"Young man, hello. I am Hee Yuanpei, the clan leader of the Hee Family of Macau. I apologize. It seems we had a bit of a misunderstanding, but everything is fine now. Why don't you take a moment to compose yourself?" Hee Yuanpei suddenly spoke in a very polite tone, just as Hua Zhinan felt caught off guard and completely bewildered.

"The Hee Family of Macau?"

At these words, Hua Zhinan jolted, instinctively lifting his head to sneak a peek at the smiling Hee Yuanpei. A look of shock and intense disbelief crossed his dazed face.

Given his current status and position, it was impossible for him to have any contact with the top echelon of Hong Kong and Macau. Naturally, he had no way of knowing just what a behemoth the Hee Family of Macau truly was. However, after falling into their trap a few days ago, he had unfortunately learned of the Hee Family's existence.

They were one of the leading families spanning Hong Kong and Macau, and also the most undisputed magnate in Macau itself. Even government officials had to show them deference and stay out of their way, which spoke volumes about the terrifying influence the Hee Family wielded in Macau. To call them emperors of the underworld was no exaggeration.

But… but now, this man is actually saying he's the clan leader of the Hee Family of Macau, Hee Yuanpei!?

Hua Zhinan felt his mind descend into chaos, his emotions and thoughts a complete blur. Is he here for the one hundred million I lost?

"Clan… Clan Leader Hee, I apologize, but I really can't come up with that much money…" he stammered, his lips trembling. It was one hundred million, an amount he truly could not produce.

Clearly, in that fleeting moment, he hadn't stopped to consider why someone of the Hee Family Clan Leader's stature would personally seek him out over a mere hundred million, and in such a polite manner at that. But he couldn't be blamed. The pressure he had endured these past few days was terrifyingly immense, pushing him to the very brink of collapse.

When Hee Yuanpei and Sixth Lord Hee heard Hua Zhinan's words and saw his mentally fragile state, their faces turned pale and they broke out in a cold sweat.

The latter couldn't resist interrupting, "Mr. Hua, you've misunderstood. We truly didn't know you were a friend of Mr. Chen, and we are deeply sorry for offending you in such a manner. Please, don't be nervous. We mean you no harm. Hee Che, have you not apologized to Mr. Hua yet?" As he spoke, he desperately shot Hee Che a look.

There was no helping it. If the Great Elder of the Chen Family and that young man were to see him in this state, they would surely misunderstand. That would lead to dire consequences!

"That's right, that's right, young man, it was all a misunderstanding! A complete misunderstanding!" Hee Yuanpei added, gently trying to soothe Hua Zhinan's emotions. He then turned to his son, glaring harshly. "You unfilial child, what are you still standing there dumbstruck for? Get over here and apologize immediately!" he barked.

"I-I'm sorry! Mr. Hua, I really didn't know you were that Mr. Chen's friend. It was all a misunderstanding, I'm sorry," Hee Che said, immediately rushing over to Hua Zhinan and bowing deeply in apology, his face pale and his forehead beaded with sweat.

In a way, he felt wronged; he had only acted because of Army Junior, the Young Master of the Holy Fire Sect. But now, he didn't dare argue the point. After all, the Great Elder of the Chen Family himself had come. And even more terrifying was the presence of another young man who seemed even more fearsome than the elder.

"Wait, what are you talking about…?" While they spoke as if it were simple, Hua Zhinan stared as if he were hearing something from another world, his eyes widening and his mouth hanging open.

What Mr. Chen? Chen Fei? Impossible, right? Even though I'm doing quite well in Jiangnan Province now, this is Macau! It's unlikely that even someone like Director Gao, the tycoon of Northern Mountain City, could extend his influence here, let alone scare these three people in front of me to such an extent. That's the Hee Family! The Hee Family of Macau! A behemoth-level power in Hong Kong and Macau.

"Young man, you must have a friend named Chen Fei, right?" Hee Yuanpei asked politely, not surprised by Hua Zhinan's puzzled expression.

Obviously, if he had known earlier that his friend possessed such enormous power and such terrifying, freakish strength, he would have invoked Chen Fei's name long ago. He wouldn't have been so desperate just a moment ago! Yet even so, I dare not show the slightest negligence now. That young man came to us personally, and he was the one who severely injured the old monster of the Ma Family, Hee Yuanpei thought.

"You're talking about Chen Fei? It's really him? He actually found a way to come to Macau?" Hua Zhinan's entire body trembled upon hearing the words. He could hardly believe it was his brother who had come to Macau to rescue him. And moreover, even the mighty Hee Family of Macau seemed so afraid of him.

Seeing that Hua Zhinan was indeed unaware of Chen Fei's 'secret'—otherwise, he wouldn't be so shocked right now—Hee Yuanpei's eyes flickered, and he said with a smile, "Young man, since you're so confused, allow me to explain…"

He then recounted everything he had learned: why Hee Che had set the trap to cheat him out of one hundred million, the identity of the Young Master of the Holy Fire Sect, and the arrival of Chen Fei and the Great Elder of the Chen Family at their doorstep. He narrated the facts exactly as they were, without embellishment or concealment. This was clearly a wise move on his part, as he avoided pointless excuses and cover-ups.

When he finished, Hee Yuanpei gave Hua Zhinan a slight bow. "Though it may be unpleasant to admit, we truly did not know your friend had such a frightening background. So, we are truly sorry. This was our Hee Family's fault. We apologize."

"Old sir, please don't do this," Hua Zhinan said, taken aback. He was astonished by the man's decisiveness and shocked by the intimidating influence his brother had on them.

He himself moved in these circles, and though his standing wasn't high, he knew what it meant for the clan leader of the Hee Family of Macau—a formidable figure in both Hong Kong and Macau—to bow his head like this. It meant they were truly afraid, afraid of his brother Chen Fei's wrath.

But as he thought of this, a sense of melancholy and loss washed over him. He asked blankly, "Clan Leader Hee, old sir, can you tell me what an Ability User is? What is an Ancient Martial Artist? Is my brother Chen Fei a very powerful Ancient Martial Artist?"

"Do you want to know?" Hee Yuanpei replied, unsurprised. He extended his hand and opened his palm. A circle of dense thunder patterns appeared, crackling wildly, causing Hua Zhinan's pupils to constrict as he stared intently at the sight.

"This is an Ability User. As for Ancient Martial Artists… well, it's like what you read in martial arts novels. They have techniques and moves, and perhaps it's even more exaggerated than what's described in the stories. As for your friend, since he hasn't told you, it isn't my place to say more. Of course, if you want to understand clearly, you should ask him yourself," he continued.

"Is that so? I understand," Hua Zhinan said, falling silent with a blank expression.

Ability Users? Ancient Martial Artists?

He felt as if his 'outdated' world had suddenly been brutally torn open, a door kicked open from the outside, making his blood surge with excitement.

If… if I had possessed this kind of strength before, if I had been as strong as my brother Chen Fei, perhaps… I wouldn't have been so desperate, would I!?

"Thank you, old sir," Hua Zhinan said, finally looking up after a long moment. "Where is my brother now? Please take me to him."

"He's in the casino below right now," Hee Yuanpei said, gesturing toward the floor. He then added with a sudden smile, "It's awkward to ask, but young man, could you perhaps put in a good word for our Hee Family when you see your friend?"

"Please rest assured, old sir. I'll talk to him," Hua Zhinan replied, managing a slight smile. At this moment, however, he was somewhat preoccupied.

"Very well, then. Let's go," Hee Yuanpei said, breathing an inward sigh of relief.

Before long, he brought Hua Zhinan and his son, Hee Che, to the door of a top-tier VIP room.

This time, however, he didn't allow anyone else to follow, not even Sixth Lord Hee. The matter now only involved Hua Zhinan and his son, Hee Che. Since they were both present, there was no need for others to interfere and potentially complicate things further.

From inside the room, Hua Zhinan could faintly hear Chen Fei's familiar, boisterous voice. He sighed with a sense of nostalgia, but then his expression suddenly turned strange, and he couldn't stop himself from pushing the door open.

As the door swung open, Hua Zhinan clearly saw three cards on the gaming table in front of Chen Fei.

AAA!

Dammit, what is this? Golden Flower?

He suddenly recalled a very unpleasant memory and couldn't help but shiver. If you were to ask him right now what his most memorable college experience was, he would tell you without a moment's hesitation! The first time he played Golden Flower with Chen Fei in college… he still remembered it vividly. An experience 'too painful to revisit'!

"Slickhead?"

Upon seeing his brother, Chen Fei was first taken aback, but then he immediately stood up and strode over. He patted Hua Zhinan's body, his face filled with concern. "Are you alright? They didn't do anything underhanded to you, did they? If they did, just tell me. Whatever they did, no matter who did it or who gave the order, I'll make them pay a hundredfold! My word is my bond!"

At Chen Fei's words, the expressions on both Hee Yuanpei and Hee Che's faces changed drastically. Anger involuntarily flashed in the elder's eyes.

But as his gaze swept past Chen Fei, it landed on the spot behind where his friend had been sitting. He suddenly shivered, his eyes trembling, and he quickly walked in that direction. Approaching the One-eyed Elder, he bowed respectfully. "Uncle Chen, you've arrived."

"Hmm," the One-eyed Elder grunted, merely giving him a passing glance.

"Clan Leader Hee," Chen Yaoyang said, clasping his hands in a bow. Although he was now the acting head of the Chen Family, the other man was from his father's generation, so he could not be disrespectful.

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