"Why, did you start this company that requires me to obtain your permission to enter?" Jiang Che asked with a trace of disdain as he glanced at Ye Chen. This guy was naturally the protagonist, Ye Chen! Originally, Jiang Che had worried he wouldn't run into him, but he never expected Ye Chen to be delivered right to his doorstep.
"Are you here to harass our President Su again?"
Ye Chen narrowed his eyes, staring at Jiang Che with an unkind glare. In his heart, he had long considered Su Qingyue his own; any cooperation between them now was an unsightly matter.
"Neuropathy," Jiang Che muttered under his breath, cursing silently as he planned to bypass this guy and leave immediately. But Ye Chen clearly had no intention of letting him go.
"Brat, I advise you to stay away from our President Su!"
"Then what if I don't?" Jiang Che frowned and looked at Ye Chen playfully.
"Otherwise…" Ye Chen gestured toward his neck—the meaning was obvious.
Jiang Che was amused. The villain himself being threatened by the protagonist? Was the order reversed?
"Ding, Ye Chen has been detected provoking the host, and the system has issued a temporary task:
'Teach Ye Chen a lesson; let him know that there are people above him, and a sky beyond the sky.'
Mission reward: 3000 plot points.
Punishment for mission failure: None."
Hearing the system prompt in his mind, Jiang Che froze for a moment before laughing heartily. This dog system truly won his heart! He had intended to teach this arrogant guy a lesson—and now he got a chance to test his own strength against Ye Chen.
"It's good for young people to have confidence..." Jiang Che mused, "but it's not good to be too arrogant."
With that, he slapped Ye Chen directly across the face without holding back. Unprepared, Ye Chen was sent flying and crashed against the wall at the corridor's end. For a moment, he was confused—Ye Chen never expected Jiang Che's sudden attack. This guy was so strong; he definitely must have martial arts skills!
After the shock, Ye Chen quickly got up from the ground. He glared at Jiang Che with eyes full of anger. Just yesterday, he had boasted to Su Qingyue about his might. Today, in front of her, he was beaten down by Jiang Che—a mere boy, in his eyes! Couldn't this affect Su Qingyue's opinion of him?
"Very well, you have managed to piss me off!" Ye Chen snorted, clenching his left fist and rushing forward with a long stride. With one powerful swing, he aimed a punch at Jiang Che's lower abdomen. There was no holding back; if Jiang Che hadn't dodged, one punch might have knocked him out.
Just as Ye Chen's fist was about to connect, Jiang Che casually stretched out his right hand, grabbed Ye Chen's arm, and shook it forcefully. "Boom!" A dull sound echoed as Ye Chen was thrown to the ground. He coughed twice, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. His face turned pale as he struggled to rise.
Jiang Che stepped in front of him, looked down, and stomped on one of Ye Chen's hands. His eyes narrowed dangerously as he said, "Boy, there are people above you—and a sky beyond the sky."
"Don't be so arrogant next time!" Jiang Che added, increasing the pressure with his foot. Ye Chen let out heart-piercing screams as veins popped on his forehead and cold sweat dripped from him.
"Ding, congratulations to the host for completing the temporary task and earning 3000 plot points," the system announced.
After receiving the prompt, Jiang Che did not continue torturing Ye Chen. Today's goal was achieved; as long as this guy remembered his humiliation, that was enough. Besides, if Jiang Che really wanted to kill Ye Chen, he would have to wait until Ye Chen's mercenary group arrived—and that might not be the best moment.
"Let's go." Jiang Che turned to Su Qingyue, who was watching in a dazed state, and said with a faint smile. Only then did Su Qingyue regain her composure, and together they walked toward the elevator, neither looking back at Ye Chen.
Seeing their backs recede, Ye Chen could no longer contain his anger. The shame Jiang Che had inflicted on him was unprecedented! With a "vow," he spat out a mouthful of bright red blood and then passed out.
—
In the elevator, as they descended, Su Qingyue finally asked, "When did you learn martial arts?"
Gazing at the tall and straight Jiang Che, she realized she had underestimated him. She had always thought she knew him well, but now it was clear she did not. Evidently, Jiang Che was well-versed in martial arts—Ye Chen had even been seen single-handedly fending off more than 20 opponents before. Jiang Che ability to subdue someone with a single move confirmed that his skills were superior to Ye Chen's.
"A few years ago, when I went on a trip, I accidentally met an old man who became my teacher, and I've been practicing ever since," Jiang Che babbled, trying to concoct a plausible explanation to fool Su Qingyue. However, Su Qingyue clearly didn't believe him. Just as she was about to press him for more details, the elevator reached the first floor.
Jiang Che stepped out, and Su Qingyue quickly followed.