MTLNOVEL Chapter 78
Chapter 78
Her revenge was already complete. There was no longer any reason to carry on. But if Chen Fan needed her to betray him, she’d do it. Yet, thinking of how things might end, with his death, she hated herself for her lack of strength. Maybe I need to become stronger so that, when the story ends, Chen Fan doesn’t have to die.
“Young Master, thank you. Today’s been the happiest day of my life.”
“You don’t need to thank me. Since you’re with me, I won’t let you suffer. Besides, you’re not married yet, so from now on, consider me family.”
“Yes, I will.”
Watching from the side, Anna couldn’t help but envy her. From Anna’s perspective, Zhu Yeqing had always been with Chen Fan. It was a rare opportunity.
“I’ve reserved a table and invited some people for your birthday celebration tonight. Conveniently, I’ll check in on Zheng Qiang’s side as well. I have some business to attend to.”
Recruiting capable people was the next step in Chen Fan’s and Ye Aotian’s competition to build their teams. Lacking skilled people around him, Chen Fan needed to find powerful allies, and his family was testing him in this regard. Zheng Shaoyang was on the list.
A financial prodigy, adept at stocks and corporate finance, Zheng Shaoyang was invaluable. Despite being Ye Aotian’s right-hand man, he was initially a villain who later sided with Ye Aotian. Zheng Shaoyang, however, had ambitions of his own. Using Ye Aotian’s influence, he aimed to accumulate power and, ultimately, replace him. Yet, due to the protagonist’s halo, Zheng Shaoyang ended up wholeheartedly supporting the main character.
Chen Fan didn’t know this part of the story well, as it wasn’t related to him. His role was simply to threaten Zheng Shaoyang and try to recruit him, allowing Ye Aotian to swoop in and win him over. It was a minor subplot, but Chen Fan’s main focus was to celebrate the birthday of the one woman who’d stay by his side till the end.
Chen Fan was curious who Ye Aotian might send tonight. Out of the protagonist’s five top-tier fighters, two were dead, leaving three skilled female fighters, also part of the protagonist’s group.
Apparently, one of them would be coming tonight.
Who was it? Chen Fan couldn’t remember. Whatever, let anyone come; I just have to play my part.
In the afternoon, they arrived at the bar’s VIP room. Chen Fan had prepared an elaborate spread and invited numerous people to make the event lively. He didn’t care much about the purpose of the crowd; he just wanted a bustling celebration.
Meanwhile, Ye Aotian’s team had also set out.
Ling Xiaoyun followed Xiao Lan closely.
Ling Xiaoyun, a martial arts enthusiast and traditionalist, usually obeyed orders. This time, he was instructed to accompany Xiao Lan to the bar to meet Zheng Shaoyang. His role was simply to protect her, so he didn’t mind.
“I remember Ye Aotian has three other people under him. Why choose me for this task?”
“The other three had matters to attend to, and you’re the closest. Naturally, you were chosen.”
“If Chen Fan sees me … won’t he …”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be here; he won’t do anything out of line.”
Xiao Lan sighed in relief, then turned to him, asking, “Do you think I’m inferior to Lin Qingyue?”
Ling Xiaoyun looked at this pitiful woman. Inferior? You’re a substitute, a replacement.
But thinking about it, he didn’t want to dwell on Ye Aotian’s affairs.
“I can’t give you an answer. But if you need one, I’d say, if you keep living in Lin Qingyue’s shadow, you’ll always be a substitute.”
As soon as he finished, Ling Xiaoyun regretted it; subtlety wasn’t his strength.
Xiao Lan said, “If I can win over Zheng Shaoyang, will he finally see me?”
“He will.”
“Will he love me?”
Ling Xiaoyun didn’t want to answer that. The answer was obvious. Ye Aotian cared about Lin Qingyue, not a secretary.
Xiao Lan sighed, “I understand. No need to say more. I’ll make him see my value.”
What was Xiao Lan’s only weapon? She didn’t know. But she knew she had one weapon—herself.
***
With Ye Aotian’s rise to fame, all of Qincheng found itself caught in a peculiar fascination. Many people, aware that Ye Aotian had boldly broken into Chen Fan’s home, were even more impressed by him.
In Qincheng, Ye Aotian was becoming a dream hero. Handsome, and with an inspiring “self-made” rise, who could resist such a promising figure? In stark contrast, Chen Fan, though still feared by many, appeared as a declining force—an echo of privilege without substance. Still, as they say, a fallen camel is still bigger than a horse, so he retained a certain intimidating presence.
Therefore, when Chen Fan arrived at Zheng Qiang’s venue, preparations began in earnest. Zheng Shaoyang was present too. Although Zheng Qiang was aging, Zheng Shaoyang had already assumed much of his family’s power.
Inside the room, a lavish cake and a group of girls surrounded Zhu Yeqing, who was celebrating her first proper birthday. Chen Fan, lounging on the sofa, watched people attentively attending to Zhu Yeqing. Today was his day off—anyone who dared disturb him was as good as dead.
Finally, a break from following the plot’s every twist. I’m exhausted.
Zheng Shaoyang took a seat beside Chen Fan and raised a toast. “Young Master Chen, I didn’t expect you’d come.”
“About the last salon event—hope you didn’t mind me skipping it?”
“No, of course not. You had things to attend to.” Now, here’s a man who can make it big. Knows how to act humble.
In fact, Zheng Shaoyang had approached Ye Aotian too, but Ye Aotian hadn’t paid him any attention, leaving him feeling like a jester. However, with both Chen Fan and Ye Aotian’s representatives showing interest, Zheng Shaoyang suddenly felt important. Yet, neither treated him as an equal; both sought to recruit him as an underling.
Chen Fan said, “Li Long’s recent death has thrown Qincheng’s power dynamics into chaos. I think you understand what side to choose, don’t you?”
With recent developments, Zheng Shaoyang had been forced to consider his options. In two recent confrontations with Ye Aotian, Chen Fan had lost both times. Once the absolute authority in Qincheng, Chen Fan was now one of two major figures in town. Many people now admired Ye Aotian, the self-made hero, while Chen Fan was still labeled a “spoiled rich kid.”
Zheng Shaoyang looked at Chen Fan and said, “I’ll think about it and give you an answer soon.”
“Take your time. I didn’t come just to talk to you; my main purpose here is celebrating Zhu Yeqing’s birthday. Whether you choose to follow me or not, it’s fine. If you decide to stand with Ye Aotian, be prepared to face my wrath.”
Arrogant and overbearing.
Chen Fan felt that his acting skills were top-tier. If I weren’t the villain, I might have made a great actor.
“I understand; I’ll consider it carefully.” Zheng Shaoyang left the room, closing the door behind him.
Watching him leave, Chen Fan couldn’t help but smirk. Refusing him was inevitable; a man with ambition would never settle for following a spoiled second-gen. On the other hand, Ye Aotian, with his from-scratch rise, felt attainable.