"Zhao Jiwei? The second-generation coal baron who owns the Mercedes 4S dealership?"

"What about him?" Ye Chen asked in surprise.

"He's hosting a gathering tonight at the Celestial Palace Clubhouse. He asked me to bring you along, and Changfeng will be there too. What do you think?" Zhang Jingshan asked.

"The Celestial Palace Clubhouse?"

Ye Chen was no stranger to the name.

He knew it was a venue exclusively catering to the children of officials and the wealthy.

However, his knowledge was purely hearsay.

After all, by the time he had made his fortune, the Celestial Palace Clubhouse had long ceased to exist.

As for its history, he hadn't bothered to investigate.

He only remembered that in his past life, the Celestial Palace had been shut down following an incident where several children of officials were attacked, which caused a social media uproar and made the clubhouse a focal point of public attention.

But Ye Chen quickly dismissed his memories of the past life.

"What kind of gathering is it?" he asked.

"The usual food, drinks, and fun. It's mostly a group of second-generation officials and the wealthy. Zhao specifically asked me to bring you along. What do you think? Interested? It's a good chance to meet these guys. Even though you don't need to bother with the rich kids, connecting with the official kids might come in handy," Zhang Jingshan suggested.

Ye Chen hesitated.

If it weren't Zhao Jiwei hosting, he wouldn't have been interested in mingling with these groups.

Building relationships with children of officials wasn't his goal.

His real target was the first-generation officials themselves.

Even if befriending these second-generation officials might lead to connections with their parents, Ye Chen wasn't keen on the effort—it felt too roundabout.

However, this was Zhao Jiwei's gathering, and Ye Chen felt compelled to go.

Just a few days ago, Zhao Jiwei had done him a big favor, saving him tens of thousands on the purchase of his Mercedes G-Wagon.

Refusing the invitation would seem ungrateful.

"Alright, what time should I head over?" Ye Chen asked after a brief pause.

"An event like this won't start early. How about 10 p.m.? Does that work?" Zhang Jingshan replied.

"Fine, I'll stop by to check it out," Ye Chen agreed.

"Great! See you tonight, Brother Ye!" Zhang Jingshan grinned.

Just as Ye Chen was about to hang up, Zhang's tone turned serious.

"Brother Ye, thank you!"

"For what?" Ye Chen asked curiously.

Zhang Jingshan took a deep breath.

"Brother Ye, you've done it again! You were right about Zhang Xingguo. That scum Kong Liqun was cutting corners and falsifying accounts, leaving 23 construction projects as ticking time bombs. Seven of them were public infrastructure! He was willing to do anything for kickbacks. Thanks to your warning, Zhang Xingguo discovered the issues before they exploded. If he hadn't, the fallout would've been devastating for him and my family."

"What's your father planning to do?" Ye Chen asked with a knowing smile.

"The old man has ordered a complete rebuild where necessary and full compensation for damages, even if it means selling off the family's assets. As for Kong Liqun, he's been arrested, but Zhang Xingguo won't come out unscathed. Rebuilding and compensating for 23 projects will almost wipe him out," Zhang Jingshan explained.

"You can always earn back money, but if something goes wrong, no amount of money can save you," Ye Chen remarked.

This was why Ye Chen used his knowledge from his past life to alter the Zhang family's fate.

Without his intervention, their downfall would've been catastrophic.

"Exactly! The money doesn't matter; even bankruptcy is a small price to pay. The key is that we caught it before it blew up. Otherwise, not just Zhang Xingguo but even my father would've been driven to death by the fallout!"

"The old secretary is alright, I hope?" Ye Chen asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He's fine now, just got too worked up. Brother Ye, honestly, you've saved me twice, and now you've saved Zhang Xingguo. That's three times you've rescued my family! My father says we owe you a debt that even three generations couldn't repay!" Zhang Jingshan said solemnly.

"That's too much. You don't have to say that," Ye Chen replied with a wry smile.

He had no intention of asking for anything in return for helping the Zhang family.

It was simply fate that had brought him and Zhang Jingshan together, along with his respect for the old secretary Zhang Weimin.

"Enough with the formalities. Brother Ye, let me just say this from the heart—whatever you need, no matter the cost, my family and I will go through hell and high water for you!" Zhang Jingshan vowed.

"You're getting overly sentimental. I'm hanging up. See you tonight!" Ye Chen quipped, cutting off the call before Zhang could respond.

In the car, Chen Yinuo, who had never sat in the front seat before but was worried about Yoyo in the back, asked curiously, "What did Zhang call you for this time?"

"Remember Zhao Jiwei, the Mercedes dealership owner we met at the auto show?" Ye Chen replied with a smile.

"The Mercedes guy? What about him?"

"He's hosting a gathering at the Celestial Palace Clubhouse and asked Zhang to bring me along. Zhang thinks I should go and meet some people," Ye Chen explained.

"The Celestial Palace Clubhouse?"

Chen Yinuo was momentarily taken aback.

Anyone who had lived in Jiangzhou would recognize the name, especially a native like her.

After a brief pause, she said, "You should go. It's a rare opportunity to build connections, and Zhao even sold us the car at a discount. It wouldn't be polite to refuse."

"But that place is known for debauchery. Aren't you worried I'll misbehave?" Ye Chen teased, regretting his words immediately.

As expected, Chen Yinuo replied sharply, "If you're determined to stray, I can't stop you. It just means our fate has run its course."

"Mommy, what does 'stray' mean?" Little Yoyo asked innocently from the back seat.

"Uh..." Chen Yinuo was speechless.

"Straying means Daddy doesn't treat Mommy well. But don't worry, Yoyo! Daddy promises to love you and Mommy forever and make sure you're always happy!" Ye Chen said hastily.

"Ugh, how cheesy!" Chen Yinuo muttered, though a smile crept onto her face.

That night, outside the Celestial Palace Clubhouse, the parking lot was filled with luxury cars, none worth less than a million yuan.

When Ye Chen arrived in his G-Wagon, Zhang Jingshan and Li Changfeng were already waiting at the entrance.

"Brother Ye!"

"Brother Ye!"

Both men greeted him enthusiastically.

"Let's head in," Zhang Jingshan said.

Moments later, on the seventh floor, the grand double doors were opened.

"Brother Ye, you're here!" Zhao Jiwei greeted warmly, interrupting his conversation with another man to approach Ye Chen.

The other man, surprised by Zhao's deference, followed closely behind.

"To have Zhang personally escort him and Zhao greet him so eagerly—this guy must be someone extraordinary. Zhao, Zhang, aren't you going to introduce us?" he said with a forced smile, eyeing Ye Chen curiously.