“Nobody move!”
A sharp shout suddenly rang out at the entrance of the street.
Immediately after, several figures in police uniforms rushed in urgently. Behind them followed a man and a woman—exactly Lin Dong and Jiang Lu.
The couple had been terrified after receiving Lin Feng’s distress call, so they panicked, called the police, and followed the police car all the way here.
But when they reached the street corner and took in the scene before them, they froze.
What was that?
That vast, pitch-black mass—were those people?
All people!
The entire long street was packed densely with men in black.
Stretching as far as the eye could see, there was no end in sight.
Before Lin Dong and the others could even snap out of the suffocating pressure of that exaggerated sight, an even more surreal scene unfolded.
After the leading officer clearly recognized the dragon-shaped badges on the chests of those men in black, he let out a long sigh of relief and casually holstered his gun.
“Oh, it’s the Wanlong Association having a gathering. That’s fine, no problem.”
The several police officers behind him also nodded one after another, their expressions instantly relaxing.
“If it’s Wanlong Association’s turf? Then there’s definitely no issue.”
“With them around, criminals can’t get away.”
“Come on, come on, let’s head back.”
“Pack it up, pack it up.”
With that, the few of them turned around and were about to leave.
Lin Dong: “???”
He grabbed one of the police officers. “Comrade... comrade, aren’t you going in to take a look? My son might be inside! He’s being chased by someone trying to kill him!”
The officer turned back, patted Lin Dong on the shoulder, and comforted him.
“Mr. Lin, don’t worry. In Bright Pearl City, as long as you’re on Wanlong Association turf, no one can harm your son. If any reckless criminal really did crash in there, they’ve probably already been ‘cleaned up’ and sent to the station by now.”
“Here’s the plan: we’ll head back first. If you still haven’t found your son, give us a call, alright?”
Having said that, the officers really did just swagger off like that.
They left.
Just like that...
Lin Dong stood there dumbfounded, watching those officers get into their car and drive away, completely lost.
What the hell was going on?
Police see a mob of black-clad gangsters, and instead of arresting them, they leave at ease?
And they even say, “With them around, criminals can’t get away”?
Wasn’t this way too surreal?
If cops in the capital saw thousands of men in black gathered together, they’d probably call in the anti-terrorism unit.
But here? They just casually packed up and left?
Jiang Lu had sharp eyes. The first thing she spotted was Lin Feng kneeling among the crowd, and she immediately rushed toward him.
“Xiaofeng...”
The men in black on both sides glanced at her but didn’t stop her.
Lin Dong quickly followed.
The couple passed through the crowd, step by step, making their way deeper into the street.
The further they went, the stronger the invisible pressure became. It felt like walking into a massive black hole, surrounded by terror—incredibly frightening!
Finally, they reached the spot where Lin Feng was kneeling.
Lin Feng’s knees were probably numb by now, but he still kept his back straight, staring intently ahead.
About a dozen meters in front of him, the girl in black stood silently, her cold, stunning face expressionless.
When Jiang Lu followed Lin Feng’s gaze and saw her, it was as if she’d been struck by lightning. She instantly froze in place.
That was the daughter she had thought of day and night for nearly twenty years.
Lin Dong helped his kneeling son to his feet and stood beside his wife.
After helping his son up, Lin Dong stood next to his wife, his eyes darting between Liu Yutong and the dense crowd of men in black behind her, unable to stop himself from muttering.
“Hey... Lulu, is it too late to say I don’t want to claim the family ties now?”
Jiang Lu: “...”
Lin Feng: “...”
Lin Dong quickly waved his hands. “Kidding! Just kidding! Don’t take it seriously!”
Then he wiped the non-existent cold sweat from his forehead, silently screaming inside.
What kind of nightmare scene was this?
The biggest spectacle he’d ever seen in his life was a company annual meeting with a few hundred people—he’d never witnessed anything like this ‘gangster pilgrimage’ of thousands!
It seemed he had seriously underestimated just how “dark” this “daughter” of theirs was.
He was genuinely afraid that after reclaiming this daughter, one day the authorities would launch a crackdown on organized crime and sweep the entire Lin family clean.
Just as Lin Dong’s thoughts were spiraling, Liu Yutong moved. She walked toward them, all the way up to Lin Feng, and looked at this young man who had shown some backbone.
“I heard everything you said.”
Though Lin Feng was scared to death inside, seeing Jiang Lu still crying, he gritted his teeth and spoke again. “Please give Aunt Jiang a chance!”
Liu Yutong was silent for a few seconds.
Then she turned her head and looked at Jiang Lu.
Mother and daughter’s eyes met in the air.
Jiang Lu’s tears flowed even harder. Her lips trembled, and she wanted to say something but couldn’t get the words out.
After looking at her for a few seconds, Liu Yutong turned back to Lin Feng.
“Too bad you seem to have gotten one thing wrong.”
Lin Feng was startled. “What?”
Liu Yutong: “Your Aunt Jiang’s hardships are her business. How I’ve lived all these years is my business. There’s no direct cause and effect between the two.”
“Just because she suffered doesn’t mean I have to forgive her. Just because she regrets doesn’t mean I have to accept her. In this world, not every ‘I’m sorry’ is met with an ‘it’s okay.’”
Lin Feng grew anxious. “But... she’s your mother! She really didn’t mean it!”
“Xiaofeng, stop it.”
Jiang Lu suddenly spoke up, cutting Lin Feng off, shaking her head at him.
“Tongtong is right.”
Lin Feng was frantic. “Aunt Jiang...”
Jiang Lu took the initiative to step forward, standing face to face with Liu Yutong.
The two stood there, mother and daughter, one drenched in tears, the other cold as frost.
After a moment, Jiang Lu spoke first.
“Tongtong, I’m not asking for your forgiveness.”
“I truly don’t expect it.”
“I’m standing here today because I wanted to say this to you in person—I’m sorry!”
“Not so you’ll forgive me, but because I owe you this.”
“For nearly twenty years now, every single night, I’ve dreamed of you. I dream of you as a little girl. I dream of you being bullied. I dream of you wanting your mom and no one being there for you. Every time I wake up, I want to slap myself over and over.”
“I know, saying all this might make you think I’m playing the victim, trying to win sympathy, but I’m really not... I just... I just wanted you to know that all these years, I’ve never once let you go in my heart.”
“When you were doing well, I was happy for you. When you were hurting, it hurt me more than anyone.”
“But I know—I don’t have the right to feel hurt for you. Because the suffering you went through wasn’t supposed to be yours to bear alone.”
“I’m the one who couldn’t carry it. I’m the one who ran away first.”
By this point, Jiang Lu was sobbing uncontrollably.
She raised her hand, clumsily wiped her tears, and struggled to calm herself down.
“I didn’t come today to claim our family bond, or to disrupt the life you have now.”
“I just wanted you to know that Mom... no... I... I have never forgotten you.”
“Even if you never recognize me for the rest of your life, even if you have your people throw me out right now—I’ll accept it.”
"As long as you're okay, that's enough... truly enough."
After saying these words, she turned around, ready to leave.
Being able to say these things to her daughter had already filled her heart with satisfaction.
Just as Jiang Lu turned, Liu Yutong felt someone gently tug at her from behind.
It was her sister, Gao Min.
Liu Yutong didn't look back, but she already understood Gao Min's meaning.
After two seconds of silence,
she spoke.
"Wait!"
Jiang Lu's footsteps suddenly halted. Trembling, she turned around, a glimmer of hope in her eyes as she looked at Liu Yutong.
Could it be that her daughter had forgiven her?
But Liu Yutong’s next words dashed her hopes again.
"Tomorrow at nine in the morning, Shunchang Tower, my office."
"And don’t misunderstand."
"I just want to have a word with the head of the Lin family standing beside you."
