A Dish Best Served Cold (The Man In Rage)
Chapter 1200 The Storm Brews

Wang Dong-Sheng's words thundered in the quiet and nearly deafened its listeners. The sincerity in his voice was bright and clear in the darkness of the night.

Ye Fan shook his head and laughed softly.

Fear gripped Wang Dong-Sheng's heart and sent his blood running cold.

"Instructor Chu, will you not take me in? I've left the Jiangdong military camp. There is no other place that will have me if you don't take me in. Please, Instructor Chu, take me in as one of your followers. I will do anything. I will follow you into the gates of hell without regret," pleaded Wang Dong-Sheng as his eyes glistened with unshed tears.

Ye Yu-Yang and her teammates couldn't bear to see Wang Dong-Sheng in such devastation.

"Instructor Chu, Uncle Wang has done so much for us. We're eternally indebted to him. Please take him in." "That's right, Instructor Chu, please allow him to join us."

The members of the Green Dragon Force began to plead on Wang Dong-Sheng's behalf.

Ye Fan's smile grew.

"Wang Dong-Sheng, I have a question for you. Do you swear your loyalty to me because you truly admire and respect me? We barely know each other. I've hardly spoken to you. How well do you know me? You hardly do. Where does your respect and awe come from then?" asked Ye Fan coolly.

"I might not know Instructor Chu as a man, but I know that Instructor Chu is a man who's sent a thousand soldiers to their knees. He's the man whose abilities have been recognized by our state and whom our country has sought as protector and guardian. That alone is enough for me to swear my undying loyalty to you."

Ye Fan shook his head.

'You only see my influence and status. If I did not possess the ability to have an army kneel at my feet or the honor of being knighted by the country, would you still swear to follow me into the gates of hell?" "I..." Ye Fan's question stumped Wang Dong-Sheng. He fell into a long bout of silence.

"The truth is that you decided to leave the military because you knew you weren't going to get another promotion. You decided to bet your future on me instead. You believe that I will lead you to a better future of wealth and glory."

"I..." stammered Wang Dong-Sheng as panic flickered across his eyes.

Ye Fan did not give him the chance to explain himself.

"You don't have to say another word. Anyone would do that. Prestige and wealth are what everyone lives for, after all. Yet, I must caution you. The wheels of fortune are always turning. I may enjoy the respect of the public, the title of pillar of the nation and the regard of the state now, but the title that the country bestowed upon me can be as easily taken away. Should I ever fall into a state of disrepute and disgrace, what will happen to you then? Have you thought about that?" asked Ye Fan as he told Wang Dong-Sheng what he was truly getting himself into.

Wang Dong-Sheng wasn't like the members of the Green Dragon Force. He had decided to cast his lot with Ye Fan because he believed that it promised him prestige, wealth and a bright future. The Green Dragon Force, on the other hand, had no ulterior motives. Their loyalty to Ye Fan rested solely upon their faith in the man.

Besides, Ye Fan had built the Green Dragon Force out of nothing. He had trained and groomed them personally, and had patiently and carefully taught them what he had known. They should repay his teaching with their service.

Wang Dong-Sheng fell into a long bout of silence.

Ye Fan had been right. He had been convinced of Ye Fan's great potential. The man was a rising star. If Wang Dong-Sheng jumped on the bandwagon now, he would stand to gain in the future when Ye Fan rose to fame and glory.

But what if Ye Fan were to be pulled down his pedestal in the future?

Wang Dong-Sheng would suffer then too.

After a long moment of deliberation, Wang Dong-Sheng's mind remained unchanged.

"Nothing is for certain in this world. I am willing to bet my future on Instructor Chu. That means that I'm confident of Instructor Chu's ability to rise to and remain in power. Should the day truly come when Instructor Chu falls from grace, I'll happily accept that I made a mistake. I won't regret my decision!"

The resolute look in Wang Dong-Sheng's eyes was as clear as day.

Ye Fan nodded. "It seems that you've made up your mind. You can stay then.

You will help me supervise the Green Dragon Force's training. Don't worry about your future. The wealth and prestige that I will give you will surpass anything that the Jiangdong military can provide you." Wang Dong-Sheng was overjoyed. He kowtowed and thanked Ye Fan profusely. "Thank you, Instructor Chu. I'll serve you dutifully and do everything you say."

"You don't have to thank you. In fact, you should thank yourself," Ye Fan said coolly and with a wave of his hand. 'Tm keeping you not because of how useful you're going to be. It's because of what you did for the Green Dragon Force. I always repay my debts and settle my grudges. I never let my enemies off and I always repay kindness with kindness."

Ye Fan paused in his steps then. He whirled around and his eyes fell upon the Jiangdong military camp in the distance. A mirthless smile appeared on his lips.

"Green Dragon Force, remember this night. I promise you that you'll return to this land again. I'll make them pay for what they did to you a hundred-fold!"

A wintry wind rushed through the forest and carried Ye Fan's promise away with it.

Ye Yu-Yan and her teammates nodded.

"We'll be back. We'll make those who looked down on the Green Dragon Force regret what they did to us!"

Their voices rumbled in unison as they stared into the distance with a hard and resolute look in their eyes.

The Green Dragon Force and Wang Dong-Sheng followed Ye Fan back to Yunzhou.

Ye Fan got them a place next to his own.

Their departure from the military camp did not spell the end of their training.

The Green Dragon Force had to become a formidable force if they wanted to be of any use to Ye Fan in the future.

After they had recovered from their injuries, they continued with the intensive training that Ye Fan had designed for them.

They trained in the day and soaked their bodies in medicinal bathwater in the night.

It was as if they had returned to the days of Ye Fan's training in the Jiangdong military camp.

However, the recent ordeal that they had suffered spurred the members of the Green Dragon Force into training harder than they had before.

Anger and resentment had become their sources of motivation.

They were going to prove to Wu Yang, Lin Qing-He and the Jiangdong military that these people were the ones who had made a mistake. The Green Dragon Force wasn't just a bunch of useless men and women like they had thought they were.

The days passed steadily as the Green Dragon Force continued their relentless training.

In the meantime, construction on the mansion on Mount Yunding progressed swiftly as Li Er and the others urged the workers to work more quickly and throughout the night.

During this period, a storm began to gather silently in the martial arts circle.