Chapter 102: Whats Your Face Worth?
Chapter 102: Whats Your Face Worth?
Ye Chen, outnumbered and outmatched, was relentlessly beaten down by Ah Da, Ah Er, and Ah San. Despite Ye Chen’s formidable strength, facing the coordinated assault of the trio proved that the sum of their collaboration was indeed greater than the individual efforts.
“This can’t go on, or I’m a dead man.”
Looking at the three surrounding him, Ye Chen realized that continuing the battle would only lead to his death. With a stab wound in his abdomen, broken ribs, and multiple injuries, Ye Chen was in a dire situation.
The only way to save his life now was to run. Ye Chen could no longer care about losing face as he made a break for it past Ah Er.
“After him.”
As Ye Chen made his escape, the trio pursued relentlessly, indifferent to the commotion they might cause. Killing Ye Chen was not just Luo Mingde’s mission, Chen Luo had also ordered them to kill Ye Chen at all costs.
Gritting his teeth and enduring the pain, Ye Chen sprinted with all his might, managing to lose Ah Da and the others. He stopped a car on the road, dragged the driver out, got in, floored the accelerator, and sped away.
Even if Ah Da and the others were strong, they couldn’t catch up to Ye Chen driving away. While they could overpower Ye Chen in a fight, they couldn’t stop him from escaping. Had Ye Chen opted to run from the start, he might have avoided injury altogether.
“Brother Luo, we failed. Ye Chen got away.”
Ah Da was the first to contact Chen Luo, informing him that Ye Chen had escaped from their clutches.
“Okay, I understand.”
The outcome did not surprise Chen Luo, he had never really expected Ah Da and the others to be able to kill Ye Chen, so he couldn’t say he was disappointed.
“You let Ye Chen escape?”
Upon discovering Ye Chen’s escape, Luo Mingde’s expression turned sour.
“Forget it, we’ll find another opportunity.”
Luo Mingde refrained from reprimanding the trio, knowing he would rely on them again in the future to tackle Ye Chen.
Ye Chen, after escaping, eventually returned to the Li residence.
Seeing Ye Chen return with injuries, Li Zhong frowned and coldly asked, “What happened to you? Who did you provoke this time?”
He was displeased with Ye Chen, but since his daughter cared for this man, there was nothing much he could do unless she lost interest in Ye Chen. Otherwise, for his daughter’s sake, he would have to clean up after Ye Chen’s messes.
Ye Chen’s gaze was cold.
“The people who attacked me were either Chen Luo or the Luo family, possibly both working together.”
“Chen Luo and the Luo family…”
Li Zhong’s frown deepened. He knew both Chen Luo and the Luo family wanted Ye Chen dead. They had previously conspired on how to deal with Ye Chen together. Ironically, he now had to abandon his previous grudge against Ye Chen and instead help him.
“I’ll reach out to both of them and try to mediate your grievances.”
Li Zhong’s offer was not for Ye Chen’s sake but for his daughter, Li Ting, and also for the Li family’s benefit.
If Li Zhong didn’t settle this matter for Ye Chen, both Chen Luo and the Luo family would eventually target the Li family in their efforts to deal with Ye Chen.
“Deep-seated hatred cannot be resolved.”
The grudge between Ye Chen and the Luo family might be manageable, but the hatred between him and Chen Luo was a different story. Even if Chen Luo was willing to bury the hatchet, Ye Chen wouldn’t entertain the thought. His hatred for Chen Luo ran too deep. All the hardships faced by Ye Chen in Magic City, including the annihilation of his subordinates, were orchestrated by Chen Luo.
Moreover, there was also Xiao Qingxue, the woman he liked, who ended up in the hands of Chen Luo, that beast.
“There’s no hatred in this world that can’t be resolved.”
Li Zhong gave Ye Chen a fleeting look before reaching out to Chen Luo and Luo Mingde separately.
“Mr. Li wants to invite me to dinner, no problem, I’ll certainly give Mr. Li face.”
Chen Luo did not refuse Li Zhong’s invitation after receiving his call.
However, when Li Zhong reached out to Luo Mingde, the response was far from courteous.
“Li Zhong, you have the audacity to contact me?”
Luo Mingde’s words were laced with sarcasm, clearly expressing his dissatisfaction with Li Zhong.
“I know you’re unhappy with me, Brother Luo. Perhaps we can discuss this in person.”
“There’s nothing to discuss.”
“Brother Luo, Chen Luo has already agreed, are you sure you don’t want to reconsider?”
Upon learning that Chen Luo had agreed to the invitation, Luo Mingde’s brows furrowed in contemplation. Why would Chen Luo accept Li Zhong’s invitation?
Nevertheless, he decided to attend.
Luo Mingde accepted Li Zhong’s invitation, leading both Chen Luo and Luo Mingde to the Li residence. Whether by fate or coincidence, they arrived at the same time.
“Chen Luo, why did you accept Li Zhong’s invitation?” Luo Mingde couldn’t help but ask.
“Of course, I came to see what kind of medicine Li Zhong is selling.”
“Humph, he must be doing it to help Ye Chen.” Luo Mingde snorted coldly, probably guessing the purpose of Li Zhong inviting them over.
“And your stance?” pressed Luo Mingde.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Luo, I have no intentions of sparing Ye Chen.”
Chen Luo would never consider forgiving the protagonist, Ye Chen. Allowing him to live would only invite endless trouble, something Chen Luo was keen to avoid.
“That’s reassuring.”
Luo Mingde was afraid that Chen Luo would agree to let Ye Chen go, which would leave only the Luo family to deal with Ye Chen, who was backed by the Wang and Li families.
“Mr. Chen, Mr. Luo, please, this way,”
The Li family’s butler escorted Chen Luo and Luo Mingde inside. Li Zhong, upon sighting them, rose and approached with a welcoming smile, which Luo Mingde coldly rebuffed.
Beyond Li Zhong, Ye Chen was present. Chen Luo’s brief scrutiny noted Ye Chen’s pale complexion, a clear sign of his dire state. No surprise there, considering the stabbing and the severe beating he endured, it would be odd if Ye Chen was well.
Luo Mingde’s icy gaze briefly met Ye Chen’s.
“Li Zhong, let’s skip the formalities. Just get to the point of why you’ve called us here.”
Luo Mingde had little patience for small talk with Li Zhong, especially on the brink of an outright confrontation. He simply wasn’t in the mood for it.
“I invited you here because I was hoping you’d give me face.”
“Give you face? How much is that worth to you?” Luo Mingde said, his face bearing a mocking smile.
Chen Luo slightly narrowed his eyes at Luo Mingde, wondering if he was on edge. It was unexpected for Luo Mingde to be so blatantly disrespectful to Li Zhong, given Chen Luo’s understanding of Luo Mingde’s typically cautious nature.
‘Could it be the negative effects of the villain buff affecting him?’ Chen Luo speculated in his mind.
It was a strong possibility. Chen Luo also noticed that Luo Mingde had become much more irritable, which was why he had previously asked Chen Luo for manpower to directly attack Ye Chen.
Li Zhong’s expression darkened at Luo Mingde’s remark. He had expected Luo Mingde, despite any dissatisfaction, to at least maintain a veneer of respect. The blunt disrespect caught him off guard.
“Mr. Luo, let’s hear Mr. Li out and see what he has to say,” Chen Luo spoke up.
“Alright, I’ll listen to you.”
Luo Mingde did not disrespect Chen Luo, as they were now on the same side, both viewing Ye Chen as an enemy.
Chen Luo’s intervention also eased Li Zhong’s uncomfortable expression a bit, but his gaze towards Luo Mingde still flashed with a hint of cold light.
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