CHAPTER 407: CHAPTER 405: GREAT-GRANDPA, HAS THE IRON TREE FINALLY BLOSSOMED?

"Come here, Ansheng, have a kiwi fruit....."

The College of Agriculture’s observation activity began. The forest ranger and the logistics support team members were walking at the front, setting off along the southern slope of Qinling, holding electromagnetic emitters to eliminate any potential dangers ahead.

The students from the Agricultural Research Institute followed. Initially grouped by their specialized classes, the students split into smaller groups, with one student acting as the leader for each group of ten. The leaders went to the department head’s tent to get equipment and then started the mountain run activity.

About half an hour into the route along the Qinling, they reached a gentle hillside. Ah Qing skillfully extended her hand and picked a hairless, round kiwi fruit from a wild kiwi tree.

"Kiwi... Are you sure it’s edible?" Ansheng, lazily lying on her shoulder and gazing into the distance, looked at Ah Qing with a doubtful expression as she handed the fruit to him.

Wild kiwi fruit, Ansheng had never tried before.

But even if you’ve never seen a pig run, you still might have eaten pork, right?

While wild fruits could be tasty, the likelihood of a delicious wild fruit is rather slim.

"It’s delicious! The kiwi flavor is rich, and it’s crunchy to eat!"

Seeing the little fox’s dubious face, Ah Qing confidently stated, taking out a small knife from her pocket, slicing a piece, and offering it to the little fox’s mouth.

"Let me tell you first! If it’s not tasty, I’ll spit it back into your mouth!" Ansheng opened his mouth with a skeptical look, waiting for Ah Qing to feed him.

"Spit it onto me? Then forget it..." Ah Qing said as she threw the kiwi away, pretending nothing had happened.

Watching this, Ansheng was momentarily stunned, quickly returning to his senses, and his eyes widened.

"Wow! You actually tricked a fox!"

"I didn’t trick you! It’s tasty, but it’s quite sour..."

Wild kiwi bushes lack fertilization, absorbing nutrients from the soil primarily for their own development. While the fruit has a strong kiwi flavor, expecting high sweetness content is unrealistic.

The wild kiwi trees grow haphazardly, with birds casually nibbling on them, eventually dispersing the seeds elsewhere.

Birds aren’t as picky as humans.

Considering Ansheng’s preference for sweetness, Ah Qing felt that if she fed him the wild kiwi—

The little fox might sneak into bed tonight, and while she’s asleep, leave a mess in her pants.

Better to wait until they find fruit from the family of plants that the wooden tong belongs to, and then let Ansheng have a taste!

One wonders why a little fox has such an obsession with sugar.

......

Meanwhile, while the lucky fox was enjoying the scenery,

Far away in Sui City, Lin Ying had just woken up when Lin Shu knocked on her dorm room door, saying, "Miss, there’s a message from the Grandmaster asking you to respond."

"Grandmaster?"

Lin Ying was momentarily surprised by Lin Shu’s words, furrowing her brow as she got up, tidied herself up a bit, and sat at the desk.

She first sent a message to Grandmaster Lin, and after being informed that he was available, she proceeded to make a video call.

A moment later,

Grandmaster Lin’s tall figure, with white hair yet full of vigor, appeared on the video call.

"Good morning!"

Grandmaster Lin greeted Lin Ying with a smile, saying, "I’ve read all your emails, and you’ve done a good job."

"Those people chasing after petty gains, let them pursue their dreams and profits if they wish!" Lin Ying remarked indifferently. "I trust that my uncle and aunt will find happiness in their own way."

A family-run conglomerate’s power transition isn’t just a matter of a simple announcement.

Especially for a company like the Lin Group Holding Company, besides internal power struggles within the enterprise, it also involves conflicts among investment and holding departments, particularly among unlisted entities.

Following the death of Lin Ying’s father, and her own confinement due to illness, several mid-level and upper-management executives in the Lin Group Holding Company were vying for power and profit.

The ascent wasn’t about winning; it was about losing less than the opponent! The other’s mistakes should far outweigh one’s own!

One person’s rise could benefit dozens.

Lin Ying resumed the position of chairman while other adjustments and shifts in positions caused a stir internally. Some enterprises affiliated with the Lin Group Holding Company even became entangled in this internal turmoil of career changes and disorder.

Mutual sabotage, framing, counterfeit seals, deceptive practices using various legal and illegal means were constantly emerging.

Some companies even took advantage of the situation to breach contracts, redeeming equity and running away from the Lin Group Holding Company.

Involving internal strife amongst the Lin clan family, some senior executives, even if aware, found themselves powerless.

They feared getting embroiled or being reported to authorities, pulling them down as well.

The internal chaos of the conglomerate and external interference by other businesses trying to influence internal operations were all observed by Lin Ying, but timing is everything.

Merely inserting people into positions is pointless.

There needs to be accountability for losses. Those companies redeeming equity and running are all high-quality stocks; once listed, they could yield returns tens or hundreds of times over the investment.

If future potential profits, as well as maximum fines and losses from the banks and tax authorities, are considered together—

In less than two months, the investment department of Lin Group could face losses reaching hundreds of billions. The greatest loss is the equity redeemed by companies that started with Lin’s investment and development support, which Lin expected to liquidate upon their listing.

But now it’s all for nothing, and the banks and tax authorities imposed over 3 billion in maximum fines.

One instance of stockmarket holding alone was fined 1.8 billion.

Compensation is inevitable.

But someone needs to bear the burden.

The email Lin Ying sent to Grandmaster Lin contained her investigations during this period, subsequent handling of the involved Lin clan members, and the follow-up liquidation of companies that redeemed equity.

"You’re still young, and those wily uncles might want to topple you or dig pitfalls, aiming to support branches to rise, which is normal."

Grandmaster Lin, aware of the internal power struggles of the Xia Country’s Lin group, clearly didn’t find these matters too concerning.

Although losses amounted to billions, apart from fines, the actual cash flow loss should be less than 2 billion. A significant portion of the losses was based on future anticipated gains.

"Nevertheless, what truly matters is the strong leadership of the helm." Grandmaster Lin said with a cheerful smile, "Every crisis is an opportunity. If you suppress it with overwhelming force and succeed, the prestige you accumulate will far surpass decades of business efforts."

"Thereafter, no one could shake your authority."

"If things don’t work out and you face resistance from the clan members, your position could become unstable, possibly transitioning to a family office system."

"I hope you succeed. Sometimes a life too comfortable can make one forget that the essence of the world is survival of the fittest. We’re merely beasts in suits."

"When needed, do I need to elaborate on what means to use?" added Grandmaster Lin.

Gold values nothing; firearms know no good or evil.

The rulers of Xia’s Lin clan must understand that pursuing profit is never the primary goal; instead, having a broader outlook capable of serving as a lubricant is crucial.

Discarding weapons in recent years doesn’t mean not arming oneself when necessary arises.

"Yes!" Hearing this, Lin Ying understood in her heart that Grandmaster Lin was slightly dissatisfied with that report, but she didn’t argue, only nodding gently.

"These issues are tests of your capability. Although profit generation is crucial, the decline of a large corporation never resides in its ability to profit but in the over-rapid expansion, neglecting internal management, allowing those unworthy of virtuous positions to rise...."

"However, I didn’t specifically contact you today to discuss Lin Group matters."

After finishing the unrelated topics, Grandmaster Lin stated the main purpose of his conversation with Lin Ying:

"I have a... how should I put it, a young relative, who’d like to experience what spending the Mid-Autumn Festival in Xia Country feels like. I’d like you to take care of this for me."

"You don’t need to worry about other things. After the Mid-Autumn Festival, he will return to America; he’s not a plant."

Grandmaster Lin spoke vaguely, adding supplementary explanations that left Lin Ying in front of the screen momentarily stunned.

"Grandmaster..."

"Have you... opened your heart to love?"