Chapter 407: The Consequences of Defiance
Xiao Ye said nonchalantly, "Since he's already waited this long, a little longer won't hurt. I'll say it again: my breakfast."
"If you don't want to work here anymore, you can pack your things and get out now!"
The housekeeper glanced at the stranger. Seeing him nod, she then served the breakfast.
After Xiao Ye had eaten and drunk his fill, he went to the living room and looked at the stranger sitting on the sofa. "Who are you? What are you here for?"
"I'm from the Angel Association. I don't think I need to introduce myself." The visitor was a man in his thirties with blond hair, blue eyes, and an air of nobility about him.
"I wouldn't remember even if you did. Just tell me what you're here for."
Seeing Xiao Ye cross his legs, the man's brow furrowed. "Xiao Ye, there are some things I should have had someone make clear to you beforehand."
"In the Angel Association, the hierarchy is taken very seriously. If you can't act according to the rules, you are defying the Angel Association's orders."
Xiao Ye smiled faintly. "So what if I defy them?"
The man was taken aback. "What do you mean?"
No one had ever asked such a question before, because they all knew just how powerful an organization the Angel Association was.
Just being able to join was an honor for them, so they would naturally restrain themselves.
"It means exactly what it sounds like. Tell me, what would happen if I defied them? Would you have me killed? Could you bear to do that?"
The man's expression darkened. "Xiao Ye, you can't just rely on your own value to be so..."
"You're right. I am being arrogant and domineering precisely because of my value!"
Xiao Ye leaned forward. "I'll only ask you one question. The rules Uriel wants me to follow—do I really have to?"
"What's the point of all this? You've already poisoned me, and my life is in your hands. Do you really have to add something else on top of that?"
"There's a saying in the Dragon Country: when you have enough lice, you stop feeling the itch. I'm not afraid of these little tricks of yours."
The man knew he had a point, but this was a tradition of the Angel Association. It couldn't be broken by just anyone, or where would their authority be?
"Xiao Ye, even if that's what you think, it's no excuse for hitting Uriel! He's an Angel Leader! Hitting him in front of so many people was a direct provocation against the Angel Association!"
Xiao Ye's attitude grew even more arrogant. "So what if I hit him? You can punish me, but then I won't put my best effort into helping you."
"Do you want someone who gets things done, or someone who just maintains a superficial peace with you? If you want to enter the Dragon Country, you have to rely on me."
"So as long as I don't cross your bottom line, you won't be willing to kill me. But what about Uriel? What can he do for you?"
"Compared to him, I am more valuable. So you shouldn't have come to me, and you certainly shouldn't be saying these things. It's pointless, aside from making me lose even more faith in the Angel Association."
"What you should be doing is going to punish Uriel right now. Then, come back and tell me how you punished him. If I'm happy, I'll do more for you."
"Everywhere in the world, the capable are the ones who rule, and the valuable have higher status. So what if Uriel is an Angel Leader? Is he more important than me?"
The man said nothing, because what Xiao Ye said was the truth!
Compared to Xiao Ye, Uriel really wasn't as useful.
It's just that, he was an Angel Leader, after all...
Xiao Ye stood up. "I've already told you what needs to be done. Now it's up to you to choose."
"If you don't handle this well, then I can only do a poor job myself. Maybe your Angel Association can just wait another few decades to enter the Dragon Country?"
"As for finding someone else, we'll see if you have the ability. In any case, as long as I'm around, you can forget about it!"
With that, he went straight upstairs.
The man clenched his fists, feeling utterly frustrated.
He was a negotiation expert, yet after arriving, he had barely said anything before Xiao Ye was leading him by the nose.
And yet, what Xiao Ye said was an irrefutable fact. When it came to value, he couldn't even resort to sophistry!
The man was silent for a moment, then stood up and left. He reported what had happened here to his superiors, exactly as it occurred, and even included a recording.
After hearing this, his superior was also silent for a time. "This Xiao Ye is very clever."
"He knows how to leverage his position and how to maximize his own benefit. Let's do this: you go punish Uriel."
The man's heart sank. "Do we really have to punish Uriel? But if word of this gets out and the others find out, our Angel Association's rules..."
"Special people get special treatment. As for how to handle the fallout, that's a problem for you to worry about."
"Handle this today and make sure Xiao Ye is satisfied, understand? Let me put it this way: for at least the next five years, the Angel Association will absolutely not touch Xiao Ye!"
The man took a deep breath. "I understand."
He hung up the phone, got in his car, and drove to Uriel's residence.
Uriel had already taken off his mask, revealing a somewhat heavyset, middle-aged man.
Seeing the visitor, his face lit up. "Are we finally going to deal with that bastard Xiao Ye? He's just too arrogant..."
"No. The higher-ups have decided not to move against Xiao Ye."
Uriel was stunned. "What… What do you mean by that?"
"It means exactly what it sounds like. They aren't going to punish Xiao Ye. On the contrary, they're going to punish you, because you nearly ruined our grand plans."
Uriel's face went pale with fright as he stumbled backward.
He knew the Angel Association's methods. He had just always been the one using them on others, never had them used on himself!
"No, you can't do this! I've worked myself to the bone for the Angel Association, but that Xiao Ye is just a newcomer! Why should I be the one who gets punished?!"
The man looked at him with pity. "You should know the consequences of defiance."
"Don't worry, I'll be careful. I won't let it hurt."
He opened the case in his hand. "I already acquired an anesthetic on my way here. Just think of it as a surgery."
Normally, the punishment would be carried out directly. The pain was meant to serve as a warning.
But the man felt that would be too cruel to Uriel. After all, he hadn't really done anything wrong.
"What are you going to do to me?"
The man took out the anesthetic. "I need one of your arms."
"No!"
Uriel backed straight into a corner. "You can't! I'll be a cripple!"
"I'm an international celebrity! How am I supposed to live like this? Do you want the whole world to know I'm a cripple?"
"Of course not. We'll fit you with a realistic prosthesis. But in front of Xiao Ye, you must take it off."
Uriel wanted to call for his subordinates, but the man's gaze terrified him. "If you defy this order, you know what the consequences will be."
"You aren't as valuable as Xiao Ye. That's why he won't die for his defiance. But if you defy us... well, that's not guaranteed. We have a clone of you!"