met free I remember Chapter 244, he was very picky.
I remember Chapter 244, he was very picky.
Eric's height seemed to be close to two meters, making him the tallest among the group.
However, he was not just tall; his muscles were so solid that they looked like rocks to the naked eye. Clothes that would be loose on anyone else actually looked a bit tight on him.
Of all the people Qi Yuan had ever met, only Lennon and Eric were this strong.
“It has been a long time indeed. But, Qi,” Eric said, noticing the bump on Qi Yuan’s forehead, “I heard that after you were released from prison, you went straight to the Davis family and were living happily there. But I didn’t expect to see you outside the prison again, still with injuries on your body.”
Qi Yuan raised an eyebrow and glanced at the bump on his forehead. He could see the white gauze on his shirt with just a slight glance, which showed how big the bump on his forehead must have been from the impact last night.
"Isn't it a coincidence? I haven't been injured for a while since I got out of prison, but I just happened to run into you again and got hurt," Qi Yuan teased.
Eric smiled. "I just heard about you from Shelly. If I didn't know what happened to you last night, I would really suspect that our reunion was planned by you."
“I don’t have that much ability to figure out that you, Eric, are also a member of Darkfire.”
From Sheri's panic and Eric's words, Qi Yuan had already guessed that Eric was one of the members of Darkfire.
Eric didn't hide anything and said, "Qi, you're still so smart. That's right, I'm also a member of Darkfire, but I have a higher status because I'm the one who organized Darkfire."
A hint of surprise flashed in Qi Yuan's eyes, but he quickly calmed down. "If you have the ability to make half the people listen to you in prison, it's not surprising that you can build this organization."
“That’s not my ability, Qi. You know, there are many people like you and me in prison who did nothing wrong but were thrown in to take the blame, just to boost the performance of those guys in the federal government who take money.”
Qi Yuan didn't want to linger with Eric about the prison for too long, so he changed the subject, saying, "Shelly hasn't talked to you about anything else besides what happened last night."
"All we know right now is who died last night and who the new head of the Leopold family is. We don't know anything else. All we can talk about is whether you're good or bad for our organization?"
After saying that, Eric looked at Qi Yuan with calm and indifference in his light blue eyes.
Qi Yuan and Eric were friends in prison, but not to a good extent.
While in prison, everyone only thought about how to protect themselves and didn't get involved in much else. Eric was no exception. Although he wasn't a bad person, he never took the initiative to help anyone.
When Qi Yuan was bullied in the early stages, Eric just watched from the sidelines, like many other prisoners.
It wasn't until later, when Qi Yuan demonstrated his tenacity and became the head chef in the kitchen in order to change his prison life, that Eric stood up for him.
Unfortunately, just as Eric was willing to stand by him and offer protection, Eric was scheduled to be released from prison a month later.
Once Eric is released from prison, he will once again have to protect himself.
But during their brief conversation in prison, Qi Yuan knew Eric's personality. Upon hearing his words, Qi Yuan countered, "And what about the answer you were discussing?"
“I don’t know.” Eric shrugged. “Qi, you’re a smart person, but also a very stubborn one.”
"Stubborn?" Qi Yuan laughed. "This is the first time I've heard that assessment."
“It seems there are still few people who understand you. If they had seen you in prison, they would know how stubborn you are,” Eric said. “In prison, you were willing to die rather than compromise for your pitiful ‘chastity,’ always getting yourself injured and unable to sleep peacefully. Looking at you like that, I thought many times that if you had just compromised and used your beauty a little, you would have lived as comfortably as a ‘princess’ in prison.”
A hint of displeasure flashed in Qi Yuan's eyes. "Eric, your words are so grating that I want to punch you in the face twice."
Eric chuckled twice. "That's why I said you're stubborn, Qi. I was just making a couple of hypothetical comments, and you got angry."
“Eric, I’m angry because what you just said made me think of me as a woman,” Qi Yuan said. “It has nothing to do with stubbornness.”
"Does Noah Davis even consider you a man? Qi, you've lived with him for so long, are you even a man anymore?"
“Noah Davis cannot assimilate me. I am who I was before, and I am who I am now. In my own eyes, I am still that brave and fearless man.” Qi Yuan’s gaze was firm as he held fast to his own beliefs.
He looked intently at Eric and said, "Eric, it seems you share the same thoughts as many others, believing that being with Noah Davis would cause me to abandon my male identity and become a woman. Let me tell you, Noah Davis and I are both aware of our genders and have never considered blurring them. My feelings for him stem from a similarity in our souls, a deep connection. Otherwise, what was the point of enduring so many years in prison?"
Looking at the extremely serious Qi Yuan, Eric clapped his hands in a solitary gesture. "Hearing your words, Qi, I can finally feel that you are still the Qi I know—aloof, stubborn, beautiful, and with your own ideas. I've always wondered, after enjoying the glory and power given by the Davis family, are you still the Qi I know?"
“Eric, our relationship isn’t that good. Although you gave me a month’s respite in prison, I can repay your kindness with Shirley’s life.”
Qi Yuan didn't really feel like he owed Eric anything. Eric's protection for that month only reduced the number of attacks slightly.
After all, even without Eric's protection, the result would have been nothing more than him continuing to beat up those prisoners and then subduing them a month ahead of schedule.
Eric's protection led the prisoners to mistakenly believe that he was really weak, so much so that when Eric was released from prison, the prisoners rushed at him like madmen. It wasn't until Qi Yuan broke his ribs that they realized that this wild rose was still so prickly.
Of course, others did offer protection, and Qi Yuan's ability to save Sheri's life under Noah's command can be considered a form of repayment.
Eric wasn't stupid; he understood what Qi Yuan meant and said, "Alright, as long as the Davis family doesn't kill Shelley, our matter is settled. Now let's talk about the next phase of our cooperation."
Eric looked at Qi Yuan: "You came to see Xie Li, probably wanting to cooperate with Darkfire on something. Since I'm here, we can sit down and talk slowly."
Eric's gaze fell on the wooden bench to the side.
Qi Yuan followed his gaze, turned around, and sat down.
The leader of Darkfire and the representative of the Davis family were the two most powerful figures on their respective sides. Shernick, Asa, and the other two stood like quails behind their respective leaders, quietly watching their game.
"Darkfire's principles are so noble and beautiful, yet its leader is someone who can stand idly by in prison. Now I'm wondering, is Darkfire trustworthy?"
As soon as they sat down, it was Qi Yuan's turn to retaliate against Eric.
Eric had seen Qi Yuan at his most ruthless, so he remained composed in the face of the attack.
“Qi, Darkfire is very poor, so poor that it can’t afford to get me out sooner. When you went to prison, I had six months left before my release. If I got involved in too many things at that time and the warden extended my sentence, it wouldn’t be a good thing for me.”
Among the prisoners who bullied Qi Yuan, several were protected by their families. Offending them might result in longer sentences.
Eric said, "I have a group of brothers waiting outside. I need to get out as soon as possible. Besides, I want to see how long you can hold out. What if you give in after I make a move? Wouldn't I just look like a meddlesome clown?"
In a place like prison, who knows who is good and who is bad, and who won't change?
Therefore, not meddling in other people's business is the best way to protect yourself.
"But I still have serious doubts about your organization's policies. You just told me to be patient and compromise. If you're used to compromising and tolerating, can your organization really get anything done?"
Qi Yuan had never doubted Darkfire's abilities and perseverance before, but after seeing Eric, he couldn't help but start to doubt whether Darkfire was reliable at all.
"The four major families control weapons, soldiers, and money. What can we use to fight them? Of course, we must be patient and compromise, accumulate hatred for a year, and then launch a counterattack while they are enjoying their time. Wouldn't it be quite satisfying to deliver bullets and fury to them when they are happiest?"
Eric's brows furrowed with a smile. "Qi, this is my way of taking revenge: compromise and endure when I lack the power, and then kill him when I have the ability. After all, only by surviving can I kill the other party."
“Okay, I understand you,” Qi Yuan said, “but I don’t think your approach is suitable for every situation, like advising me to be a ‘princess’ in prison.”
“Indeed, I also think that if you had just been more obedient back then and pleased the most powerful person in prison, you would have had a very comfortable life. But if you had had a comfortable life back then, you might not be in the Davis family now, let alone be able to stand by Noah’s side. That patriarch, I remember, he was very picky.”
"He does have many bad habits, but his overall perspective is better than many people's, and his values are sound. Eric, is Darkfire willing to secretly support the Davis family?"
Qi Yuan stopped rambling and directly stated his reason for being there.
Xie Li didn't expect Qi Yuan to be so bold as to speak so directly.
You should know that he invited Darkfire, the organization that hates the four major families the most in the entire Northern Continent.
“Qi, do you know what? Even if you swear on your life that if we join the Davis family and something happens, you're willing to give your life, I still can't trust you. Because what we Darkfire hate most is the four great families,” Eric said.