Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 204 Using Both Kindness and Strictness to Initially Win Hearts and Minds

As soon as Chen Ye entered the courtyard, he smelled a strong odor of alcohol. At the same time, he could hear the sounds of drinking games and dice clattering coming from inside the house, along with occasional bursts of cheers, making it a very lively place.

It's obvious that they're drinking and gambling here.

Chen Ye's face was expressionless as he pushed open the door and walked into the house.

As soon as you enter, a foul smell mixed with the stench of alcohol and sweat hits you, enough to make you suffocate.

Looking up, one could see that the large room was crowded with twenty or thirty men.

These people were either sitting together shirtless drinking or gambling around a table, each of them looking relaxed and completely undisciplined.

This is Chen Ye's centurion's office.

When Chen Ye, dressed in official robes, appeared in the room, the previously noisy crowd instantly fell silent.

All eyes were on Chen Ye.

These people already knew that a new centurion would be coming today, and that he was a notorious playboy in Yunzhou City who had somehow won the Empress's favor and eventually entered the Xuanjing Division, becoming their superior.

Therefore, these gazes contained curiosity, scrutiny, and disdain, but more than anything, they were intrigued.

Chen Ye didn't speak, he just stood there quietly. The strange beast embroidered on his brand-new black official robe seemed to come alive in the dim light, its ferocious eyes staring at everyone in the room.

The quieter he was, the more oppressive the room felt.

These guys, who used to be carefree and irresponsible, gradually started to sense that something was wrong.

This new centurion seemed quite different from the spoiled brat they had imagined. He wasn't panicked as expected, nor did he make any boastful but cowardly pronouncements.

All that remained was a chilling cold.

Time passed by minute by minute.

Finally, someone couldn't stand the deathly silence any longer.

A man sitting in the very center, the most burly of them all, put down his wine bowl.

The wine bowl collided with the table, making a crisp clanging sound that seemed particularly jarring in the quiet room.

The man raised his head and looked Chen Ye up and down with a scrutinizing gaze, a half-smile playing on his lips.

"This must be our new Lord Chen, right? Why didn't you give us a heads-up so we could have gone out to greet him?"

His voice was hoarse, carrying a hint of江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry), and his words had a strange, ambiguous tone.

As soon as he spoke, the men around him who were originally nervous seemed to have found their pillar of support and started to cheer him on.

"Yes, why didn't you say a word when the adults arrived?"

“What Li is right. Our place is simple and we would be sorry if we neglected you, sir.”

"Sir, would you like to sit down and have a bowl? This is fine wine from the Western Regions, it's very strong!"

The atmosphere in the room came alive again, but this liveliness carried a blatant provocation.

The man known as Li Tou was named Li Hu, and he was the most senior member of this centurion's garrison.

After the previous centurion was transferred, everyone thought this position would be his, after all, he was quite capable and had a lot of influence in the unit.

As it turned out, a greenhorn was parachuted in from above.

How could Li Hu accept this?
So today's scene was specially arranged by him, to show this new pretty boy who really calls the shots in Courtyard No. 3!

Chen Ye looked at Li Hu, his face still expressionless, then his gaze passed over him and landed on the gambling table behind him.

A fat man with a face full of scars was holding a dice cup and looking at him with a playful expression. When Chen Ye looked over, he even deliberately shook the dice cup in his hand, making a clattering sound, the provocation was all too obvious.

Just then, Chen Ye suddenly strode towards the fat man.

Everyone in the room was watching him.

Li Hu frowned slightly because he didn't expect Chen Ye to completely ignore him.

When the fat man saw Chen Ye walking towards him, he was not afraid at all; instead, he laughed even more happily.

He slammed the dice cup down on the table and shouted, "Sir, would you like to play a couple of rounds? I'll give you a three-point handicap!"

Chen Ye walked to the table and stopped.

He didn't look at the fat man, but instead looked down at the dice cup on the table.

This is a wooden dice cup wrapped in cowhide, which has been worn smooth and shiny.

Chen Ye reached out and gently pressed his hand on the dice cup.

Everyone was stunned, wondering what he was up to.

The fat man was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled, "Sir, you want to guess the size? Alright, if you guess right..."

His words caught in his throat before he could finish speaking.

A sickening cracking sound rang out.

The sturdy wooden dice cup began to slowly crumble, and then wood chips and broken dice fell through Chen Ye's fingers.

The fat man's smile froze on his face, and a fine layer of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

He was closest and could see it most clearly.

It wasn't crushed by brute force at all, because Chen Ye's fingers didn't move at all. So the dice cup just fell apart on its own, and even the cow bone dice inside slowly crumbled into fragments.

This pretty boy... he's a master!

The smile on Li Hu's face also disappeared, replaced by a solemn expression.

He was also a trained fighter, so he could naturally tell the significance of this move.

At this moment, Chen Ye let go of his hand, patted the sawdust off his hands, and then raised his head, his gaze falling on the fat man's face for the first time.

"I'll give you three points?" Chen Ye said calmly.

The fat man's legs began to tremble, his lips quivered, and he couldn't utter a single word.

Seeing this, Chen Ye shifted his gaze from the fat man's face and slowly swept it over everyone in the room.

Anyone whose gaze fell upon him instinctively lowered their head, not daring to meet his eyes.

Finally, his gaze fell on Li Hu's face.

"Is this the show of force you prepared for me?" Chen Ye's lips finally curled into a smile, but there was no warmth in that smile, only a chilling coldness. "That's it?"

Li Hu's face instantly turned a deep purplish-red, and he abruptly stood up from his chair.

"Lord Chen, I didn't mean to intimidate you!"

Chen Ye sneered, then walked to the main seat, picked up the oil-stained chair, and casually tossed it aside, as if he found it dirty.

Then he dragged over a relatively clean bench from the side and sat down.

"Fine, I'll pretend you didn't do anything. But what crime should you be charged with according to the Great Chen Law for gathering people to gamble and drink excessively during your duty hours?"

Li Hu's eye twitched violently. He hadn't expected this young man to immediately accuse him so harshly, showing no mercy whatsoever.

"Lord Chen, what you're saying is rather unkind. My brothers are all rough men, with no particular hobbies, except for enjoying a drink or two! And today, we had a few extra drinks to welcome you."

"Well said, you are indeed uncouth," Chen Ye said calmly, "but this is the Xuanjing Division, not a tavern where a bunch of good-for-nothings gather to gamble and get drunk!"

"Look at the state of you all!" Chen Ye stood up, pointing to the mess in the room. His voice wasn't loud, but every word was piercing. "Wearing the official robes of the Xuanjing Division and receiving salaries from the imperial court, yet you're here gambling and drinking! Do you even deserve to be called members of the Xuanjing Division?"

Chen Ye's words pierced everyone's hearts.

The men were so angry at him that their faces turned pale and then red, but they didn't know how to refute him.

Li Hu was so angry that he trembled all over. He took a step forward, and the bluestone slab under his feet was cracked.

"Lord Chen! Where were you when we were risking our lives alongside our predecessor, fighting barbarians in the southern borderlands? Now you come here to lecture us? Don't you think that's unfair?"

"A knife fight?" Chen Ye sneered. "You bunch of good-for-nothings who can't even stand up straight? Forget about going to the Southern Frontier for a knife fight, any random thief could wipe out all of you!"

"I'll fight you!"

Li Hu was completely enraged. With a roar, his fist, as big as a casserole dish, came crashing down straight at Chen Ye's face with a whooshing sound!
This punch was powerful and merciless!

A gasp of surprise rang out from inside the room.

However, Chen Ye didn't move at all.

Just as the fist was about to smash into his nose, Chen Ye swiftly raised his hand.

There was no earth-shattering collision.

Chen Ye simply stretched out one hand and steadily caught Li Hu's unstoppable fist.

Li Hu's pupils contracted sharply, his face filled with disbelief.

He felt as if his fist had struck a ball of cotton, and all the force had vanished instantly.

how can that be!

He tried desperately to pull his fist back, but Chen Ye's hand was like an iron clamp, completely immovable.

Chen Ye looked at him coldly, "You dare to attack me with this little bit of strength?"

Before he finished speaking, Chen Ye tightened his fingers slightly.

A crisp sound of bone cracking rang out.

"what--!"

Li Hu let out a piercing scream, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. Chen Ye had crushed his finger bones!

Everyone in the room gasped, their gazes toward Chen Ye shifting from disdain and defiance to awe and fear.

one move!
With just one move, he crippled Li Tou, the most capable fighter among them!

Is this still the rumored good-for-nothing pretty boy?
At the same time, Chen Ye looked around, "Is there anyone else who disagrees?"

The audience was silent.

"Very good." Chen Ye nodded in satisfaction.

He knew that reasoning with these stubborn, unreasonable people was useless; the only way to subdue and frighten them was to use their most trusted methods.

"Since no one objects, I'll set a few rules for you starting today."

"First, no one is allowed to drink alcohol or gamble during their duty hours. Anyone who violates this rule will have their hands or feet cut off and be thrown out of the Xuanjing Division."

"Second, roll call at 5 am and leave at 5 pm. Anyone who is late or leaves early without a reason will be whipped twenty times. If it happens more than three times, he or she will be fired."

"Third, my orders must be carried out unconditionally. You may raise objections, but it will be in vain. Those who outwardly comply but inwardly disobey, or fail to carry out the orders effectively, will bear the consequences themselves."

"Fourth, clean up your stinking bodies. If I ever see this house looking like a pigsty again, all of you get out here and start cleaning the outhouse!"

"Did you understand?" Chen Ye asked finally.

"I...I understand..."

The replies were sparse and weak.

"Speak louder! Haven't you eaten yet?!" Chen Ye shouted.

"Understood!"

This time, the voices were finally much more unified and loud.

"Very good." Chen Ye nodded, seemingly satisfied with the result.

"Now clean this place up. I hope that when I come back in half an hour, I will see a clean and tidy office where everyone is in their place."

After saying that, he walked out, leaving behind a room full of silent men and Li Hu groaning in pain on the ground.

Chen Ye's figure disappeared through the doorway, but the chilling, oppressive feeling still lingered in the room for a long time.

After a long while, someone cautiously raised their head, glanced at Li Hu who was still convulsing on the ground, and then looked at their companions who were also pale-faced. They couldn't help but swallow hard.

"This...is it over?"

No one answered.

Which of these people hadn't lived a life of constant danger? Which of them hadn't taken lives? Yet they had never seen anyone like Chen Ye.

When they made a move, it was swift and decisive, instantly crippling Li Hu, their most capable fighter. The entire process was clean and efficient, without even a flicker of emotion.

This wasn't a fight; it was pure, absolute crushing power.

Especially when that handsome face is paired with such ruthless methods, it creates a huge contrast that sends chills down your spine.

"What are you all standing there for! Didn't you hear what the adults said? Do you want to end up like him?" A man who looked somewhat clever was the first to react and rushed over to help up a table that had been knocked over.

His shout woke up the others as well.

That's right! That gentleman said he'd be back to check in half an hour!

If he comes back and finds this place still in a mess, who knows what he'll do.

The thought of Chen Ye's cold eyes sent a chill down everyone's spine, and they dared not be negligent in the slightest.

"Quickly! Put away all the gambling equipment!"

"Throw all the wine jars out!"

"And sweep up the broken pieces of porcelain on the ground!"

"Old Wang, Third Brother, you two, quickly carry Brother Tiger to the clinic!"

The room instantly turned into chaos, and everyone scrambled to clean up.

Two men whose names were called lifted Li Hu up from the left and right.

Li Hu grimaced in pain, his eyes filled with resentment.

He didn't understand.

Isn't this rumored pretty boy supposed to be a spoiled brat? How come he's so strong?

It should be noted that Li Hu was a skilled fighter, known for his bravery and strength in the army, yet he couldn't even last a single move against Chen Ye.

Thinking of this, Li Hu was filled with remorse.

If he had known the other party was such a jinx, he would never have been the one to stick his neck out today.

Now look what happened; not only has his prestige been ruined, but he's also lost a hand.

But it was no use saying anything now. He was eventually sent to the clinic, and half an hour later, Chen Ye returned to Courtyard No. 3 on time.

At this time, Courtyard No. 3 had been completely renovated. The ground was swept clean, and there was not even a trace of alcohol smell.

The men stood in rows according to their respective flags, their backs straight and their eyes fixed straight ahead, no longer displaying their previous slouching posture.

Upon seeing Chen Ye enter, everyone immediately bowed and shouted in unison, "Greetings, Your Excellency!"

His voice was loud and clear, filled with awe.

Chen Ye's gaze swept over them one by one, finally landing on an empty seat at the very front of the line.

That's Li Hu's spot.

"Where is Li Hu?" Chen Ye asked.

"Reporting to you, sir, it has already been sent to the clinic," the quick-witted man from before hurriedly stepped forward and respectfully replied.

His name is Zhao Qi, and he is a minor officer here.

"Okay." Chen Ye nodded, walked to the main seat and sat down, then said, "From today onwards, Zhao Qi, you will temporarily assume the position of Commander-in-Chief, responsible for daily affairs, and report directly to me."

Zhao Qi was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then his face lit up with ecstasy.

The commander-in-chief is the most powerful person below the centurion! Li Hu held this position before.

He never expected happiness to come so suddenly.

"Thank you for your promotion, sir! I will do my utmost to serve you!" Zhao Qi was so excited that his face turned red, and he knelt down with a thud.

People around him cast envious and jealous glances at him.

They all realized that this newly arrived Lord Chen was not only ruthless but also fair in rewarding and punishing.

Li Hu was dismissed for disobeying orders, while Zhao Qi, being quick-witted, was immediately promoted.

The meaning is clear: those who obey me will prosper, and those who oppose me will perish.

Chen Ye waved his hand, signaling Zhao Qi to get up, and then said, "I know many of you may still be dissatisfied, thinking that I, Chen Ye, am just a spoiled brat who relies on connections and is not qualified to be your superior."

Upon hearing this, everyone lowered their heads even further, their hearts pounding.

“But it’s okay.” Chen Ye’s tone was calm. “You will gradually find out whether following me was the right or wrong decision.”

“You know better than I do what the Xuanjing Division is. All you’re risking your lives for is merit and money.”

"I'm putting it this way today: as long as you serve me faithfully, I will definitely not shortchange you on these two things!"

"But if anyone dares to play tricks behind your back..." Chen Ye's voice turned cold, "Li Hu will be your role model."

Everyone's hearts skipped a beat, and they quickly replied in unison, "Your subordinates wouldn't dare!"

"Alright, everyone disperse and go back to your posts." Chen Ye waved his hand.

"Yes!"

The group felt as if they had been granted a pardon, bowed respectfully, and then quickly left the room.

Soon only Chen Ye and the newly appointed brigade commander Zhao Qi remained in the room.

"Does my lord have any further instructions?" Zhao Qi asked cautiously.

"Bring me all the case files of everyone in the institute, as well as the documents from the past three years," Chen Ye ordered.

"Yes, my subordinate will do it now."

Zhao Qi didn't dare to delay and quickly ran out.

Chen Ye leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the table.

The goal of establishing authority today has been achieved.

He temporarily intimidated this group of unruly troublemakers through violence, but this was only the first step.

He knew very well that fear alone could not truly win people's hearts.

These people are all seasoned veterans; they may appear respectful to you on the surface, but who knows what they're really like behind your back?

Therefore, to truly win them over, we need to use both kindness and strictness, and we must take it slowly.

Next, he needs to quickly familiarize himself with the business of the Xuanjing Division, understand the background of his subordinates, and firmly control them.

Only in this way can Chen Ye truly gain a foothold in the Xuanjing Division, a place that devours people without spitting out their bones.

(End of this chapter)