Chapter 69: Encountering Trouble

“It’s true, Grandma—please, get up, I can’t accept such a grand gesture.” Su Qingsnow’s face was flustered as she hurried forward to help the old lady and Liu Farong to their feet.

The two women exchanged a cold, knowing look, the satisfaction of a plot fulfilled barely concealed beneath their expressions.

But just then, Lin Feng’s gaze suddenly turned icy. He stepped forward to interject, “Wait. Even though Qingsnow has agreed to help you, I have other conditions.”

“What conditions?” The old lady’s face froze, worry clouding her eyes as she looked at Lin Feng.

She knew Lin Feng was not someone to be trifled with. If he was naming terms now, it could only bode trouble.

Lin Feng sneered, stating directly, “It’s simple. Besides returning the thirty billion you owe Qingsnow, you’ll prepare another thirty billion as compensation for her emotional suffering.”

“You want sixty billion?” The old lady was stunned on the spot!

Sixty billion—Lin Feng’s appetite was enormous!

Liu Farong couldn’t contain her fury, her face contorting as she shouted, “Lin Feng, don’t push your luck!”

“Don’t think we don’t know—all this is your scheme. You knew all along we would…”

“Enough!” The old lady cut her off with a sharp rebuke before she could finish.

Turning back, she forced a smile and spoke kindly to Lin Feng, “Lin Feng, I’m willing to give you the money, but couldn’t you give us a little more time? We really can’t produce that amount at the moment.”

“An extension?” Lin Feng’s lips curled. “Fine. How about I give you ten—”

“Ten days?” The old lady’s eyes widened with hope. In such a short time, she couldn’t possibly gather thirty billion!

But Lin Feng shook his head, his voice cold. “Not ten days, but ten seconds.”

“Nine.”

“Eight.”

“Seven.”

What?

The old lady and her companions stood rooted to the ground in shock, their faces blank with disbelief.

Ten seconds? What could possibly be done in ten seconds? Even ten days would be impossible—ten seconds was simply making things difficult!

Lin Feng quickly finished his countdown, but they remained frozen in place. He smiled and said, “Your chance is over. You can leave now.”

“Lin Feng, you—” The old lady finally realized Lin Feng never intended to help her at all!

As she racked her brain for something else to say, Lin Feng had already ushered Su Qingsnow into the car, instructing the driver to pull away.

“Lin Feng, are we really doing the right thing?” Su Qingsnow gazed at him in the car, her mood clouded with melancholy.

“What’s wrong with it? If they’d succeeded, the one suffering now would be you.” Lin Feng’s expression stayed flat. Then he softened, turning toward her: “Sometimes, being ruthless is a kindness to yourself.”

“But don’t worry, I won’t just leave them to their fate. Let them stew for a few days. If they show sincerity, perhaps I’ll help them after all.”

“So you don’t actually plan to see them ruined?” Su Qingsnow’s eyes sparkled, her mood lifting.

Lin Feng reached out to gently pat her head, smiling. “How could I bear to see you unhappy?”

In a flash, Su Qingsnow’s cheeks turned crimson.

A few seconds later, she playfully turned her head away, feigning annoyance. “Hmph, I was thinking of rewarding you tonight, but since you kept things from me, I’m canceling it.”

“Reward? What reward?” Lin Feng looked genuinely puzzled.

With a sly smile, Su Qingsnow pulled out her phone and showed Lin Feng several photos—her own private portraits. Lin Feng nearly had a nosebleed on the spot.

Desire surged up within him.

“Now you know, don’t you? I just bought a few new uniforms and haven’t even tried them on yet. I was going to let you see and give your opinion, but now—you’ve lost your chance.” She huffed, her pride evident.

Lin Feng felt as if he’d lost not just ten billion, but something far more precious!

After all, who could resist a beautiful woman?

Soon, they arrived at the bank. Su Qingsnow went to her office, and Lin Feng, reflecting on recent events, thought he should find a chance to take Zhou Liran to dinner to thank him.

Zhou had helped him immensely this time, and if Lin Feng didn’t show gratitude, he’d feel embarrassed to ask for favors in the future.

Turning it over in his mind, Lin Feng decided on the perfect place.

He left the bank alone and headed straight for a unique restaurant near his old university.

This wasn’t just any restaurant; in all of River City, none could match its flavors—not even five-star hotels. The owner was a descendant of a royal chef, though, lacking the means to expand, he’d ended up running a small eatery.

“How strange—what happened to this place?”

Arriving at the familiar area, Lin Feng was shocked to find all the buildings razed to the ground, the streets reduced to a wasteland. Trucks and excavators rumbled about, and the remaining buildings bore huge demolition marks.

So, this area was being cleared for redevelopment!

He pressed on. Turning into a narrow alley, he was relieved to see the restaurant still open.

But once inside, he found the place deserted. Once bustling with business, it now stood empty, not a single customer in sight.

Even the owner and his wife sat gloomily inside, as if waiting for someone who would never come.

“Uncle Bai, Aunt Yao, I’ll have a royal duck stew, please.” Lin Feng strode in and called out to the owners.

“Xiaofeng?” They looked up and recognized him instantly.

Lin Feng had been a regular during his student days, and their daughter, Bai Xiaoqian, had been his classmate.

Seeing him brought smiles to their faces, but these quickly faded into worry.

They got up and hurried over, with Uncle Bai urging anxiously, “Xiaofeng, you’d better go. We’re about to close up shop. If you want to eat, go somewhere else.”

“What’s wrong, Uncle Bai? Did something happen?” Lin Feng sensed something amiss in their tone and expression. “Is Xiaoqian not here? She used to help out, didn’t she?”

“Xiaoqian, she…” Uncle Bai began, but Aunt Yao quickly shot him a warning glance and nudged his arm. Realizing he’d said too much, he fell silent.

A few moments later, Aunt Yao forced a smile. “Xiaofeng, Xiaoqian’s not here. You’d better leave quickly.”

“Really, Xiaofeng, you must go. If you stay any longer, you might not have the chance,” Uncle Bai urged again, more insistently.

Hearing this, Lin Feng’s unease grew—something was definitely wrong.

“Uncle Bai, Aunt Yao, what’s really happened? Maybe I can help—”

“Hey! Bai, get the hell out here!” An angry shout erupted from outside the restaurant, cutting Lin Feng off mid-sentence.