Chapter 252 - 253: Stubborn and Unenlightened!

Chapter 252: Chapter 253: Stubborn and Unenlightened!

She was completely panicked. The opponent had struck too suddenly; moreover, it was a long-premeditated move that had left her completely unprepared.

Timing their move right at the market’s close was a calculated decision, meant to give retail investors enough time to react. This would ensure a massive influx of them would enter the market the next day and drive up the stock price. As a result, Lu Rugao’s opponents weren’t just Chen Xiao and this mysterious source of capital, but also the masses of investors mindlessly following the trend.

Furthermore, she had already committed most of her funds. Now, caught completely off guard, she was in an unspeakable predicament.

She took a deep breath. "No matter what, I have to crush their momentum! Otherwise, once the Luo Group catches its breath, all of my plans will be ruined!"

She then made a phone call. "Find out where this sudden flood of capital is coming from."

On the other side, Robin and Chen Xiao breathed a sigh of relief.

Robin spoke first. "Lord Chen, rest assured, they can’t escape."

With his methods, now that the other party had entered the trap, he wouldn’t let them leave until they were completely cleaned out. Most importantly, given Lu Rugao’s pride, she would never cut her losses and run. After all, she had come south to Yuncheng City with great fanfare, vowing to take down the Luo Group. If she fled now, she would become the laughingstock of the business world.

It was precisely because they had her personality figured out that Chen Xiao and Robin were so confident.

Chen Xiao said coolly, "Lu Rugao hasn’t invested enough yet. Keep luring her in. That woman will never accept failing like this."

"Understood!"

「The next day」

As soon as the stock market opened, things unfolded just as Chen Xiao and Robin had predicted. They didn’t even need to intervene; the stock price was continuously driven higher by retail traders. Clearly, the advantage Lu Rugao had spent so much money to establish over the past few days had vanished without a trace.

"The momentum is good," Chen Xiao said, nodding with a smile. "Let’s add more fuel to the fire."

Robin injected another five billion.

It was just a small push, but it triggered a rally as others took the baton, continuously driving the stock price higher.

Robin chuckled. "Now, even if Lu Rugao wants to cut her losses and run, she’ll lose at least twenty billion! Given her personality, she’ll never admit defeat. We just need to wait for her to sink deeper and deeper..."

「At this moment, inside a detached villa in Yuncheng City」

Lu Rugao sat on the sofa, her beautiful face etched with fatigue and faint dark circles under her eyes. She hadn’t slept at all last night. When she woke up and saw the activity on the stock market, she nearly fainted on the spot. To date, she had invested over sixty billion into the Luo Group.

But now, it seemed the results were minimal, almost negligible. In fact, there were signs that the trend was about to reverse against her. This outcome was difficult for her to accept.

Just as her face turned ashen, her phone rang. She answered respectfully, "Grandfather."

"Ruge," an elderly voice said from the other end. "The situation over there doesn’t look good. You’ve invested so much, but not only have you failed to achieve your desired results, you’ve been completely outmaneuvered. The family is very unhappy with you."

Hearing this, Lu Rugao pursed her red lips. "Grandfather, they’re just putting up a final, desperate struggle."

"I’m holding so much capital," she continued. "Why should I be afraid of them?"

"Ruge, you’re too proud, too stubborn," Lu Xingzhou sighed.

"Grandfather, you know as well as I do that I cannot lose, and I will not lose!"

"Your opponent is not to be underestimated. Don’t be reckless," Lu Xingzhou advised. He had been monitoring the situation closely, and his experienced eyes had long seen that this was no simple matter. "Most of the funds you brought from the Lu Family must be invested by now, right? But look what you’ve gotten for it. You’ve poured your capital into a bottomless pit."

His words hit the nail on the head.

Lu Rugao’s face turned pale. "I believe that in the face of absolute strength, all tricks are useless. Grandfather, I understand your concern, but this is how I’ve always operated, step by step, and I have never once been defeated!"

Hearing this, Lu Xingzhou could only sigh again. "If you feel you can’t hold on any longer, then retreat. I can still contain the fallout for now. If the losses become too great, even I won’t be able to protect you. The other factions in the Lu Family are too powerful right now. Don’t give them an excuse to criticize you."

Lu Rugao bit her lip. "Grandfather, rest assured, I won’t cause you any trouble! Besides, nothing is decided yet, is it?"

Lu Xingzhou didn’t say much more. After a few brief words of caution, he hung up.

Lu Rugao was left in a brief daze. She knew very well that if she failed in this confrontation, she would fall from her pedestal. The jackals would swarm her in an instant.

So, she had to win!

After a moment, she turned on the projector in front of her and called Xiao Defeng.

She questioned him coldly, "How much capital has the other side deployed? Why have I invested so much money without making even a ripple? Xiao Defeng, you owe me an explanation!"

Xiao Defeng took a deep breath. "Miss Lu, it’s not that we lack strength. It’s that you were too reckless, and the other party is clearly no pushover!"

Lu Rugao was furious, but upon reflection, she had to admit that her own rashness had led to this outcome.

Xiao Defeng’s expression grew grim as he added, "President Lu, the situation has become quite delicate. I suspect they have more tricks up their sleeve and have been baiting us all along. If we retreat now, our losses will be minimal. But if our funds run out and we lose the ability to maneuver, we will be completely trapped!"

Lu Rugao narrowed her eyes. "You don’t need to worry about the funds. I’ll handle it."

"If one hundred billion isn’t enough to take them down, then I’ll just raise the stakes!" Lu Rugao’s voice was utterly ruthless.

Xiao Defeng didn’t argue. This corporate war was Lu Rugao’s show, and he was just a pawn. He would do as she commanded. Still, he offered one last warning. "Miss Lu, if we pull out now, we should only lose a little over twenty billion. If we stay entangled, it will only get harder to escape."

Lu Rugao replied flatly, "You don’t need to concern yourself with that. Just crush them. They’ll show their hand soon enough. I refuse to believe they can hold out for much longer!"

She added coldly, "Alright, enough useless talk. I must win this battle!"