Making Trouble

"Teacher, what's going on between you two?"

"Nothing much, this kid has some talent. I just finished taking him for his second-rank forging master certification."

"Then why do you have that expression, Teacher?" Chen Ye's face held a hint of strangeness.

Mu Chen glanced at the two with some helplessness, then waved his hand.

"Go on, go on, don't stay here and bother me."

Leaving the Forging Master Association, Chen Ye's gaze fell on Tang Wulin. The young man's face also held a hint of helplessness.

"He thinks I have pretty good talent too. He's probably thinking of his disappointing daughter."

"Let's go, Boss. Let's go eat. I'm starving, I feel so hungry."

Tang Wulin said, blinking his eyes. Chen Ye gave a wry smile.

"Then let's go back and call Xie Xie and Gu Yue. We'll go together." Chen Ye yawned. If he remembered correctly, Xie Xie knew of an ancestral beef stew shop.

This small shop should be quite good, otherwise Xie Xie wouldn't always go there.

Arriving at the dormitory, besides Xie Xie, Zhou Changxi was also there.

Seeing the two return, Zhou Changxi turned his body slightly, clearly not wanting to deal with Chen Ye.

Chen Ye and Tang Wulin completely ignored him, called Xie Xie, and the three of them left directly.

Only after the three left did Zhou Changxi's resentful gaze turn towards the direction they left. He took out his soul tool and made a call.

"Sir, the person I told you about earlier has left the school. They just left, you might be able to catch them at the school gate."

Zhou Changxi's tone was devout, but only a grunt came from the other end.

At the academy gate, after waiting for Gu Yue and Xu Xiaoyan, the five of them wandered around together.

Xie Xie took the initiative to recommend the beef stew shop to the four of them. Their gazes turned to Chen Ye, and he nodded.

Entering the treasure of a small shop hidden deep within, Chen Ye licked his lips slightly.

The heat emanating from the shop, combined with the aroma of beef, made one's taste buds tingle.

"Not bad, Xie Xie! You found this kind of hidden gem?" Xu Xiaoyan patted Xie Xie's shoulder with a smile.

The others looked around and followed them in. Xie Xie's gaze was mainly on Chen Ye.

Seeing that his boss didn't dislike it, he breathed a long sigh of relief.

"I used to come here often with my mom, but I haven't been in a long time," Xie Xie said, scratching his head.

"It's fine. I'll pack a portion later, and you can take it directly to Auntie."

Chen Ye glanced at Xie Xie, sensing the hesitation in his eyes, and didn't mind much. "You can go back and stay tonight. Teacher Wu is checking late bedtimes, I'll talk to him."

"Thanks, Boss... This meal is on me!"

Xie Xie's face was filled with emotion, but before Chen Ye could say anything, Tang Wulin nodded directly.

"Okay, okay! Xie Xie, you said you'd pay, so no backing out!"

"It's not you?" Xie Xie glared at Tang Wulin, thinking of the latter's usual appetite of fifteen bowls of rice. He fell silent for a moment.

"If I'm paying, I'm paying! Do you think I'm short of this little money!"

Xie Xie pouted. Inside the restaurant, Uncle Li was stunned when he saw Xie Xie, then quickly walked over.

"Xie Xie, this is the first time you've brought friends. These small dishes are on the house for you."

"Uncle Li, give me 20 portions of beef rice. My friends eat quite a bit."

"Okay, I'll serve them now. If you think my cooking is good, you can come often in the future!" Uncle Li smiled and hurried back to the kitchen to cook.

The beef rice was served quickly, but there was a lot of it.

The group was bored, so they sat there chatting.

"Boss, what resources do you think the academy will invest in our Zero Class?"

"Although our teaching quality is better than other classes, this is not what the academy promised before."

Tang Wulin's face held a hint of worry. Compared to the others, his foundation was the weakest.

And he didn't have money to buy soul beasts and soul spirits.

Seeing their worried faces, Chen Ye casually said, "It doesn't matter. I'll take you to the Rising Spirit Platform in a while. I'll take you to improve your soul spirits."

"Really, Boss! Won't that be very expensive?" Tang Wulin's face held a hint of embarrassment. Xie Xie's gaze also turned over.

The Rising Spirit Platform was something their families could afford, but it was still a considerable expense.

"It's fine. It doesn't cost anything for him to take you there. Just follow along with peace of mind," Gu Yue's tone held a hint of helplessness.

Everyone's gaze turned to Gu Yue, waiting for her explanation.

"We both took a teacher from the Spirit Transmission Tower as our master. He holds a high position in the Spirit Transmission Tower."

"So, it doesn't cost us anything to go to the Rising Spirit Platform, and it's fine to take you along."

"I see, hehe, then it looks like I'll have to cling to Brother Chen's leg from now on," Xu Xiaoyan blinked her eyes, her gaze also falling on Chen Ye.

She didn't know if he was genuinely clueless or pretending, but Chen Ye had always been very polite to her.

Yet, his politeness was always tinged with distance.

If it were the Xu Xiaoyan from the beginning, she wouldn't have cared. But after spending some time together, every time she saw the intimate way he acted with Gu Yue, it made her feel a bit strange. It was as if something that originally belonged to her had been snatched away.

The beef stew pots were served one by one. The rich beef broth paired with tender white rice created an irresistible allure. Smelling the aroma, everyone couldn't help but pick up their chopsticks and start eating. The beef melted on their tongues, its unique chewiness and fragrance stimulating their taste buds.

"This is so delicious, it's the best beef rice I've ever had!"

"It's beef stew pot!" Xie Xie glared at Tang Wulin. Before he could say anything else, the sound of smashing bowls and plates came from the doorway.

"What are you doing! Didn't I already pay you protection money?"

Hearing Uncle Li's words, Xie Xie was the first to stand up and walk out. The others looked at Chen Ye. Chen Ye didn't hesitate either, directly leading the group to follow Xie Xie out.

As they neared the entrance, they saw Uncle Li lying on the ground, blood at the corner of his mouth, one eye already beginning to swell. In front of the doorway, a large beef stew pot had been smashed to pieces on the floor. And before Uncle Li stood three burly men. Two of them were smashing things, while the bald-headed leader looked coldly at Uncle Li.

"That's the protection money for the first half of the month. You haven't paid for the second half yet!" The bald-headed man said, "Give me the money now, and I'll leave. Otherwise, I'll shut down your shop. You're not paying protection fees but still running a shop, are you tired of living!?"

The bald-headed man's face showed impatience. Listening to him, Uncle Li lowered his head, his face filled with helplessness. "Brother Long, it's not that I don't want to pay. Can you give me a few more days? I haven't paid this month's rent yet, and my wife has been sick recently."

"All the money I've earned recently has gone to her medical treatment. Can I make it up to you next month?"

"Make it up to my head! Give me the money now, or get out!" Guang Long's face was impatient. Chen Ye frowned as well. He didn't feel pity or compassion for Uncle Li, but he was eating here, and then these people came, smashed the shop, and even threatened to close it down.

Xie Xie looked at Guang Long with some anger, but seeing the man's sturdy physique, Xie Xie helplessly turned to Chen Ye. "Boss."

"It's alright, leave it to me. It's not a big deal."