The beautiful CEO falls in love with me
Chapter 580 - 561: Please Go Back

Chapter 580: Chapter 561: Please Go Back

Yun Qi could be considered Ye Chen’s first love—an engrained love that made it very difficult for him to forget. Unexpectedly, he found himself face to face with the very last woman he wanted to see. Ye Chen couldn’t suppress a surge of crazed feelings as the woman had now become a middle-aged man’s plaything.

Ye Chen felt a bit unwilling to accept this. What part of him was not good enough for her to willingly give up on him and throw herself into the arms of another man? Ye Chen had once been deeply depressed because he couldn’t understand why Yun Qi would leave him. Was it because of him or because of her?

"Ye Clan Leader, what are you thinking about?" The middle-aged man was the Clan Leader of the Chaikefu family, named Ivanov, a Russian born in Europe.

"Heh, I was just wondering what brings all of you here today," Ye Chen said with a trace of a smile, then gestured for everyone to sit down. The old butler had already ordered the servants to bring up tea—Chinese tea was always most popular.

Ivanov and the Squad Leader exchanged glances. Eventually, the Squad Leader spoke first, "Actually, our purpose for coming here is to ask Ye Clan Leader to surrender!"

"Surrender?!" Ye Chen was taken aback and couldn’t help but put down his tea on the coffee table. He looked at the two with a chuckle and said, "Are you sure you’re not miscommunicating? Or suffering from some kind of nerve disorder?"

"Of course not!" Ivanov smiled faintly and said, "The Chaikefu family and the Doomsday Family have thrown their lot in with the Church Court. We believe in the infinite power of the Lord."

With that, Ivanov pulled out a chain from around his neck—an adorned cross. He closed his eyes and offered a prayer.

"It seems you’ve also been poisoned by the Church Court," Ye Chen snorted coldly.

"You’re wrong!" Ivanov shook his head and said, "Ye Chen, I just want to tell you that the power of the Church Court cannot be resisted by anyone. The Church truly possesses divine power. Join us, and all that has passed will be like clouds dispersed by the wind. From now on, with the Church Court as the head and supported by the three great Hidden Families, we could dominate the world. In the future, we will be the masters of this world, and everyone else would be but servants groveling at our feet!"

"Ha ha..." Ye Chen suddenly burst into wild laughter.

"What are you laughing at?" The Squad Leader watched Ye Chen coldly and said, "Are you mocking the power of the Lord as insufficient to take you on? I’ll have you know, if not for our intention to enlist you and the instructions from our Sect Leader not to harm you, do you think we couldn’t kill you? Do you think you could have easily acquired the Futai Group or the Si Yang Group?"

The Squad Leader’s words stunned Ye Chen. Could it be that it was only by the grace of the Red Robed Sect Leader that he had safed until today? Ye Chen felt a chill racing up his spine.

"Hmph, I only have one thing to tell you—I will never join the Church Court!" Ye Chen coldly snorted.

"Don’t be so absolute, Ye Clan Leader!" Ivanov took a sip of tea and said, "Firstly, I must inform you that the power of the Church Court is not something you or I can contend with; secondly, with the Church Court’s strength, even though they may not be able to eliminate the Rothschild family immediately, exterminating your Heavenly Reversal Gang, Tianya Group, and Li Ruo... isn’t that just a matter of a single word? Lastly, if Ye Clan Leader is willing to join the Church Court, I and the Squad Leader are willing to hand over Shen Haotian and Yun Qi for you to deal with, how about it?"

"No, no!" Shen Haotian screamed in terror, knowing full well what kind of fate awaited him at Ye Chen’s hands. Throughout this past year, he had lived a life that was neither human nor ghostly, his own power nearly destroyed. Hed had just managed to find refuge with the Doomsday Family, hoping to gain some status and continue seeking revenge on Ye Chen, only to find himself potentially sacrificed.

Slap...

The Squad Leader turned and slapped Shen Haotian fiercely across the face, shouting sternly, "Do you think you have the right to speak here? You are nothing but a stray dog abandoned by the Rothschild family!"

Shen Haotian gritted his teeth with hatred, glaring at Ye Chen as if he were the root of all his problems, never once considering that he had brought this upon himself.

Meanwhile, Yun Qi’s expression remained cold and detached. No one could discern what was truly going through the mind of this stunningly beautiful woman. Perhaps she believed that deep down Ye Chen loved her, which was why she put on an indifferent front. She was convinced that Ye Chen would never kill her. She had suffered unimaginable hardships and had grown numb to them. She knew that her greatest mistake in life was betraying Ye Chen—if he killed her, it would be nothing less than what she deserved.

"I’m sorry, I’m not the least bit interested in your three propositions!" Ye Chen waved his hand and said, "If the two of you came here today to persuade me to surrender, then I advise you to go back and tell the Red Robed Sect Leader that the Rothschild family will never bow to anyone, and I, Ye Chen, although unremarkable, will still heed the admonition of the first generation Clan Leader. The Rothschild family would rather be destroyed than become a tool manipulated by anyone, including politicians and the Church Court!"

"So you’ve decided not to surrender?" Ivanov sneered.

"Yes, gentlemen, please return," Ye Chen waved his hand dismissively.

The Squad Leader stood up and then said to Ivanov, "Since they are not gracious, let’s leave!"

"Ah..." Ivanov sighed and stood up, then said to Ye Chen, "I genuinely do not wish to see the three Hidden Families slaughtering each other, nor to witness the downfall of any one of them. Ye Chen, you need to think this through carefully."

"I believe my decision is what any Clan Leader would decide!" Ye Chen responded with a faint smile.

"Fine, since you have made your decision, there is nothing we can do to change it," Ivanov nodded and then said, "Let’s go. Perhaps this is the last time the three Hidden Families will meet!"

The Squad Leader immediately followed him out. Before they left, Shen Haotian and Yun Qi both gave themselves a glance. However, the looks in their eyes were completely different—one was sinister and malicious, the other pitifully sad. But no matter what their gazes held, Ye Chen did not care; he would guard against those with insidious intentions and would not offer pity to those who appeared sorrowful. Each has chosen their own path.

After they left, Ye Chen sat down in the hall. The current situation was becoming tenser, and everything seemed to be moving in an undesirable direction. The Church Court’s pressure and the defection of the two great families were undoubtedly pushing the Luo Sijue family into an abysmal abyss. Ye Chen understood that now only the Luo Sijue family was fighting a lonely battle. However, he was not afraid. He believed in the power of conviction; he believed the Luo Sijue family was the strongest in the world.

That night, Ye Chen ventured into the Ancient Lava Cave alone and meditated on the fifth floor all night, regardless of the flames, which had solidified into substance, burning his body and air hotter than the flames scorching every inch of his skin.

The next morning, Ye Chen emerged from the ancient cave, and the old butler had prepared breakfast for him.

"Jack, how many guards are there in Leisure City now?" Ye Chen immediately asked.

"About three thousand!" the old butler replied hastily, "Furthermore, on the islands not far from Leisure City, there are five thousand soldiers stationed, who are the main force defending the Rothschild family."

"Mhm!" Ye Chen nodded and said, "Immediately issue a conscription order. The crisis of the Rothschild family has arrived, and every resident of Leisure City has an obligation to serve in the military!"

"Yes!" the old butler nodded at once. For the Rothschild family, perhaps the most troublesome problem was conscription. Everyone in Leisure City was there seeking a life of leisure—no one wanted to become a soldier and do such thankless, grueling work. Moreover, most residents of Leisure City were wealthy, with the exception of some local inhabitants.

The conscription order caused quite a stir in the city. Some were very resistant to the draft, as soldiering is a hard and thankless job that no one wanted to do. Yet, under the pressure of the Rothschild family, they had no choice but to comply. Some people, upon learning that the Rothschild family’s hour of peril had arrived, took the initiative to leave Leisure City.

It was a vicious cycle—people leaving meant a considerable loss of wealth, which was not what Ye Chen wanted to see. However, the conscription order was made. Soon, over a thousand young men were recruited from Leisure City. Ye Chen was torn, as the draft order seemed harder for them to accept than a death sentence.

Ye Chen had to think of another strategy, and soon his gaze fell on the Heavenly Reversal Gang, which had numerous experienced warriors. These were battle-hardened men, and the small fry of the Heavenly Reversal Gang had already grown to over two thousand. Moreover, their numbers could expand to five thousand in an instant if the gang was willing. However, the Heavenly Reversal Gang had its own difficulties.

First, it was necessary to select those with formidable strength, as those who muddied the waters not only failed to bring strength to the gang but also impacted its development. Second, more people meant more funds were needed to support them into old age, which was a troublesome issue. Without finding a reliable way forward, Ye Chen dared not rashly expand the team.

"Jack, let these thousand or so young men join the Rothschild’s army!" Ye Chen stood in the study, gazing out at the vast sea, with dark rocks underfoot and the distant horizon where sea meets sky, while a few seagulls flew by, adding a touch of life to the vast ocean.

"Yes, Clan Leader," Jack nodded.

The old butler was in his eighties and nearing twilight, but he still toiled for the Rothschild family like an ox, silently offering all that he had. It was thanks to the old butler that Ye Chen could be at ease. Utterly alone.