Chapter 67: The Su Family’s Internal Strife

Chen Yanzi immediately chased after him, clutching Su Daqiang’s arm as she hurried to apologize.

But Su Daqiang turned around and slapped her again.

“Get lost! I’m not your lapdog. You think I’m a fool after scamming me out of so much money?”

He roared in fury.

Though Su Daqiang was wealthy, he was no idiot to be swindled so easily. If Chen Yanzi hadn’t confessed herself, he would never have realized she was such a compulsive liar.

“I didn’t cheat you! Didn’t you say you wanted to marry me?”

“Only an idiot would marry someone as shameless as you! Don’t come near me again, or I’ll beat you!” Su Daqiang grew even angrier as he spoke, and in his rage, kicked Chen Yanzi to the ground.

Watching Su Daqiang storm off, Chen Yanzi finally realized her own cleverness had backfired on her.

“Serves you right!” Seeing Chen Yanzi collapsed on the floor, Lin Fan felt a surge of satisfaction and couldn’t help but sneer.

Hearing this, Chen Yanzi glared at him with gritted teeth and undisguised hatred.

“Don’t get cocky, Lin Fan! With my looks, I’ll find someone wealthier and more powerful than you! And as for you assaulting Chen Wei, I’ll make it public! I’ll ruin you socially…”

“Do you really think anyone will believe your nonsense now? With your looks, you’re no better than the gossipy women at the market. No discerning rich man would ever give you a second glance,” Lin Fan scoffed, utterly dismissive as he turned and walked toward the door.

“I hate you, Lin Fan! I curse you to die a miserable death!” Chen Yanzi screamed in fury.

Her heart was ablaze with regret and rage. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined Lin Fan would become a man of such immense wealth. If only she hadn’t pushed him so hard back then, perhaps she would now be living the life of a rich socialite.

But regret was quickly drowned out by hatred. If not for Lin Fan, she wouldn’t have been kicked aside by Su Daqiang today!

Once inside the main hall, Lin Fan finally asked Shi Jie why Chen Yanzi had come today.

Shi Jie explained: she had come to join Starlight Livestream, intending to sign up with multiple streaming platforms.

In the conference room, as soon as Su Juanmo sat down, she remarked, “I didn’t think your ex-girlfriend would be so shameless. Your taste really is questionable…”

Lin Fan pursed his lips, caught off guard by Su Juanmo’s teasing.

After a moment’s hesitation, she continued, “It’s possible that, out of desperation, she’ll try to expose you on Doujin. That could cause quite a bit of trouble.”

“It doesn’t matter. With my current status, even if she tries to expose me, she’ll only end up discrediting herself,” Lin Fan replied with a wave of his hand, unconcerned.

He didn’t realize there was a deeper meaning behind Su Juanmo’s words.

She was considering the possibility that he might be the illegitimate son of Chairman Lin. If such a thing were revealed, it could have serious consequences for both him and Chairman Lin. The best course was to keep it hidden.

Seeing that Lin Fan hadn’t picked up on her implication, Su Juanmo continued, “I suggest you do some good deeds in advance, as a precautionary PR move for any potential public crisis. If she really does try to expose you, then you can have news stories highlighting your charitable acts published. That way, her attempts to smear you will look scripted and calculated.”

Lin Fan paused for a few seconds before grasping her point.

“You’re right! That’s why you have a master’s from overseas—truly professional,” he said with a sheepish grin, not forgetting to flatter her.

“It seems I made the right choice asking you to be general manager. How about it? Want to consider switching from your Su family to work here? I hear your family is rife with infighting.”

Lin Fan spoke with an air of casual indifference.

Earlier that morning, he had already spoken with Su Juanmo for over half an hour on the phone.

He planned to acquire Starlight Livestream in her name, inviting her to take a stake and serve as general manager.

First, by giving the company to Su Juanmo, he could earn “loyal dog” reward rebates. If he acquired it in his own name, he’d get nothing.

Second, he’d learned in detail from He Hongyu about the Su family’s situation: their family businesses were already facing financial difficulties due to infighting over the heir. If he invested half a billion into the hotel chain and Su Juanmo solved the problem, she’d only find herself under even greater pressure.

In other words, after resolving the hotel crisis, the rest of the family would force her into the role of family representative, putting her in the line of fire.

The truth was, the Su family would never allow a woman to take power. Instead, they’d support her only to set her up for a greater fall and eventually drive her out of the family.

If Su Juanmo lost her standing, Lin Fan would have no way to climb the Su family ladder.

“I underestimated you… you’re not as simple as you appear,” Su Juanmo said, giving him a meaningful look.

At this point, Lin Fan saw no need to hide his intentions.

“Let’s be frank—we’re each pursuing our own interests. After much thought this morning, I’ve decided not to invest in your hotel. The situation is too complicated and wouldn’t benefit either of us. I think your best move is to retreat to advance. If I buy this company and give you the shares, they’d be worth about half a billion. If Starlight Livestream goes public, you can cash out and save your family’s business.”

When he finished, a glimmer of surprise flickered in Su Juanmo’s eyes.

She grew increasingly suspicious of Lin Fan’s true identity.

“Let me ask you one thing—what exactly is your relationship with Chairman Lin?”

“You’re not thinking I’m his illegitimate son, are you?” Lin Fan laughed breezily.

His decision to give the company to Su Juanmo was actually based on insider information he’d gleaned from He Hongyu.

He’d finally realized: to win over someone like Su Juanmo, showering her with money wouldn’t work. The key was to help her rise to power.

Even Wang Jianguo, the richest man in Hang City, had said she was not only very talented, but also ambitious and driven. As the eldest daughter of the Su family and the third-generation heir, she faced constant opposition from within.

Taking Wang Jianguo’s advice, Lin Fan knew that only by helping Su Juanmo secure her position could he truly win her heart.

In fact, much of what he’d just said echoed Wang Jianguo’s own words, not his own ideas.

His capability was nowhere near that of Su Juanmo, let alone a seasoned businessman like Wang Jianguo.

“I agree,” Su Juanmo said after three minutes of deliberation.

“Then let’s sign the contract,” Lin Fan replied, finally breathing a sigh of relief.

To his delight, he also discovered that Su Juanmo’s favorability toward him had increased by five points—now reaching thirty! Only twenty more to complete the task.

It confirmed his suspicion: Su Juanmo was unlike other women; the usual approaches would never work on her.

As he and Su Juanmo were handling contract matters with Shi Jie, Lin Fan received a message from Miao Tiantian—she was now in the lobby downstairs.

At the same time, Shi Jie’s secretary knocked and entered.

“Manager Shi, Young Master Bai says he has urgent business with you. He’s already gone to your office.”