Chapter 7 - Earning a Million

Ye Fan agreed to speak with Liu Tianxi in the office.

Zheng Hu, who had been punched, wiped the blood from his mouth and followed.

Approaching Ye Fan, he asked respectfully in a low voice, “May I know from whom Master Ye has learned?

I am a disciple of Li Zhunan from the Lingnan Baji Fist school.”

Ye Fan glanced sideways at Zheng Hu and said flatly, “You are, after all, an expert of visible force, but you deign to fall to the level of a gangster’s henchman.”

Zheng Hu’s face turned red with shame.

He lowered his head and fell back a few steps, embarrassed to continue walking beside Ye Fan.

Entering the luxurious and spacious office and closing the door, with no subordinates around, Liu Tianxi became even more respectful toward Ye Fan.

Ye Fan sat lazily on the luxurious office chair belonging to Liu Tianxi, his legs crossed and resting on the desk in a carefree pose.

However, Liu Tianxi dared not take issue with it.

He eagerly picked up a Cuban cigar and a lighter from the desk and offered them to Ye Fan, saying, “Brother Ye, please enjoy the cigar.”

“Get that away,” Ye Fan waved his hand dismissively, looking impatient.

“I don’t smoke that stuff.”

Liu Tianxi bowed and nodded, saying, “Yes, yes, smoking cigars is bad for one’s health.”

After setting aside the cigar, Liu Tianxi started making tea.

As he boiled water, he respectfully asked Ye Fan, “What tea would Brother Ye prefer?

West Lake pre-Qingming Longjing, the finest Anxi Tieguanyin King, century-old Pu’er, or Wuyi Da Hong Pao?”

“Century-old Pu’er then,” Ye Fan replied, showing some interest upon hearing about the century-old Pu’er tea from Liu Tianxi.

Unlike other teas, which should not be stored long-term, Pu’er tea is pressed into cakes after a special fermentation process and can be kept for a very long time, with older tea being considered more valuable.

Century-old Pu’er tea cakes are extremely rare and can be sold as antiques, making them extremely precious and not always obtainable, even with money.

“Of course, of course,” Liu Tianxi quickly agreed and started to prepare the tea.

If the people of Hua Hai saw the scene of Liu Tianxi attentively making tea for Ye Fan, they would probably drop their jaws to the floor, thinking they must have seen wrong.

Although the century-old Pu’er is top-notch among teas, its brewing process is rather complicated.

It took half an hour for Liu Tianxi to prepare a cup and bring it to Ye Fan.

Ye Fan leisurely took a sip, then placed the cup on the desk and looked at Liu Tianxi.

Liu Tianxi instantly felt immense pressure.

With sweat forming on his forehead, he forced a smile and said, “May I know what brings Brother Ye to my humble company?

I will do anything you ask, even if it costs me my life.”

“What can I say when you have been collecting protection money even from me?” Ye Fan replied ironically.

Cold sweat drenched Liu Tianxi’s back as he quickly said, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I was blind not to recognize the great presence before me.

May I ask which company or bar mall does Brother Ye manage?”

“The Emali Group,” Ye Fan said.

“Though it’s not my company, I work there, and I won’t allow you to lay a finger on it!”

Liu Tianxi knew about the Emali Group, aware that the chairman and CEO of Emali Group was Hua Hai’s most beautiful woman, Li Zhaojun.

Within his underground power sphere, the Emali Group wasn’t one of the most powerful companies, but he had never made a move on them, out of consideration for Li Zhaojun’s reputation and fearing the unknown powerful backers among her multitude of admirers.

Thus, as soon as Ye Fan mentioned Emali Group, Liu Tianxi immediately assumed Ye Fan was one of Li Zhaojun’s many admirers.

Although there was a significant age difference between the two, Liu Tianxi believed that Li Zhaojun’s beauty and charm could completely overshadow the age gap.

“Rest assured, I will immediately call my three subordinates back.

Additionally, I will send someone to the Emali Group to apologize in person,” Liu Tianxi hurriedly said.

“I assure you that the Emali Group will recognize Brother Ye’s prestige.”

As an admirer of Li Zhaojun, isn’t all this effort to impress her?

Boasting about you in front of Li Zhaojun should surely satisfy you, shouldn’t it?

To his surprise, Ye Fan waved his hand and said, “No need.

Just call the Emali Group’s HR department and tell them you will not collect protection money from them.

Do not reveal the process.”

What a joke.

If the whole group knew about my prestige, how could I keep a low profile within the company?

After all the life and death I’ve faced on the African continent over the years, I finally have the chance to live an ordinary, laid-back life of comfort.

Isn’t that hard enough?

“Ah!” Liu Tianxi was taken aback, then quickly composed himself and said with an obsequious smile, “Yes, yes, I’ll do as you say.”

With the matter settled, Ye Fan stood up, ready to leave.

Liu Tianxi quickly took out a cheque from the office desk drawer and presented it to Ye Fan, “Brother Ye, it’s been a trouble for you to come all this way, my sincerest apologies.

This is a small token from me, one million, please accept it.”

“Your money is too dirty,” Ye Fan glanced at the cheque with distaste.

Upon hearing this, Liu Tianxi cursed inwardly, happy to save one million if Ye Fan found the money dirty.

However, the next moment, he felt the cheque slip from his fingers, now in Ye Fan’s hand.

Ye Fan held the cheque in his left hand, flicked it with his right middle finger, and sighed as if he were mourning for humanity, “Nevertheless, money is innocent.

We can’t just condemn it outright; we have to give it a chance to redeem itself.

So, let me purify it.”

With that, he seriously tucked the cheque into his pocket.

Liu Tianxi couldn’t help wanting to curse in his heart, but he was afraid Ye Fan would notice, so he forcefully held back.

Walking out of Sky Wolf Security Company, Ye Fan saw Lu Xiaoman and Zhao Gang approaching with excited faces.

“Ye Fan, are you alright?” Lu Xiaoman stood in front of Ye Fan, her pretty face anxious and her beautiful eyes filled with tears as she asked.

Ye Fan chuckled and spread his hands, smiling, “Do I look like something’s wrong with me?”

“As long as you’re fine, I was worried to death.” Lu Xiaoman let out a sigh of relief and suddenly felt the impulse to throw herself into Ye Fan’s arms and hug him tightly.

If it weren’t for her, why would Ye Fan have stormed into the wolf’s lair alone?

However, considering that she wasn’t very close to Ye Fan, she resisted the urge.

However, Ye Fan opened his arms and jokingly said, “Heh, you know, the lone hero has returned, shouldn’t there be a big hug?”

Lu Xiaoman’s face turned red, thinking that Ye Fan had seen through her thoughts.

But, she bit her lip slightly, mustered up the courage, and with closed eyes, she threw herself into Ye Fan’s embrace.

Ye Fan was stunned on the spot; he had just been joking and had never expected Lu Xiaoman, such a delicate beauty, to really give him a big hug.

Despite her beauty and a group of admirers following her since she was young, Lu Xiaoman had never been in a relationship.

Let alone hugging a man, she hadn’t even touched one.

After a while, when Ye Fan noticed that Lu Xiaoman wasn’t moving in his embrace and had no intention of leaving, he couldn’t help but ask, “Sister Xiaoman, are you sleeping?”

“Ah—”

She woke up abruptly, quickly stepped out of Ye Fan’s embrace, her pretty face blushing crimson red, and she didn’t dare to look at Ye Fan.

The atmosphere inevitably became a bit awkward.

At this point, Zhao Gang tried to smooth things over, saying, “All right, it’s good that Ye Fan is safe.

Ye Fan, what was Sky Wolf Security Company’s attitude?”

“Heh, of course, they realized their mistake and corrected it,” Ye Fan said casually, “They are willing to withdraw those three guards and stop collecting protection fees from our group.”

“What?

How’s that possible!” Zhao Gang exclaimed, shocked.

Disregarding her frustration, Lu Xiaoman’s eyes widened as she looked at Ye Fan in disbelief.

Though they had come to ask Sky Wolf Security Company not to collect protection fees from the Emali Group, they had never actually imagined it would be successful.

Thinking she had misheard, Lu Xiaoman asked for confirmation, “Sky Wolf Security Company really isn’t going to collect protection fees from our group anymore?”

“Of course,” Ye Fan said with a smile, “After I went in, I met their boss and argued with reason, mentioning the law and the police, but they weren’t afraid.

So, I got angry and said, if you dare to collect protection fees from the Emali Group, I’ll go to all the extremes—file petitions, post online.

Once it alarms the central authorities, the whole country, the whole world, Sky Wolf will turn into a dead dog!

At that point, they got scared and obediently agreed to withdraw their people and stop collecting fees from our company.

They even let go of the fact that I beat up those three pieces of trash.”

“Is that even possible?” Lu Xiaoman and Zhao Gang were stunned.

“So I’m saying, folks, you have to have courage, righteousness, and believe that evil will never triumph over good; the positive energy in society is still strong,” Ye Fan bragged without blushing.

After digesting Ye Fan’s words for a moment, Lu Xiaoman gratefully said, “Ye Fan, thank you.

If it weren’t for you, I really wouldn’t know what to do.”

Ye Fan grinned and said, “Haha, it’s all in the day’s work.

But, do you have any plans to offer yourself in gratitude?”

Lu Xiaoman’s expression instantly became quite a picture, and, irritated and itching to retaliate, she threw a pink punch at Ye Fan, chiding, “Go to hell!”

Ye Fan pretended to cry out in pain.

Zhao Gang also expressed his thanks to Ye Fan.

“Heh, Captain Zhao, if you’re thinking of offering yourself to me, forget it.

But, if you’re willing to be my underling, that I might consider,” Ye Fan joked.

Zhao Gang chuckled and said, “Ye Fan, your courage and boldness really have impressed me.

Privately, I wouldn’t mind calling you ‘Brother Ye.'”

Ye Fan quickly waved his hand and said, “Forget it, the thing I hate the most is having underlings; it means endless trouble, no different from babysitting.”

“Pfft—” Lu Xiaoman couldn’t help but cover her mouth and laugh, saying, “How can being a boss be anything like babysitting?”

“You really know how to joke,” Zhao Gang also said disapprovingly.

Ye Fan chuckled but didn’t explain.

“Haha, now that the issue’s resolved, let’s head back and continue working,” Ye Fan changed the subject.

“Yeah, back to the company!” Lu Xiaoman and Zhao Gang said, their faces full of smiles.