We will have the opportunity to collaborate!

Tang Ye did not expect such an incredible coincidence!
Earlier that morning, he had run into the middle-aged man and young Xiao Qin at a breakfast shop, and now, they were entangled in trouble once again.
The driver and the shop owner were grabbing each other by the collars, locked in a fierce, do-or-die standoff.
Xiao Qin was frowning, her slender willow-like brows furrowed deeply, her fists tightly clenched as if ready to jump in and help at any moment.
The middle-aged man, seemingly accustomed to big scenes, remained extraordinarily calm, a bone-chilling sneer hanging on his lips.
Without a second word, Tang Ye strode forward.
"What is going on here?"
As he spoke, Tang Ye rushed between the driver and the owner, forcibly pulling the two apart.
Recognizing Tang Ye as if divine reinforcement had descended from the heavens, Xiao Qin quickly explained, "They wanted five hundred just for patching a tire. When we tried to bargain, they started making all sorts of sarcastic and ugly remarks. Driving such a nice car, they act as if they can't bear to part with five hundred bucks."
The owner felt a lingering pain in his neck, thinking to himself that this driver had a hell of a strong grip.
He sneered, "Since he said I'm running a rip-off joint, then I'll play the villain to the end! Without five hundred, don't even think about driving out of here."
Tang Ye immediately saw through the owner's mindset.
Noticing that their car had out-of-town license plates and was a luxury vehicle worth millions, the owner had decided to attempt a major shilling extortion.
The driver, not one to cower, had argued back with him.
First came the verbal conflict, which quickly escalated into a physical scuffle.
At that moment, Tang Ye chose to stand on the side of justice without a moment's hesitation.
"Five hundred? That is an outrageous price. Have you never seen money before?"
Blinded by rage, the owner barked, "Ha, here comes another busybody looking for trouble." With a fierce wave of his hand at his employees standing nearby, he shouted, "Are you all dead? Someone is causing a scene, go grab your tools!"
Not wanting to escalate the conflict, Tang Ye advised, "I suggest you put down the tools in your hands. Once you resort to violence, the nature of this matter changes entirely. What started as a commercial dispute will turn into armed robbery."
The middle-aged man stood quietly to the side, observing the developments. Hearing Tang Ye effortlessly elevate the severity of the situation, he could not help but look at him with newfound respect.
This young man harbored a truly interesting soul within!
Seeing that his employees had been intimidated by Tang Ye and stood hesitating, too cowardly to step forward, the owner glared at them angrily.
"Who is committing armed robbery?
You refuse to pay for car repairs and still think you can just drive away?
A bunch of useless trash, I've been feeding you for nothing."
If this had happened in Pinghu, a single phone call from Tang Ye would have settled the matter.
Being out of town now, however, he preferred not to blow things out of proportion.
"How about this? Why don't we call the police? Let them decide what should be done! I happen to be very close to Hu Zhongping, the chief of your local police station—we were just having a meal together earlier!"
Although Tang Ye held Hu Zhongping in low regard, he invoked his name at this moment, hoping to deter the other party.
Simultaneously, he pulled his official work ID out of his pocket, preparing to reveal his identity.
To his surprise, Shi Dong completely ignored it and gave him no chance to speak, slapping the identification card right out of his hand and grinding it into the pavement with his foot.
Pointing right at Tang Ye's nose, he cursed, "Who the hell do you think you are, sticking your nose into other people's business and trying to press me with someone else's name? Go ask around and see who Shi Dong is. In all of Chongjiang County, who dares to pick a fight with me?"
Du Xi hurriedly bent down to pick up the ID card, gently patting it and blowing away the dust.
Tang Ye took back his identification card, a cold sneer on his face as he tucked it back into his pocket.
"No one is trying to pick a fight with you. However, I must remind you to run your business with integrity. Some money is too hot to hold."
The middle-aged man had been observing Tang Ye's words and actions the entire time.
This young man possessed far better emotional restraint than expected; any other person his age would have long since succumbed to the provocation and swung a fist.
A public-spirited bystander had already called the police.
A police cruiser from the local precinct soon arrived at the scene.
Seeing that Shi Dong reeked of alcohol, the police officer could not help frowning.
He was well aware of Shi Dong's background—emboldened by the fact that his cousin worked as an officer in the Chongjiang County Public Security Bureau, Shi Dong usually acted with extreme arrogance.
"What is going on here?" the officer asked with a solemn expression.
Du Xi retrieved her work ID from her bag and handed it to the officer.
The officer paid little heed at first, but his expression shifted dramatically the next instant.
He had never expected that the pretty and delicate young woman standing before him worked at the municipal bureau, and he thought to himself that Shi Dong, you punk, you've really stepped into deep trouble this time.
Uncertain how to handle the situation for the moment, he decided to go strictly by the book.
"Let's all head to the police station and sort this out together."
Completely oblivious to what had just transpired, Shi Dong whipped out his phone and dialed his cousin's number.
"I've run into some trouble here. A customer refused to pay for their car repairs, and then a few busybodies got involved. One of them claims to know Hu Zhongping—you've got to help me get justice!"
"I'm calling Chief Hu right now!"
Shi Xiang was the deputy captain of the County Traffic Police Detachment, and Shi Dong's auto repair shop thrived precisely because of this connection.
As an onlooker, the handling officer could see clearly that Shi Dong had gone too far this time, and he thought silently, keep dancing while you can, Shi Dong!
Back at home, Hu Zhongping's mind was filled with every smile and frown of Du Xi. He wanted to pursue her not only because she had transformed into a swan, but also due to her family background.
Marrying Du Xi would undoubtedly be a tremendous boost to his career.
A phone call from the duty officer interrupted Hu Zhongping's reverie.
"Chief Hu, we just received a dispatch regarding a dispute at an auto repair shop. One of the individuals involved claims to be a friend of yours."
Hu Zhongping sat bolt upright. "A friend? What is her name?"
"Du Xi. I checked her identification card; she's from the Municipal Bureau!"
Hu Zhongping quickly sprang up from the sofa. "Understood, I'll be right there!"
As he was putting on his clothes, his phone rang—it was a call from Shi Xiang.
Hu Zhongping immediately informed Shi Xiang of Du Xi's identity.
Realizing that his cousin had provoked someone he absolutely should not have, Shi Xiang rushed to the Jinshuizhen Police Station without delay.
In the mediation room.
The atmosphere was heavy and solemn.
Seeing his cousin appear, Shi Dong finally breathed a sigh of relief and pointed at Tang Ye and the middle-aged man, shouting, "Bro, these people caused a ruckus in my shop. You've got to lock them up for a few days."
With a face as dark as iron, Shi Xiang walked up to him without saying a word.
He raised his hand and delivered a flurry of hard slaps to both sides of Shi Dong's face.
"Shut your damn mouth!"
After disciplining his younger brother, Shi Xiang turned to apologize to Du Xi. "I apologize for the spectacle. I've already arranged for someone to patch your tires and park the car outside. You are free to leave now."
"What about them?" Tang Ye asked calmly.
"They can leave as well. As for the cost, we can negotiate. Five hundred is indeed far too much. How about fifty? Shi Dong, do you have any objections?" Hu Zhongping thought to himself that Tang Ye certainly liked to meddle in matters that were none of his business.
With a burning face, his mind completely dazed by the beating from his cousin, Shi Dong stammered, "Chief Hu, whatever amount you say goes."
Aware of the whole sequence of events, Hu Zhongping privately blamed Tang Ye for being the root of all this trouble!
If not for the sake of Du Xi, he would never have bothered mediating this mess.
In that case, Tang Ye would have spent at least the entire night detained at the station.
"Then let's settle on fifty!" The middle-aged man wore a faint, ambiguous smile as he cast a deep, lingering look at Tang Ye. "Thank you for helping us clear the siege today."
Tang Ye waved his hand dismissively. "Don't mention it. We were just about to get our car repaired anyway; you indirectly helped us step over a hidden trap ahead of time."
As they were preparing to leave the mediation room, the door suddenly burst open.
Wan Ming rushed in at the head of a group of police officers, walking straight up to Tang Ye. Standing before him with an expression full of anger, he asked domineeringly, "Did you get the short end of the stick? Did anyone lay a hand on you? If you suffered any losses, I'll smash this place to pieces."
Tang Ye thought to himself, Old Wan, you arrived a step too late, the matter has already been resolved!
Still, his arrival was not without value!
At the very least, it let Hu Zhongping know that Tang Ye did not need to rely on Du Xi to resolve a crisis right in front of him.
Smashing the place was likely an exaggeration, but knowing Wan Ming's personality, he definitely would have raised absolute hell.
Hu Zhongping had previously assumed that Tang Ye and Wan Ming merely acquaintances.
He had never imagined their bond ran this deep.
Upon hearing that Tang Ye was in trouble, Wan Ming had charged straight over with his men.
If he had not stepped in personally, the police station might well have been "stormed" by Wan Ming and his crew tonight.
Furthermore, Bureau Chief Zhu had been dining with Wan Ming earlier that evening... if things went wrong, it could severely impact his future political career.
At this thought, a cold shiver ran down his spine.
Hu Zhongping quickly offered a flattering smile to Wan Ming. "Director Wan, please calm down! Mayor Tang and I are friends; how could I ever let him suffer any mistreatment here?"
Shi Xiang was gripped by a lingering terror.
If Hu Zhongping had not given him a heads-up in advance, Shi Dong might have caused a catastrophic disaster tonight!
Appreciative of Wan Ming's loyal stance, Tang Ye reached out to tug at his arm. "Why make such a huge fuss? Keep a low profile."
Assured that Tang Ye was completely unharmed, Wan Ming laughed heartily. "I came fully prepared for a brawl. As long as you're fine, everything's good."
The incident had finally come to an end.
The group prepared to part ways.
The middle-aged man took the initiative to shake hands with Tang Ye. "My name is Qi Yunhui. If you ever find yourself in Qiongjin and need anything, feel free to contact me."
Tang Ye decided that being straightforward and candid at this moment would appear far more sincere.
"If you ever have any investment projects, President Qi, please remember to choose Pinghu. The social atmosphere and business environment of our town will certainly not disappoint you."
Qi Yunhui paused for a moment before bursting into hearty laughter. "We will definitely have a chance to cooperate!"
Sun Hai drove Du Xi and Liu芳 home first, and finally dropped Tang Ye off at his residence.
"That was seriously satisfying today, seeing Director Wan charge into the office like that. Even Hu Zhongping's expression completely changed. By the way, how did you even meet that President Qi guy? What is his background?"
Tang Ye smiled faintly.
He did not know President Qi's exact background either, but judging by his poise and demeanor today, he was clearly no ordinary person.
He steered the conversation elsewhere. "Regardless of who he is, when faced with the kind of predicament we saw today, I could never just sit by and do nothing."
Tang Ye figured that saying this would surely make his image in Sun Hai's eyes appear exceptionally tall and heroic!
Taken aback for a second, Sun Hai sighed with admiration as expected. "Monk, you really are that kind of person. When you encounter injustice, you step right up. If it were me, I'd definitely overthink everything and cower in hesitation."
With a self-deprecating chuckle, Tang Ye replied, "Some people might think I'm a fool who doesn't know how to protect his own skin."
Shaking his head, Sun Hai countered, "Why do I trust you so much? Because I know that if I ever encountered true hardship, you would help me without the slightest hesitation and never betray me."
Surprised for a moment, Tang Ye broke into a helpless smile. "Don't be so confident."
Dropping his usual flippant attitude, Sun Hai said with utter seriousness, "I am just this confident!"