Chapter 11 Episode 010: An Injustice Greater Than Dou E’s

Pfft...

Ye Chen nearly spat blood. Damn it, are you warning them not to kill anyone, or warning me not to kill anyone? But right now, there was no time to worry about such things. When others have already bullied you to your face, you can’t just take it lying down, can you?

“Go!” Deputy Captain Jin, his arm in a sling, couldn’t join the fray himself, so he commanded his men to surround Ye Chen. Under his orders, the group charged almost simultaneously. Ye Chen did not dare to be careless; though his fighting skills were mediocre at best, his talent for escaping was outstanding. Even if he couldn’t win, making a getaway should not be a problem.

Bang!

The first one to rush up was promptly sent sprawling by a kick from Ye Chen. The fellow had just raised his fist when Ye Chen’s foot landed squarely between his legs. He collapsed, clutching his groin, face ashen, foaming at the mouth. The sight made everyone gasp. That kick was no joke—everyone thought silently, if it had landed on them, would they still be alive?

“Damn it, beat him to a pulp! Don’t let him walk out of here!” Deputy Captain Jin, seeing one of his men down, barked, “Faster, this kid has some moves, you’d better be careful!”

“Yes!” The group nodded, gritting their teeth, bracing themselves for the risk of a similar fate, and charged together.

Ye Chen’s eyes widened. Good grief, now there were more than ten of them. Without another word, he turned and ran. The others, thinking Ye Chen was afraid, shouted as they chased him. The spectacle in the bodyguard room was quite a sight: over a dozen men attacking one, drawing the attention of the security office staff, who turned to watch, puzzled as to why there was suddenly internal strife in this normally harmonious team.

Clang!

Ye Chen snatched up an iron pipe from the corner and swung it at the nearest assailant, cracking his head open. The man saw stars and collapsed limply.

“Damn, blood’s been spilled!” Deputy Captain Jin was stunned, then roared, “Brothers, grab your weapons!”

Roaring and shouting erupted.

These bodyguards were all ex-military, each one valiant and battle-tested—otherwise, they wouldn’t have qualified to protect Li Ruo. In an ordinary brawl, perhaps it would have been nothing, but there was an unspoken rule: among bodyguards, whether in a fight or sparring, blood must never be drawn, or it would be courting disaster. Clearly, Ye Chen had broken the rule. One blow had left a man bleeding from the head.

With a clatter, almost simultaneously, the bodyguards grabbed whatever they could—steel pipes, iron rods, some even donned protective gear. Step by step, they advanced toward Ye Chen, ferocious as demons.

“Bah!” Ye Chen spat, breathing heavily, annoyed after being chased for so long.

Taptaptap...

A crisp set of footsteps reached Ye Chen’s ears. His sharp hearing caught it, and upon confirming the sound, he instantly recognized it as the footsteps of the company’s top boss, Li Ruo. His eyebrows arched with delight. Well, if one plan fails, try another—who’s afraid of whom?

“Hmph, you useless lot!” Ye Chen threw off all restraint, glaring coldly at the dozen or so armed bodyguards. “So many of you can’t handle one of me? What’s the point of the company keeping you around?”

Hiss!

These bodyguards were all accomplished soldiers, each with their own merits, and now they were being insulted like this? It was intolerable. Their brows knitted, eyes blazing, fists unconsciously clenched.

“Kid, you’ve got a death wish!” Deputy Captain Jin glared at Ye Chen, shouting to the others, “Brothers, teach him a lesson!”

At once, everyone charged. Sensing danger, Ye Chen turned and ran, tossing aside the iron rod, putting to use all the escape tactics he’d honed over the past year, and dashed for the door. The bodyguards, riled up by Ye Chen’s taunts, had no choice but to give chase, fueled by anger.

“Help!” Ye Chen suddenly screamed at the top of his lungs, nearly startling the chubby man stationed at the door into dropping his sunflower seeds. Ye Chen dashed past him, the bodyguards hot on his heels.

“Stop!” A cold, angry voice cut through the chaos.

Hiss...

Everyone froze, weapons raised, their expressions turning awkward. The person before them was their boss, after all. No one dared cross her. Deputy Captain Jin quickly stepped forward, stammering, “President Li... this guy bullied us!”

“Idiot!” Li Ruo had a mind of her own. She glared at Deputy Captain Jin, saying, “It’s obvious who’s bullying whom. There are so many of you, and Ye Chen is alone—just look at yourselves, all of you armed. And look at him…”

Fatty stood off to the side, blinking his sharp eyes. Ye Chen put on an innocent face, his brows forming a pitiful arch, his eyes oozing a hint of fear. Fatty covertly gave him a thumbs-up. Ye Chen slyly winked, a trace of smugness on his face, but before it could blossom, Li Ruo turned to him and asked, “You—tell me what really happened.”

“President Li, I’m miserable, I’ve been wronged... I’m more unjustly accused than Dou E ever was…” Before Ye Chen could finish, he was already putting on a pitiful expression, pleading his case.

“I told you to explain, not to whine!” Li Ruo frowned slightly. Beside her, Lin Ziwen covered her mouth, trying not to laugh, her delicate brows glancing over Ye Chen, her gaze falling on his patched-up trouser leg.

“I… It’s my first day at work; how was I supposed to know they were still holding a grudge over the interview?” Ye Chen said, pointing at Deputy Captain Jin. “It was him—he ordered all these bodyguards to come after me. Look, I’m unarmed, and they’re all carrying weapons. How am I supposed to do my job? I think… I’d better just resign!”

“Hmph!” Li Ruo glared at him. “You’ve signed the contract; you’re responsible for your job.”

She turned to Deputy Captain Jin and the others, sneering, “Deputy Captain Jin, didn’t Captain Cao teach you to be united and friendly? Is this how you bodyguards treat newcomers?”

“No... no, not at all!” Deputy Captain Jin shook his head frantically, pointing to the bodyguard room where two men still lay unconscious. “He started it—look, he knocked out two of our guys!”

Li Ruo glanced over without comment. Lin Ziwen quickly said, “Shouldn’t someone call an ambulance?”

“No need, it’s just some scrapes!” Ye Chen interjected.

“Idiot! This isn’t your place to speak!” Li Ruo snapped angrily. “Tell me honestly—did you do this to them?”

“That’s right!” Ye Chen didn’t deny it, shrugging. “They ganged up on me. I’m not an idiot—I can’t just stand there and let them beat me up, can I?”

“So, you want to show off how you took on the whole lot by yourself?” Li Ruo raised an eyebrow.

“Uh…” Ye Chen was momentarily embarrassed.

In Li Ruo’s eyes, if Ye Chen really was that capable, there’d be no need for such tricks. She shot him a glare, then left with Lin Ziwen, tossing back a final order: “Ye Chen, come to my office!”

Ye Chen followed without a word.

The general manager’s office was on the top floor of Tianya Group. With a unique design, the grand office felt especially spacious, sunlight streaming in through huge floor-to-ceiling windows. The space blended work and leisure. To the left was the work area, where a pearwood desk stood imposingly, piled high with documents, an Apple laptop, and a white coffee cup. To the right was the lounge for receiving guests, where an elegant red coffee table added a touch of distinction.

“Sit,” Li Ruo gestured to the sofa. To her surprise, Ye Chen had already flopped down before she finished speaking. He shifted left, then right, examined the sofa for a long moment, then nodded approvingly. “The real deal—genuine Italian leather. This must have cost at least a hundred thousand, right?”

“I didn’t expect you to know about this,” Li Ruo was surprised.

“Of course!” Ye Chen smiled. “Back in the day at the Golden Triangle…”

“What did you say?” Li Ruo hadn’t caught it.

“Nothing, just that I used to work as a mover at the Golden Triangle Furniture City,” Ye Chen chuckled.

“Oh, I see,” Li Ruo nodded, then said to Lin Ziwen, “Ziwen, make him a cup of coffee.”

Though Li Ruo was the president, she never judged a person’s worth by their position. No matter who sat before her, she remained calm, neither looking down nor up to anyone.

“No need, I don’t drink coffee. Just get me tea—Pu’er if you have it,” Ye Chen waved his hand.

“Hmph, picky, aren’t you?” Lin Ziwen pouted. Her voice was quiet, but Ye Chen’s sharp hearing caught every word. Truth be told, Ye Chen was good at little except running away and listening, but then, sharp hearing and escape skills went hand in hand. Without keen hearing, how could he sense danger in time?