As Ye Ming and Yekawa Sagong returned to Moon Pavilion, it was nearly nine in the evening. As they reached the door of the room, they heard footsteps pacing back and forth inside.
"Damn it! Why aren't they back yet! This is driving me crazy!"
"Could something have really happened to Sister Sagong!"
"It's all that guy's fault, he really can't say a good word!"
"..."
Before the two could even enter, Nangong Qianyu's stream of mutterings assaulted their ears like a demonic symphony. Ye Ming and Yekawa Sagong exchanged a glance, finding themselves between laughter and tears.
"Let's go in!"
Ye Ming shrugged and pushed open the door.
When the two appeared before Nangong Qianyu, she was visibly taken aback. However, the surprise lasted only a moment before she reacted.
"Sister Sagong! Are you alright!"
Nangong Qianyu completely ignored Ye Ming and rushed over, grabbing Yekawa Sagong's hand and scrutinizing her. "That scoundrel Ye Ming speaks nonsense, you mustn't take it to heart! If there's anything, we can sit down and talk it through! Don't let some misunderstanding..."
"Alright, alright! The misunderstanding is cleared up, stop worrying!" Seeing Nangong Qianyu's incessant chatter, Ye Ming felt a mix of gratitude and amusement.
"You shut up! This is a conversation between sisters, what business is it of yours to interrupt!"
Upon hearing this, Nangong Qianyu shot him a glare and, without another word, pulled Yekawa Sagong towards the nearby sofa, murmuring something to her as they went.
From beginning to end, Yekawa Sagong listened quietly, a slight smile playing on her lips beneath her veil. She found this newly recognized sister quite endearing.
Seeing this, Ye Ming could only pout dryly, not daring to disturb them further.
However, now that the misunderstanding was resolved, he had important business to attend to.
He took out his phone, found "Zhao Donglai" in his contacts, and dialed the number.
The call was answered in less than a moment.
"Mr. Ye!"
A respectful greeting came from the other end.
Ye Ming decided not to correct him this time.
"Old Zhao! You saw today's live stream, didn't you!" Ye Ming asked with a smile.
"Yes! I've watched every single one of your live streams," Zhao Donglai said gravely. "Mr. Ye! Are you preparing to enter the second phase of Project Dawn?"
Project Dawn!
It seemed Zhao Donglai knew quite a bit.
"Mmm! We really do need to pick up the pace!" Ye Ming's voice deepened. "Old Zhao, how has the group's cultivation progress been over the past three years? Can it adapt to the current pace?"
Due to many unforeseen events, Ye Ming had to accelerate some of his plans.
However, he was worried whether the preparations made earlier could keep up with the current rhythm.
For instance, could the alchemists and artifact refiners secretly trained by the Qishi Pharmaceutical Group be put into practice.
"Mr. Ye! Based on the alchemy and artifact refining knowledge you left with the group, we've made the cultivation of alchemists and artifact refiners our top priority over the past three years. Although Project Dawn's sudden acceleration has disrupted our initial deployment, the impact won't be too significant. So..." Zhao Donglai chuckled, "So please rest assured, we can keep up."
Hearing this, Ye Ming smiled with relief.
He had to admit, with Zhao Donglai's assistance, many of his affairs were handled with ease, freeing him from many worries.
"Old Zhao! I appreciate your efforts!"
Ye Ming expressed his sincere gratitude.
"Mr. Ye! You're too kind! If you hadn't saved me back then, Zhao Donglai would likely no longer exist in this world."
Zhao Donglai's tone carried a hint of melancholy, as if recalling some unpleasant memories.
"Old Zhao! Haven't you ever thought... of going back?" Ye Ming walked to the window, gazing at the bright moon in the sky, and sighed softly.
He knew Zhao Donglai's history.
Precisely because he knew, he understood Zhao Donglai's current state of mind.
"Go back...?"
Upon hearing the question, Zhao Donglai's thoughts seemed to pause for a moment before he replied, "Mr. Ye! To be honest, with my current status, if I truly wanted to go back, they wouldn't be able to stop me."
"However... it's no longer important!"
He said this with a hearty laugh. "I'm content with everything I have now, there's no need to strive for anything more."
"Is that so?"
After hearing this, a sharp glint flashed in Ye Ming's eyes. "Don't you feel any unwillingness? Or are you holding back because of something?"
Ye Ming's single sentence seemed to touch a sensitive nerve in Zhao Donglai, causing him to fall silent.
Ye Ming didn't wait for him to speak, narrowing his eyes slightly. "That's right! You must know that Junxue is currently confronting the Li clan. In this matter, have you not noticed anything?"
"Huh?"
Upon hearing Ye Ming suddenly bring up Fang Junxue and the Li clan, Zhao Donglai seemed slow to react at first.
However, as the chairman of Qishi Pharmaceutical Group, after carefully pondering the hidden meaning in Ye Ming's words, he seemed to sense something.
"Mr. Ye! You... you're planning to take down the Li clan!"
There was a distinct tremor in Zhao Donglai's voice as he uttered this.
This tremor was not solely due to Ye Ming's attitude towards the Li clan.
Perhaps there was another reason.
"So, I've already made my move against the Li clan. You should know what this implies, shouldn't you!" Ye Ming said with a smile.
"It seems I've been too cautious!"
Zhao Donglai gave a wry smile.
But at the same time, he decided to unleash the lingering unwillingness hidden in his heart.
"Good!"
Ye Ming could sense his resolve, which gave him further confidence. "By the way, there's one more thing I forgot to tell you. The Shangguan clan... is already on our side."
"So, when needed, you can seek their help!"
Hearing this, Zhao Donglai's heart pounded, his pupils widening. His breathing even became rapid.
"Mr. Ye! You..."
At this moment, he was at a loss for words to describe the shock Ye Ming had given him.
"Alright! Just go and do it!"
Ye Ming shook his head and smiled. "Whether it's the Li clan or the Zhao clan, as long as no one else intervenes, nothing should be able to stop you. If some people try to force their way in, then..."
As he said this, a cold glint flowed in the depths of Ye Ming's pupils. "I will act!"
Zhao Donglai understood very well who the "people" Ye Ming was referring to. It was precisely because of this that he had been hesitant earlier.
But now, with Ye Ming's words, he could "recklessly" erase the old grudges from his heart.
"Thank you, Mr. Ye!"
Zhao Donglai said respectfully with a moved heart.
"Rest assured, I will also deliver the remaining family to you!"