Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Lin Dongfeng hovered at the doorway, craning his neck, practically wanting to squeeze through the crack.

Normally, his good nephew, Lin Qingshi, never closed his office door when he was at the company, and he’d often work through lunch. But now, after knocking, there was still no sound. Where had he gone?

Remembering the task his elder brother had given him, Lin Dongfeng raised his hand again. Just as his knuckles were about to touch the door, it suddenly swung open with a *swish*.

Lin Dongfeng blinked.

Usually, at his height, he only needed to tilt his head slightly to see his nephew’s pleasing face. But now…

The distance was too close. He had to crane his neck until it ached just to make out the face.

And what a fiercely menacing face it was!

The person before him was clearly smiling, yet his expression was grim, a smile that didn't reach his eyes. With a forceful motion, he pressed a hand against Lin Dongfeng’s shoulder, pushing him back while stepping out himself. Yet, the door closed with surprising gentleness, making no sound at all.

Lin Dongfeng, initially startled, quickly recovered and recognized Sheng Lian. A look of displeasure crossed his face.

“Now, Young Sheng, is that how you treat your elders? Qingshi should really see what kind of partner he’s chosen. He’s always been the most courteous one—we all said back then that someone like you was unsuitable. If his grandfather were still alive, he’d never… Don’t blame me for speaking harshly, but since you’ve married into the Lin family, you ought to maintain its reputation when out in public. I’m only looking out for you. If you act rudely, it’s Qingshi who’ll lose face.”

Seeing that Sheng Lian remained silent, Lin Dongfeng grew bolder, fully embracing his role as the elder. Finally, he circled back to his original purpose: “Ahem, I have something to discuss with Qingshi. Call him out for me. He’s really grown slack recently. I always said the company shouldn’t have been handed over to someone so young…”

Despite the rare patience Sheng Lian had mustered, he couldn’t help but cut off the man’s endless drivel. “Tch. Had enough?”

“Wh-what?”

“I said, have you had enough? Even bullshit should have its limits. If it weren’t for Qingshi holding everything together, if it weren’t for our marriage and the Sheng family’s money, do you think you’d even be standing here talking?” Sheng Lian’s smile didn’t waver, and his voice remained low, careful not to disturb the finally calmed Lin Qingshi inside. Yet every word stabbed straight into Lin Dongfeng’s heart. “Someone like you—if not for Qingshi, you’d have been sunk by debt collectors long ago, wouldn’t you? Lin the Third?”

He had done his research on these useless relatives of the Lin family. Over the years, Lin Qingshi had cleaned up plenty of their messes. Old Master Lin had grown soft-hearted in his later years, unable to control his children even while alive—not one turned out well, yet he still shielded them. On his deathbed, he entrusted everything to Lin Qingshi. He had the heart to toughen Qingshi up, but with the entire family’s weight on his shoulders, no wonder twenty years of rest never cured him.

And yet, these people still had no self-awareness. They stubbornly believed the old man had favored Qingshi unfairly, handing him the company out of bias. They deluded themselves into thinking that if *they* were in Qingshi’s position, the Lin family would reach greater heights.

Was it because Lin Qingshi was too brilliant, too strong-willed, that all these fools assumed his position was effortless? That all he had to do was sit loftily, signing a few documents to keep the Lin empire running smoothly?

They never saw the nights Lin Qingshi spent burning the midnight oil!

Sheng Lian looked down at the middle-aged man before him—passably handsome but reeking of affectation—and sneered. “Garbage should know its place. Leeches shouldn't make waves unless they want to be squashed.”

Lin Dongfeng shook with fury. “Y-you… How dare you… Mmmph?! Mmmph?!”

“Tch. So noisy.”

Sheng Lian stuffed Lin Dongfeng’s own tie into his filthy mouth. Nowadays, he was something of a celebrity—otherwise, with the temper he’d had in his school days, he’d have given this man a beating he'd never forget in a back alley to teach him a lesson.

Lin Dongfeng’s eyes bulged, but Sheng Lian couldn’t be bothered to spare him another glance. He turned back inside, only to poke his head out again with a sinister warning: “Qingshi’s sleeping. Make another sound, and… Well, the old man never told me to take care of you lot when I married in. Want to test how far I'll go?”

By the time he’d entered the Lin family, the old man hadn’t been in any state to speak.

Lin Dongfeng broke out in a cold sweat under that gaze, stiffly nodding, too terrified to make a sound. Even as he stumbled away on weak legs, he took care to tread lightly, his footsteps barely audible.

Lin the Third scurried off to tattle to his eldest brother.

Meanwhile, Sheng Lian carefully tucked the blankets around Lin Qingshi, checked the room temperature, and confirmed that he was still sleeping soundly before finally relaxing.

Since his pregnancy, Lin Qingshi’s sleep had grown restless. He woke easily—waking naturally was fine, but if startled by noise or nightmares, he'd feel unwell afterward.

Sheng Lian retreated quietly.

He had always believed in keeping things civil for the sake of business, maintaining a smiling facade in public. But at his core, he was still that hot-headed delinquent. The rumors Sun Si had heard back then weren’t fabricated—he knew exactly how to handle different people. Back when he was working his way up, he’d played the humble subordinate, downing drinks and laughing along at banquets without hesitation. But now that he’d risen, if anyone dared displease him, he had the means to ruin them completely—all depending on his mood.

Right now, the Lin relatives were clearly scheming. He didn’t believe Lin Qingshi was unaware—if anything, after disappearing under the guise of recuperation for so long, only to suddenly appear at the company today, Qingshi was definitely scheming something.

And Sheng Lian was completely in the dark.

But that was fine.

He dialed a number.

He’d handle these pests in his own fashion, so they wouldn’t drain Lin Qingshi’s energy.

Better to spend that effort thinking about what to eat for dinner.

*

---

Lin Qingshi opened his eyes.

The curtains were drawn tightly, leaving the room pitch-black. The warmth beside him was gone, but the heating was strong enough that he didn’t feel the cold. He changed clothes unhurriedly, and by the time he stepped into his office, he was once again the coolly authoritative President Lin.

Still, the nap had done him good. His complexion was noticeably better than his icy demeanor that morning, his features softened slightly.

The moment he appeared, the entire company snapped to attention. As he prepared to resume meetings, Lin Qingshi glanced around but didn’t spot Sheng Lian. There were no messages on his phone either. Frowning slightly in puzzlement, he quickly refocused on work.

Time ticked by. Thanks to his efficiency, he managed to clear most of the backlog before the end of the workday.

This time, Lin Qingshi kept track of the clock, waving his subordinates away with a dismissive gesture.

The rare sight of their boss leaving on time left the employees exchanging bewildered looks, silently giving Sheng Lian credit in their hearts.

Who would’ve thought President Lin would turn out to be the family-oriented type after marriage? No wonder he’d been gradually handing power to Young Master Lin—he was planning to retire into family life!

Though… where *was* Sheng Lian tonight?

Lin Qingshi hadn’t dismissed everyone early for dinner.

Sheng Lian had probably returned to his own company. Lin Qingshi didn’t dwell on it, sitting calmly behind his desk as if waiting for someone.

Outside, just as he’d expected, footsteps approached.

Predictably, there was no knock. Lin Donghai pushed the door open with a smile. “Qingshi, it’s been so long since we’ve talked. You haven’t been to the company or the family home lately—we’ve all missed you. How about dinner with your uncle tonight? Give me some face?”

Lin Qingshi gave a cold nod, signaling for him to lead the way.

Lin Donghai gritted his teeth inwardly. Lin Qingshi had never shown them any respect, even though *he* was the elder—Old Master Lin’s firstborn! By all rights, the family business should’ve been his, not this sickly nephew’s!

And yet, all he got was a meager share of dividends to scrape by on.

Lin Qingshi was formidable—over the years, Lin Donghai had tried countless schemes, overt and covert, yet not a single one had succeeded. But he’d never accepted defeat. A month ago, when Lin Qingshi suddenly secluded himself, refusing all visitors, he’d thought the man was finally on his deathbed. He’d started laying the groundwork again—Lin Qingqing was far easier to handle than her brother. Just as he was about to succeed, Lin Qingshi had reappeared!

This stumbling block *had* to be removed.

Following behind Lin Qingshi, Lin Donghai’s eyes burned with malice as they lingered on his nephew’s slender frame.

Lin Qingshi sighed inwardly, shaking his head slightly.

Even their schemes were laughably transparent. These uncles of his were nothing but clowns.

Still, these old-timers had been embedded in the Lin Corporation for too long. Lin Qingqing would’ve struggled to deal with them. This time, he’d uproot them all in one sweep. The Lin Group needed surgery—to cut away the rot. Each man harbored his own calculations.

Maintaining a facade of harmony, the two arrived at the hotel Lin Donghai had booked.

"Qingshi, your third uncle and the others are all waiting for you. Come, come, tonight we..."

Lin Donghai pushed open the banquet room door with a smile, only to freeze like a strangled rooster—his annoying voice abruptly cut off.

The family was indeed all present.

—But, but why were there some unexpected additions?!

The entire Lin clan was tied to chairs, forced to sit across three large tables, their mouths stuffed to silence them. They could only stare in terror at the doorway, desperately pleading for help from their respected eldest brother.

The scene was absolutely shocking.

Even Lin Qingshi, who rarely showed emotion, couldn't help but reveal a hint of surprise.

What kind of show was this?

"Oh, you're here!"

Sheng Lian cheerfully appeared from behind Lin Qingshi, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and pulling him close.

He ignored the jaw-dropping spectacle entirely, instead scolding Lin Qingshi affectionately, "Working overtime again, huh? Come on, hurry up and eat—you'll get a stomachache later. And you made the elders wait so long... Sit down first, yeah?"

His audacious takeover made it obvious—anyone with half a brain wouldn’t believe this elaborate setup had nothing to do with him.

Uncle Lin trembled as he pointed at Sheng Lian. "Y-you—what did you do?!"

Sheng Lian lazily spared him a glance. "Ah, there's one more."

With a wave of his hand, two burly men in black silently materialized, seizing Uncle Lin by the arms and "escorting" him to his seat.

Uncle Lin was no match for them. Cursing and thrashing in his flabby struggles, he ended up panting and tightly bound—his face flushing crimson from the overly tight bonds.

Lin Qingshi shot Sheng Lian a sidelong glance but remained neutral about his actions, allowing Sheng Lian to guide him to the vacant seat at the head of the table.

The only one left ungagged, Uncle Lin grew even more agitated, puffing up in outrage. "You two disrespectful whelps! Untie us this instant!"

"Lin Qingshi! Don’t think we tolerate you out of respect—you don’t know your place! Just a half-dead sickly man! We were *kindly* offering to share the company’s burdens, yet you hoard power like a miser! Huh? You just want to hoard the Lin Group for yourself! Even at death’s door, you still crave playing emperor?!"

The repeated mentions of death were especially offensive.

A single look from Sheng Lian, and someone promptly silenced Uncle Lin.

Still smiling, Sheng Lian’s eyes darkened. "We’ll cut out your tongue first—accidentally falling onto a cleaver, Uncle. Such *terrible* luck."

Uncle Lin turned pale, hyperventilating with fear.

Lin Qingshi didn’t even bat an eye, unfazed by the insults. He didn’t react to Sheng Lian’s intimidation either, merely sipping water to wet his lips.

Expressions took effort—he’d worked hard all afternoon. Why waste energy on doomed trash destined to die before him?

Lin Qingshi felt no attachment to these relatives. Learning they’d genuinely planned to drug him, his only reaction was disbelief—that his grandfather could have fathered such idiots.

And a sliver of relief—perhaps the old man hadn’t reincarnated yet. Seeing these idiots die before their time might bring him joy. An act of filial piety, in a way.

That Sheng Lian had intervened, though, was unexpected.

He’d wondered what Sheng Lian was up to all afternoon. Turned out he’d uncovered their plot and intercepted it.

...Sheng Lian’s success wasn’t unearned. As sharp as ever.

Had Sheng Lian been this reliable from the start of their marriage... Lin Qingshi’s thoughts briefly drifted before he pursed his lips and refocused. No use thinking about it.

In that case—Lin Qingshi tapped twice on his phone. Immediately, a flood of people entered, led by a square-jawed middle-aged man.

The vast banquet hall was nearly packed.

The relatives’ eyes bulged.

—Police!

It was over. *Completely* over!

The contraband they’d smuggled in secret—the very thing meant to harm Lin Qingshi—was a death penalty offense!

How had he found out?!

With irrefutable evidence—smuggling, trafficking, *and* attempted murder (the lightest charge of all)—they were handcuffed and hauled off without room for denial.

Finally settled. Though dealing with this wasn’t difficult (their blunders were glaringly obvious), handling it personally was cleaner. And more dignified—the Lin name couldn’t afford such a scandal. Internal strife was one thing; endangering society harmed both reputation and stocks.

Sometimes Lin Qingshi truly couldn’t fathom it—he’d provided these people with every comfort. Why they'd do this? Thankfully, his surveillance had been thorough, and he’d acted swiftly, preventing catastrophe.

Lin Qingshi rubbed his temples.

The empty hall now held only him and Sheng Lian.

"Let’s go. I’m hungry," he said casually, only to be pushed back into his chair.

Lin Qingshi: ?

He frowned. "What are you—"

Sheng Lian cut him off, face darkening. "You *had* to risk it?"

"What?"

"There were safer ways to handle this! Did you *have* to come for dinner? What if you’d accidentally consumed or breathed something in? Do you want to die?! Do you even realize how fragile you are right now? You’re pregnant!"

Sheng Lian’s voice intensified, though he kept it low, veins bulging at his temples.

Since Lin Qingshi’s pregnancy, Sheng Lian hadn’t even frowned at him, let alone raised his voice.

Being spoken to so harshly now frosted over Lin Qingshi’s expression.

He *never* acted recklessly. No one valued his life more than he did! And if not for Sheng Lian, would he even be in this precarious state? How *dare* Sheng Lian challenge him this way?

Just as he began to retort, his brow furrowed.

Something was... off.

Why was his vision suddenly blurring?