Chapter 45: A Man with Weakness Will Perish

Zhou Hua was now on the verge of breaking into a sweat; he never expected to encounter such difficult opponents here. A thousand thoughts flashed through his mind, all leading to the conclusion that his luck today was truly abysmal. Neither of these two was easy to deal with.

“Don’t worry, sister-in-law,” he said. “Today’s incident was nothing but an accident. I promise that nothing like this will ever happen again.” Zhou Hua might appear formidable outside, but here he was utterly subdued, regardless of his abilities. In front of Lin Li and Su Lan, he was still lacking. Besides, if Lin Li wanted Zhou Hua to disappear from this world, he had countless ways. Zhou Hua, without solid evidence, didn’t dare to make a move.

Meanwhile, Ning Yurou was actively investigating every clue related to Lin Li. For some reason, she sensed there must be a greater secret hidden within this young man, one yet unrevealed and wholly unknown to her. Unfortunately, after several days of probing, Ning Yurou found nothing. Perhaps Lin Li’s methods were so sophisticated that he had erased all traces early on. Or perhaps this fellow simply had nothing worth noting.

“How’s the situation with the Qin family?” Ning Yurou glanced at the young man before her and asked in a low voice.

The young man paused, evidently surprised by the question, but after a moment’s thought, replied promptly, “With Su Lan and Lin Li stepping in, they managed to stabilize the Qin family. Su Lan is now managing all affairs on behalf of the family.”

Hearing this, Ning Yurou’s lips curled in disdain. “I knew there was something wrong with these two. No matter how well they hide it, sooner or later, they’ll slip. I’m sure Zhou Hua and Qiu Bisheng know this too, so we can approach the matter from this angle. If we can dismantle their internal alliance, it’ll be a golden opportunity for us.”

Everyone looked at Ning Yurou with surprise. Even though the Qin family had weakened compared to before, it was still not a force to be trifled with. The four great families of Jiangcheng hadn’t acted yet simply because they lacked absolute confidence and dared not cross that line. If they provoked the Qin family, the retaliation would be far more brutal than anyone could imagine.

Yet what seemed a dangerous undertaking to others was nothing to Ning Yurou. “Zhou Hua and Qiu Bisheng are indeed plotting in secret, but their strength is limited. No matter how much they stir things up, it’ll amount to nothing.” Ning Yurou frowned, pondering the matter deeply.

“This may not be easy for others, but for me, it’s quite simple.” Contact them; if cooperation is possible, it would be best. Ning Yurou had already decided that, since these people were now suffering injustice, she ought to stand with them.

The man’s face changed, for he understood what this meant. If the Ning family joined forces with Zhou Hua and the others, it would be tantamount to declaring war on the Qin family. No one could predict the troubles that would arise then, and nobody wanted such things to happen.

“For a mere Qin family, is it really worth stirring up so much trouble, Miss?”

Ning Yurou lifted her head slowly. “Your shortsightedness does not mean I share it. I have my own considerations for this matter. Just do as I say. From now on, everyone must focus and handle these affairs properly.”

Lin Li, meanwhile, was fully aware of what lay ahead. Given Ning Yurou’s nature, she would certainly reach out to either Zhou Hua or Qiu Bisheng. Thus, he devoted all his attention to these two, ready to learn of any developments at the earliest moment.

While Ning Yurou believed her plan was airtight and Lin Li couldn’t possibly uncover it, Lin Li already knew everything. He wasn’t in a hurry to act, for Zhou Hua and Qiu Bisheng were both veteran figures. Having disposed of Qin Guosheng was serious enough; if he eliminated these elders as well, it could affect the future trajectory of the Qin family. To avoid the family’s decline, Lin Li chose to overlook certain matters.

He hadn’t anticipated, however, that these people were even more ambitious than he’d thought. Though other paths were open, they still pursued a bloody route, intent on wresting the Qin family from Lin Li and Su Lan.

Su Lan grew nervous upon learning this, realizing they had now openly chosen to stand against the Ning family. “No matter how careful we are, it won’t change the outcome. From the start, Ning Yurou never intended to spare us. With Qin Guosheng dead, she’ll do everything she can to dismantle the Qin family.”

Lin Li, unlike Su Lan, had long understood Ning Yurou’s temperament and was prepared in advance. “Now that things have reached this point, shouldn’t we think about how to resolve the problem most effectively?” Su Lan asked cautiously, watching Lin Li.

Their situation was far worse than before. “What we need is for Zhou Hua and Qiu Bisheng to connect with Qin Lang. Only then can we use this as a pretext to deal with them.” Was Lin Li truly unable to handle these two? Of course not—he just needed leverage that would allow him to eliminate them without consequences.

Now, he had found that leverage. Naturally, they would pay for their past actions. For Lin Li, this was a perfect opportunity.