The events that followed in reality were almost identical to those in the dream. The man named Balmas was unconvinced and hired the world's most renowned bodyguards, intending to teach Ye Tiancheng a lesson.
Unable to swallow his pride and feeling he should have beaten Ye Tiancheng soundly, he summoned reinforcements.
The burly men, indeed looking very strong, quickly disembarked from their vehicles at his command. They arrived in over a dozen cars, with more than fifty burly men who rushed towards Ye Tiancheng. However, before they could even touch him, they were all sent flying into the air with a swoosh. At that moment, it was as if Ye Tiancheng was electrified.
The fallen burly men writhed on the ground, crying out in pain, which completely terrified Balmas.
"Ye Tiancheng, what kind of sorcery is this? What evil art did you use? Why are they all in so much pain? Did you poison them? Give me the antidote quickly."
Seeing his burly men scattered on the ground, groaning and twitching in agony, even the courageous Balmas was scared to tears. Fearing that such torment would soon befall him, and seeing how powerful Ye Tiancheng truly was, he realized this was no game. His life might be in danger at any moment.
"I already warned you not to show off in front of me, but you wouldn't listen. See? I was right. I can predict the future. If you don't want me to kill you, leave now." Ye Tiancheng suddenly remembered something and added.
"Oh, right, I just remembered. You seem to already have a wife. If you have a wife, why are you still coveting Su Muxian? Although I have no romantic interest in Su Muxian myself, I'm warning you: you married man, don't you dare lay a finger on her. If I find out you're bothering that young lady, I'll crush you like an ant, thereby eliminating a menace to society."
The mention of Su Muxian seemed to revive Balmas instantly.
"Why shouldn't I pursue Su Muxian? Although monogamy is the law now, wealthy men should have multiple women. That's a symbol of status and prestige. I can divorce my current wife and make Su Muxian my official consort. As for my wife, I can arrange for her comfortable later life with money, and she won't have any objections. Why are you, an outsider, interfering?"
This statement sounded somewhat familiar, though with slight differences from his dream. Regardless of the differences, the one constant was Balmas's sheer audacity. Such a person deserved to be minced into meat paste and made into dumplings. Ye Tiancheng felt he was wasting his breath.
"How dare you be so bold and spout such absurd theories? Aren't you afraid I'll kill you? All your thugs have been dealt with by me. Do you think you're more powerful than them?"
Ye Tiancheng's words were logical. Balmas had witnessed firsthand how Ye Tiancheng had neutralized his bodyguards without even lifting a finger. At this point, he realized that if he continued to be arrogant towards Ye Tiancheng, his fate would be the same as his bodyguards—lying on the ground, or worse, being killed by him.
"Alright, I promise not to bother your uncle anymore, but you must let me go."
He had been quite defiant moments ago, but in the face of overwhelming power, Balmas instantly caved. He dared not look Ye Tiancheng directly in the eye, bowing and scraping subserviently.
"It's your business that you're wealthy, and it's your good fortune, which I can't control. However, you should use that money for good deeds and charity. If I find out you intend to forcefully take beautiful women or do anything that defies heaven's will, I will not hesitate to destroy you."
Hearing Ye Tiancheng's warning, Balmas nodded like a pecking chicken, no longer daring to cross Ye Tiancheng. With a humble smile, he said,
"Then I'll be going now."
Ye Tiancheng recalled that in his dream, he had told Balmas to get lost. However, his heart was not as narrow as before. Ye Tiancheng nodded.
"Leave and don't come back. If I see you again, I will beat you severely."
If this wealthy tycoon were to reappear, Ye Tiancheng knew he would surely be seeking revenge. Letting him go this time was an exception. If there was a next time, he would not hesitate to make him disappear from this world permanently.
After letting Balmas leave, Ye Tiancheng suddenly remembered that this guy would cause trouble later and felt a pang of regret for not keeping him. But then he considered that Balmas was wealthy and held some status. Killing him outright would not be as simple as dealing with others, and it might lead to investigations, causing him a lot of trouble.
He could only hope that the Balmas family would not seek revenge. Ye Tiancheng was too lazy to deal with such insignificant pawns.
Subsequently, Ye Tiancheng busied himself with opening cake shops across the country. These cake shops advertised a five-thousand-year heritage of traditional pastries, emphasizing a classic taste. All the outlets nationwide were already undergoing renovation, and Ye Tiancheng was making the final preparations.
As Ye Tiancheng was actively preparing, an old acquaintance appeared. This person was the general manager of an investment company, but that was merely his public persona; in reality, he was no ordinary individual. His name was Li Le.
Ye Tiancheng remembered meeting him at an agricultural conference in his dream. However, at the previous agricultural product exchange conference, Ye Tiancheng had left early due to a dispute between two women, thus missing the opportunity to meet this product manager.
He had thought he wouldn't meet him again, but unexpectedly, Li Le had sought him out. It seemed their karma was deeply intertwined, making escape impossible.
"Mr. Ye, I've come to seek a collaboration."
"Long time no see, I've missed you a bit."
For Li Le, this might have been their first encounter, but for Ye Tiancheng, it was not. Ye Tiancheng had already collaborated with Li Le in his dream, so he felt as if he were meeting an old friend, showing great warmth.
Ye Tiancheng even gave Li Le a big hug, which startled Li Le. Li Le had never imagined that a stranger would be so enthusiastic towards him. Their collaboration had not even begun, yet they seemed to hit it off immediately.
"Although I don't know why Mr. Ye says that, the reason I've come is that I strongly agree with your philosophy. To be honest, I'm a wealthy man, and I've lost the motivation to earn more money. So, I want to pursue ideals. My ideal is the same as yours: to embrace the past. After all, our country has a long and rich history, and many things have been lost over time, which is a great pity. I hope our fine traditions can be passed down continuously and even inherited forever. I heard your pastries are made with ancient flavors, and I'm eager to know your methods and to collaborate with you more deeply."
Li Le's words stirred Ye Tiancheng's enthusiasm. He was reminded of a familiar feeling—the original intention of a businessman. Many entrepreneurs are driven not just by profit but by the desire to achieve a goal. Creating value for others brings the greatest happiness, rather than merely pursuing money emptily.
"I know you're wealthy, and I also know you're different from ordinary second-generation rich kids. You have perseverance, determination, and your own ideas. You are the partner I've been looking for."
Since they had collaborated before, Ye Tiancheng quickly signed a contract with Li Le. Both were eager to launch their pastry company, a game-changer that would shake up the entire market.
However, Ye Tiancheng chose to collaborate with Li Le because he had too many of his own ventures. Although he had ideas, he needed someone to handle the specific execution, and Li Le was the perfect candidate. They quickly agreed on a profit-sharing arrangement.
Li Le requested a very small share. Ye Tiancheng understood this was because Li Le was still fixated on the Longdan Xiegan Wan. This particular medicine had become a wildly popular product, with pharmacies unable to meet demand. Ye Tiancheng had initially wanted to produce more, but the medicinal herbs on the mountain could not grow fast enough. Despite Ye Tiancheng's best efforts, supply still lagged behind demand.
Seizing this business opportunity was crucial. Currently, the primary consumers of this medicine were obese individuals with high cholesterol. After taking it, it effectively cleared cholesterol from the body and could also prolong life. As a health supplement, Longdan Xiegan Wan was now showing astonishing results. With Ye Tiancheng developing even more advanced formulas, its potential would be even greater.
Ye Tiancheng wanted to expand his businesses, so he agreed to collaborate with Li Le on the pastry venture, recognizing that pharmaceuticals could also be a long-term direction for cooperation.
After a pleasant discussion, Ye Tiancheng saw Li Le off. Just as Li Le departed, Su Muxian, dressed in revealing attire, appeared before him.
It had been Ye Tiancheng's first time seeing Su Muxian since their unpleasant parting at the agricultural conference.
"I apologize for what happened that day, Brother Ye. I've been reflecting since I returned, and I feel I acted very wrongly. I shouldn't have embarrassed you in front of so many people."
Ye Tiancheng readily accepted Su Muxian's apology, as he had quickly forgotten the incident and didn't dwell on it. Therefore, upon hearing her apology, he completely forgave her.
"It's alright. I also lacked patience that day. If I had been a little more patient, you probably wouldn't have been so angry. The matter between you and Hou Mingzhu is your women's affair. I should have been more open-minded and not interfered in your business."
Ye Tiancheng now felt he had been too impulsive back then. Perhaps it was the disruption caused by Dr. Huang that almost jeopardized his pastry venture. Fortunately, everything had been clarified, helping to clear his name. Otherwise, any product that had not yet been launched would have faced such negative attacks, and anyone would have become angry and agitated.
"In any case, I won't confront Hou Mingzhu directly from now on. The Hou family has such great influence, and I'm actually quite afraid. I fear that if I offend Hou Mingzhu, my entire bright future could be ruined."
This surprised Ye Tiancheng: "I truly didn't expect you to be quite afraid of Hou Mingzhu. Seeing how you always argue with her, I thought you didn't care at all about Hou Mingzhu's status as the eldest daughter of the Hou family."
"How could I not care? But what can I do? She was born noble. I just don't understand why you, Brother Ye, don't fancy a perfect woman like Hou Mingzhu. Before, I thought I had no hope at all, precisely because Hou Mingzhu is both beautiful and wealthy."