Faced with the aggressive Lin Anbang, Lin Hai only replied with three words:

“I’ll take responsibility.”

These words silenced everyone present.

“Are you sure you want to protect this girl?” Lin Anbang couldn’t believe his luck. Could it be this easy?

He had targeted Yu Ning to strike at the Grandma’s faction.

With Lin Zheng still unconscious, the third son, Lin Hai, was the leader of Grandma’s faction.

Lin Anbang had thought it wouldn’t be easy to trap the clever Lin Hai, but now, Lin Hai was delivering himself willingly!!!

“You better think it through. If you vouch for this girl and can’t salvage the stock price, the blame will be on you! I’m not forcing you!”

Yu Ning glanced at Lin Anbang indifferently.

“Comrade Lin Anbang, if you want to laugh, just laugh. Holding it in must be uncomfortable, right?”

Exposed, Lin Anbang was embarrassed, but Lin Hai laughed heartily.

His laugh left Jia Qingqing mesmerized, staring at him in infatuation.

“If she can’t stabilize the stock price within two days, I’ll use my shares to cover the losses caused by the eldest brother.”

Lin Hai said this lightly, his confident demeanor making Lin Anbang swallow hard.

“Words alone aren’t enough. Why should I believe you?” Lin Anbang asked.

Lin Hai snapped his fingers, and a well-dressed man entered. He was the head of Lin’s legal department.

“The agreement is with Old Wang. It’s in black and white, signed by Grandma and me. Once you sign, the bet is effective.”

Lin Anbang could no longer suppress his inner joy, his smile widening uncontrollably.

“But, if she manages to control the situation, what will you pay as a price?”

Lin Hai’s question left Lin Anbang puzzled.

Price? What would he have to pay?

He just wanted to purge Grandma’s faction; he never thought he would have to pay a price, commonly known as getting something for nothing.

“Five percent of your shares. If she calms the storm within three days, you give her five percent of your shares. Grandma said this is a little dowry from you, the father-in-law, to the daughter-in-law.”

“I don’t—” Yu Ning began to speak but was cut off by Lin Hai.

“This is Grandma’s wish. Stay silent for now.”

Yu Ning lowered her eyes.

This third Lin brother was a real smiling tiger, seemingly easygoing but actually very strong-willed.

Compared to the straightforward fifth brother, Lin Hai had a thousand more tricks up his sleeve.

“We’re all family here, why talk about betting? If there’s a problem, we should all bear it together.” Mrs. Lin stepped in.

Lin Hai gave her a faint smile.

“Do you not have confidence in your husband?”

Mrs. Lin, her motives exposed, felt utterly embarrassed.

The prideful Lin Anbang was still hesitating, but Lin Hai’s provocation made him agree impulsively.

“Fine! I’ll bet with you! But I have one condition: if you lose, besides taking responsibility for the falling stock price, she must leave the Lin family forever!”

Lin Anbang pointed at Yu Ning.

“Since it’s a bet, if you add a condition, so do I. If I succeed, you will run around Sanqing Mountain barking like a dog.”

Lin Anbang was momentarily speechless.

Why was this girl so fixated on barking like a dog!

“Can this condition be added?” Yu Ning asked the lawyer politely.

The lawyer hesitated, looked at Lin Hai, who nodded with a smile, and then the lawyer said it could be added.

“Wait! The stakes seem quite high this time?” Yu Ning looked at Lin Hai, who nodded with a smile.

“Yes, this is a serious business proposition, not a game. How about—” Before he could finish, Lin Anbang heard his third son say.

“With such a high stake, one lap won’t suffice. How about two laps, including Mrs. Lin’s part, okay?”

Yu Ning thought for a moment and reluctantly nodded.

She actually felt that two laps were still a bit too easy.

However, considering the limited physical stamina of the middle-aged couple, she agreed reluctantly.

The lawyer quickly drafted the document, amending it on the spot. Despite the unhappy expressions on Lin Anbang and Mrs. Lin’s faces, the matter was settled cheerfully.

Lin Anbang, aggravated by the combination of Yu Ning and Lin Hai, signed the contract without thoroughly reading it.

Mrs. Lin, also inexplicably included, found the terms inappropriate but couldn’t stop the high-battling Lin Hai, who silenced her with a few words.

With a flourish, Lin Anbang signed the hundred-billion-yuan bet centered around Yu Ning.

“You’d rather trust an outsider than side with your own father. Lin Hai, you’ll eventually go bankrupt because of your eldest brother and Grandma.”

Lin Anbang set down the pen, speaking ominously to Lin Hai.

He disliked his third son, only slightly less than his first.

This child, who used to be close to him, had grown up to be so rebellious.

“Save your breath.” Lin Hai said cheerfully.

“What?” Lin Anbang didn’t understand.

“He’s worried you’ll run out of breath while barking around Sanqing Mountain,” Yu Ning commented internally. She thought, was this a case of a bad bamboo producing good shoots?

“You call that filial piety!” Lin Anbang stormed out, not forgetting to leave a final threat.

“When you lose everything, don’t come begging to me for food!”

Mrs. Lin followed closely behind him. Jia Qingqing, reluctant to leave, wanted to speak to Lin Hai but didn’t dare face Yu Ning.

“Third brother, did you change your phone again? I can’t find you on WeChat. Can you re-add me?”

Jia Qingqing frequently turned back, but Lin Hai waved her off with a “bye-bye.”

Yu Ning lowered her eyes. Changing his phone was just an excuse, right? He probably blocked Jia Qingqing.

This was the insidious side of Lin Hai; you couldn’t tell whom he liked or disliked.

Yu Ning’s guess was soon confirmed.

After Lin Anbang and Mrs. Lin left, when only Lin Hai and Yu Ning remained in the living room, Lin Hai’s demeanor changed. He looked at Yu Ning with an oppressive gaze.

“Until you do something worthy of my eldest brother, I won’t acknowledge you as my sister-in-law.”

“Oh.” Truly a good brother to Lin Wu Shao, they all spoke the same way.

“Even though Grandma told me to support you, that’s not my personal stance. If you cause me to lose money, I’ll be in a very bad mood, and not even Grandma can save you then.”

“Oh.” Yu Ning nonchalantly took out her beloved pet from her pocket.

The little black cat bared its teeth at Lin Hai. You brat, what are you so arrogant about? Scaring a girl, is that fun?

“You even keep a dirty little cat?” Lin Hai chuckled, seeing the kitten’s fierce look.

“My eldest brother hates cats. When he wakes up, he’ll throw you and your dirty cat out.”

“Oh.”

“Is ‘oh’ all you can say?”

“Oh.”

Lin Hai ground his teeth. Was it an illusion?

Why did he feel that this dirty little cat in the girl’s arms was smirking at him?

He felt disrespected by a cat! And its owner looked just as cocky.

Narrowing his eyes, displeased with being ignored, Lin Hai suddenly reached out, trapping Yu Ning against the wall in a classic kabedon pose. Then, he leaned in close.

“Little girl, your rebellious mouth is quite interesting.”

Yu Ning watched as he lowered his head, those thin lips pressing down.

The names of the Lin brothers follow the pattern of the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, in that order. It makes it easy to identify their ranks.