Best Young Master
Chapter 233 - 209: "On One’s Own - The Sovereign and His Subject

Chapter 233: Chapter 209: "On One’s Own - The Sovereign and His Subject

Half an hour later, Ye Fan, accompanied by Pan Jueming and followed by Zhao Meng, arrived at the Yanhuang Organization East Sea Branch.

This was Ye Fan’s second visit to this courtyard, which was regarded as the Yama Palace by martial artists.

The first time, he was transferred to the Yanhuang Organization East Sea Branch by Dong hai’s police due to the Ao Xiang Villa case and held in the secret prison beneath their office, where it was pitch-dark. In the end, by his superb medical skills, he treated Situ Ruoshui and Jin Ye, turning the situation around, and dealt a fatal blow to the Bai Family!

"First, have someone tend to his injuries, and then have him record a statement."

After the car stopped in front of the Yanhuang Organization East Sea Branch office building, Zhao Meng looked at the pale-faced Ma Long and gave the instruction.

"Yes, Director!"

Two members of the Yanhuang Organization East Sea Branch immediately took the order, taking Ma Long out of the car.

Facing the members of the Yanhuang Organization, Ma Long was filled with fear. Despite his fear, he couldn’t help but cast his gaze towards Ye Fan and Pan Jueming, who were getting out of the car nearby, feeling utterly desolate—both were subordinates, yet Zheng Xun completely disregarded his life or death, while Pan Jueming was personally accompanied by Ye Fan to this place. The difference between them was like heaven and earth!

"Move along, what are you gawking at?"

Seeing that Ma Long had a desolate expression and was looking enviously at Pan Jueming, one of the Yanhuang Organization East Sea Branch members said impatiently.

Ma Long stayed silent, retracted his gaze, and followed the two members away, while Zhao Meng headed straight towards Ye Fan.

"Mr. Ye, let him go in to record his statement by himself. How about you and I go upstairs for some tea and a chat?" Approaching Ye Fan, Zhao Meng spoke with a smile, his demeanor very polite.

"Sure."

Realizing that Zhao Meng would not make things difficult for Pan Jueming, Ye Fan immediately accepted Zhao Meng’s invitation, then said to Pan Jueming, "You go record your statement by yourself. I’ll wait for you."

"Yes, Mr. Ye!" Pan Jueming bowed deeply to Ye Fan, filled with gratitude, and then turned towards the office building.

Seeing this scene, Zhao Meng was reminded of a passage from "Mengzi•Li Lou II": If a ruler treats his ministers as his hands and feet, they will treat him as their stomach and heart; if he treats them as dogs and horses, they will treat him as a fellow countryman; if he treats them as the dirt or weeds, they will treat him as an enemy.

As these words came to mind, Zhao Meng couldn’t help but marvel at Ye Fan’s ability to win people’s hearts. In his view, after what Ye Fan had done for Pan Jueming that night, Pan Jueming would probably not hesitate to commit arson or murder if Ye Fan asked!

A few minutes later, Ye Fan followed Zhao Meng to the top floor of the office building, where the Director’s office was located.

Like the office of any top official in institutional organizations, Zhao Meng’s office was very spacious, with a floor area of two hundred square meters, complete with a desk, bookcase, sofa, and other furnishings.

Beyond that, Ye Fan also noticed a door next to the bookcase in the office, leading to another room, which must be Zhao Meng’s resting room.

"Take a seat wherever you like. I’ll go make some tea," said Zhao Meng with a smile, gesturing for Ye Fan to sit and getting up to boil water for tea himself.

"Director Zhao, there’s no need for formality, just sitting is fine."

Respect is mutual. Seeing that Zhao Meng was very courteous to him, not showing any bureaucratic airs or the arrogance of a Peak stage of Innate strong man, Ye Fan naturally showed respect to Zhao Meng as well.

"You’re a guest in my place. If I didn’t even offer you a cup of water, people would call me stingy," Zhao Meng joked with a laugh, then added, "Besides, if you don’t mind, you can call me Uncle Zhao; I’ll just call you Xiao Fan."

"Thank you, Uncle Zhao."

Ye Fan took the opportunity to express his thanks, which served a double purpose: both for Zhao Meng’s indirect assistance before and for his warm welcome now.

"No need for thanks," Zhao Meng replied, plugging in the kettle, then added with a wry smile, "If anyone should be thankful, the Yanhuang Organization should thank Miracle Doctor Chu. If he hadn’t taken action to save the world five years ago, all of us in the Yanhuang Organization might have had to commit suicide in guilt."

"Moreover, because of Miracle Doctor Chu’s life-saving actions, our Huaxia rose to become the number one power globally. The other Five Great Alliances, owing us a huge debt of gratitude, have not troubled us these past few years."

Speaking of this, Zhao Meng’s expression was filled with reverence, "Those foreign underground forces also dare not sneak into Huaxia to cause trouble too lightly, partly due to the presence of Supreme Strongmen like Miracle Doctor Chu."

Hearing Zhao Meng’s words and feeling his endless reverence for the old man like the ceaseless waters of the Yangtze River, Ye Fan smiled awkwardly and remained silent.

"By the way, Xiao Fan, I heard you’ve taken over the stall left by Situ Chen and secretly control Dong hai’s Underworld?" Zhao Meng suddenly changed the subject.

"Hmm," Ye Fan replied, not hiding the fact.

"Why did you decide to go down this path?" Zhao Meng hesitated a moment before asking what puzzled many people.

"A drop of water in need shall be returned with a spring in deed; this is my principle in life."

After pondering briefly, Ye Fan spoke earnestly, "Uncle Situ risked his life, and regardless of his own daughter’s safety, he sent me a warning to save me from being poisoned. His kindness to me is heavier than mountains and deeper than the seas; I must show gratitude!"

"Are you planning to use the Dong hai Gang as a platform to deal with Nanqinghong?" Zhao Meng’s mind raced as he quickly grasped Ye Fan’s intention.

"Hmm."

Ye Fan nodded again, slightly narrowing his eyes as he said in a deep voice, "Nanqinghong not only killed Uncle Situ but also framed me and my father. This vendetta must be avenged!"

This time, Zhao Meng chose silence. He figured that Ye Fan must have guessed that it was the Bai Family pulling the strings behind the incidents from last time. Given Ye Fan’s character, it was likely that he intended to deal with the Bai Family as well!

"Xiao Fan, due to the relationship between your father and your master, we have some connection," Zhao Meng said meaningfully after a moment of silence.

"Although this is our first meeting, I can tell that you’re someone with very strong convictions. Since you’ve chosen this path, I believe you will not turn back."

Ye Fan remained silent, giving a voiceless reply.

"I’m not sure if I should say this," Zhao Meng said, seeing Ye Fan’s silence.

"Please speak, Uncle Zhao."

"Without rules, there can be no standards; this holds true both in the ordinary world and in the Martial Arts World," Zhao Meng said with a hint of seriousness, "I hope you will abide by the rules, it’s beneficial for everyone."

"Thank you for the reminder, Uncle Zhao." Ye Fan rose and bowed slightly.

"You being so polite makes me feel embarrassed," Zhao Meng laughed, stood up, unplugged the kettle, took out the Longjing Yu Tea from the cupboard, and started brewing tea for Ye Fan.

"By the way, Xiao Fan, why haven’t you disclosed the inside story of you being Miracle Doctor Chu’s disciple?" Handing the tea to Ye Fan, Zhao Meng sat back in his office chair and asked curiously.

"You should know, my master is an eccentric character who dislikes meeting strangers," Ye Fan explained.

Ye Fan picked up on what Zhao Meng was implying and responded with a wry smile, "If news that I am his disciple gets out, I fear many people will come to me, seeking his medical help through me. I don’t want to bring him any trouble."

"I see," Zhao Meng chuckled as it appeared he hadn’t expected such a reason.

Ye Fan smiled, the old fellow’s image surfacing in his mind, feeling a certain longing: he wondered whether the old man had returned from his search for medicinal herbs.

"Xiao Fan, I have another piece of advice," Zhao Meng said after taking a sip of tea and pausing for a moment.

"Please go ahead, Uncle Zhao."

"In the future, try to avoid direct conflict with the Bai Family as much as you can and also try to control yourself from using Martial Arts and magic against the Bai Family," Zhao Meng reminded.

Ye Fan fell silent once more.

"The reason I say this isn’t because I’m afraid you’ll violate Yanhuang Organization’s rules and cause trouble or difficulties for me and the Organization," Zhao Meng explained with a wry smile, interpreting Ye Fan’s silence as a misunderstanding of his goodwill. "I’m worried about your safety."

"Uncle Zhao, what do you mean?" Ye Fan was intrigued.

"The man with Bai Luo tonight, named Wang Zhong, is officially his driver, but secretly, he is Bai Luo’s bodyguard," Zhao Meng elaborated, "and the Bai Family has gathered quite a number of Martial Artists like Wang Zhong, including Innate Great Perfection cultivators."

"Are you concerned that if I push the Bai Family into a corner, they would send Martial Artists after me?" Ye Fan quickly grasped the implication.

"I wouldn’t say the Bai Family, but rather certain individuals within the Bai Family, like Bai Luo," Zhao Meng sighed and continued, "If you were to announce that you’re Divine Doctor Chu’s disciple, he definitely wouldn’t dare to keep antagonizing you; on the contrary, he’d avoid you if he could. However, since you do not wish to disclose this, with his intelligence network, he won’t be able to find out."

Ye Fan was thoughtful.

"Xiao Fan, if you don’t mind Uncle Zhao speaking his mind..."

Seeing Ye Fan’s expression, Zhao Meng hesitated before imparting his thoughts: "Although you are Ye Wenhao’s son, you’re his illegitimate child. Ye Wenhao acknowledges you and is willing to go through fire and water for you, but it’s hard to say the same about the rest of the Ye Family. From my perspective, it’s not certain whether they will stand up for you, let alone acknowledge you. In such a situation, no one can guarantee that, driven to despair, he won’t act out of desperation—without the Ye Family’s protection, he’s not going to hold back!"

"I understand, thank you for the reminder, Uncle Zhao," Ye Fan said, his heart feeling somewhat clogged with emotion, and he managed a strained smile.

As the conversation ended, Ye Fan picked up his cup of tea, attempting to mask his discomfort.

The cup was scalding in his grasp, yet his heart felt chillingly cold.

"Ding-ling-ling—"

Just then, the silence in the office was broken by the ringing of the phone, which Zhao Meng answered.

"Xiao Fan, Pan Jue Ming has finished giving his statement; you can take him and leave now." Half a minute later, Zhao Meng hung up the phone and got to his feet, walking toward Ye Fan.

"Thank you, Uncle Zhao." Ye Fan stood up, reaching out his hand to Zhao Meng for a firm handshake, expressing his gratitude once again.

Zhao Meng smiled and personally escorted Ye Fan to the outside of the office.

Three minutes later, as Ye Fan exited the office building, he was surprised to see Pan Jue Ming waiting for him at the front gate.

"Mr. Ye, thank you!" When Ye Fan appeared, Pan Jue Ming hurried forward, bowing deeply to express his gratitude.

"Under Bai Luo’s forceful threats, you remained unwavering, which speaks volumes of your loyalty,"

Looking at the distant, brilliantly lit skyscrapers, Ye Fan sighed softly, "Since you are loyal to me, naturally, I need to protect you; it’s reciprocal."

"It’s not the same,"

Pan Jue Ming lifted his head, his eyes reddening as he said, "There are many who would be loyal to a person of your status, Mr. Ye, but after the fall of the Pan Family, Uncle Situ was the first, and you are the second to stand up for me!"

"Pan Jue Ming, always remember that to earn respect from others, relying on outsiders won’t do—you must stand up for yourself!"

With the enchanted night view of Dong hai in his eyes, and recalling the conversation he had with Zhao Meng, Ye Fan spoke feelingly, "Today, I stand up for you. Whether it’s Zheng Xun or Song Ying, they may fear you on the surface, but deep down they still look down on you."

"—"

Pan Jue Ming trembled, biting his lip, unable to respond.

"In the near future, I will make the Bai Family members avoid me by my own efforts, and you have to make Zheng Xun and that woman bow down and apologize to you willingly. Can you do that?" Ye Fan turned his gaze back to Pan Jue Ming, asking.

"I can!"

Pan Jue Ming’s eyes flared red as he nodded, his blood boiling instantly!

Ye Fan quietly clenched his fists.

...

...(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to cast your recommendation ticket and Monthly Ticket at Qidian [qidian.com]. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)