Chapter 36: 36. Already too high to climb!

“Hmph, pay respects? Your mother, Lin Suxin, no matter how you put it, was just a clinic physician. What makes her worthy of our respects?”

Hearing this, Su Mengqing gritted her teeth, pointed at Lin Fan, and shrieked, “Members of the Yuan family, don’t you dare believe his nonsense! He’s not only a heartless monster who intentionally leaked our Su Pharmaceutical’s product formulas, causing our stock to plummet and bankrupting countless people, but he’s also a murderer! Just now, at the Black Tiger Building, Tingting and I saw it with our own eyes—Lin Fan killed Young Master Chen and several hundred others!”

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was utterly shocked.

So the shocking collapse of Su Pharmaceutical’s stock was also his doing? Who on earth is this kid? When he makes a move, he wipes out billions from the Su family’s market value! And on top of that, he even eliminated the notoriously vicious Black Prince of Haicheng!

Noticing the stunned looks on everyone’s faces, Su Mengqing’s lips curled into a malicious, triumphant smile. “Lin Fan, I don’t know what sweet nothings you’ve used to deceive that young lady from the Yuan family.”

On the way here, they had run into Mr. Wang Sr. and his group, who were also rushing to the Yuan estate to see what was happening. Su Mengqing had immediately told them everything, instantly inciting public outrage against Lin Fan. Everyone declared that he must be punished severely as an example to others.

Seeing Lin Fan become the target of public criticism made Su Mengqing feel incredibly smug. Once the Yuan family isn’t backing you, what can you possibly do, Lin Fan? You’ll never be able to withstand the wrath of the Black Tiger Hall and the other tycoons of Haicheng!

“Lin Fan! You can’t hide your crimes from everyone any longer! Today, I’m going to ruin your reputation and make you the shame of Haicheng!” Su Mengqing yelled, tilting her chin up defiantly.

“That’s right!” Yang Tingting chimed in, stepping forward and nodding emphatically. “The Yuan family can’t let a scoundrel like him through your doors! Lin Fan is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Who knows, he might cause your family’s ruin next!”

Just then, Mr. Wang Sr. stormed forward, his face livid with fury. He pointed at Lin Fan and roared, “Lin Fan! So it was you who burned the ancient formula for the Bixia Pill! You fool! You absolute prodigal son! That night, I walked right past you! I was just a step too late to stop you from committing such a sacrilege!”

The old man was so furious that veins bulged on his forehead, his face twisting in rage, as if Lin Fan had just run off with his wife.

Lin Fan glanced at Mr. Wang Sr., finding the whole situation absurdly comical. He shook his head and retorted coolly, “They were my mother’s things. Why couldn’t I burn them?”

“You! You incurably stupid bastard!” Wang Tianchuan was so choked with anger he nearly coughed up blood. Clutching his heaving chest, he seemed on the verge of a complete breakdown. “As long as I, Wang Tianchuan, am the president of the Medical Association for even one more day, I will never allow you to set foot in the Haicheng pharmaceutical industry!”

The ancient formula for the Bixia Pill was a treasure he had coveted for more than half his life! Fate had finally, miraculously, let him encounter it, yet it had been burned to ashes by the fool standing right in front of him!

An imperious-looking old man stepped forward and gently patted Mr. Wang Sr.’s back. Turning his head, the old man’s face was cold, and he didn’t even deign to glance at Lin Fan as he spoke. “Lin Fan, you freeloaded off the Su family for four years, yet you caused their stock to crash, instantly destroying four years of Director Su’s painstaking effort. I, Huang Jiacheng, put my word to it right here. None of the properties owned by my Haipu Industry will ever be sold or leased to you!”

This statement sent another stir through the crowd. This man was one of the four great tycoons of Haicheng, the famous real estate king, Huang Jiacheng! The Haipu Industry he founded controlled more than half of all the real estate in the city! To be blacklisted by him… Lin Fan would truly have nowhere to go. He would have no foothold left in this city at all!

“Yes, our Apparel Association will do the same!”

“Our Food and Beverage Association also refuses you, Lin Fan!”

“As will our Automotive Association, our Funeral Services Association, and our Aquatic Products Association!”

More and more business magnates stood up, glaring at Lin Fan in unison. These people controlled nearly every aspect of daily life in Haicheng—from clothing and food to housing and transportation. Now that they had all declared their stance, it was tantamount to the entire city rejecting Lin Fan’s very existence.

Seeing Lin Fan utterly discredited, Su Mengqing and Yang Tingting exchanged a look of triumphant victory. Su Mengqing pointed a finger at him, her eyes filled with supreme arrogance. “Lin Fan! Do you see this? This is the painful price you pay for betraying me, Su Mengqing! Even if you have hidden your true colors well, I, Su Mengqing, am still an existence you can never hope to reach! I gave you chance after chance, but you’ve done unforgivable things. Don’t you ever dream of remarrying me or setting foot in the Su family’s home again!”

Hearing this, Lin Fan was silent for a moment before he suddenly burst out laughing. “Su Mengqing, are you delusional? I already cut all ties with your family. Who the hell would want to go back to that pathetic household of yours!”

Ignoring Su Mengqing’s frozen, disdainful sneer, Lin Fan turned to scan Mr. Wang Sr. and the others. “As for the rest of you,” he said, his gaze sweeping over them, “you’re a complete joke to me. You think you can join forces to crush me?” He raised a single finger and wagged it slowly. “Sorry, but you’re simply not qualified.”

The bustling hall fell deathly silent in an instant. The expressions on the faces of Mr. Wang Sr. and the others changed drastically.

Arrogant! The man is utterly, unbelievably arrogant! He’s just a blind fool, a prodigal son who stupidly burned the ancient Bixia Pill formula! Where does he get the nerve to think he can stand against the entire Haicheng business community?

“Lin Fan, could you be any more shameless?” Su Mengqing’s face was as ugly as if she’d swallowed a dead fly. She had thought this grand display would frighten him into showing remorse, that he’d break down right on the spot. Who knew he would be so unbelievably stubborn? He even dared to mock Mr. Wang Sr. and all these other industry leaders! “You might act like you’ve got nothing to lose, but let me tell you, your death is imminent!”

Furious, Su Mengqing glared at Lin Fan through gritted teeth. “At this point, you’re not afraid at all? Or are you still clinging to the hope that the Yuan family will protect a piece of trash like you?”

“Su Mengqing, I believe you are the one who is mistaken.”

The next moment, before Lin Fan could respond, Yuan Youwei, who had been watching coldly from the sidelines, walked over to his side, followed by Mrs. Xue and Yuan Tao. She shot Su Mengqing a sidelong glance, and a sudden, cold smile bloomed on her face. “And the rest of you are also mistaken… It is not Mr. Lin who relies on us.”

A smile played on Yuan Youwei’s lips, but her beautiful eyes held a distinct chill as her gaze swept over Mr. Wang Sr. and the others. Then, she turned back to face Lin Fan.

THUD!

She dropped to one knee before him and declared with utmost sincerity, “Thank you, Mr. Lin, for protecting the Yuan family! I, Yuan Youwei, am eternally grateful!”

THUD! THUD!

Mrs. Xue and Yuan Tao exchanged a look before they too knelt on one knee and bowed their heads. “Thank you, Mr. Lin, for protecting our family!”

Next, the other members of the Yuan family, who had been hiding in the corners, all looked at one another. Then, in a great wave, they all knelt down before Lin Fan, bowing low and crying out in unison, “Thank you, Mr. Lin, for protecting the Yuan family!”

Holy crap, what is happening? Have all the members of the Yuan family gone completely insane?!

Seeing this, Mr. Wang Sr. and the other tycoons were so shocked their jaws dropped to the floor. Yuan Ruohai’s face was ashen, his eyes filled with bitterness and despair. As for Su Mengqing and Yang Tingting, they were completely dumbfounded, unable to process what they were seeing for a long moment.

They had always thought Lin Fan had just hooked up with some ordinary girl from the Yuan family. Who could have possibly imagined she was Yuan Youwei, the chosen successor of the entire clan! This was Yuan Youwei, the idol of thousands of women in Haicheng! Even Su Mengqing herself secretly saw her as a role model. How many times had she dreamed of one day becoming like her—the most powerful woman in the Haicheng business community!

Her vision swam and went dark, stars exploding behind her eyes. Su Mengqing’s face turned deathly pale, the ground seeming to fall away from beneath her feet.

I thought I had him completely cornered, crushed under my heel. I never, ever imagined that he would earn the reverence of the entire Yuan family! Instead of me being out of his league, he has become an untouchable existence for me! Why? Why in God’s name is this happening?!

Su Mengqing trembled all over, feeling as if a massive boulder was crushing her chest. The pressure was so intense, so unbearable, that she felt she was going mad, that she was about to suffocate.

“If you think that’s still not enough, then you can add me, this old mess, to the list.”

Just then, a raspy, ancient voice echoed from the memorial hall outside. Everyone’s head whipped toward the sound, their expressions changing in an instant!

To their amazement, Mr. Yuan Sr., dressed in his burial clothes, was climbing out of his coffin

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep