Chapter 873: Chapter 848:
Bragsky stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. Outside, it was a world clad in silver and white, yet his mind kept pondering the meeting with Ye Chen tomorrow. The two represented the power of two hidden families. Now that the Doomsday Family was destroyed, the era of the three pillars had ended, and consequently, the world changed dramatically. Although the Doomsday Family was the weakest among the three hidden families, its territory and assets were not to be underestimated. Any nation gaining control over them would experience a significant economic boom.
Bragsky could clearly feel that although Ye Chen was a bold person, he was meticulous at heart. He single-handedly destroyed the Doomsday Family, yet did not completely wipe them out. In Bragsky’s view, this move by Ye Chen was wise and smart. Because by doing so, the Luo Sijue family would also incur great losses and it would also impinge upon the dignity of the Chaikefu family. It would likewise provoke the Court of the Church.
This time, Ye Chen coming to Moscow was definitely not just for the sake of avenging Kong Haoran; thinking on a broader scale, he was vying for greater benefits for the Luo Sijue family. Bragsky internally regarded Ye Chen as an intelligent man. A streak of intelligent smile spread on his weathered face full of wrinkles.
The next day, snow continued to fall, with the cold wind howling causing people to shiver, and passersby couldn’t help but lift their collars. In this nation, by November, the temperatures had already dropped to below zero, sometimes even tens of degrees below zero, and in this world where spitting could turn into snowflakes, people found it hard to bear the severe cold.
In the Chaikefu family’s estate, several black-clad strongmen stood in a row; from inside the estate, a man in a brown coat walked out, wearing a hat and a fur scarf, who after coming out, directly got into a Jaguar car.
The car slowly headed towards downtown Moscow. The car moved slowly along the broad roads; there were not many pedestrians but a lot of traffic, so the car couldn’t pick up speed. A curious guard beside him asked: “Clan Leader, are you really going to visit Ye Chen?”
“Yes!” Bragsky nodded, then said, “Ye Chen is a worthy opponent, and the game with him excites me!”
Though the guard couldn’t comprehend the Clan Leader’s intent, he could feel his excitement through the Clan Leader’s eyes and expression. Soon the car arrived at its destination, as the Jaguar parked in the courtyard of the estate. The Family Head personally came out to greet him, leading the old and young alike from the small estate to stand at the entrance to welcome him. In Russia, Bragsky held an esteemed position and was also an object of great respect to many.
Even though the estate’s family members were of the Rothschild bloodline, they still showed tremendous respect toward Bragsky.
“Mr. Bragsky, welcome to our humble abode!” The Family Head rushed forward to greet him.
“Where is Ye Chen, Ye Clan Leader?” Bragsky asked after getting out of the car.
“Ye Clan Leader is waiting for you inside!” The Family Head replied promptly.
“Alright, take me inside!” Bragsky didn’t say much, but the guards were notably dissatisfied with Ye Chen’s arrogance, not even coming out to greet the Clan Leader. Under normal circumstances, the guard would have sternly taught Ye Chen a lesson.
The Family Head respectfully led the way in front, and Bragsky smiled, following him inside. This was a game, the future opponent awaited him in the house ahead, a chessboard yet to be played unfolded before him.
Bragsky followed the Family Head all the way inside.
Inside the room, Ye Chen wore smooth fabric trousers with a white shirt on top, paired with a grey jacket. His hair slicked back, exuding a noble aura. Ye Chen had meticulously dressed himself to give Bragsky a completely new impression. Meanwhile, Feng Zhixiao and Da Hei were in black suits with cowboy hats atop their heads, looking somewhat incongruous, but extraordinarily dashing nonetheless. The two stood upright without expression.
This arrangement was Ye Chen’s deliberate instruction. To win against an enemy, one must overpower them with momentum and defeat them mentally. Ye Chen sat on the sofa, legs crossed, his eyes sharply fixed on the entrance, while Feng Zhixiao and Da Hei stood facing the door, hands crossed over their abdomen.
“Brother Chen, why isn’t that guy here yet?” Feng Zhixiao curiously asked.
“Hush, how is it that standing seriously for two minutes makes you fidgety?” Da Hei couldn’t help but glare at him, then smirked and said, “Learn a bit, be like me, head up, chest out, belly in, butt clenched! Oh no, I need to poop!”
Pu chi…
Feng Zhixiao covered his mouth and chuckled, at this time, Ye Chen lazily said, “Alright, shut up, our guest is arriving!”
“Yes!” The two of them promptly sat up straight, then wiped the expressions off their faces, intentionally putting on a stern and fierce look. Ye Chen had a cigar clenched in his mouth, tapping his crossed legs, with both arms draped over the armrests of the sofa.
Squeak…
The door to the room swung open. The family head dared not enter but stood respectfully at the door, with Bragsky standing at the entrance. Light shone in from outside, the heavy snow outside reflecting a blinding light that made it impossible to open one’s eyes. A sharp glint appeared in Ye Chen’s eyes as he bit down on a cigar thicker than a finger. The light cast a golden glow over his body.
In contrast, Bragsky appeared exceptionally shadowy, with sunlight illuminating his back, casting a golden glow over his outline. However, his face remained shrouded in darkness. He was astounded by the radiant aura that emanated from Ye Chen, looking at Ye Chen as if he were a humble creature worshiping a high and mighty god. Bragsky nearly dropped to his knees.
Nevertheless, Bragsky was a ruler of a domain with vast wealth. Such prolonged supremacy had cultivated a sense of arrogance, and with that arrogance supporting him, his leg merely trembled slightly before regaining calm.
“Ye Clan Leader, I’ve heard so much about you!” Bragsky said with a wide grin.
“Haha, driver, hello!” Ye Chen immediately sprung up from the sofa, then laughed heartily.
“Driver?!” Bragsky was stunned.
“Uh… aren’t you called Bragsky?” Ye Chen grinned and said, “Driver is just a short form; your name is too long and needed shortening!”
Feng Zhixiao, who was behind, was immediately amused by Ye Chen. He struggled to suppress his expression to keep from laughing out loud, but in doing so, his face turned bright red. Da Hei beside him, however, due to his dark complexion, betrayed no sign of his inner thoughts.
“Haha, I didn’t expect Ye Clan Leader to be not only powerful but also so humorous!” Bragsky showed a serene smile. He made an effort to take the first step forward, only to find his feet hardly obeying him. However, after much effort, Bragsky finally took that first step — an exceptionally challenging one that felt like the weight of Taishan pressing down on him.
“Haha…” Ye Chen laughed heartily, then approached Bragsky and embraced him, saying, “Driver, you’ve worked hard, traveling all this way here. Hmm, your coming here comforts me, at least your hostility towards me isn’t that intense, right? How do I put it, back in the day, when we had three powers, the Chaikefu family and the Rothschild family had a great relationship!”
“Haha, quite right!” Bragsky nodded. Ye Chen tossed the cigarette butt from his hand into a crystal ashtray before picking up an authentic Cuban cigar from the coffee table and offering it to Bragsky. As Bragsky reached for it, Ye Chen deftly placed it back between his own lips. Feng Zhixiao stepped forward to light the cigar in Ye Chen’s mouth as Ye Chen casually took a drag.
An awkward look flashed across Bragsky’s face, quickly vanishing as he laughed and said, “Ye Clan Leader, you didn’t summon me here just to toy with me, did you?”
“No, I wouldn’t have the guts!” Ye Chen chuckled and said, “Mr. Driver, this time I’ve come to negotiate with you!”
“Negotiate what?” Bragsky was puzzled.
“Hand over Kong Haoran to me!” Ye Chen said intently, looking at Bragsky. Bragsky turned to look at Ye Chen, his face showing a serious expression before a mocking smile crept in, saying, “Do you think I will hand him over?”
“You will, definitely will!” Ye Chen nodded and then sneered, “I am determined to make you hand him over. Besides, I’ll tell you, this person is my mortal enemy. I believe you wouldn’t want to antagonize me over someone like him, would you?”
“Haha, the Doomsday Family is an ally of the Chaikefu family. I have the responsibility and duty to support them!” Bragsky said, looking at Ye Chen with a smile.
Their gazes clashed, seeming to spark a blaze that was shocking to witness. Yet, their expressions remained lighthearted, betraying nothing of their inner thoughts. However, from their demeanors, it appeared Ye Chen held more of an advantage — his stare more piercing, while Bragsky’s carried noticeable gravity.
“An outdated family versus a thriving one, I’m sure you can tell which holds more importance?” Suddenly, Ye Chen turned and sat on a nearby sofa. A trace of uncertainty flickered in Bragsky’s eyes, leaving him momentarily unsure of how to proceed. After all, he was caught between a declining family and an ever-prosperous one, and he didn’t know what to make of it.