Chapter 3269

At this very moment inside the food factory.

Over ten thousand people were queuing to receive the antidote that could cleanse the toxins from their bodies.

Ye Chen also witnessed, after Cyprus, the formidable discipline of these death warriors, the Elite Cavalry Guards, and their families once again.

Even though it was the antidote they had long dreamed of, everyone followed the order silently and in perfect sequence, their supervisors warning them to stay quiet, so the scene truly fell into complete silence—no one spoke, not even a whisper or murmured exchange, and with over ten thousand people present, the only sounds were the rustle of clothing and light footsteps as the line inched forward.

To prepare the antidote for them, Ye Chen had nearly exhausted the medicinal pills he carried on his person.

If these pills were calculated at the value of a single Rejuvenation Pill—over a hundred billion US dollars—then they could likely make the world's billionaires willingly part with tens of trillions or even more in cash.

But for Ye Chen, naturally, he would not weigh such gains and losses; the pills could be refined again later, but the chance to save over ten thousand lives might never come again.

Once the Breaking Pure Society completes its large-scale troop rotations across all garrisons, most of the Elite Cavalry Guards will likely fight to the death for their families against the invaders, even if the invaders bring the antidote that could save them—they would probably still not abandon their families to survive alone.

After receiving the antidote, everyone took it on the spot as required—whether by prior agreement or spontaneous organization, after swallowing the antidote and returning to the ranks, they knelt on one knee and remained silent.

Once everyone had received and taken the antidote, the entire factory grounds were filled with people kneeling in formation.

All knelt in unison, looking up at Ye Chen standing straight ahead, their eyes brimming with gratitude and reverence.

The commander of the Elite Cavalry Guards, Yin Xiaoyang, stepped forward, knelt on one knee before Ye Chen, and said with a solemn expression: "Ye Mou, I and all the Elite Cavalry Guards and death warrior brothers swear to follow you unto death in this life, to plunge into boiling water and tread through fire for you, sparing no effort!"

Ye Chen smiled and said: "I am neither a warlord nor a bandit chief. If the Breaking Pure Society had not killed my parents, I would not have wished to involve myself in these affairs. You are the same—if not for generations of coercion by the Breaking Pure Society, you would not have become others' assassins and henchmen. Starting tonight, we will send you in batches to a safe place. If one day I, Ye Chen, need your help, it will surely be to deal with our common enemy. If one day the Breaking Pure Society is utterly destroyed, you and your families will regain complete freedom—wherever you go and whatever you do, I will not interfere in the slightest."

No one would not desire to command an army forged from the Elite Cavalry Guards and death warriors—these are men tempered through countless trials, even forged by inhuman methods, true killing machines. Even if turned into mercenaries and sent out to earn money, they could generate endless wealth.

Yet Ye Chen harbored not the slightest greed for such an army. Once the Breaking Pure Society is eradicated by his own hand, he would not even wish to retain the Wanlong Hall. At that time, he will grant these Elite Cavalry Guards, death warriors, the Wanbroken Army, and the tens of thousands of soldiers of the Wanlong Hall complete and utter freedom.

Yin Xiaoyang felt deeply moved and said respectfully: "I have already ordered everyone not to speak, so I speak on their behalf. Ye Mou has given us new life—whether or not you have use for us, we will forever follow your commands. At any time, in any matter, as long as you speak, we dare not disobey! This vow is not only kept by us, but our descendants shall also uphold it!"

Having spoken, he clasped his hands before him and raised them high above his head.

Inside the workshop, a sudden gust of wind arose—produced by everyone simultaneously clasping their hands and raising them overhead.

Ye Chen knew this pledge weighed heavier than Mount Tai. Though he likely would never need them, the promise still moved him, so he did not refuse, gave a slight nod, and said: "Then I will first thank you all!"

Having spoken, he told Yin Xiaoyang: "Commander Yin, you shall draft the list of personnel for the first evacuation batch tonight and prepare before nightfall."

Yin Xiaoyang immediately replied: "I obey your command!"

At that moment, a soldier from the Wanlong Hall rushed in and said to Ye Chen and Li Ailin: "Ye Mou, Inspector Li, a vehicle has arrived—only the driver is inside."

Li Ailin immediately asked, alert: "Are you certain there is only one person?"

The soldier replied: "Certain. Our sentries on the high ground can detect any movement within ten kilometers—there is indeed only one person and one vehicle."

As he spoke, his satellite phone vibrated once; he immediately opened it, and a satellite-transmitted image appeared on his screen.

That photo was the driver's facial image captured by the sentry's high-magnification camera.

Li Ailin glanced at it, then slightly relaxed, saying: "This person is the former owner of the food factory—likely here to check on the renovation progress."

After saying that, Li Ailin added: "Notify the brothers outside—if he is merely observing the surroundings, ignore him; if he tries to peek inside, as long as he hasn't entered, still ignore him; if he attempts to come in, stop him; if he declares he wants to see me, I will go out to meet him."

"Understood, Inspector Li!"

The Wanlong Hall soldier immediately relayed Li Ailin's orders, while at this very moment, the factory manager was driving along, humming a cheerful tune.

Since selling the factory, he has fully experienced the joy of retirement.

No need to rise early, no need to negotiate with suppliers, no need to rack his brains supervising workers to prevent laziness and theft.

No wonder everyone loves to lie flat—when food and drink are not lacking, lying down is simply more comfortable than standing.

However, since he still has not received several outstanding payments, he is also curious about the factory's renovation progress. Moreover, when Li Ailin took over the food factory, he left him a loophole: if Li Ailin's funding chain breaks or he defaults, he can claim a deposit of one hundred thousand US dollars for free. Thus, his current mood is conflicted—on one hand, he hopes Li Ailin will quickly pay the balance; on the other, he hopes Li Ailin will simply default.

But these two opposing feelings are, for him, both beneficial—no matter how things develop, he can gain more advantages; his only fear is that nothing will happen at all.

Precisely for this reason, he cannot help but come over to check the situation, to see if the renovation and upgrade are proceeding smoothly.

Originally, he thought the factory was already a scene of bustling activity, but upon approaching, he found the factory gates tightly shut, not a single vehicle in sight—it looked as if the place had simply closed down.

He parked his car at the gate, got out, stood still, and cupped his ears to listen for a while—but heard no movement from inside.

His heart suddenly leapt with joy, and he secretly thought: "Could it be that this guy's funding chain has truly snapped? Otherwise, there's no reason he hasn't rushed to resume work after all these days—even if waiting for equipment, he should at least have begun dismantling the original equipment and renovating the structural foundations."

In his doubt, he hurried to the gate, saw it was locked from the inside, and so leaned against the iron door to peer within.

At that moment, a man walked out, frowned, and asked: "What are you doing here?"

The factory owner hurriedly replied: "I am the owner of this place—oh, no, I mean the former owner. Your person in charge still owes me a lot in unpaid dues, so I came to check."

The man said: "You want to see our person in charge, right? Wait a moment—I'll go call him."

Having said that, he turned and walked back inside.

Soon, Li Ailin walked out from within.

Seeing the factory owner through the iron gate, Li Ailin curiously asked: "How did you come here?"

The owner chuckled: "I happened to be out running errands, passed by this place, and wanted to see how the progress was—after all, this is also half my life's effort."

As he spoke, he asked Li Ailin: "By the way, why haven't you started construction yet? I thought the renovation had already begun."

Li Ailin feigned displeasure: "Don't mention it—one of my partners ran into trouble and wants to withdraw. I've been handling his affairs these past two days, while also contacting others to see if I can find a new partner. But don't worry—our contract stipulates two months, and I will definitely pay you the balance within that time."

"Yes, yes, yes," the owner said with a smile: "I'm not worried you won't pay the balance—I just want to see exactly how this place will be renovated."

Li Ailin nodded, deliberately pretending to be uncertain while forcing calm: "If everything goes smoothly, construction should begin in about three to five days. I've already handed over all my liquid funds to you—now we only need the partner's capital to start work. Later, as my other projects settle and payments come in, I will gradually reinvest them. It should pose no problem."

After saying that, Li Ailin added: "But rest assured—I've already given you two hundred thousand, haven't I? If funding becomes an issue, then one hundred thousand of that two hundred thousand is your liquidated damages."

The owner sensed Li Ailin seemed to have some hidden difficulty, felt the matter might not be as easy as Li Ailin claimed, and his heart stirred slightly.

Having only recently transferred ownership of the factory, he smiled and said: "You're so capable—surely there's no problem. I'm completely at ease."

Having said that, he also felt it inappropriate to linger, so he told Li Ailin: "I still have things to do—I must leave now. Today I merely squeezed in time to drop by and take a look. If you need any help, give me a call—I'll certainly assist if I can."

Li Ailin nodded and said: "Fine, wait for my news on the money—anyway, I can outrun the monk but not the temple. Since the factory hasn't been transferred yet, if the balance isn't paid, the factory remains yours—so just rest easy."

Upon hearing this, the owner felt even more convinced that Li Ailin was facing serious trouble, inwardly delighted, and said with a crinkled-eye smile: "I'm at ease—I'm definitely at ease! Then that's settled—you go ahead and get busy, I'm leaving!"

Seeing the owner drive away, Ye Chen stepped out from the workshop, stood beside Li Ailin, and said: "Inspector Li, this person seems quite pleased."

Li Ailin nodded: "He definitely thinks I've run into trouble. I just said construction should begin in three to five days—he'll surely remember that. Three to five days from now, if we complete the evacuation before he returns, this place will be empty when he comes back. By then, he'll probably be grinning from ear to ear!"

Ye Chen smiled: "Inspector Li, this move of yours is truly inspired—we suddenly vanish, and he'll gain an extra hundred thousand dollars in benefit. By then, his lips will be tighter than anyone's!"

Li Yalin laughed and said, "Ye Mou, rest assured, he will keep this matter to himself, even if his own father came, he wouldn't tell. Once we leave, he will surely immediately organize the workers to resume work, and by then, there will be even less to worry about!"