Chen Ye’s move was, in truth, an extremely risky one.
But having been granted a second life, as the old saying goes: the greater the ambition, the greater the yield.
In his previous life, Su Lili had been bribed to commit perjury. He had spent twenty years in prison, where his family was denied visitation, and not even a single letter ever reached him. This served as a testament to just how far Wang Tianlong’s reach extended. Chen Ye had been eighteen when he was incarcerated, and the first lesson he learned at Tilan No. 1 Prison was simple: there is no such thing as an absolutely reliable relationship in this world—only absolute interests.
It was nearly two in the afternoon. Chen Ye had been twitching for an hour in the Red Spider Internet Cafe, watching "The Sequel to Journey to the West," and yet Wang Tianlong still hadn't arrived.
"Don't tell me this old bastard is busy plotting how to set a trap for me?"
He walked to the front desk of the internet cafe. Looking at the girl with the "scene-style" side-swept bangs, Chen Ye asked, "Hey, missy, do you have a back door here?"
"Ew, you little brat, have you even grown all your hair yet? I’ve got a boyfriend, don’t try to pick me up."
Chen Ye rolled his eyes in silence. Wouldn't it be far more pleasant to be teasing the sweet, soft-spoken Luo Hongli?
"I asked if there’s a back door! Lady!"
"Who are you calling 'lady'! You really don't know how to talk, do you? The back door is in the restroom at the very end."
Just as he was preparing to head to the restroom to scout the area, a middle-aged man under 1.7 meters tall walked in, carrying a black briefcase. A clear scar sat above his left eye, a heavy gold watch adorned his wrist, and glittering gold rings sparkled on his fingers. All that was missing was a thick gold chain—though in this day and age, he clearly wasn't worried about being robbed by a motorcycle gang.
"Hello, Chen Ye. I am Wang Tianlong."
The man walked straight up to Chen Ye and held out a hand. Chen Ye felt a jolt of alarm; he immediately realized his blunder. He had been an idiot; he should have used a public phone.
"Mr. Wang, hello."
As soon as the girl at the front desk sensed Wang Tianlong’s aura, she immediately shrank back, not daring to utter another word.
Chen Ye led Wang Tianlong to the small, private cubicle he had booked. Wang Tianlong got straight to the point. "Chen Ye, seventeen years old, a senior at Beichuan Eighth Middle School. Your mother runs a small beauty salon, your father owns four mahjong parlors, and your fourteen-year-old sister is in..."
"That’s enough!"
Chen Ye had still underestimated the true nature of a man in the underworld. Within an hour, he had been completely "doxxed." From now on, he would have to be meticulous in everything he did.
"Young man, I’m not from Shancheng. Do you know how I managed to gain a foothold here for over a decade and become the leading private enterprise in the construction industry?"
Chen Ye took a deep breath. "Mr. Wang, although you haven't shown much courtesy, I am a man who prefers to be polite before resorting to force. Your son, Wang Qiang, is trying to steal my girl. I didn’t say a word about it; she’s just damaged goods, I don't care. But he’s arranged to meet me in Yangping tonight, and I felt I should at least give you a heads-up."
"I can't guarantee that if he lays a hand on me, I won't end up crippling him. So, this matter really needs to be settled at the source."
Wang Tianlong lit a cigarette, crossed his legs, and tapped the black briefcase on the table, staring fixedly at the young punk before him. Judging by his speech, this didn't seem like a trap set by a competitor. But he was too young, and there wasn't a hint of fear on his face. It was strange.
"Little Chen, you young people should settle your own affairs. Do you know what happens to people who oppose me?"
"Mr. Wang, you're joking, aren't you? Without you, his 'daddy,' backing him up, would he dare to be this arrogant? I only have one requirement: leave me alone, and leave the people around me alone."
"Heh... *exhales*... I, Wang Tianlong, must have really lost my touch to be threatened by some little brat. I didn't want to bother with you at first; I just wanted to see what kind of trash you were. Now that I’ve seen it, whatever tricks you have, use them. I’ll take—"
Chen Ye curled his lip. "Hold on. Look at you, getting impatient again. Sun Wen, Tang Jishan... do I need to keep going?"
Wang Tianlong had already stood up, frowning and glaring at Chen Ye. "Who the hell are you? Are you with Bai Laoer..."
Chen Ye shook his head. "Don't worry about whose side I'm on. My purpose in coming here today is simple: keep Wang Qiang away from me, otherwise, no one will come out of this well. You can look at my age and see a student, but do you dare to bet on who is actually behind me?"
"Hahaha! Mr. Wang, my dear Mr. Wang, don't look so tense. I came here today to make friends."
Wang Tianlong looked at the young man in front of him. His face-changing was faster than a Sichuan opera performer's. How could someone this young have such deep schemes? Was it possible the information he had gathered was all fed to him on purpose? Was the Chen family not as simple as they seemed?
"Little Chen, enemies are better settled than knotted. Rest assured, I had Wang Qiang locked up at home before I came here, and I gave him a beating for good measure."
Chen Ye gave a cold laugh, ignoring the comment, and said, "It seems you don't believe me, Mr. Wang, but I really am here to be your friend. Someone is coming for Tang Jishan. How you handle it is up to you. That’s all I have to say."
Wang Tianlong watched Chen Ye walk out of the booth, still reeling from the exchange. Tang Jishan was currently his biggest backer in Shancheng. The only people who could move against him were the top two officials—but the second-in-command was Tang’s own ally. So, was the top leader planning a move?
Chen Ye finally let out a long breath once he was out of the internet cafe. Even though he had rehearsed this in his mind a dozen times and learned so much at Tilan No. 1 Prison, putting it into practice was a massive test of his nerves. He had almost cracked back there.
Wang Tianlong should be following him out, right?
By the time Chen Ye reached the intersection to turn, he looked back, but there was nothing there.
"Damn, and I thought I might make a little profit out of this. He’s that cautious?"
"Mr. Chen, wait!"
Chen Ye looked back to see two burly men jogging toward him. The old bastard had brought people after all.
"Mr. Chen, please stay. Our boss would like to invite you for a casual meal to chat further. What do you think?"
Chen Ye shoved his hands into his pockets, expressionless. "And if I refuse?"
The two bodyguards flashed apologetic smiles, showing no signs of aggression. "We’re just trying to earn a living, sir. Give us a little face so we don't have a hard time reporting back. Mr. Wang has already helped you get leave from school."
Chen Ye opened his mouth. He had underestimated Wang Tianlong again; he could even find out that he had snuck out of school? Money really was a powerful tool.
Before long, the group arrived at a teahouse. As soon as they entered, they saw Wang Tianlong pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back. Beside him stood a long-haired, dyed-blonde youth—Wang Qiang! He looked just like a scrawny monkey.
"Ah, Brother Chen, my apologies for the offense earlier. I hope you can be magnanimous."
Chen Ye didn't know what they were up to. "I’ve already said what needed to be said. I’m a little scared to be dragged back here by Mr. Wang at such great pains—I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing."
Wang Tianlong looked at his snarky expression. He was playing a psychological game in the middle of a casual conversation. Then he looked at his own son—damn it, a total waste who only knew how to take drugs and chase women. The thought made him furious!
"Useless! Absolutely useless!"
He delivered two sharp kicks. Wang Qiang took the blows for no reason and stood there in a daze. He didn’t think he had said a single word? Why was he being hit? What was this for?
Chen Ye sneered inwardly. It seemed the name "Tang Jishan" carried quite a lot of weight.
Just as he entered the tea room, he froze in the doorway.
Luo Hongli?
Why was she here?
Wang Tianlong saw this and laughed. "Brother Chen? This is a proper tea house. If you were looking to..."
Chen Ye waved his hand and checked his phone. School was out. Did she come here to work part-time every night?
"Luo Hongli, why are you in a place like this! You’re coming home with me."
As soon as he said this, Wang Tianlong’s face turned black. Was he just talking to thin air earlier?
*Proper!* This was a *proper* tea house!!!