Hongyan Restaurant!

This was a name that had often been mentioned for a long time in the previous life.

But it was a name that sent chills down people's spines.

It symbolized tragedy!

It was a nightmare that lingered over Jiangzhou like a dark cloud.

Yet, its existence lasted for only a day—no, not even a full day!

As a high-end restaurant meant to rival Jiangzhou's top dining establishments, the Hongyan Restaurant was built with an investment of tens of millions, leaving no doubt about its luxury.

However, no one could have anticipated the catastrophic disaster that occurred during dinner service on its opening day.

That fateful evening, a raging inferno engulfed the entire Hongyan Restaurant.

The restaurant, spanning thousands of square meters, was burned to the ground, claiming the lives of dozens.

According to the official investigation later released, the disaster was caused by a massive gas leak.

Due to the overwhelming business that evening, the staff in the kitchen failed to notice the leak.

Coincidentally, the gas alarm system malfunctioned.

In a matter of moments, the kitchen exploded, and flames rapidly spiraled out of control, spreading throughout the building.

Explosion and fire merged into a single, unstoppable catastrophe.

The restaurant became an uncontrollable inferno.

Even though the fire department responded immediately after receiving the first explosion report, they were unable to prevent the tragedy.

The incident resulted in dozens of fatalities, some of whom were trampled to death in the chaos.

The world was shocked.

This disaster not only sent ripples through Jiangzhou but also led to an unprecedented overhaul of fire safety regulations across all industries in China.

As for Wanan Group, the company that owned Hongyan Restaurant, it sank into financial ruin after the incident.

What Ye Chen couldn't have expected was that He Shaocong, the young master of Wanan Group, was involved.

"Brother Ye, are you okay?"

When Ye Chen didn't respond for a long time, Zhang Jingshan couldn't help but ask, sensing an unusual tension.

"Don't worry. Hongyan Restaurant, right? Alright, I'll head there now."

Snapping out of his thoughts, Ye Chen smiled faintly.

Hearing Ye Chen's relaxed tone, Zhang Jingshan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Damn, I must be getting paranoid because of Brother Ye," he muttered. "How could something bad happen so often?"

"All right then, I'll go with Changfeng first. We'll wait for you at the entrance!"

"Okay."

Half an hour later, a Mercedes G-Class pulled into the outdoor parking lot in front of Hongyan Restaurant.

Rows of luxury cars parked neatly resembled a grand car exhibition.

It was evident how deep Wanan Group's connections in Jiangzhou ran.

Although today was the restaurant's grand opening, lunchtime service had been reserved exclusively for Jiangzhou's elite.

This restriction turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

Although all lives are equal, it was fortunate that the tragic event of the previous life did not occur during lunch.

If it had, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

After all, any one of these elites could influence Jiangzhou's upper society.

Had the disaster centered around them, Jiangzhou would have been thrown into chaos.

"Brother Ye!"

As Ye Chen stepped out of his car, Zhang Jingshan, Li Changfeng, and He Shaocong quickly approached him.

Although He Shaocong had only met Ye Chen once before—during the incident at the Carlton Hotel—he had been eager to associate with him.

Influenced by his superstitious upbringing, He Shaocong had been deeply intrigued by the "mystique" surrounding Ye Chen, which he had heard about from Zhang Jingshan.

"Brother Ye, this way please! I've reserved a private room for us. It's not too big, but it has great ambiance and a fantastic view," He Shaocong said warmly.

"Sure, let's go," Ye Chen replied with a faint smile.

However, as they approached the entrance, Ye Chen suddenly stopped, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the grand and traditional signboard of Hongyan Restaurant.

"Brother Ye, is something wrong?" Li Changfeng asked instinctively.

"Yeah, is there an issue?" Zhang Jingshan added nervously.

He Shaocong's heart skipped a beat, tension gripping him.

"Brother Ye, don't tell me there's a problem," he murmured, swallowing hard.

Ye Chen smiled faintly, shaking his head.

"Let's go in."

Despite his words, his companions grew even more anxious.

Zhang Jingshan and Li Changfeng, knowing Ye Chen well, felt uneasy.

Inside the restaurant, when He Shaocong tried to lead them to the private room, Ye Chen suddenly stopped.

"How about we sit here instead?" Ye Chen pointed to a table near the entrance.

"What?"

The suggestion left everyone dumbfounded.

A seat near the entrance seemed oddly out of place for such an occasion.

Little did they know, Ye Chen wanted to stay close to the door.

In case of any unexpected danger, he would have an escape route.

Although the previous disaster had happened at night in the previous life, who was to say it wouldn't happen earlier this time?

Unlike other situations where he could afford to take risks, Ye Chen didn't dare gamble with his life.

If anything went wrong, there was no guarantee of a second chance at rebirth.

"It's fine here. The air circulation is good, and it's peaceful. Let's just have a simple meal," Ye Chen said with a light-hearted tone.

Hearing this, Zhang Jingshan quickly chimed in, "Sure! If Brother Ye says we sit here, then here it is!"

Reluctantly, He Shaocong nodded and left to make arrangements.

The moment he left, Zhang Jingshan leaned closer to Ye Chen, lowering his voice.

"Brother Ye, is there really something wrong with this place?"