Chapter 079: The Qilin Society

Chapter 079: The Qilin Society

Donghai City.

By the banks of the Huangpu River stood a modest six-story building. Compared to the grand structures around it, it was unremarkable, but in the whole of Donghai, this small building held extraordinary significance. Its name was Qilin Palace, the headquarters of the Qilin Society.

The Qilin Society was the name of a private club, but more than that, it was an alliance of the city’s young elite—an exclusive members-only organization. Membership was strictly by referral; only those introduced by an existing member could even apply, and applicants then faced a lengthy period of assessment before being admitted as full members.

Countless wealthy heirs in Donghai dreamed of joining the Qilin Society, but since its founding thirteen years ago, it had fewer than a hundred members. The core membership was even more select—only thirteen individuals. Entry requirements were so high as to be daunting to nearly everyone: not only family background but also personal ability was necessary. The Qilin Society had no place for mediocrity. Even the son of the president would be denied entry if he lacked capability.

This iron rule had been established by the society’s founder on its very first day.

It was precisely because of this uncompromising standard that every member of the Qilin Society was outstanding among the younger generation—each one a talent capable of standing on their own, with members spanning business, entertainment, politics, and even the military. Without exaggeration, the Qilin Society was like a miniature empire unto itself.

The founder of this society was Lin Cong, the eldest son of the Lin family, known by the nickname “Old Demon Lin.” He had founded the Qilin Society on his eighteenth birthday, and over the past thirteen years, he had climbed ever higher. Lin Cong’s remarkable achievements were inseparable from the society he had established.

The Qilin Society’s prestige was elevated by Lin Cong, and he, in turn, had leveraged the society’s vast resources to propel himself forward, time and again. Unlike other families, the Lin clan was full of talented offspring, and while Lin Cong was among the brightest, he could not entirely eclipse his siblings. Yet with the Qilin Society at his back, none of the younger generation in the Lin family could rival him.

Within Qilin Palace, the lower three floors were public areas. The fourth and fifth floors were for higher-level members, while the top floor was Lin Cong’s private domain. No one, not even core members, could enter without his invitation. It was an absolute forbidden zone.

A soft click sounded as the door to a top-floor room was gently pushed open.

This was a vast room, over three hundred square meters, with an office area, a guest lounge, and even a small conference table. Though the space was multifunctional, its layout was masterful, giving no sense of clutter.

A well-dressed middle-aged man strode in and headed straight for the conference table by the window.

Around the table sat four young people—three men and one woman. At their head was a refined young man in silver-rimmed glasses. He was not handsome, perhaps merely average, the most unremarkable among the group. Yet simply by sitting quietly, he became the natural center of attention, drawing every eye.

This was Lin Cong, the Lin family’s most outstanding young leader, known as Old Demon Lin.

If one had not seen for themselves, it would be hard to believe that such a calm and gentle-looking young man could be called “Old Demon.” Yet the truth was just so—Lin Cong’s cunning and intellect astounded even many from the older generations.

“Li Wei, it seems you’ve forgotten my instructions: during meetings, interruptions are absolutely forbidden,” Lin Cong said, looking up with a frown at the approaching man. His voice was calm, betraying no anger, yet it exerted a subtle psychological pressure.

“I know, but there’s something I had to report to you immediately,” Li Wei replied. As Lin Cong’s personal assistant, he handled many affairs on his behalf and was a trusted confidant. Still, under Lin Cong’s steady gaze, he felt that same pressure. The longer he worked for Lin Cong, the more he realized how formidable the young man was. At times, Li Wei even doubted Lin Cong’s real age—his cunning and strategic thinking surpassed even the most seasoned old foxes.

“What is it?” Lin Cong asked coolly, his expression unchanged.

The other two men and the woman at the table also turned to regard Li Wei with curiosity. They, too, wondered what could have compelled Li Wei to break Lin Cong’s rules—within the Qilin Society, Lin Cong’s word was law, unquestioned by all.

“I’ve just received word that Fu Ziqing left the Fu family estate at six this morning and went to Kun City,” Li Wei said, getting straight to the point. He knew Lin Cong disliked beating around the bush.

“Oh?” Lin Cong raised an eyebrow. “For what purpose?” He didn’t believe Li Wei would break protocol over such a trivial matter.

“It seems she went to meet someone,” Li Wei replied quickly.

“Who?”

“Someone named Chu Fei…” Li Wei said uncertainly, then fell silent. He had no idea who this Chu Fei was, only that Fu Ziqing’s early departure to meet him was unusual.

“Chu Fei?”

Lin Cong’s lips tightened for a moment, and a strange smile appeared on his face. “Could he be back? That explains it.”

The three young people exchanged bewildered looks. Like Li Wei, they had never heard this name before.

“Lin, who is Chu Fei?” asked the stylish young woman on Lin Cong’s left, biting her lip. In truth, she was more curious about why Fu Ziqing would go out of her way to meet this person, but she dared not ask so directly.

Lin Cong did not answer her. Instead, he looked to Li Wei again and asked, “Where did you get this information?”

“Liu Qian called me half an hour ago. At first, I wasn’t sure, so I hesitated before coming in to report,” Li Wei said honestly.

“Liu Qian? The beloved daughter of Liu Heng from Xuhui, just back from studying abroad?” Lin Cong mused, recalling a pretty young girl’s face.

“That’s her. She’s now Fu Zihao’s girlfriend,” Li Wei confirmed.

“Impressive—she managed to tame that leopard, Fu Zihao. No wonder.” Lin Cong nodded. He had doubted Li Wei’s information at first, but not anymore. After a moment’s thought, he asked, “As I recall, Liu Qian recently applied for membership, didn’t she?”

“Yes, she applied less than two months ago and is still under review.”

“No need for further assessment. Go and tell her she’s a full member of the Qilin Society as of today,” Lin Cong said with a gentle smile.

“Yes.” Li Wei was momentarily surprised, but quickly nodded.

“Oh, and one more thing—tell her she’s not just a regular member. She’s now the Qilin Society’s fourteenth core member,” Lin Cong added with a soft chuckle.

“What?” Not only Li Wei, but the three others at the table were equally taken aback. They knew how much effort it had taken to become core members, not to mention the lengthy evaluations. The longest had lasted over four years. Yet Liu Qian, not even a full member yet, was being made a core member instantly?

Shocked and incredulous, no one dared protest. In the Qilin Society, Lin Cong’s word was absolute.

“And regardless of the reason, you’ve broken the rules of Qilin Palace. Even as my assistant, you must be punished. I’ll deduct a year’s salary from you—let this be a warning. Do you have any objections?” Lin Cong asked, fixing Li Wei with his gaze.

“None. Sorry to have interrupted your meeting, sir.” Li Wei shook his head. Though the loss of a year’s salary stung, he dared not protest. Seeing that Lin Cong had nothing more to say, he turned and swiftly left.

“Let’s continue with the proposal regarding the Xuhui District land…” Lin Cong returned to the previous topic as if nothing had happened.

The meeting lasted over an hour. Though it seemed a simple discussion, it determined the future development of a plot of land in Xuhui District worth tens of billions. This was the power of the Qilin Society—its influence was unimaginable to outsiders.

The two young men rose and left in quick succession, leaving only Lin Cong and the stylish young woman in the room.

“Yaxin, is there something else?” Lin Cong asked, a little surprised. Ordinarily, she would have left to carry out their plans.

“Lin Cong, I want to know—who exactly is Chu Fei?” she asked, rising to her feet, her large dark eyes filled with curiosity. She was too intrigued: for Fu Ziqing to go out of her way to meet this person, he had to be extraordinary. Yet she had never heard of him before. She’d wanted to ask earlier but hadn’t dared—now, with everyone gone, she finally spoke up.

Lin Cong frowned slightly, but quickly relaxed, a wry smile appearing at his lips. If anyone else had asked, he would have ignored them or even been annoyed, but with this woman, he simply could not be angry.

Her name was Chen Yaxin. Of everyone in the Qilin Society, she was the closest to him—they had grown up together, childhood companions. Just two years his junior, she had gone from the little girl who trailed after him to a graceful young lady and, later, a business prodigy. Though she looked barely over twenty, she was in fact twenty-eight—an age when many women were already married with children. But Chen Yaxin had never had a boyfriend. Lin Cong understood her feelings, but he had never reciprocated, not even when she had hinted at them more than once—he always pretended not to notice.

Lin Cong was a perfectionist, and Chen Yaxin did not meet his standard for a wife. In all of Donghai, only Fu Ziqing was worthy of that position.

Still, Lin Cong had never driven Chen Yaxin away. If they could not be lovers, they could at least be confidants. Chen Yaxin was wise; perhaps she had guessed his thoughts, for in recent years she had never pressed him again. They got along as naturally as siblings.

[The author’s note: I’ve been outlining and plotting these days and I’m exhausted, so there won’t be a bonus update for now—please bear with me! Also, Lin Cong’s name is taken from a reader, though I can’t recall who. The nickname remains unchanged—if you’re reading this, I hope you’re excited! Chen Yaxin’s name is also from a reader. Don’t blame Xing’er!]