The old master’s heart was filled with an infinite desolation. How could he count on these people to restore the Shen family?
These past few years, he had truly been blind!
Apart from those dozen or so individuals, the majority of the rest were hesitant.
Shen Shiyun let out a cold snort, "The Shen family belongs to all of us, not just one person. As long as I take over as the head of the Shen family, I guarantee you all endless wealth and prosperity. It's much better than toiling away now, poor and dejected, isn't it?"
"A person lives in this world, what else is it for but money? I can double your year-end dividends."
One had to admit, Shen Shiyun was indeed adept at manipulating people's hearts.
These words directly struck the vulnerable points of those Shen family members.
Working under Old Master Shen, they were constantly on edge, fearing they would be punished or even expelled from the family for making a mistake.
Now, Shen Shiyun had made such a promise, how could they not be tempted?
After a moment, another dozen or so people moved to the side. Only three or five individuals remained where they stood.
These people wore somber expressions, their eyes burning with anger.
"Shen Shiyun, for your own benefit, you're willing to betray the entire family to Zhou Youde. You are truly worse than beasts."
"You spineless wretches, the Shen family has truly raised you ungrateful dependents for nothing all these years."
...
The old master slammed the bed violently, his clouded eyes fixed on Shen Shiyun.
"Do you truly intend to sever ties with the family, to sever ties with our ancestors?"
The old master gritted his teeth. As he uttered these words, he felt a piercing pain in his heart.
His most favored granddaughter, the granddaughter he had groomed to be the future matriarch, was actually colluding with outsiders to deal with her own kin. How could Shen Shiyun be so shameless, with a heart like a viper's?
"Old Master, you are old. The family will only decline further in your hands. If you know what's good for you, hand over the family's authority. In that case, I might spare them. Otherwise..."
Shen Shiyun's smile was exceptionally sinister, and even Old Master Shen closed his eyes in pain.
Shen Shiyun looked at the few clansmen who refused to yield and let out a cold snort.
"Since you wish to die, I shall oblige you."
With that, the man in black stepped forward abruptly, about to attack those Shen family members.
But at this moment, a figure flashed past, instantly seizing Zhou Youde by the throat.
"Young Master Zhou is quite formidable. Not enough to cause trouble in Haicheng, so you've come to my Jiangcheng to play? Now that your life is in my hands, I'd like to ask, what gives you the confidence to be so arrogant here?"
Ye Fan knew the principle of capturing the leader.
Although these pawns looked fierce, they would never dare to act without Zhou Youde's command.
Zhou Youde, subdued by Ye Fan, did not show the slightest sign of panic. Instead, his expression remained calm and natural.
"Ye Fan, I advise you not to resist fruitlessly. Today, there is no way you can escape my grasp. If you kneel and beg for mercy obediently, perhaps I can consider giving you a chance to live. Otherwise, you will surely die today."
It was a blatant threat.
However, such a threat was completely useless in Ye Fan's eyes.
"Oh? I'm quite eager to see what you intend to do to me."
As he spoke, he tightened his grip, his fingers sinking into Zhou Youde's throat, as if he would snap Zhou Youde's neck in half at any moment.
"Cough, cough, cough."
Zhou Youde coughed violently, his face turning red.
"Ye Fan, you brat, I will not rest until I see you dead. I swear, I will use the most brutal means to take your wretched life."
In Ye Fan's hands, he truly felt the threat of death.
It seemed that Ye Fan would strangle him to death at any moment.
That terrifying, cold killing intent pierced through his skin and spread to every corner of his body.
He firmly believed that Ye Fan would do as he said. If he didn't obey obediently, Ye Fan might actually kill him.
"I am not afraid of death. Are you?"
Ye Fan let out a cold snort, then grabbed one of Zhou Youde's arms and forcefully pressed it against the table in the opposite direction.
"Crack."
Immediately followed by Zhou Youde's shrill screams of agony.
"Tell your subordinates to drop their weapons and get out. Otherwise, I'll end your life in a minute. kuAiδugg
These words completely broke Zhou Youde's psychological defense.
"Drop your weapons and get out. Hurry up and get out."
Although the plan was flawless, in the end, Zhou Youde was still a coward who feared death.
If he had been able to hold his ground as usual, even Ye Fan would have had no way to deal with him.
But precisely at the last moment, he broke.
Hearing Zhou Youde's words, his subordinates quickly dropped their weapons and hurried outside.
Now, the people threatening the enforcers were gone, and this was the enforcers' paradise.
"Arrest Shen Shiyun and her lackeys. Lock them up in the basement."
Seeing this, Shen Bao quickly issued his orders.
Under the fury of these enforcers, Shen Shiyun's subordinates were beaten and kicked, their screams echoing one after another.
"Old Master, what about Shen Shiyun?"
Jiang Zhitao looked at Old Master Shen and shrugged, asking.
But he saw the old master still tightly shut his eyes, as if he couldn't bear to look at her any longer.
Seeing this, Ye Fan sighed, then said to Shen Bao, "For now, let's lock her up in her own room. Assign people to guard her closely, ensuring she doesn't leave the room for even half a step. We'll deal with her after things have settled down."
At this point, Old Master Shen would certainly not take her life.
No matter how angry he was, Shen Shiyun was his granddaughter after all, and she had been heavily cultivated by him for so many years. How could he bring himself to strike her?
Therefore, the only option was to lock her up and deal with her later.
Shen Bao nodded, then personally selected six men to escort Shen Shiyun away and guard her strictly.
Watching Shen Shiyun being taken away, the coldness on Ye Fan's face gradually dissipated. A huge crisis had been so easily resolved.
Even he found it somewhat surreal.
But the facts were laid out before him, leaving him no room to disbelieve.
He kicked Zhou Youde hard to the ground, and Ye Fan looked at him, asking in a cold voice, "Young Master Zhou, can we talk now?"
Zhou Youde gasped for breath after being kicked, feeling as if his body was about to fall apart.
But seeing Ye Fan's terrifying gaze, he trembled in fear.
"Talk, talk about what?"
"Naturally, we'll talk about things that interest me. I believe Young Master Zhou knows what I'm interested in."
Zhou Youde was one of the masterminds behind the faking and peddling of antiques. What he knew was by no means comparable to those small fries.
As Ye Fan's smile grew wider, Zhou Youde's fear intensified.