Chapter 72: Saving the Nation Through Indirect Means
Leng Tianyi’s meeting with Lin Li was something Leng Ningxue had known about for some time. However, she had been preoccupied with dealing with Leng Huaze’s situation at the time, so she hadn’t intervened immediately—otherwise, given her temperament, she would have marched right up to Leng Tianyi and had an explosive argument with him.
Nevertheless, after the incident, Leng Ningxue immediately called Lin Li to ask what exactly had happened.
“My father must have told you to leave me, didn’t he? And I bet he offered you a large sum of money to do so.”
After all, in Leng Tianyi’s eyes, Lin Li was nothing more than a dog of the Qin family. It was only natural that he looked down on Lin Li; in his position, there were precious few people he truly respected.
“It seems you know your father quite well.”
“That’s right. He told me to name my price—as long as I agreed to leave you.”
Leng Ningxue asked with a smile, “So, how much did you ask for?”
Lin Li replied, “I told him our love was priceless.”
“But to drive the point home and make him drop the idea, I almost killed him.”
“Yes, the blade was just 0.001 meters from his artery.”
Leng Ningxue was speechless.
She knew Lin Li was an unpredictable madman, but she had never imagined he was terrifying to this extent.
“You’re not joking with me, are you?”
“Does anything I’m telling you sound like a joke?”
“But speaking of which, I may have to leave Jiangcheng for a while.”
The moment she heard Lin Li was planning to leave Jiangcheng, Leng Ningxue grew anxious.
“Ye Aotian is currently over at Ning Yurou’s side, and we still don’t know what he’s really after. But I suspect, as you’d previously guessed, his ultimate target is still the four great families of Jiangcheng. Shouldn’t you be staying here to keep him in check? Why choose to leave at such a critical moment?”
Her voice revealed her growing concern. If Lin Li abandoned his efforts against Ye Aotian, the four great families of Jiangcheng would fall into Ye Aotian’s hands. Once he rose to power, how was she supposed to deal with him?
“Don’t worry,” Lin Li reassured her. “There are many ways to deal with Ye Aotian. It doesn’t have to happen in Jiangcheng.”
“And you still underestimate Ning Yurou. She’s much smarter than you think. Besides, I’ve already told her Ye Aotian’s true intentions. I believe she’ll handle things properly.”
If it were anyone else, these matters might have proven difficult, but Lin Li was confident that, in Ning Yurou’s hands, they would be easily resolved. Ye Aotian was certainly capable, but if he wanted to surpass Ning Yurou, the price he’d have to pay would be steep. Lin Li had understood this long ago.
“As long as you know what you’re doing. But if there’s anything I can help with, don’t hesitate to ask,” Leng Ningxue said, still worried about the situation in Jiangcheng.
But since Lin Li spoke with such certainty, it meant he must have found the best way to deal with Ye Aotian. All she needed to do now was focus on her own responsibilities.
“The Star Group’s new energy project is already on track. I believe it won’t be long before we see results.”
Lin Li had full confidence in Leng Ningxue handling the project. “I’m sure your new energy project will make me a fortune.”
“So don’t worry about Ye Aotian for now. He probably won’t bother you for the time being. Devote yourself completely to this operation. When it’s all over, I’ll be sure to congratulate you properly.”
With that, Lin Li hung up.
No matter how he’d viewed the issue before, at this moment something in his heart had changed.
After ending the call, Lin Li returned to the Qin family estate. After greeting Su Lan, he began packing for his departure.
“Where are you going? Why not let me come with you?” Su Lan asked pitifully.
“Lan, don’t worry.”
Once you’ve tasted it, you crave it. For years, Su Lan hadn’t been properly cherished. Now that she finally had Lin Li, she wanted him every day. With Lin Li about to leave, she was truly reluctant, wishing she could go with him.
“This time, I have something important to take care of. It’ll take some time, but don’t worry—I’ll be back soon.”
Su Lan nodded. “I suppose it’s because of the situation with Ye Aotian. I just don’t understand why he’s so troublesome.”
Lin Li only smiled. After all, Ye Aotian was the protagonist of destiny; even if he wasn’t the brightest, it would have been unbelievable if he were so easily subdued.
Half a day later, Lin Li boarded a flight to East Capital.
East Capital was unlike Jiangcheng. It was larger, more bustling, and full of the super-rich.
The purpose of Lin Li’s journey was simple. Though Ye Aotian was alone, he wasn’t without ties. Here in East Capital, he had a mentor. Lin Li’s plan was to start with this mentor.
In the original novel, at this point in the timeline, Ye Aotian’s mentor, Xia Ningshuang, was facing trouble. Pursued by enemies, her abilities were a shadow of what they once were.
Xia Ningshuang had been Ye Aotian’s first benefactor when he was very young. Without her, there would never have been the Ye Aotian of today. Unfortunately, the once-mighty Xia Ningshuang was no longer what she used to be. As a result, she later suffered endless humiliation and hardship—had it not been for Ye Aotian, she might never have reclaimed her place in life.
Now, Lin Li’s goal was to win over Xia Ningshuang first. But before that, he had to ensure his previous plan could proceed smoothly.
As he had considered before, Ye Aotian was formidable. If one wanted to oppose him head-on, reckless force was not an option. Dealing with Ye Aotian required cunning; he was no match for anyone in a contest of wits.
Lin Li arrived in East Capital, which was even livelier than he’d expected. But finding Xia Ningshuang proved challenging.
“I’d better check the Xia family residence first. Who knows, she might really be there,” he muttered to himself. The novel hadn’t made this clear, so Lin Li had no idea where exactly Xia Ningshuang was right now.