The Chen family patriarch is gambling on the future! Lin Jianguo: My son is awesome!

"Mhm."

Lin Jianguo only gave a faint response.

"My Lin Family does not keep idlers."

"The Chen Family's Artifact Refining techniques still have some use in the military."

"Go back."

"Yes! Yes! This Junior takes his leave!"

Chen Tianhao felt as if he had been granted a great pardon. He kowtowed once more before tremblingly climbing up from the floor, bowing his head as he retreated from the study.

It wasn't until he walked out of the Lin Family residence and was hit by the night breeze...

...that he realized his back was already completely soaked with cold sweat.

But the expression on his face was one of unprecedented ecstasy and excitement!

From today onwards, his Chen Family belonged to the Lin Family!

With the Lin Family as a towering tree that could block out the sun, what was a mere Liu Family?!

...Inside the study.

Lin Jianguo looked at the map of the Star Ore Vein on the table.

On that eternally frozen iceberg-like face, a faint, almost imperceptible smile finally appeared.

Then, he picked up the map, turned around, and walked toward the backyard.

Lin Yuan's room.

The light was still on.

Lin Jianguo pushed the door open and entered.

He saw his precious son lying on the bed with his legs crossed, surfing the internet with great interest.

That leisurely and carefree appearance made it seem as if even if the sky fell, it would have nothing to do with him.

Lin Jianguo's eyes twitched again.

He felt his blood pressure showing signs of soaring again.

"Ahem!"

He gave a heavy cough.

Lin Yuan didn't even bother to lift his eyelids, just casually letting out an "mhm."

"You kid sure are at leisure."

Lin Jianguo said crossly.

"It's alright. Just finished dealing with a troublesome matter, I have to rest for a bit."

Lin Yuan still didn't look up, his fingers flying across the screen.

Swish, swish, swish!

He fiercely sent dozens of Big Rockets to the female streamer who was dancing hard in the livestream room.

"Troublesome matter?" Lin Jianguo walked to his bedside and threw the map onto him. "Are you talking about this?"

Only then did Lin Yuan lazily glance at the map.

"Oh, sent by the Chen Family?"

"Who else?"

"You kid, not bad."

"With just a word and a handful of dirt, you've handled that old fox of the Chen Family so thoroughly."

"Even the Star Ore Vein they've hidden for decades was obediently delivered to our door as a token of allegiance."

"These tactics are much stronger than mine back in the day."

Lin Jianguo pulled up a chair and sat down.

His tone carried a sense of boastful pride that even he hadn't noticed.

"It's just so-so. It's mainly because they had a guilty conscience, so I just went with the flow. I only gave them an opportunity to choose a side."

Lin Yuan curled his lip.

Looking at his son's calm and composed manner, as if everything was under control, Lin Jianguo felt both gratified and annoyed.

This kid was good in every way.

It was just this bone-deep laziness that made him angry just by looking at it!

"Fine, since you know what you're doing, I'll leave this ore vein to you."

Lin Jianguo stood up, preparing to leave.

"Handle it however you see fit. Whether you hand it over to the Family or keep it for yourself, it's up to you."

He knew that although his son was lazy...

...he was definitely no fool.

On the contrary, he saw things more clearly and thoroughly than anyone else!

"Got it." Lin Yuan waved his hand, signaling that he could leave and not disturb his happiness.

Lin Jianguo: "..."

He took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the urge to pull this brat out of bed and give him a good thrashing.

Then, with a dark face, he turned and walked out of the room.

Just as he walked out the door, he heard a lazy sentence from inside.

"By the way, Dad."

"The Liu Family's side will probably be driven to desperation soon."

"Tell the City Defense Army to stay sharp lately. Don't let anyone cause trouble at our doorstep."

Lin Jianguo paused.

His resolute face was instantly filled with cold killing intent!

"Hmph!"

"If that Liu Family dares to reach out..."

"I will personally crush those claws of theirs, root and bone, inch by inch into powder!"

...The Liu Family.

Discussion Hall.

The atmosphere was colder than an ice cellar and more oppressive than Hell.

On the patriarch's seat at the front sat a middle-aged man with a sinister face and eyes like a venomous snake.

The Patriarch of the Liu Family, Liu Qingtian!

"Useless! A bunch of useless trash!"

He suddenly waved his hand, and the table beside him, crafted from Thousand-year-old Nanmu wood, was instantly blasted into pieces by a violent force!

Wood chips flew everywhere!

Below the hall, a row of Liu Family high-level members knelt.

Every one of them was as silent as a cicada in winter, not daring to lift their heads, their bodies shaking like sifting chaff.

"Patriarch, please calm your anger! Patriarch, please calm your anger!"

An Elder spoke tremblingly.

"Calm my anger?"

Liu Qingtian let out a shrill, cold laugh. His distorted face was filled with madness and resentment.

"How can I calm my anger?!"

"My son was scared until his Divine Soul was lost, and even now he's still lying in bed drooling like an idiot!"

"Now, even that old dog of the Chen Family has run to the Lin Family overnight to wag his tail, beg for mercy, and kneel in surrender!"

"How do you expect me to calm my anger?!"

...His Liu Family was finished!

He could clearly feel an invisible net slowly descending over them from the direction of the Lin Family.

Before long...

...their Liu Family would be like an insect caught in a spider's web, having its last drop of blood sucked dry!

No!

He couldn't accept it!

He would never accept such an ending!

He, Liu Qingtian, had called the shots in Yan Capital for his entire life. How could he be stepped on so miserably?!

"Lin Family... Lin Yuan..."

Liu Qingtian gritted his teeth, squeezing those two names out from between them.

"Since you won't let me live..."

"Then everyone shall die together!"

...The night grew deeper.

Liu Qingtian went alone to a dark secret room located deep within the Liu Family's Forbidden Ground.

He lit three sticks of black incense that emitted a strange aura.

Then, from his robe, he pulled out a token that was as black as ink, with a distorted eyeball pattern carved onto it.

He cut his finger and let the fresh blood drip onto the token.

Hum—!

The token instantly erupted with an eerie black light.

A hoarse, cold voice that didn't sound human slowly drifted out from the token.

"Patriarch Liu, have you made up your mind?"

"I have."

Liu Qingtian's voice was equally cold, without a trace of emotion.

"I want you to help me kill someone."

"Who?"

"Lin Yuan!"

On the other side of the token, there was a brief silence.

A moment later, that hoarse voice rang out again.

"The Lin Family kid?"

"Do you know what moving against him means?"

"It means a fight to the death with that old fogey Lin Zhan."

"Can you afford this price?"

Liu Qingtian smiled miserably.

"Is there anything I can't afford?"

"My Liu Family is willing to offer thirty percent of our Family's assets in exchange for Lin Yuan's life. How about it?!"

The other side of the token fell silent once again.

This time, the silence lasted even longer.

Just as Liu Qingtian's heart was about to sink to the bottom...

...finally, that hoarse voice rang out once more, carrying a hint of a playful smile.

"Hehe... Patriarch Liu truly has guts."

"Thirty percent of your Family's assets to buy the life of a Qi Sea Realm kid."

"This deal, my Divine Court accepts!"