Chapter 3465: How Can One Allow Others to Snore Loudly Beside the Bed?

Hamid hadn't seen Ye Chen yet at this time.

He had his arms around two women, a cigar clenched in his mouth, looking utterly delighted, simply full of springtime pride.

The family of three in front of Ye Chen was quite surprised, not knowing how Ye Chen would know a Middle Easterner, and he even seemed to have the air of a local tycoon.

Ma Lan, being impatient, directly asked him: "Good son-in-law, how do you know this Middle Eastern tycoon? And you even married two wives and brought them out together—this guy is really showing off!"

Ye Chen smiled and said: "You also said it, this is their custom, permitted by law."

After saying that, he then explained: "This friend is one of my clients. Earlier, Master Hong Wu had me go to the northwestern borderlands to check the feng shui of a large coal mine, and that coal mine had investment from this Middle Eastern tycoon."

Xiao Changkun and Ma Lan were both suddenly enlightened; it seemed natural enough for a Middle Eastern tycoon to invest in mining in the northwestern borderlands, especially since that place is actually closer to the Middle East.

Xiao Churan, however, lowered her head and said nothing; she knew Ye Chen was lying again.

Moreover, everything Ye Chen had previously said about checking feng shui now appeared to be lies.

She felt helpless and sad in her heart, and for a moment even a bit heartbroken.

Ye Chen thought his explanation was fine, and the reason he first said Hamid was his friend was precisely because he worried that if Hamid saw him and greeted him on his own initiative, it might instead expose the truth.

So he said to the three of them: "You all sit first, I'll go greet him."

After saying that, he immediately stood up and walked toward Hamid.

Ye Chen knew Hamid had come out on vacation and couldn't possibly use his real identity, after all he was a warlord, and moreover an opposition warlord—he couldn't possibly be so brainless.

So he deliberately didn't say Hamid's name, but smiled and waved at him: "Hey, old brother!"

Hamid suddenly heard someone greeting him in Chinese, his heart tightened at first, thinking his hidden identity had been exposed while he was relaxing on vacation, but after taking a closer look and seeing it was Ye Chen, he immediately widened his eyes, face full of excitement: "Ah, Ye younger brother! You……you how could you be here?!"

Ye Chen stepped forward, smiling and said: "I came out on vacation with my wife and my parents-in-law, and you?"

Hamid quickly let go of the two women beside him, smiling and said: "My two wives, one before and one after, are both pregnant; I brought them here to also have a vacation. You know, my place is nothing but mountains and deserts, the environment is too terrible."

After saying that, Hamid lowered his voice and whispered a few sentences in Arabic into the ears of the two women, telling them to find seats and sit down first, then he affectionately put his arm around Ye Chen, excitedly saying: "Come on, come on, Ye younger brother, let's go out and talk, go out and talk!"

The two came to the beach outside the restaurant, with no one around, Hamid then happily hugged Ye Chen, excitedly saying: "Good younger brother, we two are fated to meet! We can even run into each other here!"

Ye Chen smiled and said: "Old brother, when did you marry these two wives? How come I never heard you mention it?"

Hamid embarrassedly scratched his head: "Ah, my previous wife ran off while fighting, thinking it was too dangerous to follow me, so I never got around to marrying again afterward. Later, thanks to your help, younger brother, I gradually settled down, also stabilized, and then married two wives. The wedding was originally meant to invite you, but going to that godforsaken place isn't easy, and with the recent turmoil being so severe, I didn't dare to bother you."

Ye Chen nodded and said: "The opposition has already established a regime, counting as a complete victory—how is the situation on your side now?"

Hamid laughed and said: "I'm doing very well. After they occupied the capital and talked with me once, I didn't really want to be absorbed by them, wanting to stay as before, so I just hold onto my little plot of land, and they also respect my opinion. We agreed that well water doesn't violate river water, so I now have the mood to marry a wife, and incidentally bring my wife out to travel and vacation. Having stayed in the mountains for so many years, to be honest, I've long been almost unable to bear it."

Ye Chen then asked: "And what about Wanlong Temple—do they still recognize the land lease agreement reached between Wanlong Temple and the previous government?"

"Recognize!" Hamid laughed: "They wouldn't dare offend Wanlong Temple, so they promised the Wanlong Temple Master that all conditions remain unchanged, and it's still well water doesn't violate river water."

Ye Chen said with a somewhat solemn expression: "Wanlong Temple isn't really anything to worry about—after all, they're a mercenary organization and won't covet the opposition's regime. Everyone can indeed achieve well water not violating river water. But it's you, old brother—you refused their absorption, the former government surrendered at lightning speed, now they have no enemies, and you've become the enemy in their eyes."

"That won't happen," Hamid said confidently: "I have a good relationship with their leader; we're all brothers who've gone through life and death together. It's just that later our ideas diverged a bit—his ambition is great, mine is small, but brothers can still understand each other. Now they already hold power, and they won't care about my little bit of territory."

Ye Chen shook his head: "It's not that simple. We Chinese have an ancient saying: 'How can one allow others to snore loudly beside the bed?' You are under their eyelids, which amounts to holding troops while maintaining self-defense. Previously, when there were foreign enemies, you were an ally who could share pressure and share firepower. Now that there are no foreign enemies, aren't you just an enemy?"

Hamid frowned, fell silent for a moment, then cheerfully waved his hand: "Good younger brother, don't worry—I'm not afraid of them causing trouble. Of course, this is still thanks to you, younger brother. My base is now a huge permanent fortification. You spoke of storing grain extensively and proclaiming kingship slowly—I dare not forget it for a moment. Now, in the tunnels of the reverse slope, I've stored grain, ammunition, and medicine. Defending for three to five years is no problem. If they really want to fight, let them try—I'll surely make them lose their wife and their troops! Lifting a stone only to drop it on one's own foot!"

Ye Chen helplessly smiled: "Old brother, the situation has changed, so naturally the strategy has changed too. Previously you were just one of several opposition factions; the government army couldn't defeat you, and they could still find other soft persimmons to pinch—no need to lock horns with you to the death."

After saying that, Ye Chen shifted his tone and spoke sternly: "But now it's different. You are now the sole uncertain factor in the opposition's eyes. If they really want to fight you, they can concentrate all their strength to hit you alone. Not to mention, their troop numbers exceed yours, and they have no other wars requiring diversion of forces. They could send part of their forces to encircle you—what would you do then?"

"This……" Hamid asked nervously: "Do you think they'll really come to attack me?"

Ye Chen said: "If they attack directly, even if they can't take you head-on, they can keep using long-range firepower to harass you. By then, your people would have to hide year after year in the reverse slope fortifications listening to cannon fire. Your troops also lack steel will—within a few months they'd collapse."

"But if they besiege without attacking, cutting off all your external supplies, after a few years without losing a single soldier, you yourself would run out of ammunition and food and surrender with hands raised."

"If you take the initiative to counterattack, with your troop strength it would be like striking a stone with an egg. Moreover, once you abandon your fortifications and go out to fight, you would lose your greatest advantage—then defeat would be certain!"