While the colleagues at the Mingde project group were being fed so much that their weight was steadily increasing, Jin Lao San’s family was rapidly losing weight.

After the shareholders’ meeting, he fell seriously ill, and this time, it was for real.

The secret dealings with outsiders were exposed by Jin Yaotiao.

If the power grab had succeeded, things might have been fine, but the worst part was that when it was exposed, he was already losing the power struggle.

In a traditional and exclusionary family like the Jin family, this exposed weakness was like a snake’s seven-inch vulnerability. After being struck, he had no strength to retaliate.

Jin Jiarui was in an even worse situation. He had been aiming to take control of the group, but instead, he became the first person in the Jin family to be expelled from Mingde due to his association.

This was an unprecedented humiliation.

After packing his things and returning home, he locked himself in his room.

For many days, aside from the resignation notice from the HR department, he didn’t receive any messages of concern from his colleagues.

No matter how proud he was, he now realized that he had never been taken seriously by anyone.

Why? Why did those colleagues look down on him?

He couldn’t understand.

No matter how hard he thought about it, it didn’t make sense.

After all, he was the legitimate heir to the Jin family.

Jin Yaotiao, being a girl, would eventually have to marry out.

How could his uncle, the eldest, allow her to hold power? Was he really that muddled?

But none of them had expected that Jin Yao Tiao would act so quickly.

After the shareholders’ meeting, Jin Lao San originally planned to lay low for a while, waiting for the anger of the relatives to dissipate before figuring out how to make a comeback.

But soon, he received the board’s notice to dismiss him from his position.

That day, when Jin Yao Tiao spoke in the meeting, he thought she was just trying to scare him. After all, the Jin family had always been close-knit with clear hierarchies.

As the eldest generation, he never expected his niece to really go that far.

It was as if she had stomped on his face!

His guilt made him unable to sit still.

---

In the meeting room, under the complicated gazes of the shareholders, he finally threw out his final trump card:

“Yao Tiao, do you think it’s a bit too much to completely wipe out your third uncle? Don’t forget, I still hold shares in Mingde, and I’m one of the biggest shareholders, second only to your father. Don’t think that Mingde’s foundation is so strong that it can withstand your tricks.”

Everyone understood what he meant.

Mingde was a private company, its shares controlled by the family, with no external investors.

The profits and risks were entirely shared among the shareholders.

Although Jin Lao San’s shares were not a huge amount, in a company like this, his position was enough to stir trouble.

Jin Yao Tiao listened to his threat but showed no signs of compromising: “Third uncle, how do you plan to deal with me? Am I young and inexperienced, and are you planning to personally destroy the legacy left by grandpa?”

Jin Lao San indeed did not dare to act.

If he did, he would have no face to meet his deceased father in the afterlife.

He said, “Being dismissed by the board makes my shares worthless. What’s the point of being involved with Mingde anymore? It might be better to sell my shares and live in peace.”

In the past, he had found it hard to accept Cheng Chen’s attempts to take over Xunxiang Banquet, partly because he considered himself part of Mingde’s leadership.

But now, with Jin Yaotiao suppressing him like this, it felt almost like being expelled from the Jin family. Forced into a corner, he might even welcome outsiders taking revenge for him.

Other shareholders couldn’t take it anymore and advised him, “Third uncle, why dig yourself into a hole? Why not just hold your shares and enjoy the dividends?”

“Ha, Mingde’s business has been in decline for years. Do you really think the dividends are worth much?” Jin Lao San now realized there was no point in hiding and directly threatened, “The Cheng family has already made multiple offers to buy my shares. If it weren’t for the sake of my father and the Jin family, wouldn’t it be better to invest that money elsewhere than live on these dividends?”

His words were not a lie. The Cheng family had been eyeing Mingde’s shares for years, eager to dominate the dining industry in Linjiang. Getting a seat as a shareholder would greatly benefit them.

Other shareholders finally realized the danger: “Third uncle, you want to sell your shares to outsiders? We won’t agree to that. The shareholders’ meeting will vote against it. Without half the votes, you won’t be able to transfer your shares.”

Jin Lao San sneered at one of them: “Then let’s vote. If you disagree, you’ll have to buy my shares. Who can afford that price?”

The shareholders were instantly silent.

Actually, Jin Lao San was right.

Mingde’s business had been mediocre in recent years, and the dividends were just enough for everyone to live comfortably.

However, no one had any great ambitions.

They were satisfied as long as the money was enough for a comfortable middle-class life. If they wanted to spend lavishly to acquire shares from others, it was impossible.

Not voting against it meant silently agreeing to his transfer, but if they voted against, they had no money to buy him out.

If they went to court, the shareholders’ meeting wouldn’t have any legal standing.

Jin Lao San truly tore his face off. His bombshell left the shareholders stunned.

Just as they were shaken, before they could relax, the chairman’s voice cut through the tension.

Jin Yaotiao leaned on the table and calmly said to him: “I’ll buy them.”

Jin Lao San was stunned, then sneered: “You? Yao Tiao, you’ve really been spoiled. You dare to make such big talk at such a young age? How much money do you have? Does your dad know…”

“I know,” she replied.

A deep and authoritative voice suddenly came from outside the door, interrupting his mockery.

Everyone, including him, instantly turned to look at the door.

Jin Yaotiao was also startled: “Dad? Why are you back? You should be resting!”

Jin Father sat in a wheelchair, pushed by his wife.

He looked a bit weak, but his complexion was good.

He smiled slightly in response to her question: “I knew you were being bullied. How could I stay in the hospital?”

Jin Yaotiao opened her mouth, wanting to tell her father that she had done quite well in the past few days and hadn’t suffered any losses.

In fact, the people outside couldn’t even be tied together enough for her to slip away with one hand. But when she heard her father’s words, she inexplicably felt a wave of emotion inside.

She stepped forward to push the wheelchair for her mother, and Jin Father gently patted her hand, turning his gaze to Jin Lao San (Jin’s Third Uncle), letting out a long sigh: “Third Brother…”

The meeting room had already become a scene of chaos.

Knowing that Jin Father’s health was fine was one thing, but seeing him appear in front of them without any major issues was another.

A large group of shareholders quickly gathered to inquire about his health, while Jin Lao San’s face turned pale: “B-Brother.”

The Jin family had a deeply ingrained traditional family culture.

The position of the family head was equivalent to the wolf king in a wolf pack. Before the wolf king showed signs of weakness, no one dared to show their ambitions.

He was truly afraid of his robust older brother.

Jin Father ignored him, shaking his head: “Vote. Sort out the shares in your hands.”

Jin Lao San was stunned.

He had been threatening Jin Yaotiao, trying to force her to step back, but he never expected his elder brother to treat him so decisively.

He was even stunned for a long time, making sure he hadn’t misheard his older brother.

The elder brother was old, and he felt confused for a moment: “B-Brother, Yaotiao is acting like this, and you still let her do as she pleases?”

Jin Father was pushed to the table, holding his daughter’s arm, signaling Jin Yaotiao to sit in her usual commanding position.

With a cold snort, he said, “My daughter, I am willing to spoil her.”

Jin Lao San: “She’s going to get married sooner or later!”

Jin Father: “So what? Even after she marries, she’s still my daughter.”

Jin Lao San, in a daze: “She… she wants to scatter the Jin family, Brother, Dad’s…”

“How dare you mention Dad!” Jin Father slammed the table, coughing a few times, and was gently patted on the back by his wife.

Only then did he calm down, speaking coldly, “Lao San, while everyone is here, sort out the shares. From today on, I don’t have a brother like you, and the Jin family tree won’t have your family anymore.”

This statement had a huge impact on someone with a deep sense of family tradition.

Even Jin Lao San, who hadn’t collapsed despite being humiliated by Jin Yaotiao at the shareholders’ meeting, leaned against the wall.

He couldn’t hold his body upright and staggered, bumping into the table.

---

The first store of the Hidden Feast project was located on the top floor of a high-end mall near the river. The shop’s renovation was completed, and thanks to Jin Yaotiao’s oversight, the follow-up work was progressing quickly.

The store was fully equipped, just waiting for an auspicious day to open.

Staff members were moving things in and out of the store, mostly ingredients for the cold storage and long-term preservation. Jin Yaotiao pushed her father into the store, with her mother following behind.

The sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, falling on their family.

Jin Father looked at a large box, which required four or five people to carry, being moved into the kitchen. Wrinkling his nose, he asked, “What’s that? The smell is so strong.”

“I cured some meat in the research department a while ago. It’s almost ready. We can use it for special dishes during the trial run,” Jin Yaotiao explained. Then, somewhat disapprovingly, she said, “Dad, you should really take care of your health. Company matters aren’t that difficult for me.”

Jin Father cleared his throat and said seriously, “I’m not that weak.”

Then he sighed, “Yaotiao, no matter how capable you are, you are still my daughter. How can I watch you handle all these problems alone?”

Jin Yaotiao lowered her eyes, gave a faint smile, and then suddenly spoke, “Dad, what about Third Uncle… Wasn’t it hard for you to do this?”

To be honest, she was very surprised by her father’s firm attitude today.

She had seen how traditional her father’s thoughts were since she was young, and the Jin family was of utmost importance to him.

Over the years, whenever there were relatives connected to the Jin family, her father always helped when he could, never shirking.

So when she had used all her power to suppress Third Uncle’s family in her father’s absence, she had prepared herself for being criticized once her father returned.

She never expected that her father would personally drive Third Uncle’s family away, and his attitude was so resolute.

This didn’t seem like something her father would do.

Jin Father sighed and shook his head. “It’s my fault. I didn’t realize your Third Uncle’s character before. I let you suffer.”

“I didn’t suffer,” Jin Yaotiao thought to herself.

The threats from Third Uncle were nothing in her eyes.

She smiled and said, “But you, Dad, taking care of Third Uncle for so many years, I never thought you would directly drive him away.”

“What’s wrong with driving him away? He’s against you, do I still need to give him face?” Jin Father became a bit angry when talking about this.

After a pause, he turned to her and said, “Yaotiao, remember this, you are my daughter. Your second and third uncles, the whole Jin family, in my eyes, none of them are more important than you and your mother. Do you understand?”

Jin Mother, standing beside them, blushed a little and glared at her husband. “You’re saying all that, and you still drag me into it? At your age, you’re still so cheesy.”

Jin Yaotiao, however, felt a warmth in her eyes. After a few silent seconds, she nodded quietly.

“I understand.”