Volume One, Chapter 88: The Report

Yan Yan was among them.

The moment Jiang Wan appeared in her wheelchair, the guests with her immediately turned their attention to her.

"Isn't that your daughter-in-law?"

"And the man with her is..."

The murmurs of those around forced Yan Yan to force a smile before she strode straight toward Jiang Wan.

She greeted Shen Xinghe politely with a "Mr. Shen," then lowered her voice, face blank, to show concern for Jiang Wan.

"What happened to your leg?"

It sounded less like concern and more like blame.

Lin Corporation's acquisition of the land was a heavy blow to the Gu family.

Yan Yan had come today, forcing herself to keep up appearances to avoid becoming a laughingstock.

Yet Jiang Wan's conspicuous arrival, especially in an injured state, was bound to provoke gossip.

Disdain flickered in Yan Yan's eyes, impossible to conceal.

Before Jiang Wan could answer, Shen Xinghe behind her spoke first. "Aren't you her mother-in-law? Your daughter-in-law has been injured for days and you only find out now?"

"Not only are you slow to learn about it, but you look completely unwilling to care. No wonder this family can't be relied upon."

Shen Xinghe’s blunt words, heedless of the occasion, made Yan Yan's composure crack at once, drawing the attention of those nearby.

Yan Yan forced a strained smile, but before she could respond, a commotion at the entrance to the banquet hall suddenly drew everyone’s attention.

The protagonist of the day had arrived.

Their entrance was dramatic; Lin Hongguang’s face glowed with delight as he and his daughter Lin Zhi basked in the guests’ congratulations.

But they weren't alone.

Accompanying them were two other striking figures: Lu Wenzhou and Daniel.

As the investor in the resort project, Daniel’s attendance was unexpected.

It had been two months since they last met.

No one had anticipated Daniel would reappear so soon after Lin Corporation secured the land.

As Jiang Wan pondered this, Daniel, also among the crowd, spotted her immediately.

He walked straight over, recognized her, and expressed concern. "Miss Jiang, it’s been a long time. How did you get injured?"

Daniel spoke in German, unintelligible to most of those present.

Jiang Wan replied in kind, explaining in German as well.

Perhaps because almost no one else there understood the language, Daniel did not mingle with Lin Hongguang and the others after entering the banquet, choosing instead to stay by Jiang Wan’s side.

He praised Jiang Wan’s creative designs, affirming the ideas she had mentioned in her correspondence.

"If possible, I hope you can be in charge of designing the resort project," he said.

Hearing this, Jiang Wan’s eyes widened in astonishment.

She could hardly believe her ears.

But after a brief moment of delight, she calmed herself, forcing a wry smile. "Lin Group has its own independent design team. They..."

"Their business has nothing to do with me. I only care—are you willing?"

Daniel smiled at her, his tone earnest.

Jiang Wan was momentarily dazed.

She felt as if she were dreaming, or perhaps she was reading too much into things and this was all an illusion.

At that moment, as the focus of the banquet, Lin Hongguang and Lin Zhi ascended the stage.

Lin Hongguang took the microphone to thank the assembled guests, celebrate Lin Corporation’s acquisition of the land, and publicly announce—Lin Zhi was now the official heir to Lin Group.

"Though she is my second daughter, she is my most capable successor," Lin Hongguang declared, showering Lin Zhi with praise and attributing Lin Corporation’s growing success to her efforts.

As his impassioned words rang out, Lin Zhi stood beside him, a proud smile on her face.

She swept her gaze across the audience and met Jiang Wan’s eyes.

Just as she was about to speak, the banquet atmosphere at its peak, several men in professional uniforms, accompanied by police officers, entered the hall.

Their cold, capable presence swept through the room with a sense of oppression.

They headed straight for the stage.

Lin Hongguang was left dumbfounded, and Lin Zhi, halfway to taking the microphone, froze.

"Mr. Lin, we have received an official report. You are suspected of bribery, tax evasion, and fraudulent contracts, among other crimes. Please come with us for investigation," one officer announced.

Without waiting for Lin Hongguang to protest, he flashed a warrant and signaled to his colleagues.

"You must be mistaken! Lin Group is above reproach. We have never done anything illegal!" Lin Hongguang protested angrily, struggling against their hold.

He was about to invoke his powerful connections when the officer continued, "Li Xingshan has already confessed to taking bribes. A string of related individuals have also been brought in for questioning."

"If you have anything to say, you can say it to them in person."

At this, Lin Hongguang was stunned.

He could not believe what he was hearing. He turned to Lin Zhi.

She, too, was under arrest.

An officer handcuffed her.

Lin Zhi looked around in desperation, hoping for help from Lu Wenzhou, only to realize—

He was nowhere to be seen.

Before hundreds of witnesses, Lin Hongguang and Lin Zhi were taken away by police and economic investigators as criminal suspects.

With the hosts gone, the guests were left staring at one another in bewilderment.

Jiang Wan watched it all unfold, not yet sure what had happened.

Before she could process it, Daniel, still by her side, said, "It seems we should find another place to continue our earlier conversation."

Jiang Wan was still in shock when Shen Xinghe reacted first.

"What are you waiting for? Let's go, quickly."

*

The events had unfolded far too suddenly.

At Daniel’s invitation, Jiang Wan followed him to a private suite in the hotel.

Prepared in advance, Daniel shared his follow-up plans and intentions with Jiang Wan.

Their discussion lasted nearly an hour.

When they finally emerged from the suite, Jiang Wan was still in a daze.

After Daniel left, Shen Xinghe turned to her with a triumphant look, raising his brows. "Well? Didn’t I tell you this trip would be worth it?"

"You..." Jiang Wan struggled to process the avalanche of information she’d received.

"You knew all this in advance?"

"Of course," Shen Xinghe replied, puffing out his chest with pride. "An uncle always knows what his nephew is up to. I knew that kid couldn’t be up to any good."

Jiang Wan was about to press for details when she caught sight of a figure out of the corner of her eye.

Yan Yan had been waiting for a long time in the corridor outside. At last, she saw Daniel emerge.

Seizing the opportunity, she came over to question Jiang Wan.

What had the two of them discussed?

"Nothing much. Now that Lin Corporation is in trouble, the land will have to be re-bid," Shen Xinghe answered before Jiang Wan could, "Daniel specifically requested Jiang Wan to be in charge of designing the resort. All other partners will be chosen by her, at her sole discretion."

Yan Yan's eyes widened in delight and disbelief. "Really?!"

"With me as witness, what could be false?"

With Shen Xinghe’s assurance, Yan Yan was overjoyed.

Her expression changed in an instant, and she was just about to congratulate Jiang Wan when she realized Jiang Wan was looking at her coolly and seriously.

Her almond-shaped eyes were unwavering and calm as she spoke.

"I think we need to have a talk, Ms. Yan."