I am the Holy Poisoner, the Empress advised me to calm down

Lu Zhiming looked embarrassed and said no more. Next to him, his mother said cautiously, "Nanting, just think of this as giving us a chance. We won't let you down."

Sheng Nanting ignored him and turned to look at Lu Yining: "Yining, do you have anything to say?"

Lu Yining calmed himself down and took a deep breath. "Uncle, I know your time is precious, and I'm grateful you came. I just hope Mom and Dad can focus on solving practical problems instead of relying on external help. I believe that as long as we work together, we will find a way out."

Sheng Nanting raised his eyebrows slightly, seeming a little surprised by her attitude. He pondered for a moment and nodded: "You are right, relying on others is never a long-term solution. I hope your family can understand this."

Everyone at the table was surprised when they heard this, and Lu Zhiming and Zhang Xiumin were even more embarrassed. Lu Yining felt a little relieved, but he still didn't dare to let his guard down.

As the dinner gradually drew to a close, everyone's mood calmed down a bit. However, Sheng Nanting's words made the atmosphere tense again: "Yining, I heard that several companies are interested in your project recently. You can think about it and see if you can find a better partner."

Lu Yining was shocked. She knew that her fourth uncle was hinting at her not to put all her hopes on the Sheng family. She nodded, indicating that she would seriously consider it.

Just as everyone was about to leave, Sheng Nanting suddenly stood up and glanced around the room, "Finally, today's dinner is over. I hope you understand that this is not a promise, but an opportunity. From now on, it depends on how you seize it."

After saying that, he left the restaurant. The rest of the people looked at each other, not knowing what to say for a moment.

Lu Yining walked out of the restaurant, stood at the door, and looked up at the traffic in the distance. Her heart was filled with mixed emotions, a mixture of uncertainty about the future and firm determination. She secretly vowed that no matter how many difficulties lay ahead, she would give it her all and find her way out.

Zhang Xiumin came over, patted her shoulder, and asked in a low voice: "Yining, what are you going to do?"

Lu Yining smiled, his eyes firm: "Mom, I will follow what Fourth Uncle said, think about it carefully, and find the best solution."

Zhang Xiumin nodded, a look of relief on her face: "You have grown up and become more and more sensible."

The two smiled at each other and turned to leave the restaurant. Behind them, night fell, lights flickered, and the hustle and bustle of the city continued, but for Lu Yining, a new beginning was about to begin.

"Yining, why do you think Sheng Nanting agreed to attend the banquet?" Mother Lu suddenly asked.

Lu Yining smiled slightly, with a glint in his eyes: "Maybe he is giving me a chance. And I must seize this opportunity."

Mother Lu nodded, looking thoughtfully at her daughter's back, her worries gradually fading. Little did they know, this dinner was just the beginning. Lu Yining returned home, turned on her computer, and began to gather intelligence on those companies. Her fingers pounded across the keyboard, the sheer volume of information on the screen making her feel dizzy. But she knew all this effort was aimed at finding a better way out.

Just as she was concentrating on her work, her phone suddenly rang. It was an unfamiliar number. She picked up, and a clear voice came from the other end: "Ms. Lu, this is Zhang Lin, the project manager of Mingyang Group. I heard you're interested in our company, and I'd like to arrange a time to meet and discuss it in detail."

Lu Yining was delighted and quickly replied, "Okay, Manager Zhang, thank you very much for contacting me. How about tomorrow afternoon at 3 o'clock?"

Zhang Lin happily agreed and hung up the phone. Lu Yining took a deep breath, feeling that the opportunity was beckoning to him.

The next afternoon, Lu Yining arrived at the Mingyang Group building on time. It was a magnificent modern structure, its glass curtain walls reflecting the blue sky and white clouds, giving it a sense of grandeur. Entering the lobby, the receptionist enthusiastically directed her. The elevator slowly ascended to the twelfth floor, and she walked to the door of an exquisitely decorated conference room and gently knocked.

The door opened and Zhang Lin came in with a smile on her face: "Ms. Lu, welcome." After the two of them sat down, Zhang Lin handed her a folder with a detailed project introduction and cooperation intention.

"This is our preliminary plan for your company. We hope it can help you solve your current difficulties. Of course, we can further discuss the specific details." Zhang Lin said gently.

Lu Yining read through it carefully and nodded, "This plan is very good and indeed feasible. But I'd like to ask, approximately how much financial support can you provide?"

"We can discuss the specific amount later, but please rest assured that we will gradually increase investment based on the progress of the project," Zhang Lin said with a smile.

The two talked for nearly an hour, discussing many details. Ultimately, they decided to meet again next week to finalize the cooperation agreement. Leaving the building, Lu Yining was in a particularly good mood, feeling that she was getting closer and closer to her goal.

However, things don't always go smoothly. Back in the office, just as she was about to take a break, a colleague rushed over to tell her that a tabloid had published a negative report about the Lu family, saying that their internal management was chaotic and they were about to go bankrupt.

Lu Yining's heart suddenly jumped into her throat. She turned on her computer and found the article. The content was extremely vile. It not only questioned the family business's ability to operate, but also maliciously attacked the individual's reputation. To make matters worse, the article had been reprinted by major news websites, attracting the attention of many netizens.

At this moment, several employees were whispering together. One of them said in a low voice, "If the higher-ups see this, it will probably be bad for our jobs."

Another colleague sighed and said, "Yeah, this rumor spreads so quickly. I don't know how the company is going to deal with it."

Lu Yining gritted her teeth and quickly typed a text message to her fourth uncle, explaining the current situation and asking for his help. After sending the message, she stood up and walked over to the group. "I know everyone is worried, but we can't lose our composure. Although this report is unfavorable to us, as long as we unite, there is no difficulty that we cannot overcome. I will handle this matter as soon as possible. Please keep your confidence."

As soon as she finished speaking, everyone looked at her, their eyes filled with both admiration and uneasiness. At this moment, the office phone rang. It was Sheng Nanting's assistant who called: "Ms. Lu, Fourth Uncle said he will help you contact a team of lawyers to deal with this false report and protect your rights through legal channels."

Lu Yining breathed a sigh of relief and immediately told everyone the good news. Everyone's heavy hearts finally eased upon hearing it. A female colleague said excitedly, "That's great! President Lu, you're truly our savior!"