Chapter 23: Sacrificing for the Lin Family

The next day.

Lin Ting rose early but did not leave the hotel. She spent the morning in her room handling various matters. Although she had paid little attention to everything Shen Anyu told her the day before, there were still hard copies of reports and a mountain of work requiring her immediate processing.

After working for half the day and grabbing a quick lunch, she met with her lawyer to collect the prepared agreement and headed to the Lin family residence.

The Lin family company had been hemorrhaging money since yesterday. Lin Jinchuan was frantic, pleading with everyone he knew, yet he could find no way to salvage the situation. Xia Wenxi had returned to her parents' home the previous day, ignoring the company entirely and letting it bleed funds. Lin Jinchuan had called her repeatedly, but eventually, she simply turned off her phone. He had also tried calling Lin Ting many times, but after switching through several different phones, he still couldn't get through. Currently, Lin Jinchuan could not bear to even be at the office; his psychological threshold was reached, and he wanted to avoid hearing any more bad news.

When Lin Ting arrived at the Lin residence, Lin Jinchuan was in his study. She knocked and entered. He had fallen asleep in his chair, but at the sound, he jolted awake and looked toward the door. Seeing it was Lin Ting, he froze for two seconds.

Lin Ting stared back, also taken aback. It had only been one day, yet Lin Jinchuan’s hair was a disheveled mess, his face was unshaven and pale, and he looked as though he had aged a decade overnight.

"Lin Ting?" He called out, as if unsure she had truly arrived.

Lin Ting walked into the study, holding the agreement. Seeing that she was indeed there, Lin Jinchuan immediately sat up straight. Lin Ting found his reaction strange.

"Lin Ting," Lin Jinchuan’s eyes practically lit up. "You’ve come back?"

Lin Ting looked at him again, walked over to the desk, and placed the agreement down. "Sign this. From now on, we will have no relationship. Whatever I do in the future will have nothing to do with the Lin family, and whatever happens to the Lin family will have nothing to do with me."

Lin Jinchuan instinctively opened the document and glanced at it. It took a moment for him to grasp what it was: Lin Ting wanted nothing from the Lin family, and upon signing, she would have no connection to them at all.

He stared at the paper for a while before saying, "Lin Ting, everything I said yesterday was out of anger. I was just overwhelmed. You are my daughter; how could I ever truly sever ties with you?"

His sudden change of heart made Lin Ting feel agitated.

"Lin Ting, I won't disown you. The future of the Lin family belongs to you," Lin Jinchuan promised. "I will learn to be a better father and make it up to you over time."

***

When things are too good to be true, there is usually a trap.

Lin Ting was silent for two seconds before asking, "Is the Lin family drowning in debt, and you’re looking for someone to inherit your liabilities?"

"What kind of talk is that? How could I do such a thing..." Lin Jinchuan replied.

"Is this the first time you've done something like this?" she interrupted.

"I won't do it again," he insisted.

"What will it take for you to sign the agreement?" Lin Ting asked.

Lin Jinchuan looked at her. "I really don't want to sever ties with you."

"Sign it," Lin Ting said.

"Lin Ting," he pleaded.

"Don't waste my time," she stated. "Either sign it now, or state your conditions."

Lin Jinchuan fell silent.

"Choose," she pressed.

He hesitated before saying, "Mr. Zhao from the Zhao Group wants to meet you for dinner."

Lin Ting paused, then remarked, "Selling your own daughter for a single night just to save your company?"

"No, no! It’s just a meeting," Lin Jinchuan claimed. "Just a dinner with him. His family members will be there, too; it won't just be him."

Lin Ting looked at him without speaking.

Lin Jinchuan continued, "The Lin family's capital chain has snapped. I have no choice; I really have no other way. Only Mr. Zhao is willing to help me. Can’t you make a small sacrifice for the family? It’s just a meal; what could possibly happen? I’ll give you shares—thirty percent of the company."

Lin Ting remained silent. After a while, she asked, "So, you don't intend to sign this agreement today?"

"Lin Ting, what good does leaving the Lin family do you?" he countered. "As long as you stay, and as long as you go to this dinner, you will have everything. I promise, there will always be a place for you in the Lin family."

Lin Ting let out a cold laugh. A few seconds later, she said, "Time and place."

Lin Jinchuan was stunned. "You agree?"

Lin Ting simply stared at him.

Lin Jinchuan was instantly overjoyed, his face brightening. He immediately pulled out his phone and turned it on. "That’s right. I’ll call and set the time right now."

...

The time was set for eight o'clock that evening at a private restaurant.

During the wait, Lin Ting didn't go anywhere else. She stayed in her room, packing up her belongings. She had only lived there for a little over a month, so there wasn't much to take—mostly clothes, which she packed into a suitcase. There was also an expensive vase she had bought at the Moon-Watching Auction to hold roses.

The roses she had placed inside last time had already withered. Lin Ting touched the dried petals, then lay down on the bed to sleep.

She woke up after six in the evening. Lin Jinchuan knocked on her door, telling her to get ready. Lin Ting got up, washed her face, put on a tracksuit, and headed out.

Before she left, Lin Jinchuan asked, "You're going like this?"

Lin Ting didn't even look at him as she walked toward the door. "Or should I peel off your skin and wear it instead?"

Lin Jinchuan was rendered speechless, unable to utter a single word.

...

At eight o'clock, Lin Ting pushed open the door to the private dining room on time.

Zhao Chen was sitting on the sofa. When he saw her, a smile appeared on his face. "Miss Lin, very punctual."

Lin Ting walked into the room and scanned the area. Zhao Chen was the only one there. Before coming, she had looked up the Chairman of the Zhao Group: in his fifties, with a son and daughter both older than her, and divorced three years ago due to infidelity. His private life was sordid, and his reputation was abysmal.

So, Lin Jinchuan knew exactly what the outcome would be.

"Miss Lin, please sit." Zhao Chen picked up the remote from the table and turned on the air conditioning. "Isn't it a bit hot in here?"

Lin Ting ignored his question. She glanced at the remote in his hand and sat on the sofa opposite him. "Mr. Zhao, what was it you wanted to see me about today?"

Zhao Chen chuckled. "Didn't your father tell you?"

"He said you and your family wanted to have dinner with me," Lin Ting replied.

"That's what he said?" Zhao Chen looked her over. "And you believed him?"

"Yes, otherwise I wouldn't have come," she said.

"Your father lied to you," Zhao Chen stated.

Lin Ting looked at him, her voice calm. "How could my father lie to me?"

"He did," Zhao Chen leaned back against the sofa, staring intently at her face. "He sold you to me."

Lin Ting listened quietly.

Zhao Chen continued, "I will help him overcome the company's crisis, and in return, you belong to me. How I treat you is up to me, until I’ve had my fill."

"How could that be?" Lin Ting asked. "Lin Jinchuan said it was just a dinner."

"You’re an adult, and you've been through so much. How could you be so trusting of your father?" Zhao Chen said. "You know exactly what will happen here; you understand."