Chapter 178: Happily Being Friends Together

Even before the banquet officially began, it had already left all the attending guests feeling hot and bothered.

"Hey, this banquet only invited men, no women?" Lu Kun asked, cracking melon seeds and nudging Stone with his elbow.

"Women were invited; they're just staying in the building on the right side of the main hall right now. If you swap the roles in your head, you can easily picture the scene," Stone replied, clearing his throat.

Lu Kun's mouth twitched violently. This was a bit too hardcore; it was the kind of thing that easily scared people away.

Scanning the crowd, Lu Kun noticed that everyone else wore remarkably natural expressions. The few weird-looking guys stood out instantly as absolute novices.

Clearly, most of the people present were seasoned veterans!

Either they had extensive practical experience, or they had watched countless films, far surpassing ordinary folk.

One by one, they maintained calm expressions and looked straight ahead, resembling pure lotuses rising untainted from a brothel, the very picture of refined gentlemen of high moral standing.

As long as they kept their clothes on, not a single trace of unseemly behavior would show.

"Who on earth is twisted enough to throw a banquet like this?" Lu Kun muttered in complaint.

This wasn't normal at all, was it? It was practically no different from a private club!

He seriously had the urge to call the cops.

...

"What is that brat Zheng Wei up to? What kind of game is he playing? If he keeps pulling stunts like this, I'm leaving."

Lu Kun had already polished off two-thirds of the plate of melon seeds in front of him. The host of the banquet hadn't even shown his face, let alone offered personal hospitality—what kind of nonsense was this?

"He's definitely off entertaining his third uncle-in-law!" Stone crossed his legs, looking completely certain.

"Oh? What is that third uncle-in-law's actual background?" Lu Kun raised an eyebrow and lowered his voice to ask Stone.

Lu Kun knew that among all the prominent families in Agui, the Zheng family was the most enthusiastic about marriage alliances.

The Zheng family was the classic type never to let loose the hawk until they saw the rabbit; their daughters were always married "upward" into higher echelons.

It was a lucrative business.

Who could blame them when the Zheng family had so many daughters, every single one of whom married well and brought substantial profits back to the clan?

"I'm not entirely sure. I've only ever heard people in their circle call him Third Uncle Chang," Stone lowered his voice to whisper.

"Surname Chang?" For a moment, Lu Kun couldn't quite place which family that referred to. But when he saw that very Third Uncle Chang emerge with his hand paternally patting Zheng Wei's shoulder, understanding finally dawned on him.

So it was that wayward prodigal son from the Chang family!

In his past life, Lu Kun had only crossed paths with this Third Uncle Chang once, though he had some friendly relations with his older and second brothers.

After all, the Chang family was a powerhouse with real muscle. Even though Third Uncle Chang was merely the most useless member of his generation in the Chang family, no one outside dared to look down on him lightly.

Wherever he went, people showered him with flattery.

Just look at young master Zheng right now, fluttering around Third Uncle Chang like a satellite, spouting one flattering remark after another.

...

"Ahem," Third Uncle Chang cleared his throat, as if he were about to deliver some grand, important speech.

Everyone in the venue very politely straightened up and sat properly. Even the glamorous young women who had been posturing seductively quickly gathered their things and retreated.

Only Lu Kun inwardly curled his lips in disdain. "Nothing good comes out of a dog's mouth"—that phrase was tailor-made for Third Uncle Chang.

"Well... everyone eat, drink, and enjoy yourselves," Third Uncle Chang waved amicably with a smile.

The crowd almost collapsed in disbelief.

You made such a big fuss and acted all solemn just to say *that*?

"Aren't you going up to say a few words to him?" Stone nudged Lu Kun's elbow and whispered.

"Nah, pointless," Lu Kun continued eating and drinking on his own, shaking his head. "Even if the Chang family is powerful, expecting to borrow any leverage from Third Uncle Chang is pure fantasy. This guy is an absolute old slippery fox."

In his past life, Lu Kun had heard insiders expose Third Uncle Chang plenty of times. He was a classic case of someone who took money but never delivered results.

Yet, his older and second brothers were fiercely formidable.

Even if someone got scammed, they could only swallow their broken teeth along with their blood.

Lu Kun now half-suspected that Third Uncle Chang had run out of pocket money, which was why he had gotten Zheng Wei to send out invitations to the descendants of all the wealthy and powerful families in Agui.

Of course, a few self-made entrepreneurs like Lu Kun had also received invitations and ended up attending the banquet.

Seeing that Lu Kun had no interest in greeting Third Uncle Chang, Stone didn't push it. After all, Stone himself wasn't particularly fond of buttering up the elite.

...

"Hey, Stone, bro, why are you sitting all the way over here?" Zheng Wei, who had been accompanying Third Uncle Chang, spotted Stone and his face lit up as he hurried over to greet him.

Stone waved a hand. "Where else is there to sit? Besides, I'm just here for a free meal and drinks."

Zheng Wei and Stone were quite familiar with each other; the two of them frequently led their crews into establishments strictly forbidden to minors.

Mid-sentence, Zheng Wei caught sight of Lu Kun sitting beside Stone. His brows knitted together for a fraction of a second before he forced a smile and said, "Boss Lu, it's been a while. Your business has really been booming lately."

Lu Kun's expression remained unchanged. Glancing at the sudden flash of interest in the eyes of Third Uncle Chang standing nearby, Lu Kun smiled and replied, "No matter how big my business gets, it can't compare to the peace of mind of having a big tree like the Zheng family to lean on!"

Zheng Wei's smile stiffened, though he recovered almost instantly and chuckled awkwardly, "Every family has its own difficult scriptures to chant."

Lu Kun didn't press the matter further.

After all, one had to leave people a way to save face.

Both Lu Kun and Zheng Wei wanted to brush the awkwardness aside, but unfortunately, Third Uncle Chang was standing right there.

"Which family do you belong to, young man?" Third Uncle Chang stepped forward and asked.

He certainly hadn't guessed that Lu Kun came from humble roots; Lu Kun simply looked far too young. He assumed Lu Kun must be a second- or third-generation scion of some prominent household.

After all, he had caught a distinct undertone of wariness in Zheng Wei's previous words.

"I'm from the Lu family. Third Uncle Chang, I've heard a great deal about you," Lu Kun raised his wine glass in a toast and spoke with a straight face.

Third Uncle Chang furrowed his brow in confusion. When had a Lu family ever emerged in Agui? Could he be an outsider from another province?

"Not at all, not at all."

For a moment, Third Uncle Chang couldn't quite place Lu Kun's background or origins, and since it was awkward to question Zheng Wei right then and there, he simply accepted a glass from his attendant and returned the toast.

...

To Lu Kun, this was nothing more than a minor interlude, entirely unworthy of dwelling upon.

...

"Xiao Wei, what on earth is that Lu fellow's background? When did a Lu family pop up in Agui province? Is his business really that massive?"

Third Uncle Chang fired off three rapid questions.

Because of his extravagant spending habits, the private allowance his family granted him was now sent directly to his wife, who would deduct household expenses before leaving him with just a meager pittance.

Third Uncle Chang's wheels were turning: if the kid had a powerful background he couldn't afford to cross, they could happily become friends; but if he had no backing at all, he could fleece him for a hefty sum to ensure himself a comfortable holiday season!

Zheng Wei was utterly speechless at this uncle-in-law of his.

He was already in his twenties—could this guy please stop calling him "Xiao Wei"? It sounded like he was coaxing a toddler.

Zheng Wei knew very well that the third branch of the Chang family received a six-figure monthly allowance directly from the clan treasury.

Back when the branch had entrusted this uncle-in-law to manage their finances, every monthly audit ended up showing not a single penny left over.

*Thank goodness my aunt is the one managing the family assets now,* Zheng Wei thought with a silent wave of relief.

"I asked you a question, what are you daydreaming about?" Third Uncle Chang flicked the dazed Zheng Wei right on the forehead.

Rubbing his forehead with a helpless expression, Zheng Wei laid out Lu Kun's background and influence plainly to his uncle, just to prevent the man's addled brain from going out and picking a fight with someone he shouldn't.

"..."

"What a pity," Third Uncle Chang sighed. Then, pursing his lips with a bitter, aggrieved expression, he added, "Looks like I have no choice but to happily make friends with him after all."

Powerful as the Chang family was, Third Uncle Chang didn't call the shots. Besides, going toe-to-toe with that Lu fellow would be a classic case of putting in massive effort for zero reward, even if the Chang family somehow won. It was far wiser to cultivate a good relationship instead.

"Get me a detailed dossier on him by tomorrow," Third Uncle Chang instructed Zheng Wei, who was standing stiffly to the side.

"Uh..."

Zheng Wei blinked in a daze before nodding in compliance.

To be honest, Zheng Wei had always considered this uncle-in-law of his to be mentally deficient—doing everything brainlessly, whiling away his days in hedonism, and constantly getting his wallet cleaned out by mediocre gold-diggers.

He certainly hadn't expected him to show restraint this time...

"Come on, let's head over to the main hall. I heard quite a few gorgeous young ladies showed up this time," Third Uncle Chang reverted to his devil-may-care demeanor, giving the back of Zheng Wei's head a light slap.

"Ouch!"

Zheng Wei rubbed the back of his head and muttered under his breath, "Now *that* sounds like my normal third uncle-in-law."