543: Chapter 543 What if I don't leave?

Yi Yue immediately reached out and gently pressed her hand against Ye Chen's lips, a gentle smile appearing on her small face.

"A-Chen, I know you're worried about me."

"But I really don't want to be someone who does nothing."

"You gave me this shop, and I want to run it well and make something of it."

"When I truly can't hold on anymore, I'll tell you, okay?"

Ye Chen looked at her, fell silent for a moment, and finally sighed. "Fine, but you have to promise me that you won't shoulder everything alone anymore. Hire more people if you're short-handed, rest when you're tired, and call me if anything happens."

Yi Yue nodded with a smile.

"Okay, I promise you."

Night Owl secretly rolled her eyes.

This homicidal maniac probably only shows such a gentle side in front of the person he likes.

Ye Chen ignored Night Owl's gaze.

He thought about what had come to mind that night; he wanted to raise Yi Yue's cultivation level as well.

That way...

No matter how hard Yi Yue pushed herself, she wouldn't be so exhausted.

After all.

A Cultivator's physical fitness far exceeds that of an ordinary person...

But in the next second.

The phone on the counter suddenly vibrated.

It was Yi Yue's.

She couldn't help but step forward to pick up the phone; a name was displayed on the screen...

Yan Lingling.

One of her former students, and the same female student Ye Chen had pulled back from the despair of cancer.

"Lingling?"

Yi Yue picked it up and answered the call. "What's wrong?"

From the other end of the line came Yan Lingling's sobbing voice.

"Teacher Yi, this is bad!"

"Feifei is missing!"

Yi Yue's expression changed instantly.

Her hand gripping the phone suddenly tightened, her knuckles turning white, and her voice trembled.

"What did you say? Feifei is missing? When did this happen?"

"This afternoon..."

Yan Lingling's voice was intermittent, mixed with sobs.

"She had the day off today, so I asked her to come out and play, but she didn't answer her phone, and no one was at her home."

"I've already called the police, but they said a case can't be opened until twenty-four hours have passed..."

"Teacher Yi, I'm so scared... Feifei would never just disappear without a word. Something must have happened to her!"

Since the hospital incident, her relationship with Sophie had become very close.

So.

Every time Sophie had a day off, she would contact her to go shopping, eat together, and vent about everything that had happened recently.

But with the sudden loss of contact today, how could she not be afraid?

Yi Yue took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

"Lingling, don't panic yet. Where are you? I'll head over right away."

"I'm here at the apartment Feifei is renting..."

"Okay, I'll be there soon."

Yi Yue hung up the phone and looked up at Ye Chen.

"A-Chen, Feifei is missing."

Ye Chen nodded, a trace of thought flashing in his eyes.

"Feifei is just an ordinary person; her disappearance is too suspicious."

"Let's go over and take a look first."

Yi Yue gave an affirmative response, turned to walk behind the counter, picked up her handbag, and instructed Xiao Ya and Night Owl, who had just walked out: "Xiao Ya, Night Owl, keep an eye on the shop. A-Chen and I are going out for a bit."

Xiao Ya nodded quickly.

"Don't worry, Sister Yi. Leave the shop to me."

Night Owl didn't say much, only nodding.

Afterward, the two left the restaurant and got into Yi Yue's Mercedes.

Yi Yue started the car, turned the steering wheel, and merged into the traffic.

In less than twenty minutes, the car turned into a residential complex.

The two went up to the third floor and stopped at the door of Room 302.

Yi Yue raised her hand and pressed the doorbell.

Before long.

The door opened.

As soon as Yan Lingling saw Yi Yue, tears welled up instantly.

"Teacher Yi!"

She threw herself into Yi Yue's arms, her hands tightly clutching Yi Yue's waist, her voice full of sobs. "What should we do? Feifei will be okay, right?"

Yi Yue reached out and gently patted Yan Lingling's back, comforting her softly. "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. Teacher is here. It's going to be okay."

Yan Lingling leaned on Yi Yue's shoulder and cried for a good while.

Ye Chen didn't disturb them and instead walked into the room.

It was a small one-bedroom apartment; it wasn't large, but it was kept very tidy.

Most importantly...

There were no signs of any sudden incident.

Unless the person who took Feifei was someone she knew, or even someone she trusted.

Or perhaps...

The other party wasn't an ordinary person at all.

Ye Chen closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into the depths of his sea of consciousness, and [Earth Vein Tracking] was instantly activated.

His perception was like an invisible giant net, spreading out in all directions with him as the center.

Then.

It penetrated the walls!

It penetrated the floors!

It penetrated the ground!

It enveloped the entire building and even every inch of space within a few miles, expanding rapidly...

Soon.

He captured a trace of a familiar aura.

But strangely.

It was actually in a hotel?

Ye Chen opened his eyes and turned back to Yi Yue and the other girl.

"You two sit here for a while; I'm going to find her."

Yi Yue nodded. "Okay."

Yan Lingling was stunned, looking at Ye Chen with teary eyes.

"How... how are you going to find her?"

Before twenty-four hours have passed, the police can't open a case. In such a situation, trying to find someone is truly like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Especially...

Recently, she had often come across short videos of people—men, women, young, and old—suddenly going missing.

She was worried that Sophie had encountered human traffickers like that, which would be absolutely terrifying...

If that were the case, by the time twenty-four hours had passed, it would be far too late.

Ye Chen didn't answer; he just glanced at her and turned toward the door.

Yan Lingling was dumbfounded.

She turned her head to look at Yi Yue, her eyes filled with confusion.

"Teacher Yi, what... what exactly is he going to do?"

"How can he find her alone? Does he have superpowers or something?"

Yi Yue looked at Yan Lingling, her expression very calm.

"I don't know how he'll find her."

"But if he says he can find her, he can."

"Just like when you were in the late stages of cancer, and he pulled you back from death."

Yan Lingling was dazed for a moment.

That's right.

Back then, her tumor had ruptured, she couldn't be resuscitated, and she was already dead.

And yet...

It was Ye Chen who pulled her back from the gates of hell.

That method was something science couldn't explain at all.

Perhaps...

He really did have some ability that ordinary people didn't?

...

On the other side.

Ye Chen left the complex and hailed a taxi.

"Driver, to the Tianxi Hotel."

The driver gave an affirmative response and stepped on the gas.

A few minutes later, the car stopped at the Tianxi Hotel.

Ye Chen paid, pushed the door open to get out, and strode into the hotel lobby.

The front desk was positioned directly facing the main entrance, where three uniformed receptionists were busy with their heads down.

Ye Chen walked straight over and said indifferently to the three receptionists.

"I want to see the guest in Room 1205."

The expressions of the three receptionists changed slightly.

In the next second.

The receptionist in the middle explained with a smile, "Sir, Room 1205 is really unoccupied."

Ye Chen looked at her and spoke indifferently.

"Then what if I want to stay in that room?"

A hint of panic flashed in the eyes of the three receptionists.

The lead receptionist continued.

"I'm sorry, sir, but that room has already been reserved."

Hearing this, the corners of Ye Chen's mouth curled up slightly. "And what if I insist on going up?"

The faces of the three receptionists all changed.

The younger one on the left had panic flash in her eyes and instinctively looked at the one in the middle.

The older one on the right had already quietly reached for a certain spot under the counter...

The one in the middle remained composed, but her voice turned a few degrees colder.

"Sir, this is a legitimate hotel. You cannot cause trouble here."

"If you continue like this, we will have to ask you to leave."

Ye Chen smiled as he watched their reactions.

The more they acted like this, the more it proved there was a problem.

He didn't say another word, turned around, and walked straight toward the elevators.

"Stop right there!"

A sharp shout came from behind.

Immediately following that.

A flurry of hurried footsteps poured out from the side corridor.

Four or five burly men in black security uniforms rushed over and blocked Ye Chen, lining up to completely obstruct his path.

Leading them was a bald man in his early thirties with a broad build and a walkie-talkie hanging around his neck; the badge on his chest read "Security Captain."

He looked Ye Chen up and down, his chin slightly raised.

"Sir, please leave immediately."

"Otherwise, don't blame us for being impolite."

Ye Chen paused, his gaze sweeping over the security guards.

Ordinary people.

Not a single one of them could put up a fight.

He withdrew his gaze, looked at the bald captain, and asked indifferently, "What if I don't leave?"

The bald captain's face darkened, and he reached for the rubber baton at his waist.

"Sir, I'll say it one last time..."

"Please leave."

Before he had even finished speaking, the four guards behind him stepped forward simultaneously, assuming a stance ready to strike at any moment.

The atmosphere instantly became tense to the breaking point.

Ye Chen looked at the guards in front of him and sighed. "Are you sure you want to stop me?"

The bald captain didn't answer, only staring at him intently.

Ye Chen shook his head, stopped wasting words, and simply continued walking forward.

"Stop him!"

The bald captain shouted sharply, drew the rubber baton from his waist, and swung it toward Ye Chen's shoulder.

The other four guards also moved at the same time.

Someone reached out to grab Ye Chen's arm, someone raised a foot to kick his knee, and someone lunged from the side, trying to tackle him.

However.

Ye Chen didn't even spare them a glance, merely waving his right hand casually.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The bodies of the five guards were as if struck by an invisible giant palm, flying backward in unison and crashing to the ground, rolling several meters away.

Then.

He stepped into the elevator as if no one else were there.