C16 Expel from the Lin Family

Xia Ming offered Lin Shuyu a reassuring smile. "It's alright, Shuyu, as long as you don't look down on me, that's all that matters."

He was indifferent to the stares from the others.

With a mere word from Xia Ming, no one in the room could escape his reach. He had already glanced over the damning evidence Elder Pang had distributed. Lin Shuyu's second uncle Lin Zhong, third uncle Lin Cheng, aunt Zhang Lan, and her uncles, including Lin Feng, were all implicated.

Each one of them had skeletons in their closet!

The dirt Elder Pang had dug up was lethal—enough to lock them away for life!

Xia Ming could handle them with just a few words.

Once the room had quieted down, Xia Ming spoke up, "Is that all you have to say? If it weren't for Shuyu and my grandfather's sake, you'd all be long gone!"

He was not exaggerating.

Just yesterday at the KTV, Xia Ming had summoned Yellow Rank martial support, and Liu Tianxiong, a titan of River City, had answered the call. The Lin family was no match for such a force.

And above the Yellow Rank, there were even more formidable Black and Earth Ranks.

Yet, Lin Feng and the rest were oblivious to Xia Ming's real connections. "Xia Ming, you loser, you still have the nerve to be arrogant at a time like this? See this? This is the unanimous sentiment of the Lin family. We don't welcome you, so stop clinging to my sister... Take your cheap earring and beat it..."

While speaking, Lin Feng flung the earring onto the hall floor. It bounced a couple of times and skidded to a stop at the entrance, miraculously undamaged.

"Someone get him out of here!" Lin Feng barked towards the door, signaling for the bodyguard to act.

But before Lin Feng's order could be carried out, an elderly man with a white beard and a cane stepped through the doorway. His booming voice filled the hall, "The young ones in the Lin family have lost all manners. I've barely stepped foot inside, and you're already trying to throw me out?"

As the elderly man spoke, he casually picked up the earrings that were lying by his feet. He glanced at them briefly, his fingers tracing their surface. A moment of hesitation flickered in his eyes before he bent down for a closer look. Suddenly, his expression shifted dramatically.

Meanwhile, the grandmother, who had been seated at the place of honor, noticed the old man's arrival. She quickly stood and warmly greeted him, "Brother Gu, what a surprise to see you here in person. Please, come inside!"

Lin Feng chimed in promptly, "Elder Gu, please don't be upset. My words were not directed at you!"

Elder Gu, whose real name was Gu Zhenshan, appeared gentle and scholarly, yet he was a titan in the world of antiques. In Huaya, no one could challenge his expertise in appraising ancient paintings and artifacts.

Elder Gu was well-connected throughout Huaya, welcomed by influential figures wherever he went. Even in the capital, many prominent individuals were on friendly terms with him.

The Lin family, of course, would never risk offending such a distinguished figure.

Elder Gu's visit was purely out of respect for the late patriarch of the Lin family, with whom he had shared a close personal bond.

Gu Zhenshan stood at the doorway, his gaze fixed on the blood-red earring in his hand. The more he examined it, the more astonished he became, eventually pulling out a magnifying glass to inspect it meticulously. He was so engrossed that he didn't even acknowledge Lin Feng and his grandmother.

After a long pause, Gu Zhenshan finally turned to the grandmother, his face alight with excitement, "Big sister, where did this earring come from? How could it end up carelessly discarded on the ground?"

Lin Feng and his grandmother exchanged uneasy glances. Gu Zhenshan's reputation for his steadfast commitment to antiques was well-known; the earring must be extraordinary for him to scrutinize it so intently.

The grandmother gave Lin Feng a look, and he steeled himself before speaking, "Elder Gu, this earring was picked up by my Lin family's good-for-nothing son-in-law from a street vendor. Forgive us for any embarrassment." He paused, then shot a fierce glare at Xia Ming, "Get out of here!"

Gu Zhenshan cracked a smile, yet his expression remained stern as he held the earrings in his hand, addressing Lin Feng with a hint of disdain, "Street vendor trash? Hmph, have the descendants of the Lin family really become so worthless that they can't even recognize chicken blood stone?"

Lin Feng had just scolded someone and sent them packing, and although it wasn't directed at Gu Zhenshan, his coincidental arrival had left him feeling slighted.

So, he tossed a barbed comment Lin Feng's way. Lin Feng, uncomfortable as he was, dared not lash out at Gu Zhenshan and had no choice but to silently endure it. "Elder Gu... This is chicken blood stone? Could there be a mistake?" he ventured.

The mention of "chicken blood stone" sent a ripple of shock through the crowd. Even those not in the jade industry had a rough idea of its value: a single piece of chicken blood stone could fetch tens of millions, and carved into a pair of earrings, its worth would surely double.

Could Xia Ming really have come into possession of such a treasure?

Lin Feng's skepticism was met with a piercing gaze from Gu Zhenshan, who retorted, "Who's blind here, you or me? Are you questioning my judgment?"

Gu Zhenshan's reputation was impeccable; in his fifty years in the field, he had never misjudged an item. Throughout Huaya, no one dared to doubt his discernment.

It was widely accepted that if Gu Zhenshan declared an antique genuine, it would be regarded as such, regardless of its authenticity. Conversely, if he proclaimed a fake item to be real, it would be accepted as the truth.

"Be quiet! It's not your place to speak when your elders are talking!" Grandma, sensing the tension, quickly scolded Lin Feng and turned to Gu Zhenshan with a warm invitation, "Brother Gu, please come inside. Don't mind my foolish grandson!"

Gu Zhenshan advanced a few steps and reassured Grandma with a dismissive wave, "I'm not so easily offended."

Stopping before Xia Ming, Gu Zhenshan smiled and said, "Xia Ming, you're quite the philanthropist. This pair of chicken blood stone earrings is worth no less than 30 million. You're really just giving them away?"

A collective gasp filled the room as Gu Zhan Shan's words hung in the air.

30 million?

Had he lost his mind?

Xia Ming had definitely lied and deceived them!

Moments ago, Xia Ming claimed the earrings were valued at a few hundred thousand, but now Elder Gu was stating they were worth a staggering 30 million. That was an increase in value by a hundredfold!

Xia Ming touched his nose and offered Elder Gu a modest smile, "It's only right to honor one's elders with such a gesture!" Privately, Xia Ming was taken aback. It appeared Liu Tianxiong had indeed understated the earrings' true worth.

Lin Shuyu, standing next to Xia Ming, was equally astonished. 30 million! This wasn't a mere three thousand or even thirty thousand!

It was noteworthy that Xia Ming had just persuaded his "classmate" to invest 30 million into the company, and now here he was with a pair of earrings of the same value. Lin Shuyu was finding Xia Ming more and more enigmatic.

Elder Gu nodded, twirling the earrings before him and beaming at his grandmother, "My dear, you've got yourself an exceptional grandson-in-law. What a blessing!" He paused briefly before addressing Xia Ming again, "However, Xia, to my knowledge, there's only this one pair of chicken blood stone earrings in the southwest. They were supposed to be auctioned by Liu Tianxiong's family. How did they come into your possession?"

His gaze sharpened as he posed the final question.

The chicken blood stone earrings, valued at 30 million, had caused quite a sensation when they were auctioned at the Huaya Antique Market.

Everyone was aware that the earrings were the property of Liu Tianxiong, the heavyweight of River City! But now that they had surfaced with Xia Ming, the details needed to be clarified.

Otherwise, the Lin Family could face serious trouble!

Hearing the name Liu Tianxiong caused Lin Shuyu's pupils to constrict involuntarily. Xia Ming had mentioned the day before that he had acquired the earrings from a friend. Could it be that Liu Tianxiong was that friend?

Liu Tianxiong was a figure beyond the Lin Family's reach, so when had Xia Ming formed a connection with him?

No sooner had Elder Gu's words fallen than Lin Feng snapped to attention. His face lit up with an expression of intense fascination. "I knew it! How could such a worthless nobody deserve a treasure like that? It has to be stolen! This troublemaker is going to bring disaster upon the Lin family... Grandma, I suggest we expel Xia Ming from the Lin family immediately..."