Chapter 172: Extra Chapter 18: The Most Beautiful Twilight

In the meeting room, after weighing the pros and cons, most of the directors negotiated the liquidation with the shareholders behind the scenes and quickly accepted the equity liquidation agreement distributed by the lawyer.

Only a few old men from the collateral branches of the Lin family were fuming, leaning on their canes and throwing a tantrum, probably trying to fight Lin Jin to the bitter end with their old bones.

Lin Jin seemed indifferent, lounging in her leather chair with her body turned to the side as usual, her long, slender fingers tapping lightly on the table.

With a sly smile that suggested she'd watched the show unfold, she ignored the old men who stubbornly refused to back down and sighed softly, "Let me give you a friendly reminder: Lin's stock price is about to enter a period of sustained decline. Now is your last chance to close your positions and exit. Let me be clear, don't wait until you can't get out before begging me, or I won't recognize anyone then."

As she spoke, she pointed to the directors who were willing to cooperate and said jokingly, "To be honest, the shares that Lin Sheng left you are like chicken bones with no nutritional value. After the listing, you didn't make much money and instead caused a lot of trouble. You've worked hard all your lives, so don't end up with all of it stuck here, lest you can't even count on annual dividends in the future. You might as well sell them now for a good price. If you're interested, I'm willing to do you a favor and give you some good recommendations."

The old men looked at each other, their faces showing no sign of wavering, but some had already picked up their teacups and started sipping, indicating that they were beginning to waver.

These people certainly knew how formidable Lin Jin was. The fact that she had taken back all the shares that had already fallen into Lin Sheng's name and sent the mother and son to prison was enough to show that no one could withstand her ruthless methods.

“Ahem…how about…” one of the old men hesitated before finally steeling himself and beckoning to the lawyer, “Bring the agreement over, let me take a look.”

This wavering caused the remaining people to lose their footing and immediately change their tune.

“That’s more like it…” Lin Jin picked up her glass at the opportune moment, took an elegant sip, and blatantly mocked, “Right now, the Lin family is just like you… in the twilight of a sunset…”

The liquidation meeting initiated by Lin Jin continued until it finally ended amidst incessant arguments, and the Lin's Shengjin Group, painstakingly built up by generations of the Lin family, also came to a disastrous end.

......

Cheng Sangluo dismissed the driver and sat in the Bentley waiting for her lover's triumphant return.

As she watched Secretary Zhou help Lin Jin down the steps, she hurriedly slammed the car door shut and ran over, asking, "So, are those people willing to cooperate with you?"

Lin Jin smiled at the concerned little dog and said proudly, "Who's your wife? Is there anything she can't do?"

"Great!" Cheng Sangluo clapped her hands and quickly took Lin Jin from Secretary Zhou. "It's past lunchtime, let's go have dinner first, and then we can do the next thing, okay?"

"No, I have to do it now." Lin Jin actually refused to eat, and then turned her head to instruct, "Zhou Ran, you and the lawyers can handle the rest. Just contact me if you have any questions."

"Understood." Secretary Zhou knew that the two had other plans, so he stopped in time.

Watching the two figures walk away, she suddenly said, "Mr. Lin, Ms. Cheng, I wish you both a Happy New Year in advance."

"You've worked hard this year." Lin Jin didn't turn around, but just smiled and waved. "I'm sure you'll like the prize money."

Secretary Zhou was stunned for a moment, but still bowed respectfully to his boss to express his gratitude, and whispered, "You've worked hard all these years."

Once inside the car, Cheng Sangluo immediately slyly moved closer to Lin Jin, speaking in a high-pitched voice, "President Lin~ Happy New Year in advance~"

Lin Jin shivered, wondering what had gotten into this person all of a sudden. She quickly raised her hand to cover her face and pushed him aside, asking, "What kind of nonsense are you spouting?"

Cheng Sangluo rubbed her hands together and joked, "Shouldn't you have said you've had a hard year? You'd definitely like the bonus amount, right?"

"You didn't want it when I offered it to you just now, so now you're asking for the bonus?" Lin Jin asked while fiddling with his phone.

"It's different, these are two different things!" When Cheng Sangluo heard the notification sound, he thought his wife had really given him a bonus, so he happily took out his phone. But when he saw the amount in the red envelope, he rolled his eyes in annoyance.

Lin Jin raised an eyebrow, teasing her pouty lips with her fingertips, "Didn't you say that today's epic discount meant I could take you home for only 8.8 yuan? I bought it all outright, haha~"

"Eight yuan and eighty cents, right? Come on, come on, I'll take you home right now." Cheng Sangluo snuggled closer to his wife, then mischievously tickled her waist.

Lin Jin burst into laughter, panting as she pushed the person back, "Hahahaha...get off me...it tickles...get off me..."

The young couple played and hugged each other in the carriage, which helped them dispel the tension of the morning.

Tired from all the commotion, Cheng Sangluo hugged Lin Jin to catch her breath, turning her head to kiss her beautiful eyebrows and eyes affectionately. "Is what's next so important that you can't even think about eating?"

"Mm." Lin Jin's happy smile faded slightly as she looked up and carefully examined her gentle lover. "Let's go back to the Lin family ancestral home first, and then go to Ciyun Cemetery. Once we've done these two things, we can happily celebrate New Year's Eve."

Cheng Sangluo was stunned. Although she didn't understand why Lin Jin had been dealing with the Lin family's affairs, she seemed to have figured out something about it.

Perhaps today is the most open and exhilarating day for Lin Jin, because she is venting and taking revenge on her deceased father in a way that is incomprehensible to others.

She's still as vengeful as ever, not even intending to let the deceased go.

"Okay, I'll stay with you." Cheng Sangluo kissed his wife's lips, then started the car and sped away.

......

When the Bentley stopped in front of the Lin family ancestral home, the butler and servants had been waiting at the gate for a long time.

As Cheng Sangluo helped Lin Jin out of the car, she couldn't help but shudder and ask in confusion, "Isn't this house Ruan Jinxian and Lin Sheng's? We can come and go as we please?"

"The ancestral home doesn't belong to Lin Sheng and Ruan Jinxian," Lin Jin replied simply, waving to the old butler to signal him to lead the way.

Hearing their conversation, the butler warmly instructed the servants to prepare tea while explaining, "The ownership of this house is not specifically registered under any particular member of the Lin family. It is owned by the largest shareholder of the group as an adjunct, which is a method passed down from generation to generation by the Lin family heads. However, the entire mountain belongs to the Lin family, so other villas have also been built on the mountain for everyone's convenience in living and moving around."

"Oh, I see. No wonder they're a big family; they can throw around a mountain like that." Cheng Sangluo sighed, realizing her imagination wasn't quite there yet. She quickly took Lin Jin's arm and whispered, "Then Lin Sheng's villa is still his, isn't it?"

“Even if he goes to jail and pays all the compensation he owes, there will still be some left over. After all, even a broken boat has three pounds of iron. But he won’t be able to enjoy this blessing.” Lin Jin explained truthfully, but thinking that he wouldn’t be coming often in the future, he didn’t make any major changes to the plans for the Lin residence.

Cheng Sangluo chatted enthusiastically with the steward, talking about the scenery in the mountains and the servants' daily lives, until they passed through a huge landscape corridor and a dilapidated ancestral hall came into view, which immediately gave people a sense of the weight and solemnity of the past.

Lin Jin seemed to have discussed it with the steward beforehand, so some tools that didn't fit the scene were placed outside the ancestral hall, and there were even a few barrels of gasoline.

Cheng Sangluo was sensitive to this kind of thing and immediately sensed that something was wrong.

Lin Jin instructed the butler, "You can leave now."

The butler had spent his entire life serving the Lin family, so before leaving, he still whispered his advice: "Miss, you are, after all, surnamed Lin. The Lin family has been prosperous for generations. Are you really willing to do this?"

Lin Jin chuckled, turning to look at the respectful butler. He wasn't arrogant, but simply said, "This grand mansion means nothing to me. From the day the old man died, the Lin family, with its dwindling population, was destined for this day. My surname Lin doesn't mean I want to preserve this so-called family honor. Destroying it with my own hands is my ultimate goal. If you want an explanation, just four words—pure revenge."

While Cheng Sangluo and the steward were still engrossed in their conversation, Lin Jin had already picked up a heavy hammer. Even though his movements were clumsy, he didn't even blink when he smashed the wooden door of the ancestral hall.

The antique bronze lock fell to the ground, and the wooden door creaked open, bringing with it a wave of dust carrying a damp smell and the decaying stench of traditional male supremacy.

Cheng Sangluo quickly ran behind Lin Jin. Although she didn't intend to stop him, she still urged him, "You...you...don't hurt yourself...calm down...you haven't eaten lunch yet..."

As she spoke, she fumbled for a small medicine box in her pocket.

The spacious and solemn room was not well-lit, and Lin Jin's gloomy face was hidden in the darkness.

She didn't respond to the nervous Cheng Sangluo, but silently dragged the hammer to the wooden table where various ancestral tablets were enshrined. The wood carvings were strange and decayed, as if silently rebuking this junior for going against the Heavenly Gang.

The shattering sound of the hammer echoed with an unquenchable rage.

This was the anger that Lin Jin had accumulated since childhood—the lack of love from her father, the lack of favoritism from her elders, and the persecution from Ruan Jinxian and Lin Sheng. All these negative emotions were transformed into each wave of her hand without regret.

She was panting heavily, her eyes were red and wet, and she even let out a low moan of frustration, because her mother was not coming back, her childhood was not coming back, and smashing everything in the Lin family could not quell the anger that was stuck in her heart.

She was exhausted, her thin body swaying unsteadily. She had to lean against the broken table to catch her breath when suddenly someone behind her rammed into her with great force.

The gleaming silver shovel struck the messy memorial tablets with precision, one blow after another, leaving a chaotic and thoroughly satisfying mess.

Cheng Sangluo finally stopped, leaning on the shovel and grinning at her lover: "You should have said you wanted to vent earlier. I could have just smashed it for you. Why did you have to do it yourself? Aren't you tired?"

Although her tone was light, her smashing and looting actions indicated anger. Perhaps she was venting her frustration at not being able to subdue Lin Sheng and give him a good beating.

Lin Jin reached out and smoothed the puppy's wrinkled coat, her eyes filled with helplessness and dejection. "But it doesn't calm me down at all... not at all..."

As she spoke, the strong-willed woman choked up, and large tears welled up in her eyes and fell to the ground, like bullets piercing Cheng Sangluo's heart.

Cheng Sangluo threw down the shovel and pulled her into his arms, hiding all the vulnerabilities he didn't want to show. "Leave all these decaying wounds on the last day of this year. Promise me, okay? Look ahead. I'll be with you as you look ahead."

"Mmm..." Lin Jin nodded vigorously, her cold fingertips gripping her lover's hem tightly. "Mmm..."

Cheng Sangluo had been carefully comforting Lin Jin, who was in a state of emotional distress, until the crying gradually subsided and her rapid breathing became steady. Only then did she loosen her arms that were tightly embracing her.

She led Lin Jin into the courtyard, signaling the butler to keep a close eye on the new head of the family, and reassured him, "Leave the rest to me. It's too dangerous, you should stay away."

After saying that, Cheng Sangluo picked up the gasoline can and went into the ancestral hall.

Taking safety into consideration, she only poured a little gasoline around the memorial table and casually tossed out a match.

In an instant, the flickering flames illuminated the darkness of the room, as if they had permeated the dark first half of Lin Jin's life.

"Danger! Come out!" Lin Jin shouted anxiously from outside, but the housekeeper held her arm tightly and she couldn't break free.

Cheng Sangluo ran very fast and rushed into the courtyard, instructing the steward, "Put out the fire in a bit. Consider it a wishing lantern. Let her make a fuss like this, but don't take it seriously. Be careful she doesn't burn the mountain down!"

After saying that, she hoisted Lin Jin onto her shoulder and quickly led her away from the Lin residence.

Cheng Sangluo ran back to the car, panting heavily, and immediately shoved the medicine into his wife's mouth, saying, "Quick, quick, take your medicine."

Lin Jin, with a pill in her mouth, looked incredulous: "You were in such a hurry to take me away just to give me medicine? Are you that afraid I'll have a relapse?"

"Otherwise what! I promised Gu Shinian and Dr. Qin that I would never let you have an attack. I was so scared when you came out." Cheng Sangluo twisted the cap of the mineral water bottle and handed it to her lover, describing, "Just now, a picture popped into my head: you were crazy and smashing things in the fire, giving me a cold smile, and then you were buried in the flames."

Lin Jin brought him water and the medicine, then gave him a wry smile. "Have you been reading too many novels or watching too many movies? What kind of weird plots are you imagining?"

"Let's go to the next place, I'm in a hurry to meet you!" Cheng Sangluo didn't give her a moment's rest, starting the car and leaving in a hurry.

Lin Jin didn't say anything more, just leaned back wearily, enjoying the tranquility of the carriage.

As the Bentley wound its way along the mountain road, she rested her chin on her hand, quietly admiring the scenery outside the window.

Previously, she had no time to appreciate the scenery outside the cliff, because before everything settled down, all she could see was darkness. Even if the mountaintops were lush and green, even if the wind and rain were gentle, all she could see were raging storms and thunder and lightning.

Today is different. After shedding the heavy burden of revenge, she saw the sun shining brightly on the earth through the gaps in the clouds, and the lush forests that remained green even in the depths of winter.

It felt like being reborn, light and airy, yet with an exceptionally firm footing, finally putting my long-held anxieties to rest.

Cheng Sangluo slowed down the car and tapped a few times on the central control display screen. Suddenly, the surround sound system played "California Dreaming".

Lin Jin blinked, stunned, as if transported back to a summer evening in the sweltering wind, when Cheng Sangluo softly hummed the lyrics: 'Look outside, the twilight is the most beautiful.'

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