China.
It was still unbearably hot in early August.
In a carriage of a train heading from the countryside to Beicheng, Lin Wu's delicate and slender fingers slid across the tablet screen as she calmly viewed the contents.
A young man's voice came through the earphones.
"Boss, the movements of all the Lin Family members in recent years, including Lin Qian who was recently found, are all in the materials I just sent to you," said the voice.
Lin Wu hummed indifferently.
She was the daughter of the Lin Group in Beicheng, with two older brothers six years her senior.
Logic would suggest that she should have been cherished, but when Fang Ruling gave birth to her, it was with great difficulty, and whenever she saw Lin Wu, she would be reminded of her suffering and never showed a kind face to her; consequently, the rest of the Lin Family wasn't very good to her either.
When she was twelve, Fang Ruling could no longer stand it and asked her father, Lin Shenghai, to send Lin Wu to the countryside where the family originated, to live with her grandfather.
Six years passed, and during that time the Lin Family never inquired about her, as if they had forgotten her existence.
Until two days ago, her grandfather, who had gone to Beicheng for medical treatment the previous year because of poor health, called her, saying the Lin Family wanted her back.
Lin Wu didn't believe that the Lin Family suddenly realized the wrong they had done to her and wanted to make amends.
As expected, her grandfather revealed a shocking truth: it had been discovered by accident that during Fang Ruling's delivery, a baby switch had occurred, meaning Lin Wu was not the true daughter of the Lin Family.
This news stunned the Lin Family.
Especially Fang Ruling, as if suddenly regaining her maternal love, went through a lot of trouble to find her child back.
At last, the real heiress, Lin Qian, was recovered, and the Lin Family unanimously decided to hold a grand press conference to announce Lin Qian's identity while also declaring that Lin Wu would have no further relations with the Lin Family.
The Lin Family hadn't contacted Lin Wu and didn't know her phone number, so they reached out to her grandfather instead.
Lin Wu's gaze settled on a photo of Lin Qian on the screen, then swiped past it to a newly taken family portrait of all five of them.
In the past eighteen years, she had never taken one with the Lin Family.
At that thought, Lin Wu's eyelids drooped slightly.
Suddenly, there was a loud bang, and the door to the carriage was violently pushed open.
Lin Wu glanced over to see a tall and handsome man at the door. Before she could get a clear look at him, he collapsed to the ground with a thud.
The pungent smell of blood spread.
"Boss, what happened?" worriedly asked the person on the other end of the earphone, hearing the commotion.
"It's nothing. Zheng Qi, tell the people below to continue investigating that matter; there's no need to bother with the Lin Family anymore," Lin Wu said before hanging up and putting down the tablet.
Unexpectedly, several burly men suddenly appeared at the door, "Boss, we've found him here! We've got him!"
Noticing Lin Wu, they pointed at her and said viciously, "Don't meddle or you'll lose your life!"
The man on the ground didn't move. Lin Wu withdrew her gaze and looked coolly at the doorway, "I dislike being pointed at."
"What if we are pointing at you? Beat it!" they yelled.
The men rushed in, instantly crowding the narrow carriage.
Their shoes were covered in unnameable filth, soiling the floor.
"You've dirtied my space," she said.
Lin Wu's eyes turned slightly cold.
One of the men, losing patience, turned around and swung his hand, "You filthy whore, why so much…"
But his hand never reached its target.
— Lin Wu had firmly grasped it.
The man's complexion changed.
"Second, I hate it when people lay hands on me." The moment the words left her mouth, Lin Wu kicked hard, sending the man flying out of the private room and knocking down others in the process.
The sudden turn of events put them on alert; they immediately got up, ready to fight back, but Lin Wu didn't give them the chance. In no time at all, she had taken them down, and they lay scattered on the ground, barely clinging to life.
Hearing the commotion, the stewardess quickly came over. Seeing the scene, she opened her mouth in horror, "Miss Lin, this..."
In reality, Lin Wu was the only passenger in this carriage.
"Notify the conductor, he will know how to handle it."
After speaking, Lin Wu went back inside, closed the door behind her, and looked at the man who had awoken, her gaze sharp, "Who are you?"
The man had well-defined facial features, with strong brows, a superior and straight nasal bridge, and lips thinner and more sensual than a woman's.
He had that sort of strikingly handsome appearance that could dazzle onlookers at just one glance.
As he slightly lifted his eyelids to look at Lin Wu, the dangerous aura that surrounded him quietly dissipated, the corners of his mouth curling up in a lazy, seductive smile.
"Doctor," he said.
Lin Wu leaned against the door with her arms folded, clearly not believing him.
What kind of doctor was he?
The man coughed a few times and said, "Really, the kind that's very good at surgery. Someone wanted me to operate on him, but I refused, and he's held a grudge ever since. That's how I ended up like this."
Lin Wu's nostrils flared slightly; she did indeed smell a faint scent of disinfectant mixed with the clean fragrance of pine and cypress amid the stench of blood.
Listening to the messy footsteps outside, she made sure everything was cleaned up, grabbed her bag, and turned to open the door.
"If you don't want to die, go back to your own carriage and stay put."
With that, Lin Wu entered the empty carriage next door.
The phone rang softly; she took it out and saw a message from Zheng Qi, asking if things on the train were resolved and whether she needed his help.
Lin Wu thought for a moment and replied, "No need."
For the past two years, in order to investigate an old matter, she was very careful in concealing her identity.
Not many people on the street knew she was returning to Beicheng. This incident must be a coincidence, not aimed at her.
Lin Wu tidied up a bit and lay down fully clothed.
The whole carriage became quiet again, and Lin Wu heard the sound of a door opening and closing next door, the man's footsteps gradually fading away.
She turned over and fell asleep.
At four in the afternoon, the train arrived at the station on time.
The driver the Lin Family had sent was already waiting for her.
Aside from the driver, there was no one else.
The driver's attitude wasn't very polite, "You're in luck, tonight Mr. Lin and his wife are dining at Shenggui. You weren't supposed to go, but the elder Miss, having a kind heart, specially asked Mr. Lin and his wife to allow you to join."
Lin Wu paused briefly, "Shenggui?"
The driver nodded with pride, "Exactly!"
Shenggui was the largest private club in Beicheng, where the decor and style were the epitome of understated luxury.
Most importantly, the owner behind Shenggui had a strong background that nobody dared to offend. No matter how aggressive the competition, they couldn't shake Shenggui even a bit and would, in fact, end up worse off themselves.
Additionally, Shenggui operated a VIP system, and not every rich and noble family could register as VIPs. The selection criteria were very stringent, which meant that Beicheng's wealthy families used Shenggui VIP status to showcase their identity and position.
As a result, Shenggui became well-known among Beicheng's wealthy circles, and even key government officials would go to Shenggui.
The Lin Family had only come into wealth a decade or so ago and their foundation was far from enough to touch Shenggui.
However, two years ago, the Lin Family began a collaboration with the international financial giant Yunke Group. Their worth soared with this partnership, and they made a fortune on several joint projects, significantly increasing their value.
By biting the bullet and paying a bit more for the registration fee, they could also just about register with Shenggui.