Inside a villa hidden within the woods at the foot of Zijin Mountain.
A young man, with a woman in his arms, smiled faintly and said, "After tonight, more than half of Qian Deshui's assets will be mine. Then, you can have anything you desire."
The woman's heart bloomed with joy.
After a while, she spoke with a hint of grievance, "But Qian Deshui's slap was too painful, it almost knocked me out."
Ye Zifeng gently stroked his wife's cheek, his eyes flashing with ferocity. "Yi Xue, I won't let you suffer in vain. I will make Qian Deshui, that dog, kneel before you and beg for forgiveness. My woman, is he someone he can touch?"
"You can't kill him?" Yun Yixue's eyes were filled with melancholy.
Ye Zifeng shook his head.
"No."
"No matter how worthless Qian Deshui is, he is still a prominent figure. If I were to eliminate him, it would expose the Ye family to public scrutiny, inevitably attracting unnecessary trouble. Besides, Qian Deshui will be a dog of my Ye family from now on. Used well, he can assist me in taking over the Ye family. At that time, you will be the mistress of the Ye family."
Yun Yixue giggled heartily.
*Ding-a-ling!*
The phone rang. Ye Zifeng and Yun Yixue exchanged glances, seeing the joy in each other's eyes.
Ye Zifeng glanced at the caller ID. It was indeed Qian Deshui calling.
"Qian, have you made up your mind?" Ye Zifeng's voice was low, applying psychological pressure on Qian Deshui.
Qian Deshui swallowed and nodded, "Young Master Ye, I have considered it. I can resolve this matter tonight."
He also provided the address.
Ye Zifeng glanced at Yun Yixue beside him and smiled, "You're quite clever. I'll head over now. You'd better not play any tricks, or my Ye family will make you pay."
Without waiting for Qian Deshui to reply, Ye Zifeng hung up the phone.
He then turned to Yun Yixue and said with a smile, "Qian has indeed bowed his head. He still has some sense."
"Let's go and see how this dog apologizes on his knees."
Yun Yixue readily agreed.
A few minutes later, a black sports car pulled out of the garage and drove down the winding mountain road, leaving Zijin Mountain.
For most people, Zijin Mountain was a national scenic area requiring a ticket to enter. For some, however, it was like their own backyard, freely accessible and without restraint.
In a hotel private room.
Qian Deshui sat restlessly, worried about Ye Zifeng's impending arrival and whether Chen Jinzhao could handle it.
Shangguan Yu'an saw Qian Deshui's demeanor and chuckled, "Don't worry. If even he can't resolve this, it means something big is about to happen."
Qian Deshui nodded, feeling slightly more at ease.
As his anxiety grew, time ticked by. When footsteps were heard outside the private room, Qian Deshui flinched as if startled and even subconsciously stood up.
Outside the private room door.
Both Ye Zifeng and Yun Yixue showed displeasure. Qian Deshui hadn't come to greet them personally!
"He puts on quite an act," Ye Zifeng said, displeased, before pushing the door open.
As the two entered the room, they saw that besides Qian Deshui, there was another man and woman in the room. Ye Zifeng, from the seating arrangement alone, knew that Chen Jinzhao and Shangguan Yu'an were likely Qian Deshui's hired help.
Ye Zifeng, however, showed no fear and sat down with his wife openly.
Qian Deshui dared not even breathe heavily. He quickly looked at Chen Jinzhao and the other two seated opposite him. Ye Zifeng sneered, "Qian Deshui, these are the helpers you found? If you'll forgive my frankness, what kind of riff-raff have you brought?"
"I..." Qian Deshui's expression was troubled.
In fact, up to this point, he still didn't know Chen Jinzhao's background.
Ye Zifeng raised his hand to interrupt Qian Deshui and looked up at Chen Jinzhao mockingly. "Hey, who are you? Do you know that when the Ye family is conducting business, everyone must yield?"
"Leave now, and I won't hold you responsible."
"If you insist on opposing my Ye family..."
"Hmph!"
"You will bear the consequences!"
Yun Yixue watched the scene with a smile.
However, Shangguan Yu'an's gaze made her uncomfortable. She felt that this woman's gaze was too sharp and her demeanor far superior to hers, making Yun Yixue feel inadequate.
Chen Jinzhao said calmly, "The Ye family of Jiangning, what a grand tone. Even if someone from the Su family stood before me, I would not bow my head. I have already understood Qian Deshui's matter. This was a scheme you set up from beginning to end, wasn't it? If you stop now, I won't bother with your Ye family. But if you don't stop, don't blame me for taking your Ye family as an example!"
Ye Zifeng was not afraid; instead, he burst into laughter, tears almost streaming from his eyes.
Some nobody who appeared out of nowhere was saying they would take his Ye family as an example. Was this for real?
"You are quite smart. This was indeed a scheme I set up. I don't mind telling you, it's for Qian Deshui's own good. He possesses hundreds of billions in wealth but lacks the ability to protect it, like a child waving gold bricks in the street. Only by submitting to my Ye family can he preserve his immense fortune. The Ye family provides him shelter from the storm; is it wrong to collect some protection fees? It's a matter of mutual consent, what's the problem?"
Shangguan Yu'an secretly shook her head.
To speak of robbery so righteously, the Ye family had no reason to exist.
Ye Zifeng also frowned inwardly.
He found that Chen Jinzhao and Shangguan Yu'an seemed unfazed by the Ye family's name? One must know that the Ye family was one of the top three great families in Jiangnan.
Chen Jinzhao spoke again, "I don't want to say it a second time."
Shangguan Yu'an, standing beside him, also said, "This is a warning to you. Of course, you can choose not to heed our words and continue to act against Qian Deshui. However, if you do, I guarantee your Ye family will suffer along with him."
"Are you threatening me?" Ye Zifeng chuckled indignantly.
"Not at all, this is a kind warning," Shangguan Yu'an said.
Ye Zifeng let out a cold snort from his nostrils. "I'll be damned if I listen to you. In fact, I've changed my mind. Now, I just want Qian Deshui to die! Let's see how you can stop me!"
"And you—"
He pointed at Shangguan Yu'an and bellowed, "Tonight, you will serve me. It is your honor."
Shangguan Yu'an pursed her lips, a smile appearing on her face.
Yun Yixue sat aside, looking aggrieved. Her husband was lusting after another woman, yet she dared not say anything. After all, at Ye Zifeng's status, few women could hold him back.
She could only vent her anger on Qian Deshui.
"Qian, if you don't want to die, then kneel and beg for forgiveness! And immediately have your wife come and apologize to me! I want to slap her face until it's bruised, for offending me!"
Qian Deshui's face turned ashen. He hadn't expected things to escalate to this point.
Chen Jinzhao's brow furrowed unintentionally, then he looked directly at Ye Zifeng. The temperature in the room began to drop. Ye Zifeng, completely unaware of the approaching danger, continued to shout incessantly.
Finally.
Chen Jinzhao couldn't hold back and spoke again.
"Are you sure you want to do this?"