However—

Watching the flurry of anxious explanations from these young scions, Ye Chen couldn't help but shake his head and laugh.

"Of course, I know it wasn't you who said it. It wasn't just you all there at the time; it's normal for someone else to overhear. But even if that one sentence got reported to the police, it wouldn't affect me. After all, the police wouldn't just treat me as a prime suspect because I said Feng Liang was in for a disaster, would they?"

Everyone nodded thoughtfully.

While agreeing with Ye Chen, they also started recalling who else had been around at the time.

Suddenly, Zhang Jingshan's eyes widened with realization. "It was Liang Hongbo! That idiot must have blabbed to the police. He was right next to us then. Stirring up trouble is what he does best!"

Ye Chen, however, just shook his head noncommittally.

"Forget it. It doesn't matter who it was. Even without that comment, the police would still have called me in for routine questioning. It's inconsequential now."

The group thought about it and realized this made sense.

"Brother Ye, no need for many words. From now on, if you ever need anything, just say the word. Climbing mountains of swords or plunging into seas of fire might be an exaggeration, but I'll do everything I can to help—no questions asked!" Xu Wenhui said earnestly.

"What Xu said is exactly how I feel," Qiu Yingzhe echoed. "Brother Ye, if you need us, just let us know. I'll give everything I've got, not a bit less!"

Now, did these two really need to make such bold statements just because of Ye Chen's warning?

If it had been anyone else, probably not.

But Zhang Jingshan's blind faith in Ye Chen, coupled with his remark that even the old secretary trusted Ye Chen deeply, and the near-supernatural accuracy of Ye Chen's predictions—these all carried weight.

Without a doubt, these declarations were their way of expressing a desire to build a connection with Ye Chen.

"In that case, I'll thank you both in advance. If I ever do need help, I won't hesitate to ask!" Ye Chen replied.

"Brother Ye, please don't address us as 'Young Master' anything. Just call us by our names. Besides, in front of Brother Jingshan, we'd be way out of line to accept such lofty titles!" Xu Wenhui said, awkwardly scratching his head.

"Alright then, no need for formality going forward," Ye Chen replied with his usual composed smile.

"Alright, you guys can head back now. Thanks for today—I'll remember this!" Ye Chen said, patting his chest in mock seriousness.

After exchanging phone numbers, Xu Wenhui and Qiu Yingzhe finally drove away.

"Brother Ye, earlier in the interrogation room, you mentioned that Captain Qi would face a disaster. Is that...?" Zhang Jingshan asked curiously once the others were gone.

"It depends on whether he believes me. If he does, he'll get through it unscathed. If not, it's up to fate. But there are no guarantees. Even the most gifted mystics can make mistakes, let alone someone as amateurish as me," Ye Chen said with a wry smile.

Still, in his heart, he couldn't help but sigh. He had done all he could; the rest was up to Captain Qi's fortune.

"Brother Ye, you're even more mystical than those so-called half-immortals," Zhang Jingshan chimed in seamlessly.

Though mysticism seemed far-fetched and absurd, since meeting Ye Chen, had he ever been wrong?

Never.

Not only had Ye Chen never been wrong, but all his predictions had come true in a short time.

With skills like this, even the skeptical Zhang Jingshan couldn't help but marvel. If Ye Chen ever decided to market himself as a half-immortal, he'd quickly become the most sought-after guest among the elite and wealthy.

"Brother Ye, I've heard of Captain Qi. He's reportedly one of the most brilliant officers in the police force in the past decade. His case-solving rate for major crimes is the best in the city bureau's history. That's how he became a captain at such a young age. If something happens to him, it'd be a huge loss—not just to the bureau but to the entire police system!" Li Changfeng said gravely.

Ye Chen nodded. "I know. That's why I revealed a bit of mysticism in front of him. But all I can do is warn him. Hopefully, I'm wrong. And if I'm right, may fortune favor him."

Zhang Jingshan and Li Changfeng could only nod in agreement.

After all, mysticism lacked scientific evidence. Even if it were real, there was nothing Ye Chen could do beyond offering a warning.

"Alright, Brother Ye, let's not dwell on this. Are you heading home or...?" Zhang Jingshan abruptly changed the subject.

"I'm not going home yet. I plan to look at some houses," Ye Chen replied.

"Houses? Brother Ye, are you planning to buy a home?" Zhang Jingshan asked in surprise, clearly forgetting that Ye Chen, worth billions, was still living in a rented room in an urban village.

"I can't live in a shabby rental forever. Buying a house has been on my mind for a while, but I wasn't sure how to explain the source of the money to Yinuo. I didn't want to scare her. But I can't delay anymore. It's one thing to be poor, but having money and still letting my wife and kid live in such a place? That'd make my conscience ache," Ye Chen said with a bitter smile.

"Brother Ye, if that's the case, why don't Changfeng and I give you a house? You can just tell your wife we gifted it to you!" Zhang Jingshan quickly suggested.

"Exactly! What Jingshan said is perfect!" Li Changfeng chimed in.

However, Ye Chen immediately shook his head. "No, that's not appropriate."

"Come on! Without your help, we wouldn't have made a cent from Hengda Group. A single house—heck, even two—wouldn't be too much!" Zhang Jingshan insisted.

"Stop. I'm not short on money for a house, so don't even think about it!" Ye Chen said firmly.

Seeing Ye Chen's unwavering stance, Zhang Jingshan and Li Changfeng exchanged glances and reluctantly gave up.

"Brother Ye, where do you plan to buy a house?" Zhao Jiwei, who hadn't spoken until now, suddenly asked.

"Not picky. Just any place to live for now," Ye Chen said nonchalantly, shaking his head.

It wasn't that he wasn't picky—quite the opposite. He was too picky, which was why he wanted something temporary. None of the current properties in Jiangzhou could capture his interest.

Instead, his sights were set on a commercial plot that the Jiangzhou government would soon auction off.

That would be his first foray into real estate.

There, he planned to build a cutting-edge luxury residence to set new standards for high-end living.

His ultimate dream home would be a futuristic mega-villa built as part of his real estate empire.

"In that case, Brother Ye, how about checking out Shanshui Stream? I live there too," Zhang Jingshan suggested hesitantly.

Shanshui Stream wasn't a top-tier neighborhood, but with prices at six to seven million per unit, it was firmly in the mid-to-high-end range.

Given Ye Chen's newfound wealth, Zhang Jingshan wasn't sure if it would meet his standards.

"Sure, let's go check it out," Ye Chen nodded, heading toward his Mercedes G-Class.