C19 Lin Group Meeting

Lin Quansheng, the former patriarch of the Lin family, possessed a keen eye for observing things and discerning their true nature.

Upon his first encounter with Tang Hao, Quansheng suspected that Hao might not actually be insane, despite not knowing why he was in a mental hospital. Quansheng, as an observer, was quite certain that Hao was not mad; he simply took on the guise of madness to carry out outrageous acts on occasion. Quansheng had never witnessed Hao exhibit any signs of illness or aggressive behavior towards Lin Mengyao. In fact, Hao's so-called outbursts were only directed at those who threatened Mengyao.

Quansheng was an intelligent man, having led the Lin family from a modest family enterprise to its current prominence. However, his disability provided Old Mrs. Lin with the opportunity to strip him of his authority. It was unclear whether it was due to her old age or other reasons, but Old Mrs. Lin showed a peculiar fondness for Lin Xinguo and his son, who harbored their own agendas. Quansheng noticed something amiss but chose to remain silent, understanding that some truths are better left unspoken.

Initially, Quansheng had concerns about Lin Qing and his son targeting Mengyao, especially after his own condition changed. But now, with his son-in-law by her side, it seemed unlikely that she would be easily bullied. This reassured Quansheng, who decided to embrace his new role as a person with a disability, using it as cover to further observe his son-in-law and discover his exceptional qualities. From what he could see, his son-in-law's combat prowess was formidable; not even a group of a dozen men could stand against him.

Unaware of Quansheng's internal musings, Tang Hao focused on driving, eventually parking the car in the Lin Group's office building lot. He then wheeled Quansheng and accompanied Mengyao in the elevator directly to the Lin Group's conference room.

Tang Hao pushed open the conference room door to find Old Mrs. Lin seated at the head of the table, with Lin Xinguo and his son occupying the seats of honor beside her. The remaining seats were filled with department heads and shareholders of the Lin Group. Only two seats near the entrance were left for Lin Quansheng and Lin Mengyao. Tang Hao, however, was left without a seat. In their eyes, a lunatic who had married into the Lin family hardly deserved one.

Lin Quansheng and Lin Mengyao, direct descendants of the Lin family, were relegated to positions behind the Lin Group's department managers, ranking even below outsiders who had come to work for the company. It was clear that some members of the Lin family were losing all sense of decency. Yet, Tang Hao remained silent, simply ushering Lin Quansheng to his seat.

"I mentioned that you should arrive within ten minutes. Having so many of us wait for just a few of you seems quite presumptuous, cousin," Lin Qing, the head of the Lin family, said with an air of authority as he sat next to Old Mrs. Lin, questioning Lin Mengyao with a challenging tone.

Before Lin Mengyao could respond, Tang Hao interjected, "It's been only fifteen minutes since your call, and it's a thirty-minute drive from the Lin Mansion to here. You informed Mengyao about the meeting only ten minutes in advance. Did you forget that travel takes time, or do you lack the sense to realize that they can't instantly teleport to the Lin Group?"

"Let's make it interesting. If you can make it from here to the Lin Mansion in ten minutes, I'll eat this conference table. How about that? Are you willing to bet?" Tang Hao's retort left Lin Qing at a loss for words.

Lin Qing had indeed been looking for an excuse to trouble Lin Mengyao, intending to mock her for being late. He hadn't anticipated Tang Hao to be someone who wouldn't back down easily, unwilling to let Lin Qing gain the upper hand. Even Lin Qing couldn't make the journey from the Lin Mansion to the Lin Group in ten minutes.

Witnessing Lin Qing's momentary embarrassment, several opportunistic shareholders of the Lin Group hastily came to his aid, eager to defuse the tension.

This is a high-level internal meeting of the Lin Group, and unauthorized individuals are not permitted entry. Nowadays, it seems anyone thinks they can waltz into our Lin Group's executive meetings. Where is security? They need to promptly escort these uninvited guests out."

A Lin Group shareholder quickly stepped forward, trying to curry favor with Lin Qing by flaunting his status.

Tang Hao couldn't help but laugh.

"An internal Lin Group meeting? If this is truly an internal affair, why are all of you, who barely have any connection to each other, crowding in here? Does this really qualify as a high-level meeting? Since when does a department head's attendance make it an executive meeting?"

"Since when have such minor positions been considered part of the upper echelon?"

Tang Hao said with a hint of irony.

Typically, an executive meeting is attended only by a select few with the authority to make life-or-death decisions for the company and the members of the board of directors. That's what constitutes a high-level meeting. Now, it seems every department manager from the Lin Group has turned up.

Clearly, this is nothing more than a general assembly, likely convened to relay some information rather than a strategic executive gathering.

"You..."

The director, unable to outwit Tang Hao, was left speechless. He couldn't refute Tang Hao's words because they were, in fact, true.

Tang Hao's statement was a direct hit to the pride of most of the Lin Group members present. Apart from Old Mrs. Lin and the father-son duo Lin Xinguo, only a handful of shareholders met the criteria.

The others did not rank as high-level executives within the Lin Group.

Tang Hao's biting remarks left the mid and lower-level managers struggling to save face. With them present, the meeting hardly qualified as an exclusive executive session.

"Furthermore, I am the assistant to the former Lin Group patriarch, Mr. Lin Quansheng, and the husband of Manager Lin Mengyao. I certainly have the right to stand here and speak."

"And you, step aside. How have you managed to survive in the workplace all these years? I am the assistant to Director Lin Quansheng. My rank is no less than yours. Go stand over there; you're out of your element here."

Tang Hao dismissed the manager who was sitting next to Lin Mengyao.

Although Lin Quansheng is no longer the head of the Lin family, as the legitimate eldest son, he retains his position as a director of the Lin Group.

This fact was undeniable, even for Old Mrs. Lin.

Unless Old Mrs. Lin severed her maternal ties with Lin Quansheng, he would forever remain one of the directors of the Lin Group.