"Brother Lin, so you're saying we still have a chance to turn things around!"
Ma Qun exclaimed with joy.
Lin Fan nodded. He hadn't wanted to use this trump card, but given the current situation, he had no other choice.
"I'll reach out to these forces over the next few days and give them a heads-up," Lin Fan explained his general plan to Ma Qun.
Ma Qun was his most trusted confidant.
He couldn't trust Li Caijun.
That guy had a rebellious streak.
There were already signs of betrayal.
What?
Cooperation?
That was just nonsense.
The tide had turned.
When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter.
Once a rift forms between people,
if it's not mended in time, it will only grow wider.
This was exactly the situation between Lin Fan and Li Caijun.
At the Xu Family Villa,
even though Xu Mo had a hundred reasons not to come home,
he still returned.
He was worried that Xu Shi might cause trouble.
But tonight, the "female demon" was also here.
So, Xu Shi probably wouldn't be able to do much to him for the time being.
Besides, Xu Mo had returned because of what had happened earlier that day.
Even though things had been handled well,
who knew if Old Xu might suddenly pull out his belt and punish him?
No acting without permission.
Alright, alright.
As it turned out, Xu Mo had overthought everything.
Old Xu wasn't angry at all. Instead, he praised Young Xu for doing a good job and encouraged him to keep it up.
Mother Su Ting, on the other hand, was much more straightforward.
She planted a kiss on Young Xu's cheek.
Both parents were extremely satisfied.
Dinner was a harmonious affair.
After the meal, Su Ting and Xu Fuqiang returned to their room.
Only three people remained in the living room:
Xu Mo, Zhou Qiaoqiao, and Xu Shi.
One man and two women, staring at each other.
The one in the lower position had to speak first.
"Brother, Sister-in-law is also in the know," Xu Shi said, blinking her big eyes and holding Zhou Qiaoqiao's hand nervously.
Zhou Qiaoqiao also looked at Xu Mo.
The two women weren't focused on Xu Mo's facial expressions.
They wanted to hear his thoughts!!!
But after concentrating,
they heard nothing.
All they saw was Xu Mo's lips twitch as he let out a self-mocking chuckle, "Heh..."
Xu Mo felt like the world was playing a joke on him.
It seemed like everyone knew something,
except for him.
In other words,
the world was messing with him!
The "female demon" and the "little demoness" were shocked.
This wasn't right!!!
Something important was missing.
Or maybe they had approached it the wrong way?
Xu Shi swallowed hard, "Brother, don't you have anything to say to me and Sister-in-law?"
Zhou Qiaoqiao stared intently at Xu Mo, not wanting to miss any detail.
Xu Mo had so much he wanted to say.
But he was still organizing his thoughts.
Like a room full of officials, stuttering and unsure where to start.
A thousand "WTF" thoughts raced through his mind.
The "female demon" and "little demoness" were dumbfounded again.
Damn it!!!
Still nothing.
Where had it gone?
Xu Mo was starting to feel uneasy under their gaze.
"No matter what happens, she's still my wife, your sister-in-law," Xu Mo said, trying to shut down Xu Shi's dangerous thoughts for now.
Delaying them was the best he could do.
Completely dismissing them was unrealistic.
You can't judge someone's actions without understanding their struggles.
"Ah, yes, yes," Xu Shi nodded like a chick pecking at rice. "And what else?"
"Yeah! What else?" Zhou Qiaoqiao frowned, her sharp demeanor cutting through the air!!!
She could generously let Xu Mo go,
but her greatest assurance was being able to hear his thoughts.
She needed to make sure she was always number one in Xu Mo's heart!!!
"You two don't look too well. Is something wrong? Was dinner not to your liking?" Xu Mo asked with concern, furrowing his brow.
"No, no, we're fine," they replied.
"Brother, what should we do about Lin Fan next?"
The "female demon" and "little demoness" worked in tandem, quickly changing the subject.
Xu Mo thought for a moment and said, "Let's dismantle all the hidden forces behind him."
"You know about them?" Zhou Qiaoqiao wanted to ask if he knew where those people were.
But to Xu Mo, it sounded like she was asking how he knew.
"I have a friend..." Xu Mo said without batting an eye.
Zhou Qiaoqiao realized she had misspoken and simply nodded along to whatever Xu Mo said afterward.
She didn't interrupt again.
About half an hour later,
the two women had written down all the names Xu Mo mentioned.
"It's getting late. Let's deal with this tomorrow," Xu Mo said, glancing at the time.
Zhou Qiaoqiao told Xu Mo to go wash up and rest.
She had some private matters to discuss with Xu Shi.
Once Xu Mo left,
the two women finally let their guard down.
"What's going on? Why can't we hear my brother's thoughts anymore?"
"I don't know. This is going to be tricky," Zhou Qiaoqiao said, rubbing her temples.
She could no longer predict Xu Mo's predictions.
The shared understanding between them had greatly diminished.
It wasn't that the "female demon" was being selfish.
What if the original wife and one of the mistresses—or even more—ran off together?
The two women chatted for a while longer but couldn't figure it out.
They decided to set the matter aside for now.
Dealing with Lin Fan was the top priority.
The next morning,
the "female demon" and "little demoness" began reaching out to their contacts.
They were looking for the names and affiliated forces Xu Mo had mentioned the night before.
The Song Family,
as one of the top second-tier families in Magic City,
had extensive connections, substantial resources, and, most importantly, a non-confrontational attitude.
They never intruded on other families' businesses.
They understood the art of laying low,
accumulating strength,
and waiting for the right opportunity!!!
At the Song Family's grand villa,
an unexpected guest arrived in the living room.
Old Master Song's smile was so wide it seemed his face might split.
"Manager Ning, here's some premium Longjing tea, high-end red wine, and a few antique trinkets. Just a small token of appreciation. Please accept it as a favor to this old man."
Manager Ning shook his head and smiled, "I was only asked to deliver a message. I didn't expect to receive gifts."
Old Master Song chuckled, "If I don't tell and you don't tell, no one will know. A guest is a guest! The Xu Family has been so good to us. Besides, these small gifts are my personal way of thanking you for your trouble."
After much persuasion,
Manager Ning reluctantly accepted the gifts.
He had been sent by the "female demon" and "little demoness" to act as a mediator.
In short,
the Xu Family was offering concessions,
intending to support these top second-tier families.
The small favors they offered
were insignificant to the Xu Family.
But for the Song Family, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Climbing up with help
was infinitely better than struggling on their own!
The former was efficient and yielded immediate results.
The latter might not even lead to success despite all the effort.
As long as they weren't fools or had their heads kicked by a donkey,
no one would turn down such an opportunity.
After Manager Ning left,
the Song Family was ecstatic.
Old Master Song looked rejuvenated, as if he had shed a decade.
Similar scenes played out in different locations.
Not even an hour after Manager Ning left,
Lin Fan and Ma Qun arrived at the Song Family's doorstep.
Old Master Song quickly invited them in.
Lin Fan presented a token.
After confirming its authenticity, Old Master Song began reminiscing about the past.
"Little Fan, so you're the direct disciple of your master! Your master was a remarkable man with an otherworldly aura. I've missed him dearly since we last parted!"
Years ago, Old Master Song had been ambushed while doing business near the border. All his men had been killed.
Lin Fan's master happened to pass by and saved him.
At the time, Old Master Song was starving and nearly blind with hunger.
Lin Fan's master handed him a simple pancake.
Old Master Song had tasted all kinds of delicacies,
but that pancake was the most delicious thing he had ever eaten!
No gourmet dish could compare.
Later, when he tried to buy similar pancakes, they just didn't taste the same.
Recalling this bittersweet memory,
Old Master Song was moved to tears.
This excited Lin Fan and Ma Qun.
Another second-tier family's resources
were now at their disposal.
How wonderful was that????
Seeing Old Master Song's reaction—
being saved and gifted a pancake—
surely the old man would hand over the entire Song Family, right?
Lin Fan pretended to cough and then got straight to the point.
“Old Master Song, to be frank, I, Lin Fan, have come here today because of an unjust matter! Xu Mo is ambitious, ungrateful, and utterly despicable. Spending money to smear the Xu Family was not my intention, nor was it Ma Qun’s idea. We are also victims—our subordinates acted without our knowledge.”
Lin Fan shifted the blame entirely.
In short,
it wasn’t their fault.
It was someone else’s.
Hearing this,
Old Master Song’s face turned green.
Good heavens!!!
They even smeared the Xu Family.
It was normal for Old Master Song not to know about this. The old man usually enjoyed fishing, playing chess, and savoring tea while reflecting on life.
This online drama had only happened yesterday.
Less than two days had passed.
No wonder Old Master Song was unaware of the matter.
After Lin Fan finished his impassioned speech about “serving the common people,”
he paused.
He looked expectantly at Old Master Song.
Lin Fan wasn’t sure if Old Master Song was moved,
but he himself was certainly moved by his own words.
Old Master Song’s expression was conflicted, and finally, he made a decision.
“Xiao Fan, you all should go back. For now, find a place to lay low and stop stirring up trouble. The Xu Family is more formidable than you think.”
Lin Fan’s eyes widened. “Old Master Song, what do you mean?!”
“My meaning is very clear. Xiao Fan, listen to my advice.”
“What about the debt you owe my master for saving your life?”
“I can arrange for you to stay in a nice place with beautiful scenery. If there’s anything you need, I can have it delivered to you at any time.”
“Don’t go too far!!”
Lin Fan’s face turned green as he gritted his teeth and shouted.
What did he care about some remote place?
What he wanted was the entire Song Family.
Old Master Song, belatedly realizing the change in tone, no longer addressed him affectionately.
“Lin Fan, it’s true that your master saved my life. Over the years, this old man has provided you with funds, connections, and whatever else you needed. I’ve repaid my debt!”
Lin Fan and Ma Qun had never seen someone so shameless!
“What about the pancake? How do you account for the pancake? That was what saved your life!”
Ma Qun was furious, hoping to sway Old Master Song by bringing up the pancake.
Perhaps it would make the old man reconsider.
The next moment,
Lin Fan and Ma Qun were stunned.
Old Master Song, this shameless old man, clapped his hands.
His subordinates brought out two hundred freshly baked, fragrant pancakes.
“Lin Fan, your master once gave me one pancake. Since she’s not here, you, as her disciple, can take these back for her.”
“I’m a fair and honest man. She gave me one, and I’m returning two hundred. If that’s not enough, I can have more made.”
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Added ha~~