Ye Fan smiled faintly, knowing that the Grand Elder was merely masking his true thoughts, and did not chime in.
How could he possibly hand over such treasures to others?
Moreover, these were things he rightfully deserved.
Ye Fan reviewed the other items and was quite satisfied. He then smiled and said to the Grand Elder, "Thank you for your generosity, Grand Elder. These are the finest treasures I have ever seen. Please rest assured, I will not disgrace them."
His tone was respectful and his demeanor was exceptionally sincere, showcasing his mastery of the word "attitude."
The Grand Elder was clearly pleased with Ye Fan's attitude and nodded with a smile.
"These are rightfully yours, and besides, we are allies now. If I don't help you, who will?"
Using this as an excuse, the Grand Elder acted like a cunning old fox.
But Ye Fan was no fool; he was even more cunning than a fox.
"Then I thank you, Grand Elder. In the future, we will share blessings and overcome hardships together..."
He was good with words, and who wasn't?
Since it cost nothing and satisfied the Grand Elder, it was a win-win situation.
The two exchanged a look, seeing cunning in each other's eyes, and smiled at each other.
Ye Fan finally relaxed after sending people to deliver the items back to the inn.
Once these things were in his possession, it would be difficult to take them back.
As if sensing Ye Fan's thoughts, the Grand Elder smiled and said, "These items now belong to Brother Ye, and no one can take them away."
Ye Fan nodded in agreement with a smile.
Seeing Ye Fan's genuine excitement, the Grand Elder couldn't help but think to himself, this scoundrel only acts when there's a tangible benefit.
However, since the benefits had been delivered, it was time to discuss serious matters.
Clearing his throat, the Grand Elder's smile gradually faded, replaced by a solemn expression.
"Brother Ye, shouldn't we discuss rescuing the Second Young Master and dealing with Lin Yue?"
Knowing that the Grand Elder had summoned him for this very reason, Ye Fan was prepared.
"The Second Young Master is definitely still in Taiping Town; there's no doubt about that. However, to find him now, we can only rely on people like Zhang Hao. After all, they are the local powerhouses, with extensive connections and familiarity with the area. Grand Elder, you just need to compensate them. With sufficient wealth, brave men will emerge, and the Second Young Master will surely be found."
This was the simplest and most effective method.
Even the Grand Elder could not find fault with it.
The Grand Elder nodded indifferently. "Let's proceed with this. Please ask Brother Ye to contact Zhang Hao. Our Wang family is willing to pay any price, as long as the Second Young Master can be found."
Cornered, the Grand Elder, no matter how unwilling he was, could only grit his teeth and agree.
Seeing the Grand Elder agree, Ye Fan smiled and nodded, patting his chest. "Grand Elder, please rest assured, this matter is on my shoulders."
The Grand Elder gave him a sidelong glance. "The money is all from my Wang family, and you, young man, are just acting as an intermediary to contact the other party. Yet you claim it's on your shoulders. What does it have to do with you? Why didn't you say it was on your shoulders earlier?"
Despite his inner frustration, he continued to express his gratitude.
"As for Lin Yue, I'm afraid we need to plan carefully."
Ye Fan sighed and shook his head.
"Are there any difficulties?"
The Grand Elder looked at Ye Fan suspiciously. This man was too cunning; he wouldn't act without any benefit, so the Grand Elder didn't dare to fully trust his words. In fact, the more the Grand Elder understood Ye Fan, the more wary he became.
Ye Fan nodded. "To be frank, I grew up in Jiangcheng, so I am very familiar with Lin Yue. You could say that in Jiangcheng, Lin Yue is the local emperor, holding absolute power. If it were anywhere else, we might have a way to deal with Lin Yue, but in Jiangcheng, it's too difficult."
What he said was the truth, and he believed the Grand Elder had already investigated this.
"After so many years of operation, his influence is deeply rooted, and he even controls the Dark Alliance. Such a formidable existence, if you wish to confront him head-on, Grand Elder, it would likely lead only to death."
This was, of course, meant to intimidate the Grand Elder. With the Wang family's strength, dealing with Lin Yue should not be difficult.
But the question was, would they spare no effort in dealing with Lin Yue?
If they merely went through the motions, it would cause no harm to Lin Yue.
Therefore, Ye Fan had to exaggerate the situation. Only by making the Wang family go all out could he achieve his objective.
As expected, the Grand Elder frowned, seemingly contemplating Ye Fan's words and assessing the current situation.
Just as Ye Fan had said, Lin Yue had been operating in Jiangcheng for many years, and his influence had become deeply entrenched, making it indeed difficult to deal with him.
But this was merely a slight inconvenience. Once the Wang family was angered, not only Jiangcheng but the entire Jiangnan region would tremble.
"Does the Grand Elder have any strategies?"
Ye Fan asked softly as he watched the Grand Elder slowly open his eyes and look at him, afraid of disturbing him.
Hearing Ye Fan's question, a cold smile curled on the Grand Elder's lips, and he said in a deep voice, "Spare no effort, eliminate them all."
If they were going to do it, they had to do it ruthlessly. Therefore, Lin Yue's fate was sealed from this moment on.
"However..."
The Grand Elder's tone changed.
"To deal with the City Lord's Mansion, we will still need Brother Ye's assistance. I hope Brother Ye will not be stingy."
Ye Fan cursed inwardly, knowing that this old scoundrel would not let him off so easily.
He had finally managed to distance himself from the matter, only for this old scoundrel to keep his eyes fixed on him.
"Grand Elder, you jest. Wherever my assistance is needed, I will not hesitate."
For now, he would agree. As for the actual effort required later, Ye Fan had countless excuses to evade it.
"If that is the case, I will be direct. It is not difficult for our Wang family to take action against Lin Yue, even to eliminate him.
However, this would involve too many parties, and many forces would likely criticize our Wang family.
Therefore, we must act swiftly and eliminate Lin Yue before others are alerted.
Thus, I request Brother Ye to provide us with some of Lin Yue's weaknesses. Only then can we act decisively."
The Grand Elder stared at Ye Fan as he stated his objective.
After all, the City Lord's Mansion was an official entity. If the Wang family took action against Lin Yue, others might be indifferent, but officially, they would certainly condemn the Wang family.
Therefore, to act, they had to be quick, to finish the matter before others had a chance to react.
Sensing the cold and terrifying aura emanating from the Grand Elder, Ye Fan's heart trembled slightly. He hadn't expected that this old man had already planned everything.
It was just that, due to the Wang family's reputation, he was hesitant to act rashly.
And at this juncture, what they needed was a catalyst.