To an old-timer like Hee Yuanpei, Chen Yaoyang was still far too 'young,' even though he was now the acting head of the Chen Family. At only thirty or forty years old, he was nearly a full thirty years younger than Yuanpei. Naturally, he didn't need to be shown the same respect as the Great Elder of the Chen Family. After all, their statuses were different.
Of course, while his status allowed him to disregard Chen Yaoyang, there was another young man in the room whom he dared not underestimate in the slightest: Chen Fei!
"Mr. Chen, hello. I am Hee Yuanpei, the Clan Leader of the Hee Family of Macau." The next moment, without any hesitation, he turned and walked toward Chen Fei, nervously extending a hand to greet him with a very courteous and respectful attitude.
It couldn't be helped. Even the illustrious Great Elder of the Chen Family was standing behind the young man with incredible deference, like a servant. Although Hee Yuanpei was now seventy years old and a prominent figure in Hong Kong and Macau, he felt extremely nervous.
HISS!
When Ke Xiangdong saw Hee Yuanpei take the initiative to extend a hand to a youngster like Chen Fei, his expression tinged with nervousness, he couldn't help but gasp. His eyes nearly popped out of his head as if he'd seen a ghost.
Others might not have known who Hee Yuanpei was, but thanks to his connection as Sixth Lord Hee's brother-in-law, Ke Xiangdong knew perfectly well!
That was the current Clan Leader of the Hee Family of Macau! He was undoubtedly a true magnate, a titan of the underworld. Yet now, he was showing such respect, even awe, to a mere young man. Ke Xiangdong felt as if he were dreaming, the sensation so unreal that his forehead broke out in sweat.
Damn, I was lucky to be so smart. Otherwise, I'd be in huge trouble... He was relieved that he had been clever enough not to do anything foolish moments ago. If he had, not even the gods could have saved him. Too terrifying.
"Let's go. We'll talk outside." What was even more terrifying, however, was that Chen Fei didn't even glance at Hee Yuanpei's outstretched hand. He simply pulled Slickhead along and walked out the door of the top-tier VIP room, treating the Clan Leader of the mighty Hee Family of Macau as if he were air.
"You!" He Che's expression changed instantly at the sight, raw fury blazing in his eyes. Hee Yuanpei was his father, the current Clan Leader of the Hee Family of Macau, yet he was being completely ignored by some kid. This was a profound humiliation! How could he not be enraged?
As for Hee Yuanpei, he would have been mortified and enraged if anyone else had dared to ignore him so completely in any other setting. Today, however, he couldn't summon an ounce of anger. Instead, a mysterious sense of panic crept into his heart, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead.
He had just clearly announced his name and identity as the current Clan Leader of the Hee Family of Macau. Despite this, the young man had acted as if he hadn't heard, or as if hearing it was perfectly normal and beneath his concern. What did that imply?
It implies he doesn't consider our Hee Family of Macau to be worth a damn!
At this thought, Hee Yuanpei, despite his lofty status, broke out in a cold sweat. His body began to tremble uncontrollably as he turned to the Great Elder of the Chen Family for help. "Uncle Chen, who exactly is that young man?"
Clearly, all he wanted now was to understand the young man's true identity. Did he really possess the qualifications to disregard even the formidable Hee Family of Macau?
"What do you want to know?"
Seeing Chen Fei lead Slickhead out of the room, the Great Elder of the Chen Family finally dropped his low-key demeanor. He lifted his head, and a domineering light flashed in his murky eyes as he swept his gaze across the room. "All unrelated personnel, get out!" As soon as the words fell, a pale-faced Ke Xiangdong hastily led the others out, not daring to hesitate for a second.
Hee Yuanpei didn't dare to object. In fact, he felt the chill on his back deepen, his knuckles turning white as his hands began to tremble.
"Hee, my boy, out of respect for your own uncle, I'll give you a warning," the Great Elder began, his voice cold as he glanced at the sweating Hee Yuanpei after all the unrelated personnel had scurried out of the room. "If you've done something wrong in this matter, admit it quickly. If you haven't, stay out of it from now on. Otherwise, the consequences are something you likely cannot bear."
The 'uncle' he referred to was, of course, Hee Qiuming, the former Clan Leader of the Hee Family. He and the Great Elder were of the same generation and had been through a lot together. Because of their friendship, he didn't want to see the Hee Family foolishly stumble into a disaster they couldn't handle. It simply wasn't worth it.
"This... Uncle Chen..."
Even though Hee Yuanpei had been mentally prepared for a huge shock, the Great Elder's words still stunned him. His heart felt like it had been struck by a heavy hammer, nearly knocking the wind out of him.
An old-timer like the Great Elder of the Chen Family was always particular with his words, usually leaving room to maneuver. But now? He had laid everything out on the table, telling him to admit his mistakes without any thought of trying to smooth things over. It was clear how serious this matter was, far exceeding his worst expectations. It was unimaginable.
"Uncle Chen, is that young man really so powerful? He looks like he's only in his twenties!" he asked, still finding it hard to accept. Could a man in his twenties truly be that formidable?
"You look down on him?" the Great Elder of the Chen Family asked, shooting him a cool glance.
"No, I... I didn't mean that..." Hee Yuanpei's heart shuddered, and he scrambled to explain.
"Enough. I have no interest in your explanations." The Great Elder cut him off, a peculiar glint flashing in his eyes. "Hee, my boy, let me ask you a question. Between your Hee Family of Macau and the Black Market, which do you think is more powerful?"
"Of course, the Black Market! How could our Hee Family possibly compare? They are the most powerful underground force in all of Hong Kong and Macau!" Hee Yuanpei answered resolutely, without the slightest hesitation.
After all, that was the Black Market! The most terrifying underground force spanning Hong Kong and Macau, hailed as the undisputed dark emperor. Even on the scale of all Huaxia, or the entire world, it was an absolutely dreadful and powerful organization. Compared to such a colossal entity, their so-called Hee Family was nothing! Totally insignificant!
Within the Black Market, the 'dark emperor' of Hong Kong and Macau, one didn't even have to mention the vice presidents who were Innate Experts or S-Level Superpowered beings. Just considering the dozens of Half-Step Innate Powerhouses or Half-Step S-Level masters was enough. Any single one of them could be sent out to crush the Hee Family of Macau countless times over with ease!
The gap was so despairingly vast that Hee Yuanpei couldn't even entertain the notion of a comparison. It was completely unrealistic.
"Alright. What about the Holy Fire Sect, then?" the Great Elder asked another question. "Compared to the Black Market, which is stronger?"
"The Black Market, of course!" Hee Yuanpei's answer was just as firm this time. The Holy Fire Sect? At best, it was on the level of a Black Market branch. It wasn't qualified to be compared. The difference was far, far too great.
"Alright. Then let me tell you this: that kid had a falling out with a vice president of the Black Market. And yet, he is still alive and well today. As for that old fool from the Ma Family... he still hasn't escaped mortal danger." The Great Elder finally said what he'd been holding back.
"Wh-what!?" Hee Yuanpei was so startled he nearly fell to the floor. Wh-what? A vice president of the Black Market... wouldn't that mean... an Innate Expert, or an S-Level Superpowered being?
His face turned deathly pale. A chill washed over him as cold sweat poured down his neck, soaking his collar in an instant.
"I'll kill you, you brainless idiot!" The next moment, his lips white and trembling, Hee Yuanpei raised his hand and viciously slapped his son across the face, causing the cheek to swell instantly. The younger man, however, just dumbly held his face, as if he didn't feel the pain at all. His body trembled violently, his eyes filled with absolute terror.
The Black... Black Market!? A vice... vice president!?
Although his status wasn't high enough to truly comprehend the terrifying level a Black Market vice president represented, it didn't matter. The two words 'Black Market' were more than enough! In his eyes, the so-called Holy Fire Sect wasn't even fit to shine the Black Market's shoes! But now, the Great Elder had just said that the young man dared to cross a major figure from the Black Market and was still walking around perfectly fine.
THUD!
Finally unable to contain his terror, He Che collapsed to his knees. His face was a mask of panic as he clutched at his father's pant leg, his voice cracking. "Dad! Dad, you have to save me! You have to save me... I swear I didn't know that kid had such terrifying friends! I didn't know!"
But it wasn't just him. Even his father, Hee Yuanpei, the formidable Clan Leader of the Hee Family of Macau, was panicking now. He ignored his son completely, looking at the Great Elder in utter dismay. "U-Uncle Chen, this matter can't be that serious, right? A-After all, the main instigator was Junn Yuanyi, the Young Master of the Holy Fire Sect! We... we were..."
"I'm not sure if it's serious or not," the Great Elder said flatly. "However, that young man seems quite reasonable. The only prerequisite is that you don't go looking for your own death. If you do that, then not even the gods can save you."
"We won't! Of course, we won't!" Hee Yuanpei nodded hastily. Seek our own deaths? What a joke! We're scared witless as it is; how could we possibly dare to do something like that?
Meanwhile, Chen Fei had taken Slickhead to a private room. Once inside, Chen Fei looked at the silent Hua Zhinan with concern. "Hey, don't be so quiet. I'm here now. Everything is going to be alright." Given Slickhead's normally boisterous personality, his silence was a major red flag. How could Chen Fei not be worried?
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