Chapter 57: Father and Son Reunited, Yet Strangers Once Again

She glanced at Lin Qianfan once more, adding with a faint, enigmatic smile, "Young people should still prioritize their studies and avoid wasting time where it shouldn't be wasted."

With those words, the woman turned and left, leaving behind a lingering trace of fragrance.

The next morning, after classes ended, Lin Qianfan had just stepped out of the classroom when his head teacher, Mr. Wu, walked over. "Lin Qianfan, come to my office for a moment."

Lin Qianfan nodded and followed him to the office, where Mr. Wu motioned for him to take a seat.

"Isn't your focus too skewed right now? Busy making money all day long—don't you feel that this is hindering your studies?"

"Teacher, I haven't let my coursework slip," Lin Qianfan replied calmly.

Mr. Wu shook his head and continued, "What is most important for a student? It is study; it is knowledge."

"At your age, if you don't spend your time where it ought to be spent, you will regret it too late when the future arrives."

"Teacher, I am not denying the importance of studies," Lin Qianfan explained. "I simply feel that outside of studying, I also need some opportunities for practical experience."

Mr. Wu fell silent for a moment, appearing to weigh his words.

A moment later, he raised his head and spoke in a softened tone, "Lin Qianfan, I know you are smart and have a mind of your own."

"But you must understand that some things cannot be judged in a hurry. You think making money is important now, but in the future, you will realize that knowledge is the most valuable wealth."

Lin Qianfan nodded. "Teacher, I will strive to balance both."

"I hope you keep your word." Mr. Wu let out a sigh. "Also, regarding you and Xia Ruo, there is something I wish to remind you of."

Lin Qianfan paused slightly. "Xia Ruo?"

Mr. Wu's tone carried a hint of helplessness. "You two are still young and perhaps think it is nothing, but what about the future?"

"Have you ever considered whether her family background might become an insurmountable barrier between you two?"

Lin Qianfan lowered his head, deep in thought.

Mr. Wu looked at him, his voice softening a fraction. "Only when you become strong enough yourself can you truly pursue what you want. Do you understand?"

"I understand," Lin Qianfan raised his head.

"Very well, go back and think it over carefully." Mr. Wu waved a hand. "Do not let me down."

Lin Qianfan walked out of the office, stood in front of the teaching building, and took a deep breath. Then he took out his phone and opened the backend of WeChat.

User growth was stable, and the testing of the short video feature was already showing initial results.

He tapped on a chat window, entered a few commands, then exited the backend and slipped his phone back into his pocket.

Yet, in his mind, he was already plotting his next move.

Foreign gaming agency licensing.

This was the truly massive cash cow and a crucial part of his future layout.

The gaming market was immense, with astonishingly high profit margins.

Especially those large foreign agency games; with just a little promotion in the domestic campus market, one could rake in a fortune.

However, acquiring such agency rights required both capital and resources.

Lin Qianfan knew that while he had some capital now, it was far from enough.

He needed to accelerate his pace and expand the milk tea shop and delivery business much further.

Putting away his phone, Lin Qianfan returned to the classroom for his lessons.

The atmosphere in the classroom was lively, with his classmates gathered in a circle, discussing something animatedly.

"This new transfer student is so handsome, just like a celebrity!" one female student said excitedly.

"I heard he transferred from elsewhere, and his family background is unbelievably wealthy," another girl added.

Lin Qianfan pushed open the door, walked straight to his seat, and swept his gaze casually across the room.

The new student, standing by the podium, was smiling and greeting everyone.

"Hello everyone, my name is Lin Xihe. Please take care of me from now on."

Lin Qianfan's breath hitched slightly as he recognized the person at a single glance.

Lin Xihe? His own half-brother.

Lin Qianfan remained silent, though his gaze involuntarily lingered on the other person.

"Heh," Lin Qianfan sneered inwardly, lowering his head with a complex look in his eyes.

In his past life, after his grandparents passed away, he had grit his teeth and gone to beg his father for money just once to pay his university tuition.

By that time, that family of three was already driving Mercedes-Benzes, living in villas, and the "young master" at home was respectfully addressed by the servants.

As for him, he had been kicked out, and ultimately had to sell his blood to scrape together enough tuition.

Ever since then, he had never set foot in that house again.

"I never expected to run into him in this lifetime," Lin Qianfan muttered to himself.

Yet Lin Xihe clearly did not recognize him.

When the other's gaze swept across the classroom, he didn't even spare him a second look.

"Figures," Lin Qianfan sneered quietly, lowering his head to take a notebook from his schoolbag and pretending to review his notes.

The welcome ceremony for the new student proceeded noisily, but Lin Qianfan had no interest in participating.

At noon, Lin Qianfan was preparing to go to the principal's office to collect his recommendation letter.

The principal had written him a recommendation letter detailing his operational capabilities regarding the campus public account, the delivery platform, and the milk tea shop.

This letter would be sent to the principals of other schools to help him gain support when expanding his business in the next phase.

As he reached the entrance of the principal's office, however, his footsteps halted.

The door was ajar, and a familiar voice drifted out from within.

"Mr. Lin, this is the admission certificate for your son, Lin Xihe. Please take a look."

It was the principal's voice.

"Alright, thank you for your trouble." Another voice sounded, deep and powerful, carrying a trace of authority.

Lin Qianfan's fingers tightened slightly.

Through the crack in the door, he saw a middle-aged man in a suit sitting opposite the principal, holding a document.

The man's profile was as cold as in his memories, his eyes filled with care and concern solely for Lin Xihe.

"Xihe has just transferred here, and I hope the school will look after him," Lin Jiyuan said politely, yet with an unmistakable aloofness.

Lin Qianfan did not deliberately avoid them; instead, he took stride and walked straight toward the principal's office.

The office door was wide open, and the principal was exchanging pleasantries with Lin Jiyuan.

"Mr. Lin, rest assured, we will take good care of your son."

Lin Jiyuan smiled and nodded. "Then I'll trouble you."

Just as he finished speaking, the principal looked up and saw Lin Qianfan standing at the doorway.

"Qianfan, you're here."

Hearing the name "Lin Qianfan," Lin Jiyuan's movements paused slightly.

He turned his head and looked at Lin Qianfan, his brows furrowing as if trying to confirm something, though he quickly regained his composure.

Smiling, he said to the principal, "Principal, you go ahead with your work, I'll be leaving first."

The principal nodded in response, and Lin Jiyuan led Lin Xihe out of the principal's office.

The principal picked up a letter from the desk and handed it to Lin Qianfan. "This is the recommendation letter I wrote to the principal of the neighboring university. Take it, and make sure you perform well."

Lin Qianfan accepted the recommendation letter. "Thank you, Principal."

When Lin Qianfan emerged with the letter, father and son found themselves face to face once more.

"What are you doing here?" Lin Jiyuan lowered his voice, his tone laced with hostility.

"What do you think?" Lin Qianfan retorted, a trace of mockery in his eyes.

"I don't care what you're doing in this school now, but I'm warning you—stay away from Xihe," Lin Jiyuan said coldly.