"They're bound to think that, but Wu Haoyu's idea of getting out early is just a fantasy," Lin Chen said. "He should just stay put and serve his full three years."
"Honey, should I go with you tomorrow?" Xu Mengyao asked.
Lin Chen shook his head. "Take Qianqian with you. I'll meet them alone to see what they're up to."
"Alright." Xu Mengyao didn't insist.
Lin Chen meeting the Wu Family alone should be perfectly safe. Even if they wanted to target him, they'd do it covertly rather than openly.
Soon, Xu Mengyao finished getting ready, and they headed home together.
In the car, Lin Xiaoqian said with a hint of pride, "Mommy, I'm much better at math now!"
Xu Mengyao turned around. "Really, Qianqian? Let me test you. What's five plus seven?"
"Twelve!"
"Mommy, your questions are too easy!" Lin Xiaoqian answered without hesitation.
Xu Mengyao's eyes widened in surprise. Before, even with simple problems like this, Lin Xiaoqian would still need to pause and calculate.
"Honey, what's going on?" Xu Mengyao asked Lin Chen, puzzled.
Lin Chen smiled. "Qianqian's math talent has improved. Let me give her some problems so you can see for yourself."
As he drove, he began posing math questions to Lin Xiaoqian. Xu Mengyao was quickly left speechless by her daughter's rapid-fire answers.
Some of these problems would have taken her a long time to solve. Yet Lin Xiaoqian could answer some of them instantly.
For the more difficult problems, she needed to calculate, but she did so with remarkable speed.
"Honey, this—" Xu Mengyao couldn't believe her eyes.
In just a few days, Lin Xiaoqian's math skills had undergone a complete transformation.
Lin Chen smiled. "Math mainly depends on talent. I told you Qianqian has strong potential, it just needed to be unlocked."
"Honey, do you think I could... unlock it too?" Xu Mengyao asked.
Lin Chen glanced at her. "Wife, you have many areas you can develop in the future. But even if you called me 'Dad,' you wouldn't get my genes."
Xu Mengyao: "..."
"I feel like you're being inappropriate!" she retorted.
Lin Chen patted the steering wheel lightly. "No need to 'feel' it, dear. I'm being very obvious."
Xu Mengyao: "..."
In the back seat, Lin Xiaoqian piped up, "Daddy, give me another problem!"
"Alright."
Lin Chen continued posing problems. He was teaching his daughter while also improving his own skills through the practice.
Xu Mengyao listened quietly, silently working through the calculations in her mind.
But more often than not, before she could finish, Lin Xiaoqian had already given the answer, leaving Xu Mengyao feeling deflated.
Still, she reminded herself that the child was hers and the husband was hers. With that thought, Xu Mengyao felt much better.
***
Even after the massage, Wu Yangcheng's hand still ached.
The pain wasn't severe enough to make him cry out, but the persistent, itchy, and throbbing sensation was deeply unpleasant.
"Uncle, you should rest well. It should be better tomorrow," Wu Yunhui said when they arrived at the hotel.
Wu Yangcheng nodded. "Yunhui, we can say whatever we want in private, but when you meet Lin Chen tomorrow, don't speak carelessly. He's become quite unfathomable."
"Uncle, he's not *that* unfathomable, is he?" Wu Yunhui asked.
"There are things you don't know, and I can't tell you. Just trust me on this."
He couldn't tell Yunhui that Lin Chen was connected to State Security. He had signed a confidentiality agreement, and breaking it could land him in prison.
"Understood, Uncle," Wu Yunhui nodded.
As the night deepened, Wu Yangcheng tossed and turned, unable to sleep. His hand grew even more painful around midnight.
"Yunhui, go buy me some painkillers."
"And some sleeping pills!"
Wu Yangcheng called Wu Yunhui, who was staying in the next room.
"Uncle, is it still hurting?"
"It's worse now! I can't sleep because of the pain!" Wu Yangcheng said, his face grim.
"I'll be there right away."
An hour later, after taking painkillers and sleeping pills, Wu Yangcheng finally fell asleep. But the next morning, he woke up with the same throbbing pain in his palm.
"Damn it!"
Wu Yangcheng's face twisted in frustration.
The pain was slightly better than in the middle of the night, but it was still very noticeable, about the same as it had been during the day yesterday.
*Beep beep!*
At nine in the morning, Wu Yangcheng called Lin Chen. They were at a teahouse near the Purple Garden Community.
Half an hour later, Lin Chen sauntered into the teahouse.
"President Wu, thanks for waiting."
Lin Chen entered the private room with a cheerful smile.
Wu Yangcheng glared at him and said in a low voice, "Lin Chen, you injured my hand. How do we settle this?"
Lin Chen looked puzzled. "President Wu, I injured your hand? When did that happen? Don't make baseless accusations."
"Yesterday!"
Lin Chen replied, "We just shook hands. I might be a bit stronger than average, but you can't just accuse me like this. If you really injured your hand, we can call the police and get it medically examined at the hospital."
Wu Yangcheng's mouth twitched.
*The hospital won't find anything!*
But the pain in his palm was undeniably real.
"Lin Chen, don't get too arrogant," Wu Yunhui couldn't help but blurt out.
Lin Chen turned to Wu Yunhui and said calmly, "Your father sent people to burglarize my house and hired online trolls to smear me. Who's being the arrogant one here?"
"Yunhui, don't say another word," Wu Yangcheng said in a deep voice. "Lin Chen, I won't let Haoyu out early. But on my brother's case, you need to back down and help me get him a reduced sentence."
Lin Chen scoffed. "Why should I help you?"
"Xu Mengyao doesn't know Haoyu will be released early, does she? If she finds out, it might affect her," Wu Yangcheng said calmly.
Lin Chen narrowed his eyes. "President Wu, are you threatening me?"
Wu Yangcheng shook his head. "This isn't a threat. If this escalates, some information will inevitably leak. I'm just giving you a friendly reminder."
Lin Chen sneered. "Haoyu won't be released. I'll make sure of that!"
Wu Yangcheng said, "Lin Chen, your family background is ordinary, but you have someone protecting you, and you're quite strong. I suspect you've had a fortunate encounter and gained a powerful backer."
"But the Wu Family isn't a pushover."
"And behind the Wu Family stands a powerful force!"
"There's no need for mutual destruction, is there? Haoyu can apply for a reduced sentence. Trading his reduced sentence for my brother serving less time—that's a fair deal."
Lin Chen said with a detached expression, "Since Wu Yangfeng did those things, he must face the consequences."
"If you have the ability to get your son's sentence reduced, go ahead and try! We'll have a proper fight then."
Wu Yangcheng's face darkened.
"Lin Chen, do you really have to burn all bridges?"
Lin Chen sneered, "After what your Wu Family has done, do you even have the right to face the world? Wu Yangcheng, bring out whatever tricks you have. I'll meet them all."
Three years in prison for Wu Haoyu wasn't enough.
He wanted to crush the entire Wu Family!
"Lin Chen, don't push your luck!"
"You're arrogant because you have someone backing you, but that's not your strength, nor your family's!"
"If your backer withdraws support, the Xu Family alone won't be able to stand against the Song Family!" Wu Yunhui barked.
Wu Yangcheng's expression shifted slightly.
"The Song Family?"
Lin Chen said with a half-smile.
-----------------------
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