The next day, everyone in the upper class of Jiangbei City heard the shocking news—Lin Tiannan had passed away. For a time, celebrities from all over the city rushed to the Lin Family Manor to pay their respects.
Lin Tiannan, the head of the Lin family, was a highly respected figure in Jiangbei City. Although he had gradually faded from public view in recent years due to a strange illness, no one had forgotten him.
At Jiangbei International Airport, Lin Fan stood in the waiting hall, anxious. He had traveled from Treasure Island and taken the first available flight back to Jiangbei City to see his father as soon as possible. For the past few days, his right eyelid had been twitching, filling him with a growing sense of unease. It was as if something terrible had happened to his father. Trusting his intuition, he wasted no time and rushed back home without delay.
After stepping out of the waiting hall, Lin Fan immediately hailed a taxi and headed towards the Lin Family Manor. Though he had been away for years, he still vaguely remembered the way home.
As he traveled the familiar roads, painful memories resurfaced. This was the same road from which he had been driven away by his father. No one in the Lin family had helped him back then, leaving him destitute and forced to survive on the streets. And the culprit behind it all was Liu Qiyue!
Thinking of Liu Qiyue, Lin Fan's heart burned with anger. If it weren't for her scheming and deceit, he wouldn't have suffered such humiliation and hardship.
"Driver, can you go faster?" Lin Fan urged impatiently. His anxiety was growing by the second.
"Handsome young man, this is already the fastest I can go. If I push any harder, I'll be speeding," the driver responded helplessly. He could see Lin Fan was in a hurry, but breaking traffic laws would only cause trouble for both of them.
Once he's photographed, not only will his work be in vain, but he'll also have to pay hundreds of yuan.
Without hesitation, Lin Fan pulled out a stack of cash from his pocket. "This is two thousand yuan—just step on it!"
The driver's eyes widened at the sight of so much money. Two thousand yuan was more than enough to cover several days' worth of fares. Without another word, he took the cash, floored the accelerator, and the taxi sped off at 130 km/h, racing toward the Lin Family Manor.
At the Lin Family Manor
The grand hall of the Lin family's villa had been turned into a mourning hall. White wreaths and paper figurines were placed on either side, while Lin Tiannan's body lay in the center. A luxurious coffin with golden borders stood nearby, waiting to be sealed.
Leading the mourning procession was Liu Qiyue, dressed in traditional mourning clothes. She and the other members of the Lin family were crying bitterly in front of Lin Tiannan's body. The hall was filled with wails and sobs, a display of grief. But among them, how many were truly mourning, and how many were merely acting?
Jiang Che stood silently before Lin Tiannan's black-and-white portrait, offering his own quiet farewell.
"Patriarch Lin, rest in peace. From now on, I will take good care of your family."
Then, his gaze shifted to Liu Qiyue. She was crying so dramatically that it seemed as though she would collapse from grief at any moment.
Jiang Che smirked. Anyone who didn't know better might assume she and Lin Tiannan had been deeply in love. But he knew better.
And Liu Qiyue's attire…
Women were often described as looking beautiful even in mourning clothes, and she was the perfect example. The fabric hugged her delicate figure, emphasizing her charm. Her status as a widow added another layer of allure. Jiang Che's mind involuntarily wandered to certain movies he had studied from Sakura Country…
Just then, Liu Qiyue caught his gaze and winked at him.
An old man from the Lin family approached Liu Qiyue and whispered, "Madam, the time has come. We should place the Patriarch into the coffin."
In Jiangbei City, tradition dictated that the deceased be placed into the coffin on the second day, witnessed by friends and family.
Liu Qiyue nodded, wiped away her tears, stood up, and signaled the younger members of the Lin family. "Proceed."
Several young men stepped forward, lifted the white cloth covering Lin Tiannan's body, and carefully carried him into the coffin. The lid was then sealed shut.
With the ceremony completed, the elders of the Lin family invited the guests to partake in a flowing-water banquet—a traditional feast held during mourning ceremonies. Meanwhile, Liu Qiyue and the closest family members remained in the mourning hall to keep vigil for three days, as per custom.
"Sister-in-law, are you certain my elder brother died of a heart attack?" Lin Tianlei, Lin Tiannan's younger brother, asked skeptically.
Though he spent most of his time drinking and gambling, he wasn't entirely ignorant. On the contrary, Lin Tianlei was much smarter than he let on. And something about his brother's sudden death didn't sit right with him.
Lin Tiannan had always been in good health. Heart attacks didn't just happen without some kind of trigger. But without surveillance cameras in the Lin Family Manor, there was no way to investigate further so he has to believe whatever Liu Qiyue says, because he does not have a choice.
"Of course, it's true," Liu Qiyue responded, feigning sadness. "Yesterday, after I gave Tiannan his medicine, I went out to discuss business with Boss Jiang. When I returned, he was already gone."
As she spoke, she sobbed again, playing the role of the grieving widow flawlessly.
Lin Tianlei narrowed his eyes. He wasn't entirely convinced, but he dropped the subject—for now.
He silently left the hall and approached Jiang Che, who was enjoying the banquet outside.
"Mr. Jiang, I'm Lin Tianlei, Lin Tiannan's younger brother. I need to ask you something," he said directly.
Jiang Che smiled casually. "Of course. Feel free to ask."
He has also heard about Lin Tianlei all the time. He's different from Lin Tiannan's professionalism. Lin Tianlei is a well-known playboy in the city. He has nothing to do all day long, spending time and drinking with a group of friends. Eating, drinking and having fun.
But Jiang Che also knew that this guy was not as simple as it seemed on the surface.
"I heard you came to my house yesterday to discuss business with my sister-in-law. Is that true?"
Lin Tianlei asked calmly, observing the changes in Jiang Che's expression.
He wants to see some subtle changes on the other party's face to judge whether the other party is lying or not.
"Yes," Jiang Che replied smoothly. "We were discussing the Beauty Pill business. My company recently developed an incredible elixir for enhancing beauty, and we wanted to collaborate with the Lin family to distribute it throughout Kyushu."
"And when did you find out about my brother's death?" Lin Tianlei pressed.
"After we finished our discussion, Madam Lin went upstairs to check on the Patriarch's condition—only to find him already dead."
"Then why did you send all the servants away while discussing business?"
Lin Tianlei didn't gave up and continued to ask.
This is also what makes him the most suspicious. If you want to talk about cooperation, then just talk about it. Why do you need to send everyone away.
Jiang Che chuckled. "The Beauty Pill is extremely valuable. If word got out before its launch, it could lead to massive financial losses. Surely you understand my caution?"
To prove his point, Jiang Che took out a golden Beauty Pill and handed it to a female servant, signaling her to eat it directly.
The maid looked at the golden and fragrant elixir in her hand and then at Lin Tianlei at the side, a little skeptical.
She has never seen this pill before, who knows what it is and whether it is Poisonous.
"Eat it."
Lin Tianlei naturally saw the hesitation of the other party, and said directly. He was also a little curious about the efficiency of this beauty pill. Although this thing has been rumored to be miraculous, but seeing is believing. Having never seen the effect of the Beauty Pill with his own eyes, he has always maintained a state of doubt in his heart.
Once getting the affirmation of Lin Tianlei,After some hesitation, she swallowed it.
Moments later, black impurities oozed from her skin. Jiang Che asked another servant to bring a basin of clean water. After washing her face, she appeared stunningly beautiful—completely transformed.
Lin Tianlei was stunned. As a playboy with countless female acquaintances, he could instantly recognize the drastic change in her appearance. The changes were so huge that he almost didn't recognize her.
He was finally convinced.
With that, Lin Tianlei's suspicions were laid to rest. Now, he also believed what Jiang Che said. After all, this beauty pill is indeed incomparably miraculous, and the matter is of great importance.
If someone with a grudge really eavesdropped on something this important, the loss to Jiang Che would indeed be immeasurable.
It is not wrong to say that once the Beauty pill with such miraculous effects enters the market through the Lin family's channel, it'll be sold out within a few days, bringing Jiang Che a huge amount of profit.
"I was overthinking. My apologies, Mr. Jiang," Lin Tianlei admitted with a wry smile.
Although he spends his days drinking and having fun, he's not uneducated.
Lin Tianlei is very smart but he just likes to enjoy life. So after leaning that he misunderstood Jiang Che, he sincerely apologized to him.
Lin Tianlei felt that he was indeed a little too suspicious. After all, Jiang Che has no reason to murder his big brother, Lin Tiannan.
Now that Jiang Che and the Lin family are working together to make money, Jiang Che's attitude towards Lin Tiannan should be very good.
It seems that the sudden departure of the big brother has caused him a lot of shock.
Thinking of this, he has dispelled all doubts about Jiang Che.
Jiang Che nodded understandingly. "The deceased has passed, Young Master Lin. Please accept my condolences."
"Excuse me, Mr. Jiang, I'm leaving first, you eat slowly."
After he said his goodbyes, he got up and left.
Jiang Che picked up the beef on the table and took a bite. Looking at Lin Tianlei's back, he revealed a mocking smile.
Meanwhile, outside the Lin Family Manor, a crowd had gathered, buzzing with discussion.
"Did you hear? Lin Tiannan is dead!"
"How did he die?"
"Some say it was a heart attack. Others claim he was murdered over love!"
Hearing these words, Lin Fan's heart sank.
Approaching an elderly man, he asked urgently, "Sir, is it true? Is Lin Tiannan really dead?"
He was afraid of getting an answer that he don't want to hear from the old man.
He had traveled thousands of miles to return from an isolated overseas island. If he didn't even see his father for the last time, he would collapse immediately.
"Of course," the old man confirmed. "Didn't you see the luxury cars parked outside? The entire elite of Jiangbei City is here to pay their respects."
The old man pointed to a bunch of luxury cars.
Only then did Lin Fan look over, and sure enough, he saw many luxury cars.
Lin Fan clenched his fists, his chest tightening with grief. Without another word, he pushed through the crowd and strode towards the Lin Family Manor.
"Hey, Boy, you can't go in."
"You'll be kicked out by those Lin family members."
Looking at Lin Fan's back, the old man reminded him kindly. He thought that Lin Fan was just a passerby, and he came here today just to join in the fun.
At the gate, security guards stopped him.
"Today is a family funeral. No outsiders allowed," one of them said.
The security guard looked at Lin Fan with a serious face and said, thinking that Lin Fan came here to cause trouble.
Lin Fan took a deep breath. "I am Lin Fan, the young master of the Lin Family, Lin Tiannan's son!"
The guards sized Lin Fan up and down and burst into laughter, almost to the pointof tears. "You? The young master of the Lin family? What a joke!"
Lin Fan does not have the slightest aristocratic image in terms of dress or temperament. On the contrary, he looks like a gangster.
If this kind of person is the young master of the Lin family, then shouldn't he be the ancestor of the Lin family?
Moreover, he also knew about the situation of the Lin family. The young master of the Lin family had disappeared eight years ago, and his life and death were unknown.
Lin Tiannan didn't have any other child either, so he felt that this guy in front of him was just talking nonsense.
"You can call my uncle, Lin Tianlei and ask him to identify me" Lin Fan clenched his fists tightly and said sternly.
These two security guards dared to laugh at me like this. If it wasn't for such an important occasion as his father's funeral today, he would have beat them a long time ago!
Over the years, he has been traveling around the world with his master. Seeing the injustice, he always drew his sword to help. He had already developed a violent temper.
"Boy, today is very important occasion, so stop messing around and go back." The security guard kindly reminded him because he did not believe Lin Fan's words.
Lin Fan frowned unconsciously, feeling very annoyed.
He didn't expect that he came here all the way just to get stopped by this group of stupid security guards at the last moment.
Just then, an elder from the Lin family stepped outside, apparently seeing of the guests. The funeral feasts is almost over, and some people have already left.
The man glanced in the direction of the door inadvertently, and then froze in place.