Chapter 123: Sometimes, It Is Just That Fast

Lin Li had already arranged all his countermeasures, having even consulted in advance with Xiao Mei'er, Ning Yurou, and Leng Ningxue. Ye Aotian intended to force Lin Li into submission by leveraging the influence of the Four Great Families, believing that Lin Li would have no choice but to bow his head in silence.

However, he could never have imagined that Lin Li had never once considered giving up. With his own strength as a foundation, if the Four Great Families were truly determined to confront him until the very end, Lin Li would not retreat in the slightest.

Fang Tai had initially thought this situation would be incredibly difficult to resolve, so he was surprised to see that Lin Li was actually prepared to play that hand. "Don't worry, Brother Lin. I'll go make the arrangements now and ensure everything is handled perfectly for you." With that, Fang Tai turned and left.

As for what the next turn of events would bring, Lin Li did not have absolute certainty. Yet, from the current perspective, everything remained well within his predicted scope.

"The Young Master is truly brilliant," Chen Along fawned over Ye Aotian. "By using the Four Great Families to successfully delay the progress of their Tianxin District project, the Qin Corporation is essentially burning through money for nothing."

"Along, this is why you must use your brain when doing things," Ye Aotian replied. "If we had chosen a direct confrontation with the Qin Corporation, even we would have gained nothing. But look at me now; with just a slight nudge, I can easily control the Four Great Families and make them deal with Lin Li for me. I refuse to believe that no matter how powerful the Qin Corporation is, they can withstand the combined sabotage of four major families."

It must be said that Leng Tianyi played the most critical role in this process. Ever since he had witnessed Ye Aotian’s methods, he had truly begun to regard Ye Aotian as his son-in-law, doing everything in his power to push him together with Leng Ningxue. Who could have foreseen that Lin Li would appear out of nowhere to sabotage their plans? This led Leng Tianyi to harbor a deep, secret grudge against Lin Li. He had even tried to dismantle the Qin Corporation from the inside, though he failed because any employees with divided loyalties had long since been purged by Lin Li.

Even so, the Four Great Families cutting off the supply of materials to the Tianxin District project was a significant blow to the Qin Corporation. Ye Aotian believed that it wouldn't be long before Lin Li yielded, at which point he would make that man kneel before him and beg for mercy. Only then would Ye Aotian be able to wash away his past humiliation.

Hearing Ye Aotian’s confident words, Chen Along nodded repeatedly. "I’ve noted everything you said, Young Master. But when should we make our move?"

Ye Aotian smiled. "Naturally, when the Qin Corporation can no longer hold on. We will step in and acquire a stake in the company." As he said this, Ye Aotian couldn't help but stomp his foot in frustration. If it weren't for idiots like Luo Shanhe, he would have had much more capital at his disposal, making it even easier to handle Lin Li. But for now, it wasn't too late. Seeing Ye Aotian’s serious demeanor, Chen Along nodded in agreement, secretly praising his master for having already seen through to the heart of the matter.

Like the Four Great Families, Ye Aotian was convinced that Lin Li had been pushed into a dead end. Everyone felt they knew exactly how the final outcome would play out. Given Lin Li’s current predicament, there was no way he could explain away the events that had transpired, and it was clear to everyone that he would inevitably be dragged into even greater trouble.

However, no one expected the situation to take a new turn. Just when everyone assumed Lin Li was helpless, the tide shifted. First, the public opinion in Jiangcheng, which had been attacking Lin Li for suddenly halting the Tianxin District project, began to change. Under their previous accusations, it had seemed as if Lin Li were some heinous villain. But now, as if the media had obtained inside information, they began to reveal the truth to the public piece by piece.

This made everyone realize that it was not the Qin Corporation that wanted to stop the development, but rather that they had been coerced by the local Four Great Families. Without paying the families off, the Qin Corporation had no way to proceed. Once this was revealed, it received support from all sides. The project in the Tianxin District had always been fraught with difficulties, and the only reason the Qin Corporation was willing to take on the challenge was to provide for the local people. The Four Great Families, on the other hand, had shown no interest in developing the district for years; yet, the moment the Qin Corporation attempted to do so, they jumped out to oppose it and even engaged in secret sabotage.

No one could accept such behavior. The moment the truth surfaced, the sentiment on the internet shifted instantly. Those who had been attacking the Qin Corporation now turned their hostility toward the Four Great Families. In the end, the old men of the Four Great Families were simply too old and out of touch with the times; they had no idea that to defeat them, one didn't need underhanded schemes. Lin Li had used an open strategy—everyone knew exactly what was happening, but the actions were undeniably committed by the families themselves.

Following this incident, the reputation of the Four Great Families plummeted, and their corporate groups suffered significant fallout as well. The leaders of the four families gathered together.

"You should all be aware of what has happened recently," Leng Tianyi said, glaring fiercely at the three men sitting before him. The development of this situation had completely exceeded his expectations; even he had not imagined they would be pushed into such a corner.

Lin Yousheng, sitting to the side, remarked, "I think we should just let this matter go. If we continue like this, I fear we old men will be cursed until there is nothing left of us." Lin Yousheng was different from the others; he still cared about his reputation. The matter had become far too ugly, and it was the talk of all Jiangcheng—they had become infamous.