Chapter 72.2: Infuriating Enough to Kill (And Not Be Sorry About It)

　　Without a flicker of emotion, Lin Feng crossed the threshold and took his hand. “Hello, President Su.”

　　Su Ze chuckled, “What a surprise to run into you here, CEO Lin, especially given how busy you are.”

　　Lin Feng replied, “Likewise.”

　　Releasing his hand, Su Ze turned slightly to make an introduction. “This is my grandfather. Grandfather, this is Lin Feng, the CEO of Lin Enterprises and Xiao Ling’s partner.”

　　Without moving a muscle, Old Master Su cracked open his eyes and gave Lin Feng a good once-over. “You do have a bit of Old Lin’s flair from his younger days.”

　　Lin Feng responded mildly, “Thank you for the compliment, Old Master Su.”

　　Old Master Su gave a couple of gruff grunts and said nothing more. He had nothing to say to that young man from the Lin family. Even if Old Lin had shown up himself, he would scarcely spare the young man a glance.

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　　“Pke usw pll vbl twlpvp?”

　　“Ybx.”

　　“What’s your take on it?”

　　Opening the disinfection cabinet, Su Ling pulled out a soup bowl. He carefully ladled the milky white fish broth into it, the steam rising and curling in the air.

　　After washing the vegetables, Lin Feng turned off the tap. “One doesn’t visit a temple without a cause¹ 无事不登三宝殿 (wú shì bù dēng sān bǎo diàn): It is a Chinese proverb, and it implies that one doesn’t visit a place or seek out someone without a specific purpose or motive. It is often used to suggest that someone’s actions are not coincidental. .”

　　Su Ling shrugged his shoulders and concurred, “Exactly! Whatever made Grandfather so worked up must be something big.”

　　In fact, he had a pretty good idea of why Grandfather and Su Ze had come over today.

　　The previous kidnapping incident was far from over.

　　After Grandfather Bai regained consciousness in the hospital, he told the police that his grandson, Bai Wenxi, was the one who had tried to take his life. For three days and nights, the police followed leads until they finally apprehended the suspect at a secluded motel in a remote town.

　　Following his arrest, Wenxi steadfastly denied the charges against him. It was not until Grandfather Bai was discharged from the hospital and visited the detention center that Wenxi’s composure shattered. Overwhelmed with emotion, tears streaming down his face as he confessed to his grandfather.

　　Grandfather Bai was deeply disappointed and shook his head with a heavy sigh before turning and walking away.

　　Wenxi’s defenses crumbled under the weight of despair. Hollow-eyed and defeated, he laid bare the truth of his crimes.

　　Blinded by jealousy, he lost all sense of self. After being plied with alcohol by Li Ting and Shen Wei, he was raped while unconscious. But instead of reporting the crime, he spiraled deeper into depravity, willingly embracing the darkness. Twisting his pain into hatred, he pinned all the blame on Su Ling. From then on, he used his body as a bargaining chip, trading sex for loyalty as he seduced Li Ting and the others into plotting a kidnapping.

　　However, the plan failed. Fearing retribution, Li Ting and his cronies fled. Left behind, he returned home, only to be pushed over the edge by his grandfather’s harsh words. Rage overtook him, and in a moment of madness, he crossed a line that could never be undone.

　　Tears streamed down Wenxi’s face as regret clawed at his chest. He would have given anything to turn back time, but it was already too late.

　　Desperation filled his voice as he begged Grandfather Bai for forgiveness, for a way to be spared. However, Grandfather Bai remained unmoved, his demeanor as cold as stone.

　　“A crime is still a crime. Don’t bother asking for my forgiveness. It’s better to leave everything to the law now.”

　　Wenxi broke down in the detention center, his cries echoing through the cold walls. However, it did nothing to help his case.

　　When his father in Country M learned that his son had committed a crime in Country Z, he wasted no time. With a lawyer at his side, he jumped on the first plane and flew over without so much as pausing for breath.

　　As for what happened next and how Grandfather Bai would deal with it, Su Ling did not inquire further or dwell on it. However, with Wenxi’s confession, Li Ting, Shen Wei, Su Dan, and the others were named accomplices and placed on the wanted list. The scandal shamed several prominent families in City S, and the humiliation was so unbearable that their resentment toward Wenxi also turned into hatred for Su Ling.

　　Su Dan had never been the most outstanding of the Su family’s younger generation, but he had a mother who knew how to stir the pot. Crying, throwing tantrums, threatening to hang herself — she had the whole dramatic repertoire down to an art. Chances were, Grandfather had probably just had enough of her antics, which was likely why Su Ze ended up bringing them here.

　　Truth be told, Su Dan was facing criminal charges, and the case was being prosecuted by the Supreme People’s Procuratorate. Since the victim could not withdraw the charges, their visit to find him carried little weight.

　　“If you don’t like it, you can always ask them to leave,” Lin Feng suggested.

　　“Um…” The sound of water splashing as Su Ling scrubbed the pot thoughtfully. “Since our guests came all this way, we should at least treat them to a meal!”

　　After rinsing off the pot, he bumped the man with his shoulder. “Alright, why don’t you go to the guest hall and entertain our guests?”

　　Pursing his lips, Lin Feng washed his hands, then begrudgingly left the kitchen.

　　Su Ling arched an eyebrow and went back to stir-frying the vegetables.

　　In the guest hall, three men sat in the mahogany chairs, each locked in a silent standoff.

　　An unnerving silence hung in the air for over half an hour, lasting until Su Ling finished cooking and called them to dinner. Only then did the three men finally rise, moving with slow, deliberate steps toward the dining room.

　　When Su Ze spotted the lavish spread on the Eight Immortals table, he gasped in surprise. “Did you really… make all of this, Xiao Ling?”

　　“That’s right!” Su Ling slipped off his apron, beaming brightly. “I wasn’t sure if the food would suit your tastes, so I made a few more dishes just in case.”

　　A tantalizing spread lay before them: Disanxian² 地三鲜 (dì sān xiān): It’s a well-known Chinese dish consisting of stir-fried potatoes, pepper, and eggplant. It looks something like this – , boiled shrimp, sweet and sour ribs³ 糖醋排骨 (táng cù páigǔ): It looks something like this – , stir-fried lotus root⁴ 清炒藕片 (qīngchǎo ǒupiàn): It looks something like this – , stir-fried mushrooms and vegetable, and stir-fried cucumber with egg⁵ 鸡蛋黄瓜 (jīdàn huɑ́ngguɑ̄): It looks something like this – . At the heart of it all, a bowl of milky white fish soup sat, rich with aroma and warmth. Each dish was a feast of color, scent, and flavor, enough to make anyone’s mouth water and fingers twitch with longing.

　　Who would have thought that the most delicate young master of the Su family actually possessed such impressive culinary skills?

　　With that in mind, Su Ze’s face betrayed the turmoil he tried to hide.