{Chapter: 99 Yan Ruyue whose heart was broken!}
Gu Qingshan sighed heavily, his expression dark. "The misfortune has arrived. I truly believed my plan would work. Originally, each team only needed five or six people, but I sent a dozen for extra insurance. Yet, I still underestimated Lin Yuan. He is definitely not some worthless fool."
He took a deep breath before continuing, his voice carrying a hint of frustration. "In every single shop where I sent people, there were almost a hundred of his men waiting—fully armed and prepared. Do you understand what that means?"
Ye Feng's brows furrowed as he listened carefully.
Gu Qingshan's voice turned heavier. "It means that Lin Yuan has mobilized the full resources and manpower of the Lin family. Yesterday, I thought he was just another arrogant, face-saving, naive rich second-generation heir. But the truth is, I was the fool for thinking so."
Ye Feng's expression stiffened as he absorbed this information.
"Wait, you're saying..." Ye Feng stood up abruptly, unable to remain seated after hearing those words.
Gu Qingshan nodded grimly and continued, "And it doesn't end there. Hundreds of my subordinates have been arrested, and every single one of them had their legs broken. Every person locked up requires tens of thousands of yuan in bail money to be released. This isn't just bad luck—Lin Yuan must have coordinated with the authorities to ensure this happened."
A dangerous glint flashed across Ye Feng's eyes. "Those useless fools couldn't even complete such a simple task? And now they've ended up crippled?" He clenched his fists, his tone filled with disgust. "They're nothing but trash! With their legs broken, they're completely worthless now."
Gu Qingshan shook his head, his gaze unwavering. "You can't see it that way. These people have followed me through thick and thin. They've helped me with many things over the years and put in hard work. If I abandon them now, how will I ever expect loyalty from others in the future?"
He took a deep breath and added, "Besides, because of this disaster, I've lost a full third of my forces. If I don't rescue them, it will be even harder to recruit new people. No one will want to work for me if they know I don't protect my own."
Ye Feng gritted his teeth, his jaw tightening. "So, in other words, Brother Qingshan, because you wanted to help me get revenge, you now have to spend millions on bail and medical expenses?"
Gu Qingshan let out a long exhale before shaking his head again. "No, it's not just millions in bail. On top of that, we must compensate for all the damages caused to the stores. And it's not just normal compensation—it's double the amount!"
He clenched his fists. "Every single time, Lin Yuan's men waited until my people caused significant damage before stepping in and restraining them. That means I have to pay millions in store repair fees, bringing the total cost of this incident to nearly tens of million yuan!"
His voice dropped to a cold tone. "This was Lin Yuan's plan all along. He set a trap for us, and we walked right into it."
Ye Feng's face turned ashen. His hands trembled with fury.
He finally understood why Lin Yuan had looked at him with that condescending gaze back at the Yan family's house. He had thought it was simply because of the embarrassment he suffered that day, but it turned out there was far more behind that mocking expression.
Even here, in Xiling District, where Gu Qingshan was known as the 'Underground Emperor,' they had suffered such a humiliating defeat.
"Could it be that…we can only knock out our teeth and swallow it in our stomach?" Ye Feng rarely suffered a loss, let alone such a big loss. At this time, he wiped his fists tightly, his face full of anger. Ye Feng muttered through gritted teeth. He had rarely suffered losses in his life, and certainly never one of this magnitude. His fists tightened to the point where his knuckles turned white, his entire body brimming with rage. (T/N: Chinese proverb meaning to endure the suffering secretly and being afraid to speak out)
Gu Qingshan sighed, his tone calm but firm. "Yes. Our skills weren't as good as his, so this time, we can only eat the bitter fruit of our failure." Gu Qingshan has experienced a lot of setbacks, so his reaction was not so violent.
He looked at Ye Feng meaningfully before continuing, "But this isn't over. We'll endure for now, bide our time, and when the opportunity comes, we'll make him pay!"
Ye Feng inhaled deeply before nodding. "You're right! It's such a shame that this is Jiangbei and not some foreign country. If we were outside the country, I would've already had him killed! No genius doctor could save him!"
A sudden thought flashed through his mind, and his expression changed slightly.
"Wait… medical skills!"
Ye Feng's lips curled into a sinister smile.
He had been frustrated earlier because he hadn't been able to use his medical expertise to save Song Xuan and build a relationship with the Yan family. But if he couldn't use his skills for that, he could certainly use them to harm Lin Yuan instead.
A slow, dark smile spread across Ye Feng's face. He was already formulating a plan—a way to make Lin Yuan suffer in ways he couldn't even imagine.
---
Meanwhile, on the other side of the city…
Lin Yuan was driving, while Yan Ruyue sat in the passenger seat, casting curious glances his way every few moments.
She had no idea where they were going.
After some time, she finally spoke up. "Where are we headed?"
Lin Yuan kept his eyes on the road, his voice relaxed. "Yue He Equestrian Club."
Yan Ruyue blinked, slightly taken aback. "An equestrian club?" she repeated, her tone carrying a trace of doubt.
"That's right," Lin Yuan confirmed.
"Have you ever ridden a horse before?" he asked.
"Ridden a horse…?" Yan Ruyue murmured, momentarily stunned.
A series of memories surfaced in her mind.
She remembered her father taking her horseback riding twice when she was a child.
The first time was before he became an alcoholic and a womanizer. Back then, he had been a kind and patient father, carefully teaching her how to ride. He would always catch her if she lost her balance, making her feel safe and happy. She had loved horseback riding then, enjoying every moment of it.
But the second time…
That was after her father had changed.
By then, he had already started drinking excessively, cheating openly, and neglecting his family. He didn't even glance her way when she fell off the horse that day. Instead, he had been too busy flirting with another woman.
That fall had been more than just physical—it had shattered something deep inside her.
It was not only her young body that fell at that time but also her young heart.
From that day on, she had never gone horseback riding again.
"Do you still like horseback riding?" Lin Yuan asked, breaking her thoughts.
"I… I think I do," Yan Ruyue answered hesitantly.
She felt that she should still like it, but her painful memories made her reluctant to go back.
"Your father taught you how to ride before, didn't he?" Lin Yuan asked suddenly.
Yan Ruyue's eyes widened in shock. "Huh? How do you know that?"
Lin Yuan glanced at her briefly before saying, "He taught you well, but later, you had bad memories associated with it."
Yan Ruyue felt her heartbeat quicken. How did Lin Yuan know everything?
Of course, Lin Yuan couldn't tell her that it was all part of her backstory in the novel.
Instead, he said calmly, "Wherever you fall, you must get back up. If you don't have the courage to face the past, those painful memories will remain like nails embedded in your heart—hurting you every time you get close to them."
Yan Ruyue's lips parted slightly as she processed his words.
"So… you're taking me horseback riding today?" she asked, blinking. "This is part of the treatment, isn't it?"
Lin Yuan nodded. "Yes, it is."
Yan Ruyue was still a bit confused.
In truth, Lin Yuan had a much bigger purpose in bringing her here today.
Aside from 'treatment,' he had important business to handle—business related to dismantling the Qingshan Gang.
And this was merely the first step in his larger plan.
Soon, they arrived at the Yue He Equestrian Club.
As Yan Ruyue stepped out of the car and looked at the entrance, her eyes widened in shock.
Although the club had been renovated, she recognized it immediately.
It was the same equestrian club her father had brought her to all those years ago.
A wave of emotions surged in her chest, and she instinctively resisted going inside.
"Let's go," Lin Yuan said lightly.
He noticed her hesitation but ignored it, stepping forward without looking back.
Yan Ruyue hesitated for a moment—then, slowly, she followed him inside.
*****
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