Jiang Lu's family stood in front of the notice board for a long time before finally coming to terms with the fact that their daughter Tongtong had become a major power in her own right.
Logically, they should have been happy about Tongtong's achievements, but at that moment, they couldn't muster an ounce of joy.
The reason was simple.
If their daughter Tongtong were just an ordinary girl, they could at least use money, resources, and everything they had to make up for the past, to dote on her, and slowly win back her heart.
There would always be a way, always an opening.
But now, they had to face an exceptionally accomplished daughter, the founder of a business empire. What could they possibly offer to make amends?
Wealth? Power?
Wealth was out of the question. If she was truly worth tens of billions, she could probably buy out the Lin family with ease.
As for power, the Lin family's influence had already waned significantly. Perhaps Tongtong held even more sway in Bright Pearl City than they did.
And trying to appeal to her through blood ties and emotions? That seemed even more laughable.
Missing the most critical twenty years of someone's life, then trying to rely on a thin connection of blood to make such an independent and formidable person accept them—it would feel more like an insult than anything else.
At the end of the day, they didn't even have the right to offer compensation anymore.
The more they thought about it, the more desperate they became—especially Jiang Lu.
Even Lin Dong didn't know how to comfort his wife. He could only sigh and say, "This girl is no ordinary one."
Deep down, he also felt a pang of regret. Back when he first learned that his wife had a daughter, he should have been more resolute and decisive, bringing the girl directly into the Lin household instead of backing down at the first sign of resistance.
Now, none of the younger generation of the Lin family amounted to much. If he had brought this stepdaughter home earlier, how dazzling the next generation of the Lin family could have been. Just based on her resume, even if she were placed in a government position, her achievements would have been nothing short of remarkable. Perhaps the Lin family could have risen again because of her.
But what was missed was missed.
Lin Feng had also calmed down from the initial shock. He smacked his lips and said, "Dad, Aunt Jiang, it seems like acknowledging this sister of ours is going to be no easy task."
Even as a young master from the capital, he had to admit that this sister of his was far too outstanding.
So outstanding that, looking across all the prestigious families in the capital, very few heirs could match her.
But precisely because she was so exceptional, reunion was all the more difficult.
Jiang Lu stared at her daughter's photo in the picture, feeling utterly powerless.
Yes, her daughter now lacked for nothing.
What could she, as a mother appearing only now, possibly bring to her daughter?
Joy? Her daughter probably didn't need it.
But she still didn't want to give up.
"Lin Dong, I still want to see Tongtong. Even if she doesn't want anything from me, even if she hates me, I have to tell her in person that Mom is back, that Mom was wrong. Even if she tells me to disappear forever after she hears it, I'll accept it."
Lin Dong let out a heavy sigh. "Then let's go see her. But Lu, we need to prepare for the worst."
Carrying this bleak feeling, they left the university and, based on the address given by the students, found the temporary headquarters of the Wanlonghui Group—Shunchang Tower.
"Shunchang..."
Lin Dong looked up at the golden, glittering sign that read "Shunchang," then at the men in black entering and exiting through the main entrance. He couldn't help but mutter under his breath.
"Shunchang, those who obey me shall prosper. It seems this stepdaughter of mine isn't just a business prodigy—she's got a streak of... well, a very unique kind of fierceness."
This only reinforced their belief that communicating with her would be as difficult as scaling the heavens.
Lin Feng couldn't help but click his tongue. "Dad, Aunt Jiang, look at the name. 'Shunchang,' and 'Wanlonghui' too. Now I kind of believe what those students last night said about Tongtong having connections everywhere. This sister of ours—she seems to walk a rather wild path."
The name Wanlonghui sounded very much like an underworld organization, and "Shunchang" made that domineering attitude abundantly clear.
Jiang Lu was visibly nervous. "Let's go. We have to face this sooner or later."
As expected, they were stopped at the front desk on the first floor.
"Sorry, sirs and madam, without an appointment, we cannot let you through."
"What do we need to do to see your boss?"
"To see our chairman, you must make an appointment in advance and obtain approval from either Assistant Su, or one of our CEOs, President Yun, President Ma, or President Yu."
"We... we're not here on business."
"I am your chairman's mother. We came from the capital. We just want to see her, to exchange a few words." Jiang Lu pleaded with the receptionist in an almost begging tone.
The receptionist's eyes flickered with a hint of suspicion. The chairman's mother? Was that some kind of joke?
If she really were the chairman's mother, wouldn't the chairman see them?
But despite her doubts, her professionalism kept her outwardly polite. "Madam, please understand. Many people come every day trying to see our chairman for all sorts of reasons. If you truly are a family member of the chairman, you can contact her directly or reach out to Assistant Su. Without an appointment, we must adhere to protocol here."
Lin Dong knew arguing with the receptionist was futile. He pulled out his business card and handed it over. "I am Lin Dong from the Lin Group in the capital. This is my wife. We do have very urgent personal matters. Could you please inform Assistant Su? Tell her we met your chairman last night at Yu Yue Fang."
The receptionist took the card, gave it a slightly more serious look upon seeing the mention of the Lin Group, but still shook her head. "Mr. Lin, I'm sorry. Without an appointment, I truly cannot relay this. It's the rule."
She then handed the card back. "If you really have urgent business, you can try reaching Assistant Su through her public email or send a formal letter via our business cooperation channels."
Rebuffed politely, the three of them retreated to the rest area outside the building.
"What do we do now?"
Lin Feng sounded irritated. "We can't even get through the door. This company of our sister's has way too strict of a policy."
Lin Dong understood why. "That's to be expected. If Tongtong doesn't want to see us, the people underneath will naturally block us at every turn. She already made her stance clear last night."
"Lu, it seems Tongtong is more resolute than we imagined."
Jiang Lu bit her lip, tears welling up in her eyes. "I wronged her. She has every right to hate me. But don't I even get a chance to explain? Even if she wants to curse me, hit me—I'd take it. Why won't she just see me?"
"Auntie, don't be like that. Let's think of another way."
After offering some words of comfort, Lin Feng turned to his father. "Dad, do you have any connections here in Bright Pearl City? Can we get someone to put in a word for us?"
Lin Dong shook his head. "If it weren't for your mother, I might never have even heard the name Bright Pearl City. But even if I had connections, it wouldn't matter. This is Tongtong's territory."
Just moments ago, after learning at the university about his stepdaughter's identity, he had immediately contacted his assistant to look into the Wanlonghui Group—a company he had previously thought would never intersect with his own.
Though time was limited, the information the assistant managed to gather had startled him.
The Wanlonghui Group's rise to power was anything but clean; instead, it reeked of darkness.
Rumors said that in the past few years, several major gangs that had entrenched themselves in Pearl City for years had fallen one after another, with the Dragon Alliance's shadow behind it all. It was also said that the Dragon Alliance was extremely brutal in dealing with its enemies... In short, the waters were deep, the background was deep, and within Pearl City, the Dragon Alliance Group was practically an unchallenged force.
In such a situation, finding anyone would probably be useless.
After hearing these rumors, he even considered giving up on reclaiming their long-lost relative altogether.
The Lin family, after all, had a clean record. If this stepdaughter was so "shady," would bringing her back drag the Lins down the same path?
Of course, these were just rumors, impossible to verify, but scary enough.
"Th-then we just give up like this?" Jiang Lu's heart sank halfway.
Lin Dong, seeing his wife's dejected expression, couldn't bear it and comforted her: "Regardless, she is our daughter. What we must face, we must face. Since she won't see us now, we'll come a few more times, let her see our sincerity, and she'll eventually agree to meet."
"Alright," Jiang Lu said, having no better ideas.
Over the next two days, they arrived at Shun Chang Mansion almost morning, noon, and night, but without exception, they were turned away for "no appointment" or "appointment not approved."
Let alone seeing her, they couldn't even get through the front door.
What they didn't know was that Liu Yutong wasn't in Pearl City at all—she had already gone to the provincial capital. Perhaps she wanted to get it out of sight, out of mind. Additionally, there was the good news from President Qiu of Dragon Core that the production line was built and chip trial production had begun. So Liu Yutong had personally gone to the Dragon Core factory to oversee operations.
On the afternoon of the third day, after being politely asked to leave the building again by the receptionist, Lin Dong looked at his haggard wife Jiang Lu and let out a deep sigh.
"Lu Lu, we have to go back to the imperial capital tomorrow."
"Why? Give me a few more days, I'm sure I can meet our daughter." Jiang Lu grew anxious.
Lin Dong said: "It's not that we can't afford the time; it's that Granny Jiang's eightieth birthday banquet invitations arrived long ago. Although the Lin family is no longer what it once was, we must attend on such an occasion. This isn't just about etiquette—it also concerns the future of Lin Feng and the younger generation. The Jiang family's roots are deep; even if we only maintain a sliver of their goodwill, it's a huge benefit to the Lins. Besides, I've heard that many big names will attend this banquet; it's an opportunity."
"And most importantly, my sister-in-law and my niece are coming back to the Lin family. You know what that means, don't you?"
Lin Feng's eyes widened: "Dad, my cousin..."
Lin Dong said meaningfully: "You understand in your heart."
Since his elder brother passed away, his sister-in-law and niece had never set foot in the Lin family home. Their sudden decision to visit couldn't be as simple as it seemed.
Lin Feng nodded and turned to his stepmother: "Aunt Jiang, let's take our time with recognizing my sister. Let's return to the imperial capital first to handle the matters we need to attend to. When we come next time, maybe things will turn around."
Jiang Lu fell silent.
She knew her husband was right. When it came to family and her son's future, she couldn't be willful.
But the thought of leaving again, possibly never seeing her daughter again, felt like her heart was being torn open.
"I... I understand."
"Tomorrow, I'll try one last time. If Tong Tong still won't see me, then we'll go back first."
Lin Dong replied: "Alright, I'll accompany you tomorrow. If we still can't see her... Lu Lu, we need to prepare ourselves mentally. Maybe she just needs more time to accept the fact that you've appeared in her world. A little breathing room is good for everyone."
Though unwilling, Jiang Lu could only nod: "Mm."
...
Provincial capital city, Lu City. Dragon Core Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
In the brand-new cleanroom, engineers dressed in white dust-proof suits were nervously conducting final equipment adjustments. Giant lithography machines, etching equipment, ion implanters... these precision instruments, costing hundreds of millions of dollars, now stood quietly in a temperature and humidity-controlled environment, awaiting the first trial production order.
Liu Yutong stood quietly, looking through the observation window at the scene inside the workshop.
"Chairman, all equipment self-checks are complete, parameter calibration is done, we can proceed with the first trial run," came President Qiu's voice over the intercom, carrying an excitement hard to conceal.
Though technologically two to three generations behind international mainstream production, this 90nm process line was Dragon Core's first truly independent, controllable chip manufacturing line.
Its significance far outweighed commercial value—if the trial succeeded, it would mean Dragon Core had taken its first solid step forward.
"Begin."
"Understood! Start lithography machine one, load test pattern!"
At the command, indicator lights in the workshop lit up in sequence, and the machinery hummed with a low operating sound. On the monitoring screen, extremely tiny circuit patterns began to appear on the silicon wafer—the most basic building blocks of a chip.
Time ticked by minute by minute.
All engineers held their breath, staring at the monitoring data in front of them.
Half an hour later.
"Pattern transfer complete, accuracy within specs!"
"Etching process complete, slight line width errors, but within allowed range!"
"Ion implantation complete..."
"..."
A series of reports came through the intercom, and Liu Yutong felt her heartbeat quicken.
She was no longer the clueless newbie about chip manufacturing she once was; she could roughly understand what they were saying.
When the green light for the final process lit up, the entire control room erupted in cheers.
"We did it! First trial run successful!"
"Initial yield rate estimate exceeds 70%! Surpassing expectations!"
"We made it! We really made it!"
President Qiu took off his dust cap, his eyes already red-rimmed.
This veteran, who had struggled in the semiconductor industry for decades, had been longing for Dragon Core to take its first step more than anyone else.
Through the intercom, he said to Liu Yutong: "Chairman, we have successfully trial-produced our own chip production line."
Though the yield rate was low, though the process was still behind, the first step had finally been taken smoothly.
Qiu Ciyun, this expert in building factories, had lived up to his reputation.
"Thank you all for the hard work! I may not understand the details as an outsider, but I still want to congratulate everyone!"
" The cafeteria has prepared a celebration banquet—please make sure to eat and drink well!"
"Thank you, Chairman!"
A wave of cheers came through the intercom, the atmosphere heated and jubilant.
With the successful trial production, it was nearly evening. This historic first step certainly deserved a grand celebration.
Engineers and factory staff gradually left their posts for the changing room, preparing to attend the banquet in the cafeteria.
Liu Yutong had just changed her clothes and stepped out of the changing room when her phone buzzed.
It was Ma Da calling.
"Miss, the family of three from the imperial capital came again today and waited all morning at the Shun Chang Mansion reception desk. They still want to see you. I turned them down according to your instructions, saying they didn't have an appointment."
"They still haven't left?"
"No, I've heard that Ms. Jiang has been coming almost every day, and today is already the third day."
"Miss, should I arrange for someone to ask them to leave Pearl City?"
"No need! If they want to wait, let them wait. Once they lose patience, they'll leave on their own."
"I understand!"
After Liu Yutong hung up the phone, she gazed out the window at the flags fluttering in the Longxin factory compound, her expression complicated.
She wasn't refusing to meet them out of hatred.
It was because she didn't know how to face them.
The "sister" on the plane who had made her feel a sense of warmth, the gentle and knowledgeable woman she had chatted so harmoniously with—turned out to be her biological mother.
Fate really could be cruel with its jokes sometimes.
"Boss!"
Su Mansu's voice interrupted her thoughts, reporting the situation outside the factory: "There are many journalists outside, along with some local officials. They say they want to interview and inspect the test production of Longxin. Would you like to go and see them in person?"
Liu Yutong frowned at the news, a flicker of impatience flashing in her eyes.
The Longxin factory was at a critical moment. The engineers were fully focused on preparing for the test production. The sudden arrival of these journalists and local officials would not only be unhelpful but would only waste time.
And she had long made it clear that she didn't want anyone disturbing the work rhythm of people like CEO Qiu, so they could concentrate on their tasks.
"Send them all away!"
"But..."
"No buts. I already spoke with Uncle Li earlier—all unnecessary inspection procedures are to be declined."
"Yes!"
As Su Mansu was about to turn around, she received another message and reported again: "Boss, CEO Zeng has also arrived. He's now at the main gate of the factory, being stopped by the security guards. He says he brought a guest with him."
Liu Yutong was about to say "send him away too," but before she could speak, she realized who it was.
"Are you talking about Zeng Jin? He came to the mainland?"
Su Mansu nodded: "Yes, it's him."
"Let's go—quickly!"
Without a second word, Liu Yutong turned and strode toward the main entrance.
Watching Liu Yutong's eager demeanor, Su Mansu suddenly thought of a historical figure from the Three Kingdoms period.
Indeed, a boss truly intent on doing great things is always this hungry for talent.
