C29 Motherinlaw Is in Trouble

Lin Xuan glanced over and recognized Wang Baifa immediately.

At that moment, Baifa was deeply bowing to Lin Xuan, his respect evident in every gesture.

Lin Xuan responded offhandedly, "I'm here to see my wife."

"Baifa, as it happens, I need to speak with you."

Wang Baifa replied with deference, "Of course, I'm hosting some business clients at the moment, but I'll have them leave."

"There's no need for that; I only have a few words, and your network might come in handy."

"Very well, Hall Master, please accompany Baifa to a private room."

With that, Wang Baifa, ever respectful, led the way to the private room, opened the door, and ushered him in, "Hall Master, after you."

Lin Xuan strode confidently into the room.

Inside, several men in sharp suits and polished shoes were seated.

Wang Baifa fixed them with a stern look and commanded, "Stand up quickly and salute the Nine-star General!"

"Nine-star General?!" The revelation sent a ripple of shock through the room.

They all rose in unison and bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle to Lin Xuan.

"I am Song Yaming, director of Jiatai Financial Group. An honor to meet you, Nine-star General!"

"I'm Lu Yongtao, chairman of Zhengdong Trading Group. Greetings, Nine-star General!"

"Uh... I'm Qiu Fulin, director of Yongqiang Trading Company. Pleased to meet you, Nine-star General!"

Lin Xuan waved off the formalities, "No need to be so stiff. Just Lin Xuan is fine."

"But we couldn't possibly! A General's modesty is part of his stature, yet how could we address the Nine-star General so casually?"

Wang Baifa interjected, "For simplicity, let's just go with Mr. Lin."

"That settles it," the executives agreed, nodding. "It maintains respect for the General while allowing for a touch of discretion."

They then eagerly filled Lin Xuan's glass and toasted him. Toasting the Nine-star General was a moment they'd boast about for a lifetime.

If Shih Manli, Qiu Jiaming, and the rest could see this, they'd be astounded.

The same Lin Xuan they had scorned was now held in high esteem by these magnates, as if he were royalty.

After graciously accepting two glasses of wine, Lin Xuan addressed them, "Gentlemen, should any of your companies need refurbishing, seek out Y Corporation, and ask for Manager Pei Qiuyu exclusively. If she's not available, feel free to take your business elsewhere."

Lin Xuan was determined to restore Pei Qiuyu to her managerial role at Y Corporation.

"Absolutely! My company is about to undergo renovations, and I'll be seeking out Manager Pei Qiuyu tomorrow. I must stand by the admiral's wife!" Lu Yongtao declared, leading by example.

"I'm looking to expand and renovate my branch as well! I'll be sure to reach out to Madam General too!" chimed in Qiu Fulin.

The executives were tripping over themselves, eager not to miss the chance to ingratiate themselves with the general.

"General, come now, don't just talk—please, enjoy your meal!"

"General, I'm counting on your support from here on out!"

They clustered around Lin Xuan like sycophants, heaping on the flattery.

After nibbling at his food, Lin Xuan rose to his feet and announced, "Well then, I'll entrust this matter to you all. I must be going."

The tycoons hurried to their feet, eager to see him out.

Wang Baifa interjected, "Are you serious? You think you can just casually disclose the general's identity?"

"Oh, of course, of course!"

"Safe travels, General!"

The executives nodded and scraped, their faces the picture of obsequiousness.

Qiu Fulin even phoned his son: "Hey, Jiaming, guess who your dad just toasted?"

"The Nine-star General. Our family's star is on the rise!"

"The general's identity is confidential; I can't reveal it to you..."

Meanwhile, Qiu Jiaming, in another private room, was grinning from ear to ear.

After hanging up, he boasted, "Why aren't you all toasting to me?"

"Why should we?" came the confused chorus from the crowd.

Qiu Jiaming adjusted his attire and proclaimed, "Because my family's fortunes are about to soar. My dad just paid his respects to a very important person."

"And who might that be?" inquired Shih Manli.

"I can't tell," Qiu Jiaming said, smirking with self-satisfaction.

"Let me guess, it's the leader of A City, isn't it?"

With a dismissive glance, Qiu Jiaming retorted, "The leader of A City? That's small fry, way too small."

"What? Even the head of A City is considered minor?"

The room buzzed with speculation, "Could it possibly be the provincial governor?"

Qiu Jiaming gestured towards the speaker and said, "He's too superficial. Even the provincial head honcho isn't worthy of shining that bigwig's shoes."

"Can't you think bigger?"

"My goodness, the provincial leader isn't fit to carry his shoes? How influential must this person be?"

"You'd be terrified if I told you!"

Qiu Jiaming boasted, "But I can't reveal that my dad has now made connections with that very VIP."

"This is classified information, you get me? Not something the average Joe can go around sharing!"

Right then, Pei Qiuyu's phone rang.

Lee Moxiang's voice came through, panicked, "Qiuyu, come quick to Fu Rong Street. There's been an incident. Hurry!"

The call ended abruptly.

Pei Qiuyu tried calling back, only to find the phone had been switched off.

She was frantic with worry. "What's happened to Mom?"

After saying goodbye to Shih Manli, she dashed out of the private room, nearly colliding with Lin Xuan.

"Hurry, we need to get to Fu Rong Street. Something's happened to Mom!"

Lin Xuan and Pei Qiuyu wasted no time, hailing a taxi to Fu Rong Street.

Upon arrival, they were greeted by a crowd of irate elders blockading the entrance to "Lin Tai Biotechnology Company."

Lee Moxiang was at the forefront, leading a group of seniors brandishing banners, their cries of outrage filling the air, "Scam company, illegal fundraising, give us back our hard-earned money!"

Pei Qiuyu rushed over and asked, "Mom, what exactly is happening?"

The clamor of the protesting seniors was deafening.

With flushed cheeks, Lee Moxiang explained, "This sham of a company lured us in with biotech promises, initially offering health classes, then coaxing us into investing with the promise of high returns."

"I fell for it. At first, they paid out a little, but once we invested more, they shut their doors and vanished."

"The security guards downstairs are blocking our entry, claiming their manager isn't even upstairs! That's got to be a lie," Pei Qiuyu grumbled, her frustration mounting.

"Mom, how can you be so gullible?" she demanded, turning to Lee Moxiang.

Lee Moxiang bristled with indignation. "If Lin Xuan wasn't such a failure, do you think I'd be duped like this?"

"We've nearly drained our savings. If I don't figure something out, we'll all be left out in the cold!"

"And where has that gotten us?" Pei Qiuyu fumed, at a loss for words.

Lin Xuan interjected, "Mom, how much did you spend on those financial products?"

Lee Moxiang lashed out, "The nerve you have to ask! All in all, I've shelled out close to eighty thousand yuan!"

"And this gentleman here, he's put in even more—his entire retirement fund, half a million yuan!"

Pushing Lin Xuan forward, she urged, "You've got the stature and the confidence—keep shouting for us! I refuse to believe their boss can just ignore us!"

Resigned, Lin Xuan shook his head and joined in the shouting.

An elderly woman nearby commented, "What good does his size do? If only our children were more capable, we wouldn't be in this mess."

Just then, a sleek black Audi A6 pulled up to the scene.

Qiu Jiaming, impeccably dressed in a suit, stepped out with an air of confidence.

The onlookers murmured among themselves, "Who is this impressive young man?"

"I recognize him! He was the one cutting the ribbon at the grand opening of the supermarket across the street the other day. He was on TV—he's the Young Master of Yongqiang Group."

A gasp rippled through the crowd, "The Qiu family's Young Master? What's he doing here?"

"Could he have noticed our plight and come to help?"

"With the Qiu family's wealth and connections, solving our problem would be a breeze for them."

Turning to Lee Moxiang, someone suggested, "Auntie Lee, marrying Qiuyu off to a catch like him would be a step up from that deadbeat you've got at home, wouldn't it?"

"Absolutely! If any of us had a son-in-law like him, we wouldn't be here suffering this indignity."

Lee Moxiang cast a contemptuous glance at Lin Xuan and scoffed, "This piece of trash—I'll make sure he's kicked out of my house sooner rather than later!"

Silent, Lin Xuan simply observed Qiu Jiaming approaching Pei Qiuyu.

With feigned concern, Qiu Jiaming said, "Qiuyu, I heard your mother had some issues, so I rushed over in my car."

Lin Xuan let out a cold laugh. "Heh, putting on a show, are we? I'm curious to see how you'll embarrass yourself later on."