Lin Tianba didn’t speak a single word during his entire livestream, yet he still ended up getting beaten by Lin Jian after the stream ended.
At times like these, he couldn’t help but think of his eldest son, Lin Ran.
Even though Lin Ran also hit him now, it was only because he had treated him poorly in the past. Lin Ran was just acting out of resentment.
Lin Tianba firmly believed that Lin Ran still desperately longed for his father’s love.
If he could just make Lin Ran his son again, the boy would surely fall to his knees in gratitude and beg for forgiveness.
But right now, that rebellious son’s attitude was too stubborn. He needed to find a way to prove his sincerity.
He couldn’t afford to be indecisive anymore—his past hesitation had cost him everything.
"Rebellious son, your father doesn’t like Lin Jian or Liu Yuemei anymore, you hear me? Come save your dad already."
Of course, no matter what happened, time marched on.
Back at the estate, Lin Ran listened to Uncle Fu’s report with a calm smile, completely unfazed.
To him now, the Lin family was nothing but ants.
Even if they had already fallen into hell, it still wasn’t enough to make up for the suffering he had endured.
"Ah Ran, what are you thinking about?"
"I was just thinking… if you weren’t my wife, and if I were still with the Lin family, blind to their true nature, how miserable would I be right now?"
Luo Yao’s expression darkened slightly. "Ah Ran, I came too late."
Lin Ran’s heart stirred. He had to admit—he adored Luo Yao, especially this feeling of being protected.
He always reminded himself: being a husband was all about the feeling.
And right now, he truly understood the bliss of being a pampered man.
"No, you came at the perfect time. Everything happened exactly as it should."
By evening, Lin Ran had already arranged preparations for his upcoming trip to the snow mountains.
Tomorrow, he had shareholder meetings at both Nuanyao Group and Suran Group.
In simpler terms, he was going to collect his dividends. As for the actual content of the meetings? He couldn’t care less.
The next day, Lin Ran arrived at Nuanyao Group first. The moment Wu Zhishang saw him, he immediately asked,
"Brother Lin, where’d you go yesterday? I couldn’t find you afterward."
Of course, Wu Zhishang knew exactly where Lin Ran had been last night—but he had to play dumb.
Was he supposed to say, "Hey, you guys were so loud the entire second floor could hear you"?
That would just embarrass his bro.
Lin Ran smirked. "I went to the happiest place on earth."
Wu Zhishang’s face went blank.
"Enough small talk. I’m here for the money—let’s get this meeting started."
It was already the 2nd of the month. While Luo Corporation was still on break, Nuanyao Group was back in business.
"Alright, everything’s ready. What ‘shareholder meeting’? It’s just you and me anyway."
Lin Ran chuckled. It was bizarre for such a large company to have only two shareholders.
With the accountant included, the "meeting" consisted of three people, so they settled everything right in the office.
"Brother Lin, our net profit so far is over 13 million. After setting aside operational funds, we can split 10 million."
Lin Ran frowned. "What kind of joke is that? That’s all?"
Wu Zhishang looked pained.
"Bro, I swear I didn’t embezzle anything. The company really only made that much—and it’s your fault! You insisted on building libraries and schools, all funded through Nuanyao Group. Maybe this year, we should shift those projects to Suran Group’s budget?"
Lin Ran suddenly remembered—his company had several money-draining projects. He scratched his head awkwardly.
"Lao Wu, you’ve worked hard. But let’s keep it under Nuanyao. The credit will still go to us, and these projects will pave the way for future opportunities."
Wu Zhishang sighed and muttered under his breath.
"Brother Lin, why even pretend? With your net worth now, does our company’s profit even matter to you?"
Hearing the hint of frustration in Wu Zhishang’s voice, Lin Ran decided to drop the bomb.
"Fine, I’ll give you a bigger cut this time. Take 2 million. Happy?"
Wu Zhishang’s eyes instantly lit up.
"Bro, you’re like a second father to me."
With just a fraction of the dividends, Lin Ran had his best friend calling him "dad."
Now this was the good life.
"Mm. Now you can go home and rule the roost."
Wu Zhishang grinned. "That’s not all—I can make my own dad call me ‘dad.’ He works himself to the bone and still wouldn’t earn this much in a year."
"Right. I still need to collect money from Suran Group, so I’ll head out now."
Wu Zhishang bowed deeply and escorted Lin Ran all the way out of Nuanyao Group.
On the way to Suran Group, Lin Ran leaned back in his seat, eyes closed, but his mind was anything but still.
He considered Wu Zhishang his closest friend, and he trusted the feeling was mutual.
But there was one difference—Wu Zhishang would always come second to Luo Yao in his heart.
Meanwhile, he might actually rank above women in Wu Zhishang’s priorities.
Life wasn’t fair.
Maybe that tiny pang of guilt was why he gave Wu Zhishang the extra money.
To him, it was pocket change. To Wu Zhishang, it was life-changing.
By the time Lin Ran arrived at Suran Group, the team had been waiting for him.
As he entered the meeting room, his eyes immediately landed on the wall—the photos were gone, replaced by bold characters:
[Chairman Lin, Our Savior.]
"What the hell? Whose idea was this?"
Qu Te Niang hurried over.
"This was arranged by the shareholders to express our utmost respect for you. It’s a reminder of who saved this company."
Lin Ran’s expression darkened. Now he understood why Suran Group had stagnated for so many years.
They were too busy with this nonsense.
"Whatever. Let’s just talk about the dividends."
Lin Ran was eager to collect his money—he needed to buy gifts. If Nuanyao Group’s payout was disappointing, surely Suran Group wouldn’t let him down.
"Of course, of course. The accountant—"
Suran Group’s surplus exceeded 400 million, shocking even Lin Ran.
"Chairman Lin, ever since our school district project took off, property sales skyrocketed. The second phase sold out the moment construction finished. This is all thanks to you."
Lin Ran felt a flicker of pride—this was the first time he had genuinely earned money.
"Good. Release the financial report publicly. Let everyone see whether Lin Ran is a failure or not."
Of course, his real goal was to rub it in Lin Tianba’s face.
After setting aside sufficient reserves, Lin Ran walked away with a staggering 200 million, thanks to his 70% stake.
With that kind of money in his pocket, he felt invincible.
"Perfect. This should cover my wife’s gift."
And what was this gift?
A grand, extravagant wedding—one that would cost over a hundred million.
No material possession could ever prove his love for Luo Yao. Only a wedding could come close.
But before the wedding, there was still her birthday to prepare for.
With just days left until Luo Yao’s birthday, he’d start with a smaller surprise first.
By the time Lin Ran finished her work, it was already afternoon. Instead of returning to the estate, she headed straight to Luo Corporation.
Though Luo Corporation was officially closed for the day, quite a few staff members were still on duty.