Chapter 339: Go Apologize in Person
"How long after you crashed the car did this one get delivered?"
'His son had only woken up and gone out this afternoon.'
"About half an hour. Why?"
'Why?'
The man looked at his son, realizing for the first time just what a complete idiot he was.
"They found a second limited-edition car and had it delivered to you in half an hour, and you're asking 'why'?"
The young man's expression finally changed slightly. "Maybe their family just happened to have this car..."
"You have this car, but the other one belonged to the Ji Family of Qing City. That's a family far more powerful than we are!"
"Get yourself ready right now. We're going to the Ji Family immediately to admit our mistake and apologize!"
The two rushed to the Ji Family residence as fast as they could.
The man pulled the young man before Patriarch Ji. "Mr. Ji, I am so terribly sorry..."
"My son was ignorant. I'll have the car sent back immediately. If you have any other demands, Mr. Ji, please state them. We will do our best to satisfy them!"
Patriarch Ji looked at him with a mocking smile. "I always thought you were a man of some stature, that your future development might not be inferior to my Ji Family."
"Turns out I was wrong. You're not bad, but your son is a complete and utter fool!"
"If I were you, I'd throw this son of yours out immediately—as far away as possible. Save yourself the trouble before he brings down your entire family!"
Hearing this, the young man was immediately displeased. "It was just a car crash. It's not a big deal. Do you have to be so dramatic about it?"
"Besides, I already came here to apologize. What more do you want?!"
"Shut your mouth!" The man was furious and slapped him hard across the face. "If you dare say another word, I'll break your legs first!"
"Patriarch Ji, I'm truly sorry about this. You see..."
Patriarch Ji cut him off. "You don't need to tell me that. It wasn't my family member you hit, anyway."
The man was stunned. 'If not the Ji Family, then who could it be?'
"But this car... doesn't it belong to the Ji Family? And it was delivered in half an hour..."
"You're right, the car was indeed ours. But I gave it to someone else."
Patriarch Ji looked at him and said, word by word, "It was someone from the Xiao Family who came to my door. They wanted the car and paid me triple the price for it."
"The Xiao Family?" The man's heart sank. "Which... which Xiao Family?"
Previously, the Hidden Clans were deeply concealed, and very few people knew about them.
But after Xiao Ye appeared, he led the Xiao Family into the public eye.
Many people didn't know the Xiao Family was a Hidden Clan, but that didn't mean they were ignorant of the Xiao Family's power!
"The Xiao Family from the Imperial City. The very one you're thinking of. The renowned Xiao Family!"
The man's legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to the ground.
Fortunately, his reflexes were quick. He grabbed his son's arm to steady himself and avoided falling.
'We actually offended the Xiao Family!'
The Xiao Family was a truly great clan. Compared to them, his own family was mere child's play!
If they were to face off, it would be like an infant fighting an adult!
The young man, still oblivious to the gravity of the situation, asked, "Dad, what's wrong?"
"You..." He summoned all his strength and swung a slap at him!
SLAP!
"You have the nerve to ask me what's wrong! How did I end up with a disgrace like you!"
"Of all the people to offend, you had to offend the Xiao Family!"
Seeing this, Patriarch Ji snorted coldly. "If you're going to discipline your son, do it at home. Don't do it in my house. It's an eyesore."
"A son's misdeeds are the father's fault. This is your problem, too. If you hadn't been so indulgent, he never would have provoked someone he can't afford to offend."
The man was filled with regret. He had always been busy with company affairs and rarely came home.
On the rare occasions he did return, he would only briefly ask about his son's well-being.
It wasn't until his health declined a few years ago that he finally came home, but by then, his son had already been raised to be completely lawless.
It wasn't that he hadn't thought about disciplining him properly, but his wife at home would always bring up the past.
Over time, he felt guilty and became more lenient with his son.
He was filled with regret!
The man's remorse lasted only a moment before his reason returned. He grabbed the young man. "Let's go! We're going to the Imperial City!"
"We're going to the Xiao Family to apologize in person!"
「Elsewhere.」
In Qing City, a hot pot restaurant was bustling with noise and filled with steam.
As soon as Xiao Ye walked in, he was greeted by an enticing aroma.
He quickly found the private room.
A man who looked to be in his fifties was sitting there.
In front of him, the hot pot was already boiling, waiting for the guest to arrive.
Xiao Ye pushed the door open and entered. "Hello, I'm Xiao Ye."
When the man saw him, he chuckled. "A hero emerges from the young, as they say. Your aura is even stronger than mine was back in the day."
"Quick, come in and sit. You know Qing City is famous for its hot pot, and this is an old, time-honored place I've been coming to for years."
The man before him was called Number Three.
To be precise, he was Cyan Dragon Three from the batch of Cyan Dragon Warriors twenty years ago.
He had once been a captain and had studied under the Lingxiao Daoist for a time.
Number Three had never married and was now the chief instructor for the Qing City military. It could be said that he had dedicated his entire life to his country.
Xiao Ye sat across from him and watched as Number Three, like a kindly elder, continuously added meat to the pot.
"Let's eat and talk."
They ate and drank for a while.
Xiao Ye put down his chopsticks. He had to admit, the hot pot in Qing City was genuinely excellent.
'Looks like I can buy some local specialties here to send over to the Imperial City and Jiangcheng.'
"Senior, I came to see you this time because I wanted to ask you about a few things."
Number Three set down his wine cup. "I know. Ask whatever you want. I won't hide anything from you."
"Senior, you've been an instructor in the Qing City military for a long time, so you know the city well. Could you tell me more about that abandoned prison?"
'The more I learn about this abandoned prison, the more I can find out about the Angel Association.'
'Besides, the Angel Association must have more than one base of operations here. There have to be others, but they weren't in the information General He provided.'
This was a conclusion Xiao Ye had reached at the prison gate.
The prison wasn't actually an ideal location for a base. It had only one entrance and exit and was surrounded by water on three sides, which would be very disadvantageous for any Angel Association members trying to escape.
Furthermore, the prison was on government land. Although it was currently abandoned, that didn't mean it wouldn't be repurposed in the future.
This meant they could be forced to relocate at any time.
Therefore, Xiao Ye was inclined to believe there was another, even larger base than the prison.
The prison was likely used for gatherings, while experiments or other activities were conducted at another location.