Chapter 4: Things Change, People Change
After watching the three of them drive away, the bald leader and his gang finally snapped out of their shock.
"Boss, are we just letting them go like this?" One of his men helped the bald man up, hesitating whether to chase after them.
"Of course! Do you think you can take on that guy?" The bald man held his swollen face, still in disbelief over being beaten so badly for the first time.
To make matters worse, the man had the Dragon King's token!
"Let's go! We need to get back quickly!" The bald man realized the seriousness of the situation. He needed to inform the big boss of the Dragon King token's reappearance, which would surely shake the entire underground power scene.
...
"Man, you're amazing!" Inside the car, Hua Guodong held the steering wheel with one hand and gave a thumbs-up to Ye Feng with the other.
Being able to intimidate Black Dragon's men with just a punch was extraordinary. If they hadn't just met, Hua Guodong might've wanted to apprentice under him right there.
"Mr. Ye, thank you so much for your help!" Zhao Wanting was deeply grateful. Without Ye Feng's help, they might've lost everything on this trip.
Ye Feng shrugged off their gratitude, but he was curious about something.
"What were they after?"
Zhao Wanting took out a jade Buddha statue from her bag. "This jade Buddha."
"I spotted it at an auction a week ago and wanted to buy it for my grandfather's birthday gift. But I didn't bid against the underworld big shot, Black Dragon."
"A few days ago, Black Dragon contacted me and said he'd sell it to me at the original price, but the deal had to be on his turf."
"Worried about going alone, I invited Hua Guodong. But we still got played by Black Dragon."
Hua Guodong angrily pounded the steering wheel. "That Black Dragon is shameless! If I'd known, I would've brought some backup from my dad's side. He wouldn't dare pull this in Yanjing City!"
Ye Feng glanced at the jade Buddha and sensed it was cursed.
"This jade Buddha is cursed. It's best to get rid of it to avoid harming yourself and others," Ye Feng warned.
"What? Cursed?" They looked skeptical.
"The auction said it was blessed by a high monk!" Zhao Wanting added.
Seeing their disbelief, Ye Feng remained silent. Despite his impressive combat skills, they thought he couldn't possibly know about jade.
Little did they know, Ye Feng's 33rd mentor in prison was an expert in antique jade. Ye Feng developed a keen eye for discerning the real from the fake.
"This time, we owe you big time, Mr. Ye," Zhao Wanting smiled, "We don't know how to thank you enough."
"You don't have to thank me," Ye Feng said, originally having no intention of helping. "But my efforts aren't for free either," he added calmly. "I've helped you twice now; you owe me."
The car fell into silence. Hua Guodong and Zhao Wanting exchanged glances, surprised by Ye Feng's directness.
"Haha! You're quite straightforward, aren't you?" Hua Guodong laughed.
"Yes, you're right, Mr. Ye. We can't let you help for nothing," Zhao Wanting said, "How much do you want?"
Money wasn't an issue for either of their families. Ye Feng thought for a moment, being broke himself.
"Let's say two million," he suggested.
Without hesitation, Zhao Wanting took out a bank card. "There's one million in this card. I'll give you the rest next time."
Zhao Wanting was intrigued by Ye Feng's exceptional skills and mysterious demeanor, wanting to get to know him better. The million was originally prepared in case Black Dragon demanded more.
Soon, Hua Guodong drove to the Yulong Villa area in Yanjing.
"Do you live here, Master?" Hua Guodong stopped the car.
Ye Feng looked out, recognizing the place. It had been five years; things had changed.
Once, this was his home. Not anymore.
Watching Ye Feng walk away, Zhao Wanting suddenly remembered some news. "Ah—I remember!"
She quickly took out her phone and found an article from that morning.
"Yanjing's Young Master Ye Feng released from prison today. Family statement: Disowned and disassociated!"
"So he's the recently released Young Master Ye," Zhao Wanting realized belatedly.
...
Inside a luxurious villa in Yulong Villa area.
A middle-aged woman was reading some news with interest.
"Ah Bao and the others did well!" She nodded approvingly. "They'll be rewarded handsomely when they return."
She was Xuruyun, Ye Feng's stepmother.
"My eldest brother's luck is really something, surviving five years in there. But this time, he might not be so lucky."
Beside her, a teenager smirked at his phone, satisfied that no one could challenge his position and inheritance anymore. He was Ye Ze, Ye Feng's half-brother.
Suddenly, the TV switched to footage of a car crash.
"The vehicle had seven casualties," the reporter announced.
"What?" Xuruyun rushed to the TV, shocked. "How is this possible!?"
She recognized the familiar faces of the deceased, shaking her to the core.
"They're all dead!?" Ye Ze dropped his phone in shock. "What about my eldest brother!?"
Bang!
The front door was kicked open, and a gust of wind swept in.
Outside the door, the servants tried to stop but couldn't, urging, "Young Master, calm down. Whatever it is, let's wait for the Master to come back..."
Young Master?!
Hearing this title, both mother and son were stunned, turning around in shock. Seeing Ye Feng, appearing almost ghostly, at their doorstep, they couldn't help but shiver.
"It's you!?" Xu Ruyun stared at him in horror, "You're still alive?"