C17 He Was Stunned

Beside Lin Feng, several other cousins from the Lin family quickly echoed in agreement, "Exactly, he must have stolen it! Old Ancestor, you can't let this kind of scum get away with it. This isn't just tarnishing Cousin Shuyu's reputation—it's a stain on the honor of the entire Lin family!"

Lin Zhong, the second uncle, sneered and stroked his beard, "Xia Ming, today I've seen your true colors. You really can't change your stripes, can you?"

Lin Shuyu's aunt, Zhang Lan, gently pulled her aside and advised, "Shuyu, you need to keep your distance from people like him. Otherwise, he'll be your downfall."

Lin Shuyu felt torn, reflecting on Xia Ming's words. Moreover, she had witnessed Liu Tianxiong at the KTV the day before. His arrival was too timely, and when he saw Xia Ming detained by the security guards, he even intervened to have him released. These seemingly unintentional acts further validated Lin Shuyu's suspicions.

Xia Ming was definitely hiding something from her.

Although Lin Shuyu had been cold towards Xia Ming, since yesterday, she began to reassess their relationship. Despite the vastness of the Lin family and their blood ties, none truly cared for her. Only Xia Ming, her husband in name, had been her silent guardian.

Now, with Xia Ming facing public scorn, Lin Shuyu refused to stand by and watch her husband be vilified by the crowd. With resolve, she broke free from her aunt's grasp, strode over to Xia Ming, and took his arm, declaring, "Enough! Xia Ming is my husband, and I will not allow anyone to defame him!"

She stood protectively, like a hen shielding her chick.

Xia Ming, watching from behind Lin Shuyu's slender shoulders, felt an unexpected surge of emotion. Was she truly ready to face off against the entire Lin family for him?

Lin Shuyu's fury rose a second time, silencing the onlookers.

Before her formal ascension to power, Lin Shuyu was already the de facto leader of Lin's Group, the sole heir designated by her grandfather before his passing. Her influence within the Lin family remained considerable.

The attention of everyone in the room was on Grandma, the only person in the Lin family who could potentially keep Lin Shuyu in check.

Grandma's face was expressionless. She didn't directly address Lin Shuyu's question but instead turned to Xia Ming, "Well, Xia Ming, aren't you going to explain? Thirty million could easily fill the company's financial shortfall. It doesn't seem like you could come up with such an amount, could you?" Her words dripped with disdain.

Grandma had been staunchly opposed to taking in Xia Ming when the elder of the Lin family had brought him home. At that time, the elder was the undisputed authority of Lin's Group, and despite her displeasure, Grandma hadn't dared to act against him.

Now, with the passing of the grandfather, Grandma felt no need to hold back, creating numerous obstacles for Xia Ming with the help of Lin Feng and Lin Shuyu.

Xia Ming responded with a nonchalant shrug, "There's nothing to explain! Ha, isn't Mr. Gu right here? If you believe I've stolen something, feel free to call the police and have me arrested."

Xia Ming's statement instantly brightened the faces of Lin Feng and others.

"Yes, we should call the police and have him arrested, then let them hand Xia Ming over to Master Liu Tianxiong!" Lin Feng could barely contain his excitement.

If Xia Ming had indeed stolen the earrings worth thirty million, it would spell the end of his life as he knew it.

"Call the police, Xia Ming, and don't you dare run. I'm calling them right now!" Lin Feng declared, pulling out his phone to dial.

Standing beside Xia Ming, Gu Zhan Shan observed his dismissive demeanor and sighed deeply. When the elder Lin had proposed marrying Lin Shuyu to Xia Ming, many of his old friends had been against it, but Gu Zhan Shan had cast his vote in support.

It was all because of the look in Xia Ming's eyes.

Profound and captivating!

Despite having lived a considerable portion of his life, Gu Zhan Shan couldn't help but feel as if he were peering into an abyss whenever he met Xia Ming's penetrating gaze. It was this very reason that led him to conclude that Xia Ming was no ordinary individual.

Just moments ago, Gu Zhan Shan had caught a glimpse of that same intense look.

"Hold on a moment!" Gu Zhan Shan furrowed his brow and halted Lin Feng, "I happen to have met Liu Tianxiong before. Let me make a quick call to confirm, shall I? If the earrings turn out to be stolen, we can still contact the police afterward."

Gu Zhan Shan's gaze was fixed on the grandmother as he spoke.

Lin Feng may have been frolicking about with abandon, but Gu Zhan Shan was well aware that without his grandmother's tacit approval, Lin Feng would never dare to be so bold.

In the third generation of Lin's family, their numbers had significantly diminished. Although Lin Shuyu's father had three brothers, by Lin Feng's generation, the family had only daughters, with Lin Feng being the sole male descendant.

As such, the grandmother had always shown extraordinary affection for her only grandson.

"That seems reasonable. Brother Gu is acquainted with Patriarch Liu, which could help clear up any misunderstandings," the grandmother nodded, signaling her consent to Gu Zhan Shan's approach.

Without any hesitation, Gu Zhan Shan dialed Liu Tianxiong's number and switched on the speakerphone.

"Hello, who's speaking?" came the robust voice of a middle-aged man from the other end—it was none other than Liu Tianxiong, the head of the Liu family.

Gu Zhan Shan cleared his throat, "Patriarch Liu, it's been a while. This is Gu Zhan Shan. I hope you don't mind my calling. I have a matter to discuss with you!"

Upon recognizing Gu Zhan Shan's voice, Liu Tianxiong's tone softened considerably, "Ah, Elder Gu, you're too kind. What can I assist you with?"

Gu Zhan Shan's connections were not to be underestimated, and even Liu Tianxiong wouldn't presume to act superior in his presence.

"Well, I'm currently at the birthday celebration of the Lin family matriarch and I happened to notice the pair of chicken blood stone earrings that you won at last year's auction. I was wondering if you've lost them, or..." Gu Zhan Shan got straight to the point without any unnecessary pleasantries.

The hall fell into a hushed silence, with everyone holding their breath as they intently listened to the voice emanating from the speakerphone.

Lin Shuyu reached out and tightly clasped Xia Ming's hand, their fingers interlocking as a slight sweat formed in their palms.

After a few seconds of contemplation, Liu Tianxiong spoke up on the phone, "Oh, the chicken blood stone earrings? They weren't lost. Xia Ming had done me a great favor last year. Just yesterday, he mentioned he needed a gift for the elderly matriarch, so I decided to return the favor..."

With a sudden clatter, Lin Feng's phone dropped to the floor. The number 110 was keyed in, ready to be dialed with just one tap.

According to Liu Tianxiong, the earrings were a gift to Xia Ming? And Xia Ming had previously done him a significant favor? How could Xia Ming, the underachieving son-in-law working at a karaoke bar, have been of such help to Liu Tianxiong?

Of course, this was all a prearranged script between Xia Ming and Liu Tianxiong. Xia Ming wasn't ready to blow his cover just yet.

The crowd remained in stunned silence, exchanging bewildered glances, their eyes reflecting utter astonishment.

It was clear to everyone what it meant to have the support of Liu Tianxiong. A favor from the Liu Family, one of River City's most powerful clans, could go a long way.

"Oh, I see. Well, if there's nothing else, Master Liu, please go ahead with your business. We'll catch up another time!" Gu Zhenshan, having clarified the issue with the chicken blood stone earrings, was quick to wrap up the call.

Without any further delay, Liu Tianxiong responded, "Certainly! Also, please convey my regards to Madam Lin and let her know that I was unaware of the Lin Family's connection with Mr. Xia. I'll make sure to visit more often in the future!"