"Mandrake, a unique natural ingredient, is also the most powerful sedative in the world. Just one fruit can knock out an elephant!" Tong Xingtong approached Ye Chen, giving him a charming smile. "I put ten in that cup of water, even as a martial arts expert, you couldn't withstand such a potent drug!"

Ye Chen wanted to curse, wanted to slap this woman right before him. Beautiful she may be, but her heart was far too sinister, daring to trap the King himself in such a scheme!

But in the end, Ye Chen could do nothing, as the drug's effect had taken hold, numbing his tongue and leaving his body unresponsive.

"Don't worry, I just want to keep you here!" Tong Xingtong said softly to the drastically pale Ye Chen.

Ye Chen, unmatched in the world, had finally fallen into the hands of a woman, a thought that filled his heart with sadness, but he soon passed out pleasantly, as the drug fully took effect.

"Xing Tong, is it really okay for us to do this?" Chu Yanran sighed as she looked at Ye Chen, who was unconscious on the ground.

"Yanran, we have no choice but to do it this way. Once we have captured him, I will use psychological suggestion techniques to gradually break his mental defenses, making him dispel Xiao Chenchen's Solitary Star Fate!" Tong Xingtong explained.

Chu Yanran remained silent, looking at Xiao Chenchen and sighing once again.

"Only by doing this can we save Xiao Chenchen's life!" Tong Xingtong said resolutely.

"Alright," Chu Yanran finally nodded.

...

It's unclear how long it had been when Ye Chen awakened from his deep sleep.

This was an extremely spacious room, although the lighting wasn't very good, relying only on a crystal chandelier for illumination.

The room's decor was simple, featuring only a sofa set, a coffee table, and a bed, with not many home furnishings on display.

"One misstep, eternal regret!"

Ye Chen knew he had been ensnared, but could only bow his head and wryly smile, looking at the iron contraptions fitted onto him.

Chu Yanran and Tong Xingtong must have known about Ye Chen's profound strength, and that to imprison him would surely require special means. Thus, they tailor-made a containment device specifically for the King.

Ye Chen's entire body was suspended in the air, his back against a massive steel plate several dozen centimeters thick, with numerous iron chains locking his body against this huge steel plate.

His wrists and ankles were locked by special steel rings, with similar rings securing his upper arms and thighs. Most terrifying were the rings around his chest and waist, immobilizing him with solid steel rings. In total, ten steel rings constrained Ye Chen's body!

"You really think highly of me, creating such a grand setup just to keep me confined!"

Now, Ye Chen had undoubtedly become a helpless lamb, utterly powerless to resist, vulnerable to being slaughtered at will!

"Even if I can't escape, I must try!" Ye Chen said, his voice deep with concentration.

A powerful aura emanated from Ye Chen, fierce and startling, a testament to his martial prowess. He slowly gathered his strength, channeling True Qi throughout his limbs. Then, with a surge of True Qi, he shook his body, attempting to break the shackles.

"Bang!"

At the Grandmaster Realm, Ye Chen's sudden burst could exert three thousand units of force, but that immense strength only caused the iron shackles to emit a muffled sound, unable to break free.

"Whew!" Ye Chen broke into a sweat from his forehead, that burst having been his absolute limit, yet he couldn't break these iron shackles.

Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!

Tong Xingtong pushed open the door, entering with a clap of her hands, her face a mix of humor and pity as she looked at the trapped Ye Chen.

"These shackles, I had them custom-made for you at great expense. Do you like them?" Tong Xingtong approached Ye Chen.

"Very much, they're very sturdy!" Ye Chen said.

"You really are a special person!" Tong Xingtong said with a full-faced smile.

"How long was I unconscious?" Ye Chen asked.

"Three days," Tong Xingtong replied.

"It's been so long, they must have left Longcheng by now, right?" Ye Chen sighed, he naturally referring to Liu Shihua and Zhang Xinlan.

"I've already resigned on your behalf, they have long since left the city," Tong Xingtong said.

"I will go find them, I am Liu Shihua's bodyguard," Ye Chen declared.

"Haha! You really are amusing!" Tong Xingtong laughed.

Ye Chen remained silent, observing the woman before him. Today, Tong Xingtong was dressed in denim attire, making her appear more capable and alluring. Her stunning beauty left Ye Chen inwardly lamenting; here was another Top Beauty whose image could spur his comrades to rebellion.

"Don't look at me with that kind of gaze, it's filthy!" Tong Xingtong chided sharply.

"You and Chu Yanran both like women!" Ye Chen asserted.

Tong Xingtong's expression turned icy as she coldly regarded Ye Chen.

"The moment you appeared, you seduced me, claiming you had matters to discuss, but you were already setting a trap for me," Ye Chen said.

Ye Chen was a clever man, having already fallen into the pit, and by recalling those events, he had pieced everything together.

"You're wrong about one thing; I didn't seduce you, I have no interest in men!" Tong Xingtong stated flatly.

"You were just trying to seduce me," Ye Chen insisted.

"No."

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

Tong Xingtong decided not to argue with Ye Chen anymore, because a shameless person is invincible, and Ye Chen is exactly that type.

"You and Chu Yanran have been together for years now," Ye Chen said.

Tong Xingtong didn't speak, merely looking at him coldly.

"You're a very smart woman. You know I don't like interacting with the Solitary Star boy, and yet you deliberately made me look after him, trying to disturb my mind," Ye Chen stared into Tong Xingtong's eyes, his gaze seeming to penetrate her thoughts. "You knew I would revisit the past, so you intentionally got cozy with Chu Yanran, exposing your relationship to again disturb my mind, laying the groundwork for your plan!"

"As a result, you succeeded. You drugged me quietly, and I drank that cup of water amidst your schemes," Ye Chen admitted admiringly.

"Correct, you're right. This is all my plan, even getting intimate with Yanran and exposing our relationship was part of it, because I wanted to make you thirsty, to make you need that cup of water!" Tong Xingtong didn't find anything wrong with Ye Chen figuring out her plan—if he hadn't, that would have been the real concern.

"Are you a psychology major?" Ye Chen asked.

Such a meticulous, seamless plan must thoroughly analyze the human psyche.

"Yes, I have a PhD in psychology, though now I'm the Secretary-General at Yanran International!" Tong Xingtong confessed.

"From a doctoral scholar in psychology to a multinational corporate secretary-general, there must be some secret unknown to the public behind this transformation, right?" Ye Chen asked symbolically.

Tong Xingtong looked at Ye Chen, who appeared as curious as a child, and resisted the impulse to slap him.

"You understand psychological theories, you're very smart!" Tong Xingtong suddenly said.

"Originally, I planned to gradually break down your psychological defenses, making you agree to lift Xiao Chenchen's Solitary Star Fate, but now, it seems unnecessary to put in that much effort," Tong Xingtong said.

"You're smart. If you save Xiao Chenchen, you can live; if you don't save him, you'll be trapped here forever, until death!" Tong Xingtong said, a hint of murderous intent emanating from her.

"I refuse to cooperate," Ye Chen said fearlessly.

"I told you, I know your background, I know everything about you since you were born!" Tong Xingtong suddenly smiled, seemingly knowing all there is to know about Ye Chen's life.

"Oh?" Ye Chen was surprised. "Let's hear it then, to see if there is anything you missed."

"You were born in Zhang Family Village in Yonghe Town, Taishan City, Dongshan Province. That place is also the hometown of the top beauty Zhang Xinlan. Everyone in the village surnamed Zhang, except your family, who were the Ye!" Tong Xingtong clearly dug deep into Ye Chen's background.

"That's no secret. Anyone with a bit of resource can find that out." Ye Chen didn't find it strange that she knew this.

"NO!" Tong Xingtong shook her finger. "That's just the beginning."

"You were orphaned at a young age, your mother died in childbirth, and your father was struck by lightning. You grew up on charity meals. According to the information I gathered, you were very precocious, and a rather strange person, but your peculiarity became your greatest advantage after you joined the military!"

"When you initially joined the military, your excellent performance caught the attention of your superiors, so they sent a special forces king to test you, to see if you had the potential. Your performance indeed surprised everyone. At that time, you were only eighteen, and without any formal training, but you managed to fight the super-soldier to a standstill!"

"You became a personal bodyguard for an old leader in Huabei Military Region, always behaving appropriately. Nevertheless, during a critical illness of the leader's wife, you demonstrated amazing medical skills, revealing your true brilliance."

"Later, you were sent to a secret military unit for training, and after several years of growth, you were hailed as the Huabei King, commanding respect wherever you went!"

"However, a year ago, you mysteriously retired, ending your illustrious career!"

Tong Xingtong detailed everything about Ye Chen, displaying thorough knowledge of his background as though he had no secrets in her eyes.

Seeing the slightly stunned Ye Chen, Tong Xingtong added another line: "I might know the reasons for your retirement. Did you kill a certain critical figure?"

Ye Chen's expression changed; he knew that Chu Yanran controlled a vast business empire and her subordinates' power was undoubtedly immense. But he had not expected Tong Xingtong to have unearthed so much about his past.

Expected yet unexpected!

"The prince from Egypt?" Tong Xingtong suddenly asked nonchalantly.

Ye Chen clicked his tongue; this woman was really too clever.

"It seems you are incredibly daring. But the fact that you're still alive after killing that prince is truly unbelievable. I'm very shocked!" Tong Xingtong guessed nearly everything right, but seeing Ye Chen's tacit acknowledgment still somewhat surprised her.

——

——

The readers at the bookstore have requested faster updates. To this, I must say I will certainly try!

Since the beginning of this book, just a month ago, nearly two hundred thousand words have been uploaded. That means I'm writing over 6,000 words a day!

As a newcomer, I think these updates are quite decent...

I just created a readers' group, group number: 305855323 (God of War Legion). All gods are welcome to join!

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