87: Let the whole Linzhou no longer dare to make any disrespectful sounds

The next day, early morning.

The sun rose as usual, and Linzhou welcomed a new day.

However, the entire internet of Linzhou had already been completely ignited by two reports.

The first came from the front pages of official media and major commercial portals.

【Fengxing Technology leads, united with Qingyun Pharmaceutical, Juli Group, and Panshi Biology, officially launching the "New Star Project"!】

The report was accompanied by a picture of four men in suits.

Feng Rui of Fengxing Technology, Wang Teng of Juli Group, President Shi of Panshi Biology, and... the mysterious CEO of Qingyun Pharmaceutical, Li Mo.

The four stood side by side, with commercial smiles on their faces, announcing that they would invest tens of billions of funds to discover and cultivate new professional awakeners from this year's College Entrance Examination.

The main body of the report heavily publicized the first achievement of the "New Star Project."

Fengxing Technology had signed two professional awakeners from Linzhou No. 1 High School, Lin Yao’s classmates, one male and one female, one gold and one purple, overnight.

The signing bonus was as high as ten million!

Moreover, on the day of the signing, both had already been flown by special plane to Fengxing Technology’s headquarters for training.

This news, like a bombshell, exploded among countless students and parent groups.

Countless people envied, countless people were jealous.

They were all discussing the courage and financial strength of Fengxing Technology, and the two lucky individuals who had soared to success.

As for Lin Yao, the mythical professional awakener who rejected the S-rank contract at yesterday's awakening ceremony?

She seemed to have been forgotten.

Or rather, she was deliberately overshadowed by this grand report.

The power of capital began to show its edge.

This was a purely paid promotion.

The other report, however, swept across major social platforms and forums with viral speed.

Its title was even more sensational.

【Genius on the Left, Madman on the Right! Exclusive Revelation of the "Mad" Family Behind Mythical Professional Awakener Lin Yao! Both Siblings Have Severe Mental Problems!】

This "in-depth report" from veteran journalist Brother Wang did not interview any officials, but cited a large amount of "audio evidence" from "insiders."

These so-called insiders were Lin Yu's maternal aunt, paternal uncle, and Su Qingxue's mother.

The report, with a compassionate tone, depicted the Lin family as a tragic family shrouded in a history of hereditary mental illness.

"According to Mr. Lin Yu's paternal uncle, Lin Yu had strange behaviors since childhood, and after awakening an epic-level profession, he became completely insane, broke with his family, became obsessed with making trash, and has not lived a normal life for five years."

"Ms. Lin Yao's maternal aunt, in tears during the interview, accused Lin Yu of not only falling into depravity himself but now also coercing and controlling his sister, personally ruining her chance to rise to prominence."

"And Ms. Su, who has been acquainted with the Lin family for decades, even revealed shocking news: the Lin family's mental problems have a long history, even traceable to the previous generation; Lin Yu's father himself was the product of consanguineous marriage, a premature baby with congenital deficiencies, who failed prenatal check-ups back then and was born privately..."

At the end of the report, Brother Wang also posed a profound question, sparking a discussion.

Is this kind of "mental problem" precisely some kind of "catalyst" for awakening top-tier professions?

This article was deeply damaging.

It depicted Lin Yu's dormant (hidden potential) as madness, distorted Lin Yao's autonomous choice as coercion, and even resorted to the most malicious rumors to attack their parents.

This report was more hurtful than any knife.

What it brought was not physical wounds, but social death... At the Lin family's dining table.

The atmosphere was terribly oppressive.

Mother Lin's eyes were red and swollen, clearly from a sleepless night; she was now silently setting breakfast on the table.

Lin Yao sat there, head bowed, her expression unclear.

Lin Yu, as usual, quietly ate his portion.

"Bang!"

A loud noise.

Father Lin suddenly slammed his phone onto the dining table.

He was trembling violently, not from anger, but from a bone-chilling humiliation of being betrayed by his closest relatives.

"Animals! A bunch of animals!"

Father Lin's teeth ground audibly, his eyes bloodshot.

"I treated him like a brother... I treated her like a sister... How could they... how could they say such things about me! Say such things about you two!"

Consanguineous marriage?

Premature baby?

Failed prenatal check-ups?

What... what is all this nonsense...

Lin Yao lowered her head, her chopsticks unconsciously stirring in her bowl.

She couldn't eat.

Her stomach was churning, not from hunger, but from intense self-loathing.

Ultimately, all of this was because of her.

If she hadn't awakened a mythical-level profession, if she hadn't caused such a stir at the awakening ceremony, her brother wouldn't have clashed with those companies, and those relatives... wouldn't have shown such ugly faces.

It was she who pushed this family into the eye of the storm.

"Old Lin, don't be angry."

Mother Lin walked to her husband's side, gently patting his violently rising and falling back, and took the phone from in front of him.

"It's not worth getting angry over those people."

Her voice was soft, yet it carried an unprecedented firmness.

"I misjudged people, decades of sisterly affection... I was truly blind."

She laughed self-deprecatingly, her smile filled with disappointment and coldness.

"Before, I just thought she was a bit realistic, a bit self-centered, but I never imagined... she could say such conscience-defying words."

Mother Lin turned around, looking at her silent daughter and equally silent son.

"From now on, no one from them will ever step foot into this house again."

She walked to the dining table, taking Lin Yao's cold hand in one hand, and placing her other hand on Lin Yu's hand.

"Yaoyao, don't overthink it, this isn't your fault."

"You did the right thing, and your brother also did the right thing. There are so many paths in this world, it's not necessary to take the most glamorous one. Your mother doesn't ask for anything, just hopes that you two can live happily ever after."

"As long as our family is together and healthy, who cares what those mad dogs outside bark about!"

Warm palms connected the siblings.

The anger in Father Lin's chest, which was almost burning away his reason, unconsciously dissipated in this moment of warmth.

He looked at his wife, at his son and daughter, and a wave of bitterness welled up in his bloodshot eyes.

Yes.

As long as the family is together, what obstacle can't be overcome?

Lin Yu felt the warmth on his hand, and his heart was at peace.

This long-lost sense of family happiness made him incredibly satisfied.

But he also knew.

This kind of happiness needs strength to protect it, needs absolute power to support it.

Otherwise, it's like a bubble in the sun, bursting with a single poke.

He must grow up quickly, fast enough to make the entire Linzhou dare not utter any disrespectful sound.