Chapter 27: Friends Breaking Up

Li Changfeng's persuasion was like a stone sinking into the sea, Ye Xingchen was still running wildly on his self-constructed road of power and wealth. Li Changfeng looked at Ye Xingchen's indifferent and determined face, disappointment and helplessness flooded in his heart like a tide. He knew clearly that he had been unable to pull Ye Xing Chen back from the deep mire, and the friendship between them, which was once as solid as a rock, was now on the verge of breaking.

"Xing Chen, do you really want to be so stubborn?" Li Changfeng's voice trembled slightly, his eyes full of pleading, as if as long as Ye Xingchen turned back, everything would still have a chance.

Ye Xing Chen, however, acted as if he had not heard, his icy cold gaze shot at Li Changfeng like a cold arrow, "Changfeng, don't do this useless persuasion anymore. My determination is as solid as a rock, no one can shake it. I will become the master of this world, this is my destiny!" His voice was filled with unquestionable determination, and every word was like a heavy stone that ruthlessly smashed into Li Changfeng's heart.

Li Changfeng painfully shook his head, "Xing Chen, you are already lost in this maze of power and desire. If you act like this, you will only push yourself into the abyss of doom. Do you still remember the dream that we once harbored? That was to fight with the sword and uphold justice, not to chase after power by any means necessary as we do nowadays."

Ye Xingchen was silent for a long time, a trace of imperceptible faltering flashed across that resolute face, but it passed in an instant. "Changfeng, I know about the dreams I once had, but the law of this world is that the weak are the strong. Only the strong can control their own destiny and protect those they cherish. I must become strong, so strong that no one dares to bully me!"

Li Changfeng let out a long sigh, "Xing Chen, you are very wrong. Power and wealth are but passing clouds, they cannot bring true happiness and peace. Only by upholding a kind heart and adhering to the path of justice can you have a clear conscience and inner peace. Look at what you're doing now, what you're hurting is not only those innocent people, it's your own soul, and the many years of friendship between us."

Ye Xing Chen's heart was violently pained, he deeply knew that everything Li Chang Feng said was true. However, that ambition buried deep in his heart was like a demon's sharp claws, tightly gripping his soul, making him unable to break free. He looked at Li Changfeng, the determination in his eyes grew stronger, ''Changfeng, I understand that I may have been wrong, but I have set foot on this road of no return and cannot turn back. You go, don't come to persuade me again, otherwise, don't blame me for not remembering my past friendship."

Li Changfeng gazed at Ye Xingchen's familiar yet unfamiliar eyes and saw endless stubbornness and madness in them. He knew that everything was beyond redemption. The moment he turned around, tears blurred his vision as he slowly took his steps, each step seemed to weigh a thousand pounds, and with a heart full of grief and loss, he left with determination.

From then on, Ye Xingchen and Li Changfeng, a pair of close friends who used to live and die together, completely parted ways. Li Changfeng resigned from all positions in the company, cut off all contact with him, disappeared in the world of Ye Xingchen. Ye Xing Chen although the surface pretends to be nothing, but whenever the night is quiet, looking at the empty office, the past and Li Changfeng side by side with the picture of the struggle will be like a tidal wave like a surge of mind, so that his heart surged a burst of ineffable loneliness. But that despondency was fleeting, and was soon consumed by his ambition that burned like a blazing fire.

Ye Xing Chen did not realize that his crazy actions were like an earthquake that triggered a tsunami, stirring up a thousand waves in the business world and the jianghu, offending countless forces. Those businesses that he suppressed, the Jianghu sects that he bullied, and the righteous people who were not used to what he did had secretly joined together, like a huge and invisible net, quietly closing in on him.

At a luxurious business reception, under the sparkling crystal chandelier, the clothes and celebrities gathered. Dressed in an expensive handmade customized suit, Ye Xing Chen walked into the venue with his head held high, and the arrogance of no one else as if he was the only king in this world. At this moment, a mysterious businessman dressed in a gorgeous brocade robe, with an elegant temperament and a hint of cunning, holding a meaningful smile at the corner of his mouth, slowly walked towards him.

"Mr. Ye, I've heard a lot about you. I've heard that you've turned over the clouds in the business world, it's really admirable." The mysterious businessman slightly owed his body, an elusive light flickering in his eyes.

Ye Xing Chen slightly raised his chin, the corner of his mouth hooked up into a haughty arc, "Hmph, but it's just some small carving skills."

The mysterious merchant let out a light laugh, "Mr. Ye is too modest. I see that Mr. Ye has an extraordinary temperament and must have greater ambitions. I have a wonderful plan here, if Mr. Ye is interested, you and I will join hands, and we will be able to create an unprecedented business empire and control the wealth and power in this world."

Ye Xing Chen's heart stirred, that greedy desire for power and wealth instantly burned in his eyes, as if a hungry wolf had seen a fat sheep. "Oh? Tell me."

The mysterious businessman approached Ye Xing Chen and lowered his voice, which sounded as if it was a temptation from hell, "We can join forces and use all means to acquire those competitors' businesses and monopolize the market completely. At that time, the entire industry will become our possession, at our disposal."

Ye Xing Chen's brows furrowed slightly after hearing this, he knew that this kind of behavior was immoral and illegal, but the lure of the huge benefits was like a magic sickle that hooked his soul, constantly pulling at his sanity. "This move is quite risky, if discovered, the consequences are unimaginable."

The corner of the mysterious merchant's mouth rose, revealing a confident smile, "Mr. Ye need not worry. I have my own foolproof plan to ensure that nothing goes wrong. We act stealthily, like ghosts in the dark night, those stupid guys will definitely not be able to notice. Once we succeed, Mr. Ye will become the richest person in this world, with power that no one can match."

Ye Xing Chen struggled inwardly for a moment, and in the end, that inflated ambition overcame reason. He raised his head, a crazy light flashing in his eyes, "Fine, as you say."

Since then, Ye Xing Chen and the mysterious businessman were in cahoots and began to secretly prepare for the acquisition plan that would be enough to subvert the entire business world. They plotted and planned in dark corners, like two cunning foxes, ready to give those competitors a fatal blow.

However, their plots are like candles in the darkness, though weak, they cannot escape the insight of the eyes of justice. Those businessmen who upheld justice, after realizing the sinister intentions of Ye Xingchen and the others, quickly united as a surging torrent of justice, ready to defend themselves against the coming storm.

At a high-profile business summit, the atmosphere was as tense as a bowstring about to snap. Those righteous businessmen representatives stepped forward, their words as sharp as knives, and in front of the crowd, they mercilessly exposed the machinations of Ye Xingchen and the mysterious businessmen.

"Ye Xing Chen, your greed and selfishness is like a plague that is eroding this originally fair business world. What you have done is a blatant trampling of business ethics, and we will never allow you to continue to do wrong!" A respected old businessman angrily rebuked, righteous fury burning in his eyes.

Ye Xing Chen's face was horribly gloomy, as if it was a dark cloud before a storm, as he stared angrily at those who were accusing him, "You bunch of things that don't know how to die, how dare you slander me here! Everything I do is to promote commerce and create more wealth for this city. You guys are merely jealous of me and want to sabotage my plans, you're simply delusional!"

"Ye Xingchen, you don't need to argue. Your evil deeds have long been made clear, and we hold conclusive evidence in our hands. If you don't stop, you will be severely punished by the law!" Another young businessman said righteously, his eyes as firm as iron.

Ye Xingchen let out a cold laugh, that laugh was filled with disdain and contempt, "Evidence? What evidence do you have? It's just some groundless speculations and false accusations. I, Ye Xing Chen, have been able to achieve what I have today, relying on my wisdom and strength, is it something that you mediocre people can't shake!"

After saying that, Ye Xing Chen violently turned around and left the venue with a big stride, that back figure seemed like a volcano that was about to erupt, exuding a chilling anger and threat.

From that moment onwards, the war between Ye Xing Chen and those righteous businessmen broke out in full force. The shopping mall was like a battlefield, filled with smoke, and both sides launched a thrilling life and death battle. Relying on his wealth and huge power, Ye Xing Chen was like a crazy beast, suppressing those righteous businessmen by any means necessary. He used his media to fabricate all kinds of false news and malign them, trying to smear their reputation and make them have no place in the business world.

And those righteous businessmen did not flinch as they united to deal with Ye Xingchen's attacks. They collected evidence of Ye Xingchen's crimes through various legal channels, publicized them, and called on the government and the community to sanction him.

In this fierce business battle, Ye Xingchen's behavior became more and more crazy, nearly losing his mind. He disregarded his hard-earned image and reputation, and would stop at nothing as long as he could achieve his goal. His company was thrown into chaos internally as a result, and his employees were on edge, disappointed with his behavior. Many loyal and old employees had chosen to leave, and the once vibrant and cohesive team was now falling apart.

However, Ye Xingchen had already fallen deep into the whirlpool of power and desire, unable to extricate himself. He firmly believed that as long as he could win this war, everything would be back on track, and all those lost things he could regain.

Just as Ye Xingchen was in the midst of a fierce battle with the righteous businessman, his family was also caught up in endless pain and strife. His family witnessed what he did, and worry and dissatisfaction grew like vines in their hearts.

Ye Xingchen's parents, who were once proud of his accomplishments, were now filled with grief as they could only watch him go further and further down the wrong path. They tried to wake up Ye Xing Chen's lost conscience by persuading him bitterly many times.

"Xing Chen, you already have too much, why don't you know enough? You're chasing after power like this, when exactly will it end?" Ye father's wrinkled face was filled with worry, his voice hoarse and tired.

Ye Xing Chen, however, turned a deaf ear, his eyes were filled with madness and persistence, "Dad, you simply don't understand. Everything I do is for the glory of our family. I want the Ye family to become the most honorable family in this world, so that everyone bows down to us!"

Ye mother had long been sobbing uncontrollably, she tightly pulled Ye Xing Chen's arm, "Xing Chen, look at what you've become now. You will hurt countless people and bring disaster to yourself. If something happens to you one day, what should we do?"

Ye Xing Chen shook off his mother's hand with force, that icy gaze piercing her heart like a sharp blade, "Enough! You guys don't know anything, don't bother me anymore! I know what I'm doing, I don't need you guys to worry about my affairs!"

Saying that, he left in large strides without looking back, only leaving his parents' desperate and sad eyes staring at his back from where they were.

In the days that followed, Ye Xing Chen's life was plunged into endless busyness and chaos. He was like a tireless gyroscope, running frantically, sacrificing everything in order to realize his unattainable ambitions. His body was deteriorating due to overwork and he often felt exhausted, but he had no time to rest and was unwilling to do so.

After a fierce business encounter, Ye Xing Chen sat alone in that dimly lit office, looking out the window at the brilliantly lit but incomparably unfamiliar city night scene, an uncontrollable loneliness and confusion suddenly surged in his heart. He began to reflect on his own behavior, those people he had hurt, those broken families because of him, like a nightmare in his mind constantly surfaced. He realized that perhaps he was really wrong, once the boy with justice and dreams, has long become completely different under the erosion of power and desire.

However, at this time, he was already deep in the mire, unable to extricate himself. He knows that he has embarked on a desperate road from which there is no turning back, and can only continue to move forward with a hard head. Even if there is an abyss in front of him, he can only close his eyes and take a leap, because he has no choice.