{Chapter: 352 Original fake blue and white porcelain! Damn it!}
"Something like that."
With that casual remark, Lin Yuan gave a small wave and exited the office, his footsteps steady and unhurried.
Inside, Lin Jianjun and Meng Yuelan remained seated, their expressions frozen in surprise.
Meng Yuelan blinked several times before exchanging a glance with her husband. "Did he just say he's not coming home tonight… because of a girl?"
Lin Jianjun frowned slightly, still processing the statement. "That's what it sounded like. But which girl could it be?"
"Is it Xiao Yue'er?" Meng Yuelan asked with a hint of curiosity. "She's always been close to him. Maybe the two finally developed something deeper."
Lin Jianjun shook his head. "I doubt it. If anything, it's more likely to be that girl from the Mei family. Though… when he stayed over at the Mei family's home last time, Mei Zhen didn't mention anything happening."
"Still," Meng Yuelan said with a sigh, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully, "he's been more mysterious lately. And confident. It's like he's hiding something… or someone."
Despite their speculations, neither of them guessed correctly.
And Lin Yuan, ever the strategist, had no plans of revealing the truth—at least not yet.
---
Meanwhile, across the city, inside the opulent main residence of the Chen family, an entirely different discussion was underway.
The large conference room, lined with carved wood panels and glowing with warm chandelier lights, buzzed with conversation. Seated at the head of the long table was the Chen family patriarch, Chen Meng, flanked by his son Chen Zheng and several other core family members.
Ye Feng stood near the center, arms crossed, brows slightly furrowed but still radiating a confident, arrogant energy.
"The plan to launch our facial mask line today has to be postponed," Ye Feng said plainly. "Thanks to that traitor Feng Dahai breaching our agreement, we lost our top-tier facial sheet supplier at the last minute."
The room was momentarily silent.
Chen Meng, however, remained calm.
"And your backup plan?" he asked.
"I've already contacted a new supplier," Ye Feng said. "They produce slightly inferior quality sheets, but the difference won't be significant to most consumers. Plus, this change actually helps us cut costs. We can position the product as affordable and accessible. We'll recover—quickly."
Chen Meng nodded slowly and then patted Ye Feng on the shoulder. "Good. There's no need to rush the larger play. In fact, this delay might work to our advantage."
Ye Feng raised a brow. "You mean… the Lin Group?"
Chen Meng's eyes gleamed with shrewdness. "Yes. I received word earlier from Lin Xiang. He says the Lin Group is holding a general shareholders' meeting tomorrow."
A murmur of interest spread among those gathered.
"That's our cue," Chen Meng continued. "Lin Xiang and I have been working together for years. Through a quiet but strategic accumulation, we've helped him acquire several minor shareholdings across the market."
"Now, with our backing, Lin Xiang has just enough power to stir conflict inside the Lin Group. He doesn't need to overthrow them—just create friction, enough to destabilize the trust among shareholders."
Chen Zheng nodded. "And while they're distracted internally…"
"…we strike from the outside," Chen Meng finished, satisfied.
Ye Feng chuckled. "So, divide and conquer. Trigger a split within the Lin Group and then hit them where it hurts most."
"Yes," Chen Meng said, lifting a glass of red wine. "You, Xiao Feng, will focus on launching your facial mask company. Dominate the market. The Lin family won't be able to fight on two fronts."
Ye Feng's eyes narrowed with malicious delight. "Perfect. Internal collapse and external pressure. Once the Lin Group starts bleeding, we strike harder. I've already spoken to my cousin in Demon City. He'll be arriving in Jiangbei within a few days to support us."
"That man?" Chen Zheng asked, intrigued. "He's coming?"
Ye Feng grinned. "Yes. My cousin has influence and manpower. Once he arrives, our operation will move into its next phase. Uncle Chen Meng, this war will be short—and glorious."
They raised their glasses in unison.
"To victory," Ye Feng declared.
"Cheers!"
'Clink!' The sound of fine crystal echoed through the grand meeting room as each person took a deep sip of wine, relishing the moment of apparent triumph.
They felt they were just on the edge of victory. The Lin Group would soon be in chaos, and Ye Feng's product would take the market by storm.
But what none of them realized was that their every move had already been predicted.
Lin Yuan had long read the plotlines of the original novel. The people before him now, so confident in their planning, were like actors performing a script that he had already memorized.
Not only that, but Lin Yuan had the advantage of insight, resources, and allies like Long Wu who had gathered every crucial piece of intelligence.
Even the so-called surprise move of Lin Xiang had already been accounted for.
The real snake was already out of the cave. And now, it was simply a matter of tightening the trap.
Ye Feng and the Chen family continued to strategize, completely unaware that every one of their "clever" schemes had already been checkmated.
---
At this moment, Lin Yuan was behind the wheel, steadily making his way toward Riverview Villa.
The luxurious estate, situated in the prestigious Chaoyang District, was a serene and upscale residential area, known for its tranquility, elite neighbors, and sweeping views of the river that gave it its name.
Lin Yuan had already passed through the Fengtai District, the outskirts of which still retained a blend of modern skyscrapers and older, slightly dated infrastructure. As he drove deeper into the city, his pace was steady—until something unusual caught his eye on a street corner.
He instinctively eased his foot off the accelerator, slowing the car as he turned his gaze toward the left side of the road.
There, nestled between two office buildings, was an old convention hall—its outer walls a little worn, the signage faded with age. Despite its run-down appearance, the place seemed lively today. People were slowly gathering around the entrance.
At the front gates of the hall, a massive sign stood tall.
It read in bold red characters:
"The Original Singer of "Blue and White Porcelain" Returns to Jiangbei! Live Concert This Afternoon! Admission Free!"
Lin Yuan's eyebrows lifted slightly.
He wasn't particularly surprised that concerts were being held in Jiangbei—after all, it was one of the top five most developed cities in all of Kyushu. In fact, it rivaled the vibrancy of Demon City and Yanjing in certain areas. With its booming economy and ever-growing cultural presence, events like concerts, fan meetings, and shows were common.
But what drew his attention wasn't the fact that a concert was happening—it was who the sign claimed to be holding it.
"The original singer of 'Blue and White Porcelain'?"
Lin Yuan narrowed his eyes.
That was him.
He was the one who sang that song at Li Feifei's concert, delivering such an unforgettable performance that the track soared to the top of every major chart almost overnight. His emotional delivery and masterful tone had left the crowd in awe.
But he had done it not for fame—but to impress a girl that was a goddess.
Lin Yuan had no interest in becoming a celebrity or musician. He didn't crave the spotlight. So when the concert recording was released, his performance was edited out at his own request, leaving only a few blurry fan-shot videos circulating online.
As a result, while the song had become famous across Kyushu, the voice behind it remained largely unknown to the public.
And now, here he was… watching someone else try to cash in on his success.
Lin Yuan's gaze shifted to the side of the signboard where a promotional poster was stuck up—though "poster" might've been too generous a word for it.
It looked like someone had opened Notepad, typed in the details, and printed it out on cheap A4 paper. The fonts were uneven, the layout was horrible, and worst of all… the image on it made Lin Yuan's face twitch.
The man claiming to be him had a sharp jaw, an exaggerated grin, and a set of narrow, unfriendly eyes. He looked smug and a little greasy—nothing like Lin Yuan.
"At least find someone who resembles me if you're going to impersonate me," Lin Yuan thought, mildly amused.
It wasn't that he hadn't encountered this kind of thing before.
In his past life, and even now, the entertainment industry was riddled with impersonators and fake celebrities. Some of them even made decent money pretending to be lookalikes of superstars like Andy Lau or Jay Chou, performing in low-budget events, tricking fans in rural areas, or relying on the public's vague impressions.
Lin Yuan had always shrugged it off. It wasn't worth getting angry over.
But today was different.
First, the impersonator looked absolutely nothing like him—which felt more like an insult than flattery.
And second…
His eyes had caught someone in the crowd.
A girl with long, flowing hair, standing near the entrance, seemingly checking her phone and waiting for someone.
She looked familiar.
Very familiar.
Her back was facing him, but her posture and figure triggered a sense of recognition in Lin Yuan's mind.
After a moment of thinking, he narrowed his eyes slightly.
He knew her.
And he had a good idea of why she might be here.
Curiosity bloomed in his chest, and with a sigh of amusement, Lin Yuan turned on his signal and steered the car to the curb. He found a nearby parking space and neatly backed the vehicle in before cutting the engine.
He sat for a few seconds, watching the crowd gather at the convention hall.
"Looks like I've got a little side quest today," he muttered to himself, shaking his head with a faint smirk.
Then, pushing the door open, Lin Yuan stepped out of the car.
He straightened his clothes casually and made his way toward the old convention hall, a light breeze ruffling his shirt. Today was supposed to be simple, but fate always had a way of throwing him some unexpected amusement.
Let's see who dares to sing his song.
And more importantly…
Let's see what that familiar girl is doing in this crowd.