When Luo Ziling was stumped by Ling Ruonan’s question, Jin Yan led Lin Lan inside.
Seeing Lin Lan come in, Luo Ziling heaved a sigh of relief.
Lin Lan was dressed casually, wearing a sweatshirt on top and jeans with casual shoes below, appearing very youthful and stylish.
As Lin Lan followed Jin Yan inside, she wore a serious expression.
Seeing Ling Ruonan, her demeanor slightly softened and she greeted her politely.
"Have a seat!" After Jin Yan left, Ling Ruonan warmly invited Lin Lan to sit, then asked Luo Ziling to pour a glass of water.
As Luo Ziling got up to pour water, she quietly said to Lin Lan, "Thanks for all your hard work these days!"
"Mrs. Ling, it was no trouble!" Lin Lan gently shook her head, "Everything turned out fortunately. I truly didn’t expect such a situation. Professional hitmen targeted Ziling and we were completely unaware, which shows our security measures need improvement. At least, when the hitmen were investigating Ziling’s whereabouts, we had no clue whatsoever — that’s simply unacceptable."
Ling Ruonan was a bit surprised, not expecting Lin Lan to bring this up immediately upon sitting down.
"We definitely overlooked some details!" She agreed with Lin Lan’s analysis, saying with some concern, "These kinds of situations are very difficult to prevent unless we implement security measures like those for leaders, but that’s unrealistic. Ziling wouldn’t want to lose his freedom in that way either. No one would be happy living under constant protection for a lifetime."
Lin Lan nodded and continued with her analysis: "Last night, the hitmen were able to track Ziling shortly after we sat down for supper, which indicates they had already gathered a lot of information on Ziling. They should know Ziling is a student at Yan University and frequently appears in the area, thus choosing the ambush location wisely. These two hitmen were very grounded; after spotting Ziling, without being completely sure, they dared to hire local thugs to confirm. I suspect if they succeeded, those thugs would be silenced by murder as well. Once all steps were completed, these two hitmen would leave Huaxia to collect their bounty. Moving forward, we need to investigate the mastermind by focusing on large financial transactions, tracking the hitmen’s movements, their means of communication, and the contacts involved."
After listening for a while, Luo Ziling realized Lin Lan was showcasing her skills to Ling Ruonan.
Lin Lan was not quite satisfied with Wuyue, mainly because of the incident where he was attacked and almost killed.
She hoped to outshine Wuyue, at least enough to make Ling Ruonan believe so.
Ling Ruonan, after listening, didn’t immediately express her opinion but appeared deep in thought.
"We’ve got some initial leads already. Later, I’ll coordinate with Wuyue, Wang Zhenjun, and the others to ensure we unravel the matter as swiftly as possible," Lin Lan spoke decisively, with no hesitation, "I’ve been on vacation recently anyway, and there’s nothing demanding my attention at Dragon Rise. With these investigations, I plan to focus my energy and maintain good communication with Wuyue and the others."
"It’s good to maintain communication; familiarize yourself with the situation here," Ling Ruonan nodded in agreement with Lin Lan before asking, "Have you decided to retire?"
"Yes!" Lin Lan nodded, "I’ve achieved my goals. After multiple injuries, my body’s functioning has declined somewhat, as has my reflexes due to aging. Also, Director Luo hopes for me to leave Dragon Rise and come help you manage things."
Saying this, Lin Lan glanced at Luo Ziling sitting nearby and whispered, "I don’t want Ziling to worry too much, so I applied for retirement. The retirement report has been submitted, and after some formalities, it will be approved."
"That’s good!" Ling Ruonan nodded, "Once you’re retired, you can work with me. I’m currently in need of someone competent on their own. Jin Yan has limitations, making her unsuitable for major roles, while others lack capability. You’re talented in every aspect; once you familiarize yourself with the situation, you can handle everything."
"Alright!" Lin Lan agreed readily, then said a little bashfully, "I originally planned to find time to have a good chat with Mrs. Ling, but didn’t expect so many events upon returning from Europe."
"It’s alright, we’ve always had frequent contacts; I know quite a bit about you. If convenient, you can often stay by my side moving forward," Ling Ruonan smiled, "You’re seasoned in handling matters and have a good relationship with Ziling. You’re fully involved in confidential matters, so we’re certain to trust you."
Ling Ruonan’s words made Lin Lan a bit embarrassed, and slightly guilty, too.
However, her expression showed nothing unusual; she simply nodded lightly and said nothing more.
Ling Ruonan turned to Luo Ziling, speaking in front of Lin Lan, "Yang Qingye’s injury needs to be promptly investigated to find the cause. I believe your attack yesterday and Yang Qingye’s injury today were done by the same group. Finding out will unravel everything."
"This could very well stir a quake in Yanjing!" Luo Ziling laughed, "I have a feeling such events happening again won’t result in the same outcomes as before. This time, it might trigger a major incident. It won’t subside quickly and could have a chain reaction, escalating into a matter of life and death between the parties involved."
"Therefore, you must be very cautious, ensure no errors, and don’t take anything lightly. Every precaution must be taken carefully. Remember, if there’s any mishap, all prior efforts might be wasted, and we could end up in a perilous situation with no escape," Ling Ruonan advised seriously, "Grasp every opportunity, whether concerning Ling, Yang, Fang, or Chen Family — any exploitable chance must be seized. I also feel like, after this incident, we might end up openly clashing with the Chen Family. This seems to be Chen Ruchang’s desperate struggle. Of course, calling it a desperate struggle is an exaggeration; he still has some time left to live, during which he can plan many things."
Pausing, Ling Ruonan continued, "Yet with such challenges in the Chen Family, coupled with a decline in his health, if his sense turns irrational, he might make poorly considered moves and approach matters with a mindset of total destruction with us — this is entirely possible. If this incident is truly orchestrated by the Chen Family and they succeed, ultimately it would mean renewed conflict between the Yang and Ling Families, allowing the Chen Family to catch a break, even recover at an opportune moment and potentially have the last laugh. An individual, when faced with no immediate threat to life, might not consider matters recklessly, preferring decisions with many considerations. Those considerations might prevent extreme actions."
"Mom, I’ve been thinking the same!" Luo Ziling nodded, "But I believe if we handle it well, there’s a chance to completely eliminate the threat from the Chen Family."