324: Is there a battle of wits in Chapter 324? - 3

Behind him, Ye Cheng heard this and couldn't help but roll her eyes.

She had thought this "King of Abstraction" had been saving up some novel ultimate move, but it turned out to be just a simple and crude "out of battery"?

What use could that possibly have?!

Knowing the thickness of the old man's skin, he would absolutely be capable of dragging the two of them off to find a charger on the spot, or even voluntarily offering up his own power bank.

Wouldn't that be even more awkward? It wouldn't solve the problem at all!

Ye Cheng frowned and stepped forward, just about to smooth things over, when she suddenly caught a glimpse of the incredibly colorful, hesitant, and visibly strained expression on the Dean's face. She tilted her head, wondering, "Huh?"

This... what's going on?

Why was the old man's reaction not quite what she had expected?

Before she could figure it out, the extremely complex expression on the Dean's face receded like the tide, instantly switching to a bright, sunny, and enthusiastic smile, as if the previous awkwardness had never happened.

"It's fine, it's fine! If it's out of battery, then so be it! Sigh, look at this mess!"

The Dean waved his hand, his tone exceptionally cheerful: "Your uncle here was just asking casually, it's no big deal! It doesn't matter!"

He looked at Jiang Ye with concern, his gaze affectionate: "By the way, Little Jiang, you've come such a long way, you must be starving! You two lovebirds go walk around and get familiar with the environment first. In a little while, let Little Chengzi take you to our cafeteria for a bite! Taste the food at our orphanage!"

"...?"

Ye Cheng stared at her orphanage's Dean in utter astonishment.

Familiar with every micro-expression of the old man, she couldn't find a single trace of any scheme on his face right now; it was completely filled with enthusiasm.

This... has the sun risen from the west?

She subconsciously retorted, her tone full of distrust: "Forget it, right? Old man, don't tell me you're cooking up another table of cabbage and tofu, trying to play some..."

"Oh my, my Little Chengzi! What are you saying!"

The Dean immediately put on an aggrieved expression as if he had been severely misunderstood, his voice rising an octave: "That cabbage and tofu is for fooling outsiders! Is Little Jiang an outsider? He's one of our own family! When family visits, we definitely have to prepare something good!"

He patted his chest, guaranteeing with certainty: "You two go walk around first, just head to the cafeteria at 11:30 sharp! I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"

After saying this, the Dean didn't give Ye Cheng any chance to question him further. He turned abruptly and jogged toward the cafeteria, shouting at the top of his lungs with full vigor:

"Mr. Wang! Mr. Wang! Replace that cabbage and tofu for me! Take that big carp frozen in the freezer and thaw it out! My son-in-law is here! Get all your signature dishes ready for me!"

"..."

Ye Cheng blankly watched the old man jog away, then turned to look at Jiang Ye, who was standing beside her with a calm expression, as if everything was under control. She couldn't help but tug on his sleeve: "No... what exactly is going on here?"

"What else could it be?" Jiang Ye stretched comfortably: "It's very simple, the roles of attacker and defender have reversed! From today on, for me, there are no more kidnappers in this orphanage."

"Stop keeping me in suspense! What exactly did you do?" Ye Cheng gave him a playful punch.

Jiang Ye smiled and asked in return: "Let me ask you a question first: when this old man uses that 'combo move' to fool outsiders, is his success rate high?"

"Not high, one could even say it's very low." Ye Cheng thought back carefully and shook her head: "Sometimes it even causes quite a bit of unpleasantness. It's only when kids who grew up in the orphanage, or 'family members' like you that I brought back today, return that his tactics are particularly effective."

"Tsk, have you ever thought about why?"

"Why? Because... it's hard for acquaintances to have a falling out?"

"That's one aspect, but the deeper reason is that you all, including those who were eventually 'kidnapped' successfully, got one thing wrong."

"What?"

"In your subconscious, you have all mistaken the active-passive relationship in this game."

Jiang Ye extended his index finger and waved it in front of her: "The reason moral kidnapping succeeds might be because the kidnapper's technique is superb and their tactics are deep, but there is one crucial prerequisite here—"

He paused, then said, enunciating every word: "It's that the person being kidnapped is 'willing' to be kidnapped in their heart."

"Maybe it's because they have feelings for the orphanage, maybe because they are soft-hearted and kind by nature, or maybe they just care about saving face and can't bring themselves to refuse."

"In short, they built their own prison first, giving the old man space to operate. But when he encounters someone like me who is completely unwilling to be kidnapped, his tactics naturally fail."

Ye Cheng was stunned for a moment, seemingly moved, and asked: "So? What did you do just now? Didn't you just act shamelessly and say your phone was out of battery?"

"I didn't do anything." Jiang Ye smiled, his tone flat: "I just used a very gentle, very friendly way to let the Dean clearly and unmistakably realize one thing—"

"I, Jiang Ye, cannot be kidnapped by him. I don't buy into either soft or hard tactics."

"Furthermore, not only will I not be kidnapped by him, but I can also 'friendly' refuse him in his most skilled domain, using the way he understands best."

Ye Cheng blinked, still somewhat confused: "Refuse? And then what?"

"And then?" The smile at the corners of Jiang Ye's mouth deepened: "The Dean is a smart man, and even more so, a true patriarch. In a very short amount of time, he went through an intense internal struggle and weighed the pros and cons."

"He realized that using hard tactics on me would only result in a total loss, unable to even maintain the current surface-level harmony. And continuing to pester me would just be a waste of time, because I don't buy into that at all."

"So, for him, only one optimal solution remains—"

"Since he can't kidnap me, then he'll stop! He'll change his approach, build a good relationship, move me with emotion, and play the long game. What if in the future I, this 'future son-in-law,' change my mind, or you whisper some sweet nothings in my ear? Either way, it's better than biting the bullet and having a falling out now."

He gestured toward the cafeteria: "This is what's called... he who understands the times is a wise man. The Dean is a wise man indeed!"

Ye Cheng listened to Jiang Ye's analytical breakdown and watched his smug expression, and she couldn't help but let a smile ripple in her eyes: "You talk a big game! I don't believe you could make him accept it so easily! When we go to the cafeteria later, it might just be a table of cabbage and toa..."

Before the word "fu" could escape her lips, the Dean, who had already run into the cafeteria, came jogging back like a gust of wind, shouting from afar:

"Little Jiang! Do you have any dietary restrictions? Do you eat spicy food? How about green onions, ginger, and garlic? Our kitchen chef, Mr. Wang, makes excellent Sichuan cuisine. His boiled meat slices and Mao Xue Wang are absolutely top-notch!"

"Oh my!" Jiang Ye greeted him with a beaming smile: "Dean, you're too kind! I eat everything, no restrictions! Sichuan cuisine is great, it's just what I like! I'm in for a treat today!"

"..." Ye Cheng watched the two of them, beaming and speaking affectionately as if they were truly family, and fell into silence once again. After a long while, she couldn't help but mutter in a low voice: "...Absurd."