Chapter 116, Chapter 113: Surrender

After Ye Chen finished speaking, he walked straight toward Zhang Yantong. Seeing him approach, the police officers instinctively stepped in front of her. Frowning, Zhang Yantong sneered coldly, "Ye Chen, are you satisfied now? Seeing so many people here to protect you, has your macho vanity been gratified? You must be feeling quite smug about your actions just now, aren't you? Do you think this is how you win the loyal hearts of your subordinates? Let me tell you, you are wrong!"

"I am here to surrender," Ye Chen said, casting an indifferent glance at her.

"What?!" Zhang Yantong’s eyes widened in shock. This bastard was actually here to turn himself in? She was stunned, having assumed he had come merely to show off. Recovering quickly, she stepped forward, pulled out a pair of handcuffs, and cuffed one of Ye Chen’s wrists, locking the other end to her own to ensure he had nowhere to run.

"Brother Chen!" Xiao Er and the others rushed over. Ye Chen waved them off. "Don't do anything reckless. Disperse. Leave the rest to the police."

"Brother Chen, how can you just go with them?" Xiao Er asked, panicked. He wiped his nose and added, "There are so many of us; it wouldn't be a problem to take on these cops."

"And after we get through this time, what then?" Ye Chen asked with a faint smile. "Are we to spend the rest of our lives on the run?"

"That..." Xiao Er was struck speechless. He realized that since Brother Chen had killed someone, it meant a life of being a fugitive. "We can use money to smooth this over!" he suddenly shouted.

A heavy silence fell over the scene. Ye Chen looked at the group and said, "Da Hei, keep an eye on everyone; don't let them do anything foolish. Jiang Wei, I know what you’ve decided. Since you’ve made up your mind, the casino is in your hands and Feng Zhixiao’s. Work hard, and you will succeed."

"Yes!" Da Hei and Jiang Wei nodded. For some reason, Jiang Wei felt a stinging sensation in his eyes, only to realize he was crying.

Soon, Ye Chen was taken away by the police. Even after they left, no backup arrived.

The news that Ye Chen had killed a top figure from Zhang Dadan’s side—all just to save a few of his own men—swept through Jianghuai City. Some called Ye Chen hot-blooded, loyal, and a true brother; others called him foolish, ignorant, and irrational. Opinions were divided, and the calm of Jianghuai City was rippled by the event.

At the headquarters of the Yanlong Gang, Yan Er was lying in his study. Two breathtaking, seductive women with voluptuous figures were kneeling over him, busily performing oral favors. The room was scented with dragon-saliva incense, an aphrodisiac that made the women move with even more fervor.

Suddenly, Yan Er’s phone rang. He answered it immediately. Upon hearing the news from the other end, he asked in surprise, "Is this report true?"

"Boss, it’s absolutely certain. Our men were at the scene and saw Ye Chen being taken away by the police with their own eyes," a low voice replied.

"Good, very good!" Yan Er grinned. "Have our people move immediately. Try to get him sentenced and find a way to get him thrown into prison. I refuse to believe I can’t break you this time!"

In Yan Er’s mind, Ye Chen had become a pawn. If Ye Chen were sentenced, his freedom would become a bargaining chip. He was confident Ye Chen wouldn't refuse him. Excited, Yan Er hung up the phone and chuckled, "Baby, I’m coming!"

He grabbed one of the women, threw her onto the headboard, and pounced like a tiger on its prey. He thrust into her, her arched, shapely hips fueling his wicked fire. After a vigorous thirty-second battle, he released everything. The woman kept her mouth open, catching his 'holy water' before dutifully cleaning him up.

The news of Ye Chen’s arrest reached the Tianya Group that afternoon. Li Ruo was initially unaware, but Lin Ziwen heard it from the security department. Captain Cao and his team of bodyguards were thrilled, spreading the news throughout the company until everyone knew. After confirming the rumors with Captain Cao and calling the police station herself, Lin Ziwen rushed to Li Ruo’s office.

"Li Ruo, it’s terrible! Ye Chen has been arrested!" Lin Ziwen exclaimed, her face pale with anxiety.

"What!" Li Ruo stood up, stunned. "Explain clearly. Wasn't he fine this morning? Why would the police arrest him this afternoon?"

Lin Ziwen recounted the events. Li Ruo gasped, feeling a wave of dizziness. He had killed someone? He had actually decapitated a man? She almost collapsed, but Lin Ziwen caught her. "Quick, get the car ready! We’re going to the police station!"

Li Ruo’s black Mercedes was prepared by Captain Cao. As she hurried through the lobby, the receptionist, Xiao Mei, watched in confusion. "Why is the boss in such a rush?"

A younger, greener-looking girl with a milk carton in her hand piped up, "The bastard Ye Chen bullied me, so he got arrested! Maybe you want to be arrested too?"

"What? You mean Ye Chen was arrested? Why?" Xiao Mei asked.

"I heard he killed someone!" the girl replied with a grin.

"No way... He’s so approachable, how could he kill anyone?" Xiao Mei shook her head in disbelief.

Just then, Vice Director Qian waddled over. "The girl is right. Ye Chen was arrested for intentional homicide. The boss is going to see that bastard now!"

At the police station, Zhang Yantong kept Ye Chen in the interrogation room. She sat across from him, her phoenix eyes fixed on him. "Are you satisfied now?"

"Captain Zhang, I don't know what you mean," Ye Chen said, a cigarette dangling from his lips, his expression cold and detached.

"You idiot! I told you not to kill anyone, but you wouldn't listen. Now look at you, ready for prison!" Zhang Yantong gritted her teeth.

"It doesn't matter," Ye Chen replied with a calm smile.

Zhang Yantong slammed the table and stood up. Looking at him, she caught a glimpse of deep world-weariness in his eyes and was struck by a sudden alarm. What kind of man could face imprisonment and death with such indifference? What kind of pain had he endured to possess such a gaze?

Her heart softened. She took out her keys, unlocked his cuffs, and whispered in his ear, "During the interrogation, tell the truth as much as you can. I’ll try to frame it as a surrender to reduce your sentence."

"Thank you," Ye Chen nodded. He didn't care about a reduced sentence; he didn't believe a common prison could hold him. He was silent only because he realized he had people in Jianghuai City he couldn't bear to leave behind—Liu Momo, Li Ruo, Feng Zhixiao...

The interrogation proceeded in an orderly fashion. However, when Zhang Yantong submitted the report to her superiors, Director Zeng changed the narrative, claiming the police had captured Ye Chen rather than him surrendering. Zhang Yantong was baffled. "But he surrendered! Why are we distorting the facts?"

"Tontong," Director Zeng chuckled, "the police need to project an image. This is a perfect opportunity!"

"But it's a lie," she protested through gritted teeth.