Chapter 144: It’s Nothing More Than a Dog!

Huang Hanxiong stood to the side, his face dark and silent. He had never imagined that Lin Fan’s martial arts would be so formidable; even the elite guards of the Su family couldn't land a blow on him. It seemed that Lin Fan had been far too merciful when he only broke one of Lei Kai’s legs last night. Now, he found himself reduced to a mere bystander watching the spectacle.

"Grandfather! Su Qianlong’s reckless behavior has cost our family two of our best experts. How are we going to account for this? In my opinion, we should follow the family rules: you should strip him of his shares!" Su Hanmo was the first to stand up. It was finally her turn, and she was determined to hit back hard.

Every member of the Su family was granted shares in the Su Group upon reaching adulthood, providing them with enough dividends to live a life of luxury forever. However, Su Yan’en had established a rule: if anyone committed a serious enough offense, he had the authority to revoke their shares. Furthermore, shares could be transferred between family members. In his bid to become the head of the family, Su Shisheng had used various schemes to acquire a significant amount of stock from other relatives, and his holdings were now second only to the patriarch’s. In other words, if he were to bribe the top executives and force a coup, he could potentially oust the old man. Su Hanmo’s suggestion was merely a ploy to reclaim Su Qianlong’s shares and deflate the arrogance of Su Shisheng and his son.

"Since Hanmo has spoken, I hereby announce that his shares are revoked. Eldest son, when you go back, discipline this good-for-nothing properly. Stop letting him cause trouble!" Su Yan’en glanced indifferently at the square-jawed man behind him.

"Understood, Father. I will make sure to teach him a harsh lesson when we return," Su Shisheng replied, gritting his teeth, his face turning a sickly shade of blue.

"Brother Huang, as for the matter between you and Lin Fan... I think it’s best if we just let it go. If you truly can't swallow this, why not find a few more experts and spar with me instead?" Su Yan’en sat back down, watching Huang Hanxiong with a smirk.

Huang Hanxiong’s mouth twitched, and he cursed Su Yan’en silently in his heart. It was clear the old man was deliberately trying to disgust him. He had come to the Su estate today to show off his power and use the Su family to deal with his enemy, only for Su Qianlong to act cleverly and end up having his own face slapped. Yet, he still couldn't let it go. He retorted coldly, "You think we can just call it even? Where does that leave my reputation? Lei Kai was someone my family spent over a decade cultivating. Do you have any idea how much it will cost to find a replacement?"

Before he could finish, Lin Fan cut him off. "He’s just a dog. Are you really treating him like an ancestor? If you’re that upset, I’ll pay you for the damages!"

"You!" Huang Hanxiong was livid and wanted to lash out, but he dared not. He had seen Lin Fan’s strength with his own eyes. If he pushed the boy too far, there was no telling what he might do. He glanced at Su Yan’en and finally realized that he had been the one used as a pawn all along. He had thought he was there to intimidate others and seek justice, but he had been manipulated by Su Yan’en and Su Hanmo to keep the father-son trio of Su Qianlong in check. This family was truly a den of cunning schemers. He had played his hand poorly.

"Here is a check for ten million. Consider it my compensation. Oh, and when you get back, tell your Huang family members not to provoke me. I have a short temper, and I’m liable to start hitting people at the slightest provocation." Lin Fan pulled a crumpled check from his pocket and dropped it onto the glass table beside him.

Huang Hanxiong’s face muscles trembled with rage. He looked as though he wanted to devour someone alive. What made him even more infuriated was that Su Yan’en continued to taunt him with backhanded remarks: "Peace brings prosperity! Brother Huang, is it really worth getting so angry over a little thug? Your family has so much talent; just find someone else to replace him. Don't be like my useless grandson, so arrogant and foolish..."

Huang Hanxiong’s heart felt like it was about to explode. Su Yan’en was clearly speaking ill of him to get to someone else. "Hmph! Brother Su, if you wanted to protect him from the start, you could have just said so! Why make it so complicated? Kid, I’ll remember you. This isn't over!"

With that, Huang Hanxiong grabbed the check and glared fiercely at Lin Fan. After all, ten million was ten million—it would be a waste not to take it. Lin Fan just shrugged dismissively. As Huang turned to leave, Lin Fan added, "Old Man Huang, watch out for a woman named Chen Yanzi. She is... a beautiful disaster. If you're not careful, your family might end up being used as her tools."

Huang Hanxiong did not look back, his stride brisk, and it was unclear if he had even heard the warning. After seeing him out, Su Yan’en publicly reprimanded the rest of the family and warned them against further infighting. Lin Fan sat at the very back, quietly observing it all. He realized, a bit late, that he too had been used by Su Yan’en.

Once the others had been dismissed, Su Hanmo approached him with a smile. "Grandfather wants to have a word with you. Let’s go talk in the study..."

Lin Fan gave her a meaningful look and probed, "Aren't you worried that by treating Su Qianlong this way, your grandfather will push him too far? I saw Su Shisheng earlier; he looked absolutely furious."

Su Hanmo didn't answer immediately but led Lin Fan into the main building. Once they reached the study, she said bluntly, "That is exactly the effect Grandfather wanted. My second uncle and his family are entirely focused on internal strife, and since Grandfather has retired, he hasn't been able to intervene directly. Even the members of the security team were bought off by the three of them..."

Before she could finish, Lin Fan let out a bitter laugh. "So, you brought me in to break the deadlock? To shift the target onto an outsider like me?"

As he spoke, Su Yan’en’s laughter filled the room. He walked in carrying a canister of tea and spent several minutes brewing a cup for Lin Fan himself. Lin Fan took a couple of sips, and Su Yan’en asked with a smile, "What do you think of my tea?"

Lin Fan replied with feigned reluctance, "It’s good, but like most young people, I don't care for this kind of pretentious stuff. I prefer carbohydrates—coke, milk tea, things like that..."

"You should drink less of that stuff. I saw on the news a while ago that a young man drank coke for a few years and ended up with diabetes!" Su Yan’en teased.

Lin Fan felt a vein throb in his forehead. His remark had been a hint for Su Yan’en to stop beating around the bush and get straight to the point. He hadn't expected the old man to ignore the cue entirely. However, Su Yan’en then cut straight to the chase: "I heard from Hanmo that you invested over thirty billion in her name to create a new company with the relevant authorities? And that you’ve been getting quite close to the Wang family?"

Lin Fan turned to look; Su Hanmo was no longer in the study. It was just him and Su Yan’en. "Old man, if you have something to say, just say it."

Lin Fan was growing annoyed. Why did these old foxes always love to talk in circles? If they were afraid of walls having ears, they shouldn't have been talking at home in the first place, rather than acting so mysterious!