Chapter 1426: 1426: The Friendship Boat

Chapter 1426: Chapter 1426: The Friendship Boat

Seeing the Number One’s expression, Ning Changzheng’s heart sank. He cursed inwardly, realizing he had made a mistake.

The reason he had orchestrated this whole scene was that he knew the Number One too well. He was aware that the Number One’s mind was focused on significant matters and that he was an upright person who despised petty cunning.

Thus, Ning Changzheng was confident that the Number One would not see through his ulterior motives.

However, what Ning Changzheng hadn’t anticipated was that Ye Fei, a young and inexperienced fellow, had such a keen eye.

Before anything could happen, Ye Fei had already seen through his plans and even brought them up in front of the Number One.

Now, how would the Number One perceive him?

This was nothing short of shooting himself in the foot.

Nevertheless, at this point, Ning Changzheng decided to see things through to the end.

The reason was still his deep understanding of the Number One’s character.

If he could take down Ye Fei and then, under the guise of giving the Number One face, spare Ye Fei’s life, the Number One would owe him a favor.

Even if it made him uncomfortable, he would surely reciprocate in some way. It was better than offending someone and gaining nothing in return.

After a moment of hesitation, Ning Changzheng immediately shouted at his four subordinates, “Take him down!”

Upon hearing this, the four men swiftly released the safeties on their guns, their eight eyes fixed intently on Ye Fei, ready to prevent him from escaping.

Ye Fei, however, showed no intention of fleeing. He stood there calmly and said with a smile, “Four peak innate cultivators, each armed with a gun, how intimidating. But aren’t you afraid that I might take your boss as a hostage?”

Ye Fei’s words were nothing short of a direct attack on Ning Changzheng’s intentions, causing his face to change dramatically. Although both he and the Number One knew that Ye Fei would not do such a thing, the mere possibility was enough to be concerning.

Throughout history, in every dynasty, the safety of the ruler has always been of utmost importance and must not be compromised in any way.

Ning Changzheng’s actions, as pointed out by Ye Fei, were no longer just a matter of disrespecting the Number One; they were a direct threat to his safety. In ancient times, such behavior could have been labeled as “regicide and rebellion.”

Of course, the Number One was not an emperor from ancient times, and his character would not allow him to truly hold a grudge against his old friend over this. However, this was still a significant issue that could not be overlooked.

At this point, the situation no longer allowed Ning Changzheng to continue. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t.

The four experts beside him were merely hired for a high price and were not fanatics willing to die for him.

As long as they were not in personal danger, pretending to cooperate with him was fine, but now that the safety of the Number One was at stake, they were not fools and would not continue to follow his reckless actions.

Ning Changzheng had originally intended to force the Number One to owe him a favor, but not only did he fail, he ended up offending the Number One.

His frustration was palpable as he glared at Ye Fei and gritted his teeth, “Very well, very well. It seems that heroes do emerge from the young. I didn’t expect that not only is Ye Boss strong, but you are also quite skilled at sowing discord!”

“I don’t have the time for such petty scheming. I just want to tell you not to think that you are the only smart one and everyone else is a fool.

As for those people around you, they pose no threat to me at all,” Ye Fei said with a disdainful smile.

Without any visible movement, the four experts suddenly felt their submachine guns become weightless in their hands. In an instant, the guns were in Ye Fei’s possession.

Seeing this almost magical display, Ning Changzheng’s face turned pale. He had initially felt wronged by his loss today, but now he realized the true nature of the person he had provoked.

“I usually don’t let go of those who harbor ill will towards me, but today I’ll give the leader face and let this matter drop. Remember not to cross my path again in the future,” Ye Fei said, flicking his wrist to return the four guns to the experts.

He then waved at Ning Changzheng, “You may leave.”

At this moment, Ning Changzheng felt utterly defeated. His plan to make the Number One owe him a favor had not only failed but also exposed his petty intentions, offending the Number One.

Now, he had incurred a significant debt of gratitude to the Number One, leaving him no chance to mend fences in the future.

Watching Ning Changzheng and his men leave, the Number One stood quietly for a while before letting out a soft sigh.

In that instant, he seemed to age a bit more. Although the Number One didn’t say anything, Ye Fei understood his current state of mind.

At his level, it was extremely difficult to make true friends, and today, the friendship boat that had been built since their youth had capsized, naturally leaving him feeling upset.

However, Ye Fei didn’t offer any comfort. The Number One was not an ordinary person, and Ye Fei believed he would recover quickly from this setback. So, after Ning Changzheng had gone far enough, Ye Fei also took his leave.

Exiting the most important place in Long Country, Ye Fei stood on the street and couldn’t help but feel a sense of melancholy.

He had just mentioned that it was not easy for the Number One to make true friends, but wasn’t that also true for himself?

Besides Baldy and his comrades from the Wanghai Special Forces team, the only person he could consider a true friend was Zhao Xuan.

Originally, after Zhao Wujie returned and reunited with them, he should have come to see Ye Fei, but they didn’t. It was clear that Zhao Wujie had already learned about the true relationship between Ye Fei and Song Xueqi and didn’t know how to face them.

In addition to the aforementioned individuals, there was one more person who could be considered a friend, and that was Li Canghai. He could be described as Ye Fei’s confidant and a friend, regardless of age.

The reason he wasn’t categorized as a friend was because he had another identity—that of Ye Fei’s father-in-law.

At this time, Li Canghai should have been in his gang’s headquarters. Without notifying him or alerting anyone, Ye Fei directly went to the office where Li Canghai was located.

A person suddenly appeared in the room, which startled Li Canghai, who was in the middle of studying something. However, upon recognizing the visitor, his surprise turned into sheer delight, and he laughed heartily, “You finally show up!”

Ye Fei also chuckled but remained silent.

As if seeing through Ye Fei’s thoughts, Li Canghai said with a smile, “Why are you acting so reserved? Although you’ve taken my daughter, our friendship remains the same. Let’s keep things separate!”

Ye Fei was not the type to dwell on such matters and immediately lightened up, responding with a smile, “Alright, Brother Li, what are you busy with?”

“Just busy with nothing important,” Li Canghai tossed the documents in his hand aside, pulled Ye Fei to sit down, and eagerly asked, “I heard that you spent this year in the True Void Realm?”