Chapter 84: 84, The gambling continues!

“Ruoshan, if you knew it would come to this, why did you ever start? Sigh…” Seeing the scene unfold, Mr. Yuan Sr. wore a bitter expression as he shook his head. Behind him, the other members of the Yuan family were secretly relieved, their eyes showing lingering fear. They were thankful they hadn’t made the wrong choice just moments ago. Otherwise, they would have been the ones kneeling and begging for mercy right now.

“A moment ago, weren’t you all saying that Lin Fan was just bluffing and that he’d get you killed?” Yuan Youwei asked with a cold, mocking smile.

“That’s right. You even had the gall to ask Mr. Yuan Sr. to face death to ensure your own safety. How do you have the face to plead for mercy now?” Mrs. Xue’s cold eyes were sharp, her words filled with vindictive satisfaction.

“No, that’s not it! I was just panicking! It was a moment of impulse!” Yuan Ruoshan’s face flushed crimson. Behind his gold-rimmed glasses, his gaze was fraught with anxiety.

“We only listened to his damned lies!” a kneeling Yuan family member suddenly shouted, pointing a finger at Yuan Ruoshan with a mix of fear and anger. “Lin Fan, Mr. Yuan Sr., if you must punish someone, just punish Yuan Ruoshan! It has nothing to do with us!”

“If he hadn’t duped us so completely, how could we possibly have betrayed the Yuan family?”

“Exactly! It’s all Yuan Ruoshan’s fault! He deserves to die! He’s a heartless beast!” Seeing their chance, the others also began shouting, desperately shifting the blame.

“You… you…!” Yuan Ruoshan trembled all over, his knuckles cracking as he clenched his fists.

Beasts. They’re all beasts! Just a moment ago, they were eagerly following me like dogs to become traitors, and now they’ve sold me out in the blink of an eye? Damn it, they change their tune faster than you can flip a page!

“Second Brother! Second Brother, save me! Everything I did was for you!” Yuan Ruoshan yelled, crawling on his knees through the strange stares of the crowd. He reached Yuan Ruohai and desperately clung to his pant leg.

“You’re full of shit! Let go of me now!” Yuan Ruohai’s face turned green. He tried to kick his leg free as if avoiding the plague itself.

“Second Brother, how can you do this to me? I’ve worked so hard to protect Yuandao Pharmaceuticals for you, just waiting for you to return and take charge!” Yuan Ruoshan pleaded persistently, his face a mask of indignation as his voice choked with emotion. “Second Brother, for your sake, I made a four-billion-dollar bet with Lin Fan!” His eyes were bloodshot as he screamed hysterically, “I’ve practically bet my entire fortune!”

“Hmph. Don’t think I don’t know your little schemes,” Yuan Ruohai snorted, his expression turning even uglier. “Your bet with Lin Fan was just a ploy to replace me and take my position for yourself!”

“No, it’s not like that… I… I just wanted to temporarily hold down the fort for you, Second Brother!” Yuan Ruoshan’s face was beet red as he shook his head frantically. However, Yuan Ruohai couldn’t be bothered to listen anymore and nonchalantly moved to stand behind Lin Fan.

“Mr. Yuan Sr., this is a Yuan family matter, so it’s not my place to intervene. Please, handle it yourselves,” Lin Fan said with a slight frown, turning to the old man, whose face was a canvas of complex emotions.

Small fry like Yuan Ruoshan meant nothing to him. Their life or death hinged on a single thought. It wasn’t worth his effort to care.

After a moment of silence, Mr. Yuan Sr. spoke slowly and deliberately. “He is to be removed from all corporate positions, his family dividend shares confiscated, and he will be expelled from the manor. Henceforth, he may no longer claim to be a member of the Yuan family.” The old man then looked at the other kneeling family members, shaking his head. “As for the rest of you, if you wish to follow Yuan Ruoshan, then go with him.”

The hall fell into a dead silence, followed by a sudden, violent uproar. Some wailed loudly while others desperately kowtowed, begging for mercy. Still others stared blankly, their eyes filled with despair, before abruptly surging toward Yuan Ruoshan, punching, kicking, and screaming curses at him.

“I don’t accept this! I won’t accept this!” Yuan Ruoshan struggled to his feet, his face bruised and swollen. He tremblingly adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses. “For years, I, Yuan Ruoshan, have been loyal to the Yuan family and made countless contributions! On what grounds are you stripping me of everything?!” Then, he turned his furious gaze to Lin Fan. “Lin Fan! Don’t forget, our wager isn’t over yet!”

“What qualifications do you possibly have to continue that bet with me?” Lin Fan asked, finding the situation incredibly absurd.

This man has already been cast out like a stray dog, yet he’s still unwilling to give up control of Yuandao Pharmaceuticals?

“I still have the hundreds of millions I’ve accumulated over the years! I want to continue the bet! If I win, I must be the one in charge of Yuandao Pharmaceuticals!” Yuan Ruoshan’s eyes were crazed as he laughed viciously. “Do you dare? You’re guaranteed to lose!”

“Lin Fan, don’t pay any attention to him. He’s deliberately provoking you,” Yuan Youwei said softly, walking over to Lin Fan’s side after shooting Yuan Ruoshan a cold glance.

“That’s right, we don’t accept this either! We want to bet against Lin Fan, too!” the other banished family members chimed in, gathering around with reddened eyes.

“Fine. If you’re all so eager to hand me your money, I can’t say no,” Lin Fan replied, giving Yuan Youwei a reassuring look. He turned back to the crowd, his expression calm as he raised a single finger and wagged it. “I have about 1.4 billion in cash right now. If I lose, you can divide it all amongst yourselves. But if I win, you and Yuan Ruoshan will hand over every last bit of your fortunes to me!”

BOOM!

His resounding words landed like a thunderclap, and everyone’s expression changed instantly.

1.4 billion in cash! Damn it, it’s only been a few days! Where did this bastard get so much money?

Yuan Youwei and Mrs. Xue exchanged dumbfounded looks. Mr. Yuan Sr. seemed slightly moved. Only Stubborn Su Gang and Yuan Ruohai flushed with embarrassment, looking at each other without a word.

“Fine! I’ll take that bet! Let’s sign the contract right now!” Yuan Ruoshan shouted immediately, his voice a mixture of jealousy and elation.

“We’ll sign too! Whoever backs out is a son of a bitch!” the others roared, their eyes gleaming with greed as they nodded feverishly.

In their minds, there was no way Lin Fan could secure four billion in orders at the upcoming pharmaceutical conference. He was just bluffing to scare them. A 1.4 billion cash bet! Even if they only got a small piece of the pie, they’d be set for the rest of their lives! Oh, Lin Fan, so what if you’re powerful? The nine major pharmaceutical companies in Haicheng just jointly announced the success of their new drugs today, all to make a splash at the conference! You still dare to talk tough? When the time comes, not only will you suffer a humiliating defeat, you’ll also be our personal cash cow!

“Yuan Ruoshan, if you want to bet, I won’t stop you,” Mr. Yuan Sr. said indifferently, motioning for the managers to handle the scene without turning his head. “Considering our family ties, I’ve left you a way out. If you lose this bet, don’t come crying to me.”

“Hmph! A real man keeps his word!” Yuan Ruoshan retorted. He snatched the hastily drafted agreement and signed his name with a flourish. The others followed his example, signing without a moment’s hesitation.

“Lin Fan, you remember this! Your 1.4 billion, plus control of Yuandao Pharmaceuticals—I, Yuan Ruoshan, will have them!” Tossing the pen aside, Yuan Ruoshan strutted away in high spirits, leading his new group of followers.

Childish. Insisting on ruining themselves completely. Lin Fan shook his head, his gaze shifting back to Mr. Yuan Sr.

“Mr. Yuan Sr., it’s time we had a talk.”

“…Alright. To my study.” Mr. Yuan Sr., who had been pretending to direct the staff, couldn’t help but shudder. His expression shifted, but he turned back with a forced smile and nodded, his palms already dripping with cold sweat.

Will the Yuan family’s name be changed overnight, falling into the hands of an outsider? Right now, everything depends entirely on Lin Fan’s mood.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep