Though the Lin Family had taken a step back and apologized to Qin Sheng, he remained still and pretended that he had nothing to do with the game. Lin Changhe was out of patience and annoyed, but he couldn’t avoid doing whatever Qin Sheng wanted him to do and saying whatever Qin Sheng wanted him to say. The Lin Family couldn’t afford another round of fighting.
Qin Sheng didn’t mean to be cruel and cold, but he had been insulted too much by the Lin Family, who didn’t feel guilty at all about their shameful behaviors. Simply apologizing by no means made up for any hurt the Lins had imposed on Qin Sheng. And the Lin Family didn’t do it out of honesty; it was no more than a temporary compromise due to the predicament they were in and the power that Qin Sheng had newly gained.
This would never, ever be a deal. Assassination required no apology, but just severe punishment by law. What Qin Sheng wanted was to make the Lin Family suffered a great loss and pay the price for what they’d done.
Qin Sheng had some guess in his mind about the Lins’ plan, but he didn’t imagine that the Lins would give in so soon. Apparently, Lin Changhe must have persuaded Lin Changting, or Lin Changting would never have allowed him to come.
Lin Changhe was not sure about Qin Sheng’s attitude, and now that he saw it for himself, he had no idea how to deal with this situation. He couldn’t help saying desperately, “Qin Sheng, you must have had a say in the Lin Family’s matters this morning. You are the first person who would do that.”
“Oh? Second Uncle, it seems that the Lin Family has gotten into some trouble, huh? Why don’t you tell me more? Maybe I can help.” Qin Sheng was still pretending, avoiding to start a real conversation with Lin Changhe.
Lin Changhe cursed Qin Sheng privately, but spoke in a masquerading honest and sad tone. “Qin Sheng, today, on behalf of the whole Lin Family, I’m apologizing for what the family had done to you. If you let go of us, we’ll say no more words about your marriage with Susu.”
“Oh? This is an apology, in an arrogant tone, huh? Get a proper tone at first, Second Uncle, or you’re just doing one more thing to hurt me.” Qin Sheng finally responded directly. “As for the thing between Susu and I, you’ll ‘say no more words’? How dare you say so? Your Lin Family is disgusting me one more time. Think about who you are, and who I am. Just think about it.”
Lin Changhe never imagined that he in his 50s would be insulted by a young man. He was so irritated but had no means to fight back, considering the Lin Family’s dilemma.
“Qin Sheng, finally, how come you said you knew nothing about it?” Lin Changhe questioned him with his final shred of dignity, but he felt regret at once. Now he was begging Qin Sheng for help, and he shouldn’t have said that.
Qin Sheng lit a smoke and walked over to the French window beside him, peering at the busy sights of Ningbo Bund. “Fine, I recognize that I already knew that. So? What’re you gonna do?”
Lin Changhe sensed Qin Sheng’s rage and said hurriedly, “Qin Sheng, our Lin Family is honest about settling our conflicts from before. Tell us what you want, and we’ll do it if it’s reasonable.”
Qin Sheng heard that and erupted in laughter. “Second Uncle, I don’t think your Lin Family has the right to talk with me.”
He pointed at the skyscraper outside the window and said, “One sentence, with only one sentence of mine, all the achievements the Lin Family have made in Ningbo would become ash, and then you’d have to make incredible efforts to get them back, right?”
Lin Changhe, who had been a gentle person, was totally irritated by his threatening words and pointed at Qin Sheng, shouting, “Qin Sheng, how dare you treat us like this? Remember, a cornered beast will do something desperate!”
Qin Sheng burst out laughing like Lin Changhe was telling a really funny joke. “Second Uncle, really funny words. It’s my turn now to bully you. You can do whatever you can to fight back, I’m expecting your ‘something desperate’.”
Lin Yue heard the quarreling and rushed out to them. She asked anxiously, “Qin Sheng, Dad, what happened? Why are you quarreling again?”
Lin Yue offered them her puppy eyes, begging them to compromise and have no more conflicts.
Lin Changhe’s face became stone. “Susu, take Lin Yue away.”
Lin Su tugged on Lin Yue’s arm and took her back to the room, regardless of the sense of sadness of her face. When they were a distance away, Lin Su comforted her younger sister. “Don’t worry. It’ll be all right.”
Lin Changhe waited a while and then turned his eyes to Qin Sheng again. He wanted to keep his dignity as a father in front of Lin Yue at least. He was giving in for the Lin Family, rather than himself.
“Qin Sheng, you really want to ruin the Lin Family? Anyway, Susu is part of the Lin Family.” Lin Changhe had lost all his courage to confront Qin Sheng. At present, the Lin Family was not capable of fighting with Qin Sheng. Though he was still putting out harsh words, Lin Changhe had no idea of Qin Sheng’s real background and capability.
Qin Sheng sneered. “Second Uncle, does your family really treat Susu as a family member? Don’t you remember how you insulted her with sharp words the first time I went to your house?”
“Qin Sheng, I have no idea of what others have done, at least I haven’t done anything bad to Susu. I’d like to permit your relationship, but I had to consider the interests of the Lin Family. Lin Yue likes her elder sister so much, and the old lady also fancies Susu best. I have no reason to be hostile toward her. What’s more, the old lady is in a very bad condition, and she may pass away at any moment once she hears that the Lin Family is down.” Lin Changhe’s voice became lower and lower, and the final word seemed to use up all of his strength. Anyway, he had tried his best in this talk, no matter what Qin Sheng would do after.
Silence existed between Lin Changhe and Qin Sheng. Qin Sheng started to think about a proper price for the Lin Family to pay.
A few minutes later, Qin Sheng finally said, “Second Uncle, if you really want me to stop, the Lin Family has to be really honest. By the way, no matter what Susu said, I’ll never stop.”
Lin Changhe almost burst out crying and said hurriedly, “That’s fine. I can stand for the Lin Family to make the decision. We promise to be really honest.”
Qin Sheng wandered over to Lin Changhe and said, “Since you say so, then I’ll give you my price. What has happened to the Lin Family was done by my Qin Family, as did what happened to Lin Songhao that night. Of course, last year, your big projects were also destroyed by the Qin Family. Just small cases.”
Qin Sheng’s words contained a great deal of information, which astonished Lin Changhe. First of all, he had guessed that the incidents happening to the Lin Family and Lin Songhao were all done by Qin Sheng, but he didn’t imagine that Qin Sheng was so arrogant and assertive to recognize those things directly. Secondly, he didn’t imagine that what happened to the Lin Family last year was also done by Qin Sheng, which was totally out of his expectation. And last but not least, Qin Sheng mentioned the Qin Family.
What Qin Family? They had no idea of this mysterious family and Qin Sheng’s connection to it. And Qin Sheng had never used this identity before.
“I want two things.” Qin Sheng didn’t explain more to Lin Changhe but just continued on.
Lin Changhe stopped thinking and said, “Say it. Our Lin Family promises to do them if we can.”
“If you can? Second Uncle, is that your honesty?” Qin Sheng asked in a playful tone.
Lin Changhe gave in and said, “Fine, I was wrong. We’ll do anything you want.”
Qin Sheng hummed and continued. “First, I’ll accompany Susu to visit her grandmother. When I arrive at the Lins’ house, all those who insulted Susu and me when I went there the first time should be there and apologize to us. And I mean ‘all’, is that understood?”
“I’ll do it,” Lin Changhe responded without hesitation. Even his elder brother had promised to lower his head to Qin Sheng, let alone others.
“The second is quite simple. Give Susu 40% share of the Lin Family’s enterprise to make up for what you’ve done to her,” Qin Sheng continued.
Lin Changhe was astonished by this. “What? 40%?”
Qin Sheng squinted with a sense of threatening. “Too much? Or if the Lin Family is down, she can take it all.”
Lin Changhe couldn’t help saying, “I didn’t mean that, Qin Sheng. But this is quite… I have to consult the others in the family. I can’t make this decision by myself. Is that OK?”
Qin Sheng understood this and didn’t insist. He smirked and said, “All right, but I don’t like to wait. If you haven’t gotten a result by evening, I’ll take it as your refusal. Then, you know.”
“Fine, I must get a satisfying result for you before sunset.” Lin Changhe nodded with his eyebrows pulled together in worry.
Since a proper price had been offered, Qin Sheng was relaxed to wait for the result, but the pressure imposed on the Lin Family wouldn’t stop before he got what he wanted. Qin Sheng waved to ask him to leave. “Go home and do your discussion then. I hope you give me a satisfying conclusion.”
Lin Changhe offered a forced smile and left immediately, even forgetting to ask Lin Yue to follow. He didn’t want to waste any time now.
Since Lin Changhe left, Qin Sheng sipped the tea with satisfaction. “Nobody knows what the future holds, right?”