Chapter 0518

So why did Lin Jian have it even worse?

To answer that, one must first understand a certain truth.

Whether you call Lin Jian a schemer or scum, it's undeniable that his face isn't bad-looking.

Men behind high walls, deprived of female contact for long periods, would naturally have certain ideas about a pretty boy like Lin Jian once he got inside.

More incredibly, his manipulative, "green tea" behavior was not only useless there, it even fueled others' fantasies.

Thus, Lin Jian became a living target for "fencing."

On top of that, there was a cell boss named Jia Laoban who beat him three times a day. Lin Jian was essentially surviving under the dual torment of physical and mental abuse.

This led to a drastic change in his temperament after his release. He became prone to violent outbursts and even displayed self-harming behaviors.

Liu Yuemei couldn't bear to see Lin Jian like this and could only try repeatedly to counsel him.

But what she received in return were Lin Jian's fists. He would frequently beat her black and blue, followed by all sorts of vicious insults.

Like right now.

Slap! A backhanded blow made Liu Yuemei's mouth bleed.

"Bitch! It's all because you're useless that the Lin family ended up like this! Now we can't find Lin Tianba, can't find the Liu family, can't even find your old flame! You have no use left at all, and you still want money for treatment? Why don't you just die?"

Liu Yuemei lowered her head, sobbing. She had never imagined in her life that she would one day be this wretched.

Right after getting out, she had thought of going to find Lv Renqi, but he had beaten her black and blue without a word and thrown her out.

When Liu Yuemei went looking for Lv Renqi a second time, he had already moved.

His phone number was disconnected. Liu Yuemei knew she had no one left to rely on in this world.

As for Lin Tianba, she wouldn't go looking for him.

What would be the point? To find herself a burden?

"Son, I'm your mother. How can you hit me?"

Lin Jian's face was sinister. "You don't deserve to be my mother. One day, I'll kill you with my own hands." While making these threats, he was also considering what use Liu Yuemei might still have.

Heartbroken, Liu Yuemei still forced herself to endure the grief and tried to reason with him.

"Son, why have you become like this? You need to pull yourself together. We have hands and feet; we can still make a living."

Hearing this made Lin Jian even angrier. He launched into another round of kicks and punches at Liu Yuemei.

"Damn it, you're so full of talk? Then what are you waiting for? Get the hell out and make money for me..."

Bang!

Suddenly, the basement door was slammed open.

Mother and son both looked over to see a simple yet terrifying face.

"You two, my young master Lin requests your presence."

Young master Lin?

Lin Ran?

Both Liu Yuemei and Lin Jian were startled in their hearts.

Lin Ran was no longer the useless pushover they could bully at will.

They knew clearly that if they fell into Lin Ran's hands, nothing but endless torment awaited them.

"No, we're not going."

Abu frowned. "That's not for you to decide."

With that, he stepped towards the mother and son.

Lin Jian/Liu Yuemei: "Don't come any closer—"

By the crocodile pond at Dongtian Manor, Lin Ran was tossing pieces of meat one by one. Several crocodiles wriggled their plump bodies to snatch them.

Just as he was feeling bored, Abu arrived with the people.

"Young master Lin, they're here."

Lin Ran looked at the two sacks Abu was carrying and nodded.

"Pour them out."

Abu dumped the two unconscious individuals from the sacks and had them revived.

When the two came to and realized their surroundings, they were terrified into silence.

"Bro-bro-bro-brother..."

"Stop clucking." Lin Ran's single sentence shut Lin Jian up.

Liu Yuemei glanced at Lin Ran and deeply bowed her head, silently chanting, "Don't see me, don't see me."

"Heh, please, you two." Lin Ran made a "please" gesture. The mother and son looked confused.

Seeing neither of them move, Lin Ran said impatiently, "Invite them over to watch the show."

Bodyguards hauled the two up and made them look at the crocodiles inside the enclosure, mouths open, waiting to be fed.

Lin Ran threw a piece of meat with bone into the pond.

With a crunch, the bone and meat shattered. The crocodile that got the food began to swallow.

Lin Ran fed them casually while speaking nonchalantly, "Let me give you a little science popularization. These are Siamese crocodiles, found in Southeast Asian countries. They're an internationally endangered protected species, and a first-class protected animal here in China as well. Privately hunting or raising them is illegal..."

Both Liu Yuemei and Lin Jian were bewildered. They didn't understand why Lin Ran was saying this, and didn't dare ask.

Lin Ran didn't even look at them, throwing down another piece of meat.

Crunch!

The sound of the crocodile's jaws snapping shut made their scalps crawl. A smile gradually curled at the corner of Lin Ran's mouth.

"Thinking about it, it's such a pity. I've actually killed dozens of these rare crocodiles. How many years do you think I'd have to spend inside if someone found out?"

Lin Ran's question left Liu Yuemei and Lin Jian even more confused.

Lin Jian even pointed at himself, "Huh? A-asking me? Well... hunting first-class protected animals... in serious cases, maybe more than five years?"

Lin Jian obediently answered the question. Lin Ran finally turned his head to look at the mother and son.

When he saw Liu Yuemei's bruised and swollen face, the smile on his lips grew wider.

This Lin Jian fellow was quite ruthless towards his only remaining family. Quite a character.

"Didn't expect you to know a bit about the law. But you still don't understand what I'm trying to say."

With that, Lin Ran walked up to Lin Jian, revealing a sinister smile.

"I've killed dozens of Siamese crocodiles, yet I haven't been caught. Moreover, I can continue raising them without any restraint. Do you understand now?"

After processing this, Lin Jian's eyes widened instantly. He looked at Lin Ran with horror.

Liu Yuemei still didn't grasp Lin Ran's meaning, but her fear was no less than Lin Jian's.

"Ra... Ran... Mom... I... I don't like crocodiles. C-can you let me go?"

Lin Ran turned his head to look at this master manipulator, Tier T0 brainwasher, and felt a wave of amusement.

Were Liu Yuemei's brainwashing skills really that high? Not necessarily.

It was just that she happened to encounter a fool like Lin Tianba.

In his past life, he himself had been a fool, but now he had woken up. Looking back as an outsider, Liu Yuemei's tricks were just so-so.

In this lifetime, she had only managed to manipulate one person: Lin Tianba.

Apart from Lin Tianba, she couldn't brainwash anyone else.

Now, she couldn't even control her own son, who felt free to beat and curse her, his own mother.

Pathetic and laughable.

Thinking this, Lin Ran genuinely laughed out loud, though the laughter carried a terrifying force.

Seeing Lin Ran's smile, Liu Yuemei felt chills run through her body.

Why hadn't she noticed how frightening Lin Ran was before?

Lin Ran was quite satisfied with Liu Yuemei's current state.

"Crocodiles, like people, are protected by law. If killing crocodiles isn't a crime for me, do you think killing you would be a crime?"

Liu Yuemei felt her mind go boom. She finally understood what Lin Ran was implying.

Lin Ran retracted his smile and casually tossed out a lamb leg, which flew accurately into a crocodile's mouth.

The crocodile's jaws snapped shut with a sharp crack, shearing through flesh and bone in one clean bite.