Chapter 249 Refusing a toast means having to drink a forfeit

"A bowl of noodles costs 180 yuan, and a plate of sea cucumber costs 2,800 yuan. There's a long queue outside the shop every day."

Su Qing's eyes sharpened as she spoke, "Do you really think that by creating this false prosperity, you can prove your economic strength in court?"

She leaned forward slightly, lowered her voice, and spoke with unwavering certainty.

Lin Fan looked at her without saying anything.

Seeing this, Su Qing thought she had hit Lin Fan's weak spot, and her sense of superiority became even stronger.

Lin Fan paused for a moment while holding the water glass.

Looking at the confident woman in front of him, he suddenly felt a bit absurd.

She would rather believe those far-fetched conspiracy theories than believe that he built a shop up by his own two hands.

"Is this the result your lawyer found out?" Lin Fan asked back.

"No need for a lawyer to investigate; that's basic business logic." Su Qing leaned back in her chair.

"Capital can create a glamorous image for you as the owner of a trendy online store, and generate millions in revenue on paper. But that's fake; that money doesn't belong to you. Once the capital withdraws, or if tax issues are discovered, you'll be the first scapegoat pushed out to take the fall."

Su Qing pointed to the folder on the table.

"I'm putting up this five million today not because you're worth that much, but to buy my own time. The Su Group is going public on Nasdaq next week. I just finalized a five-hundred-million-dollar bridge loan this morning. My company will soon join the ranks of companies worth tens of billions."

"The gap between us cannot be bridged by you acting as someone else's front man for a few days."

"With this five million, you can walk away anytime and go back to your rural hometown to live a peaceful life."

"If you insist on holding on until the court summons comes, and the court investigates your accounts and the flow of funds, you will not only not get a penny, but you will also get yourself into a lot of lawsuits."

The café was playing melodious saxophone music.

The two were seated in a corner, and no one paid attention to their exchange.

Lin Fan listened quietly as she finished speaking.

He didn't get angry; he simply picked up his water glass and slowly took a sip.

"Are you done talking?" Lin Fan looked at her calmly.

Su Qing frowned. Lin Fan's reaction made her feel very uncomfortable, like punching a cotton ball.

"Su Qing," Lin Fan said calmly, "in your mind, everything can be measured in numbers and interests. Connections are interests, family ties are interests, and even custody can be priced at five million."

"That's reality," Su Qing interrupted him coldly. "Without a material foundation, what will you offer Tuantuan for her future?"

"You've never understood the future Tuan Tuan wants," Lin Fan said, looking at her. "You think living in a big villa and attending a prestigious school is the future? In these three years, how many meals have you had with her? How many times have you taken her to an amusement park?"

"You don't even remember that she's afraid of the dark when she sleeps at night. You're fighting for custody just because you can't accept that your life has the stain of 'losing a child' that others will point fingers at."

"Shut up!" Su Qing's face darkened, and her voice unconsciously rose a little.

"Lin Fan, you're nothing but a piece of trash who was kicked out of the Su family!"

"In the end, you're nothing more than a dog pushed to the forefront by the Qin family or some big capital."

"They put you out there as a nominal legal representative, while behind the scenes they create hype and fabricate data by inflating sales figures and deliberately hyping things up. In reality, it's money laundering and creating fake transaction data."

"You don't actually think of yourself as the legitimate owner of this shop, do you?"

Su Qing sneered, her eyes filled with undisguised contempt.

Lin Fan ignored her emotional changes and continued:

"You came here today to tell me all this just to tell me that you're very rich, that you're about to go public, and that I can't compete with you."

Lin Fan extended a finger and slowly pushed the dark blue folder on the table back in front of Su Qing.

"I don't care if you sign a deal for 500 million or 5 billion today, or where you ring the bell at the stock exchange next week. It's none of my business."

Lin Fan looked at her and spoke very clearly, word by word.

"Take this five million back. I built that shop from the ground up, every penny of it was clean and honest. I'm not afraid of your investigation or the court's investigation."

Su Qing stared intently at the folder that had been pushed back, her chest heaving violently.

"Lin Fan, don't push your luck. Do you really think the Qin family can protect you forever?"

"I don't need anyone to protect me." Lin Fan stood up and looked down at her.

"Su Qing, you've always thought you're standing on a cloud, looking down on everyone else. But in my eyes, all your so-called capital and social class mean nothing."

"Tuantuan is my life. If you want to sue me, I'm ready to fight you anytime."

Lin Fan didn't look at her again, turned around and strode out of the coffee shop.

In the coffee shop.

Su Qing sat alone on the sofa in the corner, watching Lin Fan's figure disappear across the street.

She picked up the cold black coffee in front of her, her hand trembling slightly.

The coffee went down her throat, the bitter taste spreading. She slammed the coffee cup down on the saucer with a loud clang.

"Stubborn to the end." Su Qing gritted her teeth and squeezed out these four words.

She grabbed the folder on the table and stuffed it haphazardly into her bag.

Since five million can't buy his submission, let's settle this in court.

She has a million ways to expose a roadside stall owner's dirty laundry in court.

Stepping out of the coffee shop, Su Qing got into the Mercedes-Benz S-Class that was waiting by the roadside.

"Ms. Su, shall we go back to the company?" The driver glanced at her gloomy face in the rearview mirror and asked cautiously.

"Go to Dacheng Law Firm." Su Qing closed her eyes and rubbed her throbbing temples.

……

the other side.

Lin Fan returned to the Lin family shop.

Pushing open the store door, the warmth of the lobby hits you, completely dispelling the early winter chill clinging to you.

The hall had been cleaned spotlessly, and the tables and chairs were arranged neatly.

Su Xiaoxiao was holding a mop and cleaning the dust near the doormat.

Seeing Lin Fan walk in, Su Xiaoxiao straightened up and leaned the mop against the wall: "Brother Lin, you're back. Finished with your business?"

"Okay, all done." Lin Fan took off his black casual jacket and hung it on the coat rack behind the bar.

He glanced into the shop.

Tuantuan was squatting next to the wooden cat bed in the corner, holding a small pink plastic comb, and seriously grooming the orange fur on Xiajiao's back.

The shrimp dumpling squinted comfortably, making a "purring" sound in its throat, its little tail swaying idly behind it.