Chapter 72: Negotiations with the Prime Minister

Compared to Lin Feng and Xia Ruoxi’s restlessness, Old Master Lin, in another room, was equally unsettled. In all his years in Yanjing, not a single member of his family's third generation had ever been invited by the Premier for a private meeting within the core administrative zone. In fact, even among the second generation, those who had received such an honor were few and far between.

Old Master Lin paced the room anxiously, unable to come up with a reasonable explanation for this extraordinary event, wringing his hands as he circled around and around.

“Honestly, Old Lin, could you stop pacing? You’re making me dizzy. How can you be so impatient? Look at Lin Feng—he’s as calm as can be, and it’s his own business at stake. What are you so worried about? All those years of cultivating your character and composure seem to have gone to the dogs!” Grandma Lin shot her husband a sharp look and scolded him.

“Hmph, easy for you to say. That brat Lin Feng is completely heartless—how can you compare him with me? If he gets into trouble, he can just run off. If he can’t stay in Yanjing, he can go back to develop in Zhanhai City, where he has his own territory. But I’m different—my whole family’s here. If something goes wrong, the entire family could be wiped out!” Stung by his wife’s rebuke, Old Master Lin retorted defensively.

“Oh, so you’re still not convinced? Then tell me, with all that thinking you’ve done, have you figured out anything at all?” Grandma Lin retorted with a chuckle, amused by his stubbornness.

Stumped by her question, Old Master Lin could only fall silent, unable to find a comeback. Seeing him finally quiet down, Grandma Lin ignored her still-anxious husband, closed her eyes, and began to nap. She was far more composed than he was; no amount of worrying would hasten the outcome.

The night passed with Old Master Lin tossing and turning. By dawn, he had barely slept, still troubled by the thought of Lin Feng meeting the Premier.

The next morning at breakfast, the family watched with barely concealed amusement as Old Master Lin, sporting a pair of dark circles under his eyes, listlessly stirred his porridge, yawning, without taking a single sip.

“Are you alright, Father? You don’t look well. Did you not sleep last night?” Lin Chuanming asked with concern.

Before Old Master Lin could reply, Grandma Lin interjected sharply, “He brought it on himself. There was nothing to worry about; he just overthought things and lost a night’s sleep. He’s got no one to blame but himself!”

“Father, is there something bothering you?” Lin Chuanyan, hearing his mother mention what happened overnight, couldn’t help but try to comfort the old man. “If there’s something you can’t figure out, tell us. We’ll help you think it through. Don’t bottle it up—it’s not good for your health.”

“Hmph, what else would I be worrying about? Isn’t it just what you said—the Premier’s invitation? I’ve thought about it all night and still don’t understand why the Premier wants to see Lin Feng and Ruoxi. I can’t tell if this is a blessing or a curse!” Old Master Lin, exhausted, frustrated, and further irked by his wife’s lack of sympathy, replied anxiously.

Seeing the old man in such a mood, everyone else at the table kept quiet, afraid to provoke him further. But Lin Feng was not like the others—he actually enjoyed teasing his grandfather, especially when he was in a foul mood.

“Grandma’s right—you’re just looking for something to fret over. You brought this on yourself,” Lin Feng said lightly, sipping his porridge as he spoke.

His words startled everyone else at the table, especially his father, Lin Chuanzi, who shot him a stern look, hoping he would stop provoking the old man.

Sure enough, Lin Feng and his grandfather were natural opposites. His words were like a fuse, instantly igniting Old Master Lin’s temper. “Still gloating, are you? If it weren’t for you, would I be so troubled? I’ve wracked my brain all night and still can’t figure it out—unless you’re hiding something else from me!”

Lin Feng, ever the mischief-maker, feigned shock and replied, half-serious, half-joking, “You make it sound like the Premier wants to see me because I caused trouble. Besides, how do you know I’m hiding something from you? And quite a lot, at that!”

“You—!” Lin Feng’s smugness finally pushed the old man to the edge. He was just about to explode when the butler hurried into the dining room and addressed Lin Chuanyan, “Second Young Master, the Premier’s office secretary is here. They’re waiting outside to escort you and Lin Feng to the Premier’s office.”

“They’re here already? Thank you, Uncle Xiang. I’ll head out with Lin Feng and the others right away,” Lin Chuanyan replied gratefully.

He turned to Lin Feng and Xia Ruoxi. “Hurry up and get ready. Don’t keep the guests waiting—it wouldn’t look good.”

“Hmph! Go on, and when you get back, I’ll deal with you,” Old Master Lin snapped, still fuming.

Ignoring his grandfather, Lin Feng took Ruoxi’s hand and headed upstairs to change clothes, preparing to leave with his uncle.

Since the Premier’s secretary and car were already waiting outside, Lin Feng and Xia Ruoxi didn’t dawdle. Ten minutes later, they came downstairs, joined Lin Chuanyan, and got into the secretary’s car, leaving the Lin family villa. This was Lin Feng’s first time leaving the compound since arriving in Yanjing, and he hadn’t expected his first trip out to be to the Premier’s office.

The capital of Huaxia, Yanjing, was where the President, the Premier, and other senior state leaders worked, all within Zhongnanhai—a zone renowned as the most secure and imposing area in the country. On the way, Lin Chuanyan carefully briefed Lin Feng and Xia Ruoxi on proper conduct and the taboos they must avoid, stressing every detail.

Upon reaching Zhongnanhai, they passed through several heavily guarded checkpoints and underwent multiple inspections before finally entering the core administrative area. Once inside, the Premier’s secretary led them to a conference room and explained, “The Premier is in a temporary meeting and will see you in about half an hour.”

After the secretary left, the three were finally alone. Lin Feng took the opportunity to study the room’s decor and layout, curious to see how the workspace of the nation’s leaders differed from the world outside. But after looking around for a while, he found nothing particularly remarkable.

Before long, even Lin Feng grew bored. Still, mindful of where he was, he kept his behavior in check. The wait was interminable; in the most solemn place in all of Huaxia, time seemed to stretch endlessly. Just as Lin Feng was about to nod off, there was finally some commotion outside, and the conference room door opened to admit two elderly gentlemen.

Lin Feng recognized one of them as Premier Zhu, thanks to his uncle, who had shown him the Premier’s photo on the way to prevent any awkwardness. The identity of the other elder was a mystery to Lin Feng, but not to the other two in the room. Both Lin Chuanyan and Xia Ruoxi felt a jolt of alarm—why was this man here as well? Could it be that today’s meeting would involve more than just the Premier, and that the other elder also had matters to discuss with them?

Although Lin Chuanyan was full of questions, as the senior among them, he rose promptly to greet both elders, introducing them to Lin Feng and Xia Ruoxi, “Premier Zhu, Minister Xie, good day!”

Following his lead, Lin Feng and Xia Ruoxi stood up and greeted the two elders as well.

Once the greetings were exchanged, Premier Zhu smiled warmly and said, “No need for formalities—please, have a seat. You are all my honored guests today, especially Lin Feng, whom I have a special favor to ask. I must be a gracious host.”

After Premier Zhu and Minister Xie were seated, Lin Chuanyan led Lin Feng and Xia Ruoxi to sit opposite them, though their minds were still busy parsing the Premier’s words. Did he mean that he needed Lin Feng’s help because of the new operating system?

Once they were all seated, both Premier Zhu and Minister Xie regarded Lin Feng intently. This scrutiny startled Lin Chuanyan—was Lin Feng in some kind of trouble that had drawn the attention of the nation’s top leaders? He hastily spoke up to probe the situation, “Premier, has Lin Feng done something wrong to trouble you? If so, please let me know, and I’ll be sure to discipline him!”

Premier Zhu and Minister Xie both burst out laughing at his tentative question, leaving Lin Chuanyan, Lin Feng, and Xia Ruoxi all the more bewildered.

After their laughter subsided, Premier Zhu finally spoke to the anxious Lin Chuanyan, “Don’t worry, Chuanyan. The two of us were just taking a good look at Lin Feng, that’s all. We’ve heard so much about this remarkable young man and wanted to meet him ourselves.”