Chapter 161: A Show of Force

It was still the same villa where they had been imprisoned before, but this time, Gao Ran and Qin Lin stood outside.

The steps were paved with white stone, said to be crafted from expensive materials, each piece worth thousands.

Standing on the steps, Qin Lin felt a heaviness in his heart.

“Ranran, are you really going to do this?”

“Dad, didn’t you want me to take this path from the start?”

Gao Ran turned to look at the father she respected most, smiling as she said, “I’m walking the path you once wished for me. Aren’t you happy?”

“I am, but it feels a little too fast. I’m not quite used to it yet.”

“That’s okay, you’ll get used to it in time.”

With that, Gao Ran stepped forward and pushed open the door.

Inside, the scene was still grim and somber. On the sofa, on the floor, on the stairs, a line of people sat.

Her mother, the elder and younger mistresses, her sister, brothers, and younger siblings... As an illegitimate daughter, their status had always been above Gao Ran’s.

She was self-aware and rarely met with them, avoiding them whenever possible.

Now, she had returned, walking ahead of everyone else.

“Old Qin, I knew you wouldn’t give up on us.”

Qin Lin’s legal wife, Ming Mengjia, covered her mouth, quietly weeping.

She wanted to come forward to plead for comfort but was stopped by Qin Lin’s cold gaze that froze her in place.

“Dad, please take us out. I’m going crazy in here.”

“Dad, I know we were wrong. Please take us away, and we won’t make you angry again.”

“Husband...”

Pleading voices came from all directions, like knives piercing Qin Lin’s heart, reminding him of past scenes.

“Oh, a family reunion, huh?”

Long Anlei entered with his entourage, saying, “Congratulations, everyone. You’re free now. Be grateful—not to heaven, but to having a good daughter, a good sister, and a good younger sister.”

After speaking, the door was thrown open, and Long Anlei and his men stepped aside.

Ming Mengjia and the other mistresses looked at Gao Ran in surprise.

“Old Qin, what’s going on here?”

“We’ll talk later; this isn’t the place.”

“No, you must explain everything to me today, or I won’t leave.”

Qin Lin looked at the woman speaking, a flicker of sarcasm in his eyes—both mocking her and himself for choosing such a foolish woman.

They had just escaped captivity; why linger here to ask pointless questions and throw tantrums?

“You all should leave. I need this room to entertain other guests.”

“If you don’t want to leave, that’s fine—I’ll just lock the door.”

With that, Long Anlei pulled out a key.

Terrified, the others hurriedly stood and rushed out.

Half an hour later, Qin Lin’s entire family had moved to a hotel in the heart of Port City.

In the presidential suite, Ming Mengjia sat on the sofa, crossing her legs, her sharp eyes glaring fiercely at Gao Ran across from her.

“Quite a tactic, transferring all Old Qin’s assets at once, leaving not a penny behind.”

“Well, you all did the same to secure your own survival. You just failed.”

“You little bitch, did I give you permission to speak?”

Ming Mengjia rose and slapped Gao Ran.

Gao Ran endured it, lifted her head, and looked at the woman before her. “Consider this repayment for all those years you didn’t even greet me.”

This was not their first meeting. When Gao Ran had just turned five, Ming Mengjia had been to West Salt City with a few men, intending to drive Gao Ran and her mother away to keep them from sharing Qin Lin’s fortune—but they had been stopped.

They had met a few times since, but never interacted.

She remembered clearly that every time before, Gao Ran’s gaze had held a trace of fear.

Now, that fear was gone, replaced only by calm.

“Still talking back? I—”

Ming Mengjia raised her hand, but Gao Ran interrupted, “I suggest you think twice before making a move. Right now, all the money is in my hands.”

“If you want to access funds, you’ll have to go through me.”

“If you cross me, there will be consequences.”

“Do you think I’m afraid of you?” Ming Mengjia sneered. “Old Qin’s money isn’t that easy to get. Am I right, Old Qin?”

“Old Qin, speak up.”

These people had all betrayed him; when deciding to strike back, Qin Lin had considered abandoning them all, even though his own son was among them.

He was that ruthless.

In the end, it was only after Gao Ran’s persuasion that he returned. But speaking up for them now? Impossible.

“Let her finish. It might do you some good,” Qin Lin said slowly.

Ming Mengjia’s expression stiffened. Half a minute later, she returned to her seat, completely lacking her previous arrogance.

Gao Ran spoke slowly, “First, I have no goodwill toward any of you.”

“Rescuing you was just a matter of convenience. Everyone makes mistakes; I’m giving you a chance to start anew.”

“I’ll be setting up a company. If you want to work there, go ahead—earn money based on your abilities, provided you’re competent.”

“If you’d rather stay home as a wealthy lady, fine. I’ll provide living expenses, but only if you remain loyal to my father.”

“If you violate either of these conditions, I will cut off your financial support, and my father will completely abandon you.”

“Most importantly, show me respect—I’m the one giving you the money.”

Gao Ran stood and looked each person in the eye. “If you’re unhappy with this, feel free to cause trouble. Let’s see who can outlast whom.”

Everyone lowered their heads, no one daring to meet her gaze.

After a long moment, Gao Ran sighed, “I thought you might act impulsively. What a pity. Come in.”

As she finished speaking, a team of ten bodyguards rushed in, standing behind Gao Ran.

Seeing the batons in their hands, the others’ hearts pounded wildly.

What a ruthless woman—she had dug the trap in advance, waiting for them to fall in.

Fortunately, they all yielded to the power of money; otherwise, they might have been beaten.

“Take them to work at the company. As long as their demands aren’t excessive, it’s fine.”

“Yes, boss.”

Soon the room was left with only Gao Ran and Qin Lin.

“Ranran, I...”

“Dad, you want to ask why I rescued them, don’t you?”

Qin Lin nodded.

Gao Ran was very much like him—that was one of the reasons Qin Lin valued her.

After this incident, Gao Ran’s personality even surpassed Qin Lin’s in some ways, such as her ruthlessness.

No one expected such a fragile-looking girl to transform her position within a single day, from passive to active.

Gao Ran gazed out the window, speaking softly, “Because I really like the feeling of home.”

Even if she disliked these people, they were still connected to Qin Lin, connected to her.

Until she found a perfect place to belong, she could only seek the feeling of home from these detestable people.