77: Don't rub salt into her wounds!

The elevator doors dinged open on the seventh floor.

Feng Rui, President Qian, President Li, and several other men who could command influence in Linzhou's business world, emerged, each accompanied by their most elite assistants and bodyguards.

They arrived at the door almost simultaneously.

That old security door, in their eyes, now seemed like the entrance to an endless treasure.

And from the stairwell, there came the sound of footsteps and gasps, like a mountain roar and a sea surge.

"Quick! Faster! It's on the seventh floor!"

"Damn it, who stepped on my foot!"

"Don't push! Let me through first!"

A dense crowd surged frantically from the stairwell, their target directly the Lin family's door.

The entire seventh-floor corridor was instantly blocked solid.

At the same time.

Inside the apartment.

The atmosphere was stifling, as if it were tangible.

Lin Yao sat on the sofa, her head buried in her knees.

She wasn't crying, but that silent gloom was more heartbreaking than any wailing; she was distraught now.

Father Lin and Mother Lin sat beside her, at a loss.

They thought their daughter was in such pain because she couldn't accept the blow of her failed awakening.

"Yao Yao, it's okay, it's just a profession, isn't it?"

"Let's go home, your parents will support you for life."

Mother Lin's eyes were red, and she gently patted her daughter's back, her voice choked.

Father Lin sighed, pulled out a cigarette pack from his pocket, wanted to light one, but then looked at his daughter and ultimately put it back.

His gaze fell on his son, who had been silent the entire time, sitting in the corner.

Lin Yu sat quietly on the single sofa, calmly observing everything before him.

He, of course, knew why his sister was sad.

It wasn't because of failure.

It was because, during the awakening ceremony, she had seen the greedy, ugly faces of those high-ranking officials as they vied for her.

That made her feel disgusted, feel powerless.

Of course, there were also the relatives... but Lin Yu believed in Lin Yao.

She was far stronger than everyone perceived her to be.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Heavy and urgent knocking broke the silence in the room.

It wasn't a polite visit; it was more like the drumbeats of fate, striking everyone's heart, one after another.

Mother Lin flinched in fright, her hand, which had been patting her daughter's back, stopped in mid-air.

Father Lin also stood up abruptly, staring warily at the constantly vibrating security door.

"Who is it? In the middle of the night!"

Lin Yao buried her head even deeper.

She didn't want to see anyone right now.

"Sister! It's me! Su Mei! And your second brother! Quick, open the door!"

Outside the door, Su Mother's anxious and somewhat excited voice could be heard.

Father Lin and Mother Lin exchanged glances, both relieved.

It was them, why were they back?

Father Lin walked over, complaining as he unlocked the door.

"What's wrong, did you forget something..."

The door opened.

His complaining stopped abruptly.

Father Lin froze completely at the doorway.

Outside the door, there were people.

A dense crowd of people.

Unfamiliar faces filled the entire corridor, extending all the way to the stairwell, with countless heads still bobbing behind them.

At the very front were several faces usually only seen in financial news.

Feng Rui, the Vice President of Fengxing Technology, President Qian of Baisheng Pharmaceuticals, President Li of Tianqing Group... They all wore expressions of near fanaticism, staring intently at him, or rather, at the house behind him.

Countless camera flashes frantically lit up in the crowd, the clicking sounds incessant.

Father Lin's mind instantly went blank.

What was... this situation?

"Brother-in-law! Let us in quickly!"

Su Mother squeezed in through the gap between Feng Rui and President Qian, followed by the equally startled Aunt and Second Uncle.

Behind them, Su Qingxue's face was pale, and her body was trembling as she looked at Lin Yu in the corner.

"Old Lin, what's wrong?"

Mother Lin also sensed something was amiss and walked over.

When she saw the scene outside the door, she was as utterly stunned as her husband.

So many people!

Who were they? What did they want?

In the corner, Lin Yu's [Eye of Analysis] had already seen through everything.

They came so fast.

Faster than he expected.

He had initially thought only a group of reporters, drawn by the news, would come, but he hadn't expected that the power-holders of these major companies would personally get involved so quickly.

He watched with interest the men in suits at the door, observing the undisguised greed and desire in their eyes.

Lin Yao raised her head, saw the dense crowd at the door, and those ugly faces she had seen at the awakening ceremony, her expression growing even more indignant.

She was truly curious.

How had her brother, five years ago, under the spotlight of all eyes, managed to converse and laugh with these people... She couldn't do it.

She only felt disgusted.

Reporters, however, wouldn't miss this detail.

Brother Wang's cameraman immediately gave Lin Yao a close-up.

On that exquisite little face, there was pain and despair.

Then, looking at the bewildered Father Lin and Mother Lin beside her, who were at a loss.

Brother Wang's heart blossomed with joy.

It's done!

It's confirmed!

Everything those relatives from the Su family said was true!

The Mythic-level profession had failed to awaken!

Look at the reaction of this family, this low, oppressive atmosphere—where was there any joy of awakening a Mythic profession?

Thinking of this, the reporters looked at Feng Rui and the others with expressions full of pity and schadenfreude.

A bunch of fools.

Still fighting tooth and nail here, ready to offer a sky-high contract of one hundred million.

They had no idea what a huge joke they were about to face!

"Mr. Lin, Mrs. Lin, hello!"

Feng Rui couldn't wait any longer; he pushed aside Su Mother, who was blocking the way, and plastered his most amiable smile on his face.

"I am Feng Rui, Vice President of Fengxing Technology."

"On behalf of Fengxing Technology, I would like to present Miss Lin Yao with a..."

"Feng Rui, get out of my way!"

President Qian of Baisheng shoved him aside, his plump face beaming with smiles.

"Mr. Lin, don't listen to him! Our Baisheng Pharmaceuticals is willing to offer one hundred and sixty million! As long as Miss Lin Yao agrees!"

"Our Tianqing Group will add another ten million! And provide an exclusive logistics team!"

President Li immediately followed suit.

The doorway instantly turned into an auction site.

Bids rose and fell.

Father Lin and Mother Lin were completely dumbfounded.

One hundred and... sixty million?

What were they talking about?

Su Mother, Aunt, and Second Uncle, however, still wore expressions of shock and jealousy.

Why?

Why did this girl from the Lin family have such good luck?

"Everyone! All you esteemed presidents!"

Seeing the situation getting out of control, Su Mother quickly stepped forward, adopting the posture of a person in charge.

"Don't rush, everyone! Don't rush!"

She cleared her throat, took Mother Lin's hand, and put on a look of profound sorrow.

"I know you all mean well for our Yao Yao."

"But..."

She sighed deeply, looked at the big shots who were arguing red-faced, and said in a voice everyone could hear.

"Stop arguing! And stop bidding!"

"Our Yao Yao... she failed to awaken, and she's sad right now! Aren't you just rubbing salt in her wounds?!"

As her words fell.

The entire seventh-floor corridor.

Became deathly silent.