Chapter 395: Money Is Not an Issue
When he returned to the Xiao Family residence, Lin Chuxing was waiting for him in the living room. "There's a very important banquet tomorrow. Want to go with me?"
"You took Jin Mingzhu last time. It's my turn, isn't it?"
"Not going!" Xiao Ye said, looking at her face. He finally understood where that nagging feeling of wrongness had been coming from.
It was her face. It lacked the subtle features formed by years of habit.
For example, most people chew their food, which develops their masseter muscles.
Uneven use makes the left and right sides of the face asymmetrical.
In a normal person, no matter how symmetrical their face is, you can always spot subtle differences. But on Lin Chuxing's face, there were almost none.
Other similar, naturally occurring features were also practically invisible.
"You..."
Lin Chuxing watched Xiao Ye's retreating figure and stomped her foot in frustration.
She simply grabbed her bag and drove to her meeting with Ouyang Xin.
Ouyang Xin could have returned to the Ouyang Family long ago, but he was still enjoying everything Lin Chuxing did for him.
The moment they met, sparks flew like dry tinder meeting a raging fire.
The thrill of their clandestine affair was an addiction they couldn't quit.
His subordinate delivered a report, along with photos from the couple's various secret trysts.
Xiao Ye glanced at the photos for a moment before looking away. "Do your best to investigate the locations of the Angel Association's experiments, as well as their headquarters in Country A."
"Patriarch, investigating within the country is one thing, but abroad... it's extremely difficult!"
The Xiao Family's reach didn't extend that far.
Xiao Ye knew plenty of influential people abroad, but he couldn't be certain if any of them were secretly members of the Angel Association.
'I can't expose myself yet.' "For now, just continue the domestic investigation. And start expanding our influence abroad."
"Money is no object. I need more useful personnel and intelligence."
"Yes, sir!"
Establishing an intelligence network in a new country was a very slow process.
Xiao Ye knew he couldn't rush it, so he had to set the matter aside for the time being.
If it were that easy to investigate, Ms. Yi probably wouldn't have told him about it in the first place.
She only dared to be so blatant because she was certain he would never find them.
「Three days later.」
Xiao Ye arrived at the laboratory with several people in tow.
Ms. Yi was already waiting for him. She stepped forward and yanked the black hoods off their heads.
"They're certainly healthy specimens."
They were all men, around forty years old, none over fifty.
They all looked healthy and were quite muscular.
"Where is this place?" The men looked around in a panic.
With a gesture from Ms. Yi, the researchers behind her immediately stepped forward and injected the men with a solution.
In just a moment, the men fell unconscious.
These men were all death row inmates, procured by Xiao Ye from General He.
'They were going to die anyway. Better to let them atone for their sins and serve the country before the end.'
From then on, no matter what Ms. Yi requested, Xiao Ye complied, and he did so flawlessly.
Several more days passed in the blink of an eye.
Ms. Yi had been living in the lab. As she watched Xiao Ye spend a fortune on experimental raw materials, her expression toward him grew gentler.
"Mr. Xiao, you've done very well. Next, I will require some other things."
"They're rather difficult to procure, and very expensive."
Xiao Ye agreed without hesitation. "Don't worry, leave it to me."
Ms. Yi handed him a list. "Then I'll be troubling you."
The very next day, every single item on the list was delivered, with nothing missing.
Ms. Yi was stunned. "Mr. Xiao, how did you manage this? You gathered all these items in a single day. I thought it would take at least a week."
"Because I'm willing to spend the money, and I've been using the Xiao Family's private jet."
"I see. It seems you truly have spared no expense, Mr. Xiao." Ms. Yi had no other needs for the time being. "Mr. Xiao, I will report your performance to my superiors."
"I trust you will be rewarded very soon."
'This is exactly what I wanted,' Xiao Ye thought. 'Only by entering the upper echelons of the Angel Association will I learn more of their secrets!'
"There's no rush. I have something else to take care of. You can report everything at once then."
"Just give me two more days. We'll talk again in two days."
Ms. Yi's interest was suddenly piqued. 'What is Xiao Ye planning to do?'
'And by the sound of it, it's something big!'
"Alright. In that case, I'll be looking forward to it."
「Two days later.」
Xiao Ye brought someone with him.
Ms. Yi was displeased that he had suddenly brought an outsider. "Mr. Xiao, I've told you before. Unauthorized personnel are not permitted in the laboratory."
"If you cannot give me a satisfactory explanation, this will be considered a violation!"
Zhu Chen took a step forward and smiled faintly. "Hello, Ms. Yi. My name is Zhu Chen, of the Zhu family."
"I want to join the Angel Association!"
Ms. Yi froze, finding it hard to believe her ears.
The Angel Association had tried to recruit the Zhu family in the past, but they had failed. That's why they had settled for second best: the Ouyang Family.
The Zhu family's mysterious, almost supernatural, methods were exactly what they needed.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have bothered recruiting people like Master Jinque.
Xiao Ye interjected, "That's right. The Zhu family wants to join the Angel Association. For now, it's just a few of them, but their standing within the Zhu family is quite high."
"Later, they will find a way to gradually convert the entire Zhu family to the Angel Association."
Ms. Yi was ecstatic. 'If the Zhu family really agrees to join...'
'Even though Xiao Ye is the one who managed it, I'll still get a share of the credit.'
"Mr. Xiao, you've done exceptionally well! However, I can't make a decision on this matter by myself. I'll have to report it to my superiors first."
After speaking, she couldn't wait to find a quiet place to make a call.
"Hello, Angel Leader. Just now, Xiao Ye brought members of the Zhu family here. He has convinced several of them to join the Angel Association!"
"These aren't just minor figures; their standing in the Zhu family is significant. It might actually be possible to bring the entire Zhu family over to our side!"
The person on the other end of the line was also excited. "Excellent! If that's true, the Angel Association will finally be able to establish a firm foothold in Dragon Country!"
"However, we can't be certain of Xiao Ye's sincerity just yet. This matter must be thoroughly investigated to prevent any issues. I will arrange for people to assist you."
"Yes, sir."
After hanging up, Ms. Yi returned to the laboratory.
She didn't care whether Xiao Ye was sincere, or whether the Zhu family was sincere.
'As long as they receive the injection, even the most insincere person will become utterly devoted!'
'Just look at Xiao Ye. No matter how capable he is, isn't he still working for us? And he has to do a good job, at that!'
"I've reported to my superiors. They need time to make a decision."
Ms. Yi beamed at Zhu Chen. "If you truly decide to join us, we will welcome you with open arms. I guarantee you won't be disappointed!"
Zhu Chen nodded, shooting a subtle glance at Xiao Ye. "Of course I'm sincere."