Jiang Wangchuan and Xu Tian stood amidst a crowd, their expressions a mix of a smile and not, as they watched Lin Xiaoru and spoke:
"I've heard that the Lin family has been throwing their weight around lately, banning whoever they please. There were even rumors a few days ago about putting a ban on Younger Brother Mu's company. I was somewhat skeptical at first, so I brought some people along to check it out today. To my surprise, I really did see your people from the Lin family strutting about here!"
Lin Xiaoru's expression was awkward; she was about to muster the courage to say something fierce.
But then Jiang Wangchuan suddenly turned his head, laughing and said, "Nephew Du, what do you say?"
Nephew Du?
Who else could warrant such a title of "nephew" from someone like Jiang Wangchuan—and a Du at that?!
Three words immediately came to mind for Lin Xiaoru and the others.
Du Xiangcheng!
The Governor of Jiangnan Province, the eldest son of the Du Family, the second of the Four Great Families of River City, Du Xiangcheng!
Struggling to turn their necks, they looked back towards the parking lot behind them.
They saw at the parking space Jiang Wangchuan was looking at, a black Audi A6 had just parked. But that license plate was frighteningly impressive!
Next, the car door opened, and a man dressed like a secretary got out, walked around to the rear door, opened it, and stood beside it with a respectful expression!
Then, a middle-aged man in a suit and leather shoes, with a very serious expression, carrying a delicately adorable little girl, stepped out of the car.
Lin Xiaoru and Chen Xuyang watched the middle-aged man, their expressions stunned, as if turned to statues.
The newcomer really was the Governor of Jiangnan, Du Xiangcheng!
Why had he come?
He was so busy!
Why would he come here? He wasn't supposed to come!
Their minds were screaming hysterically, unable to accept this reality!
'No, Governor Du musn't have come for Mu Jinyu. He must be here to see Jiang Wangchuan, not to support Mu Jinyu!'
No sooner had this thought surfaced in Lin Xiaoru's mind.
Than she saw Du Xiaoya, who was being held by Du Xiangcheng, spot Mu Jinyu. Her eyes lit up, and she eagerly waved to Mu Jinyu, saying, "Big brother, big brother... Xiaoya came to play with you!"
Fuck!
Lin Xiaoru almost couldn't help but curse aloud!
The damn Governor of Jiangnan Province had actually come for that street rat Mu Jinyu!
How insane can this world get?
What in the world was happening?!
But Du Xiaoya didn't care about their feelings. After struggling in Du Xiangcheng's arms for a bit, she was put down, her face spoiled yet helpless.
Once free, Du Xiaoya immediately started hopping towards Mu Jinyu, cheering, "Big brother, big brother, Xiaoya missed you so much, did you miss Xiaoya?"
With swift speed, Du Xiaoya dashed towards Mu Jinyu.
Those who had been scoffing at Mu Jinyu didn't dare stand in Du Xiaoya's way. If they were to cause her to get hurt, could they still hope for a good life?
So, they quickly made way for Du Xiaoya to reach Mu Jinyu.
Running unimpeded, Du Xiaoya leaped up with arms outstretched and flung herself towards Mu Jinyu.
Mu Jinyu's eyelids twitched at the sight, thinking this girl was far too daring. What if he hadn't caught her—wouldn't she have gotten a concussion?
In a panic, he hurried forward a few steps, spreading his arms slightly and then caught Du Xiaoya in his embrace!
"Whew..."
The couple, Du Xiangcheng, and his entourage of bodyguards, drivers, and secretaries sighed with relief upon seeing Du Xiaoya safely caught.
For them, Du Xiaoya was their treasure. Her sudden sprint and leap towards Mu Jinyu had given them quite a scare.
Actually, Du Xiaoya wasn't an unruly child, and she normally wouldn't dare to jump around and fling herself at others. The reason she did so was solely because she had witnessed Mu Jinyu's skills and knew her big brother would catch her safely, which is why she acted in such a manner.
"My little ancestor, please don't ever do that again, what if you had fallen?!"
Mu Jinyu scolded gently while holding Du Xiaoya in his arms.
"With big brother here, Xiaoya is not scared at all."
Du Xiaoya wrapped her little hands around Mu Jinyu's neck, speaking happily with her eyes curved into crescent moons.
"Big brother hasn't said whether he missed Xiaoya or not!" Du Xiaoya added another question.
Mu Jinyu, hugging her, smiled and replied, "Of course, I missed you."
Then, he looked at Du Xiangcheng and his group approaching, nodded slightly in greeting.
Watching this scene, Lin Xiaoru's heart felt as if it had dropped into a cold pool.
From Du Xiaoya's affectionate behavior towards Mu Jinyu, it was clear that his relationship with the Du Family was very good, and his indifferent attitude towards Du Xiangcheng showed that the two families were quite familiar with each other, likely meeting often, which explained the nonchalance.
However, Lin Xiaoru was mistaken; Mu Jinyu's indifference towards Du Xiangcheng was due to a lack of acquaintance, and his disinterest in ingratiating himself with others.
Yet she misinterpreted it as a sign of a close relationship between the two families!
Du Xiangcheng walked over at a measured pace, nodding slightly to Mu Jinyu, then greeted Jiang Wangchuan and Xu Tianzheng with a nod, "Uncle Jiang, Uncle Xu."
After the greetings, he then turned his gaze towards Lin Xiaoru, who looked fierce but apprehensive, as well as Zhang Qiuhuai, Wang Huanhuan, Li Shuyue, and the Gu family members, who were all pale with fright...
"You all seem to be doing well. I hope you will continue to abide by the law."
Du Xiangcheng said with a smile.
Upon hearing his words, the crowd tried to squeeze out a smile, but their expressions were uglier than if they were crying.
Although Du Xiangcheng's statement wasn't a threat, given his status, it was more intimidating than a direct threat!
If they weren't abiding by the law and had any dirty dealings in their businesses, wouldn't he be bound to investigate them thoroughly?
Considering his relationship with Mu Jinyu, none of the guests who came today to see Mu Jinyu's downfall could escape close scrutiny!
And were their businesses truly clean?
Lin Xiaoru's face was contorted with ugliness, as if she had eaten excrement, never having imagined that Mu Jinyu would know Du Xiangcheng and the Governor of Jiangnan!
That meant, among the Four Great Families of River City, three were already associated with Mu Jinyu?!
She was out of her league trying to blacklist Mu Jinyu!
Even if her father, the helmsman of Lin Pharmaceutical, stepped in, it was unlikely he could compete with them.
And judging from Du Xiangcheng's recent words, it seemed inevitable that Lin Pharmaceutical, although not facing major trouble, would suffer significant damage this time.
It appeared she was going to be severely scolded by her parents when she got back!
Lin Xiaoru thought with some regret.
However, she was unaware that the greatest threat from Lin Pharmaceutical wasn't just Du Xiangcheng's rigorous investigation.
The bigger threat was the Beauty Pill, which had been rejected by Lin Pharmaceutical and refused cooperation.
But at that moment, she was still unaware of these facts, and only when she realized them later would she bitterly regret her actions.
"It's about time, and I doubt many more people will be arriving. Let's go inside!"
Mu Jinyu cared little for the grim faces of the crowd upon witnessing the support of the Three Great Families of River City, which looked as though they had swallowed something disgusting.
He checked the time and glanced at the reporters from various major media outlets brought by Jiang Wangchuan and others, as well as executives from various business circles, and then called out to everyone.