Although these people did not recognize Lu Luo, most of them recognized Zhang Yifan, Luo Feng, and Bai Yuetong, who were with him. Therefore, they also began to speculate about Lu Luo's identity.

"It seems the Luo Family's spokesperson this time isn't Zhang Yifan, but that young man. Who is he?"

"I don't know, never seen him before."

"He doesn't look too bad," a woman said with a smile.

Lu Luo could hear their discussions, but he paid them little mind. Having come all this way, Lu Luo certainly wouldn't be timid. He was here representing the Luo Family; if trouble arose, the Luo Family would bear the responsibility. He just had to get on with it. Worst-case scenario, he'd take Dumb Hair and flee. Lu Luo felt that with his current strength, he was definitely capable of escaping if need be.

"Let's go!"

Lu Luo took the lead, striding towards the Ji Garden villa, an aura of superiority naturally radiating from him. Bai Yuetong, following behind, had sparkling eyes; she liked Lu Luo's confidence. Zhang Yifan and Luo Feng, however, were somewhat lost for words. They had never expected Lu Luo to show no signs of stage fright in such an environment.

The leader the Family Head spoke of? Zhang Yifan wondered. At this moment, Lu Luo indeed resembled a leader; at least, that kind of commanding presence was something Zhang Yifan knew he couldn't imitate.

However, it was evident that someone among those present wasn't impressed.

"Gentlemen, not even a greeting?" A Transcendent at the entrance stood up from his chair, blocking Lu Luo's path. The man's hair was neatly combed, and he was sharply dressed in an embroidered, tight-fitting shirt that deliberately highlighted his strong muscles. He looked like a professional thug, with the distinct vibe of a ruffian.

Actually, none of these things were what Lu Luo found objectionable; what truly irked him was the cigarette dangling from the man's mouth. Smoke drifted around, causing Dumb Hair, beside Lu Luo, to cover her mouth and nose. Lu Luo knew Dumb Hair despised people smoking near her. Even Luo Xuemin, a member of the Assembly, had quit smoking under Bai Yuetong's influence.

Lu Luo frowned slightly and positioned Bai Yuetong behind him.

"Zhang Yifan, who are these people?"

"Judging by their clothes, they should be from the Lin Family, but this guy..."

"Are they from the Lin Family?" Lu Luo's meaning was clear: family members were off-limits, but servants were fair game.

"No," Zhang Yifan replied.

No, he said no. What are you waiting for? the Observer urged.

SMACK!

Before Zhang Yifan could finish, Lu Luo had already slapped the man across the face.

"You're not from the Lin Family, so what the hell are you putting on airs for?"

The cigarette butt fell to the ground. The thug-like man stood there, dumbfounded. Not just him, but the people behind him, as well as Zhang Yifan and the others behind Lu Luo, were also stunned.

He started a fight just like that? Zhang Yifan thought, feeling that all his earlier emotional preparation and subtle hints had been completely useless. How dared he? And I hadn't even finished speaking! That person...

The enforcer-like man clutched his face as he straightened up, looking at Lu Luo in disbelief. "You actually dared to hit me? Do you have any idea who I am—"

SMACK!

Another slap landed. The Observer, that damn trickster, had already made Lu Luo suspect that this man might be more than just a bodyguard or servant. Even so, Lu Luo wasn't about to give him a chance to speak.

Who told him to smoke in front of Dumb Hair and blow smoke rings? Lu Luo fumed internally. Blowing smoke rings, my ass! I'll beat him first and ask questions later.

BANG!

Lu Luo kicked the man in the stomach. Although he didn't infuse the kick with Qi He or Dark Energy, the sheer force sent the man flying backward into the crowd behind him.

"Just a gatekeeper acting all tough? Blowing smoke rings at us? Looking for trouble? You've got a death wish!" Lu Luo shouted, well-versed in the art of the wrongdoer playing the victim.

At this point, Zhang Yifan finally stepped forward to finish what he had been trying to say. "This man is Jia Chai, a junior member of the Jia Family. The Jia Family is quite large, so..."

Lu Luo feigned surprise, an expression of mock horror crossing his face. "Ah, why didn't you say so earlier? See, it's all your fault, isn't it? You made me hit the wrong person! Brother Jia! My apologies, Brother Jia, my mistake!"

As he spoke, Lu Luo forcefully stomped on the man's toes, grinding them into the ground, while continuing his insincere apology, "Ah, I accidentally stepped on your foot; so sorry.

"I didn't know you were a member of the Jia Family. I thought you were just some reckless bodyguard, which is why I acted so rashly.

"Truly sorry, my bad.

"I was wrong to hit you, but you were also at fault first, wouldn't you agree?

"How about this: let's both take a step back. I'll give you a red envelope as a token of my apology."

Jia Chai was about to retort, Do I look like I need your paltry sum? but then he saw Lu Luo stuff a thick red envelope into his hand. Holy shit! That thick? And just like that, Jia Chai found it hard to stay angry.

Although he was a scion of the Jia Family, as Zhang Yifan had mentioned, the Jia Family was enormous. The ones with real resources were the three prominent brothers known as Long, Hu, and Bao. By the time resources trickled down to Jia Chai, he received very little money each month. The Lin Family controlled Grand Prospect Armaments, the Shi Family had Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals, and the Tan Family possessed Sea Star Civil Technology Company. Unlike them, the Jia Family didn't own any such gigantic corporations. Consequently, younger family members like Jia Chai naturally didn't receive a large share of the wealth.

After some hesitation, Jia Chai decided to take the money. He dusted himself off and stood up. "Ah well, let's forget it. Like you said, I was also at fault. It's all a misunderstanding. Sir, may I ask your name?"

"I am Lu Luo, son-in-law of the Luo Family!"

The Luo Family's son-in-law? The Luo Family only has one daughter, Bai Yuetong! Jia Chai's mind raced. Then wouldn't that make Lu Luo... the Judgment Chief's... son-in-law? His expression instantly turned to one of awe.

"So, it's Brother Lu... my apologies for the disrespect."

Seeing Jia Chai was no longer causing trouble, Lu Luo quickly addressed Zhang Yifan and the others. "It's fine, all a misunderstanding. Since it's cleared up, Zhang Yifan, let's head in."

"In such a hurry?" Zhang Yifan was puzzled why Lu Luo, who had just been exchanging pleasantries with Jia Chai, wanted to leave so quickly. If it were me, I would surely try to get some useful information from Jia Chai at this point.

"Yes, important matters first," Lu Luo said, grabbing Dumb Hair's arm and hurrying towards the villa's interior.

Zhang Yifan could only nod and instruct his subordinates, "You guys find a place to rest outside. I'll go in and take a look."

"Yes!"

The Luo Family's Transcendent team was highly disciplined. Following Zhang Yifan's command, they quickly found a suitable spot to gather. Zhang Yifan nodded at Jia Chai and then walked into the villa.

As soon as Lu Luo and the other three were inside, Jia Chai eagerly took out the red envelope Lu Luo had given him. "Why did he use so much glue on this?" he muttered. Suppressing his excitement, Jia Chai carefully opened it, but he immediately sensed something was wrong. The first item inside wasn't money, but a small note. On it was written: "Congratulations on your wealth."

Discarding the note, Jia Chai found the second was also a slip of paper. It read: "May everything go as you wish."

"Fuck, what's going on?" Panicked, Jia Chai tore the envelope open, only to discover that the "money" inside consisted entirely of one-dollar bills!

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Who could be such a disgusting person? Is this guy a dog or what?"

Meanwhile, inside the villa, Zhang Yifan heard Jia Chai's curses and looked at Lu Luo with a puzzled expression. "Jia Chai is cursing up a storm outside!"

"Yes, I know."

"What did you put in the red envelope?" Zhang Yifan was curious, as the envelope had seemed quite thick.

"Money, a lot of money," Lu Luo confirmed.

"A lot? How much exactly?"

"Probably about two hundred or so."

Seeing Lu Luo's serious face, Zhang Yifan felt a bit awkward. "Two hundred? Dollars? Does... two hundred really count as a lot?"

"That's the people's hard-earned money!" Lu Luo declared solemnly.

Dumb Hair covered her mouth and giggled quietly. After becoming wealthy, Lu Luo was no longer stingy with his own people, but he remained his usual self with others.

The four of them chatted and laughed as they arrived at the villa's main hall. Many people were already there. Unlike those outside, the crowd here was more dispersed, standing in small groups of twos and threes. It was clear these individuals were members of the various Assembly families tasked with dividing the Ji Family's assets.

"Quite a crowd!" Lu Luo remarked, scanning the people, who in turn observed him. Many recognized Zhang Yifan and Luo Feng, but Lu Luo's presence was more surprising. To these Assembly family members, he was a stranger, especially since he was holding Dumb Hair's hand.

"Mr. Lu Luo!" Suddenly, a woman's voice called out from a corner.

This puzzled Lu Luo; he was sure this was his first time in the Inner Ring. How could there be someone in the Inner Ring who knows me?

Luo Ya. She's the girl who helped you kill the mother-and-child water mongooses. The actual leader of the Sea Star Civil Technology Company's team, the Observer supplied.

Luo Ya? Sea Star? If not for the Observer's reminder, Lu Luo would have completely forgotten such a person. There's only one Luo Family in the Inner Ring. This Luo Ya definitely isn't from *that* Luo Family!

Luo Ya walked briskly towards Lu Luo and nodded politely. "It's unexpected to see Mr. Lu Luo here. I'm extremely grateful for your guidance last time; it greatly benefited our company."

Bai Yuetong, at this moment, also looked at Lu Luo curiously, her eyes clearly asking, Who is this person?

"Are you... Luo Ya?" Lu Luo asked, feigning uncertainty.

"So Mr. Lu Luo still remembers me," Luo Ya said with a sweet smile. "However, my full name isn't Luo Ya, but Li Luoya."

Lu Luo nodded in mock realization. Sea Star Civil Technology Company... Li Luoya! He didn't underestimate her because of their previous encounter. After all, those present were typically sent by their families for training and experience. Furthermore, Li Luoya's judgments last time had been remarkably astute. So this Li Luoya must be quite capable!

Under normal circumstances, the Luo Family would have sent their eldest, Luo Shan, along with Zhang Yifan. However, with Luo Shan absent, Lu Luo, Bai Yuetong, and Zhang Yifan were present, bringing Luo Feng along to navigate the situation.

"Hello, Miss Li Luoya." Lu Luo shook her hand but showed no intention of continuing the conversation.

However, Li Luoya didn't seem inclined to let him off so easily. Holding his fingers firmly, she said with an easy confidence, "It truly is unexpected to have the chance to meet Mr. Lu Luo here again.

"After this matter is concluded, please do honor us with a visit to our Li Family.

"I will personally express my deepest gratitude."

Li Luoya was polite, beautiful, and poised; her conduct was flawless. But could one call her a good person? Of course not. A truly good person would find it very difficult to engage in such affairs, whether it was leading a team outside the Wall previously or partaking in the division of the Ji Family's assets now. If Li Luoya were genuinely as gentle and calm as she appeared, she wouldn't have been the Li Family's leader for both incidents.

Beside them, Bai Yuetong frowned. Li Luoya and Lu Luo's handshake had continued for some time. She still hasn't released Lu Luo's hand! Is she acting as if I don't exist? If not for the critical importance of today's events to the Luo Family, Bai Yuetong would have lost her temper long ago.

Lu Luo's other hand gently patted Dumb Hair's arm, signaling her to stay calm. He then outright rejected Li Luoya. "There's no need. I'm here representing the Luo Family, so it wouldn't be very convenient."

Li Luoya was slightly taken aback; this seemed to be the second time Lu Luo had rebuffed her.

"Still as discourteous as last time, I see!

"It seems our Li Family faces quite a challenge in extending an invitation to Mr. Lu Luo."

"Perhaps it's just bad luck. We each have our loyalties," Lu Luo replied.

After being rejected, Li Luoya finally released his hand, though she showed no sign of leaving. "Mr. Lu Luo, you're from the Fourth Ring, aren't you? Why would you be representing the Luo Family at this time?"

Mentioning the Fourth Ring, Lu Luo naturally stated his position. "Because I am a loyal retainer of the Inner Ring. And Bai Yuetong is my woman."

Bai Yuetong is his woman? Li Luoya's brow furrowed slightly. Although she had already suspected as much, Lu Luo acknowledging it so publicly, in front of so many people, carried a different weight. It wasn't just her; other scions of the families present were also looking at Lu Luo. Everyone knew Bai Yuetong's identity, but most maintained a guarded silence on the matter. The relationship between the Church and the Assembly was already in a delicate state. Previously, Bai Yuetong was a coveted prize; everyone wanted a connection. But now? She was still desirable, but it was as if her skin were coated in poison; very few dared to touch.

"Mr. Lu Luo, still as unconventional as ever!" Li Luoya remarked. "Are you aware of the current situation with the Church?"

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