boyutpedia Chapter 373 The End is Also the Beginning: The Lin Family's Undefeated Golden Age
Chapter 373 The End is Also the Beginning: The Lin Family's Undefeated Golden Age
As always, the first rays of salty moisture and golden morning light from the sea off Anor Island pierced through the bas-relief dome atop the castle on time.
A full month has passed since that farewell concert in Beijing that shocked the global entertainment industry.
The clamor from the outside world and the crazy speculations about the "real reason behind the retreat of the Song Immortal" all turned into meaningless radio wave dust when faced with the quantum defense barrier around Anno Island, which was raised by two dimensions.
Lin Zhou, as always, wore his unbranded white tank top and oversized flip-flops, squatting somewhat frivolously beside the vegetable garden in the backyard of the castle.
"Coo coo coo... Listen up, all of you! If anyone dares not lay an egg today, that acoustics institute in Britain will be your new home tomorrow."
Lin Zhou, clutching a handful of premium grains freshly pulled from the greenhouse, was gritting his teeth as he lectured several plump hens in the enclosure. He had completely grown accustomed to days without the system panel flashing in his mind. Those task countdowns that once kept him on edge had now become nothing more than trivial squabbles over whether these few free-range chickens would obey him.
"Young master, if you keep bothering with these chickens, Madam will say you're being childish when she comes downstairs later."
Old Chen stood to the side, holding a plate of freshly cut tropical guava, looking somewhat helpless. The old butler's black tailcoat was perfectly pressed without a single wrinkle, maintaining the highest level of decorum befitting the Lin family even in the salty sea breeze.
Lin Zhou patted the grain residue off his hands and stood up casually.
"Old Chen, you don't understand, this is called enjoying life. Without Brother Tong constantly issuing tasks in my ear, I need to find a place to showcase my management talents, right?"
He raised an eyebrow, and was about to take a piece of fruit from the plate in Old Chen's hand when he heard an extremely violent roar coming from the direction of the holographic helipad ahead.
That was the sound of a heavy-duty cross-border helicopter specially made by the Lin Group landing.
A moment later, the wooden door leading to the locker room was pushed open with a bang.
Li Ming, the president of Starry Sky Media, and Zhou Yang, who had been a "henpecked husband" in Beijing for many years, rushed over from the corner of the corridor, covered in sweat and somewhat stumbling.
"President Lin! Something terrible has happened!"
Li Ming swallowed hard, clutching a holographic tablet that was flashing a top-secret red light tightly in his hand, the muscles on his old face twitching slightly.
"What are you yelling about? How many times have I told you, I'm retired now. Even if the sky falls on Wall Street, I have my trillion-dollar trust fund to support me. What are you two panicking about?"
Lin Zhou picked at his ear with a hint of impatience and glared at the two uninvited guests with a touch of disdain.
Zhou Yang, somewhat disregarding the sweat beading on his forehead, strode forward and began shouting at the top of his lungs.
"Old Lin, this time it really wasn't those old foxes on Wall Street shorting the market. It was those reclusive powerful families in the West who, together with more than a dozen cross-border shipping giants, conducted some kind of 'Global Entertainment Joint Defense Exercise' on the open sea 30 nautical miles off Anno Island."
"These bastards are clearly after the copyright deal that Sister-in-law Qingge got with her comeback. Li Ming said they even brought out a deep-sea anti-submarine submarine, which is obviously an attempt to force you back to the negotiating table to sign an agreement."
Hearing the words "exercise" and "forced to sign an agreement" made me feel uneasy.
Lin Zhou's previously somewhat lazy gaze suddenly became extremely focused.
The terrifying ferocity he once possessed—the ability to crush an enemy's throat with one hand on a stormy night in Beijing and to look down on everyone on the Hollywood awards stage—had been largely washed away by ten years of raising children. But in this instant, it was like a dormant volcano being hit by a nuclear bomb, suddenly revived.
The air around the hall seemed to drop to freezing point in that instant.
"A military exercise? A military exercise on my doorstep?"
Lin Zhou lowered his head and sneered, then casually ripped off the pink apron with Peppa Pig printed on it and threw it hard on the kitchen counter.
"It seems those old fogies outside really think that once I, Lin Zhou, retire, I can no longer wield the butcher's knife."
"Old Chen, bring out that black suit that's been sitting at the bottom of my trunk for ten years."
"Young Master, the clothes have already been sterilized and ironed in the ventilation duct, and are ready for boarding at any time."
Old Chen's body suddenly straightened, and two extremely sharp, cold glints suddenly shot out from his previously somewhat cloudy old eyes. This old butler, who had served two generations, had waited far too long for this day.
"Lin Zhou, where are you going to fight again?"
Just as Lin Zhou was preparing to take Zhou Yang and the others directly to the open sea to deal with these ignorant tycoons, Su Qingge's clear and gentle voice slowly came from the corner of the stairs.
She wore a simple white cotton dress, her long hair loose, and held the hand of little An'an, who had just changed into her school uniform and was nervously fiddling with her fingers. Thirteen-year-old Lin An was growing rapidly, and although she was pretty, her dark eyes were filled with excitement.
Behind Lin An, twenty-year-old Lin Nuonuo excitedly put the pure silver pink diamond elder sister whistle in her mouth.
"Dad! Count me in! I want to see which blind little fatso dares to come to our island and steal our spicy snacks!"
Nuonuo waved her little fists, and her roguish, bandit-like demeanor stunned Zhou Yang.
"Sister-in-law, this girl looks even more like a gangster boss than Old Lin did back then..."
Zhou Yang shrank his neck and muttered something in a very low voice.
Lin Zhou walked up to Su Qingge and gently pecked his wife's red lips. Then, facing the whole family, he gave a wild and cynical smile.
"Qingge, wait for me on the island for dinner. Tonight, I'm going to make those blind old foxes outside use their decades of family wealth to pay for this meal."
He turned his head and, somewhat haphazardly, patted his son and daughter on the head once each.
"Nuonuo, Xiao'an, stay on the island with Grandpa Chen."
"Today, Dad will show you that even without the so-called system judgment, I am still the only true god on this planet, the one whose word is law."
After speaking, Lin Zhou turned around and strode towards the heavy helicopter that had already taken off with a roar. The hem of his black suit fluttered in the tropical sea breeze, and the domineering aura he exuded at that moment even suppressed the rolling waves of the open sea by three points.
Zhou Yang and Li Ming exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with the fervor of witnessing a miracle, and hurriedly followed.
Su Qingge stood on the white marble terrace of the castle, the sea breeze ruffling the hem of her moon-white dress. She watched the helicopter gradually disappear at the horizon, her peach blossom eyes filled with tenderness and trust, devoid of any worry.
"Mom, is Dad going to 'expand his territory' again today?"
Thirteen-year-old Lin An tugged at his mother's hand with some curiosity.
Su Qingge smiled and hugged her two children tightly. Above their heads, the dual protective array of [Eternal Health] and physical defense left behind by the system before its departure was emitting a faint white light that was invisible to the naked eye but absolutely invincible, protecting the entire Anno Island at its very center.
"No, your father just went to tell this era."
Su Qingge gazed at the Pacific Ocean, its blueness reaching its peak, her red lips parted slightly, and her clear voice echoed through the marble corridor.
"As long as the Lin family remains on this island, the rules of this planet must always be obeyed."
On the high seas in the distance, dozens of steel behemoths are arrayed in formation.
Meanwhile, in the sky, the heavy Black Hawk helicopter belonging to the Lin Group was aggressively entering the market with an almost domineering and invincible aura.
Lin Zhou sat in the cabin, holding a glass of Romanée-Conti that Old Chen had specially prepared. He raised his glass in a somewhat cynical manner towards the massive fleet trembling in the open sea.
This is his home turf.
Never-ending.
The Lin family's golden age has only just begun its most brilliant and invincible chapter at this moment.
"Young Master, Mr. Li asked, if those old guys don't kneel down fast enough today, which bank should we short first?"
Old Chen's voice in the headset was deep and had a steely edge.
Lin Zhou swirled the wine in his glass, his eyes filled with unbridled arrogance.
"Do it all, and make them all go feed the chickens for me tonight."
(End of the book)