Chapter 309: Drive Lin Mu out of the Qin Family!
"I’ve called you all here today because there is something to announce..." the Old Madam began to speak slowly from the main seat.
Before she could finish, however, someone interrupted her.
"Great-grandmother, I have something to say first."
Qin Hao suddenly stood up, his expression serious and earnest.
"Qin Hao, what are you doing? When the Old Madam is speaking, is it your turn to talk?" someone scolded him the moment he opened his mouth.
The speaker was none other than the Qin Family’s second son, Qin Hongshu.
"Qin Hao, sit down!" Qin Hongbo also chided, his face turning ugly. "You insolent brat! You have no respect for your elders!"
"Old Madam, please don’t be angry. It is my failure to discipline him properly that has led Qin Hao to be so disrespectful," Qin Hongbo apologized to the Old Madam.
"It’s nothing."
The Old Madam, who seemed to be in a good mood, was not angry at all. Instead, she said with a chuckle, "Hao’er, go ahead and speak."
Hao’er was the Old Madam’s nickname for Qin Hao, a sign of her affection.
Upon hearing the Old Madam’s form of address, Qin Hongshu’s brows furrowed, but a look of delight spread across Chen Xinlan’s face. The Old Madam only used nicknames for the younger generation when she was pleased.
"Thank you, Great-grandmother!" Qin Hao, overjoyed, immediately said, "Everyone knows what happened at the Yunshang Clubhouse today, right?"
Qin Hao was, of course, referring to the incident where the funeral for the son of River City’s richest man, Qiao Tianhao, had been disrupted.
At his words, everyone’s gaze involuntarily shifted toward Lin Mu.
"Great-grandmother, the truth is..." Qin Luoli, flustered, was about to explain, but the Old Madam simply waved her hand.
"Let him speak."
No one had informed the Old Madam about this matter, so she was unaware of the details.
Lin Mu paused for a moment before smiling faintly.
So, they were waiting here to ambush me. How childish.
He shook his head slightly, not taking them seriously.
With the Old Madam’s permission, Qin Hao continued, "Today was supposed to be the funeral for Qiao Zishan, the son of River City’s richest man, Qiao Tianhao. Countless elites from River City were invited to attend."
"Of course, his real intention was not to hold a memorial service for his son, but to use the occasion to organize a fundraiser."
At this point, Qin Hao shot a cold glance at Lin Mu. "Unexpectedly, before the charity gala could even begin, someone ruined it!"
"The person who disrupted this charity gala is him!" Qin Hao pointed a finger at Lin Mu. "Lin Mu, do you admit your guilt?!"
The atmosphere in the hall instantly grew tense.
Everyone knew about the incident. Although some were displeased with Lin Mu’s actions, no one dared to bring it up in front of the Old Madam. After all, Lin Mu was Qin Luoli’s husband, and Qin Luoli was in charge of the entire Qin Corporation. Offending her might mean forgoing their year-end bonuses.
Hearing Qin Hao’s words, the Old Madam lifted her eyelids and looked at Lin Mu. "Lin Mu, is this true?"
"Old Madam, what actually happened was..."
As Qin Luoli tried to explain, the Old Madam tapped the arm of her chair and said coolly, "I wasn’t asking you. Let Lin Mu speak for himself."
Qin Luoli’s expression changed slightly, and she couldn’t help but grow anxious.
In contrast, Qin Hao and the others were ecstatic. From the look on her face, the Old Madam was preparing to hold him accountable. This was to be expected, as the Old Madam placed immense importance on such matters. It would be strange if she wasn’t furious that Lin Mu had committed an act that tarnished the family’s reputation.
Facing the crowd’s varied gazes, Lin Mu slowly rose to his feet. "Yes, I did it."
The moment he spoke, the entire room fell silent.
He admitted it? Lin Mu actually admitted it?
Not just Qin Luoli, but even Qin Hao was stunned. He had prepared a long list of arguments to use once Lin Mu denied it, ready to rebuke him and even call in witnesses. He never expected Lin Mu to admit to his actions so readily, without even offering an explanation.
"Hmph. Good, as long as you admit it!" Qin Hao sneered. "You disrupted a man’s funeral and caused a charity event to end before it began. Lin Mu, and you still don’t recognize your crime!"
"Oh?" Lin Mu glanced at Qin Hao indifferently. "And what crime might that be?"
"You’ve brought shame upon our family and caused irreparable losses to the Qin Corporation! Is that not a crime?" Qin Hao retorted angrily.
"I really don’t see what this has to do with the Qin Family’s reputation, much less how it caused any losses for the Qin Corporation," Lin Mu said calmly. "Why don’t you explain it to me."
"Fine! You want an explanation? I’ll give you one!" Qin Hao sneered maliciously. He took out a stack of documents and stepped forward to hand them to the Old Madam.
"Old Madam, because of Lin Mu, many companies have severed their business ties with our Qin Corporation. Countless orders have been canceled, resulting in direct losses of several hundred million, and the indirect losses are even more shocking!"
Qin Hao flipped through the pages, ensuring the Old Madam could see them clearly.
Beside them, Qin Luoli’s expression changed. She hadn’t expected the consequences of this incident to be so severe.
"This..." Qin Ming couldn’t help but interject. "These losses amount to thirty percent of the Qin Corporation’s value!"
"Cousin Qin Ming is as sharp-eyed as ever!" Qin Hao said, waving the documents in his hand. "Elders, if you don’t believe me, you can all take a look."
The documents were passed around, and with each person who read them, their expressions grew uglier. They couldn’t believe so many companies had terminated their partnerships with the Qin Corporation. Even some business allies who had worked with them for years were preparing to cut ties.
"Lin Mu, you traitor to the Qin Family!" Chen Xinlan pointed at him and roared. "The Qin Family has treated you well! Why would you harm us like this?"
"He’s just an ungrateful wretch!" Qin Hao sneered.
Lin Mu’s gaze turned cold. "These documents should, by rights, be sent to the president of the Qin Corporation. I wonder, how did they end up in your hands?"
Lin Mu’s simple question stunned everyone into silence.
That’s right. Qin Hao holds no position in the company. Only the president, Qin Luoli, would have access to this information.
"I..." Qin Hao’s expression flickered, caught off guard as Lin Mu instantly found the flaw in his attack.
Chen Xinlan quickly jumped in. "As a member of the Qin Family, why can’t Hao’er be informed? On the other hand, you’re the one who disrupted a funeral and... and made Rich Master Qiao so angry he coughed up blood! How do you think outsiders see the Qin Family now? How do they see the Old Madam?"
With every word, Chen Xinlan leveled another serious accusation, clearly trying to back Lin Mu into a corner.
"Exactly!" Qin Hao sneered. "I may not be the president of the Qin Corporation, but I own shares in this family business!"
Besides Qin Luoli’s forty-one percent stake in the Qin Corporation, the Old Madam and Elder Master Qin also held some shares. The rest were controlled by people like Qin Hongbo. Qin Hao’s statement was plausible.
"A bunch of short-sighted fools. We’re better off without partners like that," Lin Mu said lightly, appearing unconcerned.
"That’s easy for you to say!" Qin Hao fumed. "The Old Madam and our elders built every part of the Qin Corporation’s foundation bit by bit! And now, because of your recklessness, you’ve caused our family such devastating losses!"
"I propose that Lin Mu be expelled from the Qin Family, and that Qin Luoli step down from her position as president!"
Qin Hao stared ferociously at Lin Mu, finally revealing their true motive.