When they got home, before they even had a chance to settle in, Lin Xiaowanâs phone rang.
âWhoâs calling you at this hour?â
Lin Xiaowan shook her head, âMaybe itâs a supplier from before.â
She had already delegated most of the companyâs affairs to Chen Yang, rarely managing the suppliers herself anymore. Glancing at her phone, her expression changed dramatically, âSu Lin, itâs my dad calling.â
âUh⦠father-in-law is calling.â Su Lin gestured for silence to Xia Shiyu, indicating for Lin Xiaowan to take the call.
âHello, Dad, have you had dinner? Whatâs the matter, calling me so late?â Lin Xiaowan asked directly.
Hearing Lin Xiaowanâs question, Lin Guoqiang immediately got angry, âWhat, canât I call you if thereâs nothing important?â
âDad, thatâs not what I meant.â
âWhereâs Su Lin? Let that young man talk to me.â
Lin Xiaowan looked towards Su Lin, who hurriedly gestured that he wasnât there.
âSu Lin has gone to rest. Dad, what do you want to say?â
âHmph, donât think I donât know. Su Lin must be right beside you. Put him on speaker; I want him to listen as well.â
Though Lin Xiaowan was somewhat biased against her own family, Lin Guoqiang couldnât deny his daughter, nor could he deny his feelings of irritation towards Su Lin, whom his daughter adored. There was nothing he could do about it.
Realizing Lin Guoqiang must have something important to say, Lin Xiaowan put the phone on speaker, âDad, Iâm on speaker now. Whatâs it about?â
âA few days ago, I received a notification to become the mayor of Donghai. Tomorrow, have Su Lin call his dad, and letâs have a meal together, our two families.â
âYou received the notification a few days ago and youâre assuming office tomorrow? Thatâs so sudden,â Lin Xiaowan exclaimed in surprise.
Lin Guoqiang, unable to contain his anger, retorted, âWell, you might want to ask your boyfriend what heâs been up to. Throwing out three big issues at once, do you think Donghai can remain calm? Without someone capable to manage the scene, it would have been turned upside down in days.â
âDad, Su Lin has been with me recently; he hasnât done anything.â
At this point, Su Lin also spoke up, âUncle Lin, please donât slander me. I really havenât done anything.â
âYouâre finally willing to show up? Couldnât hold it in anymore?â
âIf you ask me, the authorities should really take you in. Clearing the airport, clashing with the Song family, you sure have the guts,â Lin Guoqiang said sarcastically.
âCough cough cough⦠Uncle, you know I was put in that situation; you canât blame me,â Su Lin awkwardly replied.
âHmph, I couldnât care less about your trivial matters. Just make sure your dad comes tomorrow for dinner so we can discuss future arrangements.â
âYou know the saying, âThe tree that stands out in the forest is easily blown down.â Your dad is walking a tightrope; if it werenât for someone protecting him, heâd have died hundreds of times over.â
âYouâve completely inherited your dadâs genes in this aspect; both of you are troublemakers. How did our Xiaowan end up fancying such a troublemaker?â
Listening to Lin Guoqiangâs exasperated words, Lin Xiaowan stuck her tongue out.
âUncle! Enough already. You surely understand my virtues, which Xiaowan sees in me, right? What time are you planning for tomorrow? Iâll call my dad right away to schedule it.ân/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âLetâs make it 6 pm tomorrow evening, perfect for a dinner. Youâre all starting school soon, so stop causing trouble and rest at home until then, got it? As for Donghaiâs major families and those about to enter, Iâll make sure they fall in line.â
Hearing Lin Guoqiangâs authoritative tone, Su Lin was somewhat surprised. It seems the Lin familyâs foundations are truly solid.
Knowing just the families heâs heard of entering Donghai amounts to no less than ten. Itâs just that things havenât stabilized yet, so they havenât started making moves.
âUnderstood, Uncle. Xiaowan and I will focus on our studies once school starts. But what if someone provokes me?â Su Lin asked with a smile.
âThen you beat the crap out of them. If your dadâs big business canât protect you, he might as well find a ditch and bury himself,â Lin Guoqiang said heatedly.
He had interacted with Su Zhenguo more often than Su Lin had with his own father. Ever since Su Lin and Lin Xiaowan became a couple, Su Zhenguo had been showing off to him almost daily. So, in Lin Guoqiangâs eyes, both Su Lin and Su Zhenguo were extremely annoying.
âAlright, itâs your word, uncle. If someone bullies me, Iâll fight back.â
âHmph, come to Donghai and cause me more trouble, why donât you? So I can clean up after you.â
âI wouldnât dare. Really, I wouldnât dare.â
After hanging up, Su Lin felt somewhat relieved, âI didnât expect my father-in-law to be quite protective. I thought he would tell me to endure it.â
Lin Xiaowan laughed, âDonât be fooled by my dadâs gentle demeanor now. He used to have a fiery temper. Itâs just that heâs more restrained these days. Su Lin, my dad is coming to Donghai. Are you nervous?â
Su Lin shook his head, âWhy should I be nervous? Itâs just the father-in-law meeting the son-in-law, no fear.â
âHehe, tough talk. Hurry up and call your dad. Otherwise, with his busy schedule, it might be trouble if he canât make timeâ¦â
Nodding, Su Lin took out his phone to call Su Zhenguo. Su Zhenguo wasnât as surprised as Su Lin when he heard the news. He had learned from other channels about Lin Guoqiang coming to Donghai as the mayor.
Moving from Zhongjiang to Donghai seemed like a lateral move, but it was actually a promotion. Donghai is the capital of Jiangnan Province, while Zhongjiang is only a county-level city. Lin Guoqiangâs move could be seen as a significant leap.
In this world controlled by aristocratic families, itâs not always about how long one has served; such jumps in position are not uncommon.
âTomorrow at 6 pm, right? Iâll arrange the time.â
âThatâs settled, then. Iâll go reply now.â
âAlright, just remember to be polite. Iâve heard from Brother Lin many times how you often irritate him. After all, he is your future father-in-law. Give him some respect when necessary,â Su Zhenguo advised.
Su Lin couldnât help but smile bitterly. When had he ever irritated Lin Guoqiang? It was mostly Lin Guoqiang getting angry at him, if anything.
âAlright, I got it.â
âIâve got a meeting to attend, so Iâll leave it at that.â
Hanging up, Su Lin checked the time and said in disbelief, âItâs almost 10 pm and still having meetings.â
Lin Xiaowan laughed, âDid you think everyone is like you? Being a boss and living more comfortably than anyone else, hardly needing to handle anything.â
Su Lin replied, âIsnât Chen Yang managing everything well? With his oversight, operations in Handong Province are advancing rapidly. The company does fine with or without me.â
Thinking of Xia Shiyuâs father still in Zhongjiang, Su Lin turned to Xia Shiyu, âXiaoyu, how about we also bring your dad over? Donghai offers much better conditions than Zhongjiang. It would be nice to have someone looking after him.â
Xia Shiyu shook her head, âIâve already asked my dad, and he doesnât want to come. After his kidney transplant, he occasionally experiences rejection symptoms. He thinks Zhongjiang is pretty good and will visit us in Donghai when he has the time.â
âHey, he doesnât think coming over would burden us, does he?â
Su Lin knew Xia Shiyuâs father was a very prideful man, not wanting to trouble others.
âHeâs really doing well in Zhongjiang. I send my salary back every month. Right now, my dad and Aunt Wang are enjoying their time together, so letâs not disturb them.â
Su Lin nodded, âLet them know theyâre welcome to come to Donghai anytime they want.â
âMm-hmm~!!â
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!