Negotiation.

"Who exactly are you?" Ouyang Cheng frowned slightly as he spoke. Though he wasn't clear about Ye Qian and Li Wei's backgrounds, their leisurely demeanor, completely disregarding him, instilled some fear in him. However, having reached his current position, he quickly regained his composure and put on a bureaucratic air.

"Ouyang Vice Secretary doesn't recognize me?" Ye Qian feigned surprise, mocking him.

Hearing Ye Qian's words, Ouyang Cheng wasn't overly shocked. Since they knew his background and dared to break in at this hour, mere posturing wouldn't scare them off. "How would I know you? What do you want, breaking into my house in the middle of the night?" Ouyang Cheng asked.

"Ouyang Vice Secretary really has a bad memory. Wasn't it you who ordered the police to arrest me and have me killed on the spot?" Ye Qian said calmly.

"You... you are Ye Qian?" Ouyang Cheng asked in terror. He hadn't expected Ye Qian to break out of prison and then boldly break into his home, a clear act of provocation. While he saw Ye Qian as a minor figure, a desperate confrontation would be troublesome. Composing himself, Ouyang Cheng assumed a righteous stance and said, "Yes, I gave the order. With the World Expo approaching, your blatant murder of a government official was a challenge to the state and government. I had to use you as an example to maintain law and order in SH City."

He placed a grand, accusatory label on Ye Qian, which almost made Ye Qian laugh. The old man was still pretending. "Whether I killed anyone, you know well enough. But I won't argue with you." Ye Qian smiled slightly, waving the videotape in his hand. "I wonder what would happen if I gave this to the disciplinary committee."

Ouyang Cheng was slightly startled. If Ye Qian did that, although he might not be subjected to dual regulations thanks to his connections, his chance at the municipal secretary position would be dashed. However, having been in politics for so long, Ouyang Cheng wasn't easily intimidated by a mere threat. After a brief pause, he said, "That's just my private life. At most, the committee would label me for improper conduct. Moreover, I have the connections to retrieve these things from the committee. I assume you didn't take such a risk just for this, right? Tell me, what do you want?"

"Damn, you still dare to put on airs? Do you believe I'll kill you right now?" Li Wei glared at Ouyang Cheng. Whether due to his background as an overseas Chinese or deliberately, Li Wei often mispronounced "do" as "kill."

Ouyang Cheng's heart trembled slightly. As a deputy party secretary, dying at the hands of these nobodies would be a waste. However, he believed they wouldn't kill him; otherwise, why bother talking? They could have done it while he was asleep. Therefore, he concluded they wanted to negotiate. Ouyang Cheng wasn't afraid of negotiations; even if he agreed to something tonight, the police would hunt them down by morning.

Ye Qian smiled faintly, stopping Li Wei's impulse. Li Wei was a ruthless person; killing someone, even a deputy party secretary, meant nothing to him. They had even killed presidential candidates before. However, Ye Qian saw no benefit in killing Ouyang Cheng. For Langya to survive in SH City, they needed a legitimate identity and allies in the political arena. Although Ye Qian had two allies in politics, their positions were too low to help significantly.

"Ouyang Vice Secretary, let's speak frankly," Ye Qian said. "I only want one thing from you."

"What is it?" Ouyang Cheng asked, surprised.

"It's simple. I want to be friends with you. Do you agree?" Ye Qian said calmly.

"Boss..." Li Wei was stunned and wanted to say something, but Ye Qian waved him off. Li Wei was puzzled; Ye Qian had always been vengeful. Why was he letting Ouyang Cheng off so easily today? However, seeing Ye Qian's look, he understood. The boss was still the boss, unchanged.

"Friends? Why should I?" Ouyang Cheng sneered.

"Because your life is in our hands," Ye Qian said calmly. "Also, we know about your bribery and government project deals. I doubt you want a fight to the death."

Ouyang Cheng didn't doubt Ye Qian's words much. His bribery records, stored here, might indeed have fallen into Ye Qian's hands. Unlike the sex tapes, exposing these would ruin his career. Grinding his teeth, Ouyang Cheng thought it best to temporarily agree, retrieve the evidence, and then deal with them.

"Fine, I agree," Ouyang Cheng said.

Ye Qian smiled faintly. He had no intention of truly allying with someone like Ouyang Cheng. This was merely a delay tactic. In politics, everyone had friends and enemies. Ouyang Cheng was no exception, and Ye Qian had his own plans. "Ouyang Vice Secretary is indeed straightforward. That's all I needed to hear. We'll take our leave now." Ye Qian stood up and walked towards the door, Li Wei following. At the door, Ye Qian paused, turned, and smiled, "Don't think of killing us to silence us. The evidence isn't on me. If I die, it will be on the committee's desk immediately. Oh, and Ouyang Vice Secretary, your performance was impressive." He waved the videotape, making his point clear.