Chapter 3 Section 003: Feng Zixiao (1)

From the speed of the three men's charge, Ye Chen could tell that they had definitely served in the military. Their movements were sharp and agile, their steps steady—obviously not the kind of opponents one could easily handle. Ye Chen retreated repeatedly, just as he was about to turn and run, the fourth bodyguard had already stepped into position behind him.

"Trying to run? Not so easy!" The bodyguard grinned, raising the combat gloves on his fists, clearly intent on teaching Ye Chen a harsh lesson.

"Damn it, I'll fight you all then!" A steely glint flashed in Ye Chen’s eyes.

He had just been chased all over by that little minx Yao Yue, frustration burning in his chest. He couldn’t beat her, but did that mean he couldn’t handle a few blockheads like these? No matter how strong their fists, could they be faster than him?

Fire blazed behind Ye Chen’s eyes as he raised his fist and lunged at the bodyguard behind him. The man was startled, not expecting Ye Chen to target him first, and hastily assumed a defensive stance. His left leg swept toward Ye Chen with the force of an unstoppable army. Ye Chen dodged in a flash, leapt up, slapped the man’s leg with one hand, then used the rebound to vault even higher. His left foot became a spear, his right a shield, striking at the bodyguard.

"Ha! Die!" Ye Chen roared in fury, his pent-up anger erupting like a miniature cosmos.

Bang!

A powerful sidekick landed squarely on the bodyguard’s shoulder, sending him crashing to the ground. Ye Chen landed lightly, braced on his hands, half-kneeling as he coldly swept his gaze at the three others rushing toward him. He might not be a match for Yao Yue, but dealing with some fools like these was no problem.

"Hmph!" Ye Chen snorted coldly.

It was just a simple spar, yet Ye Chen carried himself with utter seriousness. In a chaotic place like the Golden Triangle, one careless mistake could cost your life; he could afford no slackness in his character.

The three approached quickly, closing in on Ye Chen in the blink of an eye. The one who had just fallen was the team captain. Seeing their captain kicked aside infuriated them. This was only a test—there was no need to fight so ruthlessly. Yet, in the heat of the moment, grudges are easily formed. The three gritted their teeth and immediately surrounded Ye Chen.

"Come on, let me see your real strength!" Ye Chen sneered, raising his gloved fists with an air of disdain.

"Go!"

All three lunged at the same time. As former soldiers who had worked together for years, they moved with instinctive coordination. Grappling, takedowns, riot control techniques—they all came at Ye Chen with everything they had.

Ye Chen’s reflexes were lightning fast, dodging left and right. He evaded as he attacked, attacked as he evaded—this was his fighting style: play to your strengths and avoid your weaknesses, countering the enemy’s sharpness with your own skill. So, in just a few exchanges, he sent one man flying with a kick, then smashed another’s nose with his fist, sending blood streaming and tears rolling down the man’s cheeks as he clutched his face.

"Damn it!" The last bodyguard was enraged seeing his companions beaten so badly. Yet, this guy didn’t appear that strong—he just kept running and taking advantage of openings. Furious, he shouted, "Coward! If you’ve got guts, stop running!"

"Fine!" Ye Chen grinned, planting himself firmly. "Come at me. I’m not moving an inch!"

"I’ll kill you!" Despite being a bodyguard, the man couldn’t shake the ingrained roughness of a soldier. He cursed and charged at Ye Chen, fist raised. But just as he was about to swing, his vision blurred—a powerful force slammed into his chest, sending him crashing to the ground. His head hit the floor, leaving him dazed and dizzy. Ye Chen placed one foot on his chest and chuckled, "Well? Isn’t it fun going up against me?"

"You—" The bodyguard gritted his teeth, humiliated, but the outcome was clear—he couldn’t argue with the result. The four men shot Ye Chen resentful glares, frustrated and unwilling to accept defeat.

"You’re not qualified!"

A cold voice sounded from behind. It was the interviewer, Li Ruo, who had been observing the fight closely from start to finish. Though she didn’t know much about combat, she could see that Ye Chen handled himself with ease. He could have held back, yet deliberately beat them to a pulp. She had no respect for showy, arrogant types like him, so she decided not to hire Ye Chen.

Ye Chen froze, turned to look at Li Ruo, and asked in surprise, "What the hell, girl, are you messing with me?"

A sharp intake of breath echoed around the hall as the staff stared at Ye Chen in disbelief. This guy—was he insane? He actually called President Li "girl"? He was finished. He probably wouldn’t make it out the door alive.

Smack!

Li Ruo slammed her slender, fair hand on the table and scolded, "You’re arrogant, conceited, and love to show off. You don’t have the loyalty or humility a bodyguard should possess. You’re selfish, egotistical, and full of macho heroics! So—I’ve decided not to hire you!"

"What the hell, are you kidding me?" Ye Chen was dumbfounded.

Was he destined to be at odds with beautiful women his whole life? Yao Yue was still hunting him outside, and now this icy beauty was humiliating him too? Anger flared in him. "As a bodyguard, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with heroism or being a man’s man! Heroism means I have leadership potential. And being macho—so what? It’s not like I’m going to marry you. Why get hung up on it?"

"You—" Li Ruo was speechless, staring at this outrageously bold man.

"What do you mean, ‘you’? A company as big as Tianya Group, one of the nation’s top 500, and you go back on your word, fooling the public! Tsk, tsk…" Ye Chen mocked coldly.

At that moment, the silver-haired old man beside Li Ruo stood up, chuckling. "Young man, tell us, how did we go back on our word and fool the public?"

"Didn’t you?" Ye Chen walked over, grabbed the unopened bottle of mineral water in front of Li Ruo, twisted off the cap, and gulped down more than half the bottle under everyone’s astonished gaze. Wiping his mouth, he said, "I passed all the previous tests, and you said if I could withstand these four’s attacks I’d make it. I did more than just defend—I won! Now this girl’s coming up with some trumped-up excuse not to hire me. Isn’t that going back on your word?"

As he spoke, Ye Chen occasionally jabbed his finger at Li Ruo, not treating this future boss with any respect at all. In fact, he had no idea that this icy beauty was the legendary, cold-as-ice CEO of Tianya Group. If he had, he wouldn’t have dared be so brazen even if he’d been given the courage.

"Indeed! By your logic, we should hire you," the old man laughed, glancing at the icy woman. "Xiao Ruo, let’s hire him."

"Chairman Li!" Li Ruo protested urgently.

"Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing," the old man smiled, casting a thoughtful glance at Ye Chen. "Young man, you’re not bad. I have high hopes for you."

"Heh, old gentleman, you’re not picking a son-in-law, what good is it if you have high hopes for me? If you have a daughter, I’ll marry in—how about that?"

"Uh—" The old man burst out laughing, pointing at Ye Chen. "If you want to be my live-in son-in-law, you’ll have to see if my daughter agrees!"

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