If what had just happened could still be dismissed as an accident, then the sentence that followed completely wiped the color from Chen Mancin's face
How did he know?
How could he possibly know her secret?
Lucas spoke calmly, his tone indifferent."My name is Lucas. And you don't need to worry about what I'll do. I'm not interested in you."
As he spoke, he looked at Chen Mancin with unconcealed disgust.
Boring.Utterly boring.
Just another pretty shell over a skeleton.
Lucas smiled faintly. "That said, you should thank me."
"Thank you?" Chen Mancin froze. She genuinely didn't understand what he meant.
"Yes." Lucas nodded. "I came to make a deal with you."
Then he added lightly, as if it were casual conversation:
"Didn't you always want Yang Tianhao to die?"
The words detonated in Chen Mancin's mind.
Who… who exactly was this man?
How did he know what she was thinking?
That's right—she did want Yang Tianhao dead. Only then would the inheritance truly be hers.
But Yang Tianhao was far too cautious.Every meal was tested for poison.Even the chef had to taste it first.
When he went out, ten bodyguards followed him.
She was afraid of death.Terrified.
Chen Mancin stared at Lucas and asked slowly, each word deliberate:"What do you want to do?"
She couldn't see through him at all.
It was like facing a mystery.
Lucas smiled. "I don't want to do anything. I just want to see what kind of leverage you can gain after you get rid of Yang Tianhao."
He never expected Chen Mancin to personally help him.
As long as she provided information—and took action herself—that would be enough.
Lucas had no intention of placing an explosive ticking clock over his own head.
Yang Tianhao was a headache-level existence.
If Yang Tianhao died, Ye Fan would lose a major pillar of support.Lucas's pressure would drop significantly.
As for whether Chen Mancin would later fall for Ye Fan?
That had nothing to do with him.
If you want to dismantle an enemy, you start from the inside.
And Chen Mancin's ambition was the perfect entry point.
She lit a lady's cigarette. It took her a long time to calm down before she finally asked, carefully:
"Can you really help me?"
Clearly, Lucas's words had shaken her.
As a ruthless woman capable of becoming a mistress—and later climbing to the position of wife—her ambition was immense.
Yang Tianhao possessed tens of billions in assets.At least half of it would belong to him personally.
Her breathing quickened.
Even if everything collapsed afterward, as long as she got the money, she could disappear and live freely under a new identity.
And her desires didn't stop there.
Lucas said evenly, "As long as you're willing, I can help."
His tone was firm, without hesitation.
There were many ways to kill Yang Tianhao—but they all required time and people.
Chen Mancin fell silent.
After a long while, she asked, "What do I need to pay?"
She understood the rules.There was no such thing as a free lunch.
Lucas shook his head. "Nothing."
Nothing?
Chen Manqin was stunned.
Yang Tianhao's empire was enormous—enough to feed countless people.
And this man… wanted nothing?
Impossible.
But Lucas truly didn't care.
As long as Liu Tianxiang was supported and Yang Tianhao and Miao Youdao were removed, that was enough.
Correct Liu Tianxiang's position, integrate Jiangcheng's underground forces—and the foundation would be complete.
Moreover, in the original story, Lucas's own death was tied to Yang Tianhao and Miao Youdao.They were the two groups that had ordered the shooting.
A tragic ending.
"Alright. I can cooperate with you. But what exactly needs to be done..." After a moment's thought, Chen Mancin nodded in agreement.
She had nothing to lose anyway. At worst, she could just run.
It was a no-lose situation.
Lucas pulled a mobile phone from his jacket pocket and tossed it to Chen Mancin. "Keep this phone safe. Or hide it well."
"I'll contact you if there's movement."
"Also, don't say these things in your car anymore. And don't use your personal phone to contact me."
Yang Tianhao monitored his women extremely strictly.
His near-paranoid need for control meant he had implanted spyware on Chen Mancin's phone. Her car was also bugged with recording and surveillance devices.
Taking the phone, Chen Mancin nodded. "Okay."
Their alliance was formed in just a few sentences.
Lucas wasn't the least bit surprised by this outcome.
First, beyond her ambition, Chen Mancin was a very decisive person.
If she dared to think it, she dared to do it.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have started as a mistress and climbed step-by-step to become Yang Tianhao's legitimate wife.
She had seen blood, framed innocent people, and killed.
How many in her position weren't ruthless and decisive?
Lucas looked at Chen Mancin, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You'd better cooperate fully. Don't go losing your head over just any man."
The statement seemed cryptic.
Chen Mancin was puzzled, not understanding his meaning.
"What do you mean?"
Lucas didn't elaborate, just smiled. "Alright, you can go take a shower and head back. If you hurry back now, you might understand what I mean."
Tonight was destined not to be an ordinary night.
Glancing at his watch, Lucas stood up. "It's 2:30 AM. I should go."
Chen Mancin toyed with the basic phone Lucas had given her, turning the possibilities over in her mind.
Seeing him about to leave, she suddenly flashed a seductive smile.
As he reached the door, she suddenly laughed softly, walked up, placed a hand on his chest, and said in a low, teasing voice:
"Why so serious? To celebrate our cooperation… shouldn't we do something?"
Lucas remained unmoved by her temptation, his expression unchanged. "I'm sorry. I'm not interested in you."
With that, he left.
Bang.
The door closed.
Chen Mancin stood barefoot in the room, a playful smile on her lips. "What an interesting man."
"In that case, I should head back too."
A slight regret, perhaps.
Dongrong Villa.
The lights inside were bright, filled with the occasional laughter of women.
3:30 AM.
Lying on beach chairs, Yang Tianhao and Ye Fan were chatting, attended by two kneeling girls in swimsuits.
At that moment,
a voice sounded beside them.
"Tianhao, I'm back. And who is this?"