Chapter Seventy: Routed and Fleeing

Watching the man in front of him flee in panic, Xiao Ye curled his lips in disdain. Was this the best the chief secretary of the Jiangnan District could do? Truly disappointing! But Xiao Ye didn’t bother to pursue the matter further; he simply had someone clean up the wreckage in the office.

Turning around, he addressed Chiron, “Get ready. We're heading to the Jianghai Business Alliance!”

...

Jiang Zhongtao had not slept the entire night. His eyes were bloodshot as he sat upright at his desk, staring intently at the screen before him. On that screen, two teams were locked in a relentless battle—Xiao’s Company and the Jianghai Business Alliance were waging war in an unseen battleground, a fight without gunpowder or smoke.

At this moment, the two sides were evenly matched, with the Jianghai Business Alliance even holding a slight advantage. Exactly as planned! Jiang Zhongtao’s eyes gleamed with barely restrained excitement. Watching himself slowly erode the other side’s funds, he felt a surge of satisfaction.

But then, his own position began to falter—the momentum was slipping away. “No! Hold the line!” Jiang Zhongtao’s eyes seemed on the verge of splitting, the redness spreading to every corner. He simply could not accept this reality. As his side was forced to retreat step by step, he clenched his jaw tight.

He had clearly reached an agreement with Gao Hu: as long as he made his move, Gao Hu would follow through. Yet from the look of things, Gao Hu had not kept his promise. Now, his own losses would amount to at least five billion!

The pressure on Jiang Zhongtao’s teeth grew so great that his lips turned crimson, blood slowly trickling down. Just as he refused to accept defeat and prepared to keep fighting, a man suddenly burst through the door.

“President! Xiao Ye is bringing people this way—we have to evacuate now!” The man’s expression was urgent; Xiao Ye’s group would arrive at the Jiang Family Estate any moment.

Yet Jiang Zhongtao remained unmoved, intent on fighting Xiao Ye to the bitter end.

There was no time left! The man had no choice; he grabbed Jiang Zhongtao, called for a few others, and together they forcibly took him away, ignoring his furious protests.

...

By the time Xiao Ye and his companions arrived, Jiang Zhongtao had already vanished without a trace. Chiron wanted to give chase, but Xiao Ye stopped him.

“I have another task for you: find me a warehouse and prepare some equipment. Once we leave the border, I need to assemble my own team.”

This idea had been inspired by Lin Feng and the others. Chiron understood at once and hurried off to make the arrangements.

...

Due to its coastal location and favorable geography, Jianghai City had always enjoyed a more advanced economy and transportation network than other regions. This was precisely why so many powerful families had risen here.

Before its decline, the Xiao family hadn’t focused on maritime transport, but their main operations had always centered on international business and trade.

Xiao Ye had not expected Chiron to find a location so quickly. Now, the two of them were driving to the port. Because of the area’s unique character, many chose to transport special goods through the port. In a city as mixed and chaotic as Jianghai, such dealings were usually handled with remarkable smoothness.

Their destination was an abandoned warehouse near the port, concealed behind layers of shipping containers and the briny stench of the sea. Inside, the place seemed unremarkable from without, but once they entered, its hidden depths became clear. The ground-level space was modest, but beneath it, out of sight, there was much more than met the eye.

At that moment, Baldy was pacing in the underground chamber. When he saw Xiao Ye descending the winding staircase, he was overjoyed.

“King Xiao, look at this place—a masterpiece of subtlety, full of hidden wonders,” Chiron said, grinning as he rubbed his head.

Xiao Ye glanced around and nodded. “This is quite a spot. I have to say, your progress lately has truly surprised me—you’re even quoting proverbs now.”

“It’s all thanks to your leadership, King Xiao!”

Surveying the space, Xiao Ye needed only a glance to envision how to utilize every corner. Earlier, he had instructed Chiron to bring some equipment. As a prince not of the royal bloodline, Xiao Ye was well accustomed to handling such things.

“Enough chatter—let me see what you’ve prepared,” Xiao Ye said, waving Chiron off.

“Already done!” Chiron stepped aside, revealing a crate marked “Chemical Supplies.” When opened, it was lined with dry straw, beneath which lay the sleek, black bodies of firearms, gleaming ominously. Xiao Ye reached out, feeling a strange resonance from the weapons.

He nodded. These were not domestically produced weapons, at least not in the Dragon Kingdom.

“How did you even get your hands on these? I’m genuinely curious!” Xiao Ye examined the gun in his hand, knowing it was a rare and effective model. How could Baldy have managed to acquire it so easily?

“King Xiao, have you forgotten you once sent me to handle the hot weapons business in Jiangnan?” Chiron said with a smile.

Xiao Ye recalled the matter and nodded. There were about four or five such guns, along with matching tactical gear and sidearms. Xiao Ye inspected the contents, then opened another crate filled with neatly stacked ammunition.

“This level of equipment is far from sufficient,” Xiao Ye remarked. Though the gear wasn’t top-tier, it was at least practical.

“For now, this is all we have. There might be more in the future—today, at least, this is it,” Chiron replied. Xiao Ye nodded; it was enough for the time being, and he didn’t need too much equipment just yet.

“Let’s leave it here for now. Buy out this warehouse—it will be our future base!” Sensing Baldy’s hesitation, Xiao Ye added quickly. Once they had finished the handover, Xiao Ye returned to the Gu family villa.

On the way, Chiron commented, “The villa is so spacious, King Xiao. Why not store these things at home? Keeping them outside always carries risks.”

“It’s fine. In fact, the warehouse inspired me. The Gu family villa should also have a basement or something similar for storing equipment. But building it will take time. For now, leaving everything in the warehouse is safer—no one will know. That’s why I made sure to get the keys.”