Lin An had met him at the Xu family's house. When the man saw Lin An, his face immediately changed to a fawning smile, and he almost immediately bowed to greet him.
Lin An didn't want his family to know about his relationship with the restaurant owner, especially since it was Xu Hai's hidden business.
Lin An shook his head slightly at the man, who understood immediately. Having been around important figures for a long time, he knew that they generally acted discreetly.
The man quickly stopped bending down and instead made an inviting gesture: "Distinguished guests, please follow me upstairs. The private room is ready."
The Lin family members were particularly pleased with this special welcoming service. Zhang Wanru seemed not to see Lin An at all, her eyes were only on Lin Zhe, and she exclaimed, "Xiao Zhe, you have such amazing connections, and I've never heard you mention them. You're just too low-key."
Lin Xia seized the opportunity to mock: "That's how well-mannered kids are. Unmannered kids brag about even the smallest achievements."
Lin Rou couldn't help but laugh when she thought of Lin An handing in a blank exam paper.
Lin An's face was cold. He had fully experienced the malice of the Lin family in his previous life. He didn't expect them to suddenly change their ways today. Some people can't be reasoned with, so he had to teach them a lesson.
The man led them up to the third floor in a private elevator.
Every half meter along the corridor stood a young man in formal attire, each one tall and imposing. The Lin family was once again shocked. Was this the treatment of a top-tier private room?
Only Lin An knew that these were the security personnel Xu Hai had arranged for him.
The group entered the private room, which was spacious. A huge, fully green jadeite rough stone was placed against the wall, its value immeasurable. This was Xu Hai's most treasured possession, his life-saving asset.
The Lin family members naturally sat around Lin Haoran, while the seats to Lin An's left and right were empty.
Soon, the exquisite dishes were served. The Lin family discovered that in addition to the dishes they had ordered, many expensive dishes were also served, such as salads covered with a thick layer of black truffles, huge king crabs, and top-grade lobsters, one after another.
Lin Wan was worried about exceeding the budget, given the family's current financial situation, so she quickly reminded them, "It seems that these items are not included in our order."
The waiter who served the food replied with a smile, "These are all complimentary dishes that our boss instructed us to provide. Please enjoy them."
Everyone was overjoyed, pleasantly surprised by the extravagance of the meal. It was like being treated like royalty. Lin Zhe was so proud that his face almost reached the sky. Zhang Wanru, Lin Rou, and Lin Xia, mother and daughter, took out their phones and kept taking pictures of the dishes.
While taking photos, Lin Rou couldn't resist mocking Lin An: "Some people can only eat such good food because of Xiao Zhe, otherwise they would never get to taste it in their entire lives."
Lin An snorted coldly. Was this family's confidence a gift from nature, inexhaustible and boundless?
After all the dishes were served, Lin Haoran cleared his throat and, as the head of the family, spoke first: "Our family hasn't eaten together for a long time. Lin An invited you here today to give you a chance to speak frankly."
Lin An felt bewildered. Lin Haoran spoke in the manner of a traditional patriarch, severing ties and asking, "What right do you have to give me a chance?"
Lin Wan noticed the anger in Lin An's eyes and, wanting to ease the tension, said, "This is a family dinner; let's talk while we eat."
She handed a plate of braised chicken with chestnuts to Lin An and said with a smile, "Lin An, this was specially ordered for you. Please eat it."
Lin Wan didn't choose this dish to provoke Lin An, nor did she misremember his preferences. She was a top student with an amazing memory.
She thought Lin An liked chestnuts because once when she took Lin Zhe to buy pastries, she asked Lin Zhe if he knew what flavor Lin An liked to eat. Lin Zhe told her that Lin An loved chestnuts just like him. So she specially arranged for braised chicken with chestnuts to be served at today's dinner.
The only person in the family who remembered Lin An's chestnut allergy was actually Lin Zhe.
Lin An looked at the chestnuts in front of him and felt nauseous, as if he had swallowed a fly. He was too lazy to argue with them over such a trivial matter. He picked up a piece of fish from the side with his chopsticks, took a bite, and found that it tasted quite good.
Lin Wan was annoyed that he didn't appreciate her efforts, Zhang Wanru was even more convinced that Lin An was basically beyond saving after seeing her eldest daughter get the short end of the stick, and Lin Zhe just watched the show with amusement.
Lin Haoran was anxious about his family business and spoke up again: "Lin An, take some time to explain to President Zhou and beg him to reinstate your agency level in the company."
Seeing Lin An eating in silence, showing no intention of agreeing, Lin Haoran continued as if he had made a great decision: "We misunderstood you about what happened at school before. We impulsively announced that we were breaking off our relationship with you. As long as you can win back President Zhou's heart, we are still willing to accept you back."
Lin Zhe was shocked. This Lin Haoran was shameless. He had sworn to God to sever ties with Lin An and have nothing to do with him anymore, but he changed his mind for the sake of business. It seemed that his path to becoming the successor was destined to be bumpy.
Lin Xia was even more dissatisfied with her father's remarks. Didn't they agree to invite Lin An over to settle accounts? He just wouldn't mention it no matter what.
Lin An was amused by Lin Haoran's words. Did Lin Haoran think that Lin Haoran's willingness to lower himself was a favor to him, and that he would wag his tail and run to him like a lapdog with just a flick of his finger?
Having been reborn, Lin An could no longer fawn over others. He said coldly, "I remember you swore to the heavens in front of everyone that you would sever ties with me. Of course, that's fine. What you said is true. Anyway, the Lin family's affairs have nothing to do with me. If you want to find President Zhou, go find him yourselves."
Lin Haoran was furious. He had already backed down and was willing to give Lin An a way out, yet Lin An dared to act arrogantly. He growled, "Enough! Lin An, are you sure you want this?"
Lin An slowly swallowed the delicious food in his mouth, looked directly at Lin Haoran, and answered word by word: "Confirmed!"
The atmosphere reached a stalemate. The Lin family members waited for Lin Haoran's signal to launch a group attack, while Lin Wan looked anxious and tried to mediate.
A hint of relief flashed across Lin Zhe's face, and the smile reached his eyes. He had overestimated Lin An's fighting power. Competing with him for the position of heir, killing Lin An would be a piece of cake.
Seeing Lin Haoran's face turn red with anger, Lin Xia felt her chance had come and said, "Dad, I've already told you he's worse than an animal, just a thug. You still want to make up with him?"
"Look at my face! I'm your daughter too! Dad, you have to stand up for me! He beat my boyfriend to a pulp!"
Lin Xia became increasingly agitated as she spoke, distorting the facts and desperately trying to pin mud on Lin An.
She was confident that the Lin family would only believe her, and that no one would believe anything Lin An said without any substantial evidence. With the Lin family as her backers, she was not afraid of anything today.
Lin An watched as Lin Xia tearfully recounted her story as if it were the truth, vividly portraying him as a jealous, insane thug. He curled the corner of his mouth and sneered:
"Could you tell me first whether your boyfriend's name is Wang Dong or Xu Mo?"
Lin Xia pursed her lips nervously: "Of course it's Wang Dong."
Wang Dong hit her because he was forced by circumstances, and she could understand him.
Lin An laughed out loud. This idiot deserved a beating. His face was swollen from Wang Dong's slaps, yet he still recognized him and spoke up for him.
Lin An stopped laughing and looked at Lin Wan, saying, "You guys have a WeChat group, right? Can you add me to it? I'll send you some things to look at."
He was eager to send out what he had in his hand and see the reaction of the Lin family, who prided themselves on their aristocratic upbringing.
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