Chapter 65: Miss Ning

Although the Qin family had always been at odds with Ye Aotian in every possible way, after the previous conflicts, both sides could only temporarily set aside their grudges. After all, the sudden appearance of the mysterious investor in the Xingchen Group raised suspicions among many, and countless people were eager to uncover whatever secrets lurked beneath the surface. Everyone tried every possible method to get close to Leng Ningxue, hoping to glean a clue from him. Unfortunately, Leng Ningxue never uttered a word about this mysterious person.

Meanwhile, the New City Group, which had been suffering from a shortage of funds, accelerated its efforts, striving to complete its final research project as quickly as possible. Success in this venture would mark the turning point toward changing their fate entirely.

Ye Aotian, on his end, was doing everything he could to unravel the events of the past. "I refuse to believe there's not a single clue to be found," he said. "Since Lin Li is involved, it's certain he has been working behind the scenes." He instructed, "Send our people over. Make sure Lin Li is tracked at all times, and ensure his every move is under your control." Ye Aotian dispatched Chen Along, and began preparing to mobilize even more formidable individuals. He had thought a handful of people would suffice to resolve the matter, but to his surprise, the situation became increasingly tangled, and he had to admit that Lin Li's involvement was causing him considerable trouble.

What Ye Aotian did not know was that Lin Li had been monitoring his every move. The troubles plaguing the Leng family had now passed, but more formidable challenges lay ahead. Lin Li knew Ye Aotian could not act against the Leng family for now, so his next target would naturally be Ning Yurou.

Recently, Ning Yurou had been keeping a low profile. It seemed the previous incidents involving Lin Li had brought her some trouble, and she was opting for a more cautious approach. Yet she remained unaware that everything was under Lin Li's control, and he was already preparing to engage her directly.

While Ning Yurou was still contemplating how to deal with Lin Li, he took the initiative to call her.

"Miss Ning," Lin Li said with a cheerful smile, "I haven't contacted you in some time. Have you forgotten me completely?"

"You really have the nerve," Ning Yurou replied irritably. "Calling me like this—do you even remember your own name?"

Lin Li countered, "You stirred up the Qin family to stand against me, thinking you could deal with me through them. But you should know by now that I saw through your little schemes from the start."

"Everything is under my control. Don’t you want to sit down and discuss how we might resolve this?"

Ning Yurou had always known, while acting behind the scenes, that Lin Li would eventually come calling for trouble. "How amusing," she replied. "You think you can threaten me with this?"

Lin Li had expected Ning Yurou to be somewhat apprehensive, but to his surprise, she lived up to her reputation as a cunning heiress, remaining perfectly composed and betraying not the slightest hint of emotion.

"If you think this will scare me, you’re sorely mistaken," she said. "When I decided to oppose you, I was fully prepared for the consequences. I have no regrets, neither then nor now."

"I don’t know how you managed to get the Qin family under your thumb, but I will eventually get to the bottom of it. When I do, I wonder if the Qin family will be so forgiving."

Clearly, Ning Yurou had no intention of resolving matters peacefully with Lin Li; in fact, she was ready to escalate the situation further. If Lin Li had previously been able to dismiss the whole affair, his mood now shifted.

"I came here today hoping for a civil conversation, but it seems you won't listen to reason. In that case, let's see how things unfold."

"The Qin family will soon be launching all kinds of herbal medicines in the market. I’m curious, Miss Ning, whether you can withstand this pressure—or whether your father, at his age, can still compete with the others."

Without waiting for Ning Yurou’s reply, Lin Li hung up.

Over the years, the Qin family had never matched the Ning family in competition, but Lin Li spoke with unmistakable confidence, something Ning Yurou would never let pass easily. Sure enough, not long after the call ended, Ning Yurou rang him again.

"You’d better explain what you meant just now," she demanded.

"I think I was very clear," Lin Li replied. "We may not have been able to suppress you in the past, but this won’t last much longer. The war between the Qin and Ning families is about to begin. I hope you’re prepared, Miss Ning. If you lose, don’t cry."

Ning Yurou was silent for a long while, then said, "I don’t know where your confidence comes from, but before we start, we could meet in person. Honestly, I’m quite curious about the identity of Xingchen Group’s investor these days. But thinking about it, you probably don’t have the ability to pull it off."

She had already confirmed much, yet insisted on keeping up a defiant front. Lin Li laughed coldly to himself but did not call her out. For so long, Ning Yurou had been striving to restore the Ning family’s reputation in the world of traditional medicine. But achieving this was no easy feat; perhaps if she could cooperate with Ye Aotian, there might be a chance. Alone, however, it was even more difficult.

That was why Lin Li spoke so confidently, and why Ning Yurou felt uneasy. The four great families were already on shaky ground, living off their past glory; if someone new rose to prominence now, they would quickly lose their halo of honor.

Because of this, Ning Yurou wanted to negotiate with Lin Li. She couldn’t be sure if Lin Li truly held trump cards against her, so she wanted to talk first and search for other solutions later.

Lin Li, on the other hand, fully understood Ning Yurou’s predicament and could manipulate her situation completely. If she managed to connect with Ye Aotian, things would not be so simple.