Chapter 172 Ning Yao's Sky Has Collapsed

Before Ning Jinli could speak, Lin Lina immediately added, "However, since our eldest brother has returned, he still enjoys certain inheritance rights according to the law. This matter can be negotiated slowly."

That's what she said, but Lin Lina had no intention of actually giving away even a single bit of her family property.

What a joke! You've finally managed to eat it, why would you throw it up?

Moreover, she was absolutely certain that, given her family's current wealth and powerful connections, even if Ning Shan wanted to sue for the family fortune, he would not succeed.

Of course, Ning Shan couldn't hide her thoughts from him.

Ning Shan had no intention of relying on inheritance laws that did not require a will to fight for the inheritance.

“You keep talking about the law, that’s fine,” Ning Shan said quietly. “So, according to the law, if my father’s will is still valid, does that mean it has to be carried out according to the will?”

Lin Lina readily agreed, saying, "Of course."

Although Ning Shan's question was a bit strange, she wasn't worried at all.

The old man's will was destroyed by her daughter's lawyer ex-boyfriend, right before her eyes. There wasn't even a ash left. How could it be found?

Ning Shan laughed, "Since that's the case, it just so happens that everyone from the four major families, as well as so many reporters, are here to witness this. Lin Lina, take a look at this."

After saying that, Ning Shan took out a folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it over.

Lin Lina's eyes were swollen and she couldn't see clearly, so she handed it to Ning Yao, saying, "Yao Yao, take a look, what is this?"

Ning Yao unfolded the paper and saw a line of handwritten text on it, which she then read aloud.

"After my death, all my estate, including the family group, will be inherited by my eldest son, Ning Shan."

After reading it aloud, she was stunned for a moment. "Mom, is this Grandpa's will?"

Lin Lina was shocked. "How is this possible! Let me see!"

Ning Yao placed the paper in front of her eyes, and she tried her best to open her swollen, red eyes and make a recognition.

It turned out that it was indeed the old man's handwriting.

There are additional signatures, fingerprints, and the old man's personal seal next to it.

"Where...where did this come from! I've never seen it before?!"

Lin Lina could hardly believe her eyes.

She clearly remembered that the will her daughter's ex-boyfriend destroyed stated that Ning Shan would inherit 70% of the estate, as well as 90% of the shares and management rights of the family group, and the details were listed in great detail.

How come a will has suddenly appeared, leaving everything to Ning Shan?!

"Why don't you check the date?" Ning Shan suggested. "It's inside the old man's stamp. Look carefully."

Lin Lina snapped out of her daze and looked down again, only to discover that this will was from a later period than the one she had seen before!

In other words, even if the first will still exists, the will made later shall prevail.

She was completely stunned.

Ning Shan smiled and said, "After I came back here, I took the second will that the old man secretly gave me and carried it with me every day. As the saying goes, it's better to be lucky than early, and today is a good opportunity to make it public."

"It's fake! It must be fake!" Lin Lina said angrily. "You must have forged the will! I don't believe it!"

Ye Zhi Qiu said calmly, "With technology so advanced these days, why not just send it to a professional testing agency for verification? What's the use if you don't believe me?"

"Mom... how could this happen? What... what should we do?" Ning Yao panicked immediately.

Lin Lina suddenly shoved the will into her mouth.

Amidst the astonished gazes of the reporters, she stubbornly chewed up a piece of paper and swallowed it, choking so badly that her eyes rolled back in her head.

Even Ning Yao was startled by her crazy action.

"Cough...cough cough..." Lin Lina coughed a few times, clutched her chest, and let out a long breath, "Yao Yao...don't worry, the will is really gone now."

"So your sister-in-law likes to eat paper?" Ning Shan smirked. "Didn't you notice that the paper was a bit too new? Didn't you think it didn't look like it had been preserved for over ten years?"

As he spoke, Ning Shan took out another one from his pocket and waved it in his hand.

"You..." Lin Lina was stunned again.

Ye Zhi Qiu sneered, "If you like to eat, we have plenty here. Those are just copies; you can have as much as you want."

"vomit--"

Lin Lina clutched her stomach and vomited.

What a waste of time!

"Mom...Mom, are you alright?" Ning Yao quickly patted her back.

It took Lin Lina a while to recover.

With a sob in her voice, Ning Yao asked, "Mom, is everything in the Ning family... going to go to them? Are we all gone?"

"What do you mean it belongs to us?" Ye Zhi Qiu said sternly. "It was originally ours! It's all your parents' fault for being greedy and trying to swallow an elephant. If they hadn't resorted to such underhanded tactics, your family would have gotten a share, and Ning Shan would have continued to let your father help manage the company out of consideration for family ties. Your family could still be living a comfortable and wealthy life! But now, you have to give it all back!"

"No...no!" Ning Yao couldn't accept it and broke down in tears.

Lin Lina forced a sliver of composure. "Big brother, sister-in-law... our family... Ning Hai... his whereabouts are unknown. Now it's just me and Yao Yao left to depend on each other. Please, for the sake of Yao Yao's contributions to the Ning family group, leave some for us, even just 10%."

"What merits did she make?" Ning Jinli asked with a smile.

"Yaoyao, don't cry." Lin Lina nudged her daughter with her elbow and whispered, "Without you, the Ning Group wouldn't be where it is today. We're counting on you..."

Ning Yao realized what was happening, wiped away her tears, and regained her confidence. "In the past month or two, I've increased the Ning Group's profits several times over. I secured a lot of investment, which expanded the group's business projects. These have all been reported in the news! And... and the four major families have all become our group's major investors. Isn't that all thanks to me?"

Ning Jinli said sarcastically, "Oh! You really dare to pat yourself on the back!"

"Ning Jinli, you—" Ning Yao's face flushed red with anger, and she was about to burst into a tirade.

Lin Lina quickly held her daughter down, trying to remain composed as she said, "Xiao Li, the facts are right in front of you. You can't deny Yao Yao's contributions in public. Based on her contributions to the group, it's only right and proper for her to receive some of the family business. Besides, letting her continue to manage the Ning Group will only benefit your family, won't it?"

"Sigh, it's really tough on you. Even at this point, you still have the audacity to try and fight for benefits that don't even belong to your family." Ning Jinli shook her head and turned her gaze to Lu Jueming. "Young Master Lu, please tell them the truth."

Lu Jueming's face relaxed. Now Miss Ning finally made him speak. Otherwise, he would have been very uncomfortable keeping it to himself and having to watch Ning Yao act so self-righteous.

"The truth? What truth?" Ning Yao asked blankly.

Lu Jueming said, "Actually, at the beginning, when your father Ning Hai brought the proposal to solicit investment from the Lu family, the Lu family thought the project was ordinary and could make money, but not much, so they didn't take it seriously. Later, when you took over from your father and came to me to try to get it, I was going to refuse you because of the past grievances between Miss Ning Jinli and your family. But Miss Ning Jinli instructed me to invest, so I did as she asked."

"Wh...what?" Ning Yao's face was full of disbelief. "You...you said she...she instructed you? You're the eldest young master of the Lu family! What right does she have to order you around?! Young Master Lu, are you kidding me?"

Lu Jueming said with a serious expression, "Miss Ning Jinli is my boss and has been kind to me. Thanks to her trust, I am able to do the job I love most. Of course, she can give me orders."

Upon hearing this, Ning Yao and Lin Lina were practically petrified on the spot.

The reporters present were all stunned.

If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes and heard it with my own ears, who would believe that the young master of the Lu family, the leading family among the four top families in Xinghan City, actually had this kind of relationship with Ning Jinli?!

Judging from his respectful and serious attitude, it was as if he had become Ning Jinli's little brother!

Before the group could recover from their shock, Lu Jueming continued, "The initial investment that the Lu family made in the Ning Group, as well as the subsequent additional funds, and the joint investment I made with three other families, were all done out of respect for Miss Ning Jinli. Apart from that, it has nothing to do with anyone else."

The reporters were in an uproar!

Ning Yao was struck dumb, and blurted out, "Could it be...could it not be because of you...you like me?!"

Lu Jueming frowned. "First, I have never said or acted like that. Second, you have repeatedly asked me to meet in private, and I have always clearly refused. I don't know why you have such a deep misunderstanding about me."

"Then you...you..." Ning Yao's face turned pale with anxiety as she racked her brains for words, "Do you remember our first date? You even helped me deal with Ning Jinli back then!"

“I’m sorry,” Lu Jueming said bluntly, still showing no mercy, “That time I was actually invited by Miss Ning Jinli to meet her. At the time, out of consideration for your feelings, I cooperated with you a little, but I didn’t expect you to go too far. The quality you displayed made me very uncomfortable. From that time on, I only had a negative impression of you. How could I possibly like you?”

Lu Jueming's voice wasn't loud, but every word struck Ning Yao's heart like a boulder.

Ning Yao felt as if her world had collapsed.

The mixed gazes from numerous reporters made her feel utterly ashamed.

"I...I..." Ning Yao was a little unsteady on her feet, her face turning red and then pale.

Feeling the immense pressure coming from all directions, she wanted to escape, but there was nowhere to run. She could only try to salvage a little face at the last moment, "Okay... even if all of that was... all my misunderstanding, but... but none of you can deny that the Ning Group's business projects were highly profitable under my leadership! Having the investment of the four major families is one thing, making the business profitable is another!"

“Miss Ning Yao, you’ve also misunderstood this point.” Executives from the other three major families around Lu Jueming stepped forward to explain to her.

"After investing, the four families opened the door to Ning Group's business projects in all aspects, and secretly helped to reduce costs, open up operating channels, expand markets, and so on."

"Does Miss Ning Yao really think that by only going to the company every few days, sitting in the office for an hour or two playing on her phone and computer and drinking coffee, without developing any strategy for any aspect of project operation, the project can proceed so smoothly?"

These words were tantamount to stripping away Ning Yao's last fig leaf.

The reporters suddenly realized what was going on.

It turns out that Ning Yao had absolutely nothing to do with the Ning Group's rise, from securing investment to achieving substantial profits!

So it turns out... it's all because Ning Jinli, who was kicked out of the family by Ning Yao's family ten years ago, was able to create a miracle!

At that moment, the reporters were filled with awe and respect for Ning Jinli!

This person is a true legend!

Ning Jinli's mind went blank. She staggered back a few steps and collapsed to the ground, unable to even cry anymore.

"Hehe...hahahaha..." Lin Lina suddenly burst into laughter, "Good...amazing, truly amazing! Ning Shan, Ye Zhi Qiu, and you...Ning Jin Li! I never imagined I would underestimate you all so much! The whole scheme you orchestrated was truly brilliant! In the end, you reaped all the benefits, leaving our family...utterly defeated! Are you satisfied now?!"

Ning Shan frowned. "Don't you understand even now that you were the ones who were wrong?"

"Ha!" A cold glint flashed in Lin Lina's eyes. "You won, so naturally you can say whatever you want. You and I were just fighting for interests. It's all about the winner taking all, so why bother with right and wrong? I just didn't expect that we would lose so suddenly and so completely!"

Ning Shan sighed softly, "You're just like Ning Hai, beyond saving."

"Yaoyao, let's go!" Lin Lina called out to Ning Yao.

Ning Yao was distraught and showed no reaction.

Lin Lina had her bodyguards help her up and put her in the Rolls-Royce.

"Did you call the police?" Ning Shan turned to ask Ye Zhi Qiu.

Ye Zhi Qiu nodded, "I've reported it. It should be arriving soon."

No sooner had he finished speaking than several police cars arrived at the scene.

"Lin Lina, we have received a report that you are suspected of murder and illegally obtaining an inheritance. We also suspect that you are involved in certain cases in Ninghai. We are taking you away for questioning in accordance with the law. Please cooperate with the investigation."

The police officer showed the arrest warrant to Lin Lina.

Knowing that this was what was coming, Lin Lina stretched out her hands and let the police officers handcuff her without struggling, and got into the police car.

"Mom! Mom!" Ning Yao rushed out of the car, grabbed the police officer tightly, and roared, "What evidence do you have to arrest people?! Let my mom go! Otherwise, I'll sue you!"

Before the police officer could say anything, she became enraged and punched and kicked him, even slapping him in the face several times.

Crack—

A pair of cold handcuffs were placed on Ning Yao's wrists.

Ning Yao's expression changed drastically. "You... what are you doing! Why are you arresting me too?!"

The police officer then displayed an arrest warrant, saying, "We have also received reports that you illegally broke into the factory and led people to cause a violent disturbance. In addition, the previous investigation by a certain special envoy and others was also related to your private instigation. We are now investigating you in accordance with the law!"