Courtyard Houses: From Bronze Compasses to Global Reach

Chapter 343 Fok Ying-tung's Admonition

Late at night, in a suite on the top floor of the Aidu Hotel, Lin Yan heard Lin Yi's telepathic message in his mind.

"Young Master, are you resting?"

"No, is there something you need?" Lin Yan leaned back on the sofa and replied lazily.

"Please open the door."

Lin Yan got up and opened the door, letting Lin Yi and Lin Er in.

"Young Master," Lin Yi spoke first, "tonight we let Lan Huaying go out of respect for Elder Huo. Do you have any plans for him afterwards?"

Lin Yan waved his hand, and two glasses of wine appeared on the table. His tone was casual: "No need to touch him for now. He's just a vermin who flaunts his family's remaining Kuomintang gang connections. But he's used to having everything go his way; he's probably never suffered such humiliation." He took a sip of water, his eyes indifferent. "Don't worry, the Lan family won't swallow this insult. They'll make their move soon. We'll wait until they jump out on their own, then we'll uproot them and throw them into the South China Sea to feed the sharks. Our Lin family can't willingly earn a reputation for being unforgiving."

Lin Er frowned slightly, a hint of confusion in his eyes: "Young Master, I don't think Stanley Ho is a fool. Would he just stand by and watch his brother-in-law act recklessly and drag himself down with him?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Yan smiled knowingly and looked at him: "Lin Er, you only know one side of the story. In a few decades, when Stanley Ho has grown powerful and influential, he might be able to suppress the Lan family. But at this stage, he is far from being the 'Gambling King' of later generations."

He put down his water glass and analyzed, "Right now is a crucial period for him to establish himself in Macau and seize the gambling license by leveraging the Lan family's shady old connections and networks. To put it bluntly, it's Stanley Ho who needs the Lan family more now, not the other way around. His foundation isn't solid yet; how can he possibly subdue the Lan family, who are eager for revenge and have an inflated ego?"

A hint of mockery flashed in Lin Yan's eyes as he smiled at Lin Er and said, "What? Don't believe me? How about we bet a dollar?"

Meanwhile, in the manager's office of the Aidu Hotel, the atmosphere was so heavy it was almost palpable.

Henry Fok and Stanley Ho sat in the main seats, their faces grim as they stared at the trembling casino manager standing in the middle. Under the intense gaze of the two tycoons, the manager dared not conceal anything and nervously recounted the events that had transpired in the VIP room the previous night, from how Lan Huaying had tried to "persuade" the Lin brothers to leave, to how the Lin brothers remained unmoved, to how the conflict erupted, and finally to Lin Yan's earth-shattering remarks.

As he listened to the manager's account, Fok Ying-tung's brows furrowed deeper and deeper, and the veins on his forehead bulged faintly. Stanley Ho's face grew paler and paler. When Lin Yan directly accused him of "abandoning his wife and children and breaking his promises," and bluntly stated that he disliked them, he finally lost his temper, stood up abruptly, and slapped the manager hard across the face!

"You bastards!" Stanley Ho's voice trembled with rage. "What has my Ho family ever done to wrong you? How dare you be so audacious as to bring such a terrible disaster upon me!"

The manager staggered from the blow, covering his face and protesting, "Mr. He! I'm innocent! It was...it was all Mr. Lan's idea to attack those three distinguished guests! Look at their attire and demeanor, especially that young man who hadn't moved an inch. His entire presence was so imposing that I wouldn't dare offend him even if I had ten lives! It was Mr. Lan who felt he had lost face and insisted on...insisting on teaching them a lesson..."

"Enough!" Fok Ying-tung interrupted sharply. He wearily rubbed his temples and ordered in a deep voice towards the door, "Someone, drag this clueless idiot out!"

Two attendants entered in response, and ignoring the manager's cries and pleas for mercy, they dragged him out. His pleas for mercy gradually faded away in the corridor.

Only the two of them remained in the office. Stanley Ho seemed to have all his strength drained away, slumped back into his chair, and looked at Henry Fok with a pleading expression: "Mr. Fok... you must help me this time... you're the only one who can speak for the Lin family."

Henry Fok looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly spoke, his tone more serious than ever before: "Mr. Ho, out of consideration for our past relationship, I can only say that I will try my best to make a connection for you and pass on a message. But whether it will be successful or not, I cannot guarantee."

He stared at Stanley Ho: "Remember these two things: First, if there's a reconciliation banquet tomorrow, not a single member of the Lan family is allowed to show their face! Second, and most importantly, put away all your thoughts and don't harbor any ill intentions towards the Lin family, not even the slightest! They are not people you, or even I, can afford to offend. If you don't listen to my advice and insist on your own way, then not only the Lin family, but even I will not be polite to you!"

He stood up, his tone resolute: "That's all I have to say! You'd better take care of yourself. It's getting late, go back to your room and rest."

After saying this, Fok Ying-tung didn't look at Stanley Ho's pale face again and left the office. Stanley Ho was left alone, dragging his heavy steps back to his private suite.

When Stanley Ho pushed open the suite door, Lam Wah-ying was sitting on the sofa, her face a mixture of lingering resentment and intense unwillingness. Lam King-ying immediately rushed forward from the window, her exquisitely made-up face filled with anxiety.

"Honey, how is it? What did Mr. Fok say?" She grabbed Stanley Ho's arm anxiously.

Stanley Ho did not answer immediately. His gaze passed over his wife and landed heavily on Lan Huaying's face, which was twisted with resentment. The sight made Lan Huaying feel uneasy and unconsciously look away. After a long while, Stanley Ho finally let out a long sigh.

"You two siblings, pack your things and take a ferry back to Hong Kong tonight."

"What?" Lan Qiongying was stunned.

Stanley Ho cut off any possible questions from his wife, his tone leaving no room for argument: "You don't need to show up at tomorrow's reconciliation banquet."

"Husband! This..." Lan Qiongying wanted to argue, but her husband raised his hand to stop her.

"This was Mr. Fok's suggestion." Stanley Ho's gaze swept over the disgruntled Lan Huaying and his bewildered wife, his voice lowering even further. "He didn't explicitly state the reason, only repeatedly emphasizing that the Lin family is someone we can't afford to offend. Even Fok Ying-tung... is someone we can't afford to offend either."

The resentment on Lan Huaying's face was instantly replaced by surprise and uncertainty. Lan Qiongying's eyes widened, her red lips parted slightly, but no sound came out. What was Huo Yingdong's status in Hong Kong? Even he had said such a thing…

Seeing the sudden change in the siblings' expressions, Stanley Ho waved his hand weakly: "Go, set off now. Don't cause any more trouble."

Lan Huaying and Lan Qiongying exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes. Despite their resentment and doubts, under Stanley Ho's unusual sternness and Fok Ying-tung's warning, they could only lower their heads and silently obey the arrangements.