The speaker was Old Master Du’s second son, Du Mingchun. He was Du Yu’s half-brother and one of the strongest contenders for the family fortune.
When Du Yu heard this, he turned around and snapped, “Du Mingchun, that’s enough.”
Du Mingchun yawned and said, somewhat displeased, “I’m only telling the truth. Dad, you’re getting old, so you’d better keep your eyes open. In this day and age, there are all kinds of frauds. If you said a gentleman from the Bai family had cured your strange illness, we’d all believe you.”
“But Big Brother says this young man named Lin Fan was the one who cured you. I looked into him during the day. He’s just an ordinary person……”
“Shut up!” Old Master Du turned around and glared at Du Mingchun. His name was Du Zhengguo, and he had dominated the business world for many years.
Du Mingchun was extremely dissatisfied. This time, Du Zhengguo had contracted a strange illness and was on the verge of death. If he really died before making a will, all of them, brothers and sisters alike, would have been able to take a good share of the enormous family fortune.
Unfortunately, Lin Fan had suddenly appeared and cured Du Zhengguo!
With a face full of smiles, Du Zhengguo said to Lin Fan, “Mr. Lin, please don’t take it to heart. Come in, the meal is ready.”
Although he was still smiling, a trace of doubt had also begun to stir in his heart.
After all, only Du Yu and Bai Jingyun had been there at the time. Du Yu clearly didn’t have the ability to get someone as proud and haughty as Bai Jingyun to testify for him.
Lin Fan also noticed the change in Du Zhengguo’s expression, but he didn’t care. He followed everyone inside.
The villa was no longer as empty as it had been when Lin Fan came before. Quite a few maids were inside, setting dishes on the table.
A long table stood in the main hall, with a wide variety of dishes already laid out on it.
Without question, Du Zhengguo took the seat at the head of the table. The second seat should have belonged to Du Yu, the heir apparent.
Yet Du Yu arranged for Lin Fan to sit there instead.
The Du family was a family-run business, and their rules for dining were strict. Everyone’s place at the table was determined with great precision.
But just as Lin Fan took his seat, a woman in her early thirties said coldly, “Big Brother, so Lin Fan merely cured Father’s illness. What has he done to deserve the second seat? Our Du family has never had a habit of letting outsiders sit there.”
Du Yu’s brows drew together slightly. He looked toward Du Zhengguo, only to find that Du Zhengguo seemed not to have heard anything, as though he were waiting for Du Yu to handle it.
Clearly, Du Zhengguo also had some doubts about whether Lin Fan was genuine. Even Bai Jingyun couldn’t cure him, so could this ordinary high school student really do it?
Du Yu looked at everyone seated farther down the table. “You should all know who Mr. Lin really is. Be careful what you say.”
Du Mingchun said, “I have no idea who this Lin Fan is. Oh, right, now I remember. He’s nothing more than a high school student.”
The woman in her early thirties immediately spoke up as well. “Big Brother, are you trying to say this high school student is a layman? If he’s a layman, then he should show us what he can really do. Otherwise, how can any of us believe him?”
Du Yu clenched his fists and shouted, “Do you think laymen are circus performers? How dare you!”
Others might not know what Lin Fan was capable of, but Du Yu knew very well. Lin Fan was far more powerful than Bai Jingyun.
After all, the Du family had spent a huge sum of money just to invite Bai Jingyun over. Establishing a connection with a layman was simply too important.
This world was far from peaceful, especially for wealthy families like theirs.
Those idiots, just because they were jealous of him, actually wanted the Du family to throw away the chance to build a relationship with a layman?
Du Yu hurriedly said to Lin Fan, “Mr. Lin, please don’t take offense……”
“It’s fine,” Lin Fan said. “It looks like the Du family isn’t exactly very happy to have me here.”
As he spoke, Lin Fan cast a glance at Du Zhengguo. How could he fail to see that if Du Zhengguo opened his mouth, everyone here would shut up? Yet Du Zhengguo showed no intention of saying anything.
Lin Fan secretly smiled bitterly. It seemed he had been too naive. He had thought that coming here would make him an honored guest, but it turned out he had only come to be mistreated.
“Since the Du family doesn’t welcome me, then forget it. I won’t impose on you for this meal. Goodbye.” As he spoke, Lin Fan rose and headed toward the main door. Du Yu hurriedly ran after him, intending to persuade him to stay.
“Dad, look. This man is obviously a fraud. Big Brother was so easily deceived that he made the whole family wait out in the cold for so long. How is he supposed to lead the Du family in the business world in the future?” Du Mingchun said with a laugh.
When Lin Fan heard Du Mingchun’s words, he stopped. He turned back toward everyone at the table, then smiled and asked Du Zhengguo, “Old Master Du, aren’t you going to say something?”
“I would also very much like to see what Mr. Lin is capable of.” Du Zhengguo’s words were polite, but it was obvious that Du Mingchun’s words had completely swayed him.
He, too, was very curious as to whether Lin Fan truly possessed any real ability.
Du Yu’s expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly tried to dissuade him. “Dad! Mr. Lin, he……”
“Does what I say no longer count?” Du Zhengguo glared at Du Yu.
Du Yu knew exactly how capable Lin Fan was, and his heart was filled with anxiety. Not only had he failed to form a good relationship with Lin Fan, he was about to offend him instead!
He silently cursed Du Zhengguo for being muddleheaded.
There was nothing he could do. A businessman like Du Zhengguo was absolutely cunning and shrewd. He knew that his children were all secretly scheming to inherit the family fortune.
Although Du Yu was already the successor he had chosen, there was no guarantee that his other brothers would not find a way to bring him down.
Under such circumstances, it was entirely possible that Du Yu might find someone to impersonate a layman in order to secure his position.
After all, Lin Fan’s appearance made it difficult to associate him with the mysterious and unfathomable image of a layman.
A habitual, faint smile appeared on Lin Fan’s face, and a talisman instantly appeared in his hand. “Since you’re curious, then I’ll let you see whether or not I’m qualified to sit in the second seat at the Du family’s table.”
With that, Lin Fan tossed the talisman into the air. A moment later, it exploded with a bang and transformed into a vast mass of blazing flames that burned in midair, dancing like a fire dragon.
The temperature inside the room suddenly rose. The flames illuminated everyone’s skin until their faces were flushed red.
“H-how is this possible!” Du Mingchun’s entire body trembled, and his pupils contracted slightly.
This man really was a layman!
Everyone present underwent a drastic change of expression, their hearts filled with shock. They had mocked Lin Fan partly because of Du Yu, but more importantly, because they hadn’t believed that Lin Fan was a layman!
Who would have thought that Lin Fan really was one!
Du Zhengguo also abruptly rose to his feet. Although he was not part of the Yin-Yang Realm and did not know any magical arts, he knew the head of the Bai family and had even seen the head of the Bai family cast spells.
He had a discerning eye. Lin Fan’s strength was astonishingly powerful, to the point that he could probably rival the head of the Bai family.
One had to understand that the Bai family was a yin-yang family with more than two hundred years of heritage.
Yet this young man before him looked far too young, while his strength had already reached such a level. Could it be, could it be that the background behind this young man was even greater than the Bai family’s?
Du Zhengguo’s heart lurched: Damn it, how was he supposed to get out of this?