Forbidden Fruit [Full Text] - Chapter 23

Chapter 322 Success Yuan Xun

Hearing Xia Yi's blunt words, both reporters showed obvious dissatisfaction, saying, "But we're a direct reporter from Channel Y..."

Xia Yi was secretly annoyed. Judging from their dissatisfied expressions, they had probably never encountered a situation where they were turned away before. Thinking about it, it made sense; with the reputation of Channel Y, only a monster like Ye Tianya would dare to refuse them entry. Xia Yi suddenly felt extremely disgusted by the arrogant attitude of these two guys. Too lazy to explain, she turned and went back to her office. Her boss was treating her to dinner that evening, and she still needed to prepare.

As Xia Yi entered her office, she glanced back; the two reporters seemed to have ignored her words.

'Wait, wait, let's see what you get.' Xia Yi chuckled inwardly, wondering how Ye Tianya would deal with these two who had been waiting for so long. She quickly locked up some important legal documents and waited outside Ye Tianya's office to watch the show, her curiosity piqued as she watched him emerge to see how he would handle the two men. It

was time to leave work. In fact, at Tianya Real Estate, these workaholics had no concept of leaving work—except, of course, for Ye Tianya.

As Ye Tianya walked out, carrying his briefcase and Xingye helping him with his coat, the two reporters immediately approached. Secretary He, with a pained expression, was bracing himself for a scolding when Ye Tianya, after accepting their business cards, interrupted them before they could even finish introducing themselves, saying to Secretary He, "Secretary He, what kind of work are you doing?" Secretary He

was startled, knowing he was in trouble, and was about to apologize when Ye Tianya continued, "Why didn't you tell me earlier that you two gentlemen were from YTV? And how can you let them stand here? Why don't you escort them to the meeting room?"

The two reporters were secretly pleased, thinking Ye Tianya was afraid of their powerful YTV backing, and were about to offer some polite words when Ye Tianya said, "Give them a proper welcome. They've come all this way to learn about Tianya Real Estate's charitable act of building dormitories for orphanages. At the very least, you should invite them to visit the showroom or to the construction site for an interview." "Even if someone is a top-tier journalist with exceptional writing skills, they can't write a truly exceptional article, can they? What are you all standing there for? Go and call Fu Zhigao. What questions do these two journalists have? As the person in charge of the project, he should explain them. What are you all standing there for? Waiting for your dismissal letters?"

Ye Tianya's authoritative shout not only startled Secretary He, but also stunned the two journalists, who were momentarily speechless. Ye Tianya had already smiled and grasped one of their hands. He said, "Excuse me, gentlemen, Tianya has an urgent matter. Secretary He will take good care of you. If you have any further questions, please have Secretary He inform Manager Lu. I wish you both a pleasant trip to Lincheng."

After saying this, Ye Tianya interrupted the two reporters, saying to Xia Yi, "Attorney Xia, don't just stand there, the client is waiting. Hurry up ."

Ye Tianya rattled off a series of words as soon as he stepped out the door, then grabbed Xingye's hand and walked out. Xia Yi suppressed a laugh and followed Ye Tianya and Xingye out.

"Ah... um... Mr. Ye, Mr. Ye, we're not..." By the time the two realized what was happening and caught up, Ye Tianya had already led Xingye and Xia Yi into the elevator.

Xia Yi couldn't help but chuckle as she entered the elevator. She gave Ye Tianya a strange look, then exchanged a smile with Xingye. Ye Tianya's hurried manner had fooled the two guys. He had used the phrase "superior" three times in a row, leaving the two reporters unsure whether to be happy or sad. Even with ten "superior" remarks, Ye Tianya still left without giving them a second thought. He didn't return to work for two days, nor even to the hotel where they were staying, leaving the two self-proclaimed "superior" CCTV-1 reporters empty-handed. When they went to Ding Junfeng's company and villa to interview him, they were chased away by Ding Junfeng's thugs and almost got beaten up, but that was only because Ding Junfeng was too tired to do so.

Ding Junfeng returned to the villa, or rather, the villa where he could stay for another night, his eyes bloodshot. Starting tomorrow, the villa would be under his control. He trembled even sitting on the sofa, his eyes burning with a furious rage that seemed to want to destroy everything. Ding Junfeng was now a big celebrity in Lincheng, a household name, and his despicable behavior was known to everyone, young and old. He now had to hide when he went out, afraid of being recognized and pelted with eggs. He had been pelted with eggs at least five times in the past two days. But that wasn't the real reason for his anger. What truly enraged him was that when his cronies secretly sold off their assets, they brought back only bonds he had previously signed. The only cash he received was this villa and two other small properties. The villa, worth at least three million, was being sold for a mere two million. Ding Junfeng could only swallow his bitterness, unable to express his grievances. To get rid of these assets as much as possible and avoid them being seized when the company went bankrupt, he had no choice but to accept the lower price.

Ding Junfeng knew perfectly well why the buyers he contacted always had Changfeng bonds. He also realized that Tianya Real Estate had been watching his scheme all along. His carefully laid plans to have Tianya Real Estate help him pay off his debts had all fallen apart in the end…

“Ye Tianya—!” An antique vase in Ding Junfeng’s hand shattered into pieces in his rage. He mistook the vase for Ye Tianya.

“I will be back, you surnamed Ye. The day I, Ding Junfeng, return will be the day you perish. Xingye, you wait and see how I deal with you… Heh heh hahaha, hahahahaha…”

That night, the neighbors next to Ding Junfeng’s villa and the security guards on duty in the community heard hysterical laughter coming from Ding Junfeng’s villa. The laughter was the resentment and helplessness of a loser, but unfortunately, everyone knew whose laughter it was, and no one showed any sympathy for this weakling.

Ding Junfeng disappeared, vanishing from Lincheng without a trace, taking all the funds he could with him. However, the only thing he could take was the five million or so he earned after selling his villa and two other properties.

"What? He got away? What happened?" Ye Tianya felt an urge to kill. The Shadow Spy organization had actually let Ding Junfeng escape, and with over five million yuan at that.

Sensing Ye Tianya's anger, the head of the Lincheng branch hurriedly and cautiously said, "Boss, please let me explain. Ding Junfeng was rescued by a mysterious force. All the brothers we sent were in trouble. That unknown force was well-equipped and acted swiftly and decisively. They were clearly specially trained. Our men couldn't withstand their guns at all, and they managed to kidnap Ding Junfeng..."

"Unknown force? With the capabilities of the Shadow Spy organization, you didn't even know such a force existed?" Ye Tianya asked, his tone slightly softening.

"Yes, boss. He came too suddenly. We could only find out that they arrived from out of town last night, kidnapped Ding Junfeng, and then fled Lincheng. Furthermore, their counter-tracking skills were far beyond our expectations. All the people we tracked were top-notch, but none of them returned..."

Hearing this, Ye Tianya remained silent for a long time before saying, "I understand. Thank you for your hard work. Make proper arrangements for the brothers who were injured. Give their families sufficient compensation. If it's not enough, come to me for more. Report this to Brother Black Hawk and have all the brothers across the country keep an eye out for the forces behind this." Ye Tianya sighed. He hadn't originally planned to kill Ding Junfeng; he only wanted the Shadow Spy to force back the five million or so he had, leaving him penniless. He hadn't expected to attract the attention of such a powerful, hidden force.

After hanging up the phone, Ye Tianya sighed deeply. It seemed that Ding Junfeng was truly destined to survive. Ye Tianya had a strange premonition that Ding Junfeng would bring him trouble in the future, but now that Ding Junfeng had disappeared, he could only wait for the results of the investigation by the spy agency.

"Brother Lu, Manager Tang, Ding Junfeng has escaped. Changfeng owes a lot of bank loans, and the banks will take action soon. Changfeng may soon declare bankruptcy. We still have some of Changfeng's debts. You need to work hard for a few more days; we can't let these debts go to waste!"

Ye Tianya gave the order, and the company's various departments started operating at high speed again, preparing to acquire Changfeng Real Estate. Ten days later, Changfeng Real Estate disappeared from Lincheng, vanishing without a trace, just like its boss. Upon receiving this result, Ye Tianya suddenly felt a sense of dejection. He hadn't expected to defeat Changfeng so quickly. Although the whole process went quite smoothly, and defeating Changfeng in such a short time became a legend in Lincheng, further boosting Tianya Real Estate's reputation, there was still a regret. The regret was that Ding Junfeng had escaped. However, his escape wasn't the biggest regret. What Ye Tianya regretted most was that Ding Junfeng took five million with him, which deviated from Ye Tianya's original intention of leaving Ding Junfeng penniless.

Meanwhile, Ding Junfeng was lying in a bumpy jeep. He didn't know how much time had passed before he recovered from the fear of the fight. He asked in horror,

"Who are you people? Why did you save me?" Ding Junfeng looked at the group of men in black who had saved him. Recalling the cruel methods they had used to kill him, even Ding Junfeng, who always considered himself ruthless, couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine. He didn't know what the consequences would be if he fell into the hands of such people.
Chapter 323 Plastic Surgery and Transformation

Seeing the terrified, pus-filled look on Ding Junfeng's face, the leader of the men in black couldn't help but reveal a contemptuous gaze. He coldly said, "You don't need to know who we are. We saved you because our young master sympathizes with your plight. Right now, you have no place to stand, not even in Lincheng, let alone the whole country. So our young master wants to help you."

Ding Junfeng, of course, noticed the contemptuous look in the men in black's eyes. He shuddered as if stimulated, and his aura immediately changed. He straightened his back and asked in confusion, "Your young master? Who is he? Why is he helping me?" He couldn't remember ever helping anyone in his life, or who would be so kind as to help him.

"You just need to know that our young master is someone who can give you a foothold under this sky without having to hide. He helps you because he sympathizes with you," the leader of the men in black said coldly.

Ding Junfeng temporarily set aside his fear and became curious about where these people would take him. He felt the jeep was traveling on a very bumpy road, but the windows around the jeep seemed to be covered with a layer of paper, making it impossible to see anything outside. The man in black was sitting in front of him, blocking his view of the windshield so he couldn't see anything. Ding Junfeng couldn't help but ask in confusion, "Where are we going?"

The man in black coldly replied, "Stop talking nonsense, you'll know when we get there."

The jeep drove for more than two days, and Ding Junfeng gradually realized that he was heading north. He ate and slept in the jeep every day. Those people never let him get out of the car to show his face. He was only allowed to relieve himself at night or in a deserted place. It wasn't until the third night after he left Lincheng that the jeep drove into the courtyard of an inconspicuous clinic. The exhausted Ding Junfeng was taken to a ward in the clinic.

"Brother Ding, you must be tired from your journey." As soon as Ding Junfeng entered the ward, a voice that sounded like a young man came from behind an open curtain.

Ding Junfeng was no novice; he could tell from the voice that the person behind the curtain was at most about his age. Calming himself, Ding Junfeng asked, "Who are you? Why did you bring me here?"

The person behind the curtain replied, "Who I am isn't important. What's important is that I can transform you, making you someone even Ye Tianya won't recognize."

Ding Junfeng shuddered and looked up sharply at the person behind the curtain, asking, "What do you want in return?"

The person behind the curtain laughed, "Brother Ding, you're a businessman after all, always treating everything as a transaction. I initially wanted to help you out of pity, but it seems you're uneasy about that. How about this: you brought five million with you, right? I think as payment for saving your life and transforming your appearance, you can pay me three million. How about that?"

"Why should I trust you?" Ding Junfeng thought to himself that his five million was his capital to turn his life around. Although the man's talk of transforming his appearance was tempting—no more hiding—could he really do it? Even with good plastic surgery, changing his identity wouldn't be so easy.

The person behind the curtain smiled gently, “You had no choice, did you? You should know that your shocking conspiracy has been broadcast nationwide these past two days. Your image is known to almost everyone, young and old. I’m sure if you walked out of this clinic now, someone would quickly recognize you as Ding Junfeng, the ruthless general manager of Changfeng Real Estate who plotted to kill his sworn brother for his fortune and then pocket the inheritance. Although the citizens here won’t throw eggs at you like they did in Lincheng, I’m sure that even without your wealth, you’d have a hard time finding a place to eat and stay. Furthermore, my organization is one that only cares about money, not people. The reason I went all this way to save you is for money. Saving your life for only one million isn’t much, is it? I don’t think you think your life is only worth one million. If you don’t want to change your identity, leave one million and leave.”

Ding Junfeng hesitated, wondering what kind of organization this person was. Even if it was for money, why would they go to such lengths to save him? And even if they did, why would they appear so quickly? They even knew he had taken five million with him; it was clearly premeditated. What were these people after?

Just then, the voice from behind the curtain spoke again: "Of course, if you stay, you'll have to pay two million. I have the best plastic surgeon from R country here. He can completely change your face, so much so that even your closest relatives won't recognize you. I also guarantee to help you get a new identity, ensuring you can travel freely throughout the country. The price is fair, only two million. Including the money to save you, it'll be three million in total. Mr. Ding is a businessman; you should be able to calculate whether this deal is worthwhile, right?"

Ding Junfeng struggled internally for a long time. With his intelligence, he didn't believe he could easily walk out of the clinic after paying one million. These people went to great lengths to save him; they definitely weren't just after money. If it were money, why would these ruthless killers only ask for one million? He knew that if he agreed, he could live under a different identity after the plastic surgery, but he would also be controlled by the people behind the scenes, because only he would know his true identity.

Ding Junfeng didn't want to be controlled, but given the current situation, it seemed he had no other choice. Thinking of the ruthless methods of those who had come to rescue him, Ding Junfeng couldn't help but shudder even while trying to suppress his fear. But what did this person want to control him for? Ding Junfeng couldn't understand it.

The person behind the curtain seemed to have guessed Ding Junfeng's hesitation and continued, "It seems Mr. Ding still has something on his mind. Let me put it this way: I'm helping you for two reasons, firstly for money, and secondly because I share the same enemy as you..."

An enemy! When Ding Junfeng heard that word, all his reason vanished in an instant. Hatred, a hatred driven to desperation, could drive him to the point of being willing to give up his life, let alone be controlled by someone else. A single sentence from the person behind the curtain resolved all of Ding Junfeng's doubts. With just that one sentence, Ding Junfeng nodded without further thought and said, "Okay, three million it is!"

After saying this, Ding Junfeng seemed to see the near future, Ye Tianya kneeling at his feet begging for mercy, watching Xingye enjoy the pleasure beneath him, and Li Yao, and Tang Shaoyan who betrayed him and joined Tianya Real Estate, Luo Yang, and all those who betrayed him... all his enemies, each and every one of them would die a horrible death...

Thinking of this, Ding Junfeng laughed hysterically, his ferocious face causing the black-clad man who had brought him in to slightly change his expression.

The collapse of Changfeng, aside from creating a wave of awe towards Tianya Real Estate in Lincheng's real estate industry, didn't cause much of a stir. After all, public opinion was on the side of Ye Tianya and Xingye, and on the side of Tianya Real Estate. Ye Tianya and Xingye, who had been avoiding reporters, finally reappeared in front of the camera at the celebration banquet after Tianya Real Estate had acquired all of Changfeng's assets. However, they only said one sentence: "Anyone who does something wrong should be punished accordingly."

After the celebration banquet, Tianya Real Estate started operating some of the assets acquired from Changfeng while cooperating with Li Xinmin's real estate company on the construction of an orphanage dormitory. With the company on track, Ye Tianya also prepared to return to S City. He was now waiting for the groundbreaking ceremony for the stadium project.

Now, everything in the company is running smoothly, like a train on its tracks. Ye Tianya, on the other hand, has nothing to do at the company. After several days of having nothing to do at the company, Ye Tianya started to rack his brains. There are many hotels and guesthouses in Lincheng, but the most luxurious one is only a three-star hotel. Although Lincheng is not big, it is not small either. Because of the incident two years ago, Lincheng has become famous throughout the country for its public security and political atmosphere. In addition, Lincheng itself has a very developed transportation system. In the past year or two, the investment attracted has multiplied, and the speed of urban expansion is astonishing. Five-star hotels have all the conditions to exist. On a whim, Ye Tianya, having nothing better to do, found the hotel-related design drawings stored on Lisi's hard drive in his office and began studying them. He pieced together a luxurious five-star hotel design. That day, as he was simulating the hotel design on his computer, Xia Yi came in with documents for him to sign. He accidentally saw the rendering on the computer. Xia Yi was stunned, immediately throwing all the documents on the floor and rushing to the computer, exclaiming in surprise, "My God, this...is this a hotel? Xingtian Hotel? Where is this hotel? I've never heard of it!"

Seeing her bewitched state, Ye Tianya closed the rendering and said calmly, "Of course you haven't heard of it, because it hasn't been built yet; it's just a rendering."

"Star...Starry Sky Hotel?...I understand, Starry Night, End of the World, put together it's Starry Sky Hotel. Mr. Ye, are you developing a hotel? Click on it, let me see it a little longer, okay?" After the image was closed, Xia Yi came to her senses. This lawyer, who played word games, quickly noticed the origin of "Starry Sky" in the rendering of the Starry Sky Hotel, but she was somewhat unwilling to give up and wanted to see the rendering again. She reached out to grab Ye Tianya's mouse to click on it.

Ye Tianya stopped her and said, "These are top secrets of Tianya Real Estate, not for casual viewing. Pick up the folder. Xiao Ye and I are going on a picnic this afternoon, so if there are any documents to sign, hurry up."
Chapter 324 The Name of Crying Blood
Crying Blood Platform is located at the highest point of Red Maple Mountain in Red Maple Park on the outskirts of Lin City. Standing at this position, one can overlook the entire Lin City. Ye Tianya sat by the Crying Blood Platform, gazing at the sea of clouds in the distance. He felt unusually calm. At this moment, Ye Tianya did not want to think about anything; he only wanted to enjoy this rare tranquility. Behind him came the cheerful laughter of Xia Yi and Xingye. The two girls were playing whack-a-mole on the stall behind the Blood-Crying Platform. Ye Tianya turned around and looked at Xingye's happy smile as she swatted down the popping-up moles. Ye Tianya couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.

Xia Yi had insisted on coming along after hearing that Xingye and Ye Tianya were going on a picnic. Considering that she had been busy tutoring Xingye and dealing with all sorts of legal documents after taking Changfeng, she was quite exhausted. So Ye Tianya agreed to let her come along. But now it seemed that letting her come along was a wise choice. If it were just him and Xingye, Xingye probably wouldn't have had this much fun.

Feeling Ye Tianya's gaze, Xingye put down her whack-a-mole, handed a few coins to the vendor, and then pulled Xia Yi towards Ye Tianya. She naturally nestled against him, sat down, and looked up at him tenderly, asking gently, "Brother, what are you thinking about?"

Ye Tianya, noticing the slight sweat on Xingye's forehead from her excitement while playing whack-a-mole, took a tissue and gently wiped it dry for her. He then stroked her slightly flushed face and said, "I was thinking that I should have brought you out to play more often. Did you have fun today?" "

Xingye nestled happily into Ye Tianya's arms and nodded gently, saying, "I'm happy. As long as my brother is by my side, I'm happy."

Watching Xingye and Ye Tianya snuggling together as if no one else was around, Xia Yi felt a little strange. If it were anyone else hugging and cuddling in front of her, Xia Yi would definitely make a few teasing remarks without hesitation. But for some reason, when it was Ye Tianya and Xingye snuggling together, Xia Yi felt an inexplicable joy, happy for their happiness. She couldn't even muster the thought of teasing them. Instead, she secretly wished them well.

Xingye snuggled in Ye Tianya's arms for a while before remembering that Xia Yi was still there. She looked up at Xia Yi and said, "Sister Yi, sit down too. Your legs must be sore from climbing such a high mountain."

Xia Yi wanted to say, 'With you two snuggling together like this, wouldn't I be a third wheel if I sat down?' But the words stuck in her throat. She couldn't bear to go against Xingye's wishes and gently sat down next to her.

"Sister Yi, do you know why this place is called the Blood-Crying Terrace?" Xingye suddenly turned to Xia Yi and asked after she sat down.

Xia Yi was slightly taken aback and shook her head, saying, "I don't know. Does the name Blood-Crying Terrace have any other origin?" Xingye

hummed in agreement, turned back to Ye Tianya, and quietly gazed at the distant horizon from her arms, saying softly, "This place is called Blood-Crying Terrace because of a woman."

"A woman?" Xia Yi turned to look at Xingye in surprise.

Xingye continued softly, "It was probably during the Song Dynasty. The iron hooves of the northern barbarian cavalry trampled across the northern passes, invading Song territory. The famous Song general Yue Fei led his Yue Family Army to victory, striking fear into the hearts of the Jin people. But as the saying goes, 'One general's fame is built on the bones of ten thousand'—this is an ironclad law. At that time, there was a talented woman in Lincheng whose lover was a lieutenant general in Yue Family Army. He was granted leave to return home to marry his beloved, but on their wedding night, he received urgent military news. Before he could even lift the red veil for his beloved, he resolutely led his troops to join Yue Family Army on the expedition. This talented woman did not resent her husband for his departure; instead, she considered him a true hero. So every day, she climbed this mountain to gaze into the distance, because from here she could see very, very far, and she wanted to be the first to see her husband return."

Xingye's voice became somewhat melancholic, "But she waited through spring, through summer, through autumn, and through winter. The maple leaves at the foot of the mountain turned red year after year, and finally, what she waited for..." "It was news of her husband's death on the battlefield. The talented woman heard this news right here, in the farthest place she could see. Her cries that day were clearly audible to people for hundreds of miles around. Legend has it that the talented woman's cries lasted all night, and all night long, people for hundreds of miles around wept with her. The next morning, people found that the maple leaves of the entire Red Maple Mountain, which was in the height of summer, had turned bright red overnight, even redder than the autumn maple leaves. The talented woman was dead; she had cried herself to death. People said that those maple leaves were stained red with her blood. To commemorate the talented woman, people named the mountain Red Maple Mountain and named this place the Crying Blood Terrace..."

Xia Yi suddenly felt her eyes sting and her chest tighten. Turning her head, she saw Ye Tianya and Xingye embracing tightly. Xia Yi thought to herself, perhaps only such a legend of unwavering devotion could have nurtured such an unwavering love between them.

The atmosphere was somewhat somber. Xia Yi quickly stood up and said to Ye Tianya and Xingye, "Mr. Ye, I'm a little hungry. I saw a picnic supplies rental shop downstairs when we came up. Let's rent one for a picnic."

Mentioning hunger, Xingye's little stomach rumbled in agreement. Xingye immediately blushed slightly and buried her head in Ye Tianya's arms, saying shyly, "Brother, I'm a little hungry too..."

Ye Tianya affectionately stroked Xingye's soft hair, put his arm around her, and stood up, saying to Xia Yi, "Alright, we'll do as Attorney Xia says. Let's go on the picnic."

One of the highlights of Red Maple Park is picnicking. There's a shop halfway up the mountain that provides picnic equipment and food for tourists. For 100 yuan, you can rent a set and choose a generous amount of food. Then, find a quiet spot, gather some firewood, and you can start your picnic. Of course, not many tourists actually gather firewood; most buy it from the shop. Xia Yi, however, insisted that since it's a picnic, everything except the equipment and food must be done by yourself to make it a proper picnic. Of course, Ye Tianya would do the hard work. Fortunately, gathering firewood is no problem for Ye Tianya, who is an expert at it.

What impressed Ye Tianya was Xia Yi's skill in grilling. The lamb skewers she grilled whetted his appetite. Xia Yi rarely saw Ye Tianya with such a satisfied expression, so she took the opportunity to smile and say, "How is it? My little boss, my skills are pretty good, right? Seeing how much you enjoy your food, does that mean our profits will double this month?"

Ye Tianya smiled calmly and didn't answer her. Instead, he picked up a few skewers and started grilling them over the fire. Although his movements weren't very skilled, he could still manage. However, Xia Yi didn't notice that the flames around the lamb skewers Ye Tianya was grilling were purple.

Soon after Ye Tianya finished grilling, he handed a skewer to Xia Yi, saying, "Try it, see what barbecue is all about!"

Xia Yi took it with some skepticism, worried that the meat wasn't cooked through because Ye Tianya hadn't grilled it long enough. She was hesitant to eat it, but seeing Xingye's eyes light up after taking a bite of the barbecue Ye Tianya offered, she couldn't resist the temptation and took a bite herself. Once she took one bite, she couldn't stop. She couldn't wait to eat more... She snatched the remaining two skewers from Ye Tianya's hand, her eyes shining as she looked at him, saying, "Little boss, you...you went to culinary school, right? These two skewers are mine, you can grill your own."

Xingye couldn't help but laugh beside her, saying, "Sister Yi, will we have to deduct money for eating the boss's grilled food?"

After taking the first bite, Xia Yi completely abandoned her ladylike demeanor, muttering between bites, "It's worth it even if we deduct it, this fragrant and crispy grilled meat is something you can't buy even if you have money."

Ye Tianya shook his head and smiled wryly, then used fire magic to heat up the grilled meat, wondering what kind of face Frant would have if he knew he used magic to grill meat.

On the way back to the hotel, Xia Yi, sitting in the passenger seat next to the taxi driver, hiccuped without any regard for her image, causing Xingye, who was nestled in Ye Tianya's arms behind her, to burst out laughing. Xia Yi tried to hold it in but couldn't, and hiccuped again. Her face flushed, she glared at the taxi driver who was snickering next to her and said irritably, "What are you laughing at? Just drive properly, what's so funny? If you laugh again, we... hiccup—we won't pay your fare!"

Xia Yi hiccuped halfway through her sentence, which made Xingye laugh again and say, "Sister Yi, I told you to eat less but you didn't believe me, now you're feeling uncomfortable, aren't you?"

Xia Yi blushed and turned back, saying irritably, "And you're one to talk! It's just that the boss's barbecue smells so good... We're about to go back to S City, and I was worried I wouldn't be able to eat it there, so I ate a lot... *burp*" Before Xia Yi could finish, she let out another loud burp. Seeing her discomfort, Ye Tianya suddenly shouted, "Watch out, there's a car crash!"

Because she was talking to Xingye with her head turned back, Xia Yi couldn't see what was happening in front of her. Ye Tianya's shout startled her. She thought the driver was too busy laughing to drive properly, but hearing that there was a crash made her gasp. She gasped, instinctively covering her head and waiting for the sound of a crash. But after a while, there was still no sound of an accident. She quietly looked up and saw the taxi was driving smoothly; there was no crash at all. Xia Yi immediately realized she'd been tricked by Ye Tianya and angrily said to him, "Young boss, how could you make such a joke?"

The driver in front also chimed in, "Yeah, I was startled too."

Ye Tianya smiled slightly but didn't speak. Xingye, however, said, "Sister Yi, you can't blame your brother. He's helping you get treatment." "See, you're not hiccuping anymore, are you?"

Xia Yi, upon hearing this, noticed that she no longer felt the urge to hiccup and looked at Ye Tianya in surprise, saying, "Really? Little boss, how did you do that? Did you just scare me?"
Chapter 325 Conclusive Evidence

Ye Tianya turned his head and smiled at Xingye. After so many years together, Xingye and he had almost reached the point of telepathy. Sometimes, Xingye could understand what Ye Tianya meant with just a glance. She smiled and explained to Xia Yi, "Actually, medically, hiccups are called..." "Hiccups." Temporary hiccups can occur after exposure to cold, overeating, eating too quickly, or consuming dry, hard foods. This isn't considered an illness, especially hiccups like yours caused by overeating, Yi-jie. The treatment is simple: deep breathing. It just takes a while to get better. The fastest treatment is to inhale sharply when startled. Brother just startled you, and you inhaled sharply and it got better that quickly."

Xia Yi suddenly understood, then added with dissatisfaction, "So that works too? But even for treating an illness, you have to scare me!" "You should have given me a heads-up! I was almost scared out of my wits!"

Xingye was completely defeated by Xia Yi, collapsing weakly into Ye Tianya's arms, saying, "My dear lawyer, would giving you advance notice have scared you?"

This time, the driver couldn't help but laugh again, only to be met with a furious shout from Xia Yi: "What are you laughing at? I warned you before, if you laugh again you won't pay. Now that you've laughed, don't expect any payment after you get off."

The driver immediately looked distressed. Worried they would stop, Xia Yi quickly said, "Alright, alright, see..." "Considering everyone's life is tough, I'll give you a 20% discount. If you dare stop, I'll sue you for insulting me and mocking me, and demand 20,000 yuan in compensation for emotional distress!"

The driver had just heard Xingye in the back say that Xia Yi was a lawyer, and now this lawyer was threatening him. He was so scared that he didn't dare say a word against it, and could only curse his bad luck. However, he quickly recognized the two people sitting in the back in the rearview mirror, especially Ye Tianya's silver hair, which reminded him of who was sitting there. His eyes lit up. The driver readily agreed, "It's alright, I'll give you a free ride for just one leg. It's our honor as taxi drivers to be able to give Mr. Ye Tianya and Ms. Xingye a ride..."

Xia Yi was completely speechless, slumping weakly in her seat, "I give up! Just drive, drive! I'll pay you the full fare later!" After

getting out of the car, Xia Yi didn't dare argue with the driver about the fare. She dared to joke, but she wouldn't risk Ye Tianya and Xingye's reputation. If someone spread rumors that Ye Tianya and Xingye had taken a free ride, Ye Tianya might not let her off easily. Back at the hotel, the three of them had eaten too much during their picnic and weren't going to eat dinner. They were about to go upstairs to their rooms when they unexpectedly encountered someone in the lobby: the old director of the orphanage.

"Director, what are you doing here?" Xingye and Ye Tianya asked in surprise almost simultaneously.

Ye Tianya sensed that the old dean seemed agitated, clearly suppressing his emotions. His aura and elemental presence were restless, indicating something was amiss. He quickly added after asking, "Dean, let's go upstairs and talk."

The dean remained silent, only giving Ye Tianya a strange look before nodding in agreement.

Since Xia Yi wasn't familiar with the dean, she returned to her room. Ye Tianya led the old dean into his own room, and Xingye obediently went to pour him some water. The old dean stared blankly at Ye Tianya upon entering, as if trying to find something on his face.

"Dean, what's wrong?" Ye Tianya felt uncomfortable under the old dean's gaze and couldn't help but ask. The

old dean continued staring, then suddenly choked out, "Xin'er…you're Xin'er, aren't you?"

*Clang!* Xingye, who was pouring water, trembled, and the cup shattered on the floor. She turned to look at the old dean in surprise.

Ye Tianya was also struck dumb, standing there stunned, staring blankly at the old dean. For the first time, Ye Tianya felt his mind go completely blank. It took him a while to come back to his senses. His expression changed rapidly, and in a flash, he made a decision. He feigned surprise and said, "Dean, is there some misunderstanding? My name is Ye Tianya..."

"Are you blaming the dean? Xin'er, are you blaming the dean for not standing by you and defending you when you got into trouble? Are you blaming the dean for helping Junfeng scold you that day? So you don't forgive the dean, so you don't want to acknowledge the dean, is that it?" The old dean's hands trembled as he took out a prescription from his pocket. It was the same prescription that Ye Tianya had written to Song Tao that day.

With tears streaming down his face, the old dean handed the prescription to Ye Tianya, choking back sobs as he said, "The words on this paper can't fool me. These are Xin'er's words. I've looked through his old notebooks and compared them word by word. I'm not here today to ask for your forgiveness. I just want you to tell me yourself that you are Xin'er. I just want you to tell me that my child, my Xin'er, is still alive. He's not dead. That's enough for me..."

"Dean—"

Even if Ye Tianya had a heart of stone, he couldn't control his emotions in front of the old dean who had raised him for over ten years and was closer to him than his own mother, and in front of this kind old man with tears streaming down his face. Ye Tianya finally couldn't hold back and threw himself into the old director's arms, like a prodigal son returning to his mother's embrace...

For the first time, he cried like a child. In the old director's arms, Ye Tianya vented the bitterness and grievances that had been buried deep in his heart for so many years. Over the years, he had suffered in prison without shedding a single tear. In front of Xingye, he was her brother, and he had to give her ease and happiness. He couldn't tell her about the grievances in his heart. In front of Bingshuang and Bingxue, he was her husband, the pillar of the family. He had to be strong because he was their spiritual support. In front of Lin Siyin and Li Lanyu, he was her lover, and he also had to uphold his responsibilities. All along, he had buried all the grievances he had suffered in his heart. No one knew how bitter he was.

But in front of the old director, he was a child, the child the old director had raised with his own hands. Abandoned, wronged, misunderstood—all the grievances he had suffered since birth—Ye Tianya finally found a place to cry out. He wept like a child, embracing the old director and sobbing freely. Xingye stared blankly at her brother, who had always been by her side. Only then did she realize how deep his grievances ran, how much suffering he silently endured to bring her happiness. Ye Tianya's cathartic cries of grievance tore at Xingye's heart. She realized she was such an inadequate lover, unable even to share her brother's burdens.

Xingye wept alongside the two, who were like mother and son, offering comfort as she cried herself to sleep…

At

Qiushui Manor, the television reports on Ding Junfeng continued. These past few days, any news program involving Ding Junfeng, Xingye, and Ye Tianya had seen its ratings skyrocket. Several programs repeatedly reported on the grudges and entanglements between Xingye, Ye Xin, and others, as well as the entire story and background of Ye Xin's murder. Whenever such a program aired, Ouyang Xin'er would sit quietly in front of the television, watching peacefully until the end, then leave with a calm smile. She would then go to check on the flowers she had cultivated. Her life at the manor was simple and uneventful; besides gardening, reading, and watching television, she did almost nothing but eat and sleep.

Ouyang Xin'er's long period of calm, even her expression remaining perfectly composed when seeing news about Ye Tianya, has relieved Ouyang Zhenhua and his wife of a lot of worry. However, ever since the day Ye Tianya left Qiushui Manor, all three of them have felt a strange unease, especially Su Ling. As a mother, Su Ling had long sensed that Ouyang Xin'er was drifting further and further away from them. Although she greeted them normally every day, so far, the only words they had heard from Ouyang Xin'er seemed to be "Good morning, Dad (Mom/Stepmother)," "I'm full, please enjoy your meal," "Good night," and so on. Ouyang Xin'er's greetings to them were extremely polite and courteous, to the point that the three of them felt as if she were greeting a guest or a stranger, not a family member.

Su Ling and Su Tingxiu tried several times to talk to her, but she always made excuses such as reading, gardening, or sleeping. Compared to her previous threats of hunger strikes and suicide to her parents, the three of them felt even more distressed now. However, they had no reason to try to change things, because Ouyang Xin'er seemed to be doing everything they wanted, and doing it very well. She stopped making a fuss and didn't even mention Ye Tianya's name anymore. She had completely met the standard of an obedient and well-behaved daughter.

Su Ling and He Tingxiu could both endure the helplessness, but Ouyang Zhenhua couldn't. That day, after Ouyang Xin'er finished eating, she politely said, "I'm full, Mom, Dad, Brother, please enjoy your meal. I'm going to read for a while..."

Ouyang Zhenhua flew into a rage, slamming his chopsticks on the ground and standing up angrily, "Read, read, read! What else can you do besides read? Can't you say anything else after you finish eating?"

Ouyang Xin'er, who had already started to walk out of the restaurant, suddenly stopped, turned around, and asked in surprise, "What's wrong, Dad? Did Xin'er do something wrong again?" But everyone could see the mocking glint in Ouyang Xin'er's eyes, along with a cold despair. Ouyang

Zhenhua was speechless for a moment, his face flushed, pointing at Ouyang Xin'er and stammering, "You...you..." He couldn't find a single thing to say about what Ouyang Xin'er had done wrong.

Su Ling quickly stood up to help her husband out of the awkward situation, saying to Ouyang Xin'er, "Xin'er, are you still blaming us?"

Ouyang Xin'er shook her head earnestly, "Blame you? Why would I blame you? Mom, what are you saying? Xin'er doesn't understand..."
Chapter 326 Just for One Sentence
"You're blaming us for forcing you to leave Ye Tianya, right? Listen to Mom, we..."

Su Ling wanted to be frank and explain things, hoping to take the opportunity to comfort Ouyang Xin'er, but when Ye Tianya was mentioned, Ouyang Xin'er's face remained calm and she smiled, "Mom, what did I do wrong? How could I blame you? You were doing it for my future happiness, and I am indeed very happy now, with so many family members caring about me. How could I blame you? Mom, don't overthink it. Xin'er will take her leave now."

Su Ling was speechless, watching Ouyang Xin'er's departing figure. At the dinner table, no one in the Ouyang family saw any happiness in her.

Today, guests arrived at the Ouyang family's Qiushui Manor: Sima Hong and his wife, along with their son, Sima Jian. Sima Jian, still unable to withstand his father's authority, gave in. He only dared to appear after hearing that Ouyang Xin'er had stopped causing trouble and was quite obedient. Sima Hong dared not push Ouyang Xin'er to suicide again.

Su Ling and He Tingxiu had initially opposed this blind date, but Ouyang Xin'er's usual behavior made them feel that their daughter was far removed from them. Now they were in a dilemma: should they let her go to Ye Tianya again? Or should they themselves beg Ye Tianya to come back and persuade Ouyang Xin'er, or go to Ye Tianya and ask for permission to resume their relationship? That was utterly ridiculous. Ouyang Zhenhua couldn't bring himself to do it, so they reluctantly decided to introduce Ouyang Xin'er to another man, hoping Sima Jian could win her heart, make her truly let go of Ye Tianya, and help her understand that love wasn't as naive as she was clinging to. They hoped she would feel that her parents genuinely cared for her happiness, and only then might she forgive them and stop drifting further and further away from her family, becoming so distant that they felt unfamiliar and afraid.

They were initially worried that Ouyang Xin'er would deliberately cause a scene when she met the Sima family, but to their surprise, she was remarkably calm and polite, greeting the Sima family courteously. When Sima Jian suggested taking her to Qiushui Lake, she readily agreed with a smile and went out with him. Even Sima Hong, who had witnessed Ouyang Xin'er's suicide attempt, was astonished by her reaction.

The two families sat together chatting and drinking tea. After a long while, Sima Hong finally spoke up and asked with emotion, "Ouyang, how exactly did you manage to persuade your daughter? Teach me a trick or two, okay? My Ruyan is still going against me."

Ouyang Zhenhua replied awkwardly, his face somewhat pale, "It's a long story, best left unsaid. Now Xin'er is very obedient, so obedient that it feels like a stranger to our whole family. She hates us."

"This... what happened?" Sima Hong asked in surprise.

Ouyang Zhenhua hesitated for a moment before sighing, "Not long ago, Ye Tianya came to visit us when he came from S City to Lincheng. I originally planned to avoid seeing him, but unexpectedly, he discovered Xin'er and also found the wound on her wrist. He immediately turned hostile, blaming us for hurting Xin'er, and tried to leave with her. As a result, I fought with him. To my shame, I was injured by him before I could even last ten moves. To protect me, Xin'er abandoned Ye Tianya and ran back to protect me. I said something harsh, saying that I would not agree to him being with Xin'er unless I died. As a result, Xin'er fainted on the spot. Xin'er's mother blamed Ye Tianya for putting Xin'er in a difficult position and persuaded Ye Tianya to leave. Ye Tianya did leave, but when Xin'er woke up, she was the same as you just saw, so calm it was chilling."

"You said... you said you couldn't even last ten moves against Ye Tianya?" Sima Hong looked at Sima Zhenhua in disbelief and asked in surprise. He knew Sima Zhenhua's capabilities; at least he considered himself capable enough to be at least equal to him, if not surpassed. Yet this man, roughly equal to himself, claimed he couldn't even last ten moves against Ye Tianya, a young man in his twenties, and was even injured. How could he believe it?

Ouyang Zhenhua said dejectedly, "To be precise, only eight moves. Against him… I didn't even have the ability to fight back."

Sima Hong was even more shocked. Didn't even have the ability to fight back? What did that mean? Looking at Ouyang Zhenhua, this stubborn individual who never admitted defeat among their generation, now so dejected, he knew he was telling the truth, but it was still too hard to accept.

Ouyang Zhenhua pointed to a flowerbed in the garden below from the pavilion, saying, "See that? He started from there, carrying Xingye in his arms, and leaped directly into Xin'er's room in the opposite pavilion, without any further momentum, and his flight trajectory was almost a straight line…"

"This… this is impossible! No one could do that!" Sima Hong still refused to believe it was true.

Ouyang Zhenhua smiled bitterly, "I don't want to believe it either, but everyone at Qiushui Manor saw it clearly. We're all getting old..."

Just as the two were still in awe of Ye Tianya's amazing skills, Sima Hong's phone rang. Sima Hong picked it up and his expression changed slightly.

He said to Ouyang Zhenhua, "It's Elder Han!" He answered nervously, and Elder Han's voice came through the phone: "You took your son to the Ouyang family?"

"Yes, Elder Han, we've arrived at Qiushui Manor." When Sima Hong heard Elder Han ask if he had arrived at Qiushui Manor as soon as he spoke, he knew that nothing serious had happened and breathed a slight sigh of relief. To my surprise, Old Han sighed on the phone and said, "You still didn't listen to my advice. Fine, the child is your own, so I can't say much. It's good that you're with Ouyang Zhenhua. If you can help me, please tell him too. I'll do my duty. Let me remind you one more time, so you won't blame me later. Ye Tianya has always been low-key, even preferring to stay behind the scenes. But this time, after leaving Qiushui Manor, he ostentatiously brought down a company with over ten years of foundation in just over ten days. And his hair hasn't been dyed back to its original color. What does that mean? Think about it yourselves. But one thing is certain." "Yes, you've forced him down a different path. I don't know what the consequences of this path will be, but I know it will definitely be a regrettable one for you. Think carefully."

Old Han hung up the phone after speaking. Sima Hong's expression was somewhat unpleasant. He relayed Old Han's words to Ouyang Zhenhua, whose expression also darkened. Thinking back, Ye Tianya had indeed started his actions the day after leaving Qiushui Manor. The Ouyang family also had businesses in Lincheng, including real estate. Although the Ouyang family members usually didn't show their faces, they were well-informed about the real estate industry. Ouyang Zhenhua didn't doubt Old Han's words; Ye Tianya had indeed started acting ostentatiously after leaving Qiushui Manor.

Before the Ouyang and Sima families could recover from Old Han's words, they saw Sima Jian walk back from outside the manor alone, but Ouyang Xin'er was nowhere to be seen.

The Ouyang family's hearts tightened, and they rushed downstairs to greet Sima Jian anxiously, saying, "Nephew Sima, you're back so soon? Where's Xin'er? Didn't she come back with you?"

Sima Jian smiled and shook his head, "No, Xin'er said she was going to pick up a friend and asked me to come back first."

"What? It's over..." Ouyang Zhenhua felt a deep sense of despair. Ouyang Xin'er might use this opportunity to see Ye Tianya. For some reason, the thought of her going to see Ye Tianya secretly relieved the Ouyang family.

But Ouyang Zhenhua was also worried that Ouyang Xin'er wouldn't go to Ye Tianya, but would do something foolish because of the Sima family's arrival. He nervously made several phone calls, ordering all his forces in Lin City to mobilize and search for Ouyang Xin'er's whereabouts. He also immediately dispatched the people from the manor.

Sima Jian didn't understand why Ouyang Zhenhua was so nervous. He asked, puzzled, "Uncle, what's wrong? Is Xin'er alright?"

Ouyang Zhenhua wanted to explain that Xin'er might do something foolish or go to see Ye Tianya, but considering this child was pursuing Ouyang Xin'er, it wouldn't be appropriate to say his daughter disliked him and wanted to do something else, nor would it be appropriate to say his daughter had someone else in her heart. Finally, he could only nervously say, "We'll talk about it after we find Xin'er."

Sima Hong had witnessed the power of the Ouyang family. Soon, a phone call came reporting that Ouyang Xin'er's whereabouts had been discovered, heading towards the train station.

"Keep an eye on her. If she really went to the train station to pick someone up, bring her back after she does. If she tries to buy a ticket to leave, even if you have to tie her up, bring her back!" Ouyang Zhenhua decisively gave the order. Su Ling felt a tightness in her chest when she heard that Ouyang Xin'er wasn't going to see Ye Tianya. If her daughter wasn't going to see Ye Tianya, perhaps her heart was already dead, and she would truly hate her for the rest of her life.

Ouyang Xin'er neither went to see Ye Tianya nor bought a ticket to escape. News kept coming back from the Ouyang family that Ouyang Xin'er had indeed gone to pick up a friend and returned with a girl. But when Ouyang Xin'er appeared in the Ouyang family's courtyard with this girl, Sima Jian couldn't sit still any longer and immediately turned to find a place to hide. Before he could even dodge, Ouyang Xin'er called out from afar, "Brother Sima, I've brought you a friend. Why don't you get to know her first before you try to hide?"

Knowing he couldn't escape, Sima Jian had no choice but to turn around awkwardly and look at the girl Ouyang Xin'er had brought. His face contorted with embarrassment, he cautiously asked, "Bao'er, you... how did you get here?"

The girl named Bao'er had red eyes, clearly having just finished crying. She had been staring intently at Sima Jian since she appeared, and amidst the surprised gazes of both the Ouyang and Sima families, she walked up to him, speaking softly but with a slight sob, "I've come only to ask you one thing. Since you've decided to let me go, give me a reason so I can face myself after I leave." "Don't worry, when you were pursuing me, I told you I was afraid I wasn't good enough for a family with such a long history. Now that you're letting go, I won't blame you. I just want some words."
Chapter 327 Another Path
Sima Jian nervously looked at his father, who already looked embarrassed, then at the girl named Bao'er, and finally at Ouyang Xin'er. He was caught in a dilemma, not knowing what to say. He wanted to explain to the girl named Bao'er, but found that he couldn't find a reasonable reason. Finally, Ouyang Xin'er spoke up. She was still calm, with a smile on her face, and with the utmost courtesy, she said to Bao'er, "Miss Huang, you must be tired from the long journey. Please sit down and rest for a while, have a cup of tea, and then we'll talk."

The girl named Bao'er didn't sit down or drink tea. Seeing Sima Jian remain silent, she sneered and looked disdainfully at Ouyang Zhenhua and his wife, as well as Sima Hong and his wife, saying, "They say it's better to tear down ten temples than to break up a family marriage. So this is the kind of shameless thing a century-old family does? Jian, I know you're in a difficult position, but I won't make things difficult for you. If you don't want to say those words, I will. I wish you happiness. Goodbye!"

Before Bao'er finished speaking, tears were already streaming down her face. Her pitiful appearance made all the women present feel heartbroken. As she turned to leave, the tears that flew up reminded the Ouyang family of Ye Tianya's tears on the day he left. Bao'er's departing figure was so lonely that the Ouyang family, including the servants present, couldn't help but recall the heartbreaking loneliness they felt when Ye Tianya and Xingye left that day. The same tears, the same loneliness, yet the Ouyang family felt something different.

The parents of both the Ouyang and Sima families, who had been scorned by Bao'er, looked extremely embarrassed and embarrassed. Ouyang Jian was particularly heartbroken and wanted to chase after Bao'er, but he was afraid of upsetting his father and displeasing Ouyang Xin'er. Fortunately, Ouyang Xin'er did him a great favor and said with a smile, "Brother Sima, aren't you going to chase after your Bao'er? Do you really want to make my Ouyang Xin'er look bad and become a sinner who breaks up other people's lives?"

Sima Jian could no longer hold back and ran after Bao'er. Sima Hong tried to call him back, but Madam Sima stopped him from speaking. The couple looked awkwardly toward Ouyang Zhenhua. Sima Hong said very unnaturally, "Ouyang, I didn't expect that the boy had a girlfriend outside. This matter... I'm really sorry."

Ouyang Zhenhua had just been scolded by Bao'er for being a 'shameless family that specializes in breaking up other people's relationships,' and he felt extremely uncomfortable. In order to break up Ye Tianya and Ouyang Xin'er, he had indeed broken up another couple. Ouyang Xin'er said regretfully, "I'm so sorry, Uncle Sima. I didn't know Miss Huang's arrival would cause you so much trouble. I apologize to you."

Sima Hong waved his hand awkwardly, "Xin'er, don't be like that. We were so rude. But... were you and Miss Huang friends before?"

Ouyang Xin'er smiled calmly, "Not really. We were introduced by a friend. She happened to be visiting Lincheng today, and I was planning to invite her to my home. I didn't expect... this to happen. I feel really bad..."

Sima Hong was very polite again, thinking to himself, "That's strange." After a quick thought, he immediately knew that it must be his daughter, Sima Ruyan, who was behind it all. To force him to let her leave home and agree to her being with Ye Tianya, she had not only turned almost everyone in the family against her, but now she had made him look foolish. He used to be so proud of his daughter's intelligence, but now he had to admit that his once-proud daughter was a real headache.

Because of Bao'er's appearance, the matchmaking event was naturally off. Sima Jian left and never returned, only calling to say he'd gone home first. However, since he'd gone to look for Bao'er, he obviously wouldn't be coming back. The Sima couple were invited to have lunch at Qiushui Villa by the Ouyang family, but left dejectedly. After they left, Ouyang Xin'er said, "Mom, I'm going to check on my flowers..." and then went to the garden alone. It was as if everything that had happened that day had nothing to do with her.

After Ouyang Xin'er left, Ouyang Zhenhua sighed deeply and turned to his wife, asking, "Wife, did I really do something wrong?"

Although their daughter was by her side, living in the same villa and eating at the same table, Su Ling felt as if the person living with her wasn't her daughter. She couldn't even feel the presence of a guest anymore. She felt she had lost her daughter. The cause of all this was her husband, the man who had just asked her the question. Su Ling didn't answer her husband's question but stood up and walked back to the attic. Turning around, she said softly, "You're not wrong. We're wrong. We didn't raise our daughter well."

Although Su Ling's words were self-reflection, anyone could hear the blame in her tone. Ouyang Zhenhua was stunned. Bao'er's disdainful gaze reappeared in his mind and wouldn't leave. 'A century-old family,' 'shameful,' these words churned in his mind, each one feeling like a thousand pounds pounding on his heart.

Regret, once it takes hold, surges like a tidal wave. Just as he was about to go inside for a cup of tea to calm himself and think things through, the villa's butler hurried in from the doorway, saying, "Master, the Second Master needs to see you. He's waiting at the door."

"Why is the Second Master here at this hour? Has something serious happened at the company? Tell him to come to the study." Ouyang Zhenhua said, turning into the house. He guessed something must have happened. The external operations of the Ouyang family were almost entirely managed by Ouyang Zhenhua's younger brother, Ouyang Zhenxing. Usually, his brother was so busy that he never had time to return to the villa. Usually, he would only come back when he encountered trouble and needed Ouyang Zhenhua's help. So, upon hearing that his brother had returned, Ouyang Zhenhua immediately thought of that possibility.

Sure enough, Ouyang Zhenxing had indeed encountered a problem. After entering the study, Ouyang Zhenxing went straight to the point: "Brother, we've lost the chance at the stadium project."

"Lost the chance? The bidding hasn't even started yet!" Ouyang Zhenhua asked in surprise.

Ouyang Zhenxing found a chair and sat down. He took a sip of water from the glass Ouyang Zhenhua handed him before saying, "The entire project has been taken over by Tianya Real Estate's Lincheng branch; there's no longer any bidding."

Ouyang Zhenhua was usually busy with family affairs and didn't pay attention to business information, so he didn't know much. Hearing Ouyang Zhenxing mention it, he exclaimed in surprise, "Tianya Real Estate's Lincheng branch? Isn't that Ye Tianya…?" At this point, Ouyang Zhenhua's expression changed slightly, and he immediately asked, "What's going on here? Could it be that the Lincheng gang…?" "Are the officials itching for a beating again? They awarded the project to Tianya Real Estate without bidding. Do you know whose idea it was in the city?"

Ouyang Zhenxing said with a wry smile, "Brother, there's no shady business involved. If there is, it's Tianya Real Estate's fault. The shady business is their design drawings. No one can compare to Tianya Real Estate's designs. But Tianya Real Estate has many rules; only they can implement their designs. The municipal party committee even held a special meeting to discuss this issue before deciding to award the project to Tianya Real Estate."

"But can a project worth billions be handled by Tianya Real Estate's Lincheng branch? How long has this branch been established? That Cao guy is simply making a mess of things," Ouyang Zhenhua said discontentedly.

"The city was completely attracted by Tianya Real Estate's design drawings and wanted to build the sports complex into a landmark building in Lincheng. That's why they handed the project over to Ye Tianya. Now, anyone who can participate in this multi-billion dollar project has to get the approval of the head of Tianya Real Estate's Lincheng branch, which means they have to get Ye Tianya's approval. For example, Li Xinmin got Ye Tianya's approval by providing a construction team to build dormitories for the orphanage for free, and got 20% of the project share..." Ouyang Zhenxing said helplessly.

"Provide a construction team? I doubt it. The real deal is probably for Li Xinmin to transfer Changfeng's debt to Ye Tianya." Ouyang Zhenhua noticed Ouyang Zhenxing's tone and then asked, "You went to see Ye Tianya?"

Ouyang Zhenxing nodded and said, "I was planning to contact him to see if there was any opportunity for cooperation. After all, the city has set deadlines for the project. Tianya Real Estate was just established, and even if we had Changfeng Real Estate's construction team now, the team would be too small. Even with Li Xinmin's involvement, it's impossible to complete the project within the city's stipulated timeframe. That's why I wanted to try, but... I came up empty-handed. Luckily, I came up empty-handed, otherwise I really don't know what Ye Tianya would have done to me. I only just got back and found out that Ye Tianya came to Qiushui Villa and that happened there."

Ouyang Zhenhua felt a bit like laughing and crying at this moment. He sighed and said, "Give up on that project. Don't go looking for Ye Tianya anymore. Didn't you say last time that you were doing a feasibility study on building a five-star hotel in Lincheng? How's the investigation going? Does Lincheng have the conditions to build a five-star hotel?"

Ouyang Zhenxing nodded and said, "My consultants and I have studied it, and the conditions are fully met. Lincheng's development momentum is very good; its development speed is almost catching up with C City, which recently became a municipality."

Ouyang Zhenhua thought for a moment and said, "Then let's do it this way. Let's redirect the funds originally intended for this project to build a five-star hotel in Lincheng, so as not to clash with Ye Tianya..."

Ouyang Zhenhua was thinking about what Old Han had said. He had forced Ye Tianya onto a path he wasn't entirely sure about, a path he would regret. He was now somewhat regretful, so he was trying his best to avoid conflict with Ye Tianya for the time being. Little did he know that his idea of developing a five-star hotel would clash with Ye Tianya's Tianxing Hotel plan again.
Chapter 328 Acting with High Profile
With the support of the Ouyang family, Ouyang Zhenxing's information sources were much faster than others. Five days after he obtained the stadium project and subcontracted it to Tianya Real Estate, the stadium project was officially showcased on television, and the stadium's renderings also appeared. Ye Tianya even specially created a lifelike 3D animation of the stadium's interior environment. After the broadcast, Lin City was once again in an uproar, especially after the stadium's renderings were shown. The magnificent building, which was expected to become another world wonder after the Tianya Mountain Villa, excited the entire city. This was about to become a landmark of Lin City. Just as the announcer said on television, from now on, the people of Lin City could proudly say, "Our Lin City has the most beautiful stadium in the world..."

Within an hour of the renderings being uploaded online, the number of downloads exceeded six figures. Although it couldn't compare to the download rate of the Tianya Mountain Villa photos last year, it still caused the website that reposted the photo to experience a surge in clicks, almost causing the website's CEO to have a heart attack from excitement.

However, Ye Tianya's high-profile approach didn't stop there. Seemingly sensing that the citizens of Lin City weren't excited enough, on the very day the renderings of the Lin City Stadium were released, Ye Tianya announced another piece of news that would excite the people of Lin City: he would be building the city's first five-star hotel, named "Xingye Grand Hotel" after Xingye. Originally, he had planned to name it "Tianxing Hotel," a combination of his and Xingye's names, but later felt that "Xingye Grand Hotel" sounded better than "Tianxing," and that Xingye's fame would benefit the hotel's future development. Therefore, he ultimately changed the name.

Ye Tianya not only announced the hotel's construction but also showcased its design renderings on the spot. The hotel's innovative design concept and stunning visuals once again captivated the people of Lin City and even the entire country. Ye Tianya's first time voluntarily standing in front of the camera, releasing two major announcements in quick succession, sent media outlets across the country into a frenzy. The photos and the design renderings of the stadium and hotel he revealed appeared on major portal websites that same day. Thanks to the extensive coverage by journalists who make a living with words, the once mysterious Ye Tianya became famous throughout the country in just one day. Previously, his name was only known to people in the financial world, but this time almost everyone was familiar with the name and knew who Ye Tianya was and what he had done. As the name 'Starry Night Hotel' became well-known, Starry Night and Ye Tianya became the main headlines for several days in a row. Of course, there were also reports about the love story between Starry Night and Ye Tianya that made countless young girls envious.

Ye Tianya's increasingly high-profile lifestyle excited reporters, as they could finally dig up more juicy stories. However, it also worried some people, including Ouyang Zhenhua. Old Han had said that Ye Tianya's high-profile path would make him regret it, and now he truly did. His younger brother, Ouyang Zhenxing, had painstakingly researched and purchased the land, making all the preparations for building a five-star hotel. However, Ye Tianya's appearance on television immediately killed the Ouyang family's five-star hotel plan. The Ouyang family's real estate company simply couldn't produce a design better than Ye Tianya's. Even if the Ouyang family managed to build such a five-star hotel, with a "Starry Night Hotel" standing on Lincheng's land, absolutely no one would stay there, unless they didn't want to make money and just wanted to lose money by charging three-star rates for five-star facilities.

"Damn it, that Ye guy did it on purpose! He's retaliating against me..." Ouyang Zhenhua couldn't help but angrily slam his fist on the table, shattering the solid wood table with a crack. This startled Su Ling and He Tingxiu, who were standing nearby. Su Ling was also a little worried, because Ye Tianya's actions were always based on repaying kindness and setbacks. But the Ouyang family had no enmity with him. Besides, Ye Tianya was a sentimental person, and for Xin'er's sake, he shouldn't do anything specifically targeting the Ouyang family.

He Tingxiu had obviously thought of this as well, and hesitated before saying, "Master, are you out of your mind? You only decided to implement the five-star plan a few days ago. Besides, how would Ye Tianya know you had a five-star hotel plan? Even if he did know, it's only been a few days since you decided on this plan. Even a genius designer probably couldn't design a five-star hotel as sensational as the 'Starry Night Hotel.' How can you complete the design of a five-star hotel in less than a few months?"

He Tingxiu's words made Ouyang Zhenhua lower his head in deep thought, while Su Ling stood up. Without even saying hello, she walked out. Ouyang Zhenhua asked, "Where are you going?"

Su Ling replied somewhat displeased, "I'm going to have someone make a paper table to put here. Our patriarch Ouyang might be banging on quite a few tables in the future."

Ouyang Zhenhua blushed, then his face darkened with anger. Ever since the Sima family left that day, Su Ling hadn't given Ouyang Zhenhua a kind look, which made this chauvinistic patriarch of the family unable to contain his anger. He Tingxiu quickly pulled Su Ling aside and whispered, "Sister Ling, please say less. The master is going to get angry."

"Angry? I'm angry!" Su Ling suddenly turned around and glared at Ouyang Zhenhua, saying angrily, "Are you regretting it now? With just one sentence, you forced Ye Tianya down this path, forced Xin'er to completely change, and made her increasingly estranged from her own mother. She no longer even trusts her own mother. Look at this family now! Are you happy with it? You won't get any benefits from the stadium project, will you? The five-star hotel plan has fallen through again, hasn't it? I advised you when Xin'er first attempted suicide by cutting her wrists, but you wouldn't listen. You firmly believed that everything you did was for Xin'er's happiness. Have you seen Xin'er's happiness? Have you ever seen someone whose heart is dead and who doesn't even trust their own family end up happy? I say you're selfish and arrogant, thinking that just because you're a daughter of the Ouyang family..." "You must be a real heiress. Are you afraid your daughter will become Ye Tianya's concubine, and you won't be able to hold your head up in front of others? Then Tingxiu and I deserve to let you enjoy the blessings of having two wives all to yourself. Are we not rich heiresses, and we are born lowly? Go ahead and be angry, I'm taking Xin'er to see her grandmother..."

Su Ling's angry words made Ouyang Zhenhua's face turn red and white, but he was also so angry that he trembled all over. Su Ling had never dared to speak to him like this since she married into his Ouyang family. The dignity of the family head was being challenged by a woman, and Ouyang Zhenhua habitually wanted to show some authority, but when he wanted to get angry, he found that he had no reason at all. Su Ling had already vented all the words that had been pent up in her heart, turned around and hurriedly walked out, leaving He Tingxiu to carefully persuade the angry Ouyang Zhenhua.

Actually, even without Su Ling saying it, Ouyang Zhenhua had already felt remorse after being looked down upon by Sima Jian's girlfriend, "Bao'er," that day. He just couldn't accept his usually gentle wife speaking to him in such a tone. However, Su Ling, who had been with him for decades, was right. He was selfish, arrogant, and didn't want his daughter to become someone else's concubine, because he couldn't hold his head up high. This was the real reason he opposed Ye Tianya and Ouyang Xin'er being together. There was even something Su Ling didn't say for fear of hurting Ouyang Zhenhua: jealousy. Jealousy between men. As Ouyang Zhenhua's wife, no one understood his proud and unyielding personality better than her. Ye Tianya's achievements, whether in career, martial arts, or love, far surpassed his. Ouyang Zhenhua subconsciously felt jealous, perhaps without even realizing it himself, but Su Ling sensed it very clearly.

However, although Ouyang Zhenhua regretted his actions, he was still a man obsessed with saving face. His words to Ye Tianya, "Unless you kill me, don't even think about me agreeing to you being with Xin'er," sealed Ye Tianya's fate, forcing him into an inescapable torment with Ouyang Xin'er and ultimately determining his own destiny…

Since

the Lin City Party Committee announced that the stadium project would be awarded to Tianya Real Estate, and Ye Tianya himself announced the hotel project plan on television, the real estate industry in Lin City was in turmoil, while reporters went crazy. The most direct reaction was that Tianya Real Estate's doors and the residences of Ye Tianya and Lu Tianfeng were constantly filled with guests. Banquet invitations poured in like snowflakes, and every day Lu Tianfeng's secretary, surnamed He, would bring a large bundle to Ye Tianya. Thus, besides studying, Xingye had many other things to do every day… One task was to select the banquets Ye Tianya felt necessary to attend from the invitations, leaving the rest to Lu Tianfeng. As a result, Xingye, after much deliberation, turned down all the invitations except for those held in the city and those from real estate developers like Li Xinmin who had previously helped Ye Tianya. Even so, Ye Tianya, Xingye, and Xia Yi didn't pay for their own meals for a whole week. As Xia Yi put it, "If you don't eat, you're wasting your time." Anyway, Ye Tianya was going to find partners in Lincheng, so having a meal and doing them a favor would make them grateful, so why not?

Ye Tianya, having decided to embark on this high-profile path, no longer deliberately avoided the hypocrisy of social interactions. These past few days, he had gradually adapted to this insincere socializing, becoming increasingly adept at handling it, and was no longer so afraid of such banquets. Although he felt disgusted by the hypocrisy in these interactions, Xingye's words had brought him some relief. As Xingye said, in this vast world, all kinds of people live wearing masks; that's life…
Chapter 329 Invitations for Living People
After a busy morning, Ye Tianya and Xingye returned to the office after lunch. Secretary He brought in a large stack of invitations, smiling wryly at Ye Tianya, saying, “Mr. Ye, these were delivered this morning. There are also two invitations for living people…”

“Invitations for living people?” Ye Tianya and Xingye exchanged a glance, asking Secretary He in surprise.

Secretary He smiled, “It's the principal and the dean of studies from the city's No. 1 Middle School. They've been waiting for you in the reception room for ages.”

“The principal and the dean of studies? What are they doing here?” Ye Tianya asked疑惑地问道.

Secretary He said, "They didn't say, but they are your teachers, so I didn't dare to refuse. Should we refuse now?"

Ye Tianya thought for a moment and shook his head, "No need. I'll go to the meeting room to see them. By the way, Secretary He, please let me know as soon as Manager Lu returns from the construction site. I need to see him."

After Secretary He left, Ye Tianya handed his briefcase to Xingye and told her to go into the office first. Then, he pushed open the door to the meeting room and went in. The two middle-aged men who were huddled together and talking quietly immediately stood up. The forced smiles on their faces made Ye Tianya feel a little disgusted. Fortunately, Ye Tianya had long been used to such smiles from his social engagements these past few days. As Xingye said, they were just wearing masks. Ye Tianya didn't have a good impression of either of them. The head of student affairs had only kept him on because he could secure a spot for a key student at the school, yet he still exploited him by making him guard the school gate. For the head of student affairs, or rather, for the school he represented, it was just a transaction. As for the principal, Ye Tianya's impression of him was even worse. When he was guarding the school gate, he had only opened it a few seconds late, and Ye Tianya had been scolded for it.

"Young Ye, long time no see." The first to speak was the head of student affairs, surnamed Ma. He seemed to have gained a lot of weight over the years; his face trembled when he smiled. Ye Tianya remembered the arrogant "Do you think getting into No. 1 High School is so easy?" attitude when he applied to transfer, and the contrast between that arrogant, sullen face and the trembling, fat face he had now was like night and day.

However, Ye Tianya still smiled and said, "Director Ma, Principal Huang, how have you been?"

Director Ma, being a subordinate, had developed some experience in dealing with people over the years. He deliberately paused to give his superiors a chance to speak. Principal Huang then took over the conversation with a smile, saying, "Young Ye, you still remember me, your principal? That makes me very happy."

Ye Tianya smiled and gestured for them to sit down before speaking, "Principal, you're too kind. How could I forget you? It's just… I've been so busy since returning to Lincheng that I haven't had a chance to visit you two. I'm truly sorry, and I hope you'll forgive me."

As Ye Tianya said this, he couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself, realizing he was becoming increasingly hypocritical.

Ye Tianya's words made the principal, surnamed Huang, think that Ye Tianya had misunderstood him and that he was blaming Ye Tianya for not visiting them at No. 1 Middle School after returning. He hurriedly waved his hand and nervously explained, "Little Ye, you misunderstood. I didn't mean anything else..."

This was exactly the effect Ye Tianya wanted. He smiled slightly and said calmly, "Principal, don't be nervous. I didn't mean anything else either. By the way, Principal, how is my former homeroom teacher, Ms. Wu, doing?"

If there was one person Ye Tianya was grateful to at No. 1 Middle School, it would be his homeroom teacher, Wu Qiong, whom he had taught for half a year. Although part of the reason this thirty-something-year-old female teacher cared for him was because she cared for students with excellent grades, Ye Tianya could sense that she was not as snobbish as the two people in front of him. He could sense her kindness and compassion, a feeling Ye Tianya had only felt from the old director of the orphanage. Therefore, Ye Tianya had special respect for this homeroom teacher.

Upon hearing Ye Tianya mention his former homeroom teacher, Principal Huang and Director Ma exchanged a glance and immediately smiled obsequiously, "You mean Teacher Wu? She's doing very well now, still teaching a graduating class. She's a diligent and dedicated teacher with outstanding results, especially in your class. She only produced two outstanding students, you and Yin Chao, from that class. These past few days, Director Ma and I have been discussing promoting her to the senior year group leader and allocating her an apartment, isn't that right, Director Ma?" After saying this, Principal Huang turned to Director Ma as if to prove it to Ye Tianya. Director Ma didn't react immediately, stammering before quickly nodding, "Yes, yes, we were discussing it yesterday."

Ye Tianya inwardly scorned these two even more hypocritical than himself. Outstanding results? That was almost two years ago! And they're only discussing it now? Isn't this obviously a show-off in front of him? However, seeing how hard the two guys were putting on their act, Ye Tianya knew they must have something to ask of him. Otherwise, this Huang fellow wouldn't have gone to such lengths, even making a last-minute decision to promote his former homeroom teacher. Ye Tianya said calmly, "Yes, Teacher Wu is indeed a rare and excellent teacher. It's not easy for us students to have such a good teacher. As Teacher Wu's student, I'm deeply moved that the two school leaders promoted such a good teacher. I will definitely tell Yin Chao this news; that kid will definitely jump for joy."

After hearing Ye Tianya's words, Old Man Huang regretted not inviting Wu Qiong along today, but he also felt a surge of pride in his last-minute decision to promote Wu Qiong. Yi was overjoyed and smiled, saying, "Hehe, good teacher, of course we must promote him. Speaking of Yin Chao, I heard he started his own software company in S City, right?"

Ye Tianya nodded and said, "Yes, he followed me in the financial industry for half a year, made several million, and then opened a software company. Software is his favorite, and he has indeed achieved some success. The Beyond Financial Management System is their product, and our company uses all their products."

Huang and Ma immediately looked gratified. Old Huang looked moved and said, "Great! Our school has produced two talents like you and Yin Chao. We teachers have not wasted our lives, and we are very proud. Young Ye, on behalf of the entire school, I thank you for bringing honor to our school!"

Ye Tianya cursed the old foxes inwardly. Back when Yin Chao was struggling with tuition, they hadn't offered him any discounts, forcing his mother to work tirelessly from dawn till dusk. Now, they're so quick to claim credit. Ye Tianya exchanged a few polite words, too lazy to play games with them, and was about to get straight to the point. If it was about money, he could only donate a little for Wu Qiong's sake. After all, although these two had made a last-minute decision to promote Wu Qiong, he still needed to do something to make their decision valid. Just

as Ye Tianya was about to speak, Secretary He knocked on the door of the reception room. After entering, Secretary He politely nodded to Huang and Ma before saying to Ye Tianya, "Mr. Ye, Manager Lu has returned."

Ye Tianya hummed in agreement, "I know. Tell Manager Lu not to rush out and to wait for me."

Secretary He acknowledged and left. Old Man Huang immediately spoke up, "Young Ye, I'm so sorry to bother you like this. But we have no choice. The petitions from over a thousand senior students have almost filled our office. Your younger schoolmates are insisting that we invite you back to your alma mater to give them a speech. I..." "I told them I had a job and no time, but these kids wouldn't listen. They said, 'How would we know you didn't have time if we didn't invite you?' They also said, 'Xiao Ye, you're not the kind of person who would refuse your alma mater's invitation. We just... had no choice but to bother you...'"

Ye Tianya cursed the old fox inwardly. This guy was truly a seasoned veteran, pushing all the blame onto the students while playing the good guy. In the end, he didn't forget to use the phrase "Xiao Ye, you're not the kind of person who would refuse" to trap him. With that, if he refused, he would become the one who didn't appreciate the past and was ungrateful. Despite his inner grumbling, Ye Tianya outwardly feigned flattery, saying, "They're giving me too much credit. But Principal, I'm a businessman now, a profit-driven businessman. Is it appropriate for me to stand on this stage and give a speech? What could I possibly talk about? Study methods? After all these years of teaching, you should know that study methods only work for certain people. If I were to talk about that, it might negatively impact their revision. Besides that, what else could I talk about? The ways of business? The pursuit of profit? Or the supremacy of money? That might not be good for their development."

Old Huang quickly chuckled, "Little Ye,..." "What you say isn't important; what's important is encouragement. These kids have been in their final year of high school for over half a year, and many are showing signs of fatigue. They need a shot in the arm right now. Xiao Ye, you're the pride of our school, an idol in these kids' hearts. Even just having a heart-to-heart talk with them would be the biggest encouragement for them, enough to ignite their passion for learning."

Ye Tianya knew he couldn't avoid it, so he could only say, "Can I think about it first? I'm still getting used to being suddenly promoted to an idol."

Old Huang had no choice but to nod, then continued, "Xiao Ye, we're here today to discuss something else with you..."

"Principal, please speak." Ye Tianya knew that since the man surnamed Huang had gone to such lengths to promote Wu Qiong in front of him, it definitely wasn't just about inviting him to give a speech.
Chapter 330 The Delaying Tactic
Old Huang hesitated for a moment before saying, "It's like this, Xiao Ye. You know from your school days, our... our school library, it's been around forty years, it's in terrible condition. These past two years, with all the wind and rain, it's almost a dangerous building. Last time it rained heavily, the roof leaked, and we lost nearly a hundred books. But the funding allocated to the school isn't much, so we wanted to see if Xiao Ye could help our alma mater get through this difficult time..."

'Damn it, does he really think I'm some kind of cash cow?'

Ye Tianya cursed inwardly. Getting Wu Qiong promoted didn't necessarily depend on Old Huang. Ye Tianya was sure that if he wanted, he could subtly suggest it to Cao and Hua, and getting Wu Qiong transferred to the Education Bureau wouldn't be a problem. He was trying to swindle money from him with a mere grade leader position. He was ready to sign a check for 100,000 or 200,000 yuan, but Old Huang actually asked for the entire library. Did this guy really think he and Yin Chao had done so much for getting into Huaxia University?

Outsiders see Ye Tianya doing so much charity, but no one pays attention to the recipients of his charity. If they had, they would understand one thing: Ye Tianya has no real compassion. Expecting someone who has suffered so much from childhood to have compassion is a joke. He only possesses a grateful heart. Ye Tianya's support for the orphanage is entirely out of gratitude to the old director. As for No. 1 Middle School, with which he only "traded" once, it's not on his list of "gratitude." The principal of No. 1 Middle School, who hasn't studied Ye Tianya, wouldn't know this.

Ye Tianya immediately gave a wry smile and said, "Principal, helping schools is what we should do, but as you know, I've invested in three large projects in Lincheng. The funds aren't all mine. My money isn't even enough for the orphanage's dormitory. And the Tianya Real Estate business isn't something I can decide alone. There are no people from No. 1 Middle School in Tianya Real Estate's upper management. Can you give me some time?" Ye Tianya unconsciously used the "delaying" tactic he'd learned in recent social interactions.

Old Huang nodded and said, "Xiao Ye, we know that it wasn't easy for you to donate money to build a dormitory for the orphanage. How could we possibly ask you for more money? What I mean is, Xiao Ye, could you help us mention it to the higher-ups at Tianya Real Estate? They're in the real estate business, so just consider it an investment in the school's library. We'll provide enough profit, but the payback period will be a bit long. We'll have to take a portion of the school's annual budget to pay it back..."

Ye Tianya breathed a sigh of relief. Although he had some money, government-funded infrastructure like schools, while social facilities like orphanages, didn't have the same emotional connection that orphanages had to hold Ye Tianya back. It wasn't his place to worry about it. However, since the school was willing to offer profits in return, that was another matter. So he nodded and said, "Principal, I can mention this to the senior management of Tianya Real Estate, but the chances are slim. As you know, if the profit recovery period is too long, it's like tying up capital for a company. But I will try my best to lobby the school. If it works, they might send someone to contact you, Principal. You can discuss it yourselves then, how about that?"

"Okay, okay, okay, we'll wait for your good news, Xiao Ye!" Old Huang looked extremely grateful. Before coming, he had already contacted some other real estate developers. Although they said they would offer profits, his school was already short of funds, so how could he offer high profits? After being turned down everywhere, he knew that what Ye Tianya said was indeed true. No real estate developer would tie up a large amount of capital for such a low profit. Now that Ye Tianya had agreed to lobby, the chances were much higher, and the old man was naturally very grateful.

Seeing his gratitude, Ye Tianya quickly said, "Principal, please don't be like that. Whether it works out or not is another matter. Businessmen are driven by profit, and I'm a businessman now too. If the profit you offer isn't enough to attract Tianya Real Estate, then the students can only say they've done their best."

Old Huang and the man surnamed Ma exchanged a glance and became nervous again, saying, "Little Ye, you really need to help out. You know, No. 1 High School is very popular now. If we don't even have a decent library, then..."

Ye Tianya felt a surge of annoyance, but smiled on the surface, "Principal, don't worry. I said I'd do my best. But over the years, the school must have earned a lot from transfer fees and tutoring fees, especially from the backdoor fees of 20,000 to 30,000 yuan per person for the large number of special students who come in each year. With all that added up, I think the principal can offer enough profit to attract Tianya Real Estate. Isn't that right, Principal?" "

Uh—, that money... it wasn't much, and it was all... it was all given to the teachers as welfare..." The man surnamed Huang stammered, his face turning somewhat unpleasant.

Ye Tianya sneered inwardly, thinking, "Just look at how fat you two old geezers are, I know where all the money went." But outwardly, he smiled and stood up, saying, "Principal, that's settled then. I'll go call Ms. Lin, the general manager of Tianya Real Estate. I have some connections with her, and maybe she'll consider it because it's my alma mater."

Ye Tianya's standing up was a clear indication to the two old men that it was time to see them off. Back when Ye Tianya was still Ye Xin, he attended Lin City No. 3 Middle School, just like Xingye Middle School. If he truly had any affection for a school, it wouldn't be No. 1 Middle School. He had already exhausted himself dealing with these two, not to mention that Lu Tianfeng, a very busy man, was waiting for him.

Old Huang and Old Ma also stood up tactfully. Old Huang pleaded, "Then, Xiao Ye, you must help your alma mater as much as possible. We won't bother you any longer."

Ye Tianya smiled and personally escorted the two to the elevator, behaving like a student. Back at the company, he immediately found Lu Tianfeng and asked, "Brother Lu, have you found the right land?"

Lu Tianfeng nodded, "Tianya, we've found two plots, but… the one with the best location belongs to a real estate company under the Qiushui Group. Their president, Ouyang Zhenxing, said he wants to talk to you personally…"

"Qiushui Group? Ouyang Zhenxing?" Ye Tianya asked again in surprise.

"Yes, Tianya, you know him?" Lu Tianfeng asked, puzzled by Ye Tianya's surprise.

Ye Tianya frowned and asked, "What about the other one? How much worse is it than the Qiushui Group's plot?"

“It’s not much different, but… this piece of land belongs to the government. They’ve set conditions: they want to invest in the Starry Night Hotel, and they also want a share in its management after it’s completed…” Lu Tianfeng’s words made Ye Tianya’s face turn cold and grim. “Are there any other places to choose from?”

Lu Tianfeng shook his head. “No, Lincheng is developing very fast now, especially in real estate. If we’re going to get land, it’ll only be in the development zone. There are only these two plots of land that are suitable for a five-star hotel in terms of transportation and surrounding environment. How about… you go and meet Ouyang Zhenxing?”

Ye Tianya thought for a moment and said: "We'll talk about it later. We're too busy with the orphanage and stadium projects right now, so we're not in a rush. I asked you to wait because there's something else going on. After the stadium project launch ceremony, I'll probably have to go back to S City. From now on, you need to start training your successors. You should be there for the welcome ceremony for the residents of the Haijiao Tianya Rich District on Labor Day. After all, that project is the culmination of your hard work. Before Labor Day, the ten colleagues who came from headquarters will go back with you. You need to make sure they all find their successors. This is what President Lin wants."

"Really? That's great! Our exile is finally coming to an end!" Lu Tianfeng laughed happily upon hearing this, but then he added with some concern, "Once we leave... it won't be difficult to put down the work here, but... about the hotel land... could you help me sort it out before you leave?"

Ye Tianya's face turned cold again at the mention of the land. "I'll try my best. Hmph, if it really doesn't work, cancel the Lin City hotel investment. I don't believe our hotel won't have room. Tianya Real Estate will always be wholly owned; no one else can get a share."

Lu Tianfeng looked at Ye Tianya with some confusion. Always wholly owned? Hadn't Xueya Shuangye already invested? And Ye Tianya was a member of Xueya Shuangye; why was he so agitated about Tianya Real Estate? However, seeing Ye Tianya so angry, he didn't dare ask further, only assuming that Ye Tianya meant that the Lin City branch of Tianya Real Estate was wholly owned. Thinking about returning to headquarters soon, he didn't bother to carefully study Ye Tianya's words. He hastily summoned the dozen or so trusted subordinates he had brought from S City and relayed the good news Ye Tianya had given him. He instructed them to cultivate successors before May Day, which was about a month or so.

Qiushui Group, Ouyang Zhenxing? Ye Tianya knew it was one of Qiushui Manor's businesses. Why did Ouyang Zhenxing want to see him? Was it revenge for injuring Ouyang Zhenhua? Or was he trying to save face and humiliate him? Or… was it to propose some conditions?

Ye Tianya thought it over and over. He realized that making demands didn't necessarily require meeting him personally; the same applied to making demands with Lu Tianfeng. Ye Tianya didn't want to see the Ouyang family right now. Every time he thought of them, his heart ached. He remembered Ouyang Xin'er's haggard face and her painful tears. Several times, Ye Tianya almost couldn't resist snatching her back, but he knew it was impossible. Taking Ouyang Xin'er away would inevitably lead to a major conflict with the Ouyang family, and Ouyang Xin'er would likely never forgive him.

To see her or not to see her?

Back in his office, Ye Tianya asked Xingye for his opinion. Usually decisive, he often acted impulsively and lost his rationality when it came to matters of the heart. Asking Xingye for advice at such times was a habit of his.
Chapter 331 Sharing a Piece of the Pie
Ye Tianya asked Xingye for advice. Xingye nestled in Ye Tianya's arms and whispered, "Go, brother. Although Ouyang Zhenxing is Xin'er's uncle, as the president of Qiushui Group, he's more of a businessman. From Tianya Real Estate's perspective, you're also a businessman, aren't you?"

Ye Tianya smiled bitterly and stroked Xingye's face, saying, "Xiaoye, have you noticed... that I've changed, becoming more and more hypocritical? Today, when I met the principal and director of No. 1 Middle School, I realized how hypocritical I've become. You know, just now, when I was acting like a student as I saw the principal and director off, I felt disgusted by my own hypocrisy."

Xingye gently shook her head in Ye Tianya's arms, saying, "Brother, don't think too much. Who told us to live in this world? As long as Xiaoye knows that no matter what mask you wear, you're still the same brother underneath, still the brother who loves and cherishes Xiaoye, that's enough. If one day, you feel the mask is too heavy, then take it off. Let's leave here, leave this world, and go back to Tianya Valley. No matter what, brother..." "Whatever life you choose, Xiaoye will always be by your brother's side, always."

Ye Tianya hugged Xingye tightly, deeply moved, and sighed, "We can't choose to be born into this world, but we do have many choices. Xiaoye, choosing you was the wisest choice of my life. Thank you!"

Xingye looked up at Ye Tianya with tender affection, tiptoed, and kissed him, saying, "Brother, choosing Xiaoye is the happiest thing in my life."

They smiled at each other, filling the office with tenderness, but this tenderness... Xia Yi broke the silence, barging in without knocking. Completely ignoring the two embracing intimately, she was used to it. Excitedly, she asked, "Little boss, I heard from Manager Lu that you're going back to S City? Should I go back with you?"

Ye Tianya released Xingye and nodded calmly, "Didn't you say last time that you're my personal legal advisor and Xiaoye's mentor? Now that we're leaving, there's no use for you staying. What? You're reluctant to leave? Then I'll have Manager Lu arrange a position for you here."

"No, I don't want to stay here! I want to go back to S City! When are we leaving? I want to buy some local specialties from Lin City."

Ye Tianya glanced at Xia Yi with annoyance and said, "It's still early. Once the stadium construction starts, you can stay for another ten days. Also, next time, knock before entering, or I'll leave you in Lin City."

"Okay, I was just too excited. Sorry for interrupting your sweet time. Goodbye!" Xia Yi first looked aggrieved, then gave an ambiguous smile and ran out in a flash. She came quickly and left quickly. Ye Tianya could only shake his head and smile bitterly at Hu Qing's proud subordinate. He was in a bad mood after returning from Qiushui Manor last time, which scared her a little for a few days. But she was back to her old ways soon after, not treating him like her boss at all.

Having decided to meet Ouyang Zhenxing as a businessman, Ye Tianya immediately had Lu Tianfeng contact him to schedule a time. However, just after finishing the call with Lu Tianfeng, Secretary He received a call from the mayor's office. Ye Tianya had barely picked up the receiver when he vaguely guessed the purpose of the call. After signaling Xingye to be quiet, he put the phone to his ear. He then recognized Mayor Cao Qiqiu's voice:

"Little Ye, you must be very busy these days!" came Cao Qiqiu's very 'concerned' greeting.

Ye Tianya laughed, "Even if I'm busy, I can't compare to Mayor Cao's busy schedule. But with Manager Lu and the others at the company taking care of most of the work, I'm usually quite free."

"Hehe, that's good, that's good. Tonight is my daughter Qingqing's birthday. She's a senior in high school and idolizes you. She insists I invite you today. Would you do her the honor?"

Cao Qiqiu had already extended an invitation and gone to such lengths; what could Ye Tianya say? He chuckled and said, "It's my honor to attend the mayor's daughter's birthday banquet. How could I refuse? Mayor Cao, please tell me the time and place, and I will be there on time."

Cao Qiqiu chuckled happily and said, "I'm so happy that you're willing to grace us with your presence, Xiao Ye. I was so worried just now. If I couldn't invite you, I, as the mayor, might not be able to hold my head up in front of my daughter. It's a bit too late to send the invitation now. I'll send a car to pick you up at your hotel at seven o'clock. By the way, please bring Miss Xingye along. I think she and my daughter can become friends."

Ye Tianya was about to refuse Cao Qiqiu's kind offer to send a car to pick him up when Cao Qiqiu said, "That's settled then, Xiao Ye. I have a phone call coming up. I'll hang up now. See you tonight!"

Ye Tianya hurriedly called out, "Wait a minute," but the call had already ended. Ye Tianya could only shake his head and smile bitterly. This Cao guy was definitely... It couldn't be as simple as just inviting him to his daughter's birthday party. The fact that they were so hospitable as to send a car to pick him up meant there was definitely no good in it. Now, he could only play it by ear; getting him to compromise was impossible. While the hotel would benefit greatly from the city's investment—for example, it would save a lot of trouble with various departments like industry and commerce, taxation, sanitation, and public security—the city's involvement would also create a messy network of relationships. Furthermore, their desire to participate in management meant the hotel would inevitably become a convenient place for the city to find employment for important figures. Perhaps the daughter of a minister's aunt, the brother-in-law of a bureau chief, or the sister-in-law of a director would all be working there. Management would be a chaotic mess—you couldn't offend anyone, you had to be careful around everyone. Forget about being a five-star hotel. Just dealing with interpersonal relationships would probably require assigning the hotel a position like a political instructor or commissar in the military.

On the other hand, Ye Tianya always insisted on full control of his businesses. He didn't want anyone objecting when he made decisions, even if it meant destroying all his assets overnight. So, anyone trying to get a piece of the pie from Tianya Real Estate was absolutely out of the question.

The mayor's daughter's birthday party was bound to be a huge affair. Since Cao Qiqiu hadn't told him the time and place of the banquet, Ye Tianya could only wait for the car he sent at 7:00 AM to head straight to the Huanglong Grand Hotel.

It was another banquet, another gathering of celebrities, another round of the same old hypocritical formalities. Although he felt awkward, he had practiced socializing for a long time and was now quite adept at handling it. Xingye, holding Ye Tianya's hand, smiled calmly and gently. She was much more comfortable in these situations than Ye Tianya, thanks to her wicked mother, who had single-mindedly trained Xingye to be a social butterfly, which had given Xingye her composure.

Ye Tianya and Xingye became the center of attention the moment they entered the hotel. Someone announced, "Ye Tianya and Xingye have arrived," and all eyes turned to them. Ye Tianya and Xingye calmly greeted Cao Qiqiu, who was facing them, along with a pretty young woman in a white dress and a European-style princess hat. It was easy to guess that the beautiful young woman was his daughter, Cao Qingqing. Upon approaching, Ye Tianya smiled and handed her a gift box, saying, "Happy birthday, Miss Cao!"

Seeing Ye Tianya's arrival, Cao Qingqing was overjoyed, happily accepting the gift and smiling, "Senior Ye, what is this? I really wish you could give me a beautiful lily!"

Ye Tianya and Xingye's faces instantly turned deathly pale; Xingye's face even turned ashen. A birthday party, lilies—this was a permanent source of pain for Ye Tianya and Xingye. Every time it was mentioned, it felt like a knife stabbing their hearts.

Cao Qiqiu hadn't expected his daughter's words to make Ye Tianya and Xingye's expressions turn so unpleasant. Although he didn't know the reason, he guessed that Baihehua had some unpleasant past between them. He quickly gestured to Cao Qingqing to shut up before saying to Ye Tianya and Xingye, "Xiao Ye, don't take it to heart by Qingqing's words. She was just joking."

Ye Tianya and Xingye's expressions softened slightly, and Ye Tianya smiled and said, "It's alright. How could lilies be worthy of Miss Cao's noble status as a birthday gift? I heard that Miss Cao is about to take the college entrance examination, so I gave her a horse sculpture to wish her success in the exam." "As you wished."

Cao Qingqing was curious about the changes in Ye Tianya and Xingye's expressions, but being a well-bred young lady, she knew better than to ask too many questions. She smiled and said, "Thank you for your wise words, Senior Ye. If I succeed, I will definitely treat you to a meal."

After saying that, Cao Qingqing's gaze lingered on Xingye's face, her envy evident in her eyes. "Hello, Sister Xingye, my name is Qingqing. I have a few classmates who want to be friends with you, is that alright?" As she spoke, Cao Qingqing pointed to four or five girls standing not far away. Seeing Xingye looking in the direction Cao Qingqing was pointing, the girls excitedly waved in their direction.

Xingye looked up at Ye Tianya, who smiled and nodded, saying, "Go on, we can't spoil the birthday girl's fun today."

Cao Qingqing exclaimed happily, "Great! Thank you, Senior Ye! I'll return your girlfriend to you in a bit. Have fun!"

Xingye was dragged away by Cao Qingqing. Cao Qiqiu and Ye Tianya exchanged a glance and smiled wryly. Cao Qiqiu said apologetically, "Xiao Ye, my daughter is spoiled by her mother. Please bear with her."

Ye Tianya smiled and shook his head, saying, "It's alright, Xiaoye and her..." "We might be happier together."

Cao Qiqiu. "By the way, my old commander came to inspect the military sub-district today and happened to be here. He dotes on Qingqing so much that he also came to this birthday banquet. Shall we go and see him?"
Chapter 332 Reunion with the General
"Your old commander?" Ye Tianya was stunned. His old commander should be very old, right? He heard that he was from the General Staff Department, but Ye Tianya didn't remember knowing anyone older than him in the General Staff Department. At most, there was Major General Zhong Xiang who trained them.

Thinking of Zhong Xiang, Ye Tianya actually met Zhong Xiang in a luxurious room. It seemed that Cao Qiqiu had specially prepared this room for his old superiors, since it would be inappropriate for them to go out and mingle with the people from the city. However, several high-ranking officials from the city were present to accompany him, including Secretary Hua. After Ye Tianya entered, he saw Zhong Xiang with a star on his shoulder and an old man with two hearts on his shoulder. Ye Tianya felt that the old man looked familiar, but he couldn't remember who he was. However, he didn't think too much about it, straightened his chest, stood at attention, and gave Zhong Xiang a sharp salute, saying in a clear voice, "General!"

Ye Tianya's standard military salute in his formal dress seemed a bit out of place, but Zhong Xiang and the lieutenant general also stood up and returned the salute to Ye Tianya. Influenced by this military aura, even Hua, Cao, and the other high-ranking officials from the city who were accompanying him stood up as well. People like Cao Qiqiu, who had served in the army, were even more respectful. The others, apart from Secretary Hua, looked at Ye Tianya with curiosity and confusion, not understanding how he knew these two generals and even saluted them.

After returning the salute, Zhong Xiang couldn't help but laugh. He stepped forward and patted Ye Tianya on the shoulder, saying with

a smile, "You rascal, it's a bit unfair of you to force us to stand up and return your salute in this kind of situation. Look at your suit, paired with that military salute, what do you think... it looks like?" Ye Tianya smiled awkwardly and said, "General, what brings you here?"

Zhong Xiang said bluntly, "I heard that my prized student is also attending the mayor's daughter's birthday banquet today, so I came to catch up with you, such a busy man. I heard you're making quite a splash in Lincheng, and I'm so happy for you. Hehe, back when you chose to give up the rank of captain..." "I used to feel sorry for you, but now it seems you've chosen the right path. A true man

's ambition lies in all corners of the world; he can make a name for himself anywhere." He spoke bluntly, showing no respect for Cao Qiqiu. Cao Qiqiu wasn't there to celebrate his daughter's birthday but to meet with Ye Tianya. Of course, Cao Qiqiu didn't feel honored. However, the speaker was the youngest major general in the military, a powerful figure even without command. So, Cao Qiqiu had no choice but to endure it. Besides, he had to consider whether he could offend Ye Tianya, his prized student.

Ye Tianya was moved by Zhong Xiang's words, especially the last sentence, "A true man's ambition lies in all corners of the world; he can make a name for himself anywhere." After Zhong Xiang finished speaking, he looked at the two-starred old man beside him and said to Ye Tianya, "Tianya, do you still recognize Political Commissar He? The Political Commissar He who awarded you your graduation certificates..."

"No wonder that guy surnamed Cao knew I'd been to B City. Turns out his old superior really does have some connections. Wasn't it Political Commissar He who arranged for the reception?" Ye Tianya thought to himself, raising his hand in a salute. Political Commissar He returned the salute sternly, saying, "Hey, Ye, it seems you don't remember your direct superior. You're just a figurehead under me, and you don't even recognize me? Xiao Zhong, you tell me, I'm quite a failure as a political commissar."

Political Commissar He's words startled everyone present, who stared at Ye Tianya in disbelief. Ye Tianya, of course, knew what Political Commissar He was referring to. To avoid suspicion from others regarding his frequent visits to the General Staff Headquarters, his position as an advisor was nominally subordinate to the General Staff. Ye Tianya didn't really know who was in charge, because he was on temporary assignment there but not actually doing any work there. Even if he were to do work there, no one could control him, so he was too lazy to find out who was in charge. But now that Political Commissar He had said that, and then asked Zhong Xiang that question, how could Ye Tianya let Zhong Xiang feel embarrassed? "Political Commissar He," Ye Tianya said firmly, "how could I not know you? The General often talked about you when he was training us. You were the five-time consecutive champion in the military competition thirty years ago, a sharpshooter in the army. Our General's eyes always light up when he talks about you. Thank you for arranging our tour guide during our last trip to B City."

Zhong Xiang had never mentioned Political Commissar He to Ye Tianya and the others. Ye Tianya had vaguely overheard some of it from Zhong Xiang's infatuated niece during their trip to B City, and now he was using it to save face for Zhong Xiang. Zhong Xiang was taken aback at first, then laughed and playfully patted Ye Tianya's shoulder, saying, "You little rascal, revealing my secrets will get you punished with a long cross-country hike!"

Political Commissar He, pleased that his glorious past had been mentioned, laughed, "Little Zhong, you punish him, I'll protect him, hahaha, everyone..." "Don't stand there talking. This old man doesn't have the stamina of you young people. Standing for too long is tiring. Xiao Ye, Xiao Cao, you sit down too, everyone sit down."

Ye Tianya sat down next to Zhong Xiang. While everyone was seated, he whispered a few words in Zhong Xiang's ear. Then Zhong Xiang whispered a few words to Political Commissar He. Political Commissar He's expression changed, and he glanced at everyone present, chuckling dryly, "When you get old, you tend to ramble. I just let something slip. But everyone here is an important figure in Lincheng, and I trust you. This... Xiao Ye's position at the General Staff is confidential. How about we just treat this as a joke?" Everyone

assured him it was confidential, but Ye Tianya was thinking about something else. This He, as a political commissar, and moreover, the political commissar of the General Staff, how could he possibly let something slip? He definitely leaked this information to everyone present on purpose. But... what was his purpose? Was he reminding Cao Qiqiu not to offend Ye Tianya? He needed to take care of his old subordinate; a private reminder would have sufficed. Why did he have to do it in front of so many people? Was the man surnamed He trying to pave the way for him by revealing his identity, hoping it would help him develop more smoothly in Lincheng? But that seemed unnecessary; he wouldn't encounter many obstacles even without any special status.

Ye Tianya couldn't immediately guess what the man surnamed He was up to. However, he remained wary of him. Feeling the strange looks from Cao, Hua, and the others, he felt quite uncomfortable. He knew they were curious about him again; he had once again become a mysterious figure in their eyes.

Actually, Ye Tianya hadn't fully guessed their thoughts. Their curiosity went beyond simple curiosity. These people, who had navigated the officialdom, weren't just curious. They were all speculating about Ye Tianya's official position in the General Staff Department, why the political commissar had to personally send a guide to B City, and what puzzled them even more: how could someone holding an official position in the General Staff Department be involved in business? This shouldn't be allowed in China, so how should they "befriend" Ye Tianya? These were the questions on everyone's minds.

Cao Qiqiu, seeing the curious looks people in the city were giving Ye Tianya, knew what they were thinking as a fellow traveler. Afraid of upsetting Ye Tianya, he quickly said with a smile, "Old Commander, it's been years. I wonder if your reputation for being able to drink a thousand cups without getting drunk is still intact?"

Political Commissar He laughed heartily, "Look at you, kid, I already know what you're up to before you even wag your tail. You want to get me drunk? Come on, do you think I'm afraid of you? Let's see if I can still eat like I used to..."

The soldiers' generosity was fully displayed at this moment. On the training ground and in the competition arena, they had iron discipline, but they were also generous men. With Political Commissar He's lead, the table immediately became lively. Ye Tianya couldn't help but admire the magnanimity of these officials. Of course, at the moment, he could only see their magnanimity, not their 'tolerance'.

Ye Tianya wasn't good at drinking, and he didn't know if these guys knew about his position at the General Staff or were after his actions in Lincheng. After toasting Political Commissar He and Zhong Xiang, they started subtly and indirectly toasting him. He had to cheat and use his "Chaos Technique" to force the alcohol down to his fingertips. Of course, he also had to return the favor by pouring several large cups of alcohol. After a few rounds, Ye Tianya was the only one whose complexion remained normal; everyone else's faces were turning red. The crowd stared in surprise at Ye Tianya's expression, seeing him so calm and collected, and secretly thought they had met a master.

Political Commissar He was also somewhat surprised and joked, "Little Ye, it seems I'll have to give you my title of 'Invincible Drinker.' No way! I earned this title at a great cost. You'll have to pay a price to take it away. Today, I'm going to fight you. Come on, let's drink!"

"This... Political Commissar He, you're a master of drinking, I'm already dizzy and my head is spinning, but my face... I'm thick-skinned, it just won't turn red. Oh well, please let me off the hook." Ye Tianya deliberately admitted defeat. Political Commissar He immediately laughed, "An excuse, huh? No way! Today I'm ordering you as your superior, drink!"

Ye Tianya laughed, "Political Commissar He, there are no superiors or subordinates at the dinner table. I may disobey orders, but you are my elder, so I'll toast you!"

Political Commissar He laughed heartily, accepted Ye Tianya's toast, and was about to challenge him when someone knocked urgently on the door. Cao Qiqiu's wife opened the door, nervously apologizing to Political Commissar He before saying, "Old Cao, come out for a moment."

Ye Tianya's senses were incredibly sharp; as soon as the door opened, he heard Cao Qingqing's voice outside: "I want you to apologize to Miss Xingye, do you hear me..."
Chapter 333 He stormed off.
Ye Tianya abruptly stood up, apologized to everyone present, and slipped past the mayor's wife to exit. As soon as he stepped out, he saw a crowd gathered in the banquet hall. Xingye stood in the center, and Cao Qingqing was angrily pointing at a lazy guy with his arms crossed, demanding an apology. Xingye's face was unusually grim; her usually gentle demeanor was now etched with anger, revealing just how furious she was. Ye Tianya felt a pang of heartache even before approaching, squeezing through the crowd to Xingye's side and anxiously asking, "Xiaoye, what happened?"

Xingye gently shook his head. Ye Tianya could only turn to Cao Qingqing and ask, "Miss Cao, what's going on?"

Cao Qingqing angrily glanced at the person opposite Ye Tianya, whose face... The man, whose expression had slightly changed, said, "Huang Shaochong is talking nonsense. He says that Sister Xingye is just

showing off because she hooked up with a rich man. She's still... she's no different from a prostitute who sells her body—" Before Cao Qingqing could finish speaking, Ye Tianya's white hair immediately stood on end. A strong aura of anger emanated from his body and spread in all directions. Cao Qingqing was the first to be affected, her face turning pale as she staggered back several steps. Then, all the guests around felt the air in the banquet hall suddenly cool down. They were frightened by the powerful aura and quickly retreated, leaving a large empty space in the middle. Only Xingye, who was nervously holding onto Ye Tianya, and the man opposite her, Huang Shaochong, who was also pale with fright and at a loss, remained.

Those around were anxiously waiting to see if the enraged Ye Tianya would make a move, but to their surprise, Ye Tianya suddenly relaxed his clenched fist and smiled gently: "Huang Shaochong, I recognize that name. You're Liu Qiyun's close friend, right? You've been an accomplice to Liu Qiyun and Li Ke's evil deeds several times, but because you weren't directly involved, you don't deserve to die. Last time, I didn't prosecute you along with them, intending to give you a chance to reform. It seems you're standing up for Liu Qiyun, Li Ke, and the others. In that case, I have to grant your request. Your father was probably a captain under Liu Ting'en back then, right?" "What's his position now? Deputy Director, I guess. He's had his share of bad deeds, but they're much less serious than Liu Ting'en's, so they were overlooked last time. He's been quite well-behaved these past two years, and I wasn't planning on bringing up his past. But he just can't seem to teach his own son properly. How can an official who can't even raise his own son educate the people?"

Ye Tianya finished speaking, then magically produced an envelope and tossed it into Huang Shaochong's arms, sneering, "Alright, take this back to your father. Tell him to read it and then do what he needs to do. Also, prepare to receive a court summons, or maybe arrange for a reporter to write you a letter." "An apology letter that moves me and Xiaoye will be published in tomorrow's newspaper, but most importantly, be prepared to pay for the emotional and reputational damages you deserve for defaming others!"

Ye Tianya finished speaking, coldly glancing at the astonished guests around him, and pulled Xingye's hand towards the door. Given what had happened, there was no need for him to stay. If Cao Qiqiu wanted to blame him for spoiling the mood, he should blame Huang Shaochong. His blunt words were enough for all the officials present in Lincheng to process. In the past, Ye Tianya might have tolerated such a situation, at least not on the spot, but later... Afterwards, those who offended Xingye would suffer eternal damnation, but the Ye Tianya of today was no longer the Ye Tianya of the past. Since returning from Qiushui Manor, Ye Tianya had changed. He was flamboyant, high-profile, and no longer afraid of others' opinions. If Ding Junfeng was the first victim of this change, then Huang Shaochong was the second. Huang Shaochong's father was also in the venue, but Ye Tianya's words made him pretend not to hear or see, and quietly slip away from the back. He knew what he himself had done, of course, but before seeing what Ye Tianya had given his son, how could he dare to step forward and become the target of public criticism?

"Little Ye (Senior Ye), please wait!" As Ye Tianya was about to leave, Cao Qiqiu chased after him, speaking almost simultaneously with his daughter. Ye Tianya stopped, turned around, and coldly looked at Cao Qiqiu. Behind him, Zhong Xiang and Political Commissar He also came out. The appearance of Zhong Xiang and Political Commissar He, two officers carrying general's stars, startled the officials outside who didn't know them, and they all watched in surprise as the two walked towards Ye Tianya.

Zhong Xiang approached Ye Tianya and said, "Tianya, why are you still so grumpy? Can't you calm down?"

Political Commissar He also spoke up, "Little Ye, everyone is upset about what happened... How about we leave this to Mayor Cao and the others? They'll definitely give you and Miss Xingye justice. Today is Qingqing's birthday, don't spoil the fun."

Ye Tianya glanced back at Cao Qiqiu, Cao Qingqing, and two generals in military uniforms, and coldly smiled, "Sorry, everyone, I'm in a bad mood. Staying here will only spoil the fun. Besides, there are some other things..." "Mayor Cao will be caught in a dilemma if he has to handle this situation. I'll handle it myself. Two years ago, we were able to reshuffle Lincheng, so what's so difficult about reshuffling it now? Farewell!"

Ye Tianya's words shocked everyone who heard them. Ye Tianya's words were extremely arrogant, yet none of the people present dared to doubt him. This was because most of these people had experienced the anti-corruption reshuffle in Lincheng two years ago, and many of them were even beneficiaries of that reshuffle, as it was through that reshuffle that they had the opportunity for promotion. Therefore, they all knew that Xingye and Hu Qing played a decisive role in that reshuffle. Now that Ye Tianya had taken the initiative to say that he was also involved in that reshuffle, given the people present's understanding of Ye Tianya's methods in suppressing Changfeng Real Estate, they were more willing to believe that Ye Tianya was the mastermind behind that reshuffle.

What shocked everyone present even more was not only Ye Tianya's declaration that he would clean up Lincheng's officialdom again, but also his disregard for the mayor and even for a high-ranking general. Was he just arrogant? Or did the mysterious Ye Tianya have the right to be so arrogant?

Ye Tianya left, showing no respect to Cao Qiqiu or the two generals, turning away in a huff. In Ye Tianya's eyes, no one's face mattered as much as the humiliation Xingye had suffered. If it weren't for this banquet, he might have killed her instead of just talking. As for Huang Shaochong, who was still holding the envelope Ye Tianya had handed him, he stood there dumbfounded. Ye Tianya's words, the heavy envelope in his hand, and Ye Tianya's arrogant pronouncements at the door made him slowly feel sweat beading on his back. He still clung to a sliver of hope that the envelope contained only a piece of scrap paper used to scare people.

Just as he was stunned, someone suddenly pulled him from behind, and then, taking advantage of everyone's attention being on Ye Tianya and Xingye, he quietly slipped away from the back...

A perfectly good birthday banquet was completely ruined by Huang Shaochong's two sentences. Cao Qiqiu and Cao Qingqing both had extremely ugly faces. Cao Qingqing was about to turn around to confront Huang Shaochong when she realized he had already disappeared. She was furious and could only grit her teeth and curse, "Huang Shaochong, you bastard, I'll make you pay!"

Although Cao Qiqiu was angry, he couldn't show it like Cao Qingqing. He forced a smile and greeted the guests to continue. Fortunately, all the guests were sensible and naturally didn't dare to spoil Cao Qingqing's mood. The atmosphere gradually returned to normal. However, when Cao Qiqiu accompanied his old superior back to the room, his face immediately darkened.

Commissar He chuckled and patted his shoulder, saying, "Little Cao, don't take it to heart. Just treat it as a squabble between kids. As for how Ye Tianya is going to cause trouble, you'd better not get involved. Just clean up the mess after he's done what he's doing. That kid is great in every way, a genius, but he has one taboo: Xingye. When it comes to Xingye, he'll kill anyone who gets in his way, even the Heavenly King himself. Anyone who offends Xingye is doomed. Not to mention Xingye, he has a team member... oh, who was also a student under General Zhong, right? Last time, because the Security Bureau was incompetent, his student was seriously injured and almost died. He even fired two shots at the Director of the Security Bureau. Fortunately, someone saved Director Xia in time. Hehe, judging from what he just said, he wants to drag that boy surnamed Huang's father into it. You might have to have your Organization Minister prepare a replacement."

Zhong Xiang, standing to the side, watched with a mixture of emotions. This Political Commissar He had revealed too much about Ye Tianya today. Although he hadn't stated it directly, the information put together was enough to deduce Ye Tianya's identity. What was this commissar trying to do? Was he merely trying to warn his old subordinate not to offend Ye Tianya? Zhong Xiang couldn't help but speak up, "Political Commissar He, it seems you know my student quite well. However, it seems you've had a few too many drinks today, so please be careful what you say!"

Political Commissar He's expression changed slightly, and he shook his head, feigning a slight dizziness, saying, "Yes, yes, alcohol really does make things difficult. Little Zhong is right. Well... Little Cao, go and call Qingqing in. Grandpa He has a gift for her..."

Cao Qiqiu hurriedly responded and went out, but when he turned back, his face was also unpredictable, as if he was lost in thought.

Ye Tianya took Xingye out and hailed a taxi directly back to the hotel. Once inside, Xingye cautiously said to Ye Tianya, "Brother, I'm fine... maybe we should just let it go!"

Ye Tianya hugged Xingye tightly, his heart aching, and said firmly, "Xiaoye, I'm sorry. Bringing you here today has caused you distress. Letting it go is impossible. I promised that anyone who makes Xiaoye suffer will pay a hundredfold price..."
Xingye
kept shaking her head, saying, "Xiaoye isn't upset. What others think doesn't matter. As long as Xiaoye knows that brother loves Xiaoye, that's enough."

Ye Tianya knew Xingye didn't want him to be troubled by those worries anymore, but since he had spoken, Huang Shaochong had to pay a sufficient price. He held Xingye tightly in his arms. He said gently, "Xiao Ye, leave everything to your brother. You are my precious darling, and I absolutely cannot allow you to be hurt in the slightest, not even a little bit."

Xing Ye's grievances from the banquet vanished, and she nodded happily. She hugged Ye Tianya's waist tightly, nestled in his arms, gently closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and softly said, "Brother's scent is always so wonderful."
Ye Tianya revealed a smile that hadn't been seen in a long time. Since returning from Qiushui Manor, only Xing Ye had seen this smile. He held Xing Ye, leaned close to her hair, and inhaled its fragrance deeply. Finally, he kissed her forehead, and quietly held her without saying a word. Xing Ye was used to this tranquility and comfort, or rather, enjoying this tranquility and comfort in Ye Tianya's arms had become a habit.

They could enjoy a moment of peace, but some people weren't in the mood. Huang Shaochong's father, Huang Jingming, was so angry he almost killed his son. If Huang Shaochong's mother hadn't held him back, Huang Shaochong probably would have been shot dead by his insane father. Huang Jingming was furious, furious that his son had ruined his promising future with just a few words. Although he had succumbed to the temptation of money and done some bad things when he was a brigade leader, he had completely reformed after Xingye took down Liu Qiyun and Li Ke's father and carried out a major purge in Lincheng. He had thought he could finally become a proper deputy director, accumulate some merits, and slowly rise through the ranks. He had been climbing the ladder, hoping to become the next bureau chief when the current one stepped down. But his damned son had ruined everything with just one sentence. When he received the CD and several photocopied ledger pages from his son's envelope, he collapsed. Although those things wouldn't land him in jail, they could cost him his job and ruin his reputation. He had overheard Ye Tianya's entire conversation at the banquet, and he knew that if he didn't intervene, Ye Tianya would definitely expose everything to the world. He had no doubt about it, because it wasn't someone else who leaked it; it was Ye Tianya, Xingye's right-hand man.

"Let me go! I'm going to kill this bastard son! Don't hold me back..." Enraged, Huang Jingming lost his mind and roared at Huang Shaochong like a mad dog. His wife desperately pulled him back, anxiously calling to their son, "Chong'er, run! Wait until your father calms down before coming back! Run!"

Huang Shaochong dared not stay. Seeing his father's red-eyed expression, he feared his father might impulsively shoot him. Even if his father regretted it later, he feared his life would be wasted. Without thinking, he turned and ran, leaving his father's roar echoing down the corridor...

Rushing down the stairs, Huang Shaochong bumped into several friends and their parents coming in. Many government officials' families lived in this area, and these friends' parents were also civil servants. It just so happened that they were also there today... Having attended Cao Qingqing's banquet, they naturally knew what had happened there. When Huang Shaochong saw the group, he was about to greet them when he saw his friends being pulled away by their parents as if avoiding a plague. Huang Shaochong was taken aback and called out, "Uncle Lu, what are you doing?"

One of the friends' fathers stopped, turning back to look at Huang Shaochong with pity. He said, "Xiaochong, don't come looking for our Xiaogang anymore. Also, as your uncle, let me give you some advice: think before you speak, and remember, words can be dangerous… Sigh, I've talked too much."

The man surnamed Lu finished speaking and pulled his son away without looking back, leaving Huang Shaochong stunned. What was this? Avoiding their son? Had he become a plague?

It wasn't that others treated him like a jinx; Huang Shaochong was simply unaware of the gravity of the situation. If he knew his father was about to be finished, it was uncertain whether he would be able to bear the injustice and seek revenge against Ye Tianya. If he acted impulsively and went to confront Ye Tianya, their son would likely be the first to suffer. And these days, young people value brotherhood and loyalty; if their son were to follow him and do something outrageous against Ye Tianya,

it would likely implicate them. Two years ago, few officials in Lincheng hadn't committed wrongdoings, but who could guarantee that Ye Tianya didn't have evidence against them? If their son were to follow Huang Shaochong to confront Ye Tianya, Ye Tianya could easily throw out an envelope, and they would become the next Huang Jingming. If

the man surnamed Lu had such thoughts, others certainly did too. Anyone aware of their past misdeeds warned their children and relatives after the banquet that there were two people they absolutely could not offend: Ye Tianya and Xingye. What would be the consequences of offending them? They all kept their eyes peeled, waiting to see Huang Jingming's fate.

Huang Jingming's fate soon became clear. Li Yao and Gao Ying, both with powerful official backgrounds, were naturally the first to know what had happened at the banquet with Ye Tianya. Tracking and investigating was their forte. The next day, Ye Tianya's private legal counsel filed a lawsuit, and Huang Shaochong naturally received a summons. Li Yao was the first to get this news, but Gao Ying, Li Yao's only nemesis, wasn't to be outdone and occupied half the front page of the newspaper: Huang Jingming's sudden resignation. Gao Ying's headline was Ye Tianya's words that night: 'Ye Tianya vows to shuffle the deck again'...

These two pieces of news caused the Lincheng Evening News to be snapped up the next day, with newsstands scrambling to buy more copies. The newspaper's editor-in-chief was so happy that several wrinkles appeared on his face.

Meanwhile, Huang Jingming, one of the protagonists of these two news items, was waiting for Ye Tianya's meeting room at Tianya Real Estate. Secretary He had repeatedly come to tell him that Ye Tianya wouldn't see him, but he pleaded with the secretary to inform him again. Finally, Ye Tianya appeared. Before he could even speak, Ye Tianya spoke for him: "Deputy Director Huang... oh, no, it seems you've already resigned, Mr. Huang. Are you trying to tell me you want to settle things privately?"

Huang Jingming nodded hastily, "Yes, Ye..." "...Mr. Ye, as the saying goes, everyone makes mistakes, and it is a great virtue to admit one's mistakes and correct them. Over the years, I have been grateful to Miss Xingye and Mr. Ye for forgiving me, and I was determined to change my ways. I believe I have done that. However, I have failed in my parenting, and I have offended Mr. Ye and Miss Xingye. As Mr. Ye said, if you can't even teach your own son, how can you educate the people? Therefore, I resign to take responsibility. I only ask that Mr. Ye be lenient and not take this to court. I have brought Xiao Chong here to apologize to Miss Xingye in person, is that alright?"

Ye Tianya sneered inwardly. What a nice thing this guy said, "I've turned over a new leaf"? If he wasn't afraid of being caught red-handed if he reached out again, he would be greedy for a reason. Ye Tianya knew that this guy was afraid that he would expose his past and make it impossible for his family to stay in Lincheng, so he came to Ye Tianya to ask for a private settlement. Little did he know that what Ye Tianya wanted was not just Huang Shaochong's apology, but that no one would dare to insult Xingye like this again.

Ye Tianya said calmly, "Originally, I only wanted to see you in court, but since you insist, I have no choice but to come and see such an important person as you. I don't actually have any extra time to waste in court with you. Go back and ask your son what I said to him last night. As long as he does what satisfies me, I'll let your dirty deeds... rot in his stomach. Otherwise..."

Ye Tianya finished speaking and turned to leave. Huang Jingming hurriedly chased after him and asked nervously, "Mr. Ye, I had Shao Chong write the apology letter, but what about that... compensation for emotional distress and damage to reputation... name your price..."

Ye Tianya stopped and suddenly laughed, "How deeply do you think your son's words hurt Xiaoye? You decide. But don't send the money here; send it to the Lincheng Orphanage. My demands aren't high; just two words: 'satisfaction.' As long as I'm satisfied, that's enough."

Huang Jingming was full of bitterness. Compensation for emotional distress and damage to reputation—these things didn't have a precise price. The standard could be high or low. Although Ye Tianya didn't explicitly state his meaning, Huang Jingming knew that Ye Tianya was planning to extort him severely. However, such extortion was unlikely to result in any concrete charges, so he could only swallow his anger and do everything he could to satisfy Ye Tianya.

In fact, dealing with Huang Jingming was no challenge for Ye Tianya at all; it was just a matter of lifting a finger. Ye Tianya was merely making an example of him. Sure enough, on the third day, Huang Shaochong's apology letter appeared on the front page of the newspaper. Coupled with the orphanage director's statement that he had received a mysterious donation of 130,000 yuan, Ye Tianya stopped harassing Huang Jingming and withdrew the lawsuit from the court.

The matter seemed to have ended with Huang Jingming's resignation and Huang Shaochong's apology, all within a few days. However, the direct impact of this matter was far-reaching. Not to mention anything else, the children of all the officials in Lincheng, big and small, were all behaving extremely well, both at school and in society. Everyone was unprecedentedly law-abiding and courteous. Whether the children of officials were arrogant or well-behaved, it wasn't Ye Tianya's concern. As long as others didn't provoke him or his loved ones, he adhered to his motto: "I won't offend others unless they offend me; if they do, I will not forgive them."

Ye Tianya's current concern was his meeting with Ouyang Zhenxing that evening…
Chapter 335 Commercial Bargaining Chips
Because Lu Tianfeng of Tianya Real Estate hadn't responded to whether he was willing to accept the city's conditions and allow the city to participate in the hotel, the relevant departments found Cao Qiqiu and asked him to sound out Ye Tianya's opinion. Originally, Cao Qiqiu wanted to take the opportunity at Cao Qingqing's birthday party to talk to Ye Tianya about the government's investment in the Xingye Hotel, but Huang Shaochong's interference caused Ye Tianya to leave angrily, giving him no chance. Cao Qiqiu was furious, but Ye Tianya's forceful resignation of Huang Jingming gave him a sense of satisfaction. As for the hotel, he… He had no choice but to find another opportunity to talk to Ye Tianya. However, in the following days, as mayor, he was also overwhelmed by Huang Jingming's resignation, dealing with issues from all levels and media attention. He couldn't find the time to talk to Ye Tianya. Unbeknownst to him, Ye Tianya first went to meet another businessman who could provide land, Ouyang Zhenxing.

Ouyang Zhenxing looked to be in his forties, much younger than Ouyang Zhenhua. This man, who had spent years in the business world, had eyes that gave off a peaceful feeling, but in Ye Tianya's eyes, they were simply profound. When they met, Ouyang Zhenxing looked at Ye Tianya and Xingye meaningfully before laughing and shaking hands with Ye Tianya. Since Ye Tianya had decided to approach Ouyang Zhenxing as a businessman, he didn't bother with the formalities of a junior and simply shook hands.

After shaking hands, Ouyang Zhenxing laughed and looked at Xingye, saying, "Mr. Ye and Ms. Xingye are inseparable. They are truly an enviable couple."

Xingye, of course, understood the implication in Ouyang Zhenxing's words. He was implying that Ye Tianya was still pursuing his niece, Ouyang Xin'er, even after already having her. Xingye smiled slightly and replied, "Mr. Ouyang, isn't it a bit inappropriate for you to say such a thing at this time and place? I think we should get straight to the point." Ye

Tianya also smiled and said, "Mr. Ouyang, let's skip the formalities. We're both businessmen, after all, and we're all in it for the money. Name your terms. If I can accept them, we can continue the discussion. If I can't, I won't waste Mr. Ouyang's time." "

When Ye Tianya said this, a barely perceptible hint of surprise flashed in Ouyang Zhenhua's eyes. From what he knew, Ye Tianya was a very sentimental person. He had originally thought that from Ouyang Xin'er's perspective, Ye Tianya wouldn't go too far. But Ye Tianya immediately brought up his identity as a 'businessman,' clearly reminding him to set aside personal feelings. Ouyang Zhenhua realized that this Ye Tianya wasn't as simple as he had thought, or rather, as his elder brother had said, Ye Tianya had changed.

After this thought flashed through his mind, Ouyang Zhenhua immediately chuckled and said, 'Mr. Ye is indeed as straightforward as rumored. Alright, sit down, sit down. Business is something that's discussed slowly, how about we sit down and talk it over?'" Ye

Tianya didn't stand on ceremony and sat down with Xingye at the seat Ouyang Zhenxing indicated. After Ouyang Zhenxing had tea brought over, he said to Ye Tianya, "Little Ye is a straightforward person, so I won't beat around the bush. Regarding that piece of land in Gu District, our Qiushui Group originally intended to buy it to build a five-star hotel, and our plan might even have been ahead of yours. However, we didn't expect you to suddenly reveal your plan. To be honest, we had to admit defeat in terms of hotel design, so we had to abandon our hotel plan. Originally, we could have discussed the land issue with your Manager Lu. The reason I troubled you to come here was simply to clarify some things..."

Ye Tianya interrupted him with a faint smile, "I didn't know what Mr. Ouyang's purpose was in insisting on talking to me, but now that I hear Mr. Ouyang say that your group is also planning to develop a five-star hotel, I understand. You want to ask me if I'm retaliating against the Ouyang family, is that it?" Ouyang Zhenxing nodded seriously and said, "

I know, my elder brother and Xiao Ye had some unpleasantness, and now... sigh, if it were anyone else, I would definitely believe the saying 'there are no permanent enemies, only permanent interests,' but with Xiao Ye... I don't dare to completely believe that saying, so... that's why I wanted to ask for clarification."

Ye Tianya looked calmly at Ouyang Zhenxing, staring into his eyes and smiling strangely, "Then... Mr. Ouyang, do you think I'm retaliating against the Ouyang family?"

Ouyang Zhenxing's expression changed slightly and he said, "Judging from your tone, you must have just found out about our hotel plan, so it wouldn't be considered retaliating against the Ouyang family, right?"

Ye Tianya smiled faintly and said, "Mr. Ouyang, the answer you wanted has been given. Shouldn't we talk about the land now? Hehe, just from a businessman's perspective."

Ouyang Zhenxing's face visibly relaxed as he smiled and said, "Young Master Ye, you're busy, so I'll be frank. The land issue is actually quite simple. I can give the land to Tianya Real Estate, but... I require that the land be used as equity in the hotel. I only want 10%..." Ye

Tianya had anticipated this request, but 10% was unexpected. He had originally thought Ouyang Zhenxing would ask for at least 20%. However, even if he offered 5%, Ye Tianya wouldn't agree, so he calmly said, "Let's change the terms. We don't need to discuss this one."

Ouyang Zhenxing smiled and asked, "Why? Does Young Master Ye think our offer of 10% is too high?"

Ye Tianya shook his head and said, "I don't know if 10% is high or low, but... I don't lack development funds right now. Does Mr. Ouyang understand what I mean?"

Ouyang Zhenxing understood perfectly well. He hesitated for a moment, then continued, "What if 10% of the shares were in Xin'er's name?"

Ouyang Zhenxing's words caused Ye Tianya and Xingye's expressions to change. They exchanged a glance, and Xingye immediately showed anger, saying to Ouyang Zhenxing, "Mr. Ouyang, don't you think this is a bit too despicable? It seems Mr. Ouyang has no sincerity in discussing business today. If Sister Xin'er wanted shares, I wouldn't even blink, even if it meant giving her the entire hotel. But hearing you say that… Hmph, it makes me look down on the Ouyang family."

Ye Tianya was equally angry. He remained silent, his face dark, because he had already let Xingye speak for him. He simply stood up and smiled at Ouyang Zhenxing, saying, "Ouyang…" "Sir, well then, I don't think we can continue this discussion today. It seems your purpose in bringing us here today was just to find out if I'm retaliating against your Ouyang family. Now that you've found out, I'll have Manager Lu from the company contact you to discuss the business matters. Also, please tell your brother that if your Ouyang family dares to use Xin'er as a bargaining chip, I will make you regret it at all costs."

After saying this, Ye Tianya ignored Ouyang Zhenxing's expression and got up to leave with Xingye. Ouyang Zhenxing's use of Ouyang Xin'er as a bargaining chip infuriated Ye Tianya, making further negotiations impossible. Although losing the land would be a significant loss for Ye Tianya, he would rather lose the land than involve Ouyang Xin'er in the business negotiations.

After getting into the car, Xingye said with some worry, "Brother, things are a bit complicated now. If both the city and the Ouyang family insist on splitting the shares, then... wouldn't canceling the Lincheng hotel project be exactly what the Ouyang family wants?"

Ye Tianya recovered from his anger and thought for a moment before saying, "The Ouyang family probably doesn't know about the city's negotiations with us yet, but I don't think the city will stick to it. I don't believe the Lincheng government would be willing to let the hotel we designed be built in another city. As long as the city compromises, Qiushui Group won't be able to hold on."

After Ye Tianya and Xingye left, Ouyang Zhenxing didn't stand up for a long time, staring blankly at the empty table. A complex look flashed in his eyes, and after a long while, he finally showed a relieved smile. No one knew what he was thinking. His secretary didn't dare to disturb him, but quietly guessed what the relationship was between Ouyang Xin'er, the eldest daughter of the Ouyang family, and this Ye Tianya, and why Ye Tianya would even give her the entire hotel if Ouyang Xin'er wanted it.

Ouyang Zhenxing finally stood up after a long while and said to his secretary, "Just pretend you didn't hear my conversation with Ye Tianya today. Contact the managers of Tianya Real Estate Road and Tianfeng Road and arrange a time to have dinner with him."

The secretary nodded hurriedly and left. Ouyang Zhenxing then smiled and muttered to himself, "Goodness, it seems my brother really made a mistake this time."

Ye Tianya had just returned to the company when Lu Tianfeng greeted him, saying, "Tianya, what's going on? Ouyang Zhenxing called again to ask me to talk to him about the land..."

Ye Tianya smiled and said, "Then go talk to him. Apart from the share distribution, you can discuss everything from the company's perspective, including the share of the stadium project. Anyway, we still need two technical teams."

Lu Tianfeng smiled and agreed, following Ye Tianya into his office. Ye Tianya knew he had something to say when he saw him come in, so he gestured for him to sit down and then... After pouring him a glass of water, Ye Tianya said, "Is there something you want to tell me?"

Lu Tianfeng chuckled and said, "Yes, it's important. I've been observing for the past two days, and I've tentatively narrowed it down to Tang Shaoyan and Luo Jie as my successors. But their abilities are about equal, and I can't make up my mind right now. I'd like to hear your opinion."

Ye Tianya thought for a moment and asked, "What do you think of them respectively?"

Lu Tianfeng organized his thoughts before saying, "In terms of ability, they each have their strengths, and it's hard to say who's better. But their personalities are different. Tang Shaoyan is much more straightforward. Although he's shrewd and capable when it comes to public relations, he's very direct with colleagues and superiors internally. Luo Yang, on the other hand, is much more tactful. From the perspective of senior management, Tang Shaoyan is more suitable, but from the perspective of managing the branch company and dealing with the business community in Lincheng, Luo Yang is more suitable..."

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