Chapter 21: The Ultimate Villain of the Book

Life is full of drama.

Lu Jingchen’s expression shifted as he said in a low, cold voice, "Today’s wedding is canceled. What follows is a private matter for the Lu family; please, everyone, leave the venue."

"It is precisely because all the prominent figures of Hai City are here today that I, Lu Huimin, ask you all to bear witness. He, Lu Jingchen, is not my biological son. I have already found the true heir of the Lu family. Jiashu, come here."

Only then did the crowd notice a man standing among the bodyguards. He wore simple attire—a beige sweater, dark blue jeans, and a khaki windbreaker—the kind of cheap, off-the-rack clothing one might find at a street stall. Yet, he carried these ordinary garments with the effortless grace of a noble young master.

He was tall and upright, possessing a sense of composure and calm far beyond his years. His handsome face bore several bruises, and his lip was split, clearly the result of a recent beating.

Lu Jiashu walked toward Mother Lu, but his eyes were fixed on Jiang Wanning, who stood on the stage.

Jiang Wanning met his gaze for a moment before looking away. Why was he staring at her on such an important occasion? She was just a bystander here to watch the show today. Please, do not involve me, thank you.

In the original novel, this man, Lu Jiashu, was a major character—the final antagonist, known as Lu Jingchen’s greatest rival, who nearly wiped out the entire protagonist group in the finale.

"This is the DNA paternity report confirming the mother-son relationship between Jiashu and me. This other one is for Lu Jingchen and me, proving there is no blood relation. Today, I announce the removal of Lu Jingchen from his position as Chairman of the Lu Group, which I shall resume immediately."

Lu Jingchen chuckled softly. "Mother, we have been mother and son for thirty years. Even without blood ties, there is still affection. Are you truly going to be this ruthless?"

"You knew all along, didn't you? That is why you coaxed me into transferring your shares to you a while ago, and why you planned to transfer all your assets to Jiang Xinyuan today—all to truly seize control of the Lu Group."

"It wasn't a plan; it is already done. Before the wedding began, I had it notarized. All my shares have been unconditionally transferred to Wannyuan. She is now the rightful Chairwoman of the Lu Group."

Lu Jingchen swept his gaze over the group of black-clad bodyguards with the authority of a ruler. "Is it not clear who is in charge of the Lu Group now? Release them."

The bodyguards brought by Mother Lu hesitated for a moment before being swiftly subdued by Lu Jingchen’s men.

"Now, I ask everyone to leave. If a single word of what happened today leaks out, I will personally invite each and every one of you to tea."

Lu Jingchen waved his hand, and the main doors were thrown open.

Everyone was searched before leaving; their recording devices were smashed, and every video on their phones was wiped clean.

Several esteemed business moguls, who had never faced such humiliation in their lives, erupted in anger. "Lu Jingchen, how dare you treat us this way! In the past, you had to call us your elders, but now that your wings have hardened..."

Lu Jingchen cast a cold, murderous glance their way. "Do the two of you want the tax bureau to audit your companies tomorrow?" Since the mask had come off, he no longer needed to pretend.

The moguls fell silent immediately. In the business world, few had clean hands; they could not withstand an audit. The commoners do not fight the officials, and the same applies to businessmen.

After clearing the room, Lu Jingchen instructed Gu Qiyu to carry Jiang Xinyuan away to rest.

He looked at Jiang Wanning, his gaze profound. He had a premonition that today’s events were inextricably linked to this woman. His instincts had always been sharp; they had helped him escape death countless times.

This woman would become a threat to him in the future.

Yes, Lu Jingchen had decided to kill her. He was in total control of the scene, and he wanted to take this opportunity to eliminate the threat.

Jiang Wanning was not without murderous intent herself, but there were a few people in this world who kept her tethered to kindness. Of course, if Lu Jingchen insisted on killing her, she would not mind destroying the entire world.

"Brother, look, he’s glaring at me so fiercely, as if he wants to eat me alive. The reason I disappeared for a while was because he wanted to harvest my kidneys; I had no choice but to go into hiding." *Sob, sob*, I’m so scared.

Jiang Shiye’s heart melted at her calling him 'brother,' and his protective instincts surged.

"Lu Jingchen, how dare you bully my sister! If you dare touch a single hair on her head, my Jiang family will stop at nothing to destroy you."

He wasn't joking. The thought of his precious little sister having her kidneys harvested was unbearable; just thinking about it made his heart ache. He could never tolerate it. She was such a delicate and lovable sister, cherished by the entire family like the apple of their eye—how could he let an outsider bully her?

Although he didn't know why his sister had suddenly become so fierce, it didn't matter. What mattered was that she was willing to call him brother; he was, after all, a sister-obsessed fool.

When Mother Lu saw Jiang Wanning, she looked as if she had been struck by lightning, freezing in place for a long time.

"A mere Jiang family—do you really think I take them seriously?" Lu Jingchen waved his hand, and the bodyguards surrounded them once more.

"Be quick about it. Leave no survivors."

This included Jiang Shiye, Lu Jiashu, and even Mother Lu.

He was truly a ruthless man; he could sever thirty years of mother-son affection just like that. Jiang Wanning sighed inwardly. Among the three male leads in the book, Lu Jingchen was the hardest to kill.

Jiang Shiye had not expected Lu Jingchen to resort to violence even after everything had been said. Was he insane? He had been half-doubting Jiang Wanning’s words, but now he had no choice but to believe.

Jiang Shiye pulled his sister behind him, determined to protect her even if it cost him his life. He only had one regret: he hadn't had the chance to confess to the girl he liked. If he were lucky enough to survive today, he would definitely... never mind, that girl didn't like him anyway.

Jiang Wanning pulled him aside. With Jiang Shiye’s lack of combat ability, a single kick from one of these men would shatter his bones.

"Jiang Wanning, do you think you still have the strength to fight back?" Lu Jingchen asked coldly. As his voice fell, four figures leaped down from the corners of the second floor.

They surrounded Jiang Wanning, holding strange tools—large, umbrella-like devices that looked like a metallic mesh.

A deafening, shrill sound pierced her ears, sharp enough to rupture her eardrums.

Jiang Wanning’s vision blurred. When she shook her head and regained her focus, she realized she could no longer see their human skeletal structures, and her body's energy was draining rapidly...

This energy was something she had bargained for from the system as compensation for sealing her Lightning Strike ability. After all, she only wanted to fake her death; without some skills, it was all too easy to actually die.

What were those strange things they were holding? They could actually neutralize the system's energy. This wasn't how it worked in the system novels she used to read—in those, the system was a god.

"Jiang Wanning, I prepared this specifically for you. An NPC should fulfill an NPC’s mission; do not attempt to fight against fate."

Lu Jingchen pulled out a gun and aimed it at Jiang Wanning’s head.

A headshot was the most reliable way to kill; if you aimed for the heart, you had to worry about the target’s heart being on the right side. A bullet through the brain guaranteed a thorough death.

He aimed and pulled the trigger.