Chapter 125: The Revenge Plan

"The medical issue has been resolved. Is there anything else, Elder Liu?" Xiao Ye asked the man on the other end of the line, thinking he should take care of any remaining business immediately.

To his surprise, the voice on the phone sounded somewhat aged. After a brief silence, the elder continued.

"Xiao Ye, thank you for all your hard work lately. If you have time, come and meet me here."

Elder Liu’s voice sounded weary, which took Xiao Ye by surprise.

"I understand. I'll be there shortly."

Xiao Ye nodded and prepared to leave with Xue Gui.

"Mr. Xiao, there’s no need to rush. I’ve already had my staff prepare a meal. Why don't you stay and have a drink with me this evening?"

"No, thank you. I don't usually drink, and besides, Elder Liu has some matters for me to attend to."

Xiao Ye waved his hand, finished his conversation with Liu Pinghai, and left the premises.

"For the time being, you may need to travel back and forth between these two places. Be prepared for that."

Xue Gui understood perfectly; he knew he had to be on call since it was unclear what Elder Liu needed. After having Chi Long arrange a place for Xue Gui to stay, Xiao Ye headed straight to Elder Liu’s villa.

The two guards at the gate were well-behaved today and didn't give him any trouble. Upon entering the villa, he found Elder Liu already waiting for him.

"Elder Liu, what is it that you needed to see me about?" Xiao Ye asked as he walked over to him.

"No rush. Sit down first, and we can talk it over slowly." Elder Liu gestured to the seat beside him.

Xiao Ye sat down and glanced around; Liu Xia was nowhere to be seen.

"The doctor you brought last time was truly skilled. I have felt much better over the past few days," Elder Liu said with a smile as he sipped his water.

Xiao Ye nodded. Xue Gui might not have combat skills, but when it came to healing, he was second to none.

"Elder Liu, if you feel any discomfort in the future, feel free to contact me."

Xiao Ye said this with a smile, but to his surprise, Elder Liu looked at him with a mysterious expression.

"Do you know why I am seeking treatment?"

The question caught Xiao Ye off guard. What kind of question was that?

Seeing the confusion on his face, Elder Liu chuckled and continued.

"I am not seeking treatment for my own sake, but for the sake of my entire family!"

"You may not have heard of the Liu family of the Jiangnan District. Let me tell you a story, and you will understand soon enough."

Elder Liu recounted the past glory of the Liu family to Xiao Ye. Long ago, they were the most prominent and powerful family in the entire Jiangnan District, reaching the pinnacle of influence. At that time, they were truly capable of shaking the heavens and earth. However, with the changing times, internal divisions within the Liu family and the rising power of external forces led to their eventual decline.

Still, Xiao Ye didn't understand. Even if they had declined, they shouldn't have fallen so far as to end up in Jianghai City. Furthermore, he was still burdened by a pile of unsolved mysteries that he needed to unravel.

Before he could speak, Elder Liu cut in.

"Have you heard of the families in the Jiangnan District—the Chen family, the Ye family, and the Cheng family?"

Xiao Ye nodded. These three families were all too familiar to him.

"Good. Listen closely to what comes next: I want you to take revenge on these families on my behalf!"

As he spoke these words, a strange, intense light burned in Elder Liu's eyes.

Hearing such a request from the old man, Xiao Ye remained calm, his expression unchanged. He was, however, curious as to why such a man would make such a declaration. But that wasn't what piqued his interest the most right now.

"Why me?" Xiao Ye asked slowly, his gaze deepening as he looked at the elder.

"I cannot tell you the specific details yet. You can view this as a request, and rest assured, I will not treat you unfairly." Elder Liu’s tone was firm, and there was not a trace of fear in his eyes as he looked at Xiao Ye.

Had this been in the past, Xiao Ye might have ignored such a request. But he was a completely different person now. Especially after returning to Jianghai City, he realized that the more power he held in his hands, the easier it was to get things done.

"Elder Liu, I can agree to this, but there are some things you will have to face yourself."

"That goes without saying. Although I am not in a rush, I hope you can act quickly." Elder Liu’s eyes flashed with a peculiar light, looking somewhat urgent.

Xiao Ye stood up, and the two shook hands, reaching a consensus.

Stepping out of the Liu villa, Xiao Ye had a few thoughts in mind and pulled out his phone to call Rat.

"Rat, there's something I need you to do."

"Say the word, Boss Xiao! There isn't any intelligence I can't dig up!" Rat’s tone was more resolute than before; he felt the satisfaction of being needed.

Lately, he had too much on his plate and was worried about potential complications. Thus, Xiao Ye wanted to recruit a group of people to assist Rat with his tasks. Having recently stirred up the underworld, he had built enough of a reputation. If he wanted to recruit, there would certainly be no shortage of followers.

"Send word through the black market that we are looking to recruit some people. Not too many, but prioritize those with real strength."

Rat nodded. Finding people for Xiao Ye was the easiest thing in the world. After hanging up, Xiao Ye headed toward the villa.

...

Within a few hours, Rat sent him a message.

"Boss Xiao, everything is prepared. We are just waiting for you to begin."

Since they were working for him, he needed to personally vet the recruits. He drove to the port and, before he even got close, saw a large crowd gathered. Xiao Ye was slightly surprised; he hadn't expected so many people to be interested.

He pushed through the crowd and found Rat.

"You kid, why did you bring all these people here?"

"It's fine, Boss Xiao. Those things won't be discovered. Let's get started!" Rat said excitedly.

The two walked up to the shed, and the crowd erupted, surging forward to ask for a chance to demonstrate their strength. These people were all drawn by the power Xiao Ye possessed. After all, not everyone had the ability to single-handedly dismantle the powers of the underworld. Admiration for strength was human nature.

Xiao Ye had originally intended to find a few people to form a small, inconspicuous team, but it seemed Rat had misunderstood and set up this massive spectacle.