Chapter 27: The Other Side Loses Their Temper

The representative of the Lin family from Yanjing was beginning to feel anxious as well. If the source code couldn’t be found, while they themselves might not become scapegoats, many of their political partners, or those involved in this affair, would certainly be abandoned as the final scapegoats. Moreover, many would seize the opportunity to turn on their allies. Kicking someone when they’re down was common in high-level power struggles; after all, self-interest was eternal.

“Lin Yu, shouldn’t you go and pressure them? We can’t let this go on, we really can’t hold out much longer,” Wang Man said quietly to the Lin family’s representative, the pressure from home weighing heavily on him these days.

“I know, but how do I pressure them? These are all technical experts, and we know nothing about their work. They’re the ones in charge—who dares to say anything?” the Lin family’s representative snapped back at Wang Man, his own stress equally overwhelming.

Meanwhile, at the Lin family villa, Lin Chuanzi had chosen to stay home rather than go to the office. In recent days, although he’d maintained an appearance of normalcy at his company, his attention had been on Lin Feng’s business, his daily routine nothing more than a show for outsiders. Today, he waited at home for news. The Lin and Wang families in Yanjing still hadn’t found the source code at Future Tech. Although Lin Feng had given him a heads-up, and he’d mentally prepared, the current outcome brought him some relief. According to friends in Yanjing, some people were getting restless and preparing to take action.

In his room, Lin Feng had barely left for days, paying no attention to Ling Shixuan or his parents, who lived in the villa; even his meals were delivered by the housekeeper. After the market closed in the afternoon, Lin Feng and Mo Tian took stock of their profits. The day had been especially lucrative—not only had they earned five hundred million, but they’d also acquired a considerable amount of stock in those conglomerates.

“Heh, let’s keep playing with them tomorrow! Let’s see who caves first. It must feel like a slow boil for them—bet they’re loving it!” Lin Feng chuckled darkly to Mo Tian.

“Don’t laugh so wickedly. They won’t last more than three days, I’m sure of it. Want to bet?” Mo Tian analyzed from the side.

“Bet? No way. I’d have to be a fool to bet against you, Old Mo! Haven’t I lost every single time before?” Lin Feng retorted, annoyed, then turned on his computer to browse the latest news and forums. The chatter was all about his company. After a while, he fell into deep thought.

A knock on the door interrupted him. Who could it be at this hour? When Lin Feng opened the door, he was surprised to see Lin Chuanzi. He stepped aside, letting his father enter before closing the door.

Inside, Lin Chuanzi didn’t speak immediately. He surveyed the room before turning to Lin Feng. “Ah, it’s been ages since I came into your room. It’s changed quite a bit.”

“Changed? Has it? I hadn’t noticed—Dad, what do you mean?” Lin Feng was startled, wondering if his father had sensed something, and asked quickly.

“Back in the day, your walls were plastered with posters of beautiful celebrities, and your desk and bed were always a mess, scattered with entertainment magazines and newspapers. Look now—none of that remains, and everything’s so tidy,” Lin Chuanzi mused.

“Oh, that. Well, people change. I grew out of that phase and just cleared it all out. But, Dad, why are you home? Shouldn’t you be at the company around this time?” Lin Feng pressed, trying to calm his nerves.

“Heh, nothing in particular. It’s just that we haven’t talked in a while, so I thought I’d come by. How have you been these days?” Lin Chuanzi looked at his son.

“Oh, I’m fine. No worries at all. I imagine you know the ones who should be anxious aren’t me,” Lin Feng replied with a smile.

“Haha, that’s true—you’ve backed the other two families into a corner, and they won’t last much longer. The situation outside is turning more and more in your favor. The longer this drags on, the worse it is for them!” Lin Chuanzi said with a sigh. To think his son had managed to pressure two powerful families with a single company—that brought him both comfort and pride.

“This outcome was expected. As my company grows, others will always covet it. Hitting hard this time means the next person who tries will think twice,” Lin Feng replied, echoing a plan he and Mo Tian had devised from the start.

“Good, then I can rest easy. With you in charge, I’m not worried. By the way, about that girl, Ling—how do you plan to handle her?” Lin Chuanzi asked with a sly smile.

“That girl, Ling Shixuan? Why bring her up? She’s living here just fine, isn’t she? Why mention her now?” Lin Feng replied helplessly, wondering if his father had caught his mother’s habit of gossip.

“Oh, come now. Of course I know she’s living well here, but that’s exactly the problem. She has no connection to our family—she’s only here because of you. Once the Wang family matter is settled, or if another family comes along, will you do the same?” Lin Chuanzi said, clearly worried about Lin Feng’s emotional intelligence.

“That’s it? Dad, you can handle it. Don’t tell me you’ve taken a liking to her and are matchmaking on Mom’s behalf!” Lin Feng replied, exasperated.

“I haven’t. If you like her, your mother and I don’t mind—it’s up to you. I once wanted a daughter-in-law with business acumen because of you, but now I have no such plans,” Lin Chuanzi confided, taking advantage of this rare moment of open conversation.

“As long as you’re not here to play matchmaker—honestly, I thought Mom had sent you! Once this is over, her family will take her back. We needn’t worry. Next time, if it’s not directed at us, we stay out of it. After this, anyone targeting my company will be much more cautious, though the next opponent will be stronger, and more ruthless,” Lin Feng replied.

“You rascal, what do you mean I was sent by your mother? It’s just how I show affection. Don’t talk nonsense if you don’t understand. Anyway, your affairs are your own to handle,” Lin Chuanzi said, clearly nettled, and then turned to leave.

“Your father really cares about you,” Mo Tian remarked enviously after Lin Chuanzi left.

“Yeah. I didn’t get it before—I always thought he disliked me. Now I know it was just frustration that I didn’t live up to his hopes,” Lin Feng said, gazing out the window, his voice heavy.

“That was then. Now, you’re making him proud, and in the future he’ll be even prouder,” Mo Tian said, uncharacteristically earnest in his comfort.

“By the way, I’m curious—if the Lin family in Yanjing asks your father to plead on their behalf, will you let them off? They’re going to suffer heavy losses this time,” Mo Tian asked.

“That’s the hardest part for me. If Dad asks, I have to give him face, so the outcome depends on him. If he asks, I’ll comply. If he doesn’t, things will play out as they must,” Lin Feng replied seriously.

“Well, whatever the case, it’s your family’s business. I’ll just sit back and enjoy the show!” Mo Tian grinned, relishing the spectacle.

While Lin Feng and Mo Tian discussed the situation, Lin Yu, the Lin family’s representative in Yanjing, had just returned home.

“Still nothing?” Old Master Lin asked as soon as he saw Lin Yu’s downcast expression.

“No, we’ve checked every server at Future Tech and found no trace of the source code,” Lin Yu replied grimly.

“Keep looking! Whatever it takes, you must find the source code!” Old Master Lin thundered, slamming his hand on the table.

“Yes, we’re already conducting another thorough search,” Lin Yu answered quickly, seeing the old man’s anger.

“If we don’t find it, our family is in real trouble. All our allies involved will be purged,” Old Master Lin fretted.

“Grandfather, I think we need to prepare ourselves for the possibility that we won’t find it,” Lin Yu said, seeing the worry on the old man’s face.

“What? You think we won’t find it? You must find it!” Old Master Lin shot back, dissatisfied with Lin Yu’s attitude.

“We want to find it, but it’s been four days and we’ve checked everything—there’s nothing. Most importantly, does Lin Feng seem like someone who’s easily dealt with? Since we sealed his company, he hasn’t shown himself. This afternoon, I had people try to contact him, but his phone was off. I suspect the source code isn’t at Future Tech at all—it’s a trap Lin Feng set for us. Now I realize how ruthless this trap is: if we can’t get the source code, we’ll lose, and he doesn’t even need to fight back. I’m sure the code is at his family’s villa in Zhahai City, but we have no grounds to search there. He’s got us in a bind,” Lin Yu said with certainty.

Old Master Lin sat silent on the sofa for a long time after hearing this.

“Remarkable. I underestimated the son of the third branch—he played this hand brilliantly! I was puzzled why he seemed so unyielding yet took no action; turns out he’d planned everything from the start,” Old Master Lin said, crestfallen at being outmaneuvered by a grandson he’d never paid much attention to.

“Actually, Grandfather, I never agreed with going after him. He’s still Uncle’s son—family, after all. Besides, what we did was underhanded. If we’d taken his company, outsiders might gossip, but so what? If we fail and get played instead, losing our bargaining chip and our pride, we’ll be the laughingstock of all,” Lin Yu said quietly, glancing at his grandfather’s face and seeing no change before continuing.