Chapter 41: The Mastermind

Lin Li was filled with doubts at the moment, but he knew these questions would not be resolved anytime soon. The urgent matter at hand was to check on Qin Lang’s current condition.

After a period of observation, the hospital confirmed that Qin Lang was in no danger and transferred him to a ward. Lin Li and Leng Ningxue went to visit Qin Lang in his room.

To Lin Li’s surprise, the first person Qin Lang saw upon waking was Leng Ningxue. Instinctively, he blurted out, “Xue’er, I knew you would never abandon me. If it hadn’t been for you this time, I truly don’t know if I would have ever woken up to speak with you again.”

Lin Li sighed inwardly. As expected of a hopeless romantic—upon waking, he cares nothing for his father, only for the girl.

Leng Ningxue felt a wave of disgust at Qin Lang’s behavior, but for the sake of appearances, she forced herself to answer, “It’s good that you’ve regained consciousness. This time, it was Ye Aotian’s reckless actions that caused this, so the fault lies with us.” After all, with Qin Guosheng dead, Leng Ningxue felt a trace of sympathy.

“A great deal has happened while you were unconscious. I hope you can maintain a positive state of mind.” Unable to meet Qin Lang’s unabashed gaze, Leng Ningxue quickly greeted Lin Li and left, making it clear she had no intention of staying for idle chatter.

This left Qin Lang furious; he wished he could leap out of bed and go straight to find Ye Aotian.

Lin Li, for his part, could only feel helpless. From the look in Qin Lang’s eyes, he knew this young master still had not learned his lesson from what had happened. In the past, Lin Li might have ignored it, but now, with Su Lan and himself in control of the Qin family’s affairs, he could no longer allow this young man to cause trouble.

“Uncle Lin, what exactly has happened lately? Everyone looks so exhausted,” Qin Lang asked.

Of course, Lin Li could not tell Qin Lang the truth about the family’s situation. He merely patted Qin Lang’s shoulder. “I know you’re curious about what’s been going on, and you want to help. But right now, there is much to deal with. You’ve only just recovered—you need to rest and recuperate here in the hospital.”

Lin Li’s words were not wrong; in Qin Lang’s current state, helping was out of the question. Simply being able to leave the hospital would be an accomplishment. Rather than risking disaster by acting rashly, it was better for him to remain safely confined here and consider if there were other solutions.

Perhaps realizing that Lin Li was not joking, Qin Lang’s attitude softened considerably. “While I was unconscious, I could sometimes hear your voices. Just a few days ago, I heard my father wishing me well, but sadly, I remember nothing else.”

Seeing Qin Lang’s earnest demeanor, Lin Li could not help but laugh wryly. “This time, it was the eldest daughter of the Ning family who intervened. Without her, you would truly have been ruined. I know you’re dissatisfied and want revenge, but listen to me: surviving the brink of death is already a great feat.”

Lin Li spoke with gravity, fixing his gaze on Qin Lang.

Qin Lang was completely stunned. He had hoped to use the Qin family’s power to take revenge on Ye Aotian for wounding him so badly, but Lin Li did not mention vengeance at all. More importantly, Qin Lang sensed that the man before him was different now. Lin Li had once been just a minor figure in the Qin family, but now—though he looked unchanged—his presence was entirely different.

The Lin Li standing here now was more like a general in command, with all of them mere pawns on his chessboard.

This only strengthened Qin Lang’s resolve to recover. Though it’s said that bones take a hundred days to heal, Qin Lang’s recovery was faster than anyone had expected—perhaps thanks to Ning Yurou.

Whenever Ning Yurou’s name arose, Lin Li’s irritation flared anew. The whole affair need not have become so complicated, and it was all because of her.

After Qin Lang awoke, many people, overtly and covertly, aligned themselves with him, hinting that he should resist. But upon learning of his father’s death, Qin Lang became dispirited; otherwise, things could have turned out badly.

At first, some had fully supported Su Lan and Lin Li, unable to find anyone better to take charge in the chaos. But once they saw Qin Lang, they quickly changed their minds—wasn’t propping up a puppet the smartest move?

Lin Li followed behind Qin Lang. “Qin Lang, are you truly prepared to take on all the group’s affairs?”

To be honest, Lin Li was surprised by Qin Lang’s next actions. Qin Lang’s expression changed, and his manner toward Lin Li became much more respectful. “Uncle Lin, my father’s death is surely connected to Ye Aotian. I have no way to fight back now, so all my hopes rest with you. Please help me uncover the truth and make those responsible pay a heavy price. As for the company’s affairs, let me help you.”

Seeing Qin Lang’s serious face, Lin Li’s expression darkened. Help? Was this help? More likely, someone was guiding him from behind, trying to seize everything during the chaos. As for investigating Qin Guosheng’s death—what a joke! Was he supposed to investigate himself?

Nevertheless, Lin Li said nothing further, instead turning his attention to the scenery outside the window.

“Ye Aotian has dealt a heavy blow to the Qin family. I imagine their next target is us. So while they are still riding high, we must douse their arrogance with cold water. We must secure control of the Qin family before they do.”

Lin Li had long suspected the involvement of Zhou Huaji and Qiu Bisheng behind the scenes, which only made him more displeased. On the surface, those two seemed to be allies, but their actions were despicable.

But Lin Li no longer cared to quibble over such things. When the time came to deal with them, he would make them regret standing against him. For now, they still had their uses—better to keep them around a while longer.