Chà Chà Novel

“Huaiqing, how will you raise the rest?”

At the table, Lin Huaiqing did the sums. He had recovered his own ten million from Lu Yuting and borrowed twenty million from Yu Wenle. He still needed twenty million to cover the outstanding taxes and penalties.

Although the Lin Group faced collapse, the family had been firmly established in the capital for years.

Raising the remaining twenty million should not have been too difficult.

But whether he raised it or not, the scene in which he borrowed from Qin Feng still had to happen.

“Next, I want to visit the family residence.”

After saying goodbye to Yu Wenle, he drove there, arriving just in time for dinner. A harmonious atmosphere surrounded the table.

Only his father, Lin Zhen, was absent.

“Lanlan, where’s your brother? Why hasn’t he come home for dinner?”

The elderly patriarch asked as a housekeeper helped him shakily to the table.

Lin Lan looked entirely normal, as though nothing had happened.

“He’s terribly busy. When he has time, he’ll come back and eat with you!”

“Oh? Cousin, when did you get here?”

Standing in the doorway, Lin Huaiqing found the warm family scene almost painful to look at.

With something so serious happening to the family, how could they maintain this peaceful facade?

Simply because it had not affected them personally?

“Oh, Huaiqing’s back! Wash your hands and come eat!”

Lin Lan greeted him warmly.

His expression remained frosty. He forced a stiff smile.

“Aunt, I need to speak to you. Could we talk in my father’s study?”

Seeming to realize what he wanted, she glanced aside and began evading him.

“What’s so urgent? We can talk after dinner. The food will get cold.”

Lin Huaiqing smiled coldly. If she showed no consideration, he would not spare her either.

“Then I can say it here. About my father—”

Lin Lan shot him a discreet glare and interrupted before the old man could react.

“All right. Inside!”

She put down her chopsticks and followed him.

The patriarch remained at the table, still in the dark.

“What were they saying? What happened to your uncle?”

“Grandfather! You misheard. Uncle’s fine, just busy. Here, have some food!”

Xue Cheng’an successfully changed the subject.

The moment the study door closed, the atmosphere turned icy.

Lin Lan crossed her legs on the leather sofa. Her still-attractive face had become severe.

“Huaiqing, what did I tell you? Your grandfather mustn’t know! How could you bring it up in front of him?”

She was asserting her authority as an elder, trying to diminish his confidence and take control.

Unfortunately, he had grown up without parents or other elders. No one had ever taught him to bow his head before them.

“Aunt, it’s been so long since this happened to my father. Everyone in this family, starting with you, has done nothing. If I didn’t speak up, you might all forget him entirely!”

“What kind of talk is that?! I’m your elder. Is that how you speak to me?”

As though he had exposed some ugly private thought, Lin Lan immediately flared up.

“It’s precisely because you’re my elder that I’ve held back from criticizing you. Otherwise, I’d ask in front of Grandfather and the other relatives what exactly you’re thinking!”

With all pretense stripped away, she seemed to become another person.

Her usual warmth and gentleness vanished.

“Hmph! You foolish boy, get this straight. Your father evaded taxes. I’m only a minor shareholder. Where would I get the money? Even if I had any, I’d be saving it for your cousin’s marriage!”

“Nonsense! My father would never evade taxes. I’ll investigate it myself someday. How can you say that with a clear conscience?”

In the original owner’s memories, he had often seen Lin Zhen give Lin Lan money.

Their family had not been so wealthy then. His father’s company was only beginning to succeed. Lin Lan’s circumstances, however, had been far worse.

When she was young, she married a man given to drinking, gambling, womanizing, and every other vice. He squandered everything they had, then frequently came to their home drunk, causing trouble and asking Lin Zhen for money.

Every time, Lin Zhen gave his sister something. Even when he had little himself, he could not bear to watch her suffer with a gambler.

Eventually, she managed to divorce him. Left raising a child alone with nowhere to go, she and her son were invited to live with Lin Zhen.

He later paid most of Xue Cheng’an’s educational expenses too.

Without Lin Zhen, neither mother nor son would enjoy their glamorous lives today.

After accepting so much kindness, did she think “I have no money” would send him away? Dream on!

Knowing she was in the wrong, and afraid he might truly tell the patriarch, Lin Lan sighed.

“What do you want, then? I don’t have fifty million!”

Seeing her relent, Lin Huaiqing quickly replied, “I’m not asking for that much. At least ten million—whatever you can manage. It won’t be a gift. I’ll sign an IOU and repay you gradually.”

“Those are your words!”

She took a fresh checkbook from her bag, tore out the first check, and tossed it to him.

“This is all I have. Don’t bother repaying it. Consider my debt to you and your father settled!”

Lin Huaiqing looked at the check. Only five million.

His contempt deepened.

If he remembered correctly, she had recently bought Xue Cheng’an a Bentley Flying Spur, costing four million on the road.

Yet she offered only five million now. The brother she had relied upon for years apparently mattered little more than one of her son’s cars.

How ungrateful!

Still, something was better than nothing. Five million was preferable to zero.

He was now fifteen million short of the fifty-million target.

At present, he had no idea where to borrow it.

The garage at home held numerous luxury cars. Selling a single one could cover the difference.

But all Lin Zhen’s personal assets were frozen, including the cars registered in his name. Lin Huaiqing had no authority to dispose of them.

Back before the family, Lin Lan resumed her kindly manner.

“Huaiqing, why leave without eating with your grandfather?”

“Grandfather, Aunt, I have something urgent to do. I won’t eat. I’ll come back when I have time!”

He put on his shoes and left.

He did not want to spend another second in this cold, loveless house. His time would be better spent finding a way to raise the remaining fifteen million.