Jiang Yuan looked at the visibly excited Zhou Yun in front of him, fury bubbling inside him. He wanted nothing more than to kick her to death.
This idiot—why did she have to show up at the worst possible moment?
He had just received a text message saying that more than a dozen unidentified vehicles had appeared on the outskirts of the Jiang family estate, suspected to be from the Wànlóng Society.
Though it was only a dozen cars, who knew how many people that girl had actually brought with her?
What if they were really coming for him?
He didn't dare to take that gamble.
But Zhou Yun's outburst had now put him directly in the hot seat.
People nearby had already started to notice them. If he tried to leave now, it might draw Liu Yutong's attention, and then he wouldn't be able to escape even if he wanted to.
Jiang Yuan forced down his panic and plastered a kind, grandfatherly smile on his face.
"Miss Zhou, what are you saying? When did I ever say those things? Are you sure you haven't misremembered? You shouldn't say such things lightly."
Zhou Yun hadn't expected him to deny it. She became anxious. "Grandpa Jiang, how can you be like this? Back when you came to the Zhou residence, you said you had evidence that could ruin Liu Yutong. You even said she had thousands of thugs under her command, that she was running a black-market gang—you—"
"Zhou Yun!"
Jiang Yuan quickly cut her off, his smile vanishing completely, replaced by a cold, grim expression.
"I've been polite to you only because you're the young miss of the Zhou family. But if you keep spouting nonsense and slandering me, don't blame me for losing all courtesy!"
Zhou Yun was stunned by his sudden change in demeanor.
She stared blankly at Jiang Yuan, unable to understand why the kindly Grandpa Jiang from earlier had suddenly turned into this menacing figure, refusing to acknowledge what he had said before.
Seizing her moment of hesitation, Jiang Yuan quickly pulled out a brown paper envelope and stuffed it into her pocket.
"Take this and stop bothering me!"
With that, he shook off her hand and hurried away.
Zhou Yun stood frozen for a few seconds before pulling out the envelope.
Opening it, she found a stack of photos inside.
She barely glanced at the first one before her eyes lit up.
The photo showed a long street.
It was packed, row after row, with people in black suits, seated at tables, eating skewers of grilled meat. The scene was massive—almost stretching endlessly into the distance.
What was most striking was that all the black-clad figures were staring in the same direction, their expressions fervent.
She flipped through more photos.
There was one of thousands of people standing up at once, and another of Liu Yutong standing in the center of the crowd, surrounded like a queen by her devoted followers.
Seeing this, her heartbeat quickened.
This… this was just like a mafia organization, wasn't it?
Thousands of people, dressed like gangsters, gathered together drinking. If Madam saw this, Liu Yutong wouldn't be able to talk her way out of it even with a hundred mouths.
This was a major crime—involvement in organized crime and underworld activities!
Zhou Yun clutched the photos, her smile growing more excited.
"Liu Yutong, let's see how you get out of this one!"
And with that, she turned and ran toward the banquet hall, clutching the photos in her hands.
... ...
Inside the banquet hall,
Lin Yi stood among the crowd, her gaze never straying far from Madam.
This was her only chance—a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get noticed in front of Madam.
Zhou Yun's earlier outburst had been an accident, but it had given Lin Yi a way to approach Madam.
She took a breath, steadied her expression, and stepped forward to greet her.
"Madam, Grandma Jiang."
Old Madam Jiang smiled and nodded. "Ah, Lin Yi's here. Come, come, you're a good girl."
Lin Yi stepped closer, naturally positioning herself beside Old Madam Jiang.
Madam seemed to recognize her and asked, "Are you Old Shen's granddaughter?"
Lin Yi nodded, her expression even more respectful. "Yes, Madam. My grandfather often speaks of you. He says you were immensely talented and brilliant when you were young!"
Madam laughed at this. "Your grandfather is just flattering me. When it comes to talent, he's far more accomplished than I am. He was a famous scholar back in the day—I remember his poems even won awards."
Lin Yi looked genuinely surprised. "Madam, you even know about that? My grandfather did write many poems, but he always said they were just youthful scribbles."
Madam replied, "That's him being too modest. Old Shen's brilliance is something everyone in our generation acknowledges."
A few brief exchanges, and the atmosphere became warm and relaxed.
The guests nearby looked on with some admiration—Lin Yi really knew how to seize an opportunity and work a room.
Just as they thought this, Lin Yi smoothly introduced Liu Yutong, who was still standing off to the side.
"Madam, this is my younger sister, Liu Yutong. The birthday gift you just received—that was from her."
Madam turned her gaze back to Liu Yutong.
She had already noticed this girl earlier.
It wasn't because of the gift that everyone had been mocking, but because of her aura.
Too pure.
Even dressed in such simple, plain clothes, she stood out among the crowd. It was hard not to notice her.
And besides, there was something familiar about her face—like Madam had seen her somewhere before.
"What's your name?"
Liu Yutong answered respectfully, "Madam, my name is Liu Yutong."
Madam nodded, her attention shifting again to the calligraphy piece.
The writing was crooked, childlike, but clearly done with great care.
"Were these characters written by children?"
Lin Yi quickly jumped in to answer. "You have a sharp eye, Madam. Yes, this scroll was written by children. Sister Yutong has always been passionate about charitable work. These signatures come from children she has helped in BS province—their blessings. It's nothing extravagant, but every character carries their heartfelt gratitude."
Lin Yi was clever. She had guessed from the childish handwriting the origin of Liu Yutong's gift—and she admired Liu Yutong for thinking of such a unique present.
After hearing Lin Yi's explanation, Madam seemed to recall something. "So you're that young woman—the one who led outdoor activities for children in BS and saved many students?"
Liu Yutong was surprised. "Madam, you know about me?"
Madam shook her head. "I don't know you, but I've heard your name."
"My husband came back and mentioned a young person to me. He said in BS province, he met a very young girl—only nineteen—but composed, thoughtful, and kind-hearted. A rare, good seed. He said if there were more young people like her, he wouldn't worry about the country's future."
As soon as Madam said this, the entire hall fell silent.
Everyone stared in disbelief at Madam, then at Liu Yutong.
Had they heard that right?
The top leader had actually met Liu Yutong—and had given her such high praise?
In that moment, the contempt many had felt for Liu Yutong melted away. They silently resolved to take this girl more seriously.
Lin Yi, for her part, gave herself a mental pat on the back.
She had gambled right!
Wasn't it precisely by bringing Liu Yutong along that she had used her as a stepping stone to get close to Madam? And it was working!
Only then did Old Madam Jiang fully grasp the weight behind that scroll—it was a blessing from children in a disaster-stricken area. With Madam’s own endorsement, this gift instantly became the most precious and sincere offering of the evening.
“Little one, this gift of yours Grandma likes very much! Thank you!”
She then ordered that the calligraphy be framed, carefully preserved, and hung in the most prominent place in her bedroom.
Liu Yutong: “As long as you like it, Grandma Jiang. I was worried it might not meet your expectations.”
Old Madam Jiang: “How could that be? This is the most valuable and favorite gift I’ve received today.”
After all, it had Madam’s approval, and the collective blessing from the children of the disaster area added layers of meaning—making its worth soar.
Madam gazed at the strikingly beautiful and elegant young woman before her, liking her more and more with each passing moment. Then, to the astonishment of the guests, she took Liu Yutong’s hand and invited her to sit at the main table.
“Come, child, sit with me. Let’s have a chat.”
That simple gesture sent shockwaves through everyone present. Jealousy flickered in many eyes.
“Wow! She actually took her hand!”
“Am I seeing things? Since when does Madam ever get close to a junior at an event like this?”
“Just who is this girl? Who said her gift was cheap?”
“No one can call a gift cheap when a leader has personally praised it.”
“Looks like this girl is about to skyrocket.”
“More than skyrocket—she’s being sent straight to the heavens! With Madam holding her hand like that, from now on, everyone in the capital will treat her with respect.”
“...”
In an instant, all the guests—whether from old noble families, high society, or leadership circles—knew better than to underestimate this young woman again.
Those who had mocked her gift now wished they could slap themselves for running their mouths.
And none more so than the members of the Zhou family, whose faces turned especially sour.
Just as they were considering finding a moment to apologize and mend fences—
Suddenly!
Zhou Yun burst back into the room, having been escorted out earlier. She held a stack of photos high above her head and shouted for all to hear: “Don’t let her fool you! She’s no business tycoon! She’s a mob boss—a gangland queenpin!”
“She commands thousands of thugs! They’ve done every evil imaginable! I’ve got proof!”
At those words, the guests were dumbstruck.
What?
She... what did she just say?
That girl holding Madam’s hand is a crime lord?
This has to be a joke!
