Chapter 87: The Purpose of the Easterners

“So what if I’m shameless!”
Unexpectedly, Gu Qing’er thrust out her chest and retorted, “At least I dare to dream, but you don’t even have the guts to imagine it. Are you even a man?”
“Maybe you’re just incapable?”
This girl’s way of speaking was truly fierce.
Ye Tian, instead of getting angry, laughed, “Whether I’m a man or not isn’t for you to verify. If you’re unconvinced, you can ask my women.”
“You!” Gu Qing’er was momentarily speechless.
This guy, in every word and tone, was clearly dismissing her!
“Alright, enough fooling around. Did you listen to what I just told you?” Ye Tian quickly changed the subject.
“I need you to find some qualified factories, work with them, and move all the production lines here. Build a new facility from scratch.”
“As for renovating the Ye family estate, I’ll draw up the blueprints for you later. Just have the construction team follow them.”
“And the factory handover will be your responsibility, too.”
Restoring the Ye family residence was a major project, far beyond what ordinary people could handle. Only someone with Gu Qing’er’s resources and connections could take it on.
“You never want to do anything yourself. You might as well die of boredom!”
Gu Qing’er scoffed, but though she was indignant inside, she nodded in agreement.
This annoying man, though irritating, was willing to entrust such an important task to her. Clearly, he trusted her.
She had no reason not to help.
“By the way, I actually came here for something even more important!” As if suddenly remembering, she hurriedly spoke.
“The old master asked me to pass on a message. He’s planning to give you a chance to earn military merit. With a rank, you’ll be free to act without restrictions in the future.”
Ye Tian smiled at her words:
“I don’t need it.”
The old man was scheming quite a lot.
Tang Zhen’guo’s little plans were transparent to Ye Tian; it was simply about binding him to the army, preferably having him join the Hawk Faction and fight alongside him against those foreign devils.
In recent years, the Japanese had grown increasingly audacious, infiltrating many high-ranking officials. Led by Tang Zhen’guo, the Hawk Faction was struggling to cope and did need help.
Philosophically, Ye Tian favored the Hawks.
After all, the Japanese were narrow-minded and wolfish in ambition. If they ever took root in the Dragon Country, who could say whether this vast land would be plunged into chaos by these pests!
Yet Ye Tian had his own ways of combating insidious foreign invasions. He had no desire to be bound to officialdom and used as someone else’s weapon.

Even if the person was Tang Zhen’guo, it wouldn’t change his mind!
“Suit yourself. Anyway, tonight, my cousin and I are definitely going.”
Gu Qing’er shrugged indifferently, anticipation written across her face.
“Going where?”
“To kill Japanese, of course! Haven’t you heard? A group of Japanese ninjas heard the old master was recuperating in the capital and organized a night raid on the Tranquil Heart Villa.”
“Luckily, young General Tang was there at the time and led the team to repel them.”
“Tang Long says they’re still somewhere in the capital, possibly hiding among a visiting Japanese business delegation.”
Ye Tian was enlightened.
Tang Long’s analysis was spot on.
These suddenly-appearing ninja assassins were most likely disguised as tourists, entering the country in an organized group. Given the strict customs inspections, they certainly wouldn’t be carrying weapons.
Most likely, an inland Japanese business association was acting as their accomplice!
To find them, one only needed to start with the Japanese business associations.
And tonight, it just so happened that a group called the Ito Family Association was hosting an event in the city center—a so-called “Japanese Style” exhibition, ostensibly to promote cultural exchange between the two nations.
In reality, it was a platform to trumpet Japanese culture.
The advertising had been particularly loud, so even Ye Tian, who rarely paid attention to current events, had caught a glimpse on the news.
He hadn’t expected it to be happening tonight.
“Little Tang has already received intel—the ninjas are hiding within the Ito Association. Tonight, we’ll infiltrate as guests,” Gu Qing’er explained.
After pondering for a moment, Ye Tian nodded.
“Alright, I’ll take a look, but I may not intervene.”
“Deal.” Gu Qing’er smiled, then left the office to clean up Ye Tian’s mess.
…
West of the city, the Japanese business delegation’s quarters.
A giant screen bore the family crest in a fan shape. In front of it, a row of Japanese men in samurai garb knelt in unison, heads bowed, listening to the aged voice from behind the screen.
“This mission ended in failure. According to the Ito family rules, you should all commit seppuku!”
From behind the screen emerged an elderly man with a scraggly beard. A fierce scar ran from his forehead down to his jaw.

“This scar!”
The old man pointed at his own face, shouting in Japanese, “It was inflicted by Tang Zhen’guo during the Northern War!”
“Such humiliation—if I cannot avenge it, how can I, Ito Jin, face my homeland again!”
“Useless, all of you are useless!”
“Master, please be calm. We are willing to commit seppuku to atone!”
The samurai shuddered in terror, scrambling to kneel and beg for death.
Of all things, Japanese men feared seppuku the least. Far worse was surviving under Ito Jin’s hand!
This old monster was infamous for torturing insubordinate subordinates.
Ripping out fingernails, sprinkling salt on bloody wounds, forcing them to wear white-hot iron armor, slicing open their bellies to stuff them with burning coals…
He’d learned all these methods from his days participating in invasion wars, and as time passed, he’d even invented new, more fiendish punishments.
There was nothing his twisted mind couldn’t devise.
Even his own men loathed him, but cowed by his tyranny, not one dared rebel.
In the entire Ito family, only his adopted daughter—renowned as Japan’s greatest genius, Ito Mei—ever dared defy him directly!
Now, Ito Jin’s fury was blazing. Everyone trembled in silence, none daring to speak or look up.
Just as all expected him to select some unfortunate soul to indulge his sadistic urges, the old man’s demeanor abruptly shifted:
“However.”
“Though this mission failed, our family now faces an even greater opportunity!”
Ito Jin’s face twisted into a wicked grin. “That Tang Zhen’guo’s own daughter—the famed prodigy Tang Wan’yue of the Dragon Country—has traced our activities.”
“Tonight, she’ll attend our exhibition. For us, this is a golden opportunity!” The old man looked at the young man standing beside him.
“When the time comes, we need only capture Tang Wan’yue and bring her back to Japan. With the Tang family’s ancient martial bloodline, our family can continue to produce outstanding descendants!”
“Ah Zhen, you must perform well!”
“I will, Father. I’ll make that woman bear exceptional children for me, again and again!”
The young Ito Zhen bared his teeth in a cruel smile.