Chapter 327: The World Has Become Strange

With acquaintances leading the way, there was no need to worry about food or lodging, and Lin Shisheng successfully arrived in Haicheng with his new brothers.

It took fourteen days.

It shouldn't have been this fast, but the men from the transport team were very thoughtful; they felt that if they worked a bit harder to arrive sooner, it would help their brother see his family faster and avoid any potential mishaps.

Lin Shisheng was deeply moved and gave each of them a refreshing, deodorizing sachet. These sachets were truly effective and easily won over the drivers.

"Brother Lin, these sachets are really useful. Where did you get them? Do you have any more? I'll pay for them!"

"I want some too!"

"Me too. My mother can't stand the wind and takes medicine year-round, so the windows in her room can't be opened. The smell is suffocating. If I had these refreshing sachets, she could sleep more comfortably." A middle-aged man looked at Lin Shisheng sincerely.

"My sister made them. She said I work hard and it's easy to get tired driving alone, so she made these refreshing sachets for me; the deodorizing effect is just a bonus." Lin Shisheng smiled proudly yet helplessly. "Last time she rode in my truck, she felt the gasoline smell was too strong and was afraid I'd be poisoned, so she added an herb to clear the odor. I didn't expect them to be this effective."

Lin Zhao: "..." I never said that.

"Your sister is really something; she has you in her heart."

"Brother Lin, is your sister seeing anyone? What do you think of me?" A young man asked half-jokingly, half-seriously. "I don't look bad, my parents are both workers, my older brother is married, my sister is wed, and the family has already split up, so there's no need to worry about mother-in-law/daughter-in-law issues. Isn't this a decent situation?"

The men who knew his background laughed out loud. "Qiangzi, you aren't in a hurry to find a partner, are you? Why are you recommending yourself?"

The young man named Qiangzi said, "I just feel like I hit it off with Brother Lin. If we could become family, that would be great! Besides, Brother Lin is so righteous; his sister can't be bad, right?"

Lin Shisheng gave him an appreciative look. "Good eye. But you've missed your chance; my sister is already married."

He didn't say a word more.

Qiangzi looked disappointed. "That's a real pity."

Lin Shisheng shrugged.

It wasn't a pity.

He didn't look kindly on anyone who had designs on Zhao, but he couldn't deny that his brother-in-law was decent, and his sister's eye for people remained as sharp as ever.

After finishing the meal, the group officially entered Haicheng and went their separate ways.

Afraid Lin Shisheng wouldn't know the way, Qiangzi and the others told him a lot, drew a map that made his eyes dizzy, and left a phone number, urging him to call if anything happened...

With that, Lin Shisheng bid farewell to the others and headed to the place his mother had mentioned.

Song Xiwei estimated the time and waited early at the agreed-upon spot. Seeing her dust-covered son, she told him to go wash up while she stayed behind to watch the truck.

After taking a bath at the guesthouse and washing away the unpleasant smell, Lin Shisheng felt two pounds lighter.

Only then did he have the heart to look around the room.

Smooth walls, bright lights, a semi-new bed, and even a balcony...

He clicked his tongue a few times and looked at Lin Heling. "No wonder you and Mom have stayed here so long. It's so comfortable; if it were me, I wouldn't want to leave either."

"Enough nonsense. I'm taking you to see someone." Lin Heling said.

Lin Shisheng raised an eyebrow. He noticed that his father was more composed and at ease here, as if he were born in this place and had blended in perfectly. This composure made him feel... strange.

"Alright, where are we going?" Lin Shisheng followed behind his father, his eyes darting toward Lin Heling.

The tall man in front turned around.

"Speak your mind." He said.

Lin Shisheng smiled sheepishly. "Nothing, just that you seem a little... strange."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than he felt a blow to the back of his head.

"How about now? Still strange?" Lin Heling asked with a smile.

Lin Shisheng clutched his head, complaining aggrievedly, "Dad, you're learning from Mom now, aren't you afraid of hitting your son stupid!"

"I haven't seen you be very smart even without being hit." Lin Heling said with a gentle tone, delivering a stinging remark.

Lin Shisheng: "..." Even stranger now.

Although he thought so, the corners of his mouth lifted, and the smile in his eyes deepened.

While they were talking, Lin Heling led Lin Shisheng to Lin De's residence. Before they even arrived, they smelled a sour, pungent odor that almost knocked him out.

"What's that smell? A toilet? Isn't this a big city? Are the toilets in big cities more pungent than the ones at home?" Lin Shisheng muttered, though he didn't cover his nose or show any signs of disgust, his expression remaining normal.

A flash of satisfaction crossed Lin Heling's eyes, but he said nothing.

Shortly after Lin Shisheng finished speaking, they arrived in front of a low, earthen house.

"Knock~ knock~~ knock~~~" Lin Heling stepped forward to knock; there was a specific rhythm and interval to the knocking.

Lin Shisheng watched, stunned. What was going on? He felt like a complete idiot who knew nothing.

The world had become strange.

The wooden door opened, and a thin old man appeared in the doorway.

De Shu stepped aside to let his young master and the little young master into the room.

"Young Master, is this the second boy?" De Shu asked, his eyes occasionally flashing with sharpness as he sized up Lin Shisheng.

"???"

Young... master?!!

That's a term for landlords, right?!!

Lin Shisheng was dazed, looking at his own father in shock, waiting for an explanation.

"Dad?" He called out, feeling lost, weak, helpless, and pitiful.

His father couldn't have some special identity, could he? Like the son of a gang boss? Associating this with the stories of Haicheng's underworld told to him by his fellow travelers, Lin Shisheng's thoughts were like wild horses galloping across the wilderness.

Lin Heling said steadily, "This is De Shu, an elder who watched me grow up. You should call him Uncle De."

Lin Shisheng obediently greeted him, "Uncle De."

He was full of question marks and had a belly full of doubts, but he held his patience and didn't ask at an inappropriate time.

De Shu looked at Lin Shisheng and nodded. "If the Master knew about this, he would be very happy."

Lin Shisheng's brain worked fast. Young Master was his father, so the Master De Shu spoke of must be... his grandfather?

His grandfather was still alive?!

"Shisheng, your Uncle De is the only relative I have left in Haicheng. You've seen his situation; it's not good. I want to take him back home. But he's being watched by enemies, so he can't take the train or bus. I had to call you to come pick him up. Can you handle this?" Lin Heling asked.

Enemies...

Lin Shisheng's eyes flickered.

He hadn't guessed wrong.

Dad really was the young master of some gang!!

"Yes~! This is simple. When are we leaving?" Lin Shisheng asked.

Lin Heling said, "Tomorrow night, how about that?"

"I have no objections. You decide." Lin Shisheng said.

He glanced at the room. Poor thing, it wasn't even as good as their toilet at home. It seemed the gang had been suppressed quite severely.

De Shu saw Lin Shisheng's thoughts and smiled without a word.

The young master's son didn't show the Lin family's backbone, but he was frank and polite; he was a good young man.

A dark and windy night was perfect for doing things that couldn't be seen.

Lin Shisheng driving the truck to pick people up wasn't exactly sneaky, but to avoid being discovered by anyone with ulterior motives, they left in the middle of the night.

The truck rumbled away from the spot.

People sleeping nearby were startled by the noise, turned over, and went back to sleep.

The driver Lin drove for four hours before stopping to rest.

The three people in the truck were sore all over, their faces pale.

Especially De Shu; when had the old man ever ridden in such a vehicle? He was shaken so hard his soul almost flew away!

Staggering out of the truck, he said, "This is truly not easy."

He was referring to Lin Shisheng's job.

Song Xiwei looked at her second son with heartache. She knew this was a job he loved, and even if she told him to quit, he wouldn't agree, so she only said, "Be careful when driving. Rest if you're tired; don't push yourself."

"Young Mistress is right." De Shu said.

Song Xiwei almost tripped on flat ground. "Young Mistress" and all that—it was so awkward!!

She looked at her husband.

Lin Heling squeezed Xiwei's hand. He had spoken to him, but De Shu wouldn't listen. The older generation always had things they wanted to hold onto; discarding those things made them feel empty inside!

Meeting her husband's apologetic gaze, Song Xiwei looked away, thinking she would have to get used to it sooner or later.

Fortunately, the old man was stubborn but knew his limits; he wouldn't call her that in front of outsiders, otherwise, they would have been arrested dozens of times.

Lin Shisheng brought food for his parents and De Shu, then took them to the nearest train station.

"Why come here?" Lin Heling asked.

"To take the train. There are enemies at the Haicheng station, but not here, right? It's going to take a long time to get home, and the truck is bumpy; no one could handle that." Lin Shisheng said. "Dad, do you have the introduction letters? Let me use them."

He knew his parents had managed to get quite a few introduction letters that could come in handy.

As for the missing proof, he would think of a way. If it really didn't work, he would forge one; he had a buddy who was good at this, and he had learned the basics, which was enough.

"Will it work?" Song Xiwei asked worriedly.

She found that inspections outside were quite strict.

"It will!" Lin Shisheng nodded, straightened his clothes, and walked forward.

This walk took three hours.

When he returned, he held three train tickets in his hand.

"Here." The driver Lin waved them proudly.

"Not bad." Lin Heling praised.

De Shu looked at Lin Shisheng in surprise and smiled. "Shisheng's mind is flexible; he's like the Master!"

In a short time, Lin Shisheng had realized De Shu's worship of the "Master" he spoke of.

Being like such a capable person was his good fortune.

"I'm surnamed Lin, and I'm also a member of the Lin family, so of course I'm like the Lin elders."

De Shu was stunned for a moment, then said, "Yes, yes, you're of the Lin family's grandson generation, so it's not strange that you're like the Master."

He couldn't help but feel regret; if only the Master were still alive, how good that would be.

Thinking of this, his mood dampened. Thinking of the situation in Haicheng, the old face, thin and lined with furrows, revealed a faint smile, and a flash of sharpness crossed his eyes.

Lin Shisheng felt a chill for no reason.

"Shisheng, you take our luggage back. We'll meet when we get home." Lin Heling said to him.

Song Xiwei said, "Didn't you say you had friends traveling the same way? It's best to travel with them and be careful on the road."

De Shu took out an antique diamond-encrusted dagger from somewhere and shoved it into Lin Shisheng's hand. "Keep this for self-defense."

The old man's eyes were deep like a cold pool. "Remember, no matter what situation you encounter, ensure your own life first. Only if you're alive can you turn the world upside down; if you're dead, even a dragon is useless."

This was the survival principle the Master had taught him, and he taught it to the younger generation of the Lin family just the same.

"This thing..." De Shu's gaze fell on the dagger, his eyes filled with nostalgia. "It's a Lin family item; handing it to you is returning it to its rightful owner."

If he hadn't met the young master, and hadn't been helped by the little young master to escape Haicheng, who knows who would have benefited from these things?

Now it was fine; the Lin family's things—those with ulterior motives would never get their hands on them!

In the current world, buying a knife was a hassle, let alone such an exquisite dagger.

Lin Shisheng really liked it. Not knowing if he could accept it, he looked at his father.

Lin Heling nodded. "Accept it."

Lin Shisheng put it away and thanked De Shu. "Thank you, Uncle De. An elder as generous as you—my sister will definitely like you!"

It was funny; Lin Heling and De Shu had reunited, yet they hadn't talked much about family matters, so De Shu didn't even know how many children he had.

At this moment, hearing Lin Shisheng's words, De Shu's old face was full of surprise. "You have a sister?"

Before Lin Shisheng could answer, he turned to Lin Heling. "Is it a girl of the Lin family?!"

Don't blame him for being surprised; it was just that... the Lin family had many sons and grandsons but few daughters and granddaughters. Girls in the Lin family were incredibly precious—they lived better than princesses.

For example, the Master's sister was the only girl in the Lin family. On her sixteenth birthday, the Master gave her a whole street of prosperous shops, and on her eighteenth, two small villas and a car...

The young lady was capable and had the Lin family's strong personality. The Master often sighed, "Wrong, wrong, she was born the wrong gender," and then said, "A girl should just dress up beautifully and go shopping..." He said that, but he secretly supported his daughter's career.

Later, when she was over twenty, the Master told her to get married. She refused, saying those stupid and greedy men weren't worthy of her, so she remained single until the Lin family withdrew.

To the Master, he didn't lack sons, grandsons, or daughters; the only thing he lacked was a granddaughter. What he often said was, "If I, the old man, could have a granddaughter, my life would be complete!"

He didn't expect...

In a place they didn't know, the granddaughter the Master had been thinking of had already appeared.

Lin Heling nodded helplessly. "She is a girl of the Lin family."

He held his wife's hand, affirming her hard work and dedication. "I've only been married once. Xiwei bore all five children for me; she has suffered the most."

De Shu looked at Song Xiwei and bowed deeply. "I thank the Young Mistress on behalf of the Lin family."

Song Xiwei: "..." If you really want to thank me, hurry up and change the address; calling me "Young Mistress" is so awkward!!

De Shu acted as if he didn't see her discomfort and continued, "... The Lin family has few girls; I'm so happy."

He firmly believed the Lin family would return. When the time came, the young master would bring the young mistress and the children back to the Lin family, so getting used to it early would save them from feeling out of place later.

"What is the girl's name?" De Shu asked Lin Heling.

"Lin Zhao, Zhao as in the brightness of the moon." Lin Heling replied.

"A good name!!" De Shu praised, clearly very doting.

Lin Heling then told him the names of the Shisheng brothers.

"The Master would definitely be satisfied with these names." De Shu said.

At the same time.

Several people with shifty eyes and fierce expressions burst into the place where Lin De lived, turning everything upside down, searching for something.