Chapter 262: Making a Call

“If Uncle Wolf was just testing my strength, is this level enough?”

Ye Qingfeng asked with a light smile.

“Naturally, I didn’t expect you to possess such strength—oh, and also ability.”

Leikain’s voice was quiet, but he stressed the last two words heavily.

This was no longer a hint—it was an outright declaration.

“Miss Reen has been in the Hollow for so many days; if we don’t rescue her soon, she’ll turn into a Wither.”

Ye Qingfeng winked subtly.

“When I get back, let’s set a time and find a quiet place to chat properly!”

“I was too hasty—surely you don’t need Victoria Household’s help?”

“No, I’ll finish this quickly.”

“Understood. Since Barra Tower is ultimately your property, try to avoid causing excessive damage.”

“Consider it done!”

Ye Qingfeng waved his hand, walked over to Ling, gave her a few instructions, then explained the situation to Ai Lian and Li Na.

Naturally, they strongly opposed it—men being flirtatious was fine, but constantly risking death? Who would want that?

He opens his mouth—says he’s going alone into the Hollow to rescue Miss Reen~

Who do you think you are? Spiderman?

No matter what Ye Qingfeng said, it fell on deaf ears; finally, Leikain volunteered, saying he’d go in with him.

Ai Lian and Li Na exchanged a glance, then both shot Ling a look, and the three hurried off to discuss.

Left alone, Kelin trembled in place; she rushed over so fast that Ye Qingfeng and Leikain both fell silent.

In terms of speed, we’d crown Kelin the strongest!

Ye Qingfeng could only wait silently as they debated, knowing the cost of acting recklessly:

He wouldn’t be allowed to enter the video store for a while.

Li Na would handle his meals for this period.

As for Ai Lian... she’d definitely go in alone.

Imagine your only blood relative (fake), standing right in front of you, planning to enter a perilous Hollow alone.

Any sane person wouldn’t let family do something so reckless!

Understanding Ai Lian’s concerns, Ye Qingfeng felt a pang in his chest—it was obvious once you put yourself in her shoes.

He dared to enter the Hollow alone not only because of his omnipotent Aether manipulation, but also his escape-specific teleportation.

Though he’d never used it yet, its effect shouldn’t be too poor.

Kelin is still young, Li Na lacks combat strength, and Ai Lian isn’t suited for prolonged battles.

After intense discussion, they reached a decision: Ye Qingfeng, Leikain, and Ies would enter the Hollow together.

Rescue Reen at maximum speed, then leave the Hollow without delay.

The others would wait outside to provide support.

Once the plan was set, Ling immediately pulled Ye Qingfeng back to the video store to wait for him to fetch Ies before returning.

The Victoria Household team rested nearby.

Leikain watched the two depart, then whispered something to Li Na before leaving alone to find a secluded corner.

He pulled out his phone, eyes constantly scanning the surroundings; only after confirming no one was nearby did he dial the number.

A light, melodic ringtone sounded, and after a moment, the call connected—a low voice reached Leikain’s ears.

“Leikain, you should be in the Hollow at this time. Why are you calling?”

His speech was calm, measured, yet firm.

“Yes, Mayor...”

Leikain briefly outlined his plan to enter the Hollow and his suspicions regarding Ye Qingfeng’s abilities.

“Ye Qingfeng? No surname? By the way, has his identity verification been completed?”

“Yes...”

Leikain answered the first question truthfully, then recounted his findings.

Since his first encounter with Ye Qingfeng, when he witnessed the substance resembling Aether clinging to his palm, he had urgently launched a detailed investigation.

The results were both highly detailed and extremely scarce.

“Ye Qingfeng is male, approximately twenty years old. His first appearance in public was as a member of the private tunneling gang—The Hare’s Den.”

Afterward, he interacted with Zhu Yuan of the Peace Bureau and the Qingyi officer, then with Zhe and Ling, owners of the Six-Fen Video Store, who are also the legendary Rope Artisan Phaethon.”

No sooner had Leikain finished speaking than he noticed the breathing on the other end quicken; he paused self-consciously, waiting for the mayor to calm his breath before continuing:

“After that, he came into contact with us... that is, the Victoria Household team. I was the last to meet him. Based on incomplete investigations, Ye Qingfeng’s personal life is... messy...”

“What do you mean?”

“According to incomplete statistics, he has had at least six romantic partners: the leader of The Hare’s Den, Nico; the fighter Anbi; the newly joined Cat-kin, Mao You.”

“Miss Zhu Yuan of the Peace Bureau.”

“Ai Lian and others from Victoria Household.”

“And Ling, the younger sister of Phaethon.”

The line fell into deep silence. After a long breath, the voice asked: “Leikain, tell me about the Aether substance.”

“Understood. Recently, during a sparring session, I successfully prompted him to use this ability. The specifics: he coats his body with Aether energy to enhance attack and defense. I don’t know the exact mechanics.”

Leikain spoke slowly.

Unaware of it, Ye Qingfeng’s first display of ability had instantly reached the mayor of New Aelido’s ears.

Who could have guessed that an ordinary household service company was secretly a municipal faction?

Half of Ye Qingfeng’s goal had been accomplished unilaterally—whether it was fortune or misfortune depended on the mayor’s decision.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

A crisp tapping sound echoed as the mayor repeatedly struck his desk, frowning slightly, pondering how to respond to Ye Qingfeng.

Leikain remained composed and elegant, standing like a pine, holding his breath as if fearing even his own breathing might disturb the mayor’s thoughts.

“Leikain, what do you think of his strength?”

The mayor’s thinking was simple: if his strength was below Level Three, force him to join his faction; if Level Four, consider cooperation; if Level Four or higher, cooperation was inevitable.

He didn’t consider anything beyond that—Level Five and above meant individuals who could match the power of a Void Hunter. If such a person couldn’t be allied with, eliminating him was the optimal solution.

After all, at Ye Qingfeng’s current age, he has immense potential; with sufficient talent and training, he could easily become the strongest fighter below the Star Seer’s daughter.

With his support and backing, becoming a Void Hunter himself would be certain—and then he’d have a Void Hunter as an ally.

The success rate of his plans—or others—would rise dramatically.

According to Leikain’s report, if Ye Qingfeng joined the official side, the chance of successfully recruiting the Phaethon siblings would also increase; combined with the leverage he had prepared, they would never suspect him.