Hades, the Urban Legend

Chapter 471: Atomic Bomb

Leaving the TV station, Yang Chen stood in the empty parking lot, looking up at the sky. As usual, it was gray and cloudy, without a hint of blue.

Footsteps approached rapidly from behind, and Yang Chen smiled as he turned to see Lin Ruoxi following him out. Her hair was slightly disheveled from walking quickly, and her face was flushed. Seeing Yang Chen's odd expression, she suddenly realized she had been worried he might have been badly affected by something, and had come out too eagerly, making her concern too obvious.

"What are you smiling at?" Lin Ruoxi tried to maintain a cold demeanor.

Yang Chen didn't comment on it, sighing lightly instead. "I might not be able to stay for the whole show. When Hui Lin finishes her performance, congratulate her for me. I have something urgent to deal with."

Lin Ruoxi was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Got it."

Yang Chen grinned, "You're really my good wife."

Lin Ruoxi gave him a sideways glance but said nothing. Hearing Yang Chen joking around like that reassured her that he wasn't planning to do anything too crazy.

Yang Chen wasn't planning anything reckless, but he realized that Yang Lie wouldn't come to Zhonghai alone. Otherwise, he'd be too bold considering last time he was almost beaten to death. Yang Lie must have some backup.

From Yang Lie's perspective, the only person capable of backing him was Yang Pojun. Yang Lie probably thought Yang Chen would be wary of Yang Pojun, not knowing what happened at the military camp, where Yang Pojun failed to kill Yang Chen with a gun. Yang Pojun likely didn't mention that incident either.

Following this logic, if Yang Pojun wasn't with Yang Lie, he would likely go to see Guo Xuehua. After all, for Yang Pojun, the Yang family's honor was paramount, and having the matriarch Guo Xuehua estranged from the family was unacceptable. At the very least, he wouldn't want her to stay with Yang Chen, the son he had fallen out with.

Thinking this through, Yang Chen drove his BMW home at high speed. If Yang Pojun was indeed after Guo Xuehua, he might already be there.

Upon arriving in the quiet residential area, Yang Chen parked his car outside the large house and immediately noticed a dark green military vehicle parked outside the iron gate. To his relief, Yang Pojun and two bodyguards had just gotten out of the military jeep.

Yang Pojun wasn't wearing his usual military uniform but a light gray jacket, looking less sharp than before. Losing the election must have been a severe blow to this man who had always pursued power.

As Yang Chen saw Yang Pojun, the latter naturally noticed Yang Chen getting out of his car as well.

Despite their blood relation, the two showed no signs of familial warmth upon meeting. Instead, both wore indifferent expressions, and Yang Pojun even looked somewhat angry.

Yang Pojun glared at Yang Chen with a mixture of resentment and coldness, while Yang Chen's face remained calm, though his eyes reflected the same coldness.

"So, you've finally come," Yang Chen said, breaking the silence with a tone devoid of emotion.

Yang Pojun's gaze hardened. "I came to take your mother back."

Yang Chen's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Take her back? Do you think she wants to go back to that cold prison you call a home?"

Yang Pojun's fists clenched, his voice trembling with barely suppressed rage. "It's not your place to decide where she belongs."

"And it's not yours either," Yang Chen retorted, stepping forward. "She has the right to choose where she wants to be."

Yang Pojun took a deep breath, trying to control his anger. "This isn't about rights. It's about what's best for the family."

"Family?" Yang Chen scoffed. "You only care about the family's honor, not about the people in it."

Before Yang Pojun could respond, the door to the house opened, and Guo Xuehua stepped out, her face pale but determined.

"Stop it, both of you," she said firmly. "I will decide where I stay and who I stay with."

Yang Pojun's expression softened slightly at the sight of his wife. "Xuehua, come home. We need to present a united front, especially now."

Guo Xuehua shook her head. "Yang Pojun, you never understood. This isn't about politics or appearances. It's about love and respect, something you've forgotten."

Yang Pojun's face hardened again. "And you think you'll find that here, with him?"

"I already have," Guo Xuehua replied, walking to stand beside Yang Chen. "Yang Chen might not be perfect, but he respects and loves me."

Yang Pojun's eyes flashed with a mixture of hurt and anger, but he said nothing more. He turned sharply and walked back to his jeep, his bodyguards following closely behind.

As the military vehicle drove away, Yang Chen felt a mix of relief and sadness. The rift between him and his father seemed more profound than ever.

Guo Xuehua placed a comforting hand on Yang Chen's shoulder. "Let's go inside. We have each other, and that's what matters."

Yang Chen nodded, his resolve strengthening. No matter what challenges lay ahead, he would protect his family and their hard-won happiness.

Yang Chen walked slowly to the gate, blocking Yang Pojun's way. Without saying a word, he stood there resolutely, staring straight into Yang Pojun's eyes.

Yang Pojun was furious at Yang Chen's blatant disregard for him. However, he knew he was powerless to use force against this young man. With a slightly twisted expression, he said, "You have no reason to stop me from seeing my wife."

"You lost the election, and she didn't come to see you. You should be well aware that she doesn't want to see you," Yang Chen said calmly.

"You—" Yang Pojun was at a loss for words. He was indeed very angry that Guo Xuehua hadn't reached out to him despite his predicament. This only made him more desperate to see her and find out why.

Grinding his teeth in anger, Yang Pojun clenched his fists and said, "Where I go and who I see is none of your business."

"This is my home. I just don't want people who aren't welcome to enter," Yang Chen replied.

"Your home? Hmph," Yang Pojun sneered. "Is this house even yours? From what I know, all your assets belong to Lin Ruoxi."

"Lin Ruoxi is my woman, so everything that's hers is mine," Yang Chen said nonchalantly. He wasn't afraid to fight with fists or words; his greatest strength was his shamelessness.

Yang Pojun was evidently exasperated by such shameless words. He was also puzzled as to why Yang Chen had arrived here just as he did. If he knew that Yang Lie had met with Yang Chen earlier, he would probably be even more infuriated.

However, since he was already here, he couldn't just leave in defeat. Doing so would be a tremendous loss of face!

Yang Pojun glared fiercely at Yang Chen and gestured to his personal guard.

The guard immediately understood and handed a phone to Yang Pojun.

"Whether or not I see her is not up to you," Yang Pojun said in a low voice as he prepared to make a call. Clearly, he had already found out the phone number of this house before coming.

Yang Chen smirked and lightly raised his hand. With a flick of his finger, he sent Yang Pojun's phone flying.

"Snap!"

The phone was knocked away by an invisible force, crashed to the ground, and shattered into pieces!

Yang Pojun and his two guards were drenched in cold sweat, unable to react to what had just happened!

Yang Chen's casual use of his true qi was as effortless as child's play to him. However, for Yang Pojun and the other soldiers, it was an unattainable feat. Even though they knew that the country had some martial arts experts, such figures seemed elusive and intangible in their daily lives.

Now, with just a flick of Yang Chen's finger, they couldn't help but think that if that force had been aimed at their heads or vital parts, it could have killed them in an instant. Although they had witnessed Yang Chen's prowess once before in the military camp, seeing it again still made Yang Pojun break out in a cold sweat.

"You think that just because you're good at martial arts, I'll be afraid of you?! In the face of the military, any martial arts expert is just cannon fodder!" Yang Pojun roared in near hysteria.

Yang Chen shrugged, "Think what you want. I'm just considering if I should blow out the four tires of your car if you don't leave soon."

Yang Pojun, his face turning pale with anger, pointed a trembling finger at Yang Chen but couldn't utter a word.

At that moment, a white stretch Lincoln car turned the corner and approached. Such cars were rare in Yanxia, unlike in Western countries where they were more common.

As the Lincoln car pulled up next to Yang Pojun's military vehicle and stopped by the roadside, Yang Pojun's expression grew solemn.

Yang Chen had no idea who these new arrivals were, but it didn't matter to him. Anyone causing trouble would be dealt with.

Two bodyguards in suits quickly stepped out of the Lincoln car and opened the central door. A young man dressed in a white Armani suit, wearing Gucci pink and black fashionable sunglasses, and with slicked-back shiny hair, slowly emerged from the car, a cigar in hand.

Following closely behind the young man was an elderly man with gray hair, dressed in a butler's uniform. His face was lined with wrinkles, and he carried himself with a respectful, subservient demeanor.

"Well, well, well, look who it is. Isn't this the recently defeated, wife-losing, rumored to have an illegitimate child, Yang Siling?!" The young man's coarse voice, somewhat like a duck's quack, made Yang Pojun's temple veins bulge with anger.

Yang Chen frowned. This man's tone was utterly dismissive of Yang Pojun. It was important to remember that Yang Pojun was a general with military authority, and the Yang family was one of the four great families of Yanxia. Even though Yang Pojun had failed to secure a spot in the Standing Committee, he shouldn't be subject to such casual ridicule.

Moreover, this young man knew that Guo Xuehua had left Yang Pojun, and the "illegitimate child" he mentioned was likely referring to Yang Chen himself. It seemed that despite efforts to conceal his relationship with the Yang family, at least some high-level individuals were aware. Yang Pojun's failure to be elected probably had something to do with this.

"Yan Buxue, your Yan family is what it is because of your grandfather Yan Qingtian and your brother Yan Buwen. Don't push it too far, or I'll put a bullet in your head!" Yang Pojun gritted his teeth and almost rasped out the words.

Yang Chen suddenly realized that this guy was Yan Buxue, the second son of the Yan family, who had been persistently sending flowers to Christine and requesting to meet her. According to Lin Ruoxi, the Yan family, under the leadership of Yan Qingtian as the Vice Chairman of the Military Commission, had gained significant power, rivaling the old four great families. Yan Buwen's exceptional talent in advanced research had also bolstered the Yan family's influence, explaining Yan Buxue's arrogant demeanor.

Today's visit might be because Christine had deflected the responsibility for not meeting Yan Buxue onto Yang Chen, leading Yan Buxue to confront him instead.

Yang Pojun's threat to "put a bullet in you" was just empty words. If he had the capability and courage, he wouldn't need to resort to such talk. His previous statements were more than enough reason for Yang Pojun to draw his gun.

Yan Buxue, despite being a second-generation rich kid, was shrewd enough to know that Yang Pojun wouldn't dare harm him. Laughing heartily, he said, "Yang Siling, you want to shoot me? Go ahead! Should I ask my brother to lend you an atomic bomb? Haha..."

Yang Pojun's face turned an unsightly shade, unable to come up with a retort.

Yang Chen felt a pang of sympathy. Despite being a significant figure, Yang Pojun was powerless against such humiliation, highlighting the brutal nature of political power struggles. Even with a figure like Yang Gongming supporting the Yang family, there was no guarantee that those under him could always stand tall.

If even Yang Pojun had to endure such humiliation from someone like Yan Buxue, it was even worse for other dependents of the Yang family. The saying "Thirty years of prosperity, thirty years of decline" aptly described the cyclic nature of fortune. No family could ensure eternal glory, and as a family leader, one often had to resort to any means to save face.

As Yang Chen reflected on these thoughts, Yan Buxue, having finished ridiculing Yang Pojun, turned his attention to him, finding his amusement insufficient.

"Hey, you look quite down and out, a bit like old Yang here. Are you the little bastard from the Yang family that's been making waves in Yanjing recently?" Yan Buxue, with a cigar in his mouth, gave Yang Chen a mocking once-over.