Trillionaire's Slice of Life

"Mr. Chu may not understand me very well, I am quite stubborn. Any item that catches my eye, I will try every means to obtain it. In Mr. Chu's eyes, a mere Arabian horse may be trivial, but to me, it's the most beautiful treasure in the world." "Since Mr. Chu is not fond of those bodyguards, then I will offer you another person you will definitely be interested in, Charles Robert!" "I believe Mr. Chu will certainly find him of interest." In the guest hall of Pastoral Manor, when Liu Peng, sitting in the seat of honour, confidently mentioned this name, a hint of emotion finally surfaced on Chu Mo's normally indifferent face. The Charles mentioned by Liu Peng was one of the top three scientists on Chu Mo's Longevity Club invitation list. This Charles is a national treasure-level biologist from Britain, one of the founders of cell theory, known as the father of modern genetics, and a Nobel Prize winner in 1989. Charles himself is ninety-five years old this year and has always resided in Britain. His high age and eminent status make him an absolute authority in the British scientific community. Such a person has long been free from lowly material desires. Additionally, his advanced age and deteriorating health means he could pass away at any time, and he wishes to die in his homeland, so he refused Chu Mo's invitation. Despite Chu Mo's offer of a massive benefit of five billion US dollars and the promise to bring all his family to Hua Country to study with peace of mind, he was still rejected by the other party. Geng Pan, the heir of the Ross family, went in person to invite the old man out of retirement, but was still refused. Until now, Chu Mo had even given up the hope of inviting him. However, Frederick Alman, the chief scientific authority of the Longevity Club, had once said that if Charles could be convinced to join the club's research, the secrets of human longevity might be deciphered ten or even twenty years earlier. Such is the significance of this top scientific authority. Chu Mo had tried various methods to invite him out of retirement without success, and now Liu Peng, the Family Head of the Liu family from Zhongzhou, suddenly brought up this person, naturally drawing Chu Mo's serious attention. He picked up the tea in front of him and took a light sip, then spoke with a solemn voice: "I doubt Mr. Liu would be so kind as to help me without a reason. The Longevity Club has no research results yet, but it already commands immense influence across Hua Country. Once it yields results, it will surely gain a multitude of top-tier members in a short time and may even become the World's Number One Club. Would Mr. Liu really be so generous as to pave the way for someone else?" Liu Peng, with his stocky frame, waved his hand noncommittally, his voice filled with emotion: "Mr. Chu, I have considered what you said for a long time. But when compared with one's own lifespan, what does such a sacrifice mean? Ancient emperors would even forsake their realms for longevity. A wealthy person with all the money but no life to enjoy it—what's the point? Mr. Chu, you are barely in your early twenties and naturally won't understand the feelings of us old folks who are practically neck-deep in the earth. I, Liu Peng, am also human, and an old one approaching the age of seventy at that. I am afraid of the day I will leave this world. In the research of longevity, I do indeed fear that your success will dramatically increase your influence, but I also hope for your success so that people like me can live a few more years. This is not a contradiction, therefore, let me personally persuade Mr. Charles Robert to come out of retirement. As for whether I can achieve it, Mr. Chu, you need not worry—there's some history between Mr. Charles and me. If I were not confident, I would not have spoken so!" Chu Mo closed his eyes gently. This time he pondered for a very long time, so long that the tea in front of him had completely cooled. Not until a cheongsam-clad waitress stepped forward to refill his teacup did Chu Mo, with a somber expression, reopen his eyes and say: "I fear Mr. Liu would not go through all this trouble just for a single Arabian horse!" Chu Mo's mind raced. By now, he faintly grasped the true purpose behind the Liu family from Zhongzhou inviting him over—the Arabian horse was merely a prelude, a trifle that no one would care about. The real highlight was this top-tier scientist. If Liu Peng threatened Chu Mo consecutively, forcing him to abandon the suppression of the Lin family in Modu, Chu Mo would indeed feel very troubled for a while. It wasn't that Chu Mo wanted to give up the Fan family, nor did he want to forgive the Lin family's betrayal, but because Charles Robert was far too important to the Longevity Club. The Longevity Club had been operational for four months, and in that short period, its total investment had already exceeded 230 billion RMB, but the research was still in its nascent stages. It was unknown how long it would take to yield results, and with such a significant investment paired with such an uncertain future, most people would have given up by now. It was only because Chu Mo possessed an unlimited credit card, showing no concern for costs or losses, that he could keep it going. This was precisely why he needed all the scientists to join. Charles was a giant in the field of biology; with his participation, the field would progress by leaps and bounds, but without him, biology would become a weakness in the overall research, potentially delaying the entire project by ten, or even twenty years. Chu Mo clearly understood the crux of the matter, which was why he was willing to offer a staggering five billion US dollars, simply to invite Charles alone—that amounted to more than 300 billion RMB! However, it was a pity that even with such high remuneration, he still couldn't bring him on board. Since Liu Peng had brought up this matter, it meant he truly had considerable confidence. As the Family Head of the Liu family of Zhongzhou and a top tycoon with a net worth exceeding a trillion, he would certainly not joke about such a matter. Then, as Chu Mo quietly awaited, the short, plump old man in front of him said indifferently: "My request is quite simple. With the Liu family's invitation to Charles Robert, the first point is that Mr. Chu's Arabian horse will have to be let go. I don't suppose Mr. Chu has any objections." Chu Mo naturally didn't hesitate at this point and nodded directly. Liu Peng, whose face finally showed a trace of a smile, continued: "The second point is that in the future, the Liu family must be the first beneficiaries of all the Longevity Club's research. Mr. Chu wouldn't object to this, right?" Without any hesitation, Chu Mo nodded for the second time. And then, with a gentle breath, Liu Peng, who became utterly serious, continued: "The third point, Mr. Chu must abandon the suppression of the Lin family, and the Fan brothers' 360 jewelry stores must cease operation immediately!" As expected, it had come to this! Chu Mo stared directly at the confident, chubby old man in front of him, knowing that the first two conditions were just icing on the cake. What both he and Liu Peng truly cared about was this third condition! The jewelry war between the Fan and Lin families had been raging for a month, with losses amounting to several billion for both sides. Furthermore, the Fan family had invested their entire family's resources. If Chu Mo asked the Fan family to give up their 360 jewelry stores, it would be equivalent to the complete downfall of the Fan family, and the two Fan brothers would be utterly ruined. He had previously promised the Fan brothers they would replace the Lin family as the number one family in Modu. If he agreed to Liu Peng's request, he would inevitably be breaking his promise! Taking a deep breath, at this moment, Chu Mo spoke with an extraordinarily grave expression and a heavy tone: "Mr. Liu, you should know my answer, right?"