Mr. Lin had almost finished dealing with Lin Yan's assets. Although Mr. Du had given up on rescuing Lin Yan, Mr. Lin still handed over some of her properties to Mr. Du for management.
This was an exchange for Mr. Du to ensure their safe departure from Shanghai. Both his identity and his presence posed a danger to Lin Yan.
If his identity were discovered by "them," it would inevitably affect Lin Yan. As long as he remained here, he would be a bargaining chip that could be used to threaten Lin Yan.
Mr. Du appeared full of shame upon meeting Mr. Lin, repeatedly apologizing for his powerlessness.
What could Mr. Lin do? He himself lacked the ability to rescue his own daughter, so how could he demand it of others! Thus, Mr. Lin remained calm when facing Mr. Du.
"Mr. Du also knows that my daughter will likely not be back for a while, so I would like to entrust these assets of hers to you for safekeeping."
"What do you mean, Minister Lin? Boss Lin may have left, but aren't you still here? With you present, why would Boss Lin's assets need to be looked after by others?" Mr. Du was confused.
"My daughter was taken away. While I cannot bring her back, I can go to be with her. Therefore, I have already dealt with most of her assets. The remaining ones are likely too expensive for others to buy, so I am entrusting them to you, Mr. Du."
Mr. Lin had sold some of Lin Yan's assets, but several large factories and the formulas within were particularly important. He did not want to rush their sale. After all, these were his daughter's life's work; a hasty sale would likely fetch a low price.
"Minister Lin is also leaving Shanghai?"
"Yes, so I would appreciate your help in looking after them. If you can find suitable buyers, selling them would also be acceptable," Mr. Lin sighed, appearing somewhat dispirited.
"I will take good care of Boss Lin's assets, and they will be returned to her in their entirety when Boss Lin returns," Mr. Du promised.
The primary reason Mr. Lin asked Mr. Du to look after these assets was to prevent the workers from losing their jobs. Although he mentioned that Mr. Du could find buyers, he knew Mr. Du would not do so.
Neither he nor Lin Yan cared much about the money, but the workers in the factories relied on their wages to support their families. If he were to sell them carelessly, these workers would most likely lose the jobs that provided for them.
After he had largely finished handling the assets, Mr. Lin summoned Ye Xiu Yuan to the Lin mansion. The previous time, he had learned from Zhang Ma that Ye Xiu Yuan was now in charge of one of Lin Yan's laboratories, so he had him summoned.
"Greetings, Minister Lin!" Ye Xiu Yuan felt a bit nervous upon seeing Mr. Lin, but he tried his best to appear composed.
"I heard from Zhang Ma that you are now responsible for one of Yan Yan's laboratories?"
"Yes, Mr. Lin has entrusted me with the responsibility for this laboratory. Minister Lin, when will Mr. Lin be able to return?"
During this time, he had been trying to gather information about Lin Yan, but none of his friends had any news.
However, a friend had told him that some of Mr. Du's subordinates had been searching for someone some time ago, which might be related, but it was later dropped, so he couldn't confirm if this was the information Ye Xiu Yuan was looking for.
This made Ye Xiu Yuan worry even more about Lin Yan's safety. Even though he knew from the Lin family's demeanor that Lin Yan was likely not in danger, it did little to alleviate his concern.
But lately, with members of the Lin family leaving one by one, and Mr. Lin dealing with Lin Yan's assets, Ye Xiu Yuan sensed something was amiss. Even if Mr. Lin hadn't contacted him, he would have returned to the Lin mansion.
Although the Lin family's departures all had legitimate reasons, he still felt a sense of impending danger.
"Yan Yan will be gone for a long time, so I called you here to tell you that since Yan Yan trusts you, the laboratory will continue to be your responsibility. I will leave you a research fund.
"Oh, and you used to be a teacher at Beijing University, so you should know Principal Gao. I have some books here that I hope you can help deliver to him."
Although Mr. Lin could have given these books to Principal Gao himself, his most pressing concern was to leave Shanghai as soon as possible.
"They" now knew about Yan Yan's identity, so there was no longer any need to hide her pen name.
"Can Mr. Lin's safety be guaranteed?" Ye Xiu Yuan quickly asked.
"Yan Yan's safety can be guaranteed. They have a need for Yan Yan, so they will not harm her." Mr. Lin knew that the young man before him genuinely cared for his daughter, so he told him the truth.
Ye Xiu Yuan understood why Lin Yan had left so suddenly. If even Mr. Lin and Mr. Du were helpless, it must have been the government that intervened.
But why? What was it about Mr. Lin that made Nanjing dispatch people to take her away? He thought of the research in the laboratory. No, that wasn't right. If it were truly about that research, why hadn't anyone come to the laboratory?
Or did Mr. Lin possess something even more important? What could it be? He suddenly thought of something, and his expression changed.
At this moment, Zhang Ma brought down Lin Yan's manuscripts. These were kept in a leather suitcase. Zhang Ma placed the suitcase beside Ye Xiu Yuan.
"Yan Yan trusts you, so I will trust you as well. This laboratory is Yan Yan's life's work, please take good care of it. If you also have to leave Shanghai, take the research materials with you. As for the machines, don't worry if you can't take them."
After finishing his affairs here, Mr. Lin resigned from his post and departed.
Many, including Mr. Du, believed Mr. Lin had gone to Nanjing. However, no one knew that Mr. Lin had traveled north, deep into the interior.
After Lin Yan was taken away, Mr. Lin had reported to his superiors that he would be reuniting with them, bringing all the drug formulas and finished products.
"They" had already sent people to meet him midway. Not long after Mr. Lin left, Zhang Ma dismissed many of the servants at the Lin mansion, leaving only herself to guard the house, awaiting the master's return.
After receiving the suitcase of manuscripts, Ye Xiu Yuan's thoughts began to form. Upon opening it, he discovered that it was a continuation of the books he had received from Principal Gao.
So, Mr. Lin was that 'Enlightenment Master'? The two individuals he admired immensely were actually one and the same. So, the Enlightenment Master wasn't a group of people as he had assumed, but Lin Yan herself.
Throughout history, there had been many individuals with photographic memories. He simply hadn't expected a woman like Lin Yan to have such great ambitions. How old was she then?
She was barely a young girl when she went abroad to study, yet she managed to commit these books to memory while completing her own studies.
What should he do? He suddenly felt that he was utterly unworthy of such a Mr. Lin.
Yet, he was even more unwilling to give up. He would wait for their reunion, and then confess his feelings to her. If she didn't accept them, he would continue to protect her from afar. If she did accept them, he would strive to keep pace with her!