?73: Chapter 72: The Boss’s Dad is a Thief 73: Chapter 72: The Boss’s Dad is a Thief “Why?” This development was beyond Lin Shiyan’s expectations.

    “President Lin, why don’t you go rest under that tree over there?” Wang Dadong said blandly.

    “I don’t want to!”

    At this moment, the female CEO’s stubborn temperament emerged.

    She hadn’t done anything wrong, so why should she be treated this way?

    Just then, Granny Yangjin came out of the house.

    “If you come to my Zhuanghu as a guest, we would welcome you, but if you have other intentions, don’t blame us for issuing an expulsion order.”

    “Then I will trouble you, Granny Yangjin.” Wang Dadong smiled and nodded to Granny Yangjin.

    Lin Shiyan also understood Wang Dadong’s intentions.

    As long as she stayed, there was still a chance to obtain the formula.

    If everyone were driven away, she would never get the formula, so she said no more.

    Granny Yangjin’s family consisted of four people: Granny Yangjin, Meiduo, Hazha, and Zhuoma.

    Hazha was the Zhuanghu man who had asked if Lin Shiyan was Wang Dadong’s wife.

    Zhuoma, Meiduo’s sister, was twenty-eight years old, with a purple mulberry flower tucked in her hair.

    She was quite pretty but wore a faint sadness on her face.

    Not just Meiduo—upon learning about Lin Shiyan’s identity, even Hazha and Zhuoma showed faint hostility.

    Therefore, the atmosphere became somewhat gloomy, and even while eating, no one spoke.

    “Sister Zhuoma, the flower in your hair is really beautiful.” In an attempt to break the silence, Lin Shiyan spoke first.

    Lin Shiyan had just spoken when Wang Dadong, who was drinking sheep’s milk, almost spat it out.

    He quickly pulled on Lin Shiyan, asking her to stop talking.

    Lin Shiyan frowned, looking somewhat displeased at Wang Dadong, and said, “Can’t I even compliment how beautiful the flower in Sister Zhuoma’s hair is?”

    “If you like it, I can pick one for you tomorrow,” Zhuoma coldly said.

    The flower wasn’t just for decoration; it was a Zhuanghu custom.

    If a Zhuanghu woman’s husband died, she would wear a purple mulberry flower in her hair.

    This meant that Zhuoma’s husband had just died.

    Initially, Lin Shiyan was being kind, wasn’t it said that complimenting another woman’s beauty was the best way to establish a good relationship?

    However, Lin Shiyan didn’t know the significance of the purple mulberry flower, hence she brought up the very topic she should have avoided.

    “Okay.” Lin Shiyan seemed still unaware of the mistake.

    “I’m full, Granny.

    I’m going to go check on the patient,” Zhuoma said coldly, then left the table.

    “Zhuoma just lost her husband, please don’t mind,” Hazha said somewhat embarrassedly.

    Wang Dadong’s face twitched, and he whispered to Lin Shiyan, “In Zhuanghu, only a woman who has just lost her husband wears a purple mulberry flower in her hair, for heaven’s sake, please don’t speak recklessly anymore.”

    It was Meiduo who had told Wang Dadong this.

    Meiduo harbored hostility toward Lin Shiyan but was very affectionate toward Wang Dadong, sharing many customs of the Zhuanghu culture with him.

    Lin Shiyan seemed to realize she had misspoken and bowed her head to eat her meal, saying no more.

    The Zhuanghu people have an early sleeping habit, turning in for the night around nine o’clock.

    Usually at this time, Lin Shiyan would still be working overtime at the company.

    Coupled with the first day on the plateau, Lin Shiyan had mild altitude sickness and thus couldn’t sleep at all.

    Lin Shiyan walked out of the house and sat alone on a stone outside.

    “President Lin, can’t sleep?” Wang Dadong, with a cigarette in his mouth, also came out of the house.

    Lin Shiyan nodded slightly, her face showing some disappointment.

    “I can’t sleep either.” Wang Dadong sat next to the female CEO.

    “I see you’re having fun, wherever you go you have beauties serving you,” Lin Shiyan said with a slight curl of her lip.

    Indeed, wherever Wang Dadong went, Meiduo would follow—bringing water, pouring tea, massaging his shoulders, almost only stopping short of sleeping next to him.

    Wang Dadong was also puzzled, scratching his head.

    “That’s because I was trying to infiltrate the enemy camp.”

    “Then tell me, what information have you gathered?”

    Wang Dadong took a puff of his cigarette, then slowly asked, “Did the rise of Shiyan Group start five years ago?”

    Lin Shiyan nodded.

    Five years ago, Shiyan Group was just a small cosmetics company, still under her father’s control.

    “I remember, after my father returned from a trip to Zhuanghu, the R&D department developed a new whitening product that sold very well, and Shiyan Group leaped to becoming a publicly listed company thanks to that opportunity,” Lin Shiyan recounted.

    “That’s right, actually that whitening product was stolen by your father.”

    “Wang Dadong, what nonsense are you talking about?” the female CEO said somewhat angrily.

    “Do you know why Granny Yangjin immediately issued an eviction order upon learning you were from Shiyan Group?

    Because that formula was also Granny Yangjin’s, and your father stole it.”

    Seeing that the female CEO remained silent, Wang Dadong continued.

    “Five years ago, your father visited Zhuanghu, staying at Granny Yangjin’s home as a guest.

    He accidentally came across the medicinal juice for skin care that Granny Yangjin had prepared, and he immediately saw a business opportunity.

    However, instead of choosing to buy the formula from Granny Yangjin, he quietly stole it.”

    Lin Shiyan was stunned, recalling everything from five years ago, slowly beginning to believe what Wang Dadong had said.

    At that time, Shiyan had just been established and was desperately short of funds.

    Most of the products were rebranded from other companies, and the R&D department could only develop low-end products aimed at rural markets.

    Under a normal trajectory, Shiyan Group might not have seen its current glory even after another ten or twenty years.

    However, everything changed after her father returned from his trip to Zhuanghu.

    The R&D department developed a new type of skincare product, far surpassing others on the market, even outperforming some high-end international brands.

    With this product, Shiyan Group quickly captured a large market share, leapfrogging from a small cosmetics company to a publicly listed group.

    At that time, it was even considered a legend.

    No wonder Lin Tian had told Lin Shiyan before their departure to treat Granny Yangjin courteously under any circumstances, as they were indeed indebted to Granny Yangjin.

    Shiyan Group’s products were sold both domestically and internationally, including in Zhuanghu, so Granny Yangjin found out about it.

    Granny Yangjin was very angry, her anger not because Lin Tian didn’t buy her formula, but because of Lin Tian’s actions.

    Thus, she took Shiyan Group to court.

    However, although the formula was Granny Yangjin’s, she had not patented it, so after the court session, Granny Yangjin lost the case.

    At that time, Shiyan had already become a publicly listed group, easily covering up this issue, so it was not known to the public.

    To compensate Granny Yangjin, Lin Tian offered her a check worth one billion, but she tore it up.