"Director Lin, please don't make things difficult for me," President Fang insisted, refusing to budge. "Your issue can be resolved slowly, but I can't afford to wait. How about this? I'm not completely heartless. If you can transfer the money to me by tomorrow evening, I'll help stall for time on my end."
Hearing this, Aaron instantly understood that no matter what, President Fang was determined to force him into paying.
"Alright," Aaron agreed.
As soon as the call ended, Aaron slammed the phone to the ground in a fit of rage.
This was outrageous!
Aaron dialed several friends, but all he received were evasive responses—no one was willing to lend a hand.
Dalia walked into the study and noticed his gloomy expression. She cautiously asked, "Honey, it's time for lunch."
Aaron turned around, his cold gaze locking onto her, making her feel uneasy.
"Jianwen, call your brother and ask him how much liquid capital he has. I need some money—not much, just thirty million," Aaron demanded.
Dalia instinctively wanted to refuse, but noticing his expression, she reluctantly nodded.
"Alright. Honey, should I have someone bring your meal up here?"
Aaron waved his hand irritably.
Dalia didn't dare say more and quietly exited the study.
Half an hour later, Aaron appeared in the living room, but there was no one in sight. Hearing some noise from the dining room, he walked straight over.
As soon as he entered, he saw three people having lunch, laughing and chatting.
Aaron's face immediately darkened, and he walked over, barely containing his anger.
When the three of them saw him, the smiles on their faces vanished.
"Honey, you're here. Arianwen, fetch a bowl of rice," Dalia said.
Aaron looked at her and asked, "Did you ask him?"
Dalia's expression stiffened slightly, and she awkwardly replied, "No. I was going to ask after lunch."
At a time like this, she still had the appetite to eat?
Suddenly, Aaron swept the bowls and chopsticks in front of her to the ground. The clattering echoed in the now silent dining room, leaving everyone stunned.
"Honey, you—"
*Slap!*
Whatever Dalia was going to say was cut off by a slap.
Covering her face, she looked at him, full of grievance.
"Do you even know what time it is? All you do is eat, eat, eat! When Lin Group collapses, what will you have left to eat and use?"
All the anger, humiliation, and frustration that Aaron had been bottling up for days, unable to express in front of outsiders, erupted in that moment.
With a sweep of his hand, the entire table of food was knocked over.
Saira was terrified and instinctively hid behind Christian.
Seeing Saira's reaction, Christian, emboldened by his father's favoritism, spoke up, "Dad, what are you doing? If you're not eating, does that mean everyone has to go hungry?"
Aaron was enraged by his son's words.
This was his son!
Pointing a trembling finger at Christian, Aaron was so angry he couldn't speak.
"You, now, immediately, call your brother!" he finally shouted.
Dalia didn't dare delay and immediately called her brother, dialing five times in a row, but no one answered.
What did this mean?
Everyone present understood.
"Honey, don't worry. Brother is probably busy. I'll keep calling," Dalia reassured him.
But even by midnight, no one answered.
"You Qin family are something else. When the Qin family was on the brink of collapse, who helped them? And now, when we need a hand, they won't even pick up the phone. You're all ungrateful, backstabbing wretches."
"Honey, I'll go find Brother tomorrow," Dalia offered.
Aaron remained silent, which was as good as consent.
"Secretary Zhang, how much cash can the company still access?" Aaron asked over the phone.
"Director Lin, I had everyone work through the night to calculate it, and there's only five million left."
"What? Five million?!" Aaron could hardly believe his ears.
"Yes, that's correct. Just five million. During the audit, we discovered that large amounts of funds had been transferred by the second Director Lin to overseas accounts. The five million we have is what we managed to scrape together from various subsidiary companies."
"That bastard!" Aaron gritted his teeth in fury.
But what he didn't know was that this was just the beginning.
Early the next morning, several police officers arrived at Aaron's door. They walked up to him and solemnly said, "Are you Mr. Aaron?"
"Yes, that's me. Officers, what can I do for you?" Aaron asked.
"We've received a report that Lin Group is involved in tax evasion. Please come with us to assist in the investigation."
As Aaron was taken away, waiting reporters outside captured the moment. Just like that, Lin Group was back in the headlines.
With the bank demanding repayment, the company under scrutiny by authorities, and shareholders demanding explanations, Lin Group seemed to be cursed.
The charges of tax evasion and fraud were almost confirmed, making it nearly impossible for Aaron to get out anytime soon. As the sole heir of the Lin family, Christian was called to attend the shareholders' meeting.
On the way to Lin Group, Dalia urged, "Christian, those old foxes will definitely try to seize power. You can't let them succeed. Lin Group is the Lin family's lifeblood, built by your father over his lifetime. We absolutely can't lose it."
Christian's face was grim. "Don't worry, I won't let those vultures have their way. Lin Group will always belong to the Lin family. No one can take it."
Dalia patted his shoulder. "Christian, I know you can do it."
Though she said that, she still felt uneasy.
"Secretary Zhang will go in with you. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask him," Dalia reminded him.
"I got it," Christian replied dismissively.
Saira chimed in at the right moment, "Brother, you have to listen to Secretary Zhang. He has experience and knows those shareholders well."
Christian smiled. "Alright, I will."
The three of them entered the company building, and as they passed, the employees nodded and greeted them.
But after they walked by, whispers spread among the staff.
"I heard that this shareholders' meeting is going to push the Lin family out of the leadership."
"Does that mean Lin Group is going to change hands?"
"Looks like it."
"Director Lin used to be quite good, but not in the past couple of years. Many directors have been unhappy for a long time. Now that so much trouble has erupted, it's unlikely he'll be able to hold on to his position."
"The Lin family won't give up easily. I bet the meeting room will be a battlefield."
Just as the employees predicted, the atmosphere in the meeting room was tense and stiff.
Christian, cornered by the board members, was flushed with anger. Secretary Zhang, noticing that he was about to lose his temper, kept whispering in his ear.
"Young Master Lin, stay calm, stay calm, don't get angry."
Seeing that Christian remained silent, the board members grew bolder in their taunts.
"Young Master Lin, it's not that we doubt Director Lin's leadership, but just look at what he's been doing lately."
"He's getting on in years; it's time for him to step down and take care of his health. After all, those things do take a toll on the body."
As soon as the board member finished speaking, the room erupted in snickers.