Chapter 151: Joining of a New Faction

At this moment, two men dressed impeccably in formal suits walked through the doorway.

Upon seeing them enter, both the Ye and Chen families wore expressions of surprise, clearly not expecting these two to be in attendance.

"What brings you here?"

The head of the Ye family asked with a gloomy expression, eyeing the two men before him with unconcealed hostility.

"Today, we are attending this meeting as representatives of the Jiangnan District!"

The two men replied expressionlessly, facing the crowd.

However, at that very instant, the head of the Ye family voiced his fierce opposition!

"This is a representative meeting of the three major families of the Jiangnan District. It has nothing to do with either of you. I suggest you leave immediately and stop making things unpleasant for yourselves!"

The Ye family patriarch looked displeased, his tone sinking into a cold and harsh register as he stared at the men.

"Ye Cheng, don't be so shameless! The representatives of the Jiangnan District simply wanted to help, but the situation back then was far too complicated. If you want to pick a fight, fine, but not now!"

One of the men in the suit glared directly at Ye Cheng and retorted.

"You expect me to just let it go because you say so? My Ye family lost so many lives back then, and you think a single word from you settles it?"

To everyone's surprise, Ye Cheng had no intention of showing them any courtesy. He slammed his hand onto the table and roared in fury!

"Cao Hui, throw these people out!"

As soon as Ye Cheng's words fell, the butler standing beside him stepped forward, walked right up to the two suited men, and made a sweeping gesture of invitation toward the exit.

"Are you really going to be this ruthless today?"

Feeling deeply provoked, the man in the suit who had spoken earlier felt a surge of genuine displeasure in his heart.

He immediately stood up, squaring off against Cao Hui and his men in a tense standoff!

An atmosphere of acute hostility filled the room, with tempers poised to explode at the slightest provocation.

As it turned out, before the Liu family was driven out by several allied families years ago, it was these very same so-called Jiangnan District Councilors who had stepped in to orchestrate the plot and completely squeeze the Liu family out!

At the time, the Ye family had not given it much thought; they simply wanted to pitch in and secure a larger share of the spoils when the rewards were distributed after the Liu family's expulsion.

Who could have anticipated that, just days before they were driven out, the Liu family would launch a fierce and desperate counterattack.

Because the Ye family lacked sufficient experience, compounded by the disastrous misjudgments of the councilors, they suffered catastrophic casualties.

Although many years had passed, and the Ye family had since been allowed to retain their title as one of the three major families in recognition of their exceptional contributions, the devastating loss of life remained an indelible scar etched deep within Ye Cheng's heart.

After all, what led to their disastrous defeat back then was the councilors' strict refusal to allow the other families to send reinforcements.

That was the direct cause of the tragic bloodbath that ensued.

Consequently, his relationship with these councilors had always been one of irreconcilable enmity.

Understanding fully what his master was thinking, Cao Hui stood his ground firmly against the interlopers.

Just as the situation threatened to spiral completely out of control, Cheng Jiangshan finally broke the silence from the sidelines.

"Call off your men, Ye Cheng. I invited them here today, and the purpose is to discuss the matter concerning Xiao Ye."

Hearing this, Ye Cheng's expression turned one of utter disbelief. He had always assumed that the Cheng family stood firmly on the exact same side as him.

Yet, never in his wildest dreams did he expect that the one person who supposedly understood his family best would actually invite these people here.

At that moment, Scorpion also stepped forward and addressed the man before him.

"Patriarch Ye, this is a matter of grave importance now. I hope you can set aside past grievances and join hands with everyone to deliberate on this critical issue."

Although the head of the Chen family held little affection for the two councilors either, he simply kept his people back and watched the unfolding drama with detached amusement.

Realizing that no one was speaking on his behalf and sensing that the current situation was disadvantageous to him, Ye Cheng had no choice but to motion for his men to step back.

"Since everyone has been summoned here today, I presume you are all aware that a man named Xiao Ye has arrived in Jianghai City, and his actions are posing a severe threat to us."

Once the situation had stabilized, Scorpion took the lead and spoke up.

The gathered figures nodded one after another. Indeed, Xiao Ye had caused them an immense amount of trouble of late.

At this juncture, the suited man who had spoken earlier chimed in once more.

"This man Xiao Ye—our Council of Representatives must eliminate him. After all, it was he who murdered one of our council members."

"I advise your Council of Representatives not to overstep your bounds and meddle in affairs that aren't yours. Xiao Ye is also a sworn enemy with whom we share a blood debt!"

The head of the Chen family spoke up then, his voice carrying an undeniable trace of authority.

Seeing that the two sides were about to resume their bitter quarrel, Scorpion stepped in once again to halt the bickering.

"Today's meeting is primarily to discuss how we should deal with this Xiao Ye, not for you people to bicker among yourselves."

Hearing Scorpion's admonition, the room instantly fell silent.

"I actually have a proposal. Xiao Ye has various business ventures in Jianghai City. Why don't we strike at his companies?"

The head of the Chen family, who had previously conversed with Jiang Zhongtao, offered his perspective.

"Just that alone is not enough to quench the hatred in my heart. I must see his entire family ruined and destroyed!"

A venomous fire seemed to burn within Ye Cheng's eyes as he spoke with chilling malice to the assembled group.

"Brother Ye, there is no need to be impatient regarding this matter. According to Jiang Zhongtao, who recently fled from Jianghai City, Xiao Ye has a wife. I believe she is a target we can easily exploit."

At these words, a sharp, calculating glint instantly returned to Ye Cheng's eyes.

After all, Xiao Ye was the one who had beaten his illegitimate son into a hospital bed, rendering him incapable of caring for himself for the rest of his life.

Such an unpardonable grievance meant he had to exact personal vengeance to find peace!

Noticing the expressions of approval on the faces of those present, Scorpion glanced around the room and continued.

"Since that is the case, let us proceed with a show of hands. Those families in favor of taking action against Xiao Ye, please raise your hands!"

In the spacious, echoing hall, all four representatives raised their hands in unison.

Passed unanimously!

"That being the case, I will see to the arrangements. I trust every family will provide me with their full support when the time comes!"

With that, Scorpion picked up his briefcase from the table and rose to leave.

Ye Cheng also intended to depart, but to his surprise, he was intercepted by the two suited men from earlier.

"Patriarch Ye, our hands were tied regarding past events. A decade has passed; let us join forces once more. We hope you can forgive and forget, and work in full cooperation with our Council of Representatives!"

However, Ye Cheng merely let out a cold snort, offering no response whatsoever as he swept past them and led his people out of the venue.

The suited man standing behind him remained silent, though a strange, inscrutable gleam flickered deep within his eyes.