The villa was bustling with activity, as the birthday banquet had yet to officially start, everyone was seeking out their preferred groups to chat.

However, when an elderly man appeared, the crowd quieted down slightly, directing their attention toward him.

The elder was clad in a customary dark green military uniform, adorned with red epaulettes on the collar.

The elder had a square face, short black hair, and distinctly defined features with slightly tanned skin. Despite not being very tall, his robust physique was imposing and towered like a mountain or a tower. His straight back was akin to a long spear, proudly standing tall. The bridge of his nose was prominent, and beneath his dense eyebrows, his eyes were stern and resolute, exuding a masculine aura that invoked a sense of solemnity in many people.

He possessed the unique bearing of a soldier—serious and severe.

"Dad, say a few words; once the banquet starts, I can arrange for the dishes to be served."

Lin Anbang approached the elder and said.

At the same time, his gaze was wandering through the crowd, but unfortunately, he found nothing.

"You rascal, hurry up and serve the dishes; it's already this late."

Lin Yuanshan glared at his son with disapproval.

Why make such a fuss over a simple birthday celebration!

If it weren't for the long-lost comrades and friends, he would certainly give Lin Anbang a stern reprimand.

Lin Anbang felt helpless inside but dared not show it.

In front of the elder, he could only nod obediently.

"Thank you all for coming to celebrate my birthday; enjoy the food and drinks."

After seeing his son leave, Lin Yuanshan glanced at the lively hall and spoke, his voice infused with a hint of boldness and vigor.

"General Lin, it's our pleasure."

"Old man, today we must drink you under the table."

"Yes, today is the day to avenge our previous defeat; this time, no cheating with Spiritual Power." Quite a few elders in military uniforms spoke up with laughter.

"Bring it on, you bunch of losers."

Lin Yuanshan quipped back with a smile, despite his dissatisfaction with his son, he was clearly pleased to reunite with long-lost comrades and old friends.

At this moment, specially invited waiters from a hotel began to serve the dishes, and as the wine flowed, the atmosphere became even merrier.

Meanwhile, on the other side, a girl with a bowl-cut hairstyle was absentmindedly playing with her phone.

"Dong Yunan, the dishes are being served; can't you stop playing with your phone?"

Dong Xiuxian looked at his daughter, slightly admonishing her.

Since the college entrance examination, his daughter had been acting like a homebody, staying at home every day. He brought her along to the birthday celebration today, partially to encourage her to make more friends.

"Not playing with my phone is so boring."

Dong Yunan raised her head, picked up her chopsticks to take a bite of the food, and continued playing with her phone.

This left Dong Xiuxian feeling quite helpless.

Nearby, a man remarked to Dong Xiuxian with a smile, "Kids liking to play with phones is quite normal; my son is the same way. Perhaps they could find some common interests."

As he spoke, the man signaled to a teenage boy about sixteen years old, who immediately asked Dong Yunan, "What game are you playing?"

"I'm not playing games, just casually chatting."

Dong Yunan glanced up, thought to herself that he wasn't handsome, and responded somewhat perfunctorily.

The boy was clearly deterred by Dong Yunan's indifferent reply and hesitated to speak further.

"That kid!"

Seeing this, Dong Xiuxian found it somewhat amusing, but he had no intention of criticizing Dong Yunan.

Although Old Huang's son had also been admitted to Red Cloud University, his talent could only be described as excellent; trying to court his daughter was somewhat out of his league.

After interacting with young talents like Lin Feng, Dong Xiuxian's standards had risen significantly.

Unfortunately, that boy seemed uninterested in his beloved daughter; otherwise, he would make a decent son-in-law.

"Chairman Dong, you're fortunate indeed. My boy's also admitted to Red Cloud but without a scholarship. If possible, I'd appreciate your precious daughter looking out for him."

Old Huang raised his glass to toast Dong Xiuxian cordially.

The preciousness of Therapists needs no mentioning; having a Therapist's care would undoubtedly ensure significant safety for his son.

Moreover, everyone was talking nowadays about Dong Xiuxian's daughter's good relations with Lin Feng and Yun Kai. Receiving her care would bring many benefits.

"Old Huang, you're too kind. Hmm, indeed, they should exchange contact information and help each other out at Red Cloud since they're from the same place."

Dong Xiuxian also took a sip of his drink, signaling to his daughter with his eyes.

Although Dong Yunan was somewhat reluctant, she didn't dare defy her father and pulled out her phone to exchange contact information with the youth.

"Happy Birthday to You..."

Just then, the music started, Dong Xiuxian shifted his focus and saw a group pushing a cake towards Old General Lin.

"Dad, happy birthday."

"Grandfather, happy birthday."

"Grandpa, happy birthday."

"Grandpa, hurry up and blow out the candles; I'm hungry."

Lin Anbang and his siblings stood in front of the elder, extending their birthday wishes.

A group of kids stared eagerly at the cake, their eyes shining. One six-year-old girl even tugged at Lin Yuanshan's hand, acting spoiled.

"Alright, alright, Grandpa will blow out the candles right away. But no more of this kind of ceremony in the future."

As a soldier, the elder was evidently not accustomed to such festive rituals, but with a gentle wave of his hand, the seven candles extinguished instantly.

"Is that even possible?"

This unconventional candle-blowing left Lin Anbang and the others staring at each other, feeling quite bemused.

"Hooray, time for cake."

The children clearly didn't mind how the candles were blown out; amidst their cheers, they began cutting into the cake.

"Dad, wishing you a happy birthday and a youthful spirit."

As the eldest son, Lin Anbang was the first to present his gift.

"Hmm."

Lin Yuanshan received it casually, showing no intent to unwrap it; he was more interested in enjoying drinks with his comrades.

After Lin Anbang, Lin Xinyuan and others stepped forward to offer their blessings and gifts.

"Old Lin, this bottle is my gift to you, a prized vintage aged fifty years, let's drink it today."

Meanwhile, Lin Yuanshan's comrades and friends, as well as Lin Anbang's friends or business partners, all presented their gifts one by one.

None of the gifts were of great value, due to past experiences where gifts valued over ten thousand were returned immediately, sometimes accompanied by a stern rebuke.

Everyone got up, queued to present their gifts, while Dong Xiuxian chose to wait until the crowd dwindled before leaving his seat.

"General Lin, happy birthday."

Dong Xiuxian offered his gift with a smile.

"Chairman Dong, thank you."

When faced with someone whose status and rank were comparable to his, Lin Yuanshan politely stood up to greet Dong Xiuxian.

Though he was older, in the world of the Martial Artist, Might Makes Right, and Dong Xiuxian's strength exceeded his own, so he couldn't afford to be arrogant.

"You're too polite."

After exchanging a few courteous words, Dong Xiuxian intended to leave, but he momentarily paused when he saw a woman behind him.

"Hmm?" Dong Xiuxian muttered softly.

He found the woman somewhat familiar.

Even though she kept her head slightly lowered, the elusive contours of her features, her brows, and facial traits closely resembled those of a certain young man.

Moreover, this woman's appearance seemed somewhat similar to that of Old General Lin.

However, Old General Lin had six sons and three daughters, none of whom he didn't know.

It was evident that the woman in front didn't belong to any of those categories.

For some reason, Dong Xiuxian found the woman peculiar; not only was her head lowered, but her body also seemed to tremble slightly.

When she approached Old General Lin and offered her gift, she didn't utter a single congratulatory word before turning to leave.

"You... wait!"

Upon seeing the woman, Lin Yuanshan initially didn't pay much attention.

Since her head was lowered, he couldn't see her face clearly, thinking it was just a typical guest. Yet, the woman's trembling made him curious, prompting him to take a second glance.

That glance changed his expression immediately.

His previously slightly smiling face turned serious, and the cheerful atmosphere seemed to freeze instantly.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.