Chapter 356: Chapter 356: Secretly Protecting His Own Little Guide

Hearing this, a flash of unconcealable surprise flickered in Su Wan’s eyes. However, the joy didn’t last for even two seconds before it was shattered by a cold sneer from Lin Jian Country. He looked as if he had just heard the most ridiculous joke in the world, his face etched with mockery.

"Heh, Uncle Yuanzhou? Yun Sheng, how can you not see through this? When you first returned to Capital Star, did anyone from the Su Family step forward to acknowledge you?

"Now Su Yuanzhou is taking the initiative to contact you and is willing to welcome you back into the Su Family. To put it bluntly, it’s because you aren’t who you used to be. You’ve become an official guide of the Tower and have actual, practical value to them.

"Do you really think they suddenly found their conscience and genuinely want to acknowledge you as their niece? They’ve merely taken a fancy to your current status and want to grasp another layer of bargaining chips!"

Faced with this sharp analysis, Yun Sheng’s expression remained entirely unruffled, her calm bordering on extraordinary. She wasn’t angry, because she had long since considered everything Lin Jian Country just said. At the very beginning, when Su Yuanzhou actively approached her to make amends and show goodwill, she had been completely on guard. She never naively believed that he had suddenly softened his heart; she had already seen through the calculated weighing of pros and cons behind this display of affection.

Beside her, however, Su Wan’s expression drastically changed. Her cheeks instantly turned deathly pale, and the warmth in her eyes entirely faded, replaced only by a monstrous fury. She jerked her head up and glared at Lin Jian Country, her previously weak and gentle voice rising sharply.

"Lin Jian Country, what right do you have to say such things! When Yun Sheng first came back, I immediately discussed it with you. I wanted to hold a recognition banquet for her and openly acknowledge her return!

"You were the one who stopped me! You urged me to consider Yue Yao’s feelings and the Lin Family’s reputation, afraid that Yun Sheng’s return would affect Yue Yao.

"You are cruel and selfish yourself. Knowing full well how much Yun Sheng has suffered out there all these years, you never thought of compensating her or openly acknowledging her. What right do you have to question my brother’s intentions?"

The grievances, guilt, and forbearance that had accumulated over such a long time completely erupted at this moment. Su Wan was so enraged that her fingertips trembled. Her face was so pale it was almost transparent, yet she continued to glare furiously at Lin Jian Country, refusing to yield an inch.

Lin Jian Country never expected Su Wan to suddenly snap and publicly contradict him. His face instantly turned a livid, ugly hue.

"I’m selfish?" His temper thoroughly ignited, he fumed. "Everything I did back then was for the sake of this family! Yue Yao was raised by our side since she was little. She’s well-behaved and obedient. On top of that, she’s a one-in-a-million S-Class Guide who can win honor for the Lin Family and secure countless resources for us! What’s wrong with me favoring her a little bit?

"Besides, I haven’t mistreated Yun Sheng at all! Back then, when you all refused to transfer the shares to Yue Yao, I let you have your way. The monthly allowance, the treatment at home—I treated them entirely as equals. She and Yue Yao enjoy the exact same things. What problem is there with how I’ve handled things?"

His words were incredibly absurd. From beginning to end, he suffered from selective amnesia, deliberately ignoring the most vital truth. During the eighteen years the two daughters had been switched, their biological daughter, Yun Sheng, had suffered hardships and wandered on the barren, desolate Garbage Star. She had endured for a full eighteen years. Meanwhile, Lin Yueyao, the adopted daughter with no blood relation to them whatsoever, had lived a life of luxury, enjoying the privileged treatment of the wealthy Lin Family for eighteen years. Now that his biological daughter had returned, he had merely achieved superficial material equality and thought he had done his utmost duty. It was truly selfish and laughable.

Su Wan, her emotions surging, was about to speak up in retort when Yun Sheng gently raised her hand, resting it on Su Wan’s continuously trembling shoulder. She lifted her gaze to meet the arrogant Lin Jian Country’s eyes, her expression cold, her tone clear and sharp.

"You’ve reaped every possible benefit by relying on Lin Yueyao’s status as an S-Class Guide. But now that she’s been taken away by the Tower for investigation, have you really never wondered what kind of violations she committed to end up like this? Aren’t you afraid of being implicated by her and having the entire Lin Family dragged down with her?"

Those words struck a nerve. The arrogance on Lin Jian Country’s face instantly froze. His expression shifted slightly, a trace of panic flashing through his eyes. However, he quickly composed himself and argued, "What could Yue Yao possibly have done? As a dignified S-Class Guide, her character has always been upstanding. The Tower must have made an error in their investigation and misunderstood her!"

Seeing his reaction, everything became clear to Yun Sheng. Lin Jian Country was either genuinely kept in the dark by Lin Yueyao, completely oblivious to her collusion with the Dark Nest, or he was deliberately playing the fool, pretending to be ignorant while knowing full well what was going on.

Without waiting for Yun Sheng to reply, Lin Jian Country immediately pivoted, turning the blame onto her with a tone full of dissatisfaction and nitpicking.

"When it comes down to it, it’s because your personality is simply too cold! You’ve been back with the Lin Family for so long, yet you’ve never once taken the initiative to call us Mom and Dad. You’ve constantly distanced yourself from us and completely alienated the family! You were the one who refused to get close to us first, so what right do you have to blame me for playing favorites?"

Outside the ward, Si Jin stood quietly, catching every single word of this twisted narrative without missing a beat. His brows furrowed deeply, a layer of icy frost instantly coating his eyes. He originally hadn’t wanted to interfere in Yun Sheng’s family affairs, but Lin Jian Country’s shameless rhetoric had thoroughly crossed his bottom line.

Lowering his gaze, Si Jin opened his terminal and quickly typed out a message.

[Intercept the suppliers for the Lin Family’s remaining projects, and have the banks press them for debt repayment. I want Lin Jian Country to be so buried in work that he never has time to step out of his company again!]

After hitting send, he slightly withdrew his imposing aura, quietly waiting for the situation to unfold.

A few minutes later, Lin Jian Country’s terminal suddenly blared with an urgent ringtone. He had been gearing up to continue his accusatory rant, but upon hearing the chime, he impatiently tapped open the device. The moment he clearly saw the caller ID, however, he scrambled to answer the call.

Whatever the person on the other end said, Lin Jian Country’s face drained of color at a visible rate, fine beads of cold sweat instantly breaking out across his forehead. He was thrown into an absolute panic, his earlier arrogance evaporating into thin air.

"What?! All of them terminated? Funds frozen?!" he cried out in a hoarse voice, his tone thick with disbelief.

At this moment, any lingering desire to argue with Yun Sheng had vanished entirely, his mind completely consumed by the sudden corporate crisis. He hurriedly hung up the call and scrambled to leave. As he reached the ward’s doorway, however, he paused and looked back at the frail Su Wan on the hospital bed. His tone carried a final, coercive edge.

"Awan, think carefully about what I just told you. Have Su Yuanzhou return my call as soon as possible."

With that said, he shoved the door open. He was about to storm off when he looked up and bumped right into Si Jin, who was standing quietly out in the hall.

Si Jin stood tall and straight in the shadows, an icy, bone-chilling aura radiating from him. His indifferent gaze landed on Lin Jian Country, exuding an overwhelming sense of oppression.

Lin Jian Country’s heart skipped a beat. His expression darkened even further as an inexplicable wave of panic surged within him. However, he was in no mood to dwell on the anomaly. The crisis at his company had fully erupted, and he needed to rush back immediately to stabilize the situation.

Not daring to linger a second longer, Lin Jian Country forcibly suppressed his surging panic, turned on his heel, and hurried away.

Once his figure had completely disappeared down the hall, Yun Sheng suddenly walked to the doorway. She lifted her gaze to Si Jin, who was still standing quietly in the corridor.

"Come in. Mrs. Lin... she has something she wants to say to you."

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