Chapter 163: 163. Lin Fan’s Achilles’ heel!

“…Ah, the network signal must have been bad just now. The screen froze.”

A moment later, Shen Yueli came to her senses and hastily forced a smile. She and Ying Wenyuan exchanged a few more words, but her mind was clearly elsewhere.

Haicheng, the Yuan family… Lin Fan? No, that’s impossible. He couldn’t possibly have such ability.

After closing the video window, Shen Yueli’s smile vanished suddenly, her expression becoming unpredictable.

I’ve been careless, truly careless. Who could have anticipated that a minor family from the Southwest provinces would produce someone like Yuan Ruohai? My intention was to use another’s hand to kill him, to eliminate him with a casual flick. Now, it seems this might cause an enormous disaster! If Yuan Ruohai finds out and then makes things difficult for Wen Yuan during the project’s signing process…

Shen Yueli shuddered, and beads of cold sweat appeared on her smooth forehead.

This is a national-level, super-major project involving over three hundred seventy billion! Even Ying Wenyuan himself couldn’t bear the responsibility for any slip-ups!

At that moment, Shen Yueli felt as if her head was about to explode, and she could no longer remain calm. She quickly swung her legs out of bed and, shoving her feet into her slippers, was about to step out and call for someone.

Just then, a short, skinny old man with his hands tucked in his sleeves materialized silently at the door. “Madam, Ah Lu just called,” he reported, bowing his head to Shen Yueli. “She said that she botched the job and needs us to send someone to rescue her.”

“Did she… did she say anything about the Hai City Yuan Family? What about Lin Fan? Is Lin Fan dead?” Shen Yueli dragged the old man into the bedroom. Then, after glancing left and right outside the door, she closed it firmly with a grim expression.

Turning back, she breathed erratically and pressed him in a tense, hurried voice.

“Ah Lu failed. The female assassin we hired for a hefty price turned out to be one of Lin Fan’s people,” the old man stated calmly, his head still bowed. “The Han family also failed. The men they brought were all killed by Lin Fan, who returned just in time. The young master has now sent more people to the provincial capital of the Southwest, preparing to wipe out the Han family overnight.”

“Phew… Luckily, there’s still time to fix this. Uncle Qian! Now we can only rely on you to personally take action and erase all traces!” Shen Yueli heaved a long sigh of relief. Then, her eyebrows knitted tightly, and she gave the wizened old man a stern command. “Wen Yuan cannot find out that I made a move against the Hai City Yuan Family, or he’ll hate me to death!”

“You must leave now. Go to Haicheng first and kill Ah Lu and the others. Leave no loose ends!”

At these words, the old man known as Uncle Qian’s eyes twitched slightly before returning to their calm state. Ah Lu had grown up with Shen Yueli as her personal maidservant. While they might not have been as close as sisters, she was undoubtedly a most trusted confidante. Yet now, Shen Yueli had ordered her death without so much as blinking, a testament to her absolute ruthlessness.

“…Madam, what about the young master? Do you need me to take action there?” Uncle Qian asked in a low voice.

“Forget it. Don’t touch him for now. We’ll plan slowly after things are settled on Wen Yuan’s end,” Shen Yueli hesitated for a moment before deciding against it.

Now is a critical time for our dealings with Sha Country. And since Lin Fan has deep ties with the Hai City Yuan Family… stirring up too much trouble is likely to blow our cover!

“Madam, I owed you three favors, and now only one remains. I hope you will keep your promise and ensure the safety of my adopted daughter,” Uncle Qian said with a nod, bowing as he turned to leave.

“Rest assured. As long as you remain loyal to me, your adopted daughter will live well in that place,” Shen Yueli replied. Her brows twitched slightly as she watched the old man’s figure disappear into the depths of the night-shrouded courtyard.

After closing the door, her mood remained unsettled for a long time. She took out her phone again and made several calls in succession. Once everything was handled, Shen Yueli clutched the front of her dress, her erratically heaving chest gradually calming down. She looked out the window in the direction of Haicheng.

Hmph, to think that you, Lin Fan, would stumble into a protective talisman by pure chance. But so what if you survive this time? If you dare take a single step into the Imperial Capital, what awaits you is more than just the towering fury of the Ying family!

「At this moment, within the Hai City Yuan Family estate.」

The night was deep, yet the estate was brightly lit and bustling with people. The floor tiles had been washed over and over again. The dark coffin, along with the mourning band, had been properly dealt with.

Lin Fan had brought a chair out and was sitting just outside the living room door, his eyes closed in expressionless repose. He was waiting—waiting for news from the provincial capital.

“Lin Fan, you should go rest in a guest room for a while,” came Mr. Yuan Sr.’s persuasive voice from behind him.

Lin Fan opened his eyes and silently shook his head. “Tonight’s events… they all started because of me… I’m sorry. Once Wang Meng and his group return, I will use all of the Han family’s assets as compensation for the Yuan family.”

“Haha, we’re almost family. There’s no need for such formalities,” Mr. Yuan Sr.’s robust frame shook, and he couldn’t help but crack a wide, overjoyed smile.

Yuan Youwei and Mrs. Xue, who had followed, secretly shook their heads. The old man is great in every way, except he’s a bit greedy and stingy… but this time, his bet paid off. With the collapse of the Han family in the provincial capital, assets worth hundreds of billions have fallen into the Yuan family’s lap. Looking across the Southwest provinces, who could possibly rival Mr. Yuan Sr. now?

“This affair probably isn’t over yet. Everyone should stay vigilant,” Lin Fan said, hesitating for a moment but choosing not to explain further.

“Don’t worry! After the final day of the purchasing conference, I’ll take Youwei and personally go to the Wen family in the Imperial Capital. Whatever it takes, I will get that engagement called off!” Mr. Yuan Sr. said, shaking his head with a wide grin, his heart nearly bursting with joy.

Hundreds of billions in assets! Lin Fan is giving them away without even batting an eye. If a man like that became my grandson-in-law, I’d wake up laughing from my dreams!

Turning his head, the old codger began making desperate eye signals at Yuan Youwei. If we can’t secure Lin Fan quickly, it would be an affront to the opportunity heaven has given us!

Seeing this, Yuan Youwei pursed her red lips and rolled her eyes in exasperation. Of course I know what the old man means! But even if I take the initiative, I can’t just jump into bed with Lin Fan right away… Right now, he’s like a hedgehog covered in spines. It’s not just me; other women would also find it impossible to make a move. It’s infuriating, absolutely infuriating!

“Hello, Old Song?”

Just then, Lin Fan’s expression shifted as he pulled out his buzzing phone. The caller ID on the screen showed it was Old Song, the pharmacist from Su Pharmaceutical.

“Director Lin, there’s trouble! Something major has happened in Yuncheng!” Old Song’s hoarse and anxious cry came through the phone.

“What’s the situation? Speak slowly. With me here, you have nothing to fear,” Lin Fan said, his brow furrowing as his heart sank.

No wonder Director Shen’s Yunhai Group booth was completely empty at the conference today. And with Old Song calling this late at night, it must be an absolute emergency!

“Director Shen’s Yunhai Group… it’s been seized by a few people from the Imperial Capital!” Old Song’s voice broke, thick with grief and resentment. “Old Master Shen Wenqing was so enraged he had a heart attack and died right in the conference room! Director Shen refused to submit, but he was captured by those men! They said they were taking him back to the Imperial Capital to face punishment from the Shen family’s main branch!”

CRACK!

Lin Fan gripped his phone tightly, his eyes blazing with fury. The solid sour jujube wood chair beneath him instantly shattered, its fragments flying in all directions.

“Who did it? WHO?” Lin Fan roared, clenching his teeth.

“I-I’m not sure. I was just hiding outside the conference room. I vaguely heard them say they were from the main branch of the Shen family in the Imperial Capital. There was also a young Goryeo man, who seemed to be referred to as some ’Young Master Jin’ from the Guxin Group!” Old Song sounded on the verge of tears, his voice breaking repeatedly. “Director Lin, I couldn’t think of anyone else who could save Director Shen! I can only beg you to help. Director Shen is a truly good man!”

“…Alright, I understand. Don’t do anything rash. Just stay at home and wait for news from me.”

After hanging up, Lin Fan stared coldly in the direction of the Imperial Capital, his gaze chillingly icy.

The Shen family of the Imperial Capital? Aside from Shen Yueli’s family, I can’t think of any other clan that would dare to act so outrageously! Very well. You like targeting the people around me, do you? To hell with holding back!

“Mr. Yuan Sr., Youwei, I must leave now. I’ll meet you in the Imperial Capital after I’ve handled my business,” Lin Fan stated gravely. Disregarding the shocked expressions on the faces of Mr. Yuan Sr. and the others, his figure vanished from the spot.

A dragon has reverse scales; to touch them is to invite its wrath. He, Lin Fan, also had a reverse scale—those who had shown him kindness. Today, Shen Yueli had touched that scale. Not once, but three times.

Alright then. Don’t blame me for risking it all to make you beasts pay your debt in blood!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep