A sudden sense of extreme unease surged through Qi Quan's heart as he noticed the unexpected appearance of a young girl.

Before he could say anything, and even before the police, who had completely blocked off the fugitive's escape routes, could react, the fugitive-who had seemingly resigned himself to his fate-suddenly turned vicious.

"Hah! If I'm going to die anyway, I'll take someone with me!"

With a deranged laugh, he seized the moment when everyone's attention instinctively shifted to the girl. Swiftly reaching to his waist, he pulled out a handgun acquired from the black market and fired at her without hesitation.

"Watch out!"

In the instant the fugitive pulled the trigger, Qi Quan lunged toward the girl, who was only two steps away, shouting in alarm.

Bang!

The bullet, which should have pierced the girl, instead struck Qi Quan squarely.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

At the same time, the armed officers, shocked but quick to respond, immediately gunned the fugitive down, riddling him with bullets.

"Captain Qi!"

"Captain Qi!"

"Captain Qi!"

The officers from the municipal squad rushed toward Qi Quan in panic.

Cough!

Though the bulletproof vest had stopped the bullet, the impact nearly knocked the wind out of him. After exhaling heavily in pain, Qi Quan collapsed to the ground, limbs spread out, his mind blank.

The sounds around him faded as his thoughts zeroed in on Ye Chen's words back in the police station's interrogation room.

If it weren't for Ye Chen's warning, Qi Quan wouldn't have worn the bulletproof vest on a whim. Without it, he would likely have been...

Qianlong Game Company.

Ye Chen had no idea what had transpired in Tianhai District's Chebei Village. After surveying Qianlong Game Company briefly, Xu Yingjie and the other six team members emerged from the office.

"Mr. Ye!"

"Hmm? Have you made your decision?" Ye Chen asked, setting down a decorative piece he had just picked up.

"Yes, we've discussed it. Mr. Ye, how about this: instead of annual salaries, would you consider offering us shares? The seven of us would each take 4%, making a total of 28%. Would that work for you?" Xu Yingjie asked earnestly, though his tone carried an undertone of awkwardness.

The acquisition price of 35 million yuan, while flattering, was clearly aimed at the potential of their game Reincarnation and their team, rather than the company itself, which was worth far less.

Currently, Reincarnation was only 45% complete. Considering Ye Chen's willingness to offer such a high acquisition price along with competitive salaries, their request for shares might seem excessive-even if they were forgoing salaries in return.

Still, Reincarnation represented their collective effort and dreams. The thought of facing it as mere employees was agonizing. That's why they proposed the share distribution, though they were prepared to accept rejection.

As the team anxiously awaited his response, Ye Chen pretended to ponder.

He wasn't surprised by their proposal; in his past life, he knew each of these seven individuals held 5% shares, totaling 35%. Their current offer of 4% per person was likely due to the hefty acquisition price he'd offered.

Granting shares would significantly affect their morale. After a moment of feigned deliberation, Ye Chen nodded.

"Alright, no problem. Let's go with your suggestion-4% per person, for a total of 28%. I'll retain 72%."

"You agree?!" Xu Yingjie asked, ecstatic.

"Of course," Ye Chen replied with a smile.

"Thank you for your understanding, Mr. Ye!" the team exclaimed in unison, their joy evident even in the swift change in how they addressed him.

With the acquisition terms settled, the focus shifted to introducing the company's details, outlining Reincarnation's progress, transferring the company's legal ownership, and other administrative tasks. These responsibilities kept Ye Chen busy for several days, shuttling between Shanshuijian and Qianlong Game Company.

In addition to the 35 million yuan acquisition, Ye Chen injected an extra 15 million yuan as initial operating capital. Qianlong Game Company, previously at a dead end, was revitalized.

Freed from financial burdens, Xu Yingjie and his team poured their energy into Reincarnation's development, rediscovering the fiery passion that had once driven them.

Meanwhile, the controversy surrounding the vandalized Porsche Macan gradually died down after the car owner publicly apologized. However, the capture of the fugitive in Chebei Village became a major headline across news outlets.

Were it not for behind-the-scenes intervention by relevant authorities, Captain Qi Quan-who had shielded the girl from the bullet-might have been exalted as a national hero by millions of netizens. To avoid unnecessary complications, his heroic act was intentionally downplayed.

As for Ye Chen, he found himself further mythologized in the minds of second-generation elites like Zhang Jingshan and Li Changfeng, who had witnessed him warning Qi Quan. However, Ye Chen himself was somewhat disgruntled.

"How is it that I saved Captain Qi's life, and I don't even get a thank-you call?"

That Night, Shanshuijian Community.

In a 200-square-meter luxury apartment:

"Ye Chen, tomorrow's Yihao's wedding. Should we head over early?" Chen Yinuo, sitting on the couch and brushing Yoyo's hair, asked.

"Up to you-you're the boss," Ye Chen replied with a smile.

But Yinuo hesitated, recalling her parents' likely hostility toward Ye Chen. Shaking her head, she said, "Forget it. Yoyo and I will go first. You can join us later."

If her parents knew Ye Chen now owned assets worth billions, drove a million-yuan car, and lived in a 20-million-yuan mansion, their attitude would surely shift. But Yinuo didn't want to expose those details, knowing her parents' greed would turn them into insatiable leeches.

"Alright. Just call me when it's time," Ye Chen agreed.

As he spoke, his phone suddenly rang.

Having disabled the block on unknown numbers during the acquisition discussions, Ye Chen glanced at the unfamiliar number. Assuming it was another unreasonable demand from the villagers of Jinzhong Village, he instinctively moved to reject it. But after a moment's thought, he picked it up instead.

If it really was those villagers, it was time to put an end to their delusions. He wasn't going to pay a single cent.