Chapter 436: Chapter 413: I haven’t brushed my teeth, stay away from me!
"It’s not about whether I want to fight them, but about them wanting my life."
No matter if the Hua Family wants to eliminate the Western Suburb’s influence, he would still reach out to the Liger Gang. This is no longer a matter of warning, but a matter of protecting his own safety. He can’t let this danger affect others, especially with the presence of those siblings.
"So you need them more now by your side." Wing was anxious about Xiao Lin’s obstinacy. He wouldn’t forget the words Elder Xia whispered to him before leaving. The weight of his responsibilities had increased, but he wouldn’t tell Xiao Lin about it.
"Wing, what did the old man say to you?" Xiao Lin stared directly into Wing’s eyes. His anxiety today was obvious; even well-hidden changes would be exposed in front of someone familiar.
"The only ones who can change me, probably aside from my surprise, are my family’s old man."
"The old man didn’t say anything."
"Great, are you listening to him or me now?" Xiao Lin was dissatisfied with Wing’s answer and raised his eyebrow. He never doubted Wing’s loyalty; although they hadn’t shared life-or-death experiences together, the bond between them was beyond ordinary understanding. Whether it was the one sleeping upstairs or the one playing games on the side, such indifferent presences can’t be used as proof of separation—because they were too familiar, they didn’t need more complicated etiquette.
"Young Master Xiao!" Wing wanted to defend himself but swallowed the words back.
"I know you can’t go against the old man, but just do the formalities on the surface. If it turns to the actual situation, I’d be angry." Wing looked up, glaring. Xiao Lin’s anger was terrifying; it had happened twice, and the consequences of those times were painstakingly dealt with.
"I know!"
"I’ll handle the Liger Gang matter myself; it’s not time for your presence to be exposed yet."
"You worry so much for us; why do you need the Five Sons then?" Guardian, wearing flip-flops, yawned as he came downstairs. His messy hair tangled together, and his chin sprouted stubble as soft as his hair: "When did we, the Five Sons, become so weak that we need to hide?"
"Guardian!" Rainbow saw Guardian, happily dropping the half-played game to run over and hug him, but Guardian moved away.
"I haven’t brushed my teeth, stay away from me." The slippers made a slapping sound, soon followed by the sound of water in the bathroom.
"Guardian’s words weren’t wrong; you’re protecting us too much." Wing exhaled. Guardian might be the one among the five who least regarded Xiao Lin. Many times, the five of them were scattered across various places, each with their busy affairs—Zimu siblings owned their car dealership, Guardian’s glassware was renowned in the industry, Rainbow was an office worker, and Wing managed private property for Xiao Lin after retiring. The hotel supply market they were currently in was just one part of it.
Xiao Lin didn’t argue much with Wing’s words but flashed a meaningful smile: "If you guys think I can’t handle a role like the Liger Gang, do I still have the face to be your Young Master?"
"If it’s just an ordinary Liger Gang, then naturally we don’t need to worry. But given recent developments, what you’re facing is far beyond roles like the Liger Gang and Wang Family. The old man isn’t worried about your ability to solve them but is concerned that such troublesome matters impede his plans." Wing’s words left everyone in silence. They understood Xiao Lin, so often they played the role of Guardians while waiting; only appearing when Xiao Lin needed them.
"Xiao, you’ve called us three times in total; this time is the easiest. You now have ties, which is your weak point. Your anxiety stems entirely from your woman." Guardian, like a frozen ghost, emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a thick blanket. Steam drifted out from the door crease. "You just want us to protect your woman; though we may disdain doing it, because it’s you, we try our best. But you’re throwing your life openly into danger, which we can’t accept."
"Guardian, you used the wrong words." Rainbow reminded Guardian at the side, not wishing to see a destructive fight here. In terms of combat skills, Guardian and Xiao Lin were equally matched. Regarding firearms, Wing was slightly above Xiao Lin. But in terms of overall skills, Xiao Lin far exceeded them.
Xiao Lin walked to the whiteboard, marking the top with the Xiao Family, the next layer with Dragon Soul and Black Crow, then further breaking off to the Middle East and Hua Family from Dragon Soul, and marking Dungeon below Black Crow. In the last layer under the Middle East were marked Fourth Master and mysterious figures along with Military Advisor Lotus, while underneath Hua Family were Wang Family, Liger Gang, Zhang Teng.
"If you can understand this chart, you’ll comprehend what I’m facing." Finally, Xiao Lin placed a big red cross over the names of Wang Family, Liger Gang, and Zhang Teng.
Xiao Lin never pretended in front of the five.
"Women do distract me, because I want to protect, so I cherish my life more." Xiao Lin grabbed Guardian’s collar, and the other four stood up nervously. They sensed Xiao Lin’s anger and wanted to defuse this meaningless dispute before he acted. "Guardian, I know more about the preciousness of life than you do. Don’t use my woman to make a point," Xiao Lin’s voice was low, and no one else could hear it besides them.
"I also need to tell you, women will eventually cause trouble." Was Guardian really not afraid of death? Hong took a deep breath, anxiously glancing at Yi beside him, who shook his head.
"Very good, you’re really becoming more like the old man at my house." Xiao Lin released Guardian, "My decision will not change.
A white QQ car darted out of the underground garage of the hotel supplies market. Xiao Lin held the steering wheel, calmly pressing the accelerator and clutch. He was reflecting on his mistakes, was it anger at the old man’s involvement, or feeling underestimated by them?
Guardian’s words echoed in his ears, he never asked them for help because of a woman, from Guardian’s perspective he wasn’t wrong. Presumably, the other four thought the same, just that because he was Xiao Lin they didn’t show it as openly. They existed because of him.
"Women will eventually cause trouble!" What did such a warning from Guardian’s mouth mean? Xiao Lin sighed, the truth was Guardian wanted to tell him, wasn’t the root cause of those grudges initially because of a woman?
Chopin’s singing was still so subtle, no matter how many times he listened, there was no fatigue, but neither was there any enjoyment. There was a sword made by Guardian on the passenger seat; he always knew what he wanted, always knew what he lacked. However, this time’s rebuttal wasn’t heartless, but the pain of not being understood still occupied most of his mind. Presumably, those five also had the same feeling at the moment!
Passing through the commercial area, a large electronic screen played an advertisement for the new generation of cosmetic skincare products being released. At this time, the cosmetics company under the Wang Family’s industry still moved at its own pace, showing no signs of turmoil.
Fatty Wang was a savvy leader, unrelated to his size. Using a new product launch to suppress any external negative speculation about the Wang Family was a tactic; there’s no denying that the Wang Family was wealthy.
No matter if Wang Zhanting stood by Fatty Wang’s side or not, it was insignificant for the Wang Family’s economic development. Similarly, Fatty Wang wouldn’t submit to Wang Zhanting’s power, which was a failure on Wang Zhanting’s part. The bird that filled its feathers would eventually fly out of the cage; trying to reclaim that string tied to its leg when it already flew away was too late. Wang Zhanting was probably feeling more frustrated and unwilling than anyone.
Turning onto the highway out of town, Xiao Lin picked up the cosmetics he just bought from the new product exhibition, sneering. There’s business rivalry in the business world; schemes and plots never escape the two words "methods." How could he let the Wang Family lose their balance point in a short time without using some unconventional measures? What he needed was not the result but time, to give Zhang Teng enough time to plan.
The brand new QQ stopped on level ground, and the modified car had an extra gear when climbing, making the car start more smoothly with the three-speed. Zimu and Zilin’s skills were becoming more remarkable, and his wallet pocket was again drained by quite some greedy money.
Lian, hearing the engine’s roar up the slope, put down the book in her hand and walked to the window. The white QQ hadn’t changed a bit. Xiao Lin looked up and smiled at her; such a smile felt like it spanned several centuries, but now it was in front of her again. She turned around, went downstairs, and walked into the kitchen to brew a pot of tea.
"Didn’t Xia Xue come with you?" Draped in a high-grade cashmere shawl, her hair tied back in a bun fixed with a chopstick, a few strands hung down on either side, her mature charm instantly captivated Xiao Lin’s heart, he couldn’t help but lean toward her.
"She’s still at the Xia Family." Xiao Lin intentionally disrespected Elder Xia, hoping the old man would keep Xia Xue. The Xia Family was strictly guarded; even if not a hundred percent secure, it was better than staying by his side and constantly being attacked.
Lian stroked Xiao Lin’s thick hair, his gaze never straying from her face, focusing so intently it made her heartbeat quicken, "Why do you look at me like this?"
"Lian!" Xiao Lin reached out to stroke her cheek, the smooth skin triggering a chain reaction on his fingertips. He hooked Lian and pulled her into him, driven by emotion; Xiao Lin was reckless, kissing her lips.
"Did I ever tell you how beautiful you are?"
Lian didn’t dodge; she thought about pushing him away, but emotion conquered reason, for Xiao Lin’s breath swayed her thoughts. The softness was what she imagined every night, and the dark eyes that entangled her all along felt like a large net slowly gathering her in; she couldn’t escape, and she didn’t want to. (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to cast recommendation votes and monthly tickets on Qidian (). Your support is my greatest motivation.)