Lin Yi listened quietly to the accusations and complaints from the crowd, neither getting angry, interrupting, nor explaining.
She could fully understand why they were so agitated and confused.
But there was no way she could tell them the real truth.
If Old Madam Jiang’s birthday banquet were just an ordinary celebration, she definitely wouldn’t have stopped anyone from going.
But some time ago, she had obtained insider information, which she confirmed through her maternal grandfather’s side. This time, a heavyweight guest would be attending Old Madam Jiang’s birthday banquet.
A certain Madam was coming.
God knew how shocked she was when she heard this news. She even had trouble sleeping for several days because of it.
Later, she found out why that Madam would attend the banquet. It was because, in her youth, Old Madam Jiang had worked in the Madam’s household for a few years, caring for the Madam when she was young.
It was precisely out of consideration for this old connection that the Madam made an exception to personally offer birthday congratulations to Old Madam Jiang.
If the Madam were just making a brief appearance, giving a gift, and leaving, she might not have cared so much.
What truly concerned her was another piece of news: the position of the Madam’s personal secretary had been vacant for over a month.
Over a month.
She knew full well how many eyes were fixed on that position.
The Shen family was watching, the Jiang family was watching, the Zhou family was watching, the Zhu family... every notable family in the capital that had any standing wanted to squeeze their most outstanding young member into that role.
That was the Madam’s secretary.
Although it didn’t carry much real power, only handling some schedule and daily trivial matters, spending even two years by the Madam’s side would gild your résumé, allowing you to rise through the ranks far faster than others.
More importantly, you also gained the network and rapport with the Madam.
A true once-in-a-lifetime leap!
Lin Yi herself had been stuck at the C-level position for a year—not too long, not too short.
But she knew that to move up quickly from here, relying solely on the Shen family’s resources was no longer enough.
The Shen family was her backing, but also her ceiling.
Old Master Shen doted on her, but the Shen family still had its own direct descendants. The resources they could allocate to her were ultimately limited.
She needed a real catalyst for rapid advancement.
The Madam’s secretary was that catalyst.
But this opportunity wasn’t easy to seize.
In the current generation of the Jiang family, there were two people she had to be cautious about, even wary of.
One was Jiang Chao, the eldest son of the Jiang family’s head.
Twenty-eight years old, a young core member of a key central ministry, fluent in four languages, handsome, and articulate. He was the pillar of the Jiang family’s younger generation. Word had it that for this Madam’s banquet, the Jiang family planned to have him accompany the Madam throughout, serving as her guide.
The other was Jiang Lan, the daughter of the Jiang family’s third son.
Twenty-four years old, a graduate from a prestigious university, already a deputy C-level at a young age—half a step faster than Lin Yi back in the day. According to others’ evaluations, this young woman was meticulous and thorough, well-suited for a personal secretary role.
These two were Lin Yi’s strong competitors.
And they had an advantage that Lin Yi didn’t: they were members of the Jiang family.
The Madam’s visit this time was out of respect for Old Madam Jiang.
As hosts, Jiang Chao and Jiang Lan would naturally have more chances to appear before the Madam and showcase themselves.
And what about Lin Yi?
She could only attend as a member of the Lin family.
She was very clear about the Lin family’s situation these days.
Ever since the old master passed away, the Lin family had been declining day by day.
Her second uncle, Lin Liang, was unambitious, only keeping birds and sipping tea.
Her third uncle, Lin Dong, had the desire to revive the family legacy, but he was taking the business route.
As for the younger generation of the Lin family, none of them were presentable.
How could she possibly let these people attend the banquet?
Bringing them along would only lower the Madam’s overall impression of their Lin generation.
Sometimes, the performance of a single family member was enough to influence the perception of the entire family. Bringing along someone embarrassing could drag down everyone’s image.
She needed teammates who could help her hold the line, who could step up at critical moments, who could add points rather than subtract them.
Not these Lin family losers who only fought among themselves.
So she chose to first win over Liu Yutong because she knew the chip project Liu Yutong was working on was a huge bonus.
And what Liu Yutong had done in BS Province—though she stayed low-key and didn’t mention it—Lin Yi had to make sure that story came to light at the right time. Those were massive advantages too.
Gao Min was the same.
Gao Min’s résumé was perfectly suited to the Madam’s tastes. The Madam had also served in the military in the past, and she naturally had a soft spot for the descendants of fallen martyrs.
If the Lin family accepted her, it would also show that the Lin family had vision and magnanimity.
These two sisters had talent, skill, strength, and faces that no one could find fault with.
Where else could she find teammates this good?
Honestly, after learning that the Madam was coming, she had been worried about how to find strong support. But she never expected her third uncle to bring Gao Min and Liu Yutong to the capital.
It was a huge surprise.
Also, what she said to Liu Yutong at Yunluo Club today, asking her to help her save face, claiming there was a conflict with some younger Jiang family members—that was all fabricated.
What were those younger Jiang members worth?
Even if Jiang Chao and Jiang Lan were powerful, they were still her peers. Who would be afraid of whom was still up in the air.
Her real target was the Madam.
She wasn’t just looking to save face; she wanted to make the Madam take an extra look at her in the crowd, to exchange a few more words with her.
But on her own, that wasn’t enough.
She needed someone who could draw attention, someone who could spark conversation, someone who could arouse the Madam’s curiosity.
Liu Yutong and Gao Min were those people, especially Liu Yutong.
She had a feeling that Liu Yutong would likely make a splash at the banquet.
She was looking forward to it.
...........
At that moment, the Lin family members were still fuming over Lin Yi’s earlier words.
“Yi Yi, you’re overstepping! You can go yourself, so why can’t they?”
“Exactly! You’ve been away from the Lin family for so long, and now you’re butting into family affairs? You’re stretching your hand too far!”
“………”
Lin Yi waited until they were all done before speaking.
“Are you all finished?”
Everyone was taken aback.
Lin Yi’s gaze swept across their faces one by one. “Do you really think I was asking for your opinion?”
“Today, I’m laying down the rules. Anyone who dares to oppose me, don’t blame me for being ruthless.”
With those words, the entire room fell silent.
Though they were still deeply dissatisfied, since Lin Yi had put it that way, what more could they say?
No one really dared to break ties completely with the daughter left behind by the late head of the family.
After a moment.
Lin Dong cleared his throat, breaking the silence. “Well... Xiao Yi, it’s not that your third uncle doesn’t understand. But if we don’t bring a single male member, isn’t that a bit inappropriate?”
“How about this: pick two more, or at least one. You have to let me, as the head of the family, save face, right?”
He deliberately emphasized the word "head of the family."
Lin Yi thought it was reasonable. After all, having no men at all didn't seem right either.
Then she looked at Liu Yutong and Gao Min, wanting them to pick one—this would prevent someone who didn't get along with them from causing trouble.
Gao Min glanced at Liu Yutong as well, then spoke up, pointing at two of the men.
"Then let it be Lin Feng and Lin Mian."
As soon as the words were spoken, Second Aunt Zhang Yu grew anxious. Her son and daughter would have no chance now. She was about to say something again, but Lin Yi directly cut her off.
"If anyone has objections, swallow them back down!"
"Third Uncle, let's finalize it just like that!"
Lin Dong nodded. "Alright!"
That pretty much sealed the deal.
The rest of the Lin family, no matter how dissatisfied, could only grit their teeth and accept it.
