At this point, Lin Ran hadn't let go of his hatred—hatred is something one never truly releases.
Today, his main goal was psychological warfare.
Hearing Lin Ran's words, Lin Jian shook his head with a bitter smile, mourning his own past naivety.
"Lin Ran, if from the very beginning I had truly treated you as an older brother, would things have turned out differently?"
Lin Ran couldn't answer that question because he didn’t know.
"You said it yourself—'if.' That means it was never possible. I can't tell you what might have been, but I can tell you what comes next. At the very least, you’ll be spending the New Year behind bars. After all, what you did to Lin Tianba falls under criminal charges."
"But don’t worry, you won’t be in there for too long. Your crimes aren’t that severe—just a few months, I’d guess."
As he said this, Lin Ran flashed a smile that made Lin Jian’s heart drop.
"You’ve called me 'brother' for so many years. As your elder brother, it’s only right that I take care of you. Consider this my gift—I’ve arranged for someone to keep you company inside."
Lin Jian’s eyes widened. "What do you mean?""Exactly what I said. You know I have plenty of connections. I’ve handpicked one of my bodyguards for you—his name is Jia Laoban. Remember, when you see him inside, treat him with the same respect you’d show me. See you later. Once you’re out, we’ll have plenty of time to… play."
As the guards led Lin Jian away, he was still shouting.
"I’m already ruined! Why won’t you just let me go?"
Lin Ran shook his head with a bitter smile.
In our past lives… did you ever let me go?
The second person he met was Liu Yuemei. Their crimes had already been thoroughly investigated, leaving no room for excuses—they were simply awaiting trial.
Lin Tianba, unwilling to endure further humiliation, had chosen to expose himself.
"Xiao Ran, are you here to save me? Oh, thank goodness! All these years—"
The moment she saw Lin Ran, Liu Yuemei instinctively began her usual act, but halfway through, she realized her mistake.
Lin Ran shook his head. "No. I’m here to give you a heads-up—so you don’t die of shock when you see Liu Ruxue inside."
The more cryptic Lin Ran was, the more uneasy Liu Yuemei became.
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing much. My wife gouged out your niece’s eyes, and she’s being tortured daily. You’ll likely get the same treatment. Just a friendly warning."
"After all… I was your obedient dog for so many years, brainwashed by your manipulation. But now, this dog has turned into a wolf—and he’s come back to bite."
Hearing Lin Ran’s analogy, Liu Yuemei stared at him in disbelief.
"You’re lying, aren’t you?"
The coldness in Lin Ran’s eyes sent chills down her spine. "Do I look like I’m joking? Liu Ruxue’s eyeballs are in my bedroom. Should I bring them here to show you?"
Meanwhile, in Luo Yao’s office at Luo Corporation, she stiffened, stunned by the words coming through her earpiece.
She had never told Lin Ran about what happened to Liu Ruxue.
"So… A-Ran knew all along?"
Luo Yao was both shocked and uneasy.
Then, the conversation continued in her ear.
"No… You’re lying! No one would keep someone’s eyes in their bedroom—that’s psychotic!"
"Oh, that? Simple. Because my wife likes it. If she’s happy, I’m happy. I don’t care if Luo Yao is a psychopath or a lunatic—she’s my woman, and she’ll always come first with me."
Hearing this, Luo Yao’s lips curled into a smile.
A-Ran… really doesn’t blame me.
"No! NO!"
"Xiao Ran, I was wrong! Please, save me—"
Liu Yuemei’s mind shattered. The meeting ended.
"Hahaha! Lin Ran, you’ll get what’s coming to you! Luo Yao doesn’t love you—once she’s had her fun, she’ll end you!"
Lin Ran waved goodbye.
"Give Liu Ruxue my regards when you see her. Tell her I’ll be waiting to send her off to Southeast Asia when she gets out. As for my wife 'ending' me? Well, I’ll gladly offer my neck."
Isn’t that just our usual dynamic? What’s the problem?
(If you understood that, go face the wall for ten minutes.)
The last person he met was the ungrateful son, Lin Tianba.
Lin Ran marveled at how composed he felt now. Unlike before, when just seeing Lin Jian or Liu Yuemei made him want to throw punches, he could now speak to them calmly.
Psychological warfare… was actually kind of fun.
Lin Tianba was wheeled out. The authorities had shown some humanity—despite being a suspect, they’d arranged basic medical care.
But his limbs had been broken for too long. Full recovery was impossible, and after Lin Jian’s recent abuse, the chances of him ever walking again were slim.
When he saw Lin Ran, Lin Tianba finally shed tears of regret.
"Son… are you here to kneel and apologize to your father?"
Lin Ran: "..."
Couldn’t hold it in.
"Fck!"
BANG!
Lin Ran threw a punch without hesitation.
He’d cleared the room beforehand, leaving only Abu beside him. Even if someone saw, it didn’t matter—money could fix 99% of problems. The remaining 1%? That was up to luck.
"AH—!"
Lin Ran hadn’t expected this. He’d stayed calm facing Liu Yuemei and Lin Jian, yet Lin Tianba broke his composure with one sentence.
Guess I still need to work on my self-control.
"Lin Tianba, if your brain exploded, the universe would tremble. If your cerebellum’s rotting, go take your meds—stop talking like a sewage truck passing by, spewing nonsense without tasting your own filth?!"
Lin Tianba didn’t blame him. If he were in Lin Ran’s place, he’d be angrier.
"I’m sorry, son. But it wasn’t my fault—I was deceived! You and Xiao Jian were both treasures in my hands. How could I ever hurt you? They say a father’s love is as steady as a mountain. I only wanted the best for you both. I never imagined things would turn out like this."
"Treasures in your hands?"
Lin Ran couldn’t take it anymore.
"More like you trained in iron palm—your 'hand' was just a slab of rock slamming into me! And now you’re playing the victim? Your 'fatherly love' was like a public toilet during rush hour—always occupied, never available."
Lin Tianba tried to argue. "I wasn’t biased! I just raised you and Lin Jian differently!"
"Oh, you weren’t biased—because Lin Jian wasn’t even your son! All that affection you wasted on him was just feeding a bastard. And don’t you dare talk about 'fatherly love.' You’re not worthy. Your so-called love was just you standing over me like a mountain, shielding that bastard from the storm."
Then, Lin Ran remembered a popular internet meme.
"Honestly… you’re such a Lin Jian."