Chapter 41 Chapter 040: Ye Chen’s Secret

Outside the door, Li Cheng squinted as he dozed, but upon hearing the sounds from the bodyguard office, he immediately frowned, a strange glint flickering in his eyes. At the entrance, Li Ruo and Lin Ziwen stood motionless.

“President Li, why aren’t you going in?” Lin Ziwen asked in confusion.

“Forget it, I’m not going in,” Li Ruo shook her head. “This is the security department’s business anyway. Why should I interfere? Let’s do this—Captain Cao’s health is poor, so let’s temporarily remove him from his post and promote Ye Chen instead.”

“Huh?!” Lin Ziwen was stunned, stammering as he looked at Li Ruo. “President Li… Weren’t you just about to give Ye Chen a hard time?”

“No,” Li Ruo shook her head, hands clasped behind her back as she strolled away from the security department, smiling. “Let the capable handle it. I believe he’s up to the task.”

Lin Ziwen stared at Li Ruo’s retreating figure, perplexed. Didn’t President Li always have a bias against Ye Chen? From their first encounter, that scoundrel had dared to curse President Li to her face and even threatened to marry her. Of course, at the time, Ye Chen hadn’t figured things out—he didn’t know Li Ruo was the interviewer, nor that the elderly man beside her was Li Tianya, founder of Tianya Group.

“What a crazy world,” Lin Ziwen muttered helplessly.

For the moment, Ye Chen had subdued the bodyguard office through force, and Mouse and Shrimp had their lodgings settled. The company’s dormitory was in Zhulin Community, not far from Xinhai Apartments. Several buildings had been leased by Tianya Group for employee housing. Mouse and Shrimp shared a room, as they were used to. Ye Chen personally helped them settle in.

“All right, you’ll live here from now on. It’s close to my place,” Ye Chen pointed toward Xinhai Apartments. “Come over for drinks whenever you like.”

“Sure thing!” The two chuckled. “Boss, are we just going to be bodyguards from now on? Isn’t that a waste of talent?”

“Ah, for now, that’s how it is,” Ye Chen replied helplessly.

“Boss, why don’t we…” Mouse began, but Shrimp quickly tugged his arm, frowning and signaling him to stop.

“What do you mean?” Ye Chen smiled.

“Oh, Boss, Mouse means we could start our own business, carve out a place in Jianghuai City!” Shrimp laughed.

“I’ve considered that,” Ye Chen nodded. “But now isn’t the time. Maybe later.”

“Okay!” Both nodded. Having come this far, they settled in, unpacked, and prepared to rest—the journey had worn them out, and they fell asleep as soon as they lay down. Ye Chen glanced at them, smiled faintly, closed the door, and slipped out quietly.

As soon as Ye Chen left, the two men on the bunk beds immediately sat up, their eyes bright and alert, far from sleepy. Mouse tapped on the upper bunk and asked, “Hey, Shrimp, why didn’t you let me speak just now?”

“The clan leader said we shouldn’t mention it yet,” Shrimp leaned over, looking at Mouse. “Did you forget the clan leader’s instructions? Boss has amnesia. Knowing too much now isn’t good. Besides, there are major conflicts within the clan—the heirs are at each other’s throats. If Boss found out now, wouldn’t that endanger him?”

“So what do we do?” Mouse asked with a wry smile. “We’ve been by Boss’s side for two years, but he shows no sign of recovering his memory. How long are we supposed to wait? And Boss’s nemesis, Liu Jie, found his trail a year ago and teamed up with the General to make trouble. I can’t stand it!”

“There’s nothing we can do. An outstanding clan leader must endure all kinds of trials. I’m sure the Duke thinks so too,” Shrimp said, furrowing his brow. “But because of this, I believe Boss is the strongest heir. Let them fight now; the Duke is right—he’s protecting Boss. However…”

“However what?” Mouse looked at Shrimp in confusion.

“If Boss regains his memory, what kind of pain will he face?” Shrimp shook his head. “Betrayal by his closest brother, betrayal by his fiancée. To inherit that power that makes the world tremble, for wealth rivaling nations… I wonder if Boss…”

“Hmph!” Mouse leaped from the bed, cursing. “That woman, that bastard—if I ever catch them, I’ll skin them alive! If not for them, Boss wouldn’t have fallen off the cliff, wouldn’t have lost his memory!”

“Perhaps it was all meant to be,” Shrimp laughed softly. “This way, everyone thinks Boss is dead. Apart from Liu Jie, almost no one knows Boss survived. Liu Jie won’t announce it, afraid the Duke will find out. In fact, the Duke already knows, which is why we’re here to protect Boss secretly. Hmph! When Boss rises again, I believe everyone will tremble.”

Mouse shook his head helplessly. Shrimp was right—this was the best outcome, but perhaps they’d wander down another path.

“Why the sigh?” Shrimp asked.

“You just said it yourself—what if Boss can’t bear the blow?” Mouse looked at Shrimp. “Right now he’s amnesiac and can’t recall the past. If he remembers, faced with betrayal by his best brother and fiancée, what will he do? Fall apart, never recover?”

“If that’s the case, I’d rather he never regain his memory,” Shrimp said with a bitter smile.

“But the clan needs an heir. Those heirs only know how to scheme and plot—they’re unworthy. Only Boss is qualified! And judging by the Duke’s attitude, only Boss fits the bill,” Mouse said stubbornly.

“All right, let’s drop it and get some sleep,” Shrimp lay down.

“Yeah, I hope Boss is always happy…” Mouse smiled softly.

...

Leaving Zhulin Community, Ye Chen’s phone rang at an inconvenient moment. He glanced at the number—Zhang Yantong.

“Hello? Officer Zhang, what can I do for you?” Ye Chen wiped his brow. It was noon, and the sun was relentless. Jianghuai City might be a coastal city, but its midday heat was not to be underestimated. Ye Chen shaded his head with his hand.

“Are you free to come to the station now?” Zhang Yantong’s voice was pleasant, and Ye Chen found it soothing.

“Not really. I’m not sitting around at home anymore—I have to work too!” Ye Chen looked around; he was already at the roadside, just two hundred meters from the police station. It would be easy to walk over, but he wasn’t keen to see that girl. She’d just mock him, and he’d probably be roped in for hard labor again. Tonight was the transaction at Pier 2, organized by Zhang Dadan’s crew. Zhang Yantong’s call now was definitely premeditated.

“Hmph, working? Listen, you injured your department’s bodyguard captain yesterday. His wife came to the station to file a report. If you don’t come, I’ll have to handle it officially!” Zhang Yantong wasn’t to be trifled with. When one tactic failed, she went around the flank.

That Cao Jianguo’s wife was quite something. Seeing her husband’s bone broken by Ye Chen’s kick, she was heartbroken and stormed into the station, crying and making a scene. The officers explained it was a sparring accident and couldn’t be prosecuted, but she refused to leave. Finally, they comforted her by saying a case had been filed, and she left without another word. The whole episode became a joke at the station, and Zhang Yantong knew all about it.

“All right, all right, I surrender,” Ye Chen said helplessly.

“Hehe… Don’t worry, as long as you help me, everything will be negotiable in the future!” Zhang Yantong giggled.

...

Ye Chen headed straight for the police station. The air-conditioning inside was intense, almost like an ice cave, despite repeated government orders to keep temperatures above twenty-six degrees for environmental reasons. Ye Chen entered, feeling the chill; the officers, all in short sleeves, were huddled over their desks.

“Damn, government jobs are something else!” Ye Chen grumbled.

He turned to the third floor. Zhang Yantong was already waiting in the CID captain’s office.

“I’m here!” Ye Chen said, sprawling casually in a chair, his gaze flickering over Zhang Yantong. He wondered if the girl was wearing underwear—her panties were still at his place, after all. He’d thought of asking when she’d come to retrieve them, but decided against it. Too awkward. If she was shy and shot him, what then?

“Mm!” Zhang Yantong looked up at Ye Chen. “I’m glad you came.”

“Glad for what?” Ye Chen scoffed at her. “Do you cops always use this stuff to pressure people?”

“You…” Zhang Yantong was briefly stunned, then smiled. “Are you even a man? Still holding a grudge over this?”

“Enough, let’s get to business,” Ye Chen said disdainfully.

“After your help catching the criminal before, we realized you’re a rare talent. So tonight, I want you involved in the operation,” Zhang Yantong said, smiling. “What do you think?”

“You’ve already decided. Why ask me?” Ye Chen stood up. “But I have a condition.”

“Go ahead. As long as it doesn’t violate principles, I’ll agree,” Zhang Yantong replied with a smile.

“When Zhang Dadan falls, I want to take over Jianghuai Hotpot City,” Ye Chen said, looking at her.

“You?!” Zhang Yantong was stunned. “That hotpot place must be worth hundreds of thousands. Do you have that?”

“Whether I do or not, it’s none of your business. The point is, I want it. Yes or no?” Ye Chen’s tone was sharp. If he was going to do her a favor for nothing, he had to recoup something. He’d coveted that hotpot city for a long time. Once he took over, Feng Zhixiao’s gang would have a proper base. The location was prime, right in the university district—if Zhang Dadan was eliminated, the whole area could be his.

“Deal!” Zhang Yantong nodded.

“Pleasure doing business!” Ye Chen turned and walked out of the station, waving to Zhang Yantong behind him. His gesture and swagger left her helpless, and she couldn’t help but curse, “Bastard!”

...

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