Golden Eyes for Appraising Treasures: Defying Fate

Lin Mo knelt on the bluestone slabs in the old Lin family mansion, his knees already numb. The early spring night breeze carried a fine drizzle that soaked his thin shirt. He could feel his second uncle's gaze at his back, cutting into him like a knife.

"Lin Mo, do you know what you did wrong?" His father's voice came from deep within the ancestral hall, filled with unquestionable authority.

He raised his head and looked at the ancestral tablets in the hall. His throat tightened. "Father, I did misjudge that investment, but I truly didn't line my own pockets..."

"Silence!" His father slammed a hand against the armrest of his grand chair. "Thirty million! A full thirty million! You trusted the wrong people, and now it's all gone down the drain! How can you show your face in the Lin family?"