With the backing of the powerful Li family, his own company, Yongsheng, would undoubtedly receive more business opportunities and might even soar to become a publicly listed company.
Making Yongsheng a listed company had always been Lin Yongsheng's dream.
But now, Lin Qinglu had become Zhou Yang's girlfriend—this was nothing short of a slap in his face, a direct threat to his ambitions. Without hesitation, he pointed at Zhou Yang and snapped, "Take your hands off her. From today onward, you are not allowed to be with my daughter."
Zhou Yang had anticipated that Lin Qinglu's family would oppose their relationship once they found out. Society was like this—wealthy people, especially businessmen, were often snobbish and looked down on the poor.
However, he had no intention of backing down or ending his relationship with Lin Qinglu because of this. On the contrary, the more Lin Yongsheng opposed it and the more he looked down on him, the more determined Zhou Yang became to stay with Lin Qinglu.
No one in this world could keep him apart from her.
So, he didn't let go of her hand. Instead, he met Lin Yongsheng's gaze and asked, "Uncle Lin, what do I need to do for you to approve of my relationship with Qinglu?"
As he spoke, his eyes locked onto Lin Yongsheng's. His gaze was filled with confidence and determination, carrying an unshakable pressure.
When Lin Yongsheng met Zhou Yang's eyes, he suddenly felt a flicker of fear and instinctively took a step back. As an experienced businessman who had dealt with countless influential figures in politics and business, he had never felt this kind of unease before—not even in the presence of high-ranking officials or tycoons.
Moreover, he realized that Zhou Yang had an overwhelming presence, the kind usually reserved for true power players.
He couldn't help but wonder—who exactly was this Zhou Yang? His demeanor and mindset were nothing like an ordinary high school student's.
But no matter what, he was determined to keep Zhou Yang away from his daughter.
After a moment of thought, Lin Yongsheng sneered, "Since you refuse to give up, fine. If you can produce 100 million yuan by tomorrow, I'll allow you to date Qinglu. Otherwise, stay the hell away from her."
Lin Qinglu paled upon hearing this. She was furious. She knew her father was deliberately making things impossible for Zhou Yang. Even coming up with a million yuan would be a monumental challenge for him, let alone 100 million.
She said angrily, "Dad, what are you doing? Zhou Yang isn't rich!"
Lin Yongsheng chuckled dismissively, eyeing Zhou Yang with contempt. "If he's not rich, then he has no right to pursue my daughter. From now on, stay away from this kid."
Lin Qinglu was on the verge of tears. At seventeen, she was usually obedient and rarely went against her parents' wishes.
But she truly didn't want to break up with Zhou Yang.
In desperation, she blurted out, "Zhou Yang is a seventh-rank Qi Refiner!"
In China, anyone above the fifth rank of Qi Refinement held a highly respected status. She believed that if her father knew Zhou Yang was a seventh-rank Qi Refiner, he wouldn't dare to oppose their relationship.
However, Lin Yongsheng dismissed her words as a joke. He absolutely refused to believe that an eighteen-year-old like Zhou Yang could be a seventh-rank Qi Refiner. He glared at Lin Qinglu and said, "Qinglu, stop joking around. Get in the car. We're going home."
Lin Qinglu looked at Zhou Yang, hoping he would demonstrate his abilities to her father. But Zhou Yang showed no intention of doing so.
Throughout Lin Yongsheng's disdainful remarks, he had remained utterly composed. In his view, there was no need to prove himself to Lin Yongsheng.
He said calmly, "Uncle Lin, you're Qinglu's father, so I respect you. I won't hold it against you for looking down on me. To be honest, my family is indeed poor. Even if we sold our house, we'd only scrape together about two million yuan. Coming up with 100 million by tomorrow is practically impossible."
Hearing this, Lin Yongsheng's contempt for Zhou Yang only grew. He smirked coldly. "I knew you couldn't produce 100 million. In that case, you have no right to date Qinglu."
Lin Qinglu kept her eyes fixed on Zhou Yang, her heart aching. She desperately wished he could pull out 100 million on the spot and shut her father up.
But she also knew that was impossible. She didn't want to put Zhou Yang in an impossible position. Even if her father disapproved, she would continue to be his girlfriend—she'd just have to keep their relationship a secret from her parents.
She said softly, "Then… I'll go home first."
Reluctantly, she let go of Zhou Yang's hand, got into the car, and sat inside, gazing at him with longing eyes.
Seeing that his daughter had gotten into the car, Lin Yongsheng shot Zhou Yang one last scornful glance, then turned to leave.
Just then, Zhou Yang suddenly spoke up. "Uncle Lin, even though I might not be able to produce 100 million, I'll do everything in my power to try."
Lin Yongsheng replied, "Fine. If you can come up with 100 million, you can keep dating Qinglu. Otherwise, get the hell out of my sight."
With that, he got into the car and ignored Zhou Yang.
The Mercedes quickly started and drove off. Lin Qinglu turned her head, her eyes fixed on Zhou Yang until he disappeared into the night. Her heart ached—she felt her father had gone too far.
She said resentfully, "Dad, I hate you."
Lin Yongsheng replied indifferently, "I'm doing this for your own good. I just want that poor kid to know his place."
...
On the street, Zhou Yang remained standing where he was, watching the Mercedes vanish into the night.
Even though he now possessed the strength of the eighth level of Profound Heaven Qi, he was still looked down upon. Lin Yongsheng's provocation made him realize just how important money was.
Producing 100 million by tomorrow was impossible—even robbing a bank might not yield that much.
But he refused to give up. He wasn't the same useless person he used to be.
Just as he was lost in thought, a white Porsche Cayenne pulled up beside him.
The window rolled down, releasing a captivating fragrance.
A stunningly beautiful woman smiled at him and said, "Feeling discouraged? A hundred million isn't really that much."
This woman was Xie Shiya. In truth, she had been parked about twenty meters away the whole time, observing Zhou Yang and Lin Yongsheng. With her sharp hearing, she had caught every word of their conversation.
Zhou Yang had noticed the Porsche earlier but hadn't realized it belonged to Xie Shiya. Hearing her words, he understood she must have overheard everything.
He inhaled the enchanting fragrance and smiled wryly. "Professor Xie, your Xie family is incredibly wealthy. A hundred million might be nothing to you, but to me, it's an astronomical sum."
Xie Shiya chuckled. "I can lend you a hundred million. Do you want it? Of course, there's a condition."