The group entered the Base City. Mu Baifeng glanced at everyone and stated, "I'll go exchange the Foundation Essence first. Two of you come with me as overseers; the rest can disperse as you wish."

Ye Chen waved his hand and said, "Let's go." With that, he turned and walked away, followed closely by Bailong and the others. Yue Heng asked, "Where are you heading?"

Ye Chen replied calmly, "First, I'll stop by Xiaozhu's place, then back to the barracks."

"I'll go too! It's been a long time since I saw Sister Ye," Zhuge Fan chirped with a grin.

Ye Chen looked at them and advised, "If you're free, pick up some more missions at the barracks. There will be a major operation next month; the higher your rank, the lower the danger."

Bailong and the others froze for a moment, then exchanged quizzical glances toward Ye Chen.

"Brother Ye Chen," Zhuge Fan winked slyly, "are you worried about us?"

Ye Chen glanced sideways at him and remarked coolly, "There are places I might need you later. It would be too much of a waste if I cultivated such a strong group only to lose you all!"

Yue Heng and the others exchanged looks and smiled.

...

Next, Ye Chen and the group first visited Ye Zhu. She was sitting by the window, engrossed in a book, appearing extremely demure. When she saw them arrive, she started slightly, then quickly put down her book and hurried toward them, fluttering like a small bird.

After a brief chat, Ye Chen and the others rose to leave the room.

Ye Chen looked at Bailong and asked, "For the corpses I told you to dissect, how much Foundation Essence did you manage to collect in total?"

"I'm not sure, maybe a dozen pieces, of various grades," Bailong answered without giving it much thought.

Ye Chen nodded. "Exchange it and use it; don't hoard it."

Bailong nodded in response.

Afterward, the group headed toward the barracks. As soon as they reached the entrance, Ye Chen noticed the two soldiers on duty looking at him with a strange expression—a mix of oddity, pity, and mockery.

Ye Chen frowned slightly but ignored them, stepping inside. Checking the time, he saw it was nearing dinner and headed for the mess hall.

"Did you notice?" Yue Heng looked around and lowered his voice. "Since entering the barracks, the way people are looking at Ye Chen seems quite peculiar."

"En!" Zhuge Fan nodded.

Ye Chen stated indifferently, "Don't mind it."

He never cared about others' opinions; as long as he did his part, why bother with their judgment?

They arrived at the bustling mess hall.

Ye Chen led the way in. The moment he entered, he attracted the attention of several people who stopped what they were doing to stare at him strangely. Soon, more people noticed the commotion and turned their heads toward Ye Chen.

Facing the gaze of the entire hall, Ye Chen’s face remained expressionless. He casually found a seat and pulled out the chair. The entire mess hall fell silent, broken only by the sound of him dragging the chair.

As the group sat down, Bailong and Yue Heng frowned at the strange looks from around them and walked straight to the counter to collect their food trays.

The people in the hall glanced at Ye Chen a few more times, then resumed their activities, murmuring in low voices. Though quiet, the chatter reached Ye Chen and his companions.

"Did you hear?"

"Look, it's that guy. Tsk tsk, he's quite handsome, no wonder he could seduce the Commander's daughter!"

"Hmph, just a pretty face. The Commander's daughter is a person of high standing, a treasure; how could someone like him profane her?"

"You can't deny it, though. I saw the Commander's daughter once; she was breathtakingly beautiful. If I could marry such a wife, even in death I'd be glamorous."

Hearing the discussion, Zhuge Fan and Mo Feng turned their gaze toward Ye Chen. Zhuge Fan asked curiously, "Brother Ye Chen, did you manage to hook up with the Commander's daughter, the head of this Base City?"

Ye Chen glared at him. "Stop talking nonsense. I haven't even seen what the Commander's daughter looks like."

Just then, Bailong and Yue Heng returned with their food trays. Bailong looked at Ye Chen teasingly and said, "I never would have guessed your skill with women surpasses mine. You don't make a move unless it counts, and when you do, you capture the Commander's daughter! Impressive!"

Before Ye Chen could reply, someone nearby remarked, "I heard the Commander's daughter is as beautiful as a celestial being, named something with Mu?"

"I think it was Murong Xue! But she already has a fiancé and is rumored to be marrying soon. This guy is truly bold, daring to seduce someone already promised to another. Amazing!"

"What fiancé? It was only because that man pestered her relentlessly that the Commander agreed to betroth his daughter to him."

Hearing this conversation, Ye Chen froze for a moment. He was suddenly reminded of the girl in white he encountered upon entering the Base City. No wonder her name sounded familiar! She's the daughter of the Huaxia Base City's leader!

Why didn't I realize it back then! Ye Chen chuckled bitterly to himself, shook his head, waved his hand, and commanded, "Eat."

Yue Heng and the others were momentarily stunned by Ye Chen’s demeanor, their relaxed smiles vanishing. Bailong also dropped his smile and frowned. "Did you really get involved with the Commander's daughter?"

Ye Chen stated coolly, "We just exchanged a few words. Someone must have snapped a picture and spread it as gossip."

"What do we do now?" Yue Heng frowned. "Murong Xue, being the Commander's daughter, aside from her own looks, her background alone is enough to attract countless suitors. Becoming the Commander's son-in-law means essentially taking charge of the Base City's future."

"Let nature take its course," Ye Chen dismissed it nonchalantly.

Yue Heng offered a wry smile. "You've stirred up big trouble this time."

Ye Chen sighed slightly. "I didn't anticipate running into such a predicament unintentionally. But since it's happened, all we can do is let it evolve. We'll deal with obstacles as they arise."

Bailong looked at him strangely. "If that's the case, won't many Battalion Commanders or Generals secretly try to frame you?"

Ye Chen shook his head, looking as if everything was under control. "No. There aren't just one or two people pursuing Murong Xue. If someone were to target me, it would be to show off their strength and curry favor with her. If they try to frame me secretly, they lose face, and Murong Xue wouldn't even know who helped her."

Yue Heng nodded. "That makes sense. But what if a Battalion Commander-level expert challenges you?"

Ye Chen smiled faintly. "If one comes, I kill one!" That smile sent a chill down the spines of Bailong and the others.

"If you do that..." Zhuge Fan whispered, "won't you expose yourself? All that low-key conduct before will have been for nothing."

Ye Chen sighed faintly. "There's nothing to be done about that. Man proposes, God disposes. I never expected such a thing to happen suddenly. I kept a low profile previously to avoid trouble, but if trouble runs to me, there's no need to hide. At worst, I'll just cause a massive scene and leave the Base City."

Bailong eyed him. "Do you really think that way?"

Ye Chen nodded.

Bailong was suspicious. "Why do I feel like you have another plan brewing in your mind?"

Ye Chen glanced at him and stated plainly, "You're overthinking it."

Bailong pouted. "With your personality, keeping a low profile before certainly had a purpose, likely multiple. If you simply abandon the Base City, it ruins your plan. You wouldn't allow that situation to occur."

Ye Chen looked at him helplessly. "How did you know?"

Bailong shrugged. "Because I know you always keep backup contingencies."

Ye Chen couldn't help but give a bitter smile, feeling he had underestimated Bailong's intellect. He hadn't expected this usually jovial man, who rarely seemed to use his brain when speaking, to be so perceptive, even guessing this far.

In reality, the moment Ye Chen heard the news, countless thoughts rushed into his mind, and he had already arranged multiple fail-safes to ensure he wouldn't have to leave the Base City, and that any provocateur would leave on a stretcher...