The Hidden Paths of Archer Chapter 8

Li Sui ignored his ridicule, but when he thought of the plight of the abandoned babies in the orphanage, he couldn't help but frown. The indifference to life was what he could not tolerate the most.

"Can't you have more respect for human life?" He wondered.

Mason just thought it was funny and said, "Look at how much Archer Lu pampers you, and now you dare to lecture me?"

"This has nothing to do with Boss Lu, I---"

"I have raised you for three years, and you have never said a word of gratitude to me. How long has Archer Lu raised you, and you are speaking for him?" Mason interrupted him.

Li Sui looked at him straight in the eyes, his hand at his side clenched into a fist quietly. He had been used to compromise and passivity since he was a child. For a long time, he was a person without self. He didn't deny that he was afraid of Mason before. Even now, his first reaction when he saw him was still to run away. But at this moment, he stood here and suddenly couldn't figure it out. Why did he think Mason was scary before?

He slowed down his speech and said, "Brother Yan, you gave me food, and I will remember your kindness all my life. But without your food, I don't think I would have starved to death. I am here with you and I am still alive today. The person I should be grateful to is not you, but myself."

There was one more thing Li Sui didn't say. If there was anyone in this world who deserved his gratitude, it would be Archer Lu, because he not only gave him food, but also taught him what dignity was.

Li Sui suddenly realized that Archer Lu's concern for him had changed from being uneasy to becoming accustomed to it. I will protect him subconsciously. They say frogs boil in warm water, and he vaguely felt that he was that frog.

"I can't find you anywhere. I thought you went somewhere." A familiar voice came from behind. Li Sui came out of his daze and saw Mason taking off his sunglasses and saying hello to Archer Lu.

Archer Lu had no intention of reminiscing with him. He came over to greet him for a few words and was about to take the people away when Mason stepped forward and stopped him: "Boss Lu, I still have a place for you in my shareholder seat."

Archer Lu knew that he was asking for the favor he owed Li Sui for taking him away. After all, Nolan Li was born in the underworld. He paid too much attention to the loyalty of the underworld and the interpersonal relationships. This was the case for his father and son. This kind of thing was very useful more than ten years ago, when everyone was poor and there was no conflict of interest. But now the times have changed. This is a business place, and business can no longer be done by relying solely on favors. Archer Lu was deeply touched by this. In fact, it was Liu Xingtian who "taught" him this.

If he doesn't agree, what can Mason do to him?

"Sorry, I don't want to discuss cooperation today." He was an expert at playing dirty and refused without leaving any room for negotiation.

On the way back, Archer Lu was waiting for Li Sui to speak first. When both of them arrived home, Li Sui didn't say a word. He couldn't help but feel strange that this child's thoughts towards him were usually written on his face, but he didn't know what happened today. Could it be that Mason's words really had such a big impact on him?

When he went to bed, he pulled Li Sui to the bedside, rubbed his hair, and asked him what he was thinking about. Li Sui hesitated and thought for a long time before asking: "Boss Lu, why are you so nice to me?"

He had asked this question before, but Archer Lu didn't take it seriously at that time. Now that he suddenly asked this question, he couldn't help but feel a little strange. Thinking carefully about Li Sui's hesitant and absent-minded expression that day, Archer Lu quickly guessed the reason for his silence.

"What do you want to ask?"

Li Sui asked cautiously: "Is it all because of that contract?"

Archer Lu's eyes darkened, he was silent for a moment, and then nodded. There was a fleeting disappointment in Li Sui's eyes, but he quickly covered it up by turning off the lights.

"The contract is in the study. Now that you can understand it, I'll have Uncle Yuan give it to you tomorrow."

"I don't want to see it." Li Sui got into the quilt.

After that day, Archer Lu found that Li Sui was not as clingy to him as before. Although he would sleep next to him at night and help him cover his legs, and he would help him clean up his unfinished meals, he couldn't tell what was wrong. The child seemed to have hidden his tail overnight and retracted into his protective shell.

Archer Lu wanted to talk to him, but he never found the right time. Dong Yan's shareholder meeting dragged on for more than two months, and finally came to an end in chaos. Archer Lu won 40% of the shares with more than half of the votes. The change will be completed within one month, but as a price, He must take over the real estate project in Haikou.

This is a double-edged sword. If he does it well, he can quickly expand the actual power in his hands. If he does it poorly, both Dongyan and he will face difficulties.

The projects in Haikou are almost a legacy of the previous generation. More than ten years ago, Dongyan Group selected a piece of land on the seaside to build sea-view houses. However, it encountered a tsunami storm and the land that had just been laid was completely flooded. Since then, It's like this land is in conflict with them, and problems arise every now and then. Some people even concluded that all the senior executives who had dealt with this project either had their cars crashed, people were killed or their wives and children were separated. Almost all of them had a bad ending. Rumors spread for a while, but later, no one dared to take over.

Archer Lu once visited the location of this land with his father. There was nothing wrong with the land itself and the quality of the sea water was high. It was just superstition that the feng shui was not very good. Archer Lu is a materialist. His father's death was also due to heart disease. It was not directly related to the project. The main issue was whether it could be profitable. Whether he is developing and building houses or doing something else, it doesn't matter whether he believes these rumors or not. The main thing is whether the house buyers believe them or not.

Regarding the planning of this land, Archer Lu organized people to hold a day-long meeting during the day. From sunrise to sunset, Xishan did not come up with a suitable plan. As the earliest group company in the country, Dongyan has been established for a long time, but longevity also has its disadvantages. Due to certain rigid regulations, the company has never had any major innovations, resulting in too many people who are doing nothing but working hard. Too few people.

"After talking a lot of nonsense, we still have to do it ourselves. Why do you think the company supports these people?" After the meeting, Xu Weilan packed up the materials angrily.

Archer Lu also felt a headache. As a leader, he could feel the current stagnation of Dongyan the most. Every time he wanted to implement a new policy, there were always many obstacles. This was very detrimental to the development of the group. Policies were changing, situations were changing, and those who could not keep up with the changes would have no choice but to be eliminated.

"It would be great if the charter could be changed..." Xu Weilan muttered casually, and Archer Lu took it to heart.

He turned around and asked, "What conditions are needed?"

"The resolution to amend the company's articles of association must be passed by more than two-thirds of the voting rights held by shareholders attending the meeting." Xu Weilan said, "The transfer of shares requires a majority of the voting rights, and on this basis, an additional 17% is required. Last year, Yan Ke's transfer of 6% to you was delayed until this year, so there is no need to think about amending the articles of association at this time."

Archer Lu fell into deep thought. His current shareholding was far from two-thirds. Modifying the articles of association was equivalent to depriving shareholders of the right to control the development of the company, which was indeed not something he could do at the moment. The old shareholders wanted money and power. They could tolerate him expanding his shareholding by 6% for money, but they would never give up Dongyan, a long-term meal ticket, for money.

"Boss Lu, someone is here." Uncle Yuan came in and knocked on the door.

Archer Lu had been in meetings all day and didn't want to see anyone, so he was about to ask Uncle Yuan to take the people away. Then he saw Xu Weilan winking at him a few times, with a teasing tone.

He turned the swivel chair around and saw Li Sui standing in front of the door, smiling at him.

This kid is actually quite handsome, he thought inappropriately.

"Why are you here?" Archer Lu waved him in.

"Brother Zuo asked me to call you." Li Sui walked over and said, "Happy birthday."

Archer Lu smiled and said, "Thank you."

"Oops, I was so busy that I forgot. Today is our Boss Lu's birthday." Xu Weilan patted her brain, "Where is Zuo Chao's appointment? Hurry up and get rid of the bad luck on my day."

"Hot Springs Resort."

Hot Spring Villa is where Yan Ke invited them to dinner last time. There are several famous dishes here that are not available in ordinary places and need to be booked in advance. Coupled with its hidden location and strong connections, it has become a frequent gathering place for high-ranking officials and celebrities from all walks of life.

"Are you tired?" In the car, Li Sui saw Archer Lu rubbing his eyebrows.

Archer Lu: "It's okay."

Li Sui reached out and shook his hand, but Archer Lu shook it back and said, "I'm going to the island next week, will you come with me?"

"Do you need me to go?"

Archer Lu smiled and said, "I can't sleep without someone warming my bed."

It was getting dark, and the dim light passed across Archer Lu's face. Li Sui's heart moved, and his fingers tightened involuntarily.

When they arrived, the dishes had been served, and Blair Meng was also there. They also brought a luxury watch, saying it was a gift from Blair Meng's father. Archer Lu made a special call to express his thanks.

Ellis Liang cried to him halfway, saying that he couldn't write a report and would spend time alone with him another day.

With the beauty as their companion, the gentlemen restrained themselves a little. They only booked a small room, and the table was spread out but not yet full. Li Sui looked over and thought that although Archer Lu seemed to be doing very well, he actually only had these few close friends.

Archer Lu didn't like crowds, so they just ate quietly and didn't drink any wine.

"The squirrel fish here is good, you should try it." Archer Lu picked up a piece and gave it to Li Sui.

"Squirrel fish?" Li Sui asked, "Is this a squirrel or a fish?"

"Guess," Zuo Chao laughed at him, "You guessed it right, I will drink with you."

"Even if you guess right, there's no wine to drink."

Archer Lu smiled faintly and said, "If you want to drink, drink it."

"That's what I've been waiting for you to say." Zuo Chao loves wine and feels uncomfortable without a drink. He prepared several bottles of red wine early in the morning, but unfortunately Archer Lu didn't ask, so he kept them hidden under the table and didn't take them out.

"A bottle from 1988, would you like one?"

Several people immediately started making noises. Li Sui went to ask the waiter to open the wine, but no one answered for a long time, so he had to go out to find a wine opener.

"You really take care of him." Blair Meng couldn't help but turn around and said after watching Li Sui go out.

Archer Lu: "Are you jealous?"

Blair Meng admitted generously and said with a smile: "It's true a little bit."

Although they were brother and sister, Archer Lu knew something about Blair Meng's thoughts. Unfortunately, both of them knew it was impossible, so they just talked about it as a joke. Blair Meng herself is not a pretentious person. She comes from a superior family and has a special status. She has had clear goals for her marriage since she was a child. Even if she talks about love, she may not take it seriously. But occasionally she couldn't help but think that if she was born in an ordinary family, the ideal husband would probably be someone like Archer Lu, elegant, polite, low-key and considerate. Unfortunately, she didn't have that good luck. Archer Lu was all gentle and gentle. Gave it to someone else.

"Hey, why haven't you come back yet?" Zuo Chao waited impatiently for the wine.

Archer Lu remembered that Li Sui had mistakenly walked into the women's bath the last time he came here, and stood up: "I'll go find him."

As he just walked to the door, his cell phone suddenly rang. It was Li Sui.

"Don't move." Li Sui seemed to be running.

"What's wrong?"

"Someone is chasing me, with a knife in his hand, and it seems he is coming for you and me," Li Sui panted heavily, "I will lead him away first..."

Archer Lu's nerves immediately tensed up: "Where are you now?"

"In...the dressing room where you helped me sort out my clothes last time..."

Archer Lu gave the order: "Stay there, don't move, and hide yourself."

Several people in the private room realized something was wrong and turned their heads. Zuo Chao stood up and asked, "What's wrong?"

"In area B of the dressing room, the other party has a knife in his hand."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zuo Chao led his men out. Archer Lu was not idle either, and he and Xu Weilan followed closely behind.

As soon as he approached the dressing room, he heard a fight. Zuo Chao rushed over and kicked the door open. He saw a man who looked like a waiter twisting his waist to avoid the chair thrown by Li Sui. Zuo Chao was a boxer, so he threw the man over his shoulder and knocked him down. The man knew he was defeated, so he roared and swung the knife in his hand randomly, heading towards Archer Lu.

"Archer Lu!" Li Sui rushed over in a hurry and threw Archer Lu to the ground. The blade reflected the white light and flew past Li Sui's arm, making a cut. The sleeves of his shirt were soon dyed red.

"Fcuk!" Zuo Chao was enraged and kicked the waiter in the stomach, knocking him to pieces and curling up on the ground for a long time. Then he ordered two of his men to drag the person out: "Hit him and come back when you find out who it is."

"Is it serious?" Archer Lu quickly got up from the ground and turned over Li Sui's arm. The cut was not deep, but very long, and a lot of blood had flowed out. Fortunately, the cut was along the direction of the knife. If it was inserted horizontally, at least half of the blade would have pierced into the flesh.

"Little Li, are you okay?"

"It's okay." Li Sui didn't feel any pain, but his whole body was weak. Although there was a lot of blood flowing, it was more frightening than anything else. The moment the knife flew towards Archer Lu, his brain exploded, and he rushed over almost instinctively.

"Come in first." Blair Meng came to her senses at this time, quickly cleared out a cubicle next to it, let them all in, and called the waiter to clean up the aisle.

A few minutes after Archer Lu helped the man in, Zuo Chao came back. Li Sui's face was not very good. Archer Lu was silent for a while and asked Zuo Chao's two men to take him to treat his wounds first.

As soon as Li Sui left, the expressions of several people changed.

"Have you found out?" Archer Lu's face darkened.

Zuo Chao felt guilty. He had always been responsible for Li Sui's safety. Nothing had gone wrong during this period, so he gradually relaxed his vigilance. He did not expect that problems would arise when he arrived at the villa.

"I sneaked in during the evening shift." Zuo Chao rubbed his fists. The man had been beaten to a pulp by him, and he confessed an unexpected but extremely familiar name.

"It's Mason," Zuo Chao's veins popped out, "We have been guarding Liu Xingtian, but we didn't expect Mason to take advantage of the loophole."

Archer Lu thought of something else: "So I must invest in Chanzhuang."

It seemed like the knife was aimed at Li Sui, but in fact it was a warning to him. Mason hadn't let go of his obsession yet, and it seemed that the money was about to be settled. The only question is whether he just wants money, or whether he wants to take the opportunity to drag Archer Lu into trouble.

"Chanzhuang is definitely not clean. Dongyan has only been on the right track for a few years. If her shoes get wet, it will not only mean that our efforts over the years have been wasted, but it will also be difficult to clean up in the future." Xu Weilan said.

"I have some news here. I wanted to talk about it after dinner." Meng Xinyuo's words immediately attracted everyone's attention.

"I've just learned that the Li family is in trouble. Last year, Nolan Li bought a ship to transport goods, but it sank in the river at the beginning of the year. They have a huge debt and the bank loan is due. I heard from my father's people that the bank's top management is preparing to restructure the loan."

"Can the sinking of a cargo ship have such a big impact? With the assets of the Li family, they can afford such a small loss, right?" Zuo Chao asked in surprise.

Archer Lu chuckled, his voice without warmth: "Of course, because there are other things on board."

Blair Meng nodded in agreement: "I heard that after the ship sank, there was a layer of dead fish floating on the river downstream the next day."

"How much contraband does it take to poison all the fish? Is Nolan Li crazy about money?" Zuo Chao said.

"Once the Li family's assets are gone, it's only a matter of time before the rest is exposed. Coupled with the scandal of Mason playing with female celebrities over the years and being forced down, it will probably be enough for them to drink. In any case, the Li family's boat is definitely You can't step on it. I think this time, he did something like this because he was desperate."

"So based on the current situation, it is more likely that they are short of money," Xu Weilan concluded.

Archer Lu nodded: "A problem that money can solve is not a problem. Invest some money to help them out. First, appease them, and then waste them slowly."

"The question is..." Meng Xinyu looked around, "In whose name should I vote?"

In whose name you vote, it means that if the incident comes to light in the future, that person will be held criminally responsible. He must have no legal connection with Dongyan and Archer Lu, and he must be able to plead guilty when the time comes and not throw dirty water back.

As soon as Meng Xinyuo said this, everyone thought of the same person. Considering that this person had just helped Archer Lu block the knife, it would be too heartless to push him out now. Xu Weilan considered the words carefully and made a pretentious analysis: "First of all, we must ensure that this matter has no direct relationship with Dongyan in any way, so no one present needs to consider it. Secondly, this person must know everything about him, be trustworthy, and not be bribed by others to turn the tables at a critical moment..."

Archer Lu interrupted him: "You don't have to say anything."

Several people looked up at him. Archer Lu paused and said in a deep voice, "I'll think about it and give you an answer tomorrow."