Just as Ye Huan was about to bring down his butcher's knife, and just as Jin Jiu was scared out of his wits, an urgent voice came from outside.
The next moment, Hongluan rushed in.
"Spare his life! Do not kill him!"
Jin Jiu and Jin Peng stared at Hongluan as she burst in, both of them instantly dumbfounded.
Hongluan!
How did Hongluan, one of the Eight Nation-Protecting War Gods, end up here?
"Why? Doesn't he deserve to die?" Ye Huan asked coldly.
"He deserves to die, but he must die by the hand of the law!"
Hongluan said quickly:
"Although Jin Jiu has committed countless crimes and deserves no pity, he is a prominent figure in the business world and the founder and chairman of the Lin Group. His influence is far too great. If he dies an unexplained death, it will trigger a series of chain reactions."
"What chain reactions?" Ye Huan asked.
Hongluan caught her breath before replying:
"First, if Jin Jiu dies an unexplained death, it will cause many people in the Pengcheng business community to doubt the Pengcheng law enforcement system—especially those with skeletons in their closets. They are very likely to withdraw their investments and flee Pengcheng, which in turn will throw Pengcheng's economy into chaos;
"Second, if Jin Jiu dies, the Lin Group will be left without a leader. Banks and many of the Lin Group's business partners will cut ties with them, causing the group to collapse and leaving a massive number of employees out of work;
"Third, if Jin Jiu dies, the Lin Group will descend into a vicious internal power struggle, causing many of their ongoing projects to be temporarily shelved, which will trigger even greater chain reactions..."
Ye Huan listened quietly to Hongluan's explanation, feeling that his horizons had truly been broadened. Who would have thought that killing a single person could pull at so many threads?
"Do me a favor and don't kill Jin Jiu. I will uncover all evidence of his illegal activities and bring him to justice through legal channels, keeping the fallout from these chain reactions to an absolute minimum."
Hongluan looked at Ye Huan with a pleading expression.
Jin Jiu and Jin Peng felt a violent shock in their chests as they stared at Ye Huan in utter disbelief. They wondered just what kind of background this fellow had. He had killed the butler, yet Hongluan—a War God—didn't bat an eye, and now she was actually begging Ye Huan for a favor just to save Jin Jiu's life.
"Seeing as Jin Jiu and Jin Peng are so curious about my identity, why don't you tell them?"
Ye Huan said, which was as good as indirectly agreeing not to kill Jin Jiu!
"He is the Underworld King!"
Hongluan let out a breath of relief and said.
"What?!"
Jin Jiu and Jin Peng were frightened so badly they literally passed out on the spot!
"Wake them up," Ye Huan said.
"Oh! Right!"
Hongluan hurried over to the restroom, fetched a basin of cold water, and splashed it straight across the faces of Jin Jiu and Jin Peng.
"Spare us! Underworld King, please spare our lives, spare our..."
As soon as they regained consciousness, Jin Jiu and Jin Peng dropped to their knees and began kowtowing frantically to Ye Huan, begging for mercy.
Jin Peng had completely forgotten about the agonizing pain in his severed arm and his bruised body; the terror gripping his heart completely overshadowed any physical pain.
They had heard far too many legends about the Underworld King!
To offend the Underworld King didn't just mean getting killed—it meant your entire bloodline would be wiped out!
"How about you work for me from now on?"
Ye Huan used the tip of his shoe to lift Jin Jiu's chin as he asked.
"Huh?"
Jin Jiu's entire body had been trembling down to the cellular level with terror, but upon hearing Ye Huan's words, he suddenly felt as though a sweet rain from the heavens had drenched every cell in his body.
He had offended the Underworld King, yet not only was he not killed, but the Underworld King was actually taking him in as a subordinate?
Damn it, this rollercoaster ride of life was entirely too thrilling!
"You don't want to?" Ye Huan asked.
"I do!"
Jin Jiu let out a roar, bursting with manic excitement:
"I do, I do, I'm willing! From this moment on, I, Jin Jiu, am willing to be a dog under your command, loyal until death!"
"Get up then."
Ye Huan was quite satisfied with Jin Jiu's attitude. He nodded and said:
"From now on, you are not to make things difficult for Lin Xi!"
Jin Jiu stood up, straightening his posture instantly: "Understood!"
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Chapter 26: A Temper Bigger Than Her Chest
At that moment, Hongluan furrowed her brows. "What is the meaning of taking Jin Jiu under your wing?"
Her subtext was clear: the Underworld King had always acted as a lone wolf. Yet today, within a single day, he had first taken over Hell Gate and now subjugated Jin Jiu—it completely contradicted his previous character.
"I need a foundation in Pengcheng!" Ye Huan said.
Upon hearing this, Hongluan felt thoroughly depressed. Damn it, the Underworld King was already starting to build a foundation in Pengcheng, which meant he intended to settle down here for the long haul!
She asked, "Then will the police still investigate the evidence of Jin Jiu's crimes?"
Ye Huan thought for a moment and said, "No need to investigate. Just have him confess everything himself. But don't arrest him for now. If he steps out of line in the future or commits any more illegal acts, you can arrest him then."
In his mind, Jin Jiu rapidly analyzed the information contained in Ye Huan's words:
First, he had to honestly and obediently confess every illegal act he had ever committed to Hongluan;
Second, he had to be obedient and listen to the Underworld King;
Third, he was forbidden from ever engaging in illegal or criminal activities again unless ordered by the Underworld King.
"Alright!"
Hongluan nodded. She could read between the lines of what Ye Huan was saying. Ye Huan was currently establishing his roots and needed Jin Jiu's help; once those roots were firmly planted, Jin Jiu would lose his usefulness, and at that point, the police could arrest him at any time.
"Speaking of which, the Global Official War Gods Conference is about to start. Why aren't you going to the meeting, and instead trailing behind me all the time?"
With the problem resolved, Ye Huan shifted the topic, chuckling in amusement.
*I was worried you would go around slaughtering the innocent...* Hongluan thought to herself, though out loud she said:
"I am under orders to protect you!"
"I need you to protect me?" Ye Huan asked.
Hongluan: "..."
"Don't worry, Pengcheng is my hometown. I won't cause trouble here."
Ye Huan patted Hongluan on the shoulder and turned to leave.
Hongluan watched as Ye Huan walked out of the villa, then pulled a few tissues from the coffee table to wipe the sweat from her forehead. Earlier, she had genuinely been terrified that Ye Huan wouldn't give her any face and would slice Jin Jiu apart with a single sweep of his blade!
...
When Ye Huan returned to the bar, the birthday party had reached its climax. The pounding music and swaying bodies were thoroughly infectious.
Lin Xi had transformed into a DJ queen, mixing tracks while swaying her body, singing at the top of her lungs, and occasionally taking a sip of alcohol.
As for the fifty hoodlums Jin Peng had brought along, along with the shattered tables and chairs, they had long since been cleared away by the bar staff, and even Su Lei's bodyguards had been sent off to the hospital.
"This girl is quite interesting."
Ye Huan found a corner to sit in, watching Lin Xi's performance from afar.
At that moment, a young woman walked over carrying two glasses of wine, sat down right next to Ye Huan, pressed her body tightly against his, and gave him a sultry, seductive look.
"Want to go play in a private room on the second floor?"
Because the DJ's volume in the bar was so loud, the girl had to shout to make herself heard.
"Play what?" Ye Huan asked loudly.
Without a shred of shyness, the girl replied, "I want to experience Xiang Yingxin's pain!"
Ye Huan: "..."
"Let's go!" the girl shouted.
The corners of Ye Huan's mouth twitched. "My prostate is acting up a bit. Let's do it next time!"
"Fine!"
The girl wasn't disappointed. She simply asked for Ye Huan's contact information before heading back to the dance floor to continue dancing.
No sooner had she left than another girl approached, also wanting to experience Xiang Yingxin's pain, only to be politely rejected by Ye Huan.
And then—
Girl after girl came up to Ye Huan, all with the exact same objective!
Ye Huan was simply left speechless. What was up with the wealthy heiresses of Pengcheng? Were there no men left in the city? Or were the men of Pengcheng just completely useless?
At that moment, Shen Huamei walked over carrying a bottle of alcohol.
"Do you want to experience Xiang Yingxin's pain too?" Ye Huan asked in exaggerated, booming shock.
Shen Huamei glared at Ye Huan and roared, "Who let you in here? Get the hell out!"
Ye Huan let out a breath of relief. A normal person had finally arrived! He shouted back, "What did you say? I can't hear you!"
"I said get the hell out!" Shen Huamei roared.
"Go to the bathroom together? No thanks, go yourself!" Ye Huan shouted.
Furious, Shen Huamei took a deep breath, leaned right up to Ye Huan's ear, and bellowed at the top of her lungs:
"Get out!"
Continuing to play dumb, Ye Huan shouted, "You want me to dance? I don't know how! I'm a butcher—I can geld pigs just fine, but I don't dance!"
Watching Ye Huan feign ignorance and stupidity, Shen Huamei was completely out of options. She stomped back to the dance floor in a rage to continue dancing.
"That girl's temper is bigger than her chest!" Ye Huan chuckled.
Just then, DJ Queen Lin Xi received a text message. The moment she read it, her pretty face changed drastically. She immediately ran over to say a few words to Shen Huamei, and then bolted out of the bar, typing away on her phone as she ran.
Thus, Ye Huan received a text message from Lin Xi:
"Come with me to the company!"
Ye Huan hurriedly chased after her out of the bar. Once inside the car, he asked, "What happened?"
"All the computers at the Lin Group are under a simultaneous hacker attack!"
Sitting in the passenger seat with a dark, gloomy expression, Lin Xi urged him:
"Step on it! Ignore red lights, whatever—just get to the company as fast as you can!"
"Oh!"
Ye Huan quickly started the engine, slammed his foot on the accelerator, and shot forward.
That instant burst of G-force made Lin Xi feel as though her back was about to smash right through the seat. And that wasn't even the end of it—Ye Huan's subsequent driving maneuvers nearly scared her out of her wits.
She watched as Ye Huan floored the gas pedal, executing thrilling drifts and overtakes as if he were a professional racecar driver.
"Slow down! At the rate you're driving, we'll die in a car crash before we even reach the company!"
Pale-faced and terrified, Lin Xi shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Relax. Even Louis, the world racing champion, would be ashamed of his own skills compared to mine."
Showing no intention of slowing down, Ye Huan said with casual ease.
Lin Xi rolled her eyes. "I've discovered you really do know how to brag."
Ye Huan: "..."
Why was it that when he told the truth, nobody ever believed him?
Opting not to dwell on the topic, Lin Xi said in a low voice:
"Word has it that the Jin Group has a master hacker. I bet it's because you crippled Jin Jiu, and out of sheer rage, he ordered his hacker to attack the Lin Group."
"Jin Jiu definitely didn't do this," Ye Huan stated with absolute certainty.
"On what basis can you say that?" Lin Xi asked.
"Jin Jiu cried and begged to work for me, so I didn't have the heart to cripple him after all. Therefore, the hacker attacking the Lin Group was definitely not arranged by Jin Jiu!" Ye Huan said.
"You're bragging again!"
Lin Xi was simply at her wit's end with Ye Huan's habit of boasting.
Too lazy to explain, Ye Huan took control of the steering wheel with one hand while pulling out his phone with the other. He dialed Jin Jiu's number and put it on speakerphone as soon as it connected.
"Who is this?"
Jin Jiu's deep, authoritative voice came through the phone.
"It's me!" Ye Huan said.
"Ah, Master! It's you, sir! Whatever your commands are, just give them—I'll leap into a sea of flames without a second thought!"
Jin Jiu's deep, domineering voice transformed in a split second into the fawning, flattering tone of a groveling grandson.
Hearing this, Lin Xi's jaw dropped in shock. She was far too familiar with Jin Jiu's voice; this couldn't possibly be faked.
"Little Jiu, sing a children's rhyme for me." Ye Huan commanded.
Jin Jiu: "Two little honeybees, flying among the flowers, flying, flying..."
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Chapter 27: Flashy, Mind-Bending Operations
At that, Lin Xi finally believed that Ye Huan hadn't been boasting!
She stared in shock at the profile of Ye Huan's face as he drove, barely able to process the reality of it. Just who was Jin Jiu?
He was the founder and chairman of the Jin Group, a corporate giant valued in the hundreds of billions;
He was an underworld overlord whom the police wanted to arrest and the courts wanted to sentence, yet they hadn't been able to gather a shred of criminal evidence against him for over twenty years!
And yet, such a formidable overlord had actually been subdued by a mere butcher!
"Do you believe now that the hacker attack on the Lin Group wasn't Jin Jiu's doing?"
Ye Huan hung up the phone and asked.
Lin Xi didn't answer, but she believed it. She simply found herself wondering: if it wasn't Jin Jiu, then who on earth could be hiring hackers to attack the Lin Group?
Seeing the deep concentration on Lin Xi's face, Ye Huan didn't disturb her, instead driving at full speed straight to the Lin Building.
The moment the car stopped, Lin Xi scrambled out, and Ye Huan hurried to keep up.
The two rushed into the Lin Building and headed straight for the elevators.
It was already past ten o'clock at night, but a good number of people were still working overtime at the Lin Group, along with the security guards on night duty.
The pair arrived at the Lin Group's Network Security Department.
"President Lin!"
Seeing Lin Xi arrive, the head of the Network Security Department, Wang Bin, hurried over to greet her.
"What's going on?" Lin Xi asked.
"The company network has been infiltrated by a completely unprecedented new type of network virus. I'm currently leading the on-duty team members in trying to crack it, and the rest of the team are on their way here," Wang Bin reported quickly.
"Do you have confidence in winning this cyber defense battle?" Lin Xi asked.
"I do!" Wang Bin replied with absolute confidence.
"Good!"
That gave Lin Xi some peace of mind. She said:
"Get back to work. Don't mind me!"
"Understood!"
Wang Bin immediately returned to his workstation, his fingers hammering away on the keyboard as if he were having spasms.
The rest of the on-duty members of the Network Security Department were doing the exact same thing.
"Need any help?"
Ye Huan asked, looking at Lin Xi, who was desperately trying to maintain her composure despite her clear anxiety.
"What can a butcher possibly help with? Smash the computers?"
Lin Xi shot Ye Huan a sidelong glance and retorted unhappily.
"Actually, I'm also a very professional hacker," Ye Huan said.
Angered, Lin Xi hissed in a low voice, "Would it kill you not to brag? If you're a professional hacker, how could you possibly end up working as a butcher?"
In Lin Xi's eyes, hackers were high-level technical talents proficient in programming who could command hefty annual salaries at any company they chose—far more than a butcher could ever earn.
If Ye Huan were a professional hacker, how could he possibly engage in manual labor like butchering pigs?
Besides, Ye Huan was someone abandoned by his biological parents, trafficked by kidnappers, and deprived of any higher education—how on earth could he possibly be a professional hacker?
"Oh no! The opponent is downloading company data!" Someone cried out in alarm at that moment.
Lin Xi rushed over to look, only to find that every computer in the network security department had gone black, and a line of text had appeared across the screens: *Data copying in progress... 1.5%*
"Block them immediately! We cannot let them steal the company's data!"
In that instant, panic gripped Lin Xi!
Once the company data fell into the hands of outsiders, it would deal a fatal blow to the firm.
Especially since the company housed an R&D department—if their research results and data were stolen, the consequences would be utterly unthinkable.
Without needing her reminder, Wang Bin and his team members were already frantically trying to intercept the transfer, but to no avail.
*Data copying in progress... 2.1%*
*Data copying in progress... 3.5%*
*Data copying in progress... 5.4%...*
Watching those numbers tick upward at a breakneck speed, Lin Xi broke out in a sweat, her palms slick with anxiety.
"This guy's good!"
Ye Huan walked up behind Wang Bin, watched for a moment, and remarked in surprise.
Wang Bin, who was typing furiously on his keyboard, frowned and snapped:
"Please don't disturb my work!"
Just then, Lin Xi ran over, pulled Ye Huan back toward the door, and scolded him in a low voice:
"Whether the company survives this crisis depends entirely on Wang Bin and his team. Why are you over there messing with him?"
Watching the words *Data copying in progress... 8.2%* flash on the screen, Ye Huan said solemnly:
"I'm not trying to look down on Wang Bin and these guys, but I'm afraid they simply aren't capable of stopping the opponent from stealing the Lin Group's data."
"What do you know?!"
Lin Xi fired back without a hint of politeness:
"Ever since the Lin Group was founded, we've faced countless hacker attacks. Every single time, Wang Bin has led the team to repel the enemy. I believe that this time, Wang Bin and his team will pull off a miracle yet again."
No sooner had the words left her mouth than Wang Bin and everyone else present in the Network Security Department stood up one after another.
With an expression of utter shame and despair, Wang Bin rose to his feet and said:
"President Lin, all the company's computers have been remotely hijacked by the opponent. We can no longer stop them from stealing the company's data."
The color drained from Lin Xi's face until it was as pale as paper. Her legs buckled, and she stumbled backward, nearly collapsing onto the floor. Wang Bin's words were, without a doubt, a death sentence for the Lin Group.
Once all their data was stolen and fell into the hands of their competitors, the Lin Group's bankruptcy would only be a matter of time!
"Let me try."
Ye Huan caught Lin Xi just as she was about to collapse and spoke up.
Those words made Lin Xi feel as though she had just grasped at the final straw of a drowning person. She said:
"The Jin Group has a master hacker! Call Jin Jiu right now and tell him to send that master hacker over!"
"It's too late," Ye Huan shook his head.
"Only I can try right now!"
Lin Xi plunged back into the depths of despair.
Meanwhile, Wang Bin and the others looked over at Ye Huan. None of them recognized him.
Wang Bin spoke up: "President Lin, although I don't know who this gentleman is, we are sitting ducks waiting to die right now. We might as well let him try—treating a dead horse like a living one. Even if he fails, he can't possibly make the crisis any worse."
Taking a deep, weary breath, Lin Xi said to Ye Huan with a drained voice:
"If you want to try, go ahead."
Her tone was that of someone thinking, *Do whatever you want, the Lin Group is finished anyway.*
Without wasting a second, Ye Huan strode over to Wang Bin's workstation and sat down. He pulled out his phone, opened an app that neither Wang Bin nor Lin Xi had ever seen before, and after a quick sequence of taps, his phone was somehow linked directly to Wang Bin's computer.
The next moment, countless black command windows filled with lines of rushing code popped up on the screen.
Ye Huan's index fingers began hammering at the keyboard as if he were suffering from severe muscle spasms.
"What kind of operation is this?"
Wang Bin and his team members crowded around, staring like a bunch of idiots at Ye Huan's flashy, bewildering maneuvers, completely unable to make heads or tails of what they were seeing.
Lin Xi hurried over as well. She couldn't understand it either, but Ye Huan looked remarkably professional doing it. In an instant, he became the Lin Group's sole remaining hope for salvation.
Right now, she had no choice but to choose to trust Ye Huan!
"Lin Xi, just what the hell do you think you're doing?"
At that exact moment, a few corporate executives stormed aggressively into the Network Security Department. The man in the lead, a middle-aged executive, barked angrily.
It was Lin Xi's uncle, Lin Qingyun, the vice president of the Lin Group.
Seeing Lin Qingyun, a look of undisguised disgust flashed in Lin Xi's pretty eyes, and she said in a low voice:
"Uncle, I'll explain the situation outside."
She didn't want Lin Qingyun making a scene and shouting, which might distract Ye Huan from his work.