"Hello?"

"Master Ye?"

As Ye Chen answered the call, a voice immediately responded with, "Master Ye?"

This left Ye Chen momentarily stunned.

The only people who would call him "Master Ye" were clearly not those troublesome villagers from Jinzhong.

"Who is this?" Ye Chen asked.

"It's me, Qi Quan!"

Qi Quan hesitated before continuing, "I should've made this call a long time ago, but things have been hectic lately, so it got delayed until now."

"Captain Qi is calling to thank me?" Ye Chen chuckled lightly.

"I'm sure you're aware of the situation in Chebei Village, so I won't elaborate. But really, thank you! If it weren't for what you said during the interrogation, which left a mark on my heart, I wouldn't have worn that bulletproof vest during the operation. No, scratch that-I definitely wouldn't have worn it. You saved my life. If I hadn't put it on at the last minute, I'd be a goner now!" Qi Quan said sincerely.

"You're being too polite, Captain Qi," Ye Chen replied with a smile.

"No, whether you're a seer or a half-immortal, I owe you for giving me the courage to move forward. I'll never forget it! So, are you free tonight? Let's find a place to grab a few drinks and chat-I need to express my gratitude properly," Qi Quan offered.

"Sure, no problem," Ye Chen replied after a brief pause.

"Great! I'll add you on WeChat and send you the address there. Don't forget to accept the request!"

"Got it."

The call ended.

Chen Yinuo, who had been braiding Ye Youyou's hair nearby, stopped what she was doing.

Curious, she asked, "Which Captain Qi called you?"

"Qi Quan, the captain of the municipal police task force," Ye Chen replied straightforwardly, not intending to hide it.

"What? The Captain Qi who risked his life in Chebei Village?" Chen Yinuo's eyes widened in astonishment.

"Yeah, that's him," Ye Chen said with a wry smile and a nod.

"What does he want with you? How do you even know someone like him?" Chen Yinuo asked, baffled.

"Through Zhang Jingshan and the others-it was a coincidence. I also helped him out with a small matter, so now he wants to meet up and chat," Ye Chen explained.

"Helped out? What could a police task force captain possibly need your help with?"

Seeing that Ye Chen wasn't keen on explaining further, the thoughtful Chen Yinuo decided not to press the issue.

After all, forming connections with a prominent figure in the police force was undoubtedly a good thing.

"Then hurry up and go! Don't keep Captain Qi waiting. It's always good to know people like him," Chen Yinuo urged.

"Alright, I'm heading out," Ye Chen said with a smile.

"Go on!"

Right then, Qi Quan's WeChat friend request came through.

After Ye Chen accepted it, Qi Quan immediately sent him the location.

Without dragging things out, Ye Chen said goodbye to his wife and playfully pinched his daughter's cheek.

Amid Ye Youyou's cheerful "Bye, Dad!" Ye Chen grabbed his car keys and left.

The venue Qi Quan chose wasn't upscale, but it was a well-known casual bar in Jiangzhou.

By the time Ye Chen arrived, Qi Quan was already waiting.

"Over here!"

Qi Quan waved at Ye Chen as soon as he spotted him.

Ye Chen nodded calmly and walked over.

At the small table for two, he took a seat across from Qi Quan.

"My salary's not great, so I could only bring you to a place like this. Hope you don't mind!" Qi Quan joked as he poured beer into Ye Chen's glass.

"Now that's just unnecessary, Captain Qi," Ye Chen replied, shaking his head.

"Alright, then let me rephrase. Cheers to Master Ye's incredible foresight, which saved my life!"

With a hearty laugh, Qi Quan raised his glass toward Ye Chen.

Under the soothing background music, Ye Chen clinked glasses with Qi Quan and took a sip.

"So, Captain Qi doesn't think I'm a fraud anymore?" Ye Chen teased with a playful smile.

"Let me sincerely apologize for what I said in the interrogation room earlier. Even if you are a fraud, you're one with real skills! I've never believed in the supernatural, but after this incident, I'm starting to reconsider," Qi Quan admitted with a wry smile, downing another glass.

"If it weren't for your warning, if I hadn't put on that bulletproof vest at the last moment, I'd probably be in the morgue right now. So, I owe my life to you," Qi Quan continued earnestly.

Ye Chen smiled but didn't respond with any humble or polite remarks.

"If you ever need anything in the future-anything within the boundaries of the law-just let me know. No questions asked!" Qi Quan raised his glass again to toast Ye Chen.

"With your promise, Captain Qi, don't blame me if I come to you for help someday!" Ye Chen replied with a grin.

After another round of drinks, Qi Quan tossed a peanut into his mouth and asked, "Ye Chen, mind sharing your story with me?"

"What kind of story does Captain Qi want to hear?" Ye Chen asked with a faint smile.

"The kind where people say, 'You've changed so much in just a few days.' Your record in the system shows a history of gambling and public intoxication that led to several detentions. So how did you turn things around so dramatically?" Qi Quan asked curiously, sounding more like a friend than a high-ranking police officer.

Ye Chen was momentarily at a loss.

How could he explain that he had been reborn into his past self decades ago?

He sighed deeply and began weaving an elaborate tale, full of exaggerated but plausible details.

Qi Quan listened intently, his expression shifting as the story unfolded.

When Ye Chen finished, Qi Quan fell into his own reflections and, moved by the atmosphere, began sharing his own life experiences.

Under the soft lighting and mellow music, the two men, seemingly long-lost friends, opened up to each other.

For Qi Quan, Ye Chen wasn't just a savior but also someone who had unknowingly prompted him to reevaluate his life.

As time passed and the beer dwindled, a commotion erupted outside the bar.

Two groups of people were shouting and squaring off.

Before long, a brawl broke out.

"Seriously? These punks are out here fighting again? Do they not realize the anti-crime crackdown is still ongoing?" Qi Quan fumed as he watched through the bar's glass windows.

Turning to Ye Chen, he said, "Wait here for me, Ye Chen!"

With that, Qi Quan rushed outside.

Initially indifferent to the commotion, Ye Chen glanced outside on a whim-and froze.

A familiar face in the crowd had caught his attention.

His calm demeanor shattered.