Zhou Youde's declaration was particularly solemn and his tone was firm, without the slightest hesitation.
Seeing Zhou Youde's expression, Ye Fan smiled and nodded, "In that case, it's settled."
Saying that, Ye Fan extended his hand.
Zhou Youde also extended his hand and slapped Ye Fan's palm firmly.
...
News of Qi Yuanhao's imprisonment spread like wildfire, plunging the entire Hai City into chaos. At this moment, the Zhou family made a sudden move, launching a full-scale attack on the Qi family.
The Qi family was already concerned about Qi Yuanhao's safety and had sent people with a substantial amount of money to Jiang City to ransom him. However, they never expected that their stronghold would be attacked shortly after their departure.
But at present, Qi Yuanhao's matter had not yet been resolved, and they dared not return. They could only be kept tethered in Jiang City.
This was Ye Fan's objective: to scatter the Qi family's strength as much as possible, making it easier for the Zhou family to deal with them.
Furthermore, with Qi Yuanhao in his hands, the Qi family would have reservations and would surely not dare to launch a full counterattack against the Zhou family.
The Qi family's continuous retreat was something many people were happy to see, but it did not mean the Qi family was completely defeated.
After all, they were a prominent family that had existed for hundreds of years, with deep foundations. Even though they were completely suppressed by the Zhou family, they had not completely collapsed.
At this moment, Ye Fan was in the basement of Boguzhai.
After a few days, Qi Yuanhao seemed to have aged considerably. His hair was messy, his beard unkempt, and his face was somewhat dirty.
He was listless, his eyes were bloodshot and filled with capillaries.
Upon seeing Ye Fan enter, Qi Yuanhao slowly turned his head, his expression still as dejected.
"How have you been here, Young Master Qi? Are you accustomed to it?"
Ye Fan brought over a chair and sat outside the iron cage, smiling faintly at Qi Yuanhao.
"Ye Fan, we had no past grievances and no recent enmity. Why are you treating me like this? If you want money, I just need to tell my family, and they will surely satisfy you. Why must you make so many enemies?"
"Although the Qi family's influence in Jiang City is not as great as in Hai City, it is still a prominent family that has existed for hundreds of years. Have you considered the consequences of provoking the Qi family?"
At this point, Qi Yuanhao could only bring up his family. As long as Ye Fan was afraid, he would have a chance to escape.
Unexpectedly, Ye Fan let out a cold laugh.
"No grievances, no enmity? Young Master Qi seems to have a poor memory."
Qi Yuanhao frowned, looking at Ye Fan with confusion, not understanding his words.
Seeing Qi Yuanhao's puzzled expression, Ye Fan snorted, "Since Young Master Qi has forgotten, let me introduce you to someone. Perhaps seeing him will help you recall many things."
Saying that, Ye Fan clapped his hands.
Qi Yuanhao's brow furrowed, not understanding what Ye Fan intended to do.
Who was this person that Ye Fan valued so much?
Soon, heavy footsteps echoed from outside the door, and then, an iron cage was carried in. Inside that iron cage was Lin Yue.
"You?"
The moment he saw Lin Yue, Qi Yuanhao shot up from the ground, gripping the iron bars tightly, roaring in anger.
"Qi Yuanhao, retribution is inevitable. Today, this old man finally gets to see your fate. Even if I die, I have no regrets."
Upon seeing Qi Yuanhao, Lin Yue shouted hysterically, his face filled with joy, even dancing with excitement.
Having been controlled by Qi Yuanhao all these years, although he was the City Lord of Jiang City, he was merely a puppet. How could he not resent him?
He hated Qi Yuanhao, hated the Qi family, and even hated everyone who influenced his actions.
Now that the culprit was locked up just like himself, how could Lin Yue not be excited?
"Lin Yue, so it was you. It's really you."
Qi Yuanhao gritted his teeth, wishing he could devour Lin Yue alive.
The moment he saw Lin Yue, he understood everything.
Ye Fan already knew all of it.
And Lin Yue must have told him, no wonder he went to such lengths to set a trap for him.
Before, Qi Yuanhao had been wondering why Ye Fan's attitude towards him had changed so drastically, and why he was so determined to capture him, even at all costs.
Now, it seemed, all the answers were clear.
Without him saying anything, the two had already begun to fight. Ye Fan sneered.
"It seems I don't need to say much more. Your performances have said it all. This is excellent, saving me the trouble of confronting you both."
He then looked at Qi Yuanhao.
"I always thought Lin Yue was the king of Jiang City, but I didn't expect that there was actually the young master of the Qi family behind him. Young Master Qi, I must say, you hid yourself very deeply. If not for the accident that occurred during my trip to Taiping Town, I might never have discovered you."
Ye Fan's words were sincere. If Qi Yuanhao hadn't been so impatient to act against him, it would have been very difficult to detect him.
Hearing Ye Fan's words, Qi Yuanhao sighed.
"When I instructed Zheng Zhiyuan to act against you, I knew I was likely to be exposed. But at the time, I thought you were certain to die, so I didn't make further arrangements. Ye Fan, I ultimately underestimated you, and in the end, I was turned back by you step by step. This time, I have lost and am convinced."
To be turned back by Ye Fan when he had an absolute advantage, Qi Yuanhao, despite his unwillingness, was extremely impressed by Ye Fan.
Seeing someone as arrogant as Qi Yuanhao surrender to him at this moment, Ye Fan shook his head with a wry smile.
He had expected to use some means to make Qi Yuanhao submit obediently, but he hadn't expected him to do so so quickly.
"Qi Yuanhao, how should I deal with you?"
Squinting again and staring at Qi Yuanhao, Ye Fan asked in a deep voice.
This was indeed a difficult problem for Ye Fan.
Qi Yuanhao had schemed against him in countless ways, nearly costing him his life several times. If he were to let Qi Yuanhao go easily, Ye Fan would naturally feel unwilling.
But Qi Yuanhao was, after all, the young master of the Qi family. If he were to kill him, the Qi family would surely go mad and retaliate against him at all costs, which would also cause trouble for him.
Therefore, even Ye Fan was somewhat troubled at this moment.
Seeing Ye Fan's expression, Qi Yuanhao became less fearful and even showed a faint smile.
"What? You don't dare to kill me?"
These words even carried a hint of provocation.
"I advise you to release me. That way, I can plead with my family for you. Otherwise, what awaits you will be the Qi family's endless retaliation. As a smart person, you should know that there are some people you cannot provoke. No matter how capable you are, you have no power to resist in the face of an absolute gap in strength."
These words were not from Qi Yuanhao's arrogance but from stating a fact.
Indeed, compared to the Qi family, Ye Fan was nothing.
Therefore, in Qi Yuanhao's view, Ye Fan had no other option but to release him.