Chapter 851 - Shameless
Zhenxiu was silent for the most part and upon arriving home, she ran up to her room and locked the door. Yang Chen assumed she was just tired after a long day of work and chose not to think twice about it.
He originally planned to talk to Lin Ruoxi but she too locked her door, preventing him from getting the opportunity.
Yang Chen had no choice but to wait till tomorrow morning.
The next morning, the sun rose from under the horizon and lit up the sky. The residents of Zhonghai were beginning to wake and start their day.
In comparison to the bustling city, Xijiao Villa was rather quiet due to its geographical location.
Because it was mostly inhabited by rich people. Those who exercised in the morning were all old people.
The wide area surrounding the lake was equipped with all kinds of sports equipment for the people living in the villas and condominiums nearby.
A slender figure jogged along the road covered by tall trees.
It was Lin Ruoxi wearing a white sports shirt with light grey pants jogging from home.
Everyone else was already familiar with her but her beautiful features still garnered the attention of strangers. The elderly within the area were busy gossiping about which family she might be from.
During the first few days, some of the younger men in the community would hit on her. They were all of the elite class statuses with handsome looks to boot but were rejected by Lin Ruoxi.
They were dissatisfied by the way she treated them so they ran a background check on her. The moment they realized that this beauty was the CEO of Yu Lei International, they didn't dare to go any closer.
She was already married. And even if she wasn't, they wouldn't have stood a chance. It was better to be friendly with her in hopes of a future collaboration.
Lin Ruoxi didn't plan to exercise here, but it was tough finding a secluded space for just herself. Yang Chen also mentioned that she had to train at a place with fresh air, so she had no choice but to let them stare.
Lin Ruoxi felt tired after running for ten minutes so she slowed down to walk with her hands on her waist.
It felt especially tiring for her today, as though something was bothering her which caused her to run out of breath easily.
She kept thinking of the day when Yang Chen left her behind and the worst thing was his insincere apology.
"Damn you, Yang Chen, you suck. You asked me to train but only assist Rose with her training. Do you even care about me?" Lin Ruoxi grumbled to herself and got even angrier.
Suddenly someone's hand appeared in front of her vision, holding a bottle of mineral water.
"What are you talking about? What do you mean I only care about Rose? I only went like twice."
Lin Ruoxi was shocked to hear a familiar voice. She turned around and saw it was Yang Chen. She hadn't realized that he was standing right next to her.
Yang Chen giggled. "Dear, drink some water. This weather sucks, it's already so hot in the morning."
Lin Ruoxi's face darkened. She didn't take the bottle and opted for staring at the floor instead.
Yang Chen was riding a bicycle that looked similar to a grocery bike. It was a mustard-colored bicycle and god knows where he got it from.
"How's the bicycle, cool right?" Yang Chen said excitedly. "I got it yesterday at the mall. The salesman recommended me a bicycle and I said I want one that I can use to fetch my wife so I got this. Babe, why don't you sit? I got this for you!"
Yang Chen tapped on the seat behind him as he spoke.
He wasn't lying. Yang Chen was thinking of using this to please Lin Ruoxi but he didn't have the chance to do so.
Sit on the bicycle? Lin Ruoxi thought it was a crazy idea.
So she ignored him and continued running.
Yang Chen knew she wouldn't have given in so easily. He rode the bicycle slowly and kept a distance between himself and Lin Ruoxi.
"Ruoxi, I know it's my fault. Please forgive me this time. I know it's not my first time but the circumstances are different this time. I'll bring you along next time. I won't leave you alone anymore, alright?"
Lin Ruoxi pretended not to hear him as she maintained her pace.
Yang Chen kept talking. "Dear, if you won't forgive me, I'll have to shout it out."
Shout out what?
At this time, his appearance started to catch everyone's attention. They were wondering what the man was trying to do on an ugly bicycle. Why would anyone court a woman like this?
Lin Ruoxi glared at him, warning him to not do anything stupid.
Yang Chen showed a pitiful face. "Ruoxi, don't be angry anymore. I can beg on my knees if you want. Don't ignore me."
Lin Ruoxi looked away but she was secretly happy. Yang Chen had never shown her his weak side even when he was trying to please her. She maintained her steely exterior to see where this would go.
Lin Ruoxi knew it was impossible to ignore him forever. It had been a day and she wasn't really upset anymore. She just couldn't accept the way he apologized to her, as though she wasn't worth it.
Yang Chen pursed his lips when he saw that Lin Ruoxi wasn't going to turn back. "Dear, if you're gonna be like this then I'll have to be shameless."
Lin Ruoxi heard that and thought, Why does it feel like something will go wrong?
Before she could think about it, Yang Chen's loud voice entered her ears, "My dear Lin Ruoxi! I'm sorry! Please forgive me!"
His voice echoed far and wide throughout the neighborhood.
Everyone turned around at looked at them.
Lin Ruoxi stood there with eyes wide in shock.
Yang Chen wasn't done and continued to shout, "Darling! I'm a pig—"
Lin Ruoxi covered his mouth before he could continue his sentence!
She wanted to stay angry but it was too funny. Her cheeks were flushed as she scolded him, "Are you crazy?! How can you yell something like this here?!"
Yang Chen gave a silly laugh and kissed her hands. "Why should I care? If it works, it works."
Lin Ruoxi sighed. "You win, you really have thick skin huh."
Everyone was pointing at them while laughing, obviously talking about them.
She wanted a hole to open up and swallow her whole.
Yang Chen held her hands and said sincerely, "It doesn't matter, Ruoxi. I'm really sorry. I can't focus on anything if you keep ignoring me. I swear this won't happen again so please forgive me."
Lin Ruoxi retracted her hand and mumbled, "Why do you need to hold my hand to say this? I wasn't angry anyways."
"You mean you've forgiven me?" Yang Chen's face brightened up.
Lin Ruoxi sighed. "How can I still be angry when you are so shameless? But I swear if you embarrass me in front of other people again, you'll regret it for the rest of your life!"
Yang Chen shuddered. It didn't sound like a joke judging from her cold gaze.
He grinned at her. "Ruoxi, don't make it sound so scary. I will never do that again... never..."
Lin Ruoxi huffed and wanted to continue jogging. But she couldn't do so as everyone else was staring at her. So she turned around.
Yang Chen followed and took out the mp3 that he got for her. "Ruoxi, try this. I got this for you. Wear this on your arm. Listening to music would help pass the time."
Lin Ruoxi wasn't interested in music but she allowed him to put it on for her since Yang Chen kept nagging.
Yang Chen treated her like his master. He was happy to do anything for her since she had forgiven her.
Lin Ruoxi wore earphones and started listening to music.
Yang Chen told her, "Dear, why don't you get on the bicycle and let me give you a ride home?"
Lin Ruoxi continued to listen to music as though she didn't hear him.
Yang Chen took off her earphones and said, "Is it too loud? I said let me send you home. Let's use this bicycle for its intended purpose just this once."
Lin Ruoxi thought he looked look like a kid who found a new toy and he was asking her to play it with him. She nodded, not wanting to disappoint him and placed her earphones back in.
Chapter 852 - Hug Me
It was kind of fascinating for Lin Ruoxi since it was her first time listening to music with an mp3.
Yang Chen was excited to see his plan unfold perfectly when she agreed to do so.
When Lin Ruoxi got on, he started to cycle back in the direction of their home.
The morning breeze caressed their faces, bringing about a relaxing atmosphere.
Yang Chen looked behind and saw that Lin Ruoxi was listening to music with her hands on the backseat. "Ruoxi, you have to hug my waist. It's dangerous."
Lin Ruoxi couldn't hear him due to the music. She was nodding her head along with the beat.
Yang Chen sped up suddenly with a smirk!
He stopped abruptly after cycling for a short distance!
Lin Ruoxi couldn't help but lunge forward and hug Yang Chen's waist because of inertia!
She was only wearing a thin cotton t-shirt so when she moved forward, her chest touched his back.
Yang Chen didn't look like it, but his muscles were carved and well defined. It was much like a sculpture.
Lin Ruoxi knew immediately that Yang Chen was doing it on purpose but she didn't want to let go after touching his warm body and firm muscles.
It was tempting for her so she hugged him nervously while feeling shy.
Hmph, he's my husband. I deserve to hug him, Lin Ruoxi told herself.
But she knew Yang Chen did it on purpose. She didn't want him to feel too proud so she took off her earphones, planning to scold him.
Yang Chen was feeling elated that his plan had worked out. He felt as though he was floating on air when he felt the soft sensation through his back.
Weirdly enough, he wasn't aroused by it. He was thinking about the person behind him, someone whom he had stayed with for more than a year. They were riding against the wind on the same bicycle, going back towards their home. A home filled with family members waiting for their arrival.
This wasn't something he thought would have been possible for him given his past.
There wasn't any woman before who could make him feel so at peace.
He muttered unconsciously, "Thank you."
Lin Ruoxi heard it the moment she took off her earphones. She was surprised at first but she realized it was meant for her immediately.
"Lin Ruoxi, do you know that I've met all kinds of women all around the world from a young age? At first, you struck me as just a pretty face. If it wasn't for the fact that you were very much like her, I wouldn't have cared about you and I wouldn't have married you...
"You really suck. You rarely smile and always put up a cold demeanor to those around you. Even if you did, it was for someone else or for something else. You suck at house chores and your cooking doesn't taste good, but I still pretend to enjoy it.
"When you don't work, you are always watching Korean drama while ignoring me. You don't know how to apply makeup yet you pretend you don't need to. You don't know how to be affectionate and it scares me every time when you are.
"You suck at singing and dancing. Also, you're always afraid others would steal your glutinous rice balls like it's manna from heaven. I can never guess what you are thinking behind that scheming mind of yours even though we have been married for more than a year.
"Other than your looks, there wasn't really any reason for me to marry you. You're hard to deal with. Honestly, I could think of so many other women who would've made better wives for me..."
Yang Chen kept talking, occasionally grinning foolishly.
Lin Ruoxi gritted her teeth behind him. Tears pooled in her eyes, threatening to roll down her cheeks!
She felt wronged by his words but didn't know what to say.
Do I really suck so badly? Plus, it's not that I don't know how to apply makeup! I really don't need it!
Yang Chen laughed for a while and then sighed. "But... you are the same person who pulled me out of my past and set me on a new road in life. Now that I think about it, I feel dumb to have followed you like that... I don't know what happened to me. It's like I've been intoxicated by a drug called Lin Ruoxi and can't seem to shake it. Dear, hug me like this for the rest of our lives. I know I always upset you, but even when we're not looking at each other, you should know that I'll always be behind you when you look back. Thank you for giving me a second chance at life."
Tears rolled down Lin Ruoxi's cheek after hearing his words.
She let go of her hand to rub her eye as she muttered, "Why do you keep making me upset when I'm so important to you, hmm?"
Yang Chen stiffened up and his hands trembled, causing the bicycle to shake.
"Hey! What are you doing?!" Lin Ruoxi held onto him tightly.
Yang Chen braked abruptly and turned around stiffly with a pale face. "Ruoxi! I thought you couldn't hear me!"
Lin Ruoxi stifled her laughter as she picked up her earphones and waved it. "The songs weren't all that nice."
Yang Chen's lips twitched. "Then... what... what did you hear?"
Lin Ruoxi said nonchalantly, "I heard everything... you said I'm cold, I suck at doing things, that I'm not gentle and I'm childish... Guess you know me so well huh."
Yang Chen felt as though he was punched in the gut. "Babe, I didn't mean any of it! Just listen to the good things I said! The conclusion was you're great!"
Lin Ruoxi's face turned cold. "Stop talking and cycle! Are we not going home?"
Yang Chen gulped and nodded.
He scrunched up his face and continued cycling. How did he let it happen?
Lin Ruoxi was all smiles as she looked at him with affection. She took a deep breath and thought the air smelled much fresher.
This time, her arms wrapped around his waist voluntarily.
Yang Chen stiffened up but relaxed seconds later, his eyes filled with warmth.
Just when they were almost home, Yang Chen could see an Audi A8 and a Mercedes Benz SL550 inside, in addition to Lin Ruoxi's Bentley and his own BMW X6.
Yang Chen frowned. Why do we have guests so early in the morning?
Thy should be none other than the Yuan couple.
Lin Ruoxi realized that too as they got nearer. She asked in confusion when they saw the cars, "Hubby, X6 is yours, right? I saw it when I left the house."
"Yeah." Yang Chen nodded. "The other cars are someone else's though. Do you recognize them?"
Lin Ruoxi shook her head. She was confused too and asked him, "What happened to your M3? I have better ones if you want to change. Why drive a BMW?"
Yang Chen shrugged. "I took it from someone else. The M3 exploded, I forgot to tell you."
Lin Ruoxi frowned at his words and grumbled, "Don't shrug it off like it was nothing. I know you're strong but an explosion isn't something small. You always put yourself at risk and we're worried because of that."
Yang Chen smiled awkwardly and was about to apologize when Wang Ma got out of the house with a serious facial expression. "Master, Miss, we have guests. Please come in quickly."
Chapter 853 - No One Can
*Please spend some time reading the note below this chapter
Lin Ruoxi asked, "Wang Ma, who's here?"
Wang Ma sounded slightly nervous. "He said he's from the government. A foreigner also came with him. They wanted to talk about something."
Yang Chen and Lin Ruoxi looked at each other and nodded before going in together.
The first person they saw sitting on the couch was Tang Tang's father, Fang Zhongping. He was the secretary of Zhonghai's committee.
They hadn't seen him since their last run-in at the nursing home.
So their sudden visit was rather surprising to both Yang Chen and Lin Ruoxi.
Other than the two bodyguards and Fang Zhongping's assistant, there was another Caucasian man standing in the room.
He was around two meters tall, wearing a white suit over a pink shirt. He had curly blond hair with mesmerizing green eyes. All in all, he looked like the perfect gentleman.
Wang Ma had served them tea and they were both sitting on the couch waiting for the couple to arrive.
"You have returned. We apologize for our sudden visit," Fang Zhongping spoke cautiously, being aware of Yang Chen's identity.
Lin Ruoxi was surprised when she saw the Caucasian.
"Mr Maksim? Why are you here?" Lin Ruoxi asked in English.
Yang Chen frowned. Maksim? He had never heard of him, so he asked, "Ruoxi, you know this guy?"
Maksim greeted them before Lin Ruoxi could answer. "Hello, I'm Maksim from the Klyuchevsky family in Russia. It's an honor to visit your home. I met President Lin at the international business and economics meeting yesterday."
Yang Chen remembered that Lin Ruoxi attended a meeting so she couldn't come home for dinner. He thought the Klyuchevsky family name sounded familiar but he couldn't quite place where he had heard it from.
Fang Zhongping said, "Mr Maksim wished to personally discuss with the both of you about an important collaboration involving the diplomatic relations between China and Russia. I was tasked as the middleman to escort Mr Maksim."
Yang Chen giggled. "Isn't that a little over the top? Discussing diplomatic relations in our house that is."
"It's not." Fang Zhongping smiled. "Whether or not it goes smoothly depends on both of you."
They all sat down on the couch to start the discussion. Wang Ma and Guo Xuehua went upstairs in order to not disturb them.
Maksim introduced himself and talked briefly about his family business, also how much he admired Lin Ruoxi's ability on the international market.
He only told Yang Chen that he had heard a lot about him.
Yang Chen was sure that he definitely knew about his background. Else he would have ignored Yang Chen altogether.
Fang Zhongping continued, "You might not know of this but his family is the biggest contributor to the Russian economy. His family has funded election campaigns for multiple prime ministers of the country. They have also invested in nearly half of the nuclear energy market, petroleum, and natural gas in Russia. However, they operate under a shroud of secrecy so not many know of their influence."
Lin Ruoxi was surprised to hear this. She did not know that the man she had just met yesterday, had such an extensive background.
Russia was filled with a variety of energy sources. A collaboration with the family who held the controlling interest would drive other international companies insane.
Plus a business oligarch in a capitalist country would definitely have the power to make a decision that would influence the diplomatic relations.
"Mr Maksim didn't mention anything about a collaboration with Yu Lei at yesterday's meeting. Why the sudden interest?" Lin Ruoxi asked with curiosity.
She was always pleased to talk about business.
Maksim smiled, slightly embarrassed. "President Lin, my proposal ties in with my background. I do not wish to reveal it to the general public right now."
Lin Ruoxi was surprised to hear that and she waited quietly for his next words.
Maksim drank his tea and said, "I hope that Yu Lei International would terminate the contract with Princess Jane."
Yang Chen's hands shook at his words.
Maksim continued, "I came to Zhonghai for Jane. Jane is my fiancée and our marriage was established by a decision made by the Rothschild's and the Klyuchevsky family. But due to a misunderstanding, she took up the offer from Yu Lei and came to Zhonghai to escape our marriage. This is an embarrassment towards our family and the royal family of Wales. I have to stop her and bring her back to Russia so that we can continue our marriage ceremony."
Yang Chen's face was emotionless but he was annoyed to hear that. He didn't ask Catherine what kind of family Jane was marrying into but he certainly wasn't expecting a business oligarch from Russia.
He could understand why the Rothschild family had chosen the Klyuchevsky family if they were really in control of the nuclear energy source and petroleum since the Rothschild's only cared about money.
Plus, the Klyuchevsky family was the one behind Russia's ruling party.
Lin Ruoxi had only just realized now that Jane came here as a means of escape from her marriage!
It was more like a threat than a proposal!
Lin Ruoxi's mind was spinning. Her first thought was to let Jane go. It would be a huge loss for Yu Lei given the amount invested and the amount lost. She would be showing others their weakness which wouldn't be in sync with her tough personality. They weren't of the same level, so going against them would be a bad idea and Lin Ruoxi wasn't a hasty person. But if she had to let her go, the Klyuchevsky family might compensate her generously for the termination of the contract. It may help her to open up the market in Eastern Europe.
The other choice was to not let her go. This would make her their enemy. The upside of this choice was that Jane would be indebted to them, helping them further in the future. At the same time, a businesswoman like herself couldn't possibly stand up against the Russian government!
Lin Ruoxi turned around and looked at Yang Chen who was silent.
If she were to choose not to let Jane go, the only person who could help her was Yang Chen.
But do I really want to go against their will just for my reputation? Is it wise to keep Jane in Zhonghai? she thought.
Lin Ruoxi was secretly worried if Jane kept staying in Zhonghai, something might happen between her and Yang Chen...
After all, she had grown up with Yang Chen!
Yang Chen noticed that Lin Ruoxi was looking at him so he turned to her and asked smilingly, "What do you think?"
Lin Ruoxi hesitated for a while before asking, "Mr Maksim, let's talk about the terms first. If I agree to terminate the contract, we would suffer other losses and not to mention the penalty. How do you plan to compensate for that?"
At times like this Lin Ruoxi decided to cool down and use her business mindset to make decisions.
Maksim held three fingers up as though he already knew she would ask that. "First, the Europe branch of Yu Lei will receive a direct sale passage to Eastern Europe which I know you've been stressing over recently. Second, we will replace Jane with researchers of our own. They might not be as fast as Princess Jane but I guarantee results within two years. Third, other than paying the full amount of the penalty fees on your behalf, we also promise to give Yu Lei priority for the raw materials obtained from the petroleum extraction project that we're collaborating with China!"
His first offer was already enough to tempt Lin Ruoxi to accept his terms!
The barrier created by the country as a form of protection towards their own businesses was hard to break by a single company, but Maksim guaranteed that easily! The second and third offers were too good to be true!
Priority for the raw materials? That would lower their cost of production by the hundred folds!
Lin Ruoxi knew she was rich enough but it was still hard to reject a deal like this!
Plus, Jane's absence would also benefit her family!
Maksim drank his tea quietly as he waited for Lin Ruoxi's reply.
Fang Zhongping continued to convince them, "President Lin, the terms laid out by the Klyuchevsky family are a testament to their sincerity. The government also hopes that Yu Lei International would agree to that for the sake of diplomatic relations. As for Princess Jane, the Welsh royal family has already passed the message to her so she won't blame you for terminating the contract."
Lin Ruoxi took a deep breath and pursed her lips. She didn't dare to look at Yang Chen because she couldn't bear to reject the offer.
"If the offers are true, I can—"
"No!"
Yang Chen cut her off before she could finish her sentence!
His rejection made everyone freeze in their seats.
Lin Ruoxi paled, his declaration could mean more than just denying her decision...
Maksim and Fang Zhongping stopped smiling as they stared at Yang Chen.
"This has to go through Jane and if she doesn't agree to do it, no one can bring her back." Yang Chen looked up and spoke with a commanding voice.
Maksim grinned. "Mr Yang Chen, I know of your background that even the Rothschild clan fears. But this doesn't mean that you can make decisions that will affect world politics and diplomatic relations. You're powerful but you're not invincible. A rash decision would bring unnecessary conflict towards China, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the major clans..."
Chapter 854 - Is That Really What You Think
Maksim's face darkened. Although his expressions did not change that much, the air around him turned cold and dark.
Yang Chen snickered while rubbing his fingers together. "Are you threatening me?"
Maksim shook his head with a smug expression. "I was informing you, not threatening. From what I know, Mr Yang is the descendant of the Yang clan in Beijing. So shouldn't you check back with your clan for matters regarding diplomatic relations?"
"You seem to be mistaken about something." Yang Chen's face darkened. "No one can stop me if I set my mind to do something. Even if it means another world war."
Maksim's face dawned in realization. He laughed as he stood up. "Since Mr Yang disagrees with the proposal, I'll have the Ministry of Foreign Affairs intervene and I can guarantee it won't go down so easily. Plus... this won't bode well for Princess Jane's reputation."
Fang Zhongping was starting to twitch in his seat. He was in charge of this VIP guest so he couldn't possibly let this escalate to an international war.
"Yang Chen, what are you doing?! Let's cool things off and have a proper discussion!"
Yang Chen looked down as though he heard nothing.
Lin Ruoxi felt like interjecting but ultimately chose not to. Yang Chen was like a time bomb that could explode anytime soon!
Maksim turned around and smiled. "Oh yea, President Lin, from what I could gather, you have full authority in regards to Yu Lei International. Why do you need your husband's approval for my offer? That is very unwise of you, far from what I imagined you as a strong and independent businesswoman."
He shook a finger and laughed as he walked out.
Suddenly, Yang Chen flashed from his position!
He dashed out of the door and stopped in front of Maksim, blocking his path!
Maksim was still laughing and his face froze at Yang Chen's sudden movement!
"You..."
He was shocked by Yang Chen's appearance. Yang Chen's stature was completely different than before. He was like a bloodthirsty beast threatening to swallow him while in the next second!
Maksim felt small in front of Yang Chen although he was much taller than him!
He stepped back instinctively, trying to avoid him!
But Yang Chen's hand gripped his neck before he could move!
Maksim whimpered and tried to run but he was caught and dragged back to the front!
"Don't think too highly of yourself. You're not worth my time." Yang Chen's voice was cold and emotionless.
In the next second, his hands went straight from his stomach!
"Oof!"
The cruel sound made the likes of Fang Zhongping and Lin Ruoxi freeze in their spots!
Yang Chen's hand emerged from his back!
It was even twisted from the inside out!
Maksim's intestine and backbone were visible for everyone to see!
Maksim groaned in pain, unable to withstand the agony!
Yang Chen nonchalantly threw him several meters out the door!
Yang Chen looked towards Fang Zhongping who was trembling and said, "You can report everything that happens here. Come back to me if you run into any trouble."
Lin Ruoxi was retching from behind. The proposal was the last thing from her mind right now. The scene before her seemed too cruel for anyone to endure despite having seen similar things before.
Fang Zhongping was about to say something but he froze as though he saw something peculiar.
Yang Chen sensed it too and he turned around to look at Maksim!
Something peculiar was happening!
His wound had healed, including his skin, flesh, and organs. Some of the remnant from his organ was removed from his body and new ones were made. Maksim stood up breathing heavily. His eyes were red and when he opened his mouth, fangs could be seen!
"Your strength really is unbelievable, Pluto..." Maksim smiled wickedly.
Something flashed through Yang Chen's mind when he saw Maksim's healing power and fangs different from a vampire!
Yes!
"I remember now... wolverines, the descendants of White Wolf! Your family is the royal family of the wolverines! You're a wolverine?!" Yang Chen was surprised.
Maksim cackled. "So what? We're not living in the middle ages anymore! We have been assisting past rulers in Russia, starting from Catherine the Great. We're the kings of Eastern Europe! China will suffer the consequences of your actions!"
Having said so, Maksim disappeared in a flash!
Yang Chen decided not to chase after him even though he could've done so easily.
The self-healing ability of wolverines in addition to their extraordinary physical capabilities and combat skills were the reason why they were on par with vampires for centuries. Wolverines can regenerate their bodies as long as their hearts remained intact. Plus, wolverines weren't afraid of sunlight, unlike the vampires.
Neither side could win even after centuries which caused the wolverines to not give a damn to the Dark Council led by the vampires.
Of course, Yang Chen could have killed him easily but doing so would only cause more trouble than good.
The whole incident was too much to bear for a normal person like Fang Zhongping. His legs had given up as he sat on the floor, his eyes filled with confusion.
Yang Chen walked over and said, "Don't worry, they wouldn't blame you for this. Just report it exactly as you saw."
Fang Zhongping stayed still for a while and left with his bodyguards after sighing and shaking his head at Yang Chen. He had to report this incident to his superiors immediately.
Yang Chen walked into the kitchen and washed the blood stain on his hands before returning to the living room.
Lin Ruoxi sat on the couch with a dazed expression.
Yang Chen walked over and sat next to her. "You saw what he did. Even though I cannot understand her family's reasoning behind having her marry a wolverine, I couldn't just sit by and let that happen."
Lin Ruoxi turned around. "Is that really what you think?"
Yang Chen was silent, not knowing how to answer her.
Lin Ruoxi let out a bitter smile. "I knew it. I knew you wouldn't let Jane go when you rejected the offer. Do you know how cruel you're being, doing that in front of me?"
"I'm sorry," Yang Chen said helplessly. "I know that whatever I say won't change anything but I promised Jane that no one would force her to do anything she doesn't want to."
At the same time, Guo Xuehua and Wang Ma walked down when they realized the commotion had ceased.
They were shocked to see the pool of blood by the door and got worried when they saw the heavy atmosphere between Yang Chen and Lin Ruoxi.
Just when Guo Xuehua was about to ask what happened, she heard noises from a car outside.
She could recognize the person since the door was open. "Eh, isn't that Miss Jane? Why is she here?"
Chapter 855 - I Did Nothing Wrong
Jane was wearing her lab coat when she got out of the car. One would assume that she had come straight from her laboratory.
She looked towards Lin Ruoxi who was seated on the couch before greeting Guo Xuehua and Wang Ma with a friendly smile.
Lin Ruoxi stood up and greeted her after rubbing her eyes.
"Why have you come?" Yang Chen asked.
Jane took out a vial from her pocket and shook it. It was filled with a weird purple liquid.
"It's the antidote. I was afraid that I would be too late so I decided to personally deliver it to you. Just have him drink it," Jane said as she tossed the vial over.
Yang Chen took it and stuffed it into his pocket. "How did you manage to finish it so quickly?"
Jane let out a breath and brushed her bangs. "This is a genetic weapon called Tribute to Maria which had just undergone its testing phase in Nicene laboratory. I have a student who works there and they had asked me several questions not too long ago regarding the synthesis process. I looked through and told them not to experiment with it since it was extremely lethal but it seems like they still went ahead with it."
The others couldn't understand what they were saying, so they all kept quiet.
Yang Chen frowned. "Nicene laboratory? What's that?"
Jane explained, "It originated from the Nicene Creed, a Christian belief from the Eastern Orthodox churches. But this laboratory was founded by the believers in Russian Eastern Orthodox churches. Their aim was to cleanse people of their sins using unorthodox methods. It's safe to assume that they are insane for their cause.
"The Eastern Orthodox Church reveres St. Maria with high regard so this weapon was called Tribute to Maria. It spreads through the air or through human fluid and blood. Those infected would be overcome with bloodthirst and rage. But in the end, their organs would slowly fail and they would die."
Yang Chen asked in a low voice, "How did this sickening stuff come to China?"
"That's what I want to know too." Jane pursed her lips. "If I hadn't known about the synthesis process, I wouldn't have been able to find the antidote within the next month. Having me take a look at it was a stroke of luck."
Yang Chen contemplated for a while and asked, "Jane, the Nicene laboratory is in Russia right? Who's the one funding them?"
Jane shook her head. "I believe that information is classified. You should ask your friend Makedon. But I estimate it would require roughly three billion pounds to synthesize this weapon so you can assume that their sponsor is not an ordinary one. Oh yeah, the Russian government would never take part in it. The moral despicableness of this goes beyond anything the Russian government has done. It's inhuman."
"Alright, I'll have Makedon look into it." Yang Chen had an inkling that this event was linked to the Russian woman and Maksim from the Klyuchevsky family. But everything was up in the air as he had no conclusive proof.
Yang Chen couldn't help but laugh. "Jane, why did your students join them? Shouldn't you intervene as their mentor?"
Jane beamed and said, "Isn't there a saying that goes, 'education should be given freely and equally'? I'm a teacher not a judge. I teach whoever wishes to learn and is respectful to me. So whatever my students do have nothing to do with me."
"Aren't you afraid that one of them would harm you?"
Jane blinked. "You know what Yang Chen, I actually find Yan Buwen's achievements impressive. If there was anyone that could pique my interest in research, it's him. Everyone else including my students aren't capable of intellectually challenging me."
Yang Chen thought she looked the least adorable whenever she talked about her scientific achievements.
Lin Ruoxi couldn't understand a word that they said. She felt like an awkward third wheel. She couldn't help but feel bitter and threatened.
Jane walked over to Lin Ruoxi suddenly and lowered her head down in embarrassment. "Miss Lin, I'm so sorry..."
Lin Ruoxi was startled, not understanding why Jane said this.
Jane looked up and spoke with a hollow voice. "I saw the Mercedes-Benz outside. I recognized it. He came looking for me yesterday. If he came and left his car here, I could already guess that Yang Chen chased him away because of the promise he made to me, right?"
Jane didn't have to think twice to come up with this conclusion.
Lin Ruoxi didn't expect her to figure it out without witnessing the incident.
Lin Ruoxi would've held a grudge against Jane had she not brought up the topic, but when she saw the pain in those blue eyes, Lin Ruoxi couldn't help but feel bad for her...
She felt bad when she realized that Jane was being forced to marry into a monster's family by her own family.
Jane let out a forced smile. "I know that whatever Yang Chen had done must have caused a lot of misunderstandings. But please don't be worried. I have no intention to infringe on your relationship. Yang Chen saved my mom and my life when I was young. He's just my... savior. If you can't stand having me here, just tell me and I wouldn't be offended. I can complete the research project elsewhere. I hope that you and Yang Chen will be happy and not divorce because of the trouble that I've caused—"
"Enough!"
Yang Chen cut her off and said in a stern voice. "Jane, there's nothing wrong with us. If you knew about this, that means that you knew about the Klyuchevsky family's heritage. Damn it... I wouldn't be so upset if it was the vampires. But the wolverines? Are they planning to have you marry Maksim and give birth to a monster?! Has Catherine gone crazy? How could she agree to this?!"
Jane shook her head. "Don't blame her... This marriage was brought up by the Rothschild clan. The Klyuchevsky family had supplied plenty of oilfield and bulk amount of armory at a low price to us. Plus, I never had a lover so they couldn't wait any longer. My mother didn't have a say in it as our royal status is dependent on the Rothschild clan."
"Nonsense! They never planned to inform me about your marriage! They were planning to settle it behind my back! Did they really think they could fool me?" Yang Chen's face darkened.
Jane smiled. "It's no big deal. Nothing has been set in stone as of late. Plus even if I do marry Maksim, it would just be for show. I have no obligations to him."
Yang Chen frowned at her words. "What do you mean, are you saying that you plan to marry him?!"
Lin Ruoxi understood what she was implying and she looked at Jane in shock.
Jane bit her lip and said, "He had already come to Zhonghai for me. This means that the situation would not be resolved lightly. The least I could do is date him for a start."
Her words pricked his heart!
Yang Chen was about to say something but Lin Ruoxi caught his hands!
Lin Ruoxi gripped onto his hand strongly, causing Yang Chen to look back.
"What's wrong, Ruoxi?" Yang Chen asked in confusion.
Lin Ruoxi told Jane with a smile on her face. "That sounds nice. Mr Maksim is quite the gentleman. He might be different from us but who's to say he is not sincere right?"
Yang Chen froze. He put two and two together and realized that she wanted Jane to leave Zhonghai for good!
Jane obviously understood the underlying meaning of her words as she nodded her head awkwardly. "Yeah, if there isn't anything else I'll leave first. Goodbye."
Jane ran out of the villa and they could hear her drive off.
Guo Xuehua and Wang Ma shook their heads in confusion, having witnessed the whole scenario. They thought it would be best to let the young ones handle things themselves and so they went back into the kitchen.
Lin Ruoxi let go of Yang Chen's hands and let out a breath.
Yang Chen snapped back to his senses and walked towards the stairs without uttering a single word.
Lin Ruoxi felt bitter as she watched him from behind but her gaze was firm. Her voice shook as she yelled, "I did nothing wrong! There's nothing wrong with wanting the best for my family!"
Yang Chen paused and nodded slightly before continuing his way up.
Chapter 856 - On Behalf of Jane
Maksim had changed into some fresh clothes given that his previous ones were stained with blood. He stood in the royal suite of Zhonghai International Hotel and stared out the window with a blank expression on his face.
A blonde woman kneeled behind him in a respectful manner. "Master, the Giant Whale Society has placed the missiles containing the Tribute to Maria at the border between Zhonghai and Su Province. The old man has started his negotiations with the marine corps in the East China Sea. He has been putting considerable pressure on the government."
Maksim nodded. "As expected. How did he react to the death of his son?"
"He was very upset but he knew better than to act out." The blonde woman snickered.
If Yang Chen was here, he would've recognized that this woman was the one he had let go on purpose. The woman who manipulated Gao Yu, Aishapova!
Maksim asked, "How's Jane?"
Aishapova replied, "Princess Jane went to Yang Chen's house and has now returned to her laboratory. Nothing out of the ordinary."
Maksim gave her a few orders. "Keep an eye on her and be prepared to abduct her anytime soon."
"Master," Aishapova asked in confusion, "I don't get it. Why are you so fixated on marrying Princess Jane? She disobeyed you and doesn't deserve to be a part of the Klyuchevsky family!"
Maksim snorted. "What do you know about deserving people.... Well I suppose there's no harm in telling you this. I'm not marrying her because I want her. I'm marrying her for her intelligence."
"Intelligence?"
"We spent so much time and effort trying to synthesize the Tribute to Maria. If things go according to plan, the Americans wouldn't even be able to synthesize an antidote within a year. The only risk factor lies in Jane!" Maksim explained, "The person who synthesized this genetic weapon was Jane's student. So if there is anyone who can outwit us, it would be Jane."
"So... Master, you're trying to control her?" Aishapova realized his ulterior motive.
"Correct." Maksim snickered. "The reason why the Rothschild clan agreed to marry Jane off was that she refused to synthesize any kind of inhuman weapons for them. They thought that even if Jane married me, she would still maintain her belief and not produce any weapons. But they are fools to think that way. We, the descendants of the noble White Wolf have our own ways to control Jane and make her work for us..."
Aishapova's eyes shined brightly. "Master, are you talking about the Totem of Hypnotism?"
"Uh-huh," Maksim said. "It would be best if she followed me back willingly. But should she resist us, I would have no choice but to use it. Even if it would deteriorate our relationship with the United Kingdom."
Aishapova asked worriedly, "What about Yang Chen? His abilities were not taken into account."
Maksim said in disdain, "Don't worry, he wouldn't dare to risk the lives of millions for the life of one! Even if he dared to attack, the Central Committee of Zhonghai wouldn't agree. Also don't forget, Yang Chen has another identity as the grandson of the Yang clan. His elders wouldn't let him do as he wishes.
"Plus, we only ordered the Giant Whale Society to infiltrate China and take down the underworld in Zhonghai, Beijing, and Su Province.
"Soon the richest part of the underworld will be under the control of the Klyuchevsky family. The petroleum we provided to the Rothschild clan is insignificant compared to this. Plus, with the Giant Whale Society as our fodder, no one would suspect us." Maksim smirked.
Aishapova was filled with excitement. "Congratulations Master. Once this plan succeeds, Southeast Asia will become our gold mine! We can overthrow the stupid vampires of the Dark World!"
Maksim said in displeasure, "Vampires? Those rotten creatures deserve to be overthrown. We, the wolverines will rule the world!"
Aishapova's eyes were filled with admiration, but her face turned stiff and she yelled suddenly as though as she remembered something important. "Oh no! Master! I forgot to report something!"
"Spill," Maksim said casually.
Aishapova said with a trembling voice, "Gao Yu might have given a slight dose of the Tribute to Maria to a young man in an attempt to take down the Green Dragon Society and the Red Thorn Society. Yang Chen took him away... Do you think... Yang Chen took him to Jane?"
"What?!"
Maksim turned around abruptly and kicked her chest!
Aishapova flew back and hit the wall with a loud thud!
"Go! Investigate this! If he really brought him to Jane, send her off now! Use all the resources you need! Don't ever give her the chance to synthesize the antidote!" Maksim growled.
Aishapova coughed out blood as she crawled out of the room.
On the other hand, Yang Chen was in his room unaware of the plot against him and his friends.
He took some time to organize his thoughts. He wasn't angry or dissatisfied with Lin Ruoxi's choice. She only did what she thought was appropriate.
After all, he was the root of the problem.
Yang Chen summoned the Sea Eagles to pass the antidote to Liu Minghao before anything went wrong.
After that, Yang Chen contacted Makedon and had him investigate the sponsor of Nicene laboratory. At the same time, he had Hannya from the Yamata Sect investigate the relationship between the Giant Whale Society and the Klyuchevsky family.
Yang Chen felt like he missed an important part. He smacked his forehead when he realized what it was—he forgot about Jane's safety!
If Maksim could come to Zhonghai for her, he could take her away forcefully too.
So Yang Chen sent another two agents from the Sea Eagles to protect Jane.
Half an hour later, Yang Chen received a reply from Makedon.
The bald man was drinking wine while reading the report. "Your Majesty Pluto, our people searched for the background info on Nicene laboratory through the KGB system. The founder was a scientist who was fired from the KGB. He was part of the inhuman genetic weapon research project and the Russian government was afraid of getting caught by other countries and fired him to cover their tracks.
"But the Klyuchevsky family saved him and offered protection. The KGB thought that this wouldn't place the country at risk and they weren't willing to go against the descendants of the White Wolf. So the KGB chose to take a step back and the Nicene laboratory was founded. Two of them are Princess Jane's students."
"So you're saying that the Klyuchevsky family is the sponsor?" Yang Chen grinned.
Makedon rubbed his belly and burped, "Yes, but because the laboratory is under the surveillance of the Klyuchevsky family, no one really knows what goes on in there. If they are really developing genetically enhanced weapons, we would be left defenceless... unless..."
"Unless Jane made the antidote before they could release it, right?" Yang Chen realized.
Makedon nodded. "Damn it! Your Majesty Pluto, it looks like the Klyuchevsky family isn't sincere about their marriage. They were worried that Princess Jane would ruin their plans!"
Makedon was furious.
Yang Chen's face darkened. "You did well. Now, I need you to locate their base of operations and pass the information to Sauron."
Makedon beamed. "Your Majesty Pluto, are you initiating an attack? How could you let that ginger head man carry out this interesting task?! Objection!"
Yang Chen said, "Your subordinates wouldn't stand a chance against the wolverines. They're no match for their combat and regeneration abilities."
"But the Sea Eagles might not win too. Even the elites from the vampire's family don't stand a chance against the royal descendants of the White Wolf." Makedon grumbled.
Yang Chen chuckled. "If they can't make it then I'll go myself. As for the stragglers, let the Expendable unit of Zero take care of them. Send this gift to them on behalf of Jane."
Chapter 857 - Sly Foxes
Makedon shivered when he heard the name 'Expendable'. He smiled stiffly and said, "Your Majesty Pluto, you must be angrier than I imagined. I thought that you wouldn't go that far."
"They should have prepared for the worst the moment they decided that Jane was just a chess piece in their game of war."
Makedon asked out of curiosity, "Your Majesty Pluto, what's your final goal?"
Yang Chen hummed in response. "That Maksim guy, he seems quite intent on marrying Jane. But how will he do that with no family?"
Cold sweat dripped down Makedon's forehead as he nodded...
A round wooden table stood in the middle of the meeting room in the Central Committee located in Beijing.
Four people were seated around it. They were Ning Guangyao, Li Moshen, Yang Gongming, and Tang Zhechen respectively.
Ning Guangyao was the youngest amongst them with Yang Gongming and Tang Zhechen being the eldest ones.
Each clan leader had their subordinates sit directly behind them. On any other given day, they were forced to be reckoned with. But today, they were absolutely powerless in the presence of these four men.
Ning Guangyao kept his silence for three minutes while touching the side of the porcelain teacup before turning around to look at Yang Gongming. "Mr Yang, the marines at the East China Sea are under your command. Perhaps you would like to provide some input on the matter."
Yang Gongming kept a straight face. "Why bother stationing marines there if we are just going to allow pirates to come ashore regardless?"
Ning Guangyao frowned as he glanced towards Li Moshen and Tang Zhechen. They kept their heads lowered as if they did not hear anything.
Ning Guangyao sighed. "Mr Yang, I know your clan has been courageous and fearless for years. But the Giant Whale Society has received a huge number of missiles containing genetic weapons from the Klyuchevsky family. The lives of millions are at stake here. Giving them access for a short while would be nothing compared to the lives we would lose."
"If they went through so much trouble to synthesize a genetic weapon, they must have developed an antidote for it as well. What's stopping us from making the antidote ourselves?" Yang Gongming rebuked.
Ning Guangyao replied, "But our problem is that we do not have much time. Who knows how long it would take to create the antidote? Are you willing to risk the lives of millions on the hope that we can find an antidote?!"
Yang Gongming closed his eyes. "Premier Ning, I've conveyed my point. The final decision does not rest in my hands. Should you wish to continue, I am powerless to stop you."
Ning Guangyao tried to persuade him. "Mr Yang, I have no choice. Actually, the other reason I invited you is because of Yang Chen..."
"Oh?"
"From what I know, Yang Chen had interfered with the marriage between the Klyuchevsky and Rothschild clans. Maksim from the Klyuchevsky family plans to bring Princess Jane back and it's best that Yang Chen doesn't interfere with that."
"He might not listen to me." Yang Gongming sounded unbothered.
Ning Guangyao wanted to say something else but was interrupted by Li Moshen.
"Stop." Li Moshen held onto his earphones and told everyone, "It's too late."
"What do you mean?"
Li Moshen let out a vague smile. "The MSS received a report saying that one of Zero's units called Expendable had started an attack on the Klyuchevsky family in Eastern Europe. The Russian Ministry Of Foreign Affairs is starting to condemn us for his actions. Also, Yang Chen's Sea Eagles have started a fight with the agents of the Klyuchevsky family who were sent to look for Princess Jane."
Everyone else was shocked to hear this.
They knew that Yang Chen was incredibly unpredictable. But no one had expected him to act this quickly without hesitation!
Ning Guangyao tightened his fist as he said in annoyance, "Expendable? What kind of force is that?"
Li Moshen lowered his voice and explained, "According to the report, this unit has ties with Princess Jane. Princess Jane had announced ages ago that she would never create any inhuman weapons but she did make a medicine for the world's best assassin unit. It's used to cure heavily injured assassins. But it came with a price.
"These assassins were mutated in the process. Their physical capabilities became off the charts. They were known as the assassins from Hell and were called the Expendable. They've become the most mysterious and strongest unit under zero."
BANG!
Ning Guangyao punched the table. "This will only make matters worse! If our relationship with Russia is harmed, we will be losing our only reliable ally against the USA! Our trading at the borders will be affected too! Yang Chen... he's ruining this country!"
Yang Gongming smiled. "Premier, you're wrong. There has never been an alliance between our countries."
"Mr Yang, what are you saying?"
Yang Gongming replied, "What I meant was that, if we want to have an ally, there can only be one."
"What?" Ning Guangyao prompted.
Yang Gongming straightened his back and said in a proud manner, "Army!"
Tang Zhechen laughed at the side. "Mr Yang, you're really daring."
Li Moshen nodded in agreement while smiling.
Yang Gongming continued on, "They already planned to start a war by placing missiles. What's the point of having soldiers if we aren't going to utilize them to fight back? Yang Chen might've acted hastily but his actions are directed towards the Russians. Why should we be nervous?"
Ning Guangyao was slightly annoyed by the way things were going. "Our main focus should be the wellbeing of our citizens. Are we really going to face them head-on!?"
Li Moshen shook his head. "The fact that these missiles were able to enter China undetected was already a puzzle in itself. It must've been an inside job. I've sent people to investigate this and we found out that there are moles in the customs of Su Province."
Ning Guangyao was startled. "You mean it was done by the people in the Su Province?"
"That's right," Li Moshen said. "By working with the Giant Whale Society, they were able to use those weapons to threaten us. Once Zhonghai and Su Province are in a mess, they would proceed to get funds from the government to settle down the mess. Plus, upgrading the equipment in the customs would be another expense. There was a lot they could gain from this."
Ning Guangyao was shocked but he didn't show it. This sly fox, he knew about all this yet he never informed me, he thought.
The four major clans appeared to be on friendly terms but that was all for show. The Li and Yang clans were the closest whereas the Tang clan remained neutral.
"So what should we do then?" Ning Guangyao asked earnestly.
Li Moshen replied, "We only need to get rid of the Giant Whale Society who are situated in the sea. We should act now when they think they are the safest. As for the missiles in between Zhonghai and Su Province, nothing will happen under Yang Chen's watch."
Ning Guangyao questioned, "Do you really trust him?"
"Haha." Li Moshen giggled. "He's smart. If he dared to attack, it means that he would have any number of countermeasures in place. Wouldn't he be worried about his lovers in Zhonghai if he wasn't sure?"
In the meantime, Yang Chen was in the royal suite of the Zhonghai International Hotel.
Under his feet was a body. It was Maksim! Yang Chen had crushed his heart into pieces!
Maksim's eyes were wide open in anger. He couldn't understand why Yang Chen had killed him and why he was unafraid of the consequences.
At the corner of the room, there was a blonde woman with hair growing in her face. Aishapova was stabbed in the heart by an unknown force before she could transform into a wolverine.
Yang Chen retracted his legs and told Molin, "Take care of this. I have some business in Russia I have to attend to..."
Chapter 858 - Those Who Object
The historic city of Keswick was built during the Victorian era. On the top of one of its towering hills was a castle. It was built appropriately for the era with large flags hanging from its walls.
Delicate pieces of art were displayed in the hall and lit up by the iridescent chandelier which hung from the ceiling.
And on the couch in the hall, was a man yawning and occasionally looking at the clock on the wall.
It was a pretty normal scene disregarding the fact that his clothes were blood red.
Suddenly, the doors of the hall were flung open from the outside as people piled into the room.
The man in the front was an old one. He was wearing a suit with a pocket watch on his chest.
Next to him was a young blonde man who looked rather nervous.
The old man's eyes couldn't help but twitch when he saw the sack on the rub. Blood was seeping out of it.
He regained his composure quickly as he walked to the front with a smile on his face. "How rare for you to visit us, Your Majesty Pluto. You haven't visited us Rothschild's in years."
The person lying on the couch was Yang Chen.
Yang Chen scratched his ears with a smug smile. "Why does it feel like I am not welcomed here?"
"You must be joking, Your Majesty. The Rothschild family welcome you at all times," the elder said with a gentle voice.
Yang Chen had no interest in talking to a family who was only interested in doing business. He pointed to the sack and said, "Have a look at this, it's a gift from me."
The elder took a deep breath and beckoned the bodyguards to open the sack.
They came forward and opened the sack while holding their breath...
A pungent smell came out of the sack which almost made them puke!
The sack was filled with werewolves' heads!
Their facial expressions were filled with terror as if they were face to face with death itself!
"Wer—werewolves?"
Yang Chen stood up and threw his shirt onto the ground. He placed his hands on his waist and continued, "It took me half a day to kill all of the core members of the Klyuchevsky family. They're all here in this sack."
The old man trembled as he asked, "Your Majesty Pluto, why did you do this?"
"Didn't you plan to marry Jane off to the Klyuchevsky family?" Yang Chen snickered. "Now that the family's destroyed, I assume that the marriage will have to be annulled?
The old man's legs turned wobbly so the blonde man supported him and looked at Yang Chen with an exasperated gaze.
"Your Majesty Pluto, I recall the agreement for beings of your stature not to intervene in international matters. Aren't you afraid of the consequences?" The man tried and failed to speak in a composed voice.
"And it still holds true. I'm not interested in international matters. But this involves the people around me." Yang Chen continued, "Jane is the sole conductor of her own life. I will turn a blind eye to the things you do for money. But I will not sit and tolerate it when it breaches my personal affairs.
Yang Chen then added, "Consequences? If anyone has a problem with it, they can take it up with me! I'll kill all those who stand in my way! Words have no effect on me. The strong will take what they want and the weak will have to follow. Oh ya...the werewolves from the Klyuchevsky family were able to keep me occupied for half a day. I wonder how long a mere human could last?"
The elder couldn't help but step back with his head lowered.
Yang Chen glanced over and told Edward who was standing beside quietly, "Edward, you should persuade your family members to reconsider their actions. You might be my friend but your family ain't."
Edward smiled bitterly. "I thought the days of you doing this are behind you. Clearly I was wrong. The Russian government had already initiated their defenses because of you. They are afraid that you will go berserk and kill their leader."
Yang Chen was unbothered by it. "Let them be. I'm going to take a shower. In the meantime, prepare an aeroplane for me. I'm going home."
The sun was already shining brightly in Zhonghai although it was still early in the morning.
Lin Ruoxi was wearing a gray dress as she stood in front of the villa, her hair moving along the breeze.
It wasn't hard to tell that she didn't have enough sleep by looking at her bloodshot eyes.
Yang Chen never sent her any messages ever since he told her that he was going overseas to settle some business yesterday afternoon.
Lin Ruoxi was worried, especially since Yang Chen didn't seem angry about the incident regarding Jane.
Around this time, a white Cadillac stopped at the road in front of her.
A woman dressed in black got down from the car, followed by a gentleman.
They were Yuan Hewei and Yang Jieyu.
Yang Jieyu was surprised to see her as he walked over and hugged her. "Ruoxi, were you waiting for me?"
Lin Ruoxi was feeling a bit shy as she smiled awkwardly and nodded. She skipped her training and opted for waiting for the couple when she heard that they were on their way.
"You're so thoughtful greeting us at the door. Ruoxi, your husband is so thoughtless. How could he let you come out alone?" Yang Jieyu chided.
Lin Ruoxi's eyes dimmed, "He... he's not back yet."
Yang Jieyu laughed as though she expected this answer. "He'll be back soon. Let's go in first. We can talk later when he's back."
Lin Ruoxi was curious to know how she was sure that Yang Chen would be back soon, but she didn't ask and brought the couple into the house.
Guo Xuehua was happy when she found out her sister and her sister's husband would be visiting. Although they both lived in Zhonghai, it wasn't often that they were free to meet. She wondered what was the urgent matter that made them visit early in the morning.
It was merry in the house as they sat down to eat the leftover rice dumplings from the Dragon Boat Festival and congee for breakfast while waiting for Yang Chen to return.
"Jieyu, you said that Yang Chen was coming back soon. How did you know that?" Guo Xuehua asked.
Yang Jieyu smiled. "Dad told us. He wanted to ask Secretary Fang to tell you but he seemed to be afraid of Yang Chen so he sent us over."
Guo Xuehua prompted on, wanting to know more about what happened to her son. "Stop being so cryptic and tell us. Did Yang Chen cause trouble again?"
Yuan Hewei chuckled. "Sister-in-law, if it was bad news we wouldn't be eating breakfast so casually. It's good news, Yang Chen helped a lot. Today, he has saved the lives of millions."
"Technically he was the bridge. If it wasn't for Yang Chen, Miss Jane wouldn't have helped out," Yang Jieyu said.
Lin Ruoxi was quiet the whole time and she only voiced out when she heard Jane's name, "Aunt, can you tell us what did Jane do?"
Yang Jieyu's heart melted when she heard Lin Ruoxi call her aunt because it was rare for Lin Ruoxi to address her like that!
"There's nothing to hide since we're all family. The government and the military were trying to suppress this but Zhonghai and the Su Province were being targeted by missiles containing a special genetic toxin. But now with the help of Miss Jane, we no longer have to worry about it. The Central Committee is grateful for her help and they wish to invite her to Beijing through Yang Chen. They plan to express their gratitude to her and also discuss future projects," Yang Jieyu explained.
Lin Ruoxi was surprised to hear this whereas Guo Xuehua and Wang Ma were scared to have found out.
Yang Jieyu shared the story with them since she was already talking about it.
Yang Chen had Jane provide the formula for the antidote to Tribute to Maria to the MSS before he left China. The hard part of synthesizing the antidote was already taken care of. Now all they had to do was reproduce it.
The Tribute to Maria might seem strong but it had one flawed weakness. It required three days to take effect which meant that the government would need two days to mass-produce the antidote.
All this meant that the Giant Whale Society had lost their trump card.
"Oh yeah," Yang Jieyu added on. "Ruoxi, did you know about this? The guy you met, Maksim, his family had been reported to be conducting inhumane experiments. The government had confiscated all of their businesses. After all, they were the ones to threaten the government using this weapon. Luckily Yang Chen realized in time and had Jane prepare the antidote."
Lin Ruoxi was baffled at first but she understood everything that happened immediately.
Maksim was obsessed with Jane because of the evil scheme and not because he really wanted to marry her.
How could I ask Yang Chen to let Jane go and have Maksim take her away for my own good! If Yang Chen hadn't realized sooner, it would've been disastrous! Lin Ruoxi thought.
Lin Ruoxi couldn't help but blame herself. Why was I so selfish in my thinking? When did I become so shallow and selfish?
As she finished her thought, the roar or a cars engine was heard outside the gate. Guo Xuehua exclaimed excitedly, "It's Yang Chen's car. He's back!"
Chapter 859 - Unworthy
It took Yang Chen several hours to return to Zhonghai.
He thought it was going to be a normal morning beginning with breakfast but he did not expect to see guests so early in the morning.
"Why are you here?" Yang Chen asked.
Guo Xuehua frowned and chided him. "You should greet them as your aunt and uncle."
Yang Chen pursed his lips. "Force of habit."
Guo Xuehua wanted to pinch his ears but chose not to when she remembered his past.
Yuan Hewei and Yang Jieyu didn't mind. In fact, they wouldn't have come if he wasn't a relative.
They heard from the Yang clan that Yang Chen had wiped out the Klyuchevsky family in less than a day!
They couldn't help but shiver when they saw Yang Chen walk in like it was an ordinary day.
Nonetheless, it was reassuring to know that he was part of their family.
Yang Chen saw Lin Ruoxi looking at him with a weird gaze so he walked over and asked cautiously, "Dear, what's wrong? Why are you staring like that? Hehe, happy to see me, aren't you?"
Lin Ruoxi couldn't see any form of resentment in his eyes.
Lin Ruoxi couldn't help but loathe herself for the choices that she made. She lowered her head and said with a hollow voice, "It's nothing, I didn't sleep well."
Yang Chen knew there was something wrong but chose to focus his attention instead on Yang Jieyu. "You still haven't told me the reason for your surprise visit."
Yang Jieyu smiled. "Your grandfather asked us to come over. We wanted to praise you for what you did and talk about Miss Jane..."
Yang Jieyu repeated what she told the others earlier and then looked at Yang Chen in expectance.
Yang Chen sat down and opened up a rice dumpling. He took a bite before speaking. "What a great plan. They lost their maniac Yan Buwen and now they want Jane to take his place. Even the UK military failed to convince Jane to produce weapons. What makes you think China will fare any better? I bet they are trying to use my relationship with her to make her stay right?"
"We are only here to relay the message. But no country would give up on Jane," Yang Jieyu said.
Yang Chen shook his head. "Tell the old man and others that Jane will stay for reasons only she approves of. She won't be going to Beijing to help the military."
Yang Jieyu tried to persuade him. "Are you sure there's no other way? Are you really not going to change your mind?"
"Don't make me repeat myself," Yang Chen said.
Yuan Hewei stopped his wife before she could say anything more. "That's enough. We did not come here to convince him. We are only here to relay a message."
Yang Jieyu sighed and smiled at him. "Alright, I'll convey your message to them in Beijing. But Yang Chen, didn't you say you want to visit Beijing, why haven't you gone?"
Lin Ruoxi looked up, curious to know what he would say.
Yang Chen swallowed the rice dumpling and said in a nonchalant manner, "I like to settle my issues all in one go. Once everything is complete, I'll visit."
Yang Jieyu and Yuan Hewei had nothing left to say. Although he looked and acted friendly, it was always best to stay on his good side.
Finally, Yang Jieyu said to him, "Yang Chen, Yuan Ye is throwing a party for Tang Tang to celebrate her acceptance into Zhonghai University. It would be great if you and your family could attend. Plus Zhenxiu has also gotten her results right? What university did she get into?"
Guo Xuehua exclaimed in shock. "The results are out?"
Yuan Hewei replied, "It's already July so of course the results are already out. You can check it through your phone, didn't you know that?"
Guo Xuehua felt awkward despite having two sons. Both her sons did not attend college, so she did not know what was standard protocol regarding that.
Lin Ruoxi was excited too. "Let's check back with Zhenxiu when she returns."
They continued to chat and Yang Jieyu kept telling Yang Chen to attend the party. She assured him that only close friends would be there.
Yang Chen accepted her invitation after being overwhelmed by her requests.
After the couple left, Lin Ruoxi helped Wang Ma clean the table quietly.
She was about to leave for work but was stopped by Yang Chen. He caught her hand and asked gently, "Ruoxi, is everything alright? Did I do anything that upset you? Why haven't you looked at me ever since I returned?"
Lin Ruoxi bit her lip and turned around. "No, it's not your fault. It's mine."
"Why?"
Yang Chen got even more confused. "Did anyone bully you? Damn it, I only left for a day. I'll kill the person who bullied you."
Lin Ruoxi looked up at him. "All you talk about is killing. Is it really that fun?"
Yang Chen's face fell and he said awkwardly, "It—it's just an example... An example..."
"Example?" Lin Ruoxi looked at him with a complex gaze. "Do you really think I can't tell? Aunt and Uncle were afraid of you. Even your own family live in fear of your presence. Did you go out and kill again?"
Yang Chen was startled. He didn't expect Lin Ruoxi to find out. But he had forgotten that she was a businesswoman. Reading facial cues was her forte.
"I'm sorry..." Yang Chen sighed. "I didn't know that it would upset you so much."
"You're apologizing again." Lin Ruoxi gave a pained smile. "What do you even apologize for? You did nothing wrong to me!"
Yang Chen was puzzled to see Lin Ruoxi get all agitated again.
Lin Ruoxi cupped her face helplessly and started to sob while squatting on the floor.
Yang Chen didn't know what to do as he squatted down and tried to touch her shoulder. But he was afraid it would upset her even more.
"Dear..."
"Don't call me that!" Lin Ruoxi's eyes were red with tears. "I don't deserve to be your wife. We're from two different worlds."
Yang Chen's mind went blank!
"For you, killing and breathing are the same thing. Money and power come to those who are willing to kill. Even if you killed a thousand people, you wouldn't bat an eye. But if I saw one dead person, I would get nightmares for weeks."
"Your enemies aren't even human. To them, I'm not your wife. I'm just a hostage waiting to be captured. I can't help you at all and I know nothing. Other than fighting with you about women, I have nothing left to offer. My dignity, my pride, and my beliefs are just a piece of fragile paper in front of you. Yet I value you so much, don't you think I'm a foolish woman? Huh! Am I?!"
Yang Chen looked at her numbly. It wasn't his first time witnessing her meltdown. But it was her first time that she showed her insecurities.
Tears splattered on the floor.
"Sometimes I wonder... if your lovers are happier than I am, your own wife? They don't have to feel unworthy to be by your side, worry about other women or wonder if you are coming home. If I was your lover, I wouldn't be in so much pain."
"Ruoxi, don't do this..." Yang Chen squeezed the words out of his throat.
Lin Ruoxi shook her head. "Yang Chen, you made the right choice. Jane should stay beside you. Only she has the intelligence to help you and is worthy to be your woman. She's pretty and she comes from a royal family. She's smart and can be there for you to rely on. She loves you so much that she would sacrifice herself to marry a monster. She wouldn't have nightmares just because you killed someone or be threatened by your lovers. Because no one else can be on her level..."
"Lin Ruoxi!" Yang Chen's eyes widened in anger. "What are you talking about?!"
Chapter 860 - In My Heart
Lin Ruoxi was unaffected by Yang Chen's anger.
She wiped her tears and stood up with a forced smile. "You have every right to be angry at me. I know it sounds dumb but I feel a lot better now that you know."
Yang Chen's heart dropped when he saw a huge relief on her face.
"Don't overthink it. I told you yesterday that you have given me a new life. How could you still think that you were unworthy?"
Lin Ruoxi laughed. "Maybe... maybe it's because I still lack self-esteem. I'm leaving for work. I'm sorry that I upset you once again."
Having said that, Lin Ruoxi turned around and walked to her car as though nothing had happened.
Yang Chen looked at her in a daze.
Sorry? Yang Chen couldn't remember the last time she had uttered that word to him. In fact, he couldn't remember a time when she uttered it at all.
Even though she was smiling, he felt worse now than when she was angry at him. Yang Chen's chest felt stuffy as though there was something caught between his throat but he couldn't let it out!
He stood still for a long moment before walking towards a nearby villa.
He walked up to the door of the villa and rang the doorbell.
An Xin showed up on the intercom shortly with a sleepy face.
An Xin had already moved in to this villa after the clone showed up at her mansion. She wanted to be closer to Yang Chen so that she could spend more time with him, but was unable to move as she had no solid reason to.
In a way, the incident gave her a perfect excuse to move in.
"Hubby, why are you here so early in the morning?" An Xin asked gently. "I thought you were overseas?"
Yang Chen let out a strained smile. "I just came back, open the door."
An Xin smiled sweetly and ran out to open the door.
She was still wearing her white sleeping gown. Her wavy hair wrapped around her face which made her look sweet and innocent.
Yang Chen was able to catch a whiff of her scent as she neared him. It was a refreshing milky scent as though she was a baby who just got out of the shower.
He looked at An Xin's sparkling eyes in a daze before extending his hand to caress her cheek.
An Xin could tell that something wasn't right and wondered what it was.
"You lazy pig. How could you be a chairman and still be sleeping this late into the day?" Yang Chen giggled and rubbed the side of her eye softly.
An Xin realized just then! Damn it! I didn't wash my face!
Yang Chen said to her jokingly, "My darling An Xin. This is the first time I've seen boogers in your eyes."
"Ah?!" An Xin wanted to cry from her silliness!
She lowered her head and rubbed her eyes. "Don't look! You're so mean!"
Yang Chen wasn't in the best frame of mind when he arrived. But seeing her act so silly made him smile a little. "I didn't know that girls could look so beautiful even with eye boogers. My little vixen, did you train for this?"
"Ew! You're so disgusting!" An Xin chided, secretly happy with his comment.
Even after cleaning it An Xin still wasn't satisfied. "Hubby, have a seat. There's food in the fridge. I'm going to wash my face first."
Yang Chen caught her by her waist when she was about to run upstairs.
An Xin was pulled into his arms before she could run away, her chest pressed again his thin shirt. Her sleeping gown was thin enough for him to feel the tenderness of her chest.
"Don't go," Yang Chen whispered while hugging her.
An Xin nodded. She was pained to see him so down.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and took the initiative to kiss him.
Yang Chen started to breathe deeply. His resolve was completely broken right there and then!
He growled and pushed her against the wall with one hand and placed the other one behind her head. He then reached down into her gown and began to grope her chest.
An Xin could barely breathe under the feeling of his touch. Her brain could no longer think rationally so she just let go of everything and allowed Yang Chen to take control of her.
Yang Chen lifted her and placed her onto the sofa after an intense makeout session.
Her loose sleeping gown made things easier for him. All he needed to do was lift it up and her curvy body was already presented to him before his eyes. Her pink panties were already moist and he could smell her sweet fragrance.
Yang Chen tore it down hastily and took off his own clothes. His eyes turned red as he gazed upon An Xin who was still trying to catch her breath.
He gripped her legs and wrapped it around his waist. Her soft flesh pressed up against him which only served to heighten his passion.
Yang Chen growled and leaned forward as though he was going to devour her completely!
"Hmph!"
The whole room was filled with moans. Yang Chen was so aggressive that An Xin had climaxed way earlier than she would normally have!
And soon, they lost themselves within the steamy lovemaking session...
It lasted for an hour until An Xin heard Yang Chen exhale in content. Her whole body felt like it was on fire as she sank down the sofa.
Normally, she would have been out cold. But her constant training had strengthened her substantially.
Yang Chen pulled her up onto his chest and caressed her silky back.
He felt bad for draining her without so much as a warning.
"Darling, I'm sorry for doing this to you at this hour. Did I hurt you?" Yang Chen apologized.
Her heart was still pounding as she replied breathlessly, "My mind was blank for the most part. I'm just tired. Hubby, are you upset?"
"I don't know, I can't explain it. I just wanted to find someone and vent to release my stress. But I couldn't hold back when I saw you." Yang Chen smiled bitterly.
An Xin pressed her cheeks against his chest and grinned. "Actually... I'm happy that you came to me. At least it means that I have a place in your heart, right?"
Yang Chen pinched her cheeks. "What are you saying? You're always in my heart. But, why aren't you asking me what happened?"
"You wouldn't be happy if I asked... so I don't want to know. Everything is fine as long as you are with me," An Xin muttered.
Yang Chen sighed. Lin Ruoxi wasn't the only one he had to worry about. The others were relying on him too.