"Lin Xuan, that ungrateful son again!" Jiang Shuqin trembled with rage.
"That Lin Xuan! He’s been opposing Starlight Group all along, and he still is!"
She regretted it deeply.
Back then, she shouldn’t have been soft-hearted—just abandoning him in the wilderness. She should have killed him outright!
"What should we do now, Wan'er?" Jiang Shuqin asked frantically.
Was the Lin family truly doomed?
Because the Lins were wealthy, people outside treated her with respect. But if Starlight Group went bankrupt, those same people wouldn’t even spare her a glance.
And the Jiang family!
Her so-called "dear father" and "dear brother" would surely kick her while she was down!
Lin Qingwan sighed. "Mom, we can only take things one step at a time now."
"Jiang Shuqin, if you hadn’t given birth to such a disgraceful son, would our company be in this state?" Lin Chang said darkly.
"My son?" Jiang Shuqin gritted her teeth. "Was I the only one involved in making him? Lin Chang, he’s your blood too!"
Lin Qingwan rubbed her temples.
"Mom, Dad, stop arguing. We need to think of a way to deal with this." Seeing Lin Chang and Jiang Shuqin on the verge of another fight, she quickly intervened.
As she spoke, a deep sense of helplessness washed over her.
A solution?
What solution could there possibly be?
Her father had personally admitted to the media that Starlight Group plagiarized Skyline Games. The matter was already set in stone.
And the company’s other games had been ruined by Little Xuan.
The gaming division had no chance of recovery.
Without the entertainment and gaming sectors, how long could Starlight Group last?
Suddenly, Lin Chang’s eyes lit up with an idea.
"Wife, there’s still one way to save the company from bankruptcy." He grabbed Jiang Shuqin’s shoulders, excitement flashing across his face.
"What way?" she asked, frowning.
Lin Chang: "Your father. Your father is the chairman of Jiang Corporation. If he steps in, he’ll definitely help us through this crisis."
"No!" Jiang Shuqin shoved his hands away, her expression grim.
"I swore I’d never return to the Jiang family. I’ve completely cut ties with them. I won’t go begging to them!"
If she went back now, they’d mock her mercilessly!
She had her pride.
She would never ask the Jiangs for anything!
"Wife, we’re out of options. Asking the Jiangs for help is our only way out!"
Jiang Corporation ranked among the top ten companies in the country, with military-political connections, vast networks, and immense wealth.
If the Jiangs intervened, Starlight Group would surely survive this crisis!
"I will never bow my head and apologize to them."
Jiang Shuqin was unyielding.
Since they had disowned her, she would never have anything to do with the Jiang family again.
How could she possibly go begging to them now?
"Wife," Lin Chang took a deep breath, trying to coax her, "I know you and the Jiangs had a falling out, but this is an emergency."
"Just this once. Once they help us, we’ll never ask them for anything again."
"Not even once."
Jiang Shuqin’s reply was firm.
"So you’re really refusing?" Lin Chang’s face darkened.
"Absolutely."
SLAP!
Unable to contain his fury, Lin Chang struck Jiang Shuqin hard across the face.
"Mom!" Lin Qingwan rushed to support her.
"Jiang Shuqin, all you do every day is play mahjong, go shopping, and pamper yourself. For decades, you’ve lived off me, enjoying a life of luxury without lifting a finger."
"And now, when I ask you to do one thing, you refuse? Jiang Shuqin, have you no shame?"
Lin Chang glared at her with burning eyes.
"I lived off you?" Jiang Shuqin roared, her eyes red. "If I hadn’t repeatedly taken money from the Jiang family to fund your ventures, would you even be where you are today?"
"And if not for you, I’d still be the Jiang family’s beloved daughter! I wouldn’t have to endure this humiliation!"
Clutching her stinging cheek, Jiang Shuqin was overwhelmed with bitterness.
Back when she was with the Jiangs, her father and brother had doted on her endlessly.
But after marrying Lin Chang, she’d even had to watch her spending.
She once thought Lin Chang truly loved her, that she was happy.
But the truth?
Lin Chang had kept a mistress!
She’d sent that woman to prison, only for him to replace her with others—women coming and going without end.
His past kindness had all been an act.
Hah!
She had married such a man!
She regretted it—deeply regretted it. She never should have married Lin Chang. But she refused to admit defeat to the Jiangs.
Besides, she hadn’t lost completely, had she?
She still had Li'er and her three obedient daughters.
Li'er was talented—he’d surely achieve great things. Wan'er owned a skincare company, and Yan'er was a famous celebrity.
Her children were all outstanding.
Thinking of this, Jiang Shuqin’s resentment eased slightly.
"Lin Chang," she sneered coldly, "if you don’t want this marriage anymore, then let’s end it."
Lin Chang did want out.
But he couldn’t agree—not when he might still need his children to support him later.
He couldn’t leave a bad impression on them.
"Unreasonable." With a dismissive wave, he stormed off to the bedroom.
Once he was gone, Lin Li approached.
"Mom, are you okay?"
"I’m fine." Jiang Shuqin shook her head.
She no longer cared about Lin Chang. No matter how he treated her, it didn’t affect her anymore.
She only hated her past self for being blind.
"Li'er." She smiled warmly. "Thank goodness I have you."
A son like Li'er was a blessing she must have earned over lifetimes.
Lin Li fell into thought.
From now on, he had to be cautious. Before the family recognition banquet, Lin Chang must not learn of his ties to the Jiang family.
Otherwise, Lin Chang would force him to beg the Jiangs for help.
If he did, his standing with the Jiangs would plummet.
But if he refused, Lin Chang’s attitude toward him would sour.
Though the Lin family was declining, a starved camel was still bigger than a horse. And Lin Chang still had considerable savings.
He couldn’t afford to break ties with him yet.
Besides guarding against the Lin family, his biggest concern was Lin Xuan.
He absolutely could not let Lin Xuan appear at his recognition banquet!
So tired… I still haven’t recovered.
Dear readers, how about some little gifts? Heart.
Thanks to "Meeting You Is Enough" and other lovely readers for the gifts!
Uu.
with countless casualties. As a top-tier gamer, Liu Xuan volunteered to join the fight, intending to dominate with his skills, but instead he obtained the hidden class: [Pacifist]. Unable to attack. Unable to use active skills. Fortunately, with each level gained, he acquired a new passive skill. And so, armed with a body full of passives, Liu Xuan slaughtered his way through the battlefield of ten thousand races! [You attacked Liu Xuan] [You gained the debuffs: 'Poison', 'Fear', 'Burning', 'Bleeding', 'Freeze', 'Silence', etc.] [Your attack speed has been reduced by 99%] [Your armor and magic resistance have been reduced by 99%] Warriors of the Ten Thousand Races: How the hell am I supposed to fight this?!
pression Bureau] Transported to a fantasy world overrun by demons and monsters, Gu Qingfeng becomes a jailer in the Demon Suppression Prison of the Great Yan Dynasty's Demon Suppression Bureau. From this point on, bizarre cases frequently occur in the Demon Suppression Prison, once known as hell on earth and infamous for its gloomy, terrifying atmosphere! Why do the demons and monsters in the prison wail miserably every night? Why has the corpse demon, capable of transforming into various beauties, donned black stockings and switched careers to become a foot massage therapist? Why has the eye demon, expert in soul-snatching and illusions, turned into a VR headset? Why is the fox spirit performing otaku dances? Are all these occurrences a twisted expression of demonic nature, or a descent into moral depravity? After peeling away layer upon layer of mystery, all clues ultimately point to a jailer named Gu Qingfeng. Gu Qingfeng: "Hehehe... My dear demons and monsters, whose card shall we flip today?"
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
