Chapter 53: The Banquet (2)

Second, because Zhao Ying didn't know what kind of person he was before, he could still pretend. Now that his true colors have been exposed, he naturally has no face to continue pestering Zhao Ying. Besides, with Lin Fan by Zhao Ying's side, he stands even less of a chance.

However, that doesn't stop him from pursuing other things—like Feifei. In Wei Liang's eyes, Feifei is the newly crowned campus belle, and Young Master Wei has a particular fondness for college girls. Seizing the opportunity, he said, “Feifei, let’s go over there. There are too many people here. I’ve missed you these past few days. Let’s go somewhere quiet and have a good chat.”

As the saying goes, clothes make the man, and a horse is judged by its saddle. If you want to look good, you must dress well! Especially when it comes to Jin Baiwan, whose handsome features are already impressive. Dressed in a white suit clearly crafted by a world-class designer, and though his hands seem ordinary, the striking watch he wears is impossible to ignore. Even Lin Fan had to admit inwardly, “Damn, this kid is actually pretty... handsome!”

But the smile on this guy’s face was just a tad too obnoxious—especially the way he looked at Zhao Ying, which annoyed Lin Fan. Seeing his woman ogled by another man, how could he possibly feel comfortable?

Watching Jin Baiwan approach, Lin Fan felt an urge to kick him away. This guy was truly insufferable.

“I don’t miss you at all. If you want to go, go by yourself,” Feifei replied with a roll of her eyes.

Though Feifei was only nineteen, she had long since seen through Wei Liang’s character. No matter how much he pretended to be devoted, he could never move her.

Seeing his enthusiasm met with cold indifference, and Feifei even leaning closer to Lin Fan, Wei Liang ground his teeth in frustration, glaring at Lin Fan with undisguised hatred, almost itching to do him harm.

Lin Fan had no liking whatsoever for Wei Liang, knowing full well that Wei Liang’s days were numbered—he hadn’t forgotten his promise to Hu Zifeng. But now wasn’t the time, so he didn’t even spare Wei Liang a glance, keeping his eyes narrowed and coldly fixed on Jin Baiwan, whom Zhao Ying had referred to as the heir to the Haitian Group.

By now, Jin Baiwan had come right up to them. His gaze naturally took in the intimate gestures between Zhao Ying and Lin Fan, causing his smile to freeze momentarily, though he quickly recovered, pretending not to notice Lin Fan. He reached out to Zhao Ying, his eyes burning with undisguised fervor. “Come, Ying’er, let me introduce you to some colleagues in the industry. You’ll need them in the future. Some even have ties to your mother…”

Lin Fan really feared Zhao Ying might suddenly go off with this guy, but thankfully she didn’t disappoint him. The girl smiled gently, as if she hadn’t noticed Jin Baiwan's outstretched hand, and interrupted him, saying, “I’m sorry, Young Master Jin. I’m not feeling well today, so I won’t be joining you. Also, in occasions like these, it’s best if you call me Zhao Ying, or Officer Zhao. You know my profession now is police. And lastly, please don’t keep bringing up my mother. She is herself, and I am me. Her decisions don’t represent mine.”

This was more than a simple refusal—the last few sentences were clearly Zhao Ying expressing displeasure at being addressed in such a manner. Anyone with a sense of dignity would at this point feel angry or awkward and leave, leaving behind only a solitary figure.

But this guy’s shamelessness and thick skin were truly exemplary among the rich second generation. He smiled lightly, withdrew his hand without a hint of embarrassment, and said, “It’s fine. I don’t mind.”

Lin Fan was speechless—his shamelessness was off the charts. But Zhao Ying’s mention of her mother’s decisions piqued Lin Fan’s curiosity, though now was obviously not the time to ask.

“But I do mind. And besides, I don’t want my boyfriend misunderstanding anything,” Zhao Ying seemed to have anticipated such a response, so she tightened her grip on Lin Fan’s arm, as if afraid he might suddenly slip away.

Jin Baiwan’s smile twisted like rock for a moment. He turned, as if just now noticing Lin Fan, and extended his hand in a symbolic gesture, softly saying, “Oh, may I ask your name, sir? Where do you work?”

Lin Fan reached out and shook his hand gently, immediately feeling a surge of force. Jin Baiwan wanted to embarrass Lin Fan with a strong handshake, but he found the hand he grasped felt as solid as stone—cold and hard, utterly immovable.

He reacted quickly; realizing something was wrong, he tried to pull back, but Lin Fan wouldn’t let him off so easily. Lin Fan subtly tightened his grip, the corner of his mouth lifting into a perfect curve, as he secretly increased the pressure while speaking nonchalantly, “My name’s Lin Fan—‘Fan’ as in ordinary. If Young Master Jin doesn’t mind, you can also call me Death! I’m just a humble security guard, hardly worthy of your attention.”

“Death—what a bold name!” Zhao Ying was clearly surprised by Lin Fan’s self-introduction. For a moment, she found Lin Fan so mysterious, so unfathomable that she couldn’t tell what he was thinking at all.

Jin Baiwan’s eye twitched uncontrollably. He felt as if a pair of pliers had clamped down on his hand, his entire arm going numb, bones creaking as if they might shatter at any moment.

“Heh, Mr. Lin must be joking. Death, that’s quite a name!” Jin Baiwan raised his voice slightly, suddenly stepped forward, and to outsiders it looked as if he might embrace Lin Fan. As he drew near, he lightly bumped Lin Fan’s arm and used a common Taekwondo technique to discreetly withdraw his hand.

Hmph, he’s just got some brute strength—that’s all, Jin Baiwan scoffed inwardly, convinced that Lin Fan was no match for him, the Haitian Group heir trained in combat skills since childhood.

Little did he know, Lin Fan had deliberately let him pull his hand back. If Lin Fan wanted, he could have crippled him then and there. Jin Baiwan was merely jealous that Lin Fan was with Zhao Ying. Lin Fan felt no affection for such people, though he wouldn’t go so far as to destroy them.

Jin Baiwan stepped back and, in an accent tinged with Shanghai dialect, said, “Ying’er—oh, no, Officer Zhao—her father is the Party Secretary of T City, her mother is a renowned overseas entrepreneur, and her net worth is well over a hundred million. How could her boyfriend just be a security guard? If Mr. Lin thinks neither I nor anyone else here are worthy of knowing, then I’ll drop the subject.”

Jin Baiwan’s words revealed a lot to Lin Fan, at least about Zhao Ying’s family background.

But Zhao Ying’s expression grew stormy; she was clearly unhappy with Jin Baiwan for revealing her identity without her consent.

She didn’t want Lin Fan to feel pressured. After all, Lin Fan drove an average car and dressed simply. Compared to Zhao Ying’s family, worth hundreds of millions, he couldn’t compete. That’s why Zhao Ying never told Lin Fan about her background.

She could sense Lin Fan was a responsible man who wouldn’t live off a woman. If he knew all this, she was afraid he might choose to leave her. She loved Lin Fan, whether he was rich or poor—she loved him all the same!

Nervously, Zhao Ying tugged at Lin Fan’s arm. In her eyes, this question was too difficult for him to answer.

Lin Fan naturally understood the meaning behind Zhao Ying’s reaction, and his heart warmed. He hadn’t expected to catch a wealthy woman after all! Feifei, by contrast, was completely unruffled, calm as could be; she knew Lin Fan’s true status. With Zhentian Group now ranked among the world’s top twenty companies, it far surpassed the so-called Haitian Group.

Compared to Feifei, Wei Liang now had a look of pure schadenfreude. He knew exactly who Lin Fan was—a bottom-rung nobody, someone who would take Zhao Ying to eat roadside hotpot without caring if it was dirty. And Zhao Ying actually went with him! How could someone like that ever compete with the Haitian Group heir, Jin Baiwan?

Lin Fan could see this guy was trying to provoke him. He glanced at Zhao Ying, giving her a reassuring look, and smiled, “It’s not that I don’t want to say. My company is still under construction. But I believe, someday, Young Master Jin will see it. Its name is Dragon Soar—a security company. Don’t forget it, Young Master Jin!”

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