820: Chapter 820 I Only Want Gold!

The next day.

At the crack of dawn, Ye Chen was dragged out of his blankets by Yan Qingwu.

"Get up!"

"The ship won't wait for anyone. If you dawdle any longer, we'll have to swim to the Antarctic!"

Ye Chen pulled the quilt over his head. "Let me sleep for another five minutes..."

"Shut up! You've already said 'five more minutes' seventeen times."

Yan Qingwu snatched his quilt away. "Hurry up!!!"

Ye Chen sat up helplessly.

"A secretary like you would have been fired anywhere else."

Yan Qingwu threw a set of outdoor gear into his face. "Cut the crap, change your clothes immediately. The car is waiting downstairs!"

Just like that...

Ye Chen was forced awake.

Twenty minutes later, the two stood at the port.

The Antarctic expedition ship [Aurora] was docked at the port, and a queue had already formed at the boarding passage.

Ye Chen scanned the crowd and found that the passengers were quite a mixed bunch.

There were documentary teams carrying professional filming equipment.

There were scientific researchers in uniform.

There were also a few characters who clearly weren't simple; although they wore casual clothes, the aura of martial artists in their every movement couldn't be hidden.

"It looks like this ship won't be too boring," Ye Chen smiled.

Yan Qingwu glanced in the direction of his gaze.

"They're all here for the martial arts tournament, right?"

"The news released by the One Clan, Three Sects, Five Gates has already spread across the globe; anyone with a bit of strength wants to get involved."

This grand event not only represented individual combat power.

It also represented...

Competition for the number one spot in the world!

Therefore.

Many people would inevitably come.

The two moved forward with the queue.

After their tickets were checked, they boarded the ship.

The interior of the Aurora was much more spacious than it looked from the outside.

The cabins were divided into three levels, and the hull was fitted with long cannons; it was clearly well-equipped.

Yan Qingwu went to the front desk to get two room cards, then came back and tossed one to Ye Chen. "A double room on the third floor by the sea, we're next door to each other."

Ye Chen took the room card and nodded. "Let's go, put the luggage away first, then go to the deck for some fresh air. The ship won't leave for another hour."

The two returned to their respective cabins to drop off their things, then came to the open-air deck at the stern.

The weather was surprisingly good today. Ye Chen found a lounge chair in the corner and sat down, squinting in the sun.

Yan Qingwu leaned against the railing, holding her phone to record a video of the sea.

...

I don't know how much time passed, but the deck gradually became lively.

Some people were holding coffee or fine wine, gathering in small groups to chat.

A few young people were fiddling with drones at the bow, and some men and women in formal attire were gathered under parasols, talking in low voices.

Ye Chen didn't open his eyes, but his ears were always listening.

Most of what those people were talking about revolved around the upcoming martial arts tournament on the Antarctic ice sheet.

"I heard that people from the Five Clans, Eight Sects, and Thirteen Gates have all come, and they've even dispatched their elites!"

"Not just that. The news I got is that the Thousand Mechanisms Gate, one of the Thirteen Gates, even had their Supreme Elder, who has been in seclusion for many years, come out of seclusion to lead the team personally."

"Sigh, it's all because the prize for this tournament is a bronze key. It's said to be related to that legendary bronze gate. Whoever gets the key holds one-ninth of the secret!"

...

Ye Chen's mouth curled slightly.

Yan Qingwu didn't know when she had put away her phone; she came over and sat on the lounge chair next to him. "Did you hear that? These people are quite well-informed."

"Is being well-informed useful?"

Ye Chen rolled over. "If they knew that the One Clan, Three Sects, Five Gates didn't have the key at all, I wonder what would happen?"

Yan Qingwu's expression became strange.

That's right!

Ye Chen currently had nine of them in his hands.

Which meant that the people outside couldn't possibly produce a tenth one.

But the people from the One Clan, Three Sects, Five Gates were using a non-existent key to stir things up; things were about to get interesting...

Just then.

There was a commotion from the direction of the gangway.

Ye Chen and Yan Qingwu turned their heads to look.

And saw.

A group of people surging up from the gangway.

And at the very front was a young man with blond hair and blue eyes.

He was surrounded by seven or eight people who were fawning over him...

The scene looked like a big shot had arrived.

"Hmm? Which big star is boarding the ship?" Yan Qingwu couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

A middle-aged man holding a wine glass nearby leaned over to interject.

"You don't know him? That's the heir to the Buster family—Dirk Buster!"

"He's also the Vice President of The Association. He's here representing The Association to observe the tournament."

"I heard he's only thirty-two, and he's already one of the top thirty figures on the Ability User ranking list!"

"And his family's assets are enough to buy a small country. A true darling of heaven!"

Yan Qingwu curled her lip. "Tsk, both a chaebol and an Ability User. This life script is quite full."

Compared to herself, this man really had a full life script.

Ye Chen still had his eyes closed, as if he hadn't heard.

Dirk was surrounded by the crowd as he crossed the deck, talking to people as he walked, without any airs.

But his blue eyes were like radar, calmly scanning every face on the deck.

When he saw Ye Chen's figure, his steps faltered.

Then.

He turned his head and whispered something to his attendant.

The attendant nodded and walked over to Ye Chen, bowing politely.

"Excuse me, are you Mr. Ye Chen and Ms. Yan Qingwu?"

"Our Mr. Dirk would like to come over and greet you both. Would that be convenient?"

Yan Qingwu looked at Ye Chen.

Ye Chen glanced towards Dirk.

Dirk met his gaze, smiled, walked closer, and extended his hand.

"Mr. Ye, I've heard much about you."

"My name is Dirk Buster, Vice President of The Association."

"I heard about your assistance from Max yesterday. It's truly an honor to meet you here today."

Ye Chen reached out and shook his hand. "No need to be polite. Just remember to fulfill your promise."

Dirk withdrew his hand, the smile on his face unchanged.

"Promises naturally must be kept. The Association has always been true to its word."

"But..."

"There's something I'd like to clarify with you in person to avoid any misunderstandings in the future."

Ye Chen leaned back in his chair. "Go ahead."

"About that ton of gold."

Dirk said calmly.

"That gold is indeed stolen property from the Cat-men, and it is registered in The Association's files."

"According to the international convention, stolen property must be returned to the original owner or destroyed; individuals cannot keep it."

Ye Chen squinted. "You mean... you're not giving it to me?"

"It's not that I'm not giving it."

Dirk shook his head.

"It's that The Association can compensate you in other forms."

"But that ton of gold, because it involves legal issues regarding transnational stolen property, unfortunately, I really cannot give it directly to you."

Ye Chen laughed after hearing this.

"Mr. Dirk, I'm a straightforward person."

"He said you could mobilize The Association's resources, so I believed him."

"But now you're telling me you can't mobilize that ton of gold."

"Does that mean I can interpret it as you planning to play me for a fool?"

Yan Qingwu immediately chimed in.

"Exactly, Mr. Dirk. Last night, Ye Chen smashed them right in front of so many people."

"And you turn around and say the gold can't be given? Isn't that slapping him in the face?"

Dirk remained his gentle and refined self. "I am not shirking responsibility, I am only stating facts. Stolen property is stolen property; this is written in black and white in the international convention, and no one can go against it."

Ye Chen stood up from the lounge chair.

He was slightly shorter than Dirk by half a head, but when the two stood face to face, the smile on Dirk's face finally faded a bit.

It wasn't because Ye Chen's expression was scary.

But because the laziness on Ye Chen's body suddenly disappeared the moment he stood up.

Replacing it was a kind of...

Absolute confidence.

"Then I'll make myself clear."

"That ton of gold—I don't care if it's black or white, or what convention or no convention."

"Since I took action, that is my reward."

"If you want to return it to the original owner, that's your business."

"For example... bring out another ton. Return what needs to be returned, and give what needs to be given."

"Instead of standing here discussing it with me."

Ye Chen grinned.

"If you don't give it, then I'll use my own methods to get it back, and when that time comes... don't blame me for not playing by the rules."

Dirk narrowed his eyes.

"Mr. Ye, you've misunderstood. I didn't mean to refuse you; I was just suggesting a more compliant way to compensate you."

Ye Chen sat back down on the lounge chair and waved his hand at Dirk.

"No need. I only want the gold."

"You can leave now. When I return here, if you haven't given me an explanation, then I..."

"...will go to your headquarters and have a good chat."

Dirk's eyes darkened, and the gentle and refined look on his face was gone. "Ye Chen, are you sure you want to push things to the limit?"

Ye Chen closed his eyes, too lazy to pay attention.

"Mr. Dirk, your words are a bit inverted and outrageous."

Yan Qingwu's expression became strange.

"It was your people who promised the gold, which is why Ye Chen chose to save the people."

"And now you're the ones going back on your word..."

"I suggest you honestly give it over, otherwise, if something happens, no one can control him."