Chapter 90

Everyone knew that Xiao Bing's performance was about to begin.

In fact, every person in this world, from the moment they are born, is destined to learn how to perform. This kind of performance is different from the art on the big screen; the performances in life are more real, more hypocritical, and more terrifying. Even when you clearly know that the other party is full of pretense, you still need this kind of hypocrisy, whether for the sake of face or for something else.

Therefore, Hou Ye knew that every word Xiao Bing was about to say might not be heartfelt, but he needed to hear Xiao Bing's words, which were crucial for his status and face.

Xiao Bing held a glass full of wine, looked at Hou Ye with a sincere expression, and said, "Lord Hou, because of the grudge between me and Beitian Wang, you have been put in a difficult position. Moreover, before this, I rejected your kindness and hurt your face. Here, I must raise a glass to you and apologize."

He spoke clearly and concisely, saying everything that needed to be said, and then drank the wine in one gulp.

Hou Ye's smile became even warmer, and he pointed to Xiao Bing's seat, smiling and said, "The past is the past, and those things are just between young people, not related to me, an old man. Sit down."

Xiao Bing shook his head, refilled his glass, and raised it again, even more sincerely and earnestly than before, and said, "Lord Hou, this time I came here, I also have a request. In the past two days at the hospital, I heard about your reputation from Uncle Ye, and I have a deep understanding of it. I can't help but admire your broad-mindedness. If I were in your shoes, I would probably not be able to tolerate me, let alone meet me face to face."

"Since I admire you, I naturally don't want to be your enemy. However, Beitian Wang is your man. This time, I intend to turn the conflict into peace. Lord Hou, please consider this: I am willing to apologize to Beitian Wang in person, and you need to act as a mediator. Without you, Beitian Wang would never see me."

Hou Ye and Xiao Bing looked at each other, their eyes flashing.

Xiao Bing continued, "If this request makes you feel uncomfortable, I won't force you, but I will drink this glass of gratitude first."

Xiao Bing drank the wine in one gulp, put down the glass, and still stood there, looking at Hou Ye.

Both of them were smart people. Xiao Bing's apology was actually a way to put Hou Ye in a difficult position. Since Hou Ye had already accepted his apology, if he refused to mediate, it would make him seem petty, and also suggest that he couldn't control his subordinates.

Xiao Bing appeared to be showing weakness, but in reality, he was pressing hard. A soldier only needs to be brave and skilled, but a general needs to know how to use his influence.

Learning to assess the situation will make one flexible in advancing and retreating. If one can firmly control the situation, they can create a favorable situation when the situation is unfavorable, and can advance step by step, using retreat to advance. This is the highest realm of a general, and it was clear that Xiao Bing had mastered it.

After a moment of eye contact, Hou Ye smiled, tapped the table with his chopsticks, and said, "Why are you still standing? Sit down quickly, the food is getting cold."

Xiao Bing laughed, feeling relieved. No matter how smart a person is, every move they make is not without risk. The move he just made also had a certain level of risk. One possibility was that Hou Ye would show his broad-mindedness and agree to his request. The other possibility was that this move would completely anger Hou Ye, which would be a huge disaster for Xiao Bing.

Clearly, Xiao Bing had made the right bet.

Hou Ye smiled and said, "You are a young man that Old Ye values, and I also value you. Come, now we are friends, and for a friend's matter, I will naturally do my best to help. I can't guarantee anything with Beitian Wang, but I will try to calm her anger and give you a chance to apologize. Whether she will agree or not is not up to me. I am a fair and democratic person and never force anyone around me."

Hou Ye was also a very smart person. By saying this, even if Beitian Wang didn't give him face, he wouldn't lose any dignity and would instead appear broad-minded.

Xiao Bing had a killer move, and Hou Ye had a brilliant counter. He calmly defused Xiao Bing's move.

However, Xiao Bing's main goal this time was not to stir up trouble between Hou Ye and Beitian Wang, but to stabilize the powerful force behind Beitian Wang, so that Hou Ye wouldn't act rashly. This way, the pressure Xiao Bing faced would be reduced to just Beitian Wang, although the power disparity was still significant, the pressure would be relatively smaller.

"Come, Xiao Bing, let me introduce you to someone. This is Mu Tingchuan, who has been by my side for many years and is the most trustworthy person to me."

The middle-aged man with glasses smiled and nodded at Xiao Bing, who said, "Lord Hou, you indeed have a lot of talented people around you. Brother Mu doesn't look like an ordinary person."

"No, Mr. Xiao, you are mistaken," Mu Tingchuan smiled and said, "I am not only an ordinary person but also a very vulgar one. If Lord Hou paid me less, I would have left long ago."

After he said this, the three of them laughed heartily. It was clear that Mu Tingchuan held a high position in Hou Ye's mansion.

This meal, on the surface, was a pleasant one. When Xiao Bing left, Mu Tingchuan personally saw him out of the mansion. Watching the car carrying Xiao Bing drive away, Mu Tingchuan turned back and returned to the mansion, directly going to the small reception room. Hou Ye was sitting in the main seat, and Mu Tingchuan sat in the first seat below.

Hou Ye took a sip of tea, looked at Mu Tingchuan, and asked, "What do you think?"

"This person's demeanor seems like that of a soldier, bold and free-spirited, but in reality, he is not as simple as he appears, and he is very calculating."

"I think the same," Hou Ye put down his teacup, smiled, and said, "Not only is he calculating, but he is also very bold. A timid person would never dare to play such a game in front of me."

Mu Tingchuan and Hou Ye smiled at each other. After the laughter, Mu Tingchuan asked with a smile, "Lord Hou, could it be that you have a fondness for this young man, which is why you are so tolerant of Xiao Bing?"

"Indeed, you are a man of great vision, and you understand my thoughts so well. This young man is extraordinary. That night on the stage, he almost intimidated everyone. The strength he showed before fainting that night was even beyond the comprehension of Gongben Shin'ichi. If such a person could be under my control..."

Mu Tingchuan said, "But I also asked Mr. Gongben. The terrifying strength Xiao Bing showed that night was not his normal state. His real strength is at the mid-level of hidden power, slightly weaker than Zhu Mingyu, who died at his hands."

Hou Ye laughed, "A 26-year-old young man at the mid-level of hidden power, isn't that a very talented person in martial arts? Moreover, I am very interested in the strength inside his body. This at least proves that he is a hidden talent with great potential, and his future may be limitless."

Mu Tingchuan sighed, "Lord Hou, you are like the sea that can embrace all rivers, and I am not. That's why you can be a dominant figure, and I am just your advisor."

Hou Ye said with a hint of reproach, "In my eyes, you are my partner, and there is no hierarchy between us."

Mu Tingchuan was moved by this.

Hou Ye smiled and said, "Alright, I will call Mudan... But mediation might not be that simple. Mudan has always been very hostile towards men, yet she was so grief-stricken when Zhu Mingyu died. Could there be a special relationship between them? This is not my concern, but if it is true, I might not be able to mediate."

Hou Ye took out his phone and called Beitian Wang Mudan. When the call was answered, Mudan's tone was respectful but cold, "Lord Hou, what do you need?"

Hou Ye, hearing her cold tone, knew that the mediator had little hope today. Mudan was still angry about that night, just as Mu Tingchuan had evaluated him. Hou Ye was like the sea that can embrace all rivers, broad-minded, and he used both kindness and authority. His subordinates were not overly restrained in front of him but were also respectful. So even when Mudan was furious, she didn't dare to defy his orders, but she showed some dissatisfaction at this moment.

Hou Ye smiled and said, "Mudan, today I want to talk to you about that night..."

Mudan said, "I dare not disobey Lord Hou's orders."

"No, this is not for my personal gain, but for your benefit," seeing that Mudan didn't respond, Hou Ye continued, "That night, you couldn't kill him. First, if you killed him, how would the people in the underworld view you? A sore loser? Second, the second daughter of the Ye family was with him. If anything happened to the Ye family, Ye Ban Cheng would not let it go. Although I don't care about that old man, his influence is significant. If he and the government put pressure on me, the higher-ups might not make things difficult for me, but would you want me to sacrifice you to save myself?"

"So, no matter how angry you were that night, you couldn't kill him. Moreover, it was just the death of a subordinate, even if he was a rare top expert. Once dead, he cannot be brought back to life. Is it necessary to kill him again?"

Mudan was silent, and Hou Ye seized the opportunity to continue, "It's better to resolve conflicts than to hold grudges."

"Lord Hou, you have been very kind to me. Mudan's life belongs to you, but if you ask me to let go of this grudge, it is impossible!"

Mudan's voice was firm and resolute!