He knew Ye Fan's temperament well; once angered, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"I'll tell you, I'll tell you everything."
Zhou Youde's face turned ashen with fear. If there had been a crack in the ground at that moment, he would have unhesitatingly crawled into it.
"To achieve exorbitant profits, we specialized in forging rare treasures and antiques. Shen Shiyun and I provided the capital and selected the treasures to be replicated. We then gave Qin Zhonghe all the detailed information about the treasures, and he found people responsible for their manufacture. The replicated porcelain shards were all acquired from Qianfo Mountain, and I personally went to purchase them each time. Once the replicas were completed, they were sold by several prominent families in Jiangcheng and the Antiques Association."
Ye Fan already knew these details and asked coldly, "Besides you people, who else in Jiangcheng is involved?"
Zhou Youde's face darkened, looking utterly dejected.
"Besides Boguzhai, the Antiques Association, and the Shen family, the Jiang family also has people involved."
Jiang Zhitao, standing nearby, immediately frowned. "Who in the Jiang family is involved in this matter?"
He hadn't expected his own family to have such black sheep.
Glancing at Jiang Zhitao, Zhou Youde sneered, "If one doesn't have sufficient status and position, how could they possibly be involved? That person from the Jiang family is your father, the current patriarch of the Jiang family, Jiang Bo."
Boom~
Zhou Youde's words struck Jiang Zhitao's mind like thunder, exploding within his head.
In an instant, Jiang Zhitao's mind went blank, his body staggering as he almost fell.
"No, it can't be. My father would never do such a wicked deed."
Immediately after, he lunged up, his eyes bloodshot, glaring fiercely at Zhou Youde.
"It's you, you must be spouting nonsense, you scoundrel, I'll tear you to shreds."
As he spoke, he charged forward wildly, raising his foot and fiercely kicking Zhou Youde in the chest.
Ye Fan did not intervene. There were certain things he couldn't let Jiang Zhitao know.
But this didn't mean these things didn't exist. He needed to accept reality and, more importantly, learn how to handle such matters.
If one wishes to become the future patriarch of the Jiang family, how can they bear the responsibility without experiencing some hardship?
Kick after kick landed on Zhou Youde's chest as he vented his anger.
Poor Zhou Youde, after being brutally assaulted by Jiang Zhitao, soon had several ribs broken, and his chest even caved in slightly.
He desperately tried to dodge, but under Jiang Zhitao's frenzied assault, he had no room to resist.
After more than a dozen kicks, Jiang Zhitao, panting, finally stopped.
Ye Fan walked over and patted his shoulder, "Had your fill?"
Turning to look at Ye Fan, Jiang Zhitao's face and eyes were filled with exhaustion.
They had been investigating the mastermind behind the counterfeiting and trafficking for so long, only to discover that his own father was one of them.
He thought about how much he hated these scoundrels, and among those scoundrels was his own father.
How ridiculous, how comical!
"You are you, and he is he. You have your pursuits, and he has his ideas. No one can interfere with another. The future of the Jiang family needs you to shoulder it. Therefore, I hope you can quickly move past this matter, instead of being crushed by it. Do you understand?"
Gazing at Jiang Zhitao, Ye Fan's eyes were filled with solemnity.
After a moment, Jiang Zhitao nodded heavily. "Brother Ye, I understand."
With a dejected expression, he slowly walked towards the exit.
Ye Fan did not stop him. This was something he needed to figure out for himself. No matter what Ye Fan said or did, it would be in vain.
"Send people to follow him and prevent him from doing anything foolish."
He whispered to Shen Bao.
Shen Bao nodded and immediately dispatched people to discreetly protect Jiang Zhitao.
Watching Jiang Zhitao's retreating figure, Ye Fan sighed helplessly.
He hoped that after this blow, he could grow up quickly.
Then, he walked to Zhou Youde's side and bent down to crouch.
"Besides you all, there must be another big figure in Jiangcheng, right? Otherwise, with your audacious actions, why would no one manage you?"
This was Ye Fan's speculation. If there wasn't someone with eyes in the sky, these people engaging in such large-scale counterfeiting and trafficking would have long been discovered and reported, and how could they have survived until today?
Upon hearing Ye Fan's question, Zhou Youde hesitated.
He indeed had another big figure he hadn't disclosed, but once he revealed that person, he might not be able to leave Jiangcheng alive.
After all, that was his only hope.
"Ye Fan, I advise you not to ask any further. Some people are not to be provoked by you."
"Do you really think you can act with impunity in Jiangcheng? Do you really think you can turn the clouds with a flip of your hand and the rain with a wave? Let me tell you, some people are not someone you can deal with."
A hint of coldness flashed in Zhou Youde's eyes.
He hated Ye Fan, but despite trying to put Ye Fan to death multiple times, he was always foiled.
This time, he had even been captured by Ye Fan.
Given the hatred he harbored for Ye Fan, he would never easily let it go.
Yet, even so, he still concealed that person, which showed how terrifying that person's influence must be.
Ye Fan immediately chuckled. "Actually, even if you don't say it, I know who that person is. Perhaps, in Jiangcheng, his position is unshakeable. Perhaps, my struggle with him is like an egg hitting a stone, but I firmly believe that there is divine justice in this world. People do, and heaven watches. The retribution that is due will eventually come."
Ye Fan's eyes flickered with sharp light, and then, with a fierce palm strike, he knocked Zhou Youde unconscious to the ground.
"Take him away."
He said to Shen Bao.
Afterward, Ye Fan spoke in a low voice, "Now it seems that besides Shen Shiyun and the others, there are likely people in the City Lord's mansion involved. We cannot act directly for now, as that person is too deeply hidden, and we lack substantive evidence. Therefore, if that person senses anything, it might just alert the snake and scare the rat. Perhaps that person will make the first move, and then we will be in danger."
Ye Fan's face was serious, his eyes narrowed, and his expression solemn.
He had suspected this before and even informed Shen Bao.
But that was merely a guess. However, after confirming everything today, his heart had become calmer.
Some things couldn't be rushed; they had to proceed step by step.
Only by considering every aspect could the implementation be a hundred percent successful.
Hearing Ye Fan's words, Shen Bao's face darkened, and he remained silent.
Shen Tianyin tightly held the old man's hand, clearly unwilling to get involved in more trouble.
Helplessly, Ye Fan sighed. It seemed this matter would ultimately fall upon him.
"Doctor Hao, how long will it take for the old master's condition to fully recover?"
This "Who Rui," he must have a good talk with Old Master Shen. After all, he was an experienced veteran and could offer him advice.
Moreover, this was the Shen family. Without Old Master Shen's consent, all his plans would be in vain.