The Master Descends the Mountain: My Destined CEO

But it wasn't long before Chen Ze's father arrived.

He was a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties or fifties, and he bore a striking resemblance to the two young men Xiao Ye had beaten up.

The Chen Family's genes were clearly strong; both sons had inherited their father's looks.

"Dad!" Chen Ze's eyes filled with tears the moment he saw the man.

"Dad, my big brother and I got beaten up! It was this kid! You have to kill him for me!"

"No, have your men hold him down, I want to do it myself! Look, he knocked my tooth out!"

Father Chen was about to speak, but when his gaze fell on Xiao Ye, his legs gave out, and he dropped to his knees with a THUD.

Xiao Ye watched him with a faint smile. "Why such a grand greeting right off the bat?"

"Patriarch... Patriarch Xiao!" The Chen Family were prominent figures in the Imperial City, so he had naturally attended his share of grand banquets.

He knew exactly what Xiao Ye looked like, and he knew exactly what kind of man he was.

He couldn't stop trembling at the thought that his two sons had actually provoked such a terrifying figure.

"So you know who I am. No wonder you greeted me with a bow."

Chen Ze and his brother were both stunned.

'Who is Patriarch Xiao?'

'Could he be the same Patriarch Xiao who's been causing such a stir lately?'

'Rumor has it he's so powerful he purged the entire Imperial City, yet no one has dared to touch him.'

'His backing must be incredibly powerful. And for a family at the Xiao Family's level, it was obvious who that backing was.'

Father Chen remained kneeling, not daring to get up.

He knew what Xiao Ye was capable of. If he angered him any further, he might not be able to save his two sons.

'They're the future of the Chen Family, meant to carry on the family line!'

At that thought, he shuffled on his knees over to his two sons. Ignoring Chen Ze's injuries, he shoved them to the ground, forcing them to kowtow to Xiao Ye.

"Patriarch Xiao, it's all our fault, completely and utterly our fault! Please, be merciful and spare my two sons!"

Xiao Ye watched him coldly. "Your Chen Family is certainly something else. Your older son immediately started berating me, without a care in the world for what his younger brother did wrong."

"And you come in and immediately start apologizing, without even knowing what happened. Is everyone in your Chen Family this brainless?"

"If that's truly the case, then I see no reason for the Chen Family to stick around."

Patriarch Chen saw the look in his eyes and shuddered.

He suddenly realized he had made a grave miscalculation.

'Who was Xiao Ye?'

'This was a man who, in his twenties, had taken control of the entire Xiao Family. He'd even locked up all the old guard of the family's main branch!'

'Yet here I am, immediately apologizing, acting far too subservient.'

'He had heard that Xiao Ye was a man who valued reason above all else, someone who stood firmly on the side of justice.'

Patriarch Chen apologized again. "Patriarch Xiao, I'm sorry. This is all my fault, completely and utterly my fault!"

"Chen Ze, hurry up and tell him what happened!"

Chen Ze, no longer daring to act as arrogantly as before, quickly stammered, "It... It was me. I was trying to hit on the young woman in room 1004."

"I... I didn't know she was part of the Xiao Family! If I had, I never would have done it!"

Xiao Ye finally spoke. "If you truly liked her, I wouldn't have hit you."

"But you were planning to toy with her feelings. You even called her a 'sickly good-for-nothing' behind her back. You just saw a pretty face and got ideas."

Father Chen felt a wave of dizziness. Without a second thought, he slapped his son across the face. "You shameless bastard!"

"You... you actually dared to toy with a woman's feelings? Is that how I raised you?"

Chen Ze knew he was in the wrong, so he didn't dare say a word.

Chen Ze's older brother stood by, quiet as a mouse. He may have been hot-headed and blindly protective of his brother, but that didn't make him a complete idiot.

He knew he had to lie low in this situation. Any wrong move could bring ruin upon the Chen Family.

Just as he had that thought, Father Chen turned and slapped him too.

"And you! What sins did I commit in a past life to have two worthless bastards like you for sons?!"

"Get on your knees and apologize to Patriarch Xiao! Now!"

Xiao Ye smiled faintly. "You're wrong again. They shouldn't be apologizing to me. I'm not the real victim here."

"Right, right, right..." Cold sweat drenched Father Chen's back. The young man's aura was so powerful it was suffocating, pressing down on him until he could barely breathe.

"I'll have them apologize right away!"

"There's no need. I don't want to disturb the patient over such a trivial matter. Besides, the three of you, and everyone else who was here today, will be coming with me."

"Patriarch Xiao, what... what do you mean by that?" 'The Chen Family might not be that powerful, but he can't just act against us so openly, can he?'

"Exactly what it sounds like." He took out his phone and dialed a number.

A moment later, the soldiers responsible for the sanatorium's security entered and saluted respectfully. "Mr. Xiao."

"Take them away. Send them to the small courtyard out back. From this day forward, they are not to take a single step out of their rooms without my explicit command."

"Furthermore, they are forbidden from using any device that could contact the outside world. Go."

"Sir!"

"Wait!" Father Chen quickly raised a hand. "Mr. Xiao, I don't know who you are, but you can't do this!"

"My father is also here at the sanatorium, in room 1007! He used to be with the military!"

Xiao Ye already knew this, of course, but he wasn't afraid. "You are all suspected of being connected to a matter of national security. You must be detained. Otherwise, if the mission fails..."

"...how could you possibly take responsibility? Not even with all your heads combined could you bear the consequences!"

"Then I... I must see my father before I go with you!"

This was his last-ditch effort to save himself and his sons.

He was hoping Xiao Ye would show them some leniency out of respect for the old man.

"Fine," Xiao Ye agreed with a nod. "Confiscate their communication devices and take them to room 1007."

CREAK.

The door swung open.

Inside room 1007 was an old man with a full head of silver hair. Despite his age, he seemed to be in high spirits.

He looked over at the sound.

He was a little surprised to see his son and two grandsons.

Especially since two of them were bruised and battered, looking quite miserable.

But the Chen family's patriarch was no ordinary man. He was a true war hero who had seen real combat. He could tell with a single glance that their injuries were merely superficial—nothing serious at all.

He was more curious about how they had gotten into such a state.

Father Chen hurried forward and quickly explained what had happened, placing heavy emphasis on the recent turn of events.