"Brother Qin, Shen Zhao and his people won't let this go," Fatty Qi said, looking from the toppled wall to Qin Lin with a worried expression. "You drove them off for now, so we're safe temporarily. But knowing Shen Zhao's temper, I'm sure he'll find someone for revenge and then figure out a way to continue the forced demolition. Especially since the people from the Street Office are in cahoots with them. We can't let our guard down."
"Alright, let's split into three groups," Qin Lin said after a moment's thought, looking at the dozen or so peers from the orphanage who had gathered. "A few of the guys will stay behind and help me rebuild the wall. The rest of you, contact any of our brothers who have time to come over. We'll set up three shifts to patrol the orphanage and prevent them from harming the children at night or trying to demolish the place secretly."
"Those of you who know the law or are good writers, collect evidence and write up a formal complaint. Send it directly to the district and city petition offices. Post it on Weibo and WeChat Moments, too. We need to rally public support."
"And the girls studying to be nurses or preschool teachers, if you have time, please stay at the orphanage for now and help Grandpa Wang comfort and look after the children."
"Let's divide the work like this for now. I'll handle everything else!"
"Understood."
"We'll do as Brother Qin says."
Everyone nodded in agreement, and the orphanage quickly regained a sense of order as they all set about their assigned tasks. After seeing Qin Lin kick a Tibetan Mastiff to death and stand up directly to Shen Zhao, his authority was undeniable. They all trusted and respected his leadership completely.
「」
Meanwhile, as Qin Lin led the others in repairing the orphanage wall, Su Yanran was at the high-speed rail station to pick up her best friend, Lin Qingyue, who was just returning from a business trip.
"Yanran!" Lin Qingyue, dressed in a stylish business skirt with her straight legs wrapped in white stockings that drew countless admiring glances, dashed toward Su Yanran the moment she exited the station.
"Qingyue, you've been secretly dieting behind my back! Look, you've lost even more weight!" Su Yanran exclaimed, grabbing Lin Qingyue's slender waist. "Just the day before yesterday you told me you were still drinking Coke and eating KFC. Come on, admit it. Were you deliberately lying to me?"
"I really wasn't!" Lin Qingyue replied with an innocent look, her eyes scanning the curvaceous figure Su Yanran's cheongsam accentuated. "You know I just can't gain weight no matter what I eat."
"I wish I could gain some weight and be as voluptuous as you," Lin Qingyue sighed, looking down at her own toes with a hint of sorrow. "Actually, Yanran, your figure is amazing. You don't need to lose weight; a little softness looks great on you."
"I just want to wear a cheongsam, but I can't even fill one out," she lamented.
"Pfft! I have to go on a diet. I'm starting to get a paunch!" Su Yanran huffed, pinching the soft skin of her stomach. "By the way, Qingyue, there's something important I need to tell you."
"Oh?" Lin Qingyue looked at Su Yanran in surprise. "Did you start dating someone?"
"Oh, please! As if," Su Yanran said, rolling her eyes. She grabbed Lin Qingyue's hand and pulled her along. "It's too crowded here. Let's talk in the car."
"What!?" Sitting in the passenger seat of the Maserati, Lin Qingyue's eyes widened after hearing what Su Yanran had to say. "Yanran, are you sure you're not mistaken? I have a fiancé!?"
"Of course, why would I lie to you?" Su Yanran shrugged. "It seems you didn't know either. My grandfather only mentioned it to me last month, which is when I found out about the engagement. Why don't you call your grandmother and confirm?"
"Hold on." Her eyes full of shock, Lin Qingyue took a deep breath and immediately dialed her grandmother's number. A few minutes later, a complicated expression washed over her face as she looked at Su Yanran. "My grandmother says it's true. She said that, according to Immortal Lin Sr.'s wishes, she was supposed to tell me after the New Year and have me go marry him."
"Whew, good thing I found out in time, otherwise this would've been a disaster," Su Yanran said, patting her ample chest. "You're so beautiful and accomplished. You can't possibly marry that useless good-for-nothing. Hurry, you can still break off the engagement if you go find him now!"
"Break off the engagement?" Lin Qingyue hesitated, recalling her grandmother's repeated warnings over the phone. "Hmm, I want to meet him first."
"Of course!" Su Yanran, not giving it much thought, simply assumed Lin Qingyue was going to see Qin Lin to call things off. "My people just told me he's at the orphanage in the old city district. Let's go, I'll go with you."
"Alright."
After pulling a compact mirror from her purse to touch up her makeup, Lin Qingyue parted her lips. "By the way, Yanran, when you see him later, you must not tell him I'm his second fiancée. He already knows who you are, so if he asks, just tell him I'm a friend of yours."
"Why?"
SCREECH!
Startled by Lin Qingyue's words, Su Yanran slammed on the brakes. She stared at her friend in astonishment as the sudden jolt smudged her lipstick. "Qingyue, what on earth do you mean? If you don't want me to tell him who you are, does that mean you're not planning to break off the engagement right away? Do you really want to marry that useless man!?"