Lin Dong was caught off guard by her words, the words on the tip of his tongue forcibly stuck in his throat.
This stepdaughter really left no room for negotiation!
But after all, he was an old fox who had weathered storms in the capital for years. Once the initial frustration passed, he gradually sensed something was off.
“Miss Liu, who exactly are you trying to lift up? It can’t be yourself, can it?” He suddenly asked a key question.
As soon as he said that, the office fell silent for a moment.
Jiang Lu was stunned.
Just moments ago, her mind had been entirely consumed by the excitement and anxiety of reuniting with her daughter, and she hadn’t thought about it deeply.
Now, hearing her husband’s question, she suddenly realized something.
Yes, Tongtong herself was already the head of the Wanlong Society, commanding thousands of people and controlling tens of billions in assets. How could she possibly give all that up to enter the civil service?
Lin Feng was also stunned. He scratched his head, looking confused.
If it wasn’t Liu Yutong, then who could it be?
Who else was qualified?
Liu Yutong looked at Lin Dong, a hint of amusement in her eyes.
As expected of the head of the Lin family—even though the family had declined, he still had his wits about him.
“Mr. Lin, go on.”
Lin Dong took a deep breath, his mind racing as he recalled every detail since arriving at Shunzheng Tower.
From the very beginning, Tongtong had asked Jiang Lu if she had ever looked for her eldest daughter. This proved she not only knew of her elder sister’s existence but might even know where she was.
Then she had made that extremely forceful demand—for the entire Lin family to dedicate all its resources to lifting up someone outside the family.
At the time, he had instinctively assumed that this outsider was Liu Yutong herself, that she wanted to use the Lin family as a springboard into the capital, even into the political system.
But now that he thought about it carefully, it made no sense at all.
If she truly wanted to enter that circle in the capital, with the power and tactics she already wielded as the head of the Wanlong Society, she wouldn’t need the Lin family as a stepping stone. She could do it on her own.
Yet she had chosen this method of forcing him to take a stand, insisting on using the Lin family’s resources to lift someone up.
Why?
Because what she truly cared about wasn’t whether the Lin family was willing to lift her up.
What she cared about was whether the Lin family was willing to lift up… that person.
That person must be extremely important to her.
Lin Dong suddenly thought of the somewhat unusual assistant.
Earlier, when Liu Yutong had told her to leave, the assistant had clearly wanted to say something but was sent out without explanation.
Lin Dong hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but now, connecting these details, the truth was practically right in front of him.
That assistant was likely Liu Yutong’s sister, his wife Jiang Lu’s eldest daughter!
And what’s more, the eldest daughter was a police officer!
No wonder he had found her familiar from the start. Wasn’t she the girl in a police uniform from last night?
Once he had it all sorted out, Lin Dong suddenly stood up.
“The person you want us to lift up isn’t you—it’s Assistant Gao outside, isn’t it?”
Liu Yutong was silent for a few seconds. Then she smiled softly.
“Mr. Lin, you’re sharper than I expected.”
“Since you’ve figured it out, I won’t beat around the bush.”
“The one I want the Lin family to lift up is indeed not me.”
Lin Feng was completely lost.
Wait, what was going on here?
How had it suddenly become connected to an assistant?
He looked at his father, then at Liu Yutong, feeling as if his brain had completely short-circuited.
Jiang Lu was also stunned.
Because her mind had been entirely focused on how to make up for her shortcomings toward Liu Yutong, how to mend their mother-daughter relationship, she hadn’t looked at things from any other angle.
Hearing her husband and daughter’s conversation, she was utterly bewildered.
“Tongtong, what are you talking about?”
“If it’s not you, then who is it?”
“Or do you want me to do something? If there’s anything I can do, I’ll agree to it!”
She still thought Liu Yutong was using this to negotiate conditions with them, assuming it was some kind of test.
But Liu Yutong didn’t even glance at her. Her gaze was fixed on Lin Dong.
“Mr. Lin, I’ll ask you just one question. Can you accept this deal or not?”
Lin Dong took a deep breath, and asked in a heavy tone, “You have to at least let me know exactly who I’m supposed to be lifting. What’s her name? What’s her background? What’s her resume? What are her skills? Is she worth the Lin family betting everything on her?”
Liu Yutong nodded.
“That’s fair.”
“Her name is Gao Min, 23 years old, a local of Pearl City. She graduated from XXX Police Academy and is the daughter of a fallen hero.”
“After graduation, she served in Pearl City as a trainee officer, sergeant, and senior sergeant… Not long ago, she earned a personal second-class merit and was promoted ahead of schedule to first-level senior sergeant.”
“To date, she has handled dozens of cases with a 100% solve rate, arrested over a thousand suspects, and has had zero wrongful convictions, zero unjust cases, and zero complaints.”
“Her record is spotless and can stand up to any scrutiny…”
After briefly introducing the situation, Liu Yutong asked again.
“Mr. Lin, what do you think of this person?”
Lin Dong sucked in a breath of cold air.
Twenty-three years old, daughter of a fallen hero, first-level senior sergeant, 100% solve rate, personal second-class merit…
Holy moly!
This resume was so solid, so undeniably impressive!
Even compared with Lin Yi, his elder brother’s daughter, it was in no way inferior.
Lin Yi had only recently been promoted to C-level, while this girl, at such a young age, was already a first-level senior sergeant, just one step away from deputy C-level, and she’d earned her stripes at the grassroots level through real accomplishments.
And that 100% solve rate, zero wrongful convictions or complaints—what did that mean?
It meant this young woman was extremely capable, very outstanding, and no mere ornament.
If someone like that could truly join the Lin family, it would be…
Lin Dong’s heart beat a little faster.
Seeing that he remained silent for a long time, Liu Yutong grew impatient.
“Mr. Lin, I’ll give you one minute to think it over.”
“One minute from now, if you still can’t give me a clear answer, then today’s conversation is over!”
She had essentially issued an ultimatum, leaving no room for bargaining.
Lin Dong suddenly started laughing too.
He laughed with a kind of helplessness, a sense of relief, and… genuine admiration.
“I’ve met many people in my life—sharp ones, foolish ones, kind ones… but I’ve never met anyone like you, Tongtong.”
Liu Yutong looked at him, not saying a word, simply waiting for his answer.
Lin Dong took another deep breath, looked her squarely in the eye, and spoke solemnly.
“Alright, I agree.”
“The Lin family will dedicate the full force of the clan to lift her up.”
“We’ll use all our connections and resources to help open up the path for her advancement.”
“As long as she’s willing, the Lin family will be her backing.”
“No matter how far she goes, the Lin family will support her every step of the way.”
As soon as he made this decision, both Jiang Lu and Lin Feng were dumbfounded.
Lin Feng, in particular, as the most likely successor to his father and the next head of the Lin family, definitely had his own reservations.
If it weren’t for the fact that his stepsister was so domineering, with such an intimidating presence, he would have immediately objected. Why should the family’s resources be given to an outsider?
And, crucially, that outsider wasn’t even his stepsister in front of him.
Of course, he had originally thought it impossible for his father to agree to such harsh terms from the other side, but the result turned out to be a real shock.
It was even unacceptable.
Jiang Lu was stunned for a long time as well. She never expected her husband to actually agree.
Would the rest of the Lin family be willing to accept this?
None of those sisters-in-law were easy to deal with. Once news of this got out, they would surely turn the Lin household upside down.
Liu Yutong hadn't expected Lin Dong to be so straightforward either.
To be honest, she herself had thought the chances of him agreeing were very low, and she hadn't held out much hope.
But since this was the case...
"Mr. Lin, you've made a wise decision. I hope you won't regret it later."
Lin Dong gave a bitter smile.
"Honestly, I really didn't want to agree. But seeing what you did for someone else today made up my mind."
"You're a person with loyalty and heart. With a sister like you, yours can't be much different."
"Besides, you said it yourself—this is a transaction. The Lin family's sacrifice should come with some return, shouldn't it?"
A faint smile curled at the corner of Liu Yutong's lips as she called out toward the door.
"Come in, sister!"
