Courtyard Houses: From Bronze Compasses to Global Reach

Chapter 342 Slapping the He Family in the Face

Time ticked by, second by second. Lan Huaying and the casino manager were pinned to the carpet, their expensive suits crumpled, their bodies trembling uncontrollably with fear. The casino manager was ashen-faced.

Lin Yi seemed a little bored. He leaned forward slightly and said, "Mr. Lan, waiting around is boring too. How about we play a quick question and answer game? I'll ask, you answer. If you can't answer within three seconds, or if I think you're lying," he paused, pressing down slightly with his foot, "I'll break one of your fingers. Understand the rules?"

"I...I understand! Please ask! I will answer everything I know!" Lan Huaying was so frightened that she hurriedly agreed, her voice trembling.

"Who are the biggest shareholders of this Aidu Hotel Casino?" Lin Yi asked the first question.

"It's...it's Henry Fok! And my brother-in-law Stanley Ho! And...and Yip Hon!" Lan Huaying almost shouted the answer, afraid of being a second too slow.

Upon hearing this, Lin Yi raised an eyebrow in surprise and turned to look at Lin Er beside him: "Oh? Old Master Huo is involved too? That's interesting. Lin Er, it wasn't that suggestion you casually made to Old Master Huo back in 1958, was it?"

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Lin Er's face as he touched his nose. "Big brother, I did mention it briefly back then, saying that there was an opportunity in Macau." He never expected that his casual remark would actually lead to the Huo family's involvement.

Lin Yi didn't delve any further, turning his gaze back to Lan Huaying: "Who is this 'brother-in-law' you just mentioned, Stanley Ho?"

"Stanley Ho is my brother-in-law! He... he was a member of Sir Robert Ho Tung's family, formerly the richest man in Hong Kong!" Lan Huaying quickly replied, trying to use Ho's name to gain influence.

Lin Yan, who had been sitting not far away with his eyes closed, perked up at the mention of "Stanley Ho." He pulled over a chair, straddled Lan Huaying's head, propped his elbows on the back of the chair, and looked down at the disheveled face below, his tone full of amusement:

"Oh? You mean that Stanley Ho... who made his fortune by profiting from the war, then climbed up the social ladder by marrying into the family of Clementina Leitao, known as 'Macau's most beautiful woman,' and then abandoned her in the end?"

"Yes! Yes! It's him! You...you know him?" Lan Huaying seemed to have grasped at a straw, a glimmer of hope igniting in her eyes.

"Know him?" Lin Yan scoffed, his laughter filled with disdain. "How could I possibly know a gigolo who made his fortune off women, drained his wife's family dry, and then turned around and treated others however he pleased?"

His tone suddenly changed: "As for your Lan family, what are you? You're nothing but a bunch of down-and-outs who rely on their ancestors' lingering connections with the Kuomintang to pick up scraps from others! Only someone like Stanley Ho could be so compatible with your family and get involved with you!"

This undisguised contempt completely exposed the Lan family's true colors. Lan Huaying's face turned deathly pale instantly, and even the last bit of her bravado was shattered, leaving only boundless fear and humiliation.

An hour later, the door was pushed open precisely on time. Henry Fok, dressed in a Tang suit, entered first with several entourage, his face bearing his usual composure. Behind him followed Stanley Ho, whose expression was solemn, and a young woman dressed in luxurious clothes but whose eyes betrayed her nervousness; she was none other than Stanley Ho's second wife, Lucina Laam.

Huo Yingdong's gaze swept across the room, first landing on Lin Yi. His previously serious expression, poised to deal with trouble, instantly turned to astonishment, then into a hearty laugh: "President Lin? What are you doing here? I thought some fool had offended some passing Jiang Long, turns out it's you two brothers! Hahaha!"

He strode forward and patted Lin Yi's arm affectionately: "This is truly a case of the flood washing away the Dragon King's temple, not recognizing one's own people! Come, come, can't we talk things out properly?" He smoothed things over and gestured for Lin Yi to sit down.

Upon seeing this, Stanley Ho and Lucina Laam's expressions became even more uncertain. Henry Fok turned to them and introduced them: "Mr. Ho, Ms. Laam, let me introduce you. These two are Mr. Lam Yat, Chairman of the Hong Kong Lam Group, and Mr. Lam Yee, Vice Chairman."

The couple's pupils contracted instantly, knowing full well what the name "Lin Shi" meant.

Lin Er stood up at this moment and smiled at Fok Ying-tung, saying, "Mr. Fok, it's our fault for troubling you to make this trip on New Year's Eve."

"Hey, what are you saying?" Fok Ying-tung waved his hand, then asked with some curiosity, "Lin Er, but what brings you two brothers to the casino during the Lunar New Year?"

Lin Er's smile faded slightly, and his tone was somewhat casual: "It's not like our Xiao Yan finally got to come back to Hong Kong for the Lunar New Year. He usually likes to read quietly, so we thought we'd bring him out to see the world and relax a bit."

At this moment, Lin Yan peeked out from behind Lin Yi, a sweet smile on his face, and waved: "Uncle Huo, Happy New Year!"

Fok Ying-tung, who was on good terms with the Tang family, naturally knew that this seemingly harmless young man was the true backbone and leader of the Lin family, possessing unfathomable power. He immediately put on an even more amiable smile, with a hint of an elder's reproach: "Xiao Yan! You've returned to Hong Kong and haven't even come to see Uncle Fok! It seems you don't like your uncle?"

Lin Yan quickly waved his hand, explaining with a bright smile, "Uncle Huo, that's not true! Please don't wrong me. I was actually planning to visit you after the New Year!"

"Very well!" Huo Yingdong's smile widened upon hearing this, and he pointed at Lin Yan, saying with a laugh, "Then Uncle Huo will be at home, eagerly awaiting your arrival!"

He then turned to the somewhat uneasy-looking Stanley Ho and his wife, and tried to smooth things over: "Mr. Ho, Ms. Lan, it seems we've become acquainted through a misunderstanding tonight. Come on, let's all get to know each other and make friends."

Suppressing his nervousness, Stanley Ho stepped forward, a sincere smile plastered on his face, and extended his hand to Lin Yi: "Mr. Lin, I've long admired your names! I'm truly sorry; it was my brother-in-law who was ignorant of etiquette and offended you both, causing you distress. I apologize on his behalf! Tomorrow I'll host a welcome dinner at the Lisboa Hotel, especially for you two. Would you do me the honor of joining me?"

Considering that Fok Ying-tung personally intervened, Lin Yi briefly shook hands with him before releasing him, his tone flat and unreadable: "Mr. He, you flatter me. My brother and I have traveled all over the country and haven't suffered any frights."

He subtly changed the subject, glancing to his side: "However, my son Xiaoyan is still young, and I'm afraid he won't be happy tonight."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Lin Yan's head popped out from behind Lin Yi again. This time, he didn't look at Fok Ying-tung; his clear, distant gaze landed directly on Stanley Ho's face, and his words even carried a naively cruel tone:

"Mr. He, I don't like you." He paused, then glanced at the ashen-faced Lan Huaying on the ground. "And I don't like your brother-in-law either."

Before Stanley Ho could react, he continued, "Our Lin family does not associate with people who abandon their wives and children or break their promises. This is my rule."

After saying that, he didn't even look at the crowd with their various expressions, and casually waved his hand at Lin Yi: "I've had my fun. You guys handle things yourselves. I'm going back to my room." Then, without looking back, he put his hands in his pockets and strolled out of the VIP room.

Fok Ying-tung's facial muscles twitched almost imperceptibly, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes. He smiled wryly to himself, "This kid... his words sound like he's targeting me."

Lin Yi and Lin Er immediately showed expressions of "helplessness" and "apology," and clasped their hands in a fist and palm salute to Fok Ying-tung and Stanley Ho, saying, "Gentlemen, we are truly sorry. Our little darling has been spoiled by the old man at home. He is a bit willful, but children speak without thinking, please forgive him!"

Huo Yingdong, being a man of great stature, immediately seized the opportunity, letting out a hearty laugh as if the awkwardness had never occurred: "Oh, not at all! Mr. Lin, you're too kind. I think Xiao Yan has the heart of a child, a genuine nature! Rare indeed! It shows he hasn't been tainted by this worldly corruption, good! Hahaha!"

But to Stanley Ho and Lucina Laam, the laughter sounded particularly grating. Stanley Ho's face shifted between pale and flushed, finally settling into a barely audible sigh. He knew that if he wanted to truly establish himself in Hong Kong, the Lin family, this formidable obstacle, would be difficult to overcome, and if not handled properly, could even become a stumbling block. Lucina Laam, on the other hand, gripped her husband's sleeve tightly, her nails almost digging into his flesh.