Chapter 113: Lifebound Jade Token
Hearing this, Ma Xinyue was even more horrified.
She had noticed this herself and had even consulted with masters, but none of them had found anything.
How could this man, after just one meeting, be so certain that someone had stolen her luck?
'Could it be he knows something?'
Ma Xinyue immediately grew cautious, afraid of falling into Xiao Ye's trap.
But when she got a clear look at Xiao Ye's eyes, she suddenly smiled, relieved.
'This man is open and honorable. You can tell at a glance he's an extraordinary person, far above petty schemes.'
'In that case, maybe I should take a gamble!'
"You're right. My luck has been terrible lately. I've fallen down the stairs, nearly been hit by a car, and was almost struck on the head by a falling flowerpot in my own residential complex."
"But I've been on guard, which is the only reason I'm still alive."
Lately, she'd even been extremely careful while eating, terrified her bad luck would cause her to choke to death on water or food.
Xiao Ye raised his hand, revealing the jade token he had won at the auction lying in his palm.
Ma Xinyue was ecstatic. "That's my Lifebound Jade Token! I thought it was lost, but... why do you have it?"
"Wear this, and it will turn your misfortune into good luck. As for the person who stole your luck, they will soon face the backlash."
'How could a Dharma Artifact personally crafted by the Lingxiao Daoist be trifled with by common rabble?'
'Since Master wants to save her, I can't just stand by and watch her die.'
Ma Xinyue hurriedly took it and put it on. "Thank you so much! My luck only turned bad after I lost it. Even my health has been failing."
Xiao Ye had observed Ma Xinyue carefully. He knew she was brave, resourceful, and fundamentally good-hearted.
After handing over the jade token, he looked at Chu Yan. "Give the Ma Family to her."
Chu Yan nodded and immediately ordered someone to prepare the share transfer documents.
Ma Xinyue's face was a mask of disbelief. 'The Ma Family... given to me?!'
And the members of the Ma Family lying on the floor broke into furious curses when they saw this.
"So that's it! You little bitch! You've been hooking up with the Chu Family all along, haven't you!"
"So you're the one who brought my Ma Family to this!"
"You bitch! You're a traitor to the Ma Family!"
Xiao Ye leaned back in his chair and took the bottle of water Chu Yan had just opened for him. "They're too loud."
Chu Yan immediately strode over, kicked one of them to the ground, and ordered, "Gag them all!"
Her subordinates moved at once.
In just a moment, the room grew much quieter.
Half an hour later.
The share transfer documents were finally delivered.
Chu Yan walked up to Patriarch Ma and pulled the gag from his mouth. "Sign it. Otherwise, your Ma Family can disappear today."
"In your dreams!"
Patriarch Ma's eyes bulged with rage. "Chu Yan, because of you, the Chu Family will be finished soon too!"
Chu Yan bent down, her exquisitely manicured hand gently patting his cheek. "Cut the crap. Sign. Don't make me say it again."
"Dream on! I'll never sign!"
After speaking, Patriarch Ma glared daggers at Ma Xinyue. "You shameless bitch! The Ma Family raised you all your life, only to nurture a traitor!"
Ma Xinyue didn't really know what was going on, but she was a smart woman.
The Chu Family had already forced her into an impossible position. Whether she agreed or not, the Ma Family would now hate her.
'If I agree, I get the Ma Family and a chance at survival.'
'If I play my cards right and the Ma Family truly becomes mine, the threat will be gone for good.'
'But if I refuse, I'll lose any shred of hope.'
'Getting kicked out by the Ma Family would be the best-case scenario. They might even use me as a pawn in a marriage alliance, forcing me to marry some old geezer.'
'There's no shortage of cruel tactics among the great families.'
Ma Xinyue gave a faint smile. "Uncle, you know who's responsible for my misfortune, don't you?"
"Thinking back, I lost my jade token in the Ma Family home, didn't I?"
"Since you all want me dead, I can't just sit back and wait for it to happen!"
She then turned to Chu Yan. "I've troubled you, Miss Chu."
After exchanging pleasantries, she knew the one she truly wanted to thank was Xiao Ye.
But when the words reached her lips, she couldn't figure out what to say.
'This man... He's even more formidable than the Chu Family. An existence the Ma Family wouldn't dare provoke.'
'The more you say, the more likely you are to misspeak. Better to say nothing at all.'
Chu Yan was pleased with Ma Xinyue's pragmatism. "Very good. In the future, if you run into any problems you can't solve, feel free to come to me."
With that, she waved a subordinate over. "Take good care of Patriarch Ma. Start with his left hand. Break his fingers one by one."
"Then his feet, arms, and legs... Oh, leave his right hand for now. This ends when he signs. Understand?"
"Yes!"
The subordinate went up to Patriarch Ma, grabbed his hand without ceremony, and viciously snapped his pinky finger!
"ARGH!"
Patriarch Ma shrieked in agony.
The pain was beyond ordinary.
Then came the second finger, and the third!
Patriarch Ma had lived a life of privilege; he'd never endured such torment. He immediately shrieked, "St-stop! I'll sign! I'll sign!"
'Once it's in Ma Xinyue's hands, I can still find a way to get it back!'
'But if my hand is ruined, I'll be a cripple!'
A pen was thrust into his hand. Suppressing his rage, Patriarch Ma tremblingly signed the share transfer documents.
Chu Yan took the documents back and handed them to Ma Xinyue. "Every junior member of the Ma Family's direct lineage holds three percent of the Ma Group's shares from birth."
"The Patriarch holds thirty percent, and the remainder is with other shareholders."
"You now own thirty-three percent of the shares, making you the largest shareholder in the Ma Group!"
Ma Xinyue never imagined she would one day become the one in control of the group.
She accepted the share transfer documents and bowed deeply to Chu Yan. "Miss Chu, thank you!"
But Chu Yan stepped aside. "You shouldn't be thanking me."
Ma Xinyue was extremely smart; she immediately understood this was Xiao Ye's doing.
'In this world, there's no such thing as a free lunch. He must want something in return.'
She quickly walked over to Xiao Ye, her attitude one of deep respect as she bowed even lower. "Sir, please rest assured. From now on, the Ma Family... will follow your lead!"
Xiao Ye nodded in satisfaction. "A smart woman, indeed. Do a good job. If you run into any trouble you can't handle in the future, go to the Chu Family."
With that, he stood up. "Let's go."
Chu Yan and her people immediately fell in behind him, leaving the Ma Family estate together.
「In the hotel.」
Xiao Ye took some time to rest.
On the third day, he returned to the auction.
Today was the final event: an open trade session.
People were gathered in groups, discussing the Ma Family's situation.
"Have you heard? The Ma Family belongs to Ma Xinyue now."
"Ma Xinyue? You mean the second young miss of the Ma Family? Isn't she a sickly weakling? Why would they give her the company?"
"Who knows? There must be something fishy going on."
Xiao Ye paid them no mind and walked toward the display stands in the center of the hall.
These held the items that people were putting up for auction.
To protect the sellers' identities, none of the items were marked with a name.
If you wanted an item, you could directly input your bid below it.
If a higher bid was placed later, yours would be removed.
Xiao Ye glanced around. Only a few of the display cases contained items; the rest were empty.
'This trade session is quite interesting.'
He casually reached into his pocket and pulled out a small porcelain bottle. Inside was a pill that could stimulate a person's vital energy.
Xiao Ye found the new person in charge of the auction and handed him the bottle. "Starting price: one million."