Chapter 145: Money Can Buy Anything

"Are you interested in buying a stake in Jitu Hotel?"

At these words, Lin Fan nearly burst out laughing. It seemed this old man had finally pegged him as a cash cow.

"Old Master Su, didn't you oppose this two months ago? Why the change of heart now?" Lin Fan stopped playing along; since they were talking money, there was no need for pretense.

Initially, he had offered to invest 500 million to acquire a stake in Jitu Hotel, only to be rejected by the old man. As a result, Su Hanmo became the laughingstock of the family and, following Lin Fan's advice, had simply resigned from management. Now, seeing that Lin Fan possessed seemingly infinite wealth, the old man was back to buttering him up, tossing him around like a ball.

Su Yan'en naturally couldn't bring himself to admit he had been blind to Lin Fan's deep background—that would be a slap in his own face.

"The situation was more complicated back then. I thought they would eventually find a way to turn losses into profits... but it's been two months, and they still haven't secured any investment. The hotel industry is sluggish, and no one is willing to invest," Su Yan'en said with a sheepish grin.

Lin Fan offered a fake smile in return. "If no one else is willing to invest, what makes you think I would?"

He couldn't help but think to himself: *Does this old man take me for a fool?*

Unexpectedly, Su Yan'en changed his tune. "You're quite fond of Hanmo, aren't you? I could help play matchmaker..."

At this, Lin Fan finally laughed. It seemed the old man didn't understand him at all.

"You've misunderstood again. I have no intention of pursuing Su Hanmo. Given my background and character, I am completely unworthy of a young lady of her stature. I simply wish to be friends with her," Lin Fan replied honestly.

His system mission was merely to reach 50 points of favor with Su Hanmo and become a close friend.

Su Yan'en stared at him blankly, unsure if Lin Fan was joking or just being falsely modest.

"I can tell that Hanmo is quite interested in you as well. The line of suitors chasing her stretches all the way to Shanghai. Personalities can be polished over time, can't they? Even she described you as a very motivated person. Whenever she recommends a book to you, you study it earnestly—if it were anyone else, they would have just turned a deaf ear..." Su Yan'en smiled obsequiously, the words "I want you to be my grandson-in-law" practically written on his face.

But Lin Fan had no such intentions toward Su Hanmo. More importantly, the old man’s motives were far too transparent; he was only after money. He was a selfish man who would sacrifice his own granddaughter’s happiness for the sake of the family.

Lin Fan had previously courted Su Hanmo partly to complete his system tasks and partly to use the Su family as a stepping stone to become the king of Hangzhou. At the time, he had been inexperienced and naive, believing the Su family to be all-powerful in Hangzhou. Only with a broader perspective did he realize that there were far more formidable, prestigious families than the Su clan.

"Old Master Su, I'd like to know why Su Hanmo broke up with her ex-boyfriend? Was it you who stopped that relationship?" Lin Fan didn't want to discuss money. The old man was clearly treating him like a bank, yet showed zero sincerity. The Wang family, at least, had been sincere, offering him shares in the Dihao Group and telling him to ask for help whenever he needed it. By comparison, Su Yan'en was petty to the extreme.

Su Yan'en looked at him, confused by the sudden change of topic. *Why does this kid never follow the script?* He had already been quite accommodating, yet the boy refused to play along.

"Of course I didn't stop them. It was a free-choice relationship... To be precise, the Zhou family looked down on Hanmo. The Zhou family is a top-tier dynasty in Shanghai. Across all of China, they rank in the top twenty—a true prestigious family with deep foundations. Our Su family only began to rise in my generation, less than forty years ago, while the Zhou family has been a powerhouse since the founding of the nation..." Su Yan'en explained the history of the Zhou family quite candidly.

Lin Fan had asked because he couldn't find any information about the Zhou family online. The only thing he knew was the name of the Zhou scion: Zhou Jiayi. As for the family's background, there wasn't a trace of data available. This alone was enough to show that the Zhou family was far more powerful than the Su family.

While chatting with Zhang Yi last night, he had asked how to gain Su Hanmo's favor. He had done so much, yet her favor towards him hadn't increased by a single point. Zhang Yi had suggested he try to help reconcile Su Hanmo and the Zhou scion. It was clear she still missed him, which was why she showed no interest in other men—viewing Lin Fan only with appreciation and gratitude, but never true affection. Thus, the idea had sprouted in Lin Fan's mind.

"So, will you consider the investment?" Su Yan'en returned to the topic.

"I'll think about it..." Lin Fan said, lowering his head in feigned contemplation.

In reality, he had no intention of investing. With the current infighting in the Su family, his money would undoubtedly go down the drain. Furthermore, investing would only shift the anger of Su Shisheng and his son onto him; he wouldn't do something so thankless. Even if Su Yan'en offered to marry Su Hanmo to him on the spot, he wouldn't agree.

Seeing this attitude, Su Yan'en was at his wit's end. "You brat, why don't you ever play by the rules!"

Seeing the old man's anxiety, Lin Fan smiled slightly. "Old man, if I may speak frankly, don't be so selfish. If you had learned anything from the Wang family, the Su family wouldn't be in this state. Be careful..."

"You!" Su Yan'en didn't expect to be lectured by Lin Fan, and he was so furious he nearly erupted. "You're the one who needs to be careful! You've offended so many people at once. With the personalities of Su Qianlong and the others, they will absolutely destroy you!" Su Yan'en snapped. Deep down, he had hoped Lin Fan would invest to save the hotel, but instead, he was the one being lectured.

"Thanks for the warning! By the way, old man, this tea doesn't taste very good. You shouldn't serve it to guests." With that, Lin Fan strode out of the study.

"This kid... does he think that just because he has endless money, he can lecture everyone and do whatever he wants?" Su Yan'en muttered, frustrated and scratching his head. He found he could no longer understand the younger generation.

Lin Fan walked out of the villa with a swagger. That was exactly how he felt. With money, one could do whatever one pleased. When he first met Su Hanmo, he had thought money couldn't buy true power, which was why he had tried to cozy up to her. But now, he saw clearly that this was a world of money; money could buy power, and money could reach the heavens. If he could even buy off assassins, what couldn't he buy?

Consequently, he found himself looking down on the Su family.