Undercurrents Surge, Ye Chen's First Strategic Move

Early the next morning.

The Zhao family mansion in the east of Jinling City.

The Zhao family wasn't considered a top-tier wealthy family in Jinling, but they were still one of the most prominent and prestigious clans. On the surface, they ran a building materials business, but in the shadows, they controlled more than half of Jinling's underground gray industries.

The Zhao family's current status was all thanks to one man.

The patriarch of the Zhao family, Zhao Wanshan.

Seventy-two years old, ruthless, and meticulous. In his youth, he built the Zhao family's foundation from scratch. More than half of Jinling's underground forces were conquered by his own two fists.

But at this moment, this once all-powerful old man was lying in bed, his face as ashen as paper.

Three years ago, Zhao Wanshan suffered a sudden stroke that left him paralyzed on one side. They had invited top experts from all over the country, but all were helpless. Since then, the Zhao family had been left leaderless. Their businesses were encroached upon, and their territory continued to shrink.

The entire Zhao family was as anxious as ants on a hot pan.

Early this morning, the eldest son of the Zhao family, Zhao Debiao, stood at the door to personally welcome an honored guest.

The person who arrived was none other than Ye Chen.

Ye Chen had made the connection through Su Qingxue. Although Su Qingxue had no direct business dealings with the Zhao family, the circle was only so big, and passing a message was easily done.

Ye Chen had talked a big game last night, and today he was here to deliver.

To establish a firm foothold in Jinling, his first step was to cure Zhao Wanshan and bring the Zhao family under his control.

Zhao Debiao was in his thirties, burly, with a face full of fierce flesh, and wearing a gold chain thicker than a thumb around his neck.

He looked Ye Chen up and down, his brows furrowed so tightly they could crush a fly.

"Just you?"

Zhao Debiao's tone was full of distrust.

"My father has been seen by the dean of Huaxi Hospital, the director of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, and even national grandmaster-level veteran doctors of Chinese medicine. None of them could do anything. You, a brat whose hair hasn't even fully grown in, think you can do it?"

Ye Chen's expression remained unchanged.

"Take me to see the patient."

Zhao Debiao snorted coldly and turned to lead the way.

In his heart, he thought that if Su Qingxue hadn't called personally, he wouldn't have even let this kid through the door.

In the bedroom, Zhao Wanshan lay on a special care bed.

The old man's face was haggard, his eyes cloudy, and the left half of his body had completely lost all sensation. The bedside was filled with various Western medicines and medical equipment, and the air was filled with a faint smell of medicine.

Ye Chen walked to the bed and placed two fingers on Zhao Wanshan's wrist.

Three seconds later, he withdrew his hand.

"Stroke sequelae, plus blocked meridians. Cold poison has entered the body, damaging the Yangwei and Dai meridians among the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. Western medicine can only treat the symptoms, not the root cause."

Zhao Debiao was taken aback.

Setting everything else aside, this diagnosis alone was much more detailed than those of the previous experts.

Those experts only talked about cerebrovascular lesions; no one had ever mentioned blocked meridians or cold poison.

Ye Chen didn't waste any more words. He took out a black leather needle pouch from his cloth bag and unrolled it.

Inside, thirty-six silver needles were arranged neatly, each gleaming with a faint cold light.

"I am going to administer acupuncture. Everyone step back and keep quiet."

Zhao Debiao opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing, leading the servants back to the corner of the room.

Ye Chen took a deep breath and pinched the first silver needle with his right hand.

He made his move!

The silver needle pierced the air and accurately inserted into the Baihui acupoint on the top of Zhao Wanshan's head.

This was immediately followed by the second, third, and fourth needles.

Ye Chen's hand speed grew faster and faster. Every needle carried a visible surge of inner Qi, causing the tails of the needles to tremble slightly.

Zhao Debiao watched from the side, dumbfounded.

Although he was a rough man, even he could tell that Ye Chen's acupuncture technique was definitely not something an ordinary person could achieve. That smooth, flowing confidence and the flawless control over the acupoints didn't look like the skills a twenty-five or twenty-six-year-old young man should possess.

Ten minutes later.

All thirty-six silver needles were in place.

Zhao Wanshan's body suddenly twitched violently, and immediately after, a stream of black blood slowly flowed from his nasal cavity!

"What is this!" Zhao Debiao was startled and instinctively wanted to rush forward.

"Don't move!"

Ye Chen shouted in a low voice, his gaze like lightning.

"This is the toxic blood accumulated in his brain. It must be drained for him to live."

The black blood flowed for a full two minutes before stopping.

Ye Chen pulled out the silver needles one by one. The moment the last needle was removed, Zhao Wanshan's cloudy eyes suddenly lit up!

The old man's left hand moved.

The five fingers slowly clenched into a fist, then released.

Zhao Debiao's pupils trembled!

Three years!

His father's left side had been without sensation for three years, and all the experts had said recovery was impossible!

But now, right before his eyes, the old man's left hand could actually move!

"Dad!"

Zhao Debiao threw himself at the bedside, his eyes turning red.

Zhao Wanshan opened his mouth. His voice was hoarse and raspy, but every word was crystal clear.

"Debiao... I'm hungry."

Zhao Debiao burst into tears on the spot.

He abruptly turned around and looked at Ye Chen.

At this moment, the way he looked at Ye Chen had completely changed.

It was no longer filled with doubt and contempt.

Instead, it was astonishment.

It was a profound shock and reverence from the bottom of his heart.

"Mr. Ye!"

Zhao Debiao dropped to his knees before Ye Chen with a thud!

"You are the great benefactor of the Zhao family! From now on, the entire Zhao family will follow your lead! If you tell Zhao Debiao to go east, I will never go west!"

Ye Chen reached out to help him up, a faint smile on his face.

"Brother Zhao, you are too polite. It was merely lifting a finger."

But deep in his eyes, a flash of smugness passed.

The Zhao family.

Half of Jinling's underground forces.

They were now in his pocket.

With the Zhao family's support, he had thoroughly established his foothold in Jinling.

Money? The Zhao family had plenty.

Manpower? Zhao Debiao had hundreds of brothers under him, on call at any time.

When Ye Chen walked out of the Zhao family gates, the midday sun shone upon him.

He looked up toward the west of Jinling City, where the Shen family villa was located.

The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, his gaze as sharp as a knife.

"Shen Fei, did you think you could crush me with money?"

"Within three days, I will let you know that there are some things in this world that money cannot buy."

He stood with his hands behind his back, his clothes fluttering without any wind.

At this moment, Ye Chen exuded an aura of looking down upon the world, exactly like the chosen ones in novels who were about to rise to power.

It was just a pity that he didn't know he was merely jumping around on someone else's chessboard.

...

At the same time.

The Shen family villa in the west of Jinling City.

Shen Fei sat in his study, the intelligence reports delivered by his butler spread out before him.

Ye Chen's background had been investigated thoroughly overnight.

Xuantian Sect of the Kunlun Mountains, closed-door disciple, his master being the Third Elder of the Xuantian Sect.

Superb medical skills, Martial Arts Grandmaster realm.

He had descended the mountain less than a month ago.

Penniless, living under the Su family's roof.

"His background is quite clean."

Shen Fei casually flipped through the papers, his gaze placid.

Suddenly, the system panel flashed in his mind.

Ding! Fortune fluctuation detected!

Child of Fortune Ye Chen has successfully cured the Zhao family patriarch, Zhao Wanshan, and obtained the full support of the Zhao family!

Ye Chen's Fortune Value change: +500

Current Fortune Value of Ye Chen: 9588

Shen Fei looked at this number without the slightest bit of panic.

Instead, he smiled.

"It went up again?"

He put down the documents and leaned back in his chair.

An ordinary person would feel somewhat anxious seeing their enemy grow stronger.

But Shen Fei wouldn't.

In his eyes, the higher Ye Chen's fortune value rose, the harder he would fall when he eventually collapsed.

Furthermore, Zhao Debiao?

Jinling's underground forces?

In front of the Shen family, these underground empires were as fragile as paper.

With a single phone call, Shen Fei could have armed police raid the Zhao family and uproot them completely, but there was no need for that right now.

When striking a snake, you must hit its weak point. Until the time was right, he would not make a move.

Right now, only one thing mattered.

Tomorrow.

The abandoned factory district in the south of the city.

The stunning twin assassins.

Shen Fei pulled open a drawer. A thumb-sized, emerald-green pill lay quietly inside.

Basic Antidote Pill.

He had bought it from the System Shop for a hundred luck points.

This pill could cure a hundred poisons. It was more than enough to save two poisoned, dying assassins.

Shen Fei tucked the pill away, stood up, and walked into his walk-in closet.

He changed into a set of black casual wear, sharp and minimalist.

The man in the mirror had a flawless complexion, his features exuding an innate sense of nobility and danger.

Shen Fei adjusted his collar in front of the mirror.

While Ye Chen is busy gathering lackeys, I cannot just sit idle.

I will be taking his twins ahead of schedule.

Shen Fei grabbed his car keys and headed out.

A row of luxury cars was parked in the garage, Maybachs, Rolls-Royces, Lamborghinis. Any single one of them was worth tens of millions.

He picked the most low-profile one, a black Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon, and started the engine.

The vehicle drove out of the Shen family villa gates and merged into the bustling traffic of Jinling.

The system panel quietly displayed a countdown in the corner of his vision.

[Time until S-Rank Encounter Stunning Twins appears: 1 Day 4 Hours]

Shen Fei steered with one hand, a faint, almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips.

Ye Chen, oh Ye Chen.

While you are busy laying out your plans, I am busy digging up your roots.

I wonder what expression you will make when you realize your most crucial pieces have been snatched away by me?

It will surely be spectacular.

The G-Wagon disappeared into the flow of traffic.

The setting sun dyed the Jinling skyline a vibrant golden-red.

The calm before the storm.

As for Ye Chen, the storm was already on its way, yet he remained completely oblivious.

At this very moment, he was sitting at the Zhao family banquet, drinking merrily and brimming with smug satisfaction.

He felt he was the chosen one of destiny, believing everything was perfectly within his grasp.

...