485: Chapter 485 Are you behaving yourself now?

"A crooked path?" Ma Zhonghe's expression gradually darkened.

"Big brother, you're just talking without feeling the pain!"

"You manage the most profitable businesses of the Ma Family, so of course you can afford to be high and mighty."

"What about me?"

"The scraps I've been allocated, what are they even good for?"

"You were the one who proposed splitting the family in the first place," Ma Tianlai said indifferently. "You complained that I was too strict and insisted on striking out on your own, and now you're back complaining about your share. That logic doesn't hold up."

Ma Zhonghe was choked for words, the fat on his face trembling.

The atmosphere at the table dropped to freezing point.

The younger generation wished they could bury their faces in their bowls; they didn't even dare to move their chopsticks.

After a long while,

Ma Zhonghe managed to squeeze out a sentence: "Big brother, I'll ask you just one thing: are you going to do this project or not?"

"No."

Ma Tianlai picked up his teacup, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.

Ma Zhonghe stood up abruptly, his chair sliding back half a foot.

"Fine! Fine! Fine!"

He said the word 'fine' three times in a row, a trace of ruthlessness appearing on his face.

"Ma Tianlai!"

"You're high and mighty! You're amazing! Everyone respects you! Everyone adores you!"

"But remember this, the Ma Family isn't just your family alone!"

"Whatever I, Ma Zhonghe, want to do, no one can stop me!"

"I said so!!!"

Ma Tianlai slammed the table, grabbed the teacup in front of him, and smashed it fiercely on the ground.

The next second.

Shards of porcelain scattered everywhere, and hot tea splashed all over Ma Zhonghe's pant legs.

"Get out!"

"Don't let those unsavory things of yours dirty the grounds of my Ma Family!"

Ma Zhonghe's face turned completely black, the veins on his forehead bulging as if they were about to burst.

"Fine! Very fine!"

"Ma Tianlai, you will regret this."

He flicked his sleeves and turned to leave.

The younger generation sat at the table, each one trembling in fear, not even daring to breathe loudly.

Ma Tianlai snorted coldly and was just about to tell everyone to continue eating...

Suddenly!

A series of footsteps came from outside the door, and the housekeeper, Old Chen, trotted in with a look of panic on his face.

"Master! Master!"

Ma Zhonghe's footsteps paused.

Ma Tianlai frowned even more: "What is it?"

"Outside... someone outside is asking to see you!" Old Chen pointed toward the main gate, panting.

Ma Tianlai waved his hand impatiently: "I won't see them! I'm not seeing anyone today!"

"But... but that person said..."

Old Chen swallowed hard, "He says his name is Ye Chen, and he is the Chief Instructor of the Hidden Dragon Pavilion of the Dragon Group."

Ma Tianlai's body, just about to sit down, froze.

The next second.

He looked up, a flash of sharp light passing through his cloudy old eyes.

Ye Chen.

He was all too familiar with this name.

It had been the talk of the high-level business circles in the Guang City for the past few days.

The Hall of Saints in Northern Europe had been wiped out in one fell swoop, and the Princess of Sweden had died in that explosion. The leaders of the five nations were furious, but they were left speechless by a single statement from the Dragon Country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The person who did this was named Ye Chen, but the people of the five nations couldn't produce any evidence... And he was the Chief Instructor of the Hidden Dragon Pavilion of the Dragon Group.

It was said he was only in his twenties.

It was said that he didn't even care about the Kunlun Ruins.

It was said...

Ma Tianlai's expression became serious: "Invite him in."

Old Chen was stunned, quickly acknowledged the order, turned around, and trotted out.

The younger generation at the table looked at each other, not knowing what kind of big shot had arrived to make the old man change his expression.

Ma Zhonghe rolled his eyes and didn't leave directly.

He wanted to see... what kind of person could make his big brother change his expression?

Before long.

Footsteps came from outside the door.

Ma Tianlai looked up and saw a man and a woman walking in side by side.

The man was handsome, the woman was beautiful.

They looked just like a golden boy and jade girl.

As soon as the two entered.

Ye Chen's gaze swept across the table full of dishes.

"Oh, eating?"

He paused, his gaze landing on Ma Tianlai's face, his smile unchanging, "Have I disturbed everyone?"

Ma Tianlai cupped his hands in a salute: "Not at all. On the contrary, Instructor Ye's arrival is an honor. It is my negligence for failing to welcome you properly."

He had lived for over seventy years and had seen all kinds of storms, but facing the young man before him, he dared not be the slightest bit negligent.

The reason was simple.

The power held in this young man's hands was enough to plunge his Ma Family into a major crisis overnight.

Ye Chen waved his hand and said with a smile: "Old Master Ma is too polite. I'm just passing by to ask a few questions. I'll leave once I'm done, and I won't delay your meal."

Ma Tianlai waved his hand quickly: "Instructor Ye, what are you saying? Please feel free to ask anything you want, and I will tell you everything I know."

As he spoke, he turned to the side and made a "please" gesture, signaling for Ye Chen and Bing Lan to take their seats.

Ye Chen didn't stand on ceremony, pulling Bing Lan to sit on the neighboring master's chair.

Ma Zhonghe stood to the side, his eyes rolling over Ye Chen several times, and suddenly spoke with a fake smile.

"Big brother, since when have you become so polite to a junior?"

He dragged out his tone, his voice full of sarcasm, "Don't tell me you've become muddled from doing business, and now you have to act subservient to everyone you see?"

Ma Tianlai's expression sank, and he turned his head sharply, glaring at Ma Zhonghe.

"Didn't you leave? Why are you still here?"

Ma Zhonghe sneered: "If I had left, how could I have seen with my own eyes the dignified eldest master of the Ma Family acting so subservient to a twenty-something-year-old brat?"

Ma Tianlai's face turned completely black, and he slapped the armrest of his chair.

"Ma Zhonghe! This is the last time I'm saying it, get out immediately!"

"Otherwise..."

"Otherwise what?" Ma Zhonghe retorted without showing any weakness, "Are you going to kick me out of the Ma Family? Don't forget! I have a share in the Ma Family's business too!"

The two brothers were at daggers drawn, and the younger generation at the table nearly collapsed to the ground.

After all.

The atmosphere was too terrifying...

However.

Just at this moment!

Ye Chen spoke slowly.

"He is the Second Master, right?"

"Perfect, the matter I want to ask about also concerns the Second Master. Why don't we all listen together?"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was stunned.

Ma Tianlai's brows furrowed tightly,

Ma Zhonghe was even more astonished.

This young man...

Why is he looking for me?

He had originally just wanted to be a bystander.

As a result...

The trouble had come knocking on his own door?

"Instructor Ye, what do you mean by that?" Ma Tianlai asked in a deep voice.

Ye Chen shrugged, saying lightly,

"I came here today to ask your Ma Family one thing."

"Has your Ma Family ever engaged in the business of human trafficking involving children?"

Ma Tianlai's expression changed drastically.

"No! Absolutely not!"

"Instructor Ye, my Ma Family has been clean for generations, doing only legitimate business. How could we possibly engage in such conscience-less acts?"

Ye Chen heard this, waved his hand, and smiled: "Old Master Ma, don't be anxious. I didn't say it was definitely your Ma Family who did it."

He paused, his gaze landing on Ma Zhonghe, his smile unchanging.

"I just wanted to ask... Second Master, what about you?"

Ma Zhonghe's face immediately sank.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Are you qualified to interfere in my Ma Family's affairs?"

"Even if you are with the government, you have to provide evidence, not just come up here and pretend to interrogate me."

Bing Lan frowned, having absolutely no good impression of this Second Master of the Ma Family.

On the contrary...

With her mastery of the Heavenly Realm Peak power, she could clearly feel that there was a bloody aura inside this Second Master.

It was as if he had killed people.

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow: "I suggest you'd better speak to me properly, otherwise you're going to be in big trouble in a moment."

"Big trouble?"

Ma Zhonghe acted as if he had heard a huge joke and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Kid, I'm just not going to speak properly, what can you do about it?"

"What are you? How dare you run wild on my Ma Family's territory?"

"I'm telling you, this is the Guang City, this is my Ma Family's place!"

"You dare to cause trouble here, believe it or not, I won't let you leave this door?"

Before the words had even faded.

Ye Chen's figure disappeared.

No one saw clearly how he had disappeared...

Ma Tianlai's pupils shrank, Ma Zhonghe's laughter came to an abrupt halt, and the younger generation at the table even forgot to breathe.

By the time they reacted...

Ye Chen was already standing in front of Ma Zhonghe.

Then.

He raised his right foot and kicked Ma Zhonghe right in the stomach.

"Bang!!!"

Ma Zhonghe's nearly two-hundred-pound body was sent flying as if hit by a truck, his feet leaving the ground as he flew backward!

Immediately after.

His body, under the shocked, astonished, and disbelieving expressions of everyone, knocked over the chair behind him and crashed onto the mahogany round table filled with dishes.

The next second.

Bowls and plates shattered all over the floor, and broth splashed everywhere.

"Ugh—"

Ma Zhonghe clutched his stomach, curled up in the pile of food like a cooked shrimp, his face turning the color of pig liver, and he began to retch as soon as he opened his mouth.

The entire main hall was deathly silent.

Everyone was stunned!

Holy shit!

That's awesome!

He just started fighting without a word...

Ye Chen withdrew his foot, ignored everyone in the room, and asked indifferently: "Have you learned your lesson?"