Ye Chen swaggered up to the front of the Li family, thrilled to see Li Yifeng, the family patriarch, personally stepping out to greet him.
It seemed the Li family held him in very high regard!
Glancing over at Tang Ao in the distance, a slight smirk formed on Ye Chen's lips.
Just wait, Tang Ao. Today, you'll witness firsthand the influence of Dragon King Ye Chen. You'll soon realize the terrifying power you've provoked!
Despite the excitement bubbling in his chest, Ye Chen kept his expression stern and said loudly, "This is way too grand. I, Ye Chen, always strive to keep a low profile. Although I know you're welcoming me with good intentions, this is just too much. I don't like such fanfare!"
Li Yifeng stared at Ye Chen, then looked over at Tang Ao, who wore a bemused expression. His brows furrowed deeply. "And who might you be?"
Ye Chen was stunned, and the Li family members standing behind Li Yifeng were equally baffled, beginning to whisper among themselves:
"Is this guy insane? Doesn't he know we're waiting for an important guest? How dare he cause trouble at a time like this? Is he tired of living?"
"This guy... is practically begging for death. Of all times to make a scene, he picks now, right when our distinguished guest is about to arrive. He's in for it!"
Hearing the murmurs from the Li family, Tang Ao couldn't help but feel that something was off.
[Wait a minute... aren't the Li family supposed to be welcoming Ye Chen?]
[This doesn't make sense! In all of Longquan City, there's no one with a status higher than Ye Chen's, right?]
Ye Chen's face darkened. "I'm Ye Chen! Aren't you all here to welcome me?"
"Ye Chen?" Li Yifeng frowned again. From Ye Chen's arrogant tone and posture, it was clear this man thought highly of himself.
Though inwardly displeased, as the head of the Li family, Li Yifeng decided to withhold judgment until he understood the situation better.
Turning to the crowd, he asked, "Does anyone here know this Mr. Ye Chen?"
A long silence followed, with no one stepping forward. Ye Chen's fists clenched in rage.
This was humiliation!
Unbearable humiliation!
He, Dragon King Ye Chen, stood right before them, yet not only did they fail to greet him with the respect and smiles he deserved, but Li Yifeng had the audacity to ignore him and ask the crowd if anyone recognized him!
Fury burned inside him, and a terrifying thought flashed through his mind—these people weren't here to welcome him at all!
Could it be that the true honored guest was someone else?
If that were the case...
His earlier words and attitude would be...
Embarrassing. Too embarrassing!
Shaking his head, Ye Chen dismissed the ridiculous notion. That couldn't be true. It had to be a communication error within the Li family. They must not have realized that he was the Dragon King of Dragon King's Hall!
In all of Longquan City, the only person worthy of such a grand welcome from the Li family could only be him, Dragon King Ye Chen!
As Ye Chen mulled over the situation, a member of the Li family whispered something into Li Yifeng's ear: "Ye Chen, he's the bodyguard for the CEO of Lin Pharmaceuticals."
"A bodyguard!?" Li Yifeng's voice rose several decibels. "Are you sure he's just a bodyguard?"
Startled by Li Yifeng's reaction, the Li family member quickly added, "Patriarch, please allow me to explain. This Mr. Ye Chen is not as simple as he appears!"
Hearing this, Ye Chen's face lit up with pride. He was already preparing for his triumphant reveal.
Meanwhile, Tang Ao's heart was pounding with excitement:
[Here it comes—the classic face-slapping moment!]
[Through this misunderstanding, Ye Chen will be mocked and belittled, but once his true identity as Dragon King is revealed, the satisfaction of his comeback will be that much sweeter!]
[I have to say, these kinds of plot twists are overused! Who even enjoys such clichés anymore?]
Zhou Qiao'er looked at Ye Chen, who was brimming with confidence, then at Tang Ao, who was eagerly awaiting the dramatic scene. Being as astute as she was, she noticed something off.
The chaos surrounding Zhou's Miracle Medicine from yesterday had been massive, and every major family in Longquan City had been cursing Ye Chen's long-dead ancestors behind his back.
Moreover, the Li family had also been involved in Ye Chen's actions against Zhou's Miracle Medicine, though they had only sent a minor figure to the scene, investing a mere few million yuan.
If the Li family were truly here to welcome Ye Chen, no matter what, Li Yifeng—the family patriarch—would have known who he was. This situation only had one possible explanation:
The Li family wasn't here to welcome Ye Chen at all!
After thinking it through, Zhou Qiao'er whispered into Tang Ao's ear, "I think Ye Chen is about to make a fool of himself."
"What a joke!" Tang Ao immediately dismissed her notion, lowering his voice as he responded, "I'll bet you fifty cents that not only will he not embarrass himself, but you'll be shocked by the Li family's reaction to him!"
"Alright!" Zhou Qiao'er smiled playfully.
At that moment, a Li family member whispered something else into Li Yifeng's ear. Nodding in understanding, Li Yifeng shot a quick glance at Tang Ao, who was still watching the scene with amusement, before putting on a polite but strained smile. "Ah, so it's you. My apologies, but our humble Li family is far too small to accommodate someone as important as you today."
"Good, you realize that now. I can forgive your rudeness for not knowing better..." Ye Chen began, a smug grin forming on his face, before realizing something was off. "Wait, what did you just say?"
Li Mao, with a sneer, stepped forward. "Ye, stop humiliating yourself. Do you really want to force us to spell it out? The Li family doesn't welcome you!"
Ye Chen trembled with rage!
It was one thing if they hadn't recognized his Dragon King status earlier. But now that they knew, they still had the audacity to throw him out?
Unforgivable!
He had assumed they were waiting for him, and now, looking back at his earlier behavior...
He looked like an absolute fool!
Ye Chen had the urge to turn and leave, but... he couldn't bear it!
His fists clenched so tightly that blood dripped from between his fingers. "You must know who I am, what my status is. I want to know... why?"
As the head of the family, Li Yifeng bowed politely and said, "I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Ye Chen. Today, the Li family is expecting a very important guest, someone who does not like you. If we were to invite you inside... our guest would be most displeased."
"So, was I right?" Zhou Qiao'er giggled, covering her mouth with a hand. "Don't forget my fifty cents. With yours, we'll have a whole dollar!"
Tang Ao, however, was internally collapsing from confusion:
[This doesn't make any sense! The plot's completely off! It's gone wildly off course!]
[What on earth is the Li family thinking? This is Dragon King Ye Chen! Even if they didn't give him a grand welcome, to outright shut him out is just ridiculous!]
[Who in the world is this mysterious guest they're waiting for? Whoever they are, they're important enough for the Li family to publicly humiliate Dragon King Ye Chen!]
[Could it be... another god-level villain is about to appear ahead of schedule!?]