Chapter 32: Threat

Chapter 32: Threat

"I'll just call you Cadre Lin, then. I've got some clothes I've never even worn, and we're about the same size, so you can wear mine first." Wan'er stood up and said.

Lin Zhijin was inwardly speechless. Wasn't this the classic soap opera trope?

First, someone "accidentally" spills water on her, then she's led off to change clothes, then there's some strange man in the changing room, and then people bust in to catch them in the act. Lin Zhijin, as a woman, would be like a fish on a cutting board, completely at their mercy.

Lin Zhijin glanced at her clothes, then felt the gun in her bag. "I'm afraid of catching a chill, so I won't go out. I'll wait in the side room. Could you have your maid bring the clothes here?"

Wan'er actually agreed right away, sending her young maid to fetch the clothes while she herself led Lin Zhijin to the side room.

"Wait here a sec. I'll go check on why the maid hasn't come yet." Wan'er tried to slip away.

Lin Zhijin grabbed Wan'er's arm. Trying to run off?

"Miss Wan'er, I'm a little scared being alone here. Could you keep me company? Speaking of which, I'm really curious about America. I heard they've got skyscrapers everywhere over there, and you don't need firewood or coal to cook—you just turn a knob and fire comes out. And they've got those washing machines for clothes. Is that true? Have you been there?" Lin Zhijin deliberately positioned herself on the outside of Chen Wan'er, near the air vent, worried there might be something like love incense burning in the room.

Chen Wan'er hadn't expected Lin Zhijin to stop her from leaving. She tried to shake off Lin Zhijin's hand, but her grip was surprisingly strong—she couldn't break free at all.

Chen Wan'er's face fell, and the panic in her eyes didn't slip past Lin Zhijin.

"I've never been to America either, Cadre Lin. Grandmother's still waiting for me, so I need to go now." Chen Wan'er tried to pull her hand free, but it was no use.

Lin Zhijin smiled sweetly, as if she hadn't noticed Chen Wan'er struggling. Instead, she pulled her even closer and dropped her voice. "Didn't the old lady tell you to keep me company? No rush. Let's wait till the maid brings the clothes. I'm a little scared all alone here."

Chen Wan'er couldn't see any fear in Lin Zhijin at all—in fact, she seemed almost intrigued, as if she were looking forward to what was coming next.

"Cadre Lin..." Chen Wan'er struggled to keep her smile in place. "The clothes'll be here soon. Please let go of me first..."

"Why? I'd like to get a little closer to Miss Wan'er." Lin Zhijin blinked with an innocent look. "Miss Wan'er's in such a hurry to leave—could it be there's some danger in this room?"

Chen Wan'er's heart dropped. She realized she'd underestimated Lin Zhijin. Both she and her grandmother had been fooled by Lin Zhijin before—all that timidity and cowardice was all just an act.

"What nonsense are you talking about? This is the Chen residence. What danger could there possibly be?" Chen Wan'er scolded, trying to sound fierce but failing miserably.

Just then, the side room door was shoved open from outside.

A tall man barged in, reeking of booze, his eyes glazed over. When he saw the two women in the room, a sleazy grin spread across his face.

"Miss Lin, what are you doing here?" The man's gaze locked onto Lin Zhijin, his lust barely concealed.

Chen Wan'er saw who it was, and a flicker of satisfaction at their plan working crossed her eyes. But then she noticed her hand was still firmly in Lin Zhijin's grip and shook it in annoyance.

"Grand-uncle, what are you doing here?" Chen Wan'er asked, feigning curiosity.

Lin Zhijin saw Li Siqi and understood immediately. So it was still the same cheap trick. Instead of letting go, she yanked Chen Wan'er in front of her, using her as a shield between herself and Li Siqi.

"Little grand-uncle-in-law? What are you doing in this side room?" Lin Zhijin's voice stayed calm, even carrying a hint of naive curiosity.

Li Siqi staggered over, drunk, reaching out to touch Lin Zhijin's face. But since Lin Zhijin had pulled Chen Wan'er forward, his hand landed on Chen Wan'er's cheek instead.

"Pretty little thing, come have a drink with your big brother?"

Chen Wan'er's face went white with fright as she screamed, "Grand-uncle, what are you doing! I'm Wan'er!"

"Sister Lin, I know that's you." Li Siqi chuckled lecherously. "Have you been waiting for me long? Don't worry, your grand-uncle is here to take care of you now."

Chen Wan'er's face drained of all color, white as paper. "Grand-uncle, look at me! It's me, Wan'er!"

"Tsk. A grand-uncle and his grand-niece—if anyone saw this, well, well, the Chen family would certainly make headlines." Lin Zhijin tightened her grip, and Chen Wan'er winced in pain.

At that moment, Li Siqi grabbed Chen Wan'er and shoved her aside, turning his gaze to Lin Zhijin. The drunkenness was gone from his eyes.

"Sister Lin, Wan'er is my grand-niece, and besides, she's nowhere near as beautiful as you. You don't know this, but the moment I saw you that day, I've been thinking of you day and night, dreaming of you every night. Sister Lin, don't worry—I'll marry you and make you my legitimate wife." With that, Li Siqi lunged at her.

Lin Zhijin's eyes turned icy cold in an instant. She stepped toward the door, swiftly pulled out her gun from her bag, and aimed the dark muzzle directly between Li Siqi's eyes.

"Oh? You want to marry me?"

Li Siqi immediately raised his hands, staring at the gun in terror. He never would have imagined Lin Zhijin would bring a gun to a dinner party.

"Sister Lin..." Seeing Lin Zhijin's grim expression, Li Siqi quickly changed his address. "Cadre Lin, please put that thing down. This isn't a joke—if it goes off, it could kill someone."

Lin Zhijin's lips curled slightly. With a click, she released the safety. "Our director said that if we encounter danger, we can shoot directly—it counts as self-defense. Do you think blowing you away right now would count as self-defense? The thing is, I'm not a very good shot. I've only been practicing for a few months, so I could hit anywhere. And if one shot doesn't kill you, I'd have to fire another. That would hurt quite a bit, wouldn't it?"

Li Siqi was drenched in sweat, terrified. He hadn't expected the seemingly delicate Lin Zhijin to be so ruthless.

Trembling, he stammered, "Cadre Lin, I was just drunk and out of my mind. Just treat me like a fart and let me go. I... I'll kneel for you, okay? Please don't kill me. It was all my eldest sister's idea—yes, she's the one who came up with it."

"Grand-uncle?" Chen Wan'er looked at Li Siqi in disbelief.

"Yes, and her too." Li Siqi pointed at Chen Wan'er. "She was in on it too. It really wasn't me. Cadre Lin, please spare me."

"Grand-uncle?" Chen Wan'er looked at Lin Zhijin in fear. "It wasn't me. But look, you're a government cadre now. Pointing a gun at ordinary citizens isn't right, is it? Cadre Lin, why don't you put the gun down first, and we can talk properly."

Lin Zhijin raised an eyebrow and took two more steps back, putting more distance between them to prevent any sudden attempts to grab the gun.

Just then, hurried footsteps approached from outside, accompanied by Chen Lishi's anxious calls: "Wan'er! Wan'er! What's going on?"

The moment Chen Lishi entered and saw her most beloved younger brother kneeling on the ground, then looked up to see Lin Zhijin pointing a gun at his head, she gasped, her breath catching. She staggered backward and would have fallen if not for Chunlan supporting her.

Pointing a trembling finger at Lin Zhijin, she made guttural sounds before finally finding her voice and shouting angrily, "Lin Pandi, you... you've lost your mind! You're pointing a gun at my brother?"

"Oh my goodness!" The Seventh Concubine, hearing the commotion, rushed over to watch the excitement. Seeing Lin Zhijin holding a gun at the door, she screamed in fright and clutched her pounding chest. "What's going on here?"

In the critical moment, it was Mother Sun who kept her composure. She first sent someone to fetch the Second and Third Masters, while she spoke to Lin Zhijin in a soothing tone.

"Cadre Lin, what are you doing? If the old master's brother-in-law has done something wrong, we'll apologize to you. But a gun is no joke—if it accidentally goes off and someone gets hurt, what then?"

"I have no choice. Your master's brother-in-law came in and verbally harassed me, even tried to force himself on me. This is self-defense." Lin Zhijin stared at Chen Lishi for a moment. "Earlier, the Second Madam told me that your kindness toward me was really about marrying me off to your good-for-nothing brother who's skilled in nothing but idleness, drinking, gambling, and womanizing. I didn't believe it then. And now this happens today. You don't still think I'm the old Lin Pandi, do you? My name is now Lin Zhijin, and I'm a government cadre. Scheming against me? Your Chen family clearly doesn't take the government or the Women's Federation seriously."

Second Master Chen, who had hurried over, happened to hear these words. His expression darkened as he cast a cold glance at Chen Lishi and the ashen-faced Li Siqi.

"Cadre Lin, this is all a misunderstanding. Brother-in-law Li loses all sense of direction when he drinks. But you've indeed been wronged today. Don't worry—we'll make it up to you properly. Brother-in-law Li, apologize to Cadre Lin at once." Second Master Chen glared at Li Siqi.

"Cadre Lin, I'm truly sorry. I was really drunk and out of my mind. I apologize. I'm sorry. When I get back, the Li family will prepare a generous gift that will definitely satisfy you." Li Siqi had survived this long precisely because he knew when to bend.

"Hmph. I'm done with the Chen family. Don't invite me to any more of these banquets in the future—even if you do, I won't come." Lin Zhijin took the opportunity to cut ties with the Chen family, especially Chen Lishi, who kept trying to use past favors to control her.

"This was an accident, Cadre Lin. Why don't you put the gun down first? If it accidentally goes off and someone gets hurt, that wouldn't be good." Second Master Chen said with a smile, though there was a hint of threat in his tone.

So he was testing whether she dared to shoot. Lin Zhijin was hesitating whether to fire a warning shot to make an example of them when she saw Li Yue and Wang Chunhua striding over, followed by Fourth Master Chen and Fifth Master Chen.

"Sister Li Yue, Sister Chunhua." Lin Zhijin glanced at her watch. Unbeknownst to her, it had already reached their agreed-upon time, so they had come straight in.

Li Yue walked up to Lin Zhijin, looking her over from head to toe. Satisfied that she was unharmed, she turned to face Second Master Chen and Li Siqi on the ground.

"He didn't do anything to you, did he?" Li Yue's gaze swept over Li Siqi, murderous intent flashing in her eyes, looking ready to strike at any moment.

Wang Chunhua, equally grim-faced, exuded a murderous aura as she glared at the Chen family. The men fared better, but the women present turned pale with fear—especially Li Siqi, who trembled so violently that a wet stain spread beneath him.

"He never touched me." Lin Zhijin stepped out in disgust. He'd actually wet himself in fear, yet still had the nerve to scheme against her.

She wasn't the only one disgusted. The Chen family, including Chen Lishi, followed out one by one, leaving Li Siqi slumped alone on the floor.

"Director Li, we truly apologize for today's incident. We had no idea our uncle would wander into this side room while drunk." Fourth Master Chen currently worked at the municipal office and had thoroughly researched every leader—like Li Yue, the new director of the Women's Federation on Anhe Street, whose husband was a deputy brigade commander. As for Wang Chunhua, her own abilities were average, but her husband was a division commander. Neither was a family the Chens could afford to offend.

"So being drunk makes it okay to act like that?" Wang Chunhua drew her gun, clicked off the safety, and swept the room with a sharp gaze. "Zhijin has a gentle temper, but we don't. I was killing Japs while you all were still in diapers. Mess with Zhijin, and you mess with us. A simple 'sorry' and that's it? No way."

"Cadre Lin, I'm truly sorry. You came back for the reunion dinner and ended up being treated unfairly. Besides the Li family, the Chen family will also come to your door to apologize." Second Master Chen stepped forward, his face full of regret.

Lin Zhijin glanced at them. Coming to her door to apologize—what a clever move. They wanted to make public her connection to the Chen family?

"No need. Since the Liberation, Zhijin has had nothing to do with the Chen family. If you want to apologize, then show some sincerity. And if you want to scheme against Zhijin, you'll have to get through me." Li Yue's expression darkened.

Second Master Chen's expression remained unchanged, and he tried to smooth things over, but Fourth Master Chen tugged at his sleeve.

Li Yue was clearly helping Lin Zhijin cut ties with the Chen family. Rushing in now would only offend her. Given the backgrounds of those Women's Federation people, they weren't a family a merchant like the Chens could afford to offend. The common folk never fight the officials—that was an unchanging truth.

"Fine. The Chen family will no longer disturb Cadre Lin." After saying this, Fourth Master Chen glanced at his assistant, who tactfully pulled a document envelope from his pocket. He took it and handed it to Lin Zhijin. "This is the Chen family's apology gift. We hope Cadre Lin can forgive our inadequacies."

A document envelope? The Chens wouldn't hand over something worthless—it clearly contained something of considerable value.

Lin Zhijin glanced at Li Yue and accepted it directly. What was there to fear? If it proved problematic, she could donate it again. Let the Chens try to go against the state.

"I accept the Chen family's apology gift. I expect Fourth Master Chen will keep his word—from now on, I have no connection to the Chen family. I hope you won't disturb me again." Lin Zhijin turned to Chen Lishi. "When I first entered the Chen household, you showed me some kindness, though it was with ulterior motives. With today's incident, I don't owe you anything anymore. Don't come looking for me again."

After a few steps, Lin Zhijin turned her head and said, "Next time, bullets don't have eyes. Don't believe me? Try it."

"Bang!" Lin Zhijin fired a shot directly into the open ground.

Watching the Chens' faces turn ashen with fear, she snorted coldly, "I'm Lin Zhijin, not Lin Pandi."

Wang Chunhua's eyes lit up, and she patted Lin Zhijin's shoulder with satisfaction. "Well said. You're not the old Lin Pandi—you're Cadre Lin Zhijin, backed by the state and the organization. What the hell are you afraid of?"

Once outside the Chen family gates, Lin Zhijin's legs went weak. Had Li Yue not caught her, she would have collapsed to the ground.

Pointing a gun at someone's head for the first time felt completely different from pointing at a target during training. She hadn't been as calm as she appeared—especially after releasing the safety, she'd feared an accidental discharge that might blow someone's head off.

"I just praised you, and now you've turned into a limp noodle?" Wang Chunhua looked Lin Zhijin up and down, unable to resist teasing.

Li Yue shot her a look, then patted Lin Zhijin's arm. "Don't listen to Sister Chunhua. We were scared too the first time we held a gun."

"Yeah, I'm much better now." Lin Zhijin steadied herself and said sincerely, "Thank you, Sister Li Yue and Sister Chunhua. Without you two, I couldn't have gotten away so easily, let alone gotten rid of the Chen family so fast."

"You knew it was dangerous? Then don't do something like using yourself as bait again." Li Yue looked at Lin Zhijin—frail on the outside, but bold and strong-willed within—and spoke sternly.

Lin Zhijin nodded. "I know. But Old Madam Chen kept harping on about past favors and sent people to summon me to the Chen mansion every now and then. I truly wanted no more ties with them, so I seized this chance to get rid of her."

She wasn't truly reckless. First, she had her gun. Second, she knew Li Yue and Wang Chunhua were waiting outside.

Li Yue offered a faint smile. "At least the outcome was good."

"Yeah, what do you think's in here?" Lin Zhijin shook the document envelope, changing the subject.

Li Yue's gaze swept over it. "Just open it and see."

Lin Zhijin raised an eyebrow and tore it open—a transfer contract.

"What?" Wang Chunhua leaned in and gasped. "Good heavens, the Chens are that generous."

Li Yue, curious, leaned over to look, then quickly clamped a hand over Wang Chunhua's mouth. "Keep your voice down. Want everyone to know?"

Wang Chunhua nodded with muffled sounds of understanding, and Li Yue released her.

"A steel rolling mill. The Chens certainly don't skimp—but it's not meant for you, is it?" Li Yue asked Lin Zhijin.

She nodded. "Of course not. The whole Chen household looks down on me. At most, they'd offer fabric or jewelry as an apology—never this. They're hoping I'll pass it to the state."

Li Yue agreed. A steel mill—the annual dividends alone ran to tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of silver dollars. Even if given to Lin Zhijin, she couldn't hold onto it.

"Enough of that. Let's head home and cook. I only had a few pastries at the Chen mansion." Lin Zhijin took Li Yue's hand in one and Wang Chunhua's in the other, walking off cheerfully.

The ingredients were already prepared. Lin Zhijin quickly whipped up four dishes and a soup, and Wang Chunhua brought out a bottle of her husband's liquor. The three settled in for a small drink.

Meanwhile, back at the Chen mansion, after Yang Su and Lin Zhijin left, the atmosphere grew even heavier.

Li Siqi had long been helped away, and the mess in the side room was quickly cleaned up, but the lingering stench of humiliation refused to dissipate.

In the main hall, brightly lit, the Chen family's key figures wore expressions darker than the night.

"Fourth Brother, just handing over the steel mill like that—are you sure she'll donate it to the state?" Second Master Chen asked in a low voice.

Fourth Master Chen picked up his teacup, blew on the floating leaves, took a slow sip, then looked up. "Lin Zhijin is smart. She'll turn it over to the state."

Chen Lishi let out a cold laugh. "Such a lucrative business—you could donate it yourselves and earn a good reputation. Instead, you insist on going through Lin Pandi. I don't understand your thinking."

Second and Fourth Master Chen exchanged a glance. Could they admit this was an apology?

They had overreached, trying to partner with a certain faction to seize Goldstone Mountain. The result: heavy casualties on their side, and the state's attention drawn to them. Just yesterday, they'd learned that faction had suffered catastrophic losses in China. Fear had driven them to offer the steel mill as penance.

The Chen family couldn't come forward—that would be an admission of involvement. Routing it through Lin Zhijin was the best option. That was why Fourth Master Chen's assistant had the transfer contract on hand—it was always meant for her.

"Old Madam, the outside affairs needn't trouble you. You'd do better to figure out how to make amends with Lin Zhijin—she never said she'd forgive Uncle. And stop calling her Lin Pandi. She hasn't been that for a long time. She's Lin Zhijin now, backed by Mayor Yang and Deputy Secretary Zhang. The Chen family can't afford to offend her these days." Second Master Chen snorted, rose, and left.

Fourth Master Chen tapped the table. "Have Uncle prepare a generous gift, and the Chen family will prepare another. Send them quietly tomorrow. Third Sister-in-law, this is your task—it must be done discreetly. Second Brother is right: Lin Zhijin is not what she used to be. With the state behind her, we can't afford to cross her."

Today's mistake was misjudging Lin Zhijin's standing in the Women's Federation. Had he known she was so close with Li Yue and the others, he never would have allowed the old madam to scheme against her.

Come to think of it, Lin Zhijin also had a boyfriend—a regiment commander with deep connections. If he found out about today, he might do something drastic to win her favor.

"Third Sister-in-law, increase the apology gift by thirty percent." Fourth Master Chen saw the old madam's sour expression and didn't bother with her. "If there's nothing else, I'll be going."

Fifth Master Chen rose as well. "I'm off too."

Chen Lishi's vision darkened with rage. Her sons and daughters were far away, and these young whelps increasingly ignored her. And Lin Zhijin—wanting to sever ties with the Chen family? Dream on. Her gifts didn't come cheap.

"Old Madam?" Third Mistress Chen feigned fear, looking at her.

Chen Lishi waved a hand. "Do as Fourth Master says."

The real power in the Chen family lay with Fourth Master Chen. Though the old madam resented it, she was old, her children absent, and could only defer to this concubine-born son.

Once everyone had left, Chen Waner sat down beside Chen Lishi, her face grim. "Grandmother, today was utterly humiliating. Great-Uncle... you did all this for him, and what did he do? He threw everything on you, and even... even..."

Recalling Li Siqi wetting himself, Chen Waner's expression soured further.

"Hmph, useless thing. I wanted to help him before I left, but you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear." Chen Lishi looked around, then whispered in Chen Waner's ear, "Is your father all set?"

"All ready. We just need to be at the dock on Monday." The thought of reuniting with her parents lifted Chen Waner's spirits, and her face brightened with a smile.

Author's Note:

Feels like three thousand words don't cover much. I'll try to write six thousand a day.