Prologue

The Huangfu family had long stood at the forefront of twenty-first-century commerce, their influence and wealth reaching into nearly every industry, great or small. They were a force at the very top of society. Yet, for years, it was as if they’d hit an invisible ceiling, unable to make that crucial breakthrough—as though some fateful opportunity was missing. The higher one climbs, the harder it is to ascend further.

In such a world, even the private affairs of the family became public secrets. Every word, every move, was subject to intense scrutiny. There are no walls without cracks; even the faintest stir would be broadcast far and wide, and those who lived under the public gaze tread cautiously.

Inside one of the Huangfu family villas, twelve men stood outside a closed door. The eldest among them, a middle-aged man, paced anxiously with his hands clasped behind his back, just beyond the threshold.

His wife, the principal lady of the family and spouse to the family head, was in labor with their fourth child. The previous three had all been sons—certain to secure the family legacy—but now, as age crept upon him, he yearned for a daughter, to complete the circle of familial joy. Strangely, despite the most advanced medical technology in the world, they had been unable to determine the child’s gender, which only heightened his anticipation.

Within the room, every conceivable state-of-the-art medical device was present, attended by a top-tier medical team. All eyes were focused on the woman in labor, as the professionals aided her with utmost concentration.

The cries of pain from the mother and the wail of a newborn erupted in unison. The child had arrived safely. The family head was beside himself with joy and could not wait to see his fourth child.

But before he could cross the threshold, a thunderous explosion sounded in the distance.

This area belonged entirely to the Huangfu family, their villas and private estates clustered together.

That direction—that direction… Retracting his foot from the doorway, he hurried outside, his face now a mask of deep anxiety. The senior members of the Huangfu family, sensing the gravity of what that distant noise might signify, followed in solemn silence. They boarded their vehicles with military precision, not a whit less orderly than soldiers on parade.

Since inheriting the family leadership, he had never known such fear, nor had such a dark premonition ever surged within him. He took the keys directly from the driver, started the car himself, and sped toward the source of the explosion.

No servants or drivers followed—only the family head and the highest-ranking elders of the Huangfu family: twelve in all.

The convoy halted at a distance from one of the villas, and the twelve proceeded on foot, their steps as measured and disciplined as a battalion’s.

This was a sacred and solemn place. Though revered by countless followers, they approached it with the utmost respect, knowing that without this ground, there would be no Huangfu family, nor any of their present glory.

As they crossed the threshold, even these twelve men, seasoned by storms and triumphs, were struck dumb by the scene before them.

The ancestral hall of the Huangfu family had collapsed entirely. What had once been resplendent and dignified was now a field of ruin and debris.

It was as if a thousand-pound stone pressed upon their hearts, each one bleeding with anguish—no, a pain even deeper than bleeding.

The family head was the first to kneel; the other eleven followed suit, all sinking to their knees.

This hall had stood since the founding of the Huangfu family, venerated by countless generations. Every year it had been meticulously restored, furnished with only the finest materials, yet now it lay in utter devastation.

What mattered worldly empires, what use was being the wealthiest, when the thousand-year legacy of the Huangfu family had collapsed in their hands? They had failed their ancestors and would not have been wrong to pay for this disgrace with their lives.

The sudden, inexplicable destruction of the family’s ancestral hall sent shockwaves throughout the world. Rumors abounded, and the Huangfu family found themselves facing an unprecedented crisis.

At that very moment, the newborn girl was rumored to be inauspicious, destined to bring calamity upon her ancestors. Her own father knelt before the shattered ancestral hall, pleading to relinquish his position and vowing to spend the rest of his life guarding the ruins.

Twenty years passed. The girl born in that fateful hour endured hardship, devoted herself to mastering every field of knowledge, and honed her skills with relentless discipline and strategic brilliance. Among the new generation, she stood out far above the rest; her talent and resolve were unmatched, and even the family elders could not compare.

In the end, she seized the reins of power, becoming the leader of the Huangfu family. She shattered the curse of her birth, making every member of the family willingly submit to her. In the years that followed, she led the Huangfu family to finally break through their old limits and ascend to the pinnacle of global commerce. With a single move, she could shake the entire Asian economy; she became the idol of the elite world.

Yet she never appeared in public, conducting her affairs with extraordinary discretion. It was said she never married, devoting all her best years to the family.

The wheel of fate turns; what goes around, comes around.