CHAPTER 926: CHAPTER 899:

Zhang Lang’s method was clearly effective; the car sped frantically on the pedestrian walkway. Although it knocked over many flower beds along the way, and quite a bit of paint was scraped off the car, in comparison to a human life, these were nothing!

Ye Chen urged all the way: "Hurry, faster!"

However, the pedestrian walkway was not that easy to navigate; after all, it was only so wide. It barely accommodated a car, and a slight turn of the steering wheel could easily hit the green belt on the side. It was very difficult, but fortunately, the car managed to burst through the pedestrian passage.

But when the car rushed out of the pedestrian passage, the intersection ahead was completely blocked due to an accident. The intersection was clogged, making it as difficult as climbing to heaven to get through.

"Brother Chen, we can’t go through!" Zhang Lang was dumbfounded at the sight of the blocked intersection, staring blankly at Ye Chen.

"Forget it, I’ll go myself!" Ye Chen pushed open the car door and jumped out.

Zhang Lang watched as Ye Chen dashed forward. Even with cars blocking the way, he leaped and flew over the tops of them. The scene was remarkably similar to a stuntman in a movie. Some drivers trapped in their cars gaped at Ye Chen’s breathtaking leap, exclaiming, "Wow, awesome! Is this a movie shoot?"

"No, I think it’s parkour!"

"What’s parkour?"

"Parkour is a new sport and it’s really cool. It’s hard for people to resist its charm. Basically, it’s a game for young people."

Ye Chen’s parkour act piqued the interest of many. Drivers got out of their cars to watch. They envied Ye Chen’s agility and cool moves, and soon many became interested in the art of parkour.

However, Ye Chen, the man of the hour, did not notice the attention he had attracted. He was racing toward Carrefour, leaping over barriers, vehicles, and pedestrians alike. Soon, Ye Chen’s movement became a dazzling sight, prompting boys and girls to snap photos with their phones.

After sprinting for over twenty minutes, Ye Chen finally arrived at Carrefour, panting heavily from exhaustion. It was 8:50, ten minutes early, so he wasn’t late. Ye Chen stood at the entrance, looking around, trying to catch his breath.

Just as Ye Chen reached Carrefour, a black-clothed man emerged from the store, pushing a shopping cart. He approached Ye Chen, who quickly noticed the man’s furtive glances.

"Ye Chen, come with me!" The man said as he pushed the cart, turning back into Carrefour.

Ye Chen didn’t dare delay and quickly followed, entering the elevator with the man. In the cart, Ye Chen clearly saw Li Ruo’s fur scarf. Nervously, he asked, "How is Li Ruo now?"

"Mr. Ye, rest assured, she’s fine!" The black-clothed man glanced at Ye Chen, then tilted his head.

The elevator descended to the underground level, the B3 parking garage. The man took a black hood from the cart and smiled, "Mr. Ye, please put this hood on. I hope you understand; it’s for Mr. Li’s safety. I trust you won’t refuse me!"

Ye Chen took a deep breath, his eyes narrowing with a cold glint. He took the hood from the man and put it on his head, plunging the world into darkness. He soon felt another bandanna being tied around his head, blindfolding him completely. Shortly after, Ye Chen sensed two men pushing him forward until he was placed into a car.

After entering the back seat, Ye Chen felt a man sitting next to him, monitoring him. Without his sight, Ye Chen had to rely solely on his hearing. But to Ye Chen’s frustration, the car windows were up, blocking out external sounds.

The car started, and the driver slowly drove out of the parking garage. Ye Chen heard the driver chatting with the parking attendant. After paying several hundred yen in parking fees, the car drove out, and the two passengers remained silent.

"Wow, the tofu from Fujiwara’s shop is really tasty. I bought some last time; it was delicious!" said the man next to Ye Chen, seemingly spotting a tofu shop outside the window.

"It seems average to me," the driver glanced back at him, said, "There’s a sushi place ahead that I think is better. It’s easy to park, and the taste is quite authentic!"

It was clear they were foodies; their conversation made that apparent. Ye Chen mentally noted every word, using them to deduce his whereabouts. Fujiwara Tofu Shop is in the suburbs of Tokyo, and judging by the lack of traffic, Ye Chen could infer that they were still in the outskirts. Based on the road noise, the car was traveling at about forty kilometers per hour.

Consequently, Ye Chen could roughly determine his location, and by factoring in the car’s speed and travel time, he could almost pinpoint his exact position. The car sped along for about twenty to thirty minutes before slowly stopping. After the car stopped, Ye Chen heard a loud rumbling noise from outside. It sounded like an electric roller shutter. The car started up again and moved a bit before coming to a complete stop.

"Mr. Ye, we’re here!" said the man beside Ye Chen.

"Where are we?" Ye Chen asked in confusion.

The man removed Ye Chen’s hood and shoved him out of the car. Ye Chen rubbed his eyes and surveyed his surroundings. Ten or so black-clothed men stood in the vast space among a jumble of abandoned machinery. It was clearly an old, abandoned factory. Ye Chen furrowed his brow, pondering whether Li Ruo was being held here, or if his adversaries planned to eliminate him here.

"Where’s Li Ruo?" Ye Chen asked curiously.

"Mr. Ye, don’t be anxious!" the black-clothed man said with a serene smile, then pointed to a newly activated black screen, "Look!"

On the huge screen appeared Li Ruo, seated in a restaurant booth across from Kudou Yuuta of the Mitsubishi Group, chatting and laughing. However, the attentive Ye Chen soon noticed a black-clothed man continuously monitoring them. When the camera focused on him, he flashed a creepy smile, nudging his hand tucked in at his chest.

Hiss...

Ye Chen immediately realized the man had a deep blue lacquered pistol partially exposed in his chest. Ye Chen understood at once: Li Ruo wasn’t held captive but was under surveillance. This made matters harder for Ye Chen. If Li Ruo were merely held captive, it would have been simpler: just rescue her. But now, he had no idea where Li Ruo actually was.

"What exactly do you want?" Ye Chen asked through gritted teeth.

"Mr. Ye, please be patient!" The man replied, unhurriedly pulling out a phone and making a call. The call was to Miyazaki Yama, who was delighted to learn Ye Chen had been caught. He quickly informed Prime Minister Noda. Noda, who had just arrived at the office after battling traffic, was excited by the news, asking, "Really?"

"Prime Minister, it’s absolutely true. I think we should hurry over there!" Miyazaki Yama quickly said.

"Okay, let’s go!" Noda nodded eagerly.

Then, with their bodyguards in tow, the two headed to the designated location. In the car, they contemplated how to negotiate with Ye Chen. Meanwhile, Noda informed the Church Court of the news. Upon receiving the update, the Red Robed Sect Leader personally ordered Noda to win over Ye Chen and not to harm him unless absolutely necessary. Noda was momentarily stunned; something felt off. The Church Court’s orders seemed inconsistent: they previously instructed to eliminate Ye Chen at all costs, but now requested to recruit him.

Regardless, orders from the Church Court had to be followed, so Noda and Miyazaki Yama hurried to the specified destination.

Upon arrival, the factory guards quickly opened the gate and came forward to greet Noda. These guards were elite bodyguards from the Kyoto City Guard Bureau. Some might not understand their role, but to explain, they were akin to the guards of Zhongnanhai, making it clear.

"Lord Yoda!" Everyone saluted in unison.

"Hmm!" Noda nodded and walked inside. Ye Chen was sitting in the hall, and the black-clothed bodyguards hadn’t mistreated him; apart from not letting him leave, they served him the best cigarettes, alcohol, food, and drink.

Seeing Noda enter, Ye Chen immediately grinned, "I’ve been wondering why my eyelids were twitching so much lately. Turns out it’s because I’ve run into you, the God of Misfortune!"

"Uh..." Noda was slightly taken aback, not understanding the term "God of Misfortune." A guard next to him quickly explained, and Noda then understood. He chuckled and said, "Ye Chen, I didn’t expect that after all this time, your mouth is still just as foul!"