Chapter 244 Take It Easy

Ye Yongsheng showed no mercy for old times' sake. After dealing with several board members who betrayed him, he turned his attention to the remaining loyal ones.

"I've actually had a prison break plan from the beginning. After all, with Chu Zhiqing around, I had no chance for a reduced sentence! So, I figured that once my sister managed to launder all the investment company's money, I'd break out, take revenge, and then flee abroad to live...

"I know you've all been loyal to me over the years, but let's be honest, you've pocketed a fair amount while working in the company, haven't you? Out of brotherly affection, I've always turned a blind eye. But now, with that little scumbag Chu Haoran killing my sister and her husband, I can't get my remaining money laundered in time, so I've had to move up my plans!"

The board members quickly realized that Ye Yongsheng was essentially asking them for money.

"Why don't you help me out? Ten billion from each of you shouldn't be too much, right?" Ye Yongsheng smiled faintly, his gaze sweeping over their faces.

The old brothers exchanged uneasy glances. "Not difficult. We'll go back and gather the money as soon as we can."

"Call your people and have them handle it," Ye Yongsheng ordered, leaving no room for refusal. "You'll stay on this boat for the next couple of days. Even if you go home, the police will come to invite you for a chat. You're better off staying here, playing cards and drinking with me."

Once again, the men exchanged looks, reluctance clear in their eyes. However, after glancing at the dozen or so hitmen on the boat, they reluctantly agreed.

Meanwhile, at Chu Haoran's home.

The eldest son and grandson of the Chu family stood in front of a massive fish tank, staring at the fish feeding with a blank expression.

Cui Zhe, lying bored on the living room sofa, fiddled with the new phone Chu Haoran had given him.

After a moment, Chu Haoran slowly walked over, lit a cigarette, and sat down beside him, smiling lightly. "Still mad at me?"

Cui Zhe raised an eyebrow but didn't respond.

Chu Haoran continued, "Can you stop being so petty? I'll apologize, alright?"

Annoyed, Cui Zhe snapped, "Chu Haoran, what's your deal? You had me take out Ye Yongsheng's lover, and then you sent people to keep an eye on me? And now you're giving me a new phone. What, do you think I'm a ghost? Why don't you just finish me off already, instead of wasting all this effort?!"

"Don't bite the hand that feeds you," Chu Haoran flicked his cigarette ash, smiling. "I sent people to help you, to save you some time. As for the phone...you've been using that old one for years. Plus, after cleaning up all those moles, can you guarantee they didn't tamper with your phone before?"

Cui Zhe rolled his eyes and, after a pause, changed the subject. "Now that Ye Yongsheng is out, what's your next move?"

Chu Haoran took a deep drag of his cigarette and, after a moment of silence, said, "That old dog tricked all of us. I've only just figured it out—his lover and cousin probably have different identities. At the very least, they were the ones laundering money for him, and he trusted them deeply."

Cui Zhe sighed. "Seems like we miscalculated, huh? We shouldn't have killed them so quickly. We could have waited until we got the signatures from the Ye Corporation's board tomorrow, then killed them. No rush."

"You think Ye Yongsheng would agree to our terms if those two were still alive?" Chu Haoran retorted. "He only agreed today because we cut off his escape route, forcing him to fake cooperation. But really, he's desperate, ready to take risks."

Confused, Cui Zhe frowned. "I don't understand why Ye Yongsheng would escape, but you should be careful. He's definitely out for revenge, and if he finds out that Ye Tianyi died by your hand, well… He's a desperate man now, a dead man walking."

"I'll be careful," Chu Haoran replied. "But whether he comes after me or not, I'm sure he'll pay my uncle a visit first. Hah…"

Cui Zhe smacked his lips. "True. In a way, him breaking out is a good thing. At least your uncle and cousin won't be sleeping well these next few days."

At Hong Lou.

After receiving a call from Ye Yongsheng, Chu Zhiqing's face grew darker.

He wasn't worried about revenge, but about the painstaking efforts he'd put into managing the situation. It took so much to win over those board members, and now they were probably all under Ye Yongsheng's control.

Chu Yuxuan was also feeling frustrated. Just dealing with the Tianji Society had been enough to stress him out, and now Ye Yongsheng was added to the mix. He sighed, "We need to find him quickly and take him down."

Chu Zhiqing thought for a moment and said, "Knowing him, he won't act recklessly. Right now, the police are putting pressure on him, and Ye Corporation is falling apart. He'll likely flee with whatever money he can launder and lie low for a few years before coming back for revenge. That's more in line with his character. But we should stay vigilant. If he does decide to go all in, he'll act soon. The longer he waits, the higher the chances we or the police will find him. Time is not on his side."

"Alright, I'll head home then." Chu Yuxuan stood up. "You could've just called me. Did you really need to drag me here in the middle of the night?"

Chu Zhiqing's expression softened a bit. "I wanted you to get to know Director Tan better. He's taken over from Director Cao, and we'll need him in the future. You can't rely on me to handle everything. You need to learn how to deal with these bureaucrats."

Chu Yuxuan scoffed, "I told you, I'm not interested in the Chu family's affairs or that bureaucratic culture. Don't involve me in this again. It makes me sick."

Despite his words, Chu Yuxuan had no intention of staying in the country long-term. Sucking up to bureaucrats was pointless for him.

If certain connections were needed for dealing with the Tianji Society, Chu Zhiqing could handle it himself. There was no need for Chu Yuxuan to go through the trouble.

"Alright, alright. Whatever you say." Chu Zhiqing agreed with a laugh. "You've been drinking. Let my driver take you home. I'll stay a bit longer."

Chu Yuxuan didn't refuse. He took two steps towards the door, then suddenly stopped and turned back to his father with a strange look in his eyes. "Why are you staying? Planning to sleep well on the top floor? Did your membership card stop working? Want me to lend you my red card?"

Chu Zhiqing smacked his lips, saying, "You little brat! I'm still your father. Show some respect!"

Chu Yuxuan chuckled mockingly and muttered, "You shameless old fool. One day, your kidneys will give out."

Chu Zhiqing: "..."

Chu Yuxuan shot him a glance and walked out of the private room. As he closed the door, he called back, "Take it easy! You're getting old; don't overdo it!" Then he closed the door.

As he made his way down the stairs to the first-floor lobby, he unexpectedly ran into Situ Jingyao.