Chapter 298: Heart Attack
“Why don’t you give your dad a call?”
Of course, Jiang Kekai wasn’t going to take Lin Jie’s word for it. In times like these, it’s better to hear it straight from Lin Hai himself. She knew this was a chance to help the Lin family; otherwise, their losses would keep piling up, and they’d regret it way too late.
So Lin Jie didn’t hesitate, pulling out his phone and dialing up his father, while everyone watched with bated breath. “Hey, Xiao Jie, what’s up?”
The call connected quickly, and Lin Hai’s tired voice came through, clearly having a rough time managing the Lin family’s many troubles lately. “Dad, I’m over at Xia Le and Xia Yu’s place, and I’ve found a way to help the Lin family.”
“Didn’t I tell you not to get involved in this stuff… What? You’re at the Xia family’s? Did Xia Yu agree to help us?”
“No… Not exactly.” Lin Jie awkwardly glanced at Jiang Kekai, whose expression was growing darker by the second, as he explained to his father, “It’s the Ting family. When Jiang Kekai was teaching Bai Yu, didn’t she mention a favor owed? She said if you agree, she’ll let the Jiang family help us through this mess.”
“Pass the phone to Jiang Kekai.”
Lin Jie complied and handed the phone over to Jiang Kekai. “Go ahead.”
Even though she knew Lin Hai was a cunning old fox, Jiang Kekai wasn’t flustered; she believed she was the cleverer little fox. “Is what my brother said true?”
“Yeah, but Xia Yu cannot be given to you guys. As for everything else, it’s negotiable, including helping the Lin family out of this crisis.”
“What do you want in return?”
“That’s none of your concern. Just answer yes or no. I only owe your Lin family this one favor, and once that’s settled, I’ll owe you nothing.” Suddenly, there was silence on Lin Hai’s side.
He realized Jiang Kekai was being serious. A favor from a genius young lady was something highly valuable. Like everyone else, he believed Jiang Kekai would become a successful businesswoman in the future, so this favor would gain more worth over time.
However, the Lin family was currently in a situation where they were targeted by a coalition. The future was uncertain, and he had pleaded with many people but had never approached the Jiang family, who were their rivals.
Ultimately, it seemed Lin Hai reached some sort of decision and sighed, “Fine, please help the Lin family through this crisis.”
“Got it. Just wait at home for good news.”
With that, Jiang Kekai hung up, returning the phone to Lin Jie. “Alright, leave the Lin family issues to me. Don’t bother Xia Yu anymore.”
Without hesitation, Jiang Kekai spun on her heel and returned to the girls’ house, slamming the door behind her, ignoring Lin Jie.
Lin Jie looked at the phone, unfazed by Jiang Kekai’s attitude and relieved instead; as long as the Jiang family was willing to help, that was enough. “Jie… Jie ge, are you alright?”
Seeing Lin Jie standing there in a daze, Xia Le and the other three young masters of Peng City rushed over to check on him. “I’m fine.” Lin Jie turned and patted Xia Le on the shoulder, a bit sentimental. “Your brother really found a great girlfriend.”
Xia Le looked toward the closed door and sighed, “What’s great about it? With a girlfriend, he doesn’t want his older brother.” Lin Jie chuckled helplessly, “You’ll understand one day.”
In the room, Jiang Hanhang looked at her sister with concern and asked, “Sister, are you really going to do this? This is such a good opportunity to crush the Lin family!”
“So what? I keep my promises.”
Jiang Kekai’s words weren’t just for Jiang Hanhang; she wanted Xia Yu to know she meant business. “But even if Dad agrees, Grandpa and Uncle won’t, and I suspect they have a hand in this.”
Even though Jiang Hanhang couldn’t match Jiang Kekai’s brilliance, she had received some training and could connect the dots.
Jiang Kekai nodded, “You don’t need to worry about this. What I want to accomplish isn’t something they can block.”
Seeing her sister remain as strong as ever, Jiang Hanhang decided to keep quiet, trusting in her older sister’s judgment.
Meanwhile, Xia Yu was frowning, having picked up on the fact that Jiang Kekai seemed to have agreed to something big for her sake.
“Everything’s fine, it’s not a big deal.” After comforting Xia Yu, Jiang Kekai returned to her room, determined to follow through on her promises.
Without any hesitation, she dialed her father’s number. With something this significant to help the Lin family, she needed to tap into her father’s influence; her small power couldn’t handle it alone.
Fortunately, Jiang Bin hadn’t boarded his flight yet, so he was still reachable. As soon as he answered, he put aside his work. “What is it, Xiao Ning?”
“Dad… I need to discuss something with you.”
“What is it?”
“The Lin family is being pressured by people from the capital because of Xia Yu, and since they helped her, I owe them a favor. I want to help them pay it back.”
“Daughter, that favor needs to be a substantial one.” Jiang Bin took her seriously rather than dismissing her as a naive kid. “You really need to think this through.”
“Yep, it’s better to repay it sooner rather than later, and they’ve certainly learned some valuable lessons.”
Hearing his daughter’s determination, Jiang Bin became serious too. “Actually, this isn’t just simple; it’s a bit complicated since your grandfather and uncle are involved.”
“Hanhang has already guessed; why are they doing this?”
“How would I know? The old man always said he wouldn’t get involved, but here he is pulling strings again. I suspect your uncle wants to swallow the Lin family and make it part of his empire so he can compete with me.”
“So Grandpa won’t let him take charge of the Jiang family, so he wants to take it by force?”
“Seems that way.” Jiang Bin sighed, “Your uncle’s ambition is too big. If only he could share half that laziness of Hanhang, he wouldn’t be so reckless.”
Jiang Kekai: … Whatever happens with him and Grandpa, I just need to negotiate with the capital’s people. If anyone gives me trouble, let me know, and I won’t mind taking them out over the next few years.”
That confidence from his daughter made Jiang Bin feel like parenting was tough. “Though your husband’s on the pricier side, don’t forget not to overwork yourself!”
“Scram~”
As soon as her father started getting inappropriate, Jiang Kekai hung up, thinking she’d said her piece.
Meanwhile, Jiang Bin, who had been chatting with his daughter with a smile, now wore a serious expression. He dialed another number. “Change my flight; I’m not going back to Demon City. I’m heading to the capital to deal with some matters. Also, gather detailed reports on the Lin family’s recent situation.”
Indeed, handling this personally would be the stable approach, adding pressure to the situation. He had no doubt about his daughter’s words—she had always been impressive from a young age; it was a pity she wasn’t a boy.
While Jiang Kekai was making her calls, Zhang Yunzhi was all ears, saying, “Xiao Ning got herself into quite a situation for Xia Yu. I wonder if Xia Yu is her lucky star or her curse?”
“Every generation has its blessings; at least since Xia Yu came along, Xiao Ning has been more settled this year, and there haven’t been any kidnapping incidents. That’s enough for now.”
“True.” Zhang Yunzhi chuckled helplessly, “I just wonder if I’ll get to hug their kids one day.”
Jiang Bin facepalmed: “What are you thinking? Xia Yu is only eleven!”
“Why not think ahead? With Xiao Ning around, Xia Yu probably won’t have to do much. I think they should get married soon.” Jiang Bin: “… Take your time.”
Originally, Jiang Bin’s plane was set for a trip back to Demon City, but he changed plans to head to the capital instead. Thus, Jiang Dong was forced to follow his father, who had also planned for him to meet some important figures.
Since Jiang Bin personally ordered it, the recent reports on the Lin family were delivered to him before he boarded. They highlighted who in the capital was pressuring which Lin family industries — a comprehensive plan for when Jiang Bin arrived at the capital.
At the Jiang Family’s main house in Demon City,
“Got it.”
Jiang Tao ended the call with a dark expression, realizing his older brother was stubbornly going against him again, and worse, now he was opposing their father too.
Unlike Jiang Kekai, Jiang Bin didn’t have his own small power but instead relied on the Jiang family’s influence. So, as long as Jiang Tao offered some benefits, he could easily sway things, like now.
Jiang Tao sought out his father, Jiang Heng, who was sitting with other older gentlemen, playing chess by the fire. “Dad, I need to talk to you about something.”
“Go ahead.”
Jiang Heng was indifferent, with his eldest son and granddaughter ignoring him; what did he care?
With that, Jiang Tao mischievously smiled in front of all the old men. “Dad is heading to the capital to stop our plans against the Lin family. Apparently, it’s for Xiao Ning, and she’s doing it for that Xia Yu kid.”
“Again with Xia Yu?”
Hearing that name made Jiang Heng grip his chess piece tightly, so hard his veins bulged—it was clear he was furious.
Just then, one of his old friends chimed in, “Heng, aren’t you retired? Why bother with all this? Don’t you get tired?”
“What can I do? For the past year, Xiao Ning has been blinded by that Xia Yu kid, and Xiao Bin respects her choices so much that I’m afraid if I don’t act, they’ll ruin this family.”
“It can’t be that serious, can it? He’s just a kid! Besides, Xiao Ning finding someone she likes should make her happy. No wonder we haven’t heard any kidnapping news this year.” Another elder chuckled.
Jiang Heng: … You guys make it sound so easy. I had plans to deal with the Lin family next door; I just needed to wait for the results. And now? Listen, my reckless granddaughter and eldest son are trying to stop me for that kid, who’s a waste!”
“Really?”
An elder looked at Jiang Tao, who was back with news.
“Absolutely! My big brother has already set off, and it won’t be long before he hits the capital.”
At that moment, both Jiang Heng and Jiang Tao’s phones rang simultaneously. Checking the contacts, they were from the capital… “Jiang Lao Ye, Jiang Bin has invited us to a dinner at the Huang Tian Hotel. Seems he wants to discuss stopping our actions against the Lin family.”
“Jiang Tao, your brother has invited a lot of us to dinner and wants to stop our attack on the Lin family. Ask your father to decide quickly.”
Great, these two phone calls only added fuel to Jiang Heng’s fire. He angrily tossed his phone to the ground. “I’m still alive! Call the airport; I’m going to…”
Before he could finish, it seemed he suffered some major shock, as he trembled and collapsed to the ground with a dazed expression. “Dad!”
“Heng!” “Call a doctor!”
In an instant, chaos erupted.
Luckily, the Jiang family was wealthy, equipped with everything—an in-house doctor was on standby. Soon, the doctor arrived with the necessary gear.
Anyone the Jiang family could afford wasn’t a nobody. The doctor quickly diagnosed Jiang Heng with a heart attack. “Coronary heart disease? I have never heard of the old man having this, but we should get him to the hospital now.”
Just like that, Jiang Heng didn’t have a chance to give any last words before being rushed off to the hospital. Jiang Tao stared in shock at his father being taken away—without him, could he really stop his big brother?
After thinking for a while, he finally gritted his teeth and dialed a number. “Book me a flight to the capital. I’ll head over there as soon as I get out of the hospital.”
Yes, while stopping his big brother was crucial, Jiang Tao felt that his father was even more important.
If his father woke up and said a few words against backing down, that would mean more than anything to the capital people. After all… his old man wasn’t dead yet.
