The Battle for Succession

Zuri watched as Leo left.

In the Rolls-Royce, Fang, the assistant, hesitated before asking, "Mr. Ye, how should we handle the situation over there?"

"Have them follow the rules," Leo replied, then added, "For the heinous act of privately excavating and damaging cultural relics, they must be severely punished."

Fang was momentarily stunned, unable to grasp why his boss's attitude had shifted so drastically. Just a moment ago, he was concerned about the Lin family, and now he was ready to crush them underfoot.

Although surprised, Fang wasted no time in passing along the directive. Upon receiving the message, the other side showed no mercy.

In the living room, the atmosphere was tense. As soon as Christian saw Zuri return, he sneered, "I thought some people were more capable than this, with connections so vast. Who was it that boasted about their wide network? Where is that network now? All dead?"

Zuri smiled at him. "If it weren't for some fool spending three and a half billion to buy that piece of land, none of this would have happened. The Lin family raised you for over twenty years, and not only did you fail to repay them, but you also dragged the family down. Twenty years of raising you, and it all went to waste."

Secretary Zhang watched the siblings bicker, wanting to intervene but knowing it wasn't his place. He turned to Dalia and said, "Madam, I need to go see Mr. Lin."

"Alright. Thank you for your hard work."

After Secretary Zhang left, the argument between Zuri and Christian intensified.

"Not a Lin by blood, just a fool. Both of you are utterly ridiculous," Zuri said, her gaze sweeping over Christian and Saira.

Christian, hearing her repeatedly refer to him as not a Lin by blood, finally lost his temper and blurted out, "Who says I'm not a Lin? I have Lin blood running through my veins. Listen carefully, Dad is my biological father."

Dalia was stunned, but there was little surprise in her eyes.

Saira and the surrounding servants were wide-eyed with shock.

"What did you say?" Zuri seemed unable to believe her ears.

Christian raised his chin proudly, his gaze sweeping over everyone as he said, "I'm not a bastard, not an adopted child. My biological father is our dad."

He had wanted to declare this to everyone for a long time. If it weren't for his father's obstruction, he would have announced it sooner. Now, he had finally found the opportunity. He no longer had to carry the label of an adopted child in the Lin family.

Zuri laughed. "Who are you trying to fool?"

Christian sneered, "If you don't believe me, you can ask Dad."

"I seem to remember that Mom only got pregnant once. Where did this biological son come from?" Zuri's face was cold. "Even if you are of Lin blood, you're nothing but an illegitimate child. You all have deceived Mom terribly."

Aaron had a child out of wedlock, one who was four years older than his legitimate daughter. What does that say? It means that long ago, Aaron had already been unfaithful, having a child with a mistress outside of his marriage. And this child was brought back to the Lin family, living right under the nose of the lawful wife.

Who would this hurt the most? Not Zuri, not Saira, but Dalia, the legitimate wife of the Lin family.

The servants, centered around Arianwen, all turned their eyes to Dalia, some with sympathy, some with pity, and some with a trace of schadenfreude.

It didn't take long for the news of Christian being an illegitimate child to spread throughout high society.

"The Lin family hasn't fallen yet, and the battle for succession has already begun," an older executive remarked sarcastically.

"They say when choosing a wife, it's wise to pick a virtuous one. The old saying is absolutely right."

The current situation of the Lin family was dire. Instead of maintaining peace at home, the family had descended into chaos. This alone demonstrated the ineptitude of the current matriarch.

"What good could come from the Qin family's upbringing?" someone nearby laughed.

"I used to think the Ye and Feng families would step in eventually, but I was clearly wrong. Last time, that old fox Aaron even called Leo his son-in-law, and Fourth Young Master Ye didn't object. I thought there was something there. But now... tsk tsk, you just can't predict these big families."

"Hahaha, you weren't the only one who was wrong. I was too. Let me tell you, the Ye family has issued a statement—everything will be handled according to the law."

Everyone understood the implications.

"I was originally planning to lend a hand, but now it seems I'll have to let him fend for himself," the older executive said, making a polite remark.

The other executive, equally astute, nodded in agreement. "Who could say otherwise?"

The two exchanged knowing glances, their mutual understanding unspoken.

In the detention center, Secretary Zhang and a lawyer entered the room, where they met Aaron, the man held responsible.

"Mr. Lin, we've seen Leo," Secretary Zhang said, shaking his head at Aaron.

Before they arrived, Aaron had already sensed a change in attitude from the people around him. Where they were once courteous, they were now expressionless.

Aaron turned to the lawyer.

Attorney Zhang spoke up, "Mr. Lin, this case is nearly impossible to win. The public impact is too great. There's almost no chance of success. As the company's president, you're partially responsible for the actions of your subordinates who abused their power and failed to report the issue. However, your responsibility is secondary."

That last part was a hint at the best way for Aaron to extricate himself from the situation.

Aaron nodded. "Yes. Identify those who violated the rules and punish them severely, no matter who they are."

Secretary Zhang nodded in understanding.

Within two days, the Lin Group presented a senior executive as a scapegoat to take the fall. Even so, the company still faced enormous fines.

The land in the harbor district was handed over to the archaeological department. Only after the excavation was complete would the Lin Group be allowed to use it.

At the end of the day, the land still belonged to the Lin Group, but only after the archaeological work was finished. As for any expenses incurred during this time, sorry, that wasn't the government's responsibility. After all, the Lin Group was at fault and was under heavy suspicion. How could they have the audacity to ask the government for compensation?

A few days later, Aaron was released from the detention center, noticeably thinner and visibly exhausted.

The Lin family had been waiting at the entrance early.

As soon as he emerged, they surrounded him.

"Dad, are you okay?" Saira asked with concern.

Christian looked worried. "Dad, are you alright?"

Zuri said, "Let's go home first. This isn't the place to talk."

Aaron's gaze swept over the three of them. While in detention, he had hoped Christian would rise to the occasion, but instead, he had been a hindrance. The daughter he valued the most had proved utterly useless in this situation.

The three of them had left him deeply disappointed, but the person who disappointed him the most was Dalia.

"Let's go," Aaron said, his face dark.

Back at the Lin residence, everyone noticed that Aaron had become silent and inscrutable, and they all tread carefully around him.

In the study, a sheet of white paper lay on the black desk, with the names of Zuri and Saira prominently written on it.